We’ve had plenty to say already this week about the amendment that will be debated at Holyrood this afternoon. So instead we’re going to present you today with the case for each side, as made by two Scottish women on Twitter in the last few hours, and let you decide for yourselves whose argument is the more compelling.
First up, in favour of the amendment, is Scotsman writer Gina Davidson.
The media is focusing on Murrell’s continued evasion of the question of his WhatsApp usage (Murrell bizarrely states he has several messaging apps installed on his phone but uses none of them), but there’s a much more interesting revelation in the second of the letter’s two sections.
This is a direct, unambiguous and categorical statement from the First Minister that the investigation into the false allegations against Salmond was a Scottish Government matter that was absolutely nothing to do with the SNP.
This site and other gender-critical voices are regularly accused of being “obsessed” with trans issues, even though the subject has been mentioned in fewer than 0.7% of Wings posts. But this week the SNP’s transgender faction – when it hasn’t been STILL raging about its battering in the NEC elections – has been swamping social media with organised complaints about a tiny prospective legislative change that they themselves insist doesn’t actually matter at all.
Rape Crisis Scotland, who are almost entirely dependent on the Scottish Government for funding, have chosen this evening to wade into the debate over the wording of a new law which is intended to lessen the trauma of people (nearly all women) who’ve been raped. We can only speculate as to whether they were pressured to do so, but the intervention seems likely only to pour petrol on the fire.
In his evidence to a Holyrood inquiry today, having been asked about some troubling WhatsApp messages concerning the case from 2018 which appeared to suggest the possibility of a conspiracy against the former First Minister, Murrell told members of the committee “I’m not on WhatsApp, it’s not a social media platform I use”.
Alert readers will have noticed a very careful use of the present tense there.
We’ve now filed a formal complaint with the Scottish Information Commissioner about this, because what we’d forgotten last week was that our original request was actually sent in September and it’s now been almost 60 working days with no sign of a proper response, not the 20 it’s supposed to take.
Because for some reason the Scottish Government REALLY doesn’t want you to know what the First Minister and Geoff Aberdein talked about in March 2018, and we think that you probably should.
We don’t normally like to devote much time on Wings to things that have been more than adequately covered elsewhere in the media, which is why you haven’t read much here about eg the Internal Market Bill. Unlike some we don’t see much point spending our limited human resources telling people stuff they already know and agree with.
But we’re going to make an exception for this next thing, which was already covered pretty well by Susan Dalgety in last week’s Scotsman, because (a) a lot of our readers, quite reasonably, will have an instinctively adverse reaction to either anything printed in the Scotsman or anything written by Susan Dalgety, and (b) a number of people have asked us to amplify this issue because it’s so important and so awful.
As well as the SNP NEC elections, the weekend saw the election of the first committee of a new grassroots independence organisation which is unfortunately and hopefully temporarily going by the stupendously terrible working name of “Yes Alba”.
15 people were elected to its ruling body by the votes of hundreds of delegates, with the top-ranked picks including SNP MP Angus MacNeil and former SNP MP George Kerevan. The majority of the successful candidates (eight) were female, even though there were no quotas or women-only shortlists imposed, and a wide range of ages was represented from young activists to former UK ambassador Craig Murray.
(We have no idea about any of their sexualities or gender identities, and also no interest in knowing, because those things have not the slightest bearing on their ability to fight for independence and are frankly none of our damn business.)
But that wasn’t good enough for Team Woke.
On a day when Joanna Cherry had a grown-up, reasoned and constructive column in The National calling for unity in the pursuit of independence, the outpouring of snide, sour sneering from a faction still raging with bitterness about being routed on the SNP NEC is instead curdling Twitter even as we speak.
And embarrassingly, not a single one of them has actually bothered to check even the most basic facts.
Sven on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Would this be a “false trilemma”, intended to underline your unstated political position on two of the three options, Northy…” Feb 28, 12:59
Cynicus on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Bilbo says: 28 February, 2026 at 11:54 am Cynicus, I’m not sure if your comment is aimed at the one…” Feb 28, 12:40
Cynicus on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Sorry – the above link is rubbish . I hope the one below works https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/a-message-to-unionism-from-one-of-its-giants-get-ready-for-irish-unity-44U2WVCUWRCBZFL63XN6FUXFLY/” Feb 28, 12:19
Northcode on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Saturday Quiz. Which one of the below statements is true? </p 1: I understand women… I'm a man. 2: I…” Feb 28, 12:18
Andy Ellis on The Tactics Of Suicide: “@Alf As expected more post colonial theory guff from purveyor of kale yard Brigadoonery. If all you have is a…” Feb 28, 12:02
Cynicus on The Tactics Of Suicide: ““A message to unionism from one of its giants: get ready for Irish unity” – The Irish News https://archive.is/zE5H This…” Feb 28, 11:57
Bilbo on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Cynicus, I’m not sure if your comment is aimed at the one I had posted earlier on. While nobody wants…” Feb 28, 11:54
Cynicus on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Thank you for that intriguing comment – particularly apposite this sombre morning when bombs again fall in the Middle East.…” Feb 28, 10:28
Sven on The Tactics Of Suicide: “You definitely win, Mark, there’s no topping that one. (Not even with gravy).” Feb 28, 10:19
Cynicus on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Andy Ellis says: 28 February, 2026 at 8:13 am .“Voting against the SNP presupposes that the available alternatives Le aren’t…” Feb 28, 10:10
Alf Baird on The Tactics Of Suicide: ““It’s a shite state of affairs” In a colonial society where external interference is the norm and another culture dominates…” Feb 28, 09:34
Bilbo on The Tactics Of Suicide: “I had made a habit of reading the Guardian and Daily Mail websites to see how the other side thinks,…” Feb 28, 09:31
Andy Ellis on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Dear me Geri, your unwelcome return to BTL commentary does – if nothing else – provide some comedy relief in…” Feb 28, 08:38
Andy Ellis on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Voting against the SNP presupposes that the available alternatives aren’t as bad or worse though surely? Like many I’ll never…” Feb 28, 08:13
Mark Beggan on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Well here’s her chance to woman up and do her duty. It’s totally sickening what those young girls had to…” Feb 28, 08:10
Aidan on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Yes Geri – I’m asking to be treated like royalty. That famously royal experience of an efficient passport system, the…” Feb 28, 07:57
Young Lochinvar on The Tactics Of Suicide: “I suspect nothing. She’s one of Tricky Nicky’s right side of the bed (way over ability) appointees. Goes to John…” Feb 28, 03:06
Geri on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Her handlers have their wee indiscretions. Torture a particular favourite & the Eppy class become orgasmic when victims cry out…” Feb 28, 01:10
Geri on The Tactics Of Suicide: “A Brexshiteer crying about no freedom of movement is absolutely priceless. How very dare they not treat you like Royalty.” Feb 28, 00:47
Aidan on The Tactics Of Suicide: “The only thing that could put me in a good mood today after the long queues at Berlin Brandenburg airport…” Feb 28, 00:14
Iain More on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Zeig Heil yah English NAZI. I guess you also like being associated with a Yankee Epstein Class Child Rapist.” Feb 27, 23:44
Geri on The Tactics Of Suicide: “increasing defence expenditure, and promoting the formation of an independent European defence identity without the USA.’ Well, well would you…” Feb 27, 23:32
Cynicus on The Tactics Of Suicide: “?Andy Ellis says:?27 February, 2026 at 5:01 pm ‘Doubtless many “politically homeless” Scottish independence supporters…….. will be wondering who to…” Feb 27, 22:06
Hatey McHateface on The Tactics Of Suicide: “On the plus side, Alf, the special needs child remains blissfully oblivious. So no harm done.” Feb 27, 21:37
Mark Beggan on The Tactics Of Suicide: “I wonder how Jenny Gilrough! (fuck the fascist Gestapo spelling politzi) felt after listening to the victims of the Pakistani…” Feb 27, 21:37
Mark Beggan on The Tactics Of Suicide: “I’ve just been busted by the Grammar Gestapo (again). If I’m not heard of again then light a candle.” Feb 27, 21:31
Benhope on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Mark Beggan at 7.55 pm. The pedant in me could not let it pass ; death throes not death throws…” Feb 27, 21:14
Alf Baird on The Tactics Of Suicide: “Ever the paternalistic colonizer dealing with its wayward child, the colonized.” Feb 27, 20:59
Mark Beggan on The Tactics Of Suicide: “@Sven ‘I love children but I couldn’t eat a whole one”” Feb 27, 20:51
Hatey McHateface on The Tactics Of Suicide: “I feel a little sorry for the plumber bint. She’s throwing away a steady, high earning, useful, productive, respected, needed…” Feb 27, 20:20
