As alert readers will have noticed, Wings has been perusing the SNP’s Governance And Transparency Review over the last couple of days, a document which tentatively attempts to discern just how big a mess the party’s previous leadership has left it in.
The paper has now also reached the mainstream media.
Wings already touched on that particular aspect of the party’s mismanagement back in August, but in the light of the report now formally acknowledging the problem it’s worth taking a moment to establish just how astonishingly bad it is.
The writing, we mean. Because it’s not until you see it baldly written down in black and white that it really hits you how insane it is.
The SNP has 44 MPs now, and has not managed to enter independence negotiations.
Winning 29 seats would represent a LOSS of 15, or more than a third.
And they’re about to stand up in front of voters and insist that that would somehow compel the UK government to hand over what they’ve been flatly refusing since 2016.
(It’s all pretty academic anyway, obv, as we’ll be amazed if they get double figures.)
The very last shred of credibility has left the building, readers.
Labour won far more handsomely in last night’s by-election than anyone – and we very strongly suspect that includes themselves – expected. If the swing of over 20% was to be repeated nationwide next year (which it won’t be, but we’ll get to that in a minute), the SNP would be reduced to six or seven seats, as Wings has predicted for a while.
From the abject pit of despair of 2015, when Labour lost 40 of its 41 MPs in Scotland, let’s look at how the party has powered back to recapture the hearts of voters.
Humza Yousaf didn’t turn up to the count tonight. In the end, even on a dreadfully low turnout of 37%, Labour won by 9,446 votes, with more than twice as many as the SNP.
It was a much worse defeat for the governing party than most expected. There should be only one outcome.
Lorncal on Cowering From Destiny: “H McH: the technology exists and we can’t turn the clock back. We can, however, use everything at our disposal…” Sep 25, 22:24
Mark Beggan on Cowering From Destiny: “‘You can count on us to stand up for fairness and justice. You can count on us to bring people…” Sep 25, 21:02
Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “Typical, isn’t is, SBS? They’ve got a chance to put into power somebody who could increase the bust size of…” Sep 25, 21:00
Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “Colder houses are warmer houses. Damper houses are healthier houses. Men are women. Higher taxes is more spending money in…” Sep 25, 20:44
Southernbystander on Cowering From Destiny: “Interesting stats Sam. Trouble is they are so volatile they could all be reversed by events, then reversed again. The…” Sep 25, 20:42
Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “@ Alf Baird says: 25 September, 2026 at 9:31 am “a sign that the people may be closer to liberation…” Sep 25, 20:27
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Cowering From Destiny: “AN TEACHDAIRE PÀRLAMAIDEACH (Bilingual Holyrood Newsletter, issue 25 Sept) « […] Tha sinn cuideachd ag aithris air Aithris Bith-iomadachd na…” Sep 25, 20:27
Mark Beggan on Cowering From Destiny: “The Ministry of Truth War is Peace Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is Strength Fear is Hope In the end the…” Sep 25, 19:56
Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: ““in more savage, feudal times preceding modern borders, democracy and government” Hmmm. I don’t quite see what was more savage…” Sep 25, 19:44
Spartan 117 on Cowering From Destiny: “We obviously disagree, however your response is to call democracy and views different to yours as “stupid”. I’m not feart…” Sep 25, 18:54
Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: ““Sovereignty is an absolute. Its restoration ought to be the aim” The unicorn believers are convinced individual Scottish Sovereignty never…” Sep 25, 18:40
Spartan 117 on Cowering From Destiny: “Sums it all up pretty well to be honest, Hatey. It’s easier to sit back on your taxpayer-funded meal ticket…” Sep 25, 18:30
Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: ““Our interest starts and ends at our borders” What can I say? Irrespective of whether the borders you write about…” Sep 25, 18:28
Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “I guess you won’t have sussed why Swinney, Sturgeon and co are petrified of Indy support rising. Hint: It’s the…” Sep 25, 18:09
Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “@Marie says: 25 September, 2026 at 10:08 am “The future is Eurasian” You’ll be able to get surgery to sort…” Sep 25, 17:57
Spartan 117 on Cowering From Destiny: “Yes, I do have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about it. I’m not ignorant of what Ru**ia…” Sep 25, 16:40
Spartan 117 on Cowering From Destiny: ““When Scotland sorts out the underhand economic plunder from our land we too will have a very positive and valuable…” Sep 25, 16:24
lothianlad on Cowering From Destiny: “Swinney and co are petrified of Independence support rising! They are captured by the british state! Make no mistake, Sturgeon…” Sep 25, 15:50
Spartan 117 on Cowering From Destiny: ““Reform have the capacity to be highly authoritarian” Another one asleep since 1997. Were you in a coma post-9/11, during…” Sep 25, 15:40
sam on Cowering From Destiny: “You might be interested in this, published on Sept. 14th. Yougov survey. ( Both online.Pollcheck did not include Yougov in…” Sep 25, 15:03
Frank Gillougley on Cowering From Destiny: “you’d have to submit an FOI request, mate.” Sep 25, 14:23
Southernbystander on Cowering From Destiny: “It stands to reason that a Westminster government even more unpopular in Scotland than present would boost support for independence.…” Sep 25, 14:15
Captain Caveman on Cowering From Destiny: “As a matter of interest, just how “sovereign” do you think a small country with no military to speak of…” Sep 25, 12:46
TURABDIN on Cowering From Destiny: “Maybe time to stop talking about independence and speak of sovereignty instead. A country may be notionally independent but does…” Sep 25, 12:24
Aidan on Cowering From Destiny: “About 5,000 people a year die from tuberculosis in your beloved Ru**ia. More than get pushes out of windows for…” Sep 25, 10:11
Marie on Cowering From Destiny: “Correct Professor. “freefall and rapid socio-economic decline”. The future is Eurasian.” Sep 25, 10:08
BLMac on Cowering From Destiny: ““The party also regularly tells us that to actually achieve independence, support would have to build to an overwhelming consensus…” Sep 25, 10:06
Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “Bullshit, Alf. After 40 years of deliberate destruction, these industries, jobs and added value chains aren’t coming back in our…” Sep 25, 09:59
