As well as being the Director of the John Smith Policy Centre (a job with no known responsibilities but which nevertheless pays around the same as being an MSP making laws in the Scottish Parliament) she writes regular columns in The Times and The Courier and is now, hilariously, the new Professor of Practice in Public Service in Glasgow University.
(A post with unspecified duties and unknown salary and which was also not, as far as anyone can tell, ever publicly advertised.)
We were bored so we thought we’d find out, via Panelbase, if her latest lucrative role was perhaps the result of a noticeably impressive performance in the first one.
A year and a quarter ago, we contrasted the performance of the SNP’s last two leaders in terms of building support for independence. As the First Minister crows about how much better she’s been at staying in power than a succession of UK leaders, it seems only proper to bring the stats up to date.
Do you remember, readers, how the next UK election was supposed to be a single-issue de facto referendum on independence if the Supreme Court ruled Holyrood didn’t have the power to hold one itself?
Well, it appears that policy has been abruptly and quietly ditched.
Because just a couple of hours ago SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford told BBC News that “I can assure you” the SNP “will have a growth manifesto” for the whole UK whenever the next election comes around, because in his view the UK economy hasn’t been growing enough for the last few decades and the SNP would have a plan to fix it. Because apparently fixing the UK is the SNP’s purpose now.
Guess we better hope for a good result from the Supreme Court, then.
And while the prediction itself wasn’t vindicated, the reasoning behind it certainly was, because she duly lost her majority just as we said she would, and limped pitifully into oblivion over the next two painful and shambolic years. (While Nicola Sturgeon ponced around hopelessly trying to stop Brexit instead of saving Scotland by getting it the hell out of the UK before it was too late.)
So it’s in that spirit that we’re going to stick our necks out once again and predict that despite the opinions of most political pundits Liz Truss is going nowhere any time soon, because as incredible as it seems, she’s almost certainly the least worst option for the Conservative Party right now.
Between recesses and the mourning period for the Queen, the UK Parliament has been sitting for just four weeks since the 1st of July this year.
In that time the government has somehow managed to lose three Chancellors Of The Exchequer and is about to engage its fourth in the alarming form of Jeremy Hunt, a man whose primary claim to fame and utility to the UK is as rhyming slang.
Sometimes even fools and liars and charlatans speak the truth.
Thing is, we rather liked it when the horses south of the border were frightened. Things happened in those days. But to coin a phrase, those days are past now.
Honestly, readers, swear to God, all joking and sarcasm aside, when we saw this tweet yesterday we were wondering how on Earth some clever satirist had managed to hack Anas Sarwar’s account to insert the screenshot into it.
Because we didn’t believe that even Scottish Labour’s low-watt-bulb of a branch manager would willingly post something that made him look so much of an imbecile.
Because the SNP are now openly, publicly telling you that they’re never going to achieve independence for Scotland, nor even make any meaningful attempt at it.
Geri on Irony you can’t buy: “Yup! I feel exactly the same. I reach for the remote. I don’t want to even listen to her. Hopefully…” Mar 20, 14:43
Ronnie on Irony you can’t buy: “Don’t know about the rest of yies, but I cannot even watch her now. I thought I would never hate…” Mar 20, 14:25
100%Yes on Irony you can’t buy: “David you say, What’s her legacy? Alex Salmond down fall and his untimely death I feel sure. She tried and…” Mar 20, 14:23
100%Yes on Irony you can’t buy: “I feel sure we’ll see her on election night pointing out how good John the moron has been. Hasn’t reform…” Mar 20, 14:15
100%Yes on Irony you can’t buy: “Please correct me if I’m wrong but did she say it was a honor to a MSP for all these…” Mar 20, 14:06
David on Irony you can’t buy: “What’s her legacy? I was ever only in the SNP to gain independence. She was deputy during the referendum. How…” Mar 20, 14:02
Alex stewart on Irony you can’t buy: “Never mind, Swinney is doing his best to be her identical replacement” Mar 20, 14:01
James on Looking up at the stars: “Aye, nothing to do with the oil eh? Mind living in a cave probably makes you a bit thick. Back…” Mar 20, 13:53
Captain Caveman on Looking up at the stars: ““That stands for nothing. We’ve paid Scots that love to go on telly to bash Scotland too. It happens everywhere.…” Mar 20, 13:51
Sven on Irony you can’t buy: “J Robertson @ 12.47. “don’t forget to think for yourself”, I believe she actually intended to say, “don’t forget to…” Mar 20, 13:46
Aidan on Looking up at the stars: “The Port of Dover is the largest ferry port in the world if measured by traffic” Mar 20, 13:10
Geri on Irony you can’t buy: “Good riddance to a treacherous cow. Stepping down cause she knows she’d have the walk of shame otherwise. Back to…” Mar 20, 13:00
Jacqueline on Irony you can’t buy: “She’s the worst of the worst. I thought I hated thatcher but nicoliar’s filth I will take to my grave.…” Mar 20, 12:50
lothianlad on Irony you can’t buy: “Her words conceal a message to abandon independence and that even devolution could be withdrawn. An attempt to undo decades…” Mar 20, 12:50
J Robertson on Irony you can’t buy: ““ No matter the depths of loyalty to your own political tribe, don’t forget to think for yourself”. The absolute…” Mar 20, 12:47
lothianlad on Irony you can’t buy: “Sturgeon is Scotlands shame!She drank from the posioned chalice. Turned by the british state for the temporary illusion of power.…” Mar 20, 12:45
Geri on Looking up at the stars: ““The Port of Dover is the busiest ferry port in the world” The world? Are you sure about that? I…” Mar 20, 12:38
Heather McLean on Irony you can’t buy: “Said without even a hint of irony. A blow torch couldn’t even mark the brass neck of her traitorous brass…” Mar 20, 12:18
Confused on Looking up at the stars: “england is done anyway, and it is well deserved – the whole country is a binfire https://archive.ph/idANf www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBRbQFlikTQ – if…” Mar 20, 12:16
Confused on Looking up at the stars: “great article in bella today called : “gerry hassan lives in kirkcudbright” https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2026/03/19/when-a-community-comes-together-people-power-and-the-lessons-of-kenmure-street/ is kirkcudbright a “plethora” and “rich mosaic”…” Mar 20, 12:15
Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “‘A big beautiful sacking. Bigger, better than ever before. No one does it like me. Kent’s A looser! everybody knows…” Mar 20, 12:06
agentx on Looking up at the stars: ““A £3m funding pledge for a Scottish port comes with hopes that a new ferry service to France will set…” Mar 20, 12:06
Geri on Looking up at the stars: “Quick quiz. What neighbours do Issys actually get along with? Take yer time. & It’s bad call to be bombing…” Mar 20, 11:50
Northcode on Looking up at the stars: ““… you and your ilk are no better than Holocaust Deniers…” My preferred fibre thickness is used in the manufacture…” Mar 20, 11:45
Aidan on Looking up at the stars: “You can buy yourself a pint lad, it’s just it’s 11am that’s all” Mar 20, 11:43
Geri on Looking up at the stars: “That stands for nothing. We’ve paid Scots that love to go on telly to bash Scotland too. It happens everywhere.…” Mar 20, 11:38
Cynicus on Looking up at the stars: “Some of the cheerleaders here for The Yahoo/Trump war are pretty extreme and unpleasant people. But none is in the…” Mar 20, 11:36
