When I was a boy at Balbardie Primary School in Bathgate in the mid-70s, football was banned in the playground. Of course we were all fitba-daft laddies, so we sought ways around the prohibition. Occasionally someone would bring in a tennis ball, but those were difficult to control in school shoes and also apt to fly over the wall of the outdoor toilet block if somebody caught one sweetly on the volley.
So most playtimes somebody would produce a tin of Pepsi or Irn-Bru or Cresta, chug the contents, stand the empty container on its end and stomp sharply on it, producing something more akin to an ice-hockey puck that would serve for our kickabout.
But even after being skelped and scudded around a concrete playground into stone walls for 20 minutes, that can was still in better shape at the end of our game than the one the SNP have been kicking down the road since 2016.
Just over a year ago, Shona Robison – then the Cabinet Secretary For Social Justice, now the Deputy First Minister – told the Scottish Parliament this:
There now follow some quotes from the media regarding the case of Andrew Miller, aka Amy George, who yesterday admitted the kidnap and repeated sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl at his home in Galashiels earlier this year.
This morning’s news is that the SNP have finally found a company desperate enough for business to take the gamble of associating itself with the party’s finances.
Oily SNP MP John Nicolson – a man who was pompous and condescending even as a teenager presenting Open To Question in the 1980s – this week posted an extended and theatrical Twitter rant at the fine Herald and National columnist Kevin McKenna.
As the SNP burns down around their ears, nothing stops the gravy bus. But even as they gallivant gaily around another “Tartan Week” junket in the USA, one might have thought the Constitution Minister would have shied away from this particular photo-op.
Alert readers may be familiar with the market research and polling company Progress Scotland. Readers of The National certainly will be, as the semi-newspaper has run over 120 stories about it, most of them around the company’s creation in early 2019.
The company was formed by Angus Robertson, at the time an unemployed former SNP MP after he lost his Moray seat in the 2017 election, and its stated goal was to persuade those not yet fully decided.
100%Yes on The Party Of The Dead: “The SNP is refusing to pay it back, if I’m correct.” Aug 6, 20:24
Alf Baird on The Party Of The Dead: “Helpful analysis, Red, and where the impending ‘disintegration’ of a national party that has been ‘co-opted by colonialism’ and which…” Aug 6, 20:16
100%Yes on The Party Of The Dead: “Sorry Naw, clad YES. The SNP lost its true supporters and ended up with tits and morons as a membership…” Aug 6, 20:13
Nicky T Naquetti on The Party Of The Dead: ““Heather Herbert”…? “Humbert Humbert”, moar like” Aug 6, 19:15
Young Lochinvar on The Party Of The Dead: “Whoa there LL!! I was a brickies labourer prior to enlisting, it was a blistering hot summer way back then…” Aug 6, 18:43
Aidan on Anatomy Of A Grift: ““Any money you send us will be split as usual between running costs, commissioning polls, a wage for myself and…” Aug 6, 18:41
Red on The Party Of The Dead: “Lothianlad mentioned Nicola Sturgeon as the architect of the SNP’s demise. She is greatly responsible, but the rot set in…” Aug 6, 18:14
Dan on Anatomy Of A Grift: “What’s the status of a new Wee Blue Book and revenues raised for producing it? https://wingsoverscotland.com/the-loose-end https://donorbox.org/last-call” Aug 6, 18:00
thothScot on The Party Of The Dead: “It’s not uncommon that the undead are still there years and years later, shambling around shopping malls accosting people who…” Aug 6, 17:55
Bilbo on Anatomy Of A Grift: “I’ve got a feeling that social media is going to change beyond recognition in 5 years time. This is going…” Aug 6, 16:57
agentx on The Party Of The Dead: ““John Swinney @JohnSwinney ? The publication of the SNP’s accounts today shows that at the end of 2025 the party…” Aug 6, 16:51
Ian Smith on The Party Of The Dead: “I would not be surprised if they lined up positions for anyone leaving with one of their pet quangos or…” Aug 6, 16:43
Effijy on The Party Of The Dead: “They could busk until dusk and not finance the next election. Anyone with glass bottle returns, Embassy Coupons or Greenshield…” Aug 6, 16:42
Knuckle_Heid on The Party Of The Dead: “Good point Elmac and even if the SNP do manage to claw back the £400k from Peter Murrell, hopefully enough…” Aug 6, 16:38
Ian Smith on The Party Of The Dead: “Has anyone heard when the campervan and miscellaneous luxuries go up for auction? With no appeals, would it generally all…” Aug 6, 16:37
agentx on The Party Of The Dead: “I notice that they spent £221,079 on Information technology (page 15) and £117,636 on Audio Visual at the Conference (page…” Aug 6, 16:32
agentx on The Party Of The Dead: ““In November, the SNP’s ruling body agreed to a more “streamlined” staffing structure and announced plans to cut jobs from…” Aug 6, 16:22
Alf Baird on Anatomy Of A Grift: “People are conditioned by their environment, Hatey. Thus, in a colonial society the oppressed colonized group tend to suffer from…” Aug 6, 16:15
Elmac on The Party Of The Dead: “I assume that the liability of the SNP to those who donated to the ring fenced fund stolen by the…” Aug 6, 15:54
Skip_NC on The Party Of The Dead: “The drop in salaries cannot be explained by Murrell’s activities alone. There must have been redundancies and pretty hefty ones…” Aug 6, 15:37
I. Despair on The Party Of The Dead: “Eech, two articles on consecutive days headed by pictures of the “Heather Herbert” polycule.” Aug 6, 15:23
lothianlad on The Party Of The Dead: “I cant help believing that this is all part of the SNP being utterly corrupted by greed and brit nat…” Aug 6, 15:22
Chas on The Party Of The Dead: “Murrell has apparantly stated that he will repay the £400k+ that he stole from the SNP. He obviously has this…” Aug 6, 15:15
Hatey McHateface on Anatomy Of A Grift: “You’ve changed your tune, Alf. Only a couple of weeks since you (and your faithful sidekick Northy) were claiming that…” Aug 6, 14:10
Aidan on Anatomy Of A Grift: “Well exactly CC, vote in the most unqualified, malevolent, fanatical people into power election after election and then blame the…” Aug 6, 13:46
Captain Caveman on Anatomy Of A Grift: “If people vote in left wing governments year after year in Scotland, they shouldn’t be surprised at the outcomes. No…” Aug 6, 13:25
Rookiescot on Anatomy Of A Grift: “My head has fallen off and I have misplaced it. I have started a Go Fund Me account so I…” Aug 6, 13:21
