Yesterday saw the SNP unveil its vision for an Independent Scotland. Now, leaving aside whether one sees this as an act of sublime delusionalism, the question I have for you is how did you think the BBC covered it? I listened to Jim Naughtie wax elegant on the document itself, apparently the sheer number of pages made him think the tome was weighty. In my view, the BBC coverage was pretty much pro SNP, although it is interesting to see that the SNP would remove the BBC from Scotland in the event of them gaining Independence. Sadly of course Salmond would replace with an even more fervently Statist broadcaster! Thoughts on their coverage then?
SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE
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I have to say the vast coverage Salmond gets it’s obvious the result the bbc wants.
Also every independence story on bbc gets a HYS comments section.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2513709/Alex-Salmonds-plans-Scottish-independence-Well-pound-Queen-Doctor-Who.html
CLAIM: A Scottish Broadcasting Service (SBS) would be established using the assets of BBC Scotland. SBS would broadcast Strictly Come Dancing, Doctor Who and CBeebies in return for giving the BBC access to its existing resources north of the border.
REALITY: Programmes such as Strictly have huge commercial value. The BBC could charge a premium for the show and use the money to establish its own facilities in Scotland.
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/nov/26/scottish-independence-bbc-broadcaster-snp-white-paper
The Scottish National party said it would establish the SBS as a joint venture with the BBC, replacing BBC Scotland as the nation’s licence fee funded public service broadcaster on TV, radio and online from the start of 2017.
BBC shows such as EastEnders, Doctor Who and Strictly Come Dancing would still be available in Scotland via the SBS/BBC joint venture, the SNP is proposing.
A joint venture?? First the television tax payers have heard about it, and what are the commercial implications. It must be true because it’s in the print arm of the corporation.
“The SBS will initially be set up using BBC Scotland’s staff and facilities, the SNP said in its 670-page white paper on independence, published on Tuesday.”
Really? So how much is the BBC going to be getting for selling these assets to the Scottish government?
“The SNP said it would also seek an agreement with Channel 4 by the proposed start of independence for Scotland in 2016 to ensure the advertiser-funded public service broadcaster has “appropriate minimum level of original production, in terms of both value and hours, that reflects Scotland’s population size”.
So it appears from that, that the channel 4 deal is yet to be done, but the BBC one is in the bag and negotiations are done & dusted.
This is a bit of a bugbear of mine and although I’m not sure if its poor form I’d like to repost two items I put on the Start The Week thread yesterday, as I think they clearly show the BBCs position on this issue.
“Milverton says:
November 26, 2013 at 8:36 am
Nicky Campbell, Five Live 08.10.
An SNP guy was introduced as being tipped to be the first Scottish President. I missed his name and it wasn’t repeated at the end.
It began with a cheery Campbell opening gambit of “Mr. President!”, which was met by the response of “Good morning, Nicky! I’m still waiting for that book you promised to send me.” A heartbeats pause followed by Campbell saying “That doesn’t mean we’re friends.” before a very, very cosy chat between the two.
Next up Eleanor Oldroyd reads the headlines, telling the nation that the Scottish Secretary was Alistair Campbell, not Alistair Carmichael.
Five Live are clearly fully in the yes camp.”
[Campbell seemed slightly taken aback by the above revelation being made public. I managed to pick my jaw up from the ground with a couple of minutes.]
… and…
Milverton says:
November 26, 2013 at 11:06 am
“Of course if the yes campaign really wanted independence they’d ask the English, not the Scots, but putting that to one side…
Nick Robinson in Glasgow last night on the Ten trailing todays independence document with the words “What might be Europe’s newest, brightest, shiniest nation.”
In what way is that a balanced view? Excise the “brightest, shiniest” and it would be scrupulously even handed. Add them and it is pure opinion.”
Of course a cynical man, which I hope I am not, might think the cultural Marxists who infest swathes of the BBCs news output see potential Scottish independence as a chance to deliver a mortal blow their hated United Kingdom.
The SNP and al beeb sing from the same hymn sheet.
The SNP are fanatical anti semites and openly support Islamic terrorist organisations. ‘we are all Hamas now’ they say as they hand over hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers money to groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, the spiritual leaders of al Qaeda and the Taliban.
This is deputy leader Nicola Sturgeon attacking the right of the Scottish people regarding freedom of expression, in this case over a youtube clip. It’s good to see them getting their priorities right.
Nicola Sturgeon Quote: We will stand shoulder to shoulder…
Quite, but with the heads missing.
That takes some brass neck, to address a crowd waving banners proclaiming ” respect all faiths” by muslims?
Respect all faiths? Muslims?
Who the fuck falls for this utter shit?
Who the fuck falls for this utter shit?
Indeed. Who does? Start with the Dean of Exeter Cathedral, Bishops in the C of E and the entire Interfaith crowd, working closely with the Socialist Workers Party, the TUC, Fire Brigades Union etc. I feel very lonely.
It proves that ALL religion is a superstitious, barking mad, screaming lunatic delusional mental illness!
Salmond and Sturgeon keep telling us that racisism will not be tolerated in Scotland.
That is unless it’s anti semitic which is not only tolerated but which they openly support.
The country which gave the world the enlightenment and the age of reason commiting cultural suicide.
It makes me ashamed of being a Scot.
Salmond and Sturgeon, as ‘fishy’ a political party as you could get.
Hmm, the petulant adolescent children have crawled out of the sewer, that’s what an independent Scotland will be like, across between North Korea and East Germany.
Nice Saul Alinsky tactics in action.
or Gaza, with the SNP lobbing home made rockets over Hadrian’s Wall.
Note, she doesn’t mention Christianity once, isn’t that the religion of Scotland ?
Non of this is contradictory. Islam is one of the Left’s “historic forces” which which it must ally in its attacks on the western world to destroy it, so they can recreate our culture and our new “common sense” so as to make us socialist personalities. Go read gramsci, just read the wikipedia page on the tw*t.
This is the ugly face of the SNP.
It’s something straight from Nazi Germany in the 30’s.
Well, the SNP *are* of course National Socialists…
and Scottish workers party
Fat, bloated, tinky weegie parasite
SNP fail. Sandra White addresses the gathering with shalom alechem which is of course Hebrew. Arabic and Hebrew are sister languages, in the sense that Spanish is a sister to French, so there are many similar words. The correct Arabic is salaam alaikum .
I know I’m going against the grain here, but I’m not convinced there’s an overall pro-SNP bias at the BBC. Perhaps that’s because I try to avoid the BBC as much as possible, but I can’t say I see it.
The reality is that, up here north of the border, there is substantial SNP support, to the extent that they won a majority in the Scottish Parliament. The rules were designed to prevent just that, but still they managed it. So any coverage of Scottish politics must give a sizeable chunk of time over to the SNP. Perhaps this comes across as giving Alex Salmond too much time to my friends south of the border, where the SNP is an irrelevance?
For instance, the news headlines on this morning’s Today mentioned the independence document produced yesterday and then gave soundbites from all three opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament – Labour, Tories & LibDems. You might argue that three “no” voices to one “yes” is biased against the SNP. It’s a very difficult one to get right.
The SNP is not an irrelevance south of the border we are cheering them on.
Cheer them on all you like. It isn’t going to happen.
All the froth and scare stories surrounding this debate should be a warning to those who would like a referendum on leaving the EU, bearing in mind there’s no doubt where the BBC stands on that one.
Its good that you mention the EU and the BBC’s position.
Any Nationalist, whether they be SNP, Plaid Cymru or Sinn Fein, would never go anywhere near the EU. Its what makes this whole debate about ‘Independence’ such a farce.
A proper, unbiased news organisation would highlight this little fact and put it to all those, whether they be for Scotland to remain in the UK (and EU) or ‘independent’ and still shackled to the anti-nationalist EU.
How can any nation be considered independent, yet hand over large swaths of its sovereignty ?
If the BBC, and for that matter other news outlets where to ask this, it would put this whole charade to bed.
I’m in favour of a balanced debate. I don’t have an issue with that at all.
My problem is when Nicky Campbell starts taking to his bestest imaginary friend the President of Scotland, or Nick Robinson describes an independent Scotland as potentially the brighest and shiniest nation in Europe. That is not reporting. It is opinion.
I remember a Victoria Derbyshire studio debate a couple of months ago, which despite a roughly two-thirds majority in opinion polls for a no vote at the time was split 50/50 at the beginning, but after an hour of extremely aggressive, bordering on New Labour’s beloved hate speech so vicious was it in its Anglophobia from certain quarters, it became a victory for the yes vote.
I started out hoping Scotland remains in the Union. Now, after seeing the sheer aggression and hatred some in the yes campaign have for the English I’m a don’t care. The damage these nutcases have done to the Union will take years to repair whatever the outcome.
Our Westminster politicians are being far too nice about this. They should be announcing the closure of Faslane, and stringent border controls to ensure the SNPs open door immigration policy does not leave our back door wide open too. We need to pay up their stake in the Bank of England and tell them they’ll need their own currency. These issues need airing now.
The other day Putin told the Ukrainians they are free to join the EU, but their 40% gas subsidy would disappear. Cameron needs to start discussing the nuts and bolts of the downside for Scotland instead of this misty eyed clutching of the Union Flag.
The BBC know that one way or another they’ll be fine. The British Broadcasting corporation is not the United Kingdom Broadcasting Corporation. They have an out built into their name regardless.
The silver lining is that the end of the Union will be the end of Labour in England.
“The silver lining is that the end of the Union will be the end of Labour in England. ”
That’s why they are going for the ‘Regions’ meme.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-24431690
Divide and conquer. Then divide again !
There was a suggestion years ago that the Blair government agreed with the sections of the European Commission that to get the people of the UK fully behind the great European project it would need to be broken up.
The Blair government set us along this path (not content with making a pig’s ear of Iraq) thinking that Labour would rule in Scotland in perpetuity.
I well remember fatso prescott setting up a referendum oop north somewhere about regional Government, and the people told him what to do with it.
It was the North East, the thinking being that, if a vote was offered, a semi-autonomous Geordiestan was an absolute cast iron banker which could then be used as a precendent to regionalise the rest of us. Most likely without the further need for referenda.
Lord knows the local press had been squared : down here we were at one time, and unbelievably, to be lumped in with Nord-Pas de Calais as some sort of cross-channel Xanadu, and (well, I never !) lots of articles started conveniently appearing in the Kent Messenger concerning the myriad delights of northern France (‘delights’ previously best appreciated at 70 mph on the autoroute going south and with the windows up). How much we had in common ! (Both Nord dwellers and Kentings eat and drink to stay alive ! And live in areas that border the Channel (or La Manche! They speak French over there, you know !). The south coast has lots of castles built to keep out the French, and over there are the French who were so very keen to burn down your ancestors’ homes ! See how connected you are, how much you have in common ? Best bow to progress and give in, eh ? ).
And then the North East didn’t play ball. Which is what happens when you actually ask the hoi polloi for their opinions. WON’T make that mistake again.
“Lord knows the local press had been squared : down here we were at one time, and unbelievably, to be lumped in with Nord-Pas de Calais as some sort of cross-channel Xanadu”
I remember that. Trans-Manche was the new name put forward by some Brussels pillock.
Scotland, and the other nations along that latitude, were to be called the Northern Periphery if I remember correctly.
“Oh flower of part of the Northern Periphery, when will we see your like again?” Has a lovely ring to it, don’t you think?
Agree with Mark B , don`t know why the Right want to keep this Socialist State dependent country in the UK . We will be free of Millipeed , because of the 40 or so free Labour seats sent to our Parliament ,which we would be rid of. Also the oil is not Scottish it belongs to the Orkney`s & Shetlands & could also vote to leave Scotland . They could join with the UK or become like the Channel Islands or IOM .
“The silver lining is that the end of the Union will be the end of Labour in England. ”
At present Scotland elects around 10% of the UK parliamentary seats. How would Independence be the “end of Labour in England” when every Labour government has relied on non-Scottish seats to gain an overall majority?
A silver lining without a cloud.
There’s no chance of the BBC supporting Scottish independence given that their political wing would rarely if ever be elected to power in the rest of the UK ever again.
The thought that the BBC would support decades of Tory governance from a site like this is risible! It should be obvious to anyone that the Labour supporting BBC would seek to return them to power in London, and not to exile them to power only in an irrelevant Edinburgh, where they’d have to share between them & the SNP.
Ah, but where is it on their list of priorities? If the destruction of the UK is a higher goal for the left then they will dump labour pronto and move their support to the liberals – and push them further into the mire of left wing politics.
The BBC does the EUs bidding and the EU want the UK gone – we’re too much of an inconvenience to their desire for a fourth Reich.
As to Scotland they move from being part of the third largest country in the EU, even if its the most hated, to the 23rd largest country. It should be remembered that Jerry doesn’t distinguish between Scots and the English and France only strokes the Scots to annoy the English. Once the deal is done the Scots will get a kicking from the EU and, no doubt, blame the English for it.
If there were no Scots MPs in Westminster today the Tories would have a substantial majority and then they could deal with the BBC. For those of who want to see at least a substantial curbing of the power of the BBC, if not its outright demise, a yes vote in Scotland would be a good thing. Then the rest of the UK could have a country free from the liberal left propaganda of the state funded broadcaster and this would lead to a parliament which actually reflected what they thought rather than what the BBC thought they should think.
Come on Scots do your neighbours a favour of immense value and allow us to rid ourselves of the BBC.
“If there were no Scots MPs in Westminster today the Tories would have a substantial majority and then they could deal with the BBC.”
Since when was 19 seats a “substantial majority”?
http://wingsoverscotland.com/why-labour-doesnt-need-scotland/
You’re really scraping for things on this thread. But you still don’t adress the herd of elephants in the room i.e. the BBC’s clear biases.
address
But SNP seats in Westminster are just ‘Labour-Lite’
So 11 SNP seats Plus 41 Labour seats = 52 Socialist seats removed is no disaster for your lefties Albaman?
No Scottish labour, no Coalition, Conservative majority.
A majority of one is better than the clusterfuck coalition we are stuck with now
The scotch MPs should keep their whining noses out of English business
I`ll add nothing except to recall Jim Naughties introduction to the SNPs clunker that promises a “fairer, more equal and prosperous Scotland”(PM 5.00pm 27/11/13).
Odious flummery worthy of a backstairs Billy.
No need to ask who`s grooming SNP stools this morning with a hangover.
To the ROH…now!…the tartan whirlybird awaits you Jimmy!
The SNP has a new Savile Saveloy in a fetching tartan cheque!
Maybe Naughtie is angling for the job of head of the Scottish Broadcasting Corporation?
Will the Scots have to vote for independence so they “can find out what’s in it”?
They will vote to stay in the UK. It will be quite funny to watch the meltdown of some nationalists as a result.
This is all about getting Devo Max – the real aim of Fatty Salmond (Even he realises the conditions are not right – and he would likely shite himself if his nightmare of a yes vote somehow came about) Cameron needs to quash that one right now and refused to be blackmailed in to either explicitly or tacitly offering more gold and favours to these hard left racist gangsters over and above that which they currently enjoy. I’m sure he will stand firm – nurse more meds please
I think you are right about Salmonds real goal of Devo Max. That way he can retain the trappings of power and take all the credit when things go right but still be able to blame Westminster when things go wrong. He used to be a banker. I rest my case.
Agreed, Colonel – Alex is a canny wee operator (but also a twat).
Michelin-starred dining Independent Scotland style
LOL, got to love that sign. I wouldn’t mind betting that 95%+ of all interdependent fast food establishments (and 75% + of non independent) had rodents, pests or infestation of some sort if you looked hard enough.
100% in West Albania/ Scotland
Anyone who has worked in the food industry will tell you horror stories – they are legion.
It always makes me laugh when people abuse waiters and send food back in restaurants. Surely they must know that it is going to come back having been wiped around the loo and/or spat on?
It’s best not to think about it and hope that the chicken isn’t alsatian or Tiddles from next door and as long as the rice isn’t actually moving …
A friend of mine would complain bitterly whenever we went to a restaurant. “This is too hot, this is too cold.” Incredibly embarrassing, especially as the complaints were niggly at very best.
As the waiter or waitress went to leave the table I would always say “Excuse me, mine is absolutely delicious. Please tell the chef.”
And the clever chap can clearly spell, only affecting the phonetic Scots slang for effect!
Grade 1 GCSE English(or is that Scottish these days?)…and a discerning restaurant critic as well!
The bBBC automatically supports anyone and anything that is anti-British, so they would obviously be in favour of the break-up of the UK. But it must have given them a few moments’ thought when they realised that the rest of the country would normally have a Conservative government.
Sturgeon and the other fat turd above spouting their pro-muslim shit are not representative of Scots. They are just a the tartan strain of the lefty Marxist twats seen down south but without the Public School education (in the case of the fat one – no education). SNP will dish out grants and payments to all muslim groups in return for unequivocal support at the polls. I am Scottish but these horrible little gremlins absolutely disgust me.
The closer the Scottish Referendum date gets, the scarier and more murky the whole issue gets.
I live in Shetland which isn’t some small outpost of Scotland as we have a different(Scandinavian) history and culture. Some areas and land in Shetland is still held under the ancient Norse Law system of Udal Law(the owner has absolute and outright ownership with no higher authority).
The way the SNP have treated Shetland since gaining “power” in the last Scottish elections has been appalling. In other words we’ve been punished for not voting SNP.
The SNP have turned out to be just as bad and limp as all other political parties and politicians. They’re trying to be all things to all people and clearly favour multiculturalism.
I think the BBC are covering the issue with favour because they can see this and are in mini-orgasm at the prospect of an independant Scotland being a new “Beacon of the Left”.
My heart sinks the closer the referendum date gets because if they win it doesn’t bear thinking about……
Udal Law – puts me in mind of a programme about a South African but London based business man who thought it would be a hoot to buy a croft in the highlands. Turned out to be rather less of a hoot when he found out how few rights he had as the owner – so few that he could be turfed out of the house he thought he had bought.
‘Turfed out’. 😉
Igorremall.
Why not claim Independence for the Shetland Islands. Then take all of your oil with you. The English will back you up on that one.
There’s a very good historical, economic, cultural and political argument for that actually!.
Scots Refugee week in Glasgow, note the brain dead, white liberal Eloi celebrating their own displacement. Multiculturalism is like a Jonestown cult.
Note the marxist Refugee Scotland YouTube Channel bans comments, that says it all. What are they frightened of ?
“What are they frightened of ? ”
Probably frightened of people like you polluting the comments.
Albabum, stop polluting the comments here with your far left crap.
If standing up to racists like David Brims makes me, in your view, someone from the “far left” so be it.
The pollution on this board all comes from the right wing “favoured few” and is obviously condoned by the owners – shame on them!!
just because extreme left wing moonbats like you dont agree with what other people think does not make them racist. Please use that word for real racism.
you know as well as i do, if anything racist was posted on this site, you, as well as the rest of the BBC/Labour/UAF/SWP scumbags that troll this site, would be emailing the police
Right on cue, Albaman swoops in on fruit that’s hanging so low it’s actually rotting on the ground. Get lost, Albaman. Your total silence on the fact of the BBC censoring out a key bit about the Ofgem statement and the BBC’s failure to identify a Labour apparatchik – and those are just the latest obvious bias incidents you dare not address – renders you pointless and worthy of disdain. Go ahead and bitch about people’s comments about Scotland if you must, but don’t pretend you disprove a single charge of BBC bias with this sort of thing.
Good to see you supporting the racists David. Keep up the good work!!
Bet you can’t wait until Carlisle becomes the new Calais eh, Albaman?
And like David says, to gain a bit of credibility try engaging with the real examples of stinking, putrid BBC bias which have flooded this website since….since….oh, since you were last here.
Tired old tactic. Can’t answer DP’s argument so deflect by shouting “racist “.
Salmond would replace BBC Scotland with a Scottish Broadcasting Service. But who will man such an organisation ? Well I suppose, the same people they have now, only they will be under Scotland’s / Salmond’s thumb.
If they get their ‘independence’, prepare for a season* of Anti-Sassenach programs.
*the season to run for 365 days, with repeats thereafter.
Wouldn’t Scottish Independence mean the end of the BBC? Britain was created by the political union of England and Scotland in 1707.
So if Scotland were Independent would that make the term British archaic and out of date? I’m sure they would would never use the title English Broadcasting Corporation.
It would mean the end of BBC Scotland. The paper says that Scotland could continue to collect the LF payements in Scotland and start a new national state broadcaster. The truth is that the BBC would represent a foreign broadcaster whose money-grabbing scope would be limited to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The BBC’s royal charter is negotiated by Westminster every ten years (next time: 2016). Salmond is talking out his large derriere.
I’m sure it’ll be a ‘No’ vote in the end, but if not – has anyone put forward what the new Union Flag would be like without the blue bit? Just six red stripes on a white background?
It will look BETTER!
Funny but I already thought there was a Scottish Broadcaster
I watched Newsnight last night. I hoped to see some strong analysis of the white paper but, instead, was presented with some piece presented by an idiot waxing lyrical about the superficial assertions, and then Kirsty Wark showing little understanding of the contradictions in the paper.
The idiot said that Salmond & Sturgeon gave an excellent press conference earlier. He must have been in a parallel world as all I saw were two canny, but deluded, politicians deflecting all questions asked.
Can somebody explain to me what the point is of this latest “Echo Chambers” piece?
Newspaper barbs and US bombers flying after China’s air defence move
This is just a list of he said/she said blustering from all corners. No insight offered. It looks as if this was created just to give the BBC a reason to say, “There, we’ve covered the story”, without doing much of anything. The only thing one might possibly learn from this is that the editor thinks the US is going to step up military presence in the East China Sea. But that’s only if one has been living under a rock and had no idea what’s been going on over there. Or, I suppose, if one relies on the BBC for their news.
I had to laugh, however, at the jarring dichotomy between this suggestion that the US is stepping up military bluster against China at the same time Mark Mardell is defending the President for saying we don’t do that. The tagline for his
editorial…er…opinion piece….um….experienced professional impartial journalistic insight on the US & Canada homepage is this:Obama tells critics of Iran deal the world needs an end to mistrust, not tough talk and bluster
So which is it, BBC? You can’t have it both ways.
Is this Echo Chambers thing just an excuse to throw something together for some eyeball traffic? It’s hard to see any other point to it. I guess it worked since I looked at it.
I’ll say this for him, though: the editor, Anthony Zurcher, sure has cranked out a bunch of these recently. A couple of have been reasonably balanced collection of commentary, but mostly it’s been an exercise in weighting things towards a Left-leaning perspective on whichever story catches his fancy. Value for money, I’m sure. This is what they spend money on in tight fiscal times, rather than on researchers for proper investigative journalism for flagship news programmes. The Birt legacy of constantly trying to explain everything and lead to you to an opinion lives on. No US or other foreign ad revenue to be gained by those, I guess.
It seems to me the more obvious it became the SNP manifesto was just one long socialist wish-list with no hint as to how it will all be paid for (and how Scottish is that, Gordon?), the more Naughtie and pals purred their approving tones.
And by the way, had any comparable party in England come up with anything remotely as nationalistic as this, particularly policies deliberately aimed at scoring points off another UK country as the SNP are so obviously doing with England, words like ‘jingoistic’, ‘anti-(name your country)’, ‘Little Englanders’, ‘far right’ etc etc would be screeching over the airwaves like a cacophony of badly-tuned bagpipes.
Oil, dear boy. Oil will pay for everything. Ha ha. Ho boy. Not if the Shetlands secede in their turn it won’t. Then they’ll have to actually tax the Scots, which will be an alarming new twist for a significant number who live by the motto : ‘Someone else will stump up’.
Much as Millipede seems to think that his re-run of the Atlee disaster will be entirely financed by ‘da bankers’.
And that ain’t happening either.
Oh! What fun to have the adolescent idiocies of the 6th form common room translated with no modification to actual ‘grown up’ politics.
what i cant understand about the the scottish independence movement is why did they not ask for us in england to be given the chance to vote whether we want them to stay part of the uk or not,i tell you what,if they did,alex salmond would be popping the champagne corks with a landslide victory for his dream of scottish independence.
The logic behind your argument means that the whole of the EU should get a vote in any future referendum on the UK leaving the EU.
So are you comparing the democratic systems of England/Scotland at the time of the union with those of the UK during the last few decades of power-grabbing by the EU?
A referendum on UK membership of the EU is giving us a vote on whether or not we should surrender political power – a vote, in case you haven’t noticed during our time in this unelected, undemocratic socialist superstate, that we have never been given.
So another massive fail for water-muddying lefty moral equivalence.
Alas, your logic is fatally flawed – the EU is not a country, and the various treaties governing it, specifically allow for an individual country to leave and regain full sovereignty without reference to other countries. World Trade agreements overule even the EU’s, so most EU attempts to raise tariffs on a country would be illegal. Since Lib/Lab/Con SNP are all in favour of GB remaining in the EU, these facts are not publicised. As I write, BBC news have reported that the Spanish government would veto Scotland’s application to join the EU!
trying to be cute and clever us not one of your best qualitys albarman,your agrument is totally false because the coalition goverement are not asking to leave the eu,quite the opposite, they are very pro eu,there you go mate.
The key word stuart was “future”.
“If this Bill passes, and I believe it can pass, then we will have set out in law the need for a referendum on an in-out basis before the end of 2017,”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/10161589/David-Cameron-EU-referendum-law-will-succeed.html
Salmond and the SNP are promising a pretend independence. The EUSSR will still dictate, perhaps even more so too a small state like Scotland. Look what is happening with the drive to abolish the law requiring corroboration from Scottish Courts. This unique centerpiece of the Scottish legal system was ruled unfair, not by Westminster but by The European Court. As a consequence the SNP executive initially stated they would fight and appeal any moves to abolish it. Yet now surprise surprise after they realise they are powerless to stop its abolition, they have changed their position to one advocating its removal, ostensibly on the grounds that it ‘has failed Scotland’. This disgraceful position has been taken to try and pretend they are the driving force and are in control of our own legislation. They clearly are not . It is bad enough when part of the UK but whatever clout we have against Brussles will be gone under Salmonds independence hobby horse. Scottish independence under current circumstances is a myth !
“The EUSSR will still dictate, perhaps even more so too a small state like Scotland. Look what is happening with the drive to abolish the law requiring corroboration from Scottish Courts. This unique centerpiece of the Scottish legal system was ruled unfair, not by Westminster but by The European Court”
Really!!
“A report into Scotland’s justice system has recommended that corroborated evidence will no longer be required in criminal cases.
Lord Carloway, who undertook the major review, also said suspects should be given the right to see a lawyer.
His review was set up after a UK Supreme Court judgement stopped police questioning suspects who had not been offered access to a lawyer. ”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-15767695
and Carloway’s lickspittle pronouncements where made on the basis of ECHR. It is the EUSSR and all its associated nonsense which is dictating all these changes.
If Scotland goes independent it will be like Greece in about a year.
Don’t think that a “yes” vote will improve our weather but there is always the chance!!
I thought I would vote for Scottish independence for the same reason I would vote for Labour.
Not because I believe in it.
But because it would help everything collapse alot quicker.
It already is!
Read this a couple of days ago
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2013/11/blow-to-salmond-as-nairn-academy-votes-to-save-the-union/
Thought it interesting view and totally contrary to the one promoted by BBC (emphasis on broadcasting ally)
like most gamblers.i lose more than i win,the bookies are bookies for one reason because they always win, according to the bookies odds,scottish independence is as likely as england winning the world cup in 2014.according to the bookies, the chances of england leaving the eu after we have are referendum are as likely nigel farage being are next prime minister in 2016.cased closed my noble lord.
Antidote to Naughtie-
“A 670-page insult to Scots’ intelligence”
By DAILY MAIL COMMENT.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2514151/DAILY-MAIL-COMMENT-A-670-page-insult-Scots-intelligence.html
One mistake that Mr Cameron MUST NOT make is to fall into the trap(s) Wee Nappy Salmond is trying to lay.
Firstly, Nappy is trying to suggest that, no matter what the vote is in the referendum, things will have to change, and since he’s explaining what his administration says it will do if it wins, then the current government must outline what changes it will make if the ‘No’ vote wins.
Nope, Nope, and triple NOPE. This referendum is about a one-way decision. If the vote is ‘Yes’ then Nappy HAS to explain what changes will be made. If the vote is ‘No’, then, by definition, NOTHING WILL CHANGE as a direct result of the referendum. The question on the referendum is quite clear – there is the option of the status quo, or independence, and the SNP should not be allowed to posture about the opposition not having a plan. It doesn’t need one.
Secondly, Mr Cameron MUST NOT fall for the SNP’s attempt to dictate what the rest of the UK ‘must do’, or ‘would be better off if it did’, so that the SNP plans will work. The answer is really simple. If the Scots vote for independence, so be it. The rest of the UK will then make decisions in its own best interests, and need never take account of what Scotland would wish or like ever again. Mr Salmond should only be allowed to claim he will do what he and his independent nation are able to do on their own. They cannot claim that the UK can be persuaded, forced, or otherwise co-opted into following his direction.
There are so many questions absolutely NOT answered by this farce of a document – e.g. will Scots need a new passport since, as a member of a different Nationality, they will not be entitled to travel on their UK passport. What about their driving licences ? Wages and pensions paid from UK sources into Scots’ bank accounts – who charges what taxes ? Suppose the payments are into English banks – e.g. on-line banks or Lloyds Bank ? Are English companies to be tasked with having two separate tax systems incorporated into their systems (since the SNP is keen to infer they will change tax and benefits – implying that many people will be better off…). There a re a million questions which need to be answered, and the document produces is full of ifs, buts and maybes….it is very much like the Democrats’ attempts to ride roughshod over the US population…. i.e. you will have to vote for this first before you find out what it entails.
Unfortunately, there are so many people dependent on the public teat in Scotland, and so bedazzled with the SNP claims that they will be better off, that they simply don’t ask any questions. And look what Obamacare has done in the US when people are shovelled into a system that has not been clearly thought through.
It’s all about devo max through the back door – The UK gvt at the time must make it clear no extra powers, areas of responsibility etc
rgds
And who would leave his ISA or any other savings in scottish banks if there is possibility of finding it has been converted to Euros overnight . There will be a huge capital flight from Scotland at the first whiff of an independence vote
Go Scotland!
Please.
Just Go.
John Standley, haven’t you got a morris dancing class to go too or something ?
He will let you know, as soon as your back from that SWP 80’s night
Which was clearly held in last nights QT studio
“John Standley, haven’t you got a morris dancing class to go too or something ?”
Too busy studying for my Dutch A Level to go with my German and French A Levels.
Tot ziens!
QT last night – the tories, the tories, the tories, the tories……………….
The BBC is usually an anti-racist organisation. South of the border they have been saying that the SNP has no chance. Of course, everyone agrees that English Nationalism is racist and Scottish Nationalism is no different – See http://antiracistfront.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/scottish-independence-is-it-racist.html