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Posted on May 08, 2022 by

As we’re a polling site now, a brief post on polls.

In a column for today’s Herald on Sunday, Iain Macwhirter repeats the frequently-made assertion that “Boris Johnson is loathed in Scotland and is the best recruiting sergeant for independence since Margaret Thatcher”.

The first part is certainly true, as it has been of pretty much every Tory Prime Minister of the last 40 years. But the second part simply isn’t borne out by the facts.

Above (click to enlarge) is the graph of Yes polling since Johnson became PM. It shows support for independence FALLING from 52% to 49% during his term in office.

If you discount the Lord Ashcroft poll from a few days after he entered Downing Street (because Ashcroft isn’t a British Polling Council member), the graph becomes Nicola Sturgeon’s political speciality – a flat line, from 49% to 49%.

Johnson has “recruited” nobody. Those are the cold hard facts.

Macwhirter also asserts (sensibly discounting any possibility of an indyref in 2023) that “[Sturgeon] will turn the 2024 General Election into a referendum on independence.”

Will she? She could have done that with the 2021 election. She had a clear mandate from 2016, she was riding a polling tsunami for almost a year leading up to it, she could have used COVID as the justification rather than allowing it to be the obstacle – “This is an emergency, we have to get out now while the house is on fire” – and a proper campaign would have energised the movement and maximised the effect. Momentum is everything in politics.

But she bottled it (generously assuming for a moment, for the sake of argument, that she actually has any intention of securing independence) and the chance is gone. Since that election, Yes has led in just 3 out of 24 polls.

If she couldn’t make hay out of Brexit and COVID and the mindboggling corruption and incompetence of Johnson’s administration in the last year – culminating, astoundingly, in a serving Prime Minister of the UK being fined by the police for breaking a law he himself passed and still not resigning – what on Earth is going to come along that’s a more persuasive argument against the Union? What’s going to bring us to the 60% that SNP people keep telling us is the requirement for a referendum we’ll win?

In two and a half years there’s a fair chance the UK will have passed legislation basically outlawing independence, quite possibly backed up by a Supreme Court judgement. It might actually be ILLEGAL to make the 2024 election a plebiscite, never mind to hold a referendum.

(What we know for certain in any event is that the Electoral Commission will be fully controlled by the UK government by then, under the Elections Bill passed just days ago, and will decide the timing, the question, the franchise and much else in any referendum that did somehow happen.)

The SNP’s aim over the past two years has been to destroy the independence movement (so that it can’t interfere with Nicola Sturgeon’s rule), not the Union. The open goal has been missed and the ball is gone. If you’re not part of the truth, you’re part of the lie.

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Awkward Westie

The 2024 UK general election will be pitched as being all about Independence by “oor Nic” & the NuSNP … but it won’t be used as a plebiscite. Instead it will be the usual “give us one more mandate and it will be impossible for Westminster to refuse a Section 30 order”

Thomas Potter

Surely corrupt Sturgeons plan from the get go.

Jan Cowan

She’s one big lie – from her “marriage” to her “love of Scotland”.
We can’t make headway as long as she and her pals are in Holyrood.

Robert Hughes

” If you’re not part of the truth, you’re part of the lie. ”

Spot-on Stu . As you’ll know , the lie has become the * truth * in the looking glass world of * Progressive * Scotland .

It’s * true * a vote for SNP is a vote for GRA

It’s * true * a S30 is the ONLY route to Independence

It’s * true * important documents just keep spontaneously combusting

It’s * true * ” a second coming is close at hand ” ( a quick consultation of the infallible Nostradamus confirms this )

All these * Truths * we hold to be self-evidently utter pish

ps but don’t let that stop * you * believing in Nikki’s Fantasy Indyball 🙂

Mike Fenwick

The Treaty of Union – is INTERNATIONAL LAW! The Scotland Act – is DOMESTIC LAW!

The Declaration of a Sovereign Scot initiative is an open invitation to EVERY Sovereign Scot to EXERCISE THEIR CLAIM OF RIGHT and ADD THEIR VOICE to highlight that CRUCIAL LEGAL difference and bring it to the attention OF THE WORLD!

Mike Fenwick

We are about to witness domestic law potentially being used yet again against Scotland. Our right to a referendum, and our right to self determination are both to be severely challenged as matters of domestic laws. It will be front page news as it happens. Even before the June 10 deadline, it is already appearing.

What however about the court of international opinion and international law? Are they wholly irrelevant or might they prove to be a unique pivotal part of regaining Scotland’s independence?

(Apologies – was meant to be included in earlier post.)

George Ferguson

It will be interesting to learn how the Scot Gov respond to decision 048/2022 by the Information Commissioner on the release of the substantive part of the Scot Gov legal advice on a referendum. There are only two options. Comply with the decision in the public interest by June 10th. Or refer the decision to the Court of Session on a point of law. The incessant carrot dangling has to stop. And the truth revealed for once.

Stuart MacKay

I know this has been covered before several times and probably ad nauseum, but it’s worth restating as often as possible:

What is the cut-off date for the legislation to be introduced that will allow a referendum to be held on a favourable date in 2023?

Given the assumptions that a) it’s not held on Dec 31st 2023 and b) there is no opposition to the Section 30 order which is granted more or less immediately (which it won’t).

That cut-off date can only be a matter of weeks from now in which case the SNP will have some explaining to do.

Confused

The legal advice ruling either says

– we don’t need any permission/s30 – which then exposes her lies and what she is; it should be an H bomb

or

– it says we really do need permission; which looks to me like -proof- we are a “colony”, which then opens the UN route

It should break the equal partner in a union/colony ambiguity.

In the first case, her career should be over, and in the second, natioanlists can go round the SNP.

Legal rulings of course can be rather complex and opaque, bnt if there was nothing in it, they would have released it.

Alf Baird

“The SNP’s aim over the past two years has been to destroy the independence movement”

Yes, unfortunately, this is normally the role of the dominant National Party in any decolonization, which is a complex process according to postcolonial theory. As Frantz Fanon said, inside the dominant National Party: “the will to break colonialism is linked with another quite different will: that of coming to a friendly agreement with it.”
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com

paul

The court of international opinion has never been constituted, let alone convened and delivered judgement.

P

Good one Rev.
I see now the elections are over, Nikla seems to be blocking everything she doesn’t like.
How long until “someone” talks?

Bob Costello

I actually think she might go for a referendum in 2023 as a last throw of the dice to scupper independence completely. She has to be brought down before she can do that

Graf Midgehunter

I’m sorry to say it, but I’ve reached the conclusion that the great majority of Scots are just castrated sheep. The famous fighting spirit was s**t out long ago.

Boris and the smack-in-the-eye incompetence, corruption an’ contempt for Scotland leaves no real mark behind. Why should it when the SNP mini-me clone took up the same pathway with a tartan veneer.

The Claim of Right, Dec.o. Arbroath, Sovereignty, International Courts of Law, SSRG and a host of other Constitutional Rights mean nothing to them, it’s quantum mechanics for beginners.. 🙁

The big boy and media pals in London hold their hands over the Scottish girlie.

Those two gals in Ireland have more balls than the entire population of Scotland…:-)

James Dewar

It could be that Johnson is a vote winner for independence, but Sturgeon, her agenda and inaction are vote losses. Hence we are going nowhere fast

Antoine Bisset

For some years it has been my view that the SNP has used “Independence!” as the slogan route to power. Now it is in power the SNP has clearly seen that after independence there would be a big political split and rearrangement. The raison d’être of the SNP would have vanished and so we can all get back to being Whigs, Tories and Marxists.
Had the SNP really wished Scotland to be independent then a “convocation” in 2015 of MSPs and Scottish MPs would have had the numbers to deliver a 2/3 majority vote* to secede. A vote that would have been supported by the UN, given their Articles. No permission required.
It did not happen.
*MPs 56/59, MSPs 69/129 inc Greens.

PS when Kosovo declared itself to be an independent state (something it had never been at any time in the history of the world) the UK recognised it’s “independence” within 24 hours.
Just saying.

Graf Midgehunter

The Referendum Bill starts off with:

“Once upon a time in a place called Scotland…”

Stuart MacKay

Antoine Bisset @12:23pm

I think this is the thinking behind the magical 60%. It’s not about getting overwhelming support for independence and more about preserving the one-party state so the SNP troughers don’t all get thrown out on the street on a successful Yes vote.

Andy Ellis

@Antoine Bisset 12.36 pm

What you’re just saying is almost certainly wrong. Scotland isn’t Kosovo. The international community would be most unlikely to recognise a declaration of independence in case like Scotland, Catalonia or Quebec that isn’t clearly supported by a majority of the population, in response to a clear question in a referendum or plebiscitary elections fought on a specific platform of declaring independence if pro-independence win a majority of votes, NOT seats.

As the 2015 Westminster GE showed, the SNP won 56 of 59 MPs but only because under our comical FPTP electoral system 49.97% of votes won all but 3 of the total number of seats. Similarly, Holyrood MSPs in 2015 were not elected on a specific mandate that a majority of pro-independence votes would result in a declaration of independence.

Of course, if the movement grows a pair of balls and somehow faces down the devolutionists in charge of the SNP, our best hope of securing independence in the short to medium term is making HR2026 elections plebiscitary. I wouldn’t hold my breath anything will happen as a result of Westminster elections.

Confused

international law becomes turbo powered when the US is behind it, anything becomes possible even statehood for made up phoney baloney non-countries

Kosovo was a CIA run narco-terror hub, so they had an “in”

– we would need an “in” … something crazy like –

a US President who was half Scottish and could be used as leverage against the UK

like that could happen

– without the US, international law become surprisingly toothless, e.g. Chagosians, Palestinians

Politically Homeless

Absolutely right. It’s not often anybody can pick an obvious hole in McWhirter’s thinking. Shows how commonplace a mistake this is. Clearly there are SOME demographics moving towards Yes (middle class Remainers) but the effect is either very small or being cancelled out by other demographics moving towards No. My bet would be soft Yes 2014 centrist SNP voters have political upheaval fatigue and are breaking for No. Sturgeon has never made the case that real progress is only possible with independence. To her these people’s votes mean everything and their support for indy means nothing.

Sturgeon has been stealing the thunder of the independence case with facile Punch & Judy posturing vis a vis Boris, which pleases the Old Labour voter, and implementing a Shangri-La of identity politics under devolution which gets out the youth vote (slightly).

As anyone with political literacy can see, this is minting votes at Holyrood, but not Yes support.

aulbea1

The SNP are “THE” party of the british state – that’s for sure.

J Galt

“Boris Johnson This!”, “Boris Johnson That!” seems to be the stock in trade of various other Independence blogs and commentators.

I’m afraid I’m intelligent enough to realise that if Boris Johnson disappeared up his own arsehole tomorrow there would be another “Boris Johnson” along in a jiffy – perhaps an even worse “Boris Johnson”, in a skirt perhaps – Liz Truss anyone?

Patsy Millar

‘My heart leaps up when I behold …’ a post from Wings even though the substance makes depressing reading. I’m afraid Ms Sturgeon showed the level of her bitterness when she referred to members of the public shying away from Alba pamphleteers. To think that at one time during the 2014 campaign I thought she would make a great successor to Alex Salmond if he resigned in the future; my bad!

Willie

We’ve had eight years of obfuscation. Eight years of squandered mandates. Eight years of missed opportunity. Eight years of actual resistance to, and the undermining of the independence agenda.

Sturgeon is by her actions against independence and, as earlier comment shows, the weasel confirmation that a referendum, the only route to independence according to Sturgeon, will be along in 2023 is just more pap for the masses.

Sturgeon is a devolutionist. She is an agent of the British government. Her MPs have settled in. They, unlike a Sinn Fein participate fully in the Westminster circus, one MP wants to be the Speaker of the House. Surgeon is bought one hundred percent. Her party moreover no longer requires members since the short money from Westminster and the MPs and MSPs allowances fund the party.

Democracy in a colony is an illusion. Alf Baird goes on about colonisation and he is right. But we should not lose hope. We can win, and we will win, and in that we need to look across the water.

In 2022 Ireland secured independence in 1922 for 26 of the 32 counties declaring themselves a Republic in 1948. They escaped back then from the World’s at that time greatest power. In 2022 SinnFein have become the biggest party in what was the unionist apartheid statelet of Northern Ireland and the wind of change is now blowing. This result is of huge symbolism and the British Government know the union is on a line headed for dissolution.

NI however has a few more twists and turns ahead. Already with the support of the Westminster Tories the unionist thugs having participated in a democratic election are declaring they are now t going to abide by the result they don’t like – and the Tories via statements today from Dominic Raab are saying that they agree.

It’s the last bluster from a belligerent busted Empire. Beaten by Ireland they will too in turn be beaten by Ireland. Quite how many fronts these clowns think they can fight on one has to wonder. A war against Russia, the impacts of worldwide trade sanctions, and now it seems a potential trade war with the EU.

Stack up on food folks. Get your young fit for national service. Say goodbye to your savings as the value of them evaporates – and the best of British be with you.

andrew

Surely there must be a growing number of genuine independence supporters who are asking themselves if they want to take the risk of becoming independent with HER in charge. We have an insight into how she likes to treat dissidents – some tolerator of free speech she is – and surely this will only get worse post-independence (should she actually manage to deliver it, which I have my doubts about).

Sharny Dubs

It’s more than depressing. Skunnered, just skunnered.

In contrast go no further than across the water, Sinn Fein know what they are about.

Liz

And yet, the cowed population of Scotland still vote for her.
I will never understand how people’s minds work.

The SNP record under Sturgeon is abysmal.

Ruby

I take it these seamen are for the Independence lifeboat?

We’ve been jollied along by the thought of the Independence lifeboat.

Brexit – thank goodness we’ve got the Independence lifeboat

Boris Trade deals, Liz Truss, Priti Patel & all the rest – thank goodness we’ve got the Independence lifeboat.

What will happen when we find out that the lifeboat called ‘RNLB Carrots’ has been lost at sea and we have no chance of being saved?

Will attitudes change?

Republicofscotland

A hopeful scenario

We need this ferries scandal to bring Sturgeon down, a strong indyminded FM then heads up the SNP, a quick purge of the undesirables occurs.

We callback our MP’s from Westminster and hold a grand assembly and our MP’s and MSP’s vote on whether to declare independence or not, a vote for yes and we declare independence, we inform Westminster of the outcome and then begin negotiations with Westminster on dissolving the union.

Ruby

I was trying to think how people react in a situation where they realise that help is not coming.

For example do they start fighting amongst one another?

The only book I could think of at the moment was
‘Alive’ by Piers Paul Read
link to tinyurl.com

That is probably a little extreme but what I discovered from reading that page was the band called ‘Ice Nine Kills’ which I had never heard of before probably because I didn’t think I was into heavy metal. Each track on their album ‘Every Trick in the Book’ is based on a piece of literature which I find very interesting. ‘The Plot Sickens’is based on the book ‘Alive’ Not too sure about the music but the lyrics are definitely interesting.

I’ve decided I like ‘Heavy Metal’ (with the sound off and subtitles on)

😉 🙂 🙁 😕 😉 🙂 🙁 😕

link to tinyurl.com
Lyrics

The Plot Sickens

link to tinyurl.com

And spouse

So I’m a bit confused. There must be some moment when the electorate goes, you know, there will not be an indy2, like not ever, never. So then we don’t vote SNP, and then what? Is this the game plan?

Robert graham

A comment on the previous post summed up most of the Scottish electorate in plain language FKN Stupid, after the council election results that was confirmed in spades a dumb nation who go where they are shoved and as stupid as the day they were born

Andy Ellis

@ And spouse 3.42 pm

The SNP activist lumpen proletariat, and sadly it seems a lot of pro-independence voters, are still prepared to give the party the benefit of the doubt. They’re not going to break the other way and vote for alternative parties, or stage some form of novel extra parliamentary intervention so beloved of some of the fantasists in here, until it’s clear that #indyref2 in 2023 is a busted flush.

That’s when things get interesting surely? The SNP will then be faced with a Westminster GE in 2024 and HR2026. If “the movement” has any sense it will ensure that – one way or another – ALL the pro independence parties are committed to HR2026 being plebiscitary. That already presupposes the SNP membership have wised up and deposed the Sturgeonistas of course, which looks like a pretty big “if” right now, but then stranger things have happened.

I think what a lot of folk have been saying is probably right: things probably have to get a lot worse before the scales fall from some peoples eyes and they vote for something different.

Antoine Bisset

Republicofscotland says:
8 May, 2022 at 3:16 pm
A hopeful scenario

Please read my comment above. The SNP had that chance. They had the numbers. They did not have the will to do it, or the courage to do it.
It will not happen with Sturgeon in control.

Dan

Stu should have bolded this part of the article for the attention of those that are resigned to think waiting for things to get worse is what is required.

In two and a half years there’s a fair chance the UK will have passed legislation basically outlawing independence, quite possibly backed up by a Supreme Court judgement. It might actually be ILLEGAL to make the 2024 election a plebiscite, never mind to hold a referendum.

(What we know for certain in any event is that the Electoral Commission will be fully controlled by the UK government by then, under the Elections Bill passed just days ago, and will decide the timing, the question, the franchise and much else in any referendum that did somehow happen.)

I don’t think sitting and waiting is a great plan whilst our adversaries NEVER take their foot off the gas with their efforts to lock us in further and diminishing our chances of freedom and recovery from 300 years of this parasitic Union.

The likes of Robin McAlpine and other astute folk have already stated that the longer Scotland continues to get exploited and our resources sold off, the harder it will be to recover from as there will be heehaw left to work with.

The electorate are clearly still as thick as fuck as 1.1 million 2nd votes cast for the SNP last year, and continuing support at last week’s local elections show.

Stuart MacKay

Andy Ellis, @12:48pm

“The international community would be most unlikely to recognise a declaration of independence in case like Scotland”

In normal times I’d agree with you – except these are not normal times by any stretch of the imagination. The EU is about to embargo Russian oil and Putin just signed an executive order banning Russian companies from exporting natural resources to unfriendly countries.

It might take a little willpower and a little brinkmanship but the EU are never going to say no to all that oil and gas sitting under the North Sea. They’d most likely be falling over themselves to recognise us in case Moscow did it first – a slightly flippant suggestion but real-politik is real-politik.

Ruby

And spouse says:
8 May, 2022 at 3:42 pm

So I’m a bit confused. There must be some moment when the electorate goes, you know, there will not be an indy2, like not ever, never. So then we don’t vote SNP, and then what? Is this the game plan?

How do you feel about people not voting for the SNP?

Effigy

I accept the poll but dear God half of Scotland consider Lying corrupt sexual predator Boris ruling over the country he hates in the North is as good as it gets?

Maybe we need to relocate to N Ireland vote for the Republic and start eating away the Evil Empire.

PS have you noticed the media all headlining Starmer having a meal with one bottle of beer during a meal break? Every commentator has tried to press a Labour member to say he has to resign if fined?
Why don’t Labour copy team Bojo and say ask me after the police investigate for a second time?
The Daily Hail are pathetic to say they have a leaked schedule from the day where it states someone will order a takeaway.
What a shock they eat while on a road trip?

From the video you can see people eating and I don’t know anyone who has a meal but drinks nothing. They all appear to be 2meters distant and I can’t believe they weren’t discussing the days events and their plans for the following day.

The next stop must be the Daily Hail Hitler offering one of the organisers £1,000,000 to lie about the event and Boris to offer the Met’s Top Police job to the guy running the Durham Police investigation. Maybe even chip in a Betty Gong.

stuart mctavish

Trouble starts when the truth is just too horrible to contemplate eg the number of covid protocols the (superspreading?) 2000 mules must have broken if their actions were legitimate from a vote gathering perspective..

Papko

“I’m sorry to say it, but I’ve reached the conclusion that the great majority of Scots are just castrated sheep. The famous fighting spirit was s**t out long ago.”

Same here.
@Graf

There may have been a time when we had a vigour, but its long gone.
Im not even disappointed anymore.

Andy Ellis

@Stuart MacKay 4.30 pm

It may be true that the war in Ukraine and its economic fall out may impact EU attitudes, and there’s still probably a large body of opinion inside the EU in particular that would enjoy sticking it to the brexiteers at Westminster, but I’m not convinced it would necessarily turn the world upside down either. The EU were worse than useless on Catalonia – although I accept those were different times and things have moved on.

I’m just saying we shouldn’t expect the international community to bend over backwards and do things they’ve never done in the past just to accommodate particular Scottish circumstances. Scotland isn’t Kosovo or some other situation where there has been a war, or ethnic cleansing. The international community and international law (such as it is) has never really faced up to the minutiae of what to do in a situation like Quebec, Catalonia or Scotland: they’d really rather not deal with it at all, but if they have to due to events, they’ll err on the side of caution, precedent and not making it easy for us at all.

That *might* change due to the kind of circumstances you sketch out, but I wouldn’t want to depend on it. The easiest way to ensure fast and general – if not automatic – international recognition is to ensure a convincing victory in a referendum or plebiscitary elections, in response to a clear mandate being sought. The co-operation of the “metropolitan” state, whilst not required, will also make things far easier as our Catalan friends found out in 2017. That’s why so many of them were envious of how easy Scots had it in 2014, and how incredulous they were we voted No.

Russia is hardly an honest broker in terms of self determination as the Chechens and many other oppressed minorities within the Russian Federation will no doubt attest. The countries who have issues of their own with people seeking self determination are generally those who oppose the secession of other states like Kosovo.

Republicofscotland

“The international community would be most unlikely to recognise a declaration of independence in case like Scotland, Catalonia or Quebec”

Agent Ellis.

Utter bollocks, Scotland has a long history as an independent nation unlike the others you mention, we’d be returning to that status not starting out as a new country.

The dissolving of this union is in our hands its for us to decide not for Westminster to say when and where or not at all.

If we can get that treacherous b*stard Sturgeon out of office, and someone in as FM who actually wants Scotland to return to its stand alone status, then I see no reason why we cannot proceed with an indyref.

Republicofscotland

Antoine Bisset @4.01pm.

I’m well aware of that, and that’s why I said in my comment we need her out.

Andy Ellis

@Putin’s Poodle 5.27 pm

The international community doesn’t give a toss whether Scotland was independent and the others were not. A large number of current UN members have no history of ever being independent, including many currently in NATO and the EU. International institutions, international law and the members of the UN that we need to recognise our independence aren’t simply going to accept UDI or any process that we unilaterally declare.

The Declaration of Arbroath, Claims of Right and the Treaties of Union are just colourful history to all but a small minority of (generally ill informed) monomaniacs in here. If there were legal or constitutional short cuts to independence recognised by the international community better minds than the sad inadequates in here would have been breaking down the doors to let us in on the easy route that they’d discovered.

Of course little better can be expected from someone cheer leading for the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, and who fluffs professionally for his Russian masters as they seek to extinguish the independence of Ukraine.

Chas

The general consensus amongst posters seems to be that Sturgeon has to go before change and any possibility of Independence occurs. I have been saying this for a long time.
The question has to be asked ‘who will deliver this? as clearly it will not be Sturgeon.
Rightly or wrongly, in the eyes and minds of many, Alex Salmond is tainted. I doubt if he can overcome this although I wish him well. I have no idea when he will have his day in Court against his conspirators but, the only thing certain in a Court of Law is that everything is uncertain.
The media, with the full backing of the Establishment (Scottish and British) will fight tooth and nail to the retain the status quo. The only outlet in the Independence corner appears to be the National. In reality this publication is simply a comic and is more concerned with supporting Sturgeon and the SNP rather than furthering the cause of Independence.
When Sturgeon departs the SNP will fold very rapidly and hopefully Alba or another Party, possibly one not even formed as yet, will fill the vacuum. Rest assured somebody will.
There is still lots to play for In Scotland.

robertkknight

The only logical conclusion to be drawn is that Sturgeon is a creature of the British State…

“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” ~ Arthur Conan Doyle, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.

twathater

@ Mike Fenwick , The declaration of a SOVEREIGN SCOT which you have worked so hard on should be taken up and adopted by ALL the independence supporting parties AND the SSRG , there would have to be a website set up that EDUCATED the people to what sovereignty actually means to the individual Scottish citizen , that website could host the forms that you have previously alluded to Mike which you said was HACKED

WOULD INDY Scot news and the BB prism show be interested in a broadcast to inform people what the DECLARATION OF A SOVEREIGN SCOT actually means and how it could be utilised to OPPOSE AND CONFRONT ANY LEGISLATION IMPOSED BY WM

If WM are indeed intent on producing laws and policies to circumvent any move towards independence in the TOTAL ABSENCE of any meaningful moves by the SG to stop them , then the absolute will of the DECLARED SOVEREIGN SCOTS should be enough to STOP or DEFEAT any laws or policies that WM tries to impose

As yourself Mike , Breeks , Alf Baird, Sara Salyers , Lorncal ,and many more contributors to indy blogs have repeatedly insisted SCOTS SOVEREIGNTY TRUMPS ALL , we HAVE to make it happen , ALL indy blogs and parties HAVE TO ENDORSE AND PROMOTE “THE DECLARATION OF A SOVEREIGN SCOT” where ordinary SCOTS TAKE BACK CONTROL

Andy Ellis

@Chas 6.13 pm

Even if the SNP membership find a backbone and get rid of Sturgeon and her team, I think it’s likely we – the indy movement as a whole I mean – will still have to deal with them as a party. I can’t see them suddenly folding altogether, or being wiped out the way Sinn Fein did to the IPP in Ireland a century ago.

If the #indyref2 route to independence is frustrated and plebiscitary elections become “a thing” then in the end it doesn’t matter who the pro-independence parties are, or who leads them, the movement just has to make sure that all of them are signed up solidly to the principle that a vote for them HR2026 means they support a declaration of independence if all those parties gain 50% +1 of the votes cast. Obviously the current SNP will never agree to that, so either they have to be converted, or marginalised to the extent they don’t matter any more.

Of course it’s always possible that something more dramatic will happen as Alex Salmond was right to say a few weeks ago….but I don’t think we should bet the farm on it. If we miss the chance of making HR2026 plebiscitary, we could be in for a pretty long wait for any of the “alternative” routes being posited coming anywhere close to delivering independence.

Republicofscotland

“The international community doesn’t give a toss whether Scotland was independent and the others were not.”

Agent Ellis.

How the f*ck would you know, what the international community is thinking, you’re just a Chinthe button pusher, you can voice your opinion but that’s all it is.

“A large number of current UN members have no history of ever being independent, including many currently in NATO and the EU.”

Yet they are now independent countries, do you think their leaders took the dumbass outlook that you have on deciding to becoming independent and worrying if certain countries around the globe didn’t recognise them as independent or not, you’re the kind of concerned Chinthe that ultimately thinks borders are immutable.

“The Declaration of Arbroath, Claims of Right and the Treaties of Union are just colourful history”

The Declaration of Abroath isn’t colourful history, its an important part of Scottish history that means something. Do you think the Great Satan (US) thinks its declaration is just colourful history, the Claims of Right are important as well the English parliament can amend the Act of Union as much as it wants to keep Scotland tied tight with its Gordian Knot, but like Alexander’s sword we the people of Scotland can and will cut that knot when Sturgeon is finally unmasked for what she is.

As for the Nazi infested Ukraine that ceased to be a democracy in 2014 after the Great Satan’s coup, Nato/EU and the head of the snake the Great Satan will lose, but we in the West will suffer economically for it. The great Satan’s war on Russia will cost Western citizens a fortune.

Scot Finlayson

Said by Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham , founder of SNP, in 1930,

“The enemies of Scottish Nationalism are not the English for they were ever a great and generous folk, quick to respond when justice calls. Our real enemies are among us, born without imagination.”

Nicola`s legacy will not be bringing independence to Scotland but in allowing men to invade woman`s safe spaces and the woman to be prosecuted if they object.

Republicofscotland

“SCOTS SOVEREIGNTY TRUMPS ALL”

Twathater.

Correct!

However the scales need to drop from the eyes of those who believe that somehow Westminster has any say on it, they don’t, what’s just as important is maneuvering a strong willed indy minded person into the FM’s position.

Sturgeon will not budge from her S30 route that is 100% a dead end and she knows it we need her out pronto.

John Main

Republic

Awa and get a good nicht’s sleep.

You’ll be cheering yersel hoarse the morn.

Victory day in Moscow. Who needs Alba success when you have Holy Mother Russia to celebrate, eh Republic?

Republicofscotland

“Victory day in Moscow. Who needs Alba success when you have Holy Mother Russia to celebrate, eh Republic?”

Main.

At least the Russians know when to defend their country, if Scottish independence was left up to pretendy Scots like you and Agent Ellis, we’ll be stuck in this rancid union forever.

wullie

Does Nicla do mothers day

Chas

I stupidly went against my own advice and started to read a post from Scum 1 (RoS).
Can you imagine any Independence supporter, totally disgruntled with Sturgeon and the SNP, coming on to Wings looking for some comfort and hope. A quick look at Scum’s post and an even quicker departure never to return.
If only he/she/it would go and play on the motorway.

Chas

Andy Ellis

ALL political Parties need a leader. Someone to inspire, cajole and convince the troops when doubt arises. Someone who people can trust and follow. An individual who has life/work experience and humility. A person who can listen, learn from others but be resolute in their actions. Above all someone who can deliver.
Can you see that individual in Scotland today?
I can’t.

Ruby

Chas says:
8 May, 2022 at 7:20 pm

Andy Ellis

ALL political Parties need a leader. Someone to inspire, cajole and convince the troops when doubt arises. Someone who people can trust and follow. An individual who has life/work experience and humility. A person who can listen, learn from others but be resolute in their actions. Above all someone who can deliver.
Can you see that individual in Scotland today?
I can’t.

OK Chas what do you suggest we do? Should we just lie back and think of England?

Ruby

wullie says:
8 May, 2022 at 7:01 pm

Does Nicla do mothers day

Don’t be silly Wullie! Sturgeon does ‘Womb Havers’ day.

Republicofscotland

“I stupidly went against my own advice and started to read a post from Scum 1 (RoS).”

Chas.

I’ve read some of your dumbass Chinthe comments, and you are too stupid to take or listen to advice, unless of course the advice emanates from from toilet bowl dwellers such as Nick Carter.

You care about Scottish independence as much as I care about the opinions of Main, Ellis and yourself.

Ruby

Chas says:
8 May, 2022 at 7:05 pm

I stupidly went against my own advice and started to read a post from Scum 1 (RoS).

Do you have these voices in your head one saying ‘Dont read these posts by ROS’ and the other saying’ Oh go ahead read them’ Which voice told you you should them post about your reaction to the post that voice no 1 said ‘ Don’t read!’
Do you possibly have a third voice?

How were things at the DGC today. Did any of the boys have a hot flush?

Republicofscotland

Ruby @ 7.55pm..

Ha, ha nice one, you’ve got your work cut out trying to psychoanalyse that one.

Ruby

FFS are the three dinosaurs on here ‘Womb Haver Fucking’ insensitive bigots?

It’s ‘Holy Womb Haver Russia Day’!

John Main

Republic

Thank f*ck Thursday was a non-event eh?

You can get back to doing what you do best, ripping the shit out of other free, independent nations, while the rest of the world looks on in slack-jawed incredulity and asks itself: “this is the Scots Indy movement?”.

But to be serious for a mo. Commiserations, Republic, for tomorrow. In your perfect world, you would have been raising your glass to the annihilation of the free country of Ukraine, and the enslavement of those Ukrainians not fortunate enough to have fled from their Russian “liberators”.

Oh well, I will be remembering your sorrow and disappointment tomorrow, and wishing you many, many more long, bitter years of it.

Sláva Ukrayíni!

John Main

Hey Ruby,

Why do you spend so much time responding to posts you claim you don’t read?

Haud oan. You won’t be able to answer this, will you?

I wonder if we will ever know the answer, or even if we will ever care.

Andy Ellis

@Chas 7.02 pm

Not particularly no. I suppose I can’t actually see the need – at least not necessarily – for there to be a Great Dear Leader figure. That hasn’t worked out so well for us up until now. I don’t think we’re particularly well served in terms of political leadership. Even if the SNP give Imelda the boot, who do they have to replace her? Would they co-operate with Alba and commit themselves to plebiscitary elections? Maybe…I just don’t know.

Either pro-independence parties will co-operate for plebiscitary elections or I guess we’re stuck with some other route. Perhaps these alternative routes to indy will throw up some charismatic figure to lead the indy movement towards the Constitutional Convention or Assembly or whatever it is they have planned…?

Ruby

John Main says:
8 May, 2022 at 8:16 pm

Republic

Thank f*ck Thursday was a non-event eh?

How do you pronounce f*ck? Fasterisck?

That’s ‘Womb Haver Fasteriscking’ highly inventive!

One to use in front of the children.

Ruby

John Main says:
8 May, 2022 at 8:24 pm

Hey Ruby,

Why do you spend so much time responding to posts you claim you don’t read?

Haud oan. You won’t be able to answer this, will you?

I wonder if we will ever know the answer, or even if we will ever care.

Oh yes you care otherwise you wouldn’t have asked.

This week I am living as a woman last week when I claimed not to read your shite I was living as a man.

Men I believe never change their mind whereas women do and they also like to read shite.
It’s your lucky week!

Oh & also a high pitched woman’s voice in my head said ‘Go on read his shite it would be unkind not to.’

PacMan

I know I am being a bit too optimistic to the point where I could be accused of naivety but I don’t think we should be as downhearted towards Thursdays result.

With the continuing cost of living crisis and the oncoming economic blow back from Ukraine, it is going to be really tough living in the UK.

While this won’t necessary influence Scots towards the idea of independence but can the unionists continue to use the economic arguments of union in such an environment?

It is possible that the argument could move on from simple day to day economics to who has the best solution to get out of this mess. This approach is beyond the abilities of the SNP to handle but it is where Alba and other parts of the independence movement could step in and provide a positive economic case for independence.

Stepping away from that, we have to accept that even in a years time, the world is going to a different place from what it is now. That means different arguments will be needed, similar to what I had previously mentioned.

While the majority of the coverage of the military situation in the Ukraine war, there hasn’t been much on the economic side.

There will be focus in the coming weeks about whether European countries will pay for Russian gas and oil in Rubles, it shouldn’t be underestimated how jittery other countries are about having to do international trade in US dollars and afraid they will become a future victims of US foreign policy.

It’s going to mean that in the near future there will be gradual move away from the USD as the currency of international trade and the fragmentation of the global economy where individual countries will trade in other currencies.

This is an opportunity for the independence movement to frame the proposed iScottish currency in the context of this. It is an example of the change circumstances that will may well be living in the coming years and if done properly, is something that could be a strong and powerful argument where a small, agile country like Scotland could thrive rather than being in the cumbersome UK where economic priorities are geared towards keeping the current Westminster government elected.

PacMan

With my previous comment, I know that using Rubles for energy will be only a temporary measure to help the Russian economy but it could well kickstart the move away from the USD as the international trade currency as I had previously mentioned.

I had come across a few articles about this in the past month but had forgotten to bookmark them. I’ve done a quick internet search and found one, although not as in-depth as the ones I had came across.

link to thewire.in

As I mentioned, if the world economy goes this way, could it strengthen the economic argument on an Independent Scotland?

Effigy

Tweet@brawnjurno

Steph Brawn

Claims a poll shows 55% in favour of an Indy Referendum?

Effigy

Brillo Heidi’s new show allowed him to tickle Reese Mogg’s tummy with
questions designed to support a Tory Party political broadcast.

Recycled propaganda show for Brillo

Robert Hughes

ROS

” The Declaration of Abroath isn’t colourful history, its an important part of Scottish history that means something. Do you think the Great Satan (US) thinks its declaration is just colourful history ….”

Indeed .

U.S D.o.I is held in something approaching reverence by * most * Americans and still resonates strongly in their collective consciousness ; but somehow our much earlier prototype – a formulation of words and ideas that echoes and sings it’s message of , yes , Independence through the centuries , is considered a valueless anachronism : by some , too many .

So let’s just keep planning on the NEXT * significant * date . Which one is it now ? Oh right , 2024 G.E , aye that’ll be the big one , the Great Breakthrough . If not ? ah ! then there’s the 2026 S.E , that SURELY will be THE ONE . If not ?

People who make the ( reasonable ) point that it took the SNP however many years to achieve mass support are overlooking one serious , critical difference : during those wilderness years Scotland as a nation was not under threat in the way it most assuredly is now , from * seismic * demographic shift , falling birth rates , indigenous emigration and an Britglish State absolutely determined to prevent Scottish Independence .

WE DON’T HAVE TIME .

For fuckn about with Parties/Personalities/Plebiscites and * jam the morra * wishful thinking

If we don’t start using what we DO have I strongly believe we’ll be reduced to a * colourful * ( Rainbow Tartan ) region of North Britain .

Oh we’ll still be allowed to call our patch ” Scotland ” .

But SCOTTISHNESS will be reduced to folk memory status

Dorothy Devine

Robert you are correct – oppressed , depressed ,repressed and suppressed .Scots the equivalent of Native Americans used as tourist attractions otherwise castigated and abused. Thanks to the current SNP and all those who sail on her.

Ottomanboi

Scotland is not Kosovo, Scotland is not Québec, Scotland is not Catalunya…..when will that Brit exceptionalism be binned and a sense of Scotland’s current status finally dawn.
There is much to be learned from others experiences. Scotland is not unique in being treated like a ball in a game of power pingpong or being led by donkeys. Scots ought to be incandescent with anger and rage at those who facilitate such games and feed the donkeys.
No need to look further than those who extoll the virtues of a Western Alliance…keeping America safe and everyone else in thrall…..oh la la!

Antoine Bisset

Robert Hughes says:
…and he is right.
Tourist routes and not modern roads. Blocked by gawking outlanders while locals struggle to get to work. And the rest.

Ruby

Dorothy Devine says:
9 May, 2022 at 8:03 am

Robert you are correct – oppressed , depressed ,repressed and suppressed .Scots the equivalent of Native Americans used as tourist attractions otherwise castigated and abused. Thanks to the current SNP and all those who sail on her.

Agreed. Glad you said ‘SNP and all those who sail on her’ it’s not just Nicola Sturgeon who is the problem it’s ever SNP politician.

Sturgeon likes the idea of Scots as tourist attraction she’s happy to put on the bloody racist ‘See you Jimmy Hat’ and go out of her way to get a visitor a can of ‘Irn-Bru’.

Native Americans & Scots same problem with alcohol & drugs?

Johnny

PacMan @ 850pm:

They shouldn’t be able to but they will just argue that “it’s worldwide, and it would be even worse if Scotland went alone” and the more timid would believe that, as they have done in the past, as that’s just in some folks’ basic psychology.

Ruby

link to tinyurl.com

Just incase you missed the photo of the First Minister of Scotland joining tourists ridiculing Scots.

Does England have anything equivalent to the ‘See You Jimmy’ hat?

I expect Wales & Ireland does. Any photos of FMs of other UK nations wearing the equvalent to the ‘See You Jimmy Hat’

Dorothy Devine

Exactly so Ruby , Scotland is in a sorrier state than ever.

Republicofscotland

George Kerevan, not sure of which direction Alba should take now.

“But wait a minute? The SNP membership voted for a publicly owned energy corporation. The FM duly binned that idea and took it out of last year’s Holyrood election manifesto. Response from the SNP membership?: Zero. Clearly if the SNP won’t fight to own our national resources today, can we really believe they will after indy? Which suggests we need to create as broad a coalition as possible right now to demand the SNP government takes action to protect the living standards of ordinary Scots.

Can Alba play a role in such a campaign? Alas I fear that Alba’s future is deeply uncertain. Salmond greeted Thursday’s defeat with a call to double down and prepare for the next electoral contest – a UK General Election in 2024.”

link to 12ft.io

Ottomanboi

Some dosh, a Norwegian, a Ukrainian, some Brits and shenanigans at the UN.
link to archive.ph

Ruby

link to archive.ph

‘Nicola Sturgeon ridiculed for Irn Bru stunt with American Democrat AOC’

Rightly so!

I expect she would have run as fast as she could in her tartan high heels to the chippy if Biden had asked for a deep fried mars bar.

My theme for today is looking for politicians representing their countries wearing the equivalent of the ‘See You Jimmy’ hat or presenting a visitor with the equivalent of a can of irn-bru?

Ottomanboi

REPUBLIC OF SCOTLAND.
Prepare for an autumn Ukanian election. Wave of patriotism and jingoism will conveniently wash up in october. Later than that and the tanking economy will hit Johnson at the polls.

Andy Ellis

@Ottomanboi 9.28 am

I hae ma doots about an autumn election after the gubbing the Tories took in the local elections? They’d be much more likely to wait until after they’ve knifed Boris in the back surely..?

It did strike me after the discussions last night about “the way forward” for the independence movement as a whole, that if all the pro indy parties did commit themselves to making every future Westminster and Holyrood plebiscitary, it’d certainly give British nationalists pause for thought before that called snap elections?

I still can’t see how those proposing alternative routes to indy other than a referendum or plebiscitary elections imagine they are going to stand up a campaign and persuade a majority to support their cunning plan in a timescale that is any shorter than Westminster GE in 2024 or Holyrood in 2026.

Republicofscotland

Looks like in my home town of Glasgow that the SNP and Greens run the council.

Meanwhile the SNP at Glasgow city council has stopped giving folk in homeless accommodation an evening meal.

Looking at Susan Aitken, I’m pretty sure she has ample evening meals.

“The operators of a soup kitchen in Glasgow city centre said they have noticed an increase in homeless people attending in the last week.

Colin McInnes, of Homeless Project Scotland, said: “We are concerned for people’s welfare, when they can’t afford a hot meal. These are people who can’t afford to buy food and the council is taking it away from them.””

“Glasgow City Council has a legal duty under section 29 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 to provide emergency accommodation to those it believes are homeless and which the council must pay for in order to provide emergency homelessness provision as and when required.”

link to 12ft.io

Republicofscotland

“Prepare for an autumn Ukanian election.”

Ottomanboi.

I wonder how that will work with Ukraine no longer being a democracy, the 2014 coup by the Great Satan has left a puppet regime guided by the US POTUS.

Ukraine is now a an oppressive fascist like state with the Ukrainian Gestapo the SBU hunting anyone down who speaks out.

Ottomanboi

ANDY ELLIS
Get rid of Johnson and then what? A Tory equivalent of Starmer? Gove? Sunak? I doubt the grandees of the establishment would be so rash. Johnson is a showman, for that alone many actually like him. Give him a jingoistic brief, already on the table, and he’ll do his fake churchillian act and pull the faithful back in. He is no fool and neither is the establishment.
There’ll always be an England, all that matters really.
Scotland, well, few in England actually care, until politics gets rough that is. I wish….

Andy Ellis

@Ottomanboi 10.17 am

I doubt many in Scotland care. The Tory party will ditch BoJo the clown in a millisecond if they think he’s losing them votes, just like they jettisoned the Leaderene Thatcher when she became a liability. To an extent you’re right that few ordinary English voters know anything about Scotland and they care even less. They would be exercised about the thought of the SNP or any other Scottish party I suspect being able to hold the balance of power at Westminster.

Whether politics gets rough enough for your tastes remains to be seen. Things could change quickly of course, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Folk are prone to look for stability and safety in times of trouble. The bovine lack of response from Scottish electors to outrages like being wrenched out of the EU, the most inept Tory government in living memory and the mishandling of Covid, hardly suggests a populace on the point of taking radical action or ditching current routes to independence in favour of some pie in the sky cunning plan.

Westminster shouldn’t be our focus anyway: it’s a constitutional dead end for Scottish independence. The movement would be better placed relying in the short term on pushing for a plebiscitary mandate based on Holyrood 2026. It that doesn’t happen we’re in for a much longer haul. None of the novel plans being floated have a realistic chance of producing results faster than 2026.

Alf Baird

Robert Hughes @ 7:31 am

“WE DON’T HAVE TIME”

Yes Robert, and the long-delayed census, if it is ever completed or published, will confirm that “WE DON’T HAVE TIME”. In colonialism the nation is always in the process of withering away, and ultimately perishing; hence the real danger of allowing SNP delay to continue.

Ruby @ 8.48
“‘See you Jimmy Hat’ and go out of her way to get a visitor a can of ‘Irn-Bru’. Native Americans & Scots same problem with alcohol & drugs?”

As we see, colonialism depends mainly on continued debasement of native culture. Colonial racism is built from three major ideological components: “one, the gulf between the culture of the colonialist and the colonized; two, the exploitation of these differences for the benefit of the colonialist; three, the use of these supposed differences as standards of absolute fact” (Albert Memmi)

link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com

Andy Ellis

Oooft….Kevin McKenna shoots and doesn’t miss in the Herald:

“The professional SNP is a vicious and pitiless organisation which proceeds on a ruthless system of patronage. They have disfigured what was once an optimistic and celebratory venture and damaged the overall cause of independence. It’s possible to revile this party and yet remain faithful to self-determination.“

PacMan

Johnny says:9 May, 2022 at 9:01 am

PacMan @ 850pm:

They shouldn’t be able to but they will just argue that “it’s worldwide, and it would be even worse if Scotland went alone” and the more timid would believe that, as they have done in the past, as that’s just in some folks’ basic psychology.

Yeah probably. As I said optimism bordering almost on naivety on my part 🙂

Anyway, when the merde really hits the fan, I’m sure they’ll send in the Marines and that’ll sort everything out.

James Che.

Alf baird.

Some times It is up to the Scots themselves, to judge wether they have been treated in fairness as equal human beings,
Never mind being treated equally in the treaty of the union.
When we learn of the cheats and scams played on the Scots nation over time,

Such as info hidden from the Scots in a buried McCrone report….

We may think that was a terrible blotch on the british parliament acting solely as a english colonial parliament.

Except that was not the first monstarous colonial act on the Scottish nation.
Some other highlights are in history,

England parliament setting up of maritime laws and courts in Scotland PRIOR to ratification of the Articles of the treaty of the union, so it would look like a Scots law to be incorporated into the treaty of the union, rather than English law in Scotland meant that england’s laws would control the Scots after the treaty.
Again information to be hidden from the Scottish nation.

That the crown and england’s parliament chose both sides of the commissioners to take Scotland into a one sided treaty.

That the parliament of England and the crown knew in advance NOT to hold an election in Scotland on joining the treaty of the union because the Scots would not vote in favour of it.

It is easy to observe a colonial mindset at work from england.
That the people of Scotland should be treated unfairly, cheated and controlled out of their land, their country, their sea waters, their resources,
From before the treaty, to the McCrones report and to tony blair altering our maritime borders.

Now they tell the Scottish nation we have no right to self determination, to a claim of right, that the English parliament, that continued as before the treaty will say when Scotland, its people, nation and country will be released from bondage.

.

Mark Boyle

I see Peter Bellend is once again posting his entire blog pieces on the comments sections of other people’s newspapers. Still, as said paper only has 4000 actual readers, suppose every little helps.

sarah

New routes to creating media that will get out the facts around our existing rights to establish our statehood – and to tell the truth abut the current SNP’s stranglehold:

1. A “Metro”-like free newspaper. We just need a billionaire supporter to fund it – just as the Metro does.

2. Pirate radio. Presumably not costly.

3. Pirate or safely based in Ireland/Isle of Man TV station.

Or someone wealthy enough to tempt M/s Sturgeon and Murrell away from the current gravy train…

That is all I can think of right now. Number 2 looks the quickest and easiest – as a previous SNP party leader did [in the 1990’s was it?].

Ottomanboi

ANDYELLIS.
Westminster cannot be ignored for that is where the de facto «power» resides. As long as Scots occupy their appointed seats in the place they acknowledge that fact and that what happens their matters.
The semiotics of that SNP presence will not go gleefully unrecognized by Johnson. If the roles were reversed I doubt whether he would be so compliant. But then he doesn’t think like a provincial lawyer, he thinks like a buccaneer for whom pettyfogging detail at the expense of the greater purpose is of no concern.
A devil may care buccaneer at the wheel of the vessel «Independence» might be worth a punt, after all what exactly is there to lose?
To challenge your adversary first begin to think like your adversary.
Too Machiavellian?

PacMan

Just going a bit off-topic on the subject of ethnicity.

I recently came across an article about an individual called R.U. Sirius who is apparently very influential in the cyberpunk movement.

This Interview is a Mistake A Conversation with R.U. Sirius

I haven’t heard of him but this part of the article caught my eye:

I went to a very average New York state university in my late twenties, in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. There was no theory. And for a long time, I barely noticed the relationship between the rather thrilling intervention of radical sort-of post-Marxist theory-driven leftism and academia into my world. It came to me largely through a love of alternative printed materials that I could find at a local bookstore.

Around 1973, when I realized the wild youth revolution wasn’t going to be, you know, an actual political revolution, I became very obsessed with and interested in the art avant-garde, and the history of dada and surrealism and so forth. So I absorbed the whole theory thing from reading Village Voice and avant-garde culture magazines. I discovered Acker in a magazine called Impulse that ran bits of Blood and Guts in High School. I read Semiotext(e) religiously. That was probably the most explicit source for proper theory. Everything else sort of alluded to it.

So I guess I didn’t pay much attention to the authors’ bios. I didn’t think about the fact that they were pretty much all tenured professors – except maybe Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof – from elite academies spinning extreme theories from comfortable sinecures. I mean, not to dismiss too harshly. So much in theory has been inspiring and a joy to read; even if sometimes opaque, the language had a tangled sparkle that felt sort of occult – full of things to be puzzled out.

It may not have been until the days of High Frontiers that I focused on the fact that all this theory stuff came from the academy. Between Morgan Russell and myself, we would write stuff that sort of made fun of “curmudgeonly huffy French semioticians” and the like, while at the same time signalling, “Hey, us punks in the neo-psychedelic movement know this stuff, too.”

Now, I’m interested in how this complex difficult area of inquiry we can broadly call “cultural theory” or “critical theory” escaped from academia and stumbled into mainstream discourse – for better or worse. E.g., the nod towards high-end social justice rhetoric in advertising by the insurance company that used to empty out my bank account every month, or the similar messages I find now on my ATM. I mean, everything can be co-opted, so this can’t be full cause for dismissal. But I don’t think these outlets will be advertising free housing or healthcare anytime soon. As I wrote in some (as-yet unrecorded) lyrics:

They’ll give you all the representation you can eat/
But they won’t guarantee you a place to sleep.

I have to consider the possibility that, at some point after 1968, “theory” became a PsyOp to get the (affluent) left to de-emphasize class and war. Possible conspiracy aside, it can doubtless be viewed as functioning that way.

He sounds more like an ageing hippy than a wing nut daily mail reactionary type moaning about everything being woke but he get’s that there there is a problem with the so-called left immersing itself in identity politics.

In terms of “PhyOps”, it isn’t that too far of a stretch of the imagination. It is well know that Behaviour psychology was involved in the recent pandemic, the most obvious tactic was the seal clapping for the NHS which continued until the worst of the pandemic was over and the NHS wanted something in return in the form of a modest pay rise.

Identity politics, in it’s current form the Trans issue, is just a distraction for the middle class and once that this over, the next identity issue will be put to the forefront.

PacMan

@ Ottomanboi

With ‘provincial lawyer’, do you mean Nicola Sturgeon, the failed Solicitor who left the profession to go into politics before she would have been struck off?

Garavelli Princip

Alf Baird says:
8 May, 2022 at 12:01 pm
“The SNP’s aim over the past two years has been to destroy the independence movement”

“Yes, unfortunately, this is normally the role of the dominant National Party in any decolonization, which is a complex process according to postcolonial theory. ”

Indeed so Alf. The SNP are the Redmondites of the Scottish Independence movement.

Which means, de facto that they are no part of that Movement – rather they are part – and a very important part – of the anti-independence movement.

They are fulfilling the role of sequestering the movement and keeping it quiet by the use of empty promises – thus doing the work of the Brits for them.

Nicola will get her due reward – in fact she already is – with her and her “husband” on stratospheric incomes that the ordinary folk of Scotland can only dream of!

Thereafter – it will be Brussels or Washington.

robertkknight

A few comments on the Native American experience made me wince…

I recall being in a large US city and being spotted by a down-and-out whilst taking photos of buildings, as tourists tend to. “Hey man, take a photo of a real American Indian” he shouted. I didn’t accept his invitation, but thought later on that thanks to centuries of political, cultural, economic and ethnic/racial persecution, this was what a “real American Indian” had been reduced to.

Perhaps Boris will reward She/Her’s years of obedient subjugation by rebranding the Scottish Government the Bureau of Scottish Affairs. Somehow, given that to see a drunk in a kilt, shouting at a passing tourist to take a photo of “a real Scotsman”, wouldn’t feel out of place in either Edinburgh or Glasgow, it has a more appropriate feel to it than the term Scottish Government, don’t you think?

Confused

Well, Pacman – “DUH” – lots of people have been saying such things, and much stronger, for a long time, even here.

Any claimed “progressive” movement which leaves out the class element, is not progressive at all and can never be; ever wonder why corporations are all woke? And rich people? Because the “woke” themselves are achingly middle class and riddled with enormous “class privilege”. When you throw away class (or make it just one tiny slice of the cake, when it is 90%+ of it), then you cannot make a sensible politico-socio-economic analysis for it lacks the key element; race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sure it is all in there, but only secondary. The modern “left” (IT IS NOT!) have no programme or desire to change economic conditions – which makes them agents of the oligarchy; Woke/ID politics = the leftwing of neoliberalism.

The destruction of “socialist” politics is obvious, but the loss of nationalism from the SNP is another “victory” for them. There is a hidden class war within the independence movement, which no one seems to acknowledge.

Feminism, without a class basis, becomes “jobs for bored rich women” and dating opportunities for jewish lesbians; doesn’t do much for textile workers in bangladesh, but a yale educated wall st lawyer can “smash the glass ceiling”. And female fighter pilots, bombing brown people for empire; as long as the bombers and the bombed are gender-balanced, we are just fine.

Bad ideas originate in the unis, way back, and get taught to students and students students, before filtering down to the everyday; every govt and corporate bureaucracy is full of arts graduates, often fat women, who are steeped in gender/crt theory, in fact it is almost impossible to get an arts degree without doing these, by now, mandatory courses. They are all close to the levers of power and arranged in a powerful network, which makes them hard to fight.

twathater

There are endless comments about Scots sovereignty and how it could be used to move independence forward , Alf has explained the meaning of sovereignty and how it could defeat colonialism , Sara Salyers appearances on BB’s prism is lauded and applauded by ALMOST everyone with her exposure and encouragement in moving towards independence by challenging WM and our own betrayers through our COR and the damage and destruction it has had on the TREATY ,Breeks has been commenting on it since the dawn of time (joke) YET everyone IGNORES Mike Fenwick’s DECLARATION OF A SOVEREIGN SCOT

A declaration that could be instrumental in challenging EVERYTHING AGAINST independence , WM , SG , Sturgeon , tories , LIEbour, ALL it needs is publicity to encourage people to sign up and realise the power that they have and how they could use it aligned with indy bloggers , ALBA ,ISP ,and the WHOLE YES movement , but on here mehhhh

Breeks

sarah says:
9 May, 2022 at 12:49 pm

New routes to creating media that will get out the facts around our existing rights to establish our statehood – and to tell the truth abut the current SNP’s stranglehold:

Kenny MacAskill said something which resonated with me. Back in 2014, IF the YES Movement had motivated the disenfranchised people of Scotland, those not registered to vote, those disconnected from society and who have no faith in elected politicians, IF we had persuaded more of them to vote, YES would have romped to victory.

YES was only beginning to work in 2014, because it was introducing these folks to “hope”, and the effect was intoxicating. But it’s a slow engagement with a vast “bulk” of collective disillusionment, because so many people just aren’t interested. The cruel irony is that these folks with nothing are amongst those most likely to see their lives improved by Independence.

They don’t read newspapers, some don’t watch TV, and leaflets are simply junk mail than goes straight in the bin unread. I’m not talking druggies here, just ordinary people who feel powerless and they have no investment in their homeland.

The only contact a lot of these folks have is through social services and Councils, and they are used to people looking down their noses at them. Not all of them, but it’s not a pleasant experience being a Council tenant. You’re begrudged just about everything.

What YES had was positivity, and momentum, and an army of grassroots foot soldiers knocking on doors and engaging with them with optimism, and a realistic prospect of change. It was working, but we needed more “everything”, more people engaging, more people helping, … more time. Time ran out, but nothing else did.

“IF” we’re going to repeat the same strategy and secure Indy “democratically”, the 2013 / 2014 Campaign wasn’t long enough. I reckon 2 or 3 more months, and we’d have made it. I mean, maybe that’s just my imagination, but I didn’t feel we had peaked when suddenly, the vote was upon us. But Sturgeon’s Referendum in 2023? Please god, don’t let her do it. It isn’t going to work. She can’t manage a head count.

I truly, truly believe, that making these disenfranchised people aware of lawful and truncated route to Independence, as in FORMALLY disputing the Constitutional Sovereignty of Westminster, and asking these people to endorse a Constitutional initiative to “break” the Treaty of Union by legal Test Case, and follow it up with a ratification plebiscite later, well, I think we could do it.

The legal, Constitutional Test Case vindicating Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty is, I think, enough to throw the Treaty of Union into a chaos it cannot escape from. That will end the Treaty, but everything else will be vitally important as it’s backdrop, gravitas and momentum. There must be the presence of 3 million people felt in that courtroom…

I believe a People’s Constitutional Assembly must be set up, and it must initiate the dispute in Sovereignty at the UN and Council of Europe. I think then that a massive petition gets organised, say 3 million signatures, (that’s high, but don’t worry, Scottish kids are sovereign citizens from birth, and that’s unqualified by age. This isn’t a vote).

A Constitutional Assembly, a legal test case at the UN disputing the legality of Scotland’s unconstitutional and colonial Brexit, and a petition of 3+ million signatures declaring it’s desire to see Scotland’s lawful Sovereign Constitution upheld and recognised Internationally… Scotland’s Brexit was Unconstitutional and a breach of International Law… That’ll do it.

A vote like a referendum means winkling these reluctant folks out their shells and take part in something unfamiliar to them. That’s hard for some people. A petition takes the issue into their living room. They don’t have to sign it, but there’s nobody gets left behind.

I know a petition sounds lame, but I remember when the petition to stop Scotland’s Water being privatised. I had an Aunt who did a lot of petition and protest works her whole life long. “Normally”, it was hard work getting signiatures, people often wouldn’t answer the door, but with Water privatisation, people were running down their paths and hurdling the gate to get the petition signed. She’d never seen anything like it.

I believe Independence would capture a similar wind.

And yes, I absolutely would get Scotland’s kids to sign it. They have their whole lives invested in this. They have more right to sign it than the elderly.

Anyway, that’s where my thinking currently sits…

Republicofscotland

Ottomanboi @9.23am.

I forgot to add that the Ukrainian gestapo the SBU has created a kill list of those folk it sees as unfriendly, so far the fascist regime has over 187,000 names on the list of folk from Ukraine and other countries, that have spoke out about the regime and Nazism.

Doug

Each of us as individuals should start/restart/increase our visual support for independence by openly displaying pro-indy posters, stickers, badges, t-shirts, flags etc in order to shove it in the faces of Scotland-hating unionists, and, more importantly, also shove it in the faces of gutless, supposedly pro-indy politicians.

Shame the fearties.

Breeks

twathater says:
9 May, 2022 at 2:00 pm

A declaration that could be instrumental in challenging EVERYTHING AGAINST independence , WM , SG , Sturgeon , tories…

Yes. I agree.

Sturgeon has actually placed Holyrood on the wrong river bank, so the right Constitutional initiative could properly waltz right past the lot of them.

See above comment. 🙂

Tony Little

Tried posting a link on Twitter, but it appears to be blocking links to Wings.

So much for democracy

Republicofscotland

Sturgeon the betrayer to visit Washington DC next week, and meet with a think tank, no doubt the betrayer will reassure Biden that they’ll be indyref and that US nukes and subs will remain in Scotland for a long time yet.

I heard the betrayer mention on the radio with regards to abortion that anti-abortionists shouldn’t be demonstrating outside hospitals, that they should be demonstrating outside parliament.

Sturgeon via the SPCB put paid to that in Scotland after real women held a demo outside Holyrood with regards to the erosion of their rights. The women were loud and no doubt the betrayer heard them, a few days later the SPCB asked Westminster to give Holyrood the powers to stop demos outside OUR parliament.

What kind of independence party asks a foreign country for the powers to restricts it people from demonstrating outside their parliament. I think we all know the answer to that one.

link to 12ft.io

The think tank is the Brookings Institute.

Sponsored by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Democracy Fund, Koch family foundations, Lumina Foundation, Omidyar Network, Open Society Foundations, PepsiCo, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Rockefeller Foundation, Smith Richardson Foundation.

Enough said.

crazycat

@Republicofscotland at 2.21 and earlier

Ottomanboi said Ukanian general election, ie Westminster, not Ukrainian.

Republicofscotland

Sturgeon the betrayer doesn’t want the millionaire knight of the realm and Labour leader Keir Starmer to resign, basically the betrayer fears the domino effect, if Starmer resigns then Johnson who has done much worse ight well have resign as well, and then the onus might fall upon the betrayer to resign due her and her party’s machinations.

Mind you the new Lord Advocate looks like she’s a Sturgeon arselicker like the previous one, so don’t hold your breath.

link to 12ft.io

Mark Boyle

Doug says: 9 May, 2022 at 2:22 pm

Each of us as individuals should start/restart/increase our visual support for independence by openly displaying pro-indy posters, stickers, badges, t-shirts, flags etc in order to shove it in the faces of Scotland-hating unionists, and, more importantly, also shove it in the faces of gutless, supposedly pro-indy politicians.

Shame the fearties.

You’re missing the point.

Under the SNP under Sturgeon and her cronies, all things pro-independence have been prostituted into meaningless platitudes and fashionable baubles for those seeking advancement by first wanting to appear one of the “goodies”.

It’s all become as devoid of substance as “girl power” was thanks to the Spice Girls, “socialism” was thanks to Labour, and an almighty chunk of the dictionary thanks to Tony Blair!

And quite honestly, with Rangers in a European final there’s nothing you can shove into your average “Scotland hating unionist”‘s face right now that is going have the slightest effect, except maybe on yourself for ten seconds from a piece of pointless gesturism straight out of the Socialist Workers Party playbook.

But at the end of the day, the only ones you’d be helping are the very ones you want thwarted.

highseastim

It matters little what ALBA thinks, if they can’t get one single councillor, there’s absolutely no chance of ever getting a MSP.

Republicofscotland

“THE boss of Scottish Power has called on the UK Government to support households facing soaring energy bills in a stark warning that millions could fall into fuel poverty this winter.

Keith Anderson, chief executive of the energy giant, said Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s package of support – including what amounts to a cash loan to struggling families – was “nowhere near” enough to combat the scale of the cost of living crisis.

He told the BBC: “We need to be realistic about the gravity of the situation – around 40% of UK households, potentially 10 million homes, could be in fuel poverty this winter.””

Of course things could’ve been different in Scotland if Sturgeon the betrayer had held an indyref after Brexit and energy would’ve been in the hands of Holyrood and we could’ve help mitigate the coming energy tsunami that will devastate Scotland.

Sturgeon the treacherous b*stard could’ve even have told the energy companies during the wind giveaway recently for a pittance, that part of the deal would be for the to set up a nationalised energy firm to sell cheap power to Scots, but no the betrayer doesn’t give a toss about Scots or Scotland.

We’re going backwards under the betrayers tenure, and Scotland will continue to go into decline, and poverty will continue to rise until Sturgeon is removed from office, its all down hill until then.

link to 12ft.io

Republicofscotland

“The London home of Conservative peer Michelle Mone has been raided by police from National Crime Agency as part of a probe into allegations of multi-million pound PPE fraud. It’s everywhere except the BBC News.”

“THE BBC has refused to comment after being accused of a news “blackout” on a Conservative peer’s house being raided by police.”

It couldn’t happen to a nicer person, we can only hope that Sturgeon the betrayer is next on the Police list.

link to 12ft.io

Andy Ellis

@highseastim

I don’t think you can necessarily use the recent council elections as a prediction of where Alba might be in 2026 for Holyrood elections! It’s possible of course that Alba will not reach escape velocity and fail as so many have predicted. It’s also possible that when the SNP fail to deliver indyref2 and fail to make progress on anything also much, that there will be an appetite for change.

Minor parties have won MSPs with around 5% on list before. It wouldn’t exactly take a political earthquake for Alba to win enough MSPs to hold the balance of power: it’s not an outlandish aim, particularly if popular discontent with TRA extremists in the SNP and Greens grows and the economic situation worsens. The alternative is to depend on Sturgeon’s SNP actually delivering, or on the SNP membership chucking her and her unsavoury cabal out and reclaiming the party. Given those alternatives I’d say trying to get Alba in to a position of holding the balance of power is just as plausible an outcome, perhaps even more plausible!

sarah

@ Breeks at 2.15: “if we had motivated the disenfranchised in 2014 we would have romped home”.

Indeed – look at Dundee’s turnout and result. Eva Comrie said the same on Sunday’s Prism programme – it is the poorest who need independence most and they are the group who aren’t registered or don’t bother to vote as nothing changes. So all Yes people and parties need to get people on the electoral register and it needs to be an important issue that is up for vote.

But there is still a problem – the register is renewed yearly [?] and meanwhile people have changed address or are homeless. So the task is endless. It needs to be very well organised to solve this.

However your suggestion of a case being initiated at the UN could be useful in getting that wider attention and raising hopes sufficient to engage the people who are currently hope-less.

Ruby

link to tinyurl.com

“Native American Shuts Down Immigration Protest”

Ruby

link to archive.ph

Kevin McKenna: It’s possible to revile the SNP and still back independence

Breeks


sarah says:
9 May, 2022 at 4:36 pm

But there is still a problem – the register is renewed yearly [?] and meanwhile people have changed address or are homeless. So the task is endless. It needs to be very well organised to solve this.

I agree, but I wasn’t meaning a vote. I was thinking along the lines of the petition in the ’90s opposing plans to privatise Scottish water.

It caught the mood, massive participation and a figure of 98% opposition springs to mind. It really shook the Tories.

Forget about a hopelessly compromised Referendum run by a hopelessly compromised Sturgeon. Set up our People’s Convention, organise and time a BIG and well ordered petition, and seek a “sovereign” mandate by public petition to authorise and give backing to a Constitutional Test Case disputing the legality of Scotland’s Brexit subjugation.

Our Constitution, our franchise, our initiative.

Screw Westminster, and screw Holyrood. In fact, cite their efforts as political failures which compromised and sold out our democracy, cite their media monopoly as unfair colonial interference, and there you have perfect justification for pursuing a signed petition on our terms rather than a rigged vote on theirs.

Mark Boyle

Republicofscotland says:
9 May, 2022 at 3:20 pm

“The London home of Conservative peer Michelle Mone has been raided by police from National Crime Agency as part of a probe into allegations of multi-million pound PPE fraud. It’s everywhere except the BBC News.”

“THE BBC has refused to comment after being accused of a news “blackout” on a Conservative peer’s house being raided by police.”

It couldn’t happen to a nicer person, we can only hope that Sturgeon the betrayer is next on the Police list.

link to 12ft.io

Nice to see that The National now lifts its stories from Gransnet from A WEEK AGO.

link to gransnet.com

And for that matter Trendsmap:

link to trendsmap.com

The story was far from “buried” since it was in The Times, Daily Express, Scotsman and Mail as well as the “lefty” papers, only the BBC appears to have published it, then taken it quickly back down again.

Maybe if The National hired some proper journalists for once, instead of relying on student journalism course interns, they’d not be so behind events.

As was pointed out way back in 2017, the BBC seems strangely happy to allow its broadcasting services to be used by Mone for publicising her business interests:

link to mirror.co.uk

PacMan

For any chance of independence to happen, Sturgeon and her cabal need to be gone but as Mark Boyle said, she has totally tarnished the ‘independence’ brand so there may need to be a different approach to be taken.

It seems to be that the SNP has fallen into a routine of blaming everything on the Tories, vague utterances that all our problems will be solved by independence but only mentions the idea of getting independence just before every election but pursuses watered down versions of the neo-liberal policies that the Tories in Westminster are pursuing.

It does feel like the same throughout Western democracies where the so called left is arguing for the voting public to take a smack in the gub as it is better than getting a kick in the head from the right.

Maybe a better course is to continue attacking Sturgeon and the SNP’s performance in government rather than Sturgeon the person and her supposed political beliefs?

Ruby

I thought SNP 1 Alba 2 was an excellent idea

Why were the SNP so opposed to this?

Was it anything to do with money?

Obviously Alba & the SNP would attract the same members, donors etc. (except for those more interesting in GRA than in independence)

Did the SNP see Alba as a threat. Would that apply to all independence supporting parties?

Are the SNP just not team players? How is this going to work during any IndyRef campaign that we might have.

Ruby

I find it hard to reconcile all the jumping up and down cheering, air punching and claims of being big winners with the fact that only 40% turned out to vote in Edinburgh Central.

Do you think Edinburgh Central has a high % of disenfranchised?

SNP didn’t seem to be short of money for campaign material yet only 40% voted.

How much money does Alba have in comparison to the SNP?

James Che.

Breeks.
Alf Baird.

Marches was what increased the yes movement in 2014- 15-16.
People felt they were part of a bigger picture and very much included.
They had took personal action and felt they held influence in politics.

As to the rest of you’re commentary it is Something similar to what i posted a day or two ago.
Although i suggested we immediately suspend the treaty of the union while the whole lot of the treaty is under investigation, ( ie ) which parts had been reneged on, or altered. Since 1707,

Of coarse the claims of sovereignty by Westminster’s parliament would come under that investigation, and would stand in poor light against the Scottish Constitution and popular Sovereignty of the Scots on record.

A Scottish Sovereign peoples Assembly[ by its very Title] also backs our right to self determination of the Sovereign Scots.
Although i do wonder at the reluctance to use our sovereignty by some, to our advantage.

If it were in my hands,
I would initiate a need for a immediate response politically from the British government and the international EU and UN. As we have done it with peace and by the pen, not the sword.

I would produce a document stating ,
” we the independent Sovereign Scottish peoples Assembly are suspending the treaty of the union of 1707 ” for reveiw and investigation, until further notice.
Under the right to self determination as a nation of people.
Under our long standing claim of right that is in the international treaty of the union 1707,
And for the following.
Then give all the reasons for the suspension that we consider the treaty of the union has been altered beyond its original purpose, and articles broken,
and there are plenty, from the change and interference into Scots Law , including Scottish sovereignty and the Scottish Constitution, against British Parliament sovereignty Lord Coopers statements as recorded, are helpful here,
etc.

This would include suspending all present interaction with the Uk/ British civil servants in holyrude Parliament in Scotland. And the secretary of Scotland from westminsters administration.
It would be akin to a trial run at being independent with some leeway on getting organised for a independent country

How do we do it or what do we do after the document is sent recorded and received to the British Parliament and the international parliaments.
I presume we would not have long to wait from the EU, the UN, or from the British Parliament. For some response,

The peoples Assembly would have to consider beforehand how Scotland should and could continuing to function as a country, during this time period.
Being as the Barnett formula would also be Suspended, we should consider incoming revenues
from tourism, food, agriculture, forestry, fishing to keep Scotland fed. Industries to keep Scotland running. and
Land tax for Scottish revenues may be one alternative to the British council tax, anyone not paying or over due would automatically forfeit there land/ property as revenue taxes of non payment.
No exemptions, even for Councils, whom now are partly private co-operations in the main,

The tax should be established by measurement of acre a property/properties takes up,
Obviously A one bedroom flat land tax will not be the same as somebody that owns more than one country estate in Scotland,
Making a much fairer tax for the poor, disabled, the young, the pensioner and those whom can only afford small accommodations, etc.

Dan

@ James Che

A wee reminder of Graeme McCormick’s efforts with regard to the subject of Annual Ground Rent.

link to annualgroundrent.scot

sarah

@ Breeks at 5.46: “thinking of a petition – not a vote”.

OK, get it now!

Andy Ellis

So we’re going to achieve independence by raising a petition? That’s….ambitious.

How many signatures equal independence?

James Che.

Dan.

Thank you for the link and took time to read it.

There is a small flaw in both sets of land rent, my theory and AGR,

When revising my thoughts and AGR this still leaves Scotlands land in the hand’s of those can afford it.
The people i mentioned earlier above would never find the finances to buy the land that became available through this taxation system either.
This may still result in many Scots left out, while people from other countries buy up Scotland.

These taxation systems will probably fail Scottish Families who work hard on low wages.
There must be a new system of preference of help for Scottish families first no matter the age group.

Most Scots have left Scotland already due to not being able to afford to buy or live in Here. My son is one of them,

He now has four teenage sons all born in NZ, that would have been the next younger generation of Scots.
This is one of the reasons we have older population in Scotland.
Our youth cannot afford the land or property when it does come up for sale they are out bid.

This will still happen with second homes for those that can afford this.

Is there any solution for Scots to be able to reside in their own country, or will Scottish people as a race of people die out in their own nation?

McDuff

To the point as usual Rev.
Sturgeon has done nothing to further independence since she became leader other that react to events. She has destroyed the aspirations of a people and will be remembered as a ("Tractor" - Ed) to her country.
She disgusts me.

Dan

@ James Che

Graeme evolved his basic AGR concept which if I recall correctly initially was based on only raising an amount equal to the current revenues from the Westminster block grant, plus the amount raised in Scotland. But that combined amount was effectively still only enough for austerity level funding.
So the annual amount required to be raised was increased to provide more funding for services and investment, and also a UBI payment for all that was higher than current UK State pension.
This UBI element is an interesting addition as it alleviates through slight annual adjustments to the AGR rate, the issue with the current pension setup created by the ageing population / lower birth rate demographic changes with all that entails.

wull

THE MOANER MOANS

“I’m not dodgy, I’m a Baroness,
I’m not stodgy, I’m from Loch Ness:
They dredged me up, and made me Arty:
A Monster-Woman, in a monstrous Party.

“I’d made a fortune from sellin’ panties,
Then I made me over, till I looked fancy.
I cared no’ a whit aboot keepin’ the books:
That’s no’ whaur they luk, if you’ve got guid looks –

“Or seem to have: that’s quite sufficient
For Superficial Cameron and his Tory Co-efficient!
I had him in tow, an’ I towed him home:
‘Arise!’, so said he, ‘Sweet Baroness Moan!’

“Weel, I moaned an’ I groaned, an’ I mowed him doon –
He thocht himself great, did thon wee cloon!
An’ I let him think it, an’ I helped him oot
To gi’e Scottish independence, one hefty cloot!

“When there’s money to be made, wha’ cares aboot that?
Even they learned it, these new Scottish Nats,
Wha’ had their make-over when Salmond was gone
And they a’ bowed to Sturgeon, on whom they now fawn.

“She’s re-made them all, in her own spitting image,
Her Party re-fitting, barred up in its cage:
Independence and freedom to requirements now surplus:
Her beast she has tamed, to serve her own purpose.

“Her rod she’s rammed down, her flag all unfurled
To silence the members, now mugged and all Murrelled:
There’s nane can staun’ up, they’ve all been mowed down
The men all unstuck, unner thumb o’ her crown!

“The women invaded, by chromosome men,
Who’ll ride into their spaces, again and again,
Unhindered by law, they’ll can do as they please.
An’ no polis in Sco’lan’ will can ask them to leave!

“The fowk she’s deprived o’ their sovereign rights:
Her darkness descending, she snuffed out the lights
That lit up true Scots for centuries long –
Weakness unfettered o’erpower’d a’ the strong!

“She’s got them in thrall, an’ made them her slaves,
Dumbfounded them all, run through wi’ her glave,
Their leader became, and stole a’ o’ their clae’s,
Thir’Independence she murder’d, an’ sent tae its grave!

“I Moaned my part in makkin that happen.
A’ the wye tae the bank, I wis heartily laughin’!
I near bursted my sides, as I held ma heid high:
Ah’m affy proud, tae ha’e helped Sco’lan’ die!

“Sco’lan’, they say’s an accent o’ mind:
But wan that, fur me, I wid’ fair lea’ behind
If only I could. An’ I’ll keep on tryin’ …
Yet it’s still mair important that London keeps buyin’ …

“So, … Now back to Me!” says Baroness Moan!
“Bungs can’t be repaid – they arenae’ a loan!
I’m proud that I helped – to bring down all these Nats –
Let’s lay them to rest, ‘midst their internal spats,

“Deid in the watter, the job had been done:
So I searched out more money, in love with more fun.
I found all kind of ways, in Old London Town,
To stack it all up, … an’ swalley it down!

“Mr. Covid became my jolly old pal,
Made myself ready, was his lover-gal!
From him I did make a great Monster profit …
‘BUT WHERE IS THE LEDGER?’
“Come on, gerr off it!”

“That knock on the door! That impertinent question!
As if I’m a whore, not an important person!
How dare they accost me, in that rude voice of theirs?
Me – Baroness Moan – vile Plebs never spares!

“It required my response, in my former accent
Which aye-wayes comes back when ma min’ turns quite absent:
A guid aul’ Scots tongue is guid for a lashin’
They had better watch oot, ‘cos I’ll gi’e them a bashin’ …”

Her voice, from oot her … stang’yulated thrapple, cam
But wis it a goat, or was it a lamb?
Half-English an’ Hauf-Scots it sounded
As she upon the Polis rounded:

“Ledgers are for Nancy Boys,
Lea’ me alane, wi’ a’ ma Toys;
Whit Boris bunged me, it’s a’ mine!
Ah’m a Baroness, Ah don’t dae crime!

“You can’t come in here, you little plebs:
My mansion’s furr me – no’ for uniformed dregs!
Don’t you know who I am?” said Baroness Moan,
“I’m from the House of Lords, and this is my home!

“My home is my castle, I’m a Lady you know:
So get oot o’ ma a**-hole, an’ pi** aff an’ go!
Or I’ll get yeez a’ sacked, an’ locked up in the Nick
I’ve got pow’r tae castrate ye, ya bunch o’ wee **icks!”

So said the Lady, while losing control:
Her tongue went berserk as she got on a roll,
Then stappit! And pulled herself up, – tight -,
Determined to impose … all her Lady-like right:

“I cannot be charged! My bras are sae braw!
Ever sin’ Lang Syne, I’m above the Law!
So get ye gone, ye London Polis –
Or I’ll nick ye a’, wi’ my ain wee Boris!”

She slammed the door fast, but the Polis had warrant
Their feet were still faster, and in like a torrent
They sped quickly past her, into her mansion
To search for the evidence of that mighty ransom

Paid out to her, by Boris & Co
And Government darlings that she held in tow
For goods undelivered, service unrendered, …

… But whatever they found, will soon be surrendered

To whatever, in England, makes things disappear
That Establishment forces don’t want folk to hear!
If Sturgeon’s erasures were horribly blatant
England’s, more subtle, seem to be latent …

But they’re just the same, and still more effective:
Not rubbed out by COPFs, but more subtly deflected
By means you can’t see, or ever track down,
So that illusion of freedom – under the Crown –

Is maintained, and held high, so that all jolly good chaps
And their Baroness Ladies remain under wraps
Which help and protect them, give them cotton wool lives
Which save them from all things, save those nice silver knives

Which they sometimes, it’s true, stick in each other’s backs
But what does that matter if you’ve still got your sacks
Stuffed full of money? From where, no one knows …
And there’s no one to track it, wherever it goes … !

ESTABLISHMENT VOICE
Wee wounds in the back quickly heal, all the same:
Don’t worry about it, it’s only a game!
Not wielded in earnest, these knives – just for fun!
You’re part of the game, so you’re the right kind of bum:

You’ll keep all your money, at the end of the day
You’ve played the game – and that is your pay.
You stacked it all up, and it’s safe in your sack –
Ordinary tax-payers won’t get it back …

So, … please … , don’t you worry, you Baroness Moans
You Nicola Sturgeons, and other like clones:
You bold Peter Murrells, and SNP wallowers,
Fellow-troughers like you, our newest of followers!

You’ve done very well, deserve all you get,
For the rest of your lives, you need never fret!
We are the Old Things, and you are the New:
We look after ourselves, but we also like you!

You will be cared for, for you played your part:
Kept our Kingdom United, which is OUR work of art.
Come right away in! But please don’t forget! It’s OURS!
This UK, and ours, for all time, are all of its powers!

We’ll take out – and share out – from our wonderful store!
You will get plenty! … (But we will get more)!
Such are the rules for new fairies, and elves,
Who’ve joined in our circle, to seek their own selves.

You’re still near the edge, but at least you’ve got in:
It wasn’t so bad, was it, that first little sin?
Which pushed the door open, to let you get in!

Then prepare for the next one – for you pulled the trigger!
Run fully the race – you nice little fibber –
For Lying’s a habit: it gets bigger and bigger!

But not just a habit! NO! … Our circle’s chief skill!
Without it you won’t last! So, go for the kill!
Hone it, perfect it, Love and Embrace!
It’s in order to win it, that you entered this race!

Get better and better at the art of true-Lying
Ever more expert, get all of them buying
Into the Rubbish you tell them, these ridiculous fools:
Those outside our circle, for these are our tools

To tie them in knots, and empty their purses,
Fill their minds with our rot, rain down on them curses!
For We hate them all, though they think we’re their friends:
We suck up to them … To achieve our own ends!

STILL ESTABLISHMENT VOICE, PONDERING MORE SERIOUSLY

And now that you’re made it, enjoy this life well
‘Fore Auld Nick comes up, and drags you down to Hell …
A fate that awaits you … Unless out of his grip,
By lying still further, you give him the slip.

We think that you can’t: You’re still beginners –
Your skills won’t convince him that you are not sinners:
He’ll beat all your arguments, and drag you all down
Into that Sulphur-like-Lake, where with him you will drown!

He’s very intelligent, that Auld Yin – Beware!
Your skills need more honing, not to end in his Lair!
Become Uber Liars like us, so Expert We’re Great …
For We’ll still deceive him, and avoid that dread fate!

Our Best-Ever Lies, we’ll careful select …
His wild accusations we’ll parry, deflect …
We’ll match and we’ll beat him, at his very own game
For although he is like us, he’s not the same …

His cunning is huge, that Ancient Old Pest
But of all the world’s Liars, … We are the Best!
We’ll have Nick for breakfast, and after we’ve eaten
We’ll lie our way out, and reach Ultimate Freedom!

Our Inner Circle! It cannot be beaten
So all ye wee minions, shut up and listen.
We let you come in here, but your stay will be fleeting
Unless you obey us, in all of your sinning.

Our Orders just follow, We’re bigger than Nick…
…There now! A bone for you!…Don’t simper… Wee brick!
A pat on the head, … she calms down and smiles
She knows that the UK, is better – by miles!

AULD NICK’s REPLY
“They think they can match me! These old UK fools!
That they make up their own Lies, … When they are my tools!
Deceived by conceit, of their very own mind,
They think they can beat me with Lies they refined!

“As if the Father of Lies, of them all, I am not
Who has all of them tied up, so tight in my knot!
As if they’ve forgotten the source of their gree
Lies in one fact alone: that they’ve bowed down to me!

“Deceived by themselves, the whole point they have missed:
All Lies are all mine: it’s me that they’ve kissed!
I won’t let them go, I’ve got them tongue-tied:
They spout my very own Lies that I, to them, Lied!

FINAL WORD
Fleshed-out lies lack future time
Death’s vale arrives, and then, no Line
Of Spin can e’er Survive
The jaws of Hell that Open Up
For them that Helter-Skelter-downward lived
Wi’ De’il to sup
In Lies so brashly Brazen …
What can be said?
Except
the … Kyrie,
… Eleison!

wull

Second last verse, last line:
They spout out the Lies that I, to them, Lied!

Stoker

J Galt says on 8 May, 2022 at 12:59 pm: “I’m afraid I’m intelligent enough to realise that if Boris Johnson disappeared up his own arsehole tomorrow there would be another “Boris Johnson” along in a jiffy – perhaps an even worse “Boris Johnson”, in a skirt perhaps – Liz Truss anyone?

Or a so-called “Scottish” one with a white powdery substance on its nose.


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