Thou treachorous Bachi Bazoukes, girning Anacalouthes, peddlars of lies and false dawns. A curse on your flaccid cocks.

O Lord my God, that glib tongued Aitken,

Who's very heart and flesh are quaking,

To think how Brown sat, sweating, shaking,

And pissed wi dread,

While Gray wi hinging lip gaed sneaking,

And hid his head.

Broon says "Scottish Government". Has hell frozen over?

Will his script writer be removed to a gulag on Tristan de Cunha?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8233846.stm

J'Accuse

On reading today's Scotsman, I couldn't help but let out a sigh of sheer ennui, when I read their latest biased reporting on the SNP Government.

"SNP ACCUSED OF DRINK CRACKDOWN...BY STEALTH!"

The headline had me envisioning a crack team of Ninja's swooping into bars, supermarkets and off-licenses and stealthily removing drinks from gaping maws.

Naturally, this is just more bollocks from the Unionist friendly Johnson Press who let no opportunity pass without first using their modus operandi of attacking the SNP Government and its members.

I embarked on stealth google using the exact phrase "SNP Accused" this returned a rather even numbered 11,000 hits.


I added the word 'Scotsman' to the search. This returned 6,780 hits.


Further filtering using the word 'Labour' produced 5,270 instances.

It occurs to me that when you overuse a word or a phrase it becomes devalued, often meandering over to the world of satire, e.g, 'won't somebody think of the children?'. Admirable sentiments, but used to the point of cliché the meaning becomes redundant.

I imagine when the voters of Scotland hear Iain Gray, saying things like, "If I was First Minister..."
This would be the general reaction.

As played in France every July 14th...

Mary doll dumped by Sunday Mail.

It appears that the Sunday Mail, have thrown off the last vestiges of objective journalism and dropped their sole Independence supporting columnist Elaine C Smith.

According to the Scottish Independence Convention Ms Smith, the convenor, has discovered that her pro-independence opinions are no longer welcome. The last column she submitted, supporting Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill's decision to release El-Megrahi on compassionate grounds was pulled at the very last minute.

Bruce Waddell.

If you feel that the grand poobah, Bruce Waddell, the editor in chief has erred in this decision, by all means demonstrate your ire by writing to mailbox@sundaymail.co.uk or for the more voluble please call 0141 309 3000.

Have you seen this country?

www.newsbiscuit.com/2009/08/25/scotland-missing-cia-snatch-squad-suspected/


Sources from within the American intelligence community have this morning confirmed that Scotland, reported missing by concerned relatives on Friday night, was arrested by the CIA for aiding and abetting terrorists and has been spirited away to a secret interrogation centre somewhere in Europe.

The country, which until this weekend occupied the northern third of the United Kingdom, was initially believed by police investigating its disappearance to have gone on a drinking binge and wandered off towards Scandinavia, despite protests from friends that this behaviour was nothing but a stereotype and in fact completely out of character.

Suspicions of American involvement were raised after the residents of Berwick-upon-Tweed reported seeing a number of men wearing black suits and sunglasses climbing into an unmarked van, which drove off in a northerly direction. ‘I thought it was a Blues Brothers tribute band going to a show in Dunbar,’ claimed one eyewitness, ‘that was until I heard that Scotland had suddenly gone missing and put two and two together.’

Alarm bells began to ring further south after The Proclaimers mysteriously failed to turn up at a gig at the HMV Apollo in Hammersmith. This caused the British government to strongly deny any complicity in Scotland’s incarceration, with Prime Minister Gordon Brown breaking his silence on the issue by telling reporters ‘It’s got nothing to do with me pal.’

In a carefully worded statement the US intelligence agency declared: ‘a country is currently being held in American custody and is assisting our investigation of the harboring and subsequent release of a known Libyan terrorist. Said country is being treated humanely and will be allowed to return home in due course.’

However many political commentators remain unconvinced, citing the CIA’s previous form, including the alleged rough treatment of certain Pakistani tribal states, the unexplained bruises on Iraq uncovered during a routine health check and the well-documented discovery of Panama floating face-down in the Caribbean in 1989. A former CIA agent further fuelled worries for Scotland’s safety after telling an undercover journalist ‘I’ll tell you one thing for certain; Scotland won’t be so bonny by the time they’ve finished with it.’

The Silent Majority have spoken.

Since these will probably be pulled as soon as the editors and publishers realise that they are completely out of step with the mood of the public. I thought it best to save them and post here. Anyone with similar polls from their local paper point me in their direction.

Dumfries Standard 26th August 2009



Kilmarnock Standard 26th August 2009




Hamilton Advertiser 26th August 2009






The Oban Times 26th August 2009

Annie Hamilton a poundland Anne Coulter.

The following is a column by Annie Hamilton a rather delightful racist, bigot, islam-o-phobe, racist who writes for the San Jose Examiner. I suggest everyone have a read at it and if you feel inclined send her a little message in the comments section. I've already uncurled a three pounder into a jiffy bag.

Isn't it odd that there's a particular brand of septic nutjob commentator that always has Scottish surnames. Maybe the Clearances weren't a bad idea after all.

http://www.examiner.com/x-5740-San-Jose-Republican-Examiner~y2009m8d24-Where-are-all-the-men-letter-to-Secretary-Macaslin-regarding-dumb-decisionmaking

another image....
Dear Secretary MacAskill:

Although it pains me to witness the ridicule deservedly heaped upon your shoulders well as fellow apologist and twit, PM Gordon Brown, it simply illustrates how liberals are able to twist compassion into something nonsensical.

How you’ve managed to walk straight without bumping into walls, let alone keep your job, following your doltish decision to allow Al-Megrahi, to return to his native Libya, despite the conviction and life sentence handed down for his part in the biggest mass murder to take place in British legal history has triggered fury amongst Americans and most of the relatives of the 270 people killed in 1988. Frankly, I just have a few questions and observations as your decision hardly shocks me. Our 2008 Presidential election has opened America’s eyes to the numerous oafish decisions of its’ own Administration, so obviously fraught with mental and intellectual herpes.

It seems as though the rational strategy would be to immediately remove you from the Scottish government, on grounds that you are discernibly lacking the cognitive and moral aptitude to accomplish much more than dodging alcohol-related convictions or busying yourself with everyday nose-picking tasks. As such, perhaps we then we ought to start calling for your government to be dismantled until new elections can take place. In addition, our U.S. Justice Department ought to indict you for aiding and abetting the escape of a known convicted felon, with the UK/Scottish leadership waiving any sovereign immunity defense or other related privilege asserted. This would send the appropriate message to the weenies throughout Europe as well as Islam that when you blow up a plan carrying damn near 100 % Americans, there are consequences beyond a political circle jerk. In addition, you should then be extradited to the US for your trial prior to serving both your sentence as well as the remaining 19 years of al-Megrahi’s.

Now, THAT would be justice, rather than the dog and pony show you forced the world to witness the other day, complete with private plane and hero’s welcome. Short of execution, the only justifiable remedy for a turd like al-Megrahi is to cage him without the possibility of future freedom. While it’s understandable that Gordon Brown has been frantically searching for his testacles since Daniel Hannan called his stupidity out before the world, it's hardly escaped my notice that despite your gun ban, your crimes are not only through the roof but that 80 % of them go unsolved. And people wonder why Europe is being overrun by Radical Islam! Or perhaps it’s your naiveté? I mean, please, ‘Mad Dog’ denounces Islam although he’s been linked to a half-dozen attacks killing Americans, including the Pan Am 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland and still you spineless imbeciles have chosen instead to bend over for Shariah law?

Your apparent excuse for letting this animal out of his cage was a ‘death sentence’ of three months for prostate cancer given by a British doctor? So what’s your point? Who cares that he’s ill? Now that he’s out of prison, and out of YOUR hair, he can always come on over to the US for free care. What the hell, we provide it to everyone else. We’re not naive; you easily could have released him to unburden your floundering economy from his prostate cancer treatments in a classic example of health care rationing. Why stick the Queen with the bill when Uncle Sam will do it? (Naturally we will, we're the same idiots that voted a radical Muslim into office…although I’m fairly certain many of his voters are either victims of fetal alcohol syndrome or should be wearing fitted helmets)

While it shocked me to hear that Kenya’s finest had taken the time away from his frantic schedule of wiping out our economy, cuddling with dictators and trying to kill America's elderly long enough to comment on how your decision to free fellow ass-clown Abdel Baset al-Megrahi was a mistake and that’ he should really be under house arrest’, a statement that got a chuckle out of al-Megrahi..The spineless teleprompter-dependent President de facto did manage to put terror into the hearts of Libyans, and al Qaeda everywhere, issuing a ‘stern’ warning that they had’ better not give him a hero's welcome!’

Patriots everywhere consider it a colossal mistake and missed opportunity to not have had a plainclothes sniper pop this worthless blow-up doll before he had the chance to board the private plane set for the pastures of pedophiles and alpha goat lovers.

Saif al Islam Gaddafi said that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi’s return was deemed a “victory” for all Libyans, Seif al-Islam announcing to Libyan TV that the potential release in the case had been raised 'as a point of negotiation' during talks over oil and gas, international news reported. The UK Foreign Office has strongly denied the claims, Secretary Miliband denouncing the allegations as ‘slurs’ “There is no such deal. All negotiations pertaining to this case have been exclusively in the hands of Scottish ministers, the Crown Office in Scotland and the Scottish judicial authorities.“ Right! That’s why in 2007 Tony Blair concluded a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya!

The public has been asking Brown for a statement although he’s remained silent. Perhaps a better question to pose to this Prime Minister is if all incarcerated mass murderers should be given freedom, as long as they’re 1) diagnosed with a terminal illness and 2) have killed fewer than 270 people? If so, what if the person was Ted Bundy, Jack the Ripper or Jeffrey Dahmer? Their victims didn’t reach numbers anywhere near 270?

I’m curious, though, Mr. Secretary…Why did you really release this monster? Is it because you’re ignorant as to the true nature of Islam? Were you all involved in an international transaction, using a terrorist’s freedom as currency? Or something more personal, like your drinking? Obviously anyone capable of reading knows that in ’99 you were detained in London during a sporting event for being drunk and disorderly…and other whispering often follows you, although you weren’t formally charged with anything and you did manage to squeak through another election successfully. Or perhaps it’s your four –time failure to win a seat in Westminster? Or did you stick it to us because of Obama’s amateurish savoir-faire earlier this year germane to the Churchill bust as well as treating the diplomatic gift exchange like a white elephant raffle at the neighborhood trailer park?? I mean, we were mortified but you must have been privately amused by his inexperienced buffoonery and embarrassing stretch of confidence common to other wannabe leaders and ghetto thugs who clearly were raised by people without values or who tend to surround themselves with trashy, unsavory characters.

Your iniquitous decision heartens global terrorists everywhere who may now deduce that regardless of the quality of the investigation or conviction they can be freed by one heedless man's exercise of lunacy. Your dispassionate esteem for human life makes a mockery of the emotions and efforts of everyone affected by the Lockerbie tragedy and multi-decade ordeal that now shall have no closure, despite a financial settlement. This is not justice. And what else have you accomplished? Sending a murderer to a hero’s welcome, turning your country into the laughing stock of western Europe, teaching radicals everywhere that Shariah does, indeed, outrank anyone else’s legal system? If so, hooray for you! Perhaps you can get together with the boys in DC and discuss it over a beer at the white house.

Keep in mind, though, that we have your number. You and your flaccid regime that wouldn’t have defeated the Falklands without the aid of the US and then President Reagan (a real man, rather than a limp excuse for a commander such as currently plagues both the US/UK) After the stunt you pulled, it would be entertaining to see Argentina yank the Falklands back and watch you squirm waiting to see if we’re going to show up to aid you yet again.

My last point is this, Secretary MacAskill: Get it through your thick skull that Islamic terrorists don’t give a rat’s ass about compassion or kindness. These are not ‘positive’ attributes to this group. The only thing you’ve done is to beautifully set yourself up for another failure and attack, while taking others with you. It’s not your right to act with such disregard toward your fellow man.

And the next time there is such an attack, be it the IRA, al Qaeda or a random event, it may kill a family member….then how compassionate will you be? Or perhaps that’s precisely the point and why you’re in forever bondage to England? You’re incapacity of running a country unsupervised.

Regards,

Annie Hamilton

So whose pants are on fire, Westminster or the US government?

Below is the relevant part of Kenny MacAskill's statement on the Prison transfer agreement, covering MacAskill's visit to Megrahi at Greenock prison and his reasons for denying the Libyan Government's request for a Prisoner Transfer, which Blair agreed to in a memo of understanding in 2007 and Westminster ratified last year.

The outstanding question in this part of the whole stramash, is this. Why would the Westminster government deny there had been an agreement with the USA that any person sentenced for this crime would remain in a Scottish prison for the rest of his life and never be transferred to his homeland, particularly when the USA are so adamant that it had been agreed?

Prior to ratification of the Prisoner Transfer Agreement, it was scrutinised by the Westminster Joint Committee on Human Rights, to which Jack Straw, UK Secretary of State for Justice, gave a commitment that in cases where applications were not submitted personally by the prisoner, the prisoner must be given the opportunity to make representations. Mr Al-Megrahi had the opportunity to make representations, and he chose to do so in person. Therefore I was duty bound to receive his representations. I accordingly met him. It was clear that both the United States Government and the American families objected to a prisoner transfer. They did so on the basis of agreements they said had been made, prior to trial, regarding the place of imprisonment of anyone convicted.

The United States Attorney General, Eric Holder, was in fact deputy Attorney General to Janet Reno at the time of the pre-trial negotiations. He was adamant that assurances had been given to the United States Government that any person convicted would serve his sentence in Scotland. Many of the American families spoke of the comfort that they placed upon these assurances over the past ten years. That clear understanding was reiterated to me, by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. I sought the views of the United Kingdom Government. I offered them the right to make representations or provide information. They declined to do so. They simply informed me that they saw no legal barrier to transfer and that they gave no assurances to the US Government at the time. They have declined to offer a full explanation as to what was discussed during this time, or to provide any information to substantiate their view. I find that highly regrettable. I therefore do not know what the exact nature of those discussions was, nor what may have been agreed between Governments.

However, I am certain of the clear understanding of the American families and the American Government. Therefore it appears to me that the American families and Government either had an expectation, or were led to believe, that there would be no prisoner transfer and the sentence would be served in Scotland. It is for that reason that the Libyan Government's application for prisoner transfer for Abdelbasit Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi I accordingly reject.


Why are there no written records of the 'agreements' that took place between the UK and US governments?

---------1988----------

Lockerbie supposedly predates the 'war on terror' by 13 years. 1988 was in many ways 'Year Ground Zero' for a lot of the shit we see around us now. A brief glimpse at the year is rather eye opening to what's going on with the world today.

January 1988 the Cold war was all but over as Gorbachev introduced pererstroika to the USSR.

February saw the US House of Representatives deny Reagan millions for his support of the Contras in Nicaragua

March was busy. Bush senior wins the Republican nomination for president. Ollie North and John Poindexter are indicted over the Iran Conta affair. Israel sentences Mordecai Vanuana to 18 years for spilling the beans on their nuclear programme to the Sunday Times

April saw the Israelis assassinate the PLO's Abu Jihad in Tunisia. The USS Sam Roberts struck a mine in the Persian Gulf and retaliated by blowing up several Iranian oil platforms and ships.

May. The Soviet Red Army withdraws from Afghanistan after eight yearsand 13,836 dead Soviet soldiers, an average of 1,537 men a year. The Soviets also lost 118 aircraft, 333 helicopters, 147 tanks, 1500 armoured vehicles, 450 artillery guns, 1200 radio sets, 510 engineering vehicles and 11,369 trucks and petrol tankers...

June was quiet Mandela turned 70 and MTV asked if he'd be appearing at his birthday party at Wembley.

July Iran Air flight 655 is shot down by a missile launched from the USS Vincennes. Two days later Piper Alpha explodes killing 1657 men

August President Haq of Pakistan killed in a plane crash, twelve days after Allam Arif Hussain Hussaini, leader of Pakistan's Shia Muslims is killed. On the 20th the Iran-Iraq war ends, one million dead over eight years. The world hails this as a chance for peace in the middle East.

September Seoul Olympics spoiled by Ben Johnson's eye bulging steroid abusing 100m fraud.

October BBC bans interviews with IRA, htey give them voice overs done by Shakespearian actors...

November An independent State of Palestine is proclaimed. Benazir Bhutto elected Prime minister of Pakistan. Super Mario 3 introduced in time for Christmas.

December. 32 die in Clapham junction rail disaster. Bangladesh cyclone leave five million homeless and thousands dead.

5th December a man with an Arabic accent telephones the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki and warns them that a Pan Am flight from Frankfurt to the USA will be blown up within the next two weeks by someone associated with the Abu Nidal Organisation

The anonymous warning was taken seriously by the U.S. government. They cabled the bulletin to dozens of embassies. They sent it to all U.S. carriers, including Pan Am, which had charged each of the passengers a $5 security surcharge, promising a "program that will screen passengers, employees, airport facilities, baggage and aircraft with unrelenting thoroughness" (The Independent, 29 March 1990); the security team in Frankfurt found the warning hidden under a pile of papers on a desk the day after the bombing.

On 13 December, the warning was posted on bulletin boards in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and eventually distributed to the entire American community there, including journalists and businessmen. As a result, a number of people allegedly booked on carriers other than Pan Am, leaving empty seats on PA103 that were later sold cheaply in bucket shops.

21st December Clipper Maid of the Seas blows up over Lockerbie. John Peel reports just before Radio One closes down for the night, that a plane has crashed on the motorway in the south of Scotland.

Haggis-snorting terrorist appeasing chickens.

Much like our Gallic chums were labelled 'Cheese-eating surrender monkeys' by hard of thinking right wing, Jesus lovin' , banjo pluckin', dungaree wearing rednecks and the rest of the Bush cabinet. I imagine that Scotland is probably about to undergo a similar linguistic bashing.

Memorably our American cousins renamed French fries, 'freedom fries'. This got me thinking, what etymological ethnic cleansing might they do to remove 'Scotch' from their vocabulary?

Therefore I present to you my selection of new Scotch appellations.

Scotch egg = Freedom egg.

Scotch tape = Liberty tape.

Scotch whisky = Free speech juice

Scotch Beef = Emancipation beef

HopScotch = Hop Liberation

Scotch Broth = Immunity Soup

not forgetting the

Scotch pie = paradise pie.


You get my drift, please feel free to add your own contributions....

MEGRAHI DECISION MADE.

MacASKILL INFORMS FAMILIES OF ANNOUNCEMENT OF DECISIONS ON ABDELBASET ALI MOHMED AL-MEGRAHI

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill has informed families and other interested parties that he has reached his decisions on the applications for prisoner transfer and compassionate release in relation to Mr Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi, and will announce his decisions on Thursday August 20, 2009.

This fulfils the Justice Secretary's pledge to inform families on both sides of the Atlantic, in advance, of the timing of his public announcement.

The statement will take place at 1pm on Thursday (8am Eastern Standard Time).

Mr MacAskill's statement will be followed by an opportunity for questions and one-to-one broadcast interviews.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The above release has been sent out worldwide. Media speculation will rage through the night. 'Insiders' will claim to know what decision Kenny MacAskill has taken. Perhaps family members or friends of victims will talk to the press before the 1pm press conference. Newsnight Scotland will go into meltdown, wee Glenn Campbell will possibly be elevated again to share a desk with Kirsty Wark or even Paxman!

Whichever way the Scottish Government decision goes, one fact remains and it is this. Kenny MacAskill has shown himself to be an honest, considered man, who has retained his dignity in the overwhelming maelstrom of shite caused by Bill Aitken, Conservative Justice spokesman, Paul McBride QC, Richard Baker Labour shadow Justice minister, Tavish Scott Lib Dem Leader and Jim Murphy Secretary for the State of Scotland.

The Scottish press has embarrassed itself yet again by pandering to anti SNP headlines and the quite frankly insulting piece by Magnus Linklater (a man who appears to live in shame of his SNP member mother) in the Times.

The imminent death of Megrahi, however, will not put an end to the questions asked about the bombing of PanAm 103 and it's fateful explosion over the Lockerbie skies. That unfortunately is an industry that has much currency to be wrung from it.

Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi A-Go-Go.

Standing atop the tallest grave at Lockerbie Memorial Garden of Remembrance, Paul McBride QC and 'hang 'em high' shadow Tory spokesman Bill Aitken have served an outpouring of piss and fury over Kenny MacAskill's, as yet undeclared decision on the short future of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi. Our subservient media torn between pretending to be humanitarian and being seen as the last bastion of Justice, diligently quote their every dribbling utterance.

Even failed presidential candidate Senator John McCain and failed vice presidential candidate Senator Joseph Lieberman have chipped in with their two cents.

McCain hissed, "We have made clear to the Libyan authorities that we are resolutely opposed to his release."

Lieberman mumbled, "If Megrahi is released, there will be a very negative reaction by the American people."

I suppose that as McCain and Lieberman are elected representatives of the majority of those victims of Pan Am Flight 103, it would be churlish to deny them their views and opinions on this dilemma.

However, what really sticks in the fucking craw is that the Senators made clear their views, not in Washington, but in Tripoli, Libya, where they are part of a delegation selling MILITARY EQUIPMENT to Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab leader Muammar Gaddafi

Hey, don't worry it's only "non-lethal defence equipment", which naturally includes things like parts and accessories for killing machines they may have bought from elsewhere. And, hey Gaddafi's record on human rights might be a bit iffy with reported disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrests, detention of political prisoners, a lack of civil liberties, restrictions on freedom of religion and discrimination against women and ethnic minorities, but all of that pales by comparison when you consider all that lovely black expensive OIL just waiting to be dug out of the sand and transported to the good ol USA.

Oh but fear not, 'we' are not being left out of the piggy bank, Libya are looking like the preferred bidders for Shell's Stanlow complex, Britain's second largest oil refinery near Ellesmere Port for a bargain £1.5 billion.



Meanwhile, according to the Tripoli Post. Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi's 95 year old mother is keeping the front door open as she expects her boy home from his "English jail" before Ramadan. She hasn't been told that he's dying of prostrate cancer, because her family fear the news may kill her. But hey, what's one more victim...

http://tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=3462

Naturally, professional baldy man-child Labour's £500 Justice spokesman, Richard Baker, has gone very quiet. One can imagine he's under strict instructions to shut the fuck up, hopefully he hasn't done a wee wee in anticipation of shrieking at MacAskill for whichever decision he takes.

Thou eunuchs of language, thou pimps of gender, murderous accouchers of infant learning, thou pickled herrings in the puppet show of nonsense.

One rule for them, another for the working class punter.

Benefits claimant fined for fraud

Once again the court has signalled that benefit fraud
will be dealt with firmly in a case at Dumfries Sheriff
Court this week.

Nicola Rae aged 30 of Mossvale, Lochmaben was fined
£400 following a joint investigation between the
Department of Work and Pensions and Dumfries and
Galloway Council.

Nicola Rae admitted that she failed to advise both
organisations that she was employed by a cleaning
company. This resulted in her obtaining Income
Support of £1667.30, Housing Benefit of £359.53,
and Council Tax Benefit of £127.67 to which
she was not entitled. She is currently paying back the
overpayment and in addition has to pay the fine.

Dumfries and Galloway Council takes benefit theft
very seriously. Although the vast majority of people
who claim benefits are honest, those who commit
benefit theft are picking  the pockets of law-abiding
taxpayers.

The latest government estimate (2008/09) is that
£900 million is lost from public funds every year through
all benefit fraud. Fraud in Housing Benefit is estimated
to cost £210 million every year.

How to stop speeding on Scottish roads.

Gay scientists isolate the Christian gene.

Councillor Gunn, you cannot be cured.

Happy Birthday High MacDiarmid

David Mundell MP Out in Africa.

Interesting to note that the Shadow Secretary for the State of Scotland, David Mundell was absent from tonight's Newsnicht, wherein Gordon Brewer spoke about reform of the expenses farrago to an assortment of MP's notably Anne Begg Labour, Michael Moore Lib Dem, John Mason SNP and the Conservative candidate for Renfrewshire East, the man who takes on Jim Murphy, Richard Cook.

http://www.voterichardcook.blogspot.com/


As interesting as it was to see the man who will probably thrash Jim Murphy, Richard Cook, and hear the same platitudes from him as every other Tory candidate, my interest was piqued that he was standing in for Mundell, because the MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale,Tweeddale and err Africa was again off in Africa, a mere few hours after Parliament closed for business until October.

One might have thought that given the pasting Mr Mundell received over his expenses, wreaths, cameras, photoshop, photographers, calendars, owning a flat in Edinburgh paid for by the Scottish Parliament that he might have taken some time out and thought rather than galivant off to Africa, again, I'll stay at home and work towards assuring my constituents that I'm not in politics for all the freeby trips I can get or the photo opportunities. Alas and alack no. Mr Mundell is out in Africa, last year he visted Rwanda, he met the President, the Justice Minister, he even had time to see the community service being done by those guilty of genocide crimes. All in all he had a jolly good time, he even had a romp in a bed with seven other Tories...

http://www.davidmundell.org.uk/Blog.aspx?Y=2008&M=Aug&d=08#08

He was also over in Afghanistan last year dismissing the squaddies complaints as just grumbles...what does he do for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweedsdale?

Scottish Labour Finally Confirmed to be Living in La La Land.

Now we all know Ms Davidson's history as former spin doctor for Labour, formerly married to Labour MEP David Martin, who for some strange reason chose a life of croissants and café au lait in Strasbourg over breakfast evry morning for the rest of his life with Lorraine... author of Jack McConnell's 'biography'. Sadly no longer available in a charity shop near you...and so on.

However, I digress, as always,when she penned this clarion call to the Labour supporting readers of The Times... did she at any point pause and think to herself, "what mince this is, why oh why do SLAB continue to hit their head against this particular brick wall, when it has never done them any good?"


Scottish Labour's new new strategy from today's edition of The Times
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/scotland/article6711039.ece
Iain Gray, the Scottish Labour Leader, has ordered his party to step up attacks on Alex Salmond in the wake of a series of setbacks for the First Minister.
Senior Labour strategists claim “the gloves are now off” as far as the First Minister is concerned in the run-up to the Glasgow North East by-election and next year's general election.
The decision to concentrate opposition fire on the First Minister marks a shift in Labour thinking.
Until now Labour has opted to focus on SNP ministers whom they perceived as weaker members of the Nationalist administration - such as Fiona Hyslop and Kenny MacAskill.
One Labour source said: “There was a feeling that Alex Salmond was popular and seen to be doing a good job so we took the view that he would get himself into trouble without us targeting him.”
However, a recent series of focus group meetings carried out for the party revealed that voters may be turning against the First Minister.
A highly placed party source said: “The word arrogance keeps coming up, particularly among women. People are also beginning to see our argument about broken promises.”
The change in strategy comes after several Labour MSPs argued that the “hands off Salmond” approach wasn't working and that the First Minister was being given free rein.
Labour now plans to target the First Minister in a series of attacks blaming him for “conning the people of Scotland” over plans to abolish council tax, wipe out student debt and bring in grants for first-time home buyers.
The move to target Mr Salmond was taken after a series of recent reports criticising the First Minister's judgement.
Mr Salmond came under fire over his decision to appear on a TV programme, instead of attending a meeting with the drinks giant Diageo to discuss job losses, and earlier this week the former head of counter-terrorism at the Metropolitan Police, Andy Hayman, told The Times that Mr Salmond had to be persuaded against starting a turf war following the terror attack on Glasgow airport.
A Labour spokesperson said: “This has been one of the worst weeks for Alex Salmond, with a major gaffe on Diageo, his by-election chaos, and the damning revelations from Andy Hayman on his handling of the Glasgow airport bombings.
“Alex Salmond has been personally damaged by these revelations and not come out well from the scrutiny he has been put under.”
The SNP last night dismissed Labour's new strategy. A spokeswoman for the party said: “The SNP in government and across the country is continuing to work in partnership with the people of Scotland to meet their ambitions for their country.
“While opposition parties bicker over ridiculous strategy or personal attacks the SNP will continue to govern with the support of the people of Scotland and to focus all our efforts on protecting jobs and supporting communities as we work through Labour's recession.”
Senior Conservatives also attacked Labour, claiming they have failed to hold Mr Salmond to account. A Tory source said: “The Labour Party is terrified of Alex Salmond and no wonder, he got rid of Wendy Alexander and his rips Iain Gray to shreds at First Minister's Questions.”
A Tory spokesman added: “Annabel Goldie is the only opposition leader who has really challenged Alex Salmond.”

What does the laziest man in Scottish politics get up to on a sunny weekend?

Why if your the one time First Minister of Scotland and spurned future High Commissioner of Malawi you accept a freebie to the VIP section of T in the Park, where you can hang out with a topless Jarvis from Iglu and Harty (No, me neither) an American electronically enhanced popular rock beat combo.



Ach well it beats working in your shit-hole of a constituency...

Labour smears prompt James Dornan to step aside as SNP candidate in North East Glasgow.

I suspect this one is going to be even dirtier than Glenrothes.

STATEMENT BY JAMES DORNAN

“In light of a report in one of today's newspapers, I have decided to step aside as the SNP candidate in the Glasgow North East by-election.

“In doing so, I want to make clear that I am not ashamed of having experienced financial difficulties in the past. Many people know only too well how that feels.

“I am taking legal advice on the suggestion that there may have been a technical breach of charities legislation by virtue of me being appointed a partner director of Culture and Sport Glasgow by Glasgow City Council, a position for which I received no financial gain whatsoever. However, I am absolutely clear that throughout the period of the Protected Trust Deed, I acted in good faith. I took advice about its implications and was advised that it was not a bar to holding public office.

“However, I am not prepared to allow this issue to overshadow the by-election or to be exploited by Labour as a distraction from the real issues of the campaign. Labour has let the people of Glasgow and Scotland down. This by-election is a chance for people to focus on the issues that matter and to elect an MP who will fight their corner. I believe that the SNP offers the prospect of real change for Glasgow North East and I am not prepared to allow allegations about me to get in the way of that.”

A spokesperson for the SNP said:

“This is an honourable decision by James Dornan. He is clearly putting the interests of the SNP and the Glasgow North East constituency ahead of his own.

“There is absolutely no shame in experiencing financial difficulties. Many people - particularly in this economic climate - know what that is like. Nor is having a Protected Trust Deed any bar to holding public office or being a candidate for election.

“However, James has decided that he wants to take legal advice on the suggestion that his appointment as a partner director of Culture & Sport Glasgow might have constituted a technical breach of charities legislation. He has made clear that he doesn't want this issue to be a distraction from the real issues facing people in Glasgow North East and he is to be commended for that.

“The Party will now move immediately to arrange a selection meeting to choose a new candidate and we look forward to the campaign ahead in which we will contrast the positive record of the SNP with the failed policies of Labour.”

The full Tom Gordon story here.

http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2519484.0.snp_election_candidate_in_bankruptcy_question.php

Sarah Brown emerged fully formed from a rainbow and was carried to this earth by a litter of minty breathed puppies.

Or so the media would have us believe.

The Daily Mail reports today that Sarah Brown changed outfits three times in one day at the G8 summit, they fail to say whether this wardrobe included her wonderful cock jacket.

Everyone needs a Willie.

Did he ask it because everybody knows the Baron likes the cock?

Save Johnny Walker

First they demolished the wonderful Walker Apartments and gave us out of town shopping malls that killed the town centre. Willie McKelvie Labour MP and the Labour council did nothing.

Then they promised to bring their Headquarters to Edinburgh. They lied. The feeble fifty Labour MP's did nothing.

Now they've decided to shaft the remaining few folk in Killie with jobs by closing down a plant that's nearly 200 years old. Labour MP Des Browne, claimed it was the SNP's fault.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/videos-pics/



Sign the petition. Boycott Diageo don't drink Guinness until they get the message.

http://www.gopetition.co.uk/online/29112.html

Cooncillor Willie Scobie, the Voltaire of Stranraer

Open Bins Attract Vermin.

Poor old Willie Scobie the Labour councillor for Stranraer, sees himself as the bête noire of local housing authority Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership (DGHP). So miffed is he with DGHP for having the temerity to replace 400 sub-standard post WW2, leaking, expensive to heat, miserable shit hole cooncil hooses with 600 state of the art, semi-detached, eco houses funded by DGHP, D&G Council and shock horror the Scottish Government, that he has taken grumbling to a new level. Since being turfed out of administration in May 2007, Willie has submitted a grand total of 765 email cyber whinges to DGHP's complaints officer.

DGHP have had to spend £40,000 on an independent investigation into Councillor Scobie’s complaints. Rather unsurprisingly, none of them were found to have any basis in fact

So prodigious is Oor Willie, that it could reasonably be said, Voltaire was lazy by comparison. The amount of wasted resources in terms of DGHP staff time in dealing with Willie's cyber moaning was enough to have built an entire row of fabby new houses.

In a delicious piece of "get it right up ya" DGHP published a league table a league table of email complaints. Willie was top with 765, second, Labour MP Russell Brown on 203 whines; third Dumfries Labour MSP Elaine Murray on 190 grumbles; 4th Dumfriesshire Tory MP David Mundell on 129 hissy fits; and bringing up the rear Stranraer Labour Councillor Grahame Forster on 134 "why no's". Those crazy unionists...

The photo above is from a front page of local blatt, the Stranraer Free Press, with some poor chap who was left a note on his bin saying the midgie men couldn't take it away as it was opened by more than two inches...The poor sod, didn't realise that the sort of grumble that we'd all moan to a mate in the pub about would spur Willie into full on media action. "Alert the media, a man is unhappy at being asked to close his bin lid."

Certainly the comment from an anonymous council spokesperson, that "open bins would not be collected, as they attract vermin" has raised many a chuckle with those in DGHP and further afield. Poor Willie.

Andy Murray anti-English myth debunked by Tim Henman

Trident--- a modest proposal.

As taxpayers we are required to make a financial contribution to Trident through our taxes. These taxes paid for the illegal war in Iraq and the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.

Last week as David Cameron rattled his sabre in Scotland's direction and told us he would be replacing Trident and keeping it in Scotland, I was reminded of an elderly friend, whose family are Quakers. During WW2 he was one of the 60,0000 people who registered as conscientious objectors.

As a Conchie he suffered from the white feathers, abuse in the street, shunned by fellow University students etcetera. After a couple of court appearances, he was directed to accept a non-combatant role as a battlefield ambulance driver. The horrors of what he had to pick up and identify still haunt him to this day. After this stint he was directed to the UXB squad and spent the remaining war years diffusing unexploded bombs. All the time amidst accusations of cowardice.

He survived it all to marry a wonderful girl, have a happy family life, two kids, a successful career. A lifetime supporter of Labour he campaigned tirelessly against nuclear weapons, illegal wars, inequality, he even campaigned to get Jim Murphy elected in East Renfrewshire. Something he now regrets. He's not a nationalist, but does recognise that an Independent Scotland will not be the end of the world and that our people might be better served by having the right to self determination. His family took in victims of the Spanish Civil War, his pride in old Labour runs through his veins.

I've digressed long enough, one of the conversations we had about Trident, was the insane cost of it. He mentioned that the Quakers have always attempted to withold a portion of their income tax from being spent on War and its weapons. He had several times decided not to pay taxes for others to kill or prepare to kill in his name. This resulted in visits from bailiffs to recover money, and once a rebate from the Inland Revenue which had taken too much tax in the first place.

All this got me thinking, that we as a nation have become so very passive in protesting. We take to the streets to march in polite order to protest genocide in Iraq and then go home and watch news as entertainment. We no longer allow ourselves to be pissed off to such an extent that we actually do something.

The Quaker idea of withholding taxes which fund weapons of mass destruction is something we should all aspire to. If enough people withhold a proportional amount of their taxes, the already overburdened legal system would be teetering on the verge of collapse, pro Trident politicians of all stripes would be forced to listen. We already know that Scotland does not want Trident, we specifically do not want the UK's entire nuclear warhead capability sitting in the water a mere 25 miles from our largest city. David Cameron, might just realise that Scotland does not want Trident.

It's time to take a stand.

Bizarre discovery in Michael Jackson's basement

Ok, one tribute to Michael Jackson, as done by Ian Brown.

SNP supporters are sartorial, erudite, insousciant and above all else dashed dapper. Not according to an obscure blogging Labour councillor.

"Matted hair; missing teeth; dribbling mouths; filthy beards; scars; fierce stares and fiercer tattoos; growling monosyllabic grunts and the unmistakeable stench of last nights booze; and the men were no better."

Councillor Terry Kelly (Him ur a socialist)

http://councillorterrykelly.blogspot.com/2009/06/3-ring-circus-that-is-renfrewshire.html

What does this handsome man, who sees nothing wrong with disparaging voters who democratically express their political preference as SNP look like?

Ladies gird your loins. Gents check your hetero-meter is set to max.

I give you, Councillor Terry Kelly!




Phew what a scorcher!

The definition of irony.

You'll Believe a Man Can Lie

"We cannot allow what happened in America to happen here."



Gordon Brown Helped Cause the Crisis

British voters have figured it out. Will Labour Party leaders?

By KEITH MARSDEN From today's Wall Street Journal Europe.

Shocked by the parliamentary expenses scandal and suffering from the recession, British voters have shown their displeasure with Gordon Brown's government. Labour was trounced in local and European elections earlier this month.

Despite this electoral drubbing, Labour lawmakers expressed their confidence in the prime minister on June 8. Given his supposedly successful management of the economy while chancellor of the exchequer, the majority felt that he was best qualified to lead Britain out of the recession, which, they claim, was caused by external forces, not by Mr. Brown's policies.

The facts show otherwise. Britain's economic downturn began when its house price and household debt bubbles inevitably burst, beginning with the run on Northern Rock in September 2007. These bubbles had swollen to higher levels, relative to average price and income levels respectively, than in the U.S. and other major economies.

In relation to their long-term average, British house prices soared by 88.5% between 1997 and 2007, according to the OECD. In the U.S. the rise was 64.5%. Britain's household debt rose to 176.9% of disposable income in 2007 from 104.8% in 1997. During the same period, U.S. household debt rose only to 105.8% of disposable income from 64.3% in 1997. The increases in Germany and France were considerably lower.

Gordon Brown tolerated and even encouraged the formation of these bubbles for several reasons. The traditional sources of Britain's economic strength, the mining and manufacturing industries, shrank during his term as chancellor. Total mining sector output, including oil and natural gas, dropped by 31% between 2000 and 2007. Total manufacturing production was stagnant during this period.

The gross value, in inflation-adjusted prices, of output from all production industries combined fell by 3% between 2000 and 2007. Their employment level dropped by nearly 1.1 million over the same period. These trends were not an inevitable result of shifts in comparative advantages that are said to occur in advanced economies. Real manufacturing output rose at an average annual rate of 2.2% in the U.S., 1.2% in Germany and 1.1% in France between 2000 and 2006, according to the World Bank.

Eager to achieve the illusion of steady progress in the overall economy, Mr. Brown needed the rapid expansion of financial services, and the real estate and business services industries. Their output soared by 48% and 33% respectively from 2000 to 2007, compared with 19% for the overall economy. Their combined employment level reached nearly 6.7 million in 2007, an increase of more than one million.

Rapid expansion of consumer credit in turn boosted demand for wholesale and retail products and services. The booming financial and real estate sectors, with their inflated salaries, bonuses, and profits generated by unsustainably rapid credit growth, also filled Mr. Brown's tax coffers.

Thus, despite the decline in corporate and personal income and national insurance tax revenues from the production industries, he was able to fulfill Labour's 1997 election promise of expanding public services. The output of health and social services increased by 26.3% from 2000 to 2007. Employment in the category "other service activities," which includes public administration and government services, grew by 1.3 million between 2000 and 2007, reaching almost 10 million -- nearly a third of all British jobs.

So the boom in the financial and real estate sectors served Mr. Brown's political interests well. And he was by no means a passive bystander to their growth. He urged them along in several policy speeches. Introducing on April 1, 2005, a policy document entitled "Homebuy: Expanding the Opportunity to Own," he insisted that "this Britain of ambition and aspiration is a Britain where more and more people must and will have the chance to own their own homes."

Ignoring the inability of many house buyers to pay their mortgages, he touted this message to City bankers in successive annual speeches at the Mansion House in London, promising them "light-touch regulation." Already in 1997 he transferred the responsibility for bank regulation from the Bank of England to the inexperienced Financial Services Authority. He also curbed the central bank's ability to keep asset inflation in check by removing housing costs from the price index.

Mr. Brown also repeatedly praised the City's "innovative skills," bragging in 2006 that it was responsible for 40% of the world's over-the-counter derivatives trade -- which includes the now infamous repackaged subprime mortgages. He gave financial institutions a false sense of security by telling them on June 16, 2004, that "I am determined to ensure that we can lock in greater stability not just for a year, or for an economic cycle, but in this generation."

With this assurance from the chancellor, how could anyone expect bankers to forego juicy profits and bonuses by avoiding innovative but unduly risky practices? Because of the large size and global reach of Britain's financial sector, and the many newfangled financial instruments it created and marketed, Mr. Brown cannot honestly deny all responsibility for Britain's recession.

Given these historic facts, Britain's Labour legislators should think again about sticking with the prime minister. Choosing a new leader with integrity and managerial competence is the party's best chance to win greater respect from voters.

Mr. Marsden, a member of the Council of the Centre for Policy Studies, was formerly an operations adviser at the World Bank and senior economist at the International Labor Organization.


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124500992205413331.html

Hello kalaallit

A big welcome to Greenland, which today takes a big step towards replacing Montenegro as the worlds 'newest' country.

A referendum on Greenland's autonomy was held on 25 November 2008. It was passed with 75% approval.

Self-government gives the 60,000, mostly-Inuit residents of the world's largest island greater control over natural resources and justice, and paves the way toward full nation status within decades.

If only.....

http://www.canada.com/Greenland+takes+step+full+independence+Sunday/1716779/story.html

Whiter than White?

That was young Tony Blair speaking to his 419 fresh faced troops on May 8th 1997.

12 years on the list of sleaze, expenses, smears, de-selections, humped in the polls, cabinet splits, sackings, most undemocratic cabinet since Gladstone in the 1870's, loss of hegemony in Scotland and Wales is never ending.

Then this morning we had the release of MP's expenses on redacted form, the day after Michael Martin quit as Speaker.

I looked into my local MP Russell Brown's expenses to see how much black out there was compared to his own account. Whilst trawling through I was surprised to see that he rents his office from Labour Party Properties Limited, he claims £780 a month, which is a bit on the high side as he also shares it with Elaine Murray MSP who claims from the Scottish Parliament...

What really interested me was this rather shady and secretive Labour Party Properties Limited. This is a company wholly owned by the, naturally, the Labour Party. according to their year end reports for 2007, they own tangible assets worth £4,071,000 How much of this was accrued through the assured mortgages for Labour MP's paid for by the public purse? Accoding to my dunce cap counting they pull in almost a million pounds in rental and lease arrangements per year. Assets bought with taxpayers’ cash used as collateral to seek loans?

http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/58501/Labour-Party-Statements-of-Accounts-2007.pdf

Further digging brought forth this excellent article from 2001, written by of all people, Jason Allardyce, then with what passed for a reasonable newspaper, Scotland on Sunday.

http://news.scotsman.com/comment/Fit-to-hold-Office.2284415.jp

This is an excellent article, and firmly points the finger of blame at New labour for the venal corrupt way they have gone about funding their party through the public purse, if you do anything today, take ten minutes and read the whole article.




The piece was written after Elizabeth Fikin, the Westminster Standards commissioner was driven from office by senior figures in the Labour Party, notably Dr John Reid. Her crime? To question, to investigate, and to report her conclusions on MP's expenses and allowances scams to the Standards and Privileges Committee, who dumped them and her.

Any Labourites care to tell us, why you continue to support this right-of-centre, politically corrupt cabal?

You won't fool the children of the Devolution. No, no, nooooh..

"At present, we have a 'pocket money parliament' - under the Calman proposals, Scotland would have a Saturday job but the pay would be deducted from our pocket money." Mike Russell Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution.