Salmond's aim is to provide enough evidence to the inquiry to damage Sturgeon so she fails to win a majority at Holyrood, then, after she is fatally wounded, he will make his move and topple her.
This is phase 1 in Salmond's revenge
There is a weird disconnect between the SNP's sky high poll ratings and the party's inner turmoil. Surely Sturgeon ought to be untouchable even if it were proved?
This has an air of May 2017 about it
Given his testimony appears to prove she lied to parliament , with witnesses and that the committee has 3 SNP , 4 Non SNP , plus SNP convenor and Tory deputy convenor then she is really on a sticky wicket. Instant resignation if it goes against her. Looks like her days are numbered, trying to get Salmond jailed to save him coming back to politics is looking like it was rather silly move.
The only "lie" I have seen to date is that Sturgeon had a meeting with Salmond's former chief of staff 3 or 4 days prior to meeting with Salmond himself and was told at that time. She has acknowledged this to be true and says that she forgot about the meeting.
I am struggling to ascertain what the extent and significance of these "lies" are. Can you help? I am also not clear how the Ministerial Code is significant.
Because she misled Parliament, the ministerial code says that's a resigning matter.
She hasn't given her evidence to this inquiry yet but "forgetting" a meeting doesn't sound close to a resigning matter to me. If Salmond had said that she knew perfectly well I have been a sex pest for the last 20 years and she helped cover it up that might be a different matter but that doesn't seem to be the allegation, weirdly enough.
So am I right in understanding the SNP feud being between a Salmondite UDI faction and a Sturgeonite constitutionalism faction, being fought out by the proxy of alleged sexual misbehaviour and its cover up?
Why not just debate the primary issue?
More like a feud between a faction who want independence to remain the most important policy and a faction that are using the SNP for social policies - gender self identification being the most controversial, but including the hate crime bill and positive discrimination being others. As the SNP has become the natural party of government, it has attracted the careerists that formerly joined the Labour party (and destroyed it).
I'm curious Scott - what happens at other external EU borders? I assume they have the same issues to deal with?
Because of the lengthy, sometimes all day, queues to cross the external EU border, traffic is a fraction of what it is inside the EU. Ciaran the Van Driver (of the 3 men in a pub podcast) tweets info screens of various border crossings and the numbers crossing are in the high hundreds as opposed to the usual high single digit thousands at Dover - Calais.
When it takes the best part of a day to cross a border you cannot integrate your logistics operations on either side. So the issue doesn't exist as the need doesn't exist.
Because we have had completely free and open trade our supply chains have integrated - for example the use of the UK as the logistics hub for ROI. Its a completely different trading model which creates the rather unique issue for the UK now that we have voluntarily severed ourselves from our own supply chain.
Foxy said: "Better than BMI it Waist Hip ratio. The circumference of your waist at bellybutton level should be less than 50% of your height. It is abdominal fat that is most dangerous."
Fifty percent sounded absurdly high to me, but my tape measure gave me a ratio of about 0.47. No call for cockiness here then.
Not heard of this one before, but I am just below the 50%.
I have made really effort to lose some weight the last few months so pretty pleased I am just under @Foxy 's quota.
I'm not sure this works for small people. My waist appears to be 32" and I am 5'4". So that's exactly 50% and I wouldn't want my waist to get any smaller as it's hard enough to buy trousers already.
I weigh 8 stone 8 and have a BMI under 21 so seem to be doing reasonably well for a 55 year old.
Mr. kjh, I'm not unhealthy but I do have a bad habit of randomly losing a stone in weight.
Can we all talk in metres and kg please. This should be a metric site.
Even my children have been infected with this imperial stuff.
One advantage of going to good schools in the ‘80s and ‘90s - I’m fluently bilingual when it comes to scientific units.
(But I also studied French, Spanish and Latin, most of which has been forgotten!)
In my day pharmacy students used to have to be able to switch between metric and Apothecaries weights and measures. Without, of course, calculators. And woe betide you if you got the calculation wrong ...... are you trying to kill your patients?
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
The distinction between the SNP and the government has practically disappeared. There is no independence in the Civil Service anymore, public bodies pumping out propaganda that supports independence barely raises an eyebrow, placemen are in charge of the quangocracy.
In fairness to the SNP this is what happens when one party is totally dominant for too long. Much the same used to happen with Labour in most Scottish councils and this was carried into the Scottish government in the early years. Democracy needs peaceful changes of government. It needs robust institutions that are not subject to political pressure. It needs some sort of a level playing field.
Even at Westminster in my adult life since 1979 we have had 2 changes of government in in 41 years. Its not healthy and shows being in power is a disproportionate advantage that makes it easy to squeeze other voices out. We need to think about this. It leads to worse and worse government.
I hope these arse covering statements don't work. If nothing else their original exultant comments should prove the lie of them. As with so much else, it might have worked if they had kept their trap shut the first time.
It's almost as if the London government couldn't predict what would happen when the transition period ended.
I have no doubt that due to covid none of these early issues will enter the public consciousness and how it plays out will depend on how these early issues are addressed and when public stress over covid dissipates, hopefully with widescale vaccination, and they turn their attention to these issues
I believe that the UK will rejoin the single market and customs union at sometime in the future but I do not see the UK rejoining the EU as a member
I think that is a bit optimistic. Or scandalous, in that the destruction of the Scottish economy is being concealed by the pox.
Surely 'public consciousness' includes losing your job and your business and finding your town's economy has been trashed and industry wrecked?
Edit: I know Eyemouth and I buy my fish from there. It's getting very personal now.
I know Eyemouth well and as a youngster I cycled with my friends from Berwick and enjoying seeing the harbour full of fishing boats, with new ones being built on the stocks, while climbing the rocks sparring with the guillemots who had an unpleasant habit of vomiting on you
I have no pleasure in any of this and time will tell how brexit shakes out, but right now with record deaths and covid rampant that is the only issue in most peoples minds
Mrs Fairliered spent most of her childhood holidays in Eyemouth, back when the children were allowed out on the fishing boats for the Herring Queen festival. We still try to visit when we can. I hope towns like Eyemouth can survive Brexit.
The Herring Queen festival does sound like something from another age, that could never have survived the Sixties. I have this image of rival candidates atop trawlers, with the winner being the one who managed to attract the most little boats in her following flotilla...
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
The distinction between the SNP and the government has practically disappeared. There is no independence in the Civil Service anymore, public bodies pumping out propaganda that supports independence barely raises an eyebrow, placemen are in charge of the quangocracy.
In fairness to the SNP this is what happens when one party is totally dominant for too long. Much the same used to happen with Labour in most Scottish councils and this was carried into the Scottish government in the early years. Democracy needs peaceful changes of government. It needs robust institutions that are not subject to political pressure. It needs some sort of a level playing field.
Even at Westminster in my adult life since 1979 we have had 2 changes of government in in 41 years. Its not healthy and shows being in power is a disproportionate advantage that makes it easy to squeeze other voices out. We need to think about this. It leads to worse and worse government.
Obviously I haven't participated in Scottish elections previously (my first will be this May providing I get registered on time after my move north). But my observation about the Scottish electoral system is that it is broadly proportional. OK not as much as full STV would be, but a lot better than it is for elections here in England.
If the SNP keep being re-elected, as I am certain they will be again this year, and the electoral system is proportional, is that not the clear will of the electorate?
The distinction between the SNP and the government has practically disappeared. There is no independence in the Civil Service anymore, public bodies pumping out propaganda that supports independence barely raises an eyebrow, placemen are in charge of the quangocracy.
In fairness to the SNP this is what happens when one party is totally dominant for too long. Much the same used to happen with Labour in most Scottish councils and this was carried into the Scottish government in the early years. Democracy needs peaceful changes of government. It needs robust institutions that are not subject to political pressure. It needs some sort of a level playing field.
Even at Westminster in my adult life since 1979 we have had 2 changes of government in in 41 years. Its not healthy and shows being in power is a disproportionate advantage that makes it easy to squeeze other voices out. We need to think about this. It leads to worse and worse government.
It's true that the distinction between state and party is invisible in Scotland, and it was so under Labour and the SNP.
I don't see it in Westminster.
If the state was so easily aligned with the party in power, Cummings would not have needed to blow it up so ineptly.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
The distinction between the SNP and the government has practically disappeared. There is no independence in the Civil Service anymore, public bodies pumping out propaganda that supports independence barely raises an eyebrow, placemen are in charge of the quangocracy.
In fairness to the SNP this is what happens when one party is totally dominant for too long. Much the same used to happen with Labour in most Scottish councils and this was carried into the Scottish government in the early years. Democracy needs peaceful changes of government. It needs robust institutions that are not subject to political pressure. It needs some sort of a level playing field.
Even at Westminster in my adult life since 1979 we have had 2 changes of government in in 41 years. Its not healthy and shows being in power is a disproportionate advantage that makes it easy to squeeze other voices out. We need to think about this. It leads to worse and worse government.
Problem is how do you ensure people are not in government too long? Even if they don't put their thumbs on such scales they can, if they do a good job, or the opposition a bad one, they will get returned. That increases the chance they entrench power even unofficially through appointments.
I think bad habits and arrogance are likely to increase the longer someone is in office and the 'they've been there too long' argument becomes pressing, but at what point that happens is bound to be flexible.
Salmond's aim is to provide enough evidence to the inquiry to damage Sturgeon so she fails to win a majority at Holyrood, then, after she is fatally wounded, he will make his move and topple her.
This is phase 1 in Salmond's revenge
There is a weird disconnect between the SNP's sky high poll ratings and the party's inner turmoil. Surely Sturgeon ought to be untouchable even if it were proved?
This has an air of May 2017 about it
Given his testimony appears to prove she lied to parliament , with witnesses and that the committee has 3 SNP , 4 Non SNP , plus SNP convenor and Tory deputy convenor then she is really on a sticky wicket. Instant resignation if it goes against her. Looks like her days are numbered, trying to get Salmond jailed to save him coming back to politics is looking like it was rather silly move.
The only "lie" I have seen to date is that Sturgeon had a meeting with Salmond's former chief of staff 3 or 4 days prior to meeting with Salmond himself and was told at that time. She has acknowledged this to be true and says that she forgot about the meeting.
I am struggling to ascertain what the extent and significance of these "lies" are. Can you help? I am also not clear how the Ministerial Code is significant.
Because she misled Parliament, the ministerial code says that's a resigning matter.
She hasn't given her evidence to this inquiry yet but "forgetting" a meeting doesn't sound close to a resigning matter to me. If Salmond had said that she knew perfectly well I have been a sex pest for the last 20 years and she helped cover it up that might be a different matter but that doesn't seem to be the allegation, weirdly enough.
So am I right in understanding the SNP feud being between a Salmondite UDI faction and a Sturgeonite constitutionalism faction, being fought out by the proxy of alleged sexual misbehaviour and its cover up?
Why not just debate the primary issue?
Because that doesn't suit either side. Salmond is reluctant to admit his behaviour has been appalling and Sturgeon is reluctant to admit she knew all about it. Instead we have this proxy fight about Ministerial Codes and the alleged failure of the leader of the SNP to report a meeting with the former head of the SNP to her Civil Servants.
That sounds a very plausible reading of what we know.
I am pretty sure Salmond's behaviour -- like Kennedy's drinking -- was reasonably widely known in political/media circles.
Looking back, there are plenty of hints of this (SNPness).
A postmodern problem. You know my leftie views, but I have people all over the spectrum among my 850 Facebook "friends". Some of them are American hardcore Trump supporters and post regularly about the dangerous left-wing Democrats who have stolen the election. At the same time they stay in touch personally, ask how I am, send best wishes for Christmas. Should I argue with them? Stay silent? Unfriend them? We have a duty to try to avoid deepening divisions so unfriending seems wrong and hurtful to perfectly nice people with odd ideas, but ignoring things that seem to be totally mistaken doesn't seem the answer.
What I've done is post some thoughts on my own thread (https://www.facebook.com/NickPalmerNottingham/posts/10159028589204592) which they'll probably see but don't need to regard as an intrusion into their threads and their worldview - if they want to take it on board and engage or not is up to them.
Is that the right approach?
I could not be friends with a Trump supporter. I could refrain from insulting them but I couldn't be friends. I had a hairy experience a few months ago, drinking with one of my oldest mates - he's over 60 - in a pub in London, when we got talking about the (then in the future) US election. He went into a riff about how terrible a candidate Joe Biden was and I had to interject and ask him pointedly, "But you do want him to beat Trump, right?". He took a few moments to answer, really thought about it, and my stomach was churning as I waited for the reply. I was so anxious and worried he would give the wrong answer. I don't have many good friends and I knew I was on the verge of losing perhaps my best one.
Mr. kjh, I'm not unhealthy but I do have a bad habit of randomly losing a stone in weight.
Can we all talk in metres and kg please. This should be a metric site.
Even my children have been infected with this imperial stuff.
One advantage of going to good schools in the ‘80s and ‘90s - I’m fluently bilingual when it comes to scientific units.
(But I also studied French, Spanish and Latin, most of which has been forgotten!)
In my day pharmacy students used to have to be able to switch between metric and Apothecaries weights and measures. Without, of course, calculators. And woe betide you if you got the calculation wrong ...... are you trying to kill your patients?
ISTR that Pharmacists quite liked imperial measures - as it was more difficult to make a demical point error than with metric, and accidentally give someone ten times the dose.
Foxy said: "Better than BMI it Waist Hip ratio. The circumference of your waist at bellybutton level should be less than 50% of your height. It is abdominal fat that is most dangerous."
Fifty percent sounded absurdly high to me, but my tape measure gave me a ratio of about 0.47. No call for cockiness here then.
Not heard of this one before, but I am just below the 50%.
I have made really effort to lose some weight the last few months so pretty pleased I am just under @Foxy 's quota.
I've just checked, I'm also just below!
And I'm pretty thin and average height - which makes me think the vast majority of people must be over that 50% ratio?
Repetitious and not much new but the picture of the police officer being squeezed was disturbing. The degree of violence inside the building was greater than was apparent on the day but not unpredictably so.
Does make me think that there might be others who could face inciting insurrection charges: Guiliani? Hawley? I think that Lyin’ Ted has probably managed to keep everything he’s said and done on the right side of the legally defensible (unfortunately).
Salmond's aim is to provide enough evidence to the inquiry to damage Sturgeon so she fails to win a majority at Holyrood, then, after she is fatally wounded, he will make his move and topple her.
This is phase 1 in Salmond's revenge
There is a weird disconnect between the SNP's sky high poll ratings and the party's inner turmoil. Surely Sturgeon ought to be untouchable even if it were proved?
This has an air of May 2017 about it
Given his testimony appears to prove she lied to parliament , with witnesses and that the committee has 3 SNP , 4 Non SNP , plus SNP convenor and Tory deputy convenor then she is really on a sticky wicket. Instant resignation if it goes against her. Looks like her days are numbered, trying to get Salmond jailed to save him coming back to politics is looking like it was rather silly move.
The only "lie" I have seen to date is that Sturgeon had a meeting with Salmond's former chief of staff 3 or 4 days prior to meeting with Salmond himself and was told at that time. She has acknowledged this to be true and says that she forgot about the meeting.
I am struggling to ascertain what the extent and significance of these "lies" are. Can you help? I am also not clear how the Ministerial Code is significant.
Because she misled Parliament, the ministerial code says that's a resigning matter.
She hasn't given her evidence to this inquiry yet but "forgetting" a meeting doesn't sound close to a resigning matter to me. If Salmond had said that she knew perfectly well I have been a sex pest for the last 20 years and she helped cover it up that might be a different matter but that doesn't seem to be the allegation, weirdly enough.
So am I right in understanding the SNP feud being between a Salmondite UDI faction and a Sturgeonite constitutionalism faction, being fought out by the proxy of alleged sexual misbehaviour and its cover up?
Why not just debate the primary issue?
More like a feud between a faction who want independence to remain the most important policy and a faction that are using the SNP for social policies - gender self identification being the most controversial, but including the hate crime bill and positive discrimination being others. As the SNP has become the natural party of government, it has attracted the careerists that formerly joined the Labour party (and destroyed it).
Don't you think that there's some irony that the people who have accused the SNP of becoming obsessed with gender issues at the expense of indy (let's call them Wings Over Scotland for these purposes) have now themselves become obsessed with gender issues? A secondary accusation (which I have more sympathy with) is that the SNP have been distracted by trying to stop Brexit, however the accusers seem to have adopted Joanna Cherry as their great hope, a woman who has expended a deal of energy fighting Brexit, specifically in the case(s) against prorogation.
I'm curious Scott - what happens at other external EU borders? I assume they have the same issues to deal with?
Because of the lengthy, sometimes all day, queues to cross the external EU border, traffic is a fraction of what it is inside the EU. Ciaran the Van Driver (of the 3 men in a pub podcast) tweets info screens of various border crossings and the numbers crossing are in the high hundreds as opposed to the usual high single digit thousands at Dover - Calais.
When it takes the best part of a day to cross a border you cannot integrate your logistics operations on either side. So the issue doesn't exist as the need doesn't exist.
Because we have had completely free and open trade our supply chains have integrated - for example the use of the UK as the logistics hub for ROI. Its a completely different trading model which creates the rather unique issue for the UK now that we have voluntarily severed ourselves from our own supply chain.
I remember reading some very good economic research measuring the economic impact of the US-Canada border (Post Nafta). It was really quite striking how much economic activity was prevented by the presence of the border. From an economic POV we have gone from the equivalent of the New York-Pennsylvania border to the US-Canada one. It is coming at a big economic cost. Many people on here are open about that, and think it will be worth it for the sovereignty benefits. I respect that, although I don't agree. What I don't respect is the Leave campaign, which told people that there would be no economic cost. Don't be surprised if some of those who believed the Leave campaign's false prospectus now turn round and say this isn't what we voted for.
Repetitious and not much new but the picture of the police officer being squeezed was disturbing. The degree of violence inside the building was greater than was apparent on the day but not unpredictably so.
Interesting that they should begin with a mention of Benghazi; that was the supreme touchstone for the proto-Trump American Right for years.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
The distinction between the SNP and the government has practically disappeared. There is no independence in the Civil Service anymore, public bodies pumping out propaganda that supports independence barely raises an eyebrow, placemen are in charge of the quangocracy.
In fairness to the SNP this is what happens when one party is totally dominant for too long. Much the same used to happen with Labour in most Scottish councils and this was carried into the Scottish government in the early years. Democracy needs peaceful changes of government. It needs robust institutions that are not subject to political pressure. It needs some sort of a level playing field.
Even at Westminster in my adult life since 1979 we have had 2 changes of government in in 41 years. Its not healthy and shows being in power is a disproportionate advantage that makes it easy to squeeze other voices out. We need to think about this. It leads to worse and worse government.
3. I always count the Coalition to Conservative in 2015 as a change of government. If it wasn't, how come we had the Referendum?
Mr. kjh, I'm not unhealthy but I do have a bad habit of randomly losing a stone in weight.
Can we all talk in metres and kg please. This should be a metric site.
Even my children have been infected with this imperial stuff.
One advantage of going to good schools in the ‘80s and ‘90s - I’m fluently bilingual when it comes to scientific units.
(But I also studied French, Spanish and Latin, most of which has been forgotten!)
In my day pharmacy students used to have to be able to switch between metric and Apothecaries weights and measures. Without, of course, calculators. And woe betide you if you got the calculation wrong ...... are you trying to kill your patients?
ISTR that Pharmacists quite liked imperial measures - as it was more difficult to make a demical point error than with metric, and accidentally give someone ten times the dose.
Indeed. One was frequently told that they were 'archaic' and 'irrational' but when one thought about it....... I've probably told the story before about how, as 'on call' pharmacist I was once woken at 2am by an apparently innumerate anaesthetist who wanted to argue about the drug dose in a pre-filled syringe, whether or not it should be 10 x what it was.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
How much has all this internecine warfare entered the consciousness of the average Scot?
The election campaign period could certainly be interesting, with Sturgeon and Salmond supporters tearing seven bells out of each other.
It doesn't paint a pretty picture of a post-Indy Scotland, where, with no Westminster, the internal SNP blame game is a brutal landscape...
Best just hope everything is wonderful, eh?
The SNP are less likely to enjoy their current hegemony post independence. I can even imagine a (rebranded) Scottish Conservative party being in government post independence.
There's been a lot written about lockdown fatigue and adherence this morning. What the government seems to be missing in this is a much better timetable for under 50s on when we will get jabbed. Loads of my friends seem to be of the view that "they're just going to keep us locked down forever so I may as well not bother" because no plans for under 50s to be jabbed have been forthcoming. If we were jabbing 3-4m people per week and the government outlines a timeframe for under 50s (giving us the same light at the end of the tunnel as every other group) then I think lockdown adherence would rise.
One of my friends thinks that the government aren't saying because they want to give UK vaccine supply away to the developing world after the over 50s are done because of international pressure. If they do that then they'll lose my vote forever but I'm sure it won't be the case.
I am sure I am about to regret asking, but can anyone explain to me the internal feud of the SNP in simple terms?
Salmond is a sex pest.
Sturgeon shopped him.
Salmond has not forgiven her.
But she only shopped him because he was wanting to restand as an MSP after losing his Westminster seat in 2017.
I’m not sure the ‘why’ matters. It’s the ‘shopped’ that he’s narked about.
Truthfully, to say the least it doesn’t show either of them in a flattering light, but given the paucity of opposition i can’t see it having much electoral impact.
The thing that would be deeply damaging to Sturgeon is if she'd known about the allegations for a decade before shopping Salmond.
It would put a very different light on things.
Let it not be failed to be said though that Salmond, as well as being a sex pest, is a grade A idiot. I can't think of anyone who has fallen faster in my eyes than him.
Does he still have a hardcore fanclub amongst the Nits? I know a number of them quietly despise Sturgeon (cf malcomg's characteristically gentle descriptions of her). Is Eck a Prince across the Water for some?
You're confusing SNP members with Yes voters generally. Not the same thing by any means.
OK, how about..... does he still have a hardcore fanclub amongst Yes voters?
Difficult to tell because of various factors. But in a sense, what is the point? Things have moved on. He's not an active pol now. AFAIK he's not standing as a candidate for any election. And we're not Tories that give peerages out like sweeties, albeit very expensive sweeties. The Unionist (especially English) media focus on him is in a sense like their focus on Messrs Sillars and Bell. Like talking about Mr E. MIliband or Mr Cameron in terms of current English election politics.
I've no doubt he is yesterday's hero, however my question is: does he have enough of a fanbase for him to delude himself (he is famously vain) that he will bring down Sturgeon in the belief that he, or his acolyte Cherry, can take over?
It may not be huge news around the world or affect the Uk Govt, but in Scotland, if this is just the starting pistol, it's going to be massive.
This was promised in both 2020 and 2019.
Im not saying it won't happen in 2021 but fuck me it's been trailed for years now.
Also, it's rather meh - Theresa May may for all I know hate Mr Johnson's guts, but that is not news. Ano more than bear shite being discovered in Glentress Forest and Murdo Fraser supporting Rangers FC.
Er, this is a bit different. Theresa May, God bless her, was not wrongly accused of sexual misconduct, bordering on rape, in a state-sanctioned legal case about her violently pegging a young male aide, apparently promulgated then concealed by Boris Johnson.
The Salmond Affair is a bit juicier than "meh". Tho I can see why you would like to minimalise it.
Not trying to minimise it - but rather focussing on the likely political status and future career of the man, which is what you were asking about. Not the situation as a whole.
That is ,of course, only part of the entire situation, which has to play out.
Fair nuff. This is the first time in years that I have sensed the SNP hegemony might be threatened. The timing is all wrong for Sturgeon.
To be fair to the Nats, however, their incredible supremacy at Holyrood has proved me wrong time and again, and just continues. but this feels dangerous. We shall see.
Worst case if he started a list only party I reckon he could win a large chunk of seats no bother at all and be the kingmaker. The wokes and cheating lying toerags milking the SNP whilst pretending they want independence should be packing their suitcases. Ceaușescu's comes to mind.
With the goal in sight, just keeper to beat, and said keeper being an Englishman not in any way resembling Gordon Banks, this is surely not the time for the SNP to start tackling themselves.
I do not see her really trying for it to be honest, it is excuse after excuse on why not to push other than the pathetic begging for an S30 every other year.
Well you're more immersed in it than I am, of course, but the vote was just 2014, and there's been Brexit taking up all the political space since then. But now the coast is clear and I'd have thought she would first make sure of the Holyrood mandate in May and then really go for it using all the tools she has. If I were an Indy activist I think I would be inclined to give her that time. I could be wrong - have not studied her that closely - but she doesn't come over to me as a pure careerist politician.
A postmodern problem. You know my leftie views, but I have people all over the spectrum among my 850 Facebook "friends". Some of them are American hardcore Trump supporters and post regularly about the dangerous left-wing Democrats who have stolen the election. At the same time they stay in touch personally, ask how I am, send best wishes for Christmas. Should I argue with them? Stay silent? Unfriend them? We have a duty to try to avoid deepening divisions so unfriending seems wrong and hurtful to perfectly nice people with odd ideas, but ignoring things that seem to be totally mistaken doesn't seem the answer.
What I've done is post some thoughts on my own thread (https://www.facebook.com/NickPalmerNottingham/posts/10159028589204592) which they'll probably see but don't need to regard as an intrusion into their threads and their worldview - if they want to take it on board and engage or not is up to them.
Is that the right approach?
Others may disagree, but I think so. And I think it does you credit.
I remember reading some very good economic research measuring the economic impact of the US-Canada border (Post Nafta). It was really quite striking how much economic activity was prevented by the presence of the border. From an economic POV we have gone from the equivalent of the New York-Pennsylvania border to the US-Canada one. It is coming at a big economic cost. Many people on here are open about that, and think it will be worth it for the sovereignty benefits. I respect that, although I don't agree. What I don't respect is the Leave campaign, which told people that there would be no economic cost. Don't be surprised if some of those who believed the Leave campaign's false prospectus now turn round and say this isn't what we voted for.
They already are, and as the impacts are delivered in the cost of everything going up and less choice for consumers and if we are ever allowed major hassle and cost to go on holiday, that will become pretty wide spread.
From the politicians perspective there are two groups. One is utter morons, strong in rhetorical flourish, weak on actual facts or reality. Witness Boris Johnson saying over and over no border in the Irish Sea then signing up to a border in the Irish Sea then denying he had done any such thing. Or Raaaaaaab saying that as Secretary of State of Existing the EU he had No Idea that Dover - Calais was so important to the UK economy. I class people like this as fools - so dumb that they don't know what the facts are.
Then we come to the liars. The people who know fully well how things work but are happy to lie about it for political or financial profit. Brandon Lewis is one such liar. It is impossible here and now as SoS for NI to not know that his department has imposed swathes of paperwork for the GB NI border. Yet he keeps insisting there is no customs border. Unlike his boss - who is stupid first and a liar second, the likes of Lewis are intelligent liars. We really do need to call them out.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
The distinction between the SNP and the government has practically disappeared. There is no independence in the Civil Service anymore, public bodies pumping out propaganda that supports independence barely raises an eyebrow, placemen are in charge of the quangocracy.
In fairness to the SNP this is what happens when one party is totally dominant for too long. Much the same used to happen with Labour in most Scottish councils and this was carried into the Scottish government in the early years. Democracy needs peaceful changes of government. It needs robust institutions that are not subject to political pressure. It needs some sort of a level playing field.
Even at Westminster in my adult life since 1979 we have had 2 changes of government in in 41 years. Its not healthy and shows being in power is a disproportionate advantage that makes it easy to squeeze other voices out. We need to think about this. It leads to worse and worse government.
3. I always count the Coalition to Conservative in 2015 as a change of government. If it wasn't, how come we had the Referendum?
Sorry but no. Same PM, most of the same MPs. The coalition was a Tory government with a modest moderating influence. The move to the right in 2015 was probably of the same magnitude as 2019, when the Tories ejected their internal moderates. Having an EU referendum wasn't in the Tory manifesto in 2010 (but was in the Lib Dem manifesto that year) so I am not sure your argument holds water. It was in the Tory manifesto in 2015 and that's why it happened.
Foxy said: "Better than BMI it Waist Hip ratio. The circumference of your waist at bellybutton level should be less than 50% of your height. It is abdominal fat that is most dangerous."
Fifty percent sounded absurdly high to me, but my tape measure gave me a ratio of about 0.47. No call for cockiness here then.
Not heard of this one before, but I am just below the 50%.
I have made really effort to lose some weight the last few months so pretty pleased I am just under @Foxy 's quota.
I'm not sure this works for small people. My waist appears to be 32" and I am 5'4". So that's exactly 50% and I wouldn't want my waist to get any smaller as it's hard enough to buy trousers already.
I weigh 8 stone 8 and have a BMI under 21 so seem to be doing reasonably well for a 55 year old.
There’s a difference between waist size and circumference at belly button level, though. It’s when your belly starts to hang out above your jeans that you should worry.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
The distinction between the SNP and the government has practically disappeared. There is no independence in the Civil Service anymore, public bodies pumping out propaganda that supports independence barely raises an eyebrow, placemen are in charge of the quangocracy.
In fairness to the SNP this is what happens when one party is totally dominant for too long. Much the same used to happen with Labour in most Scottish councils and this was carried into the Scottish government in the early years. Democracy needs peaceful changes of government. It needs robust institutions that are not subject to political pressure. It needs some sort of a level playing field.
Even at Westminster in my adult life since 1979 we have had 2 changes of government in in 41 years. Its not healthy and shows being in power is a disproportionate advantage that makes it easy to squeeze other voices out. We need to think about this. It leads to worse and worse government.
Obviously I haven't participated in Scottish elections previously (my first will be this May providing I get registered on time after my move north). But my observation about the Scottish electoral system is that it is broadly proportional. OK not as much as full STV would be, but a lot better than it is for elections here in England.
If the SNP keep being re-elected, as I am certain they will be again this year, and the electoral system is proportional, is that not the clear will of the electorate?
It reflects the fact that there is a very significant minority for whom independence is the important issue. It hasn't seemed to matter how catastrophically the SNP government has dealt with Police reform, Education, the NHS, the Scottish economy, the state of our laws with ever more bizarre provisions like the Hate Crime Bill, when it comes to the election independence trumps everything. Again, in fairness, it is much the same on the other side. The Tories are the official opposition but are generally pretty unimpressive and miss open goals more often than an Arsenal forward but the importance of maintaining the Union means people vote for them anyway.
Politics is horribly distorted in Scotland, it makes Brexit look like some trivial side issue, and it doesn't seem to be changing. I honestly don't know how we can get out of this and get our political classes to focus on the day job. Maybe a second referendum would be the answer but I somehow doubt it.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
How much has all this internecine warfare entered the consciousness of the average Scot?
The election campaign period could certainly be interesting, with Sturgeon and Salmond supporters tearing seven bells out of each other.
It doesn't paint a pretty picture of a post-Indy Scotland, where, with no Westminster, the internal SNP blame game is a brutal landscape...
Best just hope everything is wonderful, eh?
The SNP are less likely to enjoy their current hegemony post independence. I can even imagine a (rebranded) Scottish Conservative party being in government post independence.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
The distinction between the SNP and the government has practically disappeared. There is no independence in the Civil Service anymore, public bodies pumping out propaganda that supports independence barely raises an eyebrow, placemen are in charge of the quangocracy.
In fairness to the SNP this is what happens when one party is totally dominant for too long. Much the same used to happen with Labour in most Scottish councils and this was carried into the Scottish government in the early years. Democracy needs peaceful changes of government. It needs robust institutions that are not subject to political pressure. It needs some sort of a level playing field.
Even at Westminster in my adult life since 1979 we have had 2 changes of government in in 41 years. Its not healthy and shows being in power is a disproportionate advantage that makes it easy to squeeze other voices out. We need to think about this. It leads to worse and worse government.
Obviously I haven't participated in Scottish elections previously (my first will be this May providing I get registered on time after my move north). But my observation about the Scottish electoral system is that it is broadly proportional. OK not as much as full STV would be, but a lot better than it is for elections here in England.
If the SNP keep being re-elected, as I am certain they will be again this year, and the electoral system is proportional, is that not the clear will of the electorate?
The Scottish (and Welsh) electoral systems are not actually as proportional as they might, or should be.
The use of regional rather than National lists acts as a kind of FPTP-PR hybrid and discriminates against minor parties with broad based support. In turn, a dominant party like the SNP in Scotland receives an advantage.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
The distinction between the SNP and the government has practically disappeared. There is no independence in the Civil Service anymore, public bodies pumping out propaganda that supports independence barely raises an eyebrow, placemen are in charge of the quangocracy.
In fairness to the SNP this is what happens when one party is totally dominant for too long. Much the same used to happen with Labour in most Scottish councils and this was carried into the Scottish government in the early years. Democracy needs peaceful changes of government. It needs robust institutions that are not subject to political pressure. It needs some sort of a level playing field.
Even at Westminster in my adult life since 1979 we have had 2 changes of government in in 41 years. Its not healthy and shows being in power is a disproportionate advantage that makes it easy to squeeze other voices out. We need to think about this. It leads to worse and worse government.
Obviously I haven't participated in Scottish elections previously (my first will be this May providing I get registered on time after my move north). But my observation about the Scottish electoral system is that it is broadly proportional. OK not as much as full STV would be, but a lot better than it is for elections here in England.
If the SNP keep being re-elected, as I am certain they will be again this year, and the electoral system is proportional, is that not the clear will of the electorate?
It reflects the fact that there is a very significant minority for whom independence is the important issue. It hasn't seemed to matter how catastrophically the SNP government has dealt with Police reform, Education, the NHS, the Scottish economy, the state of our laws with ever more bizarre provisions like the Hate Crime Bill, when it comes to the election independence trumps everything. Again, in fairness, it is much the same on the other side. The Tories are the official opposition but are generally pretty unimpressive and miss open goals more often than an Arsenal forward but the importance of maintaining the Union means people vote for them anyway.
Politics is horribly distorted in Scotland, it makes Brexit look like some trivial side issue, and it doesn't seem to be changing. I honestly don't know how we can get out of this and get our political classes to focus on the day job. Maybe a second referendum would be the answer but I somehow doubt it.
If you want normal party politics, you need to support independence. The constitutional question will distort everything until it’s settled.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
The distinction between the SNP and the government has practically disappeared. There is no independence in the Civil Service anymore, public bodies pumping out propaganda that supports independence barely raises an eyebrow, placemen are in charge of the quangocracy.
In fairness to the SNP this is what happens when one party is totally dominant for too long. Much the same used to happen with Labour in most Scottish councils and this was carried into the Scottish government in the early years. Democracy needs peaceful changes of government. It needs robust institutions that are not subject to political pressure. It needs some sort of a level playing field.
Even at Westminster in my adult life since 1979 we have had 2 changes of government in in 41 years. Its not healthy and shows being in power is a disproportionate advantage that makes it easy to squeeze other voices out. We need to think about this. It leads to worse and worse government.
3. I always count the Coalition to Conservative in 2015 as a change of government. If it wasn't, how come we had the Referendum?
I think that is a very marginal case, it was a Tory dominated government, especially after the promises of the Coalition Agreement had been met. But even if its 3 is that really enough? Civil Servants see that progress and promotion goes with being on the team and the party in government is around long enough to deliver.
Salmond's aim is to provide enough evidence to the inquiry to damage Sturgeon so she fails to win a majority at Holyrood, then, after she is fatally wounded, he will make his move and topple her.
This is phase 1 in Salmond's revenge
There is a weird disconnect between the SNP's sky high poll ratings and the party's inner turmoil. Surely Sturgeon ought to be untouchable even if it were proved?
This has an air of May 2017 about it
Given his testimony appears to prove she lied to parliament , with witnesses and that the committee has 3 SNP , 4 Non SNP , plus SNP convenor and Tory deputy convenor then she is really on a sticky wicket. Instant resignation if it goes against her. Looks like her days are numbered, trying to get Salmond jailed to save him coming back to politics is looking like it was rather silly move.
The only "lie" I have seen to date is that Sturgeon had a meeting with Salmond's former chief of staff 3 or 4 days prior to meeting with Salmond himself and was told at that time. She has acknowledged this to be true and says that she forgot about the meeting.
I am struggling to ascertain what the extent and significance of these "lies" are. Can you help? I am also not clear how the Ministerial Code is significant.
Because she misled Parliament, the ministerial code says that's a resigning matter.
Presumably, as at Westminster, the Ministerial Code is guidance only.
If Sturgeon has acknowledged the earlier meeting, has she also conceded that she (inadvertantly) misled Parliament?
She needs to.
Yes, she has already acknowledged the meeting and apologised for not mentioning it earlier. She apologised months ago.
There's been a lot written about lockdown fatigue and adherence this morning. What the government seems to be missing in this is a much better timetable for under 50s on when we will get jabbed. Loads of my friends seem to be of the view that "they're just going to keep us locked down forever so I may as well not bother" because no plans for under 50s to be jabbed have been forthcoming. If we were jabbing 3-4m people per week and the government outlines a timeframe for under 50s (giving us the same light at the end of the tunnel as every other group) then I think lockdown adherence would rise.
One of my friends thinks that the government aren't saying because they want to give UK vaccine supply away to the developing world after the over 50s are done because of international pressure. If they do that then they'll lose my vote forever but I'm sure it won't be the case.
There is no way that the government is going to give UK vaccine supply away.
I agree that there should be a comprehensive and realistic timetable for the vaccination of all age groups. This is the exit route and the strategy must be made clear so that everyone can envisage things returning to normal again. A proper normal.
Apparently now the most leaning left dripping wet liberal mayor in America is fair game for the far leftist lot that he just won't take action against...in their words apparently he is a fascist and hit him while he was quietly having some food.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
How much has all this internecine warfare entered the consciousness of the average Scot?
The election campaign period could certainly be interesting, with Sturgeon and Salmond supporters tearing seven bells out of each other.
It doesn't paint a pretty picture of a post-Indy Scotland, where, with no Westminster, the internal SNP blame game is a brutal landscape...
Best just hope everything is wonderful, eh?
The SNP are less likely to enjoy their current hegemony post independence. I can even imagine a (rebranded) Scottish Conservative party being in government post independence.
Realignment almost certain, I'd say. You don't need an SNP once the N is established. And as you say, why should the Cons not thrive? There are plenty of fiscally and socially conservative Scots. We have a few on here.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
How much has all this internecine warfare entered the consciousness of the average Scot?
The election campaign period could certainly be interesting, with Sturgeon and Salmond supporters tearing seven bells out of each other.
It doesn't paint a pretty picture of a post-Indy Scotland, where, with no Westminster, the internal SNP blame game is a brutal landscape...
Best just hope everything is wonderful, eh?
The SNP are less likely to enjoy their current hegemony post independence. I can even imagine a (rebranded) Scottish Conservative party being in government post independence.
Indeed there are a lot of quite right wing SNP supporters - they weren't known as the Tartan Tories for nothing. I have never been a big fan of the SNP myself although I am a reluctant convert to independence. I have a lot of time for Sturgeon and for some others in the SNP like Maihri Black. I always thought Salmond was a slimy creep, though. Scottish Labour is dead. I suspect that different left-right groupings will emerge post independence including out of the SNP itself. With a PR voting system there will probably not be 2 big parties anyway.
It's almost as if the London government couldn't predict what would happen when the transition period ended.
I have no doubt that due to covid none of these early issues will enter the public consciousness and how it plays out will depend on how these early issues are addressed and when public stress over covid dissipates, hopefully with widescale vaccination, and they turn their attention to these issues
I believe that the UK will rejoin the single market and customs union at sometime in the future but I do not see the UK rejoining the EU as a member
I think that is a bit optimistic. Or scandalous, in that the destruction of the Scottish economy is being concealed by the pox.
Surely 'public consciousness' includes losing your job and your business and finding your town's economy has been trashed and industry wrecked?
Edit: I know Eyemouth and I buy my fish from there. It's getting very personal now.
I know Eyemouth well and as a youngster I cycled with my friends from Berwick and enjoying seeing the harbour full of fishing boats, with new ones being built on the stocks, while climbing the rocks sparring with the guillemots who had an unpleasant habit of vomiting on you
I have no pleasure in any of this and time will tell how brexit shakes out, but right now with record deaths and covid rampant that is the only issue in most peoples minds
Mrs Fairliered spent most of her childhood holidays in Eyemouth, back when the children were allowed out on the fishing boats for the Herring Queen festival. We still try to visit when we can. I hope towns like Eyemouth can survive Brexit.
The Herring Queen festival does sound like something from another age, that could never have survived the Sixties. I have this image of rival candidates atop trawlers, with the winner being the one who managed to attract the most little boats in her following flotilla...
If PB is ever shut down, I may not put in the effort to source another forum to debate how terrible Radiohead are
This is a subject for debate??
Tweet misses the most important point.
The recipe can be extended to more reasonable groups - define as a hate group then target.
There is legitimate targeting, then there is the opportunity that opens up. Definition of boundaries, and stopping a spread over the boundary is the difficult part.
And there are tactics which close down legitimate speech - many UK political blogs are still based overseas because 12-15 years ago UK webhosts were given to closing entire sites down just with a snotty letter from a lawyer.
Boris Johnson once lost his website (when campaigning for Mayor of London) as collateral damage when somebody else's was closed down after a Carter-Ruck style letter.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
How much has all this internecine warfare entered the consciousness of the average Scot?
The election campaign period could certainly be interesting, with Sturgeon and Salmond supporters tearing seven bells out of each other.
It doesn't paint a pretty picture of a post-Indy Scotland, where, with no Westminster, the internal SNP blame game is a brutal landscape...
Best just hope everything is wonderful, eh?
The SNP are less likely to enjoy their current hegemony post independence. I can even imagine a (rebranded) Scottish Conservative party being in government post independence.
I don't buy that. If Scotland is going to be independent, then surely the expression of that is ensuring it remains something very different to what they have now - a Tory Government. The SNP will ride the wave of delivery for a decade before it all gets horribly incestuous, with a chumocracy that even the Westminster Tories would never have the neck to put in place. Some bad scandals, some jail time and a quite abrupt turning away from the SNP is my guess.
But not to anything that looks like it might be Tories in disguise. A new Tartan-clad social democrat party would be my guess, one that appeals to both LibDems and Tories with quite a few ex-SLAB and SNPers who see a need for change climbing aboard. The interesting question will be - is it a party that will want to join the EU? But they will have the benefit of quite a few years to see how the wind is blowing on that. (Implicit in that is that I don't expect the SNP to apply to join straight away - there will be a huge debate about the pros and cons. There will be plenty who don't want to swap the choke-hold of Westminster for the choke-hold of Brussels....)
No. Quite possibly some catastrophic failure before the crash, though. ... Flight tracking website Flightradar24.com said the aircraft had lost more than 3,000m (10,000ft) in altitude in less than a minute. The transport ministry said search and rescue efforts were under way. Sriwijaya Air, a local carrier, said it was still gathering information about the flight. The plane is not a 737 Max, the Boeing model involved in two major crashes in recent years... BBC
I naturally scale back after the excesses of Christmas and New Year, but January is too grim a month to be completely sober!
In any case, the licensed trade needs the business, and there is Burns Night to mark.
It is a useful self discipline to go dry occasionally though, or give up meat etc. A lot of things just become a habit, and stopping restores a bit of balance to life. Such "fasts" are a feature of most spiritual traditions. I tend to choose Lent myself.
Stopping social media, inc PB, is much tougher. It showes how we become slaves to our addictions.
During the pandemic I have basically hardly touched a drink. Just completely broken the habit of drinking as haven't been out for dinnners and at home broken the cycle of an evening drink / weekend drink.
I can't say I feel better for it, probably because offset against being in the house 99% of the time.
R4 just now says polling indicates about a third of Dry January folks admit to already having given up.
One of our twenty something receptionists is doing a sponsored dry January, and I asked her how it was going. She has stuck to it, and has realised that a half bottle of wine every night had just become a habit rather than a pleasure. She has lost half a stone, without other dieting.
She is rather looking forward to pubs reopening though.
Half a stone in 8 days?!
The other 20-28 receptionists still on the sauce?
I find cutting out booze part of an effective diet. Not only the calories in the booze pile it on, but the loss of will power too for crisps, nuts, pudding etc etc.
Make you right. I have a habit of drinking a few of glasses of watered down prosecco every night, and the accompanying snacks are probably worse for the weight than the drink. It is probably nicer when you dont drink at all on balance. I didnt drink for three months either side of my sons birth and didnt miss it at all
Mind you when I was at the gym and working really hard I was 12st 5, now I have slipped into a bit of a lazy routine and had an injury that stopped me running, plus Christmas and all that.. 12st 9, so not too bad.
That's still a little heavy for a man of average height.
Average height being 5ft 9?
Yes, I had you down as exactly that. In which case you should be just a few pounds lighter. Nothing to worry about though.
Ha, no I looked up UK average height and wondered if that's what you had in mind, but I am 6ft, so you'll have to revise your advice
Better than BMI it Waist Hip ratio. The circumference of your waist at bellybutton level should be less than 50% of your height. It is abdominal fat that is most dangerous.
Compares waist with hip surely? Nothing to do with height. I may be wrong.
Sorry, I meant Waist Height Ratio! Had my coffee now...
Some media are reporting that it’s a 737 Max - but no, it isn’t. It’s an old 737-500. Sadly Indonesia has a very poor record on aviation safety. 55 people on board, not looking like anything but a bad outcome.
No. Quite possibly some catastrophic failure before the crash, though. ... Flight tracking website Flightradar24.com said the aircraft had lost more than 3,000m (10,000ft) in altitude in less than a minute. The transport ministry said search and rescue efforts were under way. Sriwijaya Air, a local carrier, said it was still gathering information about the flight. The plane is not a 737 Max, the Boeing model involved in two major crashes in recent years... BBC
No. Quite possibly some catastrophic failure before the crash, though. ... Flight tracking website Flightradar24.com said the aircraft had lost more than 3,000m (10,000ft) in altitude in less than a minute. The transport ministry said search and rescue efforts were under way. Sriwijaya Air, a local carrier, said it was still gathering information about the flight. The plane is not a 737 Max, the Boeing model involved in two major crashes in recent years... BBC
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is a liar. As they are on the other side of the pond we have to call out these liars.
Brandon Lewis, as SoS, knows precisely the arrangements for traffic between GB and NI. It isn't possible for the SoS not to know. Which makes what he is saying a lie and him a liar. Call it out as Conor Lamb did
Hadn’t seen that. What’s happening in the US is fascinating because rarely do we see such a clear Manichaean struggle between the forces of light and dark, good and evil. Reminds me of King Lear, and it’s gratifying to see that, like Albany, some Republicans are now beginning to stand up for truth.
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
How much has all this internecine warfare entered the consciousness of the average Scot?
The election campaign period could certainly be interesting, with Sturgeon and Salmond supporters tearing seven bells out of each other.
It doesn't paint a pretty picture of a post-Indy Scotland, where, with no Westminster, the internal SNP blame game is a brutal landscape...
Best just hope everything is wonderful, eh?
The SNP are less likely to enjoy their current hegemony post independence. I can even imagine a (rebranded) Scottish Conservative party being in government post independence.
Realignment almost certain, I'd say. You don't need an SNP once the N is established. And as you say, why should the Cons not thrive? There are plenty of fiscally and socially conservative Scots. We have a few on here.
In the fifties the Tories did better in Scotland than in England. There is more fellow feeling in Scotland than in England, as is often the way in smaller countries. And attitudes on some issues are different, eg Europe. But certainly there is a constituency for a centre right party in Scotland, shorn of the baggage that comes with being associated with Johnson, Rees-Mogg etc at Westminster. Particularly with Scotland being responsible for raising its own taxes.
I remember reading some very good economic research measuring the economic impact of the US-Canada border (Post Nafta). It was really quite striking how much economic activity was prevented by the presence of the border. From an economic POV we have gone from the equivalent of the New York-Pennsylvania border to the US-Canada one. It is coming at a big economic cost. Many people on here are open about that, and think it will be worth it for the sovereignty benefits. I respect that, although I don't agree. What I don't respect is the Leave campaign, which told people that there would be no economic cost. Don't be surprised if some of those who believed the Leave campaign's false prospectus now turn round and say this isn't what we voted for.
They already are, and as the impacts are delivered in the cost of everything going up and less choice for consumers and if we are ever allowed major hassle and cost to go on holiday, that will become pretty wide spread.
From the politicians perspective there are two groups. One is utter morons, strong in rhetorical flourish, weak on actual facts or reality. Witness Boris Johnson saying over and over no border in the Irish Sea then signing up to a border in the Irish Sea then denying he had done any such thing. Or Raaaaaaab saying that as Secretary of State of Existing the EU he had No Idea that Dover - Calais was so important to the UK economy. I class people like this as fools - so dumb that they don't know what the facts are.
Then we come to the liars. The people who know fully well how things work but are happy to lie about it for political or financial profit. Brandon Lewis is one such liar. It is impossible here and now as SoS for NI to not know that his department has imposed swathes of paperwork for the GB NI border. Yet he keeps insisting there is no customs border. Unlike his boss - who is stupid first and a liar second, the likes of Lewis are intelligent liars. We really do need to call them out.
I'll bow to your knowledge of the international supply chain, but (if it happens) my trip to Poland in May will be just as easy as my last trip in June 2019, and no more expensive.
If PB is ever shut down, I may not put in the effort to source another forum to debate how terrible Radiohead are
Surely even Trump’s Nazi Fan Club can understand the difference between banning free speech and banning hate speech that provokes disorder and death? Does anyone in 2021 still think free speech is natural, and not man made by acting against the violence and anarchy of the nature state?
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
How much has all this internecine warfare entered the consciousness of the average Scot?
The election campaign period could certainly be interesting, with Sturgeon and Salmond supporters tearing seven bells out of each other.
It doesn't paint a pretty picture of a post-Indy Scotland, where, with no Westminster, the internal SNP blame game is a brutal landscape...
Best just hope everything is wonderful, eh?
The SNP are less likely to enjoy their current hegemony post independence. I can even imagine a (rebranded) Scottish Conservative party being in government post independence.
Realignment almost certain, I'd say. You don't need an SNP once the N is established. And as you say, why should the Cons not thrive? There are plenty of fiscally and socially conservative Scots. We have a few on here.
In the fifties the Tories did better in Scotland than in England. There is more fellow feeling in Scotland than in England, as is often the way in smaller countries. And attitudes on some issues are different, eg Europe. But certainly there is a constituency for a centre right party in Scotland, shorn of the baggage that comes with being associated with Johnson, Rees-Mogg etc at Westminster. Particularly with Scotland being responsible for raising its own taxes.
In the 50s the Tories only did well in Scotland standing as Unionists, just as they only did well in 2017 as Unionists.
There is little desire for a Thatcherite Tory Party in Scotland, only a Unionist Tory Party.
Indeed if there ever was an independent Scotland I expect the SNP would split into centre right and social democratic centre left wings, in Ireland Fine Gael and Fianna Fail are economically centre right and centre respectively and Sinn Fein is leftwing
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
How much has all this internecine warfare entered the consciousness of the average Scot?
The election campaign period could certainly be interesting, with Sturgeon and Salmond supporters tearing seven bells out of each other.
It doesn't paint a pretty picture of a post-Indy Scotland, where, with no Westminster, the internal SNP blame game is a brutal landscape...
Best just hope everything is wonderful, eh?
The SNP are less likely to enjoy their current hegemony post independence. I can even imagine a (rebranded) Scottish Conservative party being in government post independence.
I don't buy that. If Scotland is going to be independent, then surely the expression of that is ensuring it remains something very different to what they have now - a Tory Government. The SNP will ride the wave of delivery for a decade before it all gets horribly incestuous, with a chumocracy that even the Westminster Tories would never have the neck to put in place. Some bad scandals, some jail time and a quite abrupt turning away from the SNP is my guess.
But not to anything that looks like it might be Tories in disguise. A new Tartan-clad social democrat party would be my guess, one that appeals to both LibDems and Tories with quite a few ex-SLAB and SNPers who see a need for change climbing aboard. The interesting question will be - is it a party that will want to join the EU? But they will have the benefit of quite a few years to see how the wind is blowing on that. (Implicit in that is that I don't expect the SNP to apply to join straight away - there will be a huge debate about the pros and cons. There will be plenty who don't want to swap the choke-hold of Westminster for the choke-hold of Brussels....)
The Tories suffer in Scotland because they are rightly seen as mostly an English nationalist party. A centre right party independent of the English Tories could do quite well. Also political dynamics will change a lot when the argument is about taxes and not just spending, post independence. I think Scottish politics will look like Sweden, with a dominant centre left party but a centre right party that gets into government too. (plus perhaps a nasty nationalist party).
The real issue is that boundaries between party, executive, and civil service have broken down in Scotland.
Nicola has taken advantage to have a political rival tried on trumped-up sex crime charges.
It’s a massive scandal but Salmon can’t really find a smoking gun.
How much has all this internecine warfare entered the consciousness of the average Scot?
The election campaign period could certainly be interesting, with Sturgeon and Salmond supporters tearing seven bells out of each other.
It doesn't paint a pretty picture of a post-Indy Scotland, where, with no Westminster, the internal SNP blame game is a brutal landscape...
Best just hope everything is wonderful, eh?
The SNP are less likely to enjoy their current hegemony post independence. I can even imagine a (rebranded) Scottish Conservative party being in government post independence.
Realignment almost certain, I'd say. You don't need an SNP once the N is established. And as you say, why should the Cons not thrive? There are plenty of fiscally and socially conservative Scots. We have a few on here.
In the fifties the Tories did better in Scotland than in England. There is more fellow feeling in Scotland than in England, as is often the way in smaller countries. And attitudes on some issues are different, eg Europe. But certainly there is a constituency for a centre right party in Scotland, shorn of the baggage that comes with being associated with Johnson, Rees-Mogg etc at Westminster. Particularly with Scotland being responsible for raising its own taxes.
In the 50s the Tories only did well in Scotland standing as Unionists, just as they only did well in 2017 as Unionists.
There is little desire for a Thatcherite Tory Party in Scotland, only a Unionist Tory Party
Agreed. Post independence it would not be explicitly Unionist but it would be a Christian Democrat kind of party not a Thatcherite one.
It could be that post indy, the political split will be, rejoin the EU, join EFTA, stay totally independent, rejoin the UK. I hope not! I think the existing parties are more likely to evolve into a wet type Conservative party, a hard right Brexit type party, a social democratic party combining elements of the SNP and Labour, and a left wing party combining parts of SNP, the SSP and the Greens. I don’t see a role for the Lib Dems anywhere (just like the UK).
It could be that post indy, the political split will be, rejoin the EU, join EFTA, stay totally independent, rejoin the UK. I hope not! I think the existing parties are more likely to evolve into a wet type Conservative party, a hard right Brexit type party, a social democratic party combining elements of the SNP and Labour, and a left wing party combining parts of SNP, the SSP and the Greens. I don’t see a role for the Lib Dems anywhere (just like the UK).
The lib Dems don’t need a role they will build from their council base and develop from there.
It's almost as if the London government couldn't predict what would happen when the transition period ended.
I have no doubt that due to covid none of these early issues will enter the public consciousness and how it plays out will depend on how these early issues are addressed and when public stress over covid dissipates, hopefully with widescale vaccination, and they turn their attention to these issues
I believe that the UK will rejoin the single market and customs union at sometime in the future but I do not see the UK rejoining the EU as a member
I think that is a bit optimistic. Or scandalous, in that the destruction of the Scottish economy is being concealed by the pox.
Surely 'public consciousness' includes losing your job and your business and finding your town's economy has been trashed and industry wrecked?
Edit: I know Eyemouth and I buy my fish from there. It's getting very personal now.
I know Eyemouth well and as a youngster I cycled with my friends from Berwick and enjoying seeing the harbour full of fishing boats, with new ones being built on the stocks, while climbing the rocks sparring with the guillemots who had an unpleasant habit of vomiting on you
I have no pleasure in any of this and time will tell how brexit shakes out, but right now with record deaths and covid rampant that is the only issue in most peoples minds
Mrs Fairliered spent most of her childhood holidays in Eyemouth, back when the children were allowed out on the fishing boats for the Herring Queen festival. We still try to visit when we can. I hope towns like Eyemouth can survive Brexit.
Unfortunately most of the fisherfolk were stupid enough to be taken in by the Tories., hard for most of them to complain about being stuffed by Tories yet again. They had previous evidence exactly what would happen to them.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is a liar. As they are on the other side of the pond we have to call out these liars.
Brandon Lewis, as SoS, knows precisely the arrangements for traffic between GB and NI. It isn't possible for the SoS not to know. Which makes what he is saying a lie and him a liar. Call it out as Conor Lamb did
Salmond's aim is to provide enough evidence to the inquiry to damage Sturgeon so she fails to win a majority at Holyrood, then, after she is fatally wounded, he will make his move and topple her.
This is phase 1 in Salmond's revenge
There is a weird disconnect between the SNP's sky high poll ratings and the party's inner turmoil. Surely Sturgeon ought to be untouchable even if it were proved?
This has an air of May 2017 about it
Given his testimony appears to prove she lied to parliament , with witnesses and that the committee has 3 SNP , 4 Non SNP , plus SNP convenor and Tory deputy convenor then she is really on a sticky wicket. Instant resignation if it goes against her. Looks like her days are numbered, trying to get Salmond jailed to save him coming back to politics is looking like it was rather silly move.
The only "lie" I have seen to date is that Sturgeon had a meeting with Salmond's former chief of staff 3 or 4 days prior to meeting with Salmond himself and was told at that time. She has acknowledged this to be true and says that she forgot about the meeting.
I am struggling to ascertain what the extent and significance of these "lies" are. Can you help? I am also not clear how the Ministerial Code is significant.
Because she misled Parliament, the ministerial code says that's a resigning matter.
Presumably, as at Westminster, the Ministerial Code is guidance only.
If Sturgeon has acknowledged the earlier meeting, has she also conceded that she (inadvertantly) misled Parliament?
She needs to.
If she admits it , she is out.
I think that you are going to be disappointed Malcolm. That said the Unionist parties have not been able to lay a glove on Nicola for years despite one public sector shambles after the other. Its time the professionals had a go.
Amazing how silent the unionists are on this though, it is indeed very fishy, though why speak when your enemies are knocking seven bells out of each other.
Comments
When it takes the best part of a day to cross a border you cannot integrate your logistics operations on either side. So the issue doesn't exist as the need doesn't exist.
Because we have had completely free and open trade our supply chains have integrated - for example the use of the UK as the logistics hub for ROI. Its a completely different trading model which creates the rather unique issue for the UK now that we have voluntarily severed ourselves from our own supply chain.
I weigh 8 stone 8 and have a BMI under 21 so seem to be doing reasonably well for a 55 year old.
In fairness to the SNP this is what happens when one party is totally dominant for too long. Much the same used to happen with Labour in most Scottish councils and this was carried into the Scottish government in the early years. Democracy needs peaceful changes of government. It needs robust institutions that are not subject to political pressure. It needs some sort of a level playing field.
Even at Westminster in my adult life since 1979 we have had 2 changes of government in in 41 years. Its not healthy and shows being in power is a disproportionate advantage that makes it easy to squeeze other voices out. We need to think about this. It leads to worse and worse government.
If the SNP keep being re-elected, as I am certain they will be again this year, and the electoral system is proportional, is that not the clear will of the electorate?
I don't see it in Westminster.
If the state was so easily aligned with the party in power, Cummings would not have needed to blow it up so ineptly.
I think bad habits and arrogance are likely to increase the longer someone is in office and the 'they've been there too long' argument becomes pressing, but at what point that happens is bound to be flexible.
I am pretty sure Salmond's behaviour -- like Kennedy's drinking -- was reasonably widely known in political/media circles.
Looking back, there are plenty of hints of this (SNPness).
The whole Edinburgh Airport thing was well known
And I'm pretty thin and average height - which makes me think the vast majority of people must be over that 50% ratio?
Best just hope everything is wonderful, eh?
https://twitter.com/Dr__Levi/status/1347821299377303560
If PB is ever shut down, I may not put in the effort to source another forum to debate how terrible Radiohead are
Life is complicated.
Many people on here are open about that, and think it will be worth it for the sovereignty benefits. I respect that, although I don't agree. What I don't respect is the Leave campaign, which told people that there would be no economic cost. Don't be surprised if some of those who believed the Leave campaign's false prospectus now turn round and say this isn't what we voted for.
Yes, that was a nice touch!
I've probably told the story before about how, as 'on call' pharmacist I was once woken at 2am by an apparently innumerate anaesthetist who wanted to argue about the drug dose in a pre-filled syringe, whether or not it should be 10 x what it was.
One of my friends thinks that the government aren't saying because they want to give UK vaccine supply away to the developing world after the over 50s are done because of international pressure. If they do that then they'll lose my vote forever but I'm sure it won't be the case.
However the Tories are still only tied with Labour rather than ahead
https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1347852253680574478?s=20
At least it seems to have been quicker than Gallowgate's Teutonic breeks.
And I think it does you credit.
From the politicians perspective there are two groups. One is utter morons, strong in rhetorical flourish, weak on actual facts or reality. Witness Boris Johnson saying over and over no border in the Irish Sea then signing up to a border in the Irish Sea then denying he had done any such thing. Or Raaaaaaab saying that as Secretary of State of Existing the EU he had No Idea that Dover - Calais was so important to the UK economy. I class people like this as fools - so dumb that they don't know what the facts are.
Then we come to the liars. The people who know fully well how things work but are happy to lie about it for political or financial profit. Brandon Lewis is one such liar. It is impossible here and now as SoS for NI to not know that his department has imposed swathes of paperwork for the GB NI border. Yet he keeps insisting there is no customs border. Unlike his boss - who is stupid first and a liar second, the likes of Lewis are intelligent liars. We really do need to call them out.
Having an EU referendum wasn't in the Tory manifesto in 2010 (but was in the Lib Dem manifesto that year) so I am not sure your argument holds water. It was in the Tory manifesto in 2015 and that's why it happened.
(As opposed to Brie, which is no longer available).
Politics is horribly distorted in Scotland, it makes Brexit look like some trivial side issue, and it doesn't seem to be changing. I honestly don't know how we can get out of this and get our political classes to focus on the day job. Maybe a second referendum would be the answer but I somehow doubt it.
The use of regional rather than National lists acts as a kind of FPTP-PR hybrid and discriminates against minor parties with broad based support. In turn, a dominant party like the SNP in Scotland receives an advantage.
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1347773883835965440
I agree that there should be a comprehensive and realistic timetable for the vaccination of all age groups. This is the exit route and the strategy must be made clear so that everyone can envisage things returning to normal again. A proper normal.
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2021/01/mayor-ted-wheeler-confronted-reportedly-punched-while-dining-in-nw-portland.html
Some of the tweets about this incident say its fine, because the police department are bad, and that where ever he goes in public they will ruin it.
2nd para refers.
The recipe can be extended to more reasonable groups - define as a hate group then target.
There is legitimate targeting, then there is the opportunity that opens up. Definition of boundaries, and stopping a spread over the boundary is the difficult part.
And there are tactics which close down legitimate speech - many UK political blogs are still based overseas because 12-15 years ago UK webhosts were given to closing entire sites down just with a snotty letter from a lawyer.
Boris Johnson once lost his website (when campaigning for Mayor of London) as collateral damage when somebody else's was closed down after a Carter-Ruck style letter.
But not to anything that looks like it might be Tories in disguise. A new Tartan-clad social democrat party would be my guess, one that appeals to both LibDems and Tories with quite a few ex-SLAB and SNPers who see a need for change climbing aboard. The interesting question will be - is it a party that will want to join the EU? But they will have the benefit of quite a few years to see how the wind is blowing on that. (Implicit in that is that I don't expect the SNP to apply to join straight away - there will be a huge debate about the pros and cons. There will be plenty who don't want to swap the choke-hold of Westminster for the choke-hold of Brussels....)
... Flight tracking website Flightradar24.com said the aircraft had lost more than 3,000m (10,000ft) in altitude in less than a minute.
The transport ministry said search and rescue efforts were under way.
Sriwijaya Air, a local carrier, said it was still gathering information about the flight.
The plane is not a 737 Max, the Boeing model involved in two major crashes in recent years...
BBC
https://qz.com/1002707/bmi-calculators-arent-accurate-but-our-body-fat-calculator-is/
https://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/637944-737-500-missing-indonesia.html
Hadn’t seen that. What’s happening in the US is fascinating because rarely do we see such a clear Manichaean struggle between the forces of light and dark, good and evil. Reminds me of King Lear, and it’s gratifying to see that, like Albany, some Republicans are now beginning to stand up for truth.
https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/usercode.py?scotcontrol=Y&CON=39&LAB=39&LIB=6&Brexit=3&Green=6&UKIP=&TVCON=&TVLAB=&TVLIB=&TVBrexit=&TVGreen=&TVUKIP=&SCOTCON=20.5&SCOTLAB=20.5&SCOTLIB=5.5&SCOTBrexit=0&SCOTGreen=2.5&SCOTUKIP=&SCOTNAT=50.5&display=AllChanged&regorseat=(none)&boundary=2019
So the Tories would be largest party but Starmer would be PM but only with SNP confidence and supply
There is little desire for a Thatcherite Tory Party in Scotland, only a Unionist Tory Party.
Indeed if there ever was an independent Scotland I expect the SNP would split into centre right and social democratic centre left wings, in Ireland Fine Gael and Fianna Fail are economically centre right and centre respectively and Sinn Fein is leftwing