Voting is now open in the selection contests to determine who the SNP’s candidates at next year’s election will be. Given the extremely dodgy secret-Survey-Monkey-ballot shenanigans recently adopted by the party NEC, we’re uncomfortably reminded of a famous quote attributed to Joseph Stalin: “it’s not the people who vote that count, it’s the people who count the votes”.
An excellent blog by the former SNP Trade & Industry spokesman Iain Lawson today highlights the near-impossibility of effecting change from within the SNP now, due to changes made by the leadership to eliminate the influence of ordinary members.
Indeed, so secure do the party’s controlling faction consider themselves that they now feel able to openly call their own supporters “bitches”.
But not quite SO secure that they still don’t want to cheat.
On Sunday we told you about Mridul Wadhwa, a man who deceived his way into a job at a rape crisis centre and now wants to be an SNP MSP, in a seat where the party supposedly has an all-woman shortlist. The story was picked up today by the Times.
But Wadhwa isn’t the only man trying to muscle in on a woman-only shortlist.
We’re not wholly convinced by prospective SNP candidate Toni Giugliano’s credentials as an impartial voice on the trans-vs-women’s-rights issue, given that he previously referred to Joan McAlpine as a “bigot”. But the statement below – it’s good to speak to people on both sides of a debate – is surely the very definition of sense and reason.
Yet that simple and wildly uncontroversial position – that the view shared by the vast majority of the population should at the minimum be heard and considered – caused a predictable storm of fury from the SNP’s woke faction, who directly equated a belief in biology and women’s rights with bigotry, racism and Nazism.
We attach a representative selection below. Can any alert readers spot the common link between all these people who are beside themselves with outrage that the subject of women’s rights should even be discussed or debated?
Television’s transforming before our eyes, as both what we watch and how we watch it changes. An ever-greater number of programmes shown through increasing mediums. But that doesn’t equate to balanced political coverage being provided, quality product displayed, or distinct countries reflected.
The United States, despite the great wealth and talent available to it in Hollywood and elsewhere, is the worse for the absence of a properly funded and high quality public broadcasting service. Its society is the poorer and its democracy badly distorted by its absence. It’s why Scotland needs a properly funded public broadcaster.
If there’s still anyone left reading this site who doubts that the SNP National Executive Committee is currently engaged in a coup against the membership of the party, meant to be a fait accompli by the time the NEC is up for re-election at the end of November, we’d urge you to read the extremely disturbing letter below from the Convener of the party’s Constituency Association (CA) in Dumbarton, which he’s attempting to circulate to local members against obstruction from the NEC (pictured), who have shut down the branch mailer system from party HQ to stop the CA speaking to its members.
(We first saw it on Iain Lawson’s excellent blog, and are carrying out the request for it to be as widely distributed as possible.)
It’s long, so we’ve highlighted a couple of passages of particular interest.
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.
Willie on A Long Hard Think: “And meanwhile how many people know that the ‘ Kangaroo court ” they call the Standards Commission Scotland has changed…” Sep 12, 01:05
Andrew Morton on A Long Hard Think: “Obvious, innit? The items in her possession are presumably the ones removed from the charge sheet. As they aren’t the…” Sep 12, 00:28
Lorncal on A Long Hard Think: “Must admit that this is something that I did think about initially, but, now, I don’t care. All I want…” Sep 11, 23:14
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: ““That is the UK Gov taking action because the Scottish Gov will not!” Correct. By far the most significant development…” Sep 11, 21:45
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: “Michty Fearghas! You’re remarkably hale, hearty and spry for somebody who’s been riddled with bullets. But to be serious for…” Sep 11, 21:34
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on A Long Hard Think: “« Did we dodge a bullet or did we dodge a bullet in 2014. » No, we invited the hail…” Sep 11, 20:57
Chas on A Long Hard Think: “It did not take too long before the crank professor mounted his hobby horse! I said some years ago that,…” Sep 11, 20:24
Alf Baird on A Long Hard Think: ““We’ll be honest with you, readers, we’re at something of a loss for words at this point.” In the Manichaean…” Sep 11, 19:48
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: “As things stand, willie, there appears to be £700,000 unaccounted for. In addition, there appears to be items bought with…” Sep 11, 19:14
Frank Gillougley on A Long Hard Think: “Reasoning and law are redundant when used against straightforward brazen and ‘unanswerable to anyone’ corruption. Even this is a waste…” Sep 11, 18:41
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: ““They are busy locking up thousands of pensioners with cardboard signs” Naw. They’re not. You’re busy either lying or fantasising.” Sep 11, 18:38
willie on A Long Hard Think: “Quite honestly can anyone have any faith in the police. As this response shows Police Scotland are absolutely rotten to…” Sep 11, 18:34
PhilM on A Long Hard Think: “The information may not be held by Police Scotland but is it the kind of information that ought to be…” Sep 11, 18:20
Morgatron on A Long Hard Think: “Just bamboozled! Who says crime doesn’t pay. Obviously not her.” Sep 11, 18:19
robertkknight on A Long Hard Think: “Unlike Rev Stu, I am not at a loss for words, namely… Corruption. This sorry excuse for a country, governed…” Sep 11, 17:56
Mark Beggan on A Long Hard Think: “For many years many people, myself included, have accused Sturgeon and the SNP of being a Cult who’s agenda is…” Sep 11, 17:55
Spartan 117 on A Long Hard Think: “Anyone surprised? Nope, me neither. This state is rotten.” Sep 11, 17:49
ALANM on A Long Hard Think: ““We broke the law so we’d like to apologise for the inconvenience caused.” All crooks wanting to obtain a get…” Sep 11, 17:44
Ronnie on A Long Hard Think: “Don’t know about the rest of you, but I cannot even look at her anymore.” Sep 11, 17:29
Andy Wiltshire on A Long Hard Think: “Is the image at the top the entirety of what they sent you, Rev? If so it looks like it’s…” Sep 11, 17:25
Mark Beggan on A Long Hard Think: “From the perspective of a Right wing fascist who knows the whole barrel is rotten one can only quote a…” Sep 11, 17:21
Ian Smith on A Long Hard Think: “Has any member of the SNP asked the police to track down the items and return them? Can any member…” Sep 11, 17:13
Colin Hope on A Long Hard Think: “Please dont give up on this. Their replies are are getting weaker. If ever there was a need for a…” Sep 11, 17:07
Effijy on A Long Hard Think: “Their next letter will simply state “Computer Says No”. Can the police force become any more pathetic? They don’t know…” Sep 11, 17:06
agentx on A Long Hard Think: ““On Thursday, it emerged that MPs will launch an inquiry into party political funding following the fraud within the SNP.…” Sep 11, 17:03
100%Yes on A Long Hard Think: “Legal hearing on recovering £400k embezzled by Peter Murrell pushed back three months.” Sep 11, 17:01
100%Yes on A Long Hard Think: “We know Peter Murrell was stealing before 2014. Sturgeon met Theresa May and I believe Sturgeon was given two options…” Sep 11, 16:58
100%Yes on A Long Hard Think: “Nicola is being protected why? Because she saved the union, so what John Swinney’s roll in all of this? He’s…” Sep 11, 16:48
agentx on A Long Hard Think: ““if she was half way decent she’d want to divest herself of everything possibly tainted by Murrell’s crimes.” ——————————————– I…” Sep 11, 16:47