Blood in the water
It brings us genuinely no pleasure at all to report that events in Scottish politics are panning out exactly the way we’ve been telling you they would for nearly two years.
Because this is the worst of all possible worlds.
A Panelbase poll in today’s Sunday Times is the fourth in sequence to show either a No majority or a 50/50 tie. It’s now clear that the fall in independence/SNP support is a trend, not an outlier. We predict it will continue.
The numbers still show a pro-indy majority at Holyrood – indeed, an SNP majority of one seat – but the election is still two months away and it’s going to take a lot more than trying to turn Nicola Sturgeon into some nightmarish cross between Kaa from The Jungle Book (“PUT YOUR TRUST IN HER”) and the Hypnotoad from Futurama to stop them from falling below that threshold.
? Back Nicola Sturgeon to deliver Scotland’s COVID-19 recovery. Make it #BothVotesSNP on May 6.
? Apply for a postal vote: https://t.co/jTWI8sgZcv
? Read more: https://t.co/096nWLwH3U pic.twitter.com/Po3j4y8tVs
— The SNP (@theSNP) March 5, 2021
And more importantly, of course, a pro-indy majority at Holyrood is no use anyway if there’s no majority for independence with the electorate.
The Panelbase poll, and a separate ComRes one for Scotland on Sunday, leave no room for doubt as to what’s causing the bleeding away of support.
(We should digress for a moment to note that the SNP are already pushing a pretty desperate damage-limitation line noting that the SoS poll isn’t weighted for turnout. But (a) if there’s any differential turnout this year it’s likely to be even worse for the SNP, because they’re the party frantically alienating great swathes of their own voters, and (b) all Holyrood polls are already massively distorted in turnout terms anyway, because they invariably find that 90% of respondents say they’re certain to vote, whereas in reality Holyrood elections struggle for 50%.)
Now, “more/less likely to” questions should always be treated with suspicion, because the format is inherently prone to obfuscation. If someone’s a 100% diehard no-matter-what SNP voter, say, loyalty or ideology might still lead them to answer “I’m more likely to vote SNP because of its policy of gender reform” because they thought those results would look good in media coverage, when in reality it made no difference to them.
Similarly, hardcore Unionists might answer “I’m less likely to vote SNP because of the Salmond affair” even though they would never contemplate voting SNP for any reason anyway. Such questions should only be taken as rough indicators of general trends – the voting-intention figures are where the truth shows through.
(This, incidentally, is why Salmond comes off badly in polling on the inquiry – SNP voters answer negatively about him because they think he’s damaging the party, while Unionist voters also answer negatively because they’ve always hated him.)
It would take a very optimistic SNP supporter indeed to imagine that the news is going to get any better for the party in the next few weeks. Whether the inquiries deliver a knockout blow to Nicola Sturgeon is one thing. But it’s well beyond the realm of sanity to think that either the Fabiani committee or James Hamilton QC are going to produce reports saying “Everyone did brilliantly, bonuses all round”.
Because despite the headlines and the superficial correlation, this polling trend isn’t about the personalities of Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond. What the inquiries have revealed is a much much deeper malaise in Scottish society – a shambolic, toxic mix of malice, incompetence and corruption, for which nobody will admit responsibility and nobody has been held accountable.
Whether or not either inquiry finds evidence of a conspiracy against one man is, in the wider scheme of things, irrelevant. What the Holyrood one is doing is making voters feel that an independent Scotland might turn out to be a dangerously crooked, lawless dictatorship where the government and the establishment could do whatever they want to anyone without having to answer to anybody.
The SNP’s gender reform plans and its Hate Crime Bill are simply helping reinforce that impression. Normal people don’t need polls to tell them how unpopular those policies are, yet they see them being forced through regardless by a government that’s drunk on power and seemingly impregnable to an irretrievably impotent opposition, and it makes them very uncomfortable.
“If all these things are what the Scottish Government is doing with devolution, imagine how much more terrifying they might become with the full powers of an independent nation”, is what rational people increasingly start to think as the SNP rampages around not even caring how corrupt and arrogant it looks.
It was in May 2019 that this site first warned its readers, initially slightly cryptically.
That was a reference to the then-upcoming trial of Alex Salmond, which started that November. By that point we’d become aware of the details of the charges against him, and were already pretty sure that barring a gross miscarriage of justice he’d be found innocent, and that grave consequences would follow for the SNP as a result.
Ever since that time we’ve tried, with steadily increasing urgency and bluntness, to warn our readers that there was a massive iceberg ahead, and that if the “unsinkable” SNP tried to ignore it and simply steam ahead there would be a horrible catastrophe.
But neither the captain nor the course were changed, and now we are where we are and many are going to be lost. We did try to warn you. But even now some are clinging to the stricken vessel and saying “We can’t get off, there might be water pouring into it and clearly no chance of it reaching its destination but it’s the only boat we’ve got!”
The difference between the SNP and the Titanic, though, is that the captain doesn’t have the honour to go down with the ship. If Nicola Sturgeon limps to the May election damaged but not overthrown, and comes out with a minority government incapable of doing anything about independence but still able to pass a raft of grotesque woke laws with the support of the other parties, she’ll be absolutely delighted and so will they.
Because the worst of all worlds for this site and its readers is the best of all worlds for almost everyone else in Scottish politics.
– Sturgeon and the SNP will be happy because they’ll still be in power for five more years but will be freed of the responsibility to even try to deliver another referendum, for which they’re utterly unprepared and unwilling (and insolvent).
As a bonus, they’ll get to blame all the dissidents for costing them their majority, even though it’ll have been entirely down to their own actions.
– the Unionist parties will be happy because independence will be off the table (either because there’s no Parliamentary majority or because the polls make the SNP too scared to go for it), and if the pro-indy majority is lost they’ll have more power at Holyrood than they’ve had in a decade.
– the Unionist media will be happy for the same reason, and also because they’ll have a weak, scandal-stained government to kick around for half a decade.
We’ve been telling you all this for nearly two years. But believe us, folks, nobody could be more heartbroken than we are to be proved right yet again.
SNP members and elected politicians, WAKE UP! Please!!!
Yes. That’s it exactly.
But still, it will all be the fault of that “Alex Salmond and the Yoon from Bath” – as if two people have the might to overturn the whole independence movement.
Your vision for Parliament scares me, mostly because it’s highly likely for it to happen and it will DEFINITELY suit NS and the SNP, 5 more years at the trough, no responsibility for holding a referendum – “awwww we wish we could hold a referendum but our hands are tied, you need to vote us in again in 2026 with a stronger mandate”
Absolutely sickening.
True, all true. Desperately sad.
I’ve been warning my SNP MP and MSPs. Will they listen? Of course they haven’t yet and seem unlikely suddenly to see the light.
So it means a big-name transfer from SNP and big-name volunteers to stand in May to try to rescue something from the wreck. And your good self, Rev, assisting in some way. Even standing against N Sturgeon in the constituency?
makes me glad I moved south years ago,at least we know the government here’s a shitshow.How is it possible people still support the Sturgonistas.
“What the inquiries have revealed is a much much deeper malaise in Scottish society – a shambolic, toxic mix of malice, incompetence and corruption, for which nobody will admit responsibility and nobody has been held accountable.”
So sad, but so true.
Even if NS were to go now, it would be too late.
The whole top tier of government is tainted.
You tried your level best to warn of the dangerous ground Sturgeon was leading the SNP into.
Scottish politics is in a dark place thanks to her and the cowardly crew who fall at her clay feet.
So sad and so true. In my time, independence was prevented by Labour and the tories. Never thought I would see the day when it would be prevented by the SNP.
Wokies win again.
All true! I’m glad I listened to you. It’s them not us that have caused this utter shambles!
They are a party who should serve the people and their members. They are not a private club to serve their own interests, but that is just what they have become.
Sadly for them ,ordinary folk like me hold the power to change that, and we will.
This has been manna from heaven for the MSM. Gaslighting from all quarters. Well done NS – whether it’s hubris/utter stupidity or some master plan time will tell.
The postal votes factories in Belochistan and Punjab will be very busy.
This is what happens when you put all your indy eggs in one SNP basket.
And if she goes its only to hand over to the Robertsons …The SNP is no longer a democratic party
Frank get the watertight door!
Are *any* other big hitters going to come along with a life raft and provide us with the alternative that many will now be looking for?
Arguably, we are being let down again if the answer to the above query is ‘no’.
The end game is in sight – Nicky’s job is nearing completion.
Sturgeon pushed the inquiry later and later so she could say when she’s found guilty ‘I’ll let the voters decide’
It suited the unionists because they’d have ammunition for the campaign
They want to damage Sturgeon but not enough that she stands down as leader.
Sturgeon has the Party under control through undemocratic means – her favourites have top of list spots and are back on the NEC via affiliated groups.
So she can stay on and hand over at a time that suits to Angus Robertson.
She will get through all her woke policies with the support of the other parties and carry on with corruption and patronage
This has happened because the political wing of the cause of Scottish Independence no longer has an interest in independence but unfortunately voters end up voting for them because a tiny, tiny sliver of hope is better than no hope at all.
We are in a bad situation
Ctrl F – weighted. Zero results. Hmmm
Can kicking careerists. Words fail me.
I’m done with the SNP. I’ll never be voting for them while Sturgeon and Murrell are running things. My 1st vote in any election will be getting spoiled.
I can’t put into words how much I detest the sight of them.
yup
biggest party
minority govt
another 5 years of woke bullshit
indy on pause “we dont have the numbers”
5 years from now, either no one cares anymore or they start banging the indy drum again, like the labour party used to do about “soshalizm”
turned out nice again. Knife and fork jobs, international conferences, big hooses among the footballers – covert war against the UK deep state and nation-building? fuggedaboutit
Another point – woke-elites have a contempt for popular democracy and see it as “reactionary” – they see it as their mission to CHANGE society to their “progressive ideals”
– so get your makeup and your high heels on. Have a pride march and forget about indy.
The Wokerati had only one priority and it wasn’t Independence.
The Political class care more about staying in control than the views of the electorate
“They” are clearly baiting the people.
It is unarguable that there is some form of “protection racket” in operation in Scotland. We can see all the crimes for ourselves, from thousands of miles, and yet official Scotland is blind? We can see all of the malicious prosecutions for ourselves, from thousands of miles, yet official Scotland can see nothing amiss?
Those partaking in the protection racket have one thing in common: they swear an oath to obey a single person. Judges, like Lady Dorrian; Crown prosecutors, like Lord Wolfe; Civil servants, like Leslie Evans; Parliamentarians, like Linda Fabiani; and of course the police who carry EIIR on their constabulary uniform.
What is unspoken is that the big loser from Scottish independence will be Queen Elizabeth. For even if she remains Queen of Scots it will be beneath the umbrella of the sovereign Scottish people. Whereas the Queen of the United Kingdom is sovereign, meaning her opinion outweighs the aggregate opinions of seventy million of her Subjects when it comes to matters of law.
I’m old enough to remember the 1970’s well. I remember well the 1979 General Election when the people chose to teach the overmighty unions a lesson.
I doubt that would have happened had the people known of the fascism that would result.
Please bear in mind how the British have always worked: problem – reaction – solution.
Let’s look at how they Murdered Socialism.
By the late 1970’s they had pushed trades union power to the extreme.?It all became a bit silly, and lost credibility.
When Thatcher came along she surfed the wave of reaction against a trades union movement weakened and discredited by infiltrators, agents provocateurs, and the mass media.*
By 1984 the fascists were ready. The combined forces of popular revulsion and elite subversion** defeated the armed forces of the working class. The National Union of Mineworkers.
By 1986 everything was kicking off.
The “Big Bang” in The City, “English Jurisdiction” for dispute resolution at Lloyds of London. And Scotland.
Now it is time to take stock.
Here, the “problem” is the Scottish National Party.
They are clearly baiting the people: there is no other explanation.
How will Civic Scotland react to this problem?
Be very careful. Your reaction will be amplified beyond all sense to produce a “solution” which you will not like.
*In one infamous confrontation, the police charged the strikers. The strikers counter-charged?On the BBC news it played that the strikers charged first, and only afterwards did the police become aggressive.
** “Silver Birch”
So sad and angry that it’s come to this. Cowards and betrayers.
The one very small chink of light in the poll is the 4% (+1) for other parties on the list.
Very sad, though interesting how the MSM snipe at Nicola but they and Nicola really try to stick the boot into Alex. It’s like there is something they are frightened of.
Money talks –
https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-201900005611/
So in 7 YEARS we’ve moved up… 1%? Despite the demographics being more in our favour every year? Despite Brexit? Despite the worst bunch of right-wing loonies ever to inhabit WM?
F*** me.
Sadly, I predict that Self-ID and the HCB will lead to incidents of civil unrest and violence. Almost no one wants any of it, yet still it comes. When the consequences start showing up, I think things could very easily get very ugly indeed.
You cited Scottish Society here.. “What the inquiries have revealed is a much much deeper malaise in Scottish society – a shambolic, toxic mix of malice, incompetence and corruption, for which nobody will admit responsibility and nobody has been held accountable.”
Surely this should be Scottish Government (SNP). I don’t think we are all tarred with this, that would be a step too far. Give us a good cause to fight and vote for and we will be on it. The whole thing needs new energy and a new party with good leadership to stand up against this malaise and corruption and they will surely sweep the board.
You have to say, given the state of the SNP, the best result for Scotland is a powerless, toothless SNP minority govt and over the next 5 yrs are real Indy Party steps up to replace them.
It was difficult to believe the warnings at the time, but they have been justified and the reality has been even worse than could be imagined. But even more than that it’s not even now as if the Sturgeon/Salmond thing is the only issue. There are too many other areas where the SNP are behaving extremely questionably.
Nearly all outcomes appear to be very bad now.
SNP majority – taken as vindication that they are on the right track, but still with no clearer view on what they will do about independence except repeating the same stuff as before
SNP minority + Greens >= overall majority – your point, still in power for five more years but freed of the responsibility to even try to deliver another referendum
SNP minority + Greens <= overall majority – unionist control,
In Sturgeon's committee session she accepted there were catastrophic errors on the SG's part but the only person she could even begin to countenance as being responsible (after equivocating) was herself, on the grounds of her being the head of the Government.
Ergo, she should to resign as FM and step down as head of the SNP.
Does that solve any of the electoral issues? Probably not, but it'll at least be a start. Will it happen? No.
Best case scenario now looks like rebuilding with a new independence party or parties for Holyrood 2026.
The events of the past 4 – 5 years make so much sense now we know the motives.
No one must be hurting more than Alex Salmond. He said that the dream shall never die. Well Perhaps the only thing which might keep the ship afloat until it reaches the carpathia is a salmond list party which keeps the indy majority alive at holyrood. It would likely involve getting the current list parties to honour some kind of a agreement to maximise the impact of the pro-indy vote on the list.
Such a party holding the SNP’s feet to the fire on the subject of independence would be very interesting. We can but dream, but I think that’s the only option now.
Scottish self confidence has always been a delicate flower, one burst of a chill wind and the thing withers. The not so secret weapon appears to be at work again. As soon as Scots get ‘uppity’ the system blows in the psychological frost and the fair weather nationalists assume the default position.
The sickening aspect of this isn’t so much the weaponizing of the cultural cringe by BritState but that so many, including self styled nationalists are still susceptible to its unsubtle trickery.
The myths surrounding Unionism are mostly home grown Scots creations, a cloying cloaking mechanism to hide the shame of having been effectively bought and annexed. A veritable ‘ignoble lie’ that keeps so many citizens from seeing the historic reality of the perfidy and knavery that drive the system.
The contemporary SNP has done zilch to scotch the creepy cringe. One might well wonder whether the party, given the ham fisted independence ’strategy’ is not itself riddled with it.
There is nothing to fear except your own imagined fears.
Dear God,
We have turned a perfect storm with which to achieve independence into fart.
Yet another Tory Government Scotland didn’t vote for.
Boris declaring his hate of Scots
Being ripped out of the EU against our will.
Every aspect of the Indy Ref Vow broken
10 needs less years of Austerity
Complete mishandling of Covid by Westminster
Tory attempt to close parliament
Removal of powers from Holyrood by Westminster
Blatant corruption of PPE & Track and Trace contracts.
We could spend the day adding to these silver billets but
SNP has done absolutely nothing with them.
The door to the U.K. media’s armoury is just about to open
for the attack on May’s election and we find ourselves trapped
behind the barricades already.
Damp Squibb’s at the ready Nicola.
Take aim, Steady, ask Boris if it’s OK to Fire, forget it.
As far as I’m concerned I’m not vote for SNP at all even if all the polls until May say that the SNP are needed votes to get a majority. I want Nicola Sturgeon to resign, quite simply that’s more important to me because I don’t trust her to hold a referendum, too many times she lied about this and I’m not falling for that old lie again.
I’d love Mr Salmond to come back into politics and for Him to be the one shouting In Holyrood what about a date for the referendum, that’ll really get you her goat.
“ So in 7 YEARS we’ve moved up… 1%? Despite the demographics being more in our favour every year? Despite Brexit? Despite the worst bunch of right-wing loonies ever to inhabit WM?”
The demographic is an interesting point but that might not be changing as much as we think.
I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting the SNP to be far more radical in some of its policies – land reform for example, yet they’ve aligned themselves to being ‘just’ that bit more progressive. Progressive enough to want the older demographic to move here from the south of England where they can swap their terraced house in Kent for a big detached plot in Scotland, complete with free personal care and prescriptions. Of course these people would never have any intention of voting YES in a referendum. They still see Scots as leaching off the English tax payer.
I’m one of those who have never nor would ever vote SNP, ergo never voted yes in referendum. Now with the Salmond debacle AND the hate crime Bill I would rather stick hot needles in my eyes & drink boiling p1ss than vote for either. Heres why, I am Scottish, when asked my nationality I am Scottish not British, my dna confirms where I come from for at least hundreds of years. Sturgeon who claims to be Scottish and wants the best for Scotland I.e independence claims anyone who arrives in Scotland from anywhere on this planet (and probably beyond) is as Scottish as me. Our nation has a justice minister who holds dual nationality,is a moslem who swore in on a Koran and hates indigenous Scots Whiteness!. Anyone who cannot see where this country is headed when more of him are permitted to not only appear on a ballot paper but to hold high office is seriously mentally challenged. The alphabet morons at least will be ____, but so will every true Scot. I am disgusted to read tweets that state it doesn’t matter what krankie et al have done, vote for them to get independence then we can deal with the corruption, lies, fraud +++ I.e independence at any cost. I would never have believed I walk amongst such people, although I never believed I would ever be told a (mentally ill) man can be a woman or that i am a chest feeder and other derogatory made up words by fantasists’ i know not a single person who votes SNP, I do know plenty who would vote independence, but never will due to points mentioned above. I’m ready for the onslaught of why I’m here, sh1t grammar, nartzi, etc. That’s fine, I just represent a large number of voters who are never asked and who are never listened to, its us though who could very quickly change the downward trajectory Scotland is heading in if anyone had the ball ox to offer a Scotland and her people their place.
‘ Be careful what you ask for. You just might get it’
The rumour now is that Boris will agree to another referendum because:
1. If it fails that will put the issue to bed for a long while.
2. If it succeeds, independence will be rushed through, the order preventing publication of the complainers identities will no longer apply in England and all the other hidden facts will come out.
3. Scotland’s institutions will be totally discredited and Scotland becomes a bankrupt pariah state and begs to be allowed back.
How likely is NS to be the one to push for and achieve independence do you think
@Effigy
If Sturgeon resign we could all get behind the SNP but she need to go for me.
Denise is entirely spot on. This why there needs to be an urgent alternative politically.
Cherry, MacAskill and MacNeil need to resign from the SNP and throw their weight behind/start a new list party. They are effectively neutralised as MPs sitting in Westminster. If Salmond did the same, the situation is salvageable.
If there is nothing notable to channel disenfranchised votes into then Sturgeon – and by proxy the union – have won.
The tragedy is that people are taking it out on the independence cause not the SNP. Not even sure that can be blamed on the media.
Hopes are being destroyed. How could one person do so much damage (rhetorical obviously).
I was thinking reading this, that the SNP don’t actually want/need a majority – jobs for the boys – and then Stu covered this point.
Is that why they were all so upset about Martin Keatings case, possibly upsetting their little party?
Sick, and angry – Haste ye back Alex!
Even if these polls where saying the unionist would be able to for a government in May Sturgeon still wouldn’t resign.
I’ve got nothing to add except that I argued very eloquently for indyref but all I seem able to do now under Sturgeon’s mismanagement is blindly bash the keyboard while muttering furiously to myself.
Yep, I concur with Stu’s assessment, particularly with those troubling opinion polls. With no major political changes by the end of February, I estimated probably dire consequences, and there have been no political changes. The SNP have failed to ‘fix’ their own problems. The reputation of the Scottish government will be in tatters. And the only thing a political scandal, however much whitewash, does, is put people off going out to vote at all. I expect a low turn out, now, whatever the final lay of the land by May.
The momentum of the yes to independence vote brought about by brexit has been lost. The SNP has well and truly trashed being able to use that momentum – it’s the long haul & tough journey of clawing back option for us I guess. And it won’t involve the SNP, I imagine, except maybe in a minor role.
Also, I appreciated Stu’s early warnings, it gave me the opportunity to look at the SNP from a different perspective – but without evidence, which we now have, it was was difficult not to hope it was otherwise. Why anyone has trust and faith in Nicola Sturgeon now, still, is a wonder to me.
All this feckery will continue to its inevitable end UNLESS good people do something.
Our future is not set in stone. We have the power to change things. As AwakeNotWoke (12.31pm) says, the draconian Hate Crime Bill will spark off serious protests if they insist on jailing folk for uttering the truth, and they’ll have WM backing to do that, mind.
If we don’t bother demonstrating, if we refuse to protest, then we bloody well deserve all we get.
If neither the inquiry nor Hamilton topple her regarding corruption and/or incompetence, I wonder if the story currently circulating about her legal career will. After all, her whole raison d’etre for pursuing Alex Salmond, as she never tires of shouting, was to protect the wimmin – “Think of the victims!” she cries at every opportunity. But did she do that when practicing law? This sorry tale, if true, would seem to suggest she’s as supportive as her Woke mates at the Rape Crisis Centre. There are a couple of links to the story btl the previous article.
El Mariachi: @ 12:43pm:
Agree.
There’s a space in the political spectrum opening up, and someone should fill it as quickly as possible.
I am well aware there are some list parties already trying to but they need to find a way to bring that awareness to wider swathes of folk who might listen to big name(s) but won’t listen to ordinary folk who are into politics, no matter how well-informed they may be.
“Surely this should be Scottish Government (SNP).”
It’s much wider than that. It’s the civil service, the Crown Office, the police and the media too.
I have this horrible vision of Sturgeon kneeling in front of Lizzy getting the tap on the shoulder for “services to the Crown”.
What a shower of evil people
Sturgeon regards SNP members as drudges, there to serve her.
Not to worry, they’ve had 10 thousand new members since her stunningly honest and open rappearance before the inquiry. We’ve just not seen that bounce reflected in the polls yet…
“Vote Yes for a better future” goes the mantra.
If your idea of a better future is being arrested in your own home for saying out loud that “a man can’t be biologically a woman” then, by all means, vote SNP.
You think that’s hyperbole? If you do you need to read up on the SNPs new Hate Crime Bill.
What Humza and his pals are proposing is terrifying.
All because of a dozen or so intellectual pygmies hell bent on building empires, settling old scores and so desperate to boost their own image/popularity that they’re prepared to do anything, regardless of the consequences.
Scotland’s future has been sacrificed on the altar of these individuals’ egos.
Never forget and never forgive.
“ Cherry, MacAskill and MacNeil need to resign from the SNP and throw their weight behind/start a new list party. They are effectively neutralised as MPs sitting in Westminster. If Salmond did the same, the situation is salvageable.”
Yep totally agree, or at least provide a credible pro-indy opposition at holyrood. This is the only way forward that I can see.
Very good article Stuart, sums it all up nicely.
We can all see it coming except for the Sturgeonites who sit whooping and clapping with their blinkers on, taking delight in their own corruption.
Nicola Sturgeon would commandeer a lifeboat all for herself and turn a blind eye to everyone else.
‘We’re bought and sold for Scottish Consolidated Fund gold,
Such a parcel of wokes in a nation!’
Idk how to ref other replies but to AWhiteLife I want to say I agree. I’m Scottish and so was my mum but my dad’s from another country and he is Tamil. I agree, why is it that anyone from anywhere, nevermind the culture/political differences, can come here, vote, choose the direction our country takes and even run our country while Scottish people are ignored? I love hearing people speak other languages here and I love having a diverse nation but we count too.
Boris might even make it a national holiday, SHAMBOLIC May DAY!
a problem cannot be fixed unless it is acknowledged and the SNP have no interest in acknowledging that they are the problem
Salmond needs to start a new Party. Now.
I would sooner give over HR/next 5 years to the SNP or even the Unionists (same outcome) and start again and win, than never ending defeat.
I am not doing grievance culture for life. A clear strategy must emerge or we will never win Scotlands Independence.
The SNP will never have their feet held to the fire unless there is an Independence Party fighting both votes.
Wishart can bring his electric piano onto the boat deck and entertain passengers with instrumental versions of Runrig’s greatest hits.
Too many are becoming disillusioned with the ineptitude of the SNP. On too many levels they are failing, big time. Schooling has become the biggest obstacle to a people who should have free thought, and the intellect to actually discern. Is this part of their plan, generations of completely docile minions?
A year or so ago I was asleep and not paying attention but then I started researching for myself. I looked at the changes that had happened in the party etc. That left me concerned with the “I see nothing here” on social media. They also use the tag Stu Anon to shut down any one who tries to talk about what’s been going on. I’m at the stage where I don’t engage with them anymore, you can’t debate with ignorance
Well hard to disagree that’s where we are no point in trying to dress it up and lipstick won’t cover it
It’s all in perception ,numbers are fine ,Polls are maybe a guide but it’s this nagging feeling that can’t be quantified the things you can’t put your finger on like a sixth sense , all the little supposedly unconnected bits of information that makes people to be not entirely convinced.
I however well it’s presented will never trust or believe any Tory MP MSP candidate or supporter they will never have anyone’s interests apart from their own as their number one priority , it’s in the blood and about them what’s in it for them it’s embedded into them an immovable way of thinking about the world and their place in it because it’s about them , look after number one and to hell with anoyone else , but if this life thingy is going to work everyone has to some extent depend on each other there is nothing to be gained by robbing each other ,some people get pissed off at that.
I hope people who support and believe in Nicola Sturgeon don’t get confused because most people on this site will never be persuaded to support any unionist party ,it’s not going to happen so give the snarky remarks and unionist stooges bit a rest the same people who you exchanged ideas and comments with 5 years ago haven’t went over to the dark side , they are questioning the direction of travel and now the driver , they haven’t changed but the bus and driver have got lost so don’t get your pants in a twist because people here see what you can’t , Yet .
All this bullsh*t about courting the soft Nos and identity bollocks has lost them as many votes as they gained over the last 2 years. They have taken people for fools. If treading water and feathering your nest were Olympic sports they would be gold medallists.
Look at Wales, getting on with it. Irish Unity probably on its way in a typically Irish fashion where they don’t piss about asking the British. At this rate Englad will be independent before us with this shower in charge.
Independence was never going to happen under Nicola anyway. She thinks we could have the sort of independence that Canada and Australia have, with good will and toasts to the Queen all round. That’s not on offer.
Once you accept Sturgeon can’t deliver on independence, once you accept she tried to destroy Salmond, that GRA is insane, that she has actually achieved nothing, etc., you realise that the only sensible, moral, rational, and meaningful thing to devote yourself to right now is getting her out.
The Panel Base poll is telling us what we have all known.
Sturgeon has sunk Indie support, has sunk SNP support. And you know what, I believe she doesn’t care because she and her coterie are not interested in independence.
Sold out on Brexit, sold out on independence, but big on woke, it’s now crystal clear where she stands. Salmond had to be destroyed because he was pro independence whilst Sturgeon was faux independence.
But this can still be our independence election if she stands down, and if new sound candidates come forward. A unionist government beckons because Sturgeon is toxic and there’s more to come.
AWhiteLife
I feel your pain.
A lot of truth in what you say.
The SNP have poor strategists, they are led by a vow former unionist , they have managed to kick the soul out of many independent minded people , and the wokerati have hijacked a week leadership
So the future is not bright but it is certainly orange.
This is the truth ?
“the Unionist media will be happy for the same reason, and also because they’ll have a weak, scandal-stained government to kick around for half a decade.”
And nobody in the SNP Hierarchy wants to change course .
We are left depressed.
Reminds me of the clip of two young guys in George Square after the 2014 Indy loss.
“Bring it on bring every calamity that they will bring upon the Scottish People.
I am hearing too many young men saying they are switching from SNP to Tory.
And no, they are not the rangers supporting type, just not constrained by memories of the loss of heavy industry/demise of Unions and feeling that their masculinity is under attack.
US style conservatism is on the rise, here. They see woke politics as ‘liberal thinking’ and don’t like what they see/hear.
Clinton took votes for granted and look what happened to her and her identity politicking/woke bullshit.
SNP slide on the cards come May – a big one.
@AWhitelife,
We differ in many ways. Try asking a refugee why they left the home and family they loved. Like asking you to move to Iraq with nothing in your pocket. It ain’t easy. The Old Testament is just as vicious as the Koran appears to the Westerner. Fortunately we had the New Testament to moderate that.
However that aside I will always vote for Independence. Always. I can be just as determined as you that a government is fair and impartial to all no matter your allegiance.
Could you claim the same? I hope so.
I want decency. I want fairness. I want to be proud to live here same as you.I will not support ANY government who fails in that regard.
Surely we need an alternative to the SNP on the constituency as well as the list vote?
If there is no alternative to the SNP on the constituency vote and all the other parties are Unionists, then I will have to abstain. I have the same revulsion voting for the SNP as they currently stand as I would for a Unionist party.
Words cannot express my disgust for Sturgeon and her cronies. I now despise them more than the red and blue Tories. In fact I am at the point where I do not care who beats them at the polls as long as they are beaten and removed from office. If need be we can take our chances with a unionist coalition for 5 years while we rebuild with a real pro independence party. Better that than Sturgeon being able to control the agenda for those 5 years and kick any prospect of independence even further down the road than she has already done.
Nothing lasts forever and neither will this SNP government. The first task for a a new administration must be to thoroughly cleanse COPFS, the Crown Office and the Police and separate the two functions currently being abused by Wolffe. They must also set up a proper judge led inquiry into the events of the last few years involving this corrupt government, the Lord Advocate, the Civil Service, COPFS, Police Scotland and the MSM. There are heads to roll, fines to collect, and jail sentences awaiting and when the Scottish population at large become aware of what has been going on they will rightly demand blood.
We keep being told that NS got us to 58%, something Alex couldn’t do. Will her loyalists now admit that she has brought us back to 46% and blown our chances of Indy for at least 15yr?
I like Cherry and MacKaskill – competent politicians and leaders.
If one or both started a political party tomorrow, its a foot note on page 4 of the daily record. Maybe the final piece on Scotland Today.
Salmond starts one – it’s on the 6 o’clock news.
But instigated by which parties?
https://archive.is/he38a
Granted the teenager with his poorly phrased (and logically inconsistent) statement, didn’t help matters; however that in no way justifies the response.
Would there have been an incident if an equivalent statement had been made but without reference to race or the use of the word ‘cunt’? It strikes me that this is entirely down to the fact that the violent parties had been out for a night of drinking, and wanted an excuse to kick off. Stereotypical drunken male on male aggression.
So something to look forward to, even without self ID?
“Ctrl F – weighted. Zero results. Hmmm”
Maybe type it properly this time.
I think for some time Sturgeon has planned to move on after the May election, to higher things. Craig Murray has a mention somewhere of her CV being passed around in the UN and like institutions.
The clearance of Cherry and Salmond from the scenery was to ensure she is succeeded by another safe pair of hands (i.e. Unionist) in Angus Robertson. With his wife they will be the next Ceau?escus.
And yet many of your readers won’t vote against the SNP despite the damage they are causing.
There is a solution. Vote for whatever other party you would otherwise support.
Put the SNP in the doldrums and start again. With a separatist party that will actually have the ability to govern the country in a way that will reduce deficits and improve services and lives.
Whilst anti SNP, I’ve always said that if Scotland’s economy was such that it could become independent smoothly and without the risks inherent in doing so in the prevailing circumstances and especially now, during a pandemic.
Rev, you’ve claimed you warned of the SNP’S demise since May 2019. I had regular debates on Facebook with a former colleague who had become a local activist in Renfrewshire. I used to allude to having a crystal ball that I looked into to tell him why he was backing a loser. It prophesied the SNP would go to war over gender and Salmond, that Mhairi Black would bring shame on the party and various other events such as the electoral defeat of Robertson and Salmond. It let me down once in that I was mistaken when I said Blackford would lose his seat in 2019. I still don’t understand that. Anyhoo. The big fella blocked me on FB. He’s an avid reader of your site. Maybe he’ll recognise us and reconnect. I’d be interested in your views now, Jake.
Grim prospects. Apart from the one glimmer: that wrongdoing coming to light gives opportunity to bring wrongdoers to justice (and out of power).
A petition was put up via the Westminster Gov site a few years ago. It drew (to my mind) astonishingly few votes, such that I suspected and suspect it may have been spiked.
I float the idea again now.
Should candidates for office, and appointees thereafter (at regular intervals or at perceived need), be quizzed using polygraphy?
I understand that – even used proficiently – a polygraph device is no truly reliable ‘Lie-detector’; however, significant divergences in stress response from expected norms might indicate a need for (and useful lines of) questioning and investigation by more standard methods of detection.
Three questions I’d want asked:
1. Have you been blackmailed? Are you blackmailing anyone?
2. Are you a member of any conspiracy or covert organization?
3. Do you seek firstly personal gain, or the common public good?
This may seem an extraordinary measure – indicative of mistrust-by-default of those so tested (whom I envisage as including politicians, senior justice officials, and upper-echelon civil servants).
However, I’d argue that
1) those innocent need fear nothing
2) recent events in Scottish and Westminster politics justify it
3) it’s a radical move toward transparency & accountability
I’d hazard a guess that any party – new party? – standing with that provision in their manifesto could expect to receive support accordingly.
They should of course start with their own members voluntarily undergoing polygraphy – by an independent international body, who’d duly publish their results, analysis, and conclusions.
Any member found wanting or opting out of disclosure would have to stand down or be expelled.
How could the public polygraphy process (PPP?) itself be safeguarded from corruption and deceit? I leave that as an exercise for the reader!
I disagree. An SNP minority govt would mean Sturgeon and co forced to resign. New leadership (hopefully Cherry) must properly investigate to regain credibility. With support from other Indy parties, make a go for Indy after a year in office.
And another question for Nicola Sturgeon to answer is the emerging stories about the three professional misconduct complaints identified in a December 1998 report by the now Sherriff Olga Pasportnikov.
Concomitantly another emerging question for Nicola Surgeon to answer is that of the paper that published the 2018 criminal leak about Alex Salmond pulling a few weeks earlier an article that is was intending to release on aspects of the complaints about the First Minister and conduct unbecoming of a solicitor. This sounds absolutely awful and suggestions are that a Tory spin doctor is now getting ready to launch on this nearer the election – with such exposure reducing even further the First Minister’s bona fides.
What a mess this Government seems to have gotten itself into. But maybe the First Minister can clear it up and tell us it wisnae her.
One of the key problem (arising from the actual available objective evidence and observation record) with the level of Party and Establishment corruption – which even includes blatantly hiding internal voting figures to achieve pre-determined objectives, as well as fiddling the Party finances – is that whatever the result of the May elections there can be little confidence that at least some degree of malpractice may not have taken place.
There will be no good outcomes, of any form, when general confidence in the efficacy of such a corrupt system and its controlling Establishment dips below a particular threshold. Never mind concerns over ‘the Parliamentary road to Socialism’; with the level of blatant and obvious to a blind man on a galloping horse corruption of values, standards and principles, the growing question concerns ‘the Parliamentary road to Democracy.’
There does not exist a single Establishment Political Party across the UK, whether in Scotland or Greater England, which has not, via collective or individual pronouncements and consistent actions, publicly denounced and jettisoned standards and principles of due process, science, competency, and basic democratic processes.
The UK Tory Government operates on the basis of rampant cronyism.
What passes for the main opposition (sic) is terminally infected from top to bottom with incompetant twelve year old management clones, placed there over at least a generation, whose only aim in life is to throw elections for the Party which employs them and gerrymander discipline cases against every single member who does not toe the line – whether it’s the Overton Window of the neo- liberal and neo- conservative ‘right’ or the warped beyond recognition Woke Pureocracy of what self identifies as the ‘left.’
The latter which is today indistinguishable from its supposed adversaries, either internally or in other Political Parties, in terms of being stuffed to the gunnels with clueless inexpe know it all careerists grifters who have mostly never done a proper days real graft in their entire existence.
Like their counterparts in the SNP, Greens and Lib-Dems, self proclaimed ‘leading figures’ at every level, in conjunction with other captured/bought and paid for institutions and organisations, openly declare, against centuries of hard won due process rights, that mob induced subjective allegations are sufficient to determine automatic guilt and a punishment akin to medieval outlawing of anyone who engages in ‘wrongthink.’
An increasingly flexible concept which at present incorporates not only criticism of one’s ‘betters’ in the careerist hierarchy but also expressions of basic science and attempting to put into practice the Demos.
It surely won’t be long before “walking around in public with the wrong ‘attitude'” and “looking at someone in an ‘offensive’ way” are incorporated into that definition. All, of course, subjectively defined.
Any political party/grouping which can offer even a basic level of competency based on recognisable standards and principles would wipe the floor with the present Malice in Blunderland numpties.
I live in Edinburgh Central constituency. We’re faced with a choice between Angus Robertson (SNP), Maddy Kirkman (Lab), Alison Johnstone (Green) & Bruce Wilson (libDem)– all avowed supporters of trans ideology; Scott Douglas (Con) — never vote for a Tory; that’s it. I think people are crying out for a pro-Indy and women’s rights candidate; anyone know of any initiatives?
https://web.archive.org/web/20210303122310/http://petercherbi.blogspot.com/2021/03/first-interests-judge-recommended-for.html
Rev, do you know if this is true? Is this the story that was spiked by Daily Record in return for the Salmond story?
Or is this a red herring? Thanks
The wokeratti are plotting to remain in power. The vast majority of SNP MSPs are happy to let them. It is all reminiscent of Stalin’s last years.
I hope the SNP ship can be turned around and NF and the woke expelled (yeh , I now want her expelled along with oswald). But all that will do is leave us with a bunch of cowardly MSPs who were to afraid to speak out.
I suggest we don’t vote for the SNP at all. If MSPs lose their jobs, then they only have themselves to blame.
And we concentrate on having an independence party ready to fight the next westmonster election. And that becomes our plebiscite.
P.S. Where is the money ? Mike Russell ?
P.P.S. I have read that lord woolfe is stepping down (hope it’s true). And I fervently hope he is charged and jailed.
Surely even the most devoted careerist – or committed Wokist – must see that Angus Robertson would be an absolute disaster of a leader, and an existential threat to their progress?
Why doesn’t their self-interest, if nothing else, spell out to them that he very clearly doesn’t have what it takes to lead? He will be a curse and a mortification on a daily basis.
Everything Stu says is true, but it is far from the full picture.
Leaving 2015 aside – because I think we can all agree that that was an exceptional election – the SNP has lost support during every national election campaign with Sturgeon as leader. And that is without any of the scandal that is engulfing her just now.
The Tories have been planning for a Unionist Coalition government since Boris came up to see Douglas Ross last year – you may remember the hubristic claims from the SNP that the visit showed the Tories were running scared. No, they weren’t. They were planning, like grown up political parties do.
They have been working in the background to get Leonard replaced as Labour leader since then. It took longer than they thought but it is now done. There is no question that Sarwar and Rennie will happily join any coalition government to get rid of the SNP.
I don’t think they can believe their luck with the way the Scottish Government have absolutely fucked up the Fabiani Inquiry and, I don’t believe any of that was factored into their strategic plans. I’m pretty sure that they thought the GRA stuff was going to be their big play and, in areas where they are challenging the SNP, it will likely still have a big impact over and above the inquiry fallout which is all upside for them.
I suspect that, come May, today’s polls are going to feel like the glory days to the SNP leadership. How exactly it all plays out in terms of seats depends on far too many factors to offer a sensible prediction. Sarwar and Ross are untested as campaign leaders. The list dynamic on both sides of the constitutional question is unclear and there may be tactical voting considerations at play in many constituencies.
The SNP scored 37% of the vote at the 2017 Westminster election. That may not be the floor this year, especially on the list vote.
Sadly, I agree with everything you say. Until recently, we thought we had escaped horrors of the Trump/Johnson variety. It turns out that hating a government at one remove in WM now seems preferable to hating one we can never remove at HR.
The SNP have damaged not just the cause of independence but devolution into the bargain and until or unless a decent opposition emerges, complete with a competent and trustworthy leadership capable of challenging and constraining it, it would be an act of utter stupidity to vote SNP in any circumstances and case regardless of whether independence is even on the table.
The state of the SNP is so poor that even if someone that could be trusted to lead it – Joanna Cherry, say – was installed at the top, the rot is now so deep that she could make little headway and no purge she could carry out would be radical enough.
The abandonment of independence, together with an almost total absence of anything approaching a policy agenda worthy of the name, means there is no reason whatsoever to vote SNP in May and every reason not to.
I resigned from the party last year for many reasons but the most fundamental were its anti-democratic, top-down, authoritarian mode of organisation and its utter incompetence in relation to Brexit and the WM government. That and a party leader whose only communications were Saturday night tweets telling the world at large what book she claimed to be reading at the time.
Now I can’t vote at all and will abstain at this election.
I propose we name the vessel skippered by Cap’n Sturgeon, HMS Demagogic. No irony lost there eh cold feet Pete???
Great analysis as ever, Rev.
I think there may be a chance Hamilton might deliver a surprise for the following strategic reasons:
1/ He was a (the?) Salmond appointment.
2/ He is (i) QC; (ii) former pre-eminent Irish government legal official; (iii) retired, with nothing to lose by telling it as he sees it.
3/ Ireland strongly supports Scottish independence
4/ Ireland understands the contradiction between independence and the continuation in power after secession of a nationalist party which delivers it.
5/ Ireland understands better than any; (i) motivations of the British state; (b) lengths to which they will go and (c) the tools they use. NB Evans hails from Ulster, I understand, which may or may not be relevant to iii.
Maybe Hamilton will share the following objective analysis of the facts as they have now emerged.
Three possibilities as I see it:
(a) Cock Up – Scottish Government is responsible for directing a gross injustice and FM abdicated responsibility; or
(b) Conspiracy – FM directed this gross injustice for political/personal reasons;
(c) Both.
In which case it’s Zugzwang for the FM. Every move loses.
Your analysis is pretty accurate.
The only thing that might save the day is if the SNP took a leaf out of the Tories hymn book and made the election a one policy manifesto, Indyref front and centre. No dubiety, no maybe next year but a clear commitment to hold indyref this year. And when other argues about what other policies state they are irrelevant until we are an independent country. All spokespeople sing the same song, take back control.
If its a mealy mouthed manifesto that has Indy as addendum then the SNP in my opinion will go the way of New Labour.
Rangers win the league so watch you don’t
get your eye knocked out with Union Jacks.
Busy night for house parties!
Mays HR election will go down in history – for the most spoiled ballot papers.
That is a very visceral piece of writing, Rev. You can read the deep-rooted despair in those powerful words.
It is not just the current generation that has been let down but those who built the foundations of the party.
@Roland Smith says:
7 March, 2021 at 1:54 pm
“Your analysis is pretty accurate.
The only thing that might save the day is if the SNP took a leaf out of the Tories hymn book and made the election a one policy manifesto, Indyref front and centre.”
They don’t have the balls to do so. They are scared in case they don’t get the support and it kills indy for ages.
On the other hand, perhaps they are scared of the result being positive…
That seat projection of 65 – how many are assumed to be list seats? And how many of those list seats will be taken by candidates selected illegally?
@Ahundredthidiot
I fear you are right.
We may be about to see an enormous swing from SNP to Tories amongst certain demographics – the demographics that voted hand over fist for Independence in 2014 actually.
For anyone who thinks these switches can’t happen, you just have to look at the 2019 Westminster elections in the North of England.
There are entire swathes of our population which have been abandoned by our leaders, just like Clinton / Bush / Obama did in the US over many years for their own differing reasons and it is happening here too.
A reckoning will come. It might just be this year.
Another nightmare scenario: SNP returned to Government but in a coalition with the Labour Party. A revised mantra retains independence at its core but adjusted to read: “Independence within the UK” because that is the best that can be achieved by negotiation. Not possible!!! There’s a lot going on. The SNP has been heavily infiltrated, check the Smith Foundation and Dugdale’
s links to the SNP 16-18 year olds.
I have always voted .. green.. and encouraged even more by the book The poor had no lawyers by Andy Wighman. I would love to see Alex Salmond back but even with him being found not guilty in two courts, two judges and a jury he has lost the support of many many women. Just as in America many people beleive that Trump won and in the same vein Alex lost. Until now I had no time for the Murrells but after her exceptionally brillian showing at the eight hour bear pit she was in I have now joined the SNP and also supported by a monthly direct debit.
No matter how bad this gets, London-based politics is worse, as you can see by the spivving of the Tories over COVID contracts. So the case for independence isn’t weaker. The case for an SNP-led independence movement is weaker. So the SNP is scunnered,
so what? It’s long past time to move beyond the grieving phase and into the acceptance phase. That means building a party alternative to both the SNP and the Greens and making sure whatever form it takes 1/ gets endorsements from heavy hitters and 2/ co-ordinates using no-contest style arrangements or a “Unity for Independence” alliance (working title idea there) to make sure we get at least 1 AFI or ISP MSP. With the polls now predicting a pro independence majority of 1, any AFI or ISP MSP could wield major power at striking down the woke illiberal crap agenda and holding the SNP’s feet to the fire. This dire situation is *absolutely fixable* in May if the right people use the AMS electoral system the way it’s meant to be used! To help small parties and deny one big party an overall majority.
I don’t think I have ever been so depressed about politics. It all feels a bit hopeless just now.
The independence movement are out of touch. They have been wrong on brexit, trump and have a very odd view of europe as some kind of utopia.
The coming post pandemic economic fall out will take priority in peoples minds as the protests against globalisation begin to grow. The idea that scotland is a good place to live is a denial of reality.
The SNP have been appalling in government. Murder, sucide and drug capital of western europe are not things to be proud of. If it was not for eastern europe we would also be the poverty capital.
Still as long as a man can be a woman none of that matters. Wait till the tax rises and service cuts kick in.
Labour are already twined with their Tory brothers.
They won’t form anything with SNP.
On spoiled ballot papers, who gets to say why each one was spoiled?
Was the x outside the box, did a Labour supporter waste it in frustration,
do they even count the spoiled papers on a national basis?
Will anyone care if the unionists get a majority by any means?
Not sure if anyone has come across something like this but I just saw this on Twitter, not a high following/follower account but I don’t think that matters as the results look about right for the list
https://twitter.com/fananabama/status/1368562210482622472?s=21
To my mind, the biggest single factor in the stalling of independence has been the infiltration of the Stonewall mindset into Scottish mainstream politics, with entryists of this mindset establishing themselves from around 2015 onwards. These people keep telling us how committed they are to independence, but their every action and utterance shows that they are far from that position. They are wedded to getting their policies through and independence would seriously disrupt that agenda.
The sheer lack of honesty on what happened in 2014, coupled to the utterly irrational hope for another S30 indyref allowed these people to infiltrate and take over the party, ensuring that independence would never happen. The 2014 referendum showed quite conclusively that the desire for independence was highest in indigenous Scots (UN meaning of the word, ‘indigenous’ as contained in the UN Charter) and was lowest in the rUK part of the Scottish electorate, closely followed for lowness in the EU and Other categories. Women, always a the coo’s tail for societal benefits and at the forefront of societal change and losses, were also more wary in 2014.
Basically, had we taken that on board and faced up to it, we should have then looked for a different route at that stage by setting up a unit to deal with that task, and leave the SNPG free to continue with domestic affairs. Also part of the special unit’s task should have been to build a loose framework (without too much detail) on how we were going to set up an independent Scotland, how to finance it and the timescale involved, bearing in mind that the Brexit referendum was looming and that it would present another perfect opportunity to take action on the independence front.
None of those things was done. The people who were running Scotland had not the slightest intention that any of that should be done, and, furthermore, they introduced obstacles all along the way to the present to delay and derail independence, all the while stoking up false hopes. Everything was done to ensure that we would not get independence before their agenda was secure in law. Personally, I believe that it was here that Alec Salmond was the real threat – not to Nicola Sturgeon’s FMship uniquely – but to their hegemony within the party because Alec Salmond presented a real threat to that hegemony precisely because he WAS fully intent on independence.
Everything else flowed from that, and the ‘inappropriate behaviour’ admitted to by Alec Salmond, and other behaviours by other elected members, was the basis on which their case was built, with the metoo movement in full flow. I think the desire to have a catch-all procedure in place was genuine, but it was ill-designed and flawed and illegal. Their insistence on it – completely in keeping with Stonewall’s actions in other areas – was their mistake. Intransigence and bone-headed determination is the hallmark of this group and its group think.
I do not wish to comment on the court case except to say that it was extremely ill-advised and weak to the point that it was unlikely to survive the trial, and the verdict was both expected and just in the circumstances. The subsequent inquiry hearings have been punctuated by heavily redacted documents, withheld documents, iffy testimony, etc., again all consistent with the group think that Stonewall embodies, rather than purely SNPG political group think, albeit that the FM herself and others in her coterie, including some members of the civil service appear to have this mindset.
It is necessary to look outside of Scotland to get a handle on just how many governments in the West have been captured by this trans/Stonewall group think, how they have bent laws out of shape, changed language and society to achieve their aims, acted illegally and contrary to human rights and civil rights of the majority. It is in this context that we should see the whole Sturgeon-Salmond saga. The actual workings might be uniquely Scottish and seemingly personal, but the context is now almost universal, and they are being played out in private legal firms, as well as big stores and businesses, councils and government departments, trades unions and schools. This pernicious lobby has infiltrated every aspect of our public and private lives and it always follows the same pattern: imposing illegal and flawed measures; utter intransigence when challenged; and deliberate obfuscation of the truth and reality.
See that Independence bus being pushed uphill by supporters, that Nicola has missed several times? It’s coming along now just in time for her to throw John Swinney right under it.
I have actually been DM’d by a person who is fairly prominent in Scottish public life (not a politician) who says that I am putting the independence movement at risk because of my criticism of Sturgeon and her policies.
It never seems to occur to her supporters that the solution is simple, she should lay down her spade and simply stop digging.
Let’s hope Labour get their act together in Glasgow Southside. (Sturgeon’s seat).
List votes in Glasgow
Nicola Sturgeon 31.6
Clare Haughey 16.4
Ivan McKee 15.3
Bill Kidd 11.2
Alex Kerr 7.4
Roza Salih 6.7
Suzanne McLaughlin3.7
Kaukab Stewart 3.7
Katy Loudon 2.2
Christina Cannon 1.4
Abdul Bostani 0.4
https://twitter.com/FananaBama/status/1368562210482622472
Now that the route to indy is fecked for a while, Sevco Ultras have just won the league and Murder Fraser might become next tory leader I think I might just go and take a nap for 4-6 months.
Covid might be over and new football season will have started by then so see what the future holds.
You’ve been telling folk fir ages stu. Sturgeon and the current leadership and policy makers in the SNP are sabotaging independence.
It’s all very well having blogs about how dreadful the Tories are and the positive case for independence. However, if the gingerbread team can remain silent when the wreckers are in the driving seat taking us off the cliff.
The “elites” told the plebs to vote against Brexit on the basis that there was no alternative, and they would be bad if they didn’t.
The plebs said Fu*k you, and voted Brexit.
The “elites” told the US plebs to vote against Trump on the basis that the alternative was the only choice, and they would be bad if they didn’t.
The plebs said Fu*k you, and voted Trump.
The “elites” are telling Scotland plebs to vote Sturgeon on the basis that she and SNP are the only chance to one day get something like independence – even though they lie and cheat and steal your money and are a bunch of crooks, and they will be bad if they don’t.
The plebs will say Fu*k you, and vote against the SNP.
I for one will be surprised if any of those qualified to do so, break ranks and come to the rescue of the independence movement by forming an alternative party to the SNP. Nothing I’ve seen or heard thus far indicates such a development, unfortunately. I hope to be proved 100% wrong in all of this, of course.
@Sylvia 2:31
Any wonder why they didn’t want the numbers released. SNP have gone crazy, pumping a person who got less than 3% of the vote above someone who got a third. Democracy in action people! You’ll get the people the majority DOESN’T want
Kate Forbes 31.8
Maree Todd 23.8
Fergus Ewing 19.7
Tom Wills 10.5
Mike MacKenzie 3.6
Emma Roddick 2.4
Robert Leslie 2.3
Rhiannon Spear2.0
Jamie Szymkowiak 1.9
Qasim Hanif 1.6
Ken Gowans 0.2
Sarah Fanet 0.2
Rev
I thought you would have added this gem of a video from previous thread.
50 times Sturgeon stonewalled the Salmond inquiry.
https://mobile.twitter.com/SocialM85897394/status/1367596489808175107
Brilliant!!!
Yes Sturgeon and her corrupt government and party have caused long lasting damage to the Scottish independence movement. Through her devious and calculated actions she’s turned our indy majority into an indy minority.
Sturgeon has set back the hopes of a whole nation by pushing her vile agenda ahead of the wishes of the majority of the people of Scotland. By the way things are going it will a decade before we see any real change, that’s if Westminster and the Hub haven’t negated Holyrood by then.
Of course we the truth seekers who know Sturgeon had no intentions of holding an indyref, will be blamed for the catastrophe about to befall the indy faithful, when the reality is that Sturgeon has crushed the hopes and dreams of the majority of this nation of people for self gain.
Sturgeon will, when the penny drops for some, be remembered as the woman who sold Scotland out.
As soon as its possible to demonstrate a huge bloody continent of indy minded folk needs to get their arses over to Holyrood and Bute House and let Sturgeon know exactly what we think of her.
“Vote for whatever other party you would otherwise support”
Where is such a party? I look at what is in front of me and I see none:
I refuse to cast my vote for the Scottish branch of any England party that operates to progress England’s interests against those of the people of Scotland.
I refuse to cast my vote for corrupt, undemocratic crooks, who pretending to fight for our independence have undermined our democratic mandates, our will, our powers and rights, are forcing on us toxic, unpopular, unnecessary policies nobody wants and have abused our trust and taxpayers’ money to conduct disgusting political vendettas, malicious prosecutions and attempted to put an innocent man in jail.
I refuse to cast my vote for parties so uncommitted to independence that they rather use their only running in the list as an excuse to deny us a plebiscite than actually act like real pro independence parties by including the end of the union in their manifesto.
I refuse to cast my vote for those who only aim to boost SNP seats by the back door by asking us to vote for them in the list and to vote SNP in the constituency and then expect us to sit tight and hope that one of these years (if not decades) a totally hollowed up SNP sees the light and decides to progress independence.
I refuse to play this tired game of pretend democracy, pretend choice game. I want real democracy, real choices. That leaves me without any party at all to vote for.
If a party truly committed to independence that proves this by including the end of the union in their manifesto emerges, they will get my vote. Until that time, I will spoil both my ballots.
We will only get a different kind of politics in Scotland with independence. Independence is therefore the only choice we have. Why should we have to wait to select that choice?
The people of Scotland gave a mandate for indyref in 2016 and a mandate to have a choice for their future in 2019. I do not want that choice next year or the one after that. I want that choice NOW, before our mandate expires.
Either I can exercise my choice as the people of Scotland was promised by the fraud that is leading the SNP and I vote for independence, or no party will get my vote.
Trivia piece for today,,,
Did you know that Sturgeon’s middle name is Ferguson???
Effijy
Try not to worry about house parties breaking covid lockdown.
Worry more about covid lockdowns being replaced by climate change lockdowns.
The language is shifting.
Besides, they have won their first ever title – let them enjoy it!
Lost @2:43
Rhiannon Spear2.0
Oh no, not a new version!
@ Andrew Morton at 2:26 pm
Aye, some appear to be in utter denial of reality.
Yon Baffieman loon almost manically spouting “We can only beat ourselves”.
I’d asked “who is this ‘we’ you talk of as I haven’t altered my position but his Party certainly have”.
Only a fuckin idiot that massively lacks any self awareness wouldn’t consider it might just be down to his Party, with a combination of pushing policies Scots (and ex SNP members) don’t want, not acting on previous mandates given, and embroiling the Party and Scottish
GovernmentAdministration (both elected and Civil Service) in a monumental clusterbourach that must have squandered millions of taxpayers’ monies and Administration time that could have been much better spent in ways that actually benefited the electorate.Ah well that’s the Rangers won the league now.
That will be Covid 19 parties all round then!
Well, the SNP have now managed to make me , one of its most loyal voters ( for the cause) refuse to vote for them again.
With colin Beattie as the msp, I cant vote for him again. Nor can I in all conscience vote for SNP under sturgeon as they are now a unionist party.
When I stop voting SNP, they are in big trouble
I am strongly in favour of Independence, but also well aware of the difficulties which will have to be overcome after it has been achieved. I cannot believe why so few in the movement tell this truth to the Scottish people, who are presently being treated like fools. The Braveheart ideology will be exposed by our economic weakness and people should be advised that there will be sacrifices to make by all of us.
The present state of affairs of course suits the sisterhood who rule the party, admirably, as independence seems only a vehicle for these ideologues to impose a woke pseudo liberal government on what was once a proud nation.
I left the Party when it became apparent that identity politics was more important to the First Minister than fostering good relations with the leader of what would be one of our most important trading partners, the USA.
Mrs Murrell preferred to fulfil her other agenda in leading a “Gay Parade” rather than welcome the President of the strongest nation in the world to his mothers place of birth.
The people on this site perform a most important political function for Scotland and its people, but they can only do so much. Get out amongst your fellow Scots and spread the truth as it appears to be in short supply in political circles.
Sevco Ultras , Willie , Sevco Ultras.
Rangers died 2012
So the so called rangers have won their first ever senior trophy. I wont be congratulating them.
To think sturgeon has trapped Scotland into this horrific union makes me sick to the core.
It’s time for the indy movement to organise and oppose the unionist SNP
I voted Yes in 2014, I voted for SNP under Salmond, it was a party with ideas and modern vision.
I haven’t voted since 2014. I dislike Sturgeon and her poor administration. The Government is lacking talent, policies that I dislike and now the this ‘scandal’ that gives me grave concerns for a independent nation under the Sturgeon regime. It stinks!
This election I will be voting tactically and many others will follow to remove Sturgeon from office. Sturgeon needs to go, along with Blackford and others. Then the SNP can get new ideas, fresh talent and restart again. The problem is because the SNP lack talent who would take over?
When I recently discovered Wings (which I now visit daily) I was puzzled by the repeated references to the current SNP lot not doing much about independence. What about all the words I hear about Sturgeon baiting Westminster…?
But, having followed the Salmond, Wolffe and Sturgeon appearances, I must admit to having had my eyes opened.
As to the MSM in Scotland having been bought off: either that must be true, or else they’re the laziest, most incompetent bunch ever to hold such jobs. If Watergate had happened here, and now, Nixon would have retired safely and with honour. No Woodwards or Bernsteins apparent north of the border…
As for Wolffe threatening a parliamentary committee – I wonder what ‘they’ think that looked like to the electorate.
So despite brexit despite covid, despite lockdowns, austerity and foodbanks, scots are now hesitating to vote for independence? What in the name of f#@k is the matter with you people? Why are you so feart and spineless ffs.
How is it that Graham Campbell is the list candidate for Lothians when he only got 3.3% of the vote?
Angus Robertson 23.1
Fiona Hyslop 21.8
Ben Macpherson 19.2
Catriona MacDonald 15.7
Sarah Masson 9.5
Graham Campbell 3.3
Irshad Ahmed 3.2
Greg McCarra 2.1
Alison Dickie 1.1
Alex Orr 0.4
Douglas Thomson 0.3
Andrew Ewen 0.3
Is this an example of positive discrimination? Appoint someone that almost nobody else wants because he’s a different colour to most of the other candidates?
What is he’s just shite at his job? Or rarely attends his place of work? Does that not count?
Good God in heaven, if only there was another independence minded party (not the Greens) at Holyrood to vote for in May on Constituency votes.
What are we to do, hold our noses and vote SNP? Can we? should we?
Should utter failure and betrayal be rewarded, if the answer is yes what does that say about us?
Can’t argue with that summary. I think the most damage she and her gang have caused is the perception that an indy Scotland would be Holyrood on steroids – an absolutist state under the control of incompetent but ruthless demagogues like her, with all pretences of a transparent, accountable government torn to shreds. That is the fear she is implanting in waverers and doubters – the very people who need to be won over by a display of competence and high standards where it matters most.
The independence argument now needs to be decoupled from the SNP, who have owned it for too long, exploiting it to the hilt for their own benefit, while doing nothing to advance its cause, or inspire people with a vision of a modern, well-governed society, which would shame by its example archaic institutions like Westminster. Now there is a perception that we are no better, and may even be worse. Add to that the incompetence on bread and butter issues like education, public projects, land reform etc and you have no persuasive case that the new boss will be any better than the old boss.
As the Rev says, damaging leaks about the Salmond scandal will continue to dribble out, as they already have done, so the likelihood is that the poll numbers will continue to slide. There is an increasing aura of malfeasance around this administration, even if most people haven’t got time for the intricate details of it all. Once that association is made in people’s minds it is very difficult to shift, particularly if that perception is being continually fed by the drip drip of further details concerning their unethical and illegal behaviour.
If there is a real collapse in their support, and they lose their majority, a lot of those responsible surely have to go. Although nothing would suggest they contemplate taking responsibility for their own actions, with their accumulation of power away from their membership it may prove difficult.
But either way, there will be a reset of the independence movement, whether within the SNP or outside of it. Groups like Craig Murray’s umbrella organisation will surely be seen as a corrective idea whose time has come. Independence cannot be owned by an increasingly isolated, narrow-minded clique who expel all dissenters, work in secret, and prioritise agendas with little relevance to the majority. Instead we need a harnessing of all the talents and ideas across the board, many of whom have been excluded from the current regime, and most of whom display far greater integrity and intellect than the sorry, inept, amateur shambles that purport to represent us.
Its quite telling that if this vote count is real then Joan and Kate got a higher % of the votes in their respective areas than Nicola sturgeon got (i bet she’s ragin)
Sturgeon’s career has seen her go from
scheming student
to
sloppy solicitor
to
conniving conspirator
to
shit strategist
to
lying leader
I would suggest she gives a go at
hermitic has been.
Joshua Mennie absolutely nailed this election …
NORTH EAST SCOTLAND
Christian Allard 24.5
Fergus Mutch 23.9
William Duff 16.7
Julie Bell 11.4
Fatima Joji 10.2
Nadia El-Nakla 5.1
John Cooke 4.1
Lynne Short 2.6
Gillian Al-Samarai 1.2
Joshua Mennie 0.2
Ha, ha, ha, ha …..*breathe* …. ha, ha, ha, ha ….
I stopped voting altogether a few years ago after being repeatedly smeared for highlighting what was going on in the FM’s constituency. A dog created by people within the movement itself has now came around and bit it on the bahookie.
You are being played by people who have no chance whatsoever of being elected under their own steam and who have attached themselves to the independence movement to gain positions of power. Some of them post on here, these people are globalist internationalists who will decry the woke factions at the moment as the public tide is turning but make no mistake, these people are the woke faction and they are playing off all sides against each other. Some of them change positions like a weathervane supporting Joanna Cherry until the battle against AS being fought in the media started turning again in the favour of NS and now they’re backing her as they see her as a winner and a means to unearned power on their parts.
@ Graham says: at 3:03 pm
“How is it that Graham Campbell is the list candidate for Lothians when he only got 3.3% of the vote?”
“horizontal recruitment” + BAME = Top of List
I seem to recall reading the Holyrood Chamber was designed as it is, to try to take away from the adverserial politics of Westminster. |The idea was, sitting in a half-moon chamber,f acing the Presiding Officer might make for less-argumentative debate and give greater chance of cross-party agreement being reached.
Of course, old habits die hard, but, I feel, come Independence, we might see the big, “broad church” parites fragmenting into smaller, even single-issue parties.
The ultimate example of this might be a series of elections in which there is no overall majority, so consensus politics might become the norm.
This, however, is Scotland, so I doubt that I, in my eighth decade, will be around to see this state of affairs come to pass.
I can certainly see the SNP, post-Independence, losing members to other parties, assuming “Scottish” Labour and the “Scottish” Tories can become genuinely Scottish parties, and don’t, after INdependence, waste their energies telling us that Scotland has made a mistake and we should rejoin the rump UK.
BritainElects tweets.
“Last night we tweeted (and now deleted) a commissioned poll on Scottish independence.
This survey, with Yes at 43% and No at 46% came with a key caveat: “these figures are not weighted for voter turnout” and “are not directly comparable with previous polls on the subject.”
https://twitter.com/BritainElects/status/1368521997957922817
As such, this survey will not feature in the Britain Elects poll tracker.”
If that “list” leak is true, then Joan McAlpine had the highest % share of the member’s vote, followed by Kate Forbes – they better watch their backs! Graeme Campbell only got in by the skin of his teeth 3.3 with Irshad Ahmed at 3.2 who would have taken the BAME spot with only 0.2% more votes!
https://threader.app/thread/1368562210482622472
Apologies if posted previously.
Archived link to Peter Cherbi blog from a few days ago.
https://web.archive.org/web/20210303122310/https://petercherbi.blogspot.com/2021/03/first-interests-judge-recommended-for.html
John martini 2.17pm.”wait till the tax rises and service cuts kick in”.
Never mind john i’m sure a lavatory….sorry labtory coalition in may will put things right for Scotland ( smiley face).
re this ‘
https://web.archive.org/web/20210303122310/http://petercherbi.blogspot.com/2021/03/first-interests-judge-recommended-for.html
I have no idea if its true, it does seem to be very specific about times, dates, offences and named persons / agencies responsible.
Slanderous lies tend to avoid most, if not all of those things.
However, if it is true, then the next question is why. Why did NS (no matter how incompetent) risk losing her professional qualification by not acting in an appropriate way over (from the alleged misconducts) appears to have been a case of domestic abuse?
9 out of 10 domestic abuse is committed by men towards women, and it is likely it was the woman appearing before NS as her solicitor, needing professional help.
I wonder who the man was, what profession he was in, what donations he went on to make towards Political parties/persons etc. But then I’m a bit cynical.
Me2 is taking on a whole new meaning in Scotland under NS.
I keep swithering between utter despair that all is lost and thinking the independence movement night be playing a blinder, splitting the movement politically in a way that will deliver a supermajority but with no way at all anyone can say “That split wasn’t real”. The SNP’s lists make me swither again more to the latter. If some of those big names who’ve been shafted stand as independents under the AFI banner, they will have massive support and people who’ll campaign for them. Let’s do it!
Alex needs to speak out, to endorse AIF or the ISP.
Stu, do you know if his health is OK, a friend was saying he thought this had probably done for him.
Mebbe this is the moment to reflect carefully on the nature of our desire for independence, and it’s implications.
One of the things that Salmond and his group did, which the public did not see, was create a set of ideals and standards and criteria that, essentially, dealt with the problems within Scotland (an entire cadre of cynically corrupt, principle free, internally colonized, selfish, usually thick (esp. if they were from the Labour heartland of South Lanarkshire) spineless political and administrative house jocks.
He (and they) managed to lead, and create an organizational machine in which there was no place for them. It attracted effective and principled people, and it succeeded in it’s objectives – create a modern set of compelling ideas and proposals on what Scottish independence could and should be, and also demonstrate, pretty much after 300 years of self reinforced passivity, that, in fact, as a country we were capable, strong, effective and smart.
If we had voted for independence in 2014, we would have entered the process of defining who we were as a country both internally and to the rest of the world on an excellent footing. We would still have to have reckoned with the aforementioned zombie hordes, but it would have been in the context of an independent country.
Every newly independent, post colonial country does this, sometimes it’s messy, like in South Africa, sometimes not.
But we didn’t vote for independence (forcefully enough). We then got a smart, ambitious, but by no means as effective or strategic self oriented middle manager, who despite saying the right things, it seems, has been corrupted by power, or ego, or something.
So worst of all worlds indeed. A bloated, visionless, leaderless principle free (whatever the fuck Sturgeon and co are doing isn’t leadership, it’s the appearance of leadership), that is a perfect place for our large internally colonized political class, and every single issue headcase, and every malevolent act from outside interest, to demonstrate that, without a clean house, we can’t take command.
It’s heartbreaking. Again.
Lothianlad @2:53
‘When I stop voting SNP, they are in big trouble’
And this is exactly the point – I think you are 100% on the money.
Take my miserable arse – I have never in my whole life voted for any other Party than the SNP – not once, not Labour, not LibDem (and where I’m from, certainly not Tory) – always SNP……..Always.
Even when I was in the Army, I gave out my proxy to vote SNP as I refused to be ‘ordered’ to vote Tory to protect the defence budget.
No more. I will spoil my 1st vote and (maybe) give ISP my 2nd.
You’re damn tootin the SNP is in big trouble – and no poll in the world is going to tell me any different.
Rangers fans gathering en mass in George Square
https://twitter.com/RadioClydeNews/status/1368581136629239809?s=08
Dave Beveridge @ 12:31 pm
“So in 7 YEARS we’ve moved up… 1%? Despite the demographics being more in our favour every year? ”
Not sure where you get evidence of ‘demographics being more in favour every year’. The census tells us that another approx 50,000 mostly ‘No’ voters come from rest-UK to live in Scotland each year. That amounts to one million people every 20 years or so. The next census will probably show that this ‘movement’ has accelerated in recent years reflecting what is happening in property and employment markets. Why does anyone think the ‘No’ vote is holding steady since 2014, despite Boris and Brexit and Covid?
Around half the ‘No’ vote is made up of people from rest-UK/extraction who mostly don’t identify as Scottish nationals and tend to have limited interest in voting to create a Scottish nationality. This group are being used by UKGov to help boost the No vote, aided by a local government residence based franchise for Scottish national elections and referendums. This is also probably the reason the UK Gov has sought to delay indyref 2 – they know the demographics are in their favour. This is hardly a new UK ‘policy’, it has noticeably been in play for many years, reflecting also Scotland’s long established ‘cultural division of labour’ under internal colonialism (Hechter).
The worst outcome for the SNP will be if they are a minority govt but the ISP/AFI give them a solid majority for Independence pretty much pushing them towards it.
If folk vote for us (ISP preferably) then there will be no hiding place for the supposed Indy Vehicle in the Holyrood chamber. There will be no hiding place for the fact of there being a Yes majority either. We might even be able to ignore the plastic yes Greens.
I can understand folk not wanting to vote in the 1st vote but please, please, still come out to vote on the List. That is important.
If I could have changed anything during the 2014 YES campaign, and by that I mean change our campaign strategy, it would have been to address our wilful blindness that the British media was absolutely out to discredit us. It hurt us, and we let them do it.
We take that for granted, now, but too few of us were alert to it in 2014, and time after time, the narrative was steered away from pro Indy arguments, and dwelled upon the same favourites of the BritNat Establishment… sharing the pound without England’s consent etc…
But that’s history. Here and now, in 2021, if I could have that same power: to change one fundamental component of our Campaign, it would be to shake off our fixation with a devolved Government in Holyrood, and focus instead on the notion of a Scottish Parliament, our true seat of government, which isn’t answerable to Westminster.
We need to grasp the important distinction that a devolved Government is not a National Government. They are not the same thing. Holyrood is codified by a UK constitution (small ‘c’), and constrained by domestic UK legislation, not Scottish legislation, UK, and since it’s a matter of domestic UK politics, nobody from the International Community can get involved because they would be interfering in the domestic government of a sovereign entity.
Scotland needs to stop addressing Scottish Independence as this matter of internal domestic UK politics, and totally re-frame the argument that the UK is, and always has been, comprised of two sovereign entities, and thus the Treaty of Union is not a matter of domestic UK governance, but is instead, an International Treaty, with Scotland having a legitimate capacity to exercise it’s own sovereign discretion. That is the one hymn sheet which ALL of us need to be on.
Those of you who read my comments know very well my scathing opinion of Sturgeon and her stooges, but people need to understand that there are bigger issues here than Sturgeon’s abject failure to progress Independence through Holyrood. The whole ‘matrix’ of Scotland’s Devolved Government and Holyrood legislature could be jettisoned and sidelined as irrelevant, totally irrelevant, IF the focus of Scottish Independence properly came of age, and circumvented the UK’s domestic parameters for a devolved assembly, and focussed it’s efforts on Scotland the Nation’s Constitutional under International Law, NOT domestic UK Law.
Westminster’s control over Holyrood, whether that’s merely influence, or outright subjugation like the Section 30 veto over Scottish Democracy, all of it represents a colonial encroachment of UK avarice forcing it’s will upon Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty. That makes it wrong. It might be hidden behind some made up convention or sophistry, but it’s still wrong.
If we accept Scotland is anything less than a sovereign Nation, then we are playing the game using the Domestic UK Rulebook. That’s a rule book they can rewrite at will, but we can’t. If however we refuse to accept that, and remain stalwart and unshakeable in our convictions that Scotland is a sovereign Nation, then we are playing and altogether different game which uses the International Rule book, and other nations can be mobilised to assist Scotland in it’s struggle to escape unwelcome colonialism.
It’s a big call to make, but maybe we can turn Sturgeons ineptitude and Holyrood’s incompetence to our advantage, if it emerges Holyrood is just a puppet “Government” and instrument of London rule. Then, when Scotland jettisons London rule, we also jettison Holyrood and it’s compromised and rotten Sturgeon Government too, and create a new Scottish Assembly from scratch and first principles, which fights Scotland’s Corner on the International seas, not the UK domestic backwaters.
I think we NEED Craig Murray’s experience and expertise, and further international expertise from the UN and foreign governments sympathetic to Scotland, to advise our Movement on how to evolve from a “Domestic” issue of international UK politics, and turn ourselves into a sovereign entity with our own individual rights under International Law.
Come of age Scotland. Understand the Constitutional aspects of International Law, and grasp the significance of what it means to be a sovereign Nation. It’s not just a word. It’s the empowerment we need to understand.
An adept and competent SNP Government, (I know, the government we all thought we were electing), should be using Holyrood as a base camp for the last push to ascend Mount Independence. But if Sturgeon and her creepy crooks aren’t going to assist the ascent, then we must simply roll with the punches and push on past them, and climb to the top without a base camp we thought we could rely upon. So be it.
Sturgeon is not the leader in this. She could have been, but not anymore. She has blown it. Let her fade into obscurity as first minister in the UK’s 1998-2021 devolved assembly at Holyrood as if she was no more than the chairman on a Council committee dealing with aspects of domestic UK law. Because when we lose her, we lose all her Wokist nut-jobs, we can also impeach and reject her cowardly and unconstitutional precedents, and we can also ditch the reprehensible GRA and Hate Crime absurdities.
But we also circumvent the whole divisive business of List Seats and fragmenting our common purpose into List parties, because suddenly those Interests and interest groups don’t need not be pigeonholed to fit a compliant roll dictated by Holyrood. We only need a List Party because there are List seats, but there are only list seats because the protocol is for Holyrood’s proportional representation.
These are hurdles set by the UK which are of no relevance whatsoever outside the strictures of Holyrood. Do not fight on the battlefield chosen by the UK protocol, with the composition of our forces decided and dictated by our enemy. Let us, the people of Scotland choose the battlefield, and choose to fight for Scotland’s rights under International Law as one sovereign Nation.
We can yet pre-empt the whole nonsense of the May Elections if we can just focus on the critical path of securing Scottish Independence. There is life after Holyrood. What we need is focus and Leadership, but knowledgeable and informed Leadership which we can have faith in.
Personally, I want to see a Scottish Constitutional Initiative led by Alex Salmond, with Craig Murray on one side setting out the steps we must negotiate to steer ourselves through the process of International Recognition at the UN, and Joanna Cherry on the other side, loading up the Scottish Constitutional Howitzer with round after round of Test Case unconstitutional UK colonialism being launched in Westminster’s general direction.
They’re not up there in my Dream Team because of who they are, but WHAT they are; a Statesman and strategic Generalissimo par excellence, a well connected Expert in International Affairs familiar with the Laws of Nation Building, and top flight QC with frontline experience and notable success in twice outmanoeuvring the very best brains which Westminster had to offer.
And behind Alex, Craig, and Joanna, we have a rampant YES Scotland, United in common cause, backing the initiative to the hilt, no distractions or side show circus acts with odd-balls in frocks or careerist bullshitters preaching to us from their bank accounts. Every blog backs it, every pro Indy club, chapter or support group backs it, every cynic bites their tongue, and every supporter of Scottish Independence puts their back into it.
Get ourselves organised, get the setup right, get the mood right, and go for it. Sturgeon and the May Elections will be meaningless. With luck we’ll be too busy to notice the date, preparing for a Scotland wide ratification plebiscite instead, and elections to the first Scottish Parliament to sit since 1706.
Graham says:
7 March, 2021 at 3:10 pm
Joshua Mennie absolutely nailed this election …
Ahhh, but after the faulty voting logic has been processed by the Woketron 2000, all is well….
NORTH EAST SCOTLAND
Joshua Mennie 1 billion
Christian Allard 24.5
Fergus Mutch 23.9
William Duff 16.7
Julie Bell 11.4
Fatima Joji 10.2
Nadia El-Nakla 5.1
John Cooke 4.1
Lynne Short 2.6
Gillian Al-Samarai 1.2
As a parent of twentysomethings who are currently back at home through lockdown there was a moment a few weeks ago when all their online chat groups suddenly went into a frenzy with “We’re not voting for the SNP any more.”
It was when Nicola announced that she had no definite plans to lift lockdown any time soon, that Scotland would be delayed longer than Boris had announced for England and they were faced with another 2 months of sitting about in their bedrooms after having just spent 2 months sitting about in their bedrooms.
Nicola just thinks she can do what she wants and everyone will follow along obediently. But our young adults, who already feel they’ve made massive sacrifices, need more in return than a bossy “do as you’re telt, stay in the hoose, you’ll do as I say.” They were given nothing definite to look forward to in the near future, no plans for shops and beer gardens opening any time soon, no idea of when they can socialise with their pals again, even outdoors. The announcement provoked a massive outpouring of despair and the kids are now discovering what an uncompromising wee dictator she is.
And it showed she wasn’t even smart enough to work out that she had to give them at least a tiny amount of hope to keep them onside.
There now has to be a concerted plan by the thousands of Wingers and use our list vote to elect a pro Indy party that will hold the party that used to be the SNP to account and create a strategy to regain the vote for Indy.
Garrion @ 3:50
“our large internally colonized political class”
Good point. As post-colonial literature confirms (e.g. Fanon), the pampered bourgeoisie elite in the dominant national party has decided to make its own “accommodation with colonialism”. Which perhaps explains why the SNP elite are in the pockets of the colonial power.
After many years of Labour Controlled Glasgow City Council
having breakdown issues with their George Square Web Cam
due to multiple Saltires having the ability to turn off,
I’m pleased to say that the SNP Council have it working today.
Looks like a couple of thousand Rangers fans congregation under
Smoke bombs so that the police can’t see they are there during lockdown
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/19142510.amp/
People go to wos who hate corruption ,liars and bsers
The solution is sortition like you elect juries
Imo in the future it will come
Status quo(not the rock band)will have to be dragged kicking and screaming tho
Don’t do as I do do as I say.
our young adults, who already feel they’ve made massive sacrifices, need more in return than a bossy “do as you’re telt, stay in the hoose, you’ll do as I say.”
I really feel for the young folk. Even as a middle aged person on the shielding list, who was and still is broadly supportive of lockdowns I’m beyond pissed off with her handling of covid and the tone she’s now taking with people. I ventured out over the summer when cases were low but very carefully, in distanced beer gardens and outdoor areas. Meanwhile, people were allowed to pack planes and go on holiday to Spain, mixing with people from all over the UK, travel to places like Blackpool and bring it back etc. The “four nations approach” is just Scotland doing what England says but with slightly better presentation from Sturgeon. There was no actual difference. If anything it feels like Johnson used her to make unpopular calls just before he had to so he didn’t take the blame.
Now, we’re still in the same situation where we’re being asked to put out lives on hold, have no social lives, no pubs, shops, cinemas, theatres, no meeting people etc. While there is still international travel and open borders and no one is actually bothering to really try and stop new strains coming in.
We can’t just be on lockdown forever while the rich carry on life as normal and transfer ever more from the public into their own bank accounts. At some point the younger folk are going to rise up against it and I don’t blame them. All it would have taken to keep me on board would have been a genuine attempt to close borders and quarantine people as they’ve done in Oz and NZ. Instead it’s those of us who’ve been lockdown for a year now being asked to shoulder absolutely all the sacrifices.
Excellent analysis. Part of the problem is the desire for NOBODY who is actually in power, to take responsibility. Nicola Sturgeon certainly isn’t.
Istead of trying to heal factions, the party and independence movement, all we get from the leadership coven, is innuendo and slur dorected at Mr.Salmond.
It goes like this; “Think of the wimmin ‘victims’ in all of this. Yes, of course Alex was found innocent, but we all ‘know’ (wink, wink, nudge, nudge,( that (cough, cough) his behaviour was less than desirable (if you know what we mean, wink, wink).”
It is despicable and it has simply got to stop. Two courts (the highest civil and criminal in Scotland) have found in his favour, without a shadow of doubt, and a mainly female jury, with a female judge found him innocent of ALL charges.
Nothing will get better until heads roll, those respponsible are made to confront their role in this, and folk from the SNP stop insinuating a wholly innocent man, and a great Scot, is somehow (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) a ‘sex pest. It is utter b***ocks, and it has got to stop.
Seriously if I was Mr. Salmond, I would be well-minded to take some in the SNP to the feckin cleaners in court. It is completely, completely out of order. But (and this is really, really important) NOBODY outside of the woke coven believes these smears against him.
So, I ask this of Nicola Sturgeon. How can I, a former SNP member and indy supporter, go into the pooling booth on 6th May and vote for a party which is hell-bent on perpetually smearing Alex Salmond, a great independence/SNP leader, whom I happen to admire??
Can’t ANYBODY within the SNP leadership see the damage they are doing??? Are they so blinkered in their spite and venom?? NS just came across in her testimony last week as bitter and vindictive. I saw not a shred of personal integrity. None.
Besides, we all know if the SNP are re-elected, thay have zero intention of pursuing an indy ref anytime soon. It’s all talk, just like at every other election.
WHY is Leslie Evans still in her job?
Whilst sympathetic to the Independence cause, mainly because I cannot stand the elitist, crooked Tories who ALWAYS look after their own, I cannot even think to vote for any Independence Party until I know what this will mean for me. Will there be higher taxes and poorer services? I am not so much concerned for myself but more worried for my kids and grandkids. The SNP are very reluctant to produce any projected financials which leads me to believe that we will all be worse off. If Independence was somehow achieved I shudder at the thought of the amateurs currently running the SG having total power. We would have the prospect of the Westminster SNP MPs looking to join the gravy train however they appear as talentless as their counterparts in Scotland. Imagine the infighting and backstabbing as both factions fight to get their snouts in the trough!
There is a lot of uncertainty in Scotland just now. Sturgeon, Swinney et al have to go then the cleanup and clear out can commence. Watching the inquiry on TV the only people who came out of it with any credit were Jackie Baillie and The Tory guy whose name escapes me. What a mess.
“If folk vote for us (ISP preferably) then there will be no hiding place for the supposed Indy Vehicle in the Holyrood chamber”
The SNP is no indy vehicle. Sturgeon took the wheels and the engine off it. The trojan horse masquerading as genderwoowoo took the rest away. What is left, for now, is just a frame. Soon it will disappear too. The SnP is no longer moving, never mind going anywhere.
Unless ISP includes in the manifesto a mandate to terminate the union, the ISP will be relying on Sturgeon or the bobby price bringing back the engine and the wheels and the gendewoowoo the rest. I think hell will freeze before that happens.
In other words, unless the ISP or AFI become the new indy vehicle by adding a mandate to end the union in their manifestos, expecting they are going to somewhat kick the rust that is left of the the SNP in motion to deliver independence is an illusion, if not delusion.
“There will be no hiding place for the fact of there being a Yes majority either”
we have had a pro independence majority for the last 5 years both in Holyrood and in Westminster. Those pro-independence majorities have been hiding behind an S30. It has become clear that without a mandate to end the union in the manifesto, Scotland will not get see independence. Anything else is a waste of our time and opportunities.
In the present circumstances, a vote for anything other than the dissolution of the union is a waste of time and expecting the voters to be fool enough to keep playing a losers’ game where the best cards have been removed to ensure they can never win.
If the SNP had not changed their policy of a majority of seats being a mandate for independence, Scotland would have been independent since 2015.
Does ISP really want independence or just wants to fool voters into boosting a corrupt SNP by handing them seats by the back door?
Hello Scots Wumman @ 1.32 pm. The article you posted seems devastating for Nicola Sturgeon. I don’t see any further comment on it, so readers may have skimmed past it. If so, let me recommend that they go back to your post, and click into it.
To me, it also raises the possibility of corruption in promotions within the legal services. Could a wee ‘sheriffdom’ – or something like that, whatever – be just reward for keeping quiet about some past murky thing, that NS would not like to become public knowledge?
Something which others, however, might just be sitting on, for the time being … In order to ‘deploy’ it later – to use a term that the circles around NS might just be familiar with – at an appropriate, vessel-sinking moment.
I also wonder whether anyone else ever heard a rumour – no more than that – that NS may be slightly ‘forgetful’ (not to say ‘economical with the truth’) about something else in her short legal career. I have heard, though it may be untrue, that she seems to forget one of the posher legal firms she worked for at one time. I don’t know who or when or why – maybe during her apprenticeship?
As I said, it’s only a rumour. There may well be nothing to it. But it would or could be interesting if somebody else ever heard something similar, and might be worth a wee, ethically correct, investigation.
I think this is the right way to put it. If not, I expect Rev. Stu will know how to pull what I just said.
Meanwhile, I don’t think anyone will be disappointed if they have a look at the link given by Scots Wumman @ 1.32 pm
Scots Wumman says:
7 March, 2021 at 1:32 pm
https://web.archive.org/web/20210303122310/http://petercherbi.blogspot.com/2021/03/first-interests-judge-recommended-for.html
Rev, do you know if this is true? Is this the story that was spiked by Daily Record in return for the Salmond story?
Or is this a red herring? Thanks
Breeks at 358pm,
An excellent post, and I agcree with all of it. IF Holyrood wishes to be the subjugated devolved parliament only, and not the voice of sovereign Scotland, then it does need circumvented.
I really feel like the current SNP leadership are quite happy with things as they are. Mibbes they do need bypassed. Let them witter on in their ‘devolved assembly’, whilst Scotland gets on with creating a trul representative voice for Scotland’s constitutional rights and laws.
When holyrood becomes the roadblack to indy, it is time for us to take another route, to speak for Scotland. Six years have already been wasted by Sturgeon’s cosy’ devolved’ cabal. Enough.
Hmmm… It seems 68.4% of Glasgow SNP members are less than impressed with Ms Sturgeon.
Nobody is above the law in Scotland… except Rangers and their fans. Why do we even have laws since Police Scotland and our useless Justice Secretary seem unwilling to enforce them anywhere other than Twitter? This country has to get over its fear of tackling orange loyalist bigots.
As that blood on the carpet or the Leader’s red shoe cream?
Send for Hercule Poirot!
Only percentages given so that the membership of the party cannot be calculated.
However it would not take a genius at maths to work out a good estimate of the actual numbers who voted given they show a decimal place. In younger days I could have tried it.
Anyone?
-ClanDonald and Cath-
As another parent of twenty-somethings i strong agree with you. Their lives are being put on hold and Sturgeon, rightly or wrongly, appears to be enjoying it, and they’re not happy about it.
Stu wrote an article sometime ago commenting on the correlation between the demise of Labour and Rangers. I have tried to recover this article but must be using the wrong search words. Interesting to note what is happening poll wise today. Yesterday in a zoom call with my 3 brothers, all of us voted SNP in 2016 in our respective constituencies. So where are we now. One definitely voting SNP: Rationale, I will put up with the expletive.. 2 are thinking about voting for the second party in their seats which happens to be Labour, Rationale: Anti-SNP leadership and policies vote. And I am not voting at all. Rationale: Scunnered with the Parliaments response to the Salmond Inquiry. Not something you can take to John Curtice. Sample size needs to be over 1000 etc. But the underlying thought process was revealing to me. Also, it’s not all about Rangers or Celtic we grabbed a precious point today. We reckoned 38 points needed for definite survival. 36 points with 6 games to go.
Grim prospects. Apart from the one glimmer: that wrongdoing coming to light gives opportunity to bring wrongdoers to justice (and out of power).
A petition was put up via the Westminster Gov site a few years ago. It drew (to my mind) astonishingly few votes, such that I suspected and suspect it may have been spiked.
The idea was basically:
Should candidates for office, and appointees thereafter (at regular intervals or at perceived need), be quizzed using polygraphy?
I understand that – even used proficiently – a polygraph device is no truly reliable ‘Lie-detector’; however, significant divergences in stress response from expected norms might indicate a need for (and useful lines of) questioning and investigation by more standard methods of detection.
Three questions I’d want asked:
1. Have you been blackmailed? Are you blackmailing anyone?
2. Are you a member of any conspiracy or covert organization?
3. Do you seek firstly personal gain, or the common public good?
This may seem an extraordinary measure – indicative of mistrust-by-default of those so tested (whom I envisage as including politicians, senior justice officials, and upper-echelon civil servants).
However, I’d argue that
1) those innocent need fear nothing
2) recent events in Scottish and Westminster politics justify it
3) it’s a radical move toward transparency & accountability
I’d hazard a guess that any party – new party? – standing with that provision in their manifesto could expect to receive support accordingly.
They should of course start with their own members voluntarily undergoing polygraphy – by an independent international body, who’d duly publish their results, analysis, and conclusions.
Any member found wanting or opting out of disclosure would have to stand down or be expelled.
How could the public polygraphy process (PPP?) itself be safeguarded from corruption and deceit? I leave that as an exercise for the reader!
Cath
Anybody who is still pro-lockdown……is a fucking moron.
And on the wrong side of history. Their kids will eventually hate them.
Sturgeon, like BJ, is a Tyrant. The new jew will be those who refuse to vaccinate – labelled anti-vaxxers and punished by being denied access to the new normal (which wont be very fucking nice anyway).
Eventually, they will be put in ‘protective custody’ AKA concentration camps.
The new nazi thinks it is acceptable to ask people, in public, if they have been vaccinated.
People are being tested. Many are failing.
I suppose the Sevco lot had to come out the hoose at some point. They’ve no been oot the hoose for 10 year.
Robbie. And probably won’t get out for another 5!
One of the reasons the present SNP “ Govt” finds itself in its present difficulties is that it has never left “ campaign “ mode.
There has been a constant pursuit of the crucial “ undecideds “ as in any election but the purpose being the goal of Independence.
This has lead to the SNP becoming full of “ fellow travellers “ see the Labour Party for the endgame.
With no clear policy as to how Independence is to be obtained & more crucially sustained, infighting takes root.
That infighting is corrosive but ultimately its effect is nothing compared to the rot at the heart of this Govt.
Nicola Sturgeon & the Party machinery ( her husband) have promoted the cult of personality & populism which proceeds on the two canards that Nicola is a different kind of politician, never lies like those Westminster types & she & she alone knows what’s best for Scotland.
The enabler for that cult is the cause of Independence itself- the expectation & gamble is that any behaviour is acceptable for the cause.
Well is it?
To paraphrase Orson Welles as Harry Lime in The Third Man, when he’s sitting next to Joseph Cotten at the top of the big wheel,
”In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michaelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and The Renaissance. In Scotland, in the 21st century, after 300 years of colonial servitude, Craig Murray STILL doesn’t know if he is free to get on with his life.”
FFS.
It’s 55, isn’t it?
It isn’t 1.
It’s 55.
Isn’t it?
Sure it is?
Not 1.
Sure it is?
@ClanDonald 4.10 pm
I know the feeling. While I rant on here I am more measured with family and acquaintances that I suspect are not in agreement with independence yet.
I thought my offspring were fully on board but one, in particular, is so fed about the gym situation he is swithering about who to vote for next time. They have never voted anything but SNP since becoming eligible to vote. The gym had become his outlet when not able to see friends and with worries about work. The idea that the local manky Wetherspoons may open up before a well-run gym that puts the welfare of its customers and the wider community before anything else seems madness.
Now the inquiry stuff has alerted his online group to the other stuff and it is as they don’t need to pretend anymore that the SNP are the only party to vote for. The same way our generation finally broke the shackles of Slab it is happening with SNP young voters but they are coming to their realisation much quicker.
Yes, I don’t see that making women fearful of participating in social, and civic, life is particularly progressive.
I agree that many pissed off with the draconian lockdowns will be angry at NS.
Someone else said they thought this would give her more problems at the ballot box than the Alex S stitch up.
It’s the attempt at jokes that gets me everytime.
Peoples livlihoods destroyed.
Mental health issues rising, and she, on full pay, joking about home haircuts.
She doesn’t even follow the known criteria, the WHO caution against repeated lockdowns.
As for her advisors, a dentist and a nutritionist, where is the expert in virology and epidemiology.
Why should our ‘Rangers ‘ following fellow citizens bother with trivial, unjust laws, when government is seen to be getting away with more serious criminality?
For those suffering.
After F Carson, “and there’s more” documentary dirt to discharge yet. It’s not all over, shouting and all.
And..
How long would it take to crowd fund a private criminal prosecution from Eck?
Multiple defendants, but £2m would be sufficient.
My guess? Less than 2 days.
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident
Truth is not measured in mass appeal. It’s time to face facts and accept the truth like wings has.
The snp is NOT a party of independence.
As sure as night follows day, the anti-vaxxers are back just as the infection levels fall. And it won’t be long before they tell you lockdown hasn’t worked, coronavirus has saved rather than destroyed lives, the vaccine hasn’t been tested, and we are all really dumb and ill-informed…
“readers may have skimmed past it”
Hardly a chance. We have been force-fed this thing during the last 12 hours or so almost as many times as we were force fed the alleged miraculous bounce back of the sNP membership with the mysterious 10,000 new members. Both have the same smell: propaganda.
The timing on this release is just impeccable. Just like the way the establishment deflection and obfuscation machine is suddenly put in gear to bombard us with distracting propaganda every time certain civil servant is on the ropes for some new dodgy.
“Is this the story that was spiked by Daily Record in return for the Salmond story?”
That, in my view, is a squirrel to shield the leaker. The story about Sturgeon might be true, but that this was the reason for the leak about Mr Salmond? I think that is bllcks. I smell the British establishment starting to close ranks to stop the real reason for the leak coming out.
Mr Salmond indicated during the questioning in front of the committee that he was almost certain of who the leaker was. The leak of confidential, personal information without the consent of the interested party is a criminal offense. If ever revealed who the leaker is, they should be prosecuted and expelled from their job.
If that was not bad enough, it has been published since then that Mr Salmond lodged a formal complaint against the civil servant who leaked the name of the complainer to Mr Aberdein:
“Mr Salmond has lodged a formal complaint with the Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government under the civil service code, on the conduct of the official who is alleged to have breached civil service rules, by disclosing the name of a complainant in the Scottish Government process.” (quote taken from article by Alistair Grant, the Herald, 3 March 2021)
While the contents of that thing about Sturgeon might be true, the attempt to make people believe that hiding this was the reason that moved the leak about Mr Salmond to the newspaper is, in my opinion, taking the public for fools.
There was only one reason to leak that information about Mr Salmond to the press: to ruin beyond repair his reputation to force him out of the SNP and stop him entering back front line politics. The reason for the urgency of chucking him out of the SNP is what is not yet clear to me. But my bet is on May’s agreement with the EU signed in December and that contained the NI backstop. Had Mr Salmond not been tied with this crap, and he would have been eviscerating the UK government’s position and forcing Scotland’s position – that backstop is a breach of the treaty of union. Just what the busted flush Sturgeon totally failed to do. But then, in hindsight, in 6 years she did nothing other than destroying the SNP, undermining our sovereignty and the credibility of Scotland’s democratic structures.
Just looking at the List vote figures which look like they’ve been leaked, and if genuine, it’s really scary how close Rhiannon Spear was to topping the Highlands & Islands list and potentially being an MSP in 2 months time – despite coming 8th, with 2% of the overall votes. It’s bad enough that it’s Emma Roddick but that would have been even worse! It shows how ridiculous the method is, the top spot was a ‘contest’ between the people who had declared themselves disabled (probably Emma, Rhiannon and Jamie), all of whom had 2.4% or less. But then most of us already knew that. Any sane person can see how stupid (and counterproductive) it is, which is why they don’t want us to see the figures:
Kate Forbes 31.8
Maree Todd 23.8
Fergus Ewing 19.7
Tom Wills 10.5
Mike MacKenzie 3.6
Emma Roddick 2.4
Robert Leslie 2.3
Rhiannon Spear 2.0
Jamie Szymkowiak 1.9
Qasim Hanif 1.6
Ken Gowans 0.2
Sarah Fanet 0.2
Mr Salmond indicated during the questioning in front of the committee that he was almost certain of who the leaker was.
Anyone paying attention is almost certain who the leaker was. Strange the police seem to have no idea at all.
Hautey
You are not qualified. Read La Peste. You can’t control a virus.
Don’t knock the hypno-toad……..
I’m in Highland and the list is pretty much as I expected. The person to really worry, though is the local councillor Ken Gowans.
Selections for next year’s Council elections are not far off.
Given his rating Ken should be doing some career planning.
Bought and sold for pay packets. I spoke to my M.P. and he reminded me he has a job to look after.
Dr Peter ISP says:
7 March, 2021 at 3:57 pm
The worst outcome for the SNP will be if they are a minority govt but the ISP/AFI give them a solid majority for Independence pretty much pushing them towards it.
Agreed.
That would be their worst nightmare
If folk vote for us (ISP preferably) then there will be no hiding place for the supposed Indy Vehicle in the Holyrood chamber. There will be no hiding place for the fact of there being a Yes majority either. We might even be able to ignore the plastic yes Greens.
They will find a hiding place, ISP/AFI 2 can only be a beach head. A sturrell led party will treat them as unwelcome arrivistes.
I can understand folk not wanting to vote in the 1st vote but please, please, still come out to vote
Agree, joined ISP on day of announcement.
John Martini says:
7 March, 2021 at 5:22 pm
Hautey
You are not qualified. Read La Peste. You can’t control a virus.
Or the hopeless, desperate ennui that falls over the population.
Alf Baird, 3.57 , Scottie dog 12.40 , and others, this is indeed a clear and present danger. I live in rural Perthshire and the amount of English people here is simply staggering.
Before anybody says anything, I lived in England for 30 years, I married two English women (not at the same time, obviously) and I have two wonderful grown up children who sound as English as you like.
Walk down the street in Crieff , Dunkeld , Blairgowrie, Aberfeldy, Pitlochry or any of the smaller towns or villages and you will hear the constant sound of English voices, people in the central belt may not fully appreciate the sheer scale of R uk immigration.
Many of these people are very decent and community-spirited and would be a great and positive addition to any country, but they are British and naturally their hearts and their votes are with what they consider to be their country. It doesn’t make them bad, it’s just human nature.
A lot proclaim their love for Scotland and in their own way they sort of mean it, but the sense of ownership is palpable.
New Caledonia has lost two independence referendums because French people swung the vote against the native people, Quebec also because the vote was swung by non-Quebeckers, and in the extremely unlikely event of a vote on Tibetan independence, they would lose because of the amount of Han Chinese who are resident there.
Again, closer to home, Wales would have very similar difficulties.
The process is accelerating and the longer it goes on the harder it will become.
The embarrassing thing is that the rest of the world believes that the Scottish people voted against their own independence.
Can see the polls going only one way now and it’s all down to Nicola Sturgeon, it will soon get to the point where nothing else other than her lies and corruption will be discussed and she will be wounded beyond redemption and drag the party down with her.
Years of hollowing out the party and driving talent out has come home to roost as there is no one strong enough in the party to mount a leadership challenge because this is what’s needed.
As much as I hate the tories, they don’t mess around and if this had been happening to Boris Johnson he’d have been gone months ago and a new team would be in charge in plenty time for the election…. well here we are weeks out and the party is unelectable because of Nicola Sturgeon and not a single SNP MP or MSP has the guts to take her on and remove her.
If the politicians are not going to do it then the SNP branches have to turn on the leadership and do what they can to get Sturgeon removed, she is so radioactively toxic now she is glows in the dark! If it can’t be done before the election then clearly Sturgeon losing the election and hopefully her seat is the only way to get rid. She’ll be like Jo Swinson, claiming she’ll be PM one day and then out of a job the next. If sturgeon makes it through the May election we might as well all give up as the party won’t last to the next election.
“Anyone paying attention is almost certain who the leaker was. Strange the police seem to have no idea at all”
Even more strange if not astonishing is that Lesley Evans conducted an investigation after the ICO did all the hard work of identifying 23 possible suspects but such must be her level of incompetence that she could not identify the culprit:
“no sign of any communication between media outlets and relevant staff through the Scottish Government IT system” (quote from article by Louise Wilson in Holyrood, 22 January 2021)
But hey, any professional seriously looking for the culprit of a criminal offence amounting to leaking confidential information without the consent of the affected party/ies, would not restrict themselves to communications between “relevant staff” and “media outlets”.
A serious person really wanting to find the culprit would look for any signs of any communication of unauthorised confidential information from ANY personnel in Holyrood to ANY third party, would look for downloading records to portable devices from government IT systems, would look for documents and info redirected from government email addresses to individual’s personal email accounts and would have looked at personal mobile phones – what was sent might have not been an email but rather a picture of a confidential document.
But to go to such effort, you really need to want to find who the culprit is, of course. Because if you really don’t and yet you might have a suspicion of who they are, then you could of course just adjust the scope and parameters of the search to ensure the culprit is excluded from the investigation. The oldest trick in the book.
In my view Evans did not conduct an investigation – she presided over a whitewash.
-Hatuey-
We’re not talking about anti-vax though, only a tiny minority are anti-vax, and regarding lockdown, I’m not arguing about whether or not the lockdown is justified, merely noting that many younger voters are cracking up, looking at their quality of life collapsing and their prospects melt away to protect old people against a disease young people almost always recover from. There are folk who are in despair, they haven’t earned a penny in a year.
And then, and this is where the significance to Scottish politics comes in, whereas even Bojo the clown is a) quite apologetic about it and b) trying to give some hope, Sturgeon is seen as revelling in her (undeserved) Queen of Covid status and is pontificating that severe restrictions will have to remain in place. Even if you think anti-lockdowners- or perhaps a better way of saying it would be, people disgruntled with the current extent of restrictions- are wrong, can you not understand why they might be livid about Sturgeon’s current behaviour.
Now, I detest Glasgow Rangers, and as Ive been driving around Glasgow for my work today I’ve seen many large groups of their fans, whose usual boorishness makes me feel both disgusted and a little uneasy. Passing Ibrox itself was like a carnival. But the size of that mob indicates, to my mind, a population where a LOT of people want to release some steam.
By contrast if you are an affluent pensioner you might be mad keen for a bit of lockdown and for “Nicola”’s briefings but there’s not a chance in Hades that you’ll vote SNP.
I and others have argued for months on here that this will be the SNP’s Achilles Heel in this election.
At this rate Wales is going to be independent before us.
A first-rate analysis, Stuart.
On top of all of this, there is Nicola Sturgeon’s record of non-delivery.
Hospitals, ferries, education, new benefits system, action on drug deaths etc. etc.
In fact, it is hard to think of any achievements for ordinary people.
Now that the questions have started; they will spread to other areas.
Just a thought…but given the way the polls seem to be going, it looks like the outright majority the SNP seemed to be heading for only a few days ago is in real doubt. That (even potentially) being the case, it is even more vital that as many people as possible who are scunnered with the current SNP leadership, vote for ISP or AFI candidates to ensure the SNP have to rely on other pro-indy parties for a majority.
If ever there was a time for any of the “big hitters” currently sitting on the fence waiting to see what way the wind blows to make that leap of faith, it is now. It looks less and less likely the Sturgeonistas are going to be faced down by the toom tabards in the SNP: only REAL independence MSPs holding the balance of power in Holyrood and holding the gradualists feet to the fire, can ensure progress towards independence.
The message is simple. No votes for SNP on the list, and potentially abstain in constituencies where the SNP candidate is a roaster. We can’t afford to hand a party as institutionally and ideologically corrupt as the SNP an absolute majority.
Quiet in here tonight. I assume most readers are up George Square?
Hatuey says: at 5:14 pm
“As sure as night follows day, the anti-vaxxers are back…”
So straight to the anti-vaxxer labeling rather than accept there are folk who are skeptical of lockdown efficacy due to the way a blanket approach has been used across both urban and rural communities.
Plus there are those in the vaccine-critical grouping due to the vaccines’ quick development and roll-out, along with limited but ever growing real world assessment to gauge efficacy and side effects.
That’s awfy similar MO to the gender matter with the Transphobe labeling of anyone who is gender critical and doesn’t immediately drink the full fat Transwomen are women Kool-Aid.
Maybe you could assist me. What brand of vaccine and delivery timetable, if any, do you recommend would best fit my specific bio profile and lifestyle?
What if I have previously had a strain of covid and built up some kind of natural immunity already, does that factor need consideration?
As previously said by Stu the drop in support is partially due to the shock and anger of brexit fading away for some.
It will be interesting to see if in the next few weeks the anger due to AS affair and the resultant drop in support for Indy / snp will also subside ?
https://web.archive.org/web/20210303122310/http://petercherbi.blogspot.com/2021/03/first-interests-judge-recommended-for.html
“an independent Scotland might turn out to be a dangerously crooked, lawless dictatorship where the government and the establishment could do whatever they want to anyone without having to answer to anybody”
That, of course, is exactly what will happen if the SNP remain the party of Government. And saying, ‘look at the Tories in Westminster’ is not the attractive riposte that those who would employ it think it is. If the best that the leading Independence party can demonstrate is ‘we’ll be shite, bust, and corrupt, but at least we are Scots ruling from Edinburgh’ it’s not good enough.
Euan Whazermy says:
7 March, 2021 at 5:44 pm
I am guilty of being English by birth but have lived and worked in Scotland for 38 years. Until recently, I have been very proud of my adoptive country. Proud of the education system. Proud of the distinct legal system. Proud of the rich heritage of the nation that has allowed me to raise my family here.
That has all been blasted out the water.
I am more pro-independence now than ever before but less likely to vote SNP for the reasons listed in Stu’s blog. It is a very uncomfortable position to be in.
The point I want to make is that SNP strategists (if they even exist) should not over-generalise about the demographics and should not assume that incomers like myself are hostile to the concept of independence. Where we may differ is that we may attach more weight to prangmatics rather than principles, which does not make us ‘bad people’ necessarily.
The situation the country is currently in is actually quite serious and the ‘constitution’ itself appears to be under threat. I want to get back to the rule of law. I want an end to the abuse of power, to malicious prosecutions, and to a contempt for parliamentary democracy.
What is happening south of the border is pretty bad but England is fragmented and less easy to ‘control’.
Scotland has become too centralised and dominated by cronies who may, it appears, have backed the wrong horse.
Given me a new indy party with a firm committment to good governance, a vision for what independence might mean for ordinary folk, and leaders who can to some degree be trusted, and I will thrown my votes at it with little hesitation.
But someone needs to get a grip.
realistically, the only way forward I can see now is for there to be a major upheaval within the SNP
So Graham Campbell was chosen by 1 in 30 SNP members in Lothians while Emma Roddick secured the votes of 1 in 40 in Highlands & Islands. Democracy at work in Sturgeon’s Scotland.
“We can’t afford to hand a party as institutionally and ideologically corrupt as the SNP an absolute majority”
If they are institutionally and ideologically corrupt, why handing them seats at all? Why relying on them to deliver independence when we know they have no intention to deliver independence? It is like turkeys voting for Christmas.
Unless AFI or ISP are prepared to include a mandate for independence in their manifesto and become themselves the vehicle for independence that the SNP has ceased to be, frankly, this strategy of handing seats to a institutionally and ideologically corrupt SNP by the back door and and then relying on them to do the lifting seems from where I am standing like machine-gunning our own feet.
Ahundredidiot – You didn’t want the first lockdown either, did you? But it worked. Deaths and cases fell away in the summer but then people got complacent, crowded beaches all over UK, folk holidayed abroad and then we got the second wave. And you still don’t think we need lockdown, despite all the evidence around the world of Covid coming back when we ease up.
Hungary had got their levels right down then they held a football final and let in a big crowd. Weeks later the numbers started going up and up. In Italy, case numbers have doubled just in the last week or so. And I see the scenes outside Ibrox yday or George Square today or even my next door neighbours having two car loads of friends round today and think: we deserve all we get if this thing comes back round for a third time.
Pictures circulating on social media showing not only Britnat Huns running around Glasgow in blatant lockdown breaches but Police Scotland actually giving them an escort along a major road into the city-centre.
What a fuckin’ disgrace! Sturgeon is losing us our pro-indy advantage and she doesn’t give a shit because the scumbag will be off to pastures new as we’re all left struggling in her shit-swamp she created.
Just as the pendulum has swung suddenly and unexpectedly back from Celtic to Rangers, perhaps the pendulum will swing back from SNP to Labour, and just as severely.
Hello, Mia @ 5.15.
I take your point, at least in part replying to me concerning the story about (now-Sheriff) Olga Pasportosky (or something like that) finding NS’s behaviour in her earlier career being ‘unbecoming of a solicitor’, when you say:
‘That, in my view, is a squirrel to shield the leaker. The story about Sturgeon might be true, but that this was the reason for the leak about Mr Salmond? I think that is bllcks. I smell the British establishment starting to close ranks to stop the real reason for the leak coming out.’
In my post, I was NOT claiming that this ‘conduct unbecoming’ story was the reason for ‘the leak about Mr. Salmond’. Perhaps other people were making such claims, but that was not in my mind at all. My point was simply that that story, on its own, in its own right, seemed to me to be potentially ‘devastating’ for NS.
It suggested, if true, that she left the legal profession in a hurry. Which – again if true, and acknowledging that it might not be – sounds like a case of ‘better quit fast rather than get struck off, or have some disciplinary measures taken against you which would remain on public record.’
Besides which, as someone else says above, it would be interesting to know the identity of the alleged or probable male predator in the case in question. What was going on that NS failed to handle the presumed victim’s complaint in the manner required by law and/or legal professional ethics / conduct codes etc.
I also raised the further issue of whether there might (or might not) be some further gap(s) in NS’s history of employment in her days as a lawyer. All this might be worth looking into, if anyone out there with the required competence is able and willing to do so.
Having said all that, I do take (and indeed am inclined to agree with) your further point, according to which this story – potentially devastating for NS as I consider it to be – is nothing at all to do with the reasons why the story about Alex Salmond was so maliciously leaked to the Press. There could indeed have been totally other reasons for that, as outlined in your post, Mia.
I don’t think we are in any fundamental disagreement. But if I am wrong there, we can just agree to disagree. This is in fact one of the reasons why I am not in despair about the implosion of the SNP, especially in its current form. To be healthy and genuine, an independence movement needs to attract and include people from across the whole range of the political spectrum. Tying it to just one Party, as is now evident, is extremely dangerous because, as we are now seeing, that Party will try to use the movement in order to cling on to its own power interminably.
In other words, it will effectively try to use the independence agenda, and even independence, itself in order to create a virtual or actual One Party State. I have lived in countries which were operating a One Party System, and it is not to be recommended. If we want an independent Scotland that will be genuinely democratic, we need an independence movement that includes committed supporters from right across just about the whole range of political opinion.
In this regard, I think AFI is a very positive development, and I hope it grows quickly, and does well. I also think we need high profile pro-Indy candidates to stand as Independents (‘Independents for Independence’) in some constituencies, in order to give Indy supporters who will not or cannot vote SNP someone to vote for. The SNP has to learn – even the hard way – that it is not the only show in town for independence supporters, and it must stop abusing them (us) and taking their (our) votes for granted.
I think there is still everything to play for in this coming election. And there is still loads to hope for. The SNP needs to be given a very good shake, and I think that can and will still happen – for the ultimate good of both the independence movement and of the kind of genuinely Pluralistic and Democratic Scotland that should and will emerge after independence is gained.
John Martini says:
7 March, 2021 at 5:22 pm
Hautey
You are not qualified. Read La Peste. You can’t control a virus.
————
As predicted. I am dumb. Everyone is dumb – except the anti-vaxxers.
Forget how we stamped out small pox, rabies, rubella, the plague, etc… that doesn’t fit with the narrative.
Dan @ 6:03pm
Spot on. Pleased to see a few comments on here recently about this. It’s bad enough trying to find someone to vote for who is pro-indy but anti-woke but add in a requirement for some actual critical thinking on Covid and you are scunnered.
Mia says:
7 March, 2021 at 6:14 pm
“Unless AFI or ISP are prepared to include a mandate for independence in their manifesto”
watch this space
then again, there’s also some constructive analysis elsewhere..
https://scotgoespop.blogspot.com/2021/03/an-extraordinary-weekend-when-media.html
Even Pfizer doesn’t claim its “vaccine” confers immunity, nor does it claim it stops transmission. It does claim it reduces severe symptoms in vulnerable old people but remember the median age of death with/from Covid is 82 in the UK (and 84 in Sweden).
I think most people would expect a genuine vaccine to make you truly immune.
I also fail to see how a “vaccine” cooked up in six months can be properly tested for medium to long-term risks.
I am not an “anti-vaxxer”: I had my ‘flu vaccine last November. That term and “conspiracy theorist” is usually employed by people who can’t really summon an argument and have to resort to mindless smearing but I’m sure it cheers the pharmaceutical companies who stand to make billions out of all this.
I’m afraid it is no longer about an independent Scotland or even membership of the EU, it’s all about the construction of a globalist technocracy. That is what is going on with Johnson in number 10 Biden in the White House and Sturgeon in Holyrood. All puppets of the Trillateral commission, world economic forum and the United Nations these are the real deep State.
EW
Its happening everywhere from the borders to the Highlands to the Islands, sometimes I wonder which country i`m in. I wouldn’t take much more southern immigration to change the demographic of Scotland forever.
Choices
But what are the people here’s choices only two I see just now
Continue to give your support by the way of a vote for the SNP , therefore you are accepting how the management are conducting party and government business your vote is your endorsement you agree therefore the party management will view this as approval of current strategy and will be encouraged to keep going because they are doing what the members want ,
well it’s not really what they want it’s the only fkn option
The second choice because the previous was the first choice , the second lesser of two evils is withdraw support because you have a good idea that the management ain’t listening won’t change haven’t been pushing for Independence so what have you got to lose sure the unionist media and that is all the media will have a ball Christmas ,Boxing Day every celebration under the sun on the one day wrapped up Jocks rejected a chance of independence, that’s it we reject it .
Both the above have been brought about by Nicola Sturgeon and her fkn useless management team , I won’t forgive and certainly won’t forget it so the MPS and MSPs better be on the right side of history here because there is no middle ground no safe place , CHOOSE it’s your call
President Xiden @ 8:00pm
Much as I cannae stand him I don’t think Johnson is really their man. He might be a lot of things but woke he is not. I imagine Starmer may be more up their street.
Mcduff 8.11pm . I’ve said for quite a while now that in about 5/6 years time , with the rate of rest of uk immigration into Scotland , independence will be a dead duck forever cos we will just be constantly outvoted and probably even then have tories permanently foisted on us.
Tannadice boy says:
7 March, 2021 at 4:54 pm
Stu wrote an article sometime ago commenting on the correlation between the demise of Labour and Rangers. I have tried to recover this article but must be using the wrong search words. Interesting
You tangerines did very well today. Very organised and could have stolen it as we huffed and puffed. I am a scunnered Celt. I don’t grudge The Rangers their victory and celebration of one in a row but the inconsistency of Sturgeon and Police State Scotland is nothing short of scandalous. The public health lot could have allowed a socially distanced celebration but they weren’t interested. They talk about data not dates but they prefer to listen to blowhards like Leitch and catatrophists like Devi Shridhar despite all the risk data going in one direction. like the SNP poll ratings; down. ?
Derek 5.58pm with over 700,000 incomers resident in wales who influenced the brexit vote, google prof danny dorling. Wales will never ever be an independent country.
Breeks, everything you say about how we should be bypassing devolution and using thr sovereignty of Scots to go to the UN and International bodies for recognition sounds to me the right way to do things. But, HOW do we, as ordinary people, with no experience or expertise in this actually go about it? Until there is a knowledgeable and skilled leader to show us the way, how do we organise ourselves to bring this about? Within the law as it stands? with the corruption in COPFS and Police Scotland as things stand? No one is stepping up to the plate to lead us, not Craig Murray, not Alex Salmond, and definitely NOT Joanna Cherry, who answered my message of support by saying we should still support and vote SNP.
I believe that Brexit was the very point where we had the undoubted, irrefutable and incontestable right to declare independence, and that it would have been recognised
internationally at that point.
With the polls now turning against us, we have less moral authority, we have no leader, we have no legal experts to argue our case. If there was a way right now to make a move, i would be first in line with my support, but there is nothing. So how exactly do you suggest we make this vital move right here, right now, we as ordinary individuals who just want to achive our dream of indy? we need action, not words, so what action, in the here and now?
That should be google prof danny dorling wales brexit.
President Xiden says:
7 March, 2021 at 8:00 pm
I’m afraid it is no longer about an independent Scotland or even membership of the EU, it’s all about the construction of a globalist technocracy. That is what is going on with Johnson in number 10 Biden in the White House and Sturgeon in Holyrood. All puppets of the Trillateral commission, world economic forum and the United Nations these are the real deep State.
————
Baconfoil HALF PRICE in Asda now!–run
All those vaccines were developed over many years with safety in mind. You are advocating the use of experimental vaccines that don’t confer immunity as a way of stopping a pandemic where the absolute risk to the majority of people is tiny.
I know it’s irrelevant really but Mhairi Hunter is a total moron
@Fionan & Breeks
Sorry to rain on your parade, but we don’t. I share your sense of frustration, but the only certain route to independence which is recognised internationally is by clearly demonstrating a majority of Scots support it. Whether it’s via a referendum or plebiscitary elections is less important than a clear result.
I agree we need new leadership and I think a new party, but I can’t see how you think a grass roots movement is going to deliver indy. Right here, right now all we can do is plan to displace the gradualists surely? To offer an alternative to their foot dragging, institutional corruption and lack of ambition.
There aren’t any shortcuts.
We have work to do, or we just accept what we’ve got for generations to come.
Excellent findings Stu, as ever. I’m astounded that it was a 40pc to 35pc split on who didn’t believe/did believe Nicola was telling the whole truth.
However I would have to disagree with this conclusion about the slipping of the independence vote, – “Because this is the worst of all possible worlds.”
As a lifelong Nationalist, the worst of all worlds is actually the SNP/Greens getting a majority, as then GRA and bonkers Hate Crimes will become the number one priority for the Holyrood Parliament.
If NS doesn’t walk away (and it dont look like she will) then the only thing the pro-indy movement can do is build a new party from the start. Fair enough, it may take 5, 10 or even 20 years to become a force, but at least we could trust where it was going. If NS is still in charge come May then the next 15 years will see her stranglehold on the party tighten and we know that means independence will always be another vote down the line.
@ Scott, Tints, and Hatuey if reading.
I just felt the urge to add some thoughts that have been rattling around my heid with the way things are playing out.
So many folk these days just seem to live like dis-empowered drones, accepting whatever commands and narratives are beamed into their unquestioning minds.
So few appear to comprehend that it is thinking outside the restricted box of current convention that generates the potential to advance and benefit society.
In fact sometimes there is definite worth in looking back too, as the pioneers and freethinkers of yesteryear have already made discoveries that seem to have been forgotten in today’s world.
Maybe it is because I am a practically minded engineering type, but I always look to see how to make things more efficient or resolve issues.
I don’t take everything at face value as determined by some person or organisation.
Talking of face value, that reminds me of a time I questioned convention and experts. Seeing as this is an old thread I’ll add this.
Well over a decade ago I contracted a Basal Cell Carcinoma on my nose. Possibly caused from time spent in the sun, or potentially through something toxic I was exposed to working in the engineering industry.
Following accepted convention I attended a GP surgery. That was as far as convention got me, because the GP couldn’t work the digital camera, which meant that pics were not sent to the dermatolgist for quick assessment, this led to a significant delay which allowed the carcinoma to develop in size with all that entailed.
I finally got to see the consultant after months, who then stated they would not be able to sort it that day because if the skin graft didn’t take or became infected over crimbo and new year it couldn’t be dealt with as staff were on holiday.
Eh what? I said, what is this talk of skin grafts? Nobody had told me about this.
I was then told that unfortunately I was going to be left with significant facial scarring as they were going to effectively cut a significant amount of the skin off one half of my snout to take a decent margin to ensure they removed all the dodgy stuff, then graft a bit of my butt / thigh skin on to cover it. Fook!
So I left in a fairly shocked state and traveled the two hours home and fired up the internet.
Skin cancers of which a BCC is pretty low grade and “the best” one to get are well known in the likes of Australia where they have more sun that Scotland.
There were some treatment creams that might work but they were pricey and not available in the UK.
So some further searching revealed vitamin C as an option.
So a quick walk down to the chemist and procured some generic vit C tablets.
Crushed one into powder and put it in an old milk bottle top and added a small amount of water and stirred till it was dissolved. Then proceeded to dab some on the affected area with a cotton bud.
BCCs form scabs that continually shed leaving an ulcer underneath and it slowly grows in size.
The vit C treatment I read about did state that there would be slight inflammation and mild stinging in the area after regularly applying the solution, and the scab would form as usual and shed but hopefully having killed off an all the cancerous cells.
Well it took around a week but it did work and left a small pink area of healthy scar skin.
So for the sake of trying something outside the box, I wasn’t left with permanent significant facial scarring using a treatment that cost a few pence rather than costing NHS Scotland thousands on surgery.
I did attend another appointment a month or so later with the same oncologist I had met previously, who was now rather miffed that the BCC wasn’t on my nose anymore!
They did take a biopsy section across the area which did slightly reduce the scarred area, and that came back clear.
Have just recently treated another one too.
Apparently having spoken to another oncologist I happened to meet and tell this too, they stated some genetic factors determine if this method of treatment works.
I read that Vit C solution is used on burns victims, think that was from back in the day reading up on Archibald McIndoe who used skin graft pendicles to treat badly injured forces personnel in the 2nd world war.
Harry
go look up Florida versus California and then shut the fuck up up.
Moron.
@Dan: thank God an independent-minded engineer thought for himself. Hope your remain healthy.
On a totally trivial level, my GP thought my cholesterol was a bit high (6.2) and tried to get me on statins, citing my post code as a risk factor. He got quite peeved when I asked if a move to Milngavie would improve my chances of avoiding various health problems.
“So many folk these days just seem to live like dis-empowered drones, accepting whatever commands and narratives are beamed into their unquestioning minds.
So few appear to comprehend that it is thinking outside the restricted box of current convention that generates the potential to advance and benefit society.”
Quite so. Every time I hear the whining, adenoidal dentist Jason Leitch telling me what to do I get the irresistible urge to buy a cute little imaginary kitten from a metaphorical pet shop and drop-kick it over my back fence.
Nicky’s bestie, Devi Sridhar (don’t mention the Wellcome Trust), is another whose enthusiasm for non-immunising “jabs” extends to the Impossible Dream of a non-Covid world. Not being a virologist or immunologist, she doesn’t convince at all. Call me old-fashioned but I believe viruses mutate, and usually become weaker but that’s just my schoolboy biology (1972).
The Common Cold (a coronavirus itself) Unit ran for decades hoping for a cure and gave up in 1989.
I think we are now at the point where it needs Alex Salmond, Kenny MacAskill, Joanne Cherry and Angus MacNeil and maybe a few others to leave the SNP behind and stand on the list. Short of that I think we are fucked. I don’t think I will see Indy in my lifetime if they don’t.
With each passing year life gets harder and it gets harder to come out and canvass for Indy and nurture the Indy cause. With each passing day my anger at Sturgeon and the present SNP grows. It is also clear with each passing day that we don’t have a foggy of winning any referendum with Sturgeon in charge.
@ Iain More: agree and emailed Joanna Cherry a few days ago to tell her this, saying that I won’t be voting SNP any more unless the current corrupt crew is cleared out.
@Dan 10.03, @Tinto Chiel, 10.35
HIgh dose Vitamin C was used successfully by the Chinese to treat Covid.
Slow hand clap …
@cirsium: sounds good. I’m more of a Vitamin D man myself 🙂 .
Trouble is that, as I’m sure you know, these are both ridiculously cheap and effective therapies.
Huge profits to be made by Big Pharma, above all if they can bully the proles into taking “the jab”, otherwise vaccine passports/certificates will be withheld and bang go holidays, access to normal social life in pubs/restaurants/shops/sporting events und so weiter.
But they wouldn’t, would they?
MIchael Gove seems an honest chap after all 😉 .
@Tinto Chiel (10.35) –
Bravo!
😉
Talking of Big Pharma and money…
Retro stuff from over a year ago. Some may recall Jo Swinson / LibDems were getting substantial donations from Spire Healthcare of amounts the SNP would probably orgasm over given their current financial woes.
If Spire were bunging money at individuals such as Jo Swinson who lost her seat, what real benefit was that to them, when the likes of SNP were more electorally successful and in a better position to push the same desired policies that Spire would benefit from?
https://twitter.com/JeanHatchet/status/1202625649032224768
(I’m sure those now deleted tweets / account responding to Jean in the thread highlighted much larger amounts going to LibDems. (1.2 or 1.6 million iirc)
Why would the SNP be so doggedly focused on pushing this genderwoowoo stuff if there wasn’t some kind of quid pro quo in it for them?
Sturgeon must be the only manager who gets rewarded for tactical failure over and over again.
Usually football managers get a few attempts. She has had countless. At the heart of the problem is Sturgeon’s tactical illiteracy.
She miscalculated Theresa May on the referendum , and had no contingency.
She miscalculated the SNP and yes voters in 2017, lost 21 Mps. Because she offered nothing in her manifesto.
She missed 2 chances for a referendum by concentrating on stopping England’s Brexit.
She thought she could just watch the yes vote going up by doing nothing. Now it’s going down.
Most of all she risked everything to destroy Salmond’s career. It backfired big time.
Now she will screw up the election and independence with it.
@Dan: your impure Swinsonian thotts have also crossed my mind.
Where does it all end? Are there any normal/sensible/empathetic MPs/MSPs or are they all just voting fodder under the control of The Grate Leader?
Silly question?
Bonsoir, mes braves.
@Dan yes the Swinson payments popped into my mind earlier too. There is certainly money to be made from this woowoo stuff. Surely they wouldn’t try to sell unnecessary treatments to anyone though?
I imagine almost all readers of this site take everything they read with regard to Scotland, and politics in general, with a very large pinch of salt but the same people may take what The Dentist and his cronies say at face value as ‘we are all in this together’.
I take no pleasure from seeing either Rangers or Celtic winning anything, and am quite certain that the celebrations today included behaviour that no one would want to see, but I wouldn’t include the simple act of ‘gathering’ in this category. It simply highlighted to me that if everyone just got on with their lives then there is very little that could be done to stop it.
@ Euan Whazermy 1744
Agree, I don’t travel abroad very often but when I do and speak to the locals they cannot understand why we are not independent and how we voted against it in 2014, all I could say, was, next time, now I’m not even sure if there will be a next time. There is no momentum, nothing, vague promises, endless mandates.
.
Dear Stuart,
You are right to say there is no solace nor comfort in watching the disintegration of the McWoke SNP.
Ian Brotherhood, THANK YOU. That article by Dorothy Grace Elder SHOULD be republished NOW and sent through every letterbox in Scotland…
https://wingsoverscotland.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/alienate.jpg
My brother’s MSP is Kenny Gibson and this article shows the Ayrshire mafia MSP and Sturgeon have been besties for a long time. Gibson always did have a shitty aroma about him. Imagine being so petty as to tell a constituent: “I wish I hadn’t sent you a Christmas card”. Gibson, you are a shitty little creep. This WILL cost you votes. That article Dorothy Grace Elder wrote is getting put all round the constituency so voters know what a little lickspittle turd you really are and VOTE otherwise for someone that is honest and not just a political trougher like you with no principles.
What these creeps don’t realise is that when the poor suckers who deliver the SNP leaflets into letterboxes realise they are being taken for mugs and saps, they down tools and we get the SNP disaster of Sturgeon losing 21 MPs in the 2017 election.
I have a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach that the SNP will be lucky if it manages to holdget more than 40 MSPs in total on 6th May 2021.
Whatever you your thought process on this, some very clever people have been working very hard to destroy the SNP ever since 19th September 2014.
Alex Salmond leading pro-indy LIST party and securing 20 to 25 pro-indy MSPs to keep the McWoke rump of SNP MSPs honest is the only viable way we get to IndyRef 2.
Lastly, I don’t do social media, but reckon a copy or link to this…
https://wingsoverscotland.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/alienate.jpg
should be shared in every Facebook and Twitter account to let the disgusting careerist politicians know we are onto them.
I find it strange when Independence supporters who complained that the SNP were not serious enough about independence are happy to allow the SNP to lose it’s Holyrood majority and set the cause back another 20 years.
They are a bit like the Liberals fighting Labour to let the Tories
in on Camerons election……..That worked out really well for them didn’t it.
gullaneno4 says:
8 March, 2021 at 8:52 am
I find it strange when Independence supporters who complained that the SNP were not serious enough about independence are happy to allow the SNP to lose it’s Holyrood majority and set the cause back another 20 years.
They are a bit like the Liberals fighting Labour to let the Tories
in on Camerons election……..That worked out really well for them didn’t it.
The current leadership of the SNP are against independence, not their dwindling membership.
I forgot to thank iain brotherhood and Dorothy Grace Elder.
I do now.
paul says:
The current leadership of the SNP are against independence, not their dwindling membership.
Yep. Well done Paul. You’ve done well. Good boy Paul.
Baked into progressive politics is a need to be justified by change. Change -Good, bad or indifferent, is the only thing that matters. Not outcomes, not democracy, not freedom. If you want to find the most killing, murderous regimes look for big ideas and big change and a the resultant frightening disregard for existing laws, customs and freedoms. Men? Sure they can be women. Free speech that we have fought and died for over centuries? just a cover for regression ban it.
You could have used that scene from Alien too.
All the more gutting because we’ve lost some amazingly auspicious opportunities to detach from the UK since the EU referendum..