The Labour general election manifesto is officially launched today, as if it mattered. It will reportedly say that the party will block a second independence referendum if it’s in power at Westminster, which of course it won’t be.
And while Labour’s position on anything – particularly anything involving Scotland – is a complete irrelevance, it’s still quite fun to listen to them tying themselves in knots.
So with no further ado, ladies and gentlemen, we bring you Duncan Hothersall.
We greatly enjoyed Any Questions on Radio 4 this week. Well chaired by Jonathan Dimbleby, it was a mostly grown-up and adult discussion of issues around nationalism and independence, perhaps assisted by the fact that – we gather – Scottish Labour branch manager Kezia Dugdale was unable to take part and was replaced as a Labour representative by Lord Falconer, who offered some considered and intelligent views.
The only slight wasp in the ointment was Tory list MSP Adam Tomkins, who delivered his usual boorish, patrician and arrogant debating style, which was frequently met with boos, jeers and catcalls from a feisty Blantyre audience. But he did come out with one rather unexpected and off-message policy position.
The John Beattie Show on BBC Radio Scotland today hosted a 20-minute-long debate between Professor Richard Murphy and an amateur Unionist blogger who for the last several years has used the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures to prove that an independent Scotland would be economically unviable.
Below is a very short extract from it. (The full debate is here.)
We’re glad that’s finally settled. Though we have to admit, given that all parties to the discussion now absolutely concur on those facts, we’re a bit confused about what the amateur blogger’s been doing for the last five years.
…on Good Morning Scotland yesterday, then we suspect you’re going to love the Lib Dems’ heroically glaikit MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton on the same show today.
We don’t want to fall into the trap of portraying the Liberal Democrats as a party of any political relevance or consequence in Scotland, but for the sheer comedy value alone Willie Rennie’s interview with Gary Robertson on today’s Good Morning Scotland is worth a couple of minutes of your time.
Below is part of a segment from Monday’s edition of Good Morning Scotland (from 2h 35m at the link beneath the clip), which featured an interview with Professor Allyson Pollock, an extremely experienced academic in the field of healthcare on both sides of the border who so far as we know has no dog in the Scottish constitutional fight.
Hardcore nutter collective Scotland In Union are already the de facto unofficial No campaign group for the second independence referendum.
Evidently very well-connected and already flush with cash from sources unknown, the limited company recently raised a reported £300,000 for itself at a “charity” dinner attended by such luminaries of the great and the good as Lord Alistair Darling, Lord Dunlop and (um) Willie Rennie, auctioning off exotic high-end goodies like hunting trips to Africa, polo parties with the Maharajah of Jodhpur and Alpine holidays described in the lavish 60-page auction catalogue as featuring:
“A fabulous chalet and a family home, with six bedrooms sleeping 12, all en suite. Although the chalet does not come with a chalet girl, we will provide one for you.”
(There were also some signed JK Rowling books for the paupers.)
So that’s nice. Extremely wealthy people – just getting into the dinner was £250 – who are doing very well out of the way things are, donating big wads of money to some other people trying to ensure that the rich folk stay that way. No law against it. But just who are the true believers rushing bravely to the defence of the Union’s elites?
We were rather gobsmacked, readers, when we tuned into this morning’s BBC Radio Scotland phone-in at 9am. Ostensibly discussing the promotion of “Rangers” to the Premiership, presenter Louise White adopted the most astonishingly, openly partisan and aggressive approach we’ve ever heard from a host on the state broadcaster (which is no small feat), on the subject of whether the club was a new one or not.
Callers were harangued, interrupted and hustled on for daring to suggest the truth. It was a jaw-dropping display of disregard for not only impartiality but basic journalistic regard for the plain, uncontestable facts of the matter.
But don’t panic, football-haters. This post is about something else.
Kezia Dugdale gave an interview to Good Morning Scotland earlier today that viewed from above would probably look rather like the runway at Baghdad Airport in 1991.
If we tried to pick out all the individual bomb craters in one post, readers’ eyes would glaze over long before the end. So we’re going to have to do it in bits.
Below is a 17-minute section of this afternoon’s John Beattie show on BBC Radio Scotland, featuring me and an amateur blogger with a keen interest in Pedigree Chum discussing the effect of the lower oil price on the Scottish economy.
So that’s genuine progress – next time some frothing Yoon screams “OIL PRICE! BLACK HOLE! SNP LIES! TOO WEE, TOO POOR!” at you, you can direct them here for categorical agreement from the Yes and No sides alike that actually the falling oil price makes an independent Scotland MORE economically viable, not less.
Unfortunately you’ll have to put up with a condescending, patronising arse sniggering randomly throughout, but it’s a relatively small price to pay.
robertkknight on The Promise: “What’s that stock response employed by other contributors to BTL in similar circumstances? Ah yes, I remember now… “Prick”” Jun 26, 22:09
Hatey McHateface on The Promise: “And if Police Scotland and the Crown Office charge various Scottish SNP names, and levy fines and other punishments on…” Jun 26, 20:31
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Promise: “Stuart Campbell’s Scottish Sun interview from 2 weeks ago is freely online here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or1V9HuR2qU” Jun 26, 20:18
100%Yes on The Promise: “Why would Jim Henderson be sending a email from himself to himself?” Jun 26, 19:57
Alf Baird on The Guilty Party: ““The Pentalina and Alfred were a snippet of the cost of the Loch Seaforth, Glen Sannox or the Glen Rosa”…” Jun 26, 19:51
robertkknight on The Promise: “If Police Scotland and Crown Office decline to take any action with regard to the (missing) Indyref2 funds then that…” Jun 26, 19:26
Lorncal on The Promise: “There are certainly rules governed by statute for the disposal of ring-fenced funds in the charity sector and local government,…” Jun 26, 19:16
Young Lochinvar on The Guilty Party: “CC @ 11.09 I read your post, sometimes nodding in agreement, other times shaking it in disagreement. What I’d like…” Jun 26, 18:20
Jim Anderson on The Promise: “Whilst there is a clear case of maladministration by the SNP leadership they also have a fiduciary relationship in respect…” Jun 26, 17:57
Spartan 117 on The Promise: “Typically used when an eMail recipient list is kept secret, usually for GDPR or security.” Jun 26, 17:56
Anthem on The Promise: “Agents, I clocked that as well. Any explanation anyone?” Jun 26, 17:49
Paul Eden on The Promise: “It’s damming. And conclusive. I suspect they’ll get away with it but they shouldn’t.” Jun 26, 17:42
agentx on The Promise: “Just a minor point – the first email seems to be from Jim Henderson to Jim Henderson?” Jun 26, 17:18
robertkknight on The Promise: “Bang to rights!” Jun 26, 16:52
David Ferguson on The Promise: “It appears to me that the 9 March 2020 email is more legally damning. The others say that the money…” Jun 26, 16:37
Alf Baird on The Guilty Party: ““Stu is very much better at the forensic stuff than I am” You are too modest, Peter; few have reached…” Jun 26, 16:25
Brotyboy on The Promise: “Agreed. It’s almost the opposite of a tautology. This statement is false by virtue of the meanings of the words…” Jun 26, 16:24
agentx on The Promise: “Why were you rueing the day?” Jun 26, 16:08
Tartan Tory on The Promise: “When Johnston Carmichael (who were both the SNP’s accountants and my own company accountants) refused to endorse the SNP’s figures,…” Jun 26, 16:04
Ex President Xiden on The Guilty Party: “These morally vacuous, pea brained cultists are so suceptible to group think that they should never be anywhere near public…” Jun 26, 16:01
sarah on The Promise: “My husband was ruing the other day that we both had applied for, and received, a refund. But if a…” Jun 26, 16:00
Michael Bruce on The Promise: “Anyone who said that the ring-fenced money was ‘woven through the accounts’ should be brought up on charges.” Jun 26, 15:53
Mike on The Promise: “I joined the SNP after the 2014 referendum and quickly got a bad feeling after attending one of their branch…” Jun 26, 15:51
Xaracen on The Guilty Party: “The Decolonise-Scot article isn’t the game-changer it appears at first glance, but it does clarify a key point: the “salt-water…” Jun 26, 15:45
Heaver on The Promise: “If theres a movie of the rise and fall of Nicola Sturgeon it should be called Hardface.” Jun 26, 15:40
Tommo on The Promise: “Very persuasive article-however I believe that a more fruitful area for investigation would be the millions which the Editor advised…” Jun 26, 15:40
Young Lochinvar on Hey Lord Don’t Ask Me Questions: “AI Dun AI has let you down with that pointless word salad again. As for examples you just need to…” Jun 26, 15:19
Hatey McHateface on The Guilty Party: “We will all have to hope and pray that Scotland’s long history of colonial theft, ethnic cleansing and genocide isn’t…” Jun 26, 15:08
Hatey McHateface on The Guilty Party: “Tumbleweed … Let us know when there’s a petition to re-instate slavery. Not for private individuals, you understand, but for…” Jun 26, 14:54
