Why isn't Salmond pushing for tighter laws on alcohol, Scotland's #1 political and health issue today? It is the most dangerous drug in your nation but your people consume it like it's good for them.

Alkie wrote:
Why isn't Salmond pushing for tighter laws on alcohol, Scotland's #1 political and health issue today? It is the most dangerous drug in your nation but your people consume it like it's good for them.

The English consume more acohol per capita than the Scots.

Guns and drugs in NYC? No, you're all puppy-loving softies!

But to the point, if Scotland controlled its whole wealth instead of living on pocket money, then all out social ills would be tackled head on.

The present set up feeds social ills, it doesn't cure them.

scotland only 8% of UK wrote:
and what will "the obese one" do if England want play ball, threaten to leave the UK?

Why are you not commenting on the Scots military story?

Scotland 8% of UK population.
Scots 10% of UK armed forces.
Scots 16% of casualties.

I believe the SNP have just picked their first fight with the Westminster Executive.

Please refer to my previous posts on the subject. There will be only one winner - And that will be Scotland. Yet again well done the SNP !



Dougie and Alf - What was that story about the tame journalists always crying "wolf" ?

Alkie wrote:
Why isn't Salmond pushing for tighter laws on alcohol, Scotland's #1 political and health issue today? It is the most dangerous drug in your nation but your people consume it like it's good for them.

if there are tighter laws on alcohol then teenagers will just turn to drugs. They would be cheaper to buy and easier to get a hold of.

Over the past year Sir Ek and his team have out-foxed, out-witted, out-performed and given the whole of Scotland new hope. There is no reason to believe this will not continue.

"You haven't seen anything yet in terms of transforming Scotland," Bring it on Sir Ek - we want more.

Well done the Scottish government. I don't think this is a fight with the Westminster Executive Astonished, I think it's a demand for the return of our property.

Excellent, lets keep pressure on Brown. And his toady Alexander.

scotland only 8% of UK wrote:
and what will "the obese one" do if England want play ball, threaten to leave the UK?

Dear oh Dear, not even bothering with the stats anymore, I thought you told us all that you supported the Salmond in his aims to free Scotland?

Aurora, your mask is slipping, is that a white pointy hat you've got on.

BNP Fascist!

Oops. The kicks are raining in now on toom tabard from all sides. The Tories, his own party, the SNP, the electorate, the media. It's incessant and going to get worse. The by-election, 42 days, 10p tax ... the lot...

Some politicans can handle the hard-knocks, even thrive on them. Everything though about Broons public persona and body language these days shows that he'd made of bone china. Is there a psychiatric hospital somewhere in Fife that might be able to get him sorted out after his inevitable political, and therefore personal, destruction ?

Scotand only 8% of the former UK.

Well yesterday I thought it would be a good idea to spend some extra cash on Scottish football, I remeber that you hurled insults towards me, maybe you were right, we may be able to spend our own cash on all our sport from the extra oil dividend old sport.

Apropos of the posts by Alkie and Scotland only 8%, etc., I take the view myself as a matter of general policy to be applied without fail if I can possibly manage it that ignorant idiots are well worth ignoring, especially English ones. Why waste one's time on them?

As for the subject of the above article, our SNP government clearly knows what it is about.

One of the salient features of UK politics at the moment keeps on being demonstrated to be the sheer adroitness and drive of the politicians in the Scottish Government.

If the intellectual and motivational superiority of the autonomists over the unionists continues, further constitutional change is inevitable.

The deformed McCrone siblings of deception are
going to be exposed
one by one. Of course Unionists will dismiss every one
as ancient history. Unfortunately for the British Government's
their initial assumption that after 30 years it would be too late to
do anything about the deception was wrong and the treachery
is even more relevant now that ever given significant
oil prices (expected to exceed $200 with a few years),
large reserves and as we have seen with the Grangemouth
closure millions of pounds flowing each and every day.

. The McCrone report deliberately hid Scotland Oil wealth
from the Scottish People.

. The Berrill Memo show further clear deception to deliberately
hide the clear viability of Scottish Independence -
- "it would be hard to fight the SNP's economic case for independence because 'on fairly reasonable assumptions
about the profits to be made from North Sea oil,
Scotland could go it alone quite comfortably''".
It would have been an epiphany for the Scottish people
to have know in the 1970's that we could
have gone it alone "quite comfortably",
but again "our" Government hid this inconvenient fact from us.
see - tinyurl.com/4s9fk4

. Callaghan adds to the deception and treachery by
deliberately refusing to establish a Scottish Oil fund which
had been a Labour Manifesto Promise. see - tinyurl.com/4emsby
"The Government very carefully considered a proposal to create a separate fund for North Sea oil revenues and expenditure. On the surface it is an attractive idea, but, for the reasons explained in the White Paper, we conclude that there is no satisfactory way of separating and identifying the public spending of the tax reliefs specifically made possible by North Sea oil."
NO SATISFACTORY WAY - absolute treachery and lies. Again
a deliberate attempt to stop Scotland gaining independence.
Norway now has an Oil Fund for future generations getting
close to £200 billion. Scotland's Oil Fund is currently
£0 thanks to successive British Governments.
Interestingly they did manage to find a
"satisfactory way" to use some creative accounting
to create a separate ex-regio tax area which was and
is used to funnel the revenues from Scotland and
then straight into Whitehall.

As the Government papers are released either via
the 30 year rule or via proactive Freedom Of Information
Act requests it is going to be clear the McCrone is
just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the level
of deception and treachery leveled at Scotland
by successive Labour and Conservative British
Governments. The Thatcher papers will start to be released
soon and I am sure we will again see just how
well Scotland's best interests have been looked after.

Scotland needs to regain her independence as soon
as possible so we can leverage the talents and resources
of our nation to ensure they are used first and foremost
for Scotland's best interests.

Saor Alba

Subrosa - I stand corrected. We should no longer go cap in hand to ask for what is already ours.

However I think we would both agree that this story will be reported as picking a fight.

The big party could be much sooner than we think.

This is an astonishing grab by AS.

Scotland already does very well out of the union. To demand more than our fair share is not what real Scots do.

I am ashamed that so many of my countrymen think it is ok to be greedy.

Shocking, but not surprising stuff from the nats

Diesel at £1.23 per litre. Scotland you are being taken for mugs. And another thing,why do we pay so much for TV that under values us? Let's boycott the TV Licence. Let us start saying ; ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Proud to be Scottish, Glasgow on 12:18am today

You diddy, he is demanding 'our fair share'.

You really are a snivelling apologist PtbS, you should maybe have a wee chat to your 8% pal, he thinsk your scorunging off the rest of the UK.

To be honest I dont think it is greedy of Scotland to ask for a fair share.

Greed is the staggering taxes on oil and whisky, and greed is keeping the better part of the taxes to fund illegal foreign wars.

Greed is shortchanging Scotland over the Barnet formula, and threatening to withold further money if the SNP scrap the council tax.

Alex ....... Westminster on a good day struggles to cope with him , in its present meltdown between relaunches it really has bitten off more than it can chew this time.

Go get them , and yes we will take it backdated too please.

Alkie wrote:
Why isn't Salmond pushing for tighter laws on alcohol, Scotland's #1 political and health issue today? It is the most dangerous drug in your nation but your people consume it like it's good for them.

I would refer you to Annnabel Goldie's questions at FMQ last week and the Deputy First Minister's replies. The government has already taken some steps, and in co-operation with other parties in the parliament is consulting about how much further they can go to stamp out this problem. The DFM suggested that it be a matter of consensus accross the parliament, and I saw no disagreement from any of the party leaders..

All realise that this is not something that will be achieved overnight, and controls on drink have to be applied carefully and with due regard to the individuals' right to consume alcohol.

FMQ can be watched on Holyrood TV.

Vivas wrote:
Oops. The kicks are raining in now on toom tabard from all sides. The Tories, his own party, the SNP, the electorate, the media. It's incessant and going to get worse. The by-election, 42 days, 10p tax ... the lot... Some politicans can handle the hard-knocks, even thrive on them. Everything though about Broons public persona and body language these days shows that he'd made of bone china. Is there a psychiatric hospital somewhere in Fife that might be able to get him sorted out after his inevitable political, and therefore personal, destruction ?

He went mad in England; let them treat him.

Posted by: Astonished, Inverclyde on 12:10am today

You're right of course. Many Scottish journalists still see us tearing through the heather with claymores picking fights :)

The individual's "right" to consume alcohol is superseded by the individual's obligations to society. It is self-evident that Scottish people as a whole cannot consume alcohol without detrimental problems to themselves and society. Therefore, it becomes necessary that a government of and for the people put the rights of society and the obligations of individuals above the "rights" of individuals.

Illegalize alcohol, the most dangerous and costly drug on the streets and in the house in UK.

Shame on the British middle class for accepting alcohol consumption. Shame on you.

Posted by: Alkie, NYC on 1:08am today

None so righteous as an ex drunk is there? Nobody likes your lectures.

Illegalize alcohol, the most dangerous and costly drug on the streets and in the house in UK.

Don't you Yankees ever learn?

First, I never was an alcoholic. My name symbolizes the problem facing Scotland, a problem that the Scottish people refuse to face. Eventually, due to your socialized health care system, the people will have to face it because it is costing (wasting) so many billions of pounds every year.

Second, prohibition was a success. Street crime, domestic abuse, and alcoholism greatly decreased. It was eventually repealed thanks to the alcohol lobby winning back (bribing) politicians. The alcohol lobby has also influenced "historians" to revise the wonderful success that prohibition was. While there were some drawbacks, most notably the organized crime that exploited the black market (JFK's family made its money this way), the benefits of prohibition far outweighed the negatives of that golden era.

Absolutely correct Morag: Have the Yanks forgotten “Prohibition” and what effect it had on America? Thanks but no thanks, a USA style solution is not required.

Alkie, NYC:
O YES!! We need US style gangster’s like we need a hole in the head. Try peddling your crap in Good ‘ol NY plonker!

Also, you use the pejorative misunderstandings of American Prohibition just as Americans use the USSR's failed attempt at communism to denounce and cause fear of all forms of socialism. You criticize America's health care system (by far the best in the world--light years ahead of the NHS--so long as you can afford it) because it does not provide coverage for all, but the precise reason American's are reluctant to accept government sponsored universal health care is America's fear and hatred of socialism, which is stoked by a national psyche born and raised to denounce all forms of socialism, appealing to the failed USSR's attempt. And here you are, using glorious Prohibition to achieve such deceitful results.

Considering your "history" is based on Hollywood portrayals of Prohibition I have on time for you. If you actually did research into Prohibition, you would see the positives vastly outweigh the negatives.

Let me ask you this. Are you in favor of legalizing gun and weapon (like RPGs, grenades, etc) ownership because the prohibition of such items has created a black market for them in which gangs have formed and have wrecked havoc on the streets?

Would you laugh at me if I refered to movies like Lock, Stock, and Barrell and James Bond, or other Hollywood-esque potrayals of gun dealing gangs created by the prohibition of weaponry in the UK to further the cause of legalizing legalizing a laissez faire government policy on weaponry?

I DO think we have to start ignoring certain posts as much as we ought to ignore certain rantings from the Westy un-executive, and focus in the task at hand, which is BUILDING SCOTLAND GOOD.

The rest is bullhorn and a waste of time and effort.

I have some insider information about what Alex means by : "You haven't seen anything yet in terms of transforming Scotland," and let me tell you people, is AWESOME

I'll advise everybody there's a cheap way to help the SNP doing about our business, BUYING. Visit www.snp.org and find it out.

Alkie wrote:
The individual's "right" to consume alcohol is superseded by the individual's obligations to society. It is self-evident that Scottish people as a whole cannot consume alcohol without detrimental problems to themselves and society. Therefore, it becomes necessary that a government of and for the people put the rights of society and the obligations of individuals above the "rights" of individuals.

Illegalize alcohol, the most dangerous and costly drug on the streets and in the house in UK.

Shame on the British middle class for accepting alcohol consumption. Shame on you.

Ah'll drink tae that!

Alkie

Time for a slug of bourbon and off to your bed matey.

You make the nats seem like reasoned individuals.

Is this your other persona galactic?

Just how much share are we losing out on?
How much does Scotland get back besides a dodgy block grant?
We will hear that Scotland gets its fair share in this so called partnership how the block grant has doubled.

The ONLY reason it has doubled is because it was so pitifully small in the first place!

Oil revenues will be bandied about and the Sunday express stated "North Sea oil will be worth around £56billion to the UK economy over the next six years."

A large sum, however this is government tax moneys 'only', North Sea oil is worth far, far more than that to the Economy as a whole. Salmond is in for a fight here as UK government borrowing is largely backed by Brent OIL. Losing any control of that would risk UKs credit rating and cost of international borrowing would go up.

Westminster's decades of Lies and Deception in order to hide the true value of oil while in parallel using it to bankroll UK government borrowing - spent rebuilding the South while at the same time dismantling the North.

Follow the money not just the TAX.

A few crumbs from Scotland's national resources won't do. We need full Independence and full control of our resources to make up for the poverty, hardship and misery inherited from our sell out Labour governors and collaborators..

daveymac, web on 5:42am today wrote:

UK government borrowing is largely backed by Brent OIL. Losing any control of that would risk UKs credit rating and cost of international borrowing would go up.

They say not Dave but I wouldn't be surprised if under the thirty year rule we found out otherwise. Of course by then it would be "an old argument" - "water under the bridge" - "draw a line under - move on".


Donald Anderson, glasgow on 6:09am today wrote:

A few crumbs from Scotland's national resources won't do. We need full Independence and full control of our resources to make up for the poverty, hardship and misery inherited from our sell out Labour governors and collaborators..

Your in fine fighting fettle. So Ah'm Ah! It's oors - end of.

Mr Salmond and the SNP are the bizz!!!!

It just gets more and more interesting.
It truly is wonderfull to at last have a party that cares for Scotland first.

Perhaps soe of the money could be used to develop the almost non-existent representation of the Scottish business community abroad; it's an absolute disgrace!

Go for it Alex, Scotland's been short changed on the oil issue for too long. While you're at it you can also make sure the water in Scotland is kept safe for the people of Scotland as that is going to be the next thing the English will want.

Good. AS is doing exactly the right thing. I normally vote Tory though I have voted SNP and once when I was young and stupid voted for the FibDems. At this time in our country AS is the right man for the job. Can't imagine Bendy Wendy standing up for Scotland. Incidentally just because people like 8% don't agree with some of you doesn't mean he's a BNP troll. Get a grip, people. In my opinion the BNP is a really nasty party. That said I can understand how one of them got elected to the London Assembly. Liebour has ignored people's concerns for years - that's the only way they can get them to take notice. How sad.

Scunnert, Travelling in Nihlon on 6:19am

Aye, they have said a lot, from comparing Scotland to Albania just recently to the decades of sytematic deception over North Sea Extra Regio revenues and impacts.

To say that North sea revenue has not been used as a key enabler of Government borrowing would just be another gross deception.

Is it just a fantasy or did the Grangemouth strikers do us a favour last weekend? Now everyone has an idea of how much money pours out of Scotland to the Treasury. Certainly seeing the £££ in the Daily Record opened a few eyes in the west I understand.

Some of the money could be used to level Scotland's deplorable housing schemes. And build houses people want.

Alkie wrote:
First, I never was an alcoholic. My name symbolizes the problem facing Scotland, a problem that the Scottish people refuse to face. Eventually, due to your socialized health care system, the people will have to face it because it is costing (wasting) so many billions of pounds every year. Second, prohibition was a success. Street crime, domestic abuse, and alcoholism greatly decreased. It was eventually repealed thanks to the alcohol lobby winning back (bribing) politicians. The alcohol lobby has also influenced "historians" to revise the wonderful success that prohibition was. While there were some drawbacks, most notably the organized crime that exploited the black market (JFK's family made its money this way), the benefits of prohibition far outweighed the negatives of that golden era.

Alkie - you're a smuggler, right?

Wonderful ! Wonderful SNP!
Well done , keep it up !

Now with the Labour Party backing a referendum on independence , come 2010 we'll be home and FREE!

Alkie Selzer

Second, prohibition was a success. Street crime, domestic abuse, and alcoholism greatly decreased.

I'd just like to say dat dis guy is speakin' da truth.

Prohibition was a great success - for ma business. Profits went through da roof in our Speak Easys. Our "knitting" ladies were in great demand wid da gents, and"poetry readings" at da gamblin' tables quadrupled. Our security services were in constant demand.

I'd like to take ma hat off to youse guys dat did us a big favour. Even Tony Da Bull laughed his head off, and as some of youse know, Tony ain't much of a guy for laughin'. He says it creases his cheeks.

I'd like to pay more of a compliment to all da Puritan folks out der that made my business wot it is today, but I have a meeting wid some guys in a garage that don't quite see things my way.

Here's to Prohibition - suckers!

Yours (In protection)
Al Capone

Don't you just love the internet? Not only do we get all this valuable information to fuel the arguments for Independence e.g. how the English have been lying to us for decades about the real value of Scottish ('north sea') Oil we even get links to the original news stories or to pages from Hansard (Thanks Traquir Alba 12.01am).

Can I suggest that everyone creates a 'politics' folder in their bookmark/favourites section(if you haven't already done so) and copy all these little gems for future reference.

You see, come the referendum debate it will be won by us in pubs, clubs, the work place and over the dinner table as much as by politicians on TV and the campaign literature.

There is nothing better to strengthen an argument than to be able to produce verifiable facts via a press cutting or in this case a news item URL.

This way we not only live 'through' history' we become part of history.

Scottish Resources of Oil & Gas is one of many factors
that an Independent Scotland can leverage to prosper. I thought
it might be worthwhile to add a few facts and figures here
to make the enormity of this Scottish resource more clear and
perhaps help to explain one of the main reasons Westminster
wants to hold onto Scotland.

Based on current market prices and known/potential
reserves as of 2004 the values of the Scottish resources
are :

. Oil - £668,752,590,136
. Gas - £186,934,868,421,053



Clearly substantial sums will be spent on exploration, extraction,
reasonable profits etc. Even then massive amounts of monies are
still available as profit for Scotland which for a country of
only 5 million would be very considerable. With Scotland
being independent we would then pull the strings to
work out appropriate proportions between the various
financial metrics here e.g. proportion invested in a oil
fund for future generations (currency zero), acceptable
levels of profit; mutually beneficial tax regimes. Having this
power Scotland would no doubt run our Oil & Gas industry
much differently to the way that Westminster currently does
and in a way that would be much more beneficial for
Scotland.

The 2004 current/potential reserves can be found at
- tinyurl.com/6yn6cg
To arrive at the final figures in sterling there are a number
of conversions happening e.g. currency, MMbtu - metric meters,
tonnes-barrels, current market prices.
If there are any errors in my calculations I
would be more than happy for anybody to correct as appropriate

Additionally there is more than a reasonable probability that
Oil & Gas prices will increase rapidly over time and quite
potentially more substantial reserves may be discovered -
the North Western Seas and around Scottish Rockall hold
high potential and as recently announced there is
potentially another huge new reserve off Shetland.
It is critical that Scotland secures not just
the current substantial reserves but prevents any future
theft of new discoveries.

For the Unionistas who will no doubt wheel out their
well weathered automated responses I
thought I would just pre-empt
you and provide some responses for you:

. "The resources are dwindling and are not significant"
The figures lay bare this false-hood especially to
a country of only 5 million.
. "Scotland will be too poor and incapable to
extract and profit from the resources." This is
absolute rot - where there is profit to be made and
a business friendly tax/profit regime the necessary
investments will happen.
. "Scotland would be selfish to demand all the oil&gas for
itself "- well they are under Scottish Legal jurisdiction are
part of our land so in the same way as Saudi, Iranian or
Norwegian oil belongs completely to them so Scotland's
oil belongs completely to us.
. "Then of course there is the old chestnut that Scotland
and the SNP are betting the farm on the one shot
wonder that is oil&gas." Well that is patently untrue as Scotland
has several strong industries that would be the envy of
many others e.g. the third biggest financial center in
Europe after London & Frankfurt; a £2.5 billion
whisky industry; massive tourism. Additionally we
have the potential to invest and grow other industries
e.g. shipyards; renewable energy. Nationalists have
the positive attitude that we will nurture and grow these
industries rather than the apocalypse predicted by
Unionistas that the industries will be flee and/or
be decimated after independence.

Facts and figures are available more than ever, so no longer can
the truth be hidden from Scotland. Scotland has tremendous
existing industries & natural resources which can all be
improved significantly to substantially benefit Scotland
first and foremost rather than the ex-Empire that is Britain.

Brian Hill @ 10:47am

This way we not only live 'through' history' we become part of history.

Well said! The generations unborn will thank their ancestors for delivering the return of our national sovereignty.

I just wish my hard-working farm, dock and domestic labouring ancestors had avoided the dependence parties' sectarian traps. We could have recovered our freedom 100 years ago.

Salmond, the master tactician (and startegist) stays several steps ahead of the floundering Broon.

What a time to pick an oil revenue fight with Westminster, when we have just had the Grangemouth dispute and £50 million a day in Scottish oil revenues is still very fresh in the mind.

Perfect timing or what?

Usual typos - please ignoire!

Luigi wrote:
Salmond, the master tactician (and startegist) stays several steps ahead of the floundering Broon.

What a time to pick an oil revenue fight with Westminster, when we have just had the Grangemouth dispute and £50 million a day in Scottish oil revenues is still very fresh in the mind.

Perfect timing or what?

Talking of perfect timing look at this ;


Poor Wendy - could it get any worse, well yes.
Even on her latest grand scheme she was actually
out played by Alex before she even played the game.

"Salmond backs Sir Tom's comments"
see - tinyurl.com/5epfmv

This story was one day BEFORE Wendy's latest U-turn -

Tom Farmer -
"I don't think we should be talking about referendums at this time."

Alex -
The first minister said he agreed that the SNP government had to prove itself.


Master timing from Alex Salmond yet again - if only Wendy
had read this story first she could have prevented
making a fool of herself today :)

Saor Alba

It strikes me that rather than just taking a cut of the taxes Scotland should be looking to secure some of the profits as well, A Scottish Oil Company? Surely the costs could be offset against the potential of new oil fields?

RussianExpat Moscow

I am sure that Alex Salmond and John Swinney are the best people Scotland could have in charge of Scotlands oil.

With their backgrounds in business I am sure they will explore all the angles, and anything that they suggest will be in the best interests of both Scotland and her people.

Compare them with Broon and his collection of boot licker's.

From a Russian perspective they are putting the squeeze on any foreign owned companies taking large stakeholdings in their oil and gas fields...seems sensible to me!

Traquir, Alba on 10:55am

Excellent post.

Scotland is well placed to face the future, rich arable land, good water and sea coast. All of which we can benefit from. Oil will eventually run out but before it does it should revert to an independent Scotland and the money raised used to invest in the country's future, just as Norway has done.

We should look now to what is there and plan long term, not for the benefit of the politicians but for the country and it's people. For the past 60 years the world's economy has been based on cheap energy and a global market place because of it. As the oil depletes that will end and we will once again have to look to ourselves for our food, water and power.

Use the money now to invest in agriculture, water resources, hydro and wave power, fishing industry and local businesses and resources.

PS . I should add education to that list as well.

Well you never know we might even get a few more intelligent MSPs, who have a good background in business and industry.

10 years ago I watched my country being systematically being destroyed by wasteminster. I watched our jobs, our factories, our industries disappearing and nobody was seemingly standing up against it. The media hailed the Neo Liebour project and God Blair was walking on water. I watched as entire communities were thrown into chronic deprivation cheered on by the press and the unions, our old people dying of hypothermia and life expectancies falling. I watched as the poor were taxed into the ground to line the pockets of the rich and and pay for the army of liebour cronies in non jobs.
So bad was it getting that I considered emigrating for the sake of my family.
10 years on and it's a different story. The wee man can have his say on the internet and the press and media have been exposed as lying charlatans. There is a ball rolling and gathering momentum and this can be seen in a new found hope that people are experiencing and knowing that a better future is now within their grasp.
Keep it up.

ditchgazza
I hear you , it was 20 years ago for me ,then a brief momment of hope 10years ago ,only to realise "here comes the new boss, same as the old boss".
Now a real change is in the air ,but you will not find it on TV or in these propoganda rags ,parading as newspapers.
The revolutio