We’ve been having a bit of a ponder over the effective passing into law of English Votes for English Laws, which has been remarkably little mentioned in Scotland’s media today. The BBC website has nothing about it at all on its Scotland front page, forcing readers to dig down into the politics section for some coverage.
The Daily Record, as far as we can tell, doesn’t have a word about it – nothing in the print edition and nothing online, even though as we write this it’s gone 3pm the next day, around 21 hours after the vote was passed in the Commons. The Scottish Daily Mail relegates it to a small feature taking up barely a third of page 12, even though the move supposedly ends the Union.
The Scotsman gives it a tiny corner of the front page and half of page 6, and only the Herald treats it as a lead story, although even there it only gets a couple of columns, less space than that devoted to a picture of David Cameron and the Chinese president Li Xinping having a pint in a pub.
All of which is remarkable, because it’s arguably the most radical change made to the UK constitution since the creation of the devolved Parliaments 16 years ago, and perhaps more significant even than that.
The reaction of the Scottish media and political opposition to Audit Scotland’s annual report on the NHS today has been nothing if not predictable. But we thought you might like an instructive and enlightening look at the two very different types of approach they’ve taken to trying to mislead the Scottish people about it.
First up is the non-specific Scottish Labour apparatchik (as far as we’re aware he has no official role in the party since Jim Murphy quit – indeed we don’t know what he does for a living at all any more) Blair McDougall:
This is what we in the writing trade call a “flat-out lie”.
This month we’ve been noting a sudden avalanche of factually-questionable articles in the media attacking the SNP’s record in government. At the weekend and yesterday we also picked apart a highly misleading and disingenuous claim by Andrew Neil on the BBC’s Sunday Politics that there had been no cuts to the Scottish Government budget since the Conservatives came to power in 2010.
At the weekend this site noted that on the BBC’s Sunday Politics, presenter Andrew Neil claimed that the Scottish Government’s budget had not been reduced in real terms in “the last five or six years”, and that therefore Scotland has not faced cuts.
But as we pointed out, the Scottish Government budget HAS been cut, year-on-year, since the Tories took office. The independent Fiscal Affairs Scotland assessed the cumulative reduction at a hefty 10%, or a little over £3bn a year.
Okay, so we’ve tried everything. We’ve read all the papers, we’ve been through all the emails, and we’ve even gone out for a walk, which usually never fails to trigger some cataclysmic political upheaval or animal-sex scandal.
As spectacular and mindboggling as some of the coverage undeniably is – most notably Alex Massie’s barking-mad, lie-filled howlatribe “J.K. Rowling and her heroic attack on the wicked cybernats” (whose title, remarkably, does not appear to be ironic) in ultra-right-wing loonzine CapX – even we’re fed up of reading people going on about us, so to pass the time we’re going to do something else instead.
twathater on The Curious Fringes: “Be prepared to be even more depressed Heather for it appears ALBA members are the new cult , they have…” Dec 30, 03:19
Peter McAvoy on The Curious Fringes: “Why do the SNP still expect others to believe they support independence after the recent act damaging tourism by closing…” Dec 30, 02:49
Northcode on The Curious Fringes: ““Holyrood is the conduit through which Westminster controls and manipulates Scotland…” Well put, Saffron Robe.” Dec 30, 01:02
Saffron Robe on The Curious Fringes: “I agree, Northcode. Holyrood is the conduit through which Westminster controls and manipulates Scotland from within, hidden behind the veneer…” Dec 30, 00:45
Insider on The Curious Fringes: ““WTF was the SNP doing with their £1.3 million per annum in British state Short money?” and WTF happened to…” Dec 30, 00:22
Northcode on The Curious Fringes: ““…but it [Holyrood] is all we have for now.” If by ‘we’ you mean independence supporting Scots then… no, we…” Dec 30, 00:18
Derek on The Curious Fringes: ““…in the same way that Alex Ferguson used West Coast establishment media bias…” Neatly done. According to my digging, there’s…” Dec 30, 00:13
100%Yes on The Curious Fringes: “I have no idea why people are saying it looks grime, its been grime since Sturgeon took on the roll…” Dec 29, 23:58
David Holden on The Curious Fringes: “On the ball as usual but in this parish we have an ISP candidate so I have a vote I…” Dec 29, 23:33
Northcode on The Curious Fringes: ““…and nothing will change…” Yeah, waking from a nightmare is always a bit disturbing, if not depressing. Looks like you’re…” Dec 29, 23:14
Northcode on The Curious Fringes: “I understand, Sarah, and I do respect you for the great effort you have made – and the commitment you…” Dec 29, 23:05
Bilbo on The Curious Fringes: “The reality in 2020’s Scotland, and everywhere around the world, is that social media has totally changed society where it…” Dec 29, 22:48
Scot Finlayson on The Curious Fringes: “`Chinese eunuchs, serving in the imperial court for millennia, functioning as harem guards, palace servants, and political figures, wielding immense…” Dec 29, 22:40
William G Walker on The Curious Fringes: “Well Done Heather McLean! So much sense from her. I particularly liked: “5 years of incompetent, ineffective, idiotic, corrupt, virtu-signalling,…” Dec 29, 22:15
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Curious Fringes: “Of general interest. Hints of current Trump support for putative breakaway of oil-rich province of Alberta from the Canadian confederation.…” Dec 29, 22:08
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “I agree. However the fact that – at least at present – the strongest defenders of women’s rights and opponents…” Dec 29, 21:54
sarah on The Curious Fringes: “Northcode, I am only asking the Rev to increase, if possible, his efforts for the improvement of Holyrood and the…” Dec 29, 21:48
Northcode on A matter of class: “It’s six syllables, Alf… a big ask for the colonialists who fart aboot this joint.” Dec 29, 21:12
Northcode on The Curious Fringes: ““Please, Rev. Scotland needs you.” I fear you might be wasting fingertip skin there, Sarah. Better following Alf’s suggestion and…” Dec 29, 21:09
Alf Baird on A matter of class: “‘Colonialism’ seems a hard word for some to say.” Dec 29, 20:52
Alf Baird on The Curious Fringes: “Yes Sara, the Liberate Scotland alliance is the only serious option for the independence movement in May’s national election: “We…” Dec 29, 20:41
sarah on The Curious Fringes: “Exactly, Heather. This is why it is vital that we do all we can to inform people about the candidates…” Dec 29, 20:39
Northcode on A matter of class: “That’s great, good for Ireland. The things a country can do when it isn’t colonised, eh? Maybe the President of…” Dec 29, 20:36
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on A matter of class: “Teachtaireacht na Nollag ón Uachtarán Connolly / Christmas Message from President Catherine Connolly (22 Dec 2025) Is é seo an…” Dec 29, 20:06
Colin Alexander on A matter of class: ““You can’t redefine facts just by saying words”. says Chatgpt. You mean like calling imperialism a union or commonwealth? “Yes…” Dec 29, 19:53
Northcode on A matter of class: ““My contention is that the public persecution of Nurse Peggie (and numerous other Scots) is primarily due to ethnic discrimination……” Dec 29, 19:08
Heather McLean on The Curious Fringes: “If I wasn’t feeling depressed before I surely am now “ the party that’s been in power for the previous…” Dec 29, 18:51
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Curious Fringes: “Yes, that’s very likely the cause of a couple of recent spikes in Scottish Greens polling.” Dec 29, 18:35
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Curious Fringes: “He did? I missed that one 😀” Dec 29, 18:33
Robert on The Curious Fringes: “I suspect many potential Green voters don’t actually know that Zack Polanski heads a completely different party (and one that…” Dec 29, 18:27
