We’ve just taken delivery of some REALLY interesting polling results, readers, but it’s going to take a while to fully analyse and write them up, so in the meantime let’s look at some slightly less interesting ones which came from the same poll – the Norstat one commissioned by the Sunday Times and published today, which we hitched a lift on.
The headline figures show an eight-point Yes lead, which is nice, although it’s also entirely abstract since the SNP has no current policy for translating independence support into actual independence (or even another referendum about it).
All the same, it seemed a good time to assess the wider picture.
If you’re a fan of lazy, superficial political analysis from the mentally unwell, you might have read this week about John Swinney’s great strategic triumph of having “coaxed” an “endorsement” out of the Daily Record for Thursday’s by-election in Hamilton.
And if so, you might be forgiven for thinking that that analysis looks pretty stupid now.
(Holiday Boy is still jetting his way around the globe, and indeed will be for the next few weeks, so in the absence of cartoons what else can we do but look at comics?)
But what, if anything, do those front pages tell us?
Alert readers will be familiar with this site’s ongoing quest for an explanation as to why controversy-plagued charity LGBT Youth Scotland continues to operate in dozens of Scottish primary and even nursery schools, pushing gender ideology onto children as young as four despite only having a remit to support 13-25-year-olds.
Last month we were, to coin a phrase, stonewalled by Scotland’s charity regulator, the OSCR, but we filed a review request and today we received – a couple of weeks past the deadline – a response.
The entire Scottish media and professional-politician community is currently in a self-righteous froth about a campaign ad being run by Reform for the Hamilton by-election targeting Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
Obviously none of the acres of press coverage trusts voters to see the ad and decide for themselves, because that simply isn’t how journalism works nowadays. You’re told that a bad thing happened – whether it be a campaign ad, a comedian’s joke or the supposed terrible abuse sent to a celebrity – and how outraged various pundits or other celebrities are about it, with the clear implication that you should feel the same, but you almost never get shown or told what was actually said.
So to start with, as a basic journalistic principle, here’s the ad itself in its entirety.
Now let’s look at what you’re being ordered to think about it.
The Scottish Tory MSP reacted furiously to a story in The National which said Scotland had been absorbed into England by the 1707 Act Of Union, rather than becoming a “partner” in anything, and had ceased to exist as a state in international law.
Which was a weird response, because that’s been the official stated position of both the UK government and the Conservative Party for at least the last 12 years.
Despite everything, we almost allowed ourselves just the very tiniest little micro-flicker of optimism when we read Tommy Sheppard’s latest in The National.
Because that much is certainly true, and it’s uncommonly candid to have anyone in the SNP admit it. So what’s the answer?
(Kelly’s article is here. Link to Grok’s answer here. The ChatGPT analysis that triggered the article can be read in this tweet thread. A verifiable analysis by Grok of the debate, based on a neutral question, can be read here.)
The legal imprint at the bottom means that that’s official SNP election communication. One assumes it’s intended for leaflets to be put through actual voters’ letterboxes.
Hi! I noticed, with very considerable amusement, your complaint last night that I hadn’t made a “substantive reply” to the [EDIT] EIGHT posts (totalling nearly 11,000 words) of semi-coherent ranting about me that you’ve made on your site in the last eight days.
(I’ll be absolutely honest, I’ve only skimmed the last few.)
We both know the reason that’s so tear-streamingly comical, of course.
In so far as it’s worth talking about Scottish constitutional politics at all these days, it’s worth taking a moment to analyse the bloodless, anodyne nothingness spouted by the First Minister on The Sunday Show at the weekend.
That clip is less than three minutes long, but it’s so soul-crushingly boring and full of content-free drone and waffle that it’s almost impossible to sit all the way through it, so we’re going to translate and summarise it for you.
Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: ““It’s the sheer indefatigability and lack of self-awareness that shocks you” It’s of fascinating academic interest, certainly. I’m of the…” Oct 25, 14:01
TURABDIN on Faces In Sand: “MODERN COLONIALISM IN ACTION https://venezuelanalysis.com/opinion/venezuela-from-revolution-to-recolonization/ USA, the country that supported Saddam Hussein in a proxy war against its neighbour then…” Oct 25, 13:51
Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: ““reminds me of the evil Nanny from the Omen with that glaikit satanic glare she has” Ah, the wondrous wittering…” Oct 25, 13:39
auld highlander on Faces In Sand: “I would rather read Alf posts than the sassenach yoons deliberate deflections and crap. Keep on posting Alf, it rattles…” Oct 25, 13:31
William Smith on Faces In Sand: “You continue to post several times a day, that the Scottish Parliament was dissolved on the 28th of April 1606…” Oct 25, 13:02
Captain Caveman on Faces In Sand: “Good grief, it’s just relentless. Truly, it doesn’t matter how many times Alf is shot to ribbons, up he pops…” Oct 25, 11:49
James Che on Faces In Sand: “Alf Baird, The question of referendums for Scotland to leave the rUK become legally obsolete as soon as the Scottish…” Oct 25, 11:12
Alf Baird on Faces In Sand: ““to deny the reality of the country you live in” Which is essentially the intended effect of a colonial mindset,…” Oct 25, 10:57
James Che on Faces In Sand: “When indigenous populations starting with Scotland are dismissed So are other populations and nations, The politics and records do indeed…” Oct 25, 10:54
James Che on Faces In Sand: “Recognising indigenous Scots is going to become the same legal issue in recognising whom are indigenous English people, Irish people,…” Oct 25, 10:40
James Che on Faces In Sand: “Hatey, I can see that understanding the situation politically or lack of, may be out of your line of view…” Oct 25, 10:22
Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: ““there is no ‘United Kingdom’” A recurring advert on TV has a comely young lady, the daughter of an Italian…” Oct 25, 10:12
Geri on Faces In Sand: “During March 2022 Senate testimony, U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland stated that U possessed biological research facilities and…” Oct 25, 10:09
Alf Baird on Faces In Sand: ““Does Scotland need a referendum to leave the rUK. If it is not legally in the rUK” Yes James, the…” Oct 25, 09:48
James Che on Faces In Sand: “The framework to End the power of the false mighty empires = is the diversity agenda. Wether it is Gender…” Oct 25, 09:34
Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: ““Scotland is independent” Great news, James. What do you intend to do with your life now?” Oct 25, 09:07
Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: “@Lorncal There is no protective gear providing 100% effectiveness. The best that can be said is that some may be…” Oct 25, 09:05
James Che on Faces In Sand: “Does Scotland need a referendum to leave the rUK. If it is not legally in the rUK since the 28th…” Oct 25, 08:38
Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: “How odd, Bob. My benchmark 30 seconds of internet research, which any eejit can repeat for herself, reveals that in…” Oct 25, 08:35
James Che on Faces In Sand: “Scotlands prison without bars is just a story book that Westminster parliament made up to impress other Countries and officials…” Oct 25, 08:25
Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: ““stick yer moon cheese up yer arse ya rocket” Good to see you having a relaxed Saturday night, Dan. Sad…” Oct 25, 08:18
Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: “Whoops, Geri! Ye’ve dropped 10 biolabs there. One of the many problems with making stuff up. You lose track. “No…” Oct 25, 08:00
James Che on Faces In Sand: “Scotland democratic vote for a referendum to leave the UK, There is no democratic way or mechanism, Hatey is correct,…” Oct 25, 07:47
Dan on Faces In Sand: ““The same people with a flourishing space program and credible plans to exploit the Moon.” Oh aye, have they fired…” Oct 24, 22:52
robertkknight on Faces In Sand: “Posted without comment… Religion: CofE: 80.6% No, 19.4% Yes” Oct 24, 22:12
Geri on Faces In Sand: “See Shit face, there exists this little thing called international treaties. Those treaties carry international clout. They’re, supposedly, upheld by…” Oct 24, 22:11
Lorncal on Faces In Sand: “Hmmmmm… You may be right, H McH. I did read somewhere that some of the masks for medical staff were…” Oct 24, 21:36
robertkknight on Faces In Sand: “2014 Referendum Study Demographics Birth place: oUK: 57.1% No, 42.9% Yes rUK: 72.1% No, 27.9% Yes SCO: 47.3% No, 52.7%…” Oct 24, 21:35
Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: ““the real nations are the tribes and the country boundaries reflect nothing of this” Check out the big brain on…” Oct 24, 20:14
Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: “Having made the bulk of the transition to renewables (which I believe Norway has), it’s foolhardy to pull up the…” Oct 24, 19:49
