Whenever some think tank or other produces a report claiming that an independent Scotland would be some sort of dystopian nightmare where public services would be slashed to the bone, or that there would be rolls of barbed wire all the way along the border from Gretna to Berwick, it always receives huge publicity in the Scottish press usually accompanied by apocalyptic headlines and a presentation on the BBC by Sarah Smith doing her trying but conspicuously failing not to look smug face. The report is equally invariably described as coming from an independent think tank, even when it has been issued by an avowedly right wing think tank with links to the conservative party. We are then treated to a barrage of assertions about how in an independent Scotland the streets will be full of greetin weans and starving puppies.
On the other hand, when there is some development that spells good news for independence, with the exception of the National, you’ll be lucky to find a two line mention halfway down page 23, squeezed between a news report about a fight in a pub in Kirkcaldy and an advertising feature about special offers on BBQ equipment in a garden centre in Blantyre.
You’d almost think that there was some sort of causal correlation between the fact that Scotland has an overwhelmingly anti-independence media whose preponderance of anti-independence headlines is wildly disproportional to the actual degree of anti-independence sentiment among the Scottish public and the difficulty of getting equal publicity for academic reports and think tanks which publish good news for independence.
This week however we witnessed a development which could potentially point to something more sinister going on than an overwhelmingly anti-independence commercial media choosing to highlight stories which reinforce a British nationalist narrative and downplaying stories which bolster the case for independence. There was a suggestion this week that the British government is intervening to censor and suppress academic research that is helpful to arguments in favour of Scottish independence.
Earlier this week the London School of Economics published on its blog an article by two academics, Dr Geoffrey Chapman and Dr Richard Mackenzie-Gray Scott. Dr Chapman is currently employed by the British Government as an economics advisor to the Department of International Trade. Dr Mackenzie-Gray Scott is a research fellow Research fellow at the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.. Naturally the views expressed in their article are their own and not those of the Conservative Government for which Dr Chapman is an advisor. The article details ways in which Scotland could become independent and achieve international recognition as an independent state even if Westminster were to refuse to accept the result of a referendum held without Downing Street’s express consent. The authors point out the considerable political and legal difficulties and dangers which would arise for the British Government if it attempted to block a referendum in the courts once the Scottish Parliament had decided to proceed with one after receiving an unarguable democratic mandate from the Scottish electorate to do so. In this respect the report strongly validates the current Scottish government’s position of pressing ahead with a referendum under the aegis of Holyrood and daring the British Government to take legal action to block the exercise of Scottish democracy.
The report also notes that it may even be possible for Scotland to make a successful unilateral declaration of independence should Westminster refuse to accept the outcome of a referendum which had produced a majority for yes.
The main body of the report examines the economic impact of Scottish independence and argues that although the initial period of independence will have its challenges, in the medium to longer term everything suggests that the new Scottish state would be economically successful. The authors look at the position of the Czech and Slovak Republics after the dissolution of the former Czechoslovakia. Upon independence, Slovakia’s international trade was heavily slanted toward trade with its former partner in Czechoslovakia, however in the years since independence both the Czech Republic and Slovakia have rebalanced their international trade away from their former partners and toward trade with other states, particularly Germany.
The authors conclude that the potential for Scotland is even better than it was for either theCzech Republic or Slovakia, saying, “Scotland’s historic economic performance has been strong, which bodes well for a small, open and independent Scotland. With modest population growth alongside good GDP growth, supported by stable participation in international trade, it seems Scotland is in a far better initial condition than either the Czech or Slovak Republics, and can therefore expect similar (if not better) post-independence outcomes.”
The report concludes: “Considering Scotland has all the necessary machinery in place to become an independent state, we see no obvious reasons why Scotland would not succeed economically if it were to do so, especially if achieved within the bounds of the law. Although our findings might be controversial to some, we hope to show that Scottish independence, while not inevitable, is far more nuanced a matter than many have claimed. There exist several options worth pursuing for the parties to this debate.”
Their findings certainly seem to have been controversial with some. Within hours of the article being published, it was wheeched of the LSE website. If you now follow the original link to the article : https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/scottish-independence-cost/ you can no longer read the research. Instead the article has vanished and there’s a disclaimer saying “Update 2 April: We have been asked by the authors to take this article down temporarily. We will be making it available again as soon as we are able to and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
However nothing ever truly disappears from the internet, and you can still see an archived version of the original article here:
http://web.archive.org/web/20210330073808/https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/scottish-independence-cost/
AspokesTory for the department of International trade told the National newspaper: “This is not the view of the Department for International Trade or the UK Government, and the matter is being looked into.”
When Business for Scotland asked the British government whether it had pressurised the academics to delete the post,it would only reiterate that the article did not reflect the views of the British Government and refused to deny that it had put ant pressure on te academics to remove from the public view some research whose findings are politically damaging to British nationalist claims about the supposed “dangers” of Scottish independence.
In recent days we have seen newspapers publish polls whose methodology was changed in order to give false results favouring the Union and others lying about the poll results to get pro-Union headlines and only correcting the poll days later to show a significant lead for Yes, by which time the anti-independence parties have reaped the propaganda advantage.
It now looks as though the British state may be trying to suppress legitimate academic research because it undermines the false narrative being touted by the anti-independence parties. If that is indeed the case it merely proves just how worried they are and that they are realising that Scotland’s desire for independence is a force that they will be unable to resist. The title of this blog reads like the title of an Agatha Christie novel, that’s because the British state is trying to kill off hopes of independence by fair means or foul.
This is your reminder that the purpose of this blog is to promote Scottish independence. If the comment you want to make will not assist with that goal then don’t post it. If you want to mouth off about how much you dislike the SNP leadership ,or about some other issue not directly related to Scottish independence – there are other forums where you can do that. You’re not welcome to do it here.
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This is the now removed blog from the LSE, referred to in Paul’s blog today.
By contrasting Scotland and England to the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic’s ‘Velvet Divorce’, Richard Mackenzie-Gray Scott and Geoffrey Chapman suggest that an independent Scotland will continue growing real GDP per capita despite higher trade costs.
In light of the ongoing challenges facing the UK, the idea of Scottish independence seems unpalatable to many, but the news implies strong support. The Scottish government has recently published draft legislation for the holding of another referendum. Numerous polls suggest that a majority vote for independence would occur should this referendum go ahead. Although polls do not necessarily reflect what people will actually vote for at a particular moment in time, the political momentum for another referendum is growing. This pressure will be amplified should the SNP win a majority in the upcoming Scottish Parliamentary elections.
While this remains unclear, the Scottish Parliament may have the constitutional authority to legislate for another referendum without the involvement of the UK government and Parliament. This question can only be definitively settled with a ruling from the UK Supreme Court, one that might not come. Litigating this matter is not necessarily desirable. The courts afford deference to the Scottish Parliament, and there are reasons for being hesitant towards becoming entangled with, and potentially hindering, the legislative process of a democratically elected parliament.
If the current UK government opposes such a course of action, the ways in which the law may prevent the Scottish Parliament alone from legislating for a (non-binding) referendum will need to be clearly articulated. This would be a challenging case to make, because arguing that holding another referendum affects the UK assumes the potential result, which cannot be known in advance. The result of a referendum cannot retroactively determine the legality of holding it. And even if favouring independence, the force of such a result would be more political than legal. This is because the UK Parliament would need to become involved in order to give legal effect to that result, similar to how it was necessary in order to give legal effect to the EU referendum result.
Scotland could also attempt unilateral secession from the UK, which would arguably flout constitutional law and make the applicable international law more relevant. At present, Scotland satisfies all the international legal criteria for statehood, with one exception: it lacks the formal authority to enter into foreign relations, even though it has the literal ability to do so. Consequently, if Scotland demonstrated independence from UK authority in the course of conducting international relations, Scotland would be more likely recognised as a state by other states and international organisations. Furthermore, if voting at the UN General Assembly is anything to go by, we see no immediate reasons why other states would side with a UK position (assuming it opposed secession).
While becoming independent would have immediate economic costs, the long-term view suggests there are benefits. By contrasting Scotland and England to the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic’s ‘Velvet Divorce’, our research suggests that an independent Scotland will continue growing real GDP per capita despite higher trade costs. Following the ‘Velvet Divorce’ in 1993, the Czech and Slovak Republics faced additional border costs in their bilateral trade, not least because the Czech Republic kept the Czech Koruna, whereas the Slovak Republic adopted the Euro. By analysing the bilateral comprehensive trade costs from the ESCAP-World Bank Trade Cost Database, we note that for the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic’s trade costs have always been lower than Germany’s (which becomes the largest trading partner for both states post-independence). In 1995, trade costs between the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic were equivalent to 35%, whereas between the Czech Republic and Germany, trade costs were equivalent to 56%. The Slovak Republic presents with similar patterns in that trade costs between the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic have always been lower than trade costs between the Slovak Republic and Germany.
In the years post-independence, it is apparent that the Czech Republic substituted their exports and imports away from the Slovak Republic; the Slovak Republic did the same, substituting their exports and imports away from the Czech Republic, both in favour of Germany. Despite international trade rebalancing in favour of Germany, a trade partner with higher trade costs, real GDP per capita continued growing. It is contextually important to note that for the economically smaller state, the Slovak Republic quite quickly (over six or so years) substituted away from what was its much larger, more significant, export partner to what was a much smaller partner. That is to say, the Slovak Republic’s exports to Germany were nearly three times less than to the Czech Republic in 1993, but as of 2019, the Slovak Republic’s exports to Germany were nearly two times greater than to the Czech Republic. While the change was less significant regarding the Slovak Republic’s imports, the same shift occurred.
Extrapolating the above to England and Scotland, we look at key indicators of macroeconomic policy for Scotland (see Table 1) compared to the Czech and Slovak Republics. Where Scottish estimates could not be found or calculated, we include UK data as a proxy, included in square brackets. According to official statistics, Scotland’s current GDP increased steadily between 1998 and 2019, climbing from £85,204 million to £177,106 million (equivalent to 107.9% growth for the period, or 5% annually).
Regarding the available trade data between 2002 and 2018, Scotland’s export shares are relatively stable. In 2002, Scotland exported 23% to the EU, 18% to non-EU, and 58% to the rest of the UK. The rest of the UK’s share peaked in 2007 at 67%, when the EU received 16% and non-EU 17%. However, the rest of the UK’s share has tapered off since and as of 2018, was standing at 60% (with the EU receiving 19% and non-EU 21%). Since 2007, counterbalancing the downward trajectory of the rest of the UK’s share has been an increasing trend in Scotland’s non-EU trade, rising from 17% to 21% in 2018. Scotland’s top five international export destinations accounted for £15.1 billion of all exports in 2018, with the top five markets being the US, France, Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. The US remains Scotland’s top international export destination, accounting for an estimated £5.5 billion in 2018.
Moreover, Scotland’s exports to the EU grew by an average of 4% per year over the last five years, and since 2010, growth to the EU outpaced growth to the rest of the world and the rest of the UK by a significant margin. Scotland is not only becoming more economically integrated with the EU (see here), but seemingly also with non-EU partners. Scotland’s historic economic performance has been strong, which bodes well for a small, open and independent Scotland. With modest population growth alongside good GDP growth, supported by stable participation in international trade, it seems Scotland is in a far better initial condition than either the Czech or Slovak Republics, and can therefore expect similar (if not better) post-independence outcomes.
In light of long-run economic growth and stability, it might be worthwhile for Scotland to attempt entering into foreign relations with other states and international organisations if there was no cooperation from the UK to take forward another referendum result favouring independence. A key factor is that if the UK did not respect any future referendum result favouring independence, unilateral Scottish secession would become more legitimate, meaning international recognition of Scotland as an independent state would arguably be more likely. Although the UK currently respects the right of Scots to self-determination, this would no longer be the case if the UK did not take the appropriate steps to implement a referendum result favouring independence.
With regional stability in the interests of all parties, any referendum favouring Scottish independence should be enacted through a staged approach to secession in compliance with constitutional law to minimise the economic cost on the UK and Scotland. The rule of law should be at the heart of any Scottish secession to allow for the best possible economic outcomes for people in Scotland and the UK. Such a process also depends on the politics between the UK and Scottish governments being cooperative, open-minded, and transparent. Nevertheless, although political amicability between the UK and Scotland is preferable, it is not indispensable for Scotland to become independent and continue prospering thereafter, particularly if Scotland negotiates access to the EU single market.
Considering Scotland has all the necessary machinery in place to become an independent state, we see no obvious reasons why Scotland would not succeed economically if it were to do so, especially if achieved within the bounds of the law. Although our findings might be controversial to some, we hope to show that Scottish independence, while not inevitable, is far more nuanced a matter than many have claimed. There exist several options worth pursuing for the parties to this debate.
_______________________
Note: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, the Department for International Trade, or the UK Government.
About the Authors
Richard Mackenzie-Gray Scott is a Research Fellow at the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, British Institute of International and Comparative Law.
Geoffrey Chapman is an Economic Adviser at the Department for International Trade, UK Government.
Comments
I give a link to an archived version in my piece
Can’t access that one now Paul. Strangely….
It still loads OK for me
I’ll keep trying. Maybe the hamster deid at the interwebby wheel out here.
You could also try the version cached by google
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:rSIj8BcrkDIJ:https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/scottish-independence-cost/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
Google cache is now only showing the ‘update’ (article removed) version. The one in your post still works.
Some people can’t access the archive site if their DNS servers are Cloudfare. Changing DNS servers might make it work. I see it fine.
Just in case the archived copy mysteriously disappears too, I have put a copy on my website here http://glendiscovery.com/benefits_of_scottish_independence.html
You say this
“” This is because the UK Parliament would need to become involved in order to give legal effect to that result, similar to how it was necessary in order to give legal effect to the EU referendum result.“”
I think you are incorrect because you are only seeing it from one side , the UK parliamentary side , the UK parliament may well go on to declare a referendum result on Scottish independence illegal or invalid or only advisory but that matters not to Scotlands parliament if it decides to declare Scottish independence.
In the event of Holyrood declaring Scottish independence following a majority vote in favour of Scottish independence in a Scottish independence referendum it is quite likely that the UK government will reject Scottish independence even if Holyrood asks the UK government to support it either before or after Holyrood declares Scottish independence.
Quite unsurprising that this would happen given the UK government attitude towards Scotland in other matters in recent years.
Scotland in a union does not need UK Parliament permission to leave the union it does however need UK parliaments agreement if constructive and workable arrangements are to be made to enact separation of government business.
Getting agreement is all too often presented as getting permission by those with UK parliamentary eyes looking outwardly towards Scotland.
Scotland does bot need permission it merely seeks agreement.
Terence, that wasn’t WGD or Oliver, it was Richard Mackenzie-Gray Scott and Geoffrey Chapman, and it was in the context of potential UK court action to prevent a referendum, according to UK Law (as such), because in theory in UK Law, the result of the referendum would need the UK Parliament to implement it, and that’s what the UK Court would have to consider if it ruled on the referendum. It’s looking ahead in the only way it can look ahead – legally, not politically, nor internationally. So it’s BEFORE the ref.
But the article also considers means of implementing AFTER the referendum which don’t need the UK Parliament or UK Law.
Talking crap on here instead of Wings, these days?
An author of a well written and researched article, or you….tough call!
All referendums are “only advisory”, in resent history specifically the brexit referendum.
It is how governments choose to react to them that make changes to our lives or not as the case maybe.
They (governments) will react in the way which justifies their collective view of how things should be.
Now necessarily to the benefit of the plebiscite.
But usually to the class they perceive themselves to belong to.
Referendums are “advisory” only until they produce a result. It becomes almost impossible politically afterward to gainsay the result, as we saw with the “advisory” EU referendum. There’s a political “phase change” that afterward leaves discretion only in the manner by which the change is instituted. (Exceedingly maladroitly in the aftermath of the EURef, as it happened.)
The only alternative approach – which requires real states(wo)men who are hard realists besides, by no means easily found – is to see which way the wind is blowing, recognise the inherent inevitability, and thus agree a way forward in advance, thereby saving much time and agggravation, and incidentally preserving – maybe even advancing – their own reputations in the process, instead of the consequent loss of face that occurs when events force decisions unwillingly upon them anywat.
Somehow I can’t see English amour propre making a “velvet divorce” possible, at least yet, though there is increasing sentiment down south to either “get rid of these subsidy junkies”/”it’s wrong to keep them prisoners”. But a referendum result with a majority for “yes” makes independence unstoppable, whatever the legalistic niceties. (The niceties are dealt with afterwards merely as necessary face-saving.)
In effect the UK Supreme Court has already said that by implication. For the same reason, there will be no legal impediment to having a referendum that is properly constituted by the Scottish Parliament, because courts just won’t interfere with political choices.
Posted a response, but for some reason it has been {ahem} diverted, but in essence it said that whatever the legalistic niceties, the consequence of even an “advisory” referendum is to cause an irreversible political phase change, after which all that can be done is tidy up the niceties afterwards to conform with the new reality.
And that UK courts not only won’t overturn the results of a referendum, they won’t let themselves be used to suppress one either.
Interesting to note that the Slovaks introduced the Slovakian Koruna on day 1 of independence at par with the old Czechoslovakian Koruna
Nobody hounded them with demands to know what currency they would use
Well said. (Though in fact neither leadership even asked their country(wo)men about the whole business either, it was “done deal” over a phone call, IIRC. Fast and cheap. And nobody much seemed to object afterwards either. No wonder Mundell Snr. was nervous about the mention of that precedent.)
The LSE is too well respected by all so this report had to be *disappeared*
If difficulty getting it here its on talkingupscotland2
Thats just showing how gutless the English conservative government is of people finding out they been played for chumps all there lives.
Thanks for bringing that to our attention Paul. That´s a bobby dazzler for sure!!
@Pauline
I had to wait about five minutes before it would open up. Try again.
Thanks uno mas. Won’t load off mobile or desktop browser. I’ll keep at it.
Alternative 2 https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2021/04/03/here-is-the-lse-report-they-dont-want-you-to-read/
Thanks Bob.
I find this disappearance of a piece of research, undertaken by two remowned researchers, very concerning.
What other research has been disappeared from the masses because it doesn’t fit the ‘approved’ narrative?
What other research has been disappeared about other matters?
And, if anything even more concerning, why is the oh-so-fair ‘independent’ MSM not all over this like a dose of salts?
All part of englands propaganda war on Scotland
The taking down could be entirely innocent to amend or update something, or indeed a “jape” to wind up the “nationalists” or cause diversion, but given the London shower’s obsessive control over what the media says, all and any suspicions are fully justified.
On the subject of suspicion, perhaps the FT have been instructed to re-kindle the “Scots-too-poor” lines in a series examining the breaking up on the Union, nice to see Richard Murphy’s comprehensive demolition of it featured in the National.
Aye Right,
and tory spin on the black death is that it provided increased nutrients for the environment while reducing demand on resources.
🤣
My point remains, let’s not presume the “obvious” but take account of all eventualities 😉
Bob, is the FT that you mention the Financial Times? If so, they’re unlikely to toe the government line; their duty is to their readers – who are interested in making money. As such, the FT is a good news source because they have no interest in anything party political.
It is sad but unsurprising that an academic article which is positive about an independent Scotland should “disappear”.
Anyone who cares to make the valid comparison between Scotland and Denmark can see the potential of an independent Scotland. Both countries are in the same part of the world, they are of a similar size and have similar-sized populations. However it is Scotland – just about across the board but particularly in water and energy – that has the better and more abundant natural resources.
So how on earth does Denmark not only manage but do so very well when Scotland couldn’t – according to British Nationalists?
Scotland is, in fact, one of the most natural-resource rich countries in the world but try finding that salient fact on a London media platform when the prospect of an independent Scotland is being discussed.
I think this kind of comparison that you mention, John, is far more directly relatable to the everyday citizen than the blizzard of dubious economic statistics with which the BBC likes to bedazzle and bore their poor viewers. (Not accidenally, one suspects.)
Maybe what we should do, come IR2, is marshall a bunch of friendly Danish experts and ask them to state, from their home experience, “how would you fancy your prospects if you were instead running an independent Scotland?”…
What a good idea!
I lived in Denmark for 3 years. It was voted the happiest country in the world. It’s a great place with wonderful people…all 5 million. However it’s as flat as a billiard table and very rural. It doesn’t have spectacular mountains glens or lochs and therefore does not attract the levels of tourism that Scotland enjoys. Add that to the list of advantages Scotland has and I’m sure Scotland could challenge for happiest country in the world.
Test
The IFS is to provide reports on Holyrood, first time they have ever done this or it should be said the first time they have been asked/instructed to provide this information. The Institute for Fiscal Studies were given a lot of money during Indy 1 by various government departments to undermine Scotland’s finances. The treasury and the DWP were 2 of their major funders. Looks like Indy campaign has started early( have they ever stopped). So for the doubters indyref is happening and the party that got us here was the SNP led by Nicola Sturgeon.
The main point here is to copy the blog text to everyone on your email contact list. I have, even the Tories I know.
Three of the IFS prelim. reports are available on UKGov.org :
1. Too Wee !
2. Too Poor !
3. Too Stupid !
These have been passed forthwith to all media ourtlets and will appear on a Billboard near you in the very near future .
Further documented proof of these conclusion with a short explanation of the analysis undertaken can be had from Pro. Annie Wells at YoonsRus @ Anniewells for FM .
Lol😀
21 comments so far and no one has mentioned you know who or you know what. Great, keep it up.
Schweppes tonic?
Voldemort ?
The War?……..(Basil Fawlty).
No big deal. Westminster hiding stuff from the Scots, remember the McCrone report. Never heard any Scottish politician screaming and bawling about that. Looted 24/7/365. I would like to hear some Scottish politician constantly reminding people of the wealth that is being removed from us daily.
A large electronic billboard outside the Scottish parliament showing daily totals would be helpful.
Spot on wullie
But if there was a billboard there the britnats would be round with soldiers to take it down
or stick Union flegs all over it !
Better still. Project the looting figures on to that building in Edinburgh that the tories will be using to usurp the Scottish parliament. Must be people with the technical knowledge to do this anywhere on any surface all over Scotland
The parties of Westminster aren’t known for their warm fuzziness and understanding natures to be sure.
Something folk might want to consider. That is those folk who can bear to look back over the past six years. They fibbed. Conservative, Labour, Libdem, their assorted policy gonks, pro Westminster political support. All of them. They fibbed. Simple as that.
Some people might say that this is the nature of politics. That it’s a matter for the public to sort through exaggerations, fibbery, sheer dishonesty, misdirection, misrepresentation and then make a judgement call. Make a choice. Take a chance.
So…. A simple question for folks. How did that last judgement call work out for you?
Macart , well said , to be straight to the point , it cost lives too.
Whenever governments make bad decisions there is always money involved , always.
And the most common way governments save money involves loss of life always.
Whether its bombing some poor ill equipped for war ,country ( usually in the middle east ) to destroy their government , organisation and ability to resist theft of their oil and other resources or reducing spend on internal service provision such as health housing education
You can be guaranteed that the individuals involved are making money themselves.
The house of lords the upper house is the place where they go for reward of good service to englands parliament.
What is the reward you wonder , well in the main you get to know law before its enacted fantastic perk if you want to invest in a company worth zilch that will soon be worth zillions and all those contacts , you know the ones , people from other countries who magically get a british passport and a seat in the house of lords the very next day , you could say that their multi million pound global business has nothing to do with it but you would be wrong.
The place is full of them , in fact thats the main purpose of the place , to give advice and look after the interests of british business .
Well said
Can one of you techie Duggers mock up theBrit Nat;’s ‘Back Three’. snaps of Thatcher, Rape Clause, and The Linesman astride their Tanks?
Now that would be a billboard…
Latest Covid.
Scottish numbers: 3 April 2021
Summary
397 new cases of COVID-19 reported
21,560 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results – 2.1% of these were positive
0 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive
2,535,889 people have received the first dose of the Covid vaccination and 434,941 have received their second dose
We’re getting there despite Dross Sarwar Rennie Salmond and Galloway.
More later on Indyref1 Scottish Affairs Committee 13 Scottish Referendum Papers and lies fed into the Project Fear nonsense by every Civil Service Department.
They got gongs for defending the Union, you know.
We Jocks are considered enemies of the Brit State; fact.
You may remember that Iain Davidson, who chaired this 100% Unionist Committee, demanded that BAE contracts at Govan and Rosyth be cancelled and the work moved to England, as did Liar Carmichael, and Davidson declared that they should bayonet the wounded if and when Yes lost.
disgusting little toad.
Carmichael even visited Portsmouth and declared that this town would be ‘best placed’ to take over the BAE work if we voted YES.
Make that two disgusting little toads.
Be in no doubt, the UK civil service is a wing of the Brit Nat Oligarchy..
We are the enemy.
Let’s start remembering that, every time they open their mouths on the BBC SKY and STV.
This is war…
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a now 60+ Female.
If this is the campaign starting, let’s hope we can all start pulling together instead of trashing each other as is currently happening
This isn’t the only blog I read, or comment on, but I am now thoroughly fed up of going onto twitter (where I have posted for a good few years) and being leapt on by people I thought I were kindred spirits
Even when people have launched their wrath on me because I might not be intending to vote as they have told me to, I always try and say “Listen, we’re on the same side – I want independence as much as you, can we just agree on that ?” but no, I am told yet again that I’m not a yesser, not of the independence faithful, I must be a unionist.
Remember George W Bush on terrorism : If you’re not with us, you’re against us ?
Maybe when it becomes clear to everyone that This Is It we might all start looking towards the common enemy, and it’s not each other
Good points Mollys Mum.
Lets face it for most of us mere mortals its not been easy to know what to believe and what not to believe in Scotlands politics, everywhere you go there is someone saying one thing and someone else saying no its not true its something else and then you get a pile on of people taking sides and quickly it sinks into insults.
Personally i do not take someone else,s political decision as a personal insult to me , everyone has to make their own decision, thats fair , i totally understand people who vote tory because they think their savings or property value or business will be protected better , i dont think they are protected any better but i do understand peoples fears in that respect.
I also understand Labour voters who think a Labour government will return that prioritises jobs and pay and housing , social security and a good NHS but i think they are going to be disappointed its never going back to that.
Peoples views are built over a lifetime coloured by parents and friends and how life works out for them so its understandable that we are not all the same.
Discussion is good .
Well Alba have certainly set off plenty of discussion as of late 🙂
Self-awareness is a funny old thing, Mr Callachan. A lot of people seem to lack it.
Possibly JoMax, but perhaps they have awareness of everyone else 😀
I was reading bright green the magazine for the green party in england & wales , Scotland , Ireland , NI.
Stories and reports about the greens in each of these countries.
A particular story that interested me was the one about the greens in Scotland deciding last year to have two leaders instead of one , thats unusual i wonder why ? what happens if they cant agree what decision is made ?
They also decided that from now on one leader must be female and one male..
The story about the greens for england and wales also interested me , they voted in favour of GRE and decided their policy is that not only should people be allowed to choose their gender but they should only have to make a personal declaration to do so , no legal work or papers involved furthermore they decided that they should be able to change their documents including birth certificates and marriage certificates without legal recourse.
I am agreeable to personal freedom to choose gender it does not worry me i do not agree with those who see danger to women everywhere with this but i do draw a line at being able to change a birth certificate .
It made me wonder what the greens in Scotland decided , do they have the same policy i know they favour GRE review they have a fairly large LGBTQ membership.
The point i raise here is that people are assuming that the greens are a safe bet for Scottish independence but theyre not if they hold the Scottish government to ransom on policies that the SNP would not normally uphold.
I have tried to find out if the greens policy differs from the greens in england and wales on this but cant find clarity
Perhaps someone here knows
So many people have lost their cautious approach to the greens since 2016
Perhaps if you stopped wondering rather than attempting to promote Alba by dint of rubbishing all reasoned opponents you might make a case ? PS- Is this a commission based assignment ?
Thus far you appear to have bored everyone silly with innuendo over Alba, but your “So many people have lost their cautious approach to the greens since 2016” is frankly priceless for a party barely a week old with SFA by way of history or even a manifesto…
Angry Bob , have you read bright green ?
The last refuge of the scoundrel, to accuse another of anger to evade answering the question, as exemplified by multiple Tories throughout history.. Has the veil suddenly dropped or were you merely pressing your latest Alba obsession ?
The world is changing, just because some don’t want it to change won’t stop it happening, when gay people’s rights were recognised then it was inevitable that other groups of people would want the same thing and no matter how small or large a group they may be space must be found in law to accommodate their needs or the world goes backwards to when it was a crime to be different and that’s the British way, not the modern way, the world is changing and we all have to learn to change with it or become like Tory dinosaurs, and those against modern change sound just like Britnats no matter what colour you put on it
Interesting point made in the now vanished article was that after the Velvet Divorce the Czech Republic and Slovakia looked to grow their economy through external trade . In their case mainly trade with Germany.
The SG has already started this process by increasing Scotlands US exports and particularly EU exports. The rUK still remains the largest export market for Scottish goods but if you look at the export figures to the EU you will see that they have grown year on year over the last few years and usually by a larger percentage than exports to rUK.
This is no accident but part of the SG’s forward planning in advance of independence. The trade hubs set up in Paris, Brussels and Berlin have contributed to this increase in our exports to the EU.
This growth demonstrates the diversity of the Scottish Economy. Makes it harder to claim we are reliant on oil and gas.
–The policy also strengthens the current economy and prosperity now. An important prerequisite to give people confidence that an independent Scotland can be successful in economic terms.
–It means the economy is more resilient thus able to better weather the economic hit that will follow independence AND ensure it is as short term as possible.
–The trade hubs also mean that Scotland has a constant presence in Europe in some pretty important capitals.
So quite a bit of forward planning and preparation for independence has gone into it.
Brexit has thrown a bit of a spanner in the works given its damaging effect on trade to the EU. However, the very fact that Brexit has hit Scotland’s growing trade with the EU just makes the case for independence.
The SG has done more forward planning and preparation for independence than some people are prepared to acknowledge.
Ironic that the academics should choose Czechoslovakia to compare us with. Then the paper disappears suspiciously with a hint of Westminster interference. It reminds me of Heydrich’s advice on subjugating the Czech people in the interests of the Reich.
Of the project to “Germanize” Czechoslovakia, Heydrich said:
deprive the people of their national consciousness
treat them as a tribe and not a nation
dilute their national pride
do not teach their history
propagate their language as inferior
imply they have a cultural void
emphasize their customs are primitive
dismiss independence as a barbaric anomaly
Ironic that the academics should choose Czechoslovakia to compare us with. Then the paper disappears suspiciously with a hint of Westminster interference. It reminds me of Heydrich’s advice on subjugating the Czech people in the interests of the Reich.
Of the project to “Germanize” Czechoslovakia, Heydrich said:
deprive the people of their national consciousness
treat them as a tribe and not a nation
dilute their national pride
do not teach their history
propagate their language as inferior
imply they have a cultural void
emphasize their customs are primitive
dismiss independence as a barbaric anomaly
Agreed Legerwood , i have seen various local councils in Scotland sending business missions to Denmark , Norway , Sweden , Finland in recent years although covid has stopped it in its tracks.
The British state, liars ,thieves and clowns. They will do anything and everything to stop independence.Scotland will not be given independence, Scotland needs to take independence.
Oh do pray tell, how exactly in your mind is “Scotland” going to “take independence” that “will not be given”?
But of course you mean voting in a majority for it, don’t you?
Or you have a cunning plan of your very own that doesn’t have majority backing, perhaps…?
A short explanation on why it’s an imperative that the SNP get our first and second votes,
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10223647775517829&id=1094823767
I vote snp2 the vote gets divided by 9 or 10 = 0.11 of a vote before it’s counted = wasted. Instead I’ll vote for a different pro Indy party, vote = 1.00.
Ok, you read it, but you didn’t understand it.
So you’re convinced, in advance, that you know what the divisor will be in every region 5 weeks ahead of the vote?
There are only two pro Indy parties, SNP and Greens none of the others who say they are pro Indy have so far been proven to be so, no vote is wasted, Westminster counts every one of them and a vote not for the SNP is counted as a vote against the SNP and after every single election Westminster proudly proclaims if the vote share has gone down for the SNP that Scotland is anti Independence, no person or party can change that no matter what they say
My question above was of course rhetorical. The past six years have been nothing short of hellish for everyone in the populations of these islands. The failures of Westminster central government have been many, loud and public. The loss of jobs, rights, life chances and lives nothing short of appalling in the extreme.
Their many narratives, their manipulations of public perception and opinion coming home to roost in the very worst possible way. Trust in major institutions, politics, even each other, is at an all time low. They did it to themselves and they did it to us. People let it happen because they put the management and administration of our affairs in hands not worthy to wash their feet. The end result of the tail wagging the dog.
I may have bored folk silly previously by stating what I consider to be the job of any government, but it never hurts to go over it one more time. Their job is to put a roof over our heads, a crust on the table, keep us safe and provide a caring pair of hands when we fall down and need a help up. We pay them well. We give them power and responsibility in equal measure. We give them a reason for being. (NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND). It’s not about accidents of geography. The rocks and trees don’t make or indeed wave flegs. They’ll be here long after our sorry butts are gone. We create the country. We are the country and Scotland is a state of mind.
Some folk would consider the current situation to be a broken mess. They’d have a point tbf. But it can be fixed and we can fix it.
A wee bit of trust and wee bit of hope can go a long way y’know.
Well said Macart. Westminster shows the very opposite of good leadership. We have the right to replace a bad leader with one who is capable of defending us.
Pretty much.
But it’s not just about defending us. It’s about caring for us. For caring about everyone in their population.
Currently and historically, the state of our politics ensures that populations are divided/fractured into demographics which have been polarised and conditioned to vote along social train tracks according party political leanings. This is reinforced through both governmental and media/corporate narrative.
The nanosecond people view central government and its subsequent actions as a reflection of themselves? I’m guessing quite a few folk who thought themselves otherwise reasonable, broadminded and peaceful might start to see the other shoe dropping on what’s been done in their name. They might even start to think along the lines of ‘not in my name’.
There’s a lot of mess out there at the moment Capella. A lot of pain, fear, frustration, anger and uncertainty. Folk want someone to blame and someone to sort it out and make it go away. They already know how to make it go away. They also know who is to blame and who is responsible (not entirely the same thing).
Probably time the dog started wagging it’s own tail. 😉
Col -no vote is wasted if you vote for what you believe. Since none of us can predict how the voting options of our fellow voters will work out there are probably a few areas where voting may be influence on how your 2nd vote goes. Green maybe be of benefit based on their base vote for the rest snp 1 or 2 is the best bet including southern Scotland
I note there was a terrible attack on police in Washington DC, USA- bbc all over it.
What the State broadcaster has ignored in Scotland , Wales, England are the Unionists attacks on HM police in Northern Ireland. Over 27 injured police on Friday alone. Violence tonight will add more. Why is the so called supporters of the union attacks not discussed?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-56627609
Seems to me the suppression of news by the state broadcaster is not new but in particular the violence of unionists is less worthy of reporting than the violence seen recently to that of Bristol, England?
Why is that BBC?
Today I was given a new flag to take with me for whenever we can march again for Independence,
that flag is the flag of Estonia which I will proudly display along with my Saltire so that when people ask me which country it represents I can tell them a tiny little country of less then 2.3 million souls who went through occupation by the USSR then Russia then the Nazis before they managed to take their Independence and are now one of the most successful little countries in the world due to embracing digital technology because they had nothing else close to the natural abundance of resources of the potential economic powerhouse that is Scotland and they’re not afraid of anything
Estonia covers an area of 17.462 sq miles, that’s a little over half the physical size of Scotland
Oh and btw if there is ever to be a Covid passport take a guess at which country is to be tasked with delivering the technology for it, and guess who’s working on it right now just in case
Yep!
Yep, too wee too poor but not so bloody stupid….
As it’s late-ish thought I could sneak in a wee …on a lighter note :
Saw this tweet from an SNP supporter on Twitter :
“When you have a message on Facebook saying “you don’t understand how Hollywood works” …. and you reply … I think you mean “Holyrood” … and get the reply “NO… I mean Hollywood … don’t get funny with me” …. what can you do … apart from laugh and laugh and block…”
Poor woman ……she failed to achieve a meeting of the minds…..
As the song goes….
Hooray for Holy..rood….That screwy, ballyhooed Holy…rood……Lol
😉
Something tells me that person’s not who they say they are if they don’t know the difference between the two, more likely to be of the Sedgefield or Russia today branches of the E,es e,en pee tovarich
Quite Dr Jim…….OR
May be a Tory supporter whose favourite colour is orange…….perhaps….
I believe some of them even pronounce ‘W’ as wubble yoo….so quite feasible they think that it is Hollywood ..
I’m sure they also have their ‘own’ version of the song ‘There’s No business like show business’ with their version, which they also think is correct,…THEIR words being…”There’s NO business like NO business like NO business I…NO”…..(as they are definite No’s for sure)…..
Then they add on their own words at the end ..”in …HOLLYWOOD”…. 😉
New Panelbase poll on JK’s site (Scot goes Pop).
This is a pretty good article from Sturgeon in the National, at around 10pm Saturday.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/19209067.nicola-sturgeon-it-essential-take-right-path-independence/
Key thing on timing is this:
“I believe we need independence in order to effect the kind of sustained and sustainable recovery which is vital, and that is why I believe there should be a referendum within the first half of the next parliamentary term.
I’ve been clear there will only be a referendum once the Covid crisis has passed. We will be responsible and put the public interest first, unlike the Tories who ploughed ahead with Brexit despite the pandemic.”
I still think “Covid crisis has passed” needs more clarification, but perhaps we’ll get that just before postal ballots arrive in our letter boxes!
I think that’s fairly clear, at the moment we’re almost through the crisis part and entering a holding pattern of readiness should the virus reoccur in some different unmanageable strain taking us backwards, if cases remain sustainably low along with mortality rates then I reckon most folk would agree the crisis will have reduced to an epidemic level similar to that of yearly flu controlled by vaccination which is something we live with on a normal ongoing basis, I remember Prof Jason Leitch describing such an end scenario we might have to live with until the poorer parts of rest of the world catch up, which is likely they will pretty quickly given the amount and varieties of vaccine becoming available and the Pharma companies reasonable pricing behaviour so far
It’s a bit of a crossed fingers on the Pharma companies for that, but I suppose given that you can’t sell expensive drugs to people not alive it would seem sensible to try to keep them in that state
Mo people mo disease mo drugs mo money, the big Pharma motto
That’s exactly the definition of “Covid crisis has passed” I would think it would be 🙂
The EU are saying that astrazeneca have been rather sneeky signing contracts to supply EU with vaccine and signing contracts with UK to supply vaccine but then sent the batch manufactured for the EU , to the UK who paid some extra money , the EU are furious and are now saying they will not allow any more vaccine manufactured in EU to be exported to UK.
The EU are saying that the UK plan to give first doses to everyone is backfiring now because very few second doses have been given in UK compared to other european countries they are also saying that the UK will fail to vaccinate everyone with the second dose within 13 weeks because they do not have enough vaccine.
In USA the govt still refuse to authorise astrazeneca vaccine because the evidence the company provided about efficacy was false and out of date , to make matters worse the production site in USA that astrazeneca have chosen is a shared site with johnson & johnson and checks by USA health authorities have just shut down the astrazeneca production side because they found elements of the johnson and johnson vaccine in the astrazeneca vaccines they tested.
15 million astrazeneca vaccines have been impounded by USA health authorites and destroyed.
The plant is to be johnson&johnson only from now on.
Canada have decided they will not give astra zeneca vaccine to under 50s
EU say the EU have sent 70 million vaccines to poor countries around the world they say the UK has sent none overseas.
The Times article on the panelbase poll published today.
https://archive.ph/tv0Qu
See “Shite over Scotland” back on to full anti FM mode, doing all it can just like the MSM to attempt to destroy the SNP. Still poll details seem good, however the SNP need to gain a majority on their own and it looks as if it’s going to be tight.
Tom Gordon who doesn’t care for us Independent types at all completely rubbished the Guru’s nonsense over missing money and police visits to the FMs house, he mocked it by saying “a man told another man that something happened that the first man made up, that’s Wings in a nutshell”
He keep’s ending his so called articles with statements like ” I’ll leave readers to make their own minds up” or “we’ll be interested to see how this or that turns out” leaving readers to think he knows something, which is true, he does, he knows he just made more stuff up for the faithful to gobble up and he doesn’t have to prove jack sh*t and later claim it was all a cover up by the entire world who’s backing Nicola Sturgeon because the rest of the world is evil too and against his truth
that except for the hair is Donald Trump rhetoric
Alex and the Albas are at the same games, although I do prefer Martha and the Vandellas
Oh Good God, the “police complaint” was by Sean Clerkin.
You are in a maze of twisty little passages all alike with a straitjacket and mask.
“Mmgmgrbdjkww”
Jimbo Murphy laughs.
You mean Agent Clerkin ?
Did you know Clerkin once stood outside the FMs house for hours one night with a megaphone shouting abuse at her before the cops came and took him away, the funny part was the FM didn’t know a thing about it because she wasn’t at home, it was her neighbours who called the cops
Sean Clark in is a moron who has upset practically every organisation he has been involved in
Except Wings …
Bit rich from someone who used his crowdfunder, allegedly for the cause of independence, on a private vanity prosecution and ended up giving most of his last begging bowl paying a unionist lawyers bill. He does seem to retain the trust of these devotees those, I wonder if his next crowdfunder the gift will be a pair of donkeys ears to wear.
Seems like the ALBA Party has come up with a new strategy to maximise the Yes vote. Grassing the SNP to the Polis.
Well the Six Hundred Grand is either there or it isn’t, it matters not a jot who “grassed them to the polis”.
What matters is whether Police Scotland decide to charge somebody for wasting police time and in the current circumstances there’s a new law they can use for people who engage in this sort of thing to facilitate that, among other things they can now use that law for
Quite correct, if the £600k has been properly accounted for and salted away, intact, in a legal manner, then yes the person referred to should be pursued for wasting police time, I completely agree.
If however on the other hand…
Accusation without evidence is the same as ambiguity which in law always benefits the accused, which is literally treated the same as slander or libel without necessity of disclosure by the accused
Wingsy was never in the army so wouldn’t even make it as a barrack room lawyer
What seems to be most important to Unionists is to (attempt to) inflict as much damage as possible to the SNP before the vote.
Well according to the National The Proclaimers are supporting Alba. I thought they would have more sense than that but clearly they don’t care that the other Indy parties could be damaged by Alba just as much if not more than the Unionist lot and the Alba leader is less popular in Scotland than Bojo the idiot
Eilidh , you keep saying this but are you not seeing that more and more people support ALBA as the days go bye.
ALBA was only launched 26th march 2021 eleven days ago
Perhaps we should all make our own choices
And be happy that other Scottish independence supporters are doing the same thing
Terence you might be happy that a political party supported by the Bathistan seer and his gang of haters and lead by a former FM with a seriously damaged reputation may be gaining support but I never will be that is my opinion and it will continue to be the case. Meanwhile you have been touting Alba on here for days to the annoyance of some posters. I expressed my surprise that the Proclaimers a band that I like have made a decision to believe the Alba propaganda. Alba is apparently beating the Libdems in membership numbers wow I am stunned by that- NOT. We will see how they get on in the election at the end of the day that is the only poll that counts
My concern, probably repeated ad nauseamby now, is that they do well enough to lose the SNP and/or Greens much-needed pro-indy seats while not gaining any themselves (except possibly the Great Leader himself as a very long shot).
Then afterwards they will blame everyone but themselves for the wrecking of everyone’s hopes for an IR2.
That is a major part of my worry too.
Apparently they got a phone call on the let’s line up some celebrity backing basis, a legitimate card to play except if you’re under 25 years old “what’s a proclaimer”? Gran, “oh they were like a sort of Jedward but Scottish” but you’re right I thought they would have more sense to see through this
Margo MacDonald’s daughter is married to one of the proclaimers. Link with Jim Sillars
That’s right I had forgotten about that. I always thought they were into supporting the Labour Party until a few years ago as they always seemed quite socialist to me (nothing wrong with socialism) but they are a good band though
It’s a shame Fran and Anna are no longer around, mind you with all those curly locks it could be more than some men’s willpower could take.
Jedward but Scottish lol
Looks like ALBA strategy of slagging the SNP is working. Latest poll shows them on 6% with 2% drop in SNP constituency vote. Anymore movement like that will see SNP seats tumbling.
I will vote SNP constituency
I will vote ALBA on LIST
I love Scotland and the SNP and my heroes are NS and AS
Aye good for you, but that poll indicates that either one third of ALBA voters will vote Unionist or their slagging has suppressed the SNP vote.
You’re reading way too much into the margin of error in a poll, if the polls you are referring to are even by the same company.
Much as I would like the SNP to take 65 constituency seats I see it as unlikely, they have 59 just now, 61 to 63 seems most likely to me. That’s why I believe we need SNP on both votes, try and pick up enough for a majority without relying on other parties I see as either unreliable or based on a falsehood.
We don’t need “heroes”, we need achievers. There’s only one of those on your shortlist (unless you call “making trouble and generating distraction” an achievement).
There is a 2% INCREASE for SNP in the constituency vote since last panellbase poll month not a decrease. SNP constituency vote stable.
If it’s a true reflection of percentages, only another 2% more and Indy’s off
No it doesn’t, it shows SNP +2% on the constituency vote, why make things up?
https://scotgoespop.blogspot.com/
Depends on what Polls your comparing😉
Considering the ALBA party have now resorted to grassing the SNP to the Polis leading to headlines in Unionist papers, much to the delight of everyone in Wingland. A few more points of SNP constituency vote means the games a bogie.
As demonstrated by its actions the intention of the ALBA party was never a supermajority, that’s just a handy catchphrase. It’s sole intention is to depose Sturgeon, no matter the cost to Scotland’s Independence movement,sad.
Nicola Sturgeon under no circumstances will co operate with Alex Salmond no matter what % he gets, she doesn’t trust a word he says and she among all of us knows the whole truth, Salmond will never get so much as a how do you do out of her or any SNP folk, so if anyone hopes Independence might depend on Salmond’s % it just won’t happen
Trouble in Northern Ireland flared again last night 27 police injured , petrol bombs thrown.
Why ?
Brexit imposing border restrictions at ports in Northern Ireland that were agreed by UK govt and EU are apparently causing difficulties in Northern Ireland shops , produce from UK mainland is being held up.
PLUS
Last summer an Irish politician died and the funeral was attended by 2000 people including a couple of dozen Northern Irish politicians of the non unionist persuasion.
The courts decided that nobody will be prosecuted for attending the funeral and the unionists are furious about it , they therefore decided to set fire to cars and throw petrol bombs at the police.
All this was predictable
Boris Johnston and M Gove lied when they said brexit would not mean a border between mainland GB and NI
Trouble in ALBA Party. Brian Topping, ALBA Party candidate for NE Scotland, who campaigned for Brexit, struggles to explain what benefits have come since Brexit.
One benefit…got Brian Topping out of the SNP….now that’s a Brexit bonus.
Mind you he did actually say there has been a benefit to fisherman since Brexit….but think he meant the fish in our waters…as they are now able to go forth ( not literally to the Forth) and multiply…
Thus as JR Mogg says Fish are now happy who swim in UKnotOK waters….irrespective of their Fish Nationality…..the Unionist fish are those that CARP from the sidelines as opposed to the lines of fishermen……and I believe the KIPPER ones are happy since UKnotOK officially left the EU….allegedly.
Yes correct Terence…my hubby watched report on BBC news today…he mentioned that they offset this by mentioning Sinn Fein were criticised, as in those who attended a funeral, as too many people attended as per Covid rules…
The BBC….Loyalists (Unionists) rioting …violence….let’s offset it with some……….oh I know let’s have some #SinnFeinBad……..Funeral attendance….to mourn a death and celebrate life of someone who has died………..
Reminds me of that picture the Scum took of FM at a funeral (and mentioned on TV news)…sans mask….but very much socially distanced and it was at post funeral service ……however they did not use or mention the picture of Michael Gove coming out of a sandwich shop…sans mask…..
Transparent indeed…….
@ Me 5.45pm…..Reply to Terence Callachan comment at 1.55pm today.
Also apologies to everyone…including site owner, for what is unquestionably an excessive amount of comments on this blog today by ME……will cut back…honest.
I’m nobody, just another enthusiast like you, but impressed by your work ethic! {laugh} Have you considered starting your own blog, even? (said at least half-seriously) We could do with more pro-indy bloggers right now with their feet firmly planted in terra firma like you.
As far as UK politics goes, I must confess I used to get as involved as you, but I really can’t be bothered these days (even though some of it still impacts, and sometimes rather intrusively). Largely because I have given up on believing there is anything I or anyone else can do to change anything about that any time soon. It is this realisation of intractable immobility – utter fossilisation in the interests of very few – that has made me an independence supporter. (And made life a whole lot simpler as well {grin}) Hence my negative reaction eg. to the 70-s retroactivists on AUOB marches who still chant “Tories out”. (“out” from where, exactly?) These days that’s a purely Unionist concern.
Maybe that’s just me having moved on, whereas highlighting these matters might still have an effect on (say) concerned Labourite or LibDim passers-by, and finally convince them that the UK gemme’s a bogie – worth trying thus, as indyref2 would no doubt advise, but I suspect that most are still too well entrenched in their own entitlement to be swayed. My feeling is that most ordinary voters’ concerns are very different, and that they are far more willing to contrast the evident competence of their government close at hand with the distant bumblers for whom they have never voted but who got foisted on them anyway.
Hi Grizebard….You are very diplomatic re describing my excessive comments as “my work ethic”….personally I think sometimes it could be, at best, described more as manic than dedicated….Lol
If I wrote a blog it would be taken down within three days.. maybe even only last three hours Lol….plus every article I wrote would give War And Peace a run for it’s money….I don’t do concise….as you have probably noticed…..Lol
I do know what you mean in that it sometimes does feel like you, not you personally Lol, are having no real impact in the grand scheme of things re Independence debate…. and that whenever you DO get involved or support something it seems as if it fails to greatly change things….or move things along at a faster pace.
However I am sure that you are only to well aware…..that apathy and despondency is what Unionists want….for us to be disheartened and to lose faith and hope….and ultimately begin to abandon the reality that we will ever get independence for Scotland.
We always knew that they, the Unionists, would never make it easy for us….but the more they try to wear us down the stronger our resolve becomes….and that is something they can never understand or hope to overcome….they are more used to sheeple who gobble up everything that is fed to them via Tory Govt. and MSM…..especially the trashy right wing press.
As you say people who drop into sites such as this can get another perspective that the MSM fails to report on…..as to AUOB marches…well that is important too because it shows us like minded citizens of Scotland, and those other people not yet quite committed, that the movement and the real impetus to get independence is still at the forefront of Scottish politics…..I agree the chanting of “Get Tories out” is not required on these marches…because that I assume is a given….so better to chant positive messages.
What to do in the meantime….apart from campaigning for the SNP and then for independence.
Well for now there is lots of ways to try and persuade undecided peeps….i.e. attending Indy marches, writing comments on blogs such as this, being well prepared if lucky enough to get on a politics debate programme as an audience member ( prepared as in anticipating usual Unionist attacks and have arguments to counter theirs plus highlighting their failures), writing letters to newspapers on failings and duplicity of UKnotOK political parties, persuading friends, work colleagues and relatives via giving them information they are unaware of and referring them to sites such as this and Indy friendly Twitter accounts to get the news they are NOT getting via MSM……Petra is good at also providing links on here to accounts and articles some would otherwise not visit that supports what we all say on here….but more importantly voting for Indy political parties like the SNP is the first REAL step to getting independence…..and also a big plus is that now many more people who were formerly No’s have converted to Yes….because of a UKnotOK Brexit policy and they are ALL noticing much more than just the Brexit fiasco….forced on us all by the Tories UKnotOK party.
BTW what you say below **** that I copied and pasted is 100% accurate and far more eloquent than I could ever phrase it….all the Unionist politicians can criticise the Scottish government on supposed failings in their domestic policies until the cows come home …however if the people who live in Scotland and who use public services do not recognise or believe the picture being painted by Unionist politicians then they will continue to vote for and support the SNP…also they know what the alternative is….and tis a case of the Pot calling the Kettle black.
Life experience has taught me one thing ( well more actually Lol but in respect to this issue) and that is if you are not considered a threat then you are ignored…it’s only when you are seen as a threat and that your position is viable…..then they know they have to fight you…and Unionists NEVER fight fairly and the Tories NEVER make an effort unless they recognise it as a threat……also if they, the Unionists, did fight fairly well they would never win anything would they….Lol
Your quote below :
***
“My feeling is that most ordinary voters’ concerns are very different, and that they are far more willing to contrast the evident competence of their government close at hand with the distant bumblers for whom they have never voted but who got foisted on them anyway”.
****
Have a good evening…..that’s me finished for a few days…no more hogging this site.
Well there is Think Tanks and then there is THINK TANKS….some Think Tanks are obviously not the right kind of Think Tanks and others obviously are….indeed some Think Tanks founders can reach giddy heights….they can be given a platform on TV to review papers, be part of a panel on a programme discussing politics and thus allowed to give THEIR opinions based on what THEY believe and more importantly try to get us to believe…..then they become a Brexit Party MEP in the last moments of UKnotOK’s membership of the EU…..and finally be nominated and receive…the ultimate BritNat honour to join the unelected, unnecessary and very expensive ,to the public, HOL…Arise Baroness Claire Fox…….and continue to be invited onto TV to spew your subjective one sided opinions….your new title will ensure that your continued presence on political programmes is to be perceived and welcomed by the public as being totally legitimate….for some anyway.
There has been an avalanche of Think Tanks formed……most have and are being given a platform courtesy of MSM via television ……a lot are not identified as right wing Think Tanks, thus exposing the fact that their opinion is not an impartial or indeed a politically independent one, thus with that it is also never established who funds them….and why founded in the first place.
Take Kate Andrews…..she was part of another Think Tank…The Institute of Economic Ideas….and was another one who regularly reviewed the papers via press reviews on both SKY and the BBC, was a panel member on BBC QT and also various other political programmes….she is now with ….The Spectator……say no more……it seems that all, or at least a majority , of roads for many Think Tank members lead to another branch of the Right wing movement…..as in the right wing media….it does make you wonder why someone like Andrew Neil was employed by the supposedly impartial BBC (no laughing at the back) when it was so obvious his major involvement with the right wing media….as in the fact that he was and still is but another individual….. in the ever increasing avalanche of Tory press mouthpieces unleashed upon the public who promote Tory policies while undermining other political parties and movements ….some unsuspecting members of the public are influenced and others, like us, are not… we on here are totally clued up to their antics and tactics and are fully aware of the political persuasions of chancers like Andrew Neil.
It is NO coincidence that specific individuals are given a public platform via the MSM to opine on politics……and it is also no coincidence that many of these individuals use these platforms to influence people’s opinion and reinforce Tory policies such as Brexit…..while also allowed to voice their uninformed opinions on both the SNP and Scottish Independence….it’s almost as if they are but subdivisions of the Tory government. …and it is NO coincidence that others who do not support right wing Tory policies…indeed support independence…are shut down and their opinions and facts are supressed …..there is only ONE opinion that is sought and given a platform in the UKnotOK and that is those sympathetic and supportive of Tory and right wing politics…..hence why we need, as a country, to leave before further rot sets in….Now is The Time…as in THIS term of next SNP Scottish government.
BTW….I heard Liz Truss ( Tory Sec for International Trade) had secured another Trade Deal …..from Monte Cristo….their trade envoy was the Count of Monte Cristo….the deal was to have been signed….but it has now fallen through…as Liz wrote to the Count but unfortunately in the letter that she wrote to the Count she missed out the letter ‘O’ in his title…thus offended, the Count has advised his fellow Cristioans to reject the trade deal…..well it can happen to anyone …but happens mostly to Tories…..the word FAIL should come after their party name….just ask DRoss he is now realising that……..while tactically posturing by standing on a military vehicle….. for reasons that are apparently significant to no one BUT Tories ……a carbon copy of Tank Commander Davidson….who was and still is a failure but rewarded for failure a La Tory way….. by slinking off to the HOL courtesy of her new best friend Boris Johnson…..Brenda from Bristol says….”Not another one”.
You’ll never guess which Scottish politician was invited to join the Andrew Neil team of slanderers and liars if his bid to topple another Scottish politician was successful, and that was around 6 weeks ago, yep, got it in one
Yep Dr Jim…join the dots……every little bit helps it seems…..useful idiots to the Union always welcome….all to STOP independence………you know that supposed unwanted thing …..Scottish independence…. that apparently no one living in Scotland wants ….yet Unionists seem to be ably displaying that the opposite seems to be the case……in their endless campaigning against it and constant references to it….almost as if they know that a majority of those living in Scotland do actually WANT it…… ;)…..first they come for Nicola Sturgeon then they hope the rest will fall and thus independence dies……aye right….I don’t bloody think sooooooo Brillo….need a new pad.
Talking of the Union and independence …when oh when will that poll on the Union that was ordered and implemented by Tory ex MP David Lidington be eventually revealed as in released…..Tommy Sheppard SNP MP was , at the time, on the case re that, but his pleas for results to be revealed were rebuffed…..apparently the results were…to be supressed…..”Not another one”….says Brenda from Bristol…..
It seems that under the Tory Brexit UKnotOK, courtesy of Bojo’s Tory gang, the plan is to continue to be less open and transparent on matters that contradicts what they falsely INSIST and try to BRAINWASH you into thinking is the actual reality and the truth….get Anas Sarwar onto it….he wants governments to be held to account and “faith” and “Trust” to be reinstated …..oops sorry that is only ONE particular government…as in the one he does not like…the other unionist one can continue as normal….with his Union loving blessing.
Richard Murphy:- ‘Writing for The National.’
..”I am pleased to say that I have been invited to write a weekly comment column for The National which will usually be due out on Friday or Saturday each week.”..
http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2021/04/03/writing-for-the-national/
…………………………………..
‘Orbital O2 On Target For April Launch In Orkney.’ (2 videos)
”Orbital O2, the world’s most powerful tidal turbine, will launch in the seas of Orkney on the 19th of April. Produced by Scottish based Orbital Marine Power, Ltd (Orbital) it will arrive in Orkney from Dundee.”..
Yes Petra…..
Richard Murphy a REAL political economist…..as opposed to the Pet product provider…and supposed nemesis…..not an equal…as that would insult Richard Murphy and undeservedly elevate a pound shop economist like Kevin Hague….who I believe comes from another Planet called PET…that’s why the Geordies like him…..Howay Pet…
😉
How nice would it be to see the Saltire amongst that group
The Ferret have reported that :
A UK Government advisor and senior figure at the Adam Smith Institute funded adverts for campaign group Businesses for the Union, prompting concerns over so-called “dark money” political activity in Scotland’s election campaign.
An investigation by The Ferret and The Free Press also found that two people who campaigned against Jeremy Corbyn through opaque social media groups are involved with Facebook campaigns targeting the SNP.
This activism is legal but the Electoral Reform Society said it “backs an investigation into these important findings, and the lack of transparency in UK and Scottish political finance”.
In reply, the political activists – Matthew Kilcoyne, James Bickerton and Brian Monteith – said that all protocols have been met.
You can read the rest of this article on The Ferret…highlighted and accessible via their Twitter page..The Ferret Twitter.
My God ..just like the Brexit campaign…Scottish election is being infiltrated by dirty tricks and dark money….to try and steal votes through cheating….. by trying to discredit others who are legitimately playing by the rules while they , who oppose the SNP, are still plotting to “game the system” as they lie comfortably hidden in the political gutter……..see this is exactly what we , who live in Scotland, want away from……..dirty politics that serve and benefit no one other than those who choose to deploy these underhanded and beneath contempt methods…and the Union…..all to thwart independence and thus prevent democracy from being upheld in Scotland…..BTW this will NOT be transmitted as news on MSM in an area where YOU are….or indeed where anybody is….too honest see.
Now that is something everyone in Scotland should say NO to…….#NoToCorruption-UKnotOK style.
https://theferret.scot/the-dark-money-behind-anti-snp-facebook-campaigns/
Sorry can’t be right. Not read it on WOS!
Lol…….as in where you WON’T read all about it…..
😉
He’s inventing really big news stories as we speak
Lol…..
🙂
Great link Terence. Full of facts and figures.
Unionist press now touting the ‘supermajority’ after the latest poll, they are trying to fool you as it is only 79 seats (61%). The definition used by Holyrood for a supermajority is 87 seats (two-thirds), so unless we are going to change the definition the press are going to go with the headline ”Nationalists fail to gain supermajority’ and present it as a failure and the reason why an referendum should by refused/opposed.
Don’t be fooled by the motives of the press, they are not the friends of independence.
The idea of this supermajority has come politically from Alex Salmond, if it is not achieved he has handed Westminster more ammunition to attack the idea of a referendum. As if his ‘once in a generation’ comment last time wasn’t enough, he has now landed the idea that only a supermajority is legitimate and the unionists will use this even if we win a majority.
Yes, he has form now for shooting off his mouth and leaving hostages to fortune as a consequence.
Not only that he has now legitimised the supermajority to Westminster as coming from the independence lobby and the reason they should include it in the Scotland Act. This is the man touted as a political giant, a cunning operator, well I would agree if he was working for the benefit of Westminster.
Yes, a hoary old tactic of the jackal press, cynically “big-up” something they don’t like – person or movement – in order to bring them/it down later with as big a crash as possible. They get two sets of headlines almost “for free”, the second of which being the main object, of course. And if something breaks as a consequence, there’s a third set as a nice little bonus.
A good opportunity perhaps to highlight the the “super-minority” via social media ?
Ye know what, being from a Scottish Traveller background, the ALBA Party continues to endorse a candidate who complained about fat Roma beggars and who liked a tweet stating “ f”£k you Gypsys”, I feel sick.
But , we are told … he did say ”sorry” , as did the candidate from the Far East who called the FM ” a cow” .
So that’s alright then . Just a momentary blurting out of their real character and personalities .
Are you going to hold that against them ?
You’ll be condemning AS next for spending much of his last few months railing against NS and the SNP and claiming that
a) the SNP conspired to ‘fit him up’ and
b) that NS broke the Ministerial code at least twice
Unfortunately unlike his gypsy-hater candidate and his ‘NS is a cow’ candidate HE has not apologised for HIS remarks .
Maybe he should be stood down as a candidate ?
Sometimes the vetting process just lets you down. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryvljjccqL8
Here is a part of a comment of an ALBA supporter on ‘Scot Goes Pop’
“It is easy for Mrs Murrell to bash the Yoons while she pretends to be working towards independence. It is another matter to be simultaneously bashing a party which is supporting her stated aims and which is asking her what she’s doing to bring them about.
One Alba MSP would destroy her mirage. A handful could bring down her regime.
No wonder she’s in full Adolf mode”
Don’t think that ALBA supporters are ever going to stop attacking the FM and the SNP, seems that they have other plans before Scottish independence.
In southern Scotland it has to be SNP in both the constituency and list otherwise they will probably lose MSP’s.
These things that are happening should make more Scots pause for thought as to why they should trust Nicola Sturgeon, always cautious, as precise as she can be and careful with her use of language, no big mouth blustering announcements no sweeping statements, and gives as little ammunition as she can to the opposition, in other words a real politician, a real leader to depend on doing her best for Scotland and not her career or legacy or bigging up her own name for vanity, Nicola Sturgeon is someone who sticks to her job and gets on with her work
Salmond’s a yapping baby
He had an article complaining about abuse just yesterday and yet he allows this nonsense today, he’s a fickle loon.
Depends what your personal beliefs are doesnt it Alex Montrose.
Sometimes there is free reign to say just about anything sometimes not.
The Albanians are all agog on twitter because the Times poll has them on 6% – maybe they could win a seat with that but also maybe they will reduce the SNP majority.
What they seem to be eagerly anticipating is Alex Salmond in Holyrood holding Nicola Sturgeon’s feet to the fire and demanding a referendum now if not sooner. I don’t think they could have watched FMQs much. AS will get his heid handed to him on a plate as swiftly as Baroness Davidson’s was.
At least, that’s the story on twitter. They were subdued after the Friday poll had them on 3% but the latest poll has breathed some air into the campaign. That and the Proclaimers. Oh and Sean Clerkin reporting the Murrels to the police. 😂😂😂
SNP/Alba in the north east of Scotland region.
Not from me (and a few others I’ve heard from). I’m SNP x 2.
SNP x 2 in the South of Scotland region.
Strange, why is the Alex Alba Party standing candidates in South Scotland? Gaslight, gies yer vote.Mind you Brian Topping , ALBA party candidate in NE, who campaigned for Brexit cause he thought it would benefit Scottish fishermen, nah yer OK,.
Alex Salmond appointment Brian Topping as a candidate who campaigned for Brexit, in NE. Principal’s are easy bought and sold in the pursuit of revenge.
Both of which are odd choices, actually. Campaigning against the SNP in the south while proclaiming everlasting friendship is one, but choosing a Brexiteer to stand in the NE, where one might expect the dire consequences of the English Choice are beginning to penetrate even to the betrayed fisherfolk, is downright perverse.
Can’t remember if I’ve already posted this. Here’s Jame Kelly’s 2016 article explaining why it isn’t possible to game the system with any degree of confidence. OK, he has changed his mind now that the Great Helmsman has strode onto the field. Starry eyed hero worship won’t be enough IMHO.
https://scotgoespop.blogspot.com/2016/01/exclusive-read-article-on-voting-that.html
James Kelly of scotgoespop is by far the best poll analyst in Scotland.
Debatable. Show me a list of them.
Well, if you’re such a big fan, why are you not over there enjoying yourself instead of boring/pestering/insulting us? You think we’re all dummies who don’t know what’s what…?
He kinda the only one that used to support Independence until now that he’s become beguiled by hero worship
Well he seems to have changed his tune Doug if you read the link posted by Capella. A bit of a worry coming from an ”analyst”, someone who’d normally be led by his head (facts and figures) instead of his heart.
Why?
You haven’t even the foggiest notion of what’s in their manifesto yet (what manifesto?), so you haven’t a clue of what they represent, have you? Like other recent pop-ups here, it’s based solely on simple faith in a “personality” who’s going to magic-up the necessary n% support out of nowhere. Just because you wish it.
This is real life, not a Hollywood movie. (But worryingly Trumpian, come to think of it.)
I think you’re being a wee bit too harsh on Nicola, grizebard.
I think you’re proving you’re just another pointless troll. (Out of deference to our genial host, I’ll leave it at that. Lucky you.)
You are so obvious….
Doug
They are like one of those manufactured pop groups, they have a member that will be fashioned to appeal to your prejudices. Are you a Brexiteer, a transpotter, we have someone that appeals to you.
Here’s the cost of Alba owning a few seats.
https://m.facebook.com/groups/1081934212006008/permalink/1569838459882245/
The major problem with list vote for the SNP in 2016 was the %gap between the constituency vote total and the list vote total.
Yes, and conversely (with apology to Greens who may have lent the SNP their vote in the constituencies but have a differennt calculation on the list), if the SNP list vote was as good as in the constituencies, the party starts to pick up list seats even in regions where they have many constituencies. The relentless defensiveness of the “list-benders” is depressing, just another form of cringe.
We need to start thinking positive for a change, get on the front foot, and be trying to maximise votes for the SNP, both in the constituencies and the lists, and that’s only by getting people to finally give up on the tired old lied-out BritNat parties, who thoroughly deserve by word and deed to be the real losers here.
AS coined the phrase ‘ both votes SNP ‘, so we have to presume that someone with the mathematical credentials he has, is well aware of what he’s doing and the effect he will have on a modest SNP and Green majority.
Anas Sarwar has been reading WoS – or more likely getting a lackey to do that for him. He’s launched his very own “drain the swamp” campaign. Wos currently on “lock er up”.
Wonder when they will move on to “build the wall”?
Scottish election 2021: Labour calls for commission to ‘clean up Holyrood’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-56614136
From a National reader:
I WISH to refute the impression Mhairi Black may have given in The National on Saturday (This is how list system works – and why every vote matters, April 3). In her article Mhairi argued her party line of two votes for SNP. I don’t object to her doing that – she wants her party to achieve an overall majority. I am even a fan of her campaigning, but her “explanation” of the second voting system using an “overly simplistic example” was misleading, does not match reality and could lead to other independence-supporting parties losing seats.
In 2016, the SNP won 59 of the 73 constituency first-past-the-post seats. This magnificent achievement won 72.6% of seats with 46.5% of the votes, a far greater result than Boris Johnson’s Conservatives got in 2019 in both counts. It was not enough to achieve the required 65 seats for an outright majority. This is a very high bar from 73 seats, so is very unlikely to be achieved from constituencies alone. A top-up from the second, list vote will almost certainly be required for the SNP to achieve their goal, hence their two-vote strategy.
However, the D’Hondt, second voting system was designed to prevent one party from winning an overall majority by disadvantaging parties with many constituency seats. It does so, as Mhairi said, by dividing a party’s list vote by one more than the number of constituency seats won, but Mhairi did not explain that this process is repeated after each of the seven list seats per region are allocated. This is done over Scotland’s eight autonomous regions.
The trouble with Mhairi’s “overly simplistic example” is, well, it’s too simplistic and does not match reality. The reality from 2016 in the second votes is that the SNP won one list seat in Highland and three seats in Scotland south. In the other six regions, the SNP polled a total of 752,770 list votes and won no additional seats because of the voting system. That is zero seats for more than three quarters of a million votes! These voters would have seen exactly the same result if they had not cast their second vote.
I am urging this paper to print an article or articles explaining the mathematics of this voting system so that it can be understood by voters. In the meantime if the SNP were to pick up some of their target constituencies from Unionist parties, this would decrease the chance of SNP winning list seats in that region and conversely increase the chances of that Unionist party of winning a list seat. This could be won from the Green or other independence-supporting party.
Our new parliament will only vote for a second referendum if there is a majority in favour, either SNP alone or as is the case at present, with the support of other independence-supporting parties.
Campbell Anderson
Edinburgh
Doesn’t take into account that ALBA are an anti Traveller, Brexit supporting, horror show.
You’re getting really boring- have you not got some ironing to be getting on?
Oh Betty, I’ll scuttle off to the kitchen. Maybe Salmond should tell me to “ calm down”
Thanks for your “explanation by proxy”, but you’re too late. We’ve endured a recent rash of pop-ups already, and we’re not interested, sonny. I would say “try SGP”, but they {ahem} “know” already. We believe, ever so humbly but strongly, that we know better.
I looked up the latest poll results from the What Scotland Thinks site but it doesn’t actually give a breakdown on what “Other” means in the Regional vote list. maybe not looking hard enough but wondering where the 6% for Alba comes from. Anyone got more data?
https://whatscotlandthinks.org/questions/how-would-you-be-likely-to-use-your-regional-vote-in-a-scottish-parliament-ele-1/
Scores for AS trustworthiness are rock bottom. He’s got a bit of a mountain to climb there.
Not according to our “visitors”. With the Maestro fronting, the band is back, and everyone will be positively falling over themselves to dance to their tune, no question about it, whatever it is. (Stands to reason, innit! I mean, it’s obvious, really it is, obvious…) {snort}
“Know what I mean, sport?” {nudge, nudge, wink, wink}…
And you wonder why they named him, Capella?
..”Panelbase also showed Alba as “The Alba Party (led by Alex Salmond)”. Given Salmond’s favourability rating (10%) is higher than his party’s polling, this may also be inflating the support Panelbase is finding. More importantly, because they did not do this for every party (and they shouldn’t do it for any party), their poll is certainly being skewed in one direction or another.”..
It’s also interesting because it wasn’t AS that started the Alba party, although it has since become associated with him.
Yeah, which does rather indicate that either this scheme was long in the preparation (although oddly only in that one respect), or it was a last-minute bodge to try to overcome a late-stage strategy fail.
My guess is on the latter. A gambler’s last-chance attempt to stay in play.
This is an interesting take on the situation
https://www.thenational.scot/news/19209715.alex-salmonds-alba-george-galloways-a4u-support-may-overstated-poll/
Its a bit crazy when we have Scottish independence supporters saying horrible things about SNP and Scottish independence supporters saying horrible things about ALBA
Whatever individuals think about Nicola Sturgeon or Alex Salmond or any other individuals in Scottish politics its a common aim that we secure Scottish independence so
yes people in South of Scotland should give both votes to SNP if they think its the best way to achieve indy seats and yes people in North East of Scotland should give their LIST vote to ALBA and Constituency vote to SNP if they think its the best way to achieve indy seats.
Across Scotland people know what happens in their voting area its not the big mystery
Sure there are some areas where there are as many unionist votes as independence votes which makes it more difficult to choose from your options but people work it out fairly well
Its not the political party,s that are the problem its not the voters that is the problem
Its the voting system that is the problem it was set up intentionally to deceive confuse and capture Scotlands freedom in a bottle never to be released.
On top of that we have a british media that is controlled by Westminster and is perfectly happy to lie and deceive in order that england can keep control of Scotlands wealth.
Without control of your own money you are going nowhere.
Its time to grow up boys and choose your own vote
You cant choose everyone elses vote
All your hatred and insults is changing nothing
You do know that dont you ?
Just getting it off your chest are you ?
Others looking on seeing you fighting like cat and dog against other Scottish independence voters will wonder if you have lost your marbles
Well said, Terence
Tag you’re it
So just the ‘boys’ have a vote Terence?
ALBA: All Ladies Bide Away is it?
Oh, good one, very inventive, L!
No votes for the ladies – unless they ”calm down !”
Just the boys being rude and making crazy comments
Yep totally agree with your comment… Incredible we have reached this position doing the Unionists work for them… Some of the comments made here and on other sites are absolutely pathetic… Like wee kids squabbling meanwhile Westminister gets on with running the show and dictating the narrative.
“It’s time to grow up, boys”
Really? What about the girls?
I’ve given you an apostrophe and a comma, too.
Salmond states Sturgeon will work with me when she “calms down “ If the polls keep going the way they are he will demanding she does his ironing.
The FM will give Salmond nothing, no co operation, no support, not even a good morning if he gets a seat in our parliament, as I’ve said before he’ll need to bring his own heater it’ll be so cold, he might get Mark McDonald’s old office though deep in the bowels of the basement, I believe that was specially commissioned for folk nobody wanted to associate with
There are no circumstances am I giving my second vote to the Alba Labour Party.
James Kelly tweets:
One effect if there is some sort of Alba group in the Scottish Parliament after May is that SNP MSPs will have somewhere else to go if their relationship with the leadership irretrievably breaks down. It’ll no longer be “my way or the highway”. https://twitter.com/JamesKelly/status/1378814876299190277?s=20
So much for conciliation. They’re not really presenting Alba as an ally are they? More like an opposition. Are we supposed to vote for this?
Salmond’s misogynistic overblown ego gets bigger by the day, Trump, Johnson, Farage, now Salmond
They sometimes come across as a of bunch of Incels and bitter divorcees. This lockdown has provoked a lot of petulant brattery.
I only hope we can get to the sunny uplands of having the virus under control before they all explode with rage.
Angry Capella
Meanwhile, Sarwar the Rich Dentist Socialist is manfully trying to channel his inner Trump with his “drain the swamp” innuendo. Riffing off SoB or Clerkin or something. (Helpmates, you see.) Both he and DRossy are such pathetic 10th-rate copyists. They don’t even have one original idea of their own between them.
Sarwar who takes his orders from his boss at Westminster, London. The Westminster swamp on a par with the Pontanal 🙄.
I believe this all stems from JK’s evident recent public frustrations at the inner workings of the SNP, but whether he sees ALBA as a genuine refuge and viable alternative for dissidents or merely as a means by which to “fire a warning shot over the bows” of the SNP leadership, I have no idea. Given his previous exhortations over the list, though, I’m rather inclined to favour the latter.
But this is hardly the time, I would think, to be playing mind games like this.
I’ve just been reading some of James Kelly’s comments and reckon that he’s losing the plot now.
SNP 1 & 2
Keep the Heid
🏴🏴🏴
‘Politicians are not ‘all the same’; Johnson is in a class of his own.’
..”When the head of government of the United Kingdom is openly called a liar, without solicitors getting involved, something is clearly very wrong.”..
https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/johnson-is-in-a-class-of-his-own/
………………………………
‘Ruth Wishart: Imagine a world where Nicola Sturgeon behaves like Boris Johnson.’
..”It pains me to say this as someone who has been in various branches of journalism all her life, but a lot of the media have simply gone Awol over Boris’s government. If it weren’t for people like Byline Times, Unlock Democracy, The Ferret, and the Bureau of Investigative Journalists, many instances of rank bad and often illegal practices would simply not have come to light.”
http://www.thenational.scot/news/19208862.ruth-wishart-imagine-world-nicola-sturgeon-behaves-like-boris-johnson/
Check out the latest news at Professor John Robertson’s site Talking up Scotland.
https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/blog-feed/
And Ann’s links at the Indyref2 site.
https://indyref2.space/forum/topic/links-sunday-4-april-2021/
(devil’s advocate alert)
(Does it not make sense to have/ What’s the problem with) an opposition party that also supports independence?
In the constituencies, it’s electoral poison, as everyone knows. Maybe a better devil’s advocate question in that context would be, “Does it not make sense to have / What’s the problem with / a single Unionist party?”
As for the list, we’ve been going round this circle for a while now. Nothing is wrong in principle, provided they could all take votes from Unionists rather than from each other. The practical difficulty currently is that one is having some success at making inroads into the opposition while the other is self-avowedly parasitic on its own (supposed) side.
I think that my question was more “in general” – and in the constituencies – rather than with regard to the current situation.
It’s not politically healthy for the SNP to have no competition, but if the competition had the same destination in mind then it maybe wouldn’t matter who won the most seats as long as they had a majority between them.
I’d rather that there were no unionist parties, but I accept that there will always be some sort of conservative party.
I have never been a member of a political party, incidentally.
(if I was actually writing this, I’d be surrounded by scrunched-up bits of paper…)
You’re going to have to wait until independence for normal politics to return and give you what you wish for, I’m afraid. Everything is provisional and “political” now, undesirable as that is, but it wasn’t the SNP that made it so. The longer the bitter-ender Unionists try to hold back the rising tide, the worse it’s going to get. But they have nothing to offer except a sour trail of broken promises and utmost bad faith, so there’s no turning back now. Independence is coming, it’s just a question of exactly when. If the Unionists were only smarter, they could save us all a lot of unnecessary aggravation all round. But it will happen despite them anyway.
One month to go. A week is a long time in politics. An extended franchise. To get rid of more unionists trying to destroy the Parliament. The pandemic receding.
An interesting alternative point of view of the current “Max the Vote” mantra from someone who was “in with the bricks”.
Thanks for the link Capella. WELL worth a read. And isn’t it strange that so many people have now changed their mind? Alex Salmond promoted voting SNP x 2 and Campbell and James Kelly stated that trying to ‘game’ the vote is a mug’s game. Now they’re trying to tell us that we’re behaving like mugs, or worse still, if we don’t support Alba.
..”But of course, it does put the issue of Salmond’s misogyny and behaviour very much in the background. and leave us with the prospect of Salmond gaining a few seats and subsequently bringing down the Government and Sturgeon at some point in the future – possibly a budget vote. No doubt to return to the fold on his charger while his past misdemeanours have slide firmly into the recesses of our political awareness.”..
There’s a Part 1 to this article which deals with the media bias and collusion with the Tories in the run up to the VONC. It was written before James Hamilton QC delivered his decision. Good to get another angle which reflects my feeling about what is happening atm, and from someone who has a long standing relationship with the SNP.
More slander and innuendo, gutter press in the style of the Sun.
Dont be so hard on yourself Cruncher.
A very cogent article that covers the essentials. Thanks for that. A must-read.
Congrats to the Scotland Men’s curling team and their wins in Canada at the world championships.Keep it going guys.
Yip try and see the bbc sports news and you have to search hard to find.
Now if it had Been Team GB it might even have forced its way ahead of the English cricket with Union flags everywhere.
Aye, Scottish stuff happening every day and the British media’s eyebrows curl up with a quizzical expression as they collectively say *What’s a Scottish and who the hell cares* and it kinda shows the folk who vote Unionist don’t do it because they want to remain within the so called Union, they do it because they prefer the dominance of England no matter the cost to the unimportant Scotland they live in because they can always complain about the Scottish government’s lack of ability to mitigate every damn problem that the government they voted for in England throws at Scotland in their hope that our Scottish government ceases to exist and or is replaced by the Unionists they demand the Scottish government mitigate against
None of this is about political betterment of a country, the only cult in existence here is the cult of British Unionism that demands *loyalty* to a manufactured system of hierarchical hat tipping servile obeisance and respect to a long dead historical rosy coloured rewritten past that people like Neil Oliver beaver away constantly promoting as the wondrous heritage of *Great* Britain and the monarchy, God bless em every one and pass the gruel to the poor
The Margaret Thatcher re invented basket mounted bicycle bell ringing in country lanes through middle England where the sheeps are lowing and the cows are Baa ing and the sound of leather on willow only interrupted by the sloshing of warm beer with the comforting sight and sound of a Spitfire growling as it roars overhead keeping us all safe from the dreaded Hun, except the people of England didn’t know the dreaded Hun was actually themselves manipulated into thinking everybody else was their mortal enemy
And the Bastirts are still doing it, and the fools are still voting for it, and what are they voting for? the return of a new Margaret Thatcher even if it’s just a clown in a costume waving that same invented nationalism
Nationalism’s bad except for the nationalism England were the original inventers of, *there can be only one*
I blame the Normans. 😡
Stephen Paton, who produced the video in 2016 in favour of tactical voting for the Greens on the Regional list, has also changed his mind.
His article in The National argues that voting for a party who has only one aim, to game the system, could undermine the legitimacy of the pro-independence vote.
Lot of mind changing going on these days. But I think he has a point.
https://archive.fo/hfs05
So in other words we don’t need a section 30 just as ALBA claims
Errm, no. It’s rather more complicated than that. But handy for neo-Trumpists trying to score a cheap point, of course.
Hey, Republic of Scotland weren’t you banned from posting here or are you a different Republic of Scotland, one that doesn’t post on Wings and wasn’t banned from WGD?
You sound exactly the same as the last one LOL
Aye, same muppet
Heart Of Europe !
Heart of Europe !
Heart of Europe !
Fiscal surveillance in Slovakia
https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/economic-performance-and-forecasts/economic-performance-country/slovakia/fiscal-surveillance-slovakia_en
Page 6
To reduce the government budget deficit from 1% of GDP to zero by 2020.
So reduce the household and business ” surplus” to zero.
So Slovakia is being run by the banking cartels and why it was supported by LSE.
For those that don’t know what is going to happen to Slovakia think – Sky Road Bridge.
Why budget deficits are bad for the banking cartels. Aka why household and business surpluses are bad for banking cartels.
https://michael-hudson.com/2017/03/why-deficits-hurt-banking-profits/
” To reduce the government budget deficit from 1% of GDP to zero by 2020. ”
So the Indy movement are fully behind and fully support austerity now ?
It seems they love it when the EU does it which is of course baked into the EU agreements as soon as you join.
I stand by my predictions that this where ignorant voters and ignorant Indy think tanks are taking us to the heart of Europe and the days of fiscal surveillance.
When the SNP are forced to reduce Scotland’s household and business surplus from around 10% after the virus to below 3% of GDP and then down to zero.
Via spending cuts and increased taxes. Then rural areas will be decimated. Pensioners will suffer greatly as their pensions are cut and the banking cartels take control . They are getting g ready in either side of the Clyde to asset strip the place.
Turn the whole public sector into a monopoly. Then extract economic rent what used to be given for free under the old style of Roosevelt capitalism and social democracy.
Which eventually like in all EU countries the rural areas will start turning blue. The North East Of England being another example.
A Farage type character will come along and scoop up all the rural votes in Scotland after the EU banking cartels have asset stripped the country.
Andrew Wilson a former member of the banking cartel wanted Scotland’s household and business surplus to go below 2% of GDP in the growth commission.
That will be just the start the EU will demand to reduce it further.
Looking at the election results that is what Scottish voters are voting for.
Breaks my heart and could make you greet.
I sincerely Hope you recover from your stroke and stay well . I wish you all the best in the future.
I just hope everyday after you get fit again you put more effort into stopping this heart of Europe nonsense and start exposing what the soundboard heart of Europe actually means.
Instead of always supporting it blindly and supporting these banking cartels economic papers just because it supports indy.
Take care and stay safe. You will be a huge miss when you are gone. The next generation are as ignorant as this one but you still have time to change that.