Not in the News - Referendum Special

Normally on our Not in the News segments, we poke fun at the main stream media (and in particular the British state broadcaster) for examples of bias and mis-information. That would have been tricky this week, as nearly everything the BBC, Sky News and the newspapers have done falls into this category, so instead we're going to offer our favourite moments from the referendum campaign.

  

Here is the Yes Scotland campaign from our perspective.

  

Favourite image

Our favourite image had to come from Bella Caledonia's poster competition. Our pick was one of the 20 finalists and we feel it summed up Independence perfectly. Vote YES and the Scottish butterfly can catch up with all our friends:

Other images include 'Scotland's future in Scotland's hands' by Yes Scotland, '142 countries have chosen independence' by Indy Poster Boy and 'Love Scotland, Be Yourself, Vote Yes', by Brave Many.

 

  
Favourite photo we've taken

This one was really tough because we have meet so many wonderful people and seen such fantastic sights beyond anything we were expecting. But we had to pick 1 and we decided that this image of Sign for Scotland with Mark Coburn, Indy Cyclist, was our favourite. Mark has done a great job not just for Yes Scotland, but also for Maryhill Foodbank and he's definitely one of our heroes:

  

 

Other images include at the 2013 Independence March and Rally, at the Scrap Trident Rally in Glasgow and wee Mo meeting Yes Scotland board member Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh:

 

  
Favourite photo we've seen

The British state broadcaster has been at the heart of the no campaign and our favourite photo from online comes from one of the BBC bias demonstrations. This has become even more poignant following the outburst by senior BBC political correspondent Nick Robinson.

 

 

  

Other images include Kirsty from Yes Scotland, the Radical Independence take-over of Glasgow and the Yes Scotland message to our friends from across the EU.

 

 

Favourite video

We've seen so many great videos during this campaign, but for us at Sign for Scotland, we find ourselves returning to this rendition of our national anthem by the ladies of 'Signed Songs R Us'.

  

  

Other videos include messages from Pink Indy Lassies, 'The morning after' by Lady Alba and the Independence Live broadcast of Veterans for Independence (which featured a live BSL signer).

 

Pink Indy Lassies give their reasons for an independent Scotland
  

Indy Live - Veterans for Independence [with BSL signer]

 
Favourite blog post

Now this will be tricky! There have been so many great features that we have read during the campaign and so many more that we haven't that this is going to be just a very incomplete list, but the one that made the strongest connection with the Sign for Scotland team came from Wee Ginger Dug; 'Proud like a Yes swan'.

  

Other memorable reads include 'The McCrone Legacy' by Dale Ross on Wings over Scotland

'An Open Letter To My Friends In Labour' by James Forrest

'Britain at War - The Never Ending Story' from Scrap Trident

And Derek Batemans fantastic slapdown of the Editor of the Scotsman in 'To the Editor'

 
Favourite resource

There are lots to choose from the Yes side of the campaign and because of that we've going to stick to the most prominent (although a special mention for Peter Bell's Referendum 2014 has to be made as he has been a great friend to Sign for Scotland and his comments to stories are always thought-provoking and based on reason).

  

The number 1 resource has to be the Wee Blue Book. Get it, share it, download it, send it to everyone you know and send it to everyone you don't know. The more people who read it, the more who will vote Yes.

  

The Scottish Government's White Paper on Independence (the summary of which can be viewed in multiple languages, including BSL), Business for Scotland, and Newsnet Scotland are all well deserving of praise.

 

  

Friends we've lost

I'm certain that everyone will know someone they have lost who would have wanted to see an independent Scotland, so this space is for them. RIP Margo MacDonald.

 

 

Friends we've gained

We've seen so many people campaigning for a better Scotland and we consider each of them a friend. So many thanks to Labour for Independence, Women for Independence, Scots Asians for Yes, the different political parties who back a Yes vote, Scottish CND, the Sunday Herald, Blair Jenkins, Dennis Canavan and everyone else at Yes Scotland.

  

 
Shameless plug

And finally, here are our 3 most popular videos from the campaign: I'm voting Yes, Reasons for Independence and Journey to Yes.

 

 

All that is left to say is 'thank you' to the 1,700+ people who have given us a 'like' on Facebook, the 2,000+ people who follow us on Twitter, those who contributed to our blog reaching over 70,000 hits and those who have added to the 5,000+ views we've had on our YouTube channel.

  

We are so close to regaining the powers we need to make a better Scotland. A more representative democracy, an end to paying for Westminster's waste and folly, a more peaceful foreign policy, a constitution written by us which will guarantee our rights, a cleaner environment, a more competitive economy and the breakup of media monopolies is the prize on offer. Let's take it with both hands and Vote YES!

Drew (and everyone else at Sign for Scotland HQ)

Not in the News -31st of August Edition

Welcome to another edition of our weekly series looking back at the stories which the main stream media in Scotland didn't offer much attention to, and comparing them to those that hit the front pages. Our last edition can be found here.

 

 

Google-eyed!

No campaigner Kezia Dugdale MSP was caught on tape lying to an audience in Leith on Wednesday, the 20th of August. Further details about the meeting can be found here on Newsnet Scotland.

"I think Kezia is right and wonderful!" Fifi la Bonbon (probably)

And here is the list of main stream media outlets that reported this fact: [silence]

Scotland ahead

Credit Suisse made an announcement last week which highlighted their conviction that an independent Scotland would be a happier, more prosperous nation using the Human Development Index (even before we cut out Westminster's wasteful expenditure).

The internationally renowed finance company stressed that this wasn't dependent upon oil and gas, adding that even if Scotland had no north sea resources we would "still rank ahead of the UK".

 

And here is the list of main stream media outlets that reported this fact: [silence]

Finish him!!

The BBC may have ignored the wishes of over a thousand people to have a BSL interpreter on screen during the debate between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling, but everyone knows who the winner was. In the words of Action 4 Equality Scotland, Yes played a blinder.

Note: not actual photograph from the debate

Despite initial claims by the BBC and the Guardian, it was a clear victory for the Yes Campaign and a defeat for project fear. 71% of people polled by ICM stated their belief that the First Minister of Scotland had won. So how did the papers react? Well the Times and Sky News both embarrassed themselves, but the prize for most blatantly ridiculous coverage comes from the Daily Mail, whose headlines in Scotland and the UK can be seen below:

 

 

Darling's cat is out of the bag

After bleating on about wanting to know what 'Plan B' was (something that Sign for Scotland blog readers have known since February), Alistair Darling, the Director of the 'no' campaign, answered his own question:

 

  

Of course we can use the pound. Anyone can use it and it was always ridiculous to suggest otherwise. Despite making jibes at the Republic of Panama (one of the most successful and stable countries in Central America) to try and defuse his momentary lapse into honesty, there was no escaping the fact that the main line of attack from the 'no' campaign just fell apart.

  

The cat is out of the bag. Mr Darling better make more corporate appearances over the next 3 weeks, because we suspect his £10,000 a night fee won't be lasting for much longer!

 

Floating Voters

Voters travelling to Shetland were treated to a Q&A session with Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. She was heading for a Women for Independence / Yes Shetland event.

 

Yes supporters on board reported that seeing such a leading figure answering questions during the ferry crossing had left them feeling buoyed!

 

What Women Want!

Hilarity was shared across social media this week as #PatronisingBTLady spread like wildfire. It was even reported in Irish, Russian and Italian news outlets. The story started with an embarrassingly bad video from the no campaign, which was then widely shared and parodied across the internet, including on Wings Over Scotland, The Science of Independence, Witterings of a Weegiewarbler, Women for Independence and Logic's Rock. The most stinging (and thus enjoyable) criticism came from the Huffington Post and online:

 

    

Whilst many people thought it would be impossible for the no campaign to surpass #Hamatime for sheer ineptitude (see: Two wrongs make a far right) they pulled their creative resources together, attended 'lots' of focus groups, and created a parody fit for Saturday Night Live. At least this campaign is paying the mortgage of many senior unionists and during the week they managed to find someone to blame!

 

 

But compare and contrast with the new video from Yes Scotland entitled 'Yes Means'. Here is the video with subtitles available (just turn on captions):

 

 
2,500 is larger than 132 (I need to clarify this for the BBC)

During this week, 132 business figures signed a letter stating that people in Scotland should vote no. The primary reasons appeared to be surrounding the currency (which the head of the 'no' campaign Alistair Darling confirmed can be the £ without Westminster's permission - see above), EU membership (ha ha) and that they don't like the prospect of changes (especially ones which will increase competition).

  

But looking at the list, I'm not sure I want to be on the same side as them anyway.

  

The BBC, whose colleagues in the anti-independence organisation the CBI make up a significant percentage of the signatories, gave this story a great deal of promanence. Of course, the number of business people who support independence is over 2,500 (over 19 times larger). Do you believe the BBC has offered 19 times more coverage to business leaders who support independence than oppose it? Didn't think so.

 

Putting the boot in

A source at Fifa, the governing body for international football, has stated that a 'no' vote in the referendum will likely see the end of the Scottish national football teams.

“If Scotland votes No then you're going to see that debate [about the UK pitching four teams] erupt again. There is going to be real pressure to have that UK disparity finally dealt with. In the wake of a No vote many of the countries envious of the UK's special footballing status would see this as a perfect opportunity,” NIA Novosti news agency

Vote no and you'll never see this again

Or this either

A Yes vote will give us the upper-hand in any negotations. A no vote gives Westminster and FIFA the opportunity to put the boot in. If you believe Scotland is a nation, and that we should be allowed to represent outselves, in either politics or sport, then you have to vote Yes.

 
What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Jim Murphy MP was the victim of a soft egg being patted onto his back (or 'an attack' if you read the Mail online, which you probably don't). But who was the perpetrator of this heinous crime? Yes International engaged in journalism, a rarity in Scotland, and found an interesting result:

 

 

That is a picture of the man who used the egg according to STV. And below is an image of what is believed to be the same person.

 

 

At Sign for Scotland, we know a little bit about hearing aids. What is in the picture above is not something you can pick up from Specsavers.

"[The earpiece is] known as an acoustic radio police radio earpiece with push to talk. Normally used by the police, by the security services on operations and by private security firms." Yes International

It is possible that this person is a Yes campaigner and not someone inciting trouble (see here for recent UK based examples of agent provocateurs from the Guardian, Channel 4 news, Liberal Conspiracy and Medialens) but the main stream media in Scotland should have attempted a little journalism before jumping to baseless conclusions. As a side note, Jim Murphy now has an excuse to cut short his disasterous 100 street tour.

 

The real mastermind behind the egg

In other, less serious news, a person has been found guilty of abuse after threatening to assassinate First Minster Alex Salmond. But that's not as important as an egg story.

 
#GlasgowTakeover

On Saturday, the 30th of August, Radical Independence made a mass gathering at the top of Buchanan Street in Glasgow. It was extremely well attended a featured a number of famous Yes supporters.

 

 

This is the type of grassroots campaigning that the no campaign just can't match. If you'd like to know more about this event, then check out this blog by James Owens.

  

Join us again on Sunday for our next look at what's 'not in the news'!

Drew
 
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Plans A, B, C, D and E (I know you don't care about currency but it's the only thing the Westminster Defence League talk about)

We at Sign for Scotland were recently asked about the best way to respond to people who bring up the topic of currency. So here is our handly little guide. Just remember that the best references  to this subject can be found in the 'Wee Blue Book' (starting on page 11) and on the Business for Scotland website (especially the article 'Euro, Pound Sterling or Scottish Pound'). The different options available to us are also listed on the Scottish Government's White Paper on Independence (starting page 109).

 

If the show 'Spice and Wolf' can use a wolf deity to explain economics then so can we!

Currency Union

The term ‘Currency Union’ can be a bit mis-leading. It has nothing to do with using the £ itself (as options 2 and 3 below will prove), it only means that the Bank of England will continue to act as ‘lender of second last resort’ (see reference [1] and [2]). The main feature of this approach is that things remain the same for people on both sides of the border. There will be no transaction costs and banks operating in Scotland have a local lender with the ability to shore up their finances. This option gives the Scottish Parliament no direct control over the supply of money, although we have the flexibility to set our own tax types and rates [3] [4].
  
This approach was successfully used by Luxembourg and Belgium for over 7 decades [5] and could be replaced with any of the other options listed at a future date. Below is a video in BSL explaining why Westminster will want a currency union, and why they are pretending to be against it during the referendum campaign.

 

Sterlingisation

Sterlingisation means using a currency without having a central bank. This is the same as ‘Dollarisation’ and is a popular choice around the world [6]. In our case, Sterlingisation results in us using the £ as normal, as well as reduced debt payments to Westminster. This is because the Bank of England holds a number of assets that would be withheld from us [7], and thus we would not be liable for any debt that was accrued to secure those assets.

  

Sterlingisation would not affect the guarantee on savers, which means savers with up to €100,000 in their accounts will continue to be protected [8]. Banks operating in Scotland would not be guaranteed bailouts should they fail, which will force them to act more responsibly [9]. This can be achieved without agreement with Westminster and be replaced with any of the other options listed at a future date.

Scottish Currency pegged to the Pound

The third option is for Scotland to have its own currency that will have the same value as the £. Bank of England notes would continue to be accepted in Scotland, and the Scottish Parliament could, at a future date, decide to remove the peg (see option 4) giving much more freedom of choice to future generations.
 
A Scottish Central Bank would be formed (or an existing bank in Scotland could be changed into a central bank) which would adopt the same functions that the Bank of England currently has. The strength of this central bank would depend upon the post-referendum negotiations: if our share of the Bank of England’s assets were transferred, then the corresponding levels of UK debt would be transferred too. If no assets were transferred, then Scotland would have vastly reduced debt payments. This is the option that Switzerland successfully uses today [10]. Any transaction costs would be small as a Scottish Pound and a Bank of England Pound would have equal value.

The new no campaign poster

Scottish Currency that floats freely

This approach would see Scotland have its own Central Bank and currency. There would be transaction costs when trading with the UK if we picked this choice similar to those we have when trading with the rest of the world. The advantage of this option is that full control over the supply of money would be held by the Scottish Parliament. The result of this option would be that Scottish bank notes would have a higher value than those produced by the Bank of England [11], which means that anyone holding Scottish currency (i.e everyone in Scotland) would become wealthier, as our money could purchase more goods from abroad than before. The downside is that our exports would become more expensive to others and tourists would view Scotland as a more pricey place to visit.

We're pretty sure Holo is not refering to this story here

Euro

Scotland cannot officially use the Euro due to ERM2 [12]. ERM2 demands that any country that wants to join the Eurozone has to be using a currency that is ‘pegged’ to the Euro for at least 2 years. Scotland can only meet this qualification if we adopt option 4 for at least 2 years (which isn’t physically possible as our independence day will be the 24^th of March 2016 [13]). Scotland could unofficially use the Euro in the same way as we could use the £ in option 2 however there are few immediate advantages with this approach.

 

  

After Independence there will be even more options to pick from however those will be discussed and debated at elections. We, the people who live in Scotland, will get to decide what we want. That's the spirit of democracy and something that Westminster doesn't offer. And it's one of the best reasons to vote Yes.

Drew
 
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List of references:

[1] Crisis, Conditions, and Capital – The Effect of International Monetary Fund Agreements on Foreign Direct Investment Inflows [Nathan M Jensen, Department of Political Science, Washington University, St. Louis] - http://jcr.sagepub.com/content/48/2/194

[2] U.S. planned British economic bailout in the 1970s, newly released documents reveal…with haunting echoes today [Dan Atkinson, Mail on Sunday Economics Editor] - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1266871/A-warning-British-economy-haunting-echoes--34-years-on.html

[3] The race that’s never run [Reverend Stuart Campbell, Wings over Scotland] - http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-race-thats-never-run/

[4] Tax rates online [KPMG, international audit, tax & advisory company] - http://www.kpmg.com/Global/en/services/Tax/tax-tools-and-resources/Pages/tax-rates-online.aspx

[5] Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union [Encyclopaedia Britannica] - http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/59408/Belgium-Luxembourg-Economic-Union

[6] Dollarization [How Money Works, William F Hummel] - http://wfhummel.cnchost.com/dollarization.html

[7] Bank of England Assets - total [Bank of England official website] - http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/boeapps/iadb/FromShowColumns.asp?Travel=NIxAZxI3x&FromCategoryList=Yes&NewMeaningId=ACRTOT,ATOTL,AFCAS,ATOTAL&CategId=6&HighlightCatValueDisplay=Assets%20-%20total

[8] Deposit Guarantee Schemes [The EU Single Market, EC Europa] - http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/bank/guarantee/index_en.htm

[9] An independent Scotland should use the pound without permission from rUK, says new ASI report [Adam Smith Institute] - http://www.adamsmith.org/blog/money-banking/an-independent-scotland-should-use-the-pound-without-permission-from-ruk/

[10] Swiss National Bank pegs franc to euro [The Week, Business magazine] - http://www.theweek.co.uk/business/2433/swiss-national-bank-pegs-franc-euro

[11] Scottish independence gets boost from Hong Kong’s money markets [South China Morning Post] - http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1224903/scottish-independence-gets-boost-hong-kongs-money-markets

[12] Euro, Pound Sterling or Scottish Pound? [Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp, Business for Scotland] - http://www.businessforscotland.co.uk/euro-pound-or-scottish-pound/

[13] How will Scotland become independent? [Yes Scotland] - http://www.yesscotland.net/answers/how-will-scotland-become-independent