Here’s (a few seconds into the clip) George, Baron Foulkes Of Cumnock.
Born in 1942 in Oswestry in Shropshire and privately educated at The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in Hertfordshire, George was first elected by the public in 1979, serving for 26 years. During his time as an MP he was convicted of a drunken violent assault on a policeman and fined £1,050. In 2005 he was ennobled into the House Of Lords and will make laws for UK citizens until he dies, no matter what voters say.
You’d think he’d have learned better manners by now.
As we write there’s a protest going on outside the Scottish Parliament regarding the privatisation of ferry services to the Western Isles. It was formally announced almost three hours ago that there definitely wasn’t going to be any privatisation and that the service would remain in public hands, but the protest still went ahead.
The people conducting the protest, who’ve got the exact thing they wanted, are now doing their level best to lose it again. Welcome to Scottish politics.
Over the past few days, readers, we haven’t been able to avoid noticing a recurring theme among Unionist types on social media – namely that the Holyrood election results are proof that support for independence is declining.
But it’s not until you ask them to explain that it gets completely mental.
For much of its life, this site has been warning readers that, as their default position, they should always assume newspaper headlines are a lie until proven otherwise.
Today, Britain’s biggest-selling newspaper admitted it in public.
You win a historic third election with a second massive landslide, getting more than twice as many seats as your nearest challenger – the first time such a thing has ever happened in a Holyrood election – on the back of what’s (self-evidently) by and large a very popular policy programme and record, and before you’ve even taken your seats in the chamber all the parties you just thrashed out of sight line up to explain how you’ve been doing everything wrong.
And as alliances go, they don’t get much less holy.
We’re supposed to be taking a few days off, but it’s been tipping it down outside for 36 solid hours, so when an alert reader emailed us a question relating to this article from Monday, we couldn’t help but go and research it just to pass some time.
They’d asked how many of the Tory MSPs elected last Thursday had been rejected by the voters of a constituency seat on the same day, and we were startled by the answer – of the 24 Conservative members of the Scottish Parliament elected on the list last week, every single one was also a failed constituency candidate.
In amongst a torrent of pretty mad analysis of the election result at the weekend, we noticed the most insane reason yet suggested for the loss of the SNP’s majority:
The co-founder of a much-lauded but little-read pro-independence website asserted that the SNP were cruising to victory until the Nats got the backing of the Scottish Sun and Nicola Sturgeon was pictured posing with the front cover endorsing her party.
The whole litany of gaping flaws in that argument is something the Yes movement has needed to talk about for some considerable time now. So let’s bite the bullet and do it.
100%Yes on The Curious Fringes: “I have no idea why people are saying it looks grime, its been grime since Sturgeon took on the roll…” Dec 29, 23:58
David Holden on The Curious Fringes: “On the ball as usual but in this parish we have an ISP candidate so I have a vote I…” Dec 29, 23:33
Northcode on The Curious Fringes: ““…and nothing will change…” Yeah, waking from a nightmare is always a bit disturbing, if not depressing. Looks like you’re…” Dec 29, 23:14
Northcode on The Curious Fringes: “I understand, Sarah, and I do respect you for the great effort you have made – and the commitment you…” Dec 29, 23:05
Bilbo on The Curious Fringes: “The reality in 2020’s Scotland, and everywhere around the world, is that social media has totally changed society where it…” Dec 29, 22:48
Scot Finlayson on The Curious Fringes: “`Chinese eunuchs, serving in the imperial court for millennia, functioning as harem guards, palace servants, and political figures, wielding immense…” Dec 29, 22:40
William G Walker on The Curious Fringes: “Well Done Heather McLean! So much sense from her. I particularly liked: “5 years of incompetent, ineffective, idiotic, corrupt, virtu-signalling,…” Dec 29, 22:15
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Curious Fringes: “Of general interest. Hints of current Trump support for putative breakaway of oil-rich province of Alberta from the Canadian confederation.…” Dec 29, 22:08
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “I agree. However the fact that – at least at present – the strongest defenders of women’s rights and opponents…” Dec 29, 21:54
sarah on The Curious Fringes: “Northcode, I am only asking the Rev to increase, if possible, his efforts for the improvement of Holyrood and the…” Dec 29, 21:48
Northcode on A matter of class: “It’s six syllables, Alf… a big ask for the colonialists who fart aboot this joint.” Dec 29, 21:12
Northcode on The Curious Fringes: ““Please, Rev. Scotland needs you.” I fear you might be wasting fingertip skin there, Sarah. Better following Alf’s suggestion and…” Dec 29, 21:09
Alf Baird on A matter of class: “‘Colonialism’ seems a hard word for some to say.” Dec 29, 20:52
Alf Baird on The Curious Fringes: “Yes Sara, the Liberate Scotland alliance is the only serious option for the independence movement in May’s national election: “We…” Dec 29, 20:41
sarah on The Curious Fringes: “Exactly, Heather. This is why it is vital that we do all we can to inform people about the candidates…” Dec 29, 20:39
Northcode on A matter of class: “That’s great, good for Ireland. The things a country can do when it isn’t colonised, eh? Maybe the President of…” Dec 29, 20:36
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on A matter of class: “Teachtaireacht na Nollag ón Uachtarán Connolly / Christmas Message from President Catherine Connolly (22 Dec 2025) Is é seo an…” Dec 29, 20:06
Colin Alexander on A matter of class: ““You can’t redefine facts just by saying words”. says Chatgpt. You mean like calling imperialism a union or commonwealth? “Yes…” Dec 29, 19:53
Northcode on A matter of class: ““My contention is that the public persecution of Nurse Peggie (and numerous other Scots) is primarily due to ethnic discrimination……” Dec 29, 19:08
Heather McLean on The Curious Fringes: “If I wasn’t feeling depressed before I surely am now “ the party that’s been in power for the previous…” Dec 29, 18:51
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Curious Fringes: “Yes, that’s very likely the cause of a couple of recent spikes in Scottish Greens polling.” Dec 29, 18:35
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Curious Fringes: “He did? I missed that one 😀” Dec 29, 18:33
Robert on The Curious Fringes: “I suspect many potential Green voters don’t actually know that Zack Polanski heads a completely different party (and one that…” Dec 29, 18:27
Northcode on A matter of class: ““WHAT PART OF “DO NOT POST THE SAME COMMENT…” Since nothing much is happening in this place at the moment…” Dec 29, 17:51
Andy Wiltshire on The Curious Fringes: “Totally OT, but does anyone know when Sandie Peggie’s appeal is likely to be heard?” Dec 29, 17:07
J Galt on The Curious Fringes: “According to another blogger, who shall remain nameless but who appears to hang on your every word, to discuss Reform…” Dec 29, 17:03
sarah on The Curious Fringes: “Rev, now that you are in a good mood what with Aberdeen only losing 1 match in the last 6,…” Dec 29, 16:31
Andy Ellis on The Curious Fringes: “It is interesting to see the levels of self delusion around amongst too many in Scottish politics Stu. As you…” Dec 29, 16:18
