The BBC seems intent to help the SNP choose economic oblivion in 2014. In one sense they are welcome to it but in another it is in clear breach of their code of conduct. Have a listen to this item on Today this morning entitled “Can the Scottish economy stand alone?”. Some wonderful fantasy talk about “Scottish Oil”, of course, and not a mention that Scotland has stunningly high levels of Sovietised Statism that is only possible care of the huge taxes that flow from south of the border care of the Barnett Formula. The BBC is cute though, give this Thought for the Day a listen as John Bell of the Iona community makes a barely concealed plea for Scottish Independence under the guise of religion.
SCOTLAND THE BRAVE…
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Salmond wants it both ways.
1. Scotland would be better off out of the UK because it has a better economy.
Response. OK. take a Barnett formula share of the debts. It’s an equal split.
No we won’t.
OK. No pound, and we veto your membership of the EU until you do.
2. We can keep the pound.
OK. No seniorage, and you have to conform to our rules on fiscal policy and spending.
Er, but that means we are just like the UK. Doh!
For BBC-NUJ, it seems that the notion of non-independent Scotland in the E.U, politically trumps the notion of Scotland in a union with non-Labour England.
BBC Scotland is usually accused of being pro-Labour and pro-UK. Well, nationalists usually accuse BBC Scotland of being pro-UK and pro-Labour.
That said, they were badly rumbled with the Ally McCoist thing a weeks back, so who really knows where the Beeb stands? Pro-Labour and pro-UK but anti-Protestant? Or something. Personally, I couldn’t give a toss.
On a related issue, Cranmer drew interesting comparisons between Alex Salmond and Nick Griffin.
His Grace asks, “What exactly is the difference between Nick Griffin’s racist outbursts against Asians and Alex Salmond’s nationalistic enmity against the English? Do they do not both represent a form of bigotry?”
A good point indeed. Read it all, if you haven’t already done so.
Will you presnt you evidence to back up your “nationalistic enmity,” or are you just making stuff up, lie this article?
Huh? I haven’t made anything up.
If you look carefully, Duncan, you’ll see that I am quoting Archbishop Cranmer’s blog-post and the phrase “nationalistic emnity” is his, not mine.
Why don’t you ask him?
Since you have agreed with his dis grace then you must share his opinion on Salmonds aledged enmity against the English, which is why I asked you for the evidence?
Alex has been variously compared to Hitler, Mussolini, Mel Gibson, a fish, a pig, an ape, amd much much more on blogs I read in The Telegraph and other so called quality English Newspapers. Indeed one recently appointed internet tzar had to resign in humiliation after posting a Hitler spoof of Salmond on YouTube. Now we see someone who should know better comparing him to Griffin one of the nastiest figures in English history.
And all based on a Haggis, dear God you guys are really sad and pathetic. ooops was that anti English.
Scotophobia has never really gone away.
“Since you have agreed with his dis grace then you must share his opinion on Salmonds aledged enmity against the English.”
Right, so first you wrongly accredited the “nationalistic enmity” line to me and now you very kindly tell me that I “must share [Cranmer’s] opinion” that Salmond displays “nationalistic enmity” towards the English. How does that work?
Ah, I see. I said Cranmer makes a “good point” about making comparisons between Griffin and Salmond, so that means I must agree with him that Salmond hates the English, right?
I think Alex Salmond also makes some very ‘good points’. Heck, even Nick Griffin occasionally makes some ‘good points’. Does this mean I am a pro-BNP SNP supporter?
ROBERT BROWN; Duncan, are you a Scot perchance? Your spelling is absolutely atrocious, and your mind-set seems to be of the same order, go away and try harder next time.
i will not be going away any where my opinions are founded on facts, as far as spelling goes is there a rule on here that spelling has to be correct, I cannot be arsed proof reading what are replies to biogtry. if you don’t like what i post then scroll on bye. Missing you already.
ROBERT BROWN; If you cannot be ‘arsed’ as you say with spelling, then that sums up the kind of chimp you are. No, i’m enjoying your posts, gives me a nice, warm feeling of superiority, just like ‘stinking willie’ surveying the scottish dead at Culloden.
…nor Anglophobia, and do you know the reason for 99.99% (made up stat) of Scotophobia?…you guessed it: Anglophobia.
Isnt Bell the idiot who claimed God hates Canada? Hey he is a BBC favourite, represents almost nobody apart from his tiny handful of followers, perfect BBC material.
John Bell is the BBCs dream of a “religious” contributor.
Whether its global warming or the CERN project-always on message, and not too bothered with all that God stuff that might have once provided a backbone.
Living on Iona makes him lofty and oh-so brilliant, like a Desert Island Rowan Williams.
This New Age no-hoper of a green Celtic Crosspatch is due a visit from Benedict…for Bell is everything that faith is not.
As I say-that would be a n ecumenical matter-and God, I miss Father Jack Hackett who is a wonderful theologian in comparison to Bell.
Scottish oil? Check out international law. Most of the oil is English, because for he purpose of mineral rights the border is continued out to sea in the same direction as it hits the coast, which is very much northeasterly.
Not quite right. The current border line does run NE but it only cuts throu the southern edge of the “Scottish” oil firlds, but:
1) The gas fields are all to the south of the border and gas is more profitable than oil (easy to bring ashore, no refining etc). The £8-9 billion or so that the Treasury gets from the North Sea is split between oikl and gas. Oiil is still the greater part, but is declining faster than the gas.
2) Scottish oil reserves are 10 billion barrels, compared with 1 billion likely future discoveries (based on how much exploration has taken place and 20 billion already produced. At £15 a barrel in production taxes that isn’t much compared to the sums that the UK shovels intop Scotland every year.
3) There is no reason to think that any oil naturally passes to Scotland because the oil is outside their territorial waters. The current agreements over the North Sea basin were put together by treaty and would have to be amgreed by other countries. There is no reason why they would do this if they thought it might encourage their costal areas to secede.
I thought if Scottish Nationalists liked the EU so much they would make “their ” iol a Common European Resource .
Utter bollox, the kind which keeps the smile on Alex Salmonds face.
Check it out big boy.
Gameshow Nick had a member of GB’s Olympics gold medal-winning Curling squad on the other day, herself a heathen.
Gameshow: Do you prefer representing Scotland or representing Great Britain.
Heathen Curler: Of course, we get a bigger subsidy when we represent Team GB
Nothing further.
Ok, in response to popular demand, something further.
20% unemployment in Scotland/ West Albania’s largest city (and 170 youth gangs, and the heroin, methadone, buckfast, heart attack and murder capital of Europe).
63% of GDP coming from the State (read: the English taxpayer)
Current North Sea oil reserves (proven and probable) equivalent to a whopping 11 years supply.
Scotland/ West Albania has not a prayer of independence. If you take ‘independence’ to mean ‘not dependent on anyone/ anything’. Of course if you take ‘independence’ to mean ‘dependent on the EC taxpayer rather than the English taxpayer’ then, sure…
Mind you, you have to factor in the unknown unknown of Eck Salmonella’s ‘reindustrialisation of Scotland focusing on renewable energy’.
I have.
Couldn’t stop laughing.
Any news on Salmonds view on whether Fred the Shred should return that knighthood of his?
After all it WAS the RBS, and wee Alex was more than happy to back Goodwin in his disatrous AMRO bid that broke the bank.
Oh wait-although RBS…it will be OUR bank until Alex claims it back won`t it-when we`ve paid its debts off for him and his useless lotus eaters up in Holyrood!
Rather think he saw Idi Amin as the King across the water-and hence Dianne Abbott will be claiming a fair roll of tartan as we speak…the Anti-English pattern still being decided I`d say.
It is precisley the bigotry we have seen on these threads on Scotland that is driving Scotland to our inevitable independece. It is astounding that so much ignorance can exist on a forum. The NF must be very proud of you all.
Since this site claims to be about BBC bias. Why don’t you do a feature on BBC Scotland closing down comments on all the blogs on BBC Scotland?
What are they afraid of?
Oi Duncan Disorderly, there is something on here called ‘Open Thread’, where you can do your own feature on BBC Scotland.
And believing Scotland as an independent nation would have expenditure far greater than its income and thus could not possibly be independent is not ‘bigotry’ it’s fact.
Of course ‘Eck’ could always ‘borrow’.
I mean that’s worked really well everywhere else hasn’t it.
I don’t wish to be picky your eminence, but since this thread was dispariginly labelled “Scotland the brave,” it seemd the right place to defend my country against the many ad hominem ataks that are becoming more common as the refendum approaches. Your opinions on the oil business are spurious given recent proffessional opinion.
There is an excellent rap on it here that should ge the steam comin g out of your bunnet.
Duncan, don’t you think this bigotry is retaliation for all the decades of bigotry coming from North of the Border? A few examples:
Everyone in Scotland (apparently) thought that ‘witty’ anti-English line in the film Trainspotting was very good and ‘true’. They used it to slag off the English big-time.
The film Braveheart, although a travesty of the truth, is often claimed by Scots to be the moment when their Scottish patriotism woke up (completely ignoring the true nature of William Wallace who was so far from the image of a woad-wearing savage that the film should be called fiction).
Andy Murray and many other Scots who tell us that they always support the team that plays against England (the English fans who are just beginning to do the reverse are probably still in the minority). This has gone on for decades – Denis Law (the King) said that he regarded England winning the World Cup was the worst day of his life.
Salmon, Sturgeon and other assorted Fish constantly carp on about the English (see what I did there?) whilst always holding out their bowls for more.
Scotland has its own Parliament while the Scottish politicians Blair, Brown, Darling and Cooke denied England the same rights, however keeping the Scottish constituencies over-represented at Westminster. At least Cameron is resolving this one unfairness.
I’m sure I could think of many more examples but all I’m saying to you is – is it any wonder that the English are beginning to resent being run by Scots while being criticised by them all the time but being used as the cash cow all the same?
How can you speak for everyone in Scotland?
Would you seek to deny film makers and the arts the poetic licence they enjoy to entertain us?
Oh that Braveheart thing really gets to you guys again how on earth can you speak for many Scots, who are they? People from both sides of the border were deeply affected by a film about a bad time in history. How on earth do you know what was fact and fiction were you around then.
Of course the Wallace memorial in Stirling will be a figment of our imagination as will the one to Robert the Bruce eh?
Scotland has more than paid her way in this undemocratic medieval union. Read some proffessional opinion.
Cameron is not a Scot, he is descended from a Scot, as are some approximately 80 million peopel in the world.
ROBERT BROWN; The English beat the Scots in nine out of ten battles down through history, get over it Duncan. You even had to draft in the French on occasion, that was desperate stuff! The only time the Scots have shown true combat prowess is when they were under English command, very different from the fractious, divided, drunken bunch of hairy thugs that they have been for hundreds of years.
9 out of ten, you really are a windbag of utter guff, stop making stuff up. have you done UK history at school yet?
ROBERT BROWN’ Yes, Duncan, i’ve done history to ‘A’ level, got an A too, and in Physics, back in 1974, were you around then? Fact is, silly scots like you can’t take it, you were crap in battle until the Union, get over it.
Duncan. Who is claiming Wallace was a figment of imagination? Not me. The point is that he was, for his day, very well travelled and quite cultured. The Scots should have been complaining about his portrayal not believing in it. I personally don’t give a stuff about such a poor film, but you must admit most (maybe not all) of your compatriots seemed to wallow in it. And how dare you accuse all the English of bigotry.
This is the trouble, you are so used to having a go at the English and not getting much in return, it infuriates you that the English are finally finding a voice to defend themselves from your own bigotry.
And as far as asking me how much I really know about the period, it’s true that not over much is known about Wallace but he was as I said before quite cultured for his age. As far as who knows more about history, at least I wouldn’t claim that 1707 is in the Medieval period! As far as your undemocratic claim, that didn’t used to be the case but became so as soon as some of the citizens of the UK had more democracy than some others.
And why you brought up Cameron’s Scottishness is only for you to know. I brought up the Scottish dominance of the previous government which decided that England was to be treated as 3rd class citizens. But now you mention it, Cameron did boast of having lots of Scottish blood flowing through his veins.
‘To paraphrase brother Wallace, they can take away our lives but they’ll never take away our sense of humour. The Standard, Sunday Times and, by extension, Observer, seem not to grasp how deeply comical they make themselves. Some of us get a small kick from the irritation Braveheart causes, rather than from any inspiration it offers. Its a bit like saying Boo! to an unsuspecting maiden aunt.’
Ian Bell in the Scotsman, 12 th January 1999.
Duncan, instead of throwing out a general accusation, can you point to what you see in this thread as bigotry. I don’t mean points you disagree with, or hurt feelings because you can’t deal with a turn of phrase you don’t like, but actual bigotry.
Because then we might be able do discuss what it is that irks you – and who knows, even agree you have a point regarding some comments. As a Scot myself, I sometimes find some comments against us here irritating, but I take it as part of the rough and tumble of online debate unless it’s well over the top, in which case I’ll tell the particular person who commented. No doubt commenters from Essex, for example, could say the same thing.
For what it’s worth, I don’t think there is a particular bias towards the SNP on the BBC. I get the impression it doesn’t know which way to turn.
I don’t know why anyone would want to bother engaging with “Duncan”, as his Tweets reveal all….He’s an anti English racist.
http://twitter.com/Donaldootoo
I wouldn’t spend a lot of time reading someone’s tweets (not least because they often don’t make a lot of sense without the complete context of a dialogue) but having quickly run an eye over a few I spotted one which was insulting to a Glasgow MP Tom Harris. Is he English? Was that an example of the alleged racism to which you alluded? I didn’t see anything that obviously screamed anti-English racism.
Sadly Harris is Scottish, although he would say he is British, like Gordon Brown he cannot think of himself as Scottish.
… and Harris does a great job of winding up the Gnats (as we can see)
Dear Dazed-and-Confused, thanks I get it now. Anyone who dares to form a sentence with the words English in it is an anti English racist bigot, pardon me for not knowing that.
Can you indicate which one of my Twitters justifies your tagging of me as “an anti English racist. ” I am really interested.
@ Duncan:
On further analysis and evaluation of your time on the Internet, I’m happy to retract my claim that you are an “anti English racist”, but on surfing your overall input via the blogosphere, why is it that you think Scotland is getting a bad deal in regards to the UK in general? The things that you’re blogging about happen the length and breadth of the U.K., and Scottish independence wont sort any of them.
http://westmainsek.wordpress.com/
http://www.fixmystreet.com/report/40045
http://westmainsekneglect.blogspot.com/
http://westmainsek.blogspot.com/
You have just added 2+2 and got 5. No cigar.
I like the Uncle Tom reference in the tweet from Dec. 16. Is there such a thing as a “house Scot”?
Duncan: The NF must be very proud of you all.
Mind who you are including in this all. This isn’t a collective. Posters comment here as individuals and do not all hold the same views. I certainly don’t agree with everything that is posted by everyone here or elsewhere.
I think the Cranmer article is silly as he ties himself in knots and stands on his head trying to equate the Scottish independence drive with entirely different things, straining at some daft would-be analogy with curry or Asians in Leicester or Nick Griffin or minority ethnic this and that and Lord help us! even a phobia. And if he is really concerned about some mental condition that is anti English, he should be looking closer to home in England which is a far more serious problem than the Scots who might just like to cut the tie with the UK/GB / England (plus Wales and NI, don’t forget 🙂 : have they a mental affliction that puts them against those two places as well?) and run their own country. I don’t want them to do it and if they do it will be more chaos, craziness and probably an unholy mess, if not an unmitigated disaster. Still, must look on the bright side. Out of the ashes of chaos and destruction, England could salvage and create something new for itself. But I don’t think it will happen as I expect the Scots majority won’t vote for it.
OS: Meant to say that’s a good point about the closing of the Beeboid Scotland blogs to comments. Tell us more about that please.
Certainly Milly your interest is appreciated, oh that others were so open minded, you can read all about the BBCs North Korean adventures on this excellent News site.
Millie please accept my apologies for offending you.
Well the enldess Scottish bigotry that comes from north of the border, now the Scots are getting a dose of what they dish out to the English and they don’t like it.
Personally I’ll be cheering if the jocks voted to piss off, the problem is they won’t.
For me not having one eyed morons like Gordon Brown ruining MY nation will be great and keeping Labour out of power forever will be worth it.
I’d actually PAY to be rid of Scotland if it means no more Labour Governments in England.
Somewhere in England shire a village is missing it’s bigoted idiot. You are a real gem, English people the world over will be puffing out their chest in pride after reading your words. Shakespear you ain’t.
Its because we want you Scots to try independence that we`re goading you to leave ASAP .
Greviance politics is then taken out of Westminster .
I recall hearing how a senior RBS banker was quite keen on the SNP. When I querried where he stood on the possible ditching of ‘Royal’ in the title of the bank the reply was that he might be on the nationalist train but not want to travel all the way to the final destination. Well, I thought, I suppose what you mean is that you’ll jump off before it runs into the buffers.
Scotland has some affection for the Queen and most of the family which is why the SNP have pledged to keep her as the Scottish monarch. Time will tell if that remains to be the case, there is little affection for Charles and his bide in.
Some questions:
How does Scottish independence impact the BBC licence fee?
Is the BBC a United Kingdom entity?
Will Scotland have its own “Scottish Broadcasting Corporation”?
And if that’s the case will the anti-English bigots in England accept an “English Broadcasting Corporation”?
Where does Wales fall in this debate?
BBC Scotland are shadow of what they were even 10 years ago. They have been infected by Labour luvvies in the News room who spout an endless diatribe of Labour propaganda which is why they closed the blogs down to silence their critics which were many.
Turkeys do not vote for Christmas.
The BBC is already the SBC, it’s infested with jocks.
Was this Today segment meant to be a joke? A Scottish reporter talking to other Scots who said Scotland will be fine on its own, no mention of the EU or any other subsidies needed. The only dissenting voice was an Englishman. The only other hint that all was not well was an unenthusiastic Scot from a jobs training center. But the lack of ship-building jobs can’t be blamed on the current Scottish system, so it’s hardly a negative for the independence side.
Why haven’t they had on “Two Eds” Flanders to explain how the Scottish dream will work? She’s trusted by the BBC to pronounce judgment on so many other countries, even after being repeatedly wrong, so why the absence from this issue? Or has she already told us it will work as well as the Greek bailout and I missed it?
PS: I hope the environmentals don’t get a whiff of this new oil economy. Naughty.
David I’m Scottish and trust me, Unionists such as myself, hold the SNP in utter contempt just like I do the BBC left wing scum. We are not stupid and we can see through Alex Salmond’s ludicrous claims (oil, refusal to accept the share of the deficit, retaining Sterling etc etc ad nauseum) and politicial posturing . The BBC’s sole agenda is cultural Marxism and they are using every opportunity to promote it. Did you see Newsnight lastnight?? That complete and utter left wing prat Paul Mason was waxing lyrical about socialism again like a first year undergrad. The BBC are obsessed with this failed utopian ideal of the past but would do well to remember that the majority of people who pay their wages are normal folk who have to work hard for a living instead of scrounging off the state, aggressively imposing ethnic minorities on our culture and occupying public spaces on Wall St and St Pauls.
Merlin, I take no sides on the issue of Scottish independence, really. I’m just wondering why the BBC generally treats this with kid gloves. Why no Richard Black fretting about a new oil powerhouse economy? He’s allowed to do it for everything else. An independent Scotland will sink the Maldives! *DONT_KNOW*
The answer David is because the BBC are afraid to offend the Scottish Nationalists. This cowardice is the result of yet another liberal pre-conceived notion of England still being the dreaded ‘oppressive tyrant’, a similar philosphy that implies an ethnic minority can say anything about a white man but no vice versa (I refer to the Diane Fatty Abbot episode as a classic example) . This support for minority groups is just another facet of the left wing cowardice to confront those opposed to the concept of a British state, the apologist brigade if you like that forever blames England for the world’s ills (yet they still enjoy the luxury that living in England allows)
I have lived and worked in England for over ten years and love the country and regard the English as my brethren BUT one thing I can never understand is the self-loathing middle classes who seem to support every nationality and cause but the English one, and the BBC are part of that middle class smart arse ilk who would rather stand shoulder to shoulder with a Muslim extremist than a poverty stricken white family on a council estate in Liverpool. They disgust me!
David Preiser: another reason for the BBCtreating the subject with kid gloves: Scotland votes Labour. If Scotland is no longer in the UK, the Labour majority disappears. Imagine, an inbuilt English Conservative majority. Can there be anything worse for Beeboids? The BBC may even be forced to reflect the views of the majority – ………….sorry, I was distracted for a moment – I thought I saw pigs flying passed the window.
Merlin,
Couldn’t agree more, as a fellow Scotsman the current situation worries me as Salmond is a clever politician and he is deliberately playing on the anti-english rhetoric and the likes of Cameron et al walk into the trap every time. The worst thing that could happen to Scotland right now is Independance but I fear a large majority of the population either cant see or are not interested in the problems that it will bring
I am a firm supporter of the union and the current inflamatory situation is a great pity. In the 19th century Scotland was a powerhouse of the industrial revolution. Glasgow was one of the world’s great cities- the Springburn district was the world steam engineering centre.
Perhaps this talk of independence is a reaction to lost prosperity and prestige. The independence movement seems largely to be an emotional one rather than reality based. I distrust all politicians and Salmond is no different to any other. For him it is way to power.
Yep agreed Dave. It’s incredible how gullible some people are when it comes to ‘buying’ Alex Salmond’s provocative and emotionally charged rants. The man (SNP are basically a one man/one agenda party) has yet to present any detailed economical, political or infrastructural plan as to how Scotland could survive as a country-it’s all been the old ‘we are being bullied by London and so want our freedom’ crap that resonates so well with the pub mentality. It’s just been pure spin and Braveheart war cries which do nothing but stir up hatred both north and south of the border (which is what he wants of course). But I think many are quietly seeing through his infantile tirades which simply consist of blaming everything on Westminster in the bad times and claiming the credit in the good times.
But Salmond has no opposition, he taps into the 90 minute nationalists (the pathetic Braveheart lot) and peddles hate towards England and the Scots go along with it.
What has changed (thankfully) is the attitude of the English who have finally woken up to the massive shafting they’ve been getting from Scotland and the racism peddled as ‘nationalism’ by Salmond and co.
I’ve NEVER heard the BBC accuse Salmond of being a racist, yet anyone who speaks up for English independence is trashed by the BBC as a racist, or the BBC wheels out morons like Billy Bragg as ‘Englishness’
I really don’t get why Cameron is sticking up for the Union, no one in England really thinks it works anymore and it would prevent a Labour Government being formed in England forever.
I’m not that sure the BBC actually want an Independent Scotland. For starters it will put an end to majority Labour governments (actually a good thing) but it will also start to break up the BBC empire and all those Scots who make a living out of living off the English TV licence fee payer.
But the BBC love seeing Salmond give Cameron a hard time.
Martin is this English licence payer the same one, who in many anti Scottish rants we see on these forums, pays the English taxes to keep us Scots in deep fried Mars bars and Buckfast up here in Brigadoon?
And there was me thinking that we UK citizens paid our taxes and licences in to the UK and BBC pot. Or do you regard the UK as England.
The freedom of information act and the internet and much digging by many pepole is putting a very different light on matters, to that which appears to have fused in the heads of some on here. The argument has moved a way past you and you are not even playing catch up like Cameron. There is a lot of information freely available in the public domain that is driving the agenda now, not the least of it being Scotland’s surplus.
The smoke and mirrors of three hundred and five years of creative London Treasury accounting is being slowly pulled apart. No wonder that UK vested interest are reacting so hysterically.
“The argument has moved a way past you and you are not even playing catch up like Cameron. There is a lot of information freely available in the public domain that is driving the agenda now, not the least of it being Scotland’s surplus.”
In which case you’ll be able to post reams of links to politicians saying the same thing as you, proving this surplus, and nobody else will be able to provide any links at all of any politicians and others discussing the Barnet forumla and its imbalance.
“The smoke and mirrors of three hundred and five years…”
I suggest you look to the history that you keep mentioning and see what, when and how Scotland came to have any influencve anywhere…I’ll give you a clue, it was after 1707, any ideas why?
When Scotland was an industrial powerhouse there was little or no talk of independence .The Victorian and Edwardian businessmen would have thought it absurd. This is an emotional issue as your posts make clear and it has been fueled by power hungry politicians trading on this emotion. It seems to be revolving around North Sea oil. Now this puts Scotland on a par with the oil states of the ME. Possessing a finite natural resource and little else and all of them failed states by my definition.
Scotland is not in that category nor will , I trust, it ever be but without the lucky bonus of the oil would we ever hear of independence and the breaking of the Union?
From that link about Scotland’s surplus:
Professor Hughes Hallett also destroyed one of the myths surrounding the bail out of HBOS and RBS claiming that their dealings in England would have meant that England would have shouldered a significant part of their liabilities.
Professor Hughes Hallet said: “They [HBOS and RBS] have substantial activities in England as well as elsewhere and therefore the burden of bailing them out would have to have been shared in any case.
So Gordon Brown twisted arms to get Lloyds to absorb HBOS, and waved regulations to allow it to happen, all to save England specifically, and not the UK economy. Who knew?
Yes I have also become a little tired of this open platform for the SNP on the likes of the Today program and Newsnight where the questioning from the grossly overpaid Interviewers is well below par and so gives the Nationalists an easy ride. But this, of course, ties in with the BBc’s utopic cultural Marxism whereby the ‘oppressed’ must be ‘let free’ and have an open voice. In other words it’s another case of sever left wing bollocks from the anti-Unionist and American BBC scum who simply don’t get this country or its people. I am sick to death of hearing Alex Salmond’s smug arrogance and bluster on our screens with no one having the slightest guts to confont this obnoxious prat, BUT that’s what we are bloody paying those useless softy liberals at the BBC to do but like with the Muslims and every other f**king minority group they cowtow to their evey moan.
How very dare these jocks get air time on your air, do they not know their place in the UK. Who are allowed to voice opinions on your air in Merlin land?
Sorry I don’t understand what you are saying. Your post is unintelligible (and childish!).
OK I josted Duncan but in all fairness if you Jocks ( I use that word in freindly fashion ) want to leave / breakup the Union then so long as the split is fair and amicable then good luck and may you prosper . I will still go up to see you all on holiday and may even invest if business and employment taxes are made lower than in England .
Please though , take some of my relatives who “occupy ” space in England but dont want to be part of it . They considrr themseves Caledonian even though they`ve spent less time in Hibernia than I have .
You can understand the resentment .
I’m sorry I cannot post in Merlinese
Meanwhile:-
The Jihad in Scotland
My two cents!
I am a great fan of Scotland, having been there many times and so respectful of its history, its culture, enterprise and (of course) its awesome beauty.
What irks me is the Dewar/Cook abortion of an agreement to allow Scotland to be “a bit independent”…like being a bit pregnant!
It was a NuLabor stitch up that was ill-thought out, but had the happy effect of keeping Labour with 50+ seats in OUR Parliament…and a perpetual cultural opposition to the “forces of conservatism” south of the border.
Hence the love of the arrangement by the EU…the Balkanisation of these islands continues by stealth.
The likes of Salmond, Sturgeon, McAlpine and McAskill are ticks on our backs-and I really resent any prospect of paying for their “partners” tuition fees and care home bills, whilst we are bled dry!
I don`t mind what the Scots decide-as long as it is one or the other…absolutely NO further devolution of yet more money up north…let the EU fund it, and let us have our money back in that case!
I would agree that the BBC are unsure which way to jump on Independence.
As Anglophobia is a basic tenet of Beeb thought they often err in favour of the SNP, getting particularly excited whenever Salmond sticks it to Cameron and the Tories.
The BBC also love to celebrate any statist leftyness that comes out of Holyrood at the tax payers’ expense.
If and when it comes to a vote I’m guessing the major weight of the Beeb (south of the border) will throw in their lot with the SNP.
I say, go for it Scotland. Salmond wants to put your national future in the hands of 16 year old neds!
SNP Leader Alex Salmond has today called for Scotland to join northern Europe’s arc of prosperity, with Ireland to the west, Iceland to the north and Norway to the east all small independent countries in the top six richest nations in the world.
Hey, Eck/ BBC/ Duncan, I been away since Eck said that in 2006.
How is this wily political operator’s ‘arc of prosperity’ doing these days?
=-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O =-O
See for your self your omnipotence, the arc of prosperity is alive and well and streets ahead of the UK on the UN HDI index.
The UK is one of the most indebted economies in the EU now, and sinking like an Italian cruise ship. It is time for us Scots to fall in to a life boat and start rowing like buggery.
Pip pip old bean.
Think it was a certain Scottish MP who racked up the debt of which you speak. Time for reparations? Pip pip “Duncan”
I think you’ll find that, debt or not, England’s ability to actually create wealth, as opposed to rely passively on a declining resource, is quite sound.
As for the “arc of prosperity”, Norway for instance has a shipbuilding industry. You had one once – what happened to it? And don’t say Thatcher because I remember the 1960s too well.
“The UK is one of the most indebted economies in the EU now”???
Is it?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15748696
“It is time for us Scots to fall in to a life boat and start rowing like buggery. ” Where to? Greece?
“..and sinking like an Italian cruise ship” I wonder if the relatives of the people who died on that “Italian cruise ship” appreciate your humour.
I worked with a Rob Roy like you in the 1970s and he had a giant chip on his shoulder too. I would welcome your independence, then at least we could get away from your overbearing victimhood.
ROBERT BROWN; Well said John, the ‘cruise liner’ quip by our disgraceful scottish ‘friend’ is beyond the pale, excuse the Irish term there, not that Duncan would understand that. The heathen is probably on his tenth scotch by now. Away with ye!
The phrase “beyond the pale” dates back to the 14th century, when the part of Ireland that was under English rule was delineated by a boundary made of such stakes or fences, and known as the English Pale. To travel outside of that boundary, beyond the pale, was to leave behind all the rules and institutions of English society, which the English modestly considered synonymous with civilization itself.
I wonder if the relatives of the people who died as a result of the Irish troubles will appreciate your humour. Or even the descendants of the Battle of Culloden who you sneered at earlier. I know lets go for every one who ever died on earth ever, how offended must they be.
It seems to me that Google has a lot to answer for, the terms BBC and red white and blue, have obviously drawn the swivel eyed white supremacists of England to this site, I feel as if I have stumbled in to a gang hut of hill billies. I truly feel sorry for the English if this is an example of how they are. What sad mad trolls haunt this place, I am glad I got out in time.
Apologies to Milly and any normal people who happen to stumble in here, leave, it is to depressing for words.
Scotland, of course, having had no involvement in Northern Ireland whatsoever?
You have gone from bigotry to outright racism there.
The above is in reply to Duncan.
“I wonder if the relatives of the people who died as a result of the Irish troubles will appreciate your humour. Or even the descendants of the Battle of Culloden who you sneered at earlier. I know lets go for every one who ever died on earth ever, how offended must they be.”
What a complete and utter moron you are. A discrace to humanity if ever I heard one. If the SNP are full of people like you God help Scotland if they get independence. You show all the humanity of Mugabe. Very sad.
Watch this if you want to know about lies.