It really is quite the remarkable feat of timing that concerted mass reporting by SNP activists managed to get the Wings Twitter account (and several others) closed down this week of all weeks, isn’t it?
They’re also trying to get my personal account banned, and reporting scores of others, in an open attempt to purge any sort of dissenting opinions from public dialogue at exactly the same time as opening a “consultation” whose outcome has already been predetermined, and which in another remarkable coincidence is due to close just a few days into the four weeks scheduled for the Alex Salmond trial.
As some alert readers have already noticed, our Twitter account has been suspended again, three and a bit years after the last time. The ban is supposedly permanent. To save a lot of repeated explaining in emails and direct messages, a brief record of the pertinent events follows.
Last night a bomb went off in British politics. It utterly destroyed the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, and may have fatally weakened the foundations of the UK itself – Northern Ireland now has a majority of nationalist MPs for the first time in its history, and over 80% of Scottish seats went to the SNP.
As this site had been warning for months and months, the patience of English and Welsh voters with Parliament refusing to implement their 2016 vote to leave the EU finally snapped. Some wildly improbable Labour seats – including the constituency of Grenfell Tower, for God’s sake – went to the Tories, especially in Wales and the north of England, in order to “Get Brexit Done”.
The Lib Dems, the only UK party with a clear (okay, fairly clear) Remain position and with a minimum of 48% of the electorate to target, somehow contrived to LOSE seats, not only compared to their 21-MP starting point (bolstered by defectors since the last election) but compared to the 12 MPs they won in the 2017 election itself.
And the SNP? Well, the SNP failed too.
Because having expressly told voters that the election wasn’t about independence but about stopping Brexit, they won 13 more seats, but seats which have zero leverage at Westminster and will be able to do absolutely nothing to prevent the UK leaving the EU seven weeks from now. For all Scotland’s renewed “STOP BREXIT” message, Brexit will not be stopped. The UK, and Scotland with it, will depart next month.
We can’t help but note at this point that if the party had taken our advice and done a deal with the Tories in October to let Brexit pass in return for Section 30 powers, we’d now have an indyref in the bag (which we’d win) and as a parting gift to our southern kin we’d also have saved England from having a thumping great Tory majority for the foreseeable future.
Today is – thanks be to God and all that is holy – the last day of the worst general election in recorded human history, and indeed perhaps the worst thing of any kind to have happened in the UK since the Blitz.
In less than 24 hours many of us will go out to vote. But then what?
Beyond the embarrassing clanger, though, the article is an interesting analysis of the key marginal seats in Scotland next week, which is to say nearly all of them. With anywhere between 25 and 50 being a reasonable estimate of the SNP’s possible tally, readers may wish to familiarise themselves with the latest local data.
Mark Beggan on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “Do people still read the Daily Rangers?” May 6, 15:59
lothianlad on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “definately the best use of substitute toilet paper is the daily record. take heart…. oh how the mighty have fallen!…” May 6, 15:05
Peter McAvoy on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “As stated by an earlier comment. I don’t believe Anas Sarwar has opposed the Daily Records intent to close the…” May 6, 14:28
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Binfire Of The Vanities: “It was in a German PoW camp during WW2 that Dutch naval officer HANS ROOKMAAKER read the Bible and got…” May 6, 14:08
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “He’s never NOT running a fundraiser.” May 6, 13:07
Geri on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “Labour are finished. They were over the moment they got into bed with Bitter Together. Instead of seizing the chance…” May 6, 12:50
Geri on Seven Days Too Long: “I seem to remember Kellie only targeting council elections? I haven’t watched her for a while tho so things may…” May 6, 12:16
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Binfire Of The Vanities: “REPORT: ‘SCHOOLS STILL HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY GENDER IDEOLOGY’ (England & Wales) Child safety and wellbeing continues to be compromised in…” May 6, 12:15
Lorncal on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “Anas Sarwar is an empty vessel, like so many of the candidates standing for the all the parties. The problem…” May 6, 12:05
Socrates MacSporran on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “I don’t see a by-line, other than Anas Sarwar on that Record pish, but, it definitely reads like they’ve let…” May 6, 11:48
Geri on Seven Days Too Long: “Have you ever heard or followed Eva Comrie? In a handbags at dawn showdown with the TRA, my money would…” May 6, 11:44
Iain More on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “Anus the Butcher ad betrayer of Grangemouth squeals. No surprise that the Daily Redcoat would support the Quisling Liebore Party…” May 6, 11:44
One more day of nonsense left on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “Swiney rocked up at Cappielow early in this snorefest campaign , alongside nuSnp fanboy Compston. They had a wee photo…” May 6, 11:42
@nairnkev on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “Scotland needs dentists more than it needs anus sarwar as an msp let alone first minister, the sod should change…” May 6, 11:38
Den on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “Added to your testimony I’d like to add he is a bare faced liar, who lost all credibility in his…” May 6, 11:35
KOF on Binfire Of The Vanities: “By wilful cooperation, or just plain ignorance, all those who serve political parties serve the plans of Satan. It does…” May 6, 11:31
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “In percentage terms, definitely the latter.” May 6, 11:27
Highland Wifie on Seven Days Too Long: “Lorncal says “Perhaps it is time for women here to stand up for themselves and set up ‘The Party of…” May 6, 10:44
agentx on Anas Sarwar is a winner: ““A former SNP council leader has been jailed for 18 months for sexually assaulting five young men. Jordan Linden, who…” May 6, 10:43
James Che on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “It is difficult to vote for change in Scotland if we persist in voting for Colonial political parties, the submission…” May 6, 09:30
100%Yes on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “Please have a look at this and post your thoughts please? https://www.thenational.scot/news/26076591.poll-voting-scottish-parliament-election/ it states “How will you be voting in…” May 6, 09:25
100%Yes on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “All the parties including SNP saying vote for us to keep reform out when its the SNP who’s going to…” May 6, 09:14
ALANM on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “Which has fallen most over the last twenty years – the Labour vote or the Record’s circulation?” May 6, 08:57
100%Yes on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “Labour promoting Change, I’m just wondering what is it Scottish Labour can do that British Labour can’t? I would agree…” May 6, 08:13
Captain Caveman on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Oh. My. Word…. Who knew that my whole life was a lie, I’m a failed “lifestyle influencer” and I couldn’t…” May 6, 07:40
Effijy on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “I wonder how much the whopping lie the Vow proved to be and bias Lame duck Labour has seen the…” May 6, 07:02
ScottieDog on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “One of AS’ (Alex Salmond) few flaws – he supported the wrong Edinburgh team 😉” May 6, 06:59
