As the Prime Minister prepares to meet the First Minister and doggedly give her “now is not the time” mantra another few dozen run-throughs for the cameras, we thought that you might enjoy a little trip down Memory Lane.
Normally the amateur blogger, unqualified would-be economist and unsuccessful dog-food salesman that BBC Scotland and the Daily Record employ on a regular basis to openly troll Yes voters restricts himself, when attacking this site, to crude abuse or smear and innuendo like the below, tweeted on Holocaust Memorial Day last year:
There’s a new hot buzz-phrase in the Yoonstream: “GERS deniers”.
It’s actually been around for quite a few months – coincidentally since this site started exposing the true nature of the figures – but has become a constant mantra recently, in particular since the intervention of an actual proper expert who doesn’t sell cat litter for a living, Professor Richard Murphy.
Ever since he set tongues and tails wagging by writing a series of hard-hitting articles for his widely-renowned Tax Research UK blog last week, rubbishing the quality of the data, Unionists have been in an increasingly shrill flap about it.
Today the Scottish Parliament spent several hours heatedly debating a motion to call for a second Section 30 order to enable a new independence referendum (several more will follow tomorrow before the vote). We watched all of it so you didn’t have to, and are delighted to present you with a few clips that probably won’t make the news.
On such a momentous topic, this was the intervention that Scottish Labour list MSP Monica Lennon felt was the most pressing issue to raise, for example:
We’re very touched, obviously, and will add it to our file of other mentions in the chamber and elsewhere. But there were probably more important things to discuss.
It seems counter-intuitive – given Rupert Murdoch’s often-overstated (despite endless and fevered speculation, the Scottish Sun didn’t back a Yes vote) but still seemingly real support for Scottish independence – that Sky News should be seen as the most hostile of the nation’s broadcasters to the Yes movement.
Here’s the Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, speaking to BBC News this morning and giving a striking illustration of the term “dancing on the head of a pin”.
Comically, his excuse for demanding another referendum on leaving the EU while opposing a second Scottish independence referendum is that his new EU vote would be a completely different question – he’d be asking voters if they wanted to accept the Brexit deal and exit from the EU (which one might reasonably summarise on the ballot paper as “Leave”), or to refuse to approve the deal and stay in the EU (or put another way, “Remain”).
Glad we cleared that up, then. But then it got weirder.
agentx on A matter of class: “Bloody Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) what are they like eh!” Dec 24, 21:30
Willie on A matter of class: “As someone once said there’s three in this relationship. Diana, Charles and could it be perchance our current queen, our…” Dec 24, 19:29
Cynicus on A matter of class: “Andy Ellis says: 24 December, 2025 at 1:15 pm “Ah hae ma doots bud! I’ve been posting since well before…” Dec 24, 19:09
Dan on A matter of class: “I hear next year’s Speyside Stages car rally based around Elgin has been cancelled due to not being able to…” Dec 24, 18:33
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “I’m sure you’re right, willie. And I’m sure the authorities will be all over it soon. But first they have…” Dec 24, 18:10
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “As always, sam, more illuminating for what is omitted rather than what is said. Where are the figures permitting comparisons…” Dec 24, 17:50
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “C’moan noo, Andy. I’m certain Twatty is spelled wi twa ‘T’s.” Dec 24, 17:36
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “I make it 21%, Stu. Are you rounding up or rounding down? And Stu, why aren’t you posting under your…” Dec 24, 17:29
Dan on A matter of class: “And a quick update for that third comment from Andy. “moonhowling, nativist, bigotry, ethnic nationalism, blood and soil nationalism, Siol…” Dec 24, 17:26
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@twatbynametwatbynature The onus is on you to prove that moonhowling nativist bigotry is the norm Twaty. There’s oodles of evidence…” Dec 24, 17:20
Dan on A matter of class: “Just for adjudication purposes for those playing Franchise Fanny Crimbo Bingo Numberwang! In this comment trail currently including two of…” Dec 24, 17:12
twathater on A matter of class: ““Those who have apparently abandoned civic nationalism in favour of divisive ethno-nationalism always take umbrage when I say that they…” Dec 24, 17:03
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@sam 1.57pm Yeah, I think that looks familiar: I’m not convinced by the (at least to my mind) simplistic correlation…” Dec 24, 16:21
DaveL on A matter of class: ““But then think back to the Jimmy Saville scandal and who was close to that.” Willie at 1.57pm. That’d be…” Dec 24, 15:12
agentx on A matter of class: “willie says: “Anyway, child abuse, even when in Scotland, seems not to be an issue for our athorities – or…” Dec 24, 15:11
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “agentx, Thanks for that info, Local Councils do not give out planning permission very easily in Scotland especially in Green…” Dec 24, 15:10
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “DaveL, Thank you, Let Scots make our own mistakes, stop telling us what mistakes to make. Much appreciated.” Dec 24, 15:02
agentx on A matter of class: ““7 March 2025 Demolition work has started at a cottage in the Highlands formerly owned by Jimmy Savile. The site’s…” Dec 24, 14:59
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “Willie, No you are not missing the mark, Jimmy Savelle even had a holiday cottage in Scotland. While the crown…” Dec 24, 14:44
I. Despair on A matter of class: “A Ferrari? Doesn’t appeal as a daily driver. Too cramped inside. I’d happily have a shot in one at a…” Dec 24, 14:40
sam on A matter of class: ““Scots take an inclusive approach to independence Only 50% of those who support Scottish independence say that being born in…” Dec 24, 14:23
DaveL on A matter of class: “I reckon about twenty percent of posts btl here belong to Hatey. I think most are in reply and all…” Dec 24, 14:16
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “The difference between the two is the English approach to the Scottish approach, English Approach. One tells, lies or bullies…” Dec 24, 14:11
Stuart MacKay on A matter of class: “Andy. you’re looking at it from a values and morals perspective. You don’t seemed to have learned anything from the…” Dec 24, 14:01
willie on A matter of class: “Scotland the colony. Scotland the corrupt. Its all in play as the establishment and the system reveal time after time.…” Dec 24, 13:57
sam on A matter of class: “Maybe you might look at the survey work by McCrone and Keating#. I posted a link above. It looks at…” Dec 24, 13:57
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “One wonders at the intellectual Standard required for tribunals or Judges in Scotland if they have to turn to artificial…” Dec 24, 13:49
Charles Findlay on A matter of class: “My granny used to say a lot of things, and I remember them all. “If wishes were horses, beggars would…” Dec 24, 13:36
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “My dear auld mammie used to say the lowest form of humour is limbo stand-up.” Dec 24, 13:34
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@cynicus 11.02AM It is you who are the newbie, sunshine. I have been around here a LOT longer than you…” Dec 24, 13:15