It's pretty much accepted that the referendum vote was swung at the last minute by the Vow (whoever wrote it … no one seems to want to take responsibility) and Gordon Brown's promises of federal, home rule, devo max.
Up till then the dismal performance of negativity from Brown's arch rival, Darling and his team, had succeeded in reducing what had started out as a clear and massive NO majority, to pretty well evens... (and some say that private polling for the No campaign showed YES at around 54/55% in the last week.
Given that we had a just cause (a nation wishing to be independent) and a good argument (economic, cultural and social), I always expected the divide to narrow, and of course I hope to win. it did and we didn't.
Given that we were up against the British government and British establishment, as corrupt and venal a group of people as any you’ll meet anywhere, and whose self preservation instinct is legend, I always expected something to happen at the end of the campaign to ensure their victory and the continuation of their way of life as it has always been over the centuries.
I must admit I had anticipated the outbreak of war, or a massive terrorist attack, on Edinburgh maybe, our capital saved from disaster by MI5 taking a day off from protecting the perverts and “our brave BRITISH boys”... I even predicted somewhere that the death of a senior member of the royal family, conveniently taking place in the last few days of the campaign might mean that it had to be delayed as the country, for reasons of tradition rather than affection, went into deep mourning.
In the end it was far simpler than that. Showing predictable and total disregard for truth, which is no more nor less than I expect of the Brits (you see I call THEM Brits because I genuinely think of them as foreigners), they led us to believe that they would grant what they had always denied… what Cameron had gone out of his way to hail as his victory over Salmond… Devo (super) max.
The cunning, sly prime minister even had the failed ex-prime minister, Gordon Brown, make the promise on his behalf, knowing that it would be broken and the blame would fall on him. (I suspect that Brown’s abiding hatred for Darling convinced him to go along with this. Succeeding at the 11th hour where Darling had failed must have been an enormous temptation.)
No wonder they were called the Perfidious Albion.
A constitutional commission was then given a couple of months to come up with a settlement after consulting with the widest range of Scottish life... and were, the Rev Stuart Campbell calculates, able to give as much as 47 seconds to each submission they received, no matter how long they were. (How insulting to those of us who spend days writing up their submissions.)
Then, before reporting its findings to the people of Scotland, the work of the Commission had to be run past the likes of Duncan Smith and May. And they were allowed to water it down. Before WE saw even it.
So much for an independent commission.
And all of this before it goes before the House of Commons, the House of Lords and then the Scottish Parliament.
And now these Brits want us to get over it... accept that we lost.
The London establishment live in a world of royalty, aristocrats, fancy dress Ruritanian costumes, unbounded privilege and expenses pretending that they still exist in the days of the empire and that they are important world statespeople.
A total fantasy world, because in reality they are the puppets of the American administration strutting around the world two paces being Obama, and being sniggered at by everyone from China to Tuvalu.
Well, maybe reality is just about to give them a good hard kick in the arse.
But, if they think that that is likely to happen and that their cosy little fantasy world is about to be taken from them, then I still don't rule out a terrorist attack, another war, or a royal demise.
**********
**********
PS
 |
| What was it Bitter Together said about the state pension? |
I had to look 'perfidious' up in a dictionary.
ReplyDeleteFor those, like me, that are not in the 'know', it means:
" not able to be trusted : showing that someone cannot be trusted..."
Sums up our ex-Prime Minister, unelected to the highest office of the English State by right of succession, who suddenly arrived - in the quarter to midnight moment -as a re-animated corpse on the Scottish political scene and made promises he was neither able to broker, nor, frankly cared a lot about. And now what do we have?
A man who has done his job and walks away, with the empathy of an assassin for his victim.
There are politicians whose ego's I hate(d). Blair and Cameron come to mind. The case of Gordon Brown is somewhat different. If I ever work out quite what it is about him that is despicable, I'll let you know.
His planet sized ego, not intelligence.
Deletejimnarlene
It's not just the prime ministers, Douglas, although heaven knows they are a bunch of lying bastards...
DeleteMaggie, protector of paedophiles; coverer up in chief of Hillsborough; John the lad with his back to basics, spinsters cycling to church, the smack of cork on willow and Mrs Currie in the broom cupboard at number 10 while Norma was upstairs cooking peas; Tony the monster who went to war because George bush told him to and got rid of anyone who looked likely to get in his way... or write about it in his memoirs...
The whole bloody lot of them are perfidious... the Church, the palace, the Lords, Commons, the fourth estate, the police, the courts... bent as horseshoes made from corkscrews, the lot of them.
And all the time they it there on Security council pretending that they matter, and then cote the way America told them to vote. Pathetic little broke island run by fantasists.
I'm convinced Brown did this to spike Darling... who remembers him?
Let me know if you come up with a particular reason to dislike Brown...
Plant... not planet Jim.
DeleteHis intelligence is plant sized but, his ego is most definitely planet sized; the dictionary definition of delusional. The great clunking git.
Deletejimnarlene
Oh! tris @ 10:32 pm.
DeleteI have loads of reasons for disliking the man. putting that dislike into intelligible sentences is more of your specialism than mine.
;-)
Yes, Jim...after I sent that comment I rethought it... You're right.
DeleteLOL Douglas. It defeats me most of the time... :) Well, certainly in anything where kids might get to read it...
DeleteThe words "perfidious Albion" have been used to describe England for centuries, so why would they change now? Just as they are the most formidable Nationalists (think how many countries they have invaded/conquered).
DeleteThe problem is that they do not recognise this description of themselves, and it is difficult to see them change their coats. I now have an absolute loathing for London England and wish Indy for Scotland could come soon.
I just came across this example of why the term 'perfidious Albion' is appropriate.
Deletehttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/30/athens-1944-britains-dirty-secret
I suspect, Les, that there are plenty of examples of that kind of thing which led, over the centuries, to the adjective "perfidious".
DeleteI'd have thought that one of the most recent examples was when Blair kissed Qaddafi in the desert, and Brown, in more reserved way, shook his hand, then Britain joined the rebels in overthrowing and murdering him.
I seem to remember at the time of the "kiss" that Qaddafi was being held up as a shining example of what happens if you renounce terrorism, and play ball with America (and its poodle). Trade deals, economic resurgence as America removes sanctions...
...They failed to mention that you would end up in a drain being shot by terrorists... A slight slip of memory of the Brit FCO, I wouldn't wonder.
I would not rule out any dirty trick from the Brit establishment, they need Scotlands resources; to continue to strut the world stage; like a derange peacock.
ReplyDeleteThough they have zero influence, in reality, it is all pretence. Delusional belief in the empire, where the sun never set; is still somehow theirs to command.
We and the other Celtic "regions" of Britland, are the last to demand our freedom but, the day is coming.
jimnarlene
Yes, and I don't think they have any conscience when it comes to offing people to meet their ends.
DeleteGreat piece Tris. Puts into words, much better than I ever could, my feelings about the whole rancid British state and establishment. The sooner we're shot of them the better, before they do even more damage than they've already done.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much PB...
DeleteThey have done incredible damage. I don't think many people here know what life is like in comparable countries in Europe, or Australasia.
I loathe the country and have done for as long as I can remember.
If I could come back again and start over, I'd defiantly want to be born in Iceland, Faroes, Norway, Sweden, Finland or Denmark... or maybe Switzerland or Austria...
Never the Uk.
I reckon Broon was told to step in at the last minute, or 'those' photos would be made public.
ReplyDeleteBastards, the lot o' them.
Well, you never know with this lot.
DeleteAfter all, it's done all the time by whips. Mrs Thatcher employed it mercilessly.
Great blog, you put it better than I did.
ReplyDeleteThey want to conflate the referendum result with the outcome of the promises they made to get the referendum result.
Except, they broke the promises they made. They just don't care that they're telling people who voted WITH them to piss off.
I wish I could say they'll rue the day, but we thought that about what they did after 1979 too.
Thanks Pa, although I doubt that's true.
DeleteTo be honest it was inspired by your blog. The first few lines started off as a reply to you, but I decided in the end that it was an angry enough rant to make it a post.
They may end up ruing the day this time. The world has changed since 1979. I can't remember clearly what happened then, but I doubt so many people were energised as now, and of course in 1979 we still had a Labour Party, as opposed to two or three Tory parties.
Mrs Thatcher happened; Mr Blair and New Labour happened; the Scottish parliament and government happened, and of course, the internet happened, giving people a voice that wasn't controlled by the BBC or the newspaper proprietors in search of a lordhood or some other preferment.
I sense a burning loathing of the thieving, lying, conniving, politicians and their BBC propaganda machine. It may have been there in 1979, but I doubt it, and I suspect that even if it had been the BBC would have managed to spin around it.
Now we know that Labour and the Tories (and the Liberals) are the same party defending the same interests. We also know that the BBC lies, along with all of the rest of the establishment from the royals and their church down to the MPs who stole so much money in expenses, the police and the newspapers who collaborated in hacking. We also know that while the BBC was telling us what was good for us, it was protecting Rolf and Jimmy and their likes adn Alan Yentob though he deserved First Class travel to New York.
They are all deserving of our loathing. Hopefully they will get it.
I agree entirely and unequivocally. We are harnessed to a rotting corpse that is the UK Government and its main political Parties intertwined with main stream media who churn out lies and heinous obfuscations to the gullible and vulnerable proles. My greatest concern is that if we in Scotland dump Labour by voting for SNP or Greens, the UK will be subjected to another appalling 5 years of government by toffs for toffs. However I have pledged affiliation to what's best for my country and will be supporting the SNP. I've given Labour enough second chances and feel completely betrayed by them. I am terrifically heartened by the continued enthusiasm of those YES voters who are still active and positive for a successful outcome next time we have the opportunity to break away from rUK.
DeleteEven if we got a Labour government Pat, would we notice any difference?
DeleteThey are committed to Trident, American wars, deficit reduction as long as it doesn't hurt the rich, benefit misery for working and unemployed poor.
That they would put up the top rate of tax by 5p, is hardly going to make everything better for people on £6.50 an hour.
They aspire to a minimum wage of £8 an hour by 2020...
What an aspiration for a Labour Party.
I think most of us will notice no difference at all what happens with Labour or the Tories.
Labour are less for devolution though, because the more that is devolved to Scotland, the less likely they are ever to hold any BIG NOISE positions in the BRITISH government, which of course is second only in world importance to the USA.
:)
"Failed Ex Prime Minister"? Now come on Tris, you've got to keep up. The man has been reinvented as a 'titan of politics' , 'A political heavy weight' , 'A man whose contribution to British politics will be remembered for his good works'.
ReplyDeleteMakes you want to puke.
CapnAndy.
Hmmm... I'm sorry. I live in a little bubble here. Not watching BBC Scotland I have missed out on the man's rehabilitation into sainthood.
DeleteHe was never a political heavyweight although he's not a slim man. He was an incompetent chancellor who left the country in a worse mess than in the 1930s, he was a joke as a prime minister, with his hissy fits and phone throwing, and pleading with Mr Obama for a photo op.
He's a mess as an elder statesman, being used by Cameron to promote something that effectively will bar any S cot form ever holding a senior position in the UK, yet deny them the opportunity to be a world statesman for their own country.
Imagine being conned by a two-bit spiv like Cameron...
What an insult.
I agree with everything you say, including expecting something drastic to occur before the 18th.
ReplyDeleteThe Brit establishment can never be underestimated in their corruption.
The fact that MI5 set up PIE, not to out these people but to use them, speaks strongly of their mind set.
It has been Scotland's misfortune to be literally tied to England.
Certain Proud Scots but have always made out of the union, from the past to Broon, Darling now, but the people have never prospered under the union.
Sometimes I despair if we will ever break free and then I think give it one more try.
At least now all of us Yes supporters know clearly what we are up against but a lot of the No voters are still duped. Liz
Hi Liz...
DeleteNil desperandum... as they say in Latinland.
We mustn't ever give up.
Bit by bit we are persuading people that there is no logical reason that we can't do it ourselves... just like other little countries, somehow we will find the people to run an economy, handle our foreign affairs and decide our own priorities for pensions and social security as well as for education, health, law and order, etc.
We really don;t need big brother watching us, selling things off to the highest bidder and going to war when it suits the big boys.
We shall prevail.
tris and the other nat fantasists
ReplyDeleteThe TRUTH is you lost fair and square who ever said Democracy has
clean hands ? within the referendum the snp arranged and organised
you lost lost lost.
And if another was held tomorrow you would lose by an even
wider margin............the scots have spoken loud and clear
and it was NO you ignore the sovereign will of the Scottish peoples
at your electoral peril .
No Nico, Scotland lost. And under Westminster rule, we are going to lose a hell of a lot more. No pension, no welfare state, no NHS. What we will get is nuclear weapons on our doorstep, nuclear waste dumps, nuclear power stations; that we don't need and royally f*"'£d at every opportunity.
Deletejimnarlene
Yes, that is fair comment. The Yes side lost the referendum, based on a promise from someone we were told was a colossus of Scottish politics, although regardless of his politics I never really saw that.
DeleteHe implied that he spoke with the authority of the current prime minister.
He promised federal/home rule.
It turns out that the Smith Commission, given 47 seconds to devote to each submission, comprised two Labour, two SNP, two Greens and.. the entire cabinet of the London government which must be in the region of 15 Tories and 5 or 6 Liberals..
I accept that the proposals must be passed by the Commons, and then their lordships and then Holyrood, but we should have seen what mr Smith 's report was, unadulterated by the opinions of IDS and Graying and Thatcher mark 2.
That was an insult.
Polls suggest if there were another referendum tomorrow the YES side would win.
tris
ReplyDeletea good read and could be me
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/dec/03/leaving-labour-green-party-social-change
Last week, after over 30 years of being a Labour party member, I left – and joined the Green party. The events of that week were the final straw for me. It had already become clear that the Labour party was never going to recover from the poison of Blairism and return to being the radical campaigning force for social change it once was.
Are you joining the Greens then?
Deletejimnarlene
So you are now in favour of independence, along with your new party then Niko?
DeleteTake your time now, I'm off to get in some beer.
Well, you know that I entirely agree with you there Niko.
DeleteAnd I agree with the writer, albeit that he talked about the UK situation and neglected to mention Patrick Harvie.
Labour was once a decent party. We owe it to them that we had a welfare state that was there for all, regardless of class, income, birth...
The health service, dental service... all down to Labour.
The Blair came along.
People may dislike Miliband or Brown, but the real architects of labour's downfall was Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson.
I've always meant to ask you what you think of the fact (Neil Findlay let it out) that Scottish Labour are anti nuclear? Conference voted that the Trident be scrapped.
Did anyone tell Jimbob?
It'll break his heart.
I think you may have over interpreted there Jim, and Conan...
DeleteBut I look forward to our Niko's answer.
It's why I'm getting the beer in...
DeleteI may get some beers in too, it'll be interesting. I don't really think Nico will join the Greens but, stranger things have happened. I was just rattling the cage a bit, as is Nico's wont.
Deletejimnarlene
Dwight: Most people think Marv is crazy. He just had the rotten luck of being born in the wrong century. He'd be right at home on some ancient battlefield swinging an axe into somebody's face. Or in a Roman arena, taking his sword to other gladiators like him. They woulda tossed him girls like Nancy back then.
DeleteGreat film...
Deletejimnarlene
Jimminy
DeleteI agree
Tris
ReplyDeleteThey did what they had to do to win. Brown, Cameron etc put aside their differences to fight to keep power at westminster and in the hands of the few. I don't think any of us expected any different but were probably taken by surprise by 99% of the media doing their part, BBC , Record, Mail yes but not the Guardian etc. I also think that a YES vote would have pushed what was left over the edge, interest rates, debt, loans, europe. It all would have fell and I really believe England would have been on it's knees. While I am still disappointed at the result, although have accepted it, they probably get the skits every time they think about it. They came very close to losing it all but there are lesson to be taken from it. I never agreed with the currency issue and the too positive approach overall, I understand why YES took that approach but they got that wrong. I think our own currency would have made a difference, making an issue out of heredity privilege would have made a difference, a little muck raking basically and important lessons for the next time.
My feeling on Gordon Brown are well known, the man is a bully and not all there. He virtually destroyed Britain with a little help from all the other tories, but his arrogance very nearly brought about a Greece situation. We might still face that as the Tories/Lib Dems seem hell bend on finishing what he started through their total incompetence and Miliband is a rabbit caught in the headlights and has no clue what he is doing. If he wants to even have a real go next May he has to get rid of Balls, doesn't he understand that he is hated more than osbourne by most people and seen as totally useless.
Interesting times if somewhat frustrating. But hopefully people will see how much they are getting shafted with Smith and Ireland getting corporation tax etc, people have got to learn the lessons also and not make the same mistake the next time. Also think the SNP are wrong to suspended the councillors for burning the Smith Report, I wanted to wipe my arse on it. Anyway, it is an over reaction to a silly prank and bowing to the hypocricy of the three tory parties. After all burning an effigy of the First Minister is just a joke according to Willie Rennie and nationalists needed to get a sense of humour. However, the SNP need to be careful because if they go down the political correct road for minor things then they won't have my membership for long, those days are gone and it's time to have an honest politics now and not the crap that so many have rejected.
Bruce
Bellum Canis aedifex?
DeleteConan
Deleteyou dirty fecker do yerself a mischief so you will
Ah, back to the auld Niko.
DeleteI see the NI stuff now.
Is it, building for the dogs of war, or a kennel? Latin is not in my ken. Honest question.
Deletejimnarlene
A very old Independence blogger, one of the first to be stopped by the unionist media.
DeleteBruce...
DeleteI could see where the money came from.
Id have been happy with a Scottish currency, but it would have been as hard as nails... like the Swiss franc and the Norwegian Krona.
Without oil the pound sterling would have lost a lot of value.
It owuld ahve been hard from exporters on both sides of the border.
And the UK pension, owed to many people, would have been worth a lot less when it was converted into Scottish currency.
Try buying stuff in Norway on British money adn you will see what i mean.
The rest I agree with...
I'd forgotten about War Dog Conan....
DeleteThat was a long time ago, when we were but youths!
Not the same Bruce then? Alas.
DeleteNo offence to this one.
Thanx for the clarification, Conan.
Deletejimnarlene
I love it when it gets all classical.
ReplyDeleteNiko's at home with that being classically educated...
In an approved school...
DeleteConcordia discors?
ReplyDeleteLOL...That's what this place is all the time Conan.
DeleteBut I like it well enough...
Credite posteri.
DeleteYou will not get a bronze statue Tris; the people who start revolutions get footnotes in history.
Or ice picks.
I'd only want a tree Conan. The statues should go to the likes of Wings. They've made a difference.
Deletelibertatem veniet
Revelation upon revelation. I am more convinced that Scotland will gain independence. It will only be a matter of time...retak menanti belah. I am however astounded with the level of rottenness that permeates the Establishment. This is corruption (in its most basic meaning) on a whole another level. To think I used to believe UK and Brits (your definition) are the epitome of civilisation.
ReplyDeleteScotland must save itself. The only thing we all must concentrate and do to convinced the unconvinced that everything is NOT okay. It maybe the hardest thing to do.
p/s: I have reached my data limit :(
is to convince*
DeleteAHAH:
DeleteThe world used to believe that the Brits were the epitome of civilisation.
Basically because they told them that they were.
In fact they have always been (including North Brits) a set of chancers.
Reaching data limits is a pain. That's one of the reasons I'm leaving BT with their limits and going to Virgin.
Hope you manage to get to an internet café... till your next allowance.
So the Nationalist pledge to respect the outcome of the referendum didn't last long!
ReplyDelete55%, a 10 point margin of victory isn't 'narrow', it was decisive.
Let's stop moaning about how much to hate Unionists, and start working together (TOGETHER) to ensure more power than currently offered comes to Scotland.
My point is simple: we are where we are.
Moaning about things won't help the Nats, or Independentists achieve what they most desire ('cos a clear majority of Scots said no thanks). So lets all work together on what the majority of Scots DO want...
Holyrood to control everything except foreign and defence policy.
Is this what Nats want? No. You all do not. But is it better than the status quo post Smith Commission? Yes.
I agree that, control everything except foreign and defence policy is what most people want. And we are, where we are but, do political parties dissolve after losing an election, no. Why then, should those of us wanting Scotland to be independent, melt away. A 6% swing is all that is required, for YES to win in any future referendum. People have now seen the methods and the flat out lies, used by the No campaign. Scotland will be independent, of that there is no doubt.
Deletejimnarlene
Dean what was there to respect, Do you respect lies and cheats, the Smith Commission is another bit of the same stuff. It will continue to be waved under the noses of the stupid, the so called silent majority, you know the ones who say they do not believe a word issued from the mouths of Politicians who then get them to believe any amount of rubbish, until the day after the GE. Then it will be quietly forgotten. Any way it would have to be approved by and I never tire of saying it, The House of Commons and Lords and where does the majority lie, England. The English have been conditioned for centuries to look down on Scotland and see us as the enemy. They will not allow it.
DeleteSurely even the most ardent of unionists cannot think for a second that what the Smith commission came up with is what Gordon Brown promised. Secondly, they can hardly think it right that the Commission's findings were allowed to be changed by the UK cabinet.
DeleteWould you agree with these two statements, Dean.
You've said a few times that you think Scotland should control everything except foreign policy and defence. Can you explain why that is.
Is London particularly adept at either of these things. Does America not largely control both our foreign policy and our defence?
As a supporter of the EU, do you think that it is right that UK ministers should be able to control Scotland's relations with the EU; agree fishing, farming and immigration, to suit them, not us?
Further, do you think that a majority of English voters should be able to take Scotland out of the EU destroying as many as 300,000 jobs as they do so?
The trouble is Dean, even if you think that somehow the Brits are experts at foreign affairs and at wars, do you trust them to actually do anything about letting us control our own pensions, or taxes...
Do you not think that if the pressure came off them they would think..."That's them back in their box for another 30 years or so... back to business as usual. I say, Carruthers, pass the port!" ?
When did losing 11/9 with 'foreign' officials and a tanoy system blasting out misleading messages become a decisive victory?
DeleteSince the BBC decided it was?
DeleteMeant to add, Dean that in my wee part of Scotland we added another 200 new members and now stand at 1300, that is in two weeks. Looks like the YES people are no impressed either or believe a bleeding word that has emanated from Mr Smith's wee talking shop.
ReplyDeleteThat is the way to put pressure on, Helena.
DeleteAnti-fracking protest at Grangemouth
ReplyDeleteA static protest outside INEOS in Grangemouth organised by No Fracking Falkirk. MC/Host Performer: Jock Scot (Yew Choob). Speakers: Professor John Robertson (University of West Scotland), Gary McClements (SSP), Maria Montinari (Falkirk Against Fracking), Anonymous, Councillor Paddy Hogg, Joshua Brown, DR Richard Dixon Director at Friends of the Earth, Cat Boyd (RIC), Owen McNeil. Performers: Billy Bates, Bobby Nicholson/Kevin Gore and Billy Robertson.
First rate, CH.
DeleteThe Smith Commision is a joke - why offer Northern Ireland complete powers over Corporation Tax without a referendum/ commision and yet offer Scotland NO powers over what could benefit our commerce and industry? Let Scotland give it's verdict on the Smith Report next May!
ReplyDeleteAgreed Alan. Can't imagine why they think they should be able to devolve corporation tax to a province and not to a country... seems weird.
Delete