My successor as Rector of the University of Dundee, Brian Cox, has left Labour and joined the SNP. Almost no mainstream media coverage – if it was the other way round, we would have Murphy and Cox wall to wall for weeks. I am delighted about Brian’s move as it is more evidence of genuinely radical voices coming in to the party. I was similarly happy yesterday to find that Tommy Sheppard, for whom I voted, has been selected to fight Edinburgh East, where I live. I think the SNP with its new membership is going to be a great deal more radical than it was before.
Long term readers may recall that in 2010 I stood down as Rector of Dundee University after only one term, as I did not feel I had been able to give it as much time as I would wish to do a really excellent job. Now I have moved back to Edinburgh, those problems no longer apply, and I shall be standing for election to take the post again next year, as Brian Cox completes his second (and final) term.
I cannot help but recall that on the polling day of my election as Rector in 2007, the Daily Record came out in Dundee with a full front page photo of my opponent, Andy Nicol (unionist rugby player), and a single front page headline “I was born to lead Dundee students”. The lengths to which the Establishment will go to try to ensure that whistleblowers stay down and stomped upon sometimes surprise even me.
There is a pro-Independence rally outside parliament from 11 am on Saturday. I shall be speaking. I am not sure how widely it has been publicised, but I do hope that it will show that the extraordinary spirit that has been awakened in Scotland is still alive and kicking.
“I think I may have more chance spotting a Coelacanth, in my local parks pond,…”
__________________
Is that an incredibly subtle reference to the once briefly envisaged deportation of the European Jews to Madagascar?
I recently finished a DVD course from The Teaching Company on the History of Life, in which the coelacanth figured prominently as a famous living fossil.
Habba, I’m sure your head will swivel round and round and we’ll get some projectile vomiting.
There’s snow in Cheltenham at the moment, so hurry on home, and don’t forget your pay packet.
Aren’t tax payers wonderful.
RobG
Someone tread on your toes?
@Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)
Only the dorks who now make up the UK security services.
Anything else to say, pal?
Hi Craig,
It was reported today in today’s P&J that Brian Cox was leaving Labour for SNP.
To be honest, that came as a surprise because he was so good during the Referendum campaign that I thought he was SNP…
Murphy is in a pickle I think. Ha. Loving it.
What I’m not loving is MSM influence. Well, I’ve proved it in just a few lines.
Speaking is radical? Just as I should spend less on this clique/blog, my feeling is you should back an opposition, and stay in the back. As Brian would do if he was.
So it’s not a case of moving to a more conscionable position that, above all, maintains an acceptable amount of privilege. ?
He’ll have no trouble getting in the SNP with his US style federal ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im7a0lxQtGc
Watching what this man thinks, he totally accepts his narrative (that he probably does not even see, maybe because he’s part of that generation/culture) that implies independence is something that has to be developed, earned, as aside from something that been suppressed and needs to be released, it would have been just as ‘worthy’ before you or I or Brian where born. It should never have been non-independent.
But no, he buys into the narrative. He accepted it because it’s worked for him. As i’m sure you’d agree it worked for you until you did the right thing. And if you disagree Craig you could explain why.
It always get to me, why i’m a persecuted slave an my servants are free.
And Craig, many of my posts deserve ignorance, but I think i’v contributed a lot. I’m not saying this to prompt a response, but to explain why i’v felt as I have. And i’d totally agree this is my choice, so my business sort out.
ps. Countries, communities, aren’t children.
‘Is The Establishment Riddled With Paedophiles? Russell Brand The Trews (E244)’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAY46NW7EDo
How MPs Choose Nuclear Armageddon Over Nurses: Russell Brand The Trews (E245)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vD5buSnKIo
Habba@ 8:30 pm. “Of course, there is an even more excellent Brian Cox.”
Not forgetting excellent Alan Cox son of Brian. Just for you. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1422503916&v=J94yX0aLfdY&x-yt-cl=85027636#t=43
How can you get independence from people who haven’t got an independent mind. Or the ability to think freely. I don’t, or much less than younger people have naturally.
Unfortunately it’s a reality of what society and culture do to us. Thinking you have some understanding is a symptom, ultimately, expressing this lack of freedom. Without which not much growth takes place.
Challenges, good challenges, hard but enjoyable. It’s natural for the young which is why they use it for the army. As is truly wanting to protect life, a willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. Totally perverted by the state. I know a young girl in the cadets, it breaks my heart, it really does.
The only reason they go along is because there own sons or daughters aren’t likely to fall under any kind or coercive conscription based on financial needs, promoted by societys material and reputation value bases.
Unless of course they can just push buttons at home, then i’m quite sure lots of the children of well to do families would be positively encouraged, just look at the Royals.
We are your servants. It must be the most pernicious empty lie that’s ever been perpetrated upon a nation.
Why is killing such a respectable job, orbital respect really. It keeps it beyond rational analyses in the mind of society. Do it with a uniform. We are victims to psychopaths, manipulating peoples heads though scientific work. Terrorising and traumatizing society. Lawfully.
It does not shock me so much now that people ‘don’t agree’ or ‘cant understand’ when privilege depends on not seeing. And actually, I think a lot of what I say is obviously true. I think people just don’t want to know because of what that means.
Agent Cameron is protecting Blair.
Censored: Tony Blair’s links with Rwanda
January 30 2015
The activities of Tony Blair within one of the world’s most feared regimes must remain secret because he is a “former prime minister”.
The government is refusing to release information about Mr Blair’s involvement with Rwanda because diplomats say that details are “commercially sensitive”.
Britain has never previously granted special constitutional status to former premiers, who were expected to return to being ordinary citizens when they left parliament. Mr Blair’s office has categorically
insisted that he has no commercial interests in Rwanda……
paywall.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article4339103.ece
Behind the story:
The Blair Pitch Project
Former prime ministers have a responsibility to practise what they preach on questions of transparency. One in…
Published at January 30 2015
Tony Blair and his friend, the ex-warlord from Rwanda
President Kagame with Tony Blair at a Los Angeles meeting in 2013 Former prime minister praises Rwanda’s leader despite reports of corruption and abuse
Last updated at January 30 2015
Relationship that demands a closer look
There is nothing sweet about President Kagame. Critics and former members of his entourage are ruthlessly pur…
Last updated at January 30 2015
What we always knew. The 1% are richer. The rest are getting poorer.
The Guardian
British workers are taking home less in real terms than in 2001, according to new research.
Young workers hit hardest by wages slump of post-crash Britain
Institute for Fiscal Studies claims almost all groups have seen real wages fall following financial crisis
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jan/30/british-wage-slump-post-financial-crisis-uk
Milburn is getting richer. A man after Blair’s heart.
Company owned by Alan Milburn had £663,000 profit increase in 2013-14
AM Strategy, owned by former Labour health secretary, generated income primarily from private healthcare consulting
Alan Milburn’s company, AM Strategy Ltd, has amassed net assets of £2m since the business was formed in 2006. Photograph: Richard Gardner/REX
29 January 2015
A company owned by former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn recorded a £663,000 increase in profit last year, with the income generated primarily from a string of consultancy roles to the private healthcare sector.
Accounts filed with Companies House show that AM Strategy Ltd generated the income in 2013-14 at a time when Milburn worked as a senior adviser to Bridgepoint Capital, owners of one of the UK’s largest private companies delivering NHS healthcare, as well as working with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lloyds Pharmacy and others.
/..
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/29/alan-milburn-labour-health-secretary-am-strategy-private-healthcare
I think Tony’s time may be coming. The Times picking up on his friendship with Kagame…Murdoch wants his hide nailed to the barn door. Also, Tony’s getting more secretive about his activities, and he’s not getting top billing at major events any more. In passing, his spokesman may actually have been telling the truth when he informed the Telegraph that Mr. Tony is currently chartering flights only when he needs to, rather than wet-leasing G-CEYL as he did up to August-Sept last year. Conceivably, Mr Tony had an awful moment of truth when he realised that bad mans with nasty rockets could shoot down a Global Express as easily as anything the Malays have in the air. G-CEYL has not coincided with Mr. Tony for some months.
It will take a while, and justice may not be complete or adequate, but Mr Tony is a worried man.
@ Jeremynstreet when linking to Rugby, one surely should refer to the best of the best don’t you think? it has nowt to do with Union or leagues, its all Black. OOps, would that be politically correct?
http://www.allblacks.com/Video/Viewer/23183/all-blacks-training-session-in-chicago
@ Bevin. I agree both parties, Greens and SNP will become more radical, but only as much as their desire is to go into a coalition Government.
here is were the two differ, the Green Party will want to stand on its own, not go into coalition, to give its support for policies as they come up in Parliament.
The SNP on the other hand is already lovingly looking at Labour to love and behold, schmooze and ooze as some call it.
I expect the SNP to develop policies dealing with the orderly devolution in England and I expect them to pre condition such a policy with a referendum and choice of fair voting systems.
Without a fair proportional voting system we will have an effective dictatorship with minority support and no way of changing the equation. It will be full steam ahead towards Orwellian harbours.
Murphy must already feel demoralised, Brian Cox’s switch to the SNP will make him realise how slippery the ground is he’s walking on.
So good to see you caring about the poor Greeks Habbacare.
Since you are also talking about ponds,lets just use that in an analogy.
If the Greek State earns with the Ports Authority in Piraeus and DEH , and pays out to an inflated workforce and their pensions making less profit,the water goes back into your pond meaning all of the fishies can swim quite comfortably.
OR, you sell off the State owned industries to private enterprise from the US or Germany. They reduce wages,along with the workforce cutting the amount of tax which goes into the system,whilst also reducing pensions(money in the bank) and the inflated profits are siphoned out of the country emptying that fuckin pond and making it nigh on impossible for the Greek fishies to swim.
Or did I get that wrong?
Good to hear that Blair is getting pursued by Murdochs wrath, its so funny and sooo macho in a way it makes me laugh, the old goat just couldn’t stomach Miranda dipping his wick were he shouldn’t have…..
And mon Cherie does so obviously not care about Tone’s nightly moans. He’ll be spending all his hard earned cash on lawyers now, trying to keep this that and the other out of the papers.
i must admit I am tired of having to skip past so much spam from certain posters. It seems the less they have to say the longer they take to say it. Please ban the spam or I won’t be coming back. I have asked before you may recall but life is not good with certain posters here. This blog needs severe moderation!
Much eulogizing of Churchill on the news channels as they transmit coverage of the journey down the Thames of the boat that carried his coffin 50 years ago.
Another view of the man.
January 28, 2015
Fear-Monger, War Criminal, Racist
Winston Churchill: the Imperial Monster
by MICHAEL DICKINSON
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/01/28/winston-churchill-the-imperial-monster/
I come in expecting to get the news and this week it was non stop HMD/Auschwitz and today Churchill.
Particularly dreadful in Dickinson’s piece is the recounting of the fire bombing of Dresden.
Remember the ricin?
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/europe/16551-the-man-who-haunts-bush-and-blair
Gaia Hepburn : “i must admit I am tired of having to skip past so much spam from certain posters”
I find it helps if I chant “smug …. shallow …. pretentious …. petty ….” and so on while I scroll.
No names, no pack drill.
@Gaia Hepburn: Yeah, and some people do nothing but complain – awful ain’t it?
Thanks Ba’al, a very good article by Yvonne Ridley about Tony Blair’s deceit and possible deal with Gaddafi to have the tortured aand accused ricin story fabricator done away with as a “gift” from the Libyan leader to the west.
Tony Blair’s activities at the WEF in Davos last week are fairly indicative of where his head’s at. In addition to the advertised expert advice on religious tolerance, he seems to have attended something called Business In Education. Privatisation, privatisation, privatisation, then. Cherie was there too. Tony had dinner with George Osborne on one night of the event. Who knew? Not the MSM….
Gaia Hepburn
“i must admit I am tired of having to skip past so much spam from certain posters. It seems the less they have to say the longer they take to say it. Please ban the spam or I won’t be coming back. I have asked before you may recall but life is not good with certain posters here. This blog needs severe moderation!”
__________________
That’s a not very subtle way of whining to Craig “please ban Habbabkuk or I shan’t post anymore”, isn’t it.
Well, Craig can speak for himself of course, but I suspect he wouldn’t give a rat’s arse whether you (or I for that matter) remain on this blog or not – and certainly wouldn’t ban me just to keep you.
It’s interesting that you should have been wheeled out just when I’ve started posting a few longer pieces to vary a little my more customary picking holes in others’ nonsense and correcting their more egregious errors of fact and/or outlook. Since you can’t shout “troll”, you complain about length.
In conclusion : argue against me or just scroll past. Or use “Habbabreak”. 🙂
Node
“I find it helps if I chant “smug …. shallow …. pretentious …. petty ….” and so on while I scroll.
No names, no pack drill.”
_____________
Just seen yours, Node.
I’ll leave aside the question of how you can find me smug, shallow, pretentious and petty if you just scroll past me, but there you go: perhaps you’ve discovered the art of reading and scrolling past at the same time? 🙂
I’ll agree you can’t do much against alleged smugness and pettiness, but you could try refuting anything you find shallow and/or pretentious. Assuming of course you are intelligent enough to do so and have a few facts at your disposal…
Mary
I don’t think any serious historian claims that the whole of Churchill’s career was the best thing since sliced bread and it’s generally acknowledged that he made some pretty serious errors during his time in politics and govt – in part because he was very much a man of his time (attitude to colonialism, as just one example).
But the point is, surely, that he was the right man (probably the only man) during a period of history where Britain faced its greatest existential threat, and it is for this that he was and still is honoured.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More generally, I find your whole attitude towards your country curious. Not only do you rubbish just about everything about contemporary Britain but you also delight in rubbishing everything and everyone of the past.
That shows a complete lack of proportion. And, on a deeper level, you must be a deeply unhappy and bitter person. I wonder why.