Tearing Down The Canongate Wall
On the very fabric of the Scottish Parliament – specifically its Canongate Wall, across the road from a building curiously called “Watergate” – are inscribed 26 quotes, carved into stone hewn from every corner of the country, about the sort of Scotland that the building and those working inside it are supposed to stand for and aspire to.
One of them, from the celebrated author Sir Walter Scott, reads thus:
It’s a phrase that’s hard to interpret as anything but a paean to stern accountability. Should our representatives, it says, fail to live up to the standards that we expect and demand of them, they should be pelted with stones.
Now, we must assume – for this is the 21st century, and public stoning is a barbaric act limited to but a few of the UK’s allies – that said stones were intended by the architects to be understood as metaphorical ones, presumably in the form of harsh criticism.
It’s alarming, then, that so many of the people currently trying to get elected to that Parliament apparently instead believe that any criticism of them should be a crime.
The above tweet from Glasgow councillor Rhiannon Spear is far from unique. It’s one of many, almost all of them coming from Spear’s allies in the party’s hugely unpopular but disproportionately influential transactivist wing, bleating about about how beastly and unfair it is for anyone to challenge them on their views about anything, or seek to hold them accountable for their words and actions, or just be mildly rude about them.
(Though it IS unusual in one sense – unlike the majority of her tweets, Spear hasn’t actually disabled public replies on this one.)
And Spear has said and done plenty that deserves to be challenged. She’s repeatedly referred to women fighting to protect their sex-based rights as “TERFs”, “bigots” and the rhyming-slang “Jeremy Hunts”, and accused them of purveying “oppression and hate” for making staggeringly reasonable and moderately-expressed points.
We are honestly at a loss to see where any “hate” is being expressed in the quoted paragraph of that last tweet. It is entirely reasonable to advocate for the separation of LGB rights from transgender rights. L, G and B are all sexualities, T is not – it’s either a lifestyle choice or a mental disorder (specifically gender dysphoria or autogynaephilia). T is very much the odd one out in the forced grouping.
Transgender issues were only adopted in 2015 by Stonewall – now the primary driver of transactivism – having been so actively hostile to them for the preceding 26 years of the organisation’s existence that it felt obliged to apologise for its previous stance.
Unless Spear is accusing Stonewall of having been a “hate group” from its founding in 1989 right up to 2015, then it’s clearly incredibly dishonest and quite repellent to level that accusation at anyone else who believes that the distinction between one group of people and three other groups it has nothing in common with should be restored.
But we digress.
Spear refuses point-blank to engage with any sort of debate on almost any subject. She refuses, for example, to comment on why she’s now standing for election on the Highlands & Islands list when she lives in Pollok in central Glasgow and has done for at least five years and apparently far longer.
(Three other H&I list candidates – Lorna Douglas, Math Campbell and Qasim Hanif – also live outwith the region.)
The real reason, of course, is that Glasgow region has had its top list slot reserved for a BAME candidate, and even Spear isn’t yet quite desperate enough to self-identify as black. Highlands & Islands, though, has its top slot reserved for a disabled person, and it’s widely believed Spear has self-identified as “disabled” on the grounds of dyslexia.
We say “widely believed” because Spear herself refuses to answer whether she’s registered herself as disabled for the purposes of the candidate selection and the SNP is, outrageously, refusing to give members that information before asking them to participate in the charade of a probably-illegal ballot in which the only thing that’s all but certain is that the person who gets the most votes WON’T be the winner.
Indeed, since at least one actual disabled person is known to be contesting the H&I list, Spear is absolutely 100% guaranteed NOT to be elected into top spot unless she HAS registered as disabled, and only the top spot has any realistic prospect of a seat, so if she hasn’t claimed a disability then she’s wasting her time enduring all this terrible victimisation for nothing.
(Other candidates elsewhere, it should be noted, are behaving far more honourably.)
And yet the mere act of asking Spear (or any of her allies in the hyper-intolerant Twitler Youth wing who are also trying to cheat their way into seats by a variety of underhand methods) to address either of these stupendously fair and reasonable questions is held by her to constitute “harassment” and “bullying”, which has left the poor delicate flower “exhausted” before the selection contest has even begun – let alone the actual Holyrood election, let alone five years as an MSP.
We hope it doesn’t come across as too macho to suggest that someone who can be so debilitated by being asked a couple of straight, simple and legitimate questions about her own actions perhaps might not be altogether cut out for the rough, stane-peebling world of Scottish politics, in which by definition, at the very BEST, around half of your constituents are going to be people bitterly opposed to your core principles (if you have any) and likely to express those views trenchantly.
Our guess is that the large bulk of voters would like their representatives to possess just a little more steel than the collection of whimpering milquetoasts the SNP is doing its level best to inveigle into Parliament by fiddling the democratic process at every step for reasons best known to itself.
Because frankly, we don’t think any of them could take a peebling.
.
FOOTNOTE: Wings Over Scotland prides itself on scrupulous fairness, so if Rhiannon Spear is prepared to answer either of the questions posed in this article – “why are you running for H&I when you live in central Glasgow?” and “have you declared yourself disabled for the purposes of the selection contest?” – then we will be very happy to publish her answers. But we suspect that’s an offer we won’t have to make good on.
just wondering how long it’s going to take before “Campbell advocates public stoning of candidates”..hits twitter, or the hootsman.
@ScottieDog – the keyboards are already being pounded!
You couldn’t give them a red neck with a blowtorch.
I personally think the majority have personality issues which tends to make them self pitying ,self serving,and closed to the needs of others.
Could be a good SNP candidate on reflection!!
Saddened that I didn’t get a mention in this article, after Susan Aitken accused me of calling Spear a ‘monstrosity’, when anyone who read my comment could clearly see that I had claimed that the “discriminatory candidacy” was a monstrosity. Thick as shit councillors operating their own coven, Aitken, Hunter, Spear are the toxic element destroying the party from within.
Yes she’s a delicate wee flower, right enough. It’s like all the really dim folk that were in your class at school are in politics now.
She also brought activists of proxenet groups to Glasgow council house not long ago.
Rhiannon is genuinely disabled, apparently she’s got a raised boot……..oh no wait, sorry..she was raised on Bute.
Hmm I have been pondering the candidate selections process and why there is such a scramble (as top places are all reserved for “special equality categories”).
Once elected to Parliament , the “equality” victor might stand down (family / health / personal problems). The 2nd on the party list automatically steps up and becomes MSP. (There are no by-elections for “list” seats.)
So, SNP ticks all the “equality” boxes. The temporary victors all get nice jobs in one of the many ScotGov funded organisations and the Government get their preferred candidates in.
Far-fetched? Nothing would surprise me.
Blessed are the meme makers for they shall incur the wrath of the woke.
Do the special people in the SNP have a special term for ‘straw man’?
I’ve still not seen an explanation (in practical day to day terms) of what rights they don’t have that normal have. Or what extra rights they think they merit above and beyond normal people. Lots of soundbites but no detail.
These snowflakes should get some service in. Battling for Scottish independence through the Gorbals or Ibrox or many others areas of Glasgow and it’s satellites in the sixties would have taught them a thing or two. How no tae be sae sapsy for a stert.
What’s a peebling Stu? Being slightly stoned in Peebles?
Is the Math Campbell mentioned above the same one standing as the SNP candidate in a council by-election next month in Argyll & Bute? Can he do both?
“Is the Math Campbell mentioned above the same one standing as the SNP candidate in a council by-election next month in Argyll & Bute? Can he do both?”
Yes and yes.
I am getting worried about James Kelly – couple of days ago he was supporting you and fighting your corner on twitter.
Today he is tweeting some really sensible stuff.
Genuine question, what would happen if the bame/disabled candidate got zero votes.
Would they still come top of the list?
For quite a few years, part of my job was to try to spot dyslexics from their writing. This wasn’t a test. I could send them to an expert who applied diagnostic tests. However, nobody who I thought had this condition was turned down. One of the clues is, that even with spell check and grammar check, the condition could still be spotted in writing which had been done using a PC.
Looking at the piece which starts, “For many, including me, …..” what is noticeable is
Firstly, the correct construction of complex sentences, that is, one where there is more than one verb and the appropriate number of clauses.
Secondly, the appearance of a spelling mistake “convay” which indicates the lack of application of the spell check function.
I have to say that if presented with this writing, I would not be sending her off for an expert diagnostic test. It shows a high level of literacy with no sign of dyslexia.
Typical from the Wokerati. Quote their own words back to them & it’s harassment and bullying. Point out them making threats & mobbing and “that’s not how it was meant. WE decide how written threats are to be interpreted. When we do it it’s tongue in cheek, metaphorical & fluffy bunnies. When it’s done to us it’s evil, bigoted HATE.”
And they have a plan in motion to instill fear in anyone who may criticize them, don’t they?
I have tried many times to get Wokes to simply say/write down what they actually want/believe. I have tried many times to get MSPs/MPs to confirm in writing their position on the definition of woman, self-id, men accessing toilets/changing rooms with female children or vulnerable women. They will not do it. They evade, obfuscate & attempt to demonize. They are cowards. They hide their true agenda behind independence, and sneer & snarl every time general awareness of their position is further exposed. Don’t let them advance in the shadows. Inform as many friends and family as you can. Point them at Woke social media. Show them the threats against women. Tell them about self-id and the Hate Crime Bill. Give them the opportunity to decide for themselves. I’m overwhelmingly seeing a particular response.
Is she dyslexic or can she no spell?
I could convey my general feelings of the convoluted process of selection but fear I might be classed as a bigot , terf ( whatever that may be) or some other single word category , so I shall ‘wheesht ‘ for safety!
Scots Wumman says:
That’s how SAS got in.
What a shower.
Tired Hen……….Really
Certainly not fit for the job of a politician no matter how much nicla shields you, and BTW nicla’s going, so what will you do then?
Just piss off with your woo woo friends to a country that deserves you….?????????
Surely all parties should be looking to present the best candidates for election?
Shakes head…
Even by your own razor sharp standards Rev, I recon Sturgeon’s Wokeist SNP has drifted to a point beyond parody.
We hope it doesn’t come across as too macho to suggest that someone who can be so debilitated by being asked a couple of straight, simple and legitimate questions about her own actions perhaps might not be altogether cut out for the rough, stane-peebling world of Scottish politics
It’s deeply trouble to me that we have two things going on at the same time with women in politics.
The first is that, unquestionably, women politicians do receive a lot more abuse, and worse abuse – that of a sexual nature, rape threats, death threats etc. Black and lesbian women seem to come in for even more. And, of course, the only politician to be killed recently has been female. And that was a brutal killing – a cold blood gunning down with many bullets: an utterly cowardly killing. There is a strain of misogyny which is now out of control in both Scottish and UK politics.
But at the same time, we have – for political reasons – the painting of certain women as delicate, fragile china which will shatter if is has so much as an ounce of sunlight shone on them or their actions are questioned at all. No matter how powerful they are or what they’ve done.
Make no mistake, the first of those categories are the women who are strong and speak out for what they believe in. The second category are the party loyalists. In both cases, women are being completely failed and the cause of equality irreparably harmed.
On the SNP Candidate ranking page for the Highlands & Islands there is no mention in Rhiannon Spear’s candidate statement of either being disabled, supporting the GRA, HCB, nor men dressing up in frocks of which she is a supporter.
Instead she is standing on a committment for all the usual suspects such as affordable housing, infrastucture, transport, connectivity, etc, as stated in her candidate statement.
Additionally, she also states that she will be living and working from the region along with her family.
Now it’s news to me and probably news to most readers as well as the Electroal Commission that according to Rhiannon Spear Glasgow is now apparently part of the Highlands and Islands.
I detest carpet bagging of seats, whoever is doing it. What exactly does Spear know about the issues specific to the Highlands and what is her position on them. For instance, the rewilding debate, a very real and pressing issue, of far more importance than trans issues:
link to opendemocracy.net
I wonder how many seconds she has devoted to considering such issues, doing the research, consulting interested and affected parties etc. And that is just one Highlands issue. What exactly does she expect to do from Pollock? And why doesn’t she just answer basic questions?
The whole thing’s a bogey, and she is just one example. But you can see the temptation: 4 years of a salary you couldn’t expect to get anywhere near with your skillset. And all you have to do is take the votes of people who may innocently and gullibly believe your priorities are independence and the welfare of the Highlands. One would expect to see some evidence of commitment, and not stonewalling, complaining and spending more time on Twitter than talking to real people with real concerns in the place she claims she wishes to represent. In what way, pray, is she planning representing the views of people that she apparently doesn’t know, but just presumes?
OK they’ve finally lost it.
link to twitter.com
Och Rhiannon’s blocked me on twitter. I hope she’s reading Wings:
Rhiannon, there’s no such thing as a transphobe. No one is transphobic. I know the trans-youth imagine they’re persecuted but they’re not, they’re just young folk doing their own thing and no one actually minds.
Hopefully the writing’s on the Canongate wall for the SNP leadership!
As regards Rhiannon Spear, how can someone with such bad grammar and spelling be taken seriously?
It seems to be a hallmark of the Wokerati. They really should be charged with the abuse of language!
People in the highlands will never vote for candidates who don’t live in the area, far less ones that won’t define a woman.
Everywhere in civic Scotland there is a deficiency of oversight and very little accountability. One working theory might be that having been so long in government the SNP hierarchy has ‘gone native’ and has actively embraced public sector mores: the lack of transparency, the constant use of organisational incompetence as an excuse for delay, and the ingrained ubiquitous management tendency to gaslight those harmed by the NHS, social services, the police etc. etc.
The phrase ‘feral elite’ perfectly captures a governing class who frequently act as if ethics, basic fairness and the impartiality of the law are for little people.
The current war on the bloggers is the fightback of our feral elite against transparency, against public accountability, and the response is to gaslight – they are harming ME – but it’s all a perfectly constructed facade. Any let up now, any concession to supposed hurt feelings, will only encourage them in their pursuit of that first rung on the ladder of power…power which they are not fit to wield (if you have to rig the selection process, what else will you be willing to do or overlook when you get elected?).
Independence is for us, not for the usual suspects of the ancien regime who hate being questioned in any way. Independence will have to be about destroying as much as creating. An active citizenry moving through every sector of civic Scotland and cleaning out the corruption.
So defend Wings, defend Craig Murray, defend Iain Lawson, defend Jason McCann, defend Barrhead Boy, defend Chris, Joanna, Kenny, Joan, Angus…the fight is on right now for the soul of an independent Scotland.
Accountability, transparency, oversight, fairness.
Auld corruption…fuck right off!
I’d also like to hear from ANY candidate in this election the answer to ‘Are you willing to commit absolutely to putting Independence front and centre, and regard it as the sole issue of importance until it is achieved, even if that means other areas of concern to you will be de-prioritised’.
Riannon supports women who are abused in the most vile way ie prostitution and likes to have her photo taken drinking from a butchers apron
Aye that
Hasnt she changed her name to Rhi Anon-Spear?
Maximise all opportunities
Scots Wumman says:
20 February, 2021 at 2:09 pm
I had similar thoughts, I was waiting to see the final lists but I expected most of the current high heid yins to be second on the lists and by some method or other for those at the top to be persuaded to dropout.
‘Shake your spear at Shakespeare.’
‘Ddevil’ by System of a Down.
All the evidence you need to understand why the government of Scotland doesn’t work.
The smell of corruption will only grow stronger.
Maybe next weekend the wee hairy will be gone. Would that put Keith Brown in charge?
It seems, not unrelatedly, that the NEC has accepted Fiona Robertson’s definition of transphobia, so that’ll be Joanna Cherry out on her ear.
Well whatdya know?
”Our guess is that the large bulk of voters would like their representatives to possess just a little more steel than the collection of whimpering milquetoasts the SNP is doing its level best to inveigle into Parliament by fiddling the democratic process at every step for reasons best known to itself.”
Now, ain’t that the trooth!
Milquetoasts – still laughing!
FFS
Thanks for this article rev. Im in the HI region and can now at least sent this article to many friends who have received their SNP voting papers. This should open the eyes of many of my 80 + year old friends. Ive never been a member myself, but I have informed my msp that I will not be voting at all at the next SG election and will do so with the local MP. If the cabal in Edinburgh get shunted I might change tack.
Anybody voting to have people like that within a light year of the levers of law and decision-making pretty much deserves everything they’ll get.
Even though I told them to take me off their mailing list etc ages ago, I received a letter this morning requesting me to rank regional list candidates. I’m not really familiar with them and I will not participate but if anyone is interested here they are for North East Region.
Cristian Allard, Gillian Al-Samari, Julie Bell, John Cooke, William Duff, Nadia El-Nakla, Fatima Joji, Joshua Mennie, Fergus Mutch and Lynne Short.
Spear appears to claim that she’s an “Island Lass” are there any islands in Pollok, says I tongue in cheek.
link to twitter.com
It seems, not unrelatedly, that the NEC has accepted Fiona Robertson’s definition of transphobia
Is it online so we can scrutinise it? If it’s as bonkers as the proposed Labour one it should be good for a hollow laugh at least.
It’s a pity Paul Wheelhouse isn’t declaring himself as disabled. It was very difficult to find anyone else, other than Paul or Joan to vote for on the South Scotland list, At least he recognises that, where a disability has not held him back thus far, it would be unfair to seek positive discrimination now. Unfortunately it means letting a shyster in by the back door.
Is that Joshua Mennie or Joshu A-Mennie
@ Rev: NEC accepted transphobia definition from Fiona Robertson.
Jeeeeesus.
A wee comment to petal if it doesn’t offend her it probably will but who gives a fk .
Away and form your own party sweetie then let’s see how your message is received by normal people , normal people who actually vote and if you are successful pay your wages , you if successful are obligated to represent all voters in your chosen constituency , not yourself, not you’re friends and not some passing nut who prescribes to any passing fad or any nut job that catches your eye , that’s the deal .
If you or your pals what to engage in extra curricular pastimes that’s fine as long as it’s in your own time and financed with your own money that’s how normal people operate.
Above all don’t misrepresent your views or aims in order to be elected to our Parliament, that’s naughty and you know it .
They are calling us MacQanon. Calling for people whomretweet wings to be expelled.
Welcome to the tartan stalinist purge.
It’s part of the growing authoritarianism which is sweeping the globe led be the Democrats in the US and the Buffoon in number 10. There is no way these idiots ( as that is what they are) are doing this under their own steam.
Ahhhh, she’s from Bute, I see.
HRT became linked to breast cancer in 2002.
The global hormone replacement therapy market size was valued at USD 21.8 billion in 2019.
It appears forecast to increase sales by 6 ot 7% by 2025.
It is surprisingly difficult to ascertain what market share of this is atributed to Transgender patients.
The increase appears to be attributed to increasing population age group of ‘women of a certain age’.
I did not try, but I suspect it will also prove quite difficult to ascertain the difference in quantity prescribe to the average menopausal woman, compare to a male to female transgender patient – although clearly the latter will remain on hrt for the rest of their lives.
She does this “I’m exhausted” thing a lot. So do most of the wokie snowflakes. “I don’t have the mental energy for this” is another one.
Well toughen up darling. There are a lot of women juggling two low-paid jobs while trying to keep food on the table and clothes on the backs of their children, and I think for them, “I’m exhausted” means something completely different.
You’re desperate to be chosen for a responsible and very well-paid job. Shape up or ship out.
I think there will be a legal challenge to the listings. The NEC/SNP position is indefensible. I hope, although doubt, that kirsten oswald will be footing the SNP’s legal bill.
Which brings me nicely to :- Where is the ring -fenced money ?
Can I get an answer from President Mike Russell ? Asking for the roughly 55,000 members the SNP have left.
P.S. James Kelly is one of the good guys. Disagreeing is normal. He is sensible and wants independence. I am very happy to have him on our side.
I am very unhappy to have Rhiannon spear as a member of the party and I hope she is expelled or leaves.
Rev. Stuart Campbell says:
20 February, 2021 at 2:49 pm
“It seems, not unrelatedly, that the NEC has accepted Fiona Robertson’s definition of transphobia, so that’ll be Joanna Cherry out on her ear.”
I wonder if one huge mass resignation in protest (after everyone has made their voting choice of list candidates) would be more effective or if it would be better for so minded members to tweet, in their own name, “Woman = adult human female and trans identified males are men” – then see how many of us get booted out.
“Is it online so we can scrutinise it?”
hahahahahahahahahaha as if
Cath @2.56pm.
Is there where you’d find the report when it becomes available, I know the SNP NEC were meeting today.
link to jamieszymkowiak.scot
Wendy says:
20 February, 2021 at 2:08 pm
Yes she’s a delicate wee flower, right enough. It’s like all the really dim folk that were in your class at school are in politics now.
Yes, and the reason for that is because they are easily controlled and manipulated by those behind the scenes.
Spear claims she was an islanders and a product of the “Brain Drain”. I could offer her no words of comfort on that score.
Almost completely drained
I’ve just noticed her spelling (I block her on twitter). Loosing hope. Convay. She’s illiterate. Surely we need literacy in our representatives?
An old UK Labour Party move.
A reward for being a good shop steward in a Clyde Shipyard could be the promise of a seat in the middle of Coventry for example.
The locals in Coventry detested such a move, but could do nothing to prevent it.
Why is Rhiannon Spear so treasured by the SNP? Genuine question. Others are left to sink or swim, what is it about her in particular that makes senior politicians reach for the kid gloves? I wish her no ill whatsoever, but its difficult to understand why she is considered a prize asset.
Josh Aaron-Mennie
We know where he spends a penny
But do most voters
Ken where he leaves his floaters?
A person representing the Highlands and Islands could run up an expense account. Place to stay when in Edinburgh? Transport? Whatever they can claim for. Could be a nice amount and dont have to touch your salary. More so if you just live along the road.
don’t mention a beard!
Desmond.
Nice one.
Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (French: [mak.si.mi.lj?? f???.swa ma.?i i.zi.d?? d? ??.b?s.pj??]; 6 May 1758 – 28 July 1794) was a French lawyer and statesman who was one of the best-known and most influential figures of the French Revolution. As a member of the Constituent Assembly and the Jacobin Club, he campaigned for universal manhood suffrage[1] and the abolition both of celibacy for the clergy, and slavery.
Isn’t it amusing Ms Spear and the SNP are looking to stop men being too heavily involved in politics
but they have a slight chance if they are disabled.
She is of course agreeing that male clergy candidates can go and get F***ed.
Oh, she self-identifies as dyslectic, so I suppose that’s OK? I had a colleague who was severely dyslectic and I used to proofread her scientific writing for her and I honestly couldn’t tell. She was so on top of it, so conditioned to use a spell-checker and think about what she just wrote, that she could hold down a senior job requiring a lot of technical scientific writing, to the point where it was difficult to believe she actually had the condition.
Cry me a river, Rhiannon.
In an alternative universe, Emily Davison was too exhausted one day to go to the races, and R Spears today doesn’t even have a vote.
Apparently, she is a “Bute Lass”.
That would be Bute in the Firth of Clyde – deep in the Highlands and Islands.
So as well as biology denial – we now have geography denial.
Are the selection vote results made public? IE will we get to know who the branches actually want as their candidates.
A2 says:
20 February, 2021 at 3:12 pm
Are the selection vote results made public? IE will we get to know who the branches actually want as their candidates.
The “results” and “who the branches actually want”.
Nope, not the same thing
Since I’m not an SNP member and therefore not entirely up to speed on their rules l really just musing here but …
Could it not be that after we’ve all crowd funded ourselves silly and had that rule change declared illegal as the SNP were warned it was likely to be.
Being the next person down on the list who is not in the “special ” categories would get the seat on the list….. because the list winner is the party and no the person???
Is someone from isp or afi not standing on the h&I list ? . I’m sure if isp and afi were to come to some arrangement at ANY list seat where gerrymandering is happening to benefit the woke brigade.Then this site and others could be a good vehicle to promote and advertise for the demise of the likes of spears and her gang. Once the majority of snp/independence support know who and how best to impede them as was done at the recent NEC.you dont have to vote snp on the list to get an independence minded msp .
Further to being asked to rank candidates for regional seats the business reply is to a company address in Southampton.
Why not a Scottish company?
Seems a bit unpatriotic
Nice one Desmond
I’ve just been told than sharing a post from this blog means expulsion. So that’ll be all the decent elected officials out on their arses then. I’m no longer a member, but would have shared it anyway. I fucking hate dictatorships!
@ Neil Wilkinson 2:11pm
Think more along the lines of not gaining rights, but about removing rights and than it will make more sense.
Not gaining the right to be a ‘Woman, but removing women’s rights.
There is no flyposting of “Unisex toilet/changing etc” on the Gents, You’ll only see it on the Women’s etcetera.
Try removing one if you find it and sticking it on the Gents, or suggesting it should be on both areas – if it is really is about ‘Unisex’ – and see exactly where that gets you.
It’s not a Unisex issue, it never was a Unisex issue. Nor is it about feeling intimidated by other men when using ‘Gents’ areas
Mainland Europe has a long tradition of Unisex areas – the problem with a unisex area for them, is that men may be in them – therefore any of their own intimidation, violence (or worse) won’t fly.
A true ‘Unisex Area’ movement I could perhaps get behind, Unisex sporting events are already a thing. It’s not about that, not at all.
Stu Hutch, I’m not sure who the IOS candidate is for H & I, but they are fielding a candidate.
I’m challenging all NE Regional List candidates thus:
Dear Ms Bell,
I have received a request from the SNP National Secretary for me to rank the North East Region List candidates for the forthcoming Scottish elections. In order that I may make informed choices I have a few simple questions I would like to ask you, these are given below:
As an SNP MSP, what would your first priority be?
Alex Salmond has been acquitted of all the charges that were raised against him. If it were his wish, should he be welcomed back into The Party?
Do you think the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, in it’s current form, is a good thing?
Do you think the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, in it’s current form, is an attack on women’s rights?
Have you signed the SNP Women’s Pledge?
Sincerely,
@ Sharny Dubs at 2.54 re NE Region list.
I’ve heard Cooke and Duff are good. Possibly Allard.
To avoid: Mennie, [Al]-Samarai, El-Nakla [Humza’s wife?], Short, Joji, Bell.
*ISP
Dyslexia is a learning difference, not a disability. Especially nowadays when you have spellcheckers, software that can read aloud (Adobe) and speech-to-text (Nuance Dragon). Of course MSPs also have personal assistants to help them.
“Is it online so we can scrutinise it?”
hahahahahahahahahaha as if
We are going to make saying loads of totally non-controversial things a hate crime. But we are not going to tell you what those things are. Oh, and we’ll almost certainly make it retrospective we we can pull up any tweet from the past saying those totally uncontroversial things to use against you.
Not 1984 at all, no on.
No on? I mean oh no! Or actually, “No on” works too.
It will surprise a lot of people but Bute is actually in the Highlands and Islands Holyrood seat. Certainly surprised me. Arran however is not.
Does writing “no on” instead of “oh no” qualify me as dyslexic? If so I’m standing for the Shetland list as I’ve never been there and really want to go but it’s quite expensive to get there.
“The gift tae gie us as ithers see us”.
Many, possibly most of the folk are undecideds when it comes to Indy. Some as soft no, some soft yes. We know there are a lot of folk like them and they are the voters who will need to be persuaded that a yes vote is the right thing. Without their support we’re goosed.
A good few have heard about Wings and have had a ‘look see’ and what they see, they think ain’t pretty. Much of tone and manner of discussion has been a complete turn off. Not what is being said, but how it has left them feeling. The old phrase “You only get one chance to make a first impression” springs to mind.
By the way three have said they’ll give Wings a pass, two soft yes’s are now probable nos.
I felt kind of embarrassed.
O/T.
Johnson signs deal (understanding) with Brazil to import its beef pumped full of hormones, the Brazilian regulations are similar to that of the USA’s and fall way below EU standards that we’re used to. Scottish beef farms will suffer from this deal.
link to thenational.scot
In the municipal swimming pool that I use, men and women change together (in cubicles, obvs) and shower together . The only segregation is in the toilets and they could easily be made gender-neutral. If all sports centres followed this model, trans women could be easily accommodated without birth women feeling threatened.
If the current SNP is now completely compromised, to the extent that it’s essentially an irredeemable clown car, what does the movement (and I’m not sure what that term encompasses at the moment, it seems pretty disparate) do next? As far as that party goes, it seems to be the last days of Saigon – completely detached and self interested leadership, chaos, unrestrained lunatics running around and completely self immolating policy being privileged.
If I were tasked with the eternal obstruction and deferral of Scottish independence, I would be pretty happy right now.
In light of that, it seems that there is a need for clarity to break out amongst the rest of us, and a couple of big questions to be collectively chewed upon:
We all assumed that the SNP would be fit for purpose, and it’s clear that this is not the case. What kind of inclusive (and I mean that in the most productive sense, not in an identity driven way) fora or constructive discussions need to take place to collectivise and focus the drive (and the tactics) for achieving independence?
How do we create and maintain coherence and credibility (political and reputational)?
Big question here: Who’s gonna do it? We’ve seen what happens when you create and put faith in a single engine for independence – it becomes successful, large, fuzzy and therefore attractive to every self interested mouthbreather in Scotland (of which, sadly, we have a lot), and, most critically, it becomes an easy target for the subtle machinations of the British establishment, and will, definitively, fail.
We need to get smart, learn, and get it together. We could seek the insight of the figures who have demonstrated strategic brilliance and real commitment, we could enlist the drive and energy of the many who have already committed time and self sacrifice. We could reach out to single issue bodies that, despite a higher commitment to a political ideal, understand that NOTHING MATTERS without independence, on the basis that this is understood, and we have an objective to achieve. We have resources and capacity that the British State can only dream of. All we need is clarity, shared goals and objectives, and a selfless commitment to the single outcome that, once achieved, means that we start to have our own discussions about our own future, for all the people in Scotland.
Even Mike Small.
Lintonbairn
We know it’s you Wishart.
The SNP list nominations are a disgrace. It is not just that the Wokerati have rigged selection. It is the range of incompetent fools who they deem fit to represent Scotland.
R.Spear , G. Campbell and a host of others working to destroy our children’s future.
I do not think I will be alone in reminding people that these are the type of people the SNP prefers.
SNP new slogan “For the Woke, not the Women”
Re north east list, from what I know: Christian Allard is a good guy, French, runs/ran a wine business, experienced MEP. William (Bill) Duff is an HQ snitch. Fergus Mutch is a good guy (although a bit too in with the Deeside hunters-n-shooters), proper Scottish guy, plays the bagpipes, worked for Eck, personable and smart, but will probably get elected to the Aberdeenshire West constituency anyway.
“Christian Allard is a good guy”
I used to think so, but he’s a superwoke shitebag now.
@Kappelmeister
Hi, nope, name’s Ian, live in Borders. Just a regular Jo sharing a few recent experiences and reflections. You’re welcome to take them or leave them. Your call.
Morag – she’s not alone in using “loose” or ” loosing” instead of lose and losing. Up until maybe five years ago I never saw it, now it’s everywhere! A middle aged man used loose today on my Twitter timeline so it’s not as if it’s some recent education failure.
Tollcross 3:40pm
Why do you the term birth women? Why not ciswomen or the other derogatory cult labels.
I’m sticking with biology.
Allard is a nice guy, but appears woke. Cooke is a good guy.
Republic of Scotland:
CNN broadcast an excellent take on Boris Johnson’s government ‘gaslighting’ Britons about Brexit. The interview includes a talk with a Peterhead skipper, giving details one never hears on Reporting Scotland and never will. It’s absolutely horrific that Scots have to rely on foreign news channels to find out what is happening in our own country to our own fishermen.
link to edition.cnn.com
Tollcross @3.40
Thing is in municipal swimming pools people are not showering together ‘naked.
This is not the case in, for instance gym changing rooms which do not provide lockable cubicles.
Gyms at the budget end only provide benches, lockers and none too private showering facilities.
Teenage girls or oldies like me, should not be forced to get naked with male bodied persons of any age.
Besides everything else, I would expect a prospective MSP to be able to spell “losing” and “convey”.
iain mhor says:
20 February, 2021 at 3:26 pm
@ Neil Wilkinson 2:11pm
Think more along the lines of not gaining rights, but about removing rights and than it will make more sense.
Not gaining the right to be a ‘Woman, but removing women’s rights.
There is no flyposting of “Unisex toilet/changing etc” on the Gents, You’ll only see it on the Women’s etcetera.
Try removing one if you find it and sticking it on the Gents, or suggesting it should be on both areas – if it is really is about ‘Unisex’ – and see exactly where that gets you…..
————————–
Thanks Iain
“What’s a peebling Stu?”
MAYBE READ THE FIRST THREE PARAGRAPHS.
I’m wondering if these problems with ‘dyslexia’ which keep popping up in SNP candidates is perhaps the root cause of the misunderstandings between ‘gender’ and ‘sex’. Perhaps, for some, we should read ‘illiterate’ instead of ‘borderline dyslexic’.
Lintonbairn – Your friends should never fear the truth.
Are they are delighted with the mob we have running the English parliament ?
@Lintonbairn
Your subjective *feelz* or those of a few randoms you know tells us precisely zero. This kind of narrative was (ab)used extensively during Project Fear by unionists in 2012-14. It was bullshit then, and sorry it’s bullshit now. Anyone who changes their political choices based on what Wings or anyone else said probably needs to have their voting rights removed for mental incapacity.
If the soft persuadable “No” voters find some aspects of the movement too much to take, well……tough. I and many others find virtually all British nationalists hard to take, and have little but contempt for etiolated Scots who think we need permission to exercise our self determination, or who are still taken in by the “too wee, too poor, too stupid” mantra, because in the end that IS all the case for the union amounts to.
For every faint heart put off by Wings Over Scotland there will be another who is educated and fully agrees. Similarly there will be some who fully agree with the Sturgeonistas, or the woke Wahhabis, or with the Greens. The movement doesn’t consist of, or belong to, any one group, party or “type” of people.
If you hadn’t noticed, many of the regulars here are in the middle of excoriating the SNP for its stupidity, and trying to promote an alternative “real” independence movement. We don’t really have the time or the inclination to baby sit milquetoast nationalism, or school newbies whose initial reaction to the cut and thrust is to clutch their pearls and retreat back to the cosy bromides of Morningside unionism.
Only the other day you pitched in to the Andy Wightman debate exhibiting close to zero knowledge of the situation. I understand that not everyone is politically motivated or that interested, but seriously there’s little excuse not to be at least aware of the major issues these days.
As one of my old teachers observed: “It’s not a sin to be ignorant, it IS a sin to be proud of it.”
Sarah@3:27 thanks for the heads up. But to be honest when you see the shenanagans I really don’t think there is much point in ranking.
All seems pretty screwed up anyhow.
kapelmeister says:
20 February, 2021 at 3:47 pm
Lintonbairn
We know it’s you Wishart.
I will never cease to be grateful to Stuart for all that he has done and is doing for Scottish independence. But Lintonbairn was merely pointing out that his abrasiveness frightens off some people who might be more open to a less strident tone. I’m not saying Stuart should change – I doubt if he could even if he wanted to – just that there is a price to be paid for his unrelenting combativeness
Emma Roddick is a bigger danger. She is completely untrustworthy and would be a nightmare in Holyrood. She tweeted about victims of sexual assault a few days ago. Nothing I can disagree about in that tweet and very well written. However she should be honest and tell us about her involvement in the Cllr. Richard Laird cover up after he resigned for ‘health reasons’. I don’t see any messages of support for his victims.
NS is systematically destroying the SNP from the inside out. I never imagined I would be saying this a couple of years ago but it now time for her and her rat husband to go.
tollcross says:
20 February, 2021 at 4:28 pm
kapelmeister says:
20 February, 2021 at 3:47 pm
Lintonbairn
We know it’s you Wishart.
“there is a price to be paid for his unrelenting combativeness”
—————————————————————–
Maybe but it’s a price well worth paying, you either pay the price or you back down to the bullies, I can’t talk for anyone else on this site but I’m sick to the back teeth of this cultural marxism or political correctness in society nowadays.
Stu says it it as he sees it, he talks my language and although I don’t agree with everything he says, I accept he has a perfect right to say it and if it offends anyone (including me) too f@cking bad, offend him back if you can. That’s how it works you can’t be everything to everyone
@tollcross 4.28pm
I suppose it’s too much to expect even the minimal level of self awareness – on today of all days with the NEC’s “Night of the Long Knives” – for numpties like you to realise that this pearl clutching “Oooo…you are awful, and just too, too combative Stuey!” schtick is one of the reasons the movement finds itself in this gawd awful mess?
I am not sure she is a snowflake, it looks to me like she just uses it as a weapon like many of trans-extremists. Spears looks like an incredibly manipulative person to me.
One clue is how she proclaims her victim-hood far and wide.
Victim-hood is the basis of the trans-extremist movement. ‘Poor me why won’t women give me what i want’. As one feminist put it ‘it is rape mentality’. When women continue to refuse and crying doesn’t work, they use kicking and screaming and when women fight back, fall back to crying mode.
She just keeps coming back as my prospective candidate, first on the constituency vote and now on the region!
Robert Crerar says:
20 February, 2021 at 2:16 pm
Is the Math Campbell mentioned above the same one standing as the SNP candidate in a council by-election next month in Argyll & Bute? Can he do both?
You do the Math Robert!
@PhilM
Here’s my tuppence worth:
To build a nation anew, it is necessary, first of all, to bring-to-heel/remove the civil service and residing establishment. Unelected by definition and oligarchical by nature, it is through their interconnectedness that these castes wield enormous power and influence throughout all societies; always from the shadows of unquestioned respectability. Independence, in reality, would be an abomination if both of those groups were to be left unchecked.
Spear, Math, Roddick, Ken Gowans and Jamie S all confirmed at our hustings that they were self-declaring. Barry Jarvis only one to confirm he was not.
Surely if Fiona Robertson has managed to get her version of transphobia through the discredited NEC this can’t be held retrospectively against Joanna Cheery?
In saying that JC is principled so she won’t say anything different when asked her views.
If they oust JC could there be a solid case for constructive dismissal or equivalent? Targeted harassment?
TBH, speaking as a Unionist, I have a lot in common with the points raised by this blog, and most of the commenters. The “tribal” SNP supporter is being led down a very dangerous path.
True supporters of an independent Scotland probably have more in common with conservative Englishmen than they care to realise.
Given that the UK has had its day, perhaps it’s time for nationalists from all the constituent parts of the UK to get together and figure out/propose a better way for the peoples on this island to live and work together.
Woke SNP is not the answer – and if they were to achieve their dream, Scotland would be ruined – economically and socially.
Today I resigned from the SNP.
Never in a million years could I have imagined this scenario.
I suppose Alex Salmond has uttered those words many times in the past two years.
For members getting their vote by post they’d be as good wiping their arse with the voting paper as opposed to actually voting for it.
Quite why the odious Rhiannon refuses to say whether she has self identified as disabled through dyslexia or not reinforces the absolute piece of scum that she is.
So tell me this why would any SNP member want to participate n a shit show like this. In fact, notwithstanding that last time 953,00 votes got 4 SNP seats whereas 956,000 votes got 45 Unionist seats, why would anyone in the wider public in May give a second vote to the SNP.
Two votes SNP – diddy up now, two votes SNP – you know it makes nonsense!
A dyslexic woman walks into a bra in Fort William and demands the best seat in the house because she is an elected MSP for the region
PS I’m also dyslexic. It’s not a real disability
Lots of people live in Glasgow that originate somewhere else and have a deep afinity and knowledge of their original home. I am one and wouldnt feel out of place trying to represent a place I am from (possibly move back if successful etc)
Don’t think this is your strongest suit, Stuart.
I’m wondering what has been shoved in the water over the last 30 years to cause so many bleating, entitled Cnuts without a spine between them to be inflicted on the world.
If that was one of mine I’d be mortified that I had gone so wrong.
Politics is the ability to state and defend your side of a debate. It’s the ability to be scrutinied and questioned and the skills to win your opponent round.
It isn’t
I want!
I should get!
MAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMM!
I’m going to skweem and skweem until I make mythelf thick……
Voting according to the wokerati:
‘Vote for the candidate we have chosen for you. They might be useless, sit on their erses for the duration collecting taxpayers money and do nothing for your constituency. But look at that wee face. How can you resist it? If you don’t vote for them, we will label you bigots. And in the words of Ian Brotherhood ‘alt-right fascists’! We have your electoral registration. We will find you!’
The world just got smaller!
I’m not an SNP member but if I was I’d certainly ask all the candidates whether they claim to belong to any protected group, and wouldn’t vote to anyone that doesn’t answer.
But then, I would never ever vote for anyone who uses insults like Terf, Jeremy Hunts or alphabet women/people anyway…
I fucking detest any individual who thinks it’s clever to use ‘+’ rather than ‘&’.
Bratney Spear and other braindead arses are what happens when you educate people beyond their intelligence levels, leaving them spouting normal-person-alienating meaningless yank slang. These clowns would almost be an argument for taking away the right to a free education, if this horseshit is the fucking result.
Christ, but I am SICK of these cunts. Was Scotland ALWAYS full of these idiots? This shit could never have happened 30 years ago. Maybe it just took the net, and overweening American political and sociological obsession, for these yankee-intellect cosplaying chimps to try and take over. Maybe they’ve been waiting in the wings all along. They certainly are like nobody I ever grew up or hung out with. Then again, I never hung out with sanctimonious, pompous, arrogant fucking pricks who wanted power over other people, and to censor them. Fucking braindead wee bellyslither reptiles, lower than snakeballs. Absolutely anathema to everything that a tolerant, non-censorious, SANE Scotland should stand for.
Light reading for dyslexics:
link to goodreads.com
@Jeannie McCrimmon 8.09
I was a lapsed member anyway, but left a week or two ago. I got the blurb, “thank you for your support” etc. However, on MySNP, I still have a supporter number. I wrote to them again asking them to remove me from any lists since I don’t want my good name associated in any way with this shower. Unsurprisingly, no reply, and it appears I’m still listed as a supporter. Is this how they are going to massage the figures in an attempt to hide what I’d wager is a significant exodus?
Witchy says:
20 February, 2021 at 9:19 pm
Voting according to the wokerati:
‘Vote for the candidate we have chosen for you. They might be useless, sit on their erses for the duration collecting taxpayers money and do nothing for your constituency. But look at that wee face. How can you resist it? If you don’t vote for them, we will label you bigots. And in the words of Ian Brotherhood ‘alt-right fascists’! We have your electoral registration. We will find you!’
The world just got smaller!
**I need to correct this by making it clearer, Ian Brotherhood was being ironic!** Apologies if it was mis-leading!
Once upon a time top spot on the list was used as belt and braces to protect high profile names within the party. If there was a concentrated effort by unionists to tactically vote to get Nicola Sturgeon out of her constituency and it succeeded, then the highest possible place she could be given on the list is second. So the list seat would go to a BAME candidate, regardless of experience or value to the party, and Sturgeon would have to rely on enough constituencies being lost to the SNP to generate a second list place.
@Wendy says:
20 February, 2021 at 2:08 pm
It’s like all the really dim folk that were in your class at school are in politics now.
Funny you should say that; there was a guy in my class at school called Robert McWhirter who now lives in Switzerland (I think) and has stood as a UKIP candidate.
This is a good read written by a child of a transvestite & puts to bed all the claims the Wokes are trying to put on women & society at large.
It’s a long read but worthy of the time spent doing so as it explains perfectly what Joanne Cherry is actually trying to put out there.
These trans men who dress as women are in fact what is called Autogynephillia. Dressing as women is a sexual fetish.
link to childrenoftransitioners.org
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom. It says in the good book and in Embra central library.
Certainly fear of the electorate is the same for politicians. Instead we have the stench of arrogant selfishness.