Barring some sort of unforseeable apocalypse, Scottish Labour aren’t going to win the Holyrood election in May, so it doesn’t really matter what their policy proposals are – they’re never going to happen.
Nevertheless, it’s pretty much our job to examine stuff like their plan to “scrap council tax”, and it’s more fun than watching the news today, so let’s give it a go.
Even by the low, low normal arithmetical standards of the Scottish media, yesterday’s Scottish Sunday Express humiliated itself with the most stupendously factually wrong articles we’ve seen in a newspaper for some time.
From Kezia Dugdale’s speech to the Scottish Labour conference yesterday:
So hang on – only people born in Scotland are “Scottish”? Bit controversial. But then again, given Scottish Labour’s constant pejorative use of the word “foreigner” in recent years, we probably shouldn’t be shocked.
The Scottish Daily Mail has been working itself into a froth this week over the idea that the Scottish Government doesn’t intend to match George Osborne’s increase in the upper-rate income tax threshold from £42,000 to £45,000.
Central to the complaint is that rejecting the increase will hurt what the Mail calls “the squeezed middle” and “middle earners”, including “nurses, teachers and police”.
There are, of course, several ways of defining “middle”.
Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: ““It’s proof, not that it’s needed, that the SNP now sits playing cards at the same table with those they…” Oct 31, 10:00
BLMac on Vibecoding A Better World: “Maybe we’re all being conned. I’ve just realised AI could also mean Actual Idiocy. We’re certainly seeing a lot of…” Oct 31, 09:32
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Hmmm. Implanted in a hyper-realistic, humanoid robot companion, that behaviour might have some very real advantages. You could always change…” Oct 31, 09:30
Ex President Xiden on Vibecoding A Better World: “There is a compeditor to Claude on the market called Nicola. You can ask it anything you want and it…” Oct 31, 08:37
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Precisely. Coming too, from the same Scottish government that refuses to state clearly what a woman is.” Oct 31, 08:24
agentx on Vibecoding A Better World: “Information commissioner in Salmond case: ” A Scottish government spokesperson said: “The Scottish government welcomes the decision of the Court…” Oct 30, 23:23
robertkknight on Vibecoding A Better World: “Sickening indeed, but what can you expect from a pig but a grunt. Talking of pigs… It’s proof, not that…” Oct 30, 22:12
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “You just don’t get the genocides these days like you used to. Although I guess that once WW3 really kicks…” Oct 30, 20:52
100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “Can’t wait, its has to have genocide and all the nasty bits or no one will believe it. Nobody does…” Oct 30, 20:24
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “I would imagine asking AI to indentify the alphabetties would be a dawdle. Although I do sometimes think I must…” Oct 30, 20:10
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “@Minceheid The behaviour you seek is available in the latest AI-enabled, fully embodied “companions”. I hear that you can programme…” Oct 30, 20:05
Black Joan on Vibecoding A Better World: “See also the disgraceful Post Office scandal. All the innocent Postmasters were obviously thieves and villains because the computerised system…” Oct 30, 20:02
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “After the break. A video confirming that England was annexed by France. Tune in next week for a video confirming…” Oct 30, 19:56
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Scots believe that bad things come in dozens.” Oct 30, 19:50
sarah on Vibecoding A Better World: “Sickening, isn’t it? Court of Session letting Scottish executive off the hook.” Oct 30, 18:52
Stuart MacKay on Vibecoding A Better World: “The one thing AI agents are insanely good at is rummaging through piles of information. Someone with time on their…” Oct 30, 18:08
robertkknight on Vibecoding A Better World: “The establishment protects its own… https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c95yne2ye0p6o” Oct 30, 17:32
TURABDIN on Vibecoding A Better World: “SOME believe that bad things come in threes. Scotland has had two really bad things that personal union under James…” Oct 30, 12:40
100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “A video below confirming that before and after 1707 the French had documented that Scotland had been annexed by England…” Oct 30, 10:43
TURABDIN on Vibecoding A Better World: “«I have never voted in my life… I have always known and understood that the idiots are in a majority…” Oct 30, 09:44
Minceheid on Vibecoding A Better World: “WhoRattledYourCage says: 29 October, 2026 at 10:11 pm Wait, I mean Monty Mole Ach, I’m more of a Chuckie Egg…” Oct 30, 09:20
Minceheid on Vibecoding A Better World: “You know, I don’t like the fact that all AI thingies seem to be so tediously and cloyingly polite. I…” Oct 30, 08:29
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Stephen Glover writing in the Mail Online this morning: “vanity, tribal loyalties and blind devotion to party stand in the…” Oct 30, 08:06
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““smart SNP computers identifying as…” According to Fanon, Memmi, et al, the smart SNP computers will identify as colonialist elites.…” Oct 30, 07:22
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “You obviously have an internet connected device. Fire up your usual search engine (it’s Google on mine) and type into…” Oct 30, 07:09
WhoRattledYourCage on Vibecoding A Better World: “Wait, I mean Monty Mole, sorry. It’s the alliteration and very similar name that confused me. You couldn’t finish the…” Oct 29, 22:11
MrD on Vibecoding A Better World: “Got a link to where I can learn how to Claude please Stu? Wouldn’t know where to begin.” Oct 29, 22:05
Peter McAvoy on Vibecoding A Better World: “As stated on the BBC Scotland news website today it was announced that Gentex in Stranrear is to close and…” Oct 29, 20:12
Southernbystander on Vibecoding A Better World: “As someone who does creative work (music, video) I am not into generative AI for all the usual, obvious reasons…” Oct 29, 19:15
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “They’re clarty cants in Salisbury. The usual cocktail of germ-laden piss, snot and fecal matter covering their doorknobs, handbags, etc…” Oct 29, 18:10