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If the shoe fits

Posted on February 25, 2023 by

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0 to “If the shoe fits”

  1. Doug
    Ignored
    says:

    Brilliant, as always.

  2. Frank Gillougley
    Ignored
    says:

    Trouble is, he clearly can’t ‘refute’ it. I just think he’s a real crap liar.

  3. SteepBrae
    Ignored
    says:

    Said with a straight face.
    Brilliant cartoon!

  4. Beauvais
    Ignored
    says:

    Yes, Sturgeon really has hit upon a way to stay in control. By getting her crony to step into her shoes. She can stay in power without even having to do any admin any more. Mind you, lazy, incompetent Humza wouldn’t be doing much of that either.

  5. Astonished
    Ignored
    says:

    To a tee. Brilliant.

    Did you see the way Sturgeon shushed him with a finger as she was writing? And his supine, pavlovian response? It was obvious that she’d done it many times before.

    Still don’t think Humza is going to win.

  6. SusanAHF
    Ignored
    says:

    He’s a waste of skin

  7. Tom Kane
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh, yeah.

    And we trust you too, Humza.

    Thanks Chris… Humour pops to poison of this terrible time.

  8. Fraser Anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    It looks like this is the SNP’s version of Labour’s disastrous 1995 “Clause IV” moment & we all know how that ends.

    There can be no fair election in the NUSNP – to many bodies buried in the woods.

    The best thing we can do is build ALBA & other Indie parties to be ready to fill the void. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen. Much precedent exists to show it happens. Podemos in Spain, Syriza in Greece, even UKIP are examples of rapid voter dissatisfaction occuring rapidly.

  9. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks Chris – that raised a smile in these unsmily times.

  10. FionaN
    Ignored
    says:

    Brilliant cartoon, Chris, you have caught every nuance perfectly. In these times, we have to laugh or we’d cry!

  11. Tony + Hay
    Ignored
    says:

    As always right on the money Chris

  12. akenaton
    Ignored
    says:

    Witty and well drawn. Doubt if Sturgid has much interest in the future of Scottish politics tho’, her time is surely past unless in reference to “time” in another context.

  13. 100%Yes
    Ignored
    says:

    Some part of me wants the SNP to fail so elect him and watch the party crumble, the other part thinks Ash Regan can do so much and heel the rift and bring us Independence.

  14. Run the borders
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m a yoon. Could be persuaded. Cant believe our good fortune with this election. Two really interesting candidates and one other. The party apparatchiks will vote for continuity.

    Don’t worry my nat friends. It must surely be too good to be true.

  15. Peedoff Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    As always, a very clever portrayal of the Continuity Candidate and perfectly illustrates his adherence to his predecessor’s policies and where he would have independence on his list of “things to do”!

  16. Sharney Dubs
    Ignored
    says:

    Love it!!

  17. Ian McCubbin
    Ignored
    says:

    Great satire thanks

  18. X_Sticks
    Ignored
    says:

    May the great dog help us if this vain, narcissistic windbag becomes the SNP party leader. He is only in politics to serve himself.

  19. auld highlander
    Ignored
    says:

    That’s a dog rough image of sturgeon.

  20. Neil in Glasgow
    Ignored
    says:

    Missed a trick – they should have been ruby slippers

  21. Anon
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh look, he’s wearing ladies shoes!
    Hilarious

  22. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    Now there’s an image that’s hard to forget. Perhaps a little bit of Nicola puppetry and support of trans going on at the same time!

    As usual Chris absolutely bang on the money.

  23. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    HY’s inability to concede that 50%+1 is a majority means continuity for the UK.
    Is there actually a point at which UK gov would be prepared to negotiate? History is not on Yousaf’s side in this matter. The Brits are not quitters, except under duress, and they like to leave a mess of sectarian division behind them.
    Whether they show at the negotiating table or no a majority is a majority in the UK political code of conduct.
    Those shoes may start to pinch before long.

  24. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    Well done. Nice shoes. It looks like Humza has turned into his second wife.

  25. willie
    Ignored
    says:

    And guess what too.

    Members are not going to be told the votes cast for the candidates. They’ll only be told the percentage.

    The SNP is a joke. Like the utterly gerrymandered Hollyrood candidate selection process, the election now , or should we say a rigged appointment of a new leader will be a fix.

    And Murrell, the man pulling the strings is still in place pulling the strings, rigging results. What a foul bag of excrement to be running a once great party.

    Anyway, bring on Humza and it will be the end of the SNP in its present form. Folks are desperate for change and his selection will only hasten that change and trigger a new reinvigorated Scottish Convention.

  26. Garavelli Princip
    Ignored
    says:

    Is he about to self-ID?

  27. John H.
    Ignored
    says:

    The puppet’s strings seem to be missing.

  28. Liz
    Ignored
    says:

    Made me laugh, Chris.
    Thanks.
    After the negativity of the previous thread’s BLCs, I needed that.

    BTW anon, it’s Sturgeons shoes.

  29. Gordon Kennedy
    Ignored
    says:

    The mainstream Theatre of the Absurd, eloquently covered by Richie Allen, including LBC stalwarts James O Brien & Nick Ferrari and featuring a host of celebrities and former politicians.
    O Brien postulates on SNP hopeful Kate Forbes

    https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/richieallen/episodes/2023-02-24T08_43_14-08_00?utm_source=web-player&utm_medium=episode-link

  30. Antoine Roquentin
    Ignored
    says:

    @Beauvais

    “By getting her crony to step into her shoes.” That IMO, is a neat summation.

  31. Maureen
    Ignored
    says:

    The hairy legs adds a nice touch hahahahahaha.

  32. No no no...YES
    Ignored
    says:

    Brilliant!

  33. Vivian O’Blivion
    Ignored
    says:

    How will Humzabot 2000 fair at the hustings? He doesn’t react well under pressure. Invariably reduced to bumbling incoherence. Then there’s that notoriously short temper he struggles to control. Will he be able to stick to his pre-programming courtesy of Chief Mammy of course?

  34. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Spot on Chris, if Yousaf wins the SNP are finished.

    Meanwhile in the National’s rigged poll, it had to be discredited they can’t have a poll in a national newspapers showing that Regan is the most popular choice.

    “The top voter for Yousaf had 168,000 votes, stemming from a server with a central Edinburgh IP address very near Holyrood. It voted once per second until it was blocked out – roughly when we put a paywall up on the article.

    (Probably from the Britnat staging post Queen Elizabeth House)

    Top of the charts were 166,000 votes from an address in Karachi, Pakistan and 51,000 from an Algerian location.

    There were 17,000 votes from a Virgin Media customer in Croydon and 8000 votes from a Virgin Media customer in Kirkcaldy.

    Forbes scored 35,000 votes from an address in Copenhagen. Bizarrely, we registered that same address trying to cast 71,000 votes for a non-existent fourth option. ”

    https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenational.scot%2Fnews%2F23346251.snp-leadership-election-poll-bot-located-near-holyrood-detected%2F

  35. stuart mctavish
    Ignored
    says:

    Cant stop chuckling and thats about 2 hrs since first seen!

    Made me wonder on more serious note as to what the rules might say in event God orders 2 of the last 3 to withdraw from the competition – ie if they cant confess to losing their faith or loving their colleagues to bits and vice versa..

    Does remaining candidate win by default or is the party obliged to reject the resignation offer – ie with the caveat that the remaining candidate’s policy is adopted in full in order to save on expenses and make best use of the complimentary rugby (and tennis) tickets that cannot be raffled off in time?

  36. Doug
    Ignored
    says:

    @willie 10:34am

    “Members are not going to be told the votes cast for the candidates. They’ll only be told the percentage.”

    To hide the true membership figure?

  37. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Yousaf happy to be Sturgeon’s puppet, Chris you were bang on.

    Yousaf is virtually saying in this article, look if I win NOTHING will change within the SNP.

    “HUMZA Yousaf has said he is “happy” to be labelled the continuity candidate in the SNP leadership race.”

    https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenational.scot%2Fnews%2F23346264.humza-yousaf-happy-continuity-candidate-snp-leader-race%2F

  38. stuart mctavish
    Ignored
    says:

    Talking of Paris (albeit obliquely), Taratata was excellent last night – roundball fans of independent mind might find this bit particularly good/ appropriate 🙂

    https://mytaratata.com/taratata/571/dropkick-murphys-no-surrender-bruce-springsteen-2023

  39. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    Humza going to have to square the circle twith his party that he can’t square.

    He wants to challenge GRR that the public don’t want.

    He wants to go slower than Sturgeon on Indy that Kate Forbes wants.

    Ash Regan wants an Independence convention to hand back Independence to the Yes movement on day 1.

    He doesn’t know that a woman is an adult human female either. He thinks trans women are women and he wants to cancel Kate Forbes.

    He’s toast.

  40. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Yousaf as of last night still denying he dodged the Same Sex (Gay Marriage Bill) even though he’s been truly rumbled, and now Fiona Hislop has jumped on his defence band wagon.

    Yousaf must keep denying the truth, or face a backlash similar to that of Forbes.

    https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenational.scot%2Fnews%2F23346273.humza-yousafs-ex-boss-intervenes-equal-marriage-vote-speculation%2F

  41. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    Sturgeon is now locked in with the wrong heir to the throne. She’s anointed the wrong son. She’s chosen the spare.

  42. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    That is very clever.

  43. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Neil in Glasgow says:
    25 February, 2023 at 9:16 am

    Missed a trick – they should have been ruby slippers

    Hey Neil
    Leave my slippers alone!

    It had to be tartan slippers like the ones Sturgeon is famous for.

    It’s very clever because the shoes don’t just symbolise that he’s stepping into she/hers shoes but also that he’s a supporter of the GRRB.

    Not quite sure how he’s going to get the Muslim vote with them shoes.

  44. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    ha, ha, ha!!! This cartoon made me laugh.

    The only thing it is missing is the strings attached to the hands of the puppet and the ventriloquist’s hand through its back moving the lips.

  45. Tinto Chiel
    Ignored
    says:

    Rather worryingly, this gruesome image reminds me of a dinosaur boss I once had who assessed one of the female job candidates with the immortal words, “Nothing nicer than a court shoe and a nicely-turned ankle.”

    Blimey! Hope he’s not an SNP member…….

  46. Wilson McBride
    Ignored
    says:

    Nice one Chris.

    With Yousaf’s support to legalise the Chics with Dicks law, I can’t wait on him justifying that with his mates back in Pakistan.

    That he is the First Minister of a country who allows men to dress up as women and also let them legally enter women’s toilets and changing rooms.

    How is he going to square that circle with the in-laws back in Pakistan?

    Or will the hypocrite just try to keep it quiet from them?

    Something he should be asked about on the forthcoming TV debates.

    I usually avoid politics on the TV, but these SNP leadership debates are something i am not going to miss.

    Let’s hope Ash Regan and Kate Forbes are getting the best of media training in the run-up to them.

  47. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    Wonder if the red coat of forgetfulness fits too.

  48. McDuff
    Ignored
    says:

    On the nail as usual Chris.
    I can’t believe what has happened to this country under the sturgeon and SNP. The only way I can see to change things is to vote a load of them out which would hopefully sober the rest up and remind them why they were voted in.

  49. Anton Decadent
    Ignored
    says:

    Probably also wearing a nappy so as not to make the Greens feel left out.

  50. Lorna Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    Yes, he’s the continuity candidate. Brilliant.

  51. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    I think “continuity candidate” means someone continuing on a downward spiral. As others have correctly pointed out, if this clown becomes FM, it’s all over for the SNP (and independence) for at least a decade. Sadly, Alba are still a few years away from establishing themselves as a credible alternative with the electorate (and the MSM will do everything to slow the process), so “Scottish” Labour will eagerly jump into the gap. For all their faults, Kate Forbes is a very clever woman, and Ash Regan has her heart in the right place. As a member of the public, I’m willing to give either a chance. A Forbes-Regan leadership would be a strong team IMO. However, there’s a strong possibility that Humza Yousaf will come through, and I don’t think I could ever vote for the SNP with him in charge. Imagine the disaster of a Yousaf SNP-Green government, followed (in quick succession) by a “Scottish” Labour takeover. Talk about a double whammy. The SNP membership has a big responsibility to shape our lives over the next few years. One can but hope they don’t blow it big time.

  52. DavidRitchie
    Ignored
    says:

    Still have not heard how they are going to persuade the UK Gov to agree to an Indy Ref

  53. Ron Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    David Hannah says: 11:54 am

    “Sturgeon is now locked in with the wrong heir to the throne. She’s anointed the wrong son. She’s chosen the wrong spare.”

    David, when you think about it, who else could Sturgeon have picked?

  54. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    Inevitably there will be a «high noon» confrontation with the British state, it is not going to go quietly into history, which in self defence will employ every dirty trick to sow trouble. Scotland looks in some respects like the Ireland of century 21 in that it provides potential for divisiveness.
    A good leader will counter opportunities for such meddling by staying resolutely focussed on the project, exposing the primordial failings of the UK, and being ready to dare to think beyond the systemic conventions. Have we not have enough of procrastinating legalism?
    The minority driven factionalism offered by the previous leadership resulted from being off project matched by a telling lack of faith in the whole concept.
    The N in SNP is concerned with one concept, all else radiates from that.
    It is the beating heart of the matter.
    The Scottish Nation and its reNewal.

  55. craig murray
    Ignored
    says:

    Perhaps he slipped on Anum’s by mistake?

  56. DebatableLands
    Ignored
    says:

    The Murrells don’t want anyone in the big chair who might not cooperate with an agreement to keep all their sins hidden.

    The thought of Forbes lying to cover up wrongdoing must be giving the pair of them sleepless nights. They really will try anything to stop her.

  57. Confounder
    Ignored
    says:

    We have it on (putatively) good account that Yousaf is sensitive to ‘pressure from the mosques’. If he becomes FM, I suspect his support for gender reform will be seen to evaporate, citing various pragmatic/logistical impediments.
    You can bet your arse there’ll be a fair bit of triangulation going on here — “What can I get away with, with whom, and for how long…?”

  58. SusanAHF
    Ignored
    says:

    Regan doesn’t want an indyref. 50%+1 and open independence negotiations. Indyref is a non starter now, so sorry Yoons

  59. Lenny Hartley
    Ignored
    says:

    Ike Sturgeon all style no substance!

  60. James Che
    Ignored
    says:

    Right I am off,

    May return if Scots also return to talk about ways to gain independence,
    Meanwhile I will leave it to a replication of wee GD shop talkers and commentators.
    It feels like there is no real opposition left in Scotland, akin to labour and tories parties pretending to fight each other down south but all on the same trajectory behind closed doors.

    I never came here a decade ago, to talk, and continually discuss who will be the day to day house keepers running a Colonial branch office managers position in Scotland especially this last year or two.

    A ghost of what once was. A seductive gossip column for the snp and greens and unionists.

    Better things to do and alternatives to choose to gain a legally independent Scotland.

    Wishing you all well,
    but time for me to find grown ups.

  61. JGedd
    Ignored
    says:

    If Humza tries to walk in those shoes, he might suffer a humiliating tumble. His balance and judgement are not impeccable. I foresee quite a few wobbles presaging a fall.

    (Remember the famous incident with the scooter in Holyrood? What would possess a politician to do that? Utter folly. It will come back to haunt him just like Kinnock being up-ended by the sea. It was used at (in)auspicious moments as a none-too-subtle commentary on his political acumen.) Visual imagery is absorbed with an immediacy that words alone can’t match. Chris Cairns shows us that again and again with his shrewdly observed cartoons.

    British journalists love that sort of picture, a visual reminder that they will use maliciously again and again, as they did with Kinnock, to ridicule a politician caught in an ill-judged moment resulting in indignity. ( The public love it too. ) I predict that every time he’s caught out as FM with one of his notorious gaffes, that video of Humza and the scooter will keep on being run.

    Have to say that the only thing I ever grudgingly admired Sturgeon for, was her ability to walk in those ridiculously high heels. ( I could never manage it. Was it too petty to hope that one day she might fall off those stilettos? Just a little pratfall, nothing serious, honest.)

  62. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    “Still have not heard how they are going to persuade the UK Gov to agree to an Indy Ref”

    David Ritchie.

    There won’t be another indyref, Sturgeon the Judas made sure of that, after the 50+1% is reached if the UK government fails to adhere to the democratic will of the Scottish people, it will need to be taken to the international stage as the ToU is an international agreement between two sovereign nations.

  63. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    You rarely fail to hit the mark, Chris, and this one’s no different. Among my top favourite Cairnstoons. Thank you!
    __________

    willie says on 25 February 2023 at 10:34 am:
    “And guess what too. Members are not going to be told the votes cast for the candidates. They’ll only be told the percentage. The SNP is a joke. Like the utterly gerrymandered Holyrood candidate selection process, the election now , or should we say a rigged appointment of a new leader will be a fix.”

    Spot on, willie! I refuse to call it an election. It’s a rigged appointment.
    __________

    At James Che on 25 February 2023 at 2:09 pm:

    While i agree 100% with your sentiments, James, of nobody pulling us all in a positive worthwhile direction it’s a bit rich to suggest the folk on here are children. Insulting all the WOS readership just because you are understandably frustrated is hardly the way to achieve your goal of wanting positive movement towards indy. And i mean it when i say i’m 100% in agreement with you on the lack of action. It’s soul destroying. I asked the question on here yesterday what are we going to do when Hoozat Useless gets appointed? No reply was the answer. Scunnert doesn’t even begin to cover it. Good luck in your new endeavours and stay safe.

  64. Andy Ellis
    Ignored
    says:

    @ James Che

    Better things to do and alternatives to choose to gain a legally independent Scotland.

    Wishing you all well,
    but time for me to find grown ups.

    Hmmnnn…… good luck with that.

    Be interesting to see what positive impact the absence of your obsessional over-posting about the Treaties of Union has on the quality of BTL discussion.

  65. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    “SusanAHF”

    “Regan doesn’t want an indyref. 50%+1 and open independence negotiations. Indyref is a non starter now, so sorry Yoons”

    SusanAHF.

    Pay attention.

    “50%+1 of combined votes from pro-independence parties in any WM or HR election is a clear instruction from the electorate that we commence withdrawal negotiations from the U.K. Independence – nothing less”

    https://twitter.com/AshReganSNP/status/1627238466470699008?cxt=HHwWgICz7fCwjpUtAAAA

  66. Lenny Hartley
    Ignored
    says:

    Frank get the door for Che!
    He is awa in the huff blaming commentators on a feckin blog for lack of progress towards Indy,
    Perhaps he could set up his own blog and see how he gets on?

  67. Fort William
    Ignored
    says:

    Personally I think the whole Independence movement needs a complete rethink of strategy. 8 years since the referendum and it has gone no where. People need to speak out and say things they haven’t been prepared to say before. Independence is a pipe dream with no end in sight. Forget about it, you’re wasting your time. Because the population is split into two halves, one that follows its heart, and one that goes with the head. Forget about banging on about ‘rights’ and digging up the basis of the union legalities: no one is listening. They’ve heard it all before. It is, dare I say it ‘irrelevant’ to winning independence. Carry on in that vein and it just turns people off. They know what is right, and people do have the right to be independent. They agree, but half the people aren’t headless turkeys. If there is to be an independent Scotland it must be a far better place for prosperity, jobs, education, health, housing, ‘life’ It must have a better economy, better infrastructure, better services. People want proof that an independent Scotland WILL be better off. Unfortunately the devolved government has done little if nothing to instil confidence in the people that will happen. And those people will NEVER vote YES until that occurs. Of course it would take a generation being realistic to achieve if you set out now to elevate the country to that state: you can’t have back the time already wasted
    The mission for the next FM needs to be to fire up business and the economy; talk of independence on hold. Ditch the Greens and build nuclear and use our oil and gas resources whilst it still has value . If ‘sustainability’ has any relevance to the world, make the country more self reliant and resilient on its own. Take the taxes and put them into road, rail and port infrastructures, health, policing, education and let the country heal itself after what has been a very damaging period of neglect, with deviance towards minority, deeply unpopular policies. Do a TRUMP and make Scotland great again! MSGA

  68. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruby says:
    25 February, 2023 at 3:38 pm

    David says:
    25 February, 2023 at 1:01 pm

    How will they persuade the UK Gov to allow an Indy Ref

    That is an interesting question.

    What have they done up to now?

    Absolutely nothing?

    Yes supporters haven’t done much either.

    Maybe we need more Sean Clerkins.

  69. Anton Decadent
    Ignored
    says:

    I skimmed the editorial condemnation of Kate Forbes in today Herald, one of a number of publications which received cash funding from the Scottish government, I believe. I suggest that people follow the trail of ultimate ownership of the Herald to the individual owner of the umbrella media group and also pay attention to the people the Herald has on its payroll. Some people really do not like Christians. The Herald also chose to look the other way when news broke on here of the Rainbow Greens in the lead up to an election.

    Re Humza Yousef, as far as I know Nicola Sturgeon had a blank page in the WEF list of Young Leaders, does anyone know if Humza is endorsed by the same unelected power brokers?

  70. Peter Dow
    Ignored
    says:

    Sturgeon’s shoe DOESN’T fit a “proud Muslim” with viciously illiberal views wanting an Islamic State of Scotland that puts gays to death, denies women education etc.

  71. ronald anderson@gmail.com
    Ignored
    says:

    James Che

    Talk about spiting the dummy oot FFS Im going on 73 & supported Independence since I was 16 / WoS has always promoted Independence but Wingers are just as much frustrated as u with the lack of progress / gie yerself ah shake man .

  72. bluegrass banjo
    Ignored
    says:

    why did angus robertson drop out?

    not buying family reasons

  73. KT Lorimer
    Ignored
    says:

    I expect that Ash and her team have worked out that sending the gender woo wooists packing and putting forward truly progressive policies will see a significant rise in support for independence.

  74. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    Only justifiable reason for making oil extraction a higher priority then decarbonising, which Ash Regan’s says is her primary policy because of the jobs involved, is when there’s a war on and we need it to fuel our mechanised military.

    But if there were a war on, all the extraction and refinement paraphernalia makes easy conventional missile targets. An aggressor is always looking to disrupt your domestic energy supply, putting pain on those citizens/subjects who depend on it and through them on government resolve. That means we need a contingency – decentralised energy generation producing electricty or hydrogen coupled with drastically reduced demand through home insulation and far better planning of transport needs. Wind, solar (widespread, small scale) hydro and energy conservation should be recognised as a major part of our defence effort. Dependence on oil is a weakness

    If we do that we soon won’t need the fragile and climate-wrecking oil in the first place. When you do the calculation, turns out that every step we take to reduce our oil dependency for agriculture, heating and transport, is a step to improve our security, even ignoring the reduction in climate damage.

    Who gets the financial benefit of oil production in peacetime? The idea we could create an equivalent to the Sovereign Fund in Norway needs explaining by its proponents. Is it by domestic consumers paying more than extraction costs (including any profit to the company or for replacement plant if it’s nationalised)? Or is it by extracting more than we need and selling the surplus? Which is exactly what has been going on for a century at least. Control of oil supplies was a major ingredient of 20th century wars and still plays a huge role in present day security. Pumping wells dry and opening new ones just because there is a profit to be made (by a billionaire) is the politics of rampant destructive capitalism. Pumping them dry and opening new ones because you can cream a tax off the consumer and call it a Sovereign Wealth Fund – well you don’t need the oil to tax to do that, you could tax anything people need.

    I don’t have a vote in this leadership election as I never supported SNP on account of their attitude to oil, an attitude still evident in comments here. Maybe it’s their strong historic association with the North East. I’ll vote for a party that has a better regard for dealing with both climate damage and resilience to attack if, by election time, there is one freed from the TWAW-or-else contagion – whatever its position on independence from Westminster. Independence from the oil addiction will be much more significant for my grand-children!

  75. James Che
    Ignored
    says:

    Stoker,
    The lack of action is because we choose to talk about what the Snp are, or are not doing on a steady daily basis,
    On here, we do nothing, just gossip column and drooling speculations over which bad yin will we have ruling over us next from the british legislated government in Scotland, but not a Scottish parliament since 1707.

    However I Do need to talk to people whom do not see Scottish independence as a child-like joke,
    People whom have not just found a good site for nothing more than gossiping daily,

    A decade or more of meeting politicians, treading the streets with leaflets, reading and researhing archives, etc. Does not hold water here, it has no foundation for what the yes movement have worked at for generations.

    Admiring Rev Stu for all his research and two wee books, the past quality of commentators contributions in research and knowledge sharing that, far surpassed Snp or any other party on info in Scotland
    However The enthusiasm has turned into effortless gossip.

    Long ago we all knew the snp were not the ” Yes” movement of Scotland, thats a british thought and stance.
    And we the “Yes movement also knew that it would be the people that made the drastic change that was needed to push for our independence in a Country that has been Colonised by a government branch office like other Colonised Countries such as India as a example.

    But this is like coronation street on here nowadays. Sorry Stu, but that has what it has become. After all your excellent high standard in depth work from the past years that I willing clung onto.

    We all know those that are in the remaining Yes movement for a independent Scotland seldom comment here nowadays,
    New names for coronation style gossip seems to be the in thing for soft Yesser or No’s
    But the strong voices that shared a independent Scotland first vision are no longer commenting, just a quick check will see names that have drifted away over the last year or so,
    But they still observe every now and again to see if anything has changed.

    The changes that are taken place and those forwarding ideas, are not here, keeping the Snp and Greens in the lime light.
    That is the MSM’s job now they have been joined at the hip with the devolved government parties, just like those connections with MSM political parties in Westminster. That is for Stonewall and british think tanks, the other msm, that ignores us when it pleases them, then has a opinion with regime change selecting the new party leader for Scotland, is not the Yes movement at all.

    Yes I am frustrated at the lack of adult capacity for clear thought here, and the lack of enthusiasm to make and create change for a better Scotland to live in.
    That small bean chit chat is really gonna save Scotland I am sure. But still, only if we are hoping England will save us,

    Frustration has been on going for Scots for many years, every time they get close, it is the politicians that thwart it by changing and the rules,

    Even AS, played at a the referendum game as first choice, rather than the using the knowledge he had over Westminster and the treaty of union, which he and I spoke about to myself and spouse, and he suggested added details to that, that even I did not know or had researched,

    There are other new sites attempting new avenues and growing creative thought so we do not become trapped into continuing UK colonisation with no Scottish parliament in a treaty since 1707.

    I am not the first to go by a long shot, but feel I have been loyal to wings for a lot longer than some whom saw the change happening before I.

    So between being busy at home, I too may read this site out of old loyalties. But at the same time move forward elsewhere.

    Sorry Stoker and Stu, if honesty is a problem nowadays, but old fashioned Scottish forthright speech is fast becoming a subsumed novelty by the diluting cancel culture of today where every one is so easily offended at the drop of a hat.
    This is the last place that used to hang on to those values, Stu has displayed and retained his own genetic ability of Scottish forthrightness for free speech which lets you know what he says, he means,
    So I cannot see him crying in a corner, saying you hurt my emotional feelings. He is a Scot.

  76. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    How about saying politicians who hand out contracts to friends or party donors without tender should be prosecuted.

    How about saying 13 years of Tory abuse with Austerity and recession but be brought to an end now.

    Criminals will be sent to the prison their genitalia dictates.

    How about every party in Scotland must show their membership numbers in Scotland and have a Scottish set of accounts displayed openly on an annual basis.

    Can SNP keep telling people that we are self sufficient in Electricity gas and water.

    Scots deserve better pensions that the Tories who are one of the worst in the EU and their plans to make you work into your 70’s is not on.

    Banks must pass on rate increases to savers.

    More focus on tax avoiders, nondom status and off shore account loop holes closed down.

    The London parties are all owned and steered by the billionaires and big corporations.
    It has become impossible to have any political success in England if you sit left of centre and put working and middle class families first.
    Also known as the vast majority.

  77. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    OK, lets get RADICAL….so radical that it scares the complacency and political naïvety out of all who call themselves «nationalist».
    When the attitude is fixed the British state ought to be a walkover.
    No more virtue signalling and holier-than-thou, hashtag posturing. Also Scotland is not a supplicant, she kowtows to no one.
    First impressions will really count here.

  78. Merganser
    Ignored
    says:

    bluegrass banjo @ 4.20

    Do you not think his missus is family then?

  79. Den
    Ignored
    says:

    iMO, this is going to all blow up, putting useless in power will be an act of self harm by the SNP , one they will never recover from , however the Scottish parliament will be dissolved as the Greens won’t back anyone but useless, so if he is not voted in HR goes tits up. If he does get voted in then at the next GE the SNP will get as many votes as Lord Sutch and his Monster Raving Looney party.

  80. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    fruitella the hun says: at 4:40 pm

    Only justifiable reason for making oil extraction a higher priority then decarbonising, which Ash Regan’s says is her primary policy because of the jobs involved, is when there’s a war on and we need it to fuel our mechanised military.

    Really, who knew tractors that help produce our food at all times run on air and not diesel.

    But if there were a war on, all the extraction and refinement paraphernalia makes easy conventional missile targets. An aggressor is always looking to disrupt your domestic energy supply, putting pain on those citizens/subjects who depend on it and through them on government resolve. That means we need a contingency – decentralised energy generation producing electricty or hydrogen coupled with drastically reduced demand through home insulation and far better planning of transport needs. Wind, solar (widespread, small scale) hydro and energy conservation should be recognised as a major part of our defence effort. Dependence on oil is a weakness

    An aggressor could then just target any hydrogen generating plant and other renewable infrastructure thus rendering the nation without power. You may recall a few trees blown down taking out power lines during storm Arwin left communities without power or heating for many days.

    If we do that we soon won’t need the fragile and climate-wrecking oil in the first place. When you do the calculation, turns out that every step we take to reduce our oil dependency for agriculture, heating and transport, is a step to improve our security, even ignoring the reduction in climate damage.

    Stop kids spending so much time on their fooking phones and computers, the planet saving thing to do is kick your kids out of their beds and send them to pick the tatties and other veg, thus instilling a work ethic, a better comprehension and respect for food production, and some physical exercise, and saving tractors burning huge amounts of diesel to harvest crops. 1100 litres a day in a big tattie harvesting machine.

    Who gets the financial benefit of oil production in peacetime? The idea we could create an equivalent to the Sovereign Fund in Norway needs explaining by its proponents. Is it by domestic consumers paying more than extraction costs (including any profit to the company or for replacement plant if it’s nationalised)? Or is it by extracting more than we need and selling the surplus? Which is exactly what has been going on for a century at least. Control of oil supplies was a major ingredient of 20th century wars and still plays a huge role in present day security. Pumping wells dry and opening new ones just because there is a profit to be made (by a billionaire) is the politics of rampant destructive capitalism. Pumping them dry and opening new ones because you can cream a tax off the consumer and call it a Sovereign Wealth Fund – well you don’t need the oil to tax to do that, you could tax anything people need.

    Who gets the financial benefit from renewable energy generation…

    I don’t have a vote in this leadership election as I never supported SNP on account of their attitude to oil, an attitude still evident in comments here. Maybe it’s their strong historic association with the North East. I’ll vote for a party that has a better regard for dealing with both climate damage and resilience to attack if, by election time, there is one freed from the TWAW-or-else contagion – whatever its position on independence from Westminster. Independence from the oil addiction will be much more significant for my grand-children!

    If you’re not limiting your grand kids time on their phones and computers, and sending them to pick veg then you are part of the problem, not the solution.

  81. Merganser
    Ignored
    says:

    Den.

    Sturgeon led the SNP up the garden path, drove a stake through its heart, and buggered off. It is the parrot in the Monty Python sketch. Useless will still try to sell the parrot for as long as he can. But will have as much success as he would flogging a dead horse.

  82. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    @James Che

    Keep your chin up (we’re all victims)

    The hysteria and perpetual chaos we’re experiencing belongs to NWO loser (it’s freaking-out with nowhere to go)

    It cannot handle the unlimited human power and social influence that you (public) hold over it.

    You’re winning…

  83. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Kate Forbes just can’t stop putting her foot in her mouth.

    “KATE Forbes does not believe that women should become church ministers, her campaign team has confirmed.

    In a letter published online in 2014 and unearthed by the Daily Record, Forbes wrote that “God’s plan for women” did not “permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man.”

    Although published anonymously on a blog called The Wee Flea many years ago, Forbes’s team confirmed both that she wrote the blog and continued to hold the same views.

    The letter was in response to calls from former Church of Scotland moderators Lorna Hood and David Lacy calling for an end to sexist views within the church.”

    https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenational.scot%2Fnews%2F23346779.kate-forbes-stands-view-women-not-become-ministers%2F

  84. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @fruitella the hun 4:40

    If there were a war on …

    You aving a larff? Don’t tell me you distrust the BBC so much you refuse to believe there’s a war on?

    There is some merit in the rest of your post, but if you are truly concerned about our security, it’s surprising you missed the obvious one – stop importing more people. Doesn’t matter if energy consumption per head is reduced if the head count continues to increase. The total energy needs and consumption stays the same or even increases.

    Every source I have seen points out that world energy consumption, including oil and gas consumption, is at historic record levels, and is expected to maintain its upwards trajectory.

  85. ronald anderson@gmail.com
    Ignored
    says:

    Me tinks fruitella the hun’s green slips showing

  86. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Klaus Schwab (World Economic Forum):

    “Globalism is an ideology that prioritizes the neoliberal global order over national interests.”:

    https://archive.ph/fVLvH

    Stewart McDonald MP (25/02/2023): Twit:

    “My column in ?@TheScotsman? today: ‘The war has made it clear that we (NWO) in Scotland cannot continue our long period of geopolitical slumber, opting out of global affairs… The world is changing around us, and we have to change with it.’”:

    https://archive.ph/XjPOT

  87. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    Dan

    I think of giant tractors as WMDs. Diesel fuel includes plant oils. I first drove a David Brown 660 when I was 10 (buckrake, hay; water, milk churns). A Ford 3000, a hay-bob and wee hills – great fun (40 years ago)

    Agree on kids and harvesting.

    Yes, power piped in is vulnerable but it’s a scale – the more centralised the production the easier the initial blow; maybe there won’t be any more wars affecting our land but I would always choose to design-in resilience over short-term cost.

    SNP and Greens currently oversee a planning system that does nothing to promote community ownership of solar farms. Haven’t looked at windmills.

    Hydro has been there since the war, there are nature conservation issues to consider before expansion (most low-hanging-fruit is harnessed already)

    My grandkids are growing up with potato tubs and greenhouses and such.

    You don’t seem to like what I’m contending, you don’t really say why – is it tribal distaste for environmentalists?

  88. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @James Che

    Not really believing you are going to walk away – soz 🙂

    Kinda agree that the idea of endlessly rehashing the merits of the candidates for the next 4 weeks is grim (FFS – 4 weeks – how are they running their campaigns – pigeon post and horse-drawn carriages?)

    Think positive, Regan is the only one with a workable plan. WM and HR elections will be plebiscites forever, 50% + 1 and we are offski. It’s the most straightforwards and understandable plan since 2014. Beats me why you would want to walk away while there is still a chance Regan will get it.

    And if she does, do you not believe 50% + 1 is possible? Surely this has to be a lot more feasible than endlessly waiting for a referendum?

    It might make sense to walk away in 4 weeks time if the incompetent continuity candidate gets it!

  89. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @Dan 5:48

    Go 100% renewable and you are snookered when it’s dark and the wind has calmed.

    Rule out fossil for base load, and you are left with nuclear. Hydro (pumped storage) and batteries won’t cover the demand from the entire country.

    If the unthinkable war happens, choose which you would rather be downwind of: Grangemouth, or Dounreay.

    Fusion might be the game changer.

  90. Mark Boyle
    Ignored
    says:

    Republicofscotland says:
    25 February, 2023 at 6:10 pm

    Kate Forbes just can’t stop putting her foot in her mouth.

    “KATE Forbes does not believe that women should become church ministers, her campaign team has confirmed.

    In a letter published online in 2014 and unearthed by the Daily Record, Forbes wrote that “God’s plan for women” did not “permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man.”

    Although published anonymously on a blog called The Wee Flea many years ago, Forbes’s team confirmed both that she wrote the blog and continued to hold the same views.

    The letter was in response to calls from former Church of Scotland moderators Lorna Hood and David Lacy calling for an end to sexist views within the church.”

    It wasn’t published “anonymously” – everyone knows The Wee Flea blog is published by obnoxious little prick the Rev. David Robertson, who has been trying to become a celebrity cleric for decades (usually by trolling Richard Dawkins – who banned him from his website, knowing a fellow troll when he saw one).

    He’s also the puppet master behind the so-called Scottish Family Party (although now safely tucked away in Oz he’s safe from any backlash his antics cause, leaving dozy Richard Lucas and the rest of the Solas Centre Muppet Show to take the flak).

    Robertson’s a two faced wee shit who attacks Wee Frees in the SNP one minute because he’s a bunnit wringing forelock touching Yoon who thinks the Scotch should know their place before their “betters”, moralises about them being attacked for their Christianity the next.

  91. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    ronald

    No flies on you!

    John

    Greens have always been concerned about population levels and pro decent forms of curtailing growth. Population has tripled since I was born. It was the marxist influence that attacked any discussion of it. I wasn’t involved between 1983/4 and 2014 when they took hold. I didn’t renew in 2015 once I’d seen what they were doing. Been waiting for them to come good but instead the have gotten worse so have given up on them.

    I’m on here because it’s an independence site run by a remarkable guy. I believe a fair chunk of the green vote – currently distributed around five parties (yes, even the tories) will be essential to a majority for independence but a some of the nats-first here just can’t help being horrible about them, which isn’t clever. I know there’s a war on.

  92. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    @James Che –

    The frustration is understandable but right now there’s a lot to ‘gossip’ about and it’s important that we keep on top of it even if we prefer not to participate.

    The goodwill and camaraderie which characterised the Yes movement we all felt part of was shattered by a broad range of cynical careerists in what passes for ‘intelligentsia’ in this country. They knowingly conspired with the British State to grind us down. They gave one another awards for thwarting the drive to independence.

    Some say forgive, forget, move on. Others want full disclosure, confessions, arrests, apologies, explanations i.e. ‘the Truth’, no matter how unpleasant it may be.

    Yeah, it’s messy and it may take many months before we’re back to the point at which Alex Salmond did the ‘honourable thing’ by resigning. But we’re not dealing with honourable people. They are shallow undemocratic shysters who would blood-eagle their own grannies if they believed it might advance their careers a jot. We have to be every bit as ruthless as them if our movement is to be saved. With that in mind, a period of flux along with much uncertainty and inevitable ‘gossip’ is surely worth enduring.

    I hope you continue to contribute here.

    😉

  93. Natal XY and proud
    Ignored
    says:

    ha ha Nicola ‘Imelda’ Sturgeon has bequethed her priceless shoe collection to Humza. Does he transform to a womxn as he slides in his feet??. We would like to know!!

  94. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    John Main says: at 6:47 pm

    Go 100% renewable and you are snookered when it’s dark and the wind has calmed.

    Wings is incredible for learning stuff tonight. Who knew wind and solar were the only renewable generation source…
    You could like Meygen have been developing up in the Pentland Firth over recent years, put turbines in the sea below the splash zone and harness tidal power, which is a constant as long as the moon is in the sky.
    And tidal power is also extremely predictable and consistent as it doesn’t have either the crazy strong storm surges or flat calm events like wind or surface wave power generation has to deal with, thus making the tidal generators far more efficient and consistent as they don’t have to be over-engineered to cope with extremes of weather.
    Tide times and flow also vary around Scotland’s huge coastline so load can be better balanced.

    Due to the ever increasing generation capacity of both on and offshore wind, the occasional still weather events when there is a deficit in demand to wind generation supply will reduce.

    But all talk of implementing real environmentally sound energy policy in Scotland is moot until we return to self-governance, because energy and all the other major powers we need to instigate improvements are reserved to Westminster.

  95. Shug
    Ignored
    says:

    Funny how a ship sinking on the Clyde and 2 people dead hardly makes the BBC news.

    I thought it significant

    Is it just me

  96. Lenny Hartley
    Ignored
    says:

    John Main, Salmond had a plan put in an interconnector to Norway and pump their water up their many hills by our surplus renewables until needed by us as base load, the plan was so good they have put in an interconnector from The North East of England to Norway.
    So we can still do that, fusion is pie in the sky for the foreseeable future, more money needs to be invested in tidal/wave.

  97. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    GLORY TO SCOTLAND!

  98. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    fruitella the hun at 6:32 pm

    You don’t seem to like what I’m contending, you don’t really say why – is it tribal distaste for environmentalists?

    Ha, in that case you don’t appear to have read any of my btl contributions over the years relating to energy, environmental, waste, and self-sufficiency / sustainability matters. 😉

  99. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    John Swinney (2022): re-Tweet:

    “#SlavaUkraini”:

    https://archive.ph/6WhXA

    John Swinney (25/02/2023): Twit:

    “Privileged to attend a commemoration in #Blairgowrie to show solidarity with the people of #U(redacted)e…”

    https://archive.ph/Z6DdO

  100. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Nae loss to me. I never understood the fuss over Mogwai. A poor man’s indi group , with only one good song.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/HumzaYousaf/status/1629431166209015808?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

  101. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Lenny

    Aye, the Norway interconnect came online just over a year back. Its gauge and other Euro connects can be seen by scrolling to the right of this link to the GB Grid dashboard.

    https://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/

    And at this current time Scotland is in the rare position of importing a small amount of power from England…

    https://extranet.nationalgrid.com/RealTime

    … But as can be seen in the first GB Grid link, due to low wind generation, CCGT combined cycle gas turbines are burning gas to produce 34% of GB Grid power, but much of that gas is being supplied from Scottish fields.

    https://mip-prd-web.azurewebsites.net/InstantaneousView

  102. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Klaus Schwab says nationalism is a threat to the Great Reset (2021): Video:

    “…if we do not stop these (nationalist) trends…”:

    https://tinyurl.com/22ap56cv

  103. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Elon Musk (25/02/2023): Twitter:

    “Now is the time to fight the anti-human woke mind virus with everything!”:

    https://tinyurl.com/375upyhh

  104. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    I have seen your posts. I started looking at this site around the Salmond trial.

  105. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Gregor. Its baffling to me how any nation gets to describe another as nationalist. Every nation is nationalistic. It seems some countries including the UK think they are exceptions to the adjective nationality. The word International would not exist without nations. It’s basically a phoney polemic used by big bully states.

  106. 100%Yes
    Ignored
    says:

    Republicofscotland

    I really can’t see how Kate can continue after saying a woman can’t hold a higher position than a man and then seek to be FM.

    I just hope her supporters back Ash Regan.

  107. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    @Big Jock re. nationalist

    Good point. It’s deprived and absurd.

    Hell mend (pity) the bad Actors exploiting it (self?).

  108. President Xiden
    Ignored
    says:

    Dan 7:22 pm
    “You could like Meygen have been developing up in the Pentland Firth over recent years, put turbines in the sea below the splash zone and harness tidal power, which is a constant as long as the moon is in the sky.“

    Can you tell me how much electricity is actually being generated by tidal power at the moment?

  109. Anton Decadent
    Ignored
    says:

    @fruitella

    Via my lifestyle choices and worldview I should be a shoo in for voting Green and have done so before I got wise to them. However, I know a captured front operation when I see one and the Greens are most definitely a captured front operation. This is not restricted to Scotland/England/Ireland/Wales Green parties, other European Green parties such as the Netherlands contain a proportion of what were the senior members of those countries Communist parties in the latter stage of the Twentieth Century/early Twenty First Century. The environmentalist front is the velvet glove over the fist of authoritarian communism, imo, the same as what people who are promised socialism receive instead.

    I have no doubt that there are many people with good intentions involved in the movement but people with good intentions are less likely to be in control than a globally networked, sharp elbowed, pushy bunch of people with ulterior motives and a compliant media.

  110. One_Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    Is it possible, if Ash Regan wins, we might just do this?

  111. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    100%.

    Although Forbes would be a better FM than Sturgeon (lets face it who wouldn’t) its Regan we need in as FM, the problem arises if somehow Forbes does become FM it will appease some of the indy support but not all of it, and Forbes is in no rush to attain independence

    If Yousaf becomes FM it could unite the Forbes and Regan support, ideally we need Regan to win and for Forbes supporters to get behind Regan. Again if Yousaf wins I think the SNP are finished as an indy party and Alba will flourish in its place.

    We need Regan to win and the Forbes supporters to get behind Regan, the entire British establishment including Sturgeon, Murrell and those SNP MSPs MPs who would lose their place on the gravy train will do everything to make sure Regan doesn’t win.

  112. Derek
    Ignored
    says:

    “Shug says:
    25 February, 2023 at 7:27 pm

    Funny how a ship sinking on the Clyde and 2 people dead hardly makes the BBC news.”

    It’s been on BBC radio news; I’ve listened to 6 Music, Radio Scotland and Radio 4 this afternoon/evening, and heard it on all of them. I don’t know about the telly, though.

  113. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    Anton

    Yes. The Ecology Party’s origins were loopy rich guys who had paid attention to how folk live with nature. Quite different from Die Grunen who were a creature of the new left. There were quite a lot of ex Socialists and even some ex-CP (or “ex”-YCL) members in the Ecology Party but we thought they, like ourselves from Scotland, were done with the (largely student) Left and their preoccupation with fighting street fascists (misled working class angry boys). The real left, in the trades unions, were too preoccupied with workplace issues to take environmental stuff seriously. They regarded us with derision, that is until they spotted people would vote for our ideas in some number compared to their ideas.

  114. akenaton
    Ignored
    says:

    “Ye need smeddum tae be richt coorse or richt kind”

    Meg Menzies in Smeddum by Lewis Grassic Gibbon.

    Kate Forbes has Smeddum. She, if given the chance, will deliver Independence in 5 years.

  115. James Che
    Ignored
    says:

    Gregor.

    You are encouraging in your own knowledge, you obviously read far and wide, and keep an eye on world events rather than what you are told to read and watch in the box,
    Only the people that keep an eye an ear to world politics can see the future that is planned for us by outside factors,
    I found the propaganda merchant further up telling, while discouraging us not to watch GB news, as it is propaganda,

    But every news channel contains propaganda. It is up to people to act as intelligent human beings to decipher which is which,
    We done this for thousands of years, before someone ever told us how to think.
    I hate the deep state paid for cancel culture that promotes this freedom of choice.
    In fact a Neil Oliver whom is a unionist in mindset, and a person I often turn of, is also on the road to awakening, He did a excellent commentary on ” Rationing ” this week, worth a watch.

  116. Breastplate
    Ignored
    says:

    One_Scot,
    I hope you’re correct but I would imagine that the most you could hope for with Regan as FM is that she clears some of the dross out of the SNP, she will have little time to do anything other than avoid being knifed in the back by her colleagues.

    At the moment the SNP MPs and MSPs are just a bag of careerist snakes with absolutely no integrity.
    We can hope Regan delivers what she says but the reality is she will have little in the way of support from her fellow “independistas”.

  117. Etticus
    Ignored
    says:

    Seen an interesting tweet from a blogger called Effie Deans where she tells a fairytale about modern Scotland where the Queen of Scotland, Nancy, got herself in a spot of bother regarding 600,000 missing ducals and the alleged stitch up of a rich lady who helped out Queen Nancy over the years and it was all this coming to a head that led to Queen Nancy resigning.

    If there is any truth in this Queen Nancy could be going to prison for a very long time.

    I wonder if the Rev or anyone with access to the secrets of the New SNP have any view on this?

  118. James Che
    Ignored
    says:

    John Main.

    My chin is up and I haven’t given up,

    But chosen between the devil and the deep blue see is not a choice.

    The devolved government is not our Parliament, and the first minister is not our prime minister,
    In fact there is no legislation for the position of prime minister in Westminster.
    Have you ever read up on how the position came about and when?

    I am leaving for a few reasons, it is not nice of me to pressure ”
    Stu” to talk of actual full independence of Scotland, as he informed us himself he had had some threats to his family and friends in the past,
    And I wish no harm to come to him or his family and friends.

    Another reason is I find it difficult to go backwards from my research on legalities of the treaty of the union, to coronation style gossip talking, of the devil and the deep blue sea scenario.
    Once you know, you know….and there is no going back to being dumb.

  119. James Che
    Ignored
    says:

    Ronald Anderson.

    I am not far behind you in age,
    But perhaps are that bit wiser in seeing the wood through the trees,

    The shop talk of the snp/Green agendas are just to keep us talking about the problems of …shop talk.
    It totally by passes us talking of other routes to independence, a carrot of a different colour, no less, but just as effective.

    Perhaps if we gained full control of our own politics, elections and parliament the wicked witch and the Green goblins would not be sitting where they are in Scotland, being spoon fed by the Colonialist parliament,

    The snp gossip and Green gossip keeps them in the lime light, Not Independence,

  120. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    @ President Xiden

    Some stats for the various completed and future phases in the MeyGen project.

    https://saerenewables.com/tidal-stream/meygen/

    400MW total potential in the scheme of things is not a huge amount of generation but it is developing the concept.
    For comparison, in this link you can see the potential generation stats for the blocks in the recent ScotWind auction.

    https://www.offshorewindscotland.org.uk/the-offshore-wind-market-in-scotland/scotwind-leasing-round/

  121. Rab Davis
    Ignored
    says:

    A quick look through the National and the Herald headlines, and I can’t find the words “Amy” or “Regan” anywhere.

    It’s as if she has been wiped off the face of the earth.

    They are making out that the SNP leadership race is between Hamza Yousaf and Kate Forbes.

    Orchestrated whitewash.

    Amy Regan, you really need to get whoever is handing your publicity to up their game, big time.

  122. Ron Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    A quick look through the National and the Herald headlines, and I can’t find the words “Amy” or “Regan” anywhere.

    They are making out that the SNP leadership race is between Hamza Yousaf and Kate Forbes.

    Orchestrated whitewash.

    Amy Regan, you really need to get whoever is handing your publicity to up their game, big time.

  123. Ron Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    James Che 10.05pm

    So what is your solution?

    What do you see that the rest of us mere mortals don’t?

    How do we become an independent nation without mentioning the Scottish parliament or the Parties within a.

    Why has Alex Salmond not put your plan into action?

    If you know of a quicker way, then please let us know.

    It would indeed cut out all this chit chat on Wings.

  124. laukat
    Ignored
    says:

    Hows is Sturgeon’s seven dimensional chess game going? Not heard much about it recently, is Humza the 8th dimension or a trip into the twilight zone?

  125. James Che
    Ignored
    says:

    It is indeed a bleak time in Scottish politics,

    I still hold the values of a independent Scotland foremost.

    However I am not into this catch 22 devolved government and all who continue to sail in that titanic of gossip laundry going around and around, those in that parliament are stealing our laws, our Sovereignty, and our minds

    If I continue, and its a big if at this stage, it will not be to feed that colonial monstrous brain draining political gossip they want us to do.

    It will to be to provide details of laws and statutes passed onto Scotland through Westminster while Scottish parliament was extinguish from the treaty of the union since 1707.

    Who knows legalities might sink in one day,

    But joining in the coronation style gossip, No, I am done with that, and will not contribute to what the backdoor rulers for Scotland promote for Scots.
    I have values that I apply, and will not join in to that speculative gossiping that always leads one from the direction they were going, to take down them down the wrong path.

  126. DJ
    Ignored
    says:

    John Main says:
    Think positive, Regan is the only one with a workable plan. WM and HR elections will be plebiscites forever, 50% + 1 and we are offski. It’s the most straightforwards and understandable plan since 2014.

    Absolutely, John. If Ash can pull it off, this is truly the way to go. Westminster will be on the proverbial hook, unable to take their eye off of the ball.

  127. Garavelli Princip
    Ignored
    says:

    Ron Clark:

    Who th hell is “AMY” Regan?

  128. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    @James Che re, “…In fact a Neil Oliver whom is a unionist in mindset, and a person I often turn of, is also on the road to awakening, He did a excellent commentary…”

    I’ve also been observing Oliver’s conscious awakening with great interest. My opinion of him has drastically changed and he has my full public support.

    Reality will catch up with the masses (NWO has lost, miserably).

    It will be somewhat turbulent and messy (picking up the NWO pieces), but we’re going to restore Scotland/humanity – and it’s gonna be awesome…

  129. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    Another reason for the 50% + 1 proposal Ash suggests to be adopted…
    I wonder how this Referendum Super Majority Bill is progressing.

    https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3361

  130. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Neil Oliver (23/02/2023): The key questions we should be asking our national/global leaders (re. NWO Great Reset/unmitigated societal chaos):

    “Who do they think they are”

    “We (public) didn’t vote for any of this”

    “We (public) haven’t been consulted about any of it”

    “This is top-down centralised control (enough is enough)”

  131. Gregory Beekman
    Ignored
    says:

    Did I see Neil Oliver mentioned and also praised?

    I’m sorry, but he’s mad. He’s not someone to look up to.

  132. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Strangeways (2021): And The Horse: Great Awakening:

    “…Strange minds have taken over everything…

    Face to face with myself again…”:

    https://tinyurl.com/mtwj8vby

  133. Shug
    Ignored
    says:

    If Humza wins the first thing he will need to do is clear out Nicola’s people. If he does not they will turn on him, it’s what they do.
    I do not see how any new leader can survive retaining these Muppets around him.

  134. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s the message that counts (re. true, or not):

    Neil Oliver (19/02/2023): Twitter:

    “I don’t think governments value human beings anymore. Those we entrust with power – our own power – have long since stopped seeing their populations for what they are, or could be, which is filled with potential.”:

    https://archive.ph/cfFJw

  135. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    NWO Great Reset is real (it’s looking down on you all and laughing right in your face):

    “…the World Economic Forum is starting The Great Reset initiative…”:

    https://www.weforum.org/great-reset

  136. Confused
    Ignored
    says:

    cheer up, peeps

    If indy was easy it would have happened a long time ago; let’s wargame all this

    – Humza is an incompetent grifter, a puppet animated by another will; even his “own people” don’t think much of him, and on social issues note that islam and presbyterianism have a lot to agree on (the double standard of who gets the hard questions and journalist cowardice towards islam, irritates). Suppose he wins – well, he is incompetent and has nothing like Nikki’s skill for triangulation and plate spinning, holding all the contradictions together. He might well destroy the SNP similar to what happened to Labour – then we will see mass defections to ALBA

    – if Forbes or Regan get in, I think the wokists will get flushed, not immediately and by God they will fight it, but everyone hates them, everyone and wants to see them gone

    – some people say Regan will really go for indy, which is also a good thing. Regan does not hate Salmond or ALBA.

    None of these things is bad, and the idea that Humza will continue to execute the Sturgeon agenda with skill and success, seems far-fetched as it would be a first; the guy’s a diddy, even if he is working off a crib sheet

    None of these folks are true leaders of the SNP, the YES movement or Scotland – we all know who the real BOSS is.

    – when Napoleon made his comeback, the French sent out their forces to oppose him but “on seeing the Emperor’s star” the generals just fell in with him.

    you know who I am talking about.

    When this rancid union, this 300 year crime operation goes, I think it could happen -quick- like a roof collapsing. I can’t wait.

    Look on the current situation as entertainment, but watch closely who supports and attacks each candidate.

  137. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Elon Musk (26/02/2023): Twitter:

    “Disturbingly accurate”:

    https://archive.ph/FtBYb

  138. Derek
    Ignored
    says:

    “Ron Clark says:
    25 February, 2023 at 10:19 pm

    A quick look through the National and the Herald headlines, and I can’t find the words “Amy” or “Regan” anywhere.”

    Funny, that. Amy?

  139. Muscleguy
    Ignored
    says:

    Humza ‘reopresents’Glasgow Cathcart whilst living the high life here in Broughty Ferry. I ken pretty much where.

    The idea this man is going to be happy to live in Bute House is laughable. As leader his odd home base is going to be highlighted. The security will mean we will know EXACTLY which house. I reckon the cycle path runs right behind it. Security nightmare.

    The man clearly holds the voters in Glasgow Cathcart in contempt.

  140. Ron Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    Garavelli Princip. 11.19om

    “Who the hell is Amy Regan?”

    Garavelli,,,Typo of the highest order.lol well spotted.

    C’mon Ash Regan.

  141. Ron Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    Typo earlier on regards Ash Regan.

    But it doesn’t change the point I was making.

    Looking through the National and Herald headlines, there is no mention of the name Ash Regan.

    This is a deliberate ploy by these two papers to wipe Ash Regan off the political map.

    Anyone would think the SNP leadership race was between Yousaf and Forbes.

  142. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    So, I now see that homophobic bigot, and SNP leadership hopeful, Kate Forbes doesn’t think women should be allowed to be church ministers.

    Quote “God’s plan for women” did not “permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man.”

    Source https://www.thenational.scot/news/23346779.kate-forbes-stands-view-women-not-become-ministers/

    That is quite a list of now publicised ‘personal views‘, that are wholly backwards, regressive and discriminatory. She opposes gay (not trans) rights and equality, she thinks folk born outside marriage are wrong, she opposes a women’s right to abortions, and now to top it all, she doesn’t believe in equality for women.

    Wow. Mibbes Kate should stand as leader of the Tories? Oh, hang on, her views would be too extreme even for the Tories.

    Does nobody in the SNP understand just how utterly toxic and discriminatory those views are? Her political opponents will be overjoyed if she is chosen as SNP leader. Those ‘personal bigotted views’, which she has made public, will be dragged up over and over and over again, at every opportunity, and in every TV interview.

    It Will kill the SNP (and by extension the independence movement) stone dead. Lots of SNP MSPs and MPs will be looking for new jobs.

  143. Beauvais
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Louis @7:14am

    Aye, Kate Forbes, an accountant who believes in the literal truth of the bible.

    Now there would be a leader……….to take Scotland into the 19th century!

  144. SusanAHF
    Ignored
    says:

    Kate Forbes is certainly no worse than someone who believes people can be born in the wrong body, that feelings trump physical reality and humans can change sex. Now THOSE characteristics DO indicate a nutter.

  145. Effijy
    Ignored
    says:

    With the Kate Forbes issue we are forced to decide between someone
    with devout beliefs that marriage within her church is between man and women.

    You can go against that by believing that violent and dangerous men can say they are women
    and request access to a woman’s prison where their is a captive audience to abuse.

    What I do like is the idea of a leader who doesn’t believe in lying through their teeth on a daily basis, doesn’t want government contract for friends and supporters and who is busy
    having clandestine affairs and malicious attacks on their opponents within the party.

    Bond St Station on the Elizabeth Line finished on £570 million over budget and late.
    Crossrail London £600 million over budget and late. HS2 latest estimate £60 Billion over budget and no longer reaching the start or finish it was promised for.
    Chris Grayling Tory Minster who spent £150 on Brexit ships that never existed and never will.
    F… Ferries?

  146. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Louis says:
    26 February, 2023 at 7:14 am

    So, I now see that homophobic bigot, and SNP leadership hopeful, Kate Forbes doesn’t think women should be allowed to be church ministers.

    Surely you argument is with all the main religions.

    Why aren’t you attacking them?

    It looks as if all the LGBT+ bullies can do is attack women.

    https://archive.is/7rccH

    It went onto say that Muslims “believe marriage is a sacred institution and that marriage is between a man and a woman”.
    It added: “We believe in modesty and sexual relations within the boundaries of marriage. We believe that gender is binary and irrevocably linked to sex. That life is our greatest gift and to be protected. These are our beliefs and we hold fast to them.”

  147. Bob Mack
    Ignored
    says:

    @James Che,

    If you can’t even fight your corner on here, what exactly are you going to do to fight everybody who is against a free Scotland ?

  148. Ian Murray
    Ignored
    says:

    Humza is the “continuity” candidate, he has a bad case of Stockholm Syndrome “roll on 2050”
    I like Kate, she is pretty forthright but not a polished speaker and may not push as hard as we want for Indy
    Ash has been a bit confusing on the Indy issue but she seems committed enough.

  149. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:


    One_Scot says:
    25 February, 2023 at 9:09 pm
    Is it possible, if Ash Regan wins, we might just do this?

    Yes.

    In the UK, all the societal protocols put power in the hands of politicians who survive or fall on their popularity. The individual is all powerful, or looks that way, but in reality the Government is just the shopfront for a Neoliberal Establishment which just wants you docile and dispossessed of everything you own.

    To date in Scotland, with regards Independence, our mistake has not been our failure to win the race, (spoiler alert… the race is rigged. We never will win), our failure has been to enter the race in the first place.

    To the best of my knowledge, never before had our Independence Movement been so well apprised of the Claim of Right, and Scotland’s Rights as a nation under International Law versus Scotland’s Rights as a region under domestic UK Law.

    The Establishment system recognises this as a Parish Council staging a mutiny against the Establishment, and it will never allow itself to be overthrown. Never. It’s seen as preposterous.

    Many pro-Indy hopefuls are also conflicted and dispirited by this, because they routinely swallow the UK Koolaid and recognise what they’re doing as an act of mutiny, don’t truly believe in their chances of success, and conform to their indoctrination. I’ve seen this described as being, “hooked on hopeium”.

    But the grass has moved beneath our feet.

    The Claim of Right isn’t a new phenomenon. People have declared Scotland’s Sovereignty as a Constitutional Right before, but it has never turned into momentum for change because of three things, (in my opinion anyway).

    First, Sovereignty is a noble concept, but abstract. Nobody knows what it is or understands the mechanisms to make it work. The Claim of Right exists, but there’s no linkage between the people and the power. The gun might be loaded and ready to shoot, but there’s no trigger mechanism.

    Second, we have a Schrödinger’s Constitution; it both exists and doesn’t exist at the same time, and this dichotomy is squared by accepting the myth that Sovereignty exists, but it’s just a vestige of itself and somewhat honorary; it has no potency. This is a self renewing sophistry designed to make challenge of the system self defeating.

    Third, people are naturally conservative (small ‘c’) by nature, and trust in incremental progress and distrust the radical alternatives. People will trust the integrity of a thoroughly rotten democratic sham over a “magic bullet” shortcut to Independence which defeats the Establishment strategically, such as destroying the UK by destroying the Treaty of Union.

    What has changed? SALVO has changed.

    SALVO has taken this abstract concept of the Claim of Right, uncovered supporting material which makes the Claim of Right much more significant, and has given us a credible way of codifying what the Claim of Right properly is, and taking steps to bridge the gap between Scottish people and their Sovereignty.

    In crude terms, Scotland does indeed have a magic bullet that is capable of bringing and end to the UK, but SALVO is doing wonders to de-mystify this magic bullet. It isn’t magic, it is the due process of Law. Scotland’s Constitutional Rights are protected by Law, not magic.

    If you like, SALVO has made the radical Constitutional route to Independence much, much less of a white knuckle ride, and made the fundamentalist principles much more appealing to conservative (small’c’) political types. The net result is now have a, so far small but growing, caucus of political types now warming to the idea of doing something radical.

    Of the three hopefuls, Humza’s victory means defeat for all of us.
    Forbes I think would be ok, but spend her energies rebuilding Holyrood.
    Only Regan is speaking the language of a more radical interpretation of Scotland’s Red Sovereignty.

    My “dream team” for Holyrood would be Regan as the guv’nah, tyres screeching as she tears about Edinburgh in a 1974 Ford Consul 3000 GT, with the Sweeney music playing full blast. Oops. showing my age amn’t I…

    Forbes No 2, because while I generally struggle to warm to Bible thumping types, she seems… how can I put it. Forbes seems calibrated to reflect her convictions, and not be afraid to say something which the media will go into a frenzy about. I hope she stays that way, doesn’t get rattled, but stands her ground. She is a very articulate communicator, even with controversial opinions, and in the months ahead, she could be an absolutely pivotal spokesperson in the movement.

    Humza? Who cares?

  150. Willie
    Ignored
    says:

    Ash Regan is the candidate who wants to move Independence onto the front burner of priority, is the candidate who wants to set up an inclusive Independence Convention and is the candidate supported by Joanna Chirry MP KC.

    By comparison, and no harm to Kate Forbes she is a Conservative comfortable with private capital for public service facilitated by people like the Charlotte Street Partnership. She also showed a lack of supporting her belief when she avoided voting saying she was on maternity leave. More of the same I’m afraid, independence would be, like Sturgeon, on the long finger.

  151. akenaton
    Ignored
    says:

    Susan, I have the greatest respect for you, one of the few who see the bigger picture.
    The rantings above have no effect on me, as the process has been going on for decades…..They have tarnished “equality”, they lie and misrepresent at every opportunity, ignoring the negative aspects.

    I see in Mrs Forbes a strength of will that only women possess and I’m sure it can be used to inspire our people to take the correct path forward.
    We had a lucky escape from the society promoted by Mr Louis, made possible by clear thinking people like you. Your stance is noted and appreciated.

  152. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    ROBERT LOUIS.
    Kate Forbes has «rights» too, one of them the right to freely express opinions that go against the current social grain without being attacked as a «bigot» which certainly she does not seem to be in her statements on her role as potential FM.
    Is a bigot someone who does not tick the on trend social boxes?
    All rather adolescent.

  153. President Xiden
    Ignored
    says:

    @Dan

    Thanks for your reply though it does appear that tidal is not actually generating much at the moment. Yes potentially, there could be vast amounts generated this way but that day is not yet here. I agree we should continue to research and develop more sustainable methods but the fact remains that fossil fuels will still be required for the time being.

  154. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    EFFIJY.
    London alone is sufficient reason for Scotland to say adieu UK.
    No problems there with funding.
    Sturgeon actually believed the further development of Heathrow was a good thing for Scotland…!!!

  155. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Ian Murray says:
    26 February, 2023 at 9:02 am

    Humza is the “continuity” candidate, he has a bad case of Stockholm Syndrome “roll on 2050”
    I like Kate, she is pretty forthright but not a polished speaker and may not push as hard as we want for Indy
    Ash has been a bit confusing on the Indy issue but she seems committed enough.

    They didn’t get much warning that the job was going to be available.

    No time and possibly no money to get ‘coaching’

    https://archive.is/EnSwr

    The discovery that £50,000 of public money was spent by the Scottish Government on ‘coaching’ these witnesses before they appeared before the Committee is hugely suspicious.

    I don’t want a polished speaker I just want someone who tells the truth.

  156. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Muslims “believe marriage is a sacred institution and that marriage is between a man and a woman”.
    It added: “We believe in modesty and sexual relations within the boundaries of marriage. We believe that gender is binary and irrevocably linked to sex. That life is our greatest gift and to be protected. These are our beliefs and we hold fast to them.”

    If I were a Muslim and a candidate came along who claimed to be a Muslim I would assume he believed all the above and would vote for him and expect him to represent my views in parliament.

    If he didn’t I would feel cheated and wonder if he actually was a Muslim or just a con artist.

    Pretty similar to the way Independence supporters feel about the SNP.

  157. Vivian O’Blivion
    Ignored
    says:

    With regard to Yousaf’s “bold”, “dynamic”, “urgent” plans to restart independence campaigning, when even the hacks from McPrävda are telling you to your face “yeah mate, heard it all before”, it ain’t looking good.
    Humzabot 2000 inspires about as much enthusiasm as an overdue gas bill.

  158. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Speaking as an agnostic/atheist , I appreciate Kate Forbes straightforward statement of HER belief.
    I call it refreshing to have a politician NOT dodging her truth.
    I don’t necessarily agree with her on all points but I respect her honesty and look forward to a whole lot more honesty from our politicians.
    ( could fill a few jail cells if they were all honest)

  159. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert. A bigot is someone who is intolerant of other people’s beliefs, nationality, creed or colour. A bigot can be from the extreme right or extreme left, or even the so called moderate middle.

    Kate has religious beliefs that some people don’t agree with. That is not the problem. The problem is when people sho claim to be Liberal. Tell her she us not allowed to hold such views. These people are the problem in society.

    Most religious people do not impact on anyone’s lives. Because it is our elected government who make the laws. As far as I am concerned it is of no relevance , unless such a person cam make laws aligned with their religion. Clearly that would be impossible in Scotland.

    Which brings me to the intolerant Liberal wing of the SNP. The wing drip fed by Sturgeon. The intolerant biological sex deniars. The majority of Scotland rejects their quasi religious doctrine on gender identity. Yet they tried to force this on thd population against its will. Albeit aided and abetted by our MSPs. Anyone who stepped outside tge doctrine were shouted down and labelled bigots by our own FM. They are the intolerant ones, the ones denying Forbes a voice.

    These people are the most dangerous in Scottish society. Because their gender religion has more influence than it has a right to.

    If you think about the abuse yes voters put up with from British nationalist. That includes the WM government, who don’t even think we have a right to exist. There is your state sponsored intolerance in a nutshell.

  160. Lynn
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Louis ,

    My understanding is the equality law is there to protect peoples expression of faith to make sure they are not discriminated against in public settings . Particularly with employment access to public resources etc . For example when applying for a job in the public sphere . Any use of their faith , any name calling or removal of applications on that bases is in fact discriminatory. They are also free to express their faith and laws in place to prevent others from discriminating against them . Others are free to disagree with their faith however be very clear there is a fine line with the name calling .
    However you seem to not understand that faith itself does not come under equality law apart from some aspects of employment where some modifications can be put in place . So you will see say in some Synagogues male and females sitting separately. Or say within a Mosque. Or that particular roles are carried out in a particular way by leaders . If you don’t align with any of these aspects you can withdraw as a free citizen and carry along to a faith that aligns with your particular practices .

    That is the freedom currently protected in the U.K. .

    So I hope you better understand equity laws do not govern the practice of faith just the right to practice .

    Any citizen called names because they practice a faith is protected by law in the same way and to the same level as sexuality is a protected characteristic. Once you cross that line and personalise it you are open to accusations of discrimination. However if you have an objection you are better making it a generalisation of an aspect of faith .

    You have gone straight to a personal attack and thats the problem . It does not really matter if you agree or not faith is not an equality just the right to practice it and speak about it without free of intimidation, hatefulness or discrimination.

  161. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruby people voted for Humza knowing full well his beliefs. So you are correct. The Forbes stuff is just distraction.

  162. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    The Bute House shredder will busy. I see SNP beaks have been interviewed by the fraud squad.

    According to Daily Rag:

    It’s is understood that Petunia Murrell will have “access in real time to how members are voting from the moment the polls open at midday on March 13 and close at midday on March 27.”

  163. Beauvais
    Ignored
    says:

    Ash Regan’s commitment to prioritising independence is no doubt genuine. However, if she wins – and that’s a mighty big if, considering that corrupt Murrell is the election’s returning officer – one has to wonder if any leader of the infiltrated and infighting SNP could now avoid enough compromises to successfully move Scotland to freedom.

    Ash has said she’d work with Alba and Salvo, and that’s an encouraging noise. However it seems to me unlikely that any co-operative venture would succeed unless Alba is calling the shots.

  164. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    Stats, computer models and report commissioned by pro Union business.
    https://archive.ph/fmB72
    Lies, damned lies and Unionism.

  165. Izzie
    Ignored
    says:

    Ok cue the conspiracy theorists after Regan’s car crash interview on BBC

  166. Izzie
    Ignored
    says:

    Ok cue the conspiracy theorists after Regan’s car crash interview on BBC

  167. akenaton
    Ignored
    says:

    Izzie, “Que?”.

  168. Gordon Gekko
    Ignored
    says:

    Kate Forbes is Brussels Trojan horse

    A blind man can see it.

    She fully supported the growth commission which is one of the worst economic papers ever produced.

  169. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    On another note. 70% of SNP members are over 50. Only 3% under 24. The media are overplaying the youth wing. Which ultimately Humza is relying on. I can’t see him winning with demographics.

  170. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    Damn, missed it. FFS Ash Regan is more elusive than BigFoot.

    Anyone got a link to this interview?

  171. Shug
    Ignored
    says:

    Is there anything in the national about Ash Regan

    Wonder why they do not cover her campaign

    Just asking

  172. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Alex Neil (26/02/2023): Twitter:

    “Other people who were witnesses to these events have confirmed to members of the Scottish press that I am correct and Humza is being economical with the truth”:

    https://archive.ph/vk8Nb

  173. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Humza is toast. People don’t like dishonesty. But more than that. He is completely incompetent.

  174. Izzie
    Ignored
    says:

    I wonder if Humza was given the heads up re Nicola’s resignation and that is why he dropped the complaint against the Brought Ferry nursery

  175. PacMan
    Ignored
    says:

    I still believe that Yousaf will get elected as it will be Sturgeons fall back legacy that she shaped a society where a person of color can be elected FM of Scotland (I used the American spelling deliberate as this is just another example of yank identity politics corrupting out society).

    If he does, the SNP’s future electoral chances are finished. It isn’t because of Yousaf’s dishonesty over the same-sex marriage but goes deeper than that.

    You can just see with his manner and demeanour that he is nothing but a overgrown man-child who has a tantrum every time he can’t get his way. He is never going to be able to deal with the pressure cooker that is being First Minster where the buck stops with him and he hasn’t the abilities to deflect or bluff his away out of it, like his predecessor.

    Besides, I’m sure the female part of population have come across guys like him throughout their lives and it will be hard for them to warm to him, never mind vote for the party leads.

  176. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Great as always!

  177. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks says: at 9:08 am

    My “dream team” for Holyrood would be Regan as the guv’nah, tyres screeching as she tears about Edinburgh in a 1974 Ford Consul 3000 GT, with the Sweeney music playing full blast.

    Unfortunately that’s going to be difficult now what with the new low emission zone in the city centre.
    The old Essex 3.0 V6 engine running a 38 DGAS Weber carb had a basic positive crankcase ventilation breather system and that was about it for emission control.

    President Xiden say: at 9:23 am

    Thanks for your reply though it does appear that tidal is not actually generating much at the moment. Yes potentially, there could be vast amounts generated this way but that day is not yet here. I agree we should continue to research and develop more sustainable methods but the fact remains that fossil fuels will still be required for the time being.

    Aye, it’s going to take considerable time and a lot of work and money to reduce fossil fuel use.
    EG. Only approximately 25% of Scotland’s rail network is currently electrified (mostly around the central belt), and this means train in 75% of the network have to run on diesel power, though I understand there is one hydrogen powered locomotive in use.
    And of course hydrogen fuel is only environmentally sound if the considerable energy required to produce the hydrogen is generated from a renewable source.

  178. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Pacman. Bear in mind the youth wing in the SNP are 3%. It will be the over 50s that decide. Most of which are actual independence supporters, and many old fashioned Christians. The media are overplaying the religious card.

    Forbes is still well ahead of Humza.

  179. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Elon Musk (26/02/2023): Twitter:

    “The media is racist”:

    https://archive.ph/o5Tyy

  180. SusanAHF
    Ignored
    says:

    Thank you akenaton, we disagree on some things but can still find others to agree on.
    OT but just so people know where this “progressive” society is going, Spain voted to make BESTIALITY legal, as long as the animal doesn’t require veterinary treatment as a result…sickening. That’s what the + stands for.

  181. Brian Doonthetoon
    Ignored
    says:

    Hi Dan.

    I’ve come to think that electricity generating turbines attached to the legs of the Tay Road Bridge, sufficiently deep enough to be driven by the natural flow of the river and the incoming tide, when the flow is reversed, would be a spiffing idea.

    After all, the Tay puts more water into the sea daily, than the Thames and Severn combined.

  182. Gordon Gekko
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s quite easy to get monetary independence which then allows policy space if we can’t walk away under the law.

    All we really need to do is launch a parallel currency to avoid Last neon rule. In the same way any country within the EU can to free itself from Brussels rule.

    Because EU countries don’t possess enough Euros to pay its citizens to provide all the goods and services needed to maintain and run the public sector of its social economy. And they can’t “create” the additional Euros it needs because that prerogative is the exclusive right of the EU Central Bank which, even as those countries who are a sovereign member of the EU, has no control over.

    The same position Scotland is in within the UK. London cannot stop us from doing it.

    How you do it is issue tax credits and call them Alba’s.This would be a piece of “official” paper, signed with an important signature, on which was printed something like the following:

    The Sovereign Scottish Government promises the bearer of this paper £10 of credit on taxes owed to the Sovereign Scottish Government.

    In short the Alba’s issued by the Scottish government are tax credits that allows any tax you have in £’s to be paid off.

    This amounts to exactly the same thing as making a direct credit on a citizens’ tax account, but we now have set in motion a curious set of subsequent economic actions:

    1. Upon receiving 15 Alba tax credits for 1 hours work you can put them under your mattress for safekeeping until the day your taxes in £’s must be paid.

    2. Or you can use the 15 Alba tax credits to purchase a dinner at your neighborhood resteraunt. The owner of the resteraunt is willing to accept them in exchange for the lasagna, garlic bread, and wine because they, too, has to pay taxes to the Scottish government. So, for all practical purposes, receiving the Alba’s is just the same as receiving pounds for them as well.

    Now we have to ask an important question: Is the amount of goods and services Scotland can obtain by issuing and “spending” its paper tax-credits still directly limited by the amount of tax liabilities it can impose on its citizens?

    In other words, if every Scottish citizen theoretically has received enough Alba’s to pay their taxes with—either having received them directly from the government for providing public services, or having received them from other citizens in exchange for lasagna dinners—will the citizens’ willingness to exchange real goods and services in exchange for the Alba’s come to a halt?

    Crucially, the answer is No. This is because the act of “embodying” the tax-credits in exchangeable pieces of paper has given the Alba’s a usefulness in addition to their usefulness as tax payments: This additional usefulness, of course, is the ability to use them to buy goods and services from other Scottish households and businesses.

    Thus, the number of paper tax-credits in “circulation” could vastly exceed, at any given time, the total actual tax liabilities of the Scottish population. The Alba’s would continue to be accepted for lasagna dinners, because the restaurant owners know they can use the Alba’s they receive to subsequently buy clothing and pay their bills etc, etc, etc as long as these businesses accept them— in addition to using them to pay their taxes.

    It will no doubt have dawned on most readers that what we’ve just created is “money.” Specifically, we’ve created what is called “fiat money”—which happens to be the kind of money the world has been using now for the past half century (ever since the U.S. formally abandoned the gold-standard in 1971). Having thus conjured a rudimentary image of fiat-money to life we should quickly make some important (and perhaps startling) observations about it.

    Observation 1: How does the Alba “currency” come into existence? The sovereign Scottish government creates it. Paper tax-credits are not created by banks, nor are they borrowed from China—or even the EU Central Bank. They are printed by the Scottish government. Note: Alba’s could also be created by the Scottish government digitally—that is, with keystrokes that enter numbers in an electronic ledger of account. In either case, the point is ONLY the Scottish government has the legal right to create them. Why? Because that is the prerogative of sovereignty and the definition of fiat money.

    Observation 2: How many Alba’s can the Scottish government create and spend? Or, to rephrase the question more precisely, how many times can the Scottish government promise to accept one of its paper tax-credits in exchange for a £’s worth of taxes owed? The answer is simple: as many times as it wants! It doesn’t matter if all the taxes have been paid in full—it can still issue and spend the promise over and over again. The citizens will continue to accept the promise in exchange for real goods and services for two reasons: first, they know other Scottish citizens and businesses will accept the promise as payment for lasagna dinners and, second, they know for sure that taxes due will come around again—and soon.

    Observation 3: If (as observation 2 suggests is possible) the Scottish government just keeps issuing and spending its paper tax-credits (fiat money) to buy goods and services from its citizens, won’t the number of Alba’s in circulation keep growing until, inevitably, the price of things in the Scottish economy begins to skyrocket? A lasagna dinner that used to cost 15 Alba’s suddenly costs 150! In other words: Inflation. The answer, of course, is Yes. So what can the Scottish government do to keep a lid on the inflationary pressure created by its continued issuing and spending of Alba’s? Two things:

    The government can continue to collect taxes from the citizens (or, if necessary, even increase the taxes in collects). Taxes will remove Alba’s from circulation, reducing the number of them available in the market-place to buy lasagna dinners and other goods and services. Taxes, then, have a dual virtue in a fiat money system: they continuously reinforce the citizens’ desire to earn the government’s paper tax-credits—and they drain the paper tax-credits out of the market place, helping to keep prices stable.The

    The government can also create special savings accounts that citizens can put their excess Alba’s in. The accounts would earn interest (paid by the government with new Alba’s)—but the agreement would be that the citizen would leave their “old” Alba’s in the account, untouched, for a period of time—say 10 years. This means a large number of Alba’s which would otherwise be competing to pay for lasagna dinners would be replaced with a much smaller number of Alba’s (the interest payments). The net result will be fewer Alba’s buying goods and services in the market-place. If you want, you could call these special savings accounts “Scottish granny bonds.”

    Observation 3: What happens to the Alba’s when they are presented to the Scottish government as tax payments? The mind-money framework we learn from early childhood “tells us” that the taxes collected by a national government are what the government then uses to pay for public goods and services. Crucially, however, this IS NOT TRUE with a fiat-money system. Looking at the paper tax-credit system we’ve just described, it’s clear that (by logical necessity) the government FIRST issues and spends the paper tax-credit, then it accepts it back as a tax payment. At that point of taking it back, the tax-credit is of no further use to the government.

    It is simply cancelled: it becomes a particular citizen’s tax liability with a line drawn through it. If the government needs to spend another paper tax-credit, it simply issues a new one. (It is actually easier and more efficient to issue new tax-credits than to “recycle” old ones.)

    Observation 4: Is it logical for a sovereign government to borrow the paper tax-credits it has issued? Please try, for a moment, to wrap your mind around this question! Here is something that ONLY the Scottish government can create, and something it can create as many of as it needs, at any time it needs them. Why would it ever want, or need, to “borrow” them from the Scottish citizens? It is, therefore, illogical to imagine the Scottish government ever being “in debt” to its citizens! The Granny Bonds we mentioned previously are not a “debt” the Scottish government owes to anyone—they are savings accounts which hold the citizens’ excess Alba’s for a specified period time. When the bonds “mature,” the Alba’s are simply transferred back to the citizen. In a fiat money system, therefore, it is illogical (and irresponsible) to imagine or describe Government Bonds as being the government’s “debt”—or, more specifically, to talk about that “debt” as being “unsustainable,” or to suggest the government cannot pay its citizens to undertake and accomplish some important task because it will “increase the government’s debt.”

    Having made these observations, it appears the Scottish government has stumbled on an actual solution to the “austerity” it has been forced to impose on itself by London.

    Except we must now confront the fact that the rules of the UK might not ALLOW Scotland to issue and spend its own sovereign fiat currency! The only “money” Scotland is allowed to use is the £—and the only way the Scottish government can obtain £’s is either by collecting them as taxes from its citizens, via the UK budgeting process, which has the exclusive prerogative of issuing them. And these methods of obtaining £’s to spend are falling short of what Scotland needs.

    So…. Scotland has decided to pay its citizens with tax-credits, and then (why not?) with paper tax-credits. And then, presumably, the UK says, “Whoa, hold on here! It looks like you are printing your own money, which is not allowed by our rules!”

    We could then proceed to an International Court in which Scotland claims it isn’t breaking the UK rules because it isn’t printing “money” but is simply issuing tax-credits. The UK would then have to argue that “tax-credits” are, in fact, what “money” is!

    In making that argument, it would be forced to explain everything we’ve just explained which would, in turn, reveal and establish not only the absurdity of the UK monetary system, but also the Euro and the misunderstanding and mismanaging its money system—and unnecessarily making a vast majority of the world’s citizenry miserable in the process.

  183. Cactus
    Ignored
    says:

    Their processed continuity candidate… Humza three times a lady. Scotland deserves so much better and the ‘real’ thing.

    Scotland needs a proper lady First Minister this time and one who genuinely wants to offer and re-achieve a vote for iScotland soonest, without further distraction or delay. Anytime around October this year thank you lady.

    A very customised tight fit, but wullie get to walk in em?:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLH-wVqkAzI

  184. gregor
    Ignored
    says:

    Joanna Cherry KC (26/02/2023): Twitter:

    “This story could derail the #SNPLeadershipElection. Douglas resigned because he wasn’t given access to the information to do his job as Treasurer. Those who know the whereabouts of the ring fenced funds should speak up now to avoid further damage to the party”:

    https://archive.ph/8UReD

  185. Rev. Stuart Campbell
    Ignored
    says:

    “Amy Regan, you really need to get whoever is handing your publicity to up their game, big time.”

    Clearly so, if you think Ash’s name is Amy…

    PS Humza Yousaf, not Hamza. But you got Kate Forbes right.

  186. Eric
    Ignored
    says:

    I recall Rebus and Mary Doll representing Yes on Indy 2014 debates. That showed the shallow SNP talent puddle then.

    It’s even worse now, how on earth is Humza on the short list?

  187. John McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    God help us if Humming Yousless gets the joab

  188. John McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    As Private Frazier used were doomed were doomed i say if Humming gets in

  189. John McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    As Private Frazier used to say “were doomed” “were doomed”if Humming gets voted in



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