Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

SNP refuse to rule out 2nd independence referendum




15:49 Sunday 19 April 2015


185 comments



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NICOLA Sturgeon has said she cannot give Ed Miliband a guarantee that there will not be a second independence referendum during the lifetime of the next parliament because such a decision would be taken by the Scottish people.

The First Minister said she was “not planning” for another vote on independence but she did not have the right to categorically rule one out.

Ms Sturgeon was appearing on BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show when she was questioned about a possible deal between Labour and the SNP after the General Election.





She confirmed she would lead any post-election discussions with the Labour leader.


Asked if she could give Mr Miliband a guarantee of no referendum in return for a Westminster deal, Ms Sturgeon said: “I have made very clear that if you vote SNP in this election, that is not a vote for independence, nor is it a vote for another referendum.

“I’m not planning another referendum. Why do I fall short of categorically ruling it out? Because I don’t think as a single politician I have got a right to do that.

“Whether there is another referendum, and whether Scotland becomes independent is not a matter for me to decide. It is a matter for the Scottish people to decide.”

Ms Sturgeon rejected the view that the SNP would attempt to cause disruption at Westminster to further its goal of independence.




She said the party wanted to work for “progressive change” across the UK.

“I think there are many people in Labour’s ranks, including on their backbenches now, and perhaps in future, who would have the same view as me on many of these issues,” she said.

“There is an opportunity to build progressive alliances for progressive policies. It is a real rather than a pretend alternative to austerity.

“I’ve got to persuade people that the SNP in the House of Commons after the election will not be any kind of disruptive force. We want to be constructive, to get better politics coming out of the Westminster system.



“As long as Scotland remains part of the Westminster system, it matters to people that we get good decisions out of that system, and I want the SNP to play a positive part in improving politics at Westminster for people right across the UK.”



comments



Lord Ashcroft ‏@LordAshcroft 47m47 minutes ago
For those who still believe in a Labour overall majority Betfair is at 47/1. Tory overall majority 9/1.



More neverendums will fghk Scotland big time. But I guess SNP will still blame it on the Tories.



The answer to whether or not there will be a 2nd referendum is simple.

If the SNP include a 2nd referendum in their 2016 Holyrood manifest then don't vote for them.

Although then you might have to ask yourself the question which would be worse the Labour Party in power at Holyrood or Scotland having a 2nd referendum?


The wee Scottish labour mouse has turned into the big nasty SNP Lion. Hilarious, way to go Scotland


May 2017
The SNP have been in power for over a year now, and have and are into the first year of the 5-year plan, after a massive majority, in the Scottish elections a year previously.

1) NHS waiting times have been cut to zero
2) Pensions for everybody been have doubled
3) The minimum wage is doubled
4) Scottish oil is declared the best oil in the world
5) A standard rate of 50% tax introduced
6) Free child care for everybody until school age
7) Scotland to become a republic and Salmond elected President for life
8) 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell banned from the school curriculum.


May 2018
1) Scotland bankrupt
2) SNP supporters cry out 'I thought money grew on trees and the social benefits were our god given right'.
3) It's the English fault

Ed Miliband's mansion tax will force more than 120,000 homeowners will have to get their properties revalued at a cost of up to £4,800 each, a new analysis has found.

New research by Savills, the estate agents, homeowners will have to spend a total of £110 million valuing their properties or face fines of thousands of pounds.

The estate agent also said that there will be a significant burden on taxpayers as HMRC will have to foot the £65 million cost of disputing any valuations.

It warned that the cost of valuations and disputes is likely to be greater than the amount raised from homes worth between £2 million and £3 million under the levy.

TOM PETERKIN



published 01:35 Sunday 19 April 2015


72 comments



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THE SNP’s dominance of the opinion polls will lead people to vote tactically against the Nationalists in No-voting areas, a leading Liberal Democrat claimed yesterday.

Sir Malcolm Bruce claimed voters were beginning to realise that Scotland could find itself outside government if it votes overwhelmingly for the SNP next month.

Although polls suggest a large influx of SNP MPs could hold the balance of power, both the Conservatives and Labour have ruled out a formal coalition with them.





David Cameron has ruled out any kind of deal, whereas Ed Miliband has repeatedly left the door open for SNP support on an informal issue-by-issue basis.


Despite opinion polls Nick Clegg’s Lib Dem party still believes it can win enough seats to do business with the Conservatives or Labour.

Bruce said: “I am meeting people who voted Yes, who are not voting for the SNP and feel it’s maybe gone too far and we should move on. Secondly there wasn’t a uniform vote across Scotland, there were very substantial variations.

“Here we are in the nort-east of Scotland, it was overwhelmingly against independence, certainly well over 60 per cent. Therefore you cannot assume that the SNP will actually get enough votes automa-
tically to hold or win seats in the north-east or other parts of Scotland.

“We are finding that people are voting tactically because if you take these polls all the way through, Scotland could effectively put itself out of reach of being part of any government because we have elected nobody of the governing party, whatever it is. That’s not good for Scotland.”



Bruce is standing down as MP for Gordon, the Lib Dem-held seat that Alex Salmond is now favourite to win for the SNP.

In Cabinet minister Danny Alexander’s seat of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, the Lib Dems are writing to Conservative voters in an attempt to keep the SNP out. A Lib Dem letter sent to Conservative-supporting constituents quotes the Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson praising him.

The letter refers to an interview Davidson did on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme when she said: “Fair play to the Liberal Democrats for stepping up . . . some Liberal Democrats like Danny Alexander did very, very well and I’m thankful to them for that.”

The letter signs off: “Remember the Conservatives cannot win this seat. Only Danny can keep the Nationalists out.”



Last night the Conservative candidate for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Edward Mountain said: “I think Desperate Dan is getting more desperate. There doesn’t seem to be much activity from the Labour Party up here, so it looks more and more as if this constituency will be a toss-up between the Conservatives and the Lib Dems over who is going to hold up against the Nationalist vote.’’

Campaigning in Bruce’s old seat with Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon described the SNP as the national party of Scotland. “Polling shows that the SNP has become the national party of Scotland in all senses – leading in the polls across all areas and demographics of Scottish society,” she said. “Distrust in the Westminster establishment parties has grown – the Lib Dems leave a trail of broken promises behind them and Labour and the Tories are signed up to £30 billion spending cuts.”




comments

Should the Scottish people vote overwhelmingly for the SNP, a party which is anti English no matter what they say, or how much they deny it, it will at last prove to my English colleagues that when the chips are down the Scots will never forgive us for Culloden - William Wallace - Buying up all the Scottish Fish - Buying up all the Scottish Meat - and being responsible for everything that goes wrong in Scotland - according to the Scots (nothing changes)

That said, us English will use the next five years building support for an English National Party (ENP) or Parties, by - simply telling the truth about the SNP over and over again - and we will withdraw from the European Union which, if what the SNP says is true, will "encourage" the Scots to withdraw from the UK, which millions of English also want.

This nonsense about how England would suffer if the Scots left the UK is put about by a few self interest individuals - and the weasel words of some English politicians do not represent the majority of the English voter, so keep the dynamic duo of Sturgeon and Salmond demanding independence and at the next referendum the majority of 55 million English will also demand that you 5.4 million Scots go your own way - with your English neighbours very best wishes.. The sooner that happens the sooner we can slam shut the border so that both countries can go their own independent way. The very thought of that will inspire millions South of the Border (the majority) to assist our friendly northern neighbours (a minority) to "keep right on to the end of the road"



'Sir Malcolm Bruce claimed voters were beginning to realise that Scotland could find itself outside government if it votes overwhelmingly for the SNP next month' - Translated : 'Please don't threaten the Gravy-train' that is Westminster - after all, what is British politics without a little sleaze, corruption and fraud' ??



bit of hypocrisy from Malcolm Bruce here.
"Scotland will put itself out of reach because we have not elected anyone from the governing party"
We have one Scottish Tory MP but still got a Tory government that we haven't voted for in over 50 years. It was Mr Bruce and company that gave us the government we didn't vote for by doing a dirty deal with the Tories. And then he tells us we may find ourselves totally disregarded by London politicians


Tom33, read the papers and see what their policies are. One lot has a long term economic plan that isnae everyone's cup of tea but sees a high growth economy, rising employment and low inflation, and tax decreases, and the other lot will have a similar economic plan but will cut less and tax wages and property more, and we'll probably rub along ok. And the third lot are somewhere in between. And then there's your lot who will plant loads of money trees and invest in failed airports, failed wind companies and fail to bring in one single tax increase or decrease that any impartial observer could say was A their own idea, or B supported social justice. Hope this helps.



Did I really hear Business Sec, Vince Cable, criticise the Tory's over Lloyd's shares sale, saying he wouldn't support selling Lloyd's shares off at a discount, to the disadvantage of the tax payer ? ! ? !

POST OFFICE Vince . . . POST OFFICE ! ! !

Of course he's right about the Tory plan, but boy, did he let the Tax Payer down with the shocking undervaluation of the PO !

SNP to set out General Election 2015 manifesto




15:47 Sunday 19 April 2015


30 comments



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THE SNP will launch its General Election manifesto this week, setting out its alternative to austerity and positioning the party as a force for UK-wide change.

It is expected to contain proposals for real-terms spending increases of 0.5% a year, and will commit SNP MPs to participate in votes on major issues south of the border which impact on devolved areas in Scotland such as the NHS.

The manifesto will be unveiled tomorrow in Edinburgh with the party aiming to be in a “decisive position to help deliver a bolder programme than Labour on their own are willing to” after the votes are counted.





The document is expected to include a pledge to back Labour’s promise to reduce English tuition fees from £9,000 to £6,000, and a commitment to back new powers for the energy regulator Ofgem.


SNP depute leader Stewart Hosie told the Scotland on Sunday newspaper: “A strong team of SNP MPs at Westminster would support the reduction of tuition fees for students south of the border, giving more young people the chance to go to university.

“Our preference would be no tuition fees in England either, but we will certainly vote for a reduction.”

Mike Weir, the party’s energy spokesman, told the Sunday Mail: “It’s time that Westminster put consumers first and not the energy companies.

“The SNP will campaign for the energy regulator to have the power to control retail prices and force energy companies to pass on cuts to consumers.”




Opinion polls suggest the SNP will win up to 56 of Scotland’s 59 seats at the General Election, and some members of the party believe it has proved its “complete relevance” to a Westminster election for the first time.

Nicola Sturgeon has set out how the SNP’s MPs can build alliances with anti-Tory MPs in Westminster on many issues, such as the NHS.

She said: “The NHS is so vitally precious to us all - and we rely on it to be there for us when we need it. In government, the SNP has shown wholehearted commitment to protecting and improving Scotland’s NHS - and we have made clear that we are prepared to support a Bill at Westminster to restore the National Health Service in England.

“We can end the Tory agenda of cuts, privatisation and patient charging ... threatening the future of the NHS south of the border, which will also protect Scotland’s budget and NHS.



Over the past five years, we have protected Scottish NHS spending from Westminster austerity. A strong team of SNP MPs in a hung parliament at Westminster can go further, proposing increases in health spending across the UK.

“Our proposals for modest public spending increases of 0.5% support an additional £9.5 billion health spending above inflation by 2020/21 - £24 billion in total. This will deliver a total increase for NHS Scotland of £2 billion.

“The SNP will always vote to keep the NHS in public hands, and the opportunity to take action will benefit people across the UK.”

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy said: “Any party’s manifesto must meet a very basic test of costing their policies. Scottish Labour’s manifesto produced fully costed policies that will bring an end to austerity and make life fairer for working class Scots.

“Now it’s the SNP’s turn. Their key General Election policy is to cut Scotland off from UK-wide taxes, meaning an end to the UK pension and welfare state here.



“Their plans would drop a £40.5 billion bombshell in Scotland’s finances, a bombshell that would only get bigger over time.

“Even people who voted yes will wonder why, having voted to stay in the UK, we would want to cut ourselves off from taxes on wealthy people down south. This is an attempt to win financial independence just months after the Scottish people rejected the idea.”

Liberal Democrat Danny Alexander has called on people to back his party to “keep the economic recovery on track”.

He said full fiscal autonomy would mean a cut of £1 billion to public services in Glasgow alone.

“The SNP’s full fiscal autonomy plans would be felt harshly in Scotland after they cut the ties of pooling and sharing across the UK,” he said.

“Our analysis shows that in Glasgow, local services could face a £1 billion hit to already stretched resources. In the Highlands, this would represent a cut of over £356 million.”


comments

This will be more of a wish list than actual costed out policies. And they know it.



Kezia Dugdale "I'll not take any lessons from the SNP on economics " John Swinney has balanced Scotland's books for seven consecutive years


The latest Government figures on Scotland's economy contain billions in service charges for activities in the rest of the UK. As pointed out by Douglas Fraser, BBC Scotland Business and Economy Editor, this raises a challenge over measuring Scotland's economy.

Despite claiming to present Scotland's financial position, the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland figures include higher costs for defence, debt and administrative services that should not apply to Scotland.

The extra costs for services in the rest of the UK make Scotland's finances appear worse than they actually are by billions of pounds every year. In the last 5 years these sectors cost Scotland £35 billion; yet Scotland did not receive or need £35 billion in services.


Well Mr Hosie , how are the negotiations for Nuclear disarmament going with
Russia , Pakistan , and North Korea etc . They have not returned the phone call .
I see , but we are still getting rid of Trident . This saving of a £100 billion , is going to go one , helluva long way ! Maybe wee Nippy and Eck are going to open a Garden center, selling Money Trees.



Well who would have thought that the SNP where going to have the opportunity not only to bring positive change not only to Scotland but, also to the whole of "our United Kindom"!

On May 8th the SNP will confirm the end of the two party system and head South to clear out the Augean stables!



I see that the unionists among us are out tonight!The posts I've read are if a very low quality indeed!I suppose though that constantly getting bad news in the polls does have a psychological effect and reason goes out the window!This of course is exaggerated if you were unable to reason in the first place.


Item 1: Independence;

Item 2: Er ....

13:42 Sunday 19 April 2015


6 comments



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SCOTLAND’s first official nudist camp is going to be held in a Dumfriesshire forest this summer.

The clothes-free gathering is being organised by the Scottish branch of British Naturism.

The organisation hopes the weekend of luxury camping – featuring hot tubs, tipis and a hog roast – will help to transform its image and dispel images of leaky chalets and rain-lashed volleyball courts.





Anyone going nude outdoors in Scotland runs the risk of being arrested, but the private Marthrown of Mabie campsite will be screened off to provide priv­acy and to spare the blushes of ramblers and cyclists.


Ivan Gill, who has organised the event – which will take place between 21 and 23 August – is confident it will attract younger and more aspirational nudists.

He explained: “We are looking to offer something fresh, different and exciting. That’s why we looked for a venue which would appeal to more people – and younger people in particular.

“This will be our first summer camp in Scotland, but we are keen to establish it as an annual event.”

The 66-year-old stressed that newcomers were welcome. “We are throwing it open to every­one and you don’t have to be a member to come along,” he said.



Pam Hazlehurst, owner of the campsite, which is five miles west of Dumfries, said: “Our site is ideal bec­ause we are right in the middle of the forest.

“But, there are some public footpaths which go past us, so we’re going to take steps to make sure people walking past won’t be surprised or offended.”



Midge feeding time in Dumfriesshire during August!



Forget the papparazi. It will be the paps arazi trying to get to the bottom of things in Dumfriesshire

Is gorgeous pouting Nicola going?

UK judges told to respect Muslim women with veils





AINE FOX



published 00:00 Saturday 18 April 2015


7 comments



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JUDGES must show respect to women who choose to keep their faces covered due to their religious beliefs, the UK’s most senior judge has said.

Lord Neuberger said judges must have “an understanding of different cultural and social habits”, in their bid to show fairness to those involved in trials.

“ People have to represent themselves or not get justice.
Lord Neuberger

Addressing the Criminal Justice Alliance, an umbrella group which campaigns for better justice, the Supreme Court president said: “It is necessary to have some understanding as to how people from different cultural, social, religious or other backgrounds think and behave and how they expect others to behave.





“Well-known examples include how some religions consider it inappropriate to take the oath, how some people consider it rude to look other people in the eye, how some women find it inappropriate to appear in public with their face uncovered, and how some people deem it inappropriate to confront others or to be confronted, for instance with an outright denial.”


Last year, Judge Peter Murphy upheld a ruling allowing Muslim woman Rebekah Dawson to stand trial wearing clothing of her choice, but said she would have to remove her veil, or niqab, if she gave evidence so the jury could see her face.

The 22-year-old waived her right to give evidence in her defence and later admitted witness intimidation, after denying the charge during a seven-day trial.

In a lengthy speech entitled “Fairness in the courts: the best we can do”, Lord Neuberger also said judges and lawyers should always keep in mind how “intimidating” the court process can be for those involved in trials, including “the parties, their families, the victims, the witnesses and the jurors”.

Speaking of Legal Aid cuts, he said the importance of ensuring all parties involved in a case understood the goings-on in a court was now greater because “people are having to choose between representing themselves or not getting justice at all”.




Accepting that judges tended to come from privileged backgrounds, Lord Neuberger also warned of the dangers of allowing oneself to be swayed by one’s subconscious. “A white, male, public-school judge presiding in a trial of an unemployed traveller from Eastern Europe accused of assaulting or robbing a white, female, public-school woman will, I hope, always be unbiased,” he said.

“However, he should always think to himself what his subconscious may be thinking or how it may be causing him to act; and he should always remember how things may look to the defendant, and indeed to the jury and to the public generally.”


comments

It would seem it is not only young people who can be brainwashed by Islam.



Political Correctness gone wrong. The judge should be sacked ans lose his pension. Any person living in the UK must obey our laws. If they (anyone coming to the UK) are not prepared to change to meet Western lifestyles they are in the wrong country. If they are not prepared to think and behave like UK citizens there will never be integration. This has been proved by the failure of multiculturalism.

There is nothing in Islam that forces Muslims to cover their faces. The judge has got it totally wrong and should be ignored.



I don't suppose the Judge will have read he 4 Stages of Islamic Conquest in non-Muslim countries. He needs to. It is the constant chipping away of our legal system in order to impose their own. This is a form of Stealth Jihad.
Body language forms part of deciding if someone is being truthful or not. How can that be gauged if the witness is covered up.
I am fed up with special arrangements being made for those who in a caliphate under sharia law would be considered to only be worth half of the evidence given by a man.
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Quran/010-women-worth-less.htm
I'm afraid our country is marching with increasing speed towards an Islamic caliphate. It's time to wake up.



I wonder at what stage we will stop pandering to people in particular Muslims. If they want to come and live here then fine (in limited, controlled numbers). But they must live by our rules. Simple as that.



Human communication and understanding, what is being communicated, depends heavily on the face and facial expressions and body language The grasp of a language that is not your own, not just sounds but comprehension, is another. take away the former and rely on the latter, the chances of mutual understanding & clarity will become the exception. The permitting of cultural clothing, that inhibits other people, Judges, Court & Police personnel in it'self skews the notion of justice being served. Full face veil is choice Not religious Dogma

So there's been another Ship sunk in the Med full of Migrants , and the EU is going to have a meeting about it . Well you can guess the out come there then , we'll have to take them in . What about these African Nations do they not try to stop them it seems not . The result will be a conveyor belt of these people officially allowed in I suspect . I'm sure Haystack will tell us of some of some signed treaty somewhere that makes us responsible.

i also thought that it was the country of first landfall that had to accept these migrants

It seems Italy gets them , the Pope called for the EU's help at the weekend . I think the report said there were 170,000 last month .

First safe country , what's the first safe country from Syria ?

England.

I wonder what else Cameron would be prepared to sell off.

He appears to be a old man bribing kids with sweets!

--=-=-===


It is good to see that Cameron's wants to disenfranchise the voters of a large part of the UK.

Old Etonian bully boy techniques!

What a bunch of creeps!

Maybe you'd all rather the Italian navy sent gunboats to blow them out of the water?

Who?

The old etonian bully boys, or the Scots?

Led by Captain TANKER. Firing shots from the safety of his Sovereign Shoprider.

If your talking about that stupid publicity seeking woman , then hopefully she has gone a step too far and that is the last we will hear from her.

It's a straight choice between Cameron or Sturgeon.
2517

Send them to Herault and Gard , that's nice and safe

.