Wait, has Nicola Sturgeon died? We didn’t see anything on the news.
Because there are only a limited number of possible reasonable explanations for why police wanting to find out what Nicola Sturgeon knew about something would ask people who aren’t Nicola Sturgeon.
When I was a boy at Balbardie Primary School in Bathgate in the mid-70s, football was banned in the playground. Of course we were all fitba-daft laddies, so we sought ways around the prohibition. Occasionally someone would bring in a tennis ball, but those were difficult to control in school shoes and also apt to fly over the wall of the outdoor toilet block if somebody caught one sweetly on the volley.
So most playtimes somebody would produce a tin of Pepsi or Irn-Bru or Cresta, chug the contents, stand the empty container on its end and stomp sharply on it, producing something more akin to an ice-hockey puck that would serve for our kickabout.
But even after being skelped and scudded around a concrete playground into stone walls for 20 minutes, that can was still in better shape at the end of our game than the one the SNP have been kicking down the road since 2016.
The SNP now seem to be involved in some sort of competition where they dare each other to come up with the most blatant insult to their own members and/or the wider independence movement and see just how much they can get people to put up with.
First up was this drivel:
Humza Yousaf is leader of the SNP, a political party whose defining purpose – arguably its SOLE real purpose – is the pursuit of Scottish independence, but his “vision for Scotland” didn’t include a single mention of it.
Instead, Yousaf intends to spend the next three years on “equality”, “opportunity” and “community”, three meaningless buzzwords which every political party on Earth would claim to be in favour of. He might as well have identified his key values as kittens, lollipops and hugs.
Once again, we’re dismayed to report that we called it right. Because last night SNP MSP Mairi McAllan, officially representing the party on Question Time, told a weary audience in Fort William that that was precisely the case.
And readers, if ever a policy has been tested in battle and found wanting, it’s that one.
Just over a year ago, Shona Robison – then the Cabinet Secretary For Social Justice, now the Deputy First Minister – told the Scottish Parliament this:
There now follow some quotes from the media regarding the case of Andrew Miller, aka Amy George, who yesterday admitted the kidnap and repeated sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl at his home in Galashiels earlier this year.
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Just Good Friends: “DOOYEWEERD: NORMS AND NORMATIVITY « No doubt there occur female feelings in men, and male feelings in women. But this cannot…” Jul 10, 22:38
Lorn on Just Good Friends: “A vox populi was carried out in London some months ago, and it asked passing young men whether they believe…” Jul 10, 21:16
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Just Good Friends: “DfE SAFEGUARDING GUIDANCE PROTECTING GENDER-QUESTIONING PUPILS FINALLY PUBLISHED « Safeguarding guidance which recognises the risks of ‘social transitioning’ has finally been…” Jul 10, 21:01
agent x on Just Good Friends: “@ insider Many thanks – it worked for me.” Jul 10, 20:56
Hatey McHateface on Just Good Friends: “I’ve been swithering, x. Should I claim there’s a typo in your post? An extra pair of letters on the…” Jul 10, 20:00
Insider on Just Good Friends: ““I can’t read more because it is a paid for article” Go to your device’s “settings” and disable javascript for…” Jul 10, 20:00
James Galt on Just Good Friends: “Of course the exact opposite is the case – the women are firmly in charge – no middle-aged white male…” Jul 10, 19:49
Hatey McHateface on Just Good Friends: “They won’t bring it forwards because it was only ever intended as a Trojan Horse to protect men who masquerade…” Jul 10, 19:42
agent x on Just Good Friends: ““Crime writer Val McDermid has branded the current political landscape an “absolutely cesspit of misogyny.” The best-selling author suggested the…” Jul 10, 19:21
Mark Beggan on Just Good Friends: “The whole Scottish government is corrupt to it’s core. Our future must have a different political system. Party politics is…” Jul 10, 19:20
Anthem on Just Good Friends: “It would solve a lot of problems. Just saying.” Jul 10, 18:51
Hatey McHateface on Just Good Friends: “David Davis? The Westminster English Tory? That David Davis? Isn’t WM the pit of Hell, and aren’t Tories the devil’s…” Jul 10, 18:16
Hatey McHateface on Just Good Friends: “I’ve had more than enough of that lot. Strangely enough though, the people in the ME who really understand what…” Jul 10, 18:10
Hatey McHateface on Just Good Friends: “That’s just daft, sarah. If the people have direct and immediate power, then there is no need for politicians at…” Jul 10, 18:02
Hatey McHateface on Just Good Friends: “Cheers, Callum. I’m defo not a Yoon by that definition. I think Scots are too corrupt, too perverted and too…” Jul 10, 17:54
Red on Just Good Friends: “Don’t forget Nicola’s refugee pals. According to Police Scotland’s Operation Cerrar, they’ve raped a load of weans in Glasgow. Silence…” Jul 10, 17:34
Onlooker on Just Good Friends: “You lost me at ‘y’all’. Yank idiocy.” Jul 10, 17:34
Callum on Just Good Friends: “U.K. has given Scotland Thatcher, Major, Blair, Cameron, May, BoJo, Truss, Sunak, Starmer and possibly Farage. That represents institutional idiocy.…” Jul 10, 17:25
Cathures72 on Just Good Friends: “She really seems to gravitate towards the worst people.” Jul 10, 17:23
Hatey McHateface on Just Good Friends: ““Only the most cowardly and idiotic still support them” Yet they are predicted to do well in 2026. Because a…” Jul 10, 17:10
Hatey McHateface on Too Tight To Mention: “The Scots just want shot of the likes of you. We wouldn’t have the shits that are running us at…” Jul 10, 17:05
Hatey McHateface on Just Good Friends: “Defo something rotten in the state of Scotland. I’m grateful and relieved we still have the institutions of the UK…” Jul 10, 16:54
callum on Just Good Friends: “Progressive = Predatory” Jul 10, 16:49
Derek on Just Good Friends: “It’s amazing how obvious it is to other men when a certain type of right-on “anti-misogynist” guy is a wolf…” Jul 10, 16:17
Mark Beggan on Just Good Friends: “Another winner from the BBC.” Jul 10, 15:58
Sven on Just Good Friends: “Corrado Mella @ 14.09. I do believe that we’ve all got it, Corrado. It’s achieving independence and sorting out the…” Jul 10, 15:43
lothianlad on Just Good Friends: “The disgusting SNP! Only the most cowardly and idiotic still support them. They sure aint for independence.” Jul 10, 15:41