Scotland Watch

[UndercoverElephant]

Not sure I believe that is real banksy. Looks like the work of a disgruntled Scottish nationalist. As poor as the BBC's reporting of all manner of topics has become recently, compared to the SNP and the Yes campaigners, the BBC's reporting on this topic wasn't bad.

In my opinion, of course. The Yes supporters saw a conspiracy everywhere: three westminster parties all say "no" to a currency union and the BBC reports the reasons why, and the SNP/yes people immediately cry "they're ganging up, the bullies!", meaning all three westminster parties and the BBC. The truth was rather different, as discussed at length already. And this was typical of what went on throughout the whole campaign, IMO.

I don't think Banksy would have stuck his neck out and made this particular political comment, not because he's unwilling to make controversial statements in his art, but because this particular statement is just a little too tinged with the warped viewpoint of Scottish nationalism.

[Tarrel]

Not sure I believe that is real banksy. Looks like the work of a disgruntled Scottish nationalist. As poor as the BBC's reporting of all manner of topics has become recently, compared to the SNP and the Yes campaigners, the BBC's reporting on this topic wasn't bad.

In my opinion, of course. The Yes supporters saw a conspiracy everywhere: three westminster parties all say "no" to a currency union and the BBC reports the reasons why, and the SNP/yes people immediately cry "they're ganging up, the bullies!", meaning all three westminster parties and the BBC. The truth was rather different, as discussed at length already. And this was typical of what went on throughout the whole campaign, IMO.

I don't think Banksy would have stuck his neck out and made this particular political comment, not because he's unwilling to make controversial statements in his art, but because this particular statement is just a little too tinged with the warped viewpoint of Scottish nationalism.

I subsequently found out that it is a "modified" Banksy. The original had the "beater" holding a CND p,acard and the "beatee" holding one with a heart on it.

Sorry if I misled.

[emordnilap]

What's this all about?

http://youtu.be/GAtJLGswfTo

A scam? Easy done.

But it might not be.

After all, Gore won in 2001.

It started with grainy videos on YouTube, showing official counters doing odd things with the ballot papers. Stories emerged of people at polling stations being told that someone using their name had already voted. Children had been registered to vote.

[Tarrel]

When the pre-referendum opinion-poll showed the "Yes" campaign marginally ahead, the £ dropped about 1.5 cents against the $, to around 1.61. This was reported with "shock / horror" across the mainstream media.

£ is now trading at $1.56 following an inexorable slide over the past month, and not a word from the MSM.

Nice to know we have considered, balanced reporting rather than the shrill, reactive, child-like rush to the next sensationalist story (not)!

[OrraLoon]

When the pre-referendum opinion-poll showed the "Yes" campaign marginally ahead, the £ dropped about 1.5 cents against the $, to around 1.61. This was reported with "shock / horror" across the mainstream media.

£ is now trading at $1.56 following an inexorable slide over the past month, and not a word from the MSM.

Nice to know we have considered, balanced reporting rather than the shrill, reactive, child-like rush to the next sensationalist story (not)!

Yes, "The National" really needs to develop a Financial Section. But, one day at a time:
http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-birth-of-a-nation/

[emordnilap]

OrraLoon

Here's an article you may enjoy.

Dorset is a ‘rich’ county but even small Dorset towns have food banks. Westminster is damaging the English as much as the Scots. And I for one am tired of being talked down to; of being told that it is the fault of the electorate that so few turn out to vote; of being told that the electorate is ‘apathetic’; and “we need to talk to the voters more”.

Does Westminster ever listen? Does Westminster care about low turn-out or our anger? No and no. Not when the ‘first-past-the-post system’ can deliver them the power they want, regardless of how low the percentage is that has given a politician a seat in Westminster.

[kenneal - lagger]

If she thinks that Dorset is a rich county it shows how insular she is. Her coterie of upper middle class, commuting friends may be well off but in general Dorset is a mainly agricultural county and while some of her big farmer friends might be rich the ordinary farmer and agricultural worker is definitely not rich. This is probably why so many are relying on food banks!!

[emordnilap]

I could have sworn she put inverted commas round the word 'rich'.

[kenneal - lagger]

She did but there was still a lot of ambiguity in the piece. I don't think it helped saying that Dorset is "rich" because the few large land owners are rich when the majority of the population, those who actually live and work there, are amongst the poorest in the country.

[Tarrel]

OrraLoon

Here's an article you may enjoy.

Dorset is a ‘rich’ county but even small Dorset towns have food banks. Westminster is damaging the English as much as the Scots. And I for one am tired of being talked down to; of being told that it is the fault of the electorate that so few turn out to vote; of being told that the electorate is ‘apathetic’; and “we need to talk to the voters more”.

Does Westminster ever listen? Does Westminster care about low turn-out or our anger? No and no. Not when the ‘first-past-the-post system’ can deliver them the power they want, regardless of how low the percentage is that has given a politician a seat in Westminster.

Terrific article. I especially like the last paragraph.

[emordnilap]

She did but there was still a lot of ambiguity in the piece. I don't think it helped saying that Dorset is "rich" because the few large land owners are rich when the majority of the population, those who actually live and work there, are amongst the poorest in the country.

Dorset is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as rich by those in many other counties and, comparatively speaking, is. I'd prefer Bradford to Bournemouth, myself but many would differ.

[clv101]

She did but there was still a lot of ambiguity in the piece. I don't think it helped saying that Dorset is "rich" because the few large land owners are rich when the majority of the population, those who actually live and work there, are amongst the poorest in the country.

I'm pretty happy with the idea of Dorset being a rich county! You're going to have to use some special pleading and cherry picked data to rank Dorset in the bottom third of any county 'richness' table.

For example Dorset's average house price of around £260k is well up the table (15th out of ~120).

[Tarrel]

For example Dorset's average house price of around £260k is well up the table (15th out of ~120).

But isn't that part of the problem? Perhaps it's less of a rich county and more an average county suffering a rich invasion! The huge buying power of London virtually on the doorstep can keep property prices high even though many local people can't afford them.

It's not just restricted to rural areas either. My son and his fiance live in Woking. They're renting at the moment but looking to buy. They have a £40k deposit (courtesy of a generous late relative) and between them they earn just short of £60k a year. They're struggling to comprehend the fact that they still can't afford to buy in that area, in spite of their very favourable circumstances!

[clv101]

For example Dorset's average house price of around £260k is well up the table (15th out of ~120).

But isn't that part of the problem? Perhaps it's less of a rich county and more an average county suffering a rich invasion!

For it to have both very high house prices and not be considered a rich county, I think someone would have to show Dorset had significantly lower than average owner occupier rates - ie that a few very wealthy folk owned all the expensive houses whilst the poor masses rented.

I suspect Dorset's owner occupier rate isn't massively different to other counties. Poor rural counties are those like North Lincolnshire and Carmarthenshire, Dorset's a rich one.

[biffvernon]

And even North Lincolnshire is pretty rich. I expect most folk there are in the global top 10%. It's all relative.