There are many people in the world deserving of sympathy at the moment, readers, but spare a thought in your busy day for Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain.
Just two and a half years into the post (most incumbents post-devolution have served around five), she’s already had to deal with a lot of what sports people call “hospital passes”. But she’s about to find herself in another nasty spot not of her own making.
On Tuesday 16th January the UK parliament put beyond doubt that their claims down the centuries that the UK is a respectful union of equals is, and always was, a lie.
This was the second time I’d brought my Scotland (Self-Determination) Bill before the house and there are various opinions floating around about the reasons for, and implications of, introducing the legislation as drafted. Wings kindly suggested I set out my reasons for bringing it forward for a second time, and why I consider Tuesday’s defeat in the chamber as a Pyrrhic victory for the union.
We make no apology for returning once again to the depressing subject of the Scottish Government’s proposed new law to ban “conversion practices”, because it provides such an illuminating microcosm of how far a once competent and widely-respected administration has fallen since 2015.
Emma Roddick, who is piloting the bill towards the statute books in much the same way that Mohamed Atta piloted American Airlines Flight 11 towards the World Trade Centre, is a 26-year-old who by her own admission suffers from a serious and debilitating mental illness that any sane country would regard as an insurmountable bar to political office.
The Scottish Government’s website about its controversial and extremely disturbing new “conversion practices” legislation assures citizens that the proposal was formed after consultation with an “Expert Advisory Group”.
But all of a sudden it doesn’t seem to want you to know who they were.
After yesterday’s disturbing article about the indoctrination of Scottish schoolchildren into transgender ideology via the Scottish Government’s proposed new “conversion practices” legislation, Wings was contacted by a number of current Scottish teachers telling us we had no idea how far it had already gone.
The message below was by no means untypical:
“This stuff around the UNCRC has been a concern for a while. Some of the articles seem to be being interpreted in ways they were never intended. It has become a vehicle for activist teachers to push their own agendas, all the while hiding behind ‘children’s rights’.
Getting certified is being pushed heavily in every school. Headteachers seem to be under a lot of pressure (coming from Scottish Government) to get it all implemented. We’re currently working towards silver.”
It’s from a 2018 BBC3 documentary called Becoming A Trans Man – Leo. The 15-year-old child in the video plays with a Rubik’s Cube as Wolton, who was 31 at the time, enthusiastically grooms her into transitioning into a “man”, advocating chest binders, a double mastectomy and the irreversible mutilation of her genitalia (“Lower surgery – you want that”) that will, Wolton confirms, lead to her permanent sterilisation, as well as the destruction of her future adult sexual function.
The BBC presents it as a heartwarming tale of friendship.
Mike Russell, currently at the centre of controversy over his appointment as chair of the Scottish Land Commission, hit the political big stage during Scotland’s first ever SNP administration under Alex Salmond, whom, in turn, Mike had previously seen into office as Salmond’s campaign manager.
In 2007 he was appointed as Minister for Environment, then in 2009 he became the Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, and his conventional ministerial career concluded when he went on to replace Fiona Hyslop as Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning until the end of 2014.
Following the 2014 independence vote, the pre-referendum era ended with Salmond’s dignified (albeit temporary) stage exit; Nicola Sturgeon took the helm and began to reform what had been left to her by her predecessor.
A core pillar of Sturgeon’s centrist reform was the construction of an almost entirely opaque ivory tower of power from which both SNP and the state would run their covert affairs with subversive, centralizing, strong-arm granularity, cleverly camouflaging its sinister implications from the public through cult-of-personality media management.
Instrumental in this, among a very few select others, was Mike Russell.
It’s rather apt that this happened on the last day of the calendar. Because it truly is the rock-bottom moment in the grotesquely sullied history of the Scottish National Party.
We’ve heard that line somewhere before, haven’t we?
Colin Alexander on The Unbargain Bin: “Salmond went the s30 route – upholding the sovereignty of his Queen of England in WM. Under Salmond, the SNP…” Nov 24, 14:20
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Mark Beggan on The Unbargain Bin: “A Dictators Guide to the Galaxy P Harvey” Nov 24, 13:52
TURABDIN on The Unbargain Bin: “THE BIG LIE AND HOW THE F****** FELL FOR IT. a very, very, very graphic novel. by the Bute House…” Nov 24, 13:21
stuart mctavish on The Unbargain Bin: “Greater Expectations, we the people Highland Treasure, Kate Forbes Lords of the Wings, Campbell & Cairns The illuad, Boris Johnson” Nov 24, 12:50
Pete Short on The Unbargain Bin: “What, no copies of The Presidency colouring book by Doald Trump?” Nov 24, 11:20
Cynicus on The Unbargain Bin: ““The Truth About Me” by [REDACTED] Foreword by John Swinney” Nov 24, 11:11
TURABDIN on The Unbargain Bin: “A recent survey indicates 60% of people in England are dissatisfied with «politics» but only 20% in Scotland. The Scots…” Nov 24, 11:03
Hatey McHateface on The Unbargain Bin: “The Observer’s Book Of Alphabetties” Nov 24, 10:28
Hatey McHateface on The Unbargain Bin: “FFS, Mia! Faced with the monstrous betrayal of Scotland’s honour, history and democracy that Yousaf as FM of Scotland embodied,…” Nov 24, 10:26
Hatey McHateface on The Unbargain Bin: ““The Scot Abroad” That’s one of yours isn’t it?” Nov 24, 10:15
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sam on The Unbargain Bin: “The Imporrtance of being Honest – Nicola Sturgeon Guys and Dolls – Sandy Brindley and them others As I Lay…” Nov 24, 09:41
Hatey McHateface on The Unbargain Bin: “That’s great news, sarah, if true. Is it clear what currency we’ll be using? I expect forwards-thinking Scots will want…” Nov 24, 09:38
Hatey McHateface on The Unbargain Bin: “A wee birdie tells me you have a book of your own in the pipeline, Ros: “A Search For scotland”…” Nov 24, 09:25
gregor on The Unbargain Bin: “The Who: Life House: Bargain: “I’d gladly lose me to find you I’d gladly give up all I have To…” Nov 24, 08:16
James Gardner on The Unbargain Bin: “Susan Aitken hus wan tae…..” Nov 24, 00:11
Astonished on The Unbargain Bin: “Mac – Superb. Laughing my socks off.” Nov 23, 22:31
Astonished on The Unbargain Bin: “I am really hoping that one becomes a reality.” Nov 23, 22:28
sarah on The Unbargain Bin: “O/T Has anyone seen the latest Inde-Car you tube? Someone is getting excited because apparently Inde-Car says we’ll be independent…” Nov 23, 22:14
SteepBrae on The Unbargain Bin: “A Tangled Web Anonymous” Nov 23, 21:29
Young Lochinvar on The Unbargain Bin: “Yes They are certainly having their own wee Bud Light/ Democrats/ Jaguar/ NuSNP/ S Greens (aka the Khymer Vert) moment…” Nov 23, 21:16
Mac on The Unbargain Bin: “Tinker, Tailor, Tr@it0r, Cunt. By Angus Le Robertson.” Nov 23, 20:56
Young Lochinvar on The Unbargain Bin: “There have been some clever belters today but this one is my favourite.” Nov 23, 20:18
Dumbarton Rock on The Unbargain Bin: “Well if you put your brain in gear, maybe you’d be able to work it out. You could start with…” Nov 23, 20:13