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.
James on The Nobodies: “Aw, Confused; don’t be calling Main a cunt. Everyone knows it’s a “Prick”.” Aug 3, 14:45
Ex President Xiden on Or Something: “There are in fact a third possibility, namely they could be BOTH .” Aug 3, 14:29
am firinn on Or Something: “I think the idea of independence is to get rid of people like these, and ensure, through greater democratic accountability…” Aug 3, 14:19
Hatey McHateface on Or Something: “Your post is telling me you have no idea of what constituted the reality of 1930’s Germany (presumably you were…” Aug 3, 13:55
sarah on Or Something: “Rev, I am sure you are aware of the need to keep yourself safe. Perhaps get some professional advice?” Aug 3, 13:53
Rookiescot on Or Something: “After what they did to Alex Salmond I expect we will see nothing but partisanship. That alone told me who…” Aug 3, 13:48
Colin Alexander on Or Something: “An FOI to the Electoral Commission on related Police / SNP matters was also refused with a: “can neither confirm…” Aug 3, 13:38
Willie on Or Something: “When you read responses like the one thst COPFS has just sent you realise that the COPFS has just issued…” Aug 3, 13:35
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Or Something: “No, there’s a third option: simply explain the reason someone was not prosecuted in the face of what appears to…” Aug 3, 13:10
Hatey McHateface on Or Something: “OK, so I lazily exaggerated. I’ll re-write. Over the months of July and August, when the schools are out, sufficient…” Aug 3, 12:42
agentx on Or Something: ““Sandie Peggie’s employment tribunal appeal to go ahead next year. A statement released on behalf of Peggie’s lawyers said a…” Aug 3, 12:35
Campbell Clansman on Or Something: “The letter demands that the government agency admit they are institutionally inept or corrupted. Here’s a list of the number…” Aug 3, 12:33
H Scott on Or Something: “‘everybody will be on holiday’ Not in Scotland.” Aug 3, 12:20
joolz on Or Something: ““there are only two possibilities: COPFS is institutionally inept, or COPFS is institutionally corrupt. Neither would be a good look.”…” Aug 3, 11:59
am firinn on Or Something: “In fact COPFS have all sorts of duties to explain things. Notably, under section 6 of the Victims and Witnesses…” Aug 3, 11:59
Skip_NC on Or Something: “As I recall, this started as a criminal complaint to the police following John Swinney’s confession and they kicked it…” Aug 3, 11:46
David W Aitken on Or Something: “Is there the slightest prospect of a private prosecution here? It seems clear that only this would break the mulish…” Aug 3, 11:36
AlMac on Or Something: ““Please do not make the mistake of thinking that I will eventually get bored and go away. I will not.”…” Aug 3, 11:28
Frank Gillougley on Or Something: “I think that what they have said to so far amounts to no more than this: 1. Now be a…” Aug 3, 11:14
Robert on Or Something: “COPS may well, and quite reasonably, reply that it’s not their job to explain the law to anyone, or their…” Aug 3, 11:00
DaveL on Or Something: “On number 6 of your listed points, COPFS being either inept or corrupt I have no doubt (despite their inept…” Aug 3, 10:31
Sean Duffy on Or Something: “Excellent riposte. Reminding them that this is not simply going to go away and die quietly and unseen in some…” Aug 3, 10:29
Arbroath1320 on Or Something: “Please do not make the mistake of thinking that I will eventually get bored and go away. I will not.…” Aug 3, 10:22
Hatey McHateface on Or Something: ““wha aye hauds pouer in a donsie wee colony?” According to Fanon, the whites. According to Hatey, that’s a useless…” Aug 3, 10:22
Hatey McHateface on Or Something: “Excellent article. It really could not be made any simpler or any clearer. “in around a month’s time” would be…” Aug 3, 10:18
factchecker on Or Something: “Excellent. Could not be made plainer. Hard for them not to address the real issue without looking either stupid or…” Aug 3, 10:18
Tony Little on The Deaf Eyes: “On the contrary @Northcode COPFS chose to ignore the simple fact that on EVERY occasion the SNP asked people to…” Aug 3, 10:15
Alf Baird on Or Something: ““why COPFS is turning a blind eye?” Good question, Rev. This business suggests people in very powerful positions may be…” Aug 3, 10:06
Ronnie on Or Something: “When you come for the King…….yie ken the rest.” Aug 3, 09:49
Hatey McHateface on The Nobodies: “An interesting article about how the EU – that wonderful EU that so many “Indy” Scots yearn to join with…” Aug 3, 08:25
