A guest post by Samuel Miller
Y’know, you read appalling stuff about yer political class every day. Brexit shambles, leadership backstabbery, cash for access scandals, election campaign under investigation because reasons sorta thing. The levels of hypocrisy, cynical abuse of power and public manipulation can leave you speechless. For instance, I read a typically clinical dissection by Wings Over Scotland on the current equal pay dispute going on in Glasgow. Well worth the effort to go read. I can predict a very high probability of a ‘words fail’ moment.
If you’re a supporter of self determination for Scotland, then you’re probably no stranger to the notion that the political class of the establishment are a bit on the hypocritical side. You’d also be understandably forgiven for being of the opinion that, at best, those establishment political types should be considered disingenuous opportunists. At worst?
I mean, it’s not as if we haven’t been round this track before. Ruth Davidson especially has a penchant for …. changing definitions. Or is it really necessary to remind everyone that Scotland’s Conservative branch supervisor’s definition of democratic mandate seems to have somewhat altered since 2011?
To be fair, you don’t have to look very far in Scottish or UK politics for examples of hypocrisy. The history of UK politics is rife with the stank. It seems to rear its head every other week. Kezia Dugdale on some form of second EU referendum for instance? That’s reportedly a yes. A positive thing, showing a respect for democracy apparently. On a second pure divisive Indyref? Well, that’d be a not so much. Not entirely sure what the difference is, but I’m sure an explanation will be along any day now. Same can be said for the Libdem’s Willie Wossiname. At this point your more cynical reader might think that circumstances only ever change in other countries and democracy is only ever allowed to be an evolving thing so long as you’re not Scotland. That reader may have a point. (Also? If I keep shrugging, I’ll do myself an injury). Willie also has a thing for moral rectitude and resignations. Except of course when it’s a Liberal Democrat. Which you’d think is neither a very liberal or democratic stance to take really, but there you go. (Shrugs. OWWW!)
Then we get back to what might be an ‘at worst’ scenario.
It’s a sad condition of politics as it is practised really. UK style being no better and no worse than many around the globe. The accepted practice, (accepted mainly by politicians), of ‘all’s fair in love and politics’. Aye, seemingly it’s acceptable for the public to be misled, manipulated, cajoled, insulted or even downright intimidated. You would think, as a VERY long suffering public, we’d get used to that and the above examples of hypocrisy by now. That if we held a given individual, an institution, or a party in low esteem, then that opinion couldn’t get any lower. It’s entirely possible you’d be wrong.
Readers can draw their own conclusions on what ‘at worst’ means when it comes to their thoughts on the political class and political practice.
Personally? I don’t think I have the words these days.
Wee Ginger Dug 
Oh I don’t know Sam, those words sound pretty good to me!
We’re entering the last gasp of this corrupt union of ‘equals’..popped that in for guffawing! I’ll be extremely delighted to see the last incompetent Tory head over the Scottish border for the sunny uplands of wherever’ll hae them!
Agree wholeheartedly about Wings post, a must read and needs spread far and wide.
Where would we be without your regular ‘Miller’s Tale’, Sam?
I’m so incensed with this political thuggery.
WE shall overcome.
I read the article on Wings earlier this evening, Sam, and was appalled. I wouldn’t term their words examples of hypocrisy. These are just plain lies from Corbyn and his mate in Scotland. The once mighty Labour Party is finished.
Talking of the “Miller’s Tale” Jack, in the Dark Ages our teacher of English, when handing out copies of Chaucer, told us on no account to read either the “Miller’s Tale” or the “Pardoner’s Tale”. Naturally, those are the two we read immediately and actually, to this day those are the only ones I remember!
Och, Jan, when we ‘did’ Chaucer and Shakespeare at the start of the ‘sixties, we were issued with the ‘abridged’, heavily censored editions.
No smut or filth allowed in our all boys school.
Didn’t stop us though.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover, that other modern deliciously filthy Miller’s Tale for teenage boys, The Tropic of Capricorn, as well as the unabridged Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare Unplugged, and Peyton Place did the rounds under the desk.
‘Whan in that Aprille with its showers soote.’ indeed.
I recall our English Teacher explaining that Hamlet was urging Ophelia to become a nun, instead of hoping for any relationship with him.
‘Get thee to a nunnery!’
A ‘nunnery’ in Shakespeare’s day was of course a whorehouse, to be crude about it.
That was the level of deception and religious conditioning to which our young formative minds were subjected.
James Joyce was completely banned of course.
Didn’t stop us then.
The Brit Nat Thought Police ain’t gonna stop us now.
By the ‘sweet showers’ of next April, we shall be on the March to Self Determination; of that, I have no doubt.
Bisous, Jan.
What is most powerful about the Wings piece is the lengthy tweet from Mr Ian Smart, who has been a Labour diehard for many years and has been one of the most hostile to the SNP. He has simply shredded the arguments for the strike and pointed out the trade union and Scottish Labour perfidy.
The women have a cast iron case, which has been accepted by the current Glasgow Council. As I understand it a new contract is being developed which is designed to try to have any of the kind of machiavellian mendacity that led to the discrimination against these women employees in 2006. I have heard no details of what the sticking point is. I have heard a statement from the lawyer who is undertaking the negotiations on behalf of the women. (It is worthy of note that it is not GCC refused to make any statement – other than condemnation of the strike – when the strike was on.
The women should be paid as soon as possible, but, because of Labour’s and GMB’s shenanigans over more than a decade, the bill will cause severe difficulties to the city’s finances.
It is still possible for the women to sue their trade union for misrepresenting them over the years.
I hope that the action has radicalised the women in the sense of ‘conscientisation’ as set out by the Brazilian Marxist Paulo Freire.
The SNP council will be in the hands of employment law solicitors and lawyers as far as timescale is concerned. It isn’t an easy matter to sort out pay grades when comparing different jobs. For instance, how do you compare a female carers work will a male refuse collector?
I do not envy their task. This is something that won’t have been done before. Certainly not by those lying, scheming and mendacious Labour Councils. Perhaps they should look to the EU, at the same time follow UK employment legislation.
Marion,
I would not be s pessimistic. I agree it will take some time, but there is a fair amount of experience going back to the 1970s about pay comparison approaches (Sir Frank Figgures was the person in charge back then). Undoubtedly, there will be wrangling, but, I think that it can be achieved relatively quickly. Reports I had heard had indicated that things were close to completion. More cynically, as Mr Ian Smart (Labour diehard and vehemently anti independence) pointed out in his remarkably frank tweet yesterday condemning the strike, the majority of the women are represented by an ‘ambulance chasing’ lawyer and not their union, I suspect that this person will want a deal soon, because he will want his substantial ‘cut’ of the payout.
I support the women unequivocally. It is a disgrace that their union landed them on such a position. I hope some sue their union to recoup the ‘cut’ which the lawyer will take.
I watched a bit of the end Austerity Debate in Holyrood , I know silly me , I studied the faces of the band of Labour Placemats , not a blush ,not a glimmer of embarrassment when being confronted with their past involvement in Glasgow City Council , these people are trained LIARS and bit part actors , shallow without a moral Compass , a backbone or a principal between the lot of them .
I was going to follow the save Monklands debate , but christ there is only so much lies and Hypocrisy i can take in any given day , so i collected some leaves , it was more rewarding .
I gather that some Blue Tory Placemat Wummin declared that the poor don’t have the right to determine the size of their family under the Two Child Maoist Austerity Cap.
That any politician can mouth this fascism out loud unchallenged tells its own story.
it will surely be the headlines in the Dead Tree Scrolls, and Magnusson’s Distorting Scotland tomorrow.
Or will it be Prince and Pregnant Princess Redbeard enjoying another tax paid for day away from the chill of autumn and reality in Fiji?
In other times we would have risen up by now and driven this evil cancer from our land.
These days, we can bring them down at the ballot box.
Looking forward to that Dick Leonard squirming at FMQ tomorrow.
Meanwhile Hugh Gaffney continues to astound us all by the depths to which his ineptitude are yet to sink.
And true to form, distorting Scotland fronted by Jackie Bird allowed this woman to repeat the evil comment unchalleneged.
Donalda’s Establishment Mouthpiece all right.
Also Dick Leonard and a reported racist and homophobe outside the Monklands hospital which Jack McConnell wanted to close ‘campaigning’ for it to be rebuilt on that site.
BBC Scotland, the Establisment Brit Nat mouthpiece, and to hell with Scotland and the Scottish people.
They are merely the propaganda wing of their London Masters.
It’s almost as thought they now realise that the UK is finished, isn’t it.
If you are poor now, in BBC Scotland’s endorsement of London fascism, you will always be poor, so we ban you from having children.
It used to be called eugenics.
What a tawdry bunch of fascists.
‘Eugenics’, that is exactly what she referred to Jack. Shocking.
Yes, I suggested in facebook she should look up the word eugenics. Mind you there was a Labour politician in Inverclyde who once suggested that contraceptive chemicals be added to drug addicts’ medicinal treatment.
Christ on a bike, chicmac.
These people walk among us.
There are liars and nay sayers in all political classes. Seems nowadays to be a badge of honour. Dreadful. They are either thick, have no short term memory or have no shame at all.
I am nearly 69 and I must say the current bunch within the Brit Nat parties are the most diabolical that I have ever seen.
I get so bloody angry at the media for their distortion of truth and mis reporting.
I think Andy, that they have always been a bunch of crooks. In fact, they make the Mob look like the Girl Guides, it’s just that we didn’t know it. We do now, only because we’re online. If there was no internet, there would be no outrage and there would be no chance of Independence.
Our awareness, would still be fed by the Dead Sea Scrolls and the rotten, duplicitous and mendacious BBC. Of course, ITV are at it as well.
Of course, that should read the Dead Tree Scrolls. Which is very appropriate, as it was only this week, that it was revealed the original Dead Sea Scrolls are fake. But are they fake? Or is the story about them being fake, fake? I could go on all day here. 😁
Yes indeed words fail me too. I Had spent some time last night (in between the housework) trying to write how I actually felt about Hugh Gaffney MP and his many many sins and the thought came to me this morning that it’s not really about him, it’s about what, and the years of lies he REPRESENTS and that is what repulses me to my very core.
I don’t give a shit about him.
It’s the deceit and lies that the inbred slabbers (orcs) will sanction and use against the SG. They are at ‘war’. When will the SG take their gloves off? Or is it their tactic just to let them these orcs distance themselves from the electorate by their despicable actions lies and deceit?
And to my dear soul brother!, Jack Collatin- please take heed, much as i love your visceral outpourings (as it saves me the time) watch your blood pressure as the Yes Movement needs you alive!
Frank, As luck would have it I had my annual Man Well check up at my local GP surgery yesterday. My BP was considered excellent by the Practice Nurse.
I’ve had my flu, pneumonia, and the one off over over 70’s shingles shots too.
It remains a puzzle to me why the Scottish NHS is as shite as Donalda McKinnon at BBC Stockade Glasgow and now the National Audit Office say it is.
Of course if we lie down and accept Brexit, and Liam Fox from the decks of the Aircraftless HMS Queen Elizabeth’s White Elephant sells off our NHS to the Yanks over canapés and Nappa Valley Plonk, I will not be able to afford my check up next year.
Gaffney looks like, and has reportedly acted and spoken like, an old timer Branch Office Labour bum warmer who is living proof that in the Bad Recent Past, they could stick a red rosette on a monkey and the people would vote for it.
Take heart, people, their corrupt little political mafia is in its death throes.
Take heart, People of Scotland, we shall be free very soon now.
In the not too distant future, a chronicler of truth will write all this up, for our children and their children to learn how corrupt and self serving so many of out fellow citizens were for decades, feathering their nests as hundreds of thousands of Scots lived and suffered in the Brit Nats engineered poverty, and tens of thousands died each year as this lowlife filled in their expenses claims and pocketed their mileage allowance.
I quipped earlier.
Branch Office Red Tory politicians are like bookmakers; you never see a poor one.
Take heart, Scotland, our day is at hand.
Frank, Back at you.
Take care, brother.
Gaffney would be a comic figure, if he wasn’t so representative of a percentage, although dwindling percentage, of the electorate. One of the outrages of Gaffney on the Sky News report on the women’s march, was that he was on full pay as an MP. As he is a duplicitous Labour MP, he will be charging us full expenses as well. Of course, the women on the march are now missing two days pay and expenses.
It still strikes me that the yoon parties are stuck in the time warp that they think the public will be put off politics if they see how hypocritical and downright liars they are. If one thing has changed it is that Indy supporters by getting engaged now realise what a cesspit yoons inhabit and want better.
I’m 73 and woke up to the possibility of Indy when Winnie won.
I’m that old I remember stanks being drains.
You’re my hero, cluthab. I turned 71 last month, so there is life in these old dogs yet.
I remember when it was ok to say ‘manhole covers’.
It is not for us that we do not give up.
It is for our children and future generations of Scots.
Take heart, Scotland.
It is about to change for the better.
Take Heart.
70 is the new 40.😂😂
Marlon,
I recall Larry Hagman quipping:-
‘When I wink at a young woman nowadays, I’m closing one eye to reality.’
But I couldn’t agree more.
There is life in us old dogs yet.
Needless to say that I agree Jack I am 76 for gods sake.
ace, wm.
As a youngster of 67 I remember drains were condies in Perth but far flung furrinters frae the likes o Dundee cried them cundies.
without a doubt access to media has to be the priority of the SNP , on a daily basis they are getting slaughtered by lies half truths and unsubstantiated innuendo , any good news is being activly buried and hidden , the public are getting a truly false impression of what is really going on in Scotland right now , this avalanche of doom and gloom must be having a lasting effect on voters .
Every single SNP representative being interviewed must question the political leaning of the interviewer they must stop and make sure the public know the hostile interviewers agenda
A rep from the GMB was given unhindered access to every media outlet this has to stop , the Scottish Government must insist this one sided propaganda be stopped even calling the heads to Holyrood to explain their actions and threaten them with any sanctions available , sanctions to make it bloody awkward for them to operate everything must be explored .
Your point is the most important matter relating to Scottish Independence, Robert. The SNP simple isn’t doing all it can. One of the most annoying things is, they keep being surprised by the aggression and skewed questions of the Brit Nat media. They keep falling into obvious traps set for them in TV debates. Planted questions from the audience should no longer be a surprise to them.
Also, why are they so bloody friendly with Sarah Smith, Glenn Campbell, David Clegg, Gordon Brewer, Brian Taylor. . .. et al
This approach has been a failure. The lies, the aggression, the bias are getting worse. If the SNP don’t start calling them out, we’ll lose the Indyref. Just refuse to be interviewed or take part in debates where the presenter is a known Brit Nat with a history of bias. In any interview go on the attack, never ever defend. It’s not nuclear physics.
I can’t agree more Marlon ,it’s bloody obvious to everyone posting on Indy supporting websites and has been for some time , someone from the SNP management must be reading these views Why oh bloody why do people have to keep pointing this out ,we see it are they all asleep.
Excellent piece SAM plus comments….
I had involvement with elected members of a Labour administration….I felt like Pollyanna as realities of their mindsets became clear. They despised their electorate..stupid not to be in the party thus open to whatever the Labour boys ( and some of the girls ) saw fit to impose on them…..
Senior Councillors set up other councillors usually through non assistance and interference in their area. The electorate of the unfortunate councillor were routinely used and abused in this process. It all smacked of a cult situation…..
30 years have passed since that experience and it appears that the cult members continue with their behaviour towards the Scottish electorate.
A positive for me is that their abusive behaviour and strategies have been exposed. At least 50% of Scottish folk know now the mindset and behaviour of these people.
I cannot see that this enlightenment will fade. A very bright light has been shone in a very dark place.
How to destabilize a government? I seem to remember that this was in the CIA playbook in South America – to manufacture a crisis, get people out on the street and instigate strikes, rendering the elected administration unable actually to govern. All of this happened in Chile, for example, to bring down the government of Allende and also in Argentina. ( Brazil is a currently developing horror story.)
It’s interesting to see the so-called socialists of Labour in Scotland trying out the same methods in Scotland to try to wound the SNP in Scotland. They really are despicable. However, I really can’t understand why the women who were betrayed by the fat cat union bosses for over a decade, could march alongside them. Perhaps someone with inside knowledge could explain how that happened, because I’m nonplussed.
The post topic ” When words fail ” is very relevant today , FMQs came and went , all the usual suspects were seated in one place , Not one question or word of condemnation of Labours involvement in the Equal pay disputes in Glasgow.
What the f/c are the SNP up to ? A perfect setting for a total slaughter of Labour & the Unions involved and what happened bugger all, a perfect opportunity lost , the proverbial open goal missed.
I give up . I really can’t understand the tactics , can anyone explain to a obvious dummy like myself because I am baffled .
You’re not a dummy. You’re a human being with an all too human and understandable reaction to people using their power and influence to harm others or put others in harms way. That’s why folk like you, me and most of the people who read and comment on indy sites aren’t and shouldn’t be politicians. Good God! The thought of Jack alone in a room with some of that lot. 😮 😉
A real public servant. One who cares. Has to reign in their natural impulse to hit back or punish those who cause them harm. They have to govern and act the way we need them to act, rather than the way we’d want to, or want them, to act. Sometimes though. Sometimes, at a later date, Karma has a way of offering you opportunities to balance the scales.
Roll on the next ballot when we can dole out some Karma Robert. 🙂
I agree in what you say had we been in a professional environment like business but we are talking politics. The SG should go for the jugular whilst being polite, forceful and accurate. I think they should have been made to look like the devious twisted party’s they are.
As I say Andy, it’d be my reaction too. Use the situation and the facts available to tear the opposition a new one. Especially because they are denied an equal platform in the mainstream media.
However, is that the way we want our politics to continue? Or do we want some of the animosity, the point scoring and the game playing removed? Do we want to bring our politics into a more professional environment? The opposition benches do play dirty. No question. And our own representation are every bit as human as we are tbf. Should they react the way we would? Would they still be the people we want to see in government if they did?
A question I’ve asked myself often. Still unable to answer it to my own satisfaction. What I do trust is that they’re popular because of how they’ve conducted themselves in government. Because of how far they’ve come under that code of conduct.
But yes. TBH, seeing those folk opposite squirm under a right verbal dressing down would do the soul some good.
May I join in, my friends?
Sam is spot on.
I’d rather have the quiet dignity of John Swinney that the sum total of50 odd list Brit Nat Placemats any day.
For Crikes sake, Tom Gordon described Annie Wells as a ‘rising star’ while putting her face in the Herald Britland above a nonsense piece of toss about her ‘raising concerns’ about Universal Credit.
Either the man is the poorest judge of character since Mr and Mrs America stuck their cross next to ‘Trump’ on the ballot paper, or he is taking the urine, big time, and laughing in our face, because he can.
Leonard was a disgrace today at FMQ, and Rennie came across as the balloon he surely is.
The former ‘bus driver exhorted the gods to bang the FM up in Barlinne for missing NHS targets.
The man’s a fool. Yet we pay him a hundred grand a year.
Patrick Harvie wants to pay everybody a 10% rise and urges that the Scottish Government to hand over billions over to the Cooncils so that they can govern locally since they’ve all been so good at managing finances for past 50 years.
Jackson Carwash hauled up the mesh implant scandal, and adopted a conciliatory tone, thanking the FM for this that and the next thing, while some of his gang would starve the poor to death.
.
This is the ‘personna’ I adopt online; for the moment.
I am not really like this in real life.
We are blessed to have a team of MPs and MSP’s who support and campaign for Scotland’s Self Determination.
They are getting doggedly on with ‘the day job’, acutely aware that Tom Gordon or David Clegg would love for them to ‘slip’, get drunk at a party, have an affair, or claim £2.80 on their expenses for toothpaste.
When the time comes, I intend to get ‘serious’.
The Brit Nat assault during Indyref 2 will make Project Fear look like a playground scrap, of that, I have no doubt.
This time, no ‘leadership debates’, where Glenn Campbell chairs for the Union, and the Red Blue and Yellow Tories are pitted against a pro Independence politician and Cat Whatever her name is.
Refuse to cooperate. Send a haggis along to take your place in the put up job.
Sam’s correct in one way.
I’d love to ‘debate’ with any of these so called professional Brit Nat Politicians.
I know for certain that they have had limited experience in work, education, and dealing with life in the ‘real world’.
I’d love to be ‘grilled ‘ by ‘Waffle’ Brewer; he can try and ‘yes but’, ‘don’t you think that’, ‘hang on a minute’, ‘just to be clear’, ‘what you are really saying’, drowning out what I’m actually saying as much as he likes.
We’ve got a song for that, haven’t we, Johnny?
We turn the tables on them.
Brewer considers himself the doyen of the shout down/ talk over /stifle the message Brit Nat battering rams.
I offer my services free of charge to stage a workshop on communications and media management.
I’m told that I’m good at that sort of thing.
I’m in the book.
We offer them no respite when the starting gun fires.
I’m coming to get you, Glenn, Gordon, Gary, and Jackie, Sevvie, Brian, Duncan.
I know who my money would be on, in a debate with you and that mob Jack, and I think that the ranting you are famous for, on this occasion would be replaced with the experiance gained in your 71years debating and studying politics, as well as meeting the likes of these a********s through out the years would be to your advantage.
Bring it on, wm.
Do you think that I would make it as a member of their Brit Nat panels?
Remember Waffle Gordon announcing that the Scottish Government would get a ‘shedload of new powers’ come Brexit?
If only I were in the studio, live when he came up with, and repeated that nonsense.
Still it keeps him in a job, selling Scotland down the river.
Are you reading this , Gordon?
I’m free.
“I offer my services free of charge to stage a workshop on communications and media management.”
And I for one, would gladly pay for that.
O/T – I just contacted BBC Scotland newsdesk to enquire if they’re going to be running any story about Cllr Scott Arthur’s racist tweet about Husaf Youmsa’s motivation for getting into politics (link below).
Had a brief chat with a gentleman called “Kevin” who said he “wasn’t aware of the story”. A quite startling admission from our national broadcaster…
http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2018/10/25/professor-and-labour-councillor-unreservedly-apologises-over-racist-tweet-at-snp-cabinet-minister/