I Don’t Wanna Be Friends With You
Posted on
April 03, 2021 by
Chris Cairns
The world's most-read Scottish politics website
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Wings Over ScotlandA tall tale
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Transphobia
Brilliant Chris
She’said all about her NOT Scotland becoming independent
Stupido predictor text
She’s
A cracker Chris, says it all.
Therein lies the dilemma for the SNP voter. Nicola would probably rather die in a fire before accepting any help from Alex. So #bothvotesyes and #supermajority, which would put the SNP in a very strong position with regards to more or less anything they wanted, increased powers, bigger stick to beat Boris with, etc. etc. etc. will be rejected out of hand because of spite.
No Nicol is not a cheat.
Rather she is coming out as an absolutely odiously deranged individual driven by obsessive behaviours. Alex Salmond she declared was. Her friend, her mentor, the greatest influence on her adult life.
Well it certainly shows now. The murkiest of murky attempts to absolutely destroy him and of which she knew nothing, absolutely nothing. A lifelong commitment to independence or so she claimed. And now she screams she doe# not want a super majority, only a simple majority. How many unionist MSPs does she want to keep then as she recommends the wasting of something like a million votes that will deliver an absolute slew of supermajority seats.
And all of this wrapped up in even more bizarre personal behaviour where like a demented cat she oozes absolute personal attack after personal attack on Alex Salmond. Not a fit person, he needs to apologise to women, he’s a gambler, I won’t speak to him, go into a television studio, debate or otherwise have anything to do with him – it’s all bitterly bizarre. Most certainly not the behaviour of what one would expect of a so called first line politician.
Frankly, could you imagine a Thatcher or a Jacinda Adern or a Pamela Harris throwing a strop like this.
Or could you imagine any front line politician throwing away the opportunity to secure a majority for the cause that they say they support. And make no mistake, this is what she is now doing.
Telling people to vote to ensure a small majority, or in fact a minority majority, like what she has just now 61 seats some six seats short of a majority but maybe this time around 64 seats some three seats short.
And so, as the Toon depicts, this is Sturgeons strategy, Not for her the influx of maybe 30 independence MSPs.
No Siree, she wants the slenderest of minority majorities, with the reelection of some thirty unionists that could otherwise be voted out.
It’s insanity, absolute insanity. And all driven by one women’s perfidious treacherous behaviours.
She would cheat and our to every living thing but this time must be honest.
We must play by the rules to rid ourselves of a ruling elite who have cheated conned stolen and plundered everything from Scotland, including our young men to die in needless wars.
This time however we must play by the rules. Their rules.
If you can’t see the problem with that you are beyond help.
Usual brilliant work Chris.
@Wullie at 7.54am
Spot on with that analysis.
The Alba/Salmond support is imperative to the Independence cause. How she can continue to deride him after all he has done for her, the SNP and the Independence cause that she Sturgeon supports is totally wrong.
Come on Chris. Patrick Harvie has never looked that human. Otherwise great toon.
As Big Mack says we need to play by their rules which I agree with. Hence SNP1 ALBA2.
Sturgeon keeps harping on about a legal recognised referendum having a S30 order etc.
When has the British Establishment bothered with legality when invading other countries taking away their kings and ruling classes and then appropriating it’s wealth.
We have an Act of Union between two countries so if one of those two countries the Sovereign people desire to leave we don’t need permission from the other one to leave.
Sturgeon ought to be for the high jump instead of the hurdles.
The next event is the 600,000 meters!
Alex, stay inside during Nicola’s javelin throws!
It’s the Dole Vault after independence.
How very Tory!
What you want is divisive and bad but my wishes are ,well,um, soft kittens.
Climb ev’ry mountain
Ford ev’ry stream
Follow ev’ry rainbow
‘Till you find your dream
A dream that will need
All the love you can give
Everyday of your life
For as long as you live.
OK.OK.
I now know the meaning of ANSCHLUSS.
Two things: This website is part of political life in Scotland now. In the same way that Guido Fawkes is in England. It would be very, very difficult to close it down although Stuart Campbell is aware of the risks. People in political life are drawn to the research this guy does and the connections he has and that they don’t have. Guido Fawkes isn’t scared of anyone and has messed with the Chinese, the Saudis and the North Koreans before and has emerged undamaged. Thank God for that. Life in Scotland is not, however, so predictable nowadays.
In Scotland we now have a Hate Crime Law. It has been said before that Democracies throughout the world would not touch a law like that with a bargepole. There is no need for it and no-one wants it. It is a licence to allow political and legal malfeasance to go unchecked and we in Scotland suffer from an excess of that already.
Scotland used to be the home of the Enlightenment. What do we need a Hate Crime Law for? What would Robert Burns have made of the Hate Crime Law?
A website similar to this one was closed down in Scotland last week. This was a Labour Party guy and his website was critical of malfeasance within the legal profession and the point he was making was that if you are well connected in Scotland you will receive legal protection for free. If you are not well connected than you will not be protected by lawyers no matter how much money you give them and no matter how strong your case is. He gave a personal example in his website. I gave him another personal example which he posted up and that was too much for the authorities and they took the whole website down.
I presume that some folk in the Scottish legal profession must be thinking to themselves: “This is the world-wide home of law…We all get paid hundreds of pounds per hour and yet the public increasingly see us as a bunch of crooks and political lickspittles.” Why is that and can they not do something to address it? Salmond’s lawyers did an excellent job in pinning-down the Scottish Government, didn’t they. They tried and failed. They shouldn’t have failed, but they did. Should that not concern us all? Very, very few lawyers in Scotland will even try nowadays to pin-down the Scottish Government as it is so obviously futile.
To do something about it you need to be prepared to cut the head off the beast and hopefully the events of this week are a start. But, count on nothing in this country at the moment.
My experience of lawyers who operate at the very heart of Government is that they would rather cut their arms off than criticize any member of Holyrood and that is a truely dire situation for all of us.
Sigh! Remember when it was about the future generations of Scots.
Two Woke Party leaders now more interested in the 0.05% cult followers than the 99.95% seeking to build a fairer society.
The language used by all other parties is just plain nuts. I’ve never heard anything so infantile.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v43aQTsVb5o
Superb cartoon!
The amended hate crime bill is to England include a clause
that anyone with a blog that includes the word wings can
receive a life sentence for misuse of a semi-colon.
I do worry about you Rev.
So much so I watch Bake Off wondering if the cake could house a file in the centre?
@ Stuart McKay
Its a bizarre strategy (albeit intriguing) from any angle since if/when she refuses to work with a supermajority the logical route for such a parliament would be to change the FM to someone who will, and if that means more “disgraceful behaviour”, or smacked bottoms for anonymous ladies, so be it.. !
“what do you take me for..”
£600,000 missing
A rigged NEC
A selective memory
Two superinjunctions
Ending internal Party democracy
Using your office to try and jail someone for life
Etc
I would call you a cheat (among other things)
Dear Nicola
I am going to vote SNP1 because that will ensure my Alba2 vote makes your life a misery. It also keeps out your Woke list candidates. If it removes Woke Greens I will consider that a huge bonus.
Vote Alba for Scotland and to protect Women’s Rights.
My granny used to say,
`she who sups wi the deil should have a lang spoon`
Nikla didn`t have a `lang spoon` when making deals with the green goblin.
Genius.
The “cheating” crack will haunt her to the grave. It will be used, re-used and beaten to death by the yoons to try to slow and stop independence.
It is obvious to me now that she has never wanted independence.
She is now a shameful liability for the SNP.
To top it all she’s handed Boris a stick to beat her with when she gets her begging bowl out again looking for a S30 order.
Well they do say a picture paints a thousand words.
I forget how long it is since ALBA launched (a week or two maybe) and I am still hugely struggling with SNP1.
The best I can get to is as follows.
If I was in Sturgeon’s or Swinney’s or Robertson’s constituency I would be voting for the candidate most likely to defeat them irrespective of any other consideration. No way in a million years and under any imaginable circumstances could I vote for any of them SNP1. I’d vote probably Sarwar against Sturgeon and whoever the tory is against Robertson. Same goes for any other exceptionally woke SNP1 candidates. So for these characters it is tactical voting against SNP no matter what in their constituencies.
If I was in constituency where the SNP candidate was not a complete rat but still stood a realistic of being defeated (by any other party) were there a modest swing, then I would vote for the candidate most likely to beat the SNP. So again tactical voting against SNP but only if the alternative stands a real chance of winning.
However if I was in a constituency where voting tactically against the SNP was pointless, where the SNP candidate was likely going to win no matter what I did tactically, THEN I would vote SNP1. No point in doing otherwise.
It seems to me the problem for ALBA supporters not voting SNP1 is only when that SNP1 candidate wins anyway, despite you not voting for them. Then it is clearly stupid not to vote SNP1.
The way I see it if you don’t vote SNP1 and your alternative candidate wins and beats the SNP in that constituency then that still results in your constituency vote ‘freeing’ up a MSP seat for ALBA on the regional vote, only not from the SNP, from the other main parties.
So as of now I am still voting tactically against the SNP on the constituency vote but only if my constituency vote stood a realistic chance of defeating the SNP candidate. Otherwise I would vote SNP1.
AS is an extraordinary man, I have no idea how after all this he can recommend voting SNP1. It shows the enormous character of the man.
I personally can’t do it. This is the best I can get to. At least for now.
I understand the idea behind the supermajority but I never for one second believed the Sturgeonites would rally behind the idea. I could have accurately predicted their reactions 5 minutes after hearing about ALBA launching.
She’s dug herself into such a big hole, and I still really can’t understand why. Was this initially just an attempt to blackmail Salmond which escalated on the back of the #metoo movement through the civil service 2 complaints? Then when he took them to judicial review and won, was it just rage, spite, vindictiveness which kicked off the next – criminal trial – stage? Because in any sane world, losing the judicial review should have been the end of it. It’s what came next which is truly baffling and insane (and if it is how it looks, criminal).
Is it that she can’t stand to lose, can’t admit she’s ever wrong and just doubles down, no matter how far she has to go to do it? Because that seems to be what we’re seeing now too with her continued attacks and smearing. Her problem is most people don’t know what happened (this is a problem for Alex and Alba too) so will have no idea why she seems so afraid and irrational right now. But if she can’t admit she’s ever wrong and can only ever double down, where does she go next? And will those she needs go with her?
Brilliant Chris.
My head is hearing Harvey saying “she’s my precious “
Idle question, apologies if its been asked and answered before:-
Could a Westminster MP name the alphabet women in Parliament, under parliamentary priviledge ?
The SNP and Green party have been trusted allies for over 20 years.
Why should I shift my second vote to a party that is only hours old, looks like it will not win even one seat and will probably damage the Independence movement in the process.
SNP 1 Greens 2 for me.
So Nicola doesn’t want to have anything to do with Alex or Alba. Is anyone else pondering on the possibility, remote though it may be, of an Alba MSP becoming the next Presiding Officer at Holyrood?
“Because in any sane world, losing the judicial review should have been the end of it. It’s what came next which is truly baffling and insane (and if it is how it looks, criminal).”
Maybe Cath, old Alex will pursue them for “mallicious prosecution.”
The Scottish Government are facing these every few months at the moment. When law and government didn’t comprise of miscellaneous, vainglorious interconnected crooks as it does now, mallicious prosecutions never came-up.
They cost a fortune and the Scottish Government loses every time.
I think that Alex might have the Scottish Government in a stranglehold. I’m no lawyer and so I might be wrong on that. We shall see.
@gullaneno4
That’s easy: because the Greens are at best semi-detached independence supporters who insist their representatives and members sign up uncritically to the “TWAW” mantra. They monstered their most capable MSP Andy Whightman to the extent he left the party in disgust at their profoundly illiberal stance.
If you can bring yourself to vote for a party like that it tells us everything we need to know about you, and the kind of independent Scotland you’d be happy to see ruled by such science denying ideological zealots.
Happy to help! 🙂
According to FT independence would «open fiscal» hole in our economy.
Better forget it then…
https://www.nationaldebtclock.co.uk/
My hole good, your hole bad!
Why should I shift my second vote to a party that is only hours old,
If you don’t want to you shouldn’t. Your vote is yours alone. If you want to vote SNP1/Green2 do it. I personally can’t vote Green right now which saddens me as I was a member and campaigner for them for a long time in the early 2000s, when climate change and the environment were their key concerns. Now they’re led by a creepy misogynist and seem to be all about queer theory and allowing men into all female spaces, including prisons, abuse refuges etc. At a time when the climate and environment are more critically under threat than they’ve ever been. So I’m glad to have another party I can vote for. That’s democracy.
Almost spot on, if you had PH frantically trying to bury Angus Robertson. It would be masterpiece.
Alison Johnstone is standing in Ed South again, of the 4k odd votes she received,(a massive 13% of the electorate.. NOT!) Only 600 odd were needed to stop Baroness Davidson winning a seat.
The Greens are potentially going to cost up to 12 seats in this way!.
Why are independence supporters voting for a party that opposes the SNP in Constituencies?.
Not very indy when on the face of it you are very unlikely to win but highly likely you will harm your independence seeking partner’s.
Vote Green get Tory.
Heaver says:
3 April, 2021 at 9:25 am
“Could a Westminster MP name the alphabet women in Parliament, under parliamentary priviledge ?”
Yes, they could do this withour fear of prosecution however the press would crucify them.
You’d have to find someone who intends leaving parliament at the next election AND there would have to be something in it for them. I can think of MAYBE three people who fit the bill….
@gullaneo4
Where have you been? Who is damaging the Indy movement more the the SNP and Greens putting identity politics No.1 on their agenda.
Who has taken the hard earned cash of Indy supporters contributed to a Indy fund and used it for hubby’s salary and a HQ stuffed with SNP careerists who are “waiting on an opening”.
The Independence carrot – Any moment now, one more mandate, send more cash meanwhile a rigged NEC, no internal democracy, a Wokerati Empire, woke attack dogs unrestrained by Nicola.
The YES movement should come first. The YES movement was about working with ANYONE who supported Independence. AUOB was about marching with ANYONE who supported Independence.
AFI and ISP stepped aside for Independence.
The concept of Independence is not about voting SNP.
@gullaneno4
Have to agree with Andy Ellis. There was a time when voting Green was actually sensible, if a little on the fringe. It put the spotlight on problems such as climate change, renewable energy, electoral reform to try and drag governments into the 20th century. Now all their radicalism is wrapped in identity politics and they’ve pretty much forgotten or discarded what made them attractive to voters.
I’d suggest you take a look again at what the Greens stand for and re-evaluate. It’s quite likely a party like Alba, though more mainstream in it’s approach, actually will turn out to have learned the lessons from all the problems facing humanity today and will have policies (once they publish their manifesto) that are much closer to what the Greens used to be.
“The SNP and Green party have been trusted allies”
Trusted by whom? The British state?
Despite having a pro independence majority in Holyrood since 2016 and a perfectly valid mandate for indyref, all what we got in return from those “trusted” allies was a systematic denial of our right to self determination, a denial of our democratic mandates, the handing over of a veto to England’s government against our will and interests, the undermining of our popular sovereignty, the handing over of power and control of assets from Holyrood to England MPs against our will and interests, the suppression of incriminating evidence that should have seen this FM, her government, the COPFS and the UK civil service in Scotland on trial for abuse of power and gross and unlawful misconduct and the delivery against the will of the majority of the most toxic pieces of policy in a so called democracy in modern history.
So let me ask again, trusted by whom?
Because if something the leaders of Sturgeon’s pretend SNP and the Greens have demonstrated in the last 5 year is that the yes voters cannot trust them at all.
Ooooft absolute peach Chris
@Mia – Give it a rest, please. Nicola Sturgeon, Leslie Evans, Peter Murrell, Sue Ruddick, John Swinney, James Wolffe and Humza Yousaf and the alphabet women are not agents of the British State. Regrettably, all are Scottish and this has been a secretive all-Scottish fandango from start to finish. The British are laughing at us….that’s all.
@ gullaneno4 at 9:27 am
Re. Who we cast our Regional List votes for, the Greens recently voted against survivors of rape having the right to request a female examiner.
You may be cool with that but many others are not.
Oh you can trust the Greens on independence all right, trust that they will at the key moment let you down or more likely stab you in the back.
Trust they will extort a raft of absurd woke shite out of the SNP at every single opportunity.
Trust they are using the SNP and could not really give a shit about Independence, it is just a convenient lever to prise concessions out of a desperate SNP that lacks a majority by itself
Trust the Greens… you are having a laugh. Libdems in lipstick.
Excellent, Chris.
That hurdle is there to distract the spectators.
They will replace it with the real one as soon as the race is over.
PRO-WOKE MAJORITY
Harvie looks delighted with his position.
Muscle memory!
😉
I’ve been busy working for the last few days, is Scotland still run by criminals?
Haha, perfect. She takes us for fools
The way Sturgeon is pressing-on with SNP 1 and 2 is probably the way her seemingly-deranged mind works.
Or, it could be they have had private polling done, which indicates they are in-trouble in the Constituency Vote, and will need the List votes which they haven’t been so-reliant on in at least the last two Holyrood Elections.
Maybe, more ordinary voters than we think have cottoned-onto how poor they have been in government.
Better than the Tories, but, maybe Scotland really does think – we deserve better than just being better than the Tories.
They might also have realised, talking about Independence referendums isn’t the same as doing something positive to secure one.
Yes, history repeats itself. In the broad scheme of things, the parallels abound. She is the reincarnation of John bloody Knox.
– There is only one righteous true path to redemption and that path is SNP. There is only one true political party, and that party is the SNP, for there can be no other. Hell and damnation lie before all non-believers in the SNP, cast out forever into the wilderness.
It’s got not a lot to do with the historical SNP – It’s all about me, me, me ‘n yous are all wrong and I am right. Yet another child tyrant in designer clothing.
I don’t want to play in your yard,
I don’t like you anymore.
You’ll be sorry when you see me
Sliding down our cellar door.
You can’t holler down our rain barrel,
You can’t climb our apple tree,
I don’t wanna play in your yard,
If you can’t be good to me.
Captain Yossarian:
You forgot to include in your list the ex-MI5 crown agent. Was that deliberate?
“this has been a secretive all-Scottish fandango from start to finish”
Sorry, I do not believe that. I am convinced the British state has its fingerprints all over this. I am also convinced that Sarwar running in the same constituency as Sturgeon and her being second in the list is a fabricated exit door for her and an entry door for Robertson as leader of the pretend SNP. She is being deliberately obnoxious to ve voted out. We should watch out for new candidates aiming to divide the unionist vote in Robertson’s constituency to ensure he gets in.
There are several weaknesses in the “both votes SNP” argument. The biggest is the fact that their pals the Greens are contesting so many constituency seats.
IMO this is where the Alba party have to strike. I understand the reluctance to attack the SNP directly, but the Greens are fair game, especially if they are behaving like this. If the Greens are such great and trusted chums, why are they risking 12 constituency seats? Selfish behaviour IMO.
Go for em’ Alba – this is the big weakness in the cosy SNP-Green “arrangement”.
Captain Yossarian @ 10:04 am
“@Mia – Give it a rest, please. Nicola Sturgeon, Leslie Evans, Peter Murrell, Sue Ruddick, John Swinney, James Wolffe and Humza Yousaf and the alphabet women are not agents of the British State.”
Crown and civil service are what George Osborne called ‘the arms’ of the British state in Scotland. In that regard Mia is perfectly correct. All public and semi-public institutions in Scotland are effectively agencies of the British state, and will remain so until independence.
Captain Yossarian says:
3 April, 2021 at 10:04 am
” @Mia – Give it a rest, please. Nicola Sturgeon, Leslie Evans, Peter Murrell, Sue Ruddick, John Swinney, James Wolffe and Humza Yousaf and the alphabet women are not agents of the British State. Regrettably, all are Scottish and this has been a secretive all-Scottish fandango from start to finish. The British are laughing at us….that’s all.”
How do you know what’s behind all this ? The idiot platoon that comprise the visible cast of this shit-show are indeed homegrown , no one is disputing that , that does not mean the origins of it are not ebedded ” elsewhere ” . I don’t know if they are or not but the fact that it was allowed to develop in the way it did – enabled if you like – the incalculable damage it has done , to the credibility of the SNPG , the internal ( and external ) dynamics of the Indy Movement , the division it has sewn and the fact that to date not a single person has been held to account may not prove anything per se but surely must raise legitimate suspicions of darker involvement .
Oh wow.
I noted someone saying in a previous post mentioned that WGD was mellowing towards a supermajority, and I confess, curiosity got the better of me. Please people, wannae no dae that? Don’t say these things, because people will set out to see, with joy in their hearts, looking for signs of Spring emerging, flowers blooming, and birds chirping in the sunshine…
I weakened. I clicked. Sadly I see no sign of any such thing. The rare tentative icebreakers BTL remind me of someone trying to introduce the concept of light and science to an angry mob of Uber-traditional, torch carrying, witch burning, village militia.
“Alex Salmond will never be content with a List seat in Holyrood!” – I should hope not. Alex Salmond won’t rest until he has an Independent Scotland over the line. If he settles for anything less, he’ll be called to account for his failing, just like Sturgeon currently is.
Rev Stu and Barrheadboy are reviled because they don’t physically live in Scotland. What was I saying about cabbage patch village idiot parochialism? It’s alive and well in some parts.
Apparently we are all tarred with the same brush because someone advocated voting for Sarwar to dethrone the Lyin’ Queen Nicola. But then, as we all know, you cannot afford to let conflicting opinions enter your brain, because “doubt” is the Devil’s work, and if you let one witch prove it’s innocence, you open the unthinkable possibility of them all being innocent.
Salmond is Farage, ALBA is the SDP, polling 3% after 6 days is catastrophic,.. yawn, yawn, zzzzzzz….
Seriously people, I truly believe these folks would accept the result of a good stool-dunking as definitive, absolute proof – provided it confirmed their prejudices and drowned Alex Salmond into the bargain.
Sturgeon has really done a number on them. They will quite happily drag a pro Independence supermajority out in the middle of the town square and publicly set fire to it. Do the right thing for Scotland? Not these zealots. It’s a close run thing whether they are now more intolerant of dissent than the Transnutter brigade, and probably a click or two more paranoid.
I suppose WGD still has some relevance as a yardstick to measure how dumb and blinkered the people supporting Sturgeon actually are, but I won’t be going back to WGD ever again. I already regret bumping their site visit numbers up to 23.
Regardless of their bile, it is still SNP 1 and ALBA 2 for me, and that isn’t going to change for the good of an Independent Scotland.
I fear Sturgeon and the creepy crooks are going to exhort themselves trying to wreck the prospects of delivering an unconquerable Pro-Independence supermajority, but SNP 1 and ALBA 2 is still our optimum result, at least, while we cannot yet vote for ALBA in the Constituency seats.
I try to be self critical, and try to see myself as others see me. Is my aversion to all things Sturgeon any less bigoted and irrational than their prejudices against Alex Salmond? I suppose it might look that way to a casual observer.
But ask me to articulate the reasons why I think Sturgeon is a fraud and a catastrophe, and I will fill page after page describing the litany of squandered opportunities, constitutional illiteracy, graceless capitulation, misrepresentation, sophistry, evasiveness, suppression of evidence, gratuitous smears, and absolutely ZERO progress made on Independence but ‘milking’ the rise in polling as all their own work, while even the dogs in the street know it’s down to Boris Johnson’s Brexit.
Ask them to articulate the reasons why they hate Salmond, and suddenly it’s just like when you challenge a Unionist to articulate the positive case for the Union. It’s all uhms, and errs, subjective prejudices and cherry picking abstract negatives which can be blown out of all proportion.
Do I see the hand of the British Establishment steering Nicola Sturgeon? Not really. Spider senses not tingling at all. I suspect she is seen as eminently defeat-able and containable just as she comes. Serious question, – Why would they bother?
But, do I see the hand of the British Establishment orchestrating the character assassination of Alex Salmond, every day, from every direction, and totally without respite? Yes. Yes I absolutely do. And I see that bitterness and resentment of Alex Salmond from within the SNP itself as testimony to the success of that British Establishment black ops.
Evidence? I have none. But in close comparison of criticisms, Sturgeon poses all manner of questions and objective, black and white failings, and glaring ineptitudes there for all to see. But Salmond? It’s all contrived, orchestrated, innuendo and insinuation. They forced through a Criminal trial and Police investigation based upon NOTHING but orchestrated smears, fabricated accounts and innuendo.
If people cannot see that, and cannot suspend their prejudices against Alex Salmond until they have seen the substance behind the smears, then these people are either irremediably dim, or just not trying hard enough.
What has Alex Salmond actually done to deserve the cacophony of derision and discrimination? (And don’t fkn dare say he had a sloppy cuddle which he admitted.)
I’ll tell you the answer. Alex Salmond is a potent, and visceral and existential threat to the future of United Kingdom. Alex Salmond is their Public Enemy No 1. He is the Kryptonite which the UK Establishment doesn’t know how to handle, because get it wrong, and Alex Salmond’s strength and influence increases exponentially.
The UK Establishment cannot touch Alex Salmond. They cannot get rid of him. To nullify the threat he poses requires his containment, and ideally, containment by his own side. They must turn the SNP against him, and make the man toxic to his supporters.
People MUST try to see this in the round.
The targeting of Alex Salmond by spurious smears and unfounded allegations makes no objective sense to anyone EXCEPT the UK Establishment and those gullible enough to be manipulated and used as pawns.
And by the way, that ISN’T hero worship. Because frankly, I feel Scotland is so tremendously WEAK that we have so much invested in just one man. When we cannot afford to lose an Indy-giant, not another Wullie MacRae, so what in God’s name is the SNP playing at by fabricating lies and orchestrating a conspiracy trying to destroy the man?
“Me too” organisation? Oh do fk off. Don’t treat me like an idiot… or worse, some dotard on a Parliamentary Committee.
There is one man in all of Scotland who’s courage, integrity, indefatigable determination and commitment to Scotland is proven beyond ALL reproach, even in the teeth of a nasty conspiracy to stitch him up, and that man is Alex Salmond.
How many others are there amongst us who might endure such a grotesque smear conspiracy and emerge intact at the other side, and ready to ram it to the UK with a quicksilver ALBA Party and imminent supermajority which turns the tables in an instant and has the Union on the rack?
Didnt get my email notification of this post this morning Stuart. Trouble at your end or mine? I wonder.
The vast majority want Scotland to become an independent country. Support for this was led by many true patriots. Unfortunately sitting at the top of the tree now are the Murrells who are more determined to keep the SNP as their own little nestegg than to forward independence.
As party leader and the chief executive officer…. any person who shows any sign of danger is shown no mercy.
The Murrells don’t want independence they are perfectly happy with the present arrangements and intend to keep it that way.
Just think with with independence what would happen to the Murrells.
Good cartoon — punching a bruise.
2016 was a game for those in the know.
The Greens really are a sorry bunch.
Saving the planet is not their thing.
Well said that man, Breeks.
The new old puritanism is upon us indeed and Salmond is truly Beelzebub.
Breeks @ 10 43
Brilliant post Breeks , just brilliant .100% on it . And yes , it seems to me NS is deliberately trying to screw-up what would actually be the best possible outcome in May eg a Supermajority for Indy .
We can all speculate why she would do such a thing – can it really just be spite and hatred ( ie fear ) of AS ? With each day that passes and her behaviour becomes more , let’s say ” erratic ” I’m becoming more convinced she is actively working against Independence
Socrates MacSporran @ 10:25 am
“maybe Scotland really does think – we deserve better than just being better than the Tories.”
A dozen Holyrood SNP Ministers don’t run our country, they depend on the large meritocratic elite in the public sector to develop and implement policies and to spend the £30bn+ budget as they see fit. This would be the 10,000+ elite each on over £100k/yr employed throughout the civil service, NHS, universities, justice, local gov, and the hundreds of other public agencies and state funded organisations.
Scotland’s meritocratic elite has aye been Tory, unionist, and predominantly Anglophone, nae maiter wha bides in Bute Hoose. So even with a SNP-led administration, ‘establishment’ Scotland is still aye run by Tories.
It is this elite that has to be changed after independence, not least because, under the perpetual ‘Cultural Division of Labour’ that is colonialism, the meritocratic elite is always mediocre, being drawn from a narrow privileged group; which is the reason Scotland remains in the sorry ‘state’ it is, even with a supposedly ‘nationalist’ devolved political leadership.
@Robert Hughes – It was enabled not by the British State, but by the Lord Advocate. He’s employed by the Scottish Government.
James Hamilton, Judith MacKinnon and Liz Lloyd are not controlled by the British State.
The Lord Asvocate enabled the prosecution of the Duff and Phelpps Directors and for that act of gross negligence we will all be stiffed for in excess of £50m.
He wasn’t bagged for that. Instead, Sturgeon instructed him to prosecute Salmond and to prosecute Craig Murray and Mark Hirst too.
Holyrood started life in a blaze of scandal when Shirley McKee was set-up in another Holyrood inspired cover-up. News of that went all around the world and it was a couple of Americans who finally embarrassed in Scottish Government into making amends with Shrley McKee.
Since then, it has only gotten worse and someone earlier said that Scotland is now being run by criminals.
We are not to be taken for fools, Robert.
The thing that really gets me is the gullibility of the electorate.
Why did ordinary working people vote for Thatcher, Cameron or Trump.
Surely Sturgeon can’t get back in again.
Chris you have out done yourself ! What an absolute BELTER !
Nicola showing a complete lack of class over last few months with continual personal attacks on Salmond.
The FM would like Scotland and England to part on good terms, in traditional sporting manner, everyone playing the game according to the rules.
When, however, did England/Britain in its dealings with those seeking «to break away» ever play by rules other than those of its own design?
Scotland is no exception. Scotland may not de jure have been a colony but de facto it has been a possession, bought and paid for, to be held on to regardless. England’s status and integrity hinges on the whole island being under its jurisdiction. From the design perspective it looks good, break up creates «a mess». But oh the stultifying banality of conformity to the rules of design..
Very well said Breeks – all of it.
To hear Alex speak about the economic reality coming down the tracks towards us and the need to plan for that (including recruiting econonmists), is a breath of fresh air. An adult in the room.
Meanwhile the minnos promise to dish out computer tablets to kids who nearly all have one (late in the day too) and their Political Offices thought they’d pull a fast one and claim small business relief from the Covid fund, and are now having to repay it.
Because you know, there’s nothing shifty in that in any way is there.
Political Party Office (funded by members and Government short money) – Small Businesses (funded by selling goods and services to the public).
Soooo easy to get the 2 mixed up. Really. Isn’t Arbroath Dave Dougan’s beat?
Dave was a faithful servant for Cosy Feet and Swinney. He did all the grunt work for Roseanna Cunningham (who retired long ago, just stayed on to claim the wages).
He’s very much Swinney’s blue eyed boy.
Looks as if he’s not got himself elected to Westminster in order to ‘settle up’, looks more like, ‘clean up’ is the motive. Maybe he’ll prove me wrong. I won’t hold my breath.
The British State conspiracy theories really are ludicrous. We Scots must begin to own the problem. I agree with Capt Yossarian All of the current debacle/fiasco was made in Scotland by Scots and until we acknowledge that we cannot move on. I suspect Alex Salmond does not subscribe to this deluded conspiracy nonsense.
Good post Breeks
I was getting a bit fixated about some of the stuff over on WGD to the point it must have been really bloody boring to read I will take your advice and not bother boosting the visitor numbers,
Despite people letting Paul know his blog has being taken over by a few people who have setup camp any and all criticism of Princess Nicola is akin to swearing in public place.
The pointless exercise of voting SNP 1:2 has completely gone over the heads of the contributors and the site owner Paul Kavana
The “ look at the polls “ mantra has been replaced with only 3% they attack ALBA more than the unionists do unfortunately the crowd there are taking their lead from the site owner just as the SNP youth are taking theirs from Princess Nicola they replicate her personal dislike of Alex Salmond
Willie’s doomed. Greens are doomed.
Onwards!
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/albaparty/backers#start
£7,145
£50,000 target
13 days left
14%
@Breek at 10.43am
I’m been following your posts on missed opportunities by not pushing the Scottish people’s Sovereignty and it’s the main issue IMO.
Your post above is spot on and we need to push the fact that we are in an Act of Union and the Scottish people are Sovereign and if we want to leave the Union it’s our choice. Having a S30 order red herring doesn’t interest me as it’s Westminster’s (and the other party in the Union) recognising the Sovereign will of the Scottish people in wanting Independence.
If England want a section 30 order to recognise the will of the Scottish people that’s their problem not ours.
How they harp on about S30 (including Sturgeon) and Referendums being reserved to Westminster is nonsense. The Sovereign will of the Scottish people overrides that as per the Act of Union between the two countries.
Alec Salmond refered to such in his Alba Party Webcam a couple of days ago. He was asked about a S30 order and Independence referendum’s. His reply was there are other routes to Independence as he rightly knows.
If we need him back to steer the wasted years since he left as leader of the SNP.
@Captain Yossarian
You are deluded if you think that the forces of Scottish self-determination are not seen as enemies of the British State. The party in control at Holyrood has no say in the selection of its senior civil servant cohort – who, to a gender-non-specific, are London appointees.
Now that the days are growing longer, why don’t you take a late evening drive to Dornie? Be sure to get there before dark, mind.
Brilliant cartoon Chris and very accurate.It saddens me to see AS so disrespected in the media. He is by far the only politician that can bring Scotland to independence.
I think the phrase that has already been used is ‘WITCH HUNT’.
Alex is being subjected to a daily trial by media, the likes of which is unparalleled in politics.
I don’t know how many of you heard the interview on the BBC Today programme a couple of days ago with Mischal Husain. You can google it (on the Daily Mail website but I don’t want to give them the clicks) and listen to the disgraceful smearing approach which she took towards him.
I have written a letter of complaint to the BBC about this interview as it is a disgrace. Bear in mind that the Faculty of Advocates and the Law Society of Scotland were forced to write public letters reprimanding the Scottish Government and media about their attitude towards this case and the constant questioning of the jury result and their concerns that it would undermine trust in the judicial/jury system.
This morning they interviewed a man with a criminal record who is now out of jail and returning to the workplace. He was treated respectfully and asked for advice to others in his position and possible employers – given due respect and treated fairly. No mention of any accusations made against him, no mention of court cases, no asking if he felt remorse and it was this marked difference, this correct attitude that made me so angry about the way AS had been treated on the same programme hours earlier. Back to the same old double standards
and it shows us just HOW much of a threat they see from AS returning to politics.
Breeks , a perfect summation.
I see David Clegg has done a hatchet job on Alex Salmond and ALBA in the Guardian today.
Is anyone surprised? Cleggie was involved in the SNP/SG stitch-up on Eck, so, he is hardly a neutral observer.
I am surrpised, however, at the Editor of a very Tory rag: The Dundee Courier, being given space to attack Eck ina supposedly Liberal newspaper.
Methinks the UK/Scottish Establishment is soiling their underwear on a regular basis at the return of Salmond.
They don’t like it up ’em, Captain Mainwaring.
Don’t know if this has been posted. A cracking interview with EVA. Listening to her she reminds me of Margo MacDonald. This lady has fire in her belly for independence.
https://www.barrheadboy.com/scottish-prism-2nd-april-2021-eva-comrie/?unapproved=7879&moderation-hash=44f955c9f828da4600cbf97149d77af1#comment-7879
Anybody thinking that NS is managing to do this without unionist help needs to stop smoking that stuff. Look at the help she is getting from the yoon press alone FFS.
@oneliner – Senior civil-servants are employed by London and paid by them but they are appointed by Nicola Sturgeon and only take instructions from her.
This has been explained numerous times on these pages and at the Fabiani Inquiry.
Of course, Westminster would rather see the back of the SNP and I am not suggesting otherwise. What I am saying is that the coaching of Inquiry witnesses and all alleged criminality leads back to the First Minister’s office.
She sanctions everything. Jack McConnell took responsibility for Shirley McKee; Nicola Sturgeon needs to take responsibility for Alex Salmond. The two cases are near enough the same and both required the complicity of the First Minister, not the Prime Minister.
AM
The Guardian has long ceased to be a “lieral” newspaper and is also just another unionist rag
Wings email post updates stopped for me as well.
Thank you Captain Yossarian.
So whose short leet, Sturgeon’s or Westminster’s? (I am an apologist for neither)
All well and good, but apparently Alba are polling at around 3%. I’m not even gonnae pretend to know what that’s likely to translate to in terms of seats for Alba, but I cannae imagine its very high.
Vestas says:
3 April, 2021 at 9:46 am
Heaver says:
3 April, 2021 at 9:25 am
“Could a Westminster MP name the alphabet women in Parliament, under parliamentary priviledge ?”
Yes, they could do this withour fear of prosecution however the press would crucify them.
You’d have to find someone who intends leaving parliament at the next election AND there would have to be something in it for them. I can think of MAYBE three people who fit the bill….
.
Thanks Vestas.
@oneliner – I am neither a Nationalist or a Unionist and I will go with the majority.
The deal-breaker here is: “Can this government be trusted.” The answer to that question is ‘NO’.
The reason?: John Swinney and his redactor pen. You don’t get that anywhere else in the world….just here….in Scotland.
Any reason to donate to ALBA through the crowdfunder rather than direct to ALBA ?
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/albaparty
https://www.albaparty.org/donate
Maybe you need a celebrity backer like bono or lady ga ga. The free laptop is hard to top.
How about free internet?
Can anyone point to what the Greens have done / influenced in the environmental space? I really can’t think of one thing, but happy to be enlightened.
I think some people like to say they’re all for environmentalism etc and it gives them a kind of wanky exceptionalism to say ‘I vote green’. But I really don’t think the Greens are on top of their remit at all.
e.g.what is their position on the lice infested salmon farms that are now impacting on wild salmon?
what is their position on commercial fishing that’s decimating the oceans and having a bigger global impact on climate change than oil and gas?
I’ve had a quick glance at their website and it’s full of wishy washy nothingness.
How anyone can vote for these woke, fake environmentalists (but they are mentalists) is beyond me. Has even one of them got a degree / expertise in marine biology, environmental sciences, agriculture, ecology, climate science, zoology, environmental engineering etc etc. Or is it just a masters in wokeness that matters?
gullaneno4 says:
3 April, 2021 at 9:27 am
“The SNP and Green party have been trusted allies for over 20 years.
Why should I shift my second vote to a party that is only hours old, looks like it will not win even one seat and will probably damage the Independence movement in the process.
SNP 1 Greens 2 for me.”
Maybe because the sex based rights of women and the right of free speech for everyone is seriously under threat? And if that isn’t enough – what evidence do you have thet a Green/SNP alliance will deliver independence? The word of a proven liar or and the word of the leader of a party who were stupid enough to employe the lies of Aimee Challenor? No thank you – I’ll take my chance with the new party.
Captain Yossarian says:
3 April, 2021 at 12:00 pm
“The reason?: John Swinney and his redactor pen. You don’t get that anywhere else in the world….just here….in Scotland.”
I’ve just watched The Mauritarian. The US are ace redactors. Maybe that is where the Sturgeon cabal learned their skill.
Are the greens contesting more constituency seats in 2021 than in 2016?
Mia says:
3 April, 2021 at 12:23 pm
Are the greens contesting more constituency seats in 2021 than in 2016?
———-
Yes 10-12 I think.
Alex Salmond speaking right now…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQJlyF8vhPU
Ottomanboi says:
3 April, 2021 at 11:14 am
“The FM would like Scotland and England to part on good terms, in traditional sporting manner, everyone playing the game according to the rules.”
Aye, well, we don’t do cricket here. F**k ’em.
Excellent cartoon. Excellent post from Breeks. Many excellent other posts as well.
I will no doubt be falling well below the standard of excellence set above, but, at the risk of being a total bore, a piece of doggerel I posted late last night (or was it early this morning?) on the comments to the previous article is still relevant to this one. So, here it comes again, if Rev. Stu permits. You might have to look up a song called The Longford Weaver to understand the context and inspiration. It is also known as ‘Nancy Whiskey’.
The ‘e’ in the ‘Whiskey’ part is because Longford is in Ireland, and it is originally an Irish song. The version I propose won’t fit the tune, but it could be re-named ‘The Irvine Weaver’. Sorry – with apolgies to the good people of Irvine – let me correct that to ‘The Dreghorn Weaver’. Also with apologies to the good people of Dereghorn, of whom, I m sure, there must be many.
THE DREGHORN WEAVER
Irvine weavers aince were famous. An’ whit aboot Dreghorn?
As I went googlin’ tae fun’ oot, I hit upon a song
Aboot … a Longford man, wha’ wis a weaver braw
But fell in love wi’ Nancy Whiskey, wha’ stole his min’ awa’.
She span his heid a tangled web till it was spinnin’ roon’
An’ up the stairs tae bed she ta’en him; on it she dumped him doon.
He snored an’ slept an’ dreamed the dream, an’ thocht wi’ her he’d got it!
But when he woke she wisnae there, an’ empty wis his pocket.
So doon the stair he sadly stumbled, an’ she was there tae greet him
She never blinked a sin’le lid, and tel’t him he’d been cheatin’!
‘Six hunner thoosan’ quid you owe, for a’ ye drank yestreen,
An’ also for the fact ’twas me that led ye in yer dream!
I gie’d ye sic a bonny time, ma whiskey flowed like choicest wine,
But noo, in licht o’ day, ye’ll ha’e tae pay. An’ a’ ye’ll ever ha’e – is mine!
‘So, back to work for you, my boy; you’d better get a-weavin’:
You’re just the kind I lo’e tae serve, tae subsidise ma thievin’.
An’ don’t complain. It’s no’ ma faut yer dream’s evaporated!
Ah kept ma heid while you lost yours: it’s YOU that’s dissipated!’
The Longford weaver bit his tongue, he ken’t when he wis bait.
Accepted whit a fool he’d been, resigned himsel’ tae fate.
Whit could he dae but weave away the life he aince had hoped for?
It’s guid tae dream, an’ yet, beware! Each dream has its exploiter!
Sweet Nancy Whiskey wisnae sweet, an’ Longford man wis glaickit.
The moral o’ this simple sang: Beware o’ them that fake it!
Be not ta’en in by Nancy’s likes, wha’ steal yer dream awa’.
Keep a’ sic thieves within yer sights, an’ jail them wi’ the law.
Which brings me back tae whit I asked: Wis there e’er a Dreghorn Weaver?
An’ if there wis, whit is she like? An honest lass? Or Nancy-class Deceiver?
Auld Ayr, an’ Ayrshire too, wis ken’t for bonnie lassies, honest men.
Whit’s happened since is hard tae tell. Will we e’er see their likes again?
So Mr. Google, tell me please, how to unweave what’s woven:
Let no one be deceived to cling and cleave to feet that unnerneath are cloven.
For lies are lies! Aul’ Nick’s or Young Nic’s, or just her Hubby’s tricks
Eventually unravel. … Like all stitch-ups, end up unstitched …
False accounting is criminal, by anyone at all:
Justice is equal, for men an’ women all.
An’ genderless – without fear or giving favours
To perverters of its course, or any inter-weavers.
Drain oot the Dregs then, blaw freedom’s Horn:
Let aul’ Scotia, aince mair be born.
Caledonia, or Alba – whatever the name,
Noble is Freedom, an’ ever the same.
Scotland, arise! Be free and unmurrelled:
Raise Freedom’s Standard; let it be unfurled.
And now he’s finished.
🙁
“I’ve just watched The Mauritarian. The US are ace redactors. Maybe that is where the Sturgeon cabal learned their skill.”
There’s a difference and it’s not a subtle difference. In the US, lawyers are in charge and a document is only redacted if there is a legal basis for doing so.
In Scotland, our Lord Advocate sits at the same table as John Swinney and so the requirements of law have nothing to do with it. “We’re the government” – that’s what it’s about.
What that means in practice is that if you are a citizen of Scotland, the law is not there to protect you it is there to protect the Government and we have all seen that in recent weeks, haven’t we.
TheItalianJob says:
3 April, 2021 at 8:07 am
@Wullie at 7.54am
Spot on with that analysis.
The Alba/Salmond support is imperative to the Independence cause. How she can continue to deride him after all he has done for her, the SNP and the Independence cause that she Sturgeon supports is totally wrong.
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is a pathogenic fungus which invades and parasitises ants, hijacking their brain and nervous system and turning them, effectively, into zombies. The victim then engages in behaviours beneficial to the fungus, but inevitably fatal to the ant, whose entire colony is likely to be devastated by the infection.
Can we crowdfund a David Attenborough documentary?
Here, in the concrete jungle of the Scottish Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon twitches the perithecium sprouting from her forehead, and ululates the thin, haunting cry characteristic of ophiocordyceps socialiustatis…
Breeks @10:43
Deserves to be read more than once.
Breeks @ 10.43
Well said Breeks….. in a perverse way the demonisation of Alex Salmond in the past , that we do know has the hand of the British state all over it, may have done us a favour in helping to forge a man who won’t crumble at this last bit more.
He must be so used to the carping,the smears,the inuendo and the negative headlines by now, ( while trying to jail him was of a different order to be sure ) that he must have gained some sort of immunity to it and is very well practiced in standing in the face of it and making his case .
There must be an element of “white noise” now for him about it all…
Hey Ho…..
Who Knew , the Union did have a use after all ? Not a pretty use , and certinaly not the ever elusive “positive case” but credit where it’s due. 🙂
For those not getting notice of posts.
Could you check if the box is ticked just below the green “Submit comment” at the end of a thread.
Maybe therein lies a problem?
The Guardian has become a more insidious entity even than the Mail, with its psychotic middle-class/ meddle-class drive towards officious ‘thou-shalt not’ gender studied teddy-bear-stamping-on-a-human-face forever, gadget-capitalist, gastropub how-to-eat-a-boiled-egg, patronising sponsored opinion fake fake fake fakery.
Harvie and Sturgeon, if the next referendum was once in a lifetime it would suite them fine. Alba party is the real force and I hope that not one single green get elected in May.
Thanks to the gracious benevolence of Bill & Melinda:
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/university-shuts-down-aluminum-experts-research/
« the science» of shutting down academic research that conflicts with commercial interests.
@Cenchos says: 3 April, 2021 at 12:43 pm
“The Guardian has become a more insidious entity even than the Mail, with its psychotic middle-class/ meddle-class drive towards officious ‘thou-shalt not’ gender studied teddy-bear-stamping-on-a-human-face forever, gadget-capitalist, gastropub how-to-eat-a-boiled-egg, patronising sponsored opinion fake fake fake fakery.”
The Guardian’s been like that since the days of Tony Blair, when it sold out what holier-than-thou principles it still had to be besties with a narcissitic machiavellian upper-middle class bastard.
If I ever encounter anyone who claims to be left wing but quotes from that hivemind cult rag, I know at once they’re not to be trusted.
As always Chris – excellent.
With her demands of non-cooperation Ms Sturgeon is hoping that the TV corporations will make the decision to ban Alex Salmond/Alba from the leaders debate, freeing her from blame, yet protecting Ms Sturgeon from the awkward questions that would surely ensue should her tactic fail. The first being “why do you not want a pro-independence supermajority in Holyrood?” She doesn’t want a face-off because she knows she will be bested and her temperament and body language will give her true self and motivations away and the world is watching.
@Socrates MacSporran says: 3 April, 2021 at 11:36 am
“I am surrpised, however, at the Editor of a very Tory rag: The Dundee Courier, being given space to attack Eck ina supposedly Liberal newspaper.”
The Courier like all D.C. Thompson publications isn’t Tory, simply “anti-Socialist”. That’s been its position since the 1920s. Their definition of “socialist” does tend to be even more flexible than The Guardian’s.
Wull
“Drain oot the Dregs then, blaw freedom’s Horn:
Let aul’ Scotia, aince mair be born.
Caledonia, or Alba – whatever the name,
Noble is Freedom, an’ ever the same.
Scotland, arise! Be free and unmurrelled:
Raise Freedom’s Standard; let it be unfurled.”
A braw feenish tae an auld Scots yairn.
“Language is the expression of thought in symbolic form and our descriptions of the world expressed in language are symbolic models of the world” (Spiers 2019).
Our Scots language is therefore the main reason why Scots fowk view the ‘warld’ differently from those in our larger dominant neighbour and from other peoples and nations elsewhere.
We therefore discard oor ain Scots langage (and therefore our Scots culture) at our peril; for our language/culture is the only thing that gives us our national consciousness (and identity), and the only thing that really differentiates us from other peoples. And very importantly, without our national consciousness there can be no desire for independence (Fanon).
Oor langage an cultur is whit independence is aw aboot, an whit abodie’s fechtin fir; aye, tae bi unalike aw ither fowk an culturs. Tae bi Anglophone is no tae bi Scots, its tae bi Englis. Langage is wha we are, an wha we want tae bi.
The Scots language is absolutely central to the quest for Scottish independence. That is why the British state has aye refused to teach it to the Scots!
Heaver @12.04
At Crowdfunder the donor pays an additional handling fee.Also lots of glitches.My donation didn’t show for ages earlier today. Complaint submitted to Crowdfunder & my name duly appeared eventually but not good enough. The norm is any donation shows within a very few minutes 5-10 at most. This was much more than that & after nudging them.
I see another donor might not be happy-2 for same name 3or 4 minutes apart seems more like a duplication of £100. Ouch if it is a duplication!
A Donation direct to Alba-iirc I paid a straight donation when I joined so any handling fee will be paid by Alba to Stripe the payment service provider.Ergo it will be taken out of your donation.
The Scottish government economic adviser on the dangers of independence and her new book on the “mission economy”.
https://archive.is/KMinb#selection-2501.2-2503.22
That you tube livestream was car crash material.
@ cynicalHighlander
Enjoy reading mazzucato. She’s very very good.
Yes separating Scotland from Thatcherism won’t be easy and will take a generation, but certainly doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it, esp for our kids and grandkids.
There’s also another dynamic. It’s the English left. The younger voters etc, who were conned out of corbynism. If Scotland begins to diverge from the entrenched neoliberal model of London and starts to make a success of it, that in itself may trigger a political revolution in England. This is what London is most afraid of.
The current model can’t last forever without a revolt. It may actually be that it happens in England first if Nicola Sturgeon has a monopoly of control over indyref.
In the wiltshiretimes, Alex Salmond is hindering cause of independence, Nicola Sturgeon claims. The Alba Party is only a couple of weeks old so who was it hindering the cause of Independence from 2014-2021 Nicola Sturgeon and her party.
I’m not getting new post alerts.
What’s happening?
Rev, I’ve never mentioned man buns again so don’t think I’m blocked lol. Do I need to resubscribe or something?
Alf Baird says:
3 April, 2021 at 1:00 pm
Wull
“Drain oot the Dregs then, blaw freedom’s Horn:
Let aul’ Scotia, aince mair be born.
Reply
I agree with you. I left Scotland in my 20s fifty years ago & still talk as a Fifer.
When folk here say, you’ve still got your accent after all these years. I just say aye. I never found a better one. 😉
Alex Salmond says, we are legion, we many, lets make sure the ALBA party replaces most of the green MSPs at Holyrood, and Sturgeon won’t have her enablers to hit Scots with more authoritarian and unpopular gender policies which impinge upon real women’s rights.
Alba crowd funder on 16% https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/albaparty
“Oor langage an cultur is whit independence is aw aboot, an whit abodie’s fechtin fir; aye, tae bi unalike aw ither fowk an culturs. Tae bi Anglophone is no tae bi Scots, its tae bi Englis. Langage is wha we are, an wha we want tae bi.”
I’m reminded of Blazing Saddles. What an amazing example of frontier gibberish.
@ wull at 12.28: “The Dreghorn weaver” – excellent and a very enjoyable read even for a non-Scots speaker.
We know what our current Dreghorn weaver is good at, don’t we? Oh what a tangled web… 🙂
Mark Boyle says: If I ever encounter anyone who claims to be left wing but quotes from that hivemind cult rag, I know at once they’re not to be trusted.
Mibbe it’s time to reassess the usefulness of defining the political spectrum on the basis of the seating arrangements in the French Assembly 232 years ago.
What, exactly, is “left wing” about supporting the aims and objectives of global capital and woke billionaire-tyrants?
What’s “right wing” about doing the exact same thing, albeit while complaining impotently about “cancel culture”?
@Captain Yossarian
At least we get to see where the redactions lie – we did’t get sight of the McCrone report until decades later and anecdotally, currently there is more being hidden from our national view.
Pity (well, not really) the hapless Mr Swinney, opprobrium at state level is so much easier to absorb. No one called out the Labour or Tory governments who were each complicit in obfuscation and hoodwinkery on a grand scale.
I suspect you owe more to Robert Heller than OCTO but can’t be certain. LOL
Re Guardian – it has the most accurate cartoons in the MSM.
We have our very own BEST of course.
What is going on I have tried to post twice & nothing happens. Do we have gremlins in the system?
A lot of folks seem to have convinced themselves that voting SNP1 will punish Nicola Sturgeon, well if you want to convince yourself that voting for the corrupt lying little bastard and handing her unlimited power is punishing her then go right ahead.
Me? I’ve got principles and the ability to think rationally and therefore I’m never voting SNP again as long as there is even the slightest hint of Sturgeon/Murrell influence on the party and I’m never voting for anyone else who even suggests offering any support for the New SNP, so that means it’s a “no” from me Eck.
Scotland under the jackboot of the New SNP will never be free whether it is “independent” or not, the New SNP is all about obtaining power and keeping it and keeping us down where they think we belong. The whole lot of them need the jail.
Breeks @10:43
The evidence of state involvement is all around you. Recent hit pieces, from Sean Bell at Common Weal and the Spectator, on Alba are simple examples.
Is the UK establishment directly involved? Dear me, no. That’s a vulgar suggestion. The invisible hand of the state ensures that the people who make it are aligned with their interests. It’s the same thing the American State Department does when it invites people on junkets to Washington to rub shoulders with the great and the good. That impression rubs off and you can be sure if the recipients were going to write bad things about America, they’d think twice, if the thought even entered their head at all.
So there’s no need for the state to dirty it’s hands with direct involvement. Instead, it sets the tone for the debate. So when upstarts like Alba show up on the doorstep you can be sure those journalists and ex-journalists who still pretend they matter rise to the occasion.
Is it all worth worrying about. Not in the least. It is just the terrain in which we have to fight.
What would be an interesting development would be the lionisation of Alex Salmond. The opportunity now is to build the team. Find the other Kenny MacAskills, Joan McAlpines, Morag Kerr’s out there and set them to work. If someone is pushing adulation of Salmond then it’s a trap. Either the hope is to recreate the cult of personality that’s weighing down the SNP or there’s Wullie MacRae II being planned. The first attempt by Sturgeon failed. We really need to learn the “eggs in one basket” lesson and not repeat it on any level.
Anyways, your post was excellent. I wouldn’t worry about hangers out on WGD. They’re just coming to terms with their grief. The reality is that Sturgeon’s days are over, no matter what happens.
Graf Midgehunter
The tick is normally there but isn’t & when I added it today, it disappeared after leaving the page. My email subscription has been running since 2015 sio it’s not like my subscription has changed as I normally get every post. This is the first that’s gone astray. Normally very reliable so not worried yet, was just mentioning it to see if anyone else had the same problem. Is seems that @Maureen does at 11.51am
How’s things permeating for Alba into the broader online community? I’m not seeing anything on my social media showing any kind of promotion, shares etc – maybe I’m just linked in with lots of SNP loyalists, I dunno!
I remember watching a videoed seminar (dare I say by Dominic Cummings) on how Leave won for Brexit. It was the whole Cambridge Analytica stuff getting under the skin of what made their core and potential voters tick.
He said one of the main wins for them was keeping messages super simple – on average max 13 words in social media posts. Apparently Remain were turning themselves inside out on explaining stuff.
I’m not for a second advocating the dark arts that befell the Brexit referendum, but having spent a spell in marketing for a few years, I know that people’s attention on social media is micro-seconds. You either grab them or they scroll on by.
I hope the Alba Party are giving some though to their social media output coz their online live output is really lacking with tech problems.
I love their supermajority strapline but they also need other key short and snappy social media messages to keep pumping out on why peeps should vote Alba 2.
A key marketing philosophy is emotion trumps logic every time i.e. you don’t need to drink Coke, you want to drink Coke.
Today when I browse any twitter page (not using the app) the 3 “you might like” options are Sturgeon, Police Scotland and Traffic Scotland.
I’ve never seen anything like this before.
The trouble is that not voting SNP1 always enhances the chance of an SNP2 list success, and some of the weirdest, most bizarre candidates are on that rigged list. Some real oddballs. And even if you like their queer theory, identity politics driven ideas, they are characters of low ability who are unlikely to enhance political life.
All that said, I’m still not sure if I can bring myself to vote SNP1, lol.
Socrates MacSporran says:
3 April, 2021 at 11:36 am
I see David Clegg has done a hatchet job on Alex Salmond and ALBA in the Guardian today.
Is anyone surprised? Cleggie was involved in the SNP/SG stitch-up on Eck, so, he is hardly a neutral observer.
So was Angus Robertson. If he gets elected I will be so disappointed of the people from Edinburgh
I think though the folk there know both he & his wife are bad news.
This was my reply to Socrates MacSporran
He didn’t utter these words.
So was Angus Robertson. If he gets elected I will be so disappointed of the people from Edinburgh
I think though the folk there know both he & his wife are bad news.
@lollysmum (2.01) –
Yep, the ‘Notify me of new post by email’ box was unticked this morning when I checked.
Wasn’t me who unticked.
So, ticked, but coming back later, refresh the page, it’s gone again.
What’s going on?
Something seismic has to happen between now and the election to stop Sturgeon. SNP are still 100/1 on to win.
Lollysmum says:
3 April, 2021 at 2:01 pm
Graf Midgehunter
The tick is normally there but isn’t & when I added it today, it disappeared after leaving the page. My email subscription has been running since 2015 sio it’s not like my subscription has changed as I normally get every post. This is the first that’s gone astray. Normally very reliable so not worried yet, was just mentioning it to see if anyone else had the same problem. Is seems that @Maureen does at 11.51am
Me too. I’ve been a subscriber for many years and not had this before. The tick has gone and it disappeared when I left the page. No notifications since yesterday. It wouldn’t be anything to do with the Alba breach, would it, as I signed up for the womans conference after becoming a menber? – speaking with my tinfoil hat on lol. Hmm…
Breeks @10.43. An excellent summary. You say it as it is. Oh for others to do so too.
The establishment Hate Alex Salmond. They fear him. They know he is the man who can take, lead, inspire, drive Scotland to independence. That is why he must be destroyed, and by his ‘own ‘ too with the establishments help.
Alba is a strategy that will work, will give the Parliament and the people the tools to secure independence. The strategy of SNP 1 and Alba 2 will facilitate that strategy. We must therefore do all in our power to explain why voting in that way, that very simple way, will facilitate the majority we so need.
And for those who detest Nicola Sturgeon and her consigliere let them detest not. The day after the super majority is elected the power departs absolutely from Queen Nicola. She and her anti independence policy are finished as the Parliament moves on to a new footing altogether.
Tories at it again with a leaflet with Ruthie on the front and the party name much smaller. Wish I had seen them delivering I would have told them to take their litter back. Fortuately they were printed before Alba so not a word. Ha Ha
Notify post for me has not been working for ages. Keep ticking it but still not notifying.
@Breeks
10.43
Wow – just wow!
Well said sir – and for others just scroll back – its a must-read.
There’s a problem, Willie – Nicola’s Consigliere is James Wolffe. James Wolffe’s Consigliere is John Swinney. John Swinney’s Consigliere is Peter Murrell, Liz Lloyd, Lesley Evans, Sue Ruddick, and Rape Crisis Scotland. Their Consigliere are the alphabet women.
Hence, it’s not just a case of dispensing with Sturgeon and Wolffe and placing the others under new management. Our government structure has become delinquent. Too many dishonest folk there and honesty and accountability has to be restored.
A proper judge-led Police investigation is required. That’s my take on it. By the way, it is also The Spectator’s and David Davis’s take on it too. I’m sure there will be others.
Captain Yossarian, yes to the proper judge led enquiry. I doubt an English judge would be acceptable, or for that matter a Scottish one. I suggest a panel of three, one each from Australia, Canada and New Zealand, perhaps?
@willie
You are deluded if you think that voting for Nicola sturgeon’s new SNP is somehow going to hold her to account.
Agreed – I forgot Judith Mackinnon there. She’s another member of the Holyrood Mob. I don’t know where she fits-in; alongside Leslie Evans perhaps.
At the last election I voted SNP 1 & 2. 2 was a vote waisted vote.
The SNP got was it 4 listed MSP,s and the unionist got 50 MSPs.
This time SNP1 and ALBA 2.
If I hear of Mrs Murrell bad mouthing ALBA in the unionist press again I will cancel my direct debit with the SNP and join ALBA.
@gullaneno4
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Parties arise in times of need but whether they succeed is up to us. We need AS if independence is to be at the forefront of this next government’s programme.
Look at what the Greens have actually done and then decide if that is the Scotland you want. From being supposed champions of the environment and land reform the Greens’ message has been completely superseded by identity politics. They believe in science when it suits them. Patrick Harvie’s hatred of women is becoming more apparent each day. He can barely say the word ‘woman’. If a unionist party gave him everything he wanted he would jump ship immediately. Independence is just not that important to the Greens.
GRA reform is being driven by the Greens and that is the hold they have over the SNP. They give that support to NS because they get what they want, and she needs them, as Chris showed.
As others have commented, Breeks, well said. You articulate the AS problem for those that would keep the status quo forever.
Re slogans. I really like Both Votes Yes – kind of ties in with the SNP slogan (in a nice way;)…
Max the Yes is good too.
But Indy MaxiYes is mine – it might not be very good, but I own it.
Re Covid Safe Campaigning. Have looked at the rules and regs.
All of Mainland Scotland + Skye are at level 4.
It was hoped that door to door canvassing would be allowed – but that has been cancelled.
SO – NO DOOR TO DOOR.
LEAFLETING IS ALLOWED – BUT WEAR A MASK. AND NOT IN GROUPS OF MORE THAN 4, KEEP 2 M APART.
UPLIFTING LEAFLETS AND CAMPAIGN MATERIAL SHOULD BE DONE ON A CLICK AND COLLECT BASIS – AND CAMPAIGN MEETINGS DONE ONLINE – NOT IN PERSON.
NO LIFT SHARING UNLESS ITS FAMILY BUBBLES.
NO STREET STALLS OR SIMILAR AT THE MOMENT.
The Islands are level 3 – sorry don’t know the specifics for you, but its on the Governments website.
Hopefully, as has been said above, (and I think the public will appreciate it) messages will be short and sweet.
Visibility is going to be the thing for Alba – the media will blank them.
So folks, load up the home printer,look out your chalk, and make space on the car window, the bedroom window, ect.
Those painted Indy stones were good. Bridges for Indy – brilliant.
INDY ALBA
BECAUSE:
BREXIT SUCKS
WE CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER THAN BORIS
SCOTLAND DOESN’T DESERVE BORIS
NO MORE NIGELS – INDY NOW
etc, etc
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PnewWqVApF3F868M9
Repeatedly kicking the Indy can down the road by the SNP/FM, is the ideal strategy for Westminster & Downing Street, in their desperation to continue their imperial rule and massive exploitation of their Scottish Colony.
Maintaining the status quo is all that’s required, and it
seems like it suits Nicola and the SNP down to the ground.
Independence voters must put a stop to this on May 6th.
Once and for all.
I’ll make this comment, and tick the “Notify me of new posts by email” box. See what happens.
Success ! The box has remained ticked.
Tick box for new posts by email wasn’t ticked. Duly ticked it, refreshed page and tick is gone again. Wonder if it will vanish after I submit post?
No, still there.
We’ve donated to the Supermajority.
true scot says:
“What an amazing example of frontier gibberish.”
I take it you dinnae like the Scots language much, or at aw? Is this perhaps how your teachers described Burns, as he wis brocht oot a press in schuils yince ivvery year, an swithly pit bak in efterwards. British educationalists described the Scots language as ‘invalid’, and it does not take much then to describe those who speak Scots as ‘invalid’. We know where that racism and prejudice can end.
The consequence, as Fanon said, is that: “the colonized have a depersonalized self, the colonial self”. Their objective is then “to be an imitation of the colonizer”, to speak like him and assume his cultural ‘values’.
Trowth bi telt, fir Scots fowk an Anglophone mask “is a colonial mask”. As Fanon also noted, a people can be “totally brainwashed by colonialism”. Which explains why some Scots still think the way you do, assuming you are, as you portray, a ‘true Scot’, or as Bonnie Prince Bob described Angus Robertson, “an imposter”.
Wee Chid says:
“The US are ace redactors.”
I first read about such practices in Catch-22, when a certain Yossarian (no relation?) was censoring US forces mail while stationed on the island of Pianosa. On occasion, he would cross out everything except conjunctions. Obviously, the big bad Woolfe is a relative amateur.
Agreed Paula and Captain Yossarian used to redact the letters of airmen whilst drinking chilled chocolate milk and eyeing-up the nurses.
Kiwilassie @ 1:25 pm
“I agree with you. I left Scotland in my 20s fifty years ago & still talk as a Fifer.”
The loss of language undermines a people’s sense of identity, belonging and place. That is why a key plank of British colonial policy was to destroy indigenous languages, including the Scots language.
Language is also the most common rationale for peoples seeking self-determination and to escape from colonialism; a people without their own language is a people without their own identity.
According to the Scots-English dictionary: “language is one of the factors that serves most effectively to define and unite a nation”. Without our Scots language there can be no Scottish national consciousness. “Linguistic perceptions directly determine national attachment (Medeiros 2017). Without our Scots language there can be no national attachment, or national consciousness.
Without the Scots language nobody here or anywhere else would be talking about Scottish independence. The fact we are still deprived of oor ain language reflects our continued colonial oppression.
As Frantz Fanon also said: “the native is an alien in his own country under colonialism”. This is primarily due to cultural and linguistic imperialism, resulting in inequalities and a Cultural Division of Labour’, which gives rise to calls for independence and hence national liberation.
Some Scots still need to learn what independence is.
I am anti independence but I am not on here to stir.
The best thing that could happen for Scotland and the independence movement is for the SNP to get a real thumping in the election. If a new government was formed without the SNP it would allow the people of Scotland access to records that the SNP has withheld and finally get to the bottom of what has been going on especially in Sturgeons time.
For the independence movement it would allow you a breather, time to lick wounds and decide a better way to pursue your aim. If a pro independence govt got back in power they should use that to build Scotland up so that it is in a state that it can cope on its own. It would also allow the Independence movement to say…”look what we have done for Scotland, we could do even more if we were independent. The Salmond/Sturgeon governments have viewed independence first and Scotland second. I think they have been found out and have come to the end of the road
Heaver says:
3 April, 2021 at 3:36 pm
Success ! The box has remained ticked.
Hmm. I tried this yesterday and today. If I refresh or leave the page it un-ticks it’s self. Never been a problem until now.
Any ideas?
@shiregirl says: 3 April, 2021 at 4:18 pm
“Heaver says: 3 April, 2021 at 3:36 pm
Success ! The box has remained ticked.
Hmm. I tried this yesterday and today. If I refresh or leave the page it un-ticks it’s self. Never been a problem until now.
Any ideas?”
Could be the aggressiveness by which whatever system clear up software you have in place purges cookies, etc.
Either that, or the vagaries of Windows 10 – Satan’s spawn of operating systems.
The Alba Party fundraiser is doing OK [£8,880] but could do better. Is the reason that many of us, as I did, bunged off a donation direct to the party via their website on the launch day?
Mark Boyle says:
Could be the aggressiveness by which whatever system clear up software you have in place purges cookies, etc.
Either that, or the vagaries of Windows 10 – Satan’s spawn of operating systems.
Cheers Mark. Will do a history delete and cookie thing and see if it helps.
Mark Boyle says:
3 April, 2021 at 4:27 pm
Either that, or the vagaries of Windows 10
email notifications have vanished for me too, and I’m on LINUX
Breeks 10.43am
Great Post.
Even if it was cheating, we could fix it after the vote as they are always telling us.
Wings’ email notifications stopped arriving a couple of days ago for me too …..
Confusing
Pipinghot says: at 11:40 am
“Anybody thinking that NS is managing to do this without unionist help needs to stop smoking that stuff. Look at the help she is getting from the yoon press alone.”
Yes indeed. It is inconceivable that NS would get so much protection, and Alex Salmond so much hostility from Scotland’s media without instructions from Downing Street.
Plus of course the Civil Service, Leslie Evans, Liz Lloyd, Judith MacKinnon.
The Crown Office, David Harvie (Secret Service)
James Wolffe. Establishment.
I’m sure the list of Indy hostiles can be extended considerably.
Think also, would Alex Salmond surround himself with as many English Establishment figures?
This election is looking more and more like the final battle – and the only thing at the moment that can win it, barring any damaging major stories, are the voters who want Independence & self-determination badly enough.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/albaparty/backers#start
9600 Quid / 19% in under 22 hours is not bad going.
TheSNPLeftMe says:
3 April, 2021 at 4:57 pm
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/albaparty/backers#start
9600 Quid / 19% in under 22 hours is not bad going.
Wee bit more now… 😉
Lollysmum
“The tick is normally there but isn’t & when I added it today, it disappeared after leaving the page. ”
——————
When you ticked it, did you refresh the page before moving on?
The Rev hasn’t posted a new article today so will have to wait to see if the tick works..! 🙂
The lazy buggers probably on an extended “bear patrol” and scoffing Easter eggs galore, swilled down with litres of perfumed beer…!!! 😉 🙂
Sarah @ 4:29pm, I thought about donating via Crowdfunder to increase the chances of the fundraiser being seen to be successful. However, being outside the UK, I decided to donate via the party website. Doing it that way, I hope it will be easier for them to track my monthly subs and donations to ensure proper reporting. As an accountant, I am, naturally, keeping my own record to ensure I keep within donation limits.
Perhaps others are simply put off by the Crowdfunder website. I certainly was.
I hope I understand the donation rules correctly. I believe I can donate no more than GBP500.00 per year. It would be helpful if someone with knowledge of the situation could confirm. the last thing we need is some random unionist belly-aching about “dark money” from abroad.
Folks, bit of a wild shot but here goes. Been asked to help a friend and put some feelers out to try and track someone down.
His name is William Cairns(sp?) and he’s from/living in or near ‘The Three Toons’ in Ayrshire – Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston.
He spent some time living down south and was in a relationship where he & the woman concerned produced a daughter. Their relationship didn’t last and his current whereabouts is unknown.
People are trying to contact him because something extremely serious has happened to his daughter and he may never get another opportunity to ever see or speak to her again.
She was diagnosed with Cancer, fought it successfully but now it has returned with a vengeance.
If you are aware of someone by this name i would be grateful if you brought this message to his attention as soon as possible. He can private message me at the link below and i’ll pass info on from there.
This is one young woman who needs to see her dad before it’s too late. Thanks, BIG TIME, for any possible help from anyone. Very much appreciated. https://twitter.com/home
sarah says:
3 April, 2021 at 4:29 pm
“The Alba Party fundraiser is doing OK [£8,880] but could do better. Is the reason that many of us, as I did, bunged off a donation direct to the party via their website on the launch day?”
———————————
Same here. I’m not someone who joins political parties but fully endorse the arrival of the Alba party and will encourage others to vote for them.
It would be interesting to see how many non members have donated.
Providing voters the best strategy for success by providing a better choice isn’t cheating or gaming.
It would only be cheating if the SNP withdrew their list candidates AND endorsed Alba.
BTW, folks, regarding my comment at 5:14 pm i have been deliberately evasive with certain information & detail for obvious reasons. Only the correct person will know the things i know when i ask them. Thank you all once again.
Missed a couple emails, resigning.
Spose I should say something about the Image…I mean, excellent, on the money and biting as per. Man’s a genius.
Resubbing*
I know it is the Express but https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1418676/snp-news-nicola-sturgeon-scottish-government-holyrood-latest
they have caught up with Rev Stu.
@kapelmeister 3 April, 2021 at 8:11 am
“Come on Chris. Patrick Harvie has never looked that human. Otherwise great toon.”
It looks more like Andy Whiteman tbh who we know has been far more helpful to Her in the last 3 months.
Alf Baird.3.49pm
Absolutely Alf.
Cudneycareless at 5.56pm
Archived your link to the fuckin Express…
https://archive.is/nficY
manandboy – James Wolffe is a Scottish establishment figure. The law here has been devolved for hundreds of years and so has nothing to do with England or the English. Their law isn’t perfect either but it is operating better than ours is at the moment. He is the human shield behind whom many of them are hiding and I agree he needs to be investigated. He is what many would refer to as a delinquent lawyer. What about Peter Murrell and John Swinney though; where do they fit into your matrix of Anglo-Saxon shame?
Alex is being subjected to a daily trial by media, the likes of which is unparalleled in politics.
You have a short memory remember the three year campaign by the mainstream media alleging that Jeremy Corbyn was anti-semitic. The point is anyone who is deemed a threat to the establishment gets the full works. Yes Alex Salmond is being unfairly criticised but don’t play the victim by alleging that this is unprecedented
Had Corbyn won the 2019 election we would have had our referendum or be well on the way to getting it.
I have been offline for over a month now. Basically because my head is in an awfy place. I want Independence, always have, but the new woke politics that won’t even say what a woman is, is beyond madness.
So I punched the air when I heard AS was returning to politics!
If NS had Scotland’s interests at heart, she would welcome an Independence party rather than having to rely on the GP’s demands in order to gain their support. Or giving seats to unionist parties who have no interest in Scotland’s future other than keeping it in WM’s control. So far every Indy party that has appeared on the horizon has been lambasted by SNP MP’s and called fools. Makes you wonder why.
Welcome back AS you seem to be getting their knickers in a twist which can only be a good thing…and you have to ask why they are so worried!
@ Skip_NC at 5.11: Good thinking about the crowdfunder. I’m afraid I don’t know what the rules are on overseas donations either – but someone on here is bound to know. Might the Electoral Commission site tell you?
Meanwhile the crowdfunder is now at £10,155 in less than a day!
Dan says:
3 April, 2021 at 6:05 pm
Cudneycareless at 5.56pm
Thanks I’ve had to decontaminate my laptop
Ref. Breeks 10:42.
I am a potentially persuadable supporter of Indy but am not yet there. I have too much invested in my kids and grandkids futures to cut off an arm and a leg either because it’s fashionable or because some dreamers believe in a flawed cause. The HCB and the GRA along with the previous NP scheme are absolute no-nos for me!
Most correspondents on this site infer that a future Indy Scotland will be a nirvana of social justice with all Scots proudly participating in an economically viable state. Some want an EU member future others see Indy as being just that with no EU sell out.
I’m confused because I don’t believe in the ‘Indy cause’ and have never believed that we are all in it together. I see lots of division in the comments made on here and some real anger and agitation. For me Indy is a little like the Wizard of Oz a lot of noise with a lack of anything substantial to really back it up. Also SNP in government for 14 years and they’ve made a total shambles of it. Scotland is now a much weaker proposition that before successive SNP administrations have fkd it in health, education, local government and let’s not mention law and order or justice. So to my question why should I consider voting for Indy and leave my kids and grandkids living in a country that’ll soon resemble Syria?
Is it true that Sturgeon believes in the Auld Alliance?
– Conspiracy Theory – the Buzz word of the current SNP Management.
That simple phrase is used the world over to shut down awkward questions it doesn’t in any way answer any questions it just labels the questioner as a flaky nut job ,it seems to be the favourite phrase of Nicola Sturgeon just now maybe she’s reading a book about her favourite Borgan .
The reply from the SNP to reports of a police investigation has been meet with Conspiracy theories unwarranted political scurrilous attacks and the management of the SNP fending off unwarranted intrusion into the party’s financial affairs its a scandalous slur on our party .
The above paragraph was in reply to a simple question from a person who donated money he was asking what happened to it , that’s all , it’s not a big Unionist attack ,it’s just where is my money .I don’t think he wanted a major drama to be made out of the simple question of where’s the money .
Just want tae reassure all my pals fae feegie in paisley during this coronavirus pandemic. You are being offered a “jab” not a “job ” so dont panic.
I agree with the Captain, this is a disaster of our own making and sticking our heads in the sand hoping that Krankie’s eleven will reform themselves is idiocy.
The Scottish electorate are not up to speed regarding the sins of the Holyrood elite, most Indy supporters are “Bravehearts” who don’t examine their leaders critically. They will stick with SNP and Unionists won’t vote at all. Alex has been smeared beyond repair and women just don’t like him, they never did but in today’s social climate he has become untouchable.
Krankie and her clan have to be removed, but it will be by the courts not the voting public.
My mate captain yossarian hinks the law in scotland has been “devolved” for hunners o years.
You learn something new every day.
I fink the good captain has been reading the ladybird book of british history again.
An SNP spokesman;
“The money raised has already helped us set up an Independence Unit, make other preparations for a referendum, and budget for £600,000 of independence related campaigning in the year ahead.”
Think about what “independence related campaigning” could mean. Quite literally it could mean anything they do as a party that purportedly supports independence.
And that’s the legal loophole here.
All that stuff they said about it being ring fenced for the purpose of fighting for indyref2 is pulverised by that line, turned to dust.
They’re laughing at us. Laughing because we are a bunch of mugs. Shafted again, mugs, now fuck off back to your locked-down lives.
@Thomas – “Since the Union with England Act 1707, Scotland retained a fundamentally different legal system from that south of the border.” Scottish law then – fundamentally different and, nowadays, fundamentally crap.
@ capatain yossarian.
You used the word devolved pal.
Scottish law isnt devolved.Its a separate legal system that has evolved completely independent from your parliament in london since the 9th century and the kingdom of alba , originating from the brehon laws of the gaels.
Brehon in gaelic means to judge.
Nothing “devolved” about it pal.
The reason its independent and different is because scotland is a different country from england , historically culturally legally etc etc , rather than a devolved region of greater england.
Spend more time reading up on fact instead of the king billy ladybrid book of british history.
( ps captain i see labour are falling further behind in the polls and sir keir knight of the realms starmer is really struggling in englandshire now) LOL.
Couldnt happen to a nicer party.
Why on earth would the SNP need to ‘set up an independence unit’?!
Thomas – one of your Lord Advocate’s most distinguished law officers, Lord Keene, left Westminster in a huff because he was upset that Boris Johnson had prorogued Parliament….remember that? He came back up the road to Scotland thinking it must be better up here. He’s now sitting at a desk in Edinburgh up to his oxters in Nicola Sturgeon’s legal skitter. He’d have been much better off staying where he was.
Devolved means delegating to a lower level, especially from central government to local or regional administrations. For example, some legal matters need to be settled in London and some at European level. Thank God for that because Scottish lawyers are shite.
Is this a stupid thing to say? The anonymity order by the Scottish courts protecting the ‘Alphabet Sisters’ is under Scottish law and jurisdiction. What is stopping English only media or an English citizen from telling us who those individuals are?
Oppps @ akentaton.
I smell another labour party sock puppet trolling people while looking down his nose.
“the scottish electorate arent up to speed”?
Is this along the never ending line of labour thought that thinks the electorates in scotland and england are complete muppets that are constantly brainwashed , until these wee political upset pop up now and again like the 2016 rexit referendum and labour getting the boot from their scottish and northern english fiefdoms?
If there is anything more stupid than a labour party troll on the interwebby i have yet to meet it.
How long is that now labour have been out of power? nearly 14 years in scotland and 11 years in england?
Latest outrage on twttersphere today is sir kier knight of the realm starmer visiting a homophobic church in north london.
I havent laughed so loud about the comment on twitterphere since wendy alexander caught her tits in the mangle.
Defeat her in the Glasgow Southside constituency.
Let us see her trying to cheat her way backk in through the list by pushing Roza Salih under the bus or bribing her with an offer she can’t refuse.
Salmond is getting the trump treatment. They will not stop.
@ captain.
Thanks for the explantaion of what the word devolved means m`lord.
# tugs forelock#
Thank god our lords and masters in london decided to devolve scottish law in 1707.
Did you know captain the germans are releasing a new motor in america aimed at cowboys?
It s called the “audi partner”
Skip_NC
https://archive.is/SbWUC
From a Guardian article in 2019:
“Can you donate from abroad?
No, except if the amount is £500 or less, because that would not technically be considered a donation. An Electoral Commission spokesperson said: “An overseas individual can give an amount under £500.”
@Thomas – Previously, it was devolved and under the stewardship of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Since Holyrood opened in 2000 it’s been fully devolved to them.
Thomas, you are speaking utter balls, or should that be ‘baa’s’
Lowland Scotland and England have had a shared culture and history for hundreds of years, even pre-dating the Union. Culturally there isn’t a cigarette paper between the 2 countries now or even the 4 of the UK or 5 of the British Isles. Whether this is good or bad is another matter entirely.
Crap TV shows, junk food, consumerism, celebrity worship culture, world-foods, Premier League Fitba, Netflix, Primark,Deliveroo,abysmal architecture etc etc etc. Welcome to the brace new inter-dependent world of the 21st Century…
Scottish law was directly evolved from Roman law.
Captain Yossarian says,
“@Mia – Give it a rest, please. Nicola Sturgeon, Leslie Evans, Peter Murrell, Sue Ruddick, John Swinney, James Wolffe and Humza Yousaf and the alphabet women are not agents of the British State. Regrettably, all are Scottish and this has been a secretive all-Scottish fandango from start to finish. The British are laughing at us….that’s all.
Well said Captain.
Mia has been told many times that it is on the record that the UK Civil service had advised against the illegal procedure designed to blackmail Alex Salmond.
Leslie Evans did the dirty work on Sturgeon’s orders, not on the British State’s orders.
Leslie Evans’ partner is an SNP activist.
The buck stops with Sturgeon.
But diehard Sturgeonists like Mia simply can’t accept that their Queen Nicola can ever do anything remotely wrong.
Sir keir knight of the realm starmer asks the brothers and sisters at conference to use the word contagious.
Captain yossarian the class swot, gets up and says, ‘Last year I got the measles and my Mum said it was contagious.’
‘Well done captain’ says sir keir. ‘Can anyone else try?’
Kezia, a sweet little girl with pigtails says, ‘My Gran says there’s a bug going round and it’s contagious.’
‘Well done, Kezia,’ says sir keir. ‘Anyone else?’
wee jimmy fae govan jumps up and says, ‘Our next door neighbor is painting his house with a 4 cm brush and my Dad says it will take the contagious
Skip_NC
See also:
https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/financial-reporting/donations-and-loans
“Anyone can give a donation or loan to a political party, individual or other organisation. There is no limit on how much someone can give if they are a permissible source.
“It is up to the political party, individual or other organisation to check if the donation or loan is from a permissible source, and if they can accept it or not.
“In Great Britain, permissible sources are:
individuals registered on a UK electoral register, including overseas electors and those leaving bequests”
This from Peter Bell
“As people flock to Alba Party almost entirely on the basis of the party being led by Salmond, there is little sign that any questions are being asked about what the party stands for or where its leader intends to take it or what it proposes to do supposing any Alba Party ”
He thinks we’re cultists, honestly can that man be any more thick, people are not flocking to Alba because of Alex Salmond they’re flocking there for hope
The SNP does not want independence.
It wants comfortable lucrative salaries and pensions for life for its leaders, MPs, MSPs and above all for its corrupt lying criminal Chief Executive.
Independence would bring all that to an abrupt end.
@Glen Reckie 6.42pm
It’s odd that there have been quite a few posters here in the past week or so all pushing essentially the same line, variations on:
“Honestly, I’m a persuadable voter but I’m not convinced by the case for indy, and won’t be until you guarantee I/my kids/grandkids won’t be any worse off, and you have a detailed plan with every i dotted and every t crossed. I still basically think we’re too wee, too poor and too stupid. Persuade me otherwise”.
There usually follows an exchange of posts that never really go anywhere, because it turns out nothing any pro-indy person can say, no argument or area of policy we examine can ever be resolved to your satisfaction. The issues are often the same too: what currency will you use? What about pensions? We’ll never get into the EU will we? What about the black hole of “X billion” pounds?
If you are genuine and can be converted, I’m glad. After all a good proportion of current pro-indy support have been convinced and converted over the past few years, so you’d have to accept that it’s possible, right? You assert that people here or possibly elsewhere insist everything will be nirvana post indy, but sorry that’s just unsubstantiated bullshit.
We had that kind of argument in 2012-14 too: nobody sane said or thought independence was risk free. Of course there’s a risk/benefit analysis for any of us to do, but just as there were/are risks and opportunities with independence so there are with staying in the union. We were after all assured in 2014 that voting Yes would wrench us out of the EU. How’s that worked out for British nationalists? Similarly, we were promised as near home rule as possible within 2 years by the Vow. We’re still waiting for that, but it actually looks like Westminster will be reducing Holyrood’s powers and keeping powers coming back from the EU.
Your argument – such as it is – and your protestations of being a persuadable REALLY start to fall apart in your final paragraph. Your caricature of “independent Scotland would be like Syria” just makes you sound a bit unhinged. Of course Scotland has issues, but anyone looking at Scotland today and making the assessment you do is either just trolling for the LOLZ, or arguing in bad faith to provoke a reaction here in a forum they know will be hostile to their unreason.
Before any of us accept your protested willingness to be convinced, we’d have to believe that you accepted in principle that Scotland is quite capable of not just surviving but thriving as an independent state. There’s no point wasting our time with someone making a priori assumptions that render any subsequent discussion pointless: it’s the debating equivalent of pulling the wings off a butterfly then pointing and laughing at it because it refuses to fly.
@Socrates MacSporran, 11.36
in a supposedly Liberal newspaper.
“The Guardian had gone in six short years from being the natural outlet to place stories exposing wrongdoing by the security state to a platform trusted by the security state to amplify its information operations. A once relatively independent media platform has been largely neutralised by UK security services fearful of being exposed further. “ see https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2019-09-11-how-the-uk-security-services-neutralised-the-countrys-leading-liberal-newspaper/amp/
Remember this post? https://wingsoverscotland.com/all-the-jolly-boys-and-girls/#more-120497. Participants on the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership programme are selected by the Foreign Service Officers at the US Embassy in the participant’s country. The State Department funds the participants. Mr Clegg is not a member of the Scottish Parliament. If he was not a participant on the programme, what was he doing there?
@ mike robson.
i know mate , in the ladybird book of british history southern scotland was never gaelic.
Again though these “wee inconveniences” pop up like cnoc na h aire , the watch hill now knocken hair in dunbar , or how eddleston in the south east used to be called the baile of gille moire.
lowland scotland and the myth it was always english is easily destoryed by the fact the vast majority of the name in lowland scotland are “celtic” both p and q and a large amount of them gaelic.
@Captain Yossarian 3 April, 2021 at 10:04 am
“@Mia – Give it a rest, please. Nicola Sturgeon, Leslie Evans, Peter Murrell, Sue Ruddick, John Swinney, James Wolffe and Humza Yousaf and the alphabet women are not agents of the British State. Regrettably, all are Scottish and this has been a secretive all-Scottish fandango from start to finish. The British are laughing at us….that’s all.”
And sadly there are no shortage of people around like Mia still worshipping the Sturge too because theythemselves too are “convinced ” or “just beleive” that everything is always UK States fault never the SNP, what else can it be than signs of crazed minds because they have no evidence to back up their statements they just make up their own “evidence too”. Perhaps they do it to stay in their own “happy place” of choice.
Glen Reckie says:
3 April, 2021 at 6:24 pm
….So to my question why should I consider voting for Indy and leave my kids and grandkids living in a country that’ll soon resemble Syria?
If I wanted to condense the issue to be as concise as possible, I would invite you to read the 20 pages of the McCrone Report. Once you read, and appreciate the promise and potential of being an oil producing nation, you must then compare that potential with the reality. (A reality kept secret and hidden from Scotland for 30 years).
There is a grievous disparity with what Gavin McCrone predicted for Scotland, (wealth to an embarrassing degree was one term which springs to mind), and what actually occurred.
The obvious conclusion is that the McCrone Report was wrong, except, across the North Sea, we have the striking parallels with Norway; the country in control of it’s own resources for whom the fairytale predictions of wealth and prosperity came true.
Scotland, in contrast, saw no inward investment in state owned oil production companies or support infrastructure, and saw Thatcher plundering Scotland’s bonanza, and using it to pay for Canary Warf and bankroll the economic ‘miracle’ of Thatcherism.
Now, what’s done is done. Scotland will never recover that exploited resource, nor will it ever have a Scottish Oil Fund to catch up with Norway, ensuring the Nations resources benefit generation after generation of Norwegian population.
The oil bonanza isn’t quite finished, but environmental criteria make it unlikely the oil still being discovered in Scottish water will deliver anything like the 1970’s bonanza. Much of that oil will probably be left where it is.
However, as one door closes, another opens. Scotland is uniquely placed with the winds and currents of the North Atlantic to capitalise on renewable Energy. Off the top of my head, it is estimated that Scotland has 25% of Europe’s renewable energy potential. It could be money for nothing, indefinitely.
Scotland has the potential to capitalise from Renewable Energy the way Norway benefited from oil, but the problem for Scotland is the same. Scotland’s economic priorities are determined by Westminster, the same greedy Westminster which incompetently squandered Scotland’s wealth and opportunity in the 1970’s.
Scotland has a second chance to exploit clean, renewable energy, use it’s surplus energy to pioneer Hydrogen fuel, and build a solid foundation of wealth and stability with a Scottish Renewables fund, like Norway’s oil fund.
If we don’t choose Independence, Scotland will not benefit from that Renewable revolution. The wealth generated will head South, and Scotland will be denied the inward investment required to develop the support infrastructure, to keep our industries competitive and prosperous.
Once again, look at the Norwegian ship building industry, competing with Korean Yards building warships, ferries, fishing boats and cruise liners, and compare that to Scotland, with the routine blackmail of getting thrown a bone with Royal Navy ships. Where is Scotland’s shipbuilding industry? That prosperity should be something shared with Scotland, but it isn’t.
It isn’t, because Westminster treats Scotland as a cash cow; minimum in for maximum out. There is minimal effort put into building sustainable, mutually supportive industries and commerce, and no inward investment in research and development. Most Scottish potential is sold off or licensed to foreign investors rather than nurturing a Scottish economy, which heaven forbid, might outstrip and become more powerful than England.
Look at the promises; Eurostar was meant to run a high speed rail link to Ravenscraig and Motherwell, but once the South had its infrastructure, the enthusiasm for connecting Scotland ran out. Now we don’t even have Ravenscraig. Look at HS2. Promised to connect Scotland, but runs out of steam once it’s reached Birmingham and Manchester… funny that.
I’m sick and tired of Scotland being mismanaged, exploited and plundered, promised grand designs which never materialise, and forever suffering a crippling lack of inward investment. The bosses are frequently parachuted in from the South, rather that nurturing home grown Scottish talent.
Scotland needs the power to be master of our own resources, and use those resources to advance our country, and improve the wealth and life opportunities for our people. That means Scottish Independence, and the removal of Westminster’s iron grip on Scotland’s resources.
Frankly, it’s a no brainer.
I’ve been kind Glen… I’ve spared you the Brexit story and the colonial subjugation of Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty… but keep asking questions Glen. You sound like you are just beginning a journey of discovery to learn that a very different, much better and more prosperous Scotland is a viable possibility.
We just need rid of Westminster Government, short term returns for minimal investment, and Tory greed and insatiable exploitation. Our future is unwritten. If we don’t write it ourselves, “they” will write it for us, and we know how that story goes…
We won’t go to bed and wake up rich. It will take commitment, sacrifice and hard work. There will be disappointments, failures, mistakes, along the way, but we’ll have tremendous incentive to get it right, and get our Nation firing on all cylinders and free from parasitic exploitation.
Sadly, you’ll be accused of being bigoted against the English, ungrateful for the English forever bailing Scotland out, and watching too much Braveheart. But that really isn’t what Scottish Independence is about. There’s no hatred in it. We’ve not seen too much Braveheart, it’s the never ending “break-heart” we’ve all grown tired of.
Breeks says,
“Apparently we are all tarred with the same brush because someone advocated voting for Sarwar to dethrone the Lyin’ Queen Nicola.”
I am very happy to be tarred with that brush, as every genuine independence supporting poster here should be:
Rev. Stuart Campbell says (Scheming on a mirage),
“It’s much the same as the Glasgow Southside situation. You’re not choosing between Anas Sarwar and Nicola Sturgeon – Sarwar is top of the Labour list so he’s getting in no matter what happens. What you’re effectively doing with your constituency vote in Glasgow Southside is choosing between two SNP MSPs – Sturgeon or Roza Salih. If you’d prefer Salih, vote Sarwar on the constituency paper.)”
Rev. Stuart Campbell says (Rallying to the banner),
“If you believe Sturgeon is a block on independence it’s a very rational position.”
Lying under oath to a parliamentary committee in front of the cameras could not unseat her, that is how corrupt the system has become.
Only the good voters of the Glasgow Southside constituency can give her what she deserves – to be thrown out of parliament and hopefully ending up in jail.
Why should anyone posting on Wings Over Scotland be against this unique opportunity to unseat her?
Are such posters with Wings Over Scotland or are they with Wee Ginger Dug?
Thomas, thank you for your superfical condescension.
You will no doubt be aware that the island of Albion (pre-Roman) used P and Q Celtic as languages? Echoes of this can still be seen in place names such as Avon (water) in England and Lumphanan (the church of Finnan) in Scotland. I realise this may be an inconvenient truth for you but once upon a time (I am making it easy for you) we did share a VERY common culture and nowadays that culture is so inter-mingled as to be indistinguishable irrespective of where you are in these islands.
Now away and eat the turkey twizzlers your Mum made fur yir denner.
@ Wee Willie 3 April, 2021 at 11:20 am
“The British State conspiracy theories really are ludicrous. We Scots must begin to own the problem. I agree with Capt Yossarian All of the current debacle/fiasco was made in Scotland by Scots and until we acknowledge that we cannot move on. I suspect Alex Salmond does not subscribe to this deluded conspiracy nonsense.”
Would anyone of sound mind beleive the British State conspiracy theories in this instance ? No. Plenty of evidence around to show all the players are nothing to do with the UK but everything to do with Sturgeons own St Trinians Girl Gang.
William watson professor of celtic
” near lauder in south east scotland , on the way to blyth , there was an old cairn whose stones were scattered long ago.
They have since been collected into a cairn once more , and it was described as being very stoney.
Its name is “clacharie” or gaelic for stony place , and at st bathans abbey in berwickshire , there is an old for called the whitadder , and the riverbank at this ford in south east scotland borders is called the shannabank , which is gaelic sean- ath , the old ford.
On and on these uncomfortable truths keep going for “southern scotland is and always will be english mike.”
For 2500 of the last 3000 years scotland as a whole has been a celtic speaking area , and the anglo saxon northumbrians controlled a small part of south east and southern scotland for two centurie between the 7 th and 9 th century before being annhilated or absorbed by the incoming scottish gael.
If you look for more evidence , much of what is now northern england wasnt included in williams dommsday book as he thought it was then part of scotland in the late 11th century such was the dominance of the gael not just in southern scotland but northern england.
There was no such thing as a cultural highland line in the minds of men until the 16th century onwards , when the gaela dn his language had been pushed north and west by various social and economic factors
@ Ottomanboi 3 April, 2021 at 9:36 am
“According to FT independence would «open fiscal» hole in our economy.
Better forget it then…
https://www.nationaldebtclock.co.uk/
My hole good, your hole bad!”
I’m presuming that in your Balric cunning plan world you haven’t worked out yet for yourself that UK debt includes Scotlands debt (and Welsh debt etc etc etc) too ? Is that concept too hard for you to embrace ?
Will the kids be better off with Independence?
Right now a Scottish vote means next to nothing.
Most of the last 60 years Scots have lived under
English Tory rule, although we never once gave them
a majority.
Do you want your gets to get what the country next door just tells them.
If the kids grow in Scotland are you happy that anything Scotland has can
be ripped away from them without justification.
Should they live under a PM who declares his hate of Scots and would always
Invest in England first.
Would you like the kids to be able to access all the benefits of being in the EU?
Would you like them to retain the NHS that the Tories will sell?
Should they live with a media entirely devoid of truth ?
I like how Ms. Sturgeon thinks her Calvinistic sniffing about Salmond liking a flutter on the horses is going to put people off him. Desperate stuff. It’s like yer ex trying to embarrass you in public by saying shit things about you, undignified and pathetic as Hell. That detail about his life, nothing to do with anybody but him and his bookie (unless he was using taxpayers’ money, which I doubt, or she would have paraded the fact), will probably endear him to some people even more. Namely the (working class) male sector of the public that the woman despises, and who can relate to a wee flutter. What a total clown.
@ Fishy Wullie
Last week I read that Eva Comrie was drafting policy for Alba Party that would guarantee women’s sex based rights and safe spaces.
So if it’s cultist to believe in biological reality then I’ll wear that badge, rather than drinking the koolaid the SNP and Greens are punting.
I’ll await to see what she produces.
The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary
Breeks
“But that really isn’t what Scottish Independence is about.”
A helpful and wide ranging riposte, Breeks, to the confused soul in the glen. All of which confirms Scotland’s colonial legacy amidst the endless plundering, exploitation and oppression of our people and nation.
And this confirms “what Scottish independence is about”, for Scots, much as it was for every people and nation subject to colonial domination: i.e. decolonisation.
Ottomanboi says:
3 April, 2021 at 9:36 am
Ye’ve jist goat tae be a southern person fae the south end o’ the muckle island ?
Up in the north end o’ the island, hole has ither connotations ! Kin I claim ma £10 pounds….
Mike robson.
Im not aware of any period in the history of these isles where the people have shared a common language culture outwith the modern period and the misnomer of the modern english language which is nothing more than badly pronounced norman french as a common culture.
If so prove it.?
Albion is a latin term for these islands handed down to us from church records ,( ra nasty kafflick church as well) not a native term although it could be based on the celtic name alba/prydain/cruthen
I dont like turkey twizzlers mate , here in foxbar in paisley , i m roughing it on the moet chandon and caviar this evening.
@oneliner 3 April, 2021 at 11:26 am
“@Captain Yossarian
You are deluded if you think that the forces of Scottish self-determination are not seen as enemies of the British State. The party in control at Holyrood has no say in the selection of its senior civil servant cohort – who, to a gender-non-specific, are London appointees”
More drivel , how hard can it be to use Google nowadays ? Only Sturgeon chose Leslie Evans , no-one else had any input into this choice. https://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/nicola-sturgeon-appoints-leslie-evans-as-new-scottish-government-permanent-secretary Note that Peter Housden who was well known to be Salmonds man in the Scot Gov also praised Evans, well he would because he knew she was going to carry on as the FM’s right hand woman just as he did for Salmond. “Housden has been the permanent secretary for five years, and announced his intention to leave the Scottish government in January this year. “Leslie Evans is an outstanding public servant whose leadership, experience and impact on Scotland and the UK is widely recognised,” he said.”https://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/nicola-sturgeon-appoints-leslie-evans-as-new-scottish-government-permanent-secretary
Leslie Evans didn’t parachute into the Scottish Government from nowhere she had been working in Scot Gov snce 2000 and working in Sturgeons team as “Director General Learning and Justice.£ before Her promotion by Sturgeon alone which is why Sturgeon isn’t parting with her by choice anytime soon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Evans
The Great Brutish Empire II is $3,320,000,000,000 in debt,
now that`s a fricken fiscal hole.
To the guy who stole my anti depressants!
I hope your happy now!
Independence transcends our accursed religious divide and prejudice around perceived class and religious differences – thank God.
What divides us is our attitude to the elite who have abused the power they have been given by the electorate.
The gullible continue to elect those with their noses in the trough.
Don says,
“Plenty of evidence around to show all the players are nothing to do with the UK but everything to do with Sturgeons own St Trinians Girl Gang.”
Craig Murray has said the criminal conspirators were all members of Sturgeon’s very close inner circle.
Who went after Craig Murray?
The British State or Sturgeon’s puppet, the corrupt lying criminal James Wolffe, Lord Advocate of Scotland?
If he is an agent of the British State, why does Sturgeon have him as a member of her cabinet?
Alex Salmond had got rid of the Lord Advocate from the Scottish cabinet. Why did Sturgeon bring him back?
Is Sturgeon herself an agent of the British State?
If the criminal conspiracy to jail Alex Salmond was by the British State, the the only logical conclusion would be that Sturgeon is an agent of the British State.
Colin Alexander, thanks very much for the links. I will need to keep track myself to make sure I do not cause any problems for the party. The Grauniad link was especially useful, as it discussed issues with the Brexit Party receiving donations in excess of $500.00.
It seems to me that anyone affected would be better off donating via the party website. If one has an account (as I do, being a member), I imagine it would be much easier for the party to track donations and ensure they are credited to the correct donor.
If they’ve already done a deal with the Greens, the SNP have to double down on Alba, or Harvie might have a hissy and flounce off to whoever else gives him the eye.
@ stephen .
Im part of the scottish elite stephen.
Do you know , in between drinking copious amounts of moet chandon and gorging on caviar in foxbar stephen , i jist had a labour party goon canvass on my front door.
I thought feck me hes early?
He was a transvestite fae greater manchester.
How do i know?
He had a wigan address.
By the way am a presbyterian and my maw wis a kafflick so no sure about the religous divide pal.
pair auld arlene and co are struggling across the straights of moyle though arent they ?
Sinn fein backing the polic in northern ireland while yer DUP undermine them?
I can smell the fear in the brit nats at every level ,and in every corner of the onion.
From The Express article:
“Police Scotland confirmed they are investigating “an allegation of fraud” which was reported last week. A Police Scotland spokesperson said today: “We received an allegation of fraud around 4.40pm on Thursday, 25 March, 2021.”
So Police Scotland confirmed it to The Express but not to Wings Over Scotland?
Rev. Stuart Campbell, could you not ask Police Scotland why?
Curious to know what people made of the story (below) in the National where Angus Robertson was pimping the ‘Scottish inter-Nationalist Party’ (clumsy breaking up of the name) and seemingly touting the desirability of people in government on the colour of their skin and where they come from, rather than actual ability or experience. Was a distinct lack of white working class people mentioned. Funny, that. Not deriding anybody from other countries or saying they should not being involved in Scottish politics, but the approach was an…interesting one, to say the least, to show what a parochial wee middle class shithole of a party (where the high heid yins have only ever lived in Scotland themselves) thinks of itself, and how it sees itself, with ideas far above itself on the world stage (which doesn’t even know we exist). Deluded, embarrassing, stupid, pathetic, and laughable.
http://www.thenational.scot/news/19208118.angus-robertson-snp-now-scottish-inter-national-party/
Thomas
/
Very good.
I would stay off the Moët though
No mention of Wings Over Scotland in The Express article although that is the only place where The Express would have got the story from.
Sturgeon was recruited by Kirsty Wark at glasgow Uni. She is sturgeons handler who gives her access to the BBC propaganda unit on the clyde.
Hi Andy Ellis at 8:22 pm.
You typed,
“It’s odd that there have been quite a few posters here in the past week or so all pushing essentially the same line, variations on:”
Yeah, I’ve noticed the number of “concerned” commenters.
I suggest, that when we detect one of these, we should paste the links below for them to explore.
http://www.theweebluebook.com/
http://www.weeblackbook.info/uploads/5/4/6/5/54658791/weeblackbookwebedition.pdf
And, while I’m on a commenting roll, I’ll paste this, which I posted on Facebook earlier today.
“Brian Doon
A lot of people are missing the point of a supermajority.
A supermajority in the Scottish Parliament is over 2/3 of the total MSPs or 87+ MSPs.
The SNP cannot achieve a supermajority on its own.
A Pro-Indy supermajority would have 87+ pro-indy MSPs.
What’s so important about a supermajority?
A supermajority could vote to suspend parliament and hold a plebiscite election i.e., a vote for the SNP, Greens or Alba, giving them 50%+1, would result in Scotland removing itself from the Treaty of Union or, in other words, a declaration of independence.
If a majority of voters vote for that, then it is “the will of the people”.
No need for a referendum. It’s the way most countries have become independent.
https://www.barrheadboy.com/a-simple-plan/“
Was it not Craig Murray that said a few moths ago now maybe that it was only a corrupt Lord Advocate that stood between Murrell and a jail cell?
@ stephen.
Thanks pal , but unfortunately i cant. we scottish elite have a patter to upkeep.
have you seen the latest news in brit nat world?
To commemorate the release of the topless photos of meghan markle , Royal Doulton will be releasing a Collector’s Edition of two small jugs.
cant wait!
How can you gain a supermajority if the SNP are not an independence party? This is all very confusing.
Sturgeon has made a deal with the brits by the look of it.
Everyone now knows that Scottish independence is a pantomime. Alex Salmond is Widow Twankey.
What are you Scots playing at? The Union gives you the opportunity to be part of the fifth largest economy in the world, with a seat at the UN Security Council. If you leave the Union what are you?
Slovakia without the sun. But you have haggis.
@Thomas
/
I wasn’t aware of that one.
I stopped buying after Charles and Di went south.
Well stephen.
A while back, I picked up a lovely young girl at her parents’ home in bearsden.
It was our very first date and I was terribly excited.
Being a university student money was tight but I had scraped together enough money to take her to a fancy restaurant.
But to my horror she ordered the most expensive items on the menu. Oysters. Lobster. Champagne. She was not holding back!
I asked her, “Does your mother feed you like that when you eat at home?”
“No,” she replied, “but my mother’s not expecting torrid, wild, uninhibited sex tonight.”
I said, “Would you care for dessert?
@ Thomas
/
Quite a story!
Perhaps an allegory regarding the loss of SNP funds.
Fuck me, the calibre of the trolling here today suggests that GCHQ really need to up their game…
Kcor and Don :
Mia needs no one to defend her , she’s well capable of doing so herself , but in her absence …..it’s obvious neither of you have actually read many of her comments , unless you have selectively filtered out anything other than comments of her’s you disagree with , because to describe her as a ” Sturgeonista ” is so wildly off the mark as to be utterly laughable .
Mia has been one of that fraud’s biggest critics on here, accurately skewering the deceit , incompetence , malice , sheer uselessness of NS on many occasions .
If you don’t agree with her perception of things fair enough, but your own perception of her is seriously warped .
@A Person
77th is here
Off topic
The Wokist vision for Scotland. To arrest all men and women who state that only women can have babies.
https://twitter.com/whrcn/status/1377166845673840646?s=21
@Breeks 3 April, 2021 at 8:35 pm
“If I wanted to condense the issue to be as concise as possible, I would invite you to read the 20 pages of the McCrone Report. Once you read, and appreciate the promise and potential of being an oil producing nation, you must then compare that potential with the reality. (A reality kept secret and hidden from Scotland for 30 years).”
McCrone was a Civil Servant so his files came under the Civil Service Code and subject to the 30 year rule at the time now I think 20 years, so not so much “Hidden” as just treated the same as all other Civil Service Documents. McCrone is always treated as some sort of baddie but this much later Radio interview I think shows him in favour of Independence. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p072j890
We couldn’t have an Oil Fund we were spending the money on our own Public Services , even Alex has to retreat on that one and you can’t spend the same money more often than once. https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scottish-independence-alex-salmond-takes-step-back-oil-fund-2511096
There is a grievous disparity with what Gavin McCrone predicted for Scotland, (wealth to an embarrassing degree was one term which springs to mind), and what actually occurred.
The obvious conclusion is that the McCrone Report was wrong, except, across the North Sea, we have the striking parallels with Norway; the country in control of it’s own resources for whom the fairytale predictions of wealth and prosperity came true.
Scotland, in contrast, saw no inward investment in state owned oil production companies or support infrastructure, and saw Thatcher plundering Scotland’s bonanza, and using it to pay for Canary Warf and bankroll the economic ‘miracle’ of Thatcherism.
Now, what’s done is done. Scotland will never recover that exploited resource, nor will it ever have a Scottish Oil Fund to catch up with Norway, ensuring the Nations resources benefit generation after generation of Norwegian population.
The oil bonanza isn’t quite finished, but environmental criteria make it unlikely the oil still being discovered in Scottish water will deliver anything like the 1970’s bonanza. Much of that oil will probably be left where it is.
However, as one door closes, another opens. Scotland is uniquely placed with the winds and currents of the North Atlantic to capitalise on renewable Energy. Off the top of my head, it is estimated that Scotland has 25% of Europe’s renewable energy potential. It could be money for nothing, indefinitely.
Scotland has the potential to capitalise from Renewable Energy the way Norway benefited from oil, but the problem for Scotland is the same. Scotland’s economic priorities are determined by Westminster, the same greedy Westminster which incompetently squandered Scotland’s wealth and opportunity in the 1970’s.
Scotland has a second chance to exploit clean, renewable energy, use it’s surplus energy to pioneer Hydrogen fuel, and build a solid foundation of wealth and stability with a Scottish Renewables fund, like Norway’s oil fund.
If we don’t choose Independence, Scotland will not benefit from that Renewable revolution. The wealth generated will head South, and Scotland will be denied the inward investment required to develop the support infrastructure, to keep our industries competitive and prosperous.
Once again, look at the Norwegian ship building industry, competing with Korean Yards building warships, ferries, fishing boats and cruise liners, and compare that to Scotland, with the routine blackmail of getting thrown a bone with Royal Navy ships. Where is Scotland’s shipbuilding industry? That prosperity should be something shared with Scotland, but it isn’t.
It isn’t, because Westminster treats Scotland as a cash cow; minimum in for maximum out. There is minimal effort put into building sustainable, mutually supportive industries and commerce, and no inward investment in research and development. Most Scottish potential is sold off or licensed to foreign investors rather than nurturing a Scottish economy, which heaven forbid, might outstrip and become more powerful than England.
Look at the promises; Eurostar was meant to run a high speed rail link to Ravenscraig and Motherwell, but once the South had its infrastructure, the enthusiasm for connecting Scotland ran out. Now we don’t even have Ravenscraig. Look at HS2. Promised to connect Scotland, but runs out of steam once it’s reached Birmingham and Manchester… funny that.
I’m sick and tired of Scotland being mismanaged, exploited and plundered, promised grand designs which never materialise, and forever suffering a crippling lack of inward investment. The bosses are frequently parachuted in from the South, rather that nurturing home grown Scottish talent.
Scotland needs the power to be master of our own resources, and use those resources to advance our country, and improve the wealth and life opportunities for our people. That means Scottish Independence, and the removal of Westminster’s iron grip on Scotland’s resources.
Frankly, it’s a no brainer.
I’ve been kind Glen… I’ve spared you the Brexit story and the colonial subjugation of Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty… but keep asking questions Glen. You sound like you are just beginning a journey of discovery to learn that a very different, much better and more prosperous Scotland is a viable possibility.
We just need rid of Westminster Government, short term returns for minimal investment, and Tory greed and insatiable exploitation. Our future is unwritten. If we don’t write it ourselves, “they” will write it for us, and we know how that story goes…
We won’t go to bed and wake up rich. It will take commitment, sacrifice and hard work. There will be disappointments, failures, mistakes, along the way, but we’ll have tremendous incentive to get it right, and get our Nation firing on all cylinders and free from parasitic exploitation.
Sadly, you’ll be accused of being bigoted against the English, ungrateful for the English forever bailing Scotland out, and watching too much Braveheart. But that really isn’t what Scottish Independence is about. There’s no hatred in it. We’ve not seen too much Braveheart, it’s the never ending “break-heart” we’ve all grown tired of.
Is it possible that men are not real scots?
Onlooker @ 8.50
Alex was being interviewed earlier on this week and was asked – do you think that the fact you like to gamble every day on the horses makes you unsuitable to lead a political party- or words to that effect.
His reply was utterly charming and respectful – basically-
Well, I’m so busy today that there is no way I’ll get a chance to put a bet on any horses, but, you know, ALBA is a party for people who bet on horses every day and it is a party for people who don’t bet on horses every day – Next question…
Today has been a strange one. Not sure why, perhaps folk are just busy.
Anyway – 2 days into crowdfunding Alba is now 23% of the way there, with 13 left to go.
Clearly struggling! Ha!
Niclas in the papers over the definition of invisible ring fenced money v Indy units.
Spare a thought for the hacks folks, on the one hand here they have a bonefide political scandal that even the slowest of them can figure out, and on the other they’re not allowed to hurt Nicla until they get the OK from above. Must be very stressful for them.
And Alba have been hunkered down, sorting out their manifesto. When they should be crying in their beer at their lack of new members – 3% in as many days. Some people eh, just don’t know when they’re beat.
The good thing is, if the Ring Fenced Scandal does get full front page, you know, if the Britnats decide Nicla’s expendable and of no more use to them, and you know, anything to scupper a Supermajority… and you would have to reckon they’re seriously considering that gameplan as an option… then the good SNP Constituency Candidates will not have any divided loyalties – both votes Yes, will become a lifeline for them.
Anyway. Bedtime. Night all.
Neil Mackenzie @5.18
In my opinion it would not be cheating for the SNP to withdeaw their candidates from the List and endorse Alba.
There is little essential difference between the above proposition and what Alba are doing now, namely promoting another party in the Constituency.
In my opinion the only way there would actually be cheating would be if Alba and the SNP were actually one entity, which is not the case.
One reason for the fact that I seldom post i the quality of some of the other posters who put things much better than I could, but here are a few of my current thoughts:-
Understandably although the Independence Movement has one goal, the individuals within the movement have many different political hues. Part of the challenge is for each individual member to allow those to take second place to the primary goal.
The longer there is antagonism, bitterness, argumentative posts disagreeing with the use of Scots a a language, accusation that a poster is a “yoon” or a “Sturgeonista” etc is not likely to persuade the recipient of such a post to fix their aim on the primary purpose-Independence.
We have enough to contend with from the MSM and unionists in general.
It is worth reading all the posts BTL as the answer to many questions is contained within the posts, or sometimes within previous posts from the last few days.
For example one poster said recently about the poll, that the poll covered a 14 day period and Alba was only a publically declared party for 3 of those days, so Alba’s 3% in 3 days compares to the other parties’ percentages over 14 days. Hardly representative.
Absolutely brilliant Glen Reckie. Brilliant and well put
Handbags!
The favoured weapon of the indy clans when settling ‘th’ould question’.
Is Salmond mair indy than Sturgeon?
This just scunners me
https://uk.yahoo.com/finance/news/gupta-acquired-scottish-hunting-estate-180635625.html
I see Westminster is now censoring/doctoring/altering an LSE economic research paper which favours an independent Scotland.
Flags
Censoring
Threats
Bit of a 1939 theme going on here.
Aquarius @ 11.09
Two comments – you write: –
In my opinion it would not be cheating for the SNP to withdraw their candidates from the List and endorse Alba.
I agree with you on that but the fact is that if you look at some of the SNP candidates on the List you have to wonder why are there current SNP MSP’s featuring on the list at all – that is actually cheating in my way of thinking.
And you have picked up on part of Alex Salmond’s actual reasoning behind the ALBA party i.e. the SNP does not have an exclusive claim to be the only party that can bring independence to Scotland and many Indy supporters are not SNP members or fans. In a way, ALBA is a kind of ‘all in one’ outfit for anyone who seeks Indy, it is a diverse part7y with one priority and doesn’t have to waste any energy being the Government of Scotland as well as trying to bring Indy.
gullane04 – do you mean that the LSE paper is being redacted before it is re-released.
Bit of a common theme here now.
witchywoman says:
3 April, 2021 at 6:11 pm
I have been offline for over a month now. Basically because my head is in an awfy place. I want Independence, always have, but the new woke politics that won’t even say what a woman is, is beyond madness.
So I punched the air when I heard AS was returning to politics!
All it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing because they’re scunnered.
They want you to feel demoralised and hopeless, so you’ll give up and give the careerists, weirdos and oddballs the run of the place.
That’s why the wokey-woos spend so much time attacking and gaslighting normal people for being normal.
In the real world, men can’t be women.
Girls can’t be boys.
Children are not “trans”.
Scotland is not a hotbed of racism.
The good guys are going to win, because we have truth and goodness on our side, and because this is our home. The only one we have.
And we’re not going to let the worst people in Scotland turn our home into an open air prison where people are afraid to say what they think in case some fat stubbly pervert in cheap makeup and a tutu phones the police.
We’re going to win.
Don – The oil bonanza isn’t quite finished, but environmental criteria make it unlikely the oil still being discovered in Scottish water will deliver anything like the 1970’s bonanza. Much of that oil will probably be left where it is.
The obvious solution is get rid of the green shit, get pumping, and get fracking. The goal of Government policy should be for electricity and fuel to be insanely cheap, to create jobs and prosperity.
This is the opposite of the goals Westminster and Holyrood have agreed to, without any public debate or even widespread understanding. They’re making people poorer by design, and congratulating themselves on it. Oliver Letwin let the agenda slip a few years ago when he sneered that working class people from Sheffield shouldn’t be “allowed” to holiday abroad.
I’m skeptical about renewables. Hydro works great, but there are environmental costs of flooding valleys. Solar needs a revolution in battery technology before it makes sense. Wind power is basically useless, because of the extremely low energy density and inherent unreliability of depending on fickle weather. Nice earner for Tory landowners and politically connected energy firms though.
My pals in the North Sea are talking a great game on hydrogen and carbon capture. The danger is the industry seems to be moving from being a value creator to a cost centre, dependent on government subsidies and draconian restrictions on other forms of energy in order to make a profit.
Apart from it being immoral to force up granny’s heating bill in order to pad the profits of the China National Offshore Oil Corporation, this could simply end up draining our national wealth away to fund economically useless activities. A repeat of the industrial policy of the 1970’s, but without the mass employment.
China, India, Russia and Brazil have no intention of sabotaging their own domestic industries and reversing the living standards of their citizens, so there’s literally nothing Scotland can do that’ll make any difference to global carbon emissions. But we can choose between wealth and poverty.
Some of the more annoying and tediously repeated crap from englanders/unionists is, e.g. “the lowlands are anglo, so scots are really just english …”
– this oxford study has lots of great charts about genetics.
https://peopleofthebritishisles.web.ox.ac.uk/population-genetics
the main point being : “The most striking observation is the extraordinary correspondence between the genetic clusters and geographical location.”
As I often say to the English : Scots aren’t English – and do not WANT TO BE.
This an interesting discussion I came across, which I include for interest only –
Lowlands were always Scottish, they were called the Old North. The fact is Scottish kingdoms are native British pre Roman kingdoms. Cumbria is actually rightful Scottish clay, their ancient Celtic language died out in the 10th century. Northumbria was never an English kingdom, it was part a Viking settlement based at York After the Norman conquest of England the Northumbians gave up their quest for independence from the English.
>Are you implying that Northumbria didn’t extend into what is now Scotland and it wasn’t ruled by the Anglo-Saxons?
Northumbria was a DANISH kingdom not Anglo Saxon. Non native and in military control of Celtic Scottish land until removed and all traces of it basically gone.
>Where’s the proof of that?
Mabinogion – read it you might learn something.
Educate yourself about the wars between the Anglo Saxon kings and the Northumbian kings.
The Northumbians did not consider themselves as part of England.
another common bit of crap is “the scots genocided the picts” – read Stuart McHardy, “the new history of the picts”. Pictish DNA is still in the Scots, they are still here, they are us.
Lazy english twats trying to tell us “we don’t exist, really” is a nasty form of attack; I tell the english they are merely “welsh-germans” which explains their autism and sexual degeneracy.
How do you know an englishman is lying … his lips move.
enjoy https://archive.is/Klqm4#selection-1075.0-1078.0
Today’s poll of 1,009 adults on March 30-April 1 puts the SNP on 49 per cent in the constituency vote (+2 since last month), with the Tories on 22 per cent (-1), Labour unchanged on 20, the Lib Dems on 6 per cent (-1) and Greens still on 2. In the regional vote, the SNP is at 39 per cent (-3), the Conservatives on 21 per cent (-1), Labour on 17 per cent (-2), with the Greens on 8 per cent (+2), Alba on 6 per cent and the Lib Dems on 5 per cent (-2). All For Unity, George Galloway’s new unionist party, scores 4 per cent, on which basis the maverick former MP would be expected to become an MSP.
@red
Cannot criticise in any way.
Good news for ALBA
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nationalists-on-course-to-win-supermajority-g05l8c0st
Not planning on independence then? The limit of Nicola’s ambition.
https://archive.is/C5Ts5
Archive version of Times article above on new poll:
https://archive.is/Klqm4
Something to warm your hearts and give you hope:
Scot goes Pop
https://scotgoespop.blogspot.com/
“Alba ascendant: sensational new Panelbase poll shows Alex Salmond’s party on course for SIX seats”
Scottish Parliament constituency ballot voting intentions (Panelbase / Sunday Times):
SNP 49% (+2)
Conservatives 22% (-1)
Labour 20% (-)
Liberal Democrats 6% (-1)
Scottish Parliament regional list ballot voting intentions:
SNP 39% (-3)
Conservatives 21% (-1)
Labour 17% (-2)
Greens 8% (+2)
Alba 6% (+6)
Liberal Democrats 5% (-2)
All for Unity 4% (+4)
Seats projection (with changes from 2016 election): SNP 65 (+2), Conservatives 24 (-7), Labour 20 (-4), Greens 8 (+2), Alba 6 (+6), Liberal Democrats 5 (-), All for Unity 1 (+1)
SNP: 65 seats
All others: 64 seats
SNP OVERALL MAJORITY OF 1 SEAT
Pro-independence parties: 79 seats (61.2%)
Anti-independence parties: 50 seats (38.8%)
PRO-INDEPENDENCE MAJORITY OF 29 SEATS
We keep being told that Evans’ husband/partner is an SNP activist.
Aye right – but what kind of activist – a long standing member fighting primarily for Indy or a johnny come lately member and supporter of the nut cases who have taken over the party management under the sainted Nichola.
gullaneno4 says:
3 April, 2021 at 11:23 pm
I see Westminster is now censoring/doctoring/altering an LSE economic research paper which favours an independent Scotland.
Reply
Yes I posted the original to Wings two days ago. It was saved before the government made them take it down.
It’s a long read & unfortunately a copy & paste as I don’t know how to put it into a PDF. There was also a table that I was able to save to the computer.
Great cartoon.
Neutral observers must be wondering what the hell is going on.
Graf Midgehunter
Wooooooo! Game on!
much gnashing of teeth in the Sturgeon household when that is read over toast and coffee from her posh machine in the morning.
This will prove Alex’s theory to everyone and should attract more votes.
Morven @12.57
Interesting glimpse into the mind of NS.
15 paragraph article in the National about NS’s ambitions for the next 5 years mentions Neale Hanvey once and gets the anti-Semitic bit in neatly, Kenny McAskill – well he’s not been comfortable in the SNP for a while.
Then she says she doesn’t want to spend too much time talking about Alex and how disappointed he must be that he hasn’t attracted more MP’s but she spends 8 paragraphs talking about him. Doh!
She’s rattled!
Graf Midgehunter @ 01:30
Sounds good Graf. We’re on the way to a Supermajority. We only need another 8+ seats for Alba.
Both Votes YES SNP 1, ALBA 2
From that National interview with Sturgeon:
Sturgeon “I think there are big questions about the appropriateness of Alex Salmond’s return to public office. I know some of the women that made complaints against him and I therefore know that having him put himself forward like this is not making things easier for them.”
Know some of the women? Sturgeon you know ALL of them since they were ALL your stooges in your attempt to frame Alex Salmond through their false allegations. IIRC only a couple of weeks ago Sturgeon was claiming she didn’t know who the complainants were. Aye right. It’s past time that someone in WM Parliament or outside the UK publishes the documents and names names to expose the conspiracy. Where’s Wikileaks when we need them?
Does anyone actually believe that COPFS would have taken someone to court on the basis of those flimsy allegations if this was not a political prosecution? FFS they knew before they charged Alex that Woman H was lying and they had witness statements and records to prove she was never there. Why put a known perjurer on the stand if not to falsely convict an innocent man? They similarly knew that Woman F’s claim that Alex groped her bum at Stirling Castle was contradicted by eyewitnesses and had no chance whatsoever of conviction. Same goes for virtually every other allegation. The whole thing was designed to throw as much mud as possible at Alex, ruin him financially and mentally with an outside chance of jailing him for the rest of his life. The very definition of a malicious prosecution. Let’s hope Alex sues and takes Wolffe to the cleaners.
Stuart M
I think a lot of people are getting sick and tired of Nicola’s constant snide remarks about Alex. She’s had her ‘fun’ – it’s time to move on. To paraphrase- Grow up!
Polls show that he has a following and will make a difference in the number of pro-Indy seats. Of course we now realise that she doesn’t want a majority gov as she has no excuses then and it’s clear from the interview that she has lost the burning desire to lead Scotland to Indy. Another 5 years and then what? No ambition! No vision! Time to step down.
Scotland deserves better.
If the SNP somehow manage to win a majority either on their own or with Green support then that’s going to be a disaster for Scotland and Alba can be ignored by Sturgeon. A far better result would be for the Greens to be eliminated, the SNP to fall short and have to form a coalition with Alba to govern. The price of coalition might well be Sturgeon’s resignation as FM. To that end the elimination of the worst of the Sturgeon cabal would help Alba not hinder it.
For example, if Sarwar were to unseat Salmond in the constituency seat and that left Labour with just 1 constituency seat in that region, the divisor for Labour List votes for the first List seat would be 1+1=2 ie HALVED, thus increasing the chances of Alba winning their first List seat. and increasing their chances of winning seats in the subsequent rounds.
Now Sturgeon might get back via a List seat but maybe not if Roza Salih refuses to budge. That would be delicious irony, Sturgeon hoist by her own Woke petard! Even if NS does get back on the List her credibility will be shot – if she’s not popular enough to win her own seat what does that say about her electoral appeal more generally? Same goes for Swinney, Robertson, Humza etc.
I understand why Alex is pushing SNP 1, Alba 2 publicly, you have to keep the message simple. However, I’d argue for urging everyone you know to vote tactically for whichever candidate has the best chance of defeating Sturgeon, Robertson, Swinney and Humza in the constituency seats. I also believe Alba should launch a full-on assault on the Greens highlighting their support for GRA and lack of any commitment to Independence.
Meg, no argument from me. She should have stepped down years ago, or better still Alex should never have resigned in 2014. Far from being a failure, getting Independence from 28% to 45% was a triumph and set the stage for a later successful referendum. It’s hard to see Alex ignoring the open goal provided by the failure to deliver the promised DevoMax, Cameron’s Axis of EVEL and Brexit. Scotland could already be independent by now!
It’s already Sunday afternoon where I am, what’s your excuse for posting at 3:42am? Insomnia? 🙂
@Confused
How do you magically turn the people of Hen Ogledd into the scots?
There is no historical evidence for any People called the scots. Apart from the romans mentioning the scotti who lived on an island called caledonia they seem to be a fiction.
The gododdin and the people of ystrad clud were not scots.
@Don 11:26 am
So you’re saying that Leslie Evans is a sleeper. Hasn’t she done well for someone with a degree in music?
Oh, and you forgot to mention her (pre-lockdown) weekly trips to London. Ask your handlers if you don’t believe me.
Grouse Beater has just got a hold of and posted in his blog this article, published in a LSE Paper a few days ago that suddenly vanished, which is no wonder once you’ve read it. The article “Scotland- a wealth of natural resources- most of all , a resourceful people” blows to shreds the myth of too poor, small and stupid.
Found this blog & the story here is so enthralling, I’m sure you will enjoy it with a smile on your face
Big sturdy trees grow from small acorns, with roots to stand the test of time.
https://randompublicjournal.com/2021/04/03/problem-crisis-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-12277
#DELIVERINDEPENDENCE for Scotland.
As someone who has been critical of this blog,
I’ve never doubted the intention..
Let’s #DELIVERINDEPENDENCE for Alba.
A. Bruce says:
4 April, 2021 at 5:55 am
Grouse Beater has just got a hold of and posted in his blog this article, published in a LSE Paper a few days ago that suddenly vanished,
Hi Bruce here is the link, It’s a good read.
https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2021/04/03/publish-and-be-damned/
I have visions of porridge hanging from the walls of the Murrell kitchen this morning.
If the latest poll is close to right then Alba is taking seats from the Yoons effectively and not the SNP or Greens.
There goes the scrambled eggs off the Murrell kitchen wall now.
Aye that Rev Stu and James Kelly are write evil bastirts for supporting Alba.
Confused at 12.10am
Some pretty bizarre, even fantastic, meanderings there, gadge. It would be very easy for the layman to infer that your language is likely to stir up hatred…
Excellent!
Should be some extreme gnashing of teeth and foot stamping in SNP HQ and good blogger websites this morning from the latest opinion poll news.
What do you think cushy Pete Wishart? Calm down now it’ll get worse by next week when it’ll be 9% for Alba on list .If fact don’t care if it’s still 6% tbf as long as it winds you lot up.lol
Could Grouse Beaters report from the London School of Economics
be sent to Tory leader Dross to explain how his contrary view as an
experienced linesman should trump the worlds leading school of economics?
Could the authors be contacted to see if they know why such a comprehensive
and detailed report professionally delivered had to suddenly be retracted and hidden?
PS Put more money into Alba’s Crowdfunder, received the thanks e-Mail but 10 minutes later
the sum hadn’t been added to the total nor the comment posted?
Confused,
Interesting stuff, thanks. The folks I work with from around Newcastle, express more interesting in joining an independent Scotland rather than sticking with London. Granting them the status of an Autonomous Region within an independent, prosperous Scotland would probably be ideal for them.
Well folks. A week is a long time, as they say.
Alba 6% and 6 plus seats. Ahead of the Libs and 2 off the Greens. I will be happy if they get 8% on the day. That coukd be 9 seats.
ALBA up to 6% in only the 2nd poll since formation.
Onwards and upwards.
Got to be worth another %.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/im-gonna-be-voting-salmonds-23849209
These alleged two interdicts fascinate me you know. Who arranged them and who paid for them? They say each one costs the price of a house and has to be renewed every year and there are two of them. Do you think Boris has any inderdicts? (I think they call them injunctions in England). Personally, I doubt it.
Do you think Jack McConnell had any interdicts, or Henry McLeish, or Wendy Alexander or Alex Salmond? Do you think Anas Sarwar has any interdicts, or Willie Rennie, or Douglas Ross or even Patrick Harvie? If this is what our law officers get used for in a devolved government, what do you think Nicola has in mind for us, and them, when we are independent?
Big Jock
Hardly surprising, since Craig Reid is married to Margo Macdonald’s daughter, and Margo was a more-genuine Independence supporter than all of the current SNP high heid yins.
Captain. I think the Murrells had an interdict before Sturgeon was leader! So exactly, who is paying them!
Do you think Boris has any inderdicts? (I think they call them injunctions in England). Personally, I doubt it.
Yes, the rumour is he has at least one, possibly more, to conceal aspects of his sex life and how many children he has.
Mud sticks. AS has been effectively smeared and his standing with large sections of the voting public damaged. Readers here may well hold a different view as we’re aware of the weak and nonexistent evidence presented at his show trial.
There have been calls for naming of the Alphabettys under privilege in WM. This would look petty and vindictive to the general public and even if it showed they all belong to the same coven, book club or choir would take too much joining of dots to show collusion.
However, couldn’t AS pursue a civil claim for damages for defamation, slander or libel against Woman H? As the COPFS has failed to instruct police Scotland to investigate potential perjury the most serious allegation of sexual assault appears to Joe Public as a ‘he said, she said’ case because the facts have been under reported. See ‘And Justice for Some’ for details of the FOI request.
There is no middle ground here, it didn’t happen and is proven through the trial evidence that Woman H perjured herself. A civil claim shows AS was stitched up simply in an unconfusing narrative.
Woman H has two options here, fight the case (that didn’t work out well last time she was in court) or, settle and admit she lied. A clear public retraction, costs and a donation to a charity of Alex’s choosing would close the case. May I suggest Rape Crisis Scotland as the charity, to help real victims.
This strategy may not rehabilitate a damaged image but it raises questions that all NS has been spouting may not be the full story. It also means any further smears would have to be hedged with caveats.
Thomas..7.11
Your a bit of an idiot.where you from another scheme where everybody works ??
Could! Not couldn’t persue. Damned spell chucker.
“Yes, the rumour is he has at least one, possibly more, to conceal aspects of his sex life and how many children he has.”
I wouldn’t be suprised if Trump had one or two as-well.
So, there is a similarity between Boris and Nicola after all. I always thought they were supposed to be polar opposites. They are not, are they. When they’re both sitting in chairs looking at each other they have two, three or four injuctions/interdicts between them. Not many of us can say that and it is a sign of serious cash. No need for food banks when these two are about then.
Anyway, the real point I suppose is who pays for Boris’s injunctions and who pays for Nicola’s interdicts? I have my suspicions and I’m sure everyone else does too.
Lol..so your from Foxbar a very prosperous part of paisley..ha ha ha
The Financial Times article finished with an “expert” saying we are even more stupid, poor and wee than in 2014.
When you consider this. If you spent a million pounds every year from the day Jesus was born. You still wouldn’t come near to the current UK debt!
The UK is bankrupt. There is no value in the UK other than borrowing power. It’s like me having a massive overdraft that I never settle and then keep increasing my credit limit.
Scotland can do better.
Mainstream media headlines today are focused on Britain’s record national debt, which just surpassed £1 trillion, a figure that can only exponentially increase unless the entire mechanism of Government finance is overhauled. The truth however is much worse, factoring in all liabilities including state and public sector pensions, the real national debt is closer to £4.8 trillion, some £78,000 for every person in the UK.
Big Jock says:
4 April, 2021 at 9:29 am
‘Scotland can do better’.
That’s what we all thought about rooting out sleaze and corruption.
@Dandee says: 4 April, 2021 at 9:05 am
“Thomas..7.11
Your a bit of an idiot.where you from another scheme where everybody works ??”
Dandee says: 4 April, 2021 at 9:10 am
“Lol..so your from Foxbar a very prosperous part of paisley..ha ha ha”
Perhaps your time would be better spent, rather than trolling for bites like some spotty incel with hygiene issues, instead learning the primary school basic knowledge of the difference between “your” and “you’re” – the latter the contraction of “you are”?
Just a thought.
According to the Herald Lynne Anderson an Alba candidate has been referred to the Met over something to do with employment contracts. I obviously don’t subscribe so couldn’t read the whole story but the attacks on Alba have begun and so quickly.
Given the timing, the Brit establishment have their fingerprints all over this.
Current UK debt 85% of GDP. 59% in Germany!
President. 90% of that corruption is down to two people. So remove the rot at the head….
Mark Boyle..lol
McDuff – It’s interesting that when the SNP won 56 MPS at WM. The msm dug up the earths core to destroy their reputations. To the outrage of us and the SNP.
Now that media is targeting Alba and leaving the Murrells alone. What a strange twisted world we live in.
Some would say it’s sinister.
@ Big Jock
UK national debt versus German national debt
/
Good point and well observed.
The SNP are not that good with money either. They seem to have lost £600,000 which they had previously claimed was ring-fenced.
Why are the Herald not leading with the story?
John Martini 04:32
The Scots were a people who came from Ireland and spoke Gaelic. Scotia was an old name for that country. In the early middle ages Scottish could confusingly refer to someone from Scotland or Ireland; the philosophers Duns Scotus from Scotland, John Scotus Eriugena from Ireland for example.
Scots speakers originally called their Northumbrian dialect inglis ie english, only in the 15c was it styled Scottis as it developed markedly distinct lexical and syntactic characteristics from southern English. The Protestant reformation effectively stopped that development in its tracks by the introduction of southern english texts.
The Gwyr y gogledd add another significant layer to ancient and modern Scotland’s cultural diversity as do those other men of the north in Orkney and Hjatland. Their is also Scottish literature in French and Latin.
Scotland was and still is an example of diversity avant la lettre. Ignorance of that among the general population is another aspect of Unionist mono culture.
There may be something in the idea that SNPx2 is because they are not going to perform well on the constituency vote will need list seats as well.
While the Scottish public have been supportive of Nicola Sturgeon’s handling of the pandemic, it doesn’t necessary that they find Nicola Sturgeon herself popular.
It could well be possible that they are sick of her on TV everyday dolled up like the Queen of Sheba and an immaculate hairdo. To give him his dues Boris Johnson, with one of this policies has been to close down hairdressers, looks like he has been dragged through a hedgerow.
Another problem could well be possible record low turnout where people are either afraid to go to the polling booths due to the fear of infection, although highly unlikely or through lack of interest due to the pandemic and the impending lifting of the lockdown.
Such a strategy is most likely going to result in a SNP majority but is that majority going to be enough to form a government? The other part of is whether there will be enough Greens getting elected to form a government with the SNP for this scenario?
Nicola Sturgeon talking about betting. Would it not be a safer bet to vote SNP 1 Alba 2 to get an SNP government?
Ottamonboi
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Interesting.
The history of a country can indeed be partly understood through the tracking of population movements.
Language is a fluid thing and develops over time adding to itself inumerable outside influences.
And then there is the difference between spoken language and that which was written down and has come down to us.
I will interpret the core messages of this Sturgeon propaganda.
Don’t take the wrong path to independence? Don’t vote Alba.
Both votes SNP? Waste your second vote ,so SNP can dictate timing of a referendum , and get to fanny about for 4 years.
Once pandemic is over? When she decides!
She is a master of double speak and the waiting game.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/19209067.nicola-sturgeon-it-essential-take-right-path-independence/
Big Jock @ 8:32 am
“Alba 6% and 6 plus seats. Ahead of the Libs and 2 off the Greens. I will be happy if they get 8% on the day. That coukd be 9 seats.”
Tho A’m no coontin ma chookies, however a growth rate of 3% per week could mean 20+ ALBA seats at this ‘independence’ election. ALBA is a clearly highly differentiated proposition for indy voters, offering the option for Scotland to begin negotiating independence after a #Supermajority is achieved. This should draw a lot more indy voters to ALBA as folks start to realise independence is what is on offer in May.
For voters in constituencies where SNP and/or SGP (Greens) candidates are unacceptable, who to vote for? If any?
Might a mass spoiling of ballot papers send a salutary message to parties (who formerly could count on loyal vote-share) to shape up and drop their unpopular, unrepresentative nonsense?
I do think that ballot papers should include a box to cross for the option ‘None of the above”.
I previously have voted mostly for SNP or Green. But I have thought to ‘spoil’ my Constituency vote this time, with a line through all boxes – and clearly written “None of the above. But Independence for Scotland”.
Maybe a bit more.. “No to corruption, no to Woke, no to GRA, no to HCB.”
Alba on list vote for me. I just wish there were an Indy-committed party (or independent) candidate I could vote for on the constituency vote.
Robert Hughes says,
“Kcor and Don :
Mia needs no one to defend her , she’s well capable of doing so herself , but in her absence ….”
“If you don’t agree with her perception of things fair enough, but your own perception of her is seriously warped”
It is you who do not understand Mia’s (mis)”perception of things” amongst the waffle she posts, and that is what I have been questioning:
1. Before ALBA came along, she was insisting that the pro list parties fight this election on a plebiscite manifesto, and she would be withholding her list vote if they didn’t, knowing perfectly well that such a manifesto would be completely meaningless as they would get nowhere near 50% of the vote.
A completely stupid stance which could only help Sturgeon.
Now apparently she is going to vote for ALBA, despite ALBA not fighting this election as a plebiscite.
2. There is a way to get rid of Sturgeon by voting for Sarwar, but Mia is dead against this because apparently she wants to get rid of both Sturgeon and Sarwar. She has been told countless times that this is not possible because Sarwar will get in on the list no matter what.
Another stupid stance which could only help Sturgeon.
3. As I have pointed out above and before, the buck stops with Sturgeon. This point has also been made by both the Rev. Stuart Campbell and Craig Murray.
But Mia insists on blaming the British state.
A third stance which seems to protect Sturgeon.
I stand by my point – IMHO, Mia is a diehard Sturgeonist pretending to be otherwise.
The green loons are about as useful and trustworthy as a chocolate kettle and always have been. Alex and Alba if embraced could easily get dozens of seats, as could other independent groups trying to build themselves up with little support. The greens are the sidekicks now because it’s part of the woke agenda that really matters to SNP and the toxic twitter world, not independence.