We stuck this short clip up on YouTube yesterday as a throwaway while watching the Labour conference in slack-jawed astonishment (a visitor from an alien planet would have concluded it was the gathering of a party that had just won a landslide victory, not lost its third general election in a row), but on reflection it deserves a proper post.
If you know anything at all about the story of how female Glasgow City Council employees have fought for equal pay, you’ll probably be as outraged as we are at Baxter’s bulletproof brass neck. But the video actually demonstrates what appears to be Scottish Labour’s master strategy for winning back Scotland.
Labour will start their autumn conference in Brighton properly today, but the comrades have already been at the seaside over the weekend. We thought we’d see how the UK’s official alternative to the Tories was getting along.
This weekend’s Scottish Mail On Sunday carries a column from UK Cabinet Office minister Damian Green which, if anyone was still in any doubt, rings just about every warning bell imaginable in terms of the Tories’ plan to use Brexit to cripple devolution both in principle and in practice.
It’s tucked away on page 27 and doesn’t appear on the Mail’s website, but you can read the whole thing by clicking the pic above. And below, we’ve pulled out the key sentences that should have the blood of devolution-loving No voters running cold.
We struggled to summon up much more than a weary sigh about a story in a couple of the minor papers today (the Herald and Express), about a micro-scuffle at Saturday’s pro-indy rally in Glasgow. The most interesting thing about it appeared to be that the Express had written its article several hours before the event took place.
Three years ago today, Scotland bottled it. Almost uniquely in world history, its people turned down the chance to take control of their own affairs forever without a drop of blood being shed. They did so on the back of a package of vague promises, not least one of “extensive new powers”, almost all of which have subsequently been broken.
The Secretary of State for Scotland has chosen the anniversary of the referendum to let it be known that on top of that, the most fundamental building block of devolution – the premise that any power not explicitly reserved to Westminster in the Scotland Act 1998 would belong to Holyrood – will now be torn up, in the light of the exit from the EU that Scots were promised a No vote would protect them from.
Dan on The Empty Hearse: “I don’t think the sorting out and depositing household waste into several different wheelie bins is a good example of…” Aug 2, 13:53
James Cheyne on The Empty Hearse: “Big Jock, There are things that we can all do to make the changes, we do not have to be…” Aug 2, 12:47
James Cheyne on The Empty Hearse: “The average person pays Council tax for the Council to provide a service of picking up rubbish from your home,…” Aug 2, 12:35
TURABDIN on The Empty Hearse: “WITH THE ASSETS SOLD and the British state down to the fixtures and fittings why do so many Scots stick…” Aug 2, 12:09
James Cheyne on The Empty Hearse: “Another thing worth fighting for in Scotland is (Private rights, which are unalterable ) in the treaty of union. I…” Aug 2, 12:06
Alf Baird on The Empty Hearse: ““We do actually need a government behind the movement.” The ‘nationalist’ Scottish Government should be fully supporting the movement’s Liberation…” Aug 2, 09:23
Dan on The Empty Hearse: “@ George Hope you had a braw holiday break and your health is good. That Qualcast sounds like the original…” Aug 2, 08:38
Iain More on The Empty Hearse: “With Laura Mitchell standing as the Woke SNP Candidate in Moray I wont be voting on the Constituency vote for…” Aug 2, 03:05
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Empty Hearse: “Transition formatting garble: Title should be just TROD with no question marks.” Aug 2, 01:41
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Empty Hearse: “TROD?? bhuail glainne fìona an sinc TIFF glass of wine hit the sink” Aug 2, 01:37
Peter McAvoy on The Empty Hearse: “Earlier today I read that the one of Alexander Dennis sites in Scotland has been put up for sale. If…” Aug 2, 01:14
Northcode on The Empty Hearse: ““An optimist will tell you the glass is half-full; the pessimist, half-empty; and the engineer will tell you the glass…” Aug 2, 00:17
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Empty Hearse: “LOMAIRE-FEÒIR Chuala mi lomaire-feòir gu h-àrd anns an adhar a‘ gearradh tron ghuirme. Chunnaic mi air oidhche fhuair fras reòite…” Aug 1, 23:19
sarah on The Empty Hearse: “@ Big Jock: the lack of a political force is why we need to spread the word about the political…” Aug 1, 23:07
Big Jock on The Empty Hearse: “Dan ask yourself this. Are we closer to independence than September 2014? If you are honest the answer is an…” Aug 1, 22:45
George Ferguson on The Empty Hearse: “I was gifted a 1950s Qualcast mower. No engine. Made the lawn look like Wembley. It was heavy roller at…” Aug 1, 22:34
Dan on The Empty Hearse: “The Scottish Government Poundshop Administration of Devolved Powers wanting “a detailed seabird compensation plan”. FFS, I’m pretty sure most Scots…” Aug 1, 22:10
Northcode on The Empty Hearse: ““I disagree with NOT voting at all in the Scottish elections” I appreciate that each of us must form our…” Aug 1, 21:50
Dan on The Empty Hearse: “Sigh. “All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men (and women) to do nothing”… There’s plenty going…” Aug 1, 21:18
Lorn on The Empty Hearse: “I agree, Hatey. However, the independence parties might be hard hit as many people will mistake Corbyn for a socialist…” Aug 1, 21:13
Lorn on The Empty Hearse: “Yes, no votes SNP is the only possible answer. Angus Robertson’s book, ‘Vienna’ is quite brilliant, but, when it comes…” Aug 1, 21:04
George Ferguson on The Empty Hearse: “@Agent X Simply because their higher echelons don’t care for their welfare. My brother is an ex Police Fed guy…” Aug 1, 20:44
Willie on The Empty Hearse: “Just to move to the Sandie Peggie case reports are suggesting that NHS Fife’s legal bill is now nearing £700k…” Aug 1, 20:36
Big Jock on The Empty Hearse: “Like many in the movement. I feel numb with the morass we find ourselves in. I used to post on…” Aug 1, 20:36
agent x on The Empty Hearse: “A charity has been praised after serving more than 18,000 meals to police officers during US President Donald Trump’s visit…” Aug 1, 20:07
agent x on The Empty Hearse: ““If the negotiations aren’t successful, then we’ll move to dissolve the union. It’s perfectly legal to do so.” No explanation…” Aug 1, 18:52
Colin Alexander on The Empty Hearse: “Even simpler for me: No votes for any candidates / parties that will swear fealty to the English Crown /…” Aug 1, 17:48
100%Yes on The Empty Hearse: “It would appear the SNP branches are taking action on Independence. Have a read, not before time. https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2025/08/01/snp-branches-rebel/” Aug 1, 17:45
The Flying Iron of Doom on The Empty Hearse: “Meet the new carrot, same as the old carrot… 🙄” Aug 1, 17:45
agent x on The Empty Hearse: “Headline: “SNP rebels challenge John Swinney with radical independence plan” “Rebel SNP members have laid down the gauntlet to John…” Aug 1, 17:30