Common Weal has appointed a panel of experts, including lawyer and former SNP MP Joanna Cherry and Professor Richard Murphy, to address a raft of concerns the think tank believes the independence movement has so far failed to answer.
The project will focus on a number of issues ranging from currency to what the think tank called “the boring work” including how an independent Scotland would establish new regulatory agencies and the transition of the postal service.
Common Weal said that addressing the granular detail of building a new, independent Scottish state would win over voters who were concerned about the feasibility of such an undertaking.
Someone has given Murph the opportunity to design and plan an entire country! Glories!
Now let’s see how he gets on, eh?
OK whose going to run the book on how soon he either gets chucked off the panel or steams off in a huff? I’ll take January next year.
I’ll give you 7/4. In Cowrie shells.
I’ll say Feb 27 and he’ll get to nineteenthly in the email announcing it.
His first day in office and New Scotland is bankrupt already.
Well, that’s fun. I wonder whether there will be any plans that don’t turn out to be public ownership of other people’s stuff.
OT, if there are to be independence (or unification) referenda, this time can we have an actual agreement of terms before the vote? No more Brexit shenanigans. Further, of course, the English need a vote too. And the Irish for that matter.
For we are the people of England, that never have spoken yet.
Are you sure our new population give a fuck, rhoda? I thought they were here for the bennies, and the eventual caliphate.
Maybe we need the Caliphate referendum first while we might still win it.
I find it fascinating that people think democracy is going to get them out of that situation.
We had to try it first, it takes a while for people to realise they are despised.
Democracy only works if all parties are consenting to democracy. Otherwise, those who don’t will use the democratic “rights” you’ve granted them against you.
What do you think of ME as the caliph???
What a ripper!
Have you got the right sort of beard?
The people of Piddington have just shown the Scots and other Celtic whingers how to do it. Don’t ask permission, just do it.
Let’s not forget the wimmin of Piddington voted LibDem. “Refugees welcome, but not in my back yard.”
Did they? I did not know that. Stupid bints getting it good and hard then.
Gareth Roberts, whom I like a lot, nails it.
Piddington and the idiocy of middle-class progressivism
Sadly there aren’t going to think that. They’ll still trumpet their middle-class status by wanting to let them into the country; they just want them housed well away, in the nasty places where poor people live.
But it is not true that all ethnicities are equal, and thus not a sane nor a healthy idea to say it.
If he means ‘should be treated equally’ I am closer to his position, but I still believe English people should be treated better than any non-English people in England.
“Piddington is a perfect capsule illustration of what the political class has done to Britain.“
Ditto, his substack is excellent.
Is this the first admittance that it is a “load” to bear, not an enrichment?
It’s absolutely mental. Not just “asylum seekers”, 99 out of 100 of whose claims to be politically oppressed are laughably untrue (the other one put more thought into his sob story).
At a time when the state is living under a teetering Alberfan mountain of debt and the public sector is skint at every level, about 95% of immigrants in general including the legals impose immediate, massive, and lifelong financial burdens on the welfare state, housing, education and the NHS. Most will never earn enough to pay enough taxes to wash their faces on the cost of a typical Zimbabwean care assistant, plus her 18 relatives who the government allows to settle here very swiftly thereafter.
And nobody’s forcing the British government to mass resettle some of the most notoriously backwards, racist and violent hillbilly clans of Asia and Africa to Somerset at enormous taxpayer expense. But you’d think otherwise by their behaviour.
To add insult to injury, they try to DARVO and act like you’re a horrible, evil, dangerous, hatey hateful hater person for thinking we should have a country, and choose who we allow to move to our country. All very strange. We live in a very primitive time, don’t we? Neither savage nor wise.
The asylum thing post-WW2 was never about importing Asians and Africans. It was about Western Europeans. If something happened in France, Belgium etc. People who could come over here and other than habits like dipping chips in mayo could fit in fine.
I believe that this is where this will all end up. It’s years of dicking around away, though. All sorts of things will be tried before someone lands on that. You can’t hope people at the Home Office will do anything but the laziest option, so simply take the power away. No Albanians, no Somalis. And the only exception is if the home secretary announces it (so, we might let Ukrainian women and children in).
Everyone will tsk about racists etc and within a decade it will all be forgotten.
The number of asylum cases per year should generally be a few thousand. The odd FSB bloke that helps us out, people that gave us information about Somali pirates. The family of the king of Bongo Bongo Land that have been good supporters of the UK. We’ve got to protect our friends. And if it was a few thousand a year, no-one would care.
“ People who could come over here and other than habits like dipping chips in mayo could fit in fine.”
Not always true. The Polish soon learned how the Ukrainians wore out their welcome, didn’t they?
My daughter is the manager of a charity shop in Ireland. The charity has been forced by governmental diktat to take on Ukrainians (all women) as” volunteers” (albeit they receive all the very generous Irish benefits available). My daughter has told me that they are almost unmanageable, being greedy, argumentative, thieving, disruptive and, most of all, racist towards the Irish volunteers.
And there’s no reason why any of that should be surprising.
I won’t repeat what my daughter actually said.
But do.
We need to know.
The asylum thing post-WW2 was never about importing Asians and Africans
I think I know what you mean, but yes it was.
Everyone will tsk about racists etc and within a decade it will all be forgotten.
Er, you sure about that? My view is that if we don’t have outright civil war then we’ll get a harrying of the North scenario. In fact, you could argue that on a more geographically dispersed scale, among a larger population, we’ve already got that.
The asylum thing post WW2 was very definitely about European Jews. It was about the UK blocking the escape routes from Nazi Germany prior to the war, about the Holocaust and Pogroms in Eastern Europe and Russia, and about the UK keeping 850,000 Jews and others locked up in DP camps like Bergen-Belsen for 3 years after the war ended.
She used the phrase ‘put up with’ in an interview earlier this week. Rather lets the cat out of the nag.
If the Labour Party didn’t treat Private Sector Landlords as Ukrainian kulaks to be exterminated there wouldn’t be any problem about housing genuine refugees.
I’ve been consistant in arguing (to my personal political disadvantage) that *IF* the state is going to get into the business of accommodating asylum seekers, instead of the people themselves putting their own hand in their own pocket doing it as used to be for millenia, *then* disused military accommodation bases was the best place to do it. Isolated, contained, ready-made, not removing accommodation from the “normal” supply system. That’s how Hong Kong accommodated people fleeing Vietnam, perfectly workable.
They’re putting them into barracks whilst they force the local councils to build permanent free homes for them, then their extended families can come here too, all at our expense.
Is there no disused military accommodation somewhere a bit more remote than Bicester, like Corrout?
I remember being in barracks in, I think, Lydd, about 30 years ago. It was a shitter. Appalling. I mean, on other occasions I was prepared to, and did, sleep in shell scrapes excavated from frozen soil, so I did not have high standards or high expectations. But those huts in Lydd were a fungous-y disgrace and I remember thinking that if it was a prison then a fuss would be made about it, but because we were Tommies then that was fine.
30 years later, I’d guess the old lags in the prisons are now complaining about how the invaders get better accommodation.
It’s shit, all the way down.
Shit
Shittier
Shitter
Shittiest.
Either way, I’d put the quality of a British criminal’s accommodation above that of a furriner, and that of a squaddie above the dungeons of the villains.
(most squaddies are villains, but they spend a lot on aftershave).
Looks as if the Great Crested Newt may be about to save Piddington…
It is genuine entertainment – I echo the thoughts of ‘The Original Jim’ – how long until his lack of prominence forces him out of this particular shindig? One wonders if hard pressed Scots taxpayers are excited by the prospect of this obvious sock puppet organization being given carte blanche to opine on the future of the country at their expense.
‘A major new project from Scotland’s leading pro-independence think tank aims to address key concerns of undecided voters, The National can reveal.
Common Weal has appointed a panel of experts, including lawyer and former SNP MP Joanna Cherry and Professor Richard Murphy, to address a raft of concerns the think tank believes the independence movement has so far failed to answer.’
I’d question the description of either Cherry or Murphy as ‘Experts’ – and also he seems blissfully unaware that her well publicized spats with Big Trans means that anything the panel produces is likely to be unacceptable to the Scottish Greens and could impact his relationship with the English Greens as well.
The project will focus on a number of issues ranging from currency to what the think tank called “the boring work” including how an independent Scotland would establish new regulatory agencies and the transition of the postal service.
Common Weal said that addressing the granular detail of building a new, independent Scottish state would win over voters who were concerned about the feasibility of such an undertaking.
I think in fifteen years plus of blogging the number of practicable suggestions from Murphy could be counted on one hand with fingers to spare. I’d actually strongly consider reaching out to the FSB or North Korean intelligence services for more practical ideas.
The think tank has drawn up a “matrix” of more than 80 separate issues “that must be properly addressed” and are focused not on political questions but “public infrastructure and transition process” to ensure that an independent Scotland would run smoothly from day one.
The country would be effectively bankrupt – it would be akin to Eastern Libya or Sudan – arguably worse because those states had already failed with the dissolution of the bureaucracy – the SNP seem to think that the gravy train provided by English taxpayers will keep on rolling.
The work will be guided by the expert panel involving Cherry and Murphy, who will advise on legal matters and tax and accounting policy, respectively, who will be joined by Frances Guy, a former British ambassador who will advise on foreign policy, Ian Stewart, the chair of the Scottish Currency Group who will advise on currency and banking, and Dr Gail Lythgoe, of Edinburgh University who will steer work on international law and treaties. Also on the panel is Richard Norton Taylor, the former defence editor of The Guardian, who will advise on defence and national security.
One thing that does excite me about this feast of theoretical verbiage is the prospect of comments being permitted, something which always has Murphy worried as he does not like any scrutiny of his beliefs or exposure of the serious lack of theory underpinning his increasingly bizarre claims, now given an additional crazy spin by AI
‘Tenthly – and candidly – as soon as I saw the name Joanna Cherry on the list of appointees it was clear to me that this was not a serious effort, and it is for that reason, along with all the others which I have specified, that I have decided to resign and…’
There’s more – I think you’d enjoy, That was the spiel from the ‘Common Weal’ ‘think tank’. Here is the man himself.
I confirm that I have agreed to join this group for a number of reasons, even though I am usually reluctant to take on such commitments these days, because despite all appearances to the contrary, I do like a little time off.
I do not think there is anyone sentient who wouldn’t like you to take a much longer time off.
Firstly, I have always enjoyed the work I have undertaken with Common Weal, and I expect I will with this as well, because they bring together a range of people who share in common the ability to think that a different world is possible.
That’s why Care in the community was such a bad idea. I think research has shown that keeping people who are mentally disturbed together in a secure facility may be better for the wider community.
Secondly, I believe that this cause is incredibly important. As England descends into an ever deeper neoliberal mire, which has nothing at all to offer Scotland because it treats that country as an asset to be exploited, and not as a country that should flourish, the need for independence grows by the day.
What’s interesting is that the SNP has proven to have ‘The Reverse Midas Touch’ – everything – without exception – it has become involved in has been an unmitigated disaster. In some respects its actually worse off than North Korea – which makes it the ideal test bed for Murphy’s theories.
Thirdly, I think I have something to offer. I have previously written two white papers on the potential structure of a Scottish tax system, both of which integrate with the thinking around macroeconomic management that I believe this group will embrace, and I also contributed to Common Weal’s book How to Start a New Country. Since these were written, events and my thinking have developed, and I now hope to contribute again.
Given their almost unrivalled legacy of comprehensive failure I would agree with this – ideal bedfellows.
I am aware that some might think it odd that a person living in England, who holds both UK and Irish passports, should be a part of this project, but as strongly as I believe that Ireland should be a unified independent country, so too do I believe that both Scotland and Wales should share that same opportunity.
The grift quite literally never ends – truly the desperation is almost palpable here.
I also happen to think that England might be improved as a consequence. It might finally be shaken out of its exceptional thinking as a result, and cease to believe that it has an entitlement to extract rents from other countries in a fashion that could never, has never, and never will be economically, socially or politically justified. It might, in other words, finally realise that it might be time for it to grow up, stand on its own two feet, and work out what its own place in the world might be, and what it might have to offer, which at this moment is very hard to work out when financial extraction appears to be its primary offer to the world.
Every single devolved area is functionally bankrupt on a level that would shame North Korea. Without subsidy from England, Scotland, Wales and NI would collapse within a month (And frequently have done during devolution’s inglorious three or so decades)
Frankly – I’d be happy to get shot of the entire cadre of all three devolved Parliaments – ideally when you have termites the best option is to erase them completely and all three bodies are utterly parasitic in nature.
We have work to do.
Doesn’t quite have the same ring as ‘I have no more territorial demands in Europe’ but has the same echo of evil to it.
“I confirm that I have agreed to join this group for a number of reasons”
Wonder how much they’re paying him.
Or is he just doing it for the doughnuts?
And biscuits.
probabaly very little. It seems to be a private co. funded mostly by donations and by t shirt sales, running on a turnover below the vat threshold.
He likes a little time off? How much time could this twaddle actually take? You create AI generated papers, and use AI to respond to the papers with suggestions for how the next iteration of AI generated paper could be formatted. All automated, no human needed, let’s go down and have lunch.
Because its not like anyone serious is ever going to read any of this garbage.
Can he legitimately use the title of professor? Unless its professor of nonsense at batshit college.
It depends on which interpretation of “professor” you use…
It certainly isn’t “head of a faculty/department” which the title is reserved for in actual polite society.
It also isn’t the version of “salaried lecturer at a university”, because he “resigned” from all that.
Maybe he uses some nebulous defintion of the term for an active professional outside the uni system with a doctorate. But afaik he’s never had a doctorate to begin with.
Maybe he uses the archaic term for a lay priest allowed to officiate mass?
Officially he’s ‘Emeritus Professor of Practice in Accounting’ of Sheffield University management School
Emeritus – he’s retired. No post, no pay, no duties.
‘of practice’. No tenure. No actual qualifications at all required. Doshed out by his mates at Sheffield Uni. Supposedly such appointments are given to established professionals in the field if the Uni wants them to come and teach and (I suppose) the title is meant to impress the students. Of course it also inflates an already massive ego.
Can he use the title? Yes but:
“Academic Transparency: Dropping “emeritus” or “of practice” can inadvertently mislead readers, publishers, or peer reviewers into thinking you are a current, full-time, traditional tenure-track faculty member.”
So when he describes himself as a ‘Professor’ he’s basically misleading people.
No change there then.
Interesting. So where would a hypothetical concerned citizen dob him in?
He identifies as a professor, that’s good enough for me…
Do they get uniforms?
Yes. By Hugo Boss.
Which might soon be owned by Mike Ashley. Perhaps he can see which way the wind is blowing and wants to get hold of the original tailor to the fascists……..
Some here will recall Mike Ashley’s lengthy ownership of Newcastle Utd, The team failed repeatedly. Both team and fans dressed in black-and-white (sadly not all-black) team shirts. Obese fans would roll these up, revealing their midriffs. This is not (even a theoretical) vision of Murphy on which you may wish to linger…
Fascism has a track record – at least in Asia – of some moderate success. They’re getting poorly cut itchy wool uniforms from the Red Army stores.
A Confederacy of Dunces could have been written with Murphy as the model
What does it say about the quality of Scotland born academics who support independence if they have to turn to Spud to sort out the mess?
That they’re too sensible to get involved in this sort of nonsense?
Ritchie can always find a new grift, because we live in an infantilised society where even people who should know better have decided the truth, even in dry numerical subjects like economics, is a Choose Your Own Adventure.
Many bad examples of this, including Climate Scam, which we’ve seen metastasise – facts and logic be damned – into a crudely moralistic idee fixe in the heads of millions of midwits through simple repetition and appeals to credentials. The recent Trans phenomenon is another one, where supposedly serious people decided to pretend biological sex isn’t real and that pronouns in the English language can be bespoke. That did a lot of harm to society and individuals irl before the Blessed Hilary Cass raised the alarm bells and gave the establishment permission to gently back away from the tranny craze. They didn’t listen when Christian Mums, feminist firebrands, conservative pundits, and mentally ill BTL commenters named Steve warned them, but Dr Cass is a member of the credentialed class. Her lanyard is in good standing.
Professor Murphy is also credentialed, and for similar reasons to Professor Jason Arday (may he lie in peace), he reliably says things lefties want to hear. Money for nothing, and condescension for free. They love it, the world of MMT is magic and rainbows and fairies at the bottom of your garden, frolicking in the mushrooms. The modern left is infantile and irrational, a direct result of all those world class British university educations. They’ll just petulantly hold their breath if you try to tell them ice cream isn’t on the breakfast menu. Let them eat Ritchie.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the only people who believe in socialism are utter spastics. I don’t want to say too much good about the people who still believed in it in the 1970s and 1980s, but you can at least say they weren’t utter spastics. Once the wall came down, even people with a reasonably functioning brains grasped it was a bad idea.
It’s why Labour is so embarrassing. Teenagers as bright as Alan Milburn aren’t communists like he was. So they aren’t joining Labour and gradually changing their views over time (MIlburn is pro-markets for the NHS). So the cabinet is full of people like Lammy, Ange, and Burnham.
“The modern left is infantile and irrational,”
I’ve always said that the perpetual popularity of Leftism is the result of stunted growth from childhood to adulthood. People who find socialism attractive are people in a position of looking for a parent substitute to run their lives for them, they have never moved on from the subservient position a child has to its parents. The people who propound socialism however are different, they are the power mad – for them its just a means to an end.
Brilliant news. The Fat Controller will finally gets his hands on the signal box,. I imagine he’ll manage to derail his own train within three weeks – probably a fistfight over the committee biscuits he was too tight to buy in the first place. Toot toot. All aboard.
Its kind of crazy that anyone would ask someone who has been/is in the Scottish government to join in on planning an independent Scottish government.
The only people that actually want an independent Scotland are the people who’s careers have been dependent upon Scotland’s parasitism of England.
Scotland’s GDP per person is similar to England’s *despite* the money funneled from England to Scotland, Wales, and NI. The UK as a whole is poorer per-capita than any individual US state – Scotland on its own would be even poorer than that.
And how does Murphy keep getting onto things like this? Has no one looked at his work over the last 30 years? I get he’s a Lefty and pushes Lefty causes but at least someone like Krugman does it from within sight of reality. Murphy keeps thinking he’s re-invented stuff that was discovered a century or more ago – worse, stuff that *is being done by people today* he goes on as if he just thought about it.
His body of work has two major attributes
“…..Professor Richard Murphy ….”. Is that like, “Professor Stanley Unwin”?