(We must conclude from all this, incidentally, that John Swinney LOVES the Tories, because he had no problem accepting an indyref from a right-wing party in 2012.)
If Scotland leaves the UK, who might be the Prime Minister of the remains of it is none of his business, and certainly shouldn’t be a dealbreaker in achieving independence.
If there’s anyone left in the SNP with a shred of integrity (and if there is they must be very deep undercover indeed), Swinney ought to be challenged for the leadership at next month’s conference and replaced with someone – the Lord alone knows who – who’s actually willing to pursue the party’s supposed primary goal, because Swinney has now dismissed every possible route to it out of hand.
Something rather extraordinary happened yesterday, dearest readers. Very briefly, we absolutely genuinely thought someone in a position of some influence in the SNP had taken a meaningful step towards being serious about independence.
We are not being sarcastic. Look: here it is. (Transcript at bottom of article.)
Dave Doogan is the SNP’s leader at Westminster. And let’s be clear: that is EXACTLY what the SNP’s stance ought to be. Its only purpose is supposed to be the securing of Scottish independence, and no peaceful democratic means of achieving that ought to be off the table. We couldn’t believe what we were hearing, like it was a dream.
The SNP was not formed with the purpose of denying England/the UK the government it voted for, it was formed to completely sever the governance of Scotland and England from each other as a matter of permanent principle, regardless of the prevailing political climate at any given point in time.
If England wants Nigel Farage as Prime Minister, that’s England’s business. The point of independence is that Scotland doesn’t have to get him too. No more, no less.
So obviously, the hapless Doogan’s brave and bright new dawn was brutally slapped down within a matter of hours.
Now, readers, it’s not much of a secret that anyone who’s still supporting the SNP in the hopes that they’ll deliver Scottish independence is – and let’s put this as gently and kindly as possible – a bit thick.
From a membership high of 125,000 in the run-up to the 2021 Holyrood election, fully 60% have now wised up and left, and the 40% still left paying annual subscriptions to a party that’s stolen their money TWICE and spent it on pepper pots are pretty much by definition the dumbest of dum-dums.
But it looks like even they’re just about beginning to get it now.
Five more years and they might have just about woken up.
We’ve had another email from the Crown Office. Stand by for a surprise!
Well, that seems fair enough: other than the fact that almost £700,000 in “ringfenced” fundraiser money is (still) visibly missing, and the fact that the First Minister of the country and the leader of the party the money was entrusted to has publicly admitted it was misappropriated, there’s insufficient evidence that anything untoward happened to it. Panic over, everyone. Nothing to see here. Carry on with your day.
The contempt for the Scottish public being openly shown by public servants paid from the public purse to answer to the public has at this point reached such endemic levels that we’re not sure an acceptable level of trust can ever be salvaged.
The reply above is not just evasive, not even just pathetic, it’s insulting – not just to us, but to every citizen of Scotland.
agentx on Anything But That: “Ultimately, while pro-independence groups look to the UN Charter as an overarching moral and political justification for independence, the UN’s…” Sep 6, 14:11
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “Shut up and eat your Lembas bread. You pointy eared trouble maker.” Sep 6, 14:00
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “I thought it would be obvious. He has the woke disease. The symptoms can be quite easy to spot; Constant…” Sep 6, 13:57
Insider on Anything But That: “Bloody hell, Northy ! You’re beginning to talk sense for a change ! What happened to you ?” Sep 6, 12:57
Captain Caveman on Anything But That: “So it’s true then: Alf’s much-vaunted UN delusion will achieve… … “Hee-Haw”, to coin a phrase. I’m sure much of…” Sep 6, 12:57
sam on Anything But That: “The Convention declaration does not change the legal position. The claim of right was debated in the HoC and Sec…” Sep 6, 12:36
Northcode on Anything But That: “For those who might have fallen under the delusion that the United Nations is planning to liberate the Scots from…” Sep 6, 12:27
James Che on Anything But That: “Bilbo, Without a active 1707 treaty between Scotland and England, Scotland is not in a national debt situation with the…” Sep 6, 12:25
sam on Anything But That: “But… another one ” We, gathered as the Scottish Constitutional Convention, do hereby acknowledge the sovereign right of the Scottish…” Sep 6, 12:21
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “What’s the point? Even if we managed to fit it up for serious sexual assault, it would be out again…” Sep 6, 12:21
James Che on Anything But That: “Bilbo. Here is another thought to mull over, If Scotland is a independent Country since the 1707 treaty of unions…” Sep 6, 12:17
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Of course! Duh! But it requires a hard-nosed realism at odds with the feel good vibes that an entire generation…” Sep 6, 12:16
Northcode on Anything But That: ““So what happens now the treaty of union has passed its sell by date…” Well… we could have it framed…” Sep 6, 12:08
Northcode on Anything But That: “The truth is this: The Treaty of Union is no longer a live international treaty. It’s a historical document whose…” Sep 6, 12:03
James Che on Anything But That: “Has Westminster parliament informed the UN that the 1707 treaty between Scotland and England has come to its end date?…” Sep 6, 11:54
Bilbo on Anything But That: “I was thinking about Prof Alf Baird’s posts about how an independent Scotland wouldn’t be burdened with the financial ambitions…” Sep 6, 11:48
James Che on Anything But That: “So the 1707 treaty of union that is wrote down on old parchment paper no longer exist as a treaty…” Sep 6, 11:36
Bilbo on Anything But That: “No point interacting with wee guttersnipes like Beggan.” Sep 6, 11:36
TURABDIN on Anything But That: “@Hatey McHateface I am no apologist for the theocratic system currently gripping Ir@n but that system is not Ir@n per…” Sep 6, 11:32
James Che on Anything But That: “North code, The comment you made was a bit contradictory in its overall veiw on international treaties. The old treaty…” Sep 6, 11:25
factchecker on Anything But That: “More good sense. Additionally, I would suggest that the Claim of Right was in reality simply a political negotiating tool…” Sep 6, 11:18
Alf Baird on Anything But That: ““I do believe he is shedding his skin” Maybe its the shock of finally realising the cost for Scots of…” Sep 6, 11:01
Marie on Anything But That: “Whatever country it is – it’s definitely NOT Scotland” Sep 6, 10:49
Northcode on Anything But That: “Supporters of Scottish independence – especially the more active kind – often talk about the Claim of Right as if…” Sep 6, 10:49
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “His shed skin, stuffed and cosmetically improved by a talented funeral director, will make a superb figurehead for the SNP…” Sep 6, 10:43
Chas on Anything But That: “‘Onset of dementia’ Sorry but you are wrong Insider. The ‘onset’ took place years ago. It is now full blown.” Sep 6, 10:32
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Ah well, TURABDIN. As it happens, I was just reading about a pair of Ir@nian sisters in the Guardian online…” Sep 6, 10:17
Captain Caveman on Anything But That: “Yes, absolutely Hatey. Put more simply: sometimes in life, you have to wake up to the fact that you’ve been…” Sep 6, 10:12
TURABDIN on Anything But That: “@agentx FRANKLIN’s country may be counted among the least virtuous and most hypocritical on the planet, albeit «anglosaxons» do hold…” Sep 6, 09:40
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Sure, Xaracen, most of us understand how sunk costs work, and how the years of endless posts and uncounted words…” Sep 6, 09:36