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@davidpratt
.co.uk
Spent today walking around my home city centre here in Glasgow. Can’t remember a time when it looked so beleaguered, filthy and neglected. Something seriously wrong here in comparison to so many European cities. Photo by the way is stock and far from representative.
Got to say it but heads needs to roll
@scotgov
and
@policescotland
after today’s scenes in Glasgow. The vast majority of the Scottish people deserve better after their sacrifices.
Just for a moment please can I ask my fellow progressive Scots to park any squabbles over election this and Indy that and be truly ‘internationalist’ in expressing their outrage over what is happening to Palestinians in Gaza and the creeping takeover of East Jerusalem?
Just watched dozen so young guys pass tent of homeless person in Glasgow city centre stomping on it and laughing. Confronted them and then checked if person in tent at time but not there. Whatever, who are these animals? How do we stop such obscenities? Enough of this.
George Square area tonight just unacceptable. Police trying to do what they can with a massive presence. Ambulances and paramedics too , what an enormous extra burden that must put right now on the NHS.
I really find these scenes in Glasgow city centre tonight unreal. At least 20
@policescotland
vans alone on the street beneath me and drunken crowds taunting them and passers by. I’ve not seen Police engage one person yet. Utterly unreal
Just arrived back in Glasgow tonight from overseas. Airport to city centre bus drops me at Queen Street station. First thing I see in George Square - not new - is a huge queue of people for food bank provision. Dear God we must work to change this abomination around.
Scotland? We cant’t even buy some eggs these days without the packaging looking like it’s on a par with something from a UK bomber. Seriously, time to reject and distance ourselves from this nonsense.
Simone Segouin, mostly known by her codename, Nicole Minet, was only 18-years-old when the Germans invaded. Her first act of rebellion was to steal a bicycle from the German military and slice all the tyres of the other bikes and motorcycles so they couldn't pursue her.
Why do people not see the obvious in Steve Bannon, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Michael Gove and their ilk ‘chatting ‘? Again I say, wake up folks this it not politics as usual, there really is a nasty cabal afoot, and it’s transnational
We have at least 18 police support vans on street below , countless breaches of peace never mind Covid restrictions and not once have I seen the police as much as stop anyone. Instead they seem preoccupied giving high fives or elbow greetings. Utterly baffling
He and others like him think Scotland is akin to something worth only scraping off the sole of your shoe. Are you willing to take this ongoing humiliation my fellow Scots? Whether we get it right or wrong independence at least means we decide what we do, not this arsehole.
I know policing of such highly emotive moments is tricky and requires balance. But what I witnessed today around George Square was tantamount to
@policescotland
curating mass breaches of Covid regulations. I can think of other way to describe it.
The only people I feel sorry for right now are my fellow Scots so desirous of independence who might have to watch the dream disappear when so so near because of bickering that has exposed tactical naivety of so many in the SNP. Tories must be loving it.
How many wake up calls does Scotland need that it’s time to pullout all the stops to get shot of this shower of political opportunists pronto and make its own way in Europe and the world
I hope all Rangers fans will celebrate responsibly tomorrow, esp given the spike in Glasgow Covid cases. Sadly I fear such calls are undermined by some politicians actively encouraging street protests yesterday. Can’t be one rule for some and another for others.
Air raid siren went off short time ago here in Kyiv and last night there were drone attacks . Perhaps Russia wants to spoil the Eurovision fun, if so once again they have badly miscalculated. So many ‘hearts of steel’ here.
Right Scotland, lets park the in-fighting, get back to tackling the Tories and get Indy done. Time to go on the political offensive and put this guy on the back foot.
This is the oratory and passionate political insight that Scots so need today to drive folk to the full realisation of what is being manipulated and stolen from before our very eyes.
Hollowed out countries in the name of Britishness.
This from Michael Sheen.
We are not the belongings of a colonial past power. We are people, and countries, with our own cultures, but we’ve been trodden down.
No more.
#indyref
🏴🏴🇮🇪
So, Iraqi Parliament votes to expel US troops. In one fell swoop Trump has made it more difficult to combat a resurgent ISIS in Iraq. Crass strategic shortsightedness.
For going on 40 years I’ve covered foreign affairs and during that time witnessed conflicts on the ground across the world that I will never forget. But what is especially saddening about what is going on in Gaza right now is that it could be stopped in an instant.
The pressure this must have placed on all our emergency services tonight in Glasgow must have been immense. There is something very socially adrift going on here not easily explained but very corrosive.
Ramallah |
Journalist Mohammed Farra in Ramallah received the awful news that his wife and children were all killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younes, South Gaza
A thought. Perhaps more of a question. How many of my fellow Scots are non political party affiliated with a left leaning disposition and desire for independence. RT if so inclined and let me know thoughts- thanks. Pic: Reuters
Cloud cuckoo land I know, but imagine, just imagine, if Alex Salmond came out right now and said let’s draw a line under all this and get Scotland back to winning Indy. What a quantum shift in mood there would be politically within the campaign. One can but dream.
Nightmare Xmas after wife displayed symptoms corresponding with pancreatic cancer. Wonderful
@NHS_HS
staff quickly got to the root of problem a temporary blockage of the bile duct by a gallstone. She’ll need gall bladder removal but that pales alongside what could have been.👏NHS
George Square area tonight just unacceptable. Police trying to do what they can with a massive presence. Ambulances and paramedics too complete with incidence response team. What an enormous extra burden that must put right now on the NHS.
Bonkers but
@ruth_wishart
Twitter account locked for “violating” the code. Having seen a pic of a lovely big dog and responded: ‘sonsie laddie’ Twitter auto corrected to “so die” and banned her. It’s a complimentary Scottish expression not negative. Please sort it out Twitter.
Ah Scotland there I was thinking lockdown deprived me of all that political intrigue I’ve encountered these years as a foreign correspondent. You know what I mean, dirty tricks, leaks, disinformation, agent provocateurs, fifth columnists. Something serious clearly at stake here.
Now if this doesn’t lift the heart I don’t know what does. Simply a reminder that free spirits are everywhere despite terrible suffering and hardships.
Orange Walk again envelops Glasgow. Like it or loathe it I have one perennial question for
@policescotland
.Why can groups of people already drunk barely in full view of officers walk/bystand while holding glasses / bottles of booze when law makes clear this is not acceptable ?
Piers Morgan will not forget this interview about the Israel / Gaza crisis with Egyptian comedian and TV presenter Bassem Youssef for a long time- it’s long but we’ll worth watching… ouch
If, as all the signs suggest, the Union is fast approaching its denouement, this is the moment for Scotland to guard against being tainted by the bitterness or squabbling that largely prevails right now in England
This is what it’s like for women journalists to work inside
#Gaza
.
"We die a million times because we see and live the pain of all the people, and we have seen things that might take years to forget,” says Mona Okal, journalist at Palestine TV.
Support the journalists in Gaza.
I cannot for the life of me believe that the Scottish people will anymore accept this imbecilic kind of politician/ ‘leadership’ as working in our interests. The time has come to move on. Let’s have our own say warts and all regarding our future, This man is not part of it.
'Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me'
@BorisJohnson
appears to lose track of his notes as he delivers a speech to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
Been on Twitter radio silence these past few days as been in travel transit. Can confirm I’m now in Ukraine so watch this space and my usual news outlets for stories and pics in the coming days.
@ScotNational
@heraldscotland
@BBCWeekendGMS
The scene in George Square tonight. No amount of patronising responses from
@policescotland
about how would you “keyboard police commanders” do it takes away from what is a policing shambles today
Scotland... more specifically Scotland’s independence aspirations are being played... undermined, by shadowy folks pulling on the reins of my fellow Scots some of whom appear incapable or unwilling to realise it. At stake? Independence.
Dear oh dear … I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again my fellow Scots, let’s get the hell out of this nutcase scenario and break free from the shackles of such political puerility. - Independence.
The arrogant thinking of a Bullingdon Boy that has never changed and thinks he can get away with whatever while laughing at ‘ordinary folk’. By God I loath him and his type with every fibre of my being.
Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the wee donkey is this how far we’ve fallen?
“I have satisfied myself that the guidelines were followed.”
Johnson insists the rules were followed at Downing Street in the Christmas period last year, when indoor mixing was banned.
These women fought helped liberate areas and put the barbarians of the Islamic State group in retreat and the US repays then by allowing Turkey to attack them - mind you Trump Tower Hotel remains open for business in Turkey- rarely a more shameful episode even by Trump standards
As a city centre resident who lives just off George Square can I just say hats off to
@GlasgowCC
cleansing staff. By the early hours they were on top of clearing up this mess. These are the workers people Scotland should acknowledge and thank.
Ah once again the mischief makers and agent provocateurs are running amok among the ranks of the Scottish Independence movement. At best idiots, at worst people seemingly hell bent in eroding solidarity. Just who are they - really- and who benefits?
Strategically imperative now- as has been for some time- that those politicians representing Scotland’s interests get ahead of curve for once rather than simply reacting to Brexit implications. Park internal squabbles and put up robust response to the crap coming down the chute.
Enough. Johnson has long taken the piss but we are now in dangerous territory. My fellow Scots and anyone who recognises that now need to hold his cabal and anyone who fails to question their threat to account. # No More Carrying The Can.
Saddened to hear of the death of mountaineering legend Hamish MacInnes who I had the great privilege to know. A giant of the climbing world has gone but his groundbreaking work on mountain rescue techniques lives on. Here’s to you Hamish.
As we enter 2023 my fellow Scots - perhaps worth pondering the words of Raymond Williams- “To be truly radical is to make hope possible rather than despair convincing”. Independence here we come.
Do wish people would stop fixating with the Alex Salmond case and apply the same focus and energy to simply ensuring the independence campaign is successful
C’mon Scotland it really is time to break from these toxic bitter dinosaurs who represent the last kicks of a long gone system based on inequity and ludicrous notions of superiority
It’s truly astonishing to see a politician from Great British speak like this, she makes it sound like a small country in the Middle East decrying imperialism or occupation. A whole new level of demeaning populism
The more you listen to this Govt everyone and anything else is to blame for the UK death toll from Covid-19. Utterly shameful and shambolic. They must pay politically for this.
By God broadcasting in the UK could learn a think or too from
@CNN
no nonsense coverage of US election. Detailed but accessible, factual and with a built in ‘shock proof shit detector’ to paraphrase a certain famous American writer.
RIP a man Scotland should be proud of and climbers across the world owe a debt of gratitude. A true mountaineering giant. A great pleasure to have known him.
Rachel Reeves explains that what is needed is a pause in the bombing so Palestinians can have something to eat & drink, & then the bombing can start again.
The Labour Party opposes bombing and killing people who are hungry seems to be the message.
After ten hours of driving using highways, back roads and negotiating countless checkpoints I’ve arrived in Kyiv from the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. It’s now base for the coming days.
‘The SNP are absolutely walking the Scottish Parliament elections and we’re being lectured to by Tories who’ve performed abysmally and haven’t won in Scotland since 1955. This is absurd.’ Angus Robertson
#Newsnight
Imagine being a genocide survivor this evening, listening to this, having to put your kids to bed with this going on outside your window. Europe failed Bosnia in the 1990’s and its failing Bosnian all over again.
A French police helicopter traveled 7,000 feet up a windy mountainside, getting inches from the snowy slope, in an effort to rescue an injured skier. Unbelievable flying and skill by the pilot. 👏🚁
Bad mouthing anyone who says they are on the side of independence does Scotland no favours and only discourages our fellow citizens still thinking about their vote. So much heat about Indy, so little light about achieving the solidarity crucial in making it a reality.
Long time since I felt this upbeat politically, and I do mean that.Scotland now face on with most toxic and inept of Tory PM’s who frankly would prefer we were all equivalent of feudal serfs. I’m glad time has come to prove him wrong. Let’s get on with doing just that Scotland.
Why, I mean really why, are these charlatans and their cabal getting away with their utterly shambolic handing of COVID-19? Delay, delay, lives lost, worsening situation while other countries take affirmative action. There is serious culpability here that must be answered for.
Aye no mass gatherings. No wonder people that are trying to stick by the rules are getting fed up with the double standards when it comes to the way the restrictions appear interpreted by the police.
@HumzaYousaf
This among many other things is why politics in the UK have been so despicable’. It’s also why we here in Scotland need to shunt this Tory herd where they deserve .
After 4 decades of watching politicians globally go about their ‘business’ rarely can I remember a time when I’ve had less trust, respect, confidence in any to do right thing by the people who elect them. It really is time too root out the freeloaders, charlatans and prima donnas
Why are
@policescotland
permitting those attending ‘cenotaph rally’ in George Square from drinking and gathering in Merchant city while being served alcohol from some premises and ignoring lockdown ?