The battle to save the soul of the SNP – formerly a party of Scottish independence but now a career vehicle for intolerant science-denying cultists solely interested in social engineering – is already almost lost.
By delaying its online pretend “conference” until the end of November, the party has ensured that the chronically dysfunctional current National Executive Committee (NEC) controls the selection of candidates for next year’s election, and it’s using that power every bit as crookedly as anyone who’s been paying attention recently might fear.
Following the stitch-up of Joanna Cherry, the latest victim of the SNP’s woke cabal is Caroline McAllister, a woman who the party considers quite fit to be a councillor – and indeed the Deputy Leader of its group on West Dunbartonshire council – but who has suddenly somehow become unacceptable when she tried to seek nomination for the MSP seat currently held by Jackie Baillie of Scottish Labour.
At the climax of a popular and multiple-Oscar-winning movie from 1995, the Scottish leader William Wallace is portrayed heroically roaring the word “FREEDOM!”
The most tedious question we ever get asked when we criticise the SNP – because we’ve explained it a hundred times already and none of the people asking have ever bothered to look – is “But what would YOU do to secure independence, clever-clogs?”
We’ve outlined that plan in detail repeatedly – you can read it again here if you want. But maybe we need something a bit simpler for the hard of thinking, so let’s have a go.
We just noticed a finding from the most recent opinion poll that surprisingly seems to have escaped the attention of every Scottish newspaper except the Press & Journal.
As far as we can ascertain, the P&J was alone in reporting the obviously newsworthy fact that just a quarter of Scots believe the First Minister’s ridiculous cock-and-bull story about “forgetting” the occasion when she first heard that her friend, colleague and mentor of 30 years was facing charges of trying to rape some of her other friends.
But the figures are part of a wider and depressing trend.
We’ve just received the most extraordinary Freedom Of Information response from the Scottish Government, readers. Trust us, you want to go and make yourselves a strong cup of tea before you read it. Or get this guy to bring you one.
It doesn’t take a master analyst to see that the Salmond inquiry committee is running out of patience with the Scottish Government’s endless attempts to obstruct its work.
This afternoon it issued a statement, with obvious irritation, making clear that it did not wish to see documents the Scottish Government was trying to submit to it, which the committee had not asked for, and which had previously been struck down as unlawful by Lord Pentland in the initial judicial inquiry.
The Scottish Government’s only purpose in doing so was to try to put the details of the discredited and disproven-in-court allegations into the public domain with the intention of smearing Mr Salmond yet again, and the committee has made its displeasure with the plan clear, telling the Scottish Government to abandon its intended legal action to release the documents and get on with producing the ones the inquiry HAS asked for.
But there’s a little bit more to the story than that.
We’re grumpy this morning, readers, because it’s Sunday and we were planning a long lie and then someone told us about this. It’s the First Minister appearing on the Sophy Ridge show on Sky News at around 8.45am and you need to see it.
In the light of yesterday’s revelations, we’ve sent the following Freedom Of Information request to the Central Enquiry Unit (CEU) of the Scottish Government.
Vivian O’Blivion on The Gulf War: “All the naysayer commenters on this site rip ma knitting. James Kelly assures us that it must be “both votes…” Jan 1, 12:43
Northcode on The Gulf War: “Aye, ye hiv a braw talent, WoS, it cannae be denied. Yer nous and wit kin see the patterns vague…” Jan 1, 12:42
Northcode on The Gulf War: “I like the picture your sentiment paints in ma heid, Vivian O’Blivion. It is immense and it is glorious and…” Jan 1, 12:38
James Cheyne on The Gulf War: “If your going to vote, do the Cross in box yourself, demand the votes are counted where they are and…” Jan 1, 12:03
Vivian O’Blivion on The Gulf War: “Continental Drift will separate Scotland fae England, before the SNP does.” Jan 1, 11:57
James Cheyne on The Gulf War: “The SNP do not represent Scotland any more than Nigal Farage does. Both just turn their jackets inside out depending…” Jan 1, 11:35
James Cheyne on The Gulf War: “A happy new year to everyone, The bond between party and goal is broken.. Or The bond between politician and…” Jan 1, 11:20
Morag on The Gulf War: “I remember back in about 1994 there was a similar gulf between support for independence (one poll had it at…” Jan 1, 11:19
David Holden on The Gulf War: “Happy New Year to you all from a pile of rocks off the West coast of the colony also known…” Jan 1, 11:17
100%Yes on The Gulf War: “The SNP has shown to the voters that they aren’t any good in government, they have no ideas and out…” Jan 1, 11:15
Stuart MacKay on The Gulf War: “How big does that margin need to be before it attracts someone to fill that vacuum? And who would it…” Jan 1, 11:13
robertkknight on The Gulf War: “A guid New Year tae ane an aa / Bliadhna Mhath Ùr / Happy New Year Indy for Scotland! SNP…” Jan 1, 10:30
GM on The Fear Of The Briar: “All Alan’s contempt is aimed at Scotland, England or what he calls ‘GB & NI’ gets a pass presumably because…” Jan 1, 10:29
Ronnie on The Gulf War: “Happy New Year tae all. Surely even the most ardent SNP supporter must recognise that Swinney has tae go?” Jan 1, 10:17
Andy Ellis on The Gulf War: “Excellent analysis as always. A wee typographical lapse in No. 8 perhaps….. “even though their own support has only barely…” Jan 1, 09:50
Tinto Chiel on Off-topic: “And all the best in 2026 for you and the fambly, Ian. Steak Pie Day today and Mrs Chiel’s tiramisu:…” Jan 1, 09:43
duncanio on The Gulf War: “Great analysis, Rev. “The bond between party and goal is broken” is truly a reflection of the association between the…” Jan 1, 09:33
Marie on The Gulf War: “SNP? Not for me. (From a YES voter). Happy New Year.” Jan 1, 09:23
robertkknight on The Fear Of The Briar: “The National? Is that still in print? Who buys that pi$h FFS? And a guid New Year tae ane an…” Jan 1, 02:33
Rob on The Fear Of The Briar: “When has Scotland given mandate after mandate for independence? There was one referendum and it was naw. Voting for the…” Jan 1, 02:13
Al-Stuart on The Fear Of The Briar: “. Oh Stuart Campbell, I just love the forensic analysis and fact-rich way in which you write. Your logic unassailable.…” Jan 1, 00:23
Ian Brotherhood on Off-topic: “Good to see a wee flurry in this place! Just a few minutes to go and those big bad bells…” Dec 31, 23:55
DaveL on The Fear Of The Briar: “@ Alan Scott. You’re living in southern England so which set of muppets do you mean when you say ‘our…” Dec 31, 23:39
Alf Baird on The Fear Of The Briar: “There is no ‘United Kingdom’, its a myth. Scotland was annexed by England and the English crown rebranded as ‘UK’.” Dec 31, 23:37
Northcode on The Fear Of The Briar: “One last dig at the SNP before the bells ring in the new year. The desire of the Scots for…” Dec 31, 23:32
Tinto Chiel on Off-topic: ““My husband is the only other person who talks of those wooden stairs to Bedfordshire!” Age-related I suspect, like Lobey…” Dec 31, 23:14
Alan Scott on The Fear Of The Briar: “Can you explain why leaving the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will improve the calibre of our…” Dec 31, 22:57
sarah on The Fear Of The Briar: “Hi, aLurker: the Inverness event on 7th February is a possibility for me. Though as you suspect, I’m no Spring…” Dec 31, 22:48
sarah on Off-topic: “My husband is the only other person who talks of those wooden stairs to Bedfordshire! We too will be wending…” Dec 31, 22:34