Jim Sillars, who was once the deputy leader of the SNP and who is a former, with the stress very much on former, leading light in the Scottish independence movement has issued an open letter to that movement that he turned his back on after it failed to accept his own estimation of himself as a powerful and sage seer, in which he asserts that the war in Ukraine has made any talk of another Scottish independence referendum, “foolish”. Jim Sillars’ latest angry and unhelpful intervention in a long line of angry and unhelpful interventions comes after the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Patrick Harvie, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens insisted that plans for a second independence referendum next year remain on track and that the Scottish Parliament will shortly approve measures to enable the referendum to be held on schedule.
Jim Sillars now spends most of his time and energy providing Scotland’s overwhelmingly anti-independence press with stories which they hope will undermine the independence movement and weaken the political pressure on the British Government for another independence referendum. In January last year Sillars called on Nicola Sturgeon to “deprioritise” a second independence referendum and focus instead on the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
In May 2019, Jim harrumphed that it was “impossible” to vote for the SNP in that year’s European elections because of its stance against Brexit. Last year Sillars, a long standing critic of the science behind anthropogenic climate change despite having no scientific credentials of his own, urged the First Minister to eject the Scottish Greens from the Scottish Government and not to give in to what he termed “scaremongering” about climate change, but instead to press ahead with the extraction and exploitation of fossil fuels from the North Sea.
It recently came to light that in last year’s crucial Holyrood elections, Jim Sillars funded the campaign of the Labour candidate, the rabidly anti-independence Jackie Baillie in a crucial Holyrood Constituency contest which was vital for the SNP’s hopes of securing a majority in its own right in the Scottish Parliament. As it turned out, Baillie held on to the seat against expectations, thanks to a concerted tactical voting campaign organised by the British nationalist right, and the financial aid supplied by a man who fancies himself as being influential in pro-independence circles.
Sorry Jim, but you gave up any right to lecture the SNP, the Greens or the wider independence movement on strategy and tactics when you decided that you wanted to deprive the SNP of an absolute majority in the Scottish Parliament in order to ensure the election of a woman who is one of the most fervently anti-independence and knee-jerk apologists for British nationalism in the Labour party in Scotland. So if you want to send any open letters on the topic of independence to anyone Jim, send them to Jackie Baillie, because she’s about the only person left who thinks that you have anything worthwhile to say. The rest of us who support independence, whether we support the SNP or not are not about to take advice on how to attain Scottish independence from a man who demanded that a second independence referendum should be “deprioritsed” and who backed the re-election of an anti-independence MSP who rejects the mandate of Holyrood to hold another referendum.
Sillars thinks that the war in the Ukraine and the tide of refugees fleeing the country, a number which now exceeds three million, has radically changed the geopolitical situation, necessitating a complete reboot of the case for independence. The war in Ukraine and the changed geopolitical situation that has resulted from it has certainly shown the foolishness of Jim Sillars’ belief that an independent Scotland should continue in its own version of the British nationalist delusion that is Brexit and should not attempt to forge closer associations with our friends and allies in Europe. It’s the policy of the SNP and the Scottish Government that an independent Scotland should be a member of both the EU and NATO. That gives Scotland the exact same security guarantees as Denmark, Belgium, or the Netherlands.
It’s Jim Sillars’ vision of independence which is now in need of a complete reboot, the existing position of the Scottish Government that an independent Scotland should seek to join the EU as quickly as is practical has been vindicated by the agonies of Ukraine. It’s not the SNP or the Scottish Government which wants an independent Scotland to stand isolated and alone in an uncertain and frightening world, that would be Jim Sillars. It’s not the SNP or the Scottish Government which wants Scotland to increase its dependence on fossil fuels and to deny the reality of climate change, that would also be Jim Sillars. Jim Sillars is a lonely and angry voice, punting a version of independence more suited to the politics of a previous generation. He is hopelessly out of touch with the concerns and interests of that younger generation of Scots, a large majority of whom support independence and whose support is vital if we are to win that second independence referendum that Jim Sillars seemingly does not want to have any time soon.
Jim also demands that there should be no talk of another independence referendum until such time as there is a substantial and sustained majority for independence in the opinion polls. It might be churlish to point out to Jim that we would stand a better chance of building that sustained majority if he were to stop trying to undermine the Scottish Government and the only two pro-independence parties with representation in the Scottish Parliament at every turn. Just a wee suggestion there.
I have no idea why a man who was once a passionate advocate of Scottish independence, whom I saw speaking eloquently about the need for independence in a church hall in Carntyne during the 2014 referendum campaign should have morphed into an angry and bitter contrarian who parrots the anti-referendum attack lines of the Labour party and the Tories. What I do know however is that if we were to act on the advice of Jim Sillars, Scotland would never become independent. Sillars is no longer an advocate of independence, he’s just another source of anti-independence and SNPbad stories for a Scottish media with an unceasing appetite for anything that might help to fend off Scottish independence. Whenever you see a news story telling you Jim Sillars’ latest pronouncement on Scottish independence, it is best filed under “ignore”.
I’m afraid updates to the blog will be a bit intermittent this week as I am battling a bout of post-stroke fatigue which isn’t being helped by the fact that I fell a couple of days ago and injured my right arm, which is the one that works. It wasn’t a bad fall or a bad injury, but it was a reminder that I need to be more careful. I tripped on the steps because I wasn’t paying attention. I have no instinctive sense of where my left foot is, and have to look at it to know where it is. I wasn’t looking. I thought it was securely on the step but it turns out that it wasn’t, so I fell and hurt my arm when I put my right hand out to break my fall.
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Wee Ginger Dug 
Surely he has been “ got at”,?
Perhaps Jim is going back to his Labour roots? I had a chuckle reading a newspaper the other day which described Jim Sillars as an SNP icon. It reminded me of the Daily Mail interview of Jim which deemed him as a life-long SNP supporter – even when he was a Labour MP ?
Sillars has dined for a long time as the much quoted ‘deputy leader of the SNP’. Credit where it’s due Jim won as an SNP candidate at a by-election at Govan, which he lost, with bad grace (he condemned the Govan electorate as 90 minutes patriots) at the following General Election.
For all his subsequent contributions to the SNP, it would have been preferable if he remained with Labour.
Sillars was the “Hammer of the Nats” and was considered a rising star in Labour.
A poisoned chalice in a party riven by factions and backstabbers, so Sillars left.
To form the “Scottish Labour Party”. A decent, principled and able man in my village joined. I had admired Sillars ( without knowing him) and thought of joining his party. I was told by my friend, in no uncertain manner, not to. He never gave details of his experience, only that it had cost him a lot of money he could not afford, and he that he personally now detested Sillars.
The SLP collapsed, and Sillars moved on, always using his undoubted personal ability to rise up, now within the SNP.
No party has ever been big enough for Sillars and his giant ego.
Every party he has joined has ended up regretting encouraging his participation.
He could easily have been a great First Minister, if he had consistency, loyalty, modesty and any of the many leadership skills he lacked.
We can all change our minds on anything at anytime just like this man has. His choice. He is however in my books a traitor to the cause he and his late wife held dear.
I can see and understand why a person would stay a unionist but it is odd to have someone who believed in Independence for Scotland cease to believe in that wish. Very odd.
Money?
I guess he is paid by the so called media quite well, what some people will do for money eh. I’d say he lost the plot, but that would be excusing his anti independence British nationalism. A selfish trougher, who’d deny future generations a decent living, and the chance to live in a democratic country with a democratically elected government. Thing is we can’t ignore him, because he’s being given a platform in the main stream media, propagandising to serve the English governments’ agenda. It works on some people, otherwise they wouldn’t do it.
Talking of fossil fuels, I see the English government are intent on extending existing coal mines in the UK, namely Wales, and opening new ones, including in Scotland. A huge underground mine proposed for Lochinvar. Another Aussie company. Only just heard of this, it cannot be allowed to go ahead.
Thanks for the info on the Lochinvar coal mine proposal ArtyHetty: this had completely passed me by! Here are some additional details for anyone interested in knowing more:
Source: https://www.cleanriverstrust.co.uk/coal-mining-uk-planning-january-2022/
‘Coal Mining, UK Planning. January 2022: The UK has abandoned coal mining as a source of energy, but the industry regulator has four planning issues before it for licence to mine or closure. The Whitehaven prospect is well known but the other 3 are below the radar nationally. Lochinvar, Aberpergwm, and an opencast operation, Bradley. ….
A fuller description of the Lochinvar prospect is also available at the above link.
Source: http://www.scottishenergynews.com/calls-for-more-information-on-lochinvar-coal-mine/
From the above source, it would appear that the local MP has no in principle objection to opening a new coal mine in Scotland!
‘David Mundell MP in Dumfriesshire has highlighted a need for detailed information on the Lochinvar coal mine proposal. This comes after Australian-based New Age Exploration, headed by former BHP Billiton executive Gary Fietz, has announced that it has found supplies which could last 26 years at a Lochinvar site near Canonbie.’
Is he hoping that further appraisal of the Lochinvar prospect will show that it will provide special, emission-free coal?
When Killoch pit was being closed (apart from processing opencast coal), workers were offered to go to work at the nearby Barony pit.
When it was pointed out that the Barony pit was struggling, men were told that the Barony would continue with a small workforce, which would then, when the Barony closed, would be expected to man up the Canonbie mine, which had the best reserves of any area since Selby was opened.
It never happened. Scottish Coal struggled on for years—-Longannet was shut after a very dodgy flooding, incompetence closed the opencast side and the company folded.
The clean-up has cost £150 million from the public purse.
Miners had their pensions cut due to underfunding.
One of the Directors of this outfit was Brian Wilson, who writes weekly in the Harold and Scotsman, castigating the SNP for their industrial policies.
He has never apologised for Scottish Coals failings.
Wilson is also in favour of a united Ireland, has sung “rebel” songs at Hillsborough Castle, yet is against any devolved parliament in Scotland.
The most hypocritical British nationalist anywhere.
Miners in Ayrshire were promised they could move to Canonbie when the Barony pit ( the last deep mine) closed.
This by the Scottish Coal Company, as dodgy an outfit as you could find.
Longannet mine closed by a highly dubious flooding.
The open casts went bust owing millions and leaving an ecological disaster that has cost the public £150 millions to clean up.
The miners lost part of their pension due to underfunding.
Four Directors wound up the company.
One was Lord Lindsay .
Another was Labours Brian Wilson.
Wilson believes in a united Ireland, and has bragged of singing rebel songs in Hillsborough Castle.
A British and Irish nationalist who detests the idea of Scots being allowed any part in their own governance.
Hypocrisy anyone?
Written in 2013, the account at the following link of what went on with regards to The Scottish Coal (Deep Mine) Co. Ltd and the Labour Party in government (and Brian Wilson) c. 2002 is – if it can be stood up – a murky tale!
‘Scottish taxpayers paid Liquidation tab for private company’: https://footballtaxhavens.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/aftermath-of-the-scottish-coal-deep-mine-company-limited-liquidation/
Looking forward to the appointment of Mundell as one of the Directors of this project …
Here’s what there is at the New Age Exploration (NAE) website:
https://nae.net.au/projects/lochinvar/
Son of Fluffy – this is why he is ignored 😉
Is that Sir Jim Sillars or Lord Sillars of Cannaedaeit coz I’m really Labour
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a now 60+ Female.
Is this man still an SNP member? If he is I suggest he should be chucked oot not only for his utterances, but financially supporting a candidate from another party? Come on!
I do remember him making some great speeches in the referendum cashing in on the memory of his recently deceased wife. The Margo Bus. Maybe he was still using material written by Margo?
After the referendum he just seemed to revert to type (Labour). It looks like he just feels he can do maximum damage appearing in MSM by allowing them to associate himself with SNP.
Oot wi him Nicola!
“Jim also demands that there should be no talk of another independence referendum until such time as there is a substantial and sustained majority for independence in the opinion polls. It might be churlish to point out to Jim that we would stand a better chance of building that sustained majority if he were to stop trying to undermine the Scottish Government and the only two pro-independence parties with representation in the Scottish Parliament at every turn”
Paul…your above paragraph perfectly represents the ludicrous position that Jim Sillars has taken and is still taking….where he supposedly states that he supports independence yet he himself via his actions and words is doing so much to STOP it in it’s tracks…….
His donation to Jackie Baillie in the last Holyrood election to help her win a constituency seat (who let’s be honest we all know, as a candidate, she would have been at the TOP of Labour’s list seats of candidates so would have got in anyway) proves that you can take the man out of Labour but you cannot take Labour out of the man……a Labour BTW under Sir Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar surely does not represent the Labour party that Jim Sillars thinks is socialist in ANY shape or form…..
When those supportive of the Union choose YOU as their ‘GO TO’ man to attack the timing of independence and the parties who support it…..THEN it is surely only fair that those of us supportive of independence choose to believe that YOU are NOT as sincere or as committed in your supposed support for independence as you would have had us all formally believe…….
Just like Unionists you do not believe that it is the people in Scotland who should decide or indeed that they should have any opportunity to decide but instead you have become , like others, placed under the Unionist’s category of ‘useful idiot’ to help them prevent independence being voted for or indeed happening……and you do it during a time when we ,in Scotland, are all having to suffer via still being a part of their (your) ‘Union’ ……a Union that is ruled by the most blatantly exposed corrupt, lying and cruel Tory UK government to succeed since Cameron and Thatcher…..but not via Scots votes BTW but via one dominant nation within this non union choosing to elect them. ..so .yes Mr Sillars ‘Timing is indeed everything ‘…………as is democracy and the democratic right to vote to choose your own destiny and not have your destiny dictated by another government outwith your own country .
Now that we , in the YES movement , are aware of your TRUE position Mr Sillars, then I suggest that we all now just ignore you and treat everything that you now say and do as no different to all of those others supportive of the Unionist side via their SAME words and actions……at least we should be grateful that, via your words and actions, you have shown what and where your true priorities lie…….as in not with Independence for Scotland anytime soon ….if ever.
Jim Sillars is another official member of the ‘Now Is Not The Time’ Unionist tribe….but whose TRUE objective is to actually ensure that ‘No Time’ will ever be the right moment for HIM or THEM …..NOW or in the FUTURE……to delay the inevitable…….stalling for time.
There really is too much promotion given to many a ‘Yesterday’s man and woman’ ( Sillars, Nash, Harris etc ) via MSM …..which proves how desperate they are to both prevent and stop independence…..desperate times calls for perhaps TOO desperate measures via rolling out Dinosaurs to prop up the dying cause that is the Union……where as independence is something that looks to the future and seeks to invigorate hope, diversity, fairness, tolerance and a sense of worth for all who choose to vote for and thus live within Scotland as a independent nation……
Let the people decide Mr Sillars……they have had enough of people like you trying to dictate what you and t’others state is best for them and theirs…..especially now as tis crystal clear that actually Now is the BEST time for us to look to independence if we want to stop the rot that this (non) Union is so desperate to ensure we are subjected to suffer and they do so by trying to ultimately diminish all and everything that makes Scotland a rich nation within the nations of the world.
Had enough of political False Prophets……nobody likes a turncoat.
UK (aka the Union) – NO THANKS
Independence – YES PLEASE
He’s either a fool or a knave. Why don’t the SNP withdraw his membership?
He donates to Labour, publicly backs Alba and hasn’t voted SNP “for a long time”. He’s not an SNP supporter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Sillars
He doesn’t like the FM since he found out she’s a woman
The alt-indy movement seems to be awash with men with grievances, mostly brought upon themselves although they refuse to accept that, and as we all know there is nothing in this world more dangerous than a man with a grievance.
Not so much alt-indy as faux-indy.
You’re probably right. My faux pas. 🙂
This is a very welcome development as it gives the independence voters a party that is not the SNP …
Hugh? Whit aboot the Greens? Scottish Libertarian Party? Restore Scotland? Scotia Future?
Then there’s ISP. We also had the SSP, Solidarity.
I can remember Jim SIllars way back in the mid 70’s in Ayr when he used to come round to our house to collect my father’s Labour Party membership fees. I was a fervent believer, even then, in independence and vividly remember the nasty way he dismissed my views as “a silly wee lassie believing in a pipe dream”. That is just one of the patronising and misogynist comments that I can remember. His nastiness in one of these conversations so appalled my father he resigned from the Labour Party. I can, therefore, remember my scepticism at his apparent conversion to believing in independence and felt it was much more to do with his relationship than his beliefs. Sadly, he has confirmed that view.
Very good comment.
When Jim Sillars joined the SNP in 1980 it wasn’t easy for him because the party never wanted him in it, Margo McDonald was the important figure and Sillars was suffered because of her and he knew it, so the grievance has been long and protracted by him and some others who inveigled their way into the party, also who weren’t wanted because of their previous Labour allegiances and connections
Thankfully most of them are gone now although two or three returned to their previous devious convictions and connected themselves with *other* parties to carry on the good Labour secret fight of undermining the cause of Independence at every opportunity whilst simultaneously proclaiming their undying loyalty to it
As the SNP grew so did the fear in the established parties that the SNP would replace Labour but worse than that actually manage their ambition to remove Scotland from the Union so great efforts were made then and are still made now by the infiltrators to prevent that, even to the setting up of other parties claiming to want the same thing so vote for us because we’re really real, honest we are, but when you really look at these individuals past record you find some odd histories
👍
The SNP should remove Sillars from the party, given taht he is actively working against the party.
O/T
On the subject of Scotland’s abundant resources, ‘Scottish Energy News’, based in Norfolk.
http://www.scottishenergynews.com/
I watched an interesting talk over at Independence Live, their ‘Scotonomics’ programme. It was with an economist from Australia, called Prof Steve Keen. fascinating to listen even for me who knows virtually nothing about how economics works. He did though um er and arr when asked if Scotland really could go independent, something about needing goods etc to trade, lol and hmm. Karin mentioned Scotland’s abundant renewables resources but he didn’t seem to believe her. Mind you his country, Australia are taking Scotland’s high quality gold out of Scottish mountains (and prospecting further into the countryside for other high value minerals) and are about to coal mine the heck out of more of our Scottish countryside, so there must be something to trade out there! Worth a watch if only to learn something about the deliberate global mismanagement of economies to benefit big business and the rich while detroying the planet. Oh I have probs just put anyone off from watching it haven’t I.
Thx for the link. Independence Live are doing a lot of good work providing a grounding in important subjects like economics – which baffles me but I do try to get my head round it. At the end of the day we have a pretty thriving economy as a net exporter of food and energy. All we need are the levers of an independent country and the power to choose what to invest in. The potential is there but the power is lacking.
I noticed your link on the previous thread to the plan to start mining coal in Ayrshire. Great idea. Let’s burn down the planet and we won’t need to worry about energy any more!
I am sure that persuit should be pursuit however.
I lived and worked in Papua New Guinea and was amazed at Rio Tinto Zinc’s copper mine management refusing to let the locals get the use of their medical facilities. The company was taking millions of dollars every week and couldn’t help the locals.
Unfortunately for RTZ the Americans had forgotten about ammmunition dumps that had been left, the locals hadn’t..
The greed was stopped until common sense prevailed.
[…] Source […]
Sillars backing Jackie ‘Brexit and Bombs, not Bairns’ Ballie certainly explains a whole lot of stuff, as you eloquently summarise Paul.
My snp renewal has just came in. Should I hold off renewing until Sillars leaves or is removed?
Mr Mundell any guidance on this would be helpful before the council elections when I normally trudge the streets delivering leaflets.🏴 Something I have done since the days of Edward Heath.
Thanks
So Gordon Brown, another dinosaur of the Jim Sillars era wants the English government to take over the Scottish investment bank, well he says *invest* in it to make it more betterer because us Scots are just pretty rubbish at economic stuff especially that Kate Forbes ( she’s a woman too incidentally) but we all know exactly what he means don’t we
And of interest to skier perhaps,? Brown quotes another poll that says Scotland would rather have a different solution to Independence that’s more betterer, apparently only 22% of wants Independence now
In a couple of weeks from now there’ll be a poll saying nobody in Scotland wants Independence and we’re all positively against the thing and what was it all about anyway now that we’re all Brexited and Bringlish together, God save the King………..of Saudi
Can anyone give a report on the Festival of Brexit event that was programmed to take place in Paisley?
The programme says it was on March First 2022.
Maybe the mogg will tell us when he’s at the conference
.He must be on an invite since the glorious leader will be attending.
davetewart,
From the Graun:
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/mar/01/unboxed-festival-launches-with-vow-to-get-britain-reconnected
And the Welsh perspective …
https://nation.cymru/culture/welsh-body-tasked-with-delivering-post-brexit-festival-confident-it-will-leave-rich-cultural-legacy-in-wales/
Many thanks,
The light show was on page 6 of the local paper.
Seems the project has a budget of £120m.
Ask around there are very few who know anything about the ‘Festival’.
Sillars is just another of yesterday’s old men. Anyone who is old enough to know who he is, knows what he is. To those who are too young to know who he is, he will just be seen as another miserable old man. Him and Galloway are two of a kind – a pair of balloons.
I appreciate your comment, Arthur+Thompson and the balloon analogy (you will remember my ‘balloon parable’ in a previous thread, and the link to ‘hot air’ etc in the Scottish (in Name Only) Labour Party … but I suggest that in the cases of Sillars and Galloway, we can take the analogy one step further.
They are balloons without skins.
Nice.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-60750532
Lifelong disabilities will not face benefit tests
Disabled people in Scotland with serious lifelong conditions will no longer have to attend reassessments to continue receiving their benefits, BBC Scotland has learned.
The Scottish government will begin taking over adult disability benefits from the UK government next week…
…Under current rules, terminally ill people are only eligible for PIP if their death is “reasonably expected” within six months.
Mr Macpherson also pledged that the Scottish system will not ask claimants to undergo “undignified physical and mental assessments” and will remove the private sector from the process entirely.
‘undignified physical and mental assessments’. Not sure why anyone would support such an approach when it comes to basic human rights/welfare issues and associated legal protections.
Anyhoo, I await the latest attacks on the Scotgov for being ‘woke leftie liberal tartan tory extremist nationalists’ or something along those lines.
Anyhoo, I await the latest attacks on the Scotgov for being ‘woke leftie liberal tartan tory extremist nationalists’ or something along those lines.
_____
All in good time.
In the meantime, consider this from this self-same BBC article regarding feedback from others on the policy (and NOT including DWP response to specific allegations made by Colette Walker.)
***
A “Disability groups like MS Society Scotland and Inclusion Scotland have welcomed the changes.
Citizens Advice Scotland has also said it welcomes the new payment, describing it as a “huge change from what came before” because it “simplifies the claims process” and “medical assessments will be a last resort”.
But policy manager Stephanie Millar said a potential challenge could be that the benefit itself is “largely replicating PIP and uses the same points process that PIP uses”.
“So the process will be more straightforward but they’re still working within a system which does disadvantage claimants,” she said.
The new payment has also come under criticism by some opposition parties.
Scottish Labour’s social security spokeswoman, Pam Duncan-Glancy, said the Scottish government has “missed an opportunity” to improve the lives of disabled people, and said the new payment criteria would “be the same as it is under DWP”.
“No-one wants devolution to deliver DWP-light,” she said. “We want a shake-up of the whole thing.” ”
Total words: 161 words – 100%
***
B “Disability groups like MS Society Scotland and Inclusion Scotland have welcomed the changes.
Citizens Advice Scotland has also said it welcomes the new payment, describing it as a “huge change from what came before” because it “simplifies the claims process” and “medical assessments will be a last resort”.”
Total words of organisations in favour of SG actions: 48 words / 29.8%
***
C “But policy manager Stephanie Millar said a potential challenge could be that the benefit itself is “largely replicating PIP and uses the same points process that PIP uses”.
“So the process will be more straightforward but they’re still working within a system which does disadvantage claimants,” she said.
The new payment has also come under criticism by some opposition parties.
Scottish Labour’s social security spokeswoman, Pam Duncan-Glancy, said the Scottish government has “missed an opportunity” to improve the lives of disabled people, and said the new payment criteria would “be the same as it is under DWP”.
“No-one wants devolution to deliver DWP-light,” she said. “We want a shake-up of the whole thing.” ”
Total words of organisations critical of SG actions: 113 words / 70.2%
_________
BBC impartiality – Case Study 432/2022
As someone who know the current PIP system really well I can say that this is fantastic news. As the time passes and it comes time to be assessed again, again, again, the person involved becomes less able to function and their disabilities seems to become worse. Just my own observations. If it is apparent that someone is not going to get better why the need to put them through humiliating tests? I have been witness to the “sanctions” and other degradations of this and other DWP tactics for many years now.
I, too, have been through the PIP mill here in England and lived on air for 4 months – as they did not recognise a ‘psychological problem’ as being a ‘disability’.
With grateful support and love to the wife who subsidised and looked after me over that period.
We went through almost a year of hassle, withdrawal of financial support and demands for medical proof, just to have all the monies backdated. But no care was given for what that extended period of time did to the disabled person who was in limbo. Wanted to give up. Went into a deeper darker place. Was not believed. Then just after the backdated payment was received the merry go round started once more…. more forms to fill in, more assessments, more sanctions…..It is never ending…..Even today it goes on and on with notional end dates to the awards. No assistance is ever offered. If they truly believe that this disability will end in one year, two years whatever… what help are they giving? This is for someone who has been unable to work for 18 years now, so not some new claim or new problem. Don’t get me started.
Many younger folk who are not au fait with Old Scottish Labour must be a trifle perplexed that these antediluvian old codgers appear frequently in the MSM telling them what they must think and do about Independence for Scotland .
Brown and Galloway and Sillars ( such a parcel of rogues …etc… ) each speak to the nation as if THEY were someone who carried any weight with people who still had two working brain cells . They pop up , like a new strain of Covid , every few months with dire predictions of the End of Days if the people of Scotland gave a nano-second of thought to Independence .
They are of course relics from that Land that Time Forgot – the land of Old Scottish Labour , which still believes that the masses need to be told what to think , told who to vote for and to shut up about the fact that the Labour Party ”does NOT do what it says on the tin ! ”
The People’s party has morphed into the Right People’s Party – knowing the right people gets you a safe Labour seat or if you are Brain Dead , Jame Kelly or both , a List seat in Holyrood .
Brown and Galloway and Sillars are the Walking Dead of politics in Scotland – guys who refuse to die , even when the Party they professed to love has been destroyed from within by parasites like themselves . They are empty husks of what used to be called Socialists when the Labour Party was still seen as a force for good , before it became a Poundshop Tory Party with failed Tory second raters leading the UK and Scottish branches .
PK, keep on keeping on, my friend 😉
Try googling – sillars day of reckoning – and you get, from the BBC:
“12 Sept 2014 · A former deputy leader of the SNP warns “scaremongering” business leaders they face a “day of reckoning” if Scotland votes for independence.”
and
“The former SNP deputy leader Jim Sillars says he used terms such as “a day of reckoning” and “nationalisation” to gain publicity.” (13 Sept 2014)
The complete b4st4rd might have cost us the referendum days later, and there isn’t enough contempt in the entire universe for that viper.
Don’t forget as well as pushing ALBA, he pushed RISE.
He’s the Unionists’ useful gibbering idiot. Anything for his worthless ego.
The best thing I can say about Sillars is he is just a greetin faced auld git and a traitorous moron with no principles at all. His late wife Margo MacDonald who was wonderful supporter of Scottish Independence must be spinning in her grave. I can’t stand pretendy Indy supporters and Sillars is clearly one.Another one who really bugs me these days is the journalist Kevin McKenna he has more faces than Big Ben’s clock. His anti Snp rant in the National yesterday was the final straw for me http://www.thenational.scot/politics/19995691.no-plans-snp-conference-ahead-council-elections/
An excellent blog my Scots friend. That Sillars guy is very silly and is about a point higher with his nonsense to that of BoZo the killer clown himself.Many English and especially our Welsh cousins, are behind the independence for Scotland as being English just gets you a lying corrupt idiot for a leader. Should it all happen I hope I will be here to see it and then to watch Scotland going forward in such a positive way has to hurt Johnson and makes me happy also. Now being after 54 years a non member of Labour and politically homeless watching your little Tiger of a leader in the Commons gives many of us very happy hours and he leads a true opposition party. You take your time please and only do what you can and will not make you any worse.My very best regards, Gordon Rowley.
On a personal level, I, along with the other volunteers from our S.N.P branch, this during the run-up to the Independence Referendum, were delegated to follow the Margo Bus around our constituency while Sillars spoke via a P.A system. Frankly, I had my doubts about him, but nevertheless I dutifully campaigned while Sillars spoke. It seems my suspicions were well founded.
You can tell real indy supporters; they don’t attack people like me for being – in whole or in part – Irish*.
Aye, there are not many people in the world that dislike the Irish. They tend to come from just one country. And it’s not Scotland.
Anyhoo, all the best from that side of the family.
‘Irish skier’
—-
*Or other nationalities that are not British. Like French…
They tend to come from just one country. And it’s not Scotland.
What country is it then?
When Douglas Ross warmly shakes Johnson’s hand this week end, perhaps he may ponder on the Tory Promo Snap of Johnson’s last ‘state visit’. and whose blood drenched hand he grasped enthusiastically not 24 hours ago.
Laura Kuennsberg was even despatched with a crew to diary the Great Man’s latest PMQ avoiding wheeze.
The butcher’s apron fluttering aside the flag of the Saudis.
Johnson’s ‘capitalism and greed’ trumps oppression, state execution of political opponents and basic human rights violations.
By coincidence I was re reading some Orwell this week..I’m loaded with a common or garden cold…and I reproduce this, from Orwell’s essay on Boys Weeklies, written in September 1939, days before all hell broke loose in Europe.
“But their patriotism has nothing whatever to do with power-politics or ‘ideological’ warfare. It is more akin to family loyalty, and actually it gives one a valuable clue to the attitude of ordinary people, especially the huge untouched block of the middle class and the better-off working class. These people are patriotic to the middle of their bones, but they do not feel that what happens in foreign countries is any of their business. When England is in danger they rally to its defence as a matter of course, but in between-times they are not interested. After all, England is always in the right and England always wins, so why worry? It is an attitude that has been shaken during the past twenty years, but not so deeply as is sometimes supposed. Failure to understand it is one of the reasons why Left Wing political parties are seldom able to produce an acceptable foreign policy.”
Note that Eric Blair, an Eton boy, refers constantly to ‘England’, not the UK, or even Britain.
This written 83 years ago could have been penned yesterday as Johnson strutted his stuff ‘on the world stage’, for domestic consumption, by ‘domestic’, meaning England.
“The mental world of the Gem and Magnet, therefore, is something like this:
The year is 1910 — or 1940, but it is all the same. You are at Greyfriars, a rosy-cheeked boy of fourteen in posh tailor-made clothes, sitting down to tea in your study on the Remove passage after an exciting game of football which was won by an odd goal in the last half-minute. There is a cosy fire in the study, and outside the wind is whistling. The ivy clusters thickly round the old grey stones. The King is on his throne and the pound is worth a pound. Over in Europe the comic foreigners are jabbering and gesticulating, but the grim grey battleships of the British Fleet are steaming up the Channel and at the outposts of Empire the monocled Englishmen are holding the niggers at bay. Lord Mauleverer has just got another fiver and we are all settling down to a tremendous tea of sausages, sardines, crumpets, potted meat, jam and doughnuts. After tea we shall sit round the study fire having a good laugh at Billy Bunter and discussing the team for next week’s match against Rookwood. Everything is safe, solid and unquestionable. Everything will be the same for ever and ever. That approximately is the atmosphere.
it is done indirectly, there is being pumped into them the conviction that the major problems of our time do not exist, that there is nothing wrong with laissez-faire capitalism, that foreigners are unimportant comics and that the British Empire is a sort of charity-concern which will last for ever.”
This is the world of England’s Iron Heel Oligarchy, as it remains even to this day.
We look at tired sad old men like Sillars, Brown, and Salmond, not in anger but in total disinterest.
The 1930’s world of DC Thomson’s ‘Wizard ‘ Hotspur’ and ‘Adventure’ is alive and well; just check out Rees Mogg and Princes Andrew Charles and the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race.
Happy St Patrick’s to one and all.
Brilliant 😂 – Happy St Patrick’s Day to you too Jack
Thank you Jack, brilliantly said.
Thank you to Paul too, Great essay, and right on the head of the nail. Sillars should just sail off into the sunset.
Looking forward to being back in the old country soon.
I’m surprised you can’t guess. Maybe you are not familiar with UK politics / political history?
Within the lifetimes of some, Ireland was subject to military invasion in an attempt to overturn election results and install a puppet government to keep it under imperial British control. While a peace deal was signed to stop the war, it involved the partitioning of the North against the will of the population of Ireland, so inevitably led to division and violence in the partitioned area, with Irish people made second class citizens. Of those civilians killed in this conflict (‘the troubles’), the vast majority were Irish (often called ‘Catholics’), and victims of British security/paramilitary forces.
Ultimately, a fragile peace was achieved when the two opposing countries (England/Britain and Ireland) signed a peace deal, initially via the Anglo-Irish agreement (1985), which then paved the way for the internationally brokered (US) United Nations Good Friday Agreement (1998). The key was that this was agreed by referendum by all the peoples of Ireland, and not over their heads. Hence it still holds.
Unsurprisingly, this conflict created dislike/distrust/bitterness on both sides. Something not common to Scottish (only) people as they were not involved (hence Irish republican paramilitaries never targeted Scotland, only British paramilitaries did, going after Scottish-Irish people like me), but still prevalent among some British identifying people in all corners of the UK.
I emphasise some, as my post did not in any way tar entire populations, but just noted that the culprits tend to come from one country, and for the very obvious reasons discussed.
Hope that clarifies.
That was in response to Mark’s quesiton.
Hope that clarifies
Not really, historically there may have been some mistrust, but not now really certainly not enough to back up your claim. As an English/Irish person living in England, I’ve never seen much of it in recent years. Maybe you should not make assumptions about a country that you don’t live in /don’t visit 🙂
I suppose a good example of how things have changed is that a city that was once regularly attacked by Irish terrorists now holds a large St Patricks Day parade that is attended by the Taoiseach. As Simon Coveney recently said Ireland and the UK have had a difficult past, but are a good example of how countries can move on from their history. Certainly these days it only seems to be people like Putin who tries to rake up Irish/UK history and use it to their benefit.
@Marc
Unfortunately, the UK government refuses to move on, and is busy messing with the GFA via Brexit without the consent of the people of whole of the island of Ireland. In 1998 the latter voted for the power sharing deal with open borders, free trade etc. Now England is undoing that with no democratic mandate, forcing it upon the people of Ireland, North and Republic. This is destabilising the north, and will see a return to violence. the only way to avoid that is, as per 1998, to have all the people of the Emerald isle endorse any brexit related changes by referendum (or through election).
The English/British government also seem to be attempting similar with Scotland, saying they will block a Scottish referendum, so bringing democracy to an effective end in Scotland. That would be a very dangerous thing to do as it would require repression/violence to enforce, as every dictatorship the world over shows.
But coming back to my comment…
Ok, so if we gathered all the people in the world that didn’t like Irish people, what would be the most common nationality of these? What would be the most common flag they’d wave? It’s not as if there are not lots of pictures on the net to help you work it out. Try googling ‘anti-Irish sectarianism’ for example. Sorry, but I am not going to ‘move on from the past’ as long as bigots, racists etc still walk the streets, which they do.
Unfortunately, the bigots won’t let history lie, but still march through British cities etc, threatening ‘no surrender’. At the same time, they threaten to take my vote away from me and force their rule upon my country. I’m not going to ‘move on’ from that, much as they might wish I would.
Scottish independence and Irish renunciation would bring closure to these things, just as it has in the Republic. I think we can all conclude watching the Belfast wall fall would be as good as seeing the Berlin wall come down, and we should hope that is the wish of the majority in due course, for that is what will bring true lasting, stable peace.
I look forward to that day. In the meantime, I have the ‘main opposition’ in Scotland and governing UK party fielding Orange order candidates in the coming council elections. Labour too! Clearly not courting the Scottish/Irish vote!
Anyway, a happy, sunny spring (at least here in the borders) St. Patrick’s day to you. 🙂
You never mentioned nationality you said:
They tend to come from just one country. And it’s not Scotland.
So what country do all these people come from? You must have the answer for this after all you made the statement, the one-word answer will do, if it is not Scotland it is…….?
Marc, I’m going to get into childish games about what are very serious matters, not least the fragile peace in N. Ireland that England/Britain is putting a brexit wrecking ball through, attempting to stir up divisions between Irish and British communities there, by undoing the 1998 referendum.
The English government is also attempting to pit Scots against English/British by its threat to try and block the democratic process in Scotland, forcing English/British rule on Scotland, just as Putin is forcing Russian rule on Ukraine. The union must only exist by free democratic consent of the peoples of all home nations. Anything else takes the UK down the path of a dictatorship and all that entails. People seem to imagine that ‘that sort of thing* doesn’t happen in Britain’ even though it did for decades in the most British part of Britain (N. Ireland).
I would hope that if England’s government does go down the ‘No section 30’ route, the people of England – and unionists in Scotland – will take to the streets to oppose this affront to democracy, just as many Russians are bravely doing in Russia in support of Ukraine. That would mean so much to Scots.
Hopefully, we see backtracking on the mess being made in N. Ireland, Scotland and Wales with devolution referendum results being variably undone by England before this really does bring ‘troubles’ back.
—-
*i.e. what happens in Russia, Belarus
erm you are the one that made the original statement (They tend to come from just one country. And it’s not Scotland) I was just asking for clarification on something you have not provided so I took your advice and googled anti-Irish sectarianism and the overwhelming articles relate to Scotland.
Can you show me where English rule is being forced on Scotland? According to the SNP there will be a Second indyref and that it cannot be stopped, you yourself have said that there is nothing in the Indyref bill that can be challenged. England cannot force its rule on a country that can choose to hold a referendum for independence at any time.
Name your source(s) Marc.
Some unionists in certain unionist parties in Scotland no doubt following their masters orders in England, (they are not Scottish parties, their HQ’s are in London) have actively welcomed and even encouraged sectarianism in Scotland, it’s classic divide and rule tactics, religion, sport, class, gender, etc, the powerful at the helm or not even at the helm, use whatever they can and the BritNats in charge at Westminster are experts at it, after all, they have been doing it to many countries around the globe for many years. There is also such a thing as false flag which we saw during the independence referendum in 2014 even when the BritNats won and they secured that win by all means foul to say the very least.
There are such things as paid provocatuers, it happens the world over, and in fact some of the far right thugs that occupied the streets of Glasgow a few years back were from the north of England. It’s very easy to persuade a few thugs to get on a bus and shout and scream whatever they are told for a few beers or £’s. Those underhand and very obvious tactics will be deployed again and the British nationalists’ media will comply, again.
You ask how Scotland is under ‘English rule’? Firstly the English Government and their FM can cancel Scotland’s parliament any time they like, it’s why they demonise the SNP and Scotland;s democratically elected FM, because their claims which they publish in their media made about how this is not being managed well or is being totally mismanaged by the ScotGov, are designed to undermine trust in the elected representatives in Scotland in prep, if necessary, to enact emergency measures for whatever reason, in other words in effect, a coup, and remove said democratically elected FM and government from Holyrood, for made up security reasons etc. They would do that, and that means that Scotland is under English rule.
The powers that the English government have kept control of, ie ones which are not devolved to Scotland and their democratically elected government, are wide, varied and extensive, even broadcasting is a reserved power to Westminster in England, if that is not a democratic deficit I don’t know what is.
There is a list of governmental powers that are reserved and in the control of the English government even though Scotland would a) benefit from most if not all in fact being devolved and b) has hands tied in crucial governmental areas that do directly and negatively affect Scotland such as immigration. With their ‘Internal market act’ some devolved powers are even being reduced or removed altogether.
Scotland is a nation, has nation status, but has been dragged out of the EU against the will of 62% of the people, in every single constituency in Scotland, the people voted to remain in the EU.
If that is being ‘in a family of nations, equal partners’ as Tory trougher Cameron spouted in 2014, then it’s not what Scotland needs, nor is it what Scotland voted for. Scotland was told in no uncertain terms, to vote ‘no to stay in the EU’. That was a lie they knew it and they got away with it. Not so now and next independence referendum, people will remember that, because their industries, many unique to Scotland, and their living standards have been and are being reduced
by the day right now and that is going to get a whole lot worse in the coming months. Scotland is charged more just to connect the the ‘National Grid’ therefore people pay more for the fuel even though their country supplies much of the next door country’s fuel, it’s taken, by force. The English cabal take what they want from Scotland and it’s effectively a massive scam, they take many more £billions from Scotland than they ever should, sending a far fewer £’s (ie crumbs) back and saying be grateful you sweaty Jocks ha ha ha! GERS is scam and was designed as such.
No more, it’s got stop, Scotland will have an indy ref and vote for their own country to have full fiscal and governmental powers that they need to be the country they choose to be, not one that is chosen for them by the people of England. The EngGov should be in talks with Scotland about how to remain allies and trading partners, and how assets and resources and such things as the small matter of the tons of oil, still in Scottish territorial waters, should be dealt with. England needs independence, they voted for it in 2016 after all, they can’t expect their next door country to accept being governed, ruled over, by their preferences and voting choices, and still call themselves a democracy and an ‘equal union’ That’s just silly.
It’s not easy finding a full list of which powers are reserved to Westminster, but you can check online and get an idea of where power lies, and of course the commonly used phrase, power devoled is power reserved, ie a power can be removed from the devolved nations by the EngGov, anytime they like.
Sorry any typos.
Well said ArtyHetty. 👍
I second that Capella.
If the UK government said ‘Scots, you are absolutely free to choose independence and we will not interfere with that. When you want to hold your vote, we will facilitate as best we can and respect the result’, I would have the greatest respect for Britain. And, TBH, it would be the best approach for unionists possible. Letting Scots freely choose offers the best chance of keeping the union going, as Cameron understood. The EU understands this too, hence it did not interfere in the brexit ref in any way; the UK was free to make its own decision.
If you don’t let people freely chose, they will fight back, from protest and civil disobedience, to even the death if needs be, to defend their people, country, homes and families against a regime forces upon them. As Putin is learning now.
I’m assuming you are calling for a referendum this year to stop all this happening? Or are you happy to allow it to continue for another 18 months until late 2023?
Sadly I see too many people complaining about how bad England is but more than happy to not pressure the SNP not to call a referendum at the earliest possible date to limit the damage caused by Brexit etc.
Your wish is my command ArtyHetty.
1. Agricultural Support
2. Agriculture – Fertiliser Regulations
3. Agriculture – GMO Marketing & Cultivation
4. Agriculture – Organic Farming
5. Agriculture – Zootech
6. Animal Health and Traceability
7. Animal Welfare
8. Aviation Noise Management at Airports
9. Blood Safety and Quality
10. Carbon Capture & Storage
11. Chemicals regulation (including pesticides)
12. Civil judicial co-operation – jurisdiction and recognition & enforcement of judgments in civil & commercial matters (including B1 rules and related EU conventions)
13. Civil judicial co-operation – jurisdiction and recognition & enforcement of judgments instruments in family law (including BIIa, Maintenance and civil protection orders)
14. Civil judicial cooperation on service of documents and taking of evidence
15. Criminal offences minimum standards measures – Combating Child Sexual Exploitation Directive
16. Control of major accident hazards
17. Cross border mediation
18. Data sharing – (EU fingerprint database (EuroDac)
19. Data sharing – European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS)
20. Data sharing – False and Authentic Documents Online (FADO)
21. Data sharing – passenger name records
22. Data sharing – Prüm framework
23. Data sharing – Schengen Information System (SIS II)
24. Efficiency in energy use
25. Elements of Reciprocal Healthcare
26. Elements of the Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive
27. Elements of Tobacco Regulation
28. Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
29. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive
30. Environmental law concerning energy planning consents
31. Environmental law concerning offshore oil & gas installations within territorial waters
32. Environmental quality – Air Quality
33. Environmental quality – Chemicals
34. Environmental quality – Flood Risk Management
35. Environmental quality – International timber trade (EUTR and FLEGT)
36. Environmental quality – Marine environment
37. Environmental quality – Natural Environment and Biodiversity
38. Environmental quality – Ozone depleting substances and F-gases
39. Environmental quality – Pesticides
40. Environmental quality – Spatial Data Infrastructure Standards
41. Environmental quality – Waste Packaging & Product Regulations
42. Environmental quality – Waste Producer Responsibility Regulations
43. Environmental quality – Water Quality
44. Environmental quality – Water Resources
45. Environmental quality – Biodiversity – access and benefit sharing of genetic resources
46. Equal Treatment Legislation
47. EU agencies – EU-LISA
48. EU agencies – Eurojust
49. EU agencies – Europol
50. EU Social Security Coordination
51. Fisheries Management & Support
52. Food and Feed Law
53. Food Compositional Standards
54. Food Geographical Indications (Protected Food Names)
55. Food Labelling
56. Forestry (domestic)
57. Free movement of healthcare (the right for EEA citizens to have their elective procedure in another member state)
58. Genetically modified micro-organisms contained use
59. Good laboratory practice
60. Harbours
61. Hazardous Substances Planning
62. Heat metering and billing information
63. High Efficiency Cogeneration
64. Implementation of EU Emissions Trading System
65. Ionising radiation
66. Land use
67. Late payment (commercial transactions)
68. Legal aid in cross-border cases
69. Migrant Access to benefits
70. Minimum standards -housing & care: regulation of the use of animals
71. Minimum standards legislation – child sexual exploitation
72. Minimum standards legislation – cybercrime
73. Minimum standards legislation – football disorder
74. Minimum standards legislation – human trafficking
75. Mutual recognition of professional qualifications
76. Mutual recognition of criminal court judgments measures & cross border cooperation – European Protection Order, Prisoner Transfer Framework Directive, European Supervision Directive, Compensation to Crime Victims Directive
77. Nutrition health claims, composition and labelling
78. Onshore hydrocarbons licensing
79. Organs
80. Plant Health, Seeds and Propagating Material
81. Practical cooperation in law enforcement – Asset Recovery Offices
82. Practical cooperation in law enforcement – European Investigation Order
83. Practical cooperation in law enforcement – Joint Action on Organised Crime
84. Practical cooperation in law enforcement – Joint investigation teams
85. Practical cooperation in law enforcement – mutual legal assistance
86. Practical cooperation in law enforcement – mutual recognition of asset freezing orders
87. Practical cooperation in law enforcement – mutual recognition of confiscation orders
88. Practical cooperation in law enforcement – Schengen Article 40
89. Practical cooperation in law enforcement – Swedish initiative
90. Practical cooperation in law enforcement – European judicial network
91. Practical cooperation in law enforcement – implementation of European Arrest Warrant
92. Procedural rights (criminal cases) – minimum standards measures
93. Provision of legal services
94. Provision in the 1995 Data Protection Directive (soon to be replaced by the General Data Protection Regulation) that allows for more than one supervisory authority in each member state
95. Public sector procurement
96. Public health (serious cross-border threats to health)
97. Radioactive Source Notifications – Trans-frontier shipments
98. Radioactive waste treatment and disposal
99. Rail franchising rules
100. Rail markets and operator licensing
101. Recognition of insolvency proceedings in EU Member States
102. Renewable Energy Directive
103. Rules on applicable law in civil & commercial cross border claims
104. Sentencing – taking convictions into account
105. State Aid
106. Statistics
107. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive
108. Tissues and cells
109. Uniform fast-track procedures for certain civil and commercial claims (uncontested debts, small claims)
110. Victims rights measures (criminal cases)
111. Voting rights and candidacy rules for EU citizens in local government elections
Powerful piece, btw.
I see that we have a Yes But pest visiting.
Ignore the ‘convince me’ trolls.
Marc, how the SNP are judged is entirely separate from how the UK government are judged. This is natural.
They key is respecting democracy and the will of the people. There is no doubt that the English dominated UK government does not give a crap what Scots think, and is happy to overrule and undermine democratic votes in 3/4 nations of the UK. What they are doing to devolution is the same as cancelling brexit and handing increasing powers to the EU against the will of the UK people.
What was the point of the 1997 Scottish referendum if the current English government simply undoes that? It’s like Moscow undoing the Ukrainian indyref result. The GFA is on the rocks FHS.
Sorry, but to do this means they have no like nor respect for Scottish/Welsh/N.Irish people.
Someone who does that to me/my country must hate me for my nationality/ethnicity. It is not party-political, 3/4 of Scots voted for the current devo settlement and, again today, both unionist and nationalist opposed the attack on democracy it represents.
All I ask is that what Scots voted for in 1997, and the extras in the 2014 ‘vow’ be respected.
Instead, England is doing a Putin in trashing this, making voting a pointless sham. We might as well be in Belarus if 74% Yes votes are overturned when it suits. What was the point of the referendums in 1997/8 if the results can just be dumped by England?
You’re making the case for a referendum this year then? After all, why wait till 2023? As pointed out above the UK Gov could dissolve the Scottish Parliament at that time. As you say devolution is a sham why drag it out longer than necessary – lets end it in 2022:)
Very well said and so true
I see the flags involved there, indicating people of two specific nationalities.
More information on where anti-Irish sentiment mainly comes from here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Irish_sentiment
Yes, I don’t think it is practically possible in the legal/democratic sense for iref2 to be stopped. But then if any attempt was made, it would confirm that the UK/English government do not like Scottish people. In fact them simply making threats to this effect shows they don’t like Scottish people. Such behaviour is not the actions of people that like and respect Scots. To deny a people democracy, you must dislike them, their country/culture, and consider yourself as superior with a right to rule them against their will. Same for interfering in their democratic processes, as happens in Scotland. There is just no question about this.
And while it seems democratically impossible to stop, Britain does have a history of using violent force in this respect. Please remember that my gran was a baby when her and countryfolk faced what Ukrainian families are currently facing. And there are many more recent examples of how Britain reacts to independence movements/countries wanting bits of their territory back, including the illegal occupation of the Chagos islands.
By contrast, while it is not my position to support or oppose e.g. English independence as I don’t live there (I didn’t support or oppose brexit for England, just opposed it for Scotland / a UK containing Scotland where half of the member nations opposed it), if the Scottish or UK governments tried to stop English people freely choosing that, I would unquestionably stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of England in supporting their right to choose. No way on earth I would vote for any party refusing England a section 30 as do not dislike people from any other country, England included. If England was refused section 30, I would be happy to demonstrate alongside English voters against this if they wished my support. I would hope to have the same support in return.
I only dislike racists…bigots etc and those that would oppose Scots freely choosing the best form of government that suits them. If someone supports my right to freely vote into a government a party that supports indy, and to vote freely for indy in an iref held by them, free from unwanted outside (of Scotland) interference, then they are my friend. If not, they are clearly someone who dislikes me primarily based on my nationality/national identity.
I am very very proud of my Irish heritage. Just 2%, wish it was more. I am jealous of my other half who is 18% Irish. If I can’t live in Scotland, the home of my birth, I’d pick Ireland next then France. The video made me very sad that we, in Scotland, still await our Freedom.
Lesley Riddoch is looking for more vision – and not from Specsavers. Come on Duggers. Vision. 🤓
Unionists may be in trouble but Scottish independence voters need to see more vision
https://archive.ph/5GGSI
When this first appeared, it was hailed by critics as ‘a love letter to the SNP’.
Every little helps.
5. of 60.
Jock’s birthday party
Jock was having a birthday. His Mummy and his Daddy wanted to ensure that he had the best birthday ever, so they made sure that they invited all of Jock’s friends to the party.
After playing a few games, the children were escorted to the table to eat. And goodness! There was so much to eat, and so much variety! Then it came to the desserts.
The children started on the big red jelly. But although they had been used to the big red jelly before at other birthday parties, this one didn’t taste very nice. Maybe it was too big and had gone off – past its sell-by date, whispered some of the children. Or maybe, as some other children thought, it had no taste at all – it was just a wobbly, bland, red mixture.
So the children decided to try the blue jelly. Oh no! That jelly was far too bitter to the taste! The children liked sweet things, and it was obvious that the blue jelly didn’t fit the bill. All the children mentally made a solemn vow never to eat the blue jelly ever again.
The children decided to taste the yellow jelly. Now the yellow jelly was much smaller than the other jellies. But yuk! This jelly promised much but in fact had such a cloying taste that the children could not stand it – some were even sick after they had tasted it.
Some of the children thought that if they mixed the extremely sweet yellow jelly with the extremely bitter blue jelly, they would have a nicer dessert. But yuk and double yuk! This was actually the worst of all worlds – sometimes you could taste the bitterness of the blue jelly, and sometimes you could taste the excessive sweetness of the yellow jelly (although admittedly it was the bitterness of the blue jelly that tended to predominate). The children at Jock’s birthday party hurriedly disposed of the new blue-yellow jelly in the rubbish bin.
A wobbly purple, messy blancmange stood alone on the table, too. But that’s where it stayed. The children were sufficiently intelligent to know that the purple blancmange gave everyone indigestion.
And then, finally, they saw standing alone on the table, an impressive and resplendent golden ice cream.
The children took up their spoons, and tentatively, knowing how they had been bitterly disappointed by the previous desserts, they started to sample the golden ice cream, topped off with dark, delicious chocolate.
“Mmmmmmmmmmmm!” cried Jock.
“Yummy!” enthused Morag.
“Absolutely delicious!” added Hamish.
“I’m going to have some more of that!” said Catriona, scooping up a big spoonful of that lovely, creamy, golden ice cream with the dark chocolate sauce.
And all the children agreed. The golden ice cream and dark chocolate sauce was the best dessert they had ever had and Jock’s party was the best they had ever attended too. They were sure to dance, play games and enjoy themselves more than ever before.
It was going to be the best party, ever!
________
Parables for the New Politics
2012-2022
😂😂😂
Scottish Government decision on facemasks vindicated – again.
Covid: Nicola Sturgeon’s caution on face masks backed by experts
https://archive.ph/qY7Yz
Liz Cameron has form when it comes to this issue, her critique of the SG in the Herald, almost a year ago, was in a similar vein. She exhibits extraordinary hypocrisy in the last sentence where she advised people to stay safe and follow the advice, isn’t that what the SG is doing?
https://www.scottishchambers.org.uk/press_policy/liz-cameron-opinion-originally-published-in-the-herald/
Flags, who’s waving them and why?
The Saltire, Scotlands national flag, and the people who wave that one tend mostly to be the people who want their country back so they can have proper democracy within it
The Union flag, and the people who wave that one tend mostly to want to crush the aspirations of the first set of people
The two principles set against each other are one set of people who want what every other country on earth has, the right to live free and vote in their own country with their own system of governance
The UN agrees with these principles, in fact almost every country in the world speaks up and defends that right
The principles of the supporters of the Union are that Scotland should not be allowed these principles because? the excuses they invent are endless and every one a lie
The Tories wishing me and those of some Irish extraction a happy St. Patrick’s day.
https://archive.ph/a1HqD
Scottish Tories selected former Orange ‘master’ Calum McClean for Irvine South
Looks like Tim Rideout’s going to be riding out
While it’s obvious from the comments he’s not remotely racist, it was about the poorest choice of words he could possibly have used to make his point!
#facepalm
O/T I have a longstanding interest in comparing the performance of ‘devolved’ public services in different parts of the UK. I am interested in how public services in England, resourced as they are by an UNFETTERED government in Westminster, compare with those in NI, Scotland and Wales where the responsible governments have much more limited powers. And I am interested in how the BBC covers news about these services.
On 10 March 2022 NHS England published its latest (for February) waiting times performance data for A&E departments. It reported that: ‘60.8% of patients were seen within 4 hours in type 1 A&E departments compared to 62.3% in January 2022, 77.4% in February 2021 and 73.0% in February 2020. This is the lowest performance since the collection began.’
(‘Type 1’ departments – the equivalents of ‘main’ sites in Scotland – are what most people would recognise as an A&E department either from personal experience or watching ‘Casualty’ on TV!)
Despite my interest in the subject, I missed this ‘lowest ever’ news. Checking back, on 10 March the BBC News website under its Health tab had an article entitled: ‘How the NHS wrestled with worst winter on record’. Written by Nick Triggle, its health correspondent, this latest A&E news was reported but deep in an article which covered multiple other NHS performance issues. And of course it wasn’t headlined: perhaps why I missed it! Triggle ‘helpfully’ added: ‘This is not unique to England. ……, other parts of the UK have been struggling too.’
On 18 January, the Scotland page of the BBC News website had this headline: ‘Scottish A&E waiting times worst on record’. The BBC was reporting on the latest weekly release of A&E waiting times performance data: the worst on record performance was 67.4%! The article, on the main BBC News Scotland section was also opened up for btl comments – with the usual bile forthcoming.
This BBC Scotland article contained lengthy quotes from opposition politicians with phrases such “shameful indictment”, “unacceptable emergency waiting times in Scotland” from the Tories and
‘lives were being put in danger’ and “dereliction of duty,” attributed to Labour.
On 21 December, 2021 the BBC News Scotland page had this headline: ‘Scottish A&E waiting times second worst on record’. On 12 October, 2021, the BBC News Scotland page had this headline: ‘Latest A&E waiting times worst on record again’. Clearly milking this for all its worth! And of course it is highly probable that this repeated negative framing – probably context and perspective free – would be amplified on Reporting Scotland and possible other, BBC radio output in Scotland.
For the avoidance of doubt, there are NO QUOTES from opposition politicians in Triggle’s BBC article: indeed it is entirely APOLITICAL. His article was not opened up for btl comments.
Thx for doing this research stewartb. Prof Robertson was excellent at exposing the propaganda of the BBC and other media. It’s so sad he has given up. We really do need someone to expose their lies on a daily basis. People so quickly swoon into a condition of belief after daily doses of brainwashing.
I’d quite forgotten to compliment you on the analysis Stewart, Capella’s comment jolted my memory…
As you rightly observe, the BBC in Scotland website articles are almost always negatively framed, anything which is in the slightest apolitical have no btl comments opened, as in the Triggle article, what the DO select for comment (from Hamish McTaggart by way of Fred Smith, of Tobermory by way of Hatfield), are those articles they wish to promote.
In short, the website itself is framed to present “news” they would rather the public discuss (or see being “discussed”) and obscure news with which they prefer the public not engage.
An example of this I’d observed on earlier, “Covid in Scotland: Mask rules will stay in force until April”, promoted as the number 1 story on both the principal and politics pages on the 15th at 1500, now lingering in 5th spot of the Politics page which is glacial in updates anyway.
Was there public uproar over continued use of masks in shops and on public transport which merited this attention ? Not in the slightest, the objective of the article was to create it, and even though backed up by numerous bulletins, radio promotions, and cameos from DRoss etc., the entire campaign dismally failed.
After the disastrous and long-running QEUH farce, you might think regaining public trust or some degree of credibility would figure somewhere in priorities for the propagandists.
Not so for Pacific Quay and the Scotland Office, the do not see trust as crucial when they enjoy a monopoly, and James (I’ve seen the email) Cook is not about to change a “winning” formula. 🙄
English government politicians showing their, erm ‘like and respect’ for Scots again.
Cause you know, if you like and respect a people, you try to overturn how they voted without letting them have a say, Putin style.
https://web.archive.org/web/20220317175802/https://www.thenational.scot/news/20001750.brexit-msps-refuse-give-consent-subsidy-control-bill/
Brexit: MSPs refuse to give consent to the Subsidy Control Bill
The motion passed by 86 votes for yes, and 28 votes for no.
84 to 28 is, unsurprisingly, 75% Yes. You know, like 1997 (74%). ‘But who cares about that; they’re just Jocks laddie, och aye!’.
SCOTTISH Tory leader Douglas Ross had to pull out of FMQs after his throat “seized up”.
Ross is said to have lost his voice, meaning he was unable to pose questions to Nicola Sturgeon.
Shadow justice secretary Jamie Greene MSP took his place at the Holyrood session.
A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: “In the past 24 hours, Douglas Ross has fallen ill.
“His throat has seized up, which has left him unable to speak at First Minister’s Questions today.
“He has taken Covid tests each day, all of which have come back negative.
“Douglas will still be appearing at Scottish Conservative Conference on Friday for the Prime Minister’s speech, and he will be delivering a slightly shortened version of his keynote address on Saturday.”
__________
I’ll leave this one to the conspiracy theorists …
P&O .
I believe this could not happen under Eu rules.
It’s a brexiter Tory wet dream.
As usual, those responsible for making the decisions that lead to a £100m loss, are not losing their jobs.
What puzzles me is the English government *claim* they knew nothing until yesterday yet hundreds of foreign staff were bussed in to take the jobs of the sacked P&O workers
How did all these foreign workers get visas? Nobody gets a visa in a couple of days, and did nobody at the Home office notice that 800 of them had been applied for by the same employer P&O?, so to get those visas the government in England had to approve them, unless I missed something?
‘P & O Ferries’ seems to be ‘parented’ by a logistics giant called DP World owned by Dubai-based billionaires. Guess who was in Dubai, UAE, this very week?
Along with some very prominent Russian oligarths.
Just had the same conversation elsewhere, this is a deep hole and it’s going to take some digging to get to the truth. Your basic premise is correct, how did hundreds of ‘foreign’ workers get permits and visas. Basic training and familiarisation would be needed apart from the time required for interviewing and vetting. It’s such a blatant, indeed illegal stunt that I for one don’t believe the UK gov didn’t rubber stamp this move.
Seafarers (anyone who works on a naval vessel) do not need visas to enter the UK as long as they are coming to work on a ship (ie not coming for a visit, to see relatives etc).
As for the actual redundancies, PO has broken the law as the 45 day consultation period has not been followed by P&O. Employment lawyers will be rubbing their hands at 800 or so unfair dismissal claims coming their way….
P&O crew work 1 week on 1week off, based at UK ports they would require resident status.
Not if they are contracted as a seafarer on a ferry that services ports that are outside the UK (ie cross channel ferries) or the ship voyage takes it outside predominantly outside UK waters (ie cruise ships)
The GFA achieved peace because it was supported by all the people of Ireland; both from the British imperial partitioned/occupied north, and the Irish republic. A lasting peace by common consent.
Britain/England seems to have as much respect for UN peace deals as Russia, trashing the GFA as it has in pursuing brexit without caring what voters of all Ireland think.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60776392
St Patrick’s Day: Biden reinforces support for Good Friday Agreement
US President Joe Biden has warned that too much “blood, sweat and tears” have been shed on the Good Friday Agreement to change it now.
He also praised the Irish government’s response to the Ukrainian conflict in bringing in 7,000 refugees.
Peace only comes from democratic consent, including a border poll as and when the voters of Ireland want one. Same for Scotland.
In fairness to SGP with the forthcoming council elections J Kelly suggests the best voting intention (if there is no ALBA candidate) is to vote SNP, Green, independent.
Once more the Scottish Government refuses legislative consent for a Tory bill. Let’s see the respect agenda in action.
Brexit: MSPs refuse to give consent to the Subsidy Control Bill
https://archive.fo/SsIYg
As I noted above, this is not an attack on a particular party, but a direct attack on Scottish (and Welsh / N. Irish) people by England’s government.
The 1997/8 devolution referendums are being overturned. It’s the same as what was done to Ireland when it voted for indy, just without the guns (so far), and just like Putin attempting to overturn Ukraine’s indyref. The principle / goals are the same; to roll back time and increase England’s control over the other nations / rebuild its pre-devolution ‘sphere of influence’.
It’s just not possible to argue that the English government likes and respects Scots/Welsh/N. Irish peoples in the face of what is happening. It is a direct assault on the basic democratic / human rights of minority peoples of the UK.
We are being targeted based on our nationalities. That and that alone.
Oops – apos SS, I didn’t see you had already posted this upthread. Still, worth repeating. 🙂
Not a problem and it is worth repeating.
What is happening is that English MPs are moving to give themselves and English voters (the dominant majority group) more power, specifically over the lives of (national minority group) voters in Scotland / Wales / N. Ireland.
At the same time, they are taking power away from Scottish voters against the will of these.
Devolution was an explicit recognition that Scots/Welsh/N. Irish were distinct peoples, and not English, with most not even ‘British’. Devolved autonomy offers the minority peoples of the UK some degree of protection from direct rule by people of a different nationality (English/British), which impinges on their basic human rights, i.e. to self-determine. Devolution allows Scots etc to preserve their different culture, which is not just about language, literature, food, dress etc, but about the economy…welfare…education…laws…foreign relations. The more direct rule there is from London, the more English/British culture is forced on Scots. The BBC is a perfect example. Scots have no national broadcaster; it is only Brits in Scotland that have one. Scots are heavily disadvantaged here, being forced to pay for English/British culture.
And of course English voters have more rights than Scots voters because there are more of them, meaning they can outvote Scots. It is no different to what the problem was in N. Ireland post-partition; Irish people were suddenly a minority outvoted by the British, and so heavily disadvantaged as a result.
Of course, the usual suspects dive in at this point and say ‘but everyone has one vote’. Sure, but that’s only fair if everyone is British, and they are not, with, as noted, devolution an explicit recognition of this, and England’s dominance over the other home nations. Devolution says ‘Not everyone in the UK is British/English and direct rule is an attack in the rights of the minority Scots/Welsh/N. Irish peoples’. In the new census we will get to see, once again, how un-British Scotland is, yet its people have to pay for ‘British TV’.
Anyway, what we are seeing right now is a deliberate move by England to start rolling back the rights of minority Scots/Welsh/N. Irish people to increase English/British power and influence over the whole of the UK, something that devolution was supposed to lessen. And this is being done by overturning referendum results.
This is not the actions of a friendly neighbour. People in England need to push back against this, as Russians are doing against Putin’s actions in Ukraine.
And in other news where we are – another attempted power grsab, too:
https://nation.cymru/news/uk-ministers-plan-to-centralise-health-data-so-they-can-compare-england-with-poorer-performing-services-in-wales/
The 1997/8 devolution referendums are being overturned.
_________
SS,
You should also include the Referendum of 2011 when we voted 67% YES to increased legislative powers for the National Assembly (as was) and now one of the youngest Parliaments (Senedd) on the planet.
🙂
True, and then there’s the post-2014 ‘vow’ powers.
Centralizing the health data might also make it easier to sell off to interested, private, health providers.
So the 2% not worried about the cost of living crisis will be meeting in Aberdeen this weekend.
Cost of living: Over 80% of Scots worried, YouGov polling shows
https://archive.fo/nKzi4
Will the ‘broad shoulders’ of the UK not come to our rescue?
Apparently not. We’re on our own. Gordon Brown lies and lies about out true situaton, says Kate Forbes.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FOCcSA8WYAERhe8?format=jpg&name=large
There are an awful lot of polls flying around at the moment, the National has yet another one informing us that although only 27% of the population of Scotland never ever under any circumstances want another referendum on Independence the rest don’t mind if we do thanks very much, but yet again this new poll that asks the question has filled up the options with timetable questions as to when everybody agrees is the right time to have one
When normal people are asked a question on anything many find ways to avoid giving their answers due to various reasons, could be they don’t want to sound silly by giving what they think is a silly answer, could be they just don’t have a clue what’s the right thing to do, could be they just had a dodgy kebab and have a sore stomach so can’t be bothered thinking about it
But here’s the answer to all the pollsters dodgy questions on timetables regarding a referendum that the pollsters try to make the people sound confused about, nobody called the referendum yet and no date has been given yet, but when it is called, like every other election time the people will come out to vote or not vote and that’s the answer because the question has been asked so folk must decide at that moment and not the hypothetical timetables and scenarios the media thinks up
If the media agrees that only 27% of the voting public are definitely against a referendum that leaves 75% who are for it or are not unhappy about the proposition, so I call that very good odds that when it comes it’ll be a YES answer rather than the media’s *well no the noo mibbees after some time coz ahm no sure an ahve got the dentist the day*
73%
If we did not have a media that, when broadcast in Scotland, sanitised the news on behalf of those political parties supportive of the Union then the percentage who supported independence would be far in excess of the figures currently shown….perhaps the TRUE figures in support of independence are obscured in the “dodgy questions” they ask that seek to influence and not reflect the true position in the various polls final results…..
I mean if the media in Scotland adopted the same strategy of scrutiny and criticism towards Unionist political parties that is seems to always apply towards the SNP then those undecided voters still reliant on news via MSM would , unless masochistic, realise that the Union and those parties who supported it were really NOT the best option for Scotland now or in the future.
Most people who frequent social media have noted the MSM’s reluctance to mention BREXIT in relation to the current cost of living crisis within the UK…..the MSM initially blamed Covid now they blame the impact of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia…..nowhere is Brexit noted in any economic downturn equations since leaving the EU….indeed if rarely noted at all it is last on the list as if a minor consequence of no significance…..
I remember how the MSM were making constant references to the Covid figures in countries within the EU and the world in comparison to the figures in the UK …….yet now the same MSM is not making similar comparisons to the impact of Brexit on the cost of living crisis and trade….all they state re cost of living crisis is the problem is a global one…..minus the comparative figures being noted in the same way as Covid figures/stats were highlighted during the Covid pandemic.
The reality of Brexit is that the UK is in the position of ‘Beggars cannot be choosers’….so desperate is the UK position that , having lost the advantage of the single market and customs Union with the EU, they now are in NO position to dictate to any other country in the world re trade agreements…indeed the advantage is now with the other countries of the world in any trade agreement with the UK……and that leaves the people who live in the UK at a disadvantage……as per.
The current ‘culture’ secretary of the Tory party Nadine Dorries likes to demonise and present Social media as a evil force yet she , and Ofcom, seem quite nonchalant on the output from GB News whose blatant toxicity disguised as truth ( their version of the truth but not THE truth) and allowed to broadcast, unchallenged by both Dorries and Ofcom, 24/7 in their UK…..
Of course tis NOT really ‘GB’ news but yet another version of the MSM’s so called ‘national’ news that is heavily focused on but ONE country within the UK while affording a ‘news where you are’ on the sidelines where YOUR news in YOUR country is of no importance in their GB and where the emphasis is on them being unfairly critical and totally demeaning …..indeed just like the other current MSM all scrutiny and criticism is directed towards the Scottish government, our FM , Wales’s FM and anyone not supportive of Brexit or right wing politics…….propaganda really.
Ofcom announced ” We have revoked RT’s licence to broadcast in the UK with immediate effect.
We do not consider RT to be fit and proper to hold a UK licence and cannot be satisfied that it can be a responsible broadcaster.”
YET GB News is left untouched…… as in NOT considered an irresponsible broadcaster……Hmm
The ‘Control the media control the masses’ is very much dominant in their UK…..and there in lies the REAL problem……perhaps NOW IS THE TIME people in Scotland took back control of their own opinions and their destiny via seeking alternative sources of news in order to gain a more informed perspective of the real truth out there i.e. the real OTHER news where you are…..instead of allowing and accepting the media’s version of their truth which , given recent events/outcomes , seems to be clearly be unfit for purpose as in LIES and thus many a time can only be under the category of fake news…………
Kinda sick of them all really……I wish others within Scotland could be as passionate and sought the real truth out there……because REAL truth and the reality of what is happening is out there…..and tis only those supportive of the status quo who are so desperate to obscure that fact……strange that we are in the so called digital age and yet so many are still reliant on MSM for their news……..and even more strange that these same people are so accepting of it as a reliable and trustworthy source of news and information…….when , if one really uses one’s brain, and watches, reads and listen to what they present as collective media outputs….well then it is so clearly a fact that they are so very biased, so very selective in their scrutiny and criticism and so very subjective in their preference for the Union and those who support it thus they are blatantly proven unreliable and untrustworthy sources of news…………yet still they continue to be allowed to publish and broadcast with no real retribution for their bias and misinformation.
Perhaps tis not only ‘Polls’ that seek to influence opinions as opposed to reflecting them….tis also very much the MSM…….especially in Scotland when one considers how our news channels do not represent/reflect the votes that we, the voters, cast for the political party we choose , via a majority , in Scotland to govern us and represent us in their UK at WM.
UK – NO THANKS
INDEPENDENCE – YES PLEASE
Exactly right, RT news bad, GB news good?
What’s worse about GB news is they’re insulting boorish and English nationalists of the worst kind but according to *the rules* in the *UK* their propaganda and insults are on the side of what they deem as OK, at least the BBC pretend to be impartial when they disguise their language when they insult us
Am no sure why anyone would be unhappy about Muriel Gray being oan the BBC Scotland board given her history of being associated with buildings that burn doon.
https://archive.is/wLNTC
£33,000 a year plus £5000 exes for two days a week.
I’ll leave that there.
Will she at least scrap the No Kaffliks unspoken recruitment policy?
Why does your first name need to be a second name if you’re a chap, or if female, inspired by a character from the Waverley novels?
Over three grand a day?
Fur whit?
‘re P&O.
Only UK staff fired, Irish and French protected under EU law. Johnson in Dubai day before the announcement and the UK gov received notification prior to the sackings.
I knew they knew, now the Tories are standing on the docks with those people pretending to throw their full support behind them
UK employment law is exactly the same as it was when UK was in the EU (ie have the same protections)
John Bowers QC, a leading employment barrister and principal of Brasenose college, Oxford, said: “Although the governments huffed and puffed about changing the law, so far they haven’t. The straightforward statutory redundancy law is purely UK, it’s the redundancy consultation [law] that is EU-related and we haven’t changed that.
Andrea London, a partner in law firm Winckworth Sherwood’s employment team, said Brexit was a “red herring”. She said the EU collective redundancies directive was implemented in the UK by a primary act of parliament which “gold-plated” (went beyond) the EU legislation, adding: “Given its longevity and trade union backing, it is firmly entrenched in the UK employment law environment, and there inevitably would be considerable opposition to any repeal or paring back of the protections in this act due to leaving the EU.”
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/mar/18/po-ferries-sackings-brexit-uk-eu-employment-law
Like I said yesterday, employment law layers are rubbing their hands at the number of unfair dismissal cases coming their way…
On the 14th June 2016 this Twitter message was tweeted to the ….’workers’….by the RMTunion to the same workers that were employed and who now have been sacked by P & O Ferries and whose Union RMT represent them :
“Join @RMT union and other trade unionists leafleting railway stations tomorrow urging people to vote leave. Please RT”
Well that went well…………NOT.
In Scotland the GMB Union in 2014 urged ….’workers’…. to vote NO in the independence referendum…..I believe the message was to ‘protect’ jobs, stop higher cost of living etc ( the (supposed) workers Union’s crystal ball was obviously way way defunct as far as accurate predictions were concerned)……
Well that went well……..NOT
Perhaps we should add some other types of Unions to the growing list of those whose support of THE Union is actually within the category of those who seek to, via propaganda, influence opinions as opposed to reflecting them………or indeed actively rally against reflecting the reality or truth.
Jacob Rees Mogg the LOL Brexit opportunities minister is currently desperately collating or rather concocting a list of ‘benefits’ in respect to Brexit (not sure why taking so long as list must be small surely ?)……not tangible benefits for you or I but instead ones that in the grand scheme of things have no direct positive benefit to the ordinary man in their UK……and whose impact as a noted ‘BeNeFit’ will be so remote in reality that will seem invisible and inconsequential against the obvious negatives we are all ACTUALLY suffering post Brexit.
I mean who among us is feeling truly more enriched and enjoying these supposed Brexit benefits other than say those wealthy few whose Pro Leave objective was driven by greed …… the TRUE motive behind the EU Referendum…..the one that drove Brexit and helped the Brexiteers to win it……all in order for them, the elite few, to sweep up the many financial gains against the many losses, we the people , have suffered all because of Brexit……and we Scots did not even vote for it….not that any ‘type’ of Union cares obvs.
Brexit means the wealthy gain and the poorest among us suffer loss……as whenever the Tory party rubber stamp a policy then you know on whose behalf they seek to do so ……..
So I hope the people of Scotland stop just trusting ANY type of Union when it comes to deciding what is best for them and theirs……time and experience has proven many a different type of Union in the past has gotten it so very wrong….so why listen to them now or in the future….let the people decide not the establishment who have vested interests in keeping EVERTYTHING the same….now is the time for change…..change for the better.
Two examples of Unions
Union – UK…..but not REALLY a Union.
Some Unions – For Workers…..some it appears not so much
UK – NO THANKS
INDEPENDENCE – YES PLEASE
Note I state ‘SOME’ workers Unions not ALL workers Unions as I believe some do support independence and Scotland’s right to have another vote ……..but we all know which worker’s Union and specific individuals employed by that Union are very vocal against the Scottish government and independence……but whose allegiance to the Labour party is more important/relevant to them than the workers within Scotland that they supposedly represent……..
Career Union individuals….climbing the greasy pole of their respective ‘worker’s’ Union.
O/T Re the P&O affair, I was attracted to the summary of a news article being promoted today on the BBC News website’s Scotland page. It had this headline: ‘P&O sacking is hammer blow to Scotland, says Union’.
Clicking on the link, I found that the full article has this, different headline: ‘P&O sacking is hammer blow for south Scotland, says union’.
And then within the article I read this quote: ‘”This is a real hammer blow for south west Scotland.”
You have to admire BBC Scotland’s expertise in framing its news reporting!
While on The National site, a pop up from the U.K. government appeared about levelling up.
The questionnaire is very selective in the questions asked but I suspect it may not be for us in Scotland as it asks a question about Mayors which we don’t have. The ignorance of England is mind boggling although not surprising.
A Tory councillor stated in TONIGHT’S STV news at the Tory conference that #PartyGate was trivial in the context of the lives lost in Ukraine……perhaps he should have been reminded of lives lost via Covid in his UK and also the fact that the relatives and friends of those who lost their lives were unable , because of the UK Tory government’s lockdown rules, to Initially be prevented , as relatives and friends , from visiting loved ones in hospital while their loved ones lay in a critical condition and also tragically unable to attend the funerals of those same loved ones …LOVED ONES WHO SADLY LOST THEIR LIVES because of Covid………while various Tories and their leader partied hard to celebrate what ?
It is not up to a minor Tory politician to dictate to people what is more important…….just because as a Tory politician he and his party want to present it as trivial matter thus they, Tories, want (need) everyone to MOVE ON from it…….to save THEM and THEIR incompetent HQ and Scottish (INO) branch office leader.
It also insults people in that the inference being that people seem to be caring more about #PartyGate than Ukrainians dying…NOPE….both are terrible….both have involvement in innocent people dying and most of us know that each of these events are the result of those in power abusing that power for their own benefit………and not caring themselves as ‘Leaders’ about those innocents who lose their lives…………
This kind of talk , via this Tory councillor , does of course feed into Dross’s supposed new confidence in HIS PM ……..a confidence in reality that was NEVER EVER in ANY doubt…..but he, Dross, had to adopt this position…as in opposing #PartyGate and HIS leader’s involvement in it….only a position taken. to save his political party in the May elections……..if he had NOT called out Johnson it would have been political suicide HOWEVER the fact that he has moved on so very very quickly says more about his TRUE position then and now………….NEVER TRUST A TORY.
UK – NO THANKS
INDEPENDENCE – YES PLEASE
Just seen a C4 News clip of Sunak’s speech to the Scottish Tory conference. Now you would think that his speech would be a ‘big draw’ for delegates. The C4 piece gave viewers sight of the room: looked relatively small and even then, far from full.
And The Scotsman is reporting that: ‘Rishi Sunak has been criticised for an “insulting” speech to the Scottish Conservative conference that lasted for just two minutes and 16 seconds.’
Disappointingly and in contrast, C4 failed to show the room when the PM was speaking. Wonder why.
Can’t wait for Mr Ross’ rousing speech.
Can’t wait for Mr Ross’ rousing speech.
_________
You mean the lightweight with a sore throat? (See above)
From the looks of him these days I would say ‘lightweight’ in terms of pounds and ounces was a bit of a misnomer. On Reporting Scotland last night in their report on the conference he looked as if he was having trouble getting his jaikit to meet never mind fasten. All of a piece with his distinctly ‘jowly’ face.
He then talked some more crap and left after 15 minutes. Oh how the faithful cheered.
https://archive.ph/efgge
Did he mention plans for oil and gas revenues to go to Scotland?
Or is England a ‘subsidy junkie’ county?
Is this different oil to the stuff that ran out in 2019. This is the oil and stuff that was worthless in 2014 but apparently now it’s what makes us self sufficient and means we can stick 2 fingers up at Putin but still costs us a fortune for a tank of petrol, that oil?
A man in a suit came from England today to talk to his followers, also in suits, about how the people of Scotland should behave in his UK union that is the Kingdom of England, his followers cheered as he repeated the same things he says about Scotland every time he speaks about Scotland, because those things never change, he talks about leadership loyalty patriotism, then he goes on to insult every voter in Scotland who did not vote for his party
That man is the prime minister of England Wales Scotland and Northern Ireland, and yet only the country of England actually voted for his political party, the Conservative party
Today that man insulted every SNP voter, every Green party voter, then went on to insult every Labour party voter in Scotland by declaring there was going to be a pact between the SNP and other to take Scotland out of his union that is only supported by the voters in England, because remember he was elected only by the people of that country because there are more of them, just simply more and that’s it
The media and the polling companies have been hard at work trying to make a case for postponing the referendum that Scotland voted for at the last election, they’ve organised polling that asks folk about deferring the question for some other maybe never later sometime who knows when
while the TV and print media have begun their campaign of using the war in Ukraine as an excuse to postpone the referendum, to which they’ve had a clear and concise answer from the SNP in that such a suggestion literally allows Vladimir Putin a veto over Scotlands democracy, in effect the same as Mr Putin is doing right now to Ukraine
Meanwhile during all these shenanigans the man from England in the suit is campaigning for his own political party, the Conservatives and wandering around doing and saying whatever the hell he likes to whoever the hell he likes, most of it lies
Today once again between the insults to us all in Scotland he instructed us that “now is not the time” for we the people of Scotland, who didn’t vote for him, to do as we’re told and refuse the opportunity of the democracy offered by the political parties who won the last election in Scotland, the parties we voted for, the parties who are now in government of our country because we the people of Scotland selected voted and elected them
The man in the suit has left Scotland now, because that’s what the leaders of England do, they come to Scotland, only when they have to, leave instructions with their lackeys to carry out and carry on the English work and word then they leave for home, England, where those people who vote for them live
The people of England have their insular Brexit, they have their insular global leader, they have their xenophobia now so it’s time to leave Scotland alone so we can get on with our turn at the democracy we were offered at the last election so we can
Get Independence done
Ironic, isn’t it, that this week he was in Saudi Arabia and the UAE begging for oil, then pops up to his northern colony and reminds us that he, his Party and his country covet our oil and gas so much that he, his Party and his country (with the full co-operation of his Labour and LibDem buddies) will take it anyway whether we like it or not and make sure we get very little return as in the preceding 50 years. And not only our oil and gas, but he’s got the cheek to steal our wind and waves to boot. Seasick gasbag.
I think that Sillar’s hostility towards Indyref2 has everything to do with the pledge to rejoin the EU. This is, after all, a man who supported Brexit, which was completely against Scotland’s interests.
Sillars can be lumped together with Alex Neil, another supposed Nationalist who backed Brexit, and the ex-Labour MP Tom Harris, who is now a regular Daily Telegraph columnist, a fact which now makes it hard to believe that he ever represented the Labour party in a Scottish seat.
Harris has actually written at least one Telegraph column where he stated his pride at having led the pro-Brexit campaign in Scotland. Despite the fact that his campaign lost in every single Council area in Scotland during that referendum, and he has been forced to witness support for Independence grow as former No voters, like myself, come over to Yes as a result of Brexit. Some success Harris…. By backing Brexit, you have helped do more damage to your own Unionist cause than must have seemed possible in 2014.
Sillars seems to be one of those ageing baby-boomers who are frightened, for some strange reason, of international co-operation at the level offered by EU membership. He has said, I am sure, that he does not regard EU membership as “true independence.” Jim, the idea of ‘true independence’ in the 21st century is being exploded by the Brexit mess. There is no such thing as ‘true independence’ in today’s world.
Paul is right. Sillars should just be ignored.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/215556435841901/permalink/1066865530710983/
Another great article from Business for Scotland. Why Norway became an Independent Country.
https://www.believeinscotland.org/why-norway-chose-to-become-an-independent-country-lessons-for-independent-scotland/
I met a fellow translator – a Norwegian – at a social gathering recently and we started talking. Tried to appear as apolitical as possible – who knows if any commissions are refused to you if you come out as a stroppy nationalist-separatist? In any case, we were there for the canapes not to discuss the current political scene.
However, somehow we got to talking about oil and reserve funds in Norway.
“You must be very grateful for that in Norway”, I said (as non-commital as I could – remembering also that this Norwegian now lives and works in England).
“Oh yes, we are,” she replied. “Compared to the Scots who have been robbed blind for years.”
“Uh-huh” I mumbled, not allowing anyone to get a glimpse of my SNP Membership card.
But the comment, as you can see, was duly noted. And shared with you, tonight.
How perceptive of your Norwegian colleague. If only more Scots could see the situation as others do.
Not one English Dead Tree Scroll covered Johnson’s ‘begging bowl’ speech Up Here.
He want’s to rob Scotland ‘blinder’ by sucking more of our oil and gas out of the earth, and has formally prohibited the Northern vanquished colony from holding a democratically chosen path, to hold a referendum on Self Determination.
As I trawled the online English Blahs the only mention of Scotland was in the Daily Mail; Camilla Tominey observing that because of devolution, the only news that she and her English readers hear of Scotland is when Sturgeon wants some more free money from our English benefactors.
This woman is never off the BBC ‘politics’ programmes.
All that fuss and bother of Johnson waddling Up Here, and not even London BBC covers the trip.
Is he still up here, overnight in some well fortified Tory Baronial Hall, before heading off to the Clydeside to inspect his big gunboat tomorrow?
England has been robbing Scotland blind for 300 years.
No more.
Not one English newspaper
Well, it’s only about Scotland..who cares?
Roll on the day when we don’t have this terrible man and his fifth Columnists Up Here dominating the MSM.
Your absolutely right. Mark Twain said “A man who doesn’t read the newspapers is ill-informed. A man who reads the newspapers is misinformed”. (quoted by Oliver Stone in his Ukraine on Fire documentary).
We’ve spent 8 years online cataloguing the lies and mendacity of the MSM. There’s nothing new about it. Malcolm X didn’t mince his words either.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FOFGdZ5XsAUTnQh?format=jpg&name=small
Marr interviewed Cameron in 14 prior to the IndyRef.
Marr, the Norwegians seem perfectly happy.
Cameron, yes but, they’ve got oil and there’s only 5 million of them.
there’s none sae blind as them that winna see.
My granddaughter able to vote for the first time has received a nice letter from the “Scottish Labour Party”. Her friends got one too. Seems they are going for the younger vote as well disgruntled Orange tories.
The early bird…..
Hamish100 – your granddaughter is invited to send in her leaflet to The National:
Scottish council elections: Send The National pictures of your candidates’ flyers
https://archive.fo/a6h4e
Will get to do so. She was returning it to 290 Bath st in an envelope as unsolicited mail!
Her pals are mainly independent minded young people, pro Scotland, pro Europe and EU.
I see Douglas Alexander ex MP and a few other occupations blames Russia for wanting to return to a Great Russia again. I suppose those who wish the greatness of GREAT Britishness to return would understand the mindset.
He is all for the independent nations of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Sweden of course. His irony chip isn’t working I assume.
The liar in chief comes to Aberdeen to address the faithful few. I wonder if anything he said is true.
Boris Johnson tells Scottish Tory conference that it’s ‘not the moment’ for indyref2
https://archive.fo/ol98T
Amused to note what the BBC websites are promoting in prime position this morning – Ukraine and a Broontervention for the main UK and Scotland pages but absent from England, Ireland and Wales, the Zelensky Johnson “promise” in second spot (to the P&O story) on UK/Politics and prime place on Scotland/Politics.
In the time it’s taken to write this, the Broontervention has gone from hours to minutes old, and the second spot DRoss promotion story “Scotland becoming smaller under SNP” has done precisely the same minutes later…
HMS James Cook making good use of the Tardis as usual…
For actual Scottish news and politics, see anywhere else…
I really find myself asking what country these people live in? There is no possible way on earth you could describe the Scotland of the 1980s/90’s as a success story, as outlined below.
Of course, if you were actually British in nationality, and Scottish just a region to you, then aye, that period saw your country of ‘Britain’ (namely England) enriched on the back of Scotland’s plundered oil resources. Your country did quite well at that time.
As posted in the national, but with graph:
—
https://archive.is/uXG7T
Douglas Ross conference speech to say Scotland is ‘gripped by nationalism’
‘[DR] The nation I grew up in was confident and outward-looking. Yet the nation my children grow up in today is far more bitter and inward-facing.
Ross was born in 1983? So maybe by ‘outward looking’ he means the mass economic emigration out of Scotland which saw around 1 in 10 leave (taking into account birth rates etc) in search of a better life, causing the population to fall by the equivalent of Aberdeen? Thatcher had made 11% of Scots unemployed by 1992, while England was getting filthy rich (‘loadsamoney!’) on our oil and gas resources.
The Scottish population only started to recover with the advent of devolution, rising again from 2002, and accelerating from, you guessed it, 2007, as our little nation became one in waiting, and Edinburgh a budding European Capital, buzzing with an international atmosphere.
Since 2007 population growth has accelerated. Brexit has put a stop to that though, as the UK turns inward looking and is ‘gripped by right-wing English/British nationalism’. There is now mass emigration out of England as skilled workers flee the rise of inward-looking nationalism en masse.
However, Scotland’s outward looking and welcoming culture means that, unlike England, our population is still growing slowly as we welcome EU refugees flooding across our southern border bringing their skills, continuing to enrich our country economically and culturally.
https://archive.md/Bl4iE#selection-735.0-735.57
More migrants from EU live in Scotland than before Brexit
Hmm, graph link seems broken:
Two fat dishevelled men who are so portly now that they cannot even button their crumpled suit jackets, could barely look at each other on the platform as they wheeled out that poor Ukrainian lass to the gathered Brit Faithful.
I observed before that Scotland is now under House Arrest by a foreign power to the South, and this little pip squeak has the temerity to lie and accuse us of insularism?
Ban on Freedom of movement within my own continent because Ross and Jack and toothless Kerr take money from our oppressors, and their mates in the Blahs and English TV will do all in their power to enslave their fellow Scots forever, consigned to serfdom, insults, threats, and criminal exploitation by the dregs of the English Empire?
Fat bloated toothless traitors.
While I’m at it, is it too late to try Brown and Blair for war crimes?
Brown could appear in the same dock as Putin.
Asking for an Iraq friend, a Palestine friend, an Indian friend, an Irish friend, a Malayian friend…etc.
‘Give me men about me who are fat’, indeed.
It really is utterly detached from reality to try to argue that parties which are pro-EU / pro-free movement with 31 other countries, and which support Scotland taking a seat at the world’s tables, are ‘inward-looking nationalists’, while anti-free movement parties that want to detach Scotland from the world as much as possible, putting walls around it while creating a ‘hostile environment’ for the likes of my wife, are ‘outward looking’.
What could possibly be more outward-looking than for Scotland to take a seat at the UN, EU etc? For it to engage with other nations the world over? To open its borders to most of Europe?
The UK parties are utterly delusional. But then this is a sign of how close we are to the end of the UK.
An excellent Twitter thread cataloguing the last 3 weeks of mendacious Tory rule.
Apologies it’s from FB.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/215556435841901/permalink/1067275394003330/
Golfnut, It does make you wonder about the Tories and Westminster rule.
Still we have from Fife, a former failed PM arising from the ashes.
Gordon Brown wishes to take action against Putin ( who wouldn’t) it does make one think about Russia attacking Ukraine and what happened when Iraq attacked Kuwait.
Kuwait-too close to Saudi Arabia for USA and U.K. comfort was not a member of NATO yet we went to war supported by Blair/ Brown and despite the fact Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Honest!
I think I got this right? Possibly though the reason we went to war with Iraq was not about Kuwait but the oil and not about freedom or we knew Iraq didn’t have weapons….Israel got Patriot missile protection too.
Double standards- of course. Brown leads that by several degrees. Still it means he has stopped talking about Vow 1,2,3 supported by his ex colleagues in bbc Scotland for this week.
If I was English, I’d be ashamed at how many of my countryfolks were ‘subsidy junkies’ that wanted to live off the back of Scotland’s resources, rather than stand on their own two feet. I’d support indy for England so the lazy assed Tory types would need to actually work for a living.
https://archive.is/Y7euR
Alister Jack: ‘Fortunate oil is reserved so Tories can decide to drill in North Sea’
IT is fortunate that oil and gas is reserved to the UK Government so the Tories can approve further drilling in Scottish waters without the Scottish Government’s approval, Alister Jack has said.
Spoken like a true quisling.
It is fortunate that we Scots will be ‘taking back control’ next year.
“Brexit enabled the PO sackings”
short and sweet. . . . . something not reported on England’s MSM forced on Scotland.
“Sturgeon is threatening our security”, says Tom Tugendhat (warmonger at large) in a Michael Blackley hit piece in the Daily Mail (rag). If anyone is threatening our security it is the hapless incompetent shower of no counts in the Westminster government masquerading as the Prime Minister, The Foreign Secretary and the Home Secretary.
But remember the previous Foreign Secretary, Gavin “Russia should shut up and go away” Williamson. That worked well. But he is now SIR Gavin.
The one before that was Boris de Pfeffel Johnston.
Have I missed one out?
I hope we will soon sack the lot of them and develop our own foreign policy and diplomatic service. We certainly couldn’t do worse.
Tugendhat should be sent to his room to play with his toy soldiers.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FONILTGWUAM-jEB?format=jpg&name=large
I wondered when they’d start using that one, the FM and SNP portrayed as being a ‘threat’ to UK ‘security’. Oh no better take action and take back control of the Scottish parliament then, ie a coup. We see you far right wing daily rags, but so do the people in the shops because when I do my shopping, usually later in the evening, the shelves are full of your tripe, to be discarded of because no one is buying your BritNat propaganda anymore.
I see the not Scottish pretendy Scottish Tories were saying, at their so called conference, (propaganda meeting) that the Scottish Greens and the SNP are ruining Scotland because of not wanting to use our oil for further planet destruction. Wait a minute, in 2014, the oil in Scottish territorial waters that the English government/cabal takes as gratis, a very very nice lucrative freebie worth even more £trillions, was all but spent and Scotland would be starving to death if independent because it’s all gone. They even started to decommission viable rigs and laid workers off (on full pay!), remember that? All a massive scam and ruse, they really are experts at CONNING people. So all that namby pamby green renewables stuff lolz is not worth a dime folks, pah! The (English) oil (sitting in Scottish territorial waters) is worth a fortune and the English cabal intend on taking it all for themselves.
This puts Scotland in a dangerous position, or more so than usual.
Coal, gold, oil, and scarily plenty of other high value minerals that companies have their greedy eye on, as well as clean water in Scotland, are there for the taking by all and sundry, unless Scotland can escape and decide for themselves what should be done with their resources for the good of their country, and the planet. Otherwise…Scotland is utterly royally scr**ed.
YES! I missed out the entirely forgettable Dominic Raab – the man who didn’t know that the UK exported stuff from Dover.
Before him – Jeremy Hunt. Well who could forget Jeremy Hhhhunt.
What a sequence of complete nonentities. At least Nazanin Zaghari-Radcliffe is free in spite of Boris Johnston’s gaffe. Turns out UK was owe Iran a huge debt for tanks not delivered and now they’ve agreed to pay the money back and Nazanin is free. If I was the Iranian Finance Minister I would make sure the transfer had cleared.
It would be tanks, of course, from our great peace makers in Westminster.
Iranian Finance Minister (speaking to an interpreter to the UK Government:
“Thanks, (but still) no tanks.”
In an effort to big up his international credentials and simultaniously stymie a Scottish Independence referendum Boris Johnson is planning yet another general election so the country of England can vote him in again as prime minister of the union
Bugger what Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland think of him, we don’t count
I heard that he passed a bill so he can call a GE whenever he likes…is that correct?
If so what’s the bet he will call a GE just before any independence referendum is about to take place, would that then cancel out the indy ref as irrelevant? They are desperate, they know the result of their secret poll and will deploy other tactics than a media project fear assault on Scotland next time.
ArtyHetty,
You’re probably thinking of this.
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9308/
It’s still a Bill befote the UK parliament, so it isn’t law … yet. Doubtless it will be, son enough. And then the Proroguer (or simply, Rogue) in-Chief can do as he sees fit.
Easy way for that not to happen, hold an indyref before next spring (according to reports next election could be anytime between Spring and Autumn). As long as the indyref bill is passed in the next month or so an Autumn 2022 referendum is perfectly possible.
I don’t see what relevance an English/British general election has to do with a Scottish independence referendum. The existing mandate for the Scottish referendum can only be changed by another Scottish election, in the same way EU union elections didn’t undo UK election mandates.
A UK GE timed to interfere with a Scottish indyref would be expected to boost support for the Yes side. Voters just don’t like politicians trying to mess with things in that way, Putin style.
Hopefully, England tries this. I’d be very pleased if they did. Should give Yes the few % boost needed to ensure victory. To show such complete contempt for Scottish people would certainly not help the unionist side. Jeez, the reason half of Scots back indy is because of the contempt the British/English government show for Scottish people. If Scotland was truly an equal and fairly treated partner which benefitted from being in the UK, we just would not be where we are.
The only people to blame for 50% Yes in polls are the English/British government. The demise of the union is entirely their fault, rather obviously, as they’re running it. The end of the UK just cannot be blamed on the ‘regional administration’ of a small fraction of its population. Nope, it will be entirely the fault of the British/English. 100%. The buck stops at the palace on the Thames and No. 10.
I see you are agreeing with Boris that 2022 is not the time to be holding a referendum – good to know 🙂
Actually, Boris is agreeing with Nicola that 2023 is the right time for a vote. Unless, of course, he is lying. Are his lips moving?
So Douglas Ross is claiming Scotland, the nation is ‘inward-facing’! Another slur! Even The Herald (on 15 February 2022) has been providing contrary evidence, pointing to new international initiatives by the government Scotland has elected, initiatives that have been criticised by the very same Scottish Tories, and by Scottish Labour.
The Herald article was mostly about the Scottish Government International Offices (‘hubs’) which are operating in: Brussels, London, Beijing, Berlin, Dublin, Ottawa, Paris, Washington DC. (And one upcoming in Copenhagen?)
The Herald tells us: “The Scottish Tories have previously criticised spending on the hubs outside Scotland underlining that foreign policy is not devolved to Holyrood and the UK Government runs embassies around the world. But the Scottish Government maintain the bases help to open trade opportunities as well as raise Scotland’s international profile and enhance the country’s interests in the EU.’
The Scottish Tories’ Shadow Constitution Secretary Donald Cameron is quoted saying: “The public will be questioning why the SNP Government think it is acceptable to be spending even more money on these offices at this time.’ And “It is yet another example of how the SNP are wasteful of taxpayers money. Their focus should be on rebuilding our public services after the pandemic and growing the economy.”
So should we in Scotland be ‘inward looking’ and leave ‘outward looking’ to Westminster? Confused Tories?
The Herald recalls Scottish Labour spokesperson for External Affairs Sarah Boyack saying last year on the subject of these ‘hubs’: “It is important for Scotland to have good links with the rest of the world but given the pressures of the pandemic, I would question whether this is the best or most strategic use of resources.
“No one doubts that Scotland can be a force for good in the world but given our international development commitments to countries like Malawi, could this cash have been better spent helping secure access to vaccines and playing our part in the global recovery from the pandemic?”
Malawi, covid? Is it Labour’s view that Scotland is too wee, poor and/or stupid to be ‘outward looking’ in more than one way at the same time? For Labour’s information, this is from UNICEF: ’11 February 2022 – UNICEF Malawi is to receive £500,000 from the Scottish Government to support equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics.
‘Funds will support both the COVID-19 vaccination programme and strengthening of the country’s health system, through the provision of equipment, resources and technical support in response to the pandemic.
‘The donation to UNICEF Malawi is part of a wider donation of £1.5 million, made by the Scottish Government to UNICEF, to support access to COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics in three African countries; Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia.’
(Source https://www.unicef.org/malawi/press-releases/scottish-government-supports-access-covid-19-vaccines-malawi )
Why didn’t I know about this UNICEF acknowledgement until today when researching to counter this ‘inward facing’ slur? The UNICEF news pre-dated The Herald’s article quoting Ms Boyack.
The Herald article also notes: ‘During COP26, held in Glasgow last autumn, the First Minister took the opportunity to raise Scotland’s international profile. She was pictured meeting a wide range of world leaders including US President Joe Biden, Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau and the former German Chancellor Angela Merkel.’
It has this from EU expert Anthony Salmone: “The Scottish Government’s representations support Scottish businesses in securing and developing trade and investment opportunities. These offices are well suited to the task, sometimes more so than the Foreign Office, because Scotland is all they focus on and they often understand its businesses better.”
He adds: “The policy work of these representative offices is also important for Scotland. The Brussels office ensures that Scottish institutions are connected to EU policy-making, which continues to affect us regardless of Brexit. The London office promotes cooperation between the Scottish and UK Governments.’
So the Scottish Tories are just being duplicitous – once again. Will any mainstream media or BBC journalist write a proper critique of Ross’ speech and challenge the ‘inward-facing’ slur? Probably not – preferring complicity in gaslighting Scotland?
They really are puerile feeble minded brit apologists, aren’t they, stewartb?
62% Remain, all 32 counties, and dross feels the hate?
They have absolutely no politicians of any worth North of the Border have they?
All 3 tawdry little branch Offices are bereft of talent or intelligence.
Dross and Jack are the best on offer?
They more and more rely on the journos to write up cut and paste press Releases with catchy headlines.(in parenthesis of course.)
I have recruited many many teams during my professional life. Sarwar Coal-Scuttle, Ross, Jack, and the motley crews behind them, wouldn’t get by the applicaion forms sift, never mind make it to the interview stage.
They are talentless nobodies, set in play to clog up Scottish democracy..that’s all.
Well drawn piece, sirrah.
I saw that, Tories calling Scotland ‘inward looking’. It’s projection on their part, they are gas lighting Scotland. The parties of isolation, insular, ethnic nationalism are the whole problem for Scotland with their backward Brexit, and my is it backward, taking the so called UK back 50+ years, economically and socially. Brexit, EngExit it should be called, forcing Scotland out of the EU where they had 27, 27(!) other countries with which to trade etc, is the most dangerous, undemocratic,
‘inward looking’ act since the greedy troughers back in 1707 signed their dirty deal selling Scotland off lock, stock and barrel to a corrupt to the core dangerous neighbour.
Scotland get the heck away. To have British Nationalist parties operating in your parliament, being paid a huge amount of public money to deny the people of Scotland the right to determine their own future, could hardly be less democratic. It’s a bizarre set up, to have politicians working in the interests of the country next door, sitting in your parliament is crazy and has to be stopped. They can either register as actual Scottish parties or decamp to where they are HQ’d, simple.
Independence must be terrifying for them, (and it will be a vote for independence) re their positions in the Scottish parliament? Their lucrative cosy lifestyles, on the backs of the people are in jeapordy. Their assumption that they are entitled to keep taking a huge sum from the public purse while undermining Scotland internationally, is typical of an antiquated British Nationalist arrogant attitude.
Scotland is outward looking, and internationalist, and is respected by many outwith the so called UK, and that really pisses off insular backward inward looking BritNats, well tough. Scotland doesn’t need the English manufactured Scottish cringe and never did, that’s gone now, thank bloody goodness.
Isn’t it funny how you never hear of the unionists trying to *win over* or convince we nationalists of the error of our ways, all we ever hear from them are threats and insults, I guess it’s their way of showing they care eh
And yet we’re the bad guys?
all we ever hear from them are threats and insults
___________
That’s all they have in their arsenal. They have no ‘convincing’ arguments so resort to insults, trolling, bad language, threats and lies.
Have YOU ever heard a ‘convincing’ argument for Union?
Nah. Me neither.
all we ever hear from them are threats and insults
Aye, and the classic canard here is ‘Well, if England is so bad, why doesn’t the SNP just hold a referendum tomorrow!’ which is akin to saying to a woman beaten by her great big brute of a husband – who controls all the finances etc – that ‘It’s her fault for not just leaving today!’.
England’s threats of blocking a referendum in court…barbed wire fence borders…taking the pound off us while loading us up with debt…cancelling people’s pensions…immediately terminating any contracts for Scottish yards etc… means of course the Scottish government has to tread carefully.
What happens if England does follow through on all these threats? Why make them if it did not intend to follow through? Hardly the actions of a friendly country that would respect our democratic choice.
So, the SNP for example carefully passed as much as they could of the indyref bill last term, trying to avoid a court challenge by England. Again they are taking care in planning for 2023, including trying to engage with the international community, from Merkel to Biden. All so if Scotland faces the Putin type reaction England threatens, it will be as prepared for that as it can be.
Re my earlier comment about a general election, number 10 staff have been told to prepare for Autumn 2023
A post-Yes to indy in Scotland UK election would make sense. After all, Scots MPs would be in the process of withdrawal, with Westminster no longer having any mandate to legislate for Scotland.
I’m sure that Alister ‘Union’ Jack considers it ‘fortunate that the BBC is a ‘reserved matter, and that the 100’s thousands of English born undertaking a tour of duty in the North Britain colony will be able to watch an English FA Cup game on BBC Scotland this evening.
2 hours of English football, while the Glasgow BBC stockade ‘Sports Team’ are on the radio…describing every lick of a ball.
It’s called hegemony…brainwash the Jocks into acceptance by their English masters.
It must feel like being a second class citizen to work for BBC Scotland Sports..oh, wait.
The Russian oligarch is gone but we still get 2 hours of Chelsea stuffed down our throats.
This must be one of Muriel Gray’s five days a week off.
Gosh how we’ll miss the BBC not
Aye, English/British people have a national broadcaster, but not the Scots, Welsh or N. Irish.
Nope, we just have to subsidise the national broadcaster of English/British people.
The clue is in the name British Broadcasting Corporation – Scotland. It’s just like BBC Africa etc.
If anyone wonders why J R Mogg equated #PartyGate as merely “Fluff”…..then we should remember it has now been 1 month since ‘questionnaires’ by Tories, including one from their PM , were submitted to the MET police…..with Sajid Javid’s brother overseeing this…….perhaps J R Mogg , in this crass statement, is setting out for all of us a predictable expectation of their, the MET’s, final outcome on this and he is telling us in advance as to who will ,IF AT ALL, be punished and what that punishment, IF ANY will be……
As in expect the punishment most definitely NOT to fit the crime….and that a certain individual may not be punished at all as they, the MET, will have determined he did not commit any breach of Covid rules ……..as in Boris Johnson found innocent by MET and currently also it seems by the Tory party…(but the public will know a whitewash has been orchestrated between both parties involved…as in those accused and those who have supposedly investigated them via….questionnaires …using the NEW type of policing method in an investigation when dealing with the so called political ‘elite’).
“Fluff” and “Trivia in context of Ukraine” is now ANOTHER Tory party line(s)…..they are all at it……from the top all the way down to the party councillors……
Deaths in Ukraine = terrible
Deaths in UK via Covid but Tories, including their PM, party during lockdowns that they imposed = Fluff and Trivial.
Sounds about right position for Tories……..
Ok, ok, maybe tonight Scots won’t like me for being part Irish. Sorry folks!
Mind you Ireland did the same to England!
I take it from your post that the Irish beat the Scottish public school boys (and gentlemen farmers) at the rugger?
Wrong shape of a ball for me.
Scotland will always be losers until they introduce rugger to all schools Up here, which they won’t of course.
Six of the Scots squad sneak out for a binge session, and it barely registers as outrage.
They don’t represent me or mine.
Cue the backlash.
More from the Scottish Tories’ conference.
The BBC News website’s Scotland page reports that: ‘the two-day Scottish Conservative conference has seen the party call for the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) to be scrapped in Scotland’s schools.’
For context, the education experts of the OECD delivered an independent report (21 June, 2021) on Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence. In its summary it states:
‘Students in Scotland (United Kingdom) engage in learning through Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), which aims to provide them with a holistic, coherent, and future-oriented approach to learning between the ages of 3 and 18. CfE offers an inspiring and widely supported philosophy of education. Schools design their own curriculum based on a common framework which allows for effective curricular practices. ‘
‘The OECD analysis and recommendations aim to support Scotland as it further enhances CfE to achieve its potential for the present and future of its learners. Just as Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence was among the pioneers of 21st century learning, its most recent developments hold valuable lessons for other education systems and their own curriculum policies.’
Source: https://www.oecd.org/education/scotland-s-curriculum-for-excellence-bf624417-en.htm
(This from the OECD may be news to you: the profile it received in the Scottish media at the time was pitiful …. for obvious reasons!)
So the Scottish Tories not only wish to deny or limit Scotland’s outward-looking initiatives whilst voicing their ‘inward-looking’ slur – against not the SNP government but against Scotland, the nation (see my earlier post) – but they also now want not to further improve but to SCRAP a school curriculum that is praised by independent, international expert assessors.
Was this the Tories putting forward their ‘best shot’ in making their case to Scotland’ voters and for their ‘precious Union’?
Well if we are talking about “inward looking” I would say that Dross is clearly looking “inward” ……… inward looking as in Dross trying to save his party in Scotland, in his supposed new found reversed position on Boris Johnson as a PM capable of leading as a UK PM at a time when there is conflict in Europe…..unfortunately for Dross it seems Boris Johnson has dropped an all mighty distasteful clanger in comparing the crisis in Ukraine to Brexit ……he did this in his speech at HQ’s Tory conference in Blackpool……
The Tories at THEIR wee conference in Aberdeen this weekend have tried to defend Boris Johnson and #PartyGate in the context of the tragedy and seriousness of what is happening to the people in Ukraine…..thinking this was, as a strategy for their branch office manager’s U Turn, a brilliant and feasible excuse for Dross’s new found confidence in Boris Johnson as PM with the situation happening in Ukraine …..then Boris Johnson, as per, comes along and makes an insensitive and crass comparison with no real compatible link between the two events that he has stated ……indeed it has been received by many as a deplorable and beyond belief. comparison…..
The outrage and anger is widespread…….and it leaves yet again Dross and his colleagues here in Scotland in the branch office looking and seeming very very stupid and up the creek without a paddle as far as their contrived NEW party line that they deployed on the branch office manager’s U Turn where Boris Johnson is concerned…..obvs only done in order to save face for both them and Dross……but now the heat is back on Boris Johnson the eternal buffoon who cannot help but make a self inflicted drama out of a crisis…….
So will the branch office concur with Johnson’s absolutely insane and insensitive comparison that he made in his speech…..and will they also reiterate their supposed belief that they think Boris Johnson is the best man for the job at a time of a major conflict in Europe….
I mean Boris Johnson is a political accident waiting to happen in the context of bad diplomacy and leadership …….his self serving greedy nature dominates to such an extent that he is a liability to all who have the misfortune to come into contact with him…..and it seems apparent that Dross will himself soon be a casualty of Boris Johnson’s cavalier attitude to all things political……in that Dross perhaps acted too quickly to reverse his position on Johnson …..something he did when he saw that the momentum on Boris actually resigning was diminishing…..and Dross forgot who he was dealing with and that person’s ability to cock up everything he comes into contact with…….Dross should have kept a low profile, as tis something the media offer to many a Tory up here, but NO he shamed himself and now with his new skewed logic for his U Turn he looks as cruel, stupid and as bad as the one he unwisely chose to now defend……defend the indefensible….that seems right for a Tory…….
Dross as next FM in 2026 ?
How ?
Chances are he won’t even be leader of the branch office come next election ….indeed chances are he might not even be a MP for Moray either…..chances are Scotland will be independent by then and he will need to, together with his colleagues, look for a SAFE seat in England……where he seems more comfortable and happy in a country he has adopted both politically and as a home…..a home where his heart truly does seem to lie…..as he does….LIE I mean.
Tories what an absolute shower they truly are…..words fail me sometimes but never fail me when I need to vent about Unionist politicians ….especially Tories but not exclusively ……Labour and Lib Dems no better…..for Scotland…… that’s for sure.
The Scottish Tories blew their chances of getting anything in England when they lined up against Johnson. However, it has to be said that they do already have safe seats in Scotland. Thanks to the AMS, 20% of the list vote produces about 16 safe seats for their party to allocate.
It also has to be pointed out that they probably haven’t reached their peak yet. After Yes wins the referendum, the Scottish Tories may experience an echo of what happened to the SNP post-2014 and capture a further proportion of No voters, especially if Labour/Lib Dem drop their opposition and pivot.
Interesting times indeed…
But what would they, the Tories, have to offer in an independent Scotland.
Predominantly their election campaign so far in Scotland has consisted of NO to Independence…..post a majority Independence vote then any votes they acquire in subsequent elections in Scotland would be protest votes against the vote for independence which would have already happened…..and that surely would not result in a majority vote exceeding the votes acquired by both SNP and the Greens in further elections…..
AS to Labour and Lib Dem dropping their opposition and pivot….not sure why they would do that and why you think this would result in the fact that the Tories would, in Scotland, reap the rewards by achieving a peak ……
Also re ‘safe’ seats as in constitutional seats for Scottish (INO) Tories I was referring to WM seats NOT Holyrood……Douglas Ross’s majority at the last election in 2019 was down as he only won the seat by 513 votes against the 2017 vote where his majority was 4159…..Andrew Bowie’s majority was only 843 in 2019 so he was also down as previously in 2017 his majority was 7949……..plus a lot of Tory money was directed at Tory seats ….would that same money be made available to them post independence in Scotland ?…questions…questions….and would , in Holyrood, the Tories acquiring more ‘List’ seats result in them gaining overall power at Holyrood to form a Scottish government….I think not ….to “peak” they would need to gain constitutional seats too…..and how many seats would they acquire via them being able to “capture a further proportion of No voters”……surely these “further proportion of No voters” voted in the Indy Ref but as independence won then they would not be a majority vote ?
Now with Brexit and the impact for those in Tory areas AND the mess that has been created by HQ well I would say that politically Tories seats in Scotland are NOT as safe or likely to see a surge post independence…… as it was in Scotland that the Tories broke their many Brexit promises to fishermen and farmers and ignored the majority 62% vote to remain in the EU…….and if Scotland becomes independent then why would the SNP not see a resurgence of what Alex Salmond did in 2011 via the current Holyrood system where they won a majority of 69 seats.
Yes it is interesting times but I think your scenario would be more chaotic times for Scotland….
We can agree to differ though……
Have a nice day
🙂
Now for something completely different.
Three of Scotland’s hospitals have made it into the top 50 of the Newsweek list of the World’s top hospitals. They are:
Glasgow Royal Infirmary
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
The ERI and QEUH have risen up the rankings compared to last year. GRI has fallen but is still in the top 50. The result for QEUH will not please BBC Reporting Scotland’s Lisa Summers amongst others.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/scotlands-best-hospitals-ranked-order-26498996.amp
Oddly – there is no mention of our “world beating” hospitals on our BBC website Scotland section. Perhaps London hasn’t authorised it yet. They will be looking for way to frame it negatively.
“GRI slips down rankings…” etc. We all know the drill.
UN anti-racism day march in Glasgow addressed by Humza Yusaf.
Stand Up to Racism: Crowds gather in Glasgow to mark UN day
https://archive.fo/nYi6b
Aye, can’t say we found Mrs SS having to apply to the English government – under threat of deportation – to stay in her own Scottish home of 20 years very, erm, ‘welcoming’.
This is what happens in a ‘hostile environment’:
By contrast, this is what happens in a ‘welcoming environment’:
https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/eu-families-feel-more-welcome-in-scotland-than-they-do-in-the-rest-of-the-uk/
EU families feel more welcome in Scotland than they do in the rest of the UK
https://archive.md/Bl4iE#selection-735.0-735.57
More migrants from EU live in Scotland than before Brexit
EU nationals cramming the exit gates in right wing nationalists Brexit England, with many heading for sanctuary in Scotland.
Gavin Stevenson, vice-chair of Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) Scotland, wants “the government” to fix the energy crisis. But which government, Gavin? (hint; energy is reserved)
Energy crisis in Scotland: Fears for two-thirds of small businesses
https://archive.fo/ddcrN
Capella….I’ve motived this a lot…where people when interviewed on TV in Scotland state “The government need to/should/must etc”…..but never specify WHICH government they are referring to…..now most on here are clued up re Reserved/Devolved matters…but some other Joe Public’s are not…so it is a tad ambiguous as to which government they are meaning when they say they should “act”….however the interviewer SHOULD emphasise that point as in clarify whether tis UK or Scottish government who interviewee is referring to….but nine times out of ten…they don’t.
I am sure when it is something occurring in Scotland and when the person being interviewed is IN Scotland and states tis happening in Scotland then most people watching may assume tis something under the remit/power of the Scottish government…….even when it is NOT.
Now THAT does annoy me…..among a list of many many other things.
This (very old) clip from DR Who always stuck in my head from when I was younger. It almost as if the voters in England are, in the same way, mesmerised by the Boris Johnson description of the UK after Brexit compared to the reality.
Nothing from the BBC… https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0320/1287355-david-hill-tributes/
Just when you thought the PM of England / Britain couldn’t stoop any lower, he promptly does.
https://archive.is/nvUTw
Boris Johnson compares fighting war in Ukraine to voting for Brexit
Dear god. The man is shameless.
Yet again, Doublespeak from Geissler this morning.
The 1.5 million Scots living now below the poverty line are ‘the least well off’.
See what a private education does for you?
Dross had a sore throat so they sent on that GP who got a list seat on to face a ‘grilling’ from Geissler.
No, nothing.
He had Blackwood on earlier…when will the SNP learn.
It was labour’s idea for a windfall tax apparently, according to Geissler.
The day the last helicopter leaves the roof og Plantation Quay…
Geissler, the description in Dirt Poor, politically and socially engineered poverty visited on Englan’s Golden Goose Policy, which creates the Class hierarchy where you get a private education, and millions shine your shoes.
The next time I hear BBC Jockland describe our fellow citizens as ‘the least well off’ should be the last.
SNP; stop appearing on these Brit put up jobs.
MY pension has ‘risen by 3.1%, inflation at 8%, but my fuel bill is to rise by 50% in April.
I’ll fucking ‘least well off’ you, Geissler.
What a grubby wee Brit propaganda outlet Plantation Quay is.
I repeat, SNP, refuse to appear on this channel.
Given this:
https://tinyurl.com/2p8suftp
The 2011 census included a question on the Scots language for the first time. 1.5 million people reported that they could speak Scots and 1.9 million reported that they could speak, read, write or understand Scots.
Why does the BBC not provide services in Scots? English/British people have services in English. Why are Scottish Scots speakers forced to pay for what is produced for English/British people?
This is pretty obviously discriminatory. As things stand, an English person living in Scotland can enjoy BBC Scotland in their own language while Scottish people can’t.
In Wales, both Welsh and English/British options are available. Why are Scots denied this?
Here you can see which parties supported the promotion of Scots in 2021 manifestos. Not an unsurprising pattern!
https://www.scotslanguage.com/news/5824
Alba
Manifesto: Scots not mentioned
Additional Statement: No additional statement
Reform UK
Manifesto: Scots not mentioned
Additional Statement: No additional statement
Scottish Conservatives
Manifesto: Scots not mentioned
Additional Statement:
The Scottish Conservatives support the promotion of Scots and would work with the Scots Language Centre to engage with schools and communities across Scotland. The use of Gaelic and Scots are key parts of Scotland’s cultural identity. Scottish Conservative MSPs have used Doric in the Scottish Parliament and we will continue to raise awareness and appreciation of these unique dialects.
Scottish Greens
Manifesto:
Support Scottish language diversity
– Support cultural ventures in all the languages of Scotland.
– Encourage the use of Gaelic, Scots and Doric as well as the languages of those from minority ethnic backgrounds.
– Improve the provision of Gaelic language at home and in secondary, higher and further education.
Additional Statement:
Our lead candidate in the Highlands and Islands Ariane Burgess has been particularly active on this. She said: “I will stand up for Scots speakers, raise the language’s profile and support moves to better protect and promote it.”
Scottish Labour
Manifesto: Scots not mentioned
Additional Statement:
Scottish Labour culture spokesperson Claire Baker said, “Scottish Labour is committed to protecting and celebrating Scotland’s wonderful culture and identity, of which Scots language is a key part. Many people identify as Scots speakers, and variations of Scots are spoken throughout the country. We will recognise and support the sharing and learning of the Scots language.
Scottish Labour supports the creation of a national cultural plan, backed by statutory duties if necessary, to expand the cultural and social infrastructure across our country. As part of this, it is important that we protect and improve access to local museums, historical sites, libraries, and archivist services. Many of these facilities do so much to promote and educate about local histories and the evolution of the Scots language.
Scottish Labour are determined to see that great work continue, and for sustainable funding to be in place to support this work.
Scottish Labour will focus on a national recovery for a stronger and fairer Scotland.”
Scottish Liberal Democrats
Manifesto: Scots not mentioned
Additional Statement: No additional statement
Scottish National Party
Manifesto:
We will also bring forward a new Scottish Languages Bill which takes further steps to support Gaelic, acts on the Scots language and recognises that Scotland is a multilingual society.
Additional Statement:
The Scottish National Party has submitted 20 motions in this parliament in support of Scots. The most recent by Emma Harper, South Scotland on Tuesday, March 23, 2021.
“Promoting the Scots Leid
That the Parliament supports future government action to promote the use of the Scots language in public and private spheres, both in verbal and written form, including in primary, secondary and tertiary education, television and print media and in this Parliament; recognises that the use of Scots in the media is a key driver of a sense of inclusion for Scots speakers; notes the value of Scots education initiatives such as the Scots Language Award in shrinking the attainment gap; encourages members of the next Parliament to recognise Scots, and all its varieties, as a legitimate living language and to consider the needs of its speakers; further encourages future MSPs to work to raise the language’s profile in their constituencies, the Chamber, parliamentary offices and beyond, and supports, in principle, the idea of exploring legislative action to further protect and promote Scots.
The Member has provided the following translation in Scots:
That the Pairlament gies its support tae futur government muives fir tae promuive the uiss o the Scots leid in Scotland’s public an private airts, baith in spaken an screivit forum, forbye in primary, seicontary an tertiary education, televeision an print media an in this pairlament; recognises that the uiss o Scots in the media is a muckle driver o a sense o inclusion for Scots spikkers; taks tent o the value o Scots lairnin initiatives sic as the Scots Language Award in shrinkin the attainment gap; encourages memmers o the neist pairlament tae recognise o Scots an aw its byleids as a legitimate leivin leid an tak tent o the needs o its spikkers; forbye encourages futur MSPs tae ettle at heizin up the leid’s profile in their constituencies, the chaummer, pairlamentary offices an ayont, an gies its support in principle tae the idea o looking at legislative muives fir tae protect an promuive it mair.”
It was always convention on TV or radio that the government in power had their spokesperson on last. This has changed with the SNP on first so opposition can attack supported by the likes of Geissler.
Labour gave us a financial crash, the tories then gave us austerity with the help of Lib Dem’s, brexit added in. The power of unionism.
Poverty, poor are the terms bbc public school boy.
The less well off in your bbc eyes means not visiting the Maldives twice a year. What a turnip or is it neep.
Festival of brexit:
Partying like it’s 2008!
No wonder England fears independence; can’t run an economy to save its life.
AND Tories emphasising the increase in NI is needed for the NHS….yet via Brexit they stated £350 million a week that they gave the EU would instead be paid to the NHS…..have they broken down that amount as to where it has been allocated to within the NHS……they seemed to infer at the time that it would have a hugely positive impact for the benefit of the NHS….now they, against what WAS promised, seem to be saying…..only with increasing NI contributions can we help subsidise the NHS…….not sure NHS supposed £350 million quid will be highlighted in their ‘Festival of Brexit’…….commonly referred to as the ‘Festival of Brex*hit’ (add an ‘s’ where * is)….and there is a an ever, yet not widely reported by MSM, growing list of Brex*hit negatives for THEIR UK….and very much for Scotland who did NOT vote for it via a majority……a Scotland that will be impacted negatively too thanks to their UK Brex*hit…..as per via THEIR (non) Union.
Heh? Only around 30ish% of English voters have a problem with Scottish Indy, the rest aren’t either bothered or will be perfectly happy for Scotland to leave. As mentioned previously it seems to be ‘real independence supporters’ who want to delay Scotland standing on its own two feet until 2023.
Marc, I am just going by how English voters voted in recent elections and the attitude of its government.
I don’t see any campaign for English independence, and all English parties stood on anti-independence tickets at the last election. Not one felt England could stand on its own two feet. And if these were not bothered about Scottish indy, why did none commit to facilitating a Scottish iref2 via an S30?
The ‘No section 30’ approach can only be explained by a huge degree of national insecurity about the possibility of England having to ‘go it alone’ without Scotland. There’s just no other possible explanation. It’s one thing to support the union, believing it of mutual benefit, but to oppose Scotland’s right to freely choose can only come from cowardice. I think you can agree that well describes boozy Boris and co. Jeez, Scotland is just 5 million people with no defence forces compared to England’s nuclear-armed 56 million with a huge and powerful army. How pathetic it is to say no to an S30 and threaten to make voting illegal FFS.
Contrast the EU which didn’t lift a finger to stop the UK from leaving and stayed completely out of the campaign. That is a confident union, secure in itself.
As for the Scotgov, when you have a much stronger, abusive partner who has full control of the purse strings, it’s not so easy to just step out the door, especially when you have ‘kids’ you need to protect (the Scottish government must do what it can to protect the population). So the exit must be carefully planned lest the partner does follow through on all the threats (court case to cancel democracy, refusing to recognise the result, making the referendum illegal, stopping pensions, putting up hard borders, stopping Scots from using their currency, economic damage etc). So I can see why the Scottish government are cautious, and I don’t understand why you are so flippant. Jeez, British forces shot at my gran and family when they voted for indy and killed 186 civilians in the UK, many of these due to their support for Irish independence/reunification. They also imprisoned many more, simply for backing Irish indy.
You mentioned ‘moving on’ with respect to what happened in Ireland. I am totally for this, yet here we are with the UK government saying that a Scottish referendum would be illegal and they would not recognise it. Sorry, but that’s not the talk of a country that’s changed attitudes, not when you consider the Chagos islands too. It seems the UK is regressing from where we were in 2012 and the Edinburgh Agreement, going back into the dark past. This is why the EU, USA keep expressing their concerns about the GFA; they are worried England will break the deal and bring back violence to the UK in its attempts to maintain its sphere of influence. Why else do you think world leaders keep bringing this up?
If England had acted towards Scotland like the EU did for the UK it came to Brexit, I imagine we’d be further down the indy road and relations would not be strained. Still, 98.1% of legislation in place is not bad and shows the bravery of the Scottish government in the face of the threats.
Erm if it was not for covid there would have been an indyref in 2020 wouldn’t there?
https://inews.co.uk/news/scotland/nicola-sturgeon-scottish-independence-2020-historic-year-379958
Nicola Sturgeon has predicted that 2020 will be a “historic year” as she promised to secure a second referendum on Scottish independence.
Therefore if the ScotGov was prepared to hold an indyref in 2020 you would assume they had everything in place to combat the issues you mention. But somehow this is not possible in 2022?
Deflecting as usual. No attempt to address any of the points I made, just an attempt to blame the Scottish government for something.
Do you live in Scotland or are you moaning about someone else’s government?
The article is a matter of months before the world was turned upside down by covid. While legally elections had to still go ahead, referendum plans were put on hold to deal with the covid crisis.
Then there was an election in 2021 where the parties standing had to agree on an approach that they thought best, then seek a mandate for that.
They are now following through on that mandate. With covid waning, preparations are back underway as promised.
If the English government was less cowardly and didn’t dislike Scottish people, this would be easier.
Genuine questions:
Will the English/British government go to court in an attempt to block iref2?
If they succeed, will they send in troops to block an ‘illegal’ vote?
If they fail, will they refuse to recognise the result?
If Scotland declares indy, will England put up a hard border in terms of free movement of people?
Will England/Britain refuse to pay the pensions of British people in Scotland (that’s everyone technically)?
If the Scottish government had the answers to these questions, I imagine preparations could be a lot quicker. If England was a friend to Scotland, we would not be in the lurch on these issues.
I assume they had the answers back in 2020, after all, according to the above link the ScotGov was planning to hold a referendum in 2020
“The First Minister, who has called for indyref2 to be held in the second half of next year in the wake of the UK’s departure from the EU, said her government would “work to ensure” it took place.”
So everything was ready to go in 2020, then rightly everything stopped because of Covid. Now that covid is ‘over’ no reason to hold a referendum in 2022, after all, they had all the answers they needed back at the start of 2020.
And it’s not just ‘nats’ saying the English government is too scared to stand on its own two feet. Brits in Scotland are saying the same thing.
https://archive.is/S5ZnJ
Gordon Brown claims Tories too ‘afraid’ to call independence referendum
GORDON Brown has hit out at Boris Johnson for being too “afraid” to call the SNP’s bluff and give the go-ahead for a second referendum on Scottish independence.
Maybe you direct some fire towards Scottish unionists too? They’re saying the same thing as me.