Smear Campaigns in the Scottish Election

Up until recently I just voiced my opinions about politics to those I know well, mostly family.  But as I become older and hopefully wiser, I notice a lot of inconsistencies and injustices and lies that appear across many varieties of media in this country.  I know my voice is a small one and since I run this site everyone knows my views that Scotland should go it alone it wont be a surprise that my thoughts are biased towards the course to independence and the SNP.   But I will give credit where credit is due no matter what party is involved.

But saying that, my first post is about the Scottish Election.

You just have to love the way smear campaigns are started by those newspapers I despise so much, namely the Daily Record (and the Evening Times)

In the Daily Record
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/04/14/labour-accuse-alex-salmond-of-running-scared-on-campaign-trail-86908-23060263/

The headline is “Labour accuse Alex Salmond of running scared on campaign trail “…hmmm an interesting use of words considering the events that happened not but a week or so ago.  That story had Labour’s leader Iain Gray running away from protestors in Glasgow Central Station and ending up hiding in a wee sandwich shop with all his colleagues.  All the while the Conservative leader who I believe was also there didnt run away but talked to the protestors.

Iain Gray does a Benny Hill and runs away

Now along comes this story, now its Alex Salmond running away from a protestor, or is he?  When you read the story Alex Salmond actually asks the protestors to meet with him in a coffee shop, this doesnt look like running away to me!  In fact it is a civil and open way to deal with those that protest and it gave the chance for Alex Salmond to talk to people.  Maybe Iain Gray should take a leaf from his book.

Secondly the article then goes on to say that Alex Salmond bribed them, but what the articles fails to do is to provide evidence of the accusation.  A serious accusation on this newspaper for sure.  So now he is not allowed to talk to people in private and talk to people about things that concern them? It figures that this sort of smearing is coming from this awful tabloid newspaper.

Then we have the poll of polls that puts Labour ahead, funny how the person who runs this company is an ex Labour spin doctor.  His name ?  Colin Byrne “he was the Labour Party’s chief press officer from 1988 to 1996, working closely with then communications director Mandelson, and also sharing a flat for three years.” and here is his profile on the Weber Shandwick website http://election.webershandwick.co.uk/?author=2

And then you have the author, the political editor would you believe, of the article who consistently posts negative stories about every party except Labour http://blogs.dailyrecord.co.uk/magnusgardham/author_display_name/

The time for this type of newspaper is almost gone, sales are declining, people are seeing through the spin more than ever. People have dozens of sources of news now and the Daily Record is the one of choice for fewer and fewer people.  Soon it will be gone and its influence removed from this country and I for one say, good riddance.

Factoids about the 3 Longest Rivers in Scotland

1. River Tay

The River Tay originates in the Highlands and flows down through Strathtay , in the centre of Scotland, through Perth and into the Firth of Tay, south of Dundee.

• 120 miles long (193 km)
• It is the longest river in Scotland.
• largest river in the UK by volume of discharge.
• It flows through Perth and Kinross to the Firth of Tay and the North Sea
• main towns are Perth, Aberfeldy

2. River Spey

The River Spey is a river in the northeast of Scotland, the second longest and the fastest flowing river in Scotland. It is important for salmon fishing and whisky production.

• 98 miles long
• The Spey is one of the most, if not the most, unpolluted river in the UK
• some of its inhabitants include pearl mussels, otters and Atlantic salmon, sea lampreys and trout
• at least 25 whisky distilleries along its banks
• at its steepest it falls about 12 feet per mile, the greates of any Scottish river
• tributaries of the Spey are the Truim, from Loch Ericht, and the Calder.
• main towns on the river include Aviemore, Newtonmore, Kingussie and Grantown-on-Spey

3.River Clyde

The River Clyde is the 3rd largest river in Scotland and is the 9th longest river in the United Kingdom. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire.

• 109 miles long
• there are around 72 bridges that cross the Clyde
• largest towns on the Clyde include Lanark and Glasgow
• the Industrial Revolution in the early 18th century was driven by the location of Glasgow, being a port facing the Americas.
• flows past the SECC conference and exhibition centre, the Glasgow tower and the Clyde Auditorium, affectionately nicknamed the Armadillo
• Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, QE2 and the Royal Yacht Britannia were all built on the River Clyde
• New Lanark was a cotton spinning village founded in 1785 on the banks of the River Clyde, still existing, it is now a world heritage site.

Clyde Arc over the River Clyde

Maiden Voyage