Hey folks, remember the happy days when indyref 2 was going to be in “the first half” of the next Parliament? Well, here comes the totally surprising and unexpected news.
This was Ian Blackford on Sky News yesterday, quietly confirming that at best we can expect it in the SECOND half of the Parliament, ie 2024 at the earliest. (And that’s with all the usual waffly evasiveness about how it could be achieved.)
This isn’t quite yet a smoking gun, more of a starter’s pistol. But it’s already more than we’d expected from the Holyrood inquiry – an unambiguous statement that the First Minister misled it (and therefore Parliament) under oath.
What’s still missing at this stage is the word “knowingly”, which would turn it from a serious but non-fatal misdemeanour into a resignation offence. But nor, yet, is there any sight of the word “inadvertently”.
Writing about the Hate Crime Bill in the Herald today, Kevin McKenna summarises in a sentence a point this website has been making for many months.
Because the real question about the SNP’s sudden demented obsession with focusing the public’s attention on its most unpopular policies right before supposedly the most important election in its history isn’t “Why?”
Yesterday’s evidence session at the Fabiani inquiry had several standout moments, but by a narrow margin this was our favourite.
And just in case you were wondering, yes, that IS Scotland’s top prosecutor, the Lord Advocate, chief of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, James Wolffe QC, repeatedly refusing to tell an MSP whether or not it’s a criminal offence in Scotland to refuse to comply with a court-ordered search warrant.
So next time you’ve ramraided a load of iPads and the polis come knocking on your door asking if they can have a nosy around your attic for them, just tell them they can’t come in because it’s a matter of your motivations.
For the record, we thought you should see what the Scottish Parliament considers to be the appropriate treatment of an “Urgent Question”.
For a little over eight minutes, the Lord Advocate was allowed to ignore and avoid a series of questions put to him regarding the abjectly corrupt Crown Office’s recent interference with the work of the Fabiani inquiry by redacting evidence which in no way identified anyone as a complainer in the trial of Alex Salmond.
Because while pretty much every journalist, pundit and legal expert reporting the case agrees that the amendment made to the Section 11 order protecting the anonymity of the complainers in the Alex Salmond case is an important and significant one, it hasn’t impressed the only person whose opinion actually matters: Andy Wightwash.
First Minister’s Questions was very interesting today. Ruth Davidson had some tricky ones which Nicola Sturgeon simply didn’t even attempt to look like she was answering, and we might come back to one of them in particular a little later on.
But Jackie Baillie’s were even more pointed, especially this one:
With our trademark scrupulous fairness we’ve included the full question and answer, and they raise a whole series of issues, but if you’re in a hurry the key part we want to talk about right now is between 0.18 and 0.26.
Sky News had a breaking report tonight about a person they couldn’t name.
Was it The Woman Whose Name You Can’t Say? We couldn’t tell you even if we knew, readers. And we can’t tell you whether we do or not. Sky carefully avoided even saying what sex the person was, and you’d have to be quite an alert viewer to notice any of the hints they dropped in the piece. We’ve said enough. You’re on your own now.
As ever, please do not commit contempt of court in the comments.
Young Lochinvar on Anything But That: “HMcH @ 12.22 Isn’t this past your bedtime. Apart from having no idea what yer babbling about I will let…” Sep 8, 00:45
Young Lochinvar on Anything But That: “But it wasn’t a shiny new parliament was it? No it was the old English one whose Speaker (unbroken tenure…” Sep 8, 00:33
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Never mind about all that, Auld Lochnagar. How come you’ve never denied that you’ve been secretly giving extra sedatives to…” Sep 8, 00:22
Young Lochinvar on Anything But That: “Fake AI NC That’s what AI would say.. Anyway Bring back the real Northcode, it’s a travesty!!” Sep 8, 00:15
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “We understand the period. What we don’t understand is why are you wasting time on it in the first place.…” Sep 8, 00:05
Young Lochinvar on Anything But That: “HMcH @ 5.17 Looks like his Hatiness is leaning towards phrenology! What’s to save you eh, running a self confessed…” Sep 7, 23:59
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: ““I’m not interested in trading insults with anyone” Me neither. I’m giving mine away for free.” Sep 7, 23:42
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “Northy spent ages building up a good case and you have just destroyed it in two comments. I have never…” Sep 7, 23:31
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Ask Rev Stu if he’ll pass on the details of the supplier where you buy your plastic claymores. You’d have…” Sep 7, 23:27
Northcode on Anything But That: “I’m very much the same Northcode — just discussing the historical and legal record as clearly as I can. Folk…” Sep 7, 23:26
Northcode on Anything But That: “I’m not interested in trading insults with anyone. I’m only here to discuss the historical and legal record as clearly…” Sep 7, 23:19
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: ““and have the right of resistance under international law” You really need to explain what you are going to do…” Sep 7, 23:16
Northcode on Anything But That: “The text you’ve quoted is about private acts and acts of ratification — the kind passed in favour of particular…” Sep 7, 23:13
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Ah, c’moan noo Confused. Dinna pretend ye’re nae partial tae a wee bitty leg hump. Ah mean, fit ither action…” Sep 7, 23:09
Young Lochinvar on Anything But That: “AI (deep fake) NC; “I’m simply keeping the discussion grounded in what (errata- Unionist) historians (sic) and (errata – Unionist)…” Sep 7, 23:08
Confused on Anything But That: “farage is on telly milking the anne widdicombe murder; death by hammers, indeed. (Does anyone know the whereabouts of THOR…” Sep 7, 23:01
Young Lochinvar on Anything But That: “C (for confused dot com ad) “WHO’S THAT WHISTLING!!”” Sep 7, 22:59
Confused on Anything But That: “Keep posting the shite Beggar Boy – we’ll get you a Jim Fixed-Me badge. Another leg-humper, soon to challenge the…” Sep 7, 22:54
agentx on Anything But That: ““Act salvo jure cujuslibet 23 December 1669 Our sovereign lord, taking into consideration that there are many acts of ratification…” Sep 7, 22:53
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: ““When is international law going to address that outrageous crime instead of empowering it?” Wonderful news, Xaracen! September 2026!! This…” Sep 7, 22:49
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Let me just fix that for you, Northy: “I’ve promoted Doun-Hauden here more than everybody else put together” What’s this…” Sep 7, 22:41
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: ““voting for or against independence depends on whether you hold to a Scottish or a British identity, which is culturally…” Sep 7, 22:37
Northcode on Anything But That: “Just to keep things clear for readers: Salvo jure cujuslibet is a standard legal reservation clause — essentially a safeguard…” Sep 7, 22:16
Northcode on Anything But That: “I’ve supported Alf Baird’s work for a long time — I’ve promoted Doun-Hauden here more than most, and I’ve consistently…” Sep 7, 21:57
Bilbo on Anything But That: “To be fair, the hospitality industry is on it’s last legs. Even without the increased rates and wage costs, the…” Sep 7, 21:41
Bilbo on Anything But That: “@ Sam I wouldn’t worry about Beggan. Wee shites like him has a big mouth but his bottle completely goes…” Sep 7, 21:35
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “Is this sovereign citizen? The epidemic of road side lawyers sweeping America. All of them were arrested many were tasered…” Sep 7, 21:33
Bilbo on Anything But That: “@ Hatey I was clumsily trying to make the point about how Westminster is trying to make the UK look…” Sep 7, 21:30
Young Lochinvar on Anything But That: “MB Hmmmm.. Did you write that while still fantasising about politicians mud wrestling??” Sep 7, 21:26
