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The elephant in the room
Trumpet blare overpowering
Yet no sound echoes

M.P. Thribb (£17 1/2 million fee)

Salmond might have floored Osborne and Barroso but he's met his match in van Rompuy.

And it was all going SOOOOOO well for them...

@TelePolitics: Scottish ministers threatened with legal action over 'state guardian' plans http://t.co/MDOcZMD0VZ

@LadPolitics: Scottish Independence odds remain unchanged despite David Bowie's pro-union intervention at BRITS.
1/5 NO
7/2 YES

Oh well, at least it gives the shriekers something pointless to do while they try and work out why there are more pandas than tory MPs in scotland.

FrankBooth said:

Salmond might have floored Osborne and Barroso but he's met his match in van Rompuy.

You have made certain he's not talking about Catalan Independence, haven't you?

TGOHF said:

Did Bowie sing Life on ( deep fried ) Mars ?

Any odds on "Heroes" as the intro music at the next BetterTogether event?

Sun_Politics: YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour lead drops to four points: CON 33%, LAB 37%, LD 10%, UKIP 12%

The shriekers are off again. Lets remind them that tories and pop endorsements do not mix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74bMmkXXVvQ

Has the Prime Minister been caught lying? He apparently claimed that the number of workless households doubled under Labour. However that doesn't appear to be the case if you look at ONS figures that show the number falling then rising again with the financial crash with the numbers heading back towards where they were when Labour came to power. So where does Cameron get his doubling from?

RobD said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

I will be publishing at midnight another Indyref poll

And this one was conducted post George Osborne's intervention

You are a big tease

RobD said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

I will be publishing at midnight another Indyref poll

And this one was conducted post George Osborne's intervention

You are a big tease

There's rumours of an Ipsos-Mori since they've been doing calls lately. Though that could be internal as there are still plenty of those.

Theuniondivvie said:

Scott_P said:

TGOHF said:

Did Bowie sing Life on ( deep fried ) Mars ?

Any odds on "Heroes" as the intro music at the next BetterTogether event?

Lol, which one of the many would that be? The Better Together Drumoak & Crathes Door Knocking Event?

They had best get a move on since the shriekers seem to think they can keep this up from now until september. Great entertainment though.

JonnyJimmy said:

"Shriekers" ought to be an unMcMentionable. Especially if I'm unable to directly McConfront.

I find it perplexing that 'pointing and laughing' is being seen as 'shrieking'.

Scott_P said:

Sun_Politics: YouGov/Sun poll tonight - Labour lead drops to four points: CON 33%, LAB 37%, LD 10%, UKIP 12%

Genuine question please - when summaries like this for Westminster are presented, are we to do a mental deduction and assume that the 100 minus the total is 'other parties' or what? I know one can go and look it up, but I'm just wondering if there is a convention on how such things are given in summary.

Not idea why Bowie said that. Can't think of any connections to Scotland even. And the only other time I remember him saying something *political* he later put down to being out of his mind on drugs.

Mick_Pork said:

Theuniondivvie said:

Scott_P said:

TGOHF said:

Did Bowie sing Life on ( deep fried ) Mars ?

Any odds on "Heroes" as the intro music at the next BetterTogether event?

Lol, which one of the many would that be? The Better Together Drumoak & Crathes Door Knocking Event?

They had best get a move on since the shriekers seem to think they can keep this up from now until september. Great entertainment though.

Good to see Bowie take the Cameron approach of getting other people to deliver his message. Apparently next week Bryan Ferry will actually be coming to Scotland in person to threaten us.

Carnyx said:

Genuine question please - when summaries like this for Westminster are presented, are we to do a mental deduction and assume that the 100 minus the total is 'other parties' or what? I know one can go and look it up, but I'm just wondering if there is a convention on how such things are given in summary.

No idea. That is the standard Sun/YouGov tweet.

On topic, the Tea Partiers will not kill Christie off. Every cycle since Ive been on this forum. I keep hearing how some noisy minority with the GOP will finish the middle of the road candidate and I don't believe it this time either.

What will kill Christie is the mans own hubris and I'm not quite yet sure the bridge issue is the death of him either. The GOP has a fair chance this cycle it will want a winner. If it picks a real oddball it'll have lost its political marbles and I don't think it has yet.

Off topic, Ukraine:

Last night I posted about how the opposition needed the President to blink and he was somewhat wobbly. Has this happened with the truce tonight? On the surface you might think so. I'm not wholly sure. There is a school of thought that this is a breathing space for the authorities. Bearing in mind as I suggested last night that the opposition needed to spread the street protests there is evidence that they have today in both Kiev and a number of regional cities. The authorities will need to get things in place if they intend to crack down. Is this actually a truce that the government wants, not needs?

The dismissal of the chief of the army reflects another element of my post last night asking why the army hadn't turned up and that it might have been due to a stiffling internal debate. The head of the army was the victim of that debate. Initial stories have it he refused to put armour on the streets but I dont have that 100%

Interesting times.

James Cook ‏@BBCJamesCook 5m

David Bowie enters the #indyref debate via his "representative on earth" Kate Moss. So that's not weird at all. http://bbc.in/1maUBAn

Indeed.

Lloyds to domicile TSB in England as Scottish fears mount
But the challenger bank will remain Scottish despite changes to holdings company, says Lloyds

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/10650071/Lloyds-to-domicile-TSB-in-England-as-Scottish-fears-mount.html

I suppose if Scotland does get independence it will no longer be the 'Brits'

Trying to decide if I have the energy to stay up to midnight. I think this thrill is going to have to wait until tomorrow.
Night all.

Carola said:

Not idea why Bowie said that. Can't think of any connections to Scotland even. And the only other time I remember him saying something *political* he later put down to being out of his mind on drugs.

I thought that rung a bell.

Station to Station's January 1976 release was followed in February by a 3-and-a-half-month concert tour of Europe and North America. Featuring a starkly lit set, the Isolar – 1976 Tour highlighted songs from the album, including the dramatic and lengthy title track, the ballads "Wild Is the Wind" and "Word on a Wing", and the funkier "TVC 15" and "Stay". The core band that coalesced around this album and tour—rhythm guitarist Alomar, bassist George Murray, and drummer Dennis Davis—continued as a stable unit for the remainder of the 1970s. The tour was highly successful but mired in political controversy. Bowie was quoted in Stockholm as saying that "Britain could benefit from a Fascist leader", and was detained by customs on the Russian/Polish border for possessing Nazi paraphernalia.[62] Matters came to a head in London in May in what became known as the "Victoria Station incident". Arriving in an open-top Mercedes convertible, the singer waved to the crowd in a gesture that some alleged was a Nazi salute, which was captured on camera and published in NME. Bowie said the photographer simply caught him in mid-wave.[63] He later blamed his pro-Fascism comments and his behaviour during the period on his addictions and the character of the Thin White Duke.[64] "I was out of my mind, totally crazed. The main thing I was functioning on was mythology ... that whole thing about Hitler and Rightism ... I'd discovered King Arthur".[61] According to playwright Alan Franks, writing later in The Times, "he was indeed 'deranged'. He had some very bad experiences with hard drugs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie

It's also common knowledge that there have been health fears around Bowie for years, hence his seclusion even now. I greatly respect him as an artist but as a political activist?? I'm afraid not.

The PB tories will have to try a great deal harder than a throwaway remark tagged on to a frankly very eccentric speech.

@GerryBraiden Shuggie Stardust
#scottishbowie

Tykejohnno said:

Front pages,something for both blue and reds,blues - telegraph/mail and reds - mirror ;-)

http://www.politicshome.com/uk/article/93269/daily_mirror_thursday_20th_february_2014.html

The Sun should be thoroughly unsurprising.

Mick_Pork said:

Carola said:

Not idea why Bowie said that. Can't think of any connections to Scotland even. And the only other time I remember him saying something *political* he later put down to being out of his mind on drugs.

I thought that rung a bell.

Station to Station's January 1976 release was followed in February by a 3-and-a-half-month concert tour of Europe and North America. Featuring a starkly lit set, the Isolar – 1976 Tour highlighted songs from the album, including the dramatic and lengthy title track, the ballads "Wild Is the Wind" and "Word on a Wing", and the funkier "TVC 15" and "Stay". The core band that coalesced around this album and tour—rhythm guitarist Alomar, bassist George Murray, and drummer Dennis Davis—continued as a stable unit for the remainder of the 1970s. The tour was highly successful but mired in political controversy. Bowie was quoted in Stockholm as saying that "Britain could benefit from a Fascist leader", and was detained by customs on the Russian/Polish border for possessing Nazi paraphernalia.[62] Matters came to a head in London in May in what became known as the "Victoria Station incident". Arriving in an open-top Mercedes convertible, the singer waved to the crowd in a gesture that some alleged was a Nazi salute, which was captured on camera and published in NME. Bowie said the photographer simply caught him in mid-wave.[63] He later blamed his pro-Fascism comments and his behaviour during the period on his addictions and the character of the Thin White Duke.[64] "I was out of my mind, totally crazed. The main thing I was functioning on was mythology ... that whole thing about Hitler and Rightism ... I'd discovered King Arthur".[61] According to playwright Alan Franks, writing later in The Times, "he was indeed 'deranged'. He had some very bad experiences with hard drugs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie

It's also common knowledge that there have been health fears around Bowie for years, hence his seclusion even now. I greatly respect him as an artist but as a political activist?? I'm afraid not.

The PB tories will have to try a great deal harder than a throwaway remark tagged on to a frankly very eccentric speech.

Pretty sure he once advocated a "hardcore rightwing government", most likely while off his tits on a range of illegal substances.

TheLastBoyScout said:

Pretty sure he once advocated a "hardcore rightwing government", most likely while off his tits on a range of illegal substances.

Prime PB material.

Theuniondivvie said:

TheLastBoyScout said:

Pretty sure he once advocated a "hardcore rightwing government", most likely while off his tits on a range of illegal substances.

Prime PB material.

Some might wonder if that's been the issue all these years...

TheLastBoyScout said:

Pretty sure he once advocated a "hardcore rightwing government", most likely while off his tits on a range of illegal substances.

Yep. It wasn't just limited to one tour or one album. He seemed to flirt with it a great deal.
To be honest anyone putting much store in that speech can't be aware of Bowie's long documented battles against ill-health and hard drugs. It's extremely unlikely he will try and explain himself or actively back the No campaign but the right wingers on here won't know that. Though I can see how advocating a "hardcore rightwing government" would make the shriekers on here wet themselves with pleasure at the very thought.

TheLastBoyScout said:

Theuniondivvie said:

TheLastBoyScout said:

@

TheWatcher said:

Following Bowies comment, can we expect support for Salmond from The Bay City Rollers, and Lord Rockinghams XI?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-xG3D8OMQk

Wheel out the Darien Big Guns!

I am waiting for The Proclaimers to enter the fray.

They're oors already!

Theuniondivvie said:

TheLastBoyScout said:

@

TheWatcher said:

Following Bowies comment, can we expect support for Salmond from The Bay City Rollers, and Lord Rockinghams XI?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-xG3D8OMQk

Wheel out the Darien Big Guns!

I am waiting for The Proclaimers to enter the fray.

They're oors already!

I hear Deacon Blue will be making an announcement tomorrow on quantititative easing.

Elton John performs candle in the wind, reads a heartfelt poem involving Diana, universal harmony and hats, then ends it with "vote UKIP!"

LOL

TheScreamingEagles said:

Does anyone know how many favourite Scottish Band, the Trashcan Sinatras are planning to vote?

I think it's an Aye.

'It has always been a source of frustration to me that the generally socially conscious, community based, fair minded voting patterns of Scotland have been relatively futile in impact. In fact, for the majority of my life, Scotland has been governed by non socially conscious governments. It felt awful and frustrating to live through, still does, and now there is a chance, one chance, to take what will always be, to some degree, a leap in the dark and take hold of complete autonomy for ourselves.'

John Douglas from the Trashcan Sinatras

While we are in the company of friends must say that the bile over the referendum on here has been utterly embarrassing at times. I am a unionist for emotional reasons, but Scottish independence is a perfectly reasonable proposition, and were I Scots I might very well vote Yes.

TheLastBoyScout said:

While we are in the company of friends must say that the bile over the referendum on here has been utterly embarrassing at times. I am a unionist for emotional reasons, but Scottish independence is a perfectly reasonable proposition, and were I Scots I might very well vote Yes.

The May EU elections are next and yet some on here are ready to call it now and appear to be doing all they can to confirm every stereotype of out of touch tories. More fool them.

Nothing will stop the activists for Yes working their arse off come august/september and they've been working pretty damn hard as it is. Not a Bowie speech, not the infrequent polling, not any amount of 'interventions' by tories from westminster. This isn't a game and a great many people have been working all their political lives for this. To misunderstand or underestimate the seriousness with which Independence is taken by those who want to win would be one of the greatest political mistakes ever made by the unionist parties.

2011 wasn't a fluke and it would have been lost had the SNP base not been utterly determined and the campaign not conducted with the scottish public first and foremost in mind.

Kevin Pringle ‏@KevinJPringle 8 mins
Check tweets in morning for the first #indyref poll since the @George_Osborne £ speech - a big boost for #Yes & backlash against No parties.