We haven’t seen this published anywhere else, so we may as well do it. We dropped a brief line to the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust a few days ago querying their award of a £50,000 grant to disgraced lying MP Alistair Carmichael, specifically in the context of the fact that their own website expressly excludes grants for “legal fees”.
Kezia Dugdale gave an interview to Good Morning Scotland earlier today that viewed from above would probably look rather like the runway at Baghdad Airport in 1991.
If we tried to pick out all the individual bomb craters in one post, readers’ eyes would glaze over long before the end. So we’re going to have to do it in bits.
When we ran this story on Monday, some of the press got rather upset with us. Even though we’d linked to the full data tables published on the ComRes site, Scottish Daily Mail political editor Alan Roden, for example, huffily tweeted a link to a cropped table suggesting that the real sample size was higher.
STV’s Bernard Ponsonby asks Kezia Dugdale about the possibility of a future second referendum should the Scottish electorate express a clear democratic wish for one:
(Not taken out of context. To see the full clip, go to around 1h 43m here.)
Alert readers will have noticed that the Conservatives and most of the right-wing press have recently embarked on a hyperbolic campaign against the Scottish Government’s “named person” child-protection legislation. The latest assault is in today’s Daily Mail:
The shriekingly furious lead article thunders in outrage that “nearly two thirds of Scots have condemned the SNP’s state guardian scheme as an ‘unacceptable intrusion’ into family life”, which sounds like a pretty damning verdict.
It’s not until you look a little deeper that it all falls to pieces.
We had a little Twitter run-in last night with former Scottish Labour deputy leader and current unemployed halfwit Anas Sarwar, when he reported us to Police Scotland for making a joke about bank holiday mail deliveries, “people in England” and “especially” Scottish ones – which of course includes this site’s own editor, that being the gag.
We’d almost forgotten he existed. But the incident brought something back to mind.
To be fair to Mr Sarwar, he was at least partly right.
agent x on Ball Of Confusion: “We will know the result in the morning. Will be interesting.” Jun 5, 17:11
robertkknight on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: ““If the majority of Scots wanted independence they simply need to vote for it overwhelmingly” Are you suggesting 50%+1 isn’t…” Jun 5, 17:03
Northcode on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: ““The Scottish independence movement, Liberate Scotland, Salvo, Liberation.Scot…” Should have read: “Professor Alf Baird, The Scottish independence movement, Liberate Scotland,…” Jun 5, 16:54
Alf Baird on Why genocide is brilliant: “an in Scots – yer nivver ower auld tae lairn!” Jun 5, 16:48
PhilM on Ball Of Confusion: “Perhaps we need to petition the parliament to consider legislation to ban Graeme Souness and anyone with a similar bubble…” Jun 5, 16:43
Cuphook on Ball Of Confusion: “By the weekend we’ll see articles from the usual guardians of the discourse likening the SNP and Reform and denouncing…” Jun 5, 16:21
Northcode on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: ““…independence is the number one priority for the Scottish people and enjoys 99% support across the country.” I didn’t think…” Jun 5, 16:15
Aidan on Ball Of Confusion: “Purdah doesn’t mean that media organisations have to remain politically neutral in the run up to an election. It just…” Jun 5, 16:08
Mark Beggan on Ball Of Confusion: “Souness used to be called something else if I remember correctly. It rhymes with meaness but begins with a P.” Jun 5, 16:05
sarah on Ball Of Confusion: “Don’t purdah rules apply to Holyrood elections? Or are all votes in Scotland free of purdah rules, as in 2014…” Jun 5, 15:38
diabloandco on Why genocide is brilliant: “Blimey Alf , you have your very own James Kelly to contend with , seems all he ,she or it…” Jun 5, 15:12
lothianlad on Why genocide is brilliant: “off topic question…. whats the connection with sturgeon, irons and lavander sheets?” Jun 5, 14:55
Alf Baird on Why genocide is brilliant: “Fear is why the national party sought its ‘accommodation with colonialism’ (Fanon) and became ‘neutral’ on independence, causing the rupture…” Jun 5, 14:25
Aidan on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: “@Captain Caveman – I think what you’ve presented is the essence of it. The relentless focus on the Treaty of…” Jun 5, 14:00
Rob on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: “It is precisely that sort on divisive attitude that ensures that independence is off the table for the majority of…” Jun 5, 13:56
Aidan on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: “I note in the “submission to the UN”, there is a link to documents purporting to be statements of support…” Jun 5, 13:53
Chas on Why genocide is brilliant: “Freire-wow that’s s new one Alfie boy. Who is he? Is it possible for you to sometime write something that…” Jun 5, 13:53
Captain Caveman on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: “I would further add that the SNP’s record in government since the 2014 Referendum has been dire – and so…” Jun 5, 13:49
Donald on Why genocide is brilliant: “I’ve been a loyal reader and fan of this blog for well over a decade, but I’m done. Our government…” Jun 5, 13:42
Captain Caveman on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: ““If anything I’m less optimistic now that I was then.” It’s not that the Scots somehow (uniquely) lack the courage…” Jun 5, 13:33
Sven on Why genocide is brilliant: “@Northy, Erm no, just no. (And, because I’m fond of you I’ll even attempt “nae”).” Jun 5, 13:29
Mark Beggan on Why genocide is brilliant: “The events in Scotland and the supreme court have had a big effect on many. The world was watching Scotland…” Jun 5, 13:24
Andy Ellis on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: “@ Harry I wouldn’t be surprised if the guys concerned would be able to help. I’m pretty convinced they were…” Jun 5, 13:10
Northcode on Why genocide is brilliant: “Aye, Alf. Freire put it more succinctly than I did, but it’s the gist of it right enough.” Jun 5, 13:02
Northcode on Why genocide is brilliant: ““You’re never too old too learn…” For the pedantic out there this line should, of course, read as “You’re never…” Jun 5, 12:57
Northcode on Why genocide is brilliant: ““…you’ve been missed.” Very kind of you, Sven. However, I’m afraid playing the old, old age card will have no…” Jun 5, 12:50
Hatey McHateface on Why genocide is brilliant: “Post Indy then, when the often repeated requirements to be fluent in written and spoken Scots are enforced (not naming…” Jun 5, 12:32
