The writing, we mean. Because it’s not until you see it baldly written down in black and white that it really hits you how insane it is.
The SNP has 44 MPs now, and has not managed to enter independence negotiations.
Winning 29 seats would represent a LOSS of 15, or more than a third.
And they’re about to stand up in front of voters and insist that that would somehow compel the UK government to hand over what they’ve been flatly refusing since 2016.
(It’s all pretty academic anyway, obv, as we’ll be amazed if they get double figures.)
The very last shred of credibility has left the building, readers.
Labour won far more handsomely in last night’s by-election than anyone – and we very strongly suspect that includes themselves – expected. If the swing of over 20% was to be repeated nationwide next year (which it won’t be, but we’ll get to that in a minute), the SNP would be reduced to six or seven seats, as Wings has predicted for a while.
From the abject pit of despair of 2015, when Labour lost 40 of its 41 MPs in Scotland, let’s look at how the party has powered back to recapture the hearts of voters.
Humza Yousaf didn’t turn up to the count tonight. In the end, even on a dreadfully low turnout of 37%, Labour won by 9,446 votes, with more than twice as many as the SNP.
It was a much worse defeat for the governing party than most expected. There should be only one outcome.
We were curious to find out what we’d said, but it seems to have been expunged from The National’s website. We eventually managed to track the email down in our vaults, though, so just as a bit of a change, here it is, as a reminder of a different time.
Cynicus on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “‘And then Swinney (and indeed all his idiot apologists) will have to turn to expectant SNP voters and say “Ehm,…” Mar 5, 01:33
Angus on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Those were the days of the Alex Salmond led SNP, which was genuinely pro-independence. What followed has been the SNP…” Mar 5, 00:36
Cynicus on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “RobertG says: 4 March, 2026 at 9:05 pm “I am far from convinced with the polling projections. I suspect that…” Mar 5, 00:13
Big Jock on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “He already has the excuse lined up. The war in Iran. Which England is dragging Scotland into. Now is not…” Mar 5, 00:08
Rob on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Even in the extremely unlikely event that the UN agrees with you there will still need to be a referendum.” Mar 4, 23:44
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “IAIN UIG Chaochail a bhean. Ghoid iad a chàr. Mharbh iad a chù. Bhuail òrd air làr. Sìor spadadh dhe…” Mar 4, 22:50
Andy Wiltshire on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “If by some miracle there is a referendum, and indy wins, I sometimes wonder if we would be forced to…” Mar 4, 22:28
100%Yes on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “I’ll tell you who believes Swinney the one’s making a living out of pretending to support Independence when they don’t.” Mar 4, 22:28
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Are you having a laugh? “RUK unionists incomers are now in the majority” Why do you continue to insist that…” Mar 4, 21:40
RobertG on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “I am far from convinced with the polling projections. I suspect that the curent SNP will really strugle to win…” Mar 4, 21:05
Mark Beggan on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “That will put the fear of God into the Leftwing activists. Explains why they always cover their faces and refuse…” Mar 4, 21:04
Geri on Two Men Unalike: “I’m not on the new thread, unlike some I could mention. Best you keep yer shit all in one place…” Mar 4, 21:04
Mark Beggan on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “The daddy of post colonial theocracy is Toast.” Mar 4, 20:50
Hatey McHateface on Two Men Unalike: “Wow, Geri, that’s spooky! I just predicted your imminent re-appearance on the new thread. I hope you’re not stalking me.…” Mar 4, 20:37
Iain More on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “And nobody “Yes Voter” with half a brain believes him.” Mar 4, 20:25
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “The knock-off Shaheds being sent in their direction carry a heavily ironic punch. High explosive karma for 4 years supplying…” Mar 4, 20:22
Geri on Two Men Unalike: ““people who adhere to that kind of belief systems have no place in our modern world and no place in…” Mar 4, 20:20
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “We need another Barbie to take her place. Is there a Barbie in the house? Actually, yes, and she’s overdue…” Mar 4, 20:11
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: ““put the UK including Scotland into a Middle East War” You need to pay better attention. The fatwa has already…” Mar 4, 20:09
Sven on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “And now Mr Swiney has lost a candidate as Ms Sally Donald withdraws from the May elections whilst the subject…” Mar 4, 19:49
James Barr Gardner on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Between allowing the US to use UK airbases to attack Iran and shooting down an Iranian drone over Jordan, over…” Mar 4, 19:40
Mark Beggan on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Don’t you just love those missiles slamming into anything Iranian. Yum yum.” Mar 4, 19:31
100%Yes on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “If the PM was to grant dunderhead a referendum he’d only F*ck it up. John does nothing for me apart…” Mar 4, 19:04
agentx on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “I remember the days on here when if anybody had a negative comment about the SNP there were sarcastic cries…” Mar 4, 18:57
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “How does the progress being made with the UN C-24 application tie in with this? No referendum will ever be…” Mar 4, 18:47
Mark Beggan on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “The wheels on the bus go round and round… All day long.” Mar 4, 18:44
duncanio on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “The dream shall never die. But Swinney’s wish might prove to be his nightmare.” Mar 4, 18:40
Karen on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Ha ha, you stole my line: “Are you saying we should vote SNP1 just for the bant?”” Mar 4, 18:21
Hatey McHateface on Two Men Unalike: ““wise up to this shift in the global paradigm” You are coy on what you believe that shift to be.…” Mar 4, 18:06
