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Wings Over Scotland


A government in hiding

Posted on September 29, 2020 by

Here’s one more for the list.

The comments from committee convener and SNP MP Linda Fabiani (we guess she must be another of those MI5 plants/secret Unionists) are really quite extraordinary. In terms of Parliamentary language they’re only a hair’s-breadth short of an invitation to step outside and settle things with an old-school dust-up in the car park.

(The emphases below are ours.)

“The Committee continues to be completely frustrated with the lack of evidence and, quite frankly, obstruction it is experiencing.

We had hoped to be in a position to hear further oral evidence, but with responses still outstanding from the Scottish Government, Chief Executive of the SNP and the former First Minister, all of this means that we simply cannot proceed at this stage.

We have no choice but to meet in private again next week to review the evidence we have received to date.”

A public inquiry which the First Minister unequivocally promised to “co-operate fully” with, and assured its members that they “will be able to request whatever material they want, and I undertake today that we will provide whatever material they request”, has now been reduced to sitting around in private twiddling its thumbs and re-reading old submissions because the Scottish Government has treated it with complete contempt, endlessly refused to produce requested documentation, refused to submit statements, refused to appear in person, and attempted to submit illegal files instead.

And it’s not a one-off. Stonewalling is now the Scottish Government’s modus operandi.

Any remotely awkward question is met with total silence, not even a “no comment”. We know of several journalists who’ve asked questions on a range of subjects, including the mysterious “ring-fenced” indy fundraiser money, and they tell us that without fail they simply vanish into the ether with no reply, not even a denial. And we know from our own experiences that Freedom Of Information requests meet a similar fate.

(It’s very telling that one of the Scottish Government’s first reactions to the COVID-19 crisis was to try to massively extend the time limit for FOI responses from 20 working days to 60, which seems pointless since the responses almost never actually answer the questions anyway.)

It’s no different for SNP members, or even elected representatives – we know they can’t get any answers either. Our inbox has been filling up in recent days with tales from party members who’ve raised issues with the leadership and the NEC and been completely blanked.

It seems incredible that the SNP would think it could simply “LA LA LA LA LA WE’RE NOT LISTENING” its way to next May’s general election, but it very much seems to be the strategy it’s attempting as it tries to evade scrutiny on an ever-growing catalogue of failure and chicanery. Only time will tell if it succeeds.

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The Blind Squirrel

Am so disheartened reading negative articles about my fellow freedom fighters. But not doing anything never works for us just ask the Scottish men’s football team who have conceded many a late goal to end in glorious failure. We need to get on with winning our independence. I’m just at a loss as how we do this now. 🙁

Mist001

But they can “LA LA LA LA LA WE’RE NOT LISTENING” on its way to next May’s general election because who’s going to challenge them, let alone beat them? Tories are the second most popular party in Scotland and they have zero chance. The others shouldn’t even bother getting out of bed.

They can’t be voted out, they’re essentially fixtures and fittings in Scotland and they damned well know that.

Like I said last night, there needs to be a radical change in Scottish politics, otherwise this lot are there for good and radical change means thinking the unthinkable, to coin a phrase.

Stoker

On this issue alone there’s reason enough for everyone to be demanding Sturgeon’s resignation. Either way this is looked at does not give undecideds confidence in what an indy Scotland might be like.

How do we argue against any such corruption claims? We can’t, other than to say but it may not be the snp who are in government in an indy Scotland. But even that argument is as weak as cold tea. Growing more weary by the day.

Andrew F

Spent some time tumbling down the rabbit hole of the Wishart twitter thread referred to in the comments from the last piece.

Apparently Rev Stu is “toxic”.

What caught my eye was the number of people who agreed with that but also said things like: “He’s got a point though” and “He’s done a lot for independence and exposing MSM lies” etc..

Keep on keeping on.

Morgatron

Blind Squirrel, I couldn’t put it any better myself. I’m at the point of not voting at all in May. The party still have many great people but sadly to many are leaving at the next election and I can see it left to these wasters, troughers, career politicians and wokists to bring the curtain down finally on independence. Shower if shite.

[…] Wings Over Scotland A government in hiding Here’s one more for the list. The comments from committee convener and SNP MP Linda […]

Republicofscotland

I can see what’s coming down the line, a second total lockdown in Scotland at Sturgeon’s request. This coming lockdown will see us into the New Year, possibly March, then obfuscation will be the order of the day until the election in May, if its not cancelled.

In the meantime can the SNP hierarchy really continue to stick its head in the sand on this and many more important issues such as our currency, and central bank, let alone Plan B.

Its being to look like this can of worms can only be opened from the inside.

1971Thistle

This is not going away, and will become mainstream soon enough. They should have analysed what the plan was in the event of an acquittal, however unlikely they thought it was. Ah well, pride comes before a fall.

All I can think is that they’re now arguing over who walks the plank from each side (party and civil service). None seem particularly brave.

The alternative is that the truth is so bad that it’s better to leave it to the imagination than come clean

Stuart MacKay

Republicofscotland

Another lockdown is pretty much inevitable unless folks over 60 are going to be required to take one for the team.

You can be sure the Scottish Government is going to take full advantage of it but the combined tsunami of covid and brexit is going to sink a lot of people and it’s a testament to the government’s apathy/lethargy/incompetence that it appears they think they can ride this out, emerge in the spring, and win the May elections.

Mac

You know it has to be bad for them to stonewall as bad as this. What a shower of cunts. They really are despicable.

Mist001

How can Scotland afford another lockdown? Furlough ends at the end of next month and currently, Mrs. Murrell can’t even afford to close the schools.

No lockdown unless the UK treasury throws a shitload of money in Scotlands direction.

Republicofscotland

Stuart MacKay.

The sad thing is Stuart, we really don’t have time to waste on the indy front, with the Internal Market bill, which looks set to devastate our parliaments ability to function properly, further damage our economy, and see our living standards plummet.

I feel there isn’t going to be a indyref for many a year, and possibly none at all if Westminster prevails with this bill. We should have been better prepared, a rock solid currency plan, preferably our own currency, a central bank, and all the other necessary department set up that a independent country needs from the off.

Instead we got the Growth Commission report, and a fair bit of finger pointing at Westminster, we the people are ready for independence, but it certainly doesn’t look like our government is prepared for it. I see some saying we’ll be independent in 10 years, the time is now not in a decade away, providing Holyrood still exists.

I guess there’s a hell of a lot of people who feel as though they’ve been kicked in the stomach by the revelations of all this, and more.

M Girrie

I’m not quite getting your blood hound approach to this. It’s articles like this that aim to cause splits in the party support at such a crucial time. Why don’t you do something useful and expose some of Boris’s cronies who have bankrupted the UK by profiteering out of a pandemic, your spoilt for choice.

Gary45%

Where do “we” ( the Indy movement) go from here?
Remember “Divided we fall”
It would be far too easy for me to say, “hey they’re not as bad as the rest”, I have done on more occasions than I care to remember, but its looking like they have fallen into the same mire as the rest. ( looks like I was the mug when discussing “how different they were compared to the rest” with Yoon friends.)
Surely the “MI5s” of this world will have all the details on the alleged obstruction, texts, phone calls, messages etc.
The question is, why are they not handing them over?
Could it be they are holding onto the “smoking gun” until Indy Ref2 is called? then unleash the details to an unsuspecting electorate?
We all know Sturgeon is held in high esteem with her handling of Covid etc, but we all know the Yoon controlled media, will jump at the chance of any type of smear.
Could it be they are still holding onto the fantasy of still jailing the “Father of Independence”, to smear the Indy movement?
Once “they” (the establishment) have realised that is a “busted flush”, then the proverbial “sh*t” may hit the fan.
Once again,
Divided we fall.

Beaker

If that was one of the Westminster Committees the blood would have been ankle deep on the floor by now.

Pete

She can order as many lockdowns as she wants but none of my family will take a blind bit of notice.
We’re done with all this nonsense.
My wife and I are 75 plus.

Stuart MacKay

Just to muddy the waters even further. I don’t see anyone talking about all the routine and not so routine treatments being postponed by the hospitals – no screening, no biopsies, no early stage treatments – all are put on hold as the medical services focus on covid. The simple fact is that the health service has administrators that are simply incapable of dealing with covid and their incompetence is going to cost a lot of lives. We all know whose door the blame for this is going to lie.

So as Republicofscotland says the time is now and history is going to be a harsh judge of all this inaction.

We’ve really upset the karma gods to end up with this circus of clowns.

Holymacmoses

Does a referendum have to be demanded by a political party? Can the people of the country raise the issue?

Garrion

Great. Not only do you turn a competent and capable party into ScotLab light, but in the face of an issue that is GOING to be raw meat for the MSM and WILL be used at the appropriate time to fog the shit out of any movement towards actual independence, your response is a completely self interested silence. Time to storm the Palace.

stuart mctavish

The inquiry remit is:

“To consider and report on the actions of the First Minister, Scottish Government officials and special advisers in dealing with complaints about Alex Salmond, former First Minister, considered under the Scottish Government’s “Handling of harassment complaints involving current or former ministers1 and procedure and actions in relation to the Scottish Ministerial Code.”

Absolutely nothing in there about party political business, the Chief Executive of the SNP or the respective spouses of the current FM, Scottish Government officials, special advisers or even the ex FM so I’d say the committee may have disgraced itself with that press release and is due Mr Murrel and his wife its most profound apologies.

Jim Bo

The whole situation just pisses me off so much. It’s infuriating and incomprehensible that it’s come to this.

tartanfever

‘No lockdown unless the UK treasury throws a shitload of money in Scotlands direction.’

You mean borrows money, or creates it from thin air. The idea that the UK treasury has vast savings is deranged.

There will be a lockdown if Public Health requires it. End of.

Bob Mack

I am pretty sure everybody on this site wants Indy. That’s not up for debate. I also think their problem lies with the behaviour of the SNP exclusively.

We are not causing a problem. We are merely pointing out those who are by their behaviour and management choices.

The SNP and not us are derailing the Indy train for whatever reason.

Mist001

Scotland don’t have the borrowing powers. They were requesting them just a few weeks ago as if the UK government is going to lend money to a country which wants to leave the UK!

Unless the UK government gives Scotland more money, then Mrs. Murrell cannot afford to lockdown Scotland. As I said, she can’t even afford to close the schools despite the likelihood that that is where the increase in infections are coming from.

It’s the economy, stupid!

Kenny

Gary45%, 5.33pm:

Surely the “MI5s” of this world will have all the details on the alleged obstruction, texts, phone calls, messages etc.
The question is, why are they not handing them over?
Could it be they are holding onto the “smoking gun” until Indy Ref2 is called? then unleash the details to an unsuspecting electorate?

If your point is feasible, it emphasises why we need to scrub everything on the blackboard, now, and start again. The instant this SNP calls a referendum* it’ll all be laid out in the open, and we’ll be such losers. In fact, it’s highly probable that *that’s* the very reason she’s not calling it – the mountain of shit has become so high that she doesn’t have a shovel big enough to deal with it. Ergo; she not only won’t call a ref but she *can’t* call a ref.
Wishart – yes you, you clown’s clown – will be delighted.

Mac

People need to stop going on about splitting the party like it is something we are doing. The party is worse than split already. We have folk running it who are clear and obvious rats. We are not talking about splitting a unified party we are talking about how do we clear out the rats nest that has done a stealth coup d‘etat. Nothing that is happening now is anyone’s fault other than the rats who tried to frame Alex Salmond. That was a declaration of war if ever there was one. So don’t blame the victims for doing what now needs to be done to sort their treachery out.

Kenny

I am afraid Nicola Sturgeon is a busted flush.

I do not believe “MI5 plant” stuff. It is greed and a lust for power and “kinks” in the character (psychological flaws). Sure, it works like a dream for anyone in MI5, but for free, the way that “presstitutes” do not even need to be paid.

But she is like one of those undercover agents who have given themselves away. Because people now see that “look, I’ve been very frank” and “most open and transparent FM ever” is the complete opposite.

The mask has fallen and it is just a question of time before EVERYONE sees it. The main thing is that unionist voters who dislike her just rage anyway, they are not raging out of any rational reasoning or something they have spotted.

But we have spotted. Stu spotted years ago. And when the scales from your eyes, you can never unsee it again. Everything makes sense.

G H Graham

It is the last thing I want for Scotland; a Tory Government but if we ever needed an opposition to hold these people to account, it’s right now.

With three opposition parties led by brainless half wits & a seemingly gullible pro independence electorate, it has been obvious for some time that Sturgeon has been playing her supporters for idiots.

It is beyond doubt surely, that she has absolutely no intention of attempting to hold a second independence referendum because her singular tactic of asking nicely for a section 30 from Westminster is a non starter. She knows it. They know it.

Her conjuring trick might fool the blind & the faithful but anyone with an iota of common sense can see past this woman’s slight of hand.

Meanwhile, she treats her own parliamentary committees with dismissive contempt as they dare to question the actions & motives of her kinky inner circle & her coercive yet secretive husband.

I suppose it is inevitable when a party remains in power for so many years that there grows from within, a sense of entitlement & bloody minded arrogance.

Sturgeon’s performance during this pandemic may well, at first glance, appear to be a polished performance but you might wonder what motivates someone to give such a strong impression while behind closed doors, manipulates & orchestrates the possible conviction of an innocent man while distorting the very pillars of the Scottish political, economic & legal establishment, all to slake her thirst for protracted power, money & influence.

She has become a danger to Scotland & it’s hopeful journey towards independence. Her removal from office along with her husband & her inner circle of acolytes, careerists, kinky friends & extremists is now more important than ever.

It is my hope that someone such as Joanna Cherry QC makes her announcement to contest Sturgeon immediately after the New Year, allowing the drama of the pandemic to subside and to encourage the electorate to focus yet again on important constitutional matters.

Black Joan

Alex Salmond, in that dignified immediate post-trial comment, said more would come out but first there was the pandemic to worry about and God help us all . .

Do we know if he has now been prevented from releasing what he wants to reveal, as a result of the latest COPFS directive?

Even if there is material he is allowed to release (and how would he know what is and is not allowed, as the Rev has shown re his own inquiries) it appears that the continued pandemic gets in the way?

deerhill

Alex Salmond has seemingly said he will release his documents when the other parties release theirs.

He seems to be making his adversaries sweat.

Republicofscotland

Mac.

Yes I think you’re correct there, we’re not splitting the party or the independence support, on the contrary, we’re trying to point out what’s gone wrong and how it can be fixed before its too late.

There are those within the party that can see what’s not right, but are not yet in a position with others to do something about it. We all know the SNP are the most likely vehicle to lead us to independence, we just need the ship to be steered in the right direction, which it isn’t at the moment.

Dan

@ Stuart MacKay at 5:44 pm

Re. restricted access to appointments and early treatments.
Was speaking to someone yesterday who falls into this category. Basically got the run around for a few weeks after waking up unable to hear in one ear.
Couldn’t get an appointment at docs coz covid but was told it would just be earwax and to put oil in ear.
That did nothing and after weeks of faffing around it turns out it was some kind of infection that if they’d seen a specialist early and had a steroid injection or two there was a chance the hearing could be saved.
It was too late by the time they saw the specialist so now permanently deaf with an ear implant to treat tinnitus. 🙁

Scott

I’m curious: Is Alex Salmond legally able to blow the lid open on this whole affair and present the evidence he was unable to do in court?

Can Sturgeon etc manage to weather the storm by sweeping this under the rug or is it only a matter of time until the full truth sees the light of day?

tridentitycrisis

Go in hard for Murrell, the NEC and the shady advisers at the top. But don’t reject the entire SNP. That’s throwing out the baby with the bathwater. What’s more, there is wider support from outside the bubble of those of us who gravitate to this site for getting rid of some of the dead wood. Murrell is not a popular man among activists nor among MPs and MSPs. Taking him out with a focused campaign (the sniper strategy) would do several things. It would put the wind up others who cleave to his managerialism, it would encourage a shake-up/severe pruning of the NEC, it would help lance the boil of increasingly unhelpful divisive vitriol within the independence movement, and it might help unshackle Nicola Sturgeon from the uber-gradualist tendency within the Party.

Whatever you think of Nicola Sturgeon and her political tactics, she is a genuine independista. I was despairing of forward movement for a while, but with the surge in support for YES and the welling up of impatient urgings now spreading among SNP members, activists and an increasing number of MPs and MSPs, I am much more optimistic. Get rid of Murrell and then the other drag-chains, and I think there’s a good chance Sturgeon will go with the momentum. Like it or not, she is an asset with the wider public, and ultimately they are the ones who will decide whether we achieve sovereignty. I am confident the May 2021 election will go ahead, and with the inevitable disastrous short-term consequences of a No-Deal or Low-Deal Brexit and the further surge in YES support that will surely follow it, I can see an emboldened Sturgeon formulating it as a virtual referendum on independence.

And before you write me off as a hopelessly optimistic SNP loyalist, there has to be an Independence List Party in that election, preferably headed up by Alex Salmond. Or better still, two co-convenors, the second one being a woman. Anyone for Lesley Riddoch or Elaine C. Smith?

Ian Dolan

Where are the whistleblowers when you need them?
There must be at least one person in the know who could enlighten us.

Heaver

So come May 2021 the SNP are entrenched in being useless to the cause, the Greens have gone wokey. So here’s a mad idea: we all vote Green first, ISP/Wings second. The Greens are so gobsmacked by their newfound influence they actually listen to the voters and dump the wokeyness and press for indy in every which way the Rev Stu has previously charted. The SNP, now officially useless, can do as it pleases, but basically fuck off.

Probably a daft idea, born of ignorance. But what I’m saying is: we need to move as one. To do that we need a plan. To do that we need a leader.

Robert Graham

ON an entirely a different subject.

A Tory MP Tobias Elwood has just voiced the idea of compulsory vaccinations in order for people to Travel around ,using the military,testing public reaction I believe it’s called .

A second house arrest to insure you and your family stay healthy , Really ! .

I think everyone should start paying close attention to what certain interests are advocating , I don’t believe it’s going to be for our benefit , and we won’t realise it until till it’s happened .

Mac

If Salmond has the goods on these folks but is legally prevented from making it public he should just leak it and be damned. Stop playing by the marquis of Queensbury rules while they take the piss over and over again…

I’d like to see these lowlifes try to railroad AS a second time for the crime of exposing their utter cuntery. Good luck with that bawbags. It would be the absolute end to the Scottish legal system.

Effijy

BBC NEWS- reports Murrell asks what the Salmond enquiry
Wants from him?

After all these weeks he doesn’t know?

Scot Gov not providing the data requested while
Suggesting they are fully assisting the enquiry?

Robert Louis

Seriously, we need to ask this, just what is behind this ridiculous state of affairs? An SNP government full of talented people with absolute clear democratic mandates and votes to both keep Scotland within the EU AND pursue independence by whatever means available. Yet they want to do nothing.

Is it because people were so loyal and patient for many years, that the Murrells thought they could simply keep spinning indy supporters a yarn, mentioning indyref everytime their was an election, then go back to ‘business as usual’? Is that what happened?

Or, did NS and her husband think that really, they could just wait forever and a day before going for indy? Did they fail to grasp how unfolding events, including being forcibly removed from the EU might make folk angry as hell (I know I am)?

Are we to think that NS really disnae care about indy? I think she did once upon a time but power changes people. Some folk can handle it, but others are consumed by it, by the status, by the power, is that what has happened?

And why have the bearded wokey faction been given such incredible free reign, immune from any kind of party sanction, no matter the vile offensive abuse they throw at the likes of Joanna Cherry – who is, incidentally, one of their very most talented and adroit parliamentarians??

Salmond, when FM, attracted talented people, thinkers, movers, those who really wnated independence. That is what good talented leaders do. NS on the other hand has enabled those working with her, to PREVENT the very best talent getting elected? Why??

If the Murrells genuinely want independence (and I now genuinely believe they don’t), then they need to wake up. I know that sounds somewaht trite, but really, the old approach of slowly, slowly, gaining more powers is now unworkable. We have a criminal, murderous tory cabal running the country and they are hell bent on removing every single last power from Holyrood, bit by bit. So the old, go slow gradualist approach will not work. Maybe in other times, it might have, who knows, but it simply will not work right now.

We need an aggressive SNP First Minister, who IS prepared to act, who is prepared to challenge Westminster’s overriding and ignorance of the union treaty. The days of polite chats, or ‘debates are long gone. Standing up in the commons over and over and over again, saying Scotland will not stand for this, then watching as Westminster does what the hell it likes just will not do anymore. It just won’t.

The indy movement is waiting, just waiting for direct action, and the support will be there, but it needs leadership from the FM, and for the last six years we have had none.

Is it that NS is afraid of taking risks? The evidence suggest she is, yet in politics, often it is that which is required.

Perhaps she does not have the self belief to tackle London? I wonder if she is akin to the imagined protagonist referred to, in what I believe is one of Alex Salmond’s more favoured verses by the First Marquis of Montrose, James Graham, who famously wrote,

‘He either fears his fates too much,
or his deserts are small,
That dares not put it to the touch,
to win or lose it all’.

The point is, this is no time for fearties. Either Nicola Sturgeon becomes Scotland’s guardian (in every sense), promptly, or she should step aside. This cannot continue.

Ottomanboi

What people were dying of in 2018.
link to worldlifeexpectancy.com
The powers that be need to get back in touch with reality otherwise their ‘authority’, what little remains, will dissipate in a torrid torrent of ridicule.
Unless, of course, they’ve surrendered their authority to the ‘dark side’ of globalist adventurism, in which case only popular revolt will suffice.

Mac

Alex created a clear and strong successor should he need to be replaced.

Nicola has created a power vacuum should she be replaced.

Are you surprised?

Rm

The Scottish people voted not for brexit but to stay in Europe, why did the SNP government not fight for the Scottish people and Scottish Buisnesses who wanted to stay in Europe, just one of many reasons to end the union, if Scotland as a country could build up our economy away from england, do it our way just like every other country in the world, maybe we can’t see, there may be some plan guaranteed to get us independence within a few months why are the SNP politicians not saying anything some of them must realise we should be pushing harder before brexit.

robertknight

To coin a phrase…

I smell shite!

Not sure whether it’s emanating from Charlotte Square or Gentle’s Entry, or both!

stuart mctavish

you’re an idiot who’s come to the wrong website

That’s as likely an explanation as any but, setting aside arbitrary intrusions on the sanctity of marriage, the committee should be limiting itself to the acts and omissions of the (SG’s) public employees, institutions and contractors in the affair and, in that regard, the shareholders of the company employing the Bute House cleaners back in the day possess more relevant testimony than Peter Murrell.

As such, he cannot reasonably be party to the frustration and obstruction experienced by the committee and should under no circumstance have been identified as such.

Kenny

The way to get a response from the Scottish Government is to add to your request the following words:

“I danced with a trans-man who danced with a womxn who danced with a woman who says that Alex Salmond sent her a letter signed ‘Much love, Alex xxx’ thirty-five years ago… interested?”

You will get a reply within half an hour to say Peter Murrell and a government lawyer are on their way to you right now.

Astonished

Obviously the woke think they can still win this.

yesbot

Westminster voting on whether ministers should respect rule of law and uphold independence of courts!! Gov’t opposes!

That is what Nicola defers to with her precious “gold standard”, truly a rogue state.

Robert G

I genuinely cannot understand why other than Kenny MacAskill, Joanna Cherry and Angus MacNeil, all of the other SNP MP’s and MSP’s are silent over the direction of the party under Sturgeon. They must by now realize the damage that is being done to their party and the growing anger among their core support regarding the complete failure to capitalize on the Brexit fiasco and the lack of any plan B route to independence. They must also know that losing the protection of the European Courts at the end of this year will make it even harder to break away from the UK.

Dave Somerville

Shoot for the Moon.

How many more earth’s orbits have we to fuckin do before we shoot for the Moon?

We are going round and round in circles here, and the clock is ticking down fast.

Getting angrier by the day with Sturgeon and that prick she is married to.

This needs to become more mainstream. The general public still think Sturgeon is then best thing since sliced bread.

Sturgeon is riding along on a crest of a wave.

I suggested some kind of public demo yesterday. If not that, then something that catches the attention of our slumbering Scots public.

Balaaargh

The problem with Eck leaking anything is that questions would be asked and he would probably be charged with contempt. It would have to be someone who could get something out in the public domain without being pulled up.

I wonder what Dani Garavelli is up to these days…

stonefree

@ Scott at 6:42 pm
Is Alex Salmond legally able to blow the lid open on this whole affair and present the evidence he was unable to do in court?

From what I gather he needs the court’s permission, without it he ends up like Craig Murray
But what his solicitor said was he is prepared to put the(his) documents before the court

Beaker

@Heaver says:
29 September, 2020 at 6:53 pm
“So here’s a mad idea: we all vote Green first…”

Oh fuck no!! 🙂

They might win…

Bob Mack

Could RT or some other channel not disclose documents if they received them from “awful hackers”?

crazycat

@ Heaver at 6.53

One practical problem with your idea is that the Greens have never stood in more than a couple of constituencies, and have neither the funds nor, probably, suitable candidates to expand on that.

Dan

@crazycat

Surely be a better proposition to capture the mite of Scotched Labour rather than the might of SNP!
Approximately 40% of residual SLAB support Indy so only need 11% more members to join and select suitable candidates and effect policy change.

holymacmoses

I really don’t understand what is so ‘sensitive’ these days. The women have been in court and bared their all and Mr Salmond was found not guilty. By all means protect their names BUT if the ‘sensitivity’ of documents refers to these people being protected from being exposed as conspirators , then I think the courts should be challenged on whether that is within their rights. Where do Mr Salmond’s rights come in? These women MUST know they will be exposed sooner or later and Mrs Murrell MUST be aware that she can’t evade her destiny for much longer. Such a pity really. Mr Salmond handed her a golden chalice of hope and as soon as she began to drink from it she started to poison the contents. She has damaged Scotland BUT her behaviour must not be allowed to halt the process of independence. More than ever, we need to be free from Westminster.

Beaker

@Bob Mack says:
29 September, 2020 at 8:20 pm
“Could RT or some other channel not disclose documents if they received them from “awful hackers”?”

It’s very difficult to keep anonymity, especially with documents that have a restricted distribution list. Would likely open a can of worms, from a GDPR point of view at least. Accidently losing information is not a defence under GDPR. If you’ve been hacked, then you have to prove you had effective security in place.

I don’t know about how legal documents are protected from copying, but I do know that film scripts are protected with watermarks to identify anyone who decides to leak them.

But… it would be interesting to see what happens next 🙂

Andy Ellis

I see the ISP is doing well……

link to thenational.scot

Great work there guys….who the **** to vote for now on the list?!

shug

a few weeks ago I saw a list of government contracts issued, the companies involved and the conservative MP/ministers related to the company. Does anyone still have a copy

Beaker

@Andy Ellis says:
29 September, 2020 at 8:40 pm
“I see the ISP is doing well……
Great work there guys….who the **** to vote for now on the list?!”

Hey, it’s 2020. Nothing surprises me now…

Cag-does-thinking

Somebody needs to stand up in the Scottish Palrliament and ask outright if there was a conspiracy against Alex Salmond and make them deny it outright.

Even phrase it if they had knowledge that the allegations were unsafe and at what point. Nail them by their own statements in parliament because it doesn’t look that they will give any information voluntarily outwith it.

Helen Yates

The problem with a cover up is it usually ends in disaster for those responsible for the cover up, let’s hope that’s the case here. heads will and should roll.

Mist001

@ Andy Ellis

So, if you’re an independence supporter, you’re forbidden to like Trump? As far as I’m concerned, I agree with her reasoning 100% and as for the ISP, Leftist communist cunts more like, is this the kind of fascism that an independent Scotland can look forward to? I mean, we’re already seeing the damage that the left is doing to the SNP.

Oh and I seem to recall one particularly high profile independence supporter and his sidekick being major supporters of Trump at one time but of course, I won’t mention Mr.Salmond and Mrs. Murrell by name.

cynicalHighlander

If anyone doesn’t still believe this was a stitch up from the start I would suggest to go and get an IQ test. Can we call in the FBI asap because it needs law enforcement officers on the case.

stuart mctavish

@Stuart Campbell
Doubt it.
Perhaps they should take and publish legal advice on the matter though, particularly if they have no intent of withdrawing the defamation.

Andy Ellis

@Mist001

Who said that? She and you can believe anything you like. Amongst all indy supporters there will be many with views I abhor, like hers and yours.

I’m not sure why Stu tolerates your contributions here. I’m pretty sure the better nation we aspire to can do without abusive alt-right zoomers like you. Cancel cuture and gender woo has strong roots in the American alt-right by the way.

Big Jock

The lockdown will start when the schools dont return after the October break.

Sturgeon will call it a circuit breaker. Full lockdown in November. Will be a rolling lockdown. So don’t expect it to be lifted until February.

No campaigning for the election will suit the SNP. Less chance of the truth being uncovered.

The reason they are taking the 5th on any questions? Well you can’t lie if you pretend not to hear. No answers means no comment. No comment means guilty, but the accused leaves it unproven.

This is Murrells strategy.

Mist001

It’s pretty simple Andy, not everyone is a lefty liberal minded twat. We can assume that in the socialist utopia of an independent Scotland, anyone who is not a left leaning liberal, ie fascist, will be ostracised or maybe even have their views banned.

Bit like the hate crime bill, no?

crazycat

@ Dan at 8.32

That would also be vastly more amusing! Imagine Jackie Baillie (she’ll get back in somehow) having to look at her former colleagues every time the Parliament sits.

Andy Ellis

@Mist001

Your assumptions appear as suspect as your politics bud. Stun us wi’ another.

25-30% of Scots consistently vote Tory. I doubt they’ll disappear post indy.

The political right and centrists may not like it, but Scotland today has a fairly solid left of centre majority. Even that is hardly monolithic however.

As recent events have shown, there are plenty in the SNP and elsewhere in the Yes movement I wouldn’t cross the street to piss on if they were on fire. Just because they or you share a belief in independence doesn’t make us all mates.

Jockanese Wind Talker

UK Internal Market Bill passes 3rd reading in the commons:

340 Ayes, 256 Noes.

This is the legislation which neuters Holyrood and allows the UK Government to breach International Law.

Socrates MacSporran

As things stand, I will certainly not be voting for the SNP in the May elections.

Unless there is a massive change in that party, I will spoil my constituency vote, and, if there is a party committed to Independence, give them my List vote.

I will, however, if we ever get the chance, vote for Independence an a Referendum.

I believe, the SNP might win the first post-Independence Scottish Election, but, I have no doubt, they will during the lifetime of our first independent parliament since 1707 split into various factions – it will be like the People’s Front for Scotland v The Scottish People’s Front v The Scottish Feminists Front v The Feminist Front for Scotland v The Peoples Friend.

The SNP might yet get their act together and win us our freedom, but, more and more, I fear we will, in the best Scottish tradition, find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory – even if BoJo and the Tories go into full Edward II mode.

Mist001

Don’t worry yourself Andy Ellis, I’m not looking to be mates with anyone, I’m only here because I’m interested in an independent Scotland, not to be chums.

Jockanese Wind Talker

Me @9:24pm

As expected all 6 Tory MPs from Scotland voted in favour of the UK Internal Market Bill.

Bowie
Duguid
Jack
Lamont
Mundell
Ross

CameronB Brodie

I don’t think I’m jumping to rash conclusions by suggesting the party’s management needs a proper sorting out, and our legal Establishment needs urgent re-edumication to re-assert their commitment to the principles of universal justice, which their practice indicates they view as being subourdinate to the principle of Parliamentary sovereignty. 🙁

The Law Commission
Working Paper No 62
Criminal Law
Offences relating to the
Administration of Justice

link to lawcom.gov.uk

Lochside

Robert Louis @ 6.58….Thoughtful and balanced appraisal Robert.
Even WGD ( who I have got a lot of respect for despite his blind allegiance to NS) would have to accept all your observations, but still persists in supporting the unsustainable paralysis and obstruction created by the Murrell roadblock to our sovereign salvation.

One_Scot

Lol, the wankers on here pretending to be Indy.

Kate

Andy Ellis says:
29 September, 2020 at 8:40 pm
I see the ISP is doing well……

link to thenational.scot

Great work there guys….who the **** to vote for now on the list?!

She had left the party 2 weeks before her TRUMP comments, but she didn’t bother to let anyone know that she was NO longer anything to do with the ISP..She is though entitled to her own opinion, but just like the Rest if the BRITNAT MEDIA the Nasty National fan a headline without Mentioning she was NO longer a member of the ISP..It suited their agenda to do so. As they want Mrs Murrell to win big, becuse she is a safe pair of hands for the UNION..

McDuff

I`m wondering what the other SNP MSP`s and MP`s think of Sturgeon/Murrel`s behaviour, they seem awfully quiet.

lumilumi

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” (George Orwell, Animal Farm.)

The reconvening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 was supposed to be a breath of fresh air. A chance for Scotland to do its own thing. Have a transparent Parliament and Government close to the people. Get rid of all the noxious old Westminster political culture and practices. Have a new, better way.

And it worked, for several elections. Even the SNP’s first couple of terms as the party of government.

And now we’re looking from pig to man and man to pig, Tory Westminster and SNP Holyrood, and it’s almost impossible to say which is which.

The SNP, feeling secure in their power over the sovereign Scottish people (nah nah, who else are you gonny vote for, nah nah nah!) are acting just as bad as Tories down south. Even worse. They’re acting like Labour, taking votes for granted just because they’re not the Tories.

The SNP is like: You silly billies who want independence, you have to vote for us!; and all their wokies will get elected and they’ll think about independence at some later date when it’s convenient for them, or for the English Establishment. Because gold-standard S30, dontcha know.

Jeezh! Scottish independence is now further away than it was in June 2016.

Thanks, Nicola. /sarcasm

Kate

Try that again without the typos..

She had left the party 2 weeks before her TRUMP comments, but she didn’t let on that she was NO longer anything to do with the ISP..She is though entitled to her own opinion, but just like the Rest of the BRITNAT MEDIA the Nasty National RAN aN ISP headline, and never mentioned at all, she was NO longer a member of the ISP..It suited their agenda to do so. As they want Mrs Murrell to win big, because she is a safe pair of hands for the UNION..

Daisy Walker

There is not going to be a big revelation. There will be injunctions and D notices preventing it.

The official SNP line will continue – Scotland isn’t ready for a referendum, only when we can win, we have to do the S30 first or a proxy HE vote won’t be considered legit, blah, blah, blah…

Meanwhile Scotland gets pulled out of the EU, Holyrood gets shut down by power grab and/or padlock – suck it up, what will stop them.

The NHS gets sold, our water gets sold, our fish/farms, food standards, sold, sold, sold. Devolution – gone, never mind Indy.

And if they – the SNP – truly, hand on heart, honest to goodness believe the above, then the other side of the coin, the proof of the pudding is this.

Campaign.

Tell the voters, yes and no, that this is what is being rolled out, and we are out of time. We have to save our country.

Want to use the excuse – Can’t campaign cause of Covid – bollocks! – change the method.

Billboards, posters, leaflets, Social Media, bumper stickers, T shirts.

Common goals to rally round –

We get support for Indy over 60% by years end.

We can do so much better than Boris.

Oh, and once it is over 60%, give Boris until the end of February 2021, to reply to a formal S30 order (and a no reply is taken as a no).

I want a formal answer from Westminster about our sovereign right to hold a democratic referendum – and if they want to tell us its a no, then let it be in eye sight of an upcoming Holyrood Election.

It’s called leverage, and its about time the SNP grew a pair of balls and utilised it.

One last thing – getting that answer, is not the same as letting WM set the date, and it takes a minimum of 6 months to call a referendum.

It has been said by some in the SNP, that it will not be until Scotland is really hurting (and by that I assume they mean Thatcher levels of unemployment and disenfranchisement) under a no deal, tory Brexit, that enough people will turn to Yes. Well how long is that? 1 year, 2, 3. 10?

How many jobs is that, how many businesses gone to the wall, how many homes ruined, lives destroyed, lives shortened, how many young people will have their chances destroyed at birth because of this.

Because if you truly believe the people of Scotland have got to suffer before they realise the need to be Indy – if that is your plan, then the onus is on you put a time scale on it, put a number on it – how much suffering is enough for you?

And what kind of person thinks that’s a price worth paying.

And remember folks, during the Thatcher years, teacher numbers were steady, Police numbers steady, NHS staff numbers steady, University staff numbers – steady. Its not like that now.

Picture the child, living in a family that is not rich, in a country with no NHS, bright kid, nice family, kid has bucked teeth, or a wall eye, or maybe a hairlip. You don’t really see adults with these afflictions in Scotland in this day and age because of our NHS. Now picture that child growing up with these stigmata and watch as it dents their confidence, and kills their chances in life one by one. Ask yourself this, will they get the job at the interview?

Or picture the family who have saved all their lives and bought their own house, about to retire, when a dose of cancer comes along and the treatment decimates their financial security, bankrupts them and breaks their heart when the cancer proves fatal and the soon to be deceased realises that they have no legacy to leave their kids.

I accuse, I accuse the current SNP leadership and all who sail under her, I accuse you of failing.

Failing to see the danger our country is currently facing.

Failing to let your neighbours and neighbourhood know – the danger we are about to suffer.

Failing to ensure that the SNP cannot become the New Labour, in all the same ways New Labour got nobbled.

It doesn’t matter if you believe NS is guilty, or if she stays or if she goes.

Scotland has until May 2021 to save itself via the ballot box and until polls are over 60% the SNP can keep saying ‘Scotland isn’t ready’.

We get support for Indy over 60% before years end. And that is something no-one of Independent bent should have any problem supporting.

Andy Ellis

@Kate

I hear you, and understand they have disowned her but it would be delusional not to see it as a huge blow.

I always thought there was something slightly…..off….about Victoria.

We deserve better: the question is are we going to get it? 🙁

Bob Mack

@Jockanese Wind Talker,

The waters getting higher and we are running out of steps.

I truly fear it is going to be too late.

Achnababan

O/T but BBC Scotland website up to its tricks again. 2 out of 5 rugby players nominated to be European Player of the Year are Scots (Russell and Hogg) but this story does not make the Scottish sports pages. Stop paying for the English TV licence… you know you should!!

Sylvia

Daisy Walker says:
29 September, 2020 at 10:03 pm
There is not going to be a big revelation. There will be injunctions and D notices preventing it._____________________________________________

There is going to be a BIG revelation. The fake injunctions and D notices will be cancelled and exposed for what they are – FAKE. Tick Tock

Gary45%

Any genuine Indy supporters on here who support Trump.
Go and have a look at the docufilm. “You’ve Been Trumped”
You’ll get it on YATUBE.
The way this bankrupt, Impeached scumbag treated an elderly Scottish lady, you should hang your heads in shame supporting him.

kapelmeister

I’m fairly sure the top photie is from the time Mr & Mrs were guests in the royal box at Wimbledon. Nicola just loves a big day oot in London.

Alison Brown

Just so sad!! We are on the way to destruction. SNP

Alison Brown

Sorry! That got posted. SNP needs to sort the entire Alex Salmond debacle. Now!

Dave Somerville

Gary 45% 10.22pm

I’m not any mad mental Trump fan, but had Hilary Clinton got in 4 years ago, how many wars do you think America and their lap dog England would have been involved in?

Trump is putting America first, I just wish that fuckin slut Sturgeon put Scotland first.

The least of our problems is what Trump is up to.

kapelmeister

They either start answering questions to our satisfaction or they are removed from office without polite ceremony.

Scrutiny or Mutiny.

Elmac

I feel like a broken broken record destined to repeat ad infinitum that there will be no independence under Sturgeon/Murrell and the only way to be rid of the poisoned pair and their acolytes is to STOP paying any subscriptions or donations to the SNP until they clean out the garbage. The current SNP hierarchy are in highly paid positions and appear impervious to the wishes of their electorate. They live well on the back of the independence movement which they constantly betray. Dont’t expect any change soon as they have absolutely no intention of doing anything to affect their lifestyle.

What happened to the ring fenced donations made to the SNP for Indyref2? When the SNP accounts are belatedly made public these may well be shown to be intact but, if not, will Police Scotland take up a fraud investigation without the apparent involvement of anyone called Salmond? No prizes for the correct answer to that one.

For God’s sake wake up everybody. There will be NO independence under the Sturgeon/Morrell cabal. They have no respect for democracy and have stitched up the SNP party to keep them and their pals on a perpetual gravy train. If you are a member any complaints you make will be swatted aside with a standard response. You will not have a fair hearing at any SNP meetings, even if you are extremely lucky and get to say anything at all. There is only one way to break this log jam and save the SNP and that is to oust Sturgeon/Murrell now otherwise any hope of independence may be gone for my generation. The SNP hierarchy are impervious to any demand for change, let alone democratic input. The best way forward has to be to starve them of cash. If you want things to change there is only one way. CUT OF THE SUBS AND DONATIONS NOW!

Tannadice Boy

It’s all going according to plan. Judiciary in the back pocket. Holyrood in the back pocket. Scottish media in the back pocket. And well ahead in the polls. What could possibly go wrong.

Daisy Walker

@ Sylvia,

If there is to be a Big revelation, and there are people in a position to disclose same. Then sooner would be better than later, so we can get on with picking up the pieces and move on.

I’ve been over to the WGD site. I admire his writing, but on this occasion I find his logic all over the place.

A thought re S30 request procedures.

When does anyone think it would be a good time to ask – leaving aside those who argue it has already been requested and rejected for a minute – if you ask during a moment of calm, when there is nothing much else on the horizon, and wait, and wait for months for a Bumbling Boris type reply… does anyone really think that is going to concentrate the voters mind on the result (whichever way that turns out). Does anyone really think the media won’t bury it, play it down and make it obscure and boring?

Or do you ask at a time of maximum pressure, maximum publicity, maximum support – i.e. with polls high, with support for Indy over 60% and with a Holyrood Election within spitting distance.

Now would’t that be good timing, good tactics – concentrate the voters mind wonderfully.

Maximum publicity if WM says no. And a ballot box to pay them back at.

Instead, we are being asked to vote SNP so that they can get Yet Another Mandate and ask for a S30 sometime way in the distant future……

In what way is that a good game plan.

Oh, I remember, ‘Scotland isn’t ready for another Referendum, we want one when we can win it, we mustn’t campaign now – Covid, blah, blah, blah…. NS is so much better than Boris…look at the polls, go on, sky high, polls I tell you, polls. look at the polls.

Hatuey

I think it always pays to try to see things from the perspective of your adversaries.

On Salmond, we should assume they think he was sort of guilty rather than completely innocent. It’d be easy enough to exaggerate that point, “me too”, blah, blah, blah, mysogynism, sexism, unbecoming of a leader, etc., etc.

On the ring fenced referendum fund, they will almost certainly argue that the money was used to further the indyref2 cause… in the run up to the election. Of course, it was after all a prerequisite that the SNP won in that election in Scotland, otherwise indyref2 would be dead in the water.

On fighting for independence generally, well, I’m pretty sure Sturgeon would argue that her strategy has worked and is working. The polls, arguably, suggest she has won the trust of many in the middle ground on independence. If that isn’t your yardstick, what is?

I couldn’t begin to make a case for GRA as I simply have no knowledge or understanding of the subject. However, I have to wonder what toilet (male or female) the more confident people in here would direct a man to if he was dressed as a woman in say Glasgow central station on a Friday night…

In the fullness of time, stfu, etc., etc.

A Person

-Kapelmeister-

My first thought was that they look a bit like Nicolaeband Rlrna Ceaucesceau, or General and Lady Carmen Franco!

WT

You are at it again. You are purposely fusing ‘independence and the SNP’ with the internal machinations of the SNP political party. All parties have these tensions. Look at Labour, look at the Tories – this is what happens in political parties. Thank heavens the majority of Scottish voters do not visit your website. You should be ashamed of yourself. You undermine independence without being properly scrutinised yourself.

Hatuey

Dave Somerville, you should put a lid on that language. Nobody here wants to read that sort of stuff.

Dave Somerville

The SNP and the Murrell’s have modelled themselves on how the BBC operate.

It’s a closed shop.

Try making even a low level complaint to the Beeb, no chance.

The SNP are as impregnable as the BBC.

kapelmeister

WT

What’s between the W & the T?

Is it ishar?

holymacmoses

Ian Blackford managed to ruin Parnell tonight and Wishart is busy praising the Blackford rendition of the famous line. I was minded of an article I’d read in the Irish Times in 2016
– it might make interesting reading for a couple of people

link to irishtimes.com

stonefree

@ Bob Mack at 8:20 pm

Jack Straw got an injunction while he was Home Secretary to cover up his son and a drug carry-on,But the identity was published in Ireland , and later in Scotland
There is a problem in how the information is transmitted in the UK,I’m certain it could not be from a UK based transmitter

Dave Somerville

Hatuey. 11.02pm

Don’t fuckin tell me what I can write and what i can’t write ya fuckin wanker.

It’s because of snowflake bastards like you we are in this position.

Sturgeon has been using pricks like you all her fuckin life.

And now look at the fuckin nick we are in.

If you are capable of getting angry, then get angry at that perr of bastards who stay in Bute House.

Mist001

“Salmond was reporting that three ordinary members would be submitting papers that night. We were immediately looking about for chairs, only to see that the most eminent figures in the room had already secured them all. There was nothing else but for us to dutifully seat ourselves en masse and cross-legged on the floor.

The first paper was concerned with a new directive which was passing through committee stage at the European Commission and which aimed to proscribe the use of gender. Traditional terms such as male and female, the speaker reasoned, discriminated against those who were neither or both. Society had condemned many unfortunate people to the lifelong prison sentence of being a man; a miscarriage of justice for every intricately gender-bent human being who found themselves categorised in such a crass way. The speaker hoped to witness an age when to call somebody a man would generate as much outrage as calling them a spastic or a wop.”

Didn’t take me long to find that BTW.

Maybe Alex Salmond isn’t the golden boy that everyone he assumes he is.

Kenny Macaskill was allegedly there that night too so let me ‘speculate’ on what’s happened.

Salmond and MacAskill have fallen out with certain people in positions of influence (a bit like falling out with the Lodge and your life goes to ruins. This is true because I know someone very prominent that this has happened to.)

That’s why the case was concocted and brought against Salmond.

Also worthwhile is a little digging around the Law Society Of Scotland.

Mind you, after posting this, don’t be surprised if I’m found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge with my tongue cut out and my pockets stuffed with bricks!

mike cassidy

Phantom Power calling devolution at an end with the passing of the Internal Market Bill

Which raises the question

Just what sort of Holyrood are the SNP so anxious to get relected to?

link to twitter.com

Elmac

Achnababan @ 10:16 pm

“BBC Scotland website up to its tricks again. 2 out of 5 rugby players nominated to be European Player of the Year are Scots (Russell and Hogg) but this story does not make the Scottish sports pages. Stop paying for the English TV licence… you know you should!”

Why should you pay for a so called licence to use an everyday appliance? OK the BBC provide their so called news, sport, drama and much more but so do many other broadcasters who finance their production on the back of advertising or subscriptions. There is absolutely no reasonable argument as to why the general public should have to pay a ridiculous “licence” to watch ANY live television. People must have the right to choose what they want to watch and either suffer advertisements or pay subscriptions, but it is a nonsense that people should be forced to pay for TV output that they may never want to watch.

In days of yore there might have been a case along the lines of the licence was there to finance the production of quality programmes which would otherwise never be made but those days have long gone. The UK government is determined that its subjects should pay to receive the BBC broadcasts. The reason for this is obvious, the BBC has over many years become a source of insidious propaganda for the British state. Why fund this from normal taxation when you can have the plebs pay to be indoctrinated?

I have a confession to make. I do not have a licence for my toaster or my wellingtons which I use frequently. Why on earth should I have a “licence” to use a bog standard TV?

Do NOT pay this nonsense propaganda licence, even if it means avoiding live TV. There is plenty of catch up TV available.

Neil in Glasgow

I never really liked NS before. Thought she was just AS’s attack pitbull, doing his dirty work. Will never forget the way she rounded on Wendy Alexander, who I always kind of thought just made an erse of things rather than tried to be sleekit. But when she became First Minister things softened and I thought, hey ho, just politics. And you can kind of understand, to a degree (bear with me), why someone might think, “OK I have a chance here to make Scotland a better place in the aftermath of 2014, but we need to put up with stuff for a while before things change, and then we’ll act, like we said we would, in our manifesto”.

Still waiting. And you can argue all day about government and all that, but PM isn’t in the government, so what’s his excuse?

Although AS is accused of withholding info from the committee too? Can anyone shine any light, or is that simply what the Editor has described previously (which isn’t really withholding anything?)

brian lucey

This helped achieve Scotland to be independent…how?

CameronB Brodie

WT
Allegiance to the party is all fine and well, but not if it undermines the rule-of-law, which already appears to have little enough support from the Scottish justice system.

Access to Justice in Administrative
Law and Administrative Justice

link to media.bloomsburyprofessional.com

Hatuey

lmao @ “snowflake bastard”

Cheers for that, Dave.

Wings: “Then they shouldn’t have said “WE WILL ABSOLUTELY DEFINITELY NOT USE THIS FOR ELECTIONS, NO WAY, NEVER”.

That’s a checkmate.

maxxmacc

If you think this is stonewalling, just wait till the revelations about NS and her ‘friend’ Miss De Groot are made public.

Dave Somerville

maxxmacc 11.52pm

“…just wait till the revelations about NS and her ‘friend’ Miss De Groot are made public…”

Sturgeon has ANOTHER burd?

How many bitches has Sturgeon been with?

If she spent as much time fighting for indyRef2 as she does with all her Burdz, we might have made a bit of headway (scuse the pun), regards Independence.

CameronB Brodie

The amateurishness of today’s flammers almost makes me want to give up. But not quite. 😉

Political Studies, First Published July 22, 2020
The Right Men: How Masculinity Explains the Radical Right Gender Gap

Abstract

The radical right is disproportionately supported by men, yet there is little research on masculinity’s role in creating this discrepancy. This article breaks new ground in using masculinity as an analytical construct to explain the gender gap in one of the UK’s most significant radical right organisations: the English Defence League.

Drawing on original qualitative data and interviews with past and present English Defence League activists, this article argues that English Defence League beliefs and practices were distinctly masculine. In promoting an ideology that subordinated Muslim men and women, and in providing a forum for displaying and enacting manhood, the English Defence League facilitated the supply of masculinity and therefore attracted far more men than women.

The approach used in this article shows how theoretical analyses of masculinity can be incorporated within political science and offers a powerful new lens through which to understand radical right parties and movements.

Keywords
radical right, gender, masculinity

link to journals.sagepub.com

CameronB Brodie

And here how England’s right-wing populism can be expected to negatively impact on our culture and moral consciousness. So what exactly are our law officers going to do about this shit? Oh wait, thay appear to support the eradication of the legal meaning of womanhood, and Scotland. How very Nazi Tory of them.

Psychology of Women Quarterly, First Published March 1, 2008
Social Dominance Orientation, Right-Wing Authoritarianism, Sexism, and Prejudice Toward Women in the Workforce

Abstract

This study examined how social dominance orientation (SDO) and right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) were related to two different forms of prejudice against working women: employment skepticism and traditional role preference.

Three hundred forty-nine American adults completed measures of SDO, RWA, employment skepticism, traditional role preference, hostile sexism, and benevolent sexism. Multiple regression analyses revealed that SDO accounted for significant variability in both employment skepticism and traditional role preference, and that RWA accounted for significant variability in traditional role preference.

Mediational analyses suggested that hostile sexism attenuated the relationship between SDO and employment skepticism, and benevolent sexism attenuated the relationship between RWA and traditional role preference. Results are discussed with respect to different forms of prejudice against working women and how each one might be rooted in different ideological preferences.

link to journals.sagepub.com

Dave Somerville

“Nicola Sturgeon honoured to lead Scotland’s largest pride parade”

“First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon joins people taking part in Pride Glasgow, Scotland’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) pride event in Glasgow”

And yet, ask her to lead an indyRef2 Rally and she tells you to take a hike.

Now we know where her priorities lie.

link to itv.com

MaggieC

Link to tweet from Mark Hirst , “ Worth noting that John Swinney has given an undertaking to release to the committee another 120 pages of documents , but what about the other 59,880 pages ? .

link to twitter.com

CameronB Brodie

We are in very dangerous territory when the Scottish government seeks to entrench misogyny into Scots law. Remember, although genderwoowoo comes from the political left, it is intensely neo-liberal in nature, so it is harmful to culture, the human condition, and the environment.

When Women are the Enemy: The Intersection of Misogyny and White Supremacy
link to ecpr.eu

CameronB Brodie

Sorry, wrong title.

United in Misogyny: Male Supremacy, the Far-Right, and the Mainstream

Kevin Kennedy

mike cassidy says:
“29 September, 2020 at 11:21 pm
Phantom Power calling devolution at an end with the passing of the Internal Market Bill

Which raises the question

Just what sort of Holyrood are the SNP so anxious to get relected to?”

As long as their salaries are safe they wont care how toothless HR will have become.

MaggieC

Dave Somerville @ 12.41 am ,

Don’t forget Nicola Sturgeon addressed the rally in George Square last November but that was only because there was the election in December and she had to be seen to be doing something and as you say no sign of her at an Indy 2 rally or an AUOB march .

The Snp should announce that they’re withdrawing their MPs from Westminster as of tomorrow after tonight’s internal market bill vote . They’re wasting their time by being down there and enough is enough .

MaggieC

Kevin Kennedy @ 12.56 am
You said ,

“ As long as their salaries are safe they wont care how toothless HR will have become. “

And that sums it up nicely , it’s about keeping bums on seats to keep their salaries rolling in at Holyrood and the same with the MPs and also the ‘ short money ‘ to the party by keeping their MPs at Westminster .

CameronB Brodie

I never actually saw the day coming when I’d be offering practical support for the legal defense of Scottish democracy, especially not from our own team. I didn’t actually think I ever get to rip our judicial system a new one, in the public domain anyway. Just goes to show you never can tell. 😉

The grammar of administrative justice values.

ABSTRACT

The debate concerning administrative justice in the UK often involves reliance upon a certain set of values. Examples of such values include openness, confidentiality, timeliness, transparency, secrecy, fairness, efficiency, accountability, user-friendliness, consistency, participation, rationality, and equal treatment. These values are often deployed, both in academic and policy contexts, without much precision. This produces confusion which can hamper debate.

This article therefore argues there is a need to reflect on how these oft-used values are deployed, and consider the particular concerns which underlie them. In this sense, this article suggests there is a need to refine the grammar of administrative justice.

This argument is demonstrated through an extended analysis of the value of “user-friendliness”: a site of emerging disagreement in recent years. It proposes that an important distinction must be drawn between two understandings of the value: the “accessibility” and “consumerist” understandings.

This article concludes by suggesting that, going forward, it is important to consider whether the use of abstractions is helpful at all in administrative law and justice debates.

KEYWORDS
Administrative justice; administrative law; public law; values; grammar; rationalism; abstraction; user-focus.

link to eprints.whiterose.ac.uk

CameronB Brodie

I’m probably not articulating my case particularly well, but I’m rusty and certainly no legal scholar. I have critically studied the law to some extent though, and view the law and legal practice from an “external” perspective. Our law officers tend to view the law and legal practice from an “internal” perspective. This can lead to lawyers and solicitors to believe their judgement and practice to be rational and legally sound, when clearly it is not. Especially if you take a utilitarian stance, which tends to characterise British justice. Add the automatically of social cognition to the mix, with a bit of institutional cultural bias, and you have a few of the ingredients for the re-imagination of a nation out of existence. That’s bad. Mkay!

Should there be a fundamental right to administrative justice in the UK?

By Joe Tomlinson, Lecturer in Public Law, University of Sheffield

Should there be a fundamental right to administrative justice in the UK? This post suggests that this is a topic that has received insufficient attention so far, makes a case for further consideration of it, and identifies some key questions that underlie it.

This blog is in three parts. First, four reasons why it is important to consider a possible fundamental right to administrative justice are set out. Second, the two analyses that have been offered on this matter thus far are considered, and the important points at which they differ are highlighted. Last, ten important issues which require consideration vis-à-vis any possible incorporation of a fundamental right to administrative justice are explained.

link to ukaji.org

CameronB Brodie

sorry….Add the automaticity of social cognition

CameronB Brodie

Slightly OT, but when you’re on a roll, you’re on a bap. Remember, if Westminster did not privilege a populist interpretation of Parliamentary sovereignty, over the legal values that underpin the Common law, Scotland would not be getting removed from the EU against our democratic choice. If the Scottish government wasn’t also committed to further removing Scots from the justice of Common law jurisprudence, we might be able to count on their support in our struggle against right-wing and expansionist English nationalism. Sigh. Night, night. 😉

International Journal of Constitutional Law, Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2011, Pages 155–162
Questions of legality and legitimacy: Form and substance in British constitutionalism

Abstract

There is a striking gulf between the formal legal doctrine of the British constitution, as usually presented, and the underlying values of legality and equality that underpin judicial decisions in particular cases. The formal doctrine of absolute Parliamentary sovereignty not only authorizes the infringement of constitutional rights, but is supposedly capable of abrogating every requirement of the Rule of Law.

In practice, the opposite position obtains: form is largely displaced by substance. Courts interpret legislation in the light of the constraints of legality, protecting fundamental rights by recognizing implicit limitations to Parliament’s legislative supremacy.

Judicial dicta in the Jackson case (2005) illustrate the tension between form and substance, revealing the inadequacies of standard doctrine. Under the unwritten, common law constitution of the United Kingdom, the courts should, and usually do, uphold the basic requirements of legality on which the protection of human dignity and equal citizenship alike depend. Parliamentary sovereignty is itself a doctrine of common law and, therefore, subject to the principles of legality internal to common law thought.

link to academic.oup.com

David F

For what it’s worth I would have voted Trump in 2016 – not because I think he’s anything other than a narcissistic man-child, but just for the pleasure of seeing that piece of dog excrement masquerading as a human being, and all her odious supporters in the BBC and the Guardian, having it rammed up them big time.

I’ve never been able to understand the mindset that thinks that saying “grab a pussy” is much worse than championing the destruction of the most stable and prosperous country on the African continent, slaughtering tens of thousands of people, leaving the survivors trapped under the jackboot of whichever Islamist thug managed to grab most of the heavy weaponry in your locality, creating a situation where black people are stood on a stump in a village and sold as slaves, and gloating about it all and claiming it as a “triumph”.

I guess I’m just a stupid old alt-right gammon who just isn’t at all progressive.

Sylvia

SNP’s October conference plans in doubt over fallout of Alex Salmond case
link to thenational.scot

Robert Louis

So Now devolution is dead. Finished. Holyrood is merely a talking shop, with FULL powers returned against Scotland’s wishes to London.

So what are our Scottish government and SNP going to do? I’ll tell you, nothing. SNP Mp’s will carry on sitting on the green benches in the HoC, ridiculous in every way.

At what point in the destruction of Scotland will the SNP actually fight?

This is what happens when you let Westminster do whatever it wants, whilst sitting back saying ‘they can’t possibly do that’. They just did. It is done. OUR, Scotland’s national parliament trashed by English MP’s who know sweet f all about Scotland, and care even less.

It is colonialism writ large. We need action now, not following May 2021, not next week, not next month. Where is our First Minister? Where are the SNP MP’s? Where is the anger? Where is the fight?

Tumbleweed…

shiregirl

@Neil 11:22 said:
Although AS is accused of withholding info from the committee too? Can anyone shine any light, or is that simply what the Editor has described previously (which isn’t really withholding anything?)

From what I have read, it is not that AS doesn’t want to co-operate, simply he has been advised that legally there are restrictions on what he can discuss and offer as evidence. I believe he isn’t even allowed to refer or discuss some of the evidence. Evidence had been submitted, however it would consititute a criminal offence for them to release it!

Very concerning.

Big Jock

Lets be clear on this.

Mike Russell talking about refusing consent and legal action over the Internal Market Bill. Will not stop the bill. We saw what happened over the continuity bill. They changed the rules so the challenge was worthless.

If WM say it’s not a devolved matter and they vote it through. Then the weight of numbers means Scotland has no say in this.

Russell is fiddling while Rome burns. What he should have said is that Scotland will remove it’s MP’s from WM and hold an emergency independence referendum as soon as that bill passes the HOL.

Action , direct action.

Rm

All the Scottish msps and mps are fiddling while Scotland burns, we’re getting treated like we’re not here, all they do is make a statement in a newspaper nothing will ever come of it, why did the SNP politicians down in Westminster not walk out after the Scots people voted to stay in Europe, none of them has any substance at all, they’ve forgot what they are SNP politicians fighting for independence for the Scottish people who voted them in, salary and pension seems like all their looking for, if just a few of them had balls.

Dan

@Robert Louis says: at 7:05 am

So Now devolution is dead. Finished. Holyrood is merely a talking shop, with FULL powers returned against Scotland’s wishes to London.

Call me old-fashioned but I’d call that a significant material change in circumstance…

Muscleguy

I am so reminded of the last days of the New Labour govts. The arrogance mixed with total fear of further exposure is exactly the same.

Breeks

Sylvia says:
30 September, 2020 at 6:58 am

SNP’s October conference plans in doubt over fallout of Alex Salmond case
link to thenational.scot

Well, they’re certainly acting like a bunch of crooks…

It’s make your mind up time Scotland. Do you trust this mob, which has already pissed away Scottish Constitutional Sovereignty and overruled the will of the sovereign electorate, did sweet fk all to prevent Scottish people losing their EU citizenship, and squandered the gilt edged opportunity to declare the UK Treaty of Union breached and dead…

We have placed our trust in these rogues for too long. It isn’t just Alex Salmond they’ve stabbed in the back, it’s every single one of us who voted them in.

If the had a shred of integrity, Scotland’s SNP MP’s should walk out of Westminster the moment the UK Government resolves to break International Law.

Effijy

Has common sense been wiped out by the Covid virus?

We have enough information on the virus now to see that it
Cannot be stopped without a vaccine!

China has applied the most severe and extreme lockdown measures
on the planet and yet every single day there are new cases.

America is the richest nation with finances to combat the virus
But they have totally lost control with over 210,000 deaths so far.

There may never be a vaccine as it could be as elusive as the 70 quest
For one that would defeat the common cold but at best it’s 6 months away.

We cannot find another furlough scheme and neither can foreign countries
who send visitors here on a daily basis.

Those that are dying have underlying health issues or are elderly.
These people must isolate permanently or face the greatest of risks.

The rest of the population must return to study or work but continue to keep
Distances where possible, use masks and gloves where required and keep cleaning
everything with anti bacterial gels and wipes.

The NHS bust give priority to catching up on cancer treatments and tests and life saving operations.

Too many people dying of the more common life threatening diseases while Covid currently takes up
A small amount of hospital capacities.

I’d also suggest not to listen to the garbled lies and nonsense from all Tory sources.

Be as safe as you can using your own judgement and help those who are vulnerable.

David F

@Andy Ellis
10.06

“I hear you, and understand they have disowned her… “

If you already understood they had disowned her, why even raise the issue? Why should it affect your inclination to vote for the ISP in any way?

“I always thought there was something slightly…..off…about Victoria.”

Oh really. If she had come out in favour of the other set of filth, would you think there was something slightly… (right) on… about her? Care to explain why?

…but it would be delusional not to see it as a huge blow.

And here sadly, we come to the nub of the matter. Because you’re right. Wokists from every corner of the globe will be falling over themselves to portray it as “a huge blow”. Barely into existence, and already ISP are being railroaded into kowtowing to the phony progressive wokist US narrative. Why do you think your wokism is any different from or any better than the shower of wokist shite currently wrecking the SNP?

deerhill

Has this Bill been through the House of Lords? If so I must have missed it. Or is it still to pass the HoL?

I’m sure the Scottish Lords like Riftkin and Ffoulks will stick up for Scotland. (Aye Right!)

Republicofscotland

Michael Gove couldn’t have spoken any plainer when he said with regards to the Internal Market bill, that normally under the Sewell Convention if a matter touched on devolved legislation, Westminster wouldn’t push ahead without consent from a devolved parliament.

Gove added but leaving the EU is not a normal occurrence, its an exceptional one. This clearly says to me that Westminster will push ahead with the bill regardless of the devolved parliaments rejecting it.

If it ends up in the courts, and it sounds like it will, I doubt the courts will vote in our favour over, what Gove and his government see as the best interests of the UK.

The SNP government should really be working behind the scenes now on independence, leaving it until the courts have decided against us might be too late to put things in place in time.

Republicofscotland

Meanwhile the Alex Salmond Inquiry has been put on hold, due to sheer frustration at a lack of evidence from key witnesses, combined with outright obstructions.

The investigating committee will meet again in early October.

I’m sure Sturgeon and Murrell and the clique, will be pleased with this.

link to thenational.scot

Socrates MacSporran

Kudos to teh marvellous Professor John Robertson, who, on his The Tusker website this morning came up with a brilliant acronym for the unholy Labour/Tory alliance running Aberdeen Council.

Professor Robertson has named them SCALP – The Scottish Conservative and Labour Party.

I reckon the Independence movement should adopt the name – SCALPERS for all Unionists, it kind of sums up what they are trying to do – scalp Scotland.

Republicofscotland

Campbell Gunn, who worked for Salmond and sturgeon urges the latter to get all the murky goings on out into the open, as her tacitness is hurting the independence campaign.

Gunn wants to see heads roll for the botched governments handling of the controversy.

link to thenational.scot

I concur Sturgeon’s terrible handling of the Salmond fit up is endangering independence, but her tacitness probably implies that she and her husband are complicit in this disgraceful affair.

Tinto Chiel

“Call me old-fashioned but I’d call that a significant material change in circumstance…”

@Dan 8.57: that’s an excellent point to add to Breeks’s Inventory of Infamy:

“It’s make your mind up time Scotland. Do you trust this mob, which has already pissed away Scottish Constitutional Sovereignty and overruled the will of the sovereign electorate, did sweet fk all to prevent Scottish people losing their EU citizenship, and squandered the gilt edged opportunity to declare the UK Treaty of Union breached and dead…”

Even now I fear Covid-themed excuses will be being prepared to stop the conference if necessary and even the Holyrood elections next year. The kite-flying of a possible postal vote next May instead is also deeply alarming.

Ironically, the two aged Daily Mail readers in the outer reaches of our family who normally froth about the FM think she’s doing a great job on the virus. Will they ever vote for independence?

News just in: when Hell freezes over……..

Scot Finlayson

@deerhill,

Is Rifkind a Lord did he not leave politics under a cloud of shame.

Republicofscotland

The SNP’s October conference (online) is beginning to look like a non starter, it could possibly be held in November, however there are rumblings that it won’t happen at all, after Joanna Cherry called for delegates to vote off NEC members with vendettas.

Its thought a new NEC with more Salmond allies could suspend Murrell, and investigate WhatsApp messages that he (allegedly) sent about Salmond.

So don’t be surprised if there’s no SNP conference at all this year, or even next Spring.

Hatuey

Republic, it genuinely saddens me to see you still expecting them to do something towards independence.

Even a highly creative and debauched character like me would struggle to imagine what this lot get up to “behind the scenes”. I’d be willing to bet it isn’t independence though.

“Who could we jail next?”

“Not sure, who is the biggest hero of the grassroots?”

“William Wallace?”

“Love it. Get the gang together right away… I’ll create a WhatsApp group…”

Republicofscotland

Christ the SNP are in a mess, as more and more candidates complain about the amount of cash some candidates can spend on campaign selection, via social media adverts and crowdfunding and dark money.

Gone are the days of selecting a candidate on merit alone, the Americanisation of the campaign seems to be ingressing into the SNP’s selection process producing an unfair playing field.

link to thenational.scot

Socrates MacSporran

And all the while, as the Independence movement indulges int he auld Scottish habit of in-fighting, the pro-Unionist “Scottish” (aye right) media says and does nothing.

I tell you, there are waiting, ready to go to town on the SNP, almost certainly when Holyrood 2021 is called. Whereupon, they will dump all the shit they have been holding back on us.

The current bunch of self-servers and careerists at the top of the party could yet cost us our Independence.

Republicofscotland

“Republic, it genuinely saddens me to see you still expecting them to do something towards independence.”

Hatuey.

The Internal Market bill might force Sturgeon’s hand on independence, for if passed, and Gove is adamant the Tory government are pressing ahead with it, and a court win in my opinion for the Tories also looks more than likely, then Holyrood would see it powers greatly diminish, and Sturgeon and all the other MSP’s as well, would be debating in nothing more than a talking shop.

Its a glimmer hope of hope I think.

Gary45%

Scot Finlayson@9.37
I thought “Shame” was one of the entry requirements for the HoL, along with greed, dishonesty etc.

Dave Somerville

Bug Jock

Agree with you and the rest who say the SNP MPs should refuse to go to Westminster.

If they continue to work alongside the English International law breakers, then they will be complicit and just as guilty as them.

But Sturgeon will be looking at the money coming in from their attendance there and instruct them to stay put.

I can’t believe the distruction Murrell and Sturgeon are causing.

Totally lost all faith in our SNP elected officials.

From Sturgeon down to your local SNP councillor, every single one of them are more concerned about their bank books than fighting for Scottish Independence.

Dave Somerville

Big Jock,,,of course.

Shug

Btw
I was listening to a radio 4 melven Bragg podcast and apparently Calgacus King of the picts was british

Our history is being rewritten as we watch

A Person

-Tinto Chiel-

I find this myself. My dear old mum, the type of person who watches Trooping the Colour every year, quite likes “that Nicola Sturgeon” for her press conferences. There is as much chance of her voting Yes as there is of her turning into a kangaroo.

Bob Mack

I cannot and will not agree that every SN P representative is in it for their bank book. There are many committed and able representatives who want Indy.

They cannot get there because the party has assumed a form of “Central control” rather than listen to the membership.

That is what is giving everybody a bad name. Get rid of those in the politbureau and the SNP will get back on track.

Stuart MacKay

Dave Somerville

You’re misogyny is not welcome in any form here.

Oneliner

Last night’s Channel 4 News saw the second part of Krishnan Guru-Murthy’s investigation into the methods employed by Cambridge Analytica and their pals and commissioned by Trump’s poodles.

Amongst these was phsycographic profiling of individuals in order to deter them form voting – logically enough, known as ‘deterrence’.

It seems highly plausible that if you cannot hope to catch your opponent in the polls, you might wish to try another tack and target his/her potential followers to prevent them from voting.

This concept would appear to have a certain resonance on these pages.

Nicola Sturgeon could be a reincarnation of King William of Orange (financed the Massacre of Glencoe and still an ‘icon’ to some), or Pope Innocent III (massacred the Cathars but remains ‘infallible’ – a concept embraced by many)

She’s just a plain and simple badass who will get my vote in May 2021.

Did you get all that?

Joe

@Shug

And apparently there is not really any such people as the British with an identifiable ethnic heritage.

So by default we don’t have a home or even our own people really. Just as the Irish are being told.

I wonder what it must be like to be a woman these days – you don’t have any worthwhile identifiable heritage, history nor even your own sex.

Don’t you just feel so warm and inclusive? I just love being that grey, bland, global citizen consumer detached from any sense of belonging.

Polly

@ Tinto Chiel at 9.34 am

‘Ironically, the two aged Daily Mail readers in the outer reaches of our family who normally froth about the FM think she’s doing a great job on the virus. Will they ever vote for independence?

News just in: when Hell freezes over……..’

Yes, I know people like that, I have relatives like that. One might possibly change her mind, I think, though I’m not completely hopeful. The others? Not a chance. Though a couple of them will always vote no, and vote Labour in general elections they still vote SNP for Holyrood for they know they’re better off up here with some of their policies, so folk should beware present polls.

robertknight

Given the impunity afforded Sturgeon/Murrell, you can’t help but suspect the hand of the British State in all of this.

From the UK Govt. to the security and intelligence agencies to the Civil Service (Scotland detachment) to the MSM, there seems to be conspiracy of collective and willful ignorance on their part; given what this site has and continues to expose.

The shit-storm brewing on the horizon seems to be the culmination of a snowball effect, whose impact upon Scottish politics could be sufficiently calamitous and scandalous for Westminster to impose direct rule.

We talk frequently about SNP MP’s walking out of Westminster. Imagine the impact of Tory, Labour and FibDems walking out of Holyrood.

Robert Graham

o/t
Haven’t seen a update from Cochrane (telegraph) since the 25th , oh well I suppose we can live in hope , oops not wishing anything untoward but ! .

He will be missed , by who is anybody’s guess , but life goes on .

Rick H Johnston

It seems to me there are far too many interest groups with an NEC rep.
Reform of the SNPs ruling body should be a short-term priority.
To have 42 is about 20 too many and beggars the question ‘How many is a quorum’?
Joanna Cherry was the target of the recent rule change. No doubt about that.
Peter Murrel’s position is no longer acceptable, if it ever was.
There should be a rule change to that and not just for the present incumbent.
Murrel’s resignation now would take much of the heat out of this and let us get on with promoting independence.

Robert Graham

You disruptive lot are being referred to as that other place by the usual suspects on another platform , I really hope you lot are totally ashamed of yourselves , yes you lot the Fifth column , who are single handedly wrecking the grand plan , your a disgusting rowdy disruptive element .

Oh I give in , La La Land is within touching distance and you lot can’t see the grand Plan .
What’s wrong with you People ? Rocking the Boat. Asking Questions how Dare you.

In case anyone doesn’t realise it that was Off Topic apologies eh Nope

Dave Somerville

Stuart Mackay

Fuck Off,,,,,, Wanker.

Now let’s back back to the real story.

These fuckin snowflakes are what is holding Scotland back,,,are you listening Mr Mackay.

Did you just drift in from Wee Ginger Dug by any chance???

cirsium

@Effigy. 9.09am

We have enough information on the virus now to see that it cannot be stopped without a vaccine!

Has a vaccine stopped the influenza virus killing thousands of people every year? Respiratory viruses are a major cause of mortality worldwide. What needs to be done now is to make use of the entire array of proven anti-viral medicines developed over years of experience.

What needs to be remembered is that mass testing was ruled out for all four of previous viral outbreaks this century because of the well known, high false positive rate which would lead to massively inflated case numbers.

robertknight

Oneliner @10:54

“This concept would appear to have a certain resonance on these pages”

Sure. I’d buy that – if it weren’t for Sturgeon/Murrell & Co. supplying the ample number of dodgy decisions and incomprehensible actions, for which they are rightly criticised on this site, all by themselves.

Nobody is making this sh1t up – it’s there for all to see for those who care to look. And for those who prefer not to, there’s always the ‘shoot the messenger’ option.

Dave Somerville

I don’t think Sturgeon has made one keynote speech since that car crash speech at the end January, which convinced me to cancel my SNP membership.

Not a record to be proud of.

You would think she had nothing else to talk about except Covid.

This 5ft piece of Ayrshire shit is holding the home country to ransom.

How can this be???

Desimond

Pete Wishart on Twitter heralding great speeches by SNP folk last night…to an empty chamber whilst Tories stood at the subsidized bar celebrating into the wee hours.

When asked why dont they all just exit Westminster for good, he replies “I would never leave Scotland undefended!”.

A man clearly deluded as well as well pensioned.

Bob Mack

@Oneliner

Your choice. I have my own.

Polly

@ Rick H Johnston at 11.12 am

‘Murrel’s resignation now would take much of the heat out of this and let us get on with promoting independence.’

Yes, undoubtedly it would. So why isn’t he offering it to stop damage to him becoming damage to the party or the cause? And why isn’t Sturgeon, in her capacity as leader, insisting on it? Since she went in to bat for Spear and has obviously regained her famed moral compass that used to lead her to distance herself from anyone with even a hint of impropriety about them, why isn’t she saying he has to step down until cleared? I remember someone arguing on 2/7 at 5.46pm, and I quote, “when any allegations are made or investigations commence, all snp members are suspended party rules”. One rule for them another for all of the outcrowd.

@ Dave Somerville at 11.17 am

‘These fuckin snowflakes are what is holding Scotland back,,,are you listening Mr Mackay.

Did you just drift in from Wee Ginger Dug by any chance???’

Why don’t you watch your phrasing since at the minute you’re sounding like the highly emotional, rather brittle snowflake you dislike. Besides, do you want this blog to lose all posters here and be left talking to yourself? 🙂

Breastplate

Cirsium,
I think the meat of Effijy’s post was about getting much of our society back to normal which I agree with and I’m pretty sure you do too.

Breastplate

One liner,
“ She’s just a plain and simple badass who will get my vote in May 2021.”

What I would like to know is why is she getting your vote, what do you believe she is going to do with your vote?

Now, I already know what she is going to do with your vote because she has told us all already but I’m curious about what you believe she is going to do, so please tell me.

CameronB Brodie

It’s quite simple peeps. The SNP clearly does not respect the Common law, so they are unable to support the rule-of-law or defend Scotland’s democracy from expansionist English nationalism. We don’t need a new party though, we just need to instruct the one we have in how to support the universal principles and doctrines of the law.

The European Journal of International Law Vol. 17 no.1 © EJIL 2006;
Global Administrative Law: The
Quest for Principles and Values

link to ejil.org

kapelmeister

Tinto Chiel & A Person

Yes, I also know someone who has always been implacably opposed to indy and I’m sure still is, but now has a good opinion of Sturgeon because of the briefings.

Dave Somerville

Polly

Fuck Off!!!

You snowflakes shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near grown up sites like Wings

Polly

@ Dave Somerville

Aw diddums, did I upset you saying you resembled a snowflake? I’m so sorry about that but I’m sure your mummy will kiss it better for you.

But unfortunately for you she can’t make the bad lady go away. 🙂

Dave Somerville

Polly

Are you on my case because I remind readers of Sturgeon and her Burdz???

All you “Girls” like to stick together, don’t you?

As others have noticed, you and Capella have very similar traits,,,like LGBT Gay rallies, just like your Nicola.

Girl Power and all that.

You better move and get your wife’s dinner made.

CameronB Brodie

Dave Somerville
Listen sunshine, you’re fooling nobody, as you’re clearly quite hostile towards non-heterosexuals, which is strongly suggestive that you do not respect the legal principle of “equality in law”. So I’m struggling to see you as being ‘one of us’. You do strike me as being a tad “alt-right” though. Just my opinion. 😉

Backlash in Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Rights
WOMEN’S RIGHTS & GENDER EQUALITY

link to europarl.europa.eu

Dave Somerville

Site loony joins in with the Burdz

[…] really. Just one day after we accuse the SNP of trying to dodge its problems by hiding from them and censoring anyone who brings them up, this […]

Polly

@ Dave Somerville

Site shapeshifter tries to muscle up, but proves himself a puny weakling. 🙂

Big Jock

Apparently John Finnie of the Greens said there is definitely going to be a referendum.

He is actually one of the MSP’s I trust. He fell out with the SNP , and joined the Greens. He is independence first and foremost. Not like Partick Thistle Harvie at all.

Don’t ask me how he is going to make sure it happens, but at least he is serious.

I can think of one scenario. Lets say Keating’s wins his case in November. It would force the SNP’s hand. They could call an early election on an independence ticket. Element of surprise!

CameronB Brodie

Those who come at me straight on, tend to get slapped down in public. Especially if their political prejudice supports the right-wing. Though it will take some reader engagement to fully enjoy the full-fat experience of a perspective grounded in legal realism, and which is also coherent and compatible with bioethics and the Natural law. So I’m not only ‘tooled-up’ to defend the rights of women, I’m also trained to protect the vulnerable from the arbitrary and dogmatic nature of British legal practice. Of only we had similar in a position of power. 🙁

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LEGAL FORUM Volume 2019 Article 20
Sexual Harms without Misogyny

Claims of sexual injury are always viewed through the twin lenses of sexual morality and sexual politics. Central to each is a narrative of what constitutes a sexual harm.

Traditional society assigned to women the unenviable role of policing sexuality. To this end, its legal system assessed sexual harm from the perspective of the double standard, which admired men and stigmatized women for engaging readily in sex. Sexual harm was thus a wrong against a woman’s chastity and r4pe was the only recognized sexual injury. A r4pe conviction required showing not that a man’s motives were blameworthy but that a woman’s virtue was beyond reproach, her lack of consent demonstrated by her sexual history and by a display of the “utmost” resistance.1

First-wave feminists of the Victorian and Progressive eras rejected the double standard and its inevitable division of women into two classes, “the protected and refined ladies…and those poor outcast daughters of the people whom [men] purchase with money.”2 While accepting the notion of sexual harm as an injury to chastity, they advocated a sexneutral standard of sexual restraint grounded in Christian doctrine.

The next wave of sex law reform began during the 1950s and was grounded in a sex-neutral standard of sexual autonomy that freed women from the constraints of the double standard but failed to provide a compelling secular narrative of sexual harm to replace religious doctrines justifying sexual restraint.3

First-wave feminism and sexual autonomy theory achieved some
important sex law reforms, notably the raising of the age of consent from its appalling historical norm of ten or twelve. Still, the law of r4pe, with its focus on the victim’s behavior, proved hard to change. Courts began in theory to recognize civil actions for sexual harassment, but so grudgingly that recovery was virtually impossible.

In response to these failures, feminists in the seventies argued that sex-neutral theories of sexual autonomy failed to identify the critical role of sexuality in the subjugation of women. Male sexual advances, they argued, were often or even always motivated not by sexual passion but by a desire to humiliate and subordinate women. This dominance framework supplied a secular theory of sexual harm, an element critically missing from early discussions of sexual autonomy.

The source of sexual harm, from this perspective, was located in the intent of the male actor, shifting inquiry from female to male motives. The prevailing public narrative of sexual harm became an odd synthesis of themes from dominance theory and sexual autonomy theory. That narrative accepted one key principle from the most radical dominance model, the strong misogyny narrative: all sexual harm resulted from men’s generalized desire to degrade and exert power over all
women.

However, public opinion rejected the idea that such motives pervaded heterosexual interaction. Thus, men were divided into two groups: good actors conformed to the norms of the sexual autonomy model, while bad actors fit the model of strong misogyny theory and were driven by an all-encompassing animus towards women as a group.

By providing a model of sexual harm, this hybrid misogyny model succeeded where autonomy theories had failed and produced a seismic shift in both public and judicial attitudes. Under its influence, the law of r4pe finally began to undergo a period of significant reform, with changes such as r4pe shield laws that shifted legal inquiry away from the character of the victim.

Perhaps most dramatically, courts began to increase substantially the scope of liability for sexual harassment, authorizing recovery for non-economic harm through hostile environment theory. However compelling, I argue, the hybrid misogyny narrative is incomplete. By locating the problem of sexual harm solely in the actions of deviant misogynists, it impeded recognition of the damage that can be done by flawed but not evil men, especially in situations of power created by the workplace. When applied to workplace settings,4 the hybrid misogyny narrative paved the way to judicial expansion of sexual harassment liability, but also to some deeply misguided doctrines….

link to chicagounbound.uchicago.edu

Polly

@ Big Jock at 2.36 pm

Here’s hoping he’s correct, Jock. I rate him as well. It would settle everyone’s nerves to know that something is at last being done, whatever that is.

Big Jock

On another note.

I see Wee Ginger Dug is again telling us all to shut up and stay united.

Reminder to Paul of the seriousness of what is going on in the SNP. We have Peter Murrell and his wife trying to stitch up an ex leader. Not just stitch up, but they effectively tried to encourage a jail sentence.

How in the world can we just pretend this hasn’t happened. The SNP are withholding information from the enquiry.

They are also withholding information on the membership numbers, the funds, the indi ref 2 ring fenced fund. They tried to neuter a member of the independence movement (Martin Keatings) from doing something they should have done 3 years ago.

We are not one point closer to an independence referendum!

If you allow bad things to happen by ignoring there existence, then you are part of the problem not the solution.

Dave Somerville

Polly

Pass on my best wishes to your wife.

Once a bean, always a bean. Or is it a bian?

Anyway, Capella,,,,I mean Polly,,, Burd Power!!!

CameronB Brodie

I though about leaving Dave’s comment as a throbbing embarrassment to all misogynists, then though nah, let’s put the metaphorical boot in properly.

The British Journal of Criminology, Volume 57, Issue 6, November 2017, Pages 1462–1481
Online Abuse of Feminists as An Emerging form of Violence Against Women and Girls

Abstract

Abuse directed at visible and audible women demonstrates that cyberspace, once heralded as a new, democratic, public sphere, suffers similar gender inequalities as the offline world. This paper reports findings from a national UK study about experiences of online abuse among women who debate feminist politics. It argues that online abuse is most usefully conceived as a form of abuse or violence against women and girls, rather than as a form of communication. It examines the experiences of those receiving online abuse, thereby making a valuable contribution to existing research which tends to focus on analysis of the communications themselves.

link to academic.oup.com

Polly

Cameron, that’s an appropriate link since more women than before are receiving abuse since the trans stuff came about. It’s allowed many lefty men to indulge in things that once would have been frowned on. Some of it is horrific. Glad most men on here aren’t like that, but the shapeshifter above isn’t serious in it, just messing about again under another guise. It’s a buzzing of midges. 🙂

CameronB Brodie

Polly
I must admit I’m struggling to keep up with all the multiple identities being performed, along with the games being played, and by which player. It all get a bit confusing, so I like to stick with what I’m trained to do. And that’s supporting democracy by tackling cultural patriarchy and misogyny. 😉

Feminist Media Studies Volume 18, 2018 – Issue 4: Online Misogyny
Online misogyny and the alternative right: debating the undebatable

Abstract

The aim of this critical intervention is twofold: first, to offer a few insights to the online misogyny debate based on a case-study involving myself and Milo Yiannopoulos, the prominent anti-feminist and self-styled ultra-conservative “bad boy;” second, to add a new, politically pronounced inflection to the meticulous work in the field, by arguing that although misogyny is not exclusively affiliated with a certain political register, its ferocious articulations in contemporary culture – especially online-should be understood as a type of discourse fuelled largely by a set of well-organised far-right, white supremacist determinations collectively camouflaged by the media-friendly term “alternative-right” (hereafter, “alt-right”).

I contend that far from being a subculture that seeks to articulate a credible anti-establishment position, the alt-right is better understood as a polished, technologically adept strand of the far-right – a strand, what is more, that is easily assimilable by neoliberal socio-economic and political rationality. Much like neoliberalism itself, the alt-right is vehemently opposed to any form of politics or political imaginary that seeks to establish a socialist or socialist-democratic hegemony predicated on class consciousness, collectivism, and egalitarianism.

Keywords:
Online misogyny, alt-right, far-right, neoliberalism, lad culture

link to tandfonline.com

Polly

Cameron

You’re wise then. I learned years ago not to trust anyone on the internet and not many in real life either and think that a good ethos to follow. I trust Stuart here only because of what he writes under his own name and folk know who he is, also because I nearly always agree, so far. Although I haven’t been active on the internet in years, since I was young and green in judgment to quote a poet, I’ve quickly found the types you meet remain pretty constant. Pretty much the same types ten and more years later, different people same types. Human nature never really changes and still nowt so queer as folks.

I thought you might be interested in this link, if you’ve not already seen it. It’s peer reviewed supposedly, but does that make it real? Is it another Grievance Studies hoax or fantastical reality uncovered? Nowt so queer as science either and I know little science.

link to pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

CameronB Brodie

Polly
No I wasn’t aware of that study, which I would hold as being too far-fetched to be credible. I don’t deny we live in quantum reality, which is why the law needs to take a quantum approach that can accommodate phenomenological analysis, but I simply can’t see how M-theory and genomics mix in the physical world. I think those bods might have been at the jazz cabbage. 😉

BMC Genomics volume 13, Article number: 196 (2012)
A neutral theory of genome evolution and the frequency distribution of genes

link to bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com

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