Tories Tread a Dangerous Path 793


I have always believed that Theresa May is likely to try to block a new Independence referendum – and it is extremely unlikely her defence secretary, the odious Michal Fallon, would have said this so categorically without prior agreement with May. Fallon, taking a break from supplying weapons to the Saudis for killing Yemeni children, displayed huge arrogance towards Scotland, which the Tories believe is firmly under the heel. They refuse to acknowledge that any difficulty arises from the contradictory referendum results in Scotland, where Scots voted both to remain part of the UK, and to remain part of the EU – the second more recently and by a much wider margin.

The Tory view is that Scotland is but a province of the UK. They are of course right – the UK Supreme Court decision makes quite plain that Scotland’s so-called “parliament” does not derive its power from the Scottish people, but only from what Westminster condescends to hand back. Indeed Westminster could abolish Scotland’s parliament tomorrow. For the Tories, a combination of that Supreme Court decision, their Brexit victory, and the elevation of the Tories to 21% in Scottish elections (Fallon quotes public support for Ruth Davison in his interview), mean that they don’t have to offer Scotland anything.

For God’s sake, let them not be proved right.

Do you remember the scene in Braveheart, where the nobles at Stirling Bridge are planning to negotiate and go home, and Wallace forces them into a fight? Well, I know which Sturgeon reminds me of more at the moment. If she is planning to fight eventually she is masking her intentions brilliantly. The problem that worries me is that the SNP is now the Scottish establishment, and as Scotland is still very much part of the UK, they are part of the British establishment too. A lot of our MPs seem to have their feet under the table very nicely at Westminster. The SNP as an institution has not just its Westminster MPs but their secretaries and research assistants and the group staff, and all the people paid with millions of Westminster “Short money”. That is a major group of party apparatchiks making a fat living out of the current system. Plus of course Holyrood and its power and jobs.

The SNP as an institution is doing very nicely out of the status quo, and that is why there are so many siren voices within the SNP arguing that it is too early for a referendum; “we might lose it”, “leaving the EU is not such a disaster”, “there are a lot of anti-EU Independence supporters anyway”.

There is a lot of self-fulfilling prophesy here. As there has been virtually no actual campaigning for Independence since 2014 and the media still spew anti-Independence propaganda daily, it is hardly surprising Independence support is not rising in the polls. It is a miracle it is holding steady.

The Tories are banking on leaving the EU being normalised. People are getting used to the idea, and the ill consequences of leaving the single market will not really bite until we do so. This is where Sturgeon’s Fabian tactics play in to the Tory agenda. Instead of a break with Westminster over EU membership, the Scottish government is allowing public interest to evaporate in a series of dull Joint Ministerial Committee meetings. There matters are kicked into long grass and mollifying but insincere words spoken about how seriously the devolved administrations are being taken. I can see no point in continuing with this charade unless the SNP itself intends to allow the issue to fizzle out in a drizzle of EFTA’s, EEA’s, CTA’s and other dull acronyms.

The racist majority in England and Wales are trying to force us out of the EU. The UK Supreme Court has ruled the Sewel Convention has no legal force. Now the Tories are arrogantly refusing the right of the Scottish people even to hold a referendum. I cannot imagine the degree of humiliation the SNP feels is necessary to pull the trigger on another Independence attempt. The time is now.

If the Tories do succeed in preventing another referendum from taking place, they are playing with fire. It is worth noting that there is no requirement for Scotland to hold a referendum to become Independent.

Independence is not an internal question. It is the existence of a state recognised by its fellow states, and that recognition is expressed by the General Assembly of the United Nations. A referendum is not a requirement for that UN recognition. Please note the rest of this paragraph very, very carefully. The majority of States in the world have achieved independence during my own lifetime. The vast majority of those did so without a referendum. Not only is a referendum not a requirement, it is extremely unusual. Of the 194 states recognised by the UN, only a tiny handful featured a referendum as part of the process of the formation of the state. This is also true within the EU. Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Croatia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic all recently assumed their current form and none of them had a referendum to do it.

If the Tories refuse a referendum, the Scottish Government should respond by declaring Independence. My preferred method of doing this would be to convene a National Assembly, comprising of all Scotland’s MEP’s, MP’s and MSP’s, and for that National Assembly to make the declaration. This would broadly accord with international norms. Independence should be effective from the declaration, but that Independence could if desired be employed to hold the referendum which the Tories had refused.

I do not posit this as the best way to achieve Independence. My preference would be a new referendum now in the new circumstances of the UK leaving the EU, as fairly presaged in the SNP’s successful manifesto for the last Holyrood elections. I am convinced that once campaigning starts, support for Independence will surge as during the last campaign, only this time starting from a much higher base.

The Tories fought the Holyrood election on a manifesto saying no second Independence referendum. They got 21% of the vote. May and Fallon should be aware as they plan to block a referendum: other options are available.


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793 thoughts on “Tories Tread a Dangerous Path

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  • Loony

    I note we are back to a conflation of racism and the EU. All people that want to leave the EU are racist and all EU supporters are non racist – lovely and totally inane.

    Look at what the EU has done to Southern Europe. For those people there is no possible escape other than the destruction of the EU. How can it possibly be that ignoring or denying the situation in Southern Europe can be held up as a sign of virtue?

    Look at the attacks on Chinese immigrants to France by African immigrants to France. Why is this not news? Why is this of no interest? Why is this not racist?

    “All concern about immigration is racist” says the blog author. In order to persist with such an inane proposition it is necessary to totally ignore all race motivated attacks on one group of immigrants by another. This road leads to madness.

  • Decoud

    You may be right about the historical prevalence of referendumless secession. But perhaps you could give us of an example of a successful secession immediately after a referendum that finds against it?

    • lysias

      Well, the South ended up losing the American Civil War, so the secession ended up unsuccessful after some four years, but the states of the Upper South (Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas) initially rejected secession. At least in Virginia, that decision was made by a state convention to consider secession that had just been elected. The people of Virginia elected a majority of unionists.

      Then came the firing on Fort Sumter and Lincoln’s call for the states to provide troops for the suppression of the rebellion of the states of the Lower South, events which changed the minds of people in the Upper South, so that they too seceded.

      In the two parliamentary elections of 1910, almost all the MPs elected by the Catholic parts of Ireland were members of Redmond’s Nationalist Party, which stood for Home Rule autonomy, not independence. Secessionists went nowhere. Later events changed people’s minds.

  • Sally

    A response to Quebec and Le Pen. Hate breeds hate. You ever going to get off you armchair Anon1? Or just cry like a child onto your keyboard?

    • Chris Rogers

      Unlike you Sally, no doubt you donned a Pink Pussy Hat last week in your hysteria about Trump, and no doubt would run a mile if confronted by violence, be it from the State, or racists groups you accuse anti-racists of belonging too. Some of us stand and fight the buggers, the ‘Faux Liberal Progressives’ do not.

      • Sally

        No doubt Chris you have no idea what you are talking about. No doubt.

        You, a self declared racist, keep up your delusions if it makes you happy. I feel pity for you.

  • mimesis

    Trailers now being shown by the BBC for a new documentary series about the House of Lords imaginatively called House of Lords. Going by the tone of the trailer it looks like it’s going to be well deferential and sentimental about this ridiculous institution.

    Decent foreigners being hounded on the streets of England. Scottish democracy practically non-existant. But the BBC can do nothing better than producing a fawning series about an unelected, outdated and titled bunch of timeserving £300 quid a day no users.

    • Node

      … an unelected, outdated and titled bunch of timeserving £300 quid a day no users.

      …. plus expenses.

      A House of Lords peer has been criticised for claiming up to £5,700 a month for walking to work from her £4.5million home just 200 yards away. Baroness Wilcox, a former Tory minister, has been accused of exploiting a new tax-free payment of up to £300 a day which those who live in London benefit from the most.

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/11769736/Peer-claims-300-a-day-in-expenses-to-walk-200-yards-to-work-at-House-of-Lords.html

      • Sharp Ears

        It was ever thus Node. It’s called a nice little earner. Think how many of them are there now with the capability to do the same. It’s like Glenys Kinnock keeping the Brussels taxi on hold while she went in to clock on. The Kinnock pair with their SIX pensions can double their daily clocking in take at the HoL but probably don’t bother as it’s peanuts to them.

  • Sharp Ears

    Theresa’s popped over to Malta with Sir Tim Barrow to give the EU capos their orders. The lecture from Nanny will not go down well.

    ‘Theresa May is holding talks with EU Nato members as she attempts to build alliances ahead of Brexit.

    The prime minister arrived in the Maltese capital Valletta with a message that Europe must increase its defence spending, following her talks about the future of Nato with Donald Trump.

    The UK is one of the few alliance members to meet pledges to spend a minimum of 2% of GDP on defence.

    Mrs May will also pledge UK help with the EU migrant crisis post Brexit.

    She will argue that she wants a “new, positive and constructive” relationship with the EU after Brexit – and will use one-to-one talks with German chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy to promise the UK will remain a “reliable partner”.’

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38849868

  • michael norton

    Some have suggested that many of the attacks of terror in France over the last few years, may have been false flags.
    Some have imagined the only device that will save the regime of socialist Francois Hollande, will be another attack of terror.

      • michael norton

        I am suggesting that the only way
        the current socialist regime can cling to power, is if a terror plot is in plotting /about to happen /actually happening, then
        Bruno Le Roux could ask the president to cancel the elections for public safety.

        • lysias

          Might have worked with a less unpopular president. But wouldn’t an effort to keep Hollande in power in that way risk revolution?

        • Republicofscotland

          Well Michael, a taste of the post-EU future struck Britain today, with supermarkets rationing certain fruits and vegetables, of which we import 80% of.

          On this occasion, it was down to very cold weather in the likes of Spain, and other EU nations, damaging the crop. However one would be very naive indeed to think that post-Brexit, Britain wouldn’t see a derth of certain foods, (leading to a higher prices for those particular foods ) that we pre-Brexit take for granted.

  • Chris Rogers

    As CM seems unable to moderate or change his language with regards his claim that the majority of those who vote/live in England and Wales are RACISTS, RACISTS for voting not to be members of the EU, I thought it wise to provide empirical evidence that undermines such a ridiculous claim on this Blog.

    My own constituency of Torfaen, which voted overwhelmingly to Leave the EU, and which by a strange coincidence is one of only a handful of places in Wales to actually house Syrian Refugees according to CM and a few others is overwhelmingly RACIST: Lets test that contention via the actual voting records at each General Election since 1997:

    1997 GE Results Torfaen – Turnout 71.7%
    Labour 29,863 69.1%
    Conservative 5,327 12.3%
    Liberal Democrat 5,249 10.9%
    Referendum 1,245 2.9%
    Plaid Cymru 1,042 2.4%
    Green 519 1.2%
    No Racist Parties standing unless we claim Referendum Party is racist!

    2001 GE Results Torfaen – Turnout 57.7%
    Labour 21,883 62.1%
    Conservative 5,603 15.9%
    Liberal Democrat 3,936 11.2%
    Plaid Cymru 2,720 7.7%
    UK Independence 657 1.9%
    Socialist Alliance 443 1.3%

    First time UKIP fielded a candidate, so lets say 1.3% who voted were RACISTS!

    2005 GE Results Torfaen – Turnout 59.3%
    Labour 20,472 56.9%
    Conservative 5,681 15.8%
    Liberal Democrat 5,678 15.8%
    Plaid Cymru 2,242 6.2%
    UKIP 1,145 3.2%
    Independent 761 2.1%

    Second time UKIP fielded a candidate, so lets say 3.2% of those who voted were RACIST

    2010 GE Results Torfaen – Turnout 61.5%
    Labour 16,847 44.8%
    Conservative 7,541 20.0%
    Liberal Democrat 6,264 16.6%
    Plaid Cymru 2,005 5.3%
    BNP 1,657 4.4%
    Independent 1,419 3.8%
    UKIP 862 2.3%
    Independent 607 1.6%
    Green 438 1.2%

    First time BNP fielded a candidate, so will add BNP vote to UKIP vote, hence 7.7% who voted RACIST

    2015 GE Results Torfaen – Turnout 61.5%
    Labour 16,938 44.6%
    Conservative 8,769 23.1%
    UKIP 7,203 19.0%
    Plaid Cymru 2,169 5.7%
    Liberal Democrat 1,271 3.4%
    Green 746 2.0%
    Socialist Labour 697 1.8%
    Communist 144 0.4%

    UKIP vote was 19%, so lets say 19% of those who voted are now RACIST!

    EU Referendum Results of 2016 – Turnout 69.8%
    Remain 40.2% (19, 263)
    Leave 59.8% (28,781)

    Am I and others seriously to believe that between May 2015 when 7,203 persons voted for UKIP, or some 19% of the actual turnout, and June 2016 that 21,578 suddenly became RACISTS, which as most are aware is complete and utter bollocks, even at a push we accept at least 7.7% of the actual turnout were RACIST based on 2010 GE result. Again, these are facts, this is empirical evidence from actual Polling date – Mr Murray you owe us and apology for the blatant Clitonesque-type language you exhibit.

    • MJ

      It must be galling for a supporter of Scottish independence to see how the British people as a whole voted to reclaim their sovereignty, in the face of a remorseless, fear-based campaign against it from the IMF downwards, when the Scots themselves crumbled feebly under the weight of similar pressures in their own referendum.

      • Chris Rogers

        MJ

        If I utilise the analytical skills CM and his cohorts have brought to this actual discussion, skills expressed by that other notoriety Hilary Clinton when she and her supporters indicated all who did not vote for her are deplorables, and no doubt RACISTS too, we can extrapolate that 77% of the entire US electorate are RACISTS given only 53% could be bothered to vote and the remaining 47% who decided to stay at home must have turned fanatical fascists – still, the mind boggles. And this coming from a person who actually supported Scottish Independence. I’ll stick with the real Left thank you very much!!

        • MJ

          Craig is clearly hurting. The Brexit vote delivered a massive and probably fatal blow to the prospects of Scottish independence. He has not come to terms with the magnitude of what has happened over the past few months and is lashing out at everyone. We have stolen his sweeties. It’s an emotional thing and stats won’t make any impression at this stage.

      • Republicofscotland

        MJ.

        The only galling thing, is the broken promise of Westminster, who claimed the only way Scotland could remain in the EU, is if they voted to remain in the UK.

        Fast forward to 2016, and a orchestrated campaign within the Tory party, and UKIP, led to a vote, that has or is about to, drag Scotland out of the EU, even though the vast majority of Scots, voted to remain in the EU.

    • Sally

      Chris, sorry to laugh at you again, but your analytical conclusion that the racists in your constituency only vote UKIP leaves quite a gaping hole in your rather pathetic argument.

      Are you really attempting to claim that the racists in your community don’t vote Con, Lab or Plaid. Are you claiming the Conservatives/May don’t campaign with racist and xenophobic undertones. The ”immigrants go home” vans Mrs May commissioned to tour England. Zac Goldsmiths Mayoral campaign. The 2015 GE where Miliband was in the pocket of a Scot. The demonization of every Muslim whether Sunni, Shia or what ever branch, Romanian, Pole or Hungarian.

      You would have to be a moron to claim such a thing. A clarification is needed.

      • Chris Rogers

        Sally,

        Unlike you I have provided empirical evidence based on the results of the last four General Elections and the EU Referendum result, and again, unlike you, I’ve spent plenty of time looking at race hate criminal figures – that’s actual prosecutions, that up until 2015 suggest both race hate crimes, among these stats anti-semitism, were actually on the decline – I utilised CPS figures, Department of Justice figures, Met figures and other Constabulary figures. Yelp as much as you like, but the statistics prove conclusively that neither England or Wales are racist societies. Still, given facts and empirical data mean fuck all to you, I’ll leave it there. Or, will say this, if my mixed heritage daughter veer turned out like you, I’ll regret not having sought an abortion, as have zero tolerance for liberal types like yourself – all full of bollocks. This from an actual Socialists who puts his own deep moral convictions into reality and happily faces down racists wherever they may be found.

        • Sally

          So you reply with absolute nonsense without addressing my question. Give yourself a bronze star.

          Its really simple Chris – Are you attempting to claim that the racists in your village only vote UKIP like with your previous post containing the ”empirical evidence”? As I said you would have to be a moron to do so and you haven’t clarified that yet.

          And as every one with an IQ in double digits knows – the vast majority of crime, whether hate crimes, drug use or theft, go unreported and unaccounted for, so bare that in mind when conducting your vigilant monitoring of these ”statistics”. Brexiters like yourself and Nige had the gall to argue the point that the Polish man kicked to death while being shouted at get out of britain days after the vote WAS NOT A HATE CRIME. Fucking pathetic bunch.

          Pity your mother didn’t have the foresight to save us having to read your garbage, You come across as a mug of the highest order.

  • nevermind

    just seeded this years leeks in support of all those in Wales who voted to run away without paying their bill, swiping the champagne on their way out.
    They’ll be the whitest leeks ever….

  • philw

    CM – “Independence is not an internal question. It is the existence of a state recognised by its fellow states, and that recognition is expressed by the General Assembly of the United Nations.”

    And that recognition is dependent on whether the USA favours it.

    If Scotland really wants ‘independence’ you know who it has to get on its knees to.

  • Athanasius

    I’m married to a Scot and have followed events in Scotland closely for years. Until now, I’ve kept this opinion to myself, but I worry about the future of Scotland if Sturgeon doesn’t nail her colours to the mast soon. In a generation or so, when the Tories, resurgent and unassailable in England, have turned the UK into the Hong Kong of Europe, when every social protection build up over decades has been destroyed in a mad race to the bottom in the name of “competitiveness”, when the young have nothing left to lose and see no fight in their leaders, and only an unending stream of “reasonable compromises”, then I honestly believe there is a real danger of the gun entering the equation.

    I’m not trolling. I’ve seen constitutional leaders lose the people when they fail to shift and its not pretty. I can see an Irish situation developing here if your not careful.

    • Sally

      ”I can see an Irish situation developing here”. Haha. I like it.

      Well if the sectarian Orange Order/Unionists/Royalists keep running around city centers assaulting people for voting Yes things could escalate quickly.

      On a side, it was quite hilarious recently seeing the MSM running prince charlie preaching to the world about ”tolerance toward other faiths around the world” when he himself is about to inherit a sectarian throne. Maybe he could start by removing the ban on Catholic folk taking a dumb on it too while the all the plebs faun over it.

    • MJ

      If you think the majority of the population are dumb, what about the Remainers?

      “What’s happened to all that money for the NHS you promised us?”

      I share your laughter. What a bunch of morons. These people would be dangerous if given adult responsibilities.

      • Sally

        ??????????? I am struggling to follow you attempt at logic her MJ.

        You are trying to ridicule remainers for now attempting to hold Gove et al to account for their lie on the NHS and the £350million that was promised. How does that make remainers dumb?

        Did you vote leave by any chance. Was that you on Question Time?

        • Geoffrey

          A journalist and a pretty junior MP said that ,did they …..and people believed them ,they must have been really stupid !

        • MJ

          Oh dear. Another one. Life must be a struggle indeed.

          The money in question is what the UK pays to the EU in membership subs. Ok so far? That money will be freed up when the UK actually leaves the EU. Still with me? Until then we’re still paying it to the EU every month so it’s not available to direct elsewhere! Phew, got there in the end. It’s tricky stuff. Let me know if you need me to run it by you again.

          • Sally

            Very good MJ. So when this money is ”freed up” (even though it is handed back to you straight away by the EU) it will be an additional £350million a week funding the NHS? Better crack on then, it doesn’t look like the NHS will last the year. Maybe some of it can be used to hold onto some of ”those immigrants” working to keep it afloat. Hopefully they all leave, it crumbles and you have to tend to your self inflicted wounds yourself.

            I bet you’re a stickler for bent bananas too MJ?

          • MJ

            I agree that the sooner the UK leaves the EU the better. You’ll be astonished to learn that we actually a lot more to the EU than we get back.

          • Sally

            What astonishes me is britain went from being the 53 largest economy in the world when you joined up 40+ years ago, on the brink of bankrupcy, to the 5th largest with projection to become the 2nd in less than 15 years. 6 months on and you have gone back to 6th soon to be followed by brexit and bankrupcy.

            The UK has gotten a hell of a lot more out of the EU over the 40+ years, but ungrateful tits will always be ungrateful tits. Just because in recent years you paid a little bit more in that you got out per week (the difference is ~30million) does not lead to the conclusions you made the EU. The EU made you successful.

            England and wales has not got a hope of repaying its debts once the financial exodus begins (to the US and EU), credit rating downgraded and only trading with despots. Good luck with that.

          • Chris Rogers

            Sally,

            For someone who professes to have a unique understanding of facts and figures, again you illustrate how inaccurate you are in any claims you make by suggesting the UK ranked 40th some 40 years ago by size of its economy to its global competitors. Which is strange, because most economic history books would indicate quite clearly that the UK has been in the top 10 of the major economies for a substantial period of time, indeed in 1975 it was ranked 8th. More fake facts from someone in want of instruction on how to do comparative analysis. And this from a person who claims the majority of those in England & Wales are RACISTS!

          • michael norton

            Well the Agrarian revolution was stated in the United Kingdom, which help set the seed for the Industrial Revolution, which also started in Britain, so from about 1700 – 1900
            the United Kingdom had the biggest economy in the world, it was overtaken by America and Germany but Germany,
            slipped up by losing the First World War.

            for the last few decades, like Chris has said, I would doubt, we had slipped much below the top ten.
            May be we are wrong and you are right, its only marks on a paper.

    • Chris Rogers

      Sally,

      Please put your Pink Pussy Hat on and go and join the Clinton-scum you sound like – if there is one thing I really detest its neoliberal, neoconservative Clinton scum!!!!!!

      • Sally

        Poor Chris, you sound angry. Are you angry Chris?

        Maybe MJ can send a few used bent bananas over to you to cheer you up.
        .

        • Chris Rogers

          Yes Sally,

          Most annoyed that a ‘reputable’ Blog like this, who’s host has a degree of international respect for the causes he supports all of a sudden descends into something I’d expect at a Hilary Clinton supporters convention. Still, once I grab my Pink Pussy Hat and have the Logo ‘I’m A Racist’ printed on it because Craig Murray and his little cohort Sally have ‘jumped the shark’ as far as both Scottish Independence and the EU are concerned, I suppose my little multicultural community will be in a state of shock, as will my wife, my daughters school teachers and a plethora of others, most of whom are non-Europeans – still, us Racists from England and Wales must keep to our RACIST ways lest we fail to uphold crass labels CM and Sally apply – next time supply verifiable facts with your comment and not straw men that are easily undermined by a nine year old.

          • Sally

            How about next time I supply some ”empirical evidence” Chris? Will that do you?

            Or I could ignore a self declared racists (look no capital letters) request and do what I like. You still haven’t addressed you weak failed logic a few comments above with a response –

            Simple question – do you stand by the claim you made above that racists in your village only vote UKIP? And racists do not vote Con, Lab, a.n other?

            Once you answer this simple question I will be able to decide if you are above the intelligence level of a 9 year old.

            Regards the pink pussy hat and the Clintons, I don’t know how you arrived there, your continued reference of it is pretty odd to me, when seeking help with the anger maybe mention that too. You seem disturbingly obsessed with it.

            Now maybe answer my one question I put to you or are you going to keep deflecting with little random tantrums.

        • Old Mark

          6 months on and you have gone back to 6th soon to be followed by brexit and bankrupcy.

          Sally- The UK has in the last 6 months gone from being ‘5th largest’ to ‘6th largest’ economy in the world solely because of the depreciation of sterling- the UK has essentially swapped places with France. If you expect the Euro still to be equivalent to £1.16 or thereabouts against sterling in 6 months time, keep eating your bent bananas.

    • nevermind

      yes it was cringingly embarrassing to watch,Sally. But the real villains are the media and written MSM especially as they have never informed people about EU business or what the EU is doing for us, they could not find their way round it, did not understand half of it themselves, so they did not bother.

      What have schools taught about the EU, did it ever feature on the curriculum? I very much doubt it, they don’t even teac h children how their very own system works, how councils work ( along party lines, screw voters causes) and decisions are made. (in back rooms with a lot of arm twisting)
      Except, off course, when it came to unified standardisation of weights and measures, pints and litres, inches and centimetre’s.

      My giddy aunt did they went to some length to moan and whinge, like children who had their lolly taken away. Bent bananas are what they remember, but mark my words, they will remember other benefits as soon as they want to go on holidays after this Schroedingers Brexit.

  • Highlander

    Craig I share your sentiments. It has always been my view that we do not need to hold another referendum and is great to see your views expressed here. However a significant proportion of the population believe in an authoritarian rules based society, without which, their personal inertia or resistance to change will not be overcome. The more the Tories treat Scotland with contempt the more likely it is for those on the political margins to wake up and join us in our independence journey. I have always been concerned that the UK parliament sucks in dissenting/fiery political activists and turns them into bloated imperial submasters without a cause. It is up to the Scottish people to make sure the SNP delivers on It’s primary objective without further delay. I unfortunately detect a weakening commitment and complacency within many of the party faithful which greatly concerns me and what’s happened to Nicola’s promised Indy 2 resurgency.

  • bevin

    People need to be a little more careful in their employment of the term ‘racist’ against entire populations (what would we call that? )
    When half of the Tories in Parliament, representing half of the shires in England, the stockbroker belts and the leafy suburbs included, and 80% of the Tory party were spending their winters in South Africa and cashing in their coupons from De Beers or the burgeoning arms industry in the land of Apartheid, the valleys of South Wales were famous for the popular, grass roots opposition to Apartheid, the support of Unions for the Movement for Colonial Freedom and the well supported boycotts of the products of racist societies.
    Something similar can be said of many if not most of the old Socialist strongholds in England and Scotland too which voted solidly for anti-Apartheid supporters in Parliament and backed up their visceral support for the underdog, the persecuted and the despised, with sympathy strikes and boycotts of imports from South Africa.
    The truth is that not only is there no such thing as ‘race’ but that what is meant by ‘racism’ -a contempt for the poor and the idea that they are congenitally inferior, untermemschen- is most notably to be found in the UK in discrimination against the labouring people. And has been discovered and acted upon in the inhuman treatment of the helpless and vulnerable for centuries.
    That it has now become a conceit among the snobs to add the charge of racism to the older indictments of idleness, alcoholism and improvidence tells us that the old fashioned snob and his petty bourgeois yes-men still dominate the intellectual scene. Jomo Kenyatta, CLR James and Nelson Mandela would not be at all surprised.

    • Chris Rogers

      Bevin,

      Why bother, my own little constituency in Wales has been denigrated by this Blog, as has all of Wales, together with England, and no doubt all those who voted against Scottish Independence in September 2014. What shocks me in particular is the mirroring of Ms Hilary Clinton tactics by Craig and the labelling of entire nations as RACIST. That others here fail to object surprises me, as does the fact that certain commentators here keep painting this Blog is a hotbed of anti-semitism, which has been debunked on numerous occasions. I wonder if Sally is aware she’s posting on an ‘anti-semitic’ Blog, which I was under the illusion also constituted racism. Still, as with being called an ‘anti-semite’ for desiring a peaceful and equitable solution to the Palestinian tragedy, I’ll wear both accusations with pride, knowing full well they are bollocks.

      • bevin

        i suspect that, where the EU is concerned, there is also the aspect, peculiar to South Wales, of the appalling example set by the Kinnock clan in their loud and obnoxious guzzling at the EU trough. That they got there by claiming the mantle of Nye Bevan is particularly disgusting.

        • Chris Rogers

          Bevin,

          Both Neil Kinnock and that other notable EEC politician and Labour traitor, Roy Jenkins, both set wonderful examples to us in my area, which when Nye Bevan was kicking around was still known as Monmouthshire – Roy Jenkins was born not too far from my mother’s birth place and lived but a stones throw from the local Pit, which my grandfather worked for most of his life. Of course, Bevan was none too keen on Roy Jenkins and was particularly offended by the level Jenkin’s went to in order to mask his South Wales accent – I still retain mine and shall support the working class in my area come what may, the majority of whom are certainly not RACIST.

    • philw

      What really infuriates me about statements such as “The racist majority in England and Wales are trying to force us out of the EU” from liberals like Craig, is the encouragement it gives to the minority who actually ARE racist.

      • Chris Rogers

        philw,

        No, it’s the language faux liberals and progressives utilise to sneer at the poor, or put it another way, it’s actually Class Warfare – we find such language now utilised by the New Democrats in the USA, New Labour, the Liberal Democrats and so on. All have one thing in common though, an adherence to neoliberal economic orthodoxy that fucks most people over – what hurts though is Craig slags off Polly Toynbee and the other ‘faux left’ in The Guardian, and then engages himself in the same hateful language. But he is a defender of Human Rights, just not for the English and the Welsh!

      • J

        Good argument. We all make mistakes in the heat of the moment, perhaps Craig did, perhaps he stands by his comment. The only out voters I know (I would have been among them for tactical reasons) were genuinely appalled by the EU treatment of Greece and the various trade treaties it looked like the EU was on the verge of signing. None racists as far as my experience goes and fully aware of the many positive aspects of the EU. What we had in common was the feeling of having been shafted by bureaucrats on many of the important questions facing us all with no illusions about a Tory Brexit.

        My own expectation was that a leave vote would be a necessary kick to the EU oligarchy which would ultimately be ignored, and we would stay in anyway having registered our anger. In any case, EU reform is still vital to our future.

  • Republicofscotland

    Meanwhile the University of Berkeley has cancelled a speech by the far-right agitator Milo Yiannopoulos, I shall refer to him as Milo.

    The speech was cancelled after hundreds gathered on the universities campus to demonstrate, regarding Milo’s odious right-wing views.

    Donald Trump threw his hat in the ring in defence of Milo, and then threatened to remove Berkeley’s federal funds. Trump claimed that by cancelling Milo’s speech, Berkeley university was not allowing free speech.

    It is claimed the connection between Trump and Milo is, Steve Bannon, a senior advisor to Trump, and ex-boss at Breibart news network, the right-wing media outlet that employs Milo.

    Milo rather weirdly referred to Trump (during his POTUS campaign) as “Daddy.”

    Don’t be surprised if Milo is earmarked for a position within Trump’s entourage.

    • bevin

      Jeffrey St Clair in Counterpunch today:

      “Fiery protests in Berkeley successfully prevented Milo Yiannopoulos, the traveling troubadour of race hatred, from speaking on the Cal campus. According to George Cicciarello-Maher, Yiannopoulos planned to publicly name undocumented students at Berkeley. At a previous speech on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, Milo urged the crowd to “purged your campus of illegals.”

      “Trump rushed to Milo’s defense, denouncing the Berkeley protests as an assault on free speech. Trump even threatened to pull federal funding from the Berkeley campus. Since much of the federal funding to UC-Berkeley goes for defense and nuclear “research” and the torture of animals, this could prove to be a good thing…”

      • Republicofscotland

        Bevin.

        Trump’s intervention, will only embolden, the already far-right, and their violence prone supporters.

        How frightening must in now be for targeted minorities in the US? Trump’s open support for Milo a odious racist who hounded black actress Leslie Jones, who starred in the remake of Ghostbusters, in my opinion reinforces Trump’s attitude towards the far-right, and his willingness to back their more often than not, extreme views.

      • Chris Rogers

        Bevin,

        Am I as a Welshman am I still allowed to frequent both CounterPunch and Black Agenda Report in light of Craig’s claim that the majority of those residing in England and Wales are RACISTS, and that I’m one of them by the fact of electing not to remain part of the EU. Perhaps I’d best start frequenting alt-Right and NAZIS Blogs given my new found, and yet unknown to me, RACISM!

        I take it if I should venture into these new Blogs that I’d best not be wearing a Pink Pussy Hat for fear of unsettling the Blogs subscribers and viewers. No doubt it will take me a while to engender myself to this new political grouping, but I hope to report back soon with new supremacist ideas I can share with all!

    • Anon1

      “Hundreds gathered on the universities campus to demonstrate”

      A whole post about it and you managed to not mention that the tolerant left went on a rampage, setting fire to buildings and attacking Trump supporters with the sole purpose of shutting down Milo’s right to free speech, in a university of all places.

      • Republicofscotland

        Anon1.

        Yes I agree, protest by all means but do not cause damage or project violence. However it doesn’t take away the fact that Milo, is a far-right attention seeking bigot.

        When permanently banned from Twitter last July, he (Milo) said the social media site had “confirmed itself as a safe space for Muslim terrorists and Black Lives Matter extremists, but a no-go zone for conservatives”

        He has sparked controversy with articles such as: “Why do feminists cook up stories about ‘misogyny’?”

      • Phil Ex-Frog

        Anon1
        And you have made several ‘whole’ comments on this subject without mentioning the violence of Trump supporters. Yiannopoulos is being intentionally provocative with this campus tour. He draws non student Trump supporter crowds onto the campus. It kicks off. Breibart then report how out of control extremists undermine democracy etc. It is a set up. One Trump supporter even shot a protestor. This has hardly made the news. Go figure.

          • Phil the ex-frog

            Well as much as I can make out:

            Yiannopoulos is explicit that his campus tour is inteded to confront the left. Many Trump supporters attend. They have been provocative and violent. In Seattle one shot a union organiser who was unarmed and apparently, from reports I am disposed to believe, not being violent at all. So it looks like payback was in LA when the left kicked the shit out of anyone with a MAGA hat.

  • mike

    It really is quite astonishing how the “liberal left” have suddenly rediscovered the extent of America’s murderous overseas activities. Who knows, perhaps the corporate media will even turn the spotlight on how Trump is arming the “moderate” head-choppers in Syria. Of course, if Killary had become POTUS, none of that – not Yemen or CIA black sites – would be making the news.

    As Harold Pinter said in his Nobel acceptance speech: “The crimes of the United States have been systematic, constant, vicious, remorseless, but very few people have actually talked about them. You have to hand it to America. It has exercised a quite clinical manipulation of power worldwide while masquerading as a force for universal good. It’s a brilliant, even witty, highly successful act of hypnosis.”

  • Republicofscotland

    Staying on Donald Trump, he does like to tweet, and yesterday he menacingly tweeted a veiled threat to Iran over a recent ballistic missile test, carried out by Iran.

    The Iranian Foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasami, said in the state news agency IRNA, that the US claims were baseless and provocative.

    It is well known that Trump has railed against the deal between Iran and the US, brokered by Obama during his administration. Trump’s administration see this as a perfect opportunity to enforce a range of options on Iran, including economic measures, or increasing support to Iran’s adversaries in the region, and we all know who Iran’s main adversary in the region is.

    However the UN resolutions currently do not prohibit Iran from conducting missile tests, though any design to test missiles that are capable of carrying a nuclear payload are strictly prohibited.

  • Neville Litterick

    How arrogant of some Scottish people to assume that they can keep running referenda until their preferred result is delivered! Like the Irish vote to stay in the EU, this is how Democracy works for the ‘haves’. Luckily the Majority respects the result of a Democratic vote, a concept obviously alien to members of the EU too.

    • mimesis

      Vote No to keep Scotland in the EU was Better Together’s mantra. As it turned out it was Vote No and have Scotland taken out the EU against the wish of 62% of the Scottish electorate. In such circumstances it is not arrogance to want a second referendum.

      • fred

        “Vote No to keep Scotland in the EU”

        Who said that then? I just googled it with quotes and there were no results.

        • mimesis

          Just about every unionist politician said that in the campaign even if those exact words weren’t always used.

        • Iain Stewart

          How about this, Fred?
          “I think it is disingenuous to say that No means out and Yes means in, when actually the opposite is true. No means we stay in, we are members of the European Union.”
          Ruth Davidson 2 September 2014

  • Chris Rogers

    According to the revised ONS figures for the last Census, 2012, England and Wales had a combined population of 58.1 million – which obviously is a little higher today, but these are the last reliable figures. According to the Blog host, of that 58.1 million, 29.05 million persons are RACISTS. Quite difficult to believe, although the Poster Sally verifies these figures by reading Polly Toynbee in The Guardian.

    May I enquire of the actual readership and posters if they agree with Craig Murray (& Sally) that a majority of those living in England & Wales are RACIST, and if this is actually the case, can you please direct me to an authoritative study that underpins such claims?

    I’m sick to death of fake news and unsubstantiated claims and believe it most hypocritical that a Blog like this, one that allegedly presents verifiable facts would descent to ludicrous claims one expects to find in The Sun.

    Further, could someone please indicate the present number of RACISTS in Scotland, as its quite lonely being part of a group comprising 28.05 million?

    • Sally

      So now Chris claims from absolutely nowhere that I am a pink pussy hat (first time I have come across the term), Clinton endorsing , Guardian reader. Yikes Chris. You seem to be quite delusional. Is there some reasoning behind these false delusions you have just manufactured out of thin air? Are you upset that you have just become self aware of your deep racist tendencies? Maybe take a few days off the internet. Wales has lots of clean (British) air for you. Its meant to be good for your health. Soak it up.

      Calm down and stop making things up. It makes your failed arguments that much weaker.

      And maybe answer the one question I asked of you above.

      Cheerio

      • Chris Rogers

        Sally,

        As you endorse CM’s claim that the majority of English and Welsh are RACIST, which is a delusional claim in itself, backed-up with no verifiable data or statistics, with the exception of the EU Referendum, and given such claims are hysterical & crass, then no doubt they belong to the Clintonesque-side of the political spectrum – so, I’m happy to be a deplorable – I am after all working class – which would suggest, given your straw man tactics you are both of the Clintonesque School of politics, which Ms Polly Toynbee belongs too. As for Pink Pussy Hat, these were out in force during the Inauguration protests donned by wealthy Clintonite neoliberals opposed to Trump. We can all make great leaps, however mine are certainly more viable than your contention that more than 29 million persons in England and Wales are RACISTS, or should that be 29 million and one, given that constitutes a majority!!!!!!!

        • nevermind

          Chris, are you denying that racists in the past have torched english properties in Wales? You like to quote the Guardian so I picked something not that long ago to warm the cockles of your heart.

          https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/15/nationalism-welsh-plaid-cymru-leanne-wood-wales

          Or this little gem from the past, sending people threatening letters

          http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ethnic-cleansing-the-welsh-way-a-militant-nationalist-group-has-given-19-english-families-an-1471584.html

          Not your kind of Wales Chris? Just keep your feet on the carpet.

          • Chris Rogers

            Nevermind,

            Are you suggesting that the majority of individuals in Wales, like Sally, are RACISTS, and this applies to England too – its got fuck all to keeping feet on the ground and everything to do with facts and figures. So, a handful of hate mail to English settlers means the entire Welsh population is now RACIST.

            Again, do bugger off with crass MSM press reports and stick to verifiable facts, figures and statistics, namely Home Office/Justice Department figures, CPS figures and police constabulary figures – you know the real figures, not fake ones as now openly expressed on this Blog, which undermines its credibility no end I’m afraid!

          • bevin

            Not only could you tell similar tales set in Ireland and Scotland but you could also find similar incidents in Cornwall, Cumbria and wherever locals find themselves priced out of the cottages they aspire to own or rent by city folk with second residences.
            That doesn’t mean that those threatened are racists- no country in Britain has welcomed more immigrants since the C18th than Wales, half of the inhabitants of the valleys are descended from people who came to find work in the booming mining and metalwork sectors- but that they are facing a steep decline in living standards and see little hope in the current dispensation.
            About the only thing that the Blairites don’r seem to have learned from Clinton’s guru James Carville is that, regarding Brexit and much else “It’s the Economy, stupid.”
            The gambit of accusing the victims of capitalism and empire ‘racists’ has become part of the new Liberal handbook, included in it are Palestinians, objecting to settlers, the Sioux fighting the “white man’s” pipeline and Africans growing tired of waiting for their land to be given back to them by those who stole it.

          • Chris Rogers

            Bevin,

            By way of example at what you have stated with regards housing, we have more than 2,000 homes going up from where I live close to Pontypool to the MF junction at Newport – these rabbit sized homes will sell from £199,000 and will be purchased by a majority of English working between Bristol and Cheltenham – the media wage in Wales now has actually declined, so our average is now apropos. £20,000 per annum for those with jobs in our local area, that’s 10 X median income to purchase a home – virtually impossible. Still as Sally and her ilk advise if you moan or detail such facts you are a RACIST – I suggest Sally comes espousing her crap in Pontypool, she’d last five minutes at best, particularly given 25% of our population are living in poverty. Still, according to the Libtards and likes of Craig & Sally et al, we are RACISTS and should go and live in a hole, which by the way many did until the 1850s.

        • Sally

          Chris, poor Chris,

          At the very least can you keep your unfounded delusional rantings a little bit consistent.

          Earlier post you claim – ”We are ALL RACISTS”, and now you claim ”As you endorse CM’s claim that the majority of English and Welsh are RACIST, which is a delusional claim in itself, backed-up with no verifiable data or statistics”. Which is it Chris??? Your two statements are contradictions.

          Secondly and MOST IMPORTANT – you claimed earlier that the only racist in your village vote UKIP. Racists don’t vote Con, Lab, Plaid, or whoever. Do you stand by that delusional claim with the ”empirical evidence” you provided???

          Thirdly – to attempt to align ME with the Clintons, with pink pussy hats (bizarre) and with Polly Toynbee on the basis that I agreed with CM when he claims the ”majority in England and Wales” are racist is just bananas. Bananas. Using your logic(Yikes) that means Craig himself also could be characterized as a support of these toxicities you attempt to pin me to. You would have to be a moron, delusional or both to charge Craig with that. So which is it?

          If you address these three specific points 1, 2, 3 (instead of throwing a deflective tantrum) I will continue to converse with you. If you do not address these complete flaws I have pointed out in your arguments, I will say good day.

          Every comment I have made on you is backed up by your own characterization of yourself. Made here in the comments section. You have called yourself a racist. I have made nothing up. You on the other hand have attempted to smear me with unfounded nonsense. It only reflects on your credibility which is currently sitting at zero.

          I understand you are hurt by the claim CM has made that the majority of English and Welsh are racists. You claim such a statement is ”delusional”. I would agree with CM’s assessment in the same way that I would agree with CM if he was to claim Saudi Arabia is run by a majority of fanatical Islamist knuckle dragging cave men that have no place on this planet. Is that claim as delusional as the other???

          Lets see if you want this conversation to continue. Answer the 3 points above (or not).

          • Chris Rogers

            Sally,

            As you seem unable to understand the import of Exclamation Marks, why bother answering any further. If I State: ‘I’m a RACIST.’ It no doubt means one is actually identifying as a RACIST. If, as part of a process disputing such ludicrous claims made on CM’s post, namely ‘the racist majority in England & Wales,’ I then finish with the words ‘I’m a RACIST!!!!!!,’ its actually detailing I’m fucking not, hence the bloody exclamation marks. End of, now please go on slagging the English and Welsh off, which actually in itself is quite racist.

    • MJ

      “could someone please indicate the present number of RACISTS in Scotland”

      Allow me. 38% of Scots voted to leave the EU ergo 38% of Scots (2 million perhaps) are racists.

  • MBC

    I think there is a lot of merit in this approach. The most important thing is whether other states have been sounded out about Scotland and would support and understand a bid by the Scottish government acting as a National Assembly and declaring independence.

    I hope the SNP have been actively exploring these back channels.

    At a practical level I suppose the SNP must be trying to figure out how France and Germany would view us. And are perhaps waiting to see how their elections turn out.

    I did think it was interesting that the French consulate in Edinburgh has recently announced a move to a building far closer to Holyrood, the former Lothian Chambers.

  • Republicofscotland

    Things are beginning to look ominous for French Conservative Fancois Fillion, after the press claimed to have unearthed a clip, in which his wife Penelope (allegedly) states that she’s never worked for her husband.

    Add to that, allegations have been made by (The Canard Enchaine) that Fillion hired his children Marie and Charles as parliamentary aides between 2005 and 2007, when he was senator and that his children received £72,000.

    The above allegation centres around that Fillion claims he paid his children (who were lawyers) for specific assignments, however it’s (alleged) both children were still at law school.

    • Iain Stewart

      The 2007 interview with the Sunday Telegraph was shown on French television last night where Penelope Fillon says clearly (in English) “I have never been actually his assistant or anything like that.” Although she had been her husband’s parliamentary assistant for four years at public expense.

  • michael norton

    A French soldier guarding the Louvre in Paris has shot a man who tried to attack a security patrol with a machete shouting “Allahu Akbar”, police say.

    The man, who tried to gain entry to the Louvre’s shopping centre, was shot in the abdomen and seriously injured.

    President Francois Hollande said the situation was under control but the “threat of terrorism is here to stay”.

    The Louvre is home to numerous celebrated art works, including the Mona Lisa.

    It is due to reopen on Saturday, according to French Culture Minister Audrey Azoulay.
    Ministry of Truth

    well, quite difficult to think this through, at first glance, I suspect he was a mental case.

    • MJ

      Yes, sounds like a genuine nutcase. Only a machete (not the sophisticated arms and explosives we’ve come to expect) and the chap was actually captured alive (they are usually reported to have escaped or died at the scene).

    • Laguerre

      He was an Egyptian who arrived by air from Dubai on 26th January. He may have been working there. Funny that Trump hasn’t banned Muslims from Dubai entering the US, or indeed Egyptians.

      • Loony

        What is so funny about Trump not banning Muslims from Dubai or Egypt entering the US?

        If Trump was about banning Muslims then surely he would have banned people from Indonesia (Muslim population 209 million), Pakistan (Muslim population 176 million), India (Muslim population 167 million) Bangladesh (Muslim population 134 million) and Nigeria (Muslim population 77 million)

        That he has not banned anyone from these countries should tell you that his policy has nothing to do with banning Muslims. Either you are listening to the purveyors of fake news or you are attempting to purvey your very own fake news.

  • c rober

    There is perhaps another option which many have missed?

    The forwarding of a ref on INDY for England – yep you read that right , then watch the fires burn if denied by their ain?

    Or SCOTLAND , NI , and the Uk protectorates (including GIB , CI and IOM) remaining as the UK and England/Wales being independent – bankers may find this one particularly appealing as it then means retaining the EU banking passport , but not of course in London unless it declares itself part of a new Uk.

    The media is still strangely silent on GIB and the CI though in brexit , I wonder why? Perhaps theres money to be made for the wealthy as new tax havens.

  • Graham Rae

    I think you’re falling for unionist propaganda in saying indy support is not rising. I think that’s a flat-out falsehood. Don’t be fooled.

    • Sally

      Obviously you haven’t seen the latest ”credible” poll produced by YouGov. You know, that polling company owned by a sitting Conservative MP. No bias there.

      Scotland will be independent in the next 5 years.

      • Chris Rogers

        What, like the credible statements you make, namely occurring with CM that the “majority of English and Welsh are racists.’ Talk about bloody hypocrisy.

  • Ire Dobson

    My thoughts, misguided or otherwise are snp that at the proper time hold a snap Hollyrood Election winner takes all, vote SNP and Greens 1 and 2, with a simple mandate Independence (note existing manifesto carrys on for 2 years til fully independent) with Independence from the day after the result is in, with a view to negotiate terms thereafter against a disfunctional red n blue tory party winning control of Hollyrood (4 years til the next election) all numbers should dictate a solid indy win no referendum required and independence by democratic vote.

  • Tony_0pmoc

    I do like a lot of what Craig Murray writes and does, and if I had actually gone to meet with him and stay with him for a few days in Norwich when he was campaigning to be elected as an MP, I am almost certain I would have got on with him really well. Both my wife and I love Norwich – we have some friends there and I think Craig Murray would make a great MP – compared to most of the rest – even though I disagree with some of his political views – and his complete and utter hypocrisy – calling people like me RACIST – whilst he nearly 10 years ago – was born and bred in Norfolk, England

    And Now He is Scottish and always has been.

    But compared to the rest of the T0ssers in Power..Craig Murray is a Very Brave Honest Man of Integrity .. i just suspect that when he was a young man – after university – where he eventually left at the age of 26, he went on this series of mind control courses run from or subcontracted from The Tavistock Institute…

    Well I did too, though I never worked for The Government nor any Political Party…

    I skipped the final course, cos I knew what they do.

    In fact, I only agreed to go on some of these management courses on condition that every night, I go home and sleep with my wife.

    I know how they soul destroy you and keep you “on team”.

    Do you want me to explain the details?

    Sometimes like The Prisoner – Number 6 – You have got to Resign…

    (Or in My Case (and I suspect in Craig’s too))

    Be a complete Embarrassment to the Very Senior Management – (slag them off – nearly all the time) but continue doing your job to the best of your ability.

    Its nothing to do about Politics or Racism

    Its about Personal Integrity, Being an Honest Man, and not Betraying The Love of Your Life.

    Craig rates Very Highly, in such terms, which is why I like him – even if I think some of his political views are extremely naive, though I suspect he is beginning to see the light.

    SNP – British Establishment.

    Compared to Craig Murray – just look at The Rubbish

    “In July 2015 Wilcox was criticised for claiming £300 a day in House of Lords attendance allowances, £74,400 over two years, even though she could walk there from her house only two hundred yards away”

    Tony

    • Sharp Ears

      Ref Wilcox, seeing this will give the reader apoplexy.

      Revealed: The peer who claims £300 A DAY to walk just 200 yards to work. After cocaine and call girls, how Lords cash in on taxpayer-funded expenses
      •Peer Baroness Wilcox lives in a £4m home 200 yards from House of Lords
      •But she still bills the taxpayer up to £5,700 a month for her walk to work
      •Scores of peers can do the same despite living in and around Westminster
      •None has broken rules but are accused of exploiting new tax-free payment
      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3177926/House-Lords-peer-gets-300-day-walk-200-yards-work.html

      This line of text caught my eye.
      ‘London-based peers pocketed £763,350 in January and February alone. The annual bill for them could be around £3.8million.’

      And some unearned income from property too.
      http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/baroness-wilcox/1727

      She was a non exec director of Carpetright (Lord Harris) until 2010 and Cadbury Schweppes until 2007. In 2010 the Cadbury directors sold out to Kraft, now Mondelez. Cadbury’s factory in Bristol was closed and the ‘chocolate’ is now made in Poland. I think Bournville is still going.

      She was a PUS in the Lords for the Dept of Business, Skills etc for Cameron 2010-12.

      A typical Tory.

  • Loony

    Around 26% of the French electorate support Marine Le Pen. In Germany there is around 15% for the AfD, and in the Netherlands Geert Wilders is the most popular politician in the country.

    All of the above people and organizations are prime candidates to be tarred with racist brush – but apparently to some Scots they are much more attractive racists than English and Welsh “racists”

    With regard to the Welsh that would be the descendants of the same Welsh racists who composed the backbone of the International Brigades that fought and died to oppose the fascism of Franco. The same Welsh racists that despite being net recipients of EU aid (bribery money) voted decisively to leave the EU – and to break with the extremism and nationalism sweeping Europe.

    You really could not make it up. Maybe someone half crazed with the hallucination of Scottish independence would explain what it is that is so offensive about the Welsh and what it is to independence loving Scots that is so attractive about the Front National, the AFD and Geert Wilders. Some may think that a Scotsman could be defined by the company that he claims he wants to keep.

      • Loony

        Hey lady cut the insults and try explaining what it is you find so attractive about the Front National, the AfD and Geert Wilders. Just in case they are a bit too nuanced for you try the Ukraine.

        Yes that’s right those freedom loving Nazi’s so assiduously supported by the EU have just fired a 500 kg ballistic missile filled with fragmentation materiel into the center of Donetsk. Dontcha jjust love em? Dontcha just love em so much you want to sponsor them? That is what the EU is, and that is what the EU does.

        What kind of argument is it that ignores or denies the rivers of blood created and maintained by the EU just so you get to take some cheap shots against Welsh people.

    • Dave Lawton

      “George Monbiot exposes the forces behind Liam Fox’s return to politics.”

      I`m exposing George Mombiot connection to the nuclear industry.

      “Lady Barbara Judge: Japan’s smart nuclear weapon
      The head of the UK’s Pension Protection Fund has been drafted in to help assure the residents of Fukushima that its reactors are safe.And with scientists such as Professor James Lovelock and critics such as the environmental activist George Monbiot coming on side, she is now even more confident.”http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/lady-barbara-judge-japans-smart-nuclear-weapon-8497747.html

  • Bert

    UDI (Unilateral Declaration of Independence) might sound nice and may be legally sound – but what happens when the Westminster mob say: “Okay guys. No more money from us… get on with it… Good luck.” Okay, so I am sure the Scots could get on with it, but taxes would have to fly to make up the difference. Scotland still benefits from the deal. And NO you cannot assume that OUR oil will suddenly become YOUR oil.

    Bert.

    • JOML

      If Scotland is an expense to you and Westminster, why don’t you want to get shot of Scotland? I find your stance a bit confusing.

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