We don’t normally like to devote much time on Wings to things that have been more than adequately covered elsewhere in the media, which is why you haven’t read much here about eg the Internal Market Bill. Unlike some we don’t see much point spending our limited human resources telling people stuff they already know and agree with.
But we’re going to make an exception for this next thing, which was already covered pretty well by Susan Dalgety in last week’s Scotsman, because (a) a lot of our readers, quite reasonably, will have an instinctively adverse reaction to either anything printed in the Scotsman or anything written by Susan Dalgety, and (b) a number of people have asked us to amplify this issue because it’s so important and so awful.
As well as the SNP NEC elections, the weekend saw the election of the first committee of a new grassroots independence organisation which is unfortunately and hopefully temporarily going by the stupendously terrible working name of “Yes Alba”.
15 people were elected to its ruling body by the votes of hundreds of delegates, with the top-ranked picks including SNP MP Angus MacNeil and former SNP MP George Kerevan. The majority of the successful candidates (eight) were female, even though there were no quotas or women-only shortlists imposed, and a wide range of ages was represented from young activists to former UK ambassador Craig Murray.
(We have no idea about any of their sexualities or gender identities, and also no interest in knowing, because those things have not the slightest bearing on their ability to fight for independence and are frankly none of our damn business.)
But that wasn’t good enough for Team Woke.
On a day when Joanna Cherry had a grown-up, reasoned and constructive column in The National calling for unity in the pursuit of independence, the outpouring of snide, sour sneering from a faction still raging with bitterness about being routed on the SNP NEC is instead curdling Twitter even as we speak.
And embarrassingly, not a single one of them has actually bothered to check even the most basic facts.
Alert readers will recall the deranged open letter released by a group of transactivists last Friday, in a nakedly transparent attempt to influence the SNP’s NEC elections that weekend which backfired on them horribly (and amusingly) when the party’s members instead kicked out three-quarters of the committee’s woke faction and replaced them with feminists, socialists and above all advocates of actually achieving independence.
If you don’t have the time to read Alyn Smith’s astonishing response to the SNP NEC election results in today’s National, we’ve edited it down to 10 seconds for you.
We must admit, the terrible people that we are, we’ve been enjoying watching today’s extended meltdown by the SNP’s woke faction about last night’s NEC election results. Because it appears their egos are so huge that they’re not even smart enough to play dignified to spoil our schadenfreudish fun. It’s been full-on public tantrums.
Ridiculously, more than eight hours after voting closed in an all-electronic election in which “counting” should have taken a maximum of one second, and at 11.30pm, the SNP have released the results of this year’s NEC elections.
There are some big stories.
Alyn Smith is OUT as Policy Development Convener, replaced by Chris Hanlon.
Bilbo on Binfire Of The Vanities: “George Ferguson says: 4 May, 2026 at 10:19 pm I am well past the stage of voting for Alliance Scotland.…” May 5, 07:36
twathater on Binfire Of The Vanities: “@ Confused, there was also the case of the highly respected (hahaha) QC who it is alleged was involved in…” May 5, 03:03
twathater on Binfire Of The Vanities: “@ YL , Cynicus , George Ferguson, I cannot understand the logic of voting for parties who have proven inumerable…” May 5, 02:53
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “C @ 12.29 Not voting SNP? Fine. Tactically voting for Unionists? Enjoy drinking the fruits of your self inflicted damnation..” May 5, 01:19
Geri on Seven Days Too Long: “AI Dan is getting desperate clutching at straws now. He obviously didn’t bother to read Dan’s link where Stu gives…” May 5, 00:37
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I So you are apparently quite happy for us to be sh8gged by one lot but not the other? Kind…” May 5, 00:36
Cynicus on Binfire Of The Vanities: “George Ferguson says: 4 May, 2026 at 8:04 pm “I don’t see a vote against the SNP as a right…” May 5, 00:29
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “A Civil disobedience I’m afraid is the only answer when the democratic process is so obviously blocked. Whether people have…” May 5, 00:17
Cynicus on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Hold your nose and LEND your vote to the party most likely to beat the SNP. #No Votes SNP” May 5, 00:13
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “BB “Nowt”.. Nowt? Nowt?? Hmmmm.. Eeee bah goom! Anyway, have you stopped to actually listen to so much of the…” May 5, 00:07
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Agreed Alf. That’s the gut change that’s needed. George, sorry brother but small as it’ll start, or if something else…” May 4, 23:50
Confused on Binfire Of The Vanities: “in every other place with Dhondt there emerges 2 sets of parties and people vote tactically; the shiteness of the…” May 4, 23:31
Angus on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Scotland will never achieve independence “democratically” as long as politicians are in charge. The SNP, still viewed as the independence…” May 4, 23:08
George Ferguson on Binfire Of The Vanities: “@Alf Baird I am well past the stage of voting for Alliance Scotland. Don’t you think I have done the…” May 4, 22:19
Aidan on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Well at least if they’re Sun readers they can read so that’s Sun 1 James 0” May 4, 22:13
Ian on Binfire Of The Vanities: “It’s all down to the SNP. With a competent party the support for independence would be higher. So for many…” May 4, 21:38
Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““I don’t see a vote against the SNP as a right wing vote.” I see it as an anti-woke vote,…” May 4, 21:07
BroughtyBoy on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Jeezo, you’ve really learnt nothing from last 10 years Iain have you? Shrieking “Nazi !” at folk you disagree with…” May 4, 21:03
Bilbo on Binfire Of The Vanities: “As always, the only poll that matters in the one on election day. There is a far too many reasons…” May 4, 20:47
Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: “That implies there are some 35% of voters with a non Scottish-only identity, which is significant. In addition, as the…” May 4, 20:42
George Ferguson on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I don’t see a vote against the SNP as a right wing vote. Based on their record. Still a 20%…” May 4, 20:04
Bilbo on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I’ve had the misfortune to have to sit through it many a time on YouTube until I figured out how…” May 4, 20:03
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Did you read past the first paragraph? FFS.” May 4, 19:55
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “The (notional) left is going to win the election, though.” May 4, 19:54
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Tory and Reform voters both think that, though.” May 4, 19:53
Dunter on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I’ve completed polls for both YouGov and Survation in the past week, both on voting intentions (Yes/HR intentions)/leaders’ performance/current issues.…” May 4, 19:39
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Yea see James is more like a drunk piss soaked homeless guy who keeps bothering people for change at a…” May 4, 19:09
100%Yes on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Reform will look after England its the SNP who ruined Scotland.” May 4, 19:07
100%Yes on Binfire Of The Vanities: “If the SNP and MFI hadn’t rigged humza to be leader of the SNP and Forbes had won and she…” May 4, 19:05
