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.
Northcode on Response Level Upgrade: ““Gah, you’re such a witless troll, Northcode…” Gah… the sound of an Anglo’s patience snapping like a twig (a point…” Jun 15, 13:30
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Response Level Upgrade: “Thanks, Cynicus. Greatly appreciated.” Jun 15, 13:11
Cynicus on Response Level Upgrade: “Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh says: 14 June, 2026 at 12:24 am If “even Homer sometimes nods” (recent exchange on Wings thread), then…” Jun 15, 12:43
Captain Caveman on Response Level Upgrade: “Gah, you’re such a witless troll, Northcode, you’re not even remotely good at it. Deliberately misquoting someone..? Lawks! Anyone would…” Jun 15, 12:41
Mark Beggan on Response Level Upgrade: “Are Police Scotland guilty of misinformation? Deliberately and with intent to hide the truth.” Jun 15, 12:36
sam on Response Level Upgrade: “Scottish fans are more engaged than English fans. Scotland’s top-flight league having the highest attendance per capita in Europe at…” Jun 15, 12:33
Mark Beggan on Response Level Upgrade: “A large number of heterosexual males gathered together scares the shit out of them.” Jun 15, 12:32
Confused on Response Level Upgrade: “oh aye – Albert Camus was a goalkeeper. as was Niels Bohr. morons.” Jun 15, 12:31
Confused on Response Level Upgrade: “one of the drawbacks of these times is an epidemic of a powerful mind virus – english-cunt-itis – to be…” Jun 15, 12:23
Confused on Response Level Upgrade: “I detect a lot of middle class handbag clutching going on; football is the dance of the working class, and…” Jun 15, 12:21
agentx on Response Level Upgrade: “Scotland (and their fans) are only at the World Cup because they are a colonised nation. Isn’t that how the…” Jun 15, 12:18
Mark Beggan on Response Level Upgrade: “There was a young man called Spartan. Who couldn’t understand what was happenin. With a rant and a rave He…” Jun 15, 12:13
Mark Beggan on Response Level Upgrade: “They’re having fun Northy. Remember fun? Laughter, comradeship, male bonding (not the arse bandits), unity, national pride ( not the…” Jun 15, 12:03
Northcode on Response Level Upgrade: ““The Scottish…are held in the highest regard around the world…” Finally, we agree on something, AI Dan.” Jun 15, 11:52
Northcode on Response Level Upgrade: ““Yelling Nae Party Withoot Sco’Lan’ and getting pished just screams Wee Man Syndrome…” Ach, dinnae be a snob, Spartan 117.…” Jun 15, 11:38
Aidan on Response Level Upgrade: “The Scottish and the English are held in the highest regard around the world, Northcode, as you’d understand if you…” Jun 15, 11:30
Northcode on Response Level Upgrade: “The Scottish accent is the most trusted in the world (marketing folk love it)… mainly because, unlike the English, the…” Jun 15, 11:19
Northcode on Response Level Upgrade: “Cheer up, Spartan117, no-one has forgotten that the Scots created the modern world and have a long and unique cultural…” Jun 15, 11:16
Spartan 117 on Response Level Upgrade: “Hmm, yes, the St George-waving beer gut-swinging oafs are equally cringe and a thoroughly bad representation of England. My English…” Jun 15, 11:11
Aidan on Response Level Upgrade: “What you mean is the American men are pissed at how much American girls love the English accent ?” Jun 15, 11:04
Northcode on Response Level Upgrade: “What a brilliant sound that is, auld highlander… fantastic. Thanks for the link. As usual Scotland’s football fans are doing…” Jun 15, 10:57
Northcode on Response Level Upgrade: “Sadly, unlike the Scottish fans who have gone viral for bagpipes, kilts, national costume, humour, and friendly chaos… English fans…” Jun 15, 10:53
Spartan 117 on Response Level Upgrade: “If we are talking about Scottish culture I’d happily point to (and promote) our extensive contributions in the arts -…” Jun 15, 10:50
Southernbystander on Response Level Upgrade: “Christian? No, as it as an Islamic republic, but white Muslim of several generations living in Pakistan? Not that likely…” Jun 15, 10:46
auld highlander on Response Level Upgrade: “If you want to hear Loch Lomond at full blast plus Flower of Scotland at 125 decibles which is the…” Jun 15, 10:36
Northcode on Response Level Upgrade: “A’m no a fan o the fitba, yit a kin see the vailue in hivin thoosands o Scots promuivin Scotland…” Jun 15, 10:17
Hatey McHateface on Response Level Upgrade: “The late, great poet, Alasdair Maclean, wrote that a living culture breathes the pure, fresh air of the landscape that…” Jun 15, 08:53
Hatey McHateface on Response Level Upgrade: “I find consideration of reciprocity interesting. For example, what are the chances of a white Christian becoming president of Pakistan?…” Jun 15, 08:37
Spartan 117 on Response Level Upgrade: “I’m afraid “culture” extends far beyond football shirts, bagpipes, kilts, getting pished En Masse and making an almighty arse of…” Jun 15, 08:20
Hatey McHateface on Response Level Upgrade: “A trifle harsh, Spartan 117. After all, they are in the USA. That bigly, beautiful plastic shrine to keech created…” Jun 15, 08:11
