Bellside Bud

It'll be interesting to see what the Tories spend the Conference talking about. I wonder if they too will have speakers who want to encourage a debate on whether the Nazi Holocaust happened or not. It's strange that left wingers talk about racism like it's a right wing thing - when it's as clear as the hole in Labours budget plans that the left is riddled with antisemites from the top down and it's certainly not in any position to grab any moral high ground. You're right of course Conferences are just like Referendum campaigns. You can promise the earth and hope you never have to deliver - you know, just like the Scottish Nationalists did in the Scottish Independence Referendum, and just like Boris and Co did with their big bus. The sad thing is that it does appear to fool the masses who are clearly too stupid and too disinterested to bother reasoning it out. It looks to me like Momentum have studied what the dishonest SNP campaigns over the last 10 years or so and they've taken it one step further. It's sad really.

Is it ringfenced for the Academy? Asset locked maybe? Or can it just be absorbed into the clubs running costs like all SMISA's membership subscriptions appear to be?

Good old Labour. Speeches yesterday at conference about renationisation of everything and the hoardes are on their feet - no doubt having been prompted by Momentum. Today away from the conference floor when asked about the cost the tone is predictably different. Apparently we should all have checked the briefing notes where they promise a review to look into the cost of renationisation and seeing which ones might offer value for money to the taxpayer. If I've got this right though if Labour ever get into power £100bn is to be spent wiping out all historical student debt, £loads of hundreds of billions to be spent taking back the PFI contracts Labour awarded and used to finance new build hospitals and schools, were also going to give the EU whatever they ask for so we can be their pals after Brexit, and at the same time we're going to invest £hundreds of billions in the NHS and provide free further and higher education for everyone. Seriously does anyone out there think Labour have any idea - even the faintest idea - of how they are going to pay for all this?

OK, I've got to ask. What's the significance? I know there is a real danger to over analysing Morrissey songs as anything near prophetic. It's taken me till now to understand why hanging the DJ and burning down the disco was being viewed by the music press as racist. Or why his t-shirt this year got the same criticism. I've never paid much attention to the man having written him off as dull and shite many years ago but it seems that this particular song may have been more than a bit autobiographical from the man who called the Chinese a "sub species" and who has expressed his anti immigration views so forcefully over the last 15 years.

Facts huh? Let me guess the other choice? UKIP?

Yeah, to be honest I think the Conservatives are making the best of the hand that has been dealt with them. What do you expect in a tough negotiation? It's obvious that both sides would start off with the most extreme of demands and that they would gradually work towards middle ground. If we were to listen to the likes of the Labour Party and the SNP we were supposed to have approached the negotiations having handed over a blank cheque to the EU and having gifted away every negotiating stand point we could possibly have held. And if you listen to the Lib Dems its quite clear they wouldn't have bothered negotiating anything. They would have simply gone back over and over again to the electorate hoping that we'd all change out minds and save them from having to do the hard work. Instead of agitating and point scoring from the sidelines, its time all of the parties woke up to the fact that the UK is leaving the EU, that was the democratic will of the people in a fair vote and it's time we all rallied behind the government and let them get on with getting the best possible deal for the whole of the UK. People need to remember that in every EU referendum debate there was a solid acceptance that if the UK was to leave the EU there would be "bumps in the road" during the negotiation period and there were warnings about the obvious short term damage that could do to the economy. I heard those warnings very clearly from both sides and certainly from David Cameron and George Osbourne, and I voted to Remain as a result.

Nonsense, there is no spin. I haven't attempted to dress this graphic up as proof that the conservatives enjoyed a landslide in Scotland, it's you that has interpreted it that way. If you followed the posts you'll know the claim that I made that I was backing up was that whilst opposition parties claimed that the EU was the issue that would kill the Conservatives, the opposite has been true. The SNP has lost a large amount of support because they alienated a large minority of their support who wanted to leave the EU. The SNP's continued agitation on this issue is only serving to damage them further. Whist the General Election showed that despite the fact that many prominent Conservatives pronounced their support of Remain, the fact that the part is getting on with the process of ensuring the will of the people is met has seen their support increase - particularly in Scotland. The graphic shows quite clearly that the SNP suffered the biggest collapse in it's support at the last General Election. They were THE biggest losers out of all of the UK parties. And as we subsequently saw they lost some of their biggest hitters in the party like Angus Robertson, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, Alex Salmond, and John NIcolson. Out of the MP's that did survive one has a majority of just 2, and another - Pete Wishart - has a majority of just 21. Even the much vaunted Mhari Black in Paisley saw her majority dramatically cut. For the SNP the Independence Referendum was probably the best possible outcome - whilst the Brexit vote has damaged them beyond repair.

It's hardly an abuse of statistics. The title clearly shows what the statistics are measuring. It is the difference between percentage share of the vote in 2015 to the latest General Election in 2017. The SNP's support has clearly been in decline, and the Conservative Party have been the ones who have benefited. We know this is also true when we look at the seats won in Scotland where the Nationalists lost a massive 21 of the 56 seats they previously held.

Good question. The SNP has most Scottish MP's, at least until the next General Election. Now you tell me which party has the most MP's across the whole of the UK? You know, the UK that the vast majority of Scots wanted to stay in. As for question 2 - they are doing better than any other UK party, fairly obviously.

Really? Let me present you with the evidence.

If being "humped" means having a group of Natsi's post inaccurate personal shit about me then yeah I've been well and truly humped. What is clear you haven't done though is win the political argument. The SNP vote is collapsing. Scottish Independence is dead. Alex Salmonds political career is in tatters. And all of this whilst Theresa May and the Conservatives carry on with the job of running the country.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14950013.36__of_SNP_and_Labour_supporters_backed_Brexit__finds_survey/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/01/thousands-scottish-leave-voters-deserted-snp-general-election/ https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2017/03/what-next-snp-voters-who-voted-brexit I voted Remain, as did many other Conservative voters. Our party leader at the time David Cameron campaigned for Remain, as did George Osbourne. Indeed even Theresa May spoke out in favour of remain. When the referendum result came in I was disappointed but like many other Conservatives I accepted the will of the majority of the people. We were to leave the EU which was fair enough. Labour and the SNP predicted that Europe would destroy the Conservative Party. Infighting would rip it apart - apparently. Yet at the referendum Jeremy Corbyn refused to participate - probably because the Labour Party wanted him to campaign for Remain while he wanted to leave. And the SNP sent Sturgeon out to tactically angle for Remain in the hope the opportunity might prevail that would give her a chance to pursue more grievance politics in Scotland and maybe even another Independence Referendum. As the vote came in she gleefully ran off to Brussels looking for support for Scottish Independence but she met a dead end. She returned and told her party this was it, Indy Ref 2 was coming. Then came the General Election and the SNP became the biggest losers on the night. They'd lost so much support that their "real leader" Alex Salmond was hooked out of politics by his own constituency. Not just that loads of other high profile SNP MP's lost their jobs also told to sling their hooks by their own constituencies. Of those that hung on it was often by the finest of margins - Peter Wishart by just 21 votes. Yep - the EU issue had destroyed the SNP and yet still the brainless ones amongst them post gleefully about Brexit promises that are undelivered like it's helping their cause. Now, continue silly feckers.

The lads Wiki page says he started his career as a Celtic Academy youth player, but unless i'm very much mistaken the first time I saw him play was for Motherwell in a seven-a-side match against Wishaw Wycombe maybe 9 or 10 years ago when Chris was still a youth coach at Motherwell. I've seen him play a few times since and whilst I don't think he's likely to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Kieran Tierney and Tony Ralston at Celtic I'm sure he'll have a decent career in the game. It'll be interesting to see him line up with Jack Baird, to compare the two and to watch how they cope with Stephen Dobbie.

Eh? I was asked a question about the complaint process I'd gone through and I responded.

Yep. The evidence is all there. David Nichol was elected as SMISA representative on the club board. Despite that representation on the club board opposition fans were still moved into the family section for two games this season. SMISAs objective was always to buy shares in the club to give ordinary fans and customers a voice in the club boardroom. As a SMISA member I sent David Nichol two emails, neither were responded to. Posts on here were completely ignored and when I sent three emails to the general email address - one as a member and two after resigning - I eventually got one response 21 days later. In that email the person responding made it clear he'd known about my complaints listed on here but he had refused to answer until I sent them an email. Of course it's all about the committee. Just look at the vote that saw SMISA putting money in to pay players wages. No other options were entertained by the SMiSA board at all. Just spend on wages with the vote worded so as to make the alternative look catastrophic, or do nothing with the money

I complained to the FCA, they referred me to Andrew Jenkin. I've been dealing directly with him. I wouldn't really trust anything that is in the SMiSA constitution. The SMiSA board seem to treat it as an irrelevance so I'm not sure why you think this would be any different. SMISA are members of Supporters Direct and as head of Supporters Direct Scotland Andrew Jenkin clearly has influence. He hasn't told me to f**k off and to give him peace yet. If he does maybe I'll need to look at alternatives.

What I was looking for was what was advertised and promised - a Community Benefit Society which would put the football club at the heart of the Paisley Community. Over and over again the website refers to the Paisley Community. E-mails I received from John White and Barry's Mitchell were clear - the Paisley Community was all important to this bid and they needed to ensure it was benefitted. I didn't sign up for the £25 per month membership without being absolutely assured that this bid was going to be about buying the club and strengthening ties with the Paisley community. I sought more assurance because I'd already seen the SMiSA board lose sight of its objectives during t-shirt and towel gate when buying equity and getting the fans voice heard was thrown in the bin while Stewart Gilmour saw their banked cash as the clubs to use as it wished. This time round the constitution was clear. ALL assets were subject to an asset lock that could only be used to benefit the Community - the community the SMiSA website clearly defined as Paisley. Ive been conned. Others have been conned. If this scam had eminated from the relatives of the king of Nigeria in pigeon English it couldn't have been more clear. What I donated to isn't what was promised. I should be refunded and so should any one else who feels ripped off. Graeame, banking the discretionary fund would have been more honest but I want to see it used as was promised. I want to see it benefit the Paisley community. There is absolutely no reason why it can't deliver on that whilst also expanding the club business and generating more income. I've offered suggestions, others have offered help and suggestions. This SMISA board isn't interested. Just as before all they want is for whoever runs St Mirren to love them. It's anything but fan representation and its anything but a Community Benefit Society

No. Andrew Jenkin respond to my complaint for free, funnily enough. Yes I did raise my complaints within 6 months of resigning my membership. Andrew Jenkin is still dealing with my complaint and were still in communication.

Remember when SMISA first started the goal was to get the voice of the fan / the paying customer heard in the boardroom. Remember yesterday when Bazil claimed that the SMiSA reps weren't shitting themselves away and that they were approachable and listening. Wonder how that stacks up with Kennys latest post? SMISA isn't fit for purpose. It never was.

https://www.snp.org/the_rape_clause_explained_in_200_words The SNPs own website. Check out the date

I couldn't be any clearer. George Osbourne announced plans for a cap on Child Tax Credits in the 2015 budget. Only the Labour Party voted against that budget. That cap stipulated that starting from 2017 Child Tax Credits would only be payable to the first two children born to any family after that date. It was universally accepted. TV coverage at the time had focused on a number of Welfare stories that proved that there were families out there that were basically running "Baby Factories", churning out children to maximise their benefit payments. This was designed to stop that. In the bill a number of exceptions to the cap were added. It was designed to show that the state could show discretion and still provide Welfare support for those who might fall into circumstances due to reasons outwith their control. From memory the two exceptions listed, but that were not exhaustive, were multiple birth pregnancies (twins, triplets, quadruplets etc) and where a pregnancy has occurred as a result of rape and where the Mother has decided to proceed with the pregnancy and to raise the child despite what happened to her. The SNP raised no objections until desperation got the better of them. Losing support to the Tories they dragged this shit out, gave it an emotive title "The Rape Clause" and put in place one of the most disgusting, scaremongering, deceitful piles of nonsense ever launched in an election in this country trying to make political capital out of it. And when challenged - "what would your alternative be" Nicola Sturgeon responded that she wouldn't put the cap in place. That's right Nicola Sturgeon's official position was that she was happy to see the abuse of the Welfare State continue unchecked ever! Why didn't the Tories deal with it better? I don't know. It had never been a controversial piece of legislation so I presume the attack caught many of them completely off guard. However it's now when we can reflect back on the political campaigns that we can see just how fraudulent the SNP and Labour campaigns were. The SNP threw low blows in extreme desperation - one of the worst being Nicola Sturgeons attempt to claim Kezia Dugdale had told her in private she supported Independence on National TV. The Labour Party offered graduates with student debt a massive bribe - vote Labour and they'd wipe out all of your student debt. They've since claimed they didn't offer that but its very clear they did. Despite that Theresa May won without the need for bribes or low blows. She increased the Conservative vote by over 1 million, won seats right across the UK in Labour and SNP heartlands, saw Alex Salmond and a group of high profile Nationalists booted out as MP's, and yet still the opposition claim she's in a vulnerable position.

That's not the vote on the budget where the plans for the Child Tax cuts were announced.

Or the sale of McAllister. But then that's the point I'm making. Paying staff wages for a limited company should only be done in return for equity or in the form of a director loan. It should never have been a gift from a Community Benefit Society with a strict asset lock in place - especially when the claim that it is actually to the benefit of the Paisley Community is as spurious and as tenuous as it could possibly be.

They voted to pass the 2015 Budget into legislation. Only Labour opposed it.

Hmm, Ruth clearly got that one wrong. Nicola Sturgeon is better off banging on about Independence. When she tries to govern she f**ks up our education system, our NHS, our transport network, our police force, our ambulance service, our fire service and she digs a man size trap for herself where now we can all see that the SNP are the party of higher taxation. Ruth should have encouraged her to stay focused on the only thing NIcola Sturgeon knows what to do in government - cause that's losing her votes and losing her her party.