It’s being reported that if Labour gets into power following the next Westminster General Election, Keir Starmer not after all going to abolish the House of Lords. I know, I’m as shocked as you are, which is to say not remotely shocked at all. Ever since he became leader of what used to be the Labour party, Keir Starmer has been shedding promises like a bad case of dandruff on a black jacket.
When campaigning for the Labour leadership Starmer promised that if he became leader and won the next General Election he would abolish the House of Lords, introduce a federal system, nationalise the railways, the English water companies, the post office and energy companies. He vowed to defend freedom of movement within Europe as the UK left the EU. He also promised to oppose Tory attacks on the rights of workers to take industrial action. He also committed to abolishing university tuition fees. A Labour Government was going to introduce tax increases on the top 5% of earners. It was going to abolish Universal Credit and the Tories’ cruel sanctions regime.
Three years on those promises are looking pretty threadbare. In May Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said that her party had “no plans” to increase taxes on the highest earners. Instead Starmer has been criticising the current “high tax burden” and talking instead about growing the economy. Universal Credit will no longer be abolished by a future Labour government, instead Shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth has promised to “reform” Universal Credit but made it clear that Labour intends to keep “conditionality” a part of the system. That’s code for sanctions. Starmer has done a U turn on his previous promise to abolish university tuition fees and has drastically scaled back on his promise to invest billions on the development of green energy.
The promises to nationalise the railways, English water companies and energy companies have basically been scrapped in their entirety. Instead Starmer promised greater regulation of companies that would remain in the private sector, saying in July last year: “The answer is going to lie in regulating the market, changing the market, rather than simply taking things into public ownership.” He also acknowledged that the private sector would continue to have a role to play in the NHS in England. So his promise to end private sector outsourcing in the NHS in England has bitten the dust too.
Starmer has also now ruled out any return of freedom of movement within Europe, and has said that he would not seek to rejoin the European Single Market or Customs Union. Starmer will maintain the hard Brexit foisted upon us by the Tories as he is too worried about chasing votes in Brexit supporting constituencies in the Midlands and North of England to care about those of us who think Brexit was a bad idea to begin with and its implementation has made a dreadful situation far far worse.
Starmer’s promise to introduce “radical devolution” and a federal system looks like a bad joke now. Gordon Brown’s much heralded constitutional review landed with a resounding ‘meh’. We got a promise to introduce some minor tinkering with the powers of Holyrood, giving the Scottish Parliament minor borrowing powers and control of job centres. Whoop de doo indeed. The fanfare announcement of the abolition of the House of Lords and to replace it with an elected ‘Senate of the Nations and Regions’ turned out to consist of a promise to consult on this proposal before deciding whether or not to include it in a Labour manifesto. Even if it did make it into a Labour manifesto there’s no guarantee it would be implemented.
Labour had a manifesto commitment in 1997 to reform the House of Lords and end the hereditary principle in the upper chamber, despite a landslide Labour majority in the 1997 General Election there are still hereditary peers in the Lords and we now have a bloated upper house stuffed with the cronies and associates of politicians who are appointed for life in a system of institutionalised patronage. Labour promised to reform the system of life peerages so that membership of the Lords reflected the vote share of the parties, as a counterbalance to the First Past the Post system so beloved of both Labour and the Tories in the Commons. The 1997 Labour manifesto said: “Our objective will be to ensure that over time party appointees as life peers more accurately reflect the proportion of votes cast at the previous general election.”
That didn’t come close to happening, instead Blair’s government was embroiled in allegations of cash for honours with peerages being doled out to Labour donors. The Tories picked up that particular ball and ran with it and the Lords is now essentially a London club for Tory donors and high profile supporters.
Now Starmer appears to have scrapped the promise to abolish the House of Lords and replace it with a new elected upper chamber which would have the role of guaranteeing the devolution settlement and protecting the powers of the Scottish and Welsh parliaments from a hostile Westminster government. Instead Starmer proposes to tackle the problem of a bloated House of Lords stuffed to the gills with Conservative life peers by stuffing it with dozens of new Labour life peers.
In other words Starmer is not only not going to introduce any meaningful reform of the undemocratic House of Lords, he is also not going to do anything to protect the devolution settlement and the Scottish Parliament from a future Conservative government. That is a grave omission especially given the deeply worrying trajectory of the Conservative party which may very well completely espouse extreme right wing authoritarian populist English nationalism as it seeks a path back to power after losing the next General Election. For Scottish voters at the next Westminster General Election voting Labour in order to get the Tories out is the very definition of short term gratification that comes at a terrible longer term cost. In any event voting SNP in Scotland also has the desired effect of reducing Tory representation in the Commons.
All that will happen is the election of a Labour government that has adopted Tory drag in order to appeal to Brexit voters in England. It will be Blairism on steroids, and Scotland will remain exposed to the full blast of an even more cruel and authoritarian Conservative party which will inevitably return to power eventually. If Yes voters do desert the SNP for Labour as some polls suggest, they will have done nothing to keep out the Tories that they could not have done by voting SNP, and they will have boosted the English nationalist tendencies of Labour and the Tories by giving them the false impression that Scotland is no longer interested in independence. Scotland will be worse off and even more vulnerable than it is now.
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Wee Ginger Dug 
Can’t believe Independence supporters would vote Labour, to punish the SNP ? We won’t get our Independence voting for anti-Scotland parties be it Labour, LibDem or Tory. Starmer is a soft Tory, same as Blair and Cameron but without any charisma. I just find it ridiculous that Scottish voters would turn once again to Labour, a party who did little for us in the past and won’t do anything for us in the future assuming they even win the next election in England.
I believe Starmer is every bit as much the liar as Boris Johnson and his party knows it
but what they also know is the only way to get elected in England is to appear to be Tory or you just don’t get elected
The problem with that strategy is, if he does get elected (and I mean IF) he can’t just reverse everything and become a Labour, because if he does the media would utterly expose and destroy him, and England would never ever in a generation vote Labour again, of course maybe Starmer doesn’t care and that’s the next guy’s problem
But I think he has to stay Tory or he’ll have five years of misery heaped upon him
But only IF he wins and I still don’t reckon he will, England really doesn’t like his sort,
they like crazy Eton educated upper class lunatics ready to wear the Red and White tabard of English knights with sword in hand holding back the hordes of swarming unbelievers in small boats from their shores
That’s what England calls a real Prime Minister
The torys wont win, they will definitly lose, its just how many seats they lose by that is the question.
What we currently see is tragic for majority of the population.
High mortgages will lose them the election, along with covid inquiry and everything that already happened.
Truss blew the illusion that torys were good at managing the economy.
Homeowners are rightly blaming them for mortgage rises and cost of living crisis.
Renters will also blame them for landlords increasing rent.
And financial markets predict a 6% base rate by next summer and well into 2024 before rates start to come down.
And brexit chickens are coming home to roost too, with import duties to start from 2024. this will cause more food inflation on items imported from europe and possibly cause localy run delis, to close.
As clinton said,”its the economy,stupid”
The tories have run out time to fix this and are too late to pass the jobie parcel to labour.
Though labour when in will continue tory policies.
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a now 60+ Female.
The media will help Labour in Scotland. I hear that BBC Scotland are planning a series in the Western Isles to look at ferries. That is where “journalist and broadcaster” aka unionist propagandist for the Daily Record, Torcuil Crichton will be standing against Angus MacNeil.
https://archive.fo/sjthv
Didn’t Crichton not go on and on about the vow?
He will do as he is telt.
His master resides in London, England.
Vote Labour and support Ian Murray’s diktat :
”Scotland will never get an Independence referendum under Labour !”
You have been warned !
Starmer has watered down his promise to spend £28 billion on renewable energy if Labour are elected. Now Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Ed Miliband say that Liz Truss crashed the economy so they can’t promise anything. See Mirror 9th June
https://archive.fo/vM1eq
Even so, their plan was focused on wind and solar and not the wave power which Scotland leads the world in producing as The National reports:
Scotland ‘has more tidal stream capacity than rest of world combined’, LSE study says
https://archive.fo/CiwYB#selection-1481.0-1481.85
Particularly galling is the fact that Scotland had already pioneered tidal power in the 1970s when Stephen Salter demonstrated that his “Edinburgh ducks” could harness wave energy for clean renewable power. Development was kyboshed by the Atominc energy lobby:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salter%27s_duck#Energy_efficiency
Labour or Tory, Scotland is held back and underdeveloped because of vested interests down south.
Humza Yousaf tells Anas Sarwar what he thinks of Starmer’s empty promises:
The Twitter replies by the Tory Labour Yoonyins below says it all
How very dare Scotland want to keep what’s ours instead of being grateful to England for the crumbs Westminster *might* give us back from everything they steal from us
Well done today Humza
Good stuff 👏🏾👏🏻👏👏🏿👏🏼
Stephen Flynn too:
In 2020 it was reported that Ian Murray accepted a £5000 donation from a Tory donor as part of what was called an ” ill-fated campaign” to become deputy leader of UK Labour……and he and his Labour colleagues use the SAME language as the Tories in relation to us having another Indy referendum…as in they, Labour, say they will not ‘GIVE’ or ‘ALLOW’ us to have another referendum….
Embracing and thus accepting Starmer’s so called ‘British patriotism’ does not heal anything, change anything or offer a realistic solution for the kind of dictatorship and assumed propriety arrogance Labour is promoting in Scotland….but it is a way for them to try and suppress any dissent here for their empty slogans , past and present , that blatantly and arrogantly ignores what many Scots support….that is Scottish independence….main reason being most UK parties choose to ignore what many Scots feel they need and want….instead they tell us what they think we need and want….which is the opposite of what is really needed and wanted in Scotland by Scots (new and old)…..as in us who actually LIVE here….
You cannot enforce a national British identity upon (Scottish) people especially when these same people (Scots) always see and hear that your main focus (allegedly) is always upon another country within the UK…however that focus is only for their votes and support ……”another country” being England obvs.
Plus remembering Starmer’s celebration video of England’s St George’s day…. …..where he went to great pains in the video to highlight so much that was uniquely English (even including two Scottish areas in his video…a Freudian slip ?) and thus England, in his eyes , was praised by him as having a distinctive place and voice as a nation within his Great Britain…..so some things apparently are uniquely English according to Starmer…while in Scotland the only things unique , according to Starmer , Labour and others, is our resources to be stolen by them, if they are elected as the next UK government, now that does make us unique and compliant too if we allow it to continue…..but it never ever makes us feel British….hence why we support Scotland becoming independent.
Have a nice day everyone
🙂
They just dinnae get we Scots, do they…
Some voters may be switching to Labour from SNP for two reasons:
1.Current bad publicity around SNP finances and Nicola Sturgeon. Even if this eventually comes to nothing with no charges this process will be drawn out to next GE and to some extent the damage has already been done. The only way to combat this was to have a complete break with NS regime within government and SNP and for NS to take a backward step. I know this may not sound fair to many, including me, but it is world we live in. If NS cleared of wrongdoing then there will be a significant role for her in future.
2.The SNP have not come up with a clear route to achieving independence. I am not saying this is easy but this is why a lot of voters actually vote for SNP.
SNP need to at leat say that every vote for SNP is a vote for independence. In light of fact that Westminster will not grant another referendum if the SNP (& other independence parties) achieve >50% of vote cast this will be taken as a mandate for independence and Holyrood will proceed on this basis. They need to do this while hammering home that the votes of electorate in Scotland are irrelevant to which party governs at Westminster. I cannot see anything to lose with this strategy because at the moment SNP support is gradually dribbling away and it needs something radical to reverse this trend.
Hi John I can see what you are saying and I know that what you say is honest and sincere …..but I would say tis not just the “current bad publicity” that impacts the SNP but a constant onslaught of criticism via the media, opposition parties and other ‘concerned’ individuals on social media….that has been a constant….. especially since the SNP have been increasing their votes in elections in Scotland for years and years….pre NS even.
That relentless bad publicity then casts doubt on the competence of the SNP as a political party and as a government too with some voters within Scotland, who as yet are not as convinced as us, upon independence being the best option for Scotland….or indeed SNP being the best party to oversee it and then govern within it in the future….
Irrespective of what route the SNP promote/campaign on gaining independence they will always be accused of and undermined by those others that what they are doing is wrong and irresponsible….or not the right way by some independence supporters….
Ultimately it is up to the people of Scotland demonstrating via much MORE people taking MORE action in showing that there is a majority consensus in Scotland in them either joining campaigns to hold another referendum, being more vocal and also to stop voting for UK parties in any elections….
If as you say “some SNP supporters are switching to Labour” then I assume they have no real passion for Scottish independence because Labour have made it abundantly clear that they are a Pro UK party and their involvement in the 2014 BT campaign demonstrated how contemptuous and low they will stoop to keep Scotland in the UK…while serving their Tory masters.
Plus Labour are not devoid, as a party, in their involvement in scandals, bad policies and too their current support for a Tory Brexit against what people here in Scotland voted FOR by a majority, i.e. 62% to Remain in the EU in 2016…..
As to “SNP need to at least say that every vote for SNP is a vote for independence” there is no one in the UK and especially within Scotland that does not identify the SNP as being a party whose raison d’etre is FOR independence for Scotland….so when you cast your vote for them then they and others will identify that you are supporting an independence party….and NOT a Pro UK party….but I know how frustrating it is to seem as if we are static on ever getting another Referendum but think on this….if all is really so very forlorn and hopeless…. then why oh why is there so much being done and said by both the opposition parties and the media…surely if no real threat is perceived by the SNP then why is so much effort, time and money being spent and allocated to oppose them ? ( and too on another independence Ref ever being a possibility)…
I do hope you take my response to your comment in good faith and not me being critical of your comment as you do raise concerns that some people are raising….
So sorry for length of my response …I have form on this…LOL ( if you do indeed take the time to read it)
Hope you have had a good day John
🙂
Thank you for your considered reply. I completely agree that MSM and opponents have gone OTT on SNP finances and NS and that shows how frightened they are. They have been shit scared since 2014 referendum when they got an almighty fright.
I am a former Labour voter who now votes SNP and has no intention of switching back because of:
support for independence
opposition to Brexit
SNP are still the only party who put Scotland’s interests ahead of UK interests.
What I am putting forward is reasons why some former Labour supporters may be considering voting Labour at next election and my thoughts on how to counter this. I do not agree with them switching back but that is not going to stop it happening. Sometimes you need to acknowledge things you don’t like or agree to counter them rather than pretending they are not happening.
If this be the case, and people are shifting to vote labour, that will do bugger all for independence, the ‘Scottish Cringe’ has been well and truly served up on a slimy salver from the derogatory onslaught of the nasty bastard brigade of anti-SNP and anything remotely positive for Scotland, and is working its ‘black magic’.
Hope it bites their arses, not ours.
Not digging in John, just working my way up the comments.
I too am a former Labour voter John….though once I took the decision to support Scottish independence I never again voted for any political party who supported the so called (NON) Union.
“What I am putting forward is reasons why some former Labour supporters may be considering voting Labour at next election and my thoughts on how to counter this”
Indeed…. but let’s be honest for them to do so NOW would be counter productive to us ever achieving independence any time soon. So if some , for whatever reason, do decide to go back to Labour then they must surely not have been fully convinced or committed to independence….because once you are…. you will never ever vote for any Unionist party again….and if current problems connected to the SNP is what is converting them to Labour then they must also be ignorant of Labour’s policies and too their bad behaviour (both as a party and via individual scandals)…if it is because they think the SNP are too slow in getting independence then by them, as voters, switching to Labour it is going to be even slower the route to gain independence….if at all…thanks to them changing back to Labour.
They must also be thinking that , in going back to Labour, they are :
Willing to ignore Labour’s huge involvement and actions in the Ref in 2014.
Favour a less socialist Labour party and thus prefer Starmer’s alternate Tory party under New New Labour….
As to Polls well they come and go…some say that some polls are done to influence opinion as opposed to reflecting it…..it is not a done deal that Labour are 100% guaranteed to be the largest party in the next GE….it is also not guaranteed that they will win the large amount of seats some of the media are promoting will happen in Scotland at the expense of the SNP……a day, a week etc etc is a long time in politics….and with Starmer doing constant U-Turns on pledges he has made and also him adopting Tory policies and indeed Tory rhetoric….well I would be shocked by any Scot considering voting for his party as one that they think will do a better job for Scotland than the SNP are doing now and in the future……..alas John you and I both know that it will also be the worse decision they make……and it will impact us as much as it will impact them…I am glad we are in agreement with that.
God it’s never ending is it John….wha’s like us indeed…LOL
Thanks for responding to my response to your initial comment…..
🙂
** “God it’s never ending is it John”
Should have been :
“God it’s never ending isn’t it John”…
Sorry I am an idiot…again….no poll reqd…LOL
I fully get how you feel about Labour now.
I moved back to Scotland from Wales and the difference between approach of Labour in both countries is quite marked. I would go as far to say that I would describe Mark Drakeford as representing Welsh Labour whereas Anas Sarwar represents Labour in Scotland.
How ‘Scottish Labour’ can support a Hard Brexit with no separate deal for Scotland, the Internal Market and reject the right of Holyrood to hold an independence referendum has left me completely scunnered with them. They are more interested in beating SNP(Bain Principle) than anything that is in Scotland’s best interests. In some ways I now dislike Labour in Scotland more than the Tories and that is saying something.
The MSM are pushing Labour in Scotland now to exclusion of all other parties because they see them as best bet to beat SNP and we will find out at Rutherglen by election if it is working. If voters do switch to Labour from SNP then it is incumbent for SNP to find out why and counter this in advance of next GE.
There is no doubt that part of desire for independence from some in Scotland is dislike of Tories and having Tory governments we did not vote for imposed upon Scotland and as a Labour government becomes more likely this may kick in.
I now want independence because I now believe that, especially since Brexit, it is the only way to achieve a more democractic, financially secure fairer and more tolwerant country. My nationalistic fervour is and always been of the Hampden and Murrayfield variety and non political although post Brexit identity politics has been forced upon us.
I realise this is an independence and SNP supporting website but we should be able
to discuss how we best advance the independence arguments and fortunes of SNP who are political wing of movement and whose fortunes are inextricably linked to achieving independence. This cannot be achieved by believing everything is wonderful but by hard headed realistic approach. If anyone thinks, regardless of MSM biased approach, that SNP have done everything wonderfully in last 12 months then they are wearing rose tinted spectacles. This does not mean putting forward a SNP bad narrative, as opponents are more than capable of doing this, but should not preclude us discussing how the SNP could do better.
Lastly, and this is not aimed at yourself but some other respondents, you do not convince people of your arguments by shouting at them or abusing them you do it by listening and persuasion.
Hi John I appreciate that what you say above is as someone , who like many on here , myself included, DO want independence and who also has no time for the Labour party…..
I think that we are all very very passionate about it….and sometimes it does make you a tad weary , frustrated and agitated when it seems as if it appears…I emphasise appears….that someone is perhaps ‘appearing’ or tis interpreted as someone who appears to be casting doubt on a party who are, in most people’s eyes (whether engaged or disengaged on politics) the one party identifiable as the one most likely to get us independence via their elevated position in politics for years in Scotland i.e. the SNP….
Plus there are many detractors of the SNP outwith this site for reasons other than independence i.e. they are Pro UK……and this site is a pro Indy site and yes many do support the SNP, myself included, but we should always welcome all debate and opinions (apart from obvious Troll like behaviour we occasionally see on here …of which you are most definitely not…just in case you think that was aimed at you…..tis not)………but sometimes people are just so tired of defending the same things over and over especially via those who present an argument, that they feel , that there is a lack of urgency via the SNP on getting us another referendum…especially via other Indy supporters…..so don’t take it personally….please…it’s just an automatic and weary reaction as we are all, I think, very very tired…well I am anyway….LOL
The SNP do seem to be doing the groundwork in Europe to pave the way for a future independent Scotland being welcomed as a new EU member should that be the will of the people here post independence…hence why the UK Tory government have set down an undemocratic instruction that any Scottish minister must not be allowed to discuss independence with others while abroad and must be accompanied by someone who is a representative of the UK government…..so they, the Tories, know what the SNP are doing FOR Scotland to prepare for independence when abroad (in and outwith Europe)….after all post independence we do not want to be cast adrift from Europe like England do we…..especially after seeing the mess via Brexit on trade etc
Plus they, the SNP, still HAVE to operate as a government in Scotland and that is their DAY job….if they take their eye of that particular ball well ALL media and opposition parties would be all over them like a rash….and they are making a difference in trying to mitigate Tory bad policies to lessen the impact for us Scots….so although yes I agree that independence seems as if it should have been done like…..yesterday….it really is NOT their ONLY job both as a political party and as a government (and we should be grateful that we, as citizens, have many more benefits and concessions thanks to the SNP that the English people do not have in England via the Tories)….. people tend to forget that they, SNP, have a duty to perform as a government and a lot of the time they do it well and for our benefit…. but the media and opposition don’t forget the so called ‘Day Job’…neither do the usual suspects on social media…..they, the SNP, are trying to juggle many balls in the air….drop one (as in wrong one…i.e. any government responsibility under their devolved remit)…and tis sacre bleu….Armageddon…for some that is…not us….LOL
Yes I agree that listening and persuasion is a good thing…remembering too that sometimes writing a comment on a blog can sometimes not come over the way you intended it too….you should see some of the emails I compose where I need to second guess myself as I think they potentially may be misinterpreted by the person receiving them….LOL ….or be too blunt etc
Thanks for the discussion on here John….I am enjoying it and also the people on here are actually very nice but sometimes it is hard to be tolerant all the time….once again I hope you don’t take it personally any critique you have received via your comments….why if you were in a pub bringing up any doubts etc you had or suggestions on ways to get independence….the response from others would be different I am sure….as would your receiving of it…..
Why is it so hard to an independence supporter …..when it should be so easy and normal…..
All the best John and have a nice evening ( you deserve an award if you read THIS response….LOL)
🙂
I have rewarded myself with a few cans of beer.
I agree with what you have written above about the achievements and pressures SNP face.
If I make so bold I would add that SNP/Green government now have to deal with UK Internal Market and a Westrminster government openly hostile to Holyrood government. They are now trying trying to undermine SNP/Green Holyrood government with support (active and tacit) from opposition parties and vested interests and in doing so are undermining and devaluing devolution itself.
The SNP have had 2 very high profile, astute, respected leaders in Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon which is why the British establishment have tried to use any means to bring them down. I was disappointed in leadership election as I did not think any of the candidates came anywhere close to their predecessors though I hope HY grows into job despite difficult circumstances he faces at present.
I would also add how effective the SNP are at Westminster in holding Tory government and Brexit to account. I personally have found Stephen Flynn to date to be a very effective as SNP leader at Westminster and I see him as a good potential future leader of SNP and independence movement.
All the best to you too and enjoy your weekend.
Pretty strong views, views that also align with the opponents of Independence. You sound exactly like someone who’s drank too much of the Unionist Kool-aid.
I refer you to my reply to Not My Real Name (minus thanks for considered reply).
“If NS cleared of wrongdoing then there will be a significant role for her in future.”
I was unaware that there was anything to be “cleared of”.
“Pretty strong views, views that also align with the opponents of Independence. You sound exactly like someone who’s drank too much of the Unionist Kool-aid.”
Remember the days in Wings when you and others would welcome new posters? Seems a lifetime ago.
Now you try to chase anyone who expresses a view you don’t like, a criticism, a doubt, a warning. What happened to you, Alex?
> Even if this eventually comes to nothing
If it does then she will be by-definition the “cleanest” politician in the UK, having just been certified as clean by one of the most thorough investigations into party finances in UK history.
If she’s smart she’s hammer that one home at her opponents.
> The SNP have not come up with a clear route to achieving independence.
Now you are just flat lying.
They’ve said the route is to ask for an indyref, and if refused use the next general election as a defacto referendum.
What more do you want? Do you want them to claim UDI right now? And have the rest of the world laugh as they ignore it, given it’s lack of identifiable democratic backing?
Oh wait, that *is* what you want, isn’t it?
NS cleared of wrongdoing then there will be a significant role for her in future.
Huh? Did you miss Sturgeon being released without charge and happily coming back to work? The police release people without charge when, following interview, they deem them to be innocent of any wrongdoing based on the evidence in hand. When they believe someone has done something wrong, they charge them.
If you are released without charge, then the conclusion is you’ve done no wrong. That might change in the future if some new evidence came to light suggesting otherwise, but unless that happens, Sturgeon is a innocent as you and I are. If she is not rearrested, we will never have any announcement from the police ‘clearing’ Sturgeon as they’ve already done that by previously releasing her without charge.
So the only way for her to be ‘cleared’ now, would be for her to be re-arrested, then released again without charge. That or be charged, then found innocent in court. Otherwise, she has already been cleared. It is only unionists that try to pretend otherwise, and that somehow she’s still to be cleared / she’s awaiting some sort of trial / judgement that doesn’t exist.
And Labour have gained absolutely nothing from the finance thing. they’ve been at the same level in polls since the minibudget last Autumn when they gained from the Tory demise. The Greens have benefited the most from the SNP, that and the shy SNP vote who understand the above.
The next Labour government will be a one term place holder until the Tories get their shit together to the satisfaction of the voting English public.
At that election there will be a clear choice. THAT will be the defacto referendum by default. Every election is now a defacto referendum and we only have to win once!
And we WILL win it.
They have not a hope in hell of winning the next UKGE. The disastrous Labour result in the English local elections could not have been clearer. Ed Miliband had far more councillors won under his belt going into 2015 and that resulted in a comfortable Tory win with a Scottish Labour wipe out.
Starmer’s ratings in Scotland are collapsing as he promotes brexit and announces he’s going to make 10k Scots unemployed the moment he gets into No 10. No way Scots are going to vote for him.
To all the comments above let me clarify that I am aware that NS has not been charged but investigations are ongoing and like it or not NS and SNP will not be free of this issue until investigations are completed with no charges hopefully.
Re the SNP policy for independence is the de facto referendum the approved policy of party for next election or just a proposal? I am genuinely unsure and am sure a lot of electors are also unsure.
If SNP lose Rutherglen by election to Labour I would strongly suggest party goes out and finds out why SNP voters have switched to Labour.
Lastly this is an independence and SNP supporting forum (both of which I am) but if you are move forward you need to be able to debate issues and thoughts with fellow supporters and not become a shouty echo chamber.
You’ve not been charged either. You are as guilty / innocent as her. Sturgeon isn’t under investigation; the party finances are, and so far the police have not concluded that any money is even ‘missing’. All sorts of people have been questioned; it’s just those that people will know the names of that the media are putting in the spotlight. The 3 signatories to the accounts have all released without charge following intense questioning. All ‘cleared’ as things stand.
The union is, politically, over immediately if Sturgeon is not now charged and convicted. It will be over anyway no matter what happens, but nothing can save the Brits if Sturgeon doesn’t go down. They will rue the day that blue tent appeared outside her house as the straw that broke the camel’s back, putting Yes into permanent majority. You can see it in polling; Yes has not budged. All that’s happened is voters have gone shy about supporting the SNP, causing projected turnouts to fall, but with no gains for the unionists.
And the fact she’s not stepping down nor is she being pushed to should tell you all you need to know about the expected outcome. Let’s be realistic here – if her and hubby had been fiddling the books, there is no way on earth the party would let her saunter back into work never mind sending her sympathy cards and flowers. If she’d been helping herself, she’d be getting the leper treatment, and rightly so.
OMG my bum would be squeaking right now if I was pro-UK. I’d be sh*tting bricks. My money is with the Daily Record and we are watching the end of the UK. The last desperate throw of the dice that tipped the balance.
Amateurs pretending to be as one with the cause of independence while insulting the rest of us in defence of their pretence
There are no parallels in the following – it’s to show the length of investigations into any financial matters, and of the trial that occurred in that case:
“Massive investigation involving 100 officers”
“For over four years, detectives have worked tirelessly to unpick the network of banking transfers and legal documentation”
“a team of specialist search officers, telecommunications and computer forensics experts, financial investigators and criminal analysts examined “hundreds of thousands of documents””
“It began at the High Court … and heard evidence over 320 days.”
“The trial is estimated to have cost around £7.5m“
Ot
Is it just me, but has the effort of wealthy nations to rescue 5 poor souls in the submersible equal to the poor 600 souls lost in Greek waters?
Life is unequal.
The people in the sub are insured for billions.
The people in the sub are all billionaires.
Billionaires all Five of them including the 19 year old son (Indian) who was at Glasgow University his father also onboard a multi billionaire. Anyone with a fraction of knowledge taken online could find out how risky this venture was! Half a billion dollars for the two of them but likely to make millions of dollars from being the first family to visit Titanic. This is a restricted site it is a civilian ship and is a mass graveyard for 1,500 plus people who’s remains lie in it. To hell with them says the billionaires of this World! Some times the elements of the world are on our side rather than theirs and I think this is what happened. They spent tens of millions on a possible rescue that was never going to happen as it failed at 9000 feet with still 3500 feet to the ocean floor. The owner said prior to going he was dealing in new materials that had not been fully proven yet to be safe. I rest my case the Titanic has had its revenge the French guy on board was the one who located it first years ago and then they stripped it of its riches from the property safes and parts from the ship.
Not sure “revenge of the titanic” is appropriate.
However
The U.K. Foreign Secretary has announced,
UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has paid tribute to the five Titan passengers who are now believed to have died.
“Tragic news that those on the Titan submersible, including three British citizens, have been lost following an international search operation,” he tweets.
“The UK government is closely supporting the families affected and expresses our deepest condolences.”
Now his statement for the boat people –
“ ”
The son was not at glasgow university, he was at a glasgow university..
strathclyde.
I think saying revenge is not great wording.
Any loss of life is tragic whether its a billionaire in a submarine or migrants on a boat or millions to covid 19
MSP said he was at Glasgow University in the Scots Parliament this afternoon. The Labour person elected because of her condition has never had a positive word to say about the SNP government:ie ” The Combined English Opposition”. They should all be forced to remain at home with 50% salaries and the other 50% going to the “New Income Stream” SNP announced as Cash Incentives to replace food banks in Scotland. If it had been a Warship instead of a Civilian Ship no one would have been allowed to touch it! I think the word revenge was appropriate under the circumstances as anyone with a freely open mind could imagine it being that! It would be the thoughts of the distant relatives today of those who perished as their shouts and protests to leave the ship undisturbed were totally ignored!
Ill ignore you from now on!
Goodbye!!!!!
I never read you only because you replied your narrow nonsense as I do to several others on this site and we all know who they are!
I agree with you when you say this “Any loss of life is tragic whether its a billionaire in a submarine or migrants on a boat or millions to covid 19”
Sadness, compassion for ANY loss of life
If you have Netflix then watch “The Swimmers” a real life story of the so called “boat people”.
Winnie Ewing has died. I’m surprised the news has a rather low profile on the BBC website – not.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65988094
The National has the story and pictures of Winnie Ewing through the decades.
https://archive.fo/QwcpZ
Starmer is a misguidedly self-privileged goofball.
And that’s all I have to say about THAT.
RIP Winnie Ewing without whom the SNP would be able to conference in a telephone box, without whom the SNP would not have reached 11 MPs in the 70s and scared the bejeebs out of Labour which finally led in 1997 to devolution, without whom the SNP would not have had 56 MPs, without whom there would be not the slightest glimmer of a chance of Independence, without whom there would be no posters like myself on indy blogs which also would not exist without there having been a Winnie Ewing, and without whom there would not have been an indy paper the National which shared her on the front page with – Brexit for goodness sake?
Lest anyone forget.
And I give Yousaf credit for realising that. From his twitter:
“I am heartbroken that we have lost a shining light of our party.
Without Winnie’s trailblazing victory in the 1967 Hamilton by-election & without her dedication to the cause of independence, @theSNP would simply not have achieved the success we have.”
And I hope he retrenches on the appallingly bad idea of sacking Fergus Ewing for voting with his opinion and his conscience, something very very rare in the narrow whispering church SNP of today.
Alcoholics need proper total abstinence rehab. Or they die.
Sir Starmer considering giving titles to warmongers. The corruption of the UK Gov. Another useless incompetent.
That’s another angle needing pushed harder wrt Labour. The last time they were in power they started several illegal wars that led to the excess deaths of over a million people in Iraq alone.
The likes of Putin and Blair need to be hauled before the Hague to spend the rest of their days rotting in prison.
Interestingly, Blair is of course Scottish by birthright and as such would automatically be a citizen of an independent Scotland under the system proposed by the SNP in 2014. There may be legal remit to prosecute him ourselves at that point!
After all, if a forensic tent is appropriate to look for biros and barrows, then surely the deepest audit of Mr Blair & his relationship to war profiteers is very much warranted given the severity of the crimes involved?
A serious question.
Is this site an Independence for Scotland supporting site or an SNP supporting site?
It appears to me that the two ‘ideals’ have not been mutually compatible over the past 8 years!
Wow Stuart. I agree with you. However you will probably now be branded an Alba traitor, a Unionist or a member of MI5.
Some people can see what has happened and is still happening. Others cannot or will not for what ever reason is applicable to them. Scotland is going downhill fast and it is not all England or Westminster to blame. Problems have to be recognised before you can even attempt to remedy them. Too many are turning a blind eye.
Maybe you’re just too smart for the rest of us given that you consider yourself one of the “some people” which implies the rest of the population aren’t
Nobody enjoys being told they’re basically thick, especially by folk who are in such a minority as to be almost negligible, it comes across like an evangelistic cult best avoided
I wish I had your master of words Dr Jim I always read everything you write lol
Speaking of cults, there is one in Scotland. The said cult has lost some 50,000 fee paying members in the last year or two. It seems not everyone is thick! How far has Independence progressed in the past 8 years?
It’s not surprising that more people on this independence site are likely to be SNP. It’s called a majority.
Just as on other sites you may find unionists / little englanders/ britnats/ and I hate any SNP leader so voting for unionist Starmer brigade.
Some of us aren’t blind- our eyes are well opened.
🏴
The former. But then since 96% of the votes for pro-indy parties went to those forming the current Scottish government at the last election, statistically, only 4/100 posts would be expected to come from supporters of pro-indy parties other than the SNP and Greens. Unless, that is, the latter attempted to talk to much to unfairly drown others out or something.
Appears?
It’s an Independence for Scotland supporting site. Currently, I regard the SNP as the best vehicle for achieving independence. I know they are not perfect. I disagree with some of their policies. But they are the best democratic route IMO.
If you have a better method then please do share it.
Nearly fooled me with that ”serious question ” malarky , Stu ! Is it April 1st again ?
Read on twitter :
“Oil giant @Equinor has invited MPs to an event in Parliament tomorrow. They’re seeking approval for their oil field #Rosebank, which will create climate-wrecking CO2 emissions without lowering our bills”….
Caroline Lucas Green Party MP Tweeted :
“I will *not* be attending oil giant Equinor’s “breakfast reception” in Parliament – a naked attempt at lobbying for #Rosebank, the biggest undeveloped oil field in the North Sea. MPs mustn’t fall into bed with these climate criminals – tweet your MP & urge them not to attend”
“the biggest undeveloped oil field in the North Sea”
The parliament Caroline refers to is of course obviously the HOC as in WM in London…the same oil field that Sir Keir Starmer reaffirmed his party would not overturn a potential Tory decision to give Rosebank oilfield an exploration licence….which the Tories WILL do….. of that I am sure….
Same OIL that Tories and Labour , oh and OIL companies too (aided by Sir Ian Wood), told Scotland in 2014 that it , as a resource, was running out……and too the same political parties , Tory and Labour, who say they are both committed to a green energy future for their UK…….oh and the BBC tweeted in 2014 that “experts say oil will run out in 5 years”…..as in run out in 2019 !
Invites to MP’s means from ALL ‘interested’ parties ….as in both Tory and Labour and others…..I wonder how many MP’s will attend from the New New Labour ‘GB Green Energy company’ party …..
YES they new about this huge new oil field and it almost proves beyond doubt that we have huge reserves linking around to our West Coast. They did not allow us to research those at the time because of their nuclear submarines that could not be restricted “English Ministry of Defence”. The Rose-Bank field has been known for some time it was only with the latest technology that they could reach it! It should be left capped for Scotlands future like our very own millions of tons of clean coal are! I always read what you write (nmrn)…thanks
🙂
Have a nice (rest of your day) and evening
The Rosebank field, to the west of Shetland is in the North Sea; who knew?
They must be looking at one of those maps that puts Shetland, in a wee box, at top right.
Lerwick is now Stornoway after all!
BBC QT Brexit special last night came from Clacton-On-Sea…which after listening to many of the audience turned out to be more Clapped out and all at sea….via many of the audience’s contributions on Brexit.
Alistair Campbell, on the panel, did that James O’Brien trick of patronising Brexiteers by saying he did not blame the people who voted for Brexit but blamed those who lied to them…
THEN…..he had to listen to audience members talk about this:
Blood boils when people like him, Campbell, say that we did not know what we voted for, “I wanted out to be sovereign” she said ( I had that on my Brexit Bingo card).
Brexit has been a missed opportunity.
Make Britain great again….
Immigrants coming over here and person said they witnessed them coming off the boat and straight to the benefit office.
We can be market leaders.
Brexit not happened yet……” “We haven’t started Brexit yet – when’s it going to start?”
Yeh don’t blame the people who voted for Brexit Alistair….but not because they were lied to…..blame them because they are clueless and many of them were and still are xenophobic and were Turkey’s voting for Xmas and…they still are it seems…… after listening to them last night !
Let’s get out of this UK fellow Scots….this was a working class TORY voting audience from England who STILL would vote Tory even though NO Tory member of the government would be on last night’s panel and where many STILL believe Brexit was a good thing for their Britain (England)……no Tory Govt. member on panel…..instead they had to put up with Tory MP John Redwood ….but then he is the epitome of a true English Nationalist….so perhaps fitting for last night’s topic and audience !
A really horrendous show, the contributions from the audience were mind-blowing – it was almost entirely ‘little Englanders’ spouting venom about ‘them foreigners’.
I particularly liked the little old lady who reckoned she voted out of the EU because roofers in France and Germany don’t use health and safety equipment!!!
My God, she was serious. Get me out of this imbecilic union, please!
When you are swamped by a media and political nudge mechanics promoting this perspective, you can hardly be surprised when they succumb to it.
The Brexit propaganda campaign was heavily focussed on England as the media had greater reach and has the majority population.
Scotland’s media have attempted much the same thing for the last decade but have have had nowhere near the degree of control that the Tories etc have in England.
– eg BBC Scotland punting the WM preferred DRS version that failure was down to SG not consulting with HMG or industry has had limited success, the political mechanics have had some success with the “It’s them Greens” gambit, but the vast majority recognise this farce was entirely of the WM Tories making.
England is the perfect example of why Scotland should be independent
If the BBC claim this is a normal audience selected from the population of England then it’s clear and evident that England is opposed to the very idea of unions altogether, the question then becomes why is England so dependent on being in one with Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland?
The answer then jumps up and hits you right in the face, England is not in nor ever was in a union, they believe they own Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland as properties, thus reinforcing the comments from the ordinary people of England that they don’t want to be in a union, they demand sovereignty over all they survey
And that’s the problem once again right there, Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland are the countries over which they survey, but it’s only England that refuses to accept other people’s sovereignty over themselves
I think it’s a lovely idea that England should be independently sovereign over itself
but like half of Scotland they’re too afraid to stand on their own two feet to do it
It says a great deal about the population of England that they keep electing bald faced liars who consistently lie to them about everything and they know it, yet they refused point blank to accept the words and proof of the FM of Scotland who has time and again been proven correct on Brexit and did not lie to them
Scotland warned and voted against Brexit and yet the population of England think less of us than the English politicians they know lied and are still lying to them
England is very clearly anti everyone that is not English even when they’re proved truthful
That is the very definition of a mental disorder, or just plain old fashioned racism while even lying to themselves that it’s not
There are patients in institutions less disturbed than the population of England, if as the BBC are to be believed, Question time is random selection of ordinary people
“it’s clear and evident that England is opposed to the very idea of unions altogether, the question then becomes why is England so dependent on being in one with Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland” ?
Indeed Dr Jim….and….
Someone on Twitter concurs with your excellent point as they tweeted :
“These folk argue with passion that the UK isn’t fully independent because it was part of a Union. In that case, they ought to argue for England’s independence, cos it’s currently in a Union”…( in relation to Ben Habib who was on last night’s QT panel)
Touché Dr Jim…….and the guy on Twitter for the above tweet…
However….I have noticed that….
They also (ab)use the argument that Scotland via the SNP ‘supposedly’ wants independence yet wants to join a Union aka the EU…..as if the UK NON Union is comparable to the European Union…..
Hope you have a nice day
🙂
Forgot link http://www.thepoke.co.uk/2023/06/23/question-time-audience-member-voted-leave-to-end-safety-rules-for-roofers/
She’s literally an Alan Partridge character:
https://partridge.fandom.com/wiki/Elsie_Morgan
Except there “they don’t play by our rules” was played as a joke!
This is how far the BBC have fallen, they’ve become what they themselves were mocking 20 years ago.
As per my comment on the article itself, I’m looking forward to the episode from Dundee where the audience are all Yes voters.
https://archive.is/nVHHI
Question Time Brexit special sees woman defend Brexit over roof laws
…The Brexit special of [BBC] Question Time included only Leave voters in the audience and was filmed in Clacton-On-Sea, Essex, the most strongly pro-Brexit part of Britain.
My immediate thought when this Brexit QT special was announced as only with Leave voters, bad news was coming out over Brexit support, so a hasty diversion was arranged.
Lo and behold, https://archive.ph/wAOYP as not mentioned anywhere on the BBC…
I stopped watching QT years ago, i did not want to purchase a new tv as i would throw the remote at the screen if i watched if for more than 30 seconds.
I think time around brexit vote is where it went seriously downhill and stopped pretending there was no pro uk gov/tory rightwing bias in it.
Off topic, but as someone who works with pressure (containing) vessels up to 2 kb (5 x the pressure at titanic depth), I can say there is absolutely no way I would have got in this sub. The ends are basically just glued on, so relying on this / just the pressure of the water pushing the end caps against the carbon fibre tube to hold it all together.
No deformation allowed. Not even fractions of a mm, as that could open the joins and it would be all over in the snap of a finger. Problem is, when you have two materials of very different properties, you are asking for them to deform differently. This is already a problem when the materials are the same, never mind when they are very different in terms of physical properties (thermal expansion / contraction, shear strength…). In pressure testing, it’s invariably this that causes the leak; the end cap(s) and body, being separate pieces, deform independently, opening the join. I suspect that’s what happened here.
https://www.geekwire.com/2017/oceangate-hits-big-milestone-effort-build-submersible-trips-titanic/
It’s why it’s standard to use a single cast sphere of titanium, steel or whatever, with any joins bolted with multiple bolts, so making the whole thing as close to one continuous piece as it can be.
At least this would mean they’d have died without suffering. They’d not even have drowned, but been killed instantly by the intense water pressure.
I was horrified to read that the centre section was essentially plastic.
Have witnessed the effects of differential expansion and temperature soaking.
Concerned about the reporting on the 5 passengers verses the hundreds lost in the Med.
OT
The gove fails to investigate £100billion of unaudited accounts of local english councils.
No blue tents then.
Yes, as I commented the other day, all those ships rushing from across the world were doing so because there were billionaires in the sub. Meanwhile, the UK government would happily push desperate refugee families in rickety boats back out to sea in the hope it will claim them, and with only passing right wing media coverage at most.
As for the engineer in me, there are many good reasons carbon fibre composite is not used for subs. These include the fact it can’t be cast as one piece, and of course because it is much weaker under compression than it is extension. It’s actually a great material for keeping pressure in (extension), but ~50% less so for keeping it out (compression, as per a sub). Also, unlike metal, it will not deform slowly under excess stress, but fail suddenly, shattering into pieces. People buying carbon fibre bikes are finding this out as it has become common on high end frames! Frame does not deform, but just suddenly snaps/shatters with no warning, due to either a design flaw, or e.g. a hidden propagating internal fracture from a previous impact. This sub apparently had acoustic sensors listening to the hull. I imagine that was for listening out for the sound of snapping fibres…
But I digress from the topic of independence!
Thanks for both very interesting comments.
Interesting – thx for the explanation. It is a tragedy, even if they were billionaires. Let’s hope nobody attempts this daft escapade again.
An expert on mini subs on DW NEWS said exactly that, he thought it had visited the Titanic twice before, probably had a snapping fibre which went undetected, and it would have had to be X-rayed to find the flaw. I am an engineer (RAF) trained and civilian trained at Brunel University Bristol. (CAA) European Licensed B2 Avionics Aircraft (Helicopter) Engineer. Safety first in everything with no exceptions. My B2 signature tells the Captain he can sign to enable the flight. This ensures that you have a 99.99% chance of arriving safely to your destination. I don’t say this lightly but the weakest link is still the Pilots! Usually because they don’t believe what their instruments are telling them when they get into trouble! S & S your one of my favourite reads and now an engineer…thanks!
SSkier- the press refer to the victims as explorers. They weren’t. They were rich tourists just as we have rich “tourist astronauts” For the otter I would go in a minute if could afford it. That is just me but I would let more folk test the rockets etc first.
Sad for the families and friends of the victims.
The boat people are more explorers as they seek a new life but are condemned by the right wing labour and tories.
Too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, and in the whole of recorded history planet earth has never really matched the needs of the human species no matter how much we’re supposed to have *evolved* to suit it
We poison the air, we can’t breathe the water, if we climb too high we can’t breathe at all, we can’t fly, we can’t burrow, we’re not as strong as the animals that live here that have adapted and *evolved* to do all these things
It seems the only thing we evolved was the ability to trick our own brains into believing we’re smarter than we are because can build machines to mitigate for our uselessness
Do you think perhaps we’re not designed to be here and this was all a big experiment by somebody else smarter than us that hasn’t really worked out very well?
Everything suits earth’s environment except humans
So I just happened to see a Facebook entry that someone on twitter had retweeted from somebody from South Uist who has sent out a message to others there on the BBC’s visit to the islands next week….re Ferries….she wants them to get in touch with questions ?…..well not really questions more to provide their complaints to an ever willing to listen and also to broadcast BBC, especially if they, BBC, anticipate tis potentially connected to and lead to any #SNPBAD….as her Facebook request, where she lists topics effected by bad Ferry service , will mostly be, but not only, blaming the Scottish government…..etc etc
I checked out her Twitter a/c …..and Lo and behold here are some of her IMPARTIAL tweets on what she calls the Ferry “Crisis” :
“I never planned on fronting a political campaign, but here is an honest and in-depth conversation I had with @sz_campbell about how we got to where we are, and what the ferry crisis means to me personally”….
“fronting a POLITICAL campaign”…Hmm
Also tweeted by her….
“JD said it perfectly: “Thanks to Scottish Labour for putting forward the motion in the parliament, it’s just disappointing that party politics is more important than an island’s survival!”
“Ready for our meeting with @Robbie_Calmac tomorrow.
Whilst the Scottish Gov have got us in the mess, (Snr Mngmt) Calmac have their part to play in the chaos”.
“I always love the assumption that because I’m holding SNP accountable for neglecting island transport, I’m somehow an anti-independence/ Scotland hating/ English born “incomer”.
Someone then reminded her via another user that “She voted NO 2014 F*****(I blocked out name). So this is what they get. They also get about £100+ million state subsidy for their island ferries rides too. I do hope when she does get her dreamy scotch island idyll ruled entirely from London again, they scrap the lot. She can swim to the mainland”
She has retweeted a lot of Labour’s Torcuil Crichton’s tweets …as in the Scottish (INO) Labour prospective candidate for Na h-Eileanan an Iar,…hence why she , when interviewed by the Herald tweeted that “I never planned on fronting a political campaign, but here is an honest and in-depth conversation I had with @sz_campbell about how we got to where we are, and what the ferry crisis means to me personally”…..hands up (and vote) for Labour eh !
I mean , campaign and protest certainly about any bad service you think you are receiving if you are a resident on a Scottish island….but when you cross the line and then take a ‘political’ position’ that favours ONE particular political party while demonising another then your argument seems to be perceived as more partisan than justified….IMO
We, I am sure , can ALL expect to see her contributing a piece on camera next week as she will be more than willing as a resident /islander to be most scathing on the Scottish government though she has tweeted once that “it’s just disappointing that party politics is more important than an island’s survival!”….
Also look out for Torcuil on camera too next week…as with an anticipated General election next year every little bit helps and the BBC are MORE than willing to oblige in helping the Labour party in Scotland at the moment are they not !…whilst demonising the SNP …..Ferries being their GO TO attack, as in seemingly on repeat, to target the SNP….
BTW what did Labour do when in power at Holyrood for the islands and ferries…. ?
I wonder if any mention will be made of the SG’s Road Equivalent Tariff policy which made a huge contribution to the economic wellbeing of the Islands both in terms of increased tourist trade and making it cheaper for islanders to come and go to the mainland?
They built the Skye bridge and made islanders pay for it and the American companies huge profits. Likewise pay for hospital car parking and we are paying £billions to pay off schools and the rest because of their PFI. Councils and wee are still paying for labours debt. Edinburgh trams? Building of Holyrood? If they got back in to power there will be one hospital protected.. the Vale of Leven !! Ain’t that right Dame Baillie.
That’s the hidden labour for you.
Travel to and from Scottish islands must’ve been fabulous before the SNP, that’s why per head of the Scottish population Scottish islanders were the most emigrated
And why were they the most emigrated? they had no services, they had no futures, they had no income, they had sod all in their lives to look forward to except for one day to leave for elsewhere, the SNP couldn’t have done that because they weren’t the government back then, so who did?
Why are there more people moving to the Scottish islands than ever before in history? that’s not in any way shape or form anything to do with Labour or Tory because if they had their way the islands would be empty
I seem to remember the last time Labour were in power in Holyrood they built 6 houses on Orkney in a deal with the Liberal Democrats voting for them…6,,, six
Yeah, Labour are great and I’m sure they’ll promise all sorts of ferries and lovely things, just like they promised in 2014
If you are wondering why Westminster won’t settle NHS pay disputes here’s a clue:
EveryDoctor site here – https://www.everydoctor.org.uk
scroll down for article in the Canary which gives details of MPs earnings and donations taken from the HoC register of interests.
Thanks for adding this Capella….
Oh…. as James O’Brien loves to tweet via any #ToryBad actions/words….so Keir, Yvette, Wes and Dan…..on the list….Oh indeed….
Meanwhile Labour here tell us that with Labour HQ as the next UK government we, here in Scotland and elsewhere, will get “Change”….yet all of the information , policy and rhetoric coming out (being exposed) from and about Labour HQ it seems that we are most definitely NOT getting “Change” but instead we are going to get the same old same old that we got from Tory HQ as the UK government….what a lark…..Oh….
Labour party….
Slogans over TRUTH….ya cannae beat a guid slogan ye ken….but you CAN see it for what it is ***** (rhymes with SPITE)…..
Hope your day has been nice Capella
🙂
Shocked to see Yvette Cooper and Keir Starmer so prominently high on the list with incomes that would be huge even if they weren’t already earning an MPs salary.
Westminster is clearly riddled with graft. I hope Holyrood is better than that.
Cooler here today NMRN but off to do some weeding before the rain comes on. 🙂
And wes streeting who would be health secretary if labour wins.
No conflict of interest at all.
Tory or Red Tory, it makes no difference, NHS England will see more privatision of services via outsourcing to companies like virgin.
Streeting will wreck what remains of NHS England.
For once I think I believe that BLiS are sincere in offering change; I’m sure they’ll come up with a few quid in small coins.
Isn’t it marvelous to be living in Scotland, a part of the UK union, where the BBC now openly discuss which strategies the elected government of Scotland might employ to achieve what the voters of Scotland actually asked for at the last election, and how the UK government will respond in their denial of recognition to any of them
Would it not be very much easier for the BBC to just state the fact that the UK government does not recognise any type of democracy when it comes to what Scotland votes for, or indeed against, when at every election Scotland votes against UK rule by electing the SNP as the largest political party and government of Scotland
Of course the BBC won’t do that will they, because the BBC are an organ of the British state and cannot support Scotland as an individual country against that British state
The BBC are telling Scotland very clearly that no matter what the SNP Green government or SNP or Greens as individual parties decide upon, Scotland is not and never will be treated as though the UK is a democracy, ergo England is a confirmed dictatorship, so just to use Tory Alister Jack’s words “suck it up”
There will be no referendum ever *granted*, there will be no de facto general election result, there will be no public demonstrations (marches) that will make a difference to Scotland’s position under the dictatorship of England
England’s government says NO to all and any democratic options for Scotland to express its desired opinion, there will be no negotiation, no consultation, no nothing that in any way allows the people of Scotland to exit England’s *union*
All of this total denial by England’s government is of course designed to remove hope and engender division within Scotland, and the more division they can create the easier their job becomes
In their 6.30pm news piece on Scottish independence the BBCs David Wallace Lockhart made it clear that only the SNP would be recognised as the party of independence when he stated that “other independence parties would likely not be considered by the UK government” My guess is he meant to say considered as relevant because either they have no MPs MSPs or otherwise, both in Scotland or in Westminster
With that statement I think Lockhart is saying that *votes for other parties will not count*
Now even if you’re a supporter of the English dictatorship or union as they like to misname it, you have to be concerned that the BBC is openly stating Scotland’s people’s votes do not count whenever it comes to issues the English government do not like, because next time it could be something you want and vote for and England tells you NO, purely and simply because you’re a Scottish voter of a smaller party
Now here’s where that attitude becomes laughable, the Tories Labour and Liberal Democrats are all smaller parties than the SNP
The UK English government have cut off all avenues to rationality and democracy for Scotland, they’re not even prepared to discuss any kind of future where they relinquish their control of Scotland and every blade of grass in it
England is forcing the one last option open to the people of Scotland, and the people prepared to use that option are ready and willing to do so
It’s the ultimate bad option and leads to misery but there are now many on the brink of taking that route
My advice for what it’s worth to Humza Yousaf and the SNP is to go to the people of Europe the UN and America to discuss the possibilities of this happening unless pressure can be brought to bear upon the English government by those institutions to facilitate open democracy in Scotland or the price to pay for not doing so will be higher than anyone wants to pay, and in particular England’s people as it’s they that would suffer from it
IMHO there are now two prime institutional enemies of – two key threats to – the rights of the people of Scotland to have the choice of opting for national self-determination. These are the BBC and the current leadership of the Labour Party.
The reasoning here is that many voters in Scotland that potentially are still persuadable to support independence retain what might be termed a ‘socialisation memory’ (a social equivalent of ‘muscle memory’) – they have acquired and hold to values, habits, and attitudes of a British society that leads them still to believe that: (i) what the BBC tells them about political matters relevant to Scotland is objective and balanced; and (b) the Labour Party is a left of centre/progressive party which is the most credible source of solutions relevant to Scotland’s future economic, social and environmental well-being.
If resource is limited for the specific task of countering and undermining the credentials of key opponents of our independence cause, there is an argument for using what is available to focus relentlessly on the BBC and on the Labour Party’s leadership!
Aye, had read Wallet-Lockjaw’s spiel on the website this morning https://archive.ph/iGWZb, as blatant an attempted dampener for tomorrow’s “Convention on Independence” as possible, a “Naw ye cannae..” special.
It’s blindingly obvious HMG are terrified that the wheels are coming off the propaganda bus on both Brexit and IR2
– The RTE report on the latest Brexit poll must have made excruciating reading for WM, but would not have been unexpected hence the QT special… – Not a word on that poll from the BBC anywhere…
– Polling on Indy (HMG’s private ones none are allowed to see) must be giving them the jitters despite the amount of propaganda they’ve thrown, and they’ll know there is majority support in England for Scots to have IR2.
I’d posted the RTE article upthread earlier https://archive.ph/wAOYP
Anas Sarwar was a guest at Rupert Murdoch’s summer party…Anas is a part time pundit for Rupert’s Talk TV channel (as in another politician with a little side earner and an unfair political advantage in being given an opportunity to campaign (indiscreetly… or not) for his party while criticising another (you know who) via a public platform….and being paid for it too) …..how lovely.
Keir Starmer was also there….as was Rachel Reeves…..Wes Streeting too…..and Sadiq Khan …with a host of Tory MP’s on the guest list too like Gove , Rees Mogg, Braverman, Mordaunt, Cleverly, Truss (LOL) and others….and obvs the PM and his wife…
The Tory fan… Rupert Murdoch…his party…..Oh yes Labour are for CHANGE say Anas and his Labour branch office colleagues….as in CHANGING into the Tory party and so much so Anas loves to associate with the likes of Tory fan Murdoch via socialising with him and working for him too … ..as in Murdoch the owner of the Tory loving Scum (and other rags)….he and Gove are good friends….I think Anas though may just be considered , by Murdoch, as another potential useful (or useless) idiot…..
Anas likes to compare the SNP to the Tory party as in no difference between the two he says…while Anas himself goes further and socialises with members from Tory HQ at a party held by someone who promotes and supports them, Tories, in the newspapers he owns…..and Sarwar also happy to be employed part time by that same Tory supporting media mogul …..plus Talk TV has its fair share of Tory loving presenters who are Brexiteers….so Anas should fit right in….
Not shocked at all by the above….it just seems so very very apt for the likes of Anas Sarwar….
Keir also getting IN on the action too (plus other LIEbour colleagues)….
How spiffing for them all….Cheers Dahlings…..
I have absolutely no idea what Starmer stands for.
Environment? On the protesters he said “What I say to you is get up and go home”…an echo straight from Cameron’s days as PM. Promised funding for environmental improvement has melted like snow on a dyke in Spring.
EU? Despite it being clear that all of the UK is sick of Brexit (apart from BBC’s QT), he is “going to make it work”.
Tuition fees? He spoke eloquently on the need to scrap them…now dropped
Nationalisation of Utilities…dropped
Raising tax for the highest earners…dropped
Strikes for decent pay rises in the worst cost off living crisis in a generation? He suspends Labour MPs that attend pickets or show support. He seems positively allergic to anything remotely traditional Labour territory and the word Momentum brings him out in hives
Now of course he may be hiding his true intent, and many an Express reader is convinced he will show his true red colours the moment he is office, but what if he is genuinely right of centre.
One has a horrible feeling that the only thing separating Labour from the Tories is that they will be less mean to illegal immigrants. Pretty much everything else will be firefighting the same problems with the same hose.
I’m not entirely happy with the SNP, they need to refocus and up their game, but as far as I’m concerned there is not a credible alternative. Not for championing Scottish independence or for running the country in way most of us would like it to be run.
@ Handsandshrimp @ 12.15am
Some very good points on Starmer ……yes he IS most certainly a fake…..no ifs ands or buts…..
🙂
Starmer just stands for winning, and he’ll say and do anything he thinks England wants to hear to achieve that
Scotland needs the rest of the world and only the SNP has the sustained recognised credibility within those circles
Murdoch corruption. Illegal hacking, surveillance and bribing public officials. The Leveson recommendation not enforced. Being sued all over the world. The latest Fox News settlement. Murdoch associations should have been put in jail for bribing public officials anywhere in the world. US business Law. The payout are getting higher. Losing £Billions.
Thatcher gave the Press over to the right wing. Interfered illegally. Then denied it. Gave Murdoch ownership of the Times and NTW. Murdoch supported illegal wars and corruption. Tucker Carlton now on Twitter. Still streaming against the US Gov corruption. Biden family corruption laundering public money through Ukraine to line their pockets. Keeping the War going. Along with Johnstone. The proven liar.
Labour illegal wars caused the migrant crisis in Europe. Every other countries having to deal with it. The UK/US refusing to take refugees or asylum seekers. Their responsibility for causing all the illegal wars and migration.
Brexit another catastrophe. Losing £Billions and wasting £Billions.
The Telegraph holding company losing monies facing administration. The tax evading owners. Non Doms. Barclay. The MSM owned by tax evading non Doms. Supporting Westminster Gov so they and their associates can tax evade. Thatcher and Murdoch became multi/millionaires tax evading.
The Royals pay 10% tax on £20Million. No corporation, capital gains or inheritance tax. Head of the Masonics. Racist, bigoted, misogynistic and secretive. They blackball people. Unequal and unfair. The UK the most unequal place in the world. Cuts for the poorer. Tax breaks for the wealthier.
Westminster Gov is supposed to ensure a free and fair Press. They manipulate it. Without a free and fair Press there is no democracy. Scotland outvoted 10 to 1. Less Democracy than provinces in the world. The Treaty of Union ensured Scotland was treated equally. That does not happen. Scotland resources and revenues wasted and mismanaged by Westminster.
Independence supporters should go out and vote. A higher turnout. To vote out the opposition. March to the Polling station.
Ken.
I know you go of at a tangent at times
Biden is keeping the war going in the Ukraine? Tory MP’s and Lords sookin up to his pals. Now they are all pro Ukraine to give them kudos.
Surely President Putin could just respect the integrity of another country and remove Russian troops from Ukraine.
Putin could have been stopped in the first month by the west, Ukraine must be taught the lesson of being grateful to the west and owe the west money for the favour of rebuilding what they could’ve stopped in the first place
World real politic and the rest of us pay for it, Ukranians with their lives and homes,
and us with a loaf of bread and a gallon of petrol
The rest of Britain’s broken economy is down to Westminster decisions
Stephen ‘flying teeth’ Kerr Tory MSP Tweeted :
“Unsurprisingly, Nats are using the anniversary of the vote to Leave the EU to argue for Scottish Independence.
Remember: even one of the SNP’s own advisers Unsurprisingly, Nats are using the anniversary of the vote to Leave the EU to argue for Scottish Independence.
Remember: even one of the SNP’s own advisers said in terms of impact Indy is “Brexit times 10”.
There’s a reason you’re hearing no details about the economics of indy.
Okay…first mistake in his tweet was when he stated “said in terms of impact Indy is “Brexit times 10″……
Eh ?…surely that is the WORSE comparison Kerr should be highlighting as we are meant to think that BREXIT , instigated by HIS party , was GREAT and STILL is…so to make this comparison as a NEGATIVE point ….surely then that is him conceding BREXIT is BAD….LOL
Also second mistake in his tweet was when he stated “There’s a reason you’re hearing no details about the economics of indy”…well someone tell Kerr…there is a reason we are “hearing no details about the economics of”… BREXIT…by HIS party…because the negative economic impact is so bad….also LOL
So desperate is Stephen ‘flying teeth’ Kerr to diss independence he is also dissing Brexit in his tweet…..I mean…..come on there is thick and then there is recklessly thick…..
Finally surely the (eternal) third mistake is that Stephen ‘flying teeth’ Kerr is considered to be of the calibre of someone that the Tories are confident in to take a prominent position in their party…first as an MP then when ousted by voters they , the Tories, then gift him a job as an MSP….he just keeps exposing himself as really not that astute or savvy enough to say or Tweet anything that cannot be easily refuted, challenged …and too ridiculed by anyone …that can count up to ten…..
Mind you he is an asset to the SNP and the independence cause so….so here’s hoping the Tories keep recruiting peeps like him….for the comic value if nothing else…..what a wally ….LOL
Even less surprising that a Tory tries to pretend that Brexit isn’t a massive clusterfeck that has all but destroyed the Tory Party.
Quite like”flying teeth” 🙂
“Even less surprising that a Tory tries to pretend that Brexit isn’t a massive clusterfeck that has all but destroyed the Tory Party”
Indeed…
Hope you have a lovely day
🙂
Kerr is now candidate to be Mp for North Tsyside a constituency that does not even exist yet as boundary changes have not been passed yet. The arrogance of that moron knows no bounds. The good people of Stirling constituency kicked him out in 2017 he really isn’t good at taking a hint
You know I was thinking that the thing about slogans when they are included in speeches by politicians, as in speeches that cover a multitude of promises and pledges , is that the real SUBSTANCE (if any) within the speech gets LOST….. ….and then the audience, after hearing the speech, are either taken in by that catchy slogan but fail to realise just how empty it is as a message and/or how weak the overall speech was , OR dependent on who is making the speech …..it is perhaps then , as a slogan, ridiculed and contradicted….then when that party gains power those people who were taken in by that slogan feel betrayed and let down because they relied MORE upon that catchy slogan when they heard it and then voted….instead of them being more diligent and observant when listening to the (lack of) substance in the speech(es)……as in the weak message with NO real substance being promoted by that politician but it , as a weak message, was obscured by a stupid slogan…..
I often think tis better to ditch slogans if trying to convey a message via a speech to convince or convert people to believing and absorbing what you have said in your speech..
Perhaps the SNP, could do a succession of speeches (minus slogans) on individual resources and produce that originate from Scotland, covering their respective potential /guaranteed profit(s) for an independent Scotland, the resulting benefit to the economy of our country, true worth/value as an export unique to Scotland and too , currently HOW the UK government are benefitting and will always benefit from all of the above via this particular Scottish produce/resource now… and if we stay in the UK will also do so in the future.
Perhaps that might just connect with, as in be absorbed by MORE Scots, who are at present still unconvinced on independence………then hopefully more people would be able to appreciate and understand the real value that each particular INDIVIDUAL Scottish asset/produce/resource has now and more importantly would also have in the future FOR an independent Scotland.
Examples that could be covered ONE at a time via a succession of speeches ….under perhaps a header of ‘Scotland’s TRUE worth’ :
Whisky…Gin….Renewable energy potential and capacity…financial sector….food produces….water capacity…..Land….to name but a few. (plus if back in the EU how attractive an independent Scotland would be to investors / companies outwith Scotland to come here if Scotland was a EU member and how that would be advantageous for the Scottish economy going forward)
Let those Scots , who are still in doubt, see just how much is generated from Scotland that is currently benefiting the UK treasury, currently under the Tories, as in how much money it generates for THEM as the UK government….when they, Tories, as the current UK Govt. are those who currently hold onto and benefit from holding the purse strings of the UK’s ‘public purse’ which, as a public purse, is filled by much of the revenue generated via specific Scottish resources or produce….while simultanously they, the UK government, expect Scots to believe that these SAME specific resources or produce would be of NO value or benefit to a public purse held by a Scottish government , and also to it’s people , in an independent Scotland….BTW a public purse that would stretch much FURTHER here via us having less of a population than that of the WHOLE UK (but currently in the UK it manages to benefit mostly others outwith Scotland as opposed to, if independent, ONLY us in Scotland)……
I remember once on here telling a story about when I was in Belgium and I met a Scottish Lady, who was a Unionist, she challenged me to name anything Scotland produces as according to her Scotland didn’t make or produce anything….when I mentioned Whisky…she said “no one drinks whisky anymore”…after a stunned silence and an embarrassed look from her hubby at such a ridiculous statement one could easily file under ‘Scottish cringe’…I put her right on this….gently…. minus laughing…I also advised her that in fact 70% of the gin produced in the UK is made here in Scotland…and added this info was sourced via BBC 1 Breakfast show (so that she could not dispute this as being nationalist rubbish)….but she then said ” is the Juniper berries sourced from England”….or rather the Scottish cringe once again came back….a brick wall mentality she had….no getting through…for reasons…I know not what.
Some Scots alas will NEVER want to be convinced, which makes them unique, in that in most developed countries most citizens support their OWN country, would never campaign to undermine or shame their own country and seemingly seem ashamed to even call it a country at all….. and would never ever consider relinquishing control of their country to another country especially one that , via that other country’s politicians and media , regularly choose to both ignore and belittle your country via their behaviour and rhetoric…and do that while stealing from it too….for THEIR own benefit…and your country’s detriment.
What our country has would not only enable us to merely survive as an independent country but to thrive….comparable to what many other current independent countries do NOT have but who manage, as independent countries, to survive/thrive quite well……. currently we here in Scotland still have those who, in regards to independence ,are either still in doubt and yet to be convinced and too the uber deniers……but also we see those others who present their arguments as ones to be perceived as being those who are ‘concerned yet not (really) concerned for us’ should we choose independence…..but they , who use this ‘concerned’ tactic, do so while living outwith Scotland ( as in do it ONLY to KEEP our wealth in THEIR country…aka England) and combined they all proclaim/believe/promote that economically we, Scotland, cannot manage to go it alone…..either via wilfully ignoring our wealth and value or perhaps ignorant of what we actually DO have that is exceptional and in abundance…..as a country.
I hope my above comment is not too confusing (I have form)…. I am trying (badly) to say that ONE thing could be covered at a time per each speech….as in a succession of speeches covering everything individually like say Whisky via the profit to the economy, export value etc etc…then subsequently other things too, being covered via an individual speech basis to include also all the facts/figures re their TRUE worth/value NOW and also to a future independent Scotland….not by being condescending to those Scots still to be convinced but to convey clearly our true/real wealth and value as a country….in such a way that is indisputable and clearly expressed ( instead of perhaps muddying the waters with TOO much information on TOO many facts/figure on too many DIFFERENT things in the ONE speech ….like this comment perhaps is…LOL)
Just my opinion…..(yes I know much may be excluded in this action from the MSM if this IS done by the SNP….but we do have The National and other sources to broadcast these facts via any speeches the SNP potentially give on this.)…anything new is worth trying to convert/convince more to independence …..because currently many who are unconvinced still think that we NEED the UK as they are still at the stage of thinking that we are too poor, too small etc etc
Have a nice day everyone…I am really really really sorry for the length of this comment….if indeed you have read it…or attempted to and gave up as life too short….I am asking for incoming by saying this…via some….LOL)
I am away off to Coll and Tiree next week so you will get a break from me…yes there is a God…..oh I’ll have to go on a Ferry(s)…..sacre bleu…..Hoots mon etc etc…or rather I will just have a NORMAL and enjoyable experience…..via this mode of transport to these islands….
Have a lovely day everyone
🙂
Your comments are bang on . Never stop
I agree, something normal everyday people in Scotland can hear or read. Simply put and easily understood
Next year GE if you want Independence you must vote SNP. So the 30% labour you need to think hard. Scotland or Tory Starmer
Highly amused to read the evolving variants of the BBC Scotland version of events at the Dundee SNP special conference throughout the afternoon –
They started off with the main page title “SNP will use UK election to negotiate independence”, with the article headed “SNP will use general election to demand independence”, but have now settled on the same title for both as ” Route to Scottish independence must be lawful – SNP leader Humza Yousaf”…
Not even the blatant attempt to drag the Bannockburn march in as contrast stayed the same, starting off with a library pic of a AUOB march until they could get a real one….
The “Analysis” by Andrew Kerr is and was the most excruciating of all, including one constant, the “Deep-throat” device of which of which Pacific Quay is so fond… “In the coolness of a briefing room, SNP insiders made clear it’s not that – it’s a nuanced approach”
– Nuanced ? Nuanced as in a totally unattributed comment for which BBC Scotland and it’s churnalists have become almost world renowned ?
How on earth he missed Kate Forbes chairing a discussion on stage with Lesley Riddoch, Paul Kavanagh and Gordon McIntyre-Kemp is a mystery, wherever he was it was out of earshot of every point being made met by massive applause from the audience.
Yet the biggest roar of all went to GMK when he said a constitutional convention should immediately be convened following the de facto GE result…
Nobody could have missed it, it startled quite a few, except wee Andra of course…
Nuanced…
Sky news report created the impression the upset woman was protesting against independence instead of reporting the story of her real complaint even after it was made clear what that complaint was
What was her complaint? I’ve googled and just get all the anti independence versions ☹
AFAIK it was about some rogue surgeon in Tayside who should be sacked or charged or something. Sorry, I haven’t really kept up with this story.
It was related to her treatment by a consultant surgeon in NHS Tayside and his botched treatment of her and other patients over a number of years. I believe he has been struck off but his former patients want an inquiry to find out how it went on for so long unchecked. That is the gist of it
Thx Legerwood – might have known you would be on top of the detail! 🙂
I understand he was a surgeon named Professor Eljamel that the health board allowed to continue practicing for some time after he was found guilty of dubious methods that did damage to some patients
I believe he is now practicing abroad
Whether this was genuine or not I couldn’t say, but it does seem an odd subject with which to berate a politician given that the offender was fired and is no longer practicing in this country, unless of course the complainant is demanding enquiries from the government or compensation from the health board in question
Thanks everyone
Further info:
[…]
Professor Eljamel, now understood to be practising in Libya, removed himself from the medical register in 2014.
[…]
https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/lm-medilaw-calls-for-public-inquiry-as-it-investigates-harm-caused-by-neurosurgeon
And yet more:
https://web.archive.org/web/20120327173148/http://www.neurosurgery-mse.com/msamelj_006.htm
(All the links are clickable – including one to a 20 page CV in .pdf format)
See also:
https://www.webmedcentral.com/plus/editorial_member_details/4277
Someone knew this from at least 2018:
Courier, April 2018
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/dundee/630853/former-surgeon-eljamel-prepares-for-new-life-abroad/
BBC, September 2018
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-45295575
Professor John Robertson, TuS, 16th June:
He doesn’t really shed much light on the story; but he does ask some pertinent questions.
We also had uber BT million pound donor add her (usual anti SNP) tuppence worth via Twitter….what she said, on Humza’s action, was pretty disgusting….and as sure as ****…if Humza had not done what he did….uber BT million pound donor would have said the opposite as in she would have said that he, Humza, was too cowardly to go up and speak to the woman…..
Now SHE, is a definite RED TORY…more TORY than RED…..she was another one who hounded Corbyn as he was too much on the side of people like say….single mother’s with children surviving on benefits….Oh….but wasn’t SHE herself supposedly once a single mother surviving on benefits……Oh
She thinks she is untouchable because of her money….
She tweeted :
“And @HumzaYousafputs his hands on the female protestor, because of course he does. Would he stroke the arm of a male heckler? Would he physically take hold of him? Or would he respect a fellow man’s personal space and physical boundaries when trying to reassert his authority”?
She also tweeted :
“Personally, I’d have said ‘why the f*ck are you touching me?’ Very loudly”.
I put an asterisk in the swear word…she did not…obvs MONEY cannot BUY you CLASS …….but for some like her it can make you so arrogant that you start to think that you can say and do whatever you like…..if others do not like it….then just mention the threat of your LAWYERS….to get them to back off……then it’s job done….(she has also been accused of encouraging a pile on, via her 14 million followers , against those who tweet a response to her in way opposition on something she has tweeted)……..
That’s what SOME rich people do though….as in whatever they WANT…..for SOME, that behaviour comes with the MONEY !!!
Some of the comments were unfortunately all to predictable.
The language of the BBC
The marchers in Stirling were described as “Nationalists”
Those people cordoned off by police and waving union flags were described as “counter protestors”
Must be folk that don’t like eh, Shops? Bars? erm, Kitchen worktops?
I wonder how long the meeting was to discuss using another word to describe British Nationalists or just simply *unionists*
If the unionists were having a march would Scottish nationalists nearby be described as “counter counter protestors*??
Reading the reports of the Dundee thing, and going out on a limb I’d say it’s enough for the time being, and as far as just the leader of the SNP can go – it is up to the members in October. By then it should be firmed up a bit, maybe with a bit more steel not to mention fire and brimstone. I did say – don’t mention it.
Anyone who says the referendum route is dead just doesn’t get it. The ultimate escape route from humiliation for Westminster is the old Section 30 and if offered before the GE, it really should be grasped with both hands – it means political agreement even if not legal bindingness.
People still talk about legally binding something or others – they don’t get it either – there is no such thing. Even the 2012 S30 and Edinburgh Agreement weren’t legally binding, though in normal times they would bind politically.
Ho hum. Looks like the SNP haven’t lost my vote yet.
Curse you Red Baron.
And when I say “humiliation for Westminster” I do mean grovelling abject blood-curling knee-wobbling humiliation, with the whole wide world laugh laugh laugh at Sunak and his crew of the Sucking Pig.
I see Alistair ‘MP for irrelevant party’ Carmichael is up to his old tricks again and still communicating via LYING….he tweeted :
“Taken at face value (and it may just have been a huge gaffe), this is astonishing. Humza Yousaf would try to declare independence off the back of (say) 35% of the Scottish vote in a general election”?
Not true that though is it….someone else tweeted in response via their Twitter account :
“Carmichael is lying. Humza Yousaf wouldn’t try to declare independence. What he said is that if the SNP win the GE in Scotland they’ll “seek negotiation with the UK Govt to see how we give democratic effect” to that expression for independence. Key word. Negotiation”
That’s what Lib Dems do….communicate through the medium of LIES……it’s the only way they can get elected….and if truth was exposed, or rather realised, upon their preferred (dirty) tactics that they use to get elected then they would and really should be NO MORE…., or rather if those who voted for them finally WOKE up and really smelt the coffee (stink) and too the current unfit for purpose media did their actual job then politics would finally at least be rid of ONE party who play ever so dirty and too who as a political party are UNFIT for purpose….
Carmichael never learns….just like his SMALL band of colleagues in HOC and Holyrood …just….#AskAlex
I can happily say that poll monitoring shows there is almost definitely an SNP recovery happening, which began around the 10th of May.
With Green / Alba transfers under FPTP, I’d be surprised if they didn’t get 45% in a snap GE held tomorrow, and that’s before any defacto referendum approach. With Yes rock solid (and probably over 50% now baseline) throughout the SNP dip, this is hardly a surprise.
To save the UK, the British nationalists need Yes to decline, and on a permanent basis. Temporary woes for one independence party mid-term are just not going to cut it. Obviously.
Wheels are continuing to come off the union bus. If the finance investigation is wound up without a serious fraud conviction for Sturgeon, we’ll likely see Yes move into permanent majority immediately (rather than over a longer period due to demographics) and that will signal the beginning of the (final) end.
Interesting article by Douglas Fraser with detail on Scotland’s industrial base. Humza Yousaf has opened the new National Manufacturing Institute Scotland in Renfrewshire. However, it’s clear from what Douglas says about the wider geopolitical forces that Scotland has little chance without independence.
https://archive.fo/Vttgl
Noticed it mentions taiwan and chip production vulnerabiluty if china invades.
It then omits that companies in taiwans forges are setting up shadow facilities in the USA and EU for the very reason of poseibility of China invading.
If Scotland was independent we had a site perfect for this. ( dont know what happened to the motorola chip fab building that was never used at dunfermline)
There’s no reason why Scotland can’t develop our own chip production facilities. The tech park in Dundee would be a possible site. We have plenty of skilled young people who might prefer to stay in Scotland than have to go abroad to further their careers.
For anoraks – there are some interesting debates in Holyrood next week.
Tuesday 27 June 2023
Illegal Migration Bill – UK legislation (Scottish Government debate)
Reconsideration of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill (Ministerial statement)
Building a new Scotland – The constitution of an independent country (Scottish Government debate…
Thursday 29 June 2023
Highly protected marine areas (Ministerial statement)
Leading Scotland’s journey to becoming a start-up nation (Ministerial statement)
https://tinyurl.com/y8emxhzf
“BBC Scotland’s Martin Geissler admits the English government is a dictatorship”
He didn’t of course, but that’s what the headlines should read as Geissler interviewing SNP leader and FM of Scotland Humza Yousaf kept repeating on this mornings BBC propaganda output when he said “But no matter what you do the UK government will just say NO”
The BBC in their eagerness to belittle the authority of Scotland’s parliament are by their own words admitting that England is a dictatorship by repeating the same phrase over and over “The UK government will just say NO”
Does the BBC know this for a fact? they repeat it over and over as though it is
Or is the BBC attempting to brainwash Scotland’s voters into believing that dictatorship is an acceptable norm and condition of being a member of what they basically now admit is England’s union?
Have the BBC redefined the meaning of the word union to mean something else?
We know that the English government redefines the meanings of words all the time to suit the occasion, is this now the BBC position in Scotland to ignore all dictionary definitions of words?
There is no definition of the word union that infers a participant cannot withdraw from a union just as easily as they joined one
England held a referendum and did it against the will of both Scotland and Northern Ireland, they called it Brexit, and in that referendum no country of the union or Great Britain was regarded as a country by the will of the English parliament, yet that same government insists all four nations of the UK are equal
If there was a war tomorrow England would insist that Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland would be required to die equally, yet in every other decision our populations are not allowed to live equally
That means that England has given themselves the right to take our lives AND take our freedom as they choose
And that is the definition of slavery
My English mother used to say “We know Scotland’s very clever and has invented lots of things but the English are born to rule” she was a Tory till the day she died
BTW I loved my mother as all children do but she was a complete and total *moron* in the correct definition of that word
Scotland is being dictated over by morons, and morons never change their minds, they don’t know how, so they don’t
The UK didn’t have to get the EU’s permission to hold the BREXIT referendum. That would be absurd.
Sky news Trevor Philips interviewed Humza Yousaf this morning and I refer to my earlier comment about Scotland being dictated over by morons this being the level of intellect on display by one of their *top*? news journalists
Philips was in effect reduced to childlike sniveling by Scotland’s new FM as Humza Yousaf countered and destroyed every single piece of English propaganda aimed at him
Humza’s getting stronger by the minute, who knew? I didn’t
Saw that interview. I liked the way Humza kept making his points even when Trevor Philips tried to talk over him.
I suspect that was not the way Sky wanted that interview to go 🙂
Yes Humza was excellent, just has to keep it up.
Just heard, via twitter , an interview with Angus Robertson from Laura Maxwell of BBC GMS on a de-Facto indyref in next GE…
She asked him…..
“Let’s talk about democratic moves then to try an move this forward. Is using the next GE in 2024 as a de-facto referendum..em….democratic ?
Ah so like in 2019 when Boris used THAT election to “Get Brexit done”….was THAT democratic ?…certainly was NOT for Scots….but then we are only second class citizens compared to the BBC’s preferred country in the UK….
And indeed ANY other political party, other than the SNP, are ALLOWED to promote whatever THEY see or feel as being THE priority for the public, when in elections, they then assume/expect the public to vote for THEIR respective party on that basis….
Other parties can prioritise MORE some specific issues as a priority (that they see as important) in their respective political campaigns and yet not be labelled as perhaps being undemocratic by the BBC…..irrespective of any of the public not supporting these same issues or priorities….sounds fair IF not Scottish via the BBC and other political parties…..
But then that is ‘A’ okay for the BBC as they think the public are right to VOTE for OTHER political parties and their manifestos with their respective so called ‘pledges’ and ‘priorities’ as opposed to voting FOR the SNP like EVER……..how undemocratic of the BBC….
I mean there is some political party who are saying that they will “Make Brexit Work” as part of their campaign spiel for the next GE….
Who, other than the uber Brexiteers, is that connecting with and democratically representing…certainly not us Scots who voted against it….and based on the current UK public sentiment (via some recent polls) on Brexit it sure as Hell is not what the majority of the UK public think is a priority policy indeed some do not WANT it at all (anymore or never wanted it in the first place)…never mind made to “work” via New New Labour…..many want to reverse it especially now that many are seeing the mess and damage it has done…..though the BBC prefer NOT to talk about Brexit…as it might damage other political parties in elections and too increase support for the SNP in Scotland….cannae have that can we…..that would be undemocratic for the BBC as the client broadcasters for British Nationalist parties…as in the Tories in England and Labour in Scotland (in Scotland for NOW that is)…..
She then went on to try and make it appear as if the SNP were trying to decide FOR people what they, as the public , should vote for and see as a priority (also with her noting other issues at play…which was an indirect dig at the SNP not focusing on the ‘Day Job’)…..as in the SNP supposedly(but NOT actually ) trying to dictate/decide what should be a priority and significant for the public in the next GE….her forgetting obviously that much of the “other issues for the public” were and are as a DIRECT result and thanks to us STILL being a part of their UK….. that has been and still is over ruled, mismanaged by the ruthless and incompetent corrupt Tories (with a New New Toryish Labour party hoping to steal some of THAT Tory thunder for themselves if they win the next GE)…..then she asked him if they, the SNP had taken any legal advice on this…..talk about a dog with a bone….or a yapping wee dug at your ankles…. not giving up was she….gie it up Hen you are just making a fool of yourself on behalf of your British Nationalist Employer…..and most Scots ken whit ye are up tae….and WHY…..
Getting the day job done is reserved to the Scottish parliament and the MSP’s elected either as opposition or government. MP’s don’t really have much say in that.
Isn’t it odd that newspapers can run polls asking a population what they want
Polling companies can ask folk whatever they like by polling that population
The government of England does it by using polling, then they use their results to emphasise their position that Scotland can’t be *allowed* to ask the same question they just did
There are still people in our country who pretend to look for some sort of fairness or equality reasons for England’s behaviour towards Scotland and Scotland’s people, but there really aren’t any, and around 64 other countries in the world 100% agree with Scotland because they all left England’s version of equality governance and they don’t want to return to it, some even insist that to see another Englishman or woman set foot in their countries ever again would be too soon
Many peoples of those countries died in their thousands just to be free of England
yet there still folk arguing on their behalf ? are they mad?
‘are they mad?’
Nothing more than craven cringers sooking up to the big bully.
The suggested approach for using the next GE as a de facto referendum is interesting. It simply uses FPTP as the system is intended.
This is clearly doable but as far as I can see is sticking in the thrapples of those for whom only the cold dead head of the SNP is the only acceptable outcome. Some are no doubt concern trolls desperate to seed dismay and dissent others genuinely only seem to have hate in their hearts for anything that might have Sturgeon cooties.
Not sure where things will go from here. If the almost pathological desire to split and attack holds sway then I fear there never will be Scottish independence. However, nothing was ever achieved by giving up.
It’s simple, if you want independence vote for SNP 🏴 Vote for unionist parties then you are a British Nationalist and put Scotland last.
Yousaf on the Geissler show, according the national:
“Yousaf said the Scottish Government would consider a victory for the SNP in next year’s general election a mandate for beginning preparations to end the Union. ”
It’s interesting, it would need tied down firmer in the manifesto by a legally minded word craftsperson but meanwhile he also said on some Sky show that “that he would prefer to see the UK Government grant a second independence referendum”
Ultimately what would be needed is a dated ultimatum expiring at midnight before the day of the UK General Election- second referendum granted before the general election or if we win, we go independent – effectively UDI. The ultimatum should state clearly that this is neccessary as Westminster has repeatedly blocked all the internal routes for self-determination., and hence denied us our rightful routes to self-determination.
But at the moment he is correctly giving Westminster wiggle room, and a humiliation escape pod – or else.
Odds of the SNP getting the most seats if it’s made clear a vote for the SNP on the day of the GE is a vote for effectively UDI – 10,000 to 1 on.
“second referendum granted before the general election”
I don’t mean a pocket full of mumbles such are promises, I mean an actual passed and published S30 or change to the Scotland Act with full assent by all parties.
Unfortunately the fact that they’re even talking about doing this via the obvious non-starter route of having a majority of seats but minority of votes makes it hard to believe they’re actually serious about it.
Well, on the 14 December 1918, Sinn Féin got 73 out of 105 seats with 46.9% of the vote.
That was ultimately good enough for them.
Who is “them”? It wasn’t good enough for the Brits, who went to war with them over it. (Which admittedly they would have done even if SF had won a popular majority, but the point is that it doesn’t constitute a precedent)
The UK government is quite welcome to change the GE format to be Proportional Representation…we’re just using the system exactly as it’s intended. The Tories saw no problem in using a “Get Brexit Done” mandate from Boris’s GE as justification for a hard no-deal Brexit.
Other nations have had even less of a mandate and pulled it off. Slovakia is a good example, for them it was simply a vote within their elected parliament. Both sides simply accepted it was inevitable and decided to be amicable about it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovak_National_Council%27s_Declaration_of_Independence_of_the_Slovak_Nation
The question is whether England can be grown-up about it, or whether it’s going to be a reluctant struggle with them every step of the way. While I’m sure most of the English population would prefer a friendly breakup with an enduring relationship between both nations, their leaders don’t stand to benefit from that.
Indeed.
we’re just using the system exactly as it’s intended.
No we aren’t. The system doesn’t allow a country of the UK to become independent on the basis of a majority of seats within that country alone. The whole point of a de facto referendum is that all routes to a victory with the system have been closed off, so we’re going for a moral and political victory instead; and if a majority of Scots vote against independence, the result doesn’t have any moral and political weight.
Margaret Thatcher said that if Scots want to be independent all we have to do is vote for a majority of SNP MPs. That is what the system is according to a former PM. I’m not aware of any law that changes that reality.
I’m not sure the word of a former PM would affect the legal reality today, though if she’d said that it would certainly be *political* ammunition. But did she say it? I’ve only ever seen that quote in unattributed memes and it seems to be disputed. Do you have a source?
No I don’t have a source but I might go and look! However, in a parliamentary democracy parties put forward their manifestos and people vote for them. A majority of seats in FPTP determines the result. The international community accepts that, at least officially.
The Monster Raving Loony Party stands at every general election on a manifesto of one premise
The satirisation of British politics
If they won in England they would be the UK government, no ifs no buts, it’s the law, if you’re allowed to stand then what you stand for is accepted as legal and lawful in the UK
The SNP will stand on the proposition that a vote for them is a vote to begin negotiation on Independence for Scotland, no ifs no buts, it’s the law as the UK government has accepted by precedent
The panic from the dependent supporters of English dictatorship is that the SNP will win, it would take a very brave judge and a very brave court indeed to ignore long standing precedent and rule something different
What have the SNP done in the past 9 years, having ‘won’ in every election?
The message now is, vote for the SNP yet again and we will now BEGIN negotiations on Independence for Scotland!!
People like you are the problem Jim. Want to buy some fresh juicy carrots?
There’s a whole load of people saying the SNP had a majority of seats before and did nothing with it, they didn’t push for Independence. But THAT was NOT in the manifestos.
2015 was implementing Smith which mostly happened
2017 was keeping Scotland in the EU which wasn’t possible as it was the UK was the member state
2019 can’t remember, not Indy
2024 – Independence. A majority of seats and we’re Independent.
Here’s another one:
“SNP already have majority of 🏴 seats at Westminster & are Scot Gov in Holyrood so what are they waiting for to deliver Indy”
… to put it directly and unambiguously in the SNP manifesto, that a vote for the SNP is a vote for the SNP to begin negotiations for Independence immediately, and failing Westminster coming to the table, to declare Independence to the whole world.
None of their manifestos so far have said that therefore a majority cannot be used for that purpose until it is won on a specific manifesto.
It’s not rocket science.
T(I) – 630 days and counting.
Twitter is awash with REAL independence supporters bitterly criticising the SNP, Humza Yousaf, his kale and potatoes. They’re far worse than the Tories or Labour. I think they are the REAL opposition in fact.
Reading the Twitterati social media in Scotland gets sillier every day
If the SNP said it was legal to get a big gun and blow a hole in the middle of England to achieve independence the Twitterati would argue with themselves about the size make and calibre of the big gun and come to the conclusion they couldn’t vote for it if it wasn’t their particular gun of choice
In May this year Keir Starmer said in a interview that winning seats in Scotland would give a UK Labour Govt “legitimacy”…….what he REALLY means is that in his eyes, if Labour DO win more seats in Scotland in the next GE and they, Labour , do win the next GE in the UK, then it would give him and his party an ASSUMED “legitimacy” to continue STEALING our resources and assets….for HIS country, as in England’s , benefit and survival.
And just like the Tories Brexit, Labour’s Brexit will rely very much on the quality produce that is sourced from Scotland in their trade deals , produce which is much sought after by other countries in the World….thus Labour, just like the Tories, will continue to hijack our produce (drink and food) and then rebrand those products as BRITISH produce to try and help them ‘Make Brexit Work’…..
They will also, like the Tories, still rely upon (steal) a Scottish resource, Oil, to benefit their country, England, to aid it’s survival outwith the EU…..via revenues generated from it for the UK Treasury……plus their new GB Energy company will rely on it’s success via Labour’s assumed “legitimacy” on stealing the potential and capacity of yet another of Scotland’s resources….renewable energy……seems to me that they need us MORE than we need THEM….always have….
BTW rule according to Labour is that if THEY win MORE seats in Scotland that, according to them, then gives them “legitimacy” to govern over us….however the SNP winning more seats than them and the Tories in Scotland means , also according to them, to not count (for anything significant)…..Oh…that sounds democratic and fair….NOT
Away to Coll & Tiree tomorrow for a few days….NO POLITICS or SOCIAL MEDIA for me…bliss….also for you on here as no comments from ME…LOL
Have a great holiday NMRN a break from social media will be restful! 🙂
Boris Johnson said (paraphrasing) “vote for me to get Brexit done”
What’s the difference in Humza Yousaf saying vote SNP to get Independence done
We awaken today with the English media in Scotland in full swing opposition to every word Humza Yousaf says, they deny there’s support for SNP, they deny the SNP given the restrictions have done a good job, they demand the SNP make Scotland a Nirvana before we’re independent to prove they can do it after independence, by which time if such a thing were possible that same media would argue what’s the point of independence because Scotland’s just great now but it would be even better with a Labour government, or Tory, eh or Liberal Democrat, just not that Scottish party
The English media in Scotland is now in the business of inflating every Labour party word and number to the point of ridiculousness, and as usual the BBC in particular has vanished up its own Arse in some of its statements regarding the *mahoosive* gains of the great and powerful Sarwar and Starmer double act
Sarwar and Starmer are like the English equivalent of the Chuckle Brothers, they went down well in England, but in Scotland not even not so much but not at all and no one in this country knows or cares who the hell they are
“To me, to you” Sarwar and Starmer cannot win in Scotland and they and the English media know it, but that will not prevent them from filling every airwave in the known universe to insist that they can, and when they do they’ll transmogrify Scotland and heap blessings upon us, oh yes they will, so let it be written so let it be done o Pharaoh
from the south
And in doing so they will win a general election in England and be masters of the universe, well no they won’t, all Sarwar and Starmer will do is insist that Scotland by voting Labour has clearly expressed the wish that they remain ensconced within the mighty English Britain of unions that Sarwar and Starmer will also insist we can never leave, change, alter, make more equal or any other damn thing, because England rules and they and only they decide which political party gets to do any of that
The barrage of lies and exaggerations we have been subjected to over the past months has been an invention of England for one reason only, STOP SCOTLAND!
And it’s stop Scotland from doing anything
Many will be hoping the enquiry and arrest of former FM Nicola Sturgeon will be resolved by the time of the next general election, don’t hold your breath on that one, mainly because the powers that be against Scottish independence fired their guns and shot their bolts too early, but they will try to string this out for as long as possible before they dismiss all charges against Nicola Sturgeon, it’s just that they had hoped to keep it going until after any election in order to maintain the illusion of guilt and terrible transgressions
Be in no doubt Scotland that every day that passes from now till then will be filled with Labour up SNP down, they will have every *expert* known to man appearing on our TV screens, hearing them on our radios, reading them in our newspapers, and every one repeating the same mantra NO NO NO for some invented incomprehensible reason only they can inform you about that Scotland is different from every other country in the world and cannot under any circumstances be allowed to decide anything for ourselves, pretty insulting isn’t it, but this is how they’ll do it, by insulting the shit out of us, but trying to do it nicely with a great degree of caring condescension while spitting out their hatred of the SNP
The English media in Scotland do have slightly more difficulty attacking our new FM Humza Yousaf because unfortunately for them he’s not white, he’s not a Wee Free, and he’s not an incompetent self obsessed woman, Humza Yousaf’s a Muslim, and do they dare attack him on that? absolutely not, that’s loser for them, so what do they do? what can they find to personally discredit this FM? and this will be their focus, while deeply stressing at all times it’s got nothing to do with his religion, they’d love to but they can’t
We are going to get very angry over the next year to eighteen months, because they control the vertical, they control the horizontal and every single aspect of mainstream broadcasting, they will hammer us day and night with union Labour garbage until exhaustion overcomes us and we give up
But we won’t will we, this is Scotland’s chance to batter England by battering the Labour party, to tell them there we don’t want them, we want our own
Scotland wants to *take back control* of our borders, our laws, our culture, our languages, our finances, our democracy, and most of all our future
So let that be written, so let that be done
Indeed well put
Headline from the National:
“Will a new Scottish pound mean higher prices in shops?”
We have to stop playing the defensive. Better is this:
“Will a new Scottish pound mean LOWER prices in shops?”
Vote for Independence. Lose the numpties like unelected Murdo Fraser. Bigoted Masonics. Racist and misogynist. Secret, unequal and unfair. Blackball Murdo Fraser for a better society.
The Royals at the head. The UK the most unequal place in the world.