It’s both a comprehensive refresher of events surrounding the Scottish Government’s conspiracy to convict Alex Salmond on false charges, and a sharp reminder of why Scotland is, in truth, not yet a country in a fit administrative state for independence.
But one part in particular ought to be the headline news tonight.
We watched Question Time last night for the first time in about nine years, and this comment from SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn raised an eyebrow.
Because we couldn’t remember ANY times that Flynn had publicly expressed any problems with the Scottish Greens during their governing alliance.
We’ve already posted a shorter and snappier soundbite from this video on our Twitter, but it’s really worth watching the full version here:
Because the body language is remarkable. For three and a half minutes, Neil Gray is completely unable to look his former colleague – an SNP MSP until a few months ago, a fellow government minister until 2022 – in the eye.
He sits stiff as a board, his teeth gritted, his face like thunder, staring directly ahead at the back wall of the studio as Ash Regan patiently and calmly outlines the extremely modest requirements Alba had set out in return for supporting Humza Yousaf and the SNP government in Parliamentary votes of confidence.
And when host Stephen Jardine asks him what exactly was so unreasonable about them, he can’t help himself, and blurts out that it was really all about preventing Alex Salmond from regaining any sort of influence on Scottish politics and insisting that his “rehabilitation” could not be permitted, even if the result of blocking it was the loss of an SNP First Minister and the potential bringing down of an SNP government.
And at this point a fair-minded person might ask: rehabilitation from what, precisely?
So there it is. In a massive, humiliating and abrupt reverse, the Scottish Greens have announced that they’ll support the Scottish Government – still led for the foreseeable future by Humza Yousaf – in this week’s confidence motion.
Shockingly enough, the debate about the Greens’ principles, intellectual consistency and integrity was an extremely brief one. Faced with the loss of their relevance and influence, they crumbled like month-old carrot cake and rushed their cards onto the table before the SNP had time to do any thinking.
Any hope Kate Forbes might have had of leading the SNP just evaporated, and so did any hope of grown-up government between now and 2026. The SNP will now spend the next two years as pathetic, grovelling puppets, doing whatever the Greens want as long as the paycheques and pension contributions keep rolling in.
It’s a tragic demise for a party that just a couple of years ago still crushed all before it in Scottish politics. But that’s showbiz, folks.
We unreservedly applaud the swiftness with which the office of the Official Report of the Scottish Parliament have delivered this answer, something which other bodies in Scotland could learn from.
WhatRot on The thickness of blood: “Nobody is ‘legitimately going through reassignment surgery’. Nobody.” Feb 16, 04:30
WhatRot on The thickness of blood: “No you don’t. There’s no such thing. It’s literal nonsense.” Feb 16, 04:25
twathater on The thickness of blood: “The ONLY good thing to come out of Edinburgh is the road to Glasgow” Feb 16, 04:05
twathater on The thickness of blood: “There’s nothing wrong with Paisley , and once we get rid of the pish snp crawlers and elect a I4I…” Feb 16, 04:03
twathater on The thickness of blood: “TBQH I don’t know why anyone is giving that PRICK yoon scum any explanation, he/she/it is only here to annoy…” Feb 16, 03:52
twathater on The thickness of blood: “Julie Hull has clearly illuminated and broken down the hurried and unconscionable desperation of these female Aunt Lydias in their…” Feb 16, 03:43
Ian Brotherhood on The thickness of blood: “As a general rule I suppose you could be right but it’s not between Glasgow and Edinburgh.” Feb 15, 22:34
Mark Beggan on The thickness of blood: “I don’t think Paisley is a good idea.” Feb 15, 22:29
gregor on For Mridul And Sandy: “New York Post (14/02/25): DOGE says it recovered $1.9 billion in taxpayer funds ‘misplaced’ by Biden admin: “The massive trove…” Feb 15, 22:22
gregor on For Mridul And Sandy: “Rapid Response 47 @RapidResponse47: “Presidents Obama and Biden clearly love the work @DOGE is doing” Elon Musk @elonmusk: “Literally exactly…” Feb 15, 22:16
gregor on For Mridul And Sandy: “Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump: “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.”: https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1890831570535055759 UK Foreign Office: British nationals…” Feb 15, 22:07
Ian Brotherhood on The thickness of blood: “‘Friends of Wings’ is planning a wee social night for early April. It’ll be on or around the 11th (!)…” Feb 15, 21:53
gregor on The thickness of blood: “re. “‘she wouldn’t meet my eyes’.” Women did not choose their natural female species status (it’s biological human reality) and…” Feb 15, 21:42
Mark Beggan on The thickness of blood: “The holy Roman church had more sinister, barbaric methods for non believers. Methods that if given a choice I would…” Feb 15, 21:37
Alf Baird on The thickness of blood: ““colonialism takes many forms” Indeed it does, and what we know from postcolonial theory as ‘colonial procedures’. However the main…” Feb 15, 21:24
gregor on For Mridul And Sandy: “BBC: Why has a former Tory MP decided to serve in U****ne’s military? https://tinyurl.com/mrx8mrry” Feb 15, 20:58
crazycat on The thickness of blood: “truly someone born in the wrong body There’s no such thing. The expression presupposes a difference between our “selves” and…” Feb 15, 20:47
Mark Beggan on The thickness of blood: “It be good to know if NHS Fife had someone in a skirt lined up for the “Champion Whistle blower”…” Feb 15, 20:14
Lorna Campbell on The thickness of blood: “Cracking piece, Rev. Anyone who has a ‘trans’ identified relatives and who is in public office of any kind -…” Feb 15, 20:12
John H. on The thickness of blood: “The threat of death by the sword was how he forced people to accept his new religion I understand.” Feb 15, 20:08
Royston Rickard on The thickness of blood: “To your third sentence – in short, yes. Even 20 years ago, this wasn’t an issue anywhere. Why? Because until…” Feb 15, 20:07
Mark Beggan on The thickness of blood: “Yes. We are now seeing the results of open doors. How many terrorists, rapists, murderers, paediphiles etc etc are in…” Feb 15, 20:00
Royston Rickard on The thickness of blood: “A ‘biological’ male: what other kind IS there?” Feb 15, 19:57
gregor on For Mridul And Sandy: “Shadow of Ezra @ShadowofEzra: “Senator Lindsey Graham declares that Zelensky is the ally he has waited for his entire life.…” Feb 15, 19:55
Lorna Campbell on The thickness of blood: “Indeed, Mark. I have met some who are exactly like that. As in all races and ethnicities, there are good…” Feb 15, 19:53
Lorna Campbell on The thickness of blood: “Yes, I think that they would have been very personal. Wouldn’t be at all surprised and come back in July…” Feb 15, 19:47
Lorna Campbell on The thickness of blood: “Absolutely agree. Most people don’t seem to grasp the sheer viciousness and spiteful reactions of the ‘trans’ identified men and…” Feb 15, 19:43
Lorna Campbell on The thickness of blood: “If he has a penis, he is a man and he has clearly breaching both the law and moral standards…” Feb 15, 19:39
Marie on The thickness of blood: “Well good luck to them!!!! The role of women may be highly restricted in their community but at least women…” Feb 15, 19:34