The turnout at the “independence march and rally” yesterday was so abysmally poor that it seems almost unfair to pick on any of the scores of SNP elected representatives who didn’t bother to show up.
But dear old Cosy Feet Pete Wishart had the most chef’s-kiss excuse of all.
The reason he didn’t fancy getting his wee Billy Whizz quiff blown about a chilly Calton Hill was that he had important business “taking on the far right” – who were of course nowhere to be seen – with “half a million” (50,000) of his British besties, a convenient short Tube ride away from his London residence, at a pretty openly anti-Semitic protest called, with a double layer of delicious comedic value… UK Together.
If events in Edinburgh today are anything to go by – when a march and rally announced with great fanfare seven months ago, backed by both the “independence” parties in the Scottish Parliament and featuring the First Minister as main speaker, attracted perhaps 1,500 people at the most to Calton Hill on a bright and sunny day – the independence movement faces an imminent final apocalypse.
So here’s how to prepare yourself for when the SNP win a landslide with 35%, Keir Starmer says “So what?” and then a deathly silence descends for another five years.
Even Kelly Given and Iona Fyfe didn’t show up for this one. That’s how bad it is.
The last faint hope of any remotely positive or at least interesting outcome of May’s election just left the building.
It wasn’t MUCH of a hope, and it’s absolutely no surprise in the wake of the comically shambolic, belief-defyingly inept farce that has been the birth of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s fringe-of-the fringe party, but all the same its extinguishing means the next two months will be even more of a waste of time than they looked like being.
Frankly, readers, we may as well not bother having an election at all.
The number of parties who got MSPs elected at the last election is… five. (Though in fairness there are now six, Reform having a single MSP after Graham Simpson defected from the Tories. The Lib Dems are even outnumbered by independents, of whom there are seven.)
So Cathy Newman of Channel 4 News got herself a scoop last night.
And to be honest, readers, we were a bit confused. “Gender critical views” are not only lawful things to hold and express, they’re one of a small subset of opinions that are explicitly protected as such in law. And why would a man very occasionally airing some lawful and protected views on social media be a news story? You might as well run “BREAKING: Premiership footballer discovered to enjoy cheese-and-ham toasties”.
Which is handy, because today is also the day of the Gorton and Denton by-election in Manchester (fun fact: a seat we’d very likely have lived in ourselves if not for Osama bin Laden, but that’s another story), and that throws up some interesting parallels.
There is a not particularly funny joke that is sometimes told in legal circles about why a law student failed to finish his coursework – because he had no conviction. With rare exceptions lawyers aren’t renowned for their sense of humour but I can’t help thinking someone, at the highest levels of our justice system, is having a right laugh at my expense and those who have loyally supported me over the past six years.
I’m talking about the Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain KC – a sitting member of the Scottish Government’s cabinet who was nominated by Nicola Sturgeon to that post in 2021, five months after I was acquitted.
For those unfamiliar with my case, I offer this brief summary. In March 2020 I made a short video on my mobile phone that was two minutes and thirty eight seconds in length. I hadn’t planned to make the video when I went out for a walk in a field near my home. But I was annoyed and wanted to articulate that annoyance, although at the time I recorded it I wasn’t intending for it to go much further.
Later that night, just before turning in, I uploaded it to my YouTube channel on a closed, unlisted link and then posted that link to my Twitter account that, at the time, had a modest 1000 or so followers. I then forgot about it.
Little did I know that short mobile phone video would result in me facing initially a criminal trial, then a five year legal battle in the highest civil court in Scotland and now, most likely, an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
So on the one hand there’s obviously very little point paying attention to the SNP’s regional list candidates for May’s Holyrood election, because as this website has comprehensively demonstrated over recent months, the chances of the SNP having any list MSPs elected are remote.
However, nothing is impossible, so let’s take a look at the B team, which also serves as a guide to the party’s upcoming talent taking its first steps towards the gravy bus.
As the six-year fight for justice for Alex Salmond continues, we thought you might like to see this clip from this morning’s Mike Graham Show, interviewing Paul McManus, the businessman and drummer in Glasgow rock band Gun who’s stepped up to fund the Salmond family’s case against the Scottish Government despite disagreeing with much of what Alex stood for politically.
Young Lochinvar on Sicknote Slippers: “Wet P1shfart is a bad parody of himself..” Mar 29, 19:19
Sven on Sicknote Slippers: ““When they call the roll in the Senate, the Senators do not know whether to call “Present” or “Not Guilty”.…” Mar 29, 19:15
sarah on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Well, all the sensible ones! And despite the obvious exceptions, most are sensible, nice people. 🙂” Mar 29, 19:03
James on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Nah…. “The Untold History of the United States” by Oliver Stone.” Mar 29, 19:01
Terry on Sicknote Slippers: “Well done for highlighting this.” Mar 29, 19:00
James on Protest But Don’t Survive: ““Agent” – aye; you’ve given yersel the proper pen name, right enough.” Mar 29, 18:42
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Protest But Don’t Survive: ““All the other thinkers and activists would gladly work with you.” LOLZ” Mar 29, 18:27
James on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Well said, Northcode….and somehow appropriate maybe, to paraphrase; “We find ourselves opposed by forces that operate in the shadows, without…” Mar 29, 18:27
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Protest But Don’t Survive: “What we have to do about it is destroy the SNP. Until people realise that, there’s no moving forward.” Mar 29, 18:26
twathater on Protest But Don’t Survive: “C’mon now James the cave dweller has every right to come on to a supposed indy supporting blog and give…” Mar 29, 18:18
Young Lochinvar on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Sven If she wasn’t prosecuted on the basis of “not being in the public interest” then she shouldn’t appear on…” Mar 29, 17:43
100%Yes on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Kitkat state’s shops shouldn’t sell these stolen treats and should contact kitkat.” Mar 29, 17:25
Sven on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Off Topic. Well, now we know Ms Sturgeon’s next earner, she’ll be a “celebrity” guest on the ITV Programme The…” Mar 29, 17:25
100%Yes on Protest But Don’t Survive: “The Hard Left, I never knew there was such a thing? Socialist have given a lot more than they have…” Mar 29, 17:20
Young Lochinvar on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Well well well. From the horses “mouth”.. Humza Useless on becoming a backbencher: “I had nothing to do”! Hardly a…” Mar 29, 17:12
100%Yes on Protest But Don’t Survive: “All of The National subscribers was at this event apart from Peter A Bell so really it was 14,999. All…” Mar 29, 16:58
Young Lochinvar on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Beggars Nuttyyahoo “saved the world”.. Not if you’re a journalist or flashing lights paramedic..” Mar 29, 16:48
Lorncal on Protest But Don’t Survive: “The hard left, the ‘wokies’ have captured every independence party and movement in the UK, and beyond: the SNP, the…” Mar 29, 15:09
James on Protest But Don’t Survive: “The Twa Trolls. Well matched; made for each other. Never let the truth get in the way of a pish…” Mar 29, 14:53
Mark Beggan on Protest But Don’t Survive: ““To argue with a fool only creates two fools” Senator Kennedy.” Mar 29, 14:46
Mark Beggan on Protest But Don’t Survive: ““Socialism is a disease that starts in the mind and then spreads to the rest of the body.” Baby Senator…” Mar 29, 14:32
Mark Beggan on Protest But Don’t Survive: “To vote for any of the Leftists partys in Scotland is to put your own personal stamp of approval on…” Mar 29, 14:25
TURABDIN on Protest But Don’t Survive: “THE EXISTENTIAL game changer will be AI & who trains it and to what end. Paradoxically it has the potential…” Mar 29, 13:54
TURABDIN on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Wargamer Trump is also a son of Germany. Think of all those predatory Germanic tribes swarming over Europe and North…” Mar 29, 13:38
Sven on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Off Topic. I see that last month the Glen Rosa ferry was once again cannabilised to supply parts for the…” Mar 29, 13:35
TURABDIN on Protest But Don’t Survive: “AUTONOMY & independence begin in the intellect, heart and integrity «the soul» of the individual. So called politics and its…” Mar 29, 12:56
willie on Protest But Don’t Survive: “I don’t think it is just the young folks who are disinterested. Thatcher once said there is no society, only…” Mar 29, 12:38
Captain Caveman on Protest But Don’t Survive: ““I don’t think that the movement has been captured” OK maybe it’s wrong to tar everyone with the same brush,…” Mar 29, 11:53
