This week Scottish Labour quietly abandoned their “biggest party forms the government” election campaign after it was comprehensively debunked by this site and, belatedly, the mainstream media. An alert reader reminded us this evening of how the party wasn’t always so attached to the rules.
Because back in 2007, when Labour was neither the biggest party nor the incumbent administration, it had a damn good try at forming the government anyway.
By now we imagine most readers have already seen the alleged leak of the Ashcroft polling results which aren’t due to be officially released until 11am today [EDIT 00.47am: out now], and which suggest some jaw-dropping SNP gains.
We’re not going to go off half-cocked until those have been confirmed, so instead here’s something sent in by an alert reader. It’s an extract from the autobiography of former Radio 1 DJ Liz Kershaw, and describes events around the funeral of Princess Diana. We think you’ll find it enlightening.
Since we’ve been talking about mad letters from Scottish Labour MPs today, we’re sharing this one with you too. We’ve been trying to make sense of it all evening.
We haven’t made any progress. It’s not just a simple accidental transposition of words, because if you switch “increased” and “decreased” around it’s still gibberish – why would the threat have decreased because of proliferation? If anyone can explain it, do drop us a line.
Alert readers may recall this baffling story from last month, in which we discovered that Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie hadn’t been able to think of any more pressing issues to occupy himself with than finding out how many times Scottish Government civil servants had accessed Wings Over Scotland in the six months leading up to the referendum.
So we were intrigued when we got an email from a viewer who just for fun had sent a Freedom of Information request to Holyrood and asked them the same question for the official Scottish and UK Liberal Democrats websites. The results are below.
Alert readers will know that we very often like to bring to your attention both Scottish Labour’s fondness for radically rewriting history and its frequent struggles with basic counting. Today, though, the North British branch office has spectacularly outdone itself and managed to pull off both at once. This is going to be hard to beat.
Above is an extract from the official record of today’s proceedings in the Scottish Parliament. And we can only applaud Rhoda Grant’s ambition.
Spartan 117 on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Indeed Hatey. Plenty of us would be pleased to see the end of both FollyRude and the plethora of local…” Sep 23, 08:25
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Make sure your wills are in order, folks. 450,000 to die in the next 6 months: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/sep/23/el-nino-450000-extra-deaths-six-months It seems a…” Sep 23, 08:19
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Plenty of Scots, including posters on Wings BTL, would like to see an end to the wee, pretendy, Scottish parly.…” Sep 23, 08:03
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Careful, Cynicus! If you believe they’re behind everything, then you don’t want to be broadcasting to the world that you’re…” Sep 23, 07:46
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Here you are again, Bilbo, just for your dug: “Link to one MSM article that says “the enemy is going…” Sep 23, 07:36
Minceheid on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Spartan 117 says: 22 September, 2026 at 9:05 pm Gordoom went Scorched Earth on the UK in a fit of…” Sep 23, 07:07
Willie on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “And meanwhile if I may change the dial what thoughts if any on the announcement that Mr Swinney is looking…” Sep 23, 03:11
Cynicus on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Thanks Fheargais. I was in Sleat a few days before the event but had to get home on the Monday…” Sep 23, 00:13
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “77 SUNSET STRIP – 1958 – TV Series – ABC www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QGvjXDIJ54” Sep 23, 00:07
Bilbo on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “A whole lot of comments and everybody and their dug sees that Hatey is talking mince but has too much…” Sep 22, 23:05
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: ““forgot to iron his shirt” That’s a mystery. In the pic I saw of him boarding the plane to fly…” Sep 22, 22:31
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “If you attach a vid of yourself singing “Imagine”, dressed in a fairtrade kaftan and recycled plastic shoes, you’re guaranteed…” Sep 22, 22:22
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “You got it, Stu. Your site, your rules.” Sep 22, 22:08
Southernbystander on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “True but calling social security ‘welfare’ is a relatively recent US import and in the UK is often used with…” Sep 22, 21:47
Mark Beggan on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “‘piece-rate’ That may well have worked under the colonial system. For your information we both meet the Rev’s representatives in…” Sep 22, 21:23
Mark Beggan on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “The Mayor of Britain looked like a sixth former getting reprimanded by the headmaster. He looked as if he was…” Sep 22, 21:10
Spartan 117 on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Gordoom went Scorched Earth on the UK in a fit of spiteful rage when the UK public didn’t like him,…” Sep 22, 21:05
Mark Beggan on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Please call the SNP on 0800 633 5432 if you have any queries about your donation.” Sep 22, 21:02
Onlooker on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “An anti-Sturgeon (in a roundabout way) petition some of you might get a wry chuckle out of. Sign and pass…” Sep 22, 20:57
Spartan 117 on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “United Federation of Planets? I’d sign up for that, happily. A utopia where conflict and want among mankind is eliminated…” Sep 22, 20:56
Spartan 117 on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “I think we all know who’s havering. It’s the one who keeps spam-posting all day, every day BTL. Gie it…” Sep 22, 20:47
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Wheesht! If that story gets out all the SNP-supporting Scots who think likewise will make her FM.” Sep 22, 19:40
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Ah, c’moan noo, Alf. Gie the boy a brek. Dave’s nae ganging tae ken fit “et al” means. An try…” Sep 22, 19:38
Mark Beggan on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Collete Stevenson thinks Braveheart was a fly on the wall documentary.” Sep 22, 18:56
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Man! The power of social media. For the very first time ever, I post “super sized turdberg of excrement” and…” Sep 22, 18:50
Alf Baird on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “Hatey et al are clearly on a ‘piece-rate’, Dave.” Sep 22, 18:47
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “As you were, folks. US-UK bromance is back on: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/sep/22/andy-burnham-donald-trump-un-general-assembly-uk-politics-latest-news” Sep 22, 18:43
Hatey McHateface on His Majesty’s Loyal Sabre: “You’re obviously unaware of my tech savviness, Bob. When I hit “Submit Comment” in reply to one of your posts,…” Sep 22, 18:41
