When you’ve been watching Scotland playing football for 50 years of your life, you become accustomed to disappointment. You expect disappointment. Anything better than disappointment becomes a bonus.
It’s probably as good an illustration of the madness currently engulfing Scottish politics as anything that the most unusual suspect, Anas Sarwar, may have just – temporarily at least – saved Humza Yousaf’s job.
And although our head hurts already, we’ll try to explain why.
News reaches Wings this evening that Humza Yousaf has called an emergency meeting of the Scottish Cabinet at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning, just a couple of hours before FMQs. (This information has been confirmed directly to us by a source very close to a member of said Cabinet.)
An emergency Cabinet meeting is an extraordinarily rare event. As far as we’re able to establish there have only been two during the SNP’s time in power – when the budget failed to pass in 2009 and Alex Salmond’s administration had to decide whether or not to trigger a general election, and one the day after the Brexit vote to supposedly plan a second indyref (LOL). But in any case they’re extremely unusual.
The subject of the meeting has not been disclosed to us. It could, for example, concern imminent developments in Operation Branchform, or it could relate to the Bute House Agreement between the SNP and the Scottish Greens. The men in grey kilts may have come for the FM. Or Scotland could be about to declare war on Morocco or something. But we are told that the fact of the meeting taking place is a 100% certainty.
So no sleeping in tomorrow, readers. It’s probably going to be big.
Everyone’s having a lot of fun with the farcical Hate Crime Act that will finally come into operation in Scotland in just a couple of weeks’ time, fittingly on April Fools’ Day.
Nicola Sturgeon is due to give her evidence to the COVID inquiry tomorrow – if, of course, she remembers anything. We’re awaiting, open-mouthed in genuine shock, her explanation for this.
Because try as hard as we might, we cannot for the lives of us bring to mind a single possible legitimate justification for a First Minister to do such a thing.
Alert readers may however note that 19 March 2020 was just four days before Alex Salmond was cleared of all charges, and might find themselves pondering the reasons why she might want to be in possession of a cheap disposable text-capable phone at that particular point in time.
As alert readers will have noticed, Wings has been perusing the SNP’s Governance And Transparency Review over the last couple of days, a document which tentatively attempts to discern just how big a mess the party’s previous leadership has left it in.
The paper has now also reached the mainstream media.
Wings already touched on that particular aspect of the party’s mismanagement back in August, but in the light of the report now formally acknowledging the problem it’s worth taking a moment to establish just how astonishingly bad it is.
Dan on The value bet: “AIdan says:”I’d guess this is all a bit of a game for you since you spend 100% of your time…” May 7, 12:51
Confused on Pick Your Poison: “Then theres the nutter parties – an abolish holyrood party (I appreciate the sentiment but – do you really think…” May 7, 12:50
Confused on Pick Your Poison: “ERECTION DAY on telly last night john curtice does not look well; the poor man looks like a cadaver what…” May 7, 12:46
Geri on Pick Your Poison: “Reform will fix nothing on immigration. That’s a global elite problem & we don’t get a vote on them. &…” May 7, 12:45
Cynicus on Pick Your Poison: “#No Votes SNP Zero For any Swinney bonehead reading this, BOTH -2 equals zero” May 7, 12:43
Geri on Pick Your Poison: “Yes. It lets them know they were rejected. They’re still counted. Not bothering to vote at all let’s them know…” May 7, 12:34
Cuphook on Pick Your Poison: “The main stimulus for voting Reform is immigration, specifically Muslim immigration. This is why I think that their vote will…” May 7, 12:22
Marie on Pick Your Poison: “Don’t know what to do about the candidate paper. They’re all bought/captured/owned by external actors. What’s the point? May vote…” May 7, 12:21
Northcode on Pick Your Poison: “Voting advice for a people seeking their liberation from an imperial coloniZer. Indigenous, liberty-seeking Scots should NOT vote – UNDER…” May 7, 12:20
Aidan on The value bet: “Not you James, you aren’t capable of understanding a subject like GERS and you’re too stubborn to try. Thankfully you’re…” May 7, 12:16
Cuphook on Pick Your Poison: “You seriously think any politician appreciates the nobility of your spoilt ballot?” May 7, 12:13
James on The value bet: “Wilma’s mates in the 77th doing the postal count again this time? Or is that just referendums?” May 7, 12:13
James on The value bet: “Doesn’t do irony either, it seems. Another poxy unionist warmongering troll. But nicely shot down in flames. Again. Never learns.…” May 7, 12:10
James on The value bet: “Should we all seek out your truthful “GERS” bible, charlatan man? You are nothing but a colonial snake oil salesman;…” May 7, 12:04
lothianlad on Pick Your Poison: “Sturgeon and the Brit infested SNP leadership have done a job at stiffling the independence movement. The New parcel of…” May 7, 12:00
Colin Alexander on Pick Your Poison: “I won’t be voting on the candidate voting paper. But Tommy Sheridan is top nominee for the Alliance To Liberate…” May 7, 11:59
sam on Pick Your Poison: “Hi Sven, In East Lothian where I am I see a large turnout of the elderly, including a frail 90…” May 7, 11:58
100%Yes on Pick Your Poison: “Sven, Same where I live, looking on the TV their doesn’t seem to be large turn out for the SNP…” May 7, 11:53
Bilbo on Pick Your Poison: “If Reform does do well today, IMHO I think it is more to do with general dissatisfaction where every part…” May 7, 11:50
James on The value bet: “Up early, Adrian? Must be cauld in that curryvan. You should do some spooning.” May 7, 11:47
Aidan on The value bet: ““R” is a good option if you don’t value things like liberty and freedom of expression. It’s really sad that…” May 7, 11:41
Geri on Pick Your Poison: “Cuphook Go & spoil yer constituency ballot & vote Alliance on the Regional list. If yer still indy, that is.…” May 7, 11:33
Aidan on The value bet: “If an accurate summary of Craig Murray’s blog is “tarnishing” then that speaks volumes doesn’t it Dan. Is Craig not…” May 7, 11:28
Cuphook on Pick Your Poison: “I think Reform will do better than expected. Their voters are more motivated. I spent two years campaigning full-time during…” May 7, 11:16
Northcode on The value bet: “” Unless you were standing under another name you weren’t on my ballots.” My name is Legion, for we are…” May 7, 11:16
Sven on Pick Your Poison: “No Party workers in evidence where I cast my votes this morning, 100%. So, no exit poll here. We’ve not…” May 7, 11:14
Sven on The value bet: “Just cast my two votes, Northy. Unless you were standing under another name you weren’t on my ballots, or I’d…” May 7, 11:04
Captain Caveman on Seven Days Too Long: “Ha! What’s that Scots expression? “Telt”” May 7, 10:56
Dan on Pick Your Poison: “Re-posting this info on voting options in specific areas. 1st vote: Constituencies. https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/sp.c.2026-05-07/scottish-parliament-elections-constituencies/ 2nd vote: Regions. https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/sp.r.2026-05-07/scottish-parliament-elections-regions/” May 7, 10:56
KOF on Binfire Of The Vanities: “With respect, this is Satan’s Little Season and you are a fool for listening to men. Belieive in Jesus and…” May 7, 10:56
