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.
The government’s brutal, monstrous welfare reform bill passed its second reading in the Commons tonight by 308 votes to 124, meaning that somewhere in the region of 80% of Labour MPs abstained on it.
Angus on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “You have proved beyond reasonable doubt that Police Scotland and the Crown Office have a case to answer for deliberating…” Jul 2, 04:38
Mark Beggan on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “Well done Harry Kane. Well done England. English team singing Wonderwall with the fans. Good luck in Mexico.” Jul 2, 01:27
Young Lochinvar on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “C That’s a genuinely interesting post. Can you elaborate as it’s peeked my interest, particularly the Congo crisis stuff? Thanks…” Jul 2, 00:53
Alf Baird on The Fast Track: “The empire’s doublethink surely lives on, in colonial Scotland.” Jul 2, 00:35
Confused on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “these cunts in the vids, you can summarise it down to an old comedy phrase : “badges … badges! ……” Jul 1, 22:57
cirsium on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “thanks for providing a transcript of the interview Rev. It is easier to deal with the “repetitive evasiveness” (AlMac) by…” Jul 1, 22:02
Karen on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “Some possibilities: a) Ach, it’s just indy supporting folks’ money b) a top COPFS person dropped the Clerkin ball,so chuckled…” Jul 1, 21:48
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Fast Track: “GCSE SPANISH GUIDE FOISTS TRANS IDEOLOGY PROPAGANDA ON TEENS One of the largest exam boards in England and Wales has…” Jul 1, 21:34
McDuff on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “The thing is rev will the police and Crown Office ever be put in a position where they would be…” Jul 1, 21:20
Hatey McHateface on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “No Mexico, no party! MSM reporting 3, maybe 4, dead celebrating their win over Ecuador. With such dedication, they deserve…” Jul 1, 19:58
Hatey McHateface on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “Seth MacFarlane is superb training for identifying and puncturing pretentious old farts.” Jul 1, 19:34
Hatey McHateface on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “Dunno Connie. I migrated to CD’s back in the day, and now even they are laughed to scorn. It’s all…” Jul 1, 19:27
Hatey McHateface on The Fast Track: “Thanks for clearing that up, Alf. “The root of colonialism is fascism” (Cesaire) “Helps us locate the origins of fascism…” Jul 1, 19:24
Connie Davidson on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “Just where do you come in Hatey? And where do you get off? Is there some criminality involved here, of…” Jul 1, 18:24
Connie Davidson on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “No. Not just you. This is the state we are in. The “United Kingdom” and “the Crown” are imposed on…” Jul 1, 18:21
Jay on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “Campbell clansman, please name the party or parties to whom you refer by your first word “they” in your comment.…” Jul 1, 18:13
100%Yes on ACC Houston, We Have A Problem: “When I watched the video John Logue I got the impression he was thinking a lot on how to answer…” Jul 1, 17:47
Jack Thomson on ACC Houston, We Have A Problem: “There are also huge questions re potential unrecorded income. This doesn’t seem to have been addressed. The Manchester auditors qualified…” Jul 1, 16:46
Alf Baird on The Fast Track: “We should not confuse nationalism with fascist-imperialism. The imperial state tendency has been to portray Nazism as ‘nationalism’, which it…” Jul 1, 16:17
Cynicus on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “AlMac says: 1 July, 2026 at 12:41 pm “……the 75-minute video is starting to look attractive when faced with 8000…” Jul 1, 15:59
Insider on The Fast Track: “Alf, Since you’ve made a complete fool of yourself trying to quote Orwell….how about trying Einstein next ? “Nationalism is…” Jul 1, 15:52
robertkknight on ACC Houston, We Have A Problem: ““ACC Houston, We Have Eh Problem” surely? Waiting staff in restaurants must love him…” Jul 1, 15:40
Cynicus on ACC Houston, We Have A Problem: “Incidentally, Peter Bell lavishly praises the Rev. in his piece, “ Solid Fog”, a few days ago. He is excoriated…” Jul 1, 15:13
sarah on ACC Houston, We Have A Problem: “I meant to say that the title gave me a chuckle. I daresay they are enjoying it at Police Scotland…” Jul 1, 15:10
lothianlad on ACC Houston, We Have A Problem: “Honestly STU, Your dilligence must be making them really nervous. Well done for your persistance.” Jul 1, 15:00
