politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » After the rumours that a YES lead poll is about to be publi

Sunil_Prasannan said:

Charles said:

taffys said:

Just seen a tweet of the front page of the local Clacton rag, with the headline

'EXODUS'

150 tory workers cross the line to UKIP. Cast iron tories in a copper bottomed tory seat.

Lots of metal analogies there, for some reason...

Didn't the Exodus take 40 years?

If so, most of them will probably have died before they find UKIP

;-)

Would it really have taken 40 years to walk from Nile to Jordan? Just asking!

IIRC, they spent quite a bit of time in Sinai and Arabia, before eventually reaching Canaan.

Socrates said:

Smarmeron said:

@Socrates
Oddly, there are many religions that have a "flood myth", and not just the ones based on the old testament. Miracle births, and crucifixion/sacrifice also figure highly.
Things like that are some of the gems that cause a Zen Christian to smile.

The virgin birth is a fascinating case of myth-making. For most of history, humans believed that it was only the father than provided the seed, and the women was merely the environment that allowed that seed to grow. Thus you could have a divine messiah be born to a woman: his origin came entirely from his father, God Almighty, and his mother was merely a host.

Once science realised this was not the case, and our origins come from both the male and female sides, this proved problematic. If Jesus had human lineage, then that meant he inherited original sin that all humans have inherited from Adam. The Catholic Church panicked when this came out, and quickly brought out the doctrine of immaculate conception: that God intervened when Mary was conceived, preventing her from receiving Adam's sin. That meant in turn she couldn't pass it on to Jesus.

The Christian virgin birth story is very similar to Hinduism's virgin birth story, that of Karna to Kunti, who later bore three of the five Pandavas of Mahabharata fame.

And then there's the Buddha!

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

Smarmeron said:

@Neil
It's possible "Noah" was a Sumerian, they have a very similar myth that predates the old testament.

I thought it was something to do with the Black Sea! AFAIK the Dogger Bank area flooded slowly, as one would expect.

FF42 said:

In my view David Cameron made two big mistakes in his negotiations over the referendum:

1. He should have insisted on agreeing the question before signing off the Edinburgh. He would then require the question to include the option of remaining in the Union, eg Do you think Scotland should A) be an independent country? or remain part of the United Kingdom?

The question is then, as it should be, a choice between alternatives rather an assertion.

2. He should have insisted on the franchise including Scottish born residents in the UK as well as all residents in Scotland.

If it is a Yes in a fortnight, it will be close enough that those two mistakes will have made the difference.

I don't think point 2 would have been practical - although it would certainly have been desirable. You are spot on with point 1 though.

I can only imagine that Cameron and his advisors were:

1. Very confident about the outcome
2. Did not wish to give the SNP anything they could gripe about, ie, "look, the circumstances were the best they could have been for you, but you still lost. And that's that." This, of course, only works if they do, indeed, lose.

Richard Lord continues to add to the gaiety of the Nation:

Now that Douglas Carswell is Nigel’s bitch; he will perpetually be picking up the political equivalent of prison soap. Trust me on that one.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/04/nigel-farage-candidate-ukip-clacton-douglas-carswell?CMP=twt_gu

TheWatcher said:

Alanbrooke said:

NorthBriton said:

MonikerDiCanio said:

Carnyx said:

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/scottish-independence-rmt-union-backs-yes-vote-1-3531501

Now that did surprise me. On the other hand, they did ask their members.

Sir Brian will be delighted.

"For employers who want to break the unions, one of their greatest weapons is the scab."

That's a grisly combination - the RMT and Sir Brian Souter!

Of course, one of the advantages that the Yes is that people can project their own fantasies on to what independence will mean, even if they are completely contradictory. (The LibDems used to benefit from this, too).

You'd need a heart of stone not to laugh when his bus factory in Falkirk closes.

And move all it's production to Guildford? Lovely jubbly.

Or Wrightbus in Ballymena or Optare in Yorkshire.

Alanbrooke said:

TheWatcher said:

Alanbrooke said:

NorthBriton said:

MonikerDiCanio said:

Carnyx said:

http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/scottish-independence-rmt-union-backs-yes-vote-1-3531501

Now that did surprise me. On the other hand, they did ask their members.

Sir Brian will be delighted.

"For employers who want to break the unions, one of their greatest weapons is the scab."

That's a grisly combination - the RMT and Sir Brian Souter!

Of course, one of the advantages that the Yes is that people can project their own fantasies on to what independence will mean, even if they are completely contradictory. (The LibDems used to benefit from this, too).

You'd need a heart of stone not to laugh when his bus factory in Falkirk closes.

And move all it's production to Guildford? Lovely jubbly.

Or Wrightbus in Ballymena or Optare in Yorkshire.

Ballymena would probably suit better - fewer homos.

OldKingCole said:

Smarmeron said:

@Neil
It's possible "Noah" was a Sumerian, they have a very similar myth that predates the old testament.

I thought it was something to do with the Black Sea! AFAIK the Dogger Bank area flooded slowly, as one would expect.

Old King Cole

Sumeria as you know was in modern Iraq - Iraq has an outlet to the Gulf, and the entire Gulf would have been a fertile plain above water during the Ice Age, with a single combined Tigris and Euphrates bisecting it all the way to the current Strait of Hormuz.

Alanbrooke said:

Neil said:

MonikerDiCanio said:

Neil said:

pbr2013 said:

Smarmeron said:

@Socrates
Oddly, there are many religions that have a "flood myth", and not just the ones based on the old testament. Miracle births, and crucifixion/sacrifice also figure highly.
Things like that are some of the gems that cause a Zen Christian to smile.

Only a theory, I know, but the innundation of the Black Sea happened around the right time for Jewish and Sumerian flood myths.

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

But how did Noah know it was going to happen?

How do the Greens know it's going to happen?

After the first 39 days and nights of incessant rain we had a hunch.

Nonsense, that's just Summer in Limerick.

Thank you, Mr. Brooke! You have no idea how much I needed the belly laugh that post prompted.

<
A nation is about to die, or, at least, lose a third of its territory. The constitutional, financial, political, economic and cultural aftershocks will dominate the rest of the decade for all Britons, and beyond - and not in a good way. It is inconceivable that a prime minister could preside over such a calamity and not step down in shame when it happens on his watch.

Quite agree. Unfortunately not may people either side of the border seem to get it. (Sigh)

TheScreamingEagles said:

Neil said:

Charles said:

HurstLlama said:

Charles said:

Neil said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

David Cameron: I will not resign if Scotland votes for independence

Give him a whiskey, a revolver and put him in a dark room with SeanT and he will do the right thing.

Cameron or SeanT?

Mr. Charles I think the original author's idea was that Cameron would drink the whiskey and SeantT would then shoot him Maybe I read it wrong and that Sean would drink the Whiskey and then shoot Cameron, or perhaps Cameron would do the drinking and then shoot himself with SeanT standing by as a, thirsty, witness. The key bit is that, even if Sean doesn't do anything, Cameron comes out of the room feet first.

Interesting.

I read it as Sean would start harranging Cameron until he decided to 'make it stop'

I was going for (and seem to have achieved!) deliberate ambiguity.

If Scotland votes Yes, SeanT will much prefer to taunt Labour people over losing Scotland, than making Dave resign.

Well Dave's said that he definitely not going to resign.

And we all know that he never changes his mind*

;-)

* (Although I don't think he will actually resign, but it's quite funny he actually had to say that!)

FF42 said:

In my view David Cameron made two big mistakes in his negotiations over the referendum:

1. He should have insisted on agreeing the question before signing off the Edinburgh. He would then require the question to include the option of remaining in the Union, eg Do you think Scotland should A) be an independent country? or remain part of the United Kingdom?

The question is then, as it should be, a choice between alternatives rather an assertion.

2. He should have insisted on the franchise including Scottish born residents in the UK as well as all residents in Scotland.

If it is a Yes in a fortnight, it will be close enough that those two mistakes will have made the difference.

Fair enough, Mr. 42, but why? If the Scots are really so unhappy that they can only accept a Labour government at Westminster then the union is bust. There is no point in trying to hang on to it.

SimonStClare said:

CarlottaVance said:

Richard Lord continues to add to the gaiety of the Nation:

Now that Douglas Carswell is Nigel’s bitch; he will perpetually be picking up the political equivalent of prison soap. Trust me on that one.

A somewhat graphic image – has Mr Lord not heard the expression ‘too much information’?....

Mysoginistic language, old fashioned gay stereotypes... Typical lib dem

Vibrant, diverse London where we all play happily

khads (@_khxds)
04/09/2014 17:03
looool so i man had just beheaded a woman, threatened and injured a police officer with a machete and he was only tasered? yup, defo white.

HurstLlama said:

FF42 said:

In my view David Cameron made two big mistakes in his negotiations over the referendum:

1. He should have insisted on agreeing the question before signing off the Edinburgh. He would then require the question to include the option of remaining in the Union, eg Do you think Scotland should A) be an independent country? or remain part of the United Kingdom?

The question is then, as it should be, a choice between alternatives rather an assertion.

2. He should have insisted on the franchise including Scottish born residents in the UK as well as all residents in Scotland.

If it is a Yes in a fortnight, it will be close enough that those two mistakes will have made the difference.

Fair enough, Mr. 42, but why? If the Scots are really so unhappy that they can only accept a Labour government at Westminster then the union is bust. There is no point in trying to hang on to it.

That's an important point. I want the Union to continue. But, if Scots are only prepared for it to continue upon condition that the UK has as left wing government, then we must end it.

The main worry for "No" is that almost everyone deep down knows that the UK is broken.
The choice between staying in and fixing it, or getting out and starting from scratch is a close run thing for many

Sean_F said:

HurstLlama said:

FF42 said:

In my view David Cameron made two big mistakes in his negotiations over the referendum:

1. He should have insisted on agreeing the question before signing off the Edinburgh. He would then require the question to include the option of remaining in the Union, eg Do you think Scotland should A) be an independent country? or remain part of the United Kingdom?

The question is then, as it should be, a choice between alternatives rather an assertion.

2. He should have insisted on the franchise including Scottish born residents in the UK as well as all residents in Scotland.

If it is a Yes in a fortnight, it will be close enough that those two mistakes will have made the difference.

Fair enough, Mr. 42, but why? If the Scots are really so unhappy that they can only accept a Labour government at Westminster then the union is bust. There is no point in trying to hang on to it.

That's an important point. I want the Union to continue. But, if Scots are only prepared for it to continue upon condition that the UK has as left wing government, then we must end it.

Yes. And if they vote "Yes" but then try to backtrack as Project Fib turns to dust, the whole package should be put to all of the UK, not just 8% of it....

NorthBriton said:

FF42 said:

In my view David Cameron made two big mistakes in his negotiations over the referendum:

1. He should have insisted on agreeing the question before signing off the Edinburgh. He would then require the question to include the option of remaining in the Union, eg Do you think Scotland should A) be an independent country? or remain part of the United Kingdom?

The question is then, as it should be, a choice between alternatives rather an assertion.

2. He should have insisted on the franchise including Scottish born residents in the UK as well as all residents in Scotland.

If it is a Yes in a fortnight, it will be close enough that those two mistakes will have made the difference.

I don't think point 2 would have been practical - although it would certainly have been desirable. You are spot on with point 1 though.

I can only imagine that Cameron and his advisors were:

1. Very confident about the outcome
2. Did not wish to give the SNP anything they could gripe about, ie, "look, the circumstances were the best they could have been for you, but you still lost. And that's that." This, of course, only works if they do, indeed, lose.

I don't see why (2) wouldn't be practical. Add an extra box in the EWNI Electoral Registration forms: Please list any Scottish born residents with full name and DOB. They could then check the databases that the combination is unique and issue a postal vote; otherwise they require the voter to turn up in person at a polling station - say one per major town - with a passport or birth certificate that names the place of birth

Charles said:

Neil said:

pbr2013 said:

Smarmeron said:

@Socrates
Oddly, there are many religions that have a "flood myth", and not just the ones based on the old testament. Miracle births, and crucifixion/sacrifice also figure highly.
Things like that are some of the gems that cause a Zen Christian to smile.

Only a theory, I know, but the innundation of the Black Sea happened around the right time for Jewish and Sumerian flood myths.

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

But how did Noah know it was going to happen?

Cos he was a drunk nutter who was building a boat anyway?

Bloody hell, except for the boat building he sounds like my kind of guy. I knew I should have gone to see the movie.

SeanT said:

NorthBriton said:

FF42 said:

In my view David Cameron made two big mistakes in his negotiations over the referendum:

1. He should have insisted on agreeing the question before signing off the Edinburgh. He would then require the question to include the option of remaining in the Union, eg Do you think Scotland should A) be an independent country? or remain part of the United Kingdom?

The question is then, as it should be, a choice between alternatives rather an assertion.

2. He should have insisted on the franchise including Scottish born residents in the UK as well as all residents in Scotland.

If it is a Yes in a fortnight, it will be close enough that those two mistakes will have made the difference.

I don't think point 2 would have been practical - although it would certainly have been desirable. You are spot on with point 1 though.

I can only imagine that Cameron and his advisors were:

1. Very confident about the outcome
2. Did not wish to give the SNP anything they could gripe about, ie, "look, the circumstances were the best they could have been for you, but you still lost. And that's that." This, of course, only works if they do, indeed, lose.

I do wish you guys would stop talking about when I am wandering the remoter parts of the Rhineland. There is no 3G in Bacharach, so I am unable to defend myself against charges of premeditating homicide.

ON topic, I think Cameron bungled almost everything to do with the referendum, from not allowing Devomax to not insisting on a more positive campaign (alongside the necessary fear-mongering) to the points raised above.

This is one reason why he will resign if it is YES. But I think he'd resign even if his political judgment had been proved impeccable. THE UNITED KINGDOM IS ON THE VERGE OF BREAKING UP.

A nation is about to die, or, at least, lose a third of its territory. The constitutional, financial, political, economic and cultural aftershocks will dominate the rest of the decade for all Britons, and beyond - and not in a good way. It is inconceivable that a prime minister could preside over such a calamity and not step down in shame when it happens on his watch.

That said, as of this moment I still expect NO to edge it - just. But it is very very close, and it could go the other way all to easily, and this should never have been the case.

Cameron is a bungler of epic proportions.

I wonder if Smithson Junior is now so confident of his 60/40 No/Yes predictions? I doubt it.

Yes I am.

JonnyJimmy said:

I imagine that in a parallel universe where Braveheart hadn't been made, the Yes vote would be much smaller. I believe that all that FREEDOM!!!!! balls reinforced the lead in the pencils of the likes of Malc etc.

One thing I have learnt over the last two years is that mentioning that film in the context of UK politics is one of the most reliable indicators of a Unionist known to humanity. Amazing what a grievance they have against the unfortunate Mr Gibson.

Anatole Kaletsky:

Until this week almost nobody outside Scotland took very seriously the possibility that Europe’s most stable and durable nation, the only big country on earth not to have suffered invasion, revolution or civil war at any time in the past 300 years, might soon be wiped off the map.

http://blogs.reuters.com/anatole-kaletsky/2014/09/04/as-chances-of-uk-split-grow-costs-to-the-world-become-clearer/

Patrick said:

A YES poll lead woud give that 400,000 quid NO punter palpitations I imagine.

I thought he had topped it up twice and is now at 800K , so will be on toilet for a few weeks more like

CarlottaVance said:

Anatole Kaletsky:

Until this week almost nobody outside Scotland took very seriously the possibility that Europe’s most stable and durable nation, the only big country on earth not to have suffered invasion, revolution or civil war at any time in the past 300 years, might soon be wiped off the map.

http://blogs.reuters.com/anatole-kaletsky/2014/09/04/as-chances-of-uk-split-grow-costs-to-the-world-become-clearer/

People are still paying that guy for his "insights"?!

I suppose there's been a gap in the market since mystic Mogg left us.

JonnyJimmy said:

Neil said:

GIN1138 said:

It's all Mel's fault then?

I hear Mel is blaming the Jews.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's a fair overlap in the FREEDOM!!!!ers and the people who blame the Jews for everything

Dont be so pathetic.

TheScreamingEagles said:

TGOHF said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

TGOHF said:

Have panelbase been ditched by the Sunday Times ?

Looks like it.

YES were actively trying to get activists to register with YG as far back as April.

Panelbase had the same issue.

IIRC, both pollsters took steps to stop the Nat infestation of their panels.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/new-recruits-banned-by-panelbase-from-indyref-polls.1378556935

I have been with Yougov for years and never once polled on referendum

malcolmg said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

TGOHF said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

TGOHF said:

Have panelbase been ditched by the Sunday Times ?

Looks like it.

YES were actively trying to get activists to register with YG as far back as April.

Panelbase had the same issue.

IIRC, both pollsters took steps to stop the Nat infestation of their panels.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/new-recruits-banned-by-panelbase-from-indyref-polls.1378556935

I have been with Yougov for years and never once polled on referendum

They got tired of you answering "turnip" to every question?

@Alanbrooke
We see different "brokens" from the ones you do, though sometimes we agree on the what, if not on how to fix it.

Neil said:

GIN1138 said:

It's all Mel's fault then?

I hear Mel is blaming the Jews.

Isn't Mel drunk in a gutter somewhere in down-town LA?

NorthBriton said:

I should say, further to what I wrote below, my hat is off to Jim Murphy. Shown real grit in getting out there day after day. Done more for Better Together than anyone else. Hope a few more start stepping up.

Whilst I do not like him I have to say he is one if not the only one that has actually shown a bit of passion and get up and go. Luckily they chose loser Darling to lead the campaign. Looks like Jim may get JoLo's job in Scotland after being dumped.

Neil said:

malcolmg said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

TGOHF said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

TGOHF said:

Have panelbase been ditched by the Sunday Times ?

Looks like it.

YES were actively trying to get activists to register with YG as far back as April.

Panelbase had the same issue.

IIRC, both pollsters took steps to stop the Nat infestation of their panels.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/new-recruits-banned-by-panelbase-from-indyref-polls.1378556935

I have been with Yougov for years and never once polled on referendum

They got tired of you answering "turnip" to every question?

Turnip

Smarmeron said:

@Alanbrooke
We see different "brokens" from the ones you do, though sometimes we agree on the what, if not on how to fix it.

right so you trhink only you can define broken ?

Isabel Hardman (@IsabelHardman)
04/09/2014 17:18
Exclusive: Ukip re-approaching Tory MPs offering to pay for constituency polls with carrot-and-stick approach specc.ie/1oIgSnU

NorthBriton said:

<
A nation is about to die, or, at least, lose a third of its territory. The constitutional, financial, political, economic and cultural aftershocks will dominate the rest of the decade for all Britons, and beyond - and not in a good way. It is inconceivable that a prime minister could preside over such a calamity and not step down in shame when it happens on his watch.

Quite agree. Unfortunately not may people either side of the border seem to get it. (Sigh)

I think Mr. T, not for the first time exaggerates for full effect. A country may not be about to lose a third of its territory (most of which consists of wilderness because the land is unproductive and nobody wants to live there), what may happen is less than 10% of the country want to go off and set-up on their own (taking with them that mostly unsettled territory).

Why that should cause us in the settled parts of the country to flap, and panic let alone endure, "Cultural aftershocks" I have no idea. If the Scots decide to piss off and go it alone, it will undoubtedly cause ructions around Whitehall and Westminster. The effect on the normal Englishman or English woman will be rather less than that weeks 2 for 1 offers at Tescos.

It is quite often and, I think very truly, said on here that the vast majority of people pay very little attention to politics outside the great set-piece issues (i.e. elections when as many as two-thirds can be persuaded to take an interest). Well for the vast majority of the population of this great nation of ours (i.e. those that live in England) what happens in Scotland or to Scotland matters about as much as what happens in or to Walloonia.

If, however, the English come to perceive (and it might take a few hammers to do that) that they are being "had over" in the resultant negotiations (DevoMax or Out) then their wrath will be felt by the party held responsible and that wrath will be entirely unforgiving.

JonnyJimmy said:

Neil said:

GIN1138 said:

It's all Mel's fault then?

I hear Mel is blaming the Jews.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's a fair overlap in the FREEDOM!!!!ers and the people who blame the Jews for everything

Funny, don't remember the BNP expressing support for YES, and afaicr it's only No that has a known holocaust denier registered as an official campaigner.

MonikerDiCanio said:

dugarbandier said:

TheScreamingEagles said:

F*** me, you Scots didn't just join the union.. you ran the whole f****** show, says Bob Geldof

THE outspoken Live Aid hero believes passionately that separation is wrong and says Scots should be true to their history by staying in the UK.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/better-together-takeover-bob-geldof-4161186

doesn't everybody think he's a dick, though?

No.

OK, apart from a dick like you

HurstLlama said:

NorthBriton said:

<
A nation is about to die, or, at least, lose a third of its territory. The constitutional, financial, political, economic and cultural aftershocks will dominate the rest of the decade for all Britons, and beyond - and not in a good way. It is inconceivable that a prime minister could preside over such a calamity and not step down in shame when it happens on his watch.

Quite agree. Unfortunately not may people either side of the border seem to get it. (Sigh)

I think Mr. T, not for the first time exaggerates for full effect. A country may not be about to lose a third of its territory (most of which consists of wilderness because the land is unproductive and nobody wants to live there), what may happen is less than 10% of the country want to go off and set-up on their own (taking with them that mostly unsettled territory).

Why that should cause us in the settled parts of the country to flap, and panic let alone endure, "Cultural aftershocks" I have no idea. If the Scots decide to piss off and go it alone, it will undoubtedly cause ructions around Whitehall and Westminster. The effect on the normal Englishman or English woman will be rather less than that weeks 2 for 1 offers at Tescos.

It is quite often and, I think very truly, said on here that the vast majority of people pay very little attention to politics outside the great set-piece issues (i.e. elections when as many as two-thirds can be persuaded to take an interest). Well for the vast majority of the population of this great nation of ours (i.e. those that live in England) what happens in Scotland or to Scotland matters about as much as what happens in or to Walloonia.

If, however, the English come to perceive (and it might take a few hammers to do that) that they are being "had over" in the resultant negotiations (DevoMax or Out) then their wrath will be felt by the party held responsible and that wrath will be entirely unforgiving.

The effect on the normal Englishman or English woman will be rather less than that weeks 2 for 1 offers at Tescos.

LOL, astute observation Mr L.

HurstLlama said:

DavidL said:

>

It even has the 3,500 figure. The White paper says:
"
Land forces

An army HQ function and an all-arms brigade, with three infantry/marine units, equipped initially from a negotiated share of current UK assets, and supported by:
a deployable Brigade HQ
two light armoured reconnaissance units
two light artillery units
one engineer unit deploying a range of equipment for bridging, mine clearance and engineering functions
one aviation unit operating six helicopters for reconnaissance and liaison
two communication units
one transport unit
one logistics unit
one medical unit

Special forces, explosives and ordnance disposal teams will bring the total to around 3,500 regular and at least 1,200 reserve personnel."

So no lie. Except from Robertson of course.

I tried hard at the time of publication but I could never make that list of units and the number of people available to fill them actually work. However I cut it I ended up with units too small to actually be worthwhile. It can be done but only if your, for example, transport unit consists of one sergeant and a few squaddies.

One needs to factor in training. Soldiering is by its nature a young man's game - you need far more people under 25 than over 25. That is taken care of in a big enough force because most youngsters join up for a limited period (for the fun of it and the adventure not as a long term career) but it does involve a lot of churn and a permanent long-term training commitment. If you force is only 3,500 strong in total there is no capacity to cope with that and in the specialist units not enough people to have a big enough core left to deploy.

You might get a combat brigade of 3,500 people with all those functions but only if you can draw that brigade from a much larger army.

P.S. The idea that one, very, small unit of engineers will contain enough men trained to build bridges do mine clearance and other aspects of combat engineering is laughable.

Quite. We really should not bother pretending we will have an army at all. We could have some reservists to cover the tattoo. Anything else is a pointless gesture at this level as the vets were all saying in Perth today.

But no doubt Malcolm is right. Yes always are, apparently.

Neil said:

Alanbrooke said:

Neil said:

JonnyJimmy said:

Neil said:

GIN1138 said:

It's all Mel's fault then?

I hear Mel is blaming the Jews.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's a fair overlap in the FREEDOM!!!!ers and the people who blame the Jews for everything

Dont be so pathetic.

says the man who calls swinging Ballymena homophobic.

Like there's much swinging going on in Ballymena.

I rest my case.

Crystal Swing were presented with The Best Single of The Year Award at The Hot Country Awards Night at Tullyglass House, Ballymena, Co. Antrim on 2/4/14

http://www.crystalswing.com/news.html

Carnyx said:

JonnyJimmy said:

I imagine that in a parallel universe where Braveheart hadn't been made, the Yes vote would be much smaller. I believe that all that FREEDOM!!!!! balls reinforced the lead in the pencils of the likes of Malc etc.

One thing I have learnt over the last two years is that mentioning that film in the context of UK politics is one of the most reliable indicators of a Unionist known to humanity.

Up to a point, though idiot is usually the larger of the sets in that particular Venn diagram. The intersection is pretty substantial too.

CarlottaVance said:

Sean_F said:

HurstLlama said:

FF42 said:

In my view David Cameron made two big mistakes in his negotiations over the referendum:

1. He should have insisted on agreeing the question before signing off the Edinburgh. He would then require the question to include the option of remaining in the Union, eg Do you think Scotland should A) be an independent country? or remain part of the United Kingdom?

The question is then, as it should be, a choice between alternatives rather an assertion.

2. He should have insisted on the franchise including Scottish born residents in the UK as well as all residents in Scotland.

If it is a Yes in a fortnight, it will be close enough that those two mistakes will have made the difference.

Fair enough, Mr. 42, but why? If the Scots are really so unhappy that they can only accept a Labour government at Westminster then the union is bust. There is no point in trying to hang on to it.

That's an important point. I want the Union to continue. But, if Scots are only prepared for it to continue upon condition that the UK has as left wing government, then we must end it.

Yes. And if they vote "Yes" but then try to backtrack as Project Fib turns to dust, the whole package should be put to all of the UK, not just 8% of it....

Only to the 92% - there would need to be two votes: (a) do the Scots want to rejoin and (b) do we want them?

malcolmg said:

NorthBriton said:

I should say, further to what I wrote below, my hat is off to Jim Murphy. Shown real grit in getting out there day after day. Done more for Better Together than anyone else. Hope a few more start stepping up.

Whilst I do not like him I have to say he is one if not the only one that has actually shown a bit of passion and get up and go. Luckily they chose loser Darling to lead the campaign. Looks like Jim may get JoLo's job in Scotland after being dumped.

You will no doubt be delighted that Stuart Mackenzie, the guy who egged him in Kirkcaldy, has been given 80 hours of unpaid work for his troubles.

Smarmeron said:

@CarlottaVance
Hospitals and health services serving a population of five million over an area a third the size of the UK mainland costs more and needs more staff?
No shit Sherlock!

Where 4 of the 5 million are in the Central Belt?

Go and flaunt your ignorance somewhere else....


www.transportscotland.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/rrd_reports/uploaded_reports/j7106v1/j7106v1-g05.gif

Alanbrooke said:

HurstLlama said:

FF42 said:

In my view David Cameron made two big mistakes in his negotiations over the referendum:

1. He should have insisted on agreeing the question before signing off the Edinburgh. He would then require the question to include the option of remaining in the Union, eg Do you think Scotland should A) be an independent country? or remain part of the United Kingdom?

The question is then, as it should be, a choice between alternatives rather an assertion.

2. He should have insisted on the franchise including Scottish born residents in the UK as well as all residents in Scotland.

If it is a Yes in a fortnight, it will be close enough that those two mistakes will have made the difference.

Fair enough, Mr. 42, but why? If the Scots are really so unhappy that they can only accept a Labour government at Westminster then the union is bust. There is no point in trying to hang on to it.

Mr Llama I am as you know a Unionist and have spent many happy hours pointing out the lunacy some of our Nats like to call economics. So I would be disppaointed if Scotland leaves and as it happens I still don't think that will be the outcome, poll wobbles are all part and parcel of election campaigns.

However say they do then there are of course many silver linings in this cloud.

1. 50 less Labour MPs and the party that split the Union suffers most
2. Scotland's finance industry will move to London
3. No currency union so they'll have to make their own way or join nice Mrs Merkel's club
4. As many of our expert posters on here have indicated they will have an oil crisis of some sort thereby hollowing out the rest of their finances
5. We can keep them out of the EU as long as we want since initially at least that will be in our interest
6. Salmond will get monstered when all the promises he made can't be delivered so a decade of entertainment beckons


If it's Yes then too stupid will have won, it would be criminal not to take their money off them.

I agree Mr. Brooke. I have posted on here many times that if I was a Scot I would be voting "Yes" and as a patriotic Englishman I hope the Scots will vote, "Yes" (not least for some of the reasons you mention and a good many others more obliging to England than nasty for the Scots). However, when ever I used to post on such matters you, yes you, Mr. Brooke, would chide me. "It will lead to generations of blame being lumped on the English", you used to say, "Look at the example of Ireland. No good will come of it". And so on and so forth.

Yet now you seem more relaxed. What has changed?

Having read Carswell's slippery blog response to dan Hodges re allegedly pulling off Merlin data pre-defection, and the latest missiles from Roger Lord, it is clear the most UKIP UKIP candidate is surely Mr. Lord - perhaps he should stand as the Real or Continuity UKIP in Clacton.

Totally O/T , 8 weeks ago today college lecturers went on strike, one day before they finished for their summer holiday to protest about how horrible their job is now. They are just about to complete their 8th week of fully paid summer leave. What a horrible job!