Because, for startlingly obvious reasons, even the SNP hasn’t had the brass neck to do a general fundraiser for this election, with the police’s inquiries still going on into the whereabouts of the cash from their last big appeals.
But in fact the party has managed to wring over £100,000 from the most gullible of its remaining supporters in the days since the election was announced. It’s just been a bit more subtle about it.
Last week’s controversy around the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre put the spotlight on the need for single-sex services to protect vulnerable women, but it’s very far from the only example of how Scottish women are being let down in this regard by both the Scottish Government and civic organisations.
The homelessness system in Scotland has collapsed. Emergency accommodation is dangerous, sub-standard, and overcrowded. There has been an epidemic of deaths in hotels and B&Bs in recent years.
As a writer, feminist and literary events organiser in Scotland, I’m regularly sent links to information someone thinks might be of interest to me. This week it was a document commissioned by one of Scotland’s leading and most powerful publicly-funded literary organisations, Literature Alliance Scotland (LAS).
Nobody, of course, objects to transgender writers being included or supported, but the content of the guidance raises several extremely serious and concerning issues.
Normally in cases like these, there’s an instant and concerted attempt to rubbish the judgement, both from amateurs and activist lawyers like Robin Moira “Barry” White, Jolyon Maugham, and the anonymous “Pissed Off Lawyer” tweeting as @legaltweetz. They’ll issue spurious “analyses” dismissing the findings with jargon terms like “obiter”, and either question their correctness or attempt to minimise their significance.
For some reason that didn’t happen this time. The hyper-antagonist online trans army has very conspicuously failed to rush to the defence of ERCC CEO Mridul Wadhwa, perhaps because Judge Ian McFatridge’s conclusions were so relentlessly, brutally and comprehensively excoriating of Wadhwa’s appalling behaviour that no amount of spin or disingenuity could disguise it.
But then, on white charger and with papoose, enter a hero.
Mridul Wadhwa, a man with whom Wings readers have been familiar for some years, was found by the tribunal judge to have been “the invisible hand behind everything that had taken place” as Roz Adams, a conscientious, caring and highly professional woman with a long history in the sector, was systematically and methodically hounded out of her job for holding, privately and sensitively, the belief that biological sex is real.
We watched Question Time last night for the first time in about nine years, and this comment from SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn raised an eyebrow.
Because we couldn’t remember ANY times that Flynn had publicly expressed any problems with the Scottish Greens during their governing alliance.
Willie on Cowering From Destiny: “NHS England is this year being abolished. No if, no buts. Privatisation is coming. All the benefits of the corporates…” Sep 24, 14:41
Mark Beggan on Cowering From Destiny: “‘sign some form of legal agreement.’ How about on the back of a cigarette packet or a napkin. Nothings new.…” Sep 24, 14:02
Captain Caveman on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Hey Fatso, you don’t even have a mind, pal – open or otherwise! Sheesh, bloody cheek honestly. 😀” Sep 24, 13:34
TURABDIN on Cowering From Destiny: “Centralization by sleight of hand boundary reordering. Autonomy max regions for example, from which a geologically diverse country might benefit….never…” Sep 24, 13:31
sam on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Northcode Procedurally blocked. For now. Change is possible, even likely. Scotland does meet those three criteria. Everyone knows Scotland is…” Sep 24, 13:28
Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “Just 6 weeks to save the NHS is it?” Sep 24, 13:26
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Ah, c’moan noo, CC. It’s simply that Northy’s terrified the UN is going to declare Scotland Independent before Christmas, and…” Sep 24, 13:24
Alf Baird on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: ““An NSGT cannot be geographically contiguous to its administering state.” Quite a few were/are, actually, including in Asia and Africa.…” Sep 24, 13:22
James on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: ““It’s called having an open mind, you should try it.” And how would you know, exactly, chummy?” Sep 24, 13:21
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “If you want to consider the ME you need to consider the events of the 7th century AD. Then, of…” Sep 24, 13:18
Mark Beggan on Cowering From Destiny: “You haven’t heard the stinky pinky joke then.” Sep 24, 13:18
Captain Caveman on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “People are allowed to change their minds without your permission, Dan. It’s called having an open mind, you should try…” Sep 24, 13:01
Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “The Teletubbies? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen or heard a joke about them.” Sep 24, 13:00
Dan on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Aye, NC seems to have had a coding change in what it churns out. Compare now to a comment trail…” Sep 24, 12:50
Captain Caveman on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Thanks as ever for your erudite, “sophiticated” contribution, Confused. Brought to you by Evo-Stik and an odd fascination with slow-cooked…” Sep 24, 12:50
Aidan on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “@Sam – under limb one, the geographic separation requirement must include separation by sea. An NSGT cannot be geographically contiguous…” Sep 24, 12:48
Northcode on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Resolution 1541’s criteria only apply to territories that were reported to the UN in 1946 as colonies, protectorates, or overseas…” Sep 24, 12:41
Mark Beggan on Cowering From Destiny: “No talent. No money. No plan. No grassroots support. What could possibly go wrong?” Sep 24, 12:41
Confused on Cowering From Destiny: “nige won’t be PM now since he pissed off the wrong people; the people you can’t make jokes about” Sep 24, 12:28
Confused on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “NC is in mystification mode; the UN is a useful tactic, which may draw blood – the anglos are raging…” Sep 24, 12:27
Effijy on Cowering From Destiny: “A very valid point. I would enjoy watching a stand alone England ruled by Trump style absurdity and corruption but…” Sep 24, 12:15
sam on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Northcode, New post by Rev so you may not see this. Criteria of Colonial Status Resolution 1541 sets three objective…” Sep 24, 12:14
Willie on Cowering From Destiny: “No need big John has just announced that he wants to create six supra regional supra authorities. Like the NHS…” Sep 24, 12:02
Willie on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Critically important to engage in the international environment and Sarah Salyers is certainly doing that. And let us not forget…” Sep 24, 11:43
Captain Caveman on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: ““The emotional force comes from grievance, destiny, and moral urgency; the procedural reality is left untouched.” In a nutshell -…” Sep 24, 11:43
Northcode on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “I watched Sara Salyers’ speech from Tuesday’s UN Geneva side-event – to which Fearghas provided a link – and here…” Sep 24, 10:58
Minceheid on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Hatey McHateface says: 24 September, 2026 at 9:28 am Best go to SpecSavers MH. Any “quine” quoting Samuel L Jackson…” Sep 24, 10:16
Aidan on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Oh look everyone “James” is back. Managed to persuade them to turn your internet back on?” Sep 24, 10:15
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “I personally know folk who have built their house from bales of straw. They think it’s great. So do I.…” Sep 24, 10:11