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MUNGUIN'S NEW REPUBLIC 
‘Nicola and Neil’ became ‘kneel before Nicola’ -our Lady did good!
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She’s cool and measured. She doesn’t panic, and she doesn’t stutter.
She’s a far better leader than the Mayhem woman.
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She factually answers the questions and out-knowledges (if that’s a word) the interviewer, in this case Andrew Neil who was careful not to get his head handed to him. I felt he gave her more respect than May and deservedly so.
I would have liked her to highlight budget pressures brought about by Tory austerity cuts but taking it directly on the chin seems to be an SNP thing so what do I know?
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She could have made more of the fact that the block grant decreases year or year. She did mention it at the beginning.
But, of course, that argument could be countered by the fact that Edinburgh does have tax rising powers now, and, although the limitations on them make it too blunt an instrument to use much, it is still there.
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I may be wrong here Tris but is it not the case that whatever money is raised by Scottish Government through its tax raising powers the Block Grant is reduced by an equal amount?
This being the case it will, in my view, make absolutely no difference how much money is raised through the tax raising powers because the total amount of money available to the SG will remain exactly the same. The abilitiy to raise extra taxes does not mean extra financial income to the SG.
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I don’t think so, Arbroath.
I think that any money raised by income tax here, above and beyond what Brits pay, is Edinburgh’s to spend, which is why Labour wants to put up the taxes.
On the other hand, the Tories want to reduce the taxes, meaning that we would have less to spend on our public services.
I asked Munguin, but as he has all his money stashed on an island in the Hebrides (don’t tell John), he knows nothing at all about taxes.
Seriously, does anyone know how this works.
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greig12 – I totally agree. The main “economic levers” are still firmly under WM control. But credit Nicola with fighting her corner on this question, without excuses.
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Brillo can be vicious and forensic.
He didn’t give her an easy time.
But in doing so he gave her an opportunity to demonstrate her competance, that she knows her stuff and is in charge of her brief.
You might not agree with her policies, you might not agree with Scottish independence but who can deny she gave a good account of her self?
She was weighed and measured and not found wanting.
She’s head and shoulders above every other party leader in the UK.
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I think she came over better than Corbyn, and of course FAR better than May, whose interview wasn’t just a car crash, more like a pile-up!.
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Interesting that the BBC decided to only have a closeup of Nicola just as Neil demanded an answer to the second referendum question.
The Westminster parties and their supporting press pack are fixated with Scottish independence.
What are they afraid of?
Losing the loss making province north of their border?
The fact that they continue to go on about it means rwo things.
1 They accept that we have the right to determine our future constitutional arrangements.
2 They think we will vote to leave them.
This,of course,exposes the fact that they accept that the UK is not a unitary country/nation,despite the utterances from May and friends.
Nicola is way ahead of anything England can produce as a political leader as was Alex her predecessor.
Either of these leaders would have avoided the mess England is now about to find itself in as a result of Xenophobic bigotry being whipped up by unscrupulous Tory politicians.
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“Xenophobic bigotry being whipped up by unscrupulous Tory politicians”. Aided by their equally despicable media allies.
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Nicola has been pointing out now for ages that it is the London parties who fixate on Independence. She rarely mentions it, and throughout the early days of Brexit, she went out of her way to try to find a solution to Scotland’s problem without looking at independence. Indeed a whole paper was written by the Scottish government, examining how Scotland could stay in the UK, and in the EU, thus respecting the results of both referenda. We know that London rejected those proposals within minutes of receiving them. Nicola has asked for Scottish representation at Brexit talks and has been told it’s not Scotland’s place. The fate of Scotland will be in the hands of the May, Johnson and Davis.
Heaven help us.
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Yes, Alex. Much of this race hatred has been stirred up by the low life newspapers.
I was reading about a surgeon in Manchester who had just worked a 48-hour shift after the explosion, trying to put people back together again, and who was racially abused on his way home.
The Sun, Mail, Express, Telegraph and Star have a lot to answer for.
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I don’t watch the BBC news and politics programmes anymore but I made an exception here as you pointed me to this video. I was extremely impressed by the First Minister’s performance. She was calm, assertive and answered questions authoritatively on a very wide range of areas. We are so lucky to have her as FM and leader of the SNP.
In a different world she’d make a great UK PM as well. I bet many Labour supporters wish she’d chosen their party all those years ago.
Her fantastic performance makes me wonder why the SNP are not doing better in the polls, if they can be believed of course. I suppose all the SNP Bad stories and the perhaps understandable fear about becoming independent are making a lot of people stick with the unionist parties. Hopefully, as the Brexit shambles unfolds more people will see that independence is the only way to secure our future.
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I don’t watch BBC either, having stopped paying a licence fee, and not wishing to be fined.
But I make an exception to things that are on Youtube or social media.
I agree. We are very lucky to have her. She is streets ahead of Corbyn and a world away from the bumbling stuttering u-turning mess that is Mayhem.
I think it’s true that the SNP gets a universally bad press. They could hand everyone a £1000 cheque and the Express would make something negative of it. It’s also true that they have now been in government here for 10 years.
I think Brexit is going to show Scots that they would be better off as an independent European nation. Becuase I suspect the choice will be that, or a wholly owned and not much liked subsidiary of the USA.
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I’m sorry but if memory serves, and yes it nay have failed me here, but WTF!
I could have sworn that THIS election is for WESTMINSTER so why the **** is Brillo so fascinated on subjects that are controlled from Edinburgh. Surely in a WESTMINSTER election the focus of questions and enquiries SHOULD be on topics that are under DIRECT control from Westminster. There again maybe I’m expecting some strange things from a UNIONIST TORY!
For someone who is the Conservative Broadcasting Corporations “Main Man” on all things politics … allegedly, he seems pretty damned THICK on his understanding of what is and what is NOT topics that are controlled by Westminster.
Ach well never mind … he’ll be receiving his knighthood for services to the xenophobic rape clause Tory party in the near future!
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Now, now, Arbroath…fair’s fair. He asked about independence and the referendum and these, we’re told, are entirely in the gift and at the discretion of Westminster.
Anyway, no doubt in the interests of impartiality, he didn’t ask Theresa much about UK stuff either and with Jeremy he focused on Ireland and SF.
I don’t think Brillo wants a knighthood…he’s got his eye on the ermine.
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Right through this campaign I’ve been wondering the same thing.
It’s all about education. Now Nicola has agreed that our education record has been poor, and that we must do better. But as was pointed out on these threads the other day, the standards in England (having to suffer the same cost cutting exercises) is even worse.
I’m not sure when the Tories are going to grasp that if you cut and cut and cut, you will get less and less and less.
For all a lot of them went to Oxford and Cambridge, they seem to be as thick as mince.
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Brillo would look nice in red.
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Just because you go to Oxbridge Uni doesn’t mean you know anything. George Osbourne studied History but was Chancellor. Is it any wonder WM is f#/%^ed up.
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Ha ha. Old Tess has a degree in Geography, but she couldn’t remember the name of the town she was in the other day, as was obliged to refer to it as “this particular town”.
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I often wondered who Brillo was and now that I know, it’s just so obvious, it’s been staring me in the face the whole time. Tuh!
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Tris
I thought NS did well and the questions mostly irrelevant to the GE campaign. Andrew Neil I have never liked at all, l responded on Grumpy that like Marr, both arse lickers to the establishment. I thought NS handled the questions well but there are things that annoy me and I might blog about that today, having a day off and hoping to have an afternoon of doing very little. Anyway Nicola Sturgeon did well.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
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Hey Bruce, have a good day off (not that the weather is up to much here).
I’ll get over to Grumpy later and read your piece.
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i wish nicola when pressed about the performance of the scottish economy responds by telling them it is doing well despite the constrains of operating within a limited budget set by the westminster goverment which is being cut year after year she may gain more supporters.
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She did say something about that early on.
The overall economy is a British thing, although to be fair a limited amount is devolved. But the chancellor really has the purse strings.
But I too wish she had made more of it.
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tris and his nefarious associates
none more than conan.
something like this
Nicola ( you know Nicola the 1st queen of scots)
“At the third stroke, the time from BT will be (hour) (minute) and (second) seconds”
tris and the nat Chorus
Brill speech so wunnerful and clever and just so great
Nicola
“At the third stroke, the time from BT will be (hour) (minute) and (second) seconds”
tris and the nat Chorus
Fantastic ,Marvellous stupendous even, she is so wise and good and kind
and just great in a great sort of way……even !
Nicola
“At the third stroke, the time from BT will be (hour) (minute) and (second) seconds”
tris and the nat Chorus
She is brave and perfect in a perfect sort of way she like
looks right into my soul and knows me and how i feel
about Scotland and Scottishness all fuzzy Tartan
and Tunnocks .
Nicola
“At the third stroke, the time from BT will be (hour) (minute) and (second) seconds”
She is like Mary come down from the sky to set us free from the chains
that England has forged in our minds that bind us in endless subjection
and fealty…so she does
(that would be the Mother Mary and not Mary Magdalene who
was a bad girl of sorts probably more familiar with the likes of
a younger Conan and not like our Good Nicola at all..).
Nicola
“At the third stroke, the time from BT will be (hour) (minute) and (second) seconds”
Nicola
“At the third stroke, the time from BT will be (hour) (minute) and (second) seconds”
Some might not know yes really !
http://krishaamer.com/function-chorus-greek-drama/
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Yes Niko we’re all much less intelligent than your good self.
Thanks for reminding us again – what would we do without you?
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What you been smoking, Niko?
Very funny, though.
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Gat
One shudders to think of it !
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That’s good….
🙂
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