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Friendly neighbourhood rival fans 135

Posted on December 28, 2017 by

Not too many surprises here. (Except, perhaps, the 18% of respondents who claimed to be football fans yet also said they had no interest in the World Cup.)

Excluding the disinterested the numbers were:

England 24%
England’s opponents 38%
Others 40%

And for people actually born in Scotland the figures came out at

England 20%
England’s opponents 41%
Others 39%

And that’s pretty much the natural order of things. If you’re a “Rangers” fan and you cheer for Celtic when they play (let’s not say “compete”) in the Champions League, or a Celtic fan who backed “Rangers” in the Petrofac Training Cup, you’re the weirdo.

The zero-faced liars 57

Posted on December 27, 2017 by

So this isn’t true, any more than it was when Labour first promised it 22 years ago.

But the sheer number of ways in which it’s a lie is quite the thing.

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The not-so-nearly man 62

Posted on December 27, 2017 by

We were having an idle browse on Google Play Books this morning for some bargain holiday reading when we happened upon a startling new cover for Chris Mullin’s 1982 classic A Very British Coup.

We found ourselves thinking “rise to what, exactly?”

And as it happened, we had some new Panelbase polling data on that.

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Alex Cole-Hamilton Fact Check 137

Posted on December 24, 2017 by

The prissy, easily-upset and extravagantly-funded Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton tweeted this this morning:

Now, we’re not sure “you’ve had the government you’ve voted for about half the time in a two-horse race” would be all that great a selling point in the first place, but shall we see if it’s actually true, readers?

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Easy come, easy go 155

Posted on December 09, 2017 by

Another then-and-now classic.

(Source 1, source 2)

The compromise 95

Posted on December 09, 2017 by
.
(It’s nearly Christmas! Buy cartoon books for your friends, unless you’re a vile monster.)
.

The faithful pet 390

Posted on December 02, 2017 by

(It’s nearly Christmas! Buy a cuddly Hamish The Lion toy here! Plus maybe some cartoon books.)

One letter too many 141

Posted on November 26, 2017 by

(It’s nearly Christmas! Buy a cuddly Hamish The Lion toy here! Plus maybe some cartoon books.)
.

The Loser 211

Posted on November 23, 2017 by

We wouldn’t say that the Scottish Daily Mail was obsessed or anything, but this is just today’s hysterical coverage of possible changes to taxation in Scotland which haven’t even been PROPOSED yet, let alone actually passed into law.

A couple of bits caught our eye in particular.

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A nation of hostages 268

Posted on November 22, 2017 by

The efforts by the Scottish Tories to pull off some frankly ambitious shenanigans over today’s Budget continued overnight in increasingly bizarre fashion.

As with the Poppy Scotland funding, the party appears to be quite openly punting the line “We knew all along that this was possible and the right thing to do, but we deliberately punished Scotland for not electing enough Tory MPs”, in what can only be reasonably interpreted as an attempt at blackmailing future electorates.

The Scottish media, meanwhile, is doing its best to sell the issue as “a plague on both their houses”, holding the Scottish Government and UK government equally culpable for the mess. So let’s see what we know.

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On Her Majesty’s Broadcasting Service 188

Posted on November 17, 2017 by

We’ll be honest, readers – if this doesn’t make you want to leave the UK all by itself, it may be that there’s nothing that ever will and we should just give up.

(Alternative titles considered for this piece included Live And Please Let Die, Doctor Oh God No, The Barely-Living Daylights and Quantum Of Bollocks.)

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The habit of lying 155

Posted on November 12, 2017 by

Yesterday’s Daily Record (which would increasingly be an accurate three-word name for the paper) ran an innocuous piece of page-filler fluff rubbish, and for once we’re not talking about a David Torrance column.

It featured the “psychic” predictions of a man who, the Record told us – no fewer than FIVE times in the opening few lines – previously predicted Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, and who had a track record of “incredible accuracy”.

Sounds pretty spooky. Maybe he’s got the gift.

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    • Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Of course, Confused, it’s always possible that while you are sitting up late on what to many Scots is a…May 5, 08:13
    • Hatey McHateface on Seven Days Too Long: ““Get yersel prepared for separation cause it’s coming right at yea” Thursday, Geri, is that when? Should I say “bye…May 5, 08:02
    • Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “@Alf Are you telling us that with under a week to go to the election, Fanon and Memmi have run…May 5, 07:52
    • Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Civil disobedience, eh, YL? Is that a promise, or just a solemn vow?May 5, 07:41
    • Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Fa’s Northy? Looks like he’s decamped tae Unherd: https://unherd.com/2026/05/north-wests-stolen-childhood/May 5, 07:39
    • Bilbo on Binfire Of The Vanities: “George Ferguson says: 4 May, 2026 at 10:19 pm I am well past the stage of voting for Alliance Scotland.…May 5, 07:36
    • twathater on Binfire Of The Vanities: “@ Confused, there was also the case of the highly respected (hahaha) QC who it is alleged was involved in…May 5, 03:03
    • twathater on Binfire Of The Vanities: “@ YL , Cynicus , George Ferguson, I cannot understand the logic of voting for parties who have proven inumerable…May 5, 02:53
    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “C @ 12.29 Not voting SNP? Fine. Tactically voting for Unionists? Enjoy drinking the fruits of your self inflicted damnation..May 5, 01:19
    • Geri on Seven Days Too Long: “AI Dan is getting desperate clutching at straws now. He obviously didn’t bother to read Dan’s link where Stu gives…May 5, 00:37
    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I So you are apparently quite happy for us to be sh8gged by one lot but not the other? Kind…May 5, 00:36
    • Cynicus on Binfire Of The Vanities: “George Ferguson says: 4 May, 2026 at 8:04 pm “I don’t see a vote against the SNP as a right…May 5, 00:29
    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “A Civil disobedience I’m afraid is the only answer when the democratic process is so obviously blocked. Whether people have…May 5, 00:17
    • Cynicus on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Hold your nose and LEND your vote to the party most likely to beat the SNP. #No Votes SNPMay 5, 00:13
    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “BB “Nowt”.. Nowt? Nowt?? Hmmmm.. Eeee bah goom! Anyway, have you stopped to actually listen to so much of the…May 5, 00:07
    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Agreed Alf. That’s the gut change that’s needed. George, sorry brother but small as it’ll start, or if something else…May 4, 23:50
    • Confused on Binfire Of The Vanities: “in every other place with Dhondt there emerges 2 sets of parties and people vote tactically; the shiteness of the…May 4, 23:31
    • Angus on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Scotland will never achieve independence “democratically” as long as politicians are in charge. The SNP, still viewed as the independence…May 4, 23:08
    • George Ferguson on Binfire Of The Vanities: “@Alf Baird I am well past the stage of voting for Alliance Scotland. Don’t you think I have done the…May 4, 22:19
    • Aidan on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Well at least if they’re Sun readers they can read so that’s Sun 1 James 0May 4, 22:13
    • Ian on Binfire Of The Vanities: “It’s all down to the SNP. With a competent party the support for independence would be higher. So for many…May 4, 21:38
    • Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““I don’t see a vote against the SNP as a right wing vote.” I see it as an anti-woke vote,…May 4, 21:07
    • BroughtyBoy on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Jeezo, you’ve really learnt nothing from last 10 years Iain have you? Shrieking “Nazi !” at folk you disagree with…May 4, 21:03
    • Bilbo on Binfire Of The Vanities: “As always, the only poll that matters in the one on election day. There is a far too many reasons…May 4, 20:47
    • Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: “That implies there are some 35% of voters with a non Scottish-only identity, which is significant. In addition, as the…May 4, 20:42
    • George Ferguson on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I don’t see a vote against the SNP as a right wing vote. Based on their record. Still a 20%…May 4, 20:04
    • Bilbo on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I’ve had the misfortune to have to sit through it many a time on YouTube until I figured out how…May 4, 20:03
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Did you read past the first paragraph? FFS.May 4, 19:55
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Oh do shush.May 4, 19:55
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “The (notional) left is going to win the election, though.May 4, 19:54
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