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.
Northcode on The View From Row Z: ““was it exposure to the English” Indeed, many peoples around the world have expressed how their interactions with England, their…” Jun 1, 09:22
TURABDIN on The View From Row Z: “STILL awaiting the punishment of those responsible for the gross neglect that destroyed the GSA «iconic» Mackintosh building. The perception…” Jun 1, 09:21
Northcode on The View From Row Z: “Good God! I don’t believe I’ve ever witnessed a mind so thoroughly outpaced by the speed of its owner’s unthinking…” Jun 1, 08:36
Frank Gillougley on The View From Row Z: “Clearly, the ability to intelligently lie is inversely proportional for those in authority, hence she couldn’t have seen the motorhome…” Jun 1, 08:06
Hatey McHateface on The View From Row Z: “The Hate Crimes Act remains in force in Scotland. As it happens, no political party seems to see any popular…” Jun 1, 08:05
Rogueslr on The View From Row Z: “Is there any evidence the motorhome ever left the drive? And if so, where was it spotted on the ANPR…” Jun 1, 08:03
Hatey McHateface on The View From Row Z: “A masterclass, Northy, on how it is possible to circle even a single wagon. Here’s what a wondering world wants…” Jun 1, 07:32
Hatey McHateface on The View From Row Z: “An excellent post, Ian. There can now be no doubt that the SNP has foisted two in a row of…” Jun 1, 07:25
Roastin on The View From Row Z: “Point taken about London based journalist not being as clued up as Scottish journalists but the main Scottish papers have…” Jun 1, 07:13
Hatey McHateface on The View From Row Z: “What’s to deal with, YL? There’s not one of us who hasn’t sat up into the wee, small hours, crafting…” Jun 1, 07:09
Hatey McHateface on The View From Row Z: “Big deal, Northy. Now correct the rest of the shite.” Jun 1, 07:02
Aunty Flo on The View From Row Z: “Do you reckon that Nicola’s pathetic behaviour & exposure of many lies told during this whole corrupt pantomime has jeopardised…” Jun 1, 06:10
twathater on The View From Row Z: “The ONLY reason she is NOT on trial is because of the COPFS who are obviously NOT interested in serving…” Jun 1, 03:59
Young Lochinvar on The View From Row Z: “You know, see when you sit and slowly reflect on the human condition as it’s developed.. Well, Building another Ark…” Jun 1, 01:42
Cynicus on The View From Row Z: “Or, to paraphrase Oscar Wilde’s comment on reading of the death of Little Nell: “ it would take her heart…” Jun 1, 01:42
Young Lochinvar on The View From Row Z: “She probably did but any of the alphabetties needing “incentivised” would be one lead that should be followed..” Jun 1, 01:31
Cynicus on The View From Row Z: “Campbell Clansman says: 31 May, 2026 at 5:00 pm “With her lies Sturgeon climbed to the top of the (Holyrood)…” Jun 1, 01:19
Del G on The View From Row Z: “If oor Nicola didn’t see most of these items, my question is: Who were they going to? This sounds like…” May 31, 23:59
Mark Beggan on The View From Row Z: “No Comment. Mind your own business.” May 31, 23:52
Northcode on The View From Row Z: “Correction: Muriel Stark should of course read as Muriel Spark.” May 31, 23:38
Northcode on The View From Row Z: “You lot are too harsh on the lassie. She’s a simple wee soul who only wants to be known and…” May 31, 23:10
prj on The View From Row Z: “I suspect that when the police got involved they found a more serious crime to investigate and that was Murrell.…” May 31, 22:40
robertkknight on The View From Row Z: “Aye… Bring a tear to a glass eye, so it would.” May 31, 22:28
William G Walker on The View From Row Z: “Hello All, Whatever happened to the £667,000 which was “ring-fenced” in the late 2010s for Independence? Never mind the £410,000…” May 31, 22:26
Ex President Xiden on The View From Row Z: “She is currently on TV trying to reinvent herself amongst the wokeraty.” May 31, 22:26
