The Unionist parties have been having a rough week. Admittedly that’s a bit like saying that Nicholas Witchell has a brown stain on his nose, or that Donald Trump has contradicted himself again, so it’s not exactly news. This week it’s become clearer than ever that there’s no positive case for the Union, all there is is the threat that after Scotland has had its legs chopped off by a serially incompetent and malicious Westminster, it’s too poor to stand on its own two feet. This is not, despite the fond imaginings of certain bellignorant proponents of waving the red white and blue fleg who aren’t nationalists at all, oh no, a good argument for remaining a part of the UK.
A few days ago Common Weal published an analysis of the infamous GERS figures and showed that while the UK has left Scotland in a challenging financial situation, Scotland’s not quite the economic basket case that certain people who are pleased to describe themselves as patriots would have us believe. You could hear the howls of wounded outrage from the top of a Trump tower. The supposed economic basketcasery of Scotland is the only argument remaining to the Unionists, and they’re not at all happy when someone demonstrates that the basket is pretty shoddy and poorly made. The point of weaving baskets in occupational therapy is to prove to the patient that they have skills and to increase their self-esteem, the point of weaving baskets for the advocates of Westminster occupation therapy is to tell Scotland that it has no skills and to destroy its self-esteem. Sadly their arguments hold as little water as the baskets they try to weave.
We don’t hear much these days of the other props of the Unionist case. It’s a bit difficult trying to argue that Scotland is a loved and respected equal partner in a family of nations when we’re being ripped out of the EU against our will and Theresa May is threatening to ride roughshod over the Scottish Parliament. It’s even harder trying to maintain that there’s a positive and progressive Britain which an independent Scotland would be turning its back on when Britain’s politics are dominated by right wing politicians who boast about compiling lists of foreigners and who vie with one another to hoover up Ukip votes. And trying to argue that Scotland needs the stability and security of the pound sterling is now as much as a joke as Boris Johnson’s diplomacy. We’d be a whole lot better off using Yapese stone money as a currency. Money which consists of huge big circular chunks of stone with a hole through the middle is at least solid, which is a whole lot more than can be said for the pound sterling.
Since they’re not able to defend any of the above, the Tories in Scotland have instead decided to concentrate their ire on trying to get Scottish transport minister Humza Yousaf sacked for the failings of Scotland’s rail network. Those are failings that are in large part due to problems caused by Network Rail, which under the hauf-airsed system of privatisation introduced by the Tories and kept by Labour remains entirely under the responsibility and control of the UK Department of Transport. The Tories and Labour could if they had wanted devolved control of Network Rail in Scotland to Holyrood, and allowed Scotland to develop its own rail strategy, but they chose not to do so. So instead we’ve got Tories demanding the resignation of a Scottish minister for problems caused by an organisation in the charge of a Conservative minister at Westminster. That would be Chris Grayling, the man who was responsible for introducing English Votes for English Laws to the Commons.
I’ve yet to see Tory MSP Adam Tomkins tweeting an amusing picture of a natural disaster that took the lives of dozens of people and blaming it on the Tory administration that created the problem in the first place. Instead they prefer to blame Holyrood for a cock up caused by Westminster. It’s yet another example of the Unionist modus operandi in Scotland. After all, their entire economic basket case schtick relies on blaming Scotland for the financial incompetence of Westminster, so it’s only reasonable to expect them to go down the same track with trains.
Meanwhile Kezia has a very bold strategy on the constitution. That’s a very bold strategy in the same sense that it’s a very bold strategy to run naked down Sauchiehall Street with a tin foil hat on your head screaming that reptilian aliens have subjected you to an anal probe. Others in Labour want the party leadership in Scotland to distance itself from Kezia’s blind Unionism and support home rule instead. You know, the thing that they said that they were in favour of during the independence referendum only when push came to shove in the aftermath of the independence referendum we discovered that it consisted of powers over road signs, but only as long as they’re not in Gaelic.
While it’s all very welcome that sections of the Labour party want to distance themselves from knee-jerk Unionism, they’ve so far not been able to define exactly what it is that they’re in favour of and how it would work in practice. Even more importantly, they’re unable to tell us how exactly we’re going to get to the mystical magic kingdom of federalism. So we’re being asked to put our faith in an ill-defined slogan with no clear idea of how any of it can come about when there’s a resurgent and triumphalist Tory party that looks set to demolish what’s left of Labour in the rest of the UK should there be a snap General Election. The calls for Labour to distance itself from Kezia’s Unionism all sound suspiciously like Gordie Broon’s vow.
Blame Scotland for problems created by Westminster, and make us vague promises of a better future without committing to a realistic path in order to get there. That’s how you undermine a country’s confidence, that’s how you keep us in thrall to a British establishment that’s only interested in our resources, creaming off our skilled labour, and using us as somewhere convenient to park their nukes. That’s Westminster occupation therapy. But it’s not working any more. Scotland’s rediscovering its self-esteem.
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Reblogged this on pictishbeastie.
[…] Source: Westminster occupation therapy […]
Ayup! Bless their wee union jakey socks, its been a bit of a dire week for opposition leadership in Scotland right enough.
To be honest I gave the whole Humza Yousaf thing about five minutes notice before filing it under nonsense. The annual winter bull(shit) run by the unionist parties whereby they attempt to have whoever happens to be the transport minister chucked, mainly because.. y’know… winter and Essenpee bad.
Its more than a wee bit sad and insulting by this point, not to mention irritating, when you’re actually trying to concentrate on getting some work done.
As for the case for the union? That can be answered with two further questions.
a. What case?
b. What union?
For over four years Scots have been told what they can’t do, what they can’t achieve and what doom awaits should they attempt to better their lot without the stewardship of Westminster politics.
Mibbie just me, but I’d say that is by any standards a classic description of an abusive relationship. I’m pretty much done being told how much of an over subsidised sponger I’m supposed to be. I’m done being told by a shower of self interested careerists just who ‘I’ am supposed to be. I’m more than well and truly fucked off with being told how shite my parliament, my government, my public institutions are because they’re not run by ‘the right sort’.
Most of all I’m done being threatened and told I’m not good enough by either Westminster, their media, or the truly disingenuous and deceitful branch offices in Scotland.
That they allow others to denigrate and harm Scottish society is bad and bad enough. That they openly and willingly participate in causing said harm to Scotland’s electorate is an unforgivable black shame.
We might be getting a chance soon enough to put our house in order. The question is, what KIND of country do you want to live in?
Excellent Macart
Agree with every word Macart.!!
….What kind of Country do you want to live in?….well… everyone has their opportunity to become directly involved in that very soon.
Yes is back ! – as per the article in yesterday’s National:
The Scottish Independence Convention on 14th Jan. on Policy/Strategy .[Eventbrite website] .. If this then is IndyRef2 … the banners last time round were simply ‘YES’
Does that mean the banners this time ..might include ………
‘ YES 2 INDEPENDENCE ‘
…….just a thought.
Beware of latest yoon “vow”.
SoSfS has just been on telly to say more devolved powers will come to Scotland. – fisheries, farming criminal law after Brexit. Trying to divide and conquer.
Alex Neil is mentioned obliquely as he voted to leave.
Ot is a smokescreen.
The powers do not give Scotland key commanding heights.
Just another ploy. Independence gives us ALL powers, not just some the SoSfS deems fit.
These sort of repatriated powers are to cover for the loss of funding from the EU and Westminster after Brexit, in other words Holyrood is responsible, but you ‘ll find the cash from the devolved grant. The UK according to Hammond is en route to going bust.
Cunning.
“Scotland’s rediscovering its self-esteem”. Well, slowly Paul. I’ll let you know in January when we start canvassing for the Council Elections.
And, in the Sunday Herald, once you have configured your web browser to avoid the advertising, google, twitter, analytics and other annoyances, you can see what may be organised mischief making aimed at throwing Kieza Dugdale under a bus or, perhaps, a train. Which would be such a waste because they would have to find somebody else to throw in May next year. Anyway, whatever opinion it is of Ms Dugdale that is causing the problem shouldn’t be a problem because she is quite capable of changing her mind and frequently does providing the opinion doesn’t set off an SNPBadaphylactic reaction. Which it might because the ferry to the dreamland utopia of federalism sailed a long time ago.
Darn Sarth, where such things would have to be instigated, the basket weavers and fellow looneys are far too busy fighting amongst themselves to bother about that Saving The Nation™ stuff. So, for the Red Tories in Scotland (endangered species) to witter on about this is really just a displacement activity – a bit like rocking backwards and forwards in your armchair and less painful than dunting your heed agin the wa’. Self-abuse indeed. Perhaps the jicket with the arms tied at the back is required. And the nice young man in the nice white coat. And they’re coming to take me away ha-ha he-he, They’re coming to take me away ho-ho hee-hee ha-haaa, To the happy home with trees and flowers and chirping birds, And basket weavers who sit and smile and twiddle their thumbs and toes, And they’re coming to take me away ha-haaa.
Who sang that?
Answers to the funny farm, where life is bee-yoon-tea-full all the time…
Anent Muddle on the telly, I notice it took all of 6 tries to get him to answer Brewer’s question about whether or not Westminster would agree to a second Indyref. He kept saying that the SG ‘should not’ be seeking to call a second Indyref instead of straight forwardly agreeing with Ruthie that Westminster would agree.
In the passing, he has a peculiar habit of using his right forearm to emphasise his points almost like a clockwork doll. Is he really a human being or a Tory construct wheeled out at the appropriate times?
Another issue revealed from the chat at the end with journalists was the speculation that the SG wasn’t getting the answer it wanted from the nearly two million responses it has received from its consultation, thus allowing Brewer to create mischief as to whether the SG would release the figures. We shall see. For my part, I hope they distinguish between home-based people living in Scotland and others on the internet from all over the world.
Fiona Hyslop was excellent on Brewer’s Droop yesterday.
She classified Brewer’s snide sneering observations about Scotland’s genuine attempt to strike a separate deal with the EU, once Article 50 is triggered by the Darling Duds of May, as ‘offensive’.
He seems to think that Scotland being dragged out of Europe, Mundell’s blithering bumbling fool of an interview, and Hammond’s budget were all so achingly funny, but isn’t it great that Stirling is to get dosh to tart up the town and let’s all be glad for Hammond’s largesse.
I shall prefix Brewer’s name with ‘Offensive’ from now until we sack him on Independence Day; by ‘sack’ I mean. when we set up our Scottish Broadcasting Corporation, and he officially works for a ‘foreign’ broadcaster. like Al Jazeera, or RT.
His pathetic little 25 minute Sunday slot welded on to the arse of Andrew, Trump Towers resident, Neil’s Sunday WM Bubble-gum English show, is an insult to the intelligence of the citizens of Scotland.
Mundell blurted out nonsense about the NFU and our Fishing Industry being awarded control of currently held EU powers, but Brewer was too busy prattling on about a fucking second Indyref to be bothered with current affairs, and challenge the SoS about the very real danger that hundreds of thousands of Scots jobs, and billions of pounds of revenue are at serious risk if we stand back and let idiots like Mundell Carmichael Murray Davidson Tomkins Fraser, Dugdale, Findlay, Baillie, Rennie, Cole Hamilton and Scott backed by our compliant and bought and paid for by billionaires’ money MSM spout the utterest of Brexit is wunnerful pish, It’s much more fun and bereft of any serious journalism if Offensive Gordon bad mouths Scotland, the Scottish people, denies our rich and bounteous resources, and ‘Bads’ the only political party Up Here, and thanks to the 56 , in WM, fighting tooth and nail to secure the best EU deal for Scotland.
Of course if you are filthy rich, say, a BBC Darling in a cushy job, or a retired ennobled ex Labour Has Been, or a member of Scotland’s Branch of the Brit Establishment, the fate of Scotland and its people will have no impact on your well heeled life.
‘Offensive’ Brewer, and his Unionist colleagues, who regularly occupy the visiting commentators’ seats on every BBC Scotland political propaganda show (what a nice little earning stream that must be) do not give a monkey’s; they have a job to do. Destroy the Independence Movement. Well, they are failing badly.
Offensive Brewer, what the fuck do you find so funny about all of this?
McWhirter, what possesses you to appear on this guff? Money?
I’ve only looked in the once on the interwebby over the weekend (been out of house, a LOT), but those competences? They aren’t reserved. How they are repatriated is the real question. UK gov. could of course, simply reabsorb them for future reserved use, or use them as a ‘giveaway’ to keep the rowdy neighbours sweet.
The point being ‘power devolved is power retained’. The more things change, the more they… etc. Basically carrot and stick. You could maybe have these powers without any hassle from Westminster, but only if you behave kinda thing.
‘Course what Fluffy and Brewer neglect to mention is what effect. if any, is there on the Barnett hand out? Would Scotland have control of the administration and legislation only to lose out on the rewards? It all comes back to that and so long as Scotland is pooling sharing it always will. Devolution is still control of a situation by remote and its win, win for the Tories.
We can still have those powers though, regardless of Mundell’s transparent bribe. All we need do is vote for the return of ALL powers. We don’t and never have needed anyone’s permission to reclaim what belongs to every Scottish citizen by right and controlling the rights of the population is what sovereignty and by extension Brexit is all about for the powers that be in Westminster.
What folk really need to ask themselves though, is who they feel most comfortable with stewarding those rights? Westminster or Holyrood?
Mundell promised nothing, Sam. It is not within his gift to commit to anything, other than to paint a rosy post Brex picture of Scotland, which he knows will not be delivered.
England is hardly going to ‘take back control’ from Brussels, to immediately give anything away to one of her colonies, particularly in relation to agriculture and fishing.
Besides, I believe that Scotland accrues 40% of EU subsidies under CAP and Fishing deals.
The Barnett equivalents would be a lot less generous, which was briefly mentioned on Offensive Brewer’s wee TV mag yesterday, but strangled at birth. BAD SNP is a laff, was the theme of the show.
Once England gets control back, I expect no mercy from the Unionists.
Scotland will at last be properly ‘punished’ when we are no longer a member of the EU and afforded at least some protection from the wrath of the Brit State; of that I have no doubt.
My point, rambling as it may have been, was that yesterday’s Scottish political discussion was not about the relentless cuts to our living standards imposed by Mundell’s Party, or their continuing stalling over a Brexit strategy of any sort, but about an Indyref 2 that has not yet been tabled, and the hypothetical negative opinions of a couple of lesser EU sources to questions put to them by Red Blue and Yellow Tory Unionist Press hacks.
We face being kicked out of Europe, hundreds of thousands of jobs in jeopardy, JAMS families being £2500 a year worse off, yet Offensive Brewer smirks about an SNP survey and whether it will be published or not.
I have long lost patience with them. Mundell is a quivering fool, who can hear the distant rumble of the Independence tumbril as he admires a photo of himself with David Cameron on his desk.
Seriously, he is unbelievably bad.
Only full control, Independence will do now.
The LA elections campaign may be used to blood new troops to the Independence cause.
The prosecution of ex public officials and ousted Unionist councillors which ensue will open the eyes of many to this corrupt little Unionist regime.
Herald Sco.. Britland leads their on line offering with ‘Nicola Sturgeon dilemma’.
Apparently 2/3 of scots want to keep the pound if there is a second referendum.
I rest my case.
The SNP BADness continues unabated. Heaven forfend that our Brit MSM forensically examine the madness of Brexit, or the cynical Right Wing society destroying agenda of Hammond’s Autumn Statement, or Mundell’s absolutely ludicrous waffle on Offensive Brewer’s Sunday Mash.
Instead, let’s be completely obsessed about Indyref2, the only game in town for the Unionist Third Raters Up Here.
I note that Ruth Strictly Prancing is to appear on QT from Wakefield this week. Why? Old Girls’ BBC Scotland network? Sally, Jackie, Kirsty, Sarah?
I’m sure the Vicar of Wakefield, even with his large brain, would be at a loss to explain why a Scottish Tory MSP political failure is considered by Dimbledor to be an appropriate Tory mouthperson Down There.
Of course, it’s coming up to the Christmas break. The usual Tory stooges would be chary about heading up to the frozen North at the beginning of December.
The good burghers of Wakefield are in for a treat.
Age is beginning to take its toll. I am getting my vicars mixed up with my Deserted Village school masters.
“And still they gazed, and still the wonder grew,
That one small head could carry all he knew. “‘
refers of course to Goldsmith’s schoolmaster in ‘The Deserted Village’, not the ‘Vicar of Wakefield’, although I’m sure that he had a big brain too.
I rush with my correction because this site is bursting at the seams with some incredibly clever and well read buffs.
Forgive me, I am a little slow this morning, but it took me until the end of the text to get the double meaning of ‘occupation therapy’.
The union with England only survives because of Project Fear and the britnat media, especially the bbc. Slowly but surely the fear is dissipating; the britnat press is drowning in its own filth, and the bbc’s influence is waning. We’re still on track for independence.
Transport ministers Must seem like and easy target. Remember a few years ago when Stuart Stevenson was sacked for not predicting how much snow we’d get, in a freakishly bad winter the like of which we hadn’t seen for well over a decade?
It’s project fear coming back to bite them. Nothing they do or say can or will scare us any more so now they’re just standing there shrieking desperate nonsense with their hands over their ears pretending none of this is happening. The next stage of this rational, we’ll-considered, well-researched, level headed Brexit plan will be to hide under the bed and cry themselves to sleep after spending a long half hour being scared to bits of the Nasty Evil Yestapo Cybernatzis lurking in the wardrobe with their common sense, rational arguments,principles and similar basic life skills which must be terrifying to folk with none.
Don’t know if you caught this already Paul, but here is the entirety of the FMs speech and Q&A at the Trinity College PHIL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdv55IbmPYc
Thanks for that, Sam.
Compare and contrast Sturgeon’s measured and insightful manner and responses during this Q&A session at Trinity College with Mundell’s car crash on BBC Sunday Politics.
I have no illusions about our FM. She does not walk on water.
She does come across as a genuine, consummate professional politician at the very least.
Imagine Mundell in the hot seat for an hour.
Exactly.
Softly softly catchee monkey.
The big thanks goes to Tam Jardine originally for posting the link. That we have to go to Youtube however to see our First Minister receive a prestigious award and the honour of addressing an assembly though is a black shame on our media.
Indeed, Sam.
The behaviour of our MSM is now poisonous. They actually deny us news deliberately now.
I ‘speed watched Scotland 2016 last night on I Player, doubtless nudging the viewing figures towards four figures.
They couldn’t have been more disparaging if they tried.
A lass, whose name escapes me, but billed as deputy editor of the ‘Scottish’ Daily Mail joined Tom Gordon of the ever present Herald in summarising the programme and the day’s events, which included a soundbite for UKIP’s new leader, lasting longer than the VT of NS’ visit to Dublin.
Odious pernicious little show now.
They seem to think that prefixing Unionist Guff with ‘Scottish’ validates their Ultra Right Wing Unionist propaganda.
Scottish Kendal cake, Scottish Cornish pasties, Scottish Cumberland sausages, anyone?
My eternal g’s extend to Tam Jardine of course.
Whoaaa! Standing ovation from the the Irish Parliament for NS speech.
As long as Glasgow City Council techies weren’t operating the cameras, I might get to watch this later.
Jings! A second standing ovation. 🙂
Question on the senate floor. How can Ireland assist Scotland at this time? OOFT!
PM May and the meeja won’t like that.
A moving and warm closing speech by the senate.
Be interesting to see how our meeja present this tomorrow, but just so they’re aware? Some folks were listening live.
O/t (appologies)….. BBC’s Phil Goodlad pushing a FIFA PRO survey of world footballers, that finds Scotland’s footballers have received more threats of violence from supporters than any other country……. However, England and Old Firm players did not take part…….. Find this very hard to believe……
Why do those representing yes when interviewed by these “fools” like Brewer not get right into their faces,face them down and ask them to explain their biased agendas,”get intae them.”