Jim Murphy

[The Master]

Met him on his 100 days job app tour and asked him if he was happy that Better Together/ Labour were sharing platforms with folk from the BNP, Ukip and NF during the anti-indy campaign. JM is an avowed 'anti-fascist' though maybe not if it gets in the way of his career so I expected him to squirm a bit. He didn't and just replied with the question, 'Did this influence my decision on how to vote?'. Of course, I was Yes anyway but he wouldn't, publicly at least, accept that Labour shouldn't be sharing platforms with right-wing loonies.

I don't see the point being made here.

At no point in the campaign did Labour or any other No-supporting party actively share a platform with "right-wing loonies". It's not Labour's fault that these parties also happen to support the union. The Scottish Communists support independence - by the same logic, that means the SNP were sharing a platform with "left-wing loonies" (bearing in mind that the extremities of the political spectrum are as bad as each other).

[YassinMoutaouakil]

The sad thing is I actually would have considered voting for Labour under Findlay, now it'll have to be a combination of SSP or Greens in 2016 which is basically just wasting my vote.

[lichtgilphead]

I don't see the point being made here.

At no point in the campaign did Labour or any other No-supporting party actively share a platform with "right-wing loonies". It's not Labour's fault that these parties also happen to support the union. The Scottish Communists support independence - by the same logic, that means the SNP were sharing a platform with "left-wing loonies" (bearing in mind that the extremities of the political spectrum are as bad as each other).

Here's Labour's Anne Begg MP campaigning together with Dave MacDonald, leader of National Front Scotland. You don't get much more "Right-Wing Loony" than that.

They don't look like they are arguing policy differences to me.

[The Master]

Oh come off it. Are you really so naive as to think Anne Begg actively chose to campaign with the leader of National Front Scotland?

Or is it more likely that she, like the vast majority of the country, had no idea who he was and the NF took advantage of that to stage some photos?

[Mr Bairn]

The sad thing is I actually would have considered voting for Labour under Findlay, now it'll have to be a combination of SSP or Greens in 2016 which is basically just wasting my vote.

No SNP?

[lichtgilphead]

Oh come off it. Are you really so naive as to think Anne Begg actively chose to campaign with the leader of National Front Scotland?

Or is it more likely that she, like the vast majority of the country, had no idea who he was and the NF took advantage of that to stage some photos?

I'll quote Wings

"He was the NF’s candidate for the Aberdeen Donside by-election last year, and he’s been politically involved with the NF in the Aberdeen area since at least 2003. It would be absolutely absurd to suggest that Anne Begg didn’t know who he was."

Thanks for playing

[The Master]

I'll quote Wings

"He was the [/size]NF’s candidate for the Aberdeen Donside by-election last year, and he’s been politically involved with the NF in the Aberdeen area [/size]since at least 2003. It would be absolutely absurd to suggest that Anne Begg didn’t know who he was."[/size]

Thanks for playing[/size]

Right...so he stood for a minority party in a different seat for a different parliament? Sure, Anne Begg should definitely know who he is so absolutely be expected to be able to identify every single person that comes up to her. Moreso in the couple of seconds it takes to snap a photo.

This is the type of pathetic rubbish that alienated a lot of the people that needed to be convinced.

[Father Ted]

So Murphy and Dugdale....

Murphy won due to "charisma" over other challengers. Career politician. WM clone. Will die on his ass no matter what constituency he turns up in. Might offer more than previous Labour leaders at Holyrood, but will all be empty words. Watch Daily Retard go into overdrive, Murphy is a spinner.

Dugdale, well what can you say? She embaresses herself on a weekly basis in the Retard. She would jump in Clyde if she was told it was a good idea by Labour. She comes across as lacking in intelligence.

If Scotland gets hoodwinked by these clowns then God help us.

[lichtgilphead]

Right...so she's expected to be able to identify every single person that comes up to her? Moreso in the couple of seconds it takes to snap a photo.

This is the type of pathetic rubbish that alienated a lot of the people that needed to be convinced.

Keep digging, my friend

https://www.facebook.com/shredderisalive/posts/798460170213923

"There are one of three conclusions I can draw from this whole mess.

The first is that Anne Begg has actively campaigned against the leader of a far right neo-Nazi political party who has been active in her part of the country for 10 years without ever paying attention to who he is or what he looks like. In which case she is grossly incompetent.

The second, although more unlikely, is that Anne Begg suffered a complete and total memory loss, forgetting the identity of the leader of a far right neo-Nazi political party that she has actively campaigned against in both a public and political campaign over the past 10 years, which resulted in her grinning like a Cheshire cat whilst being photographed with him. If that is the case then her fitness to continue in office should be brought into question.

The third, and most likely outcome is that Anne Begg knew exactly who he was"

[lichtgilphead]

What a shame. You edited your post, but not until after I had quoted the original.

Slight difference in emphasis, I would suggest?

[The Master]

Nope, still incredibly thin "evidence".

It's absurd to expect her to know the face of someone so unbelievably obscure that his image has barely registered on her radar. Sure, she campaigned against his party's march but that doesn't require a complete visual profile.

A photograph can be taken in less than a second. The most likely explanation is that he donned the badge and walked up to her with the paper as a colleague took a photo.

But the smoking gun is the idea that Labour would actively share a platform with the National Front. They wouldn't - and this discussion proves why.

[The Master]

What a shame. You edited your post, but not until after I had quoted the original.

Well, no, I edited before you quoted it - just not before you clicked the "Quote" button.

The point still stands. I was just adding further support for the "no idea what he looks like" argument.

[The Master]

And the fact he's wearing a Labour-branded badge and not a National Front one further proves this wasn't a joint platform, but a staged photo.

[SodjesSixteenIncher]

Aye, I'm calling bullshit on Anne Begg knowingly smiling away for a photo with a NF guy. She's street campaigning, there would've been hundreds of photos.

Slate Labour for the incompetent, spineless Tory fuckers that they have become, not for someone posing for a photo beside the wrong person.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

No SNP?

Nah too right wing.

[lichtgilphead]

And the fact he's wearing a Labour-branded badge and not a National Front one further proves this wasn't a joint platform, but a staged photo.

Staged by who, I wonder? Was "Dave" the only supporter she could find?

Anyway, one final thought. "Yes" knew who their enemies were. Local activists were aware when "No" campaigners were photographed cuddling up together.

By way of contrast, Labour's only defence in this matter appears to be that they were too ill-informed to know who they were campaigning together with. IMO, this suggests taht they were either very stupid or very naive.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

If enough people are wise enough to back the SNP in 2015 and give Holyrood a super charge of powers. Then your vote won't be wasted in 2016.

I agree with very few SNP policies though.

[The Master]

Staged by who, I wonder? Was "Dave" the only supporter she could find?

Staged by the NF to try and associate themselves with a mainstream party. I'd have thought that were obvious.

Anyway, one final thought. "Yes" knew who their enemies were. Local activists were aware when "No" campaigners were photographed cuddling up together.By way of contrast, Labour's only defence in this matter appears to be that they were too ill-informed to know who they were campaigning together with. IMO, this suggests taht they were either very stupid or very naive.

That presupposes they were campaigning together and it wasn't just a staged photograph that took less than a minute.

[lichtgilphead]

Your view also presupposes that Anne Begg didn't recognise someone who had campaigned locally against her party for over 10 years.

That's really pretty unlikely, isn't it?

[The Master]

Not when the person is a nonentity, no.

But that still doesn't addresss the point that a photo takes seconds to stage. Or do you expect her to instantly recognise everyone who approaches her?