Thursday 18 October 2012

BBC Question Time again. North of the border edition.

David Dimbleby presents Question Time from Easterhouse in Glasgow. Panellists include Deputy First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon MSP,{always on the show. Always feisty and always seems to do well. A sort of competent Hattie Harman.} Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party Ruth Davidson {Foot in mouth Ruth. So looks like that comedienne Susan Calman.}
Shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran MP,Glasgow East winner. Just shows,  everyone reverts to comfort.}  Daily Telegraph Scottish Editor Alan Cochrane and Mark 'strawberry' Serwotka, General Secretary of the PCS trade union. Strawberry because he's red on the outside yet red on the inside.


Enter your guess for what you believe the regional audience will ask of the panel. Maximum of 5 guesses allowed. Various special rules apply that are hidden even more cunningly than on your utility companies website.
If you have been thinking about playing for a while, but have yet to gather the courage today might be a good time. Put down as guess 1: Scottish Referendum question. That's an easy point.
BQ predicts.
1. Scotland - Are you in or are you out? And there's no deals on offer Ok? Its in or out only. Nothing else. And if you believe that you probably still hang a stocking up for Santa.

2. Unemployment falls except in Scotland. Is that the too heavy public sector being trimmed? Or are the English taking away jobs from those hardworking East European Scots?

3. "Is it fair and equitable that 88% of Scottish households can take more from the taxman than they give." Ruth Davidson thought not. Out Romneying Romney.

4. Bound to be plebgate. I'm sick of it. All this story shows is how much of a really, really skilled operator Alistair Campbell really was. Blairbour certainly had a lot of talent. An evil, kind of megalomaniac talent, but very professional.

5.Remploy end production today. Government disabilities bill and the the report that 100,000 will lose out. Who knows? So much scaremongering and spin nowadays. I'd like C4 FACT CHECK to be made the official UK arbitrator. No one is allowed to release a report or make a speech containing claims of any kind until Cathy Newman has had a look at it first.

Update.
Winners were Anon and Hopper with 5. 
The winning prize is to determine if the new voting age should be twelve.

Sorry for the late results posting. I had to make some changes to the leases on some properties that you own, but I rent from you, but then rent back to another colleague, who rents some to me, in order to ensure the best value for you the taxpayer {but mostly for me.}

16 comments:

  1. Kynon3:11 pm

    1. Full independence yes/no - the right question, or should Fishy Al have fought harder for his "DevoMax" option? What of the unsettled question of "Scotland's Oil" or EU membership?

    2. Speaking of Fishy Al, thoughts on his on/off/on/off relationship with that comedy-haired, highly successful US property tycoon/bankrupt shyster Donald Trump? Why would Al seek his support over the Al-Megrahi release?

    3. Benefits reforms - impacts of these on claimants north of the border, i.e. will the Scots be affected more, and how would they be structured under independence?

    4. Utility price rises - another squeeze on those who need heat/light/etc, but can least afford such large increases?

    5. Why is Scottish football/sport (with the exception of swimming & cycling it seems) so crap?

    ReplyDelete
  2. 1. Referendum: if 16 year olds can vote for independence, why not vote for MPs too? What could possibly go wrong?
    2. If Serwotka is present, Starbucks tax has to be a shoe-in surely?
    3. How do we get cheaper energy with fewer nukes and more Scottish windmills?
    4. Cuts hit Scotland harder than England, it's all Westminster's fault?
    5. TV in courts - good idea?

    ReplyDelete
  3. 1 - Scottish vote, will they stay will they go blah blah
    2 - Why are 500k scots disenfranchised for this vot ein the UK, yet teens and recent immigrants allowed to vote? aprt from proving secretly Cameron wants them to leave...
    3 - Plebs - scots hate tories etc
    4 - Unemployment - hard working civil servants replaced by part-time mcjobbies, hand wringing on the left
    5 - trident - lets get rid of this, oh not lets not it jobs n stuff...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Malcolm Tucker5:28 pm

    1. Braveheart bill. In /out. if Scotland votes to remain then what happens to the SNP?

    2. Gary McKinnon and Theressa's up yours Obama. Lucky decision or Gary would now be sharing a desk bed with Assange.

    3. Starbucks. isn't it time that the law was changed. Quite seriously its very easy. money passing through a cash register is taxable in the country that the cash register is based. Can't be beyond the wit of government?

    4. benefit culture. Scotland is the most benefit dependent nation in Europe? I'm sure I read that. Might have been in the Express though.

    5. Disabled benefits. Hitting those that can't hit back.

    ReplyDelete
  5. hi all. Off to a bad start having missed the first 2 weeks but as I always say, someone has to come last!

    1) Scottish Independence - if they vote yes, how badly will the Tories be damaged as it happened on their watch?

    2) Cameron's new energy policy - the next u-turn?

    3) Starbuck's tax bill. How many other companies do the same?

    4) Latest MP expenses scam. Renting each other properties this week I think.

    5) Should there be any investigation (BBC or independent) in to Saville while the police are working on the cases?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous7:10 pm

    1) Scotland - revealed as a Socialist utopia where the sums no longer add up?

    2) Scottish independence - why not allow all British citizens a chance to say 'get rid'?

    3) Fuel security - market failure/collusion, time to re-nationalise the assets at 1p in the £?

    4) Andrew Mitchell and 'gate-gate' - same old Tory toffs, isn't it?

    5) Do the panel enjoy Buckfast Tonic Wine?


    ReplyDelete
  7. Dick McPrick7:34 pm

    Excellent, should get into work early tomorrow so an early night can be achieved with this snoreathon.

    1 - FREEDOM!

    2 - Utility bills with perhaps a frisson of them timorous beaties Sassenachs away with all oor oil Dougal.

    3 - Unemployment - seem to have it in ma heed that there was no improoovement in the glens or Jockland at all.

    4 - 90% net debiters regards fiscal policy North of the border - bash a fake Tory edition (ex BBC and really quite crap to boot). As an aside, has anyone else noticed that you've got to be Jockish to be a Skottish parliamentarian - bit racist perhaps - i'm sure there are plenty of bone idle sassenachs up for £70k to talk irrelevant bollox. Anywho..

    5 - As a final curveball, maybe Rangers bullshit floatation.

    Cheers folks

    Dick the Prick of the clan McPrick

    ReplyDelete
  8. Am I the only one who loathes it coming from Scotland? Salmond and Sturgeon (no fish jokes now) are usually more forthright and streaks ahead of any English guests that make it up there.
    1. Independence in some connived form. If it isn’t asked, they’ll still talk about it. Just who do they think they are, succeeding so well to get the most out of us?

    2. Energy prices for the muggles. Even the PM knows tariffs are far too confusing.

    3. Damages to the gay litigious couple from the sad religious couple. Seeing as the B&B is now called Swiss, can they refuse double beds on the grounds that it offends their adopted nationality?

    4. Racism in the footie … Glasgow has its problems, as well as Serbia, as well as Italy, as well as Chelsea. And it happened, even if Radovan denied events in the Hague. Extraordinary rebuttals and then accuse the other side. See thorugh the tactics please.

    5. Starbucks’ aggressive tax minimisation policy, and Amazons while you are at it. One builds high streets. The other destroys them. Discuss. That's assuming the nation can afford infrastructure in the coming years.

    So what did the blind fish say when he swam into a concrete wall?

    "Damn" very loudly, just as I do after BBCQT every single week. 

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous8:00 pm

    Sean Connery - will he become the treasurer?
    Nuclear subs, will they still call into Scotland on overseas visits?
    Will England be made to pay 'royalties' for golf - thus using Scotland's national game?
    How long before Salmonds' insane green energy drive will mean blackouts for Scotland?
    Will the east end of Glasgow soon be asking to become part of Ireland?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Blue Eyes8:17 pm

    Right, here goes.

    Why has Mitchell still not been fired?

    If Scotland stays with the UK, will there be a later move to Devo Max? Can the Scottish economy recover independently?

    Is the economy finally on the mend? Are the Tories right?

    Greece, the Euro, Britain out of Europe?

    Gas bills.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi all, Scotland [Yawn].

    1) Salmond says Scottish separation is sexy. Stay or shove off?

    2) PM's planned power "policy". Undoubtedly a U-turn in the making aren't we all just gonna pay more (as the good deals mysteriously vanish)?

    3) Would companies based / operating in Scotland pay only pay 35p tax on every millions after devolution?

    4) Why are relatively more Scots unemployed that those heathen English?

    5) I give up Its going to be Scottish though :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. 1) scotty referendum, some unguessable variation on a theme
    2) race in soccer
    3) energy bills and Cameron's crazy off-piste excursion, segue to mad scotty energy policy (possibly even madder than average UK)
    4) those crime figures, is crime really falling (is it hell
    5) badger cull (do they have badgers in scottyland? we know they have ginger rodents and fat oily charlatans)

    as if any of these Q-T-type topics were even important ...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Budgie10:16 pm

    1. Should the English seek independence, or should we scotch that right away? Is the UK a nonsense?

    2. Is David Cameron on the lowest tariff? If not Fatchah is to blame - she decimated our power companies by putting them out to Green pastures. Or something.

    3. Will Merkel pull a rabbit from ....... er, her handbag and save the euro at the current summit? EU veto on state budgets leading to more euro-riots? What about the EU's Nobbled Piss Prize?

    4. China's growth rate slows to 7.4%. Would an independent Scotland ever attain such heady figures?

    5. Fracking Scotland!!!?! Oops, I meant .... should there be fracking in Scotland? After all there will be no Nukes.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Missed it again. Two thursdays in a row. I feel like an addict being rehabilitated. When I quit the Today program I did it cold turkey. Not even the News Quiz allowed. I'm over it now.

    Q: Why isn’t government doing more about gas and electricity prices, when companies still make hundreds of millions in profits?

    Seems that they are. Still a bit feeble though.

    Q2: Do you believe Scotland would be better off as an independent nation?
    Surprise they asked that one?

    Q3: The UK Drug Policy Commission wants to relax penalties for drug possession. How would this affect society and drug use.

    QT twitter doesn't have the last question but it looks as if it was a voting at 16/17 question. So we'll accept that as Q4.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Scores -
    BQ - 2 {disappointing}

    Kynon- Welcome - 4 points.

    Hopper - 5. looking good.

    Cu - V. good effort. but just 4

    Malcolm - 2 {and that Mckinnion looked like a nailed on Q too}

    GSD - 4 {no league TABLE THIS SEASON. BUT PODIUM FINISHES AFTER 1/2 TERM.}

    Anonymous - 5 - V. good

    Dick McPrick - good effort laddie. -4

    Measured. I don't mind the Scotland edition much. It does behave like another country with very separate issues. As does N.I. And their politicos are generally better.would still be big hitters in the UK parliament.
    - 4

    Anon{2}. - Well none right, but 1 for the idea of Connery coming back at all. Would all those far flung ex nationals want to return? Would Scotland have LOWER tax rates than the UK? It should if it wants to survive but seems unlikely.

    Blue Eyes- not bad at all - 4

    Timbo614 - 4 also pretty good. Tough these foreign editions.

    ND - 4 {as if any of these questions were important? important to politicians. very important. provides a useful distraction.}

    Budgie another solid 4 .

    it really is hard when its a scots issue. In many ways that demonstrates Salmond's point.

    Winner was Hopper and anon with 5.

    You get to decide between you if the voting age should be reduced to twelve.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous2:32 pm

    >Anonymous - 5 - V. good<

    Was there really a question on bevvying? Help ma' boab!

    ReplyDelete