Depending on which parts of the media you were reading yesterday and this morning, the economic case for independence was either “shattered” (the Herald), “demolished” (the Spectator), “shredded” (Daily Record), “smashed to smithereens” (Willie Rennie, bless) or any number of other apocalyptic metaphors for total destruction, by a 1% fall in Scottish revenues resulting from a steep drop in oil prices which led to a notional Scottish budget deficit that by some measures was as high as 10% of GDP.
We must assume, then, that the economic case for the UK being an independent nation was rendered unto ruins in 2009-10, when its deficit exceeded 11% of GDP.
(The GERS figures actually showed Scotland’s revenues in 2014/15 dropping by ONE PERCENT as a result of the oil price collapse. Non-oil revenues were UP by 3.2%.)
This year’s GERS figures will be published today, purporting to illustrate the financial relationship between Scotland and the rest of the UK. With oil revenues down, they’ll undoubtedly provoke an orgasmic explosion of glee among Unionists crowing about “black holes” and how Scotland is too wee, too poor and too stupid to survive alone.
We’ve already run an extremely detailed explanation of all the flaws and booby-traps in GERS, but of course we’re a pro-independence website and we would say that. So instead we’ll direct you to someone who’s very much NOT on our side.
This week Scottish Labour have been attacking the SNP’s rather timid plans for the reform of Council Tax, which is an entirely fair and legitimate opposition pursuit.
But as is their wont, Kezia Dugdale’s branch office just can’t help overplaying their hand and doing it in a highly dishonest way.
The dogged determination of Scottish Labour to insult the Scottish electorate is a source of constant slack-jawed astonishment to us. Over the years we’ve lost count of the number of times the party’s politicians have effectively said “People are just too stupid to vote for us”, in the apparent belief that abuse is the way to win back support.
But it’s not always so overt. The subtler ways in which the party treats voters like morons include the assumption that people’s memories only go back to yesterday’s newspapers, and there can surely be no more stark illustration than its recent adoption of the attack line that the SNP are standing “shoulder to shoulder with the Tories”.
An interesting and illuminating exchange has taken place in the last few days between the First Minister and Times columnist Kenny Farquharson, one of the many senior journalists who’ve recently jumped from the sinking ship of The Scotsman to take up less prestigious but more secure positions elsewhere.
It started on Saturday night, when Farquharson tweeted this:
So after all the kerfuffle and commotion and comedy, a deal was done, of sorts. The unsquareable circle wasn’t squared, but the day of facing up to it was punted down the line for five years, by which point everyone hopes that it’ll be someone else’s problem. (Which is certainly the case for David Cameron.)
Every newspaper in Scotland tomorrow will look like this:
It’s quite incredible that someone with Jim Sillars’ political experience should be so naive about the tactics surrounding the EU referendum. Regardless of your feelings on the EU itself, there’s absolutely no point in any supporter of Scottish independence voting Leave this June, and here’s why.
Alert readers can’t have failed to notice a desperate Scottish Labour dusting off the old “Tartan Tories” attack on the SNP recently, over the Nats’ unwillingness to join in with Kezia Dugdale’s kerrazy kaper of hiking up income tax.
So after today we can only assume they’ll be looking for some similarly pithy zingers for their colleagues in Wales. They can have this one for free.
DaveL on A matter of class: “Take a look at this: https://ppvland.co.uk/scot-goes-pop/ It’s brilliant, what a guy send him money right now Comments are open…” Dec 25, 18:04
Willie on A matter of class: “Pretty much like any other colonial institution, it seems, in imposing its alien cultural ‘values’ on the people of an…” Dec 25, 14:41
Stuart MacKay on A matter of class: “Rallies are the perfect activity for forests, which can soak up the carbon emissions immediately. It’s not as if the…” Dec 25, 14:01
Captain Caveman on A matter of class: “Merry Christmas! A fly press tastic happy new year! 🙂” Dec 25, 12:05
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “I’m bloody annoyed now, Alf, because you’ve made me break the promise I made to myself. But please tell me…” Dec 25, 11:28
Alf Baird on A matter of class: ““what are they like” Pretty much like any other colonial institution, it seems, in imposing its alien cultural ‘values’ on…” Dec 25, 11:07
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “Merry Christmas to all, My best wishes to everyone for the coming year,” Dec 25, 10:57
Northcode on A matter of class: “A Merry Christmas tae aw youse wha roam theis place. May God leuk favorably upo ye and yer kin theis…” Dec 25, 10:26
agentx on A matter of class: “Bloody Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) what are they like eh!” Dec 24, 21:30
Willie on A matter of class: “As someone once said there’s three in this relationship. Diana, Charles and could it be perchance our current queen, our…” Dec 24, 19:29
Cynicus on A matter of class: “Andy Ellis says: 24 December, 2025 at 1:15 pm “Ah hae ma doots bud! I’ve been posting since well before…” Dec 24, 19:09
Dan on A matter of class: “I hear next year’s Speyside Stages car rally based around Elgin has been cancelled due to not being able to…” Dec 24, 18:33
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “I’m sure you’re right, willie. And I’m sure the authorities will be all over it soon. But first they have…” Dec 24, 18:10
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “As always, sam, more illuminating for what is omitted rather than what is said. Where are the figures permitting comparisons…” Dec 24, 17:50
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “C’moan noo, Andy. I’m certain Twatty is spelled wi twa ‘T’s.” Dec 24, 17:36
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “I make it 21%, Stu. Are you rounding up or rounding down? And Stu, why aren’t you posting under your…” Dec 24, 17:29
Dan on A matter of class: “And a quick update for that third comment from Andy. “moonhowling, nativist, bigotry, ethnic nationalism, blood and soil nationalism, Siol…” Dec 24, 17:26
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@twatbynametwatbynature The onus is on you to prove that moonhowling nativist bigotry is the norm Twaty. There’s oodles of evidence…” Dec 24, 17:20
Dan on A matter of class: “Just for adjudication purposes for those playing Franchise Fanny Crimbo Bingo Numberwang! In this comment trail currently including two of…” Dec 24, 17:12
twathater on A matter of class: ““Those who have apparently abandoned civic nationalism in favour of divisive ethno-nationalism always take umbrage when I say that they…” Dec 24, 17:03
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@sam 1.57pm Yeah, I think that looks familiar: I’m not convinced by the (at least to my mind) simplistic correlation…” Dec 24, 16:21
DaveL on A matter of class: ““But then think back to the Jimmy Saville scandal and who was close to that.” Willie at 1.57pm. That’d be…” Dec 24, 15:12
agentx on A matter of class: “willie says: “Anyway, child abuse, even when in Scotland, seems not to be an issue for our athorities – or…” Dec 24, 15:11
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “agentx, Thanks for that info, Local Councils do not give out planning permission very easily in Scotland especially in Green…” Dec 24, 15:10
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “DaveL, Thank you, Let Scots make our own mistakes, stop telling us what mistakes to make. Much appreciated.” Dec 24, 15:02
agentx on A matter of class: ““7 March 2025 Demolition work has started at a cottage in the Highlands formerly owned by Jimmy Savile. The site’s…” Dec 24, 14:59
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “Willie, No you are not missing the mark, Jimmy Savelle even had a holiday cottage in Scotland. While the crown…” Dec 24, 14:44
I. Despair on A matter of class: “A Ferrari? Doesn’t appeal as a daily driver. Too cramped inside. I’d happily have a shot in one at a…” Dec 24, 14:40
