Over the last few days, for want of anything more interesting happening in Scottish politics, we’ve been reviewing some of the entertainingly fluid criteria by which Unionist politicians used to assert that Scotland could supposedly achieve independence. But we hadn’t seen this one before:
A view apparently “almost universally shared among English Tory backbenchers” back in the late 1980s was that independence could be won by the SNP securing a majority of Scottish MPs at not one but two successive UK general elections.
Given that that line has now been crossed in THREE Westminster elections in a row, we’re all agog to find where Boris Johnson will move the goalposts to in his keenly-awaited response to the Scottish Government’s second Section 30 request, which he’s due to deliver any minute now.
We’ve never been able to actually confirm the oft-cited “quote” from Margaret Thatcher suggesting that the SNP winning a majority of Scottish seats at a UK election would constitute a mandate for independence, but here’s a verified more recent one from a then-serving Conservative PM.
“[John] Major has made it clear that a majority of SNP MPs after an election would serve as a mandate to begin negotiations for separation. There are no plans to hold a referendum”, said former Thatcher minister and party chairman Norman Tebbit a few months before the 1997 election.
It was a position the Tories held right up to 2010 – the last election at which the SNP didn’t win a majority of Scottish seats, at which point the goalposts magically shifted. Now, of course, the rule is that a majority of MPs doesn’t count, but you also can’t have a referendum.
Scotland is a prisoner without hope of parole. Time for a breakout.
We couldn’t help but raise a quizzical eyebrow at this assertion from SNP MP Pete Wishart in today’s Sunday National.
It was said in the specific context of securing a second indyref in 2020, and since such a referendum has NOT in fact been secured – and looks extremely unlikely to be – we wondered which other definition of “success” might be being used to justify the claim.
The 2010s end in a matter of hours, and everyone and their genderfluid dog is writing retrospectives of the 10 years just past. This site, which came into existence in the second year of the decade, has very little interest in following suit – we’ve always been about the future.
But a cursory glance over the shoulder does reveal one immediately striking fact that’s worthy of passing note.
We got blocked by LBC’s James O’Brien today for very gently and politely challenging him over this tweet:
And while this site most assuredly carries no torch for Jeremy Corbyn, it’s a reframing of reality that merits a bit of investigation for what it tells us about the UK media.
It sucks being right all the time. But at least now, as we asked for, the lie is over. So that’s a good thing. We suppose we should celebrate, but we don’t feel much like it.
Yesterday we posted an article noting that hardline trans-rights extremists, among whose number we must regretfully count the Scottish Government, were engaged in a determined and alarmingly successful attempt to abolish the scientific basis for reality.
We did not expect such a striking illustration of that assertion to arrive this soon.
It really is quite the remarkable feat of timing that concerted mass reporting by SNP activists managed to get the Wings Twitter account (and several others) closed down this week of all weeks, isn’t it?
They’re also trying to get my personal account banned, and reporting scores of others, in an open attempt to purge any sort of dissenting opinions from public dialogue at exactly the same time as opening a “consultation” whose outcome has already been predetermined, and which in another remarkable coincidence is due to close just a few days into the four weeks scheduled for the Alex Salmond trial.
Confused on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “So … you use powerful aftershave to cover up the smell of pish? Is that what you are saying? louis…” Aug 20, 17:28
James on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Oh…. THAT’S what’s dragging us down…. What an oracle for the unwary you are.” Aug 20, 17:26
James on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““I have always thought there are colonial-like aspects of the relationship but that fall well short of Scotland being a…” Aug 20, 17:23
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “If you avoid naming names, you won’t end up in the cross hairs. You’re looking like yet another “bonnie fechter”…” Aug 20, 17:12
Mark Beggan on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “I agree it’s a bloody disgrace. Sarah ruins everything.” Aug 20, 16:59
sam on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Anent your final sentence. I ask this question of Search Assist, “Would the Act of Union 1707 obtained with bribery…” Aug 20, 16:52
Spartan 117 on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Some of the posts here this afternoon are embarrassing. Christ almighty, the state of some folk.” Aug 20, 16:45
Captain Caveman on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Stinking of piss eh? Hardly. Louis Vuitton Imagination, actually. 🙂 Still, that’ll be you projecting again – probably literally. Hapless…” Aug 20, 16:40
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Not when I’m self-identifying. Which is, after all, my right as a Sovereign Scot.” Aug 20, 16:36
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Man! Independence is so close I can taste it! Any. Day. Now. Beats me how any cant could be bothered…” Aug 20, 16:33
sarah on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Rev, is there any news on Mark Hirst’s fundraiser? He was only needing £5000 so I hope that was quickly…” Aug 20, 16:21
Confused on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “speak for yourself; fair play if a man of your age can still raise the sail and you do stink…” Aug 20, 16:10
Captain Caveman on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Oh do shut up, you utter twat. Get back to sniffing the solvents and your “WFH”. (We all know what…” Aug 20, 16:00
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““prevented the teaching of Gaelic with punitive steps” “This repression of Gaelic culture suggests a colonial mindset” You don’t say!…” Aug 20, 15:45
Confused on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “3 emojis – so you did enlist the 5 year old after all tell her to be a good girl…” Aug 20, 15:42
Mark Beggan on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “It is essential that the candidate believes in non-binary fairies, and that stealing is just another word for appropriation, They…” Aug 20, 15:41
Insider on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Indeed, Young Lochinvar! I asked Mr Google a few weeks ago what the current circulation of “The National” is. It…” Aug 20, 15:32
agentx on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““20th August 2026 Precautionary movement restrictions have been put in place after a case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly…” Aug 20, 15:31
sam on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Aidan, To get a comprehensive answer you would really need to read all of the man posts the former Treasury…” Aug 20, 15:29
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““One Kingdom by the Name of Great Britain” Amazing! A kingdom must, of course, have a king. And we have.…” Aug 20, 15:26
Captain Caveman on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Yeah of course you do, and of course you are pal. That deserves THREE emojis, here you go! 😀 :D…” Aug 20, 15:24
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “You forgot “Taking bribes from MI5 to censor discussion of Scotland’s colonial status”. That’s assuming the successful applicant won’t have…” Aug 20, 15:18
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Fa’s James aboot the day? We need his contribution tae improve the quality o’ BTL debate. Ah cannae dae it…” Aug 20, 15:12
factchecker on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “NC says “However, it could be argued, colonialism set aside, that Scotland is a founding partner – equal in standing…” Aug 20, 15:12
Confused on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “caveman – you just posted an emoji (as did main) – 2 of them, since neither of you are 12…” Aug 20, 15:12
Confused on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “english bluetongue has appeared in Scotland – been on the BTL for a long time; and the mad cow disease…” Aug 20, 15:07
Young Lochinvar on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““Fast growing pool of subscribers” Hmmm. Figures to support that claim? I see their printed output doesn’t even merit a…” Aug 20, 15:04
Captain Caveman on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““start on the personal abuse then BOO HOO when you can’t take it back” Oh yeah, I’m crying a fucking…” Aug 20, 14:59
