The Sacrifice 121
Posted on
March 22, 2025 by
Chris Cairns
Archive for the ‘scottish politics’
The Deep-Fried Banana Republic 173
Posted on
March 20, 2025 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
It’s 18C today in Bath, readers, so after the dentist we went out to enjoy the sunshine for the afternoon. And you know what happens when we go out.
But really, what even is there to say?
Live chat update 98
Posted on
March 17, 2025 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
So as promised, and having now spent 11 months trying to get answers any other way, this afternoon we had a live chat with controversial charity LGBT Youth Scotland.
Below is how it went.
The Unquestionables 24
Posted on
March 17, 2025 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
In April last year we wrote to LGBT Youth Scotland asking them to explain why they were conducting activities in primary schools (and even with pre-school children) about sexual matters despite only having a remit to work with young people aged 13-25.
We received no reply, so we contacted the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, who sent a rather sniffy acknowledgement saying:
“If your concern leads us to making inquiries with the charity, we are unable to update you on the status of those inquiries. For more information about what to expect after you submit a concern, read our guidance on how OSCR deals with concerns and inquiries.”
That link, you’ll be amazed to hear, leads to a dead page.
The plainest sight 24
Posted on
March 16, 2025 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
You know what, Surrey Live, we think you’re probably right.
We DO think people will remember him.
Meet The FILTH 83
Posted on
March 15, 2025 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
It stands for “Failed In London, Try Holyrood”, of course.
So enjoy The March Of The Rejects next year, as the SNP explains to you why you were wrong not to elect these candidates last year and gives you a chance to atone for your shameful error. You lucky people.
Signal and noise 104
Posted on
March 12, 2025 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
The Presiding Officer has finally reluctantly deigned to allow the Scottish Parliament to discuss the issues arising from Sandie Peggie vs NHS Fife, in the shape of a debate taking place in the chamber this afternoon brought forward by the Scottish Tories.
We suspect that watching it will be profound waste of time and a grave danger to our monitor screens, but we’ll certainly at least tune in for the votes at the end, because which motion/amendment the Parliament puts its name to will be a revealing moment.
Let’s quickly run those through a translator.
The evolution of fairness 63
Posted on
March 11, 2025 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Some of our more alert readers may recall the events of four years ago this month, when a mob of SNP representatives all suddenly raged against the idea of (perfectly legally) “gaming” the Holyrood electoral system to produce a pro-indy supermajority.
Voters try to organise themselves to maximise their desired outcomes all the time (see various tactical-voting campaigns), and so do political parties – witness John Swinney’s current plans for a grand anti-Reform coalition. And of course, the SNP never objected to indy voters voting for a different party on the list if it was the Greens. The entire thing was just a poorly-disguised attack on Alba.
But even so, guess what? The rules just changed again.
Tartan Messiah 2 80
Posted on
March 08, 2025 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
We don’t need a cartoonist today. How could he be funnier than this?
Please let us one day discover who the wailing colleague was.
The message on an ill wind 62
Posted on
March 07, 2025 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
It’s one of the most profoundly disappointing things about the last decade of Scottish politics that for about five minutes in 2015 we all thought that this awful dunderheaded foghorn was a bright new hope for the future.
But you live and learn. At least, some of us do.
Green Eggs And Bams 78
Posted on
March 06, 2025 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
In April 2021, the SNP were still the undisputed masters of all they surveyed. A poll conducted by Ipsos MORI that month showed them on 53% of the vote for the Scottish Parliament, a jawdropping 33 points ahead of their nearest rivals.
When the Holyrood election a month later was held, they won 64 seats, one more than they had done in 2016. Yet despite having led a minority government without any significant difficulties for the preceding five years, Nicola Sturgeon chose to invite the Greens to form a coalition with her party, and the effect that had on the public’s view of the government was… well, let’s see.
The tint of rose 91
Posted on
March 05, 2025 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
What with this poll apparently being such terrific news for John Swinney’s runaway popularity with the people of Scotland, readers might be wondering why SNP MSP Graeme Dey has apparently forgotten to include the actual figures or link to the source so that people can find out for themselves.
Or, y’know, you might not.
