Anonymous
If Jackie Baillie really “wants to try to blame the SNP for local cuts”.
Well Anas Sarwar , when recently interviewed by BBC Reporting about the Scottish government, stated :
“Typical of the SNP always blaming someone else”
So Labour in Scotland, via their own leader, apparently does not support the idea that blaming others as being an action that is ever appropriate or a valid defence .
So it seems that he , Sarwar, needs to then have a word with his Deputy Ms Baillie, who yet again is about to expose him, Sarwar, as a political hypocrite if she does indeed “try to blame the SNP for local cuts”.
He also might want to have a word with himself too as he is often heard to blame the SNP for all of Scotland’s woes as well.
Of course he, Anas Sarwar, conveniently forgets that Labour at WM are currently deploying their own version of the ‘Blame Game’ in all of them, including Keir Starmer, blaming the previous Tory UK government for Labour at WM now failing to make the supposed “Changes” that they promised us all that they would make if/when in power within the UK.
Wait a minute has Anas Sarwar not also blamed the Tories too for this same failure ?
Clearly we are once again in the ‘Do as I say not as I do’ territory where double standards, hypocrisy and very much brass necks rule which let’s be honest Labour, as a political party, do tend to resort to as a known behaviour we often witness as being something coming from them in Politics within the UK.
The point is will the public in Scotland see through this behaviour ?
Also how much will the media in Scotland try to cover up this kind of behaviour by Labour both in Scotland and at WM.
As to Jackie Baillie well her main focus is firstly her own political self interest, then her party’s and then the continuance of the UK as a state , to include Scotland within it of course .
Scotland being the non partner in a fake Union in what is clearly four nations who are in no way regarded as equals within the UK by either pro UK politicians or by the UK media either.
We all know who , via the UK politicians and and also via the UK media , is seen as the dominant nation within the UK .
Indeed that one nation is regarded by many as the nation within the UK seen as being synonymous with the UK or Britain. (No clues as to whom I am referring to).
Where UK politicians and the UK media often refer to it as being ‘the country or the nation’ when discussing something that is clearly only related to England and not connected with any other nation within the UK state.
This same UK state that bestowed her, Jackie Baillie, with an Honour , as in she is now a Dame.
The same Honours system which we all know many Labour politicians both strive to attain and also some expect one at the end of their political time as a politician within various political levels within the UK.
Also I think before Anas Sarwar and Jackie Baillie start to accuse the SNP of ‘Playing politics’ it might be an epiphany for both of them if they referred to their own past and current behaviour.
They both would then note how they, as so called politicians, have resorted to and relied upon often ‘playing politics’ themselves to sneakily and dishonestly try to get one over on the SNP. (Often aided by their client media both within and outwith Scotland).
Labour both here in Scotland , in Wales and too at WM are very quick to and also good at blaming other political parties/governments within the UK for what Labour declares as being their, other parties, mistakes or failures/flaws .
However Labour themselves , as a party and as government(s) in the UK, both fail to or refuse to , either acknowledge or recognise that other parties, at times, also then have that same right and also very very much so that same justification in highlighting the obvious weaknesses within the Labour party both as a political party and as currently those who are two governments within the UK.
Labour really really really need to start to seeing themselves as others (clearly) see them.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Westminster misusing £Billions of Scottish finances. Trident, illegal wars, nuclear, tax evasion, Brexit, wasteful projects. Scotland paying interest on loans not borrowed or spent in Scotland.
Labour attacking the old and the young. Trades unions funding Labour. Starving their own mothers and young children. The UK the most unequal place in the world. More pensioners in poverty. Pensioners vote. They need to change their vote in Scotland. A higher turnout.
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So there is blog by a freelance Journalist who is called David Henke.
He has written a piece in respect to:
“1950s born women to face a quadruple whammy to their hopes over compensation, heating allowances, fuel bills and new taxes”
Mr Henke notes that since Labour came to power “pensioners rather than the better off have been singled out to pay the price to balance the books of running the country”
He also states a very pertinent point in that Pensioners are those in society who “often are not in the best of health, have worked most of their life and most don’t go around rioting and throwing fireworks or bricks at the police”
However large corporations and also the bankers , it seems, are those classified as untouchable by the new Labour government in that they, as a section of society, do not seem to be those included or rather “singled out” to also help “pay the price to balance the books of running the country”.
Pensioners must then be assumed by Labour as being easy targets.
Where traditionally they, pensioners as voters, are those more likely to vote Tory than Labour.
Bearing in mind that pensioners are regarded as a vulnerable group within society then Mr Henke also notes in this blog that as Labour announced the cut to the Winter fuel allowance for Pensioners we also had the announcement by Ofgem that the “energy prices are going up 10 per cent from October this year”.
So a pensioner who is only on state pension (and has no savings) they then have to decide whether to eat or whether to heat in the winter months. As to cut back on one or both will impact their health and also their survival chances during the winter months.
Then also as part of this “whammy” via Labour Mr Henke noted that:
“As for the 1950s born women the chance of any compensation – even the paltry sums of between £1000 and £2900 recommended by the Parliamentary Ombudsman — is getting dimmer by the day.
A rather frank answer to a constituent from Michael Shanks, the new Labour MP for Rutherglen and junior energy minister, has revealed the Treasury has taken over deciding whether they get a penny“
“Frank answer”? or a “blunt , cruel and dismissive answer” (indeed not unlike an answer one would expect from a Tory Junior minister).
“Shanks had responded :” My understanding is it is being looked at seriously by Treasury and DWP Ministers now they are in post and fresh discussions are taking place about what happens next”.
Also he, Shanks, added
“You may be disappointed we didn’t simply commit to compensation for all, but as we have discussed before, I think it is more complex than that and I’m not convinced a one size fits all approach is right, or a good use of public money”
That’s not what Labour MP’s and MSP’s were saying when the Tories were in power at WM though was it ?
As they, Labour, as the party in opposition to the Tories at WM, were all most most most indignant and were also most most most disgusted that Waspi women were:
a) Being denied their justified compensation
b) Being treated so badly by the Tory government
c) Being ignored by the Tory government in them, the Tories, failing to address and rectify this scandal that impacted women born in the 1950’s
Why even Jackie Baillie stood next to Waspi women pledging her full support for their fight to get what was owed to them with no proviso stated by her ‘that it could not be paid if it was deemed as unaffordable in the current economic climate’.
(Obviously that support by her for Waspi women meant nothing as seemingly it was just a PR photo opportunity to gain support politically, in Labour being seen as a supposed ‘caring’ party and also as supposed ‘Justice Warriors’ , but only that is, if and when, the Tories were in power at WM it seems).
Also Mr Henke added in his blog that “At the same time Labour pointedly did not agree to raising pensioners tax allowances so with the triple lock in place, to avoid the poorest pensioners with little or no extra pension in place starting to pay tax again”.
So for those not aware who Michael Shanks MP is.
Well he won a By-election in Rutherglen Hamilton & West in 2023 as MP for that constituency and retained that seat in the recent GE when it changed, as a seat , to being just Rutherglen.
During his campaign in the By-election he , Shanks, promoted the (now obvious non) fact that he was supposedly his “own man” and so not a ‘Party Yes Man’.
However he has now proven he is not his “own man” as he has not yet voted against his own party in any votes at WM since he was elected in 2023.
Indeed he , Mr Shanks, seems, as a constituency MP, to be in total accordance with everything his party, Labour , are saying as a party , wanting to do as a party, intending to do as a party and also in what has been done by them ,so far , as a party and as the new UK government.
Amazing is it not as they almost both seem made for each other.
Indeed this meeting of minds between Mr Shanks and his party has existed both when they , Labour, were the official opposition party at WM and also now it appears with them as the current new UK government.
This is also the same Michael Shanks who, prior to becoming an MP for Labour, resigned his membership of Labour in 2019 because of “Brexit” (plus JC was Labour leader in 2019 ) but he, Shanks, then decided to re-join Labour when they were led by Keir Starmer , who as the current leader and now current PM, both supports that same Brexit and also intends to continue with that same “Brexit”.
So go figure that logic that seems most illogical or rather that blatant duplicity and also personal opportunism by him ! (when he was made the Labour candidate in 2023 in Rutherglen H & W , against the wishes of the local Labour group , who as the local group preferred another candidate but they were overruled by Labour HQ).
He, Shanks, was also someone who was invited to speak at this years Scotland in Union Burns Supper where tickets were £50 a head. (It’s not cheap being a part of this pro UK propaganda it seems)
So I guess no poor pensioners would be attending that Burns supper or indeed other poorer people either (the same ones Labour in Scotland pretend that they support and would act on behalf of if they win in Scotland in 2026).
So – There is no Change that is gonna come (with Labour)
So – The Times they are not a-changing (with Labour)
So- There will be no ChChChChChanges (with Labour)
As if the Labour party , as the new UK government, keep doing the same things the Tories did when they were in power then instead of “Change” all we and also they, Labour , as a government will get and also see , is the exact same results that we and also the Tories eventually got and saw.
Where we , the public, all got totally P*ss*d off and the Tories eventually lost power, credibility and all trust as the UK government.
So they, Tories, are now a shadow of their former selves, as ones who once were always, as a political party , those who seemed to win more seats in UK GE’s in recent years than Labour ever did.
Now with Labour as the new UK government we have the same old same old that we endured with the Tory party in power within the UK and so I think the only “Change” with Labour will be with us seeing them eventually losing power as the UK government in the next UK GE
(Where they, Labour, will lose to a newly reformed and regrouped Tory party who , as a party, now will have a new party leader and where perhaps there will also be a place for the likes of Nigel Farage and others from the Reform UK party in their new Tory party- as most of them in the Reform UK party are Tories anyway- at heart).
God knows what will happen with Scotland……I dread to think based on what has happened off and on in Scotland since 2014 in all of the UK GE’s !
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*“Labour really really really need to start to seeing themselves as others (clearly) see them”
“see themselves as others (clearly) see them” ”
(PITA Predictive text . So I missed this word being changed or rather assumed to be, by predictive text, as being “seeing” and not as it should have been “see”).
Ducks sake or words to that effect.
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Pensioners should not have voted Labour, especially in Scotland. They could get a better pension in Scotland without Westminster wasting Scottish revenues. They already get better consideration in Scotland. Social care, SNHS treatment. Prescriptions, carers allowance, kinship payments, easier welfare forms etc.
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It really is laughable if it was not serious.
https://news.sky.com/story/economy-could-have-crashed-if-winter-fuel-payments-for-pensioners-werent-cut-labour-minister-claims-13207619
I could not believe this when I read it so according to this idiot its all the pensioners fault.
Economy could have crashed if winter fuel payments for pensioners weren’t cut, Labour minister claims.
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Labour hype has become truly desperate when they’re plying this “Economy could have crashed” nonsense…. It was political choice to do what they did, there were plenty of alternatives to solve the ‘black hole’ (in reality a fly speck) rather than pile financial pressure on OAPs…
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Westminster spend £1000Billion. £50Billion in debt repayment.
Cut fuel payment for pensioners. Some will die. More will end up sick in hospital. They are spending more because of cutting the fuel payment. Spending more on the NHS and other benefits/payments. More on administration. A false economy.
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I question whether any but the media pay the slightest attention to either Sarwar or Baillie – The Labour party faithful would elect a donkey if it was on the ballot paper, and BBC Scotland would promote it’s every bray as intelectually competent.
I still recall a visit to my grandfather in Saltcoats, a man who had always voted Labour, but on this occasion he was apoplectic with rage over Blair. He could see the direction in which Labour were being taking, all principles abandoned to climb the greasy pole of Tory UK politics – He never voted again, and although I didn’t understand it at the time, his opinion that democracy had been bought out was to make sense later.
Neither Sarwar, Baillie, Shanks nor Murray share an ounce of principle between them, it is all as theatre, the corrupt politics of Westminster thrives under the protective veil of a corrupt media.
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Pardon me for being cynical, but the Labour Party were always thus. Perhaps not when they first started out, but certainly in most of my lifetime, which started in the 1940s. O.K, Aneurin Bevan in the late 40s was instrumental in creating the N.H.S, which the present lot are doing their best to dismantle, but apart from that, they are just as bad as any other unionist political party. Why then would Scots help to vote them into power once again, despite having promised on the doorsteps in 2015, “never again”. Why indeed? I’m afraid after many years of canvassing, I can only come to one conclusion. Stupidity. Of course, a term we were never allowed to use when talking to the electorate, but I can see no other reason.
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Desperate to get rid of the Tories. People who support Independence do not vote or vote unionist. They need to get out and vote for Independence parties. A higher turnout.
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The irritating, frustrating yet wearily predictable thing about Labour and some of the pro UK media just now is that , part of that pro UK media, have somehow willingly bought into this line (spin) that Labour are pushing that they , as the new UK government ,have been forced to make specific painful “Cuts that they did not want to make”.
That same section of the pro UK media however are not challenging them, Labour, on why they are making these particular “cuts” mainly only upon some of the most vulnerable groups in society while others who are more than able to ‘take the hit’ financially are being ignored by Labour.
Meanwhile here in Scotland that same media, indeed pretty much all of the UK media , are currently challenging and questioning why the Scottish government are daring to state they too must now make some “cuts” ( pretty much because of decisions currently being made by the Labour UK government)
Remember it was Labour’s Wes Streeting , pre the 2024 GE , who admitted on the Laura Kuenssberg Sunday Politics programme that decisions made by the UK government impacts devolved governments when he was asked by Kuenssberg about the Welsh Labour devolved government’s poor performance via their stats on their NHS.
(However Wes Streeting only used this as an excuse to try and get the Labour Welsh devolved government off the hook, as in he blamed the Tory UK government’s decisions as being the primary reason why the Welsh Labour devolved government saw a negative impact on some of their public services performances.)
Yet Kuenssberg highlighted to him that Labour were less generous and less understanding towards the SNP as the Scottish government via this- as instead of Labour blaming the Tory UK government’s decisions for much that was happening in Scotland they, Labour, instead chose to lay total blame upon the SNP for what Labour said was (or rather Lied about) Scotland being failed by the SNP .
How very partisan of them, Labour.
Now we have Labour in Scotland and also Labour as the current UK government currently challenging and arguing that in relation to “Cuts” and decisions being made by them , Labour, as the current UK government , then these decisions supposedly have no impact on the Scottish devolved government’s budget or finances.
In fact they, Labour, are arguing that the opposite is the case.
(So they, Labour, are now all actively contradicting what Wes Streeting stated in his interview with Laura Kuenssberg, pre the recent GE , in relation to a UK government impacting devolved governments via their decisions as the UK government).
Now that is both the Labour party and also , as per ,very much too the UK media “Playing Politics” and they are all doing it as those who are always against the SNP as a political party but mostly they are all against Scotland eventually becoming independent of their UK state.
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The SNP have been handing more money to councils to try to avoid cuts to essential services, it’s easy to find info about how much online. With more cuts to the ‘budget’ from the EngUKGov, even tahtw on’t be enough. Also mostly targetted towards designated areas of need.
Councils are quite capable of wasting money where it suits them though, you just have to look at the mostly non essential CONSTANT road and pavement works over the past two years in Edinburgh, Scotand’s capital, which is run by LabToryLibDems, taking a wrecking ball to the city, it’s a mess now, not seen like this in my decades of living in it. Looks like a poor city akin to Newcastle, (no offence but N/C is now a dump) in north of England.
As for the digging up roads etc in Edinburgh the signage and barriers left there for weeks if not months, are all supplied by companies in England, must be making a ton of £’s, sometimes signs go on for ridiculous lengths of pavement with no need, more signs more £’s?
I don’t trust CEC to spend Scotgov funding in interests of the city, why would they.
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Excuse typos, in a hurry..
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