Tuesday’s front page headline in The National was roughly the political equivalent of introducing yourself to your new next-door neighbour by saying “Hi, nice to meet you, I’m Jimmy from No.22 and it definitely wasn’t me who killed your cat last night”.
Humza Yousaf’s great masterplan of an independence strategy is imploding faster than the OceanGate Titan, and scarcely any less disastrously. And unless you’re one of the colleagues, family or friends of the tragic victims on board the doomed vessel, it’s even more painful to watch.
24 hours on, pretty much everyone seems to have come to the same conclusion (with the assistance of briefings from the FM himself) about Humza Yousaf’s “independence strategy” as the one Wings saw immediately yesterday, namely that he’s taken Nicola Sturgeon’s flawed version of a de-facto referendum and made it even less credible.
In as far as they’re talking about it at all, anyway.
Still wondering what Humza Yousaf’s going to say to the SNP’s pretend “conference” on independence strategy this coming Saturday? Well, wonder no longer, because this morning he told Sky News.
In other words, he’s waving the white flag and praying for a miracle.
The Scottish National Party’s primary and defining purpose is Scottish independence. Next weekend’s “special conference” will at least notionally determine its policy on that subject for years to come. On the face of it it’s the most important congregation of party members in the SNP’s history.
The Caird Hall can accommodate just 3% of the claimed membership. (And you’d expect at least half the seats to have been reserved in advance for the faithful payroll.) Members ought to be fighting like dogs for a ticket. And yet a week before the event the leader is having to send out pleading letters to try to scare up enough attendees that it won’t be a half-empty humiliation.
The SNP tell us that independence support is currently at 53%.
They tell us that most Scots want a referendum within the next year:
And we know that it’s absolutely unequivocally possible for the SNP and Greens to trigger a Holyrood election which would serve as a de facto referendum not only within a year, but within weeks. Scots could entirely realistically go to the polls this August or September, or even on the date Nicola Sturgeon promised less than a year ago.
So why are the SNP choosing this of all moments to give up?
Geoff Anderson on How Far To Go, How Far: “Archived Times article https://archive.is/Myuvi” Dec 12, 21:39
Kate L on How Far To Go, How Far: “Much like the male judge Alexander Kemp I suppose you find women’s safety and dignity acceptable sacrifices to make on…” Dec 12, 21:37
Captain Caveman on Strike One: “Meh! Awesome Northy you made me laugh. Touche! 🙂” Dec 12, 21:18
DavidT on How Far To Go, How Far: “I have no personal stake in this matter, nor am I aware of any transgender individuals. However, Graham Linehan and…” Dec 12, 20:48
Dan on How Far To Go, How Far: “But James, according to polling in the recent Ginger Stepchild article; Only about 5% of Scots rate Defence and Security…” Dec 12, 20:33
Geoff Anderson on How Far To Go, How Far: ““Wouldn’t it be so much easier if we just did what the TransCult wanted” That is what the Judge concluded.” Dec 12, 20:31
Mark Beggan on How Far To Go, How Far: “‘Keep Rabies out of Britain’ Springs to mind, forgot about that one. What with all the other dangerous things coming…” Dec 12, 20:10
James Cheyne on How Far To Go, How Far: “Britain and France preparing for war, we have to wait and see whom the enemy is, but France informing its…” Dec 12, 20:05
James Cheyne on How Far To Go, How Far: “Public matters and private rights are entirely different laws in Scotland.” Dec 12, 19:55
James Cheyne on How Far To Go, How Far: “Tribunals in Scotland are funded by a consolidated fund by the Scottish government” Dec 12, 19:49
James Cheyne on How Far To Go, How Far: “Private Rights of biological Women to have private spaces regardless, is matter of Internal Scots law in Article XV111 and…” Dec 12, 19:39
Hatey McHateface on How Far To Go, How Far: “It’s lower in saturated fat, sure, but for Mammie’s authentic home baking, it has to be butter.” Dec 12, 19:29
James Cheyne on How Far To Go, How Far: “He iis quite an interesting site on legal matters. There are a few other Barristers that I follow for points…” Dec 12, 19:29
Hatey McHateface on How Far To Go, How Far: “Could be rabies. The precautionary principle says put them down.” Dec 12, 19:24
James Cheyne on How Far To Go, How Far: “Stu, I presume you watch BlackBeltBarrister as he states more or less the same as you. If not then he…” Dec 12, 19:19
Mark Beggan on How Far To Go, How Far: “The politically correct voice of the chattering class is foaming at the mouth!” Dec 12, 19:09
Hatey McHateface on Strike One: “Channeling your inner hatstand there, Northy.” Dec 12, 18:58
Northcode on Strike One: ““Good idea, Northy…” Yes. I thought so, too. Hey! Didn’t I just dismiss you from this place? Begone, rascal -…” Dec 12, 18:54
Mark Beggan on How Far To Go, How Far: “Children of the revolution. (TRex)” Dec 12, 18:47
agentx on How Far To Go, How Far: “Do you agree or disagree with the UK Supreme Court decision that a trans man should not be included on…” Dec 12, 18:39
Mark Beggan on How Far To Go, How Far: “The ‘elite’ pish and shit like everyone else.” Dec 12, 18:35
Hatey McHateface on Strike One: “Good idea, Northy. I can see how finding something new to say has been taking its toll on you James…” Dec 12, 18:34
Lorncal on How Far To Go, How Far: “AI makes mistakes. Of that there is no doubt. However, if you examine closely the kinds of mistakes that were…” Dec 12, 18:32
Northcode on Strike One: “I’m bored of you now… you are dismissed. Go away, Pantless slave… get some sleep and prepare for tomorrow’s Extreme…” Dec 12, 18:27
Mark Beggan on How Far To Go, How Far: “Me thinks these legal minds are hooked on ECHR like a crackhead.” Dec 12, 18:21
twathater on How Far To Go, How Far: “Unfortunately this judge and judgement is indicative of what to expect in Scotland and elsewhere in 2025 , there is…” Dec 12, 18:16
Hatey McHateface on Strike One: “Puir auld Northy. Doomed to be forever trying, and failing, to fathom out the alien, imposed values of the oppressive,…” Dec 12, 18:08
Northcode on Strike One: ““Anally obsessed” … I think I might adopt that as my new term to describe the arseholes who wander aboot…” Dec 12, 18:06
Hatey McHateface on How Far To Go, How Far: “Exactly as predicted by (checks notes) Fanon, Mark. Of course, fascism is seemingly on the rise in the Good Ol’…” Dec 12, 17:58
