Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement

The hunt is On.
Sponsored by
The hunt is On.
Can you track down Scotland's wildest beastie?
 
 
Friday, 5th December 2008 Change Date

The Scotsman Digital Archive - Special Christmas Offer

Premium Article !

Your account has been frozen. For your available options click the below button.

Options

Premium Article !

To read this article in full you must have registered and have a Premium Content Subscription with the The Scotsman site.

Subscribe

Registered Article !

To read this article in full you must be registered with the site.

Sign In
Register

Brown hits the Glenrothes trail – but not really



Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date: 06 September 2008
GORDON Brown yesterday visited Glenrothes, the constituency which will be his next by-election battleground.

But the Prime Minister, who was not wearing a party rosette, insisted he was not there to campaign

but to open a trade union learning centre and also visit a voluntary centre.

He has refused to get involved with by-elections – he did not visit Glasgow East in July, when the SNP overturned a 10,500 majority, or Crewe and Nantwich where the Conservatives took the seat from Labour in May. In contrast, Alex Salmond, the First Minister, visited the Glasgow East constituency ten times to help the Nationalists to victory.

David Cameron, the Tory leader, has also challenged Mr Brown to campaign in Glenrothes, but Labour have insisted that prime ministers do not take part in by-elections. However, Mr Brown is the MP for the neighbouring Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath constituency, and a spokeswoman for the SNP suggested that, while he may not be in Glenrothes, his constituents may see a lot more of him in the coming weeks.

The two constituencies share a local newspaper," she said. "So he may want to get in a few more photo opportunities."

The last by-election in which Mr Brown was involved was as chancellor, when he ran the ill-fated Dunfermline and West Fife campaign in 2006. Labour lost the seat to the Liberal Democrats.

The full article contains 238 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 06 September 2008 12:47 AM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

BIG EYE,

Paisley 06/09/2008 00:06:47
The same story in the Herald has a great quote from Tricia Marwick which explains why the bookies have the SNP at one to four ON to win the seat!

Ah the good old days when even the day before polling in Glasgow East it was possible to get 2 to 1 against the SNP winning.

Must of cost Labour members a fortune to maintain those odds!

Hope they have some money left to do the same in Glenrothes I could do with the money!
2

Danny Mather,

Edinburgh 06/09/2008 00:08:24
bit of a non-story this. Isn't Brown supposed to represent this constituency, as the neighbouring MP while they are without representation?

Quite why he will have to do it for a few months, while Glasge East had to wait a matter of weeks, is another matter.
3

Resolutions,

06/09/2008 00:08:35
How very convenient!
Do not campaign as PM but open something or other.
Pull the other one!

When is the date then?
Why the hurry in Glasgow East and Crewe?
Date Gordon? Date?
4

,

06/09/2008 00:16:55
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
5

Brian Hill,

06/09/2008 00:17:37
Yes Tricia was right on the money with her comments.

I have no doubt the SNP are pounding the streets on a daily basis already, geeing up their supporters on the one hand and convincing floaters and disillusioned Labour voters to join them on the other hand.
6

First Minister,

Markinch 06/09/2008 00:23:52
Bring it on
Team gb will struggle to win this,please Good people of Glenrothes, vote SNP, send another message that we have been taken for granted too long, it is time to stand up on our own 2 feet.
7

Scotindy,

Los Angeles 06/09/2008 00:40:35
Just send that unionist creep, back to his home in england. He is not a friend of SCOTLAND so let's all get together and VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE......
8

Kimg Arthur,

06/09/2008 00:47:08
kimba is sueing me for defamation. :( I can't sleep with worry.
9

Dave Gordon.,

OddPolitics 06/09/2008 00:47:55
1 Big Eye

It will be interesting to see how the odds shift. Best odds for an SNP win are 1/4, next best are 2/9.

The Glasgow East betting was showing Labour as favourites until close of poll. The bookies got it wrong - see http://tinyurl.com/oddpoliticsglasgow

There's also money being taken on whether GB will keep or lose his seat at the next general election. See http://tinyurl.com/oddpolitics
(Updated whenever I notice a movement in prices)
10

a proud doonhamer,

Dumfries 06/09/2008 02:03:51
With numbers like these, I wouldn't want to show my face in public either.

Here we go again, another disastrous poll for Labour and the unionistas.

Populus Poll for the Times
Westminster Parliament
Scottish Numbers
Aug 29th to 31st 2008
(seats allocation – Electoral Calculus)

Vote Percentage

SNP 42 (44)
Labour 27 (7)
Conservatives18 (3)
Liberal Democrats 12 (5)
Others 1 (0)
11

Pat Scot,

Not very far from Glenrothes at all 06/09/2008 02:09:54
Why wasn't Cllr John Beare selected to run for the SNP in Glenrothes this time? He polled respectably in 05, he's competent and articulate, and he would have been a cert to win in the current circumstances.
12

Guga II,

Rockall 06/09/2008 02:47:33
Maggie Broon's visit must be some sort of compromise with his party as they have virtually ordered him to campaign in Glenrothes.

However, his party are expecting to lose the by-election, and they obviously want him there so that he can't escape the blame. That way it will make it even easier for them to dump him once they lose Glenrothes.

13

Just an opinion,

USA 06/09/2008 03:28:44
Ouch!! I got $1.68 for my pound to-day - the writing is on the wall.
Hate to say it, but our Lang Toun pin up boy has crashed and burned.
Not that there is any reasonable alternative on the horizon - how could there be? They are ALL politicians!!
14

danielrober,

06/09/2008 04:20:54
When the final scorer comes to call, its not how many games were won, lost or drawn, but how you played the game.

I'm fasinated to see how Gordon Brown the man plays this election game, as Gordon Brown the Prime Minister. After all it is the last mile of the Marathon everyone notices. I think so far he has done a good race.
15

Castaway,

06/09/2008 06:25:18
Gordon Brown was just paying a visit to the constituency of Glenrothes which he also represents until a new MP is elected.
House of Commons.The PM: I am sure that the hon. Gentleman would be complaining if we had waited to have the by-election. It is right that the constituents of this area of Glasgow (East) have a new MP as soon as possible. 2 July 2008
David Cairns,claimed that a writ for the Glasgow East by-election had to be rushed through to ensure the constituency was not without an MP for months.
Will both Gordon and David explain as to why the constituents of Glenrothes have to wait for their new MP whereas the constituents of Glasgow East didn't have to wait ?



16

tommy M,

06/09/2008 07:32:30
More sneakiness from the Northbrit man.

As the people of Gelnrothes wait and wait...and wait...

Always about what suits the liebour party, not the people. This is why we don't want these scoundrels running our country any more.

Send him homeward to his beloved south britain tae think again indeed.
17

tommy M,

06/09/2008 07:32:59
Sorry, GLENrothes.
18

bawcus,

benthehoose 06/09/2008 07:39:45
I was coming doon the stair wi an independant air
'n Gordon Broon wis there, greetin wi despair,
" A cannae face the big stramash, for squanderin the nations' cash 'n gein gifts to India 'n China."

Tune, The Man That Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo.

Let's hope the Glasgow East result is repeated in Glenrothes!
19

thinking,

Scotland 06/09/2008 08:21:59
#9
I don't suppose he will be unduly worried if he does lose his seat in a general election. He has a gold plated pension (as MP and PM) which will be bigger than most people earn. He will be able to write his memoirs and go on the speaking circuit too so he won't be living in penury!!!
(I think I'm becoming cynical!!!)
20

Mikey,

06/09/2008 08:25:32
I would urge all Scots with an interest in seeing Scotland flourish to stop counting chickens. We've not won yet and the anti Scotland brigade will no doubt try to bribe or scare the electorate before the election.

Remember that the Brit state has practiced divide and rule for centuries and they're good at it! All you have to do is read this forum to see how many poor suckers have been taken in by them!

By all means, let's have a celebration, but let's do it AFTER the election and not before!
21

cabrach loon,

Inverness 06/09/2008 08:52:37
19 interesting - I wonder who will pay the pension if Scotland becomes independent. Not Scotland I hope! I doubt if the English would want to either so hopefully he could be in limboland!
22

MacGillicuddy,

06/09/2008 08:56:17
From the piece:
" The two constituencies share a local newspaper," she said. "So he may want to get in a few more photo opportunities."

Absolutely correct!
The Fife Free Press and Glenrothes Gazette are both from the Johnston Press pro-Liebour Party stable as is the Scotsman.
This week's Fife F P has a huge article on just ONE candidate and a amiserable few lines on some of the other declared candidates. Guess which one has the large article? Yip the Liebour candidate Lindsay Roy who has jumped ship early from the initial stages in attempting to turn around the failing Kirkcaldy High School.
23

beckypumps1,

Fife 06/09/2008 08:56:21
When is the date Mr Brown ? If Glasgow east can have a quicky why cant we fairs fair is it not.

Also why no winter payment for the old folk , is your purse empty because nothern rock got it all .

24

1745,

Edinburgh 06/09/2008 09:01:21
Read the SPECTATOR report on the state of the Treasury. Very Scary. Shows the underhand dealings by Brown. Is bankruptcy looming for the UK ?
25

GM,

06/09/2008 09:01:47
@20
I recall quiet clearly the bluff and bluster of all the rabid 'union at any cost' brigade the day before Glasgow East.

I actually still recall a few of them who contributed before the elections in May 2007.

Its actually gone a bit quiet from them on the Glenrothes by-election.

I suspect that they are keeping their opinions quietly to themselves this time around to save even more blushes.

Even the most literate of the rabid unionists, AM2, hasn't managed to get a single political prediction correct on these forums.
26

Vote UKIP,

06/09/2008 09:04:26
Gordon Brown daren't get involved in the by-election!
27

MacGillicuddy,

06/09/2008 09:06:29
#26
Don't think it'll be because of the "meeting in a phone box" UKIP-BNP though!
28

11+failed,

the pans 06/09/2008 09:08:21
14 danielrober
"I think so far he has done a good race."
Agreed, never has a Labour leader taken his party downhill faster than Gordon!
29

MacGillicuddy,

06/09/2008 09:08:32
#26
Will reichsfuehrer Niggle von Farage be there?
30

Rickie,

In waiting! 06/09/2008 09:11:30
It's the same question asked everyday now - when is the date?

I'm also confused as to why the media aren't chasing 'sources' for reasons for the delay, if there is a reason other than if we put it off they (the electorate, you and me) can't vote us oot...

They (NLH - New Labour Hypocrytes) really think we are all that stupid, there are exceptions that are and you can see them post regularly.

Skint, treated with contempt, freezin cauld, starvin, knackered...

On a good side note, after working for 30 years and getting a heart condition through stress and overwork for my trouble, going self employed seems to be my only option and is being helped in a major way by the Scottish Governments (the new one not the old tired one) non-domestic rates policy for people starting up a business (good for the economy in general having people working and possibly employing), so F.Y.I. only 20% for the first year and free for the 2nd, a massive help and one without which I couldn't consider starting up let alone becomming an employer.

Although in Fife anyone would have a job beating the largest employer in the area, Fife Council (is it just me or does that seem disproportionately strange?)

What help have the other lot given to smaller and startup businesses? Nowt I can find.

Roll on getting these leeches of our backs and getting elected members that actually give a shnitz.
31

pehman,

sussex 06/09/2008 09:15:10

24 you might like this from the times;-

From The TimesSeptember 6, 2008

Voters are dissatisfied with us, admits Harriet Harman as unions demand help for the low-paid
TUC says economy will be Brown’s downfallSam Coates, Christine Buckley, Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson
Harriet Harman has given her bleakest assessment of the Government’s plight, admitting that there is dissatisfaction with Labour as the party prepares for a week-long onslaught from an emboldened union movement.

In an interview with The Times, the party’s deputy leader offered little comfort for Gordon Brown, backing the Chancellor’s gloomy assessment of the international economy last week and claiming that hard times were turning people against Labour


It's not just hard times that are turning people against slab. It's the lies the deciet and the blatent ineptitude and lack of any scence of Scottish feeling


32

Nikostratos,

06/09/2008 09:17:22
#1

"Must of cost Labour members a fortune to maintain those odds"

and now costs the nationalist extremists most of their money to do the same
33

Peter Curran,

Kirkliston 06/09/2008 09:24:33
GORDON BROWN – A BRIEF HISTORY
Gordon Brown, faced with the prospect of his country entering an illegal war on a lie, could have spoken out against it, and resigned, if necessary.

But he didn’t.

Gordon Brown, seeing the tragedy of that illegal war unfolding, could have used his formidable power as Chancellor to bring pressure to bear to force a withdrawal.

But he didn’t.

Gordon Brown, seeing his party systematically favouring the wealthy and the powerful over the poor and dispossessed, could have spoken out against the corruption of the ideals he professed to believe in.

But he didn’t.

Gordon Brown, claiming to be guided by a moral compass bequeathed to him by his father, could have condemned unequivocally the moral collapse of his then leader, Tony Blair, and the Labour party.

But he didn’t.

Gordon Brown, watching his party dismantling the age-old freedoms of the British people under law, and creating a paranoid, surveillance society, could have spoken out vigorously against these things.

But he didn’t.

Gordon Brown, controlling the purse strings of the nation, could have refused to continue bankrolling the murder of men, women and children and the destruction of a country that was the cradle of civilisation.

But he didn’t.

Gordon Brown could have recognised the obscenity of nuclear weapons, refused to commission a new generation of Trident, and could have brought to an end the basing of these weapons of mass destruction in his beautiful country.

But he didn’t.

Gordon Brown, seeing his old friend and colleague descend into a slough of expedient corruption of values, could have frontally challenged him for the leadership of the party and the nation.

But he didn’t.

Voters of Glenrothes, this is the man who visited your constituency yesterday, and who wants you to trust him, the Labour Party and their candidate with your future and the future of your children.
34

English Bob,

England 06/09/2008 09:25:54
#7

"Just send that unionist creep, back to his home in england. He is not a friend of SCOTLAND so let's all get together and VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE......"

Out of order dipstick. Brown is an all Scottish bogey man - he's a Scottish unionist creep. The English don't want the slack jawed pasty son of the manse. He's a revolting specimen - I don't wonder you try to distance yourself from him but he remains 100% Scot and signatory of the Scottish Claim of Right.

Whilst strangely not accepting the soveriegn right for the English to have their own representation.

SCUM.




35

Lang Spoon,

Free State of Leith 06/09/2008 09:30:39
Am I the only one to have made this prediction?
GB will lose his seat and his job soon; however, he will emerge reborn as the new leader of (wait for it) Scottish Labour!
You heard it here first!
36

pressure,

Scotland 06/09/2008 09:35:44
Alex Salmond could kept his promise to write off student debt but he didn't
Alex Salmond could have kept his promise to end PFI but he didn't
Alex Salmond could have kept his promise to regulate the buses but he didn't
Alex Salmond could have voted for the minimum wage but he didn't
Alex Salmond could have kept his promise to end nuclear power but he didn't
Alex Salmond could have kept his promise to invest in public services instead of cutting taxes for the rich but he didn't
Alex Salmond could have kept his promise to give every new home owner a £2k grant
Alex Salmond promises less poor people and more rich people, tax cuts and more spending and in an independent scotland.... do you think he will keep his promise?
37

Senga Jean,

06/09/2008 09:43:34
Alex Salmond does not have a majority in the Scottish Parliament so has to duck and dive to achieve the wonderful things he has already achieved. (The trams which he was against could have released the pressure on PRESSURE. G'day!)
38

GM,

06/09/2008 09:47:46
@36

Its still better financially for students in Scotland than england

PFI is ended.

Buses - give it time

Minimum Wage now means that the cleaner at my wife's work now earns the same as her

nuclear power is something he is committed to stopping but unless you hadn't noticed, outside the planning system he can do little else due to westminster restrictions.

Public services have been invested in... what 'taxes for the rich' has he cut?

"Proposals for a £2,000 grant for first-time home buyers in Scotland have been rejected in a public consultation." so it was the public consultation that gave no support for the promise, not AS.




And always at the back of *everything*

The SNP have had about 1.5 years, in a minority government...

Labour had, let me think, how many years in scotland???


Do you think eye tests would be free now in 2007 hadn't happened?
Do you think prescriptions would be on their way to being free if 2007 hadn't happened?
Do you think parking at hosptials would be free if 2007 hadn't happened?
etc
etc
etc
39

bluehead,

edinburgh 06/09/2008 09:51:15
brown should stay in London,it is better for the people of Scotland if he does,!he'll have us depressed just at the sight of him for he is the worst prime minister in political history,that is,of course, next to Blair.
40

John S,

06/09/2008 10:01:01
Off topic but interesting:Children aged eight enlisted as council snoopers
The youngsters are among almost 5,000 residents who in some cases are being offered £500 rewards if they provide evidence of minor infractions.
One in six councils contacted by the Telegraph said they had signed up teams of "environment volunteers" who are being encouraged to photograph or video neighbours guilty of dog fouling, littering or "bin crimes".
Ealing Council in West London said: "There are hundreds of Junior Streetwatchers, aged 8-10 years old, who are trained to identify and report enviro-crime issues such as graffiti and fly-tipping."
Harlow Council in Essex said: "We currently have 25 Street Scene Champions who work with the council. They are all aged between 11 to 14. They are encouraged to report the aftermath of enviro-crimes such as vandalism to bus shelters, graffiti, abandoned vehicles, fly-tipping etc. They do this via telephone or email direct to the council."
This escalation in Britain's growing surveillance state follows an outcry about the way councils are using powers originally designed to combat terrorism and organised crime to spy on residents. Telegraph 06 September 2008 tinyurl.com/6ptr25
41

subrosa,

06/09/2008 10:20:01
Can someone please explain to me how Mr Roy can get time off from his headship to campaign. He'll need quite a few weeks the way things are going and it's quite unfair on the school children that they are denied the expertise of this wonderful head for any length of time.
42

Wee Norrie,

NORTH BERWICK 06/09/2008 10:24:34
#33 Mr Curran, thank you. Your contribution should be printed out and placed on the wall beside every computer. You have expressed neatly what every decent voter has been trying to put into words for years.
43

Darien,

Panama 06/09/2008 10:27:47
#41 Sounds a bit like the Hitler Youth movement. They'll be told to report their parents and other relatives next.
44

John S,

06/09/2008 10:39:04
#33 Peter Curran, I have just read what you wrote:Gordon Brown ...........and creating a paranoid, surveillance society.I cannot help but link your comment to #41
#44 You should read the comments on that url.
45

morris,

edinburgh 06/09/2008 10:41:15

Gordon Brown has set a delay in this seat,when we all know GLASGOW EAST WAS RUSHED THROUGH.
Since he is not only the MP representing Glenrothes (until a new member is elected),he is the sitting member of the neighbouring seat, and as such should be visiting his own constutency anyway at some point(or is that two seats without an MP).
He has no possible excuse for not ever being here during the campaign.
Irrespective of whether this improves his standing or otherwise he should be commutting between his London home (no 10) and his consituents occasionally.If he does not then he should be removed ASAP on that alone.

HIS PARTY will be unceremoniously removed anyway.
England will guarantee this and whose fault is it when we vote NEW LABOUR and get the opposite of what we wanted?
The answer is of course our own!

We will then have to deal with a Tory government,elected into Scotland by Labour,Lib Dem and Tory voters in Scotland through support of the United Kingdom.

Cue Unionists:
with their usual "vote for the SNP lets the Tories in via the back door" and variations on that nonsense.
NB. Any such claim tells everybody that not only would you never pass an arithmetic exam,its unlikely you would even be allowed to sit one !
Of course you could jut be a liar.True.
46

Mr. Lachie Todd,

Edinburgh 06/09/2008 10:49:39
An opinion poll published today indicates that, in the highly unlikely event that Tony Blair should return as Labour Leader, his party would halve the Tory lead, and David Cameron's lead in the popularity stakes would disappear!

Gordon Brown may have been a competent Chancellor but it is glaringly apparent that he is totally unacceptable as Prime Minister to both English AND Scots voters.

Tony Blair was hounded out of Office over the Iraq War! Yet, without any democratic form of OMOV election for leader, Labour picked the wrong successor for leader!

Love him or hate him, there is no doubt that Tony Blair
was and still is a class act and, had the Labour Party stuck by this charismatic man instead of annointing a cardboard cut-out, Labour prospects at the forthcoming General Election might be completely different?
47

morris,

edinburgh 06/09/2008 10:54:39
46 cont.

Before any bright spark says HE WAS IN GENROTHES YESTERDAY I am aware of that and what I said should bear in mind that I refer to between now and polling day.
48

morris,

edinburgh 06/09/2008 11:02:51
47

That surprises me because I had always believed that Englands rejection of Labour was irrespective of who the leader was.I had not attributed so much of the disaster to Broon personally.I thought Blair was a liability but clearly he was less so than this bumbling clot.


It suggests that Labour might only be seriously singed as opposed to burned to a crisp,but they would still lose power of course.
I would think Bean will be a "has been" very shortly once the snouts at the trough get wind of this!

Half of them can save their own scrawny necks by twisting his!
It has challenge for leadership written all over it.

Does it give any judgement on Millipede I wonder?
49

Darien,

Panama 06/09/2008 11:11:20
#47: In Scotland it will not matter whether the BritNat party leader options are Brown or Blair, or Cameron or whoever. They all stand for the same things at the end of the day - e.g. illegal war, nuclear power, big military spend, economic waste, power of state over the people etc etc. Voters in Scotland, however, have the advantage of being able to vote for something quite different, something many people are now far more relaxed and confident about, and that is Alex Salmond and an independent Scottish Government. Let NewLab bring Blair back if they wish - to folks south of the border that might make a difference to who they vote for, but it will make absolutely no difference to Scots voters, who will enjoy a quite different level of choice, and a more appealing one as each day goes by. Bring it on.
50

morris,

edinburgh 06/09/2008 11:54:50
34

To be fair Bob he does have an English home at no10( but not for much longer I'll wager ) and his party was voted into power by the combined United Kingdom.
I think Scotindys rejection of Brown is something you clearly would share,and he makes no attack upon England or her electorate in any sense of the word.
We fully accept that you should enjoy as full democratic rights as we would wish for ourselves.

If anything we share a common goal and should both recognise that he rules Scotland because we voted for him,when no one denies us the opportunity to remove him.
We are a democracy and get what we deserve.

England can remove Labour in absolute certainty and for that we are in agreement.

The problem is of course a Tory government is no longer acceptable to Scotland and the only solution is that both our countries become normal states and that means Scottish Independence from the rest of the UK, (with Wales following suit probably at a later date).We should be looking at helping each other in this respect,and since we are an island, we will require cross border co-operation which will be of mutual benefit.

We make no attack upon England in any sense of the word.

Please be assured of our good intention.
51

MacGillicuddy,

06/09/2008 11:58:06
#42
According to the Fife Free Press the "wonderful" Mr Roy has been granted a few weeks leave of absence during which time another heidie will be recruited.

Of course he has absolutely no chance of retaining the seat for Liebour and I do not fancy his chances at returning to KHS. What does he do for example if the kids start alling him "loser"? They would be telling the truth!
52

Finnzz,

06/09/2008 12:04:08
#47

You only have to trawl through GBs record as Chancellor to see that far from being the competant and prudent treasurer that he professed to be, the state of the finances has deteriorated rapidly under his tutelage. His first move to take away the tax free element of pension dividends has spelt the end of final salary. His decision to sell the nations gold at the bottom of the curve is still thought of as lunacy by the international finance community. His expansion of PFI is now guaranteed to begger the nation for the next 30 years. And his encouragement of the banks to fill their pockets on dodgy deals has now led to the biggest drop in financial confidence in 60 years.
Competant - I think not.
53

morris,

edinburgh 06/09/2008 12:11:28
52

( Good afternoon Mac G)

It is interesting that schools stage mock elections as a part of the "almost adults" preparation for when they eventually vote.

My understanding is that the SNP have been winning the vast majority of these mock elections even in traditional Tory areas for at least a decade now.This will translate into real votes sooner or later.
I think the UK is already terminally ill and there is nothing which can stop the break up now. Its already gone beyond the point of no return.
54

Tarchin,

Lothian 06/09/2008 12:15:52
#39 Pre 2007 many eye tests, and glasses, were already free. Young children, people on certain benefits, OAPs and those suffering from certain medical conditions were exempt.

The same was true for prescription charges, I believe that some 60-70% of all prescriptions presently dispensed are free of charge.

Car parking charges are still in force at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh Royal infirmary and I think Ninewells all three are part of PFI initiatives.

Question: Who 'picks up the bill' for these changes? I hope it does not mean that medical standards will be compromised
55

lulach mac gille coemgain,

06/09/2008 12:25:54
Shoodnae - Gordon broon be visitin the good british folks of wales and north yorkshire to witness the effects of storm of the century that’s flooded oot all them poor folks instead of tryin to create a wee ‘I visited Scotland’ moothpiece for when he’s next asked why he IGNORES all of the people living in the three seperate countries they dictate to !
56

Willie S,

Ex Edinburgh 06/09/2008 12:33:55
Morris (51/52)

Since an Independent Scotland will have Sterling as it's currency, controlled by the Bank of England. Why do you think things will be any different?
57

NBJT,

North Berwick 06/09/2008 12:36:26
Remember to wear your England jersey, Gordon, and tell everyone in Glenrothes that you think Gaza's goal against Scotland was the best you have ever seen. Oh and while you are at it tell them about your support for a British football team!!!!!!!

Oh sorry, forgot, Glenrothes isn't in middle England!

Who would ever trust GB.

Still, every time he speaks it is more votes for independence!!!!!!!
58

guenevere,

06/09/2008 12:52:28
58. Whst is wrong with a GB football team,are you frightened it would out class the Scottish one.
59

Kimg Arthur,

06/09/2008 12:56:48
Oh no! Guenevere will sue me if I say anything about kimba!!! LOL!!

#59 - what a stupid thing to say - but its what we come to expect from you every day.

I'm English and proud and I don't think a GB team is a good idea at all - and all right thinking Englishmen agree with me. You obviously hate England - yet you also hate Scotland. Where ARE you from??? You must be French to hate England SO much.
60

Kimg Arthur,

06/09/2008 13:01:58
And guenevere - did you know that spelling "here" means "in this geographic vicinity", whilst "hear" means "it is audible". LOL. Just for info!
61

guenevere,

06/09/2008 13:10:45
59/60. What a troll,you are not English,no way,no how,so stop this cr-p. And you can bet your scottish a@@e if you talk about my daughter like that again i will do more than sue you.
62

guenevere,

06/09/2008 13:12:45
King Arthur. You crossed the line,now you will get yours.
63

Kimg Arthur,

06/09/2008 14:02:54
63 - crossed the line??? LOL!! I can't wait to get mine - what colour is it?!!!

English and proud - and you're pathetic English AND Scottish hating self won't change that!!!
64

Kimg Arthur,

06/09/2008 14:10:03
To whom do I complain? I haven't had mine yet.

Yours Sincerely,

Kiss Kiss
65

guenevere,

06/09/2008 14:14:28
64. I will not entertain your childish rhetoric any more,you sir, are the scum of the earth and have not a clue what it is to be English,as sir winston churchill said, " There is a forgotten word,nay almost a forbidden word,that means more to me than any other. That word is England.
66

Citylocal Fife,

Fife News 06/09/2008 14:16:05
"Brown hits the Glenrothes trail", perhaps the headline should have been,

"Glenrothes trail hits Brown!"
67

shivago8,

livingston 06/09/2008 14:20:12
I was there today,canvassing for the SNP,hoping that we get it right up the spew labour
68

Kimg Arthur,

06/09/2008 14:28:04
I still haven't had mine yet. This is absurd - I will sue you!!!!!! LOL!!!

And, for you, guenevere, as Charles de Gaulle once said, "China is a big country, inhabited by many Chinese"

~or, very appropriate~

Lady Astor: "Mr. Churchill, you're drunk!"
Winston Churchill: "Yes, and you, Madam, are ugly. But tomorrow, I shall be sober."

LOL!!!! TOMORROW, YOU WILL STILL BE UGLY!!!! GET IT?!!!
69

Kimg Arthur,

06/09/2008 14:31:23
Lady Astor: Sir, if you were my husband, I would poison your drink.
Winston Churchill: Madam, if you were my wife, I would drink it.

LOL!!! I would drink it to if I was married to guenevere!!! LOL!!!!
70

Kimg Arthur,

06/09/2008 14:32:44
Guenevere is French though - no one hates England more than the French, and guenevere really hates us English and you Scots as well. What a freak!
71

thinking,

Scotland 06/09/2008 14:39:03
#21
Hm! A bit of a problem there.
He is MP for a Scottish constituency and PM for Great Britain!!!!!
72

A Better Way,

Scottish Republic 06/09/2008 15:38:37
BOB and the Other English Folk on this forum. Englands only true enemy is Gordon Brown and his cabal of Snoughts in the Trough New Labour Party. Its certainly not us Scottish National Supporters. We actually support your claim for Independance, and havent got the slightest problem with the ordinary folk of England.

Like you guys we simply want shot of these morons, and the opportunity to run things the Scots Way. Replace the word Scots and the statement applies just the same to the English People. Keep up the FIGHT and between us we can all take our countries back, and be great neighbours.

You have our sympathy mate.
73

guenevere,

06/09/2008 15:56:29
King Arthur. Hope you have gained great satisfaction from distrespecting both my daughter and i,you and your band of bully-boys are about to get your comeupance.
74

Kimg Arthur,

06/09/2008 16:03:34
guenevere - i'm still waiting to "get whats coming". What colour does it come in?! LOL!

I hope you are going to stop disrespecting both Scotland and my glorious country of England. As #75 says, all we need to do is rise up and overcome small minded French thinkers like yourself. Long live both Scotland and England!
75

Graham Simpson,

Vancouver 06/09/2008 16:05:00
#33... Peter an compelling and eloquent presentation of the facts. Why don't you send this off to the SNP publicists . It will make a first rate campaign poster. Do not be shy about posting this here repeatedly during the Glenrothes by-election and also in the local press there.... it packs a powerful punch!
76

Kimg Arthur,

06/09/2008 16:12:59
Has everyone heard about the terrible abuse that some Scottish kids get in England? My old Dad tells me about a teaching assistant in the Tees Valley who is so dumb that all the kids make fun of her - and she then takes it out on the Scots kids. Luckily, the well brought up English kids in the class take a stand against her and tell her to go back to filleting fish for a living (they say they can still smell it on her clothes, hands and...well...everywhere..)

LOL!
77

Red Etin,

06/09/2008 17:58:57
Wonder if he got his Scots accent back for the occasion.

He really struggles over the word "world"
78

Gina Gibson,

06/09/2008 18:35:41
Gordon Brown was visiting a primary school and he looked in on one of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion regarding words and their meanings.

The teacher asked Mr Brown if he would like to lead the discussion on the word 'tragedy' so the illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a 'tragedy'.

A little boy stood up and offered, 'If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field and a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a tragedy.'

'No', said Gordon, 'that would be an accident.'

A little girl raised her hand, 'If a school bus carrying fifty children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy.'

'I'm afraid not', explained Gordon, 'that's what we would call a great loss.'

The room went silent. No other children volunteered. Gordon searched the room, 'Isn't there anyone here who can give me an example of a tragedy?'

Finally, at the back of the room, a boy raised his hand....

In a quiet voice he said, 'If a plane carrying you and Mr Darling was hit by a cruise missile and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy..'

'Fantastic!' exclaimed Gordon, 'That's right. And can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?'

'Well,' says the boy, 'it would have to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either!'
79

westview,

The sunny west. 06/09/2008 18:39:46
After seeing the floods in the north of England on to days news ,I wonder if just for common humanities sake ,we could encourage Brown to send some cash support to these folk ,who are our neighbours just south of the border. They do not even have the advantage of a parliament to appeal too ,for their area, unlike us lucky Scots.
80

Vote UKIP,

06/09/2008 18:53:38
Has anyone else seen UKIP's Bournemouth conference. Spectacular!

http://www.conference.westbournemouthukip.com/
81

,

06/09/2008 19:18:12
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
82

Vote UKIP,

06/09/2008 20:21:47
I reckon Gordon will be running scared when UKIP hits the campaigning trail.

Most Labourites are sick of Brown. They'll probably end up switching to UKIP. The SNP are dull footie fans who aren't sure about their loyalties. They don't even now that the EU equals tyranny.

After this weekend's UKIP conference, I can see our Scottish UKIP friends give Gordie McBroon a huge shock by pushing them into 4th place.
83

Col. Blimp­IV*,

06/09/2008 20:43:39
#88
sm753,

"a great example of the utter gompishness of some of the Nat posters"

This is in a language understood by whom?
84

westview,

non UK soon 06/09/2008 21:00:19
Have you seen the reports in todays papers about how the Labour party has been found out pocklin' a sum of money from a childrens charity? How low can you get? Thankfully they have been found out and told to pay it back. Shame on those involved in this scandal. Just cos Wendy slithered out of her come upance in her election fund fiasco does not mean others should be enjoying ill gotten gains from poor children.
85

Col. Blimp­IV*,

06/09/2008 21:26:38
#91
westview

I'm sure there was no intentional wrongdoing.

If there had been, how would returning the money after they had been caught, got them of the hook?

There can't be any precedents for that...?
86

Red Etin,

06/09/2008 21:32:29
# Col. Blimp­IV*,

sm753 writes like a gomeril - treat it like a gomeril!
87

,

06/09/2008 21:39:04
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
88

,

06/09/2008 21:39:33
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
89

Col. Blimp­IV*,

06/09/2008 21:41:29
#93
Red Etin

I tried the Urban Dictionary which was quite helpful, kind of shows you how far off the pace sm753 is.


1. Gomper
48 up, 2 down love it hate it

A psychedelic song on the Rolling Stones album from 1967 called Their Satanic Majesties Request. It is perhaps the very worst song the Rolling Stones ever recorded. It has never been played live by the band.
When I listen to Their Satanic Majesties Request, the only psychedelic Rolling Stones album, I skip from the seventh track, The Lantern, to the ninth track, 2000 Light Years From Home, because those are both good songs but the one in between them, Gomper, totally sucks.
psychedelic rolling stones brian jones mick jagger keith richards charlie watts 1960s album lame
by PMax Mar 12, 2008 email it 0 comments

2. Gomper
1 thumb up love it hate it

A very/slightly unattarctive member of the opposite sex. That ugly that its really nasty to see. You just want to place your hand abover their head and shout GOMPER!
Someone who was born unlucky ugly and turned out to be a Gomper e.g. "Bloody hell, She's a right gomper"
gomper gomp gompers go funny laugh
by Bam West & Som Matton Aug 18, 2008 email it 0 comments

3. Gomper
8 thumbs down love it hate it

To insult someone who is stupid to the point where you want to pull your eyes out of your head.
Bernard was so stupid for shitting on a cat..........'He's a facking Gomper!'
gomper stupid cat bernard rampont
by Rampont Rodjer May 20, 2008 email it 0 comments
90

Col. Blimp­IV*,

06/09/2008 22:03:44
4. GOMPER

love it hate it

Best said with an English accent...'He's a facking Gompaah!'
91

Rickie,

In waiting of a by-election not called yet? 06/09/2008 22:13:54
#86, 89 and wherever else you can pop up...

Thanks, after a long day 'working' (you might have heard of it, oh and it was unpaid and to get myself into the 'working person - off the dole - position, worked 30 years and doing a restart of my life, isn't that a bit more important than cut the cord politics)

I laughed so hard at that lovely little 'hello I'm over here' attempt, awe, you must be cute like a teddy bear to be so nieve :)

Your candidate is yet again the same man still trying (couldn't get local council so obviously stands a hell of a good chance of MP at Westminster), a doctor of what was it again? Something that he's not part of at St. Andrews who have a thing about it...

What does he do/done/qualified in?

Laugh I nearly sh*t, I have not laughed so much (old Dudly Moore Peter Cooke sketch)

I remember the UKIP STRONG push on - err nothing! Oh! that was it, if 'we' (Scotland) can't trade within Europe as a member of the EU who will we trade with?

I'd look forward to your reply didums :)
92

Kimg Arthur,

06/09/2008 23:25:35
this is for the memory of...
93

Kimg Arthur,

06/09/2008 23:27:53
...methalions...a great man. I would love to share a bottle of rioja and some tapas with that gent.
94

Conan the Librarian™,

07/09/2008 00:30:51
100
I don't think he shares...
95

Rickie,

07/09/2008 11:04:24
And still nowt from number 89 in reply - save your deposit, I've met your candidate, couldn't hold his own water let alone a constituency...
96

Vote UKIP,

07/09/2008 18:29:17
#98 In English please.