SNP are lying b******s as well !

[grunt]

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Who is this English Government, it doesn't exist (apart from in your head)

UK Government - England has 543 MPs, Scotland has 57. Scotland gets what England votes for. It's an English Government.

[jamie_1875]

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UK Government - England has 543 MPs, Scotland has 57. Scotland gets what England votes for. It's an English Government.

It's not, as I say in your head it may be but the facts matter. And interesting you using the BBC as a source when you claim it's biased, so you only believe the BBC when it agrees with your own thinking?

[He's here!]

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The calamitous bottle return scheme had nothing to do with 'unionist press' or the UK government and everything to do with the incompetence of the Scottish government officials tasked with implementing it, most notably Lorna Slater. Its glaring deficiencies were clear months before Westminster had to step in. Even the Scottish government's own report into the debacle acknowledged that.

Slater botched things big time. And it's going to cost the SG big time too if Biffa win the damages they're seeking.

[hibee]

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Slater botched things big time. And it's going to cost the SG big time too if Biffa win the damages they're seeking.

They don’t care, it’s not their money, we will be the ones paying for all the mistakes for years to come.

[grunt]

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It's not, as I say in your head it may be but the facts matter. And interesting you using the BBC as a source when you claim it's biased, so you only believe the BBC when it agrees with your own thinking?

Good spot. It sometimes gets things right.

[jamie_1875]

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Good spot. It sometimes gets things right.

😂 I understand, when it agrees with you it's accurate when it doesn't it's biased. I get it!

[grunt]

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😂 I understand, when it agrees with you it's accurate when it doesn't it's biased. I get it!

That's not what I said, is it?

[Kato]

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I understand, when it agrees with you it's accurate when it doesn't it's biased. I get it!

Are you incapable of reading things critically and double checking?

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[He's here!]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx24k87p1pko

Ewing confirms he's running as an independent next year. Could make things interesting if Swinney ends up scrabbling for enough allies to enable him to govern.

[Ozyhibby]

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx24k87p1pko

Ewing confirms he's running as an independent next year. Could make things interesting if Swinney ends up scrabbling for enough allies to enable him to govern.

Almost certain there will be a unionist coalition govt next year.


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[Hibspur]

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Almost certain there will be a unionist coalition govt next year.


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I'd be surprised if that turns out to be the case. Much as I'd like to see it, I don't think we'll witness an SNP collapse on the level of last year's general election. Labour are taking the flak right now as the party of government and Sarwar has been disappointingly bland as Scottish Labour leader. Despite the fact they sprung a surprise at the recent by-election I can't see them replicating that in big enough numbers to govern - even with a Lib-Dem pact.

Dark horse would be a Reform/Tory pact.

[Andy Bee]

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Almost certain there will be a unionist coalition govt next year.


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There's all sorts of catastrophes involved with that, what if Reform are the second biggest party? I think Swinney is resigned to a Grand Coalition but would Sarwar work with Swinney or Reform?

[Jack]

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There's all sorts of catastrophes involved with that, what if Reform are the second biggest party? I think Swinney is resigned to a Grand Coalition but would Sarwar work with Swinney or Reform?

Sarwar is mince. If Labour has any ambitions then he'll need to go.

Having said that I don't think anyone in Labour has any desire to work with the SNP. Their local authority tie ups with the torys trait is more likely at a national level.

[Hibs4185]

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Sarwar is mince. If Labour has any ambitions then he'll need to go.

Having said that I don't think anyone in Labour has any desire to work with the SNP. Their local authority tie ups with the torys trait is more likely at a national level.

If Sawar was FM I’d move to France

[jamie_1875]

Imagine if Boris Johnson wrote a book about his political career and was looking to promote it at a book festival but the festival was struggling for sponsors so Liz Truss as PM used taxpayers money to sponsor it, and you then found out Boris Johnsons ex Chief of Staff and friend was on the board of the book festival as well. Corruption?

https://x.com/Sunday_Mail/status/193...Al3O1TV9A&s=19

[Hibspur]

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Imagine if Boris Johnson wrote a book about his political career and was looking to promote it at a book festival but the festival was struggling for sponsors so Liz Truss as PM used taxpayers money to sponsor it, and you then found out Boris Johnsons ex Chief of Staff and friend was on the board of the book festival as well. Corruption?

https://x.com/Sunday_Mail/status/193...Al3O1TV9A&s=19

Any iota of sympathy I had for the book festival has instantly evaporated with the news that they've appointed the toxic Liz Lloyd to their board. They've brought their financial problems on themselves by caving to the loonies at Fossil Free Books and cutting ties with their long-time sponsor/saviour Baillie Gifford. Victims of their own stupidity. ****** pitiful that the Scottish Government is bailing them out.

[jamie_1875]

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Any iota of sympathy I had for the book festival has instantly evaporated with the news that they've appointed the toxic Liz Lloyd to their board. They've brought their financial problems on themselves by caving to the loonies at Fossil Free Books and cutting ties with their long-time sponsor/saviour Baillie Gifford. Victims of their own stupidity. ****** pitiful that the Scottish Government is bailing them out.

If it was a football festival I wonder if the Government would have funded it if a sponsor pulled out? The SNP have become the establishment.

[Jack]

Was the Book Festival not already getting a Scottish Government grant?

[Moulin Yarns]

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Was the Book Festival not already getting a Scottish Government grant?

I think all cultural events are supported by public money. I know my local theatre does.

[Hibspur]

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Was the Book Festival not already getting a Scottish Government grant?

They do, but this is an additional, supposedly 'one-off' payment. Funding had already more than doubled since the daft decision by the festival to ditch their key sponsor. Couple that with the de-platforming of feminist authors and it's hard to see what they've done to merit such a bailout.

The appointment of Lloyd as director shortly before this extra cash was announced smacks of cronyism and the 'coincidence' of Sturgeon re-inventing herself as an author and appearing at the festival this year won't be lost on many.

[Moulin Yarns]

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They do, but this is an additional, supposedly 'one-off' payment. Funding had already more than doubled since the daft decision by the festival to ditch their key sponsor. Couple that with the de-platforming of feminist authors and it's hard to see what they've done to merit such a bailout.

The appointment of Lloyd as director shortly before this extra cash was announced smacks of cronyism and the 'coincidence' of Sturgeon re-inventing herself as an author and appearing at the festival this year won't be lost on many.

Nicola Sturgeon has been in attendance at book festivals across Scotland for years. As an aside reader she is often invited to take part in interviews.

[Moulin Yarns]

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Was the Book Festival not already getting a Scottish Government grant?

Yeah as per Scottish culture funding

Fourteen major festivals across Edinburgh and Glasgow will receive funding increases this year, thanks to a record uplift in the Scottish culture budget.

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival: £195,000
Edinburgh International Film Festival: £193,000
Edinburgh Art Festival: £200,000
Edinburgh International Book Festival: £200,000
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society (Made in Scotland 2026): £670,000
Edinburgh International Festival: £100,000
Scottish International Storytelling Festival: £200,000
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay: £180,000
Edinburgh Science Festival: £150,000
Imaginate: £188,000
Celtic Connections: £154,000
Glasgow Film Festival: £120,000
Glasgow International: £130,000
Sonica: £120,000


But no protest about any of the other ones!

[He's here!]

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Yeah as per Scottish culture funding

Fourteen major festivals across Edinburgh and Glasgow will receive funding increases this year, thanks to a record uplift in the Scottish culture budget.

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival: £195,000
Edinburgh International Film Festival: £193,000
Edinburgh Art Festival: £200,000
Edinburgh International Book Festival: £200,000
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society (Made in Scotland 2026): £670,000
Edinburgh International Festival: £100,000
Scottish International Storytelling Festival: £200,000
Edinburgh’s Hogmanay: £180,000
Edinburgh Science Festival: £150,000
Imaginate: £188,000
Celtic Connections: £154,000
Glasgow Film Festival: £120,000
Glasgow International: £130,000
Sonica: £120,000


But no protest about any of the other ones!

You're missing the reason this is a news story. None of the others you list (to my knowledge) bowed to the whims of some fringe activists and cut off their prime source of funding, only to be bolstered by an extra tranche of taxpayer funding - weeks after headline speaker Nicola Sturgeon's pal got appointed to their board. No lobbying there, nope, none at all. It stinks.

[Moulin Yarns]

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You're missing the reason this is a news story. None of the others you list (to my knowledge) bowed to the whims of some fringe activists and cut off their prime source of funding, only to be bolstered by an extra tranche of taxpayer funding - weeks after headline speaker Nicola Sturgeon's pal got appointed to their board. No lobbying there, nope, none at all. It stinks.

https://www.artsprofessional.co.uk/news/arts-leaders-call-for-end-to-activist-negativity-around-corporate-arts-sponsorship#:~:text=Pressure%20from%20artists,Isra el%20and%20fossil%20fuel%20companies.

Fringe activists and authors who were threatening to boycott literary Festivals, not just Edinburgh.

[Berwickhibby]

IMG_1286.jpg

MV Glen Sannox is back in action following a quick visit to Turkey for some cosmetic work to its bow door. Much cheaper than getting it done in the UK, apparently. 🤣🤣🤣

[JimBHibees]

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You're missing the reason this is a news story. None of the others you list (to my knowledge) bowed to the whims of some fringe activists and cut off their prime source of funding, only to be bolstered by an extra tranche of taxpayer funding - weeks after headline speaker Nicola Sturgeon's pal got appointed to their board. No lobbying there, nope, none at all. It stinks.

So they have funded so the festival takes place sounds like the sort of thing a government should do. Your relentless I will give you that. Which political party do you support or is it just anything but SNP.

[JimBHibees]

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I'd be surprised if that turns out to be the case. Much as I'd like to see it, I don't think we'll witness an SNP collapse on the level of last year's general election. Labour are taking the flak right now as the party of government and Sarwar has been disappointingly bland as Scottish Labour leader. Despite the fact they sprung a surprise at the recent by-election I can't see them replicating that in big enough numbers to govern - even with a Lib-Dem pact.

Dark horse would be a Reform/Tory pact.

Yes because the union has worked so well for Scotland. The biggest recent story was Grangemouth being pulled in a country which has a significant oil industry no but a literary festival has been given some funding 😄

[Hibspur]

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Yes because the union has worked so well for Scotland. The biggest recent story was Grangemouth being pulled in a country which has a significant oil industry no but a literary festival has been given some funding ��

Additional funding that has by pure coincidence appeared almost as soon as Lloyd joins the festival's board and just in time to prop up the first festival Sturgeon will appear at as a published author. The point is that this looks like just the sort of cronyism Sturgeon used to berate Westminster politicians for.

Lloyd strikes me as a toxic presence. She's the one David Davies named under parliamentary privilege for leaking what turned out to be false accusations against Salmond to the Daily Record.

[Kato]

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Additional funding that has by pure coincidence appeared almost as soon as Lloyd joins the festival's board and just in time to prop up the first festival Sturgeon will appear at as a published author. The point is that this looks like just the sort of cronyism Sturgeon used to berate Westminster politicians for.

Lloyd strikes me as a toxic presence. She's the one David Davies named under parliamentary privilege for leaking what turned out to be false accusations against Salmond to the Daily Record.

Are you furious?

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[Ozyhibby]

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Additional funding that has by pure coincidence appeared almost as soon as Lloyd joins the festival's board and just in time to prop up the first festival Sturgeon will appear at as a published author. The point is that this looks like just the sort of cronyism Sturgeon used to berate Westminster politicians for.

Lloyd strikes me as a toxic presence. She's the one David Davies named under parliamentary privilege for leaking what turned out to be false accusations against Salmond to the Daily Record.

Why did David Davies use parliamentary privilege to name her?


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