Almost eight years ago the then Tory MP Zac Goldsmith tweeted about Nick Clegg’s proposals to reform the House of Lords saying, “Seedy lists of party apparatchiks appointed by power hungry party leaders & insulated from any democratic pressure for 15 yrs? No thanks.”
Zac, who’s an Etonian posho pal of that other Etonian posho Boris Johnson, was appointed as Secretary of State for the Environment after the fnaughing one won the Conservative party leadership. The Brexit supporting Zac contested his heavily remain voting seat of Richmond Park in December’s general election, and got his jotters from his constituents, voted Zac out and replaced him with the Lib Dem candidate. His rejection by the voters in what was a rare example of the Lib Dems taking a seat off the Tories might not be unconnected to the racist campaign that he led when he was standing as candidate for the London Mayor’s office.
However Zac is still Secretary of State for the Environment, because he’s got over his aversion to seedy lists of party apparatchiks being appointed by a power hungry leader and insulated from democratic pressure. Perhaps that’s because Zac will be insulated from any democratic pressure for the rest of his life. He’s been given a peerage by Boris Johnson for services to losing formerly safe seats and will continue exactly as he did before, attending cabinet meetings, making laws and policy, and influencing the lives of the people of Richmond Park and everyone else even though he was booted out of office.
Funny how Brexiteers bewailed the unfairness of the UK being subject to the decisions of unelected Brussels bureaucrats who could be booted out of office by MEPs that the UK got to elect as well as voters in the other EU states, but they’re quite happy to be ruled by unelected pals of Boris Johnson who can’t be booted out ever and who get rewarded with political immunity after the electorate has voted them out of office. This would be that same Zac Goldsmith who in 2016 explained his objection to the EU saying, “I just believe that the people who make decisions on our behalf should be people who can be fired if they get it wrong.” Except that is when the person making decisions on our behalf is Zac Goldsmith.
In 2018, the Brexit loving Zac was quoted as saying, “The EU is an arrogant, rotten bureaucracy that views democracy as an inconvenience.” Zac, or Lord Goldsmith the Seedy Apparatchik to use his new title, is opposed to the unelected bureaucrats of Brussels, but the unelected posh boys of Westminster? That will do nicely. Here’s my expenses form, I claim my £300 a day plus my salary as a cabinet minister. Ker-ching.
You’d almost think that Zac has become an arrogant rotten bureaucrat who views democracy as an inconvenience. All that respecting the democratic decision of the people doesn’t apply when the careers of posh Conservatives are at stake, although everyone in Scotland who voted SNP already realised that particular point. Anyway now, just as an aside, you also have the answer to the enquiry, “Hey Google, show me the most egregious example of rank hypocrisy.”
Likewise the former Tory cabinet minister and Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nicky Morgan has managed to forget that she used to be opposed to a Boris Johnson leadership and to Brexit. It’s quite amazing how the prospect of donning an ermine robe can cause all the symptoms of amnesia. Although you only have to gaze upon the green benches of the House of Lords for five minutes not to be remotely surprised by just how amnesiac they all are.
Nicky, or Lady Morgan of Eh? Oh … Em.. It’s On The Tip Of My Tongue, as we must now call her, has been accused by some of resiling on her previous principles. Not that long ago Nicky said that Boris Johnson used deliberately incendiary language, and refused to consider serving in any government led by him. She forgot about that too.
However it is unfair to accuse Nicky of going back on her principles, because that would imply that she had some to begin with. She’s now able to continue in her job despite announcing prior to the General Election that she was standing down as an MP in order to spend more time with her family, although she spent a few minutes with them and then forgot that she wanted to spend more time with them. She was also able to spend the £8400 leaving bonus given to all retiring MPs. She’s not forgotten about that, but she’s not giving it back, by the way. If you’re surprised by that you’d probably also be surprised by the revelation that Boris Johnson is a liar.
But of course those of us who are keen students of Scottish political history will know that we’ve been here before. As this blog has pointed out before, in 1997 Michael Forsyth led the Conservative party in Scotland to its worst electoral defeat ever. Michael was so inept, so arrogantly clueless, so repugnant to the sensibilities of the Scottish electorate that in that year’s General Election the people of Scotland gazed upon Michael Forsyth, the Scottish Conservative manifesto, and the Scottish Conservative party and said we don’t want you Michael, we don’t like your manifesto, and we don’t like your party. That year the Tories lost every single seat they had in Scotland. It was glorious. But not for Michael.
In any normal functioning democracy, or indeed professional career, that would have been the last we’d have heard of Michael Forsyth. His failure was of such a magnitude that if he’d been a teacher he’d have been subject to a restraining order banning him from approaching within 100 metres of any education establishment. If he’d been a doctor he’d have been struck off and banned from buying a packet of paracetamol from Boots. But Michael is a Tory politician, so he got a peerage and was given a seat in the Lords where he still, to this very day, casts a baneful influence over the laws and policies that affect Scotland. He’s one of those unelected and unaccountable Tory politicians who wants Brexit because he says Brussels can’t be held to account. In Michael’s, Zac’s, and Nicky’s world, it’s only Conservatives who have the absolute right never to be held to account.
We don’t live in a normal functioning democracy. We live in the UK. We live in a state where the ruling party is quite happy to ignore the democratic will of the people of Scotland, and to overrule any constituency electorate which has the gall to reject one of the Conservatives’ own. This is a failing state that rewards failure, as long as the failures are Conservative failures. The American President Dwight D Eisenhower said that patronage was a wicked word which could defeat democracy. In the UK it already has.
There’s only one way in which the people of Scotland can ensure that our political class is accountable, and that’s in an independent Scotland with a written constitution. I’ve said this before, but it’s worth saying again. We need independence so that we can keep our politicians close to us, so that their arses are always within kicking distance of our feet.
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Wee Ginger Dug 
[…] Wee Ginger Dug The wicked word Almost eight years ago the then Tory MP Zac Goldsmith tweeted about Nick Clegg’s […]
That will be one of the good benefits of independence, no House of Lords.
Hopefully not to long after a vote to make us a republic and remove the monarchy.
No more British empire gongs for doing your job.
Oh, Paul. This summation is just wonderful! Wish I was able to give a copy to said Zac, Michael and Nicky.
They have no shame! Makes me quite sick with anger knowing these worthless jots are picking up enough money per day for doing hee haw, than some poor souls have to live for a week!
Another great expose Paul and Maggie let’s not forget those who have around £300 to live on per month and those who are “sanctioned” living on thin air and a visit to a foodbank, if their pride let’s them. Poor souls. We have to continue this fight for them. The vulnerable voiceless. Pull together and fight for us all to live in a democratic country.
Spot on….
“We need independence so that we can keep our politicians close to us, so that their arses are always within kicking distance of our feet.”
Exactly.
This was for indyref1 so probably needs updating but since Burn’s Night isna far off:
Woops did that forgetting to check the image size again. Here is the cut down version.
Brill, Paul.
Don’t worry , Paul ! The Labour Party have vowed to get rid of the House of Lords ….any time soon ….just about now …. I can feel it ‘s about to happen …here it comes ……..
Labour also punted Home Rule for Scotland two centuries ago. Still waiting – for anyone not paying attention – it ain’t gonna happen.
Vermin in Ermine. In this fossil of a union, nothing succeeds like failure.
Meanwhile BBC Newsnight continue with their propaganda by giving Ian Murray British Labour in Scotlands only MP a platform to tell everyone how poor wee Scotland could not survive if it left the UK. No questioning or rebuttal of any of his guff. Of course it wasn’t even pointed out that this so called expert on Scotland was the only Labour MP to be elected in Scotland out of 59. In effect a free party political broadcast by this (so called) objective broadcaster – the BBC would feel at home in North Korea.
The truth is that Ian Murray and all his old comrades who are now Lords in the House of Lords would not survive. They actually have the cheek to refer to themselves as comrades while slipping on their ermine robes and slinking in to the House of Lords gravy chain. Just people who call themselves Scots selling out and disparaging their country for another countries shilling.
They had Lord Jack MacConnell ex FM of Scotland on the BBC recently giving it the same guff. The FM of Scotland from British Labour in Scotland who famously returned over a £1billion of funds to Gordon Brown and then wasted hundreds of millions on PFI funding which is still crippling Scottish councils to this day. Lord Jack, is of course, still loving life in his taxpayer funded troughing in London.
Jack is of course big pals with Kirsty Wark of Newsnight. It’s called Britnat collaboration.
Excellent, as always…wee edit, though…the benches in the Lords are red, I believe…it’s the Commons ones which are green…
Colour blindness?
If you want to see all these £300 per day + expenses on the dole.
Do what ever you can to achieve independence.
Just watch how quick non English, Non Welsh pier’s(sic) are removed from waste monster,
Dam Johnny foreigner in government! not cricket old chap What!
Not a principle between them. Forsyth helped Thatcher take Scotland’s revenues and colluded in the cover up. Totally illegally. Sold off utilities. Established more tax havens.
The Barnet Formula, introduced by the Tories. Trying to hide Scotland’s wealth. . Scorched earth Westminster policies. They shut down everything that moved.
Thatcher and Forsyth. Unemployment in NI 20%. The Troubles caused by Westminster failed policies. Unemployment in Scotland 15%. The only place unemployment was under 10% was London S/E.
26 Miles of Tilbury Docks. Taking jobs from other Ports. They built Canary Wharf. The Tory Party funded by bankers. Interest rates 17%. Riots and unrest. The way the mining communities were treated..Appalling. The Poll tax. Lord Rothschild. Now Lord Goldsmith unequal influence. Total hypocrites. Total over consumer.
Iraq, Lockerbie and Dunblane kept secret for 100 years.
Imagine Labour having a Sir for a leader. Some people never learn. .
Yer on a roll. 🙂
Jess Philips loses chance of any Labour leadership bid by coming to Scotland and telling ignorant lies. Arrogance and ignorance. Imagine having a Sir as Labour leader. Some people never learn.
Some Trade unions funding illegal wars. Against their members interest.
Illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion. Scotland is paying too much for Westminster unionist appalling economic, social and foreign policies. Unequal and unfair. Any Westminster unionist leader who opposes another IndyRef for Scotland does not last very long.
Imagine having Labour politicians as Lords. Oh that’s right there are hundreds of them troughing away in Westminster.
Comrades turned Lords. Socialists turned Lords.
Yet still there are people who call them socialists in Scotland who are daft enough to vote Labour. Hard to fathom the stupidity of a Labour voter in Scotland. Oh that’s right Labour have promised to abolish the corrupt patronage system that is the House of Lords. They keep promising but never seem to get around to it. I wonder why🤑🤑🤑
And when we do become independent and England throws out all those Anglo Scots be aware. They may well head north to Scotland and unless the anglo media in Scotland has been closed down they will try to cause as much trouble as they can to the new Scotland.
Personably I would have them arrested on arrival and charged retrospectively with crimes against the people. They and their political party members should be given the bill for all PFI\PPI projects.
They have been living the high life long enough to have accumulated sufficient wealth at the expense of the public. They have to pay back.
I doubt very much that they would be asked to leave. They are much more useful to the English establishment right where they are. You don’t think for a minute that Andrew Marr and Laura Kuennsberg would be kicked out? All of those media apologists for the UK are comfortably inside the body politic of their host. Same applies to all those Labour peers with their HoL pensions. They would stay there, sniping and sneering at a newly independent Scotland, a handy source of propagandists.
Yes for a year or so
Then they will be turfed out
During the December 2019 election campaign when I received no less than 11 different glossy leaflets from the ‘Scottish’ LibDems banging on about ‘we’ll stop independence’, an activist came to my door and I asked her where all the funds were coming from for these bits of paper. She informed me that ‘they’ now had 120,000 members, so that was where the money was. I wish I’d pursued that further on the doorstep because I foolishly let my mind believe just for a moment that the 120,000 members were in Scotland. Well, of course not. They were UK wide.
So now we know where the real panic lies with these British Parties, so scared of Scottish independence. The too wee, too poor and yes, awfy stupid refers to themselves. Without subsidies (there’s that so important word again) from their English buddies, these Parties would simply cease to exist, unless and until new Parties emerged which had real support within the new Scotland and dedicated to actually working FOR Scotland as distinct from against her.
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a 50+ Female.
The section 30 has been refused.
Hopefully plan b kicks in now.
I’m guessing you’ll have seen this by now Paul.
‘Boris Johnson refuses to grant Scotland powers to hold independence vote’
Already on it
Thought you might be. 🙂
Looking fwd to the responses from SNP and SG (and of course WGD)! IMO BJ should have thrown a curve ball and granted a conditional S30 – when the unionists could still potentially win. The longer ths nonsense goes on, the greater support for independnce will grow. I gues old “rather die in a ditch” BJ is not half as brave as he would like us to think.
Self awareness isn’t high on the average policy wonk’s radar Luigi and even less so for Johnson apparently. He can’t tell the difference between an opinion and a pledge for example. We already know he’s not big on legality, and appears to have some difficulty when truth or fact are involved in a situation.
One thing he needs to remember at this point though. That letter was his choice.
Iain Blackford on Politics Live. Jo Coburn going on about Johnston’s response re. S30 Order and coming out with the once in a generation mantra. IB points to the Smith Commision Report which states that the Scots can hold a referendum/s in the future. No ifs and buts.
As soon as he starts coming out with facts such as the Tories have been rejected by the Scots since 1955, she does the usual and shuts him up.
As per normal with the BBC their bias shines through. Jo Coburn caught on camera pulling faces along with others as Blackford is speaking. They don’t like facts and the truth – just propaganda.
The panel consists of – a Tory MP, the right wing American from the Tory magazine that Johnson used to edit The Spectator and the ex Labour MP from the right of the party. So basically a lot of Tories ganging up on Blackford.
They will never see themselves as we see them – a bunch of anti democratic colonists.
God it’s absolutely blatant, Cubby, eh? Jo Coburn can’t hide her dislike of Iain Blackwood. The SNP in general. Her facial expression and body language says it all plus either not letting him say anything at all to being cut short if he does and attempting to influence the rest of the panel against him. In saying that I reckon that they’ve always got someone on there that’s been primed as to what to say (day job), such as the American Spectator so-called economist. I’m sure that she fronts some extremely dodgy think tank. I’ll check it out later.
Oops! Blackford.
The soft managerial approach is fine at times, but there are also times when SNP politicians need to be far more assertive, more combative. When the BBC starts this nonsense, call them out immediately. Refuse to be silenced. We need some real passion. Get angry. 🙂
BBC reporting on Boris Johnston’s response to Nicola Sturgeon.
https://archive.is/uv1nO
Yes, like many ,just heard the BBC news – Johnston refuses permission ,ect.
In God’s name will someone ,anyone, put a stop to this goverment’s thinking that we Scots have no rights! Please,we need action ……now!
Johnson – the great liar- lies all over the place in his letter to Nicola Sturgeon. What does Reporting Scotland do in its lunchtime report – they provide a platform for Gove to repeat the lie that both Sturgeon and Salmond made a personal promise that it was a once in a generation vote.
Of course the Britnats and their compliant media never mention the infamous VOW and the baby it produced called the Smith Commission report that all the Britnats signed up to that guarantees the right of Scots to proceed with independence if they so wish.
The UK is a disgusting anti democratic state.
Reporting Scotland also managed to mention the funeral of Colin Weir without mentioning the fact that he was a high profile supporter and donor to the SNP.
A disgusting media in a disgusting UK.
“Cometh the hour, cometh the man!”
It’s time, Scottish government. It’s time SNP. It’s time, Indy Movement. Something bold, something brave, something drastic is urgently called for. We are out of the EU in a couple of weeks, FGS. This is the cue, this is the opportunity to create merry hell. Time to up the stakes and take on the cowardly Johnson head on.
Let’s do something!
I appreicate fully that we have to take the people with us, and that we still haven’t quite reached a majority for independence, hence the gradual, softly softly, steady-as-she-goes approach. However, recent history has shown that, from time to time, when the SNP do get tough and assertive, it does them no harm at all. In fact, membership usually soars. The WM walkout was the last example. Not all the time, but now and again something outrageous needs to be done to sieze back the narrative. Now is one such time.
It would make a massive difference if we could get support for Independence to rise to well above 50%. The greatest obstacle to that happening is MSM propaganda tactics being used, such as out and out lies and omissions, to quash support.
I see that some are advocating civil disobedience now, which to my mind will be absolutely detrimental to our cause, especially as the BritNats could, probably will, use this as a cover for them to carry out their own agenda.
What we need now is Scotland to be bombarded with some enlightening facts, say from the 1 million Wee Blue books that are due to be sent out. Let’s see that happening and monitor the results. Knowledge versus subversive action.
How do we know that there is not a majority for independence now?
Well we don’t Cubby, however the BritNats are now using the GE SNP 45% of popular vote to make their case. Let’s find out where we stand now and make our case by supporting James Kelly’s fundraiser to carry out a poll. A measly £4000 is required. So let’s do it.
http://www.gofundme.com/f/help-scot-goes-pop-commission-an-indy-poll?d=CF8qI%2BRHyBTE4lAP3Io%2FRpxfnu3GQ5LiFVwPlC7gkH4%3D
Indeed we don’t. However, we do need to be sure at least it is indicating 55% consistently IMO. The reason being that in referendums there is always a 2-3 point dip as voters get cold feet when they approach the polling booth. Always happens. It did in 2014 and it will in 2020 or whenever. At the moment, we do seem to be running just under 50% YES, the odd blips excepted of course.
3,548 currently, goal should be accomplished within the hour at this rate.
Well done James…
History shows that civil disobendence is a high risk option that needs to be thought out very carefully and even then when all other options are exhausted. We need to take the people with us and CD always runs the risk of pissing a lot of people off. Get it wrong and we suffer big time. I do think the SNP could make big nuisances of themselves in other ways, however.
If you allow English people to have a vote on Scottish independence England will have nearly a fifth of the votes
It is undemocratic for the people of England to have a vote on whether or not England should control Scotland.
The question is one for Scottish people to decide and if a majority of Scottish people want Scotland to continue being part of the U.K. then it should continue to be part of the U.K.
But for half a million or more English people to have a vote on Scottish independence when there were 2,759,061 voters in Scotland in the recent general election is just plain wrong and undemocratic
English born people are only 8.68% of the Scottish population. Dunno where you get this 20% figure you keep repeating.
You can keep your racist and ethnic based Scotland. The rest of us aren’t interested.
He just keeps on repeating his figures without substantiating them so basically he is telling lies to support his point of view. Basically, what the Britnats do.
Sick of lies and that includes from independence supporters.
I did post a link to the census figures.
Yes you did and others have told him many times before. He knows fine well the figures. He has been put right on them for years. He just likes to try and mislead to ramp up support for his opinion that English born people now living in Scotland should not be allowed a vote in an independence referendum.
For me it is personal as my son was born in England, spent his first two years in England, the rest of his life in Scotland and is as Scottish as anyone.
He should stick to telling the truth about the population statistics and let people decide on his position using the facts not lies.
Of course he never explains how he would implement this policy.
It’s wrong to say 55% of Scots voted against Scottish independence in 2014
People do not become a scot just because they live in Scotland for a while
If a person chooses to be a scot they do not have a process at present where they can change their nationality to Scottish
It’s insulting and factually incorrect to call everyone living in Scotland a scot.
Do call everyone living in England an English person
Or every person living in France a french person
No of course you don’t
It’s a peculiar thing to Scotland for some reason that certain people want to call everyone living in Scotland a scot
I mean a scot is a Scottish person ? Aren’t they ? Or am I wrong about that ?
If I am please explain.
So let’s get this clear
55% of Scots did not vote against Scottish independence in 2014
In 2014 a majority of Scots voted for independence but because anyone who lives in Scotland be it a day or a hundred and thirty years was able to vote on Scottish independence a majority of people in Scotland voted against Scottish independence
That’s not the same as a majority of Scots
As for saying it’s racist to say English people should not have a vote on Scottish independence when it’s independence from England that is the question
You are wrong
Terence…..
“If a person chooses to be a scot they do not have a process at present where they can change their nationality to Scottish” is correct insofar that neither can any Scot as there is no legal Scottish Nationality. You are presently a British Citizen, probably reverting to Subject shortly, or if the current Eton shower get their way, Serf.
“It’s insulting and factually incorrect to call everyone living in Scotland a scot.” follows the same logic, but if they are on the electoral roll they have every right to vote, period.
It is even more factually incorrect to label “Scottish conservatives”, “people from overseas”, “English people who settle in Scotland”, “Scottish people who have been militarised” as being anti-Independence, an opinion you have aired on multiple occasions without providing a shred of evidence…
Then to your parting “As for saying it’s racist to say English people should not have a vote on Scottish independence when it’s independence from England that is the question. You are wrong” –
– First, Scotland is seeking independence from the Union/UK, not England.
= Second, to deny ANY of those on the electoral roll in Scotland the democratic right to vote on the basis of country of birth is not only illegal but blatant racism.
In short, YOU are wrong, and it’s time that “bee in yer bunnet” was let free….
The problem, Paul, the effing HUMUNGOUS problem is that not enough Scots are remotely aware of what you so eloquently and scathingly describe above. No-one in the MSM is exposing the stinking, rancid hypocrisy of this Tory cabal, this cosy British establishment gravy train. And while that remains true, we will struggle to tip the balance overwhelmingly for Independence.