Councillor Terry Kelly

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME WILL SURVIVE RACISM – FRAUD – VIOLENCE AND ALEX FERGUSON.

2012-02-13T12:43:00.001Z

Liverpool V Manchester United Race Row. The losers in this horrible episode are the football fans. People will argue about who was right and who was wrong for a long time and the bad feeling which already existed between these two clubs will only get worse.

By far the worst result of this is that the most nasty, venomous bully in the history of the game has managed to position himself at the top of the moral high ground and the obsequious FA and sporting press are afraid to tackle him, and not for the first time. Ferguson would use anything and I mean anything to gain an advantage and in this case he sees an opportunity to do down Liverpool, the racist backdrop means nothing to him, nothing does.

Had Alex Ferguson taken up golf or athletics as a youth the beautiful game would today be far more able to hold its head high, his influence on the game particularly as the manager of one of the world's richest and most powerful clubs has been unremittingly ugly and sinister. The guy who watched and learned from him while at Chelsea Mourihno is following his example and traducing the reputation of a similarly great club. .

Thankfully the influence of Ferguson on football is drawing to a close, old age will eventually succeed in doing what the authorities have been too spineless to do for a long time and confine him to the dustbin of history. Manchester United might then once again become one of the world's best loved football clubs instead one of its most loathed. It is to be hoped that this great football club will be able to erase the malicious Ferguson influence which has polluted Old Trafford and the English game for too many years. This is the "beautiful game" and no amount of malcontents like Ferguson will ever change that. Now would be an appropriate time to create an award for the most cynical person in sport and award it to Ferguson in perpetuity.

BIG TONALD AND WEE ECK (THE SPIV) IN THE END OF THE PIER SHOW.

2012-02-12T00:56:00.001Z

Dear Mr. Trump in the interests of Scottish American relations can I with all due respect offer you a way toward a peaceful solution to the problem of wind and Mr. Salmond. Have you considered a donation to the Scottish Nationalist Party? A couple of big family type suitcases full of used fivers and tenners. These should be given in the spirit intended which is of course for the good of your and wee Eck (the spiv's) beloved Scotland where I believe your maw was born. Catch a bus to the north driven by wee holy Brian Souter who knows a thing or two about donations. He can drop you on the (wee spiv's) doorstep. Think back to the ever so pleasant planning thingmy when you had something he (the spiv) wanted. Think back to when wee holy Brian also had something which wee Eck (the spiv) wanted as well.

Take heart Mr. Trump not only are you and wee eck (the spiv) patriotic Scots. you are cut from the same tartan cloth. In your position I would be thinking along the lines of Edinburgh Castle becoming "Edinburg Trump Castle – Luxury hotel and conference centre and seller of genuine locks of Bobby Burns's hair" sample Willie Wallace's blue face paint, visit Loch Lomond on a wee holy Brian tour and kiss the Blarney Stone before leaving for the USA, remember Tonald, money talks and I've heard it said when it gets to wee Eck (the spiv) it bawls and shouts. We know that we can rely on you Tonald and you Eck (the spiv) to always put our beloved Scotland first, just like big Shawn who described you both I'm told when he last threw you off his Island in the Bahamas as a "Shite for Shore eyes"

HI CHAPS I’M HARRY AND MY NAN OWNS THE ARMY SO YOU BETTER DO AS I SAY.

2012-02-11T18:52:00.001Z

The PR people and spin doctors who are charged with the gargantuan task of presenting the halfwit prince; Captain Harry as a young man around whom they can create a believable myth are once again in despair. Their latest wheeze following his most recent portrayal as a brave young patriotic combatant is to once again show us his ordinary side, his ordinary guy, man of the people persona if you like. They must surely be reaching the point where they have to pack it in. Today he appears clad in fatigues joshing with the ordinary chaps with whom he will; it is inferred risk his life. This is a rerun of their attempt to show us the heroic Prince Harry fighting in the desert against the horrid Johnny Foreigner an episode which quickly and predictably descended into lies and farce when it was discovered that he never got closer than 6 miles to the actual combat zone and he was at all times ensconced in a heavily fortified concrete fortress. In addition to which he never spent a second without his personal body guard of 6 highly trained combat ready troops.

In today's pictures he has typically forgotten to remove his wrist watch before throwing on the combat fatigues to pose with the squaddies whom someone has volunteered to have their picture taken with their new chum. I'm sure that all his chums in the unit he will be in will be proud of the fact that Soldiers serving in the British Army are issued with watches like the one that Harry is displaying on his limp wrist. The watch? what that old thing? It's a Rolex Explorer 11 – a snip at between £4,000 to £15,000, It'll all be over by Christmas right?

SALMOND (THE SPIV) EMBARRASSES US ALL AGAIN.

2012-02-10T14:32:00.001Z

What are we to make of wee Eck (the spiv) hawking himself around the radio and TV stations to muscle in on the Scotland V England Rugby match? Forget the fact that he dodged a bullet when Scotland decided to field their ladies team, that's a separate issue. Is it not simply the case that senior politicians regularly show up at these events on the understanding that it is apolitical and should not be exploited? That; based on the evidence available rules out (the spiv) Salmond whose reputation over many years is that of a man who cannot see a belt without hitting below it.

Would anyone trust this charlatan whose instinct was to score political points when he witnessed houses and business premises being burned as well as injuries, loss of life and arrests being made when the recent riots occurred? His comments and his repugnant behaviour over this when he tried to suggest that such events were peculiar to England and did not happen in Scotland were all too typical of a man who as first minister has brought shame and embarrassment on his office and on the Scottish people. Are the people of Scotland beginning to rumble him? Let's hope so.

“IF MY BIG BRO. WILLIE HAS HIS OWN CHOPPER THEN I JOLLY WELL WANT ONE AS WELL” (PRINCE (BIGGLES) HARRY)

2012-02-09T14:00:00.002Z

A grateful nation waiting with bated breath has today learned that Prince Harry (worth over £10 Million and counting) has qualified as the number one helicopter passenger in his squadron. His "Wingco" Flight Officer Charlie (whiffy) Brown congratulated him and expressed his confidence that he would be ready to move from the Lego chopper to the Tonka model soon. We have learned that he has already dealt with one emergency in typical "Hooray Henry" fashion. When a junior officer reported an unfamiliar noise coming from his chopper blades the Prince showing his legendary daring and razor sharp decision making skills said "OK let's jolly well get her flying for a couple of hours and the noise will then be familiar won't it? Carry on chaps"!

“I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU VISITED ME” MATHEW 25:35-46

2012-02-06T14:13:00.001Z

Having had a well known interest in the penal system for years and indeed had plenty to say about it's inadequacies; I found it impossible several years ago to say no to the request from Labour Group Leader Jim Harkins and my colleagues in the Renfrewshire Council Labour Group to become Renfrewshire Council's representative on the Barlinnie Prison Visiting Committee. In actual fact I wanted the job and strangely enough there was no rush to challenge my nomination, it did not go to a vote in fact. I had strong opinions on our prison system and very few of them if any were positive, it is a huge disappointment to me that that remains the case, even more so as prison numbers increase.

It became apparent to me very quickly that the prison Visiting Committee was valued by prisoners and resented by most prison officers. I'm writing this now to put on record my strong opposition to the Scottish Government's proposals to do away with the Prison Committees and replace them with an advocacy service. The advocacy service would be selected and controlled by The Scottish Prison Service who would decide who gets the contract; begging the obvious question 'will the advocacy service stand up to those who pay their wages?' Recent consultations on this issue saw returns by 60 relevant organisations; only one of whom agreed with abolishing the Prison Committees; it will be no bombshell to readers to find that that was the Scottish Prison Service. In the judgment of this ex prison visitor that should have been game set and match in favour of the P.V.C'S but; the increasingly more and more absurd Kenny Macaskill SNP justice minister still wants them scrapped. He cites the low number of 14 requests last year to see the PVC from Barlinnie, this low number was something I was aware of when I was involved and I know the reason. During my time there I had occasion to meet prisoners on various occasions out with PVC prisoner requests and I always made a point of talking to prisoners and always asked what they knew about the PVC's and the overwhelming majority of them had no idea what I was talking about and most of those who did know about us suggested that it made for an easier life not to complain. That puts the blame for lack of response from prisoners with the prison regime itself and shamefully nothing has ever been done about it.

Two consultations have been done recently in 2005 and 2010 which revealed overwhelming support for the PVC's and a recent article quotes one of Scotland's national treasures Tory MSP Annabele Goldie (no bleeding heart liberal she) as saying ---- "their work (THE PVC'S) monitoring prisoners and investigating complaints is as welcome to the Scottish Prison Service as "a thistle in the backside" That sounds like cross party support to me if we include the SNP?

The cost? To maintain the PVC'S; to be able to say we are a fair and decent society; to refuse to go down the road of a banana republic; to ensure that members of the public appointed by local authorities can visit a prison any time; day or night; and demand to see a prisoner? £75,000 a year for the whole of Scotland, is it a price worth paying? I would spend more and make the service more modern with training for members etc. Oh! and training for Governors and prison officers as well. If prisoners cannot speak to people whom they consider to be completely impartial, if they cannot speak to people whom they can trust implicitly then we should stop criticising others who we condemn for bad treatment of prisoners like Zimbabwe and America. Without a free, honest and robust Prison Visitor's Committee Service we will have to buy in larger supplies of soap for prisoners to slip on. I wish I could take every person who writes or says or believes the "The Sun/Daily Mail" propaganda about how easy prison life is on a tour of some of the jails I have been in. Thousands go in every year illiterate and innumerate and come out years later still unable to read or count, what is the long term cost of that in money and human misery?

Contact your MSP's and let them know that you want the PVC'S kept.

FIDEL TELLS HIS STORY – SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT LIKE WHAT HE IS ABOUT TO SAY.

2012-02-05T15:46:00.003Z

Fidel Castro makes the newspapers today; yet again. At the age of 85 he has released a memoir of his life which is approx. 1,000 pages long that of course could be the first of 20 or 30 volumes though. He launched the work at a 6 hour conference where observers described him as animated and very sharp; his grasp of world events was apparently comprehensive and formidable. What can you say about the man? people will be fighting in queues to get hold of the book and his enemies will be fighting their way to the head of those queues. I am reminded of a delegation that gave Fidel a pet it was a South Sea turtle with a life span of a hundred years and he turned it down saying "that's the trouble with pets, you become fond of them and then they die on you" or was that American Presidents he was talking about?

A NAT. MAKES THE DIPLOMATIC CASE FOR INDEPENDENCE – THIS IS NOT A WIND UP.

2012-02-02T12:25:00.001Z

Sometimes unexpected gifts fall in to your hands unsolicited. This guy on facebook decided to have a go at me as I was having an argument with a Scottish Nationalist at the time. It took about 2/3 days for this fellow to reach the stage where I just had to let a wider audience read it. I won't and don't need to add anything further, just read on. A word of warning though, he's ex military and if he can fight like he can talk you might want to be careful in commenting. Oh! and he also says he is dyslexic.

Ian Clark

I take it you think all us Scottish are idiots and that why we need your party to keep us from getting what is ours . I.e/ oil, wavepower, water to hydro, taxes, better rates from the council so that businesses can afford to have more staff and do more business. Scotland can no longer support your party and its lifestyle Scotland may still have some weak and tired people who cant get inspired about this Gray country but I believe that without London it can prosper and in that there is no place for English insults spoken through your party with London blowing wind up your ass that produced tonight nothing but a smell called fear of change. Feel free to throw your insults and take longer pauses to TRY to look good but your point is not being forced up my ass no matter how much you and London try. Scotland is about to have its day and your fear of that is because your party didnt see it coming.

16 hours ago · Like

Ian Clark

I admired the parts about Scotland not needing nukes and would have admired anyone that or will join us to free Scotland from slavery under the English rule. As for royaly most of them were my officers in command and to this date as far as I can see do a great job but they in my eyes were my bosses with the respect that their rank deserved in my job and possition however in my eyes I could not care less for them as my royalty but do not dismiss their good management and welcome them if they too help Scotland prosper with its own goverment.

15 hours ago · Like
Ian Clark

Is there anything else I can help with cuntselor Kelly, Maybe help you find a job in Banking or give you a reference or is your place set for another 12 years insulting Scotland and its people...I think not/ feel free to correct any spelling mistakes you know how stupid I am or could it just be a mental defect produced by time in the army after being pumped with drugs to combat weapons given to enemys by the English or lack or care when lleaving the army to fellow commrads

15 hours ago · Like
Terry Kelly I wouldn't change a word of any of this, it's priceless, in fact I will show it to people on my blog.
A few seconds ago · Like

THERE ARE NO BAD SITUATIONS THAT THE ARRIVAL OF THE SCOTTISH POLICE CAN’T MAKE WORSE.

2012-01-30T19:45:00.001Z

Tommy Sheridan is released from jail, still insolent and defiant claiming his innocence in his charming sotto voce way, as is his wife Gail who is all over the Daily Record today recalling the horror of her treatment by the (Harry Margolis) She was told to stop staring at an electric plug during her questioning and had her Rosary Beads confiscated by her interrogator, a man whose hero they say is O'Brien from 19 84. This act of mental cruelty was carried out fittingly enough when she was half way through the "The Five Sorrowful Mysteries" only O'Brien could come up with that one. Mrs. Sheridan was at home with her suspicious and highly dangerous daughter who I believe was 3 years old at the time, a highly dangerous 3 year old it has to be said, when 9 of Scotland's finest; resplendent in neck to ankle black coats and spotlessly polished jack boots arrived to turn the house over, being thorough and highly trained cops, they took no chances, they searched the wee criminal's baby wear drawer and her toy drawer as well. Their professionalism sustained them as the wee girl wept and screamed, their training kicked in and they knew she was "at it" the bastards threatened her with no Santa Clause if she didn't behave, a Policeman's lot is not a happy one with such ever present danger.

Anyway Tommy and his family should not starve, there could be a book and possibly a play and a song or two to see them by, history tells us that prisoners depending on their celebrity or infamy can do quite well on the outside. Solzhenitsyn did OK once his fingers thawed out enough to type and he gave us 'Cancer Ward' and the snappily titled 'One day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch' Brendan Behan wrote 'Borstal Boy' about his 3 years in a British Borstal after being caught with his "IRA conjuring kit" (bomb equipment) as he called it at the age of 16, Norman Mailer wrote "The Executioners Song" about Gary Gilmore whose last words were "let's do it" before dying by firing squad, The much misunderstood victim of urban deprivation Jimmy Boyle gave us 'A sense of Freedom' and had a play written about him 'The hard man' Celebrated Tory shake down artists Jonathan Aitken and Jeffrey Archer both free market shysters wrote books which made money, Mien Kampf ? say no more, Oscar Fingal O'Flaherty Wills Wilde wrote the quite staggering 'Ballad of Reading Gaol' about his time as a guest of her majesty, and perhaps one of the most famous prisoners of them all Nelson Mandela wrote copiously about his time in jail and eventually triumphed and became one of the greatest people in the history of the planet 'a secular saint'

Tommy's book will be fascinating, Gail's will be enthralling but their wee girl's will be waited for with baited breath by a thirsting insatiable public desperate to know about her life as one of Great Britain's most notorious and dangerous 3 year olds. Yes folks you should never forget it; whatever age you are don't mess with the Scottish Police Force.

I SOMETIMES WONDER IF AMERICA REALLY EXISTS.

2012-01-26T21:03:00.004Z

Presidential hopeful and possible Republican Party nominee Newt Gingrich came away with an answer to a criticism which deserves to take its place in history. Two things to consider here 1/ the calibre of the candidate who said this and who was being serious and 2/ The calibre of the electorate whom he thought would buy it and may still do so. I can think of no other political party in the world where this answer would not have ended the candidate's career forever, here we go.

Journalist at press conference - "Mr. Gingrich how do you explain having affairs behind your wife's back when you fought to impeach President Clinton for the same thing, and at the same time?"

Gingrich – " I had affairs because I love America so much that my love for my country led me to work to hard which led me to have these affairs"

Well, 'whatcha think folks is he a good ole murkin boy' who is a real tea party patriot or is America just the world's biggest f*****g asylum? You decide. While you're thinking about that you might want to consider that this potential President of the most powerful country in the history of planet Earth in his earlier life became so overcome with love and patriotism for his beloved America that he abandoned his first wife for a younger model when she had M.S. And yet again struck by a bout of severe heart pounding patriotism served divorce papers on his second wife when she was in hospital recovering from cancer.

American patriots – Think Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Armstrong Gabby Hayes, Newt Gingrich, Batman. Vote Gingrich he is the guy! A possible new President, a possible brand new shining way oh, and he continues to burnish his right wing Christian credentials by calling down hell fire and damnation on gays, dammit it's the Murkin way.

FIDEL LOOKS AT THE G.O.P.

2012-01-26T20:01:00.001Z

Fidel Castro showing that he is still pretty sharp.

Commenting on the Republican Party's race to find a presidential candidate to stand against President Obama, El Commandante Castro described it as 'the greatest competition of idiocy and ignorance that has ever been'

WILLIAM TOPAZ MCGONNAGLE – YOU ARE FORGIVEN.

2012-01-24T17:32:00.004Z

My Heart's in the Highlands (R Burns)

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,

My heart's in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;

Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,

My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go.

Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North,

The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth ;

Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,

The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.

Farewell to the mountains, high-cover'd with snow,

Farewell to the straths and green vallies below;

Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods,

Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,

My heart's in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;

Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,

My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go.

Let me say up front that I have read Burns since I was a reluctant schoolboy and I tried hard to appreciate it, you had to in St. Mirin's Academy or you got the "bruises on you" I like one or two Burns things to this day but it is fair to say that if he was relying on sales to me to survive he would starve. The bottom line was of course that we were being forced to learn poetry in a foreign language, it might as well have been Spanish or German and no doubt better for our futures if it had been. The fact that he (Burns) was a famous mason did not sit well with the parents of many boys and indeed many teachers who shared our backgrounds, this was Scotland in the late 50's earl 60's need I say more "A bloody wee knuckle cruncher, check you've still got yer watch when ye shake haunds wae him, he couldnae write F**k on a dusty blind" was the considered verdict of our Da. the old man had a way with words himself now that I think of it. Burns, the Monarchy, Churchill, The Tories, The British Army (whom he served) the B******s in the establishment and various other people and things which roused his ancient Irish temper were all grist for his mill when that temper got going, we boys used to hide behind the couch clinging to each other tightly trying not to laugh when he went off on one, risky but side-splitting.

The above lines of poetry are what we call today doggerel, described in the dictionary as "badly written verse" the dictionary description is in fact too mild for this, it is absolute crap, 'the cat sat on the mat, and then it sat on a hat' is obviously superior and has much more gravitas. The reason of course that it escapes accurate examination is that it is by Burns, Scotland's National Poet and best known cottage industry, mugs, tea towels, calendars etc. and ridiculously expensive trinkets are sold to tourists as well as many Scots. visiting the old country who feign an interest in Burns to burnish their Scottish credentials, business is business right?

We are once again in the middle of the 2 week Burnsarama where he becomes inescapable and con artists squeeze every last bawbee out of it that they can. At the last count I have 4 selected editions of some of Burn's poetry handed out by newspapers annually to try to sell copy. Is anyone asking as I do why Burns remains a reserve league poet despite these annual attempts to sell him as a major artist? The answer is a harsh one to take, he is simply not good enough, he is not Shelley, Shakespeare or, Milton, nor is he Yeats, Wilde or Wordsworth and these are only from the British Isles.

I think that Scotland should re-examine it's literary past in an honest way and look at the other poets/writers Etc. none of whom get a fair deal because of the "Burns Industry"  a closer examination of the man would let people know the truth about him. His plagiarism, his unctuous grovelling to the upper classes in Edinburgh, his ambition to be a slave owner, his work for the Crown as an excise man acting against his own people, his loathing for hard work, a man of straw in fact but not unusual for his time. He did in fact write some memorable lines but so would anyone who wrote as much as he did.  The following true story which I have told before illustrates the damage that Burn's clubs and societies have done to Scottish literature. While feeding the swans and ducks at the Cart Walk a bus emblazoned with the legend "WALLACE TOURS" parked close to me and some Americans got off some chatted to me as I fed the birds and I asked where they were going and was told "Edinboro Castle, Bobby Burn's Cottage and to kiss the Blarney Stone, we just love Scatland" The bus company did not enlighten them, perhaps they were selling Blarney Stone Tea Towels.

Alas it's too late now and we are stuck with Burns whose glow will continue to rise and fall but mainly remain at a peep as far as international acclaim is concerned while true greats will see their flame blaze higher still and higher. I will leave the last word on Burns with MacDiarmid a far more profound and difficult poet but also far more rewarding "mair nonsense has been uttered in his name than in ony's  barrin' liberty and Christ" I will settle down with a copy of the great poets on Burn's night where Burns in fact has only two entries  "Tam o Shanter" and "A Man's a Man" if you must know.

FROM THE BERNABEU TO ST. MIRREN PARK – THE LATTER LEFT A BETTER SMELL.

2012-01-21T20:34:00.004Z

I prepared myself the other night no less diligently than the players who would take part in the Real Madrid V Barcelona match live from the 85 ½ thousand seater Bernabeu Stadium in the beautiful city of Madrid. I was of course only watching the match on TV but such is the occasion that it becomes a serious business to only spectate. As the kick off approached I had been to the toilet, prepared refreshments, double checked the time and spent some time thinking about Barca heroes like Cruyff; Maradona; Ronaldo; Figo and our own Steve Archibald who was gallus and unfazed enough to accept the No. 10 worn by the little genius Diego Maradona (maybe Steve didn't know who Maradona was) I am old enough to remember Madrid greats Gento, Di Stefano Del Sol and the mighty Hungaraian genius Ference Puskas an ex Army officer they called "The Galloping Major" our family cat was called 'Puskas' can there be a greater honour? I saw this Madrid line up live. The contrast with the match I watched previously the other night between Dunfermline and Inverness Caledonia Thistle was cruel and without pity, the Bernabeu is another world and the Scottish League is not to blame for that.

I have watched Barcelona over the last 4/5 years and seen them become the greatest club team in history even better than the Madrid of Di Stefano and Puskas that is of course only my opinion. I have watched them with delight and as often as possible and invariably seen them play Madrid often and these games have destroyed my youthful innocence. I believe that to be called a great football club or any other sporting institution requires more than winning trophies it requires the ability to meet with "triumph and disaster and treat these two impostors the same" to paraphrase Kipling, Sadly Real Madrid have failed badly at this test. Over these last couple of years these games have become toxic and brutal due to Real Madrid's inability to accept defeat by their greatest rivals who are clearly now superior to them by a long way. In these matches when Madrid look to be in trouble the atmosphere becomes poison and you can feel the hatred sweeping down from the stands at the Barca players.

The violence is awful and I believe that Madrid's power is still such that the authorities are afraid to tackle the problem. This game saw brutal tackling and one of the Madrid players 'Pepe' put on a display of viciousness rarely seen before; culminating in him stamping on the hand of Lionel Messi whom he had just kicked to the ground, he also threw himself around feigning injury at every opportunity, a revolting exhibition by a revolting cynic of a player. The players are not the ones responsible entirely for this state of affairs.

Prior to a couple of years ago I regarded Alex Ferguson as the worst thing that ever happened to football, his dubious achievement in turning Manchester United from one of the world's favourite teams in to one of the most hated is a sad tale of poisonous ambition. I sum him up as follows, there is nothing he will not do legally or illegally do to win a football match. One thing only can stop him, the question "can I get away with it" if the answer to that is yes he will not hesitate to do it.

Real Madrid Boss Jose Murhino is a match for Ferguson in every way, his smouldering malevolent presence on the touch line is a focus for violence and hatred. At one of these games last year he was caught on camera sneakily walking past one of the Barca coaches and deliberately poking him in the eye with his finger. These people are a blight on the 'Beautiful Game' Ferguson thankfully is drawing toward the end of a disgraceful career where the damage he has done to the game will take years to put right. Mourhino seems to be determined to make himself even worse than his sinister English League Teacher, the power that Madrid still have will probably help him achieve that. When the blood soaked fascist thug Franco ran Spain the poor guy who was to referee Real's game in Madrid was invited to dinner with the old brute (an offer he could not refuse) on the evening before the game, I wonder why? When I was a football mad kid Real Madrid lived in a dream world as did Man. Utd. I will never forgive them for destroying that dream.

Today the sun did not shine on St. Mirren Park; the wind howled like a banshee out of hell the rain fell like horizontal stair rods as St. Mirren and Celtic attempted to provide a game of football and incredibly enough provide it they did. It wasn't pretty, it rarely is in Scotland in January but both sets of players worked their socks off and displayed honest endeavour for the whole 90 minutes. Celtic won 2-0 with 2 very good goals and they also have their giant goalie Forster to thank for stopping St. Mirren from taking at least a point. It was a cleansing experience in more ways than one after watching the repellent display of one of the richest and most famous clubs in the world Real Madrid just the other night, well done Scottish Football.

HOW MUCH MORE EVIDENCE WILL IT TAKE BEFORE PEOPLE SEE SALMOND FOR THE CON MAN THAT HE IS.

2012-01-13T12:41:00.004Z

(http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/7568638/salmonds-dangerous-corporatism-exposed.thtml)

The above link was sent to me by a Mr. Duff who regularly assails me with criticism some of which makes sense only to him but he is sometimes funny; perhaps unintentionally though. Anyway the article highlights what I have been saying about Alex (the spiv) Salmond for years. He is a charlatan of the first order his dealings with Souter, Trump and the various hokey cokey farces with the churches and Muslims over Gay Marriage should have proved that by now but he continues to get away with treating his members like morons. Read the above link if any confirmation is needed and remember this quote when you listen to the great charlatan warning other parties to beware of the Tories whom he says "will suck you in and spit you out" (yesterday in Parliament) "we Scots. did not mind Mrs. Thatcher's economic policies so much; it was her economic policies we didn't like" (Alex the spiv Salmond)

FALLEN TREES-FLOODED ROADS-BIBLICAL STORMS- AND THE NHS STILL STANDING.

2012-01-09T17:20:00.001Z

On January 2^Nd. at 7.30 pm I was taken in to hospital and kept for 5 days to have tests done and some remedial treatment carried out, I am now back home of course and feeling fine which is a bit confusing because despite feeling OK I am under strict medical orders to do nothing, my physical activity is to consist of a 5 minute walk each day for a week rising to 10 minutes and all the way up to 20 minutes after 3 weeks, my wife and daughters have said "so what's changed"

I was therefore inadvertently given a ring side seat at the NHS show which was very informative, had I been asked prior to my being admitted "do you know the NHS" I would have unhesitatingly said yes and; to an extent that is true if we are talking about its history and what it does as well as it's fame and achievements. I thought I knew what it was actually like at the sharp end where the patients are treated, in this case in the Acute Medical Unit where I was taken and it turns out I knew very little indeed.

The A.M.U. Is where you go when you arrive in an ambulance so there are people in various states of distress and some are very seriously ill, I was not in pain and was aware of my surroundings and quite lucid (unusual I hear some of you say even when I'm well) so there I was sitting up in bed watching a real live "Casualty episode" The atmosphere and tension in this place is highly charged and raw, it requires strong nerves just to sit up in bed and observe let alone work there. I found myself wrung out and exhausted just watching sometimes. On one occasion a guy 6 Feet across from me took a real bad turn and was set upon by 3 doctors plus nurses and auxiliaries for about an hour before they moved him to the Intensive Care Unit, I have no idea how he got on and I don't feel like asking just yet.

The people who work here are heroic I am 63 years old and I am an old cynic so I don't say such things lightly. They are mostly women and many of them look impossibly young to survive such a regime day after day, I was in that unit for 3 days and it rarely let up, day and night. My impression was one of admiration for what they do and sympathy for what they have to put up with to do their jobs, put quite simply even for a layman like me it's obvious they are understaffed and run off their feet, this applies to nurses, doctors, auxiliaries and porters etc. those I witnessed working in the A.M.U. are a formidable team and they pull for each other and support each other, I doubt they would survive otherwise.

During my stay I witnessed just how great an institution the NHS is, my time there coincided with the worst storms this country has seen for many years and my bed was next to the window on the ground floor. I was shaken from sleep one day by the unmistakeable sound of a very large Helicopter landing about 50 feet from me. I opened the curtain to realize I had a front row seat at a real life drama as the chopper swayed and dipped in the ferocious gales before it agonisingly touched down. It was immediately swarmed over by medics and porters with stretchers as they brought in the "incoming" from the accident which happened in Dunoon when caravans were swept away with people in them. Several choppers landed over the next few days as roads were closed and other hospitals were full. It was clearly a dangerous operation which was handled with courage and skill by all concerned and here is the best part, those people rescued were not charged a penny, if that is not an institution worth supporting then Mrs. Thatcher was right and "there is no such thing as Society" I moved eventually to the Coronary Care Ward although I was redirected there on my way to the Cardiac Ward which became full before I could reach my waiting bed, a busy, busy place. The Coronary care ward was very peaceful compared to the A.M.U. and the staff were great, it's almost worth being ill to witness the Auxiliary staff double act of Peter and Tony who look after and entertain the patients they are a hoot. The regime is a little less frantic here albeit while doing a very sensitive stressful job, being the youngest man of 6 in the ward was a rare novelty for me.

We need to cherish the NHS not cut its resources or sell it off; it is the jewel in the crown of the welfare state and we should all be proud of it and protect it.

And lastly, any of my political enemies who write to this blog offering me any sympathy will have their comments deleted.

FOX HUNTING, PHILIP'S TREATMENT - AND WEE JIMMY KRANKIE.

2011-12-28T17:58:00.006Z

“The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable"(Oscar Wilde on Fox Hunting)
Oscar got it right, the hooray Henry’s are raising their ugly heads again about Fox Hunting. According to reports hunts have been out hunting foxes and ignoring the law safe in the knowledge that the other hooray Henry’s in the Tory Government will do nothing about their law breaking. A great many of these people would like to take us back to the days of hunting catching and killing terrified innocent animals, these are the people that the great Nye Bevan described as lower than vermin. If you teach your children that it is OK in fact it’s a legitimate sport to kill animals what do you expect them to grow up like? Take a look at the Tory Government and the great and powerful in this country and you will see what they are like. Vicious, cruel, greedy parasites who care only for themselves, I would prefer the company of the fox myself.

Is it now the case that when an elderly person has a suspected heart attack that they get air lifted 60 miles to a famous heart treatment hospital? If that’s true then we must be doing better than I thought. Or is this treatment only provided for someone who is regarded as a national treasure like the foul mouthed ignorant parasite Prince Philip. He once shot and killed a tiger which had been captured and tied up yards away from him, a base and cruel thing to do. To kill such a magnificent animal and to do so while it is tied up is the action of a poor excuse for a human being. He has spent his life living high on the hog and all for free and he insults people at will and is also known to be a racist and boor yet we let him and the rest of the royal gang away with it, when will we learn.

Went against my better judgement to see Robinson Crusoe starring John Barrowman and the Krankies and it was a fantastic show despite a script that read as if it had been co written by Benny Hill and Jim Davidson, lurid doesn’t begin to describe it but the performances were incredible. Barrowman is a big star and he is a great entertainer but the Krankies simply blew him away. Wee Jimmy Krankie in particular was born to play pantomime, he/she is a force of nature and very very funny. They had to stop sometimes to let the audience catch up they were laughing so hard at wee Jimmy‘s antics. The special effects were amazing particularly the 3D effects which were scary, honestly they were, oh yes they were! I understand that the same people are coming back next year and I would advise everyone to go see them but, be prepared to answer some awkward questions from your children when you get home about some of the dialogue.

THE FULL COUNCIL - CAROLS - THE SINGING PRIEST AND THE GREAT SILENCE FROM CLLR. MC CARTIN - A GENUINE FIRST.

2011-12-20T11:16:00.006Z

19/12/11 to the full council where we were treated to a carol concert by kids from St. Charles’s primary school and a Christmas greeting by Father Oliver from St. Fergus’s church in my ward of Ferguslie park. He stunned everyone by getting them to join with him in singing “I wish it could be Christmas every day” in his deep lovely Irish brogue, no Herald angels or mangers here, a bit of a character is father Oliver and he can carry a tune as well.

Labour had a motion on the table designed to put to bed for good the daft and dangerous policy of cutting teaching time in our primary schools. This was the policy of the SNP/Libdem council, it was completely destroyed by parents, pupils and opposition councillors including us in the Labour Group in an unprecedented campaign which caused the SNP ’tae think again’ the Libdems are incapable of thought but they ran away as well.

Some SNP and Libdem councillors did not take kindly to such a humiliation by the electorate and either refused to comment at the time or in some cases still mumbled that the idea was still a good one. It is no surprise that Cllr. Eileen McCartin made it known that she still saw merit in the plan, not really a surprise from a woman who has never made a mistake or got anything wrong in her life. Here at this meeting we witnessed something different from the bellicose McCartin she actually said nothing! a rare event from a woman who will quite happily lecture anyone who will listen to her on brain surgery and rocket science. I tried to get her to repeat her insulting claim that she received approx. 100 letters/emails supporting the plan to cut primary school hours but the Provost came to her rescue and ruled me out of order, I will continue to ask her to do this, perhaps she could show us the emails and letters but I suspect she would claim to have binned them what do you think?

We also tried to get the SNP/Libdem cabal to give schools more money based on growing evidence that teachers are paying for materials from their own pockets, a scandal which has been going on for some time. The SNP led Council refused to do so and also refused to accept that teachers were in fact doing this, in fact they treated the teachers with the same contempt that they showed when they tried to reduce teaching time in our primary schools and when they got rid of some 300 teaching posts since they came to power, this is what we can expect under Nationalism.

They also overturned a motion to re regulate the buses proving if proof were needed that they prefer market forces and naked profit to providing services, we should call this “The Souter Doctrine” £500,000 buys an awful lot of SNP principles doesn’t it, as the great Groucho Marx once said “these are my principles, if you don’t like them I have another set you could try” That should be the SNP/Libdem slogan.

TO FREE CAPTIVES FROM PRISON TO RELEASE FROM THE DUNGEON THOSE WHO SIT IN DARKNESS - (ISIAH) THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO THE SNP.

2011-12-13T18:17:00.015Z

As Oscar Wilde stood outside on his release from his sentence of hard labour at Reading Gaol he was a broken man physically as he stood in the torrential rain and driving wind his indomitable spirit prompted him to say “If this is how Her Majesty treats her prisoners, she doesn’t deserve to have any.” This applies equally today.

The latest outrage from the SNP Scottish Government is to abolish Prison Visiting Committees and replace them with an advocacy service. The advocacy service will visit once every 4/5 years and be responsible to the Scottish Prison Service while the Visiting Committee visits every week and is answerable to local authorities, or put another way they are not influenced by the prison authorities. The word to describe them in a rather ironic way for the SNP government is “independent”

The Government review stated that the committees played a crucial role in the welfare of prisons and were an asset but they are still getting the chop. Visiting Committees have been carrying out their duties for 120 years and I am proud to say that I spent approx. 6 years as a member of the service. It is a difficult job and can be depressing when you see the conditions that prisoners live in and the effect that prison has on them but I firmly believe that Prison Visitors do a vital job by shining a light on treatment of prisoners and their conditions which is bad in some cases and good in others, the SPS however would not agree with the former description which is one very good reason for keeping the Committees.

The SNP Scottish Government intend to leave Scotland as the only country out of the UK and Ireland without Prison Visitor Committees and that worries me greatly, they will in effect police themselves. Extra supplies of bars of soap have already been ordered for prisoners to slip on, 60 organisations were asked to submit answers to the consultation and only 1 out of the 60 advocated the ending of PVC’s guess who? Yes you got it in one, the Scottish Prison Service were the only ones who wanted to abolish them. Having spent time with the PVC’s I could have confidently predicted that. On visits to prisons you are treated by staff as if you are a carrier of a serious infectious disease, the atmosphere is constantly hostile and you get the message that you are considered a nuisance and a “do gooder” I will give 2 examples of what I mean. I had spent some time researching the extent of mental health issues in British prisons and the Guardian Newspaper did a week long series of thoroughly researched articles by experts on the same subject which concluded that in most prisons treatment was poor and sometimes ignored, this in the face of 80% of prisoners suffering from 2 or more mental health problems.Yes readers you read that right the investigation stated that 80% of people in prison were suffering from 2 or more mental health conditions.

I decided to ask the Governor of Barlinnie Prison about this at our next meeting , I quoted the article which he didn’t seem to know about and asked if that alarming figure of 80% was consistent with Barlinnie and he said “no it’s more like 35%” I slowly repeated to him Barlinnie has 35% and the rest of the prisons have 80% and he said “yes give or take” and moved on I was aware that he was treating me with contempt so I just said,“that’s some achievement” 'if looks could kill' no wonder they don’t want the public wandering around their jails. The second incident was on a kind of induction day for new members of the PVC we were being shown round the prison by a senior officer when we came to the visiting hall where prisoners get to meet their family and friends on visiting days, it was busy mainly with women and children. As he went to open the door to take us in I asked if I could have a word and I told him I did not intend to enter the hall, he rather abruptly asked me why and I politely explained that I did not want to impose on meetings between family and friends and prisoners and that I considered it humiliating for them to have total strangers ogling them like exhibits in a zoo. He thought for a minute and called a young prison officer over and said “please escort Mr. Kelly to the exit door at the other side of the visiting hall" which he duly did, that is not the way to treat people but he really couldn’t care less.

A spokeswoman for the Government said that “the new system would help prisoners to deal with offending behaviour and to contribute to reducing reoffending”

That was never the remit of the PVC our remit was to deal with prisoners complaints and help them with any worries they might have the prevention of offending behaviour and prevention of reoffending is the job of the prison professionals.

Prisons are hellish places full of despair and misery and sometimes the only non hostile face a prisoner sees is that of the Prison Visitor. I have spent many visits listening to the most appalling stories and been thankful that at least I was able to listen and talk to them without seeing fear and hatred in their eyes. Prison conditions are a good way of judging a society which calls itself civilised and that alas is a judgement which we fail, the SNP is about to make an already bad system worse they should think again and start by getting rid of the wretched Justice Minister MacAskill tear up the present system and start again .

HOW TO SPREAD CIVILISATION AND JUSTICE BRITISH ARMY STYLE.

2011-12-03T18:59:00.001Z

Today's newspapers carry the disturbing story of a British soldier in Afghanistan who smuggled in booze to his base and got so drunk that he was in no state to go out on patrol the next day. He went out anyway and during his patrol he confronted an Afghanistan man and his 10 year old son, this confrontation resulted in the boy being stabbed in the kidneys by a bayonet wielded by the soldier.

The family were compensated with £800 while the child was unable to walk properly for a year, the soldier? He got discharged after serving an 18 month prison sentence. Is it any wonder these people hate us? This does not sound like justice to me but the real question is how was this allowed to happen and what kind of penalty is this for such a crime?

THE MARCHING WORKERS v THE TORY/SNP/LIBDEM SCABS – SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE.

2011-11-30T20:04:00.001Z

Off to the demonstration at County Square this morning to join fellow workers and trade unionists a very respectable crowd attended despite driving rain and high winds. That feeling you get when you join with people in a common cause which is just was in the air as we gathered in the rain, old familiar faces were everywhere and the atmosphere was uplifting. It is my belief that we will see many more days of action like this as we get down to the serious business of taking on the Government who are quite frankly the enemy, there is no other way to describe those who are proposing to destroy our jobs and pensions while protecting the rich.

The largest number of people on strike since the General Strike of 19 26 were out today protesting against the Tory/Libdem pension cuts, an estimated 2 million workers. Doctors, Nurses, Teachers, Social Workers, Cleaners, Civil Servants, 'Butchers, Bakers and Candlestick Makers' stood side by side the length and breadth of Britain in a massive show of defiance against this Government of Tory Toffs and Libdem Parasites who are hell bent in making poorly paid workers pay more, work longer and receive smaller pensions for their trouble. Most of the Cabinet are millionaires who have never done a day's work in their lives. Now when the present pay freeze ends they want to limit wage rises in the public sector to 1% a year for the next two years, with inflation at 5% that amounts to a wage cut over 2 years of 8% from those who can least afford it. This is not just a cruel series of blows for workers it is a show of contempt for working people by this Government who continue to punish the poor and protect their millionaire friends many of whom do not even pay taxes, it is a declaration of war and we have to be ready to meet it because we will regret it for years to come if they get away with it.

Speakers at the Demo. All condemned the Government and some quite rightly highlighted the unsavoury actions of our own SNP/Libdem Council who voted down a recent Labour motion condemning the pension cuts. A strange little cameo was being acted out as the day wore on, there in the crowd were 2 SNP councillors; Education Convener Cllr. Cameron and Council Leader Cllr. Lawson both of whom voted against condemning the Labour motion against the cuts, I'm not sure why they were there, perhaps they argued to support the Labour motion but lost out to their colleagues but I very much doubt that. Their position was inadvertently highlighted by them as people observed how unusual it was for a demonstration this size to be held in County Square Paisley with the council leader standing in the crowd and not on the platform. The answer to that I think is that he was not welcome on the platform, speakers castigated the local SNP for not supporting the demonstration as well as condemning the SNP Government in Holyrood who not only refused to support the action but actually condemned it, we don't really need a Tory Party in Scotland do we?

I congratulate those who stood by their unions and took part in the day's events; as time goes on more and more people will I think: come to the conclusion that they will have to join in and take a stand against the Tory Government and those who collaborate with them whether it be the Libdems in Westminster or the SNP/Libdems here in Scotland. The stakes are high, we are looking to the future not only for us but for those who follow us, our children and their children: we have to battle for them as well. Let the cowards cringe and traitors sneer we will continue the struggle, time to join in folks.

RAZZLE – DAZZLE – D’OLIVEIRA. R.I.P.

2011-11-21T18:13:00.001Z

Every now and then something happens which reminds us of the past, sometimes it's a good memory and we look back with pride and satisfaction, this is how I feel right now as I reflect on the recent death of Basil D'Oliveira We got to know and love this guy for two main reasons, he was a great cricketer and he was instrumental in bringing down the loathsome apartheid Government of South Africa, he never changed even when he was on the front page of every newspaper and on every radio and TV bulletin he was never anything other than gracious and dignified. World shattering events surrounded him as one of the most evil political regimes in history began to topple, he was in the eye of that mighty storm and he was a hero to the Anti Apartheid movement which did so much to destroy that racist system. Despite the turmoil which surrounded him he always gave the impression that he was just taking a stroll to the corner shop to buy a paper.

D'Oliveira's journey from South African shanty towns with terrible facilities for non whites to English Cricket was down in no small way to one of the greatest if not theee greatest sports journalists/commentators of all time John Arlott. His trade mark gravel voice was never more powerful than when he poured scorn and vilification on the South African state and the evils of apartheid. Basil's arrival at London airport highlighted the cultural change he was undergoing, a journalist was sent to the airport to fetch him and he eventually found him lost in the terminal as he searched for the "black/coloured" queues as well as for the "black toilet" he came to top class cricket late in life because it was a white only sport at test level in S.A. but he went all the way to play for England in test matches, he was one of the game's greatest 'all rounders' with an upright stance when batting and a calm style before he whacked the ball with formidable power to the boundary.

England were due to tour S.A. and despite D'Oliveira being an automatic test choice he was not selected, it was political chicanery at the highest level as the MCC selectors bowed to pressure from S.A. and prominent British people as well, all toffs needless to say, Tory Party leader Sir Alec Douglas Home flew down from his Scottish estate to lobby MCC selectors not to pick him. Prior to the tour taking place an English player called off injured and the uproar this time was such that they had to pick him. The racist South Africans cancelled the tour and at the same time shot off their own toes.

The anti apartheid movement were fed a ticking time bomb which was now ready to explode in the faces of the sports mad white Afrikaners, the world was appalled and very soon a massive sporting boycott was up and running. The boost that we all got in the anti apartheid movement was hard to believe S.A. was now treated like a pariah and it is now looked back on as the beginning of the end for white supremacists in that country.

I use the fight against apartheid when I think about injustice in the world. We were told we could never win but we did, Civil Rights in America and Northern Ireland? It will never happen, but it did. We are told now that Israel will never budge over Palestinian rights but they will. Just like the other odious despotic regimes through history it will happen, we have to keep on the fight, we must.

In Test matches in South Africa today the sides compete for the Basil D'Oliveira Trophy. He deserves to rest in peace.

FULL COUNCIL – SNP SCABS – LIBDEM HARLOTS – AND THE COUNCILLOR WHO IS TOO BIG A FEARTY TO PLAY FAIR (MC FEE, SNP)

2011-11-16T20:44:00.003Z

Monday 09.00 am to the council for a full council meeting, the council now meets on a Monday to accommodate new MSP's Adam and Mackay SNP. A rather unreasonable display of hubris on behalf of the SNP who are prepared to disrupt council business and years of experience for no other reason than the convenience of two rather selfish and arrogant young men. Council officers and all concerned with full council meetings are furious but unable to express their anger, well done boys.

The meeting was quite quick as they now are because Labour are in opposition and don't believe in wasting time and tax payers money by deliberately stretching the meetings out as the SNP regularly did when in opposition. They cost the council residents tens of thousands of pounds over their years as opposition. They regularly swamped the meetings with spurious motions and amendments and meetings sometimes ran from 9.30 am to 4 & 5.00 pm. One motion called on the Council to spend money on an investigation to discover whether Elvis Pressley's ancestors came from Paisley that should give you a flavour of their attitude to spending your money.

The meeting threw up its usual examples of gross idiocy and arrogance from the SNP/Libdem coalition. Cllr. Nicolson who has a genius for digging himself in to ever bigger holes expressed anger at the last Labour Scottish administration at Holyrood for signing up to the "International Human Rights Act" and then made a complete fool of himself when called upon to defend his position. Under Councillor Nicolson's "independent" Scotland your human rights will be endangered, everyone makes mistakes but this guy elevates his blundering to an art level.

We hoped yet again to get through a meeting without a malevolent intervention from the wretched Cllr. Eileen McCartin Libdem, alas it wasn't to be. Labour submitted a motion condemning the politicisation of the Civil service in Holyrood by the SNP, this motion arose from a similar complaint in the Holyrood Parliament which was supported by everyone except the SNP. The salient point here is that all parties united to condemn the behaviour of the SNP, including the Libdems at Holyrood , our motion was defeated and the Libdems on Renfrewshire Council supported the SNP in the vote despite their own MSP's in Holyrood opposing the SNP. The SNP once again accused Labour of showing disrespect for Civil Servants and council officers while sitting in their midst was the high chief of disrespect none other than SNP Councillor Ian Nicolson who I think holds the record for the longest suspension by the Standards Commission for accusing council officers of nepotism he got a year, you couldn't make it up could you. What are we to make of this? there is no mystery here: the LIbdems do not believe in anything, they stand for nothing they are at all times; for sale to the highest bidder whether here in Renfrewshire or in the Westminster Parliament. The SNP are no better hence the corrupt farce which sees the Tories and \Libdems united at Westminster and opposed by the SNP while here in Renfrewshire we have the SNP and the Libdem in coalition. There is a perfectly simple explanation, here in Renfrewshire the Libdems are dominated by Cllr.McCartin Libdem and she holds the position of Convener of Social Work and gets to sit at the top table at functions and she is well paid. These things take the place of principles that is the kind of person she is.

We then seen Cllr. Mackay and the SNP try to steal the credit for the victory over the government over compensation for workers suffering from plural plaques caused by asbestos. A victory won by a great many people from all political parties and none. Cllr. Williams pointed out to Mackay and the meeting that during the last Labour Government the SNP either abstained or voted with the Tories on every piece of legislation which was designed to increase worker's rights, what a bunch of charlatans, in Holyrood today 16/11/11 the SNP won a vote to keep the Parliament open on the day of the upcoming National strike, SNP scabs how are ye?

The most bizarre farce of the day was supplied as is often the case by Cllr. Bruce McFee SNP when speaking against a Labour motion condemning people trafficking which the SNP/Libdems opposed and the Labour motion was lost. He did his best to assume gravitas (not easy for him) and gave us the benefit? Of his experience of foreign climes including China and Russia both wretched places said the intrepid SNP explorer where women are exploited terribly and forced in to prostitution. It never occurred to him that this kind of thing has been happening in every country on the planet including Scotland since time began not for nothing is prostitution referred to as "the oldest profession in the world" would you not expect someone from the SNP to know that? He is said to be leaving the council, how will we manage? No more self congratulatory posturing; no more endless senseless gibberish about how wonderful he is. Here is a little story about the real Bruce Mcfee, the bluster is born of cowardice and insecurity, at this meeting his little deception, his "arrangement" with Provost Lawson was once again spotted. What happens is that people raise their hands to speak and the Provost takes down their names but for some strange reason no matter what order the hands go up Cllr. McFee's name comes out last to speak, why? I hear you ask. Here's why; because of this little deception he is allowed to sit and take note of what every other speaker has said and then come back at them safe in the knowledge that he is getting the last word.

Disingenuous ? Yes, lily-livered ? Yes, untrustworthy? Yes, deceitful of course but, above all, the actions of a man who is too afraid to enter an argument on a level playing field he has to employ rat like cunning to gain an underhand advantage, in other words a Scottish Nationalist.

THE BELL FOR THE LAST ROUND IS SOUNDING FOR THE GREAT ‘SMOKIN JOE’ FRAZIER.

2011-11-07T18:04:00.003Z

Having just written about a boxer (Ricky Burns) I have just read that one of the all time greats of heavyweight boxing is very ill and in hospital "Smokin" Joe Frazier who was the first guy to beat the great Ali. Joe was; in my opinion the only fighter to do that when the great man was in his prime.

Frazier was a force of nature as he strode forward always ready to take two to land one and what a one that was. Reports say that he is up against an opponent this time who eventually beats every one of us. We will all reach a time when we look across the ring at our opponent and we see an old guy in white robes with a beard carrying a scythe, it looks like Joe is now ready to go a last couple of rounds with that old guy.

Boxing was never more popular than when Joe and those other heavyweights were plying their trade in the seventies and eighties. We used to sit up until the early hours of the morning to watch Joe Frazier, Charles 'Sonny' Liston, Floyd Patterson, Larry Holmes, Gerry Quarry, 'Enry' Cooper George Foreman and the man who is recognised in every corner of the world by one name 'Ali' as they fought for what was then called 'The richest prize in sport' he was a mighty man and a great fighter who reached the top of the toughest sport on the planet I wish him well against all the odds still, anyone who went the distance against 'Ali' on three occasions might manage to defy the odds a little longer let's hope so, keep swinging 'Smokin Joe'

A SCOTTISH BOXING CHAMPION! OH YES HE IS!

2011-11-07T17:45:00.001Z

Top boxers have the ability to remain calm in the ring, that sounds quite easy but it is probably the hardest place in the world to keep your wits about you except perhaps in a shoot out with enemy soldiers.

Scotsman Ricky Burns displayed that calmness when he outpointed the powerful all action Australian Michael Katsitis to become the 'interim' lightweight champion of the world just the other night. The 'interim' thing is there because the present holder has moved up a weight and the authorities have now to sort it all out but Burns will either be announced as champion or will be given the position of one of the first contenders which means he will fight for the title against the other nominated guy.

The Australian was a brawler, full of power courage and energy as he walked forward into withering punches all night swinging haymakers which Burns took mostly on his arms. The brave Aussie tired himself out as Burns boxed brilliantly, he has a classic boxer's stance with a conventional left jab which is solid and accurate, he never looked like losing at any time as he kept his composure and jabbed and counter punched to great effect. This was good for the game it was a great fight with the classic battle between the puncher and the boxer very much in evidence.

Burns can absorb punishment and he moves well and is elusive the Aussie was frustrated as he kept walking into the ramrod jab and finding himself less and less able to hurt Burns as he inevitably tired due to his style. I would like to see Burns develop more of a punch with his right hand as having to go the distance in most fights carries its own dangers but make no mistake about this guy he is the real deal an outstanding boxer and young enough to be around for a while, something Scotland has been needing for some time to stimulate the sport, well done Ricky Burns.

THE GRANDCHILDREN OF THE KIDS WHO STOPPED THE VIETNAM WAR ARE NOW TAKING THEIR TURN.

2011-11-05T12:31:00.006Z

Round 1 – Oakland California - Cops beat up 'occupy' demonstrators, arrests, beatings, gas, dogs, clubs, water cannon and all the rest of the police state apparatus available in the Land of the Free.

Round 2 – Oakland California – A crowd of over 100,000 'occupy' demonstrators take back the streets, main highway closed in the Land of the Free – Go America, go, go ,go!

KELLY THE WISE AMERICAN

2011-11-04T13:02:00.002Z

The post below is from my Chicago cousin Arthur Kelly. A union man like me and a democrat with a clear voice and a clear head. Like me he wonders at the beauty and power of nature and takes comfort and inspiration from ancient Native American philosophy. I share his support for severe penalties against anyone who breaks laws designed to protect wild creatures, I wish we would follow the American example here. Rather than answer his comment personally I want people to read it for themselves as he responds to my post about birds of prey. .

Symbolism of the Eagle Feather A Lumbee Legend In the beginning, the Great Spirit above gave to the animals and birds wisdom and knowledge and the power to talk to men. He sent these creatures to tell man that he showed himself through them. They would teach a chosen man sacred songs and dance, as well as much ritual and lore. The creature most loved by the Great Spirit was the eagle, for he tells the story of life. The Eagle, as you know, has only two eggs, and all living things in the world are divided into two. Here is man and woman, male and female and this is true with animals, birds, trees, flowers and so on. All things have children of two kinds so that life may continue. Man has two eyes, two hands, two feet and he has a body and soul, substance and shadow. Through his eyes, he sees pleasant and unpleasant scenes, through his nostrils he smells good and bad odors, with his ears he hears joyful news and words that make him sad. His mind is divided between good and evil. His right hand he may often use for evil, such as war or striking a person in anger. But his left hand, which is near his heart, is always full of kindness. His right foot may lead him in the wrong path, but his left foot always leads him the right way, and so it goes; he has daylight and darkness, summer and winter, peace and war, and life and death. In order to remember this lesson of life, look to the great eagle, the favorite bird of the Great Spirit. The eagle feather is divided into two parts, part light, and part dark. This represents daylight and darkness, summer and winter, peace and war, and life and death. So that you may remember what I have told you, look well on the eagle, for his feathers, too, tell the story of life. Look at the feathers I wear upon my hand, the one on the right is large and perfect and is decorated; this represents man. The one on my left is small and plain; this represents woman. The eagle feather is divided into two parts, dark and white. This represents daylight and darkness, summer and winter. For the white tells of summer, when all is bright and the dark represents the dark days of winter. My children, remember what I tell you. For it is YOU who will choose the path in life you will follow -- the good way, or the wrong way. Eagle feathers are very highly prized among Native Americans and in fact they are the only people allowed to posses an eagle feather and even they must have certification of tribal membership and the appropriate registration license to acquire one legally. And there is the rub... or a mere pale-face such as myself, possession of even one feather brings a fine of $100,000 and a jail sentence. The law: "Anyone who possesses an eagle feather, and doesn't meet the requirements, could face fines up to $100,000 and a year in prison. A second offense is upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony, and carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The act also provides for a civil penalty of up to $5,000." If possible return these creatures or their parts to the wild Take only pictures; leave only footprints indeed... Arthur (Pale Face) Kelly Craigneuk/Chicago

WHEN THOU SEEST AN EAGLE THOU SEEST A PORTION OF GENIUS LIFT UP THY HEAD! (WILLIAM BLAKE)

2011-11-02T15:22:00.004Z

Weird – Bird by Shel Silverstein.

(Me and Zulu)

Birds are flyin' south for winter.

Here's the Weird-Bird headin' north,

Wings a-flappin', beak a-chatterin',

Cold head bobbin' back 'n' forth.

He says, "It's not that I like ice

Or freezin' winds and snowy ground.

It's just sometimes it's kind of nice

To be the only bird in town."

Tuesday Nov. 1^st. 2011 to darkest Cumbernauld with the boss to visit a place called "World of Wings" a bird sanctuary with a difference, these birds are 'raptors' or to give them their other name 'birds of prey' I have always been a lover of wildlife (leave the jokes out) when younger we would travel all over the Scottish Highlands as a family observing creatures native to this part of the world. My greatest memory of those days was seeing magnificent Golden Eagles in the Cairngorms as well as Ospreys fishing and many other creatures. I have been up close and handled some of these birds and I have a picture of me standing with a full grown Russian Eagle perched on my arm, her name was Princess: she weighed 8 pounds and her mighty beak and mesmerising stare were inches from my face. Strangely enough I didn't feel scared but I have never felt as insignificant as she stared at me without any movement in a rather condescending way, she was very regal and she seemed to know it, a fantastic experience.

I have been saying for longer than I care to remember that I would love to fly a bird of prey and now I have; a life's ambition realized; I don't know how often I have wondered what it would be like to have a large bird of prey fly at you and land on your arm and take the prey on offer from your hand and I was not disappointed.

Our young enthusiastic and very knowledgeable guide took us round the place and we got up very close to a stunning Bald Eagle, various Hawks, owls and vultures who always get a bad rap but they are actually beautiful and very clever. There are even some local birds like magpies and crows which have been rescued as well as some huge multi coloured parrots and macaws who seem to have the run of the place, one of them greets visitors with a roar and goes off and fetches his dinner bowl in the hope that you might be carrying food.

The highlight was meeting my now great friend 'Zulu' the angriest and toughest looking bird I have ever seen she held your gaze with a ferocious look and an angry call. She is an African Snake Eagle and is all black except for her piercing eyes and her scary large bright red beak, the guide said she was in fact quite formidable and then said looks were deceptive as he told us too watch as he went in next to her and she raised her head to be stroked by him much to her delight. She is 4lbs. Of menace in the wild and kills and eats venomous snakes by using her massive wings to let the snake bite her thick feathers until it is exhausted and she then removes it's head with a beak that has 400 pounds per square inch of power and eats the rest. Evolution has taught her that the snake's head is where all the venom and poison is so it's not for eating, mind boggling stuff.

We moved with 'Zulu' to the flying area and she obviously knew what was coming next, grub and flying as she perked up. The field had roosting posts around it and he set her away and she flew to one about 50 yards away and perched looking at us, she can see a rabbit's ear shiver from 4 miles away and she snapped to attention a she saw me raise my gauntleted arm with a lump of rabbit in my hand. She left the roost and out came the massive wings as she sped right at me with her eyes trained on me, very scary and, at a distance of about 12 feet she stops flying and glides the rest with her fierce talons out to land on me I thought it would be painful but she lands like a sparrow and takes the prey, a magical experience, the place was quiet so I got to fly her about 15 times and I would still be there flying her yet if I could have worked out a way of doing so.

Anyone reading this and especially those with children should think about a visit it's very educational and great fun, in fact it is absolutely thrilling.

“WON’T ANYONE RID ME OF THIS TROUBLESOME PRIEST?” (HENRY THE SECOND)

2011-10-27T18:20:00.001Z

Are you sitting comfortably? The date is December 29 Th. In the year 1170 four Knights, heavily tooled up rode into Canterbury Cathedral. By the time they left the body of Thomas Becket who was Archbishop of Canterbury lay dead and rather badly mutilated. He had really p****d off King Henry the second by siding with the Pope and trying to prevent Henry's grab for power in the church. Henry famously raved at the situation and said "Won't anyone rid me of this troublesome Priest?" The 4 knights heard the King and thought collectively 'that sounds like a job for us' and the rest as they say is history.

I suppose we can describe it as progress that the Canon Chancellor of St. Paul's Cathedral the Rev. Giles Fraser has resigned from his post in protest at plans to 'remove' the 'occupy' protestors from the steps of the church, he is quite rightly a 'Troublesome Priest' but he is still in one piece. No thanks to the powers that be that are now determined to remove the protestors. The St. Paul's clergy are said to be angry at the pressure being put on them by the London Corporation and a certain London Mayor called Boris Johnson who I fancy is wishing it was back in Henry the second's time, then these protestors "would fear him" as Don Corleone said in the Godfather. The Rev. Fraser has resigned because he refuses to sanction "violence in the name of the Church" violence? by the met? Where on earth could he have got that idea? do the Rev. and big Boris worship the same God I wonder? The words of praise and best wishes are now surrounding the Rev. Fraser like a massive halo, what turned out to be his last sermon on Sunday at St. Paul's was highly critical of corporate greed which would not have endeared him to the likes of Boris and the political gangsters he hangs out with, good luck to the Rev. Fraser.

Needless to say the protestors and I would guess countless thousands more are looking on in awe at his sacrifice, quite a turn up in the squalid capitalist cess pit which we call society today. A Christian Cleric at the highest establishment level turns out to be just that, a Christian, who would have thunk it? No doubt there will be investigations at the highest level to find those responsible for allowing this brave dignified cleric to rise so high in Britain's most famous parish and it's most famous church, Boris will no doubt demand that heads must roll.

The question now is will we see the finest from the Met all masked up and numberless beating up and using tazer guns and riot hoses on peaceful protestors at their camp on the steps of such an iconic Christian site. The other question now is for Boris and the Government to work out not whether it is right to do so but to work out whether they can get away with it. Because you can rely on it that if they can work out how to beat up and imprison these people they will do so, they will no more hesitate than the Brown Shirts did in Germany. We all have a duty to witness and protest what is about to happen. Decent Christians if it goes pear shaped I urge you to withhold your support declare yourselves atheists until the church lets the tents back on to the sacred stairs.

RISE LIKE LIONS AFTER SLUMBER – IN UNVANQUISHABLE NUMBER - SHAKE YOUR CHAINS TO EARTH LIKE DEW – WHICH IN SLEEP HAD FALLEN ON YOU – YE ARE MANY THEY ARE FEW. (SHELLEY) ‘THE MASK OF ANARCHY’

2011-10-21T17:28:00.003Z

The lines above were written by the great poet calling on the masses to rise after the "Peterloo Massacre" when government troops slaughtered protesters in Peterloo Fields Manchester.

Despite the efforts of me and many others over many years it looks like I might well have to revise my opinion often stated that I would not live to see the destruction or at least the significant restructuring of the evil capitalist system. Protests grow all around the world as more and more people start to say enough is enough, the beating heart of this rotten system could be the thing which does it most damage, that beating heart is of course greed, greed for material wealth and greed for power and influence, look at some of the most wealthy in the world and you will see with very few exceptions that no amount of wealth is ever enough. Recent events surrounding the quite awful and sinister figure of Liam Fox our ex 100% dishonest secretary of Defence point to a massive behind the scenes international conspiracy of the rich and powerful to sway how governments make policy and how they take decisions and they get them to make those decisions in the favour of the rich and powerful, the kind of people that the craven Liam Fox is so besotted with.

Let's roll the dice and see where it takes us, all across the world people are losing jobs and homes while the rich and powerful continue to stack up the wealth. Today's newspaper carries a story into what must be one of the best examples of capitalism's failure, America likes to see itself as the backbone of the free market the place where laissez faire rules supreme and; of all places in America the place which is the most obvious example of this is Las Vegas. This plastic paradise is the crudest example of mankind's avarice. A massive glittering sparkling obscenity which screams at the world "fraud" here in Vegas thousands of jobs are being lost and huge amounts of people losing their homes and hundreds and growing are sleeping rough, this is the casino society learning what myself and many others much cleverer than me have been saying for years which is that capitalism will eventually destroy itself as Karl Marx said. Because it's a huge card game a massive risk; a huge gamble and as anyone who has ever gambled will tell you everyone can't win and it produces far more losers than winners.

It is really apt that this protest movement should start in America, I have become frustrated at watching the knuckle dragging racists of the tea party parading in all their ignorance and said to myself in despair "where are the left" well we are seeing them now and I hope they grow and grow America still has the ability to be a great country and it's people are not right wing as the rich man's media would have us believe. I can say that because I am of an age to have witnessed the Civil Rights movement and the Anti Vietnam War movement "I aint goin cause no Vietnamese ever called me nigger" (MUHAMED ALI ) both causes championed by the left and both victorious despite beatings, prison and Police and Government sponsored brutality and they can win again the prize is a better fairer world.

The students are next up with another massive demo in early November and a massive strike to take place near the end of November, the government are not moving so we will have to persuade them. The people who are suffering are the worst off while the rich are not paying anything, quite simply this is unfair and just possibly the Government here and others across the world have made a massive misjudgement and the people are beginning to realize that, more power to the demonstrators and strikers class war now!

"The present demonstrations have already thrown up an unlikely hero, I give you the Rev. Giles Frazer the Canon of mighty world famous St. Paul's Cathedral London. Protestors were prevented from getting near the centre of the financial district and they moved to St. Paul's where they found more police preventing them from occupying the famous steps up to the church. Then the unassuming gently spoken Rev Frazer came out and moved the police on from the church and invited the protestors to stay, perhaps this real Christian clergyman remembered Jesus throwing the money lenders out of the Temple, a hero for our times just like the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Bishops who stood side by side with the persecuted travellers at Dale farm, is god making a comeback?.

THE COMPUTER IS BANJAXED!

2011-10-18T11:15:00.001Z

Will the last two people who sent comments to me, one on the Davidson V Mackay spat and the other who defended Liam Fox please resubmit their comments. There is a problem with my computer and I will have to wait until my children arrive back from abroad before I can have it sorted, I will reply then.

DEREK MACKAY SNP MSP LEFT REELING ON THE ROPES BY IAN DAVIDSON LABOUR M.P. ON TV.

2011-10-17T17:51:00.003Z

Watched a Lovely little cameo which inadvertently described the utter lack of ability of the people in the SNP on the Politics Show at the weekend. My old sparring partner Derek MacKay SNP who has risen without trace sat next to Labour's Ian Davidson on the studio sofa, the matter for discussion? 'Independence' Finding himself going round in circles and quite unable to hazard a description of what they (THE SNP) mean by independence Mackay decided to muddy the waters by complaining about Davidson previously describing the Gnats. as 'Neo Nazis' This was said by Davidson when he described the SNP tactic of interrupting speakers, talking over them and shouting them down as being reminiscent of the Nazis hence the 'Neo Nazi' insult, having been a member of Renfrewshire Council for 12 years I can assure you that that is exactly how they behave.

Mackay however displayed his immaturity and tactless stupidity by speaking over Davidson interrupting him and shouting him down, it was jaw dropping inanity. Davidson, crafty old politician that he is appeared to struggle through MacKay's behaviour with a patient but sad expression on his face. He couldn't believe his luck as Mackay displayed all the attributes which caused Davidson to come up with his previous description of the SNP car crash stuff from the SNP member who by then could be seen trembling and looking longingly at the exit door. He has previous for such stupid blunders, in a debate on the Tory Libdem budget at Renfrewshire Council when his composure was deserting him he blurted out and I quote "the government's budget cuts are about right" he was like a drunk man trying to negotiate steep stairs a complete loss of dignity and a shambles. He has since tried to deny saying this but everyone heard it and it's a sign of his stupidity to try to deny he said it.

We are continually told about all this talent in the SNP so how did this wet behind the ears boy get where he is in such a short time? I personally know lots of SNP people who can talk absolute rubbish in a far more coherent way than this guy, he I believe is one who has less backbone than most and as such fits wee Alex (the spiv's) ideal model of the trembling sycophantic 'yes man'. I predict that Mackay's willingness to prostrate himself at the feet of his leader will ensure a place at Salmond's table. There is always room for another "wee sleekit cowering timorous beastie" in Salmond's world.

WOULD IT NOT BE POSSIBLE TO INVENT A NEW GAME THAT SCOTLAND WOULD EXCELL AT, WHAT ABOUT “THROWING THE BUCKIE BOTTLE”

2011-10-12T19:11:00.001Z

Scotland should withdraw from international football for a couple of years to allow new coaches and managers to reconstruct our game without the constant humiliations which are being visited upon the team at the moment. A period without pressure and the constant gaze of a football press who are a laughing stock would be a welcome break. I'm sure some of the players cringe when they read the drivel churned out by ex players and coaches like Hately, Henry, Dodds, McLeod, Walker, McLean, Provan etc. and so called experts like Keevins, Traynor and the doyen of them all the odious Bill Leckie. Thank god for Archie McPherson almost in his dotage and still head and shoulders above this self serving rabble, they should be forced to listen to people like David Pleat, Joe Royle and Gerry Armstrong before uttering another word. These self appointed experts would not be allowed anywhere near a word processor if they weren't ex footballers and I strongly suspect they get paid for putting their names to wretched articles by tabloid journalists who are somewhere below slave traders in the decency pecking order.

As far as last night's game was concerned I watched it with a mixture of resigned sadness and delight at the play of the Spaniards how do you go about measuring the gulf between them? Surprisingly the only Scottish player who would not have looked out of place in a Spanish strip was Bannan who is a relative newcomer. He is very quick and very skilful with a lovely left foot but most significantly he is clever he seems to know what move to make and when to make it, unlike most of his team mates he is happy to take the ball in tight situations even against Spain, that's a sign of good technique and self confidence, a very impressive player. He is very small by today's standards but so are about 5/6 of the Spaniards and Barcelona don't have any giants in their team but they are easily the best team in the world at the moment.

At my age I have seen some great sporting champions and some great sports teams and I am delighted to be able to say that some of the people I am seeing now are as good if not better than some of the giants of the past, judge for yourself. Charlton was better than Di Stefano and Maradona was better than Pele and Messi is better than any of them. In boxing the greatest! was Ali and I never thought I could possibly see better but the Phillipino world champion Manny Pacquiao , is the best pound for pound boxer I have ever seen and that includes Sugar Ray Robinson as well as Ali. I never thought I would see a better tennis player than Rod Laver and then I saw McEnroe and changed my mind and then I saw Federer and changed it again. I saw the great Valeriy Borzov and then American black power demonstrator Tommy Smith both of whom would only ever see Usain Bolt's rear as he ran away from them with ease. Scotland might produce players like Bremner, Baxter and Jimmy Johnstone again but I can't see at the moment where they will come from our two biggest clubs Celtic and Rangers have one young home grown player each in their regular starting teams Gregg Wylde and James Forrest, Celtic and Rangers won European trophies with all their players home grown as did Aberdeen, it's going to be a long way back if we ever do get back.

THE JUNKETS, THE JOBS, THE MONEY, THE GLAMOUR, ALL FOR HIS YOUNG CHUM WERRINGTON, WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT LIAM FOX WAS SUCH A LOVELY GIVING CHAP?

2011-10-09T18:31:00.005Z

There are some people who no matter how hard I try always get the better of me and I have to admit that Dr. Liam Fox MP, Minister for Defence in the "ragtag n bobtail" British Coalition Government is one of them. He and I would not agree about anything I guess and we are political anathema to each other but, that applies to a great many others who don't get the better of me in the way he does because I am not just referring to politics here, this is personal. It might come as a surprise to some of you who read this blog but I have always tried my best to avoid hating anyone no matter how much I abhor their views and their actions, some people however defeat me. There are some obvious examples such as Thatcher and Salmond as well as too many revolting Libdems to count who have always brought out the worst in me and Dr. Fox comes in to that category.

Having watched this strutting little puffed up gauleiter over the years I now find myself enjoying his embarrassment, not something I'm proud of but it is true and I can't apologise for it. This guy given the chance would march us all back to the Thatcher days and then some, he is a hidebound knuckle dragging reactionary and an appalling example of someone who chose the wrong career of medicine in a quite spectacular way, imagine if you will his bed side manner; the mind boggles! "the scary sinister man in the white coat lurking by your bed is the doctor honest he is, just try to ignore that fact that he wears a fixed truculent sneer and can't look anyone in the eye I'm sure he's qualified"

Like others before him he sees himself as above most people and is always ready to lecture us on our behaviour and he now displays repugnant hubris by expecting us to believe his story that there was nothing inappropriate regarding his special relationship with his chum 17 years his junior Adam Werrity who was resident in Dr. Fox's home at no expense: paid for by you and me the taxpayers. He also made a rich living by using his connection to Dr. Fox in the business world handing out cards saying he was a "special advisor to Liam Fox MP" and was allowed to operate a right wing charity from Fox's office in the British Parliament again paid for by us. This charity patronised by among others the war criminal Thatcher was closed down for being too right wing!

As I write it is 18:34 PM and Fox has just apologised in an attempt to save his career and no doubt there will be a campaign to save his mendacious skin, he ought to have been fired by now and both of them facing charges but will it come to that? This young chum of Fox's had the run of the Ministry of Defence estate with access to god knows what and he had no right of any kind to be allowed anywhere near the place, you would think would you not that Dr. Fox can't possibly survive wouldn't you? Watch this space though remember these are the Tories, decency and truth do not apply to them, Cameron's position will be badly weakened if he allows him to survive. First it was Laws then the Murdoch dustbin raker Coulson and now Fox and the odious Libdem Judas Huhne is next in line to have his collar felt. He blamed a speeding charge on his wife then made the mistake of cheating on her and dumping her, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" as the saying goes and she did the decent thing and grassed the bastard, what did he expect? Meanwhile it's "hubba, hubba, hubba let the show go on" let these pompous hypocrites swing in the wind. To paraphrase Cameron PM "they are all in it together" Personally I blame those draughty private schools they all went to, all that running around bare arsed flicking each other with wet towels I always said no good would come of it.

RUGBY-ENGLAND V SCOTALND – AS EXCITING AS WATCHING THE FIRE GO OUT!

2011-10-03T17:40:00.001Z

New Zealand 83 V Japan 7 – Canada 34 V Romania 3 – Australia 42 V Romania 3 - Cote D'Ivore 0 V Scotland 89.

The above are some of the scores in the Rugby World Cup which is being played in New Zealand at the moment, you can tell that the tension in games like this can be unbearable can't you? What possesses people to watch this c**p and how do they persuade themselves that there is some merit / competition / entertainment in it? I can only hope that the tax payer did not contribute anything to the costs of paying for the Scottish team to go there and take part in such a farce. I found my two daughters watching the England V Scotland game on TV and I asked why they were watching it and they said it was exciting. What they were really saying was that the scores looked exciting on paper in that Scotland needed to win by 9 points to qualify; I confidently said they have no chance, why! they protested to which I replied because they are useless.

As is so often the case I was right, near the end there was a huge pile of bodies writhing around in a big mob which looked like the County Square taxi rank at 2 am when some Scottish clown in full view of everyone stamped on some guy in the crowd, a blind man passing on a galloping horse would not have missed it and the resulting award to England resulted in a try and conversion. The real story though was the fact that the game itself was mind numbingly boring, these guys are as bad as our Football team and that is saying something. They treated the ball like a huge bar of hot soap and their coordination reminds one of a drunken shire horse on a slippery road, would a moratorium on Scottish international sport for a couple of years not be a good way of restoring some dignity? As long as Scottish Rugby remains an elitist sport we are destined to watch these privileged oafs embarrassing all of us it's time for a rethink, they were going to fight to the bitter end the risible Scottish sports press told us, it turned out they couldn't fight sleep. surely this lot could make a stab at Tug of War, Mud Wrestling, Blind Man's Buff perhaps, Musical Chairs?

GYPSY TRAVELLERS – DIFFERENT BUT EQUAL!

2011-10-01T18:23:00.005Z

As the Gypsy Travellers barricade themselves in at Dale farm in Basildon; waiting for the bailiffs and the police as well as private security men to come for them, (my guess is they will come for them at the traditional time of 03:00 AM) we discover in today's press that a £97M grant made in 2008 by the then Labour Government has had only £17M spent on what it was for which was to provide new and upgrade present traveller's sites millions has been spent on housing projects which exclude travellers, this is a scandalous theft of money which needs to be pursued. A nasty but typical campaign is now being run by reactionary newspapers and commentators against the travellers with the Nazi/Hitler loving Daily Mail leading the charge they perhaps remember what the Nazis did to Gypsies and Travellers and they pine for more of the same.

This fascist rag is running pictures of caravans surrounded by rubbish and scrap and claiming that it is the Dale Farm Travellers site with no proof whatsoever while sympathetic supporters who visit the site from artists like Vanessa Redgrave to Bishops of different local denominations describe a clean tidy orderly place where doors are not locked because there is no crime and children play happily as the whole community looks out for each other, questions, questions as they say so; who do you believe is it the Nazi newspaper or the local bishops! It's a tough one right? Travelling people have had to live with this prejudice since time began the reason? Because they are different, they can be identified as such and blamed for every evil just like the Jews in 30's Germany is that really us? Is this really Britain today? It's shameful.

Gypsies have been around for as long as there have been people and they are recognised as a race like everyone else and they are entitled to proper treatment as outlined by the European Union. That means a place to stay and education and health care for their families. Some people do not agree: well tough, this is the law and it is being broken by lots of councils, Renfrewshire was meant to provide a place for them to stop years ago and has not yet done so, that is another disgrace. A couple of years ago there were complaints about Gypsy Travellers in my ward and I went to see for myself what the site was like, as I drove by preparing to turn in to the site I saw women gossiping and lots of kids playing in the sunshine. When I had negotiated my way past their makeshift barriers to access the site I found myself alone except for an old man sat in a chair outside a caravan he smoked a pipe and had a mug of tea by his arm as he watched me get out of the car and approach him. I realized that my presence had had the effect of clearing all the women and children away and I could feel their eyes on me from behind the curtains of their caravans, this sent a feeling of shame over me I know some people who would have revelled in a feeling of power, some are Renfrewshire Councillors but I felt shame.

After 10 minutes chat or craic as he would call it the children and women reappeared when he beckoned them out meaning I was harmless, a mug of tea appeared and I was made welcome. I decided to go and see them because there were so many vicious lies flying around the area at the time being told by some scurrilous people who were chasing votes, it was ever thus. My purpose was to let them know that as the local councillor I supported their right to live their own way without harassment and I took steps to make sure that we in Renfrewshire Council provided them with details of medical help if required, education where suitable and necessities like bin bags and babies nappies, I hope the guy upstairs was watching me as well as watching those who persecute others for racist reasons.

Perhaps if all local authorities were to provide what the law says they must provide things would improve for everyone: I have no fear of Gypsies or Travellers because they are simply people just like the rest of us to paraphrase William thingmy in "The Merchant of Venice when Shylock says "what is a Jew, if you prick me do I not bleed, if you tickle me do I not laugh"? Those hordes of upright Basildon house owning Christians in the Dale farm area should take a good look at themselves, if they do they might conclude that its time they joined the human race and learned to live and let live.

MC MILLAN CANCER CHARITY PART OF THE REAL BIG SOCIETY THAT THATCHER DENIED EXISTED.

2011-09-30T17:36:00.001Z

Well Mrs. Thatcher if there is "no such thing as society" what am I doing sitting here on Friday 30 09 11 at 11: AM drinking coffee in the community hall in God's own little acre Glenburn, historic birthplace of talented musicians, clever scholars and great footballers, yes I come from Glenburn back in a time when hair was long and time was short. Along with others I am doing my modest bit to raise money for the McMillan Cancer Charity at a coffee morning, by the time you have entered the hall, had a coffee and bought some raffle tickets a ten pound note or "big brown drinking voucher" as me and my brothers used to call it has vanished.

My good friend and comrade Neil Bibby Labour MSP was instrumental in organising this event along with similar gatherings across the country, and I can say without fear of contradiction that if you feel the urge to part with some money there is no more charming man to relieve you of it than big Neil, you feel nothing as the cash flows gently like a blood transfusion from you to him. This event was run by Neil and the local labour Party and it was nice to see some of the usual suspects there as always when good causes need support, the kind of people that the likes of Thatcher would never understand, the kind of people who prove time and time again that there is a thing called society and we are proud to be part of it. Why not join in by sending a donation to Neil Bibby MSP at the Scottish Parliament Edinburgh.

Down with Quarrier Homes workers – SNP/Libdem coalition show their anti union colours again.

2011-09-20T18:00:00.002Z

19 / 09 /11 09.30 AM to the council chamber for a full council meeting, changed to a Monday by the SNP to accommodate their new MSP'S Mackay and Adam. We kicked off with a tribute to the late Provost; Labour's Ronnie Burns RIP and then saw a presentation by a delegation from the NHS on the future of the children's ward at the RAH, the usual things were said without the presenters giving anything away, medical considerations, consultation etc. safe to say the councillors were not impressed. Unfortunately we witnessed a shabby piece of opportunism by the SNP and Cllr. /MSP George Adam in particular, he attended the meeting of the campaign group to save the ward which I wrote about in my last post. At that meeting it was decided that a motion would be put to the Council demanding support from all councillors to help save the ward and Cllr./MSP Adam agreed with it: to avoid any accusations of political football it was also agreed that the people leading the campaign would choose the wording of the motion which they did. You can imagine the anger and disbelief therefore when the SNP and Cllr./MSP Adam and the hand ringing loathsome cllrs. from the LIbdems insisted on putting forward an amendment to that motion. No surprise for spotting that the vicious and discredited Cllr. McCartin was up to her neck in it, you can't get much lower than these people. Their reason for doing this which they will deny with a straight face was to make sure that the decision to support the campaign would go forward under their name rather than the names of the Labour councillors who proposed it, remember we put forward a motion written by the ward 15 campaign group we made it clear that it was theirs and not Labours we were acting as a conduit for the campaign but the SNP still blocked it for their own shabby political ends, in all my time in politics this SNP/Libdem coalition are the shallowest bunch of low lives I have come across, they bring shame on Scots. everywhere.

What followed was just as bad with the SNP/Libdem coalition acting like reactionary right wing Victorian Mill Owners and the Mills on this occasion was a children's charity known worldwide as Quarrier's Homes. Workers here are being forced to take a pay cut of between 3% and 23% we (Labour) put up a motion urging the council who use Quarriers services to back the staff in this dispute and the SNP/Libdem coalition said no and voted down the motion. They said they were doing this for two reasons one was that arbitration was ongoing which means they are either liars or incompetents because it's not and the Quarriers bosses have refused to negotiate and then the ex council leader Mackay SNP in an unabashed display of cynicism and right wing bias declared that because all the people employed were taking a cut it was none of the council's business. What he failed to say quite deliberately in a lie of omission was that senior management some on salaries exceeding £100,000 and a free house! yes you read that correctly were the ones losing 3% and some staff earning between £16,000 and £20,000 were the ones who will be losing up to 23% one SNP councillor Ken McLaren also voted to reject the motion to support the union and he ---wait for it, is employed by UNISON honestly I'm not making this up check for yourselves, dear readers these are the people who want to govern Scotland as an independent country, they are cut from the same cloth as Cameron, Osborne and Clegg. I urge everyone to reject the cowardly position of the SNP/Libdem Renfrewshire Council and do everything you can to support the Quarriers workers in their dispute, get on to the SNP/Libdem councillors and let them know in no uncertain terms that it's time for them to develop a backbone and stop grovelling to the bosses.

In another example of SNP/Libdem duplicity they tried through the strident hysterical Mackay SNP to accuse Labour of suggesting wrong doing on the part of officers because we are calling for a police enquiry into how £2Million to £2.5 Million pounds of council money was unaccounted for. He tried mighty hard to display his anger which is quite a funny sight really saying we are a disgrace for calling in to question the honesty and integrity of council officers which of course we did not but he forgot something which I felt obliged to remind him of, in a quite incredibly stupid way he accused us twice and I reminded him twice that the worst case of scurrilous accusations and contemptible behaviour towards council officers was carried out by his colleague the SNP'S Cllr. Nicolson who accused senior officers of nepotism he was at the time so enamoured with himself at learning this new word that he refused to withdraw it when given the chance, this vicious and spiteful outburst earned him a one year council ban from the Standards Committee. Along with many others I was amazed that the officers involved did not meet him in court. Mr. Nicolson is still in the SNP and is now convener of the planning board had he been in any other party he would have been out of politics but the SNP are not any other party are they?

HELP BRING JUSTICE TO PALESTINE

2011-09-17T13:46:00.002Z

While we continue to moan about our lives and how badly treated we are the misery inflicted on the people of Palestine goes on. One of the terrible policies of the Israeli state is the system they established of having a two road system, modern roads for Israelis and old broken roads for Palestinians. The Palestinians are also plagued by roadblocks, detours and checkpoints, this includes when they are fighting for their lives in the back of an ambulance, and Israel BTW describes itself as a civilized country. Try to imagine being in the back of an ambulance with one of your children who is seriously ill or injured and a young Israeli soldier stops you and leaves you waiting while he goes for a coffee and a smoke without having to justify his actions; this nightmare faces all Palestinians every day.

"When a human body suffers a severe injury immediate treatment is vital, delay can lead to serious complications and avoidable death, many parts of the world including Gazza and the West Bank are seeing this and in the case of Palestine it is shamefully a deliberate act by Israeli troops" Dr. John Beavis Consultant Trauma Surgeon Path Hunterian Professor, Royal College of Surgeons of England. Israel has over 500 roadblocks across the occupied West Bank, they divide and control the whole population, every journey is at the whim of a soldier even emergencies.

"The denial of passage to Palestinian women in labour, resulting in increased numbers of childbirths at checkpoints and en route to the hospital, is consistent with the criteria for crimes against humanity" – The Lancet 5^th July 2011. Donate to - Medical Aid for Palestinians - Unit 4 Minton Distribution Park – London Road. – Amesbury – Wiltshire – SP4 7RT.

4 Days left to create Palestine as the world's next nation.

The Palestinian people are calling on the world to recognize Palestine as a state. Over 120 countries have endorsed the call, but the US and Israel are trying to block it. European leaders are on the fence. In 4 days, the proposal will be presented to the UN General Assembly. If we can persuade Europe to support this non-violent, legitimate bid now, it could spur a dramatic shift towards peace. In 4 days the UN General Assembly will meet, and the world has an opportunity to embrace a new proposal that could turn the tide on decades of failed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks

Over 120 nations from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America have already endorsed this initiative, Only a massive public push now could tip this key European bloc to vote with the rest of the world for this momentous opportunity to end 40 years of military occupation. Please help by signing the following petition...

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WARD 15 (CHILDREN’S WARD) RAH IS THREATENED WITH CLOSURE – TIME TO GET THE GLOVES OFF.

2011-09-02T18:18:00.003Z

31/ 08/11 - 7 PM - to the Martyr's Memorial Church Hall for a public meeting to kick off a campaign to save Ward 15 (children's ward) at The Royal Alexandra Hospital which is threatened with closure by Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board. It was the second such meeting in the same day and between them they attracted about 70 people, not bad for the first kick of the baw in any campaign and this will run and run if I am any judge. It will grow because just about everyone in Renfrewshire has a locus in the children's ward, we all know someone with a connection to the place; in many cases we ourselves have reasons to be thankful for the skill and dedication of the health professionals who work there, hospitals can be very scary places for obvious reasons but; the children's ward is the scariest place on earth if you are a helpless terrified parent sitting by the bed of a sick child, you're sick child. This is when the staff working there grow halos before your very eyes as they pull out all the stops for your child or for the child of someone with whom you are connected in some way. Grannies, granddads, fathers, mothers, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, neighbours etc. etc. the whole community is in this fight.

Despite what Mrs. Thatcher said about there being no such thing as society we will prove her wrong. The community working together can win this fight, It is not my intention to start rehearsing the arguments for keeping the ward open; those will be well reported as the campaign grows and the arguing starts. This post is by way of a wakeup call to everyone in Renfrewshire to get ready to rumble with the bureaucrats and bean counters who manipulate our lives without looking us in the eyes. I would urge everyone who agrees with us to watch out for the publicity which will shortly be going out to ask for help for the campaign. I get the feeling already that the people of Renfrewshire are going to win this one.

“RIOTING IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE UNHEARD” (MARTIN LUTHER KING)

2011-08-29T16:11:00.001Z

The Martin Luther King quote which heads this post was referring to riots in America but is relevant here as well. Stop and think why the riots take place in America overwhelmingly among the underprivileged black population and in this country the same happens with a disproportionate number of the black population involved as well as other underprivileged groups. The people in our country whom we have heard blaming the turmoil on criminal behaviour alone are either in denial or they are lying to themselves, for their claims to be true we would have had to be watching the biggest coincidence in history, one where they claim that disorder in society is caused my criminality and factors like unemployment, poverty and racism etc. play no part in any of it, an absurd position to take. "people riot because they are bad" well at least they don't have to waste time thinking about it once they have reached that deceitful and ludicrous conclusion.

Riots don't start spontaneously which they also seem to think, in this case it was the shooting of a black man called Mark Duggan by the Police who didn't bother to tell his family he had been killed which kicked it off, and an immediate investigation found that the gun they claim was his had not been fired as they had initially claimed. This is an area with a high black population where black youths are stopped and searched 5 times more often than white youths; do we need to go on? Were the Los Angeles riots some years ago started of their own volition or was the incident caught on camera and posted on U Tube of a black man Rodney King being savagely beaten by 6 cops with clubs have something to do with it? There are some allegedly intelligent people who are simply telling lies when they say that it was simply criminality, they are lying because they don't want to admit that society is partly to blame and they are the ones who created this society and they also govern and police it.

The slavering reactionary commentators say they should be shot on the streets which sounds rather like an incitement to violence to me but the authorities seem to ignore it while jailing people for using email etc. to incite riots. The Police who are calling for harsher sentences are the same police who are up to their necks in the Murdoch scandal as well as the sporadic killing of innocent people. The Murdoch press are also calling for tough action against rioters that's when they are not too busy hacking the phones of dead soldier's families and the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler etc. and of course the politicians who want to hang and flog were not so long ago doing their own form of looting under a different name. Now I ask you, if you were an unemployed youth living in poverty with no hope of a decent life and being constantly subjected to harassment by the police what would your reaction be if a policeman, Sun Journalist or politician were to tell you to behave? I know what mine would be, I would say something like "I'll behave if you agree to behave as well"

Jailing someone for 6 months for receiving a pair of stolen shorts from a rioter or for 4 years for inciting a riot on facebook is not the answer at least not the long term answer, the long term answer starts by accepting that for far too many in our society there is not much to look forward to and they are condemned to miserable lives while they can always catch the occasional glimpse of great wealth and opulence as it drives past them or appears on their TV screens. Just in case any of you have not heard me say this before I will say it again, this is what you must put up with and indeed expect as long as we live in a dog eat dog capitalist society. Capitalism can do many things but it cannot avoid creating losers and as long as we live in such a system we will have to put up with crime, bursting prisons, no go areas in our cities, feral children, drugs etc. etc. but hey! it doesn't have to be like this there is another way, look up the word Socialism.

SAVE THE BADGERS WITH A SIGNATURE

2011-08-19T19:12:00.002Z

If like me you are a lover of wildlife and nature you might want to consider signing a petition to try to halt the proposed Badger cull by the Tory/Libdem Government. The petition has been set up by the Labour Party and can be found by contacting (www.campaignengineroom.org.uk) the Government have decided to go ahead with this despite public opinion and the scientific community being opposed to it.

The Government say that a cull will reduce the incidence of Bovine TB in cattle but the scientific evidence says it won't and could even increase the disease as badgers move away from areas where they are being culled. A previous 10 year scientific study concluded that culling badgers is not likely to reduce the numbers contracting Bovine TB and that a long term scientific approach is the best way forward. The petition in line with scientific thinking on this calls for a proper vaccination programme and better management of cattle movements. The quick knee jerk reaction to the problem here is the wrong way forward and we should do what we can to protect one of the country's most recognisable and best loved creatures.

“HISTORY OFFERS COLD COMFORT TO THOSE WHO THINK GRIEVANCIES AND DESPAIR CAN BE SUBDUED BY FORCE” (ROBERT KENNEDY)

2011-08-11T18:00:00.001Z

The title heading was Bobby Kennedy's response to those who wanted to destroy the American Civil Rights Movement by brute force,

Months ago after the colossal Trade Union Rally in London and after the Student protests I was telling anyone who would listen that we were in for trouble in the coming summer. I am baffled therefore by professional politicians and journalists who appear to be acting as if the recent riots were a surprise. Nor is it a surprise to see the 'powers that be' launching an immediate campaign to portray events as nothing other than criminal thuggish behaviour which happened without any provocation. To accept that there are reasons and catalysts for such things happening would mean that the establishment would have to look carefully at its self and that could be awkward. The Government and the right wing dominated media in this country consider Oliver Twist's mother who died in the workhouse as a scrounger who should have "got on her bike" and found a bloody job instead of sponging off society.

Prior to the last election the loathsome Nick Clegg stated and I paraphrase "the election of a Tory Government with their proposed savage cuts will lead to civil unrest" he now says words to the effect that "this is criminal behaviour and nothing else" the Americans have a saying for people like Clegg they say he is "blowing smoke up your ass" meaning he is a lying con man. The blogosphere and Twitter etc. went crazy with one upstanding citizen posting
"If London riot police had shotguns this would all be over by now, and London would be a better place due to a sudden drop in the number of unemployed people" a radical thinker right? Big question here: is there a reason for what's happening and if there is should we try to prevent it happening in the future? After the Brixton riots of 19 81 Lord Scarman's report stated that "social conditions did not provide an excuse for disorder" and added the caveat that "social conditions did however create a predisposition toward violent protest" he was no friend of the left but he knew that these things don't just happen without cause. The Government cabinet of 29 members has 27 millionaires some of whom including Cameron and Osborne were members of a university group called the Bullingdon club who thought it a jolly jape to get roaring drunk and smash up bars and restaurants which they patronised, then off they would go back to their rooms smashing whatever they could on the way. All of these mindless upper class thugs are now calling the present rioters nothing but criminals and thugs; perhaps it takes one to know one.

We have of course been here before and I'm sure that some people are fed up hearing me say it but, under a capitalist system this is what you must learn to expect and accept because; like playing poker everyone can't win and when the losers don't even get the chance to sit at the card table trouble of this kind is always just around the corner. Add salt to the wounds by tolerating bent politicians, squalid criminal journalists, avaricious bankers, financial spivs and speculators, dishonest cops etc. all topped off by the shiftless unemployable Lords and Ladies, include the festering boil that is royalty sitting highest of all, consider multi millionaire non worker Prince Harry who is a poster boy for badly behaved youth everywhere: a veritable ill-bred drunken brawler of the highest kind. Let these pillars of society all frown, look down and talk down to the surly disaffected kids on the sink estates and guess what? you have a recipe for a lot of angry resentful mainly young people with no real stake in society who see no way out and only years and years of tedium; petty crime and cynicism which makes their situation incessantly volatile. Some might even think surprise, surprise that getting drunk and setting fire to a building is not a bad idea and having done that smashing shop windows and liberating some TV's and fancy trainers is a bonus. "If a banker can destroy people's hopes and cause jobs and livelihoods to be lost and still walk away with millions why can't I nick a pair of trainers" is possibly what they might say, maybe someone will write and explain that. One commentator made a damning claim today when he said that the rioters would have to be out full time working 3 shifts a day for more than a year without a holiday to do as much damage as rich tax evaders do in a week to the British economy. When the poor get the blame for everything wrong with society you get trouble; when they have to pay for the crimes of rich bankers and speculators you get serious problems. For their crimes bent cops and journalists get away with them; the tax dodger and gambling bank bosses get rewarded for it and the teenage rioter gets the jail, go figure.

I should not have to say what I am about to say but; because I know what some of the people who read this blog are like and what they are capable of I will state that I do not support rioting such as we have witnessed but let me be clear that that is a tactical statement, I say that not because the rioters are wrong but because I believe there are better ways of winning the battle, fighting fire with fire is a reasonable tactic but the establishment has bigger fires and big sticks to beat you with along with proposals to use water cannon, tear gas, rubber bullets, dogs horses etc. etc. peaceful disobedience is far cleverer The Rev. Martin Luther King and Gandhi taught us that, when the British and American public saw the treatment being used on peaceful protesters of all ages on TV the people started to win big time. History teaches us that a great many advances in people's rights and their futures were brought about by those who were prepared to stand and fight against injustice, those who condemn all protests riots etc. are simply wrong and either ignorant of history, in denial or simply liars. When a dedicated doctor earns a £100,000 a year and a footballer earns a £100,000 a week there is something wrong. The Boston Tea Party was a riot, the Russian Revolution started by riots as did the glorious French Revolution and many more great historical events are similar. The scenes of the last couple of days and nights might not be as huge as these past events but in their own way and at the heart of what has been happening they have similar origins.

The answer? It doesn't take long to explain, a fully comprehensive redistribution of wealth guided by a socialist government.

THE FAMINE APPEAL, THE MATCH AND THE MIGHTY SWEDE.

2011-08-10T18:43:00.002Z

09/08/11 - 18:30 To Celtic Park to see the game between Celtic and Manchester United Legends being played as the John Kennedy testimonial and to raise funds for the famine in Africa, young Kennedy's football career was lost through injury and last night he donated all the proceeds of the game to the African appeal, there were almost 60,000 people there and they were bursting with pride and rightly so as they sang the praises of this remarkable young man who still to this day: several years after his injury ordeal shows no resentment or self pity, a real gentleman, a credit to his family, his club and Scotland.

The players included old favourites, some younger favourites and a smattering of celebrities, by far the most impressive guy on show was the astonishing Henrik Larsson, at the age of 39 he looked exactly as he always did: like a butchers whippet and just as hungry. He was up against the formidable frame of Dion Dublin and the two of them staged a personal battle which was worth the money to get in on its own, these two: still superbly fit old pros. treated the crowd to every trick in the book as they tried to get the better of each other, it was fun and great entertainment to watch. After about an hour the slightly younger and much lighter and quicker Larsson vanished over the horizon and Dublin never got within ten yards of him after that as the Swede scored a hat trick and ran the Man. U defence ragged.

Patrick Keilty? the Irish comedian was in goal for United and he stunned everyone by putting on a great performance, I actually thought he was an ex pro. Until someone told me who he was, he lost 5 goals but stopped a cricket score. One of United's best players was Ralph Little who plays Joe Royle's son Anthony in the 'Royle family' TV comedy and this guy really can play and he is very fit, another celebrity was Paisley boy and Hollywood star Gerard Butler who for some unfathomable reason was greeted by screaming girls every time he touched the ball he also has played a bit and his level of fitness was good as he tried his heart out, he played with a grin as he is apparently a big Celtic fan. Celtic won 5-2 but the important thing was the hundreds of thousands of pounds raised for a very worthy cause. The game also produced what for me was a collector's item, when any incident happened the giant screens showed the players involved in close up and on one occasion we looked up to see the unmistakeable face of Roy Keane wearing a huge grin and laughing, something that I and I suspect many Man U fans have never seen before, not only that but he didn't commit a single foul or square up to anyone all night, remarkable.

I am not a fan of friendlies but I am so glad that I went to this one, I think everyone involved went home feeling a warm glow for being part of it, the beautiful game came back with a bang last night and it was for the right reasons this time, no fights: no outrageous wage demands: no scandals and a big sum for a great charity. I went with my big cousin from Chicago Arthur Kelly who is here on holiday and whose dad my uncle played for the hoops just after the war and I think he might well need surgery now to get the smile off his face.

THIS CAUSE CAN BE EASILY HELPED BY SENDING MONEY TO OXFAM MARKED FOR THE AFRICAN FAMINE APPEAL – WHAT'S STOPPING YOU?

THE HOMOPHOBIA ENDEMIC IN THE SNP BREAKS OUT AGAIN.

2011-08-08T18:35:00.004Z

I knew that if we waited long enough someone in the SNP would find a backbone and dare to introduce disagreement and debate in the party over something and it has turned out to be Gay Rights, 'De Ja Vu' how are ye! A fraudulent and creepy silence has long hung over the SNP when it comes to dissent in the ranks and their record and behaviour to the Gay community: the idea that a political party can exist with a total absence of debate and never any apparent argument is to say the least implausible. It suggests a cowed membership and a climate of fear generated by a clique at the top which is all powerful and ruthless; this is of course no surprise to those of us who are involved in politics and equally easy to understand when you look at the SNP leader Alex (the spiv) Salmond. Downright unsavoury events have taken place on his watch which would have caused uproar in my own party Labour as well as other parties but in the SNP nothing is said, he can do and say anything he wants without any opposition or argument from his subjugated members. His list of dodgy actions include selling lunches at Holyrood for party funds, his ingratiating behaviour with Trump, his cosying up to religious groups opposed to abortion, taking money from and refusing to condemn his celebrity supporter Sean Connery who advocates violence against women, his praise and closeness to the very rich homophobic bigot Soutar who bankrolls his party, no one ever takes him on, can they all possibly agree with him?

The SNP is once again being exposed for their toleration of homophobic bigotry and it is no more than they deserve SNP MSP John Mason has moved an anti Gay motion in Holyrood and; at long last we have a couple of prominent SNP members who have decided that they have had enough so, here is a collector's item for you I congratulate Alyn Smith SNP MEP, here he is talking about his fellow SNP member and MSP John Mason "What is in the small, mean, angry heads of bigots is a matter for them. I never asked for their approval, but I demand equality." Congrats also go to SNP MP Pete Wishart who described John Mason's move as a "nasty little anti-gay marriage motion" this repellent motion was supported by SNP MSP's Bill Walker, Dave Thompson and Richard Lyle. The SNP's record on Gay rights is appalling. I have attacked them before without managing to get any of them to stand up and be counted; maybe something will happen this time. It rather begs the question, if Soutar spoke about people's race the way he has spoken about Gay people would the SNP still take his money and give him a knighthood? The things I said about them were true then and are still true now it's time to clean these bigots out. Big hairy tough men and women in the SNP can't possibly be Gay can they, how can a brave heart be gay, is that what drives their attitude?

Can anyone in the SNP tell me if they are still doing business with the homophobic Mormons of Brigham Young University of Salt Lake City?

WHAT DOES RIGHT WING RHETORIC AND RACIST ABUSE LEAD TO? IS THER ANYONE STILL WONDERING?

2011-07-31T19:02:00.002Z

When the Murdoch Empire spouts it's filth about immigration do some racists take succour from that? When they do the same about paedophiles is it possible that some blameless people will be hurt? When David Cameron makes a speech and finds himself and the Tories being lauded by the odious Nick Griffin of the BNP who claims that Cameron's speech is a "further huge leap for our ideas into the political mainstream" does it give him pause for thought? When Marine Le Pen of the French Nazi National Front (her father's daughter) also praises Cameron's speech and says it "endorsed her own party's line on multiculturalism" is he quite relaxed about it? Can speeches and news stories and campaigns fan the flames of reaction and violence? I say the can and do, Norway and Oklahoma were no accidents, and some people are culpable.

Why would the speech I refer to a couple of weeks ago in Munich by Cameron repeatedly state the lie that "Islamist Extremism" is the cause of terrorism? Cameron is a clever enough man to know that he is not telling the truth so why? Votes and opinion polls that's why and that conclusively leads to the kind of character he is and says it all about the Tory party, famously and truthfully described by the great Nye BevAn as "lower than Vermin" When the former Norwegian Prime Minister, and current chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee Thorbjorn Jagland, chooses the immediate aftermath of the worst racially motivated terrorist attack in Norwegian history to condemn Cameron's rhetoric. He describes it as "playing with fire" and claiming it could be exploited by extremists is it not about time that the hate filled right wingers of politics took a hard look at themselves?

The Tories are never more than a bad poll result or a big Murdoch type scandal away from playing the race card; it was ever thus and they will never change. I am comforted by this man's decision to say in public what millions have known for years and were too cowed by Murdoch and Co. to mention. That is that every action has a reaction and when you stir up hatred of a racist kind someone is going to suffer, invariably a member of a minority group, someone who can be called different from the mob, likewise bogus campaigns to protect children which are really to sell more papers. Clearly to Cameron and the Tories and the repellent Murdoch gang and their like the votes and the sales are worth it, the damage done, the lives lost and ruined are worth it. That's why we can't condemn any other people and why we have no right to, we here in the Capitalist rich west have education communications and wealth and that does not make us better people it only makes us worse.

SCOTLAND’S HEROES OF THE INTERNATIONAL BRIGADES UNITED AT LAST.

2011-07-21T18:52:00.003Z

"We shall not forget you; and, when the olive tree of peace is in flower, entwined with the victory laurels of the Republic of Spain --- return!"

(La Pasionara) - Farewell speech to the International Brigades. Barcelona November 1St. 19 38.

I am often accused of being harsh on Scotland I prefer to regard what I say as the truth as I see it and as I see it a recent event shows that Scotland has every reason to be proud of a famous episode in its past. The recent event was the release by MI5 of all the names of those British volunteers who joined the International Brigades to fight Fascism in Spain in 19 36. Scotland and Ireland supplied many volunteers, more than other countries going by population; they remain an inspiration to everyone who strives for a better more equal society. As I began to read and learn about politics in my early teens I became besotted with 'Spain' and these events. A statue stands in Glasgow at Custom House Quay of one of the most famous Spanish Republicans Dolores Ibarruri: known as "La Pasionara" a fierce and brave politician who rallied the troops against Franco's fascists with her mesmeric oratory and courage. The legend on the statue says "better to die on your feet than live on your knees" and it is an honour and privilege to have this statue of such an inspirational Socialist Heroine in Glasgow, a place where she would have felt at home.

Spain elected a Socialist Republican Government and the army staged a revolt to bring it down led by General Francisco Franco, backed by Hitler and Mussolini. Britain, France and America to their undying shame did nothing although many French and Americans volunteered as well for the International Brigades the American volunteers were called "The Lincoln Battalion" It is strongly hinted that Cafe owner Rick played by Humphrey Bogart in the classic movie Casablanca was a veteran of the Lincoln Battalion such was the romance which surrounded the cause. The fascists won and the green light was given to Hitler for what was to follow, an estimated 200,000 were killed in the fighting and in the couple of years that followed double that, 400,000 were executed. A male prison in Madrid was converted to a female prison to hold Republican women prisoners many of whom were executed. You can get a flavour of the times when you learn that the prison was run by an order of Catholic Nuns who dragged women prisoners to the Gallows kicking and screaming.

Approx. 4,000 British volunteers went to Spain 534, 65 of whom were Scottish paid the ultimate sacrifice in the fight for the Democratic Spanish Republic. Many artists went such as Orwell and Hemingway who wrote about it and the great Spanish genius Pablo Picasso captured on canvas the terror of unarmed civilians being attacked from the air by German planes in the town of Guernica the painting of that name is now one of the most famous ever painted.

The unfinished lists are now complete and all of the valiant comrades who fought in Spain are at last united in the complete roll of honour. Scotland should be proud of the volunteers who went there and at a time when some people are arguing about the lack of history taught in our schools we should put aside the myths and legends and teach our children about these real flesh and blood heroes. Irish singer Christy Moore pays tribute to the Irish Brigade in a song called "Viva La Quinte Brigada" someone should do something similar for the Scottish volunteers, you can catch it on U Tube.

FOR MURDOCH, CAMERON AND THE MET. "OH WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE WHEN FIRST WE PRACTICE TO DECEIVE" (WALTER SCOTT)

2011-07-18T18:46:00.003Z

Excuse my language, I feel able to get away with it because I'm quoting the great Irish writer James Joyce when he had one of the characters in his famous novel "Ulysses" describe the fictitious newspaper where he worked as "The Arse Wipers Weekly" The phrase comes in to my head every time I hear the name Murdoch. I confess that Rupert Murdoch has been a personal thorn in my side ever since I first heard of him and read what passes for journalism in his papers. You see I made a promise to myself a long long time ago to make every effort never to hate anyone, hence the Murdoch thorn in my side.

The Murdoch Empire the Metropolitan Police and the Government are looking more and more like a sack of rats which have been poked by a stick as each day passes, is Capitalism an abomination or what; does it hold the moral high ground over other political systems; has it not become more difficult to claim that? These shysters are the people who have most vociferously attacked Socialism over the years, what can they say now? We live in times where tens of thousands of people are losing their jobs and their homes and our society is being shown as venal and dishonourable. Driven by a rich and greedy group of rich twisters backed to the hilt by an all powerful Press dictator who is power mad and immoral, how did we get here?

Chances have come and gone for one reason or another. We missed the boat when we watched the French Revolution when we should have been joining in, likewise the Russian Revolution, but opportunities will come again just like this one, why? Because capitalism cannot work, it creates far more losers than it ever could winners and that won't change; not until we make it change and make it change we must.

I have long argued within the Labour Party that we should not try to get along with people like Murdoch. Whatever he and his mob might say or do including backing Labour they are not our friends and no matter what we may say or do they will stab us in the back when it suits them, better to die on your feet than live on your knees. Circumstances have now presented the left with an unprecedented advantage over the people who see themselves as our natural rulers, A financial Tsunami; and now a collapse in the Capitalist Press's credibility must surely give us the incentive to keep going until we have cleaned these crooks and thugs out of Government, Police and Media. Time to show solidarity with what we consider to be justice honesty and decency. Socialism is a good idea, look around you; do you want to carry on like this forever?

Do people really want to have their lives and the lives of their friends and loved ones influenced by the kind of brutes who celebrated when an Argentine ship was sunk with hundreds of lives lost with the Murdoch headline "Gotcha" is that who we are? Thatcher wanted to prevent the Argentinean dead being prayed for at the post war ceremony at Westminster Abbey until the Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Runcie threatened to refuse to officiate at the service, is that who we are? It is the most delicious of ironies that Archbishop Runcie is a holder of the Military Cross for his distinguished bravery in Normandy as a tank commander in World War 11.

I'll tell you who we really are though and Murdoch won't like it, we are the British Sailors who served on HMS Fearless in the Falklands who tore up copies of the SUN and threw them into the sea when they read the Headline 'Gotcha' that's who we are and we will never be Murdoch's kind. When Murdoch ran the headline "bonkers Bruno locked up" when the popular boxer Frank Bruno had a mental breakdown he (Murdoch) was saying quite clearly that that is exactly the kind of people we are, well, are we?

Let's try to make this a fresh start, when we get rid of Murdoch and the rest of the crooks and low lifers who hang on to him as well as cleaning out the Metropolitan Police and their friends in high places we must all be vigilant and make sure that the penny has at last dropped and say in that great Socialist word, 'collectively' we will not let this happen again.

MURDOCH FOLDS AND SALMOND BREATHES A SIGH OF RELIEF

2011-07-13T18:08:00.001Z

How big a story is the Murdoch hacking scandal? I have been around in political terms for approx 45 years and I think it could well be up there with Profumo, Princess Diana, Peter Manuel and Mo Johnston signing for Rangers etc. in no particular order and it still has to run for a while.

Everyone has an opinion on it except the most opinionated person in Scotland, Alex (the spiv) Salmond who mumbled a couple of predictable platitudes about it and then went uncharacteristically shtum. Scotland's greatest ever 'ambulance chaser' has been struck dumb on this massive issue. He seems to be determined to maintain a 'Trump' like silence over it. Can anyone have a stab at wondering why?

His intellectual giant of a Justice Minister; the fool MacKaskill has also been maintaining a monastic silence over this, can anyone understand it? I look forward to hearing from you.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL BECOMES A CORNERED RAT.

2011-07-09T16:54:00.002Z

The article below is copied from a reader's comment and shows Murdoch and Co. as the liars and thugs that they really are.

"Don't imagine this act of defiance will be painless or without consequence. Already a senior Miliband aide tells me they received a "very hostile" threat, not veiled at all, from a News International journalist warning: "You have made it personal about Rebekah, so we'll make it personal about you." Braggadocio maybe, but as the recipient of the threat said: "That's how they operate." And it can be terrifying. Bugging, blagging and Benji the Binman send shudders down many a spine. The spell is broken, but the terror may not be over" The above is a quote taken from the most recent Polly Toynbee article on this scandal. Even now News International are still trying to bully people and even now people still fear them. This is unacceptable and now is probably our last chance to bring Murdoch to account. I would call on every member and supporter of the Labour Party to contact the party leadership and offer their full support and solidarity to anyone threatened in this manner and ask that the aide concerned make a full public statement which details who made the the threat and when. For members and supporters of other parties I would urge you all to contact your party leadership and offer your full support to anyone threatened in this way by News International and demand that they name names and make full public statements on every threat they receive. Everyone has to stand together on this. We can beat Murdoch and the disgusting rags he publishes. link to Toynbee article http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/08/ed-miliband-broken-omerta-old-monster

I KNOW, I KNOW, I SHOULDN’T GLOAT.

2011-07-08T17:04:00.001Z

At this very difficult time for himself and his family Rupert Murdoch has issued a statement asking that the public and news media respect their privacy stating that they need space to themselves to get through these trying times, it's only fair right?

DO YOU KNOW ANYONE INCLUDING YOURSEF WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN HACKED BY MURDOCH ? READ ON!

2011-07-08T16:48:00.001Z

We now have reports that the News of the World offices in Scotland are to be investigated by Strathclyde Police as it has emerged that phone hacking is likely to have taken place there. I intend to write to my MSPs, MPs and Euro MPs urging them to do whatever they can to ensure that this is properly investigated and that we do not have a repeat of the previous failed investigations by the Met. And I would urge everyone from every background and every political persuasion to do the same. No doubt Wapping is the centre of this scandal but it's important that a light be shone on all parts of Murdoch's rotten empire.

Everyone who thinks that they or someone they know has been hacked as well as anyone who can think of any situation where someone has been hacked should speak to the Police about their suspicions.

Would you like me admit to being a slave trader before admitting to working for Murdoch?

2011-07-06T19:42:00.002Z

The late great author Dennis Potter was interviewed by Melvin Bragg at a time when his life was ebbing away because of terminal cancer, he was in constant pain and during the interview he would stop and sip from a flask containing liquid morphine he did this he said "to keep Rupert under control" when Bragg asked him to explain he said he had named his cancer Rupert in honour of Rupert Murdoch. This interview came to mind when I was reading about the exploits of Murdoch's paper 'The News of the World' It still hasn't sunk in properly what these people, yes they are people; were doing. The tabloid press and most of the so called quality broadsheet press in this country deserve the often used insulting description of 'the gutter press' I can think of no other profession except journalism which has the ability to demonstrate mankind at its best and at its worst. For every James Cameron we get a Kelvin Mackenzie and for every Orla Guerin we have a Kay Burley and it's no coincidence that McKenzie and Burley are tainted by their association with Murdoch.

Hacking in to the phone of the murdered child Milly Dowler is a loathsome thing to do even by Murdoch standards and we are now left to wonder how many other times they have done this. Cases mentioned are the young girls murdered in Soham, The missing McCann girl and the victims of the London Bus bombings, we now know if we ever doubted it that all are suitable grist for Murdoch's mill, what indeed would they refuse to exploit on moral grounds after this? I can't think of anything, can you? Like most things in life this reminds me of a brilliant film with a nasty story line it's called "the Ace in the Hole" and it is so like the News of the world today that it is spooky. A low life journalist stumbles into a situation where a miner is trapped underground and he manipulates the situation by slowing down the rescue attempt to allow him to file heroic copy to daily newspapers to make money, it ends, no I won't tell you how it ends, try to see it, suffice to say that if the News of the World ends up like the villain played by a brilliantly vicious Kirk Douglas then I will cheer up. There is a criteria for people who build business empires part of which is the question put before Governments grant permission for expansion it is simply this "is the person involved a suitable person to acquire this business or to gain greater control of something" Murdoch is in hot pursuit of gaining total control of B SKY B which would give him a vice like grip on the news in our country. Is this man a suitable person to gain control of this amount of influence? It sounds rhetorical I know but today in Parliament and in news studios I listened to people making his case for him, I don't want to politicise this so I won't name them, go look for yourself.

Politicians and political parties fear his lash so much that they will do anything to avoid upsetting him but today we saw the rare sight of the House of Commons almost completely unified in their condemnation of Murdoch and what he stands for, is it too much to hope that they will stand up to him and cut him down a bit? Probably not but I can certainly say as someone who found his support for Labour sickening that I am glad we no longer have his support. I feel cleaner and more decent now that he supports the Tory/Libdem Government, I say to decent people of whatever party that support from someone like Murdoch is too high a price to pay for power, we all have to sleep at night. Do we have bent politicians? Yes, do we have bent coppers? Yes and do we have bent Journalists? Yes. The politicians now have the chance to clean out 'the Augean Stables' let's hope the revelations to come strengthen their resolve. If I had to choose between politicians who were vilified for expenses fraud and journalists and cops who can do things like this the politicians win every time and they have a chance now to redeem themselves by doing the right thing.

SALMOND THE ROYAL FLUNKY BETRAYS HIS PARTY FOR THE QUEEN.

2011-07-04T18:02:00.002Z

When is SNP policy not SNP policy? Apparently when the (wee spiv) Salmond decides to change it, he does not need a conference decision it would seem, how else can we explain his utterances on the Queen. Going by what he is now saying the Queen under independence will be de facto the Scottish Head of State. The Salmond line is now the following, "since the creation of the Scottish Parliament the policy is for an independence referendum which will include the long standing policy for the Queen and her successors to be the Scottish Head of State" OK I'm not a member of the SNP but; I take an interest in such matters and I knew nothing of such a policy and I'm sure I would have had something to say about the hypocrisy of such a position.

Rewind to 1997 the scene is the Rothesay Pavilion the occasion is the SNP conference the debate is the future of the Monarchy under an independent Scottish SNP Government, the decision was and I quote "a referendum will be held on the question of whether or not to retain the Monarch as Head of State for Scotland" Party leader Salmond spoke against the motion and lost he then said "the leadership will respect the view of the party" quite unequivocal eh? no shades of grey eh? the party took a democratic decision to hold a referendum on the Monarchy and the leader endorsed the decision. So that's that then isn't it? well, remember this is the SNP where democracy is a sham and only exists when Salmond (the spiv) agrees to it, I do hope you braveheart SNP members are reading this and sharpening your pencils to attack me, I can hardly wait to hear from you. The fraudulent party response is that it has been party policy to keep the Queen since its formation in 19 34 or put another way the SNP conference in Rothesay in 19 97 did not actually take place so says the leader and what the leader says goes right?

A leader overturning a policy decision because it doesn't suit him or her would be a dangerous thing to do in any party except the SNP under Salmond (the spiv) that is the embarrassing truth about the SNP members, he knows he can do anything he wants because his membership is completely spineless he can and does hold the ordinary members in contempt and he is right to do so. OK I might be wrong but I see no evidence of it. The abolition of the hated Windsor Monarchy is one of the main reasons that a lot of people were attracted to the SNP, where are they now, if they are not prepared to speak out on this betrayal then why are they still in the party, just what do they mean by independence? Is it not about time we heard from at least one or two of them, my guess is that they will all come to heel behind their lord and master Alex (the SPIV) Salmond. 'such a parcel o rogues'

DAVID HAYE – ANOTHER ONE WHO COULD TALK BETTER THAN HE COULD FIGHT.

2011-07-03T17:44:00.005Z

Stayed up late to see the Wladimir Klitschko V David Haye fight on Sat. Night. It was a good and a bad night for boxing the good thing was that Haye got a drubbing and the bad was that it reminded me that the heavyweight division is in a bad way, it has gone from being peopled with boxers like Frazier, Foreman, Quarry, Cooper, Lewis, Tyson and of course the man himself Ali. To impostors like Haye. This is not a criticism of Klitschko he is big and strong and clever enough to have made his living in the ring with those I have mentioned albeit with mixed fortunes but Haye is not. He represents showmanship over ability and he has taken that attitude to extremes, I hope we have seen the last of him, when Ali slighted opponents and sold out arenas all over the world we knew there was an element of comic farce in his antics, with Haye it is arrogance and sickening behaviour. He is as Terry Malloy (played by Marlon Brando) described himself in the movie "On the Waterfornt" 'a bum' and he did not deserve to be a 'contender' 7 heavyweight bouts he's had and had he won on Sat. night he would have been world champion what has this great sport become? he does not have the right to describe himself as a boxer, that name belongs to people like Manny Pacquao, Benny Lynch, Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson not a charlatan like Haye.

Haye comes from a bad tradition of people who will justify any kind of low behaviour by saying that he couldn't care less because he walked away from Sat. nights fight with millions of pounds when he should have done the right thing and given the crowd their money back, "he stank the place out" as old boxing aficionados used to say or as my Da. who loved boxing would say "that clown couldnae fight sleep" After all the swagger and vulgar bragging he had nothing to offer, he was like a rabbit caught in the headlights of the big Russian tank being driven by Klitschko who spent the whole night jabbing his huge fist into the dispirited face of Hayes, that's when he wasn't throwing him around the ring like a rag doll, a big mismatch and no mistake.

Boxing, particularly Heavyweight Boxing as I have said before needs an enema.

ALEX’S TRUE LOVE.

2011-07-03T12:01:00.003Z

The eyes met, the chemistry was strong, the pipes played in the distance, it was love at first sight.

A MESSAGE TO THOSE GOOD OLE BOYS IN AMERICA-“JESUS DON’T LIKE KILLING NO MATTER WHAT THE REASONS FOR” AMERICAN SONG (JOHN PRINE)

2011-06-30T19:16:00.003Z

The death penalty continues to disturb America and it has sprung back to prominence in a way that has bewildered, pleased and incensed lots of people depending on their point of view. The news waves are humming with debate which has been surprisingly mature in some instances considering the issue at stake. The main cause of the maturity of the debate seems to be the actions of one victim who does not want his assailant who also murdered two other men before severely wounding him, executed. Not only that but he is campaigning against his execution. I have been reading the story from several view points and it is quite fascinating.

The victim in question is a man called Rais Bhuiyan who was shot in the face causing serious damage including the loss of an eye, he is an immigrant from Bangladesh and the two men murdered just before him were from India and Pakistan all three are immigrants to America and all three legal, and all three killed by a man called Mark Stroman using his own personal all American shotgun. Mr. Stroman's sister died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, an event which clearly unhinged him somewhat. The accused is known to fly the flags of America and the Confederacy from his prison cell, he is described as a 'white supremacist'

America today is going through hard times and when this happens there are always those who will do everything they can to fan the flames of hatred, people like Murdoch's Fox News and evil twisted so called journalists like Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck and Bill O'Reilly are partly to blame for such events happening but; will they accept culpability? They will no more accept responsibility than the odious Sarah Palin did after targeting Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who was shot following political propaganda put out by Palin showing an image of Giffords seen through cross hair rifle sights. When asked why he did this Stroman perversely said he wanted to "kill foreigners who threatened the American way of life" By the American way of life I think we can assume he did not mean the random murder of 2 and the attempted murder of another innocent man. Men who ironically came to America to be part of the American way of life, what a mess.

Polls show that a majority of Americans still support the death penalty so shamefully does President Obama; or so he says. I think if he could find a way of opposing it without suffering a huge backlash he would do so and that does him no credit at all.

The case shines another big light on the barbarity of the death penalty which shames a modern country like America and hopefully another nail will be driven into its coffin by the publicity. Is it not the case perhaps that this man who committed these atrocious crimes did so while the balance of his mind was disturbed? Unhinged by grief and taught to hate by evil media forces. I find it inconceivable that he was thinking straight when he took these two men's lives and wounded the other one, will they kill someone who did not know what he was doing? America would be better served by trying to get to the bottom of why such things are happening and the first people to be investigated ought to be the hate mongers and racists who preach such poison. Low life vermin like Limbaugh, Beck and O'Reilly how are ye?

LABOUR FIGHT FOR THE VULNERABLE WHILE THE SNP DESERT THEM.

2011-06-27T20:53:00.003Z

1 pm, July 27th. 2011 to the house of shame on the banks of the River Cart for a full meeting of Renfrewshire Council.
It was evident from the conduct of the SNP/Libdem coalition that they came in mad as hell. This is becoming more and more noticeable as we get closer to the Council Elections and motions are put condemning their actions, choices and priorities. Their reactions to criticism suggest that they fear a reckoning with the electorate which they know will bring up the things they have done to pensioners, school children and the most vulnerable in our society.

A strong contender for top of the public's hit list would certainly be the most awful Convener of Education in living memory SNP Cllr. Lorraine Cameron. She has presided over the most appalling attacks on education that I have seen, the fact that she is obviously completely out of her depth and willing to sign up to anything put before her by the officers is no excuse. I know her well enough to know that she is no fool which means she has washed her hands of responsibility and just taking the money. I know her to be a smart woman so I have to ask myself why someone like her would agree to the demented Primary School proposals, go figure.

The savage cuts to Social Work provision would put Convener Libdem Cllr. Eileen McCartin right up there next to her, to this day she robustly defends cuts in schools music provision, the removal of School busses, the removal of busses for people with learning difficulties, the withdrawal of Grants for pensioners Christmas Dinners and Pantomime Trips and much more including the aforementioned attempt to withdraw teachers from Primary Schools and replace them with unqualified staff, yes she stands by that as well. The anger and vile behaviour stems from the fact that they know that we will be reminding the voters of their record when the time comes.

The following two motions to council were put by the Labour Group.

1/ Demanding that the SNP/Libdem Council withdraw their decision to take away free travel from people with Learning Difficulties travelling to their Adult Training Centres, the SNP/Libdem Coalition lost the debate but won the vote and the cuts will take place. This Council gave senior officers on salaries of £80,000/£90,000 rises of 23% meaning some officers got more in an annual rise than low paid workers get for an annual salary, they also spent more on Christmas lights, Fireworks and bringing the Mod to Paisley than it cost to provide the free travel for those with Learning Difficulties. It is as we in the Labour Group said today a matter of priorities, compare them for yourself; fireworks or free travel for those with learning Difficulties, you decide when the local elections come round.

2/ A motion criticizing the Council for spending £6,700 on commissioning a feasibility study for a statue of William Wallace, seen by the SNP as a Scottish Hero and by many others, eminent scholars and historians included as 90% fiction but; remember the SNP motto "It might be rubbish but at least it's good old Scottish rubbish" Councillor Nicolson at this point made one of his priceless interjections to tell us all about Scottish culture and how we (Labour) did not understand it. What the cultural attaché for Renfrewshire (Nicolson) meant of course was Scottish culture, ye cannae beat it right? him and the ludicrous Libdem McCartin went on to tell us how great a sculptor Sandy Stoddart was he is (our local sculptor) come to think of it I don't think he has any rivals, does anyone out there know another local sculptor? Still being the only one does not maen he is not great, a genious by all accounts and world famous. Visited by pilgrims from all four corners of the world, I thought at one point they were describing a Scottish Jacob Epstein or the reincarnation of Michelangelo.

Alas when I invited Nicolson and McCartin and the rest of the coalition to name 3 of Mr. Stoddarts works they were predictably unable to do so, still don't worry Mr. Stoddart time is on your side. What does this tell us? particularly about the SNP? This is the kind of bogus positions taken by the nationalists, and this c**p leads to Robert Burns being superior to Shakespeare, Sean Connery better than Lawrence Olivier and John Byrne a greater painter than Vincent Van Gogh It's puerile, it's embarrassing and it's Scottish Nationalism at its 'kailyard' worst.

INCREDIBLE CIRCUS PERFORMANCE AND NOT A SUFFERING ANIMAL IN SIGHT.

2011-06-26T15:51:00.002Z

By a rare coincidence I had the opportunity to go to the Circus on Saturday Evening and; not just any old Circus but "The Moscow State Circus" making this my third post in a row on circuses, most unusual and animal free I hasten to add. I went with my daughter on Sat. because I love watching people who are good and sometimes the best at what they do, it's not always easy to access these things and this group on the doorstep as they were; were too good to miss. They have the reputation of being one of the world's greatest Circus Troupes and they did not disappoint.

The Troupe of mainly young men and women numbered approx. 30 and they all multi task brilliantly; the level of skill; power and sheer enthusiasm displayed was fantastic not to mention the display of courage and nerve required to do some of the activities which I confess in some cases I watched through my fingers. The power and stamina on display confused me a little because despite feats of obvious mind boggling strength there wasn't a single Arnie Swartzeneger among them they all seemed to have quite normal physiques, their training must be awesome.

I was reminded that in some countries a career in the Circus and traditional Opera etc. are as sought after as a place in University, they are highly respected members of society and the process in joining and being accepted is every bit as arduous as joining any professional football team here or indeed becoming a Pro. Tennis Player or Golfer. I would urge everyone to go see them, I think they are here until Thursday and your children will love it, if you don't have any children then borrow some it is a great show.

There is a display of at the end of the show of what is known as 'tumbling' or gymnastics or; as we weans called it years ago "joogling yer wulkies" which is worth the ticket alone. All the performers dress in medieval jester's costumes and put on a mesmeric display of high speed double and treble summersaults; hand springs and cartwheels etc. which you simply have to see to believe. As this is going on if you can take your eyes off it for a second you should take a glance at the children's faces around you they are simply hypnotised and you could not take the look off their faces with an industrial hose.

Circuses like this one are great but I suspect hard to emulate, it doesn't take a genius to work out that training 3 or 4 Elephants or Tigers to run round a circus ring does not measure up to this but I sincerely hope that some Circuses follow their example and try to do what they do. I was left wondering if the fantastic Russian Gymnasts that we see at the Olympics festooned with medals are the ones who didn't make it at the Circus School.

“THE GREATNESS OF A NATION AND IT’S MORAL PROGRESS CAN BE JUDGED BY THE WAY IT TREATS IT’S ANIMALS” (GANDHI)

2011-06-24T13:46:00.001Z

As a young boy I was taken to Calderpark Zoo and had a great time for most of the day until I visited the Polar Bear section, there standing on a rock was a quite magnificent Polar Bear staring back at those of us who had gathered to stare at him; we kids were amused by him as he swayed from right to left in big movements while staying on the same spot. A couple of hours later; I don't know why but I went back to see him before leaving the Zoo for home and there he was still swaying back and forth just as he had been 2 hours previously. I asked the keeper why he was doing that and he told me that he was completely crazy and demented and he did this every day from morning to night and had been doing it for years, this was the result of unending years of captivity he explained, he is an animal which in the wild has a habitat of hundreds of miles and was now confined to a few hundred yards around a fetid pool with junk food floating around it. My brothers and me resolved to come back and break in and release him, we never did of course but I have never forgotten that day and that poor demented wild animal and that was approx. 55 years ago.

I saw Monkeys; Lions; Tigers and many other species all of whom seemed to accept their fate as they lay in the sun staring back at the visitors but; the Polar Bear instinctively made me want to set them all free, a feeling which to this day has never left me. Some 35 or so years after this I wandered out with my dog to have a look round the Circus which was pitched up near my home at St. James's Park this Circus had one Elephant which slept in a covered trailer which afforded it about a metre of space around it and lions which were kept chained in a circle behind a fence which restricted their movement to a few feet, I found it difficult to stand and watch these quite magnificent creatures being treated like this for our amusement that is why yesterday was a great day.

Yesterday the House of Commons banned Circuses from using animals; ending hundreds of years of cruelty which we are all guilty of tolerating; not in a conscious sense because it is a cause which has snowballed in recent years making everyone more aware of what had been going on and making us think more about it and ask if it is justified. Even the Circus owners would argue and still do that they are not cruel to their animals and I have some sympathy with Circus people who have lived this way for generations and most of them do indeed love their animals but more and more the world is realizing that keeping such animals in these conditions is indeed cruel whether knowingly or not and now thank God it will stop.

As always with the House of Commons a mystery arose, it would appear that the Government decided to go to some strange lengths to defeat the bill, turning what was a free vote into a three line whip and threatening Tory MP's with all sorts if they supported it. Enthusiastic hunter and shooter of wild animals Prime Minister Cameron was apparently behind these failed tactics but people now are asking the question why? Why did he go out on a limb against a bill which was so popular, will we ever know?

Animal cruelty still goes on here and in other countries, Bear Baiting, Bull Fighting, Dolphins and Killer Whales in pools and big game hunting is still rife, all for our amusement and all to feed the most voracious beasts of all, Capitalism and the great God money. All of it needs to be stopped; cruelty for profit is not acceptable we are after all human beings are we not? I look forward to the day when these cruel practices are confined to history and all animals return to the wild where they belong. All too late alas for that poor beautiful Calderpark Polar Bear.

CARRY ON DOCTOR

2011-06-17T19:36:00.001Z

Cameron and Clegg breeze into a hospital ward for a photo opportunity complete with camera crew and assistants , all is well until a senior surgeon walks in and says something like "who the hell are you lot and what are you doing in my ward and why are you not properly dressed to avoid spreading germs"?

Cameron tried to make light of this him being the PM and all that but the surgeon completely unimpressed chucked the lot of them out, well done that man I say but I can't help wondering what our balanced press would have done had it been PM Gordon Brown instead; Cameron has escaped with very little ridicule or condemnation, that's because we have a free press and they can write what they choose to write so that's OK then isn't it?

“A ROBIN REDBREAST IN A CAGE - PUTS ALL HEAVEN IN A RAGE” (AUGURIES OF INNOCENCE) WILLIAM BLAKE.

2011-06-17T18:11:00.005Z

Can I speak directly to everyone and anyone who reads this Blog, I realize that some people quite inexplicably don't seem to like me and even more inexplicably disagree with things I say and causes I support, all part of life's rich tapestry I suppose. I am writing to you all in a cause which everyone of every political persuasion can hopefully support. Next Thursday Parliament will vote on whether to ban the use of wild animals in circuses. Like most of the public, we want the practice of wild animals travelling around the country for entertainment banned. They can't speak for themselves, so we must act for these majestic wild animals. And time is running out. There is an easy way for you to help. Ask your friends to pledge to support the banning of using wild animals in circuses, click here now. It will take only a few minutes https://www.taomail.co.uk/labour-emails/lnk/101091/2688/2688/2/939/195601/50a78ecaedf90199b89f76bd99c23891/6119/>

After a year of delay the Tory-led Government still hasn't banned the use of wild animals in circuses. At first they said that it was because of a European court case – but it didn't exist. And now they're proposing a licensing scheme for wild animals in circuses – a proposal rejected by the RSPCA and British Veterinary Association on animal welfare grounds. We have to support a total ban, and we only have a week to make it happen.
94% of the British public want to see a ban – why hasn't the Tory-led Government taken action? Get your friends involved today– we only have a week to act
We've made a difference before with BacktheBan.com – we can't waste this opportunity to stop wild animals like lions, tigers, camels and bears being kept in cramped cages, and forced to perform.
There are seven days to act – make sure you play your part today – click here to ask your friends to support the ban on using wild animals in circuses
The vote in Parliament next Thursday is not whipped – it is a backbench sponsored debate – so all MPs can have their say about a ban.

Kate and William take one for the team.

2011-06-16T18:51:00.001Z

British news outlets and particularly some newspapers of a certain kind have been praising the newly married prince William and his new wife Kate; future Queen and duchess of Cambridge, not unusual I hear you say considering the tsunami of delirious toadying which greeted their wedding. Well the dust is now settling and they are about to embark on the particularly arduous task of visiting Canada and the USA, a task made more gruelling when one considers that they will tackle this onerous trip assisted by a niggardly retinue of seven, you read that right; a measly team of no doubt dutiful assistants numbering only seven, I tell you they will be sending tiny innocent children up chimneys next.

William's dad Charles has an entourage of 150 including a man who squeezes his tooth paste on to the brush for him, this gives us pause for thought surely? How can he regularly make such an a**e of himself when he has 150 minders? How many does big Phil have I wonder? The duchess will not have a personal assistant with her; that's the woman who valiantly collects all the bouquets she is given by the idiots who line the route where she will walk, it's a tough gig right enough but, she will at least quite rightly have her personal hairdresser with her, some people are simply indispensible it would seem, perhaps there are no hairdressers in Canada or America who are up to scratch, have they considered such an insult against our colonial hairdresser friends might cause a diplomatic rammy?

Is it possible that you dear reader are thinking like me; what the hell do the other 5 of the team do; and; is this the thin end of the wedge? Personally I don't think that "The Firm" will stand for such 'cut backs' is it possible I wonder that the Royals are showing empathy with those who are suffering cut backs around the country? Of course they know about the cut backs being made, how dare you!

I fancy the future King William is showing his more realistic side as a modern day Royal by sharing our pain and metaphorically saying "if you old chap are losing your job, your house and your pension then it's the least we can do to jolly well cut our entourage back to seven" it makes you proud to be British does it not, proud to be part of Dave's 'Big Society' it's an Idea whose time has come, an idea that 'armies cannot stand against' to misquote Leon Trotsky, all together now with gusto "long to rein over us – an egg between four ae us – thank f**k there's no more ae us, God save the Queen"

PRINCE PHILIP – AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, STILL STANDING AND STILL WITH HIS HAND OUT.

2011-06-13T13:06:00.002Z

"From his childhood onwards this boy will be surrounded by sycophants and flatterers. In due course, following the precedent which has already been set, he will be sent on a tour of the world and probably rumours of a morganatic marriage alliance will follow, and the end of it will be the country will be called upon to pay the bill"

- Hardie, James Keir (on Monarchy)

It would be truculent of me not to acknowledge the 90 Th. birthday of Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen's Consort so consider it done. We should be thankful that he chose to settle in this island when his own Royal Family business went pear shaped, we should be proud that he chose us right? He has turned doing nothing into an art form and demands that he is given credit for doing whatever it is that he does and we are thus reminded by him that "there is one born every minute" Seemingly normal and reasonably intelligent people still queue at ungodly hours in all kinds of weather to gain a vantage point from which they can catch a fleeting glimpse of him and Betty as they pass by in a big car, why do they do it, what makes people so obsequious, do they in their more lucid moments really believe that there is any value in the charade they see before them? The great American showman P.T. Barnum once said "every crowd has a silver lining" that will have to do for now but, we are being taken for a ride by the greatest scam ever inflicted by one group of people on another , Monarchy.

One cannot but be impressed by Phil's longevity, considering the arduous life he has led; the trials and tribulations; the ruggedness of his daily toil. It is remarkable that he and of course Betty have reached such a grand age. Not only that but they are still able and eager to keep on robbing the public for as much as they can get out of us, say what you will but the word for this has to be devotion, some might say greed; off with their heads! it is nothing short of outstanding commitment to the cause of avarice. When you consider that others such as coal miners; deep sea fishermen; firemen; police; doctors etc. do not manage to live as long despite not having to put up with the harshness of life as a Royal you really have to give your forelock a tug and your hat a doff in their direction, Al Capone, The Krays, Ronnie Biggs; Bonnie & Clyde, sorry but you are amateurs when this firm is in town.

TOORALOORALOORALOO I’LL TELL YE SOMETHING AWFY TRUE, YE WIDNAE HAE A TELLY THE NOO IF IT WISNAE FUR THE UNION. (MATT MC GINN)

2011-06-08T13:43:00.001Z

Britain is the sixth richest country in the world, very close to number five Germany, almost neck and neck yet the following took place yesterday. At the recent GMB union conference we saw the Tory/Libdem Government prepare the way for more anti union legislation, all for the common good you understand as stated by Mr. Vince Cable of the Libdems and the coalition Government, the biggest bunch of liars and corporate gangsters ever assembled on Government benches. When he threatens legislation against strikers you can depend on it that he has chosen his words carefully, strikers who as we speak are de facto innocent of any crime, men and women who are perfectly entitled to withdraw their labour, they intend to make that a crime, Saudi Arabia? Libya? Bahrain? Britain how are ye? This bunch of millionaires and public school boys most of whom have never done a day's work in their lives will act with all the arrogance and privilege they have been raised with, this is their world and everything in it belongs to them and they are about to demonstrate that.

They are rapacious capitalists to the core and they have all been raised as class warriors, albeit with nice suits and accents and perfect manners; oh they always lift the right piece of cutlery when dining but count the spoons when they have left. The wretched Cable a man whose name is now a byword for dishonesty and cowardice was heckled and booed by the brothers and sisters who struck an attitude of 'bring it on' you lying b*****d we will fight any anti union laws. We need that class war to take place and we must destroy these people, they are parasites. They will casually extract maximum profit by paying the worker as little as they can get away with but squeal when we try to do exactly the same by extracting the maximum wages for the least work, if it's good enough for them then why not us?

Cable sought to justify his threat by explaining that new anti union laws would be enacted if action by workers was seen to be damaging the country. He thinks that that covers it so let's ask the question as often as we can. When the filthy rich move money out of Britain to dodge taxes and millionaire owners transfer companies to where they can find cheaper labour are they damaging the country? If they are why is it only the unions getting threatened? The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimated that the British Government was losing more than £70 Billion a year to rich tax dodgers this is enough to allow people to all pay tax at 10% without damaging services but Cable and the Government are going after the Unions. I hope that Cable the Libdems and the rest of what the great Nye Bevan described as vermin will find there is a battle looming and the unions will be fighting in the knowledge that we have justice on our side and we will never quit, "Bring It On"

HOMAGE TO CATALONIA AND THE COMPANERO FROM ARGENTINA.

2011-05-29T14:59:00.003Z

Champion's League Final - Barcelona 3 Manchester United 1

I remember a couple of nights ago watching Alex Ferguson saying at a press conference that this game could be the greatest Champions League final of the past decade and thinking to myself only if you get possession of the ball Alex,
how do you propose to do that?

Football is indeed the beautiful game but how cruel it can be. After the opening 10 mns. United's four man midfield of Valencia, Carrick, Giggs and Park Ji-Sung became rabbits caught in the headlights of the fabulously interchangeable Barcelona carousel as it came at them with lights, baubles, bells, and flamenco music blaring. The six man (midfield / forward) blend of Busquets: Iniesta: Pedro: Xavi and Villa all orchestrated by the maestro with the baton Lionel Messi took command. The diminutive Argentinean complete with pace courage skill and the rest of his sublime conjuring kit was transcendent. Barca. did nothing unusual they simply played the uplifting way they always do and that makes them very scary indeed because they don't try to surprise their opponents that's because they don't need to, it must be exasperating to know what your opponent is going to do and not be able to do anything about it. For me this was cruelly displayed in a little cameo played out between two players. Park Ji-Sung and Messi. Ji-Sung is a terrific player and a soldier, not glamorous but effective and a shining star for United this season. In the first quarter of the match he faced Messi one on one on 4 almost identical occasions with Messi approaching him with the ball at his feet not moving fast but enticing the little Korean to tackle him which he did, and on 4 identical occasions Messi left him for dead, this reflected what was happening all over the pitch and it must have been chilling for United and their fans.

Commentators in rugby are fond of telling us the comparative weights of opposing packs, had this been done here the game would have been called off such was the Manchester United players advantage. You half expected the field to tilt in United's direction as both teams moved to their separate ends prior to kick off. happily this was not rugby, this was the beautiful game where the Spanish matadors despite facing much more powerful opponents danced and stung in a mazy exhibition of elegance and speed bewildering their opponents before taking pity on them and inflicting the 'coup de grace' it's a sobering thought for United and any other challengers that the second most influential player here on the night after Messi did not play; the brilliant combative Barcelona Captain Puyol who got two or three minutes at the end due to injury. Make no mistake this was no show piece final; you need two teams of equal ability to produce that and this was a mismatch. How cruel is it that this Final might have brought an end to the careers of Van Der Sar Giggs and Scholes, great players getting the run around by even greater and of course younger players, careers ending as TS Elliot would have it "not with a bang but with a whimper"

We can look at the game and reflect on the gap between Barca. And United who are one of the world's biggest clubs and hope that football will try to follow the example of the great Catalans who "grow their own" players, is this the way forward? After all when United had one of their best ever teams a couple of years ago they had about 6/7 home grown players in it; Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, the Nevilles etc. and bear in mind Messi cost zilch, those last three words are mind boggling aren't they. After the match I reflected again for the umpteenth time on the great players I have been fortunate to see play in the flesh, Di Stefano: Puskas: Cruyff: Maradona: Pele: Best: Masopust: Charlton: Beckenbaur: Law: Baresi etc. etc. Once I got over fearing him as an opponent I have clung to the choice of Bobby Charlton as the greatest player I have ever seen until now. Messi is the man and still only 23 with pace, skill and courage, able to slalom past great defenders at speed and see a pass with eyesight like a "poorhouse rat" he takes kicks trips and elbows and gets back up right away, he never feigns injury and never waves an imaginary card and he scores sublime goals, what would he be like if he was two footed? I suppose one foot is plenty if its Lionel Messi's left one, they say he can open a can of peas with his left foot. Here is another thought to cheer up other teams he is as I said 23 and he is in competition with at least 2 other Barca players for the title of best player in the world and they are similar in age, despite what we seen last night they will get better.

A REASON TO BE PROUD – THE R.A.H.

2011-05-29T09:55:00.001Z

Thursday 26/05/11 to the RAH Ophthalmic Dept. to have a procedure carried out on my left eye, having only ever spent a 2 day stay in hospital + the usual stitches and fractures in my 62 years I was a wee bit apprehensive. Reading in the daily paper about a woman who was awarded £6 Million compensation for a simple eye procedure which went wrong with tragic circumstances did not help my frame of mind.

In I went accompanied by my wife who was my scheduled driver for the day as I would not be able to drive after said procedure not that I needed her support for any other reason you understand. We were directed to a long corridor with doors and seats along each side, not that you got to sit for very long though. Voices calling out people's names sounded every couple of minutes and patients were constantly on the move, doors opened and closed constantly as patients; doctors and nurses weaved their way in and out of rooms like a Whitehall farce. Unlike a Whitehall farce though this was a model of efficiency and precision and all done with a smile on the staff members faces, dozens of people were dealt with in the space of a couple of hours, I watched as they gave reassurance and extra help to those who needed it, the 'Esprit de Corps' was very evident among this very impressive bunch of team players. .

I know you will all be anxious to hear the result which was positive and I am fine. A couple of injections in the upper and lower eye lids and some minor work and that was it although I now have a swollen keeker, a smell of burning and a wee bit of pain. It was reassuring to see the NHS at its best albeit at a relatively low level clinic, I went in at 2 pm and was out before 3 pm and it left me reflecting on what we have with the NHS and needless to say strengthened my resolve to protect it from the Tory vultures who are once again circling over it, my thanks go to all of the staff involved and my plea goes to all of you to defend this great institution.

DON’T PANIC, WHEN CHARLES IS KING IT WILL ALL BE FINE.

2011-05-25T20:07:00.001Z

Watching the Obama's glide through the UK can be quite seductive: young gifted and black as the song said. As they strolled regally through Buckingham Palace with the Queen and her consort one can't help but reflect on the mind set which still sees black people as inferior: it would be easy to mistake Barack and Michelle as Royalty and Elizabeth and Philip as dutiful retainers, colour notwithstanding of course. Being able to eavesdrop on their conversation would no doubt highlight the gap in intelligence between them as well; you decide who wins that one.

I wonder though if Mr. And Mrs. Obama really know who they are dealing with, recent events should give them a clue. King Hamad al- Kahlifa of Bahrain is a tyrant and a despot who was invited to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, when he and they were rumbled he was quickly shown the door and of course no one asked why they had invited such an appalling character unfortunately for the 'Firm' he refuses to go away.

The Queens horse Carlton House is favourite to win the Derby. The first Royal owned winner for over a hundred years if it pulls it off, how proud she must be. The horse is a bit of a swindle in that it was not bred by the Royal stables but given to her majesty as a present by, wait for it, Sheikh Mohammed; ruler and defence minister of Dubai as well as being Vice President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Think now of Saudi Arabia where women are beheaded for adultery (men are OK) and thieves have hands and feet amputated. The UAE have sent troops and equipment to Saudi Arabia to protect the medieval Royal criminals who have polluted the place for too long against the people who are demanding justice and democracy.

Some people insist that the Royal Family should be looked up to, an example to us all if you will, will her majesty send the horse back considering that just about everyone is now frowning on the Arab dictators who send her presents like potential Derby winners, should we look up to them? Well? As Philip would no doubt say to her wonderfulness "OK old girl these Arabs are a rum lot but at least they are not Catholics, and there's no denying they are filthy rich and generous to a fault when it comes to dealing with their fellow Royals like us"

“VISIT THE PRISONER” (JESUS)

2011-05-24T18:29:00.001Z

I can't remember supporting opposition parties very often but sometimes there is an issue which I cannot bring myself to oppose, the release of Mr. Megrahi was one such case notwithstanding the SNP Justice Secretary McKaskill's hapless handling of it, this educated fool described Scotland as a "compassionate nation" while allowing him to go back to Libya, release yes return no; he should never have done the latter. It did not occur to McKaskill that there are approx. 8,000 people in Scottish prisons some of whom I can assure you are not in the least compassionate and far more uncaught villains as well, how about people like Brian Souter; David Murray; compassionate? what about the vicious mob of bigots who went to war with Wendy Alexander over clause 28, compassionate my 'Jim Royle' Some are compassionate and some not; some good and some bad; exactly the same as other nations absolutely no different. Having said that I personally support shorter sentencing and more use of community orders, which is SNP policy or at least it was last week. There also remains a big doubt about the SNP's reasoning on this. Is it philosophical and driven by penal reform or is it to save money, I shouldn't have to ask that question but it is the SNP we are dealing with.

Carrying on in this confessional mode I want to say that I support the line being taken by the Tory Lord Chancellor Ken Clarke who wants to jail fewer people, there is a question however about Clarke's ability to carry his party with him on this issue. The natural home for many Tories is still Jurassic Park and their philosophy is still 'hang em and flog em' if you add Clarke's desperation to save money, a fact which lets him indulge in his One Nation Toryism you see that his position is weak. Proposals to introduce training, education and drug treatment in prisons were immediately attacked as tax payers paying for "parties in prison" by the Hitler supporting stalwart Tory Daily Mail.

Clarke is astute enough to know that this could be a double win, penal reform and money saved, 70% of short term prisoners reoffend within a year while prisoners who do community sentences are far more successful it takes education and support to do it but the long term savings far outweigh the costs of reoffending, it all makes sense but the red top press don't do sense and they will present a formidable barrier to reform, can Cameron stand the heat? my guess is no he can't but, good luck to Clarke anyway. Since I'm on a roll I will now see eye to eye with Winston Churchill who said apparently in a moment of rare sobriety round about mid morning usually just before the world started to slip out of focus "A humane prison system is an unfailing test of the civilisation of any country"

What I am about to say is what I believe and it is not because I enjoy being inundated with reactionary moronic comments. I'm not the most religious man but there are those who do claim to be very religious Christians who are happy in their hatred to ignore Jesus who said "visit the prisoner" he was of course a prisoner himself and could be said to have died in custody.

The Prison Reform Trust is campaigning to give prisoners the vote, enfranchising prisoners will be a huge step in making them more responsible it is the right thing to do and is enshrined in European Law, it is an idea whose time has come. We take prisoners who are illiterate and innumerate and put them in jail then several years later we release them still illiterate and innumerate, if there is anything more downright stupid and counterproductive than that then I have still to discover it, the British prison system needs an enema.

A SCOTTISH NATIONALIST VIEW OF THE WORLD.

2011-05-15T16:34:00.001Z

In connection with my last Blog entitled "The people have spoken the bastards" I have been attacked by an SNP supporter in a way which I think the public should see it shows what passes for debate in that party and those who support them. I said I thought that Scotland had a problem with sectarianism and racism, this caused my SNP attacker to describe me as "bitter and twisted" in reply I used a famous quote by Albert Einstein who said "nationalism is the measles of the planet earth" and asked him "was Einstein also bitter and twisted" His reply was priceless and it's why I am letting anyone who wants to read it do so. In defence of his position he described Einstein as a "dead German physicist" who according to him had no relevance, OK he does have the handicap of not being Scottish but we are talking about thee Albert Einstein here, poor Einstein arguably the greatest mind in history is demoted in SNP terms as a "dead German Physicist" his influence does not count in Scotland under the SNP. Should we be wondering and worrying about what an independent Scotland would be like with such attitudes?

He clearly did not see the position which his view of Einstein had put him in and went on to compare the cause of Scottish nationalism with causes led by Ghandi, Jomo Kenyatta, and Michael Collins. Only a knuckle dragging Scottish nationalist could compare the SNP and Alex Salmond with the struggles of India and Ghandi, Kenya and Jomo Kenyatta and Ireland and Michael Collins. This Tartan fool tarnishes these people's memories with his insular parochial and quite ridiculous claptrap and he also embarrasses Scotland.

In their own way these comments provide a little insight into the Brigadoon world that these fools live in, comments from SNP supporters like these actually tell you more about what they are like than I ever could. So, Einstein, Collins, Kenyatta and Ghandi history might be well aware of you but you are not Scottish and there is nothing you can do about it, your achievements pale to insignificance when compared to being born Scottish, sometimes I can do nothing other than despair.

“THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN.... THE B******S.” (US CANDIDATE DICK TUCK AFTER LOSING TO RICHARD NIXON IN CALIFORNIA)

2011-05-07T13:39:00.001Z

That headline above is one of my favourite political quotes ever, said with tongue in cheek of course. Scotland has elected the SNP in a way that no one saw coming not even the victors, no doubt every spin doctor in every party will be analysing the result, every party except perhaps the Liberal Democrats that is: for obvious reasons, the dogs in the street know what happened to them and why. I am delighted at their demise but disappointed at where their votes went, you can all ponder why the Libdem's who are in coalition with David Cameron's Tory Government votes went to the SNP rather than Labour and why it was an open secret that the Tories wanted an SNP victory.

It was a huge turn around in Scottish politics and a stunning victory for the SNP who despite the victory and a working majority still won't call a referendum on independence: I can only conclude that those in charge are terrified of losing or even afraid of winning? perhaps they know and fear the real consequences of breaking up the UK, I know that the SNP have never actually spelt out in detail the down side of independence. I suspect they will find ways of putting it off and try to remain the party who are going to bring independence to Scotland but just not right now.

"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated" said Mark Twain and so are ours, Labour of course will come back: our death has been predicted on many occasions but we are still standing and we are still the best hope this country has of bringing about a fairer society: a socialist society. We seem to be slowly drifting towards a presidential system where personalities take precedence over policies: that manifests itself in the case of Salmond (the spiv) who turns everything into a TV talent show aided and abetted by 5 out 6 of our national newspapers and right wing business people, think Trump, Souter etc. this allows him to get away with hardly mentioning independence which is of course the very reason for his party's existence.

A nationalist government debases Scotland it makes us look introverted, parochial and hidebound. I would rather burnish what reputation we have as an outgoing and Internationalist country not as an introverted insular people who refuse to have an expansive, enquiring nature. The SNP now have as Margo McDonald put it no excuse for failure, no one else to blame for getting it wrong. They have made promises and asked for a majority to carry them out and they knew what financial resources were available when they made those promises, they can no longer blame other parties or put failure down to being a minority administration. From now on the buck stops with the (wee spiv) Salmond so it should be an interesting time in Scottish politics.

I hope to survive this Government although I'm getting on a bit and my health is not great but my faculties are still intact (honest they are) and I will continue to pursue the political agenda I have always believed in which in a nutshell is a proper redistribution of wealth and the advent of Socialism. I joined the Labour Party in 19 72 during the coal dispute and I have been through bad and good times (Thatcher) so I have probably seen most things. I managed to survive Maggie and I will survive Salmond (the spiv) who stated of course that the Scottish People, he was speaking for you and me "did not mind Thatcher's economic policies so much" well the man who said that is now in charge with a majority, so it's good luck Scotland we are going to need it.

MORE JOBS AND PROTECTION OF SERVICES WITH LABOUR OR FLAG FLYING AND INDEPENDENCE MUMBO JUMBO WITH THE SNP YOU CHOOSE.

2011-05-04T16:55:00.001Z

15:30 pm May 4 – 2011 tomorrow is voting day for Holyrood and I think we can safely say that SNP candidate Derek Mackay is not going to try to defend his position of defending Tory/Libdem Government cuts, the cuts he described as "about right" perhaps he has not seen my challenge to him on this Blog where I have specified ruthless cut after cut and asked him to defend what he said. I know however that he and those of his fellow SNP members the one or two who are literate also read it so there is only one conclusion to be drawn, he has bottled it, he has no defence and he has cut and run. He is a coward or as the SNP would put it he's a feartie.

The choice is between jobs and posturing our way toward a referendum on independence which the nationalists hardly ever mention, if the SNP win by their own admission they will have been the Scottish Government for 9 years before they call that referendum, that sounds a bit lame to me as if they were afraid of the people's voice. The Tories continue to wander in the wilderness and the Libdems face well deserved slaughter, the couple of kid on revolutionary groups will again lose their deposits. The choice is between Labour who will create jobs and safeguard the lives of working people or a one man band with a band leader who s political spiv with a level of sincerity and honesty that makes the late Bob Monkhouse look like a Quaker.

If you want to take on the Tory/Libdem Westminster Government who are preparing for bigger and more vicious cuts you should vote Labour.

THE ROYAL WEDDING GUEST LIST – WHY I’M A CITIZEN NOT A SUBJECT.

2011-05-02T18:24:00.002Z

Is this how the grand people of history behave, the Queens and Emperors: The Sirs and the Nobles: The Lords and Ladies: The Captains and the Kings? Does it make sense to defer to and respect someone who is shallow and disingenuous, should we really put the Royal Family on a pedestal, and do they deserve esteem: do they deserve to be looked up to? Their latest arrogant insult to millions of British citizens screams no they don't. I refer of course to the guest list for the big Royal Circus last Friday, there were dodgy Greek Royals despite Greece being a Republic (Philip's influence perhaps) also a royal Middle Eastern tyrant who was quickly disinvited (a new word?) as his regime is exposed as being involved in torture and murder, they claim not to have known that, aye right. They were not the worst gaffs though, the Royals have always presented themselves as apolitical: without political bias and the guest list makes them out quite simply to be bending the truth. There is no other way of explaining why two previous remaining Tory Prime Ministers Major and Thatcher were invited and the two previous remaining Labour Prime Ministers Blair and Brown were not. This would have been known to all the big players: the Queen: Prince Philip: Charles: William: Kate: Harry etc. etc. We can only conclude that they agreed to this, some of the younger ones might not have known the full significance of this but the Queen and Charles and Prince Philip etc. would so where does that leave us?

Her Majesty has just coldly and with intent told millions of people whom she chooses to call her subjects that the political representatives they chose (Labour) are not welcome at the Royal Wedding while at the same time demonstrating that the politicians that they oppose (Tory) are more to her taste and are welcome at the Royal Wedding. I hope all the Labour voters will like me take the attitude "I know when I'm not wanted" and I will in future treat those who so demonstrably told me I'm not wanted in the appropriate way, they deserve to be reminded and condemned for this high and mighty insult at every opportunity.

I have always been opposed to unelected power and I have never heard an argument in my life which justifies it hence my Republicanism and intense dislike of Monarchies everywhere including here. You can take it as read that I accept that there are good decent people in the Royal Family as there are in most families but this incident has reduced the number of those in that category, you can choose for yourselves which of them you suspect might agree with snubbing Blair and Brown and those who don't. This rubbish about the Queen being Monarch of all the British people and having the same regard for them all has been exposed as tosh it's a load of bilge; their mask has slipped again and we see the privileged snobs behind it. I suspect that many people like me will never look at the Queen and the members of the Royal family the same way again; we now know what they really think of us. This is as I keep telling everyone why I call myself a Citizen not a Subject.

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART 8)

2011-04-28T16:30:00.001Z

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down; they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now biting and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

The SNP and Libdem candidates for Holyrood in our council Mackay SNP, McCartin Libdem, Adam SNP and presumably the other SNP candidate Doig who is not a councillor refused to criticise or condemn the Cameron Clegg attacks on the poor and vulnerable, these people are now asking you the people of Renfrewshire to give them your vote.

Example 8 – A ONE-LEGGED midwife has had her benefits slashed - because she can walk.
Angry Tracy Stronach received disability living allowance (DLA) after having her right leg amputated below the knee three years ago.
But this has been taken off her as the Government try to slash the UK's £12billion welfare bill.
Tracy, 40, who works at Dr Gray's Hospital in her home town of Elgin, Moray, reckons amputees have become an easy target.
She said: "I wonder just how many other people are in the same situation"

I regard this as an unacceptable attack on the vulnerable. Derek Mackay and the SNP/Libdem coalition think differently.

I would like Renfrewshire Council leader Mackay SNP to tell us if this is one of the cuts which he is on record as saying "are about right" perhaps he could do this before people go to the polls for Holyrood.

TO THE FREELOADING WINDSORS, THE BRITISH TAX PAYER IS A DRIPPING ROAST.

2011-04-27T18:27:00.001Z

f you were invited to a wedding where the groom's Grandfather was an offensive arrogant old clown and the Grandmother was a speaking doll with nothing between the ears, and the grooms father and his brother and sister were divorced and his other brother a twittering nonentity , where the grooms late Aunt Margaret was a raving nymphomaniac bigot who was reported as saying on leaving the Film Schindler's List "those fucking Jews always moaning" as well as a Great Grandmother who was also an offensive arrogant racist bigot who died £6million in debt simply because she exploited her position and refused pay any bills what would you do: politely decline perhaps?

The Royal wedding this Friday will instead be fawned over by millions and paid for by us, this dysfunctional bunch of parasites will be quite willing to let us pick up the tab despite enjoying riches themselves 'beyond the dreams of avarice'. I would make them hold the wedding at Wembley Stadium and sell or auction tickets as well as selling film rights to anyone who is prepared to pay, that would be far more dignified than scrounging off the tax payer at a time when so many of their subjects are being trashed by their loyal grovelling friends in the Tory/Libdem Coalition Government. They could have had a Royal whip round to pay for it and also test their mettle by seeing how many would contribute "The inequality of society is highlighted by Government cuts and the privatisation and decimation of essential services. This Ruritanian farce demonstrates a nauseating insensitivity to the hardship faced by the overwhelming majority of people in Britain.

Looking on the bright side: surely this vulgar display of privilege will hasten the day when monarchs with all their forelock tugging flunkies and unelected Lords and Ladies will be confined to the dustbin of history, the sooner the better, it's not necessary to follow the example of the glorious French and Russian revolutions and treat them rather harshly,. All we need to do is pass a bill through Parliament and issue them with real jobs and council houses and that would be it.

I will finish on a note for all you Scottish freedom fighters in the SNP as I paraphrase Alex (the spiv) Salmond "her majesty The Queen will be the head of state in an independent Scotland as will her heirs and successors" how do you like that one bravehearts the (wee spiv) has saddled you with an English Queen for ever under independence. We are continually told that the Royal Family are not political right? wrong! There are 4 past Prime Ministers still alive two of whom were invited: Major and Thatcher and two of whom were not invited Blair and Brown, go figure. Oh and I believe wee Alex (the spiv) is going too, they would be best advised to count the spoons afterwards.

The last word goes to Thomas Paine "a hereditary ruler makes no more rational sense than a hereditary dentist.

SALMOND (THE SPIV) STOOPS EVEN LOWER

2011-04-23T19:06:00.001Z

Am I the only one wondering how Alex (the spiv) Salmond and the SNP are feeling right now and over the past week or two following the horrific events surrounding Celtic manager Neil Lennon, Trish Godman MSP, Paul McBride QC and Brian Wilson ex Labour MP and cabinet minister?

We all know by now that all four have been targeted by some demented bigot or bigots who sent them parcel bombs which; according to Police were designed to and capable of causing serious injury and even death. We also know why they were targeted, it's because all four are prominent supporters of Glasgow Celtic FC. This is Scotland Alex! 2011, a country rife with sectarian and racist poison, it's time you admitted it and tackled it instead of denying it, stop telling us what a wonderful country we live in and start telling the truth. I will come back to this.

This is the country described by the crass and blustering Justice Minister SNP MSP Kenny McKaskill as "compassionate" when he released the Lockerbie Bomber (a correct decision) which he made a mess of, let me repeat what I said about him then. There is no such thing as a compassionate country it is a stupid and chauvinistic insult to claim such crap, people can be compassionate; countries can't. A couple of weeks ago this same utter clown described the Celtic Rangers Cup Final as a show piece for Scottish Football when everyone who was at the game or heard it on radio or saw it on TV knew that the atmosphere was once again polluted by sectarian racist chanting and singing throughout, this guy is a figure of fun but dangerous, he should not be allowed near any position of influence or power.

Alex (the spiv) Salmond saw personal advantage and acted instinctively to exploit it he jumped in and organised a summit which he of course chaired, who else with an election approaching, it doesn't get any lower. This is the same man who withdrew funding from organisations which were set up by the last labour Government to tackle sectarianism and racism in Scotland, organisations such as "Nil by Mouth" If Salmond really cared about such things he would curb his and his members language which continues to be anti English and dangerous, we live in a country where someone can be attacked for having an English accent and Salmond (the spiv) and the SNP encourage it. It used to be the fault of England and the English for everything that they saw as wrong. That became too obvious and thuggish and has now become 'London rule' rather than English rule, 'down south' rather than England and 'Westminster orders' rather than English orders but the meaning is the same. As long as the SNP continue to use such language they will be responsible for making the streets dangerous for those with English accents and they will continue to shame Scotland.

Meanwhile Alex (the spiv) Salmond is hoping that he has pulled a fast one and people will not remember how he withdrew funding from the cause he now belatedly is championing, as I said "it doesn't get any lower"

WHY WON’T THE SNP CANDIDATE DEREK MACKAY ANSWER MY QUESTIONS?

2011-04-20T14:24:00.001Z

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM GOVERNMENT BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID "THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT" (PART 7)

Yesterday at the Community and Family Care board I once again stated that he (Mackay) had said in public at a full council meeting that "the Tory/Libdem Government budget cuts were about right" he once again decided not to comment on my statement.

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now biting and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

Example 7 – Do you agree with me that people who are old, frail and disabled should be looked after by the state? SNP candidate Derek Mackay doesn't seem to think so! A recent announcement by the Tory/Libdem Government (SNP supported) after Parliament went into recess has axed funding to 13 social care projects. Vulnerable elderly people suffering from disabilities, dementia, chronic illness and mental health problems will bear the brunt of this decision which, along with the other cuts Derek Mackay the SNP Holyrood candidate has described as being "about right"

I would like Renfrewshire Council leader Mackay SNP to tell us if these are some of the cuts which he is on record as saying "are about right" perhaps he could do this before people go to the polls for Holyrood.

TORIES AND LIBDEMS BLAME IT ON JOHNNY FOREIGNER AS THEY PLAY THE RACE CARD AGAIN.

2011-04-15T12:58:00.001Z

Yesterday we saw the return to traditional Tory politics as David Cameron once again played the race card, not for nothing did former Labour giant Nye Bevin famously describe them (the Tories) as vermin. The race card has for long been a safe fallback position for the Tories when things are going badly as they are now doing. Cuts are biting and their lickspittle friends in the Liberal Democrats are starting to wobble as Mr. Cellophane Vince Cable describes PM Cameron's remarks as "very unwise" he goes on to say what everyone knows but some want to deny that high profile remarks like his on immigration can and do lead to extremists seeing the green light to attack immigrants. This is the same Tory Party who ran an anti immigration campaign in the notorious Smethwick by election in 1964 where their candidate; a local Tory thug campaigned under the slogan "if you want a nigger for a neighbour vote Liberal or Labour" this was back in the days when the Liberal Party actually stood for something decent, the Tories will never change.

Here we are 47 years on and the Tories once again drag the country into the gutter by stirring up trouble over immigration; the reasons? There are two - 1/ there are a lot of racist people about and many of them are Tories and 2/ Elections are looming and the Tories don't mind who gets hurt when they are after votes. Cameron's statement that net immigration will come down to tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands is made against a backdrop of polls suggesting that fewer people are concerned about immigration now than they have been for the past 9 years, the last thing Cameron and the right wing want is harmony. Harmony does not suit them hence the despicable attempt to stir up trouble. Conventional wisdom suggests that Cameron's rhetoric is not achievable which makes it even more obvious that it's a stunt to gain votes, unfortunately innocent people will now sleep more uneasily because of his posturing and people will suffer as the knuckle dragging racist morons take succour from his weasel words.

Cameron is doing what unsavoury Tories have done before him and used scare tactics to win votes as well as ingratiating himself with the Tory right wing, he doesn't care about the consequences and neither do his Liberal democrat partners who will do as they are told even in the knowledge that this is right wing racist politics of the worst kind. The skinheads, football hooligans, the BNP, The English Defence league and closet racists everywhere are celebrating again. The obsequious Labour MP Frank Field predictably joins in currying favour with what he calls the majority over the liberal elite, there is another word for that Mr. Field it's called mob rule, history teaches us some good examples of where targeting people who are seen as different can lead us.

The British National party accused the prime minister of poaching one of its own policies in the election build-up. What more needs to be said, I can hear our very own Liberal Democrat leader Eileen McCartin harumphing her support for this Cameron initiative already.

50 YEARS AGO TODAY IN A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY.

2011-04-12T19:54:00.007Z

50 years ago today Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to leave the planet earth and Scottish Actor Roddy McMillan wrote this charming wee children's song about the event, to the tune of "oh dear what can the matter be" Gagarin's fame as one of the Family of Man's greatest explorers might well outlive the song but it was a great way for kids at the time to learn about this, one of mankind's greatest ever adventures.

Chorus

Oh dear, Yuri Gagarin,

He flew tae the moon when it looked like a farthing,

He said tae the boys at the moment of parting

"Ah'm juist gaun away for the Fair"

Now inside the ship he lay down like a hero,

The doors were sealed up and the countdown was near- o

Ten-nine-eight-seven-six-five-four-three-two-one-zero

An Yuri went up in the air

Now when he took off he was shook tae the marra

He circled the poles and he saw the Sahara,

He gave them a wave as he passed over Barra

The day he went up in the air

Now when he went up it was juist aboot dawning,

The time when the rest of the world wis still yawning

Then Yuri returned to the land he wis born in

Withoot even turning a hair

When he came tae London they tried the saft pedal,

A wee bowler hat and a rolled-up umbreddle

But the foundrymen went an they struck him a medal

An gied it tae him at the fair

SNP CANDIDATE MACKAY HAS DONE A RUNNER !

2011-04-11T18:15:00.001Z

It seems that SNP candidate for Holyrood Derek Mackay has folded his tent and run aff tae think again.
I have now asked him to explain on 6 separate occasions why the cuts that I have been highlighting were described by him at a recent full council meeting as being "about right" I know he reads my blog because he has said so several times in council so where is he? Why is he not answering? The SNP's Holyrood opponents must be shivering and shaking with fear at having to face this Scottish Braveheart warrior eh?

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART 6)

2011-04-11T17:42:00.001Z

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now biting and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

Example 6 – Do you agree with me that people who are disabled are entitled to a living allowance? Do you agree with me that the Government should provide mobility support for the 80,000 people who live in care homes? It has been eight months since the government announced a 20% cut to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) Disability charities have witnessed massive levels of concern over the future of support. Despite a huge backlash and many complaints the DWP have announced that they do not intend to change the proposals, the government is going ahead with a £2.17 billion reduction in support. They also remain committed to axing mobility support for almost 80,000 disabled people living in care homes.

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART 5)

2011-04-06T16:17:00.002Z

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now biting and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

Example 5 – ( Child Poverty action group ) – Is it a good thing for Government to provide assistance to children who are born into poverty? I say yes it is a good thing. Tory/Liberal Democrat cuts will mean that these children and their families will lose £1,500 a year according to the ( Child Poverty action Group ) I think that is a disgrace, what do you think?

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART 4)

2011-04-04T11:46:00.001Z

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now biting and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

Example 4 – Clyde Coastguard. Is it a good thing to have a coast Guard Service? I say yes it is a good thing. Does the Coast Guard Service save lives? I say yes it does.
What do you say?
Under current UK government proposals, Clyde Coastguard will close with the loss of more than 30 jobs.

I would like Renfrewshire Council leader Mackay SNP to tell us if this is one of the cuts which he is on record as saying "are about right" perhaps he could do this before people go to the polls for Holyrood.

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART 3)

2011-04-03T17:39:00.005Z

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now biting and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

Example 3 – The Paisley Daily Express recently revealed that people with Learning difficulties who use our Day Centres are having their allowance of £2/week stopped and they are also now being forced to pay for what was previously free transport.

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART2)

2011-03-29T17:32:00.001Z

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now ready to start to bite and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

Example 2 – Following recent attacks on women in the Glasgow area Police set up a special rape investigation unit yet the city's rape crisis centre is having to curtail it's work in several parts of it's service because of funding cuts.

SPEAKING ON THE TORY/LIBDEM BUDGET, SNP COUNCIL LEADER DEREK MACKAY SAID “THE CUTS ARE ABOUT RIGHT” (PART 1)

2011-03-25T18:10:00.002Z

A few months back the Labour Group on Renfrewshire Council put forward a motion condemning the proposed cuts in the Tory / Libdem budget. The motion fell because the combined votes of the SNP, Tories and Libdems voted it down, they refused to condemn the Westminster Tory budget cuts. Those cuts are now ready to start to bite and I will highlight some of them on a regular basis.

Example 1 - More than 135,000 people suffer serious head injuries and a network of specialist rehabilitation units all over the country tackle the problem of getting them back to health. One such unit of 15 beds is to be closed as a cut in the service provided by the NHS. service.

MORE EMBARRASSING SQUIRMING FROM THE SNP/LIBDEM COMEDIANS AT RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL.

2011-03-23T20:00:00.001Z

Today at 1pm to the council main chamber for the Leadership Board Meeting, a fatally flawed title when you consider that the Leadership Board is in fact chaired and led by Mackay the SNP? Council leader which of course means that it is completely rudderless and meaningless. They still think that trotting out figures from "consultation exercises" such as 6o% agree with the council decision is valid, it's not because they never include the size of the sample who were consulted, it could be 6o% of 50 people which would be 30 and representative of hee haw, Mackay doesn't seem to grasp yet that people are not as stupid as he likes to think.

Another example of SNP leaders Mackay's lightweight intellect and glaring inexperience came back to haunt him today at this meeting. 2 or 3 weeks ago when I asked him a question he was a bit harassed and blurted out "I'm not going to debate with you Kelly" 'OOEEE OOAAA' gasped the meeting in mock horror at how he had stripped me of my title of councillor and reduced me to plane old 'Kelly' he refused to listen to advice to correct his childish error and pressed on, today he paid for that immature, childish error. I raised my hand to speak and he said "yes Cllr. Kelly" and I said with a smile "oh so I'm councillor again am I, thank you for that, MACKAY" poor lad what could he do but allow it he looked as if he was ready to bolt because he knew what was coming as he rightly guessed that I would and did use every opportunity at the meeting to refuse to call him councillor and refer to him as Mackay, poor C.E. David Martin looked miserable sitting next to him with a look which said "why me, why have I got to be saddled with wet behind the ears kid, he keeps making fools of all of us" I will now consider whether to call him Councillor in future, if he can get away with dropping my title of Councillor then so can I and so can anyone; he set the precedent and was too naive to see the consequences, perhaps he will apologise to me to save himself further embarrassment.

Here are 3 items which I picked up on at the meeting, 1 from Mackay and 2 from Cllr. McCartin in the case of Cllr. McCartin the council witnessed an occasion which has never been seen before, which I will return to in a moment. During the recent budget meeting I mistakenly voted for the Tory budget 'mea culpa' I did it and I took the ribbing for it, today Mackay stated while making a point that Cllr. Kelly (I'm a Cllr. again) voted with the Tories, which I of course did, Mackay tried to say that I did it deliberately, make of that what you will. I'm not the biggest name in politics but I'm confident that if you told people that I voted with the Tories without an explanation you would be asked what you have been drinking, that is how utterly stupid Council Leader Mackay is. McCartin then said while mounting her regular disingenuous attack on the last Labour Government that someone from Labour left a note in a drawer in Downing Street which said "sorry there's no money left" like Mackay's infantile accusation about me supporting the Tories she wants people to believe that this note was meant to be serious, the only place where you can find people who believe this now is within the SNP/Libdem administration to be found at Renfrewshire Doo Lally Council.

The SNP Libdem bunker is also the only place where the belief that the world recession was the cause of the last Labour Govt. and Gordon Brown can be found, I pointed out that Mervyn King the Governor of the Bank of England and no friend of Labour recently stated that the Labour Govt. were not to blame. It was also stated by someone that Labour and Gordon Brown responded best of of all the countries affected; that someone was a Mr. Paul Krugman who also happens to be the holder of the Nobel Prize for Economics.

So! Mervyn King and Paul Krugman listen up, are you aware that Libdem leader and chief jersey seller Councillor Eileen McCartin and the Boay Mackay disagree with you, perhaps you should think again?

The occasion referred to above which has never been seen before was as a result of my repeated invitations to McCartin to come in and discuss the recent by election where her and her party were humiliated by crawling in 5^th. To the astonishment of everyone she ignored the invitation and refused to comment on the by election. When someone as arrogant and ignorant as she is abandons the habit of a lifetime which was to show no respect or contrition for anything and disdain for everyone runs away from defending her party; it is safe to say that the Libdems are toast. They are finished here and over the country as well. They quite simply are paying the price of their sins, the lies told to the electorate are now haunting them and it couldn't happen to more deserving people.

GAGARIN THE FIRST SPACE HERO - "THE COLUMBUS OF THE COSMOS"

2011-03-18T20:45:00.004Z

Approximately 50 years ago at the age of 11 I started looking at the sky and have been doing so ever since, not just looking but gazing and wondering. One of the greatest happenings in the history of man had just taken place and the name on everyone's lips was Colonel Yuri Gagarin the first human being to venture into space. Like most 11 year olds I didn't think much about anything other than football, another lifelong passion but: even for a football mad youngster this was impossible to ignore, everyone knew something mind boggling had happened and we all wanted to find out more.

Gagarin became the most famous man on the planet overnight and the people of the world took him to their hearts, the Soviet Union had put a man into orbit which was astonishing: until then we only knew about Dan Dare and Emperor Ming as comic figures but this was real and almost too much to comprehend.

We quickly learned about him, he was 27 years old and he left and flew round the Earth and returned in 1hr. 48 minutes. The actual orbit of mother Earth took 1Hr. 29.34 minutes. He flew at a height of 327,000 meters and travelled at 23,766 miles an hour in Vostock 1. Or as me and my brothers worked out rather crudely Glenburn to London in about 50 seconds that's what grabbed us, Glenburn to London in 50 seconds! I remember we sat looking at each other dumbstruck and unable to explain such a phenomenon, Glenburn to New York? 13 minutes wow! Yuri was described by his fellow cosmonauts as a brilliant mind with ice water in his veins, completely without fear and popular with everyone. He was able to withstand 13G's in the centrifuge and as part of psychological training spent 24 hrs. In a soundless, lightless room the instructors described him as "very difficult, if not impossible to upset"

He was one of 20 cosmonauts who were competing to be the first human in space, Gagarin got the nod not because of his brilliance as a pilot or his unflappable temperament, such things counted of course but he was chosen because he was the smallest of the 20 and the capsule was tiny, world shattering events can be dependent on such mundane things.

Yuri Gagarin left the Earth, no one had ever done that before, since the big bang until April 12 1961 he was the first to leave our planet quite a claim right? What the Soviets did not plan for was the reaction of the world, Gagarin was not just the first man in space he was also as a bonus the most charismatic of men with a megawatt smile who made friends with everyone he met, he was down to Earth (poor pun) and the world could not get enough of him, he did more to change people's opinions of the Soviet Union than anyone could imagine he was a PR dream and to me and millions of others he was one of the greatest if not thee greatest heroes in history.

Gagarin however did not like life as a famous personality all he wanted to do was fly preferably in space. This was denied him as the Soviets valued him too much to send him back into orbit. After much pleading they let him resume his career as a test pilot and he was happy with the adrenalin rush provided by flying low at great speed when testing migs. He died along with another pilot doing this in 1968 and so horrific was the crash that his body could only be identified by the air base barber who recognised a mole on his neck, I suppose he died the way he lived fast and dangerous.

I have thought of him many times since I first heard his name and I he is responsible in no small measure for my interest in science, astronomy and space travel. I suppose everyone has heroes and Yuri Gagarin was/is mine he takes me back to a time when he made anything seem possible a time when hair was long and time was short.

A TASTE OF THINGS TO COME FROM LABOUR IN RENFREWSHIRE.

2011-03-18T16:18:00.002Z

Most electoral results can be spun to demonstrate that the result wasn't as bad for your party as it looks, as the great one nation Tory Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli once said "there are lies: damned lies and statistics" meaning some clever people can manipulate things to get them to look good no matter how bloody awful they really are. Every now and then a result happens where the above mentioned scheming manoeuvres are simply not possible, last night the Paisley South By Election was just such an occasion when Labour won easily and took the seat previously held by the SNP.

The Tory avoided humiliation along with the "Scottish Socialist Party Stop the Cuts" (nice snappy name there) and the Independent, none of whom were serious candidates. It was a Labour triumph while the SNP were humiliated by losing in a seat where their previous incumbent had sat for 30 years a sea change indeed and an example if needed of how dire their stewardship of the council has been, this was the electorate enjoying the taste of a cold dish called revenge and they gave the SNP collaborators a good kicking which they richly deserved,

Remember "the Westminster Tory/Libdem cuts are about right" (SNP council leader MacKay)

We look now at one of one of the worst humiliations in local politics which I can remember in my life time, step forward Cllr. Eileen McCartin of the Libdems and accept you prize! Not only has this utterly delusional buffoon of a woman led her party into a situation where they came in 5Th. behind the completely unknown Independent and 52 votes ahead of the SSP but she still brazenly acts as if everyone is out of step except her. She not only supported cuts in hours taught by Primary teachers and the scrapping of school busses along with closing libraries and swimming pools but she managed to insult and enrage everyone she came into contact with while doing so. It has been a learning curve for people who opposed these cuts, having seen her at meetings and asked her questions they are incredulous that anyone could vote for someone like her, such is her arrogance, rudeness and complete lack of any people skills. The Libdems are in coalition with the Tories at national level where they are taking a wrecking ball to public services and also in coalition with SNP here in Renfrewshire where they are doing the same thing. People like Mackay and McCartin see themselves as being above ordinary folk, he because of his hidebound obedience to the fairytale of Scottish independence and she because of her idiocy and conceit you have to witness her for yourselves as she sneers and insults people telling them they simply don't understand. She is running for Parliament for the 8^Th. or 9^TH. time apparently there is no Libdem who would be a better candidate, the word vanity does not do her justice.

Well done Labour, well done Roy Glen and all his team, Labour has now got 18 seats and the biggest share of the popular vote by far, the SNP have 16 and the Libdems a pathetic 4 yet they consider that a mandate, there is a reckoning coming for the political harlots of the SNP/LIbdems and it looks more and more likely that the people of Renfrewshire are getting ready to provide it.

BEWARE MISS. MIDDLETON, YOU CAN PICK YOUR FRIENDS BUT NOT YOUR IN LAWS.

2011-03-17T18:49:00.001Z

Have you ever wondered how Kate Middleton feels about being called a commoner? It sounds a bit insulting and let's face it would you tolerate being called a commoner by a member of one our most embarrassing anti social dysfunctional families the Windsors, the Tories should start with them to see who is and who isn't fit to work. Still she will have the compensation of having some very famous people at her wedding, she will boogie with despots and tyrants who are all friends of her husband's uncle Andy, if you can't have a good knees up with Andy around there is something seriously wrong just don't expect him to buy a round though. He travels the world (first Class) stays in luxury hotels always with his golf clubs; dining in the most expensive restaurants, he is our official gun runner to tyrants everywhere he can't find his own arse using both hands but he's a Royal dontchaknow! It's a dirty dangerous job and we should be grateful that we have Prince Andrew to do it for us, a positive slave to duty he is.

Also in attendance will be William's Uncle Edward whose film company went bust leaving the investors skint and Edwards's wife Sophie whose company crashed with debts of £1.7Million. Don't forget Ginger nut Sarah; she owes £5Million of debt and Andy persuaded his American millionaire friend a Mr. Epstein a convicted criminal to 'bung her £15,000 to help with a debt "that's what friends are for" And us peasants will play our part as their friends by forking out millions for the wedding, I know you didn't get a choice but it would be churlish to object, wouldn't it? Kate would be well advised to count the spoons at the reception.

The charming Kate must be careful when travelling abroad where her new family have some close friends who are mega rich through oil; she is however a woman and these Arab Royals still think nothing of beheading women; even princesses. How will she get along with the world's most obnoxious man William's Grandfather big Phil (the Greek) Windsor, brother in law to 5 high ranking Nazis during the third Reich, so much quality, the breeding is obvious don't you think. No doubt she will learn all about William's late beloved Grandmother the moronic bigot and racist Queen Mother who left £6Million of debt in her wake when she shuffled off this mortal coil, what a mob.

There is a school of thought that says that the Windsor parasites will be always with us; this is based on the following reasoning which says, 'considering what they are like and their history if we haven't gotten rid of them by now we never will'

Still it is not all doom and gloom Alex (the spiv) Salmond likes it that way he wants the house of Windsor to carry on forever, by the Grace of God she and her heirs will be the future Heads of State in wee Eck's independent Scotland. Come to think of it they have previous together, neither the Royals nor the Scottish Nationalists wanted to fight the Nazis during the Second World War, Jackboots and Kilts anyone?

ARE WE HEADIMG FOR “GREAT MURDOCH BRITAIN” WHERE ARE THE MILITARY CRITICS?

2011-03-07T17:42:00.001Z

I am about to see eye to eye with the Tories, no it's not a joke but what I'm getting at might still aggravate some of them, probably a lot of them in fact. Not so long ago when Labour were in power it was difficult to pick up a newspaper or tune in to a news bulletin without the Labour Government getting all kinds of abuse from those who accused them of selling out our armed forces. It was a contrived coordinated attack on Labour by the right wing media and high ranking military officers aided and abetted shamefully by trendy left groups like the SSP who appallingly exploited the grieving mothers and fathers of soldiers killed or wounded to attack Labour.

Where are the retired Colonels, Rear Admirals and Chief Flying Officers now as the Army, Navy and RAF are decimated by this Tory/Libdem cabal, they have all gone quite have they not? What happened to the outrage from the Press and TV it was a nightly occurrence with right wing politicians and right wing reporters attacking like hungry sharks. Have I missed something; are soldiers no longer being killed and maimed what happened to the rage against Labour, is it OK to be blown to bits as long as it's a Tory led Government in power?

What hypocrites, how about Salmond running around trying to save British Regiments and British Air bases what a con man independence my Jim Royle . I said at the time and I feel vindicated now, that the complaints were designed to attack the Labour Government and the weapons of choice were dead and injured soldiers who were exploited remorselessly. A bad workman blames his tools and so it was with the Armed Forces, the bellicose elderly Generals and Colonels deliberately turned the blame on the Government to hide the fact that one of the biggest and best equipped armies in the world couldn't beat a group of peasants using single shot rifles which they had to share, one gun between two fighters. They were prepared to blame anyone and anything to avoid the obvious; that is that the British Armed Forces need an enema.

All jobs and positions need to be opened up to talent and an end put to nepotism which has been ripe in the Forces and indeed in our society for far too long, read about the cretin Prince Andrew if you don't believe me. Let me explain why I agree with the Tories. Successive governments have clung to the fiction that Britain is a big player on the world stage and our armed forces reflect that, this ceased to be the case a long time ago but no one in politics has had the nerve to admit it. This Tory Government doesn't have that nerve either but they have made it plain by their actions that Britain is an also ran in the modern world, their ruthless destruction of the military states that clearly, even if they won't come out and say it. I urge them now to finish what they have started by ridding the world of Trident and the rest of the weapons of mass destruction which we don't need. I guess that you along with me can think of lots of ways to spend the hundreds of billions we pay for weapons of war, enough to guarantee full employment, first class education, housing and medical treatment for everyone. Once we have done that we can get started on the class system beginning with Lords, Baronets and Knights of the Garter, then all unelected Royal Parasites and not a penny piece for anyone who does not earn it, that would be a good start wouldn't it?

A MESSAGE FOR CLLRS. MACKAY, CAMERON AND MC CARTIN FROM THE PARENTS – “IF YOU THINK EDUCATION IS EXPENSIVE YOU SHOULD TRY IGNORANCE”

2011-03-03T18:19:00.002Z

I sat in Paisley town hall 2 weeks ago and looked around me at the vast crowd of angry people, every seat taken and approx. 500 locked outside as the campaign to overthrow Renfrewshire SNP/libdem plans to remove primary teachers and replace them with sessional workers reached a crescendo. The final nail in the coffin of these irresponsible ruthless proposals took place yesterday at a full council meeting when the SNP/Libdem plan to make Primary School cuts was scrapped. Parents looked on with dignified satisfaction as the SNP led coalition ate the humble pie which has been heading in their direction for a couple of months, these parents will never trust them again. Come the election will parents be saying "wasn't it nice of those SNP/Libdem politicians to listen to us" or will they be saying something like this "vote for them SNP/Libdems ! you are kidding, remember what they tried to do with our children's education, let's make sure they don't get the chance to do something like that again" my money's on the latter version. The SNP/Libdem coalition was quite simply humiliated by the power of the parent/teacher campaign, one which I was proud to support along with the rest of my Labour Colleagues.

The SNP/Libdem coalition demonstrated how to lose badly and without any dignity as they snarled and scowled their way through the proceedings and the parents cherished it. Mackay made an unctuous speech where he tried to claim credit for "listening" to the parents, rather late I'm afraid. I can't find a single person who does not agree that this decision was taken because the parents forced them to back down. That and a cynical deceitful attempt to limit the damage to Mackay's Holyrood electoral chances, a good example of a politician on the make showing rat like cunning but, the people are not that daft, they can see through a cellophane politician like Mackay anytime. Education Convener SNP Cllr. Cameron continues to believe that hostile stares and growling at people are good debating tools, a chance to hear what these parents actually think of her behaviour would quickly disavow her of that fantasy. Her conduct and her ugly, lurid late night comments on the internet have brought complete shame on her

The figure of gruesome mirth that is Libdem leader Eileen McCartin however has no serious political ambitions and she was as conceited and tactless as ever as she remained defiant and let the parents and everyone know that she stood by the proposals. The parents, teachers, unions, educational experts, Head Teachers, members of the public, the Labour group, the Tory group, council officers who admitted it was wrong and "uncle Tom Cobley n all" We are all incapable of understanding like her; if only we had her clarity of vision, her superior intelligence we would see what she sees, that it is a good idea. This bizarre woman is running for Holyrood, I think this will be her 8^th. or 9^th. attempt at a Parliamentary election so the people of Renfrewshire will have yet another chance to recognise the talent, the ability, the charm, the indefatigability of the woman who is Eileen McCartin she could finish up on Strictly Come Dancing, a kind of Scottish Ann Widdicome if you will; without the brains of course.

Has anyone ever; like me wondered about the Libdem selection procedure for Parliamentary candidates? The SNP are pretty ghastly and quite pathetic as we see the same candidates (all serial losers) cropping up at each election Doig, Adam, Lawson, ex cllr. and real SNP man 'Old Bill Martin' etc. recycled has beens all of them but none of them can hold a candle to the Queen of the losers Eileen McCartin. she must be closing in on the record for most electoral gubbings held by Screaming Lord Sutch of the Monster Raving Loony Party. The fact is there is no bigger monster and no raving loony who can match her. Her automatic candidacy begs the question who else is a member of the Libdems in Renfrewshire? If there are any others has it never occurred to them that she has never been a credible candidate and has been a figure of ridicule for years? Oh and did you know that she is the deputy leader of Renfrewshire Council, honestly she is, check it for yourselves. What must the calibre of members in the Libdems be like? The mind boggles; no one is better than her! Can that possibly be true? Or as we all suspect is she really that scary?

CLLRS. MACKAY, CAMERON AND MC CARTIN, RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL. “SEND IN THE CLOWNS, THERE OUGHT TO BE CLOWNS, DONT BOTHER THEY’RE HERE” (NIGHT MUSIC-SONDHEIM)

2011-02-19T19:47:00.001Z

To the 6 weekly Council circus for the Full Council meeting Thursday Feb. 17^Th. 11, it was budget day and the first thing to say is that the SNP repeatedly attacked Labour for not producing a budget, what they omitted to say was that they (the SNP) refused to produce a budget when they were in opposition, some 27 years, go figure. It was known that parents angry at the Coalition's proposals to cut Primary Education would be present and that provoked SNP supporters who never attend to show up early to prevent as many parents as possible from getting in, do you think they might be afraid of the parents actually hearing the argument?

SNP council leader Mackay was skewered regularly by questions which he refused to answer he for instance claimed a mandate for their actions based on consultation replies which he said justified what they were doing he stated that 600 people had replied by attending meetings around Renfrewshire, I asked him what that 600 people represented as a percentage of those contacted? no reply! He continued with this ludicrous deceit by quoting percentages of people he claimed supported him, again I asked him to tell us what his quoted percentages were in relation to the numbers contacted, again; no reply. Another example of his lightweight abilities followed when he called on people to stop describing non teachers as the 'scum of the earth' I said to him that it was a terrible accusation to make and he answered "well you should stop doing it" I asked again if he was accusing me of saying this? His answer? Like a petulant child he blurted out "I'm not going to debate with you Kelly" stripped of my title of councillor by King Derek eh? This ridiculous boy is the leader of Renfrewshire Council, oh yes he is. Honestly!

Prior to the meeting starting parents gathered outside to protest and all 3 Party leaders addressed, them the 1 predictably missing was of course SNP council leader Derek Mackay he said he was too busy with business inside the building: he was of course hiding in the toilet trembling and hugging his teddy bear. This overture to the meeting produced another priceless McCartinism she; showing her usual arrogance and stupidity decided to speak: everyone had mentioned the hundreds of emails received by councillors from the parent campaigners, all said they took on board the overwhelming negative opinions expressed of the proposed changes to education provision by the incensed parents . You have heard me describe this wretched bully of a woman (Libdem McCartin) before: heard me lament her arrogance and her vicious lack of sympathy or empathy with anyone or anything, I now offer you further proof.

She took a few steps up the stairs and turned to face the crowd and said (I paraphrase) "I too have received as many as 200 emails and they are about half and half" she was suggesting that about 100 of the emails she had received from parents supported the council decision to cut primary education provision and the other 100 were opposed to the proposals. I think that some people who read this will think I'm not telling the truth here some will say; OK councillor Kelly we know you don't like this woman but really: no one is that stupid surely, is anyone as arrogant as that honestly; as contemptuous of voters and parents as that? Well, that's what she said she tried to tell the parents many of whom had sent those emails that they were balanced about 50% for and 50% against the SNP/Libdem proposals to cut Primary provision, make your own enquiries don't take my word. It might be a good idea to contact her and ask to see the evidence to support her claim, when she made this ludicrous claim she was met with howls of derision and she said she could prove what she said by showing them the emails, someone from the parents councils should take up her challenge, I find her claim disingenuous to say the least some parents present were yelling that she was a downright liar. None of the parents challenges or derisive laughter of course had any effect on her, remember we are talking about Eileen McCartin Libdem leader and deputy leader of the council here, oh yes she is. Honestly.

The budget was the 'same old same old' with more savage cuts in Social Work, Education and Leisure and here is a fact for you to mull over. The Tories produced a budget of vicious cuts as well but there was something of a collector's item about it. The SNP/Libdem budget cuts were more than the Tory budget cuts, go figure that one as well tartan Tories anyone? The SNP/Libdem coalitions in Renfrewshire are more vicious with their cuts than the Libdem/Tories in the British Govt. at Westminster. Here are some rough figures to show the extent of the con trick which the SNP/Libdem coalition are trying to perpetrate on the people of Renfrewshire.

SNP Mackay boasts about 600 people at meetings and claims a mandate from that, he refused to say how many were invited. We know however that 91,249 people were invited to take part in a consultation called "difficult choices for difficult times" and 1,984 responded the percentage he basis his mandate on is therefore 2.17% if the 600 who attended meetings not all of whom supported their proposals but let's be charitable and say all 600 supported him that would be 0.66% we aint talking landslides here are we? Cllrs. Mackay and McCartin and their motley crew must have learned about democracy from a CIA backed dictator of a 3^rd. World banana republic, (vote early and vote often! welcome to sunny Renfrewshire Council run by Cllr. Derek Mubarak and Cllr. Eileen Gadaffi)

39 councillors have received something like 6,000 emails from angry parents and SNP council leader Mackay doesn't want to mention that; why? It's only 10 times more than the number (all of whom didn't agree with him) which he claims gives him a mandate to slash primary education.

Over 3,000 signatures on a petition which also does not impress SNP council leader Mackay, that's 5 times more than the magic 600 number which he pathetically clings to again remember all of that 600 did not agree with him and the coalition plans.

One last thing, all of those people who signed the petition and those who emailed can be verified, at this meeting Cllr. Mackay appeared to read out statements from people who supported the SNP/Libdem plans for cuts. He did not verify the veracity of anyone he quoted and he quoted about 6/7 people, again people, go figure for yourselves.

The last word goes to the worst Education Convener in the history of Renfrewshire Council the SNP councillor Lorraine Cameron. In a quite nasty speech she said that children were already being taught in Primary schools by people who are not teachers, when asked to give details she couldn't. She also said that people? Were spreading stories about drunks and drug addicts being brought in to cover primary classes, again when challenged to give details she was unable to do so. She then tried a story about a child coming home in tears because the child had been told that it would be taught by a stranger and; said she; in a moment of complete desperation and utter stupidity "what do we all tell our children? Don't talk to strangers right?" Aye right, "Jesus *&%$"£$*^! @" Christ. Cllrs. Cameron, Mackay and McCartin and the rest of the vicious incompetent mob of nonentities is it not time to put a stop to this stupidity?

EGYPTIANS 1 USA & ISRAEL 0

2011-02-12T19:47:00.002Z

I remember approx. 50 years ago in the first history class of the new term we started with a new unknown teacher at St. Mirin's Academy Paisley. He came in to the classroom and said good morning and wrote on the blackboard "History began when humans learned to read and write" He went on to say "this happened about 5,500 years ago in the fertile valley of the Nile in ancient Egypt where the first writings known to man were found" That might not be strictly verbatim but it's close and it stuck in my mind at the age of 12/13 that teacher whose name now escapes me installed a fascination and passion in me for history which is still with me today.

I thought again of those early lessons and about Egypt with its ancient history; it's Pyramids and the river Nile when I watched the events unfold on TV from Cairo, tens of thousands of people determined to overthrow their tyrannical leader and his motley crew, American Lackeys every one of them, put there 30 years ago by the USA to protect American interests in the Middle East. Brave people demonstrating against a backdrop of murder, kidnapping, torture and the site and sound of tanks, low level jets and helicopter gunships, they were and are simply heroic and they deserve the support of every democratic fair minded person in the world. It is to be hoped that Egypt and Tunisia will only be the start and other regimes in the region will topple as well.

Hovering over the entire area of the Middle East like a malevolent black cloud is of course the rogue state of Israel now even more trigger happy than ever and becoming more jumpy by the day. The perfidious peace deal between Israel and Egypt was of course done to placate America and many Egyptians have long resented it. Mubarak's overthrow was partly because of his defence of Israel and their treatment of the Palestinians, can you imagine the outrage and disgust felt by many Egyptians when they were forced to tolerate the suffering and carnage suffered by their fellow Arab and Muslim brothers and sisters in Palestine. Particularly in the Gaza Strip where Israel carried out the genocidal slaughter of men women and children in operation "Cast Lead" Mubarak and his Quisling Govt. despite sharing a border with Gaza turned their back on them refusing to let people out an humanitarian aid in, a shameful period in Arab history.

Prior to the dishonourable peace between Egypt and Israel the cost of defence for Israel was 30% of their wealth, this dropped to 7% after the peace deal so the consequences of an Egypt hostile to Israel could be very significant indeed. The benefits to the Palestinians would be vast and strengthen their cause, this could be massive for the Palestinians and it could also destabilise the region to a very dangerous degree. Israel has shown with increasing ferocity lately that they are bordering on being "a lunatic state" (Professor Norman Finklestein) consider what they did to the Gaza humanitarian relief convoy and their barbaric attack on Gaza. Perhaps they will revert to type and slaughter everyone and destroy everything in sight or maybe, just maybe they will see that the state of Israel is an international crime and take steps to rejoin the human race.

A CHANCE TO FEEL GOOD – DONATE TO A GOOD CAUSE!

2011-02-11T16:28:00.003Z

Please read the item below and consider sponsoring Joyce in this arduous challenge for a very good cause.

Dear friends and colleagues

As the head of a health and fitness organisation, a keen cyclist and a woman approaching the big "50" I have decided to set myself a challenge
this summer.

I will be cycling from London to Paris in July, a total of 291 miles in 3
days. By undertaking this challenge I hope to raise funds for a very
worthwhile charity "Action Medical Research for Children". By doing this
challenge I am raising money for a great children's charity dedicated to
improving the health of babies and children in the UK. The charity relies
entirely on donations to fund a range of research projects that address
serious childhood conditions and improves the quality of life for children
with disabilities.

I hope you will support me in this challenge. The link below will take you
to my online sponsor page which also provides further information on the
work of the charity.

http://www.action.org.uk/sponsor/joycemckellar
Many thanks.
Joyce

Joyce McKellar
Chief Executive
Renfrewshire Leisure Limited
(Tel: 0141 887 2210
4 Fax: 0141 840 8200
8: joyce.mckellar@renfrewshire.gov.uk
Web: www.renfrewshireleisure.com
+ The Lagoon Leisure Centre, 11 Christie Street, Paisley, PA1 1NB

CHRISTMAS DINNERS-LUNCH CLUBS- DAY TRIPS- PENSIONERS AND POOR LATEST TO SUFFER AT THE HANDS 0F THE SNP/LIB DEM RENFREWSHIRE COUNCIL CUTS.

2011-02-09T16:17:00.001Z

To the council for the grandly titled "Leadership Board" a rather unfortunate title when one considers that the Leadership board is in fact led by SNP council leader Derek MacKay which is to say that it has no leader worth the name and is in fact rudderless, the council continues to be run by officers with a coalition administration who perform like a row of nodding donkeys. Tory Cllr. Ian Langlands supports them mostly, while he is no nodding donkey he is however consistently wrong on almost every issue.

Today we had an item which cut the money that Local Area Committees (LAC's) were to be allowed to issue as grants, just to remind you LAC's were set up and heralded by the SNP/Libdem coalition as bringing democracy to the people, the people however are not allowed to vote on anything at the meetings, Democracy? This SNP/Lib Dem. sham democracy was further eroded today when they decided that the LAC's would be told what and who were to get grants so this Democratic ? farce does not let people vote and does not let members of the LAC vote as they wish, welcome to what an independent Scotland would look like, Cairo on the banks of the river Cart.

All the SNP/Lib Dem coalition councillors + the one Tory supported the decision that grants would be no longer be available for Christmas Dinners, Lunches and day trips, now who will take the hit for that I wonder? how about pensioners, community clubs and the poor. The attitude of the coalition councillors to the elderly pensioners who enjoy these things was one of scathing contempt they regard our senior citizens and the poor in our communities as scroungers because they apply for grants for trips and Christmas dinners, this is the real face of the SNP and Lib Dems, as hard and right wing as any backwoods Tory and every bit as callous, vicious and mean.

The SNP/Lib Dem councillors are however not so stingy with their own pet projects which allows them to strut around and get publicity, Fireworks Displays, Christmas lights, paying pop stars to turn on lights, bringing Gaelic Choirs to Paisley, they even sent a van to Edinburgh to get a supply of napkins with a saltire design when the "Spiv" Salmond was visiting the council, these are all OK, giving senior council officers a wage increase of 23% while cutting school busses is OK as well, as is getting rid of 310 teaching jobs and bringing unqualified people in to replace teachers, all of the above are fine with the SNP/Lib dem and usually the Tory councillors as well but giving our pensioners a grant for a Christmas dinner is not! These are the kind of people who are running our council doesn't it make you embarrassed to admit you come from Renfrewshire?

DANGEROUS RADICALS! MORE POWER TO THEM.

2011-02-02T18:52:00.001Z

Google - 38 Degrees.

And find an interesting site, my guess IS that someone will find a way to close them down.

WHEN TEA BAGGERS TALK ABOUT A SECOND AMENDMENT SOLUTION, THIS IS WHAT THEY MEAN.

2011-01-30T18:26:00.002Z

I watched a remarkable interview from American TV the other night. A guy called Lawrence O Donnell on his own show was interviewing the Republican Senator for Arizona a Mr. Franks about the shooting of the Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who was shot along with others including 6 killed in Tucson Arizona by a mentally disturbed young man called Jared Loughner. The interview took an extraordinary and fascinating turn when O Donnell either in a planned way or inadvertently asked the Senator the following. "Would you have preferred this shooting incident to have happened in 2003 or today in 2011" he asked this question no less than 4 times and could not get Republican Senator Franks to answer it.

His refusal to answer such a simple; albeit slightly unusual question on such a grave and current incident caught my attention; I did some reading on this to try to see what was going on.

In 2003 the Democrats passed a law which made the maximum number of bullets which could be fired from an automatic weapon such as that used by the gunman 10, the Republicans later changed that law to increase the number of bullets from 10 to 31 so, Mr. Franks was being asked in a roundabout way "would you prefer the gunman to be able to fire 10 or 31 bullets?" a question which we in this country call 'a no brainer' yet the senator could not answer, the reason for his inability to answer?

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is a hugely powerful organisation with massive political influence, they can make life very difficult for anyone who gets in their way and that includes politicians. They lobbied the Republicans to have the number of bullets increased because it would make them even greater profits for selling their guns (why kill 10 when you can kill 31, get your 31 shooter from us) they also enticed (bribed) them with money, they bought the votes of the Republicans and no doubt some Democrats as well. The wretched Senator Franks is one who has been bought by them and he therefore was unable to say that it would have been better had the incident taken place in 2003 rather than 2011.

Put another way Republican Senator Franks of Arizona was unable to say that when a deranged gunman opens fire in a crowded shopping centre it is better if he fires 10 rather than 31 bullets. This is America, today: right now! This is Capitalism red in tooth and claw, the scourge of the Planet Earth, is there hope for the future? A lot is riding on Obama.

“HOME OF THE BRAVE AND LAND OF THE FREE” _ GOD HELP AMERICA!

2011-01-29T20:05:00.001Z

The accused Jordan Brown stands in the dock looking a little bewildered, he is chained hand and feet as he is charged, the charge is the heinous murder of his father's fiancé who was 2 weeks away from giving birth at the time of the killing making the charge one of double murder. He faces life in prison without parole: the death penalty is not an option in this case despite that fact that this is Pennsylvania USA where there is an insatiable appetite for practicing such barbarism. The American 'justice' system is so enthusiastic about putting people to death that they offer no less than 5 different methods of doing the deed: gas chamber; electric chair; firing squad; chemical injection and good old fashioned hanging for the 'good ole boys' who are traditionalists, say what you like about America but you can't accuse them of not offering choice and variety.

The person standing chained in that dock Jordan Brown was 11 years of age at the time hence no death penalty as the USA have recently banned it for under 18's. He is now 13 and has been sentenced to life without parole and an appeal is taking place now to challenge the sentence, only in America eh? He shot the victim in the back of the head with a rifle: his very own rifle especially made and suitable for use by an 11 year old and needless to say in America it is perfectly legal: it's a godsend when you have run out of ideas for a Christmas present for your all American kid.

If the appeal fails he will be the youngest ever American to get such a sentence and the youngest in the world according to Amnesty International but hey! this is America right, Innovation and can do remember? 2,400 are already in prison doing this sentence and 450 are in Pennsylvania to their shame. A week or so ago I watched with growing anger and frustration as President Obama hypocritically lectured the Chinese delegation to Washington on human rights. I thought about America's Guantanamo Bay Prison where prisoners have been held for 6/7 years without trial let alone sentence and that was before I heard about this case. Having ruled that life without parole can apply to any murderer, (there is no age qualification that I can find) they still seem to think that they are in a position to lecture the world about how to treat their citizens, it beggars belief and it must be a huge embarrassment to many Americans who are progressive democratic people.

It reminds me of what a great man once said when asked what he thought of Western Civilisation, he replied "I think it would be a great idea" (Mahatma Gandhi) I wonder how many Americans have ever heard of him?

“HOME OF THE BRAVE AND LAND OF THE FREE” GOD HELP AMERICA!

2011-01-29T20:03:00.001Z

A GOOD USE IS FOUND FOR THE MONARCHY AT LAST.

2011-01-19T20:06:00.001Z

Friday evening 14/01/11 off to the cinema: persuaded by daughters against my better judgement to go and see a film called "The King's Speech" not because of as some might think my hostility to the monarchy but simply because the idea of a film about someone trying to overcome a stammer held no appeal. Anyone who takes an interest in cinema will not be surprised to know that I was entirely wrong, the film, the dialogue, the jokes, the acting etc. were outstanding: it's not often in buttoned up Britain that you hear loud unrestrained laughter in a cinema but it was here in abundance. The main characters the King, Queen and the speech therapist are played brilliantly by Colin Firth as George V1 Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue the speech therapist.

The above 3 lead a stellar cast and they are superb, the American market will as always lap it up as their appetite for upper class British stories is insatiable, they seem to think of Britain as being in a kind of old fashioned time warp and they love it. The Americans think this is history which it is of course a version of; albeit a sanitised version but, they are not completely aware that the Royal family are not much changed; a glance at the Government front bench will remind you of that. Don't look for much historical content, it has been given a good coating of whitewash and the Nazi menace which paralysed Europe at the time gets hardly a mention.

As big Basil Fawlty would say "don't mention the War" the utterly vacuous Edward V111 is skipped over as is his outspoken admiration of Hitler and the Nazis, likewise 'Bertie' George V1 who actively tried to prevent Jews from escaping Hitler's terror. His Queen is played as a funny charming airhead who has a slight air of menace about her but there is no hint of the rancid old racist and bigoted snob whom we all grew up referring to as "The Queen Mum" the nation's granny as the Daily Mail would have it, BTW there is still no sign of the £6M. of debt that she left: that was a clever trick wasn't it?

Their chances are being played up for Oscars which if they are flying around should go to Rush but it might not happen because there is a powerful Jewish lobby campaigning against the film because of its historical inaccuracy about Hitler and the anti Semitism which it studiously ignores. I'm not sure about that stance because had I been looking for an accurate narrative of the time I would simply not gone to see it, they would be better to voice their concerns and accept it as a film with no message of any kind other than to entertain which it does brilliantly. On a final note: Rush is such a chameleon that after 15 mns. I whispered to my daughter "I'm sure I've seen that guy?" "He was the chief bad guy in 'The Pirates of the Caribbean series of films" she whispered rather disdainfully ! its worth going to see him alone, go see it.