THE GALLERY OF ROGUES - The Art of Satire in the Scottish Independence Referendum with Greg Moodie

Publiée le 2014-08-30
THE GALLERY OF ROGUES is a humorous portrait of twisted genius Greg Moodie; the comic-strip chronicler of Scotland’s Independence Referendum with all its panto villains. Referenced with archive footage, Greg explains the ideas behind his characters as well as discussing latest satirical creation 'BT Patronising Lady is Released into the Wild’ and magnum opus 'Greg Moodie versus The Union’. Filmed 29/08/14  (24 minutes)

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Independent Scotland cannot be thrown out of EU says leading international authority

Independent Scotland cannot be thrown out of EU says leading international authority

by Newsnet Reporter (31 Aug 2014) 

Reblogged from Newsnet Scotland

A newly independent Scotland will remain part of the European Union even if it has not been officially designated a new member, a leading academic has said.

Dr Nicolas Levrat, head of the Institute of Global Studies at the University of Geneva, has dismissed claims that Scotland could find itself outside the European Union in the event of independence and have to wait to re-apply.

He said that Scotland being ejected from the EU would violate the core values upon which it is founded, adding that the EU was not "one day in and one day off," … "it doesn’t work like that".

In a special presentation, arranged on behalf of Newsnet Scotland and Independence Live TV, the Swiss based academic said that the so-called Veto, which No campaigners have claimed could be used by countries like Spain to block Scottish membership, "politically cannot be used".

Dr Levrat also said the consequences of Yes vote on the citizenship rights of Scots, "will not be as dramatic as people pretend".

He said: "So we can imagine where Scotland is not under the sovereignty of the UK, is not yet declared as a member state of the EU, but remains, because it was part of the UK, under the umbrella of EU law.  That could be a solution."

Levrat added: "We could imagine a situation in which the individual rights of people living in Scotland, of companies based in Scotland and so on would be preserved even though Scotland is not anymore under the effective control or sovereignty of the UK."

The academic cited the example of Gibraltar which although not officially part of UK territory, still falls under EU law.  Even if a newly independent Scotland wanted to leave the EU, said Levrat, it would have to wait two years before the process could be complete.

The intervention from one of the most respected authorities on the issue of the European Union is sure to be welcomed by supporters of independence.

The issue has dominated much of the initial debate on independence and along with currency has underpinned a key plank of the Better Together anti-independence strategy.

Dr Levrat's comments follow statements from new EC president Jean-Claude Juncker who recently said the commission would respect the democratic wishes of the Scottish electorate.  The intervention by Mr Juncker was widely interpreted as meaning a Yes vote would not affect Scotland's EU status.

The Scottish Government has said it will negotiate a continuation of Scotland’s membership as a new sovereign state, in the eighteen months between a Yes vote and actual independence.

Pro-Union politicians have claimed that independence would see Scotland thrown out of the EU and forced to re-apply, with a waiting time of up to ten years.

View Dr Levat's full presentation here

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Independence: Eddi Reader Uncut and Unscripted

Published on Jul 11, 2014

Eddi Reader, highly acclaimed Scottish singer songwriter and musician, talks about Scottish independence and why she will vote Yes.

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April 2005 - Songs of Praise.

Eddi Reader and Boo Hewerdine

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Uploaded on Oct 26, 2007

Aye Waukin-O

Eddie Reader -- vocals guitar

Karen Matheson -- harmony vocals

Paul Brady -- harmony vocals

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Jim Sillars: Speech at The Steps Theatre Dundee

Published on Aug 29, 2014

Pro-independence speech by Jim Sillars 

in Dundee at The Steps Theatre.

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The Dirty Dozen - The case against BBC Scotland: Part 2

The Dirty Dozen - The case against BBC Scotland: Part 2

By G.A.Ponsonby (Sat 30 Aug 2014)

In March this year Newsnet Scotland published an article which challenged the widely held belief that the BBC's reporting of the independence referendum could be trusted to be fair and balanced.

The article contained six of the worst examples of BBC political reporting in relation to Scotland and indicated a political agenda was at work.  Now, five months after its publication and three weeks before the referendum, we publish the second installment.

The six additional examples below are not exhaustive, indeed to fully expose the level of political news manipulation that has destroyed the BBC's reputation as fair and impartial, would have required several volumes. 

For those for whom these revelations come as a shock, we simply ask that you consider why the BBC has sought to manipulate the news at this crucial time in Scotland's history.  Once considered then the question you need to ask is why, and at whose behest?

Read full Part 2 HERE

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Scottish Independence - Secrets and Lies

PART 1 - OIL

PART 1 deals with the deception practiced by successive Westminster governments in their attempts to minimise the economic impact and future potential of North Sea Oil. These lies were meant to keep the Scottish drive toward self-determination under control. Mention is made of the suppression of the incendiary McCrone Report, and the urgent need for Scotland to take control of it's own revenues and taxation in the modern day.

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PART 2 - SPOOKS

PART 2 concentrates on the role of the UK internal security services, MI5 and Special Branch, in their attempts to suppress and subvert the Scottish National Party and the cause of independence, with passing mention of possible CIA interest in Norh Sea Oil. The issue of nuclear dumping by the UK government is also explored. Did freelance agents working on behalf of the government, Nirex, or the nuclear company Westinghouse play any part in the deaths of the anti-nuclear activists Willie McRae and Hilda Murrell, which occurred within months of each other?

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PART 3 - NUKES

PART 3: Do the UK's nuclear weapons, stored at Coulport and deployed via submarine from Faslane, really improve the safety of the British isles, or of Scotland? What effect would Scottish independence have on our current WMD capability? The declassified launch failures of Polaris, Trident I, and Trident II missiles are shown, radiation risks at Faslane and Dalgety Bay are outlined (two examples of the high-handed negligence the UK Ministry of Defence routinely shows toward the people it is supposed to protect), corruption of the lobbying system involving BAE Systems and retired generals is shown, and also the many mishaps involving the next-generation HMS Astute.

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PART 4 - BORDERS

Publiée le 2012-11-29
PART 4: A short recap on the various attempts by Westminster and Whitehall to deprive Scotland of it's full territorial waters, and thus of it's oil and gas resources. These plans began in the 1970s after the discovery of oil, but were not fully implemented until the passing of the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order of 1999 by the UK government.
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Elaine C Smith on Bateman Broadcasting

Publiée le 2014-08-29
Star of stage, TV and the referendum campaign Elaine C Smith tells Derek Bateman why Scots should vote Yes on September 18, drawing together her own life experiences as she makes her "pitch" to the Scottish electorate.

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Alex Salmond: Our Time

The top 3 referendum questions answered

Click on image to enlarge

Former UK ambassador Craig Murray: St Andrews Speech

Craig Murray writes:

"Here am I talking in St Andrews two nights ago. The interesting thing is that this information has come as a revelation to so many people. I have been telling all this now for ten years, but the cover-up by the mainstream media, combined with the now incredible happening that in 2004 many people believed Jack Straw’s denials, mean that a great many people had never heard of it before. The video has been much tweeted, with unionists tweeting “if this was true why did he not say it earlier”, which as I published it all in a best-selling book eight years ago is rather amusing.

This is becoming less of a blog and more Dr Finlay’s Casebook. Still not at all well. Saw a doctor in St Andrews yesterday and temperature was 39.2. Got through last night’s speech in Inverlethen with help of whisky and green ginger but extreme coughing fits during questions. As the meeting was in the Parish church I was thinking that if I finally expire at least there was not far to carry me to the kirkyard. Insch tonight, Dundee tomorrow and Cupar Fife on Saturday. I shall live to see independence even if it kills me :-) .

I cannot begin to describe to you the incredible feeling here of renewal and of something like revolt, an upswell from ordinary people taking their own country back. It is astonishing. And never can most of an entire population so quickly have awakened from the propaganda thrall of the mainstream media. Anyone scared that an independent Scotland would still be subservient to a ruling elite should come here and just talk to people. It is the most marvelous and heartening experience imaginable.

I hope the rest of that St Andrews speech might be available sometime."

http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/

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Currency threat 'dangerous game' that could harm pound warns expert

Currency threat 'dangerous game' that could harm pound warns expert

(28 Aug 2014)

(Reblogged from Newsnet Scotland)

The threat by the three London based parties that they would block a currency union with an independent Scotland is a "dangerous game" an academic expert has warned.

Dr Jim Walker has said the stance adopted by Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems could result in Sterling's reputation being damaged.

Asianomics Limited, an economic research and consultancy company, has produced a report which also outlines economic reasons for a Yes vote on 18th September and highlights ‘misinformation’ in the debate about Scotland’s economy.

The report’s author, Dr Jim Walker, states that if Scotland is denied the use of sterling, such a policy would undermine sterling’s position as an internationally-traded, fully-convertible currency and it would be a ‘dangerous game’ for UK politicians to play.

The academic said he felt compelled to write the report as a result of "misinformation" relating to Scottish independence.

He said: "Over the last few months I have been asked repeatedly about the referendum on Scottish independence. Two things have struck me: first, the level of interest in the United States in particular and, secondly, the level of misinformation about the economics and politics of independence,"

Dr Walker's report was welcomed by SNP Treasury spokesperson Stewart Hosie MP who said:

“This is a welcome report, from a highly respected economist.

“As the author points out, the UK politicians are playing a dangerous game on currency. It is a shared asset, and a currency union is the best option for an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK, as set out by the independent Fiscal Commission.

“As the Scottish Government's White paper makes clear, a currency union will make it easier for people and companies to go about their business across the two countries.

“An overwhelming majority of people north and south of the border agree that keeping the pound makes sense – with a recent poll showing 71% of people in the rest of the UK want to share the pound with an independent Scotland, and the Social Attitudes Survey showing that 79% of people in Scotland back it.”

The report is available via the Asianomics website: http://www.asianomicsgroup.com/

Asianomics Limited is an economic research and consultancy company formed in late 2007 and serving the fund management industry. Founded by Dr Walker, he is also the owner of Forensic Asia, a bottom-up corporate research company which concentrates on financial stress and balance sheet health, and Chart Asia, a technical analysis unit which primarily focuses on trends in Asian stocks and markets. Prior to establishing Asianomics in December 2007 he was the chief economist at CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets. He joined CLSA in late 1991.

Over the years Dr Walker achieved numerous ‘best economist’ rankings in the Asiamoney, Institutional Investor and Greenwich surveys of fund managers. Before coming to Asia, he worked in his native Scotland as a research fellow at the Fraser of Allander Institute for Research on the Scottish Economy, and then at The Royal Bank of Scotland’s Edinburgh headquarters.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree and a doctorate in economics from the University of Strathclyde.

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Scottish independence: Yes means...

Independence, it's what we all want in our lives... So why shouldn't our country be independent? Scotland can, should and must be independent. 

#voteYes on September 18th

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Sir Ian Wood predicts 25bn barrels of oil still to come from North Sea

Publiée le 2014-08-24

Sir Ian Wood stated in an interview with the BBC as he retired from Chairmanship of the Wood Group that we could still produce another 25 billion barrels of oil. His words not ours.

"As far back as I can remember in terms of UK industrial activity, every year oil and gas has been way ahead of any other industry."

"We've produced 41 billion barrels," he said. "If you look ahead, we could still produce another 25 billion barrels - at $100 a barrel, that's $2,500bn.

"If we don't get it right, we'll produce about half that - we could lose $1,250bn of economic contribution to the UK.

BUSINESS for SCOTLAND

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BBC ends Sir Ian Wood oil-challenge blackout following Newsnet Scotland complaint

Sir Ian Wood's attack was the top story on the BBC

BBC ends Sir Ian Wood 

oil-challenge blackout following 

Newsnet Scotland complaint

By a Newsnet reporter (Mon 25 Aug 2014, 15.16)

(Reblogged from Newsnet Scotland)

The BBC has ended a news blackout that saw the broadcaster refuse to report counter claims to those from Sir Ian Wood after the former tycoon launched an attack on the Scottish Government’s oil estimates.

Following a near two-day refusal to report statements from a leading industry body and academics, the corporation has bowed to pressure and published a report containing comments in support of the Scottish Government.

This weekend Oil and Gas UK issued a statement in which it backed a figure of 24 billion barrels as a potential estimate of the amount of oil left in the North Sea.  The leading industry body told the Sunday Herald they "remain of the view that there could be up to 24 billion barrels of oil and gas to recover." 

The body issued the statement in response to an attack by Sir Ian Wood on the Scottish Government after it had used the same figure in its estimates.

In a separate intervention Alex Russell, the Professor of Petroleum Accounting at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, and Peter Strachan, Professor of Energy Policy at RGU, also joined criticism of No campaign claims saying figures used to attack independence were an 'understatement' and 'ludicrously pessimistic'.

The respected academics described the potential of as yet unexplored areas of the North Sea as "a lucrative venture for the oil industry."

The two academics also backed analysis by oil and gas expert Professor Alex Kemp who only days ago released a statement backing Scottish Government oil estimates.

Despite having given blanket coverage of comments made by No supporting former tycoon Sir Ian Wood who said the 24bn figure was a "distortion", the BBC refused to report the counter claims from Oil and Gas UK and the two academics.

The situation was repeated on Monday when comments from yet another academic challenged Sir Ian over possible new discoveries.

Professor John Howell of Aberdeen University, an expert on geology, said massive reserves may lie close to Shetland.

Professor Howell said: "I certainly will not be surprised if major discoveries are made there in the next few years, totally changing the perception of the region and opening up a second major oil boom for Scotland."

Despite the intervention of three separate academics and the leading offshore-industry body in the UK, BBC Scotland refused to report the statements.

However the broadcaster was forced to end its blackout when Newsnet Scotland complained directly to the head of its referendum unit John Mullin.  Within an hour of our complaint having been received, an article duly appeared on the BBC Scotland main news page.

Publication of the article followed growing anger and frustration on social media at the one sided reporting of one of the key issues of the independence referendum.  Hundreds of people re-tweeted messages from Newsnet Scotland calling for an end to the oil blackout.

Despite the comments from Oil and Gas UK and academics now having been featured on the BBC's online news, there still appears to be no mention of the interventions on any broadcast news bulletins. 

The online article has been given far less prominence than coverage of Sir Ian Wood's comments which featured in the top spot for over 24 hours.  Hours after the new article appeared as the fourth most important story it had slid down to ninth.

Sir Ian Wood's comments, when made last week, also featured on every BBC Scotland news and current affairs programme - TV and Radio.  It is not yet known if BBC Scotland has ended the blackout of the counter statements across all platforms or just online.

Broadcaster STV has sadly refused to end its own news blackout of the statements challenging Sir Ian, despite it too having given widespread coverage to the former tycoon's attack on the Scottish Government.

[Update: Sadly the oil story challenging Sir Ian Wood disappeared from the main BBC Scotland online news page just after 18:30 tonight.]

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THE NUMBERS GAME - Politics & Polling in the Independence Referendum

THE NUMBERS GAME - Politics & Polling in the Independence Referendum

Polls are the Campaign. An exclusive look at the dark art of political polling in the Scottish Independence Referendum. The opinion polls are never what they seem and it's all to play for. Pollster and Blogger James Kelly from Scot Goes Pop is your guide through the politics, power and percentages. Kelly deconstructs the Salmond/Darling debate, reflects on parallels with the controversial 1979 Referendum and examines the methods that polling companies use to measure and influence Scotland's biggest ever decision. 

http://scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk

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Referendum TV (24 Aug)

Referendum TV Live 24 Aug 

(NOTE - this program starts 0.40 secs into video)

Iain MacWhirter + Stephen Paton welcome Broadcaster Derek Bateman, Guardian journalist Angus Roxburgh, Chris Law, Blue Goddess/Spirit of Independence, Katherine Mackinnon + Simon Jones, Referendum Café + Cartoonist Greg Moodie.

Referendum TV archive is here -

http://www.referendumtv.net/

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Academics and Industry figures challenge No campaign oil claims

Academics and Industry figures challenge No campaign oil claims

By a Newsnet reporter (24 Aug 2014, 19:57)

 (Reblogged from Newsnet Scotland)

No campaign claims relating to North Sea Oil reserves are coming under increasing pressure following interventions by a leading industry body and respected academics.

A Statement from the UK’s leading offshore industry body giving support to Scottish Government estimates have been bolstered by similar interventions by two leading Professors in Petroleum Accounting and Energy.

Oil and Gas UK has said they "remain of the view that there could be up to 24 billion barrels of oil and gas to recover."  The body issued the statement in response to an attack by Sir Ian Wood on the Scottish Government after it had used the same figure in its estimates.

Now in a separate article in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper, Alex Russell, the Professor of Petroleum Accounting at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, and Peter Strachan, Professor of Energy Policy at RGU, have joined criticism of No campaign claims saying figures used to attack independence are an 'understatement' and 'ludicrously pessimistic'.

The respected academics also described the potential of as yet unexplored areas of the North Sea as "a lucrative venture for the oil industry."

Professors Russell and Strachan added: "Consequently, the healthy 16 billion barrels or so of oil equivalent figures now widely accepted by all campaigners in the referendum debate (apart from the ludicrously pessimistic forecasts from the Office for Budgetary Responsibility) as being economically exploitable from existing discoveries is surely an understatement of the future potential of North Sea production."

The two academics also backed analysis by oil and gas expert Professor Alex Kemp who only days ago released a statement backing Scottish Government oil estimates.  The academic, who is widely accepted to be the foremost voice on oil and gas in the UK, highlighted 125 known existing North Sea discoveries that are not yet considered economic.

Professor Kemp said: "With further technological progress and oil prices higher than current levels it can reasonably be expected that many of these fields will become viable before 2050. 

"This should also apply to new discoveries from future exploration.  Thus the ultimate potential of 24 billion barrels of oil equivalent foreseen by Oil and Gas UK appears plausible."

The SNP's Fergus Ewing has welcomed the interventions from Oil and Gas UK and the three academics.  
  
Commenting Mr Ewing said:

"As we have always said Scottish Government oil reserve figures are based on industry figures, and thus I welcome Oil and Gas UK's confirmation that they stand by their original estimate that reserves could be up to 24 billion barrels.

"Coming on the back of a similar statement by leading oil and gas academic Professor Alex Kemp, and a new article by Professor's Russell and Strachan of Aberdeen's Robert Gordon University, it is clear that North Sea reserves remain substantial.

"That a leading Professor in Petroleum Accounting also believes that the OBR's forecasts are 'ludicrously pessimistic'’, also shows that the OBR statistics now have no credibility whatsoever."

Forecasts by the OBR [Office of Budgetary Responsibility], which was set up by Tory Chancellor George Osborne, have underpinned several academic reports and claims by opponents of independence.  The body has repeatedly downgraded its estimates of North Sea oil and gas revenue several times over the past twelve months. 

Mr Ewing added: "What is important both for the industry and for public finances is to bring an end to the Westminster mismanagement of the oil and gas tax regime, which has brought in sudden and unpredicted changes in taxation affecting the system – causing uncertainty and damaging any remaining reputation the UK had for good stewardship of Scotland's oil wealth.

"The 2011 hike in the supplementary charge is the most infamous example, but even this year sudden changes to the fiscal rules affecting the industry have caused great concern.

"Furthermore, in stark contrast to Norway, whose oil fund now sits at over £500 billion and is so large that it is buying up chunks of central London, successive Westminster Governments have squandered Scotland's oil, with funds instead helping the Treasury finance nuclear weapons, illegal wars and the House of Lords. A Yes vote on September 18th gives Scotland the opportunity to change that forever."

Meanwhile anger is mounting over the refusal of the BBC to report the statements from Oil and Gas UK and the academics in the same manner in which it covered the interview by Sir Ian Wood.

Last week Sir Ian's intervention was given blanket coverage across BBC Scotland platforms, appearing on Newsdrive, Good Morning Scotland, Reporting Scotland and BBC online.  It was also covered on the afternoon John Beattie programme, on BBC2 Scotland Politics programme and the late evening Scotland 2014 with Sarah Smith.

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Doubts cast over Sir Ian Wood oil claims as industry backs Scottish Govt figure

Doubts cast over Sir Ian Wood oil claims as industry backs Scottish Govt figure

By Newsnet reporter (24 August 2014, 07.08)

(Reblogged from Newsnet Scotland)

Doubts over the accuracy of figures on remaining North Sea oil reserves claimed by Sir Ian Wood have emerged after representatives of the industry publicly backed the 24 billion barrel figure used by the Scottish Government.

Speaking to the Sunday Herald, industry body Oil and Gas UK said: “we remain of the view that there could be up to 24bn barrels of oil and gas to recover.”

The statement undermines claims made by Sir Ian Wood this week that the 24bn barrel figure is a “distortion”.  According to Wood, the amount of oil left to recover will not exceed 16.5bn barrels.

Wood, who came out in support of a No vote last week, has attacked the Scottish Government accusing it of exaggerating by sixty per cent the amount of oil remaining in the North Sea.  The Scottish Government has used the industry figure of 24bn in its calculations.

However Sir Ian’s own estimates have been challenged by leading oil and gas expert Professor Alex Kemp after the University of Aberdeen academic said oil recovery could go on beyond Wood’s limit of 2050 and that 24bn was a plausible estimate.

In a further blow to his own credibility, Wood himself has now admitted his own figure of 16.5bn could be too low.

Speaking to the Sunday Herald, the retired head of the Wood Group has now said that there could in fact be as much as 18 billion barrels still to be recovered.

He told the paper: “If you said to me is 18 [billion] possible, I would say probably just.”

The intervention last week by the ex-tycoon into the referendum debate follows rumours of massive oil reserves uncovered to the west of Shetland.  According to oil Giant BP, the company are currently planning further work on the Greater Clair sector of the North Sea.

The company has described its Clair Ridge oil field as “massive” and plans to increase oil recovery using a new extraction technique.

The field is being managed by AMEC on behalf of BP.  In a promotional video released in May this year, George Mantzouridis a chief engineer with AMEC described the Clair project as “one of the biggest being built in the last thirty years in the North Sea”.

Mantzouridis also revealed that during the sanctioning of the project, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said the project was “a massive boost to jobs and growth in the UK.”


Oil has moved centre stage in the independence referendum after rumours of a massive new find grew on the back of an unannounced visit to Shetland by David Cameron.  The 1600 mile round trip from London was not announced and journalists only learned of the trip when the Prime Minister stepped off of a plane.

The BBC has also come under fire on social media for its decision to promote anti-independence claims on oil.  The broadcaster has favoured statements attacking the Scottish Government, with massive coverage of Sir Ian Wood's claims followed by the headlining of claims from a former head of pro-Union lobbying group CBI Scotland.

Despite the Sunday Herald report having been in the public domain for several hours, BBC Scotland has yet to report on the statement from Oil and Gas UK.  On the BBC Scotland main news page, a story about Dr Who has been deemed the third most important.  Last week an item on Strictly Come Dancing was given a higher priority than a report challenging UK Government claims over oil.

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BBC taking aim at Yes campaign as oil seeps into indyref debate

BBC taking aim at Yes campaign as oil seeps into indyref debate

By a Newsnet reporter (22 Aug 2014)

Reblogged from Newsnet Scotland

The Yes campaign is facing an onslaught from BBC Scotland as oil threatens to make an impact in the independence debate.

Fresh from its decision to give headline coverage to Sir Ian Wood after he launched an attack on the Scottish Government over its estimate of the amount of oil remaining in the North Sea, the BBC has given coverage to yet another similar claim.

Melfort Campbell, who once chaired a commission into the future of North Sea oil, has claimed companies will be "hard pushed" to extract 15bn barrels from the sector.  Mr Campbell's claim is the basis for a BBC article, headlined 'Further warning over North Sea oil extraction figures'.

Campbell is also a former Chairman of pro-Union organisation CBI Scotland whose parent - the London based CBI - briefly registered as an official supporter of the anti-independence Better Together campaign.  The registration was deemed void after CBI Chief John Cridland said it had been made in error.

The decision to promote claims which challenge Scottish Government, and industry, estimates relating to North Sea Oil, are in contrast to those statements which back the Scottish Government.

On the same day the corporation headlined the Melfort Campbell claims, the BBC also sought to suppress a statement from Sir Donald Mackay in which the respected economist challenged comments from Sir Ian Wood.

Sir Donald’s intervention was eventually appended to the end of the Melfort Campbell article.

A similar editorial decision witnessed a report from think-tank N-56, which challenged UK Government oil estimates, given a low order of ranking on the BBC website before disappearing altogether within a matter of hours.

By contrast Sir ian Wood's claims were heavily promoted by the BBC across all platforms, including TV, radio and online.

BBC attempts to undermine the Scottish Government over the issue of oil followed recent reports of a huge oil find to the West of Shetland.  The Clair Ridge story has dominated social media with rumours that the phase 3 part of the project will yield significant oil reserves.

In a promotional video released by BP this year, the oil giant described the Clair Ridge field as "massive".  A recent unannounced visit to Shetland by UK Prime Minister David Cameron fuelled speculation that the 1600 round trip from London was related to the new oil discovery.

The emergence of the BBC as a firm supporter of the No campaign has witnessed the corporation promote a series of Better Together inspired issues, with the EU and currency dominating. 

However the extent of the political news manipulation has led to the corporation's own watchdog finding it guilty of a breach of its own guidelines on one of the key issues of the independence referendum.  In 2013 the broadcaster overstepped the mark in a broadcast on the EU membership when it misrepresented the views of an Irish politician and was subsequently deemed to have misled viewers.

In April this year it emerged that the BBC had been - for years - secretly paying tens of thousands of pounds to a pro-Union lobbying group.

The broadcaster had been paying the CBI over £22,000 per year in membership fees.  Despite anger over the use of licence payer's cash, the BBC refused to cancel its membership.

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Dooyeweerd: Tensions between innovation and tradition

Dooyeweerd: Tensions between innovation and tradition.

     All historical formation requires power. Formation thus never takes place without a struggle. The progressive will of the molder of history invariably clashes with the power of tradition, which, as the power of conservation, opposes every attempt to break with the past. In tradition one finds the embodiment of a cultural, communal heritage acquired in the passing of generations. Tradition shapes us, as members of a cultural area, in large measure quite unconsciously, because we have been nurtured within it from our childhood and thus begin to accept it as a matter of course without taking stock of its intrinsic worth. 

     The wealth of tradition is immeasurably richer than the shares which individuals can appropriate for themselves. Anyone who dares to oppose it is never confronted merely with a few conservatively prone souls but with a communal power binding the past to the future and stretching across entire generations. The innovator almost always underestimates the conserving power of tradition, for such a person sees only the surface of the present where tradition appears mainly as inertia, as a retarding force. But tradition has deep dimensions that reveal themselves only gradually in careful historical research. Only in that light does the investigator begin to understand how great the power confronting the shaper of history actually is.

     It is childish to complain about tradition as if it were a grouchy old person who simply swears by what is and who fails to appreciate anything new. Culture cannot exist without tradition. Historical development is impossible in its absence. Imagine that every new generation would try to erase the past in an earnest effort to start afresh. Nothing would come of it. The world would be a desert, a chaos.

     Cultural development, then, is not possible without tradition. The power of tradition is grounded in the creation order, since the cultural mandate itself is one of the creational ordinances. However, truly historical development also demands that a culture not vegetate upon the past but unfold itself.

     Progress and renewal have a rightful place in history alongside tradition and the power of conservation. In the power struggle between both forces the progressive will of the shaper of history must bow before the norm of historical continuity. The revolutionary spirit of reconstruction, which seeks to dismiss the past entirely, must accommodate itself to the vital forms of tradition insofar as they conform to the norm of historical development. Surely, this norm of historical continuity is not a "law of nature" working itself out in history apart from human involvement. In every revolution guided by false principles an attempt is made to reverse the existing order completely. The French Revolution, for example, tried to begin with the year "one." But quickly it had to moderate its revolutionary intentions under the pressure of tradition.

...Historical formation occurs in the battle between conservative and progressive cultural powers. Conservative power guards tradition, which binds the present to the past. In the power struggle the progressive will of the historical shaper ought to accommodate itself to the vital elements in tradition. The revolutionary trait of a progressive trend to establish a complete break with the past must therefore be molded by the norm of historical continuity if indeed a culture is not broken apart but rather unfolded through further historical development. We have pointed out that the norm of historical continuity itself is not decisive with regard to the search for a creationally based criterion which will enable us to distinguish between genuine progress in historical development and a disintegrated reactionary historical trend.

Tradition itself, however, is not a norm or standard for determining what one's attitude should be toward a power that calls itself "progressive." Tradition contains good and bad, and thus it is itself subject to the historical norm.

...But, as we saw earlier, the historical development that takes place in cultural life is subject not to natural laws but to norms, to the rules of what ought to be. These norms presuppose the human ability to make rational distinctions, and they are given by God as principles requiring concrete formation by those who possess historical power.

(Herman Dooyeweerd, "Roots of Western Culture" pp 72, 73, 74, 75)

Sir Donald MacKay challenges Sir Ian Wood's remarks on oil and gas

Sir Donald MacKay challenges Sir Ian Wood's remarks on oil and gas

(22 Aug 2014)

One of Scotland's most respected economists has responded to comments made by Sir Ian Wood after the retired tycoon criticised the Scottish Government's estimate over the amount of North Sea oil still to be extracted from Scottish waters.

Sir Donald MacKay has publicly backed Scottish Government estimates on the economy and North Sea oil and said forecasts criticised by Sir Ian were backed by the oil and gas industry.

On Wednesday oil tycoon Sir Ian Wood intervened in the independence referendum and said figures used by the Scottish Government in its estimates of future North Sea reserves were too high.  Sir Ian also accused others of having distorted conclusions contained in a report he himself had published in February.

However responding today, Sir Donald MacKay challenged the accusation that forecast figures had been distorted.

Read full article HERE

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#YesBecause hashtag takes twitter by storm as one million sign indy declaration

#YesBecause hashtag takes twitter by storm as one million sign indy declaration

Yesterday the Scottish independence referendum took over twitter when ordinary people began tweeting messages containing their reasons for supporting a Yes vote in September's historic ballot.

However few were prepared for the volume of tweets that saw the hashtag #YesBecause dominate twitter, becoming one of the most trended tags in the world.

Messages from tens of thousands of people shot #YesBecause to the top of the twitter trending league across the UK.

The #YesBecause hashtag was the brainchild of the Yes supporting movement National Collective which has seen artists and creatives come together in order to promote the benefits of Scottish independence.

The #YesBecause phenomenon has also led to an inspirational video from the fledgling film company Independence Live.

See more HERE

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Kat Boyd: Yes to Independence

Watch more Watch videos on Frequency

Tom Devine: why I now say yes to Independence for Scotland

Sir Tom Devine and First Minister Alex Salmond

Tom Devine: why I now say yes to Independence for Scotland

By BELLACALEDONIA (August 22 2014)

My engagement in the Scottish independence referendum campaign before now has been restricted to impartial academic interviews. And although I’ve only come to a yes conclusion over the last fortnight this has been a long journey for me. My preferred option would previously have been devolution maximus, but that’s not available. Moreover, even if there is not to be a yes win, it’s imperative that the yes vote is as high as possible in order to put pressure on the unionist parties to commit themselves to granting increased devolved powers, and as soon as possible thereafter.

I’ve never been a member of a party and am still not, so my position does not indicate support for the SNP; it’s simply in favour of independence. The SNP just happens to be a significant force in the campaign. The yes campaign is now a widespread movement and that’s encouraging for me.

I come from a Labour background that includes my grandfather, mother and father and I was very much anti-independence at the start of the campaign. For me, the catalyst for change has been how threadbare the union has become since the early 1980s and linked to that is the transformation of Scotland. I wouldn’t have voted for this in the Scotland of the 1970s or 80s. It’s the Scotland that has evolved since the late 80s and 90s that is fuelling my yes vote. It now seems to me to be in a fit condition to run a successful economy. There is a list of reasons for this.

Read full article HERE

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Sir Ian Wood's oil intervention was political

Sir Ian Wood's oil intervention 

was political

By Martin Kelly (21 Aug 2014)

[...] Sir Ian Wood's new figures [15bn – 16.5bn barrels] contradict estimates from Professor Alex Kemp who has suggested 24bn barrels could still be recovered.  It has also emerged that Tim Smith, the Vice President of BP, himself told a committee of MSPs that there was 27bn barrels of oil still to be recovered.  Both men insist production won't, as claimed by Sir Ian, end in 2050, but will in fact continue beyond that.

Sir Ian himself is on record as having urged young people to move into the oil and gas sector telling them that they will have a job for life - what changed his mind is not clear.

Recent reports over oil fields to the east and west of Shetland ensured oil was making an impact on the referendum, and it was benefiting the Yes campaign.  Sir Ian's intervention allowed the media to put a block on the Yes momentum.  By launching his attack on a Wednesday, it also ensured Unionist leaders at Holyrood could keep the attack going - allowing the BBC to repeat the story.

The Scottish Government, and the wider Yes campaign, seems to have been his target.  His comments on remaining in the Union and the 'uncertainty' of independence have ensured we have another figure who is no longer deemed neutral.

Read full article HERE

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Scotland Yet: a film about independence (full movie)

Scotland Yet: a film about independence (FULL MOVIE) 

from Scotland Yet on Vimeo.

Scotland Yet is a feature length documentary that takes a radically different approach to the debate on Scottish independence.

Blissfully free of sound bites, politicians and statistics, Scotland Yet examines the sum of several personal stories from across the nation to explore the many reasons why we find ourselves at such an historic impasse.

Filled with remarkable characters and sparkling with collective imagination, vision and humour, this is the story of a society that’s beginning to see itself in a whole new light. 

From the old to the young, from veteran activists to bold artists, Scotland Yet delves into the past, documents the present and asks poignant questions about Scotland’s future.

This films focuses on the real referendum debate, the one taking place in the streets, homes and communities across Scotland. It documents the most important discussion we have ever had, as democracy, place, what we have here and what we lack, come to the fore.

A coming of age story about a whole society: Scotland Yet is a unique and radical cinematic journey about a country that will never be the same again.

The entire Scotland Yet movie can be viewed for free online (see vimeo above), but you may also wish to help support independent Scottish film making by purchasing a DVD of the film:
word-power.co.uk/books/scotland-yet-I702811629295/

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Better Together chief linked to moves to block Scottish focused news on BBC

Better Together chief linked to moves to block Scottish focused news on BBC

By G.A.Ponsonby (20 Aug 2014)

One of the key figures behind the Better Together campaign opposed the creation of a Scottish based news programme that would have brought jobs and skills to Scotland, because it had the support of the Scottish Government, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

Blair McDougall, who is the Campaign Director of the cross-party pro-Union alliance, was a senior Labour Party Advisor when he called for a Scottish Six evening news programme to be blocked by party officials, labelling existing BBC Scotland programmes "parochial".

In November 2007 McDougall sent an internal memo to the then Secretary of State for Scotland Des Browne warning against allowing BBC Scotland to create an evening news programme that would have presented events home and abroad from a Scottish perspective.

Read full article HERE

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