Blair backs Labour
And so it's goodbye from him. And it's hello again from him.
Alex Salmond and Tony Blair, that is.
Mr Salmond is making his final speech in the Commons today. He is, of course, stepping down as an MP in order to concentrate on his day job as first minister.
Tony Blair is making his first speech on domestic policy since standing down as PM three years ago.
And, you know what: he's backing Labour. Apparently, he thinks the Conservatives' sloganising is "vacuous".
For both, of course, the focus remains the economy and public spending. And there are some intriguing cross-border thoughts emerging today.
In Scotland, a coalition of forty charities wants a simplified and "fairer" welfare system, condemning the "impossible hoops" which claimants are obliged to leap through in order to secure "meagre benefits".
Election aftermath
In England, Ministers are considering options for levying charges in order to fund a universal system of social care.
After seeking consensus, the parties south of the border are now divided on the approach they would adopt. Scotland, you will recall, adopted free personal care.
Which issue do you think will be most salient in this election and in the immediate aftermath? And why?
Most probably, it will be the provision of care for the elderly - rather than wider benefits for the indigent.
Why? Because the elderly are more inclined to vote than the poor who can frequently be socially and thus politically excluded.
This is not, I stress, to decry or question the entitlement of either sector.
Merely to note that electoral politics, with its differential turnout and differential impact upon parties, is not always the best system for assessing competing claims dispassionately.
Spending review
(Although, remember Churchill's advice that democracy is useless - except when compared with every other system.)
Which brings us back again to the independent review of spending ordered by the Scottish government.
The chair, Crawford Beveridge, was setting out some of his thoughts on Newsnight Scotland last night.
The whole point of an independent review is to think the politically unthinkable - and Mr Beveridge appears to be in an iconoclastic mood.
Universal entitlement may have to be questioned in some areas, he argues.
It would be wrong to ring fence an individual service such as health care. (Politicians tend to do so because the NHS is substantially used by the elderly. For the motivation, see above.)
In the past, these were issues which intrigued and challenged Tony Blair - although now, as an ex-MP, he can perhaps afford to regard them with an intellectual detachment, despite his political intervention today.
In Scotland, these are issues which will undoubtedly arise again for the first minister.
Not perhaps in the short term. Not, substantially, during this election. But thereafter.
I'm 
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~57~RS~)
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Well Brian, if Blair backs Labour thats them dead in the water in Scotland. The only person that outranks him in the Scottish public's dissaffection is Thatcher. Having Elmer "managing" the "Scottish" wing of the liar party is just the icing on the cake. I'm with Wendy...BRING IT ON.
PS
I'd like to know why your blog has been closed recently. Why is the Scottish public being denied a place to speak out on politics? Every other blog has been open for debate. According to your About this Blog you will "be blogging here regularly on Scottish politics." There has been a lot going on in Scotland recently, not least of which the Purcell affair. Why is this not worthy of a mention, or is it that the Scottish wing of the establishment don't want the Scottish public comments on such issues?
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I see the former leader of a Scottish Council can speak to a newspaper but NOT the people he once served. The Sunday Times and some other journalists - not em[plyed by BBC - are pursuing this and the truth will out- eventually.
As for "vacuous" Bliar is the best qualified to make that announcement. Does ANYONE listen to what this money grabbing war monger says????? apart from Cherie??? and does she.
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Has Tony Blair fully converted to the Conservatives?
It's the only explanation for him turning up in time to hammer the last nail into the Labour campaign!
Go'n yersel Blair :)
Saor Alba.
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afternoon, very intriguing. I wonder who made the decision to bring back Mr Blair and why?
will he boost labour or indeed hinder labour?
fully agree with the 40 charities who want a simplified and fairer welfare system that remove the ridiculous "impossible hoops" that claimants have to jump through .when you are just out of hospital recovering from a major operation you don't need "war & peace" to fill in whilst knowing if you make a mistake and /or don't use the correct terminology you will receive no benefits at all it only creates stress which makes you worse.
Sid
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#4 Alba4eva
"It's the only explanation for him turning up in time to hammer the last nail into the Labour campaign!"
Surely some mistake! The ex-vicar of St. Albions is now surely above party politics. Getting a little revenge in early on Duff Gordon would be entirely another matter, of course.
Sad to see that more than 48 hours after this blog was closed to all comment, there's no apology for the affront to democracy by "the owner of the Brian Taylor blog" as the BBC's Central Communities Team describes whoever that individual is. At the very least, one would have expected the About this blog inset above to be amended from "I'll be blogging here regularly on Scottish politics" to something more apposite.
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I hadn't realised today was Salmond's Commons farewell. I do hope he's got over his "Ceaucescu moment" on Question Time, when the audience turned on him over his Big Debates stance. The people applauded loudly when the woman panellist pointed out he wasn't even standing in the election, and even louder when a member of the audience suggested it was just an ego trip for him. The first comment drew an embarrassed smile, but his face visibly crumpled at the reaction to the second.
Say what you like about Blair, and I often have, it was interesting to see once again a public figure with an easy command of language and the plausible self-confidence to sell an idea. Sadly for him, we've all seen through it now. But the other leaders must be thinking "if only...."
People will rubbish that, of course. But it's revealing, I think, that the early posters (only ones likely to get a say these days?) all choose to attack Blair rather than pay tribute to Salmond.
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It's a sad day when you know that there is no such thing as free speech.
Surely you can print that.
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#12
Gosh. You must have watched an entirely different edition of Question Time because I don't remember any of what you described.
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Brian
It is, as you have done, worthwhile to point out that our "benefits" system is one of the "benefits" of our British system. Just why the Executive decided to break the British bond and offer free personal care to Scots would be worthy of a longer examination than you have afforded in your blog.
#12 dier john
No tributes for Salmond, perhaps it is because he is politically not dead? Whereas the zombie Blair is still frightening and so should be attacked, but Mrs T is past it all now and can be left in peace.
But I agree with you that it is unseemly that we now have to rush to get our blathers into the blether before it closes.
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Where can the BWB regulars be found when the blog is closed? Is there somewhere else that we can read the likes of Oldnat's or Brownedov's gems of wisdom?
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12. brigadierjohn wrote:
"But it's revealing, I think, that the early posters (only ones likely to get a say these days?) all choose to attack Blair rather than pay tribute to Salmond."
Salmond may be leaving the "Mother" of all parliaments, but I don't feel any need to pay tribute to that. Although I don't personally like the man, his party will still get my vote in Scotland. There is no other rational choice.
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What Tony Blair has to say means nothing in Scotland. The only story of 'public-interest' is the cozy relationship between the Scottish Labour party and the Glasgow media.
Purcellgate has revealed the close links between Labour politicians and the Daily Record, The Herald and the Scottish Sun. There could be more.
The BBC has a 'public-interest' remit, but on this particular important matter it has failed in its duty.
Why is that?
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This is London calling should be the title of this blog when all it can talk about is a war crimminal. Free speech will be allowed until we decide when you have had your prescribed allowance. Any complaints will be directed to the nearest planet while ...........
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14. A_Scottish_Voice
"It's a sad day when you know that there is no such thing as free speech.
Surely you can print that."
Possibly. But I wouldn't bet TOO much on it from the absence of the blog for several days and the removal of most comments today.
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Labservative
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BT
‘Although, remember Churchill's advice that democracy is useless - except when compared with every other system.’
The only difference between corruption in a third world dictatorship and
corruption in ‘democratic’ Westminster is the fact the electorate here vote the politicians in.
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21. minuend
"The BBC has a 'public-interest' remit, but on this particular important matter it has failed in its duty.
Why is that?"
Now you asked a good question.
Indeed, why IS that? One wonders. IS one allowed to ask or is the question removed?
Free speech? In Scotland? Does it exist? Any more than a TRULY free press that covers political scandals?
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I take it Scotland's off the menu for Brian Taylor now?
Summary -
1. Tony B Liar
2. English Social Care Policy
3. Some fluffy 'Scottish context' (as justification for 2?) which is then discarded.
Fantastic stuff!!!
Why not just end the blog post with 'This entry is now closed for comments'?
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I watched QT last night. The Camera showed those applauding the notion of Salmond not standing, it wasn't a wide shot of the whole audience but a close in of a very small group of people all sitting together.
Of course I'll have to be convinced that there much point in the blog as a forum for debate, given the recent shutdowns with no explanation
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So tell me this, is the UK "budget" off-topic? Just wondering.
Because I keep wondering if this is REALLY as popular in Scotland as certain people keep saying it is.
Personal allowances frozen in stealth tax
People REALLY think this is a fair way to balance the budget? REALLY?
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#12. At 1:33pm on 30 Mar 2010, brigadierjohn wrote:"The people applauded loudly when the woman panellist pointed out he wasn't even standing in the election, and even louder when a member of the audience suggested it was just an ego trip for him".
If your perception of the above is correct, And I can't say saw it as you seem to have done, then they are the best signs yet that the Unionist public are reacting to the Scottish independence asperations in a positive manner. Let's face it, as long as they are passive we have a fight on our hands. If, however, they decide they want rid of us, with an independent England, then an independent Scotland is assured.
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Vote Tory get Bliar, Vote Labour get Bliar, Vote Lib Dem get extraordinary levels of incompetence (= Bliar - Iraq).
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#29 JRM: As you well know, I was not comparing Salmond in any way, shape or form to the person of Ceaucescu. Rather to the moment when the individual, any individual, who believed he was loved, realised the awful truth. Anyway, I thought "ad hominem" was your favourite expression? Served people? He never served anyone but himself.
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Come on, peeps; Brian is not the BBC nor is the BBC, Brian. You know perfectly well that the Beeb was neutered after Giligan, so there is zilch chance of it allowing to be said or saying anything of interest on matters affecting the UK Government's interest such as the governance of Glasgow.
Brian is no fool and it is interesting that he should raise the difference in social provision between Scotland and RUK, a difference promoted and pushed though by the LabLib Executive. The sainted Calman Commission took one look and ruled themselves out of such a dangerous area as British social security. Now the 3 Westminster dinosaurs, hat tip to the poster on the Cally Merc, are making a complete pig's ear of matching our Scots provision in England and half the blog is posting that they don't like Tony Bliar. Well, doh! Who does? If commentary is to be reduced on BwB then surely we should address what is of the essence? Is not HYS there for the Tony Bliar hate mail?
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41. brigadierjohn
"Served people?"
By the way -- much to your dismay he continues to serve them. As the First Minister of Scotland.
No need for eulogizing.
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#39 Auld Bob: The Unionist public reacting to Independence aspirations? I don't think so. More of an unscientifically chosen cross-section of Scots spontaneously recognising a self-serving poseur. We've had a lot about polls on the blog recently - this was actually the nearest thing to a real-time on-the-spot poll of ordinary Scots. And you can adjust it with any kind of weighting that you like.
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Oh and what really went on at Question Time in Glasgow?
Joan McAlpine
I've always felt that the First Minister of Scotland should only debate beside his equals, that having him on panels such as this was demeaning to the office. But what alternative is there? Salmond's equals are Brown, Cameron and Clegg, and he is excluded from debating with them by edict of the BBC and the unionist parties. Salmond was, as you might expect, head and shoulders above the rest of the QT panel, including Dimbleby. He made good points about Trident and was the most succinct in his summation of the lobbygate scandal - remembering that Byres's "cab for hire" quip echoed almost exactly what Mohammed Al Fayed said about Tory MPs in the 1990s.
Still, the whole programme felt artificial and odd. It was from Glasgow and Kelvingrove Musuem looked glorious. But the show failed to discuss issues that are important to people in this city right now...
As usual Ms. McAlpine makes some good points.
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Let's try this again. I'll post it in bits.
Many comments are being removed. I do not believe these people are using objectionable language.
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So why are people's opinions being censored?
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cynicalHighlander: My #46 was a reply to your #27. I cannot recall even a mildly controversial word in it. But I think I've had enough of the blog for a wee while, at least. I suppose it will have to be severely restricted during the election period anyway. But cut off threads and endless moderation has spoiled any hope of continuity. And when you look at the name dominating recent posts, you begin to doubt the point of it all.
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53. JRMacClure
PS *sigh* which I repeated because it looked like my previous statement was being removed so I reworded it.
Most comments are being removed whatever their nature at this point.
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#41 Salmond saw me and my family through lean times under the Tories and The NuLab fiasco and at least gave our communities a voice while our livlihoods were being sold to europe for a pittance.
Don't you dare insinuate he did anything other than stand up for his country and stand up for us, the people who overlwhelmingly voted him to represent us and our future in Westminster.
You are an absolute disgrace of a man.
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#52 JRMacClure
Sensored for being off topic in trying to answer a legitimate question raised by #19 snowthistle.
Re your arguments with the Brig, I found QT confusing in that the majority of the time Alex was well received by the audience and yet the two points raised about him not standing and being self important did seem to get the audience going. I felt he came across as very reasonable, able to speak without having to shout over the squabbling opposition as he does at FMQ. Maybe it was just a quirk of the sound equipment!
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'Mr Beveridge appears to be in an iconoclastic mood'
Yep i thought he was in pretty good form too Brian. Independence? Absolutely, was his final word if I remember correctly.
What's the time limit for postings this time Brian and any idea when you intend to air your next musings for discussion? It's just getting a bit frustrating finding out that the gemme's aff most of the time.
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Blair's role in the British Election is canvassed in some detail here.
Also - most people's British Election questions are answered with the documentary - "British Election 2010 - Why Should I Vote?" analysis from The Global Fund For Peace, Justice And Development?
Do a 'You Tube' search with the keyword - TVOTW888
This documentary is in 4 parts and the viewer should view sequentially starting from Part 1.
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What would the good people of Glasgow had to say on Question Time if they were provided the opportunity to disucss the Glasgow City Council?
I dare say Mr Murphy would accuse them of knocking Glasgow!
Just for Mr Murphy's notice, people have not been knocking Glasgow, people have been asking questions about the party and politicians who run the council. People that is, except the BBC.
C McK
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Denno
I don't think BJ is anything more than a canting so-and-so here for its own amusement
The conspiracy stuff, wheter active or not the Purcell affair has left a few difficult questions about the relationship between the political and media establishments in Scotland
But who will ask those difficult questions
Perhaps now it is time for Brian Taylor to step forth and SHINE!
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58. skintybroko
"Re your arguments with the Brig, I found QT confusing in that the majority of the time Alex was well received by the audience and yet the two points raised about him not standing and being self important did seem to get the audience going. I felt he came across as very reasonable, able to speak without having to shout over the squabbling opposition as he does at FMQ. Maybe it was just a quirk of the sound equipment!"
Yes, there was a reaction from at least part of the audience to those. What I saw cut in on a small portion of the audience so how general it was, I couldn't tell. For the most part, he was extremely well received so that's difficult to analyze without having been there.
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I've had enough of the Labour party, both at UK and Scottish levels, and for me Tony Blair's reappearance on the scene only reminds me of the thousands of innocent dead civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. I am not an SNP supporter, but at least they have the guts to stand up for Scotland. The Lab/Lib partnership was complacent and subservient to the UK governemnt. They never spent the budget allocated to Scotland, which to my mind is an unforgivable waste of Scottish Taxpayers' money. When the SNP got in to power they decided that they would spend all of the money allocated to Scotland for the benefit of Scotland, who can argue with that? And furthermore, the Lab/Lib Executive were happy to allow the UK government to stiff Scotland on an ad hoc basis too, for example the lost benefits when we brought in free personal care, or the stopping of payments that were due to Scotland as a result of relatively low council tax increases, resulting in low increases to the council tax benefit bill in Scotland.
The decisions made by the UK Governemnt and the Scottish Executive ripped Scotland off, party loyalty came before the Scottish interest, and that is unforgivable.
Add to all that the reactionary, opportunistic stance of the Labour group in the Scottish Parliament in opposition, and at the UK level: the sleaze, the love of London money which contributed in part to our recession, and the promise of cuts worse that thatcher for the future, and it is beyond me why anyone would vote Labour again.
And I've not even mentioned you know who, frankly, I hope gets better soon.
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#49 brigadierjohn
"I don't think so. More of an unscientifically chosen cross-section of Scots spontaneously recognising a self-serving poseur."
You're entitled to your opinion, BJ, though you'll acknowledge it represents a very small cross-section of those posting here. Having watched QT both when it was first broadcast on BBC1 and on the BBC Parliament repeat, what struck me was the surprising and unstatistical number of questioners and commenters in the audience who were quite clearly not Scots. Glasgow is certainly more cosmopolitan than when I first visited it a half-century ago but the impression given was of labour diehards bussed in from Northern England.
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And since there WAS a Chancellor's debate that just took place, I hope it's not off-topic to mention debates. I want to know why it is ONLY the SNP and PC that is up in arms about this. All of Wales, NI and Scotland should be furious at how it is being handled, it would seem to me (outsider that I am).
The audiences for the main leaders' debates will be restricted people who live within a fifteen mile radius of the venues, all in England. This means that residents of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be literally banned from participating.
Are you telling me that there are NO concerns that the people of Scotland, Wales and NI might have about a future government? That they might even be unique or different from those of those limited locatities? Yet anyone not living in England is banned from taking part.
Conspiracy? Pro-English? Heck, for all I know they're PUNISHING the English by forcing only them to take part. Having a bit of experience with political debates over here, I assure you the charm will likely wear off.
None the less--there has GOT to be something wrong with the fact that any resident of Scotland is banned from being part of the debate and raising questions. They claim the audience will be balanced politically. How will they manage that while banning the considerable percentage across the UK who vote SNP and PC and the various NI parties?
It isn't just the SNP that is being excluded, it would seem. It is the people of 3 of the 4 nations of the UK.
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A few weeks ago I had two postings "referred". I received no reason for this. I asked for reasons with no response and asked for a copy of them (so I could include them in a comminication with the BBC Trust). I received no reply to this perfectly reasonable request. Recently I had another post "referred". I have no idea why but as with the suggestion offered I rewrote it . When I went to repost it the post was closed to comment. What is going on? Every time I have gone to post recently-which is always always in the evening as I am busy most days - the subject has been closed. Why is this?
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#54 brigadierjohn
"I suppose it will have to be severely restricted during the election period anyway."
To the contrary. Posters here are restoring some of the "balance" which the supposedly "impartial" BBC Scotland so sadly lacks.
"But cut off threads and endless moderation has spoiled any hope of continuity."
There I agree with you 100% and hope that you and others complain to the BBC's Central Communities Team here as well as making a formal complaint through the BBC mechanism here.
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@67 BJ I am glad the mods afforded you that right.
If you ever decide to join the adults and engage in reasoned debate then feel free, otherwise I am content to know what you are and that you freely admit to it.
Question Time is never a cross section of the public, it is usualy local party hacks and the occasional "Concerned Citizen[tm]"
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On Question Time last week when they were discussing the debates Mr Salmond was not given the chance to respond to the comments from the audience re him taking parts in the debates when he was not standing. Two points about this: 1. QT is recorded earlier in the evening then cut to fit its time slot so maybe he did reply. 2. There is a precedent for someone who is not standing taking part in an election debate and it is provided by Labour. In the 2007 Holyrood Election when The Herald ran a series of fora around the country in the format of a panel of candidates standing in the area Labour did not put forward candidates to take part in several of the fora and instead Brian Wilson took the part as the Labour presence on the panels and he was not standing in the election.
In the discussion on QT about the debates when the Tory Baronness was trying to say that the format of the debates was all down to the broadcasters it was interesting to note how David Dimbleby supported Mr Salmond when he said it was the politicians as much as the broadcasters who wanted that format.
All in all I thought Mr Salmond came out of the whole thing very well.
By the way if you had listened carefully the Purcell affair was alluded to by the businessman on the panel.
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#60 JRMacClure
I agree that these debates shouldn't have been allowed to go ahead in their current format, but I'm not that bothered about it either. I can't imagine 4 and a half hours of Brown, Clegg and Cameron is actually likely to make anyone more likely to want to vote for their parties (unlike, perhaps, Vince Cable on the chancellors equivalent), might even put some voters off.
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#66 Brownedov: But still the nearest thing to live current opinion in Scotland? I despair when someone of your intelligence subscribes to this conspiracy nonsense. Perhaps flying pickets kept SNP supporters out of Kelvingrove? Not Scots? Clearly? Do you mean their accents? Do you know about Andy Goram or Bruce Rioch? I think you might be more careful when categorising people as fit or unfit to have opinions.
As for QT, it was from Scotland, not Scottish QT. I was as surprised as anyone at the reaction to Salmond, and the audience lacked the usual SNP claque. But I won't provoke howls of abuse by suggesting again that his star is on the wane in the party.
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Brian,
"Mr Salmond is making his final speech in the Commons today."
If for no other reason, this thread should be kept open for at least a further 24 hours so that we can actually read, digest and comment upon Mr Salmond's speech in Hansard after 08:00 BST tomorrow.
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I am reminded of something my agent tells me which is, "Don't defend me. I can defend myself." I have absolutely no doubt the same is true of Mr. Salmond.
Anyone who thinks that the leader of the SNP hasn't faced tougher audiences than the rather mild one at Question Time hasn't been watching very closely. This is a man who was ejected by the Thatcher government from Parliament let me remind you. He deals with the horrendous FMQ and "Scottish Questions Time" at Westminster which is about as bad as it gets. The real insult that I objected to was to the Scots that their government is a dictatorship and that they vote for mouth-frothing fanatics. I don't believe either for even a minute.
I really hate when Scots put Scotland and other Scots down. It tends to make me furious, much more than it does the Scots--funny that.
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Re: Forthcoming "Prime Ministers' debate to be held in England and the refusal to allow the other parties to take part - so much for DEMOCRACY!!!!!
What would happen if (say) Alex Salmond decided to stand for Westminster and no-one voted for the three main parties (i.e. Labour, Conservative or Liberal democrat) - which due to the sleeze etc., etc., is VERY possible - then it is quite possible Alex could become the next Prime Minister.
Now just think of the fun there would be!!!!!!
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70. Brownedov wrote
"making a formal complaint through the BBC mechanism"
I have made a formal complaint about the early closing of Blether with Brian. All the other political blogs were open for comment, only the Scottish blog was closed. That, to my mind, is discrimination. The blogs must either ALL be open or ALL be closed.
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This blog is still open, but my power went off for a couple of hours. Discuss.
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#78. However, it it not so long back when Nick (where is Scotland again) Robinson had a blog about Independence. When he received a 'spirited defence' from North Britain, he closed the blog at 20. As I had 2 of the last blog entries, I concluded that it was a Scottish thing.
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re my #81. I mean John Allan, ex-editor of the Daily Record, known as the Brigadier.
Freedom
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On the issue of benefits reform, I think the best hope for any meaningful reform would be to devolve benefits and taxes to Scotland. We could start a new system from scratch, make the whole system a lot less complicated, and actually encourage people to get what they are entitled to. My friend works for Citizen's Advice and they often win appeals against the DWP because the rules are so numerous and complicated that they often apply them incorreclty. In the meantime people have to struggle on less than they are entitled to. I think quite a few people who have found themselves out of work for the first time as a result of the recession have been shocked by the inadequate levels of support.
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82. bmc875
I remember it well, as I was insensed by Nicks' comments, and did not get an opportunity to reply. That seems to be the way of it, if you don't like what's said, close it down. I wonder how long it will be before the BBC cuts close this blog down for good. As Lance Corporal Jack Jones used to say "They don't like it up 'em".
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#74 brigadierjohn
"But still the nearest thing to live current opinion in Scotland?"
If you mean QT as representing that, I suggest that you read QT's Join the Question Time audience which requires the completion of a very detailed questionnaire and states "Your response will be completely confidential, but it will enable us to invite a balanced cross-section of people". It details no audit or scrutiny process and makes no national distinction between "people". Absent that, we have no data to prove or disprove your contention. Even the now withdrawn YouGov weightings were made public!
"I despair when someone of your intelligence subscribes to this conspiracy nonsense."
Conspiracist, moi? Some evidence of that contention, please.
"Perhaps flying pickets kept SNP supporters out of Kelvingrove? Not Scots? Clearly? Do you mean their accents?"
Well, yes, although I confess to some personal embarrassment here, having been an expat for so long that I have within living memory been mistaken for a Canadian and a South African, and even the ginger beard is now turning to pepper and salt.
"Do you know about Andy Goram or Bruce Rioch?"
Yes, I have heard of them and may even have seen Rioch in action during my mis-spent youth but I confide that, not being fitba' crazy, I have never heard them speak.
"I think you might be more careful when categorising people as fit or unfit to have opinions."
I have categorised nobody as fit or unfit to hold opinions and hope I never shall.
"As for QT, it was from Scotland, not Scottish QT."
Having watched the programme regularly from the beginning via BBC World, the internet or Sky save when the BBC stopped allowing access to foreign IPs, I recall most episodes having some local, topical questions, but perhaps the little grey cells are not what they were. Did I nod off for the question on GCC shenanigans?
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#78 X_Sticks
"I have made a formal complaint about the early closing of Blether with Brian."
Good for you - the more the merrier. I do think it's important to use both the feedback mechanism and the complaints mechanism to make the maximum number of people inside the BBC aware of the problem.
"All the other political blogs were open for comment, only the Scottish blog was closed. That, to my mind, is discrimination. The blogs must either ALL be open or ALL be closed."
I couldn't agree more. Since the introduction of the DEMOCRACY LIVE Blogs and comment page, even the formerly early closing NR threads have remained open, with the BwB threads alone of the seven featured political blogs going the other way. This is clear discrimination.
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EXCUSE ME BRIAN, perhaps you could for once deign to converse with us mere licence fee payers and explain why your blog is being closed for comments all of a sudden?
I am forced to buy your company's propoganda and I am NOT willing to accept this reduction in service. That the BBC should seek to impose this reduction in service without even any explanation is just unbelievable.
Given that this has happened to no other blog, I am very concerned about what looks like an attempt to silence political debate in Scotland.
Explain yourself please.
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Nice of Blair to spend a few of his 90 days in the country with us, before slithering back offshore for tax purposes.
Perhaps, one day, this war criminal will get what's coming to him.
I live in hope.
CC
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Like Brownedov I too have complained about the closing of the blog. - I'm still waiting from 'the relevant blog team'
Thank you for your email.
The decision as to how long blog posts are left open to comments is decided by the relevant blog team, rather than the moderators or Communities Team.
We have passed your email on to the owner of the Brian Taylor blog.
Kind regards,
BBC Central Communities Team
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#65. At 4:19pm on 30 Mar 2010, Steve wrote:"I've had enough of the Labour party, both at UK and Scottish levels".
To my mind the biggest sin by far of the Lab/LD pact was the way they sloped shoulders on so many occasions and refered devolved matters to Westminster to prevent the opposition getting a chance to either debate or vote on the refered matters.
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I have a question.
Why isn't THIS what happened in Glasgow a year ago?
Anyone have an answer for that?
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#93 why not indeed?!
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#76. At 5:01pm on 30 Mar 2010, JRMacClure wrote:" really hate when Scots put Scotland and other Scots down".
This is a well known malady known as, "The Scottish Cringe". The Scottish cringe is a cultural cringe. It is thought to be a sense of cultural inferiority felt by some Scots. These Scots have a sense of Scottish underachievement. The cringe is said to manifest as embarrassment at aspects of national heritage such as the Lowland Scots and Scottish Gaelic languages and the kilt, (Tartanry). Many of these Scots perceive themselves victims of English colonialism.
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77. At 5:10pm on 30 Mar 2010, coineach watson
You don't need to be an MP or even in the Lords to become PM. That is at the core of why these debates are a disgrace as currently framed. There is no guarantee that Brown or Cameron will be PM. None. Indeed, it is likely that they are being given unfair advantages over other candidates in their constituencies.
What these debates are doing, with the help of broadcasters, is closing down discussion and portraying the election as one with limited outcomes.
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86. Browned & 63. JRMacClure wrote:
“…..when the BBC stopped allowing access to foreign Ips.”
Exactly, as I’ve begged before, “We exiles would be most appreciative if these programmes (political programmes) were available more regular on say YouTube. As far as most BBC and STV political shows are concerned - we can not receive them on the internet here in NZ. The messages is always, ‘Not Available in You Area’. STV use to allow ‘Politics Now’ but that’s now banned too. We can get some on YouTube but at present most are pretty old.
JRMacClure wrote:
“….What I saw cut in on a small portion of the audience…….”
How do you manage to view them in the States. If they are on some other website - please give link.
Kiwi Mike
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JRMacClure re 93
Maybe because it was in Glasgow.
Someone on another blog said the guy who ran Enron made on big mistake, if he had been based in Glasgow, not Texas and had lunch every Friday he would have still been in business.
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Gordon Brown's new 'Care for the Elderly' in England plan has a big question attached. If it is to be paid for by a levy [a tax in reality], will it apply to Scots too ?
Can you imagine the outcry if Westminster imposed a tax on England to solve a Scottish policy issue ?
Anyway, Broon is shortly doomed so its probably just an abstract problem.
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98. Mike
Mike, it seems I am not allowed to answer your question. Let me try rewording it. Try doing a google search combining the words "your" and "freedom" with perhaps a reference to "IP" and you should find a solution to your problem.
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100. dubbieside
"Maybe because it was in Glasgow.
Someone on another blog said the guy who ran Enron made on big mistake, if he had been based in Glasgow, not Texas and had lunch every Friday he would have still been in business."
So it would seem. I do not usually put forward the US as free of corruption and problems. We're not. But... you over there are not being shining examples to the rest of the world at the moment. In fact, quite the opposite.
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93.JRMacClure wrote:
"I have a question. Why isn't THIS what happened in Glasgow a year ago?"
A very good question! As I have stated in an earlier post I don't trust Strathclydes finest to investigate this affair, nor do I trust Audit Scotland. They are both part of the establishment. Only an independent (funny that!) inquiry could satisfy my concerns that there is'nt a cover up in the west of the Scottish central belt (wouldn't want to fall foul of our secretary who has a higher being on his side by naming any dingy holes).
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What I would like to know is why does the BBC want the rest of the world to see their UK coverage. Anyone know the answer to this?
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102 govanite
Not that one would know from the media coverage, but this White paper on the elderly in England is indeed an "English solution to an English problem".
The tragedy of devolution is that only England can look at variant ways of funding social problems. The devolved Governments don't have any real powers to even alter the form of local taxation, unless that suits England's interests.
And for anyone who thinks I'm being anti-English - think again.
It's simply asymmetric devolution that produces the power differential.
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#107 Oldnat...
'It's simply asymmetric devolution that produces the power differential.'
try saying that after a few to many nippy sweeties !
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103.JRMacClure
Thanks a ton. Haven’t mastered it yet but will look forward to cracking the system.
Why STV suddenly blocked us ‘foreigners’ from watching Scottish political panel-shows is beyond me. It couldn’t be for commercial; reasons as no TV channels in the Antipodes would buy that type of programme. Anyway thanks again.
Kiwi Mike
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3. ronreagan
"the truth will out- eventually."
This is also the truth. And the interesting thing is that so often if the parties involved had stood up and told the truth in the first place they would have saved themselves grief. Had Nixon ADMITTED what he had done there is a good chance he wouldn't have been forced out of office. But when the "s**t hits the fan" over this (as we say over here) it won't be pretty.
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108 Scarymannie
Weakling! I was able to write that after several! (Now that we have our power back, I can do anything).
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109. Mike
Mike, you're very welcome. It's simpler than it looks. It walks you through getting set up and saves the setting once you are. :)
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#111 LMAO ... sounds like something a baddie would say in a superhero film like X Men or something.
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Tories take fright from viewers' reaction to Vince Cable in debate
"The Conservatives have taken fright from the reaction to Vince Cable in Monday’s Chancellors debate, issuing a warning to broadcasters yesterday not to give the Liberal Democrats an easy ride in the leaders’ TV debates."
So who is pushing what buttons then? Is this how it works with the Scottish MSM and the red rosettes?
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Shall we start placing bets on how soon the blog is closed for comments?
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Why are they blocking Onlined's comments? Is it the man they are going after or the comments or both?
We would like to know what he has to say.
This blog is getting worse than Iran.
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Erm am i stupid ? 'Cabinet and ministers at-a-glance'. If you click on this link you will find the SNPs representation i believe so I am not sure what the fuss is about. Possibly because it hasnt got SNP Cabinet and ministers at a glance ...who knows ?
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X_Sticks:
Osbourne has probably blown the Tories out of the water with a crucial mistake. Darling and Cable proved they can handle themselves in a debate, unfortunately George did not.
This shows why tv debates are extremely dangerous for political parties, no matter how good an individual politician can be in an interview.
What is the betting now that come the Leaders debate, Brown or Clegg will bring this up?
Cameron now has a lot of work to do.
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118. At 00:20am on 31 Mar 2010, hamish42 wrote:
"Why are they blocking Onlined's comments? Is it the man they are going after or the comments or both?"
Knowing Online Ed, he isn't the most subtle of posters!
How's the snow at your end?
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#121 enneffess How's the snow at your end?
Deep
Like this blog.
When is out venerable SNP candidate Mr McKenna going to show himself he seems to be invisible.
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#119. At 00:30am on 31 Mar 2010, Scarymannie wrote:
Erm am i stupid ? 'Cabinet and ministers at-a-glance'. If you click on this link you will find the SNPs representation i believe so I am not sure what the fuss is about. Possibly because it hasnt got SNP Cabinet and ministers at a glance ...who knows ?
...well, who would have guessed that they were talking about the SNP cabinet, rather than the Westminster (Labour) cabinet?
More subtle manipulation by the BBC... nothing more, nothing less!!!
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121. enneffess
"Knowing Online Ed, he isn't the most subtle of posters!
How's the snow at your end?"
Online Ed posts something out of line no more often than anyone else, including your good self.
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123. At 00:53am on 31 Mar 2010, hamish42 wrote:
"#121 enneffess How's the snow at your end?"
No snow here in Glasgow... Oops sorry, I just realised there was... indeed, right in the heart of Glasgow :o)
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The number of withheld comments here is alarming. Especially when the posters themselves are known to be intelligent and articulate people not prone to immaturity or irrationality.
Since when does the strangling of words and ideas in this manner lend itself to the principles of freedom and democracy, or to productive discussion? Should information not be communicated freely? Can it not speak for itself in terms of quality, without needing the BBC to allow or disallow it? Are we impressionable children whose minds may be corrupted by a bad word, or whose actions may be influenced by a naughty idea?
It's all very disappointing, not only that you would attempt this style of moderation, but that you would expect anything other than failure while trying.
The simple fact is, in today's society, information cannot be controlled in this manner. It is impossible. To paraphrase Michael Crighton... you cannot control the spread of ideas. Because the history of society is that an idea escapes all barriers. Ideas break free. Ideas expand to new territories. Painfully, perhaps even dangerously. But ideas find a way.
What you can do, and will do if this practice of obstructing communication continues, is render yourselves irrelevant and vestigial in the world that relies on said communication. People will visit another website that does not censor them.
For what it's worth, I've checked this message against the House Rules. It should certainly pass.
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127. Joker
I can assure you that not a single one of my removed posts contained anything even close to an obscenity or a comment that by any stretch could be considered defamation.
I admit I questioned the BBC moderation policy as it is currently being applied.
And I am going to post a link in my next comment which may be moderated because it is about a gentleman that the BBC does not like mentioned and I am going to quote a newspaper about some questions regarding him. It is all freely available but bears repeating.
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128. JRMacClure
What can you say when news coverage from a major newspaper can't be repeated on a BBC blog?
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Now I'll leave off saying things that I know will upset BBC and just ask: Does anyone know why BBC choose the run-up to an election to insult Joanna Lumley?
Of course, knowing BBC right now maybe we're not supposed to mention that either.
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130. JRMacClure
Let me comment further. I did nothing but link to a News of the World Scotland news story and QUOTE its lead paragraphs. Nothing else. Now NotW is not by a long shot my favorite newspaper, but oddly enough, it was reporting news--news that apparently can not be repeated on this blog.
One might wonder why. I'll refer back to the gentleman who was so scornful about conspiracies and the BBC. Would you care to tell us why a reference a major Scottish news story can't be posted on this blog?
I really don't know. But I would be interested in finding out.
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131. JRMacClure
"Does anyone know why BBC choose the run-up to an election to insult Joanna Lumley?
"
Obviously, I meant the Labour Party choose the run-up to an election to insult Joanna Lumley.
For some bizarre reason I seem to confuse the BBC and Labour. Now isn't that odd. It really was a Freudian slip though. =)
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The Beeb should be ashamed of its recent actions, now even refusing the compromise position of a fourth debate!
The BBC should be about supporting democracy, not undermining it. What is more it should be the BBC while the British state endures not the English Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) that it has clearly become.
No one should pay the licence fee for this nonsense.
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121. At 00:37am on 31 Mar 2010, enneffess wrote:
118. At 00:20am on 31 Mar 2010, hamish42 wrote:
"Why are they blocking Onlined's comments? Is it the man they are going after or the comments or both?"
Knowing Online Ed, he isn't the most subtle of posters!
But you don't know me do you.
The censored posts will feature in an article that is being put together.
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135. Online Ed
Ed, that is a GREAT idea.
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121. enneffess
But on thinking about it, although he isn't out of line, you're right. SUBTLE he's not. ;-)
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What would happen if no one responded to this blog?
( other than the rabid Brig?)
It is wonderful is'nt it , that instead of the " Nazi " slur he uses ""Ceaucescu moment"?
Actually as I write this there are fewer and fewer responses .
So , IMPARTIAL BBBC, just who is attempting to stifle democracy?
I take it everyone has read the piece about the legal eagles involved in you know who are the same legal eagles as employed by certain Scottish publications???
Wonder if there are any " special relationships" with the BBBC???
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Just listened to Gary Robertson interviewing Alex Salmond on Good Morning Scotland....it was the usual stuff "your three billion down, tell where the cuts will be' He finished up by asking if AS would be taking the £60,000 payment given to all MPs stepping down. AS said he'd never heard of anyone not taking it but went on to talk about how for the past few years he'd donated one the his salaries to a charity in his constituency. That obviously didn't count for much with GS who demanded to know if he would be handing over £60,000 as well.
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115. Alba4eva
"POLITICAL GUIDES
'Cabinet and ministers at-a-glance'
'Labour front bench at-a-glance'
'Tory front bench at-a-glance'
'Lib Dem front bench at-a-glance'
...where is the SNP representation?"
Who do you think the "Cabinet and ministers" refers to?
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138. Diabloandco
"Actually as I write this there are fewer and fewer responses ."
I rarely even look at Brian's blog any more. The peremptory closing of comments appears to be intended to drive people away.
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In the absence of an update on this thread's header giving us details of the "final speech in the Commons" Mr Salmond gave yesterday, more in hope than expectation I turned to this website's Scotland politics page [06:18 GMT version] thinking it might be covered there.
Unsurprisingly it wasn't and equally unsurprisingly the top story has the BBC's usual single quotes to "sex up" the story, with Lockerbie response 'disjointed' and an inset stating that: "Opposition parties step up calls for the medical evidence behind the release of the Lockerbie bomber to be published in full."
Enough to put most of us off clicking, one might think, but most surprisingly it's not the headline that's misleading but the inset.
The actual story is about criticism of UK government actions by the HoC Scottish Affairs committee, saying that the UK administration's initial response appeared "disjointed" and also criticised the UK government for earlier failing to advise Scottish ministers of plans to include the Lockerbie bomber in a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya.
Not a single mention of the "medical evidence" is made in the entire article [23:20 GMT version] leading one to the conclusion that only the headlines matter to BBC Scotland.
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136. At 07:42am on 31 Mar 2010, JRMacClure wrote:
135. Online Ed
Ed, that is a GREAT idea.
I should clarify that it is only my own two posts I am referring to.
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#140 Electric Hermit
"Who do you think the "Cabinet and ministers" refers to?"
Quite so, although it must be admitted that not everyone visiting the BBC's politics pages is a political anorak. I complained some time ago concerning the inconsistency of treatment of the party information on the UK politics and Soctland politics pages, suggesting that all 3 GB parties and all 4 Scottish parties be identified at a time when the "Labour front bench at-a-glance" was missing from the "Scotland" page, but otherwise as now.
At the time (November 2009), the "UK" version had:
● In full: Brown's new cabinet
● Shadow Cabinet: Who's Who
● In full: Lib Dem front bench
Eventually, and somewhat grudgingly, BBC Scotland added "Labour front bench at-a-glance" and BBC London replaced the direct reference to Duff Gordon with "The Cabinet: Who's Who".
Neither accepted that it would be helpful to add party tags for the two cabinets and BBC London were adamant that only the Tories have the right to use the term "Shadow Cabinet" in a UK context and that everyone knows that! So much for the Reithian aim of educating the hoi polloi.
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#140. At 09:04am on 31 Mar 2010, Electric Hermit wrote:
"115. Alba4eva
"POLITICAL GUIDES
'Cabinet and ministers at-a-glance'
'Labour front bench at-a-glance'
'Tory front bench at-a-glance'
'Lib Dem front bench at-a-glance'
...where is the SNP representation?"
Who do you think the "Cabinet and ministers" refers to?"
The issue here is why describe the other 3 Party's by name, but not write 'the SNP Cabinet'? ...Particularly since it would destinguish the SNP cabinet with the Westminster Labour Cabinet?
The BBC do this many times. They will say 'the Scottish Government' when good news is delivered, but they will say 'the SNP Government' if it is bad news!
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As anticipated, Hansard reports some real gems from Salmond's final HoC contributions, although BT may be envious that he has "consulted Nick Robinson's Newslog, which has clearly overtaken Hansard as the main record of such matters".
Not finished reading all the references, but so far my favourite [here] is:
"I have been taking part in Budget debates in this Chamber for 23 years. I know that that is a mere smidgen of time compared to the hon. Member for South Staffordshire (Sir Patrick Cormack), but it is a fair spell none the less. I warmly congratulate the Chancellor of the Exchequer, not on the direction of his Budget and still less on its content but certainly on its timing. He is one of the few Chancellors in recent times-over those 23 years-who have resisted the temptation to hold Budgets in the middle of the Cheltenham National Hunt festival. For that, and that alone, I am profoundly grateful, together with many other people in the country, and in that spirit of generosity I warmly congratulate him."
"I said that I had participated in 23 Budget debates, but that is not entirely true. During the first, I was unfortunately and, of course, entirely unjustly suspended from the Chamber by a narrow vote of 354 to 19. It was, obviously, a close-run thing. Any of the 354 who are present now-certainly the hon. Member for South Staffordshire-will recognise the error of their ways. Checking the record today, however, I noted that one of the 19 was the Minister for Children, Young People and Families, the right hon. Member for Bristol, South (Dawn Primarolo). I do not forget these things. Let me assure the right hon. Lady that if-perish the thought-the Portillo effect were to overcome her in the coming election, a warm ministerial welcome would await her north of the border. However, I am sure that no such unfortunate circumstance will befall her in the coming campaign."
Lovely word, "smidgen" but I suspect that, like me and Mr Lehrer, the FM prefers "smidgeon".
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A gem more pertitent to the forthcoming general election from Salmond [here]:
"When I was elected as a Member of Parliament back in 1987, the public sector's net worth-the value of public assets minus liabilities-stood at 74 per cent. of national income. By 1997, it had fallen to 15 per cent., and if we are to believe the forecasts in the Red Book-I should stress that "if"-in 2014-15 it will reach minus 5 per cent., which is the lowest level since records began. I suppose that boom and bust was abolished, therefore: certainly the boom bit has been abolished, and we have been left with the bust."
"What I cannot understand in this process is that in the equivalent debate last year, when I suggested that the detail of the Red Book would, indeed, show that there would be greater cuts than those of Margaret Thatcher in the early 1980s, there was a huge amount of irritation from those on the Labour Benches. Now, however, the Chancellor-if not the Schools Secretary-admits that, and when the Chief Secretary appeared on "Question Time" last Thursday night with me, he immediately confirmed the Chancellor's view when that direct question was put to him. This is a serious situation."
"I argued in the debate 12 months ago that until there is enough strength in the private sector, it is vital that fiscal stimulus is maintained. I am not alone in arguing that case. It is not only the right hon. Member for Oldham, West and Royton who agrees, but so too does the International Monetary Fund. We can both quote it in our favour, although that is not something we have done regularly over the years. None the less, the IMF argues that
`one of the key lessons from experiences of similar crises is that a premature withdrawal of policy stimulus can be very costly, particularly if the financial system is weak.´"
Should play pretty well in the campaign, I think.
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Salmond's final para from yesterday in the HoC:
"I have enjoyed and relished this Chamber for all of my 23 years here. The rest of the Palace of Westminster I can take or leave, but this is a fantastic Chamber and a fantastic place for debate to be joined. It has a great atmosphere and at its best it is second only to the Scottish parliamentary Chamber, which looks better on telly. None the less, this is a fine place to have enjoyed debating. I have met and clashed with a number of formidable debaters and speakers from both sides of the House, and I have enjoyed every minute of doing that. I wish well the individual Members-if not necessarily their parties. However, I should say that what has happened over the past 23 years has strengthened my absolute conviction that the case for our having full determination over Scotland's finances and resources has never been more urgent and has never required to be better made than it is now."
Anyone here disagree with a word of that?
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127. At 01:43am on 31 Mar 2010, Joker wrote:
"The number of withheld comments here is alarming. Especially when the posters themselves are known to be intelligent and articulate people not prone to immaturity or irrationality."
People here immature?
nerner pfffff na-na-nana-naaaa
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There is much uncertainty about Purcell (the English composer is who I refer to, of course).
For example, it is said that he died "because he’d been locked out in the cold by his enraged wife after a pub crawl". Did he, in fact, have a fondness for the booze?,
And the former Tory CoE Lamont - why do Scots put the stress on the first syllable of a word, while the English seem to stress the second syllable?
Does the pronunciation of names like Lamont and Purcell have a political effect? Is this an outward representation of cultural difference?
Infrequent Allellele should clarify this for us.
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#Brownedov. May I thank you for taking the time to research and publish these extracts from Hansard. As a mere 'Dabbler' in Scottish Politics (now resident in Ayrshire but having lived for 30+ years Dan Souf), I have come to anticipate, eagerly, your offerings and learn from them. Greatly appreciated.
Brian
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144. Brownedov
"I complained some time ago concerning the inconsistency of treatment of the party information on the UK politics and Soctland politics pages..."
I have seen numerous examples of this myself. It's an almost routine form of bias now.
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142. Brownedov wrote
"BBC's usual single quotes to "sex up" the story, with Lockerbie response 'disjointed'"
The Press & Journal puts it better:
"Westminster under fire over Megrahi agreement"
148. Brownedov wrote
"Anyone here disagree with a word of that?"
I would not disagree with a word.
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145. Alba4eva
"The BBC do this many times. They will say 'the Scottish Government' when good news is delivered, but they will say 'the SNP Government' if it is bad news!"
There was a time, not all that long ago, when I would have disputed this point with you. There was a time, of cherished memory, when I considered the BBC worthy of defending against accusations of bias. That time is past. Although this may not be the most serious example of the bias I have now come to expect, I am obliged to concede the point.
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