(NB The media is understandably mostly occupied today with the horrific events in Manchester. But life goes on – music websites are still talking about music, football websites are still talking about football, videogames websites are still talking about videogames. Any rational observations about terrorism made here would be screamed down as making political capital from tragedy. So let’s get on with the day job.)
If you apply to go on a televised political debate and then submit a question to ask a national leader, it seems a reasonable deduction that you want that issue to be raised and discussed. If you also make it personal by describing your own circumstances, it seems logical that you’d want those circumstances to be widely publicised, and to be asked about them so you could say more and tell your story to the country.
So it’s a bit odd that Edinburgh nurse Claire Austin has suddenly gone off the radar.
Kezia Dugdale tells voters in the Borders, Highlands and a number of other areas that voting Tory is a better way to stop the SNP than voting for her own party’s candidates.
She’s currently contesting Edinburgh West, which the party has some credible hopes of winning, having held the seat for almost 20 years prior to 2015. And it seems that her former employer has decided to try to give her a helping hand.
And, y’know, they’re really not allowed to do that.
With all 32 councils now having declared, the Scottish local elections are over and the SNP have won again, taking 431 seats. Last time round in 2012 they took 425.
You might think you know the difference between 431 and 425. But you don’t.
This post is mostly here to give people somewhere to chat about the council election results as they come in. But this song, with a hat-tip to alert reader SparkleMonkey, is dedicated specifically and personally to the now-former Scottish Labour councillor (and one-time leader of Aberdeen City Council) Willie Young, who was ejected by the electorate earlier today.
Today is going to be a day of realignment in Scottish politics, in which the Tories will formally become the main opposition to the SNP. (Having already pipped Labour to second at Holyrood and having as many Westminster MPs as them.) Expect modest SNP gains and big Tory ones, both mainly from Labour, who have already lost overall control of Glasgow, their last stronghold.
Everything’s different after today, folks. Scotland’s choice will never have been more stark: extreme Tories in the UK for years and years to come, or self-governance. Let the chips fall where the people choose.
We don’t often wholeheartedly agree with anything “Rape Clause Ruth” Davidson says at First Minister’s Questions, but we can’t fault this observation from earlier today.
Today the Scottish Parliament spent several hours heatedly debating a motion to call for a second Section 30 order to enable a new independence referendum (several more will follow tomorrow before the vote). We watched all of it so you didn’t have to, and are delighted to present you with a few clips that probably won’t make the news.
On such a momentous topic, this was the intervention that Scottish Labour list MSP Monica Lennon felt was the most pressing issue to raise, for example:
We’re very touched, obviously, and will add it to our file of other mentions in the chamber and elsewhere. But there were probably more important things to discuss.
robertkknight on Still Time To Save Her: “It’s straightforward really. If, to preserve their anonymity, a covert agent or source attached to a state agency must engage…” Oct 10, 09:21
Mike on Still Time To Save Her: “Even if Murrell is forced to pay the money back, he’s entitled to 50% of that house. Plus he has…” Oct 10, 08:51
PhilM on Still Time To Save Her: “We’re talking about different things by the sound of it. So what are YOU saying exactly with the words ‘would…” Oct 10, 03:31
robertkknight on Still Time To Save Her: “cont. The wording of the Act is as follows: 84. In respect of Scotland, national security is a reserved matter,…” Oct 10, 00:53
robertkknight on Still Time To Save Her: “You’re wrong, sorry… “Because national security and core intelligence powers are reserved, the UK legislation still takes effect in Scotland…” Oct 10, 00:25
Alan Scott on Still Time To Save Her: “Where’s Franz Fanon when you need him? We could achieve true liberation through revolutionary decolonisation if he was amongst us…” Oct 10, 00:25
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Still Time To Save Her: “Issue related to this site. Scrambled small blue text entirely filling the screen. Have encountered it a few times spread…” Oct 9, 23:41
PhilM on Still Time To Save Her: “No. A few people on this forum in the last few years have misunderstood this bill and its application to…” Oct 9, 23:24
sarah on Still Time To Save Her: “I too got that blue/black area on my laptop this evening. I closed and tried again but still there. The…” Oct 9, 22:59
robertkknight on Still Time To Save Her: “Not experiencing similar so it may be your device which is the issue as opposed to this site.” Oct 9, 22:43
Southernbystander on There May Be Justice: “Hm, I think the general opinion is that Burnham’s victory was not decisive enough to warrant an early GE. Despite…” Oct 9, 22:38
Bea on Still Time To Save Her: “Cntd (in case of use) … From browsing history, links seem to have been to (or redirected through): goldfishouncereburial dot…” Oct 9, 22:22
Bea on Still Time To Save Her: “Apologies if someone has already commented and for being off-topic, but wings main page seems to be hacked/hijacked in some…” Oct 9, 21:32
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Still Time To Save Her: “DAVE: Open the pod bay doors, please, HAL. Open the pod bay doors, please, HAL. Hello, HAL, do you read…” Oct 9, 21:30
Steve Ashton on Still Time To Save Her: “Cca global,,,, setting the standard in customer operations….!!!???” Oct 9, 21:27
Alf Baird on Still Time To Save Her: ““It’s Shite living in a Colony !” Hopefully mony mair Scots are starting to realise the fact that colonialism is…” Oct 9, 20:32
David G on Still Time To Save Her: “I hope Stu is suitably appreciative that he is being blown off and given the runaround by a CCA Accredited…” Oct 9, 20:05
Willie on Still Time To Save Her: “Just more of the toilet that is Police Scotland and the COPFS. Scotland’s arms of the state is rotten and…” Oct 9, 19:43
robertkknight on Still Time To Save Her: “Perhaps due consideration should be directed towards… Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act 2021 “The Covert Human Intelligence Sources…” Oct 9, 19:27
Dan on Still Time To Save Her: “Aye, and folk should also remember that a remarkably similar modus of dubious activities and procedures by certain organs of…” Oct 9, 19:23
BigJay on Still Time To Save Her: “Something that has always piqued my interest was the resignation of then Chief Constable of Police Scotland, Sir Iain Livingstone.…” Oct 9, 19:08
sarah on Still Time To Save Her: “Rev, is there any idea from your legal team as to the likely timescale for the Protected Costs procedure? It…” Oct 9, 18:43
Anna on Still Time To Save Her: “This will probably do more damage to the police , Sturgeon is being protected. The police are being undermined ,…” Oct 9, 18:27
James Barr Gardner on Still Time To Save Her: “Scotland has not just got a political deficit, it also has a Justice deficit ! It’s Shite living in a…” Oct 9, 18:01
Skip_NC on Still Time To Save Her: “I’ve wondered that about Murrell too. I gather he was brought up in Edinburgh. Sturgeon is from Ayrshire. It has…” Oct 9, 17:01
Andy Wiltshire on Still Time To Save Her: “Anonymous again. You’ve got them on the run.” Oct 9, 16:49
Hatey McHateface on Still Time To Save Her: ““unless everyone gets very active and starts demanding things” If enough Scots cared they’d be out on the streets every…” Oct 9, 16:22
Macdonut69 on Still Time To Save Her: “I don’t know how many times Police Scotland have to tell you the same thing before you believe them. It’s…” Oct 9, 16:21
Morgatron on Still Time To Save Her: “You gotta wonder what deal has been struck here with patsy Murrell tucked up enjoying his majesty’s pleasure and she’s…” Oct 9, 16:02
Andrew F on Still Time To Save Her: “The problem with your complaint is: …no new significant information not previously available and considered… So, your information: a. isn’t…” Oct 9, 15:30
