The Chef’s Kiss
The Scottish public were just given a surprising answer to the question “Is it possible to be TOO much of a creepy misogynist pornsick nutcase for even the Scottish Greens?”
But goodness gracious, that last line is a stone-cold mic-drop.
The SNP is now the refuge of last resort for Scottish Greens rejects. Let that concept roam around your mind for a few moments.
“Sophie Molly”, who Wings readers may know better as “Sophie Sparkles” although his actual name is Euan Weddell, isn’t someone who elicits a lot in the way of sympathy.
(He did actually succeed in having the woman in the tweet above banned from Twitter, and was gloating about it as recently as this week, despite the fact that he’d actually mistaken her for someone else.)
Let there be no mistake: he is a deeply horrible man.
But nonetheless, such is Wings’ commitment to scrupulous fairness to all that we still have to question why the Greens have kicked him out, because he is, as a friend of ours put it this morning, “a walking Green manifesto”. None of the appalling, demented or hateful things he says every day are in any way at odds with party policy on a single subject, and in some ways by their standards he almost counts as a moderate.
(In his desperation to stay as a candidate he apologised and retracted his comments about Rowling, which nobody else in the party has ever done that we’re aware of.)
And since he’s been behaving abysmally on Twitter for many, many months, one might also reasonably make the point that for the party to have selected him as a candidate in the first place suggested that they fully endorsed all his rantings. It would be beyond extraordinary for them to claim not to have known what he was like well in advance.
(And their surviving roster of candidates is packed with people who are just as loopy and extreme, although in fairness most of them have managed to refrain from publicly posting nude pictures of themselves in ball gags with clothes pegs on their nipples, though we have no doubt they all do it in private.)
“Sophie Molly” is clearly a very damaged and unstable human, and for the party not to have spotted that and protected him from himself is a genuinely disgraceful failure of their basic duty of care to their own members, albeit one that will come as no surprise to anyone who’s observed their position on safeguarding people generally.
Still, we’re sure he’ll find a happy home in the SNP, and we’ll be watching with curiosity to see if he’s joined by the rest of his “polycule” and all of his pals who used to be SNP councillors and the like, but switched FROM them TO the Greens because the SNP were “institutionally transphobic”.
We’re also very curious to hear the Greens’ official reasons for kicking him out, which haven’t yet been made public. But in the meantime, it seems that Euan is NOT to be “the future of Scottish politics” after all.
And in that, at least, he’ll definitely be right at home in the SNP.
CAN you ‘bring the greens into disrepute’ ?
Had to look twice. Thought it was the guy from These Islands.
He’s clearly as obnoxious to the people around him as he is on twitter. And completely delusional. The folk in the local party have probably been looking for a reason to dump him.
Although, as you say, why on earth would they select him in the first place?
How does their selection process work? Was he parachuted in on them by HQ?
This is how these “purity spirals” end. The more extreme “call out” anyone capable of nuance and eject them from the group, then they only have each other to fight with.
It would be a difficult thing indeed to find someone who could bring the greens into more disrepute than maggie chapman but here they are rocking it…..
Sparkles and Herbert are two of the most vile, twisted, unhinged individuals I have ever laid my eyes on and make no mistake……the greens will be pissing themselves laughing at their departure.
mirth aside any party where elected MSPs can stand on a roof with John Hein and publically support this pair of arseholes has no place being in government.
This may be their final final straw.
Who’s the “partner”? That Challenor mutant?
Two peas in a pod…or two baws in ladyscrotum maybe more appropriate. ?
What do you get when you don’t say “no” to your children when they want to do something stupid, and tell them ” when you grow up you can be anything you want to be” for two generations?
You get batshit mental cases that expect the rest of the world to indulge and validate their reality denying delusions.
Have Heather Herbert and Lorna Slater ever been seen together in public? Just saying…..
Imagine being labelled as having brought the Scottish Greens into disrepute.
This whole situation is of his own making. Yet he fails to even acknowledge that his actions and behaviour were at fault.
Will SGP follow Sturgeon’s example and make a broom cupboard video to beg them not to leave the party?
Ah yes, the delightful “be nice” brigade, who espouse tolerance and acceptance and love and respect and now covet your vote, apparently, just so long as you buy unquestioningly into their world view… and god help you if you don’t.
Perhaps he and “Beth” could form their own political party.
Oor very ain R. D. Laing would be terribly, terribly proud.
More and more the Greens are unelectable, and seems SNP will follow.
Innarestin innit.
Calling a woman a “cow” means you are a creepy, misogynist, pornsick nutjob.
Anyone we know?
There’s a strange void at the centre of these people where they want to have power over others. Creepy and disturbing. The ego on this weirdo is incredible. “The future of Scottish politics” indeed.Talk about delusional…
This person seriously deranged – I mean some of his posts are just so whacked out that you cannot draw any other conclusion other than that he is mentally ill.
I really think he needs help.
It is clear from this character’s comments that he is very unwell and needs help. Time was we had places to send them but it looks like care in the community has morphed into chasing a career in politics.
I think we all know now that the SNP is a party full of dregs and shite, that specialises in troughing, grifting and wheeling out the indy drums and carrots when elections come around, or if they’ve f*cked up badly (a regular occurrence) some serious fingering pointing at the foreign parliament in England whilst yelping its all your fault.
What next for the SNP, will they have rapists and murderers standing as candidates as long as they know what a woman is/isn’t and love the Rainbow Greens as well, I wouldn’t put it past them.
I think I’ll scroll across my GE ballot papers #END THE UNION NOW, as I don’t see the point of sending grifting trougher to a foreign country’s parliament where they have no power to change anything, but they make a bloody good living out of it.
The SNP is now the refuge of last resort for Scottish Greens rejects. Let that concept roam around your mind for a few moments.
If Swinney has even any intention of making the SNP sensible again he should return his membership as the last thing the SNP needs is an increasingly disturbed man trying to wrangle himself into the party. Look at Labour in 2017 and 2019. They had a load of headcases as candidates who were elected & although seeing the likes of Lloyd Russell-Moyle being deselected is glorious, there’s a load of damage left in their wake.
Let there be no mistake: he is a deeply horrible man.
He’s also exceptionally dangerous as he’s not just spiralling out of control but all his fetishes scream massive red flags & I’d imagine his hard drives would be a minefield for authorities.
“Sophie Molly” is clearly a very damaged and unstable human, and for the party not to have spotted that and protected him from himself is a genuinely disgraceful failure of their basic duty of care to their own members, albeit one that will come as no surprise to anyone who’s observed their position on safeguarding people generally.
But this is what the Greens are now. Look at some of the people elected in the English local elections last month? A mix of raging antisemites, hardcore TRAs, lunatics and very few actual environmentalists or old school Greens who have been purged from the party.
Their safeguarding seems minimal to non-existent but they are exceptionally good at purging anyone who even slightly criticises Queer Theory/Trans ideology.
THE METAVERSE….no, not gone away, just quietly self pleasuring in the tech REALVERSE until the great day when all can get fluid about nasty biology, evil facts, hurtful truth and other mean triggerish things.
A fertile field JKR could plough, sow and reap with mega success.
https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Interoperability_in_the_Metaverse.pdf
The above script is conceived in the somniferous, stakeholder tongue of metaspeak aka Globish. Do not read while operating machinery.
We might all end up in this preconceived verse: born 1909.
https://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/EM-Forster/The-Machine-Stops.html
Where this puts an actual, real entity like Scotland experiencing intellectual rebirth pangs only God, ie the electronic metadeity, kens.
Personalized independence through AI?
Stay alert for developments coming soon to a extra slim device ery close to you.
Keep on gamin’ the verse! XXX
These people need help, not validation. Even the SNP will find him intolerable, but it might take some time. Heard Christine Jardine wittering on about the ‘most vulnerable’ people in the community. No, Christine, having a paraphilia/fetish/both is not being vulnerable, especially when you feed them with acres of p**n. You really need to get your head out of your nethers.
How does their selection process work? Was he parachuted in on them by HQ?
From what I know of their process in England it’s people high in local groups who vote for the most popular, so if you’ve got a load of your mates in the party you’re likely to get selected. Especially if you’re Trans or focus on the Gaza War even if you’re a clear supporter of Hamas.
I imagine what happened here is Euan’s mates put him forward, the local party loved the idea (well known TRA! That’ll win votes) and no background checking or safeguarding checks happened. His identity was the only thing that mattered.
What seems to have happened is that someone vaguely adult in the Greens decided to act upon complaints, looked at Euan & decided it was a bad idea putting him up as a candidate.
From a fiscal and effort point of view I’m glad I can put the SNP in the “sunk cost” category. Left them when it became painfully obvious they were being managed by a bunch of control freak nutters.
I am deeply disappointed over the people I’ve helped in the past to become what I’ll call “post holders” and who did sweet FA to try and steer the party away from the rocks.
Holed below the waterline – let it sink. The rats will find an alternative home, unfortunately.
Perhaps he and “Beth” could form their own political party
That’s what he’s doing. I expect it to contain most of the most extreme TRAs in Scotland & to lose deposits wherever they stand.
This video by Luke Warm Dave isn’t nearly harsh enough, it seems.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5BgUYk0iV8
“Perhaps he and “Beth” could form their own political party”
Why bother when it’s easier to hijack existing ones…
O/T
Latest keech from Scotland’s governing monkeys as per Britnat Brainwashing Channel News…
“The SNP is the only party offering Scotland a route back into the European Union, Energy Secretary Mairi McAllan has claimed”.
And WTF were the SNP’s 56 MPs doing during Brexit?
Oh, I remember…. sitting on their fat arses warming their green benches whilst the biggest fat arse of all, having poured himself into his 3-piece suit for the occasion, told us that the SNP would not let Scotland be dragged out the EU against her will.
Dear Mairi McAllan,
Fool me once…
How old is Fry (hefty bloke in the middle)?
I get the impression he & Heather are quite a bit older than wee Euan (‘Sophie Molly’).
Have you seen Fry’s X bio? Links to a DIY ‘HRT café’.
Nothing to see here, move along…
These poor creatures are quite clearly mentally ill.
Most of the ones you come across on social media are very aggressive and frankly obscene.
This group of the mentally challenged are a very small fraction of the electorate and as such no serious political party should take any notice of them.
More secure wards are needed to keep everyone safe including those who think they are another sex.
robertknight @ 16.28.
After seeing what happened to the SNP under Ms Sturgeon, I fully take your point, Robert.
Spot on Robert they are hijacking everything.
Look at the state of the rainbow flag.
It’s been hijacked to fuck!
I had to look it up.
The word ‘polycule’ is a portmanteau for a ‘polyamorous molecule. ‘ In practice, a polycule is a group of non-monogamous people linked by romantic and sexual relationships,
It’s a gang bang!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mShoL4DEWto&t=6s
My mind just ain’t broad enough for all of this.
What next polycules rights are human rights. Make polygamy legal.
Polygamous marriage now!
What if you have an ACE in the group does he make the tea and hand out the clothes pegs for the active gangbangers.
Do they have any pets?
Is there any evidence that he has “joined” the SNP? Apparently all you have to do is pay them money.
Onlooker: many of them are psychopaths or sociopaths, and they have a feverish desire to control others and force their worldview on them. Psychopathic/sociopathic, narcissistic paraphiliac/fetishistic men have to be accommodated by females of all ages, sayeth all the mainstream parties, regardless of the harm they could do. I actually think that the politicians who bleat on about these “most vulnerable” people on the planet need their bahookies booted so hard, their anuses come out of their mouths, so that they can spout ordure all the better.
Jason Smoothpiece
The Labour Party took them very seriously in 2004
as did every single political party at Holyrood in 2023 or whenever it was they passed the GRRB (Scotland)
Aye I know the Tories didn’t but then they were quite happy with the GRA 2004.
Where can I purchase a blender to feed in something about 5’6″ long?
Mostly bone and gristle.
Asking for a friend.
I’m glad Sophie Sparkles has found his new home in the SNP!
There is no purpose in politics at offending someone – at least unnecessarily. JK Rowling is Scotland’s heroin. 14 million followers. Edinburgh’s most famous woman. I stand with JK Rowling she’s a class act. I’ll defend her.
I’ll defend her against Sophie Sparkles – who looks like the killer in Silence of the Lambs. He’s gone from signing about Italian Leather Jackets to dressing up in woman face. He’d wear JK Rowling’s skin if he got the chance. Watch out for him. It’s always the ones you most suspect.
Just like Amy George and Isla Bryson – they’ll be out in force this pride month.
We must resist.
Silence of the lambs. 2.0. Italian Leather Jacket.
P.S. Ugliest man I’ve ever seen. Aside from the mentally scarring image of Heather Pervert dilating his wound on an airplane toilet floor.
So stunning.
And so brave.
Back in the day these men would have been given a good seeing to by other men. Yet me now pander to these arseholes? What’s happened to this country!
More than a woman. More than a woman to me! Ahaha.
Scotland invented the modern world.
And we’re still shaping the future!
David Hannah
J K Rowling is as English as warm, flat beer. She was near 30 when she first lived in Scotland.
Absolutely nothing wrong with that of course, but it does disqualify her from being “Edinburgh’s most famous woman”.
Not unless you want to classify Edinburgh as an English city – I have some sympathy with you there if you do.
@robertkknight says:30 May, 2024 at 4:44 pm
“The SNP is the only party offering Scotland a route back into the European Union”
And he’s off …
I’m tempted to pay for your ticket, then you can get back in. One way though.
Utterly bizarre.
My opinion of Greens, even among the general sewer level of politicians, remains in the Earth’s core. Nasty fascists.
“The future of Scottish politics is Trans”
Dear Gawd – wtf did Scots ever do to you?
Seriously! Did we not have enough eejits already that you had to throw these into the mix as well?!
Looking on the bright side tho it’d be comedy gold.
Imagine these ppl at FMQs being telt tae sit doon & shut it by the presiding officer..LMAO!
We could rename Holyrood the Coliseum & let the fun begin..see who survived until the end of the day..
They’ve obvious grandiose issues. I remember one having their sights set as being the next FM. Jeez.
Moving to the SNP is so predictable. That’s what parasites do. On the prowl for their next host.
What the hell happened to us?
“What the hell happened to us?”
Scotland mentioned independence & SIS opened the gates of Hades upon us..
Hatey McHateface @ 7:32 pm
“J K Rowling is as English as warm, flat beer.”
Dae ye think that’s mebbe why she pit her bawbees intae the anti-independence ‘Naw’ campaign? Whit daes she hiv agin Scots fowk wantin tae be free?
“Imagine these ppl at FMQs being telt tae sit doon & shut it by the presiding officer..LMAO!”
The presiding officer is a snowfake. Not sure of her name but she does nothing. She makes Holyrood look like a school playground. She’s the teacher that isn’t in control.
Another protector of Sturgeon. Along with Dorothy Bain.
I have no insider knowledge, but these tweets are all from a fair while ago and I doubt they’re why he’s been binned. I wonder what won’t come out in the news now…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alison_Johnstone
Sickening. She’s a Green! Alison Johnstone. That explains a lot. She always interrupts when people are making good points doesn’t she?
Can’t stand the woman. Point of order “I’m transgender.”
Alison Johnstone: “Do whatever you like!”
It explains a lot. A sturgeon protector and a woke Green for a presiding officer. Our Parliament has sunk so far.
@Alf Baird says: 30 May, 2024 at 8:10 pm
1) It’s possible. IDK. She would have been smarter to sit that one out.
2) It’s more widespread than I ever expected. Even some fervent nationalists look at fervent nationalists (of a different nation) and want them colonised or dead.
It’s as if they believe there’s only so much freedom to go round, and if somebody else gets it, there’ll be none left for them.
Hatey McHateface @ 7:32 pm
‘J K Rowling is as English as warm, flat beer’
The classic English bitter I drink in my local in Yorkshire is the finest on this whole island I tell you!
Warm? Slightly chilled, but room temp is fine.
Flat? Well it has a rich, creamy head like all Northern English beer but surely you’re not advocating for fizzy beer? Only lager drinkers want that who also want it freezing cold because as my friend who only drinks Carling (or any ‘cooking lager’ as he calls it) says, it is otherwise undrinkable yellow piss.
I have lived in the north for decades but sampled a pint of London Pride recently on a southern visit. It was room temp, flat. no head at all. Initially I baulked but two mouthfuls in, I realised it was delicious.
Glasgow and Edinburgh have some very fine beers but I have struggled elsewhere in Scotland.
Hatey McHateface @ 8:38 pm
“Even some fervent nationalists look at fervent nationalists (of a different nation) and want them colonised or dead.”
That’s colonialism for you. The native is designated a criminal just for wanting his freedom.
Is that some natavistic, blood & soil nationalist bigot claiming JK Rowling isn’t Scottish.
Time for Franchise Fanny to get him telt.
Arsehole!
I suspect there are a number of posters who have an alert set for everytime the word English is mentioned on this forum.
Have you noticed?
JK Rowling might be a NO supporter but she’s done more for independence supporting woman than the YES supporting ‘destroyer of women’s rights.’
J.K. Rowling is amongst the contributors to a new book published today and edited by Susan Dalgety and Lucy Hunter Blackburn. The Women Who Wouldn’t Wheesht is a collection of over thirty essays capturing an important moment in contemporary history: how a grassroots Scottish women’s movement, harking back to the suffragettes and second wave feminists of the 1970s and 1908s, took on the political establishment – and changed the course of history.
In this book women tell the story of their involvement in the five-year campaign to protect women’s sex-based rights, including leading SNP MP Joanna Cherry, Ash Regan MSP, and former prison governor Rhona Hotchkiss. The book is published by Constable in hardback and eBook, and on 6th June in audiobook
Ruby Tuesday @ 10:12 pm
“JK Rowling might be a NO supporter but she’s done more for independence..”
?
Some arsehole says JK Rowling shouldn’t have voted in the IndyRef 2014!
The woman has lived here for ages she’s well past the 10 year requirement some think should be imposed.
Yeah she might have done it for England which is understandable she is a very charitable woman. I’m letting her off not so much the ‘Proud Scotsbut’
I hope he/she/him/her/it gets booted out of the SNP now. I guess deep down I dont really care as the SNP is now no longer a Pro Indy Party.I suppose it is too much to hope for that it will suddenly covert to being one. I hope the present small Indy Party’s keep such creatures out of them.
Alf Baird @ 10:25pm
You know I’m entirely on your side of the colonial argument, Alf. Entirely.
But in the interests of fairness I have to point out that you’re being a wee bit cheeky there using just a part of Ruby’s comment @10:12pm out of context.
Ye cannae get awa wi thait nou we aw knaw it’s cawd fallacy o’ accent and is a wee rhetorical trick.
Ye ken fine weel whit yer aboot, ye devil ye.
Ruby
She didn’t just vote tho did she?
She was a huge donor to the NO campaign.
‘Give ’em one more chance’ she said.
Aye, like a good little battered wifey.
Aye well look how that’s ended up. Scotland dragged back to the fcking dark ages with this gender woo woi pish.
That wouldn’t have ever got off the ground in an independent Scotland who’d have a fully functioning parliament with a bullet proof constitution that this shit would’ve never passed parliament under the threat of eviction to any tosser even uttering the words without a public consultation & widespread public opinion beforehand.
Rowling may have recently done good deeds but she did an even worse one by chaining us to this leeching union. Okay for her – she’s in her ivory castle well away from the dregs who’d ever pish next to her..
Should independence supporters strategy this election,be to actively boycott the election?
I see no merit in voting SNP,nor can we support another unionist party. So essentially our only voice is silence.
By taking part in England’s election. We are aquiescing to English rule.
A Labour Yoon or an SNP puppet are equally as useless.
Are you kiddin’ me with that question Alf Baird?
I wrote independence supporting women. Stop being sneaky and trying to make out I said something I didn’t.
As a matter of fact she has probably done as much for independence as Nicola Sturgeon and the whole shower of ‘SNP despicables’ put together. Fuckers!
Too right Big Jock!
Have to agree with you there, Ruby. She has done more for independence supporting women than any party or government I can think of in recent years. I am not even a huge J K fan (nothing to do with the trans stuff, I am right with her on that), I just cannot warm to her. She probably wouldn’t like me either!
The difference is. JK Rowling is a self made multi millionaire in an ivory tower. She didn’t inherit wealth. She created it for herself.
Something Nicola Sturgeon – the destroyer of women’s rights – can only dream of.
The summer of 2014 was exhilirating, positive, empowering. I am proud 10 years on to have been part of that experience. The well from which my political interest flourished. Scottish Independence. The All Under one Banner. Diverse – before diversity became a tainted word.
Sturgeon has done her very best to nullify our greatest advantage. By controlling all aspects of the Independence movement even down to the grassroots – with Believe in Scotland – The independence industrty.
We all loved Independence. It was the best of times and the best of campaigns.
as the new election comes upon us. Let us not forget who stood shoulder to shoulder in the better together campaign. They belittled our country. And you don’t need to be a member of a political party to be angry. When someone belittles your country.
The Scottish Independence referendum was our democratic hour. The moment of fundamental reassessment. A time when many people realised that collectively we can be more significant than we ever previously believed.
Since then the SNP smashed the great impenetrable edifices. The blocks to progress – Westminster. The labour establishment crumbled. And I am not ready to forgive them.
Unfortunately the SNP has destroyed itself. We have mechanical, robotic sounding, pre-programmed NARKS. Without an original bone in their body. They don’t possess the necessary emotion that makes life worth living.
The key to progress is to always be on the positive side of the argument. But Sturgeon poisoned Independence by introducing gender ideology. It is simply not possible to be enthused on a negative.
All we need is a workable vision for an independent Scotland. And an SNP that fires the starting gun. But they don’t want to give us any hope what so ever.
We need a new vision for Scotland and not a relentless wave of cynical negativity around our nationhood. The SNP have let the cause go to the lions. And it’s a thumbs down from the Scottish people.
I will never vote for this SNP again. a Decade on a thousand flowers of Scotland should be blooming seen. But our dream has wilted and died! Because of people like Sturgeon and Steven Flynn.
We will never forgive them!
OK Geri! yes she was a cow during the IndyRef2014.
She was also a battered wifey in real life which could explain why she is so supportive of women’s rights.
As you say she’s ‘in her ivory castle well away from the dregs’ she has no need to concern herself with women’s space/rights.
Rowling says: “Looking back now, and notwithstanding how unpleasant it’s been at times, I see that outing myself as gender-critical brought far more positives than negatives”
“The most important benefit of speaking out was that I was free to act.”
Some might say IDK. She would have been smarter to sit that one out.
That is probably what she was advised to do by her agent/advisor/editor etc.
Could be she was also advised to support the NO campaign.
You just never know what goes on behind closed doors. ‘Battered wives’ can be easily manipulated.
I don’t know what she means by
“The most important benefit of speaking out was that I was free to act.”
That seems a bit strange.
I don’t think JK came up from poverty though. Her dad was a chartered engineer and her mother worked in science. She may have been briefly poor when she came to Edinburgh. But haven’t we all at some stage in our youth. There is an idea perpetuated that she was almost homeless, which is far from the truth.
I don’t like her books, nor do I think she is a literary genius. They are essentially children’s fantasy books, and not very original.They are hyped and marketed to the extreme. But that’s the power of persuasion.
The only thing she is right about is the gender issue. It’s just a pity she didn’t put so much effort into researching the consequences of Scotland voting no.
Her famous line being:” lead don’t leave”. Another colonist as far as I am concerned.
Sir Kier Starmer has overplayed his hand. As he posed in his bullet proof jacket in Estonia. He overrates the impact of war and underrates the impact of peaceful endeavour.
We have no time for politicians who believe in bloody carnage.
The British Government betrays a huge misunderstanding of the Scottish psyche…
There are more spilled guts than shared glory in wars…
We revere our soldiers. But we oppose the wars.
National service with the tories… Or the war against the ruskies – With Sir Kier – God Save the King!
The hungry weans of Glasgow will never have their blood spilled for English interests abroad.
Let Sir Kier be the first to send his children to die for a cause that isn’t mine or even yours!
Reject the better together campaign of 2024 – LABOUR TORY SNP – the devils choice.
In response to the previous question about Independence voters boycotting this election?
Absolutely. We don’t even know what the SNP strategy is. Is it the defacto referendum plan.
Is it a vote for Independence. 50 plus 1. Then Humza changed it to the majority of MPs for the neverendum begging letter.
It really is pathetic. And honest John Swinney is playing a blinder. It’s clear for all to see how out of touch he is with reality over Michael Matheson. He’s part of the cabal. Nicola Sturgeon’s continuity gang. Nasty. Nasty people. These people have stood in the way of our liberty and self determination for independence. So we can listen to their sour pusses. They make me sick.
I will never EVER cross a box for those bastards again. We need a people’s movement. This SALVO mob might have the answers we need. We need to move forward. How?! Hahaha. I am going to sit this election out however. I won’t vote for one of the queens parties. And that includes the SNP. Bought and sold for English Gold. Not my King. Not my parliament! There’s no virtue with this King of England in Scotland – He is not the virtuous one of the Scots!
“The Islamic World is one of the greatest treasuries of accumulated wisdom and spiritual knowledge available to humanity.”
“I revere islam. And celebrate the massive contribution Muslims have made to british society. I intend to be king of all the faiths. We need to be more welcoming.”
Alla Akubar – Traitor King Charles (Feb 2023)
God Save the Traitor King! And the open borders and open doors of the stately homes of England!
Ruby
Aye bad choice of words by me. Just to be clear – I wasn’t referring to her past. I was referring back to the indyref campaign of 2014 about the manipulation tactics to give our abusers one last chance.
Well look how that’s ended up for us & it may very well yet end up it was OUR last chance. Not theirs.
As for her free to act spiel – probably cause she’s minted & no longer has to shut her mouth for her career. Royalties alone will keep her in style.
I’ve nothing against her. Fair play for what she’s done for woman’s rights (but would we have needed them in an indy Scot? Hmmm) & I often giggle at her swearing on twitter (I know. I still think celebs don’t swear & find it hilarious when her & Navratilovia do it LOL) I was surprised at you saying she’d done more for independence..did you mean independent women?
Maybe that’s what Alfs question mark was about..
@Geri
I was surprised at you saying she’d done more for independence..did you mean independent women?
What Ruby wrote was:
JK Rowling might be a NO supporter but she’s done more for independence supporting woman than the YES supporting ‘destroyer of women’s rights.’
I suspect the intended meaning was ‘women who support independence’.
I despise JKR for her financial and political involvement in the 2014 referendum, but as a male I cheer and applaud her outspoken challenging views on the deviance and perversions voted through by the majority of cross party CLOWNS and deviants in HR
I also challenge the inclusion of Jo Cherry and Ash Regan in any list of GC heroines,when Jo Cherry made any statements (which was very seldom) to object or oppose the GRA it was always predicated on how it would impact on lesbians, not on how it would impact on FEMALES , if it did not affect lesbians negatively I believe she would have said nothing , and overall her public opposition was lukewarm and tepid not rebellious and outspoken
Ash Regan took long enough to show her opposition to the GRR and that ONLY consisted on voting against it, similarly like Cherry her opposition took a long time coming, perhaps Cherry and Regan thought their salaries and pensions were more important than EXPOSING the dangers and threats to their sisterhood by the introduction of the perverts and paedophile charter
Rhona Hotchkiss had no such reservations and more integrity than both of the aforementioned she stated her opposition early and vociferously about the dangerous threatening impact this abominable law would have on the most vulnerable women especially those behind bars
Twathater
Regards Ash – she was a critic from the very start, tbf.
Don’t forget (or maybe you missed it at the time) Alyn Smiths “boyfriend” Jordon – who was Ash Regans staffer, leaked her snap chat to twitter where the conversation was how ‘Sturgeon was out of touch’ regards GRR.
That’s going back to around 2018. Jordon was bullying Ash, Cherry & Joan McAlpine on twitter at the time.
Then Ash penned an open letter inviting politicians to sign it regards women’s rights. This was before it actually made it to voting in parliament. (Forbes added her signature but threw Ash under a bus when it came before parliament) She has stood by her principles & stepped down cause she couldn’t, in good conscience, be whipped to vote for it.
During the SNP leadership bid she never moved on this issue. It should go to public assemblies & have public vote.
Lynne
Cheers!
@Southernbystander says:30 May, 2024 at 9:02 pm
‘J K Rowling is as English as warm, flat beer’
That was never intended as a criticism.
Nothing wrong with warm, flat beer in the right context.
That context being England!
Ruby Anybody Know What Day Of The Week It Is
says
“Arsehole”.
Aw look everybody, she’s learned a new word.
@Alf Baird says:30 May, 2024 at 9:47 pm
“Even some fervent nationalists look at fervent nationalists (of a different nation) and want them colonised or dead.”
That’s colonialism for you. The native is designated a criminal just for wanting his freedom.
You ducked the issue, Alf.
Plenty of so-called Scots Nats enthusiastically want Nats of other nations exterminated.
I’m not seeing what that has to do with the effects of colonialism, especially when the so-called Scots Nats are loudly claiming to be “woke” to the issues of colonialism from the POV of the colonised.
Looks much more like selfish, narrow minded parochialism to me. Maybe with a yellow streak running through it.
It is a freakshow. It is also very, very sad.
And, seriously, WTF are the SNP thinking??
Sigh. Here we go. The looney green SNP woke brigade destroying itself from within. It was inevitable. I’m surprised that they have lasted this long TBH. They did have a couple of poseur FMs on their side, I suppose. What an ugly can of worms they unleashed on an unprepared public. Folk are wising up at last, methinks.
Is that the best you’ve got?
Pathetic Arshole!
Thank f**k recent events have allowed folk to start pushing back against the whole trans issue.
Up until recent event mentioned that you were GC or have reservations about the trans agenda opened up a raft of abuse.
It now seems to be resetting back to some sort of sanity and a very very vocal tiny minority who have been setting the agenda for all are being put back in their box to allow sense to prevail.
Savanta, Scottish Westminster voting intention, field work 24 – 28 May, population sample 1,067, (change from 2019).
Con 17% seats 6 (=)
Lab 37% seats 29 (+28)
LibDem 7% seats 5 (+3)
SNP 33% seats 17 (-31)
Hatey McHateface @ 6:36 am
“You ducked the issue, Alf. Plenty of so-called Scots Nats”
You are right that the SNP elite today make for doubtful nationalists. However this is standard fare in a contested colony in which ‘colonialism is imperiled’, where the complicit national party elite ‘lacks courage at the decisive moment’, it opts instead for ‘neutrality’ and becomes ‘part of the racket’, which ‘ruptures the movement’, and thus it ‘sacrifices the people’ on the imperial altar, all as explained here:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/05/25/the-three-phases-of-decolonization-lessons-for-scotland/
Every week I drive up the A9. I see all the expensive roadworks to make a north Perth by-pass and preparations for the new river Tay crossing. Then I look at the very poor state of the A9 from just before Dunkeld. I wonder about the logic of spending so much on the Perth area, when it seems to me that the money would be better spent dualling the A9 further north.
I know that Nicola and Co had plans to develop urban areas rather than rural ones (remember Lesley Riddoch talking about that). But then I wondered whose constituencies this work falls into – it’s Pete Wishart and John Swinney. Could there be a connection here?
OMG there’s a lot of confusion about what I wrote.
Do we have have a term for woman who support Independence for Scotland?
Adult Human Female Wingers?
Adult Human Female Cybernats?
Adult Human Female Nats?
Forgotten Women?
Whatever it is thems the ones I was talking aboot.
Not independence – just the women.
Sure JK Rowling was a cow during IndyRef2014 but she’s less of a cow now than the cow that keeps mooing about independence.
How now brown cow?
What do you call someone who accompanies prize cows to events ie The Royal Highland Show?
Cowboy? Cow Sitter? Cow Body guard.
Whatever it is ‘the cow who keeps mooing’ has one of these now. She goes everywhere with her.
I think I might take up writing stories for kids.
Mooooooo!
I’m utterly disgusted at Scotland’s women’s national football team who are taking on the vile ones tonight behind closed doors at Hampden.
It would appear that not even an ongoing eth–c c-lean-si-ng in G-a–zz-a by them is enough to dissuade our ladies national team from playing them.
Utterly shameful.
This is the kind of shite that infests BLiS, a w-a–r c-rim–inal is his hero.
“A SCOTTISH Labour MP hopeful has been slammed after describing the Iraq War spin doctor Alastair Campbell as his “hero”.
Gordon McKee, running for the Glasgow South seat, gushed with praise for Tony Blair’s former consigliere after meeting him in 2016.
In a tweet, the candidate said: “Can’t even say how amazing it was to meet [Campbell] in Eastwood this afternoon. The dude is my hero!””
Nope – I’m still bored. I am cursed with occasional bouts of boredom and I’m having trouble shaking off the tedium today. And as I am a sharer by nature, I’m going to share my boredom and bore you with some details about a recent encounter I had.
I was in Auld Reekie the other day and quite by chance, though a hae ma douts
anything happens by chance – I met an auld acquaintance in Princes Street Gardens.
I hadn’t seen, let’s call him Mark, for over a decade and it was good to hae a catch-up.
Mark hails from Southeast Asia and is a scriptwriter and tells me he’s currently doing some work as an assistant scriptwriter for the Outlander TV series which is filming in Scotland at the moment.
Anyway, that’s bye the bye. I got Mark a job about 12 years ago working for an outfit in Edinburgh and he has loved me ever since. I am quite lovable, though, so no surprises there for me.
Mark is an interesting guy – he was once captured by the Taliban when travelling, alone, through Afghanistan and held for several days while they checked him oot before letting him go on his way. There’s more to that story involving the CIA and Regan’s star wars program, but that’ll suffice as a wee bit o’ gossip for now.
When I met Mark in Edinburgh the other day he was with a young actor, let’s call him Ricky. Ricky is a strapping Scots lad with an actual genuine Scots accent (rare in Edinburgh these days) and sports one of those Arctic white and perfect sets of teeth only seen in movieland .
We got around to chatting about the film industry in Scotland and that was when Ricky told me about a conversation he’d had with the Scots actor Gerard Butler on the set of some movie or other.
The upshot of their conversation was that both Butler and Ricky agreed there was no hope of success in the film industry for young Scots if they stayed in Scotland. There are no opportunities in Scotland for Scots actors, according to Ricky.
In fact, Ricky telt me that he’d been telt by some high heid yin champion of thespians – he was in some West End play in London at the time – that the entertainment industry in the UK mainly based in England was actively discouraging investment in Scotland and was doing all it could to prevent the industry’s development there.
I challenged Ricky’s assertion with the fact that there has been investment in film and post-production studios and facilities fairly recently in Scotland.
I had to don my shades to withstand Ricky’s broad grin as he said, “Sure, but you have to leave Scotland to become successful before you can come back as a success.”
Of course this is all anecdotal and based on a conversation I had about a conversation two actors had somewhere in America.
But it strengthens the idea put in ma heid by Alf Baird that Scotland is nothing more than a colony and is ‘out of the game’.
If a cannae shake aff this boredom ye might git anither wee story in a wee while – wha knaws?
From memory it was only the Ipsos Mori poll that predicted the GE2015 right & the gubbing to come for Labour.
I had that full night taped on my recorder for prosperity. Brilliant stuff as Labour raged back at the studio with Ponsonby. LOL
It’s tragic they’re being revived FFS. Do ppl not know they’re useless & the first thing they’ll do is carry on this Self-ID nonsense? Starmer also didn’t know what a woman is or that Trans woman couldn’t have a cervix or have babies. Jeez..outta the frying pan and into the fire…
Ruby
Arsehole is a damn fine word of the day. Well done. We’ll see a lot of them out & about in the coming weeks trying to punt a dead donkey.
https://wingsoverscotland.com/the-chefs-kiss/comment-page-1/#comment-2855600
That post will have triggered many alerts cos it said ‘English’
I can’t remember all the names of the southern bystanders.
‘Das Blimp’ is one for sure.
What now will it be a discussion about whether or not the English are ‘warm and flat’ and if JK Rowling having been in Scotland for thirty years is Scottish or not.
Riveting stuff I can’t wait!
WTF is English beer anyway?
I have no idea I know what is meant by Irish beer (Guinness obvs) but not English beer.
Ach it’s all pish!
I’d prefer we went back to talking about ‘Molly Sparkle’ and how he has lost not just his sparkle but his ‘lady voice’ too.
It’s tragic!
Republicofscotland @ 10:22 am
“I’m utterly disgusted at Scotland’s women’s national football team who are taking on the vile ones tonight behind closed doors at Hampden.”
Aye RoS, and what does this sorry tale tell us? If we are looking for a definition of where we are, tonight at Hampden, it is surely this:
“Colonization: bridgehead in a campaign to civilize barbarism, from which there may emerge at any moment the negation of civilization, pure and simple” (Cesaire).
Aye, oor fitba lassies, an thon SFA heid bummers, an thay colonial caids in Holyrood shuid aw hiv a guid wird wi thairsels. Thay hiv pit Scotlan an aw Scottish fowk in a gey puir licht throu-aw the warld. Thay shuid aw hing thair heids in shame.
Northcode
I’ve read & heard that too. The actress from River City & Welsh actor/activist Michael Sheen have both said the first instruction they received was ‘drop the accent’ along with many others..
Speaking of Michael Sheen – he did a terrific speech about Wales, the Welsh language & culture at some university hosted by Plaid Cymru with Leanne & various faces. Well worth a watch if you haven’t seen it. It may still be on YouTube.
Something weird going on with the moderation. It has been vastly extended.
Lots of my posts seem to be disappearing into ‘The Wings Triangle’
It seems to be mostly the sensible ones with no swearing.
Note to self: Swear more!
Fuckity Fuckity fuckin’ Wings Triangle!
Gaun yersel Northcode!
Encore! Encore! Encore!
RoS & Alf
Well said. Absolutely shocking they have agreed to have a kick about with these ppl. (Their citizens are in full support of what their government is doing)
The players should refuse to go on the pitch.
Having trouble getting my old head round the thought that in Scotland 2024 biological male Euan Weddell can put on a wig and makeup and apparently be a woman.
Whilst a biological woman, born with the appropriate physical equipment, may not actually be described as a woman, but instead referred to as a “birthing person” or “chest feeder” when she gives birth,
Brain hurts !
Might already have been mentioned further up the comments but apparently said individual has either left or been refused entry to the sNP and is in the process of setting up a new party called (I think) the Rainbow Party. That must be some sort of record. Or CD. Or download. Got to be inclusive there…
Geri
Aye, Sheen is a good actor and one of those who uses their fame in support of their own nation and culture – like Butler and Connery. I haven’t seen watched Sheen’s speech but I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks for the pointer.
Have you seen Butler’s movie ‘Plane’? There’s a scene where Butler is asked if he’s English and he replies in disgust by saying, “English? I wouldn’t lower masel. I’m a Scot” or something very similar.
Ruby
You’ve alleviated some of my boredom with your wit and yer cheek. 🙂
FYI
When a prize cow is taken to an event like ‘The Royal Highland Show’ they have to be accompanied 24/7. To precious to be left alone.
The ‘Cow Body Guard’ even has to sleep on the straw next to them.
It’s a shitty job but someone has to do it. They obviously love the ‘prize cow’
Just thought I would let you know that to make my story about ‘The Cow That Just Kept Mooing’ a bit clearer!
Mooooo!
Alf Baird @11:01am
“Thay shuid aw hing thair heids in shame.”
Aye, Alf. Indeed.
Scottish actors may have to leave their country of birth to become successful, but they are disproportionately successful, at least this is the conclusion of an exploratory exercise I embarked on a couple of years ago.
Having reached the intuitive suspicion that Scots (and Celtic) actors were disproportionately represented in Hollywood, I wondered if this hypothesis could be put to the test. I clearly have a surfeit of spare time.
To avoid confirmation bias in determining who is successful and who is merely active, IMDb provide lists of those who qualify as “Stars”.
You can conduct this experiment yourselves. Form five columns (the purpose of the fifth column will become apparent). These columns are headed “island of Ireland” (Republic & Norn Irn), “Wales”, “Scotland”, “England State educated” and “England private education”.
Compiling the lists of actors by Nation of birth is relatively straightforward, determining whether they were State or privately educated requires a bit of digging on Wiki.
There are some counterintuitive encounters, for example, ever so posh English Kenneth Branagh is in fact working-class Irish, faux Cockney Tom Hardy is privately educated and quintessential toff Colin Firth is state educated.
Having completed the columns to your satisfaction, total the groups and divide by population to obtain a pro rata figure.
The outcome from my exercise (yours may be different) had the island of Ireland as the most disproportionately over represented followed (almost equally) by Wales and Scotland (the figure being around 2.3). England trailed spectacularly (at 0.6).
Regarding the proportion of state educated English actors to privately educated ones (6.4% of pupils in England are privately educated) the results are equally astounding. Privately educated actors are disproportionately represented over their state educated counterparts by around 25 to 1.
I have no idea what this proves. Selection of actors lies in the hands of mainly American, Casting Directors. These are a conservative bunch who require previous cinema screen time on a résumé. Successful Hollywood actors from the British isles are disproportionately “character actors” where “character” is a euphemism for, ahem, not exactly leading man or woman material.
This is infuriating as brilliant American character actors abound if they can obtain work as is testified by HBO with series such as Deadwood. A classic Catch 22 scenario.
Actors from the British isles appear to get their head start over their American counterparts through community theatre such as the Dundee Rep or the Glasgow Citizens.
Geri @ 11:01 am
“about Wales, the Welsh language & culture”
Plaid/Welsh Nationalist MPs are elected only in the strong Welsh speaking areas. A hint there for Scots speakers aboot the importance o oor ain Scots langage an hits connection wi oor ain cultur an identity:
CULTURE:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2021/06/27/paper-one-in-the-10-part-baird-series/
LANGUAGE:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2021/07/04/paper-two-the-determinants-of-independence/
Do these football players not have a contract?
Is football playing their job?
Would they be in breach of contract if they didn’t play?
Surely it would be up to the spectators to boycott these event. They don’t have a contract and attending these events isn’t their job.
The root cause of all these problems is the GRA 2004.
That’s a UK law that states men can become women it was brought in and enthusiastically supported by ‘The Labour Party’
It is now supported by every single political party in the UK except ‘The Woman’s Party’
Anyone who isn’t boycotting the GE and is attending these sporting events needs to shut up!
You cannot have a law that states men can be women and then say they can’t play in women’s sport because they are not women.
Either they are woman or they aren’t?
Warning the SNP must not be allowed anywhere near the Salvo appeal to the UN.
The SNP has been captured by the security services and their only intent will be to fail the appeal like they did in the supreme court
There’s a video of Scotland’s opponents in the military. Doing their silly tick tok videos.
I hope the Scotland women walk off. They’re are disgrace to humanity that mob.
Send them back on the plane.
A protest outside Hampden Park stadium at 6pm. Brilliant. Well done Glasgow.
I support that. I’ve been to previous rallies in support of the Palestinians before it became fashionable. I hope that they kick the doors of Hampden in and stop the match.
Ruby
The football game is being played behind closed doors. (No spectators to boycott it)
Nothing to do with GRR. Everything to do with who they’re playing & why it’s being in private.
Vivian O’Blivion
That’s a really interesting post, Vivian. I’m going to take some time to digest it and maybe take a look at some stats myself.
I have no idea what this proves either, but it might be worth pursuing a wee bit more and seeing if it leads to some kind of conclusion.
I’m so pleased! I was worried you had been struck down with a terminal case of ‘Chaseritis’
No worries I’ve got plenty more cheek to keep you perked up. 🙂
Geri will help, yes? We’ll have you ‘as right as rain’ in no time.
It was hard to write ‘as right as rain’ considering my shoes are still wet from being caught in the ‘right as rain’ two days ago.
I’m going to have to wear my boots to go out on this sunny day. I ain’t no Emelda or even a Sturgeon plus I read a daft book about ‘Feng shui & clearing out my clutter’
I’ve aligned my environment with who I am and where I want to go to harmonize my energy with my home’s energy but I’ve nae dry shoes to wear.
Fur lined winter boots it’s going to have to be.
‘write ‘as right’ English isn’t half tricky.
Calm down boys I’m just talking about the language and here on Wings it’s American not English.
Cheerio for noo I’m off oot in the sun wi my big furry bits oan!
American spell checker no liking noo, oot or even realise & harmonise!
Realize & Harmonize Ommmmmmmmmmmmm!
PS American Beer is called ‘Root Beer’ and that is defo pish. It tastes like Germoline.
Wipeout!
?YouGov Westminster voting intention, Scottish sub-sample, field work 29 – 30 May, population sample 177 (change from 2019).
Con 12% seats 0 (-6)
Lab 44% seats 54 (+53)
LibDem 7% seats 3 (+1)
SNP 25% seats 0 (-48)
Just now, on BBC’s Politics Live was given 30 seconds in which to make a pitch for voting SNP.
OK, it’s not long, but, it’s the same sound bite as given to the other parties. However, not once did he use the word Independence.
Surely there cannot be anyone still in Scotland who believes this party has any interest in seeing Scotland become Independent.
NORTHCODE.
The American media platforms are at the heart of this as is the fabulous hollywood culture with its «best foreign film» conceit and the signal failure of the majority to counter.
American style easy entertainment is effectively the commercial model. Films/tv etc that challenge or are not in that «style» would require state subvention, they could never be commercial in the mega$$$ sense. Such works need distribution or digital media platforms, as America dominates little chance of that without local structures in place.
It is not just Scotland, except South Asia and China, all must grovel before how the USA and the wider «anglophony» chooses to chill out on.
The European film industry is as good as moribund. England is where films may be made relatively on budget, has no language problem and has the tech expertise within easy reach of Heathrow.
Entertainment, a coverall term for mostly crap, cannot be local, or in a local language, or deal with local concerns or interests: too parochial and definitely not profitable.
Like so many global domains, including the sciences and humanities, the exceptional struggles for its air space.
Entertainment is the planetary culture of the moment, short shelf life, short attention span, not for keeping. Rather like contemporary politics.
A major earthquake is scheduled to strike California in a couple of decades…now that’s what I’d call real Entertainment, nature in the raw.
Strictly no texting during the performance.
So YouGov are reporting a forecast total wipe out for the SNP on July 4th.
And no seats is the result that we need. These scum have sold us short. They had their opportunity but wilfully disregarded it. Acted against independence in fact. And now thankfully they will be gone.
Pensioned off for the years as MPs with another five years added for standing and losing, job done and paid for.
And the forecast 25% of the votes that are forecast to deliver the nil FPTP seats, what will they have delivered for Scotland poor. Nothing, nothing, nothing unlike the Irish in 1918 who ditched the corrupted Irish Parliamentary Party in favour of a majority Westminster abstentionist Sinn Fein party.
Not my Westminster. Too right. The Irish recognised it. Sadly too many of the remaining SNP voters don’t.
But yes, wipe out for thre Troughing Tractors is coming.
An addendum to my post of 11:50.
Digging into the biographies of English actors a curious, recurring theme appears. Many of these successful, privately educated actors are from the impoverished, “artistic” wings of otherwise very wealthy Upper-class or Upper-middle-class families. “Cressida met Tobias at Art School, St. Martin-in-the-Field don’tcha know.”
The parents of these actors lacked the proverbial receptacle to micturate in, yet their sprogs went to Boarding Schools.
These institutions are tax exempt, registered charities due to their “good works” providing free or subsidised places for the “deserving poor”. The rub is, the “deserving poor” ain’t talented weans fae the local scheme, they’re the offspring of former pupils.
The English caste system is being perpetuated at tax payers expense.
Somehow, the name “Drew Hendry” vanished from my post at 12.58pm. He is was who made the lacklustre SNP pitch.
Ruby
Dinnie worry. It’s Scotland yer in. It’ll be snowing any minute & you’ll be thankful for those boots as everyone else scarpers in their flipflops.
Dinnie bother with Feng shui or even calamari (KonMari) either. I can confirm it does nothing tae lift yer mood & everything to do with putting you into a bad one. All you create is a mess & ye end up spending hours putting it all back again which brings on a sudden bout of Chaseritis where the only cure is a wee lie doon & afternoon nap – if only you’d not emptied the entire contents of the wardrobe ontae it.
Shop for a nice pair of spare shoes instead. The sales have started! Channel yer inner Emelda & make it two..
@ David Hannah says: 31 May, 2024 at 12:26 pm
Why don’t you take your Palestinian support to the next level?
Kidnap a hot lassie and drag her down a hole. Barricade yourself inside with her for 8 months.
You know you want to 🙂
I hope that they kick the doors of Hampden in and stop the match
Why don’t you get aff yer erse and kick down the doors yersel? Try having a square go with one of the lassies from the opposing team. Explain your sympathies to her face-to-face.
OMG, I would pay three figures for a ringside seat! Hampden would be rammed!
What is it with the stalwarts of the Indy scene? Always looking around for somebody else to step up and do something, whether it’s protesting, impeaching the tractors, or standing as independent candidates for election.
“Somebody Do Something” – the eternal refrain of the self-id-ing Sovereign Scot.
Is that some natavistic, blood & soil nationalist bigot claiming JK Rowling isn’t Scottish
One of the many depressing things which has happened to the independence movement is the blood and soil ethnic nationalist voice has gotten louder and louder over the last few years especially. It was always there as it is with any independence movement worldwide but we’re see open bigotry being spouted from people who support independence in a wider scale.
It isn’t just the flag-shaggers, it’s from the so-called ‘progressives’ as well but it’s dressed up to be more palatable. It’s depressing beyond belief that things have deteriorated so badly that all of this really means there’s not a chance independence is coming if these people are any sort of voice should we get another referendum.
I don’t mean to alarm anyone but are we all remembering that as of tomorrow we will be in…Pride Month? Seriously, get me off of this fecking planet cos I’ve had enough… 🙄
Willie @1:18
I do hope you’re right…
It’ll be a sad day in many respects, but through a series of self-inflicted wounds courtesy of Sturgeon and Murrell, the SNP has become an infected, gangrenous limb attached to Scotland’s Indy movement and nothing short of amputation will suffice.
It’s that, or the whole Indy movement becomes infected and dies.
Pass me the bone saw please nurse…
socratesmacsporran
Aye, well, coming fae him it’d have choked him.
He likes to dress up as a GI & go touring occupied territories like an eejit.
““Colonization: bridgehead in a campaign to civilize barbarism, from which there may emerge at any moment the negation of civilization, pure and simple” (Cesaire).”
Alf @11.01am.
Bang on Alf I couldn’t have put it better myself, we have the likes of Stephen Flynn at the foreign parliament in England calling for a ceasefire, as did Yousaf, one of the few things he got right, yet our national football association carries on regardless as though our opponents tonight aren’t committing g–en-o—ci–de which is absolutely shocking, worse still our ladies national team will do it all over again next Tuesday, it looks like our women (in the national football team, well most of them) who are human beings before footballers, have no compassion for ten of thousand of women and children murdered by their opponents country.
John C
Ignored says:
31 May, 2024 at 1:36 pm
Is that some natavistic, blood & soil nationalist bigot claiming JK Rowling isn’t Scottish..;
She isn’t Scottish and I have never heard her claiming to be that. I respect her stand on women’s rights and child safeguarding and thought her actions during the referendum with regard to Scottish Independence were arrogant and chauvenistic.
Blood and soil, blood and soil blood and soil. It is getting tedious now. Not everyone thinks like you or me or the person standing next to us. The Nazi’s in Germany might have been that(i’m not an expert) but someone who doesn’t agree with a local government franchise for a referendum for national independence is not. In my honest opinion
Help the Good Guys! If all the Yessers reading Wings each put £1 into the crowdfunders for the Independents For Independence, Colette Walker and the other ISP candidates, and the SSP candidates, they would be able to fight so much more effectively for our cause.
crowdfunder.co.uk/p/ is the first part of the address for them all, followed by:
– ge-campaign-fund-sally-hughes-i41-perth-kinross/backers
– vote-colette-walker-isp-in-renfrewshire-east/backers
– 4th-july-general-election-2024/comments [this is the ISP party]
– eva-comrie-ge-campaign-fund—alloa-grangemouth/backers
I don’t know any SSP candidates as yet.
Labour has said that if/when they come to power in July they will create a publicly owned company called Great British Energy and place it’s HQ in Scotland. They say it will create Scottish jobs for Scottish people.
Calling something ‘Great British’ and plonking it in Scotland has got to be a colonialist action. It will also ensure that all that power will continue to be sent down South.
GM
Well said.
It’s the British nationalists that come out with the most ludicrous bullshit regards anything relating to indy with the sole intention of gaining a response so they can start lamenting we “let our cause down” we’re “not very civic” & the nativist bullshit when we suggest our next indyref should follow the same international best practice every other country uses – including their beloved UK.
I don’t see them on here lamenting EU citizens won’t be taking part in the general election – funny that.
RoS
What they even doing in yet another European competition anyway? They’re not European.
dasBlimp
Ignored says:
31 May, 2024 at 2:30 pm
Labour has said that…
I doubt they would do it dasBlimp. It would run counter to their extreme economic liberalism. The energy will go south and we won’t get paid for it.
Geri
Ignored says:
31 May, 2024 at 3:03 pm
GM…
Spot on comment Geri. It is the John C’s of this part of the world that are part of what hold us back. They are incapable of seeing past the conditioning we are all subjected to.
So Tammany Hall aka Glasgow City council allowed outside forces (unknown) to monitor the AUOB on the 4th of May this year using Glasgow’s CCTV in public spaces which is NOT allowed without explicit authority.
The Security Industry Authority have strict regulations on who can and cannot access these public cameras and there is no written protocol which allows outside forces to access them said a GMB organiser the union is up in arms about the illegal access.
Just why would Tammany Hall allow outside forces to monitor a peaceful indy march in Glasgow on the 4th of May this year?
I think we all know why Tammany Hall allowed outside forces to monitor an indy march, with the end goal to keep the status quo intact and Scots poorer and badly informed about their subservient position within this rancid union.
*For the record. I won’t actually be storming Hampden Park tonight at 6pm to tell those uppity IDL bitches to go home!
Ahaha. Nor will I be setting up an encampment in the goalposts either.
I’ll leave that up to the entitled and privileged virgin males of Glasgow University – just stop oil, and this is rigged to project their victimhood.
As outraged as I am about the situation in the middle east. They’ve destroyed their reputation the World over and not before time. The world will be a better place when it formally recognises the state of Palestine.
Hatey McHateface: “I hope that they kick the doors of Hampden in and stop the match.
Why don’t you get aff yer erse and kick down the doors yersel? Try having a square go with one of the lassies from the opposing team. Explain your sympathies to her face-to-face.”
Hahaha. I’d be given a red card and bloody nose deservedly. I won’t be going. It’s probably not the best look to go shouting at young women outside a football stadium.
“Labour has said that if/when they come to power in July they will create a publicly owned company called Great British Energy and place it’s HQ in Scotland. They say it will create Scottish jobs for Scottish people.”
DasBlimp.
From what I’ve heard on Radio Times its a joint venture with the private sector, that the taxpayer will fund (oh what a surprise not) and that no actually company will be set up, however repeating the words Great British Energy is a winner in the eyes of the gullible voters.
Sturgeon the back stabbing Judas did the exact same thing a few years back she made the same promises as Starmer, who’ll say anything and everything t get into No10.
Just like Sunak’s National service BS, Starmer’s Great British Energy firm is a gimmick to lure gullible voters in hoping for cheaper energy.
A better name for Starmer’s gimmick would be the Great British Energy Scam, of course England and its corporate oil and gas buddies are and have been robbing Scotland blind of its North sea mineral assets for decades, the wealth heads South of the border, and our children and grandchildren’s futures are stolen, the money from those assets should’ve been used to develop Scotland, which is lets face it, is rundown with poor infrastructure trying to function with one hand tied behind its back as our wealth through smart accounting tricks benefits everyone one but Scots.
Keeping our wealth in Scotland would mean better hospitals schools roads etc, no government not even our ain colonial one can run a country without all the levers of government it needs whilst giving a foreign country (England) half of our money and assets.
Scots are f*ckin mental to allow this to happen.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxrrq97l94wo
Two seats – Susan Aitken – is coming to destroy George Square. Aka. Freedom Square.
David Hannah.
Christ Freedom Sq aka George Sq has had more makeovers than the SNP.
I recall when the then Tammany Hall leader Gordon Matheson (BLiS) decided to revamp Freedom Sq he held a design competition for the best design, his favourite design didn’t get picked and like Boris Johnson’s Garden Bridge it all went up in smoke costing the taxpayers a bundle.
One of the many depressing things which is happening on here is posters part quoting my posts.
I posted the above but it was a total piss-take. The whole post was:
Is that some natavistic, blood & soil nationalist bigot claiming JK Rowling isn’t Scottish?
Franchise Fanny needs too get him telt.
@ Geri 3.46am , thanks for that info regarding Ash Regan I was unaware that she was as vocal and demonstrable , it just appeared to me that she had only recently publicly stated her objections , BUT unfortunately as Ruby has stated UNLESS the 2004 equalities act is binned we will have to keep going round in ever diminishing circles fighting the progressive pish, as a believer in science , biology and SCOTS right to independence no matter the childish name calling and epithets I and others of similar mind won’t be silenced
Have a guid weekend to all nativists , blood and soil supporters ,and moon howlers
O/T With apologies to Stu and his original article. I can’t let the Labour Party off the hook with their GB Energy Company. We have been in this position before. A la oor Nicola. Hundreds of pounds off the average energy bill and thousands of jobs. Absolutely no detail whatsoever. They can’t even tell us where it will be based. Aberdeen has been has been muted. Wrang location. It has to be Inverness with Ardersier and Nigg foreign investment. If your talking about renewable energy put the HQ where the action will be. Very disappointed in the Labour detail. Absolutely no understanding of what is needed.
Hi Twathater
It’s ‘The Gender Recognition Act 2004’ that I keep going on about.
I’m a blood & soil supporter I don’t know how there can be any ethnicity without blood & soil.
Surely ethnicity is all about blood & soil.
The ‘Franchise Fannies’ don’t seem to like the idea of Scottish ethnicity.
I’d better shut-up I could end up in the bad books if I trigger the Franchise Fannies.
They seem to be increasing in number.
‘Hatey the Hater’ could be chucked out of the FFs cos it was him what claimed JK Rowling wasn’t Scottish. What a bigot!
‘The Franchise Fannies’ believe everyone in Scotland is Scottish. Even the bloody tourist who buy a a C U Jimmy hat.
I think they want to dilute Scottish ethnicity to such an extend being Scottish means absolutely nothing.
Moon howlin,for more than a mile
I’m doing it in style to day
My huckleberry friend’s
Moon howlin with me
WooooooooOOOO! WooooooooOOOO! WooooooooOOOO!
The Flying Iron of Doom, you have just reminded me that there is a Woman’s DAY but a Pride MONTH.
Republicofscotland 3:30
I think that’d be to see who was waving a P flag methinks to see who could benefit fae a bit of the ‘Craig Murray’ ruffed up & detained treatment.
They’re out of control even carrying out surveillance in other countries that’s fck all to do with them & their spinless friends in WM would’ve given the go ahead cause they’re nosey bams too who’ve hee-haw authority here.
I think you’re OK George this thread went way off topic & off the rails hours ago.
It’s good that you’re looking at the Great British Energy Company with your expert eye.
I appreciate it. I wouldn’t know the difference between ‘The Great British Energy’ and ‘The Great British Bake off’
My initial though was that is a very derivative name. Why did they call it after a baking show?
Twathater
Have a good weekend too x
The gender recognition act 2004 won’t be repealed by Scots votes. If England don’t want to bin it then it won’t be binned.
Much better to have independence & have our own bloody acts to amend/bin/tweak. The answer to all our problems doesn’t lie in Westminster. The progressive eejits “Trans rights first” just couldn’t get it through their tiny thick skulls that independence must come first.
@Ruby Tuesday 7:23pm
OK first let’s look at the numbers. £300 Million foreign stake in Ardesier and Nigg to secure a Supply Chain stake in renewable energy in Scotland. Plus £50 million from the UK Government and £50 million from the Scottish Government. Aberdeen was the energy capital of Europe for the last 50 years. Did anybody in the rest of Scotland benefit?. Labour Party if they are serious has to go for Inverness. And this time share the benefits.
As of 1st June we are in for a month of Fuckin Queer Propaganda FFS.
You need energy to bake and vice versa.National Baking Company.
How’s yer research on cuts going?
Well to stamp “British” on Scotland of course.
The Great British Piss Take more like..
As if they’d build anything in a country that’s going to leave them. I don’t think we need experts to know there’s hee-haw chance of that happening just as there’d be hee-haw chance of an HQ.
Whit?! Hae Scots run an office? All by themselves? Dealing with folks? Without supervision? Preposterous idea!! They’re still living in caves up there…
Ach – throw em a bone, Starmer. Ye ken you can do one of yer famous U turns later..
Aye, right enough, forgot about that.
Betty – haud the sums fir noo.. I was just taking the piss.
https://x.com/A_Piperides/status/1796597507818127796
Hampden protest scenes.
https://x.com/markbenstead/status/1796603506612376000
This was me earlier. Chained to the goalpost!
https://x.com/AnthonyRJoseph/status/1796610023574900791/photo/1
Protester chained to the goalpost. Second picture.
https://x.com/ScotlandNT/status/1796621761422746006
3-0 Scotland. Erin Cuthbert. Well done Scotland ladies!
https://x.com/derekwatson89/status/1796612962683093042/photo/1
Red card for *redacted*
George Ferguson @ 7:58 pm
“And this time share the benefits.”
Aye, it wad be braw tae get even a wee share o oor ain £100 billion worth o renewable energy that will soon be produced in and transitted from Scotland to England – every year! But just like wi the oil and gas an awthing else, A dinna think the colonizer is up for sharing onything wi the restless natives.
@George Ferguson
I fear, George, it is always jam tomorrow.
Which reminds me. Don’t fergit that it is baked in that Labour’s support always decreases closer to a GE. It is also traditional that the Tory vote holds up and may increase as the troughers remember it is only the Tories and not Reform or Lib Dems that can give them access to the dough, bread, mazuma,folding stuff, dinero, potatoes, dosh, crinkly and my old aunt etcetera.
Hedge yer bets, George
Hard of thinking nativist bigots often like to hide their xenophobia. It can of course be argued that blood and soil is what confers ethnicity. If the independent Scotland we want consists only of “ethnic Scots” however, how are the nativists even defining that?
Some appear to think being born here is enough, although it’s quite obvious what that the more extreme xenophobes actually mean by “ethnically Scottish”: they mean (chiefly) to exclude English “incomers” and non-white immigrants because they hold them responsible for the loss of the 2014 referendum.
Franchise restriction advocates aren’t making value free claims, nor are they simple trying to assert (or “re-assert”) fairness by advocating for what every other country does as they so often claim. They’re trying to ensure an independent Scotland is established on an inherently anti-immigrant, exclusionary and ethnic exclusivist basis.
They are of course free to make such a regressive case. They’re not entitled however to claim that it’s representative of more than a minority of cranks, nor do they have any evidence of significant support. Having a posse of potty mouthed cranks and sociopaths egging you in here isn’t evidence.
Everyone in Scotland who wants to be Scottish IS Scottish: that was the whole point of the independence offer in 2014. Similarly, those residents who don’t want to avail themselves of Scottish citizenship post independence aren’t obliged to do so.
However much of a frenzy the nativists whip themselves in to, they haven’t put forward any coherent argument why the franchise should be changed in the unlikely event there’s another referendum. Nor indeed have they explained why or how the majority of the movement will be convinced by their deeply regressive nativist world view which seeks to exclude several hundred thousand non-native born Scots from the “demos”.
Some of the moon howlers are of course out and out racists: we’ve seen the posts in here. Others are just sub-Trumpian bigots with a chip on their shoulders about “furriners” and incomers living in a Brigadoon-esque fantasy land where Scoltand is like a western Belarus.
Talking about “diluting” Scottish ethnicity is quite the give away, isn’t it? It’s redolent of the kind of society that raged against Irish immigration & Papists in the 19th & 20th century and “no dogs, no blacks, no Irish” signs in later times. We see you.
I know most ordinary progressive Scots would be quite happy to dilute that kind of poisonous regressive nationalism.
@Alf Baird 8:29pm
The rest of the Scottish population didn’t agree with us in 2014. And it’s history now about the Oil and Gas industry. Let’s get it right this time.
Ott
Hopefully in Munich in two weeks near kick off. Dunno wether to expect fire or flooding, not a clue about the weather either.
If the like of Haw haw Mc fuk wit will make themselves known in the Englisher Garten then mebbies they’ll be run up the flagpole and we will see who salutes.
@Sam 8:34pm
Agreed the Tory and Labour polling will close towards the General Election. But I do think Scotland is different. There is an anti SNP vote going on. You can’t lose ten of thousands of members and expect them to vote for you at the next election. If I lose money in my local bets in Scottish Constituencies. So be it. No different from my bet on Scotland to qualify from the Euros group.
It can of course be argued that blood and soil is what confers ethnicity.
Well dah! What else can it be?
Some of the moon howlers are of course out and out racists
Aye and all the Franchise Fannies are ‘country pancakes’
Could you keep it short Fanny I don’t want to be in the bad books for too long.
If the like of Haw haw Mc fuk wit will make themselves known in the Englisher Garten then mebbies they’ll be run up the flagpole and we will see who salutes.
OMG. This place is better than the telly for entertainment.
@ Andy Ellis says: 31 May, 2024 at 8:41 pm
It wis me wot pointed out that J K Rowling isn’t Scottish
She never came near the place until she was 28 or so. It’s not exactly a state secret, but this is Wings BTL, so the pointer out of facts must expect to be savaged by the mouth breathers (not including you in that category, to be clear).
I said nothing whatsoever about whether she is entitled to a vote, but for the record, she lives here, she pays (probably humongous) taxes here, so in my opinion she gets a vote.
It’s as close to worthless as anything anyway, just like everybody else’s vote. But it’s not rocket science – no taxation without representation.
Like every other tax-paying fecker in this sorry country; Scots, English, black, white, Christian, Muslim; if they pay taxes they get a vote. If they’re a net drain on the government finances, like I suspect most of the regulars on here, I’d withdraw the vote from them, but that’s a personal opinion – I don’t expect it will happen.
And so, once again, we arrive at the bleedin obvious conclusion – make Indy an attractive proposition for the majority of voters and guess what? we’ll get Indy.
At the end of the day who these voters are doesn’t matter. Even if they arrived last week, they’ll vote to better themselves just like the uttermost N@zi, antisemitic, blood and soil, tenth generation nativist.
@ David Hannah says: 31 May, 2024 at 3:36 pm
“recognises the state of Palestine”
Have you seen the state of Palestine lately?
It’s been bombed flat, end to end, tens of thousands dead.
And all because of the leaders they chose for themselves, and the policies those leaders decided to adopt, and keep adopting, even as the hecatombs of their own women and kids rose to blot out the sun.
For reasons that frankly elude me, our own leaders are showing signs of thinking the same way.
Be warned.
Whit’s wrang wi chronic oral ventilation. This may be a hate crime to look down on mouthbreathers everywhere. Many may have a disability.
According to my Urban Dickshunary, “Moonhowlers” are all Celtic supporters. It’s hard to know which group would be more offended by btl suggestions that posters here all have *wee button noses (*Brending Being). Or Celtic supporters who find themselves associated with btl posters here.
And are blood and soil nativists all Celtic supporters?
P.S. Best of luck, George
Aye how dare they not bow to their illegal occupiers.
Whatever are they thinking?!
Dinnie worry. See thon rubble? Yer taxes will be paying to clean it up & rebuild.
Start saving..
Cheers, Ruby.
Your last couple of comments – especially the final sentence of your @9:21pm comment – have cleared away the last lingering vestiges of my boredom.
I feel the urge to write a patriotic poem in the Scots leid coming upon me.
My views stagger me these days. I am such a lonely person that’s the truth.
Ten years ago. I went down to London on the Megabus overnight. With my SNP painted Saltire.
To march against austerity. I duly did. I listened to Jeremy Corbyn. Russell Brand and Charlotte Church and cheered them on outside Westminster.
I made posters. And got on trains the length and breadth of Scotland. Singing Hope Over Fear – Gerry cinnamon.
I went to europe with friends who did Erasmus exchange. And partied with the Europeans and formed connections that now long gone.
I went to Holyrood to form a human chain and held up a shield to say. Hands off our parliament.
I changed my shifts to attend all under one banner. Bannockburn.
I was there in the sunshine. Listening to guys like Tommy Sheridan.
Now the years have driven me bitter. But that person is still in there. As much as I want to give up the fight at this election. And blame the immigrants for the housing crisis – which is hurting me – I want to be that person that believed in Independence.
The next all under one banner rally i’m going to have to go to. Anyone know where it’s at?
The stablemate of Nicla’s fanzine reporting…
“Police assess new complaint over Matheson’s iPad bill”
Anyone with a subscription care to archive?
@Hatey 9.37pm
I have my doubts whether JK Rowling would take Scottish citizenship post independence. I don’t really know enough about her, or indeed care about one individual however high profile.
I do wonder how many Scottish based unionists – whether native born, newly arrived or residents of many years – will turn down citizenship, since it would have significant implications for them particularly post brexit. It seems in the decade or so post Irish independence a large number of unionists left the Republic, but given the conflict there perhaps that isn’t too surprising.
Brexit has destroyed our country. Let’s be honest. The conservatives have driven up inflation. The average pint in 2010 was £2.30. The cost of materials and everything has sky rocketed.
All of the Europeans have been replaced by Nigerians. Our high streets are decimated. Our beautiful department stores shut down. Our nighclubs closed – spontaneously combusted. I used to go to the O2 ABC on Suchiehall street. It’s all shut down. And burned down.
I used to have so much energy and belief but I’ve truly lost my way. I find myself agreeing with unionist commentators. I want the party I once voted for eradicated. Yet these people belittle our country all the time. We’re the criminals because we want our own freedom?
I’ve lost friends over the identity politics arguments. Who have called me bigoted. Truthfully. But I could see that it was destroying the cause I believed in and I fought back. Unfortunately it’s won the day.
I feel sorry for the latest generation after me. They believe in a cause that isn’t mine or yours. That the world is ending – climate emergency. GAZA protests.
Why our national party can’t give us all independence to believe in. I’ll never know.
For that reason I’m not voting for them this time. They will have to be replaced. And we’ll build again and build stronger.
That reminds me..
Has anyone seen what’s happening in Georgia?
Bussed in *hauners* for a spot of civil unrest.
Everyone is a *new Georgian* bussed in from surrounding counties trying to overthrow it’s government & it’s new foreign interference policy. I can’t for the life of me think why they’d want such a policy. Nativist bigots.
Thank fck the UK would never do that, obvs. No siree.. Franchise Fanny needs to fck off back to where he crawled out from & pay attention to world news.
We’ll build again and build stronger. I think we need some hope for a vision for Independence. I’ll be listening to Alex Salmond. He’s the only guy that can inspire me.
In the years to come. I can see intelligent guys like Phil Boswell on the Prism show. People like him could be someone I vote for that could lead our country. He might think I’m deluded. But we need a strong voice at the top of Scottish politics. I think he fits the bill as the next Alex Salmond. He might think I’m nuts there’s 5 million other Scots waiting to step up.
But unfortunately a generation of Scots have been lost to climate change. They have no interest in Scottish independence. We need to change that.
Some arsehole says
If they’re a net drain on the government finances, like I suspect most of the regulars on here, I’d withdraw the vote from them, but that’s a personal opinion
Withdrawing the vote from everyone in Scotland wouldn’t make a blind bit of difference. Dah!
I’m withdrawing my own vote and I think everyone else should do the same.
Another arsehole says:
Everyone in Scotland who wants to be Scottish IS Scottish.
Aye they just apply for an ERC (Ethnicity Recognition Certificate) or self-id.
Nae conversion therapy mind. Nae telling them it’s shit being Scottish.
David Hannah
Ignored says:
31 May, 2024 at 10:03 pm
The next all under one banner rally i’m going to have to go to. Anyone know where it’s at?
Stirling 22nd June.
Your rants are dramatic and over the top and I like that patter. I get a chuckle at it. The curtain twitchers masquerading as nationalists on here can dry their eyes.
As for your views changing, I know what you mean pal. I think we are re-examining issues like Open border immigration and franchises now that we have the extreme form of liberalism, both social and economic, imposed on us. We are in serious difficulties and we should examine thoroughly that which is being imposed on us.
The curtain twitchers are already deid. They just dinnae ken it. We still believe and therefor are looking at new tactics in order to achieve our goals as conditions change on the ground.
David
I have my doubts Phil Boswell would return to politics. He’s said before it’s full of self serving, backstabbing cliques & corrupted eejits.
Those are my words but he’s implied that fae his wee stint in Westminster as an MP before.
He’s better paid staying in the Oil business TBF..
That was another fantastic failure of Sturgeon. She deliberately didn’t use her MPs in their field of expertise. Philippa is an expert on Police & Oil. Same with Phillipa re NHS & Joanna re Justice. They should’ve been serving in Holyrood – not Westminster where their talent was wasted.
But we all know the poisoned dwarf would’ve shit herself at a challenge for leadership. So she kept them down there & changed the rules to block them from moving.
Dinnie gie up hope. The news of our Ind demise has been greatly exaggerated. LOL
*”Philippa is an expert on Police & Oil.”
That should’ve said Phil.
Andy Ellis @ 10:07 pm
“I have my doubts whether JK Rowling would take Scottish citizenship post independence.”
That seems immaterial given that independence is a matter ‘only for the colonized’, according to Memmi. Postcolonial theory also suggests colonialists mostly ‘return to the mother country’ after independence, their ‘privileged position’ having come to an end. House prices would then be affordable for the indigenous community, with more higher level jobs available to them than under colonial rule.
@sam says: 31 May, 2024 at 9:59 pm
“Whit’s wrang wi chronic oral ventilation. Many may have a disability”
Agreed.
Knuckle draggers could have osteoporosis.
Then there’s Tourette’s, ADHD, lunacy, AIS, acute paranoia, PTSD, hyperandrogenism, chronic insomnia.
These are all very real conditions, and for genuine sufferers, our compassion and understanding is very much deserved, especially after the last decade of the SNP’s criminal mismanagement of the SNHS.
It’s just that, seriously, what are the chances that genuine sufferers from any of these afflictions are posting on here?
On any given day, you are likely to find single posters displaying symptoms of all ten! If genuine, that would be a crushing burden to carry.
So no way can that be real. There has to be a simpler explanation.
Just throwing this in here for the many civic right on give anyone the vote brigade.
If England has a referendum on independence from the UK. Does Andy Murray get a vote? If JK Rowling is Scottish for moving here at 28. Is Andy Murray English for moving there at 18?
If I move to Wales, am I Welsh? Would it be bigoted or racist for a Welsh person to say I wasn’t Welsh. Would a Welsh person be offended by being called Welsh in Scotland.
To me it seems only one nation is super sensitive on this issue. Who’s people expect to be given the freedom of Scotland for paying taxes. Who demand a vote on another country’s future. Who get offended if you dare ask where they are from. Not so any other migrant group.
I will provide a concrete example. While visiting a local furniture shop. I overheard an assistant talking to another customer in a distinct Geordie accent. The customer asked where he was from. He looked surprised and said “just down the road from here”. The customer insisted saying” no where are you really from”. He then gave way and admitted he was from North East England. The customer then said” oh I am originally from Yorkshire myself”.
Had I dared ask this question as a Scot, I would have been accused of all sorts , and would feel like I was accusing the man. Not so if he was Irish or Welsh. They would have proudly declared their nationality.
This is a common situation in Scotland. The English incomers feel uncomfortable with Who they are ,and seek to homoginise all the nationalities of the UK due to their own insecurities.
Hence why so many will never vote yes.
I spoke to a Finnish lady in my work after indy ref 14. She was a determined yes voter. A black South African also yes voter. I never met one English person who voted yes.
So the idea that we don’t want or welcome immigrants is nonsense. The problem is. The English make up 10% of our migrants. As a block they are determined to be British and stop Scotland. This growing migrant population will never be yes voters. For all of the reasons above.
Other nationalities have no such hang ups, and think for themselves individually. But the English just can’t let go. It’s what they have done throughout history.
They don’t want to be part of the community. They want to own the community. They want to suppress the natives.
I make no apology for pointing this out.
Whoops, forgot to add coprophilia to my list.
Cheers, Ruby! 🙂
Something strange happening with the moderation.
Archive links aren’t uploading.
I tried to post a link for robertknight to
Police assess new complaint over Matheson’s iPad bill
Try this
https://tinyurl.com/ymyct24j
I wonder if Stu doesn’t want archived links?
‘Postcolonial theory also suggests colonialists mostly ‘return to the mother country’ after independence, their ‘privileged position’ having come to an end.’
Aye that makes perfect sense. The Mollies of the world dae like to keep their sugar cubes & ribbons that they may not get tae keep whilst *under new management*.
They’ll take their booty & go..
Big Jock
“They don’t want to be part of the community. They want to own the community. They want to suppress the natives.
I make no apology for pointing this out.”
No apology required. Ireland & Wales would agree. So would Spain, France, Germany & all the other 191 countries they’ve ever shown up in. They immediately want to start changing everything to suit them. From language Tae schools. It’s a colonial affliction.
Testing
archive
wondering if this is a banned word.
32 days left
82%
£1656 raised – target £2000
Put Scotland First and help Stephen Flynn win Aberdeen South for the Scottish National Party
——————————————–
Flynn hasn’t reached his crowdfunding target yet. It’s been open for a while now.
GM
Ignored says:
31 May, 2024 at 10:31 pm
David Hannah
Ignored says:
31 May, 2024 at 10:03 pm
The next all under one banner rally i’m going to have to go to. Anyone know where it’s at?
I will also add that as well as being entertaining your posts get your point across perfectly well and also demonstrate your frustration with the dire situation we find ourselves in.
There are many on here I know will always keep the faith just by observing the style of their posts over time. Thanks for that. I appreciate it.
“Police are examining a new complaint about Michael Matheson, the disgraced SNP politician, over an £11,000 iPad data roaming bill he attempted to charge to taxpayers.
Scotland’s national police force said that it was “assessing” fresh allegations against the former health secretary after an earlier complaint in November was looked into but deemed not worthy of further action.
Since then a Holyrood committee has completed a damning investigation into the incident, which has led to Mr Matheson being handed a record 27-sitting day suspension from the Scottish Parliament and having his salary withdrawn for 54 days.
Mr Matheson initially claimed that he had run up the iPad bill while in Morocco, solely by undertaking parliamentary work.
However, his story unravelled and he later claimed he had discovered his teenage sons had used the device to stream football matches, and he paid back the money.
Legal commentators have claimed that Holyrood should call in police to examine the case, saying it appeared that he may have committed fraud with his expenses claim.”
——————————————
Good.
——————————————
Note:
“Lord Taylor of Warwick (Conservative) pleaded not guilty to six charges of false accounting, but was convicted at Southwark Crown Court on 25 January 2011.[195] His false claims amounted to £11,277 and on 31 May 2011 he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.”
“Stirling 22nd June.
Your rants are dramatic and over the top and I like that patter. I get a chuckle at it. The curtain twitchers masquerading as nationalists on here can dry their eyes.”
Thanks for the kind words as I don’t have any on this site.
This election has made me realise one thing. The country is going to be taken over by false prophets – Anas Sarwar and Sir Kier – who come to us like clothed sheep. But on the inside are ravenous wolves.
We must use our vote wisely. Despite the SNP corruption. keep in mind.
“Do not give sacred things to DOGS, or throw pearls in front of PIGS. If you do. The pigs will trample them with their feet and the dogs may turn and tear you apart!”
Ask. And it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. And to everyone who knocks the door. The door is opened!
Seek independence for Scotland. And build our house upon the ROCK!!! Let’s take our country back – Again!!!
Never thought I’d see Scotland disgraced by winning 4 : 1.
Why the fk are Genocide United even in the Euros? Isn’t physically being in Europe a qualifying criterion? Or have the Israelis illegally occupied some European territory now?
Funnily enough I get sick tae the back teeth wi aw these civic nationalist clowns and progressive arsewipes trying to undermine our citizenship, nation and nationality by giving it away like a cheap suit to any Tom, Dick or Harriet fae anywhere
Ask the Aboriginal people the REAL natives of Australia if they feel INCLUSIVE or PROGRESSIVE after their REASONABLE REQUEST to have a permanent representation in the Australian Parliament to protect Aboriginal issues, a vote was held in the parliament to arrange a referendum which was held in October 2023, in the referendum the new Australians basically told the original Aboriginal natives of Australia to FUCK OFF with their request
The Franchise Fanny brigade want the same thing for Scotland and Scots (extinction)
only following boris’s orders Guv
OT…
Know what really gets under my skin about these Low Emission Zones? The obnoxious attitude.
Where is the help and assistance for working people with older vehicles who might not have the money to trade up, but would if they could?
But no, it’s fuk yez. You have to pay the cost or you can’t come in, and if you can’t we’ll fine yez, and fine yez mercilessly until you can’t pay any more.
Always “leading” with the fines and big stick. Comply, or else. Greedy Local Authority bastards given license to extort cash.
OK. Good luck getting your inner city stonework fixed. But quid pro quo, can I fine you for criminal neglect or injury to people who get hurt? The safety of your buildings is a known hazard. You better get it fixed and brought up to standard.
If I see anything dodgy, I’ll do my civic duty and report it to your insurers so your negligence not fixing it is appropriately noted.
What’s that you say? You can’t afford it? Fk yez. You spoiled brat hypocrites.
May your city centres become the economic desert you and your traffic wardens crave for it to become. Dickheads.
Well, none of that applies to this Englishman. So that’s your theory down the swanny. That’s the trouble with generalisation and supposition AKA ‘talking out the back of your head’.
However, I have no doubt that the BTL’ers here in this echo chamber were all nodding their heads as they read your post. Knowing that, does it give you a warm, fuzzy feeling, Big Jock?
Wrong I am afraid. Pointing out that you are not like that as an individual. Does not change the collective attitude of the English abroad.
It’s like saying that white South Africans were not racist, because a few of them weren’t. I am talking about the majority of them. That’s why they continue to vote no as a block.
Your argument is schoolboy level in its naivety and simplicity.
@Alf Baird 10.41pm
I’m not sure why you think it’s immaterial what happens post independence to those who were not Scottish born and who have moved here and chosen to live here.
Even if xenophobes like you got your way and exluded all those you regard as “mud-bloods”, or some random proportion of them based on whatever number of years residence criteria you’ve plucked out of the air, it’s likely that a fair number of those people will qualify for and take Scottish citizenship.
I doubt they’re going to be very well disposed post independence towards the racist bigots that made their lives harder, or vote for parties representing them. Perhaps significant numbers will return from whence they came, but I have my doubts it’ll be in such numbers that it suddenly solves the rural housing crisis or result in an instantaneous rise in jobs for the boys.
Rooby
‘I wonder if Stu doesn’t want archived links?’
The simplest explanation is often the correct one. Stu simply does not want you or the other member of the gruesome twosome!
Happy to be of assistance Rube. Anytime.
Aye. And all Scotsmen have ginger hair and a chip on each shoulder.
@dasBlimp 8.41 am
At least we know the xenphobe Big Jock is well balanced: he has a chip on both shoulders. 🙂
The only bigots I come across in Scotland are usually waiving butchers aprons.
But I suppose it’s bigoted for simply pointing out that being Scottish is more than just a postcode. It’s an identity, culture and state of mind. All the paid taxes in the world will not make you Scottish.
@Big Jock 10.47am
If Andy Murray is resident in England, why wouldn’t he have the vote? Unless xenophobic bigots like you and yer mates here were to wrest control of deciding the franchise for a future English referendum from right thinking progressive folks of course.
If you were Welsh and called someone who had moved to Wales and wanted to consider themselves Welsh a settler, or English, or whatever other nationality they were it would be bigoted and probably racist too. Them’s the breaks.
If you don’t want to be considered a bigot and racist, don’t have and express bigoted and racist attitudes. It’s pretty simple really.
Just because you’ve personally never met an English person who voted Yes doesn’t mean they don’t exist. There are plenty of folk from the rest of the UK who are supporters of independence, including members of my own extended family.
Interestingly, the nativists tend to forget that even if many first generation immigrants (whether English or from further afield) don’t support independence, many of the long term residents will have children and even grandchildren who were born and/or brought up here who are much more likely to vote for independence and consider themselves first and foremost Scots.
Your version of exclusionist politics is really no different to that of native born Scots who used to rail against Irish immigration and the dangers of popery in the 19th century, or those who put “no dogs, no blacks and no Irish” signs in their windows back in the day.
Being opposed only to English immigration but no any other immigration still makes you a bigot, however hard you try and dress it up with other motives. It simply isn’t true that “as a block” they are opposed to independence. The scant evidence we have from 2014 indicates that they voted 70/30 against independence. That could very well be different by now for all we know.
The point is they are still a relatively insignificant proportion of the overall electorate: native born Scots could easily overwhelm the wishes of the minority of English born voters.
It’s good that you feel no discomfort admitting to you bigotry though: it’s always helpful knowing who the real enemies of the independence movement are.
Andy Ellis said;
“However much of a frenzy the nativists whip themselves in to, they haven’t put forward any coherent argument why the franchise should be changed in the unlikely event there’s another referendum.”
That’s just another of your carefully reconstructed misrepresentations, Andy.
You know perfectly well what the basic argument is; that it is for the owners of Scotland and its sovereignty to take the major decisions about their own country, and in the case of Scotland, that sovereignty and thus that ownership is vested in Scotland’s own people, and that come from a constitutional tradition that can be traced back for more than 1200 years. Essentially, that makes Scotland’s native electorate the only body with unequivocal entitlement to make those decisions.
But the franchise argument is not about excluding all non-natives, and perhaps also even those natives with the shallowest roots, as you falsely make it out to be. The ‘frenzy’ is all yours, Andy.
It is about who else in Scotland may also be entitled to participate in such a vote. That is essentially equivalent to establishing criteria for Scottish citizenship, but Westminster would burn itself to a crisp in white-hot fury at any suggestion of a need for a Scottish citizenship distinct from UK or British citizenship!
These criteria needn’t be hard to meet, but they shouldn’t be trivial either. And there are plenty of other countries around the world that already have what they consider reasonable criteria for their citizenships and franchises that Scotland could adopt and adapt to meet what its sovereigns deem acceptable.
You don’t get to presume that our sovereigns will take a bigoted, rabidly racist stance on those criteria, that only the basest of motives are at play here. You want to make such claims, then back them up!
“Talking about “diluting” Scottish ethnicity is quite the give away, isn’t it?”
Is it, Andy? I came up with the following thought last year, and I often see instances of its occurrence;
“The theft of something cannot be legitimised by the thieves outvoting the owners in a so-called ‘democratic’ vote.”
An inappropriate franchise will be just another example.
“I know most ordinary progressive Scots would be quite happy to dilute that kind of poisonous regressive nationalism.”
I agree. I’d much rather promote healthy progressive kind of nationalism, but in order to do that all of the relevant arguments will still have to be made, and the criteria still have to be assembled into a proper and appropriate constitutional franchise. The UN’s decolonisation franchise templates can help with those.
@Big Jock 8.58am
You’re standing shoulder to shoulder with bigots though: don’t complain when you get tarred with the same brush. If you deny that someone who moves to Scotland can have a Scottish identity, or be Scottish by culture and state of mind, you’re no better than those prancing around at the head of a flute band.
It doesn’t matter whether the subject of your ire is Irish catholics, English incomers, Pakistani shopkeepers or Polish plumbers: once a bigot, always a bigot.
Oh, the irony. LOL
@ Big Jock says: 1 June, 2024 at 8:58 am
It’s an identity, culture and state of mind
Sure. And you won’t have any of that if you are born and live your “formative years” elsewhere.
That’s exactly why they are referred to as your “formative years”.
As for bigotry, Scots are like every other human group under the sun – bigoted and prejudiced as feck. A casual scan of the posts on here makes that crystal clear. But no biggie – it’s only an issue if you subscribe to the ludicrous Scottish Exceptionalism some on here hold dear.
One final word on the votes for taxes question. I’m entirely committed to the “no taxation without representation” idea, but an iScotland could solve this by running two rates of tax for residents:
Full tax and you get a vote.
Reduced tax – no vote.
Haha, I’m betting the majority of Sovereign Scots would take the reduced tax offer any day. That would be our “culture and state of mind” in action for all to see.
Andy Ellis @ 8:09 am
“I’m not sure why you think..”
Yes, quite, as is often your way you have things the wrong way round, or erse fer elbae as Scots fowk wad say. If clarification were really needed then plentiful postcolonial theory confirms it is the colonizer who is the racist:
“Racism is a consubstantial part of colonialism” (Memmi)
“Away with racism! Away with colonialism! They smack too much of barbarism” (Cesaire)
We might also recognise that “the status of ‘native’ is a nervous condition (consider the ‘neutralism’ of the SNP and native elites) introduced and maintained by the se**ler among colonized people with their consent.” And such is “life for a people under the constant menace of imperialist aggression” (JP Sartre), much as the Irish and many other peoples have found.
Though often obscured, Scots remain subject to the same imperial ‘model’ of oppression – which for those slow on the uptake explains why we want and need and are forced to struggle for independence/liberation.
“Away with nationalism! away with bigotry! They smack too much of dickheadery (DasBlimp)
Scotland will never be free from imperialism, colonialism and actual anti scottishness. Until we leave the yolk of the Union.
On the day Scotland becomes independent. Everyone has the opportunity of Scottish citizenship. The Franchise for all are talking about citizenship before independence. Which of course is cart before horse. Because in actual fact noone has Scottish citizenship right now. We are under the citizenship of the UK.
A country can never get independence if we give our franchise to the migrants from the country we are trying to exit. Even a 2 year old could recognise that contradiction.
The progressive modern Scotland is a pipe dream , if we are not in the driving seat. Citizenship is for post independence. In their rush to condemn. The likes of Andy Ellis et.al , are not thinking logically.
In order to get independence, it is essential for the indigenous Scots to make that choice. And for that choice not to be vetoed by migrants from the mother country.
I despair at the naivity of some of the posters on here.
Andy independence will never happen under your franchise. Do you actually understand this? Or are you happy with a theoretical idea of utopia.
We’re seeing it played out in real time in the ME.
The coloniser maintained it’s state through racism & now thinks the whole area is theirs to expand. Those who can exercise democracy & those who cannot.
Can’t wait for the reset to kick in. Colonialism is so last century & the whole world is taking back control of its own affairs & dumping their overlords.
The Irish people are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common ancestry, history and culture.
The Irish recognise the rights of different groups, English and EU members living in their country to vote in certain elections.
To vote in a referendum one must have Irish citizenship. That can be granted in different ways.
Naturalisation requires having lived in Ireland for a number of years.
That sounds to me as if, according to self appointed expert/s, the Irish are blood and soil nativists and bigots. Racists and xenophobes.
It seems to me that I am both Irish and Scottish. Irish by birth. Scottish by descent from both parents.
“In order to get independence, it is essential for the indigenous Scots to make that choice. And for that choice not to be vetoed by migrants from the mother country.”
I agree, Big Jock. Further, that decision should also include the Scottish diaspora. It didn’t in the last referendum. if it had, the result would have been different. It was Salmonds mistake, and I sometimes wonder if it was intentional.
Franchise fanny has no desire for independence.
He continually looks for ways to block it, spoil it, run it & rig it.
Before, during & after.
On every topic, from NATO membership to the EU.
Now we’re onto citizenship FFS.
This is all before a fcking ref is even put to the public with proper public scrutiny on each & every topic – he knows best. Everyone else is beneath him.
A typical narcissist. The biggest crank on here..
Grousebeater on Palestine is well worth a read – something else of which us ‘Brits’ can be proud.
I frequently find it difficult to make sense of the comments posted by unionists on here.
Their comments appear to be conjured from leftover scraps of rambling incoherent diatribe and crude attempts at humour; all woven together with threads of racist ‘banter’ and revelling in the denigration of the Scots.
There seems to be no genuine attempt by them to persuade the Scots of the benefits of remaining in the Union.
I could almost tolerate their clunky uninspired and uninspiring witterings if they actually put forward some sensible and coherent propositions worthy of an argument, but they don’t; and I suspect they never will – because they appear to be missing the intent, or the wit, to do so.
But the biggest failing of the unionists who post their ill-considered ‘musings’ on here isn’t their incomprehensible and fatally flawed ‘arguments’, nor is it their delusional belief that what they write is witty and humorous and logical – or even intelligible.
No. The most heartless cruelty inflicted upon Scots by those drab and wearisome unsparkled scribblings scratched out by unionists is that they are just so…fucking…boring.
In neon-lit contrast, the inspired sparkling wit and humour and impeccable logic ingeniously and eloquently set down here by those Scots who argue for their independence is a joy to behold.
dasBlimp
I don’t think it was all up to Salmond.
I remember watching a long discussion about the franchise at Westminster.
I don’t think Salmond could have everything he wanted. He got a vote for 16 year olds, EU citizens and the question he wanted.
I don’t know if he did or didn’t want the Scottish diaspora to have the vote (I don’t think so) but what I remember of that discussion giving the diaspora the vote was altogether far too complicated. So that was ruled out.
That discussion is still available on Parliament TV & in Hansard.
What information do you have re how the diaspora would have voted?
Ruby
Westminster doesn’t find it far too complicated. They’ve just changed the election rules so wee Betty fae Spain can help choose who our next PM will be. Funny that.
I see ‘Das Blimp’ got his alert.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Someone said English on ‘Wings Over Scotland.’
That’s right, Ruby. For English issues I consult Scottish forums. It’s hilarious what you hear there.
I come here every day for a laugh.
A prime example of magniloquence from Northcode at 1109. Or to put it another way – pretentious shite!
dasBlimp
So tell us. Name at least five benefits of the Union. More if you can find any..
Yer time starts NOW!…..
Or yet another way – literary genius in a high style; not the highest, but high enough. A literary goal far beyond the grasping reach of unionists – even if they knew what it was.
Geri:
None. That is why I am not a unionist.
Hey Northcode – you are so far up your own arse you’re coming out yer gob.
I’m not bored today, but I’m going to tell a story anyway a bit later on. Maybe this evening or tomorrow morning.
I know some of the nativists (this is called foreshadowing in the movie business) who wander the paths here btl will be champing at the bit to read it – but all good things…
It’s a story replete with a fair bit of name dropping from the world of entertainment, and one which might bring to mind nostalgic memories of the eighties for those who lived through them.
And, yes. It’s a story of great relevance to Scotland and the Scots.
No ‘Chaseritis’ today? Amazing! You are so full of interest and enthusiasm you’re reading my every post.
It’s a miracle!
Any time you’re looking to alleviate the ‘Chaseritis’ you’ll know what to do.
Happy to be of assistance!
Do you even know what I mean by an archived link?
Arsehole!
PS Do you think JK Rowling is Scottish?
My personal opinion is
no way is Jakey Rowling Scottish
Naebody Scottish would call themselves Wino. 🙂
Ach I know my jokes are rubbish but it’s only Chas and Chas is always bored anyway
Bored! bored! bored.
He’s always so bored the term bored has been renamed in his honour.
Verb
I chaserise, he she it chaserises they chaserise.
Adjective or something
I’m chaserised
he she it is chaserised
they are chaserised
They have chaseritis
What a bloody chaseriser!
Madre Mia! chaserisation is setting in.
Anyways folks! The ones who know what an archived link is. They’re no uploading. You’ve got to tiny before they upload.
Anyone got any info about this problem. Not you! Sit doon Chas!
dasBlimp @ 11:48 am
“I come here every day for a laugh.”
Brits have to believe their cultural illusion is superior to authentic Scottish culture, hence the ‘cringe’. Without this illusion there would be no desire to ‘crave dependence’ on another culture and identity.
Colonialism is defined as ‘hateful racism’ (Cesaire) which is built upon this cultural gap and where for the native “love of the colonizer is subtended by a complex of feelings ranging from shame to self-hate” (Memmi), i.e. the cringe.
Yet another witty retort from…well, you know. I won’t mention its name – and I never will.
I am so glad I’m a Scot and not…some other nationality.
@Ruby
“What information do you have re how the diaspora would have voted?”
There was a study using too small a sample to be representative that suggested the Scottish diaspora, post brexit would vote for Scottish independence. Before Brexit it was thought the diaspora was agin.
dasBlimp
Ignored
says:
1 June, 2024 at 11:48 am
That’s right, Ruby. For English issues I consult Scottish forums. It’s hilarious what you hear there.
I come here every day for a laugh.
How about returning the favour?
Nae tales about your adventures as a ‘Mercian Freedom Fighter’ the were chaserising!
Just something to make us laugh!
Warning
Don’t ask him if he’s a Unionist otherwise he could chaserise you silly about how he’s Mercian fighting for independence for Mercia.
He’s a balloon!
A big British balloon if punctured will fart so hard he’ll go into orbit.
Ground control to Major Tom!
You can twist anything via your Memmi and Cesaire quotes. Bore off!
dasBlimp
There was an English Independence campaign. What happened to it? You could help revive it & have franchise Fanny help with giving everybody a vote but the English but for Gawds sake don’t have Chaseritis help with the flyers.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_independence
Freedom for Ashby-de-la-Zouch!!!
“I come here every day for a laugh.”
Seems a bit masochistic to go somewhere to be mocked and laughed at – but each to their own, I suppose.
Geri:
We are already independent. All we have to do now is ditch the dependents.
Oh no. I’m being mocked and laughed at on an anonymous internet forum. Oh boo hoo. How will I ever live down the shame?
“You can twist anything via your Memmi and Cesaire quotes. Bore off!”
Well just look at this thread for evidence.
So far we’re all thick, stupid, fanatics, low IQ, cranks, moonhowlers etc etc..
As Northcode rightly pointed out – you & yer fellow travellers aren’t here for any other reason than to act as somehow superior to everyone else here.
Proof is in the pudding..
In the case of Northcode, It’s not difficult.
It’s because Unionist don’t exist. They were extinguished in 1707 check Crawford & Boyle. These posters are just ghosts!
Mark it Horatio! I’ve gone all Shakespearean thanks to Sam.
I’ve even stopped using the C word and am using ‘country pancake’ instead.
Looking forward to your stories about 80’s flicks. I’ll get the popcorn in.
Correction I should have written
Great British Balloon.
Sorry about that.
Warning this is a repeat.
blimp, nonrigid or semirigid airship dependent on internal gas pressure to maintain its form. The origin of the name blimp is uncertain, but the most common explanation is that it derives from “British Class B airship” plus “limp”—i.e., nonrigid.
Ah. I long for the days when I was semi-rigid.
So does Mrs Blimp. She never says anything – just stares at me with an open-mouthed expression of Spirographic wonder. She seems a bit deflated. I must give her a good pumping but … oh well.
“Oh boo hoo”
I refer to my comment @12:18pm
A’m hivin a wee bit o’ a lauch the day.
Mibbe thaim fir thon unyon dae sairve a uissfu purpose efter aw.
Not just the popcorn but also Kia-Ora Suncrush, a Jubbly and a choc mint ice cream.
A must for 80’s movies.
I realised ‘getting the popcorn in might have undertones of chaserisation hence extra supplies to make things clear.
“These posters are just ghosts!”
A better name for them, Ruby. And the one I’ll use from now on.
“Mark it Horatio! I’ve gone all Shakespearean thanks to Sam.” 🙂
Aye, he’s a clever yin thon Sam. Maybe, after independence, yersel, Geri, Alf, Sam, Confused, Breeks, Xaracen, RoS, James Che, masel…and anybody else who fancies traipsin aboot a stage could form a wee Shakespearean troupe travellin’ Scotland puttin’ on a play or two – the Scottish play for sure.
And a new adaptation of Hamlet along the lines of, “Something wis rotten in the state of Scotland – but it smells a lot better nou.”
Aye, get the popcorn ready – it’s a belter.
Great idea, Northcode: gather all the nutters in one place – makes ’em easier to avoid.
They’ll be nae avoidin’ the ‘Wings Over Scotland Scottish Shakespeare Troupe’ .
We’ll be swaggerin’ aboot Scotland like we own the place.
Oh, here…we actually will tae, at last.
Pre-book yer tickets nou folks – thay’ll be fest sauld oot.
@Xaracen 9.06 am
It’s not a misrepresentation at all. I do indeed know the xenophobes arguments, and they are without merit. Your exclusivist definition of who qualifies as a sovereign Scot is only accepted by a minority of bigots and xenophobes. The majority of the movement doesn’t accept it. None of our political parties accept it.
You are the one misrepresenting things, because we know for certain that some of those advocating for franchise restriction do indeed advocate excluding anyone no born here, irrespective of length of residence. The fact they are a minority within a minority doesn’t allow you to claim they don’t exist, not does it mean you can divest yourself of the whiff of regressive blood and soil nationalism just because you’re “only” advocating their exclusion if they haven’t lived here for some random number of years.
Nativists love to obfuscate the difference between the franchise used for self determination referendums and the qualifications for citizenship in already independent countries. The two things are of course different, but it suits the purposes of their regressive worldview to conflate the two.
you are of course right that Scotland post independence will doubtless adopt criteria for citizenship along the lines of those already in use elsewhere. That’s what was foreseen in the White Paper for indyref1: a scheme much like the current criteria used by the Republic of Ireland.
Yet here you and your regressive mates are insisting on the use of international best practice for citizenship, while loudly insisting that we depart from the same accepted standards for the criteria used in self determination referendums. It’s been pointed out again and again that virtually every such vote since 1945 has used inclusive franchises, often MORE liberal than the one we used in 1945. Only a couple have imposed ANY residence criteria at all.
Yet you would have us believe that Scotland is unique in the world in not being able to construct a pro-independence majority from the >80% of native born Scots and the pro-independence supporters in the other 20%?
Your argument about dilution isn’t relevant: it’s a bigoted xenophobic dog-whistle masquerading as something that is more “appropriate”, because the only way you think you can win is by appealing to the basest instincts of your fellow bigots.
The UN doesn’t accept Scotland qualifies as a colony. Get back to us when you persuade them to do so, or you know….just do the work and convince more of the plastic Scots to get up off their knees and support independence.
@Andy Ellis
“The UN does not accept that Scotland qualifies as a colony.”
You’ve been told before that the UN has not been asked that question (“qualifies” – whit’s the criteria for making that decision?) and has not indicated whether or not Scotland is a colony.
You’ve also been telt before that the road to Scottish independence is secession. That is hardly likely to require any kind of referendum until it ratifies what independence is and the negotiations have ended.
Andy that’s because noone has ever appealed to the UN for Scotland’s democracy. The SNP just did what Westminster telt them.
What do you call a country that votes for a party of independence. That party win several mandates to hold a referendum. They are told they must ask permission from the bigger country. That bigger country vetoes the mandate and request. Then can’t explain that country’s route to getting independence after they have blocked the domestic route.
That pretty much sounds like a colony to me! Had our government gone to the UN. I am pretty sure the UN would have overturned the Supreme Court veto.
Because if there is no democratic route to independence,then ths only other option is a war. I am pretty sure the UN would never expect or want a country to have to forcibly take its independence.
You are truly stupid Andy. Go and do some research instead of embarrassing yourself.
The Franchise Fannies love to obfuscate the difference between ethnicity & nationality. The two things are of course different, but it suits their purposes to conflate the two.
Ethnicity & nationality are different.
Surely to God someone who has been to university must know this.
Do I need to explain it?
Scottish ethnicity British nationality. Dah!
Blood & soil dictates ethnicity. ‘Franchise Fanny’ is claiming to be Scottish due to blood & soil.
Blood & soil isn’t a racist term nor is claiming to be Scottish a hate crime. If it were Franchise Fanny claiming to be Scottish through blood & soil would be racist also committing a hate crime.
Being Scottish isn’t a hate crime
We are against the colonial country’s citizens voting in our referendum. I don’t get what is so difficult to understand about that. Either logically or democratically.
Ruby @4:54pm
That’s a good comment, and with a couple of well made points tae.
I’m sure Agnes would approve. 🙂
Big Jock
Good comments fae you tae, Big Jock.
Big Jock: “We are against the colonial country’s citizens voting in our referendum.I don’t get what is so difficult to understand about that. Either logically or democratically.”
That’s because it’s not difficult at all and yet we’ve been listening to his spittle-flecked-nativist-blood-and-soil-moonhowler-you-all-soil-the-movement-and-I-know-you-are-in-a-tiny-minority gratuitous insults in search of a coherent argument for years.
In EC countries generally, for example, foreign nationals can only vote in local elections with a few exceptions, such as when someone has acquired a qualification to vote in a parliamentary election or referendum via a period of residency or some such.
The Tory government stopped EU nationals voting in the Brexit vote in 2016 but that was ok because they can waive the rules when it suits them but that’s definitely not a blood and soil attitude there, strangely.
He’ll pop up eventually like a cross between Whackamole and the Duracell Bunny with some more vapid verbal twitchings but frankly the law of diminishing returns has been in evidence for a long time now.
It’s desperation stakes really but it’s best not to engage directly with the desperate lest they drag you down with them into the mire of their cynical deflection and grossly insulting fatuity.
@sam 3.57pm
OK, so go ahead and ask the UN. Who is doing the asking by the way? What happens when the UN says no, as it almost inevitably will: you see Scotland isn’t Kosovo or Timor L’Este or New Caledonia.
Nobody except fringe nutters and cranks buts the “Scotland as colony” schtick, howver hard you and yer muckers try to flog it.
Secession is of course one route route to secession. anyone who thinks it is the best one, or the most likely to bring about Scottish independence in the short to medium term is batshit insane though.
Not only do you lack domestic support in Scotland, no appreciable support in the independence movement, no political party supporting you, and no mass movement outside of party politics, but you have precisely zero international support or recognition. It just ain’t happening folks.
The route to independence now is a majority won in plebiscitary elections. If folks want to ratify it afterwards witha referendum they can, but it isn’t necessary.
Whether enough Scots have the balls to vote for it, or representatives to push it through has to be open to doubt given recent events.
@Big Jock 4.12 pm
That pretty much sounds like a colony to me! Had our government gone to the UN. I am pretty sure the UN would have overturned the Supreme Court veto.
I don’t share your confidence. I haven’t seen any experts in constitutional or international law or the UN who share your view. Feel free to enlighten me otherwise, or to encourage those who believe in unicorns and fairies to put their money where their mouths are and commission actual research, advice and learned opinions about it. Seems rather odd that so far, we have zip, nada, niente.
The UN doesn’t accept peoples like Scotland, Catalonia or Quebec are colonies. If they did, we’d be on the list of non self governing territories and there would be annual reports about us presented to the General Assembly.
There IS a democratic route, it’s just that not enough Scots voters have the balls to use it. The referendum route may have been frustrated, but there’s nothing stopping us using plebiscitary elections. In the end, nobody can stop any people who decide they want to be independent, but nobody is going to present it to us on a plate either, or give it to us without a clear majority being demonstrated.
In the end, we have to take not ask if we’re being denied our independence illegally or by what the international community regards as illegal or unconscionable means. The bar for that is set High: as the Kosovoars, and see what happened to our Catalan friends in 2017.
Nobody in the UN will give a flying fuck at a rolling donut for Scottish claims to independence based on a rigged referendum excluding hundreds of thousands of Scottish residents. If we demonstrate British nationalist bad faith in denying a “legal” or agreed referendum, then plebiscitary elections are the logical next step.
They aren’t going to accept secession or UDI just because we can’t demonstrate a clear majority in response to a clear question.
You have three problems..
1. You don’t believe Scotland is a country.
2. You don’t believe Scots are Sovereign.
3. You think England is the superior.
Who is going to ask the UN? ANY previously colonised country, that’s who.
South Africa just did for someone else.
You need reminding it’s the UK that sits there. Not little Engurland.
Scotland is a sovereign nation & she doesn’t need to ask next door for FCK ALL.
It’s also against international law/right to self determination to block a ppl from it’s democratic rights – of which the UK signed up to.
Kosovo was completely different. It suited the yanks to grant them independence. Well their wee stint at world police is coming to an end & their democracy bullshit lays in ashes as it makes a complete arse of itself, & international laws, on the world stage for everyone to see.
Scotland is a sovereign nation. It doesn’t need to lower itself with Plebiscite elections or hold out a begging bowl to next door & the rules on self determination has its own fcking franchise that doesn’t include votes from the very ppl we want away from.
& You do not know what Scots think about the franchise. They’ve never been asked. Don’t quote Salmond or politicians – they don’t speak for sovereign Scots either.
@Big Jock 5.34 pm
We are against the colonial country’s citizens voting in our referendum. I don’t get what is so difficult to understand about that. Either logically or democratically.
You are thankfully representative of only a small and disgraceful minority of xenophobes and bigots. We aren’t a colony, so nobody living here is the citizen of a colonising country.
International precedent in self determination referendums dictates that inclusive franchises are used. Go and do your homework. Study the referendums held for self determination since 1945 and report back on what franchises they used.
When you discover – as you undoubtedly will, because those are the facts – that virtually without exception those referendums have used open, inclusive franchises like ours in 2014 or often even more liberal, get back to us.
Of course, you won’t be able to answer, because you have no rational or honest response except your xenophobia and regressive political worldview. Most ordinary Scots and supporters of independence utterly reject your views, and would hate the kind of Scotland you would attempt to build.
Xenophobic, Regressive bigots of the world unite! LOL
I’m going to start a club. Whose in? 😀
@Geri
1. I do believe Scotland is a country. So is Catalonia. So what? It’s not a sovereign independent state.
2. I do believe in the sovereignty of the Scottish people rather than the sovereignty of the British nationalist parliament. Every self identified people is absolutely entitled to self determination under the UN charter. That right is however neither unlimited or automatic, and wishing it were otherwise won’t make it so.
3. Not so. I believe passionately that Scotland is superior to England in and to the UK in all sorts of ways, and would be able to provide a much superior future for our children and future generations as an independent state. Sadly too few of my fellow countrymen and women have the courage to to do anything about it.
So, 3 out of 3 wrong. Stun us wi’ another.
Good luck getting the South Africans, or indeed anyone else on side. Since you and yer muckers are so keen on Uncle Vlad and Chairman Xi, mebbe they can put a good word in at the UN. That’s gotta work right? When are you expecting it to happen…? Before or after Salvo and Liberation Scotland declare UDI?
We’re waiting…..
The rules of self determination,as has been pointed out to you and your unreasoning nativist claque before, includes all the residents in the place seeking self determination. Scotland won’t get special treatment if it tries to disenfranchise several hundred thousand residents because they aren’t ethnically pure enough for the small minority of xenophobic bigots inside the independence movement.
So if I don’t know what Scots thinks, do you? Show us your evidence then. If your blood and soil nationalism is so popular it seems a bit odd that no party has endorsed it, no significant political figure other than a handful of fringe tankie cranks on the extreme left have endorsed it, and no polling evidence shows any significant support for your views.
If you’re so confident of your case, get together and commission polls on it like Rev Stu did. After all, if you actually represent a significant section of the movement it should be easy, right…? 🙂
Alexa..Whits a colony?
“a country or area controlled politically by a more powerful country”
Seems clear tae me.
Davies told us during Brexshit there wasn’t a treaty in the whole wide world that requires permission from another nation to end it.
& I’ve just listened over the last few months international law being quoted on the rights to self determination. The other side has no rights at all. They also can’t set targets, impose rules or worry the other side is too wee & poor tae manage so we best keep our overlords.
Our next referendum won’t be a diddy wee domestic affair. It’ll be held externally. & Any future ref would probably be about rejoining the UK. Cause Scotland can terminate the treaty at any time it likes. That’s what sovereign nations do.
If Salmond isn’t on the same page then Alba will go nowhere. He’s always telling us we’re Sovereign, the claim of right, the declaration of Arbroath but then wants to run tae Westminster ..wtf?
That time has passed. A noble thing to do, have everyone reasonable about our exit. We’ll were not dealing with reasonable people & continually asking is the road to nowhere. Even if a Plebiscite won – they’d just refuse to hand anything back or go to an negotiation.
The “Indy Movement” is not a fixed entity with defined criteria and policies, and is actually more of a fluid ever changing grouping of many folk with different views. It is a diverse sphere and if it were a Venn diagram it would show many intersecting groups and outlooks.
Arguably the “Indy Movement” has been hijacked buy a bunch of “progressives” and woke activists trying to dictate what is right and what is wrong.
Polling shows that the Movement cannot seem to increase the percentage of folk that support Scotland returning to self-governance.
Maybe more of the small C conservative Scots would be more minded to support independence if they weren’t seeing a future of “progressive” and woke globalist bullshit being foisted onto them buy a bunch of cretinous wazzocks.
Much as it may grate on some that not enough Scots buy into the whole progressive, woke, civic nationalism idea, but the reality is you need to consider that just maybe a majority of Scots won’t support Indy until the cuckoos in the nest pushing flawed bullshit ideologies get tae fuck and actually allow Scots to choose what they do and don’t want.
Seriously, does anyone actually think most sensible Scottish folk buy into the pish policies being pushed by the fucking rockets leading the main supposedly Nationalist political Parties.
Scotland is controlled politically & economically.
We have absolutely zero say in anything & absolutely zero control over our own resources.
Zero seat on various international organisations.
Zero seat at the bank of England.
Zero seat anywhere other than Westminster & that’s rigged to always be outvoted.
A devolved glorified county council isn’t a say either as they have that stitched up too.
Then there’s our trade & economy – that’s restricted too.
So we’re a colony. Get used to it. They’ve violated the treaty.
It’s not Scots that need to man up & vote for a plebiscite that’ll go nowhere. It’s you that needs to man up & accept yer condition. Yer either a deliberate spoiler & bad actor or yer really dumb.
What would it take to get through to Ellis?
1. A special needs teacher?
2. An Exorcist?
3. A brain & anal surgeon?
The man is just so stupid.
Is this what happens to you if you spend too long at university?
Not only is the man stupid he’s one really nasty ‘cuntry pancake’
Enough of that arse lets talk about the Pride Month and how we should all join in.
Hang on! Hang on! Just wait until I tell you my idea.
@Andy Ellis
“Secession is of course one route route to secession. anyone who thinks it is the best one, or the most likely to bring about Scottish independence in the short to medium term is batshit insane though.”
Secession is the route to independence advocated by a constitutional law expert,Professor Robert Mccorquodale whom you wish us to believe is “batshit insane”.
Blocked by the UK it is one of two routes proposed by Prof McCorqodale.
Are you a member of Alba? You seem to know fuck all about the party. Alba commissioned McCorquodale’s opinion.
What is needed to succeed is to show a majority of the population want independence and to do this not expressed in any referendum or through parliament but through civic support. Support expressed by and through elected members of a convention. Local government, unions, churches and any others we can think of.When we can make it clear there is such a majority over time we can say we wish to secede and be recognised as independent.
Of course, election results will be useful in showing majority support for independence but the declaration of majority support has to come from outside Holyrood says McCorquodale.Hence the need for an elected convention of folk representative of wide Scottish opinion.
The only need for a referendum is at the very end of the process where Scottish independence has been accepted by England and the outcome of negotiations are complete. The referendum will succeed in those circumstances.
Second guessing McCorquodale…..batshit insane.
Pride month!
We should all go with our banners & flags.
Are proud or no?
Proud to be a Scottish Independence Supporter
Proud to be a Woman
Proud to be WHITE WHITE WHITE
Proud to be a Woman who wont wheest
Proud to be man with a shed.
Proud to be a Moonhowler
Proud to be Straight
Proud to like it missionary.
Proud to have new shoes.
Pride comes before a fall
(damn new shoes!)
We could join the march or just do a ‘Manky Jaiket’ and stand where ever we will get the most press coverage.
He’s no daft that Manky he knows it’s easier to hijack a march than go to the trouble of organising one.
‘The Anti Women Cabaret Clowns’ are the same. The Tras are all about hijacking. They are hijacking everything.
Look how badly the rainbow flag has been hijacked. It’s very scary. It’s the Medusa of flags if you it look at scary things happen to you.
Don’t look!
Woman’s Day Dorothy? Aye the Tras even hijack that. Trans women are women.
We could also have an alternative to the pride malarky and have an Ashamed month
I can think of a good few banners for that one.
We’ll call it FA month.
The mystery for me Dan is why isn’t there a single political party in Scotland taking advantage of people’s opposition to the woke bullshit.
I really believe campaigning for the repeal of the GRA would be a huge vote winner.
I noticed Sarwar is now saying women do not have penises they have vaginas.
What a sneaky snake!
Going back to whether the diaspora should vote or not.
How far back would you go?
Would Donald Trump get a vote?
Ach Fuck the franchise let ‘s go to the UN and get decolonised.
I’m ashamed of being colonised.
There’s no pride in a colony
Ruby. I think if everyone was educated on the full consequences of self ID and gender ideology. Then there would be riots on the streets.
The trouble is. There are many so called liberals, who just say yes to everything. I call it abdicating your responsibilities. It’s lazy thinking. Because it allows the so called liberal to do nothing, learn nothing and then be outraged when people like us calk it out.
Yer man Andy Ellis is doing similar with the open franchise. Even when we point out the consequences. He doest want to challenge or disagree with perceived wisdom. Because that requires some effort on his part. He wants someone the leaders to think for him. Even when their strategy has failed.
The secret for the SNP and other parties. Is to only provide the parts of the truth they want the dumb electorate to know.
In this case , and in recent years. All they have to do is label anyone who disagrees as a bigot. The in group accept what is acceptable by the state and trash anyone who dares say no.
It’s why we are in the mess we are in. Because people accepted Sturgeon had a secret plan, even when the evidence conflicted this. Cognitive dissonance I would call it.
Talk to anyone in Scotland. Mention Salmond and all you will hear is what Sturgeon created in their minds. Yet from where I am standing the only crooks were the Murrels.
Sturgeon created an army of unthinking sheep.
Ruby the majority of the diaspora live in England. Guess how they would vote! Probably why so many Yoons peddle that fantasy. Some of their ideas are crackpot. Similar to the 60 or 70% yes vote before independence can happen. Yet they only got 55%.
Sam
I’d question that malarkey too to be honest.
We’re a sovereign nation signed up to a Union through a treaty. Sovereign nations can end treaties. We’re not a region looking to secede a part of a country.
There was no such conditions for Brexit. No public support. No churches . No convention required. It was brought about by an internal fight in the Tory party. It was put in a manifesto & it won a mandate. That was it. It then went to a referendum. Scottish independence should be no different. We’ve had several mandates & another country thinks it has authority to block it..it doesn’t.
It’s other nations that recognise other nations independence.
A convention would obviously be helpful & a functioning parliament to bring the public along but we have neither & not likely to have them either. Any indy party elected to Holyrood is just ripe for capturing with trinkets & baubles while the legions of arse wipe bad actors fck up in the background. That’s it’s only purpose. To fail.
Salmond had success in Holyrood cause he didn’t surround himself with yoons. Wheras Sturgeon surround herself with them (Foote/Bain/Evans/Lloyd) & they also underestimated him & indy. (28% or thereabouts) They won’t allow that to happen again.
A sovereign nation can end a treaty. Otherwise it’s not a sovereign nation at all & the English will have to explain where they changed the treaty & what Scots agreed to it being changed cause they’d hee-haw authority to do it either. Scotland wasn’t consulted.
Sturgeon stopped wanting independence in 2017. She had to go through the motions. She put the referendum to the SC ,instead of putting a bill through and asking the UK to challenge it. This was deliberate sabotage, and everyone and their dug knew it at the time.
She had no answer to the SC , because she didn’t need one. Because she wanted them to knock it back, then she could say ” job done”.
So essentially noone has challenged the SC ruling, because it was never passed as a bill in Holyrood. All the SC did was dismiss a hypothetical bill.
I think if she’d have done that, the presiding officer could block it on legal grounds but Sturgeon could’ve had a backbencher do it. She chose not to.
Neither did Cherry, who announced after the event, (which was really helpful – NOT!) that it was presented to the SC wrong & with no one giving oral arguments. Sturgeon herself even added the shit that they didn’t even need to implement the result if they did allow a ref to go ahead.
With friends like that eh?
Sam re the international lawyer – I’m beginning tae think they make their mind up as they go along & depending who you ask. In light of world events, where everyone & their granny knows what’s happening, there is *confusion* on whether mass murder of civilians by an occupying force is a crime or not. They’re all in the pockets of the USA & Isr donor class. The UN is under the spotlight & they’re being shown to be dodgy too & feart to act. It seems to serve only the interests of one dominant country & is showing itself up to be a complete farce & the courts too receiving threats for doing their job.
Scots really should have their own permanent constitutional lawyers & a permanent convention. I dunno why we don’t.
Big Jock
“The trouble is. There are many so called liberals, who just say yes to everything. I call it abdicating your responsibilities. It’s lazy thinking. Because it allows the so called liberal to do nothing, learn nothing and then be outraged when people like us calk it out.”
I think this is exactly what happened. I think it was Helen Joyce, in one of her many interviews, said think tanks/NGO floated this idea & came ready prepared with a manifesto & government eejits just rubber stamped it without even having read it first then when the backlash came they (governments) were reduced to babbling eejits trying to explain what they didn’t know & instead of seeing sense & abandoning it they just doubled down on the stupid.
It is absolutely bonkers & not one of them can string a sentence together in its defence but it’s passed through parliament LOL Which leads me to believe this is an instruction from somewhere. It’s definitely not grass roots or yrs of activism.
Geri,
The Union Treaty has no “exit clause”.
We have a legal right to self determination.
Here are Neale Hanvey’s words on McCorquodale’s advice.
“He went on to argue that Scotland could make a unilateral declaration of independence – but said this would only be legitimate if there was a clear majority in favour of Scotland leaving the UK.
“This requires a clear majority of people representing Scotland to indicate their approval but it should not be done by the Scottish Parliament, as the latter is within UK domestic law,” he wrote.
“This could be done, for example, through a convention of elected and diverse representatives from across Scotland with a clear majority in favour.
“This approach relies for its effectiveness on the recognition by states of the statehood of Scotland.”
Prof. McCorquodale concluded: “There are no easy routes to find a remedy in international law for the people of Scotland to exercise their right to self-determination by secession and so seek their independence from the UK.
“However, as seen in the history of other peoples with the right to self-determination seeking to become states, while this is challenging, it is by no means impossible.”
Presenting the opinion in London on Tuesday, Hanvey said the Alba Party had no plans yet to present the findings to the Scottish Government.
He said: “Because the Scottish Government is effectively an organ of the UK state – and that is why it’s constrained, the reservation of powers is part of the UK arrangement, it’s not a reflection on the Scottish Parliament – but because it’s a part of that apparatus there is a need to look at this through a slightly different prism, if you like.
“So that’s part of the UK state but the people of Scotland, our rights to self-determination are not bound to an organ of the UK state. Therefore, the movement – and it’s a point I’ve been making many times – the movement are absolutely central players in how we take the case for independence forward.”
He added: “The legal opinion we are publishing today reinforces and supports equitable access to the right to self-determination of all peoples within the current Union. They also offer robust challenge to the legally flawed judgement of the UK Supreme Court.”
Ah yeah! The Scots Abroad. I never think of them as the diaspora. The diaspora for me are in the US & Cananda. Remember when Alex Salmond invited all the Clan Chiefs to come to Scotland. I cant remember what that initiative was called. ‘Come Home’ or something. Anyway they all came and marched up and down the Royal Mile in all their very high quality tartan regalia. It was good at least we got to see some some quality tartan on the Royal Mile. So they are the diaspora in my mind the ones in Spain are the ex-pats I didn’t really have a name for the ones in England but now I do. They are the ‘Scots Abroad’ and I have a very particular view of them. Defo No Voting crackpots!
But still the problem with extending the franchise to include the diaspora wherever they are is where do you stop and how far back do you go. I repeat: Should Donald Trump get a vote? Only kiddin’
Where is ‘The Scot Abroad’ now? Got a new moniker?
I watched the the whole debate at Westminster about the franchise and it covered things like ‘should Donald Trump get a vote’ (not exactly but close) it was all very interesting.
It was in that debate that Sarwar said The Scottish Government is a Nazi Government. Well something along those lines and maybe he was predicting the future and was looking forward to leading a nazi government. They just love the power these politicians.
There’s also ‘Das Blimp/Captain Clountry Pancake’ types who live in England and are English but are very keen NO voters. They probably found a way to vote in IndyRef 2014. That seemed all too easy.
The Scot Abroad Crackpot had many different choices even if he lived Norfolk Broads.
@Sam 9.53 pm & 6.49 am
Prof. McCorquodale is just one academic. Despite your quixotic attempts to paint the output of one academic as authoritative, it just won’t wash. McCorquodale himself goes out of his way to point out the difficulties and hardships of using the method proposed.
Neither he nor anyone else touting the non-parliamentary route has explained how this clear majority of Scots is going to be demonstrated – still less accepted – using “the movement” via other forums like a convention, civic Scotland organisations, trades unions, churches etc would actually work in practice.
McCorquodale’s thesis that we shouldn’t use the Scottish Parliament is just his view. There are plenty of counter examples of peoples who have used existing assemblies and parliaments to kick start the process, including some former Societ republics which are now part of the EU and NATO.
Perhaps if it was glaringly obvious to every dog in the street that independence was supported by a convincing majority and Scots were turning out in La Diada kind of numbers à la Catalonia in the street to demand the establishment of some non-parliamentary over arching Constituent Assembly you and other might have a point….but you just don’t have the numbers or the intellectual, political, legal or constitutional back up to cash cheques you issue.
If Scots are actually serious about freeing themselves, they need to man up and tell Westminster what will happen, not ask. There’s no earthly reason that can’t or shouldn’t be done via our existing parliament in Holyrood.
All it needs is for the pro-independence parties collectively to stand on the basis that if they enjoy majority support and have been elected on a platform that they constitute the settled will of the Scottish people, then there is nothing that is “off the table”, up to and including declaring the Acts of Union dissolved.
No intervening step of setting up a Constituent Assembly or Convention of Estates or holding another referendum is necessary. The advocates of “cunning plans for indy” are actually ADDING time and complication to the process, not cutting through to the matter in hand.
The $64,000 question of course is whether “the movement” can ensure all the pro-independence parties are on side. The current SNP certainly aren’t, but given their upcoming humiliation on 4th July, we may find they change their tune, particularly given the appetite for independence as a concept doesn’t seem to have been impacted by the fall in support for the SNP as a party.
This is question for the men Would you ever even after an 8 pinter ???
Andy Ellis said;
“It’s not a misrepresentation at all. I do indeed know the xenophobes arguments, and they are without merit. Your exclusivist definition of who qualifies as a sovereign Scot is only accepted by a minority of bigots and xenophobes. The majority of the movement doesn’t accept it. None of our political parties accept it.”
Then why don’t you explain what those xenophobes’ arguments actually are, and point out exactly why they are without merit? And while you’re at it, what exactly was exclusivist about ‘my’ definition of who qualifies as a sovereign Scot?
The only exclusivist thing about my assertion was that it is Scotland’s sovereigns who are unequivocally entitled to make the big decisions about their country, and that’s because under their own long-standing, still extant constitution, they bloody well own it! They own it and nobody else!
I own my own house, and if it’s exclusivist of me to deny it to others, then that’s GREAT! That’s the entire point of ownership! That’s why I have locks and keys and doors and fences and gates so that I can enforce my exclusivism as is my formal legal and constitutional right as the owner!
Ownership is inherently exclusivist. That does not make it an example of bigotry.
YOU were the one who said this; “However much of a frenzy the nativists whip themselves in to, they haven’t put forward any coherent argument why the franchise should be changed in the unlikely event there’s another referendum.”
This is just an outright lie! I’ve just given you the key one, that it’s all about ownership, and this is by no means the first time you’ve been told this.
But as I and others have also pointed out until we are blue in the face, that doesn’t necessarily mean that non-sovereign Scottish residents can never participate in a Scottish constitutional plebiscite. We, and certainly I, have also said that those who are not sovereign Scottish residents may nevertheless also participate in such plebiscites if they meet certain other criteria, and it is determining what those criteria should be to be fair to both non-sovereigns and sovereigns that has yet to be properly debated in, by, and for, Scotland.
Your assertion that anything other than a completely open franchise is nothing more than abusive nativist bigotry is grossly dishonest of you, and abusively unfair to Scotland’s true formal owners.
To Hell with you and your inverted perverted bigotry, Ellis.
Well said Xaracen!
Ach, apparently Stu recently mentioned on twitter (or whatever the latest corporate takeover of the skipfire calls itself these days), that even he has begun to realise political Parties have had their time.
You don’t exactly have to look hard to see how that entire game is rigged and corrupted with all manner of shills, grifters, and constraints with election timings and franchises to control and steer outcomes.
Maybe one option is to just bypass that whole distraction and get genuine supporters of Scotland returning to self-governance focused on and working towards what the Scottish Covenanters did.
Aye, all those Scottish Covenanters and their cunning plan.
Archived National article from 2017.
“How the defiance of the Covenanters changed history”
https://archive.is/GSsOT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Covenant
I understood there was a group working on this sort of thing prior to the great cough and jag episode…
Interesting question John McGregor should your questions not start with
Could you and would you? 🙂
Perhaps if it was glaringly obvious to every dog in the street that independence was supported by a convincing majority and Scots were turning out in La Diada kind of numbers à la Catalonia’
He’s got all these phrases that he keeps repeating.
Three languages in one sentence that’s quite something! Impressed?
Dogs are very clever and can do amazing things but unless you train them to stiff out Yes/No voters these amazing creatures aren’t going to help. Do No voters smell? Dogs need a scent. (Mine is Chanel 19)
I’m not convinced you can compare Spain to Scotland and make decisions about the number of people who are on the street. People on Spain live on the street. Maybe Ellis has never been.
When I say Spain I am including Catalonia. Not that I know much about Catalonia but I think I’m probably accurate about that area with regard to weather and people living mainly outside.
Later on in his rant there’s another one of his ‘special phrases’.
“cunning plans for indy”
Fuck the franchise and the fannies and
lets go to the UN and get decolonised and if once we are an independent country of free people the ‘Better Together’ lot can campaign to have a referendum to re-join the RUK.
Let them run that up their flag pole and see who salutes.
PS There is no Pride in a colony not for a day not for a week definitely not for a month. We need a month of shame not a month of pride.
I need to get back to my research into ‘country matters’ and see if Sam knows how Shakespeare said ‘fuck’, ‘fuck off’ and ‘arsehole’
I’m trying to make my swearing more Shakespearean.
Ruby Tuesday @ 11:23 am
“PS There is no Pride in a colony”
Aye, deid richt thare Ruby T, an thon’s something aw thay self-proclaimed ‘proud Scot’ pro-colonial voters hiv tae think aboot.
Scotland bein annexed an colonized, exploited an makkit inferior, aye doun-hauden, a nation and people under-developed, is naethin tae be prood aboot, A wad say.
@Xaracen 10.15am
You and all the other nativist bigots have never, ever satisfatorily answered Rev Stus’ original fisking of the regressive franchise restriction proposals, nor have you or anyone else addressed the glaringly obvious point – however often it is put to you – that Scottish independence won’t be recognised if it departs significantly from the norm.
That norm dictates that franchises for self determination should be inclusive and consist of all of those in the area seeking self determination. The idea that Scotland is somehow a unique case and can act differently from former Soviet and Yugoslav republics is total fantasy.
The only reasons UDI would be accepted is if all other plausible routes have been tried and failed (they haven’t) or if the ruling power was using violence or flagrant oppression (it isn’t). Even if the latter were the case however, it’s hardly automatic or a quick process as many oppressed peoples who were and are subject to such can testify.
The world is full of peoples without a state like the Kurds, Assyrians, Tibetans, Uighurs, Chechens who are no less deserving of independence than Scots, Catalans or Quebecois but have found it much more challenging to promote and probably have less change of seeing it realised in any reasonable timescale.
Rev Stu’s words from 2022 (reproduced below for the hard of thinking) still resonate. Neither you or any of the other xenophobic, nativist bigots have ever answered them, because you can’t. It’s not because you lack the wit – though oftentimes of course that IS the case – it’s because the case he makes is unarguable. If you’re arguing against it, you’re not on the same side as the majority of the movement and are a liability and disgrace to the cause.
If you want to deny 20% of the people who live in Scotland the vote in a referendum because they were born somewhere else, we’re not on the same side. If you want their votes, fucking well persuade them. If you can’t, your case is shit.
And stop whining that by saying this I’m trying to “shut down debate”. I have no power and no desire to stop you debating it. You can debate it all you want. I’m not reporting you to Twitter or the police. I’m just not interested.
We debated this in 2011 and we came to the right decision. Nothing has happened that justifies abandoning that principle in my view. You can’t just disenfranchise people because you think they’ll vote the wrong way.
’As well as being morally wrong, it’s almost certainly self-defeating. The Scotland you’d be trying to sell people under that franchise is a very different place to the one we were advocating in 2014, and very much for the worse.
That, of course, is true in many ways. If we got a referendum tomorrow I don’t in all honesty know if I could bring myself to campaign in it, because it’d be a *de facto* campaign for Nicola Sturgeon’s vision of a hellish, intolerant, incompetent and corrupt Scotland.
But that’s not a decision I need to lose sleep over, because we’re not getting a referendum tomorrow, or next year, or the year after that, or the year after that.
But I’ve officially lost any urge to even think about it, if even the people opposed to that awful vision just have a different kind of awful vision, of a country where only “ethnic Scots” have a say. Bollocks to that.
“Like a dog returning to its own vomit…“
Apparently our job as sovereign Scots is to persuade other nationalities (English),that we have a right to independence. According to Andy anyway.
I never signed up to any of that shit. As far as I am concerned , if more than 50% of native Scots want independence , then it’s our right.
I couldn’t care less what the English residents want. They are migrants to Scotland. The tail does not wag the dog.
@Big Jock 2.17pm
What you personally signed up for is neither here nor there. If you actually want to see independence achieved, you have to persuade those who don’t agree with you. It’s a hard fail from you and the other nativists so far.
Nobody is buying the snake oil that it is sufficient to persuade > 50% of native born Scots to support independence, and that the international community will accept that: newsflash – it just won’t.
More seriously for what passes for your argument, the independence movement as a whole doesn’t buy your regressive nationalism. You and your sub Siol nan Gaidheal xenophones represent a shameful minority within a minority.
You and your bigot mates don’t get to exclude hundreds of thousands of Scots on the basis they’re not ethnically pure enough for you.
“I’m trying to make my swearing more Shakespearean”
I’ve always liked your comments, Ruby. They’re honest and come from the heart. They’re incisive and witty and make good, and entertaining, use of ‘intensifiers’. And I’ve noticed they’ve been getting even better of late.
I suspect that’s why your wit, and Geri’s too, are frequent targets of the ‘ghosts’ – that and perhaps that you’re both women who’ve forgotten their place in the world of men. How dare you?
I’m looking forward to seeing what Sam can come up with in the form of Shakespearean intensifiers, and how you deploy them in your comments.
Great comments filled with winning points from you and Geri and Sam and Dan and Xaracen and Big Jock and others on this thread.
The ghosts can’t win against any of you, but sometimes it can be fun watching them try.
Who you gonna call?
Well, if it’s in defence of Scotland and the Scots and to further the cause of independence, I’m gonna call all of you guys – the Ghostbusters.
Thanks North. Although I think Andy is more like a zombie than a ghost. Ghosts are much more friendly than zombies.
Andy is the dead carcass of indy ref 2014. He doesn’t know he’s dead, so just keeps on stalking the living, wearing the same clobber as 2014.
Just one thing for clarity Andy. I wouldn’t be excluding any Scots, only incomers. They are not Scots. Unless you think JK Rowling and her mates qualify as Scottish. Which is geographically absurd. You don’t switch your nationality of birth like a football player. This is not a game, this is about our country.
“… more like a zombie than a ghost.”
You might be right, Big Jock. But ‘zombie’ doesn’t fit with my wee Ghostbusters punchline. 🙂
@Big Jock 8.42 pm
You don’t get to exclude people who move here from being Scottish ya crazed bigot. My paternal grandmother moved to Scotland from Sunderland, married an ex soldier from Perth, settled in Edinburgh and raised 3 sons. She died in 1980 a proud Scot. She’d spit in your face if you’d denied she was Scottish.
Nobody progressive or sane would want to live in the kind of regressive blood and soil inspired dystopia you and your kind want to create.
Andy Murray moved to England aged 18. Why would he declare himself English and then be upset that the English pointed out he was Scottish.
Your argument is actually on the same level as the self ID brigade. Science says you are male or female, but they think they can just decide themselves. A guy in a dress might be insulted by me calling him a man. But his sensitivities are irrelevant.
Your grandmother was English, but moved to Scotland. She is still English. It’s not that difficult to grasp.
I sort of promised Ruby I’d tell a story from the eighties. But I of got distracted with other stuff today and then ended up writing a longish comment on the power of thought and went a bit metaphysical.
I’ll probably be back to normal tomorrow, possibly.
Anyway, I don’t want to end up at the sharp end of Ruby’s Shakespearean intensifiers, so I thought I’d better make a start on my eighties story. I’ll do it in 2 or 3 comments and post them on this thread so it’s easily avoided by those not interested.
It’s late spring early summer. Nineteen eighty four. Edinburgh. A mid-morning Friday.
“Northcode!” she shouted from the other end of our large flat, “Come and read this and tell me what you think.”
I was lounging on a threadbare couch butted against a threadbare wall on the sink side of the large kitchen. The kitchen that lived at the other end of the long hallway leading to her room.
I was lazy comfortable and in the middle of a good book and could hardly be bothered moving anything but my eyes as they scanned the page.
But she repeated her call in a more insistent tone and I knew I wouldn’t be permitted to refuse her request. So I lifted myself from the couch and made my way to her room.
I liked her room. A large bay window flooded it with a rare natural light and it looked out North from the New Town towards the castle.
And it was always filled with some delicate sweet and slightly sour scent the name of which to this day, forty years later, is still unknown to me, but still a fragrance fondly recalled.
“I’ve been offered a part in a movie.” she said.
“Good for you. Are you going to take it?”
“I’m not sure yet. Have a look at the script and see what you think.”
From its tattered condition I knew she’d been through it a few times. There was no title on the cover page and not much else beyond some terse and cryptic text, the writer’s name, and some dates.
“Sure. I’ll take a look at it tonight.” I said.
“No. I need to get back to my agent this afternoon. Can you have a read of it now…please?” The please was one of those drawn out pleading pleases.
I sighed in resignation and flopped onto the tattered leather armchair next to the big bay window and began to read…
“I liked her room. A large bay window flooded it with a rare natural light and it looked out North from the New Town towards the castle.”
Surely if you’re looking out north from the New Town, you’re enjoying the view of Fife?
It’s poetic license, Brian Doonthetoon. I thought North (and it’s also part of my moniker on here) sounded better. But have it your way.
““I liked her room. A large bay window flooded it with a rare natural light and it looked out South from the New Town towards the castle.”
There, script fixed. I hope you’re happy now. I bet folk just love watchin’ movies with you sittin’ beside them. 🙂
You are, though, entirely accurate BDTT. Her bay window in the actual real life flat did look out South towards the castle.
I was chasing a cheap alliterative effect with my “North from the New Town” line.
Shame on me.
This is a very weird story. What it says to me is neither you nor your granny believe being Scottish means anything.
It’s disrespectful!
I can never envisage telling anyone I wasn’t Scottish except when asked officially about my nationality.
I really don’t know why I would. It seems weird! Maybe your granny was running from the law who were on the look out for a woman from England who was known to spit in people’s faces.
Is spitting in folks faces a family trait? Could she she spit far and did she have a good aim.
Have you inherited on online version of this trait from your granny? It would seem so.
Would it be really awful for you if it turned out your granny was in fact English?
I note the franchise fanny and his everyone is welcome here cabal never comment on the numerous times I have posted about the
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice”
A referendum in October 2023 where the indigenous people ONLY asked for a VOICE in parliament and were literally DENIED that right by incomers from all over the world, incomers many of whose forebears arrived there in chains, denying the indigenous people A VOICE
Voters were asked to approve an alteration to the Australian Constitution that would recognise Indigenous Australians in the document through prescribing a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice that would have been able to “make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples”. The proposal was rejected nationally and by a majority in every state
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Australian_Indigenous_Voice_referendum
Or the North American First Nation tribes who were deliberately POISONED and deliberately INFECTED with life threatening diseases by the gracious and charitable incomers to their country, those same indigenous peoples who were FORCED under threat of death to move to reservations where they were treated worse than cattle, and yet today they still face increased mental health problems with increased drug and alcohol addiction and they are treated as beggars in THEIR OWN COUNTRY
Franchise fanny will insist that it is old history and it couldn’t happen in Scotland because the people coming here love Scotland, BUT the truth is that it did happen in Scotland in 2014 and is happening today with minority groups collectively manipulating votes to gain power in order to facilitate their views and needs
@twathater 2.47am
If you’ve made the point before, I must have missed. that being said once I have folk marked as ignore I routinely scroll past their contributions and often only notice them if they happen to be the most recent contribution BTL or if someone else refers to them.
Your contribution however wasn’t worth posting once, never mind repeatedly. Comparing the near extinction of indigenous peoples in Australia and the USA with what is happening is hperbolic nonsense.
Nobody sane would give that kind of “reasoning” the time of day. It’s the equivalent of those misusing the term genocide. Unsurprisingly those using the former argument will be attracted to the latter.
@Big Jock 10.14 am
Your argument is the stock in trade of racists and bigots everywhere. My grandmother may have been born and brought up in England and been proud of her Mackem heritage, but she lived most of her life in Scotland and definitely considered herself as Scottish. It will doubtless come as news to all the inhabitants of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA who moved there rather than being born there that they’re not really Australian, Canadian, New Zealanders or American because *reasons*.
Presumably you’d deny that Tasmina Sheikh is Scottish too, as she was born in England? How about the friends I had at school who were born in places as far apart as Nigeria and Pakistan. Perhaps their kids are “allowed” to be Scottish in your eyes if they were born here?
If Andy Murray’s kids were born in England, presumably they’re not Scottish and never can be, even though they’d qualify for Scottish citizenship Jock?
Seems like you haven’t really thought your regressive worldview through?
Ruby Tuesday @ 12:30 am
“What it says to me is neither you nor your granny believe being Scottish means anything. It’s disrespectful!”
Aye Ruby T, we are reminded that “colonialism only works by debasing the colonized” (Memmi), making them as nothing. Which is neither progressive nor sane but is in fact racist and hence ethnic oppression, pure and simple.
The reality is that, universally, our national identity is primarily dependent on parental descent. The matter is however rather confused by some of the more artificial construct ‘nations’ that developed out of colonialism.
Like the crazed imposed ideology of ‘gender identity’, the ideology of ‘civic identity’ is likewise neither ‘progressive nor sane’, and more especially in the context of colonial oppression and hence territorial/cultural self-determination conflict.
In our case civic identity ‘nationalism’ is merely another form of cultural imperialism imposed on a people to manipulate and divide those who seek for liberation; it is intended to maintain the colonial racket and to keep the people doun-hauden an oot the gemme. ‘Civic identity’ ideology, much like gender identity ideology, is no more than another ‘colonial procedure’ imposed on an oppressed people to thwart their liberation.
#AskAndy – you can’t polish a turd. Someone should tell you.
But it’s all about being noticed eh? Disrupt and divert, every day; specialist subject – cut and paste.
Your way or no way, right?
Debate? No.
Let’s all continue to scroll on by.
As the American colonists said “No taxation without representation.”
It’s pretty basic stuff.
Actually you can polish a turd, its one of mythbusters best presentations.
And I think that the lib Dems are probably right, I don’t think the majority of the population actually care about the independence argument, at this present time.
The constant “everything is Westmonsters fault” default shout is also now pretty tired.
At some point the SG needs to own up to mismanaging those things within its power rather than absolutely everything is because a big boy did it and ran away.
@Rob
What do you know about neoliberalism in the UK?
What do you know about why Scottish nationalism is now so strong in Scotland despite the known weaknesses of SNP gov?
And exactly why does your opinion override mine and with what justification?
There is no definitive evidence to prove the case conclusively either way and my opinion is that there is no real appetite, at this time, for another referendum.
Your opinion may differ and you are entitled to it while it remains as an opinion, unless you can prove it with definitive evidence. Which you cannot.
My opinion in these circumstances has the exact same validity as anyone else.
My opinion agrees with what the Lib Dems are saying in the GE campaign, there is no appetite at the moment to argue the independence case. If I, and they are wrong, then the GE will return all Greens and Alba candidates instead of the SNP, if they are seen as the blockers of indy. If this happens then maybe I will ytake your opinion more seriously compared to mine.:)
Incidentally, the 5 days are well past, what did the Chief Constable do regarding the threats he made on twitter etc about this site?
I suspect nothing is the answer but if there was do tell
@Rob
I wasn’t arguing that support for Scottish independence was greater than opposition to it.
Here is some polling (always open to change) from earlier this year.
“Excluding those who declare themselves to be undecided (currently around 6% of the electorate), polling averages from January to early March 2024 places the ‘Yes’ side at 49.6% and the ‘No’ side at 50.4%.”
That support is significantly higher than support for the SNP.
https://www.politics.co.uk/reference/scottish-independence-polls/
There is some suggestion that it is great dislike of neoliberalism rather than national identity that is behind sustained Scottish nationalism.
The SNP embraces neoliberalism to the dislike of many of its supporters.
There is plenty of research to which I can lead you, if you wish, that shows the great harm done by neoliberal policies of Westminster over decades. Harm has been done across all the UK by UK gubmints over decades. Some parts, Scotland and NE England have suffered more because of the greater deindustrialisation.
So it was done by a big boy. Unfortunately, he did not run away.
That you don’t understand this or disagree with it does not change or affect public health research since 1980 on the harms of UK gov policies.
Ding ding ding ding! Hey everyone, the LibDem has arrived! #
LOL
LibDemRob;
I shall bow to your superior knowledge. Of all things related to turd polishing.
Andy’s granny is English,and it really bothers him. I wonder why.
Rob . Everything that happens to Scotland economically and often socially as a consequence. Is as a result of Westminsters mismanagement. Scotland can tinker with micro areas, but if the economy is controlled by another country, then it’s passing in the wind.
So whilst we are all tired of the SNP trope about Westmisters harm to Scotland. We in the yes side are tired of it for entirely different reasons. Not because it isn’t true, but because the SNP don’t do anything about it.
The deliberately lazy thinking unionists. Pretend that Holyrood controls Scotland. But it doesn’t. Because if you understand Macro economics, and profiting from your own natural resources. Then you will easily understand why not having control of A will have a consequence of B,C and D.
That is the Westminster trick. Give Scotland control over some pocket money, disguise Scotland’s true wealth, then blame everything on Holyrood. It’s smoke and mirrors.
I wonder when I became a lib dem, is it some sort of communicable disease that you cath if you say their name like betelgeuse betelgeuse betelgeuse ?
As to blame, you cannot blame Westminster for the new gender laws or the hate crime bill, or for the state of NHS Scotland. Some fairly large ticket items hav been fatally mismanaged without any assistance from outside.
Discourse about these and other subjects is good, but too many just resort to name calling
Rob. I don’t recall the SNP blaming WM for their own policies? Eh?
I think you realise I was talking about social justice and Macro Economics.
Laws and individual policies are for parties and governments, that’s a diversion from you.
You were referring to the Scottish
Government blaming Westminster for bad things happening to Scotland. That includes the NHS. Because health care comes down to funding and balancing a limited budget.You can’t run a good health service with fresh air. You can’t provide adequate housing , you can’t grow an economy you don’t control. You can’t expand if you can’t borrow. You can’t spend taxes that go to another government. You can’t take people out of poverty if you don’t control your economy.
When it comes to the big picture. Scotland has been in a mess for most of the 300 years of union. Glasgow has half the population it had in 1930. Yet London has trebled. The SNP have been in power for 14 years out of 300. You cannot rebuild a country in that short time.
Much as I hate the current SNP. They are not to blame for the state we are in. The Union is to blame. We should be like Norway, but we are like Ireland 40 years ago.
PART TWO:
Edinburgh. Nineteen eighty five. Summer. Cinderella Rockerfella’s (formerly Tiffany’s) , St Stephen Street, Stockbridge. A Saturday evening.
“How many will be listening?” I asked.
“Around ten million.” he said. His voice was even richer and deeper face to face.
We’d been chatting for half an hour or so while she was glad handing about the place with her acting chums and other assorted celebrity types. We were corralled in a cordoned-off VIP area. An area surrounded by a large crowd of celebrity-spotting public.
“How do you know, [her]?” he asked.
“We share a flat, we’re flatmates – a little over a year now, I think. I’m just a friend. Kenny, her fiancé, couldn’t make it so she asked me if I’d go with her instead.”
“She’s a talented, bonnie lass.” he said, adding a touch of what he thought was a Scottish accent. “You should keep on telling her that.”
“Sure” I nodded, without saying anything. I was becoming restless and slightly bored. My tolerance for small talk, and people in general, has never been that great, even as a young man.
But I liked Simon Bates. He came across as genuinely interested in what I had to say, which I suppose is a good personality trait if you’re one of BBC Radio’s most listened to ‘jockeys’. And he had a warm and friendly smile, too – quite disarming really.
We were running out of things to talk about and he was distracted anyway, and gearing up for the interview.
The BBC had setup a sort of makeshift soundproofed studio, and I was sitting opposite Bates in the chair reserved for interviewees.
He made some hand signals to his technical crew and gestured for someone to go and fetch his next interviewee.
She came skipping over, she liked to skip – and do cartwheels, too, on occasion, and without bothering to ask me to shift out of the interview chair, and with some little force, sat herself down on my lap.
Red lights and silence and the interview began; and I listened to her, along with ten million other folk listening on their radios, answer Bates’ questions.
I think it was at this movie promotion event that I met and had a chat with Gregory’s Girl – both of them, Dee Hepburn and Clare Grogan. Although that might have been at some other event held later at Prestonfield House Hotel. They were a good laugh anyway, I recall.
I was briefly introduced to quite a few professional footballers – I have no interest, and never have, in sports of any kind so I couldn’t tell you any of their names, or even the teams they played for.
I was introduced to Jill and Rose who made up the pop duo Strawberry Switchblade. They were great fun. Real doun tae earth Glesga girls.
I met a few thespian types too; A very young Alan Cumming – great guy, Bill Patterson, Rikki Fulton, and my favourite, I had a wee bit of a crush on her at the time, Lesley Fitz-Simons who played Sheila Ramsay in the ‘Take the High Road’ Scottish TV soap – sadly, she passed away in 2013 aged a mere 51.
It was a good fun night that went on into the early hours. At one point I felt the need to escape the world of celebrity and mingle with the the common folk. As I left the VIP zone two attractive young women approached me and asked, “who are you then?”
I told them I was a talent scout for a movie company. It wasn’t entirely a lie. I was in my mid twenties, single, and scouting for ‘talent’. What can I say? I’m only human, I think.
My line didn’t work anyway. They just gave that me that ‘aye, right’ look and wandered off.
It was still a great night, though. Despite my failure as a talent scout – and the failure of my even blonder than Jason Donovan’s blonde hairstyle, blonde Jason Donovan style hairstyle – to win the affections of budding starlets.
Late spring early summer. Nineteen eighty four. Edinburgh. A mid-afternoon Friday.
I’d taken my time over the script she’d given me to read. At points it made me chuckle and at others made me laugh out loud.
“You’re Margot, right?” I asked her. She’d been sitting on her bed watching me read.
“Yeah. I’m the love interest. A kind of Maid Marion.” she said with a cheeky grin. “So, what do you think?”
“It’s a fuckin’ ridiculous story…the CIA for fucksake.” I said laughing. ”
“I know, but don’t you think it has a wee bit of charm about it?” she was laughing too.
“It does. I’ll give you that. It might even become a classic. Who are playing the two main guys?”
“Don’t know for sure yet, but a couple of names have been mentioned. I know Mel Smith and Bernard Hill have parts in it”
“Well, whoever they are it looks like they’ll have a lot of fun. And the CIA guy – who’s playing him?”
“I heard it might be Ned Beatty.”
“Who’s he? No wait…I remember now. He was Lex Luther’s henchman in Superman, right?”
“Yeah, that’s the guy. Well, what do you think? Should I take it?”
“I think you’ve already decided to take it. You’re just running it past me to show off and to see what I think of the script.”
She gave me a cheeky grin and said nothing.
“What about the’High Road’? You’re still doing that aren’t you?” I said.
“They’ll give me time off to film the movie if I do it.”
“Then I say go for it. What’s to lose? What’s it going to be called, do you know?”
“Restless Natives.” she said…
Epilogue
For those who don’t know who I’m talking about, her name is Teri Lally. A wee lass fae Coatbridge.
She played Carol MacKay in the TV soap Take the High Road. She also had parts in the movies ‘Comfort and Joy’ and ‘Restless Natives’
I was at her wedding reception at Prestonfield House Hotel when she married Kenny MacKenzie in 1986. Many famous folk, famous in the eighties anyway, were there too.
I liked Kenny, he was a civil engineer I think – I’m not sure, though.
Unfortunately, their marriage ended in divorce, and from what I’ve heard, purely by chance, Teri married Scott Ferguson, Craig Ferguson’s older brother.
I moved into the flat first and was the only tenant for a while. It was a large 4 or 5 bedroomed flat in the Edinburgh New Town.
Within a couple of months Teri, Pamela, an aspiring actress, and a nurse – a slightly older woman whose name I can’t recall but who mothered me because she thought I was a lost soul, arrived to keep me company.
There might have been another actress called Audrey on the scene, but it’s so long ago the memory is unclear.
I don’t look for folk from my past, and I lost touch with Teri many, many years ago. But I recall our time as flatmates with great fondness and hope that life has treated her well…and is still doing so.
interesting tales, northcode.
but you shouldn’t “doxx” (or nearly so, jigsaw ID) yourself on a place like this, not with some of these creatures, and the lurkers could be worse.
I remember strawberry switchblade, the girls in the polkadots – had a couple of good songs, since yesterday and trees and flowers.
I enjoy your posts, but they may be too civil for the raucous daily word-violence of wings; I enjoy a good insult myself.
Northcode – check out ‘off-topic’, the site’s home of mental meanderings.
https://wingsoverscotland.com/off-topic
Confused
I appreciate your concern, Confused, and point taken.
Polka dots, yes. They were wearing Polka dots the night I met them.
I’m glad you enjoy my posts – you already know I enjoy yours.
Maybe you’re right – maybe my comments are too civil. But it’s difficult to change one’s nature.
I’m beginning to feel that I should perhaps retire from this place.
There’s not much more I can say that I haven’t said already about my views on Scotland’s oppression.
And sometimes I feel that I might be posting solely for my own benefit and my own ego and not for the benefit of the wider Wings community.
We’ll see. I’ll give it some thought.