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March 1998 issue of NME (just 10 months after the election of Tony Blair’s first Labour government) are a fascinating historical document.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.
twathater on A matter of class: “Dan has the Franchise Fanny nailed with all his grandiose sounding pish, a proud Scot BUT who has returned to…” Dec 22, 02:50
James on A matter of class: “Stained bedsheets, there? Careful, lads.” Dec 21, 23:19
James on A matter of class: “Uh-oh. Franchise Fanny just stained it’s underwear after mentioning it’s Heroine. It was popular in Scotchland right enough. Not.” Dec 21, 23:13
James on A matter of class: “Careful, DaveL; the Site Prick fancies you!” Dec 21, 23:04
James on A matter of class: “The Site Prick shilling for the Daily heil there. Quelle suprise!” Dec 21, 22:52
Captain Caveman on A matter of class: “Hey, maybe Fatso, maybe. However, at least I pay my own way, have a job and don’t look down on…” Dec 21, 22:52
Mark Beggan on A matter of class: “Our country is being stolen from benief our feet.” Dec 21, 22:47
James on A matter of class: “Quite right, Alf – ‘Unison’ is a ‘UK’ (London based) organization that supports the Yoon Labour party without question, and…” Dec 21, 22:31
James on A matter of class: ““As it happens, I lack a union-flag covered duvet.” ROTFLMFAO!!” Dec 21, 22:25
James on A matter of class: “Northy; Careful now, the site Prick wants to kiss your interface!” Dec 21, 22:10
James on A matter of class: “Aw, sweethheart, are you still carrying a torch for me? Thanks, but I’ll pass. What a sad bot you are.” Dec 21, 22:04
McDuff on A matter of class: “This country stinks from the SNP to the judiciary and just about every where else .I never imagined Scotland would…” Dec 21, 21:48
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Turkey, sprouts and gravy, Dan? No True Scot would ever pollute the ethnic purity of his body with the hated,…” Dec 21, 21:37
Dan on A matter of class: “@Southern(not so)bystander Not saying it’s the case with the specific matter you are responding to; But I think that posted…” Dec 21, 21:35
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Try posting “Bairns Not Bombs”. Works every time.” Dec 21, 21:20
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “This is just so desperately sad. Once again, I’m the only one to respond to Northy’s attention seeking – his…” Dec 21, 21:16
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “@Alf Have you considered translating the complete works of Fanon, Cesaire, Crivens and Jonesie into Scots? That would really supercharge…” Dec 21, 21:08
Northcode on A matter of class: ““No country, people or polity has a God given right to exist in perpetuity.” Unless it’s England, apparently: “There’ll always…” Dec 21, 21:01
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “@Alf 2:05 I want my Scotland to be run by the meritocratic best. I don’t want my Scotland to be…” Dec 21, 20:59
Dan on A matter of class: “Something to read and mull over. https://angrypict.substack.com/p/scotland-ai-convergence-and-the-case” Dec 21, 20:36
Southernbystander on A matter of class: “Hatey: ‘You didn’t used to pussyfoot around this’ Did he not? I once asked Alf after he labelled the English…” Dec 21, 20:32
Alf Baird on A matter of class: “Like any peoples language the Scots language plays ‘a vital role in shaping and defining ethnic identity’, serving as ‘a…” Dec 21, 20:24
Al-Stuart on A matter of class: “. Hi Stuart, I see the Scot-Goes-Splat fundraiser Jimmy McGrifty has now gone full stalker mode with his obsession about…” Dec 21, 19:55
Dan on A matter of class: “Franchise Fanny returns! But tae fuck with offering a shred of crimbo goodwill to fellow supporters of Scotland returning to…” Dec 21, 19:53
Cynicus on A matter of class: “Andy Ellis says: 21 December, 2025 at 4:09 pm “One wonders if the Post Colonial Snake Oil Salesman in Chief…” Dec 21, 18:44
Northcode on A matter of class: ““Lovely people the Finns…” I’ll write to the Finnish embassy in London and let them know you think they’re patronizingly…” Dec 21, 18:25
Northcode on A matter of class: ““How about the >5% of Finns who are of Swedish language and ethnicity, having lived in Finland for centuries?” You…” Dec 21, 18:09
Alf Baird on A matter of class: “Is that you on the colonial backshift, Andy? Hatey on his weel-deserved brak. Surprised ye didna ken that language aye…” Dec 21, 18:00
Mark Beggan on A matter of class: “Well God Bless you sir. Merry Christmas.My Grandfather would be proud of that.” Dec 21, 17:46
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@Northcode 4pm Ethnic Finns, or Suomalaiset, are a Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland, with a rich cultural heritage…” Dec 21, 17:15
