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.
Young Lochinvar on Push The Button: “But.. Whit happens if you press both buttons?” Apr 29, 18:59
Young Lochinvar on Push The Button: “Yikes! Just saw a close up facial of Melanoma Trump.. Scary stuff; Remove the wig, make up and fake tan…” Apr 29, 18:57
Geri on Push The Button: ““but, if you compare 100 years ago with today, we were all better off, are we not?” No. Only the…” Apr 29, 16:27
Geri on Push The Button: ““I think it’s possible I might, given you being called out explicitly by the site owner for this behavior (more…” Apr 29, 16:05
Lorncal on Push The Button: “Northcode: capitalism – not the unregulated or global kind – has actually been the catalyst which has pulled the people…” Apr 29, 15:57
Andrew F on Push The Button: “Same scenario… There are 2 buttons: If you push button 1, you will survive. If you push button 2, there…” Apr 29, 15:12
Aidan on Push The Button: “Thanks Geri – that’s really helpful, I’ll peruse the rules. BTW – when I’m doing that, do you think I’ll…” Apr 29, 13:17
Aidan on Push The Button: ““I don’t have a spare 30 seconds right now” has got to be one of the weakest most pathetic reasons…” Apr 29, 12:57
Geri on Push The Button: “AI Dan Stu is the owner of this site. Not you. He isn’t looking for a moderator either. It’s none…” Apr 29, 12:55
Northcode on Push The Button: “” I can’t think of a single comment of yours…” Of course, you can’t… but I already knew that. I…” Apr 29, 12:27
Captain Caveman on Push The Button: ““Why would a unionist do this, on an [sic] Scottish independence website? Are you being paid mebbies?” …. DUH. I…” Apr 29, 12:07
Aidan on Push The Button: “@Northcode – I can’t think of a single comment of yours that: – is relevant to the blog post; -…” Apr 29, 11:51
Northcode on Push The Button: “Thank you, James… your sentiment is greatly appreciated.” Apr 29, 11:34
Northcode on Push The Button: ““Seems The Donald – bein the maist powerful (Scots)man in the warld – mebbe aspires tae be King o Scots?:”…” Apr 29, 11:31
Northcode on Push The Button: “Read my comment again and you’ll see most of it is grammarcheck generated copy and paste. You compare my ability…” Apr 29, 11:25
Aidan on Push The Button: “Yeah I bet you would, because at least half of my posts are embarrassing whatever incoherent, easily disprovable nonsense argument…” Apr 29, 11:10
Southernbystander on Push The Button: “No, this isn’t a correct analysis and you give yourself away by saying blue voters are at best ‘stupid’ but…” Apr 29, 11:05
James on Push The Button: “Adrian; do us all a favour and piss of to the daily mail website or wherever it is you belong.…” Apr 29, 10:53
James on Push The Button: “Adrian; I’d rather read Northy’s posts all day than any of the specious, divisive unionist bollocks that you seem to…” Apr 29, 10:51
Alf Baird on Push The Button: ““a king of England addressing Congress” For thon’s whit he is, King o the English Imperial State; he’s nivver been…” Apr 29, 10:50
Aidan on Push The Button: “I doubt it only took you five minutes but whatever, it’s a complete waste of your time. James Cheyne needs…” Apr 29, 10:25
TURABDIN on Push The Button: “OF PASSING NOTE. Mr Trump said US founding fathers like John Adams and George Washington “might be absolutely shocked” to…” Apr 29, 10:21
Northcode on Push The Button: “It took me a mere five minutes, including the time it took to copy and paste the grammarcheck generated stuff,…” Apr 29, 10:09
Geri on Push The Button: “AI has been caught red handed lying to its customers, issuing refunds to customers against company policy & being all…” Apr 29, 10:09
Geri on Push The Button: “I wouldn’t trust him. He’s probably setting it all up for the American takeover. Canada is one of their future…” Apr 29, 10:00
Aidan on Push The Button: “What an absolute load of rubbish. Imagine spending your time writing all that.” Apr 29, 09:50
Northcode on Push The Button: “After more than 300,000 years of enthusiastically embracing stupidity, homo sapiens – the modern human – has not only merely…” Apr 29, 09:36
James Che on Push The Button: “Mark Carney ex – governor of the bank of England, not the Bank of Great Britain or of the Bank…” Apr 29, 08:28
James Che on Push The Button: “Fearghas, Thank you for contributing those snippets of information, much appreciated,” Apr 29, 08:08
