To be honest it barely seems worth marking the ninth anniversary of the indyref. The day our nation – albeit narrowly – bottled out of becoming a real one again is nothing to be celebrated. The supposed party of independence has run away from the fight, concerned only with feathering its own nest, and its era of power looks to be drawing to a bitter and deserved close.
But there remains one grave and glaring grievance.
And no matter what anyone says, it’ll dog democracy and condemn Scottish politics to eternal stagnation until it’s addressed.
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.
At least, we assume there was a sizeable current being passed through it, as little else could explain the visibly uncomfortable half-hour experienced by hapless Stonewall chair Iain Anderson with Beth Rigby last night, or the seemingly random changes every few seconds in his facial expressions, body language and accent.
(Just about the only constant, other than his sweating top lip, was the deeply irritating modern phenomenon of stupid people starting every sentence with the word “So…”.)
If you’re a connoisseur of vacuous, nervous awkwardness you’re in for a real treat. If you want to see a human being actually answering any questions with even the tiniest shred of coherence, pertinence or honesty, maybe give it a miss.
Just for a change, let’s have a Friday-night competition!
Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed that former First Minister Alex Salmond is staging a show in the Spiegeltent at the Edinburgh Fringe next month, from 4-13 August.
You may even have seen a bit of online criticism from certain po-faced pseudonats about the fact that Salmond is sharing a platform with – gasp! – a Yoon, in the shape of the “last of the traditional Tories”, David Davis MP.
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?
twathater on A Poor Example: “If you try to force me to adhere to the laws and regulations LAID DOWN and enforced????? in Scotland and…” May 10, 14:58
Yoon Scum on A Poor Example: “Should Scotland leave the union so we can have completely unlimited immigration? As the biggest driver behind the Reform vote…” May 10, 14:12
Yoon Scum on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “I’m glad to hear that you think we have brilliant apprentices Why aren’t as many interested WELL They can study…” May 10, 13:02
Captain Caveman on A Poor Example: “O/T @RevStu Just read your post over at BEEX, almost choked on my Bran Flakes! Bravo. Haven’t laughed like that…” May 10, 12:47
Dan on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “yoon scum says: at 5:40 am “your post pisses me off and annoys me” Well that’s a result! But most…” May 10, 12:35
Confused on A Poor Example: “relationship advice? this is un-islamic nonsense; I have 30 clerics opinions which tells me Humza can do what he likes,…” May 10, 12:34
Andrea on A Poor Example: “This is what I would have thought. As to discrimination to other men, I can discriminate, say, according to educational…” May 10, 12:26
Cuilean on A Poor Example: “Back to the Humzas original video pitch. The three responses are toe-curlingly sexist, as is the whole scenario depicted. To…” May 10, 12:11
Dave G on A Poor Example: “Many people with skin in the trans game don’t want to understand the ruling and think if they ignore it…” May 10, 11:58
Bilbo on A Poor Example: “It does feel that the only concrete outcome of the ruling has been safeguarding free speech and high profile activities…” May 10, 11:55
agent x on A Poor Example: “https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25146182.humza-yousaf-writes-india-pakistan-leaders-urge-restraint/ 7th May Former first minister Humza Yousaf and former Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar have written to the leaders of…” May 10, 11:46
Owen Mullions on A Poor Example: “Can a concerned neighbour please check on James Kelly on SGP as he seems to have suffered a complete mental…” May 10, 11:04
James Cheyne on A Poor Example: “And I wonder what would happen if 98-% of Scotland refused to vote at local and main elections. And the…” May 10, 10:36
Neil McKenzie on A Poor Example: “Kin hell, 3 answers to st Yer baws” May 10, 10:30
Vivian O’Blivion on A Poor Example: “Five, Westminster voting intention polls conducted with field work exclusively in May. Average results as follows: RefUK 29.8%, Lab 22%…” May 10, 10:21
A2 on A Poor Example: “nah, you just need to make sure it is.” May 10, 10:15
SilentMajority on A Poor Example: “There will no doubt be blatant attempts to ignore or circumvent the law. Hopefully those who have previously been pressured…” May 10, 10:15
aLurker on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “Hi Stuart MacKay. This seems like an opportunity to ask you how does that ranking actually work? i.e. how do…” May 10, 10:11
James Cheyne on A Poor Example: “Turning the page by broadening the topic, not changing it. The trans topic of corse was not invented in Scotland,…” May 10, 09:02
Bilbo on A Poor Example: “Of course there has been action with highly visible things like women’s sport but it’s becoming plain to see that…” May 10, 08:17
Owen Mullions on A Poor Example: “Has anyone seen Humza’s latest revelation on X where he claims India and Pakistan have been in touch with him…” May 10, 08:02
yoon scum on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “your post pisses me off and annoys me Why? I work with apprentices in a Scottish firm and they are…” May 10, 05:40
Jim Thomson on A Poor Example: “Expect faux queues at the GN ones. Which means there will be no TW or TM working, so that the…” May 10, 00:07
Dan on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “Aye, an aquaintence works in the technical design side of planning and implementing the new HVDC transmission lines from Scotland…” May 9, 21:11
Hatey McHateface on A Poor Example: “How can the law and judiciary of Scotland and the UK be held in even more contempt? Max contempt was…” May 9, 21:01
joolz on A Poor Example: “Anyone can have a meeting for anyone as long as you don’t misrepresent it. If she had publicised the event…” May 9, 20:47
Vivian O’Blivion on A Poor Example: “Another double digit lead for RefUK and another breach of the 30% barrier. BMG Research, Westminster voting intention, field work…” May 9, 20:13
Yoon Scum on The Last Thing They’ll Expect: “can the stupid English worshipper ask After Scotland leaves the union What forms of power generation will be allowed?” May 9, 19:27
agent x on A Poor Example: “Scottish trans activists are in “denial” about the Supreme Court decision that confirmed the term ‘woman’ in the Equality Act…” May 9, 19:24
