Which is handy, because today is also the day of the Gorton and Denton by-election in Manchester (fun fact: a seat we’d very likely have lived in ourselves if not for Osama bin Laden, but that’s another story), and that throws up some interesting parallels.
There is a not particularly funny joke that is sometimes told in legal circles about why a law student failed to finish his coursework – because he had no conviction. With rare exceptions lawyers aren’t renowned for their sense of humour but I can’t help thinking someone, at the highest levels of our justice system, is having a right laugh at my expense and those who have loyally supported me over the past six years.
I’m talking about the Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain KC – a sitting member of the Scottish Government’s cabinet who was nominated by Nicola Sturgeon to that post in 2021, five months after I was acquitted.
For those unfamiliar with my case, I offer this brief summary. In March 2020 I made a short video on my mobile phone that was two minutes and thirty eight seconds in length. I hadn’t planned to make the video when I went out for a walk in a field near my home. But I was annoyed and wanted to articulate that annoyance, although at the time I recorded it I wasn’t intending for it to go much further.
Later that night, just before turning in, I uploaded it to my YouTube channel on a closed, unlisted link and then posted that link to my Twitter account that, at the time, had a modest 1000 or so followers. I then forgot about it.
Little did I know that short mobile phone video would result in me facing initially a criminal trial, then a five year legal battle in the highest civil court in Scotland and now, most likely, an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
So on the one hand there’s obviously very little point paying attention to the SNP’s regional list candidates for May’s Holyrood election, because as this website has comprehensively demonstrated over recent months, the chances of the SNP having any list MSPs elected are remote.
However, nothing is impossible, so let’s take a look at the B team, which also serves as a guide to the party’s upcoming talent taking its first steps towards the gravy bus.
As the six-year fight for justice for Alex Salmond continues, we thought you might like to see this clip from this morning’s Mike Graham Show, interviewing Paul McManus, the businessman and drummer in Glasgow rock band Gun who’s stepped up to fund the Salmond family’s case against the Scottish Government despite disagreeing with much of what Alex stood for politically.
The Sunday National’s front page today elicited a sigh of “So what?” from most.
We’ve already GOT a “pro-indy” majority at Holyrood and have done for the last 10 years, for all it’s been worth. But to be fair there was a paragraph in the article that at least raised a quizzical eyebrow.
It seems that it’s fine to farm important judgments out to mysterious shadowy figures who just make important chunks of them up out of thin air, and then issue them in your own name. Back in your boxes, plebs.
TURABDIN on Vibecoding A Better World: “SOME believe that bad things come in threes. Scotland has had two really bad things that personal union under James…” Oct 30, 12:40
100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “A video below confirming that before and after 1707 the French had documented that Scotland had been annexed by England…” Oct 30, 10:43
TURABDIN on Vibecoding A Better World: “«I have never voted in my life… I have always known and understood that the idiots are in a majority…” Oct 30, 09:44
Minceheid on Vibecoding A Better World: “WhoRattledYourCage says: 29 October, 2026 at 10:11 pm Wait, I mean Monty Mole Ach, I’m more of a Chuckie Egg…” Oct 30, 09:20
Minceheid on Vibecoding A Better World: “You know, I don’t like the fact that all AI thingies seem to be so tediously and cloyingly polite. I…” Oct 30, 08:29
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Stephen Glover writing in the Mail Online this morning: “vanity, tribal loyalties and blind devotion to party stand in the…” Oct 30, 08:06
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““smart SNP computers identifying as…” According to Fanon, Memmi, et al, the smart SNP computers will identify as colonialist elites.…” Oct 30, 07:22
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “You obviously have an internet connected device. Fire up your usual search engine (it’s Google on mine) and type into…” Oct 30, 07:09
WhoRattledYourCage on Vibecoding A Better World: “Wait, I mean Monty Mole, sorry. It’s the alliteration and very similar name that confused me. You couldn’t finish the…” Oct 29, 22:11
MrD on Vibecoding A Better World: “Got a link to where I can learn how to Claude please Stu? Wouldn’t know where to begin.” Oct 29, 22:05
Peter McAvoy on Vibecoding A Better World: “As stated on the BBC Scotland news website today it was announced that Gentex in Stranrear is to close and…” Oct 29, 20:12
Southernbystander on Vibecoding A Better World: “As someone who does creative work (music, video) I am not into generative AI for all the usual, obvious reasons…” Oct 29, 19:15
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “They’re clarty cants in Salisbury. The usual cocktail of germ-laden piss, snot and fecal matter covering their doorknobs, handbags, etc…” Oct 29, 18:10
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““I took early retirement from HMRC in 2005” That being the case, sarah, you may be in a position to…” Oct 29, 18:03
Williams on Vibecoding A Better World: “Can you please figure out how to port newish games to MACOS, pretty please? I can only get to the…” Oct 29, 14:30
Iain D on Vibecoding A Better World: “It constantly amazes me that despite the warnings and recent events relating to how AI is very much NOT aligned…” Oct 29, 13:59
sarah on Vibecoding A Better World: “It was starting to go wrong just before I took early retirement from HMRC in 2005. It was, I believe,…” Oct 29, 12:36
diabloandco on Vibecoding A Better World: “Can you no use babywipes for cleaning up Novichok ? I seem to remeber that’s what the folk of Salisbury…” Oct 29, 12:32
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “Sarah, I too am extremely appreciative that I had held on to old fashioned paper work and resisted going full…” Oct 29, 11:10
Minceheid on Vibecoding A Better World: “Are you sure you’re not thinking of Jet Set Willy? That game had a generous helping of bugs which made…” Oct 29, 11:07
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Vibecoding A Better World: “If you think the human-run aspects of HMRC are any better I have some extremely distressing news for you.” Oct 29, 10:45
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “Being deleted from AI automated computers led to extreme poverty in my case while trying to pay for funerals and…” Oct 29, 09:18
BLMac on Vibecoding A Better World: “Damn, we’ve just got past the SNP’s cabal of angry men in frocks identifying as women debacle. Are we now…” Oct 29, 09:17
Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: “Consensus across the MSM is clear – yesterday’s “do nothing” budget fired the starting gun for a WM GE in…” Oct 29, 09:04
sarah on Vibecoding A Better World: “Yes, you’re right. Plus a filing cabinet can’t be hacked. But let the Rev have a break and enjoy himself…” Oct 29, 09:01
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “The perfect example of Where AI and computers running government can go wrong that could effect and affect everyone on…” Oct 29, 08:59