Wings Over Scotland

Did the ‘Record’ do this at the Labour conference too? Can’t see them piling the pressure on Brown in the same way (if they can find him)…

Never mind, in a couple of months London’s Daily Rancid will have their Labour pals running to the rescue with the usual ”only Labour can stop the Tories” G E campaign.

Like Labour, London’s Rancid don’t mind Tory governments when faced with the shock horror of Scottish indy.

Everyone should do their utmost to expose this rag and if its circulation plummets, so does it and SLab’s hold over Scotland.

More and more people are getting the idea – if you don’t read, don’t purchase and don’t subscribe to mendacious state broadcasters streaming fear and misinformation straight into your brain then they’re stuffed.

The print media is a broken business model and licence fee TV is on the way out. Instead of giving money to the enemy use your consumer power to support new media like Wings here, plus Bella, Newsnet and other niche outlets for international perspectives.

Create a new economic dynamic. The future is ours – spread the word.

Having seen the Daily Record front page, when the unionists said we are ‘Better Together’, I now realise they meant ‘Better Together’ for the selected privileged few, and not for everyone.

Oh well, you live and learn I suppose, maybe next time. Surely they can’t fool us three times.

test

The Daily Record editorial staff must have a bloody good laugh at how gullible their loyal readers are.

Making a living out of the perceived difference of LabCon is admirable in a sick kind of way.

put your address and date at the top
but do not put your name or sign it, do not eneter into personal correspondance, please share

address
BBC Complaints
PO Box 1922
Darlington
DL3 0UR

TO: All agents acting for and behalf of:
TV Licensing, Bristol BS98 1TL, Capita plc, 71 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0XA

Dear Sir or Madam,
WARNING: YOUR IMPLIED RIGHT OF ACCESS TO THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN REMOVED

We are writing to inform you that we have removed your Implied Right of Access to the above property. If we find that you, or any other representative of the companies named above, have entered onto this property without our prior written permission, you will have committed a criminal offence of Aggravated Trespass and we can take your statement under caution in accordance with Sections 68 and 69 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

We are taking this step because:

The Communications Act 2003 does not require us to purchase a TV Licence at the present time. •Under Section 2 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, it is a criminal offence of harassment to make demands for money in such a manner that it causes alarm, distress or intimidation. This is the case no matter what method you use to make contact – whether by telephone, email, letter or in person. Punishment on conviction is six months imprisonment and/or a level 5 fine of up to £5,000, plus legal costs.

The removal of your Implied Right of Access is the first step in our action to seek prosecution. Please be aware that should you or any other representative of your company set foot on the above property at any time, your statement can be used as evidence, along with any video and audio evidence obtained.

Aggravated Trespass is a summary offence that is heard in the magistrate’s courts and carries a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment. A charge of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass also carries a maximum six-month sentence, but it is an indictable offence, which means the case will be heard in front of a jury in the crown courts.

We strongly advise that you act now to stop representatives of your company from entering onto the above property, as failure to do so may result in a criminal prosecution against your company and the individuals involved. You can avoid this easily by updating your records to show that a TV Licence is not required at the above address, and kindly informing your staff that they will be subject to criminal prosecution if they intrude onto the above property
Yours faithfully,

The Legal Occupier

people please get it.
the UKWMOK no longer requires the labour of the masses, as it can get what the south east of england, city of london desires from anywhere in the world.
it switches capital as and when required, and @ the same time sucking every last drop from UK subjects.
it has done so for the last 35yrs @ an accelerated pace seeing productivity fall by 35%.

Unbelievable that paper is a disgrace….why don’t they print the truth?….how about a week after the referendum all that oil that was meant to be running out has now been saved due to new technology that will allow much more to be pumped out……how about Cameron defending our nation by bombing all they bad men in Iraq and syria( i feel safer already )to stop them sneaking in and blowing shit up in London!……do you think the no voters are starting to think they made a little mistake???…..oh well i,ll worry about that while i decide who to leave my pension pot to that i,ve not got!

It never ceases to amaze me that the labour supporters who read this rag fail to recognise that their beloved party is more right wing than Thatcher’s government. The very person they held up as the devil incarnate.
Ignorance surely is bliss.

The paper of choice by the ignorant. Not a lot to say about it. Never bought it in my life.
We need to destroy the MSM but how?

It would seem that Greg McClymont is touted as Labour’s second place on the Smith Commission. I know nothing about the latter or his views on devolution/Holyrood. Gray/McCylmont…not sure where Labour are going with this.

I see that Lord Smith also wants to hear views from new participants in the democratic process and I guess that means bodies like RIC, The Common Weal and….ourselves 🙂

I know you are holiday Stu but do we get to make representations? The deadline according to the thing I saw is the 31st Oct so a wee bit of time.

After the Conference season, the Tories have come off far better than Labour. Miliband has blown it.

“Forgetting” to mention the deficit? Either you’re a liar, or you’re an idiot.

A Tory/UKIP coalition, followed by the EU referendum in 2017, and an Out vote, followed by another Scottish referendum in 2019, and a Yes vote.

@Jack Murphy:

Remember that old Russian saying:

“Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me!”

HandandShrimp 12:58

see my entry at 12:25pm

As well as boycotting the print media, we should also refuse goods or services provided by these firms who advertise therein. This could find the press with less income from sales and advertising and hopefully cause them to fail, as we perceive them failing us, the consumers.

What happens when a local branch of a bigger company becomes unprofitable? Downsizing? Closure? Consolidation into a bigger paper from the same group so that,despite vows,the local name vanishes through time?

@schrodingers cat

I didn’t realize we had magistrate’s courts in Scotland…

Attempted deflection by the Daily Record. Cameron is not hiding, he’s laughing his face off. ‘It’s the big Tories fault they made me do it mister!’ Snivelling shite from the DR looking for some absolution. Always remember, this is the newspaper that explicitly wanted Scots under Tory rule rather than an independent Scottish Government.

And yet this wretched unionist bog paper will trumpet the invisible man Miliband for the next eight months as some saviour, as they did with Brown in the run up to the referendum. Keep boycotting this rag and use your money as a donation for the creation of an independent Scottish media.

Oh and always remember Labour and their media hacks sounding off for two weeks before the referendum that NHS privatisation and possible consequences in Scotland were an SNP lie. Daily Record gave Brown acres of space in their pages to trumpet that attack on the truth, and now that is quietly forgotten as we’re supposed to get behind Labour as they save the NHS from privitisation. These Labour conferences kinda makes you feel a bit sick.

There are 923,000 Pensioners in Scotland.
(not incl 60/62 to 65 year old women).

People who voted to protect PENSIONS less than a fortnight ago, are hardly likely to vote versus themselves in May –Unless we get them on the interweb and onto WoS – BEFORE – May 2015.

Using State Benefits as the funder for tablets or laptops.?

Since 1964 (1st voted in 1970) I have witnessed a few highs as an SNP Voter and many lows. Today we are hurting – AGAIN.

We are seeing the best brains on WoS doubting their sanity or ability and questioning their intelligence – but given a short break in the campaign – they will realise that Voting SNP is sometimes an act of masochism.
Beat oneself up – after hurts.
THEN BATTER “THEM” BASTITS.

LOOK at the BLAB Conf.for ammo.
LOOK at the Tory Conf. for ammo.
“Jackanory” Conf. next week from fibdems.

SNP Conf is last in the Conf cycle.
Altruists – gather here.
“Refreshers” – next month.

Wasn’t in nice that Scotland didn’t break Cameron’s heart, although I suspect many will have their hearts broken with the next government when they are lets down. Hopefully a full set of Scottish independence minded politicians can hold the line for us.

Next UK Govt is a straight choice between Blue Tories and Red Tories, perhaps with some Purple Tories thrown in.

A Labour/Tory coalition Government of Unity can’t be far off. Unless something happens in Scotland next May…

@Bugger (the panda)

I understand that s68 of the Public Order Act 1994 applies amended by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 with regard to the specifics around what ‘aggravated trespass’ actually comprises.

link to legislation.gov.uk

I’m not a lawyer either, note, but would charge lawyer’s rates if I could get away with it.

Same deflection as the Herald and the Guardian ?
Just a couple of days later eh?

I remain disgusted beyond rage with the MSM of Scotland and I look forward to the Ex First Minister of Scotland ripping their throats out in the near future. Not to mention suing the arse off the three ” C”s.

Once Stu gets back from holiday (!) I would like to see a media tab set up where video and podcasts, radio casts etc can be archived. I know he has a youtube channel – is that enough? Topics such as currency, oil, environment, history, democracy,war, corporations, banking etc have all been linked to over the months but finding the links for new readers would be a major task.
Here’s another excellent video which explains peak oil, the impossibility of growth and human inability to understand the exponential function!
link to youtube.com
Since we’re no longer watching TV, listening to the radio and reading newspapers, here’s some alternative media to be getting on with. File under education.

Helena Brown

You ask how do we destroy the MSM. I’m not sure that is the right question. I think we need to change the MSM into media that serve the people of Scotland well. That could mean the destruction of some elements of the MSM – e.g. those financially dodgy publications like the Scotsman. But what we really need is for the media to be what they should always have been – i.e. accurate, fair, reasonably balanced (although they are entitled to have a point of view), contributing to debate (as opposed to just running a party line).

So how to achieve it? I think it is a long game. Think of how public opinion has changed on a number of topics over recent years – sexism, homophobia, drink driving to name just three. All are now socially unacceptable in mainstream thinking. But all were accepted and acceptable in mainstream thinking within my lifetime. And I’m not that old. How did they change? Campaigners just kept chipping away at it. Changes in the law played a part, but only once mainstream thinking had started to shift. We need to keep saying to everyone at every opportunity that the MSM (especially the BBC) are biassed. We need to keep saying that the MSM cannot be trusted – take what they say with a pinch (or rather a large spoonful) of salt. Deny them their facade of respectability – they are liars and cheats. Expose them at every opportunity. They are manipulative – literally – and they have succeeded in this with large numbers of our fellow Scots. We need to make it socially acceptable across the whole population to state that the MSM are not to be trusted and that they are best avoided. If we can establish this as the mainstream view – and not just with Wingers – then the MSM will either change their ways or they will fail commercially.

Of course it goes without saying that we should avoid buying their publications and its great if we can deny the BBC their licence revenue. And it’s also to be welcomed if alternative media – e.g. Bateman and Newsnet – can get something going. But the BBC is not going anywhere any time soon. We need to force it to change rather than try to destroy it. We need to establish as a generally accepted truth the fact that the MSM are on a par with Pravda as a voice of the establishment. The only way I can think of to do this is for those of us who already get it to speak with one voice and say it loud and clear at every opportunity.

@ MajorBloodnock

Ah, gotcher now, the Scots amendement you quote applies to the English and Welsh law.

We are on the same hymn page.

Of course, the Scottish Parliamnet could set the cat amongst the pigeons, and why not, by decriminalising non payment of the broadcasting tax.

In my humble view, something much more in their face.

I just noticed the byline on the DR piece linked to by the picture up top: Torcuil Crichton himself being utterly hypocritical again.

If idiots like you had not voted No on the 18th all this would utterly, totally and completely unnecessary.

By pretending to care now you show yourselves up as utter opportunists who do not actually care about anyone but yourselves.

Sadly I have never bought a DR in my life so cannot effectively boycott the rag.

O/T I see that Scottish Labour are still touting themselves as the largest party in Scotland!

@
yesindyref2

See this from the same Wikipedia article I quoted above

” A number of widely circulated myths regarding trespass law in Scotland are perpetuated, mostly based on (possibly selective) ignorance, and liable to cause problems if considered to be anything other than urban myths.

The most commonly perpetuated myth claims that there are no trespass laws in Scotland.

Even before the recent Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994,[1] trespass had long been a delict (a civil wrong) remediable by the remedies of interdict and damages. However, The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 [2] amends the Trespass (Scotland) Act 1865 [3] and establishes a statutory right of access.

Certain types of trespass have been criminal since the Trespass (Scotland) Act 1865 was passed, a legal instrument which few will be aware of. Section 3 of the Act makes it an offence for any person to lodge in any premises, or occupy or encamp on any land, being private property, without the consent of the owner or legal occupier. While the the use of the words lodge, occupy and encamp could be taken to imply a degree of permanency on the part of the trespasser, their scope could possibly be construed to apply to loitering by a determined lawyer if one did anything other than access, or cross over such property for example. “

So you can withdraw any implied right of access and possibly to break that could by implication be an agressed tresspass (if such a thing exists in Scotland)

What we are observing today is a cynical attempt by the DR to condition YES voters to tactically vote Labour again in 2015. Keep the tories out. Will it work? It all depends on how badly the people want more powers.

The only way to have any chance of securing more powers for Holyrood is to stop voting for unionist MPs, at every election. Simple. The people know that – it all depends on how badly they now want it.

@ Schroedingers Cat

Yes that archived Dail Heil piece was wrt E & W.

There appears to be no such thing as Aggravated Tresspass in Scotland just as there is no such charge as burglary.

There is always a Breach of the Peace though to go on top of Tresspass.

heraldnomore

It has been scheduled to be changed for some time, but could not be applied for the Referendum.

AS agreed to the old rules.

We do have magistrates, and magistrates’ courts, in Scotland.

How much can I charge for this advice? Do I get more as it is in writing? What does an engraved brass plate cost?

Shanghai Zoo? You jest. The last time I wrote to you it was c/o Changi Jail

Ho ho, Nissan boss says if UK leaves the EU, then Nissan will move its factory out! Govt. says Nissan are scaremongering! I’m not making this shit up!!!

@Brian Powell

Are you implying that Jackie Bird is a “legitimate authority figure”?

Salmond played Cameron, Cameron played Milliband, Milliband played Brown. Brown played Cameron. Farage played with EU, Clegg played with himself. Isn’t politics interesting.

‘Scotland’s Champion’ can go taking a flying fuck to itself.

Pardon the language, but those lying, two faced pieces of ordure have just spent the past three years completely following the Labour/Westminster narrative. They willingly spread fear, uncertainty and doubt amongst the population without any hesitation whatsoever.

THAT WILL NOT EVER BE FORGOTTEN and no amount of bullshit van stunts or rewriting of editorial history will ever cover up their part in the media bombardment during the referendum.

Fuck em and the horse they rode in on.

maybe nicola should ask Nisssan to relocate to scotland?

I noticed how the entire planet just dumped on me but no one said anything when the Rev posted it…….cowards

anyone want to make themselves useful and rewrite it in Scots Legalese?

this would be useful

sobs

Graham says:
30 September, 2014 at 2:49 pm

With reference to the law on cancelling your tv licence you could start at http://www.tvlicenceresistance.info

no chance……….once bitten…

A stupifying piece of doublethink which nicely defines the Orwellian landscape we now inhabit.

War is Peace: it has been interesting to watch/read how this war scenario has been ‘sold’ to one and all. Flexing military muscle gives all good Brits (incl BritScots) a hard-on. Commitment very obviously put on hold until the awkward referendum was taken care of. A state of war increases sense of ‘us and them’ (constructs the Other), thereby bolstering and binding Brit nationalism – military past evoked: our boys, desert storm, axis of evil, coalition of the willing, task force, counting them all out and back in again, Belgrano sunk, Battle of Britain, the Glorious Dead, Wars to End all Wars, Crusades of all kinds, never-ending fields of poppies, war poems to learn by heart.

Ignorance is Strength – the current WM regime is maintained through ignorance. Truth is shaped by the Inner Party (despite appearances they have become One party) and disseminated via the hegemonic levers of the Media. The Media, fused and intermingled with ‘entertainment’, is transmitted as the matrix of truth. A new form of opium. All of this we have just witnessed over the last few weeks.

Freedom is Slavery – the subliminal, repeating loop inside every No voters head when they interface with the Brit matrix?

@ thedogphilosopher

Yep, especially if the enemy are brown and far away.

Bugger (the Panda) says:

30 September, 2014 at 3:21 pm

If there is a referendum to quit the EU, could we not all register in Newcastle, Carlisle, Manchester and Hull and get postal votes so we could vote No and really shaft Cameribandlegg?

I’m just waiting for someone to shout out loudly that “foreigners” living in the UK should not be allowed to vote in the Euro referendum in 2017. One million Europeans living in England? Ho Hum. Jeez this could get nasty.

It’s only a matter of time.

@Linda McFarlane
Splitting hairs
Within the Scottish legal system justices of the peace are lay magistrates who currently sit in the justice of the peace courts.

The one in Kirkcaldy, opposite the Polis, was still plated “Magistrates Court” last Friday. I’ll now have to go an see where they put the apostrophy

Surely every European should get a say whether we get to leave the EU?

@B(tP)
No there’s still a jail at Changi and it does lashings and hangings even now.

They wouldn’t take me, eyesight too poor

handclapping

Lsshings of irn bru?

A better quality version of the Peak Oil Exponential Function video is this one. It’s in short chunks so easier to watch.
link to youtube.com

Shouldn`t the scary van say ” keep the vow cameron, clegg and milliband.” Maybe we should hire a scary van and draw attention to the daily rag lies, by contrasting their headlines from a few weeks ago to their most recent ones.

handclapping

Did you bump into Max Moseley at Changi last time?

Conan_the_Librarian

Don’t I know that too well.

Nissan and others, EU etc

Not that far from Tyneside to Linwood. Not beyond the capabilities of Nissan to do that one. Elsewhere in England, hmmm, sounds like Nissan’s making contingency plans – what’s ours? And how far is it to Scotland?

@ yesindyref2
”
It is called “breaking and entering” even if nothing is broken.

Bit like “breach of the peace” even though nothing is spoken.

schrodingers cat
As the Queen would say, purrrrrrrrrrrr

All this backtracking – we have a poll by Lord Ashcroft – doesn’t sound like an anarchist – stating that 25% voted no for more powers.

We have GB live on the BBC giving it laldy about near as damn it federalism.

They cannot be allowed to get out of this – European court of human rights?? possible before we are removed from it

@Liz

EU court sounds like the place to go and quickly before the clowns in Westminster and ukip drag us out.

here schroedinger that’s all fine but there,s no law of trespass in scotland

AuldA

I am in a drying out pase.

I was due to go to Tls to celebrate with some French friend the week-end after the Referendum.

I did pluck up the courage and they did their best to keep my spirits up.

I eventually opened a bottle of Bordeaux, 2008, maybe by Michel Pauillac.

I enjoyed it so well,as I sat in the dark on a veranda at 2 am that I decided that life is too short for bad wine and I needed to start saving to buy selectively.

I will not be drinking until Scotland makes a significant gain in Full Fiscal Autonomy at the very least.

Cameron speech CPC tomorrow

apparently going to take the p*ss out of salmond

Macavity Brown has disappeared again, the bugger has gone to ground. Does this guy have any moral fibre at all, does he any principles?

Btp,
cheval blanc, 2005

Ah, Scotland’s Champion. You’ve presided over the de-industrialisation of Scotland over the past 30 years; lionised indolent Labour poltroons as the ‘fighting fifty’; told us that ‘battling’ Scottish Secretaries like Dewar and Clarke would somehow improve our lot; pleaded with us to elect dolts like ‘Lucky Jack’ who handed back a huge chunk of Scotland’s Budget to Westminster; wrapped up decades of failure, cowardice and inaction on the part of Labour as the fault of the SNP; and connived in no small measure in the erosion of Scots’ self-confidence and sense of worth to the extent that a majority reject the normality of self-determination.

And for what? A poster begging the Tories to honour their – and your – latest lie.

Time to die with Labour, Scotland’s Champion.

@Bugger

I will not be drinking until Scotland makes a significant gain in Full Fiscal Autonomy at the very least.

Is that wise?

@Albaman

Can you provide a link please?

@ BtP

Good beer is much cheaper, and doesn’t have the snob value written in…

Unless you are a hipster.

Yup a cheeky little Neufchâteau brun with crackers et un Bressy bleu rounds of the evening nicely

@Luigi

I’m pretty sure that EU nationals will not be allowed to vote in the EU referendum. This came up before and I think Scottish Skier linked me to the relevant page, but essentially the franchise will be restricted to those eligible to vote in a UK General Election. I could be wrong, but I think those are the already-agreed terms.

Albaman, is there a link to Gordon Brown’s petition. Not that I’m going to sign, just want a look.

Conan_the_Librarian says: Good beer is much cheaper, and doesn’t have the snob value written in… Unless you are a hipster.

I met someone on-line recently, called himself Adolf Hipster. Partner in crime of a certain Napoleon Blownapart. I frequent strange places…

@Luigi

link to electoralcommission.org.uk?

On the face of it, everyone on the Smith commission should be there supporting DevoMax – the real deal, Home Rule, FFA – not some small selection of extra powers and income tax to pay for them!

The Indy reps should there to compromise down from full Indy having sadly lost the vote. The Unionst should have all signed up to The Vow and the promises which won it for them.

It should all go ticky boo. No room for disagreement. Three main Unionst parties all signed up. Indy parties in acceptance. Rubber stamped. All in place before the next WM election.

All pigs fed, watered and ready to fly.

Already the Unionists are talking of something less than they promised. Everyone of them, it seems to me.

Well Hell mend them! We should ensure there is Hell to pay in the WM election next year! Milliband can stop thinking Scotland is a source of carpet bagging do-as-their-told scumbags. LibDems are dead in the water. And, lets get that last Tory removed.

Quotes from Ruth Davidson today:

Attempts by Ruth Davidson to limit the powers that can be discussed by the Smith Commission have been branded as showing ‘an extraordinary degree of bad-faith’.

During the referendum campaign, Gordon Brown made clear in a speech in Loanhead that “the plan for a stronger Scottish Parliament we seek agreement on is for nothing else than a modern form of Scottish Home Rule within the United Kingdom” and also wrote in a New York Times article that “the United Kingdom is moving as close to a federal state as is possible.

Jenlain is “……ok.

Herald article about Brown’s petition “Brown calls on Scots to sign petition demanding Westminster keeps devolution promise”

It’s not devo-max he’s talking about, but, it needs studying.

To be honest devo-max won’t last long before Independence is inevitable, this might be in the same ball park. If not delivered, referendum in 2 years, if delivered though. we’re talking about perhaps 2020. Because signficant more powers won’t work either. The status quo is stable in my opinion, but significant more powers creates UK-wide instability.

Brown’s an odd one, and I’m not too sure that he’s perhaps running rings around Westminster, and was before the referendum. Weird. It could be he has a grudge because he was treated like shite by his own party, and the media. Or not.

@ yesindyref2

Brown hates Cameron
Cameron hates Brown
and so on, ad infinitum.

BTW there are no Magistrates Courts in Scotland but in JP Courts in Glasgow and Strathkelvin you do have Stipendiary Magistrates ie solicitors or advocates who do the work of JP’s for a fee.

Some good news:

link to snp.org

From the BBC site: (archive not working)

Brown outlines ‘best deal for Scotland’

Gordon Brown has outlined a 14-point “practical plan” for new powers for the Scottish Parliament.The former prime minister claims the powers – which cover areas such as welfare, taxation and transport – would give Scotland “the best deal within the United Kingdom”.Mr Brown has also called on 100,000 Scots to sign a petition, to be presented to the House of Commons next month, demanding that Scotland gets further devolution “with no strings attached”.

I read this whilst on the bus and started laughing. Now Gordo the Great is admitting that the promises he made in the name if Cameron, Miliband and Clegg, promises which swung the referendum after they were bigged up by the BBC, are worth fuck all and he wants us to sign a petition!

How did the gullible multitude not see what was staring them in the face, that this multi millionaire ex politician (retired on full salary and £165k expenses) had the power to offer us nothing but empty, hollow words.

How utterly decrepit this creature is to sell his former country down the river at his masters’ bidding then plead for his former country’s support to approach the masters’ table.

I can’t say anymore- if i say what is on my mind right now i risk prosecution.

Btp,
Sobs
I don’t know what that tastes like
Sob

THE VOW won’t get through the Commons let alone the Lords. UKOK’s not governed by dicitat yet. So come on Nigel Farage!

If UKPsters do get UK out of EU, I personally can’t wait to hear the weeping and a wailing coming from all those rich landowners and farmers that had gaint No thanks placards on their fields

TV licensing – I posted this on another topic but it’s maybe worth putting it here too. I haven’t had a tv licence for around five years now and in that time I’ve had a lot of harassment from the tv licensing people. Here are a few points to help out anyone who is new to this world of threats and intimidation:

1) “TV Licensing” is a private company run by Capita on behalf of the TV Licensing Authority, which is another name for the BBC. They run it this way to keep the BBC at arms length from the whole thing. “TV Licensing” try to give the impression they are a government body empowered with carrying out criminal investigations. They are not and they have no special powers in law.

2) They will send you a series of increasingly threatening and harassing letters. These letters always request that you should contact them to explain your situation if you believe you don’t need a tv licence, which seems reasonable. However, you are not legally obliged to contact them and if you do they will continue to send you letters after a while anyway “in case something has changed” and you now need a tv licence. Don’t bother contacting them by post, email or phone. They aren’t really interested and will just defer the letters for three months at the most. By contacting them you’re just letting them know they’ve got a bite. You might even go on their list for special attention.

3) The standard letters come in a variety of styles in an attempt to look more ‘official’ and intimidating. Some will be written in red ink and will tell you that “an investigation has been authorised” or that “our enforcement officers will soon be visiting” or that “your case has been referred to our prosecutions team for legal action” or even that “you may wish to refer to this letter in court”. They are especially fond of quoting sections of legislation and talking about the Crown Prosecution Service (funnily enough they never refer to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service). This is all complete bullshit aimed at getting you worried enough to just stump up the cash. Ignore these letters as you would ignore any other unsolicited junk mail – they’ve got exactly the same legal weight as all the shite Reader’s Digest used to send my mum. After eight or nine letters you’ll just go back to the start of the cycle again.

4) Their “enforcement officers” are employees of Capita – salesmen on minimum wage and big commission who go from door to door attempting to intimidate folk into buying a license. They are private citizens just like you and me, they have no special legal powers. They will say almost anything to bluff their way into your house or elicit a confession of evasion. /b> or even acknowledge their presence. They can only enter your property without your permission if they obtain a search warrant from a Sheriff and by all accounts this is undertaken vanishingly rarely. They have to have very strong evidence of actual evasion taking place to obtain a warrant and simply not having a tv licence is not evidence of anything in itself. If they knock at your door don’t speak to them, other than to tell them to FRO, and definitely don’t sign anything.

5) There is dubiety over whether or not “TV Detector” vans exist. Personally I choose to believe that while the technology is theoretically possible, the practical application is not. To date evidence from a “TV Detector” has never been used in a prosecution, which tells you something. I used to live in the attic flat of a big tenement block with seven other flats; I’d like to see them detect who was all watching tv of an evening in that building. Don’t worry about hi tech “TV Detectors” – the most reliable way of detecting a tv in use is looking through a window or listening at the letterbox, then chapping the door and eliciting a doorstep confession from a startled householder.

6) You only require to have a tv license if you watch tv programs live at the time they are broadcast. If you watch DVDs, Blu Rays, iplayer, stv player, netflix, youtube, etc.. you don’t require a licence. You don’t need to detune your tv or remove/unplug your aerial as the offence is using the equipment to watch live tv, not simply having the equipment installed and available to be used.

Finally a quick summary of the above: Ignore the letters, don’t contact them, never speak to their salesmen and don’t worry about detector vans. The best way to deal with them is to avoid all contact. Don’t write to announce that you revole their right to knock on your door, that’s all just dodgy made up “Freeman on the Land” barrack room lawyer bollocks and won’t stand up in court. Just avoid all contact with them. You are not obliged to prove to anyone that you don’t need a tv licence any more than you’re obliged to prove that you don’t need a pilot’s licence, a fishing licence or an oil exploration licence. Incidentally although I’ve had hundreds of letters, I haven’t had a visit from TV Licensing in the five years I’ve been – legally – unlicensed.

Blair Jenkins on STV saying he did not think BBC was deliberately bias! WTF! What planet is this guy on?
I could say more but I won’t.

link to theguardian.com

Feel the fear. If you don’t get it all, it’s just comes harder.