Osbourne says no to currency union.

Very interesting, but Scotland isn’t a province or a colony and Nick Robinson didn’t mention corporation tax. Can’t be bothered picking through for all the other inaccuracies.

Ed Miliband had to cancel his walkabout after constant heckling. Sorry this isn’t a vibrant and passionate debate, it’s intimidation.

Ed Miliband was forced to abandon a walk-about in Edinburgh after he became caught in a crush of media and pro-independence protesters, who drowned out his interviews with shouts of “**** liar” and “serial murder”.

From the ITN correspondant covering the referendum. Pretty daming stuff.

Pretty much all reporters I chatted to yesterday agreed that the level of abuse and even intimidation being meted out by some in the ‘Yes’ campaign was making this referendum a rather unpleasant experience.

And whilst I am sure both sides have been guilty, the truth – uncomfortable as it is to say it – is that most of the heckling and abuse does seem to be coming from the Nationalists.

I have been with ITN for 25 years and have covered events all over the world in that time. I’m not going to suggest that this bears comparison with really bad places, but it is certainly highly unusual in the democratic world.

For example, my first major job as a correspondent was in Ireland in the early nineties and, despite the fact that there was a bitter war going on all round me that took many lives, I experienced virtually no personal hostility at all from anyone. They didn’t lob accusations of bias around every time you asked a question either.

I hear Kate Adie is being sent in to film the Yes campaigners

TBH we cannot be certain
Brilliant, we’re on the same hymn sheet!

Now, whats plan B if they do?

Sums up the entire the entire yes campaign neatly, all you really need to add is BLUFF BLUSTER BULLYING and MANDATE

I have £200 quid riding on a yes result…hoping to lose it!

As per Molgrims point above, whatever happens half the population will be pissed off. Which is why talk of ‘a day of celebration’ by Salmond after a yes win sums up nicely what an absolute **** the man is.

Let’s hope the butterfly’s hibernate before the reality of winter gets them 😉

Totally appreciate that any new start-up needs to be careful with their money, so if there’s a Yes vote maybe iS can team up with Islamic State and share on marketing etc, possibly a natty new logo?

So – how are Scottish people actually being oppressed, right now? As distinct from anyone in England, Wales or NI?

I’ve been on holiday for four days (in England) with no internet – what have I missed?

For the record:

Fields ploughed to read “NO”: 2
Homemade Yes signs: 3
Number of times my car was keyed for having a Yes sticker: 0
Number of long-distance cyclists rescued who ask how I think the referendum will go: 2

ben. We have already voted. You didn’t miss it surely?

Seosamh77; that is a brilliant piece of writing!

ben. We have already voted. You didn’t miss it surely?

Ha, I’m not that daft, I know full well the referendum is on the 19th…

how are Scottish people actually being oppressed, right now? As distinct from anyone in England, Wales or NI?

One tory MP= Tory led govt
two parties with minority of votes and seats combined = the govt
Labour = winners= opposition

You are welcome

FWIW in wales the combined vote of the libs and Tories is greater than Lab but they have fewer seats

Inserts dog chasing tail gif here

Ben, don’t confuse the referendum with International Talk Like A Pirate Day, which, of course, is far more important!

JY if that’s your definition of oppression you aren’t tough enough to be Scottish 😉

England made me soft ….what can I say …runs to shop for batter, irn Bru and whiskey

whiskey

You’ve also forgotten how to spell 😛

Seosamh77; that is a brilliant piece of writing!

Agreed, and as long as the sentiment behind it resonates with 51% of the voters then Scotland will be free(ish).

I hope it’s a yes vote because the cynical, Westminster-centric cartel MUST be broken at any cost. I’d rather we united as a group of Islands to achieve it but if it takes a painful and costly split in the old union to do it then fine.

Our politicians have failed us, our business leaders look for more opportunities to screw us and our media report whatever their bosses tell them to. We are being utterly let down by the current system and the people it attracts. We need a big change, a federal island of regional assemblies, with proportional representation and money spent on making sure that everyone in our society is valued, supported and given the opportunity to exceed their own expectations. We won’t get that from Westminster. Ever.

Time for a new direction 😉

One tory MP= Tory led govt
two parties with minority of votes and seats combined = the govt
Labour = winners= opposition

Isn’t that only because Labour failed to secure a coalition deal with the Lib Dems

So, the Prime Minister, from Scotland, leading the party with the most Scottish votes, failed to come to a deal with the party with the second most Scottish votes, and had to resign.

and thats England fault?

We are being utterly let down by the current system

I don’t think it’s quite as bad as you make out… Ok so it’s not ideal but life in the UK isn’t the worst in the world.

We won’t get that from Westminster. Ever

Once again, this is the wild claim that has no evidence.

I don’t think it’s quite as bad as you make out… Ok so it’s not ideal but life in the UK isn’t the worst in the world.

I suppose it depends if you are prepared to allow people to fall through the net or not. It’s not like Haiti I guess, so a point to you.

Once again, this is the wild claim that has no evidence

Look at Westminster now. Look at the panic and the hasty promises. It’s not about us. It’s about them and about money & power.

I don’t think you and I will ever agree about this kind of thing Molgrips.

Look at Westminster now. Look at the panic and the hasty promises. It’s not about us. It’s about them and about money & power.

That’s just rhetoric I’m afraid. You’ve not really said anything.

I suppose it depends if you are prepared to allow people to fall through the net or not.

Of course not. But a poorly designed social security system is not the same thing as systematic and deliberate oppression of a whole region. Both are/would be bad, but they’re really unrelated.

You and I occupy a similar position on the political spectrum, but I can’t stand this useless spin.

Our politicians have failedus, our business leaders look for more opportunities to screw us and our media report whatever their bosses tell them to

Wow, I wasn’t expecting the yessers to wake up to the reality of a holyrood government until after the referendum.

What exactly are the SNP’s plans for welfare and paying for it?

You’ve also forgotten how to spell

By some margin …..not my worst 😉

What exactly are the SNP’s plans for welfare and paying for it?

Probably the same as the £450m cuts they had planned for the Scottish NHS, that they were trying to keep secret till after the referendum!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-independence/scottish-nhs-would-face-450m-black-hole-under-independence-9735541.html

that is shoddy from the Independent tbh as even its own story does not support the headline

The First Minister today said claims of cuts were “mythical”, pointing to plans passed in the Scottish Parliament this year that will see the overall health budget rise from £11.9bn to £12.7bn next year.

Mr Salmond told Good Morning Scotland: “What this paper does is part of the normal planning in the health service.

”It says we’ll need 3.5 per cent efficiencies in order to meet commitments in the rising cost of procedures in the health service.

Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling have clashed over the future of the NHS Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling have clashed over the future of the NHS “In the last six years we have managed 3 per cent and that’s all been ploughed back, every single penny of it, into the health service. That’s why we have increased funding in real terms.”

I thought you would have been delighted they were making the public sector more efficient rather than using tiit to beat the,very principled of you 😛

”It says we’ll need 3.5 per cent efficiencies in order to meet commitments in the rising cost of procedures in the health service.

What does that mean?

I take it you are being deliberately naive JY?

We’ve had enough of this name calling and abuse!

You lot reckon we’re not capable of organising anything, well look at this! We’re ready with a day to go…

😈

how are Scottish people actually being oppressed, right now? As distinct from anyone in England, Wales or NI?

Junkyard
One tory MP= Tory led govt
two parties with minority of votes and seats combined = the govt
Labour = winners= opposition

Is this really oppression? The people of Gaza and North Korea can only drean of oppression like that!

I think the West Midlands has 24 Labour MP’s and only 10 Conservatives. Is the West Midlands currently oppressed?

To be fair, the first past the post system does not suit tory representation in Scotland. Remember too that at the recent European election about 25% of Scots voted either Tory or UKIP.

Is this really oppression?

It’s democracy in action.

Gordon Brown speaks out…

(Thanks to the BBC for the loan of the Tardis)

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29213416 is the original story – I don’t see how an increase in funding proves that there isn’t a funding gap, not with the NHS! We already did NHS funding increasing less in Scotland than in rUK didn’t we?

I hope it’s a yes vote because the cynical, Westminster-centric cartel MUST be broken at any cost. I’d rather we united as a group of Islands to achieve it but if it takes a painful and costly split in the old union to do it then fine.

Our politicians have failed us, our business leaders look for more opportunities to screw us and our media report whatever their bosses tell them to. We are being utterly let down by the current system and the people it attracts. We need a big change, a federal island of regional assemblies, with proportional representation and money spent on making sure that everyone in our society is valued, supported and given the opportunity to exceed their own expectations. We won’t get that from Westminster. Ever.

@yossarian I feel quite sorry that you are so disillusioned. We live in one of the most prosperous democratic countries in the world with a generous welfare safety net. As a country of 60m we are quite a small democracy by world standards, so local government is some way. I think you will be very dissapointed if you think a Scottish parliament will be much different than Westminster, what’s more Alex Salmond has demonstrated quite clearly he’s a devious and dishonest politician of the very worst kind. The notion that an independent Scotland is going to somehow magically deliver a more socially equal, farer more caring society is a fantasy. The reality is that the numbers don’t stack up for a small country and Scotland will struggle to maintain the current levels of social spending whilst facing the costs of more beaurocracy.

You are voting for a big change and a Yes is likely to deliver a significantly worse situation than the one you currently face.

@epic I think we can let Gordon repeat himself once ever 35 years. I rarely go a day or two without saying the same thing.

Don’t forget that it’s not a vote for the SNP – Scotland will doubtless produce politicians other than AS who aren’t so dishonest. Scotland does after all have a good recent record in producing honest top level politicians.

ohnohesback – Member
Seosamh77; that is a brilliant piece of writing!

POSTED 2 HOURS AGO #

Yip, it is. I’m no even arguing with anyone about it, just leaving it there. 🙂

Wasn’t me btw! I just found it on another forum i’m on. I don’t have a link to the original.

the thing is the Scottish politicans in westminster that are so bad for scotland now will be the same politicians representing Scotland in the Scottish parliament, so nothing will change, its just a nationalist xenophobic nonsense,
why is ukip seen for what it is and yet the SNP is lauded as some kind of saviour of the people?

whatever happend scotland is the loser as the ugly stench of nationalism isnt going to go away, and not only will the scots be set against each other, but now they are pushing many english away and no one wins with this.

Our politicians have failed us, our business leaders look for more opportunities to screw us and our media report whatever their bosses tell them to. We are being utterly let down by the current system and the people it attracts. We need a big change, a federal island of regional assemblies, with proportional representation and money spent on making sure that everyone in our society is valued, supported and given the opportunity to exceed their own expectations. We won’t get that from Westminster. Ever.

To be fair, I think globalisation is out of the control of our politicians, business leaders and media.

I’m not saying they’re doing a sterling job (read Hack Attack by Nick Davies, about how Murdoch has interacted with UK government and how other media orgs have turned a blind eye to see how much dishonesty we’re fed daily), but it’s worth remembering that our parents grew up in a postwar period which naturally meant growth, but that was never going to go on for ever

The West had the political power and growth naturally followed the War because Europe and the UK were close to broke…however, the post-war boom had to come to an end at some point and we’re just unlucky to be around at the time when it has… government has been trying to hide this with credit growth since the early 90’s – which ended in the credit crunch in 2008 – which wasn’t the cause of our current issues, it was a symptom of long term weakness.

It’s very easy and attractive to blame ‘them’ but it’s really more complex than that. This is a cyclical thing – no-one stays rich and powerful for ever.

I seriously doubt that localising UK politics and further devolution will help us counter the threat from China, Asia, India etc, as attractive it may be to blame the current establishment…

As Jambalaya says, UK is still one of the world’s most democratic and wealthy countries – and I think we should be grateful for what we do have, and build on the opportunities we do have to survive the changes in global economic and political power. The World is not a zero-sum game…