On 5 April 2021, I sent a short and simple Freedom Of Information (FOI) request to the Scottish Government asking for:
“All written evidence to James Hamilton’s QC investigation into the FM under the ministerial code. This includes evidence from the FM, her chief of staff Liz Lloyd and any other individuals within the Scottish Government who have submitted evidence.”
In a 12-month period running up to the last UK general election, the UK state gave the SNP a little over £1.3 million.
In the corresponding period for the last year, after the party was reduced to just nine seats, that figure plunged to just over £0.4 million, a drop of over £0.9 million.
For lack of anything more interesting to write about, we thought we might do a monthly rundown of polling in the leadup to next year’s Holyrood election, with seat projections from a neutral source, in the shape of the newish Devolved Elections website.
The motion completely ignored both the findings of the Cass Review and the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland, but not a single MSP spoke in opposition to it. (Jenni Minto, the Minister For Public Health And Women’s Health, actually broke down in tears at the end because she wasn’t managing to get children’s futures permanently destroyed with sufficient urgency, mainly because the UK Parliament took legislation out of Holyrood’s hands to protect them.)
Disgraced ex-policeman and notorious vexatious serial complainant Lynsay Watson is having quite the meltdown on the groomer-and-paedophile haven Bluesky tonight.
To be honest, we’re mainly putting these here so you don’t have to keep looking at that picture of Alan Cumming.
But they also show what you can achieve, whether in football or politics, if you actually attack rather than being content to endlessly shuttle it all sideways and backwards until you get beaten without even taking a shot.
It’s Wings’ 14th birthday today, and to be entirely honest with you, readers, like a lot of teenagers we’re having a bit of an existential crisis. It’s quite difficult to see any point in being a Scottish political journalist for the next five years, because it’s just going to be one depressing Groundhog Day after another.
So rather than moan on as usual, today we’re handing over to a precocious new talent whose enthusiasm can’t be dimmed. It’s one that garnered a lot of attention this week by delivering a comprehensive and very entertaining spanking to SNP MP and devoted friend of the site Pete “Cosy Feet” Wishart.
With skills like that already placing it well beyond the abilities of most of the Scottish political commentariat, we thought we’d give it a tryout and ask it to take a look into the country’s future.
The following article is completely unedited other than a bit of formatting, though we did ask it (with only partial success) to tone down the haggis-and-bagpipes stuff slightly from its first draft. Ladies and gentlemen, we give you Grok. Unlike most journos, it provided links and it did write its own headline.
Aidan on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Quite right! Both votes SNP, that’ll show the yoons! Or you could be one of the ten people voting for…” Dec 8, 18:41
Nae Need! on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Indeed, Northcode. And for once, I’d prefer (hold me back, hold me back) NOT to go on a huge rant…” Dec 8, 18:17
Hatey McHateface on The Long Walk To Freedom: “@ Northcode says: 8 December, 2025 at 5:50 pm “ALL colonialists are bad” Oh aye. That’s why you go to…” Dec 8, 18:13
twathater on The Long Walk To Freedom: “HaHaHaHa another wee yoonionist shittin his breeks , now lads we are all good Jockos lets get together and vote…” Dec 8, 18:07
Nae Need on The Long Walk To Freedom: “No. But by fuck the wriggling on the line puts ALL worms to shame. Talking of worms . . ;-)…” Dec 8, 18:04
Hatey McHateface on The Long Walk To Freedom: ““it’s time the Scots stopped whining” Finally. Please tell us you’ll be leading from the front, although your “released from…” Dec 8, 17:58
Northcode on The Long Walk To Freedom: “ALL colonialists are bad… that’s why they’re colonialists.” Dec 8, 17:50
Nae Need! on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Lolz, you having a laugh? To LABOUR? 🙂 Fuxache.” Dec 8, 17:48
agentx on The Long Walk To Freedom: ““It is not the role of the court to adjudicate on the arguments in the public domain on the meaning…” Dec 8, 17:44
Nae Need! on The Long Walk To Freedom: “One of Stu’s recent pieces, I’m sure, outlined a plan for tactical voting: vote Your Party. We’ll see nearer the…” Dec 8, 17:43
twathater on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Like GM , Benjamin I would like to thank you for your tenacity and doggedness in trying to get this…” Dec 8, 17:34
Hatey McHateface on The Long Walk To Freedom: ““a ‘digested’ form of another civilization that had once gatecrashed into” Scotland, where it remains still” Sure. There’s at least…” Dec 8, 17:31
Hatey McHateface on The Long Walk To Freedom: “2:46 pm on a Monday and James finally has baith socks on (on his feet, that is). Tired are you,…” Dec 8, 17:25
Nae Need! on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Spot on, Effigy. Stu, I marvel and wonder at your tenacity. I love it. We need you to continue to…” Dec 8, 17:12
Alf Baird on The Long Walk To Freedom: “‘The Initimate Enemy: Loss and Recovery of Self under Colonialism’ (Ashis Nandy) From which we might similarly consider, as Nandy…” Dec 8, 16:58
Northcode on The Long Walk To Freedom: “The cost of failure is nothing when compared with the cost to a people subjugated and seeking their freedom. This,…” Dec 8, 16:55
Marie on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Another spurious decision from a Scottish judge – Camp Zeist/not-proven nonsense all over again. Get rid of the Scottish legal…” Dec 8, 16:36
James on The Long Walk To Freedom: “More utter bollocks from the Site Prick, there. *Yawn*.” Dec 8, 14:46
Tinto Chiel on Off-topic: “Is there anybody there?” Dec 8, 14:14
James Cheyne on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Usually if you can’t get a direct answer from the office worker staff, then you go to boss of the…” Dec 8, 14:04
James Cheyne on The Long Walk To Freedom: “I often swither between their being a union between Scotland and England or aTreaty, If a treaty exists then the…” Dec 8, 13:36
agentx on The Long Walk To Freedom: “https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/sandie-peggie-v-fife-health-board-and-another-judgment-and-summary/ Link to Sandie Peggie Tribunal decision.” Dec 8, 13:27
agentx on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Sandie Peggie has won part her employment tribunal against NHS Fife on harassment grounds. However, the claim made against transgender…” Dec 8, 13:24
Hatey McHateface on The Long Walk To Freedom: ““a fully genuine Scottish parliament it would have total control” Too true, James. Seemingly, as reputedly wanted by a clear…” Dec 8, 13:09
James Cheyne on The Long Walk To Freedom: “No such thing at the moment as a Scottish Government, only the governance of Scotland through the Scotland Act from…” Dec 8, 12:51
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Long Walk To Freedom: “ASH REGAN MSP – THE LEGACY OF ALEX SALMOND (Full Speech, Nov 2024) www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5NxegebVqI” Dec 8, 12:51
James Cheyne on The Long Walk To Freedom: “North code, It is obvious that some people think that Scotland has a real genuine down to earth Scottish parliament,…” Dec 8, 12:43
James Cheyne on The Long Walk To Freedom: “Political division speil of global planning, The pensioners being older already paid taxes in their life to ensure financial security…” Dec 8, 12:28
