HAPPY NEW YEAR 2015

Edinburgh

We'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone who reads and comments (or just reads) these scribblings here at Munguin's Republic. 

We appreciate the time that you take to make this blog what it is. 

We really feel that we're a like a community of friends. Friends from all over the world... Scotland, England, France, Malaysia, China, USA,  and well, looking at the stats page, the list is seemingly endless so I'll stop at that. (There's no one from the Vatican.... why not?)

Anyway, wherever you are, Munguin and I wish you the very best of years in 2015. 

NICOLA AND JOHN TRUSTED TO GET THE BEST DEAL FOR SCOTLAND

So, along with the news that Scots would like to see the SNP hold the balance of power in the London parliament in the hopes that they will get the best possible deal for Scotland, we can also welcome polling which shows that voters trust Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney to stand up for Scotland.

A Panelbase poll commissioned by the SNP found that 59 per cent of those asked trusted Nicola Sturgeon – compared to just 27 per cent who said they did not. This gives an overall positive rating of +32 points, with positive ratings among men, women, and people of all ages and social groups.

Nicola also has a positive rating among those who voted No in the referendum, with 43 per cent saying they trust her.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney also had very good ratings, with 42 per cent saying they trusted him compared to 28 per cent who did not – a positive overall rating of +14 points.

In contrast, new Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy had a positive overall rating of just +2 points. While 39 per cent said they trusted him, 37 per cent said they did not. In news that will not surprise some, Mr Murphy showed more Tory voters trusting him than Labour voters. 

Strangely, Patrick Harvie had a bad rating of -6 points. Ruth Davidson was at -25 points and Willie Rennie at -31 points.

Looking at the London politicians, Labour leader Ed Miliband’s ratings were negative (-45 points overall with an horrific 63 per cent saying they did not trust him).  David Cameron was also unpopular, with an overall rating of -52 per cent (not surprising for a Tory PM in Scotland), while more worrying for the Liberals, Nick Clegg was the least trusted of all with -64 points overall. 74 per cent say they do not trust him and only 10 per cent say they do. What a disaster for him and the Liberals going into the next London election.

Nicola Sturgeon showed positive ratings of +14 among people who voted Labour in 2011, while poor old Ed Miliband had negative ratings of -3 among Labour voters.

Of course people will insist that a poll commissioned by the SNP will be biased, but I’m not sure how biased you can make a question which simply asks if you trust someone to stand up for Scotland’s interests.

The sample size was 1018 and the polling was conducted by Panelbase between 18 and 23 December.

Maybe Mr Kelly will do a more learned analysis of the figures...
******************

WELL DOH...HA

I’ve just read this from Humza Yousaf… “Scottish Government is being attacked by Scottish Labour for staying in a hotel in Doha, not realising Gordon Brown was staying in exact same hotel for the same conference - hypocrisy knows no bounds!”

Come on, Labour. Get your act together. 

WE ARE ALL IN IT TOGETHER

I wonder how much that would fetch melted down for scrap?

I'm happy to dob them in

It seems that HRH went off the colours she had chosen...
... and it all had to be done again.

Think, Columbo, it must be because they have a lot to hide

Costly, and neither useful nor ornamental.
In my house, that kind of thing goes to the tip.

It's an easier target for IDS; they don't move as fast as foxes.

Just as well she knows the right people
Just like Jackie Smith, remember her?

We're all Bob Cratchits

Ewwww... hard one.
Which one is it that lies every time he opens his mouth

Of course...

They'll find something... sure won't be their fault.

It's not supposed to work for the plebs.
Probably does pretty well for the nobs though.

Be warned!

No improvement there.
Even if it doesn't work for the bulk of us, the South East will like it.

The only important place.

And we know who they are...

Yes, that's right, the load of greedy, unprincipled, unscrupulous swine.

Oh sod off, your lordship, I mean, Danny. No one gives a stuff.

So useful, ridding the countryside of all these useless flying animals.
What do pest controllers get paid again?
THAT much? And a helicopter too?
Hell's teeth, I'll get me a job doing that!

Your mother would be so ashamed of you. She didn't bring
you up to murder innocent animals for fun.

Finally, there were those among us who were irritated that the Queen made a very ill-advised and badly thought-out reference to reconciliation in and with Scotland in her speech this year, completely neglecting, as she did, to mention the two sides of the argument... including the lies and cheating now being revealed about the campaign, and her own unconstitutional involvement. Not to mention her purring down the phone. It was just wrong and did her a considerable amount of harm.

Additionally, sitting in a palace surrounded by immense treasure and wealth, as one of the richest women in the world in her own right, and with rights for life to what must be trillions of pounds worth of art treasures, she had the bloody nerve to talk about how her Christian faith had always guided her actions.

Now I had an idea that the Church demanded that everyone give 10% of their wealth to help the poor (tithe), and Her Majesty, with practically limitless finances, by coincidence, has around a million of her subjects who don't have enough money to feed themselves, clothe themselves or heat their homes. And that's only in her British nation. She is Queen of 15 other countries and several territories!

And yet for all her strong Christian faith which she claims guides her every action, we see no evidence at all that she does much to help those of her peoples in such dire situations. Here's a wee message for her Grace from an ex President of the USA.

Maybe coming from America she will take some notice.

Perhaps too, the UK prime minister, who also claims to be a Christian and that the UK is a Christian Country, and his Minister for Work and Pensions, who apparently, although unbelievably, has pretensions in that direction too, would like to take that on board.

GO FIGURE...

If someone can find a rational explanation for this choice, given some of the amazing people in these islands, then please feel free point it out.

All I can say is if Nigel Farage can win Briton of the Year, and Tony Blair can win prizes for his humanity, then I'm bloody glad I never won anything ever. Because if I had, I'd give it back now. 

Way to devalue these type of awards.

Happy Christmas

Watch me now, here I go, all I need's a little snow

Starts me off, sets the theme, helps me dream my Christmas dream

Every year I dream it, hoping things will change

An end to the crying, the shouting, the dying

And I hope you will dream it too

It's Christmas, remember? We've got to remember

So, light the light, I'm home tonight

I need you to warm me, to calm me, to love me

To help me to dream my Christmas dream

Crazy things, said and done every single day but one

Every night should, I believe, be the same as Christmas eve

Nights should all be silent, days should all slow down

An end to the hurry, the noise and the worry

And I hope you believe that too

It's Christmas, remember? Does no one remember?

The whole world needs, a Christmas dream

We need it to warm us, to calm us, to love us

To help us to dream our Christmas dream

Neither Munguin nor I are particularly Christmassy. We certainly have no time for the rank commercialisation of it, but we do, very certainly, believe in the message of peace. 

It is, however, a terrible pity that the people who might be able to bring that a bit closer, don't seem to care much for that aspect of Christmas, and seem more interested in the ringing of tills.

Of course peace doesn't make as much money as war...

Anyway...have a nice day tomorrow and we'll see you on Boxing Day.

RANDOM REPRODUCTIONS

He reminds me of one of the characters in Harry Potter.
Of course Jaykey will know him. 
That's probably where the inspiration came from.

************

To the Courier:

Dear Sir

I am pleased to see your paper highlighting the absence of local MP Jim McGovern from a crucial vote to end the bedroom tax. Fury at Dundee MP for missing crucial ‘bedroom tax’ vote.

Based on Mr McGovern’s track record, this should come as no surprise. Having abstained from the original bedroom tax vote and voted in support of the welfare sanctions it is clear that he does not represent the people of Dundee West who elected him.

As a former Labour member it was behaviour like this which made up my mind to leave the Labour Party and join the Scottish Socialist Party, who truly represent the needs and aspirations of the working class people of Dundee West that Labour was once created to represent.

What has been clear in his actions is that Mr McGovern is in politics not to help but rather to take, claiming over £200,000 in expenses this year alone.

Surely the question now must be asked. What does Jim McGovern do for his constituents?

Allan Grogan
Scottish Socialist Party

********** 

Jeremy, oh, what's his name again...?

Spot on.
Shut your stupid mouth, you spoilt brat.

SingalongaEd

Hilarious

You'd think given how much money they make, they might have spared some hot water
It's not that the homeless would be likely to be buying their overpriced  dishwater

Probably should be other priorities, right enough, Nicola...
Wouldn't you agree, Jim?

Ah, no, you wouldn't. But then you enjoy wars, don't you? You certainly always vote for them. So, given that, I'm surprised you left the country you grew up in  rather than serve in their military... You'd have thought you'd be raring to get at the enemy...

Does that not make you cry?

That's why we're not doing Christmas this year.

I hear the Westminster parliament is sinking into the Thames.
How awful...if they didn't all get out in time.

Ah yes, Mrs Thatcher's favourite paper...

And what, you might wonder, is wrong with that?

Fairer than fair; the good old Labour Party

Well, indeed, so lie like crazy to get your bonus eh, Cochers?
You third rate scribbler.

Tories to the right, Tories to the left, Tories in the middle...