ARMCHAIR ACTIVISTS

We know Brown and his ilk are out to screw England in order to feather the nests of their kith and kin, but many outside the campaign refuse to acknowledge it. Yesterday’s news however should mean that no one can now deny that this cabinet is happy to sacrifice English jobs if it means safeguarding Scottish ones.

Asked at a daily press briefing yesterday if Brown had urged the bank to minimise job losses in Scotland, the spokesman said: "Absolutely not. This was a commercial decision taken by Lloyds.
"The prime minister did not lobby on issues of jobs relating to any part of the UK. These are decisions that are taken by Lloyds, which is a commercial organisation."

Got that? It was commercial. But no, hang on…

Later in the day he popped up on Radio 5 Live and said that he had "made his concern about the future of HBOS's iconic Edinburgh HQ 'very clear' to Lloyds TSB bosses. The company insisted that it would retain the Edinburgh office and said its 'management focus' would be on saving as many staff as possible north of the border."

City analysts were taken aback by the merger document's specific pledge to 'keep jobs in Scotland' and pointed out that it sat uneasily with an overall drive to find £1billion in job cuts. They said it appeared that employees in England would face the brunt of the cutbacks.

Mr Darling told Radio 5 Live: "HBOS and the new group will continue to have a very significant presence in Scotland."

This is being reported in just about every newspaper, so please write a generic letter and sent it to as many of the following as you can. Even if it is just one line, PLEASE speak out against this outrage. Here’s a few that I’ll be sending…



Sir
Gordon Brown denies that he has put pressure on Lloyds TSB to sacrifice English jobs in order to save Scottish ones, yet his Chancellor said he had spoken to them about jobs. Furthermore, after speaking to them he said the management ‘focus’ was on saving ‘as many staff as possible north of the border’.
Is this a coincidence? I think it is no more a coincidence than the fact both have signed the Scottish Claim of Right, where both swore to hold Scotland’s interests paramount “in all their actions and deeds”.


Sir
Alistair Darling has promised to safeguard Scottish HBOS jobs by sacrificing the jobs of Labour’s traditional supporters in the North of England.
Add to this to the lavish block grant (Scotland gets 20% than Yorks & Humberside) and you won't need a soothsayer to work out why England are turning against Labour.
I wish Brown would call me at 6.30 in the morning to ask my opinion, I really would.


Sir
Given the pressure put on Lloyds TSB to sacrifice English jobs before Scottish ones, should Brown’s latest slogan be “English jobs for Scottish votes!”?


Sir
It may be right for an Edinburgh MP to fight for his constituents’ jobs, but is it fair for a UK Chancellor to horse trade jobs in England in return for expediting the takeover of one UK company for another?


Sir
If the voters in Labour’s English heartlands threatened to vote SNP, do you suspect the UK Chancellor would sacrifice Scottish jobs in order to secure the votes in Yorkshire? Is this how new Labour repay decades of loyalty? I do hope they remember when the next election comes around.


Sir
What is worse? A Prime Minister who is unaware what terms his Chancellor is asking for, in negotiations the PM is managing.
A UK Chancellor who has signed an oath to hold Scotland's interests paramount and then struck a deal to ensure job losses are avoided in Scotland (England being the only other place they can occur)
Or, a person in England who votes for a Party capable of doing either of the above?


Thanks to Terry Heath from the Armchair Activists
"To be born English is to win first prize in the lottery of life"