You might have thought that the publication of the “Project Fear” book last month was an embarrassment for the motley collection of highly-paid but hapless Labour and Tory apparatchiks who ran “Better Together”, but it turns out there was worse to come.
Politics Home today reports what sounds like some alarming news:
An extract from First Minister’s Questions earlier today:
That was Kezia Dugdale’s opening question. Despite the Presiding Officer making it absolutely clear that the question was improper and outwith Holyrood’s remit, the Scottish Labour leader went on to use her entire allotted time on the issue. She was then followed by Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson doing the same.
The people of Scotland are being done a grave disservice.
It appeared on any possible interpretation to be complete nonsense, but Ms Dugdale – who’s pledged to make education the issue at the heart of her leadership – has been somewhat reluctant to clarify the statement.
Several queries from her Lothian constituents have gone unanswered, but one Wings viewer did manage to get a single tweet of response.
Alert social-media users couldn’t have failed to notice Unionist activists and hacks working themselves up into a very great lather last night over (currently former) SNP MP Michelle Thomson. The ex-director of Business For Scotland has resigned the party whip and is now sitting, at least temporarily, as an independent while police conduct an investigation into some property purchases in which she was involved.
As yet no criminal activity by anyone has been alleged, and Police Scotland has said that it has no plans at the moment to even interview Ms Thomson, let alone arrest or charge her. As yet it’s a political non-story.
But the mere proximity of the member for Edinburgh West – previously the victim of a smear related to the Ashley Madison website hacking – to even a sniff of impropriety has triggered a paroxysm amongst the media and the beleagured opposition.
Amusingly, some senior journalists have even tweeted an accusatory blog written by Labour activist and regular BBC pundit Ian Smart, whose own membership of the Labour Party remains a subject of uncertainty after a series of abusive incidents – Scottish Labour have persistently refused to confirm whether he’s been expelled, despite having been “investigating” him since April.
But that’s not the most interesting piece of hypocrisy on show.
We know that the media isn’t normally shy about identifying which side of the Scottish independence debate people are on, especially if they’ve been behaving badly.
So we were a little puzzled by the papers this morning.
We didn’t think that could be right, and dug up some figures suggesting that it was nonsense, but of course “the poorest kids” is a highly-flexible metric. Strictly speaking you could just mean the two poorest children in the country, and if one of those two can’t read there’s your 50%.
Luckily, we’ve now had some meat put on the bones of that claim.
In the spirit of straight talking, honest politics, I’m going to put my cards on the table right now: I’m a Corbyn voter. As a classic hand-wringing, middle-class, North London leftie, the mad fact of Jeremy Corbyn’s candidacy compelled me to register as a Labour supporter; empowered me to bet £3 on the foolish notion that Something More might somehow, suddenly, be achievable.
In no small part, I was inspired to do this by what happened in Scotland this year. I’m sure many of us were: finally, a viable political force south of Berwick was willing to show two fingers to austerity.
And if anyone called us out, if they told us we were crazy and that nobody would vote for such a “loony”, “radical”, “hard-left” candidate? Well, then we had a perfect example just north of the border to throw back at them. The SNP had hoovered up 50% of the vote on an anti-austerity ticket, and after all, aren’t we one nation? One people fighting for a common cause, et cetera? Couldn’t we put labels aside and work together?
This is shadow Chancellor John McDonnell speaking to the Labour Party conference in Brighton just a few minutes ago (immediately prior to rather presumptuously inviting the Scottish electorate to “come home to Labour”):
We don’t recall those things happening. We feel sure that if they had, they would have been mentioned in the papers. Can any readers help us out?
Insider on Yelling at the tide: ““Get a grip, Alf. Why don’t you demand that the citizens of Venezuela, say, stop speaking Spanish? Brazil now. Shouldn’t…” Jan 25, 13:15
sam on Yelling at the tide: “And none of what you write in the first two lines happened.” Jan 25, 13:13
Northcode on Yelling at the tide: ““Who in Scotland really gives a shit about speaking Scots, apart from the few who think like you?” Oor name…” Jan 25, 12:27
Sven on Yelling at the tide: ““The mind that is curious enough to apply questions to serious events is seldom a useful tool.” I’m maybe misunderstanding…” Jan 25, 12:26
TURABDIN on Yelling at the tide: “Cherish the gifts of the past, but do not overlay those gifts with personal additions. Give the gifts room to…” Jan 25, 11:58
TURABDIN on Yelling at the tide: “As an enthusiast for the potential of so called Artificial Intelligence i link to the following article on an aspect…” Jan 25, 11:39
Sven on Yelling at the tide: “Can’t really say it’s much of a surprise that in the US if you aim a car or a handgun…” Jan 25, 11:27
Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “Get a grip, Alf. Why don’t you demand that the citizens of Venezuela, say, stop speaking Spanish? Brazil now. Shouldn’t…” Jan 25, 11:07
James Cheyne on Yelling at the tide: “Should we just accept all the turmoil and chaos happening simultaniosly around the world or should we question why? The…” Jan 25, 11:02
Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “@Marie Calm down dear. It’s a white guy got killed. No boxes ticked. Nothing to see here. Even the previous…” Jan 25, 10:57
James Cheyne on Yelling at the tide: “And now we can add AI imaging into the mix for confusing the narrative and directional purpose of goal.” Jan 25, 10:51
Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “Sure, Willie. When you encounter an opinion you disagree with, then that’s abuse. I don’t mind so much that this…” Jan 25, 10:48
David Holden on Yelling at the tide: “I think You tube needs to work on its targeted ads as while watching a quite impressive often foul mouthed…” Jan 25, 10:46
James Cheyne on Yelling at the tide: “How many people are fallen prey to these multiple provided situations of psychological conditioning..” Jan 25, 10:45
James Cheyne on Yelling at the tide: “The question is who is funding all the disruptions, From just stop oil, Black lives matter, Antifa, Gender ideology Climate…” Jan 25, 10:39
Alf Baird on Yelling at the tide: ““As for the ludicrous idea that any young Scot should aim to graduate from university with a degree in Scots…” Jan 25, 10:23
Marie on Yelling at the tide: “They’re not doing their jobs. They’re murdering people in cold blood.” Jan 25, 10:07
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Yelling at the tide: “Un mot pour nous tous les vieillards… Dominique de Villepin: LA MORT D’IVAN ILITCH – PAR LÉON TOLSTOÏ www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7neR3E6jWU” Jan 25, 10:02
DaveL on Yelling at the tide: “Hey Wee Adolf, can’t you spell ‘cunt’?” Jan 25, 10:01
willie on Yelling at the tide: “Another thoroughly objectionable post by commentator Hatey. Rather than address issues being raised this commentator goes into personal attack making…” Jan 25, 10:01
Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “Say something stupid or denigrating. Sure, how about “Wee Adolf”, will that do?” Jan 25, 09:56
Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “Get a grip, Alf. That’s not “preventing” in any meaningful sense of the word. As for the ludicrous idea that…” Jan 25, 09:42
Hatey McHateface on Yelling at the tide: “What happens when governments choose to finally implement border control, Willie, and people choose to try to stop authorised public…” Jan 25, 09:35
Northcode on Yelling at the tide: ““Pax tecum” Et cum spiritu tuo. “An quhen all cessyt he spak” Thanks for the link, Fearghas.” Jan 25, 07:16
Willie on Yelling at the tide: “The use of troops to intimidate and kill protestors in Minnesota is now very much beginning to resemble the actions…” Jan 24, 23:02
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Yelling at the tide: “Meant to add this link to the online text: VIRGIL’S AENEID, TRANSLATED BY GAVIN DOUGLAS (1513) www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/49884/pg49884-images.html” Jan 24, 22:33
DaveL on Yelling at the tide: “Aye, there’s Wee Adolf McHateface reliable as ever. Wee Adolf, I’ve got to say it, It’d be a first for…” Jan 24, 21:35
Alf Baird on Yelling at the tide: ““You tell me whoever it was prevented you from learning Scots” First nursery school, then primary school, followed by secondary…” Jan 24, 21:12
Northcode on Yelling at the tide: ““hundered ” Aye, a ken aboot that yin anaw. Whit am a like the day? A’m aw flustered because nane…” Jan 24, 20:50
