When you’ve been watching Scotland playing football for 50 years of your life, you become accustomed to disappointment. You expect disappointment. Anything better than disappointment becomes a bonus.
Having solved cat hunger in Greece, the tireless Holiday Boy has now turned his hand to addressing Scotland’s crippling golfing shortage, so we’ve got a different sort of cartoon again for you this weekend.
The clip below is from a 1981 arcade videogame called Venture, by Exidy, in which you play a cheerful character called Winky on a mission to loot treasure from a series of monster-infested dungeons.
For the purposes of this article the treasure in the room above, which takes the form of a castle tower, represents Scottish politics. The room itself is the Union.
The SNP released their general election manifesto today. We’re not going to link you to it, because we don’t want to be responsible for wasting your time. This is everything it has to say on the party’s (cough) strategy for achieving independence.
It deserves much, much less respect than we’re giving it. Tomorrow, ice lolly reviews.
I’m a professional community organiser, and a tenant and housing activist for some 20 years. I saw the old Scottish Tenants Organisation get smashed by Jack McConnell’s government to make way for council housing privatisation, which in Glasgow created the Glasgow Housing Association.
I’ve long wanted to rebuild a national body to give housing schemes a political voice and to push to end the housing crisis. That’s why I got involved with Living Rent, organising my community to become their first branch. Little did I know that would lead to a brush with crazed gender ideology, and see Queer Theory used to try to destroy it.
We’re still trying not to pay attention to the election because it’s so tedious and awful and pointless, but this is worth putting on the record because it’s in The National and otherwise nobody’s going to read it.
Holiday Boy has of course chosen the general election campaign to spend the next three weeks feeding stray cats somewhere sunny, so here’s a cartoon by the brilliant webcomicname that summarises the Baillie Gifford story for anyone joining us late.
January 2018, with no general election due for four and a half years: “I very rarely talk about Scottish independence in the chamber, because I talk about things that matter”
June 2024, with an election in four weeks and a £91,346 salary, expenses and pension at stake: “ROBERT THE BRUCE! BANNOCKBURN! DECLARATION OF ARBROATH! FLOWER OF SCOTLAND! FREEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOMMMM!”
Cynicus on The Marshalling Plan: “Rev. Stuart Campbell says: 2 February, 2026 at 9:28 pm “Never become a full-time Musical Chairs professional.” ======= Or a…” Feb 3, 02:27
Skip_NC on The Marshalling Plan: “NaeNeed@5:02pm, this election is about casting a vote for independence. Voters can choose whomever they like on the constituency ballot,…” Feb 3, 02:06
Cynicus on The Marshalling Plan: ““Bogey the game is.” -======== From the word order does either Yoda or Fearghas think in Gaelic? ‘’S e taibhse…” Feb 3, 02:02
dan macaulay on The Marshalling Plan: “I get it, and it’s a no brainer, that I will vote for ALBA on the regional list. But otherwise,…” Feb 2, 22:43
willie on The Marshalling Plan: “When Swinney was the sole candidate to stand for election as party chief another candidate came forward. That candidate it…” Feb 2, 22:11
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “As if, who would have it. Pauline and Hatey KISSING UP A TREE.” Feb 2, 22:01
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “Aidan says: 2 February, 2026 at 7:42 pm @RevStu I think you’re being unfair, all you need to do is…” Feb 2, 21:53
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Marshalling Plan: “Never become a full-time Musical Chairs professional.” Feb 2, 21:28
Hatey McHateface on The Marshalling Plan: ““How about Venus, Jupiter or Mars?” Or that planet, light years away, the Picts came frae. Colonising cants. Nae wonder…” Feb 2, 21:19
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “AgentX Hm, You ARE a conundrum, I like you, So, you never feel differently on the day? But why on…” Feb 2, 20:54
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “Oh my gawd, Ian, listen to yourself. Mind you, thanks for the laughs 🙂 And you’ve fair made my day,…” Feb 2, 20:47
Insider on The Marshalling Plan: “That tool for predicting the number of seats is addictive! Just a few more points lost by the SNP and…” Feb 2, 20:40
100%Yes on The Marshalling Plan: “Doug, If this man would betray his own country then why would he resign? Make no mistakes about the people…” Feb 2, 20:37
Cherrybank on The Marshalling Plan: “I think Craig Houston the You- tuber has a good chance of getting elected on the Glasgow List vote.” Feb 2, 20:29
Scot Finlayson on The Marshalling Plan: “WHY WOULD ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND VOTE GREEN nobody in their right mind votes green. As Churchill said ish,…” Feb 2, 20:13
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “I DON’t KNOW, ANDREW SCOTT, WHY WOULD THEY?” Feb 2, 20:03
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “Skip, “there will be only seven pro-independence MSPs, ie, from Alba alone.” Negate this from your mind. And focus. NOMINALLY…” Feb 2, 19:45
Aidan on The Marshalling Plan: “@RevStu I think you’re being unfair, all you need to do is vote SNP a wee bit more and then…” Feb 2, 19:42
100%Yes on The Marshalling Plan: “For every vote you don’t give to the SNP and give to someone else the SNP has to find two…” Feb 2, 19:33
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Marshalling Plan: “”I’m no fan of the SNP and didnt vote for them in 2021, but anyone who supports independence and votes…” Feb 2, 19:26
agentx on The Marshalling Plan: “No I never feel differently on the day – why on Earth should I?” Feb 2, 19:21
Andrew scott on The Marshalling Plan: “WHY WOULD ANYONE IN THEiIR RIGHT MIND VOTE GREEN” Feb 2, 19:10
Skip_NC on The Marshalling Plan: “100% Yes, I should have thought it was obvious that I do not see the SNP (or Greens, for that…” Feb 2, 19:09
Young Lochinvar on Shield Of The Phantom: “Indeed James Bauge is slated for mention, not least as heir apparent Chooky Clarence getting the chop there started the…” Feb 2, 19:08
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “One of the things I find interesting about this: Unionists (with insight) recognise the ‘placeholder value’ of the masquerading SNP…” Feb 2, 19:07
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “Sorry, but can I just say as an afterthought – Doug, whether Swinney resigns or not is almost a moot…” Feb 2, 19:01
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “So you say, you may feel differently on the day.” Feb 2, 18:50
Nae Need on The Marshalling Plan: ““Maybe an anglo-centric Reform-led government installed on a very low tournout will shock politically complacent Scots into realising the necessity…” Feb 2, 18:48
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “Andrew: “I’m no fan of the SNP and didnt vote for them in 2021, but anyone who supports independence and…” Feb 2, 18:43
