Alert readers may recall a few weeks ago, when this was a thing:
The SNP standing for seats in England, of course, is an idea that’s been put forward before by some of the nation’s sharper and more insightful political commentators, but the party has for obvious and understandable reasons shown no inclination thus far to undertake the experiment.
But as we realised after chatting to a left-wing English chum this week (a successful creative and businessman), such a party actually already exists, and has dozens of MPs. It’s just that it’s currently trapped inside a corpse.
These pages from the 14 March 1998 issue of NME (just 10 months after the election of Tony Blair’s first Labour government) are a fascinating historical document.
They needed saving. So we found them and we saved them.
Alert readers may have noticed something of a glut of articles in the press recently by right-wing commentators angrily challenging the SNP to prove its left-wing credentials if and when the new Scotland Bill ever becomes law and grants Holyrood more powers over taxation, some minor aspects of welfare and – of course – road signs.
The zenith of the phenomenon must surely be today’s eye-rubbingly bizarre Scotsman story in which the Scottish Tories urge the SNP to increase tax in order to reverse, er, Tory cuts. But there’s method behind the seeming madness.
The battle-cry of right-wing Labour apologists all this week has been “realism”. It’s all very well people like Jeremy Corbyn having crazy old principles about what Labour is supposed to stand for, runs the argument, but you can’t argue with public opinion and public opinion is desperate for Labour to become Tories with a slightly softer edge.
We’re sorry to keep going on about this, readers, but we’ve been going over and over it in our heads and we just can’t get it to make sense.
Below is the failed Labour amendment to the Welfare Reform And Work Bill:
As you can see, its sole intended purpose was to refuse a second reading to the Bill. Labour voted for their own amendment (an achievement, we suppose), which means they didn’t want to see the bill get a second reading.
After last night’s debacle in the House Of Commons, various Labour activists and cheerleaders have been scrambled on social and print media to firefight the appalled reaction from voters on the left to the party’s abstention on the Tory welfare bill.
Cynicus on Contempt Of Government: “Thanks for getting back, Kevin. Sorry about mis-naming you in my first attempt. At least you are not, “mis-gendered”!” Dec 21, 02:33
Cynicus on Contempt Of Government: “Thanks for getting b ack Ken. your new information is very interesting but doesn’t come close as evidence for your…” Dec 21, 02:27
Saffron Robe on A matter of class: “I think it is worth noting that the separation of powers does not exist in Scotland and therefore Westminster can…” Dec 21, 00:24
Benhope on A matter of class: “The latest Epstein release of files in America are so similar to the heavily redacted files in Scotland by John…” Dec 20, 23:56
Mark Beggan on A matter of class: ““Sweet Loretta Martin thought she was a woman But she was just another guy All the girls around her said…” Dec 20, 23:49
Achnababan on A matter of class: “Maist o oor civil service leaders are frae sooth o the Boarder. This is the colonial response to clip the…” Dec 20, 23:13
Mark Beggan on A matter of class: “Macadanism. Built by the Irish, patented by the Welsh and overseen by the English. It wasn’t the Red coats that…” Dec 20, 22:06
Alf Baird on A matter of class: ““he concept of’Justice’ in that society depends on shared moral values” There are inevitably two different sets of values in…” Dec 20, 20:59
Mark Beggan on A matter of class: “On the point of Lady Justice. You could hang a wet duffle coat on those nipples.” Dec 20, 20:08
Saffron Robe on A matter of class: “Like the picture of Lady Justice at the top of your article, Stuart, here was I thinking that justice should…” Dec 20, 19:39
Alf Baird on A matter of class: “A decent ‘factchecker’ should know that “colonialism is always a co-operative venture with native elites” (Fanon). Burns rightly called them…” Dec 20, 19:10
factchecker on A matter of class: “Professor Baird says: 20 December, 2025 at 12:34 pm Aye, ‘Justice’ is at best a rather theoretical concept in a…” Dec 20, 18:48
agentx on A matter of class: “I look forward to seeing you listed on Peggie’s legal team as the race discrimination expert.” Dec 20, 18:47
Dan on A matter of class: “Aye, Bilbo. CC can get it right up him with that pish. Maybe he’d be a fan of the rainbow…” Dec 20, 17:44
Bilbo on A matter of class: “Captain Caveman Intelligence bordering on imbecility and delusion beyond belief. The Tories were in power for 14 years and the…” Dec 20, 17:12
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “Confused. But Confused our royals are german to, although have had some weird bedfellows and friends associations through out history…” Dec 20, 16:36
Alf Baird on Contempt Of Government: “Yes James, ‘colonialism is based on psychology’ (Cesaire) leaving a dangerous pathology and ‘disease of the mind’ whereby those afflicted…” Dec 20, 16:13
James Cheyne on Contempt Of Government: “Perversion alway starts and thrives through the association with money” Dec 20, 16:04
James Cheyne on Contempt Of Government: “Keven Cargill. I suppose the evidence is speaking for itself by the amount of men bringing in and twisting the…” Dec 20, 16:01
James Cheyne on Contempt Of Government: “The root of the problem goes much deeper and further back, as often said by my self, “The door in…” Dec 20, 15:50
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Sorry, Alf. I overlooked the Amalgamated Scottish UN Petitioners and Associated Grifters.” Dec 20, 15:44
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: ““Write more gibberish” But it’s yer turn, Northy. Gie us ane o yer lengthy epistles written entirely in yer fabricated…” Dec 20, 15:41
Confused on A matter of class: “civic nationalism at its best https://x.com/i/status/2002168538082005419 – we need to welcome the “new britons” furtheconomy-n-growf handthehenhaichess – luckily, 30 minutes…” Dec 20, 15:34
Confused on A matter of class: “as stewart lee might say … – you rape ONE BABY … https://archive.ph/urAU8 – and they CALL YOU A PEDOPHILE…” Dec 20, 15:31
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Thanks for your reply, Stuart. As it happens, I lack a union-flag covered duvet. As it happens, you missed a…” Dec 20, 15:30
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “Its a class war, If Sandie peggy was a doctor, and upton was the nurse… If Sandie Peggy was English…” Dec 20, 15:26
James on The Idiot Rodeo: “Yeah yeah, blow it out of your ass, crackpot. Fecking loony tune. Anyway some of us have things to do…” Dec 20, 15:20
Hatey McHateface on The Idiot Rodeo: “@James 1:04 Did yer maw teach you nothing? What you wish for in your letter to Santa is supposed to…” Dec 20, 15:15
Captain Caveman on The Idiot Rodeo: ““Supercilious”..? You’re the one looking down on McDonalds and fast food restaurant workers you fat, lazy berk, not I. Get…” Dec 20, 15:12
Jay on A matter of class: “Assuming young Theo has male chromosomes and genitalia then, if he were to tell me that he is a woman,…” Dec 20, 14:59
