So this is it then. This is the better, safer change they promised us in return for a no vote in 2014. This is that brighter future in a Britain that respects and loves Scotland. This is the equality, the partnership, the leading not leaving. Every one of us in Scotland who is weighed down by a UK passport is losing our European citizenship, despite the fact that Scotland voted to remain a part of the EU by a considerably larger margin than it voted to remain a part of the UK, despite the fact that a central plank of the no campaign’s pitch in 2014 was that Scotland could only remain a part of the EU by voting against independence. This is where we are now, on the dark end of a benighted island, ignored, marginalised, sidelined, treated with contempt and derision. Today there is mourning and anger. But there is more than grief and rage, lying beneath, like the glistening metal beneath the rust of a decaying British state, is a steely Scottish resolve that we will have our say, that we will have our day, that our light will shine.
This is the end of the Scottish Unionism of old, the comforting myth of partnership between Scotland and the rest of the UK dies today. Brexit’s acid burns away the fairy story of equality. This is the time of wakening up. This is where the pretending stops. The pretending that Scotland can be both British and European. That has been taken away by those who claim to defend and love the so-called union between Scotland and the rest of the UK. You can no longer realistically say that you want Scotland to be part of the EU and a part of the UK. It has to be one or the other. The UK will not be rejoining the EU any time soon. The quickest route back, the only realistic route back, the only route which is politically plausible, is the route of Scottish independence. It’s time to choose between a Scotland which determines its own path, or a Scotland whose path is decided for it by politicians in London who are only interested in Scotland as an extension of their own vanity and pride.
There are those who would try to confuse us with the deceit that Scottish independence can be equated with Brexit. It’s a lie. Scottish independence allows those of us who choose a Scottish citizenship to exercise it, it allows those Scots who identify as British to continue as British. Scottish independence would allow anyone who identifies as British in Scotland to retain their British citizenship, their British passport, their British identity. If any of those things were to be lost to British people in Scotland as a result of Scotland becoming independent it would be as a result of decisions made by Westminster, not by Holyrood. Brexit strips European citizenship from every Scot with British citizenship, whether we want it or not. It imposes and commands, it lessens and diminishes. It tells us who we have to be whether we recognise ourselves in the Brexit mirror or not. Brexit amputates Scotland from its European self and gives us a Great British shortbread tin in its place.
Today is the day that the real struggle begins. Today will mark the turning of the tide, when a consistent and growing majority of voters in Scotland support independence. The YouGov poll which was published this week showed a majority in support of independence, 51% in favour with 49% against. It was a historic poll from a polling company which has usually returned a lower support for independence than other pollsters. But lurking beyond the headline figure there was an even more significant result in that same YouGov poll. Of those under the age of 65, 58% support independence. Scotland is shifting from being a country where support for the UK is the norm to becoming one where support for independence is the norm. The future of UK rule in Scotland is time limited.
The Tories tell us no. They tell us that we can’t have another independence referendum, not now, not after the Holyrood elections, not ever. They claim that the result of the 2014 referendum must stand for all eternity irrespective of how circumstances change, or how the Tories have traduced the promises that they made in order to win that vote. Then having denied that there has been a material change in circumstances they tell us that they are perfectly entitled to make unilateral changes to the devolution settlement because Brexit is not a normal circumstance. The Tories are, as Nicola Sturgeon said in her speech today, goading Scotland not governing it.
Today we got a call from the First Minister for more persuading, more campaigning. The First Minister’s speech will have disappointed many of us who have already been persuading, campaigning and making the case for independence. We’ve not been sitting on our hands for the past six years. It will not have reassured those of us who want to know what happens when Boris Johnson says no in 2021 just as he’s said no already. This campaign needs to be proactive not reactive, it needs to take the fight to Westminster. Instead of fearing a Westminster legal challenge to a referendum without a Section 30 order, it needs to start legal action of its own. You don’t win independence with timidity.
Yet the reality is that those of us who were disappointed today are not the target audience of the First Minister’s speech. We’re not the ones who need to be persuaded. We’re not the ones who need to be courted. We’d crawl on our hands and knees over broken glass in order to vote yes. There is only one way in which to win Scotland’s independence, and that is to ensure that there is a solid majority for it, not to haggle over procedure and process. Winning independence is hard work.
But the danger for the SNP leadership is that in its understandable and entirely sensible focus on persuading soft no voters and undecideds that it alienates and discourages those who are already committed, those who are needed to do the persuading. On this day of endings, we needed a sense of a new beginning. Sadly we didn’t get that from Nicola Sturgeon’s speech. Her tactics may be right, but the tone was wrong. On a dark and fearful day we need fire to light a route out of the darkness, not managerialism.
But look beyond the disappointment of a speech that didn’t live up to expectations. There is hope. Scotland is changing, it is rediscovering itself and its place in the world. That new beginning does exist, it remains within reach. Every opinion poll showing a majority for yes confirms it. Scotland is on a path that leads to independence. It will be a rocky path. There will be reversals along the way, but there is only one destination. It’s a Scottish destination in the heart of Europe. There is a light for Scotland, it’s a light we shine for ourselves.
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Wee Ginger Dug 
Absolutely nothing about Nicola Sturgeon on BBC Scotland politics online either, Jack. No mention of Brussels. Nought. Running now with the gender issue and 6 articles about Derek MacKay.
…………….
An update from Ben Madigan on the Irish election.
Another election on the cards? If so, will Sinn Fein field more candidates?
Petra, Alex-Cole Hamilton gloating that blizzard conditions and falling ice closes the Queensferry bridge, in a sneering tweet about the £1.3 billion bridge that would ‘never close’, is repeated on this morning’s GMS.
Like the four idiots who had to be recued from the mountains wearing nothing but trainers with no proper winter climbing gear, who should be made to pay the tens of thousands it must have cost, never mind the risk to life and limb of the Mountain Rescue Team, and the RAF helicopter crew, any fool who ventured into their car yesterday, and today, to cross into Edinburgh, or Perth to work in a shop, or office, and who was not a member of an essential profession like Health, policing, or traffic control, need their heads examined.
Nicola Sturgeon is now getting the blame for the weather.
Alex Cole-Hamilton is a sick opportunist.
The Brit Nat News Pack are excelling themselves this week.
They are in an SNP Bad Frenzy now that they know that Independence is inevitable.
The Herald featured Andy McIver, former Blue Tory Spin Doctor, peddling the notion that the Scottish Government does not already have a mandate from the people to hold indyref2, and perpetuating the nonsense that we would have to wait until after the Scottish GE next May and win the argument yet again at the ballot box, which he concludes would be a pointless exercise in ‘demockracy’ as the English would still say No.
We have been pelted by this nonsense, from Brewer, Taylor, Robertson, indeed all the broadcasters, and the Brit Nat Blahs for months now.
They attempt to delay and delay, actually believing that 2 million plus of us will sit on our hands until next May, only to be smashed, presumably in a great Better Together revival, following which, we’ll all crawl back into our holes and forget all this Self Determination cultism.
Well, I’ve got news for them.We wait for no one now.
We Go in Two-O Two-O.
In the Herald Mike Settle actually states that HS2 from Crewe up the West Coast line will benefit Scotland, particularly the Glasgow to Edinburgh Service, in, er… 2035, so it’s a ‘good thing’. Is the man a complete nincompoop?
It has already been forecast that HS2 will cost Aberdeen and Dundee hundreds of millions of pounds in lost business.
Oh, look it up, Mike.
The Brit Nat Fourth Estate are at the stage now that they’ll say and write anything at their Brit Nat Masters’ bidding.
As I observe regularly, there are only so many vacancies selling advertising space on the Findo Gask Thunderer for which this bunch of charlatans can apply when their English/US Rags pull the plug on their ‘Scottish’ titles, come Independence.
Have a look at this morning’s report on the BBC Scotland news website. Its headline news is the closure of the Queensferry Crossing because of ‘wintery conditions’. If the last couple of days constitute ‘wintery conditions’ I would not like to live through a BBC definition of ‘extreme, exceptional winter storm conditions’. I can’t get round the implication that the closure is somebody’s fault and that the bridge should have been built to withstand the extreme weather conditions of the past few days.
Jeremy Vine Show.
Question for the viewers. What area of the UK has the most dog owners?
1. North East
2. West Midlands
3. South West
Question being asked by Jeremy Vine’s assistant. A Scottish girl!
Then again maybe we no longer have dogs in Scotland and Wales?
No dogs in Cymru or Scotland, eh?
Soon remedy that … (As written prior to Indy Ref 1).
Not that we should neglect WGD, either, of course!
4. (of 60.)
Scottie and Jon Bull
Once upon a time, there lived in a town not so far away, a large fat man called Jon Bull. Jon Bull owned a little dog called Scottie. Every day, Jon Bull used to take Scottie for walks at the end of a tight leash. Then, they would come home, and he would open a tin of dog food and give it to Scottie. Scottie ate the food and stayed quiet. He remained faithful to his master.
Then one day, as Jon Bull and Scottie were walking in town with Scottie on his tight leash, they passed outside a butcher’s shop. Inside the shop was a big, juicy bone.
“I want that bone” said Scottie, all of a sudden.
“What?” exclaimed Jon Bull, “You have a voice? Scottie, you can speak?”
“Yes, I can” said Scottie, “And I’ve been quiet long enough.”
“B-b-b-ut”, stuttered Jon Bull, “Why are you speaking now? Think of all that tinned dog food I’ve been giving you all these years – you don’t need that bone. I’ve taken good care to give you food regularly. I’ve taken you for walks. I provide you with a nice warm home in which to live and sleep. And I do know what’s good for you.”
“Oh yes, you know what’s good for me” retorted Scottie bitterly. “And as for the food, why, it’s been the same old, bland dog food day in, day out. Sometimes it comes out of a red tin, another time it comes out of a blue tin. You’ve even tried deceiving me into thinking the new food – from a yellow and blue striped tin – is different. But quite frankly, Jon Bull, it’s the same old recipe hashed up every time. And I’m sick to death of it.”
“Why you impudent, ungrateful cur!” roared Jon Bull.
“All the other dogs have bones” replied Scottie, “I don’t see why I should be any different. And you know as well as I do, the traditional image of a dog is with a bone between its teeth – not lapping away at some meat mixture in a bowl given to him rather condescendingly, I might add, by his master. I’ve seen it in the books you read.”
“Fiddlesticks!” cried Jon Bull. “Are you trying to tell me, your master, how to look after my own dog – after all I’ve done for you?”
“Yes”, said Scottie softly, “you might learn something from me.”
“Such cheek!” blustered Jon Bull, his face reddening and his fat belly wobbling. “I’ve a good mind to thrash you, Scottie. Just because some mangy mongrels are allowed bones, you think you’re entitled to some bones too! Well, I won’t stand for it, do you hear? I’m your master and you’re my dog – I tell you what to do, not the other way around!”
Scottie wasn’t listening. He was obliged to get the resentments he had been feeling for years off his chest.
“And another thing,” said Scottie, pursuing his argument calmly, “you say you’ve taken me for walks. Yes, you have – but always on your terms. The other dogs are left off the leash and are free to roam. You keep me on this tight leash, day in, day out. It’s not normal.”
Scottie thought by appealing to Jon Bull’s ideas of fairness and the treatment which other dogs had that he would win the argument. He thought Jon Bull commended exercise, fresh air and freedom for dogs. What Scottie hadn’t realised that these rules only applied to other dogs – not to him.
Jon Bull was having none of it.
“Not normal? Damn your impudence, Scottie! I won’t have you speak to me like that! You know full well that if I did let you off the leash, you couldn’t possibly survive by yourself. You wouldn’t get any food – you’d die of starvation. And you have a nice warm home with me. Enough of these ideas of freedom!”
Scottie was quiet for a bit. Jon Bull smirked. He had won the argument. He was right. He was always right. How dare that impudent, ungrateful puppy think that he knew best! I, Jon Bull, hold the leash. I, Jon Bull feed you well. I, Jon Bull give you a nice, warm home. What more could you possibly ask for, Scottie?
*****
Some days later, Jon Bull and Scottie were in town again. Scottie was on his tight leash and they were walking past the butcher’s shop again.
“I want that bone” said Scottie.
“We’ve had this conversation!” growled Jon Bull. “You’re not getting it and that’s final!”
Scottie weighed up his options. It was now or never. He bit Jon Bull hard on the ankle.
“Yyyeeeeooowww!” screamed Jon Bull, letting go of the leash.
This was the opportunity Scottie wanted – and he took it. He ran into the butcher’s shop and onto the counter where the big juicy bone was. He could hear Jon Bull bellowing after him,
“Come back here, you ungrateful, vicious mutt!”
(Two possible scenarios to this story now present themselves. Which one is it to be? I leave the final decision to my readers).
*****
Scenario 1
Having jumped onto the counter, Scottie surveyed the big, juicy bone. And then he sniffed it. He sniffed it again to check and then he realised, with bitter disappointment, that the bone did not smell very nice. It was not going to be very nice to taste either. Scottie’s dreams were crushed and he sat on the counter with his head between his paws and cried his eyes out.
This gave Jon Bull the opportunity to recover his dog.
“Don’t you ever run away from me again!” cried Jon Bull. “In fact, I’ve got the very thing to ensure that you will not.”
Jon Bull proceeded to tighten the leash a couple of notches around Scottie’s head.
“That should ensure your obedience in future,” said Jon Bull. “Such a silly dog to have notions of juicy bones when he was fed so well at home by me.”
“Was fed so well…?” whimpered Scottie through his tears.
“Oh yes” said Jon Bull maliciously, “you must be taught a thorough lesson for your behaviour, Scottie. And as for biting your master on the ankle – after all he has done for you – that is really beyond the pale.”
Scottie gulped.
“Yes, my doggie friend, you will go back to your usual diet of tinned dog food. Only this time, I won’t be quite as generous in my rations. You will live on half a tin a day – not your usual full tin. You understand don’t you, Scottie? And in this period of economic austerity, you must appreciate I can’t afford to give you a full tin every day, in any case. We must all make economic savings – we are all in this together!”
And goodness, how Scottie howled!
*****
Scenario 2
Scottie surveyed and sniffed the big juicy bone.
“Mmmmmmmmmmmm” he sighed, “better than I expected. So much better than that boring, samey dog food I’ve been so used to getting from my master, Jon Bull.”
And with that Scottie seized the bone between his teeth – as he had seen so many other of his canine friends do in the past – and trotted out of the butcher’s shop, his tail wagging furiously and happily. He was now just like them, a free doggie with his own bone, not attached by a tight leash and controlled by a surly master who always made all the decisions on Scottie’s behalf. Scottie could look forward to a new life for himself – and one where he called all the shots.
Dear readers – which scenario is it to be for Scottie and Jon Bull?
The story concludes in September 2014.
[Or perhaps not – Ed. 11/02/20]
______
Parables for the New Politics
2012-2020
Take heart from the fact that Jeremy Vine has already airbrushed Scotland out of his Precious Union.
And courtesy of one of your compatriots, Scotland, livibg in my country:
https://nation.cymru/opinion/scotland-may-be-heading-for-independence-in-name-only-will-wales-follow/
WS, yer man lost me at ‘federalism’.
Clearly out of touch with the mood Up Here.
We go in Two-O Two-O.
I am in no mood for any more of this navel gazing from a distance.
Hello Jack
Regrettably, I feel think Scotland’s chance of independence died on 31st January at it will be another generation- at least before another opportunity arises – if at all. The UK government is now unconstrained by the EU and can exercise its fiscal policy with impunity – witness the various statements on investments and spending undertaking since Brexit. Prepare for plenty “sweeteners” for Scotland direct from Westminster and not routed through Holyrood, which will simply be sidelined, ignored – and mocked, whilst the SNP remain in power.
Independence was a political decision – but money is what matters most most voters, unfortunately – and the UK Treasury still has control of the purse-strings, printing presses and the Central Bank, whilst Scotland has a begging bowl.
We lost because we prevaricated for four years and were indecisive. We lost because the SNP adopted EU membership as its talisman and couldn’t provide any clear answers on currency and sovereignty. We lost, because as Burns noted over two centuries before:
O, would, or I had seen the day
That Treason thus could sell us,
My auld grey heid had lien in clay
Wi’ Bruce and loyal Wallace!
But pith and power, till my last hour
I’ll mak this declaration:
‘We’re bought and sold for English gold’
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!
O/T Has the book arrived, Mark?
Mark, or…..
Do you really think that we would have won an independence referendum over the last 4/5 years, Mark, or that UDI would have been accepted by around 50% of Scottish voters, the EU, UN and the International community in general?
Yes. Had the SNP set out a clear, unequivocal plan for independence – that answered all the questions asked of them re currency, sovereignty, pensions, trade agreements and migration – then yes, I do think Scotland would now be independent. It needed a vision of a new Scotland and a determination to make that happen. Instead, maybe aye, maybe naw – but just dinnae mention the “i” word.
Never mind, we should elect Carlaw next Holyrood elections – that’ll guarantee more cash for some in Scotlandshire for sure – and the rest can get back to doing what we do best. Having a good moan and wondering just what might have been. Sorry to be so negative, but I’m afraid that’s where we are.
It’s where you think we are Mark, along with some others. Not everyone would agree with you thank goodness, like myself, and I’m not about to throw in the towel yet. It wouldn’t have mattered what had been outlined to the soft No’s over the last 5 years or so, as the Brexit unknowns acted as a deterrent to their decision making, imo.
The SNP are due to send out their prospectus to every household in Scotland, Yes groups are discussing forming a second Independence party that supports the SNP, a crowdfunder Court case is looming, a petition has been sent off to the EU which they have accepted, Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp has started sending out his “Scotland the Brief” etc, etc. Thousands of people are still forging ahead full of positivity, which I would reckon is more in line with a Bruce and Wallace stance.
I think you are wrong Mark.Setting out a clear plan for independence would not change many a NO voter to a YES voter the people who vote NO are not doing so because of currency sovereignty pensions trade agreements or migration they are voting NO because they are old and remember World War Two and the immediate years after that war when there were NHS , housing education and work programmes initiated , their good old days that they believe will return .
They are voting NO also because they are English and quite rightly vote for their own country England and are happy for England to continue controlling Scotland where they live at present because it keeps things as they are they do not want Scottish independence because they envisage being looked upon differently .
They are voting NO because they want a right wing Tory government and seeing as Scotland has not voted for a Tory government for over sixty years they will never vote YES.
These are three different groups of people with different reasons for voting NO .
There are other groups some of whom may change from NO to YES for the reasons you give but the three groups I’ve given make up by far the greatest number of NO voters.
Furthermore there are people from EU countries living in Scotland who may vote NO because they have been given leave to remain in the U.K. by Westminster
There may be people from EU countries living in Scotland who have not applied for leave to remain in U.K. yet so if a referendum for Scottish independence is held before 31/12/2020 these people might vote YES..
Then there are the people living in Scotland from overseas countries but not EU countries who have already been given British citizenship and a British passport by Westminster and they will nice again vote NO to Scottish independence because they prefer to trust Westminster that gave them the citizenship and passport.
These two groups will not be swayed by the things you mention ,their vote will be ONE thing specific such as I have explained.
There’s a climb high up on Ben Nevis, where the crux move is over an overhang at the top of a vertical corner six hundred feet above the screes. There’s a small hold for the right hand two feet above the lip, but you have to reach it in one move – and that means letting go of both hands that are wedged into the crack underneath the two feet of granite you keep banging your head on.
Two feet out and two feet up and six hundred below. And you’re getting cramp in both legs that are spread as wide as possible so you can arch your back and peer nervously over the lip. Not a place for a selfie….
What’s required is a huge amount of courage, determination, strength – and most importantly, belief. Belief that the hold is there and you can make it. Belief that it will give you the momentum to keep going up the steep crack above for the next ten feet to the big ledge and salvation. Belief you won’t fall off.
It’s called the Bat (coined by Robin Smith on account of Dougal Haston’s impersonation of the wee beastie each time he fell off during the first ascent in 1959) – and I regret to say I’ve never been able to lead it and never will. Not through any lack of belief – only ability and strength. And decrepitude!
But I still think about it from time to time.
The difficulty with addictions is that they naturally obscure everything that doesn’t fall within the sphere. We are all addicted to some or many things – good and bad. Climbing, music, work, alcohol, drugs etc., Those reading these words are addicted to Scottish politics, republicans and unionists alike – views and opinions expressed and fashioned through the prism of the new media on the internet. It provides empowerment and enlightenment – but only up to a point.
It’s just pub talk. Like what we used to do on a Friday night in the Clachaig before driving up to the golf course in Fort William and setting off up that hellish path to the hut on the Ben. Reality was, literally, just round the corner.
I confess to having the same gnawing sense of despair, much like I did the last time I banged my head on Nevis granite before launching into the abyss. Only this time, it’s another addiction that’s brought me here.
Mistakes have been made. We are consumed by the unimportant and inconsequential and forget that ‘courage’ behind a keyboard or banner is simply a statement of expression. Pub talk and banter. Sooner or later, if you really want to make fantasy into reality, you have to make that move.
Clear heads. Learn from the mistakes and forget anything that distracts from the view and the feeling that awaits on the big ledge above.
The English people have done Scotland a great favour by voting and securing Brexit. It’s happened. It’s not a bad thing for Scotland. It’s just changed the perspective.
Lean back, look down then look up. Forget everything you’ve been told and been brought up with – the world doesn’t work that way. It never did.
There’s a full moon tonight and another high tide down the North Channel. Maybe it will come over the dunes on this westerly. Who knows? But the high tide has already broken for Scottish independence – as we know it. The dunes around Her Majesty’s Kingdom are still intact, but only for now.
All that’s needed is a change in the wind. And a sense of belief.
Just. Do. It.
How Buchan-esque of you, Mark, our latter day Richard Hannay.
To describe the events of the past ten years as mere ‘pub talk’ and political indecisiveness is a stretch, to say the least.
Nobody regained their freedom other than fighting for it; that’s true, but it is a universal truth, not a your personal Damascene bolt of inspiration as you grasped for a handhold on the slopes of Ben Nevis.
The medium is the message; the internet has freed the masses from the control of the Elite Oligarchy, The Establishment, Royalty, the Belted Earls, the landowners, all 500 of them, the Rich, the Professional Classes, who, until now, through the Press and Broadcasters, have dictated what we, the Great Unwashed, Oi Polloi, the Lumpen Proletariat, non golfers, non mountaineers, are allowed to know about the world around us.
I coined the term ‘Dead Tree Scrolls’, a play on ‘The Dead Sea Scrolls’, arguing that our newspapers are now ancient relics of a bygone age, peddling imperial nonsense to perpetuate a long dead past, written on fragile papyrus which crumbles to dust when exposed to the harsh light of day and rebutted by independent facts via the medium of the world wide web.
We shall not be raising a Scottish Republican Army, and taking Edinburgh Castle by force of arms. We shall not be storming the Bastille, or the Winter Palace, or dumping tea chests of Earl Grey into the Clyde.
We shall not be bumping off Franz Ferdinand to spark a war with England. They’re too good a band.
Reality is not just around the corner, Mark. We are living in it right now.
“We are consumed by the unimportant and inconsequential and forget that ‘courage’ behind a keyboard or banner is simply a statement of expression. Pub talk and banter. Sooner or later, if you really want to make fantasy into reality, you have to make that move.”
‘Make that move.’ JFDI?
It has nothing to do with ‘courage’, Mark.
Our day has come.
We have grasped the thistle.
Thank you Jack. You’ve just made the point I was making par excellence!
Don’t squeeze too hard or you’ll never take the Castle.
I rather suspected that, Mark.
Latest links from Indyref2 site.
https://indyref2.space/forum/forum/links/
Putting indyref2 to one side would you say that the Scottish Government has the capacity now to hold a referendum on whether we Scots actually want a bridge being built linking Scotland to NIreland, if LBJ decides to go ahead with this?
Capacity schamacity, you hold a referendum on crunch points pertinent to the electorate, this kite flying is not pertinent to anyone, in engineering terms it’s FUBAR before analysis. It’s the headline Johnson is chasing, it has no more grounding in reality than giant train sets for big boys like HS2 etc., an egotistic nonsense.
To be promoted by the imbecile who championed the Garden Bridge is indeed poignant, so the NI/Scotland bridge is dead in a ditch… But if he and his cabinet volunteer to personally defuse and remove the million plus tons of munitions from the Beaufort Dyke, who are we to argue, perhaps it could be reviewed and all our dreams will come true… Pooooof, a few bubbles, a blonde wig, and probably a rubber duck…
I just thought that it would be great Bob if the ScotGov could say if you go any further with your (fantasy) plans we’ll be asking the Scottish people if they agree with you or not.
Understood, but doing so with Johnson’s multiple fantasies is a recipe for disaster with an already impatient electorate… If SG want to call it idiotic, go ahead, few will dispute it certainly on the construction side, but leave referendums for when it really is a public matter of concern… 😉
There is a more viable bridge option which links the much shorter distance between the southern tip of the Mull of Kintyre to Ireland but that would also involve several other smaller bridges which while not technically difficult, would rely on the much less certain and historically unlikely ability of military submarine commanders not to hit them. And since the landfall on the Irish side would be the Irish Republic, far more politically problematic for our AngloNats.
Sorry I just checked Google map and what I thought was Malin Head in Ireland wasn’t. It is somewhere near Ballycastle which is still in NI.
Glad you checked where the MoK was relative to Ballycastle as that was where the ferry used to go.
A bridge is undeniably a stupit idea due to large vessels including naval, gale force winds and a road from Kintyre to ‘civilisation’ which is fun doing when you’re used to it but hellish when you’re not!
I’d imagine that if that shorter main bridge route ever approached anything like reality it would necessitate a series of smaller bridges linking the Glasgow urban area more directly.
Murdo Fraser Tory MSP truely is an arse. According to him on Misreporting Scotland tonight it is the Scottish Ministers fault that the Queensferry crossing bridge is closed due to ice on the cables as there was some ice on the cables last year. What does he expect the transport minister or Nicola to do shimmy up the bridge pylons with an extra large can of deicer. A better solution would be for Murdo to stand close to the bridge and talk a lot as he is found of doing and all that hot air from this buffoon would surely melt the ice
I saw him on TV Eilidh and thought to myself even the biggest numpty in Scotland must see right through him. They don’t seem to realise that they are going too far now to the point of being absolutely ridiculous.
😂
Next up will be a Glenn Campbell exclusive on the ice being projected onto the “sails” to cause a dispute with the Contractor….
Last year’s buildup did not sheave off damaging vehicles, hence the ice sensors scheduled to be fitted. Following this latest incident the engineering team will be reassessing engineering options, thankfully without Murdo Fraser has only deprived a village somewhere of an idiot…
I see the Oresund Bridge, which probably gives Boris wet dreams, was also closed because of ice shards due to the recent unusual weather conditions. SNP bad has quite a radius doesn’t it?
Eilidh, best post on here for a while.
Murdo Fraser, the biggest political serial loser in the short history of Holyrood, argued that the new Queensferry Crossing should have been a toll bridge, so that all his rich pals in their Range Rovers and Beamers could speed to and fro Edinburgh, while the rest of us Working Scruff continued as before to crawl into work on the old crossing.
A £1.3 billion ‘tax break’ for the Elite? Just about sums up the |Tory view on life.
That this 7 times rejected buffoon still merits public and Press/ Broadcast attention is an insult to democracy.
Messrs Fraser, Cole-Hamilton et al. are expert shark jumpers however.
They may just have set a new world record for same… 😎
In extreme weather conditions. Extreme measures have to be taken for hazards. Or do they want people dying. In extreme weather conditions there are less people travelling. Avoiding unnecessary journeys or going home early.
Once Scotland shut down for a month in the winter. Covering in snow for weeks. People could not work outside. Workers were laid off. Unemployed with limited income coming in to households. A common occurrence.
The unionists/greens opposed building another bridge over the Forth. For them to make complaint about a project they were against is the height of hypocrisy. The bridge is closed in extreme weather conditions for a few days. To stop people being injured or killed.
These projects would not even be completed, if it was left to the unionists. The mess and shambles the Tories are making is a complete disgrace Brexit a catastrophe.
If it was not for the SNP Gov most of the major projects in Scotland would not have been built. The unionists could not build anything on time and on project. They have no ambition or management skills.
The AWPR, the Borders railway, the Queensferry Crossing etc all being investment to the economy. Renewable project, new hospitals ferry and ship building. All thanks to the SNP Gov. Even sorting out the Trams
The Trams and Holyrood Building, PPI all totally over budget and over time. Unionist projects. A total shambles.
Hickley Point, HS2 and Trident a total waste of public monies. A complete unionist mess.
The Flu kills people in winter. 120,000 people died unnecessarily because of austerity. No mention by MSM.
The Queensferry Crossing cost £1Billion+. AWPR cost -£1Billion. It was 40 years before it was built. To avoid congestion, journey times and emissions. The unionists voted against it every time.
All the Oil revenues went south to fund London S/E. The Barnett Formula taking revenues out of Scotland. Need Education to fund the Scottish economy. Rail journeys taking twice as long as in the south.
It’s the oldest trick in the BritNat Book.
When the natives become restless, promise them a bridge.
I guess BJ felt he had to promise Scotland and NI something, given that HS2 will stop at Birmingham. 🙂
And what does he promise US?
Zilch. Nil. Nada. Rien. Diddly Squat. Nothing.
Prof Mark Barry, who helps advise the Welsh Government on transport, said HS2 “does not benefit Wales at all”.
“As it is now, we’re supporting a massive scheme in England with no benefit to Wales – and getting no funding. And that’s outrageous,” he said.
“There’s no direct transport benefit of HS2 to Wales,” added Prof Barry, the man who drew up the £738m South Wales Metro project.
“And as they’re spending £100bn over 20 years on England, Scotland will be getting £10-£15bn from the Treasury – plus they are getting a transport benefit by better services to Scotland.
“So Wales gets a disbenefit and no money. The reality is we have to devolve rail powers to Wales to ensure we get more money and we can improve our services.”
Unlike in Scotland and Northern Ireland, rail infrastructure is not devolved in Wales.
This means Wales does not benefit from per capita funding the other UK nations get from big public spending projects in England.
Sign the Plaid Cymru petition:
https://www.partyof.wales/no_to_hs2
Boris Johnson has confirmed the Westminster government will support HS2.
Wales will receive no economic benefit as a result of the project and yet our taxpayers are expected to contribute billions of pounds towards building the new railway. In fact, HS2 will damage the Welsh economy by sucking investment into England at Wales’ expense.
With the money that Wales has to spend on this project, we could re-open our own railways from north to south, connecting our communities and our country in the process.
We demand that Wales does not pay one penny towards this project. We demand our fair share.
Sign the Plaid Cymru petition:
https://www.plaid.cymru/no_to_hs2
Read more here:
https://nation.cymru/opinion/wales-is-paying-for-hs2-but-it-will-harm-our-economy-we-must-receive-the-5-billion-we-are-owed/
Don’t you worry, WS. There are already plans for an improved bus service from Wales to Birmingham.
Fan-dabby-bloody-doozie!
A bridge from Ireland to Scotland ( IF it is ever built ) will be a useful connection between the two former colonies ( now independent ) of the defunct British Empire .
Bojo wants to adopt the Australian immigration model. Cherrypick it, that is, when it comes to dealing with Scotland. https://mobile.twitter.com/joannaccherry/status/1227242402571702277?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
I’m sure it wouldn’t be (Joanna) Cherry’s pick … 😉
<<< Reaches for his coat.)
Just to change the subject
Does anyone know where Scotland could find a killer?
We need one here and now! No I’m not advocating taking out a hit on Baw Jaws it’s a killer of lies, deceit and dictatorship that we need. We need a killer like Mike. Is there a Scottish Mike out there who can help
Different country and different issues however the parallels resonate. Watch:
Brilliant Malky. Thanks for that.
Let’s go for Mike’s “The time is now”, rather than Big T’s “Now is not the time” and LBJ’s “Never.”
Let’s ALL become a Scottish Mike and shout some of his words, in unison, at our marches. I know it’s not what you’re looking for but it’s a start. Beginning of the end for them.
The partnership of equals! Aye right enough. https://mobile.twitter.com/Dr_PhilippaW/status/1227350954741239809?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
For Douglas Ross a Tory minister not to know about the McCrone Report. Thatcher secretly and illegally took all the Oil revenues and spent it on London S/E. Building Tilbury Docks 26 miles and Canary Wharf. Centralising transport through London S/E. Now totally congested. The bankers fund the Tory Party. Leaving Scotland in poverty. It is just a national scandal of ignorance and arrogance. Total lack of education and knowledge.
Thatcher had unemployment in NI (troubles) 20%. Unemployment in Scotland 15%. The only place unemployment was under 10% was London S/E. Interest rates were 17%. The world banking system was deregulated. From 25% to13% leverage. It caused the banking crash. It had to be put back up. The social unrest. The Poll tax. Riots and civil protests.
The Tories had to get rid of Thatcher for closer ties with Europe. Now Brexit which will destroy the economy.
People not knowing Scotland has to make loan repayments on monies not borrowed in Scotland. Hickley Point, HS2 and Trident. A total waste of public monies. The Tories in the trough of public money. The British Chinese Consortium. All these wasted funds will have to be paid back with interest. Future unnecessary debts. Scotland will have to pay loan repayments.
The Tories have cut funding on NHS/Education and Welfare. £13Billion a year. From 2015-20. They are spending £Billions on HS2, Hinkley Point and Trident a total waste of monies. The incompetence is appalling.
Westminster illegal wars, tax evasion and financial fraud has cost Scotland £Billions. Paying repayments on loans not borrowed or spent in Scotland.
Douglas Ross, Tory minister is ignorant and arrogant. Lacking education. A poor representative. Not to know these facts.
The Barnett Formula is a joke. Designed to take revenues from Scotland. Thatcher swore her Minister’s to secrecy. Forsyth and Lang. One resigned. It was documented in released (30 years) Gov documents. Kept secret under the Official Secrets Act. ‘D’ notices.
Iraq, Dunblane and Lockerbie kept secret for 100 years.
Barnett on Barnett:
“Little did I think when I made a back of the envelope calculation about funding for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland more than 35 years ago that the so-called ‘Barnett formula’ would take on a life of its own and go on to become the unwritten—and unjust—convention by which Government spending would be allocated for decades ahead.”
According to the Belfast Telegraph, he said the method was now obsolete and should be replaced.
“I never thought the arrangement—there was and is no proper ‘formula’ that works out how much money is needed and where it should be spent—would last any longer than a year or two, certainly not after the next general election. It has no legal or democratic basis…”
Source:
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/scotland-independence-vote/scottish-referendum-barnett-formula-a-folly-says-its-creator-30604379.html
Douglas Ross is in ‘the news’ today.
His greatest claim to fame is for flag waving.
Always the linesman, sorry, assistant referee, his greatest exposure to the Scottish Public comes when he runs the line at a fitba’ match, waving his wee flag every time a player steps over the line and strays offside. (To no-footie Duggers, knowledge of the game is not required to read on.).
This very lucrative side line has dropped him right in it on occasion,, like when he himself crossed the line between sport and politics, notably on his fascist stance on those pesky Travellers up in Moray, and bunking off a parliamentary vote to moonlight as an SFA official at a long forgotten game of kick ba’.
WE wonder where he finds the time to trouser thousands of quid from his Part Time Job darting all over Scotland during the season, given his Political Portfolio.
His ‘day job’ (No, stop laughing at the back there) is not only to serve as MP for Moray , a Fishing, Fossil Fuel, Brexit Hot Potato, but he has been also appointed as Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Scotland, ‘running the line’ for Referee Alister Union Jack, the Permanent Secretary of Scotland.
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
‘Permanent (sic) Under-Secretary of State FOR Scotland’.
We should be able to sleep easy of a night, knowing that with Rosso ‘running the line’ for us, he will pull up any of the Opposition who stray offside.
He will fly the flag for Scotland? Or perhaps not.
The Project Fear lie that Scotland is a subsidy junkie, and according to ‘the SNP Government’s own GERS figures’ is a financial basket case, gets a fresh airing in the Herald Britland today, under the banner headline of Mike Russell accusing a Brit Nat MP of the ‘Scots Cringe’.
Too wee too poor, too stupid, on the day when Scotch Whisky exports, the biggest in the UK food and drink exports market, reached £5 billion for the year, despite Boris’ Pal Trump slapping a 25% tariff on the Water of Life.
Who is this cringeworthy Brit Nat who has regurgitated the Biggest Project Fear Lie?
No other than Linesman Ross, Rosso to his mates in the Tory List Boys.
He’s waving a flag again.
A red white and Blue Butcher’s apron.
He lies for England, our Dep SoS for Scotland.
According to his self penned? bio, Ross comes to public attention through the tried and tested Dim But Nice Tory route; as a Tory councillor, a twice failed MSP candidate who got on the Gravy Train as a List Boy at Holyrood, then beat the SNP at the UK GE in 2017 after two UKGE failed attempts, and was returned to WM with a thread bare 513 majority in December 2019.
His life and work experience? School, Agriculture College, and the Moray Toon Cooncil.
With this vast store of experience, expertise, and commitment, how could we doubt him when he declares that Scotland is Shite?
I look forward to the Brexit Battle over Fishing.
C’mon Jack, get that Guest Post drafted, afore the man in tweeds returns. At least a new thread would save a gzillion hours in scrolling…
Keith, I continually marvel at Paul’s energy, commitment, wry, acerbic, witty, searing prose, and his incredible output.
Because the weather’s been Queensferry closing atrocious, I find myself with more time on my hands than usual.
Hence my rants and railing against the moon.
We’ve had an ’empty’ for a few weeks while PK has been off on his hols.
The place is in a mess. He’s due back soon.
Time to don the marigolds, look out the dusters and Jay cloths, the Pledge and Flash, and get this site looking half respectable again.
Those biscuit crumbs on the duvet are not going to hoover themselves up, you know.
In the meantime, I leave all Duggers with a poser.
If it came to it, would you be prepared to die for your country, Scotland?
Any thoughts?
A interesting thought Jack on a cold and wet Wednesday ,
I suppose most folk would look for a slightly less painfull way of unchaining us from our neighbours in the south , nothing against the folk down south but i wouldnt want to be told what to do by them for much longer , we are different in outlook and political leaning recent events confirm that .
Die for this country well thinking about it all the ones who gladly accept everything thats on offer through the work of the SNP government but would never support them eh thats a NO ,
Far to many Scots are not engaged in whats going on , a memory of a woman in a hairdressers in Govan when asked the question about the referendum in 2014 her answer was oh i dont have enough information to make a choice, My immediate thought was f/fk sake Mrs even with a bloody encyclopedia you wouldnt have a clue,
I come across them every day and am constantly baffled how they manage to get through the day without someone telling them what to do , if polatics comes up in any conversation mostly you get a blank look ,
No wonder Labour used to Weigh votes here I think Sheep is the best term to use easily led, thats why I think the gradual approach by Nicola is wrong ,people here will go in the direction they are shoved so give them a wee extra push Nicola , Please ,go for it now I am to bloody old to wait .
Robert, Dave,
MY ostensibly troublesome question, ‘would you be prepared to die for Scotland?’ is innocent enough, honest.
We’ve not reached that ‘over my dead body’, DefCon 1 stage, yet.
I am looking across the Irish Sea at the quite extraordinary election results.
Mary Lou McDonald, who took over from Gerry Adams as Leader of Sinn Fein, could become the next Taoiseach, as the vote seems to have split roughly three ways, with the old guard, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, and Sinn Fein arm wrestling to form a Coalition Government over the next few weeks, months.
Eamon De Valera and Michael Collins, were considered ‘terrorists’, as were those who were executed following the 1916 Easter Uprising, Sir Roger Casement, Pádraig Pearse and Edinburgh born Socialist, James Connolly.
They killed a lot of British soldiers, and officials, and although De Valera and Collins were spared execution for their part in the Easter Rebellion, Collins was later assassinated by anti Anglo Irish Treaty opponents.
But in their eyes, and Irish history, they fought and died to free their country from Britsh occupation.
The partition of the six counties, the civil war, leading to the formation of the Irish Free State, and the end of British rule in the South, the murders, atrocities, the Black and Tans, are the horrific and bloody legacy of Ireland’s Road to Independence.
If memory serves, it was only as recently as 1947 that Eire left the Commonwealth and declared itself a Republic..
Now, with Brexit, the Good Friday Agreement and the emergence of Sinn Fein as a ‘non violent’ political entity, it looks as though Reunification of Ireland will happen soon, through the ballot box not the bomb.
Our inevitable march towards Self Determination is, to say the least, less dramatic or violent.
The world has moved on.
England/Britain is no longer an Imperial Power.
100 years ago they thought nothing of sending in the troops and shooting a few locals.
Nowadays, their Expeditionary Force consists of Rear Admiral Bluff, and Brigadier General Bluster, and subalterns Carlaw Rennie, and Leonard.
But how long will we put up with being told by the Occupying Force that we have no democratic right to choose Self Determination?
How long can Johnson just laugh in our faces, and order us back in our corrals?
Thoughts, mes braves?
“They fought and died”.. Thing is it’s taken the Irish 100 years (and the rest) to get to where they are now, Jack. Years filled with absolute misery, bloodshed and strife. We’re on a par with them now (other than being out of the EU) following the SNP being in power, if you can call it that, for 12 short years with no more than an egg being cracked. We’re getting there and the last thing that we need now is resorting to violent means, imo, which I’m sure would put many soft Nos off of supporting us at all.
Couldn’t agree more, Petra. I’m just spitting on the griddle and watching it sizzle.
Following on from that, WS.
https://mobile.twitter.com/PhantomPower14/status/1227609937213370375
Ooops posted in the wrong place.
Jack, I don’t know how many thousands of Scots died creating Scotland the country. Only to allow the Lairds of the the lands, to form an non elected union with their fellow lords south of the border. They have been taking the rest of us to the cleaners ever since. Still enjoying your rants while Paul is away.
wm, think of how many millions of trees we could plant, how many new communities would spring up to free the congestion in our overcrowded cities and towns, if we banned blood sports, ‘took back control’ of the 18% of Scotland which has been reduced to gorse so that rich chinless wonders can come Up Here and kill defenceless fowl to sate their psychotic blood lust.
The 500 who ‘own’ Scotland?
A compulsory Purchase Order at £1an acre sounds about right.
Come the Revolution, wm, come the Revolution.
A curious question Jack, but since both of us are nearer death than puberty our responses would be more circumspect than others, in my own case it would be an interesting option from departing this mortal coil through booze and fags.
Nobody sets out to die even if they put themselves at increased risk, but when you later explained what initiated the question, I could not other than recall the non-aggressive origins of Sinn Fein, contrary to smudging of history so beloved of HMG and the media.
By sheer coincidence I had been following a series of old photos and posts on another site of late on the IVF around Kilkenny, (in response to the UVF being set up by the Tories) and the machinations, pitches and turns of their history before the Republic became reality. Quite interesting from a local viewpoint, but these people would equally have responded to the ballot box were that to have been available, that it wasn’t is what created the unrest and torment before ROI came into being.
Although we are in a different age where potentially fatal violence is a last resort, there is no doubt in my mind that the nasty and dismissive cabal in Westminster has provoked anger to the point that trouble is just around the corner, but I suggest it will first manifest south of the border.
For every muppet diligently repeating the Daily Smell jingo, over 5 times that number are seething with increasing fury at having been comprehensively conned by those they trusted.
As you said, “Their “Union is dead”, but don’t presume that simply applies to the 4 constituent parts. England itself is about ready to explode…
So am I ready to die, obviously, but can I watch the fireworks first ? 😉
My apologies, “…presume that simply applies to the 4 constituent parts” should have been ” …presume that simply applies to 3 of the 4 constituent parts”
In a ditch Jack, in a ditch, so long as it left the weans free to drive forward and benefit from their own decisions.
I know I think I am going to end up with repetive strain injury with scrolling so much to get to the new posts at the end of this thread 😉
I use the ‘Find in page’ which produces a dialogue box, type in ‘Leave a Reply’ hit Enter and it takes me to the bottom of the posts. I am using Chrome. In other browsers it may just be ‘Find’
Nice work Jack.
I suspect that we will all die for Scotland IF the tory party in Scotland ever get anywhere near the levers of power.
Oh well if it’s a serious question Jack, I’ll put my hand up. If I could be assured that Westminster would keep it’s promise to free Scotland tomorrow, if I forfeited my life for it, I’d willing die for that (my country and descendants), in a heartbeat. If it involved a violent form of civil unrest I wouldn’t go along with that.
…………….
Meanwhile if the Tories have anything to do with it, especially in relation to their dire climate change record, we’ll all be saying “bye bye ” to all we hold dear in the near future. Take a look at who will seemingly be replacing the sacked Claire O’Neil. Embarrassing or what? Compare and contrast Gove to Nicola Sturgeon who they plan to ban attending the Climate Change conference in Glasgow.
https://scramnews.com/michael-gove-climate-change-conference/
Petra, see my comments to Dave and Robert above.
I am 72 and agitate for Self Determination for my children and their children, and the generations of Scots now, and yet to be born..
Their Union is dead.
They know it,
However, there will come a time very soon now…Michael Gove Lording it over the peasants in Glasgow might be the Last Straw.
We have a two lane motorway between our two major cities in Scotland and Johnson is talking about building a bridge between N. Ireland and Scotland that no one seems to want and no one is sure where exactly it can be built or how it can be built.
The same Tories that objected to the Queensferry crossing don’t seem to have the same objections to Johnson’s bridge – funny that. These Britnats are a sad joke – a bunch of Westminster boot lickers.
Extreme weather closes a bridge in Scotland. It has closed bridges in England. Wales. Ireland. And in Scandinavian countries. But in Scotland? The forces of Union and the media act as if it was literally a world ending event.
The union, the unionist parties and the UK media, disgraced themselves today. They are an embarrassment. A cringe. A fearful force of little fuds. Johnson calls for an astoundingly stupid thing to be built, that cannot be built but knows it will annoy the Scots. But of course anyone with a brain can see that Johnson, the anti-flash Gordon, the man who can only ever fail, made a right tit of himself yesterday. Enter the forces of Union, ever to ready to disgrace themselves by taking a smelly shit all over their own nation to distract us from the colossal & mammoth tit that is their “Prime Minister.”
How fucking dare these small minded, parochial and unimaginative nabobs, show their brass necks and demand to lead an industrious and proud nation like Scotland. How very fucking dare they claim that they speak for Scotland?
The SNP might not be Scotland. There maybe not a lot to not like about them, especially recently. But they don’t take a shit on Scotland to spare the blushes of a fat fuck like Boris Johnson.
And don’t forget this one …
58. (of 60.)
Dear Catriona
Hey, girls, she’s back! Scotland’s first and finest agony aunt, Catriona Alba writes exclusively for you in your magazine of choice, New Scotswoman Today. Full of good, sensible advice, Catriona helps sorts out any problems you may have. We are delighted to have her on our staff and she will be writing for us regularly from now on. So, ladies and gentlemen (remember there is no sexism here at New Scotswoman Today!), feel free to send a note to Catriona here at New Scotswoman Today at the usual address and have confidence that she will be able to resolve all those tricky questions you have. Whether it’s about love, relationships, money, health or anything that is really bothering you, Catriona is here to help. Here is a selection of letters that she has already received.
The Editor, New Scotswoman Today.
[…]
2. Dear Catriona,
I am a bit of a populist and someone who likes to project herself as being a great champion of popular culture. (Not “common” culture, of course – we can leave that sort of thing to the Socialists.) Now, I have appeared on Have I Got News For You? and Bake Off Extra Slice. I have been photographed in various locations such as astride a bull and in a Chieftain tank. I am used as the “go-to” interviewee who represents the blue rinse brigade of Morningside, Edinburgh and all too often I have a lot to say for myself.
The BBC were kind enough to propose me as a presenter on their new teatime programme Origami for Beginners (as part of their “slow” season.) This I sadly had to decline as I am more skilled at opening sealed pieces of paper than folding them.
I feel it scandalous that a good many of the population of Scotland rhyme my name with ‘mooth’ when the fact of the matter is that my first name has more in common with ‘truth’. (Did you see what I did there? Maybe I have better career chances as a stand-up comedian).
My question to you, Catriona then, is this. How can I channel my undoubted skills, both professional and personal, into something worthwhile and that is appreciated by my fellow Scots?
Yours in anticipation,
Ruth D.
(Glasgow)
Catriona replies:
You obviously have a talent for self-promotion and being seen in the limelight. You also seem to think that you can best serve your constituents from as far a distance from them as possible, whilst milking the system as much as possible to your own personal advantage.
Have you considered becoming a Member of the House of Lords?
_____
Parables for the New Politics
2012-2020
Following on from that WS.
https://mobile.twitter.com/PhantomPower14/status/1227609937213370375
Can’t open your link, Petra. But am sure it’s something good!
I tried it again WS and it seems to be okay!
Thanks and all good, Petra. Thank you. But the ne in ‘the wrong place’ above worked first!
Colonial Quay at it again. https://mobile.twitter.com/msm_monitor/status/1227344758516912131
George Orwell’s 1984 right enough.
Media manipulation and not a red face in sight.
Check out the latest informative links on the Indyref2 site.
https://indyref2.space/forum/topic/links-wednesday-12-february-2020/
The media in USA doing the same thing our media here in Scotland do
Ignore and blank out news they don’t like
Sanders won an election
The media ignored it
Didn’t even mention his name but lots about the third placed candidate
How often have we seen this in Scotland
Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire primary, but it appears this is such a hard pill for US media to swallow, that they’ve simply decided to ignore it — or at least frame it in a way that somehow makes winning sound bad.
Perusing mainstream coverage of the night, the casual observer of American politics could be forgiven for thinking a nice smiling lady called Amy Klobuchar was the star of the show. In fact, the avidly centrist Minnesota Senator came in third place — yet she gobbled up a disproportionate chunk of news coverage.
Incredibly, some of the night’s headlines didn’t even include the word ‘Sanders’ at all. “Amy Klobuchar gets her moment in New Hampshire,” gushed CNN. “New Hampshire gives Klobuchar major boost, puts Biden and Warren on 2020 life support,” Fox News wrote. “Pete Buttigieg finishes second in New Hampshire primary, Amy Klobuchar third,” a tweet from Reuters read.
Sorry to be a bother, but does anyone know who actually won? Is “strong third” the new first? Is that how this works now? Apparently so, according to MSNBC.
I reckon that Trump will be over and out this year, Terence. Just my tuppenceworth, butut then what? Riots?
”But” not ”butut”.
Paul will probably have a better idea of what’s actually going on over there over and above the usual propaganda.
Yeah but Bernie Sanders? OK he could set the new record for oldest president after Trump but what? are we into dementia democracy now?
I’m in my 70th year now and while I am, still grateful I can complete the National’s cryptic crossword and the Time’s, no way would I consider myself competent to make the right decisions in politics.
I see you didn’t try to bluster and allege ‘butut’ was a synonym for ‘covfefe’, Petra.
Butut [sic] I think I know fellow independistas well-enough not to do that!
PS Neither ‘butut’ nor ‘covfefe’ appear in the above text with a squiggly red line under them, so maybe WGD’s spell check has accepted them as real words … (But it disallows ‘independistas’. Odd.)
I was referring to Trump after all, WS, and his ”confefe” type blunders can be very contagious, lol.
[…] the most loyal to Sturgeon of all major independence bloggers, such as James Kelly and Paul Kavanagh, could not support Sturgeon on this […]
[…] the most loyal to Sturgeon of all major independence bloggers, such as James Kelly and Paul Kavanagh, could not support Sturgeon on this […]
[…] fedeli alla Sturgeon tra tutti i maggiori blogger a favore dell’indipendenza, come James Kelly e Paul Kavanagh, non hanno potuto appoggiare la Sturgeon su questo […]
Paul a wee message if I can ,
Jack pointed out yesterday this thread is all over the place and a wee bit of order would be nice , just my opinion thanks in anticipation ,
As predicted yesterday Bawjaws is following his pal The Donald in petulant sackings , anyone remember Trump’s history since being elected it might give us a little insight into what Bawjaws will do next ,
[…] most loyal to Sturgeon of all major independence bloggers, such as James Kelly and Paul Kavanagh, could not support Sturgeon on this […]
Here is a link to a translation of the declaration of Arbroath
The declaration of Arbroath
Scroll down to version written in English ( translation )
When it was written 700 hundred years ago it is said therein that Scotland up to that point had
a royal line of 113 Kings
It also talks of how Scotland a peaceable country that wants only to live within its own lands and wants only to live on whatever its own lands provide
is constantly attacked and raided by England
These are parts of the declaration of Arbroath that we never get to hear about
These bits confirm that England had always been the aggressor and still is
Click to access declaration-of-arbroath-transcription-and-translation.pdf
Thanks for the link Terence. What a fabulous document, eh! I’ve read through it before but it’s well worth reading it again. I’m hoping that there will be a massive turnout at the AUOB march in Arbroath on the 4th April, especially as we know that the foreign press will be there. I see that just about every hotel and B&B no longer has any vacancies for the Friday night at least. Let’s show them that we mean business with hundreds of thousands of us not just carrying flags but informative banners/placards too.
Just in case anyone wants to see the declaration of Arbroath it’s on show to the public at the national museum
I’m going to nip through and see it
https://www.nms.ac.uk/exhibitions-events/exhibitions/national-museum-of-scotland/declaration-of-arbroath/
Easy for me
Trains every 15 mins from Dundee right up til 11pm
STV news keep the MacKay saga going into its second week by reporting that MacKay has been kicked out of the Boys Brigade. What will it be next Thursday – Tesco have taken away his club card.
On this subject my wife with her sense of humour bought the National on Tuesday and what do I find Michael Fry is banging on about. The MacKay saga – just like all the Britnats and other Tories have been doing for more than a week now.
My message to the National ditch the Tory.
Good article from WGD though. Headline – ” Support for independence will be unaffected by SNP scandals” I agree.
Also in Tuesdays National an article by Colin Fox attacking Nicola Sturgeon says- ” The polls shows show most Scots remain unpersuaded by the case Nicola Sturgeon has made for Indyref2 this year or next.” So Mr Fox conveniently ignores the polls saying a majority for independence. But his cracker of a comment is: ” Boris Johnson stands atop the moral high ground……….”
No wonder hardly anyone votes for his party.
And then we have Andrew Wilson not content with his unhelpful “Growth commission” says he supports Johnson’s Scot/Ireland bridge. People are getting stuck in traffic jams on the M8 and other roads all over Scotland and he supports this nonsense.
What is it about Tuesdays National.
I just thought I would repost Jan Foley’s comments from Richard Murphy’s site on here. I wouldn’t use the term ”wildcat”, but it’s an interesting read nonetheless, imo.
…………………………
Jan Foley says: February 13 2020 at 9:31 am
”MacNeil and MacAlpine’s route will certainly appeal to people who are already fixed on having an independent Scotland. We’re fed up waiting! Let’s get it NOW! Sturgeon is wasting time, too comfortable in her role, is a coward, is devious with some nefarious hidden agenda, she has delusions of grandeur, bla bla.
Instead, consider what effect an immediate ‘wildcat’ referendum would have on the people—who make up around half of the Scottish voters at the moment—who are undecided and/or do NOT support independence? Keeping in mind how the MSM, which most of these people buy or watch, would play this.
We cannot afford another No result. Especially one based on media lies and disinformation. One that would paint the SNP as acting ‘outside the law.’
The old adage: never interrupt your opponents when they are screwing up certainly applies here.
The longer this Brexit fiasco continues—the more time Boris has to threaten NHS selloff, trade off the interests of Scottish fishermen, render the situation impossible for Scottish farmers to get the migrant help they need to get their crops harvested, undermine the supply chain for Scottish businesses, etc—the more No/Leave voters will see the benefits—the necessity—for Scotland becoming an independent nation and rejoining the EU as a full member state.
Nicola is right. Speaking as an SNP activist who did street stalls with the public in the runup to the December 12th election—in a traditionally ex-Labour area that used to have the doughty, now feather-and ermine-bedecked George Robertson as its MP, I can assure you, there are a huge slew of people still seeking an excuse to vote against the SNP. And against independence. I didn’t encounter a single person who said they wanted independence but were mad at the SNP because we didn’t have it yet. Instead, I encountered a discouraging number of people who said they wouldn’t vote for independence OR the SNP ‘in a million years.’
We won on 12 December, with an increased majority from last time, but the win was far from a landslide—and in a first-past-the-post system, that’s not quite enough to assume overall victory for independence. And our slogan was to stop Brexit (if possible) and to give Scotland a chance to ‘choose.’ It wasn’t necessarily a vote for independence. It was a step in the right direction, but it was a step, not an outright victory.
If we did a wildcat referendum just now, I don’t think we’d win it—mainly because of the way the MSM would play it. Or if we won, it would be with a narrow margin …which is not enough to ensure a solid start to an independent Scotland. However, there are many who are ready to be persuaded. Many ‘don’t knows’ stopped at our table to get information. So we still need to do the persuading.
Ask every person you know—how is Brexit is going to affect you? What will happen to your business? What will happen to your business if others around you fail? What is going to happen to our restaurants if there is an interruption of the supply chain to the EU’s food sector, followed by a doubling of food prices? And etc. This is the sobering discussion we should be having, which will sway people to voting for independence as the ONLY way to get back into the EU and the customs and economic union.
Independence supporters would do well, right now, to stop sniping at the SNP because it doesn’t have a magic wand—and can’t even control the WEATHER, for heaven’s sake!—and spend time converting No voters to solid support for independence. We have the best tool available just now, which we didn’t have back in 2014. That’s Brexit.
Concentrate on the damage Brexit is going to do to the UK as well as Scotland. Instead of pointing out flaws in the SNP and undermining confidence in them, maybe spend a bit more time pointing out flaws in Brexit—and individualising these flaws by pointing out to doubters how Brexit is going to hurt them? Allow the SNP to get the independence programme set up—which I have every confidence they are doing, including already strengthening our ties with Europe (see Nicola’s visit to Europe last week.) The EU is now making it clear they are much on our side in this struggle—which they could not do while the UK was still a member state.
Once we have a clear, solid majority of Scots who are eager to vote for independence, THEN we can do the ‘wildcat’ thing if need be. It will happen, and it will happen soon …but it hasn’t happened yet. The worst thing you can do in a fight is fire your single-shot weapon at an enemy that isn’t within range yet.
I agree that the UK leaving the EU certainly does free the EU’s hands, in terms of supporting Scotland …perhaps even in the upcoming trade talks? Let’s give this the space it needs to get underway. We are already out of the EU, despite the SNP’s best efforts to Remain, so stopping Brexit is no longer an issue. The focus is now …how do we get back? And why should we try? Let’s work on that, instead of fulminating about Nicola Sturgeon?
The reason Nicola is under constant, unremitting attack from unionist MSM is not because she’s a bad leader and bad for independence. It’s because she’s a good one. They know it. And to stop independence from happening, they need to bring her down.”
👍
Good response that…
You say in your third last paragraph
“”Once we have a clear, solid majority of Scots who are eager to vote for independence,””
Well can I just say that we do already have a clear solid majority of Scots who are eager to vote for independence
Perhaps you should rephrase in future to
“ majority of people in Scotland “
Not everyone in Scotland is a scot
This myth that everyone in Scotland is a scot was started by the britnats and latched onto by English Scots for yes then extended as if Scotland is the only country in the world where you can choose nationality just by living there….for a day
The declaration of Arbroath no less refers to Scottish people as Scots
And like every other country on the planet there are qualifying conditions to being a scot
It so happens that at present U.K. decides the qualifying conditions then bundles them up into one for Scotland England Ireland wales but to qualify for a passport automatically you have to show where you were born where your parents were born etc
The point is
Not everyone in Scotland is a scot
If only Esteban Gonzalez Pons would come over here and help to ”decolonise” us.
”The Spanish MEP Esteban Gonzalez Pons has told the European Parliament that Spain will defend its own priorities post-Brexit including the ‘decolonisation of Gibraltar’. ”
Take that Boris, lol.
”The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of the resolution on the package of measures, which includes a paragraph upholding its veto over Gibraltar in future negotiations. 543 voted in favour, 39 against, and 69 abstained.”
http://www.gbc.gi/news/eu-parliament-votes-support-spains-veto-gibraltar
Brilliant speech from Jeremy Corbyn. High time that Boris Johnston was deported back to the US. https://mobile.twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/1227583108800819206
‘Andrew Neil reels off Boris Johnson’s past failures.’
Ha ha ha. Good one from Andrew Neil (for once). Too bad he doesn’t mention how much the Scots have had to fork out for LBJ’s failed ventures while he’s at it. https://mobile.twitter.com/Haggis_UK/status/1227672493609058311
Richard Murphy:- ‘How Johnson’s bridge to Ireland would work – for the benefit of the City of London.’
http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2020/02/12/how-johnsons-bridge-to-ireland-would-work-for-the-benefit-of-the-city-of-london/
The last four links were taken from 24 links (todays) on the Indyref2 site. Check them out.
https://indyref2.space/forum/topic/links-thursday-13-february-2020/#postid-1210
Question Time in Dundee
Never watch it normally since the Bruce took over but was intrigued to see how Joanna Cherry got on considering she was surrounded by Britnats. Not just any old Britnats but Union Jack Ian Murray. She did very well indeed. Cherry has only been in politics a few years. I reckon she will keep on getting better. When she actually mentioned the Treaty of Union being between Scotland and England you could see the Britnats in the audience pulling funny faces – Britnats do not have a clue about their precious Union. I think they believe God created the UK on the eightth day.
Murray, Massie and Bruce kept trying to interrupt her non stop as she spoke but she wasn’t having any of it. At least the Tory MP was better mannered.
Massie was surprisingly balanced in his comments as was the Tory MP Tom Huguenot.
Murray was like a rabid Britnat dog who can see his bone ( a peerage in the H of Lords) being taken away from him. Murray really is an ultra Britnat. Everything in Scotland is rubbish he says. We need to be governed by Westminster he says. Murray thinks he is the solution to Labours problems in Scotland. He is not he is the problem. Labour never learn – they are on their way from irrelevance to extinction.
Bruce was just biased as ever – “what is wrong with Scotland ” she says. All Bruces awkward facts/ questions were mainly for Cherry. Bruce never thought to ask Murray where is it all going wrong for Labour in Scotland.
Val Mc Diarmad was good but was not heard often enough.
Unlike the last QT I saw in Dundee the audience was not full of English people and
anti SNP plants and was a more appropriate balance.
On the Scot/Ireland bridge discussion I was surprised the nuclear subs were not mentioned as a concern.
On the drugs death stats I was also surprised that the methodology of collecting the stats was not queried. eg Is a death due to an overdose of paracetamol recorded as a drug death or a suicide in the same way in all countries in Europe.
As you motor from Scotland into England there is a bank of a dozen or so cameras mounted on the concrete flyover at Gretna Service Station, the Last Watering Hole in Scotland.
I am sure that I am not alone in wondering why Amey or whoever felt the necessity to mount such an elaborate array of surveillance equipment to monitor Jocks zooming out of God’s Little Acre into England.
Lest I be accused of paranoia, there are no cameras mounted on the flyover filming travellers from the South visiting or returning home to Jockland.
There is definitely a controlled border between Scotland and England now.
In my previous life when I travelled these lands selling white heather, clothes pegs, sharpening garden tools, and telling fortunes, I passed under this flyover many hundreds of times. Occasionally I’d look up and wave, and cheered often to myself, but unobserved, as I crossed over the Border into Scotland, as I sensed that I was ‘home’ after a long and tiring drive, at Gretna, with still 90 odd miles to go before I reached Glasgow.
Many of my fellow travellers admitted to the same sense of Homecoming as I.
We had crossed the border, we were home.
Yesterday the Herald had a puff piece about a border with BorisLand and the usual below the lines trolls nonsense about losing 60% of our trade with England, and why leave a 300 year old Union to be dictated by Brussels, and that the Froggies and Krauts don’t even speak English.
In other words Project Fear in its death rattle.
Boris Johnson closes 27 borders, 29 if you include ‘decolonised’ island of Gibraltar and Norn Iron, and places their Cash Cow Colony under House Arrest, yet the Brit Nats still deny that there are borders on these isles, and that Scotland already has a border with England, and that while you can get married in Gretna at 16, you can’t in Carlisle, or Hebdon, the ‘country’ to the South of us, England.
Scotland’s only ‘Labour’ MP, (now, I’ll not warn you again, stop laughing at the back) Ian Murray was pitchforked on to QT from Dundee.
As he, and Alex Massie, and Fiona Bruce, and a Kent Tory,Tom Hug A Nut systematically talked over, shouted down, and threw the usual Too Wee Too Poor tropes around the room, the tired little Red Tory is still chuntering on about a border with England, what currency will ‘they’ use, and Scotland is Shite, hospitals, education, the police, the wonderful 300 year old Union.
Massie, was at least circumspect about the ‘direction of travel’, a Referendum is inevitable, but of course, follows the Hacks line of ‘wait until after the 2021 SGE and see where we are’, Fabian tactic.
I presume that all the ProudScotsBut Tories were busy. Never mind, Tom Hug A Nut had been briefed by the 7 times rejected Murdo The Queen’s Eleven Fraser, and got his wee dig in about the Queensferry IceGate scandal.
I imagined Jacboot Carpark staying overnight at Dunblane Hydro getting a makeover before being crowned King of Scotland, or Leader of the Tory Branch Office, as we like to call it, today, Saint Valentine’s Day. You can feel my lurv, I’m sure.
On the day when Johnson followed in the footsteps of the Third Reich’s leader, Adolf Hitler, and declared himself Führer und Reichskanzler of Empire 2, by sacking his Chancellor and taking absolute control of England and Wales, grabbing his Cabinet’s cojones so that their hearts and minds would soon follow, QT was a strangely tepid affair, with Bruce’s interventions when Cherry was speaking seeming more frantic and despairing than usual. I bet that she was mightily relieved to get her Scots sojourn over with.
There shall be a border between England and the rest of Europe, Murray, which shall include Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Gibraltar.
Aye Jack Question Time ,even with 4 Unionists on the panel including ms Bruce they failed to sell their Union, we know it’s dead and beyond resuscitation yet the same old guff persists, The usual Tory forced by the Colonial masters to regurgitate the don’t break up this successful partnership line Aye ok successful for who I ask because it ain’t us mugs who accept it .its getting really easy to spot the plants and the urgency that Ms Bruce makes sure they are given airtime, among an audience of apparently Independence supporters she manages to pick out and make sure they are heard strange that eh , Aye seen it before it doesn’t wash anymore, and yes Ms Bruce had to work to earn her corn last night, I bet she wished she had a mute button every time support for Independence was mentioned and especially when Joanna Cherry started speaking .
No mention of reduction in alcoholic deaths and the reduction % of consumption. MUP. Labour did not support it. Murray making capital out of higher drug death statistics. Scotland alcohol consumption was 25% more than the rest of the UK. Now much lower. 10%? The statistics could be correlated differently. If the consumption starts off at a higher rate it will mean a higher rate of death. Alcohol death rates are falling.
Scotland started from a higher consumption rate (Thatcher). Now falling because of SNP policies.
There is a need for proper total abstinence rehab. Some Heath Boards (Unionist?) do not provide primary care. The first six weeks of drug/alcohol detox. So Drs cannot refer people to proper total abstinence rehab facilities. It has to be paid for privately.
People are going in and out of hospital, at great expense, but not getting the proper rehabilitation care and counselling. It costs more in social care, police, fire, justice system and prison. Prevention is better than cure,
Funds went down to Councils under social care. Many Councils (unionist?) do not provide for proper total abstinence, ‘one chance’ rehab facilities. They keep people on methadone for years. Methadone is worse than heroin over time. People who can afford it live. People who do not die. Sometimes through ignorance. Doctors do not get enough training on addiction problems.
Proper total rehab ‘one chance’ facilities should be available for all. It affects one in ten of the population. Nine in ten of their families, friends and work colleagues. It can break up families and make people unable to work successfully.
Lead to homelessness and social problems.
Anyone with addiction problems should go to AA/NA to get the help and advice they can need. To seek help. Or raise the funds for proper total abstinence rehab facilities. It can be just a few £thousand but can save lives and help solve addiction problems.
It runs in the genes and throughout families. It can become a living hell without the proper professional help. People can relapse but they know what to do to overcome the problems. Total abstinence. Or enough is never enough. It becomes a downward spiral. Into insanity. A dark, black hole. It is difficult to progress back to ‘normality. Leads to conflicts, earlier death and higher statistics. Suicide committed under the influence.
Everyone should receive the help they need. Private facilities are shutting down because they need public as well as private funds. A combination to keep going. There is more knowledge and advice.
People are drinking less. Young ones are more health conscious and going to gyms/exercise. Instead of pubs. Exercise can give a high and help depression.
People are more aware and changing lifestyles. Getting healthier. Alcohol and drugs can cause depression. The more people drink/drug, the more depressed they can get, Crime is related to drink/drugs and is a gender issue. The drinks in the wit’s oot.
Consumption is related to price. Drink as a % of income has stayed the same while incomes have risen. Drugs are more freely available. Then thirty/forty years ago. Pubs would shut at 10pm. There were few clubs to go to. None existent except casinos opening late.,
Other countries have increased the price of drink. Limited Taxed and restricted sales and encouraged better food and lifestyles. The Scandi countries, Finland once had the worst health rates but now has one of the best. It still has a high suicide rate. The weather?
The Mediterranean diet leads to better health and people living longer. Spain etc. Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world. Diet fish and vegetables. They do have karaoke bars and saki.
Scotland had quite a good diet. A good health rate in the circumstances. Until Thatcher. Policies leaving Scotland in poverty, with higher unemployment and unrest.
The advances in medical science have brought improvements, Scotland medical sciences achievements. World class uni facilities. For invention, discovery and progress, Tele communications leading on to the internet. Shared information.
So the sooner our new “Finance Minister/Chancellor” who ever that may be.
Gets our new Scottish Bank up and running the better, and as of a while ago but re-enforced today it needs to have high street type accounts for awe o’ Jock Tamson’s Bairns.
So we can all migrate from the foreign owned and or controlled banks which don’t give a stuff for us or our country.
It has just been announced this morning that the Royal Bank of Scotland is to change it’s name to The National Westminster.
Apparently “RBS is to toxic” and The NatWest brand is nice and fluffy.
It matters not a jot what the customers or share holders think. because the high street names will remain the same and since the high street profits are down to £800,000,000.00 for the year. Yes “DOWN TO A PROFIT OF 800 MILLION” out of a total profit of around 3.5 billion. We don’t really count.
Now I’m not exactly sure whether it was “ROYAL” “BANK” or “SCOTLAND” that was most toxic in the boards view, but National Westminster eliminates all of the probabilities.
It also associates them more firmly on an international basis with the City of London and the Westminster government something they may come to regret as LBJ continues his march toward full on fascism.
Perhaps if the NatWest Crew consider the RBS name so toxic they do not wish to be associated with it internationally they should give it up altogether.
Any person or organisation who dislikes SCOTLAND so much that they consider the very name toxic is free to leave a soon a s they wish……..Aha they did already didn’t they.
In this case to my mind they have lost the right to use my countries name in their letterhead or title and should decease completly from it’s use immediately.
Perhaps Holyrood should consider copy writing our nations name “SCOTLAND” and it’s derivatives, not to profit from it’s use, friends and family should be able to use it freely.
Just to prevent the “toxic” use.
And before all of you out there start telling me, I know an individual could not copy write “SCOTLAND” but surly a country has a right to protect its name and identity.
Come on Scot Gov get that new bank open ASAP.
The ‘Scottish Bank’, Pog?
Does what is says on the shingle.
The proposed new bank is an investment bank not a retail bank
Just another change since RBS brought the English woman from Durham to head RBS
She had also made many changes to how accounts are charged since she arrived.
I expect more in the pipeline
With the long knives out yesterday it’s more than obvious that the BJ-DC junta is well on the way to becoming the most ruthless tory government to sit at WM fr a long long time, possibly ever. PM Johnson is certainly the most ruthless English leader since Edward LongShanks, aided by his equally ruthless Lieutenant Cummings.
Be warned, Scottish Government.
If you don’t start setting the agenda – very quickly, this bunch of WM cut-throats is going to come looking for you. They are probably hatching and gaming secret plans already to completely snooker you. These guys take no prisoners and if you just sit there waiting around for another year or two, twidlling yer thumbs while support for independence creeps up agonisingly slowly, you will find yerselves out-manouvered and locked into the union for years to come.
Yesterday should be a wake up call. The warning signs are obvious.
Even if you are not ready for another referendum – do something to keep Johnson and Cummings busy, unsettle em before its too late.
So in Ireland
FF say they won’t partner SF in government
FG said before the lee toon that they won’t partner SF in government
The rest are not enough to give themselves and SF the 80 seats needed for majority
What now ?
If FF and FG try to go into government again having been rejected individually with fewer seats than SF there could be discontent leading to another election
FG a hundred years ago were part of SF til a group broke away from SF and became FG
They were both in favour of the whole of Ireland being independent but
Unlike SF
FG agreed to losing NI to U.K. as it was a start to Irish independence they hoped that in time reunification would come about
Odd how modern day FG refuse to partner SF in government now at a time when reunification is more likely than it has been for a hundred years
I think personally FG know they should partner SF and lead the way together to reunification
But they are worried that the success of SF will be short lived and
FG,s reputation will be damaged as “ the party that joined SF failures”
FG rightly do not want to get dragged into areas SF were deeply involved in a few decades ago
but it does look as if SF have turned a corner and this success at the polls will in my opinion strengthen their resolve to settle things within parliament and through legal action in the courts in Ireland and the EU
The thing is
Is it too soon for FG to trust that this is where SF are headed ?
When you see how Westminster act towards Scottish independence
it mirrors Westminster’s behaviour towards Ireland a hundred years ago in many ways
Yes the violence and deployment of troops to the streets of Scotland is absent
But
Let’s see what happens within the next two or three years as Westminster refuse to loosen their grip and refuse Scotland the right to vote
People of Scotland like elsewhere lost their lives fighting for the right to vote
We are not about to give up that right just because Westminster thinks it will lead to a change
When a country reaches the stage Scotland is at there is never any going back
Westminster know this
That’s why they are playing for time
They hope some catastrophic event will delay the inevitability of independence
Just like World War l delayed Irish independence
Times have changed
Westminster will not get away with brutality , soldiers on the streets , people sacked from jobs and deprived from services like hospital care ,schooling , housing not allowed to be an MP or councillor or work for govt police etc etc all things used by Westminster a hundred years ago in Ireland to keep control and prevent Irish independence keep them poor so they spend ALL their time on survival and don’t have time money strength to demand their rights
People in Scotland call for more action from SNP because of Westminster’s behaviour towards Scotland
But SNP know that Westminster would love it if SNP decided to force through Scottish independence without Westminster’s agreement , it would give Westminster the excuse to do what they cannot do at present which is shut down Holyrood and arrest politicians .
Don’t think Westminster won’t do it
They will if it can be justified within Westminster laws
I hear people say stop playing by Westminster’s rules
We can’t
Not until we are independent
We have to play by their rules until we are independent
And it doesn’t stop there
When Ireland declared independence a hundred years ago the new Irish government did so without Westminster’s permission
Quickly meetings took place in London
The Irish govt had to swear allegiance to the king and agree to leave NI as part of U.K. or British troops would be increased the Irish knew they would lose eventually
sorbet agreed
Half of Ireland were angry they didn’t want to swear allegiance to a king that stood bye whilst they were starved and killed and they wanted the whole of Ireland independent not just a bit of it
SADLY……Civil war broke out amongst the Irish
Independentista against Independentista
Westminster will use the same con trick in Scotland
Divide Divide Divide just when you think you have won….be prepared
Watch out for Orkney and Shetland
People think it’s an accident so many English people live there they think it’s just people who want remote living
Perhaps that’s true but make no mistake about it Westminster facilitates it with jobs in government agencies and other favourable outcomes relating to housing and land opportunities
Strategically Westminster loves NI …near Atlantic
Strategically Westminster loves Shetland and Orkney for same reason
Be carful
Stick together no matter what
Scottish independence cannot fail
We have seen all the Westminster tricks played out across the world
There is nothing they will do that hasn’t been done before it’s Westminster’s
Three Card Monte
Jackson Carlaw’s rotund ruddy beaming face is staring up at us this lunchtime from all the outlets.
He ‘won’ the Branch office Manager’s Job by a margin of three to one.
Then you look at the figures.
There are only 10,911 Tory party members in the whole of Scotland, a country of some 5.4 million souls.
Of those 10,000 odd members, around 4000 old souls,, 40% of their miserable little club, voted for neither candidate, so ‘none of the above’ was preferable to Carlaw and Ballantyne.
So 4,917 folk gave Carlaw the Gold Ticket. Lots of lovely jubbly to be in opposition for the rest of his career.
In his acceptance speech, he promised to abandon tuition fees, and scrap the UC Two Child Cap and Rape Clause. He has morphed into an SNP MSP!
Now the Herald just cut and paste this nonsense without comment.
These are Big Fat Lies.
If Carlaw is a Unionist and believes in the Rule of WM over devolution, he knows that Johnson will decide Tory policy in Scotland, not a failed car dealer. If Carlaw became FM,Tuition Fess would be reintroduced, and UCS would remain in place, charges would be introduced for prescriptions, Right To Buy Council Hoses, tolls on our bridges, and tax cuts for the well off would be implemented, because Dominic Cummings rules Tory Scotland, not a wee also ran at Holyrood.
He waffles on about ‘aspiration’ and entrepreneurial derring do, and screams No Indyref 2, the clarion call of his disaster of a UK GE Campaign which saw 7 Scots Tories thrown out on their ears in December, and three of the remaining six with majorities in the hundreds.
Terrific news for the march to Self Determination.
Can’t wait to see his Branch Office Management Team reshuffle.
10,911 Members, one for every copy of the Scotsman.
Terence, FG will crumble, and form a Coalition with SF. There would be an uproar if FG and FF forced another election on the Irish.
The Unionists in Scotland are a busted flush.
Leonard, Rennie, and Carlaw are not up to the job of ‘saving the Union’.
Ian Murray is an embarrassment; even his own party has abandoned him.
And Alister Jack is a gentleman farmer Tory millionaire throwback to Victorian Elitism. He hasn’t a clue.
WE shall prevail, by democracy and force of numbers.
Our Government has a mandate, now.
We’re not hanging around until May 2021.
Northern Ireland and Gibraltar have already fallen.
Boris Johnson has not got ‘Brexit Done’. He has thrown his fellow Englishmen and women to the wolves, and this will come disastrously apparent in the coming weeks.
Great post Jack. It makes you wonder how many voted for wee Willie Rennie when he became leader of the undemocratic not so liberal party in Scotland.
👍
Ok! This is funny. 😀
HERE
🤣 Too good not to share…
Excellent party political broadcast by the SNP on STV last night.
It must number in the hunners, Cubby.
Any word from Baroness Swinson- S’Losesome yet?
Response received from the UK Government.
We have now formally had a response from the Advocate General of the UK, they state as follows:
“We refer to your letter of 31 January 2020. The United Kingdom Government’s position is that it is outside the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament to legislate for and hold a referendum on Scottish independence.”
It is now time to formally seek the opinion of the court and test the matter under judicial review.
http://www.crowdjustice.com/case/the-scottish-people-vs-the-uk/
Thanks for all your hard work keeping us all up to date on events.
But …
There’s no Advocate General of the UK!
As far as I’m aware, Petra,
Robin
‘Suella Braverman’s appointment as attorney general spells danger for human rights
Boris Johnson’s reshuffle leaves no doubt over his intention to reduce constitutional protections and judicial independence.’
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2020/02/suella-braverman-s-appointment-attorney-general-spells-danger-human-rights
Won’t be long now before the Westminster Enabling Act of 2020 is introduced.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enabling_Act_of_1933
You are scaring me Petra.
We should be afraid Cubby. Check out Suella Braverman’s links to Matthew Elliot. The MSM should be exposing them if for no other reason than their own future is at risk now.
https://mobile.twitter.com/BettGunther/status/1228225075695898624
And this:-
https://mobile.twitter.com/BettGunther/status/1228279980884463619
Petra
More on the Attorney General this time her links/membership of a very questionable Buddhist sect
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/15/new-attorney-general-suella-braverman-in-controversial-buddhist-sect
This from your article, Legerwood:
“Last week, one of its senior members, who goes by the Buddhist name Vishvapani, expressed his delight at Braverman’s appointment in a Facebook post above a prominent picture of the order’s late founder, Dennis Lingwood. The post was subsequently deleted.”
Is this the same Vishvapani who regularly features on BBC 4’s Thought for the Day (Today programme) and is based in my home capital?
Vishvapani
Vishvapani is a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order. He is a writer and mindfulness teacher, based in Cardiff where he lives with his wife and son. Vishvapani’s work explores how time-honoured Buddhist practices such as mindfulness and meditation can be accessible forces for social change in the modern world.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5bxBSyCZvhXMzJtsZg5lSsP/regular-contributors
Welsh Sion,
I don’t know is the answer but some of the comments in the article that were trying to excuse the late leader ‘s activities were quite something.
Compare and contrast with the Derek McKay incident
Was originally amused by the article relying on inference from the sexual perversions of the founder who died at 93 in 2018, to connect the disconnect to 2020 and another nutter Tory being made AG. What’s next? Hordes of heavily beaded Buddhist fundamentalists meditating ?
She’s dangerous, among these nutcases in that position frighteningly so, and a Braverman than I (sorry, couldn’t resist)…. My suspicion is that this is news manipulation not a real story, think Boris’s orange crate bus painting which so shrewdly obliterated his failed London bus from searches.
The media is being played, with them, us…
Its a new Bill of Rights you need to be wary of.
Nailed it chic.
Or this new ‘Act of Union’ which is floating around the Lords. (Something I understand that our First Minister, Mark Drakeford, seems to be supporting.)
And what of LBJ’s comments on becoming ‘Minister for the Union’?
Tbf WS, it’s been predictably downhill all the way from the moment EVEL was mooted.
People cannot say they weren’t warned. They simply chose not to listen or believe.
Braverman was the inevitable and more brutal generation of May, those who enabled her appointment are the Tory wet dream of absolute and continuous power.
The troubling parallels to Brexit and Weimar are amplified with this shower, as you rightly point out, 1933 with an equally deluded and confused electorate…
Scotland could vote for it. Ireland could not have voted at that time.
If Ireland had waited 5 years there would have been no Illegal Partition. Supposed to be temporary,
Partition 1923. Universal Suffrage 1928, Ireland could have voted for Home Rule/Independence. Five years later.
There had already been Irish Home Rule Bills in Westminster. The Land League campaigns etc. Ireland could have voted for it, instead of nearly 100 years of strife and bloodshed caused by Westminster intransigence for unionist votes at Westminster.
Ireland could vote to reunite, Scotland could vote for Independence. Demographics. Vote out all the unionists.
The Chancellor a failed Hedge Fund manager tax evader. The Cabinet a bunch of crooks. Brexit will ruin the economy.
The HS2 ‘dividend’. What a joke. Scotland’s revenues coming back. Or spent on another failed project. Instead of renewable energy. What a total waste of public monies. A ghost train to nowhere, that will make journeys to Scotland take longer. Rail journeys in the North take nearly twice as long as in the south because of lack of investment.
The Tories are killing people with austerity, Cutting essential services. NHS/Education and welfare. Cut £13Billion a year from 2015-20. £65Billion. Spent on Hickley Point,HS2 and Trident. A total waste of money, with no dividend, especially for Scotland. Brexit will ruin the economy.
Support for SNP/Independence rising. Soon Scotland will vote for it. Vote out all the unionists. Brexit will ruin the economy. Johnston is a total waste of space. They had to get rid of Thatcher for closer ties with Europe. Deja Vu. Johnston will go soon. A complete loser. A total liar.
Nae t in Johnson, but apart from that you’re totally right Ken. He’s a waste of space and a liar. An absolute tosser. It’s a sorry state of affairs.
The sooner Scotland goes independent, the better, in my opinion…
(though opinions are like bums; everyone has one.)
Caroline Flack another tragedy. More interference and state abuse by the authorities. Not listening. Totally avoidable. A corruption of power. People needing help not accusation.
The young ones are pushing for gender recognition in Law, EU membership and Independence. So it will happen. The older ones have had their day. The younger ones will have their say. The times’ are a changing, Woe anyone who gets in their way, They are organised and computer savvy. Internet exchange of info.
Cumming is not even elected. Now being found out. The Emperor has no clothes. Under the spotlight. Instead of in the shadows abusing power. Exposed. The abuse of power and corruption.
Deja Vu. Tory unionist strife. It will not go on very long. Information is exchanged on on the internet. Instead of kept secret under the Official Secrets Act. ‘D’ notices. They can be caught out.
Iraq, Dunblane and Lockerbie kept secret for 100 years.
The queues at the airports forming. The start of reality setting in. Brexit mess and shambles ruining the economy.
Johnson the clown. The dope on a rope without a clue abusing public monies and resources will be found out without a doubt. Imagine people putting their faith in them. Some people never learn.
The failed hedge fund manager now Chancellor. Supposed to impose receipt of taxes. Tax evading. Just beyond ridiculous.
You really couldn’t make this up.
The 3 Labour hopefuls in Glasgow yesterday saying they can’t win a general election without Scotland and admitting that going into bed with the Tories in 2014 was a mistake.
Long-Bailey asked if she would ‘Allow’ a 2nd indeyref says “Yes” but we would fight to make a case for the union.
DUH!!!!!
Reality check Long-Bailey. You’re admitting to making the same mistake again and when we do get a 2nd ref we’ll win so you’re 40 plus seats that you need will be gone forever.
As Stu Campbell tweeted “They’ve went into full Judean People’s Front mode”
If this is the quality of supposed leadership then they most certainly belong in the wastelands.
Wall to wall media coverage. Our London controlled TV stations are obsessed with the Labour leadership contest. Pushing it in our face every day – don’t they get it… around 80 percent of Scots (it’s probably higher) couldn’t give a flying f… about who wins the bloody contest. England-as-Britain is all they see and understand. Scotland’s aspirations as a seperate country are treated with contempt. Well what a shock is coming to them….
The penny hasn’t quite dropped with Labour unionists in Scotland.
By signing up to UK/British unionism,they are in fact subscribing to English nationalism.
The problem they now have is that whereas Scottish nationalism is outward looking Europeanism,English nationalism is inward looking and xenophobic.
Hoping that England will change just isn’t going to happen.
When that realisation dawns on Scottish Labour voters,independence will be seen as normal and desirable.
The three Labour hopefuls? They can’t count or read a balance seat. Still peddling the lie they need Labour seats in Scotland to win. Scotland out voted 10 to 1. So pathetic no one will vote for them. If Corbyn had cared he would have stepped down. Insulting people’s intelligence. Failed policies which did not work in 1970’s, and will not work now.
Thatcher had unemployment in NI 20%(troubles). Unemployment in Scotland 15%. The only place unemployment was below 10% was London S/E. Interest rates at 17%. Utilities sold off. Banking fraud. Bankers fund the Tories. Tax havens. Riots and unrest. The Poll tax. Civil war with the miners.
Blair and Brown. Illegal wars, financial fraud, tax evasion and the banking crash.
Illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion. Fifty years of Labour costing Scotland dear. People in Scotland voting Labour to keep the Tories out.
Westminster shambles. The winter of discontent. Three day weeks. Energy cuts. Candles. Rubbish piled in the street. The dead not getting buried.
Taking all the Oil revenues to spend on illegal war, causing the worst migration crisis in Europe since the 11WW. Leading to Brexit.
The (UK) EU contribution does not even cover the damage and destruction caused. Millions of people displaced and injured.
No wonder people in Scotland support the SNP and Independence. To get away from the Westminster complete and utter shambles. The Brexit catastrophe.