To the surprise of most of those watching, including ourselves, the Court Of Session delivered its judgement immediately at the end of today’s hearing, after only the most cursory of conflabs between the three august panel members.
The short version is that the Scottish Government lost, and must now comply with Wings reader Benjamin Harrop‘s FOI request regarding evidence that was supplied to independent adviser James Hamilton during his inquiry into the unlawful investigation of false allegations against Alex Salmond.
The Scottish Government will make history tomorrow. For the first time ever since the advent of devolution 24 years ago, it will take the Scottish Information Commissioner to the Court Of Session to prevent disclosure of information.
On the bench will be the full firepower of the inner council of the Scottish judiciary. The Lord President himself, Lord Carloway, will be presiding (and presumably lording) over the hearing. Joining him on the bench will be a former Lord Advocate, Lord Boyd, and a former Solicitor General, Lord Pentland – pictured below, and of whom readers will last have heard here.
To use the legal parlance, that’s a big-boy lineup.
To present their case, the Government are fielding not one but two King’s Counsel – James Mure KC and Paul Reid KC.
This top legal talent does not come cheap and nor does a Court Of Session hearing. So what is this vital information that the Scottish Government – which as recently as May this year pledged to “ensure that we are the most transparent Government on these islands” – is trying so desperately to hide from the Scottish public, at the Scottish public’s very considerable expense?
Just under four years ago the world was hit by a pandemic that spread like wildfire and caused misery wherever it reached. It’ll be remembered by almost everyone who lived through it, especially those who worked to protect society’s most vulnerable.
We’ve all heard about its effect on our NHS, but less so on those working within social care. As the COVID inquiries on both sides of the border continue to reveal more and more troubling information, Wings readers should hear the story of what it was like to work in social care in Scotland during the COVID pandemic.
(Including but not limited to International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia; International Pronouns Day; International Transgender Day Of Visibility; Transgender Awareness Week and of course the whole of “Pride Month”, which is now an almost entirely trans-focused event).
Citizens of Scotland and the UK were solemnly instructed to “remember the many trans people whose lives have been tragically cut short by violence”, although weirdly none of the politicians issuing the orders actually named any.
However, since we’re endlessly being told that trans people are the most marginalised, oppressed and vulnerable members of our society, and that an actual “trans genocide” is currently in progress, we expect there have been loads.
It’s funny, but even when you think about politics all day for a living, there are some thoughts that just never pop into your head, and then someone says them a decade later and you think “Oh yeah, of course, it’s obvious”.
Iain Macwhirter is almost certainly right about that in today’s Times. We all focus on how it would have saved Scotland from Brexit, which of course it would, but the truth is that it would have saved the rest of the country too, because the shock would have been so seismic that politicians would have been terrified to put power in the hands of the people again for many, many years.
And of course maybe you love Brexit, or maybe you just think it would have been wrong for the rest of the country to have been denied a vote on it, or maybe you think Nigel Farage would have stormed to victory and become Prime Minister as a result or something. But those are all separate arguments. What’s beyond any reasonable doubt is that for good or ill, that’s how it would have panned out.
So as time goes on, remember who’s responsible not just for Scotland still being in the UK, but also for the UK being out of Europe and for Nicola Sturgeon having been First Minister for the last eight years and our country being run into the ground by a bunch of crooked, hapless, gender-obsessed imbeciles.
Thanks again, No voters. Great victory you won there.
While we’re not talking about politics, here’s something else. I’ve just returned from Bath’s fine Royal United Hospital, where I’ve been getting a test done. (So as to avoid unnecessary dramatic tension, as far as anyone knows everything’s fine.)
A while ago I was having some intermittent but rather alarming trouble with swallowing – behave yourselves at the back, there – as well as a bit of general alimentary-canal oddness and mild discomfort, and went to see my doctor. She thought it was probably acid reflux and gave me omeprazole (which fixed the swallowing thing straight away), but just for safety also scheduled me for a barium scan at the hospital.
I’m a bit of a Nervous Nelly when it comes to any sort of medical procedure – this was my first time in a hospital on my own account – and went Googling to see what to expect. I found about 14 different leaflets from various NHS trusts, no two of which said the same thing, which wasn’t exactly reassuring.
What I wanted was a first-hand account or two from actual people who’d had it done, and rather to my surprise I couldn’t find any anywhere on the internet. So since I have a moderately widely-read website, I’m going to write one here for the benefit of not only Wings readers, but anyone else who might find themselves searching for one.
Stand by for some HOT REPORTING. (The above is a genuine RUH sign.)
Zilch continues to happen in Scottish politics, so to pass a bleak November afternoon we’re going to do something we haven’t done on Wings for years: talk about football.
Try not to panic, because it’s really about the Scottish media – just like it used to be back in the good old days when they, rather than the SNP, were the main obstacles to Scottish independence. But there’s going to be quite a bit of football involved along the way, so if you can’t bear it, just go and stare out of the window and wait for Spring.
Wings Over Scotland is 12 years old today. And since absolutely nothing is happening in the world of Scottish independence – and hasn’t for, frankly, years – we thought we’d take you on a trip back to the day we were born, since when things DID change.
Remember when we had a leader who could get the UK government to do stuff it didn’t want to do, readers? AND actually increase support for independence? Good times.
SteepBrae on What Went On: “Good luck to the team asked to harvest the eggs.” Nov 28, 18:42
Alf Baird on What Went On: “Independence requires decolonization which means colonialism is our ‘condition’ with liberation the only remedy. As colonialism is based on psychology…” Nov 28, 18:36
Sven on What Went On: “Aww sugar, Garavelli, now you’ve done it ! At least with Candyman his name required to be said 5 times.…” Nov 28, 18:24
John C on What Went On: “What struck me was how the Scottish Government sent in KCs so unprepared & unaware of the entire trans debate.…” Nov 28, 18:22
twathater on What Went On: “MEANWHILE we have pensioners freezing in Scotland horrified at the thought of their next heating bill facing a choice of…” Nov 28, 18:09
Garavelli Princip on What Went On: “By the way, Where’s Hatey? I guess it’s a case of “never disturb your enemy when he is making a…” Nov 28, 17:40
Garavelli Princip on What Went On: “And here’s the thing – his eggs could be fertilised by his own sperm! We have reached biological Nirvana -…” Nov 28, 17:36
Chas on What Went On: “Absolute madness unfolding. What is really worrying is that there are still a lot of people in Scotland who think…” Nov 28, 17:26
Dan on What Went On: “Related to topic. http://robinmcalpine.org/those-comments-on-adoption-are-ignorant-and-offensive/” Nov 28, 17:26
MaryB on What Went On: “Why has Shirley Anne Somerville today announced winter fuel payments to pensioners? To distract us from her government’s disastrous gender…” Nov 28, 17:08
Republicofscotland on What Went On: “Over 1,000 Scots sleeping rough in Glasgow alone – whilst – thousands of Scots children are homeless yet these vile…” Nov 28, 16:52
rogueslr on What Went On: “This is the legal equivalence of when Saint Nic couldn’t explain why Isla was to be banged up in a…” Nov 28, 16:50
Mark Beggan on What Went On: “Scotland leads the world in Child Care Home abuse and how to get away with it even when they catch…” Nov 28, 16:37
Heather McLean on What Went On: “The Scottish Government have turned Scotland into a laughing stock it’s embarrassing But even worse this is our money they…” Nov 28, 16:31
Campbell Clansman on What Went On: “If you voted SNP, Labour, LibDem or Green, you voted for the people who enacted this craziness. Only the Conservatives…” Nov 28, 16:22
Mark Beggan on What Went On: “” What have they done to the earth? What have they done to our fair sister? Ravaged, plundered, ripped and…” Nov 28, 15:58
panda paws on What Went On: ““Thus leaving their unfortunate counsel to have to present a case which is complete gibberish that even they can’t understand…” Nov 28, 15:56
Republicofscotland on What Went On: “More taxpayers cash wasted by the the Vichy SNP government – the SNP government and their degenerate sidekicks the Greens…” Nov 28, 15:51
Stephen on What Went On: “What a farce! Meanwhile what do the Scottish Government have to say on independence?” Nov 28, 15:41
Astonished on What Went On: “Do we have to wait months because it will take that long for the judges to stop laughing at Sturgeon…” Nov 28, 15:36
Mark Beggan on What Went On: ““Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman.” Especially when there’s a sweaty rapist in the next cubicle.” Nov 28, 15:32
Mark Beggan on What Went On: “The only thing that’s on trial here is the Scottish Legal system.” Nov 28, 15:20
gregor on What Went On: “re. “And to think that Scotland was once the land of the enlightenment” It still is (Scot Gov freak has…” Nov 28, 15:11
desimond on What Went On: “A Trans- Men WITH a GRC wont be entitled to IVF or Maternity Pay due to being male. Was this…” Nov 28, 15:11
Mark Beggan on What Went On: “And the whole world stops, The human race cannot continue until the Legal gerbils get their flow charts sorted. Yes…” Nov 28, 15:10
gregor on What Went On: “Woman: “An adult female human being.”: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/woman” Nov 28, 15:02
Sven on What Went On: ““Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.” The madness is surely apparent and in full view Lorna, this…” Nov 28, 14:54
Lorna Campbell on What Went On: “It was also the land of the witch hunter. More ‘witches’ killed here per capita than almost everywhere else, barring…” Nov 28, 14:45
Lorna Campbell on What Went On: “Everything is being affected, Fearghas. Apparently, sex crimes by women have risen 400% in the past couple of years.” Nov 28, 14:38
