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.
Young Lochinvar on The Wheels Of Industry: “Just pondering history, with some links to (what would be) Scotland. Emperor Hadrian (of wall fame) listed his successor as…” Jul 21, 02:55
Mark Beggan on The Wheels Of Industry: “Kemp is sitting in a crashed car trying to convince the passengers and eye-witnesses that the car is still road…” Jul 21, 00:28
Alf Baird on The Wheels Of Industry: ““Maybe we need to spend a few years wondering what’s to be done before we work out what’s to be…” Jul 20, 23:17
Harper (Kenneth John) on The Wheels Of Industry: “Who funds the National ? as I doubt its sales revenue, hope its not the missing Yes Scotland funds” Jul 20, 22:10
Spade on The Wheels Of Industry: “This is the post-apocalyptic political landscape that was anticipated a few years ago, the inevitable consequence of the SNP crime…” Jul 20, 21:34
sam on The Wheels Of Industry: “Professors Henderson and Wyn Jones have done studies on the “Future of England” over a number of yeaars. The findings…” Jul 20, 20:33
Hatey McHateface on The Wheels Of Industry: “I didn’t know the devil bought soles.” Jul 20, 20:25
Knuckle_Heid on The Wheels Of Industry: “Seriously, who pays money to read this garbage? Endlessly promising a better future (we just need to be patient &…” Jul 20, 20:15
100%Yes on The Wheels Of Industry: “Thank god you told us the nitty gritty. To be honest I’d rather sell my sole to the devil than…” Jul 20, 19:57
Hatey McHateface on The Wheels Of Industry: “@Dan Your final paragraph is exactly right.” Jul 20, 19:46
sam on The Wheels Of Industry: ““The findings showed: 60% of voters in England say current politics makes them feel angry 55% say it makes them…” Jul 20, 19:26
100%Yes on The Wheels Of Industry: “robertkknight A parasite is a living thing the SNP is dead.” Jul 20, 18:33
100%Yes on The Wheels Of Industry: “John Swinney leader of the SNP, just been elected on a huge lie, but his top priority is the cost…” Jul 20, 18:27
Dan on The Wheels Of Industry: ““He doesn’t cite any evidence for that figure, although it does pretty much correspond with what pro-indy parties got in…” Jul 20, 18:22
Neil Singleton on These Words Are My Own: “Do remember that Sturgeon is one of the two “Shipman Sisters” with the now departed Freeman. And never forget that…” Jul 20, 18:19
twathater on The Wheels Of Industry: “What grinds my gears is the amount of gullibility surrounding independence supporters, FFS are they blind can they not see…” Jul 20, 17:53
sam on The Wheels Of Industry: “Depressingly accurate demolition of BiS. Next up AUOB? Funds misappropriated? I do hope not. We need a few marches in…” Jul 20, 17:42
Neil Singleton on These Words Are My Own: “The ferries scandal has all the hallmarks of a corrupt, money laundering scam. Obscene and unjustifiable cost increases throughout the…” Jul 20, 17:34
Dan on Progressing To Oblivion: “But does that really matter when you probably have a really fancy ass coffee machine and an expensive fountain pen……” Jul 20, 17:25
Ex President Xiden on The Wheels Of Industry: “Your reference to the greatest book on politics ever written reminded me of the greatest political speech ever given. I…” Jul 20, 17:24
robertkknight on The Wheels Of Industry: “I scribbled 6 paragraphs and tossed the lot with the exception the last line… “The SNP is a parasite”. All…” Jul 20, 17:07
100%Yes on The Wheels Of Industry: “A Citizen’s Convention is a con if run by anyone put in charge by the SNP.” Jul 20, 17:07
MaryB on The Wheels Of Industry: “I’ve often heard it said that Gordon MK is really an arm of the SNP. He’s tried to split the…” Jul 20, 16:29
100%Yes on The Wheels Of Industry: “England and America will drain Scotland dry of all oil and gas while the SNP sit back and look onward…” Jul 20, 16:26
duncanio on The Wheels Of Industry: “GMK doesn’t know what Swinney and the SNP are going to do next. So he’s just keeping all ‘options’ on…” Jul 20, 15:06
Confused on Progressing To Oblivion: “Manchester’s Finest as the new PM does excite as a concept, but – Stephen Patrick Morrissey – is still in…” Jul 20, 14:49
Colin Alexander on Progressing To Oblivion: “In Scotland, about 80% of the electorate did not elect a UK Labour or colonial SNP government, yet we are…” Jul 20, 14:15
agentx on Progressing To Oblivion: “The national ” Breaking John Swinney looks forward to ‘constructive’ talks with Andy Burnham on independence” ———————————- I am sure…” Jul 20, 14:09
Aidan on These Words Are My Own: “Aye well this is the problem Hatey, an independent Scotland can’t be everything to everyone even when people have conflicting…” Jul 20, 14:09