So after all the kerfuffle and commotion and comedy, a deal was done, of sorts. The unsquareable circle wasn’t squared, but the day of facing up to it was punted down the line for five years, by which point everyone hopes that it’ll be someone else’s problem. (Which is certainly the case for David Cameron.)
Every newspaper in Scotland tomorrow will look like this:
It’s quite incredible that someone with Jim Sillars’ political experience should be so naive about the tactics surrounding the EU referendum. Regardless of your feelings on the EU itself, there’s absolutely no point in any supporter of Scottish independence voting Leave this June, and here’s why.
Alert readers can’t have failed to notice a desperate Scottish Labour dusting off the old “Tartan Tories” attack on the SNP recently, over the Nats’ unwillingness to join in with Kezia Dugdale’s kerrazy kaper of hiking up income tax.
So after today we can only assume they’ll be looking for some similarly pithy zingers for their colleagues in Wales. They can have this one for free.
It’s curious that as the Scotland Bill negotiations deadlock drags on, well beyond its original deadline of 12 February and now hurtling headlong towards the extended 23 February one with no sign of progress on the horizon, that nobody is remarking on one of the most striking facets of the new devolution proposals.
Remember “pooling and sharing”, readers? Whatever happened to that?
Last night, MP Natalie McGarry made another heavily-qualified semi-apology to the popular abusive-tweeter enthusiast JK Rowling, because that’s how bullying works. (As far as we know McGarry has still refused Rowling’s demand that she make a sizeable donation to Rowling’s charity under threat of legal action.)
One of George Orwell’s most-quoted lines is “Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.”
We wonder who was trying to silence the torrent of drivel below, then.
Northcode on A matter of class: “I 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Ellis posting more of his Anglo-centric ‘stuff’ on here.…” Dec 23, 18:29
Young Lochinvar on A matter of class: “A Ellis @ 4.04pm “Small wonder-that the nativist shock troops in here are -almost without exception so keen to preserve…” Dec 23, 18:25
Dan on A matter of class: “Sigh. Power over immigration is reserved to London Rule, and therefore not within the remit of the diddies in the…” Dec 23, 18:25
Red on A matter of class: “Latest population replacement news. That thing that never happens, happened yet again: An Afghan asylum seeker who raped a teenage…” Dec 23, 18:06
Aidan on A matter of class: “I would 3rd that Andy, more posts from you would be very welcome. It might help to dilute the howling…” Dec 23, 17:49
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@Capt. Caveman & Insider Thank you for your kind comments. I will make a determined effort to post more over…” Dec 23, 16:50
Captain Caveman on A matter of class: “I would also like to see Andy post more, and I’m a Yoon. 🙂” Dec 23, 16:14
Captain Caveman on A matter of class: “@Flying Iron of Doom “You never did explain to us what a fly press is, mate. I can’t be the…” Dec 23, 16:09
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@Hatey 2.01PM I’m with you mate on wondering what motivates the usual suspects in their all too frequent recourse to…” Dec 23, 16:04
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@Hatey 2.17pm So what’s your problem? I’m not sure we want to go there. If nothing else, you’d need more…” Dec 23, 15:47
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “Fearghas macFhionnlaigh, I also saw that snippet of news, And notable that both the civil Servants and the BBC have…” Dec 23, 15:32
Insider on A matter of class: “Andy, I wish you would start posting more regularly again ! You were one of the few posters on this…” Dec 23, 14:45
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Just go all indigenous, nativist, Sovereign Scots on us, Confused, and refuse to acknowledge the alien, forced, cultural abomination of…” Dec 23, 14:25
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “But whit aboot the green shoots, Aidan? Ye hivnae conseedered the import o the green shoots! OFFS. Dinna tell me…” Dec 23, 14:20
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “You know what, Alf, “Porridge wogs” was a direct quote from willie’s post above. Tak it up wi him if…” Dec 23, 14:17
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: ““centuries long proclivity to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by arguing amongst ourselves” Too true, Andy. To which…” Dec 23, 14:01
Aidan on A matter of class: “I’d also point out Northcode that the word “Northcode” appears 63 times in this post. Now of course not all…” Dec 23, 13:56
Alf Baird on A matter of class: ““us deluded porridge wogs” Well, whit can we say aboot that! As postcolonial theory (Memmi) so often reminds us, such…” Dec 23, 13:45
Confused on A matter of class: “Looking forward – interesting world cup draw and puts indy within our grasp; let me explain – Scotland and the…” Dec 23, 13:45
Aidan on A matter of class: “Whilst we are on the subject of the reality check, I note that the relentless spamming about the UN approach…” Dec 23, 13:43
Confused on A matter of class: “a rewrite of christmas carol, a real horror story with the ghosts – christmas past will tell us of imperial…” Dec 23, 13:41
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “Should Scotland, If independent. Have a Monarchy? Or Some other head of Scotland, Or should it be the people as…” Dec 23, 13:33
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “Sadly Hatey the days when Voltaire famously observed that “We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilzation” are…” Dec 23, 13:30
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@Northcode 12.43pm It’s not just about length though bud: I’m sure you’ve been told that many times in your past.…” Dec 23, 13:15
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Hechter, eh? Another new one. Is that the same Hechter that forms a sept of the Clan McFarlane? Haha, just…” Dec 23, 13:12
Northcode on A matter of class: “Here, it’s braw on here the day. We indigenous Scots in this place are being treated tae a rare pre-Christmas…” Dec 23, 13:00
The Flying Iron of Doom on A matter of class: “Captain Caveman says: 23 December, 2025 at 12:35 pm Just have to laugh at trolls having the bare arsed cheek…” Dec 23, 13:00
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Mind the “green shoots” you were wittering oan aboot yesterday, Northy. Some muckle-clogged cant might dance all ower them. What…” Dec 23, 12:58
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “Gethin Chamberlain. The world has a planned craziness to it, set out to confuse the people and break down communities…” Dec 23, 12:57
Northcode on A matter of class: “Here, Ellis… thon wis a guid wee dance – although a wee bit oan the lang side fir my likin’…” Dec 23, 12:52
