In many ways the Glasgow equal-pay dispute feels like the impotent final fury of the dinosaurs after the dust cloud of a prehistoric asteroid impact blacked out the sun and condemned them all to death.
What we’re seeing now is a futile howl of rage against irrelevance by the shady cabal of Labour politicians and senior trade union officials who used to treat the city as their personal fiefdom, as they sink into inglorious extinction.
We highly recommend clicking that link to read the whole series of tweets from Labour member and solicitor Ian Smart, who readers won’t need reminding is no sort of friend of the SNP or inclined to their defence. Because the story goes much deeper than the common-or-garden hypocrisy we saw yesterday.
We don’t know whether Sky News’ senior Scotland correspondent James Matthews recognised double-jobbing Labour MP and councillor Hugh Gaffney on today’s strike march in Glasgow or not. (We suspect he did, but as Gaffney’s only been an MP for a year and a half we can’t be sure.)
What’s certain is that he gave him plenty of time, opportunity and cues to disclose who he was, and Gaffney didn’t take any of them, leading to this extraordinary clip.
The indyref sometimes caused feelings to run rather high, and people on both sides made themselves very unpopular with those on the other side. But four years of water has flowed under the bridge since then, and not everyone is still in the same trenches.
Some high-profile names have switched to from No to Yes (often but not exclusively as a result of Brexit), and the reception afforded to floor-crossers like Murray Foote, Eric Joyce, Jackie Kemp, Mike Dailly, Tom Morton and Simon Pia hasn’t always been an entirely warm one, with some unable to keep a lid on their old grudges.
And in a similar vein, some of the remarks in recent days on the reported switch to Yes of Billy Connolly – a few from people I thought better of – are deeply offensive and potentially deeply damaging.
Well well, look who suddenly believes in second referendums.
It’s fascinating to note how you can completely reverse Kezia Dugdale’s position on the subject simply by substituting the word “Scotland” for the words “the UK” in that second tweet, and imagine she was talking about the independence march in heavily-Remain-voting Edinburgh earlier this month instead of the (proportionately smaller) one in London yesterday.
The BBC’s Scottish politics website today prominently carries this story:
Our famously alert readers may recall as far back as five-and-a-half months ago, which was the last time the Scottish media tried to whip up demented scare stories about baby boxes, which have been given to every new mother in Finland for approximately 70 years and caused absolutely no documented problems.
So what’s fresh about the story to justify this significant new coverage? Let’s see.
Tory MP Kirstene “dumber than a box of” Hair is best known for being the member of the UK Parliament who didn’t vote in the Brexit referendum because it was too difficult.
The Scottish Daily Mail today has a big headline relaying the seemingly-unambiguous bad news that unemployment in Scotland has apparently risen by 11,000.
But cheer up, folks, because better times are ahead.
We’re pretty sure it was “Listen to you about being ‘better together’, so that they ended up with a Tory government they didn’t vote for but which was imposed on them by the people in a much larger country, and which has a long track record of imposing brutal, callous welfare policies on the poor for largely ideological reasons, and which has entirely predictably continued to do so”.
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
Anas Sarwar on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “Here’s another one. They’ll never steal your flag.” May 6, 04:40
Karen on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “That would be the Glasgow banter. And The Heart of Midlothian.” May 6, 04:38
wordwatcher on Anas Sarwar is a winner: “That’s quite a description! It really highlights how some statements just miss the mark completely, doesn’t it?” May 6, 04:10
