The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


When the things you love keep changing

Posted on March 10, 2012 by

Tom Harris MP on Twitter, 10th March 2012:

"To the homeless, the unemployed, the hungry, the vulnerable, I say this: the SNP will give you a Scottish passport!"

Oof! That's some biting satire from the Scottish Labour man there, suggesting the SNP will do nothing for these unfortunate people other than change their nationality! That's going to sting those pesky "Tartan Tory" Nats! Hurrah for the good comrades of the Red Flag who stand up for the poor and the dispossessed!

But wait a minute – who's this vile, compassionless Tory slimebag sort, being quoted approvingly in the Telegraph by arch-Tory columnist Alan Cochrane barely three months earlier for telling those same unemployed, homeless and vulnerable to go and get stuffed, because his party has nothing to offer them?

"We were set up as the party to represent the values of working people, working being the key word. We weren't set up as some sort of charity to help the poorest in society – the long-term unemployed, the benefit dependent, the drug addicted, the homeless."

What? It's Tom Harris of the Scottish Labour Party, you say? We're confused again.

26 to “When the things you love keep changing”

  1. Bugger (the Panda) says:

    THe more I see about what  Cochrane is writing, I don't bother to read him anymore as he has an adverse reaction on my blood pressure, the more I become sure that he is increasingly losing the plot.

    Reply
  2. Rev. Stuart Campbell says:

    On the contrary, I love reading him, because every week he gets more and more purple-faced with rage at the SNP's continued success, and I'm curious to see when he'll actually burst.

    Reply
  3. Bugger (the Panda) says:

    Harris is of the Tony Blair Socialist confessional, that is to say superimposable on the Thatcher dogma mindset.

    Reply
  4. Tearlach says:

    Reading Cochorane is fun, as he increasingly turns into a caracture of himself, if such a thing is possible. I've run across him a few times at parlaimentry evening events, when the great and the good of civic Scotkand use the Garden Lobby for a few wines and nibbles. Always on the fringes and always on the phone. Kind of sums up the Torygraph in Scotland. I do wonder what happeended to his fragrant wife Jenny, last timeI looked she was relegated to writing puff pieces in the Scotsman, but that was over a year ago.

    Reply
  5. Angus McLellan says:

    The fair Jenny was last seen in the Courier  Mock ye not. That means her words are seen by far more eyeballs in Scotland than see her other half's ruminations.

    Reply
  6. Longshanker says:

    Aye. It''s a Billy Connolly paraphrase for the twitter age right enough. How do you tell if a politician is lieing? His lips/fingers are moving.
    Some things never change though.
    link to wp.me

    Reply
  7. DougtheDug says:

    Jenny Hjul (Mrs. Cochrane) is also editor of "Equipped, The Armed Forces and Veterans Magazine.", which appears to be a freebie distributed to past and present members of the UK's armed forces.
    link to equippedmagazine.co.uk
    I haven't read any of her Courier articles but I used to read her pieces in the Sunday Times when she worked there and she easily matches good old Cochers in her outright hatred of the SNP.
    It's no wonder Alan Cochrane thought Tom Harris was the best thing since sliced bread in that Telegraph article.

    Reply
  8. Lesley-Anne says:

    That will be the Tom Harris who appears to have conceded defeat tonight!

    Just heard on Newsshaft that Fife is rumoured to have turned completely YELLOW! 😛

    Reply
  9. Lesley-Anne says:

    Just hearing Labour candidate in East Lothian has congratulated #SNP candidate and count is still on going!

    Battersea result

    Con 26,730
    UKIP 1,586
    Lab 18,792
    Green 1,682
    LD 2,241

    turn out 67.1%

    Tory hold

    Reply
  10. Lesley-Anne says:

    I’m hearing on twitter and Facebook that Ian Davidson is GONE and David Mundell is GONE!

    I think we can safely say the SNP has surpassed its previous high of 11 seats. 😀

    Reply
  11. Lesley-Anne says:

    Just heard Ochil and Perthshire seat has 58% for Tasmina Sheikh, S.N.P. 😀

    Reply
  12. Lesley-Anne says:

    Turnout for Gordon Brown’s old Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath seat was 70%, up from 62.37% in 2010

    Reply
  13. Lesley-Anne says:

    Nuneaton result

    Lab 15,945
    Ld 816
    Con 20,827
    Green 1,281
    English Dem 104
    TUSC 194
    UKIP 6,582

    turn out 67.2%

    Con hold

    Reply
  14. Lesley-Anne says:

    STV reporting that Labour have conceded ALL seven seats in Glasgow! 😀

    Reply
  15. Lesley-Anne says:

    Kilmarnock & Loudoun result

    SNP 30,000
    Lab 16,362
    Con 6,752
    LD 789

    turnout 71.6%

    S.N.P. GAIN!

    Western Isles

    Con 1,215
    SCP 1,045
    LD 456
    SNP 8,662
    Lab 4,560

    turn out

    SNP HOLD

    Reply
  16. Lesley-Anne says:

    Paisley and Renfreshire South result

    Lab 17,864
    SNP 23,548
    Con 3,526
    LD 1,010
    SSP 278

    turnout 75.4%

    SNP GAIN!

    Reply
  17. Thepnr says:

    Yeah Yeah Yeah

    We love you Mhari, do your people proud xxx

    Reply
  18. Thepnr says:

    This is beyond my wildest dreams. From here on we deal with what comes next.

    Reply
  19. Lesley-Anne says:

    Dundee West result

    LD 1,057
    Green 1,225
    TUSC 304
    Con 3,852
    Lab 10,592
    SNP 27,684

    turn out 67.5%

    SNP GAIN

    Glenrothes Result

    SNP 28,429
    LD 892
    Con 3,685
    Lab 14,562

    turn out

    SNP GAIN

    Falkirk result

    SNP 34,831
    Lab 15,130
    Con 7,325
    UKIP 1,829
    LD 1,225

    turn out 72.4%

    SNP GAIN

    Ochil and South Perthshire

    SNP 26,620
    Lab 16,452
    Con 11,987
    LD 1,481
    UKIP 1,331

    turn out 74.8%

    SNP GAIN

    Angus result

    SNP 24,130
    Con 12,900
    Lab 3,919
    UKIP 1,355
    Green 965

    turn out 67.6%

    SNP HOLD

    Reply
  20. Lesley-Anne says:

    Dundee East result

    SNP 28,765
    Lab 9,603
    Con 7,206
    LD 1,387
    Greens 895
    CISTA 225
    TUSC 104

    turn out 72%

    SNP HOLD

    Dumbartonshire East result

    UKIP 567
    Green 804
    Lab 6,754
    SNP 22,093
    Con 4,627
    LD 19,926

    turn out 81.9%

    SNP GAIN

    Reply
  21. Lesley-Anne says:

    Rutherglen and Hamilton West result

    SNP 30,279
    Lab 20,304
    Con 4,350
    UKIP 1,301
    LD 1,045
    CISTA 336

    turn out 69.7%

    SNP GAIN

    Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath result

    SNP 27,628
    Lab 17,654
    Con 5,223
    UKIP 1,237
    LD 1,150

    turn out 69.6%

    SNP GAIN

    Reply
  22. Thepnr says:

    Well done Taranaich!! You done us proud.

    Reply
  23. Lesley-Anne says:

    Midlothian result

    SNP 24,453
    Lab 14,594
    Con 5,760
    Green 1,219
    UKIP 1,173
    LD 1,132

    turn out 71.2%

    SNP GAIN106

    Inverclyde

    UKIP 715
    SNP 24,585
    CISTA 283
    Con 4,446
    Lab 13,532
    LD 1,106

    turn out 75.2%

    SNP GAIN

    Reply
  24. Thepnr says:

    Fuck you skelator. We laugh in your face, Paula Rose has just fainted!

    Reply
  25. Lesley-Anne says:

    Airdrie and Shotts result

    SNP 23,887
    LD 678
    Lab 15,108
    UKIP 1,088
    Con 3,389
    IND 136

    turn out 66.4%

    SNP GAIN

    East Renfrew result

    UKIP 888
    Con 12,465
    Lab 19,295
    SNP 23,013
    LD 1,069

    turn out 81.1%

    SNP GAIN

    Reply
  26. Chris says:

    Tom Harris obviously didn’t get the memo from Harold Wilson, “This Party is a moral crusade or it is nothing.”

    Reply


Comment - please read this page for comment rules. HTML tags like <i> and <b> are permitted. Use paragraph breaks in long comments. DO NOT SIGN YOUR COMMENTS, either with a name or a slogan. If your comment does not appear immediately, DO NOT REPOST IT. Ignore these rules and I WILL KILL YOU WITH HAMMERS.


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,847 Posts, 1,231,830 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Willie on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Information delayed is information denied is an apt line. But as we can see that is only one of the…Dec 8, 01:37
    • Mark Beggan on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Where did you get your professorship? Tehran. An academic versed in colonial studys would know all the aspects good and…Dec 8, 00:31
    • BLMac on The Long Walk To Freedom: “It’s about time someone in another country, eg Australia or USA revealed the names of the perjuring Alpha-Betties.Dec 8, 00:06
    • Alf Baird on The Long Walk To Freedom: ““the truth is not just being delayed. It is being denied.” Should we really expect anything different in a colony?Dec 7, 21:55
    • James on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Baiy and switch? Vote Yoon, because, you know, reasons. Nice try.Dec 7, 21:12
    • James on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Nice try, fuckwit.Dec 7, 21:08
    • Confused on The Long Walk To Freedom: “just asking. I thought I had “seen this before” somewhere and was wondering if it was new. All keep up…Dec 7, 20:31
    • GM on The Long Walk To Freedom: “John Smythe, the people assisting him and Benjamin Harrop are all on the same path but aye, what do you…Dec 7, 20:19
    • Confused on The Long Walk To Freedom: “How does this relate to https://johnsmytheinvestigations.wordpress.com/2025/10/03/foi-202500456798-selective-redactions-on-james-hamilton-correspondence/ and are you the same GM?Dec 7, 19:00
    • Dan on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Stated this a few years back, but probably need an updated version of this old article, and it would likely…Dec 7, 18:56
    • factchecker on The Long Walk To Freedom: “David, to use your image, we’re getting our faces hit with a broken bottle right now. They’ll keep getting hit…Dec 7, 18:42
    • factchecker on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Dan, I agree with you about Labour’s record in the past. I’m just suggesting the only scenario I can see…Dec 7, 18:30
    • Hatey McHateface on The Long Walk To Freedom: “There you go, factchecker, Dan says no. I’m afraid things still have to get a lot worse in Scotland before…Dec 7, 18:18
    • David Holden on The Long Walk To Freedom: “An epic article in both length and breadth. A few reads will be required but after one pass I was…Dec 7, 18:17
    • Dan on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Lolz, you maybe laid that voting initiative on jist a wee bitty too heavy. Aye, coz previously Labour in Scotland…Dec 7, 17:39
    • factchecker on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Not a fact, this time – a personal thought. NUSNP has shown itself unworthy to govern the Scottish people consistently…Dec 7, 17:08
    • Effijy on The Long Walk To Freedom: “I can’t digest such beating about the bushes, trees, and gorse. My conclusion, the SNP is rife with corruption and…Dec 7, 16:16
    • James Cheyne on The cost of failure: “Also forgot to mention the destruction of infrastructure like roads, trains, water supplies, localised businesses, NHS, and other public services.…Dec 7, 16:13
    • James Cheyne on The cost of failure: “Charles ( not the 3C one) Forgot to respond regards your comment Who will be the members of the new…Dec 7, 16:04
    • James Cheyne on The cost of failure: “Charles ( not the RC one). If there was a Scottish parliament in reality, there would be no Parliamentary union…Dec 7, 15:51
    • Morag on The Long Walk To Freedom: “We can only be grateful for people like yourself who are prepared to do this, and dogged and persistent enough…Dec 7, 15:01
    • James Cheyne on The cost of failure: “Confirmation can be found in records that it was “The Great Seal of England ” that was used on the…Dec 7, 14:04
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Still the dagger drips…Dec 7, 14:04
    • GM on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Thanks Benjamin. I’ll look forward to your next post.Dec 7, 13:46
    • GM on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Good work. I look forward to further information being released, eventually.Dec 7, 13:36
    • duncanio on The Long Walk To Freedom: “The process is indeed the punishment. Much kudos goes to Benjamin Harrop for his tenacity and diligence in trying to…Dec 7, 13:12
    • Ronnie on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Sir, your persistence is to be commended.Dec 7, 13:07
    • James Cheyne on The cost of failure: “The union of crowns only came into official bieng due to the articles of the treaty of union, Prior to…Dec 7, 12:41
    • Hatey McHateface on The cost of failure: “Naw, James. It’s a little known fact that many people want to pay lots more tax. That’s why they move…Dec 7, 10:23
    • Hatey McHateface on The cost of failure: “So long, Cynicus. Shame you never managed to deal with the substance of my assertion, that the son of some…Dec 7, 10:11
  • A tall tale



↑ Top