The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Not-So-New Dawn Fades

Posted on March 16, 2021 by

Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome you back once again to the only event in politics that’s more frequent than a Scottish Labour leadership election.

Seems to come round sooner every year, doesn’t it?

In fact, The Great Revealing Of The Draft Indyref Bill is a tradition so time-honoured it stretches all the way back to the days when Stephen Paton was still male.

And indeed, even further than that. The indy war has been within measurable distance of its end since well before the last Holyrood election. This was August 2015, when the Twitler Youth woke faction were still happy to parasite off Alex Salmond’s name:

We can only assume we just didn’t want another indyref enough.

In March 2017 it simply didn’t suit us:

But in January 2018 it was time to get on our marks:

A month later it was time to get ready. It’s “Go!” after that, right?

But a year later it was still just time to get ready:

Oh wait, we remember now – it’s “On your marks, get ready, demand!”

Backed up, of course, by a firm prediction:

Although by August of that year, the date had moved on another year:

Everybody knew even then that with COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021 there was absolutely NO chance of an autumn indyref. But as the Yes movement powered ahead like an Aberdeen supporters bus already crossing the Forth Bridge for a match against Hibs in the middle of a snowstorm, we were assured the game was definitely still on:

Before the inevitable radio announcement, U-turn and long trip back up the A90. The “six months” ran out two weeks ago, the bill can’t now be law for at least two more months, and we still await the “detail” of a referendum the First Minister has repeatedly told us would be “illegal” but has apparently suddenly become otherwise.

We trust readers will forgive us if we don’t rush to the barricades. Indeed, if any of you would like to accept our bet of any amount of money you like that Scottish Labour will have another new leader before there’s a second indyref, we’re ready and waiting.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

65 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Corrado Mella

Yawn.

Sharny Dubs

Stu I salute your fortitude!

How you manage to keep going I’ll never know, dogged, persistent or single minded just does not cover it.

In these depressing times you are a beacon. Thanks man!!!

AwakeNotWoke

Promised: Independence referendum, multiple times
Delivered: Shit all over women and stick you in jail for complaining about it.

But hey…eyes on the prize, we’re nearly there, we need to give them a majority, SNP 1/2…

This is a FACT: If every single vote in Scotland is SNP1/2, Westminster will still not issue an S30.

The end.

stonefree

Same Shit….Different Day Direct from the arseholes of the SNP and Associates

Cenchos

It seems I have bananas to deliver to the Lowther Hills.

Margaret Lindsay

I bet you a fiver ( come on, that’s big money to me), that Scottish Labour will have had three new leaders before Indy ref.

AnneDon

There must be another election in the offing.
One more heave – one more mandate!

Confused

indy = (an) unknown pleasure?

did I win?

Cenchos

Still no Closer.

holymacmoses

Is Wightman involved in the Land Reform stuff?

She’s a shower of bastards Wings – I mean a shower – whe brings other people down to her lying deceiving level.

BUT she CAN be beaten.

Is it a good day for a walk for you. It’s sunny up here and fresh air is a decent cure for SNP sickness

Confused

double-plus good cenchos

– very fair

Willie

A bit like putting a carrot on a stick in front of the donkey where the donkey keeps hoping for the carrot that it never gets.

sarah

@ Rev: please edit your post to amend “any amount of money” to name a figure. It just isn’t possible for Labour’s Scottish branch to have a new leader for years because there is no-one left to pick from! I hate to see you throw away your money.

Dave Beveridge

No doubt it’ll be full of the usual “It’ll be a democratic outrage if Westminster doesn’t agree…” bluster.

FFS if we could only harness the hot air that comes out the gubs of the SNP we could meet our global warming targets in one fell swoop.

Margie Davidson

Depressing but oh so true – even the sceptics are now admitting you were right all along.

Robert Graham

Makes a lot of sense if you have

EVERY KIND OF MEMORY LOSS imaginable

Draft legislation , Draft bills, Are not Bills just like the secret SNP manifesto , not complete , not finished , still under discussion.

Even the most fervent supporters eventually cottons on

THIS SNP ARE TAKING THE PISS

Kat

WTAF They’ve asked the Electoral Commission for ballots to say this:

“Vote SNP for indyref2” and “Both votes SNP for indyref2”

With Nicola’s saying “Nicola Sturgeon for SNP First Minister”.

link to archive.is

Hello Carrot, this is Stick, he’s here to help you pull a fast one on the electorate by holding the votes of Indy supporters to ransom.

Hugh

Stu,

I’ve been reading and enjoying your stuff for the past few years, yet to comment (until now), but I have to say you are becoming tedious. Most of us know of the limitations of the SNP, many of us often question their commitment to the independence movement and many more are fully aware that it is now full of careerists who would have previously found a home in the “Scottish” labour party. But, other than voting for the SNP in the constituency and, perhaps another more independence minded party on the list, what do you suggest we who are committed to independence do? You appear more and more to be happy sitting on the sidelines carping, stating the bleeding obvious, re-post previous posts to demonstrate who good your foresight is/was. As I said, your are becoming tedious.

Mike

I would bet that Bruce Jenner will be back identifying as a bloke before we have another Scottish independence referendum.

James Che.

The debate on the snp being sovereign over the people in Scotland is a big legal debate. And therefore must be investigated more thoroughly by us.
As far as I am aware we have the legal right to choose whom governs us, (wrote in the Scotland act) and on that bases alone means we decide when we have a vote on becoming a independent country, not the Scottish government nor Westminster’s,
Sometimes wringing our hands in despair and pretending we’re trapped from all angles is our excuse to blame someone else, to avoid becoming to deeply involved so we can get of the hook,
The right to be sovereign is a legal right especially all over the world,an here in Scotland, unless everyone passes that right over in submission, due to not wanting that responsibility.
Governments work for the people, not the people for goverment,
And if anyone suggests different then it becomes obvious to others which link in the chain is weak.
And favours a despotic goverment.

Mr Blue Sky

At least the SNP are consistent…….

Stuart Anderson

Ever get the feeling you’re being conned?

Every time in the run up to an election we get another promise of another referendum if only we vote SNP.

Once they’ve got their snouts back in the trough it’s “now is not the time”.

I give up. I wont be voting for anyone in May. Wake me up when there’s another referendum.

Cath

Is there ever going to be any good news coming? Or is it too late for any of that now before May?

Liz

They must be worried about polls.
This is full on, draft bill etc.

Make no mistake, the faithful eill fall for this.
Tbh I can’t believe I did until about 2018ish.

Astonished

Have they ran out of money yet ?

And where is the missing £600,000 ?

P

Hahahaha – Dornan “pledges to get Scotland ready”
P.S. Paton needs to ditch the makeup

Allium

Sometimes I wonder if everyone in the senior ranks of the party is severely compromised and living in fear of exposure, JC aside. Surely a couple of them are bright enough to notice that the SNP is aboard the Titanic right now, and everyone is going to go down with the ship. Will no-one ever speak out?

Skip_NC

Presumably Mr Hamilton also has to report by next week and if the promise is kept, it will be released on the day the government gets it.

Hmm. Does that mean there will be no time for NS to offer her resignation? Kat’s post @ 12:34pm (I haven’t read the link as I’m at work) suggests that if NS is FM going into the election, she will be FM coming out of it, subject to the will of the people

Bob W

@Rev Stu

Looking like a whitewash:- link to archive.is

merganser

Craig Murray standing for Lothian?

TJenny

Why is there no new indy candidates/party standing in the constituencies. With the new indy parties only standing on the list, it feels like we are being bounced into voting SNP on the constituency in order to gain new indy reps.

As the SNP have very few list MSPs to lose, they couldn’t have a better strategy for gainng all constituency votes if they had set this up themselves. This vote SNP1 + 2 is just a bluff they have to be seen to punt.

I’m totally scunnered by it all, but what to do?

Cath

The Holyrood inquiry has to have submitted its report by this time next week. Not sure if that’ll count as “good news” or not.

No chance. It’ll conclude a few misguided mistakes were made, women were let down and – at best – a ceremonial head or two should roll to make everything fine and dandy again. Oh, and Alex Salmond is a bad man who could produce no evidence of his “stitch up conspiracy”.

And even if Hamilton concludes Sturgeon broke the ministerial code she’ll just brazen it out with the backing of acolytes in the party and unionist media.

No, it’s going to need something much bigger and with more legal teeth than a committee set up to whitewash then delayed until almost the election to prevent even the whitewashed report. Never felt so scunnered and disgusted by me country and country folk.

Anonymoose

We all know what will happen, the SNPG will publish a draft bill before the parliament recesses for the Scottish elections.

Then during that recess Westminster will legislate to take it out of competence and overrule Holyrood again.

Why do I know this?

Because they did it before with “THE UK WITHDRAWAL FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION (LEGAL CONTINUITY) (SCOTLAND) BILL” when they passed the “EU Withdrawal Act” and it gained royal assent before the Scottish bill due to the stalling being brought by the UK Government bringing a judicial review of its competence to the UK Supreme Court.

The goalposts were moved while the continuity bill was infront of the UK Supreme Court, that had the effect of striking the continuity bill out of competence as it was superceded by the “EU Withdrawal Act”.

They did it before, they will do it again.

Stop being blind to the UKGov agenda of keeping Scotland imprisoned as a colony within the union!

effijy

Wow!

The little boy who cried wolf is alive and well howling in Scotland by the looks of it.

How will we be able to tell if ever they actually mean it?

This is happening with the same frequency as Labour’s North Accounting Unit leader suggesting they have some autonomy.

I’d have a bet on Indy Ref 2 coming when Labour’s new title is launched –
“I can’t believe it’s not the Tory Party”.

I just watched a video of a UK Sea Food exporter to the EU.
There are now 26 Steps and a sea of paperwork, in English and French, that they require before joining the 8 hour queue for the Ferry.

Oven ready great Tory Brexit deal anyone?

Alison Brown

SNP 1 with peg on nose AFI 2 to get some fresh new blood into Holyrood! SNP will not deliver unless forced to. Let’s use those million votes we’ve never used before to get a pro Indy opposition. Our only hope.

TheSNPLeftMe

Margaret Lindsay cheered me up!
Only 3 Labour leaders to a Referendum. It’s only months away.

Clavie Cheil

Noting the front page, the only thing that is different is that I have less hair and I am more obese. There has been no referendum and guess what there hasn’t been any land reform either. I am still a male though even if the law now says I am not and it seems the feminazis want to imprison me in my own house or maybe just jail me full stop because I insist on having balls and a dick.

Lorna Campbell

Actually, I had to give a weary chortle, in anticipation of the excuses this time. There will be something. That is about the only thing we can be sure of now.

Colin Alexander

We have focused on the 2016 SNP manifesto about the “material change” part of the indyref pledge.

The SNP chose these words:

“believe” “Scottish Parliament…should have the right”

They could have written:

“The sovereign people of Scotland have the right to choose their own form of government. Thus, if elected, we shall attempt to deliver a referendum on Scotland’s independence, via the Scottish Parliament, as soon as possible.

The SNP will also enable self-determination by other means as necessary.”

Kiwilassie

Funny that, only the other day Angus Robertson was tweeting Indy Rf2 in 5 years.

Lorna Campbell

Clavie Chiel: och, what are you moaning about? The Feminazis used to be locked inside – still are, routinely, in some countries – because they have a f***y – while the men lounge around drinking coffee in the sunshine, chuntering about football. You cannot go out just now, anyway with this lockdown, and there are no cafes open. You could always meet up in George Square, of course and take your flask and sandwiches…? By the way, you actually insist on having b***s and d**k? Did you get a choice? Were you offered one without the other? Lighten up, Clavie, the Feminazis are fed up, too.

Cudneycareless

a quote from wikipedia about The National

“In 2017 the pro-independence Green MSP Ross Greer said he believed “The National often does more harm than good to the cause of independence”,….””

robertknight

It’d be funny if it wasn’t so damned predictable.

Still, Nic’s Fanzine needs to keep feeding all those #BothVotesSNP mushrooms their daily dose of bullshit, so we shouldn’t expect anything different.

Someone turn the lights out – you know they prefer the dark.

Alf Baird

Brilliant synopsis of SNP prevarication and deceit Stu.

However I must admit that I’m not a big fan of a referendum anyway, considering that:

a) as a matter of law a referendum is not a requirement for independence, and;

b) the use of a local government franchise loads the referendum dice in favour of a ‘No’ vote.

Which is why I really do like this offer from AFI for May’s national plebiscite election:

“AFI shall also campaign for a simple majority of the popular vote for pro-indy parties across both the constituencies and the regional lists, at the “Independence” election, and for such a majority to be understood to be a mandate for independence itself.”
link to afi.scot

I’m more than happy to vote for that “mandate for independence” in a few weeks time, and I would urge all who cherish the prospect of an independent Scotland to do the same.

SilverDarling

Oh, the grand old Duke of York
He had ten thousand men
He marched them up to the top of the hill
And he marched them down again
And when they were up, they were up
And when they were down, they were down
And when they were only half-way up
They were neither up nor down

Repeat…

Dan

It’s different this time though.
Ian Blackford has used the #ItsTime hashtag, and when he says something he means it, just like when he saved our EU Citizenship by not allowing Scotland to be taken out of the EU against our will…

link to twitter.com

Cudneycareless

Dan says:
16 March, 2021 at 2:13 pm
It’s different this time though.
Ian Blackford has used the #ItsTime hashtag

Someone must have access to his twitter account he is not normally so succinct

Mark Boyle

Oh, the grand old Lard of Pork
He had ten thousand new members
He promised them an IndyRef2 every year
And he hopes no one remembers!

Sylvia

Cath @ 1:11 pm

Scotland Police’s chief constable warned Scottish Government against going public with Salmond investigation.

It also confirmed that Crown Agent David Harvie offered to give the police a copy of the findings of the Government’s internal investigation – an offer that was rejected.

link to archive.is

Shane Fraser

What a dude is Stuart, a man for All that and some. You un brain washed me of St Nicola the messiah, I really believed she would march us out of bond age and onto the promissed land of hope and freedom.
Your information and fortified fortitude is exemplary.

Thank you for opening my mind.

Tackety Beets

Ye ken iss, am scunnert, fair scunnert………listening or readin’ aboot IndyRef2 ……clean scunnert.

Fit div some folk say “Shit or get off the pot!”

Angry imoji

Alf Baird

Sylvia @ 3:31 pm

“Scotland Police’s chief constable warned Scottish Government against going public with Salmond investigation.”

And then proceeded to do this:

“A 22 person team from Police Scotland worked for over a year identifying and interviewing almost 400 hoped-for complainants and witnesses against Alex Salmond”
link to craigmurray.org.uk

Kcor

Willie says,

“A bit like putting a carrot on a stick in front of the donkey where the donkey keeps hoping for the carrot that it never gets.”

It seems that many Scottish voters, despite reading Wings Over Scotland, can be tricked in the same way as that poor donkey.

Kcor

Stuart Anderson says.

‘Ever get the feeling you’re being conned?

Every time in the run up to an election we get another promise of another referendum if only we vote SNP.”

Yes, like Labour promising to save us from the Tories.

Edward MacD

What I wonder reading the comments on this site is why some of you don’t get your own Party together, to make a real statement. Creating a whole new alternative to this uselessness that we call government, UK or Scottish. And before anyone says it, I’m working with a guy and we intend to launch next year. He’s got everything worked out to streamline government and overhaul every public body.

Mark Boyle

@Edward MacD says: 16 March, 2021 at 5:53 pm

“What I wonder reading the comments on this site is why some of you don’t get your own Party together, to make a real statement.”

For the umpteeth time, because it is TOO LATE.

It takes at least one year of solid campaigning to build up any sort of political base if doing so from scratch.

Those currently proffering themselves as such will register with “who?” within their own localities, never mind nationwide, and some of those doing so now are ones with chequered pasts who will have to work twice as hard to rebuild people’s trust into giving them a second shot.

You cannot do that in one and a half month’s flat, not even if you are famous, as Esther Rantzen found out to her cost with Jury Team.

Even if Salmond and Sillars jumped into the race, they’d struggle – not least of all because whatever party was sitting there would put out the stops to make sure their seatwarmer wasn’t toppled.

Standing for any elections above Council level is a far tougher game – and far more expensive – than before. It is not for the happy amateur to throw their hat into the ring and think enthusiasm can be an adequate substitute for proper organisation, planning and long term graft.

The last shower who thought otherwise – RISE – discovered that the hard way. To say nothing of the TIGgers, and they all had Parliamentary seats!

pipinghot

Oh God , the SNP1 with peg on the nose shit again. Keep it up trolls.

McDuff

The way you have presented this rev reveals the stark reality that Sturgeon and the SNP have absolutely no intention ever of holding a referendum . And if we ever needed further proof of the National’s anti independence stance in promoting Sturgeon here it is.

Josef Ó Luain

There are a great many for whom voting SNP 1 isn’t an option; the erasure of the SNP is what they require. Theoretically sound though it may be as a strategy, voting SNP 1 and a pro-indy party 2, fails to acknowledge that there are a lot of extremely angry people out there, people who want Sturgeon’s head-on-a-plate* and to hell with everything else, including intelligent politicking.

*Yeah, yeah, metaphorically speaking, don’t send the cops round.

Derek

(sings)

“…and the light at the end of the tunnel is the light of an oncoming train…”

Mark Boyle

@Derek says: 16 March, 2021 at 8:13 pm

(sings)

“…and the light at the end of the tunnel is the light of an oncoming train…”

(sings)

gimme that old time religion,
gimme that old time religion,
gimme that old time religion,
it’s good enough for me!

Kcor

Mark Boyle says,

“For the umpteeth time, because it is TOO LATE.”

Is it too late for high profile candidates to stand as independents against the SNP in the constituencies?

Aren’t there any Martin Bells in Scotland?

SilverDarling

Based on the premise that we can create and contribute to the stability of our own nation in a time of turmoil, you have to wonder what is going on? There has never been a better time to go for independence

We can only surmise Nicola Sturgeon is extremely unsure of her powers of persuasion should she ever have to campaign for independence. She can’t make a case with integrity as she doesn’t really want independence.

Or she keeping something covered up that will be revealed if she decides to go for it.

Or both.


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,668 Posts, 1,201,991 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Alf Baird on The People You Most Suspected: “The oppressor always seeks to sow division, which makes it easier to manipulate the people (Freire). Religion, language and identity…Nov 13, 08:36
    • Chas on The People You Most Suspected: “Where did I say that ordinary people can’t organise again and we are all in thrall to the media? Things…Nov 13, 08:28
    • Tinto Chiel on The People You Most Suspected: “And we shouldn’t forget the most revealing words which followed that statement, if I remember correctly: “How better can you…Nov 13, 08:24
    • Alf Baird on The People You Most Suspected: ““England has legitimate security concerns” “we’ll deserve to be destroyed as a nation” Scotland also has rather obvious security concerns,…Nov 13, 08:19
    • Oneliner on The People You Most Suspected: “We need a Tartan Brigade to match the Green Brigade. In Scottish football we have teams espousing Ireland (tricolour) and…Nov 13, 07:38
    • Hatey McHateface on The People You Most Suspected: ““Scotland gave greatly of its sons” Indeed willie, but dinna fash, we’ve few sons to give this time around. Or…Nov 13, 07:27
    • Hatey McHateface on The People You Most Suspected: “Why do we need the Western media to report the casualties, or anything else, when we have you? How can…Nov 13, 07:12
    • Robert Hughes on The People You Most Suspected: “This , ie the subject of this WOS post , is how the Unionists will take control of Holyrood .…Nov 13, 06:54
    • Hatey McHateface on The People You Most Suspected: “Aye, Bob, not enough casualties in U, and not enough casualties in Amsterdam either. Not for you, anyway. And as…Nov 13, 06:50
    • Jay on The Show Goes On: “’greed and will to power’ must be at the core of it, that brought to mind the alleged Cecil Rhodes…Nov 13, 06:13
    • Robert Hughes on The People You Most Suspected: “” I don’t wish to demean the casualties in any way, but for me, one of the most grotesque and…Nov 13, 06:12
    • The Flying Iron of Doom on The People You Most Suspected: “I know that the left’s hatred of private education is de rigueur but with the way the schools are at…Nov 13, 06:03
    • SteepBrae on The People You Most Suspected: “Which would help explain why we’ve lost so many good politicians in recent years, from all parties: they were grounded…Nov 13, 04:21
    • Campbell Clansman on The People You Most Suspected: “Uh, big historical miscues by commenter Fearghas. Wolfe wasn’t even in Canada in 1751, let alone a major general in…Nov 13, 04:11
    • Young Lochinvar on The People You Most Suspected: “I wonder what school Biology lessons are like now? No, strike that, I don’t.. Anyone else watch Starmer quoting unachievable…Nov 13, 01:49
    • Breeks on The People You Most Suspected: “I wonder how the current war in Eastern Europe compares, with regards to casualties. The wanton nature of the propaganda…Nov 13, 01:28
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The People You Most Suspected: “Postmodernism, as we all well know by now, typically rejects any “Big Story” (meta-narrative). In its view of reality as…Nov 13, 01:15
    • Young Lochinvar on The Show Goes On: “COE’s head replacement; 1. Male 2. Female 3. Qwerty mouthpiece.. Odds on considering the crime perpetrated historically? You couldn’t make…Nov 13, 01:10
    • V Hartley on The People You Most Suspected: “Basic, but real – sad in a way. Where did the grown-ups go?Nov 13, 00:41
    • Kevin Cargill on The People You Most Suspected: “For the umpteenth time on here and everywhere else. The unionists are not pouncing on this issue for the same…Nov 13, 00:11
    • Jay on The People You Most Suspected: “”What are they getting out of it?” The reasons which you set out seem eminently reasonable but someone, somewhere, pointed…Nov 12, 23:09
    • Jay on The Show Goes On: “Bright man like you should be able to work out that Trump would not pull the plug on the promised…Nov 12, 22:36
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The People You Most Suspected: ““I should imagine that two or three independent highland companies might be of use; they are hardy, intrepid, accustomed to…Nov 12, 22:17
    • Alf Baird on The People You Most Suspected: “In colonial societies the elite is made up of two main groups (Memmi): 1. the colonizer/se***er, and; 2. the more…Nov 12, 22:13
    • BLMac on The People You Most Suspected: “It’s obvious that schools would be targeted. After all, who benefits from all this? Not the kids, they’re victims. The…Nov 12, 22:12
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The People You Most Suspected: “From Tom Devine’s book The Scottish Nation 1700-2000: “Of the 157 battalions which comprised the British Expeditionary Force, 22 were…Nov 12, 22:10
    • Alf Baird on The People You Most Suspected: “Domination and hence ‘sadism’ lies at the heart of colonial oppression (Freire), for which liberation is the only remedy (Memmi).…Nov 12, 22:02
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on The People You Most Suspected: ““And meanwhile in the big world the ex prime minister is declaring that if president elect Trump decides to cut…Nov 12, 21:59
    • Lee on The People You Most Suspected: “I’m retired. An ex headteacher. How in the name of common sense (and more pertinently, safeguarding) this school.is still open,…Nov 12, 21:53
    • Lee on The People You Most Suspected: “Arrant nonsense.Nov 12, 21:49
  • A tall tale



↑ Top
180
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x