Headed "Lords, OBEs and a Tory dining club ... the people behind Better Together", and written by Tom Gordon and Paul Hutcheon the article tells of a dinner organised by the United & Cecil Club (U&CC), a Tory dining club based in Sussex, England. Apparently the U&CC helped bring around 50 people from London and the south east of England to the dinner, suggesting significant funding for Better Together is already from outside Scotland.
Scottish Tory treasurer James Stewart, who helped run the evening held in the Signet Library, is a London, England-based director of private equity firm, ECI. (Does anyone in the Tory Party actually live in Scotland?)
The main speaker at the do (he probably got his dinner for free) was Michael Gove, the English Education Secretary, who has no remit in Scotland. He said that the money raised would support the Tory party in Scotland and the NO campaign.
The Tory MP for Braintree in Essex, England, Brooks Newmark, a private equity director with no seeming connections with our country at all, was present, as were the sole Tory MP in Scotland David Mundell (better known to us as Fluffy), who has only a tenuous connection, Ruth Davidson, David Cameron's woman in Scotland, James Douglas Hamilton, who used to be an MP and MSP and is now in the Lords (wouldn't you know) and Thomas Galloway Dunlop du Roy de Blicquy Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde, who is Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, which is in England, and Leader of the House of Lords.
One of the guests pointed out that the game for the evening was 'Spot the Scotsman' and that the fact that the money all had to come from England demonstrated the Tories declining support in Scotland.
The Herald made much of the attendance of an ex-Scottish Rugby cap, David Sole, OBE, it pointed out that he was born in England but educated at Glenalmond public (sic) school in Perthshire.
Asked about his attendance, and whether he was pro-Union, Sole said: "Because I'm on the board of Sportscotland and Quality Meat Scotland I'm not at liberty to pass any comment on any political issues. Thank you, bye."
Erm... if you're not able to pass comments on any political issues, Davie boy, what in the name of the wee man are you doing attending a Tory bash to raise money for the NO campaign?
And what of the partners in the NO campaign.... Scottish Labour (titter) why are they happy to have this kind of person, with no connection to Scotland, pour some of their immense wealth into a campaign about OUR country's future?
Scottish Labour, it seems, have followed their English brothers in a right wing direction, and are now almost indistinguishable from the Tories. As Dubbieside pointed out, 37 Scottish Labour MPs voted with the London government to semi privatise the Health Service IN ENGLAND. You couldn't credit that, could you.
Not only must we win this referendum, we must also keep these people out of government in Edinburgh. Scots don't want privatised medical care.
Great article Tris. Deserves a wider audience.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Labour (S)hame or Tory Hoose will reprint it, or do they like their friends in the media prefer to keep giving Scotland the mushroom treatment?
Will Bravefart have a comment? Must make him proud to be a Labour member though.
Tris
ReplyDeleteStory from BBC.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-18665931
Forgot the link on deleted comment.
The biggest thing for me Tris, is there's no moral argument for keeping a Union between Scotland and England. What is moral is self-determination and Scotland won't get that in this or any other union.
ReplyDeleteThe original (1707) agreement doesn't alter when time is added on. That and the fact that Westminster has been an arena of immorality for a numbers of years and there's no sign it will improve any time soon.
Steve
Auch I'm disappointed with wee Dave. Used to think he was ok in his time. At least Gavin didn't attend. That would have really upset me. :)
ReplyDeleteYou've partially answered the question I asked last week so I hope you won't mind if I do a link.
Thanks Dubs... although it was your idea, so I can't take any credit, except that I managed not to misspell anything!!!
ReplyDeleteI hardly think the Hame or Hoose (wasn't it "Brave"heart that was making fun of Scots yesterday?) would be having anything to do with a post on humble old Munguin's blog, and I suspect they won't want to print this one in particular.
But the truth is the truth, at least as far as the Herald tells it, and in fairness, out of all the press/tv, it and Bernard Ponsonby at STV seem the least biased.
I don't think anyone is a Labour member any more. Everyone seems to have joined the Tories and left Scotland behind. Just not important enough.
:)
Thank you for the link. It seems that Mr Baker, clearly also having joined up with the Tories on this one, thinks that in a referendum in Scotland, to be voted on by people who live in Scotland, on Scotland's future, can be bankrolled by people who have no actual interest in the outcome.
ReplyDelete(Given that the UK will continue, England will continue, and nothing much in their every day lives will alter.)
I disagree. England is no abroad, but it is not Scotland. Maybe they are just scared that they won't get any money from Scotland.
Steve, as I see it, the UK wants the oil. I suspect that particularly in times of Tory government, had we no oil, they would have been overjoyed to see us go.
ReplyDeleteWe have listened to their arguments for. They're all about Britain being big and important and punching above its weight.
In my opinion that is the biggest pile of bollocks I've ever heard. While people are cold and hungry, we punch above our weight elsewhere. And it would be, perhaps, different if most of our punching wasn't all wrong and useless!
Willie Hague giving the Egyptian president advice on how to run Egypt. What? Why? On what basis?
The UK giving aid to India, which it doesn't want and hasn't asked for, indeed has expressly asked to be stopped, and most of which is ineptly managed both at this end and at that end (UK government provides computers for a school that doesn't have electricity, or a bus arrival system for a town that already has one).
No, there's nothing moral about it. The English government, for that is what it is, may be right for England... They seemed to vote for it, but it neither understand nor cares about us.
So we need to have our own... and it will be different. In a separate Scotland we can force politicians to do what WE want. As part of the Uk we have no chance because the whole focus is on the South East of England. It's all that matters and it might as well be a billion miles away from us, for all the similarity it bears
Hi SR...
ReplyDeleteI thought the funny thing about him was that he was at an overtly political meeting. To have been invited there he must have expressed his preference for Scotland to be dependent rather than independent.
Then because he is a board member of two organisations, which are probably important in their own way, but hardly at the level of the Privy Council, he says he can't comment on political matters.
If that is in his contract, he may well find himself being sacked, because his very attendance at the dinner was an overtly political statement.
I'm delighted and flattered to have you link to it.
:)
I heard Baker on the politics show saying that no foreign donations will be accepted and that they will publish all donations above £7,500, no doubt direct from the city. If my hearing was right he also inferred that the SNP was bankrolled by foreign donations!
ReplyDeletePeople who don't want "independence" support the anti-"independence" cause...???
ReplyDeleteNothing to see here. Move along...
Bravefart
ReplyDeleteNothing to see here, what was left of Labours integrity, not that they had very much left, sold out to the torys.
Scottish Labour working to keep the most right wing tory PM for years in office using tory money because very few in Scotland would donate to them.
I suppose there are some more like you that like to pretend Labour is still socialist but that idea died with John Smith.
You keep taking the tory money whats left of you tawdry little party will get its reward at the ballot box.
Baker, CH. He's a bit of a joke isn't he? Do the Tories employ him to count their donations? I suppose they have better things to do... But I seem to recall that Mr Baker once did a rather good job of multiplying real figures of costs of knife crime, from £3 million to £500 million
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixJunZe5l7M
This is hilarious.
I don't know about the YES campaign's finances... anyone else?
ReplyDeleteGood old English Tories, ...well at least their money will be spent in Scotland.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much rich Englishmen... :)
Max £500 donation by anyone on the electoral register in Scotland for the yes campaign.
ReplyDeleteThe no campaign will accept from anyone from Britain, which will include tax havens, to influence Scots opinion which I suppose is better than using NATO or other violent means.
Niko has gone AWOL by the way.
Jo Swinson for North Brit Secretary ?
ReplyDeleteAccording to mad maddox in the hootsmon.
Selected because she's female and has no problem lying about tuition fee pledges etc. Great credentials lol
Not seen Moore for a while. Not on the sauce or away fiddling his expenses is he ?
Will they accept money from Jersey, Guernsey and IOM...CH? That was Wendy's downfall.
ReplyDeleteItwas illegal for a leadership campaign.
I think there is an irony in taking money from people who live in an all but independent state around the side of Britain to ensure that a much larger part of the country continues to pay its dues to London...at least until the oil runs out.
Niko. I told him to take himself and Taz out for a long walk on the Pentland Hills. I hope nothing's happened to them...
I heard that, Monty. In fact Andrew has a really good analysis of the situation here.
ReplyDeleteI can't see it happening though, and as Andrew says, if she is offered it she should turn it down, for it is surely preferment because of her gender.
Although she has been impressive on QT, it's almost certainly about more women ministers.
I fear he may be about to sack the fragrant Chloe, after Paxo made stuffing out of her!!
I dunno about Moore. He's not been much a problem to Alex, and maybe that's what Dave doesn't like. Again Andrew suggests that Jo would be far more confrontational.
But unless she is way cleverer than I think she is, that's probably none to good an idea for her and the Tories.
Moore has remained relatively quiet and no on much knows much about him; if she starts to get smart, she will likely suffer the same fate as Ruth, Johann, Iain, Wendy, etc. We'll certainly know plenty about her then.
I wonder if she has considered her future after the next London election. She might not have a seat because there will be no seats in Scotland. She might not have a seat because there will be no Liberals in Scotland. it's uncertain whichever way you look at it.
Having been a cabinet minister and with RT Hon before her name would probably add something to her saleability in boardrooms...
Having said all that, a more confrontational person would probably be good for us. Particularly, if I may say it, a confrontational woman.
She's lucky having those gaps between her teeth. It must make cleaning them quite easy. Not having to use floss and having it snap and stick in between your teeth etc. And lovely fresh breath I would think.
ReplyDeleteShe could get a role in the next 'Misery' film. Wacking your ankles with a lump hammer and a piece of wood to stop you escaping.
She has that eerie look about her.
Sorry was going to say the usual about a Lib Dem ( the predictability of a New Zealand flatworm, pre programmed answers about the EU, global warming, diversity, unionism and renege on any pledge for a bit of power etc...) but decided to think of something positive to say and remembered her good set of teeth.
ReplyDeleteSo I went for her teeth.
Oh and it's cute when she blushes at the first question she hasn't been pre programmed to answer. Her brain cells fighting to form an answer but failing miserably.
So you're right. She would be fun under the spotlight of a debate with Alex Salmond etc.
Oh and she wears nice jewelry. Although I'm not an expert on jewelry so made that statement up from my pre programmed store of statements that blokes make about jewelry.
Ha ha Monty. From the above it does sound to me like you have made quite a detailed study of her teeth skin and jewellery.
ReplyDeleteAre there any other parts of her you would like to comment on, remembering that this is a family blog and I know of one 8 year old who reads it assiduously!
:) :) :)
Tris
ReplyDeleteI wonder went Cameron grows a pair and has his referendum on Europe if the following rules will apply.
Question or questions to be approved by Brussels.
Timing, referendum must be held when Brussels says. That is if of course they allow the UK to hold a referendum. Is the UK not to wee to poor and to stupid to govern its self and needs Brussels.
Brussels decides who can vote. Only people on UK election register. But what about all our expats? Brussels must allow them to vote.
Sound familiar? You I and even the BBC know that would start an outrage in London, so not ok for them but acceptable to these folk in North Britan.
Add in Merkel hosting a dinner in London to raise funds for the Stronger Together team, flying in backer from Paris, Rome etc. I wonder what the reaction would be? as if I could not guess.
It just shows up the hypocrisy of the three London tory partys, what they think is acceptable in North Britain but would cause outrage if applied to a UK referendum.
Ha ha tris. I think I've said enough then ;)
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see what eventually brings her down. 'Misunderstandings' about her expenses ? Too much whisky ? 'Unfounded' gossip about her private life ?
Who knows. She might even get to the finishing line and join Ming and Paddy on the tv studio sofa called 'the fount of all knowledge'.
Oh and I see I can't even spell jewelry lol
I know a lot about New Zealand flatworms though if you're interested ?
It’s incredible that Alistair and the “No”......errhem...I mean the “better together” campaign could not find a miserable £150,000 to launch their bandwagon in Scotland. They must have known what a dreadful PR disaster it would be to launch it using English Tory money, as indeed it has been. Did they put any thought into it at all, or do potential Scottish donors not feel that we are better together?
ReplyDeleteThey don't seem to be particularly savvy, Munguin.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand if no one in Scotland was prepared to fork out....?
I wonder people who have made a lot of money out of their political connections wouldn't be prepared to put their hands in their pockets.
George Ffoulkes, Michael Martin, Gordon Brown, Tory Blair and that plump guy who used to be Defence Secretary but went to NATO with a lordhood... Then there's Tam Dalyell...deep pockets and short arms?
I hope someone is keeping an eye on those who attended the dinner who are members of parliament or the house of lords to see if the bill for the dinner gets claimed on expenses. Just a thought. ???????????
ReplyDeleteTrue Anon. That's worth a mention... although I'm not sure how we can check up.
ReplyDeleteThe no campaign might have to find a more creditable leader.
ReplyDeleteOh What a Tangled Web (Part 1)
They may all be bankrupt by then given the state of the banking sector (huh! nearly said wanking sector there).
ReplyDeleteIsn't it nice to see the cricket playing English ensuring a level playing field in all of this, it makes you glad to be a part of the whole gallant company doesn't it?
There is no honour or justice to be had from these thieving scumbags Tris, publicise this as far and wide in Scotland as you can get the people annoyed at the sheer arrogance of the English who think they buy out anyone who has limited means...bastards!, one thing is for sure if the Scots once get their 'dander' up over something like this it is 'goodnight vienna' for the opposition.
Gad I hope theyre stupid enough down here to give us a referendum on the EU, in or out like they want you to have, but Davie boy isn't enough of a man or a gambler to take that chance...
I think you'll find Nom, that any referendum that Dave organises will be lacking in one important thing... the choice that folk actually want, and Dave doesn't!
ReplyDeleteThanks CH. It's a bit complicated, but I've got the general just of it.
ReplyDelete