As a pro-independence Scot, I’ve been interested in the breakaway movement in eastern Ukraine, for some time, since well before Putin’s brutal exploitative invasion, just as I have for those in Quebec, Catalonia and the Basque Country.
As I understand it, opinion polls in that febrile world are not too reliable. However, this survey from the Center for Insights in Survey Research, a US Republican Party-owned agency, seems objective, professionally done and offers an interesting perspective on the identification, based on languages spoken, of those living in the Donetsk and Luhansk ‘oblasts’ and the cities within.
Support for or against breaking away from Ukraine in these areas is not, of course, simply equatable with languages spoken but, I suspect, they are likely to be powerful indicators of wider views.
I was surprised to see, in this survey, the level of Russian spoken, by 70% to 90%, in parts of this region.
I propose nothing here but merely wished to add knowledge to my thinking about this troubled region.
Source: https://www.iri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/iri_donbas_gca_for_public_release.pdf
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Due to decades / centuries of Russian colonialism? The same can’t possibly be happening in many parts of Scotland…
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Did you notice this one.
Spread the word among farmers: Blair’s lead adviser says CLOSE DOWN ALL SMALL FARMERS because they’re a political enemy. RETWEET so farmers hear the Labour plan.
John McTernan
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Good spot!
To document it further, the headline from Sky News online (November 12) reads: ‘Ex-Labour adviser John McTernan suggests doing to farms ‘what Thatcher did to coal mines’
The report states: ‘Speaking to GB News, former Labour aide Mr McTernan said he is “personally in favour” of doing to farmers “what Margaret Thatcher did to the miners” and “close down an industry”. And: “This is an industry we can do without,” he said.’
‘A Labour source branded his comments “shockingly irresponsible nonsense from someone who does not represent the government”.’
Source: https://news.sky.com/story/ex-labour-adviser-john-mcternan-suggests-doing-to-farms-what-thatcher-did-to-coal-mines-13253094
On the latter point, Mr McTernan has been wheeled out for interview by for example the BBC on countless occasions, introduced with his British Labour Party background to add ‘credibility’ to his views, including on matters relating to Scotland. Let’s hope these remarks on of all places, GB News end his go-to status as a Labour sage.
On September 19, 2014 the BBC News website had this headline: ‘Scottish Independence: How will Labour deal No vote fallout?’ (sic) Mr McTernan was featured, noting his Labour credentials as a former adviser both to Tony Blair in Downing Street and former Scottish First Minister Henry McLeish.
The BBC article notes: ’In Scotland he (McTernan) believes it’s time to heal political wounds between Labour activists and supporters who backed independence’ but ‘as for the SNP itself, he wants it wounded further’. Mr McTernan is quoted: “There is a saying in the Australian Labour Party which is ‘In defeat magnanimity and in victory revenge’.”
The BBC article ends with this summing: ‘So for some, talk of left re-alignment after a divisive referendum campaign is a diversion. They would bury the hatchet. But it would be right in the heads of the SNP.’
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McTernan is just like Brian Wilson.
It is revenge that leads their constant haranguing of the SNP.
McTernan suffered defeat like no other when in the 2015 GE he ,as the Chief of Staff for Jim fundilymundily Murphy, saw all, bar one , Labour MP lose their seats. (40 Labour MP’s lost their seats, Oh dear what a disaster for McTernan ).
That , if nothing else, should have relegated him to being seen as unworthy as a person anyone would be interested in ever hearing again in reference to all and any political matters within the UK , and so one now regarded as a persona non grata by all media and political parties.
The guy is an idiot and he is also one who makes many appearances on GB News as he needs to try and stay relevant , but I also guess he is in a position where he cannot pick and choose which MSM TV station will want to hear his wrong observations on politics or more likely that his political thinking is very much aligned with that of GB News which is why they have him on so often as a guest.
McTernan is the kind of person that is so so so wrong in any political position as he has such an obvious vindictive nature that then manifests itself when he says things like this “suggesting doing to farms ‘what Thatcher did to coal mines’” though there are other examples of his obnoxious ‘opinion’ online.
He is now very much regarded as being ‘yesterday’s man’ but he is trying desperately to still be relevant in politics by making “controversial” statements , which ironically considering all that is happening in politics with the Right advancing in England and elsewhere , well he would fit in perfectly as a ‘political strategist’ for parties like the Reform UK party.
He is the nasty side to politics that does not deserve to be platformed on MSM or any media and he should be neither tolerated ,listened to nor allowed to hold any prominent position in Politics within a future Scotland that is independent.
(His place is more suited politically to that of the The Official Monster Raving Loony Party as an insignificant but persistent presence in elections but one that is not to be taken serious so never elected or rather those candidates he works for never to be elected).
in 2002 he, McTernan , had branded Scotland as being “narrow” and “racist” during the period he worked for the Scottish Arts Council.
Projection is a weakness in people like him , where in ignoring many of their own flaws , they then attempt to identify and link those flaws as being associated with others that they are opposed to.
This guy is a nasty piece of work , a political dinosaur if ever there was one, however his true nasty character is so obvious and is always revealed in all that he says , which then leaves no doubt as to what kind of person he really is , which most decent people will be repelled by and so choose to ignore and fight against.
If you do some research online of him you will see just what kind of person he truly is.
(Just a wee warning you may feel slightly nauseous afterwards).
The fact that someone like him hates the SNP and also Scottish independence is then confirmation that you are then most definitely on the correct side in Scotland if you support both (or you support other pro independence parties too).
I am sure I am not the only one who makes an attempt on a character assassination of him as I am sure there are many others who could also add their tuppence worth in listing the many many reasons he is so intensely disliked and so best ignored.
(As he obviously craves attention and I am also sure that he cares not what kind of attention he receives , as he knows full well that all that he says will be condemned by many , as well as also being agreed with by the wrong kind of people)
However he also needs to be called out as for some bizarre reason his opinion is still sought by those within the media who are seeking some sensationalism or controversy and people like McTernan will always be only too willing to provide it. (wow that’s some awful legacy he will leave behind).
There is nowt but a fag paper between him and the likes of Nigel Farage as far as what they both truly represent in politics in their UK but also in Scotland.
Hate and division is what they both represent while they also both actively repel any who seek Hope over their Hate (and division).
He is exactly the kind of person that should be exposed for what he is and what he represents.
A truly repugnant person who is I am sure is also reviled by many others which is very much something he has reaped himself due to all that he has sown.
I feel a wee bit better having unleashed my fury in relation to him , where I and others too , all regard his so called ‘political’ opinion as not being worth Jack Sh*t.
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O/T STV are running with obesity rates at record high in Scotland…..”The latest Scottish Health Survey for 2023 found almost a third of adults (32%) were living with obesity, up from 24% in 2003 to the highest level since the survey started.”..https://news.stv.tv/scotland/obesity-in-scotland-rises-to-record-level-with-two-thirds-living-with-condition…..Having a quick search for Englands figures from Gov.UK…..”In 2022 to 2023, 64.0% of adults aged 18 years and over in England were estimated to be overweight or living with obesity. This is similar to 2021 to 2022 (63.8%) but there has been an upward trend since 2015 to 2016 (61.2%) (Figure 1). In 2022 to 2023 26.2% of adults were estimated to be living with obesity. This is similar to 2021 to 2022 (25.9%) but, as with the prevalence of overweight (including obesity), there has been an upward trend since 2015 to 2016 (22.6%).”….https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/update-to-the-obesity-profile-on-fingertips/obesity-profile-short-statistical-commentary-may-2024……maybe STV should have informed the Scottish people AND Damebaillie about the comparison showing Scotland, as usual, performing better than the Labour controlled England!!!
JB
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Thanks but the Scottish figures are just obesity whereas the English figures include overweight too so bound to be more?
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Ukraine only became a country in 1991 when the USSR dissolved , USA talk as if Ukraine existed hundreds of years ago , it didnt , not as a country , yes of course the land was always there and people too but not Ukraine , the reason so many folk there speak Russian is that their parents and grandparents were Russian and spoke Russian and taught them to speak Russian .Just like USA which is a fairly new country too , it wasnt there hundreds of years ago sure the land was there and there were people there hundreds of years ago but they were not USA citizens.Lets keep it real.
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Locals on BOTH sides of a border switch seamlessly between two and often have grasp of a third language, the dominance of one often dictated by local/business activity…
Being addressed in Hungarian so far from the border has caught me on the hop on several occasions, the blank look usually prompting a swift switch to Romanian – The same would be true of Ukrainian along the Ukraine border, it’s perfectly normal…
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This is another one.
P&O spent £47m sacking and replacing 786 mainly British seafarers in 2022
Change the P/O to CalMac and see the uproar from Unionst shower with BBC Scotland leading.
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