The Scottish Tory MSP reacted furiously to a story in The National which said Scotland had been absorbed into England by the 1707 Act Of Union, rather than becoming a “partner” in anything, and had ceased to exist as a state in international law.
Which was a weird response, because that’s been the official stated position of both the UK government and the Conservative Party for at least the last 12 years.
Despite everything, we almost allowed ourselves just the very tiniest little micro-flicker of optimism when we read Tommy Sheppard’s latest in The National.
Because that much is certainly true, and it’s uncommonly candid to have anyone in the SNP admit it. So what’s the answer?
(Kelly’s article is here. Link to Grok’s answer here. The ChatGPT analysis that triggered the article can be read in this tweet thread. A verifiable analysis by Grok of the debate, based on a neutral question, can be read here.)
The legal imprint at the bottom means that that’s official SNP election communication. One assumes it’s intended for leaflets to be put through actual voters’ letterboxes.
Hi! I noticed, with very considerable amusement, your complaint last night that I hadn’t made a “substantive reply” to the [EDIT] EIGHT posts (totalling nearly 11,000 words) of semi-coherent ranting about me that you’ve made on your site in the last eight days.
(I’ll be absolutely honest, I’ve only skimmed the last few.)
We both know the reason that’s so tear-streamingly comical, of course.
In so far as it’s worth talking about Scottish constitutional politics at all these days, it’s worth taking a moment to analyse the bloodless, anodyne nothingness spouted by the First Minister on The Sunday Show at the weekend.
That clip is less than three minutes long, but it’s so soul-crushingly boring and full of content-free drone and waffle that it’s almost impossible to sit all the way through it, so we’re going to translate and summarise it for you.
Warning: despite the quite zingy title this is actually going to be a very dry stats post, readers. It is, on the other hand, based on a man having something disturbingly close to a complete psychotic mental breakdown, so there’s always that for a bit of colour.
Because the paragraph above, and in particular the highlighted part, is without a doubt the most dishonest, diametrically false and wildly extreme lie about Scottish politics that we’ve ever seen anyone tell in the 13.5 years of Wings Over Scotland’s existence.
And as a rule we don’t bother addressing them because they’re so demented you could spend 5,000 words pulling apart all the individual strands of lunacy every time, and lunatics thrive on attention, but this one does merit a very brief comment.
Because “Vote Labour, get indy” wasn’t our plan. It was John Swinney’s.
Even by the embarrassing standards of The National, the gulf between this morning’s blaring front-page splash and the weak, watery weasel words in the actual article is a chasm so wide and so yawning (in every sense of that word) that it would put the epic planetary scar of Mars’ Valles Marineris to shame.
Coupled with a feebly underwhelming Programme For Government (in which the main policy was the re-abolition of peak rail fares just months after the SNP insisted such a move was unaffordable, with no clue as to where the money had suddenly been found) and a pitiful list of candidates for next year’s Holyrood election featuring the likes of Sally “all aboard the gravy bus!” Donald, Kaukab “DECAPITATE TERFS” Stewart, Kirsten “DECAPITATE TERFS” Oswald, Alison “DECAPITATE TERFS” Thewliss and Alyn “throw anyone who doesn’t want to DECAPITATE TERFS out of the SNP” Smith, the story was an abject vision of a bleak future for independence.
On reflection, we feel we may have not taken this story seriously enough. After all, they don’t put just ANY old guff on the front page of the Sunday Mail.
Young Lochinvar on The Jokers: “Absolutely nailed it there Mia. We are going through a parties death throes, not pretty but it needs to be…” Jun 6, 22:33
Scot Finlayson on The Jokers: “Reform could be king makers at the next Holyrood election, bringing in a British unionist Government, Starmer would be happy…” Jun 6, 22:17
Mark Beggan on The Jokers: “Old Eskimo proverb; Don’t eat the yellow snow.” Jun 6, 22:12
Bilbo on The Jokers: “If you take the time to listen to the average Scot, they are politically aware and know exactly what is…” Jun 6, 19:51
Mia on The Jokers: ““it isn’t over for the SNP all they have to do is join Liberate Scotland” I do not want them…” Jun 6, 19:48
willie on The Jokers: “Since 2015 the SNP has been a blocker to pursuing independence. A Trojan Horse on behalf of the Brit establishment…” Jun 6, 19:38
Bilbo on The Jokers: “If those who had voted for Tory voted for Reform, Reform would have won. Stating the obvious but for the…” Jun 6, 19:33
Bilbo on The Jokers: “Those changing faces and hearing different languages are from people who are working here legally via the visa scheme and…” Jun 6, 19:30
Rob on Ball Of Confusion: “Politics has been reduced to voting for the party that you least hate. Reform will do better and better in…” Jun 6, 19:14
Alf Baird on The Jokers: ““Would “both votes” suddnly make sense?” Only if folks are happy with another 5 years of colonial administration and inept…” Jun 6, 19:12
TURABDIN on The Jokers: “POLITICAL OUTFITS love «process», effectively a cover for doing nothing. That «referendum» obsession by the putative independence party is a…” Jun 6, 19:03
Mia on The Jokers: “Now look at it from this other way: Reform + Tory: 8,709 SNP+ Green: 8,652 Lab: 8,559 Total: 25,920 vs…” Jun 6, 18:39
Geordie on The Jokers: “100%. That’s it in a nutshell. Our country is changing afore our eyes and most politicians couldn’t give a fuck.…” Jun 6, 18:30
Mia on The Jokers: ““Labour have done nothing for working class people since the 1960’s…Labour have taken us into an illegal war, watched as…” Jun 6, 18:18
A2 on The Jokers: “If this was the full HR election would this have this affected the constituincy seats if we assume the swings…” Jun 6, 18:09
Chas on The Jokers: “Alfie boy will be proud of that mince. Did you think of it all by yourself?” Jun 6, 17:55
Mia on The Jokers: ““Whether anyone likes it or not, an absentee voter is still a vote – it’s a vote to abdicate the…” Jun 6, 17:51
Mia on The Jokers: “It is not in real terms, actually. The majority of the electorate didn’t even validate that election as a democratic…” Jun 6, 17:18
agent x on The Jokers: “I never take notice of opinion polls – maybe they should not be given prominence in future on here?” Jun 6, 16:26
Steven on The Jokers: “All people registered get a vote, so the UK is absolutely a democracy. Just because people can not be arsed…” Jun 6, 16:23
Chris Downie on The Jokers: “The biggest failure of the SNP since 2015, apart from the obvious one – not delivering independence – is allowing…” Jun 6, 16:14
Breeks on The Jokers: “What upsets me is the media manipulation, censorship, and distortion of reality in our so called “media”. I haven’t trusted,…” Jun 6, 16:08
Big Jock on The Jokers: “There are still the delusional hordes musing on other sites. That Swinney the Grim Reaper will save the SNP. The…” Jun 6, 16:06
TURABDIN on The Jokers: “THE JOKE’S ON US ALL, given that the real power on the planet is in the hands of unaccountable sociopathic…” Jun 6, 16:04
Jontoscot21 on The Jokers: “Davy was a throwback from Labour’s usual Lego haircut wimmin or bum fluff say boy teachers. He was actually more…” Jun 6, 15:54
Campbell Clansman on The Jokers: “Unionist parties 2-1 over (nominally) Indy parties is in line with the national polls. This aspect of the Hamilton result…” Jun 6, 13:57
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Jokers: ““I posted yesterday (although my comment seems to have failed to pass moderation)” You’ve changed your email so you were…” Jun 6, 13:08
David on The Jokers: “The migrants invading Britain is upsetting to so many working class men wanting housing but can’t get on the ladder.…” Jun 6, 12:38
David on The Jokers: “Katy Louden voted against funding for Hamilton town centre! She got what she deserved – a big massive rejection from…” Jun 6, 12:29
Daniel Souter on The Jokers: “The voters in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse won’t be worried much about it, because when this Labour “pig with a…” Jun 6, 12:23
