Tuesday 21 February 2012

Forget the beef, where's the positivity?

There was something not quite right about Kenny MacAskill's performance on Sunday's 'Politics Show'. It wasn't his boorish sniping at Mr Darling nor his hopeless spluttering after walking into a trap of his own making - that kind of bitter buffoonery is only to be expected from our Kenneth. It was something altogether different: it was the sight of a SNP spokesperson with nothing new or positive to say about separation.

Nothing, zilch, hee-haw.

That got me thinking about the 'positive' campaign for separation over the last few weeks and realised that there hasn't been one. There has been lots of gnashing of teeth, pulling of hair and beating of tartan breasts. There have been bleats about the beeb, tantrums about the Tories, libels of the LibDems and lies about Labour but not a positive peep about separation.

So, when can we expect the positive campaign to begin?

I am looking forward to hearing about the advantages of not having the support of UK embassies when I'm abroad, why it's worthwhile to set up a separate DVLA for Scotland and I can hardly wait to find out  how it's in my best interests to cut back my access to the BBC to the levels of the Irish and Dutch.

The only pity is that even with all those 'benefits' separation still won't deliver financial independence.  The SNP policy of allowing the UK treasury to oversee an independent Scotland's interest rates, borrowing limits and fiscal policy has rendered Mr Swinney's much-heralded financial 'levers' about as useful as one of those wee plastic steering wheels kids use to 'drive' the car.

No wonder the SNP don't want to talk about separation; they have no positive arguments for it - the idea of giving up British institutions makes no sense and they have already conceded the point that all  important financial decisions will be made in London by a Tory minister.

"Plus ca change" as Robert De Brus would no doubt have said..

46 comments:

  1. But you will have the support of UK embassies Graham, as they are 9% Scots.

    Access to the BBC? Are you a follower of cricket and the royal parasites?

    As for the wee plastic steering wheel, I'm sure Johann Lamont beeps her wee horn whenever Ed tells her to...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Conan,

    "But you will have the support of UK embassies".

    Oh right.

    So an independent Scotland will continue to use UK embassies even after leaving the UK? Really? Has anybody actually agreed this?

    "Access to the BBC? Are you a follower of cricket and the royal parasites?"

    No but I love BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4, etc etc etc

    And finally..

    The wee plastic steering wheel is the nearest thing your nice Mr Swinney will get to economic 'levers'.

    Beep Beep for separation!

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  3. "...it was the sight of a SNP spokesperson with nothing new or positive to say about separation."

    Why would you expect MacAskill to adopt your terminology and risk looking just as much of an idiot?

    Is it just that "independence" is too difficult for you to spell?

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    Replies
    1. Mr Bell,

      Firstly, thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to comment.

      I don't think indendence is too difficult to spell, I suspect however that it is too difficult for your nice Mr Salmond to define.

      Delete
    2. "I don't think indendence is too difficult to spell..."

      Really?

      Delete
  4. "The SNP policy of allowing the UK treasury to oversee an independent Scotland's interest rates, borrowing limits and fiscal policy..."

    Another example of your well established and strangely proud ignorance. The Bank of England is independent. And Scotland will have its own Treasury with precisely the same powers over economic levers as the UK Treasury.

    Read a book!

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    Replies
    1. "The Bank of England is independent."

      Not quite.

      The Bank of England is the UK central bank and is ultimately under the control of the UK Treasury. Indeed The Treasury has reserve powers to give orders to the central bank "if they are required in the public interest and by extreme economic circumstances".

      The idea that the bank will act impartially is quite frankly risible. The bank will do exactly as it is told by its owner - the UK government.

      Indeed the deputy governor of the Bank of England, Charles Bean, was reported on the BBC just this morning as saying of an independent Scotland sheltering in the sterling zone: "..the exact form of those arrangements would be for the Westminster and Scottish parliaments to decide, not the Bank of England. Until asked to do otherwise, the bank will continue to use the powers delegated to us by the UK parliament".

      In the unlikely event of separation your nice Mr Swinney will be going cap in hand to Mr Osborne asking to be allowed to keep our Scottish pound notes and promising to do as the UK Treasury tells him.

      Are you sure you support this kind of thing?

      Delete
    2. "The idea that the bank will act impartially is quite frankly risible. The bank will do exactly as it is told by its owner - the UK government."

      Among you many problems is the fact that you assume a government of the RUK will harbour the same pathological hatred for Scotland, its people and its government that so distort your view of the world and that it will inevitably follow your evident preference for pursuing an ultimately self-destructive campaign of economic warfare against its neighbour.

      It is ludicrous fantasies such as this that make you such a figure of fun and a source of much amusement.

      Delete
    3. Mr Bell

      You miss the point: I don't believe the UK Treasury will act with hatred, pathological or otherwise towards an independent Scotland.

      It will merely ensure that the pound is not destabilised by any divergence in monetary and fiscal policy within the sterling zone which means of course that any concept of 'levers' or economic 'independence' your nice Mr Swinney has is illusory.

      Delete
  5. "...they have already conceded the point that all important financial decisions will be made in London by a Tory minister."

    No such point has been conceded, of course. As a British nationalist fanatic lying just comes naturally.

    We do, however know for a fact that it is British Labour & Unionist Party both to support a Tory government in London in preference to a social democratic government in Scotland and to go along with the socially corrosive and economically destructive policies of that government.

    The British Labour & Unionist Party is, as a result, well on its way to being almost as unelectable as the Tories in Scotland. Only the very dumbest of their devotees are still blind to this fact.

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    1. "No such point has been conceded, of course."

      Actually it has. Your nice Mr Swinney, in an interview with Andrew Neil, was forced to admit that the price of staying with sterling was having the Bank of England set the interest rates and borrowing limits of an independent Scotland along with a guarantee of 'fiscal discipline' from an independent Scotland.

      It's not very 'independent' is it?

      Delete
    2. By your own puerile argument the UK is not "independent" because the Bank of England sets interest rates.

      Once again, driven by your pathological hatred rather than any rational analysis, you assume (or hope) that a government of the RUK would frame its economic policy so as to punish Scotland no matter how damaging this might be to the economy of the RUK.

      And your remarks speak of yet another of your idiotic fallacies. The plainly daft notion that there can be in the world of the 21st century some sort of total and "pure" independence. And the equally idiotic notion that no measure of self-governance short of this fantasy "pure" state is worth pursuing.

      Not one of the world's great thinkers, are you? Sadly, not even one of the British Labour & Unionist Party's sharpest minds. And that's an area where the possibility to shine is, perhaps, greater than any other.

      Delete
    3. Mr Bell,

      The point I make is one you cannot refute: Mr Swinney's claim that an independent Scotland will be able to diverge from the UK's economic policy whilst retaining sterling is quite simply untrue.

      Delete
  6. "So an independent Scotland will continue to use UK embassies even after leaving the UK? Really? Has anybody actually agreed this?"

    I am struck not just by your ignorance and your dishonesty but by your total, brain-dead lack of imagination. I used to think you were only pretending to be such a dullard for effect. In fact, at one stage I actually thought you were a parody of a kind of lumpen Labour loyalist that didn't truly exist. You have persuaded me otherwise.

    At least three different solutions to the issue of embassies occur to me immediately and without even having given the matter any great consideration.

    Scottish diplomats could be accommodated in existing UK facilities. After all, we own part of them anyway. Might as well make use of what we already have.

    Scottish diplomats could share facilities with other friendly governments. This is a far from uncommon practice. And Scotland is not likely to be short of friends.

    The Scottish diplomatic service could acquire its own premises. This is likely to be the preferred option in some locations anyway. And we will be well able to afford such things. Apart from anything else, we will have the money from selling back to the RUK our share of the former UK facilities.

    Se what you can do when your intellect is not crippled by blind prejudice?

    ReplyDelete
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    1. In your dreams, consider 9% ownership of embassy on paper but, big but, whose to say those EU residents living in Scotland are entitled to a share or other foreign nationals for that matter?, more like 7% share in the real world. 7% (or 9% for arguments sake) is not a controlling stake in fact if you owned 9% of my house and I owned 91% of it then you can come and go as long as I say you can!. Now if you own 9% of everything I own (SNP toted it up to be 60 billion as reported in the Herald) but you also own 9% of the debts then you have to factor in the 120 billion debt share to the 60 billion assets and that gives -60 billion so no selling anything to the UK there and before you start on about debt transfers etc then you must first consider the debt is in bonds and the investors did not buy Scottish bonds they bought UK bonds so no sane person would transfer the bond not that the government can actually transfer a bond once its issued anyway. So everything you typed is pure crap!, Scotland starts off heavily indebted with no assets other than what's fixed in Scotland (fixed as in buildings), The question is really do the UK allow the transfer of the oil fields to a country that owes it 60 billion or do they keep the resource until the debt is paid off?, hmm tough one there eh!, I suppose in your little independence heaven you think that the UK you vilify will somehow be very generous and just let the debt slide but the facts remain that the UK bailed out Iceland's banks and go nothing back so the lesson was learned from that.

      Delete
    2. Mr Bell

      Far be it for me to rain on your parade and heaven forbid I come across as negative or anti-Scottish but that reply is so naive it makes Forrest Gump look like a bitter and cynical misanthrope.

      I look forward to your nice Mr Salmond telling us that Scotland is like a box of chocolates...

      Delete
    3. seyasoon

      It sure sounds like you got reamed at the divorce court...

      Delete
    4. Seeyasoon

      The supporter of great national grand larceny. As someone who know doubt looks back in nostalgia to the British Empire, we know where we get your inspiration----

      Delete
  7. @ Peter. Nice to see you CyberNatz sticking with the positive campaign.

    "British nationalist fanatic lying", "dumbest of their devotees", "brain-dead lack of imagination", "dullard", "lumpen Labour loyalist"

    Seems like your "intellect" is crippled by your inability to construct an argument and resort to abuse.

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  8. Grahamski

    People from other Commonwealth countries can use UK embassies/high commissions in countries where their nation has no diplomatic representation for help. Seems strange that a South African can use the British Embassy in Saudi (where South Africa does not have an embassy), but a Scot still sharing a head of state with the RUK could not------

    Despite the various "scary stories" peddaled, strangely there has never been a suggestion that an independent Scotland would be blocked from Commonwealth membership.

    Ditto the same deal if you get into trouble outside the EU in a country which your country does not have representation. You have the right to initial help from the diplomatic mission of a EU country that is present in the country. Britain even has agreements with France in West Africa that UK nationals getting into trouble in countries with no UK presence (we do not have diplomatic missions in every single country) will be looked after by the French and vice versa.

    Anyhoos I think that the solutions suggested above by Peter Bell are all reasonable. Scotland does own 9% of those missions. Afterall if Scotland has no right to any common assets then we have no obligations to common liabilities such as the UK national debt-----

    I know that in Indonesia when Czechoslovakia broke up the embassy was cut into two with the Slovaks and the Czechs both operating out of it initially.

    Concerning the BEEB, maybe it could be kept going or some sort of co-operation. This does exist in other parts of the world. The German, Swiss and Austrian broadcasters co-operate together in a number of ways, whether it is through DSF or common television productions such as Tatort. In Scandanavia there is co-operation in producing programmes - and of course the "Viking Lottery".

    One difference would be that the focus of television in these islands would be the end of monopolisation by London - by all the service providers. As the BBC gets better with the Salford move, ITV gets worse. The "Beautiful People" should learn that there is more to life outside the Home Counties.

    Concerning the DVLA, strangely the old nationalist warhorse Ian Hamilton called for the retention of a common DVLA on his own blog a while back. You might also ask why our fellow Brits on the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are not keen on using the DVLA where its writ has no effect. Along with the benefits of full UK membership for those places which is for another day.

    As one German-born gentleman said:

    Mon Dieu, ayez pitié de mon âme; mon Dieu, ayez pitié de ce pauvre peuple

    Here is some light music about him----

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTXxFhWllm0

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mr Aberdonian,

      Thanks for your post.

      So, in the unlikely event of separation Scots abroad will have to rely on the UK for help if they get into difficulties.

      This is becoming something of a recurring theme...

      As regards the Beeb will the various SNP ministers who have lied about the BBC continuing to broadcast as it does now in a separate Scotland apologise for their lies?

      I'm not holding my breath.

      Thanks very much for your musical interlude however there only two anthems I can thole; La Marseillaise and this one:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vTSU1lIeJU

      Delete
    2. Poor wee Grahamski! Next he'll be telling us there will be no electricity in an independent Scotland. And no water supplies. It's only a matter of time before the sad wee thing starts fantasising about the British state cutting off our supplies of air as punishment for challenging its divinely ordained authority.

      Delete
    3. "Next he'll be telling us there will be no electricity in an independent Scotland."

      There will still be electricity in Scotland in the unlikely event of separation.

      That it is imported English nuclear-generated electricity after the renewables industry in Scotland lose the massive subsidies provided by UK consumers is neither here nor there of course...

      Delete
    4. Really, when will the new nuclear stations be online Grahamski or are you just lying once again? - What is it with your manky mob and lying, Glasgow will make a decision on it very son, wave goodbye to your last vestiges of local government.

      Delete
    5. Who said anything about new stations?

      You're a very angry man, calm down and take deep breaths.

      Delete
  9. "So, in the unlikely event of separation Scots abroad will have to rely on the UK for help if they get into difficulties."

    You really do grow oak trees from little acorns Graham, such exaggerating...must be all the hanging around Labour MPs you do.

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  10. Conan,

    Labour MPs prone to exaggeration?

    Shurely shome mishtake?

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  11. "I don't believe the UK Treasury will act with hatred, pathological or otherwise towards an independent Scotland."

    I trust you will be able to get over your bitter disappointment.

    And, as ever, it is you who misses the point. Independence is about the ability to make choices. If using sterling proved to be unworkable then Scotland would be free to seek some other arrangement.

    You haven't even the wits to realise that the situation you suppose will prevail in an independent Scotland, and which you presume will work against Scotland's interests, is the very situation which prevails at the moment. What your argument amounts to is that it this situation is a "price worth paying" for the preservation of your beloved union.

    Hardly a worthy or a convincing argument. But very reminiscent of the British Labour & Unionist Party's great hero - Margaret Thatcher.

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    Replies
    1. Peter, Graham long ago decided that the path of true socialism was through voting for a constitutional monarchy.

      Much better than these darned Nationalists, who will pretend to support a monarchy until there are no Rangers supporters left and go for a Republic.

      Delete
    2. Mr Bell says: "Independence is about the ability to make choices."

      Indeed.

      The choice Mr Swionney has made is to tie an independent Scotland's economy to the Bank of England until at least 2025.

      His choice is to let the Bank of England dictate an independent Scotland's interest rates and borrowing limits and to oversee its fiscal policy for the first decade of our freedumb.

      How do you like them choices?

      Delete
  12. Conan the Librarian™ said...

    "Peter, Graham long ago decided that the path of true socialism was through voting for a constitutional monarchy."

    I get the impression that Graham is not "for" anything. His approach to politics seems to be entirely negative - defined by his mindless hatred of the SNP and Alex Salmond in particular.

    As to "socialism", I would draw your attention to the fact that he boasts of his membership of the British Labour & Unionist Party. That is not an organisation that is generally associated with socialism. And Graham's all-too-evident contempt for both democracy and his fellow citizens hardly speak of a socialist outlook either.

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    1. Mr Bell

      I am for peace. love and understanding.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    4. I'd really rather not have to delete comments.

      However, I will remove anything which could be actionable.

      Delete
    5. The clown claims to be "for peace. love and understanding" while dutifully serving a party best known for its engineering of murderous foreign military adventures. It seems you're just too stupid to feel shame.

      I see you've started censoring comments. I thought it might be because you want to avoid embarrassment. Then I realised that you quite happily embarrass yourself on a regular basis for the amusement of others. So I figure its just the usual British nationalist dishonesty.

      And before you start whining about "legal issues", bear in mind that I saw those comments. I have copies of them. And there was no "actionable" content. Which, of course, will not stop you lying about it.

      I'll understand if you are unable to respond. I expect you'll be out trying to scrape together bail money.

      Delete
    6. Mr Bell

      If you want to publish actionable material on your own website then please do carry on.

      I'm not prepared to take that risk.

      There really is no reason to be quite so vitriolic, your post is giving the (I'm sure quite wrong) impression that you are an hysterical nutter.

      Delete
    7. There was no "actionable material". As predicted, you casually lie in a vain attempt to protect the already irredeemably sullied reputation of one of your British nationalist heroes.

      If there is anything about my response to your dishonest drivel that is at risk of becoming hysterical it is my laughter. Have you deceived yourself that I'm here to glean insights from your "wisdom"? Are you genuinely unaware that you are being pitilessly mocked?

      Delete
    8. "Are you genuinely unaware that you are being pitilessly mocked?"

      I take it that you imagine yourself to be the pitiless mocker?

      Delete
  13. Censoring won't make things go away Graham.

    A certain MP IS sleeping it off in pokey...

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  14. Censor schmensor.

    You can play tig with the judiciary on your own website if you're that keen, I'll keep myself covered if you don't mind.

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    1. The only thing you're trying to "cover" is your boss's arse. Which has to be better than your usual job of wiping it, I suppose.

      Delete
    2. Would you be so reticent if it had been an SNP MP I wonder?

      Delete