We’ve noted on more than one occasion that the spectacular SNP surge since the referendum appears to have completely unhinged much of the Scottish and UK press. Having pumped out a vast avalanche of hysterical coverage which utterly failed to stop the Scottish electorate returning 56 SNPs out of 59, the papers have responded to the rebuff by simply turning the volume up.
But even by those standards, today has been special.
The Mirror, the Daily Record and Scottish Labour are currently working themselves up into a shrieking froth about the SNP’s supposed plans to “privatise” the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services to the Western Isles, which are due to be put out to tender again for the first time since the SNP took control of Holyrood in 2007.
It’s just possible there may be some hypocrisy on show.
Over and over again in the years leading up to the independence referendum, Scots were warned of the many dire consequences of voting Yes. Among the No campaign’s prime targets for scare tactics were subsidies for renewable energy.
UK government subsidies drying up certainly sounded like a scary prospect.
Unionists got very excited last week when the Office for Budget Responsibility once again downgraded its long-term North Sea oil revenue forecasts (which in 2011 it was predicting at £131bn) to just £2.1bn over 20 years. The new figure was as usual treated as a gospel fact and deployed to attack both independence and full fiscal autonomy by proving that Scotland couldn’t afford to run its own affairs.
We and others pointed out the numerous flaws in that argument, but of course those are just points of view. We could all debate it all day and all night and never achieve a consensus. There is, however, an easy way to settle the matter, by which supporters and opponents of independence and FFA alike can both put their money where their mouths are and everyone will be happy.
The first five words of “The Vow” – the solemn pledge made by all three UK party leaders on the eve of the independence referendum – are “The Scottish Parliament is permanent”. This is what happened in the House of Commons this evening when the UK government was asked to make good on that pledge.
For the last month or so, the Unionist parties have briefly enjoyed the opportunity to taunt the SNP in the Commons over Full Fiscal Autonomy, challenging the party to bring forward proposals and accusing it of being afraid of the policy it campaigned and won on in the election. The Nats called the bluff, and today got the unsurprising result.
The reason given by Secretary of State David Mundell – who declined to appear on today’s edition of “Good Morning Scotland” to defend or explain the decision – was that FFA “would cost every family in Scotland £5,000”.
And we thought that figure had a rather familiar ring to it.
With scarcely a moment’s pause for breath or reflection, the Unionist polity and media has seamlessly switched its focus to the elusive beast that is “Full Fiscal Autonomy”.
(The SNP thankfully seems to have swiftly dumped the silly and short-lived attempt to rebrand it “Full Fiscal Responsibility”.)
Having deemed the anti-independence “Project Fear” strategy a success because it won the referendum – seemingly oblivious to the fact that what it actually achieved was to turn a 30-point lead into a 10-point victory, at the cost of the annihilation of Unionist MPs in Scotland – the exact same tactics have been deployed against FFA.
And the main problem with that is that there are in fact two FFAs. And the Unionist side is fighting against the wrong one.
Stevie on The Party Of The Dead: “Wish they would just, collapse and disappear – repugnant lot. The MacGhost of a dream that should now just fade…” Aug 6, 23:34
Young Lochinvar on The Party Of The Dead: “Sorry Meant to add.. The “next” party.. What’s to stop the grifters and SPADS from just jumping ship to the…” Aug 6, 22:37
Hatey McHateface on Anatomy Of A Grift: “I think that anybody predicting anything for 5 years in the future really isn’t paying attention to the news. But…” Aug 6, 22:25
Young Lochinvar on The Party Of The Dead: “100 percenter That raises the fundamental problem. If an alternative Indy party is not nurtured then the death of the…” Aug 6, 22:17
Young Lochinvar on The Party Of The Dead: “Powerful post indeed Red. Needed said.” Aug 6, 22:00
Hatey McHateface on The Party Of The Dead: ““all part of the decolonization process (Fanon)”, eh, Alf? What does Fanon say about the hijab and tea towel wearers?…” Aug 6, 21:44
Skip_NC on The Party Of The Dead: “The Express? Well that explains it. I prefer the Beano.” Aug 6, 21:37
Hatey McHateface on The Party Of The Dead: ““Nicola could not have done this alone” The killer punch line in a knock out post.” Aug 6, 21:36
Andrew Kidd on The Party Of The Dead: “Large amount of assets disposed of. Looks like the auditors have done a thorough inventory of what was actually owned…” Aug 6, 21:27
James Barr Gardner on The Party Of The Dead: “If the SNP gang bankrupt an’ restart again wull it be ca’d the Newco SNP, jist asking fer a freind……..” Aug 6, 21:14
Bilbo on The Party Of The Dead: “Great post Red. I only got involved in independence around late 2000’s but I always remembered that nationalism was a…” Aug 6, 21:12
James Barr Gardner on The Party Of The Dead: “Fraser MacDonald left SNP in February 2026. He took over from Murray Foote who quit after 14 months in the…” Aug 6, 21:07
100%Yes on The Party Of The Dead: “The SNP is refusing to pay it back, if I’m correct.” Aug 6, 20:24
Alf Baird on The Party Of The Dead: “Helpful analysis, Red, and where the impending ‘disintegration’ of a national party that has been ‘co-opted by colonialism’ and which…” Aug 6, 20:16
100%Yes on The Party Of The Dead: “Sorry Naw, clad YES. The SNP lost its true supporters and ended up with tits and morons as a membership…” Aug 6, 20:13
Nicky T Naquetti on The Party Of The Dead: ““Heather Herbert”…? “Humbert Humbert”, moar like” Aug 6, 19:15
Young Lochinvar on The Party Of The Dead: “Whoa there LL!! I was a brickies labourer prior to enlisting, it was a blistering hot summer way back then…” Aug 6, 18:43
Aidan on Anatomy Of A Grift: ““Any money you send us will be split as usual between running costs, commissioning polls, a wage for myself and…” Aug 6, 18:41
Red on The Party Of The Dead: “Lothianlad mentioned Nicola Sturgeon as the architect of the SNP’s demise. She is greatly responsible, but the rot set in…” Aug 6, 18:14
Dan on Anatomy Of A Grift: “What’s the status of a new Wee Blue Book and revenues raised for producing it? https://wingsoverscotland.com/the-loose-end https://donorbox.org/last-call” Aug 6, 18:00
thothScot on The Party Of The Dead: “It’s not uncommon that the undead are still there years and years later, shambling around shopping malls accosting people who…” Aug 6, 17:55
Bilbo on Anatomy Of A Grift: “I’ve got a feeling that social media is going to change beyond recognition in 5 years time. This is going…” Aug 6, 16:57
agentx on The Party Of The Dead: ““John Swinney @JohnSwinney ? The publication of the SNP’s accounts today shows that at the end of 2025 the party…” Aug 6, 16:51
Ian Smith on The Party Of The Dead: “I would not be surprised if they lined up positions for anyone leaving with one of their pet quangos or…” Aug 6, 16:43
Effijy on The Party Of The Dead: “They could busk until dusk and not finance the next election. Anyone with glass bottle returns, Embassy Coupons or Greenshield…” Aug 6, 16:42
Knuckle_Heid on The Party Of The Dead: “Good point Elmac and even if the SNP do manage to claw back the £400k from Peter Murrell, hopefully enough…” Aug 6, 16:38
Ian Smith on The Party Of The Dead: “Has anyone heard when the campervan and miscellaneous luxuries go up for auction? With no appeals, would it generally all…” Aug 6, 16:37
agentx on The Party Of The Dead: “I notice that they spent £221,079 on Information technology (page 15) and £117,636 on Audio Visual at the Conference (page…” Aug 6, 16:32
