Anyone seeking to make a compelling argument for the proposition that Scotland’s politicians and lawmakers are simply too farcically incompetent to ever be trusted with running an independent country had a gift-wrapped Godsend delivered to them last week by the idiot student children of Edinburgh.
But we can’t really put the blame on the colourfully-haired, keffiyeh-clad cretin kiddies of the capital for that, because it’s their elders and betters who opened the door.
With Reform now pretty consistently miles in front in polling for the next UK election, logically this is brilliant news for the Scottish independence movement, isn’t it?
So can anyone explain why the SNP is so desperate to stop them?
As recently as this weekend, the Scottish Government claimed that it has “made clear it accepts the Supreme Court ruling [in For Women Scotland] and is taking forward the detailed work necessary”.
But as with so much the Scottish Government says, it’s a barefaced lie.
Police Scotland have nevertheless denied that prisoners in their custody are being excessively pampered, following reports that a man was hustled out of St Leonard’s station in Edinburgh with an electric blanket over his head.
Meanwhile, following the Supreme Court ruling in the For Women Scotland case, the force’s HQ at Tulliallan was burgled by a gang of militant transactivists who stole all the toilets. Officers say they have nothing to go on.
One of the very few phrases universally recognised in Scotland but which will draw blank looks anywhere else in the UK is the dry, dark “Well, ye ken noo”. Until recently it had no equivalent that we can bring to mind in the rest of the English-speaking world, although arguably that gap has now been at least partly filled by the acronym “FAFO”.
(We try not to swear on the site, so let’s say it stands for “Fool Around, Find Out”.)
So now the smoke has cleared, the troops have departed the battlefield and the winner is enjoying the spoils, what did we find out on Thursday night, and what didn’t we?
Despite everything, we almost allowed ourselves just the very tiniest little micro-flicker of optimism when we read Tommy Sheppard’s latest in The National.
Because that much is certainly true, and it’s uncommonly candid to have anyone in the SNP admit it. So what’s the answer?
At the weekend, Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman was filmed applauding as a notoriously unhinged transactivist ranted through a megaphone to a small and almost exclusively male crowd of protestors about how he was going to openly break the law by continuing to use women’s public toilets, and addressing JK Rowling with the words “We should all take a shite on you, you heinous creeping old bitch”.
At another protest, Chapman herself asserted that the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling on the correct interpretation of the Equality Act 2010 was motivated by not by a solemn consideration of the law or by the arguments of counsel who appeared before it, but by “bigotry, prejudice and hatred”.
Chapman is – incredibly – Deputy Convener of the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee of the Scottish Parliament, and as such her comments sparked a storm of wholly justified outrage over her flagrant breach not only of Parliamentary rules but also of the law – specifically the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008, which requires all MSPs to uphold the independence of the judiciary.
Dan on The Ever-Changing Lie: “Hmm, more on planet Armageddon. https://robinmcalpine.org/five-years-ago-progress-on-climate-change-ground-to-a-halt-in-scotland/ So is the perceived lack of further progress on climate action actually because it…” Jun 10, 20:36
robertkknight on The Ever-Changing Lie: “I agreed with you Willie right up until your united Ireland assumption. I see it this way… A unified Ireland…” Jun 10, 19:27
Dan on The Ever-Changing Lie: “Aye, I’m minded to agree with that Northcode. It seems to me that there are too many supposedly pro-returning Scotland…” Jun 10, 18:55
Jay on Wider Than A Mile: “….the financial impropiety is bad enough, but what about the attempt to put Alex Salmond in gaol?” Jun 10, 18:25
Iain Ross on The Ever-Changing Lie: “Has anyone asked Swinney whether the missing £460,000 and £660,000 are mutually exclusive ? If they are then he needs…” Jun 10, 18:23
Northcode on The Ever-Changing Lie: ““… get them to lick their own shit and enjoy it…” What a disgusting and childish metaphor… it fits you…” Jun 10, 18:18
Douglas on Wider Than A Mile: “Swinney rivals Trump for BS but it will not stop the truth train that is coming down the line.” Jun 10, 17:03
Sean Duffy on Wider Than A Mile: “Ah! But how can we be sure what the SNP spent the money on? Bearing in mind that Swinney was…” Jun 10, 16:38
cirsium on The Ever-Changing Lie: “Brandeis was not talking about soap. “Brandeis made his famous statement that “sunlight is said to be the best of…” Jun 10, 15:52
Young Lochinvar on Wider Than A Mile: “Heard on the radio Val McDermid (sounding like a wee boy) advertising her latest novel. What she failed to explain…” Jun 10, 15:44
cirsium on The Ever-Changing Lie: ““Brandeis made his famous statement that “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants” in a 1913 Harper’s Weekly…” Jun 10, 15:34
Hatey McHateface on Wider Than A Mile: “I’m with J B Drummond. Until Grenfell is sorted, Indy can wait. Not forgetting the boy who got killed by…” Jun 10, 15:29
Maxxmacc on Wider Than A Mile: “A story: “Can you take this file over to B Wing immediately”, barked the officer. B Wing, he thought, that’s…” Jun 10, 15:21
Hatey McHateface on The Ever-Changing Lie: “Great comment, Jay. Have you read the article at the top of the page? Would you agree that has 77th…” Jun 10, 15:19
Hatey McHateface on The Ever-Changing Lie: ““oaths bind only when the authority remains worthy of obedience” Looks like Northy has worked out for himself the self-justification…” Jun 10, 15:15
Hatey McHateface on The Ever-Changing Lie: “Wally Walrus wakes! Actually, it’s another 5-letter word that preserves the alliteration. You keep your flapping flippers above the table,…” Jun 10, 15:06
cirsium on The Ever-Changing Lie: “Well said Willie. For an example of the “resource raiders” in action, watch the documentary embedded in Grousebeater’s site https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2026/05/17/the-fall-of-the-clyde/” Jun 10, 15:01
Northcode on The Ever-Changing Lie: “Discovering that the English crown’s claim to be the lawful ruler of Scotland is a lie immediately invalidates any oath…” Jun 10, 14:45
sam on The Ever-Changing Lie: “The net national debt of Ireland at the end of 2025 was 22% of GDP and expected to rise to…” Jun 10, 14:21
Lothianlad on Wider Than A Mile: “Yep, i know plenty if SNP diehards who wouod go to war fir the SNP against indeoendence! Though in truth…” Jun 10, 14:21
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Wider Than A Mile: “I don’t think the SNP is the top layer of the onion.” Jun 10, 14:12
Jay on The Ever-Changing Lie: “Several dumping comments on Wings fit exactly in the framework which you mention, Fearghas. Useful to have the advertisement as…” Jun 10, 13:48
Confused on Wider Than A Mile: “Do you have any information or a view on the possible/likelihood of : Murrell fiddling the leadership election for Humza…” Jun 10, 13:47
Alf Baird on The Ever-Changing Lie: ““the “coloniser’s values”” ‘Values’ are essentially what is deemed to be significant to a culture/people. The coloniser’s values are therefore…” Jun 10, 13:45
Jay on The Ever-Changing Lie: “Willie, thank you for your perspective and clear vision.” Jun 10, 13:41
Ian on Wider Than A Mile: “Depending on your view, you would either laugh or cry at the thought of the 2015 – ? SNP being…” Jun 10, 13:32
Mark Beggan on Wider Than A Mile: ““Who are we? We’re the SNP”!” Jun 10, 13:30
Mark Beggan on The Ever-Changing Lie: “Look what I found! ‘The British Army recruits and Officer Cadets swear an oath of allegiance to the King, which…” Jun 10, 12:55