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The Hand Of Friendship 34

Posted on September 23, 2024 by

We’ll be honest, folks, we’re not 100% sure this is how you build unity.

But what uplifting and powerful alliances might we be missing out on?

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The Triple Whammy 94

Posted on September 22, 2024 by

Scotland’s energy rip-off continues unabated, and its impact on Scotland is merciless. GB Energy is to put up a plaque on an office in Aberdeen whilst Scottish pensioners can’t afford to put on the heating. Oil continues to boost the UK coffers as a senior British business figure calls Scottish renewables “a golden ticket for UK growth”.

But as Scottish pensioners freeze, Scottish industry’s being devastated, and workers are being made redundant.

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Say What You See 142

Posted on September 20, 2024 by

Don’t say we don’t tell you, readers.

Because we do tell you.

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10 Years On 58

Posted on September 19, 2024 by

For all of those who couldn’t make it to Saturday’s sold-out event at the IMAX:

As for the next 10 years, that’s another question.

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An unduly restrictive view of salvation 88

Posted on September 18, 2024 by

Earlier today we heard from the SNP’s depute leader Keith Brown that the party now accepts there will never be another UK-sanctioned independence referendum.

And this afternoon in the chamber the SNP also voted against the only alternative.

Alba MSP Ash Regan laid down the above motion, which supports what as far as we knew was still the SNP’s official policy in the absence of another Section 30, in so far as they even know what their policy is.

Today that motion was voted down by 125 votes to 1.

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Objection Sustained 41

Posted on September 18, 2024 by

This must be some kind of mistake.

Because we’re sure you’ve spent the last decade telling us that just couldn’t happen.

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A Brief History Of Hope 168

Posted on September 14, 2024 by

The Land Of Immunity 101

Posted on September 12, 2024 by

Astonishingly, there isn’t a single word of apology anywhere in this statement.

There isn’t a scintilla of contrition, not the tiniest glimmer of admission of culpability or responsibility. There isn’t even a weasel-worded expression of “regret”.

Rape Crisis Scotland is unfit for purpose, and its CEO must resign.

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The Tartan Messiah 42

Posted on September 11, 2024 by

Well, Shauny‘s knocked it out of the park.

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After the swarm 72

Posted on September 11, 2024 by

On 15 October 2012, I signed the Edinburgh Agreement with David Cameron to secure the independence referendum of September 2014.

On the same day Peter Kellner of the polling company YouGov wrote one of his condescending commentaries from London dissing any hope for the Yes campaign.

“However, from Salmond’s point of view, it is about the only thing going for him. Indeed, were he to be given a truth drug, he might well curse the fact that the SNP won last year’s Scottish elections outright, and thus found himself in a position to keep his promise.

He would surely have been much happier remaining the leader of a minority government, unable to get his independence legislation through Holyrood. Then he could have railed against the Scottish satraps of the Britain-wide parties for silencing the voice of the Scottish people.

Instead, by winning an outright majority, he has shot his own fox. Rather than shed crocodile tears for his inability to call a referendum, he must now put the issue to the test.

As a shrewd and intelligent man – indeed, one of the shrewdest and most intelligent in British politics – he must know that his mission is impossible, that in two years time his country will vote to remain part of the United Kingdom, and that far from being achieved, independence will be deferred for at least a generation.

All YouGov’s evidence from the past four years is that independence is a minority passion north of the border. Even as the SNP was surging to victory last year, Scots told us by two-to-one that they wanted to remain within the UK.

The SNP won because most Scots thought it had governed their country well, because they liked Salmond, and because they thought the Scottish Labour Party was useless – not because they wanted to sever links with London.”

Kellner’s view was almost universal, and not just among the London pack of journos and politicians. Most, if not all, of the Scottish media agreed with him.

However, by September 2014 things looked very different.

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A False Labelling 78

Posted on September 10, 2024 by

We’ve just watched the BBC’s new documentary, and we’re confused.

You can see both episodes on iPlayer now, or on TV tonight and tomorrow, but there’s no mistaking what’s being advertised – a personal drama between the two biggest players in Scottish politics in the last 300 years.

But that’s not what you get.

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Coming Yet 63

Posted on September 09, 2024 by

The dogged persistence of alert Wings contributor Benjamin Harrop with regard to the Hamilton inquiry has been truly heroic, and today it has borne fruit in dramatic style.

The 10-page adjudication from the Scottish Information Commissioner that you can download by clicking that image is a somewhat labyrinthine (but fascinating) read, but the upshot of it is that the Commissioner has now ordered the Scottish Government to release all of the legal advice it was given with regard to its refusal to publish the written evidence submitted to James Hamilton for his inquiry into the events around the alleged conspiracy to falsely convict Alex Salmond of sexual assaults.

(See, even that one-sentence summary was quite hard going.)

But why does that matter and what does it mean?

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    • James on Yelling at the tide: “# Who’d be Hatey?Jan 25, 21:50
    • Southernbystander on Yelling at the tide: “Exactly. Why do people think using lies to justify an argument will work? We have all seen the videos and…Jan 25, 21:37
    • Northcode on Yelling at the tide: ““Were they not still Scots?” Certainly… as Sturgeon is a Scot, and Swinney is a Scot, and Tony Blair is…Jan 25, 21:37
    • DaveL on Yelling at the tide: “Caring Hatey rides again. If anybody had posted about it the chances are you would’ve laughed at them and shit…Jan 25, 21:00
    • Marie on Yelling at the tide: “Looking forward to the mid-terms Mr Brownshirt? You’ll be needing the tissues doll.Jan 25, 20:50
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Yelling at the tide: “‘When a Language Won’t Awaken: The Hard Truths of Linguistic Revitalization’ Thanks TURABDIN for the link to this essentially sound,…Jan 25, 20:25
    • sam on Yelling at the tide: “Thanks, Northcode for your answers upthread. Yes, Fergusson and Burns wanted to be more widely read and both had a…Jan 25, 20:08
    • Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “As we all weep bitter, outraged and angry tears on the worlds most-read Scottish Independence site for the man cut…Jan 25, 20:04
    • Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “I’m at hame the nicht. But in ma younger days, oan Burns Nicht, we wud always get a few shots…Jan 25, 19:49
    • Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “Aye, Northy, I hae absaelootly nae doot ye’re a much better poet than Burns ivver was. The langer ye go…Jan 25, 19:45
    • sam on Yelling at the tide: “…so I could put a few shots in him.Jan 25, 19:35
    • Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “Sure, Alf, it’s racism that I don’t want to lose my livelihood because I’m not fluent in one of Scotland’s…Jan 25, 19:29
    • Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “Here’s a question, x. Is it true that with widely available apps, it’s possible to make all protagonists involved in…Jan 25, 18:45
    • Northcode on Yelling at the tide: “Here, aw this tak o the braw Scots leid haes pit mi in mind tae write doun anither o ma…Jan 25, 18:45
    • Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “Bang! Whoops! My bad for startling you. I honestly didn’t think you’d have a wee accident like that. Have some…Jan 25, 18:39
    • agentx on Yelling at the tide: ““Hello love welcome home – how was your day today?” “Just normal darling. My 3 colleagues were holding a guy…Jan 25, 18:38
    • Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “All to do with colonialism, sam. You’re long overdue to spend a few hours of quality time with Fanny and…Jan 25, 18:36
    • Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “C’moan, noo, it’s a foregone conclusion. Scotland will win bigly and return home, dripping with gold.Jan 25, 18:32
    • Northcode on Yelling at the tide: “The answer to your first two questions is: “MONEY!” (The mercenary pricks). There was obviously a bigger market for stuff…Jan 25, 18:32
    • sam on Yelling at the tide: “Anent this post Northcode. Some questions. Why did the poets (Roberts) Fergusson and Burns begin to write in both English…Jan 25, 18:10
    • agentx on Yelling at the tide: “Happy Burns Night.Jan 25, 17:58
    • Northcode on Yelling at the tide: ““However, i do agree the ethnolinguistic archeology stage is over… ” Thank fuck… I was a bit concerned that you…Jan 25, 17:26
    • TURABDIN on Yelling at the tide: “….their true language….what a can of worms you open there, more than a can of worms a veritable chasm. However,…Jan 25, 17:02
    • Northcode on Yelling at the tide: “The Scots language is not, by any reckoning, a dead language – nearly half of Scots living in Scotland still…Jan 25, 16:28
    • Marie on Yelling at the tide: “James @1.10pm. Indeed James. McHatee has “form” when it comes to celebrating extra judicial killings.Jan 25, 16:25
    • agentx on Yelling at the tide: “Not for me I have done it many times. (Maybe add a few spaces after your paste)Jan 25, 16:02
    • Alf Baird on Yelling at the tide: ““the few who think like you?” As we know, “colonialism is based on psychology” (Memmi). At least half of Scots…Jan 25, 15:44
    • TURABDIN on Yelling at the tide: “AI is neutral, it is sophisticated technology, but like the simple pencil it may be used to produce the sublime…Jan 25, 14:30
    • Sven on Yelling at the tide: “Sorry “James”, please bear with an old duffer, I’m still not clear on if you feel being curious enough to…Jan 25, 14:25
    • Aidan on Yelling at the tide: “@Alf – do you not feel that you are perpetuating the subjugation of Scotland by continuing to converse in the…Jan 25, 14:23
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