Joan McAlpine, SNP MSP for the South of Scotland, extensively documented at the weekend the obstructiveness of Labour councillors in Dumfries and Galloway, who in an attempt to score some SNP BAD points were refusing to inform their constituents about the Scottish Government’s £1500-per-household flood relief grants to help people cope after recent storms.
The councillors eventually backed down and informed hard-pressed householders and businesses of the help available, but today the issue was debated on the floor of the Holyrood chamber, and when Labour once again tried to make the issue party political, the Deputy First Minister ran out of patience.
We had a lot of requests for the footage, so there it is.
Despite what you may have read in the newspapers at the weekend (and then in the Daily Record a day later), Scotland was today rocked by the news that the SNP’s manifesto for this May’s general election in fact DOES contain a commitment to a second independence referendum within the term of the coming Scottish Parliament.
Who says so? Why, it’s Oliver Mundell, son of the only Conservative MP in Scotland and the Scottish Tory candidate for the Holyrood seat of Dumfriesshire, in a leaflet hitting the doorsteps of constituents in the Borders today.
As we noted on Tuesday, Scottish Labour’s opening election salvo for 2016 has been to blame the Scottish Government for unaffordable house prices.
Of the 450 most obvious flaws in that argument, not least the extraordinary efforts a 13-year Labour government went to to keep the housing bubble inflated, the one that caught our eye was that in the past three years we were regularly told of one thing that definitely WOULD bring prices down dramatically, but which Labour pathologically fought every step of the way.
If you’re primarily or solely contesting regional seats, and you’re chiefly (as seems to be the case) targeting people who are going to use their first vote for the SNP, “Vote for us so that we can provide strong opposition to the SNP” is a pretty weird pitch.
You’re basically asking people to use their second vote to cancel out their first. And that’s quite a tough angle to be trying to sell them. Just saying, like.
We suppose we shouldn’t technically be surprised that today’s newspapers carry no analysis whatsoever of Kezia Dugdale’s big speech yesterday detailing Scottish Labour’s first big election pledge – a £6000 handout to first-time home buyers.
After all, current polling suggests Scottish Labour have about as much chance of exerting any influence in the next Scottish Parliament as Lemmy has of posthumously winning the Eurovision Song Contest, so it doesn’t really matter if Kezia Dugdale promises every voter a free unicorn made of diamonds and glitter.
Still, if only for the mental exercise, it’s worth taking a look in detail.
The tweets below are all genuine, and taken from the Scottish Labour Twitter account earlier today during its live-tweeting of Kezia Dugdale’s speech. We’ve rarely heard a more compelling and concise argument for a Yes vote. We take our hats off to her.
willie on Yelling at the tide: “It is truly outrageous how fickle Donald Trump and his administration are and how they can turn on longstanding friends…” Jan 24, 14:52
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Yelling at the tide: “Billy Kay on page 52 (kindle version) of his ‘Mither Tongue” book states that “Scots is descended from Northumbrian.” However,…” Jan 24, 14:42
PC Foster on Yelling at the tide: “Confused says: so where do you get all the people you need now.? Dont know- but referring to women as…” Jan 24, 14:36
sam on Yelling at the tide: “Thanks, Northcode. I’ll mind that. Houaniver. Timeline of the Scots Language Since 1700 MODERN SCOTS PERIOD 1700 to Present, subdivided…” Jan 24, 13:27
Confused on Yelling at the tide: “worth watching all the way, at least till the UN guy explains the scam www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_2_7fxyIEI – it bears pointing out…” Jan 24, 13:16
sam on Yelling at the tide: “And the Scots speakers in the English parliament were laughed at. However, Elizabeth I did not scorn Scots language. She…” Jan 24, 13:15
Confused on Yelling at the tide: “quite funny – www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWWAC5ZMKeM www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDBjsFAyiwA accurate depiction of the sterility (on all aspects) of protestantism; but this heresy is dead…” Jan 24, 13:13
Confused on Yelling at the tide: “so trump spills the beans again, giving us truth british troops in the afghan were cowardly shites driving convertibles and…” Jan 24, 13:11
Cynicus on Yelling at the tide: “Sam; “Katie Beardie had a coo, Black and white about the mou; Wasna that a dentie coo? Dance, Katie Beardie”…” Jan 24, 12:38
James Cheyne on Yelling at the tide: “North Code. The picts were one of the original indigenous populations of Scotland, then came the influx from Ireland of…” Jan 24, 12:36
TURABDIN on Yelling at the tide: “SCOTLAND….THE LAND THAT SEEKS TO DIE. https://archive.is/icxqP” Jan 24, 12:28
Northcode on Yelling at the tide: “I did not know that, James. Thanks for enlightening me.” Jan 24, 12:28
Northcode on Yelling at the tide: “Here’s another interestiing book about the Scots, Sam How the Scots Invented the Modern World: (The True Story of How…” Jan 24, 12:24
James Cheyne on Yelling at the tide: “North code. Did you know that one of the first revision of Scots laws was because the applied implications (as…” Jan 24, 12:13
TURABDIN on Yelling at the tide: “re post, should read P CELTIC not Q CELTIC” Jan 24, 12:04
Northcode on Yelling at the tide: “Thanks, Sam… I don’t have this one and it looks interesting. I’ll have a read and let you know what…” Jan 24, 12:01
James Cheyne on Yelling at the tide: “The wokists in Scotland are the pretendy Scottish government. They are the ones that believe in this ideology cult, they…” Jan 24, 12:01
sam on Yelling at the tide: “A book for you, Northcode? Scots in Decline? The Modern Age A History of the Scots Language Author: Robert McColl…” Jan 24, 11:50
Northcode on Yelling at the tide: ““Decisions made in Scotland, by Scots.” I’m afraid not… England has been the bane of the Scots sin lang afore…” Jan 24, 11:45
PC Foster on Yelling at the tide: “@Bilbo says: 23 January, 2026 at 9:21 pm I wonder how many woman think Trans woman are woman as well?…” Jan 24, 11:34
Marie on Yelling at the tide: “The USA is NO friend of us – certainly no friend of the Scottish working class men and women sent…” Jan 24, 11:13
James Cheyne on Yelling at the tide: “The illegal governance of Scotland as a Scottish parliament or any parties sitting therein comes from the parliament England, due…” Jan 24, 10:38
TURABDIN on Yelling at the tide: “@ CYNICUS much thanks for the Ubykh link. fascinating the varieties of human expression, our humanity is depleted when these…” Jan 24, 10:26
James Cheyne on Yelling at the tide: “It is strange how non Scots think of the Snp compared to the majority of grass roots Scots, In this…” Jan 24, 10:18
TURABDIN on Yelling at the tide: “a form of pre aspiration occurs in modern Welsh e,g, LL & RH & TH & CHW re the latter…” Jan 24, 10:09
Northcode on Yelling at the tide: “Guid mornyng tae aw ye wha daunder aboot this place. A howp ye aw hae a grand Seturday day the…” Jan 24, 09:27
sam on Yelling at the tide: “Katie Beardie had a coo, Black and white about the mou; Wasna that a dentie coo? Dance, Katie Beardie” Jan 24, 09:24
Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “@factchecker I appreciate and recognise the good work you do here. Nevertheless, as I am sure you realise yourself, Wings…” Jan 24, 08:57
factchecker on Yelling at the tide: “This relates to the Statutes of Iona; my post referred to the Scottish Privy Council Establishment of Schools Act of…” Jan 24, 08:31
factchecker on Yelling at the tide: “Well researched and accurate as usual, Fearghas. This Privy Council decision was reinforced by several Acts of the Scottish Parliament…” Jan 24, 08:25
