By Professor John Robertson
The 14 mile ferry crossing from Prince Edward Island’s Wood Island ferry terminal to Caribou in Nova Scotia, Canada, takes 75 minutes and costs $94 [£75] for a standard car.
The similar 13 mile crossing from Ardrossan to Brodick, Arran, takes 55 minutes and costs only £25.50 for a standard car with two passengers.
How can this be? Is that SNP government subsidising the Arran crossing by a huge amount to help those sometimes ungrateful islanders?
There are 157 000 people on Prince Edward Island and 5 000 on Arran. There is a PEI bridge but it’s 69 miles from the ferry terminal end of the island and doubles the travel time to the main city, Halifax.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Our ferries are so superior to other countries, so magnificent and well made for Scottish seas .
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I had the misfortune to hear Conner Gillies of Sky News take on the Arran ferries yesterday morning and a bigger drama queen performance it would be hard to match.
Of course we had the slightly exaggerated in tone “SNP Government” early on in his piece, delays by the “State Owned” Ferguson Marine. I can’t honestly remember if Nicola Sturgeon was mentioned as well. The “Delays” obviously were mentioned and the “cost overruns”. He seemed slightly downbeat that the Glen Rosa had reluctantly been launched.
Anyway, a couple of poor Islanders were interviewed on the hardships they were having to endure before being handed back to the main Sky News Studio with a visibly shocked anchor woman.
Just why Connor didn’t ask directly for the “UK” Navy to intervene and a plea for food drops and clothing donations I will never know.
Maybe, it was just a shortage of scheduled air time for his piece, or perhaps it was time for the essential story of a Blackbird that mimicked a Police Car siren.
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Way off topic.
I was just wondering how long it would take the police to investigate Rayner and come to a verdict have they placed a big tent at her home as the Police in Scotland did with NS a case which is still on going,Rayner a very vocal voice against Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP now it is her turn to have the police investigate her just saying.
Remember the date 12th April
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O/T
7 days ago Jackie Baillie tweeted this:
“One year on since Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell’s arrests, the latest polls have Scottish Labour set to come back as Scotland’s largest party at Westminster with the SNP trailing well behind” (included in tweet was a photo of police, a van and Blue tents outside Ms Sturgeon’s house) this was via an article she wrote in The Scotsman (INO)……
“Labour set to come back”…..that is surely counting your chickens before they have hatched…..via what she declares is findings on the latest “Polls” (plural according to her)…..that she is highlighting as a way to use a poll, via the latest YouGov poll, whose findings recorded a ‘lead’ for Labour over the SNP and that she thinks will influence voters opinion in Scotland, pre the next GE , as opposed to what may be a reality in and thus reflected post the next GE….in that she is clearly not recalling the saying ’tis not (all) over till the fat lady sings” and that Labour may not win as many seats as they are assuming to win via Ms Baillie in her misjudged triumphalist words in her tweet……but then we all know historically that once upon a time Labour always took votes in Scotland for granted in the bad old days and seems they are , via Ms Baillie, smugly assuming these days are now coming back.
“Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell….arrests” ?…..now were they “arrested” or asked to come in for questioning by the Police….my understanding was that no one in the SNP has been arrested via this…..but only questioned by the Police….and has Angela Rayner then been arrested in the Police investigation into her….or indeed brought in for questioning as surely as part of an investigation by the Police the one being investigated must answer questions by the Police in order for the Police to FULLY investigate…of course what is an actual unfortunate event for Ms Baillie is that post her tweet on Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell we now see that one of her ain, Angela Rayner, is now being investigated by the Police…..but that will not be highlighted by Jackie Baillie or indeed anyone from Labour in Scotland……as apparently only police investigations upon the SNP are BAD…..which Ms Baillie in her tweet has translated as them, Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell, being “arrested”….as makes it look and seem worse……and she , Baillie, did it deliberately too.
“Scottish Labour set to come back as Scotland largest party”……once again she is assuming a lot….. as if she is taking for granted that a majority of the voters in Scotland will indeed flock back to a Starmer led new Tory party aka New New Labour party………..Labour are currently being promoted by the media in Scotland as party to vote for and ones to trust (the details though are obscured as to why)….while simultanously the SNP, by that same media, are being demonised and promoted as untrustworthy (via regurgitated stories being given excessive mileage in their never ending coverage and promotion by the media and also via opposition parties like Labour)…..one hopes that voters in Scotland , via a majority, are far more canny than both Labour and the media are treating them in their, Labour & Media’s, combined orchestrated political manipulation campaign…..to oust the SNP and replace them with the New New Labour party….as a way for Scotland to suffer in revisiting the bad old days when Labour held a majority of MP’s in Scotland….and worked for their UK more than for Scotland……though now tis a Labour Brexit UK we in Scotland will still have to suffer if New New Labour do win the next GE….so no actual “Change” there then from the Tory party as UK government.
All of course ending with the ultimate reward/prize being a place in the HOL when they, as a Labour MP, became past their sell by date ……and when they become a Labour peer they are then just another political #SNPBAD dissenting (and unelected) voice in a second chamber within WM aka the English parliament.
Reading Ms Baillie’s tweet surely confirms that with Labour nothing has “Changed” or will “Change”…..she and they are still treating people in Scotland as gullible fools but really all that she and Labour fight for regarding Scotland is their UK still being maintained…..as do the media, who currently in Scotland, are united with Labour in their fight against the SNP….and their fight FOR their so called but not (non) Union.
NMRN
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*”7 days ago Jackie Baillie tweeted this”
Tweet by her was actually 6 days ago and actually pre release of the YouGov poll showing Labour lead over SNP……so what polls was she ,Baillie , referring to when she stated ” latest polls have Scottish Labour set to come back as Scotland’s largest party”?…as in February, via a poll, the SNP lead over the Labour party was 7 points.
NMRN
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‘One year on since Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell’s arrests’
I have lost count of the number of times I’ve read or heard opponents of the main governing party in Scotland – politicians, mainstream corporate media journalists, BBC journalists – refer in a political context to the investigation into the SNP’s finances. From time to time newspapers even provide information which clearly implies leaks about what is taking place within the Branchform investigation. There seems to be no restraints.
Opponents of the SNP clearly see political advantage here and seek to exploit the simple fact of an investigation: they do so with no regard to that other ‘fact’ that as yet Police Scotland (PS)/ COPFS have made no public statement on evidence of a crime being committed nor brought criminal charges.
It is inconceivable that PS and the COPFS are unaware of the impact on Scotland’s polity due the profile and extreme length of the Branchform investigation. If there is evidence of an alleged crime then bring charges and get the matter before a judge and jury: justice delayed is justice denied!
Must be a Branchform anniversary soon – how to mark this to show disapproval for the slowness and malign impact of its process?
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Indeed stewartb….well said.
Labour are indeed taking advantage of the over promoted predicament the SNP are being tactically placed in with this Police investigation….just as they, Labour, are also taking advantage of what is happening with a failing and scandal ridden Tory party and Tory government…..
Indeed it seems no one, as in voters, are willingly and enthusiastically turning to Labour….it’s just that Labour are currently taking advantage of what is happening with the SNP and the Tories…..so those who are considering voting for Labour do so not because they think they, Labour, are the best option….it’s just that they, Labour, are being (wrongly) assumed as the lesser evil as the next UK Government…..alas some voters are obviously oblivious to the fact that Labour are not offering a “Change” or a “Fresh start” indeed they are , via what they intend to do and continue with, merely a continuation of what we have all suffered with under the Tories….
Wait until Labour fail as UK government if they do win the next GE….Brexit killed the Tories and it will also kill the Labour party…..and if they, Labour, backtrack on their pledge to ‘Make Brexit work’ and thus do not proceed with it and then are promoted as betraying Brexiteers then the Tory friendly media will destroy them….
Then Scotland in the subsequent GE to this one will once again be (over) ruled and badly governed by another Tory government via it’s Reserved policies and it’s undermining and removal of our devolved government’s decisions and actions…..so once more Scotland will be seen to be going round in circles all because for some inexplicable reason some within Scotland cannot see that Scotland has and never will be Better Together with the rest of the UK….experience and lived reality has shown us that pre and since 2014.
I am beyond trying to fathom out why some in Scotland would even consider voting for the Labour party ever again….who, as a party, betrayed Scotland in 2014…..and who will ,if elected this year as the next UK government, will continue to do so…..it’s in their uber Pro UK DNA.
Have a nice day
🙂
NMRN
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Can you imagine if England’s Labour party in Scotland were at the helm given their atrocious legacy of private run builds and services, sending £BILLIONS BACK to Westminster saying ‘nothing to spend it on in Scotland’, and plunging Scotland into £BILLIONS of debt to this day with their PFI scheme (scam)! As if they would for one moment, prioritise ‘ferries’, or any other essential services or infrastructure in Scotland, they would rob Scotland privatise water and rail sell off our NHS and basically reverse any and all of the progressive work and policies that the SNP have implemented to at least start to repair the terrible damage to Scotland during decades + of unionist English rule, including during the Labour party branch office tenure, operating as a faux ‘Scottish’ party, in Scotland. NO THANKS!
SNP need to prioritise reminding people of Scotland and informing those new to Scotland and there are many of them, just how ruinous, neglectful and self serving the Labour UK/Eng party were in Scotland, in councils and at the helm for TEN years at Holyrood, and we can be sure that Labour would destroy Scotland if they ever get near the helm at Holyrood again, or gain loads of seats at WM.
SNP should use the same terms like ‘change’ they need to get clever about the soundbites they use or they will lose us independence etc. Labour ‘change’ means backwards and small change, ie, pennies with £billions removed from Scotland even more than the Tories are doing now. As I say, use their orchestrated BritNat tactics and soundbites, NO THANKS Labour!
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“SNP should use the same terms like ‘change’ “
Indeed ArtyHetty….perhaps also emphasising that as long as any Pro UK political party upholds and supports another parliament in another country to (over) rule over us ,then for Scotland , there can be no real or significant “Change”….indeed it is , for Scotland, merely the continuation of the status quo irrespective of which pro UK party wins any UK GE.
Also one would have thought that any political party who seeks to continue with Brexit would then, via the media in Scotland, have been, as a political party, subjected to criticism from that media especially with Brexit now a policy that has resulted in both significant and too problematic issues for their UK…but I suspect that, as per , they the media in Scotland, will apply Omerta to Labour intending to continue with this flawed and failed UK Tory policy that has damaged both industries, businesses and us too as individuals within Scotland…..
This as a significant issue for Scotland is all the more ironic considering every region in Scotland voted Remain….yet we as voters will be denied the forensic scrutiny and strong objection that parties who support Brexit deserve to be enduring via any honest media, and too if they as a media were actually truly independent, but alas they the media seem to be ones who are hugely compromised by their support and efforts to uphold their UK as a continued state and in some cases their alliance with some Pro UK political parties ……as they also, as a media , both support the status quo of the UK and thus also campaign to see Scotland (over) ruled by another parliament in another country.
Tis sad that some voters cannot see beyond the obvious flaws of their Pro UK non arguments and too their excessive political propaganda…..
Through choice or ignorance…..indeed it’s almost as if the 2014 BT NO campaign and it’s pledges, predictions and promises had been fulfilled…… if that is, some polls were to be believed, and Labour did indeed make any gains in Scotland…..however there is something that we know that has definitely not happened since 2014….and that is that Scotland has not been Better Together with the rest of the UK, indeed the opposite has happened because we (some of us) voted NO and as a result we too have suffered Together with the rest of the UK….all because of pro UK politics and a pro UK media.
Some people, as voters , seem to be totally oblivious as to who it is who is really controlling the media and why they do.
It’s all enough to gie ye the Boak….
NMRN
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I was reminded of the damage done in Scotland by the PFI scam from a contribution by a listener to the Lesley Riddoch podcast, as follow up to an earlier question over Scottish Water.
There are many plants where PFI was used as the obligatory funding model, which will be many years yet before becoming owned by SW.
Although in SW’s case, these are not so prohibitively expensive as other PFI builds proved to be, it is the absurdity of private ownership of ‘public’ assets which still grinds my gears – Had some in Scotland not so vigorously opposed privatisation of Water, we might be in the same dire straits as England with widespread pollution, soaring water charges, and the ludicrous spectre of bankruptcies.
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Well said Bob.
NMRN
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The problem I see is the cuckoo in the nest, bluntly the Tories and their associates, stirring up shit for a quick buck,
Before LNG there was diesel, before that coal, before that sail – Islanders have been tended to without fail for centuries – Yet suddenly ‘ferry user groups’ spring up out of nowhere, with the same spiel – ie Tories…
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4 ferries on the horizon. Two saving on fuel. Cheaper flights and ferry charges for the locals. Less staycations. More people going abroad for holidays
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O/T
Remember Iranian General who was one of the 13 people killed in Israel strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, capital of Syria, in early April.
Well…..
I saw a tweet last night which shows the current hypocrisy of Rishi Sunak condemning Iran on their retaliatory strike against Israel via a statement he has released (and Keir Starmer too who has also issued a statement on twitter where he also condemns Iran retaliating on Israel)
The tweet I read stated:
“The right to defend oneself!”
“Remember that phrase, that they have spent months repeating”.
Israel retaliated against Hamas for the October 7 2023 attack on Israel and both Sunak & Starmer justified their, Israel’s, retaliation in now what has turned out to be a slaughter of thousands of Palestinian people in them, Sunak & Starmer, both (and others) stating that “Israel had a right to defend itself”…..fast forward….and when we have another country, Iran, whose consulate was attacked by Israel in the Syrian capital Damascus and Iranian people were killed…… then suddenly none of the powers that be in the UK or America think it would be appropriate or wise for Iran to retaliate against Israel.
Now that they, Iran, have retaliated then the hypocritical leaders here and elsewhere are promoting it as if it was a unnecessary act indeed Sunak tweeted
“Read my statement on the Iranian regime’s reckless attack against Israel”.
“Reckless”.…like what Israel have done in Palestine you mean Mr Sunak.
Starmer tweeted “My statement on the Iranian regime’s attack on Israel”
“Regime”….like the “Regime” of Israel who have “attacked” Gaza in Palestine and killed thousands of innocent people Sir Keir.
When you as a country are a friend of the UK…..as in one they, the UK, can sell arms to…and you have organisations such as Conservative Friends of Israel & Labour Friends of Israel then it seems that you have carte blanche to do what you will and your friends (so called allies) will support you….but when you are perceived as an enemy to the UK then that same privilege is denied to you. (while as Israel you are ignoring what your ‘allies’ (those who sell arms to you) are stating in them, your ‘allies’, calling for you, Israel, to have a ceasefire in Gaza…but that is ok…as still they will not condemn you)…as they have now condemned Iran for their retaliation.
Gaza….Hospitals attacked and people killed, Aid workers killed, men, women and children killed and maimed and it via buildings (homes , Hospitals etc)totally decimated…..why even ‘British’ citizens were killed by Israel in their attacks on Palestine…..
I hate this weak and corrupt UK political regime…….no honesty to be found with any of these ‘compromised by their ‘allies” so called leaders who just go through the (expected) motions of releasing a statement they assume is appropriate but where no thought or sense of fairness is considered…..nobody wants more deaths but to act as if this retaliation by Iran was unwarranted and ill considered, when your own behaviour as a UK political leader of a political party , has been promoted as making statements that seemed to condone & justify what was being done by Israel in their slaughter of innocent Palestinian people and children…..well that is something that has exposed your hypocrisy and your distinct lack of honour ,dishonesty, unfairness, lack of judgement, lack of integrity and you ever being considered as an appropriate leader of a country (or political party).
I do hope Humza Yousaf’s (who will be expected to react to Iran’s attack on Israel) statement is more measured and less hypocritical as he has been the ONLY leader of a government in the UK who has consistently come out and asked for a ceasefire by Israel (with no prefix or added proviso like Sir Keir ‘compromised’ Starmer) and who has exposed the total disproportionate response via Israel against Hamas that has all but destroyed Gaza and killed thousands of innocents there .
NMRN
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Also if I may add….
We all know who started this ball rolling and it happened long before October 7 2023…..where Palestinian people in Gaza have been subjected to atrocious behaviour from Israel via the regime that governs it.
But if you listen to UK leaders of political parties you would think there was no history in this region prior to October 7 2023.
Unfortunately for the likes of Starmer, Sunak & Davey a lot of people in the UK are more than clued up to the history of Gaza…..and thus they do not buy into this poor Israel as the innocent and hard done by country….. with it’s political leader and his government and the IDF ,who are the brutal force which that government deploys, to subject their cruelty upon Palestinians long before October 7 2023. …and still do.
This has escalated because of Netanyahu…..no ifs or buts about it.
NMRN
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Talk TV Host Julia Hartley-Brewer tweeted that:
“Another day another terror attack by another Islamist terrorist” (There was more in her tweet but I cannot be bothered to write it) but she questioned how long governments will put up with this….put up with what…..as her assertion was 100% totally wrong.
In that her tweet was misinformation on what she presumed (hoped was the case as in that it was a terrorist attack by a Muslim) had actually happened in Sydney with people killed in that Sydney shopping centre….but did not.
I think she has now deleted this tweet as it cannot be accessed…..as it turns out it was not a terrorist attack but was a terrible and senseless attack by a man with mental health issues who was a white surfer from Queensland called Joel Cauchi.
See this is what and who represents UK media …….lies and misinformation driven by hatred …..she , in any just and honest country, would not be allowed to have a platform to spout all of the **** (rhymes with SPIT) she does….but now in Brexit UK we see any old ****hole (* rhymes with sparse) being given an undeserved career and who as an ****hole have the audacity to slate Nicola Sturgeon, Humza Yousaf and the SNP as if they themselves, as presenters via a rogue news channel, were above those that they dare to think they can critique…..reality is those, like Harley-Brewer, are part of a media who are in the gutter…..and as such should be treated with the contempt which they so deserve.
Once again Hartley-Brewer has been proven wrong….just like her misplaced defence of Andrew Tate against Greta Thunberg…..and look what he turned out to be…..so people who watch her programme should be asking ‘What else that she says is a lie”….I’m old enough to remember when she was another regular BBC QT panel guest…..as they, BBC QT, so love to have the right wing haters on their panel do they not.
I really do hate this UK that gives a licence to incite hatred via these rogue news channels like Talk TV and GB News….and as for the regulator Ofcom…what a JOKE they are.
We in Scotland did not need these additional propaganda channels as we already had BBC Scotland doing that job…..and even STV and Scotland Tonight join in with their versions of propaganda against the SNP……
NMRN
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You are not going to like this (maybe)…if you read it…but there is a Tweet from the now replaced former leader of the SNP in the HOC (thank God) as in Ian Blackford tweeting this:
“Parliament returns from recess tomorrow. It is important that the Prime Minister @RishiSunak comes to the House of Commons and makes a statement on the situation in the Middle East. It is important that as we have done over Ukraine that we seek to build consensus and show leadership on calling out the Iranian attacks on Israel but that we also find a pathway to deescalation across the region including a ceasefire in Gaza. We are at a dangerous crossroads”
“It is important that as we have done over Ukraine”
“We” ???
“we seek to build consensus and show leadership”
“We” ???
“we also find a pathway to deescalation across the region”
“We” ???
“We are at a dangerous crossroads”
“We” ???
Well the PM has already issued a statement via Twitter on this which is #IranBad and #IsraelGood…..
Who is the “we” that he, Blackford, is speaking of….is it “we” as in the UK….which the SNP and he as a SNP MP are seeking to become independent of…..and in the UK Scotland ,via our FM, has not been a united voice as part of their UK with either Sunak or Starmer or Davey especially on what Israel have done in Gaza and as yet Humza Yousaf has not tweeted a statement on this attack by Iran.
I am so glad Blackford is no longer the leader of the SNP in the HOC……and that he is one of the SNP MP’s standing down at the next GE….as I never saw him as an asset as he was always far too constant in speaking on behalf of the…UK !
I do hope the rumours that he was considering, if offered, a place in the HOL’s are just rumours instigated by those who oppose the SNP…..but I fear that he may just do that …..though who within politics would put him forward for this I do not know….surely not anyone within the SNP !
Stephen Flynn the current SNP leader in the HOC tweeted this:
“Just as we rightly hold Israel to account for their actions, so too must we stand resolute in condemning this Iranian attack. It should be clear to all that regional de-escalation must be our shared objective, and at the bedrock of that lies an immediate ceasefire in Gaza”
Not sure about using the “we” here again…..though could be interpreted as “we” being the SNP or “we” as in Scotland and the rest of the UK…..and he at least notes where the “bedrock lies”….and via noting Israel who should be held to account and what immediate solution should be done to begin resolving this.
At least he, Stephen Flynn, has dropped Blackford’s repetitive clichés in the HOC when he Blackford was leader of SNP in HOC….they were embarrassing and proved to be pretty much fruitless…..Flynn has been an asset as SNP leader in HOC and has proved more than a match for any of the opposition parties…..that’s what happens when you speak the truth and are honest….people listen and take note….the same could not be said for Blackford.
Perhaps Blackford has forgotten he is no longer leader of the SNP in the HOC and he should have left the statement on Iran attack to the actual leader of the SNP in the HOC (or indeed the leader of the SNP as in the FM) before he, Blackford, tweeted as if he was a UK supporting MP…..seeking clarity from a UK Tory PM via this matter….
Am I being too hard…apologies if my comment offends anyone but sorry I am a bit sick of him…and also sick of someone else who is an MP in the SNP as well…no name required.
NMRN
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