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Pop Singer Myleene Klass 'wipes the floor' with Labour leader Ed Miliband over mansion tax, at the top and bottom of society the Labour Party aren't listening to people who put them into power, the Labour Party is imploding because the product is tainted
It seems that Labour leader Ed Miliband isn't looking like a Prime Minister in waiting but more like a dog to kick as you pass it by.
Recently Ed Miliband was dragged over the coals by Myleene Klass, the ex model and Hear'Say singer, she utterly savaged him on TV and wiped the floor that people began tweeting that she should stand for Prime Minister.
To make matter worse, if they can get any worse, he has been mocked for "fewer people in Scotland believing in his leadership than the Loch Ness monster".
The brutal barb happened during exchanges across the dispatch box during fierce exchanges in Prime Minister's questions.
And things don't look too rosy in the Garden from his supporters as there was a failed coup from Labour backbenchers to remove him as Labour leader.
The incident with Mylene Klass on ITV's Agenda is fairly interesting in that people are getting angry with Labour, voters are leaving the party behind to transfer their votes elsewhere to parties such as Ukip.
On top of that Labour members are leaving the party resulting in Labour branches shutting down.
It seems that the Labour Party could be reaching a tipping point where people of the UK think that Labour's time is over.
What does Labour stand for?
This is a question asked by many and few if any can answer, the Labour Party is run by a professional elite straight out of University and College, they don't connect with ordinary people, they don't take their problems on board and their public service ethos is questionable.
The extent that Mylene Klass tore into Miliband's proposal for a levy on properties worth more than £2 million shows how deep the Labour Party's problems are. In Scotland, there is a Labour leadership contest doing on, but that is in the shadow of only 1 in 50 Scots having full trust in Ed Miliband.
Labour is in trouble on both sides of the border, many people I know hope that Labour MP Jim Murphy wins the election to be Scottish leader, but Labour need more than a personality, it isn't simply about having a smart mouth at FMQs which are a joke.
It is about delivering for people who attend the surgeries of MP, MSP and Councillors, it is about rebuilding trust, it is about new vision, fresh talent and a real commitment to public service.
If Jim Murphy wins, he will need to have a cull because the problems go beyond more than image.
Scotland is different post 18th September, it isn't business as usual and if the Labour Party do not adjust to the radical change then; they will start to sink towards the levels of Conservative support; more newer parties will enter the market making a return to power very difficult.
Ed Miliband became the leader of the Labour Party through the Union votes, perhaps it is time that voting is restricted to Labour Party members only. At present rather than being the voice of the people, Ed Miliband is looking like someone who doesn't understand or fails to understand the concerns of people.
Immigration is a problem, his solution is to talk utter rubbish and ignore the ordinary people of the UK, but guess what; they have clicked on to the fact that they can just ignore him and cast their vote elsewhere.
Things for the Labour Party are particularly bad in Scotland, down south you can multiply that problem x 10 and still have room for others.
In 2015, Ed Miliband might not be Prime Minister because he might not have a seat in the House of Commons.
Maybe he should think on that!
Labels: Ed Miliband, Jim Murphy, Labour, Tories, UKIP, westminster
Glock 17 test footage
Labour MSP Neil Findlay is 'closing gap' to be Scottish Labour against Jim Murphy, he says if elected he will campaign against Trident, copying SNP student politics to pander to unpopular Nicola Sturgeon is just risible, guess what Neil, your policies stink
In May 2012, I was at the BBC Big Indy Debate, I have written on this before, during the programme, I got to speak, I said that any credible bid for independence had to have a commitment to Nato and a commitment to retain Faslane as a nuclear submarine base.
The Scottish Labour Party is without a leader since Johann Lamont stepped down, three people have put their names in for members to consider, they are Labour MP Jim Murphy, Neil Findlay and Sarah Boyack.
In reality, it is a two horse race between Murphy and Findlay.
Whoever wins that election cannot simply think that there can be business as usual, the Labour vote has collapsed in Scotland, not only that the Labour Party structures appear to be in need of reform, not just in terms of their practices but also who they allow to run their operations.
Scottish Labour needs a new vision, new direction, new ideas, fresh talent and a cull to turn around their decline. They have reached a tipping point where things could turn extremely bad for them, so it is important who the next leader is.
Neil Findlay who is a Scottish Labour leadership candidate has promised to oppose Trident.
On that basis alone, he is showing he isn't the person to be the leader that Scottish Labour needs in the Holyrood Parliament. Findlay says he would lobby Ed Miliband not to renew Britain's nuclear deterrent if Labour wins the general election.
That would be a complete waste of time, because the Scottish Labour MPs would be under the control of the House of Commons whips, he also says he accepts defence should remain reserved to Westminster.
This is student politics, this is rubbish, this isn't the way forward for Labour in Scotland.
Findlay doesn't get it, his task isn't to woo the party's Left wing by promising to oppose the renewal of Trident; his task is to convince people to come back to voting for the Scottish Labour Party if he wins the contest.
Neil Findlay by admitting that Miliband would have the final say rather doesn't address the real issues for Labour in Scotland, Neil Findlay or Jim Murphy would be the leader in Scotland while Ed Miliband isn't there.
So, the leadership; isn't leadership but rather middle management.
The 'boss' down the road makes the decisions, the Scottish leader in effective does housekeeping, also as everyone knows, Scottish Labour isn't a separate party to the Labour Party.
No one including Ed Miliband is going to devolve control over defence to the Scottish Parliament.
Neil Findlay says he is a contender for the leadership, but, someone should ask him why he is pandering to the nonsense of unpopular Nicola Sturgeon.
Is she going to save your party?
Findlay appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show said the Scottish party should have more autonomy. He says by way of example, that Scottish Parliament should have the power to bring the railways back under public control. He would also like to see the tearing up private finance deals that have funded new roads, schools and hospitals.
Who was it that brought PFI in?
It was the Labour Party, short term thinking to try and make themselves look good, not solving problems but storing up financial disasters which would come back to haunt them in the future.
Jim Murphy's campaign has had to move ground to continue to pledge support for existing measures introduced by the SNP who bought the vote. He is also calling for cross-party talks on funding for elderly people's services, including free personal care, the NHS, pensions and bus passes.
In the early days of her leadership Johann Lamont called for a public debate about the long-term affordability of populist policies such as free prescriptions but she never produced any firm recommendations.
Basically what she needed to say was that there would be no free prescriptions or council tax freezes for rich people, she failed that test and couldn't get motivated to do anything about it.
Part of leadership is to have the answers to problems, so it is highly unlikely that there will be cross party talks on the issues Murphy mentioned, and still no word about Government or local government reform which was pushed onto the back burners because no one has a clue how to turn round the public sector. It is no good taking the railways into the public sector if the talent isn't there to run them properly.
There cannot be a return to the 1970's or 1980's.
The United Kingdom is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, all the main countries such as America, Britain, China, France and Russia, are all nuclear nations. It is highly doubtful any British Government regardless of party politics will put the seat on the Security Council in jeopardy.
Neil Findlay could be the next leader of the Labour Party in Scotland, but so far he looks likely to implode their vote.
It may have escaped his notice, but the Nationalists have campaigned on Trident removal at every Westminster and the public has generally said 'piss off'.
Only an outright idiot would sign up for Trident removal.
Labels: faslane, Jim Murphy, Johann Lamont, Labour, Neil Findlay, nuclear, Sarah Boyack, United Nations
Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond says he could have saved Royal Bank of Scotland from the financial crash, Scottish people and politicians take to Twitter to mock his risible claim, he has been a political failure, now he is a hasbeen
It appears that there is something possibly wrong with the tap water in the residence of Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond.
Although the Scottish National Party is adapt at trying to re-write history to make them look good; sometimes people take the joke too far.
Alex Salmond leaves the office of First Minister as a political failure.
He lost the Scottish independence referendum because he was stupid, ignorant and small minded. Although he and others managed to cover up for several years their failures as Ministers of the Crown, Scotland isn't a better country for it.
Law and Order, Health and Education, the big three are all a shambles. During Salmond's time as First Minister, he was shown to be less than capable of delivering on fairness, equality and social justice for all.
He could argue however, he did deliver that to his clique.
Salmond has become more and more deluded; he claims he could have prevented the Royal Bank of Scotland from collapsing prior to the economic crash. This does beg the question, given his position in politics, the head of a political party which does continual research on economic, how did they all miss it?
Could Salmond have prevented the economic crash?
Hardly, he was writing to Fred Goodwin urging him to press ahead with the disastrous ABN Amro takeover.
It is a bit like urging someone to pour more petrol on the fire which is out of control; RBS dug themselves a hole, and thought they could keep digging to get them out the other side.
For Alex Salmond to claim he could have saved the Royal Bank of Scotland if he had remained working there is utter nonsense, he had a job for a while as one of the bank's oil economists. He has suggested he could have stopped RBS pursuing the high-risk expansionist business model, and we are to believe the executives would have bought into this and thereby stopped themselves pocketing massive bonuses as they played out their paper game.
When things finally went tits up, the bank had to have a £46 billion bail-out by the UK taxpayer, if Scotland had been independent, the bank couldn't have been saved. This idea that Salmond has that he is a mastermind is pathetic, he is opportunist, his track record of political failure is by his own hand, he also benefited by the stupidity of others in this case the Labour Party who failed to deliver for the people of Scotland coupled with the Westminster expenses scandal, this effectively done them in.
As he leaves office on Wednesday, Salmond wants to paint himself as new broom for his possible future Westminster return; to that end he is giving a series of tabloid interviews.
In true small man fashion, he accused the BBC of helping the Unionists win the independence referendum. Grudge, grievance and malcontent pours out of him like an open sewer, the people of Scotland killed off Salmond's referendum idea, his and the SNP's vision was rejected.
The BBC gave the SNP an easy ride in interview after interview.
His delusion on refusing to accept that the risks to the economy and the pound shows he was never in a position to deliver independence, he dug his political grave by lying and deception.
Opposition parties have since accused him of a "ludicrous attempt to rewrite history", especially homing in on the RBS bid and the letter Salmond wrote to Fred Goodwin in 2007.
At the time, he said:
"It is in Scottish interests for RBS to be successful and I would like to offer any assistance my office can provide. Good luck with the bid."
While people were sensing something was going wrong economically and calling for tougher regulations, it was the same year Salmond took the opposite view and called for lighter regulation of the banking and financial services sectors.
The UK has been said by people such as Max Keiser of the Keiser Report to be the centre for fraud in the Western world.
And I doubt many could agree with that sentiment.
Jackson Carlaw, the Scottish Conservative deputy leader, said:
"It is to the world's regret that this view he could have been the saviour of RBS didn't come to mind when he wrote the infamous 'gain yersel' letter to Fred Goodwin. It goes without saying that the First Minister has an ego, but this latest claim is absolutely staggering and utterly risible."
Willie Rennie, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, added:
"Alex Salmond's ludicrous attempt to rewrite history over his support of RBS' exploits is dealt a fatal blow by his own pen."
As news of Salmond's attempt to re-write history unfolded, people took to twitter to rip the utter pish out of him, mockery and derision pour out on Twitter, with Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, saying:
"If he was on Apollo 13 they'd have landed on the moon."
Since he didn't land on the moon, it now appears he is howling at the moon, what a piece of luck for unpopular Nicola Sturgeon having such a loose cannon making rather stupid statements.
On twitter, I noted he couldn't save the right to a fair trial in a government that he personally controlled, so the idea he could save a bank from collapse is risible.
I think the expression…. 'Bam' has real currency here.
Labels: Alex Salmond, Fred Goodwin, Holyrood, Jackson Carlaw, Lib Dems, Nicola Sturgeon, RBS, Ruth Davidson, Scottish Government, SNP, Tories, willie Rennie
Open letter to Nicola Sturgeon, you think you can issue demands and be a 'kingmaker' in Westminster politics, Labour leader Ed Miliband won't be calling you for help to get into Number 10, he can't afford to associate with a crank who wants to abandon Trident
Dear Nicola
As Scotland's new unpopular Nationalist leader you think you are going to be a 'kingmaker' in the 2015 Westminster General election.
That is so funny to be worthy of comment, not yet First Minister and already the nonsense spews out of your mouth like vomit.
In what can only be described as a bizarre intervention, you say you will put Ed Miliband in No 10 if he abandons austerity measures and removes Britain's nuclear arsenal from Scottish waters.
No, you won't, at best you have seen the Unionist camp experience difficulties, but things are going to be changing politically in Scotland.
Better Together may have closed, but new groups have decided to spring up with the objective of getting the best candidates in an area into political office.
The Scottish Nationalists can demand Ed Miliband scraps Britain's nuclear base in Scotland, but you will not get it, you will not even get a serious meeting around the table.
In 2010, the former fool to hold the office of SNP leader said, that he would put 20 MPs into Westminster and hold the balance of power, but when it came right down to it, no one was mental; enough to vote SNP.
The SNP don't do big internal politics but you are too stupid, too petty and too student union.
As to abandoning the deficit reduction programme, that isn't likely either, as the incoming government will work through the previous government spending plans until they get into a position to tinker, and that's what is in store, tinkering.
We are looking at a coalition government, because of the rise of Ukip who down south at least have the prospect of gaining seats.
There is no deal to be done with the SNP.
A Nuclear United Kingdom means we keep our permanent seat on the Security Council.
In a rewriting of history, you say you won't do a deal with the Conservatives in the event of a hung Parliament.
The SNP did deals all the way through the minority 2007 SNP Government to get budgets through.
You are just an unsophisticated hypocrite with a small town mentality devoid of being able to look at the bigger picture. Given the SNP got it spectacularly wrong on the EU which was fairly straight forward, the concept you have an idea of how the defence of the realm is achieved is bizarre.
After all you have Englishman Angus Robertson as defence spokesman …. what a poor joke.
People in Scotland rejected independence in a referendum less than two months ago, and they have no option but to reject you again for Westminster.
I notice that my point of lack of talent in the SNP seems to have struck a chord as you are having to import people as candidates, and guess what when I heard, my first thought was it would be candidates from the two minorities you closely associate with.
Time for a quote:
"if you are white working class and heterosexual you are shit out of luck dealing with the Sturgeon Empire".
But the opening up of candidacies to non SNP members isn't as open as it appears is it?
Jeane Freeman.
Will you have a few white working class and heterosexuals sprinkled around to create the illusion of diversity and equality? Carefully selected to be much like the sheep that sit behind you in Holyrood unable to generate any ideas or produce vision, content to rake in the salary and expenses. Getting the cronies in is about the extent of your vision as you seek the defence of buffers to hold onto power.
Also, I laughed at how you have betrayed your SNP members who have worked hard to have the chance to stand for public office, but as you know Nicola, you are a rat, and rats have no loyalty.
Stay away from big ideas about scrapping Trident; your time has passed even before it has begun.
Labels: Alex Salmond, Angus Robertson, Ed Miliband, Labour, Nicola Sturgeon, SNP, United Nations
FMQs: Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond racks up his 215 FMQs appearance, he leaves office as a failure howling at the moon about how shipbuilding jobs loss would be "betrayal" of Scotland, the numb nut isn't bright enough to understand the orders are coming, they have been promised
Did you notice the historic event which has happened today?
Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond did his last FMQs.
Did you notice that Scotland stopped?
Did you notice any tears in the streets?
Anyone saying don't go?
Protests?
Support groups?
No one in Scotland cared about Alex Salmond leaving his post, so much for his popularity; it's fickle is it not!
As per usual, Salmond used his last FMQs to try and be a statesman, he isn't, as expected the SNP clique were full of praise for their 'hero' as he fades away.
What will remain however is his legacy of failure and the memory of his love of 5 star hotels.
Alex Salmond has written to David Cameron demanding assurances over the future of thousands of Scottish shipbuilding jobs.
In an independent Scotland, they wouldn't be a shipbuilding industry, how many jobs did unpopular Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney when they did their Govan mercy mission when BAE wanted to shed 835 jobs?
They saved zero!
The British MoD will be placing warship orders within the UK, that's Scotland to you and me, they have to consider the bigger picture; the idea of the order going to France is nonsense. If Cameron did this, his reputation would be mud.
And it would lose him the election….. trust must be maintained.
If Salmond is good at anything it is homing in on the gullible for votes, so he used the shipbuilding story to get in "betrayal" of referendum promises. This is because of what Admiral George Zambellas, the First Sea Lord, said yesterday the deal could go to France.
Zimbellas maybe an Admiral but he gets no final say, not even a hearing.
UK Ministers indicated that the deal to build 13 Type 26 frigates would be go to BAe on the Clyde in the event of a referendum No vote. That is the bottom line, the issue isn't worth exploring further unless they change their mind, and they won't because they can't.
Salmond told MSPs the remarks:
"These remarks (by Zembella) are deeply troubling. They come not from some functionary in the Ministry of Defence, but the head of the Navy and this Parliament will ensure that the commitments and promises that have been made are honoured to the Clyde workers."
These remarks by Salmond are also deeply troubling because they highlight how stupid and ignorant he is on military procurement and the wider political picture.
Alex Salmond is no Staesman, because a statesman would know a done deal when they saw it.
Tory leader Ruth Davidson said:
"Admirals don't awards contract, the MoD awards contracts."
And they only do so because the Cabinet has already made the decision for them, they do the paperwork.
The thinking bit has been done elsewhere.
In his last appearance, the chamber wasn't all big hugs and kisses as Labour MSP Jackie Baillie had a go at him.
"We know the First Minister was passionate about independence. The tragedy is that he was so blinkered by that passion that Government actions to tackle poverty, reduce inequality and deliver social justice were pushed into second place.
Bailiee added:
"His legacy as First Minister will be his failure to use the powers at his disposal to make Scotland a better place."
His last appearance done, his shift completed, there is little else to say but his career ends in failure.
Well done Alex Salmond, you will be a legend on toilet walls!
EU court rules 'benefit tourists' can be excluded from welfare schemes in a landmark ruling, the case highlights the problem of not having an internal EU immigration policy through-out Europe, time the EU politicians 'grasped the nettle' of reforming the organisation in a meaningful way
Just as 2014 had all eyes in the UK fixated on the Scottish independence referendum, 2015 is shaping up to be firmly focused on the EU despite it being a Westminster election.
What has focused the agenda this way?
The rise of Ukip led by Nigel Farage, the party has tapped into a strong undercurrent of discontent that ordinary people across feel because of the way they have been treated. Previous decisions made by the mainstream parties in the past have come home to roost, it isn't just voters who are deserting them; their rank and file members are feeling they have no common cause to continue their support. If you can't get heard in your party, what is the point of continually supporting it or even voting for it?
Ukip is expected to do well in England. Already Douglas Carswell's re-election has caused the mainstream political parties to rethink their previously entrenched positions. The Labour Party due to its problems hasn't signed up for a referendum on the European Question of should we remain as part of the EU.
There is a strong case for leaving the EU.
Equally, a strong case could be made to stay in and reform the organisation, the real trouble is that this has never happened properly despite several treaties by member states. At present there are 28 members of the European Union, much has changed since the early days of the EU when the focus was on better trading ties with the club.
Over the years we have seen good things come out of the EU such as the European Court of Justice and the judgements made on Human Rights have benefited people in Britain. The real trouble with human rights is the law, but the people who put their interpretation on it which has rendered in some cases bizarre judgements. Law in itself is very interesting as a topic because it touches on other policies and how they are enacted or curtailed.
On the issue of immigration, the EU policy is free movement of Labour.
It means if I wished to go work in Poland and there was a job for me, I could just up sticks and potter off to live there. By the same token if someone from Germany wished to come and teach at Glasgow University and was offered a position, they too could come over and setup a new life.
The reality of the EU policy of free movement of Labour has gone wrong; it isn't free movement of Labour but in effect just free movement. Sometime ago, I wrote about my idea for an internal EU immigration policy which in my mind was sorely needed to address this problem. Although the UK Government is trying to put in measures, the solution needs to be an EU wide solution and not just a British response to a domestic crisis. This should have been sorted out in a proactive rather than reactive manner which we now find ourselves in.
The UK has been in the EU for circa 40 years, that is a long time to be a member, but the direction of travel hasn't always been on the right road. Nation states need to be able to exercise their sovereignty more than they have been able to do so, un-hampered by Brussels. That doesn't mean decisions should be green lit by a Nation just on the basis of dislike or to get a government out of a local difficulty, the rules should be based on fairness. I have always believed that an internal EU immigration policy was always the way to go, rather than things being done piecemeal by legal judgments and verdicts.
Under my idea, each EU country would set criteria for people from other EU states who wished to live there; this would be done by the host country in conjunction with the EU. This would mean each Nation state sets a criteria which would apply to everyone from outside that country who is an EU citizen, it would mean that the same rules would apply to a German, a Frenchman, a Polish man or a Romanian if they wanted to live in there.
An EU court has ruled what is termed benefit tourists can be excluded from welfare schemes. It seems to me that rather than this situation of piecemeal which is a running sore and source of annoyance which doesn't satisfy anyone, they would be better adopting my idea right across the entire EU.
Anyway, the European Court of Justice has declared EU member states must have 'the possibility of refusing' social benefits to 'economically inactive' EU citizens. This is the start of a recognition that free movement of Labour must not now been seen as purely just free movement. We aren't anywhere near an internal EU immigration policy because there isn't the political will for it, especially by the German leader Angela Merkel who is said to be opposed any restriction to the current setup.
Now, Britain can ban European Union migrants from claiming "special non-contributory cash benefits" for up to five years, this is a landmark judgement in Luxembourg. In many ways it is long overdue but doesn't fix the problem but it is certainly moved the ground a little.
The EU courts have ruled that it is up to the member states' own Government, not Brussels, as to how it will draft the appropriate legislation that that excludes foreign, European nationals from claiming social assistance benefits. If you look at this in isolation, you would be tempted to think it is unfair as a first reaction, but there is a wider picture to consider were the rules have been abused by people who aren't residents dubbed benefit tourists, in some cases they claim for their children, who aren't even in the country.
That is entirely wrong, it is an abuse of the system and it should be stopped.
The landmark ruling has other implications such as allowing countries to assert their national sovereignty over out-of-work welfare benefits. Importantly, the European Court of Justice has stopped unemployed migrants from using human rights legislation to appeal against measures blocking them from benefits.
Although, this is legal, I feel the way this has been gone about doesn't sit well, because the entire situation is in need of reform, and I keep coming back to it being an EU wide solution. Ironically, this test case was brought to the Court from Germany; it confirmed that governments can treat European jobseekers differently from their own nationals. The case involved two Romanian nationals, Elisabeta Dano and her son Florin, who were refused benefits in Leipzig because she "did not enter Germany in order to seek work there".
She and her son have been residing in Germany since November 2010.
The Court said:
"One of the conditions for a right of residence is that economically inactive persons must have sufficient resources of their own."
A Germany internal EU immigration policy it appears. If you google on my previous posts and comments elsewhere, you will find I also stated a criteria need to be set along those lines regarding funds and other relevant issues relating to employment. I used an analogy previously regarding the people wanting to study medicine, if a person was rejected after applying because they had no qualifications, it won't be discrimination or an injustice, it would simply be that they didn't fulfil the criteria, the person may not like it but that didn't stop them in the past preparing to make their transitional move.
And at the same time, they would have no recourse to EU human rights laws because there isn't unfairness attached to the ruling. This is the bit that is a problem for some people, in general people should have access to justice, but justice cannot and shouldn't be used to patch over political holes in the dyke.
"The directive on free movement of EU citizens and the regulation on the coordination of social security systems do not preclude domestic legislation which excludes nationals of other member states from entitlement to certain 'special non-contributory cash benefits', although they are granted to nationals of the host member state who are in the same situation.".
The European Commission has welcomed the judgment as bringing "more clarity" to the rules on EU free movement.
It gives a temporary fix which doesn't address certain wider issues that need to be debated. And that is another of the systematic problems; politicians don't want to debate this openly because of the nature of the topic.
So it is left to the Courts to decide matters.
Whereas people are willing to shout 'racist' for political advantage, when judgment comes via the Court, they can't exercise their brand of political fascism to exploit a situation for votes.
But really there should be the political will by politicians on this matter.
Unsurprisingly there has been a lot of failure to lead. We elect politicians because we realise we can't have the political will of mob enacted, politicians are supposed to the safeguard of reasoned judgement, abandoned in pursuit of their own political personal agendas.
2015, although a Westminster election is probably going to be dominated by the EU, Ukip should improve their situation, but they could do more by adopting a reformist platform to run alongside their desire for an in/out referendum rather than leave others to do the spade work. This landmark judgment actually works very well for Ukip because it gives in some way recognition of their stance that a problem exists, it also helps the Conservatives to a degree but it does nothing for the Labour Party.
Labour need to adopt the idea of an internal EU immigration policy….. but won't!
Labour leader Ed Miliband says he is the descendent of immigrants, fair enough; his problem is getting the ingenious population to vote for him.
He keeps saying, 'I am on your side'!
According to the polls, people don't seem to believe that statement which could be a real problem for him.
Labels: Angela Merkel, Douglas Carswell, Ed Miliband, EU, Germany, human rights, Labour, Law, Nigel Farage, UKIP, westminster
'What's that got to do with the price of fish': Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond says the SNP should lead British delegation at EU talks in Brussels regarding fishing, Salmond's bungled attempt at SNP self promotion died very quickly, like a fish out of water!
One of the most high profiles flaws in the Scottish independence campaign by the leadership of the Scottish National Party was lying to the public.
In May 2012, I was at the BBC Big Debate hosted by Isobel Fraser, during the show, Ruth Davidson, the Tory letter whipped out the 'letter of destiny'.
The 'letter of destiny' showed that the SNP had never been in contact with the EU regarding membership as a government or as an opposition. Another lie used was that Scotland would have automatic membership without having to apply as a new member state. The SNP fostered that lie which led to the gullible being sucked into believing it as truth.
Scotland's unpopular Deputy First Minster Nicola Sturgeon as far back as the 11th December 2007 said when asked about automatic membership:
"It is the clear view of the Scottish National Party and the Scottish Government that Scotland would automatically be a member of the European Union upon independence. There is legal opinion to back that up. I don't think the legal opinion is in any doubt.."
The only trouble with that is that the Scottish Government had never sought a legal opinion.
Sturgeon was also asked were a renegotiation would be needed, she said:
All of that nonsense came crashing down like a ton of bricks around their ears; the SNP leadership was continually exposed as lie after lie was outed!
In the dying days of Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond's time as First Minster, he has decided to have another crack at the EU, this time he has described the decision to send a Conservative peer to represent Scotland's fishermen at European Union (EU) talks as "absurd".
Although the fishing fleet is mostly based in Scotland, this is a UK matter, and as we have seen, the SNP aren't 'team players'. It is therefore entirely understandable that Prime Minster David Cameron decided to send someone else in place of UK Environment Secretary Liz Truss who was unable to attend.
The SNP had wanted to send its Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead who is nobody; but nobody who nobody takes an interest in. Instead Cameron has opted for Lord De Mauley.
https://www.gov.uk/government/people/lord-de-mauley
Mr Lochhead told the BBC he had to brief Lord de Mauley on the issues but would not be allowed to actually take part in the meeting himself.
"I think that is a bit of a snub for Scotland and a slap in the face."
Only a snub for the SNP and only a slap in the face for Lochhead!
Lochhead like the rest of the SNP doesn't represent Scotland.
One can only assume that the SNP wanted Lochead to attend to further their ambitions that the EU recognise Scotland as de facto member state in waiting.
But let's get real; what has that do with the price of fish?
In a last gasp attempt to prove he carries some weight, Scotland's 'jolly fat man' has written two letters to David Cameron following the confirmation that the peer will represent the UK at the Agriculture and Fisheries (Agrifish) Council meeting.
The talks will focus on quotas for deep sea stocks, which affect fisherman in Scotland where the majority of the UK's fishing industry takes place.
If Lochhead is really interested perhaps he can hang about outside the venue and pick up some information.
Finally Salmond said in his letter:
""Richard Lochhead will be in Brussels for the council meeting and remains ready to take on leadership of the delegation in the fisheries talks and only for the fisheries talks".
Leadership!
Salmond the tail doesn't wag the dog!
"Your Government has already demonstrated why it cannot be relied upon in EU negotiations. I again ask you to redeem your previous undertakings on an area of key importance to Scotland."
Is that the same as the SNP lying to the Scottish public Salmond on the EU?
Alex Salmond certainly got put in his "plaice"..... boom boom!
Labels: Alex Salmond, David Cameron, EU, Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Government, SNP, Tories, westminster
As Britain honours War Dead on Remembrance Day, we see their contribution belittled by the staff of The Royal British Legion Scotland who thought wrongly it was acceptable to change their name to 'Legion Scotland', an utter disgrace to servicemen and women past and present
Sometimes organisations change their name, in the case of the Glasgow Herald, it was changed to Herald Scotland in order to boost its sales.
In the case of the Police due to the restructuring, it was changed to Police Scotland. In general, some organisations benefit from a name change, the Herald did it to boost sales as I pointed out; the Police did it because of the mergers of 8 forces into a single body.
You can see the argument for this; that said, there is no argument which stands up regarding Legion Scotland being changed from what it was previously known as The Royal British Legion Scotland.
The Royal British Legion Scotland has undergone an extraordinary ill judged change; this new name change doesn't reflect and shouldn't reflect the new political situation of post 18th September. I was formerly a member of the British Armed Forces; I have fond memories of that time, the people I met and things which were taught to me.
Whoever it was who had the idea for Legion Scotland has no understanding of the anger that has been caused, and the name change should be reversed as quickly as possible!
Social media sites have been rather savage and right full of criticism of the move. This has led to the newly branded body suspended or "disabled, all comments and reviews on its website.
Unsurprisingly, it is said that Legion Scotland had comments banned on its website, "during this period of remembrance, out of respect for those people who have given their lives for our country, due to their negative and abusive nature".
I thought it was to do with silencing free speech.
You would think that an organisation such as the Royal British Legion Scotland would cherish their links with both the Royal family and Britain given the tremendous amount of work that the Royals do on supporting service charities.
The "official reason" for the change is explained as being an attempt to differentiate the Scottish veterans' organisation from The Royal British Legion group of charities, which are completely separate from the charity that is active in Scotland.
I would like to venture an opinion regarding that statement….utter rubbish.
I would also note that despite the new political situation in Scotland at present, we should remember a few details. Firstly Scotland is still part of the UK, secondly, the Nationalists lost the referendum; thirdly their support for the British Armed Forces is at best lukewarm.
If you care to do the research, you can discovery some other interesting things about the Nationalist cause, for example, some prominent Nationalists supported the Nazis during World War 2. Fast forward to the present day and you would find people in the Nationalist ranks which I previously dubbed the 'Sein Fein lite' brigade who aren't Nationalists at all but use the SNP to spread their brand of anti British hatred which stems from Irish republicanism.
This begs the question, are Legion Scotland pandering to these people?
Also, if they are this is the equivalent of spitting in the faces of Scottish servicemen and women who did military service and put their lives on the line in the defence of democracy, some people paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy today.
Legion Scotland has soiled their memory.
I would personally remove the individual or individuals who did this name change, some things change, but others aren't open to change at all; they are a statement of our values, our history and our beliefs.
I found this quote which sums what I believe many people who look at this know:
"Who we are, is who we were".
As I understand it, Scotland's 'jolly fat man' currently the soon to be ex First Minister of Scotland is said to be wearing a poppy in conjunction with a Saltire. This reminds me of the 'Scolympians' nonsense, when Salmond and the entire SNP Cabinet sent good wishes only to the Scots who were in Team Great Britain during the Olympics. That episode was a PR shambles because Salmond couldn't bring himself to wish the entire Team GB good luck.
My view on Alex Salmond is that he is a petty little stupid man in every sense of the word, and someone really should have a go at him with gloves off politically to show him up for what he is on TV.
My suggestion to those responsible for Legion Scotland to go setup a Nationalist Scottish version and remove themselves from The Royal British Legion Scotland as soon as possible.
In what must be the weakest defence of their extraordinary ill judged move, they said:
"Royal British Legion Scotland is still our legal name, and one of which we are very proud and we do all that we can to help all Scottish ex-service personnel and those with a Scottish connection."
So proud, that their name change completely writes out 'Royal' and 'British', it rather gives the impression of crawling to the Nationalists whose supporters don't support them anyway.
Finally, it said that the staff at "Legion Scotland" are fed up explaining themselves, they said:
"We have answered the query surrounding the name 'Legion Scotland' on our website. However if anyone has any further questions we suggest that you get in touch using the contact form on our website or by letter. Unfortunately due to this being a very busy time for the charity it may take a week or so to respond to your query."
Perhaps it is time to talk about the removal of those responsible as soon as possible so that they can find more suitable employment working in a less historic place such as Poundland or Tesco.
That way they can play at rebranding exercises to their hearts content!
It's a disgrace, but not a word from the Nationalist leadership because they really don't give a hoot about British servicemen and women unless it is about troop displacement supporting the local economy in Scotland.
That is the extent of their patriotism.
Labels: Royal British Legion
Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond is taken to task over his 'shameful' education record, fewer teachers, fewer places for students and 3,000 fewer children from deprived communities in higher education, Nationalists 'pull the ladder' up to deny the poor life chances, 'standing up for Scotland' is just bullshit
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know I have certain themes which I have touched on through-out the years. I spent 20 years at Glasgow University, during that time; I was involved in various activities which allowed me to see how education operated. I even spent time as a part time student and also as a teacher at Glasgow University. Truth be told, I was a better teacher than most people who earned a coin doing so.
One of the self evident truths is that Scotland is a corrupt country, in the field of education which is trumped as getting in on the basis of ability that is clearly bullshit. Ordinary working class students struggle to get into higher and further education. Since Scotland's 'jolly fat man' Alex Salmond of 'standing up for Scotland' fame took office, there are 4,000 fewer teachers, 140,000 fewer people at college and 3,000 fewer children from deprived communities in higher education.
For working class people, the route out of deprived communities is by way of the college system, not universities. The Scottish National Party, the so called party of fairness, equality and social justice has effectively closed that down.
It is a relatively simple concept to understand, the Scottish National Party is effectively 'pulling the ladder up', by doing so they are trapping generations of working class people to a lifetime of no opportunities. What the SNP should have done is split the Scottish Funding Council into two separate bodies, Scottish Funding Council (universities) and Scottish Funding Council (colleges). The university sector would be slimmed down, the college sector expanded and the introduction of new communities colleges which would take place in appropriate schools in order to teach some subjects currently covered by the normal college sector. Community colleges would be run by councils, funding streams would be provided by different bodies.
Alex Salmond and the Scottish National Party Government had 7 years to turn around failing schools, discrimination in education and cut class sizes. The tale of the tape is that Salmond's legacy of the smiling 'jolly fat man' who is your 'friend' is entirely a sham; his record in education is as stated by others 'shameful'. Like in the Justice Department, Salmond appointed another one of his friends to be education minister; the name of that crony is Mike Russell. Russell in common with MacAskill is in need of permanent removal from Ministerial Office, for him, its one big joke, for the children, it's a lack of achievement which they will carry through-out their lives. Opportunities curtailed by the party which laughingly claims to stand up for Scots, except they don't.
As the Scottish Labour Party is without a leader at present, Labour in the form of MSP Jackie Baillie took to the field to tell the First Minister to take his Education Minister with him when he steps down later this month. As to the Tory demands to take schools out of local authority control, I don't agree with this, if the SNP can't do the job at present, how is increasing their workload going to make matters better?
Jackie Baillie used First Minister's Questions to call for the removal of Mike Russell after asking whether the number of teachers, people attending college and youngsters from poor backgrounds attending university had increased or fallen since 2007.
As is typical, Salmond treated the parliament with contempt as he refused to answer the questions, this prompted Baillie to rattle out a few home truths, 4,000 fewer teachers, 140,000 fewer people at college and 3,000 fewer children from deprived communities in higher education.
The Scottish National Party has no interest in helping people who are working class, maybe the deluded 45% 90 minutes Nationalist rent a mob should stop and question why majority of Scots are fairing so badly!
7 years of government and things are getting worse.
As to the Tory demand, Salmond rejected taking schools out of local authority control after the Tories challenged him over an article by Keir Bloomer. He is one of the architects of the new curriculum, which has gone down like a lead balloon due to being rushed through by Mike Russell's department, because as we know, no one has anytime to do their job properly because it is all about independence.
Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, said Mr Bloomer had warned Scotland's schools were doing "significantly worse" in reading, maths and science. We aren't any better now in 2014 than we were in 2000.
But the real kicker of the epic failure to deliver; is that an official report published this week found only 3.9 per cent of pupils in the poorest areas get three A grades in their Higher exams compared with 24.2 per cent in the wealthiest communities. One of the things I have written about in the past also highlighted by the Bloomer report is that universities are making only very small improvements in recruiting poor students. They try to pass this off by saying their efforts were hampered by "low levels of school attainment".
In one year, I think the University of St Andrews admitted somewhere in the region of 13 people from the poorest background as students, I don't know about you, but I call that bullshit!
Baillie told MSPs:
"The truth is there are fewer teachers giving our children the education they need, there are fewer college places for people trying to get on in life and the poorest people are less likely to go on to university under this SNP Government. He (Salmond) should be ashamed. Isn't it the case that when the First Minister leaves Bute House for the last time he should perhaps consider taking the Education Secretary with him?"
The next words out of her mouth should have been to say 'community colleges' to help students attain better grades.
On the stripping of colleges, the number of people attending college has dropped from 379,223 to 238,805. This was a deliberate cut by the SNP on the further education budget of £67 million which was done to maintain spending on universities.
So, working class Scots are losing out as universities which are mini fiefdoms setup satellites in foreign countries to act as a 'cash cow', while at home, the universities increase the number of foreign students which isn't a new thing by any means if you are willing to take the time and do the research of the various universities Court minutes.
The poor working class Scots pushed out to make way for rich students; and the kicker on that is that the majority of working class people in this country are the ones funding higher education which their children are finding it increasingly difficult to access.
The number of children from the 40 per cent most deprived communities who attend university has dropped from 21,851 to 18,702 between the 2009/10 and 2012/13 academic years.
The Scottish National Party 'standing up for Scotland', the only question is who's Scotland?
To show the case for urgent reform, the Tories this week published a book of articles, mostly by politically impartial authors. The main problem of the Tories position in the past that their view that tuition fees should be introduced, effectively copying England. Scots are unwilling to accept this, but there should be a debate on why the poorest in society are subsidising the rich from well off backgrounds while being denied an equal and fair chance.
Ruth Davidson highlighted Bloomer's warning that SNP ministers' have a penchant for "self-congratulation". This is true, if someone in the party does something minor, and they are part of the clique, they seem to get heralded as a visionary when in fact their contribution is minimal at best.
Case in point, the 5 pence on a plastic bag passed by the Scottish parliament!
The SNP like to cast up about the 'wealth of talent' in Scotland and hark back to Scottish scientists who changed the world such as James Watt and John Logie Baird, but we should remember that there is no one of that calibre in the Scottish National Party.
As to unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, the so called 'social justice campaigner' and graduated lawyer, well she is no Professor Charles Kingsfield (that's the name of the Harvard Lawyer Professor in the book, movie and TV series called 'The Paper Chase'. There is no gravitas surrounding Ms. Sturgeon, quite the opposite I would suggest, she didn't leave Glasgow University to be a high flying lawyer sought after by the top law companies around the World.
She ended up in Drumchapel law Centre!
While she bravely fought the good fight shuffling paper in the 'drum', I was teaching at Glasgow University.
And I was brilliant!
Which is why I was able to come up with the idea for the Scottish National Police Force and National Fire Service, Ms. Sturgeon has come up with fake hair colour…… off the top of her head.
Labels: Alex Salmond, higher education, Jackie Baillie, Labour, Mike Russell, Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Government, SNP
'Meet the Peasants' Tour: Scotland's unpopular First Minister in waiting Nicola Sturgeon says "I'll be an accessible leader", Sturgeon to tour Scotland hoping desperately that she can connect with Scotland and they will come listen and speak to her, oh Nicola…. you just aren't that popular!
Scotland's unpopular Deputy First Minster Nicola Sturgeon is said to be going to pledge to be Scotland's most accessible First Minister.
It means that she plans to have Facebook Q&As.
Here are two questions that unpopular Nicola Sturgeon won't answer, why the Scottish National Party break the law regarding my data subject access request and who is the person responsible?
As well as the Facebook farce, Sturgeon is going to have regular town hall meetings, which are meaningless as who is going to take a personal complaint to be aired in front of the public.
No one and there also won't be an opportunity for a private meeting either.
As to taking the Scottish Government Cabinet to locations outside of Edinburgh every two months, that is more bullshit and is also meaningless, are they really going to discuss government business or just put on a show?
I would suggest they are just going to put on a show, it would be like going to the zoo, you can look at the animals in an artificial environment but it doesn't mean you can interact with them.
This nonsense proposed will also run alongside existing summer Cabinet visits, Salmond used this gag on meeting in Church Halls, while behind the scenes the public were unaware he was parking his arse in £2,900 a night hotels.
If Sturgeon is so 'popular' as the SNP like to claim why is she trying to build up her profile?
As to meeting Holyrood's committee conveners on a regular basis to answer questions on the Government's record and plans.
Again this is meaningless, doesn't change anything.
"For too long the conversation between politicians and the public has been reduced to 30-second soundbites and stage-managed public appearances. The referendum campaign changed all that, bringing citizens and politicians closer together than at any previous time in our nation's history".
Shite!
"That might not always be comfortable, but it's exactly as it should be in a healthy democracy. And this level of accessibility and direct contact is perfectly possible in a nation of five million people and should be the standard all of the time - not just during such a high-level event as a referendum campaign".
Asking a question is one thing, getting the right answer or the truth is something completely different.
"We live in a very different world from when the Scottish Parliament was reconvened in 1999, with modern methods of communication which can and should be employed to invigorate our democracy - in addition to the more traditional forms of engagement which came into their own in the Yes campaign".
I think people have seen the modern methods of communication via the hate campaign of the Nationalist community during the Scottish referendum.
Sturgeon in delusion mode further stated:
"I am determined to lead an outward-looking Government, which is open and accessible to members of the public, ensuring that the SNP remain close to all the people we serve, regardless of how they vote."
Type in to google 'SNP Vote Rigging' Sturgeon, the SNP is a regional backward looking party run as a clique for a select few.
Sturgeon was the only candidate for the SNP leadership, is she the best candidate for the job?
Unpopular Nicola Sturgeon as much as Alex Salmond lost the Scottish independence referendum too wee too poor and too stupid mentally.
Time for a quote which rather sums my opinion on this craving for popularity of such a dislikeable woman:
If I was Nicola Sturgeon, I would cancel the 'meet the peasants' tour, when I was at Pollok SNP social events that she attended, she couldn't wait to get the 'hell out of dodge' after she did her speech.
Labels: Alex Salmond, Holyrood, Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Government, SNP
Fake Nationalist outrage explodes as Police investigate the burning of Alex Salmond bonfire effigy on Guy Fawkes Night, as you can see by the picture, a lot of work was put in to capture the likeness of a dying Scottish despot on the road to obscenity, as Mel Gibson said in Braveheart..... 'burn it'
During the Scottish independence campaign, I saw Better Together activists outside the Central Station in Glasgow, you may remember I posted on this, a Yes guy was arguing with a BT activist was dead keen to find out the benefits of the Union. Having no luck it appears, he then comes up to me and gets in my face and starts off by saying:
"I have just been talking to your pal".
At that point, I informed him, he wasn't my pal, facts matter, anyway, he then goes onto ask me, 'give me a benefit of staying in the Union'. As quick as a flash, I said access to 200 Embassies in 160 countries, he prompted called me a liar. I said look it up, the information is available to the public. He stormed off in the huff, if he asked for another benefit, I was going to then say visa free travel to 173 countries, but he was off, it was a Friday, probably had to get home to feed the cat.
Back to benefits of being in the Union, it appears that an English town has decided to burn an effigy of Alex Salmond on bonfire night, thus leading to howls of fake outrage by independence supporters. It also appears that the indy supporters objected to the people in Lewes exercising their human right to free of expression. Such was the depth of their outrage; they took to twitter, which does beg the question, why was a land invasion ruled out?
Also we should remember that unpopular Nicola Sturgeon wouldn't have supported it thereby putting in jeopardy her free seats in the Royal box at Wimbledon sitting eating ice cream and strawberries with our English oppressors while watching the tennis.
The giant effigy of Alex Salmond is carted around the town to drum up supports before being burned at the stake at the popular Lewes bonfire celebrations in East Sussex.
As well as Salmond going up in smoke, the organisers also decided to burn 'Nessie', but more importantly, the also decide to burn the ridiculous '45' symbol that the plebs have latched onto as a symbol of hope.
In Scotland, only 37.7% of Scots eligible to vote actually voted Yes in the Scottish referendum, that means the other 62.3% voted No or couldn't be arsed going to cast their vote.
Lewes has a proud tradition of bonfire societies burning prominent political figures, and they use the burning event to stake their claim to be the world's greatest bonfire event. On Facebook, some people were quick to make comments about the burning from the Unionist leaning persuasion with some saying 'shite doesn't burn'! Alex Salmond joins a long list of people being thrown on the fire, last year, Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, was burned. 2012, David Cameron and Nick Clegg went up in flames which caused much happiness. And to show their European and diverse cultural identities, previous guys have included Angela Merkel and Osama Bin Laden.
Some bright spark from East Sussex County Council possibly sensing this would make a good story in the year of Alex Salmond's political death tweeted a photograph of the Salmond guy. Obviously stoking the flames, pun intended! But to be terribly PC and right on, they did point out that the council had nothing to do with the choice, it was the local Waterloo Bonfire Society.
18th September 2014, Salmond met his Waterloo alright!
The event marks the date of the uncovering of the Gunpowder Plot in 1605, but also commemorates the memory of 17 Protestant martyrs from the town who were burned at the stake in the 16th century.
In the olden days, state murder was very much the vogue, being burned, drowned, or hacked to death, most without the absence of proper due process as we understand it now.
Burning now is restricted to effigies.
Several societies in Lewes put on parades and there are firework displays, with up to 80,000 spectators visiting the town, which has a population of circa 16,000. At the end of his political career, Alex Salmond is reduced to opening supermarkets and being publicly burned; next stop a place on Britain's got no talent.
A spokesman for the First Minister said:
"The Tory-controlled East Sussex County Council obviously view the First Minister, and the 45 per cent of Scots who voted Yes, as big a threat to the Westminster establishment as Guy Fawkes, although it's unclear why poor Nessie has been targeted."
"Tory-controlled", looks like the kind of talk you get from a 90 minute Nationalist, it won't have mattered who controlled the council; you can also see the petted lip trembling with fake outrage wanting to get the bile out.
In a double blow, Salmond also made it to a shortlist of possible guys for the Edenbridge Bonfire Society's celebrations in Kent but like the Scottish independence referendum, he lost out with the public over the issue of the EU, when Jose Manuel Barroso, former president of the European Commission was picked.
Barroso was chosen after Britain was told to pay an extra pounds1.7 billion to the European Union.
The British consensus with the general public has been starting to collate around 'fuck that game of soldiers', not a bean is the public's desire, it is like being pissed on without someone have the decency to call it rain.
Speculation about this year's guy began when William Hill, the boookies named Jeremy Clarkson, the Top Gear presenter, as the favourite. He should at some point win out in future as he is becoming more and more outrageous as time goes on. Why Clarkson hasn't been disciplined or fired from Top Gear is one of life's mysteries, I guess, the BBC don't want to break up the winning team.
Previous effigies in Edenbridge have included Tony and Cherie Blair, Gordon Brown, Edwina Currie, John Prescott, Mario Balotelli, Wayne Rooney, Lance Armstrong and Russell Brand.
Presumably their followers took to twitter to display a similar amount of fake outrage as the Nationalists are currently doing. No doubt the wailing and gnashing of how their 'hero' has been treated has struck a raw nerve. You can tell Salmond wasn't pleased as he tried to joke his way out of it by saying what did they have against 'Nessie'? Probably nothing, it was probably a representation of the fact that 'Nessie' like Salmond is all about fiction and sweet FA to do with facts.
I would expect the 'outrage' to die down fairly quick because Salmond is yesterday's man and the 'clique' will be sniffing around unpopular Nicola Sturgeon's ass as she becomes the new sacred cow. I don't see an effigy of Sturgeon getting the same treatment because it is unlikely she will become a force with her student politics second rate delivery.
In the spirit of being petty, someone has lodged a complaint with the East Sussex Police.
A Sussex Police statement said:
"We are aware of the portrayal of Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond as an effigy at the 2014 Lewes Bonfire event and acknowledge that concerns have been raised. Whilst we accept there is a long tradition of creating effigies of high-profile individuals in politics, sport, the media, etc, a complaint has nevertheless been received and will be investigated."
In the end Fireworks were stuck up its arse to destroy it, works for me!
GeorgeLaird
Labels: Alex Salmond, Better together, David Cameron, Nicola Sturgeon, SNP, Tories
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You are here: Home > Blog > Taken By Surprise: Santana And The Singha Experience
Taken By Surprise: Santana And The Singha Experience
March 4, 2016 March 4, 2016 by Matt
When I was invited on a blogger trip sponsored by Singha to try out their signature Singha concert experience, I figured "Why not?" My buddies Ian and Erick were also going on the trip and not much happens in the sleepy little beachside village 3hr southeast of Bangkok where I live.
I thought it would be a fun night out, but I wasn't expecting much
Man, was I in for a surprise.
The Singha Experience
The evening started around 5pm when we were picked up by the luxury Singha van. Ian, Erick and I were joined by Robson and Natalie of Love On The Road. The van was seriously comfortable, and came equipped with enough Singha to get us through the two-hour slog in rush hour traffic to Impact Stadium.
On arrival the driver gave us our tickets for our floor seats and showed us where he would pick us up.
Then we all ran inside to the bathroom as fast as we could to relieve ourselves of all the Singha we had drunk while trapped in traffic.
Surprises In Impact Stadium
Once we regrouped in the lobby the first order of business was, of course, to find more beer. This is where things got extremely weird.
In contrast to every other concert I've ever attended, there was no line up for beer. And when I ordered my beer, the server asked me for 100 baht.
That's less than $3 USD.
That's right. No $14 beers, like I was used to buying at events in the USA.
We were all amazed.
The normal-prices also extended to the food. We all went and bought some normally-priced donairs, chicken, and sausages and stood around laughing about the wonderful prices.
There was a huge Santana step-and-repeat for photos, so we stepped up for a picture before we grabbed more beer and headed into the stadium to find our seats, which were fantastic. We were on the floor, near the middle, about 20 rows back.
The Santana Surprise
I love Santana. Really. Abraxas is a classic, and Supernatural was a staple of my high school rock and roll collection.
But I wasn't expecting too much from this show.
Carlos Santana is 68. In recent years there have been more than a few great classic acts that have toured into old age not because of passion for music (like The Rolling Stones, for example) but because of financial necessity. I've heard a lot of stories about disappointing shows by artists past their prime. So, my expectations for Santana were low.
Man, was I wrong. Santana was anything but an over the hill rocker playing to pay his taxes.
He was the opposite. He was an artist who'd had a long and celebrated career that provided him, in his old age, with the reputation and resources to hand pick his own band of musicians and craft the rock n' roll experience that he wanted to deliver without ego or constraints.
It was a thing of beauty.
The show opened with a cover of Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground and went uphill from there. The band included two singers (surprisingly, Carlos didn't sing at all), a rhythm guitar player, a bass player, a keyboard player, and three amazing drummers playing everything from bongos to a full rock n' roll kit.
The musicianship was second to none. But there was one highlight that stood out to me.
I'm from a small redneck town in Canada. I was raised on a steady diet of classic rock from the 60's and 70's, which instilled in me a deep reverence for the art of the 12-minute solo. Me and my friends would smoke weed in pickup trucks and listen to live recordings of Zepplin, Neil Young, and Pink Floyd waiting for the crazy long solos not included on the normal album releases.
Sadly, for me, this rock n' roll tradition died out before I grew to concert-going age and I, up until this point, had never in my life seen a live band jam out on stage, each player taking their turn performing a long, improvised solo.
Then Santana did it.
It started with Carlos Santana tearing out a beautiful long solo on lead guitar, which he then handed off the the bass player, who then stepped out to allow their drummer — somebody told me she was Carlos's wife — to bring the show to a full crescendo with the most inticate and artful drum solo I've ever heard.
It was glorious.
You can here it in the video that Erick took starting around 4:10.
During the opening act the crowd stayed seated. As Santana's set progressed more and more of the crowd stood up and started dancing until nearly everyone was on their feet.
But when the solos began, everyone just stood there transfixed.
I was not the only person who was witnessing the lost art of the solo for the first — and probably only — time in their life.
It was more than I could have expected from my first Singha Experience.
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3 thoughts on "Taken By Surprise: Santana And The Singha Experience"
Dagmar Leuenberger-Swift
Great blog post…sounds like it was an amazing time..good fun all around. We are back in BC, hoping we can connect when we come back in November for 4 months. Staying in Hua Hin and travelling from there.
Take good care of your self, know how busy you get.
Sounded like an amazing experience … everything is better in Thailand, except for the bread. Seriously, what's up with those bricks of glucose?! 😛
Pingback: Concerts in Bangkok with the Singha VIP Experience - WSE Travel

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Prosecutor in commuter-train shootings case seeks gag order on attorneys
Prosecutor in commuter-train shootings case seeks gag order on attorneys 04/19/1994 NEW YORK -- The prosecutor in the Long Island…
NEW YORK — The prosecutor in the Long Island Railway shootings case asked for a gag order in early April, barring the defendant's attorneys from speaking publicly about the case.
Peter Weinstein, a prosecutor with the Nassau County district attorney's office in Mineola, argued at a hearing before Nassau County Court Judge Donald Belfi that Colin Ferguson's attorneys, William Kunstler and Ronald Ruby, were trying to "manipulate the media and poison the prospective jury pool by issuing an avalanche of statements," the Associated Press reported.
Kunstler told the AP that statements he made concerning his client's pre-existing mental condition were an attempt to give Ferguson "a level playing field" and that several public officials, including President Clinton have commented on the case to Ferguson's detriment.
Ferguson is accused of opening fire and shouting racial remarks on a commuter train in December, killing six people and wounding 19. Kunstler has said that Ferguson's actions were a response to "black rage" caused by a mental disorder.
Judge Belfi took a leave of absence due to a death in the family in early April and was expected to rule on the gag order April 22.
(People v. Colin Ferguson)
Judge rejects gag order in shooting case
Media organizations challenge gag order in Zimmerman case
Fla. judge denies gag order in Zimmerman case
Appellate court eases standard for issuing gag orders
Fla. judge keeps Zimmerman courtroom open


Sooooo, has anyone caught a glimpse of Michelle Williams' Instagram lately (the Black one, formerly of Destiny's Child)? No? You didn't even know she had one? Well you've been missing out, because the girl who was once the subject of #poormichelle is having a fashion glow up like no other. Out of nowhere she appeared on the scene giving you looks, hair, waistline, and poise. And these aren't your run of the mill Fashion Nova, House of CB ensembles. Her looks make a bold statement with different colors, patterns, textures, and volumes.
This in large part due to the work of one J. Brolin, her stylist. However, everyone can't pull off a look, so we have to shout out Michelle for her ability to use fashion to assert her presence in the zeitgeist. One could argue that she was always the more conservative member of the trio. After the group split and each woman went on to pursue her own career, Michelle didn't make a lot of noise mainstream. Then again, it's difficult to make much noise when you are compared to your former group member who just so happens to be the biggest star in the world (don't argue this point with me).
It warms my heart to her fashion game come so strong. It's always dope to see people make fashion really work for them, instead of the other way around. I gather from one of her recent posts that she's fresh off of a breakup, and there is no revenge better than looking good. I'm hoping this glow up is a part of something major she's working on. In that same post she mentioned that she's studying for something. Could it be for an acting role? Either way, keep the good looks coming.
Baybay, she is letting us have it. Com'on down sista Michelle!


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Shakila Reveals How Willy Paul Tricked Her And Had Her Arrested
Godfrey Gwako
(KDRTV) – Shakila is a girl that likes attention. She stormed into the limelight is style by making a confession that attracted a lot of backlash towards her. The outspoken girl went live with social media influencer, Xtian Dela and told him how she has allegedly slept with more than 15 male celebrities.
Kenyans later realized that some of the people she mentioned as having slept with have never even met her. Rapper Khaligraph Jones and professional footballer Victor Wanyama are examples.
She then appeared on Bonga na Jalas and remarked that Xtian had used her. She then apologized later to him saying how stressed she was because she was about to lose him as a friend. Once again, trying to stay relevant by generating conversations about her.
Today social media has been awash with news that she was arrested under unclear circumstances. It turns out popular music artist, Wilson Abubakar Radido alias Willy Paul reported her to the police for alleged trespass. He wrote on his Instagram account about what transpired at around 12 am-midnight.
READ ALSO: High School Female Student Spotted On A Bodaboda Carrying This (PHOTO)
Check out the Instagram post below;
Hi I would like to address an issue that occurred yesterday at my residence at around 12 midnight. The estate security noticed a lady at my gate that was forcefully trying to enter my house ( she did ). They informed me immediately and I went only to find out that its the '' Famous Shakilla''. I immediately reported to the police and she was arrested for trespassing. I have also handed over the CCTV footage and a few popular names of the people she mentioned she is working for to the authorities for further investigation. Kindly put me and my family in your prayers, its not safe for me anymore. Be blessed.
A post shared by W.I.L.L.Y.P.O.Z.Z.E (@willy.paul.msafi) on Oct 13, 2020 at 1:43am PDT
The controversial lady could not take that lying down. After being released, she has come out to tell her side of the story on Instagram. She was released on bail. She says she felt so wasted and cheated because the outspoken artist allegedly called her and invited her into his premise which is so familiar to her.
Before she knew it, she was set up and arrested for trespass. Check out the screenshots below;
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Kathem al-Saher, one of best-selling Arab artists, to raise awareness of problems children face.
The United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF, has named a new goodwill ambassador for Iraq.
He is the Iraqi-born singer Kathem al-Saher and he is to help raise awareness of the problems children in the war-torn country face.
Saher, one of the biggest-selling Arab artists, made his first trip back to the country in 14 years where he met Al Jazeera's Jane Arraf.


What's new at hospital after Carolinas deal?
It was six months ago that local leaders announced Cleveland County would see new health care options as part of a $100 million deal to fully integrate county facilities into one of the nation�s largest health systems.
The operators of Charlotte-based Carolinas HealthCare System are paying Cleveland County to take over the property and operations of the Cleveland County HealthCare System.
The deal was announced March 7. Among the benefits proposed at the time: a local Levine Children�s Hospital presence, expanded oncology services and a new health department building.
As The Star recently reported, plans for the new health department facility are progressing. Currently, building completion is expected in about two years behind the current Department of Social Services facility on North Post Road in Shelby.
When will county residents begin to see changes with other facilities and services?
The Star recently addressed those questions and others in an interview with Dotty Leatherwood, vice president of communications for Cleveland County HealthCare System.
When will we see physical changes with hospital facilities?
The building is set for 2202 Carolinas Place, near Ingles in Kings Mountain.
What other projects will we see?
What new services are available since the March announcement?
Have jobs been eliminated in the transition?
What other new services may be coming?
How are health care changes impacting the local system?


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Yemen Warns: We Will Cut Off Red Sea Access if Aggression Continues
By: GPA News
Sana'a (AMN) – Yemen will not hesitate to cut off the international shipping route in the Red Sea if the Saudi-led coalition will not cease with its attack against major port city Al-Hudaydah. This was said by Yemeni president Saleh Ali al-Sammad on Monday.
Saleh Ali al-Sammad, who is the chairman of the Supreme Council of Yemen (the revolutionary government composed of supporters of Ansarullah, also known as the Houthi movement), said this in a conversation with UN representative for Yemen, Maeen Sharim. The position of Supreme Council chairman is similar to that of president of the country.
"Once military operations of aggressors to Yemen's largest city Al Hudaydah are continued, we will cut off the international shipping route in the Red Sea," president al-Sammad said, adding that Yemen is fed up with the fact that "While Yemeni people die from hunger, they (the Saudis and their allies) cross our waters with their vessels freely."
The cutting off of Red Sea shipping is a deterrent measure that could have international economic consequences, and is not to be taken lightly. For Yemen, it could be a last lifeline to force the international community to listen to its calls. In the past, similar threats of Red Sea blockading were made by Egypt under president Gamal Abdel Nasser.
However, Saleh Ali al-Sammad continued by stating that Sana'a is more than willing to reach a negotiated end to the hostilities with the Saudi invasion forces, provided that the Saudi bombings cease.
"Yemen is ready for bilateral talks in order to end bloodshed and establish stability and security in the region," the president said.
RELATED: Yemeni Forces Save Lives by Shooting Down 2 US-backed Fighter Jets [VIDEO]
Al-Sammad denied claims by Saudi Arabia that they have ended the blockade of the Ansarullah-controlled port city of al-Hudaydah in order to let humanitarian aid in, stating "They claimed to have reopened the port while nothing special has been done up to the present time. They even removed the ships from the harbor."
Regarding last month's conflict between Ansarullah loyalists and troops led by former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who defected to the Saudi side after having sided with the revolutionary government since 2014, al-Sammad stated that "many of those who were arrested in Sana'a events and failed coup d'etat of Ali Abdullah Saleh were released."
Saleh Ali al-Sammad concluded by criticising the United Nations for its lack of effort to stop the war in Yemen, stating the "UN has a very sensitive role in this regard but it is a matter of regret to say that we have perceived the lackluster and weak performance of this monitoring body."
This post by Brecht Jonkers originally ran on al-Masdar News.
GPA News
Yemen President's Assassination Opens a New Chapter of…
Yemeni Forces Strike Abu Dhabi Intl. Airport with New…
Houthis Establish New Government in Yemen, UN Not Happy
Yemen's Supreme Political Council Receives E.U. Delegation
First Food Ship in Three Weeks Arrives in Yemen
Yemeni Forces Launch Large-Scale Offensive on UAE Headquarters [VIDEO]
'Houthis' Release 200+ Coup Plotters and Issue Anti-Human…
[PHOTOS] Millions of Yemenis Celebrate Third Year of Revolution
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Strength of a paper towel is among its most important properties. A stronger paper towel has more uses and will last longer. Another important property of paper towels is their ability to absorb water. Almost all manufacturers of paper towels claim that their product is the strongest and absorbs water the best.
In this science project you will perform experiments to compare different paper towels for their strength.


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Classic Rock Corner
Saturday Night: Chicago & The Doobie Brothers At Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Bob Ruggiero June 28, 2010 11:15AM
Chicago/The Doobie Brothers Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion June 26, 2010
At many classic rock shows, there's no phrase more guaranteed to start a run on bathroom and beer lines than "And now here's something from our new record." But you know what? Classic Rock Bob wants to hear new material, along with the big radio hits and a few choice deep album cuts. If all you're interested in is a greatest-hits jukebox, stay home and play your CDs.
And while they could have done a full showering of just the hits - even without any Michael McDonald-era material - the Doobie Brothers delivered all three of those aspects. Their raucous, joyful set was spearheaded by fiery and energetic singer/guitarist Tom Johnston, belying his 61 years ("He's the reason I started playing guitar!" Classic Rock Brother informed us at the start of the set). Keyboardist Guy Allison even sported a Houston Astros shirt.
After opening with two familiar numbers to get the blood pumping, the Doobs hit three straight songs from their upcoming new record, World Gone Crazy: A re-worked version of "Nobody" (the first track off their 1971 debut), the funky, danceable title track about New Orleans, and the bluesy, ballsy rocker "Back to the Chateau," which allowed longtime guitarist John McFee to show off his bottleneck chops. If these songs are any indication for the Sept. 24 release, the record should be a killer.
Hardcore fans got a treat with "Clear as the Driven Snow" (from The Captain and Me) and A cover of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Don't Start Me to Talkin'" (from Toulouse Street), which led into a blues jam that actually jammed and didn't overstay its welcome.
Singer/guitarist Patrick Simmons - an original/classic lineup member, along with Johnston - got the crowd up with "Black Water" (not failing to name check the city/state of the show as usual), and then Johnston's party-perfect "China Grove." The only weak spot was their cover of '60s soul classic "Little Bitty Pretty One," to which the band remains mysteriously devoted to for some reason.
But if Los Hermanos de Sustanivo pleased fans of all levels, Chicago turned in such a shockingly slick and poor performance that Mayor Richard Daley may petition the band to change its name to avoid embarrassment. Even disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich isn't returning the band's calls.
Hector Ward And The Big Time Smile Into Life
By Gladys Fuentes
After Illness and Loss, Guitarist Popović Emerges with Power
By Tom Richards
Concert Watch 1/18: Dave Alvin, C.J. Chenier and More


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Happy Africans
Pharrell Williams's pop hit, "Happy," is infectious and feel good. But what is it all about really?
A still from Pharrell Williams' video for the song "Happy."
At 11am this morning, the American rapper and producer Pharrell Williams' pop friendly and infectious song, "Happy," had racked up 138,948,968 (that's 138 million) views on Youtube. That's what going viral looks like. Obviously making him and his record company a lot of money. It's not enough that the song is playing on every commercial radio station (or in every department) store and is "the world's first 24 hour music video" (who watches a music video that long?). 'Happy" is also the subject of millions of homage or reaction videos in which people from all walks of life and regions of the world lip-synch the song's lyrics.
And, like everyone else, Africans want in on the game. The fan-made videos that originate on the continent are mostly city-themed. This has been a great opportunity to get to know global cities in a new way, especially those whose images are rarely shared. The same goes for Africa and its cities.
So Lagosians made a bunch of videos (all claiming to represent the essence of the city); Cape Town has made a bunch of videos (probably the most racially and class stratified city on the continent, so that makes sense); Dakar; expats in Nairobi, and so and so on. We can't front: The African fan videos are generally nice.
We've collected some of the "Happy" videos made in Africa in one playlist. Hopefully you can make it through listening to "Happy" 28 times back-to-back.
But what is it all about? Is this all sugary drinks and opium of the masses? For example, Popcrush.com asked about the "room without a roof" line: "… A roofless room has no boundaries and no limits, so your happiness can soar to new heights with no ceiling. However, when you are in a room without a roof and it's raining, are you screwed?" We expected some political analysis, but nothing, not even being rained on, can put Pharrell off:
Here come bad news talking this and that, yeah
Well, give me all you got, and don't hold back, yeah
Well, I should probably warn you I'll be just fine, yeah
No offense to you, don't waste your time
Based on these lyrics, Pharrell would a good pitchman for a see-no-evil, hear-no-evil dictatorship.
Pharrell himself promotes a strange mix of self help psycho-babble mixed with bootstraps capitalism as his ideology and diet politics, what Pitchfork described, too nicely, as "Pharrell's good nature, zen philosophizing, and ceaseless uplift." Last month, he told USA Today, "It's interesting to convey a message that people can use. It's bigger than a music thing. It's humbling, not scary."
On cue, Mic.com, the website for the NGO-humanitarian left, declared "Happy," in a bizarro take, as "…the Surprising Protest Song of Our Generation." What? For Mic.com, it is "an unexpected global anthem for citizens living under troubled regimes" and that, "… It seems odd, at face value, that this totally innocuous song has taken on such significance. But "Happy" caters to the 21st-century protest. The pop songs dominating today's charts may not be as politically charged as the music of the Vietnam War or the Civil Rights Era, but the beauty of contemporary pop music is its wide reach — ubiquitous, international and infinitely remixable. 'Happy' was a blank canvas, and the Internet turned it from Oscar nominee into the sound of rebellion and resilience, even in unrest."
This is all too much. Earlier this month, Pharrell offered explanation of the song's lyrics again, especially the roofless room: He tweeted, "… It is metaphorical for one's space w/out limit … This emotion can be infinite and achievable by all."
For Pharrell, that space is capitalism. For sure. A while, The New York Times, reviewed an art book he designed: "… Mr. Williams's art is capitalist collaboration. There are sections of his book devoted to his design team-ups with Louis Vuitton and Moncler, and some of the sharpest layouts are of the stores that sell his Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream clothing lines — especially one in Hong Kong where images of the lunar surface cover some of the floor."
I don't know who taught me that, but I can't stand people that are too happy.
Sean Jacobs, Founder and Editor of Africa is a Country, is on the faculty of The New School and a Shuttleworth Fellow.
At 11am this morning, the American rapper and producer Pharrell Williams' pop friendly and infectious song,