From SNP Media today:
New figures released should be a “stark warning” to voters, the SNP has said, as the damage of Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal continues to be revealed.
Figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that exports of goods from the EU have fallen by £2 billion since Boris Johnson’s botched Brexit deal was agreed – confirming that the so-called ‘teething problems’ of Brexit are here to stay.
The report also highlighted that the overall value of food exports, including Scottish seafood, is lower now than in any month of 2020 – having dropped by £300 million since December.
Commenting, SNP candidate for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Jim Fairlie, said:
“These devastating figures are a stark warning to voters about the hard reality of a Tory Brexit, highlighting the immense damage it is doing to Scotland’s economy.
“Scottish Tory MPs voted for Boris Johnson’s botched Brexit deal in January, as businesses up and down the country braced themselves for an economic shock.
“Today’s ONS figures show just how badly Scottish producers have been treated as a result of this botched Brexit deal. We have been completely ignored throughout the Brexit process and are now forced to pay the price for a hard Tory Brexit we didn’t vote for.
“By casting both votes for the SNP on 6 May, the people of Scotland can re-elect Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister and put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands.”
ONS statistics show that £13.6 billion of goods exports to the EU in December 2020 have dropped to £11.6 billion in February 2021.
ONS statistics on food and live animal exports show that:
– December 2020 – £1 billion in EU exports
– February 2021 – £700 million in EU exports
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/nationalaccounts/balanceofpayments/bulletins/uktrade/february2021
https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/dvc1287/fig4/datadownload.xlsx
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
“…the people of Scotland can re-elect Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister and put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands.”
The people of Scotland elected Nicola Sturgeon to do just that in 2011. Why hasn’t she delivered?
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2015
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2016 and I’m going to get ma coat. I’ll blame covid.
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Are you saying people should have been frog marched to the polling stations and literally forced to put a cross in a yes box, to gain a majority vote for independence, because the fact is still too many folk would have voted no!
With 100% media bias and propaganda attacks on the Scottish people, jumping into a referendum before Brexit etc would have been suicide for Scotland.
Only a majority in May for independence parties will result in a referendum in very near future. The British government and their little jobsworths in Scotland, are terrified of losing Scotland, let’s hope they don’t interfere in the democratic process this coming election. Well, anymore than they are doing, with their full on propaganda and lies.
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As exemplified by Doug, the modern re-incarantion of the Dad’s Army character Frazer, “we’re a’ll doomed and marooned”, the democratically elected leader of SNP along with it’s members have purportedly conspired to subvert the cause they have long fought for and deny Scotland it’s right to Independence…
Nah.
Frazer was an English media comedic construct, we’re not, Scotland’s media would have us believe independence is a myth, we’re not… Time to focus beyond the Tory squirrels, we have a nation to re-assert….
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And Not as Tony Blair would have said
Things can only get WORSE
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Breaking News
And for real this time
Never ever would I hear Boris speak the truth
But alas at PMQ,s a few minutes ago
He stated
” This Goverment has put a lot more money into buying litter bins ”
Well they now have a lot more bins
But no money to throw into such bins
Other than those bins that no one can rake through in off shore tax havens
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`FINALLY a mainstream (sort of) media outlet reports on a damning collation documenting the PM’s lies.
See: https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/boris-johnson-lies-viral-video-b1830732.html
‘Viral video of Boris Johnson ‘lying to parliament’ approaches 10 million views – Lawyer Peter Stefanovic says footage is snapshot which reveals PM’s “pattern of behaviour has crossed the line into outright fantasy”.’
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Peter Stefanovic has been doing sterling work on that front.
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Securely tying down the reality of Scottish politics isn’t easy Doug, given our media environment is so thoroughly polluted by British nationalism.
Explaining ‘Brexit capital’: uneven development and the austerity state
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13562576.2018.1535272
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Frank McaVennie . . . Spot on . . . .
O/t. Thought for the election
April 14, 2021 at 1:15 pm
Don’t we require observers for this election? . . . . Record number of postal applications. . . .
Stop An Independence majority in May ,mthen there won’t be a referendum!
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I am sure that this ‘plunge’ (as the media would describe it, if it was not a Westminster ‘teething issue’) will be used as evidence that Scotland’s economy needs the protection of Westminster. Bodger Broon will be wheeled out to give us his ‘pooling and sharing’ argument.
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A pity the SNP no longer mention Independence on their election leaflets. I think that would be a winner. Oh well! At least ALBA does.
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They don’t need to mention Indy on their leaflets, all the unionist parties keep telling us the SNP talk about nothing else, anyway, so they are doing our job for us, surely!! Good thinking by SNP, IMHO.
SNP1&2
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Alba has to project it’s position, few realise who Alba are let alone what they stand for, but to focus on the wording of SNP leaflets serves whose interests if the objective is Independence?
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In my experience, this claim is factually wrong. So as not to risk misleading visitors to this site – I’m sure that wouldn’t be your intention – I can say that at least my SNP candidate is clearly pointing out the significance and value of independence for Scotland in the ‘letter’ addressed to constituents that is part of the latest leaflet I’ve received.
In an election in which there must literally be ZERO voters who do not know that the SNP supports independence, the leaflet also mentions: affordable homes and homes for social rent; free bus travel and transition to ‘green’ buses; investment in Scotrail; investment in major infrastructure projects; establishment of low emission zones; the issue of rent controls etc.
In this election of a GOVERNMENT for all the people of Scotland I feel my constituency candidate has found a reasonable balance. Anyway, the media and the Unionist parties are making sure voters are crystal clear about the SNP’s plans for a second referendum and its position on independence!
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O/T For an insight into Orangism/Loyalism in Scotland, I recommend listening to the BBC Radio 4 ‘Thinking Aloud’ programme broadcast first today, 14 April and available now on BBC Sounds. It’s entitled ‘The Orange Order in Northern Ireland and Scotland: its origins, practices and principles’.
The BBC blurb states: “Laurie Taylor talks to Joseph Webster, Lecturer in the Study of Religion at the University of Cambridge, and author of a new book about the Orange Order in Scotland which explores the politics of anti Catholic sectarianism and ultra Britishness, as well as the tensions between grassroots Orangemen and a hierarchy wishing to cultivate a respectable image beyond controversial parades and football hooliganism.’
The whole programme is on the Orange Order, with the contribution on the Order in Scotland based on academic ethnographic research given in the second part. It certainly introduced me to information on rituals and beliefs of which I was wholly unaware e.g. an adherence to ‘British Israelite philosophy’.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_fourfm
Perhaps like me you’ll need to reassure yourself afterwards that you are indeed living in the year 2021!
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Thanks
Sounds fascinating
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But link goes to a drama prog on the Order of Dagon
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This one ? https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000v2qg
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Thanks Bob – that’s the one. No idea why my link was in error!
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I think folks are just not sure if gradualism is still the correct persuasion strategy, in light of Boris and Brexit. I tend to lean towards a more direct approach to defending our constitutional and human rights, but I’ve been an indy supporter since I was a pre-teen. I’m better able to understand the dangers of contemporary English nationalism now, and make a better argument supporting justice in and for Scotland.
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/06/the-art-of-political-persuasion/
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I also have quite a sophisticated appreciation of human behaviour and how the law works, which gives me a significant advantage over much of our political class.
Human Rights, Language and Law: A Survey of Semiotics and Phenomenology
https://www.canlii.org/en/commentary/doc/1995CanLIIDocs38#!fragment/zoupio-_Toc3Page3/BQCwhgziBcwMYgK4DsDWszIQewE4BUBTADwBdoAvbRABwEtsBaAfX2zgGYAFMAc0I4BKADTJspQhACKiQrgCe0AORLhEQmFwIZcxSrUatIAMp5SAIUUAlAKIAZGwDUAggDkAwjeGkwAI2ik7IKCQA
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Though your ultra-BritNats and supporters of “trans-women are women”, will probably consider me deeply vile. As well as some of ‘our’ judiciary and other legal scholars allegedly fighting for our cause. 😉
Natural Law, Positivism, and the Limits
of Jurisprudence: A Modern Round
https://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6747&context=ylj
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As such, I’d suggest that those who’ve not read Foucault, or understand the grounding of his political activism, should probably hold judgement on his contribution to political theory and care ethics, particularly his concepts of bio-power and governmentality.
Foucault’s Idea of Philosophy as ‘Care of the Self:’ Critical Assessment and Conflicting Metaphilosophical Views
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042813000128
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Scotland has gone through the Ballot Box because it can. 1928 Universal Suffrage.
NI was illegally Partitioned 1923. Lloyd George (Welsh). If Ireland had waited 5 year. Ireland could have voted for Home Rule/Independence. In NI the Catholics were discriminated against. In parts of Belfast they were denied the vote in the 1960’s. Bernadette Devlin campaigned.
The Catholic’s were not treated with equality. They were denied public jobs and housing. The Protestants controlled the administration. DUP/Orange Lodge. Masonics. The handshake. DUP a Law unto themselves. They break UK Law.
The Troubles cost £Billions. The Westminster unionist buy off the DUP with £Billions for support at Westminster. The Westminster Tories have betrayed the DUP on Brexit. Cameron needed the DUP votes to get the Referendum. The DUP are quite annoyed. Things not turning out to well.
The Masonics. Bigoted, racist, unequal, misogynist. Unequal and unfair. They blackball people. Limited secret membership. Undemocratic. Discriminatory.
The Churches have privileges above the Law. The equal opportunities and employment Law.
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