Friday, 26 December 2014

Tarff Advertiser: Queen - Scotland Divided .... aye right!

Tarff Advertiser: Queen - Scotland Divided .... aye right!: According to today's London media theme, the Scots are at each others' necks in the aftermath of the 18th of September. Apparently ...

SCOT goes POP!: A Queen-sized error of judgement

SCOT goes POP!: A Queen-sized error of judgement: I didn't watch the Queen's speech today (I haven't bothered with it for years - paint dries in a more entertaining manner), but ...

The Lockerbie Case: Forensic folly and cultural collusion

The Lockerbie Case: Forensic folly and cultural collusion: [The following are two letters published in today’s edition of The Scotsman :] Dr John Cameron ( Letters, 24 December ) is right to ob...

Tuesday, 23 December 2014

SCOT goes POP!: Christmas Poll of Polls shows SNP leading by 18%

SCOT goes POP!: Christmas Poll of Polls shows SNP leading by 18%: Remember how I said last night that "unless any newspaper is crazy enough to publish a poll on Christmas Eve, that really should be tha...

SCOT goes POP!: Mega Murphy meltdown as SNP rocket to 24-point lea...

SCOT goes POP!: Mega Murphy meltdown as SNP rocket to 24-point lea...: There's a question I'd rather like one of the nation's journalists to ask Jim Murphy some time soon.  It goes like this.  "...

SCOT goes POP!: Support for independence reaches 50% for the first...

SCOT goes POP!: Support for independence reaches 50% for the first...: I'll keep this relatively brief, because after the tragedy in Glasgow only ten hours ago, I know none of us are really in the mood for p...

Peter A Bell: Oil price slump would have left independent Scotla...

Peter A Bell: Oil price slump would have left independent Scotla...: AN independent Scotland in its first year would have faced a £6.4bn “gaping chasm” in its finances, the Treasury has calculated based on t...

SCOT goes POP!: Less than limitless levity looms for Lousy Libs as...

SCOT goes POP!: Less than limitless levity looms for Lousy Libs as...: After the false alarm on Friday, it looks like this morning's Britain-wide YouGov poll really is the last from the firm for this year.  ...

Tarff Advertiser: Bah! Humbug!

Tarff Advertiser: Bah! Humbug!: I have never liked Christmas, even as a kid - according to my sister - I have always been indifferent. She talks about family 'Christ...

SCOT goes POP!: The ideal result?

SCOT goes POP!: The ideal result?: I was amused the other night to see Flockers (our occasional visitor from Stormfront Lite ) apparently licking his lips at the prospect of S...

The Messenger |

The Messenger | [Unionist fear of the electoral tumbrils]

SCOT goes POP!: Murphy cries into his patriotic beer as new Poll o...

SCOT goes POP!: Murphy cries into his patriotic beer as new Poll o...: There have been some suggestions that today's YouGov poll might be the last word from the firm for this year, and I was just a tad conce...

Thursday, 18 December 2014

Politics, Journalism etc: Democratic deficit

Politics, Journalism etc: Democratic deficit: AT a glance, the Scottish Labour party provided an element of transparency in its leadership result on Saturday. Officials released fig...

SCOT goes POP!: SNP hold 17% lead in new Scot Goes Pop Poll of Pol...

SCOT goes POP!: SNP hold 17% lead in new Scot Goes Pop Poll of Pol...: There's still no sign at all that the elusive "Murphy honeymoon" is having any effect whatever on the SNP's polling streng...

SCOT goes POP!: A heartfelt plea to the imaginary Scotsmen in Dan ...

SCOT goes POP!: A heartfelt plea to the imaginary Scotsmen in Dan ...: I still haven't got around to doing my Top of the Pops list of the stupidest things said by unionist politicians and commentators in the...

SCOT goes POP!: More damning evidence that the independence refere...

SCOT goes POP!: More damning evidence that the independence refere...: One of the favourite tactics of the No campaign as the referendum approached was to portray their opponents as utterly paranoid - there was ...

Tarff Advertiser: Blair and Straw - must face criminal charges

Tarff Advertiser: Blair and Straw - must face criminal charges: I do not usually post other people's blogs but in the circumstances of the sense of injustice felt after the result on the 18th Sep...

SCOT goes POP!: Despair for Jim Murphy as early straws in the wind...

SCOT goes POP!: Despair for Jim Murphy as early straws in the wind...: Jackanory Jim's investiture as the High Priest of Patriotism was, according to his most devoted admirers (many of them southern Tories),...

Peter A Bell: Say hello to New Jim … he stands for everything th...

Peter A Bell: Say hello to New Jim … he stands for everything th...: two rival parties who sound as if they are fighting on almost exactly the same political territory Peter A Bell 's insight: I dis...

Peter A Bell: If Labour loses Scotland, the Union will be done f...

Peter A Bell: If Labour loses Scotland, the Union will be done f...: Jim Murphy, Labour’s new leader in Scotland, must turn the tide against the SNP, says Iain Martin. Peter A Bell 's insight: As an...

Peter A Bell: Murphy: I don't need Miliband's permission to make...

Peter A Bell: Murphy: I don't need Miliband's permission to make...: I don’t need to consult the leader. Peter A Bell 's insight: Jim Murphy is totally deluded if he imagines he can go against the p...

SCOT goes POP!: Is David Maddox at it again?

SCOT goes POP!: Is David Maddox at it again?: There's a short piece in the Scotsman by David Maddox which attempts to weave a narrative of (and I'm paraphrasing here) : Nicola St...

Tocasaid: Happy Winterval from Scottish Labour

Tocasaid: Happy Winterval from Scottish Labour: If the real life Tony Blair Xmas card wasn't bad enough - they seem to be impersonating some of the cast of Hellraiser - Scottish (o...

SCOT goes POP!: Perhaps we should give Treasury civil servant Mari...

SCOT goes POP!: Perhaps we should give Treasury civil servant Mari...: You've probably already seen it on Newsnet Scotland , but this is nothing short of astonishing.  A team of civil servants in the London ...

SCOT goes POP!: Misery for Murphy as sparkling SNP seize sizeable ...

SCOT goes POP!: Misery for Murphy as sparkling SNP seize sizeable ...: I've only got a couple of minutes to spare before I pop out for the rest of the day, but I thought you might be interested to see the Ho...

'A Just Church': A sad day for Scotland - Jim Murphy is a real thug...

'A Just Church': A sad day for Scotland - Jim Murphy is a real thug...: I first encountered Jim Murphy over 20 years ago. I got a phone call from him where he shouted at me for 10 minutes, telling me that I could...

Sunday, 14 December 2014

Peter A Bell: Jim Murphy's victory celebrated by London party

Peter A Bell: Jim Murphy's victory celebrated by London party: Another insider said it was “plausible” for Murphy to stand down from Westminster next year and take a year out of elected politics. Pe...

Peter A Bell: Johann Lamont snubs Murphy in leadership vote

Peter A Bell: Johann Lamont snubs Murphy in leadership vote: BITTER Johann Lamont snubbed Jim Murphy in the leadership contest after she voted for his main rivals. Peter A Bell 's insight: W...

SCOT goes POP!: Will Jackanory Jim even lead Scottish Labour into ...

SCOT goes POP!: Will Jackanory Jim even lead Scottish Labour into ...: The newly-installed "leader" of Labour's branch office in Scotland made clear during the campaign that as far as he was concer...

(2) Facebook

(2) Facebook [Official stats on Murphy's stitch-up]

(99) Facebook

(99) Facebook [New BritLab "leader" in Scotland's "vow"]

SCOT goes POP!: Scotland swings decisively behind the SNP and inde...

SCOT goes POP!: Scotland swings decisively behind the SNP and inde...: The headline results from a new full-scale Scottish poll from YouGov have been released by the Sun on Twitter.  So far I haven't been a...

SCOT goes POP!: Tories tormented as super SNP secure staggering sw...

SCOT goes POP!: Tories tormented as super SNP secure staggering sw...: Is the South Kintyre by-election result an early tremor, presaging the earthquake to come next May?  Well, maybe, but we shouldn't jump ...

Peter A Bell: Salmond says he would relish fight with anti-SNP a...

Peter A Bell: Salmond says he would relish fight with anti-SNP a...: ALEX Salmond has said he would welcome a pro-union pact aimed at thwarting his bid to return to Westminster and insisted that if an agreem...

SCOT goes POP!: Tories tormented as super SNP secure staggering sw...

SCOT goes POP!: Tories tormented as super SNP secure staggering sw...: Is the South Kintyre by-election result an early tremor, presaging the earthquake to come next May?  Well, maybe, but we shouldn't jump ...

Peter A Bell: Salmond: there will be another indyref in my lifet...

Peter A Bell: Salmond: there will be another indyref in my lifet...: ALEX Salmond, who famously said a referendum on Scottish independence was a “once in a lifetime opportunity”, now believes there will be a...

SCOT goes POP!: Then raise the scarlet standard high...

SCOT goes POP!: Then raise the scarlet standard high...: I have a new article at the International Business Times , pondering whether a post-election Labour-SNP deal would provide Britain with its ...

Wednesday, 10 December 2014

Munguin's Republic: WHO DO YOU WANT TO SEE AS SUPERVISOR OF THE LABOUR...

Munguin's Republic: WHO DO YOU WANT TO SEE AS SUPERVISOR OF THE LABOUR...: Everyone has been assuming that, given that London head office clearly wanted Murphy as the Scottish branch supervisor  (why else would S...

Monday, 8 December 2014

SCOT goes POP!: Piffle pertaining to Populus

SCOT goes POP!: Piffle pertaining to Populus: Even if it wasn't for my past history at Political Betting , I would have sighed heavily at the latest post from Mike Smithson, which ma...

SCOT goes POP!: How Alex Salmond could become Deputy Prime Ministe...

SCOT goes POP!: How Alex Salmond could become Deputy Prime Ministe...: The expression "hung parliament" is an adaptation of "hung jury", explained Vernon Bogdanor on the BBC's election re...

Peter A Bell: Brian Wilson: Sturgeon must face reality over NHS

Peter A Bell: Brian Wilson: Sturgeon must face reality over NHS: A BRIEF ENCOUNTER with First Minister’s Questions suggested that the most visible change under the revised management involves a new set o...

SCOT goes POP!: Constituency spotlight : Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and ...

SCOT goes POP!: Constituency spotlight : Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and ...: A few hours ago, I received an email revealing that our local SNP candidate for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East has been selecte...

Peter A Bell: Jim Murphy to call for ‘devo max within Scotland’

Peter A Bell: Jim Murphy to call for ‘devo max within Scotland’: LABOUR leadership candidate Jim Murphy will today call for “devo max within Scotland”, arguing that transferring powers from Edinburgh to ...

Peter A Bell: ‘Colonial’ deal may safeguard Scottish Parliament

Peter A Bell: ‘Colonial’ deal may safeguard Scottish Parliament: SCOTLAND could be handed a similar deal to former UK ­colonies through a “charter of autonomy” to guarantee ­Holyrood’s constitutional ­fu...

Tarff Advertiser: UK Union - What is it good for? Nothing: say it ag...

Tarff Advertiser: UK Union - What is it good for? Nothing: say it ag...: The Sunday Express is linking the unexplained shooting of an SNP activist, Willie McRae, in 1985 with the British Establishment cover up o...

SCOT goes POP!: Well, it burned while I cried, 'cos I heard it scr...

SCOT goes POP!: Well, it burned while I cried, 'cos I heard it scr...: To mark Bonfire Night last month, the people of Lewes in East Sussex decided to (and I quote) "blow the s*** out of" a giant effig...

Peter A Bell: SNP suspends councillors over Smith report burning...

Peter A Bell: SNP suspends councillors over Smith report burning...: The SNP has suspended a group of councillors over the burning of a copy of the Smith Commission report which was filmed on YouTube. Pet...

Peter A Bell: SNP: Give Scotland power over minimum wage

Peter A Bell: SNP: Give Scotland power over minimum wage: THE SNP is to campaign for the minimum wage, income tax personal allowance and more benefits to be transferred to Holyrood in its general ...

SCOT goes POP!: Early straw in the wind suggests SNP's support has...

SCOT goes POP!: Early straw in the wind suggests SNP's support has...: It's still very early days, but it looks possible that the Labour wind-up merchant who graced us with his presence yesterday is going to...

Peter A Bell: Brian Wilson: Blame game over for Nicola Sturgeon

Peter A Bell: Brian Wilson: Blame game over for Nicola Sturgeon: POWERS and accountability offered by Smith make it impossible for SNP to duck responsibility, writes Brian Wilson. Peter A Bell 's ...

Tarff Advertiser: The Smith Commission - delivering Scottish Indepen...

Tarff Advertiser: The Smith Commission - delivering Scottish Indepen...: The SNP have played a blinder, exposing the small mindedness of the three 'main' Westminster parties when it comes to democracy and...

SCOT goes POP!: 15% of British voters would prefer the SNP as a co...

SCOT goes POP!: 15% of British voters would prefer the SNP as a co...: I overlooked a fascinating supplementary question in one of the two Britain-wide YouGov polls on Sunday. Respondents were asked which one o...

Peter A Bell: Carmichael warns SNP: don't aim for Indyref 2 beca...

Peter A Bell: Carmichael warns SNP: don't aim for Indyref 2 beca...: The SNP must stop manoeuvring for a second independence referendum “that implies people were too stupid to get the answer right the first ...

SCOT goes POP!: An incomplete list?

SCOT goes POP!: An incomplete list?: Perhaps to prove to myself that the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup weren't the only chances to see top-class international spor...

Peter A Bell: Battle looms as Brown to stand down

Peter A Bell: Battle looms as Brown to stand down: GORDON Brown is expected to stand down as an MP at the next General Election after 32 years in politics. Peter A Bell 's insight: ...