Word reaches us, readers, that Nicola Sturgeon was “furious” when she joined the most recent meeting of the SNP’s Westminster group by Skype. Her rage was driven by the suggestion that the party should trigger a Holyrood election to act as a de facto independence referendum, a policy we’re reliably told is supported by a number of MPs who are too scared of being browbeaten by Sturgeon in front of their colleagues to actually speak out in favour of it.
(We won’t mention their names at this point.)
Our source mentioned to us that they seemed to remember an interview in which the First Minister had revealed a possible reason for her extreme antipathy to the idea – one for the BBC’s extensive and rather good three-part documentary “Yes/No – Inside The Indyref”, which was broadcast in August 2019 and never seen again.
It’s not available on iPlayer or YouTube, but fortunately we happened to still have the show recorded on our Sky+ box, so we went to check, and lo and behold our source’s recollection was correct. Apologies for the slightly wonky quality of this video, as we had to record it off the TV screen.
You can’t move on social media today without tripping over effusive tweets from SNP MPs and MSPs singing the praises of departed Westminster leader Ian Blackford and admiring all his achievements in the position over the last five years, although weirdly nobody has actually listed any of them.
Or possibly the other way round, we’re not sure. All we know is that we’re always surging upwards and forwards but somehow never actually getting anywhere.
If anyone knows when “this process” will have ended and we’ll get our choice – or indeed what she achieved for Scotland in the Brexit negotiations – do let us know.
It’s more than two years now since we published this article, but it’s worth quickly going over it again, because there’s nothing on Earth more tedious than boneheads on social media going “Oh, you slag off the SNP but what’s YOUR plan if you’re so clever?”, who haven’t bothered to read any of the dozen times we’ve already answered that question since 25 months ago.
This is it. This is our plan. Try listening this time, thickos.
The SNP have been all over the place since Wednesday’s judgement of the Supreme Court. Astonishingly, the party hadn’t prepared an agreed line in the event of the Court ruling against it, with the result that various party figures had popped up with all sorts of different versions of what a supposed plebiscite election would mean.
It’s nice to see the British media (and perhaps, if we might be allowed to dream for a moment, the law) catching up with Michelle Mone.
It’s such a shame nobody did any proper investigative journalism into what a crooked, venal chancer she is before now – seven years ago or even four years ago, say – or the country might have been saved a few billion quid. Ah well, you live and learn, eh?
Let’s get straight to the point: this is a straight-up categorical lie.
Since Wednesday’s events there’s been a lot of chatter and confusion on social media about whether the Scottish Government has the ability to trigger a snap Holyrood election and use it as a de facto plebiscite on independence.
The short answer, as we told you yesterday, is “officially no, in practice yes”. But that needs a bit of further explanation, so as usual let’s do the job of actual journalism that nobody else in Scotland can apparently be bothered to.
Alf Baird on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “Whilst it invariably does seem to be mainly those on the left or centre-left who must support independence/decolonization from a…” Jan 9, 21:13
100%Yes on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “Love the flag mate. Are you talking about the Alba Party? I do agree with on the idea reform will…” Jan 9, 20:57
Scot Finlayson on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “@Hatey McHateface, USA doing what your Great Brutish Empire used to do, going round the world knocking heads together. Very…” Jan 9, 20:55
100%Yes on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “Sarah, I hate to bust your bubble, but you need to learn and learn the hard way. Scotland will never…” Jan 9, 20:49
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “THE ORIGINS OF GEORDIE AND NORTHUMBRIAN DIALECTS « An exploration of the origins of the Geordie and Northumbrian dialect. In…” Jan 9, 20:39
Jamie on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “Change is coming, the people might be sleeping now, but the noise and “populism” that reform will bring to the…” Jan 9, 20:10
agentx on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “In this fantasy land who would be First Minister of Scotland?” Jan 9, 19:58
Willie on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “Sanction Starmer, sanction Britain. Surely not. The UK is in a special relationship with the USA. Great Britain is a…” Jan 9, 19:49
sarah on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “O/T but a very good piece of information. Alert readers will remember how Joanna Cherry won an important constitutional case…” Jan 9, 19:06
100%Yes on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “Anna Paulina Luna, a US Republican congresswoman and ally of Donald Trump, warned she would bring forward legislation to “sanction…” Jan 9, 17:44
Scot Finlayson on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “Europe needs to wake up. Too long expecting USA to protect them and have gone soft. Make Europe Great Again.…” Jan 9, 16:49
Chas on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “It used to be mince from 300 years ago. We are now going back 800 years for FFS. Do you…” Jan 9, 16:40
Young Lochinvar on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “H McH @ 9.53 We are in rare agreement. I revert to my original “beef” then, the fact this site…” Jan 9, 16:00
Alf Baird on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: ““English speech which is harsh tae the ear and is mair thick gruel than sweet liquid.” Aye Northcode, Englis aye…” Jan 9, 15:56
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “GEORGE STEINER: LANGUAGE AND SILENCE (Essays 1958-1966) « Languages are living organisms. Infinitely complex, but organisms nevertheless. They have in…” Jan 9, 14:51
Hatey McHateface on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “They’re having an exciting day of rest in Tehran. Looks like the experts who wrote off the Domino Theory may…” Jan 9, 14:41
Hatey McHateface on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “It’s taken you a while to get there 100% Yes. Not a few people said at the time that the…” Jan 9, 14:31
Hatey McHateface on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “Homer will speak Gaelic just as soon as Matt Groening decides he does. Perhaps in a scene involving Willie the…” Jan 9, 14:24
James Cheyne on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “All parties pass their failures on to the next failing manager that does not actually manage until they achieve the…” Jan 9, 14:19
James Cheyne on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “Snp are as shameful as those down south, no different no better. I saw the vacant glaiket look on Starmers…” Jan 9, 14:09
100%Yes on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “John Swinney not informed of US using Scottish airport in military operation. Why would John care he’s just the caretaker…” Jan 9, 13:49
100%Yes on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “Traitors from the SNP membership to councilors, MPs, MSPs, Business for Scotland, Believe in Scotland, The National, and the scroungers…” Jan 9, 13:23
McDuff on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “Yes you are tired, very very tired which explains the bilge you believe to be a remotely accurate post on…” Jan 9, 12:45
Northcode on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: ““…to an extent that English does not do.” Aye, if only mair than hauf a dozen fowk roond the wirld…” Jan 9, 12:38
James Cheyne on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “The story and law of Treaties is such that they stand until they don’t Stand. When one half of a…” Jan 9, 12:21
TURABDIN on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “Never trust a search assistant, on anything. The Ai trolls everything, including the non fact checked with which the internet…” Jan 9, 12:20
James Cheyne on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “The treaty of York, 1237, It was agreed in that treaty that the laws of Scotland would not ever go…” Jan 9, 12:12
James Cheyne on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “I have no hash with the people of England themselves in England, Wales or Ireland they are pretty much like…” Jan 9, 11:59
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Grandpa John’s Nightmare: “The following quote is from TRANSLATING HOMER, John MacLean’s foreword to his Gaelic translation of Homer’s Odyssey (ODUSSEIA HOMAIR, Gairm…” Jan 9, 11:46
