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.
The Sunday National’s front page today elicited a sigh of “So what?” from most.
We’ve already GOT a “pro-indy” majority at Holyrood and have done for the last 10 years, for all it’s been worth. But to be fair there was a paragraph in the article that at least raised a quizzical eyebrow.
It seems that it’s fine to farm important judgments out to mysterious shadowy figures who just make important chunks of them up out of thin air, and then issue them in your own name. Back in your boxes, plebs.
Young Lochinvar on When the law breaks the law: “AX Sounds a bit like you have beaver fever 🙂” Feb 26, 20:45
Ross on The Tactics Of Suicide: “But your idea is to make snp voters believe instead of potentially wasting their vote, they should actively vote unionist.…” Feb 26, 20:34
Ross on The Tactics Of Suicide: “The other option is to vote Unionist, any unionist party, on the list to ensure your snp list vote doesn’t…” Feb 26, 20:20
Colin Alexander on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Holyrood is an English colonial-crumbs devolution parliament for money-grubbing lying deviant scumbags to rule over us. MSPs are oath takers…” Feb 26, 19:47
Geri on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Scotland will vote SNP because SNP have socialist policies. All that mitigation that’d be up shit creek without a paddle…” Feb 26, 19:17
sarah on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Vote for an Alliance to Liberate Scotland candidate on the list. Why vote Green – they are as incompetent and…” Feb 26, 18:42
Hatey McHateface on The Tactics Of Suicide: “The “pro-woke half” are still colonised then, Alf? Fair enough. So the “anti-woke half” must be decolonised, and they’re the…” Feb 26, 18:13
Ross on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Readers …I’ve hatched a plan that is best of both worlds ?”Hate the SNP? Good. Vote for them on the…” Feb 26, 18:06
Alf Baird on The Tactics Of Suicide: “““SNP’s voters wouldn’t tolerate Reform support”” Perhaps the Rev is thinking about the pro-woke ‘half’ of the indy movement who…” Feb 26, 17:19
Hatey McHateface on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Once England throws us out we can get into the EU and be run from Brussels. They’ll need our energy…” Feb 26, 17:05
Sven on When the law breaks the law: “The beavers about which I posted earlier were released at Loch Beinn a Mheadhoin in the Glen Affric National Reserve…” Feb 26, 17:04
Hatey McHateface on The Tactics Of Suicide: “I’m shocked and appalled, Effijy. Where’s the genocide? It has to be stopped! “Greens will close the last of our…” Feb 26, 16:59
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Tactics Of Suicide: “As long as you keep feeding the bear, it’ll keep coming back. [FACT CHECK: You do NOT have to vote,…” Feb 26, 16:55
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Collectively, I am very sure.” Feb 26, 16:55
Itsagoinwrang on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Jeez… how many times does this site have to explain the dHondt voting system? SNP1&2 is the stupidest thing ever.…” Feb 26, 16:42
Effijy on The Tactics Of Suicide: “I feel headlined like this are designed for potential SNP supporters to stay at home as your party are going…” Feb 26, 16:33
Hatey McHateface on The Tactics Of Suicide: “The crazies (Greens) are addressing the tactical voting block within the constituency in their own language (Urdu). That has to…” Feb 26, 16:33
agentx on When the law breaks the law: “” 26 February 2026, 06:11 GMT A family of beavers has been released into a Lincolnshire river to live in…” Feb 26, 16:30
Cynicus on The Tactics Of Suicide: ““SNP’s voters wouldn’t tolerate Reform support” ======= Are you sure, Rev.? Analysis of the BREXIT referendum showed that over 30%…” Feb 26, 16:15
Hatey McHateface on The Tactics Of Suicide: ““thrown away our last chance to democratically remove ourselves” How could this possibly be true when there’s nothing whatsoever stopping…” Feb 26, 16:02
ALANM on The Tactics Of Suicide: “This Gorton & Denton election looks interesting. My guess is that Labour voters will swing behind Reform in a last…” Feb 26, 15:57
TURABDIN on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Arithmetic apart the Nats have been handed leverage by the current abysmal state of British politics and its oily practitioners.…” Feb 26, 15:51
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Of course it isn’t you thick twat. It’s literally what gets the Westminster parties almost all of their MSPs. FFS.” Feb 26, 15:38
sarah on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Vote on the list for a pro-independence candidate e.g. an Alliance to Liberate Scotland umbrella party candidate. That would win…” Feb 26, 15:36
David Ferguson on The Tactics Of Suicide: “How is a list vote for the SNP a vote “against” the Westminster parties when it will guarantee them dozens…” Feb 26, 15:32
lothianlad on The Tactics Of Suicide: “I still dont think I could ever vote SNP ahead, and I’m a die hard independence supporter. How could the…” Feb 26, 15:27
David Ferguson on The Tactics Of Suicide: “I still have faint hopes for Scottish independence in my lifetime. I plan to vote Reform 1 and 2 for…” Feb 26, 15:27
Del G on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Just come out and say it: you want everyone to vote Reform. PS a list vote for the SNP isn’t…” Feb 26, 15:19
Neil Anderson on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Exactly. There are, at present, literally no political parties in Scotland that actually deserve to be voted for. Do we…” Feb 26, 15:03