Fair play to The National, the use of the word “HIS” in this banner on their front page today might be the single funniest thing ever printed by a Scottish newspaper.
Because everyone and his dug in Scotland knows whose strategy it actually is, and how many years Pete Wishart spent traducing it as nonsense and furiously venting his overworked spleen at anyone who advocated it – right up to the point where Nicola Sturgeon adopted it in a desperate last attempt to keep the indy faithful pushing the SNP gravy bus, at which point it became the greatest masterplan of all time.
But today’s piece in the indy equivalent of the Daily Express (albeit with only a tenth of the sales) is so jawdropping that we doubt even Robert Oppenheimer would be up to the job of putting a scorchmark on Wishart’s brass neck, so let’s spend five minutes having a look at it before we go out for a bit of sunshine.
The reality-TV let’s say “personality” Kelly Given – who Wings readers previously met on a trip to New York for Tartan Week with a raft of SNP let’s say “celebrities” a couple of months ago – has been off on another nice holiday.
Last night she told both the viewers of BBC Scotland’s “Seven Days” that she’d just spent three weeks on an island in Greece, where apparently she was quite shocked to discover that the Mediterranean nation was hot in July.
When Humza Yousaf was campaigning to be elected leader of the SNP, he pledged that he would be not only the First Minister, but also the “First Activist”. It transpired that this in fact meant chapping a few doors in Dundee, just down the road from his home in Broughty Ferry (and on the way to his Glasgow constituency).
But what might a real “First Activist” have done with the position and power?
While idly browsing Twitter this morning, we made a startling discovery triggered by the SNP leadership election, and it was this: nobody in Scotland really knows what the nation’s law on abortion is.
It was prompted by these two tweets, both of which appear to be true:
The thing they agree on is that Humza Yousaf has just declared that he wants to change the law around abortion so that women can abort babies in Scotland solely on the grounds that they don’t like which sex they are. And that seems like something that should probably be bigger news.
The recently-restored Wings Twitter account has a little over 56,000 followers, the vast bulk of them accumulated at a time when this site had far less reason to criticise the SNP or the Scottish Government. So while this poll isn’t scientific, the indy-friendly nature of the respondent base makes it pretty interesting.
Those numbers closely mirror what every actual proper poll tells us about Scottish people’s opinion of the GRR itself – they oppose it by margins of between 3:1 and 4:1. So if the Scottish Government is counting on the UK’s intervention to increase support for independence, frankly it looks like they’re onto a massive loser.
…by which we mean “IQs in the history of the Scottish Parliament”.
Put a cushion on your desk before you start listening to this, gang, or you might hurt your jaw. Because surely nobody quite as paralysingly, catastrophically thick as this clueless, bumbling, deranged and dangerous imbecile has ever been allowed to make the laws of Scotland before. We wouldn’t let her make orange squash, to be honest.
And yes, we’re including Kezia Dugdale and Jamie Greene in that reckoning.
A few months ago, we all had a good chuckle at Pete Wishart’s screeching 180-degree turn on the subject of using a plebiscitary election for independence, a strategy which switched overnight from “suicidal, disastrous fringe lunacy with no hope of success” to “genius plan Nicola herself came up with”.
But after that crude ad-hoc field patch, we’re delighted to be able to report that Pete has submitted himself to SNP HQ for a full operating system update and is now fully compliant with the New Truth.
The newest Panelbase poll, which shows a narrow lead for independence, was an “omnibus” one with questions provided by multiple clients, including Wings and the Sunday Times. The questions we’re about to show you were asked by the ST rather than ourselves, but their results are deeply disturbing on multiple levels.
The first one is perhaps predictable but still unsettling. (Click all pics to enlarge.)
A huge 2:1 majority of Scots believe the Scottish Government’s proposed new “gender recognition” laws pose a safety risk to women. Tory voters think so by almost 9:1, Lib Dem voters by almost 6:1, and Labour voters by nearly 2:1.
That can only partly be explained away by partisan party loyalty – Labour and the Liberal Democrats both support the bill, but their own voters are still strongly against. More noteworthy is the fact that (excluding Don’t Knows) even slavishly loyal SNP voters agree with the statement by a smaller but still clear 12-point margin, 56 to 44.
So let’s say it unambiguously: most SNP voters think the SNP’s gender reforms pose a danger to women’s safety.
Yesterday we watched the first day’s proceedings of For Women Scotland taking the Scottish Government to court over its definition of what a woman is.
The topic is really very niche but will affect us all if the judge rules for the government (we won’t know the outcome for at least a month or two), so here’s the short version of what it’s all about.
I am greatly honoured to have been targeted for censorship in the same weekend as two great artists as rightly esteemed as Salman Rushdie and Jerry Sadowitz. (Though thankful to have not yet been violently physically attacked for my views, as both have.)
To be honest, I was amazed my most recent Twitter account lasted three months. I set it up in May for the sole purpose of a throwaway rude reply to Darren “Loki” McGarvey and Kenny Farquharson of The Times, expecting it to be banned within hours, then somehow it had thousands of followers and I figured I might as well have a bit of fun with it for however long it lasted against the barrage of shrieking outrage and mass organised complaints from the SNP Twitler Youth.
Which turned out to be until Saturday night.
Twitter has declined to identify who I supposedly incited the harassment of, or to offer any examples of the offending tweets. Obviously I did no such thing, but it’s good to know that “in order to ensure that people feel safe expressing diverse opinions and beliefs on our platform”, only some opinions and beliefs may be expressed.
Mark Beggan on Mad caps: “The First Minister in crucial trade talks confirms someone, no knows who, is very much interested in business.” Apr 6, 16:54
sarah on Mad caps: “@ Dunx at 8.46 a.m. “..had a look at the blog. Article 25 of the ICCPR…nothing there about referendums..” Well…” Apr 6, 16:48
Robert Hughes on Mad caps: “Ah ! likewise , T.C ( Peter ): I never realised you were there , if I had I would…” Apr 6, 15:23
Tinto Chiel on Mad caps: “Sorry I couldn’t stay long, Ian, but thanks for all the effort you and your fellow insurgents put in to…” Apr 6, 14:56
Andrew scott on Mad caps: “If dross geer is the answer What on earth is the question” Apr 6, 12:56
GM on Mad caps: “Apologies Iain, I couldn’t make it. Glad you had a good meet up.” Apr 6, 11:41
Captain Caveman on Mad caps: “@Hatey Agreed. Step 1: Less lawyers. Especially lefty lawyers….” Apr 6, 10:54
Hatey McHateface on Mad caps: “Sure, Marie, we’re doomed. You’ve said this before. Weird, though, how other electorates, in other countries, aren’t doomed. The MAGA…” Apr 6, 10:53
Captain Caveman on Mad caps: ““Whether potential candidates have ever had a proper job is neither here nor there.” That’s factually wrong in the case…” Apr 6, 10:50
Hatey McHateface on Mad caps: ““How such a thing can be achieved, though (or the whole of the UK for that matter) is anyone’s guess.…” Apr 6, 10:42
Marie on Mad caps: “Look it’s not just the Greens – every political party controls its members and potential candidates – national or local.…” Apr 6, 10:31
Hatey McHateface on Mad caps: “I guess, Anthem, you’re blaming the German part of President Trump for the mayhem. Myself, I see the German part…” Apr 6, 10:24
Captain Caveman on Mad caps: “Well, quite, and I daresay that’s the problem: how many of today’s utterly useless, woke-captured, counter-reality Political Class has never…” Apr 6, 09:29
Anthem on Mad caps: “He’s also part German. Think on.” Apr 6, 09:24
Dunx on Mad caps: “@Sarah I’ve looked at the blog. The writer refers to Article 25 of the ICCPR which states : Every citizen…” Apr 6, 08:46
Hatey McHateface on Mad caps: “I had a wee look at the text of the International Covenant On Civil And Political Rights online. It consists…” Apr 6, 08:37
Aidan on Mad caps: “@Dunx – it doesn’t say that anywhere and the ICCPR does not provide voters to call for referendums in the…” Apr 6, 07:13
yoon scum on Mad caps: “I see little evidence to suggest the young Ross isn’t exactly the kind of politician that would be embraced in…” Apr 6, 07:04
yoon scum on Mad caps: “You still haven’t told me how long I have to move to england” Apr 6, 07:02
yoon scum on Mad caps: “Trump :- A nationlist arse who promises to make his country again because the OTHERS are oppressing us That is…” Apr 6, 07:00
Ian Brotherhood on Mad caps: “Thanks Robert. It was a total pleasure to meet you in person and I’m just sorry there wasn’t enough time,…” Apr 5, 23:36
Robert Hughes on Mad caps: “Ian B . I had just come on here to say thank you for organising last night’s event and seen…” Apr 5, 22:37
sarah on Mad caps: “The ICCPR gives voters the power to call a popular referendum. The petition was submitted on behalf of Respect Scottish…” Apr 5, 21:28
Dunx on Mad caps: ““ It won’t matter who is in government, we the voters can get direct democracy to stop any executive action…” Apr 5, 20:17
Andrew scott on Mad caps: “Brilliant remark in the Herald When discussing replacement for the green gnome “Ross greer this the only person in scotland…” Apr 5, 20:14
Ian Brotherhood on Mad caps: “Big thanks to all the Wingers who made it to the Eagle Inn last night. Great to chat in real…” Apr 5, 20:05
Mark Beggan on Mad caps: “Ye ye ye. Just sign it.” Apr 5, 19:30
Hatey McHateface on Mad caps: “I’m disappointed in you, sarah. In my grown up world, legislation affecting us all should stand or fall on its…” Apr 5, 19:06