We all knew this already, of course. Last year we commissioned a poll from Panelbase which found an enormous 41-point gap between Yes and No voters on immigration. But it was still nice to have it both confirmed and laid out so clearly by Sir John Curtice on Good Morning Scotland earlier today.
(About 1h 55m in. We’re having some trouble recording sound on our new PC at the moment, we’ll get you a proper audio link as soon as we’ve figured it out.)
It’s worth keeping to hand the next time some witless Scottish Labour goon tries to tell you that independence is bad because it’s “separatist” and that voting for the Union is the international-solidarity option. Because that’s a flat-out lie.
We now have the verdicts on Brexit from three of the UK’s four nations. The Scottish Parliament, speaking for the Scottish nation, voted overwhelmingly this afternoon to reject both Theresa May’s draft agreement and leaving the EU without a deal.
At a time of unprecedented political chaos and uncertainty, just about the only thing you can still count on is that for any given situation, senior Labour figures will issue proclamations both firmly in favour of it and stoutly opposed to it, usually the same day.
So the stories below, which are respectively from today’s Scotsman and today’s Times, won’t come as much of a shock to anyone.
But against the odds, we think we’ve made some sense of it.
The front page lead of today’s Scottish Daily Mail:
As alert readers of this site will know, the Mail has a particular fondness for presenting statistics bereft of any context so that people have no idea how big or small they really are. So is 1,600 passengers a week receiving compensation for delays a lot or a little? Let’s find out.
All political discourse is plagued with genuine imbeciles, of course. But what’s far more depressing is when educated and normally perceptive people merely act like imbeciles for money, such as the case of Alex Massie in the Sunday Times today.
Because for the last two years, commentators who ought to know better have insisted in presenting Scotland’s choice as between Brexit or Brexit plus independence, and solemnly concluding that the uncertainties and risks of the latter being piled on top of those of the former prove that independence is no solution.
And we don’t care to have our intelligence insulted in that way.
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Nae probs, Northy, ah’m foand o purposes an a’. Dolphins an muckle whales tae.” Mar 6, 07:20
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: ““Scots remain subject only to English governance and English laws” So there is no such thing as Scots Law, Alf?…” Mar 6, 07:16
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: ““Immigration […] generally within its legal and social framework” There you go, Northy, the words in your own post that…” Mar 6, 07:07
Young Lochinvar on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “HMcH What do you call it? A skid mark?? And no deflection by projection for once eh?! Posted in the…” Mar 6, 04:08
Cynicus on Scotland’s Most Frightened: ““Doha where my parents live is in semi lockdown. People are scared to go out. The mood is growing anti…” Mar 6, 02:06
Alf Baird on Scotland’s Most Frightened: ““Surely, for the colonised, it is always “our” government?” Not so. Since annexation in 1707 Scots remain subject only to…” Mar 5, 23:19
Northcode on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Interesting, Fearghas, but I’m afraid I no longer trust Alba – I’m not entirely sure I ever did. The refusal…” Mar 5, 22:22
Northcode on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “I have an urge to scribble doun some Scots words and post them to this place: Tho we hamespun Scottis…” Mar 5, 21:47
Northcode on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “To compare colonisation wth immigration is a false equivalence. Here is a modern definition of colonialism: ” [colonialism] depends first…” Mar 5, 21:21
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “ALBA CONTINUATION GROUP WELCOMES MACASKILL’S POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release Alba Continuation Group Welcomes MacAskill Engagement as Members…” Mar 5, 20:15
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Excellent points, Lorncal. Both gender woowoo and multiculturalism have another thing in common – we, the people, were never asked…” Mar 5, 18:49
Lorncal on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “H McH: the thing about decolonisation is that it rarely turns out the way you thought it might before you…” Mar 5, 18:19
Young Lochinvar on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “So very New Testament of you HMcH It’s much older; Lilith then Cain kicked it all off for the Abrahamics..” Mar 5, 17:51
Mark Beggan on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “When the Eagle soars and the Lion roars the world stands still. America is waiting.” Mar 5, 17:38
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: ““Be more like Spain” In early 2026, Spain agreed to unilaterally grant legal residence and work permits to approximately 500,000…” Mar 5, 17:12
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Did you hear that on the street like yesterday? Crivens. Fit an interesting street ye hing oot oan!” Mar 5, 17:03
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Surely, for the colonised, it is always “our” government? It’s the post colonised for whom it isn’t. I don’t have…” Mar 5, 16:58
Mark Beggan on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “I thought you would still be mourning the elimination of the father of post colonial theocracy. From my reckoning you…” Mar 5, 16:50
Fordy on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Been saying that since Sturgeon was first minister all the faux grievances with Westminster is just to keep the sheep…” Mar 5, 16:24
Alf Baird on Scotland’s Most Frightened: ““our government” ? For the colonized it is never ‘our’ government.” Mar 5, 15:48
Geri on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “The English keep voting for these parasites. They’re lazy, they don’t even get off their arse & threaten to physically…” Mar 5, 15:31
Geri on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Last I heard it’s basically over for the yanks. Iran sent a £600 drone that bypassed the American billion dollar,…” Mar 5, 15:17
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “MSM reporting the Home Secretary wants to sub asylum seeker families to the tune of £40,000 to sling their hooks.…” Mar 5, 14:50
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Isn’t that a Catholic thing? I don’t think they call it a shambles, though.” Mar 5, 14:42
Young Lochinvar on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Alf The impact of extended Scotchland Office lunch “hour” tea trolley duties away from the internet.. Quack quack 🙂” Mar 5, 14:37
Young Lochinvar on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “4 fighters to Qatar, 1 frigate to Cyprus (sometime), 2 helicopters to Cyprus and 1 charter repatriation flight (eventually).. World…” Mar 5, 14:32
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Both poles of the Baird/Northy axis have been absent until today. So, little of worth that merited responding to. Can…” Mar 5, 14:28
Alf Baird on Scotland’s Most Frightened: “Tut tut, only 13 out of 46 comments here for Hatety ower Scotland. Ye’ve drapped belaw yer usual 30%.” Mar 5, 13:54
Hatey McHateface on Scotland’s Most Frightened: ““The solution? STOP ILLEGALLY INVADING OTHER COUNTRIES. Simples” I find myself on the horns of a dilemma. Is it flattering…” Mar 5, 13:49
