UK government in Scotland’s propaganda

95 000!!! We have work to do.

From reader, Contrary:

I’ve been hearing more and more about the ‘UK government in Scotland’ spending huge amounts on media, so took a look at their Twitter account:

https://mobile.twitter.com/UKGovScotland

And goodness is it not all full of Bitter Together propaganda, the RAF video repeats the phrase ‘uk airspace’ so many times they can barely fit any other words in – the key point the guy seemed to be making was that Moray was a good ‘strategic location’ (glad you find use of our land handy, mate), and they didn’t mention all the hundreds of army and RAF bases they’d shut down throughout Scotland, but it’s all good for Scotland because the families occasionally go to the local shops. The ‘UK seas’ one, well that was pretty woolly, we have a lot of sea in the UK,,, they say, and it’s all great because we are Bitter Together, super glad you like having control over all our sea mate. And of course the ones where they claim Scotland is subsidised by England/UK so we NEED them, oh dear. Sure, enjoy all your asset-stripping so you can magnanimously hand a tiny portion back, thanks, really appreciated by us all, oorah bitter together.

I think they’ve done this to counter SNP tweeting of positive things for Scotland, even though they appear to have difficulty even mentioning Scotland except in a derisory manner – nothing new. I doubt it will ever have near the same effect as our usual media outlets anyway.

More on the spend here:

Part-time Junior Assistant Imperial Master’s communications team costs rise by 8 times in only 8 years! https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2020/01/16/part-time-junior-assistant-imperial-masters-communications-team-costs-rise-by-8-times-in-only-8-years/

And the SNP Government ‘getting on with things’ stuff is here:

https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2020/02/06/no-friend-of-scotland-feeds-tory-myths-again/

8 thoughts on “UK government in Scotland’s propaganda”

  1. Just for a balanced view and because I refer to the SNP Twitter, here is a link to it:

    https://mobile.twitter.com/theSNP

    There is a lot of stuff there, along with Scottish government tweets. There has been a lot of hard work put in to making Scotland a better place to live – and no, not perfect, but better. They really have managed incredibly well under the devolution settlement and the restrictions that brings.

    For my theoretical ‘balance’ (I hope you didn’t believe me the first time I said it), I should be critical, of course, so:

    They have a pinned tweet at the top of the feed that links you to the YesScot website, and you know, I’m not sure that the website is particularly useful for giving anyone an idea of what to expect from an independent Scotland or the process we go through in becoming independent – a lot of possibilities and vague assurances of ‘fairer’, but nothing more concrete or reassuring. Do we need such a thing? Or is what we have okay? Where do people go when they genuinely want more information?

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    1. “Where do people go when they genuinely want more information?”

      They read
      -the Wee Blue Book at https://wingsoverscotland.com/weebluebook/
      -Scotland the brief from https://www.businessforscotland.com/scotland-the-brief/
      -How to start new country: a practical guide for Scotland from https://commonweal.scot

      The Wee Blue Book is online. The other two can be ordered online or may be available from a local YES group.

      I think that a YES site, separate from the SNP, is needed so that the electorate can see a range of sources.

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  2. I like things like this proposition by Tim Rideout:

    https://www.reservebank.scot/timetable

    It clearly sets out an argument for having our own currency and how it could be done. People can debate the detail, and if they want it or not, but it shows clearly that it is not a difficult and scary thing to contemplate – hard work, but not difficult. This website makes it easy for people to counter the dreaded ‘what currency will you use’ question.

    The SNP clearly have a lot of talent in its ranks, and people willing to voluntarily give their time and knowledge, but I do not see much of it on display.

    Even though the SNP adopted (by popular vote, but the leadership not in favour) Tim’s proposal of a new currency as soon as possible after independence, I cannot find a link to the above anywhere in the SNP or YesScot websites, and I hear little mention of it. I may not have searched well enough – but then, I’m sure someone only just beginning to wonder if independence is a good thing will not find it either.

    The SNP seem to have adopted the strategy of avoiding mentioning change and pretending it won’t exist so as not to scare people. This is their right of course, and many things don’t have to change, much of what we have can be the same and there would just be an effective transfer of powers.

    BUT, there are some things that do need to change, and I would prefer to see people being reassured that there are flexible enough plans and ways of dealing with them, and have it written down instead of couched in long rambling speeches. Pretending there will be no border at all, well, I would like to see a proposed customs set up and options if there has to be border rather than ignore it in the hopes we may not need to deal with it. I’m not necessarily expecting the SNP website to have this sort of stuff on it – they are dealing with the party political within the UK – but I had hopes that the YesScot website would have offered more, and an alternative to the party political.

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  3. Yes they have done incredibly well with one hand tied firmly round it’s back and twelve of their thirteen years in power greatly hindered by the banking crisis and big austerity cuts from Westminster . Johnson cannot throw propaganda at us thick and fast and think we fall for it , we have suffered years here in Scotland due to their austerity policies , with the SNP having to intervene and mitigate with their set budget in a lot of areas , so no Bojo throw your five million at us but it is wasted money ! .

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  4. Another thing the SNP in government appear to have done well, but don’t appear to be getting credit for, is selling the legitimacy of Scottish independence to Europe:

    The last couple of independence marches have had European press turn up – effectively forcing the BBC to mention the marches – not a usual sight. Then we have had more mentions from top European politicians. I don’t believe the EU has suddenly changed their mind about staying out of internal politics – though there are some rumblings – I believe all the trips made to Europe over the past few years by the SNP has convinced some of them of the legitimacy of our nationhood. Perhaps explaining the union arrangement.

    All the current ‘leave the light on’ sickly sweet guff is playing at politics, but to my mind there must have been some serious chats in the background prior to this. Maybe not quite arrangements made, but there is a definite acceptance, and interest, within the EU of Scotland as not being part of the U.K.

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