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March 1998 issue of NME (just 10 months after the election of Tony Blair’s first Labour government) are a fascinating historical document.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.
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on A matter of class: “Just came across this video. Essential viewing. Brings immediately to mind the statistics of catastrophic Scottish losses in WW1 provided…” Dec 29, 00:51
Confused on A matter of class: “trannyism bores me, I like geopolitics and history, and we need to think bigger if we want indy … but…” Dec 28, 23:36
GM on A matter of class: “All the best for 2026, when it comes” Dec 28, 22:16
GM on A matter of class: “Mainly pro-union troll accounts posting comments here now David.” Dec 28, 21:22
Ian Brotherhood on Off-topic: “Festive greetings to TC, Marie, Sarah, and abody else who may pop in. Thin traffic these days but hey-ho, so…” Dec 28, 21:21
Northcode on A matter of class: ““And Scotland sings a sad lament…” A good comment, Alf… and a point well made.” Dec 28, 20:29
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on A matter of class: “A quote from Michael Newton’s book: « In perhaps no other domains of the immigrant experience are the ironies and…” Dec 28, 20:13
Alf Baird on A matter of class: ““to paraphrase the words of our national anthem something which is in the past, and in the past it must…” Dec 28, 20:09
Insider on A matter of class: “Dan, Your ranting and vile abuse about Andy speaks volumes ! Andy can run rings round the likes of you…” Dec 28, 19:59
robertkknight on A matter of class: “Indeed… Yoons be suffering from Stockholm Syndrome: “Stockholm syndrome is a psychological response where victims of kidnapping or abuse develop…” Dec 28, 19:14
Dan on A matter of class: “@ Franchise Fanny Aye, maybe in your screwed up delusional head ya trolling bawbag. Guess your highly selective and twisted…” Dec 28, 18:46
David Holden on A matter of class: “Is it a full moon or something as the trolls seem to be hunting in packs. I wonder if you…” Dec 28, 18:45
Northcode on A matter of class: “The psychology behind the colonization of the mind is interesting… and very powerful. I read an article on psychology… years…” Dec 28, 18:27
James on A matter of class: “Dan; yip, Unionist Troll Central on here now, both attack and concern varieties…They’e f*cking endless. Tragic.” Dec 28, 17:54
Northcode on A matter of class: “Alf Baird @2:40 pm “I was long resistant to suggestions that Scotland has been colonised. But as I read Alf…” Dec 28, 17:51
sam on A matter of class: ““Even the name ‘British Empire’ is fake, a disguise for a locus of power in London which in which the…” Dec 28, 17:41
Mark Beggan on A matter of class: “Q.What do you call a person who likes to spend other people’s money? A. A socialist.” Dec 28, 17:29
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “….feel free to banish me from this shithole you’ve allowed to be filled with trolls for evading your ridiculous moderation…” Dec 28, 17:25
Mark Beggan on A matter of class: “Child: When I grow up I want to be a socialist. Parent: You can’t do both.” Dec 28, 17:18
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “I particularly liked the conclusion: The Nationalism of the Scottish National Party is not based on ethnicity but territory, it…” Dec 28, 17:17
Dan on A matter of class: “Or alternatively, to do a way with endless yak, jist go with the simple abbreviated version in the dictionary. colony…” Dec 28, 17:02
Captain Caveman on A matter of class: ““Some of the many things said about the English is that they treat nothing seriously and the men are sublimated…” Dec 28, 16:48
sam on A matter of class: “https://journal.thenewpolis.com/archives/1.1/Saville-Smith.pdf “The matter is settled, Scotland is not a Colony because it was part of an Incorporating Union. But what…” Dec 28, 16:27
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “You may be right. Reform’s rise seems mostly to be cannibalising disillusioned Tory voters and the hard core brexiteers though:…” Dec 28, 16:21
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “Xaracen, I take on board you’re excellent analyses of the position of Scotland territory and Sovereignty still belonging to the…” Dec 28, 16:14
TURABDIN on A matter of class: “Some of the many things said about the English is that they treat nothing seriously and the men are sublimated…” Dec 28, 16:13
Captain Caveman on A matter of class: “In actuality, Andy, I believe British nationalism is enjoying quite the renaissance of late, most notably in the form of…” Dec 28, 15:19
Alf Baird on A matter of class: “““The intellectually low lumens” (wattage at a push) … metaphor to compare intellect to the brightness of light” Yes Northcode,…” Dec 28, 14:40
Mark Beggan on A matter of class: “For those who can. I hope you are feeding the wee birds this winter. They also need fresh water at…” Dec 28, 14:35
Northcode on A matter of class: ““Of course your keyboard being all sticky can’t help either.” Intellectual my perfectly smooth and rounded porcelain buttocks, Andy Inglis.…” Dec 28, 13:47
