WHAT DID THE QUEEN TELL MURDO ABOUT HER FOOTBALL PREFERENCES?

The Three Brexiteers. 

In the last post Dean made some observations about Brexit and Scotland's reaction to it. 

In this post I'd like to look at Brexit and what our response might be. 

Firstly, I don't think we should ever give up on what we believe in. Brexit or no, many people simply believe that Scotland is best served being governed for itself, by itself, although clearly working with other countries in international organisations. 

The Brexit débacle may have swayed people in this in one direction or the other, of course.

Let's be clear, Brexit was, and is, made in a perfectly legal referendum decision, not an unreasonable aspiration. I don't knock anyone who believes in it.

Maybe because I see the four constituent members of the UK as separate countries with their own needs and economic and social realities, however, I think that any case that can be made for Brexit is far less compelling if you are from Scotland, or NI, or clearly, Gibraltar. London is rather different, given its status in the financial world. 

Different people in different countries were voting for different things. Northern Ireland for example, already marginalised by Great Britain, is worried that being outside the EU while the rest of Ireland is in it, will be damaging to its economy. It is also a recipient of a great deal of EU money which almost undoubtedly will not be forthcoming from the UK. Scotland, whilst not in the same category still profits from its membership of the EU.

One of the disturbing aspects of the Brexit campaign at least from the 'popular' press, and one that seemed to take root in England in particular, was a level of xenophobia, the likes of which I've never seen before. By heavens the editors of the Sun, Mail, Telegraph and Express seem to either have a visceral hatred for foreigners ... or have worked out that their readers do and from this they can make money. 

How to create a solid wall of hatred.

Of course I will never give up on the idea of independence for Scotland, but like most of us, I have had to accept the will of the Scottish people in a referendum in 2014, to stay in the UK.

But it's fair to say that that vote was based on some assurances, not least one propounded by British politicians of both colours (and probably the LDs) and the EU authorities, that the only way to stay in the EU was to stay in Britain. That Scots voted 62-38 to stay in Europe is a real indicator that that was something that may have influenced them in their 2014 decision.

Aye, Fluffy, whatever...

In any political campaign we know that people lie and politicians of every shade manipulate statistics and facts to their own advantage. Hard though it is for a normal person to understand Mr Mundell's volte face, I'm sure that he and his side are not the only ones to do this. 

Lord knows the NHS staff and some patients may well have been swayed by the implied benefit of £350 million a week from Boris, Nigel and crew.

No, we aren't really being served. But we're only Jocks, Irish, or Gibraltarians.

On our side (independence for Scotland), we have had "the settled will of the Scottish people" rammed fairly hard down our throats for some time. Fair enough. Certainly the politicians at the top, the FM, the cabinet and minister, accepted that, although they continue to work hard to persuade the Scottish people that they made the wrong choice (well the 55%). There's nothing unreasonable about that. You don't give up on a dream if at first you don't succeed. 

Had Nigel lost he wouldn't have said, "oh well, that's it, we'll abandon any hopes of coming out of Europe; I'll just learn French so that I don't have to shout/slur loudly at the bar staff in Brussels".

Our parliament has a majority of members who were elected on a platform that included the proposal that if there were to be a material change in the political or economic situation, then another referendum on independence was possible. Their election too, might be called the settled will of the Scottish people, as might be the 62% for Europe vote in our country.

The 'settled will' in any case is not ever really settled, regardless of what the odious Jack Straw says (in between celebrating  Berexit getting Chilcott and thus his sorry backside off the front pages almost immediately!!) He would have made it illegal for there EVER to be another referendum on Scottish Independence.

To be fair Mr Farage was never one to see irony

Populations are changing all the time, because population is a moving thing: people come of age and people die. People arrive and people move away. It's the way of things. A 'will' in 2014 may have changed dramatically by 2019 because of a change in demographics, particularly given that statistics show that the younger people tend to be much more pro-independence than older ones. So 'settled will' even a few years later, may be very different.

Nicola is doing the right thing in my opinion, to see if the 'will' of the Scottish people, in both referenda can be accepted: ie, Scotland remain a part of the UK and a part of the EU.  That's after all what the Scots said back in 2014 and 2016.

It's not as fantastical as it seems. In the Kingdom of Denmark, part is in and part out. And the Irish situation may well demand a much more flexible viewpoint, for the sake of peace or again the possibility of a part of the UK breaking away.

If, as Westminster seems to be indicating it will, that fails, then the views of the Scottish people may be sought again. Not to do so would be letting down the 62% who are about to be dragged out of Europe with the attendant loss of jobs and increased costs. Particularly because of the specific promise made by UKOKers in 2014.

Well, there you go. The Queen must hate Celtic, Murdo?
Did you ask her how she feels about you telling the world that?

Murdo Fraser, seems to be unaware of what his government is doing in London. He says that the Scottish government must explain what Brexit means, while Mrs May and her Three Brexiteers (Johnson, Fox and Davis) are steadfastly refusing to explain that even to their own MPs. (Maybe that's what Murdo means.) 

How the hell can Nicola, or the Scottish public, possibly know what it means when the folk that are supposed to be in charge won't tell us (or don't know themselves)? And how can the Scottish government plan for something that the Brits haven't sorted out?  This is a good read.

What the Scottish government has tried to do is establish the facts. So Nicola has been to Brussels to meet with people there. What she wanted to know was, what would this mean for Scotland...was there a possibility of a Greenlandic solution in reverse... and how would the EU react to Scotland if it decided independence in Europe was superior to dependence in the UK?

She seemed to get more done in the first few weeks than the mighty British government which acted like a rabbit blinded by headlights from the four winds.

But of course, all negotiations must, in the end, be between London and Brussels.

We are dependent upon people who seem to have little regard for us, and certainly won't much care about our wishes when it comes to negotiating. To be fair they all represent English constituencies and the English population is massive in comparison to ours.

Boris wanted the yacht to travel the world with his two buddies (and presumably Mr Werrity). His boss said NO.

Seriously do you imagine that Johnson, Fox and Davis will give much thought to the people in Gibraltar, Scotland or Northern Ireland when they are sorting out the future?

At the moment they seemed to be more interested in getting the royal yacht recommissioned so they can steam around the world like the colonialists they are, striking up trade deals with anyone who is impressed with a royal yacht. Opium anyone? Watch out, Dean, if some suspicious looking English fellow with a haystack on his head  comes up to you in the street saying "Me sell you opium. Velly good stuff, ask Lord Sewell". Oh no sorry, that was coke!

I'd be interested in people's views on this, and on whether parliament should be given a chance to debate Brexit, albeit with no veto on the referendum result, or whether it should all be done by the back door, privy council, statutory orders or whatever they have up their sleeve when they want to be sneaky... 

PROBLEMS WITH HARD BOARDERS

A Twitter friend, Craig, (@Jahaangle) pointed out the dangers of scrolling down to the readers' comments on the Daily Express.

Sooooo, what have we?

Old Majicarpet was happy that Scotland voted to stay in the Union, but seems somewhat displeased that we are not equally content with :

i) Losing the tax office jobs we were promised would be secured by voting NO;

ii) Losing the passport office jobs we were told would be secured by voting NO;

iii) Finding out that the warning we got that pensions were unsustainable in Scotland, was actually true of the UK;

iv) Finding that the 13 Frigates promised in the weeks before the referendum weren't actually going to be built in Scotland at all because there was no money (given that £200 billion had to be found for Trident, and god knows how many billion for the English railways, and heaven only knows how much to keep the "honourable" members and the "noble" lords in the kind of luxury to which they are accustomed);

v) That the only way that we could stay in the EU (which 63% of us want) was in fact NOT to stay in the UK. Because of votes in England and Wales, we are going to be leaving. Well, maybe when the people who orchestrated it have worked out what the hell we are going to do instead.

Odd that we'd not be satisfied with that and so many other things. Still we're a funny lot, aren't we? Foreign, you see! And foreigners and Daily Express readers don't exactly get on.

In any case, if we do have another referendum, we can see what kind of conditions will be opposed upon us, should we choose to allow the Daily Express readership any input on the terms and conditions.

First of all our "Boarders" and going to have to be hard. So get ready to repel boarders, because we have enough hard cases here already. Then, and somehow it's all in the same sentence, all Scots (with a lower case "s") need to have a passport. But then most of us probably do, already, whether we are scots or Scots. An EU one for the moment. 

I'm just wondering if the 'hard boarders' will have to have passports. Whatcha think?

I'm assuming any Scot who doesn't have one wouldn't be able to go to the rUK, should they want to? But, wouldn't, equally, any rUK person also need a passport... or would they not ever want to come to Scotland, cos it's so crap?

Apparently too, we have "to" much of the country so these "boarders" have to be "reset" (isn't that taking stolen goods to sell?). It's these 'hard boarders' again, I tell ye, pinching stuff and flogging it!

Twenty per cent tariff on whisky, water, electricity, gas, not to mention haggis and shortbread..? Yep, I'll go with that. Can you afford it rUK?

The shipyard thing is sort of a done deal anyway. They stopped ordering ships when they got their desired results in 2014, and have spend the intervening time cancelling the orders they made to win shipbuilding votes.

I'm sure that we could allow the vote on Scottish independence to be UK wide, if the vote on UK independence were EU wide, don't you think?

I'm unconvinced about the oil all belonging to England though; I'm not sure that Wales or Northern Ireland would see it that way either.... but, that said, it is a huge liability, apparently, so maybe, yes. 

In return they could take their nuclear subs on day one, and to make it a decent deal they can take the Windsors and their aristocracy too, including the Moany woman, I mean lady. They could put them all together on Trident and sail them away.

UNTIL IT CAN BE PROVED BEYOND DOUBT THAT THIS CAN BE DONE SAFELY

WE MUST KEEP THE MORATORIUM 

NICE TO SEE THE BBC REMAINS AS IMPARTIAL AS EVER

THE BEST SPEECH FROM TRIDENT DEBATE

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Thanks to Bugger le Panda for reminding me on Twitter that The 'Hon' Marie Rimmer MP, is in court tomorrow on a charge of assault against a YES supporter during the referendum campaign.

As Aesop said: You are known by the company you keep. If I were either of them I'm not sure I'd be too happy about that.

So, erm, Angela, which one is it? It can't be both.

Theresa May, you say?

Oh do go away, Straw Man. The Hague is nice at the time of the year.

How many of these rusting subs must we keep in Scotland?

When will they be decommissioned?

Rather like Scotland

Catalonia welcomes refugees

My thanks to Norway Walker for the first pic, taken by him on a visit to the country.

IS THIS AS SIGNIFICANT AS I THINK IT IS?

Given the comments on the previous post, I suspect it may well be.

NICOLA ON THE NEW SOCIAL SECURITY POWERS

TA TA TO BRITISH STEEL THANKS TO THE TORIES

Maybe Mr Cameron (or more likely Mr Osborne, who seems to be in love with the Chinese) would care to explain why, when the EU is trying to stem the flow of cheap Chinese steel, he has blocked it.

Could it be that the 40,000+ odd jobs in the steel industry in the UK are less important than George having a special relationship with Beijing?

Maybe it's just that the Eton boy like supping ale with Presidents of big important countries, and Mr Obama isn't that keen on supping ale with unimportant wannabes, so second best president will have to do?

Or maybe George (I'm not very photogenic, but things go better with coke) Osborne likes being invited to China on luxury all-expenses-covered holidays?

You have to wonder if their promise to make the UK China's best partner in the West has meant that they were prepared to block Europe's attempts to bolster their domestic steel industries. (Bet the Europeans secretly can't wait to see the back of them.)

After all Port Talbot is in Wales, Labour territory, most of the other plants are in the North... and there are not too many Tories to worry about there. 

The rest are in Scotland. And since when were they interested in Scotland? Poorest of pickings for the Tories. They can sort it out for themselves (which they did!)

On the other hand the Chinese throw a good banquet!

In other news Mr Cameron says he will not renationalise the company. Bailing out bankers is one thing; bailing out steel workers, quite another. After all steel workers don't take one to lunch at the best Mayfair eateries!

John Prescott

@johnprescott

Whilst Labour MPs pleaded with Tata in India to save Port Talbot the Business Secretary was in Australia. Shocking. https://t.co/sXKxMHtXtM

Anyone seen the English Business Secretary?

Or indeed the Welsh Business Minister?

OWEN JONES MEETS MHAIRI BLACK

THE "DEAR PEREGRIN" LETTERS

We got a "Dear Peregrin" letter today, this time from dear old Gidiot. Munguin scribbled some notes in the margin in his red biro and insisted they be shared with you.

Dear Peregrin,

Today I delivered a Budget that puts the next generation first and redoubles our efforts to make Britain fit for the future by:

• Cutting taxes so working people can keep more of the money they earn From April next year the tax free personal allowance will rise to £11,500, a tax cut for 31 million people that means a typical basic rate taxpayer will be paying over £1,000 less income tax then when we came into government. The higher rate threshold will also increase to £45,000, a tax cut of over £400. Munguin says: It will be good, although not nearly enough, for all the people that don't die of cold or hunger before next year when it comes into effect. Why not raise it more, say £12,000, and maintain the current threshold on 40p tax? Everyone gains from that, not just those earning enough to pay the higher rate.
• Freezing fuel duty to support household budgets and small firms. We have frozen fuel duty for the sixth year in a row, a saving of £75 a year to the average driver and £270 a year to a small business with a van. We’re also freezing beer and cider duty to back British pubs. Munguin says: We concede this is a good move as far as business goes, although, we doubt most of us would have noticed a penny or two on a litre of petrol, and it might have meant that you didn't have to reduce PIPs so much.
• Improving our schools so our children get the best start in life. We’re providing extra money so every school in England becomes an academy and we are going to put a new sugar levy on the soft drinks industry so they reduce the sugar content of their products to tackle childhood obesity. The money raised will be used to double sports funding in primary schools and fund longer school days in secondary schools that offer their pupils a wider range of activities, including extra sport. Munguin says:  Not entirely clear to us what Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland get out of this. We assume there will be a Barnet Consequential, although it never pays to expect fairness from the UK government. 
• Introducing a new Lifetime ISA to help the next generation to save. We know people like the simplicity of ISAs so we’re going to increase the ISA limit from just over £15,000 to £20,000 for everyone. For those under 40, many of whom haven’t had such a good deal from pensions, we’re going to introduce a completely new Lifetime ISA. You won’t have to choose between saving for your first home, or saving for your retirement – the government is going to give you money to do both. For every £4 saved, the Government will give you £1. So put in £4,000 each year and the government will give you £1,000 every year until you’re 50. Munguin says: Good move on ISAs, particularly for older people who have to live on the paltry pension, and had hoped interest on their savings might help out a bit. Why only help people under 40 to save though? There are many people who've had a rough deal on their pensions, together with looking forward to one of the lowest state pension in the developed world. You would have to be from the privileged class to think that most people can afford to save£4,000 a year. People with kids and low paid jobs are lucky to be able to afford to put away a couple of hundred a year.
• Cutting taxes for small businesses. 600,000 small businesses will now pay no business rates at all, an annual saving of up to almost £6,000, and a further 250,000 small businesses will get a tax cut on their business rates bill. We have also cut Capital Gains Tax to boost enterprise and cut Corporation Tax to support investment and job creation. Munguin says: We agree with helping small businesses: they create jobs. Of course Business rates in Scotland are not set by the Treasury, so once again Scotland is not affected by this move. Cutting of Capital Gains tax and the 40p band rise was paid for by cutting PIP. That's low life stuff, even for you, Mr Osborne.

This Budget puts stability first with long term solutions to long term problems. It acts now so we don’t pay later. Donate today to help us continue to deliver security, stability and opportunity for people across Britain. Munguin says: Largely the budget will help better off people and hurt the poor and the sick. No more than we expected, we suppose. It's all very well putting the next generation first. What about the present generation? Some of us had nothing to do with causing the 2008 melt down. Austerity hasn't worked. At least not for those of us who have suffered it. MPs on the other hand have done rather well, as have your cousins and Buckingham Palace. If this is Better Together, we'd much rather make it on our own.

Yours,

TOO WEE, POOR POOR, TOO STUPID?

The Vow

We have wondered a lot about this promise of Gordon Brown's and the Vow, proposing the next best thing to a federal system and the greatest devolution known to man.

Just by chance we were engaged in some study on Greenland this evening, and this is what we read.

Downtown Nuuk

As a consequence of political complications in relation to Denmark's entry into the European Common Market in 1972, a further desire to establish the legality of Greenland's status formed in Denmark, resulting in the Home Rule Act of 1979, which gave Greenland limited autonomy with its own legislature taking control of some internal policies, while the Parliament of Denmark maintained full control of external policies, security, and natural resources.

The law came into effect on 1 May 1979.

The Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, remained Greenland's Head of state.

In 1985, Greenland left the European Economic Community (EEC) upon achieving self-rule, in view of the EEC's commercial fishing regulations and an EEC ban on seal skin products.[47] 

A referendum on greater autonomy was approved on 25 November 2008.[48][49]

  

On 21 June 2009, Greenland gained self-rule with provisions for assuming responsibility for self-government of judicial affairs, policing, and natural resources. Also, Greenlanders were recognized as a separate people under international law.[50] 

Denmark maintains control of foreign affairs and defence matters. Denmark upholds the annual block grant of 3.2 billion Danish kroner, but as Greenland begins to collect revenues of its natural resources, the grant will gradually be diminished. It is considered by some to be a step toward eventual full independence from Denmark.[51] Greenlandic became the sole official language of Greenland at the historic ceremony.

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland>

So devo max, by anyone's standards?

It might be worth noting that Greenland is the largest island in the world. It has a total population of around 65,000 people. Its capital city, Nuuk, has about 16,500 people. Scotland's population is 5.3 million and its capital city, Edinburgh, has a population of around half a million.

Why is Scotland lumbered with a lesser deal? Too wee, too poor or too thick? 

HAVEN'T I HEARD ALL THESE ARGUMENTS BEFORE?

Are you people beginning to understand our frustration?

MUNGUIN JUST WANTS TO LET YOU KNOW...

...THAT HE HAS NO INTENTION WHATSOEVER OF DOING ANY CLEANING FOR THE QUEEN

Scotland, he says, is already perfectly clean enough for elderly royals. 

And if she wants it any cleaner, she can jolly well send up some skivvies from one of her many palaces in London Town and they can do the scrubbing. 

And if she has none spare then maybe Air Miles or one of his Bloody Princesses could lend a hand with a bucket and mop, if they could get back from holiday for the occasion.

We give her enough money to employ staff. 

Seriously, we've never heard anything so bloody laughable. Hello, this is 2016! 

What cloud do these people live on? 

Apparently, when the MPs had a meeting about it at Westminster, not one single Scottish MP turned up.

Too right!

THEY MUST AT LEAST TRY TO FIND CREDIBLE REASONS FOR LEAVING

"The EU is an institution rooted in the past and incapable of reform" said the man in fancy dress who walks backwards down steps dressed in golden robes and a daft collar, bowing all the while to his monarch, who is dressed in a long white dress at 10 am, with a priceless crown on her head. And all the while, less than a mile away, there are people starving.

You mean like Queens, Princes, Lords, Privy Councils and stuff like that?

There are many reasons for wanting out of the EU. Indeed Wee Govey and his dubious friends have highlighted that some of what they do is outdated, undemocratic and outrageously expensive. 

But it's a bit of an insult to tell this to Brits, as if, by comparison the UK is a modern and fairly governed democracy. it just isn't

We at Munguin Towers go into this referendum with an open mind, but the OUT campaign must attempt to produce a reasonable argument for leaving based on facts that stand up to some scrutiny and dont have us falling about laughing. 

Let's by all means look at the waste, the corruption, the jobs for the boys, nepotism, accounts that never get signed off, expense, the sense of entitlement. Sure, they are all despicable. 

But let's never forget that in Westminster, all is not as shiny as a new pin. Au contraire.

The only European government to balance its books was, we believe, the Scottish government.

They also need to find someone with some attractiveness to front up the team. A movement that includes Patel, Smith and Grayling needs some human beings to balance it up.

This is interesting, although I'm not sure how correct it is.

It may be true that there is no law; there's never really been the need to have a law, stripping people of their citizenship. The only country to leave the EU was Greenland, which forms a home rule nation as part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It took years to organise its leaving, but as the Kingdom of Denmark remained inside the EU, Greenlanders remained EU citizens, despite their country being outside the EU.

It isn't immediately obvious what would happen if Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales voted to stay, but by force of numbers were removed from the union by an English vote. But this tweet was interesting or at least amusing:

Arjen de Wolff ‏@adewolff  15m15 minutes ago

Leave. Please leave. If you don’t, we at #EUforBrexit will gladly help you along. Just leave us your useful bit: Scotland. #Brexit

THERE ARE TERRIBLE CUTS HERE...

... BUT IT'S EVEN WORSE IN ENGLAND

MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE

https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

SOPPY SUNDAY (on Saturday)

1.

2.

3.

4: Finland.

5. All dressed up...with somewhere to go?

6: Isle of Skye.

7: Norway.

8.

9.

10.

11.

`12.

13.

14: This poor fella got struck by lightning.
The lightning probably came off worse.

15: Traffic chaos on Jura.

16: British Columbia.

17.

18: Japan.

19.