The Herald Election Site

The First Minister has tidied away the washing from the kitchen pulley in his Wishaw home, and now, as we sip coffee at the pine table, looking out on to the garden's spring shimmer, he remembers the curious incident of the picture show in the night. It was one of those rare occasions when Jack McConnell and his wife Bridget managed to snatch time to go to the movies. "We'd decided on Pride and Prejudice at the Barrbridge Leisure Centre in Coatbridge, but first we went for a meal at an Italian restaurant nearby."

As the couple tucked into their pasta they couldn't help noticing the unusual number of men dining together or mooching about the complex itself. "By the time we'd finished, Pride and Prejudice had just begun so the cinema was in absolute darkness and the only available seats were right at the front. Anyway, at the end of the film, which we both enjoyed very much, I was conscious - as ever - that there might be one or two people who'd like to say hello. So, the lights came up and as we turned around I discovered that every single person in the audience was female except me."

Amid laughter, McConnell did indeed shake a few hands, and suddenly the reason for the Coatbridge gender division became clear. The women had left their men outside to avoid any conspicuous yawning over Jane Austen. Clearly West-of-Scotland-Man has yet to cop on to the pulling power of Mr D'Arcy.

McConnell is often criticised for his " wooden demeanour" on public occasions yet those who know him well explain this as a natural shyness, not the handiest attribute in a politician. But freed from the Scottish Executive's coalition straitjacket, he now feels more at ease with himself, traversing the country on the trail of May 3 votes.

That's not to say the Labour leader hasn't enjoyed being First Minister. But the constraints required of him in the Holyrood chamber have, he feels, sometimes presented "a very boring representation of me, which isn't me at all". This, he acknowledges, is partly a consequence of his responsibility to the office he holds, to respect the Parliament rather than indulge in punchbag politics. If nothing else, such restraint drives home the actual limitations of power; something any successor - should there be one - will quickly discover.

Is he thinking of Alex Salmond? "Well, I enjoy having an opponent who is taken seriously because - put it this way - it makes the contest more meaningful, but I passionately believe I am a better First Minister than he would ever be." McConnell has always been convinced that, of his generation, he was the person best equipped to hold the role. "And I still believe that."

But set aside the school examinations fiasco of 2000, and, as education minister, he had no real knowledge of the unremitting pressures which crowd into the top job. "Donald (Dewar), was an iconic figure with an idiosyncratic style and vast experience, which benefited us all. But it's fair to say that for the first year and a half that I was in the job, I found it incredibly tough."

That particular period, he reflects, coincided with health service waiting lists deteriorating and no demonstrable improvement in schools. "We'd also gone through a mini recession in electronics, and the Scottish economy was stuttering. The drug rehabilitation programme was only just coming on, so I felt frustrated at the lack of progress and change." McConnell muses that he shouldn't have taken things so personally. "But I did, and it dented my confidence for a while. On reflection, though, I've kind of gone on a personal journey in this job, and I feel I'm now a very different person from the one during those first 18 months."

Certainly the hair is greyer and the suits are better cut, but in what other ways does McConnell believe he has altered? "Well, my confidence in my own abilities has grown because of a clarity of direction. As soon as I was able to break out and set my own agenda at the 2003 election, and then get to work on that, I became like a liberated person. And I've been able to deal with the day-to-day abuse that comes with the job by looking at the results."

McConnell had decided that there were things that could no longer be swept under the carpet. Chief among then were sectarianism, smoking and Scotland's need for immigrants to redress a declining population. But each of those subjects was risky, and he recalls that there were many people, both inside and outside the Parliament, who counselled against the initiatives he intended.

Was Bridget among them? McConnell shakes his head. His wife, an admired high-flyer, is executive director of Glasgow City Council's cultural and leisure services, the original mover and shaker behind the triumphant restoration of Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and now involved in Glasgow's bid for the Commonwealth Games. "You know, Bridget in her work takes brave decisions and actually we've got quite similar personalities, so we're complementary in that sense. We feed off each other and we learn from each other. In fact we're much more a team than a couple in competition."

But in a small country their relationship has had to survive an unprecedented level of scrutiny, some of it fuelled by malice. The first occasion was five years ago when McConnell became Labour leader, and whispers of an adulterous past swirled around him. As a result he was persuaded - some claim by Bridget - to admit publicly to an affair seven years previously that then threatened to ruin his chances of becoming Scotland's third First Minister. Anyone who witnessed that televised moment of skeletons being laid to rest, can't have failed to observe Bridget McConnell's unwavering dignity in facing down that ravenous press conference. She expressed no bitterness, but hurt was there, not the old, inevitable hurt of infidelity - the couple, she said, had rebuilt their marriage with the support of trusted others. Instead, the hurt that haunted that occasion was more the spite and innuendo that always seem to lurk in any corridor of power.

"We have this huge extended family of 57 relatives," says McConnell, "and they at times have felt every blow. But not one of them has ever said to me: I wish you weren't First Minister.' Yet I know for a fact that the ups and downs of this job affect almost every one of them." That was certainly true on the second occasion of media outrage when the McConnells spent New Year at the Majorcan villa of Kirsty Wark and her husband in 2005.

Given the nature of Wark's Newsnight job as a political interrogator, that festive break was perceived as an error of judgment by both sides. But it also raised the testy question of whether public figures are wise to have any friends at all. "At the time I got quite angry about that whole episode because it was so destructive to people other than us. We've been close friends of Alan Clements and Kirsty for 20 years. They are among the kindest and strongest people I know, and we're very fond of them." But since all that livid coverage the couples haven't holidayed together, a decision they took jointly.

"So we've had to pull back from that friendship and initially the thing that was worst was the sheer hypocrisy of some of those who were criticising us but who themselves holiday with politicians.

The impact on the kids, though, was harshest. I mean, Hannah and Mark are much older than Caitlin and James, Kirsty and Alan's children. The four of them have always got on really, really well but now we are in the ridiculous situation where the four of them haven't been on holiday together for three years."

But if anything convinced McConnell that the slings and arrows of high office were a universal affliction, it was a late-night session in the bar at Gleneagles during the G8 summit. "There were about 10 of us including Bush and Chirac, and Bridget with some of the wives." Tony Blair had gone upstairs to deal with the horrific aftermath of the London bombs, and Italy's Silvio Berlusconi was also elsewhere, "But it was just a group with similar heavy levels of responsibility, having a chat in probably one of the few places where they could relax. I was very struck by that because I rarely relax when I'm out, maybe in a restaurant, as there have been incidents where people have tried to pick an argument or whatever."

McConnell was determined that there should be some lasting result of Scotland's hosting of the summit, and the re-invigorating of infrastructure expertise for impoverished Malawi continues as the goal. But that night, when banter was flying over the nightcaps of the powerful, the First Minister introduced a little mischief. Before arriving in Scotland the French president had derided British food, anticipating the worst, only to swallow his prejudice on sampling the Gleneagles fare. So, McConnell went to the hotel kitchens and brought Chef Andrew Fairlie into the gathering.

"Chirac took the encounter in great spirit, and congratulated Andrew with warmth and style. But, you know, when you see these guys behind the scenes, they are the same as the rest of us."

"At heart Bridget and I are both country people, and we chose this house because of the peacefulness of the back garden. Look out of the window, and you could be in Balfron.

"So, when I manage to get back here in the evening we just talk and go for a wander in that garden, listening to the birds. And the security lights help when you decide to do a bit of moonlight weeding."

If, on May 3, the fates decree that McConnell will no longer be First Minister, he would like to resume a career working with children. "I wouldn't go back to teaching, but something focused on improving young people's opportunities." But such thoughts are premature, he says. While some politicians have recently been described as "attack dogs", Jack McConnell may be more of a border terrier - tenacious and quick with that burrowing determination to see things through.

Nah yer exactly the same person Jack. Going home for the weekend and visiting the cinema doesn't really cut the mustard. Do you like mustard? It's yella tae.

Until Scots like you start saying no to Westminster on grounds of putting Scotland first yer out on yer arse Jackie boy.

May I suggest that every sensible person goes to a link page of the new zealand herald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10360042 reads it, takes a copy of the page and includes the nz herald link, together with www.scottishenterpriseparty.org/thegreatdeception and uses their Outlook to e-mail to all those in their mailing list with the request that the recipient reads and forwards the e-mail to those on their mailing list. In a matter of hours the entire electorate of scotland who have access to e-mail will have received the information. I believe that it takes only 16 repetitions to (ie 16 to power 16) to get the info round the world. Might be a problem though - Poodle Bliar, his henchmen (Broon, Straw & Alexander)and his lamp post in chief Mr Joke McConnell might declare a risk to national (unionist labour) security and make an emergency order to close down the internet in britain for the period of the holyrood hustings. BTW, Why do I describe Joke McConnell as Bliar's Lamp post? Well, we all know that Bliar is Dubbya's poodle who's led about, and what does a male poodle do when out for a walk? It finds a lamp post and pees on it!!!!

"It was a document that could have changed the course of Scottish history. Nineteen pages long, written by Scottish economist Gavin McCrone, presented to the Cabinet office in April 1975 and subsequently buried in a Westminster vault for 30 years. McCrone's paper, written for Ted Heath's Tory Government and only just released under the Freedom of Information Act, revealed how North Sea oil could have made an independent Scotland as rich as Switzerland. Earlier this week, Chancellor Gordon Brown underlined the vital revenue stream that North Sea oil still is in the context of British politics. In his pre-Budget report, Brown extracted an extra £6.5 billion (NZ$16 billion) in tax from North Sea oil and gas producers, to be taken over the next three years. Imagine then, what the oil could have done for a Scotland which chose independence in the mid-1970s and claimed ownership. Thirty years ago, McCrone's conclusions shocked his political masters. An independent Scotland's Budget surpluses, wrote McCrone, would be so large as to be "embarrassing". Scotland's currency "would become the hardest in Europe with the exception of the Norwegian kronor". Scotland would be in a position to lend heavily to England, a situation that could last "for a very long time". The study was judged incendiary by London and classified secret. The mandarins demanded that McCrone's analysis be given "only a most restricted circulation in the Scottish Office because of extreme sensitivity". It was the comparison with Norway that particularly worried. In the mid 1970s, Norway was fully independent and about to take advantage of an oil boom that has generated huge prosperity to the present day. In Scotland, however, heavy manufacturing was in deep trouble. Between 1970 and 1974 the number of coal mines in Scotland slumped by a third, while steel production fell by a fifth. The Government refused to bail out four shipyards in Upper Clyde in 1971, leading to a work-in by unionists and a march by 70,000 people. And so the call for independence became louder. The 1970 general election saw the Scottish Nationalist Party poll just 11.4 per cent of the vote and one seat. By the 1974 election their support had risen to the all-time high of 30.4 per cent of the vote, and 11 seats. American firms became nervous that a Scottish breakaway, socialist in outlook, was threatening their interests. Would-be "direct action" cells began to emerge across Scotland. McCrone's report, in such volatile circumstances, would almost certainly have provoked a turning point. Billy Wolfe, who was leader of the SNP at the time, is in no doubt of what the findings could have meant - "winning" Scotland in the 1974 election. Such was the fear of Scottish nationalism that the study remained secret under Callaghan, Thatcher, Major and even Blair. Alex Salmond, the current SNP leader, said McClone's papers would form a central part of their campaigning for the future. "It would have had great influence. I was appalled at the extent of what has been hidden from the people. "The impact would have been dynamite. This is hugely important. But it was not just important then. It is important now. Gordon Brown's black hole is being filled by black oil." "

"It was a document that could have changed the course of Scottish history. Nineteen pages long, written by Scottish economist Gavin McCrone, presented to the Cabinet office in April 1975 and subsequently buried in a Westminster vault for 30 years.

McCrone's paper, written for Ted Heath's Tory Government and only just released under the Freedom of Information Act, revealed how North Sea oil could have made an independent Scotland as rich as Switzerland.

Earlier this week, Chancellor Gordon Brown underlined the vital revenue stream that North Sea oil still is in the context of British politics.

In his pre-Budget report, Brown extracted an extra £6.5 billion (NZ$16 billion) in tax from North Sea oil and gas producers, to be taken over the next three years. Imagine then, what the oil could have done for a Scotland which chose independence in the mid-1970s and claimed ownership.

Thirty years ago, McCrone's conclusions shocked his political masters. An independent Scotland's Budget surpluses, wrote McCrone, would be so large as to be "embarrassing". Scotland's currency "would become the hardest in Europe with the exception of the Norwegian kronor".

Scotland would be in a position to lend heavily to England, a situation that could last "for a very long time".

The study was judged incendiary by London and classified secret. The mandarins demanded that McCrone's analysis be given "only a most restricted circulation in the Scottish Office because of extreme sensitivity".

It was the comparison with Norway that particularly worried. In the mid 1970s, Norway was fully independent and about to take advantage of an oil boom that has generated huge prosperity to the present day.

In Scotland, however, heavy manufacturing was in deep trouble. Between 1970 and 1974 the number of coal mines in Scotland slumped by a third, while steel production fell by a fifth.

The Government refused to bail out four shipyards in Upper Clyde in 1971, leading to a work-in by unionists and a march by 70,000 people.

And so the call for independence became louder. The 1970 general election saw the Scottish Nationalist Party poll just 11.4 per cent of the vote and one seat. By the 1974 election their support had risen to the all-time high of 30.4 per cent of the vote, and 11 seats.

American firms became nervous that a Scottish breakaway, socialist in outlook, was threatening their interests. Would-be "direct action" cells began to emerge across Scotland.

McCrone's report, in such volatile circumstances, would almost certainly have provoked a turning point.

Billy Wolfe, who was leader of the SNP at the time, is in no doubt of what the findings could have meant - "winning" Scotland in the 1974 election.

Such was the fear of Scottish nationalism that the study remained secret under Callaghan, Thatcher, Major and even Blair.

Alex Salmond, the current SNP leader, said McClone's papers would form a central part of their campaigning for the future.

"It would have had great influence. I was appalled at the extent of what has been hidden from the people.

"The impact would have been dynamite. This is hugely important. But it was not just important then. It is important now. Gordon Brown's black hole is being filled by black oil."
"

If Mr McDonnell is serious about tackling sectarianism then he should stop Labour HQ poison dwarves (otherwise known as drones) from posting inflammatory provocative remarks on Catholic schools in the comments pages of The Herald and The Scotsman. Recent manifestations were Steve of Clydebank and Pete of Barrhead in yesterday's article on the Green Party.

This crap would bring tears to a glass eye. While he's swanning about with the great and good in Gleneagles child poverty in Scotland is getting worse and pensioners are just about scraping enough money to pay their Council Tax. Oh and some of these people can't afford to go on holiday unlike McConnell and his pal Kirsty.

Forget Trident, pensions, education, the Olympics, Independence, the economy, taxation, democracy, the NHS, student finance, Iraq, Cash for Honours and all the rest of it. What I need to know is:

Did McConnell stand his round at the bar with Bush and Chirac? This could potentially change my vote.

Aw! A wee feel good story about Jack. That's nice. He's a different person since he slipped out of his coalition strait jacket. Oh, look - there's Nicol holding it for him until he's ready to put it straight back on again.

If he's so much better when he's not First Minister, we have a responsibilty to keep him that way, no? Ach, he's just a wee boy so he is.

In fairness, at least Jack McConnell is human and has a life. Alex Salmond gives the impression of being not just wooden, but positively stoney.

Jack represents Scotland, and is a talented guy, proud to lead his country, and I'd say he's done a grand job of it.

Much as I love Scottish fish, I hope Salmon and Sturgeon aren't on the menu after May 3rd. If they hang around too long they'll go rotten!

Peewww! Smells Fishy! 5% local income tax with the snp does stink!

I agree with the 2 previous women, who are now located in reasonably safe Labour seats as opposed to marginals as before (does that indicate a fall in our... I mean, Labour's support I wonder).

Given the fact I emailed them the text of what to say, they better bliddy agree with me!

Love,

Clare/Mike/Sandra/Tricia/Fiona/Jane

Sorry if this sounds humourless, but it really needs to be pointed out for casual readers that "Fiona" and "Tricia" do not exist, and are in fact one in the same person. This happens night after night, always with different names, always "two women" popping up almost simultaneously to agree with each other about how awful the SNP is. One or the other will typically use a variation of the phrase "in all fairness", to make it sound like it is the casual viewpoint of an 'ordinary member of the public', rather than that of a Labour minion.

We have had FIVE years of you Jack, Five out of the total EIGHT years that Labour and the Libdems have been in power, Somehow I dont think, we will have a different Jack for another four years, it doesnt even bear thinking about. Suggest you get used to going to the pictures more often with your wife and taking up a hobby. Youve made a mess of governing Scotland, I certainly dont want you back
As Mr Alan Sugar would say ' Sorry Jack , your fired!'

Joke McConnell is in denial, going by the tone of this article. To quote the words of the Bard - "Oh wad some power the gift tae gie us . . ."

*sob* You'll tell them, won't you Anne - I'm really nice *sob* not bad at all - that Mr Salmond -he's *sob* the bad one - he's a bad man. I'm *sob* nice and soft and fluffy - tell them Anne - and *sob* if I *choke* lose my job to that bad man *sob* tell them I'll be noble *sob* I'll do something to chilren - no - make that 'working with children' - I was good - wasn't I Anne? Not bad - not really, really bad - and I wasn't bad to my wife not really Anne - and those torure flight things - that was just a bit of fun - they can't *sob* blame me, can they Anne? You'll tell them won't you? And that silly war - wasn't me, was it Anne? I mean, I'm nice, I wouldn't - and they were only Arabs, weren't they Anne *giggle* - or maybe don't say, maybe not tell them those bits, Anne. Just *sob* how I'm nice, and sweet, and *sob* did we get the children bit in? - and not bad at all, not bad like that bad Mr Salmond. You'll tell them won't you Anne? Write it down *sob* look *sob* take one of my crayons, *scream* no, not the yellow one - and *sob* write it *sob* *sob*...

‘I’m a very different person now’ I hope you are Mr MConnell because:-
According to an internal document obtained by The Observer, Jack McConnell's major achievements during his 5 years as First Minister are:
The Fresh Talent initative and the reverse of Scotland's population decline
Banning smoking in enclosed public spaces in Scotland
Taking measures to reduce sectarianism
Continuing aid to Malawi

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,1951864,00.html#article_continue

P.S.Nearly a third of the £2m spent on Scotland's Malawi programme has gone on running costs, rather than helping those in need, BBC Scotland has found.
The amount is about five times the running costs for similar work carried out by a Westminster department

Is this an apologist I see before me?

Compare and contrast the statements of Brian Dempsey with to Alex Salmond and Jack McConnell.

Says it all! These were objective statements not personal self-glorification.

FOR A FAIRER MORE PROSPEROUS SCOTLAND.

VOTE SNP 1st, 2nd, 3rd. ON 3 MAY.

What an absolute load of drivel , a progoganda piece on the Jack Whatshisname .
The man is useless ,even the bit about the smoking ban, he stole the bill of Stewart Maxwell of the SNP .
Maxwell originally introduced the bill which Labour rejected , then put their name on it and took the glory for it.
This lot are as dishonest and as corrupt as anything that was behind the Iron Curtain , but guess what Unionist drones.......
The Berlin Wall came down and communism ended so will unionism .

Bear in mind that this piece of fluff was written by Anne Simpson whose Saturday Herald article just last week assassinated Salmond, in one of the most insiduous pieces of protectionist journalism in many a year.

Where's the impartiality Anne?

http://election.theherald.co.uk/homepage/electionfocus/display.var.1314656.0.0.php?act=complaint&cid=181280

Simply a piece of Labour propaganda. Cr@p journalism from a newspaper that's becoming more like the in-house magazine for New Labour.

Anne Simpson...................yer a sleverin' wee jobbie o' a journalist, full o' pro-McCON guff and sentimental drivel. Get a real job !!
Aye......an' we dinna forget last weeks scurrilous attacks oan Wee Eck...................balanced journalism??......................... my erse.
BTW........ah'm No' in the SNP...bit yer STILL a wee jobby !!

This newspaper is entitled to support whoever it likes, of course, but the contrast between today's McConnell puff piece and last week's (admittedly ineffectual) character assassination on Salmond does not read well. I really have to ask - do you people want to sell your paper to anyone but the Labour faithful? If so, you might care to print some objective journalism occasionally.

Fiona27k wrote:
In fairness, at least Jack McConnell is human and has a life. Alex Salmond gives the impression of being not just wooden, but positively stoney. Jack represents Scotland, and is a talented guy, proud to lead his country, and I'd say he's done a grand job of it. Much as I love Scottish fish, I hope Salmon and Sturgeon aren't on the menu after May 3rd. If they hang around too long they'll go rotten!

Now now Fffffiona! Visiting time is over. More toe-ing the party line from Labour HQ? You say, "At least Joke McConnell is human"???? At the very MOST he's human...that's about it. Vote Joke McConnell... he's human. Satchi & Satchi needs you. I'd rather have Salmon & Sturgeon than a rotten box of fish heads.
Now is the hour.

Anyone notice in yesterday's Scotsman front page

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=607172007

(and three pages inside )interview with Blair, that he failed to make any mention of McConnell?

Very odd that in this fluffed up piece of 'gaze in awe at the wonder of me', Blair makes no mention - not a single mention - of wee Jack McConnell.

This election isn't about Blair or Brown neither are candidates. Yet McConnell their candidate, nor any of the illustrious cabinet fail to find mention. Ho hum.

Phew! Did this article somehow get diverted from Hello! magazine? Now that he has had his cup of tea and put away his washing, perhaps he can tell us his opinion on the impact of the McCrone report and the difference that it has made to secondary education in Scotland?

[quote][bold]John F[/bold] wrote: ‘I’m a very different person now’ I hope you are Mr MConnell because:- According to an internal document obtained by The Observer, Jack McConnell's major achievements during his 5 years as First Minister are: The Fresh Talent initative and the reverse of Scotland's population decline Banning smoking in enclosed public spaces in Scotland Taking measures to reduce sectarianism Continuing aid to Malawi http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,1951864,00.html#article_continue P.S.Nearly a third of the £2m spent on Scotland's Malawi programme has gone on running costs, rather than helping those in need, BBC Scotland has found. The amount is about five times the running costs for similar work carried out by a Westminster department [/quote] Banning smoking in enclosed public spaces...This is the reverse of normality. As a great writer once said,"You go outside for some fresh air...outside is meant to have clean air...inside isn't." When I go outside from my stuffy office, I want clean air, not smoky air. I say reverse this now. Allow smoking indoors and keep the streets fresh.

John F wrote:
‘I’m a very different person now’ I hope you are Mr MConnell because:- According to an internal document obtained by The Observer, Jack McConnell's major achievements during his 5 years as First Minister are: The Fresh Talent initative and the reverse of Scotland's population decline Banning smoking in enclosed public spaces in Scotland Taking measures to reduce sectarianism Continuing aid to Malawi http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,,1951864,00.html#article_continue P.S.Nearly a third of the £2m spent on Scotland's Malawi programme has gone on running costs, rather than helping those in need, BBC Scotland has found. The amount is about five times the running costs for similar work carried out by a Westminster department

Banning smoking in enclosed public spaces...This is the reverse of normality. As a great writer once said,"You go outside for some fresh air...outside is meant to have clean air...inside isn't." When I go outside from my stuffy office, I want clean air, not smoky air. I say reverse this now. Allow smoking indoors and keep the streets fresh.

I agree that this story was very sympathetic. As an SNP supporter, I don't doubt that Mr McConnell is a talented individual, and I think that some of the abuse he takes is unfortunate.

However, I think that Alex Salmond and the SNP have significantly more to offer Scotland than the previous executive. On grounds of fairness, it would sem to me that the Herald should also offer a similarly sympathetic portrayal of Mr Salmond.

This piece of tripe should come with a sickbag.

My god. 'The Scotsman' does it again. Tell me, is it still Mike Gilson up there as chief editor? You know - ex-editor of the Portsmouth Gazette or some-such. Apologies in advance if I'm wrong on that. Nevertheless, other than the free vomit back you should have had accompanying this absolute sugary-sweet, transparently obvious pro-Labour crap, can we expect a lovely wee piece on Mr.Salmond at some point? You know - a 'between the lines' special. Why 'Alex' has grown in stature, why many leading politicians and businessmen say he's the ticket, why he's very likely to come round and make wee cups of tea for your granny and help her with the messages? Jack McConnell has the personality of a clootie dumpling, the charisma of a bag of spanners - and - importantly, TAKES HIS ORDERS FROM LONDON. Get used to: 'Sorry, that question is a matter for the Westminster govt.' for another four years if this gutless wretch - a person that embodies everything that's just WRONG about 'Scotland the Brave' gets in. Scottish people - be brave! It's easy! Scotland WILL NOT crash and burn! That - as the greater world knows, is absolute NONSENSE. DO NOT be taken in by this patronising labour mix of scaremongering, 'ye cannae dae that' and 'Jack's alright'. Take your own steps, don't doom our kids to a dependancy culture, don't let THEM have to listen to scare stories about reliance on England etc It's 2007 for god's sake! In the meantime, I'll pin this shining example of how Scotland's editorial pride seems to be going the way of the dodo. Whilst further struggling to understand why every newspaper in Scotland wants to alienate nationalist readers - and why people aren't saying more about it. Is there an implication there's nothing positive to report about the SNP policies that seem to be winning the most popular support - ermmmm, in Scotland. A free bottle of Whisky to the first gutless Clyde/Forth valley [see London] newspaper with the courage to actually embrace anything approaching balanced reportage. Scotsman - you sicken me. Indeed, you sicken many.

My god. 'The Scotsman' does it again.

Tell me, is it still Mike Gilson up there as chief editor? You know - ex-editor of the Portsmouth Gazette or some-such.

Apologies in advance if I'm wrong on that.

Nevertheless, other than the free vomit back you should have had accompanying this absolute sugary-sweet, transparently obvious pro-Labour crap, can we expect a lovely wee piece on Mr.Salmond at some point?

You know - a 'between the lines' special. Why 'Alex' has grown in stature, why many leading politicians and businessmen say he's the ticket, why he's very likely to come round and make wee cups of tea for your granny and help her with the messages?

Jack McConnell has the personality of a clootie dumpling, the charisma of a bag of spanners - and - importantly, TAKES HIS ORDERS FROM LONDON.

Get used to:

'Sorry, that question is a matter for the Westminster govt.' for another four years if this gutless wretch - a person that embodies everything that's just WRONG about 'Scotland the Brave' gets in.

Scottish people - be brave! It's easy! Scotland WILL NOT crash and burn! That - as the greater world knows, is absolute NONSENSE.

DO NOT be taken in by this patronising labour mix of scaremongering, 'ye cannae dae that' and 'Jack's alright'.

Take your own steps, don't doom our kids to a dependancy culture, don't let THEM have to listen to scare stories about reliance on England etc It's 2007 for god's sake!

In the meantime, I'll pin this shining example of how Scotland's editorial pride seems to be going the way of the dodo.

Whilst further struggling to understand why every newspaper in Scotland wants to alienate nationalist readers - and why people aren't saying more about it.

Is there an implication there's nothing positive to report about the SNP policies that seem to be winning the most popular support - ermmmm, in Scotland.

A free bottle of Whisky to the first gutless Clyde/Forth valley newspaper with the courage to actually embrace anything approaching balanced reportage.

Scotsman - you sicken me. Indeed, you sicken many.

Oh - in my 'dumbstruckness' forgot to pin the URL - http://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=601082007 - read and despair.

Wow - it's finally happened.

The distinctive editorial tones of Scotsman/Herlad have finally merged into a single form of gelatinous, gooey, pro-labour garbage.

Scotsman postings on the Herald site.

Herald postings on the Scotsman site.

Six of one, half-dozen of the other...

Apologies! It's getting difficult to 'see the difference' between their bold editorial stances.

This is to journalism as Mother Theresa is to Deep Throat.

Just saw the following on AFP. Interesting?

By Robin Millard AFP - Saturday, April 21 LONDON (AFP) - Close allies of British Prime Minister Tony Blair are set to be charged in the "cash for honours" row that has tainted his final year in office, newspapers said Saturday.

The Herald really needs to start employing real journalists not Labour party hacks and when wee jack comes out of hospital after having Anne Simpson removed from his arse he will still continue to be a useless joke....

instant Adbo (anti-democratic behaviour order) nomination for Anne Simpson. You are charged with character assassination of one party leader and fawning, psychophantic rebranding of another. Officer, take this so-called journalist to jail.

He may be a different man but he still says the same things. Just before the last election he assured us that the economy would be his "number one priority". He was also on record as having listed a number of other things as being "first" or "number one" priorities.

In March he also promised us that this time the economy would again be his "number one priority".

In fact in the last 4 years the economy has continued its abysmal 1.5% growth rate, 1% less tahn the UK average. Had he kept this promise he would not now be facing defeat.

How much does it cost to place a self serve personal ad in the Herald?

Nauseating drivel. I stopped buying The Herald along time ago because of this type of garbage.

The Labour Part seems to be going in for "Look I'm actually a Family Man" today. Here is more crap, this time about Tony and Cherie. Two such articles on the same day - coincidence's? - I don't think so.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article2467343.ece

Now that's what I call a well-written article. I have more human warmth in my pinky finger than big gub Salmond has in his whole body. Vote Labour on the 3rd to ensure Scotland remains the best small region in the UK.
www.myspace.com/jackmcconnell

Different, McConnell? Are you f***. My god the marching powder must have been in complete overkill here. You're different alright by believing in magic carpets, and delusions of grandeur. Is that what you used to work out to counter the SNP's claims of how they will fund the Income Tax? The hypocrite finally speaks at last.

#WHAT A WASTE (DA, DA, DA, DA-DA-DUM), Ian Dury And The Blockheads, May 1978, Stiff Label.

# I've had enough of reading things from neurotic, psychotic, Pig-headed politicians, all I want is the truth. Just Gimmie Some Truth. John Lennon, 1971, Apple Records.

This is just to tell you what you can do with you vote McConnell. Stick it up your arse.

Oh come now, some of the reactions to this heartwarming portrait of Mr. McConnell can only be described as churlish. Indeed they are reminiscent of the 'day-to-day abuse', 'malice' and 'spite' to which Ms Simpson alludes in this uplifting article. This is a vividly written piece which shows a man equally at ease with the ladies of Coatbridge and his fellow world leaders such as M. Chirac and President Bush. A man who practises statesmanship but can still find time to take the washing off the pulley or do some midnight weeding with his devoted high-flying wife. Ms Simpson's contrast of domestic idyll with the cares of running a country give us a marvellous insight into McConnell the man. Yes, there have been difficult times for the McConnells but these burdens have been bravely borne and Scotland's First Couple have emerged all the stronger. Should the unthinkable happen and Mr McConnell find himself out of office after May 3rd, then he will even take up a career helping the children of Scotland. What could be nobler? Thank you, Ms Simpson, for giving us this insight into a genuinely good and caring man. You must have found it a difficult task, for as you note, Mr McConnell suffers from 'a natural shyness' and must therefore have been extremely reluctant to talk about himself. Thank you again Ms Simpson for an article which exemplifies the standard of journalism which we have come to expect from the Herald.

Oh come now, some of the reactions to this heartwarming portrait of Mr. McConnell can only be described as churlish. Indeed they are reminiscent of the 'day-to-day abuse', 'malice' and 'spite' to which Ms Simpson alludes in this uplifting article.

This is a vividly written piece which shows a man equally at ease with the ladies of Coatbridge and his fellow world leaders such as M. Chirac and President Bush. A man who practises statesmanship but can still find time to take the washing off the pulley or do some midnight weeding with his devoted high-flying wife. Ms Simpson's contrast of domestic idyll with the cares of running a country give us a marvellous insight into McConnell the man.

Yes, there have been difficult times for the McConnells but these burdens have been bravely borne and Scotland's First Couple have emerged all the stronger. Should the unthinkable happen and Mr McConnell find himself out of office after May 3rd, then he will even take up a career helping the children of Scotland. What could be nobler?

Thank you, Ms Simpson, for giving us this insight into a genuinely good and caring man. You must have found it a difficult task, for as you note, Mr McConnell suffers from 'a natural shyness' and must therefore have been extremely reluctant to talk about himself.

Thank you again Ms Simpson for an article which exemplifies the standard of journalism which we have come to expect from the Herald.

Compare the article above with Simpson's interview with Salmond:

http://election.theherald.co.uk/homepage/electionfocus/display.var.1314656.0.0.php

A bit of a difference then.

Why are all the Nat supporters so bitter and malicious in their comments on this board?

Ironic as the Nats whinge about negative campaigning.

At the heart of the SNP is malice and dislike for others who don't agree with them. Very nationalistic. Inward looking and small minded.

The Nats are a party of the last century.

Absolute garbage. Compare this with Alex Salmond's profile article by the same author.

Anne Simpson, you should be ashamed of yourself. History is not easily airbrushed - as the 'Oil manifesto', now back in the spotlight - has proven.

Journalists like yourself are doing your own country no favours, they promote - out right - an administartion which cites dependancy first and their people second. Sickening.

Here's a fun exercise for peeps at home. Look at each article next to each other.

Now, in red pen ink those words that have a negative connotation.

Then, pen those words - in green ink - that have a positive connotation.

Voila - you've looked beyond the article and discovered how to 'spin' an article.

It's heartbreaking to see the Herald go the way of the Scotsman.

READERS: Compare the article - refer to 'The public Interest' on the Press Complaints Commission web site here - http://www.pcc.org.uk/cop/practice.html .

Complain.

Malky - you're talking nonsense..

..and I'm afraid, the ongoing unionist obsession with painting anything that's pro-SNP as positively Jacobean, like a doomed romantic figure in one of Walter Scott's novels is in itself old hat.

No one buys it any more.

The CENTRAL point being, the SNP is about the future. Is about defining a future that's relevant - and involving - for all of Scotland.

Away and read your Daily Record.

All this drivel about people "forcing him to give up a 20 family friendship with Kirsty, kids seperated etc" -pass me a new labour sick bag. Jack, nobody asked you to do any of this and you know it you dishonest person. All that was argued is that you should have declared this holiday gift in Holyrood's register of interests - just like every other MSP is expected to do. This was never about money - you and Bridgett on your £200k plus a year income harldy need a holiday feebie. It was about a huge conflict of interest. - you Scotland First Minister spending a holiday with a front line BBC political presnter, Holyrood building selection panel member, £1 million 'insider deal' documentary maker, and OWNER of these vital and withheld holyrood tapes. Jack, you and Kirsty know fine well why ths holiday was not declared and it had nothing to do with meney. And keep you kids out of it.They are old enough now to know the caliber of the guy they call dad - or should at least now on reading the cynical way you have even put them inthe front line to help salage you pathetic career. The tuth is out there, Watch this space [bold]www.youscotland.com[/bold]

All this drivel about people "forcing him to give up a 20 family friendship with Kirsty, kids seperated etc" -pass me a new labour sick bag.

Jack, nobody asked you to do any of this and you know it you dishonest person. All that was argued is that you should have declared this holiday gift in Holyrood's register of interests - just like every other MSP is expected to do. This was never about money - you and Bridgett on your £200k plus a year income harldy need a holiday feebie. It was about a huge conflict of interest. - you Scotland First Minister spending a holiday with a front line BBC political presnter, Holyrood building selection panel member, £1 million 'insider deal' documentary maker, and OWNER of these vital and withheld holyrood tapes.

Jack, you and Kirsty know fine well why ths holiday was not declared and it had nothing to do with meney. And keep you kids out of it.They are old enough now to know the caliber of the guy they call dad - or should at least now on reading the cynical way you have even put them inthe front line to help salage you pathetic career.

The tuth is out there, Watch this space
www.youscotland.com

Mr Alan Smart - you appear to spend your life posting to various newspaper boards with the same personal grievance. Presumably you don't have much a life after your left your employment at the Parly? Are we bitter? If so, the Nats will welcome you on in.

Malky - your single obsession is to label ANYONE who has a nationalist opinion as a 'fanatic'.

Really? Do fanatics sanction illegal wars? Screw over pension funds? Guide the mass media?

Get a life you utter wastoid.

After all, one can only base opinions in an empirical manner.

That's by way of 'working example' Malky old boy - the working example of the Labour party is a second-rate Scotland. How *dare* we, as Scots, seek to better ourselves!

We can only better ourselves by some daft desire to impose a border on a wee island?

I am Scottish pal, and let me explain how we live on a small ball of earth in a wee solar system in a ten a penny galaxy. We need to be international, not national.

Yet daftie Nats are fixated on Braveheart independence. Apparently its a cure for all ills. Problem is the Nat manifesto is full of half baked ideas. They don't have solutions for tough problems.

I look forward to Eck Salmond losing on 3 May and being sent hame to think again, and retire.

I am happily employed in the private sector thank you,, having been blaklisted by your mob for being too free thinking. An at this precise mo I am happily watching the cricket - i can spit and chew gum at the same time.

But mine's is no personal grievance, but a political one. So if you could now answer my point above please. Post below if you prefer , but you can even make the first very first post here. We don't belive in censorship ( where are these open Labour blogs?).

Go on write a stout defence of our honourable First Ministe atr.

http://www.youscotland.com/debate/showthread.php?p=418#post418

And dont believe all the tosh your paymasters will spin you about me.. I could eat anyone of them for breakfast and they know it. Indeed I will in onlne over the next 12 days.

I wholeheartedly concur with the esteemed gentleman known as "Malky".

The SNP's plans for separation will wrench Scotland from the surface of planet Earth and on to a direct collision course with Jupiter. Hard working families across Scotland will suffer the effects of the vacuum of space, deadly radiation, and worst of all, the SNP's black hole. This will drain hard working families of £5000 in order to pay for Alex Salmond's "Anti-gravity tax".

Only Labour can ensure Newtonian laws of gravitational attraction will help hard working families.

Aye Malky, it's a sma' world, but ah widnae like tae paint it! An your a wee Malky - better tim some ashes oot in the close and run like h*** fur ye gie me the boak. Ah suppose you wahnt a galaxy government.

Oh and Malky - if you'd prefer a video to words try watching my
"The Best Wee Numpty in the World" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuvLVXXKt6I

Please pass it on
www.youscotland.com

Alan Smart - have seen your site and video, and may I say it was toe curling, mickey mouse work. I presume your job in the private sector involves a bit of flipping. Can I have fries with that big mac? Cheers.

Thank god I don't pay for the Herald anymore. What a load of sycophantic bilge. I ditched the hootsmon years ago because it was utter pants and switched to the Herald which I also no longer buy as it is now out there on a planet beyond pants.
So what now for a quality Scottish newspaper?
Was it worth losing all those readers just to toe the New Labour line I wonder. I think the Herald realise they are commited now and they must run with it . Consequently the New Labour bias is now almost a parody and a once great paper has all but destroyed it's credibility with thousands of former readers.
Result for New Labour.
Result for the Herald.
Sad day for journalism in Scotland . Reap what you sow chaps.

Malky, Malky, Malky A daft wee border on a small island? That being the case, defining a border wouldn't be an issue for you at all? Huh? You - in fact - resonate small-mindedness. What could be *more* small minded that writing off the very notion of development for your country? God - none are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free Malky old chap. As an SNP supporter, it's ALL about the international. In the words of the fantastic Benjamin Franklin: '...They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security...' Oh - my internationalism does indeed extend into the heart of the cosmos - 'cos space is big, and cultures small - and unique. I savour them all. FYI - I actually despise the 'Braveheart' independance you mention. I don't even know what that is - I can only assume you are truly misguided. If Scotland were led by the SNP - or, at a later date, via independence - the 'Toatie Scone' vibe - as Tom Leonard states, would and should be out the window with all the tartan gonkiness you can paint [a product of union by the way]. The true story of the Gaels in Scotland, or the history of the country's struggles with England - for example - principally the Wars of Independance, *don't need* tartan to tell a gripping, and true series of stories. Read Ronald McNair's Scotts 'Robert the Bruce - King of Scots' for a truly gripping tale - not in Black and White either. As for the SNP not being able to create tough policies, your brow ridge obviously got in the way of the fact that the SNP have not even had the CHANCE to implement their policies. Now, I wouldn't exactly term policies 'albatrosses' or anything else, but all being fair - you cannot criticise what has not transpired. Let's go hog wild. Here's a hunch. They might 'just' work. In fact, one could assume a great many of them will, less we're so different to other people and nations. 'hame to think again'. You really do have a cultural 'chip on the shoulder' eh? Good for you. But leave your pessimistic, leaching brand of dependancy at home - next to the very small window that peers on your all too short horizon. That's not a very 'Scottish' set of ideals you have there - pal. '...It is not the fact of liberty but the way in which liberty is exercised that ultimately determines whether liberty itself survives...' Dorothy Thompson '..We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home..' Edward R. Murrow And finally - just for you and your very, very, very [see Cathy Jamieson] small mind: '..The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government..' Franklin D. Roosevelt

Malky, Malky, Malky

A daft wee border on a small island? That being the case, defining a border wouldn't be an issue for you at all? Huh?

You - in fact - resonate small-mindedness. What could be *more* small minded that writing off the very notion of development for your country? God - none are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free Malky old chap.

As an SNP supporter, it's ALL about the international. In the words of the fantastic Benjamin Franklin:

'...They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security...'

Oh - my internationalism does indeed extend into the heart of the cosmos - 'cos space is big, and cultures small - and unique. I savour them all.

FYI - I actually despise the 'Braveheart' independance you mention. I don't even know what that is - I can only assume you are truly misguided.

If Scotland were led by the SNP - or, at a later date, via independence - the 'Toatie Scone' vibe - as Tom Leonard states, would and should be out the window with all the tartan gonkiness you can paint .

The true story of the Gaels in Scotland, or the history of the country's struggles with England - for example - principally the Wars of Independance, *don't need* tartan to tell a gripping, and true series of stories.

Read Ronald McNair's Scotts 'Robert the Bruce - King of Scots' for a truly gripping tale - not in Black and White either.

As for the SNP not being able to create tough policies, your brow ridge obviously got in the way of the fact that the SNP have not even had the CHANCE to implement their policies. Now, I wouldn't exactly term policies 'albatrosses' or anything else, but all being fair - you cannot criticise what has not transpired.

Let's go hog wild. Here's a hunch. They might 'just' work. In fact, one could assume a great many of them will, less we're so different to other people and nations.

'hame to think again'. You really do have a cultural 'chip on the shoulder' eh?

Good for you.

But leave your pessimistic, leaching brand of dependancy at home - next to the very small window that peers on your all too short horizon.

That's not a very 'Scottish' set of ideals you have there - pal.

'...It is not the fact of liberty but the way in which liberty is exercised that ultimately determines whether liberty itself survives...'
Dorothy Thompson

'..We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home..'
Edward R. Murrow

And finally - just for you and your very, very, very small mind:

'..The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government..'
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Malky says "I am Scottish pal"

You're British first though eh?

Hear hear Malky - I've been holding my own against these numpties for days now.

Good to see there's someone else sane out there.

I mean, wid you look at this: "Do fanatics sanction illegal wars? (Yeah - Middle East v Israel, 1960s to the present day) Screw over pension funds? (did you know Robert Maxwell?) Guide the mass media? (And Mr Joe Stalin?)
"
Then this informed opinion is rounded off with the informed rejoinder: "Get a life you utter wastoid."

What are these people like?

I wonder if what Alan Smart and others reckons of this idea:

The press's coverage of this election have been so bias as to be sinister. Is it not time to fight them there as well? There is obviosly a huge market for a newspaper that is balanced or has nationalist sympathies. Yes Alan, we know the web is becoming an alternative source of information but it's early days and a referendum could be a few years away. We NEED to break into the press market for Scotland's sake. Starting a new paper could work but would involve a lot of hard work. A better idea would be to buy an existing newspaper. They are all undervalued because of alienating the nationalist vote. So, there is a sound business case to be made for our rich pro-SNP backing entrepreneurs to move for one of the papers. The advertising money would soon follow from an SNP-run executive...

Am I wrong in thinking that the antics of the press, during this election campaign will have seriously annoyed some very powerful and influencial people?

Thoughts my freinds?

Wow Hughie! You managed to answer yesterday's mailing - in a completely incomprehensible manner! Well done.

In case it just went straiiiight over yer head - isn't Blair and the Labour Party unique in having nailed ALL of those??

Go Labour Party.

Back to West-Blackhall Street Hughie old boy - the Daily Records are going fast and cheap! Just like the Labour Party!

Funny that Alex - it's been playing on my mind for moons. Agree 100%

If we had anything approaching an even foot in this country, this tired old 'Labour cuz o' ma faither..' garbage would be honed down much quicker.

Alan? What to do?

Does no-one remember the Scottish Standard?

Launched to great fanafre and the tagline 'Scotland bites Back' this pro-independance papaer was supposed to give Scots a voice of their own and a direct alternative to the status quo tabloids.

It folded in seven weeks!

Not believe me? Check it out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4483449.stm

Now if the nats couldn't run a newspaper without it crashing and burning.........

If all advertisers, businessmen etc who support the SNP decided not to place expensive adverts in newspapers with a strong anti-SNP bias until after the election, this MIGHT change things...but I doubt it.

haven't read such a nauseatingly hagiographic 'profile' since Lorraine Davidson's book on Lucky Jack. Which CLP is Anne Simpson a member of? And bringing in the 'kids' (both in their 20s now) really scraping bottom of the barrel. Why no mention of at least some of the 'little difficulties' - Standards Committee enquiry (Lobbygate) and Christina Marshall scandal, the infamous NY kilt. We did, of course, get a passing mention of the mea culpa infidelity moment (the one he admitted to) , but only to pass him off as a 'decent' kind of, 'made a mistake, learned from it, hey I'm a pretty straight kind of guy'......... by the time I got to the late night dram with Chirac and Bush, while 'saving' the Malawian babies, I was alternating between nausea and hysteria. One can only hope this 'countryside loving'best small first minister in the world' gets more time on Arran after May 3rd. Hitherto, I have not been the kind of nationalist supporter who sees conspiracies behind every Herald column, but this profile really makes you wonder about their editorial judgement.

Jack this is a very nice article and Anne Simpson has done you proud.
Sadly I think your job is unsafe whatever the outcome on May 3rd.
Gordon has given Wendy the green light and you my dear son of Arran and respected former maths teacher are as they say, toast.
Lately I don't think your heart was in it anyway.........

Perfectly said Scotto voice.

Now - where to get some insulin...

The problem with this piece on 'a changed man' is that no one actually believes it to be true, neither opppenents of supporters. McConnell is a dull machine politician, and the promotion of him in this way as First Minister material for another 4 years will simply turn voters off Labour.

Not only is this a piece of cr@p journalism by Anne Simpson, it is also pi$$ poor propaganda.

Alex in Madrid ( get over here and help - Easyjet £39) and others, I half agree with you but as I ain’t got the dosh the web will have to do me for now - and it’s audience whilst still small is growing whilst the print media is in strategic decline the world over. But I genuinely think what is happening right now in Scotland is quite unique to Scotland, and is related to quite well thought out and cynical plan by the Labour establishment. Because, despite what the comrades have said, the indigenous Scottish Media has never been hostile to Labour, nott since the early 60s anyway, far from it. With the Record, BBC Scotland, STV, and on balance the Herald, more or less on message, for what was once a left of centre party, this is a very good press. But the modern day comrades have long foreseen the situation we are in - them in power in a Scottish Parliament with the nats and the liberal left on their backs. Here the sheer authoritarian ethos of Scottish Labour ( quite unique again across left right and centre of the party) has meant they simply will not tolerate the level of scrutiny, and on balance fair , reporting that is now ( within parameters) the norm in most western democracies. In this regard we are Albania. Labour has gone about this quite systematically, removing dissident journos and slowly having them replaced by more compliant types, This is rarely blatant but rather incremental, the next one more compliant than the last, so as you get the situation - exemplified by the Herald which has moved from Harry Reid to Charles McGee in little more than over a decade without anyone really noticing - until this election campaign has brought it into sharp focus. I single out [italic]The Herald[/italic] not because it is the worst - [italic]The Scotsman[/italic] is is still worse - but because we are used to better. [italic]The Herald[/italic] in the 80s and 90s ( along with the [italic]Glasgow Evening Times[/italic] - once a great campaigning paper, now little more than a Glasgow City Council freesheet you have to pay for) was I think was about good as it gets in terms of quality journalism within a capitalistic society. On a near daily basis it intellectually pulled apart the Government of the day, the cumulative effect of which created a Tory free zone in West central Scotland - even Eastwood and Bearsden! Brown and co, no fools, saw this and resolved "not on our watch" . Here there have been lots of levers used , some semi legit - Labour until recently had more actvists/wanabe journos in Strathclyde than everyone else put together , some bright, very bright, could suceed at near anything. But the combination of this, neo Stalinist blackmail tactics, patronage, huge Scotish Execuvive spin macines ( a story in itself) , and above all public sector adverting accounts tightened the noose. I can't detail it all here, but the pubic sector spend on the [italic]Record Group[/italic] and the [italic]Herald group[/italic] is like 100% disproportionate to its readership penetrations and provably so. The [italic]Glasgow Evening Times[/italic] for memory get about as much money from Labour controlled public sector organisations as it does from paper sales. This is so dominant that, even with some good guys working there, fewer each year, it creates a different type of paper. Not one out to break stories, expose corruption etc on behalf of its put upon readers, but instead one that protects the grafters, the inept, its “sponsors” from the truth. Look at Glasgow and all he recent scandals that have all been near missed by publications that under a Tory Government would have gotten their local “exclusives” onto the BBC1 UK network news. Glasgow NHS, Argyll and Clyde NHS, The Glasgow Housing Association, Glasgow Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise, the list goes on, But such us the reliance of these publication ( in a naturally declining readership market) on these very bodies for advertising that, even f they wanted to, they could not report them except in the most superficial of ways. My conclusion? I ain’t got a firm one, But my instinct is that, once this gravy train dries up - like on May 4 I hope, the natural process will restore a balance in which fair ideas get a fair hearing and corrupt quangos and councils get exposed. Naive? Maybe.But here I think the net is our guarantor, and will also help speed up the process a lot. Docile or sycophantically, pro any one party media outlets will just get ignored, go unpurchased as people go elsewhere, surf the web for increasing good a free places to get info and ideas. The clever owners of mass media outlets of the immediate future will, free from public sector advertising bribes and the associated patronage, work out for themselves that free thinking and at times hard hitting investigative journalism is the way to keep readers and make money. And in my opinion any owner of a Scottish based media outlet clever enough to work this at will be almost, by definition, be pro independence for Scotland - the two philosophies are interlinked So Alex in Madrid, I see what and why you are suggesting what you do - and it could be great . But i fear a Daily McRecord owned by one of Alex's rich chumbs. A really free Scotland will need a truly free press.

Alex in Madrid ( get over here and help - Easyjet £39) and others,

I half agree with you but as I ain’t got the dosh the web will have to do me for now - and it’s audience whilst still small is growing whilst the print media is in strategic decline the world over.

But I genuinely think what is happening right now in Scotland is quite unique to Scotland, and is related to quite well thought out and cynical plan by the Labour establishment. Because, despite what the comrades have said, the indigenous Scottish Media has never been hostile to Labour, nott since the early 60s anyway, far from it. With the Record, BBC Scotland, STV, and on balance the Herald, more or less on message, for what was once a left of centre party, this is a very good press. But the modern day comrades have long foreseen the situation we are in - them in power in a Scottish Parliament with the nats and the liberal left on their backs. Here the sheer authoritarian ethos of Scottish Labour ( quite unique again across left right and centre of the party) has meant they simply will not tolerate the level of scrutiny, and on balance fair , reporting that is now ( within parameters) the norm in most western democracies. In this regard we are Albania.

Labour has gone about this quite systematically, removing dissident journos and slowly having them replaced by more compliant types, This is rarely blatant but rather incremental, the next one more compliant than the last, so as you get the situation - exemplified by the Herald which has moved from Harry Reid to Charles McGee in little more than over a decade without anyone really noticing - until this election campaign has brought it into sharp focus. I single out The Herald not because it is the worst - The Scotsman is is still worse - but because we are used to better. The Herald in the 80s and 90s ( along with the Glasgow Evening Times - once a great campaigning paper, now little more than a Glasgow City Council freesheet you have to pay for) was I think was about good as it gets in terms of quality journalism within a capitalistic society. On a near daily basis it intellectually pulled apart the Government of the day, the cumulative effect of which created a Tory free zone in West central Scotland - even Eastwood and Bearsden!

Brown and co, no fools, saw this and resolved "not on our watch" . Here there have been lots of levers used , some semi legit - Labour until recently had more actvists/wanabe journos in Strathclyde than everyone else put together , some bright, very bright, could suceed at near anything. But the combination of this, neo Stalinist blackmail tactics, patronage, huge Scotish Execuvive spin macines ( a story in itself) , and above all public sector adverting accounts tightened the noose.

I can't detail it all here, but the pubic sector spend on the Record Group and the Herald group is like 100% disproportionate to its readership penetrations and provably so. The Glasgow Evening Times for memory get about as much money from Labour controlled public sector organisations as it does from paper sales. This is so dominant that, even with some good guys working there, fewer each year, it creates a different type of paper. Not one out to break stories, expose corruption etc on behalf of its put upon readers, but instead one that protects the grafters, the inept, its “sponsors” from the truth. Look at Glasgow and all he recent scandals that have all been near missed by publications that under a Tory Government would have gotten their local “exclusives” onto the BBC1 UK network news. Glasgow NHS, Argyll and Clyde NHS, The Glasgow Housing Association, Glasgow Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise, the list goes on, But such us the reliance of these publication ( in a naturally declining readership market) on these very bodies for advertising that, even f they wanted to, they could not report them except in the most superficial of ways.

My conclusion? I ain’t got a firm one, But my instinct is that, once this gravy train dries up - like on May 4 I hope, the natural process will restore a balance in which fair ideas get a fair hearing and corrupt quangos and councils get exposed. Naive? Maybe.But here I think the net is our guarantor, and will also help speed up the process a lot. Docile or sycophantically, pro any one party media outlets will just get ignored, go unpurchased as people go elsewhere, surf the web for increasing good a free places to get info and ideas.

The clever owners of mass media outlets of the immediate future will, free from public sector advertising bribes and the associated patronage, work out for themselves that free thinking and at times hard hitting investigative journalism is the way to keep readers and make money. And in my opinion any owner of a Scottish based media outlet clever enough to work this at will be almost, by definition, be pro independence for Scotland - the two philosophies are interlinked

So Alex in Madrid, I see what and why you are suggesting what you do - and it could be great . But i fear a Daily McRecord owned by one of Alex's rich chumbs. A really free Scotland will need a truly free press.

WEE JOKE'S ANTHEM (OR REQUIEM)
You won't get me I'm part of the union
You won't get me I'm part of the union
You won't get me I'm part of the union
Till the 3rd of May
Till the 3rd of May

Singalongwithme wrote:
WEE JOKE'S ANTHEM (OR REQUIEM) You won't get me I'm part of the union You won't get me I'm part of the union You won't get me I'm part of the union Till the 3rd of May Till the 3rd of May

Line 1 C
Line 2 G, then change to C on "part"
Line 3 Keep C going
Line 4 Till (F) the day (Em) I die (D minor)
Line 5 Till (F) the day (G7) I die (C)
Keep repeating unter laughter takes over & stop.

It is TIME to send wee Jack on his way along with his friends in the Labour party. Hopefully they will get the kind of jobs they deserve!!

Does no-one remember the Scottish Standard?

Launched to great fanafre and the tagline 'Scotland bites Back' this pro-independance papaer was supposed to give Scots a voice of their own and a direct alternative to the status quo tabloids.

It folded in seven weeks!

Hughie , I presume you're old enough to remember The Sunday Scot? Proprietor one Sir David Murray, arch unionist and and all round lover of things blonde.

This endeavour with wondrous sleaze bag Jack Irvine swallowed up more than £6million of Sir David's RFC trust for distressed and injured furrin players and folded within four months. Pro-Unionist, it was as successful as Murray's team in Europe.

Alan, whilst your here, kudos for the Herald article on the Parliament and it's lack of wireless or even mobile reception. Your well shot of them. Not fancy going back to STV?

Hi Alan, (would love to be out campaigning, I can't make it over until polling day so stuck here doing what I can on the internet) Interesting view of things. I can see it too. I also see where you are coming from about a truly independent newspaper. I know that The Evening News in Edinburgh was largely left alone by Andra Neil and its readership grew whilst The Scotsman plummeted. Not that long ago I told some Spanish friends that at times The Herald (especially The Sunday Herald) had the quality of a LaMonde or Der Speigle. This election has thoroughly dissapointed me in that respect. The Herald will suffer the consequencies of this for a long long time. Couple of points, it is normal in England and in Spain to have newspapers with a political bias and a consequent readership attachment. I suggest that a nationalist leaning newspaper (because of the broad geographical spread of the SNP vote) could well & quickly dominate the national market. Naturally though, nationalists will likely be attracted to a balanced paper as well given that the others are so contrary to their beliefs. In the short term one of Alex's chums who bought the paper could make a mint by simply being independent and I'm sure Alex would appreciate and benefit from that. As soon as there was no need to have said newspaper you could flog it off having increased sales and make a tidy profit. What would be required is some smart media types to do the math and present it to said entrepreneurs with a view to forming a group of equity investors to move for a paper. I know what would be ideal Alan but I also can see what is essential and urgent. The recent paper business AM showed that there is good quality out there. I'm sure that Ian Bell (one of the few) would jump ship in a second;) Worried about the time and costs involved? I wonder if Niall Aslan of scottish enterprise party would help with the financial forecasts. Ex Scottish enterprise fella could help with writing the business plan - wouldn't take long. Then ye get intros via Jim Mather and maybe it's there for ye? Ye know anyone in the media game with the boldness to try it?

Hi Alan, (would love to be out campaigning, I can't make it over until polling day so stuck here doing what I can on the internet)

Interesting view of things. I can see it too.

I also see where you are coming from about a truly independent newspaper. I know that The Evening News in Edinburgh was largely left alone by Andra Neil and its readership grew whilst The Scotsman plummeted. Not that long ago I told some Spanish friends that at times The Herald (especially The Sunday Herald) had the quality of a LaMonde or Der Speigle. This election has thoroughly dissapointed me in that respect. The Herald will suffer the consequencies of this for a long long time.

Couple of points, it is normal in England and in Spain to have newspapers with a political bias and a consequent readership attachment. I suggest that a nationalist leaning newspaper (because of the broad geographical spread of the SNP vote) could well & quickly dominate the national market. Naturally though, nationalists will likely be attracted to a balanced paper as well given that the others are so contrary to their beliefs. In the short term one of Alex's chums who bought the paper could make a mint by simply being independent and I'm sure Alex would appreciate and benefit from that. As soon as there was no need to have said newspaper you could flog it off having increased sales and make a tidy profit.

What would be required is some smart media types to do the math and present it to said entrepreneurs with a view to forming a group of equity investors to move for a paper. I know what would be ideal Alan but I also can see what is essential and urgent. The recent paper business AM showed that there is good quality out there. I'm sure that Ian Bell (one of the few) would jump ship in a second;)

Worried about the time and costs involved? I wonder if Niall Aslan of scottish enterprise party would help with the financial forecasts. Ex Scottish enterprise fella could help with writing the business plan - wouldn't take long. Then ye get intros via Jim Mather and maybe it's there for ye? Ye know anyone in the media game with the boldness to try it?

PS What do you think of Ian Bell as a cheif editor? Now that would give the likes of The Herald an international reputation...

A crystal clear picture of Jack McConnell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dl5nWb4hvg

Alexin Madrid

I agree entirely with you about the Edinburgh Evening News - they give Edinburgh Council a hard time and the council is all the better for it. And it was The News that exposed 75% of the Holyrood building scandle on a tenth of its sister paper's or the Herald's resouces.

I am open minded, indeed I like the Spanish model of openly partisan papers - even the ABC is a good read if you want to know what the enemy is thinking. I am just not convinced you can do it in 2007 - when the world is opening up and people increasingly moving away from political parties. But a "national movement" paper not an SNP one - that might work. And let's at least all do the homework. look at options, as you suggest.

Enjoy Madrid tonight, but I reckon for once in a lifetime Falkirk will beat it on May 3/4

I'm so glad I'm gonnie be in Scotland. Even if the SNP don`t win I can smell the wind of change blowing through the country as far away as sunny Madrid. I'll be in the capital if anyone here fancies meeting for a pint.

Not talking about an SNP paper. I think a national movement newspaper would work but lets face it a totally independent newspaper would do the job just as well.

This can be a sale to entrepreneurs on financials as well as on the heart (moment of history kind of thing). When the cause is as strong you'd be surprised at help you'd get. It's all there awaiting and right after the election the anger will be fresh. I work in a media company here (as an English teacher) which was started by Jesus Polancko who after the death of Franco realised that Spain needed a left wing newspaper establishment so that Spain didn't go the way of the USA. History is on our side, the expertise and the money is there. What more is needed?

Slainte.

Help?

I'm very concerned. There were a number of opinion polls published recently. Now they are nowhere to be seen. I'm very concerned about their welfare. There was no sign of ill-health, they just vanished into thin air.

Can anyone with any information please come forward.

Thanks

[quote][bold]Malky[/bold] wrote: Alan Smart - have seen your site and video, and may I say it was toe curling, mickey mouse work. I presume your job in the private sector involves a bit of flipping. Can I have fries with that big mac? Cheers.[/quote] You can say whay you want Malky, it dont make you right. Id be dissapointed if you liked it, And i noticed you did not answer my questions which were: (a) Who ever asked Jack to end his family friendship with the Warks, and who the **** asked for a holiday embaro invoving your "kids", now in their mid twenties - I mean drivel Jack, drivel Anne Simpson (b) Why are the "comments" sections on all the Labour blogs "closed" - to go with your minds I reckon PS And it's Man U 1 Middlebourgh 1 Malky, five minutes to go, in case you are all worrying about my wellbeing there in John Smith House. And as for working for McDonalds, it would be more honest and rewarding employment than New Labour ( and I thought Labour were were on the side of the workers - so why have they some sneering middle class tosser like you working for them?)

Malky wrote:
Alan Smart - have seen your site and video, and may I say it was toe curling, mickey mouse work. I presume your job in the private sector involves a bit of flipping. Can I have fries with that big mac? Cheers.

You can say whay you want Malky, it dont make you right. Id be dissapointed if you liked it,

And i noticed you did not answer my questions which were:

(a) Who ever asked Jack to end his family friendship with the Warks, and who the **** asked for a holiday embaro invoving your "kids", now in their mid twenties - I mean drivel Jack, drivel Anne Simpson

(b) Why are the "comments" sections on all the Labour blogs "closed" - to go with your minds I reckon

PS And it's Man U 1 Middlebourgh 1 Malky, five minutes to go, in case you are all worrying about my wellbeing there in John Smith House.

And as for working for McDonalds, it would be more honest and rewarding employment than New Labour ( and I thought Labour were were on the side of the workers - so why have they some sneering middle class tosser like you working for them?)

Alan Smart
re
Jjack and Kirsty

I raised all this with my nice LibDem member Mr Carmichael. He said that it was all about Scots folk being jealous of Kirsty Wark. So there. That's you told.

Aye well, enough is enough. I emailed this to the Herald: Dear Ms Simpson I have been a Glasgow Herald reader since I was a schoolboy in the late 1960's. I have been saddened by the continual decline of a once half-decent paper since the mid-1980's. Over the last two decades investigative journalism and impartial reporting have given way to predictable opinion pieces and page after page of 'lifestyle'. At a time when hundreds of thousands of Scots are living in poverty and the gap between rich and poor is ever-widening, your newspaper's obsession with property, interiors, gardens, celebrity chefs, wine, fashion, exotic holidays and the lifestyles of the rich and famous gives me a rather nauseous feeling. Herald journalists seem to be living in an all-too comfortable cocoon which isolates them from the life experience and concerns of the vast majority of the population of this country. Despite my growing unease at the style of journalism The Herald has inflicted on its long-suffering readership, I have continued to buy the paper. That is until now. Your panegyric to Jack McConnell was the tipping point. I had expected the usually pro-New Labour Herald to get even more solidly behind that party during the run-up to the Scottish election. I had expected the increasingly frantic recycling of Labour Party press releases by the likes of Catherine Macleod, Michael Settle and Douglas Fraser. I had even expected something like the dodgy opinion poll the paper ran last week. I was totally unprepared for the dreadful piece of uncritical sycophancy which you presented as a profile of Jack McConnell in today's edition. The contrast between that piece and your equivalent article on Alex Salmond is startling. A comparison between those two articles would make an admirable Media Studies module on the art of political spin in newspapers. You will have gathered by now that I am not an admirer of Jack McConnell. Nor am I a huge fan of Alex Salmond. I wouldn't want to be presented with a sycophantic article on Mr. Salmond or any other politician for that matter. The Herald has pretensions to be a quality newspaper and from such a paper I expect impartiality, critical journalism, investigative journalism, a healthy suspicion of those who wield power and a concern for the powerless. Your paper offers none of these and I have therefore decided that I will no longer buy it. Judging by the pile of unsold Heralds lying in my local newsagents this morning, many other people have made a similar decision.

Aye well, enough is enough. I emailed this to the Herald:

Dear Ms Simpson

I have been a Glasgow Herald reader since I was a schoolboy in the late 1960's. I have been saddened by the continual decline of a once half-decent paper since the mid-1980's. Over the last two decades investigative journalism and impartial reporting have given way to predictable opinion pieces and page after page of 'lifestyle'. At a time when hundreds of thousands of Scots are living in poverty and the gap between rich and poor is ever-widening, your newspaper's obsession with property, interiors, gardens, celebrity chefs, wine, fashion, exotic holidays and the lifestyles of the rich and famous gives me a rather nauseous feeling. Herald journalists seem to be living in an all-too comfortable cocoon which isolates them from the life experience and concerns of the vast majority of the population of this country.

Despite my growing unease at the style of journalism The Herald has inflicted on its long-suffering readership, I have continued to buy the paper. That is until now. Your panegyric to Jack McConnell was the tipping point. I had expected the usually pro-New Labour Herald to get even more solidly behind that party during the run-up to the Scottish election. I had expected the increasingly frantic recycling of Labour Party press releases by the likes of Catherine Macleod, Michael Settle and Douglas Fraser. I had even expected something like the dodgy opinion poll the paper ran last week. I was totally unprepared for the dreadful piece of uncritical sycophancy which you presented as a profile of Jack McConnell in today's edition. The contrast between that piece and your equivalent article on Alex Salmond is startling. A comparison between those two articles would make an admirable Media Studies module on the art of political spin in newspapers.

You will have gathered by now that I am not an admirer of Jack McConnell. Nor am I a huge fan of Alex Salmond. I wouldn't want to be presented with a sycophantic article on Mr. Salmond or any other politician for that matter. The Herald has pretensions to be a quality newspaper and from such a paper I expect impartiality, critical journalism, investigative journalism, a healthy suspicion of those who wield power and a concern for the powerless. Your paper offers none of these and I have therefore decided that I will no longer buy it. Judging by the pile of unsold Heralds lying in my local newsagents this morning, many other people have made a similar decision.

Alan,
Dont be nasty to Mulky, There are times when people have an opinion about you. Some of those times you'll find those opinions/criticisms of some use and better you as a person.

Not on this time though. So, don't be nasty to him, let me; Malky, you are an irrelevant middle-class tosser. Come an independent Scotland the Mulkies of this world will suffer extreme pain from bile burning of the skull. And long may they live!

He also said, by the way, that Charles Kennedy's shaking sweaty finger was the right one to have on the nuclear button; that Mark RentBoy Oaten would make a fine home secretary and that gaybashing bisexual Simon Hughes was the dog's ****. He also says that Ming Campbell, deploying no less a weapon than the Inland Revenue, will persuade the chinese to stop building power stations. Ah so.

durruti, what a genuine and thoughtful letter. I'm sorry they've let you down so badly, you deserve better. Come the day of reckoning you'll face yer maker standing tall. As for Anne Simpson, well, sometimes we have to have some sympathy for those who put job before principle; they know no better. It is for them that we seek independence. In that Scotland we will teach our children that having principles is what makes us men and women. Daft wee adult lassies like Anne just won't happen.

Slainte fella.

Alex, did you not see [italic]The Times[/italic] Poll on Friday? Headline stats wise accurate enough I recon - 4 (FPTP) and 7 ( list) point SNP lead. But the Times' spin and interpetation is jaundiced and the seat projection absud as it ignored the small parties and the indies - near all pro independence, or certainly pro referendum.. And my huch is theree will be close to 20 of them , 1o greens for starters [bold]Poll details[/bold] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1680122.ece [bold]There is a row bubbling on the net over an "unpublished" Herald poll,[/bold] but [italic]The Herald[/italic] are denying it. My hunch ? it was a Labour private poll - disasterous for Labour - The Herald got via a leak . If it were an SNP leaked poll showing trouble for Alex , they have splashed! I dont know, just instinct tels me the poll aint invented ( thefigs are too detailed), but also tells me the Herald ain't so completely biased that it would pass on such a sensational poll, particularly one it had paid for. These two links explain the row, if not the truth http://tartanhero.blogspot.com/2007/04/heralds-secret-poll.html http://tartanhero.blogspot.com/2007/04/herald-responds-to-secret-poll.html [bold]Why so few published polls this week?[/bold] Money i think. Most papers can only afford a couple, so they have one at the start and one near the end. Might be wrong, but - if you pardon the plug - if there are any, we post them near imediately on [bold]www.youscotland. com[/bold] - [italic]News Blog[/italic] section

Alex, did you not see The Times Poll on Friday?
Headline stats wise accurate enough I recon - 4 (FPTP) and 7 ( list) point SNP lead. But the Times' spin and interpetation is jaundiced and the seat projection absud as it ignored the small parties and the indies - near all pro independence, or certainly pro referendum.. And my huch is theree will be close to 20 of them , 1o greens for starters
Poll details
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1680122.ece

There is a row bubbling on the net over an "unpublished" Herald poll, but The Herald are denying it. My hunch ? it was a Labour private poll - disasterous for Labour - The Herald got via a leak . If it were an SNP leaked poll showing trouble for Alex , they have splashed!

I dont know, just instinct tels me the poll aint invented ( thefigs are too detailed), but also tells me the Herald ain't so completely biased that it would pass on such a sensational poll, particularly one it had paid for. These two links explain the row, if not the truth

http://tartanhero.blogspot.com/2007/04/heralds-secret-poll.html

http://tartanhero.blogspot.com/2007/04/herald-responds-to-secret-poll.html

Why so few published polls this week? Money i think. Most papers can only afford a couple, so they have one at the start and one near the end. Might be wrong, but - if you pardon the plug - if there are any, we post them near imediately on www.youscotland. com - News Blog section

Mr Durruti enough is enough

Well put. I wrote to the Herald last year commending the readers letters pages, more virulent and passionate than anything in the English broadsheets, a Scottish voice, angry, melancholy, bittersweet and righteous, you will have read it and others. But you are absolutely right, not only about the Herald but about other once great 'papers - The Guardian, The Sunday Times -all now obsessed with lifestyle and celebrity, all staffed by mediocrities who get their stuff from the internet or Radio 4 and who, anxious for access, cuddle up to this vilest generation of politicians one day and write tv critic drivel the next. It is a weirdness that we look at a 'paper now not for its writers but for its readers. As here. Well said.

What a charming bucolic scene is conjured up here.
Amidst the gentle Wishae fields sits a house .A warm light twinkles in the kitchen window.
Inside all is tranquil as the First Minister ( for it is he) gently folds his Union Jack underpants,fresh off the pulley and lays them with the others on the pine farmhouse table.His charming wife Bridget (sack 'em all it's the only way ) stirs the pasta while their faithful newshound Simpson lies at their feet.
The phone rings shattering the idyll. "Who is it dear?" asks Jack.
"It's Gordon Brown, he says Simpson is his and he's giving her to Wendy Alexander."
The First Ministers cry of anguish goes unnoticed by the faithful hound whose tail is already disappearing out the door.......

Thanks Alan,
I missed that. Angus MacLoed put the 'f' in self-farce. Fascinating. Big moves to get the LibDem vote up as well, ye think that they are after Salmond in Gordon?

As for lack of polls. Na, remember the consequences of this elecion. There's no way this is about money. And remember that they use opinion polls just for the story value, except now they don't have the right story unless you spin like a gyroscope as our Senga sorry Angus can. The poor sephologists thought they were on to a bit of over-time as well.

We could run a wee competition. Where is the best place to be when you are watching Labour MSPs being made redundant? If Paisley North went I'd enjoy seeing that in the flesh. (But Bendy will no doubt be on the list, except I dunno if they'd be entitled tae any there.

Tasty
You're right about the Herald's letters page - it's been one of the few things worth reading in the paper. Perhaps the Herald think that once the election campaign is over and they're no longer on a 'war footing' as it were, the readership will forget the few weeks of outrageous bias and spin and will simply go on buying the paper. Well I won't forget and I won't be buying.

Arranboy - 'His charming wife Bridget (sack 'em all it's the only way)' - I'd forgotten she threatened Glasgow's public librarians with the sack unless they signed up to new terms and conditions of employment. No doubt it was a 'brave decision' for this 'admired high-flyer' and 'mover and shaker'.

Arran boy, Durrati, Alex - all...

...some hilarious - and perfectly thought provoking sentiment there lads.

Brilliant stuff.

Alex in Madrid (but Scotland on 3 May) Where to be once the polls close? Somewhere with a good TV and the sound up! [bold]Location?[/bold] I reckon [bold]Falkirk West,[/bold] but I am a little biased as I live here, But i think is a spirtual home of what is happening. Where Dennis Canavan took on the labour machine in 1999 an won twice. And then, when Dennis sadly had to stand down, the Labour machine - epitomised by its candidate Dennis Goldie, local councillor turned landlord - just thought they could get on with it, as if nothing had happened. And in Michael Matheson the SNP has a fine candidate, amongst many other things their lead spokesman at Holyrood on Clause 26 abolition in 2000, whilst Goldie as Labour Provost of Falkirk at the time lined up with Brian Souters "Keep the Clause" campaign, to Labour;s "Wendy;s) imense embrasssment - how he is now an official cadidate is beyond me. So Michael's win - and it will still be tight - would be win for evrerybody. The oppressed ( the irony of winning with the help of Souter's money not lost on tthem) , good labour people done in by the machine ( Canavan team is near 100% for Michael), the SNP of course, and above all the Bairns in as typical a Scottish town I can think of - now with an SNP led council, and visibly on the up thanks to it, [bold]Paisley?[/bold] Is the town I was born and brought uo in so I'd love to be tere when Wendy get her comeuppance. But sadly the town she, her brother and what must be the worst Labour council in Scotland have ran for the past decade is such a dump now you'd struggle to find a decent pub in the town centre to enjoy it from., Give Paisley 10 years of SNP rule and we'll have an anniversay pint then in a town I am certain will be transformed beyond recognition. And those of us who remember will just laught at those £5,000 tax bills that never arrived. But [bold]get out of Edinburgh[/bold] - a "garrson city" and, list seats aside, still an SNP free zone I reckon even on a very good day Leith is an outside possibility, but dont call it Edinburgh!

Alex in Madrid (but Scotland on 3 May)

Where to be once the polls close? Somewhere with a good TV and the sound up!

Location? I reckon Falkirk West, but I am a little biased as I live here, But i think is a spirtual home of what is happening. Where Dennis Canavan took on the labour machine in 1999 an won twice. And then, when Dennis sadly had to stand down, the Labour machine - epitomised by its candidate Dennis Goldie, local councillor turned landlord - just thought they could get on with it, as if nothing had happened. And in Michael Matheson the SNP has a fine candidate, amongst many other things their lead spokesman at Holyrood on Clause 26 abolition in 2000, whilst Goldie as Labour Provost of Falkirk at the time lined up with Brian Souters "Keep the Clause" campaign, to Labour;s "Wendy;s) imense embrasssment - how he is now an official cadidate is beyond me.

So Michael's win - and it will still be tight - would be win for evrerybody. The oppressed ( the irony of winning with the help of Souter's money not lost on tthem) , good labour people done in by the machine ( Canavan team is near 100% for Michael), the SNP of course, and above all the Bairns in as typical a Scottish town I can think of - now with an SNP led council, and visibly on the up thanks to it,

Paisley? Is the town I was born and brought uo in so I'd love to be tere when Wendy get her comeuppance. But sadly the town she, her brother and what must be the worst Labour council in Scotland have ran for the past decade is such a dump now you'd struggle to find a decent pub in the town centre to enjoy it from.,
Give Paisley 10 years of SNP rule and we'll have an anniversay pint then in a town I am certain will be transformed beyond recognition. And those of us who remember will just laught at those £5,000 tax bills that never arrived.

But get out of Edinburgh - a "garrson city" and, list seats aside, still an SNP free zone I reckon even on a very good day Leith is an outside possibility, but dont call it Edinburgh!

Alan Smart, Falkirk West

Sorry to disagree Alan but Dundee is the place to watch out for, also the bastion of nationalism and my home town. However I will be watching from that "garrison city" with a few fellow travellers and mates, in a pub lockin!

New poll in Wail on Sunday:

"Tony Blair is under new pressure to announce his departure date after an exclusive Mail on Sunday poll shows Labour heading for unprecedented electoral defeat in Scotland."

http://tinyurl.com/22z3b8

Hmmm - noly has the SNP on a four-point lead?

Cam3, yerself tae. Sterling posts fella and a good scrapper when it comes to trolls! Alan, I was thinking that there might be a guid party in SNP HQ but been so long since I was active in the party.... Maybe the TV is the place to be. Aye Falkirk West would be a travesty if it went Labour. There's an anti-machine tradition there though that might well help the SNP. And Paisley, I remember a wee bi-election in Inshinnen and thought the SNP councillors there were all characters. The local candidate was called Ian so the campaign slogan? "Ian in Inshinnen". (still don't know what the deal is with Wendy on the list?). Aye Paisley needs some serious regeneration. Maybe if Wendy gets back in she'll get money allocated there to keep her seat next time. So looks good for Paisley anyway. Being a Weegie getting out of Edinburgh has appeal but it is the capital. I moved to Edinburgh after the referendum result to watch the city grow. Back then I wrote an essay which argued that Edinburgh would become, after some time, a nationalist area. With the city growing and with a taste of what having a seat of government can do, it would grow in confidence. I think that is starting to happen. This culture shift was shown as the Rifkinds of this world baled out. I hope to see good SNP results across the city.

Cam3, yerself tae. Sterling posts fella and a good scrapper when it comes to trolls!

Alan,
I was thinking that there might be a guid party in SNP HQ but been so long since I was active in the party.... Maybe the TV is the place to be.

Aye Falkirk West would be a travesty if it went Labour. There's an anti-machine tradition there though that might well help the SNP. And Paisley, I remember a wee bi-election in Inshinnen and thought the SNP councillors there were all characters. The local candidate was called Ian so the campaign slogan? "Ian in Inshinnen". (still don't know what the deal is with Wendy on the list?). Aye Paisley needs some serious regeneration. Maybe if Wendy gets back in she'll get money allocated there to keep her seat next time. So looks good for Paisley anyway.

Being a Weegie getting out of Edinburgh has appeal but it is the capital. I moved to Edinburgh after the referendum result to watch the city grow. Back then I wrote an essay which argued that Edinburgh would become, after some time, a nationalist area. With the city growing and with a taste of what having a seat of government can do, it would grow in confidence. I think that is starting to happen. This culture shift was shown as the Rifkinds of this world baled out. I hope to see good SNP results across the city.

Richard,
Which pub? Is it a nationalist pub? WIll they be showing the election coverage?

Dundee, yeh! Aberdeen as well, no?

Jeez!

Jack has stopped cheating on his wife!

Give that journalist a coconut!

Seeing that poll in the Mail. It's just possible that Labour will hang on but possible not be able to form a government with DemLibs. ha - it would be a turnaround if Labour couldn't form a government and the SNP with fewer seats could. I wonder what the Greens reckon of keepin Labour in power? Interestin times ahead people. And, looks like you may have been right about the Greens Alan. Good news too for nationalists and for a referendum..

Alex Porter, Madrid

"Which pub? Is it a nationalist pub? WIll they be showing the election coverage"?

No it's more a Labour den full of "Hootsmon" hacks and depressed Labour cooncilors.

My mate works there or more like holds court, a few Nats, lets meet and watch the proceedings? Things I should say are not yet finalised but I think he's up for it. Keep you posted!

Opportunist Joke McConnell suddenly wants to tell us he has a normal family life ~ what a joke, Joke! Didn't you realise when you went the to the cinema and all the women followed you, they were only wanting to see if you wore anything under your kilt! I can't help stop laughing at Joke McConnell standing in New York, hands on hips in his dark grey kilt and white shirt, looking like a secretly wannabe gay boy. I've seen better dummies in shop windows with more brains and integrity than you have, wearing the same kilt! After you wore that kilt, all the shops in Glasgow quickly removed them from their windows, as they couldn't sell them for love nor money. All you did was to confuse all the American women in New York, who thought Scots were all like Braveheart - then you came along. Talk about the sublime to the ridiculous!! Even as I write this, I can't stop laughing, thinking about you wearing that ridiculous so-called kilt, Again, what a joke, Joke! Just as well you bought your house in Arran - I would suggest you stay there and don't bother coming back to Holyrood, because nobody wants you. Go and knit a jumper instead - maybe with all the women you were with in the cinema. Lucky you, eh?

Thank you Robert for the best laugh I've had all day. That's absolutely brilliant. On a more serious note, this is Scotland's golden opportunity to get rid of 50 years of Labour, keeping people in poverty for poverty's sake to stay in power. And for what, just so that Jack McConnell can enjoy the notariety of being recognised in the cinema! Perhaps someone saw his photo and thought it was Bungle and wanted his autograph. I tell you what, Bungle could run Scotland as First Minister better than Jack McConnell anyday! Oh, one other thing Jack, do you think we are naive enough to believe your story that you entered a dark cinema and everybody in that cinema recognised you, when we all know that when you go into a cinema it's too dark to see the person sitting beside you, let alone a supposed celebrity? We may be gullible but not that gullible.

Jack is a perfectly capable council leader as we saw when he was in the company of real First/Prime Ministers at the summit in Gleneagles. What was he doing there? Hanging up the coats of the real decision makers? He is an administrator and seems to think he is still running a local council. Which he is.

Too many enemies of the SNP about for me to contemplate victory. There is no level playing field in the media and too much at stake for the Unionist establishment not to turn to dirty tricks. I for one will be working hard right up to the close of poll to gain an SNP victory. The Labour and Lib/Dem Executive have had eight good years at our expense: they will not give up their Mondeos easily!. Scotland deserves so much better...vote SNP

So what the article is saying in a nutshell is that Jack is a lot nicer when he is not First Minister? Well I am sure that will be of great comfort to his wife on May 4 when they can go to the cinema togethr more often.

Jack Gray wrote:
Different, McConnell? Are you f***. My god the marching powder must have been in complete overkill here. You're different alright by believing in magic carpets, and delusions of grandeur. Is that what you used to work out to counter the SNP's claims of how they will fund the Income Tax? The hypocrite finally speaks at last. #WHAT A WASTE (DA, DA, DA, DA-DA-DUM), Ian Dury And The Blockheads, May 1978, Stiff Label.

Dear Mr. Jack Gray/ Alasdair G. Thom

Could you swear less on the board.

Many thanks in advance.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

This has been doing the rounds and if it is even close to the truth then the Herald has lost all credability,I really can't believe the levels the Herald has fallen to. Phoney Poll Alert The Herald is going to publish a poll and time it so that it is likely to be the last before the election. It will be based on the large amount of 'don't knows' supposed to be going over to Labour and it will do the SNP no favours at all. It will be repeated again and again gleefully by the Unionista Mafiosi in the press and broadcasting organisations. It has the potential to reduce the SNP's majority. It is by the already discredited mruk organisation,or Market Research UK,which as its name indicates is a market research organisation and not an accredited polling organisation. It operates from its own existing marketing database. The mruk (lower case always used) Chairman, Nigel Beacom and Managing Director Jim Law are friends of The Herald Policy Editor,Alf Young. Its Head Office is at City Wall House ,32 Eastwood Avenue ,Glasgow G41 3NS Tel: 0141 533 3350 .Young is also a close personal friend of Gordon Brown and is in daily telephone and E mail contact with Brown at this time. Polls can be manipulated substantially from raw data. A research project of several years ago indicated that some produced more or less the results that their client wanted. There are weighting systems. For example,a voter in Morningside saying she is voting SNP is much more heavily weighted than someone in Banff saying she is voting SNP.The weighting and other internal methods can be and often are manipulated to skew the raw data as required. The size of the poll is also important as a few people ( as few as seven in the last mruk poll ) can coincidentally alter the result enormously. Phone polls are notoriously inaccurate. Research shows that a far greater number of people tell the pollsters what they think they want to hear.Two weeks ago The Herald produced a poll which put Labour ahead.It was the only poll that had done so for several months. Here is The Herald's last poll. SNP 34% Labour 38% Lib Dems 14% Conservatives 10% Others 2% Two days later the Mail on Sunday produced a poll which put the SNP 12% ahead. Either polls are widely inaccurate ,or someone is a liar.We go for the liar and no prizes for guessing who it is. We predict the new 'poll' in The Herald will produce roughly the following; SNP 35% Labour 39% Lib Dems 16% Conservatives 8% Others 2% The purposes of manipulated and downright dishonest polls are twofold. First they create self-fulfilling prophecies and secondly they demoralise political activists.This at a rime when the latest poll in England is putting Labour at 27%.

This has been doing the rounds and if it is even close to the truth then the Herald has lost all credability,I really can't believe the levels the Herald has fallen to.

Phoney Poll Alert

The Herald is going to publish a poll and time it so that it is likely to be the last before the election. It will be based on the large amount of 'don't knows' supposed to be going over to Labour and it will do the SNP no favours at all. It will be repeated again and again gleefully by the Unionista Mafiosi in the press and broadcasting organisations. It has the potential to reduce the SNP's majority.

It is by the already discredited mruk organisation,or Market Research UK,which as its name indicates is a market research organisation and not an accredited polling organisation. It operates from its own existing marketing database. The mruk (lower case always used)
Chairman, Nigel Beacom and Managing Director
Jim Law are friends of The Herald Policy Editor,Alf Young. Its Head Office is at City Wall House ,32 Eastwood Avenue ,Glasgow G41 3NS Tel: 0141 533 3350 .Young is also a close personal friend of Gordon Brown and is in daily telephone and E mail contact with Brown at this time.

Polls can be manipulated substantially from raw data. A research project of several years ago indicated that some produced more or less the results that their client wanted. There are weighting systems. For example,a voter in Morningside saying she is voting SNP is much more heavily weighted than someone in Banff saying she is voting SNP.The weighting and other internal methods can be and often are manipulated to skew the raw data as required.

The size of the poll is also important as a few people ( as few as seven in the last mruk poll ) can coincidentally alter the result enormously. Phone polls are notoriously inaccurate. Research shows that a far greater number of people tell the pollsters what they think they want to hear.Two weeks ago The Herald produced a poll which put Labour ahead.It was the only poll that had done so for several months. Here is The Herald's last poll.

SNP 34%
Labour 38%
Lib Dems 14%
Conservatives 10%
Others 2%

Two days later the Mail on Sunday produced a poll which put the SNP 12% ahead. Either polls are widely inaccurate ,or someone is a liar.We go for the liar and no prizes for guessing who it is. We predict the new 'poll' in The Herald will produce roughly the following;

SNP 35%
Labour 39%
Lib Dems 16%
Conservatives 8%
Others 2%

The purposes of manipulated and downright dishonest polls are twofold. First they create self-fulfilling prophecies and secondly they demoralise political activists.This at a rime when the latest poll in England is putting Labour at 27%.

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