Having solved cat hunger in Greece, the tireless Holiday Boy has now turned his hand to addressing Scotland’s crippling golfing shortage, so we’ve got a different sort of cartoon again for you this weekend.
The clip below is from a 1981 arcade videogame called Venture, by Exidy, in which you play a cheerful character called Winky on a mission to loot treasure from a series of monster-infested dungeons.
For the purposes of this article the treasure in the room above, which takes the form of a castle tower, represents Scottish politics. The room itself is the Union.
The SNP released their general election manifesto today. We’re not going to link you to it, because we don’t want to be responsible for wasting your time. This is everything it has to say on the party’s (cough) strategy for achieving independence.
It deserves much, much less respect than we’re giving it. Tomorrow, ice lolly reviews.
I’m a professional community organiser, and a tenant and housing activist for some 20 years. I saw the old Scottish Tenants Organisation get smashed by Jack McConnell’s government to make way for council housing privatisation, which in Glasgow created the Glasgow Housing Association.
I’ve long wanted to rebuild a national body to give housing schemes a political voice and to push to end the housing crisis. That’s why I got involved with Living Rent, organising my community to become their first branch. Little did I know that would lead to a brush with crazed gender ideology, and see Queer Theory used to try to destroy it.
We’re still trying not to pay attention to the election because it’s so tedious and awful and pointless, but this is worth putting on the record because it’s in The National and otherwise nobody’s going to read it.
Holiday Boy has of course chosen the general election campaign to spend the next three weeks feeding stray cats somewhere sunny, so here’s a cartoon by the brilliant webcomicname that summarises the Baillie Gifford story for anyone joining us late.
January 2018, with no general election due for four and a half years: “I very rarely talk about Scottish independence in the chamber, because I talk about things that matter”
June 2024, with an election in four weeks and a £91,346 salary, expenses and pension at stake: “ROBERT THE BRUCE! BANNOCKBURN! DECLARATION OF ARBROATH! FLOWER OF SCOTLAND! FREEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOMMMM!”
Because, for startlingly obvious reasons, even the SNP hasn’t had the brass neck to do a general fundraiser for this election, with the police’s inquiries still going on into the whereabouts of the cash from their last big appeals.
But in fact the party has managed to wring over £100,000 from the most gullible of its remaining supporters in the days since the election was announced. It’s just been a bit more subtle about it.
Aidan on The Pit Of Vipers: ““We know second-home owners were getting votes, temporary residents, foreign students, dead people etc. We know postal votes were being…” Apr 22, 11:57
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Pit Of Vipers: “PAUL ROBESON SINGS FOR SCOTTISH MINERS (1949) www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0bezsMVU7c” Apr 22, 11:16
Colin Alexander on The Pit Of Vipers: “Before 2014 Alex Salmond proposed a multi-option ballot that included Home Rule / Devo-Max. The UK Govt refused. (Opinion polls…” Apr 22, 11:04
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Pit Of Vipers: “PAUL ROBESON: On colonialism, African-American rights. (3 mins, Spotlight, ABC,1960) www.youtube.com/watch?v=puOIdh944vk” Apr 22, 10:58
Dominic Berry on The Pit Of Vipers: “You get the sense that these people think that anything is permissible as long as you don’t get caught. And…” Apr 22, 10:30
Alf Baird on The Pit Of Vipers: “Yes, in a colonial society we might expect all social institutions to be colonial in terms of their allegiance and…” Apr 22, 09:58
Frank Gillougley on The Pit Of Vipers: “After all this time of him being in the political domain, isn’t it kinda obvious to everyone with any nous,…” Apr 22, 08:42
Aidan on The Pit Of Vipers: “What surprises me the most is obviously not turkeys not wanting to vote for Christmas, but the relative ambivalence of…” Apr 22, 08:01
Young Lochinvar on The Pit Of Vipers: “George Sorry brother I’m an atheist after a youth spent being dragged weekly to fairly hardcore COS. I worked out…” Apr 22, 00:44
100%Yes on The Pit Of Vipers: “James Kelly, reveals a bit more of the family home. This time with his bedroom and some of his favorite…” Apr 21, 22:57
Young Lochinvar on The Pit Of Vipers: “Thanks Sven I typed that on the hoof without checking. Sorry. Appreciate it! 🙂” Apr 21, 22:00
George Ferguson on The Pit Of Vipers: “@Young Lochinvar I genuinely think people dont understand what is happening. The Lord High Commissioner did a great job last…” Apr 21, 21:11
Sven on The Pit Of Vipers: “I believe it’s the other way round for the Scripture reference, YL, 32:23. Very appropriate.” Apr 21, 20:50
George Ferguson on The Pit Of Vipers: “@Young Lochinvar 7:22pm I am OK with the King appointing the Lord High Commissioner for the second time. A Catholic…” Apr 21, 20:41
Young Lochinvar on The Pit Of Vipers: “100 percenter Yup, Does make you think doesn’t it? Wouldn’t be surprised if Mrs Redacto was a COS elder as…” Apr 21, 20:40
100%Yes on The Pit Of Vipers: “It appears to me Sturgeon power is entirely from people she has around her, who are complete and utter morons…” Apr 21, 20:18
100%Yes on The Pit Of Vipers: “Reply to Young Lochinvar Sarah What must Swinney’s wife think to all this, she has to know. If the rolls…” Apr 21, 20:09
Young Lochinvar on The Pit Of Vipers: “Lorncal The phrases you are looking for are: -Stairheid rammies -Manipulation -Daren’t leave the group incase they get talked about…” Apr 21, 19:41
Young Lochinvar on The Pit Of Vipers: “Screams; GUILTY.. Nae wonder Sturgeon was in tears of gratitude when he said he’d take over eh!? Can’t last forever…” Apr 21, 19:22
sarah on The Pit Of Vipers: “100%Yes: I don’t subscribe to the National but saw this story posted by other independence supporters. It is a shocker.” Apr 21, 19:18
Young Lochinvar on The Pit Of Vipers: “C’mon Wullie Cicero is uber untrendy now after Bojo the Clown used him as an example in his getting sacked…” Apr 21, 19:16
100%Yes on The Pit Of Vipers: “You subscribe to the national, just wondering what is it you get from this Rag??” Apr 21, 19:05
Young Lochinvar on The Pit Of Vipers: “Lorncal Faggats and their legions of handmaidens..” Apr 21, 19:04
100%Yes on The Pit Of Vipers: “John Swinney rejects calls for public inquiry into Alex Salmond ‘conspiracy’, What a shocker.” Apr 21, 19:02
twathater on The Pit Of Vipers: “@ Angus, Colin Alexander has been posting comments on WOS since at least 2014 , his comments have been scathing…” Apr 21, 18:32
Alf Baird on The Pit Of Vipers: “Yes, Fanon tells us that ‘the colonialist may speak in the native tongue’, and that ‘colonialism is always a co-operative…” Apr 21, 18:28
Lorncal on The Pit Of Vipers: “Rev: stooshie going on at ‘The National’ and ‘The Herald’ newspapers because they wouldn’t run an ISP campaign advert unless…” Apr 21, 18:24
Lorncal on The Pit Of Vipers: “YL: not saying she wasn’t at the centre. Just that she did not kick the thing off, I believe. Others…” Apr 21, 18:16