Good luck to SNP MP Mhairi Black

Christ, don't wish any comparison with Galloway on her!

(Galloway, if you like that kind of thing - and I don't - is still quite a charismatic speaker, in the same way that Farage is charismatic: talks confident, rabble-rousing, bombastic bullshit and tells his target audience exactly what they want to hear, in exactly the way they'd like to hear it. But even before his current and total descent into whatever the narcissistic hell he is now, he always was a bombastic speaker, and I found that repulsed me, even then. It's not a quality to aim for.)

Not sure if this will be visible as it's posted from Facebook www.facebook.com/ScottishIndependenceLiveEvents/videos/1623453964558940/?pnref=story

This gives me confidence she'll be a force for good in Westminster

"What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?" Plato, 4th Century BC

Rev Stu.

What's a professional cyber-nat?

Thank you for your thoughtful response. I'll not pick an argument with you at this time of night, sleep well. :)

OK I'll try and then I'm going to bed. I think there is a moral aspect - politicians can have differences of opinions but there has to be a bottom line in terms of standards if behaviour. I think it's about common decency - I know they frequently don't live up to expectations but we generally learn about bad behaviour somewhere down the line, not before they have even started. When I heard Jim Murphy make his speech in defeat I was genuinely moved because he was articulate and thoughtful and he even quoted poetry. If you contrast that with a twenty year old who threatens physical violence it is scary. This girl is raw, maybe she has passion and even conviction but that's not enough. So shameful is a reference to a political climate that expects so little of its politicians that all you have to do is spout a political line. Shameful is a reflection on a political system that doesn't demand minimum standards from its representatives. In terms of class I think it is patronising to assume that the Working class don't deserve better than this because in my opinion common decency transcends classes and we should aspire for more than what she has alas hitherto demonstrated. If I am angry it is because there was a cull of some pretty decent politicians and I think it a very scary political climate at the moment. Love and peace.

I'm puzzled at your (repeated) use of the word "shameful", as if there is some sort of moral aspect to Mhairi having her new job. Can you elaborate?

Baby boomer I wasn't surprised you were friendly just relieved. I've been accused of calling people liars, bad mother's etc (none of which I actually said and I have been told to apologise to an individual who I was supposed to have called a cyber-nat even though the point I made was general up until the point said person personalised it.

I don't think of you as the enemy - I lived in Glasgow for a long time and my children were born at The Queen Mum's. The point I made I would have made about any undergraduate embarking on a first job. MP is a job that carries responsibility and I really do think it is shameful that a young girl who clearly has a lot to learn can earn a huge salary for a job I do not believe she is ready for. I don't know why the reaction has been so hostile but nae bother love and peace.

I can think of many politicians with plenty of life experience who have abused their positions and not earned any of that salary. Being young and a bit sweary/shouty isn't the worst thing a politician can be.

I actually think they're all over-paid, but that's irrelevant. If that's the salary, then they all get it, regardless of age, sex or employment status.

I know Mhairi Black has made ill-judged remarks and she may have to learn how to modify her language. I accept that. What I don't accept is that she is undeserving of her new job and its salary because of her youth.

Finally, Rose, you say I sound "quite friendly". I am, but why do you sound surprised? I have no anti-English agenda and nor do most people I know. Don't fall for the nonsense the media is feeding people south of the border - I lived in England for years, I still visit, I love the scenery and envy you the weather. We're not the enemy.

Good luck to her.

Rose - you were 'shot down in flames' because after pages and pages going over days of pretty indepth discussion (at some points) including the fact that inexperience could be an issue, the opposing view that young women are underrepresented in politics, conversations about whether her appearance should matter, whether tweets from when she was 15 were appropriate fodder, her language and background and even some gaelic grammar and the issue of having a generation with all their misdemeanours preserved on social media and your contribution was that it was shameful that she got her salary for being a foul mouthed girl.

When SDTG pointed out politely that she was elected, you followed up with a series of rants about cybernats, sycophants and bullying.

It was a fair point, she hasn't been awarded her salary for being foul on twitter - katie hopkins already has that job - and it was an unpleasant reaction that wasn't warranted.

Try reading the whole thread and you'll see that other people agree with you about her age, but that doesn't make name calling ok.

Baby boomer I was going to leave this but you sound quite friendly so I'll reply if I may. I don't care about this girls hair, accent or social class but I do think she is too young to warrant such a high salary. Also, at a public rally, she told the assembled crowd that she had wanted to hit her opponents after the No vote. The point I wanted to make was that politicians should at least have life skills and this girl needs to acquire life skills in order to perform in her role. It is a sad day for politics if it just becomes bums on seats.
Thanks for not shooting me down in flames.

I used the word blighters because it is a fine word, and an excellent description of ds2 and ds3. I use Scottish words too - I like language, and enjoy using the richness of words available to me. I resisted the temptation to use some words - numpty, for example.

You are now trying to intimidate me and I presume the choice of the word 'blighters' is an assumption that I'm English

You may be surprised to know that Scots use the word as well. And that many people who identify as Scots are English-born, or have English relatives. You sound very angry and I'm not sure why.

I can vote Green or SNP and still admire Labour politicians - maybe not Tory; that would be a step too far - and I think it's healthy to see an injection of fresh blood into Parliament. Mhairi Black may be a loose cannon, in which case she won't last - but let's not hold her age, her accent, her hair style against her.

Over 300 messages, and we're all cybernats? Even the OP, well known on the politics board as a UKIPer?

Have a or maybe some , put your feet up and hide the thread.

I'm English, RamblingRose - however, I hope I am sufficiently fair-minded to give Mhairi Black a chance, rather than condemning her out of hand.

Bullying? Ah diddums.

Voice of reason? Let's pay students sixty thousand pounds per annum plus even if they threaten to hit their opponents and if anyone disagrees or suggests the opinions spouted are party propaganda demand an apology? For the record (and this is my final word on this) I didn't suggest any one person was a cyber-nat - more that it had an inauthentic tone to it - this whole discussion. I cannot believe that a Labour voter would be rejoicing at the election of this girl - it doesn't ring true but I'll say no more now because you are predictably closing ranks. So let's hear it for Mahri Black - a true inspiration! Sycophantic enough for you all?

Gah, ridiculous accusations of bullying really get my goat.

I wonder if her family are very active in politics. You don't often get such a young person so passionate about politics unless their parents are active in politics too.

You're starting to sound like a parody account now, Rose. No-one is bullying you, especially not SDTG, who has been a voice of reason throughout.

Why are you now resorting to bullying? I made a legitimate point about the inanity of this thread with self congratulatory comments about a student who is now a member of parliament, despite behaving appallingly in the very recent past. You are now trying to intimidate me and I presume the choice of the word 'blighters' is an assumption that I'm English. We all know the Internet is the tool of choice for Nationalists but please, back off now. I tried to inject a bit of reality into this thread but I should have known it would be futile.
Stop twisting my words, I did not call anyone a bad mother.

Me too, tabulahrasa.

I can understand her making a lazy assumption about me, but when it's pointed out she's wrong, surely a brief apology is a better option than suggesting I am a liar and not a Proper Mother.

Mind you - if I am not a Proper Mother who has to go and cook tea for her children, does that mean I don't have to feed the blighters?