The tone of coverage deployed by the Daily Express (Scottish and English editions alike) with regard to the First Minister of Scotland in recent weeks has been both bizarre and disturbing. Yesterday the paper ran this “story”:
It’s a load of gibberish, obviously. But if the FM was preparing herself for a punch-up, you could hardly blame her given what’s apparently been going on.
Supporters of Scottish independence have known for years that the civic “nationalism” espoused by the Yes movement bears no relation to the so-called “blood and soil” varieties found in many other countries. Every racist or ethnic-nationalist organisation in Britain – the BNP, the EDL/SDL, the National Front and so on – was stridently No.
The BBC lunchtime weather forecast of 15 October 1987 is now fondly looked back on as a moment of shared national doh-what-are-we-like? comedy, in the same vein as a Morecambe and Wise Christmas show or something.
Eternally angry Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins has been even shoutier than usual this week, purple-faced with rage about the fact that the SNP has decided to spend some of its own money (not taxpayer cash) asking people for their opinions.
It’s a curious argument from a member of a party that’s been rejected in successive elections in Scotland in 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1974 again, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016, but keeps turning up and barking orders anyway. You’d think the first 50 years might qualify as a hint.
Fear and lies work. Over many decades (and really for centuries) the Unionist parties and the media have succeeded in persuading a large percentage of Scots that they’re beggars, scroungers, vagrants and “subsidy junkies” dependent on the ever-generous charity of England to keep them from starvation.
And in terms of the facts, that hasn’t always been an easy sell.
More or less since the morning of 19 September 2014, the Unionist parties in Scotland have kept up an unceasing chorus of “You lost! Accept it!” directed at the entire Yes movement, but primarily the SNP (despite the SNP having never to date disputed the result or called for a re-run of the referendum).
Readers may not be entirely astonished to discover this morning that at least as far as Scottish Labour are concerned, that principle only applies to other people.
Because we’re pretty sure there’s already a name for when political parties set out an “alternative programme of government”.
Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz gave an interesting interview to Good Morning Scotland just after 8am today, in which he expressed a number of careful, measured and qualified views on a variety of subjects including currency.
But obviously Scottish people are much too stupid to understand stuff like that, so the BBC quickly dumbed it down for them.
The problem is that there’s a difference between simplifying and falsifying.
The Scottish Mail On Sunday felt obliged this weekend to devote newsprint in what’s technically an actual newspaper to a piece of snark that might just be a new all-time low in the highly competitive barrel-scraping field of “SNP BAD”:
Half a page was given up to a bunch of sour complaints that the First Minister had built in FIVE MINUTES on her itinerary on a school visit (aimed at encouraging girls to take up traditionally male careers) for people to get selfies with her.
Northcode on The Plague: “If you look at the long-term behavioural patterns, the colonisation dynamic isn’t really the controversial part… it’s the predictable part.…” Aug 5, 12:36
lothianlad on The Plague: “He messed with the wrong man when he tangeled with you Sturat! Stand strong. All cowards fold eventually.” Aug 5, 12:13
Chas on The Plague: “Well Done Northclown. You managed to beat Alfie Boy in bringing up the Colonialism mince. What a good little acolyte…” Aug 5, 12:09
Athanasius on The Plague: “All this petty lawfare is so unbecoming. She needs to man up.” Aug 5, 11:34
Aidan on The Plague: “Have you been arrested in the middle of the night? If what you are saying is true (which obviously, it…” Aug 5, 11:21
Aidan on The Plague: “Alright Russell Crowe” Aug 5, 11:11
Alf Baird on The Plague: “On the contrary, Hatey, colonial state security services and its numerous ‘confidential agents’ afforded immunity are behind all ‘the repressions…” Aug 5, 10:47
Northcode on The Plague: “Ultimately, this unwelcome situation comes down to Scotland being colonised. And if you can’t see why that is then you…” Aug 5, 10:11
Frank Gillougley on The Plague: “I dunno. I know nothing other than truth is often stranger than fiction. Art imitating life and life imitating art…” Aug 5, 10:01
Onlokker on Or Something: “Anybody else enjoying the wee nutcase Sturgeon noising the SNP and Swinney up? Burning all bridges, and nobody likes her,…” Aug 5, 09:50
Grace Green on The Plague: “In my more than forty years’ experience of persecution for being vaccine injured, when things happen out-of-hours – letters sent…” Aug 5, 09:43
Captain Caveman on The Plague: “Thank you Rev Stu for shining a light on all of this, so that the rest of us can truly…” Aug 5, 09:35
100%Yes on The Plague: “The Sturgeon now Swinney years will go down in history as the docile years in Scottish politics and the most…” Aug 5, 09:23
Hatey McHateface on The Plague: “It fits the definition of anarcho tyranny. Just like our “new” WM government’s announcement yesterday that they have “no choice”…” Aug 5, 09:23
Jamie on The Plague: “How that madman Watson has not been locked up yet, at least in a loony bin is beyond belief.” Aug 5, 08:26
100%Yes on The Plague: “@Jay 5 August, 2026 at 5:56 am I hope this helps.” Aug 5, 08:25
Hatey McHateface on The Plague: “There was an article on Unherd recently exposing the extent of the adoption of trans woo woo in the Met.…” Aug 5, 08:19
Hatey McHateface on The Plague: “Plainly, Ian, it’s not an encitement to anything. It’s a statement of someone’s apathy towards a potential course of action.…” Aug 5, 08:10
Aidan on The Plague: “I think we’re getting into the realms of fantasy there, to quote Captain Mainwairing. Nothing that the Rev is doing…” Aug 5, 07:48
Jay on The Plague: “What is the method for responding directly to a comment when there is no reply facility show with the comment?” Aug 5, 05:56
Ian Morrison on The Plague: “You have been using the English language for decades? yuou laft out mention of how good you are at spelling.…” Aug 5, 05:32
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Plague: “GRAHAM LINEHAN | THE GLINNER UPDATE | SUBSTACK Aug 04, 2026 HOW THE BELFAST TELEGRAPH HANDLED HELEN JOYCE The Belfast…” Aug 5, 01:12
Dalif on The Plague: “You must have some amazing blood pressure medication after all that. Anyway, that was a great read.” Aug 5, 00:00
Young Lochinvar on The Plague: “Mrs YL asked what skin moisturisers he’s using, as they clearly aren’t helping..” Aug 4, 23:59
Hatey McHateface on The Plague: “There’s always a silver lining, though. Nobody’s claiming Fanon has the answer to this one.” Aug 4, 23:30
Angus on The Plague: “Police harassment of innocent citizens only happens in a police state. Most of the freedoms hard gained in the last…” Aug 4, 22:51
Jay on The Plague: “Aidan at 9:30pm. No reply facility at your ‘MI5?’ comment. Who knows? The Watson nightmare saga almost beggars belief. It…” Aug 4, 22:44
Jay on The Plague: “Ian, yuou laft out part of the tweet, “….for all I care”. That omission is the act of either a…” Aug 4, 22:27
dearieme on The Plague: “I suppose the days are long gone when you could ask “Under which statute, officer?”. Well done to you for…” Aug 4, 22:10
Aidan on The Plague: “That this was coordinated by MI5?” Aug 4, 21:30
