Alert readers will have noticed that the Conservatives and most of the right-wing press have recently embarked on a hyperbolic campaign against the Scottish Government’s “named person” child-protection legislation. The latest assault is in today’s Daily Mail:
The shriekingly furious lead article thunders in outrage that “nearly two thirds of Scots have condemned the SNP’s state guardian scheme as an ‘unacceptable intrusion’ into family life”, which sounds like a pretty damning verdict.
It’s not until you look a little deeper that it all falls to pieces.
Here’s a column from Kenny Farquharson in today’s tablet edition of the Times, which hasn’t made it onto the website. We don’t know if it’s in the print version.
Okay, so that’s all straightforward enough. The SNP are bad because they’re going to hit “middle Scotland” with more tax. Bunch of dangerous tax-and-spend lefties. Right?
Even by the low, low normal arithmetical standards of the Scottish media, yesterday’s Scottish Sunday Express humiliated itself with the most stupendously factually wrong articles we’ve seen in a newspaper for some time.
We don’t normally ask you to watch videos as long as this, readers. (Although at 4m 22s it’s still not War And Peace.) As a rule the key part of any TV discussion can be boiled down to a few seconds, but this one needs to be taken in at a bit more length.
It happened on last night’s Question Time from Dundee, and was already 10 minutes into a discussion about whether there might be a second independence referendum and what might trigger it, in particular the prospect of Scotland voting to remain in the EU in June but the rest of the UK voting to leave, dragging Scotland out forcibly.
At that point, host David Dimbleby made an inexplicable intervention, abandoning his position as supposedly neutral moderator to pluck a “fact” out of thin air with which to attack the SNP’s John Swinney. Here’s what unfolded.
BBC1’s weekly Question Time political debate shows are heavily over-subscribed. Only a couple of hundred tickets are typically available for would-be members of the studio audience, and far more than that apply to attend, so your chances of getting through the initial vetting are fairly slim. You’re especially unlikely to be selected if you’re not from the city where the show is being held, for obvious reasons.
While the group of failed Scottish Labour parliamentary candidates is, let’s say, rather larger than it used to be, it’s still a pretty select club of a few dozen people.
And if you DO make it into the QT audience, the chances of you being picked out to speak are also rather poor – not more than 1 in 10 at best, probably nearer 1 in 20.
(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%.)
Marie on When the law breaks the law: “It’s the concept of the UK that people on here have a problem with – not the reality that the…” Feb 21, 11:25
Hatey McHateface on When the law breaks the law: “Hope ye were wearing a guid pair o tackety boots, Marie. An nae standin oan a tiled flair!” Feb 21, 11:06
Hatey McHateface on When the law breaks the law: “Ah, c’moan noo, x, hoo mony years ye bin oan here an ye’ve learnit naething? Nae sic a thing as…” Feb 21, 11:04
agentx on When the law breaks the law: “The Isle of Islay is now in British waters having steamed past Lands End and heading for Greenock at 15.6kn.…” Feb 21, 10:50
Northcode on When the law breaks the law: “Guid mornin’ tae aw yous folk fannyin aboot oan here. Hae a guid weekend the lot o ye, aye. Thon…” Feb 21, 10:32
Marie on When the law breaks the law: “It was easy to hoodwink people in the olden days. In the olden days could incur the wrath of a…” Feb 21, 10:26
Hatey McHateface on When the law breaks the law: “@Onlooker Not my fault that you lack the smarts to follow my posts. You’re online, obviously. Most of human knowledge…” Feb 21, 10:23
willie on When the law breaks the law: “Absolutely interesting points about allegiance and fighting for who. One thing that has come out into the public domain is…” Feb 21, 10:20
Hatey McHateface on When the law breaks the law: “Loving the idea that there are such things as legal and illegal wars, Marie, and that once the shooting starts,…” Feb 21, 10:12
TURABDIN on When the law breaks the law: “«This one has a way to run and run, and the stench which surrounds both politics and the Palace will…” Feb 21, 09:36
Marie on When the law breaks the law: “@McHate 11.14pm (20/2/26). When you are sent to illegal wars and see obscene acts of violence against civilians you return…” Feb 21, 09:27
Dan on When the law breaks the law: “@ Onlooker https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2021/05/21/sturgeons-skeleton/ https://petercherbi.wordpress.com/2021/03/10/first-interests-judge-recommended-for-judicial-role-by-nicola-sturgeon-found-first-minister-committed-three-counts-of-professional-misconduct-in-law-society-probe-of-ms-sturgeons-failure-to-pro/” Feb 21, 09:04
Young Lochinvar on When the law breaks the law: “Any truth in the rumour Keir Starmer is going to appoint Gary Glitter as Ambassador to the USA?” Feb 21, 02:07
Young Lochinvar on When the law breaks the law: “HMcH Well Oi Vey Y’all!! FYI: Mumbling was permitted when swearing-in in divided Glasgow back then.. AI not tell you…” Feb 21, 00:01
Onlooker on When the law breaks the law: “Reply reply reply reply reply reply reply sneer fart waffle baffle babble…if you are a paid bot, you must have…” Feb 20, 23:22
Onlooker on When the law breaks the law: “Forgive my lack of exact recollection of details, but didn’t Nicola Sturgeon recommend Dorothy Bain for the Lord Advocate job…” Feb 20, 23:20
Young Lochinvar on When the law breaks the law: “Anyone see the irony of Ross Greer attacking Randy Andy (guilty as eff probably) while “its” party was the governmental…” Feb 20, 23:20
Hatey McHateface on When the law breaks the law: “I recall you claiming you served in the British Army. That will make you one of the very few (perhaps…” Feb 20, 23:14
Young Lochinvar on When the law breaks the law: “Interesting how quickly, all things considered, that things have moved on since Auld Lizzie the lizard shuffled off this mortal…” Feb 20, 22:53
chic kirk on When the law breaks the law: “i donated but will do so again as needed, we the public must step forwrd to support people like mark…” Feb 20, 22:23
David Holden on When the law breaks the law: “Perhaps we should be running a crowd funder for the world’s greatest living half Greek former prince who has fallen…” Feb 20, 16:07
sarah on When the law breaks the law: “@ Mark Hirst: I donated when you first opened the crowdfunder and will do so again. I note that the…” Feb 20, 15:55
Hatey McHateface on When the law breaks the law: “Well, well! Grudging respect to Professor Baird. Precisely as predicted by Fanon, Memmi, et al, the linguistically colonised YL has…” Feb 20, 15:08
Hatey McHateface on When the law breaks the law: “Hasn’t the world’s greatest living half Scot, President Donald Trump, defunded that useless, toothless talking shop and safe haven for…” Feb 20, 14:38
Young Lochinvar on When the law breaks the law: “HMcH Eh? Sorry, no idea what you’re talking about. Have you been indulging in self-trepanation again..” Feb 20, 14:35
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on When the law breaks the law: ““The Act of Union at least protected the Scots legal system” ? ————- Worth listening again to the seminal speech…” Feb 20, 14:22
dearieme on When the law breaks the law: “All this is a powerful argument against devolved Scottish government. Scrap the bloody thing, it’s failed. The Act of Union…” Feb 20, 13:27
