That worth remembering
Alex Salmond will be laid to rest in the green turf of Aberdeenshire today in a quiet and dignified private ceremony. (A public celebration of his life will take place next month.)
Most of Scotland’s press and commentariat beclowned itself shamefully after his death just as it did during his life, but below is a (regrettably short) collection of those who did otherwise and who deserve to be noted honourably beside the man himself.
Please let us know in the comments of any we’ve missed and we’ll add them.
Professor James Mitchell for Holyrood magazine
Mandy Rhodes, also in Holyrood magazine
Joan McAlpine, again in the same publication
David McKie and Callum Anderson of law firm Levy and McRae
and perhaps most surprisingly of all,
Sometimes it is our enemies who lay flowers.
Mibbe, also surprisingly, Andrew Neil on Times Radio
Ihttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s35_V-Gs4ZI
Rest in power Alex. We will miss you but we will never give up the cause. You took us further than anyone ever has and we will be eternally grateful.
RIP,Sir , your legacy may have been erased by some but will never be forgotten by many more
Joan Mcalpine has done an impressive piece in Holyrood magazine today
RIP Alex Salmond.
For you the fight is over but not for us.
Thank you, Rev, for this list. It’s good to know there are some decent people in the press.
I’m hoping for a beautiful day in Strichen. We’ll be thinking of them.
I’m an hour away from Strichen and it’s an absolutely stunning day here, not a cloud in the sky.
I hope there will be some Saltires drawn in the sky by passing planes.
Note: Not one commentator from the National, the supposed Indy newspaper. Utterly shameful.
And unsurprising
The National is a Unionist publication just as the SNP is a Unionist Party. Joined at the hip…
Yes, no wish to sully this article with ire but that periodical is a comic unworthy of serious debate or inclusion near this man’s name.
So bad it’s a boon to unionism.
Yes Callum. It is disgraceful, but one only needs to scan the collage of the National front pages so helpfully provided by Stu bottom right on the WOS Home page to understand how utterly useless the National is.
Without doubt in their writing those contributors form a dignified and admirable role of honour.
Oh that the pygmies of spite and hypocrisy might avail of truth and dignity in this life.
R.I.P Alex, a man true to the people and his country.
Excellent, heartfelt and genuine tributes to Alex Salmond. Yes, Brian Wilson’s comments were pleasantly surprising and I find myself harbouring some respect for his honesty.
Brian Wilson in his early days was an independence supporter before he took on the role of Labour Stalwart. I wonder what BW thinks of Starmer’s Labour?
As a Welsh Nationalist living in Scotland.I can only wish that we had a politician of Mr Salmon’s standing and political skills in Wales. Thank you Rev. For the links to Brian Wilson and Kevin McKenna who both have expressed my own feelings so much better than I can.
I hope to live to see the day when Scotland and Wales become independent and operate within the British Isles in mutual respect and cooperation.
As to those who are not worthy to be named along side the titan that was Alex Salmond their day of reckoning will surely come in this world or the next.
Rest in peace
David Davis MP
Farewell Alex.
The true Hero of our Scotland.
Bye, bye Big Man.
The greatest of hem all.
Andrew Neil on X: (1) Andrew Neil on X: “So sad to learn that Alex Salmond has died. I had lunch with him in London only three weeks ago — an epic lunch as it transpired, as was fitting with Alex — and he was in fine form. Full of plans and plots. He even paid! His upbeat mood then make this all the more surprising” / X
Thank you Mr Salmond for making us believe Scotland could do better.
I’ll take that forward and intend, one day, not to dream, but to see it done.
We will never see your likes again. ?
Sorry Lizzie I didn’t see your comment when I wrote mine.
Jim Spence, DC Thomson
Enjoy your rest Alex. When will we see your like again?
And they say giants never existed.
Well Scotland is burying one today.
History will record this great man as a true guardian of Scotland while others await a wothy reckoning and undoubted infamy
RIP Alex Salmond – Hero
Oh, how I wished you could have been persuaded not to step down when you did. For certain, Scotland’s course would have been set in a more favourable direction R.I.P, sir…and thank you….
More people I know have left the snp. Ones I thought would never leave – the reason? Their disgust with the way the snp have treated Alex’s passing. Meantime his final tweet – Scotland is a country, not a county- was deemed political at the people’s parliament. And banned. You couldn’t make it up. The group were there to sign his book of condolences. While at the same time large electronic billboards boomed out LGBTQ propaganda facing the book of condolences. Even the herald covered it later on this article.
link to archive.is
“When will we see his like again?” RIP Alex. Your spirit will inspire us to carry on the fight.
That is outrageous about the LGBTQ… stuff at Holyrood. Are there no sane, decent people working there? Obviously not. The place is a sink of fetishism and stupidity.
A sad day as we say farewell to this honest man o’ independent mind; much admired and never to be forgotten.
RIP
History will show the true champions of the cause of Scottish Independence.
…and if I had one…
Our Saltire has been at half mast since his passing. A sad day when my OH pulls it back up and we move on. I don’t think I’m ready for that.
“When comes such another?”
Rest in Peace, great son of Scotland.
The dream shall never die!
The BBC Scotland Webpage carried an article on the couple who are challenging the Winter Fuel Payment decision in court. They were shown in earlier articles with Alex Salmond beside them. In the latest article Alex Salmond has been cut out of the picture. I have complained to the BBC (yawn) about this and asked why the decision was made to alter a well known photograph by cutting AS out especially as he is mentioned in the article. I wonder what sort of “We are right and you and wrong” response I’ll get.
I really do doubt there is anyone left at the very British organisation that could be considered as honourable (or even reasonable)
The bias and orchestrated state manipulation is now undeniable even by many unionists.
Culture is a1/4 what it used to be.
So many UK shows branded as BBC Scotland ? Money siphoned from Scots fees for 99% UK audience …
Appalling Englishing of Scotland.
In the second P&J article Stu links to, an important distinction is recognised: the difference between a dreamer and a visionary. Alex was a visionary who got things done. Like others have said, I hope Strichen is blessed with a braw dry day, for it will be a raw day. But it’s good to know that the ceremony will be led by a long-standing, close and loyal ally of the family.
There’s wee part of me that still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that Alex isn’t with us anymore. He always seemed indestructible to me, like a familiar mountain, a permanent and reliable feature of our landscape.
Aye min, Lachin Y Gair immediately comes to mind.
The steep frowning glories of dark Loch na Garr!
Sad day
He will never be forgotten
“Scotland is a country not a county”
RIP 1954-2024
Honourable mentions too, surely, for Alex Neil, Lesley Riddoch and Iain Macwhirter. They didn’t offer hagiographies, but what they wrote was overwhelmingly sympathetic.
Riddoch? Gies peace, nae mair than a apologist for Sturgeon and her cult. A parasite, leechin aff the Independence movement!!
You need to read the piece. I think even Stu himself thought it fine.
Yip – the Chief will be laid to rest today – he fought for our freedom – for that we should honour him – Alex Salmond is a national hero, even if some Scots don’t know it yet.
Thanks Alex for your endeavours to free us – we won’t forget you.
I myself am a unionist but Alex Salmond was the best politician in my long life-time. Scotland should not let Sturgeon et al away with putting this man, a legend, into an early grave.
Salmond’s death made me think of my dad dying, just over a year ago, of colon cancer. It’s not the same of course – I didn’t know Alex, never even met him – but I feel as much for him as is possible for what is in reality, a “stranger”.
Part of it is self interest – I always thought, with Alex around, it is possible my own life could get better through politics; there was hope. Hope is a necessity for existence, you need some thing, no matter how small, to pull you through the days, to ward off the negativity – we are all just rotting flesh on a one-way conveyor belt to a hole in the ground … but you need something to take your mind off this, ultimate reality (and you will die never knowing why, what it was all about, really, and whether you did the right thing or not, or if it meant something)
We know Alex was one of us, for us, one of the good guys, for the simple reason that with his obvious talents, had he “sold out”, say joined the Labour Party and stayed there, he would almost certainly have become the PM of this country – what is the opposition? Have you seen the empty coats and comedians who got the job? He would have been a wilsonian PM, with the same enemies; it’s a fascinating tale for one of those “parallel universe” stories. When he left politics he could have filled his pockets and been lauded by the media as an elder statesman. Instead, he avoided this easy life, to be out there, streetfighting on our behalf, despite his advanced years.
All I can see in the political arena are sellouts – sellouts to the establishment, to money, to corporate lobbies, foreign powers, the spooks – anyone who is not the people. The political selection process is now so controlled, so mechanised, that anyone who is not a “clone” has no chance of getting anywhere near any important position; you can see them on the TV right now, doing the same shit, making the same talking points. Useless, all. And while there might be “good guys” out there – voices crying in the wilderness – they either lack the “mad skillz” needed to succeed in this bear pit, or would be quickly “repurposed” once the system got a hold of them – some of them may be idealists, but once invited to the porch of some body with real power, it is intoxicating; “this is the way the world works” (- remember Nikki’s talk to the CFR? – the poor girl thought she made the bigtime)
The SNP were a fringe interest, pretty much, until he arrived (not to denigrate the work of all those people previous, but it had fallen short) – its success since then has been unimaginable. The sick irony of the troughers, the grifters, is that they owe their knife and fork jobs to the Salmond years of growth and success.
Leaders are a necessity, but also a single point of failure; they can be got at, bribed, threatened, murdered, it is commonplace. I was trying to solve this problem; ideas from “leaderless resistance” and distributed systems. I was thinking about football teams, a collective enterprise, the work of many, but at the same time you DO need a striker, to lead the line and get the goals, and the difference between one who gets 10 goals a season, or 20 goals, or even 30 goals a season, is enormous. Top strikers are so expensive because they are rare, even among professional footballers. The indy movement does not have many “top strikers”. And we just lost our biggest.
Everyone dies sometime and of something; 69 is at least 10 years early, but not outrageously so. Heart attacks account for about 1/3 of us. Natural causes, probably, maybe. Single events admit no theory, but looked at in the large, in the broad sweep of politics, there is a pattern and the tell is always – “timing”. When things happen “just so”, I always think – what are the odds of that then?
– there is a lot boiling up in our politics right now; investigations, court cases – one gets the feeling the dam is about to burst and when people can see all the evidence and know the names of the principals, it is obvious what really happened and once that happens, the SNP, or at least the people now running it, are going to be sunk – torches and pitchforks time.
The importance to the establishment of having a faux-nationalist party to “queer the pitch” instead of an actual nationalist party, does not need explained to wingers. We are talking trillions of assets, already spent/accounted for and used as collateral to keep the rotten ship of Britain floating.
RiP former FM, but the job isn’t finished and I don’t want to be the next one being laid to rest just because we are sitting on our arses. The political and legal process isn’t working other than for the Unionist and Redcoats. Kemi Badenoch was laughing when asked if Scotland was in a voluntary union and asked what was the process in which Scotland could leave and true answering being NONE. SNP aren’t ever going to defy their masters they aren’t even bothered about Scotland or its people anymore and if you believe they are my reply to you is don’t be dumb, blind and stupid. There is nothing we’ll ever be able to achieve with the SNPBAD in charge but we actually don’t need the SNP we are going to need to mass protest not at our masters south of the border its the Redcoats in Holyrood this is where democracy is being denied because its also where democracy can be won. I have no idea who many times I contacted AUOB telling them not to march on the streets but to march against Nicola Sturgeon government. There isn’t 1 who can see past the benefits paid in their bank accounts of the Union to do the right thing for Scotland or our people and to be honest I was and still am Angry with Salmond on how he held the referendum in 2014 by allowing 1.5million people who oppressed Independence even before we went to the polls this was a HUGE mistake and has brought us to where we are today.
The Tartan Army’s tribute.
I am glad to see that Alex will receive the dignity in death that he was denied in life. Rest in peace Sir.
And thank you to Stuart for listing the tributes to Alex. I have not had the opportunity to read them previously. They are both breathtaking and heartbreaking, highlighting the worth of the man we have lost.
I truly believe that lije Martin Luther Jing,ge led ysto the mountaintop and we need to get to the Promised Land on his behalf.
Yikes. Like Martin Luther King he led us to
Are you confusing him with Martin Luther Jings Crivvens Help ma Boab?
At a time when we need heroes with incontrovertible records of endeavour on the battlefield of liberation, who else can we speak of but Alex Salmond on this, the saddest of days.
And who will they remember in the coming generations when Scots will once more, walk as a free people in this ancient nation?
I hope a positive emerges in that the Movement unites and drives forward. That is what he would have wanted. That should be his legacy.
On a personal level I hope the evil Nicophants who tried to destroy him pay a heavy price
In the ninth circle of hell, those who committed betrayal are punished most severely in a frozen lake named Cocytus guarded by Satan.
the 9th circle would contain almost the entire Scots political class – in fact, I hear Beelzebub is doing a lot of building work, an entire 10th circle called SNP-land
in fact, the 8th circle is the domain of “sodomites” (paedos) and “usurers” (bankers), which makes you wonder about their plans for an LGBTQ+ friendly Scotland owned entirely by BlackRock.
A sad day.
My condolences to Alex’s family.
And to those close to him.
You were our guiding light, and there were too many trying to snuff out that light.
The Dream Shall Never Die.
Greatly appreciated, Rev, though we can surely consider your own “The Giant” among those beautiful tributes, since you’re more a journalist than any of the hacks perpetuating lies could ever dream of being.
Remembering is important. Acting on his life’s work is the greatest gift we could give to the memory of such a great and good man.
Thanks as ever Wings.
Perhaps Iain Macwhirter:
“Alex Salmond took the SNP from electoral irrelevance to the governance of Scotland. He was the most astute, gifted, and energetic politician of his generation. It may be a cliché to say that we’ll never see his like again – but that doesn’t make it any less true.”
Should have said this was in The Spectator.
I’m currently standing outside Strichen Church and there a few mourners outside as well, blue skies and a cauld wind.
If Alec could see this, he will have a wee chuckle at the media presence.
Thank you for letting us know that there are some good friends outside the kirk as well as inside. I had hoped the “media” would stay away but….
The Dream will be realised thanks to you Alex. The greatest statesman. Very sad times. Thinking about Moira, family and friends. God bless.
I didn’t agree with Alex Salmond, but he was a great advocate for his view. And sadly, now passed. May he rest in peace.
Crikey the piece by Brian Wilson is a belter.
How I remember Mr Salmond — my drypoint etching made in 2016.
Rest in peace, Mr Salmond. Last great true king of Scotland.
When will we see your likes again?
Rest in Peace Alex. A nation is yet to find its gratitude. Heavan has another blessed soul.
God Bless you and yours.
Caught the BBC Gaelic radio news at 15.00. No mention of the funeral, but they did manage to include an item on “tìodhlacadh sgudail” (“burial of refuse”).
Shocking. BBC News facebook had nothing but BBC Scotland did. Also STV news facebook had a fair amount with video clips. The National facebook had Kenny MacAskill’s eulogy available for all to read, not behind a paywall.
I notice that the 11.00 am Gaelic news did have mention:
Naidheachdan 11:00m
“Tiodhlacadh Ailig Salmond: Bidh tiodhlacadh seann Phrìomh Mhinistear na h-Alba, Ailig Salmond, ann feasgar an-diugh. ‘S e tiodhlacadh prìobhaideach a th’ ann aig Eaglais Paraiste Srath Eichin ann an Siorrachd Obair Dheathain le dùil ri seirbheis phoblach aig àm eile.”
Brian Wilson has been a professional obituary writer for decades. He and Julia Langdon have written them for many Labour Party figures, especially the lesser known ones. Most of his copy was written years, if not decades ago. They lie in a file or USB until the person passes away. Usually, during this time, they are checked for potentially offensive statements. On the person’s passing, the text is updated and prepared for submission.
Those qualifications aside, it is a fair and respectful piece.
To be honest Stuart, I thought your piece was excellent,
I think I commented on Twitter at the time tears where streaming down as read it.
Your gift is articulating how we as ordinary working class Scot’s feel in a way the establishment never could, that’s why they tried to destroy you too
RIP and sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Only met the man once. As a fellow supporter of the Scotland national football team in St Ettiene in 1998 . His office were sent the printed picture ( aye, the f,in auld) but I reckon the negative is somewhere in the flat.
My pal and I had been face painting that day and had just left the Moroccan tea tent when we met.
I do remember thinking he didn’t appreciate my Fife born Southern English accent or my mate’s Glasgow born Southern English accent.
Some, still have to accept that for centuries a lot of Scots have and still have to fuk off.
My Wee Bit Hill is in what they currently call south angleland
The Proclaimers website kept it simple.
“Dear Alex. Rest in peace. The debt is unpayable. Scotland forever.”
It’s interesting that the strong theme from people who were his political opponents is anger at the the unjustness of his treatment. I like that!
I like that, for some people, fairness and justice transcends bitter political disagreements.
I’d rather live in a country with people who disagree with me but share a sense of common decency, than be with a nest of people who nominally agree with me but have no decency.
For all the enmity between Unionists and Nationalists – it’s at moments like these that you see who the good people are.
‘Even the colonizer becomes unsettled by events’ (Memmi).
The reality is that colonialism (however it may be described, e.g. as ‘Union’) involves domination of ‘a people’, politically, economically, and culturally; plus whatever else is deemed necessary to keep the racket going.
Yes – I actually think it’s been unionists who have done more to fight the injustice against Salmond in many ways, in part Salmond was a figure they could respect, and who would build a vision of independence unionists could at least make their peace with.
Whilst the Sturgoen government seemed determined to create a vision even independence supporters had to hold their nose at . .
It was unionists who colluded in his downfall & that of the SNP.
No one else.
Could hardly agree more.
I would quibble with your use of the word “enmity” though. There’s hopefully only ever going to be one Scotland, with all Scots, of whichever political persuasion, living in it.
If we allow enmity to grow and fester then an Independent Scotland may fission along some of the obvious fault lines: The Central Belt, The Highlands and Western Isles, The Orkney and Shetland Isles, Grampian.
Not forgetting the Borders, which may well choose to stay with a Tory England.
And a great cry of “Pish” was heard!
Or ‘partition’, the colonizer’s final default act to mess up a people, as in Ireland, India, Palestine etc.
Maybe, Alf.
Then again, only yesterday Breeks was hinting at the special measures that will be needed as soon as we get Indy. To deal with those Scots who may be a little unenthusiastic about being ruled by the gender woo woo gang, or the Humous fan club.
It’s entirely feasible that once Great Britain starts to break up, events, like they usually do, will take their course and further break ups will develop. Scotland is herself an amalgam of regions with different cultures, different histories, different languages and different outlooks.
It’s a common fallacy when dealing with complex real-world situations. The naive believe you can change just one thing, and that every other thing will remain unchanged. It leads to the simplistic type who will tell you that every problem under the sun can be solved if only …
As an engineer, you of all people should know better.
No, it really won’t.
Scotlands territory remains intact. Any breaking up will be a matter for Scots. If yer thinking of that Unionist myth of the islands – sorry to disappoint you but under international law they’d become enclaves entitled to seven miles of shoreline.
Whit a bummer eh? The oil is further.
The demarcation of the sea boundary between Scotland and Orkney/Shetland will be decided by the United Kingdom Parliament were Scotland to become independent. If Orkney/Shetland decided not to join an independent Scotland, I think it is very likely that the U.K. Parliament would legislate that the U.K. retains jurisdiction up to the equidistant boundary between those islands and Scotland.
link to craigmurray.org.uk
link to craigmurray.org.uk
Carving up the North Sea: Map of 1976 UK Whitehall plan to slash Scotland’s maritime assets
In the absence of a willingness from both sides to compromise, it is likely that the demarcation of boundaries will be settled in the usual historic way – by force of possession – military, political, economic, most likely a combination of the three.
To take Orkney & Shetland as examples, I am not lucky enough to live there, but the people who do live there are a combination of the original Norse indigenous inhabitants and incomers (sizzlers) who have more in common with the Home Counties than the Central Belt “Hey Jimmies”. I know what my choice would be, a Nordic Scandinavian future, and the original Norse indigenous inhabitants have plenty of the Ancient Guff backing up their case too.
FFS, both archipelagos were handed over as a pawnshop surety by one King to another. It’s almost beyond belief that those who never stop railing against 1707 will tacitly accept such an outrage just because it suits them.
Two things continue to amuse me:
1) Much the same posters everlastingly crowing about the collapse of the current “Rules Based Order” nevertheless continue to argue that their preferred future outcome will be overseen and authorised by an avuncular, altruistic “International Community”. They really need to get a grip on that level of cognitive dissonance.
2) Much the same posters celebrating why iScotland will be the cuddliest, friendliest, wee country in the world nevertheless expect we can take stuff that others (rightly or wrongly) believe belongs to them and they will just allow that because we’re so cute they will wish us well. Cognitive dissonance again.
This is spot on, it is the same kind of people who support the peace loving states of Russia and China as Scotlands natural allies, as opposed to the warmongering west, but nevertheless propose a hugely advantageous settlement will be enforced against the U.K. by those very same western countries. The reality is, short of imposing an arrangement on Indy Scotland that is effectively subjugation or colonial, Paris and Washington etc. will take the side of their long term ally, to the extent that they take a view at all.
It would not take much of a bung from rUK or Norway to make Orkney and Shetland an extremely prosperous place. In contrast, independence means a decade of uncertainty at least whilst the new Scottish government sorts out its political and economic arrangements, and particularly uncertainty as to whether the ScotGov could continue to fund the expensive air/ferry services which are particularly vital to the outlying islands. In that context, I can certainly see a referendum favouring leaving the Scottish state notwithstanding the ties and emotional connection.
Actually “the original Norse indigenous inhabitants” you refer to were themselves invaders who ‘devastated’ the indigenous Picts in Orkney and Shetland, the latter being descended from the Neolithic people.
That was several centuries after the Orcades Picts had previously been ‘devastated’ by the Romans during their round-Britain cruise after the battle of Mons Graupius in AD 83 or 84.
Nordic culture mixed somewhat with Pictish/Scottii culture for a few hundred years before the Norse were finally removed an sent bak hame.
As usual some fowk aye seem tae get oor Scots history airse fer elbae.
What’s also amusing is that the same people who rail about 1689 or 1707 Scotland ignore the fact that 1707 Scotland did not include the North Sea oil fields.
Anyone how disputes that reality is welcome to show me a pre-1707 map of Scotland where its boundaries extend into the North Sea beyond the 12-mile limit.
EEZ’s are owned by nation states. The North Sea oil fields are the UK’s EEZ, to dispose of as the UK sees fit. Not (inherently) Scotland’s. Neither historic or present-day Scotland, nor Forfarshire, nor Lossiemouth, has a legal claim to that EEZ.
EEZ’s post Scottish indy would be delimited in accordance with established international law and precedent. This isn’t rocket science folks. The current UK EEZ post Scottish independence will be divided according to well established principles.
Virtually all the oil fields in the North Sea in the current UK EEZ will be inside the future Scottish EEZ. The rump UK zone would contain relatively little oil and some gas fields, but nothing much that isn’t already fairly well played out.
It’s simply factually incorrect to state the UK can dispose of the oil fields as it sees fit. Every newly independent state with a coastline is automatically entitled to territorial waters and an EEZ.
We already know what Scotland’s post indy EEZ will be.
No, the international boundaries will be decided by following precedent and established norms of international law, UNCLOS etc. There are plenty of international precedents, ICJ rulings and examples of countries agreeing maritime and EEZ boundaries.
If the Northern Isles opted for independence, and it was internationally recognised, they would be entitled to their own EEZ.
Given the other bordering EEZ’s (Norway, Denmark/Faroe Islands and Scotland) that wouldn’t actually be all that big because of established equidistance rules. It certainly wouldn’t give them much in the way of oil, gas or fishing grounds.
If the islands opted to remain part of the UK, their EEZ would be even smaller, as they’d be treated as an exclave of rump UK and only be entitled to – at most – a 12 nautical mile limit.
It’s decidedly NOT in the gift of the UK parliament. The boundary of the rump UK and Scottish sectors would also be different from the entirely notional one currently used, which would result in the boundary moving south.
It absolutely is in the gift of the U.K. Parliament, because the U.K. Parliament would have to legislate to provide for Scottish independence, and that legislation would have to determine the boundaries of a newly independent Scotland and rUK respectively. An independent Scotland could try and challenge that demarcation at some point in the future, at the ICJ, but there is no guarantee that they would either succeed, or that the U.K. would relinquish any territory in recognition of a successful judgement. In the same way that the U.K. government has ignored the issue of the Chagos Islands for a very long period of time, without any consequences.
Secondly, the proposed application of the “outlying islands/enclaves” principle has a gaping hole in it, namely that the Northern Isles are not considered to be outlying islands at the moment for the purpose of the UK’s EEZ vs Norway and the Faroe Islands. Were that principle to be applied, the boundary between the U.K. and those two countries would be much closer to the Scottish mainland, and a significant amount of oil and gas would transfer to the Norwegian sector. For the 12 mile maritime enclave to apply in the way suggested, Indy Scotland would need to argue that the Northern Isles are outlying islands of rUK for the purposes of their own EEZ, but also that they count as Scottish territory for the purposes of establishing an EEZ with Norway. That’s obviously unarguable, and would be even more unarguable if the Northern Islands became part of Norway. I’m personally doubtful that Indy Scotland would event attempt to make arguments of this nature, where the consequences might be that a significant portion of the EEZ could be lost to Norway, with the further consequence that the U.K. would have illegally extracted oil and gas from that area for the last 40+ years.
Scotland never relinquished any of her territory.
It was a political union.
We’re not negotiating to leave as a region.
Is this another one of “the law is what I say it is, not what the judges think” statements?
Faceache, you would quibble with anything that supporters of independence post on this site, regardless of whether your fatuous comments contain anything resembling fact or logic, wouldn’t you?
Heavy heart today. We have lost our greatest modern leader. May he rest with Bruce, Wallace, de Moray, Lady Buchan and all the others who proved themselves to be Scots in the bone.
You fought long and hard for what you believed in , we learned at your knee that failure was never an option that you considered, you have encouraged us to fight even harder for Scotland’s independence for you showed that a nation that truly embraced and cared for its citizens is a nation to be proud of
You were the epitome of the hard but fair Scotsman whose integrity and honesty overcame his cowardly enemies , your fortitude and kindness in the face of egregious lies and corruption was recognised and rewarded by a jury of your peers
We will do our best to continue your legacy in fighting for the freedom of your kinsmen and country
REST for now Alex
Something tells me that future generations will be much kinder to Alex Salmond than this one. It’s to our eternal shame that we cannot praise world-class Scots while they’re still alive.
Some of us certainly praised the world-class Scot that was Alex Salmond when he was alive. I always believed him to be a man of impeccable honesty and integrity, and I never had the slightest doubt that he was innocent of the crimes of which he was so disgustingly accused.
Me too.
The perpetrators will be brought to justice because nothing ever remains secret for long. Someone always blabs.
The very fact they (Scot gov) folded when it was their turn to take the stand told us everything we needed to know before the judge even gave his scathing remarks. That this was a deliberate hatchet job by the English witch hunting security services & their puppets infesting Holyrood.
There was no way they’d allow him back to Holyrood. So they brought out their favorite go-to, a sex scandal or twelve, to try get at least something to stick. They must really miss the News of the World these days & absolutely loath the internet. Their propaganda doesn’t work anymore & they’re a bunch of amateurs.
before the judge even gave his scathing remarks
Ah yes, the judge, Leeona June Dorrian, Lady Dorrian PC, KC.
Never before described as male, but you know best, eh Geri.
Of course, you’ve never made the slightest wee mistake in your life, have you, Achey McFaceache? Everyone agrees so much with your every word of wisdom that you’re the most popular poster on this site!
Achey McFaceache
I like it..I’ll use that from now on if that’s okay? LOL
Feel free!
Who needs popularity when I have facts?
You’re looking like many others on this site. You’ll deny the sun rises in the east if it’s posted by somebody you don’t like.
Good luck persuading a majority of Scots we have what it takes to run our own affairs with that kind of small-minded, intellectually sterile, tribalist bigotry.
You’re going to need it.
Facts? LOL.
Who needs facts when you’re on the snow, eh wee John? Dream on.
I was referring to Lord Pentland, ya plank.
Butt out of stuff you don’t have a clue about.
Dorian fitted up Craig Murray at his kangaroo trial – having a nice wee chat with a known Mi5 agent in the COPFS before sentencing him.
Dorian is 100% behind juryless trials – she couldn’t send the Chief down (Alex Salmond) because he had a jury of mostly women who acquitted him.
Naw.
You’re thinking of Lord Pentland!
“Craig Murray was sentenced to eight months by presiding judge Lady Dorrian, despite having taken great care to neither name accusers nor make jigsaw identification possible while still offering a factual account of the proceedings. “
The Case Against Craig Murray – Defending Free Journalism
“The recommendation to consider a time limited pilot of juryless trials came from the Lady Dorrian Review into Improving the Management of Sexual Offence Cases.”
Juryless trials: FOI release – gov.scot
That’d have been for a quickie Masonic handshake & a throw of the runes. 8 months, wench, nothing less. Make something up…
S’ok. I’ll just blame the court.
“This incarceration, wherein Lady Dorrian delivered the “Opinion of the Court” has caused some media attention.”
Sorted.
Colonialism only works by ‘debasing the colonized’ (Memmi), not by praising them, and no matter whether they are alive or dead.
While Scotland FM was eating sausage rolls from Greggs and celebrating representing the county of Scotland in England, I wouldn’t be the lightest surprised if it wasn’t John Redcoat Swinney’s idea for the new chairman GB Enegry to be based in England rather than Scotland after all he wouldn’t want someone else in Scotland who has more power than an ordinary FM of a County.
When the SNP is finished screwing Scotland over for England I wouldn’t be surprised if you couldn’t see the moon through there little Redcoat Arses, James Webb telescope eat your heart out.
You’ve missed yourself out of the list, sir, as your testament to Alex was as bonnie as it was possible to be. You’re up there with the best, Stuart.
Our flag has been at half mast since hearing of your passing. And I’m just not ready to raise it up again, yet, Alex, as your loss has me truly heart sore. You tried to take us to freedom, but some just didn’t see the possibilities. Your vision went further than they were able to see. But we’ll work on that, I promise.
Hope Robert & William are no leadin’ ye astray! Because I think it’ll be a real roach gatherin’ ye’ll be jinin. I’ve a feelin’ ye’ll be jinin in’ a wee swally just to mark ye moving on to the land where heroes bide. Ca’ canny. Mind, they’ve been at it a gey wee whilie noo & you’re new tae it ah! 😉 Bit whitever, please remember, while yer connivin’ with Boab & Wullie, ye’ll never be far fae a Indy supporter’s mind. xx
Good to see Kevin McKenna has an article in The Herald about the questionable activities of Scot Gov and a “senior civil servant” in the Hamilton enquiry. KM suggests that there may have been a conspiracy and it may have suborned the institutions that we, the public, thought were our safeguards. Well, this is all good stuff. Will it make a difference? I hope so.
A great man is gone and with his passing a huge crater of sorrow and despondency. The one beacon of light is Wings and Stuart Campbell.
and Salvo Liberation
Totally agree Andy. It would be a strong force Wings & Salvo working together.
That may well secure Scotland as an independent nation. Alex Salmond has shown us what Scotland can be.
Despite many pleas for Stuart to reveal his opinion on SALVO and Liberation.scot he remains silent, which I presume speaks volumes, he has shown us through his numerous investigations and honest articles that the political route to independence is dead in the water for at least a decade , with that in mind and his refusal to even contemplate standing for office what are his ideas to gain independence, I have never seen any article of his mention Scots sovereignty
twathater, the Rev did give his opinion. It was btl two or three weeks ago [is there a way to track down comments?] – I should have noted where because I too was interested to know why he hadn’t mentioned Salvo at all. I think the gist of his brief comment was that a political party is essential for progress on independence to be made as soon as possible. He didn’t denigrate Salvo/Liberation.
The “upgrade” has made it an absolute pain in the arse to find past posts as advanced search results produce loads of results and links with the dates completely out of whack with when comments were posted. May be due to lack of time date stamp on posts in new system, also bookmarking posts can’t be right clicked and bookmarked.
“Upgrade” is great for groundhog day goldfish but utter pish as a tool for reference. But that’s what you get with ADHD Facebook / Twitter like platforms, where as oldskool forums were much better as tools because they had specific sections with stickies, FAQs, etc.
Farcical amount of effort to try to follow comment trails now.
I did find the thread though.
Stu’s post where he states Salvo are “they’re prone to spouting some wacko conspiracy shit”.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
My bump after several others asked for a further response.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Thanks, Dan. I see that my memory was rather faulty – had forgotten the robust comment! However I correctly remembered that the Rev thinks that Salvo’s ideas would only work if advanced by a political party.
That was why it was so disappointing that Alba didn’t take it up wholeheartedly despite Neale Hanvey reading out the Edinburgh Declaration. I know that Alex was a genius – I wish we could have heard his reasoning.
From beyond the grave, Mr Salmond can still inspire us to freedom. Rest in peace, sir.
RIP Alex Salmond
Justice will prevail..
Alex Salmond achieved many things in his life, but there is one that stands head and shoulders above all others.
On Referendum Day in 2014, the people of Scotland were sovereign again for the first time in 307 years.
Scotland’s choice on the day was to remain part of the Union, but that cannot detract from the restoration of Scottish sovereignty, if only temporarily.
No one else has come anywhere near it.
Vale, Alex. It’s been a pleasure to accompany you on life’s journey.
A very sad day. I hope the family got the privacy they deserved. A funeral marked by the people that were there but equally by the people that weren’t there. RIP boss.
There is no one who can replace him, that we know of. Alba is the only way forward. The SNP is finished. It will take time and time needs to be taken. I was initially impressed by Nicola Sturgeon and obviously wasn’t the only one to be taken in.
We are the only nation in history to have been given the opportunity to govern ourselves and forge our own future, but decided we would be better off taking the same old shite rather than shite of our own making, if that’s what it came to. How could it be any worse?
I never seem to encounter anybody either on-line or in real life (apart from obvious trouble-makers like Faceache there) who doesn’t believe Scotland should be independent. I didn’t believe that ‘No’ really won the 2014 referendum at the time, and I’m even more sceptical about the result now.
And the De Facto referendum on 4th July 2024. Never mind…..best out of 5 eh?
Elections will be de facto referendums when all pro-independence parties agree to make them so. That’s never likely to be the case for as long as the SNP continues to ignore and obstruct independence.
Ooooh Michael, you’ve got yourself a wee playground name to chant in a wee piping primary school voice so in your heid that absolves you of any necessity to deal with the debate. Well done you.
Fair enough, I guess Scotland’s future lies with the tussle between the perma primary school name callers and the grownups.
Regarding Scotland’s Independence, that’s for a majority of the voters of Scotland to decide. So far, they remain resolutely 55% – 45% opposed. That could be down to a lack of sufficiently inventive primary school name calling. So get to it.
“Elections will be de facto referendums” if one political party specifically chooses to make them so, and all election voting is by informed voters who know specifically what they are voting for in the polling booth – Indy, or not Indy.
But congratulations again. You’ve chosen to dump on a Plebiscitary Election policy idea that could deliver Indy by convincing yourself in your heid it’s hopeless, it would never work, “they” wouldn’t stand for it, it’s no use, we’re doomed, they’re all agin us, make mine a treble, play Flowers Of The Forest one more time while the tears roll down your face.
Well done you.
Does that leave you free to greet and gurn ineffectually on here from now until the HR election? And then until the next WM GE? That’ll be you perfectly content in your comfort zone, eh?
Best out of however many it takes.
ROP TÚ MO BAILE (Anon. c 1000 AD)
(Common Gaelic original of hymn Be Thou my Vision, retranslated by Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh. Some verses selected for Alex today.)
1.
Rop tú mo baile,
a Choimdiu cride;
ní ní nech aile
acht Rí secht nime.
Fill my horizon,
Lord of love.
Still my eyes
On the King above.
2.
Rop tú mo scrútain
i lló ’s i n-aidche;
rop tú ad-chear
im chotlud caidche.
Be my thought
By day and night.
When eyelids shut,
Yet stay in sight.
5.
Rop tú mo chathscíath,
rop tú mo chlaideb;
rop tussu m’ordan,
rop tussu m’airer.
Be my battleshield.
Be my sword.
Be my dignity.
Be my reward.
6.
Rop tú mo dítiu,
rop tú mo daingen;
rop tú nom-thocba
i n-áentaid n-aingel.
Be my safehouse,
My basecamp strong.
Be my air-lift
With angel throng!
7.
Rop tú cech maithius
dom churp, dom anmain;
rop tú mo fhlaithius
i nnim ’s i talmain.
My body’s balm,
My spirit’s health,
Be my regime
In heaven and earth.
8.
Rop tussu t’áenur
sainserc mo chride;
ní rop nech aile
acht Airdrí nime.
Unto You alone
My heart shall cling.
None can dethrone
Heaven’s High King.
14.
Go Rí na n-uile
rís íar mbúaid léire;
ro béo i flaith nime
i ngile gréine.
With the King of All,
Tour of duty done,
Under heaven’s rule,
Under dazzling sun.
One of my favourite hymns. Thank you, F.M.
Beautiful, Fearghas. Very apt words and melody evoking a wonderful picture. Thank-you for sharing it.
My OH half said what I thought, despite our politics not being Nationalist any longer and not voting SNP for many years she said as far as she was concerned Alex Salmond WAS the SNP, obviously not the current shower and I knew what she meant.
The last decent politician to come out of Scotland since John Smith and struggling to see another around these days
What exactly did John Smith achieve?
Did I blink & miss something?
He was catapulted to the dizzy heights of Messiah when he died & hasn’t came back down since.
Will ‘he managed to get himself buried on Iona ‘do?
Or is that a tad flimsy!?
Answers on a postage stamp it seems.
It was a genuine question. I can’t find anything noteworthy. Nothing that elevated him to practically considered Scottish Royalty.
He was witty, a master debater & he would’ve won against the Tories. Reams of shite on Wiki & that was basically it.
Anyone would’ve won against the Tories at the time. The public was sick of the nasty, sleazy party shagging anything that moved inc that grey guy & the Queen of salmonella..eeewwww! All while maintaining his grey aura of Tory “family values”
I dunno what strings he pulled to be buried with Royalty either. Sacrilege!
“What exactly did John Smith achieve?”
Aye, maybe Rob can explain his elevation of Smith? Or any other Scot working for the British state. Not sure how any of them can be compared with Alex Salmond.
All I remember is a missus reputedly from the dark side, offspring employed in Brit state propaganda, and now a faux university centre conveyor belt producing anti-independence political functionaries. Rather a colonial legacy.
Aye, all his daughters seem to have landed key positions in the British state. Makes me think he was more than a lowly politician representing Monklands East LOL!
He was a minister for energy & trade too. Barf. It must’ve weighed heavily on his conscience watching all that oil trade flow south during the boom years while Monklands East was a shite hole. Not.
A staunch unionist he did zip for his country but we can’t go a day without hearing about him or his sprogs.
I thought I’d take a look & honestly, Wiki has managed a whole page of nothingness LOL. That’s quite a feat in itself.
Definitely not up there with Alex. Maybe someone will be along soon with an overlooked gem like he cured world hunger or something…
“He was a minister for energy & trade too.”
As was Brian Wilson. All party to the plunder and under-development of Scotland, to dragging us into dubious international conflicts, and more.
Yes, Geri, Monklands East/Motherwell North etc had a considerable reputation for Scottish Labour corruption and nepotism and people like Smith, Helen Liddell (formerly Robert Maxwell’s bag-carrier) and Dr John Reid got to the top of the British Establishment tree while the area was a byword for poverty and lack of opportunity.
It was astonishing that John Smith was buried with some of the earliest Scottish kings on Iona after doing virtually nothing for the land of his birth.
His family, of course, are in with the bricks of the British Establishment in academe, the media and Scots Law. It pays to toe the Londinium line.
Meanwhile Alex Salmond returned to Scotland to dispespect and further shameless smears on his character from the usual Britnat hyenas.
The war criminal Blair wrote this in his memoirs of John Smith.
“I remember waking up the first morning and then waking Cherie. I said to her “If John dies, I will be leader, not Gordon (Brown). And somehow I think this will happen. I just think it will.”
That was his fate almost certainly sealed then. Tony, the angel of death & destruction. Funny how death seems to follow him around. Diana, Kelly, Smith, Cook & millions of Iraqis.
I have to agree with Geri and Alf Baird , Smith’s greatest achievement was securing a life of riches and privilege for ALL his family whilst selling out Scotland and Scots , socialist my arse
RIP Alex, the greatest Scotsman of our times.
The Dream Shall Never Die
It’s on all of us to make it reality
In today’s Herald – ‘Broken in their grief’ by Kevin McKenna
Someone will be along shortly to chastise you for not archiving , but thanks for that piece and thanks to Kevin McKenna too.
Archiving is really to keep a copy, and not so much as a convenient way to stop being served up ads or tracked across the internet.
In this case it’s probably a good thing to post the direct link so that McKenna’s pulling power gets noticed in the popularity statistics that The Herald’s marketing department run.
That’s a good point, Stuart, about how clicking on Kevin McKenna’s article will prove how many people want to read his thoughts about Alex Salmond and all connected matters.
That can pretty much only be a gripe at me seeing as Stoker is taking a break.
But the link to the Herald in Nae Need!’s post was archived, just like the links to several other unionist articles in the article Stu posted above the line.
So what’s the great play here?
A unionist paper prints a reasonable article and that somehow negates the thousands of anti-Scottish self-governance pieces they have and will continue to post which influence far too many Scot’s not to want a return to self-governance for oor country?
Aye, that will surely win the unionists over. I’m sure all those hawks that have an eye on continuing to exploit Scotland’s people and our resources will change their position when they see some meek subservient plebs being nice to them.
Fuck Sake, it’s getting like Dad’s Army in here; Even Alf Baird a few posts down has started posting direct links to unionist / colonialist “news”papers, himself having fallen into Memme’s or Fanon’s assertion that a doun-hauden folk can be assimilated into the ruling system.
I’m thinking that the fact that McKenna seems to have seen the light, and the paper has published it, might be an indication that the wider public will also see the light – and hence increase support for the true independence candidates. However I may be being overly optimistic because, as you may remember, I am “a prisoner of hope”.
The link was merely to Ms Evans rather infamous quote, for which I could have used any one of several dozen sources, but Herald will dae. Or did that pass you by?
“The Herald will dae”
I’m alert enough to comprehend what was written, but giving any promotion, exposure, page hits, and a resultant revenue stream to oor MSM unionist / colonialist adversaries that cause a people to be continually doun hauden and not liberated isn’t an ace tactic.
I recall that time I was getting shot at but was still quite happy to continue to help fund my enemy’s ammunition procurement.
It was such a positive experience ya ken, kept me distracted fighting the flack and not allowing me to progress with developing other more serious matters in my life, plus playing dodgeball with all those bullets kept me nibble and fit too.
The Herald article you linked to was archived back in 2020.
link to archive.is
It is a simple task to check if an article has been archived already and takes a wee bit longer if it hasn’t and needs saved for the first time.
Simply paste a link into the lower box to check first, and then proceed from there.
link to archive.ph
Are you a librarian?
Na, I’m a #SuperStraightSuperTrans Sagittarian that likes to get shit done in many different arenas of life.
My engineering and practical background mean that I understand processes and use an array of tools to do a job as efficiently as possible and strive to achieve the best possible outcome.
In my activism for returning Scotland to self-governance that could entail sharing relevant information with specific individuals.
That’s why I think the site “upgrade” is shite as it now makes it much harder to search for and find quality past posts made by intelligent and / or informed folk. (I’ve got some of your historic posts saved and have shared on Scotland’s colonial predicament, as well as ferries and ports).
As a busy individual that is out and about doing things so not able to sit constantly refreshing the page and observing the recent comments porthole, following numerous comment trails is now a disjointed inefficient ball ache, compared to just coming back to the site and a simple one click refresh to pick up the conversations that have developed since last online.
Got to go out and speak to landowner now to discuss what’s to be done about the latest unofficially released bastarding beaver antics, with them dropping more trees and building yet another dam which if left will flood a historic right of way track, more area of farming field, and business premises.
Yesterday was sorting tractor hydraulics and the day before was engineering a fix for VW’s crap wet belt oil pump setup that trashes engines when the fibres shed from the small drive belt block the oil pump pickup pipe resulting in no oil pressure and fucked engine.
That issue has now been sorted by careful scrutiny and cross-referencing of parts, and then sourcing a replacement crankshaft from a previous generation engine, and also with some simple machining retrofitting the older but far more reliable chain drive oil pump.
It’s crazy that a massive company like VW willingly design in engineering flaws that will be costing consumers hundreds of thousands of pounds in replacement engines and grief whilst their vehicles are off the road, yet idiot me can work a fix for less than a hundred quid.
With all that engineering and systems background, surely you haven’t overlooked the point that there is no guarantee that what seems to be everyone’s customary archiving website (archive.is or .ph or .today and one or two other TLDs that seem to point to the same service) will be here five minutes from now, let alone a longer period? It just seems to be one guy’s private project out of the goodness of his heart. He could change his mind tomorrow (or die) with the whole thing disappearing. In short, despite its handiness, it can’t be regarded as the be-all and end-all.
Hey, one can only piss with the urinary tract one has!
Best we tag in @revstu for this important revelatory situation seeing as he uses the archive site.
Or is this just a piss poor troll attempt to try to influence folk to the futility of it all, and why bother using archive because it may go one day, and we’d be as well just posting direct links to unionists papers and give them the page hits and revenue stream…
“Last edited 2 hours ago by Dan” This was your take after having at least two goes at it? If you could look past what seems to be an obsession with some newspapers to the actual point – which, to make it clear for you, is about impermanence and unreliability – and do some background reading on web archiving, you might realise it’s a bigger problem than your limited focus has led you to realise. Archive.is doesn’t exactly have a lot of competitors and is fine for what it is (especially when defeating a lot of paywalls and being reasonably fast), but anyone blithely assuming it’ll be around forever (which would be, y’know, the general point of an archive) is on shaky ground, to say nothing of the DNS issues and government hassles its had along the way which occasionally block its availability.
This realisation doesn’t equate to a blanket endorsement for newspaper websites. Some of them are quite good at keeping old stories online for decades (The Guardian comes to mind, except when editorial embarrassment causes a decision to wipe something) but others (for example, some of Reach’s websites in my experience) appear to lose pages over time.
If you look more attentively at this site (WoS), you may notice that a lot of quoted material is posted as photos/screenshots of key parts, these images being hosted by this site (and presumably also retained on various drives), a wise move that avoids total dependence on one potentially unreliable third party.
I’m no Berners-Lee so freely admit I have no magic solution to the archiving problem (slight consolation is it stumps a few people who are closer to being a Berners-Lee) but I can at least see the problem is there.
Sigh. Loads of folk edit posts to correct a typo or mistake so get tae fuck with your lame attack the man and not the ball shite.
FYI edited the post because I had typed “urinary track” rather than “urinary tract”. Didn’t do biology at school but knew I had made an error once I’d posted it. I still ken what a woman and man are so that’s better than most of the biology denying mentalists we have in positions of influence and power.
I failed my English too if that helps you find another angle to be critical of what I try to say. But before you do that you may want to learn about things called paragraph breaks. 😉
Or save yourself the effort and be a lazy like or dislike button presser. Fucks given… None.
If you checkout all the blue hotlinks in Stu’s articles, the majority are to archived articles. He uses the archiving sites for a reason. There may be flaws with those sites but there are still reasons for utilising them.
Wayback Machine is another. Over the years there have been issues with many of the different archiving sites due tosome technical reason like domain name expiry or data protection certification, IT shizzle’s not my bag of knowledge.
Nothing is guaranteed in life other than death. This site may go at some point. Folk have actually worked away in the background to archive many of the articles Wings has produced and hosted over the years, so a record should be maintained if the site was to be taken down by Stuart or by other nefarious actors.
Loads of “news”papers also alter or even delete complete articles to disappear them.
I recall there was one about Joanna Cherry that got disappeared.
It’s far from a perfect world. We either strive to make the best of it using what is available to us or best hunker down and enjoy the shafting.
Whilst here. Are you up for standing for election on a manifesto to end the union? There’s been remarkably few takers stepping up.
I have yet to encounter a foreign language obituary for Mr Salmond written by a journalist who is not embedded in the London set up.
No matter the nice words they are effectively useful tools of the BritState apparatus, and that is no «dream».
When reality strikes, the dreaming stops.
I suspect Alex Salmond would concur.
«fine words butter no parsnips» is i believe the apposite English expression.
“No matter the nice words they are effectively useful tools of the BritState apparatus, and that is no «dream».”
This is what postcolonial theory tells us, that no matter what they say or do, nothing alters the fact that they act as ‘the watchdogs of colonialism’ (Cesaire).
A brilliant man of shining talent who made just one mistake.
He should have never allowed foreigners to have a say in Scotland’s sovereignty.
Can you imagine the French, the Germans, Americans, or any other nation allowing that?
Without the No vote of the EU citizens and English Scotland would be free.
I regard him as our modern Wallace, betrayed by his own. Now we need our Bruce.
Spot on.
‘Yes’ would have walked the 2014 referendum with a properly organised UN-sanctioned ‘national franchise’ instead of an irregular Holyrood local government franchise based on residence, which ignored national identity. Self-determination is about the independence and hence decolonization of a distinct ‘people’ in which national identity / national consciousness is the most fundamental issue.
The 56 so-called ‘roaring lions’ elected in 2015 was another missed opportunity to end the UK colonial hoax; the first time in over 300 years that a majority of nationalists were elected in Scotland and they aw still took the oath tae the wrang croun!
As somebody once said: “WE’VE lost a battle, but we will win the war”.
link to heraldscotland.com
La Marche des Soldats: King Robert Bruce:
“The song “The March of the Soldiers” of Robert Bruce, King of Scotland was composed on the occasion of the defeat of the English at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314. Afterwards, Bruce renewed Scotland’s alliance with France.
In 1429, when Orléans was taken (Hundred Years’ War turning point), the Scottish warriors who fought under the leadership of Saint Joan of Arc sounded this beautiful and historic march again.”
link to tinyurl.com
Wikipedia: Auld Alliance:
“The alliance played an important role in the Wars of Scottish Independence…”
Auld Alliance News…
BBC: Rare William Wallace letter to go on show:
“The letter, sent to the French king’s agents in the court of Pope Boniface VIII in Rome in November 1300, was discovered in the Tower of London in the 1830s.
It commanded them to recommend the Scottish knight to the Pope…
Wallace, one of Scotland’s best-known historical figures, led the Scots to victory against an English army of King Edward I at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297, as part of a struggle for independence.
He is said to have travelled to France in 1299, following his resignation as Guardian of Scotland in favour of Robert the Bruce the year before…”:
link to archive.ph
Another couple of renditions:
Marche des soldats de Robert Bruce
Wonderful
Odd, but enormously appreciated that Brian Wilson articulated and published so concisely what ideally, after a due period of respect, should be demanded.
It is we the people that need to stop this continuing SNP “misfeasance in public office”. Do they not understand that this ongoing cover up is ALSO and SEPERATELY further “misfeasance in public office”.
The bald scalp of Honest John may well be on the chopping block – but that’s 100% because of his own personal political choices, decisions and actions of the last 10 years in office.
He and others may well escape the charge of direct “misfeasance in public office” but it is extremely unlikely that he, and those others, will escape charges of ‘nonfeasance’ or more precisely in Scots Law charges around ‘delictual liability’. The criminal consequences that arise because a person negligently, or indeed intentionally or recklessly, caused loss to another by ignoring their duty to act. The term nonfeasance spells out in a more crystal-clear way ‘delictual liability’.
The obvious legacy to Alex Salmond surely must be:
(and thank you, Brian Wilson for publishing 1)
1. ‘would it not be better if the eulogisers of the past week were to render that (nauseating nonfeasance* or further misfeasance in public office) unnecessary by releasing unredacted every piece of paperwork which could help answer the myriad questions which remain outstanding’.
2. The SNP accept as a Government, immediately and unreservedly begin the process of releasing unredacted every piece of paperwork and also:
3. The SNP accept as a Government, immediately and unreservedly accept that a fully transparent and internationally monitored court like retrospective justice process system is implimented – a Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Scotland needs to is put in place – to deal with not just the pandemic od SNP Government misfeasance in public office – but also the costs and retrospective catalogue of 15 plus years of COPFS era malicious prosecutions.
Ask ourselfs, would not a court like retrospective of justice; a Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Scotland be one fitting legacy to Alex Salmond – a man who throughtout his life was standing for Justice?
“a Truth & Reconciliation Commission” investigating a colonial administration?
Oppressed peoples usually have to wait until after independence/decolonization and national liberation for such events to take place; this is for rather obvious reasons, not least because during the period of colonization elites function in the colonizer’s interest. As noted here:
“There are good reasons for mounting truth sessions: they reintroduce betrayers and flaky placemen – known as colonial watchdogs – into society’s spotlight ensuring the worst are neutralised from repeating their behaviour in a liberated Scotland, and it stops the unscrupulous blackmailing them.”
link to grousebeater.wordpress.com
There shall be a settling-up. Gratitude to both Alf for drawing this to our attention with the above comment and (Gareth) for writing it.
An independent Scotland (which I feel in my waters may be closer than recent history portends) will require such a precess – both in the interests of justice, and to begin the healing of the wounds caused by treachery.
I do feel however, that some folks will need to be banished furth of these shores. A richly-deserved exile will be the only solution for, for example, the tractoress-in-chief.
I very much agree.
From the BBC News website: “And he [John Swinney] said the employee – who was a career civil servant in a junior role, rather than a political appointee like a special advisor – was of ”impeccable record and repute”, and that it would be inappropriate to question her integrity.”
Something doesn’t add up. If Swinney is telling the truth, why was a “junior” civil servant briefing Ministers? It’s true that during the operational period of the Hamilton enquiry, *** ***** wasn’t a “special advisor”, but then again, she was in a role that is generally considered to be that of a “political appointee”.
Is [Redacted] not who we all assume her to be?
Fergus Ewing apparently knows from leaks, the identity of she who’s name must remain anonymous at all costs. Joanna Cherry likely knows the same details through the scuttlebutt in senior legal circles.
Why doesn’t someone just stand up in Holyrood and call out *** ***** as the Redacted individual? It wouldn’t impinge on any outstanding order of Court.
Is this going to require another intervention from David Davis using Parliamentary privilege?
“Why doesn’t someone just stand up in Holyrood and call out *** ***** as the Redacted individual?”
Because no one wants to rock the boat – they all have cushy well paid jobs – they see the status quo as route to a long and fruitful career – and that’s just the supposedly independence parties.
The other parties the branch offices of their London HQ’s care even less about rocking the boat – and they would do just about anything to keep Scotland down, and locked in this illegal union.
Why ordinary Scots put up with these London branch offices parties at Holyrood I’ll never know.
Westminster must be laughing their arses-off at us.
“Daniel Defoe (c.1660-1731): “The Scots will be allowed to send to Westminster a handful of men who will make no weight whatever. They will be allowed to sit there for form’s sake to be laughed at.””
Unfortunately MSP’s in Holyrood do not have the same protections as MP’s in the House of Commons..
We will have to rely on David Davis to spill the beans in Westminster.
He would be risking his life though.!!
I admired Alex Salmond for his dedication to the people of Scotland and his unwavering quest to free our country from our oppressors and colonisers
BUT, IMO his weakness was he was too trusting and forgiving of the infestation of cockroaches that surrounded him , IF Alex Salmond had been such a bully and aggressive dictator not one of these cockroaches would have dared to concoct the lies and smears that they did
EVEN after he was cleared of all the fake charges and had proven that the SG were corrupt and rancid to the core he STILL extended the hand of conciliation to the venomous poisoned dwarf, who continued with her cohort of lying deviants and perverts to smear ,lie and denigrate a man who had mentored her and enabled her to achieve the office of fm, an office which far exceeded her abilities and integrity, an office and position that was too superior for a FAILED lawyer
I watched 10 minutes of the bbc parade of vicious spittle flecked poisonous scum carrying on with their unrelenting determined aim to besmirch and debase a man who in death cannot respond to their scurrilous lies denigration and misinformation
That anyone would wish a truth and reconciliation event with these inhuman amoral amoebae only illustrates to them that they have nothing to fear from reprisals, I personally would **** the bastards, so count me out
He’ll be remembered for hundreds of years. Folks will write songs & poems about him. Even erect statues. A national holiday. He’ll be included in the Scotlands Heroes list.
No cunt will remember those gobshite NEDS. Karma has a good memory & will repay them in kind one day & it can’t come soon enough.
Like a third Gandhi you mean?
Obvs there was the real Gandhi, then there was your new Gandhi you were eulogising just the other week (the murderer, Hassan Nasrallah), so that could put Alex Salmond in third place?
Tell you what, Geri. You taint everything you touch by association, so just butt out.
Other Scots will manage this so much better without you.
I believe Alex Salmond offered reconciliation with those who tried to destroy him, not because he was soft or trying to be nice, but because he strongly believed in doing the right and honourable thing and wanted to be seen to be doing it, and because he knew that in refusing to accept his olive branch, his enemies would reveal themselves to be the anti-independence collaborators that they truly are.
Unfortunately these cockroaches have no conscience, no dignity or integrity, they are fecal matter who will take any advantage or weakness and run with it , they are NOT deserving of a second chance
Alex wanting to be fair and inclusive cost US our independence, I don’t give a flying fuck about fairness or inclusion , I want independence first and foremost and if people don’t wise up with their civic pish and progressiveness WE will never see our country and people FREE
LOOK at the civic and progressive shite threatening our womenfolk and children, perverts and deviants are relishing this stupidity
Of course, Michael, but then you share with the late Alex Salmond the capacity for reasoned thought.
The likes of Geri and twathater bring to the debate the same sophistication of intellect that the knuckle dragging die hards bring to an Old Firm Derby.
Thank you John (bastard tax) Moan for giving me an opportunity to have a right good belly laugh, as if it is not recognisable to anyone who frequents WOS your sense of irony is totally missing
I share your frustration John that the Labour scumbags are raising all sorts of taxes but they maintain it is all about the public good, but WE know WHO really benefits, A righteous man falls down seven times and gets up
There are no ‘criminal consequences’ around ‘delictual liability’ because a delict in Scots law is a civil matter. This is absolutely elementary Scots Law stuff. Also nonfeasance is not a recognised Scots Law doctrine, even liability for misfeasance in public office is relatively recent (early 80s if I remember rightly).
I don’t mean to be harsh but I am at a complete loss as to how you get to be so confused and yet so certain at the same time.
Quick legal query PhilM
Would land and property owners, and also taxpayers potentially have a case against individuals that unofficially released beavers into an area that is deemed unsuitable for releasing beavers?
Having observed the considerable negative effects to land, and significant costs to both private individuals and the taxpayer in attempting to implement evermore mitigation measures and repairs, it strikes me as odd that a pass is given for such a major matter.
A tiger does not proclaim his tigerness, he pounces, in other words a tiger does not stand in the forest and say: “I am a tiger”.
Wole Soyinka
Nobel prize, literature.
A tiger out in the open is fearsome but also prey to hunters.
What does he know about tigers?
Wrong country.
Wrong continent in fact.
Besides, most of his output is in the coloniser’s language, so that must automatically disqualify him on Wings BTL. 🙂
Survivor: Eye Of The Tiger:
“Face to face, out on the heat
Hangin’ tough, stayin’ hungry
They stack the odds still we take to the street
For the kill, with the skill to survive
It’s the eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight
Risin’ up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watching us all with the eye of the tiger
Risin’ up, straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I’m not gonna stop…”:
link to tinyurl.com
Sure, the tunes’s in ma heid now, although I’m picturing the Family Guy episode where Stewie is training Brian to go back to school and pass his exams …
Isn’t family awesome (and will be even better heiding forwards…).
Sister Sledge: We Are Family: He’s the Greatest Dancer:
“The champion of dance, his moves will put you in a trance
And he never leaves the disco alone
Arrogance but not conceit, as a man he’s complete
My creme de la creme, please take me home
He wears the finest clothes, the best designers Heaven knows
Ooh, from his head down to his toes…
He looks like a still, that man is dressed to kill
Oh, what, wow
He’s the greatest dancer
Oh, what, wow
That I’ve ever seen (I’ve ever seen)…”:
link to tinyurl.com
The treacherous LA (remember her utter capitulation in England’s highest court?) has managed to weaken corroboration in Scotland – defence lawyers think that its now more than likely that innocent folk will find themselves in prison due to this; and the removing of the not proven verdict.
Sandy Brindley appearing on the propaganda news channel BBC “Scotland” was delighted at the result – we’d be delighted if Brindley did the decent thing and resigned from the ERCC.
Salmond planted, I was tempted to put the keyboard down for a bit, let the anger subside – but just there – the spectacle of our corrupt pantomime dame discordian surrealist comedians we call “top judges” irked me – they have decided to take a knife to whatever legal principles there are left, because radfem lesbian, Sandy Brindley – and why oh why can we not be spared her ugly fucking cunt face and whining voice from the telly … thinks there are not enough innocent men being sent to jail because they upset a women. Sandy, of her religion, radfem lesbianism, thinks any penis in vagina action is r4pe by definition, and we see slowly, the legal profession is being bent to her worldview. Then there is dinner lady promoted 10 levels above her station, Bain – de ya want custard or jelly – in there, doing her bit.
– want to see some real r4pe? What about the 2 gay pervs who murdered that lad the other day?
link to archive.ph
roofied, buggered, killed by filthy homos. But … it just doesn’t tick the right boxes, does it? Brushwood rolling …
Bain, Brindley are 2 of Sturgeons little lesbian cabal of flying monkeys – that woman left her slime trail across every institution in Scotland.
Here is a disturbing thought for you all – people are rarely given their jobs on merit, but mostly on loyalty to those above them, and this gets worse the higher you go; so you don’t get meritocracy, you get kakistocracy, all this shit floats to the top.
Now I see the BBC is doing a “tribute” to our hero – half of whom will be the cunts who knifed him. This is setting me off.
At least one of those sick feckers will get off lightly as they’re under 25 yrs old.
Another brain fart law.
And wtf?!
“Brister, who received almost pounds 1200 a month in benefits, had won more than pounds 20,000 gambling and bought 1000 tablets for pounds 200.”
did someone steal their £ symbol?
This is the NEW poisoned dwarf deviant Sturgeon Scotland where mentally diseased perverts and deviants feel unchallengeable , where their depravity and sick sexual minds and fetishes become the everyday norm
Where normal heterosexual young family men can be targetted and abused by these deranged twisted fuckwits now hunting in packs, but fear not we have PRIDE marches and events where all sorts of dressing up in sado masochistic costumes , furry costumes , drag costumes , and every other mind bending depravity can be on public display because it is now NORMAL and ACCEPTABLE
It is strange that these predators when faced with their disgusting and sickening actions ALWAYS resort to the mental defence of it wisnae me guv ma mind made me dae it , and in Sturgeon’s pervert riddled justice system they believe them
FFS the English propaganda BBC channel in Scotland (BBC Scotland) – its 7pm programme on the Chief Alex Salmond, the b*stards – just can’t help themselves as they character assassinate the man – even in death these c*nts can’t stop demeaning our national hero.
That utter pr*ck Farquharson turned my stomach with regards to lying his on the Alphabet Women – as did Mi5 outlet the Guardian “journalist” Libby Brooks.
Not to mention that little treacherous rotund shite Blackford, who always has an expression on his mug as though he’s sniggering.
I think that BBC shite needs a swift boot in the bollocks; feel free to pile on … time to remember and not forget, and not let our enemies rewrite history for us all.
I spent Sunday re-reading all the material I could find on the trial. NB people should make their own copies as it has a tendency to disappear. I wanted to condense a big picture post about “what really happened”, but it would have set a record for a comment on wings, being about twice the length of a good article. People should refresh their minds with Murray, Dangerfield and a few others.
“brutus and the conspirators … what of the honourable men … ”
While Alex was exonerated in court (despite a rigged process), he never fully was in the public mind, his opponents maintained this “smell” about him, he was “toxic” and so on. Because of this I think there is still an unpaid bill, outstanding. And we should be the debt collectors (Ken Loach style). Boiling it all down to its essence – and note this is mainly concerned with structure rather than detail (because you aren’t allowed to talk “detail”)
– Sturgeon, Evans and Lloyd cook up a plan (motives unknown, but we can guess) to take down Salmond, run him out of politics. In this model, Sturgeon is an “asset” and Evans is her “handler”. Evans is of a type, she reminds me of Daphne Park.
– to keep their hands clean they hire 2 “assassins”, outsiders; Allison and MacKinnon, the latter to be the point-wimmin who spent her entire career as being a professional feminist – her job is such a joke, really, like a “mafia no show”, but her real job was to bury Alex
– Lloyd runs around twisting arms
– they are worried so get legal advice; they don’t like it, yet go ahead; later on they try to cover it up
– they get 9 complainants; 6 very close to Sturgeons inner circle, 3 senior civil servants. There is a general sense of reluctance, but whatever persuasion went on it promised anonymity and no comebacks.
– the cops and the lawyers seem to be on board for all this. “separation of powers” is meant to exist to avoid this kind of 3rd world banana republic political operation.
– most of the charges, 14, one dropped, are ridiculous, but there are a couple of serious ones, attempted r4pe. This would be serious jailtime.
– the trial goes ahead and is not much reported (in detail) by the media, except for Murray. The public are excluded from the “best stuff”. Some of it is hilarious – the attempted molestation in the back of a limo, with the armrest down, in front of the womans husband and driver – stealth r4pe-ninja, hypnotist and contortionist … what a man … I almost want it to be true
– the jury, mostly women, exonerates Alex; women, it must be said, are exquisite detectors of other womens lies
– the media are outside, about to enter feeding frenzy, and are shocked. Once the shock is over, they just carry on, like he was guilty anyway. Garavelli was the worst of them, mainly because she is taken more seriously, e.g. she had a piece in the London Review of Books, which is pretty high-brow. There is this persistent backdrop from the media, an unstated assumption that for some reason “the jury got it wrong” but “we all know the truth, eh?”, no smoke without fire
– enquiries follow, toothless; again Salmond is hampered in what he can say in his defence, but is otherwise, lucid. Sturgeon gives a masterclass in verbal obfuscation coming across as a “scatterbrain”, who can hardly keep a diary and does not know whether she is coming or going – this is in stark contrast to the absolute control freak she is known to be, has to know everything, has to approve of all actions, tolerates no freethinkers, or wandering off the reservation
There are important lies that must be maintained for the official story to have any credibility
– Sturgeon knew nothing about any of this until March
– the women were all independent complainants, did not know each other and did not collude (whatsapp messages will prove they did; and this makes a mockery of the Moorov doctrine)
– just out of nowhere, for no real pressing reason, this new complaints process is cooked up and to be applied retrospectively. We are expected to believe this was just a random event, despite it never having been used against anyone other than Alex; also, something about internal party rules incredibly gets elevated to criminal charges
the intensity of the police operation to investigate (fit up) Alex must be contrasted with their feet dragging on the multiple investigations against the Murrells; the police being used as a political private army would, in a normal country, get short shrift; but this was political and it stinks of higher level organisation.
this anonymity order is extremely nasty and subtle; it shuts down debate. The other side can now lie without being challenged, for you cannot bring any factual detail into any rebuttal. The constraints of who worked for who and when, and went here and there on a certain day, are powerful and could allow the public to “jigsaw identify” the complainants, so you have to remain quiet. You also know it will only be applied selectively – journos “on the other side” have already broken these rules.
One complainant is pretty easy to identify, her relationship, likely motive and subsequent actions – she is pretty much the linchpin of it all, but she will never be held to account; I hope the guilt eats her up inside.
Scotland, a land where perjurers are allowed anonymity.
– but only if it is in the interests of the powerful.
Alex physical body has expired, but we can still resurrect his good name.
I just watched – despite my misgivings – what passed for a resume of the great Mr Alex Salmonds life, on the despicable state broadcaster. With Cunts like Kenny Farquerson, Libby Brooks and “Tubby” Blackford. Where to begin: At the culmination of the trial where Alec was cleared completely of all charges, as he was leaving, following his speech, the shout emulating from one Kirsty Walk demanding he apologise to the women has somehow disappeared! How can that be – surely just a wee oversight?
However, worse awaited the viewer, with that utter Cunt Farquerson putting the boot into an innocent man who is barely cold in his grave was utterly contemptible. He went on eulogising the “courage” of the liars, perjurers and scumbags who accused and tried to get Alec jailed for the rest of his life. Beyond fucking shameful but what do we expect from these turds?
#BBCSwitchOff
Stop paying yer license fee & stop giving them viewing figures. You’ll feel much better for it. They’ll curl up & die off when they’re no longer being paid to guest appear on the British Bullshit channel.
They’re scum. They’ll never say anything nice about Scotland, independence or any elected officials & especially venomous to anything relating to Alex Salmond. You can guarantee it & any debate shows have an audience of plants & plastic Scots with pre-approved dumb questions. Its a joke channel with joker presenters who wouldn’t know journalism or impartiality if it bit them on the arse. They’ve a fcking nerve to take the piss out of R today. The BBC is a government mouth piece & STV isnt far behind it.
Scotland should have its own broadcasting rights. Something you’d have thought sleekit Sturgeon would’ve demanded after the farce of 2014.
Even AI is getting in on the act..
The new world revisionist..
FFS at this from top search on Google…
“Alex Salmond was honored by the Tartan Army with a one-minute applause before the Scotland v Portugal match in October 2024. The Tartan Army called Salmond a “real friend”.
“Salmond was also the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request that revealed he spent £259.40 on tartan trews for a black tie ball in China in 2011. However, he did not pay back the money when he returned to Scotland. “
presumably this was the documentary you watched Glenn.
link to bbc.co.uk
Overall, I thought it OK, and recommend folk watch it. Yes, your hackles will rise from time to time, not only but especially when Kenny Farquharson gets his boot in, but there are many other more thoughtful interviewees to balance things out.
Two things really pissed me off (apart from Kenny Farquharson). Firstly, that I stumbled on the programme by accident just after 11pm last night. Was it announced anywhere beforehand, or was it deliberately scheduled late-night to attract only a few insomniacs ? Secondly, the programme offered not even a hint that there is ‘unfinished business’ which survives Alex Salmond’s passing. Perhaps the BBC are saving all that for episode 2!
But still, episode 1 is worth seeing.
It really isn’t
It was appalling
Also it was on at 7.30 on BBCScotland
Nice summation.
“their feet dragging on the multiple investigations against the Murrells.”
IIRC, Salmond’s case couldn’t be brought whilst Branchform was active, hence it’s glacial pace?
Perhaps they were waiting for something…
Either way, the whole thing stinks like a Dakar fish market at noon.
Indy for Scotland!
SNP Out!
VIVE LA REVOLUTION
I watched some of BBC prog on Alex, the man who changed Scotland and gave up.
Alex can’t get a level playing field even in death
The usual vicious liars were on, people who actually hate him and the airheads..someone mentioning Alex working for RT despite the “Salisbury poisonings”!!!
No one can compete with such stupidity.
The bit that made my blood run cold, was the portrait artist, who said he thought Alex post trial, was very reckless with his health.
He said, I’m paraphrasing, we couldn’t comprehend how he must feel after that travesty of a trial.
That made me realise those evil lying bitches plus corrupt media, did shorten his life.
His name must be cleared
He never deserved what happened
“One complainant is pretty easy to identify, her relationship, likely motive and subsequent actions – she is pretty much the linchpin of it all, but she will never be held to account; I hope the guilt eats her up inside.”
Sadly, psychopaths – particularly those in the employ of the Brit State – know no guilt. That is why they are so useful to the Regime!
to the cheerleaders of Grouse Beater 2019, did any of you bother to read Brian Wilson articulated published?
At least he had the humility and IQ to acknowledge the difference and distinction between one’s opponent and one’s enemy.
Not one of the Grouse Beater referenced Truth & Reconciliation Commision ‘opponents’ mentioned is directly or remotely involved in issues of, or charges of “misfeasance in public office”. Is that distinction beyond comprehension?
Scotland is a Nations State where full political control rests out with the State, and therefore it resides with another country.
That is why we do not need Truth & Reconciliation Commision safeguards to have a chat with our Independence or SNP opponents. We need those safeguards to enable a ‘just retrospective criminal justice procedure’.
If justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done – is anyone in Scotland really suggestion that our COPFS era malicious prosecutions service is able to deliver on that basic declaration of truthful intent – without oversight and supervision?
Any notion of ‘justice’ in a colonial (i.e. Manichean) environment requires careful consideration. It is generally the case that “the native seldom seeks for justice in the colonial framework” (Memmi).
A little understanding of the decolonization (i.e. independence) process may also be helpful, including the roles and behaviour of key actors:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
The Wild Colonial Bore strikes again.
Colony – A country or area under the full or partial political control of another country and occupied by folk from that country.
There’s barely any attempt to hide the reality. England doesn’t even have its own devolved parliament, instead treating the UK Parliament as its own, and the Kingdom of England holding continual control of Westminster by having a ten to one democratic advantage over Kingdom of Scotland.
London Rule doesn’t even have a qualified majority voting mechanism to ensure the two Kingdoms that make up the UK have their democratically expressed views and needs respected and upheld.
I was under the impression that any ‘Truth & Reconciliation Commission’ not only looked at malfeasance but at those who had betrayed the interests of their country and people on behalf of the colonisers?
By jingo, there’s wheen of those knocking about!
Mark Hirst hits it on the head.
“Mark Hirst (@Documark): “Pictured right, @ShelleyJofre Editor of the latest hatchet docufakery by the Regime propaganda outlet, the BBC. Jofre previously produced party political broadcasts for the Labour Party, which is presumably why slimy @KennyFarq got a free pass to smear Salmond and ex-Labour Party member Ian Blackford was allowed, unchallenged, to rewrite Party history surrounding why he was suspended as SNP Treasurer. This type of programming should carry a disclaimer. Jofre could copy and paste it from the ones she produced previously for the Labour Party!” | nitter.poast.org“
Also worth remembering the comment of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus:
«No man ever steps in the same river twice»
The turbulent waters of Scottish nationalism have moved on and require new people to navigate them.
Mary doll backing liars to the hilt ! A bought creature !
I see the Scottish Administration has axed the proposed pilot scheme for juryless r4pe trials.
Is that because the scheme’s primary target is deceased?
It wouldn’t surprise me. It was always complete guff. So much hard earned taxpayers money wasted!
Well put Robert.
In defence of the Chief (Alex Salmond) who is unable to defend himself.
ScotNews (@indyscotnews): “Alex Salmond’s X demolition of the British state broadcaster, condensed: “For any independence supporter to trust a single word the BBC, or associated organisation, say is one of the great mistakes in life. The BBC’s venomous and institutional bias against Scottish independence was demonstrated during the referendum and remains to this day. “And so when I was invited to take part in a “blue chip” history of the rise of the SNP by Firecrest Films for the BBC, I should have smelled a rat immediately, instead of believing the assurances that they willingly gave, that they were intent on making serious programming. “The first episode, starting 1987 offered some hope, but the urge to portray history as a psycho drama between me and Nicola Sturgeon meant that major figures such as Winnie Ewing, Jim Sillars, Alex Neil, and Margo MacDonald were written out to allow others to be written in. “The second episode plumbed new depths even for the BBC – soap opera history. In this parody, half built ferries, bottle schemes, self-ID law, male rapists in female prisons and blue tents outside houses do not rate even a sole mention in explaining the decline of the Party. “Instead, a collection of SNP loyalists (and Liz Lloyd) who are the same people jointly and severally liable for the Party’s recent reverses, are paraded. The case for reality is left to the redoubtable Kenny MacAskill. “My advice, turn it off after the first episode which at least has some interesting old footage. And what can be said about poor Humza “the brief”, the new self-appointed authority on personal conduct and morality? “In a programme which was supposed to be about the history of the rise of the SNP, a party defined by towering figures like Winnie Ewing and Neil MacCormick, Humza Yousaf confirms himself as an unfortunate footnote. “In his quest for relevance, he is reduced to smears. I am comfortable with my contribution as First Minister to advancing Scotland’s interests and the cause of independence. I doubt Humza can say the same, nor that it will be said of him”” | nitter.poast.org
Re male rapists in women’s prison.
Despite many subsequent comments from Alex Salmond attacking the SNP’s policies of gender self-id under Sturgeon:
Gender self-id was in fact introduced into the Scottish Prison Service in 2014 under Kenny MacAskill as Justice Secretary as part of Alex Salmond’s Scottish Government.
Just like his pronouncements that Scots are sovereign but he swore fealty to his Sovereign King (of England) as MSP / FM / MP and Privy Counsellor.
Alex Salmond was adept at playing for both sides.
It has been a good few months since I last posted on Wings. To be fair to myself I have been in sunnier climes.
As a punishment, I have read the comments from selected recent articles. What initially struck me is how few people are posting nowadays. Some things however remain the same-Baird ignores the content of every well researched article by Stu and instead focuses on his and only his favourite subject. Quotes from his hero’s are often in abundance and if we are really lucky he will add some cute Scottishy words to add some flavour to the mince. In Baird’s world no local dialects, spelling or pronunciation are allowed! Is it four, fower or ferr Alf?
Unfortunately the likes of Geri, Ros etc still feature too prominently.
I am trying to think of a reason why so few are bothering to post. Have they left Wings completely or are they lurking in the background, unwilling to post for fear that they will be tarred with the same brush as the ‘regulars’.
I might post more regularly in the coming weeks. Isn’t that something to look forward to?
A smidge disappointed not to get a name check, Chas.
Guess I’m going to have to try harder.
Your posts offer a balance to some from the more extreme nutters out there. Have you noticed how they all congratulate each other on their drivel. It is like a wee ‘happy clappy’ club but the strange thing is none of them EVER appear to be happy!
I am really surprised on the absence of much comment on the Budget. I would have thought that with the financial and economic expertise of the regulars they would have been all over it.
I saw a fairly recent post, cannot remember who from-maybe Geri, stating that after Independence ‘We can use any currency we want’. Blissfully unaware of what that would entail. That is what Scotland is up against from the rabid Independence supporters.How can you convince any sane, sensible, wavering Scot to be a part of that?
Cheers.
The budget just reveals the abysmal state of the UK and the decades of pain that will have to be endured by ordinary Scots until the myth of eternally throwing more and more money at that which cannot be reformed or saved is finally busted.
It’s almost beyond belief that the Indy movement can’t budge the dial on Indy support in this environment, but years of getting on the wrong side of many arguments seems to have killed it stone dead for now.
That goes both for the professional politicos, pursuing their own personal, perverted obsessions, and the BTL regulars, hijacking the Indy movement to push their Student Grant or Che Guevara adolescent fantasies.
Running a country that works and delivers us the stuff we have become accustomed to is a serious business and it needs serious people doing it.
That’s yer Union for ye.
Its shit innit? You voted to keep it so suck it up, sunshine.
The SNP isn’t the Indy movement, ya plank.
Lol at Che Guevara fantasies. Yer side is gubbed. Imagine thinking you’d fuck with a nuclear superpower & win lol. Stick to fighting innocent woman, children & unarmed civilians. Know yer limits.
Even the supposed goat herders are kicking yer arse.