We’ve observed that over the last few days a number of Unionists, led by tuba-honking dunderhead Blair McDougall (the man who turned a 30-point No lead into a 10-point one, who lost Labour 5000 votes when he stood in East Renfrewshire in 2017 on the basis of being the guy who saved the UK – trailing in an embarrassing 3rd in a seat where Jim Murphy had once won over 50% of the vote – and who is probably more responsible than any other individual for the utter destruction of Scottish Labour as a political force), have revived the ancient “Better Together” scare story about pensions in an independent Scotland.
When the Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts died last month, the first of their songs that popped into my head, for no particular reason, was “Under My Thumb”, a mildly controversial 1966 album track the band never released as a single in the West.
Its most infamous place in history, though, is this.
Until Watts’ death I was only very broadly aware of the events at Altamont Speedway in 1969, a free festival at a racetrack near San Francisco at which four people died in scenes of malevolent chaos and which is widely regarded as the grim headstone of the hippy era.
But on seeing the extraordinary footage above for the first time on the day of Watts’ death – taken from “Gimme Shelter”, notionally the official movie of the show, although the first two-thirds of it are actually a mundane travelogue of the preceding tour dates – I did some proper reading up on it.
And as I did, a horribly familiar feeling started to unfold.
Although we’re retired we already wrote this, so we may as well put it up for the 99.9% of Scots who don’t read the comments on David Leask‘s columns in the Herald.
It’s a claim he’s been banging on about since at least 2014, without ever providing a scrap of evidence to support it (his standard modus operandi), and yesterday was no exception. So let’s show Little Dave how proper big-boy journalists do it.
Our always-alert readers will probably have noticed that Nicola Sturgeon’s constant catchphrase this week has been how Yes supporters still need to “build the case for independence”, rather than actually do anything to achieve it.
But the thing is, she’s the leader of the SNP. Building the case for independence is literally her job, and she’s now been doing it for six and a half years. So how much progress have we made?
Holiday Boy is on holiday. But remember in 2018 when Nicola Sturgeon was going to use next week’s election as a de facto referendum if the UK government hadn’t given her permission for one by now, readers?
It’s almost like you can’t ever believe a word she says.
Sven on For Children Scotland: “Ivan munro Probably not ‘healthier or more prosperous’ if you happened to be Jewish, Evangelical, Romany or a Jehovah’s Witness…” May 4, 07:07
Yoon Scum on For Children Scotland: “I wonder when the NATs will work out Them marching around with their flags is nothing more then a nice…” May 4, 06:03
Yoon Scum on For Children Scotland: “I’d guess you’re too stupid to understand the following I’d also guess that like the vast majority of moon howlers…” May 4, 05:55
Yoon Scum on For Children Scotland: “Do you think that the English are more evil then the Nazi movement?” May 4, 05:43
Jay on For Children Scotland: “Bilbo Agreed that we need to be careful about this MSM meme of ‘far right’ if you mean that it…” May 4, 05:06
Geri on For Children Scotland: “‘Who/what might have orchestrated this move to the right is less clear. Was it the British establishment? Was it the…” May 4, 01:02
Cynicus on For Children Scotland: ““Why are we forced to [celebrate] these unionists wars ” ===== as false flags go, that is a pretty feeble…” May 4, 00:11
ivan munro on For Children Scotland: “As we approach the glorious celebrations of VE day, I wonder if Scotland would be a healthier and more prosperous…” May 3, 23:58
robertkknight on For Children Scotland: “The race/ethnicity of the most recent leaders of the Tory party is very much the “Elephant in the Room” where…” May 3, 23:51
Bilbo on For Children Scotland: “We need to be careful about this MSM meme of ‘far right’. Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago if…” May 3, 23:23
Geri on For Children Scotland: “Starmer came to lead the Labour party through the membership & lying to them – he then promptly culled them…” May 3, 23:21
Geri on For Children Scotland: “Robert – yes. I think that too. They wouldn’t be elected as PM & political pundits should give way to…” May 3, 22:40
Former President Xiden on For Children Scotland: ““ No need for any hate crime legislation, in any case, because the Scottish Common Law already covers all hate…” May 3, 22:31
Geri on For Children Scotland: “Lest we forget before Reform then they were the Brexit party & before that they were Ukippers and before that…” May 3, 22:29
Jay on For Children Scotland: “Susan: it could well be a waste of words to apply right or left labels, maybe ever since the dissolution…” May 3, 21:37
robertkknight on For Children Scotland: “I think there’s a far more simplistic reason which explains Reform’s performance and it has far more to do with…” May 3, 21:30
Michael Laing on For Children Scotland: “@ Mia: I agree 100% with you on your comments above. There is no ‘left’ in the UK, and there…” May 3, 21:01
willie on For Children Scotland: “Marie, the words News and BBC when put together are I believe is what is called an oxymoron. Me, I…” May 3, 21:01
Lorn on For Children Scotland: “Politics are reactionary. Marie. Too much right, we get left; too much left, we get right. Eventually you create a…” May 3, 20:52
Lorn on For Children Scotland: “If they turn it into an industry – which they have done with ‘trans’, with ‘green’, etc. – the persuasion…” May 3, 20:36
Lorn on For Children Scotland: “If female toilets are not in direct parity with the number of female pupils requiring them, they will be in…” May 3, 20:33
Captain Caveman on For Children Scotland: “yOu mUsT bE oN tEh FAr RiGHt” May 3, 19:12
agent x on For Children Scotland: “a woman is a biological woman – shock to the SNP.” May 3, 19:01
SusanAHF on For Children Scotland: “Is Reform “far right”? It’s a cheap MSM jibe.im “far right” because I agree with the Supreme Court decision according…” May 3, 18:45
Mia on For Children Scotland: ““Your verbose, salty tears and gnashing of teeth” What salty tears and what gnashing of teeth are you referring to?…” May 3, 18:27
agent x on For Children Scotland: “‘It’s needed now more than ever’: Thousands march in support of Scottish independence https://www.thenational.scot/ Believe it or not.” May 3, 18:24
Yoon Scum on For Children Scotland: “I love how ALL scottish nationalists have cancelled their license fee AND Know WAY more about what is on the…” May 3, 18:20
agent x on For Children Scotland: “Politics is not done well on here. Stick to the bleeding heart colony rubbish.” May 3, 18:10
Hatey McHateface on For Children Scotland: “Surely the Hebrides Hum is caused by white sizzlers constant low level gurning? The natives constant low level whining about…” May 3, 18:04
Bilbo on For Children Scotland: “Waves and waves of R mechanised armour rolling across Europe with their cheap Chinese tyres LOL” May 3, 17:57
