Barely 18 months after this, here’s East Lothian Labour councillor Norman Hampshire (centre) and pals campaigning today with the aid of their new best friend.
As the story collapses and investigations begin into a cut-and-dried case of unlawful civil service interference in politics (and possibly worse), may they reap what they sow. If the current polls come true, never will a party’s fall have been more abject or more complete, nor its fate more richly deserved.
This is quite something. It took 15 hours into “MemoGate” before anyone got a Scottish Government representative on air – even though they’d found time to get quotes from Willie Rennie, who isn’t the leader of a Westminster party and whose party isn’t even involved in the story. When they did, here’s what happened.
Readers can form their own opinions about the interview. But at the very end of the piece the BBC’s James Cook says “this memo does exist”. It may do, but we’re not sure what his current grounds for that statement are.
To the best of our knowledge nobody is claiming to have seen it personally except the Telegraph. The Foreign Office have denied all knowledge of any memo, the Scotland Office apparently refuses to comment, and we have no idea who allegedly wrote it.
Cook has already made, then rowed back on, some rather questionable statements in the last 24 hours. Viewers may feel it might be better if he just stuck to the facts.
That clip (from just past midnight on the BBC News channel) isn’t a bad starting-point summary of last night’s extraordinary story, except by our count the Telegraph’s piece was fourth-hand rather than third-hand.
(First-hand would have been Nicola Sturgeon. Second-hand would have been the ambassador. Third-hand would have been the consul-general. The civil servant – who doubted the story him/herself – is fourth-hand.)
This is also a pretty good primer. Now let’s get to the fun stuff.
Sheesh. We pop out for a couple of hours to feed the Wings Emergency Kitten and we get back to find that it’s the UK press that’s barfed up hairballs all over its front pages.
And the contradictory cross-vortex coverlines aren’t even the mad bit.
duncanio on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “The Daily Record’s ‘suggestion’ is merely an effort to make British Labour relevant again in Scotland so that they can…” Aug 31, 22:46
Spartan 117 on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Well, quite. Lard Foolkes and his ilk would happily do away with elections permanently, makes things much easier for them…” Aug 31, 22:41
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “Naw, Spartan. Exhibit W.” Aug 31, 22:35
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “That’s the Spandau gonna be well and truly cocked now!” Aug 31, 22:33
Spartan 117 on The Shortest Day: “QED, Exhibit A.” Aug 31, 22:18
Northcode on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “By George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of Cumnock’s – Born in Shropshire and educated privately at The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School…” Aug 31, 22:14
James on The Shortest Day: “So say the English Nationalists. Fuck off.” Aug 31, 21:57
James on The Shortest Day: “Ah. “…Naw it isnae….” The usual. Dan kindly provided the relevant liknk. https://wingsoverscotland.com/true-faith/ Read it, and weep, Yoon.” Aug 31, 21:54
Effijy on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “With all financial levers controlled by Westminster these 300 years and debt spiralling up to £3 Trillion and the first…” Aug 31, 21:44
100%Yes on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “The reality is the more and more people voice that Independence is their preferred option to the union. The more…” Aug 31, 21:40
Alf Baird on The Shortest Day: ““Maybe you could start one of the ‘democratic legitimacy’ processes yourself!” 20,000 sovereign Scots already have: https://liberation.scot/” Aug 31, 21:37
100%Yes on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “This is all because the SNP membership has grown a back bone and got upset about not being being able…” Aug 31, 21:29
Mike Fenwick on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “For info, my contribution in The National today. Tommy Sheppard writes in The National as to ” Why a de…” Aug 31, 21:28
Cuphook on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Not that we’re going to get one due to our current political emasculation, but we’d lose another referendum unless the…” Aug 31, 21:26
100%Yes on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “The simplest solution is for Westminster to transfer the Constitutional authority to Holyrood for good and allow the Scots to…” Aug 31, 21:19
Spartan 117 on The Shortest Day: “And often with a load of abuse heaped in, along with Grrr Bloody English racism. The Siol nan Gaidheal members…” Aug 31, 21:09
Ross on Haven’t had a dream in a long time: “Kudos for the uncle tom cobbley reference haha. Was sitting on his supposed seat the other day!” Aug 31, 21:07
Southernbystander on The Shortest Day: “O/T I was in Edinburgh last week for a few days and walking down South St Davids Street (off Princes…” Aug 31, 21:02
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “A billion or two deaths is WW3 once it really gets going. So far, it has just been warming up.” Aug 31, 20:52
Chas on The Shortest Day: “The majority of the rabid kind of nationalist on Wings is prepared to accept and believe any statistic presented by…” Aug 31, 20:51
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: ““This being the constitutional reality some might wonder why the SNP hasn’t pursued any of those “democratic legitimacy” mechanisms” Only…” Aug 31, 20:49
Chas on The Shortest Day: “Maybe you could start one of the ‘democratic legitimacy’ processes yourself! I am sure we will all be right behind…” Aug 31, 20:42
Chas on The Shortest Day: “Finance is clearly not your strong suit Alf but……….what is? Surprised that Fanny and Mummi have nothing to say about…” Aug 31, 20:38
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: “Took you a while, sam, but you’ve belatedly discovered GNI. Well done you. The night is yet young. See if…” Aug 31, 20:37
Northcode on The Shortest Day: “A question: Is Scotland a prisoner (rhetorically) of the United Kingdom unless Westminster allows the Scots the opportunity to reclaim…” Aug 31, 20:32
Mark Beggan on The Shortest Day: ““One death is a tragedy a million deaths is a statistic” ‘Alcohol-specific deaths refer to fatalities from conditions entirely caused…” Aug 31, 20:28
Hatey McHateface on The Shortest Day: ““surely a simple enough explanation for the simplest reader” Ah, c’moan noo, FC. Wally was finished with his education long…” Aug 31, 20:20
sam on The Shortest Day: “Median Ireland income in 2026 Ireland 44,196 Euros England 39,039 Euros Approximate net salary Ireland 38,000 Euros, England 32,000 Euros…” Aug 31, 20:17
