Doctor David Stark-Raving-Twat

David Starkey, the noted telly-historian, think a-sexual Cumbrian Lily Savage sans wig, and you're not far off the mark, has wheeled out yet another diatribe about 'feeble little Scotland'. Fear not, he's allowed to insult Scotland because he spent piss soaked holidays here as a nipper.

http://www.totalpolitics.com/magazine_detail.php?id=573

Here's the latest diatribe. Keep up the good work Dave, you'll soon be free of this feeble little nation and our parasitic ways...

You also sparked controversy with your remarks on Question Time about Scotland being a "feeble little nation".

It was a joke! The question was did I think the English should treat St George's Day the same way the Scots and all the rest of them treat their saints' days - St Andrew, St Patrick and my answer was no. That would mean we would become a feeble little nation like them and we're showing every sign of doing just that. H.G. Wells has this wonderful phrase - "the English are the only nation without national dress". It is a glory that we don't have such a thing. If you want to be academic about it, there are two completely different patterns of nationalism in the British Isles - the Celtic nationalism of Scotland, Wales, Ireland, which is entirely typical nineteenth century European nationalism, an invention based on folklore, supposed authentic peasant cultures which are entirely fictional, national dress, national music and some goddamn awful national poet like Burns. English nationalism went through that phase under Henry VIII.
But if you do really want me to go back to being abusive - I would say that Scotland's decisions with the Libyan bomber confi rms everything I said about them. If you want to see what happens when a country becomes 'little' - when you have a government that wouldn't make county councillors in England, and a Minister of Justice that is an underemployed solicitor - that's what you get. And I am not anti-Scottish, I love Scotland - my childhood holidays were there - apart from that fact it pissed with rain all the time. But Scotland's greatness took place not in medieval history when it was a catastrophe of a place, but in its long, long association with England and Britain. The transformation of Scotland from this deeply backward Presbyterian horror of the early 17th century - where you still hang a lad in the 1690s for denying the existence of the Devil - to this extraordinary 'Athens of the North' of the Scottish enlightenment, the amazing products of Glasgow University in the 18th century, is when Scotland looks out as part of a greater whole. What's happened of course is that Scotland is now looking in. It has become exactly like medieval Scotland - the clannishness, the introversion, chucking money at the Edinburgh Festival to make it 'more Scottish', that awful Parliament, the dreadful Parliament building. The self-indulgence of the whole thing, the complete sense of in-growing toenail; I mean Edinburgh has turned into a city where you can see its toes growing in.

Nutty Professor.

Normally I've got a wee bit of time for Prof John Curtice, the amiable professor of politics at Strathyclyde Uni. Mostly because he reminds me of Prof Heinz Wolf the part sinister clown - part explainer of things scientificy/black magic that was mostly beyond my childhood ken.


However, amidst this morning's frothing and ranting at the claims of 'opportunism' and 'desperation' at the 'news' that the SNP want to include 16 and 17 year old people in the democratic process by allowing them to vote in the probable referendum. (Despite it being passed at Conference in 2007) Prof Curtice was sought out for his views by the Sunday Mail. Following a carping comment or two from professional gut wrencher Pauline McNeill, this is what we read:

http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/09/20/over-16s-set-to-be-allowed-to-vote-in-independence-referendum-78057-21687204/

Elections expert Professor John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, said: "I don't think this will make a difference to the outcome of the planned referendum.

"Support for independence is so far behind the SNP don't have a chance of winning."

"And I don't think many of this age group will turn up to vote."

Now colour me fucked off, but surely the 'neutral' Prof Curtice should have been proffering his academic views on the expansion of democracy, citing the historical and geographical precedents within these very isles where 16 years olds who pay taxes can also vote, rather than playing at crystal ball gazing by determining the result and promoting the lazy kneejerk reaction of teen apathy?

His entire learned view can be summed up thus.

1. It won't make a difference.

2. Ye cannae win

3. Teenagers don't care. Meh.

Now obviously the journo responsible selected these points as those which fitted the biased timbre of his article, but really Prof Curtice you should have known better.

I just hope that from now on when I see Glen Campbell parting your tweeds I can still hear a slightly discordant resonance of the following tune... :(

Megrahi's appeal document. Interesting reading...

http://www.megrahimystory.net/

Gutter press - utter piss.

No doubt tomorrow's Hootsman will have a David Maddox story telling us how FMQ's today, saw Alex Salmond cowed by Iain Gray's magnificent oratory, how John Swinney swooned under the intense intellectual pressure from Angry Kerr and how Jim Mather swallowed a little bit of sick when Jackie the Hutt glared at him.

Naturally, Maddog's interpretation will differ widely from those who were there, those who witnessed it on tv and those who participated. However, fear not David Maddox is on a one man mission to thwart those pesky Nats and preserve the Union for the glory of Gordon Brown and Donald Dewar. At what cost?

Yet with each day the Scottish press lose another reader, another subscriber, another income stream. Advertisers notice, columnists start looking elsewhere, jings we've even had the supposed big boys in Scottish journalism bending over backwards for PR/Marketing jobs with South Lanarkshire cooncil.

This year has truly been the anus gapingus for journos with an unprecedented number taking a sabbatical , redundancy, retirement, career break or heading out into the brave new world of the freelance.

And still their blatts continue to peddle the same old shite, albeit with worse spelling and terrible grammar. Hey that's what happens when you let the night shift managers African sunset haired step-son play at being a proof reader.

It gives me no pleasure to give you a roll call of some of the good and great of Scottish journalism who have fallen by the side this year. Amongst them are some pukka scriveners, people with the great ability to turn strokes on a page into a lifetime of memories. I salute them. If only their editors would grow some balls and report news as it is supposed to be....fair and impartial.

Now is Maddox really better than any of these people?

Thanks to AMS for the list.

Oh don't forget recently departed columnists Rab McNeill, Ewan Morrisson and Hardeep Singh Kohli.

Mike Aitken, former sportswriter, The Scotsman; now "taking a career break until I decide what to do next".
David Belcher, former TV critic, The Herald; now “attempting to write a radio sitcom set in the mythical Ayrshire village of Dumfoonert (it has a newspaper, oddly enough), while also assembling an internet radio soul show for Radio Six International”.
David Bennett, former sub-editor at The Herald; now running a website design and content management company, fuzzylime.co.uk - with former Herald assistant chief sub-editor, Jill Ledgerwood.
Ian Bruce, former defence correspondent, The Herald; now "enjoying an extended sabbatical".
Alison Chiesa, former news reporter, The Herald; now: “Blissfully living the simpler life. Home is now a converted horsebox on an organic farm commune in Norway. Amid spectacular scenery, days are filled driving a tractor, milking cows, keeping bees, resuscitating dying ducklings, etc, etc. Will soon move on to Sweden to help build an artists' retreat centre - and think of new ways to stretch the career break out as long as I can.”
Sandra Colamartino, former editor, Homes & Interiors Scotland; now producing chocolate bars in bespoke, book-like, high-quality wrapping: Chocolate Library.
Bob Dow, former Aberdeen bureau chief, Daily Record; now operating as Bob Dow Media, doing some writing, some media training/PR work and some emergency response work for oil companies in Aberdeen.
Sarah Ferguson, former sub-editor, The Herald; now page editor at The National, in Abu Dhabi.
Philip Gates, former assistant chief sub editor, The Herald; now a part-time freelance sub-editor, part-time house husband, and also retraining in web design and e-commerce.
Bill Henry, former senior photographer, Edinburgh Evening News; now retired, after 19 years with the paper. "Being lazy at the moment but am working on a few projects where I live, in Cumbernauld."
Julia Horton, former Edinburgh-based reporter, The Herald; now travelling, including New Zealand and South America (where she is currently, learning Spanish).
Michael Howie, former home affairs correspondent, The Scotsman; about to learn Spanish in Madrid, before heading to Central and South America to travel and freelance.
Allan Laing, former reporter/feature writer/columnist/travel editor/assistant news editor, The Herald; now running his own business, All In a Day's Work, specialising in journalism, TV research and investigation, media training and fast-response PR projects. Plus annual reports, company brochures and speeches. Visit www.allinaworkingday.co.uk
Jill Ledgerwood, former assistant chief sub-editor at The Herald; now running a website design and content management company, fuzzylime.co.uk - with former Herald sub-editor, David Bennett.
David Lee, former senior assistant editor, The Scotsman; now a freelance media consultant.
Ross Lydall, former political editor, The Scotsman; now freelancing, the Evening Standard.
Hamish Macdonell, former Scottish political editor, The Scotsman; now freelance political commentator.
Bill Mackintosh, former head of news, Sunday Herald; now freelancing, concentrating on writing about whisky for a number of magazines, and helping one whisky group with its internal communications.
Donald MacLeod, former chief photographer, The Scotsman/Scotland on Sunday; now a news and features freelancer.
Alistair McArthur, former deputy editor, Scottish Business Insider; now freelancing.
Peter John Meiklem, former media and business correspondent, the Sunday Herald; now "writing a whodunit set on the Moroccan tourist trail and getting ready for a year teaching English in Argentina".
Simon Murphy, former senior photographer, The Herald Magazine; now set up as a freelancer, www.simonmurphyphotographer.com, working as a commercial and editorial photographer,
signed with camerapress agency, and waiting on the imminent arrival of his first child.
Stephen Penman, former deputy editor, Sunday Herald; now head of corporate communications and marketing, North Lanarkshire Council.
Alan Rennie, former editor, Stirling Observer; now, after 26 years as editor and taking retirement, about to begin work, as 'project delivery officer', for the local, Going Carbon Neutral team.
Jonathan Rennie, former business editor, Evening Times, and senior writer across The Herald and Times Group; now senior account manager, Weber Shandwick.
Graeme Smith, former north-east reporter, The Herald; now operating as Graeme Smith Media, a freelance writer specialising in the energy industry but also involved in emergency response work, training and PR-related work.
Stuart Sommerville, former sub-editor, The Scotsman; now freelance editor and writer, and "taking orders from" baby Isabella.
Caroline Stewart, former sub editor and gardens writer, The Scotsman; now, thanks to a voluntary redundancy package and "after 12 years hogging the 5pm-1am shift, decided to give others a chance and am now enjoying a new shift starting at 7am looking after baby, Isabella".
Laura Sutherland, former showbiz reporter, Daily Record; now, account executive at Edinburgh PR agency, Holyrood Partnership.
Richard Wilson, former sports and Ecosse writer, Sunday Times Scotland; now writing a book, for Canongate, on the Old Firm, and working regularly, as a freelance sports writer, for the Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Herald.
John Young, former group multimedia editor, Herald & Times Group; now running YoungMedia.co.uk, specialising in corporate and PR photography and multimedia.

Roaming in the gloaming...

In race to bottom of cringe bucket Harris Tweed Hebrides win race.

This morning's story of Harris Tweed Hebrides 'de-Scottishifying' themselves was either an evil genius stroke of marketing or a deliberate attempt to disembowel Scotland with a grovelling attempt to distance themselves from the Megrahi decision and the now overwhelming number of people who support Kenny MacAskill's decision to release Megrahi to die with his family. If latest reports are true it sounds as if Megrahi has got days rather than the year, that the Labour party and their friends in the Scottish media have been pedalling.

However, I digress, as usual, what annoyed me most about this story other than the lets drop our Tweed breeks bend over and see how much girth we can take from the right wing redneck nut jobs of America was the people involved.

Notably devout anti-devolutionist and former Labour Energy Minister Brian Wilson chairman and majority shareholder of Harris Tweed Hebrides Ltd, Alasdair Morrison former Labour MSP for Eilean Siar, current chairman of MG Alba and director of Harris Tweed Hebrides Ltd, whilst the creative director and professional pretty boy model Mark Hogarth is the fashionista who made the decision to deny their Scottish links was previously employed in London as Brian Wilson's parliamentary assistant.

Such a cozy coterie of lizards...


Mr Hogarth's decision it appears is at odds with his deliberations on Facebook, where he is said to have flipped and flopped about on the Megrahi decision siding with the dribbling mentalism of Labour one moment then agreeing with facebook friends that really Labour are wrong and Scotland has grown up with this decision...


One wonders what the weavers of Lewis and Harris think?

Unionists. Low self esteem? Fear of Independence? Afraid of standing up on your own two feet?

Iain Quagmire Gray.

Who is this man?

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