Winnie Ewing, who has sadly passed away a few weeks short of her 94th birthday, was the second SNP politician I ever heard of.
My dad met her, and would speak of her with Billy Wolfe, the party leader who was also his employer at a forest machinery company in Bathgate (and our family friend), during her second term as an MP in the UK Parliament.
She now joins my dad and Billy as people who worked for the cause of independence but died before it came to fruition, after many wasted years under the leadership of Nicola Sturgeon.
Still wondering what Humza Yousaf’s going to say to the SNP’s pretend “conference” on independence strategy this coming Saturday? Well, wonder no longer, because this morning he told Sky News.
In other words, he’s waving the white flag and praying for a miracle.
The Scottish National Party’s primary and defining purpose is Scottish independence. Next weekend’s “special conference” will at least notionally determine its policy on that subject for years to come. On the face of it it’s the most important congregation of party members in the SNP’s history.
The Caird Hall can accommodate just 3% of the claimed membership. (And you’d expect at least half the seats to have been reserved in advance for the faithful payroll.) Members ought to be fighting like dogs for a ticket. And yet a week before the event the leader is having to send out pleading letters to try to scare up enough attendees that it won’t be a half-empty humiliation.
Nicola Sturgeon has not been charged with any crime. Yesterday she was arrested, questioned and released without charge pending further investigation. We do not even know which specific suspected crime or crimes she was questioned in connection with, so it is manifestly impossible to meaningfully speculate on her innocence or guilt (save of course for the fact that all are innocent in the eyes of the law until proven otherwise, something Sturgeon herself often appears to forget).
Nevertheless, in Scotland the Contempt Of Court Act 1981 applies from the moment a person is arrested, as the country’s most senior lawyer and its official prosecution service were both keen to remind people yesterday in the clearest possible terms, and it applies equally whether you’re asserting someone’s guilt or their innocence.
So you need to be a really extra-special class of boneheaded numbwit to do this:
Robert Hughes on What Went On: “Coincidentally , I was thinking of sending this to Ian B – or post it here . Who knows if…” Nov 29, 12:43
Mac on What Went On: “Never seen this guy (being interviewed) before but I strongly recommend this interview. A brilliant analysis but also an important…” Nov 29, 11:26
Callum on What Went On: “Universality is worth saving. Just think what Scotland would be without universal health care and education. The principle that all…” Nov 29, 11:14
Callum on What Went On: “What is more important in law – biological reality or a social construct based on gender? Politicians have made bad…” Nov 29, 10:54
Robert Hughes on What Went On: “It’s a good gesture and fairplay to yr friend for doing that . The possible negative if many people did…” Nov 29, 10:45
Sven on What Went On: “Guess that means that we can expect to see Grahams disappear from Supermarket shelves and remain only on sale in…” Nov 29, 10:38
Chas on What Went On: “Off topic. I have a golfing pal who receives an old age pension. Last year he was awarded £500 for…” Nov 29, 10:32
shug on What Went On: “Of course the BBC is avoiding mention of the UK gender equality act in 2010 that kicked off all this…” Nov 29, 10:32
Mac on What Went On: “Where it really struck me was old footage of Scotland fans breaking the goalposts at Wembley… there is hardly a…” Nov 29, 10:21
Mac on What Went On: “The reason we have an obesity and diabetes epidemic is because in the 80’s at the behest of Big Food…” Nov 29, 10:05
Andy on What Went On: “Not even on the Scotland page of the BBC website. You have to know that it’s down in Scotland Politics.…” Nov 29, 09:53
Frank Gillougley on What Went On: “What went on? – about 2018 or so, androgynous adolescents started appearing as a phenomenom in Scottish secondary schools. From…” Nov 29, 09:47
SteepBrae on What Went On: “The service in St Giles is 11am but this is at 12.30. Maybe someone could verify it? The info is…” Nov 29, 09:36
Stevie on What Went On: “As soon as I see, or hear, or read about the thing called SNP, the first word that comes straight…” Nov 29, 09:24
ABruce on What Went On: “Irvine Welsh: ‘The long knives’- ” If you’re a gadge who feels trapped in a bird’s body, have the fucking…” Nov 29, 09:22
TURABDIN on What Went On: “There are biologically two sexes but as many «genders» as you might dream up. Good science is concerned with the…” Nov 29, 09:21
diabloandco on What Went On: “In a nutshell , thank you Robert Louis!” Nov 29, 08:22
diabloandco on What Went On: “I thought it was 11 a.m – am I wrong?” Nov 29, 08:19
diabloandco on What Went On: “Nothing is impossible with medical intervention (or so some would have us believe!) – and then there’s miracles!!” Nov 29, 08:18
Mark Beggan on What Went On: “Swinney will be severely beaten for expressing an opinion to the Media.” Nov 29, 08:15
diabloandco on What Went On: “Written by Pish Washout – what an excellent present!” Nov 29, 08:05
Brian Crawford Hill on What Went On: “I’m not sure to which KC you are referring. The irony perhaps, as the KC for the appellants mentioned, is…” Nov 29, 01:05
Robert Matthews on What Went On: “Will Alf Baird and James be attending? If not, why not?” Nov 29, 00:19
ben madigan on What Went On: “many years ago I worked with a urology surgeon who had created a “penis” for a woman who wanted to…” Nov 28, 23:47
Oneliner on What Went On: “Those from parties not based in and controlled by London/England. Some shuffling of desks and slippers may be required. House…” Nov 28, 23:47
Gregory Beekman on What Went On: “She walked up to me and she asked me to dance I asked her her name and in a dark…” Nov 28, 23:28
Mark Beggan on What Went On: “The less said about that’ the better.” Nov 28, 23:22
Robert Hughes on What Went On: “My partner was telling me about this ( I’m not on TwitX ) and that the Scottish dairy brand -…” Nov 28, 23:17
Ian Brotherhood on What Went On: “A stushie has erupted over whether or not fart suppressant being added to cattle feed is harmful to humans. I…” Nov 28, 22:28
crazycat on What Went On: “I think there are two strands of lunacy here. As you say, men cannot be pregnant. But people who swallow…” Nov 28, 22:08
