Thursday 1 August 2013

LIBERAL FLIGHTS OF FANCY

It occurs to me yesterday's intervention by Michael Moore (or as Peter Bell calls him Mr Pointless), surpasses in stupidity all previous attempts by him to undermine the cause of independence.

He announced that border posts would be erected between Scotland and England and that even farm tracks and side roads would be manned by armed guards.

The notion has been raised before (perhaps by Captain Darling?) and, as I remember, it was put in its box at that time.

The British Isles is a common travel area. There are at present five different jurisdictions which enjoy freedom of travel sans passeport or other travel documentation  States of Jersey, States of Guernsey, The UK, The Republic of Ireland, The Isle of Man. 

Three of these jurisdictions are not even in the EU. 

During the years of "the troubles" in Ireland, there was still freedom of travel between the republic and the province.

Why on Earth would the UK want to have border posts between England and Scotland. It would inconvenience travellers and disrupt trade between the two nations. It would serve no useful purpose and it would cost a fortune. There is no guarantee that an independent scotland would agree to man their side of the border, deeming it unnecessary.

The only conclusion one can draw is that the Uk authorities would choose to be awkward with Scotland for the sake of being awkward with Scotland. In other words they would behave like a petulant child.

Either that, of course, or Mr Pointless is fibbing?

Ah, Project Fear's idea of positivity!
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I was intrigued to read in the Daily Telegraph that the government in London has suggested that pensioners will have to remain in their jobs until they are 70. Not this time because the   government can't afford to pay pensions (although it can't), but because the UK is running out of workers.

That's an interesting concept, given that there are millions of people who are unemployed and England is apparently overrun with "foreigners". But according to the Department for Work and Pensions' Steve Webb (so the usual warning apply and pinches of salt are available on request), employers will need to fill 13.5 million job vacancies over the next 10 years, but only 7 million young people will leave school and college during that time.

Webb tells us that this is not a plan to force people to work “into their seventies and beyond” but was aimed at preventing older workers dropping out, perhaps through treatable health problems. The article mentions that McDonalds have found it useful to have older and younger people working together.

“This isn't ‘work ‘til you drop,’” Webb lied, I mean, said. “This is actually enabling people to carry on, and in most cases that is good for their wellbeing as well.”

This translates into: "This is a plan to reduce people's uptake of pensions to save us money, because we are Tories (well, as good as) and we don't like paying out state money to ordinary people. Just because their health is deteriorating doesn't mean that they shouldn't be forced to work in McDonalds. It will be good for them. I myself shall continue 'working' from the red benches in the House of Lords until my state funeral and possibly after."

To think I once contemplated voting Liberal Democrat! Is there one 't' or two in prat?

25 comments:

  1. Well what do you know s***e for brains Moore is going to have border posts all along the border as well as guards on the minor tracks and roads. Berlin wall anyone?

    To be fair though there would be one advantage to having border posts in my view, it would enable law enforcement agencies to seriously curtail the transportation of drugs North into Scotland.

    Nice to see the Liedems are pushing the work till you drop dead policy of Cameron and his cronies.

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    1. Yeah, machine gun posts and barbed wire everywhere.

      What a pile of pants they are. It wouldn't be so bad if they hadn't tried this particular scare story before.

      It didn't work then, so I'm not sure why Moore tried it out again. Did he hear his boss Alistair Darling telling them to be more positive?

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    2. I'm always pleased to see OUR M.P.'s working for US. Unfortunately the gormless brainless useless Moore obviously did NOT receive this particular memo. You know, the one where M.P.'s were informed that they were at Westminster to represent the wishes of their electorate and NOT to represent their own or party self interests!

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    3. He's a plonker...

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    4. And today's quote of the day is........

      http://wingsoverscotland.com/behind-enemy-lines/

      Apparently Moore represents more of the border with Scotland than anyone else. Hmm, now call me dim if you want but is he NOT an M.P. for a SCOTTISH constituency?

      If I'm correct in this assumption, and I do accept I may be wrong in this assumption, then how the hell can he represent a border with Scotland?

      Surely for this dingbat to represent a land border with Scotland he must first of all represent a constituency in ENGLAND!

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    5. A regiment or two of Border Collies should do it.

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    6. He's an MP for England, Arbroath. Hmmm, I've always suspected something of the sort.

      So maybe they'd best make David Mundane SoS for Scotland. That will be good for a laugh.

      I wouldn't have thought, Snotty, that Pointless and Muddle could do the job between them... Don't see why we should hae wee dugs out in the cold and rain protecting their borders.

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  2. Maybe the SoS has a different calendar in he thinks it is 1st April and not the 1st August.

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  3. Tris

    You just can't write this stuff can you. If there was ever a non job it is the Secretary of State for Scotland and with such a non politician in the role. The most recent thing I can think about Moore was when Danny Alexander noted that the Scottish Office was the first to accept it's 10% budget cut, I though yeah that is Michael Moore standing up for Scottish opps sorry English interests. The man is a waste of space and along with the rest of the Unionists lies are are now truths as they can't tell the difference. I so hope for a YES vote and one of the reasons will be seeing all their pusses as they start their campaigns to become Scottish elected politicians, we won't forget you tossers.

    Bruce

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    1. It it's a non job old Mick is just the man for it...

      He probably said to Danny: "We'll take a bigger cut. After all, no one votes for the Tories in scotland and the LibDems are history now...

      "Cut it by 15%."

      I think he'll probably try for a safe Tory seat in England for the next election. But having been a cabinet minister, even in a non-job (where rearranging the furniture in his office is the most important thing he will do in a week), he should be well fitted to a good few directorships. Not the top ones, having only been SOS, but some little ones to supplement his pension and £300 a day.

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  4. The LibDem 2014 conference has been postponed until 4 October (was due to end 17 September because of the referendum. This means moving it from Liverpool (new date no good) to GLASGOW. Let's hope the result of the referendum makes for a very unhappy conference.

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    1. Oh noooo. Will we have all the border posts in time?

      Actually, when you think about it. Lib Dem conferences only attract about 50 people, so it won't make that much difference.

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    2. innerbearsden@gmail.com

      If you are serious about a wee swally in Glesga?

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  5. Hi, I've enjoyed your posts. Why do we take this as though we have nothing to offer the rUk post Indy? Most of our exports go thro there, why, we could invest in a major East coast port (how about B-o-T?) if there are onerous border restrictions? ruk lose out. We can play tit-for-tat, want to mess with us, we'll put a connection across to Denmark and sell our surplus leccy there. atb

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    1. Thank you Anon.

      Oh I agree we have much to offer. This is another feeble attempt to scare people into thinking their granny in Carlisle will become a foreigner and you'll have to shell out vast amount to get across the border to see her. It is absolute nonsense, of course, because the rUk would have as much to lose. Many English and Welsh people come here on holiday, or have relatives who are living in Scotland. We export so much, including electricity.

      Why would anyone want to put borders between themselves and their biggest markets/suppliers? We could negotiate a common travel area with Ireland. But if the rUk want to be petty... it's up to them.

      I think we will definitely have to develop our East Coast port, so that we no longer have to send our goods to England to be exported. Good connections should exist with our Scandinavian neighbours. I imagine that there will be much contact between them and us.

      Don't laugh, but I can't think what B-o-T stands for. I'm going to be so mad with myself when you tell me.

      :)

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    2. Berwick on Tweed?

      Assuming we take it back though/

      Tris please read my last comment on the previous thread.

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    3. See, I told you I'd be embarrassed.

      On my way, snotty...

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  6. Michael Moore, who's most useful quality is his absence.

    I don't monitor his output, but I don't think I've ever heard him say anything which has anything close to the merest hint of a point.

    He also has a huge Tefal bru or what in our primary school was known as a 'slap-it spam heid', which is quite an immature and not particularly useful point to make.

    But as Michael Moore's existence unambiguously proves- no one is perfect.

    ;-)

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    1. Probably his raison d'etre...

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