(We must conclude from all this, incidentally, that John Swinney LOVES the Tories, because he had no problem accepting an indyref from a right-wing party in 2012.)
If Scotland leaves the UK, who might be the Prime Minister of the remains of it is none of his business, and certainly shouldn’t be a dealbreaker in achieving independence.
If there’s anyone left in the SNP with a shred of integrity (and if there is they must be very deep undercover indeed), Swinney ought to be challenged for the leadership at next month’s conference and replaced with someone – the Lord alone knows who – who’s actually willing to pursue the party’s supposed primary goal, because Swinney has now dismissed every possible route to it out of hand.
Something rather extraordinary happened yesterday, dearest readers. Very briefly, we absolutely genuinely thought someone in a position of some influence in the SNP had taken a meaningful step towards being serious about independence.
We are not being sarcastic. Look: here it is. (Transcript at bottom of article.)
Dave Doogan is the SNP’s leader at Westminster. And let’s be clear: that is EXACTLY what the SNP’s stance ought to be. Its only purpose is supposed to be the securing of Scottish independence, and no peaceful democratic means of achieving that ought to be off the table. We couldn’t believe what we were hearing, like it was a dream.
The SNP was not formed with the purpose of denying England/the UK the government it voted for, it was formed to completely sever the governance of Scotland and England from each other as a matter of permanent principle, regardless of the prevailing political climate at any given point in time.
If England wants Nigel Farage as Prime Minister, that’s England’s business. The point of independence is that Scotland doesn’t have to get him too. No more, no less.
So obviously, the hapless Doogan’s brave and bright new dawn was brutally slapped down within a matter of hours.
Now, readers, it’s not much of a secret that anyone who’s still supporting the SNP in the hopes that they’ll deliver Scottish independence is – and let’s put this as gently and kindly as possible – a bit thick.
From a membership high of 125,000 in the run-up to the 2021 Holyrood election, fully 60% have now wised up and left, and the 40% still left paying annual subscriptions to a party that’s stolen their money TWICE and spent it on pepper pots are pretty much by definition the dumbest of dum-dums.
But it looks like even they’re just about beginning to get it now.
Five more years and they might have just about woken up.
We’ve had another email from the Crown Office. Stand by for a surprise!
Well, that seems fair enough: other than the fact that almost £700,000 in “ringfenced” fundraiser money is (still) visibly missing, and the fact that the First Minister of the country and the leader of the party the money was entrusted to has publicly admitted it was misappropriated, there’s insufficient evidence that anything untoward happened to it. Panic over, everyone. Nothing to see here. Carry on with your day.
Great news, everyone – Scottish Labour has finally worked out how to talk to the people of Scotland. This video featuring the party’s MP Melanie Ward just appeared on the Scotland Office’s LinkedIn page, and it explains the complexities of the interlinked Scottish and UK economies in terms that the UK government hopes all of you awful thick Jocko plebs might be able to understand. Enjoy.
And tomorrow morning, do remember to eat your cereal, won’t you?
The contempt for the Scottish public being openly shown by public servants paid from the public purse to answer to the public has at this point reached such endemic levels that we’re not sure an acceptable level of trust can ever be salvaged.
The reply above is not just evasive, not even just pathetic, it’s insulting – not just to us, but to every citizen of Scotland.
Not done with celebrating defeat in an imaginary UDI yesterday, The National has gone with another big polling-based front cover today, and the party’s woke young stormtrooper drones are beside themselves with malignant glee.
The National runs headlines like this quite often.
The sort-of newspaper doesn’t actually have a sports section – it just publishes The Herald’s – but if it did you have to wonder what it would look like.
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Anything But That: “HIISTORY OF GAELIC-MEDIUM EDUCATION Informative but sobering 2023 audio interview – « Donald MacNeill, chief executive of Comunn na Gàidhlig…” Sep 11, 10:17
Northcode on Anything But That: “I agree, Hatey — independence has to be a broad kirk, rooted in democratic legitimacy and grounded in reality rather…” Sep 11, 10:15
sam on Anything But That: “Northcode, You say: “He did not classify Scotland as a colony under international law. He did not argue Scotland is…” Sep 11, 10:09
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Indy built on truth – amen to that. The first truth is that Indy has to be the “broad kirk”…” Sep 11, 09:50
Northcode on Anything But That: “For clarity, and because Professor Black’s work is often invoked in different ways, here is my understanding of what he…” Sep 11, 09:27
Chas on Anything But That: “I am absolutely gutted by your response. Well, not really. Who I donate to is none of your business. It…” Sep 11, 09:25
100%Yes on Anything But That: “Chas@11 September, 2026 at 8:08 am I’ve donated to Savlo and Liberation Scotland, we all know why we are donating…” Sep 11, 08:52
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Does the professor also subscribe to the “And With One Bound Scotland Was Free” notion, or does he admit that…” Sep 11, 08:23
Chas on Anything But That: “Did you pay your own costs? Or did you rely on the donations from the mugs, sorry supporters of your…” Sep 11, 08:08
Alf Baird on Anything But That: ““The story of the 1707 Union is not one of a voluntary, mutual partnership. It is a story of annexation,…” Sep 10, 21:42
Alf Baird on Anything But That: ““The evidence points to only one conclusion: Scotland was annexed into a continuing English state.” (Prof Robert Black, ‘The Takeover…” Sep 10, 20:35
Alf Baird on Anything But That: “Yes indeed Sam, Professor Black confirmed his conclusion on the ‘takeover’ and ‘annexation’ of Scotland by England during the SSRG…” Sep 10, 20:11
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Most admirable, Spartan. Is your brand of committed pacifism reciprocated by the people you call puerile, shite-posting idiots, or do…” Sep 10, 19:54
sam on Anything But That: “Northcode, You say: “In informal settings — interviews, videos, conferences — he [Robert Black,KC] sometimes uses the word “annexed” as…” Sep 10, 19:48
100%Yes on Anything But That: “Have a listen to Gayle Miller on this Wednesday of Scottish Prism and the lady has posted a more detailed…” Sep 10, 19:42
Spartan 117 on Anything But That: “A good post Mark (and James above). Destructive unnatural ideologies specifically designed to break the Human spirit and democratic rule…” Sep 10, 18:47
Spartan 117 on Anything But That: “Good post. Well said.” Sep 10, 18:42
Northcode on Anything But That: “My earlier comment was referring to Professor Black’s formal legal argument (for example in “For England, Nothing Changed”). In that…” Sep 10, 18:02
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “The key to that holding is teaching the children. Teach them the truth. Teach them the christian principles. Teach children…” Sep 10, 18:01
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Anything But That: “AN TEACHDAIRE PÀRLAMAIDEACH Naidheachdan Pàrlamaid na h-Alba Scottish Parliament news 10/09/2026 https://campaign.emailblaster.cloud/MjQwNDM/58.html” Sep 10, 17:41
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “The two sovereign nations sign a Treaty of mutual respect in practical terms that will be the envy of the…” Sep 10, 17:35
Captain Caveman on Anything But That: ““My point? Most of these common labels have been overused and mis-applied to the extent they’re now useless. Essentially they…” Sep 10, 17:30
James Che on Anything But That: “Mark Beggan, Ideology seems to being doing a lot of damage nowadays, Because Scotland does not run the Government in…” Sep 10, 17:25
sam on Anything But That: “Northcode In the youtube video linked up thread, at 18 minutes and 47 seconds Professor Black states that Scotland was…” Sep 10, 17:13
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “To be fair to BP, if believing there’s only two sexes and that they differ in many fundamentals from the…” Sep 10, 16:43
Aidan on Anything But That: “@James – firstly thank you for engaging rather than just projecting, but secondly what do you mean by sovereignty?” Sep 10, 16:42
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “Why don’t you just get an AK47 and a few stun grenades and be done with it. Storm Starbucks.” Sep 10, 16:30
James Che on Anything But That: “Aidan, Surely a supposed created State hundreds of years ago is still relevant to both Scotland and England today.as neither…” Sep 10, 16:26
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “I watched the footage of the 2025 meeting. You only see the back of the heads of the audience. Very…” Sep 10, 16:20
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “You will not get a referendum but what you will get is more government and more civil servants. Burnham is…” Sep 10, 16:11