Striving to reach the gutter

Just a few weeks ago Lord Foulkes was proclaiming how terrible it was that the nasty Scottish First Minister was holding daily press briefings to keep people up to date with the ever-changing situation and explain why decisions were being taken. Even worse not falling into any of the carefully (they thought) laid trap questions. Instead people were more and more impressed by her clarity, sincerity and shock horror even being able to admit to mistakes! This could not be allowed to continue, these briefings had to stop or at the very least be taken off the telly.

And then we learned that His Lordship and Jackie Bailie had been in contact with the bbc to question why they were allowing such blatant leadership to be broadcast! As was to be expected the beeb bowed the knee, hid the memory of Lord Reith’s dictums away and rolled over to get its collective belly rubbed. His Lordship was over the moon and even blew away Baillie’s attempts at denial so proud was he.

That, we were told, was the end of the daily briefings being broadcast unless the beeb thought that the subject was important enough. It’s a global pandemic which is killing people. Yet the beeb question the value of any Government telling people what is happening and why! Arrogance, bias and hatred all wrapped in utter stupidity. Aided and abetted by the serried ranks of the Scottish press corps.

Then the public spoke.

Not a voice we often hear in defence of politicians granted but it became clear just how much the public valued these broadcasts and forced the beeb into the most humiliating climbdown.

To add to the misery of Baillie and Foulkes they then had to sit back and watch as they were humiliated again as their bosses in London demanded that Bollocks should try and behave like a real PM and leader and do daily press briefings again, just like they were doing in Scotland.

Then Labour’s Executive couldn’t even agree to actually move their much-trailed vote of no confidence in #labourdick and so he stays in office but has never had any power. All that was left was the resignations from opposition roles of MSPs who were daft enough to listen to the siren voice. Those whom the Gods wish to destroy they first make listen to Jackie Baillie.

At least the tories know how to get rid of failing leaders as Carless can testify and a thought which might be causing Bollocks to have the occasional sleepless night worrying where his next maintenance payment is going to come from.

Then we have the new Baroness Davidson’s alter ego moaning about not being given a chance to reply to Nicola’s lockdown statement, the fact that even the beeb knocked him back tells him just how badly he’s doing just weeks into his role.

So, off he goes on a tantrum moaning about the BADSNP not allowing the students to go to the pub for a whole weekend out of a 4 year course. Disgrace! Abuse of power. What? Manchester Uni has done the same?

All of this nonsense is given full coverage in the so-called “Scottish” media. For some like the Mail, Sun or Express it’s just par for the course. For the broadcast media it’s a real failure of the mission to speak truth to power. The interviews with Jason Leitch will live long in the memory.

It also seems to me that the fact that this is indeed a deadly global virus has managed to bypass the collective understanding of the media and everything is treated as thought it was only happening in Scotland. I have a wee hint for them. When you start to ask questions of Bollocks, Gove or Hancock the way you do of Nicola and the senior medical professionals who accompany her then I just might give you a little respect. When you’ve earned it.

And then there is Sir Ed Davey.

The other knight of the realm to “lead” a rUK party has claimed that he wants to lead a party which listens to the people and then offers them liberal solutions in the way of Paddy Ashdown. Except, as the saying goes, for voters in Scotland.

What seems to have escaped Unionism is the simple fact that if you start an election from the position that what the people say is not going to be implemented then you are no longer a democrat. The old adage of Government of the people, for the people by the people requires that the will of the people is not only accepted but implemented. To deny that is to deny democracy itself. Yet unbelievably this is where Scotland finds itself today.

All three unionist parties say that they will not respect the will of the voters! This should be viewed as an outrageous position yet is accepted as reasonable by our political commentariat. I am old enough to remember when the term “gutter press” was an insult. Today it seems like the very height of ambition.

1 Comment

  1. I am pleased to see Stephen Bird picking up my naming Boris Johnston as Bollocks but do not know if my comment was original.
    Interested to note his remarks on Lord George Foulkes. Lord Foulkes took the title “of Cumnock” a mining town I think; he actually lives in Corstorphine in Edinburgh, just down the road from me.

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