Disappointing Crowd for Open Air Gilbert and Sullivan
1,600 people attended British Armed Forces Day in Stirling. 20,000 attended Bannockburn Live, 1 mile away. Guess which the BBC covered?
The unionists have long been obsessed by the fear that the 700th anniversary of Bannockburn would remind Scots that their ancestors were prepared to die for their national freedom. I have never seen any Yes campaigner even mention it, as the case for independence is nothing to do with the early medieval period. But the British state was so concerned, that it waited until the dates for the Battle of Bannockburn event had been set and all the permissions given by Stirling Council , and then announced they were holding National Armed Forces Day at the same place and same time.
As a result, due to police fears about the overcrowding, Bannockburn Live was forced to slash capacity from 40,000 to 20,000.
Stirling Council should never have agreed to hold both events on the same day. In fact, it is a secret how they did agree. Stirling Council officials, called before a Scottish Parliament inquiry to explain, stated they could not say who at Stirling Council had given the permission, as because the process was irregular it was subject to an independent inquiry.
Only the Labour Party in Scotland could come up with that one – “because we have done something extremely dodgy, it is therefore secret.” Stirling Council is in fact run by a right wing Labour-Tory-Lib Dem coalition aimed to keep the largest party – the SNP – out of power. Stirling Labour Party is therefore the absolute epitome of just how disgusting Labour are.
So today the BBC News lead item was the Stirling Armed Forces Day commemoration, with David Cameron parading about with his soldiers in front of every Tory in Scotland (1,800 people). The BBBC had three crews at the Armed Forces Day plus two radio crews. Not one of them managed even a mention of the ten times larger Bannockburn commemoration just down the road.
On top of which the BBC coverage was as appalling a bit of state propaganda as you could ever wish to see. A fine old retired soldier, they reported, told David Cameron that he did not wish to see the country he fought for broken up. It really was, straight out, as crass propaganda as that. Evidently the BBC were unable to find a single ex-soldier who supports independence.
But for me the piece de resistance was the BBC’s conclusion. It showed that when the BBC really puts its mind to it, the BBC can try to be completely biased in a more subtle way – by use of body language, inflection and expression. In September, the female presenter opined, Scotland would have to choose between what it has to [spoken lightly, trippingly, frivolously high pitched voice] gain, and what it has to [stentorian, serious, loud, low pitch, serious expression] lose.
To explain Bannockburn, I feel the Declaration of Arbroath coming on. This is an astonishing document which predates Locke and Hobbes by well over three hundred years. It is the first declaration in history that puts forward the idea of the sovereignty of the people. It praised Robert the Bruce for defending Scots from the dreadful atrocities of English armies, but then goes on to say:
Yet if he should give up what he has begun, seeking to make us or our kingdom subject to the King of England or the English, we should exert ourselves at once to drive him out as our enemy and a subverter of his own right and ours, and make some other man who was well able to defend us our King; for, as long as a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be subjected to the lordship of the English. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.
The document is signed by named nobles but is in the name of the “freeholders and whole community of the realm of Scotland”. There is no document anywhere near it temporally that describes the idea of a nation state like this. Unionist historians have done everything possible to denigrate this very plain sentiment, making the obvious point that the signatories were nobles and clerics. Well, neither Locke nor Hobbes were refuse collectors. The appeal to the Pope was of course to be expected in the early XIV century. It cannot be denied, except by those who hate the Scots, that these sentiments encapsulate the “social contract” and an idea of the nation that was a major advance in European civilisation.
I can see why Anon likes carrying a shotgun around with him.
Ahhhh, Dennis Canavan.
Another good man, too honest and decent for Blair’s New Labour that they threw him out.
But he beat them then and he’s still beating them today.
A very persistant spider.
Here are just a few of the supportive messages we’ve had on Twitter since The Radical Case for Scottish Independence event held at the House of Commons on Thurs 26 June: http://www.redpepper.org.uk/radicalcase/
Went to @RedPeppermag @openDemocracy independence event at Westminster. Probably one of the most motivating meetings I’ve ever been to – Josh
Last night’s Red Pepper meeting in the House of Commons on #radicalscotland was a ruddy eye-opener – brilliant speakers & debate – Jack
Inspiration and emotional meeting for Scottish Indy with Red Pepper mag & openDemocracy – such a thrill to be part of something so important #YES – James
Just reply to this email to let us know what you thought of the event. We’ll produce a write up soon with a podcast that you can share with those who couldn’t make it. Here’s a couple of things to follow up on:
1. FREE book offer: if you become a Friend of Red Pepper by signing up for a monthly donation, you will receive a subscription to the magazine as well as a free copy of ‘Yes: The Radical Case for Scottish Independence’ by James Foley and Pete Ramand (who spoke last night). You will also be helping us to host more events like this and strengthen our voice as a radical alternative to the mainstream media. http://www.redpepper.org.uk/friend/
2. openDemocracy content series: The OurKingdom section of openDemocracy has produced an excellent series of articles about the Scottish referendum, including 40 reasons to support Scottish independence. Help them to continue the coverage by donating here. http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/adam-ramsay/tories-and-labour-40-reasons-to-support-scottish-independence-32-33-34
What next?
Last night there was talk of organising a bus or train up to Scotland to help with canvassing. Plus the possibility of replicating last night’s event in northern cities was also discussed. If you would like to get involved with, or sponsor either of these initiatives just email [email protected] We will keep you all informed of future plans.
Remember back in the early days of the Helsinki Accords, Warsaw Pact dissidents took up CSCE Principle VII as a common rallying cry? The Soviets went to General Quarters. People thought, What’s the big deal? Soviet repressive capacity was more than adequate to squash a few eggheads.
Then Gates’ shop at CIA pointed out that the real threat of the accords was not dissent. The “hidden bombshell” was national autonomy: distinct cultures and peoples resist central control, and Principle VII promotes that with cultural rights.
The Warsaw Pact went first but now it’s the NATO bloc’s turn. Separatist initiatives are breaking the surface. The corporate media wurlitzer demonized Slovakia and kept Slovenia in the cone of silence, but Palestine’s fight is too gory to hide. Catalunia is the most serious threat to Spain’s economic repression.
And now Scotland is coming to a head. Of course your spit-and-string Rube Goldberg regime is shitting bricks. It’s not about haggis and bagpipes and kilts – it’s for a right to a home and free education, and no nuclear weapons, and we, the people, will decide to fight or not. The English are hoping no one remembers that self-determination is the law.
The first BBC report on AFD Stirling gave the attendance as 2000, this was later changed to ‘thousands’. A press release by the MOD has since been circulated to the media quoting 35000, this figure is now in all of the Scottish Sunday newspapers. However, there has been no pictures to back this figure up so far. All the photos released have been tightly cropped.
Bannockburn Live, despite being a ticketed event, was a sell out, and it is expected to do repeat business tomorrow.
“But the British state was so concerned, that it waited until the dates for the Battle of Bannockburn event had been set and all the permissions given by Stirling Council , and then announced they were holding National Armed Forces Day at the same place and same time.”
To be fair, the last 5 Armed Forces Days have been held the last Saturday in June so the choosing of the date, while convenient/inconvenient depending on which side of the fence you sit, can not really be used that strongly as an argument.
Deciding to hold Armed Forces Day in the exact same place as Bannockburn live however…
Ahh..
Priceless Craig.
Some of My jui jitsu friends were there ( Bannockburn ) Doing some battle enactment shows.
whilst i was in Largs catching up with these super kool dudes –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrIUwo_GgmE&list=PL8FEF61EA0C7B328D
P.s..One Man and his Dog…. Hahaha
P.Ps…And the world cup’s Finest Goal all in one Day/ night….Bliss.
@Kampe
“no conspiracy to deliberately conflict with the Bannockburn event”
Utter rubbish, the Unionist cabal at Stirling deliberately decided to set AFD on the same date as Bannockburn it was confirmed by Holyrood’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee.
See this link here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDcCWIsNxaY
At 2:54:36 in the council official clearly states “the MOD came in and set the date, and we didn’t have a choice in that”. The official only a few minutes later acknowledges that that Stirling Council were aware of the Bannockburn event when planning for Armed Forces Day. He is also unable to explain who made the decision for Stirling to host AFD.
The link I provided also shows the following:
Giving evidence in front of Holyrood’s Economy Energy and Tourism Committee, Peter Irvine said his company had been forced to scale back the Bannockburn festival after Stirling Council inexplicably applied to stage Armed Forces Day in the town on the same weekend.
Mr Irvine, whose company Unique Events had been brought in to stage the event which will commemorate 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, told MSPs that the decision was taken out of the blue and without consultation.
Responding to claims that poor ticket sales had forced the Bannockburn event to be scaled back, the professional organiser denied this was the case telling the committee that he knew that a free event being held on the same weekend would affect ticket sales.
Irvine told MSPs their plans had been “truncated” only after they discovered the overlap. He revealed that he had only learned of the Armed Forces Day plan via reports in the media.
He added: “It’s obvious I’m sure why that had to be done, given another event landed on this small town in the same weekend.
“Clearly something had to be done, that’s what we did and that was the sensible thing to do, considering there was a free event in the same small town in Scotland.”
Asked if there was, “an element of surprise that Armed Forces Day was going to happen on the same day as Bannockburn.”
Mr Irvine replied: “It was a surprise when it was announced Armed Forces Day was going to be in Stirling.”
He added later: “We did hear about it from the media.”
Mr Irvine pointed out that the decision to apply for the Armed Forces event on the same day as the Bannockburn commemorations was odd given that the Bannockburn event, which commemorated a 700 year old battle, “had been in the diary for a very long time”.
I arrived on the back of My Dad’s Matchless 250…My Mum had a Triumph Tigress
I was nearly 9 years old
We had come from a Terraced House in Oldham
We did a tour of Scotland…
I played tiddlywinks with my Great Great Great 90 year old Aunt..she was just like a kid ..and we got on so well together…They Took us To Some of The Nicest Places I have been to in my life…I thought Wow…and then we discovered some of My Mum’s other relations..cousins…well the lot….and they told me about the Battle of Bannockburn…and how important it was…I was not quite 9. I am English. All These people…Really Lovely and well…They were Scottish….I still haven’t a clue what The Battle of Bannockburn was all about…
Was it Like Scotland Beating England 5-0??
Or was it something else?
I am not just French.
Tony
I don’t have a problem with ideas..and people trying to make decisions..affecting the entire planet and the human race…but I look at these people…and None of Them will Tell The Truth about Anything Important and Real…they are Media Propagandists..Presenters at Best …but mainly Gormless Idiots…So accepting we are still here and now…How Come Even Craig Murray and Julian Assange and Edward Snowden..are ALL still trying to Go With The Official Story of 9/11…
You May Be That STUPID…But We are Not.
Have a Nice Day xx
Tell the Truth or Fuck Off.
Tony
It was mentioned on bbc breakfast this morning.
Sky News reported Bannockburn. The reporter was under one of those large white Sky umbrellas.
The BBC did not report it or the anti austerity march. Pinter –
‘It never happened. Nothing ever happened. Even while it was happening it wasn’t happening. It didn’t matter. It was of no interest.’
http://havetoremember.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/harold-pinters-nobel-prize-lecture/
~~
Locally the AFD was washed out and the worthies including the local Tory MP, who is always there when there’s a press camera around, must have been drowned. The thunderstorm arrived at the exact time proceedings were scheduled to begin, and the torrential rain ended as the parade was stood down.
The gods above were smiling down.
Craig – you’re applying a whole tin of rose coloured whitewash to history here.
If anything is true about medieval history its that the noblemen were not noble. Certainly not Robert the Bruce. And he certainly wasn’t after “sovereignty of the people”.
Bruce was excommunicated for murdering Comyn before the high alter. After which he had no choice to fight for an independent Scotland under him or be a fugitive. The surfs were indeed fighting for freedom, glory, riches and honours – Robert the Bruce’s. They certainly weren’t fighting for their own…
rose coloured paint would have been better put – but you know what I mean…
Awful BBC. Amazing how after so many decades of propaganda and barefaced lies, that people still believe it is fair and does not peddle agendas. Indeed in their eyes it is praiseworthy and a world beater.
Re: The “Declaration of Arbroath” that you mention. I’m puzzled as to how you believe it “puts forward the idea of the sovereignty of the people” when it simply puts the people of Scotland under the boot of a Scots king instead of an English king.
I was going to put this up last night. There is a spoken version on a You Tube too.
http://www.constitution.org/scot/arbroath.htm
The best turnout was the Lancaster and Spitfire (last pic, Courier site).
Could Craig tell us what the extra B stands for here. 🙂
‘The BBBC had three crews at the Armed Forces Day plus two radio crews…’
Ms Wyatt, that husky voiced BiBiCee defence lady who is so well in with the top brass at the MoD, also made a contribution to the Better Together campaign in her commentary yesterday.
‘Caroline Wyatt
Defence correspondent, BBC News
The parade began at Stirling Castle under stormy skies, at a place much fought over by the English and the Scots in the late Middle Ages.
That echo of battles past and battles still to come hung in the air as Prime Minister David Cameron stood near Alex Salmond, Scotland’s first minister, as Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal took the salute.
Mr Salmond is the man hoping to lead the country to independence this September – in a referendum that’s not the only one proving troublesome for Mr Cameron.
During the march past, an Indian-born veteran of the Parachute Regiment, Sergeant Milton Reilly, took the chance to tell Mr Salmond, the Princess Royal and the Prime Minister in person what he thought of the referendum, and his hopes that the UK would remain united, before he was moved along gently by security.
But most here wanted to keep politics out of a day that they say is here to remind the UK of the sacrifices of the UK’s armed forces in the past and the present, rather than debate the future.
This afternoon, the Red Arrows will fly overhead – as well as the Battle of Britain memorial flight display, and the Royal Navy Historic flight.
All this, an unspoken reminder that the future of defence in Scotland – from its historic regiments to the nuclear deterrent base in Faslane – is also at stake when Scotland votes in September.’
Armed Forces Day celebrations take place across UK
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-28062712
This is now on the website.
Thousands turn out for Bannockburn Live battle event
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-28056972
Thanks Mary. If you read that translation:
Its all about sucking up to the Pope. I’m not sure whether they are claiming the Scots are some tribe of Israel or that the Scots just came “from Greater Scythia by way of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Pillars of Hercules”!
At the end they try and bribe the Pope by saying how they would all go and join the Crusades – if only the English would leave them alone.
You *really* have to be looking for ideas of “the sovereignty of the people” and “social contract” to find it in that document. Its not there. Its an invention of the mind which seeks it.
Robert the Bruce fought for the sovereignty of Robert the Bruce, not the people. That idea didn’t exist amonst the people or the noblement at that time. And it isn’t in the Declaration of Arbroath. Unless you really want to see it there, even when its not.
Cameron accused of “politicising” Armed Forces Day
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/cameron-accused-of-politicising-armed-forces-day-1-3460201
from the thread on Medialens
Craig Murray – Stirling Shenanigans
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/thread/1403995222.html
Marr has Hague and Balls on (what a pairing) plus the Jordanian Foreign Minister. For light relief Chrissie Hynde and Martin Freeman. So formulaic and you can predict what the agenda is this morning.
Sir Keir Starmer and Bénédicte Paviot review the papers.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b048vrly
~~~
A propos of nothing, the weatherman has just said that the temperature dropped to 2C in Scotland last night. Hope Agent Cameron had his high tog rating duvet and fur lined sporran in use or perhaps he jetted back home. Like BLiar he is spending much of his life on planes. Most unhealthy and very environmentally unfriendly Dave.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-28062712
Caroline Wyatt
Defence correspondent, BBC News
AFD quote:-
“But most here wanted to keep politics out of a day that they say is here to remind the UK of the sacrifices of the UK’s armed forces in the past and the present, rather than debate the future.
This afternoon, the Red Arrows will fly overhead – as well as the Battle of Britain memorial flight display, and the Royal Navy Historic flight.
All this, an unspoken reminder that the future of defence in Scotland – from its historic regiments to the nuclear deterrent base in Faslane – is also at stake when Scotland votes in September.”
Dear Caroline,
AFD couldn’t have been more politically motivated and your last paragraph just proved what it was really all about.
‘Bannockburn Live’ has been in the planning for years, Stirling AFD since August 2013! Do you seriously believe it would have been awarded to Stirling had the referendum been last week!
I think the political ploy backfired BIG STYLE…the Scots are not interested in power struggle warfare but we do respect our serving military personnel for the historical sacrifices they make or have made.
Regarding “the future defence in Scotland” – Scotland’s ‘historic regiments’ are already under threat within the Union through disbanding, amalgamations and cuts. Faslane will remain not as a ‘nuclear deterrent base’ but as the Scottish Naval base with a navy to defend our shores unlike what is on offer from the UK Navy today.
Here is a written testimony from an Argyle & Sutherland Highlander from today’s events perhaps the BBC should take note:
Derek Johnstone Macrae https://www.facebook.com/dellboy.mcrea?ref=ts&fref=ts
16 hours ago
A wee message from my pal…..
Chani-mal Bennie
I played at Arm Forces day because i am in the Argyle Sutherland Highlanders pipe band and we were Leading the Argyles veterans .90% of the band are yes voters. 80% of the veterans i was talking to are yes voters. The 20% no voters were the officers David Cameron and Ed Miliband were there.When their names were announced The crowed went silent then grumbled. I was talking to most of the crowd that was there they were not fooled by David Cameron having Arm Forces day on the same day as Robert the Bruce’s 1314 remembrance day , They were their because they had to be. The grass roots yes campaign is winning and the more David Cameron tries to stamp it out the more people are becoming aware of his tactics. Saor Alba
So you see Caroline it was Political but it was the Unionists who politicised the day and the BBC went along ‘Hook, line and sinker’ shame on you!
Melanie McKellar
Je
Right wing unionists like you have been trying to write
“Yet if he should give up what he has begun, seeking to make us or our kingdom subject to the King of England or the English, we should exert ourselves at once to drive him out as our enemy and a subverter of his own right and ours, and make some other man who was well able to defend us our King;”
out of history for years. That is plainly an assertion of the sovereignty of the people. It states that they choose their king and if he doesn’t do what they – not he – want they can kick him out and get another one. It makes plain the king is not appointed by God but by the people he governs. That was revolutionary. You have to have your head a very long way up your own arse before you can’t see that.
“It is the first declaration in history that puts forward the idea of the sovereignty of the people.”
I thing Craig forgets the classics e.g. Ulpian put forward the idea that power came from the people and was transferred to the emperor and then there was all that Athenian democracy that went further and didn’t even want to transfer that power to a supreme leader.
All the King’s horses and all the King’s men couldn’t put Numpty Better Together again.
Resident Dissident
I don’t think Greek oligarchy produced such an inclusive formulation as the Declaration of Arbroath with its “commonwealth and freeholders of Scotland”, but am willing to be corrected if you want to quote any appropriate passages of Greek philosophy.
“And in return, no matter where you find ‘em
They brag of Scotland, now left safe behind ‘em.”
_____________________
So you know that pastiche as well, Anon?
For the interested reader’s information, those two lines come from a very long pastiche called “Caledonia”, written by the late Anthony Powell.
I had the privilege of reproducing a few stanzas of this pastiche on here a couple of weeks or so ago. If the Independentists don’t watch their p’s and q’s, I’ll be sorely tempted to reproduce a few more.
You have been warned! 🙂
Rob Royston – Thanks!
Antony Powell – Right Wing old Etonian scribbler, wrote for the Spectator and Telegraph, married daughter of a hereditary peer, never did a day’s honest work in his life. Yes please do write publish as much as you want of his bile against better people than himself – it will help the cause enormously.
Is that Powell any relation to the Powell creeps Charles and Jonathan who surrounded Thatcher and BLiar? Powell pronounced Pole of course!
~~
This good man writes on Medialens:
Unionists retreat to Fortress BBC as the final battle nears
Posted by John Hilley on June 29, 2014, 8:46 am
Newsnet Scotland piece on the BBC’s key role in ‘Saving private Darling’:
http://www.newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-opinion/9388-unionists-retreat-to-fortress-bbc-as-the-final-battle-nears