Thursday 25 October 2012

THIS IS A TOPPER OF A BEEZER OF A DANDY OF A STORY, FROM THE BEANO

A completely crushing blow has hit the first minister. No, not two of his MSPs resigning the whip; no, not being called a bare faced liar by, erm Labour (no, stop laughing, it's not funny)*. No no no, it's worse. Get a load of this!

Some bloke in Kelso with, it seems to me, too much time on his hands, has decided that Mr Salmond calling the Tory government "this bunch of incompetent Lord Snootys" was "an attack on people, identifiable to me as English, solely on the grounds of race", and as such showed anti-English prejudice.

Colin Shaughnessy has written to Lothian and Borders police to make a complaint (although, as Mr Salmond made the statement at the conference, and the conference was held in Perth, it should probably be Tayside Police that he complains to). The sooner we have one police force, the easier it will be for dullards to know whom to write to with their complaints.

The best of it is that Shaughnessy is a lawyer! No, seriously, he is. (Tris checks calendar and notes that it is not April 1.)

But I want to put poor Alex's mind at rest.

You see, first of all, it seems to me that the comment was nothing to do with race and everything to do with the fact that the London cabinet consists overwhelmingly of very rich, privately educated chaps, many of them with aristocratic connections and all of them with absolutely no idea of what life in Britain is like.
But the aristocracy in the UK is not exclusively English, and nor is the Cabinet. Indeed the most senior of the Lord Snootys to which the first minister referred, the leader of the House of Lords, is indeed The Lord Strathclyde, Thomas Galloway Dunlop du Roy de Blicquy Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde, PC, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who from his title (Strathclyde), you might guess, and you would be correct in that guess, is Scottish.

Now, how anti-English is that?

Secondly, the name "Lord Snooty" originates in a comic strip from a Scottish (and very loyal Tory) publishing house, D C Thomson. The strip first appeared in the 'Beano's' first edition in July 1938, so not new then, and to the best of my knowledge it has never caused anyone any offense.

Furthermore, 'Private Eye' has recently been publishing a parody comic strip called "Dave Snooty and his Pals" which takes the Mick (oh sorry was that identifiably Irish)  out of Dave and George, and yes, probably from time to time dear old Tom Strathclyde.

I wish Shaughnessy joy taking D C Thomson, Private Eye and the First Minister, oh, and the Daily Telegraph for this, to court. Maybe they will run a counter charge that it's anti-Scottish to imply that the Second Baron Strathclyde is an Englishman (English Gentleman, please).

And i thought I was sad writing a blog. Honestly, some people REALLY need to get a life.

* Off topic, but did anyone see FMQ? Had wee Ruthie been on the wacky backy or the electric soup or something?  I thought someone was gonna have to send for a straight jacket!

69 comments:

  1. On your O/T FMQs refraining from elaborating the acronym she has put on at least a stone in weight since being elected as kicking(ha) the FM is not burning up the calories.

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  2. I thought that kicking the fm was Wee Willie Wi... Rennie's job?

    Oh no, that's holding his bank account... no, sorry, holding him TO account.

    I knew I'd get there in the end.

    Aye she's getting a right wee Tubby is wee Ruthie.

    PS... don't tell that lawyer blokey, he'll write to the Shetland police and I'll get done for anti tubby discrimination...

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  3. Just a wee thought Tris.

    Can we sue that lawyer chappie for "reverse" racism?

    I mean he is suing A.S. for racism because he referred to the numpties in Westminster as Lord Snooties. Well as you clearly pointed out Private Eye do EXACTLY the same thing. Therefore should this lawyer chappie not be suing Private Eye as well?

    Surely failure to sue Private Eye is "reverse" racism on the part of this lawyer chappie is it not and as such we are entitled to sue him for said "reverse" racism?

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  4. Aye Tris, wasn't FMQs pathetic? Wailing unionists with their badly rehearsed witless-cisms, thinking they could 'land one' on the FM. Upsetting to watch their feeble attempts.

    We deserve better as a country.

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  5. Wasn't Elaine Murray a joy to watch on FMQs? She's a cracker! I wonder what she's like after a few drams? Did I see Fifi La BonBon behind Lamont?

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  6. Yes, Arbroath. He assumes that all rich people are English.

    We may not elect many Conservatives here, but there are a good number who lurk around the House of Lords adding to their fortune from our coffers. Auld Tam is just one, and the most prominent of them.

    There's the unlovely Mental Mick Forsythe and that Lang character, Lord Douglas Hamilton and that blokey Wallace.

    I'd love to see this "lawyer" take on Ian Hyslop and the D C Thomson organisation for racial stereotyping.

    What an ass.

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  7. Hello SR... Nice to see you. Yes, I agree we deserve more than these half wits.

    I doubt that a wily old character like Alex Salmond has actually been lying, but, with the press giving the impression that he has, the opposition have momentum on their side.

    So I tuned in expecting that Salmond would, maybe for the first time, get a real drubbing.

    But Lamont really lived up to her nickname of lamentable.

    I expected too that Cameron's spin men would have been sent to tell Ruth what to say. The UK prime minister seems to have convinced himself that because Labour called Alex a bare faced liar, and two MSPs resigned on principle, that's the whole cause of independence undermined. You'd have thought he'd have wanted to kick the FM when he was down, just to make sure. Instead, for some bizarre reason, Ruthie starts role playing American Presidents... making us wonder if she was quite right in the head.

    Please, when Scotland is independent, can we have some decent politicians?

    Oh, and incidentally Ruth, don't call us, we'll... erm... call you.... maybe

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  8. John:

    I confess to not actually seeing, but only hearing, FMQ, and at that, I only listened to the two witches (I notice that Witch Rennie was missing....) practising being scary for Hallowe'en and failing dismally.

    So I don't know who you saw over Lamentable's shoulder, but I don't blame you for looking.

    Dr Murray is indeed a cracker... but she's a bit old for you, I think.

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  9. Racism. !!!
    Negriod
    Mongoliod
    Caucasian
    Which one is the Snooty one

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  10. I think you get snooty ones in all of them... Snootiness is not limited by colour, nationality, sex, sexuality, disability, age or religion.

    In fact it would pass all the discrimination laws, if by nature it wasn't discriminatory!!

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  11. Tris

    You really have to be sorry for all the unionist journalists! who were ready with their "Fireworks at Holyrood" headlines, Salmond mortally wounded by the rocket attacks from Lamont and whats her name.

    It turns out two damp squibs are gently lobed at AS which he deals with easily. Is this the best the opposition can do?

    Thought Murray was great, if she keeps up the stupid act (it was an act wasn't it) she could be the next replacement as Labours leader in Holyrood.

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  12. its in the name
    du Roy de Blicquy
    1066 and all that

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  13. Although he has a considerable handle I don't think Lord Strathclyde is very highly pedigreed. Was his father not a Tory MP for Hillhead who was "elevated" after being involved the the Vassal affair back in the day of Harold MacMillan-now HE was a toff- and this bloke has inherited that title and Lords it over the red benches.
    Strathclyde was sidelined several years ago and their lordships will all be redundant post 2014.
    It is not true that Ruth Davidson is Ian Davidson's daughter , is it?

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  14. He must of thought that it was open season on Salmon from recent shenanigans.

    Scottish independence: Law officers 'approved EU documents'

    Law officers read and approved official documents claiming an independent Scotland would remain in the EU, the Scottish government has confirmed.

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  15. I always thought lawyers would be fairly intelligent people. The likes of Lord Wallace, Ian Smart and now this numptie are proving the opposite.

    As for Davidson's weight gain. Is she maybe on the pill?

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  16. yeah well even if (that i doubt)it weren't a racist comment we Unionists heard it as a disgusting anti- English one.

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  17. ch

    to thin they been running around trying to find anything to justify salmond lying through his green teeth.

    shame the liar never mentioned these documents till weeks later and why waste our cash in legal fees when the docs were in the public domain.

    to thin but make yerself look an erse like Arbroath doing whirrlygigs covering up for the liar salmond

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  18. I thought Elaine Murray was auditioning for the part of Spud in the interview scene from Trainspotting. :-)

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  19. ch
    just pack it up you make yerself and Arbroath look er very silly indeed
    and she is as silly as a sheep

    Settling the details of
    European Union membership would
    take place in parallel to
    independence negotiations with the
    United Kingdom Government, and

    http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/293639/0090721.pdf


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  20. salmond dirty lying scum lower then vermin

    3.21 An independent Scotland would continue in the European Union and bear the burdens and fulfil the responsibilities of membership. Following negotiations on the detailed terms of membership,

    Following negotiations on the detailed terms of membership,

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  21. Do I smell a whiff of panic in some quarters, oh hi Niko there is a cure you know something that your best friend wouldn't tell you.

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  22. Are you a Labour MSP Niko?
    The language you use seems very familiar.

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  23. ch

    dont panic just admit you lost and get over it


    The YouGov survey, published by The Courier newspaper, put support for independence at 29% and opposition at 55%.

    The findings are broadly in line with two other polls this month from different organisations.

    YouGov's survey of more than 1,000 people in Scotland was conducted after the high-profile SNP conference in Perth.

    People were asked to respond to the Scottish Government's preferred question "Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?"


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  24. You know Niko your GP can refer you to some very good services that can help you deal with whatever it is you're suffering from,you only have to ask!

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  25. picknoseybestial

    typical snp Nat at the first opportunity pushes drugs to vulnerable people,

    I suggest you attend the issue at hand rather than just insult and abuse.

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  26. Aye Dubs... It was spectacularly devoid of anything even vaguely spectacular.

    Lamont droned on n her usual whiney fashion. Nothing new there. Lamont didn't listen to a word of what was said and by the end of her carry on had taken up WAY more time than she deserved.

    Whatsername was slightly mad. Time to take more water with it.

    I hear that there were moans from the Liberals that Wee Willie Rennie didn't get a question. Doubtless that was because, having wasted 2/3 of the time allotted to question the FM with political posturing, the PO thought it was time he answered some real questions.

    Marwick wants to get a grip of these people. Brief statement of background to the question, then the question. Tell then they are not there to make party political speeches.

    Alex Ferguson did it. So should she.

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  27. Anon: (both) I think he actually took the title from his grandfather who was the first Baron. His father predeceased his grandfather and so missed the title.

    The Belgian name comes from the current Baron's mother, and it was added into the family name, doubtl;ess to make it more posh sounding. (Isn't it strange that although Brits hate the French, they still like to add something in their language to their upper class names/titles/mottos... Dieu et Mon Droit!)

    Not a long pedigree, but he is a cabinet member and an hereditary peer, and so more likely to be Lord Snooty than say Mitchell who, although very rich and privileged has no title at all... (actually he doesn't have much in the way of a job now!!! unless you count being an MP which I do, but he probably doesn't. Totally O/T but it is said that he is planning revenge....)

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  28. CH. I thought that was the story. I see that Cameron's fantastical £100,000 which we were supposed to have spent on this nonsense was actually £4,000.

    No wonder they couldn't count the number of badgers; couldn't count the cost of running the west coast line; managed to included people working on workfare projects as "new jobs" in their statistics... and now apparently their education secretary wants teachers to have competence in maths... bloody pity that government ministers don't

    If Mr Cameron is reading this: You were £96,000 out you knob. Didn't they teach you anything at Eton?

    If I'm not mistaken there is a tiny island in the Caribbean which used to be a 'Département Outre-mer' of France. It had a referendum; it decided it wanted to be independent. It is still in the EU; it still uses the Euro. Why would Scotland not be allowed what a tiny island on the other side of the world can get?

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  29. Unlike you, Richie, I never thought they were that bright... Good at making money? Yep. Bright? Nope.

    Erm... I can't think of any good reason for her to be on the pill.

    Pils maybe?

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  30. OK Niko. Ask Taz to give you two of the green pills and one of the pink ones, and then settle down with a nice glass of cocoa ...

    You really shouldn't overdo it!

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  31. You've completely lost me there Juteman...

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  32. Niko said

    "I suggest you attend the issue at hand rather than just insult and abuse."

    Now I think we should all have a lie down. I'll send Taz round with the pills!

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  33. Pictish...the doctor has already prescribed care in the community and a shedload of pulls for Niko.

    He forgets to take them sometimes and goes off the rails.

    I've no doubt he will start quoting Latin texts any minute. He's very much a Cicero man.

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  34. Ha ha CH.. Comic strip is brilliant!

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  35. In the 70's it was only going to last ten years and 40 years later it is in decline and the price is too volatile for Scots to handle!

    In the 70's it was c$8-$10 yet now it is above steady above $100 a barrel and it seems voilà

    “Fortune has favoured the UK. Oil and gas from our waters provides around half the energy we need to heat our homes, fuel our cars and power our industry. It is the single largest industrial UK investor, supporting 440,000 jobs, and benefits the UK’s trade balance to the tune of £40 billion

    Now how much is our block grant again maybe Niko could help as I think it is c£35 billion but he could confirm.

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  36. It makes me feel sad, and then angry in turn, CH, when I know that that £40 million is going to be used to kill people, and to self aggrandise people like Cameron and his cronies.

    Most of it will be wasted. It could be doing so much good.

    The that dimwit Cameron says that when he shines a light on independence it all falls apart.

    God, his parents weren't have diddled out of their money when they bought him the best education in England.
    *****

    Our block grant is I think somewhere around £30 billion and decreasing.

    This is so wrong.

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  37. Tris, I don't know if this is the same place you were thinking of but there are a small group of islands off the East coast of Africa that will be the E.U.'s latest member in January 2014.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayotte

    With regards to the “amazing” antics of Murray at FMQ's I think she had left her I Pod switched on and was listening to this as she asked her question, she did ask a question didn't she?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoJXYgVnQIQ

    As far as Scotland's oil is concerned as we all know, we have consistently been told by our Lords and masters since 1975 that our oil will run out in 10 years time. Now I'm no mathematician but even I can see that the time scale from 1975 until 2012 is slightly longer than a 10 year span. Now we could always ignore Westminster's extremely accurate information regarding the lifespan of our oil wells and go instead with that very knowledgeable individual on the Easthouse edition of Q.T. As we can remember this “expert” claimed our oil would run out by 2027. Well perhaps Westminster should have held discussions with this “expert” before agreeing to this.

    http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-economy/6125-claim-that-the-best-days-for-north-sea-oil-are-over-is-a-myth-says-tory-energy-minister

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-20081833

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  38. Wee Wullie did not get to hone his finely tuned political acumen (cut as it was in the beer garden of Westminster, as MP for West Fife, although the Fifers did not see fit to have him back for a second go) and his rapier sharp wit. Which although it has yet to cut the FM down to size, it would no doubt have done so this time had he but been given a chance. At least according to Rennie himself and his legions of followers, that you could count on the fingers of one hand. As we know Willie is a towering figure in Scottish politics and is an inspiration to nobody at all!

    But compared to Lamont’s droning party political broadcast on behalf of the Conservative and Unionist Party and Davidson’s impression of a podgy and deranged Mitt Romney it was bound to have lifted the quality of the debate to at least the gutter.

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  39. I would have accredited Ruth with the prize for most ludicrous performance had Elaine Murray not been given a chance to steal the show and grab the prize for a performance that gave a whole new meaning to manic stupidity.

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  40. Manguim

    We all know stupidity rules at Labour HQ but to take it to manic levels like Murray did must mark her down as the next potential leader of the North British Branch of New/Old/any type of Labour.

    I hope that her rant gets posted on utube as I would like to show my American friends the calibre of opposition politicians in Holyrood these days.

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  41. Arbroath: No, I don't think that was it. I was certain someone covered it on their blog. It is a country, previously an overseas department of France, which has chosen independence, back in the early 2000s.

    I can't find it though...I hope I didn't just dream it.

    I'm pressed for time at the moment, but I will Google it later.

    Authoritative reporting is that there's 100 years left of oil. I suspect that long after the world has moved on to using something different we will still have all this sticky black stuff under the sea.

    One thing that we have in abundance that people may want more and more, is water.

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  42. "God, his parents 'weren't have' diddled out of their money when they bought him the best education in England." I said earlier...

    I should of course have said "weren't HALF" ...

    I wish I'd remember to read stuff back before I publish!!

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  43. Erm... are you not a big fan of Dr Murray then Munguin.

    I still haven't seen it.

    Poor Willie. His once chance to shine like the international political luminary he is underneath, and he is denied it, because these two women just couldn't shut up.

    Life is just soooo unfair.

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  44. Right, that's it. Tonight I just have to watch Dr Murray.

    Like you Dubs, I hope someone uploads it to Youtube.

    Bet Danny would love it. He's getting pretty Obama/Romney'd out at the moment.

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  45. "You've completely lost me there Juteman"

    Have a look at the scene in Trainspotting where Spud applies for a job whilst out his face on speed, then watch Elaine Murray. :-)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBAXWz-8arw

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  46. OMG....

    I have just watched Murray....

    Phewwwwww.

    Starting at.... around 25 minutes into this... if anyone hasn't seen it.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-20079712

    Every time I watch FMQs, I wonder at the stupidity of at least some of the questioners. Why, when composing their 'ever so clever', 'this will sort him out' questions, do they not stop and think about his possible responses.

    Why didn't Ken mcIntosh, for example, not look at ALL the figures for employment and economic growth, before he put his head into the lion's jaws. It seems to me that if I were asking Salmond a question, even if he didn't have fore sight of it, I'd look at how he could turn the answer round to bite me on the bum!

    As for Murray...she clearly hadn't listened to anything that has been said about Chinese steel, or indeed about public sector employment.

    How many times do you have to tell a PhD in Chemistry that we can't build the bridge with Scottish Steel, because Scotland doesn't make any steel?

    I mean if it were mrs McTumshie down the road, maybe that might take a while to sink in (it certainly did with Mrs Lamont down at the front bench) but heaven's sake she's a scientist.

    Maybe of course it was ALCHEMY rather than Chemistry that Dr Murray specialised in, and maybe Eck is supposed to mix up some chemicals and add 'eye of toad' and 'tongue of newt' to make the steel appear from the ashes of the British Steel plant at Ravenscraig (RIP 1992). (Round of applause Mrs Thatcher)

    Maybe Dr Murray could oblige by a bit of witchcraft, fo conjure up the steel for the project?

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  47. Hah ha ha ha ha ha ha Juteman....

    The two are indistinguishable...well apart from the hair thing that Murray has going on.

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  48. Tris

    It could be New Caledonia who want some sort of association rather than being a TOM or DOM.

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  49. I reckon that Elaine Murray could be a right raver.

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  50. You reckon Wolfie?

    She can certin bob and dive!!

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  51. Lupus Incomitatus no doubt you are a swinger!

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  52. This has to be the biggest waste of time in the world.

    Are the Tories snobs?

    Who gives a damn?

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  53. This has to be the biggest waste of time in the world.

    Voting Labour, Tory or LibDem in Scotland is a bigger waste.

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  54. I'd disagree and say voting for separation when the world is coming closer together is the biggest waste of time.

    Globalisation, digital technology and a borderless Europe - why build a new wall at the border now?

    It does not make sense.

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  55. Dean !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What on earth are you on about? You seem to be arguing for something you are against, bizarre.

    Globalisation is why we are in the present mess in producing businesses 'to big to fail' putting an ever increasing burden on the weakest.

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  56. Rennie offers SNP talks over reform

    "If they lose the referendum will they join the discussion, to develop a sustainable, stable model for the UK? I believe they have a role and I invite them to join us. It's an open, genuine offer to the SNP. When you are ready we'll be ready for you."

    Waiting on others seems a good future vocation for Willie, tips not allowed.

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  57. You really have to laugh. The party that can turn up at Holyrood in a taxi inviting the party with an overall majority to join "them" has wee Willie delusions of grandeur?

    The colossus that came seventh out of eight in the assisted places scheme wants people who won their seat to join him, you could not make this up.

    Mind you the five MSP they have at present will be more than their total MPs at Westminster after the next general election.

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  58. Could be having Willie Rennie as an MSP in Holyrood is definitely the waste of a humdrum lacklustre councillor - wherever he wants to be!

    What planet is the guy on - can voyager pick him out? - He's the one with the white flag and the big notice saying please tickle my belly!

    God above! - Are these what we've to put up with till 2016?

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  59. I see Moore got loose again. Spewing his bile about embracing reality. I think it really is him who should be doing the embracing.

    http://news.stv.tv/politics/197040-moore-uk-government-will-flush-out-facts-and-figures-on-independence/

    They certainly know how to fill a cupboard with their members. The room was not exactly filled to the gunnels with folk listening to Moore.

    Nice to see that Rennie found a seat though, all on his little ownsome!

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  60. CH and Tris

    Just look at all that latent pent up energy inside her.

    Channel it and you could have a volcano.

    Mind you, if you only knew my dietary habits, my dietary habits are pretty sh!t so, my taste in the conjugals could be equally objectionable to people like you.

    At least my preferences are consistent.

    I have to break off here as the Nurse has arrived with my morning medications. I hat it when the clocks change because they always stuff up the doses.

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  61. Well Dean... it depends on what you means bu "this".

    If you mean the police investigation, I agree completely...

    ...if it means the article, well, I beg to differ...!!! :)

    But I do think that we should have governmen as close to the people as possible.

    Of course you're right that so many thing nowadays are global or continental, but there are many things that are still able to be dealt with at a more local level.

    Economic stimulus, welfare, health, are three things that off the top of my head I wouldn't/don't want controlled from any farther afield than Edinburgh.

    Whereas control of the internet is clearly something that Edinburgh or London is entirely incapable of doing alone and has to be done in concert with every other country in the world from China to the Vatican..

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  62. Well Willie...we'll wait and see the outcome of the referendum.

    In the meantime...do you have any plans for what your partyette would be doing in an independent Scotland, or have you put that out of your head?



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  63. Yes Dubs, it's a corker.

    But let's be honest, it's a big improvement from their usual attitude of utter hatred.

    I suspect they were being sarcastic.

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  64. He he Barontorc... welcome to the blog with that post which had me laughing out loud.

    Yes, Willie would be suited better to being a councillor someplace not very big.

    Even in a parliament with Lamont and Davidson for competition, he comes out very badly.

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  65. Michael Moore is, of course, another politician who would be well suited to a local council.

    Suddenly (because of a colleague's dishonesty over expenses) hoist from nowhere to the level of cabinet minister, he doesn't really seem to be up to the job.

    There may or may not be automatic membership of anything, but all of it is almost automatic.

    Can you see the UN saying no?

    The EU has already said that as European citizens we would have rights. Legal advice which HAS been taken indicates that we would continue to be members of the EU.

    He's going to look very foolish sometime soon, just so that he could a few cheers from the "crowd".

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  66. Aye Wolfie (or should we now refer to you as Loopy?) the change of the clocks doesn't half mess with yer mind!

    :)

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  67. Second last comment there, was in reply to Arbroath.

    Sorry Arbroath... I'm a bit under the weather this morning. Stinking cold and bad night!!

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  68. I should add that so far THEY have lied through their teeth about the fact and figure on independence.

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