Alert readers can’t have failed to notice a certain reticence on the part of Scottish Labour to clarify key aspects of their shambolic proposals for further devolution in the event of a No vote.
(In response to our latest enquiries, genetically-programmed Central Scotland list MSP Siobhan McMahon sent a Wings reader a letter at the weekend directing them to the “Devo Nano” report – which doesn’t address any of the issues that were actually raised by her constituent – and saying “I believe that I have now adequately responded to your queries and have nothing further to add.”)
But it turns out there ARE people they’re prepared to tell the truth to.
Readers who may have been alarmed that the Scotsman hadn’t run any Michael Kelly columns for a while can breathe a sigh of relief this morning, as the role of “clueless idiot blithely spouting inflammatory and wrong-headed drivel about sectarianism and independence” is clearly in safe hands.
One of the great things about this site’s sky-high viewing figures is that on the rare occasions when we might be, for example, out having a walk in the park to get over the crushing disappointment of somehow losing yet another Scottish Cup semi-final, our ever-vigilant readers will remain alert.
We’re off to watch the Scottish Cup semi-final now, so to keep you all entertained for the next couple of hours here’s a little something we put together at the request of columnist and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch, and for anyone who was listening to Radio Scotland’s “Headlines” this morning.
Hopefully we won’t need it ourselves by 3.30pm. #COYR
We didn’t do a stats post at the start of April (still just under 4m pageviews a month, if you’re curious) but when someone tweeted these figures this morning we thought they were worth a wee toot, because they’re more than just nice news for us.
They’re from the independent web-traffic analysis site Alexa.com, and they detail the relative rankings for the seven biggest dedicated Scottish politics sites on the web.
The last batch of data from our Panelbase poll concerns social attitudes, away from directly party-political issues. We did a whole bunch of these last time, with a mixture of predictable and unexpected results, and Scots had a surprise or two for us again.
We’ve had these sitting around for a few days without getting round to posting them, but as we’re currently knee-deep in the last tranche of data from our Panelbase poll, it seemed as good a time as any to clear the decks.
First up in the ambiguously-named Posterotron is the “respectable” face of British nationalism, in the form of UKIP European-election candidate David Coburn.
That virtuoso display of Olympic-class irony from Mr Davey was part of the latest fearbomb from the No camp – Nick Clegg’s plea for a “Sunshine Strategy” apparently having been a casualty of Lord Robertson’s “cataclysm” – in the shape of yet another “Scotland Analysis” report from the UK government insisting that every single aspect of Scottish independence would be comprehensively and unequivocally disastrous.
With the Scottish Parliament on a two-week break, it appears to have fallen to the Telegraph to take on the role of Johann Lamont this Thursday.
Scottish Labour’s regional manager has recently been under the curious impression that the most pressing issue on the minds of the people of Scotland is the fine detail of the First Minister’s hotel bill during a trip to America to promote the Ryder Cup in 2012, and the Telegraph seems equally obsessed.
But that dramatic splash isn’t quite what it seems.
Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: “Take heart, Aidan. There’s no way Confused would make it past the station barriers. I realise public transportation isn’t what…” Nov 7, 10:32
Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: “Only once ‘a people’ truly understand their oppression will they urgently seek the only remedy: https://salvo.scot/scotlands-colonial-status/” Nov 7, 09:50
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “The Treaty of union between Scotland and England parliaments never concluded to its end date, the progression being halted by…” Nov 7, 09:43
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “The parliament of England did not cease to exist, it was transferred in its last session into the new brand,…” Nov 7, 09:32
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Again, Northy, you’re missing a key piece of the jigsaw. For £150 billion PA, Brussels will take all these petty…” Nov 7, 09:31
Northcode on Vibecoding A Better World: ““What’s your plan for governing Scotland after independence, Alf?” “£150 billion per year.” “Right… but what about trade, international relations,…” Nov 7, 09:10
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “@Northy I don’t think that’s a complete summary. You must also channel your inner Theresa May: Decolonisation means Decolonisation. And…” Nov 7, 08:58
Northcode on Vibecoding A Better World: ““What’s your plan for achieving independence, Alf?” “Liberation.” “Right… and how do you deliver liberation?” “Decolonisation.” “Okay, and what does…” Nov 7, 08:29
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Before you self-identify, MH, impress upon her that nay means nay. Maybe try ketamine a few times too. I hear…” Nov 7, 08:27
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Thanks for the link, Fearghas. At least we can now listen to it for ourselves. Up to now, all we’ve…” Nov 7, 08:11
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “An unfortunate side effect of pre-booked, pre-allocated seating. In the old days, regular travellers developed a “sixth sense” that helped…” Nov 7, 07:59
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Busy week, Confused? The evidence of this post suggests you’ve defo had something on your mind the entire time. If…” Nov 7, 07:50
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Well then, that’s something, Connie. There’s few on here ever graduated from the primary school playground. Take the comment above…” Nov 7, 07:36
Minceheid on Vibecoding A Better World: “Hatey McHateface says: 6 November, 2026 at 12:49 pm I’d be a bit more specific than “horse” if I were…” Nov 7, 07:33
Aidan on Vibecoding A Better World: “The really worrying thing is that the person who wrote all of this could be sitting next to you on…” Nov 7, 07:28
Confused on Vibecoding A Better World: “it always baffles me that the maddest of the mad yoons are batshit zio nutters as well https://archive.ph/v1Zno – lest…” Nov 6, 22:00
Confused on Vibecoding A Better World: “laffing at you www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7CkA0H75oo www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVICfWS-d5M – not with you fast track this lad for the GDP growth and theconomy https://x.com/RMXnews/status/2118617949325906250…” Nov 6, 21:59
Confused on Vibecoding A Better World: “this is fucking mental – skip to 1 minute 20 seconds www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJgkEHzkLck – but I prefer the brahan seer myself…” Nov 6, 21:59
Confused on Vibecoding A Better World: “evenin’ all (busy week), some random morsels for all the good people and fuck these yoon arseholes who keep stodging…” Nov 6, 21:58
100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “I wished Rev would get rid of this annoying idiot and barr him. People come on here to have a…” Nov 6, 21:10
100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “Independence is the only hope to remove the colonial constraints. Scotland is house bond by house Westminster. With Independence and…” Nov 6, 21:02
Connie Davidson on Vibecoding A Better World: “Aye you, Hatey. There’s quite a few insults I could launch at you ‘n’ a’, but nae need. You show…” Nov 6, 20:20
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Vibecoding A Better World: “‘The Debate: What’s the best route to Scottish independence?’ (5 Nov 2026) « Robin McAlpine of Common Weal and Professor…” Nov 6, 20:03
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “How odd, Spartan! Your posts get longer and longer as you care less and less.” Nov 6, 18:37
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““think outside the box constructed for us” As I recall, constructed by no less a personage than the late, great…” Nov 6, 18:31
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Michty! Friday comes aroond quick. James hame all alane again. Hope yer maw’s left ye a puckle o’ denners in…” Nov 6, 18:04
Connie Davidson on Vibecoding A Better World: “I watched the debate on the National You Tube channel between Alf Baird and Robin MacAlpine and I was enraged…” Nov 6, 17:33
James on Vibecoding A Better World: “But Adrian, as anyone above the age of 6 reading ony of your posts can tell – you lack ony…” Nov 6, 15:40