It’s from a 2018 BBC3 documentary called Becoming A Trans Man – Leo. The 15-year-old child in the video plays with a Rubik’s Cube as Wolton, who was 31 at the time, enthusiastically grooms her into transitioning into a “man”, advocating chest binders, a double mastectomy and the irreversible mutilation of her genitalia (“Lower surgery – you want that”) that will, Wolton confirms, lead to her permanent sterilisation, as well as the destruction of her future adult sexual function.
The BBC presents it as a heartwarming tale of friendship.
Mike Russell, currently at the centre of controversy over his appointment as chair of the Scottish Land Commission, hit the political big stage during Scotland’s first ever SNP administration under Alex Salmond, whom, in turn, Mike had previously seen into office as Salmond’s campaign manager.
In 2007 he was appointed as Minister for Environment, then in 2009 he became the Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, and his conventional ministerial career concluded when he went on to replace Fiona Hyslop as Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning until the end of 2014.
Following the 2014 independence vote, the pre-referendum era ended with Salmond’s dignified (albeit temporary) stage exit; Nicola Sturgeon took the helm and began to reform what had been left to her by her predecessor.
A core pillar of Sturgeon’s centrist reform was the construction of an almost entirely opaque ivory tower of power from which both SNP and the state would run their covert affairs with subversive, centralizing, strong-arm granularity, cleverly camouflaging its sinister implications from the public through cult-of-personality media management.
Instrumental in this, among a very few select others, was Mike Russell.
It’s rather apt that this happened on the last day of the calendar. Because it truly is the rock-bottom moment in the grotesquely sullied history of the Scottish National Party.
We’ve heard that line somewhere before, haven’t we?
So, just a quick one, because we’ve got Christmas shopping to do:
Since continuing to fight for the GRR was famously a “red line” for the Scottish Greens in terms of the Bute House Agreeement, do we think that the Greens will now withdraw from the governing coalition, sacrifice their ministerial cars and salaries and influence, and return to the back benches for the next two and a half years until they can try to form an alliance with Labour?
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Your tiny deluded mind cannot possibly think that your life would be in anyway better if a war started with…” May 1, 13:31
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “That is absolutely true Alf, but that’s a different proposition from dispossessing people of property they now already lawfully owned…” May 1, 13:28
Del G on Seven Days Too Long: “As each day passes, Reform UK manage to flush themselves further down the pan. Their % rating in polls is…” May 1, 13:26
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Sorry fat stinker are you telling me where I am and am not welcome? You don’t have authority over your…” May 1, 13:25
TimePilot on Push The Button: “This is a common misconception. Whilst it may be of interest, you DO NOT need to PROVE anyone’s motivation in…” May 1, 13:16
Frank Gillougley on Seven Days Too Long: “I know that I’m a slow learner, but the obvious answer to this d’hondt groundhog day is staring everyone in…” May 1, 13:11
Northcode on Seven Days Too Long: “The resulting affspring produced whin the seed o the Scots and that o the English is mixt thegither is an…” May 1, 13:04
James on Seven Days Too Long: “Depends on wether you want a health service dunnit? Like tax cuts for the rich and service/benefit cuts for the…” May 1, 13:01
James on Seven Days Too Long: “Jezo they’re back. Read the posts. You aren’t welcome here. GTF the pair of you.” May 1, 12:50
Northcode on Seven Days Too Long: ““You’ve got to be aware that the teasing of the English is the Scottish sense of humour and there’s no…” May 1, 12:32
Alf Baird on Seven Days Too Long: “Most countries sensibly impose restrictions on foreign ownership of property/land especially where this would tend to disadvantage the indigenous population,…” May 1, 12:24
Angry Weegie on Seven Days Too Long: “Be careful what you wish for. Five years of a unionist majority could do untold damage to what remains of…” May 1, 12:22
ALANM on Seven Days Too Long: “What would really shake them up at Holyrood is if everyone pissed off with the state of Scottish politics went…” May 1, 12:12
Angry Weegie on Seven Days Too Long: “My choice in the constituency is SNP or one of 5 English based unionist party candidates. Isn’t it wonderful being…” May 1, 12:10
TURABDIN on Seven Days Too Long: “SCOTLAND does not need more WASPS on mobility scooters.” May 1, 11:58
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “@Alf – isn’t that basically why anyone moves anywhere?” May 1, 11:42
Alf Baird on Seven Days Too Long: “As Albert Memmi wrote, the colonizer only moves to a colony ‘for an easier life’ and ‘to make a profit’.…” May 1, 11:19
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Yup – the insanity of the current SNP policy to incentivise working people to move south and retirees to move…” May 1, 10:55
100%Yes on Seven Days Too Long: “I seen this article, “I’m one of thousands leaving England to live in Scotland” am I the only one who…” May 1, 10:44
Alf Baird on Seven Days Too Long: ““the land that time forgot” A valid point, but other important aspects remain in play for a subordinated people and…” May 1, 10:43
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Exactly CC, both “parties” are really just a collection of independents standing under a broad banner. The problem is, standing…” May 1, 10:13
Captain Caveman on Seven Days Too Long: ““What “nothing else” screams to me (and to many others) is “we can’t agree on even the basics” and which…” May 1, 09:48
Campbell Clansman on Seven Days Too Long: “While your description of SNP voters is accurate, they are NOT the “majority.” The polls for the last year have…” May 1, 09:41
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “So vote for a tiny micro-party which is vanishingly unlikely to win any seats, when you could instead vote against…” May 1, 08:52
TURABDIN on Seven Days Too Long: “AS A GESTURE TO THE K&Q of ENGLAND, Trump cuts tax on uisge beatha…..that great foreign owned export. Did you…” May 1, 08:43
diabloandco on Seven Days Too Long: “can anyone tell me how to get rid of Microsoft cretinous news , which pops up every time I open…” May 1, 07:53
Athanasius on Seven Days Too Long: “Don’t vote. The government will get in.” May 1, 06:30
Peter McAvoy on Seven Days Too Long: “Has the site of the fire in union street been examined to see if the buildings and roads are in…” May 1, 02:05
Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “FFS What is up with you lot? Vote ATLS. Simple. “Independence, nothing else”. Isn’t that what we are crying out…” Apr 30, 23:49
Rob on Seven Days Too Long: “I did vote for Fergus, its not that I don’t like what the SNP used to stand for, its more…” Apr 30, 23:27
