In so far as there’s any actual reasoning or hard data supporting the Scotsman’s front-page lead story today at all, it’s when the American pundit Nate Silver claims that “Historically, in any Yes or No vote in a referendum, it’s actually the No side that tends to grow over time, people tend not to default to changing the status quo.”
Shall we just check whether that does indeed “tend” to be true, readers?
We talk often of the “swarm of wasps” approach to debate that’s the main strategy of the No campaign. The guiding principle of it is to throw out so many dubious assertions, straw men and red herrings, all at once, that it’s all but impossible for your opponent to effectively counter all the different thrusts of the attack, like trying to swat wasps with a broken tennis racquet.
Tonight saw the launch of “Better Together Bathgate”, the No camp’s debut foray into our beloved hometown. The email advertising the event, sent out on the 15th of July, said “I hope to see you at the on 28th June” [sic], which might help to explain the rather sub-spectacular turnout of around 40 hardy souls from a town of 16,000.
Of that 40 or so, several (perhaps as many as a quarter) were dastardly pro-Yes spies. And we know that for certain, because one of them was ours.
In an extraordinary outburst on TV last night, “Better Together” campaign chairman Alistair Darling accused Alex Salmond of exaggerating the amount of extractable oil in the Scottish sector of the North Sea by 1,200%.
The former Chancellor (who we learned a few weeks ago thinks the population of Scotland is six million, creating an impressive 705,000 imaginary Scots) suggested that rather than the 24 billion barrels currently estimated by the oil industry – and commonly cited by the UK government – there were in fact just 2 billion barrels left.
It’s hard to know where to start on picking apart the torrent of misrepresentations, distortions and flat-out untruths that “Better Together” campaign director Blair McDougall was allowed to get away with in the space of a few short minutes during a rather powder-puff interview on last night’s Scotland Tonight.
So let’s just pick one at random and see how we get on.
If there’s one area where you really have to hand it to “Better Together”, it’s sheer shamelessness. Despite having been humiliatingly exposed for inflating attendance figures at their events by at least 100% twice on this site alone, to the great merriment of Yes campaigners, they just keep right on going without a hint of embarrassment.
We can’t help starting to wonder if this might all be one of those sort of “When I was going to St Ives…” trick riddle things. How many Darling Youth kids make 70?
Alert readers may recall the anti-independence “Better Together” campaign’s rather, shall we say, enthusiastic approach to statistics. Earlier today we noticed them excitedly tweeting “Head count just done! About 600 at the launch of #bettertogether Edinburgh!”, and wondered if they might have once again been so kind as to provide a picture for purposes of verification. And bless them, they had.
If you’re looking at that shot and thinking that it’s certainly full but doesn’t look much like “about 600” people, you’re not alone. So we did a quick bit of investigating.
We stumbled across this quite by accident yesterday. We think you’ll enjoy it.
The clip is from last year, and was aired on Canadian national news channel Sun News. Douglas Murray is a British writer who claims to be half-Scottish on account of unspecified links to Unionist breeding ground the Isle of Lewis, popular haunt of No-camp luminaries like Alistair Darling, virulent Labour anti-devolutionist Brian Wilson and controversial “Better Together” donor Ian Taylor.
Murray studied at Eton and Oxford and writes for august UK journals like the Spectator and Guardian, as well as appearing on numerous BBC political shows. For some reason, the Canadians consider him an expert on Scottish politics, qualified to inform and enlighten their viewers. See what you think.
We already know that the No camp has, shall we say, a bit of difficulty when it comes to basic arithmetic. But rarely do they demonstrate it so eagerly as they did last night.
We very much appreciate their helping to make our job easier.
(Our emphases.) That’s pretty clear, then – the No campaign will not accept money from “foreign donors”, but will take “up to £500” from people resident in the UK.
Neil Waugh on Vibecoding A Better World: “Hey Rev Looks like you got a shout-out in the Herald today. Without getting a mention, of course. With her…” Nov 9, 16:03
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““understand that your population and its inevitable and longstanding ‘demographic manipulation’ and ‘perishing culture’ under colonial rule is a matter…” Nov 9, 14:00
Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: “Heh! Spot the luddite philistine eh – there’s me going on about “leather effect” watch straps and dials when OF…” Nov 9, 13:41
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Liking it, CC. What about a moby app, monitoring your speech and texts in real time? Analysing for key indications…” Nov 9, 13:24
Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: ““Many Scots just need to look at the strangers hanging around their High Streets” ….and the need to better understand…” Nov 9, 13:16
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““discrediting just about everyone on Wings” Some on here seem unable to distinguish between Wings and Wings BTL. I feel…” Nov 9, 13:12
Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “A bizarre statement from Alf. Many of us don’t need to look to the media, state or “culture” for intellectual…” Nov 9, 13:04
Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: ““Jeezo, one day I’m the colonised, the next I’m the coloniser.” Maybe we could each wear a large “colonis-o-meter” dial…” Nov 9, 13:03
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “@ Aidan says: 9 November, 2026 at 11:05 am Excellent post. Many Scots just need to look at the strangers…” Nov 9, 12:51
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “““endless questions” posed by the colonizer” Jeezo, one day I’m the colonised, the next I’m the coloniser. Any chance of…” Nov 9, 12:41
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Prick and twat, eh, Dan? Sounds like you’re one confused individual. Nae wonder ye hae tae mak all yer ain…” Nov 9, 12:35
Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “It’s often said these days that the difference between a conspiracy theory and truth is about 6 months; from what…” Nov 9, 11:56
Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Some of the above posts show a worrying detachment from reality and highlight the main problem with politics and academia…” Nov 9, 11:30
100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “We don’t have a government or a political party in Scotland working for the Scottish people, there either working for…” Nov 9, 11:27
Aidan on Vibecoding A Better World: “The way to address that uncertainty is to answer those questions cogently and effectively, not to come up with some…” Nov 9, 11:05
Northcode on Vibecoding A Better World: “The lack of wind in Scotland is of course part of a devious conspiracy. Westminster, and its army of brilliant…” Nov 9, 10:10
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “The Credit pun i no doubt you cottoned on too, But thats the problem with digital banking, Anyone or even…” Nov 9, 09:51
Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: “Do you not feel you could help out here, Alf? All that endless hot air 24/7 – surely more than…” Nov 9, 09:46
Northcode on Vibecoding A Better World: ““The problem is all inside your head,” he said to me. “The answer is easy if you take it logically.”…” Nov 9, 09:41
Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: “There are always “endless questions” posed by the colonizer to create doubt and uncertainty in the minds of the colonized.…” Nov 9, 09:29
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “Hatey, No it was not a meant to be a pun, but well spotted, in between discrediting just about everyone…” Nov 9, 09:28
Alf Baird on Vibecoding A Better World: “Hopefully one day soon Scots will no longer be made dependent on another people and country’s media and culture for…” Nov 9, 09:21
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “Wether it is France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Canada, Scotland, America, Italy, England, Greece,Spain, or Wales, It might be the…” Nov 9, 09:20
Dan on Vibecoding A Better World: “Look at site prick Hatey enjoying the rare opportunity to post his shite when climatic conditions dictate there is insufficient…” Nov 9, 09:16
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “@James. Imagine if that happened here! We lead the world in grippiness when it comes to the bawbees in our…” Nov 9, 09:15
James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “The rest of the Countries in the world are very important, if those other Countries are not doing so well,…” Nov 9, 09:00
Hatey Mchateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Whoops! Insufficient wind today: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/nov/09/rare-call-more-electricity-supplies-windpower-drops-britain-energy-shortfall Thank The Lord we’re near the end of winter and renewable leccy conditions will shortly…” Nov 9, 08:41
Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““Does that sound likely to you?” It doesn’t sound likely to me. I’m of the opinion it doesn’t sound likely…” Nov 9, 08:29
Aidan on Vibecoding A Better World: “So the plan is for a small group of retirees to go to the UN and ask them to somehow…” Nov 9, 07:26
