Sometimes it’s hard for Yes supporters in Scotland not to be a bit jealous of Catalonia.
Despite their would-be nation being only a little bit bigger than Scotland, and despite being faced with very real physical and legal intimidation, the Catalan independence movement regularly manages to put hundreds of thousands of people on the streets.
Yes marches and rallies in Scotland, by comparison, often struggle to get attendances numbered in the hundreds, largely because squabbling factions refuse to get along with each other and by far the biggest entity in the Yes movement – the SNP – wants nothing to do with them.
Marches don’t win independence, of course. But what does?
We referenced this a few days ago because we definitely remembered it happening, but we’d been unable to actually locate the evidence, and at Wings Over Scotland that sort of thing bothers us. After a very considerable amount of effort we’ve now tracked it down, so we’re bunging it up here to preserve it for the record.
(At that point host Frank Skinner gave up and moved on.)
It’s from one month after the indyref, and the interesting thing is that Robinson is twice given the opportunity to respond to Skinner’s question about whether he thought that the pro-Yes supporters had any sort of fair point about his alleged bias, and both times – rather than, say, just dismissing it with a quick “Of course not” – he ducks it.
Readers can, as always, make their own judgements.
Amid the horror of events in Catalonia yesterday, the Prime Minister of the UK – quite unintentionally – said something during an interview on the Andrew Marr Show which was highly pertinent not only to the Catalan referendum but to British domestic politics too. We thought it needed saving for the record.
This site can’t claim to know enough about Spanish and Catalan politics to have an opinion about whether independence for Catalonia is a good idea or not. All we can say is that democracy is a good idea, and the draconian and extreme attempts of the Spanish government to suppress the referendum – ludicrously under-reported in the UK media, particularly broadcast media – are a terrifying throwback to its fascist past. We very much hope they don’t succeed.
As readers who were once children will probably recall, papier-mache is a substance in which incredibly flimsy material – such as tissue paper or newspaper – is turned into something rather more hard and durable by dint of combining multiple layers of it with a simple flour-and-water solution.
What’s less well-known is that the process also happens IN newspapers.
For a case study, let’s look at this article in today’s Times.
The Scottish Daily Mail almost explodes with fury over new crime statistics today:
Which is weird. Because there’s less crime in Scotland than there’s ever been at any time in modern history. How do we know that? Because the Mail tells us so.
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.
agentx on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I predict that SNP and Reform UK Ltd will not perform as well as the polls predict.” May 5, 20:48
Jamie on Binfire Of The Vanities: “If you have so much pity for the people of the flag on my profile, why don’t you go and…” May 5, 20:33
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““each one is free and independent when he/she realises it” Let me start a wee list: 1) Destroy your UK…” May 5, 20:27
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““at least put some effort into it” You’re flying the flag of a country whose leaders have pursued policies that…” May 5, 19:53
Sven on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Mark Beggan @ 19.18 “Indy is finished before the vote begins.” To be is to do, Mark. The practise is…” May 5, 19:47
100%Yes on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I see Ali hasn’t returned your call. I’ll answer for him, their not and never will the SNP & Greens…” May 5, 19:36
Northcode on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““assimilation aye fails when peoples remain, even ‘the dregs of a rusted culture’ (Fanon) enough to breath life anew.” I…” May 5, 19:21
Captain Caveman on Binfire Of The Vanities: “On the contrary YL. The Welsh are a lovely, friendly and most welcoming people (as indeed are the Scots, present…” May 5, 19:20
Mark Beggan on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Indy is finished before the vote begins. Gloating is for fools.” May 5, 19:18
Jamie on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Hatey, your trolling is really low effort and lame. I was trolling people and got bored of trolling online before…” May 5, 19:17
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “But. But. The Union is a hoax! A never was! A myth! Scotland is already independent! Haven’t you learned anything…” May 5, 19:13
Bilbo on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Convince me that the SNP and the Greens are going to deliver independence in the next Holyrood term and I’ll…” May 5, 18:59
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “You got it in one, Twat H. Scotland will be Independent by this time next week. Dinna forget tae stay…” May 5, 18:55
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Fat Slag Wilma Flintstone @ 6.08 Hahahaha! Bet the Welsh just love you rocking up Colonist style with your thunder-thighs…” May 5, 18:51
twathater on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Oh boy the yoonies are out in force today backed up by the resident 77th brigade fuckwit , keep going…” May 5, 18:35
Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Scotti/Gaels assimilation of Picts, followed by English assimilation of Scots: assimilation aye fails when peoples remain, even ‘the dregs of…” May 5, 18:23
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Beggars You forgot to mention snails and puppy dogs tails. Whereas of course the ones made in the west are…” May 5, 18:19
Ali on Binfire Of The Vanities: “If Indy preference is at 55% that was done with Swinney in charge. I’m not waking up to gloating unionists…” May 5, 18:15
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Let’s start a poll. Who looks more like Max Hermann, the father of the vampires in the classic Lost Boys…” May 5, 18:12
Captain Caveman on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Aww bless YL, you STILL having a meltdown?! 😀 It’s GREAT living rent free in your head. I’ve been enjoying…” May 5, 18:08
Mark Beggan on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Made in China with coal,oil and child slave labour.” May 5, 18:00
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “HMcH @ 5.28 No. Nobody is saying that, well except you and yer fellow spoilers on here but you don’t…” May 5, 17:52
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Please don’t tell us it’s an electric one made in China. Then again, how could it be a diesel one…” May 5, 17:37
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “HMcH @ 5.06 Is that it? Lordy, you’re losing it “old boy”, remand coming up again is it? As long…” May 5, 17:33
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““we are to believe that the Alliance to Liberate Scotland Party is to make an immediate impact” FFS, x. Why…” May 5, 17:28
agentx on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I see Swinney has been using a great big SNP battle coach for campaigning. It makes you wonder why a…” May 5, 17:24
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““a vote to extinguish the Scots as a people” I thought you’d be in favour of that, Northy. Surely, as…” May 5, 17:23
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““actually 4 to 5 % of indy supporters tend to vote reform” Surely, it’s 4.539 % so why don’t you…” May 5, 17:19
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““It isn’t the religion of peace invading other countries spreading tyranny, hunger, petulance, famine & death” Aw naw, spitting dummies…” May 5, 17:13
