Scotland's Weak or Unwilling Media

One of the greatest disappointments in this referendum campaign has been the unquestioning attitude of the mainstream media to challenge the propaganda from the Yes campaign.
I’ll be clear, that this means the BBC, STV, The Daily Record and The Sun, who command the largest audiences and circulation figures.

The BBC have been accused by both sides of being biased, when it’s probably more accurate to say that they are just weak, hopeless and wringing their hands of any controversy, despite a large percentage of them probably at risk of redundancy in an Independent Scotland, and working for a UK wide organisation. Glen Campbell’s weak performance during the BBC TV debate is a great representation of an organisation in Scotland that has no direction or idea how to conduct itself.

STV’s referendum coverage has been particularly slanted, with an appearance on Scotland Decides on Monday night by the notoriously extreme owner of Wings over Scotland. Legitimising his views is unacceptable, and one wonders if the management of STV are hoping that they can become the national broadcaster rather than the SBS, in the event of a Yes vote.

With the Sun being owned by right wing Rupert Murdoch, it’s a relationship that the SNP aren’t shouting from the rooftops about, given their recent overtures to the Scottish left

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scottish-independence/10799027/Alex-Salmond-Rupert-Murdoch-is-a-remarkable-man.html

http://www.sundaypost.com/news-views/scotland/independence-referendum/independence-on-trial/anger-over-salmond-s-secret-meeting-with-murdoch-1.328172

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/apr/25/alex-salmond-rupert-murdoch-ties

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/snp-leader-alex-salmond-faces-referendum-rethink-as-sun-sets-on-alliance-with-rupert-murdochs-news-international-8556199.html

It seems the refusal the Sun to back the Yes campaign outright is in tune with a historical tendency of the Sun to try and reflect public opinion rather than shape it. After all, it’s a commercial operation.

So, the Sun has remained neutral so far ,and hasn’t wished to rock the boat for either side

That leaves the Daily Record, who, as a traditional Labour newspaper would be expected to reflect the views of labour voters. Instead it comes across as confused and contradictory, with reasonable coverage from David Clegg countered by aggressive and provocative propaganda from disgraced SNP politician Joan McAlpine.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2568325/Alex-Salmond-aide-six-month-affair-axed-party-worker-used-public-money-pay-cheated-wife.html

While any Government or newspaper of integrity would have kicked her out after that affair, these two organisations continue to allow her a platform to abuse and denigrate non nationalists in this country.

Her rhetoric has previously accused non nationalists of being Anti Scottish and today’s column suggests that the No campaign is well named because it “has no plan..strategy..ambition”, before launching in to a load of waffle about how a Yes vote will generate 27,000 jobs, while deftly avoiding the fact that 600,000 jobs in Scotland depend on UK trade, or that the UK defence orders provide work for upwards of 12,000 skilled engineers and workers.

http://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/what-impact-would-independence-have-on-scotlands-defence-industry/


The Yes case is largely built on waffle, emotion and hatred, and those responsible for the campaign have probably set back the cause of Independence for a generation. Lessons have not been learned during this process with regards to tone, and the real need for solid promises and solid financial information. Dishonesty, aggression and ambiguity above all else have turned many voters off.

It is astonishing, but not unexpected, that such comment is unchallenged, from a media who have expressed mock anger over many years about “Old Firm” troubles, while deliberately stirring it up.

There are mixed messages from the No campaign suggesting that, while a No vote will guarantee further devolution, the Westminster government will have to assert at least some level of leadership in Scotland to try and build the bridges that have been burned by the extremists within the Yes camp ,while also reminding us that many key decisions are made at Westminster, such as defence and foreign policy.

The building of bridges will be very important, and one should not underestimate how dignified the No campaign have been, while the opposite has been true of the Yes campaign.

The sight of Jim Murphy MP being shouted down and abused on his 100 Streets campaign by nationalist rent a mobs opposed to democratic free speech has been shocking, and should have been front page news to shame the nationalists to reign the mob in. Instead the hatred of the mob is there for all to see, and the Yes campaign are not discouraging it, or the people involved.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/jim-murphy-negative-campaigning-kicking-in-1-3520001

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3LeeGx1baU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJmWOLlI--E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVM0Rllhw2A

Until we have someone in the mainstream with the kahunas to ridicule this kind of small minded paranoia in Scotland, the 19th of September will not be the end of the division, but just another date in the calendar.

http://www.newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-news/8744-massive-increase-in-british-themed-tv-shows-on-bbc-since-snp-came-to-power

That is not a parody, or satire. That is real.

There needs to be a shift in mindset after the referendum, no matter what way the vote goes, as the lack of control and the irresponsible rhetoric of some is stirring something quite distasteful here that may well evolve in to something akin to civil unrest, from both sides.

The elephant in the room that no one wants to discuss is the presence of Irish Republicanism within the Yes campaign. Those that deny it or dismiss it are either misleading us, grossly naïve over what is going on, or in denial.

The support of many associated to Celtic’s Green Brigade, aswell as prominent republicans like Angela Haggerty and Jeanette Findlay, should indicate that the Yes campaign has, at the very least, been infiltrated by IRA Supporters wishing to destroy the union.

Support for Yes is also being shown within IRA pub “The Rock” in Belfast https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BwDCseCIUAA1lbA.jpg:large

I don’t believe that the conduct of the Yes activists over the last few months, and the support of Irish republicans, is a coincidence.

It is the responsibility of our political leaders to step in and remind all that this is a civilised country not a rabble, and they should look to the agitators first, unless they actually wish Scotland to be divided.

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I note that Celtic fans’ depression today after being knocked out of the Champions League for the second time in a month is being lifted by HMRC announcing that they will lodge another appeal against the Upper Tier Tribunal judgement on the EBT scheme operated by David Murray on behalf of Rangers’ former holding company.

I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.

Bill.

Canny Scots to say NO

Last night’s televised debate between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling, was very illuminating, despite the big questions remaining unanswered.

After the previous debate, where Salmond’s tactic was to appear statesmanlike, this one revealed the true Salmond, the man of anger who doesn’t respect the right to reply.

While the bullish performance may have saved his position as First Minister and leader of the SNP, and surprised Alastair Darling, his comments will be scrutinised and analysed in the cold light of day, and cause him more damage.

Answering questions with questions, lying, shouting over Darling, and interrupting were just few of the tactics used last night.

After a fairly predictable debate two weeks ago on STV, where the big hitter topic of currency left him flummoxed, Salmond attacked the man rather than the ball on several occasions, rebuking Darling’s personal record while in office.

You’d be forgiven for actually forgetting the purpose of these debates was to inform voters of their options in the referendum; what a Yes vote will do, and what a No vote will do, as Salmond attacked Labour, and the coalition government about poverty, in a clear attempt to appeal to the left, and to tug at the heartstrings, despite him offering no tangible and costed way to address the issue.

While we’ve come to expect less than courteous dialogue in this debate, Salmond’s approach to threaten the rUK to default on our share of the country’s debt unless we get a currency union will not have endeared him to those he would expect to engage with, should he succeed in getting a Yes vote.

Essentially he has threatened to hold the rUK government to ransom over debt to maintain a formal currency union with the UK. It is clear he is confident that the rUK would come to that table, in order that an iScotland pays it’s share.

Despite Darling asking what the other options were, and Ed Balls stating last night that there would be no currency union, Salmond continued to steamroller the question, with emphasis on forcing a currency union, and trying to bully rUK with a Yes vote being seen as a mandate of the Scottish people that should not be ignored.

Despite their being 57.8M people in the rest of the UK, to 5.3M in Scotland, he failed to recognise that the needs and desires of that 57.8M cannot be ignored by the Westminster government because that’s the way Salmond wants it.

When Darling pressed him on his Plan B if no currency union was agreed Salmond wittered about the “mandate” again, and brazenly stated that he was getting 3 plan Bs for the price of one, despite his options actually being 2 variations of one plan (currency union and sterlingisation), and a plan B that he didn’t want to call a Plan B, which is using sterling until either creating a new currency or joining the Euro. The long term Plan B in the event of there being no currency union was still never answered.

With one day before postal ballots get delivered, there is still no clear Plan B for the very foundation of everything we would do in an iScotland.

With Nationalist assertions also that rUK will order warships from Scotland, one can only deduce that Salmond also thinks Westminster will fold on this also.

It’s clear that he just wishes to steamroller all in Westminster to roll over and accept his demands, and then stir up resentment and anger when it doesn’t happen. It’s a dangerous game, to stir up tensions and engineer division, but that would only be an escalation of what is already happening in Scotland.

Any mandate that Salmond is seeking is built on false promises that have no substance, and a steadfast belief that the rUK government will ignore the wishes of 90% of its population, in the event of a Yes vote.

The NHS lies got an airing again last night, and Darling quite rightly pointed out that this political opportunism, preying on the fears of voters was not a priority of the SNP until last week, when they believed it would shift hearts and minds towards them.

Salmond also failed to clarify the position clearly on pensions (and how they could be funded long term), the set up costs of an iScotland, how much it would affect Scotland leaving the EU, or the public funding gap, not to mention how the country would deal with a refusal to be accepted to the EU, or NATO.

Salmond was on comfortable ground with strong soundbytes in areas of interest but very light on detail, and while Darling failed to capitalise on this, Salmond also failed to make a positive compelling case for Independence, nor tackling Salmond on the Better Together’s promises for further devolution.

All in all, it appeared that Salmond’s strength of personality, and his decision to shake off previous attempts to appear statesmanlike have deflected from the areas of concern, and I doubt if any undecideds will have now chosen Yes, on the basis of an aggressive performance that told us nothing.

My belief is that canny Scots will see past the superficiality of the TV debate, and deduce that they have not been given enough confidence that Independence will make any of us better off in any sense, in the short, medium or long term.


Bill

Big Bad “Westminster”

Day after day a historic “fact” will be brought up by a yesser near you.

Today’s fact being promoted by seperatists is that the MOD cherish English lives more than Scottish ones, harking back to an article by Joan McAlpine in January 2013.
In her Daily Record column, McAlpine ranted about a freedom of information request by SCND, stating that the MOD had a disregard of Scottish life

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scottish-lives-considered-cheap-by-uk-1523923

“Why then does the MoD insist it’s fine to keep these killers anchored just 40 miles from Scotland’s biggest city and centre of population? Put starkly, Scots lives are worth less. Back in 2000 the MoD envisaged a hypothetical accident involving Trident in Faslane. It concluded “societal contamination” resulting from such a disaster was OK.”


In her haste to cherry pick the FOI request to further her own agenda, she ignored the crucial factor in to the MOD’s finding that Devonport was not a viable option to re-house Trident

The FOI request response quoted advice from the Defence Nuclear Safety regulator that moving to Devonport was not feasible, and also a previous report in 2000 that is misquoted by McAlpine, where it is very clear in stating that Faslane presents far less of a risk to the public in the worst case scenario than Devonport.

It states: “There are about 166,000 people living within five kilometres of the Devonport base, compared with about 5,200 within that distance of Faslane.”

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jan/04/mod-nuclear-submarines-scotland-plymouth

With Alastair Darling and Alex Salmond debate the future of the nation on television tonight, one can only hope that Salmond sticks to the facts if this subject comes up, because the rhetoric from McAlpine that is being pushed by supporters today is disingenuous at best, and downright dishonest at worst.

Big Bad Bill

The City Council - Glasgow's Shame

Over many years, labour run Glasgow City Council (GCC) has been an authority that does not serve its people, but serves itself, and serves the interests of a minority of close associates.
It’s just a coincidence that so many of them have sympathies for Celtic Football Club, and for causes close to the heart of the extremist element of the Celtic Support.

While there are blogs out there that allege State Aid to Celtic, or allege corruption it seems that there is little shame or accountability within the City Chambers as evidence mounts up of what some would say is morally wrong, and without a shred of integrity.

http://www.corruptglasgow2014.com

http://powerincommunity.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/following-publication-of-our-community.html

http://footballtaxhavens.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/celtics-option-on-primary-school-had-lapsed-or-glasgow-city-council-extended-it-as-favour/

http://www.scotsman.com/news/council-threatens-to-throw-the-book-at-author-1-1434097

This council apparently has no shame, and either stalls and avoids answering questions via Freedom of information requests, or sends lawyer’s letters to intimidate those challenging the council.

Understandably, much of the criticism of the GCC group comes from those with the closest links to them, with inside knowledge of the people and practices they have issues with, and also a sizeable nationalist presence in Glasgow, that are ignored by their own party leadership who appear to have very little desire to act or to do anything in Glasgow.

Because the Labour run city council treat the people of Glasgow with contempt, and the SNP don’t care about Glasgow, it appears to be left to bloggers and activists to challenge the council.
For their part, Scottish Labour is also run by many MSPs and MPs who share roots, offices and donors with the councillors, aswell as an affiliation to Celtic, so they too are uninterested.

While I count myself as a proud unionist for a number of reasons, that should not be interpreted as a support for Glasgow’s Labour group, or indeed, the further devolution that appears to be part of the sweetener that the Better Together campaign believe is required to achieve a No vote.

GCC, coincidentally, are in “solidarity” with the people of Gaza, and will fly the flag of HAMAS tomorrow.

"In solidarity with Bethlehem and Palestine, Glasgow City Council will raise the Palestinian flag on Friday 8th August. We hope that peace can be found to ensure the human rights for the people of Palestine."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-28682483

While the killing of children, and apparently indiscriminate bombing in Gaza by the IDF is indefensible, both from the tactics of Isreal and Hamas allegedly using children as human shields, it is not the place of Glasgow City Council to “take sides” in the matter, particularly when that side is one of terrorism. I’d be just as disgusted if they commented approval of IDF action.

Neither side seems to be participating in a particularly humane way, but choosing the side of terror gangs trained and supported by the Provisional IRA, and supported in Scotland by extremist republican groups is not an acceptable standpoint, no matter how they dress it up. Flying the flag of terrorism should see heads roll, and begs the question what other flags they will fly high above the City Chambers, if they decide it’s appropriate.

For some time the overly tolerant Jewish communities in greater Glasgow have stayed silent, and turned the other cheek, while extremists set up pasting tables on city centre streets, and preach their distasteful invective at anyone within earshot. At last it appears the Jewish community have had enough, with the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council president Paul Morron stating it was "angered and hurt" by the council's decision.

He said: "Flying the flag is the worst kind of gesture politics."
He also said such a move "does nothing to alleviate the suffering on either side of the conflict, nor does it bring peace closer by one single minute".

Just two weeks after Gordon Matheson embarrassed Glasgow on the world stage by conducting himself like Rab C Nesbitt at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony, you’d think the city council hierarchy would have been advised that they are not cut out for the world stage. They have no class, no dignity and no shame, and it’s high time that Glasgow residents forced them out of office, no matter what political views they may have.

Bill