The tweet comes days after a Scottish Labour candidate tweeted a meme depicting someone spraying bleach on SNP MP Joanna Cherry with the caption “BANG! and the terf is gone”, despite said candidate being supported by the Jo Cox Foundation – a charity set up after the Labour MP of that name was murdered with a gun.
You probably haven’t heard of me. I’m a notoriously “vile” political blogger who’s said a few pretty mean things on social media about politicians in the last eight years. But perhaps that’s partly because I’m a grumpy old white guy who hasn’t had the benefit of your commendable programme aimed at “building the fairer, kinder & more tolerant world the late Jo Cox MP believed in”.
As we steel ourselves for the wretched purgatorial misery of (at least) the next six weeks, we’ve been sitting up late trying to think of a positive aspect of the coming election campaign, and the best we’ve come up with is this: if it’s awful for most human beings in the country, just imagine how terrible it is for Nigel Farage.
Because as has been increasingly obvious from the Brexit Party leader’s comments this month, Farage knows only too well the truth that the rest of the country is going to realise quite soon, if it hasn’t already: he’s now the only thing that might stop the UK leaving the European Union.
It’s a long time, apparently. Because while a general election on 12 December would be a “barking mad” idea according to the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford on Thursday, having one on 9 December instead is genius.
So in a month in which this site has been extensively screamed at by SNP diehards as the work of a “traitor” and an “MI5 plant” for suggesting that maybe the SNP could vote with the Tories (or perhaps just abstain) to let Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal go through in exchange for a second indyref, the official SNP plan is to now vote with the Tories to give them the election Boris Johnson has been trying to call for weeks – which all polls suggest he’d win, allowing him to enact any sort of Brexit he wants – but to cleverly NOT get a second indyref out of it.
It’s Monday morning, readers, so welcome once again to the world’s favourite situation comedy, the United Kingdom.
The current position is that absolutely nobody has the slightest idea what’s going to happen this week, or today, or by lunchtime. The Prime Minister is as we speak being taken to court (again), and a whole series of votes in the House Of Commons may or may not take place and may or may not determine anything.
But there’s one particularly interesting thing going on.
As we write this, Boris Johnson’s new Brexit deal appears to hang in the balance. According to Sky News this morning the arithmetic is poised on a knife-edge.
The four “in play” groups down the middle of the graphic are, from the top: three Tory “Spartans” (hardcore Brexiters who might yet back the deal), 19 Labour MPs who’ve suggested they might do so for various reasons, 20 former-Tory “rebels” who had the whip removed by Johnson for voting to block no-deal, and 14 independents, mainly from the “Change UK” wing or whatever they’re called this week.
The government needs 36 of the 56 to vote with it to get the deal through, and can probably count on most of the 20 former Tories. Labour sources are suggesting, quite plausibly, that double-figure numbers of their 19 will also back the deal. So it’s close.
If it passes, England and Wales will get what they voted for (Brexit), Northern Ireland will – after a fashion – get what it voted for (effectively staying in the EU), and Scotland will get shafted. It’ll be placed at a significant economic disadvantage to NI, at a likely severe cost in jobs and investment. The nation which voted the most decisively on Brexit (for either option) will be the only one not to get its democratic wishes respected.
And slightly surprisingly, the whole UK thinks that’s unfair.
As we write this, voting has just ended to elect the membership of a number of key SNP internal bodies, including the Member Conduct Committee which has the power to discipline members and even expel them from the party.
This year has seen a concerted attempt by a small but active faction within the SNP, led by the Young Scots for Independence and Out For Indy groups, to flood the MCC (which in normal times struggles to fill its ranks) with officers aggressively committed to transgender ideology, with the openly-declared intent of purging “gender-critical” women from all party candidate lists and ensuring that anyone seeking to protect women’s sex-based rights can be expunged for “transphobia”.
(An attempt to deselect Joanna Cherry on such grounds failed earlier this year, but with control of the MCC the faction could pretty much dump anyone it wanted to.)
The matter has not escaped the attention of the independence-hostile media.
We avoided discussing the committee elections while voting was taking place because it’s not our business to interfere in the internal affairs of the SNP, and also because a certain element of the party has been having a massive tantrum over some poll results we published last week and it might have ended up being counter-productive.
But make no mistake – the outcome of these elections will have a huge impact on both the SNP’s electoral fortunes and the chances of securing independence. We’re about to find out, in other words, how screwed we are.
Northcode on A matter of class: ““…this tale is as old as the hills – the servant didn’t do the master’s bidding and must be punished.”…” Dec 20, 11:14
Captain Caveman on A matter of class: “Good grief, you really are a moron aren’t you? Yes, the Tories did indeed veto the SNP’s GRR Bill, which…” Dec 20, 11:11
Northcode on A matter of class: “I think the ‘trans’ aspect is a much smaller component of the Sandie Peggie case than the anti-Scots racism aspect…” Dec 20, 11:07
Stuart MacKay on A matter of class: “Northcode, you’re right. The dick-swinging is just for the titillation of the the internet audience, otherwise this tale is as…” Dec 20, 10:55
Bilbo on A matter of class: “Ah the fantasist and fool again. Tories voted for Self Id in Holyrood and the only reason the Tories vetoed…” Dec 20, 10:54
Stuart MacKay on A matter of class: “Oh, it’s much worse than that Hatey. You should be trembling with fear under your union-flag covered duvet… > Egan,…” Dec 20, 10:45
Captain Caveman on A matter of class: ““including the Tories” Do they fuck. Short memory – those Tories were the only ones to hold the SNP in…” Dec 20, 10:28
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Contempt Of Government: “Big questions. Partly a terminology thing here. Dooyeweerd loads the word “norm” with specific human meaning which presupposes personal accountability…” Dec 20, 10:01
Billie on A matter of class: “The Tribunal had to come out in favour of Sandie Peggie but only did so one one ground. It is…” Dec 20, 09:50
Andy Wiltshire on A matter of class: “Do we know that there is definitely going to be an appeal, and if so, whether there is a date…” Dec 20, 09:32
Bilbo on A matter of class: “With just over a year and a half in power, the Labour government have become deeply unpopular. The economy is…” Dec 20, 09:27
Northcode on A matter of class: “Ah! We see here the sexual bonding – created by my imprint-laced posts designed to ensnare and enslave colonialists- in…” Dec 20, 09:12
Hatey McHateface on Contempt Of Government: “The “black books” idea is a bit of a red herring, and borderline racist too. Astute investigators would naturally know…” Dec 20, 09:03
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Scotland’s largest public sector trade union, UNISON, with a membership of 150,000+ has a new leader this morning. And pink-haired…” Dec 20, 08:58
Hatey McHateface on Contempt Of Government: “Read Twat H, 100% Yes. There is only the tribe. Deny your fealty to the tribe and you deny your…” Dec 20, 08:43
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: ““blindfold and with both hands tied” Ah’ve telt ye afore, Northy. Nae discussion o yer sex life afore the watershed!” Dec 20, 08:28
George Docherty on A matter of class: ““Honestly inaccurate” is right up there with “Economical with the truth.”” Dec 20, 08:26
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “There’s an interview with Sandie Peggie on Mail Online this morning. Of course, once the SNP and the wider Indy…” Dec 20, 08:25
Northcode on A matter of class: “More a matter of incompatible cultures than one of class. Here in the ‘Peggie palaver’ we see the anti-Scots racism…” Dec 20, 07:53
twathater on Contempt Of Government: “Your memory seems to be failing you again 100% yes , EVERY party in HR and WM including the tories…” Dec 20, 03:03
Cynicus on Contempt Of Government: “An interesting hypothesis. Do you have any evidence to support it?” Dec 20, 02:37
Angus on A matter of class: “Following the successful appeal, Judge Sandy Kemp must be sacked, no ifs no buts.” Dec 20, 00:06
Kevin Cargill on Contempt Of Government: “I’m sick and bloody tired of saying it but once more for those not listening. Transexual prostitution is one of…” Dec 19, 23:57
Oneliner on A matter of class: “Humbug (or any other kind of topical bug)” Dec 19, 22:53
GM on Contempt Of Government: “Bang on the money there Robert. Non the less it is interesting that she was picked out from the crowd…” Dec 19, 22:09
Peakcrew on A matter of class: “This not the first time Kemp has done this. Claims under multiple heads failed because he found doctors more “credible”…” Dec 19, 21:44
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “So why did you leave early?” Dec 19, 21:05
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “They’ll be sniffing aroond yer erse next, Northy. It must be the dug in ye. Bad dug! Nae biscuit! If…” Dec 19, 20:53
Oneliner on A matter of class: “I’m just back from the Duff & Phelps Christmas party. They’re all having a good laugh over there.” Dec 19, 20:36
Northcode on A matter of class: “I feel it is incumbent upon me to warn those who find themselves, perhaps in a confused daze, perpetually sniffing…” Dec 19, 20:29
