For the last month or so, the Unionist parties have briefly enjoyed the opportunity to taunt the SNP in the Commons over Full Fiscal Autonomy, challenging the party to bring forward proposals and accusing it of being afraid of the policy it campaigned and won on in the election. The Nats called the bluff, and today got the unsurprising result.
The reason given by Secretary of State David Mundell – who declined to appear on today’s edition of “Good Morning Scotland” to defend or explain the decision – was that FFA “would cost every family in Scotland £5,000”.
And we thought that figure had a rather familiar ring to it.
We’ve already brought you the First Minister’s appearance on last night’s The Daily Show in the US, but in addition to the seven minutes that were shown on TV there were a further seven minutes of interview which didn’t go out on air, but were shown on the Comedy Central website, region-blocked so only US residents could see them.
When the FM goes abroad to represent Scotland in the outside world, though, we think it’s only fair that Scots get to see what she’s saying and doing on their behalf, so we didn’t let such trifling obstacles get in our way.
Many of you won’t have seen this quite extraordinary performance from the Guardian’s assistant editor Michael White on last night’s Scotland Tonight, and you really should.
robertkknight on Vibecoding A Better World: “That’s the least of your worries… There’s clearly other issues elsewhere! (I speak as a sufferer of osteoarthritis in both…” Nov 1, 19:59
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “I get it, Alf. Having higher petrol and diesel prices than ours in Norway doesn’t matter because of “context”. As…” Nov 1, 19:30
Aidan on Vibecoding A Better World: “The charging infrastructure in Norway is excellent – i’ve seen EV chargers on unsurfaced roads. However, just under 70% of…” Nov 1, 19:17
100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “Your leader boosting he’s prepared to work with Burnham but isn’t prepared to work to delivery the mandate again the…” Nov 1, 19:04
Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: “Context Hatey! Few care about the price of diesel/petrol in Norway when 90% of cars sold there are electric, aided…” Nov 1, 18:47
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““Why nit focus on the real enemy” The spelling and grammar police?” Nov 1, 18:24
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““highest energy prices in the world” It’s bizarre that Alf consistently posts these same lies over and over again when…” Nov 1, 18:21
Izzie on Vibecoding A Better World: “Abd we won the by election. And we are pleading in the polls Where are Alba again? If this sites…” Nov 1, 18:07
Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: “Good grief man. Your victim complex really does know no bounds. What a humourless “fud”. Bore off.” Nov 1, 17:57
Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: ““if you have to explain a joke” A colonized people are invariably made the butt of colonialist jokes for colonialism…” Nov 1, 17:43
Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: “@Alf Whoosh. “Izzy Skint” was a well known Dandy comic character from the 1970s. So yeah, my background reading as…” Nov 1, 16:22
100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “Your comment might have got an applause on The National but to insults us on Wings with this bull shame…” Nov 1, 16:09
Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: “Plundered colonies are always “skint” and under-developed; in Scotland’s case external wealth extraction amounts to £150+ billion a year, resulting…” Nov 1, 16:09
robertkknight on Vibecoding A Better World: “I think Izzie is going door-to-door for the Scotto. More chance of winning that than of the SNP adopting a…” Nov 1, 16:03
GM on Vibecoding A Better World: “I agree with the sentiment MaryB but I am not so sure about your analysis of what is happening in…” Nov 1, 15:29
Izzie on Vibecoding A Better World: “Out leafleting today. It’s time to choose … CHOOSE SCOTLAND” Nov 1, 14:17
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “An interesting read. Somebody should tell Professor Baird how the writer dismisses “international law”.” Nov 1, 14:06
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “How is Scotland’s Mammie these days? It must be quite embarrassing for all those former worshippers of the ground Sturgeon…” Nov 1, 14:01
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““The students are revolting” There was me thinking the immigrants are revolting, asserting their new-found credo that just because their…” Nov 1, 13:37
Northcode on Vibecoding A Better World: “Yes, Hatey. Unlike the flawed reasoning inherent in the views of Salvo, Liberation Scotland, Alf Baird and others, your logic…” Nov 1, 12:22
sarah on Vibecoding A Better World: “The UK government still refers to the Treaty of Union as the basis of the current arrangement.” Nov 1, 11:17
Izzie on Vibecoding A Better World: “Nicola did well on BBC TV with Laura Kuenssberg. Sensible and focused. Sorely missed in Scottish politics IMHO” Nov 1, 10:57
MaryB on Vibecoding A Better World: “Sarah 31.10 The current UK government’s austerity policies have made sure that most people are too worried about job security,…” Nov 1, 10:33
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “The surest route to the breakup of the UK would be for some supra-national entity to tell Scotland, England, Wales…” Nov 1, 10:29
Northcode on Vibecoding A Better World: “The “union” is a historical act, not a current constitutional relationship. The Treaty of Union (1707) was a founding event…” Nov 1, 10:03
Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “https://waronomics.substack.com/p/the-long-war-of-the-21st-century An interesting and sobering summary of the current state of the world.” Nov 1, 09:59