Where it matters
Posted on
October 17, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
The world's most-read Scottish politics website
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A tall tale
Wee Books
Video
Probably a robbery
Transphobia
It’s called ‘pooling & sharing’ Stu. You share your money with us and we’ll build olympic pools.
Ah yes, sharing. As in Dick Turpin.
We earn the money and Gideon takes it and shares it with his pals.
There could not be a more explicit condemnation of a UK Chancellor than to have such an accolade appended to his ‘achievements list’.
Is the London Standard aware it is taking the piss, or has the UK media machine become so insanely amoral, it is now an utter disgrace.
Many thanks again for voting NO to keep these cretins in power and welcome back into wallyland. Frankly, unbelievable.
Is This Gordon’s idea of sharing resources? Take £11bn of the £12bn Scotland contributes to Invest in London.
According to today’s Herald, Brown is the 2nd most trusted person to deliver more powers to The Scottish Parliament. Is this after him begging the tories not to devolve Income Tax in full?
Obviously he fears that Westminster will cut/abolish Barnett as a consequence. Well that is the consequence of The Vow! The old saying be careful what you wish for, comes to mind.
Brown is now realising the consequence of The Vow, to the Labour Party. He was quite happy to stitch up Scotland with his unionists pals, but Cameron has gone one further and stitched Labour up also. Given him a taste of his own medicine.
What about the Union’s future? Well if Brown’s fears are accurate-it’s as good as over. Maybe hid seat in The Lords will only last for a few years.
London gets the benefits and everyone else is on benefits.
It’s funny how London’s success follows it receiving by far the biggest share of UK public investment.
I know it’s a crazy idea, but imagine how the UK could be transformed for the majority if this was better spread and targeted.
No wonder we call it the London Government.
Let’s have a campaign to get London to raise the money it spends. It would be quite funny seeing a London income tax basic rate of 70%.
It would all have been much simpler and fairer if No voters had simply handed in a nice big cheque each made out to London Slush Fund c/o Gideon Osborne, when they voted. At least that would have been transparent.
Nicola Sturgeon has sold out the Hydro. Having said that, the Labour party sold out the whole of Scotland.
Being “Better Together’ should start any day now right?
London is the capital of our great nation and as such fully deserves to have the money invested for the good of our fine union. After all if we kept this kind of money in Scotland we would only waste it on senseless things like free prescriptions, extra help for pensioners etc. So i don’t know why anybody would complain about £11,000,000,000 of Scottish money helping them.
This goes hand in hand with Boris Johnson’s quote: “a pound spent in Croydon is of more value to the country than a pound spent in Strathclyde.” Of course what was not mentioned is the pound spent in Croydon is raised from Strathclyde and sent to The Treasury.
Take a look at Croydon over the years and compare it to anywhere in Strathclyde. Scotland’s towns are blighted with stunted growth with no industry or infrastructure benefits while places like Croydon, Reading, Swindon and Brighton are the real beneficiaries of a buoyant London economy fuelled by Scotland’s wealth. Pooling comes from the north but the sharing doesn’t go any further than Birmingham.
[…] Where it matters […]
Brilliant! London really is another country (well the City of London).
I trust the Labour unionists will be sending him messages of congratulation. Hope this is tweeted far and wide.
Georges idea of sharing:
What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is ours.
Dcanmore 10:59am
Boris Johnson quote
Absolutely correct,there is no sense of fairness or nationhood, it is all narrow minded greed,self interest and ignorance. The man is in the Thatcher mould and has aspirations for PM.Scotland will be royally done over if he gets his way.
… and 55% of my countrymen voted to be shafted, regularly.
Or did they?
Are we surprised at any of this, all they were waiting on was their campaign winning and with a hand securely round the BBC and after Levenson round the media, how could it fail. They now are right back where they wanted to be, lots of lovely money coming in to pay their debts and you Jocks can swing for it. Sorry to those who think we should go softly round the NO voters, not bleeding likely. They are now classed as Brits and the only true Scots are those with the determination not to give in.
The amount of construction and infrastructure work going on in London is phenomenal. But, as any London-based propaganda organisation will tell you, it’s because London is better and richer than the rest of the UK, and the lead must be maintained, or it won’t be competing with New York and Tokyo any more.
I spoke to a Londoner who told me that the reason so many people move to London was because they liked it so much. My response was that people went to London not through choice, but because they couldn’t get jobs elsewhere as all investment and infrastructure is concentrated in London. She had never even heard that point of view before.
great, rub salt into the wounds why don’t they.
but nothing new under the sun here.
the expectation that we the people, crowd fund their delusional, fantasied, lavish, scrumptious kindergarten, imperialist lifestyles, and keep them in a manor that they are accustomed to, is something they don’t even bother to hyde anymore.
cruel britannia waves the rules.
osborne once justified his lavish lifestyle by saying “it’s what i’m used to”.
The media, print and broadcasting, rule this country and always have. It shapes the minds and opinions of the electorate, and we will never win independence until we have our own (hopefully unbiased) mind-shapers and opinion generators.
Does anyone know if there is any chance of a second date at the Hydro.
What’s yours is mines what’s mines is mines London philosophy
[…] Where it matters […]
Grouse Beater.
A very intriguing?
Sturgeon’s Revenge, World Tour of Scotland….sold out
🙂 i can see a t shirt design forming in my mind as we speak!!
From our friends at Broadcast New for Scotland…
Thank you for all your messages, we are reading them and apologise for not having the time to reply to you all individually.
The most common messages we are receiving are those offering help on a voluntary basis, or looking to get involved in some way. We are really grateful for all the offers, and we are keeping note of each and every one of you, we’re just not quite at that stage yet. We are spending a lot of time just building the correct structure and basis from which to launch the broadcast news service that Scotland deserves!
On that note, another common concern amongst messages regards the nature of the show and the presence of advertising. We want to make it clear that we do not intend to fund any of the news output in its initial format using adverts. It’s the news, it’s an honest and open portrayal of facts and current affairs, and we do not intend to sell off news time to any business or interests.
We can now tell you a little more about the business structure that we are putting in place.
It’s important to us that the news is not beholden to any corporate entity, is not being manipulated for any other means than to provide honest and reliable news. For that reason we will be setting the company up as a “Community Interest Company (CIC)”. This is not a simple process and over the next week we will be meeting with lawyers to put in writing and finalise our mission statement. The most important thing to take from this is, that your money is safe as an investment in a company from which no individual can reap the profits, every penny will be going back into the business to help it expand and grow. It also means that no individual or corporate entity can “buy shares” in the company, seeking out control.
Whilst Carolyn really handles the legal and business side of things, Jack and James are still out meeting with as many people as possible every day, learning a lot and building up the know how required to make it all come together. We are very excited and in the next few weeks hope to release a short video that will cover in more detail what we’re working towards.
[…] The Evening Standard, 16 October 2014:“George Osborne was today named the most influential person in London as the Chancellor topped the Evening Standard’s The 1000 power list, with Mayor Boris Johnson in second place.The Evening Standard panel decided Mr Osborne is London’s most influential person because of his willingness to invest in the capital despite pressure for the Treasury to spend the money in other parts of Britain.” […]
Very intriguing?
*News*
OT. I think a new media is essential to the goal of independence. However there is a very real danger that if a new media business venture reaches a critical mass that might threaten the power base of the established media, the owners will be made an offer for it that it will be very difficult for them to refuse. It will be dressed up as purely a commercial opportunity… and to some extent it will be as the inherent success with make this a viable commercial undertaking. Once it changes hands though the editorial policy is likely to subtly change to suit the new owners interests. There is also the danger that if a new media outlet that supports independence might become a commercial success potential advertisers will come under pressure not to buy advertising space etc which would be vital for such a venture to succeed. We are up against very unscrupulous individuals and organisations who are used to either buying things (usually with our money)that they think would be better of in their hands or trying to destroy them.
George Osborne – the Prince of Greed in the City of Greed.
London gets 24 times as much money as the north of England. Dunno what the figure for Scotland is.
link to theguardian.com
This accolade will be in part for his plan to flog off the UK portion of Eurostar – guess in these unequal times who’s friends will benefit from acquiring the shares in a company that will subsequently cream it off the public.
No such thoughts would enter the minds of our European neighbours. Although the nationalised East Coast line made £205m last year for the state ( which had to pick up the pieces when National Express couldn’t cope ) it too is planned for return to the neocapitalists’ friends.
This heartening news from ‘Broadcast news for Scotland’.
(For those unaware, this is some of the same team who brought, ‘Dateline Scotland’ during the referendum campaign – only this time, the project is for serious news output.)
Scotland really needs such a service, more than ever, as the blatantly biased BBC state propagandists are now in full ‘Gordon Broon, the saviour of mankind’ mode, all the while ignoring he was a key part of the westminster inspired deceit of the people of Scotland, during the referendum.
If we could at least get a ‘Scottish six’ online, with an hour or more of full news coverage from a genuine Scottish perspective, that would be great. Of course, like a normal country, it would not need to be called the ‘Scottish’ news, or news from ‘Scotland, rather it could just be called ‘the news’.
Here’s an idea, how about you arrange election debates of your own, for UKGE 2015? With SNP,SSP,Labour, Greens, Libdems, Tories together. You could also use others (such as Bateman) to perhaps do incisive one on one, FULL forensic interviews with the respective party leaders? i.e doing the job, which the BBC refuse to do.
Other than Dundee and Dumfries, all the venues look to be sold out. Great to see. Obviously there’s distinct lack of news coverage about the popularity of her tour.
London *sighs*
END LONDON RULE
is the only answer.
@ RMAC 11.54 am
The media company they are planning to launch will be a Community Interest Company-it cannot be bought out by investors etc as it has no shares. This is the format being used for the last couple of years where groups like former NHS staff have got together to protect a service from decimation by private vested interests & have undercut those vested interests to win bids to provide services which the NHS was forced to offer for tender. The one in my area was the Disability Counselling Service. The service hasn’t changed at all-it just isn’t owned by the NHS anymore.
Is this appeal to do with Jack Foster and James Devoy’s media project, or is it a different one?
link to indiegogo.com
“London is different: the government will spend money there … the value of infrastructure spending in London comes in at a nifty £36 billion.”
link to blogs.spectator.co.uk
I’m pretty sure WOS have linked to this article in the past. It seems appropriate for this thread. Apologies if everyone seen already.
@muttley79
My apologies. Yes the above email was sent by Jack Foster, James Devoy and Carolyn Scott of Broadcast News for Scotland.
London and the British desert.
@RL
“Here’s an idea, how about you arrange election debates of your own, for UKGE 2015? With SNP,SSP,Labour, Greens, Libdems, Tories together. You could also use others (such as Bateman) to perhaps do incisive one on one, FULL forensic interviews with the respective party leaders? i.e doing the job, which the BBC refuse to do”
the unionist would participate, same as they refused to put up speakers during the referendum, thier aim is to close down discussion, all of the unionist “public” meetings are stage managed
the platform for the campaign in scotland is now set, it will be fought on which definition of devo max is the right one. why would the unionists risk exposing themselves in public to the obvious question, regardless of how the unionists define devo max, this is something they vowed to deviler and failed?
The Peterhead plant for carbon capture mentioned by Stu as possibly benefitting from this infrastructure investment seems to be under threat as the first two comments on this thread on Newsnet indicate.
link to newsnetscotland.scot
Plus Longannet’s future is jeopardised because of connection costs to the grid being higher in Scotland, for some reason.
Surely that is the objective of ‘pooling and sharing’?
Yet if Longannet is anything to go by, it is raw commercial forces which rule, and the socialist principle of pooling and sharing is nowhere to be seen.
Isn’t Longannet not far distant from Clunking Fist’s desmesne? Why isn’t he raising this, in his passionate defence of pooling and sharing?
O/T
Today’s YOUGOV Scottish sub sample has the Labour Party in third place,behind the Tories.
I know it’s only a sub sample,but has this ever happened before?
London`s streets are paved with gold, black gold.
mutley79
I believe the appeal in your link is totally separate to the “Broadcast News for Scotland” appeal launched by Jack & James. (Which was launched earlier and is still open link to indiegogo.com)
It is a bit confusing. Though, I guess one is solely news based.
@Grizzle McPuss
I am not sure if it is the same one as Jack Foster’s, James Devoy’s though. It seems to be Referendum TV new name, and that is their appeal. I cannot remember Jack Foster and co being involved in it.
@ Lollysmum, thanks, I wasn’t thinking of any particular venture when I posted, I was still writing it when Grizzle McPuss posted (I haven’t managed to get a handle on this multi tasking thing)about Broadcast News for Scotland. Your post was very informative and welcome though as I had no idea that this backdoor privatisation crap had already started up here. Unsurprisingly I haven’t seen anything about it in the MSM.
OT. For general information on cancelling the TV Licence.
A letter arrived today from TV LICENSING/Capita,
dated 9 October 2014
We paid by monthly Direct Debit and cancelled the DD last month. We decided not to contact the BBC directly as they are after all merely a supplier. We changed our energy and broadband suppliers without the need to contact them. Why should the BBC be any different.
The letter is as follows:-
“We recently wrote to inform you that we were unable to take further payments for your TV Licence because your Direct Debit plan had been cancelled.
As we have not heard from you, the expiry date of your TV Licence has now been amended to reflect the payments you made before the Direct Debit was cancelled. Your TV Licence now expires at the end of March 2015.*
You will need to make new arrangements to pay for your next TV Licence. Please call us immediately on 0300 790 6068 and we’ll help you find an alternative payment method.
Yours sincerely,
Alison Roberts
Customer Service Director
* This action has been taken by or on behalf of the’Licensing Authority’ in accordance with section 364(4) of The Communications Act 2003.
For sure, they are playing games.
@Murray McCallum
Aye, it is fairly confusing. I wonder if the two would be better merging forces (the dreaded pooling and sharing of resources!)? It is maybe not possible though. Referendum TV was good, but there is a danger that the different projects will not make their targets.
You know, I’ve long since past the point where i can’t even write words such as “unbelievable”, in response to articles such as the one above.
These parasites are sucking our country dry and they’re being aided & abetted, on a daily basis, by a gang of Scottish ("Tractor" - Ed)s and a corrupt media machine.
English Votes for English Laws?
AYE, RIGHT, just as soon as we have Scotland’s Wealth for Scotland’s Health.
mutley79
Indeed both are great projects. We would ideally have both.
Given limited budgets, the priority for me is “news”. Whatever the means of supplying it, I would love to see a global news source that came from a Scottish angle.
@joe kane says:
17 October, 2014 at 10:30 am:
“No wonder we call it the London Government.”
I go further, Joe, I call it the Westminster De Facto Parliament of England that devolves England’s powers to three subservient devolved country parliaments.
Osborne, Cameron, Unionists & Co. seem to have acquired
an extra dimension to the contempt they have
for the British electorate – that includes No voters.
@RMAC
Sorry I should have made it clear-I am in England (unfortunately) & work in London where we are seeing wholesale sell offs of constituent parts of the NHS being offered for tender (under EU rules-meaning any company in Europe can bid for the work). We won our tender a year ago & in two years time have to go through the whole rigmarole again.
@muttley79
From the (excellent) Referendum TV website…
“Referendum TV will be changing our name to Broadcasting Scotland”
@manandboy
“We paid by monthly Direct Debit and cancelled the DD last month. We decided not to contact the BBC directly as they are after all merely a supplier. We changed our energy and broadband suppliers without the need to contact them. Why should the BBC be any different.”
Awww, come on! You do it for that piece of personal defiance. Where you stand up (or you can sit, it’s up to you where you phone them) and tell them point blank that you are not paying the BBC tax anymore. You’re doing it because of their biased propaganda, their complicity in lying to the people of Scotland, their ignorance of any opposing viewpoint and challenge to their role as state broadcaster. And when they tally up the reasons given for cancelling the license
I’ve signed up to Netflix and loving it! Don’t miss the news at all, or adverts! I even signed up to one of those geo-location services that allow you to connect to other Netflix regions which all have different content available.
The Courier have this about Peterhead CC:
link to archive.today
Yeah, I will make a contribution (already have to Foster/Devoy’s appeal).
Another petition – see tin for details…
link to change.org
It’s a Tory Boy world, London’s the UKOK Tory boy capital but they welcome lick spittles, grovellers and counter jumpers too as in likes of Jim Murphy or Mike Gove, just caught end of We love the Tory Boys don’t we show on daily politics. And here’s John Barrowman now! BBCRewards for the loyal and this dude is baking bread on BBC2 now, another proud Scot but from California. Such is daytime Tory boy tv.
@manandboy
“You will need to make new arrangements to pay for your next TV Licence.”
Ask them why you need a TV license. If they say something like “You need a TV license to watch live TV”, ask them what evidence they have that you are watching live TV. If they don’t have any evidence, then they are harrassing you. If they say “We’ll send round enforcement officers to check you’re not watching live TV”, ask them how the officers plan to gain entry into your house, since you have not given them your permission. Do they intend to break in? It sounds very much like a threat. And so on.
Don’t spend any money putting stamps on the envelopes.
I would love to cancel my TV license over this referendum. Except I don’t have a TV license. I did actually think about getting one, so I could cancel it.
Who the funk was on this panel, his mithir?
His hooker?
His dealer???
If you can, watch BBC2 right now, John Barrowman and his parents in Flordia, his inlaws in another US state etc are explaining how special is John Barrowman. It’s very weird watching this American show biz dude after he monnstered Scotland actually running Scotland in that horrible Bettertogether video.
By the time the Establishment have finished with Scotland’s oil, London’s streets really could be paved with gold.
link to theorwellprize.co.uk
Doug Daniel says:
17 October, 2014 at 10:32 am
Let’s have a campaign to get London to raise the money it spends.
bfh—brilliant
manandboy
Regarding the cancellation of your TV License, I cancelled mine about three weeks ago by telephone, 0300 790 6131.
I told them I will no longer be watching live incoming broadcasts ever again and that I was especially disgusted by the bias shown by BBC Scotland in the run-up to the Referendum.
They then told me I was due a rebate for six months, because I had paid up to March 2015. So they sent me a refund form, which I have filled in and sent back. So now I am waiting on my six months rebate.
During the first telephone call, I demanded that he recorded that I did not want anyone from his company or Capita calling at my door. If they needed any info from me they were to write to me. So that is now on the system.
Hope that helps you out a wee bit.
I know some of these appeals are worthwhile but there are too many of them.
Where do they go when they get to WM, probably filed to be dealt with later.
BTW naturally enough the Red Tories are every bit as bad, read the below.
link to michaelgreenwell.wordpress.com
Balaaargh
It isn`t taking the state too long to reward its backers. From the same paper, article about crash and leadership of slab, labour are in dissaray. link to archive.today
Aberdeen and Glasgow airports sold to a Spanish/Australian group,
expecting too hear screams of outrage from unionists…not really.
It’s not just where it matters but of course where you went to school for the westminster bubble establishment, press and media.
Closed shop at the top in deeply elitist Britain, says study
Elitism so embedded in Britain that it could be called social engineering, social mobility commission concludes
Britain is “deeply elitist” because people educated at public school and Oxbridge have in effect created a “closed shop at the top”, according to a government report published on Thursday.
The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission said its study of the social background of those “running Britain” was the most detailed of its kind ever undertaken and showed that elitism was so embedded in Britain “that it could be called ‘social engineering'”.
Looking at the background of more than 4,000 people filling jobs at the top of government, the civil service, the judiciary, the media, business and the creative industries, the commission investigated where they went to school, on the grounds that going to a private school is reasonably indicative of a wealthy background.
Only 7% of members of the public attended a private school. But 71% of senior judges, 62% of senior officers in the armed forces, 55% of permanent secretaries in Whitehall, 53% of senior diplomats, 50% of members of the House of Lords and 45% of public body chairs did so.
So too did 44% of people on the Sunday Times Rich List, 43% of newspaper columnists, 36% of cabinet ministers, 33% of MPs, 26% of BBC executives and 22% of shadow cabinet ministers.
Oxbridge graduates also have a stranglehold on top jobs. They comprise less than 1% of the public as a whole, but 75% of senior judges, 59% of cabinet ministers, 57% of permanent secretaries, 50% of diplomats, 47% of newspaper columnists, 44% of public body chairs, 38% of members of the House of Lords, 33% of BBC executives, 33% of shadow cabinet ministers, 24% of MPs and 12% of those on the Sunday Times Rich List.
(Guard.28-8-14)
Heedtracker,
i get the impression you are not aware of just how special John Barrowman is, he can put on two accents at the same time..dance, sing, Act,camp it up big style for the BBC.
Give opinions on a country he does not fecking live in..make spurious video’s for the Labour Party and fight for gay rights,is there anything that man cannot do, answers on a postcard please..
A wee video from Hope over Freedom rally to cheer you up. We’re not finished yet.
link to facebook.com
O/T
I’ve just received a thank you email from 38 degrees regarding the 100,000 signature petition that was handed in to Downing Street. Given I probably signed it within the first couple of days after the vote, and before GB hijacked it. It now seems to confirm that most of those signatures are Yes voters, who had we realised it was going to be utilised by G Brown, would never have signed that petition.
At the end of the email:
‘NOTES:
[1] Gordon Brown said in the House of Commons: “I have a petition to present to the House—signed by 120,000 people in Scotland, yes voters and no voters in the referendum alike—which shows that people are determined that the vow made by all the three main party leaders on the Tuesday before the referendum is kept. It was organised by 38 Degrees, whom I congratulate on its initiative.”
Read the full transcript here:’
Did anyone establish, in the cofusion of this a couple of weeks ago, where the original petition was issued from?
One for the pedants, but can you sell out a free event?
@manandboy
Wait till you get the ones where they’re threatening to take you to court unless you pay for a licence RIGHT NOW!
I just ignore them, don’t even waste money on a phone call to them.
They’ve been sending out threatening letters to me saying they’re going to take me to court for over a year now.
Usually when you threaten someone, you’re actually supposed to carry out the threat at some point aren’t you? Wonder if anyone ever told them that?
Got a nice collection of letters now anyway. Wonder if there’s a record for the biggest number of threatening letters received from a national broadcaster? Might call up the Guinness Book of Records people about that…
@ Ian Brotherhood
Petition signed.
Guess I am in a higher secret police list than before!
jackie g says:
17 October, 2014 at 1:28 pm
Heedtracker,
i get the impression you are not aware of just how special John Barrowman is, …
:::::::::::
Reminds me of Roy Castle at Glasgow Empire.
He sang. He danced. He did impressions. He played various musical instruments and some household implements.
Then came the cry from a member of the restless audience,
” Is there no end to this man’s talents ? “
@A.N.Surgent
I like the bit where it says, ‘The English MP said: “Everyone has come back from Scotland shocked by how bad things are in the party there.”‘
And letting their colleagues from London come up, impose a new leader and tell them what to do helps their electability how?
Makes perfect sense that two former members of the Bullingdon club are topping the charts for influential privileged Tory boys. It’s all so depressing, because we really need those down south to down tools, and kick the shit out of these scum too.
Balaaargh
Describing jolo as “deeply unimpressive” brought a smile to my face. 🙂
…Can we have a cheery article Stu 🙁
@Clootie
🙂 Nicola at the Hydro will be talking to more than the entire membership of Slab 😀
There’s cheery for you!
@ Muttley 79, 12:27pm
Is this appeal to do with Jack Foster and James Devoy’s media project, or is it a different one?
Jack Foster and James Devoy’s appeal is for Broadcast News for Scotland:
link to indiegogo.com
@ liz
Can we not routinely use Caledonia as our anthem now. Drop FOS, since some of the deluded sing that. If Yessers only sing Caledonia we will eventually have that by acclaim.
That link had me crying. Cheer me up? In what world does crying cheer you up?
To all the people who signed the 38 degree petition if you are irritated by the hijacking of said petition by the liebour and Gordon Brown then their is a simple solution.
Email ten downing street stating that if you had known prior to signing it that liebour and brown were going to use it for their own political ends then you would not have signed said petition and that further more you wish your name to be removed.
Obviously you would have to provide your details, if many people take this approach the petition would have less meaning and I am sure Gordon and the liebour would look like the bunch of cretinous so and so that they are, this approach could also through the cat amongst the pigeons and is a good way to show protest against the jacking it’s self.
@gfaetheblock
Free tickets or not is irrelevant. The green eyed monsters are just sick that they can’t fill the Hydro themselves even if every single SLAB member showed up so they make themselves feel better by criticising Nichola. Just shows how petty & pathetic they are. Way to go Nicola-stuff it to them-show them how its done with people power behind you.
I also applaud her plans for doing regular monthly Q & A sessions on Facebook to help her to stay in touch with grassroots. Fine start
manandboy 12.41pm
I’ve written to the BBC to tell them that I’m cancelling my tv licence. Also, importantly, to tell them that I’m removing their implied right of access to my property. I don’t want them or their agents sniffing around my home.
Just got Mrs d to put this on facebook as I don’t do it. This kind of stuff needs spread far and wide.
I agree with a previous comment that the words to express the revulsion at who we have sold our country back to do not exist.
It’s hard reading but keep them coming Stu.
Ian b
Signed
Robert Kerr 1.50pm
You’re not getting all the fun 🙂
@jackie g, it is rather creepy watching BBC reward loyalty like Barrowman’s but I hardly watch BBC tv so he’s no doubt got blanket BBC coverage. He’s moved on to bigger things after helping to destroy Scottish democracy and nation state hood. They all have now, moved on I mean. Here in England there’s hardly a mention now. I used to buy the Guardian but after say a couple of years of desperately destroying votte YES, they don’t report Scotland or anything Scottish anymore. Very weird or very logical, depending on how loyal you are. Wonder what Sevrin Carrell got rewarded with. He must be one seriously delighted chap now after all the work he put in monsterimg Scofand.
@ Ian Brotherhood, 1:04pm
Another petition – see tin for details…
link to change.org
Signed – anyone else want a seat in the room with Smith?
Great! Why no extra dates though?
A quick update from the team here at SNP headquarters.
TOUR FULLY BOOKED
We’ve had an amazing response to the upcoming tour by Nicola Sturgeon. The events are fully booked, including the 12,000-seater SSE Hydro in Glasgow on 22 November. If you want to add yourself to a waiting list for tickets, click here. And if you are a new member attending one of these events, we’re prioritising the despatch of your membership card to make sure it arrives in time.
NEW MEMBERS
The postal packs for our new members are now in production. If you joined the SNP in the past four weeks, thank you for your patience. You’ll be pleased to know that you are one of more than 56,000 new members since the referendum. Membership cards and welcome handbooks will start arriving in the post from 27 October.
BE PART OF THE MEMBER WALL
With SNP membership at over 82,000, we’re now the third largest political party in the UK. So as part of Nicola Sturgeon’s tour we will be showcasing the many faces behind the SNP movement on our Member Wall, and on the cover of our 2015 Member Handbook. To take part, we’re asking you to send a selfie to movement@snp.org
Until next time, best wishes from us all here.
As The Clash might have sung, circa 1979…
“London calling to the faraway Jocks,
Stop whinging away, cos we’ve got your dosh,
London calling to the peasants up north,
We’re richer than you, our snout’s in the trough…”
Signed.
🙂
link to change.org
@ heedtracker
Like all the No lickspittles Carrell is now redundant to his paymasters , he was probably promised/Vowed he would get top billing in the rag.
Now they no longer need his Anti Scottish pish he will be forgotten his promised riches/promotions will be watered down (sound familiar)just another Uncle Tam.
Democracy Reborn says:
17 October, 2014 at 3:16 pm
As The Clash might have sung, circa 1979…
“London calling to the faraway Jocks,
Stop whinging away, cos we’ve got your dosh,
London calling to the peasants up north,
We’re richer than you, our snout’s in the trough…”
Spot on
Well first order of biz has to be making Scotland near ungovernable for Westminster. Sending back as many pro indy MPs as possible and making Holyrood a rainbow alliance of pro indy parties. It may not stop much of what WM intends but it will sure as hell slow them them down and tie them in knots till we can make indy ref two fly.
For motivation – the thought of five more years of Cameron, Osborne and IDS ably aided and abetted by their London centric friends in the red and yellow Tory parties should be motivation enough I’d have thought.
Don’t forget Boris!
watch; salmond’s, fox’s, harvie’s, sheridan’s, and stergeon’s, et al, body language.
it is always outward looking, it is always seeking a solution to the questions asked.
never making themselves an object of the conversation, never saying that’s a daft question, or implying the questioner is off their head, always genuine to help, inform, solve, bring remedy and solution if possible.
mostly even if no immediate solution is found, one is satisfied that an effort has been made.
there is no/rarely woolly headed feeling after taste, or unjustly blame others without facts.
now contrast those who make themselves the object of the exchange, by using body language that draws the exchange towards themselves.
makes themselves the center of attention.
those who listen, but then gradually through a long winded cloudy reply effectively ignore the question.
as if they are the one’s in need of help, (pleaders), or the questioner has a screw loose and as if either party don’t quite seem to understand what is being asked, and no one can make up their mind who it is.
answer in a vague subject changing manner, with big defensive gestures and/or gestures of helplessness, as if, they are doing all in their power to do something, but don’t understand what the other wants from them, they sneer implying “what do you want from me?”
blaming the questioner, for attacking them or launch into attacking some other enemy and blaming them for the problem.
for not understanding THEIR position, their situation their predicament, their status.
grandiose people, who need to be rescued by the questioner, and effectively blaming their subjects for not doing enough to make them feel comfortable.
stage managed actors is what BT campaign was/is.
When you get time to sit back and think about the likes of the BBC and how when Alex Salmond was doing one of his final talks,the world media were very respectful. Only one reporter, Nick Robinson from the BBC tried unsuccessfully to give him a hard time. When Brown was given full 24 hour coverage uninterrupted to promise what he had no power to implement, who questioned him?
Nobody was allowed in to his talks apart from his own lapdogs,but not one journalist came out with the questions that needed asking. Impartial ? Sure!
So labour, which actively stood against a peaceful campaign for a country to become independent (surely a first for them), and lib-dems, even in the light of the constant shafting by the Cons (who seem themselves as the actual government), are noticeably silent on this matter. Will it ever dawn on those drawn into ‘signing the vow’ they have been played for fools? Will labour admit they were wrong and apologise for propping up a discredited ‘Union’? Their retribution will be wipe-out in upcoming elections. We must all campaign with as much vigour as we did in the lead-up to the Referendum. See it as a trial run for the fast approaching Referendum 2.
OT – Curtice on the latest TNS poll:
link to blog.whatscotlandthinks.org
the poll itself is at:
link to tns-bmrb.co.uk
I like the new Yougov poll. The latest poll now shows Labour 3rd place in Scotland, behind the Tories. Yes, behind the Tories. EC render SNP 48, Con 5, Lab 4 LibDem 2. We can but dream.
link to cdn.yougov.com
@ Ian Brotherhood
Petition signed. This is supposed to be an inclusive consultation isn’t it?
…and here’s hoping that my personal submission to the Smith Commission will make any difference (I doubt it…I live in Scotland, I’m Scottish and I naively have aspirations for all my fellow country-folk against the power & greed of the establishment)
Anyhow, here’s the points I included to help anyone still wanting to contribute:-
1.Scottish Parliament to be permanently entrenched in the United Kingdom constitution.
2.The Scottish Parliament to be permitted to conduct future independence referendum vote, if the people of Scotland so wish it.
3.The Scottish Parliament to be permitted to hold a separate referendum on the EU “in / out” question.
4.Full Fiscal Autonomy, with the exception of defence and foreign policy, to be under the control and executive power of the Scottish Parliament.
5.Control of broadcasting within Scotland, under the control of The Scottish Parliament
I lime the new YouGov poll. The latest poll now shows Labour 3rd place in Scotland, behind the Tories. Yes, behind the Tories. EC renders SNP 48, Con 5, Lab 4, Libdem 2. We can but dream.
link to cdn.yougov.com …
Fred blogger, I also watch body language a lot, it’s really helpful in most situations if you are aware of it, and helps you to get in tune or empathise with the other person. Closed body language only highlights your discomfort, and will focus attention on you, and you then panic at your lack of knowledge or empathy.
I think it is also broadly speaking, what characterises the left and right wing of politics. It’s why they decry socialists as touchy feely etc.
Thanks guys- Balaaargh ,Karmanaut,John H.,caz-m, Oneironaut
for the support and advice – much appreciated, particularly by my wife who tends to be a little hesitant when dealing with officialdom.
And it really makes a difference having back-up when I try to explain to my wife how best to deal with the BBC & Capita.
Cheers.
Ian B.
Signed the petition buddy.
A.N.Surgent
Great link. Any news regarding Labour falling apart is great news. Feel quite happy today 🙂
Boy are they in for a shock come the GE.
Liz. XX
Thank you for that. Wee lump in my throat watching , knowing we will succeed in freeing our country.
link to thebutterflyrebellion.scot
Good piece on Butterfly Rebellion site about the value of people & taking Cameron & Freud to task 🙂
The Standard list is a shocker, but no surprise. Its purpose should be to promote London. I’ve seen posters from London, including some reasonable ones, and lived in London at times in the past, but it seems without exception that for them, London is the be all and end all of existence. The rest of the UK is “the provinces”.
It’s an attitude I never want to see in Scotland about Edinburgh or Glasgow. Having the “Central Belt” helps a bit there, perhaps, as rather than a dot on a map, it’s an axis. But there are accusations of Holyrood being too central in its power collection, and that’s something that needs to be addressed, whether justified or not.
I don’t think a bit more devolution of power to councils, judicioulsy done, would weaken Holyrood, it could strengthen it in perception. But with extreme caution!
Scottish Sun 17/10/2014
page 12
Papers in win vote
NEWSPAPERS played a bigger role in deciding the outcome of the Scottish referendum than social media, a survey found.
A YouGov poll for The Sun,parent company News UK found 60 per cent of voters used papers and their websites for independence vote info.
Social media kept 54% of people up to date,compared to 44 per cent from the Yes and NO campaigns directly.
bfh–daily record is up the creek with vow
Day 3 of 7 Independence Live chatting to Darren Carnegie from Glasgow’s Needy as he sleeps out in George Square to highlight the problems of foodbanks and poverty.
Starts in 5 minutes.
link to new.livestream.com
I see there are council by-elections due in a few places. North Ayrshire (North Coast) 30th Oct, Oban (North?) 23rd Oct and Aberdeenshire sometime in November. SNP should have a good shout in all, though “independent” candidates could also. Be interesting to see how these pan out. Anyone know of any other ones?
I’ve been thinking about the future political landscape of Scotland, what might suit, and perhaps what I’d like to see. Days gone by at the end of a long thread in the Grun, Macart and I used to chew a bit of fat on that, for post-Indy Scotland. Being mathematical, I’m putting it on a scale of 0 to 100, where left is 0 and right is 100.
I’d want the Tories to be about from 40 to 70, max 75. The SNP to be from about 30 to 60, maybe 25-55. But the new proper Socialists to be from 0 to 50.
The reason for the socialists being given the full left scale is that I can’t really see any harm in extreme socialist policies, as long as they are practical and capable of implementation within the economy. And a fair bit of left is what’s needed right now.
As a “socialist capitalist”, I’d then have a choice of 3 parties to vote for, plus the Greens and any Independents, depending on the state of play at the time.
YESGUY
A wee push in the right direction(SNP for GE) will have them in freefall. The idea that slab will be brought down by the people of Scotland is apt and fitting.
Was reading a cafe’s copy of the Herald at lunchtime today. Some cracking Unionist letters. You can smell the fear. One bitching about Nicola Sturgeon going “on progress” across Scotland prior to her “coronation”. Another suggesting that something should be done about Holyrood elections because they can yield a result he didn’t like (no prizes for guessing who he wants carved out). Quality stuff. Same guy also suggesting that Westminster MPs should be allowed to vote at Holyrood. He may be a stand-up trying to get publicity, but I think he was being serious….
if SNP does sent a few bakers dozen MPs to Westminster.on NO account enter a coalition
look what happened to LibDems
take issue my issue
The blackhole that is London will just keep swallowing up massive amounts of cash, whilst the rest of the UK’s spending budget shrinks, future generations of children will be worse of then their parents, as budgets are slashed, thanks no voters for the bleak outlook.
@ bookie from hell
what does bfh mean? I know it’s your initials but “bfh–daily record is up the creek with vow” ???
Heedtracker @2.59pm
No idea who this Servile Carrell character was as only been on wings for the past six weeks.
Looked him up and Euch! no surprise a unionist worm who slags off Scotland.
Hate to say this. I told you so. Well not the fine sensible people here but I wrote countless letters to our local press about this very spending. Did it do any good, did it heck but many are now admitting that they were duped.
Auld Rock
Bookie.
I cannot see a way for the SNP to collude with whoever wins the GE. Would this not be a constitutional problem as SNP do not vote on affairs outwith Scotland. I think any coalition would weaken the SNP in the Scots eyes anyway as they would always be seen as a side kick (like the libs) to the major party in power.
Maybe NS will change things if she sees an advantage. But i hope they keep independence at the fore front regardless of the outcome of the GE.
Mind you with all the anti- Scot shit spewed out down south , how would the English re-act to a Scottish party holding the balance of power. They’d go off their heads.
I can see this GE being a battle of 2 Britains. Up here SNP-Labour.
Down south Tory-Labour.
I can’t see the LibDems or UKIP getting many seats anywhere in real numbers.
What happens if the SNP hold the balance and don’t vote on non Scottish issues?? Refuse to collude.?
Would the UK govt have a mandate to rule here if SNP held a large majority ?
Has this ever happened before ?
Makes for interesting times ahead.
Who’d have thought politics could be interesting?
O/t
There is a young girl on Facebook, asking No voters to tell her why they voted no,for a wee article that she is writing. I am left bewildered and angry at the answers. More or less they didn’t want more powers. They also wanted less powers. Some did not want a parliament here in Scotland. Most felt British not Scottish! They hated A. Salmond. They did not trust the SG.
I eventually had to just go on the page and say that I thought that they had better move to England or elsewhere because not one of them mentioned Scotland as their country. I said that I at least cared what happened to my country. The poor lass didn’t realise what a lot of bitter people some nos are. She did well with her replies.
Or what about the Sex Pistols @1977,
God save the Queen….
The facsist regime…..
They make you a moron…
Potential H bomb…..
David Stevenson
The North Ayrshire council by-election was caused by the death from cancer of Alex McLean of Largs, long-time SNP activist and Councillor since 2012. If the SNP retain the ward, they keep “no overall control” of North Ayrshire by a majority of 1, if they lose to Labour then it goes back to being Labour. Anyone else, who knows!
Capella says:
@ bookie from hell
“what does bfh mean? I know it’s your initials but “bfh–daily record is up the creek with vow” ???”
With the reference to the DR, probably bum fluff hoarding, or balm for haemorrhoids. Bitter f*&**ng harridans ?
Bfh
Bookie
From
Hell
???
Well, email from SNP:
“Welcome to the fastest growing political party in Europe, thank you for joining.
Your registration was received in time for you to vote in the election of a new Depute Leader”
That’s funny, fastest in Europe! I thought I was about a half-hour too late in September, either they changed the goalposts, or the cutoff was next morning. Anyway, I think I know who I’ll vote for, the one who seems more tuned to new members, as long as she also respects the long-loyal ones.
But I’ll probably go to a hustings. If I’m doing this party political garbage for the first time in my life, I may as well do it properly!
SquareHaggis
I nearly jumped in, and made that mistake too.
Capella “I know it’s your initials but..”
Batting For Hampstead ?
Flower of Scotland: I eventually had to go on the page and say that I thought that they had better move to England or elsewhere because not one of them mentioned Scotland as their country.
That’s a very understandable reaction, Flower, and an even more natural response.
Why are these people living in Scotland if they feel England has all the advantages?
David Stevenson: Same guy also suggesting that Westminster MPs should be allowed to vote at Holyrood.
I regard those sort of lunatic comments as dangerous, all the more reason for us to treat such people as fools, and in no uncertain terms let them know where they can go.
After all, they’ve shaped our future for the worse though they don’t give a fig.
@Lollysmum says: 17 October, 2014 at 2:40 pm:
“Way to go Nicola-stuff it to them-show them how its done with people power behind you.
I also applaud her plans for doing regular monthly Q & A sessions on Facebook to help her to stay in touch with grassroots”
Now here’s a thought – Why does not Nicola hire Hampden Park and invite the entire 82,017 membership of the SNP to a get together rally. Perhaps filling any spare capacity with our friends in the Greens, SSP and, (wait for it), Labour for Indy?
We could set a record Hampden Roar, invite the friendly broadcasters and MSM members. We could accommodate the latter faction in the wee shelter in the football technical area. The foreign press, (excepting those not invited from England), could use the press box.
Sounds good, but words are easy we have been fooled before, lets see actions now….
Re the SNP holding the balance of power, I think Nicola or at least the SNP in general has made it quite clear that they would support neither Dave nor Ed. Neither Blue Tories nor Red Tories. They would vote against the government and cause a death by a thousand cuts (too little for me!).
Re UDI. People, do not forget that Scotland was independent for longer than it was in the union. And we have our own laws, entirely separate from English laws. As I see it, a contract is an agreement between two parties. One party can unilaterally withdraw from the agreement, thereby ending the contract.
So at some point, it would be quite possible for the SG to withdraw from the Treaty of Union 1707. There would not be anarchy, because we already have our own laws in place. If there is 2/3 support among the population and possible a constitutional crisis in WM, there may well be a VERY good case for repealing the Treaty of Union.
Interesting scenario: 40 MPs from the SNP in Westminster, and a landslide UKIP win based on some sort of EVEL agenda. Could this be enough to break up the union? Would Sinn Fein (biggest party in NI) break with tradition and send the necessary MPs to WM to help us?
@ Karmanaut Any idea where capital spending per capita in Scotland, NI and Wales compared to London can be obtained per the table you pasted ?
Cadogan Enright
that figure is well worth knowing.
@Defo
But For Hindsight ;-(
@Robert Peffers,
I wonder if Alan Bisset will be invited to perform during the tour
See how it went in Aberdeen in this clip from 17.35 mins
link to referendumtv.net
@ Robert Peffers at 8.33pm
Good idea Robert but Nichola is following the first rule of community development (whether community of interest or place) i.e don’t be so arrogant as to expect people will come to you just because you say so. (Red & blue tories style) She needs to be seen to be on the ground in local centres of population as the first step on her journey to leading the party into the future.
She clearly has good advisers as she will be expected to be visible & accessible to an enormous membership whilst at the same time gaining traction within the Scottish Parliament in preparation for May 2015 GE.
A good showing in the GE will increase momentum for change & only then will there be the opportunity for an Indy gathering of the groups as you suggest. All the parties will be preoccupied with GE planning/canvassing etc till May anyway.
Poor old London – do you not realise they need £1,300,000,000 investment to keep themselves “competitive” over the next 30 years.
Would it not be nice if we could have that amount of money to keep Scotland “competitive” as well. Hold on – is that not the same amount as our future Oil Reserves?
I wonder if they are in any way related?
Kenny,
“If there is 2/3 support among the population and possible a constitutional crisis in WM, there may well be a VERY good case for repealing the Treaty of Union.”
That 2/3 (or rather 50%+1) support would have to come from another referendum, even if we send 59 SNP MPs to Westminster in 2015, because a majority of the voting electorate has just voted to remain part of the union in a specific Yes/No referendum.
Unless the SNP send 59 MPs to Westminster on a manifesto promise of repealing the Treaty of Union.
Although I wouldn’t wait for independence tomorrow if I could get it today, UDI is not the way forward under current circumstances.
@Rock says: 17 October, 2014 at 10:20 pm:
“Unless the SNP send 59 MPs to Westminster on a manifesto promise of repealing the Treaty of Union.”
We do not need 50%+1 nor 59MP at Westminster for when Westminster decided to alter the basic terms of the The Treaty of Union by dividing the bipartite United Kingdom as a quadratic Union of countries they effectively disunited the original two Kingdom signatories and appointed themselves as the de facto parliament of the country of England as the rulers of the new set-up by devolving English powers to three subservient countries.
If you doubt me consider the wording of the Original Treaty of Union articles I & III : –
“Article I. That the two kingdoms of Scotland and England shall upon the first day of May next ensuing the date hereof, and for ever after, be united into one kingdom by the name of GREAT BRITAIN; And that the Ensigns Armorial of the said united kingdom be such as Her Majesty shall appoint,, and the crosses of St Andrew and St George be conjoined, in such manner as Her Majesty shall think fit, and used in all flags, banners, standards and ensigns, both at sea and land.
Article III. That the united kingdom of Great Britain be represented by one and the same parliament to be stiled The Parliament of Great Britain.”
Article I only unites two Kingdoms, (that is two Royal realms), it does not united countries for the 1706/7 Kingdom of England annexed Wales in 1284 & Ireland in 1542.
Article III then creates a entirely new Parliament of the newly created United Kingdom it remains today legally Her Majesty’s Government but is the de facto parliament of the country of England with 533 English Members dominating the 117 members from Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland.
They have broken the treaty so we are entitled to have our MPs walk out and return to Edinburgh. Not 59 but a simple overall majority and not necessarily all from the one party, just a simple majority of Scottish MPs. 30 independence seeking Members will do fine.
LOL, Gordon Brown did not vote. Says it all.
Robert Peffers,
“They have broken the treaty so we are entitled to have our MPs walk out and return to Edinburgh. Not 59 but a simple overall majority and not necessarily all from the one party, just a simple majority of Scottish MPs. 30 independence seeking Members will do fine.”
Yes, and do you have a single independence seeking MP or potential MP in mind, let alone 30, who is going to return to Edinburgh and declare Scotland independent?
Especially less than a year after a majority of the voting public has voted No to Scotland being an independent country?
Forget about the Treaty of Union and its articles, they have been broken a million times in the last 300 years. Times have changed. No politician in Scotland is paying any attention to them, not even SNP politicians.
We will only become independent if a majority of the people vote for independence in a referendum.
Your knowledge of history is admirable, but you are completely wasting your time when going on about the finer points of the Treaty of Union.
Dr JM Mackintosh says:
“Poor old London – do you not realise they need £1,300,000,000 investment to keep themselves “competitive” over the next 30 years.”
You missed out three zero’s Dr M, that’s only £1.3 bn. Barely enough for an Olympic swimming complex, or 10 miles of HS2.
Osbourne is just a crook making £millions selling off the UK assets for his associates. His brother in law and best man made £millions from the Royal Mail Pension grab. His father in law is making £millions from the HS2, white elephant.
Could I make my incessant plea to everyone – avoid commenting on the Daily Telegraph , Record ,Mail, Guardian et al , leave it to the ignorant anti scots.
Left to their own devices they will soon be shredding each other so yield not to temptation!