There was a certain uncomfortable 2018 inevitability this morning over the fact that where people were offended, arrests would follow.
And the burning of a cardboard model of the Grenfell Tower last night was certainly right up near the top in the pantheon of cretinously offensive things. Many victims of the appalling tragedy, which killed 72 people and injured many more, still haven’t been properly rehomed almost a year and a half later.
We’ve been through all the papers and there’s still absolutely no Scottish politics news, so we’re going to take a moment out for one of our brief but always-popular tangential forays into the world of football. All the usual disclaimers apply.
Because the parlous state of current Scottish journalism can’t just be observed on the politics pages, with all their partisan spin, quarter-truths and hackery. Sometimes you get a better idea of it by stepping back and looking at the broader picture, and rarely is that picture more clear than when it’s a picture of “Rangers”.
The Daily Record devoted only a tiny corner of its back page on Thursday to the club’s latest financial reports, and the bulk of the text was devoted to Dave King enthusing about what great news it all was.
Pretty much every other piece of coverage to be found in the Scottish press was the same, shrugging the figures off as of no notable significance and all someone else’s fault anyway (in this case former manager Pedro Caixinha, even though one must suppose he didn’t spend any more money than the board told him he could), and we waited in vain for any in-depth analysis in the Sundays.
And we couldn’t help thinking we’d been here before.
“…but with a different meaning since you’ve beengone.”
Labour have now been promising to abolish the Lords for around 110 years, including 37 years as the UK government. But wait! They’ve got more promises for you!
Alert readers may have noticed that for a non-holiday period, Scottish politics is a deathly quiet place at the moment. Papers are struggling to find anything to write about at all, and were beside themselves with joy this week when presented with the chance to fabricate a ridiculous “anti-Semitism” story about an obscure blogger criticising a trade union and fill several pages with hysterical fauxtrage over it.
The sheer dearth of anything happening whatsoever is typified by the Scottish Daily Mail’s front-page splash this morning.
It sounds dramatic – a potentially catastrophic en-masse exodus of Scotland’s doctors would certainly be a crisis. But anyone reading beyond the lurid headline will swiftly discover a rather less doom-laden reality.
Andy Ellis on Holiday Relief: “@Dan Last time I checked the prime movers in the attempted jailing of Big Eck were some of those closest…” Jun 21, 11:16
Andy Ellis on Holiday Relief: “@”James” Yes, I recall you making a similar excuse before with respect to inheriting someone else’s old IT. I’m not…” Jun 21, 10:57
Andy Ellis on Holiday Relief: “I was listening to “In Our Time” in the car the other morning on the way to work: they were…” Jun 21, 10:45
Mark Beggan on Holiday Relief: “The majority of the Scottish people stopped independence. Sturgeon took the situation to implement her Sexual fantasy. The wet dream…” Jun 21, 10:44
James Cheyne on Holiday Relief: “Scot Finlayson, I am surmising that the present set of SNP members are the no voters and unionist voters. Labour…” Jun 21, 10:23
James Cheyne on Holiday Relief: “Mr Ellis. I do not know how to change the workings of someone elses old techno equipment that was gifted…” Jun 21, 10:05
Dan on Holiday Relief: “More “nothing going on” in Scotland… https://www.isp.scot/june-14th-june-20th-2025/” Jun 21, 09:55
100%Yes on Holiday Relief: “Nicola Sturgeon was poison from the start, before she even became leader of the SNP we met here in Edinburgh…” Jun 21, 09:52
Dan on Holiday Relief: “Aye, Breastplate. I’m sure Andy is “correct” (at least in his own mind) and there’s nowt to be concerned aboot……” Jun 21, 09:48
TURABDIN on Holiday Relief: “PHARMACIES ARE STOCKED with medicaments with fatal potential, check out those small print contraindications. Doctors, whose forte is supposed to…” Jun 21, 09:28
Breastplate on Holiday Relief: “Andy, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence” My post explained logically and reasonably why it is in no way extraordinary. “why…” Jun 21, 08:59
Andy Ellis on Holiday Relief: “On you go “James”…since you’re so keen on openness and making sure of the bona fides of those commenting, you…” Jun 21, 08:28
Andy Ellis on Holiday Relief: “@Breastplate 9.51 pm Could they? Yes. Would they? Probably not, because the overwhelming likelihood is that it would be discovered.…” Jun 21, 08:24
Andy Ellis on Holiday Relief: “@twatbynametwatbynature 8.50pm See, there you go again, hyperbolising and catastrophising to back up the threadbare nature of what passes for…” Jun 21, 08:14
Insider on Holiday Relief: “sarah… Tell us all when you have the latest news…. The Cromarty Firth by-election [Highland Council] is absolutely vital in…” Jun 20, 23:08
Alf Baird on Holiday Relief: ““Nine years – no rush then!” The SNP leadership has been content to run a colonial administration for almost 20…” Jun 20, 21:56
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Holiday Relief: “‘LONDON CALLING: HOW THE BBC STOLE THE REFERENDUM’ by GA PONSONBY KINDLE £1.99 Review 21 May 2015 — Verified Purchase…” Jun 20, 21:56
Breastplate on Holiday Relief: “Andy, “outlandish conspiracy theories about vote rigging”. The British secret services, I’m sure you will agree, exist specifically to protect…” Jun 20, 21:51
sarah on Holiday Relief: “Total votes 2410. Reform was knocked out at stage 7 with 396 votes. Having no inside information, it looks to…” Jun 20, 21:19
Scot Finlayson on Holiday Relief: “Scotland still to vote on their Assisted Killing bill, Brought forward by LibDem Liam McArthur who is funded by shadowy…” Jun 20, 20:58
twathater on Holiday Relief: “The happy-clappy relentless positivity of the campaign had some merit, and obviously played well in some quarters, but it ultimately…” Jun 20, 20:50
Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “You’re defo onto something with the robotic wank arm, Dan. I hope you’ll still remember us and continue to post…” Jun 20, 20:38
Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “Fit happened tae yer CAPS LOCK key? Hae ye worn it oot?” Jun 20, 20:29
Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “You could start talking in Scots. Where are you with learning your 500 words? Into double figures yet? Ah hae…” Jun 20, 20:22
twathater on Holiday Relief: “Tell the truth bastard tax you didn’t read it you got your nurse to read it and explain the words…” Jun 20, 20:12
sarah on Holiday Relief: “Result in the Cromarty Firth by-election [Highland Council]: Stage 1: Conservatives 48, Labour 77, Alba 91, Greens 92, LibDems 290,…” Jun 20, 20:07
Confused on Holiday Relief: “worse than a shooting range at a carny no exit poll = rigged. Exit polls are the early warning system…” Jun 20, 19:14
Confused on Holiday Relief: “– just a thought : is “being English” considered a disability? (- an “antisocial personality disorder”? Or a “narcissistic psychosis”?)…” Jun 20, 18:53
Confused on Holiday Relief: “The disabled will be “sorted” when assisted dying comes in. We are all equal in the grave. Equality at the…” Jun 20, 18:37
Andy Ellis on Holiday Relief: “The most obvious reasons are known and accepted by all sane folk tho’ James. Primarily, not enough Scots (whether native…” Jun 20, 18:27
