Month: September 2020

SOME PRETTY GOOD ADVICE WOULD BE TO WAIT

Because, it seems not unlikely that Ian Dunt is right.

Johnson will be left in a situation where he has to accept the result of the election or say out loud words to the effect of: “Look, you chaps, when I said the will of the British people had to be respected, I didn’t mean the Jocks. I meant proper Brits, old chap, Englishmen through and though, Hearts of Oak and all that stuff, what what.

The Project of Paradoxes: In Search of Dominic Cummings – Part Two – Byline Times
Hello, handsome.

I know everyone is fed up waiting, but there just isn’t another way and here’s the explanation. The truth is that, in this case, unlike the European one, the Brits really do hold rather a lot of the cards. Not all, of course, because unless Cumming and Gove find a way of interfering with the Scottish elections next year, we have that very important card which they won’t.

Everybody laughs as Michael Gove makes promises – The Daily Belter
The Joker

It’s called the Democracy Card, and it beats the Three of Diamonds, the Death Card and Mrs Bun the Baker’s Wife, hands down, because people respect it.

IN WHICH THE UK BECOMES AN INTERNATIONAL PARIAH AND SCOTLAND BECOMES A NORTHERN ENGLISH COUNTY

Ed sent me this article a couple of days ago. It’s not short, but it’s worth a read and I’d be really interested in your comments.

Today the British Government has debated its Internal Market Bill, which becomes more frightening with every comment you read on it, in its parliament in England.

I couldn’t watch the debate, but I’ve seen some highlights on social media.

Mr Johnson was probably at the most pathetic I’ve ever seen him, as Ed Miliband tore into him “He didn’t read the protocol, he hasn’t read the Bill, he doesn’t know his stuff”, and left him looking shattered. Certainly one of Miliband’s finer moments, which is more than can be said of Johnson.

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Ouch…

It appears, from my reading (not that the UK parliament made a lot of this, it being more concerned with the humiliation or not of their glorious union as it is held up to ridicule across world) that our devolution will be diluted to the point where it might be said to be pointless.

As Michael Grey @GreyInGlasgow pointed out:

Clause 46 of the Internal Market Bill gives the Tory Government powers over Scottish health, education, justice, transport, culture, sport, housing, & economic development. It is a direct attack on the Scottish Parliament, as endorsed by 74% of Scots in 1997. We need independence.

It will give the UK government in their large headquarters in our capital, a vast range of powers over devolved matters. Powers that we can assume that they will use to their advantage, and to thwart the policies of the government we elected. Because as sure as sure can be, we didn’t vote for them.

Still, I hope that this nonsense and what follows in January (remember what is now the likely outcome of Brexit) may be the impetus we need to get started on another push for independence.

It certainly never hurts to sit back quietly and watch your “enemy” as he kicks his own backside all over the field of battle and that for sure is what they are doing.

Oh, begging your pardon, your honourable importantness, sir, we didn’t mean to differ from Mr Cummings’ edicts.

And, as if on cue, one of my ultra unionist neighbours who recently admitted to me “I don’t like her policies, but I admit Nicola Sturgeon has played a blinder over Covid and I’m glad I live in Scotland and not England” today went further and declared herself for independence.

JUST FOR A LAUGH

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And now, to reveal this week’s honours list:

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Once again thanks to Heraldic Officer AndiMac and Cartoonist AndiMac, Brenda, John and Erik.

And for another laugh, have a read of this thread on Twitter…

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1304778986782961669.html

I promise, it will choke you up.

Oh, and a late post from Bulgaria:

SOPPY SUNDAY

VIDEO: A Young Orangutan Gets Put on a Strict Diet from Orangutan Jungle School: King of the Jungle | Smithsonian Channel
1. Morning. I see it’s bananas for breakfast. AGAIN! Can someone have a word with Munguin?
2. I’ve got it. All you need to do is find yer coat! Humans, I ask you…
3. Bang goes the Bulgarian wine Munguin had me clear a place for in his capacious cellars.
4. What you staring at? Never seen an Egyptian Goose before?
5. Clouds from both sides?
6. Bulgaria is full of beautiful cats… or so it seems.
7. You aughta see a sea otter here.
8. I wish this lumpy thing would get off my bed!
9. Autumnal or what?
10. Another Bulgarian cat… there seems to be more cats than people in that country.
11. Oslo, as visited recently by my pal, Dani. Isn’t it clean?
12. I reckon I could pass for a cat. I mean, I’m Bulgarian, aren’t I, and we’re all cats!
13. Hurry up with the tea, mum, while I look after this fire.
29 Unusual Animal Friendships That Will Make You Cry Inside | Animals friendship, Unusual animal friendships, Unlikely animal friends
14. This is a weird tree. It seems to have an animal growing out the bottom of it. Still, the animal looks like it has a Scottish flag on its nose so that’s ok.
Best animal friends - Business Insider
15. How much to get to the other side? Crikey, does that include eating at the captain’s table?
16. Colorado.
17. Bissau, as in the capital of Guinea Bissau.
Pangolin | Nature | PBS
18. Just getting a spot of gardening done for Munguin now. Gives Tris a wee break.
19. Now here’s the question. Is that my shadow, or is it my bestie, Panthy?
20. So breakfast was all bananas up there, but I found this thing which was destined for Munguin’s table and nabbed it. I’d better do a runner before he catches on… See you next week, if I survive!!!

Munguin sends his thanks to John and the Bulgarian crowd of animal lovers. Also to Dani, now in Hungary, but who was in Norway… and, in advance, to Marcia, who I am pretty sure is going to provide some pretty nice nature videos if custom and practice is anything to go by.

WEE DROSSY DOES A GROWN-UP INTERVIEW

Hmmmm…

Hardtalk is a World Service interview programme. As its name suggests it is hard hitting and, as a rule, gives no quarter to those being interviewed.

Stephen Sackur is polite but he takes no prisoners.

Whatever did Dross think he was doing agreeing to appear on a programme of that quality? He needs to stick to BBC Shortbread where he will get a sympathetic hearing and interviewers won’t question his dribbles.

Thanks to Marcia for alerting me to the programme.

Westminster Voting Intention (Scotland): SNP: 51% (+6) LAB: 21% (+2) CON: 20% (-5) LDM: 6% (-4)

But carry on, Dougie. Yer dain grand!

RANDOM MADNESS (OR NADNESS) AND HOW IT’S ALL FALLING APART

Nadine Dorries #StayAlert@NadineDorriesNo one who knew anything about the pathology of #Covid19 ever said it would be over by Christmas.

Steve Hawkes@steve_hawkes · 13h

Public “too relaxed” about Covid? They were told to shop, take a summer holiday and that it would be over by Xmas twitter.com/alliehbnews/st…

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Well, obviously except for Boris Johnson...
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…oh, err, and there was Boris Johnson too, as well, also, forby and besides…

So, I’m suspecting that Nad will be have incurred the wrath of the great advisor. He who must be obeyed!

Incidentally, I’m wondering just what part Her Majesty, or indeed any of her brood, has actually played in any of this.

‘A rousing chorus of “We’ll meet again”, when we address you from one of ire palaces at Christmas?’

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That was then…
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…and this is now!

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And the dear old OK is breaking international law and admitting it. Can I ask if that means that the UK government thinks that it’s fine to break the law as long as one does it in a specific sorta way.

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And, as mentioned in the comments in the last post, the top government lawyer has resigned over the international law breaking in a specific kind of way. Jonathan Jones, Treasury solicitor and permanent secretary at the UK government’s legal department is the 6th senior figure to resign this year.

Joanna Cherry QC@joannaccherry

I wouldn’t expect Law Officers to remain in post where the Govt they advise proposes to take unlawful action. I therefore await with interest the reaction of England’s Attorney General & Solicitor General & the Advocate General for Scotland to today’s news

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