Signal and noise
The Presiding Officer has finally reluctantly deigned to allow the Scottish Parliament to discuss the issues arising from Sandie Peggie vs NHS Fife, in the shape of a debate taking place in the chamber this afternoon brought forward by the Scottish Tories.
We suspect that watching it will be profound waste of time and a grave danger to our monitor screens, but we’ll certainly at least tune in for the votes at the end, because which motion/amendment the Parliament puts its name to will be a revealing moment.
Let’s quickly run those through a translator.
BASE MOTION (Scottish Conservatives)
“The Parliament believes that the Scottish Government has failed to give sufficient clarity to the public sector about ensuring the availability of single-sex spaces for women and girls, such as toilets and changing rooms; acknowledges that this failure has resulted in workers in the public sector and school pupils having to share single-sex spaces with individuals of the opposite sex, jeopardising their safety, dignity and privacy, and subjecting some to horrific incidents of sexual abuse and harassment, and calls on the Scottish Government to urgently issue a directive to all public sector organisations requiring that adequate single-sex spaces for biological women and girls are provided on their premises in line with legal obligations.”
Not much to argue with there. It’s not even all that critical of the Scottish Government, and all it asks them to do is issue a directive clearly reminding public bodies that the law requires them to provide single-sex toilet and changing facilities, something one would hope they wouldn’t need to be told but which a great many of them currently appear not to understand.
The Scottish Government is not being asked to disown any of its policies, merely to clarify the law for the benefit of taxpayer-funded organisations. In a reasonable world, the motion, which is manifestly and demonstrably true (as proven by the existence of the Peggie case) would pass unanimously. At most, the SNP could probably push an amendment removing the mild criticism in the first line.
Instead, they’ve of course chosen to flatly and absurdly deny the whole thing.
SNP AMENDMENT:
“The Parliament notes that the Scottish Government fully upholds the Equality Act 2010, and requires all public bodies to comply with the law, and welcomes the role of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission in providing codes of practice and guidance.”
In the light of events, passing this “LA LA LA, EVERYTHING’S PERFECT, SHUT UP!” amendment would make a joke of the entire Parliament and by extension the nation, so it’s probably the most likely outcome, as the Greens are unlikely to oppose it.
Labour also thought they should try to seem like they were involved.
LABOUR AMENDMENT:
“The Parliament believes that the Scottish Government has failed to give sufficient clarity to the public sector about ensuring the availability of single-sex spaces for women and girls; acknowledges concerns about dignity and privacy; notes recent research on safety in hospitals relating to rape and sexual assault; calls for more accurate recording and reporting in the NHS, including to the police, leading to better protections; further calls for an end to mixed sex wards; supports ensuring that schools are designed as accessible and welcoming environments for all, including accessible and single-sex toilets, and calls for the Scottish Government to outline how single-sex provision will be delivered in public buildings, such as schools and hospitals, and in line with legal obligations.”
Readers may fairly wonder why they bothered. The amendment is a meaningless word salad of empty quacking, exposing just how shallow the party’s recent “conversion” to sanity on gender is. It might at least be interesting watching Labour’s contribution to the debate to see how awkwardly it tries to squirm out of (or just avoid mentioning) its previous position.
Is it possible that this worthless drivel might be chosen as the Parliament’s stance, though? We can’t rule it out – while it contains no discernible content, there’s also nothing in it that would offend anyone, and no reason the SNP couldn’t at least abstain on it in a show of fake consensus.
And of course, there are also the screeching infants in the room.
GREEN AMENDMENT:
“The Parliament believes that all women deserve protection from misogyny, including transmisogyny; condemns the rise in transphobic rhetoric and policy; believes that transgender and nonbinary people contribute immensely to the wellbeing of Scotland’s communities; reiterates its commitment to human rights for all, including freedom from discrimination and upholding the Equality Act 2010; requires all public bodies to comply with the law, and welcomes the role of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission in providing codes of practice and guidance.”
We can probably safely assume the Tories will vote against that, and Labour might feel a bit uncomfortable with it too and either oppose or abstain, but the SNP are still somewhat dependent on the Greens for votes and might not want to antagonise them, so there’s a very slim chance it could pass in Mad Mental Maggie Chapman’s name.
The Lib Dems have chosen not to table an amendment, and presumably plan to sit at the back very quietly and hope nobody remembers “Doing it for Beth”.
We genuinely can’t call this one. Labour ought to be able to support the mildly-worded and reasonable Tory motion (which is no guarantee they actually will), but presumably the SNP and Greens will oppose it and that would be enough to defeat it. Labour’s, as we’ve noted, is vanilla-flavoured diet nothing and could squeeze through simply by nobody bothering to vote against it. The Green amendment is probably doomed, so it’s a matter of whether the SNP can get them and/or the Lib Dems to support their own.
None of it will actually matter, of course. If the Tory motion passed it’d look pretty bad if the Scottish Government didn’t then issue a directive, but they gave up caring what the ghastly bigoted public thought about anything years ago so they wouldn’t. But it’ll still be an interesting test of just how far behind the global zeitgeist Scotland lags on the tortured issue of men pretending to be women.
What on Earth is wrong with Chapman???
Is that a rhetorical question
Or are you actually wanting a list?
Generations of inbreeding.
The Tory motion is absolutely clear (can’t believe they’re the most sensible lot in the Scottish parliament these days!) so I don’t suppose it stood a chance of going through unammended. Still, watching Labour trying to backtrack might be mildly entertaining.
List of SNP achievements
1 :- Make the Tories look sane and competent
It’s not a long list but it is impressive
Repetition: “something would would hope they”
Trying to watch it but yon Shirley Anne Sommerville is speaking and it’s sheer torture. Like listening to a constipated cat trying to do a shite – you can’t help them and you can’t stop them.
🙁
By extension this has to be the best discription ever of what today passes as Scottish “parliament”
This the reason the Scottish parliament should be closed and used as an STD clinic for the criminally insane.
I thought it already was.
transmisogyny? shouldn’t that be transmisandry bearing in mind their actual sex?
“Transmisogyny” is such a fucking oxymoron it makes me want to smash things. You cannot be misogynistic towards trans “women” because literally by definition they are men.
Let us have a moments silence
In memory of the braincells that died trying to grasp the concept of the UK greens called for a curfew of all men after 6pm to protect women
While at the same time refusing to define what a women actually is
Maggie Chapman in full flow.
Bring back SAS.
Now it’s ACH AKA Alvin Stardust (sans black gloves) going on about being born in the wrong body…
Be Smart, Be Safe – bring back Maggie Chapman!
Let’s remember they are debating rights for 0.45% of the Scottish population. That is where our money is going.
No they are not – this is nothing to do with people who have been diagnosed with dysphoria and chose a surgical and medical intervention.
They are still biological men, KT, and, as such, we do not want them in our spaces either. I couldn’t care less whether they have a cobbled together vagina. If they want entry to female spaces, they almost certainly have a sexual fetish or are autogynephiles. When are people going to get their heads round this. Everybody knew it yesterday.
The rights of these men to enter female spaces? Is there such a right? Don’t think so, Scott K.
At least misogyny and transmisogyny are seperate things now… progress!
No wonder Nicola’s out the door, given this mess.
The tranny dickheads are still in charge SNP amendment passed all is well in la la land.
“Speaking to reporters ahead of the debate on a rare appearance at the Scottish Parliament, Ms Sturgeon said: “I think we all should ask ourselves what more we could have done to stop this debate descending into the state it is in just now.”
She accepted “people have different views on this”, saying “that is democracy”. However, she added: “I think, and it is just my opinion, we will reach a point, I don’t know how long in the future it will be, I hope it is sooner rather than later, that we look back and feel a sense of collective shame at the vilification of trans people, one of the most stigmatized, discriminated against groups in our society.”
———————————————-
Compare with
“Nicola Sturgeon has accused some critics of the SNP’s Gender Recognition Bill of using the debate to “cloak” their transphobia, misogyny and racism.”
Of course there’s only ONE side cloaking the debate.
The ones wearing cloaks, real and figurative.
The entire stooshie is looking and sounding most unfortunately WHITE, WHITE, WHITE.
I’m not a big fan of the BROWN, BROWN, BROWN contingent as they slowly but surely take over my country, but fair play to them – none of this boorach would be happening at all if they were calling the shots.
“I don’t know how long in the future it will be, I hope it is sooner rather than later, that we look back and feel a sense of collective shame”
Nah. You and the rest of your nutcases will likely be feeling the weight of Sharia on your collective backs. For a community that believes absolutely that taking a pic of a lassie with her hair uncovered deserves a custodial sentence, waving your dick at the same lassie when she’s in a single-sex place, whether or not her hair is covered, will be seen as deserving something a couple of orders of magnitude worse.
Not just for the dick wavers, but for the dick waver enablers too.
Agreed. Young people have no understanding of Scotland of the past. Social migration was there for working class Scottish people to progress if they worked hard. On every metric, Holyrood has failed the Scottish people. And Nicola Sturgeon was the prime mover in that decline. And that from a principled Independence supporter.
You’re sounding like a far right reform voter there
Don’t you want an independent Scotland to be the first islamic country in the EU?
“Don’t you want an independent Scotland to be the first islamic country in the EU?”
I want the Islamic leader of an iScotland to present a “White, White, White” speech in Brussels.
I want iScotland to join the EU, on the year immediately prior to the year the EU fissures along the irreconcilable differences faultlines, and because the Orcs have conquered half a dozen of its easternmost states.
So, Yes, right now, I’m aligned with what plenty of Indy supporters want. Only they haven’t thought things through as I have, which is why they would never phrase things as I do.
But heyho, facts, chiels, etc.
Without wishing to stress the obvious here, but isn’t the simple way to stop this nonsense to elect more Tory MSPs?
Wouldn’t it be nice to have adults in the room who know the difference between a man and a woman?
We really need a party in Scotland which is
1 :- Actually sane
2:- ignores the indy issue as it is only used by both sides to win votes. We need this tribal yes/no shit to die. As that’s the only reason anyone would vote for any of the major parties
Ave no priblem way men dressing as womem but as long as they have awe their bits they are MEN So should never be near women only spaces If the DEVIANT green mob have their way they would lower the age of consent
‘The Parliament believes that transgender and nonbinary people contribute immensely to the wellbeing of Scotland’s communities’, say the Greens.
Eh?
“transgender and nonbinary people contribute immensely to the wellbeing of Scotland’s communities”
You need to focus on the communities that were being considered when the statement was made.
The woke and pro-trans communities, their aligned members within NGO’s, focus groups, government and the civil service, some within the SNHS, along with those members of the legal community who have to sort out the mess through the courts, live very comfortably indeed.
There is no doubt that a Scottish Trump, turning off the gravy taps at source, would have a catastrophic effect on their wellbeing.
But for now, the gender woowoo continues to be the gift that keeps on giving to these communities.
Yes I am sure you are right that in fact it is a very narrow set of ‘communities’ being referenced here. I doubt they were thinking of the criminal community.
I would go deeper though and question the whole idea of such communities let alone if they can have wellbeing. Even from within, the so-called LGBTQetc community has been questioned as an invention – it doesn’t exist. Gay people have pretty much stopped talking about the gay community for the same reason.
Of course it is just meaningless Green Party waffle that is typical in its vague moral blackmail – how could you be against a community’s wellbeing, especially a Scottish one? Do you want to cause ‘harm’ with your lack of compassion?
That Vic Valentine, Scottish Trans Manager, Equality Network, stated that his organization makes sure that people in public and private sector bodies understand that his organization does not dispense legal advice. Is that right, eh?
His organization, along with all the other ‘trans’ lobby organizations, dispense advice in such a way that ‘trans’ struck DEI and HR departments within those public and private bodies believe that they are hearing legal advice.
He admitted that they do not use legally-qualified people. That will be why every public and private organization, unions and the NHS all administer policies that are illegal. That will be why the Scottish government refuses to issue legal guidelines to public bodies under their control.
In fact, no public bodies, unions, NHS, etc., including the SG bother to consult on the legality or otherwise of policies they issue, hold any impact assessments or exercise due diligence. Instead, they all fight individual cases using public money, whilst in the certain knowledge that their policies are illegal and will lose in any court battle. Go figure.
Isn’t it rich that both Maggie Chapman and Lorna Slater, neither of who is actually Scottish, have caused Scotland so many problems that our society is in danger of internal collapse? On the ‘trans’ issue, they entrench themselves in ways that make no sense unless you are insane or a robot or you are acting on behalf of others with an agenda that you are pushing – such as, if we fill Scotland with ‘trans’ people, the climate will be saved. The last one was a joke.
The agenda is queer transhumanism, encouraged by rampant pornography, the industry that makes more than the industrial complex, but, possibly, slightly less than the tech/pharmaceutical industries. It’s Green to make shedloads of lovely lolly in return for overturning societal norms – especially if you have fled your own society to parasitize another.
Couldn’t agree more, Lorn.
Lorna Slater has her uses when it comes to the trans issue. She was the source of much merriment in the chamber this afternoon, which must have softened the blow of defeat just a little bit.
“if we fill Scotland with ‘trans’ people, the climate will be saved. The last one was a joke”
Zatso? Then you haven’t been paying attention.
Trans people don’t breed. No more people, no more climate “problems”.
The connection between trans and green has always been bleeding obvious. The connection between green and independent much less so.
Well, Hatey, you are going to have to explain that one to the four (at the last count) ‘men’ who claim to have become pregnant and given birth naturally as ‘men’. These confused people are not all sterile, at least, not in the short term.
I very much doubt that becoming ‘trans’ has anything at all to do with climate change and everything to do with sexual perversions (including PDFlia) cultural wars and Marxism, on the one hand, and AI/transhumanism, on the other, where lots and lots of lolly is to be made by pharmaceutical/tech companies in America and Canada (known colloquially as Tranada, and home to Lorna Slater).
Said companies sometimes have a ‘trans’ identified male at the helm (Pritzker?). Of course, the billions of anti depressants given to women who have been driven to the margins of sanity by this horse manure would be worth a shedload of money in themselves and certainly can do nothing for the climate in that their pee alone must contaminate sewage which appears, in some places, anyway, to be dumped in fresh waterways, such as rivers, the seas (and lakes, in England). Then, there are all the cross-sex hormones…
Good point, Lorn.
Still, part of living your best trans life requires somebody to take a (hopefully sharp) knife to your functioning lady or bloke bits (depending on what the Guid Lord allocated to you at birth).
If done right, to the ideological purity of all good, approving trans gurus, there shouldn’t be much left to get procreatively jiggy with and consequently add yet more unwanted feeders to an Earth already groaning under billions it can’t support.
For that reason alone, I am in favour of the trans people getting stuck in with their fantasies. It does have a certain kind of “green” about it, as ultimately, the best thing anybody can do for the environment is top themself. The second best thing they can do is not breed.
However, that doesn’t mean I am in favour of trans woowoo trashing women’s rights in any way, shape or form. And neither am I in favour of the trans woowoo being exaggerated to the ludicrous levels of importance it has been.
OK that’s me put off my dinner. Holyrood is sickening and Sturgeon having the gall to open her mouth and talk more garbage is infuriating.
Now that really was a waste of everyone’s time.
The ‘trans’ lobby utilizes these individual cases at huge public cost in order to wear down women. Simple as that. That is why a fight at the international level, based on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and other international laws must be the next step. If CEDAW applies equally to so-called ‘trans’ women, then all female people will know finally that they have no rights at all. None. Anywhere. They may be exploited, raped, assaulted, killed with impunity by any passing man, whether in a frock and heels, or otherwise. Misogyny will rule and will be, officially, a global industry based on biological sex.
All aboard!!
The last train to Wokeseville leaving from platform Scotland.
All aboard!
“Because it’s a waste of time. You cannot declare independence…unless you’ve had some sort of democratic event demonstrating that it is the will of a majority of the people.”
That is the Rev explaining btl on the previous post why he doesn’t help spread the word about the Scottish Liberation Movement and Salvo.
Well, this is probably a world first – the Rev not absorbing all the facts – because the Salvo/Liberation campaign is all about getting us into the position of holding that democratic event WITHOUT INTERFERENCE from dear old Westminster/UK. 🙂
If Liberation/Salvo’s case does win us recognition as a Non-Self-Governing Territory, any democratic event to seek the approval of the Scottish people for independence will be held under UN supervision. The UK will not pull the strings this time.
We can all help the Liberation case by reading the Liberation Edinburgh Declaration on liberation.scot. If you agree with what it says – and given that it merely asserts our ownership of Scotland and the Claim of Right I can’t see that any Yes voter could disagree – sign up to join the Liberation Movement. There is no more involvement than that – you are signing to say you agree and you want independence.
It is very important to show the UN De-colonization Committee that there is a great deal of support for independence.
I can’t think that any Winger or other Yes voter/supporter would hesitate for one moment to help the cause.
Try and get two facts into your teeny weeny head
FACT 1
My number 1 priority is to make scotland a better place to live
I believe YOUR priority is to get rid of us unionist scum and you really couldn’t care less what damage it does to Scotland.
YOU will never ever support any party that isn’t promising English heads on spikes
I on the other hand will happily support ANY party who I believe are competent and capable
I voted for the SNP under Alex Salmond as they appeared to be making a decent job of running the country
I voted NO as I believe the case was built on magic and lies
I would happily vote for a indy party if they where competent and capable
FACT 2
Breaking up the union is a minority interest
The vast majority of Scots want to make scotland a better place to live
Some think this will be done by turning it into an LGTBQ marxist islamic state ( I don’t)
Some think this will be done by a small conservative government who don’t hate business (I do)
Which leads us to a rather unpleasant conclusion for you
To win support you need a competent Scottish government
And until you get that your moon howling at the UN will only get you looked as if you are loonies
Yoon Scum. That’s your belief and you’re welcome to it. Almost 50% of the country don’t.
“Anthem says:
14 March, 2025 at 9:31 pm
Yoon Scum. That’s your belief and you’re welcome to it. Almost 50% of the country don’t.”
Do you have clear evidence that almost 50% of Scots say the most important thing is to get rid of us unionist English worshiping scum?
As the scottish governments own survey
and don’t forget they aren’t far right ranger fans who hate scotland
Put it at less then 20%
So unless you can prove that my thoughts are due to me being a >insert your own insult< then I say you're full of it
He’s if I put my sauce in
https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/foi-eir-release/2023/08/foi-202300359025/documents/foi-202300359025—information-for-release—2/foi-202300359025—information-for-release—2/govscot%3Adocument/FOI%2B202300359025%2B-%2BInformation%2Bfor%2BRelease%2B-%2B2.pdf
In another turn of events Sarah is partially right and Stuart is partially wrong. Designation as a non-self governing territory is a legal state which does not require the affirmation of a political event. In the case of the Falklands Islands, the designation applies despite a virtually unanimous referendum result in favour of remaining in the U.K. If Scotland were to be designated as such, then the UN might have some oversight of a referendum process.
However, the possibility of Scotland being designated as a non-self governing territory is 0. There is no relationship between Scotland’s context and the context of a non-self governing territory, and the designation would be an express repudiation of the important principle of the territorial integrity of states which is codified in international law and the UN is bound to uphold. What is being asked is for the UN to endorse and act in furtherance of a political argument made by a campaign group, that the economic/social interests of the Scottish people would be better served as an independent country. That is not the remit of the UN or in any way something that is which they can action, even less so in respect of dubious demands on referendum conduct such as removing the right of lawful residents to vote or preventing media organisations expressing a point of view. It is therefore, a complete waste of time.
The Russians made the point about territorial integrity in their submission to the ICJ for the Kosovo case. Whether the right to self determination trumps territorial integrity has never been tested by the court.
Sorry, but I think you are wrong. Scotland, as a nation, is older and has more independent history than England. All of our natural resources are being controlled and sold for profit by an establishment that has no right to do so. There are no laws in the Treaty of union that allows the ‘UK’ to dictate the use of our resources.
That is clearly exploitation & an act of colonialism.
The problem is that most people haven’t heard about Salvo and the Liberation Movement. Even an ex-MSP of the Highlands and Highlands only heard at a Yes meeting last week, and she was no fool.
If you don’t know anything/much about Salvo etc watch the Independence Live programme filmed on 5th March “People’s International Chat Show” that has Sara Salyers and Bill Craig of Salvo, chair Pat Lee, explaining it. At about 1 hour in, Sara talks about the democratic event that is the aim.
It is vital for everyone who does know and value the information that Salvo has uncovered about our Scottish constitution, to share it as much as they can. And get more people to join the Liberation Movement.
I thought the telling bit on the TV was when SHE who shall not be named love-honey was quoted hoping those (grifters and perver7s) she encouraged and mentored in government will be her legacy in government.
And no weeping..
I can’t say anymore how much I dislike this woman now, 5, 10 or 20 years down the line..
Shame on her and what she has done to big Ecks legacy of confidence in competent government.
May the Lord have mercy on her soul because I won’t.
I feel the same. Just thinking on what she said today, that she “may join another party”. This is her sowing the seed that she could accept a peerage as she wouldn’t be part of the SNP or their rules or beliefs. And, I wouldn’t put it past her to do so. I believe this will be her payment for the total destruction of the SNP, the corruption, total chaos within Holyrood and the collapse of our economy and public services.
I seriously hope she is put behind bars.
I’d say reap what you sow; but then again there is Breathy Bain..
Maybe that’s why SHE is so cocky, reckons she has a legal ace up her sleeve.
Breathy Bain, incompetent, is unique in not having been sacrificed for country and party sized sinecured (so called) Supreme Court case (in what can only be described as) incompetency..
Special place in hell IMO..
Maggie Chapman was born in the wrong body and she is also a time-traveller. She was born as Lavrenty Pavlovich Beria in 1899 and became the head of the People’s Commissariat for internal affairs (NKVD). The likeness is uncanny. Someone really ought to let her know. (and can I claim my fiver?)
«all within the law, none outside the law, none against the law»
pace Benito MUSSOLINI
“Scotland’s top gender law specialist” as ITV dubs her is actually an English barrister (she has a Scottish father) who is only able to appear in a Scottish employment tribunal because of the UK-wide employment law system. The fact that Ms Cunningham is an outsider is a big advantage because it makes her largely immune to pressure from the SNP and other parts of the corrupt Scottish establishment. Anyone who hasn’t already done so should read her fascinating interview with Mandy Rhodes in Holyrood Magazine.
I used to be proud of Scotland but now I see it as a land of misogyny, perverted beyond belief and endangering children with a medical profession which is far too quiet on issues such as ‘chest feeding’ in case it upsets some trans.
The land of enlightenment put the lights out.
I agree but we need to fight for Scotland’s historical legacy as an epicentre of enlightened thinking. Political parties that aggressively pursue policies that fly in the face of Natural Law shed votes.
Why should we worry about the country that Scotland has become. We allowed it to happen.
Economic stagnation over the past decade is now threatening Scotland as a place for a high standard of living. A combination of weak productivity growth driving near zero growth in real wages and cuts to welfare has resulted in a situation where we are neither delivering prosperity through high wages nor security through welfare. And the wider UK is very much the same as it too slides remorselessly down, down down.
The poorest in our country now fare worse than people in nations once considered very poor who have now overtaken us.
And all of this in a country endowed with bountiful natural resources of gas, oil, hydro, wind, land, forestry, fishing makes it even sadder.
But hey hoe, we have a government who is not interested in independence, is actually anti independence and a government that focusses on the unimportant agenda’s like woke.
Forty years in the SNP I utterly despair at the poverty that becomes of our pig poor people as they slip down the HDI index.
Anyway, interesting article Rev which just reinforces the mess that Scotland is in.
Don’t forget this – the only reason the SNP is able to behave like this, is because so many Scottish people voted for them.
Think about that.
Does anyone know what are the odds on Sturgeon running for MP in the UK Parliament at the next opportunity?
Charles (non R one)
My money would still be on her looking for a post with the EU or UN. Failing that she’d be happy to be a “standard bearer” for independence & Trans Rights in the House of Lords.
“what are the odds on Sturgeon running for MP in the UK Parliament at the next opportunity?”
Zero chance – she hates the English with a venom.
“she hates the English with a venom”
Are you sure?
Has she tried to get them jailed on trumped-up sexual misdemeanour allegations?
Or do you mean there are levels of hatred even greater than venomous?
Signals & Noises in a land far, far away…..
RWANDA, new «enriched» kid, thanx2UK, on the neo imperalist block…
link to archive.is
BRIT. COMMONWEALTH country too…
«The Commonwealth makes the world safe for diversity»
— Nelson Mandela —
(the guy was in his dotage at the time)
He had a more black and white view of diversity.
He had a more black and white view of diversity.
Oops! Sorry Rev!
Nothing is happening politically – not for independence nor as competent government. Holyrood currently is a toxic puddle – gone are the heights of achievement such as sorting out the Pow of Inchaffray, let alone a Forth bridge and the Borders railway.
We all know that we need MSPs who have principles, integrity, the brains and the capacity to work hard. We also need to ensure that they cannot be left to their own devices – they must be under direct democratic control.
And of course Scotland needs to be out of the Union.
We can start achieving these aims by having Independent MSPs whose primary aim is leaving the Union, and are not bound by a party whip. [Dan has been saying this for ages.] As Independents they will not be easily lobbied, thus making successful corruption/influence much more difficult. Independents 4 Independence will be standing in 2026, I believe. Also the Independence for Scotland Party – yes, it’s a party but their actions on freeports and gender show that they are principled.
Can we improve the quality/actions of the SNP? Well, it is doubtful, but the good guys in their membership could get support in their efforts if their current MSPs and known candidates have been sent the Manifesto for Independence. The M4I lays out the exact steps to take for leaving the Union: each election a plebiscite for making Holyrood the true parliament of Scotland; recall MPs from Westminster; then a referendum on leaving the Union. The M4I tells them that they must adopt the M4I on pain of losing our vote if they don’t.
So what can the mass of us be doing NOW to help make things better?
1. Sign the Manifesto for Independence and send it to our SNP MSPs.
2. Join the Scottish Liberation Movement by signing the Edinburgh Proclamation on liberation.scot.
Eric Trump at Bute House with Swinney today.
Former MP for Glasgow South, Stewart McDonald delivers his hagiography for Saint Nicola of Brigadoom.
“… preeminent electoral juggernaut”, aye, and a lot of innocent folk were thrown under the wheels of that particular vehicle.
McDonald uses his column in the Spectator to ladle on the unctuous obsequiousness. It’s enough to gie ye the pure dry boak.
The second paragraph begins … “If her predecessor won Holyrood elections and precipitated a referendum …”.
Yes, he did and his name was Alex Salmond, which takes up fewer characters to elucidate. Why the reluctance to say his name? This is truly the outpourings of the personality cult.
Deprived of his £90k pa stipend from the Westminster, McDonald now jets the globe as a self employed consultant pushing the agenda of the Anglo/American, Security State. I wonder who pays for that?
McDonald has indicated that he will not be seeking a berth in Holyrood 2026. This comes as no surprise, McDonald considers himself to be a player on the international stage. The only message he is capable of delivering is “Russsia bad!”, and there’s little scope for broadcasting that propaganda from the tiers of our jumped up Parish Cooncil.
The first step in privatising the Scottish NHS will be the SNP advocating “Both Votes SNP”. After that the plan will rapidly fall into place……
So Swinney has had tea and biscuits with Eric Trump.
Not bad for a man who only a few weeks ago was calling for President Trump to be barred from the country. Bobbing John might be the name to be applied to Mr Swinney.
But its interesting quite why Eric Trump would have a meeting in Bute House with Swinney. The meeting of course and its subject was of course a secret. However, why its a very good question as to why he son of the most powerful politician in the world hold a meeting with Bobbing John Swinney. More so when our FM has has repeatedly briefed against the American President, his administration and his policies.
What’s going on?
I saw reports that Sturgeon had put her name forward for re-election in 2026. Was it published anywhere that she had actually been selected?
We now know that she has decided against running – or was the decision made for her?
Very few comments being posted on Wings nowadays. Even the nutters and cranks who posted umpteen times, every day, now seem to have disappeared.
Why is that-
Apathy?
A feeling that nothing is going to change for the better?
People not wanting to be associated with the nutters and cranks who previously polluted the site?
Ill health/death?
A combination of all of the above?
Who knows.
A combination of very little going on in the pro-Indy front, and the deluge of cranks and trolls who, like clockwork, turn every conversation into lavishing praise on their favourite dictator/terrorist. For an ordinary voter, with an interest in politics and a desire for independence, there isn’t much to be said for the moment. So many people I speak to now feel it’s a ‘nice to have, but won’t happen’.
Aha!
Press reporting that SHE whose name shall not be uttered is still under investigation in Branchform.
“Timing” again anyone?
It was pathetic to watch FM question time a couple of days ago. There she sat gurning behind Mr continuity mk2, as he tried to be spontaneous in his replies, whilst feigning outrage at the home truths. I also remember how out of her depth she was on election night, when she was employed as a “pundit”. She was a big fish who brought new depths to shallowness, in a very small pool when she lorded it over Holyrood. Still, I am sure something else beckons.
Wow, yon ‘Grok’ is impressive.
It answered this question in approximately 3 seconds.
If you were a supporter of Scottish independence, what would you do right now to reinvigorate the movement?
If I were a supporter of Scottish independence looking to reinvigorate the movement in March 2025, I’d focus on a mix of practical, grassroots, and strategic actions that leverage current realities and sidestep the roadblocks—like Westminster’s control and the SNP’s recent stumbles.
Here’s what I’d do:
First, I’d organize a massive, decentralized push for local activism. The SNP’s top-down approach has lost steam—polls show support for independence stuck around 44-48% since the 2014 referendum, and their 2024 election drop from 48 to 9 seats signals fatigue with party-led efforts. I’d rally ordinary Scots through town halls, street campaigns, and marches, emphasizing bread-and-butter issues: cost of living, NHS funding, and energy prices. Scotland’s got North Sea oil and renewable potential, yet people are paying through the nose under UK policies. I’d hammer that home—independence isn’t just flags and feelings, it’s about control over resources and decisions.
Second, I’d sidestep the referendum trap. The 2022 Supreme Court ruling killed the legal route for Holyrood to call a vote without London’s say-so, and Labour’s not budging. So, I’d pivot to a “people’s mandate” strategy. Push for a Scottish Citizens’ Convention—like the one floated in 2024 by campaigners—where elected reps from across society draft a clear independence plan. Make it loud, public, and impossible to ignore. If it gains traction, it could pressure Westminster by showing undeniable democratic will, not just party posturing.
Third, I’d exploit the UK’s post-Brexit mess. Scotland voted 62% to stay in the EU; England dragged it out. With Brexit regret polling at 57% UK-wide in 2025, I’d tie independence to rejoining Europe—freedom to trade, travel, and thrive without London’s leash. The EU’s cagey about fast-tracking Scotland (Spain’s got its own separatist headaches), but I’d start building those bridges now—quiet talks with Brussels, not grand promises.
Fourth, I’d lean into cultural momentum. Scots are proud—look at the Tartan Army’s energy at Euro 2024. I’d flood social media with sharp, shareable content: history (Bannockburn, the Declaration of Arbroath), music (Runrig, The Proclaimers), and humor that punches up at Westminster. Algorithms favor engagement—get people fired up, not just preaching to the choir. X posts show frustration with media bias; I’d counter that with raw, unfiltered voices from the ground.
Finally, I’d unify the fractured Yes movement. The SNP’s dominance has sidelined groups like the Greens and Alba — 72 of 129 Holyrood seats are pro-independence, but they’re not aligned. I’d call a summit, hash out a single goal (ditch the Union), and park the petty stuff. Sturgeon’s era showed charisma can’t force it alone; Salmond’s death in 2024 left a gap. It’s time for a collective, not a cult.
Risks? Westminster could dig in, and apathy’s a killer — only 18% want a referendum within a year, per YouGov 2024. But if I can light a spark showing independence solves real problems, not just dreams, it might shift. I’d start tomorrow — every day under the UK’s thumb is one too many.>/i>
Yes indeed.
One to add to the risks section though;
All the paid grifters who have made a cosy career out of it and haven’t, can’t or won’t spend the 3 seconds you did to get this clarity..
This is extraordinary, IB. It comes across as rational, reasonable and informed – some MSP/MPs could do with Grok’s assistance.
I note, however, that the machine hasn’t heard of the Liberation approach to the UN – if successful, it gives Scotland the power to hold a referendum without UK interference. Having a legal right to call a referendum would be a powerful stimulus to the Yes movement.
In fact it is the complete answer to all the problems we currently face – there would no longer be an excuse for SNP and Holyrood not to act. They would HAVE to call a referendum. When a date is set then all the apathy and disillusion will disappear.
And with a decent franchise.
Sorry Sarah, didn’t see your reply until now.
I suppose we could ask it about what it does know about SALVO etc. If nothing else it seems to be a very effective way of pulling online information together.
It’s the mimicry aspect of it that’s a bit disturbing – that answer sounded as if it was written by a real, living independence supporter.
Runrig, the Proclaimers.
Wow. So Grok’s in her fifties then.
At least.
She doesn’t seem to have heard about the war (now in its fourth year) or Trump (still with nearly 4 years to go) either.
Or Islam.
Looks like a clear case of GIGO. I’d re-run the query, starting with an unbiased question. The “supporter of Scottish Indy” bit jinxed your effort from the get-go.
So my latest by election results are in, a wee council by election. An SNP win. Labour second and Reform third ahead of the Tories. Nothing changes, pain for the next 20 years. The Scottish electorate are not ready for change. Socialists run out of every body else’s money. Take the pain Scotland you deserve it.
25% turnout. It’s not apathy, it is frustrated fury – a 75% vote for None of the Above.
25% turnout”
You have to wonder how low the turnout has to go until the political classes and the British state acknowledge elections are no longer passing as democratic in the eyes of the public. Will they still take an election for valid if only 10% of the electorate turns out? What if only 1% of the electorate turns out? What if only 1 person in the constituency casts a vote? Still valid?
The SNP got 1,375 votes out of an electorate of 17,404. That is the same as having an endorsement from 7.9% of the electorate. That has to be one of the lowest representations I have seen so far. How can that be seen as democratic, never mind a “victory”?
Are the turnouts so, so low because the electorate are fed up of this rigged game? or should we start wondering if the electoral registers in Scotland might have been inflated to leave plenty of maneuvering margin for the security services to rig an upcoming Holyrood election or, heaven forbid, an independence referendum, with a tsunami of ghost postal votes?
Because, quite frankly, when the endorsement of 7.9% is still considered a majority, a valid democratic mandate, and representative from that constituency, you can really believe anything.
@Sarah 4:02pm
Sure a 25% turnout but you can’t argue with the consistency of the SNP. Freebies that other people pay for. Scotland is on a slide to nowhere. And as Scottish people will eventually realise there is such thing as a free lunch.
After decades of Irish Republic strategy and many people dead. The Irish after all their Britnat hatred have handed over their country to others without a shot being fired.
There’s plenty of articles online explaining how Trump could crash the Irish economy overnight if he chooses to do so.
That entire “Celtic Tiger” boom is just a modern technology variant on the traditional wealthy colony economic model, such as those colonies who used to be dependent on rubber, tea or bauxite.
On the plus side, they were always allowed to print colourful and interesting stamps. Perhaps Ireland still is!
O/T and funny! Jim Sillars says that Sturgeon once said [in her usual charming and polite manner] to Margot Macdonald “What planet are you on?” to which Margot said “Planet Nice, one that you will never visit”.
What a brilliant riposte. If only Margot and her ilk were still at Holyrood – what a difference they would make.
I met Sturgeon only once. She was newly elected to the ‘Parliament’ – and appropriately as it turns out – she was in an office on George IV Bridge that previously belonged to the defunct Lothian Regional Council.
I was reporting some serious matters concerning maladministration – possibly amounting to criminality – in one of our new ‘universities’. At the time she was shadow education minister – and could have made some headway against Jack-the Lad’s shite administration (if nothing else) on this point.
She was uninterested, unengaged to the point of rudeness. Didn’t want to know.
What I remember most clearly (apart from a general dykish vibe) was her complete lack of eye contact, and a total inability to grasp the serious nature of what I was trying to convey.
I was not impressed.
I came away with the clear impression of a careerist politician with instincts for nothing other than he own agenda – which it took twenty years to emerge fully.
The matter I brought to her later came out in full some years later – by means that had nothing to do with either me or her – and the resultant scandal saw that whole institution’s senior management blown sky high.
Had she been any use -she could have done some good, and made a real name for herself those years earlier – but she wan’t interested in real matters requiring hard graft and sticking her head above the parapet.
I wasn’t surprised she she later betrayed her mentor – using behind the scenes manipulation to do so. I had her sussed on one meeting.
Very interesting. She is unprincipled as well as deceptive, manipulative and mendacious.
Oh dear – how much trouble and grief could have been avoided if others had seen, and acted, to prevent her rise. You saw it all immediately. Margot Macdonald seems to have had her sussed as well. It is tragic.
“I had her sussed on one meeting”
Which makes it incredibly difficult for me to believe that a very astute politician like Mr Salmond did not suss this political fraud rather quickly too, having worked with her for much longer.
Looking retrospectively, and speaking as an ex-SNP voter who, initially, thought she would take us to independence, the truth is that when you looked pass the first few minutes of hype and adulation routine towards her, disappointingly, she did not have an awful lot of worth to say.
Any politician worth their salt can regurgitate a script somebody else prepared for them in advance. She was good at it, absolutely, but it did not make her unique. In my view, the Sturgeon phenomenon was just the product of a very heavy PR operation, where a lot of people might have been working behind the scenes to create the hype and this new, apparently wonderful, PR persona.
More often than not, her narcissism emerged to the surface rather quickly, which in my eyes made her look tacky, with no class, no loyalty and no concept of discretion. I vaguely remember an instance during an interview when she made some stupid comment regarding Gerard Butler. This was information the interviewer had not asked for. It came across as a petty attempt to bring attention to herself, to make herself appear more interesting. If that was obvious to me, it had to be more than obvious to somebody as politically experienced and so used to interact with people of all characters as Mr Salmond was.
I have wondered more than once in the last few years if the reason why Mr Salmond took this political fraud under his wing might have been one of having your friends close but your enemies closer?
Mia, I think you are being slightly unfair to the late, great Alex Salmond.
How she presented herself to him (no doubt fawning and ingratiating) would be somewhat different from how she presented herself to me (dismissive and unhelpful).
He after all was her leader, and key to her progression. I was a mere voter and obscure party member.
Her type of person is always oleaginous and differential towards power (at least on the way up) – and the opposite to those who they don’t see as serving their narcissistic purpose.
And on the face of it she presented as ambitious, able and effective (even if only the first of these was true).
@Sarah 6:47pm
I know nobody wants to admit the ba is burst on Scottish Independence and the SNP.
GF. On the SNP, aye. On Independence naw.
Events dear friend, Events.
IN THESE PECULIAR TIMES…
in which the mechanisms of democracy are lubricated to serve the interests of the sheikhs of globalism and their fawning catamites the quality, calibre and intellect of those entering politics matters more than ever.
The public space has become an easy refuge for nebulous «by default» actors.
In Scotland’s case such actors have rendered a pin sharp politico-existential concept foggy and fuzzy.
Sarah
I’m with you on the UN route to independence adopted by SALVO etc. Can’t see how it will harm to Scotland’s cause. It might be a slow route and will eventually need a UN supervised referendum. But to have Scotland’s case known properly across the world is really something.
The supporting documents drawn up by SALVO are a succinct presentation of Scotland’s case and deserve to be widely circulated.
@ Sarah MaryB, yet our esteemed host the fount of inumerable investigative and explosive articles showing the despicable actions of the political parties and their unprincipled carpet baggers tells the desperate for action SOVEREIGN Scots
That IT IS A WASTE OF TIME
IF that is indeed the case and it is a waste of time pursuing RECOGNITION from international organisations of the situation we find ourselves, surely in the current situation that our host illuminates and highlights in almost every post where our route through a political avenue is stymied by the current crop of CORRUPT and INCOMPETENT LIARS that also is a waste of time, so consequently in that situation and on the advice of the ever growing band of yoonionists posting BTL denigrating and demeaning our country we would ALL be as well just giving up the fight
It is a very bad day when the most prominent and respected independence journalist tells independence supporters they are WASTING THEIR TIME fighting for independence through every available avenue
I believe Robin McAlpine similarly debunked the “cunning wheezes for Indy” pushers not that long ago. I suggest you check that out.
Indy will prevail when the people supporting it assemble a plausible, workable, real-world plan that will demonstrably improve, or at least not wreck, the lives of a majority of the people who have made Scotland their home – both indigenous Scots and new Scots too. With a solid majority of the legitimate Scottish franchise in favour, Indy will be unstoppable. In no way, shape or form will Scotland differ from any other nation in that respect.
In a way, you are correct, twathater. If you’re unable to contribute to the solution, then you’re part of the problem. And thus, you really would do best to just get out of the way.
Bastard TAX John MOAN I wouldn’t expect anything less of a response from you, you are well known by everyone as one of the most vociferous arsewipes that loves to decry ,denigrate and belittle everything about Scotland and Scots, your constant negativity about all things Scottish is only mirrored by your fellow yoonionists jumping on your bandwagon of risible comments
I am not surprised that you would take every attempt to undermine and demean SALVO and Liberation.Scot your constant praise of the situation in the middle east shows where your true allegiance lies