Tag: Dundee

THAT MAGIC MONEY TREE ONLY SEEMS TO BLOOM WHEN IT SUITS MAYHEM

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The Michelin closure is a huge deal in Dundee.

More than 800 jobs in the company are set to go and most of us know someone who will lose his or her well-paid job. That’s before you take account of the knock-on effect on other business. And for the well-trained workforce, there aren’t that many jobs in Dundee that pay the kind of money Michelin pays.

The reason given for the closure is the cheap far eastern imports of the smaller size tyres that are made in Dundee. Certainly, Michelin tyres are really good, but they are also very expensive. The somewhat illogical move towards larger cars (and larger tyres) and the price are the reasons for the fall in sales. There’s nothing much one can do about that.

However, I can’t help thinking that there may be an element of Brexit uncertainty for the French company. Hundreds of UK  and international companies are moving out of the UK. It would be odd if this company hadn’t taken Brexit into account.

Image result for michelin dundee

The Tay Cities deal is being underfunded to the tune of £50 million. In the meantime, the DUP have secured another billion pounds from the magic money tree that Mayhem keeps in her backyard.

Mundell is being his usual completely useless self.

Over and over again he has made statements, promises and threats on a variety of matters, and over and over again zero has happened. Even his threat to resign came to zilch.

He promised more powers would come to Scotland after Brexit. In fact, Edinburgh will enjoy fewer powers. And, as Clive Ponting has said, maybe Brexit will mean the Tories get what they have always wanted and the Scottish parliament is disbanded

He failed to stand up for Scottish farmers when  Gove spent EU money, destined for Scotland, in England.

He assured us that when May paid the first bribe of a billion pounds to her pal, Arlene, that Scotland wouldn’t lose out. It did.

And now he has said that despite the Michelin situation we will get no extra cash… not even get what we were promised in the City Deals.

Image result for michelin dundee derek mckay

Despite the utter uselessness of Mundell and the Brits, our own government is working hard to try to retain the jobs in Dundee.

Replying to 

𝗢𝗯𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗹𝘂𝗳𝗳𝘆 & 𝗥𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁/𝗚𝗼𝘃 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗲. 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲

It’s a worrying thought that John Heffren may to an extent be right. The Tories have little to lose in a place like Dundee and frankly little to gain by working to keep Michelin here. No matter what they do, Dundee won’t vote Tory.

And wouldn’t it suit them nicely if the Scottish government failed?

MUNGUIN TAKES A SHORT BREAK FROM HIS BREAK

Well done to all concerned. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s open…

Munguin will certainly be visiting soon.

ALL UNDER ONE BANNER, DUNDEE

Poster for AUOB walk in Dundee From Baxter Park leaving 12.45 to Magdalen Green

DUNDEE WEATHER THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON

Cloudy windy dry & even warmish 17° rising to 19° & feeling 15° rising to 19°.

Before the walk, there’s a 5% chance of rain, but 0% for the walk.

A rather blowy 22-24MPH wind, so the flags should look grand.

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Munguin will be there, of course, along with Tris, his faithful retainer.

Hopefully, we shall see you there.

The march sets off from Baxter Park at 12.45, but the organisers want people there a bit earlier than that. So Munguin may be persuaded to rise a little earlier than his normal noon, and, hopefully,  we’ll be at the pavilion in the centre of the park from around 12.15 to 12.30.

Munguin will be delighted to make your acquaintance if you want to pop over. He’s a bit like the First Minister. He is quite prepared to hug! And, remember, it will be a great honour for you to meet him!!!!!

If you don’t make it to Baxter Park for the march, we may see you at Magdalen Green.

Here is hoping for a good turn out. Dundee was YES CITY in the referendum… let’s show them that we still are.

Image result for baxter park pavilion

At Inverness march a few weeks ago, there was a small band of unionists involved in a counter-demonstration. And I read that Scotland in Union was asking for people to come to a similar demonstration in Dundee. Although Conservative politicians have said that they would not be participating (for obvious reasons), there may be others bussed in by Scotland in Union.

This is completely legitimate. They have as much right to demonstrate for their union as we have to march against it. Let’s treat them with respect, regardless of how they treat us, and not rise to the bait of any provocation, the like of which was seen in Inverness.

AUOB marches, and indeed the independence movement in general, are known for being peaceful and good-natured. This is a great image for our movement.  So smile and be cheerful and let any hate come from them to us, and not in the opposite direction.

A note of caution. In light of the news that British Unionist, Peter Morgan, a regular protester at the independence marches, has been jailed for 12 years for plotting terrorist attacks in Scotland, and a tweet from John Ferguson (below), don’t be backwards at taking photos of anyone making personal threats, and be prepared to report anything like that to the Police.

Replying to  

This makes the threat that I received slightly concerning. It was from one very excitable older unionist woman protester at the Inverness AUOB Indy march when she pointed the finger at me and told me they knew who I was and they would get me’ wonder who they are?

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!!!!!dundee

Have a great day, everyone.

HELP?

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This photograph was taken in Dundee. Vintage Willie put it up on his excellent Twitter feed, with the following annotation:

Dundee, Scotland, 1959. This photograph won the bronze medal at Interpress-Foto, 1960 in Berlin. Photograph: Michael Peto for the Observer The Peto Collection, held by

Do any of our Dundonian readers recognise where it is?

I thought maybe Lower Pleasance (parallel to Polepark Road) off the Lochee Road? I have to say, it’s so bleak I was surprised that it was as late as 1959!

Anyway, I know you guys like a puzzle.

Can anyone help, please?

 

SILLY SATURDAY

 

at
At least most of the letters are still there…
br1
Bye then…
br2
I’ve got a little list…
br3
Thank goodness for Jam, I say.
bre12
When times are tough you fall back on what you are best at. Killing folk.
bre5
PS, We’ve only written this message in the Queen’s English because you damned foreigners ought to speak it.
brextlab
What will be put on the Customs Union?
brex2
And this is their idea of an exciting future for Britain.
abr
Nice to know everyone else is going to be getting richer though.
a
So now we are at two-thirds, and we’re getting nothing!
adundee
Well done, Dundee.
ascotbrex
They mean the Jocks might get shirty if they knew how catastrophic it was going to be for them.

 

GOOD NEWS FOR DUNDEE: AND ANOTHER TRAVESTY FROM THE DWP

aasocial security

Nicola Sturgeon was in Dundee today to announce the siting of the headquarters of the new Scottish Social Security Offices in the city.

At least half the 1,500 jobs expected to be created in these offices will be based here in the City of Discovery (and Munguin). The rest will go to Glasgow.

It has been estimated the new agency will be worth £125m to the local economy and will support another 800 jobs.

So, a good day for Dundee. After the Bank of Scotland news from earlier this year, this is exactly what we needed.

I sincerely hope our new department can avoid failures like this:

atory

Why would someone who is tetraplegic be on a benefit that was reviewable? , s Does the DWP expect that she might be getting better? Could they not have checked this with her consultant?

Does the DWP expect that she might be getting better? Could they not have checked this with her consultant (or indeed anyone with a first aid certificate)?

Given that you seem to have to prove that you still suffer from things that are incurable, if an error was made and she didn’t attend for an interview (something for which she can hardly be held responsible herself), and she was taken off her benefits and told to report to the jobcentre, why, when the situation was explained, wasn’t her benefit immediately reinstated?

I mean, seriously, whoever you are in the UK government that organises these things, have you got jobs up your sleeves for people who, as her husband says, can do nothing for themselves?

This is almost literally diabolical: the work of the devil. It is no wonder that the UK government was denounced by the United Nations for failing to respect the rights of disabled people.

The management of the DWP makes me ashamed to live on the same island as they do.

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SCOTLAND’S NEW SOCIAL SECURITY POWERS

For your information, through the Scotland Act 2016, the following benefits will be devolved to Scotland:

Group Benefit Main Purpose
For carers, disabled people and those who are ill.   Attendance Allowance To help with personal care for individuals aged 65 or over with a physical or mental disability.
Carer’s Allowance To help an individual look after someone with substantial caring needs. To be eligible the individual must be 16 or over and spend at least 35 hours a week caring for someone.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Helps with some of the extra costs caused by long-term ill-health or disability for individuals aged 16 to 64.  This is a replacement for DLA for working age individuals.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Help if your disability or health condition means either:

  • You need help looking after yourself
  • You have walking difficulties

DLA is closed to new working age claimants and being replaced by PIP.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit For individuals who are ill or disabled as a direct result of an accident or disease caused by work or while attending an approved employment training scheme or course.
Severe Disablement Allowance Was for working-age individuals who are unable to work due to illness or disability. SDA is closed to new entrants.
Currently part of the Regulated Social Fund Cold Weather Payment A payment for individuals on certain benefits when the temperature is either recorded as, or forecasted to be, an average of zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days.
Funeral Expenses For individuals on low income and needing help to pay for a funeral they are arranging.
Sure Start Maternity Grant Introducing a new Best Start Grant which will see support for qualifying families increase from the £500 payable only for the first child under the existing UK Government Sure Start Maternity Grant to £1,100 for the first child and £800 for second and subsequent children over  three payments during a child’s early years.
Winter Fuel Payment A tax-free payment to help pay for heating bills if you were born on or before July, 5 1952 (Current State Pension Age for women).
Other Discretionary Housing Payments Additional help for those in receipt of Housing Benefit and having difficulty meeting their rent payments. Paid at the discretion of the Local Authority.
Job Grant A new Job Grant which will be a payment of £100 or £250 for people with children plus a three months bus pass for  16-24 year olds who have been claiming benefit for six months or more and are starting work.

The following benefits will remain reserved to UK Government:

  • Universal Credit
  • Contributory Job Seekers Allowance
  • Contributory Employment Support Allowance
  • Child Benefit
  • Maternity Allowance
  • State Pension
  • Pension Credit