In an arithmetic defying display of preemptive petulance, no doubt encouraged by the resounding ‘meh’ with which Gordie Broon’s constitutional tinkering was received, Labour leader Keir Starmer is getting his excuses in early. If his party is unable to form a government following the next UK General Election, this will all be the fault of Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP, not the fault of a Labour leader who has wholeheartedly espoused the Conservatives’ hardline Brexit, in the process alienating the millions of remain voters in England, and who is trying to out-nasty Suella Braverman in his desire to be vile to desperate undocumented migrants.
Aping all the worst policies of the Tories in order to appeal to English nationalists in Brexit supporting constituencies in northern England is not giving the electorate a choice. It’s depriving the electorate of choice and is effectively disenfranchising not only Scotland but that majority in England which thinks that Brexit was a mistake.
As polling expert John Curtice noted last week, Labour has effectively abandoned Scotland, making a tactical decision to pander to the English nationalism of the Brexit supporting constituencies in England which it lost to the Conservatives in 2019 and to sideline the interests of a Scotland in which Brexit is as popular as a bridie at a vegan wedding. But if Labour doesn’t need Scotland, Scotland sure as hell doesn’t need Labour.
So if Starmer fails to win a Commons majority with his Tory lite policies he will only have himself to blame, it’s not Nicola Sturgeon who does not want membership of the EU, the single market and customs union and has set her face against the reintroduction of freedom of movement. That would be Starmer. It’s not Nicola Sturgeon who is denying Scottish democracy and lecturing Scots on what their priorities ought to be, that would also be Starmer. It’s not Nicola Sturgeon who is insisting that the UK is a voluntary union but is refusing to say what the democratic route to another referendum is. That would be Starmer too.
Yet this man in his Tory-esque arrogance demands that Scotland’s electorate must vote for him in order to get the Tories out, so that Scotland can be ignored and treated with contempt by a different English nationalist party that denies that it is a party of English nationalism. Vote for the other cheek of the same arse that’s crapping all over democracy in Scotland is hardly a very appealing message, but that’s the reality of what Starmer is offering.
Starmer for, all his channelling of Tony Blair reincarnated as the pub bore droning on about his collection of novelty golf tees, is very much old Labour. It’s his way or no way. He lives in terror of finding himself in need of support from a more progressive party like the SNP, a party which won’t assist him with his centre-right migrant hating Brexit loving agenda.
In an interview with LBC radio on Monday the left cheek ruled out doing any deals withe the SNP in the event of a hung parliament – and then had the total cheek of blaming the SNP for allowing in a Conservative government. This is the very same Labour party which is propping up the Tories in local authorities across Scotland, yet wants people in Scotland to vote Labour to protect themselves from the Conservatives whom Labour is enabling and whose policies Labour is copying. Starmer would rather see the Tories in power than respect Scottish democracy and the rights of those in Scotland to choose their own future. And then he has the gall to blame the SNP and the voters of Scotland for the consequences that he himself has made in order to pursue the English nationalist vote.
Starmer claimed the the challenges facing the UK “Ukraine and security, a pandemic, how we grow our economy, the climate crisis … these are issues which will be better met as a union of four nations going forward together.” After dismissing Scotland’s voters and Scotland’s concerns, he preaches about four nations working together.
But as we all know now, the UK is not a Union, it is a unitary state in which the smaller nations are compelled to do what the largest union decides, and in which they have no means of ensuring that their interests and concerns are taken into account. This is a union in the exact same way that Lex Luthor is in a partnership with his minions. That arrangement suits Lex Luthor just fine, but it’s the minions who get sacrificed on the altar of his vanity. The UK is not a union, it’s the not so super villain Westminster and its minions.
We all know that how Scotland votes makes very little difference in determining the Westminster government. Westminster is set up to ensure that what England wants England gets, at least within the constraints of the unfair and unrepresentative first past the post voting system, which allows a party which wins less than 50% of votes cast to end up with a crushing majority in the Commons. Scotland’s 59 seats can only hope to make a difference when the balance of power amongst MPs elected to represent seats in England is very finely balanced. Even if Scotland had voted for a Labour MP in every one of its 59 Westminster seats in 2019, Boris Johnson would still have a crushing majority in the Commons, and Scotland would still be every bit as marginalised and ignored, more so in fact. Labour only pays attention to Scotland when it fears the rise of support for independence. That’s the only reason we got Gordie Broon’s non-alcoholic constitutional review, or rather Labour’s promise to consult on constitutional review, as long as it didn’t change anything important.
Labour’s much vaunted constitutional review had this to say about reform of the House of Commons, the ground zero of British constitutional and political dysfunction : ……….. The sound of no hands clapping. Vote Labour and nothing is going to change. As the SNP’s new Westminster deputy leader Mhairi Black said: “The choice facing Scots at the next election is between an escape from the broken Westminster system with independence or the same old chaos and destruction we’re forced to live through right now as part of that system.” At the next General Election Scotland can show a Starmer that doesn’t need Scotland that it doesn’t need Starmer.
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Wee Ginger Dug 
Vote SNP/SNP at every election. A high turnout. To vote the opposition out for those who support Independence. Simple, swift and easy. Get someone else to vote as well. Every election. A higher turnout. Just vote instead of complaining. Vote out the opposition to Independence.
AJax army programme replacement. An absolute shambles. £5.5Billion wasted.Along with the rest. HS2, Hickley Point. Westmibster bureaucracy £Billions wasted. Westmibster Gov 2019/20 spent £918Billion but claims to not have enough funds to pay essential, struggling workers. Westmibster lie, after lie, after lie. Killing people.
A second vote for the SNP at Holyrood allows the unionist parties in. FACT.As a neutral, I really don’t care who you vote for, but please try to be a bit more honest about it.
What lets the unionists in us people who support Ibdependence not voting. Not turning out to vote, In a higher turnout. The turnout should be higher of those who support Independence. Turnout 50/60%. It could be much higher. To vitevthe opposition out. People who claim to support Independence do not vote. Too many sit on their hands and do not vote. SNP/SNP. Or for Ibdependence supporting Parties. They do not turn out and bote. The turnout does not match the Polling. result. 50% of the electorate who support Independence need to go out and vote, The lot of them. Get another to vote as well. To vote out the anti Indepence voters. D’Hondt shambles list lets 3rd unionist loser in. On a small % of the votes. Quota. SNP votes go in the bin to let 3rd rate losers in. That is the truth if it.
Starmer will lie to win an election. Then not carry out the mandate manifesto. Another Conman. Do not believe a word of it. Or get taken in again. Westminster lies again. Illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion. Costing £Trns. Westminster bribery and corruption. Wasting Scotland’s funds and revenues. Since 1928 and before. Vote SNP/SNP. Vote for Independence. Simple. Swift and easy for better governance. and Independence. Get out and vote or lose it,
FPTP allows Scotland to win 59/59 seats to challenge Westminster Gov. PR would lose it.
SNP only operate in Scotland.
PR list seats Holyrood lets 3rd unionists in to ruin the economy. FPTP there would be less of them..
People who support Independence need to get out and vote every election. A high turnout. To vote out the opposition and support Independence win, Take another out to vote as well, Not sit on their hands complaining. Easier and simple. The power is in people’s hands of their conviction.
Tommy Sheridan vote SNP/SNP for Independence. Then vote for whom people want or like.
It’s FPTP that has made Westminster the irredeemable monster that it is. It’s FPTP that has created a “safe seat” wasteland of democracy where only a few in England really get to choose who runs the show next. The Buggins Cartel that (as Paul rightly says) now doesn’t even give most of the people of England a real choice.
If there’s any single reason why we have to extract ourselves from that anti-democratic farce, it’s FPTP.
A ‘safe seat’ filled with ‘both cheeks of the same crappy arse’, brilliant indeed Paul
FPTP means the Tories will be voted out to oblivion. PR lets the 3rd rate losers in with a low% of the vote. That is why the unionists introduced PR into Scotland without a mandate to try and keep power in Scotland. Especially on a low turnout. To try to stop one Party (SNP) gaining power. Always having to act as a coalition. The ones who win with the most candidates are kept out of power. By a unionist coalition. No Democracy. With a higher turnout of Independence supporting voters (SNP) that can be overcome. To vote out the opposition. The higher turnout of Independece supporting voters would swing it and win it.
FTP is a poor election system, which is why generally in EU where we see more progrssive governments, PR is used.
FTP gave us Thatcher, major, Johnson, May,
PR sees parties in power to be collations who work toether for best interests of countries.
FTP allows elective dictatorship!
In The Ezu there are more ferderal system Gov.
Scotland is outvoted 10 to 1 in Westmibster. One of the reasons given for Devolution.
Under PR there would still have still been Johnston, Thatcher, Najor with skates on. Even more with coalition. ConDems to fool the British voters. Even more in Scotland. Lie after lie after lie. No Democracy,
Tony Blairs new Labour were lucky.
Economy growing.
Historic low interest rates.
Still forced through PPI and skint local government.
Support for Indy rising v slowly.
Now, broken British State, run by genocidal maniacs, has no democratic answer to Independence.
Labour is in tatters. Pandering to the brexit bigots is gonna finish them off in England too.
Hell mend them.
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a now 60+ Female.
Aye, that needed said, the reaction in England has been equally as “Eh?” as it was in Scotland.
For reasons which initially eluded me, Starmer has been ignoring all the polling which shows a majority in favour of Scots holding an independence referendum AND of reversing Brexit – Blogs in England seem to have nailed Starmer’s strategy as appealing to the Gammons whilst the Tories are so unpopular as to be unelectable, viz forcing the vote.
It was interesting to read on a few Blogs remarks such as “where is our choice?” and “why can’t we have our own SNP?”.
For Scots it is no longer about Red, Blue or Yellow, but painting their own colours after being rid of this stitch-up, and England will be cheering us on all the way….
Starmer shows his poor judgement on election matters when he blames the SNP/Scotland for him ”losing” Westminster .
It is easier for him to achieve a majority in Westminster if Scottish seats are not counted .
Ironically , Scottish Independence may be the silver bullet that sees him become PM .
But he is too dim or arrogant or blinkered to see this .
Poor fellow, he is just another sufferer from Labour Exceptionalist Syndrome. It causes degeneration of the synapses in the cerebral cortex. It’s endemic in the party, but he has it particularly bad. Alas, there does not currently seem to be any cure.
Remove his ‘title’, now that might just make him regurgitate
Watched PMQs for a few minutes and pleased to see Stephen Flynn make a good point. He asked Sunak when he was going to negotiate with the nurses as the Scottish Government had done, to resolve the dispute. He didn’t answer – but blustered about how much money Westminster gave Scotland out of the goodness of their heart.
Starmer read out bad health news from a constituent in the style of Anas Sarwer. Sunak was ready for that one though and pointed out that the Welsh Labour record was even worse. The class war continues in England and Wales.
The mantra of how generous England is in giving Scotland back some of its own money out of the kindness of its own big heart has long passed its sell-by date on both sides of the border (if for different reasons).
Yesterday, on here, I referred to it as the danse macabre two step performed by the Blue and Red Tories.
Today at the farcical pantomime which is PMQ, Sunak bawled about Starmer’s Union paymasters, Starmer in turn hurled Non Doms tax evaders across the mace at multi-millionaire Sunak..
They are desperate to reduce the fight to a Them and Us..Blue Tories the Party of the Rich, Red Tories Cloth Cap supporters of the strikers destroying Britain..sorry, England.
Their is not a fag paper between them of course.
Yes, Capella, they keep telling us how much money England keeps giving us to prop up our institutions and services.
Lies of course…we pay taxes, they rob our resources..we are a colony held fast by..what?
These idiots just saying No?
Is an armed uprising the only option?
Of course not; They would crush us underfoot.
No sight of Dross Lamont Mundell or Bowie at the final PMQ before the Christmas 3 week break today.
Where the hell are they?
Baron Jackass was on the front bench, dozing peacefully, and Pasta Shapes Brexit Duguid was hiding in the crowd,
Where have they all been this week?
How can Ross lift a wage for two jobs?
Tomorrow at FMQ, I fully expect that Red Clydesider Millionaire Dentist to get on his pins and thank the FM for resolving the nurses’ pay dispute Up Here, and then roundly turn on Dross and his Listories and condemn the English Blue Tories for the collapse of their HS, the 133,000 HS vacancies unfilled Down There, the Rail strikes, and the PPE scandal…et cetera, et cetera.
After all he should be ripping Dross’ heart out at every opportunity, like wot his boss Starmer did today, surely?
No, it is more important to deny the polls, and the democratic will of the people of Scotland.
Instead, Sarwar, Ross, and the Tailor’s Dummy, will focus all their attention on NS and the bad SNP, as usual.
They are looking more and more ridiculous with each passing day.
Scottish lives don’t matter to Sarwar Ross and Coal-Scuttle.
Their only job is to maintain Scotland as a conquered colony of England by any underhand means possible.
They are well rewarded to sell their souls for English gold.
England is about to collapse…
And why did Nicola Sturgeon allow god to drop all that snow on Moray?
Capella above @ 1.10 pm says:
He (Sunak) didn’t answer – but blustered about how much money Westminster gave Scotland out of the goodness of their heart.
I wondered how long it would be before that old chestnut was dug up and regurgitated to explain how Scotland can ‘afford’ better pay offers. So as far as FMQ’s are concerned, Jack, what’s the bet Sarwar & Co will ‘remind’ Scotland that we are so lucky to be at the receiving end of such unfettered generosity thanks to bountiful English folk who as a result of throwing so much money northwards can’t afford to pay their own workers. Awww.
JoMax,
Today, as always, Sunak declared that ‘the UK Government’ gace Scotland £1.5 billion in additional funding because of the Blue Tory inspired crisis. Later he announced that they had ‘given’ Wales an additional £1.3 billion.
Well, we were ‘given’ nothing by the English. They merely doled out some of our own money, as they saw fit.
But it is sold by the Jock MSM, the Brit Jock politicians and of course the whole of the english press and broadcasters as a ‘subsidy’, which the English tax payers out of the goodness of their hearts, give to the Jocks…because we are too poor too wee and too stupid to budget our own money ourselves.
That dog don’t hunt any more…
We chew off anybody’s face who attempts to say that the English ‘give’ us their money on TV, in parliament or on GMS.
WE no longer need to be polite to these liars and bullies.
We are taking our country back.
There’s always the possibility/probability that Starmer doesn’t want to win the next GE. We’ve seen little if any evidence that Starmer or his party possess any more talented and committed individuals than either the Tories or the Libdems. An alliance with the SNP, particularly if NS gets involved and she would, may well show the public the stark reality of just how badly served they are by their own English parties. That’s not even taking into account the probable career killing aftermath of being in charge of the breakup of their precious union. He’s more likely to form an alliance with the Tories than risk taking personal responsibility for his part in pissing off the Scots. I think a GE can be expected in 2023 hence the early moves to remove himself from any possibility of being in charge when Scotland leaves. ..
MODS: EDITED
The Westminster system isn’t broken, it was designed built and set in concrete to be exactly what it is
The Imperial seat of Monarchial power of England over all, or *uber alles* if you will
Where do we think the bad men of the 1930s in Germany got the idea from?
The English playbook of *how to*
I’ve forgotten the exact figure, but something like 46% in England think Scotland SHOULD have the right to hold a referendum, whole just 38% think we shouldn’t. THAT is the environment Starmer is doing his best anti-democratic Tory in, while at the same time being obsessed with the SNP rather than the Tories who supposedly he wants to replace in Government.
This is exactly like shiny awkward suit Miliband, who wouldn’t wand to be PM if it meant the SNP having some leverage. The electorate in England noted his lack of ambition and, basically, cowardice, and elected the Tories. They will do the same.
Meanwhile many in England actually wish they too had an SNP to vote for, the LibDems are just a pale shadow of their former selves, with such great principles (not) that they abandoned university students in exchange for a ridiculous referendum about a voting system nobody understood.
Starmer is a fool, I said when the Tories were 30% points up they wouldn’t win the next election, and they won’t. Labour are cowards without principles. Sad. I did vote for them to keep out the Tories, yes, that was voting for rabid anti-devolution and later rabid anti-Independence candidate MP Brian Wilson to keep out the completely useless John Corrie. Now Labour are just as useless and insipid.
I feel sorry for England – they have no choice, Scotland does.
Oh for an edit:
“they wouldn’t win the next election”
should be
“they (Labour) wouldn’t win the next election”.
Now it all makes perfect sense 🙂
https://www.omnisis.co.uk/poll-results/vi-12-results-02-12-2022-bylines/
Should the Scottish Government be allowed to hold an independence referendum next year?
GB Respondents
42% Yes
35% No
23% DK
Scottish Respondents
61% Yes
23% No
16% DK
The 35% are not very nice people at all. The types that voted for Adolf back in the day. Unfortunately British FPTP lets them put the Tories in power.
Stephen Flynn quite rightly mentkoned Scotland being penalised with energy usage in Scotland well above energy cap at 2500 MW and actually averaging at £3300.
And he also mentioned we are self sufficient in gas.
In Scotland we also pay a premium for electricity, with excuse being its because gas is used for generation.
On link below real time usage is currently only 2.2% is from gas with rest being from renewables or nuclear, which are not affected by war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile change menu for England and its 49% from gas and 3% from coal.
https://electricityproduction.uk/in/scotland/
We are being ripped off in Scotland and only when we are independent will we see cheap energy being from being self suffient in gas and electricity.
Again we subsidise England with some places rather than rates going up in january will see unit rates for electricity drop.
So true.
We need to push the idea that over 30% of your electricity billis a direct subsidy to the london area.
The area that gets the London Weighting Allowance on their pay.
As you point out , tonight, we are generating 95% of our electricity from low fuel cost generation.
Paying 34p a unit.
Yes energy self sufficiency and lower energy bills, should be a plank in any argument for why Scotland needs independence.
Deputy speaker: “In anticipation of the imminent arrival here in the Palace of Westminster of his majesty the king, the House is now suspended until 4pm, or as soon as possible thereafter”
The answer to that used to be “I spy strangers”, but I think now it’s “Parliament to sit in private session” to be put to the vote.
The King has very little rights in the Parliament itself.
How the geniuses in Westminster negotiate.
King Charles trumps democracy, right?
SNP bid to amend Scotland Act delayed as Commons suspended for King
https://archive.vn/l8PFw
accidental or deliberate?
Surprise visit? No, the monarch must make an official request to enter parliament, every move the monarch makes is arranged and timed so the speaker of the house must be informed in order to accept or reject the visit of the monarch (remember the parliament is sovereign they tell us)
So the speaker knew so parliament was aware, so why did the SNP not know?
The Monarch, or indeed any of the Royals doesn’t just announce he’s nipping out to the House of Commons for a wee minute and he’ll be right back for his tea later, even if he might be off for a Kebab , it’s arranged and goes in the diary because around a dozen people accompany him wherever he goes and they have to be arranged too
If the SNP didn’t know, the question becomes why not?
Maybe they did know. Maybe Stephen Flynn did this to emphasise the fact that an unelected head of state can disrupt a debate on democracy. Charles’s defacto cancelling of the debate mearly advances the narrative that Westminster is not democratic after all
His visit was announced by the useless speaker last week before PMQT of last week, before the announcement of the BSL version being transmitted on parliament tv.
I would suggest if I knew……..
What surprised me was the lack of a security question, a whole week ahead, shades of the Day of the Jackal.
Spot on
👏👏👏
This is how to deal with idiots like Dross and Union Jack abstaining Murray.
Grab them by the throat and demand answers. Why can the Preple of scotland not decide their own future? Because England, their paymasters won’t let us?
Their house of cards is tumbling down on their fay bloated heads.
We shall never bow down to another country.
I see bbc Scotland web page puts the Natalie McGarry “embezzlement” case next to Murrels loan to the SNP which is in the accounts as required. Quite deliberate in my view. The bbc taint and abuse their position.
Still the bbc are still unaware of any polls occurring in the past week in Scotland. How uninformed they are.
I think if I was a journalist in the bbc I would be too embarrassed to mention my occupation.
“Still the bbc are still unaware of any polls occurring in the past week in Scotland. How uninformed they are.”
____________
You are right in there being a lack of direct mention of this in a BBC news story nor a comment from Friend Sim (et al.), but you might have missed my posting listing Prof Curtice’s analysis (from earlier today):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-63960289
I read about this earlier and scratched my head about exactly how anything untoward to be construed about someone loaning a party cash, then said party paying it back in installments, with this appropriated entered into publicly reported accounts.
Understood and laughed when I just came upon this.
https://archive.vn/LeeSm
Murrell’s loan was first reported by the Wings Over Scotland website.
The blog, run by Stuart Campbell from Bath in England, had announced it was closing down in May 2021 in the wake of the Holyrood election. “Wings is over,” Campbell wrote.
My guess is that Yes moving into majority has southern English right-wing ‘war on woke’ ((c) Trump etc) blogs suddenly becoming more active!
The debate on a bill to change the Scotland Act sounds like it would have been well worth watching.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/23192160.snp-plan-give-holyrood-power-hold-indyref2-blocked-mps/
Indeed, the enemy, for enemy they now are spent their time shouting about anything but the Scotland act, which was the topic of the, can we call it a debate? I don’t think so
Although DRoss turned up to turbocharge the speed towards his impending doom by doing his Chimpanzee chest beating act of insincerity, it’ll be back to the milking for him soon enough
So the anti-democrats, the Tories, voted against the SNP’s attempt to introduce a Bill to change the Scotland Act to recognise the self-determination which is our right, to hold a referendum whenever we want.
While Labour didn’t even have the courage to vote at all, but abstained hoping nobody would notice their craven cowardice.
I suspect Ian Murray will be booted out next election, and good riddance to a coward. He can join the Tory MPs from Scotland.
However, the SNP must try exactly the same thing again the very next opportunity, as well as calling points of order on the Tories waffling on about devolved issues – and on the so-called Speaker himself, whaever the procedure is for that (a VONC I guess).
Here’s the Douglas Ross speech in tonight’s Scotland Act debate. It wasn’t really a speech as such it was pure dross.
He’s on his way out like all the wee Tory plants before him
The Ides of Christmas and sharp blades of the drones behind him are poised to do him in leaving only Anas Sarwar as Tory leader for now
Dross surpassed himself tonight.
His refusal to debate the reasons why the people of Scotland have no right to decide their own future was buried under the usual cancer waiting times, maternity in Moray and the ferry fiasco…but this time, on a rare visit to London, in Westminster…He gets full MP pay for turning up a few times a year.
Well at least we know the FMQ agenda tomorrow…
Dross on Moray mothers, Sarwar on cancer waiting times, and the Tailor’s Dummy on the ferry fiasco. Or maybe Coal-Scuttle is on the Queensferry icicle watch tonight?
Dross and the Expendables..the walking dead.
This pathetic little man’s days are numbered.
He doesn’t even have the courage to present the case for his precious union, because there is none.
I’m sure Glenn and the Plantation Quay team are producing a clip with Dross the hero, and Blackford the divisive ‘separatist’.
I would not be in the same room with this excuse of a man.
I want to punch him …soooo badly
In contrast to the Dross speech, immediately following him was ex-SNP leader Ian Blackford who made Dross look like the absolute amateur he is.
This might be the best speech I have seen Blackford give, it was as good as you will get anyway in the HoC.
If you’re having to make a speech at all that’s the way to do it, Ian Blackford exposes the character and nature of those who would deny Scotland’s right to decide for what and who they are, sniveling cowardly weasels that occupy the English parliament and their imposed counterparts in our own Holyrood parliament in Edinburgh, their individual parties matter naught, it’s their collective fascist position that counts, each and every one of them
They are not only the enemies of Scotland and democracy, they are an embarrassment to the people of England who they pretend to serve by using their voting power to impose dictatorial fascism on other countries such as Wales and the North of Ireland
Most people in England won’t even be aware that the Chagos Islands are illegally occupied by their own English parliament having been ordered to remove themselves twice by the United Nations and still England’s parliament refuses to comply, and why? England rents the Chagos Islands to the USA
Greed is a major driver of this English fascism, what others have they take and call it legal, what others build they steal
There doesn’t appear to be many backsides occupying the government benches during these speeches, presumably enough turned up for the vote.
Excellent by Ian Blackford.
More like this, every day, every hour.
There is no turning back now.
Blackford unleashed.
Lovin’ it.
Got sent this by Visit Britain which we as taxpayers pay for. Not sure this is a bargain.
http://link.visitbritain.com/m/1/18389858/p1-b22348-193287ca63c04d8f88334e7e3b1c1fd5/4/864/eb5247e2-3427-45dd-a983-8b3b1bc2cdea
Ian Blackford – gloves off from the Westminster back benches..
Gettin them telt.
Mair o the same, please!
Scotland isin surplus in fuel and energy and nearer the source, but tpays more than in the South. The
Westminster Gov refused to let the energy companies charge less in Scotland for parity. Westminster fuel and energy keep policies keep prices higher in Scotland. Totally mismanaging fuel and energy sector to keep prices higher in Scotland pro rata.
The SNP are now taking the fight to Westminster. Recorded for prosperity. Then take the campaign to the UN. International Court. Under International Law members have to support self governance and self determination when people vote for it. Or lose UN membership. Westminster are not appreciated at the UN by many nations treated like colonies.
Completely agree. Such action absolutely necessary now.
With Nurses strike in England today, Scotlands deal with NHS unions is being given prominence in news reports.
With questions asked on why UK gov, cant match it.
Of course lying tories hide behind pay award bodies, no self awareness they can overule them as they have done in past to lower pay awards.
And a former head of review body said..
Former pay review body chair suggests current pay recommendation out of date
“Ministers should ask the NHS pay review body to reconsider the pay rise recommended and consider how inflation has soared, as a possible solution to strikes, a former head of the body has said.”
The “independent pay review body” is anything but – They are appointed by government, their operating parameters are set by government, the limits on what they may offer are set by government, it’s a sham show.
As is Ofgen, Ofcom and all the rest of the Offff’s. Useful stooge s for Government ministers to hide behind.
The qustion raised by the new SNP leader in the house of fools included the deal put forward by the SG.
The sunak didn’t really reply other than say he gave the SG the money.
Our on the ball media hasn’t asked the question, ‘If the SG can do a deal with our own money Why can’t sunak? he’s got full control of the money.
Hell he lost £11Billion in paying interest on our own money, did the eat out to die meals.
These people are evil.
Sunak made himself even more of a fool by trying to give the impression that Westminster gave Scotland money to pay our NHS staff while simultaneously refusing to pay England’s NHS staff
Folk in England will begin to wonder if anything he says is remotely credible
This is ‘the right thing to do’.
And of course this is the taxing themselves.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-63988944
Tax rates to rise for higher earners in Scotland
I hope lots of Tories consider moving to another part of their country where taxes are lower.
In Switzerland, one of the highest taxed nations in Europe, earnings are 21 times higher than in the UK and the poverty level is around 7% of the population, whereas in the UK the poverty level is 1 in 5 people, so around 20% of the population
It appear as though higher taxes do work well if the government of a country wants them to
The problem in this UK is the government in England deliberately imposes poverty as an ideology to keep the rich even richer, which keeps them in wealthy donors and future guaranteed wealthy retirement when they have ceased their endeavours in the English parliament creating that poverty
England is no different to one of these usually African countries ruled by criminal dictators that the BBC bring to our TV screens to demonstrate how bad other folk are in order to distract attention from the same people who behave in the same way right here, except here those people wear suits and ties appear on the TV and make laws in a big building to make it all appear *legal* and democratic
There is something that is the same though, all of these people surround themselves with armed guards to protect themselves from the public they claim to serve begging the question
why would they need to do that if they were half as democratic and benevolent as they keep claiming themselves to be
Xander Elliards reports on the HoC debate on amending the Scotland Act.
SNP plan to give Holyrood power to hold indyref2 is blocked by MPs
https://archive.vn/4j6Xw
John Swinney will be giving a minesterial statement on the budget at 2.25 pm.
John Swinney ‘constrained by devolution’ amid cost of living crisis
https://archive.vn/rHR4L
Paul, Over many years of reading your very excellent articles, can I say I think this is the very best, articulating the thoughts and feelings I am sure, of more than half of the people of our country. Thank you,
BBC has finally conceded 4 swallows does make a poll shift. Prof C’s thoughts.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-63960289
Has court ruling boosted support for independence?
A shift of opinion registered in one poll should always be regarded with caution.
But when a number of polls all record much the same shift, it is highly likely that something has changed.
Before the Supreme Court pronounced on 23 November that the Scottish Parliament could not legislate for a referendum on independence without the agreement of the UK parliament, most polls of how people would vote in another independence referendum put No narrowly ahead.
Five polls conducted in September and October on average put No on 51% (once those saying Don’t Know were excluded) while Yes were credited with 49%.
However, four polls conducted since the Supreme Court judgement have all put Yes ahead – on average by 54% to 46%….
..Perhaps crucially, nearly a quarter (23%) of those who voted No in 2014 believe that the Scottish Parliament should be able to hold a referendum.
This suggests the Supreme Court’s decision may have jarred with some voters…
Ahem, S_S.
See my post @ 9.09 pm yesterday, upstream.
🙂
Oops, sorry, missed that!
Oh deary dear, despite the media “look a squirrel” attempts, LBD come straight back with a low Mone…
If all of this is accurate then Mone should be stuck so deep inside a jail they’ll have to pump air in, and spend the rest of her miserable days sewing Bra’s in the dark
and throw away the key.
Also, BBC Scotland has just cut John Swinney’s speech and debate.
Kirtsteen Campbell leaked some of the budget earlier….and they all collaborated in implying that it was Swinney or strugeon who leaked..
The BBC and the Better Together mob tried to sabotage the budget…BBC Scotland is off air now, while our Parliament debate the budget.
That’s it. No more money from me Muriel Gray.
Swinney was magnificent..hence the reason for BBC Jockland pulling the plug.
Police Scotland should begin an investigation into this clear attempt to bring down our government.
Kirsteen Campbell knew fine well what she was doing…source, Ms Campbell?
Now we know that they realise that their UK is finished.
When they jump off the ledge, they want to take as many innocent scots with them.
‘We choose’, Swinney repeated and repeated…’we choose’, not some wee hack from BBC Outpost Glasgow.
Campbell knew what she was doing….taking one for the Jock Brits.
This goes ‘way beyond the Cloak of Invisibility confidentiality of a hack’s sources.
LBD are very careful to ensure there can be no legal challenge, so I do believe what they have presented is not only “accurate” but legally provable…
As commented originally, it is the media manoeuvring to bury this story which has been quite extraordinary, even the “leave of absence” from the HOL is pitched as if she’s had a touch of “the vapours” rather than bringing them into further disrepute.
Just about to post this, thanks for sparing me the opportunity of messing it up.
Second Dr Jim’s sentencing advice.
Note how she is Scottish not British, she’ll be none to chuffed.
Aye, equally noted…
A thief and liar – allegedly. £29 m in offshore accounts. I can recommend “The Laundromat” on Netflix for an insight into the vast network of hidden accounts operating mainly in British jurisdictions which are there to facilitate exactly this sort of thieving. The film is based on the book of the same name by Jake Bernstein – Christmas reading!
Dead right there – essential viewing – with a cute little twist in the tale, IIRC. Excellent companion piece to The Big Short.
Not sure if it’s been posted, but SGP reporting another Yougov poll that’s come to light. Taken at the time of the UKSC.
Nice trend developing.
Yougov 2022 Yes ex DK
09-Dec 53(+2)%
25-Nov 51(+2)%
04-Oct 49(+2)%
[23-May 45% outlier]
31 Mar 47%
I have put changes on the last one skipping out May as this looks to have definitely been an outlier beyond the 95% confidence interval, ergo MoE was >+/-3%. Not seen a poll that low in 2+ years, and way out of kilter with the trend.
While might of course mean you may not want to include it in averages @Yes2 🙂
I’m incredulous over the BBCs stinky faux outrage over their implication that John Swinney or his office might be the source that leaked budget details before they were presented to parliament
If the BBC is so outraged on the Scottish people’s behalf then the BBC could just tell us who told them, problem solved
Except the BBC won’t tell us will they, how could they? because then the Scottish public would find out the truth and we can’t have that can we BBC Scotland?
Much better to leave the implication of serious SNP wrong doings hanging for as long as possible so as to cause as much trouble as possible, when all the BBC need to do is just admit it was Murdo Fraser all along and get it over with, and why won’t the BBC do that as the publicly financed broadcaster ? Well if they don’t own up to who it was then they’re protecting who it was, and that for damn sure isn’t anybody in the SNP
If you haven’t yet ceased to pay the English governments ownership of a telly tax do it now, oh and btw there are countries that receive BBC TV who pay absolutely nothing for it, that means you are subsidizing them as well as England to watch Littlebottom United v Tiddling on the Pond cup final decider match on your TV in your living room in Scotland while you can’t view your own local Scottish team playing in your own country
Kirsteen Campbell can tell us who leaked, couldn’t she? Well, shouldn’t she?
They know that they have lost their Golden Goose colony.
By not revealing her source, she allows a decent man like John Swinney to be insulted by vermin who do not deserve to be in the same room as him.
And to blank out the budget speech and debate is Soviet Union strength mind control.
BBC Scotland is a joke.
They actually stopped the broadcast because the Brit Jocks were taking a right pounding.
Scots be like ‘BBC can just tell us who made the leak. If they don’t, we know it was a British/English party’.
It’s not as if anyone in Scotland thinks the BBC is bed with the SNP FHS. Not even the most ardent unionist thinks that, no matter how loud they might shout it to make themselves sound stupid.
The great Budget leak
BBC Scotland’s Glen Campbell says Westminster leaks stuff all the time and it’s really no big deal so this is just a sideshow
Now that’s a really odd kind of a statement from the scrutinizing BBC Scotland’s political editor, is it not
One minute this leak is deeply concerning, the next it’s really just a sideshow?
Well I never, how can this be that the BBC all of a sudden has decided that Holyrood parliament leaks are just a sideshow? surely not, I ‘m aghast and dismayed at BBC Scotland’s lack of interest in protecting our Scottish parliament’s credibility
Of course if it’s found that one of the opposition parties leaked this information to the BBC it’ll be as the FM said at the time, perhaps somebody is deliberately trying to destroy the Scottish parliaments credibility
There are a couple of long time chancer Tories who are eligible for their political pensions after warming their Arses occupying our parliament for over twenty years,
so Murdo and Liz might be off on their hillwalking jaunts together again, it’s not as if they’re going to be Baronesses and Lords is it, so they’ve got nothing to lose
Not that I’m a conspiracy theorist or anything (I so am)
I would take Campbell’s comment as confirmation the leak didn’t come from either Swinney or the the SG and that the culprit has now been identified.