The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


The End Of The Road

Posted on January 22, 2024 by

There are many people in the world deserving of sympathy at the moment, readers, but spare a thought in your busy day for Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain.

Just two and a half years into the post (most incumbents post-devolution have served around five), she’s already had to deal with a lot of what sports people call “hospital passes”. But she’s about to find herself in another nasty spot not of her own making.

Because while Operation Branchform seems to have dragged on for all of recorded time, it can’t go on forever, and ultimately the decision about what happens to it rests with the organisation the Lord Advocate heads – the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, or COPFS.

Dorothy Bain herself has no role in terms of Operation Branchform, being required to recuse herself from involvement on the basis that she’s also a minister in the Scottish Government and therefore has a perceived conflict of interest. But whatever decision COPFS eventually makes about the two-year dossier of evidence assembled by Police Scotland puts her, through no fault of her own, in an uncomfortable position.

If the investigation were to conclude with no charges being brought against anyone, there would be sure to be a political and public outcry. The possibility that so many questions could simply be left unanswered and chucked in the bin with a shrug is one that would almost certainly arouse suspicion and fury in equal measure.

No matter whether or not there had been any corruption involved in the failure to bring anyone to account – even if there were only solid and legitimate legal grounds behind the decision – the mere suggestion of it would taint the Scottish judicial system for generations, and the person that stink would cling to – fairly or otherwise – would be the head of the prosecution agency, Dorothy Bain.

If on the other hand indictments were to be laid against Peter Murrell and/or Nicola Sturgeon, the Lord Advocate could then be faced with the duty of having to prosecute, and potentially even be responsible for imprisoning, the person who chose her for her job, which is a whole other mess.

Even if Murrell alone were to be charged, a veritable thunderstorm of questions and suspicions would echo across the land, and if, hypothetically, he were then to be found guilty of embezzling money, it would be highly likely that Sturgeon would, as his wife, be at a minimum embroiled in the recovery of funds, as something known in legal terminology as a “donee”.

(In short, in such a scenario she’d be regarded as someone who’d received a benefit from his crimes by virtue of living in the same house, even if she herself was unaware and innocent of wrongdoing. The house itself, for example, might have to be sold to repay the victims were the embezzlement to be of a sufficient scale.)

And none of that is likely to be a pleasant prospect for the person Sturgeon had felt was the best choice to be Scotland’s chief prosecutor, and who served as a minister under her.

One possible “escape route” from COPFS is to ascend to the bench and become a sheriff, such as in the case of former Crown Agent, David Harvie, whose name alert Wings readers may recall. A number of Scottish justices will reach the mandatory retirement age this year and will require to be replaced.

So Wings would be somewhat less than astonished if Dorothy Bain – whose integrity, we emphasise once again, we are not questioning in any way – were to put herself forward for such a role at the earliest opportunity, because the Operation Branchform clock is at this point ticking rather loudly.

There now seems very little realistic prospect of the matter being concluded before the general election, even if that were to be held on the latest possible date. It’s very likely that it’ll still be hanging over the SNP on polling day, either as a live case if there are prosecutions, or a controversy if there aren’t.

Either way, though, it would probably be a significantly more desirable situation for everyone concerned if a Lord Advocate with no connection to Nicola Sturgeon was in place when the alarm finally goes off.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

0 to “The End Of The Road”

  1. Jason Smoothpiece
    Ignored
    says:

    I would say that Dorothy Bain finds herself in a very difficult situation.
    The roll that she performs in my opinion should be non political like many other senior rolls thus avoiding any suggestion of improper conduct.

    Guilty or innocent the SNP now generally smells like the good old Labour Party.

    There was always a bit of dodgy nods and winks in Labour you could suspect that they were up to something but proof was difficult to find.

    However I always say if it smells like shit it probably is shit and that’s the Labour SNP signature scent now

  2. James
    Ignored
    says:

    Tick tock.

    Marmalade on toast, anyone?

  3. Mark Beggan
    Ignored
    says:

    The Talking Lamp post was invented in Scotland.

  4. Maxxmacc
    Ignored
    says:

    Westmonster tends to look after its own, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the two of them walk off with just a warning to be more open about party finances in the future. It is still a strong card for her masters to keep up their sleeve, ready to play at any time to ‘reclaim’ the party and gather back the support it lost. We all know the party is tombstoning, but there are plenty in the system who would welcome their old boss back.

  5. robertkknight
    Ignored
    says:

    COPFS…Crime Only Pays For Some, and no prizes for guessing to whom the “some” refers.

    Whatever the outcome of Branchform, the stench coming from SNP HQ won’t be dissipating any time soon, so the WGD types can expect to have to hold their noses for Indy for some time yet.

  6. Ruairidh
    Ignored
    says:

    What is the full story with this corruption? What was the full story behind the Salmond sex-scam plot? Why did Nicola Sturgeon resign?

    Scotland is in limbo until these questions are answered. It is clearly within the remit of our legal system to answer them – no amount of “due process” rubbish covers up for this any more. Our courts and our police are failing us. Justice delayed is justice denied.

  7. Shug
    Ignored
    says:

    If they jail Sturgeon or whats the chances she will blab about betrayal by her handlers.

    I suspect the unionist controller will just be happy to string it out. This Morning radio shortbreed was giving it laldy about her deleting and what she was hiding. No much mention of boris etal right enough.

    They will be happy to have more of this up to the election and the snp will be lucky to have 20 seats.

  8. Graf Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    I may of course be wrong (as usual..!), but I somehow get the impression that D Bain just didn’t really understand, what kind of situation she was getting in to when she took on the job with the blood sucking Murrels.

  9. Muscleguy
    Ignored
    says:

    I cannae see only Murrell being charged. All three are signatories on the SNP accounts. Under electoral law in that situation all are equally liable to wrongdoing on the account.

    I have been a party treasurer. I made sure I understood the responsibilities of the post.

  10. Young Lochinvar
    Ignored
    says:

    Bain..

    Integrity- mibbes aye
    Competence – Naw!!!!

    Citing- Section 30 Supreme Court pathetic fiasco

  11. Sven
    Ignored
    says:

    In Englandland BoJo says he’ll hand over his messages, the UK government take action to try to stop him.
    In Scotland the former FM says she’ll hand over her messages, then says that there aren’t any as she’s deleted them.
    In Ruritania the politics may have been rubbish, but at least they had pretty uniforms.

  12. Neil in Glasgow
    Ignored
    says:

    Can I also suggest she goes to pastures new because she’s just not very good? Even Stevie Wonder can see she’s hopeless.

  13. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    I really don’t think I could have a lower opinion of COPFS and the Lord Advocate in Scotland.

    I would refer to the justice system in Scotland but it really has got fuck all to do with justice.

    The malicious prosecutions of the Rangers liquidators and of course Alex Salmond and Craig Murray and many others demonstrates very clearly that we have a two tier ‘justice’ system in Scotland, which as we all know amounts to a no-justice system, a justice free zone.

    One tier is subjected to hyper-investigations and prosecutions with Police task forces formed in minutes and unlimited officers available to interview hundreds of witnesses over the most trivial garbage imaginable, casting a huge fishing net to try to find a crime, rather than investigate one.

    The other tier gets, blind-eyes turned, they get tipped off about Police raids in advance, their investigations get slow walked at a glacial pace, under reported and ignored, and stymied by the higher-ups in Police Scotland. COPFS will be totally unenthusiastic and find a way to do the square root of fuck all, yet again, for the umpteenth time…

    The leadership of Police Scotland and COPFS aided and abetted Sturgeon and Murrell for years. So I fully expect them to weasel out of applying justice, just as they always do. They are shameless it seems.

  14. AnneDon
    Ignored
    says:

    Personally, I think she should move on.
    It would be great if a new broom could come in and sweep out the corruption and incompetence, but the legal system is such a “close-knit” community that it’s difficult to believe there is anyone who fits the bill.
    I suspect that anyone with the will to do so has already been sidelined.

  15. Geoff Anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Sadly…..I don’t care anymore.

    Sturgeon destroyed the SNP and the YES Movement. She will be looked after by the State and Scotland will be raped for another few decades.
    No matter the eventual outcome no punishment could reflect the damage she has done.

  16. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    Rev wrote:
    “Because while Operation Branchform seems to have dragged on for all of recorded time, it can’t go on forever, and ultimately the decision about what happens to it rests with the organisation the Lord Advocate heads – the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, or COPFS.”

    Aye! And i have as much faith in that organisation as i have in any Unionist political party. Scotland truly is being branded as a hopeless case not to be trusted with self-determination. I will keep to my self what i’d like to see done to all those responsible, just in case it provokes a dawn raid on my home.

  17. Mark Henderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry folks,

    But I’m getting the feeling that they will get away with it, not only that but I believe that Alex Salmond may find he can’t use the evidence he has in his civil case. The establishment ranks are closing, which means the Murrell’s are being protected by the state.

  18. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    Due to the importance of this message i’m re-posting it on this thread to increase awareness:

    sarah says on 22 January 2024 at 1:21 pm:
    “Some good news.”

    “Salvo has begun legal action against the Scottish Government for its failure to:
    “1. Inform the Westminster Government that its asserted sovereignty in Scotland is unlawful.
    2. To comply with the Constitutional Settlement by either announcing a referendum on Scottish Independence as laid out in the [Stirling] Directive, or taking steps for a plebiscitary election, beginning with a National Convention.””

    “This information was advertised in The National on 18th January. So although The National hasn’t to my knowledge printed an interview with Salvo, they will accept advertising revenue – I suppose that is something to be grateful for.”

    “The case will be taken to the European Court of Justice, says Peter A Bell on his blog today.”

    “This is the first concrete step to assert the truth about Scotland’s constitutional position in the face of the false behaviour by Westminster since 1707. How refreshing to see some clear action by decent, principled, intelligent people who are prepared to work themselves into the ground in defence of Scotland’s people.”

    “Wouldn’t it be nice if some of the SNP parliamentarians understood and supported this action?”

  19. DavidT
    Ignored
    says:

    A quote I read in a newspaper article over the weekend, “People now hear SNP and just think of police sirens.”

  20. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    I call her Dorothy Stain… Of the Clown Office of Clowns!

    Stop protecting Nicola Dorothy. We’ve had enough.

  21. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    Excellent work as ever Stuart Campbell. No one is off limits. Get her told. She’s not listening to the public. What are they playing at?

  22. Antoine Roquntin
    Ignored
    says:

    Don’t worry about Dotty, the Edinburgh haut-bourgeoisie always takes care of its crucially positioned recruits. A Sheriff she’ll become!

  23. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Bain is already in it up to her neck with her disgraceful performance at the UKSC, she’ll be up for it even if means her appointer takes a dive.

    Hardie, Boyd, Angiolini, Mulholland, Wolffe, and Bain I haven’t a god word to say about any of them.

  24. Sandy Howden
    Ignored
    says:

    Her integrity is intact. It was not her fault that she ordered the evidence in the Luke Mitchell trial to be destroyed even after knowing another appeal could raise up and voices being loud saying a 14 year old boy should never have been interviewed by detectives all on his own without representation. It was not Bains fault her husband was the prosecuter in the case finding the kid guilty with absolutely no evidence whatsoever.

  25. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    Can anyone imagine what an honest account of Sturgeon’s career(s) would look like? Everything she touched basically withered and died, or was coldly and deliberately destroyed.

    Try looking at it all at once, starting with her role as a solicitor, her attempted political assassination of Salmond, her role in the pandemic and the cover-ups involving the Nike Conference and Care Homes, the ring-fenced funds, her great deception on independence, her position on a NATO “no fly zone” (which would have resulted in WWIII), the gender stuff, deleting and redacting everything, etc., and it continues.

    I always find myself thinking of that photo of her with a homeless person lying at her feet, as if she ever gave a fuck about homeless people, or the poor, or drug addicts, or anyone…

    She’s still hanging around, blinking and bullshitting — a true ‘bag for life’.

  26. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    Anybody know if her pals call her Dotty?

    What about the people who work for her. What do they call her?

  27. Tom Halliday
    Ignored
    says:

    The unionists will announce their next move when it is to their best political advantage, my guess will be Murrell charged with fraudulent practice and it will happen about 6 weeks before the general election. just enough time to drip feed the detail of how complicit Sturgeon and the SNP were in allowing Murrell to continue in place after Wings broke the story of the missing funds.

  28. George Ferguson
    Ignored
    says:

    Is it really Dorothy Bain that is the principal player here? Or the new Chief Constable sitting on the available evidence?.

  29. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Hatuey says:22 January, 2024 at 4:55 pm

    which would have resulted in WWIII

    Moan, Hattrick, be accurate.

    which would have resulted in WWIII a bit sooner than will actually happen

    Seeing as how you mentioned it, the current, pretendy, fraudulent incumbent of Bute House is doing quite a lot to bring WW3 to the streets of his adopted homeland.

    He’s the kind you really have to watch. Stalin wasn’t Russti. Hilter wasn’t German. When you have non-indigenous backgrounds like these, totally trashing the place is never a real problem.

    At least Nicola is Scottish.

  30. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    Dorothy Bain is fragile. You can tell. Which explains her utter capitulation in all of her Scottish Government court cases costing the tax payer millions of pounds.

    Bambi on ice.

  31. Jane Doe
    Ignored
    says:

    The problem is the whole structure of government/prosecution service/police in Scotland. There is no real separation of powers. The head prosecuter is in the cabinet and is a political appointment by th FM. The head of the ONE police service is appointed by the FM. The conflicts of interests are huge.

    So let us say that the London Labour Party and Mayor had been naughty. The allegations would be investigated by a force not connected with London. The decision whether to prosecute would be taken by the head of the CPS – a Civil Service not a political appointment. Indeed for 3 years Keir Starmer was head on the CPS during a Conservative government. As we know now he is far from a Tory patsy!

    So I do think this needs looking at. If I were FM I wuld set up some sort of Constititional Commission and separate the prosecution function from the attorney general function in the job. It would probably have been prudent to get an external police force (yup – even English) to investigate the SNP in the Branchform case, though I believe the NCI was called in early last year.

    P.S. Any news on the brown envelopes stuffed with cash handed to the party by a ‘rich’ Scottish businessman with a politically ambitious and seemingly well connected (!) daughter?

  32. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    I suspect she’ll be taking option 3. And Humza Yousaf can blame Nicola when the party lose the general election.

    Nicola’s reputation is in tatters. Why would Dorothy want to associate with her any longer?

    Save yourself Dorothy. We know what she’s done? Where’s the missing 600K toots? Where’s the perjury charges in the Alex Salmond conspiracy?

  33. Jane Doe
    Ignored
    says:

    ” Muscleguy
    Ignored says:
    22 January, 2024 at 2:36 pm
    I cannae see only Murrell being charged. All three are signatories on the SNP accounts. Under electoral law in that situation all are equally liable to wrongdoing on the account.

    I have been a party treasurer. I made sure I understood the responsibilities of the post.”

    Quite. As have I been. I don’t think “I was just a wee ignorant, trusting girlie and signed where my husband told me” is going to cut the mustard. In any case she was acting treasurer for a while after she sacked the elected treasurer.

  34. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyone else find John Main’s pretendy Scottish dialect on here hilariously bad?

    “Big man, wee man, gies a scoosh of your ginger by the way but.”

  35. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    This is the last thing I’ll say Dorothy. It all goes down to that old adage doesn’t it? If you like down with dogs. Don’t be surprised if your bitten by fleas!

    Early retirement? How very sad.

    We know what Nicola has done Dorothy. We know everything. Why would you want to associate your entire lives work with her?

    Or are you deleting all of your WhatsApp messages as well.

    You’ve got a pretty face. Too pretty… For Corton Vale sweetheart.

    Do the the right thing Dorothy. Do the right thing love.

  36. Viscount Ennui
    Ignored
    says:

    Methinks the Rev knows something and talks in riddles.

    PS I am a human being and thus have the capacity for being wrong.

  37. twathater
    Ignored
    says:

    OT / @ Stoker 3.57pm I agree wholeheartedly with you and Sarah the original poster this NEWS is vitally important, but I added my own comment in response to Sarah on previous post it read

    twathater
     says:

    22 January, 2024 at 5:43 pm

    @ Sarah 1.21pm what would make the news about SALVO even better is if the SUPPOSED independence seeking politicians and their SUPPOSED independence seeking parties like ALBA , ISP and YES even the scum sucking Scottish Nonce Party, (NO FUCK IT forget the nonce party) actually SUPPORTED and adopted SALVO and their legal challenge, but NO that would mean that politicians would be shown up for the absolute wastes of space that they are and how they actually conspired with the WM establishment to keep us tied to this INGLORIOUS CORRUPT UNION

  38. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    By abandoning deterrence – withdrawing the troops we had there – we left ucrane with a conflict it couldn’t withstand unless it became indebted to its arms suppliers. There is a lot of real estate for collateral plus their enemy is our rival, weakening them both physically and perhaps politically in the eyes of others.

    A no-fly zone is required for ucrane to win, as is the ability to damage its aggressor’s treasure. But the US, EU and Brits are as surefooted on this crisis as they are on the climate disaster they also continue to fuel, hoping magic sorts it out.

  39. George Ferguson
    Ignored
    says:

    @Viscount Ennui 6:01pm
    Everybody has the capacity to be wrong but usually in Scotland, politics prevents the natural course of action occurring. 24 charges and 6 people involved Dorothy Bain has had the evidence set before her. 3rd time I have said this.

  40. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    I would say to Dorothy Bain & Humza Yousaf. Careful what you wish for.

    Too late now. Her wish to become Scotland’s Lord Advocate & Humza’s wish to be Scotland First Minister have come true.

    Did none of the pair of them have an as to what they were taking on.

    Maybe they did and thought everything will be fine. We’ll be protected.

    Every time I see Dorothy Bain I think of Marilyn Monroe singing ‘Happy Birthday Mr President’ and that is Stuart Campbell’s fault.

  41. Alan McMahon
    Ignored
    says:

    A benefit to everyone concerned? A replacement Lord Advocate with no connection to Nicola Sturgeon will suit those of us whose reading has caused us to wonder if there might possibly be a case to answer only if that Lord Advocate has no connection with the cause of unionism, far less the British state. Whose fingerprints, I’d suggest, are already all over this.

  42. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Mac says:22 January, 2024 at 5:49 pm

    Anyone else find John Main’s pretendy Scottish dialect on here hilariously bad?

    Hmmm. If it’s pretendy, nobody’s expecting it to be good.

    And if it’s pretendy, and hilariously bad, maybes that’s the intention.

    You’re not really up to doing logic, are you “Mac”?

    Alert, logical readers might notice a pattern connecting the subject matter of my comments to the occasions when something “rattles your cage”.

    Talking of pretendy, and bad, but very sadly for Scotland, in no way hilariously …

  43. Den
    Ignored
    says:

    The term lord advocate is not one I’d use in conjunction with this Scottish Government. I think consigliere would be a more appropriate term.

  44. Viscount Ennui
    Ignored
    says:

    “Along with her small black dog, Toto, Dorothy is swept away by a tornado to the Land of Oz and, much like Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, they enter an alternative world filled with talking creatures”.

    Patrick Harvie, John Swinney, Lorna Slater to name but a few.

  45. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ fruitella the hun says:22 January, 2024 at 6:12 pm

    Your “climate disaster” is now in the hands of what we used to call the third world. China, India and the rest can’t believe they should be so lucky when they see the first world virtue signalling itself to suicide by cutting industry, jobs, citizen’s quality of life, etc.

    Meantime, China, India and the rest burn every ton of coal, oil and gas they can get their hands on.

    Magic isn’t going to sort that out, but we did all the colonialist things in the bad old days and nobody wants to go back. China, India and the rest are making their own beds – they can lie on them. We don’t need to take the blame, or feel any guilt.

    We’ll have enough problems of our own to occupy ourselves with.

  46. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T

    So Professor Gregor Smith, Scotland’s chief medical officer advised Graham Ellis to delete his WhatsApp messages.

    At the Covid Inquiry.

    “Smith was shown a transcript of a WhatsApp conversation with Graham Ellis, the deputy chief medical officer, in 2021.

    Ellis said he hoped the chat was “not FOI-able” – a reference to the Freedom of Information Act which allows the public access to government documents.

    Smith responded: “Delete at the end of every day”.

    Ellis replied with a laughing emoji and a thumbs up.

    The exchange was sparked by one of the topics of the call being cannabis and Ellis joking that he has his own supply.”

  47. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    Do you mean the MI5 David Harvie??? The English government ‘spook’???

  48. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    To rework an old joke:

    When I was a child, it was my dream that one day, in my country, it would be possible for anybody to become First Minister.

    When I became a grown up, I realised one day to my horror, that in my country, it was possible for anybody to become First Minister.

  49. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    Aparently Dorothy Bain’s husband jailed Luke Mitchell. But there’s lots of messages on twitter saying it was a miscarriage of justice?

    More pressure on Dorothy Bain and the incestuous legal system that lives within Bute House.

  50. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s the way you tell them, Mr Main.

    “which would have resulted in WWIII a bit sooner than will actually happen…”

    A prediction without a timescale attached to it? Have you learned nothing? When I correctly predicted Taiwan would be a flashpoint, I was careful to include a timescale.

    Stop typing garbage.

  51. GM
    Ignored
    says:

    fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:
    22 January, 2024 at 6:12 pm

    By abandoning deterrence – withdrawing the troops we had there – we left ucrane with a conflict it couldn’t withstand unless it became indebted to its arms suppliers. There is a lot of real estate for collateral plus their enemy is our rival, weakening them both physically and perhaps politically in the eyes of others.

    A no-fly zone …

    Planes are expensive and NATO don’t have that many of them. Missiles are cheap and Russia has tens of thousands of them and producing thousands more every month.

  52. Tommo
    Ignored
    says:

    I would love to lay this dispute at the door of the SNP but I think the blame lies with ‘Tony’ Blair’s administration under the Scotland Act that made the Lord Advocate a member of the (ludicrously titled) ‘cabinet’ and thus subject to all the aspersions cast above. However I suppose she could always have said no thanks.

  53. GM
    Ignored
    says:

    Tommo
    Ignored
    says:
    22 January, 2024 at 7:37 pm

    I would love to lay this dispute at the door of the SNP but I think the blame lie..

    Aye Thommo, have to be only 3 ministers in the 1998 Scotland Act by law(last time I looked..). FM and the two top prosecutors in Scotland. What was the thinking there then?

  54. Doug
    Ignored
    says:

    The britnat establishment will save their own but only after they think they’ve done maximum damage to the independence movement.

    But it’s because this whole affair has dragged on so much that any damage will be negligible.

    Meanwhile the poor innocent independence movement is still looking for someone to lead it.

  55. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    JM: “Your “climate disaster” is now in the hands of what we used to call the third world.”

    Em, it’s not my climate disaster, it’s Shell’s, Esso’s BP’s, NCB’s etc.. The dumbos on here talk as if the problems the Greens are concerned about were somehow caused by the Greens.

    Anyway, the Third World will be at the leading edge of the feedback from 250 years of industrialisation based on fossil fuels. I agree with you there, if that’s your point. Only racists would surmise that we need to lead them out of that – they know very well their plight. At least those I’ve met did. The politicians and their rich sponsors will do nothing, as here, until their magic juju runs out.

    My first comment today was about “no-fly zones”. The agro-chemical companies are doing their best on this, right here.

  56. GM
    Ignored
    says:

    fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:
    22 January, 2024 at 7:46 pm

    JM: “Your “climate disaster” is now in the hands of what we used to call the third world.”

    Em, it’s not my climate disaster, it’s Shell’s,

    My first comment today was about “no-fly zones”. The agro-chemical companies are doing their best on this, right here.”

    I was having a guess. Your question about No fly zones etc and why NATO countries didn’t seem to be doing much bar training, money, weapons etc. That was my guess at why. I actually know F all about it.

    What’s the craic with the agro-chemical companies?

  57. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    @ fruitella

    Scotland is edging closer to having a no fly zone over us seeing as I understand Edinburgh and Glasgow airports get their Jet A fuel from Grangemouth.
    Have you still got that oil central heating installed?

    People used to dream about the future.
    They thought there was no limit to progress.
    They dreamed of a clean, bright future, where science would make everything possible. And everybody better off.
    Somewhere along the line that future got cancelled…

  58. sarah
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Stoker at 3.57 p.m.: Many thanks for posting my report on Salvo’s legal case against the Scottish Government for its failure to assert our sovereignty or to hold a referendum or plebiscitary election.

    I made a mistake: the case is being taken to the European Court of Human Rights, not to the European Court of Justice as I mistakenly wrote.

  59. Livionian
    Ignored
    says:

    Honestly I can’t see branchform concluding before the election, there has been too long without any action.

    Someone or several people are probably refusing to cooperate and trying to drag the whole thing out and slow it down, knowing it is in their best interests of the party for this to be a long drawn out process that concludes after polling day.

  60. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    GM: “Planes are expensive and NATO don’t have that many of them. Missiles are cheap and Russia has tens of thousands of them and producing thousands more every month.”

    Not going to argue with that point. But Ucrane will not win till it controls its sky, at the very least, whatever machinery flies through it. At the beginning of the conflict there were planes. A no-fly zone was not ridiculous in those circumstances. The idea that it would start WW111 when backing off deterrence had already just helped start it, is a bit wonky.

  61. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Went to see if Gordon Dangerfield had anything to say about this.

    Things I didn’t know about Gordon Dangerfield.
    https://gordondangerfield.com/about-2/

    I didn’t know he had written a novel.
    http://tinyurl.com/274vcvtk

    I didn’t know that his blog is divided up into categories.

    Alex Salmond Posts, Gender Ideology, Mark Hirst Posts

    On his home page he has

    FOR WOMEN SCOTLAND (AGAIN)

    which I think is his latest post. Done November 1, 2023
    Love the ending of that article.

    We all need to start again from scratch, and we need to start with the patent absurdity of the Gender Recognition Act 2004.

    Loads of interesting articles to read or re-read in all three categories.

    He doesn’t do many articles but when he does they are always interesting.

    He is currently working on the case ‘Alex Salmond to sue Scottish government’
    https://archive.is/gZrt2

  62. GM
    Ignored
    says:

    “This is the first concrete step to assert the truth about Scotland’s constitutional position in the face of the false behaviour by Westminster since 1707. How refreshing to see some clear action by decent, principled, intelligent people who are prepared to work themselves into the ground in defence of Scotland’s people.”

    Agreed. Congratulations and thanks.

  63. Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    Please tell me this person Bain was not involved in the jailing of Craig Murray?
    Who used the excuse he is held to different standards so as to let someone else off.

  64. McDuff
    Ignored
    says:

    If and when we ever get a honest government and politicians with an ounce of integrity i hope they would revisit Branchform and the prosecutions of Salmond and others.

  65. Alf Baird
    Ignored
    says:

    It is important to be aware of what is occurring in a colonial society if the people are to understand their ‘condition’, and what they are dealing with. As the evidence demonstrates and postcolonial theory affirms, any critical analysis of governing and legal institutions within a colonial society soon presents the reality that:

    “The (national) party (has become) a true instrument of power in the hands of the bourgeoisie..and ensures the people (i.e. the movement) are hemmed in and immobilized. The (national) party helps the (colonial) government to hold the people down. It becomes an instrument of coercion. This fascism…is the direct result of states which were semi-colonial (e.g. ‘devolved’/ indirect rule) during the period of independence (decolonization). The native…hardly ever seeks for justice in the colonial framework. The colonial regime owes its legitimacy to force and at no time tries to hide this aspect of things.”.
    (Frantz Fanon).

    The administration of a colony is therefore “supported by a very solid organization; a government and judicial system fed and renewed by the colonizer’s historic, economic and cultural needs. Every colonial nation carries the seeds of fascist temptation in its bosom. The human relationships have arisen from the severest exploitation, founded on inequality and contempt, guaranteed by police authoritarianism. There is no doubt in the minds of those who have lived through it that colonialism is one variety of fascism.”
    (Albert Memmi)

  66. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Hatuey says: 22 January, 2024 at 7:10 pm

    Ach, you’re still fun to play with, even if my folks would be black affronted if I ever invited you home for tea.

    When I correctly predicted Taiwan would be a flashpoint

    You mean, when you incorrectly predicted PRC would invade Taiwan by Xmas 2022. But dinna fash, it’ll still be Xmas 2022 somewhere. In yer heid, probably.

    Stop typing garbage

    You first.

  67. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    Listen. This Dorothy Bain is protecting Nicola Sturgeon. She’s protecting the alphabetties. She’s turning a blind eye. To the missing 600K. And to Lady Dorian, who jailed Craig Murray in a cell next to Peter Robin. But then again… Turning a blind eye. To miscarriages of justice runs in the Bain family name. Doesn’t it?

    I can’t stand this woman. 2 and a half years of absolute failure. You’re a disgrace Dorothy. An absolute disgrace. I hope you go down with Nicola. Mark my words. She’ll be going down!

  68. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Are we still in the ECHR?

    Salvo’s case sounds interesting.

    What would be the implications for this case if Rishi decides to take the UK out of the ECHR?

    https://archive.is/KoV8P

    There have been a lot of rumblings about this since Theresa May was in power.

    Currently they are not happy because Rwanda & Small Boats thingy
    (Illegal Migration Act 2023)

    https://archive.is/6DAA0
    This article is 8 years old. Theresa wanted out of the ECHR even the UK remained in the EU.

    Their desire to be out of the ECHR seems to be all about their inability to handle illegal immigration.

    I’m wondering if this new scheme will help with illegal immigration. Obviously the UK wont be part of it. Instead they will be monitored to ensure they are not illegal immigrants.

    https://archive.is/KXdmM

  69. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ GM says:22 January, 2024 at 7:24 pm

    Planes are expensive and NATO don’t have that many of them.

    Hmmmm.

    NATO planes aren’t being destroyed, cos they’re not deployed.

    Russti planes (and ships) are deployed, and being destroyed.

    Missiles are cheap and Russia has tens of thousands of them and producing thousands more every month

    Hmmmm.

    If they’re cheap, then NATO can afford them too.

    Innaresting satellite pics, just last week, of the ships carrying missiles from NK to Russtiland. Lots of UN resolutions being savaged there, but not the kind of UN resolutions you will ever read about on here.

    But I digress. The shiploads of NK missiles going to Russtiland doesn’t look like the sort of trade a Russtiland producing thousands of them a month would need.

    Gotta say, in the pics, these ships looked like mouth-watering targets. They’re sanctions busters, so probably valid targets too in UN eyes.

  70. sarah
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Ruby: Yes we are still in the ECHR – it is the Court of Justice that relates solely to EU members. The Tories may have threatened to come out of the ECHR but not done so yet. Perhaps Salvo’s case will precipitate them to do so!

  71. Merganser
    Ignored
    says:

    “One way out would be to become a Sheriff”.

    You are having a laugh Stu. Nothing less than a High Court Judge position would be acceptable to dear Dorothy. All those red crosses on the white background. They look like a pack of cards when they are all together. Something out of Alice in Wonderland.

    Her hubby would not want to be married to a mere sheriff. Oh the ignomany!

  72. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    Any update on Benjamin Harrop’s FOI request into the James Hamilton report?

    Can we read about it soon?

  73. Zander Tait
    Ignored
    says:

    A long time ago STV news had an anchor man called Bill Tennant. One day the news ended with a small item featuring the cooking genius Fanny Craddock.

    Fanny demonstrated to thousands of Scots how to make perfect donuts.

    With the demo done the director panned back to Bill who completely destroyed the STV viewership with these parting words:

    “May all your donuts turn out like Fannies”.

    Too many have been voting for SNP Donuts for far too long.

    Because they’ve all turned out like Fannies.

  74. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    GM: “What’s the craic with the agro-chemical companies?”

    Wars come and go, we’re adapted. The destruction of our insect populations (no-fly…) for marginal gains in profitability is, for me, a much more important issue.

    And I hate wars. But the fifty million killed in WW11 would be replaced in eight months at todays reproduction rates. They are not an existential threat – except maybe for one of the contending oligarchies and the unfortunate folk caught up in it.

    “GM” used to be the term we used for biotech – genetic modification. I’m still not in favour but like oil, I still use its products – vaccines mostly. Of course the need for vaccines, recently, was likely a consequence of GM research. Some would claim that our general health is gifted by biotech throughout the food chain, mostly these folk don’t look at the ecological destruction, either can’t see past the profits or routinely dismiss anything the “greenies” say.

  75. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:
    22 January, 2024 at 9:23 pm

    Any update on Benjamin Harrop’s FOI request into the James Hamilton report?

    Hi David how are you today?

    It’s really difficult to keep up with all that’s going on.

    You get a lot of these things that flare up and then they completely disappear never to be heard of again.

    Recently we had the adultery story and now that’s gone.

    There was the leak to the D.Record that’s gone.

    Probably loads of other things that I’ve forgotten.

    Wasn’t there a Tory MP accused/charged with rape. That’s disappeared.

  76. SteepBrae
    Ignored
    says:

    “And I hate wars. But the fifty million killed in WW11 would be replaced in eight months at todays reproduction rates.

    An eerily inhuman take on human suffering.

  77. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    sarah
    Not Ignored
    says:
    22 January, 2024 at 9:14 pm

    @ Ruby: Yes we are still in the ECHR – it is the Court of Justice that relates solely to EU members. The Tories may have threatened to come out of the ECHR but not done so yet. Perhaps Salvo’s case will precipitate them to do so!

    Yeah Sarah! As soon as they hear about Salvo’s case they’ll be out of the ECHR faster than the speed of light.

    Was Craig Murray taking his case to the ECHR or was it somewhere else?

    Just been commenting to David re all these issues that flare up and disappear never to be heard of again.

  78. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    Steepbrae: “An eerily inhuman take on human suffering.”

    Who are you to judge what’s ‘human” and what’s “inhuman”? We give regular consent to a system which routinely destroys people’s lives in locations across the globe, including here,
    to make a few wildly rich and a few more very comfy.

    Worse, we are deliberately destroying much of the natural world of which we are just a dependent part. Your angle here is typically marxist, whose “humanity” scores take a deep dive whenever they get close to power, a very “human” feature. Anyway, arithmetic is often “inhuman”

  79. Derek
    Ignored
    says:

    Neonecotinoids = (eventually) no insects = no pollination.

  80. Graf Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    As there seems to be some confusion about what the ECHR is and why it has nothing directly to do with the EU except that it’s in Europe, read the following links.

    The ECHR – “European Convention on Human Rights” is an international convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Convention_on_Human_Rights

    The “European Court of Human Rights” (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Court_of_Human_Rights
    ——————–
    The Court which does deal with EU matters is:

    the “European Court of Justice” (ECJ) and is the supreme court of the European Union in matters of European Union law. As a part of the Court of Justice of the European Union, it is tasked with interpreting EU law and ensuring its uniform application across all EU member states under Article 263 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Court_of_Justice

  81. Johnlm
    Ignored
    says:

    Re population growth, birth rates are falling in most countries, especially the West.

    I suspect that this is being encouraged by our eugenicist masters helping break cultural cohesion
    in order to hasten the decline.

    It’s all a bit reminiscent of the Universe 25 experiment by John Calhoun.

  82. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    fruitella the hun
    Ignored says:
    22 January, 2024 at 6:12 pm

    A no-fly zone is required for ucrane to win….

    I firmly believe, even with a no-fly zone from the beginning, that a cruel deception was played upon the Ukrans by encouraging them to believe they could win a land war against Ruskia, on the Ruskian border.

    The hype and promise of “superior” war winning technology has a grim resonance with the WW2 belief in Blitzkrieg; air dominance and armoured mobility. Despite a massive advantage to begin with, it didn’t defeat the Ruskians in 1941, and was never likely to do so in 2022. If there is any constant in Ruskian military history, it is Ruskia’s capacity to absorb truly extraordinary losses, but then turn the front into a meat grinder which exhausts it’s enemy’s resolve and resources.

    In the Don Bas however, there was no grim defeat to recover from, and the Ruskians moved straight to phase 2, grinding down it’s enemy on the battlefield.

    There was never any Barbarossa style NATO advantage in man power or equipment to begin with in the early days of the conflict, and I believe the Ruskian invasion coming so quickly was calculated to remove the possibility of such a force being assembled. The Ruskian strategy proved insightful and grimly robust, whereas the NATO strategy was all based around hype, propaganda and self deception.

    We, in the West, have been fed a tissue of lies about events in Ukran, especially regarding the Maidan Revolution / coup, whereby the CIA installed a virulently anti-Ruskian regime with the deliberate intention of agitating instability.

    You recall Viktor Yushchenko? The poor Ukran “democrat” with the pockmarked face caused by the beastly Ruskian’s poisoning him with dioxin? Yushchenko was the CIA’s man in Kiev, who incidentally created the AZOV battalion of Neo-Nazis in the military, and deployed them in the DB and L, and also made Stepan Bandera, (look him up), a hero of the State.

    Then of course we have the Minsk accords, which we now know were a deliberate con suffered upon Ruskia, designed to buy more time for NATO to further militarise Ukran.

    You do not have to a Ruskian sympathiser to objectively review the root cause of this war in Ukran and conclude that NATO and the US have been playing dirty in Eastern Europe for decades.

    After 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, there was a golden opportunity to help and normalise relations with Ruskia, and consign the Cold War suspicions and animosity to the dustbin. Instead the West jealously tried its best to destabilise and destroy the Ruskian state and economy.

    Believe it or not, I try to consider myself a “neutral” in my observations of events, but in it’s dealings with Ruskia, and it must be said, in it’s dealings with Israel, the West / NATO has been utterly despicable and perfidious in it’s foreign relations with the wider world. “We” are no longer the “good guys”, but the guys profoundly compromised by our association with what can be described a NeoLiberal malignancy / evil which thrives on wars and creating political instability in the world.

    You would have me believe this is all down to the nasty Mr Pu(tin)? No. He is simply the man who held Ruskia together in the face of this Western onslaught and attempted insurrection, and accordingly he is the bête noire of the Western propagandists, and the man who must be denied all credibility.

    History not withstanding, because post WW2 I believe the Westetn Allies had some integrity, NATO has morphed into something ugly and malevolent. I choose to believe our involvement with NATO is an accident of geography, because in all other respects, I find NATO’s modern activities immoral and thoroughly reprehensible. We are definitely NOT the good guys any longer.

  83. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Nothing will happen.

    This will drag on & they’ll brazen it out.

    In a just & fair world, everyone in charge of the SNP accounts should be up in court & facing jail. Every single one of them because they lied & stole over £600K from the public & they put their signature to the bullshit it was ring fenced.

    That’ll only be the half of it too. Imelda & Ferdinand probably helped themselves to other donations & backhanders to get this GRR shite through Holyrood not to mention ppls wills.

    But they’re now fully paid up serfs to the Brit nat establishment where they’re now exempt. Free brass neck fitted as standard. She’ll swan around like fck all has happened.

    Years from now, during any future indyref, out will come the wee book the Establishment keeps for transgressions called *recently released documents* & throw them to the dogs. At the moment the SNP is a joke & no threat to them as they’re now better than fcking Better Together ever could be.

    Bastards.

    As for Salmond – same thing. That was a britnat endeavour with Evans. She will be rewarded for being a good little soldier. Stuffing Salmond & Holyrood with GRR. Double Kudos will go to her with a gong once the dust settles.

  84. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks

    Well said!

    The Western propaganda doesn’t work anymore since the age of the internet. Anyone who listens to him, straight from the horse’s mouth, can understand why he has a genuine grievance after continued acts of war against them including baiting them along their borders & pointing their surrounding nukes straight at them, to breaking international treaties & laws of the security council – which are supposed to be sacrosanct. Even attempts at peace scoffed at.

    America jurnos have even spoken out. It was a bear they had absolutely no reason to prod but their foreign policy is to dismantle Ruskies so they can rule the world. Them the only superpower left standing.

    Sturgeons no fly zone bullshit is an ACT Of War. It takes out a countries air force, communications & instillations as well as supplies.

    Mouth almighty was real smart when the rust bucket Trident is sitting on the Clyde, what a space cadet. She isn’t even in charge of any military or it’s decisions FFS. If she wanted to play at Churchill she should’ve fcked off & used one of her many mandates to declare independence.

    They yanks are evil. They disrupt & destabilise every single country to get puppet regimes in. They start wars everywhere & haven’t won one yet. Whether it’s through war, fake news or interference in a country’s elections. They won’t rest until they’re the empire part two & in every single country running the show.

    I dunno what their beef with the Ruskies is, maybe it’s cause they won us WW2 & managed to get to H*tler before they did lol. They strike me as narcissistic & psychotic like that. They never forget a slight.

    Indy isn’t safe from them as evidenced by the rockets that’s latched onto the Yes movement. They just magically appeared from nowhere within the bowels of the SNP.

  85. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    The US has been taken over by aliens. They’re trying to start WWIII in order to wipe us out. Globalists around the world are in on it with them, having been promised eternal life and top jobs in the post-apocalypse. Our only hope is Donald Trump.

    You think we are fighting for Scottish independence? Forget it.

    We are fighting for human survival.

  86. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Trump did say he was going to drain the swamp.
    Looks like the swamp won.

    Anyone whoever mentioned that ended up in an early grave.

    There is an evil there for sure.

  87. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    sarah says on 22 January 2024 at 8:16 pm:
    “I made a mistake: the case is being taken to the European Court of Human Rights, not to the European Court of Justice as I mistakenly wrote.”

    No worries! The main point is to help raise awareness and i think we’ve done that. I also agree with ‘twathater’ at 6:03 pm, it would be a massive boost if pro-indy politicians actually did their jobs and got behind those pushing this angle.

    It would add some serious weight to the issue. But they refuse to support the very folk who’s votes and support they covet? They have no right to expect our votes and support if they’re not prepared to back this legal challenge.

    The involvement of politicians would also bring with it very much needed media coverage, local, national and possibly even international. After-all, it’s not as if this is another reckless squandering of taxpayers money by Sturgeon’s SNP, eh!

  88. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    Wow. Scottish exceptionalism writ large.

    Other western nations and cultures party from Friday through to Sunday. Then it’s Monday, and back to work.

    Not here though. The bevvying continues right through Monday and into the wee, small hours of Tuesday morning.

    How else to explain the torrent of self-pitying gurning and reality-denying make believe from JohnLMAO onwards.

    fighting for human survival are you, Hattrick?

    You and the Wings BTL revered freedom and justice fighter, President Poot, hero of Breeks never-ending ramblings. Where you posting from Breeks? The gulag?

    But enough laughing. Breeks, Geri, JohnLMAO, Hattrick, etc can still do Scotland a huge favour:

    Show us what you’re on

  89. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Thanks Breeks , beautifully laid out.

    The West is scared of mirrors , they might show it in a very bad light.

  90. Anthem
    Ignored
    says:

    Poor wee John Main. Still hiding behind the big bullies shouting his mouth off. Until he’s cannon fodder and they piss all over him. Maybe he’s just into that kind of thing.

  91. Johnlm
    Ignored
    says:

    Genocide John Main has been bitter ever since Jesse Owens won those gold medals.

    Sounding a bit stressed this morning.

    Must be bad news in Unherd.

  92. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Its the classic question…Who benefits?

    From an Establishments eyes..no-one. Its all hunky dory at the moment and everyone’s getting a slice of pie in some shape or other.

    From the Publics…well thats split between the deniers, the criers and the couldnt give two-hooters. Sadly I think the criers will just have a view of long grass for a long long time till this one slides over the horizon. Cant see it going anywhere.

    BTW..is becoming a Sheriff the equivalent of becoming a Lord..keep your expense claims going in without any hassles?

  93. Willie
    Ignored
    says:

    Three bagels and a pat of marmalade are headed to be toast.

    The decision will have been made. All that effort was not for nothing. It’s only a matter of timing.

  94. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks.
    “After 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, there was a golden opportunity to help and normalise relations with Ruskia, and consign the Cold War suspicions and animosity to the dustbin. Instead the West jealously tried its best to destabilise and destroy the Ruskian state and economy.”

    I have heard Vl@dP talking about this period… he said something like after the collapse of the Soviet Union Russi@ tried make peace with the West but the West’s response was ‘to try to finish us’.

    People forget just how bad a state Rus$ia was in the 90’s. Yelt$in realized he was surrounded by snakes in the end and asked Vl@dP to save Russi@. And he did. That is why is so hated in the West and so loved in Russi@. We are told nothing but lies by our media.

    We are on the wrong side of history here.

  95. Willie
    Ignored
    says:

    On a slightly different matter we all might have something else to think about.

    Mr Shapps said last week that the country was “moving from a post-war to pre-war world” with the sentiment being echoed by a military General.

    A world war to reset the West’s failing economic hegemony will most certainly realign our world. That’s what big conflagrations do. And sadly all to many of the lumpen populous, if I may refer to many of our fellow citezenry either sleepwalk or cheerlead into such war.

    And yes politicos like Shapps and so many others of his ilk seem proudly up for it.

  96. TURABDIN
    Ignored
    says:

    GRANT SHAPPS
    ..in a 2010 interview with The Jewish Chronicle, he stated that he follows Jewish traditions but personally considers himself to be an agnostic and an indifferentist.
    Indifferentism is a Catholic term referring to a state of being willing to concede any position on any matter there being no absolute truth value or principle operating.
    The very stuff of contemporary politics and the DNA of most who play that field.
    His name suggests a character from a graphic novel but superhero NOT.

  97. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Westminster wants to make it easier for oil giants to take more oil and gas from Scottish waters.

    “THE Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill has cleared its first hurdle in the House of Commons after MPs gave it a second reading.

    Members voted in favour of the bill by 293 votes to 211, majority 82. It will undergo further scrutiny at a later date.

    The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill would compel the North Sea regulator to invite applications for new projects each year, instead of when it feels it is appropriate, as it does currently.

    Ministers argue that this will improve the country’s energy security by reducing the need to ship oil in from abroad from countries that could be hostile to the UK.”

    The last sentence doesn’t hold water around 80% goes abroad.

    “This is because it is extracted by private companies, who sell it on the open international market, rather than necessarily to the UK. For this reason – and because some oil can’t be refined in the UK – around 80% of the oil produced in the North Sea is actually exported.”

  98. Sven
    Ignored
    says:

    TURABDIN @ 09.52

    Looking at Mr Shapp’s previous history, one is tempted to say, “his “current” name”.

  99. TURABDIN
    Ignored
    says:

    The Norwegian clone of SHAPPS….ex sergeant Norwegian Home Guard
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bjørn_Arild_Gram
    Those Nordics all peace, love and Russophobia.
    Any Scottish clones?

  100. Agent x
    Ignored
    says:

    ” Scottish Government plans for juryless rape trials are in chaos with Scotland’s defence lawyers preparing to formally boycott taking part in any pilot scheme.

    The Herald understands the Scottish Solicitor Bar Association (SSBA) is set to ballot members on the controversial proposal in the new Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.”

    https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/24067513.juryless-rape-trial-pilot-doubt-lawyers-prepare-boycott/

  101. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Mac says: 23 January, 2024 at 8:56 am

    OFFS “Mac”, you an a’.

    It’s still not genocide, BTW.

    You must have missed the post I dropped on here a few weeks back, listing the clues that identify when an online poster has lost traction with reality.

    It’s bad news, soz, but bear it like a man.

    on the wrong side of history

    That’s one of the red flags.

    But there’s good news too. You can ignore or deny reality all you want – but reality won’t ignore or deny you.

  102. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t watch TV ever so I don’t know anything about all the wars happening outside Scotland.

    My full attention is on the war on women & children.

    https://archive.is/AAuAn

    Fuck off with her penis.

    These deviants are definitely taking the piss.

    When this creep was arrested and interviewed by police, the creep said he was a “naturist” and denied the allegations made by the girls, jurors heard.

    Had this happened in a changing room there would have been absolutely no risk of arrest.

    In an interview with police, one of the girls said she felt “uncomfortable” when Ms Norris was “staring and smiling” at the two of them.

    She said: “I felt a bit unsafe because it felt like he was trying to look at us at all times – I don’t know if he wanted to be seen.

    “He was looking us dead in the eye and smiling.

    “I was very freaked out by what I saw

    Of course he wanted to be seen.
    That is a very scary experience for children especially when the creep lives close-by. I can confirm this due to past experiences.

    This is exactly what will happen in changing rooms. Anyone who thinks these supercreeps won’t take advantage of the freedom they have to do this perfectly legally in changing rooms must be very naive or turned on by the idea of men exposing themselves to children.

    Time to stop being kind to the supercreeps.

    I am transphobic

    Flippin right I am are you?

  103. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Don’t go thinking flashers are harmless because they are not. Keep in mind Wayne Cousins was a flasher turned murderer.

    The trans butcher paedophile’s lawyer is claiming he should have his sentence reduced because he has never done anything like that before.

    Well apart from a bit of flashing Wayne Cousins hadn’t either nor had Ian Huntley

    Ian Huntley ‘demands sex change to start new life as Nicola in women’s prison’; The Soham murderer has requested women’s clothes for Christmas including a tweed dress and matching jacket, a blonde wig and some stockings, according to reports.

    Huntley wants to be called Nicola and the really sick thing about that is the mother of Holy Wells is called Nicola.

    I am transphobic

    For sure I am are you?

    PS Is Mr Idul Wadhwa still in a job?

    What you say it’s risky to be transphobic. If we are all going to be blown up by these ‘war fetishists’ then what the hell?

  104. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ TURABDIN says: 23 January, 2024 at 10:10 am

    Those Nordics all peace, love and Russophobia.
    Any Scottish clones?

    Seems the closer a nation and people is to the Russtis, the more they hate them. Alert readers will wonder why. Curious readers will read up on the history of Finland, Poland, the Baltic Republics, Stalin’s ideological purity famines and purges, etc.

    Myself, I’m interested in the guy they employed on night shift in the basement of the Lubyanka. With an unlimited supply of bullets and vodka, it was his job to put a bullet in the back of the head of the hundreds of denounced the vans swept up each day. The system was efficient, you have to admire that. Denounce your neighbour as a “wrecker”, and they would be picked up that night, and dead by morning of the next day. Haha, you won’t be parking in my space again, sucker!

    Seems like today, Wings BTL is going through one of its Russophilia phases, with special praise bestowed on President Poot.

    And to be scrupulously fair, he would never stitch up the aspirational leader of one of his breakaway republics with nonsensical allegations of “hair pinging”, or the like.

    Naw, the guy or gal would be exiled, dead or in a Siberian gulag. And for the exiled or imprisoned, a side order of Novocik would be prescribed. Just to mak siccar.

    https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/jailed-kremlin-critic-navalny-put-solitary-confinement-arctic-prison-2024-01-23/

    It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that’s exactly what some of the regulars on here admire, although just why anybody would want to live in the Scotland they seem to be wishing for remains a mystery.

    Maybes they fancy themselves as the camp guards. There’s always some who would love that role, even in the nicest, friendliest country in the world.

    Maybes some cant keeps parking in “their” space!

  105. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruby , too bloody right!

  106. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    The thing is, if they wanted a direct confrontation with Rus’, they could easily have engineered one by now. The whole West was primed and ready to go, with blue and yellow flags everywhere; they could have used any excuse or just invented one. We can safely rule that out as an objective.

    The same sort of thing is happening in the Middle East with Iran. Even the Israelis have held back. It’s possible Iran has nuclear capabilities or something but even a conventional response from them would be cataclysmic for countries within range of their missiles and drones. Again, I think we can rule that out as an end.

    All US/Western wars since 2000, and there’s been several, have been abject disasters, except for arms manufacturers. It’s been one humiliation after another. We don’t see it because we are inside the propaganda bubble but everyone else sees it. It’s hard to believe they want another even bigger one.

    I’m ruling out Armageddon. Be glad.

  107. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    Liberal economics – capitalism, growth – is the nemesis of brotherhood and peace politics. The communists long ago lost sight of their founding ideals, being rough hewn by conflict into a matching grotesque. Humanity takes its chances where it can in spite of these constructions. Glad I got that out of the way.

    Nevertheless,I agree with much of what Breeks says. The Ucraniads have been cruelly duped. I learnt of what I know about the behaviour of big powers studying the literature around in the late 70s, early 80s. My original motivation was as an anti nuke – military and civil. That morphed into a growing appreciation of the natural world, a sense which has overtaken most of the 19th century yearnings my generation grew up (if Boomers grow up) with. I’ll take a fair bit of inequality (it’s only human) if it helps keep nature going. As for tackling corruption, folk need to tread very carefully with that. Eerily, it’s human too, perhaps essentially so given the conflict visible at every level of existence. I tend to look past the “reasons” for a conflict, the injustice, the greed, the border disputes, even the so-called geopolitics (fancy cloak for economics at its most brutal) to the likely effects on people and nature and peer ahead for a route through.

    Scottish independence is stalled. Maybe that’s because pursuing its aims – the things folk want to get by it, is not currently realistic. The modern State is not really a fitting container for those goods and we should be looking at alternatives.

  108. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Here’s a thought about the European Court of Human Rights.

    The Gender Recognition Act 2004 came about because of a ruling by the ECHR.

    ‘The act was drafted in response to court rulings from the European Court of Human Rights. The previous precedent dated back to 1970, when Arthur Cameron Corbett, 3rd Baron Rowallan had his marriage annulled on the basis that his wife, April Ashley, being transgender, was legally male.’

  109. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    Geri says on 23 January 2024 at 1:51 am:
    “They yanks are evil. They disrupt & destabilise every single country to get puppet regimes in. They start wars everywhere & haven’t won one yet. Whether it’s through war, fake news or interference in a country’s elections.”

    And you would be 100% correct in that description, according to a documentary i’ve just started watching on Prime called Superpower. It’s about America’s pursuit of dominance through military & economic strategy, at any cost.

    Just 10-minutes or so in they scroll a massive list of countries the USA has meddled in, in one way or another, the list is fricken immense. And how they would stop at nothing to achieve their aims regardless of who gets hurt and regardless of any devastation left behind.

    One of the programmes participants says, “just off the top of my head, to give you an example” (he says to the viewers) “In the 80s we (USA) were friends with Pol Pot, Saddam Hussain and Osama Bin Laden, until it didn’t suit our purpose.” I started watching it late (3am) on last night/wee sma oors but decided to start it again another night as i was struggling to keep my eyes open.

    The documentary runs for about 2-hours and is done by American’s who had their suspicions raised with some of the things they claimed were not sitting right with them on what they were being fed by the media post 9/11.

    It looks a promising watch from what i’ve seen of it so-far. I’d swear you were one of the participants when i read your comment. LOL! It was exactly what the film-makers were saying.

  110. Andrew James
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s worth comparing and contrasting Bain’s body language with the clapping seals around the table during Sturgeon’s final cabinet meeting.

    Sturgeon can’t even bring herself to look in that direction.

    https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/video/nicola-sturgeon-holds-her-final-080601280.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=ma

  111. Johnlm
    Ignored
    says:

    Novich*c – (noun)
    The least deadly ‘most deadly’ poison yet invented. Lol.

    Johnocide Main is losing it.

  112. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Hatuey says: 23 January, 2024 at 10:53 am

    I’m ruling out Armageddon

    Feck.

    Could we maybes get somebody with a track record of being right to rule it out?

  113. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    “They’re trying to start WWIII in order to wipe us out”

    Wiping us out is just seen as collateral and a minor loss of future exports revenue in the eyes of the USA. People living elsewhere other than in USA are just cannon fodder when it comes to keep USA’s paws in control of the global economy and being able to continue using its economic “sanctions” as a “peaceful” deterrent for any country that does not tow USA’s self-serving imperial line.

    The main objective behind this new “need” for another war might just be to preserve the unipolar status quo which feeds the convenient “exorbitant privilege” of the dollar.

    There are several articles out there with the opinion that the sanctions imposed by USA on Russia after the Ukraine war were a steep too far and the last straw that pushed de-dollarisation in serious motion.

    If the articles out there are something to go by, it seems the economic blockade imposed on Russia by USA, UK and Europe appears to have produced an undesired consequence. Russia and China are still trading but they have ditched the dollar and euro. They are now trading in yuan. Other countries are also starting to trade with yuan and even using their own local currencies in bilateral trade agreements.

    The next step, albeit not imminent, might be supplanting the dollar as the main reserve currency. It seems that some central banks are starting to buy gold again to back their currencies.

    Some countries are pissed off that their economies are far too dependent on the dollar. Others are fed up with USA self-appointing itself the policeman of the world. Others are alarmed at the size of its deficit and the impact on their own reserves if dollar depreciates. Others are fed up of its warmongering interventionism promoting wars, instability and the conflict in the middle east. Others are concerned that if their political views do not ally with USA’s, they would be at the receiving end of its economic sanctions. Ditching the dollar has become a risk-cutting exercise. A preventative measure.

    This de-dollarisation and transformation into a multi-polar world appears to be moving and could have serious consequences for the UsA economy and the evergrowing deficit of its current account in the longer term. In some articles I have read, a rapid de-dollarisation is even liked to a matter of “national security”, although this might be a bit of an exaggeration.

    So it seems the USA’s greediness has rendered its main tool for “peaceful encouragement” to foreign countries’ compliance -economic sanctions- useless for the bigger players.

    To cover up for its overreach and restore the unipolar world order, it “just” needs another big, fat nasty war in Europe/Asia that flattens the whole economic system down. Then, history can repeat itself and USA can come again as the mighty saviour demanding the returning to the status quo.

    What is truly embarrassing is to watch UK politicians doing the ground work for the USA by spreading the propaganda of “pre-war” nonsense. It is not Russia or China who have the problem with de-dollarisation nor they are seeking this “war”. Their multipolar work strategy appears to be working without any more wars in the horizon.

    Having said that, UK politicians might just be exploiting an opportunity: they may boost UK’s weaponry sales by creating a fear of war so other countries start to pile up their weapons in preparation for it. Rather than WWIII, we might just be at the doors of another long fabricated cold war.

    It is beginning to look like, when regime change is not an option and economic sanctions do not longer work, hegemony of the dollar is to be maintained by engineering either a big war somewhere or the fear of it.

    No matter what century we are in, it very much looks like history keeps repeating itself.

  114. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    “They’re trying to start WWIII in order to wipe us out”

    Wiping us out might just be seen as a bit of collateral and a minor loss of future exports revenue in the eyes of the USA. Flattening out our countries to ashes opens, of course, opportunity for new growth and a new injection of life for neoliberal capitalism.

    As we have seen often enough, people living elsewhere other than in USA are just cannon fodder when it comes to keep USA’s paws in control of the global economy and being able to continue using its economic “sanctions” as a “peaceful” deterrent for any country that does not tow USA’s self-serving imperial line.

    The main objective behind this new “need” for another war might just be to preserve the unipolar status quo which feeds the convenient “exorbitant privilege” of the dollar.

    There are several articles out there with the opinion that the sanctions imposed by USA on R u ssia after the Uk r aine war were one steep too far and the last straw that pushed de-dollarisation in serious motion.

    If the articles out there are something to go by, it seems the economic blockade imposed on R u ssia by USA, UK and Europe appears to have produced an undesired consequence. R u ssia and C hina are still trading but they have ditched the dollar and euro. They are now trading in yuan. Other countries are also starting to trade with yuan and even using their own local currencies in bilateral trade agreements.

    The next step, albeit not imminent, might be replacement of the dollar as the main reserve currency. It seems that some central banks are starting to buy gold again to back their currencies.

    Some countries are pissed off that their economies are far too dependent on the dollar. Others are fed up with USA self-appointing itself the policeman of the world. Others are alarmed at the size of its deficit and the impact on their own reserves if dollar depreciates. Others are fed up of its warmongering interventionism promoting wars, instability and the conflict in the middle east. Others are concerned that if their political views do not ally with USA’s, they would be at the receiving end of its economic sanctions.

    Ditching the dollar has become a risk-cutting exercise for other countries. A preventative measure.

    According to what has been published, this de-dollarisation and transformation into a multi-polar world appears to be moving and might have serious consequences for UsA’s economy and the evergrowing deficit of its current account in the longer term. In some articles I have read, a rapid de-dollarisation is even liked to a matter of “national security”, although this might be a bit of an exaggeration.

    So it seems USA’s greediness might have just rendered its main tool for “peaceful encouragement” of foreign countries to comply -economic sanctions- ineffective for bigger players.

    To revert de-dollarisation, restore sanctions effectiveness as a tool of control and restore the unipolar world order, it “just” needs another big, fat nasty war in Europe/Asia (as far away from USA as possible) that flattens the whole economic system down. Then, history can repeat itself and USA can come again as the mighty saviour and, taking advantage of the weak position of everybody else, demand the returning to the status quo.

    What is embarrassing is to watch UK politicians doing the ground work for the USA by spreading the propaganda of “pre-war” nonsense. It is not R u ssia or C hina who have the problem with de-dollarisation nor they are seeking this world war either. Their multipolar work strategy appears to be working without cheerleading for more wars.

    Of course, UK politicians might just be exploiting an opportunity like good businesspeople: they might see an opportunity to boost UK’s weaponry sales by creating a fear of war. I wonder if rather than WWIII, we might just be at the doors of another long fabricated cold war. Let’s hope that is the case.

    It is beginning to look like, when regime change is not an option and economic sanctions do not longer work, hegemony of the dollar is to be maintained by engineering either a big war somewhere (other than USA) or the fear of it.

    No matter what century we are in, it very much looks like history keeps repeating itself.

  115. Ruby Tuesday
    Ignored
    says:

    Prediction

    The makers of ‘Superpower’ will be extradited and charged with violating ‘The Espionage Act of 1917′, Treason or a new law might be invented just for them.

    (New law inspired by Leslie Evans’ ‘Get Salmond procedure’)

    A few of them will be charged with sexual assault of the knee, rape by osmosis,hair grooming, sexual assault of the foot and/or a whole Alphabet of sex crimes. You know the thing.

    I don’t know if I’m being cynical or if I’m just not a very good liar.

  116. Anton Decadent
    Ignored
    says:

    I am trying to get my head around people who want open borders for Scotland but protection of Russia’s borders.

    With regard to US militarism, I have stated on here before, go and look up the people within the Pentagon who have pushed America into these wars, they are not for the benefit of America and a greater number of Americans are realising this albeit we are going to see what limited access we have to information further curtailed across the West, “factual but harmful” etc.

    A new trend I am noticing online is that when any light is being shone on the people I mention in the above paragraph they are trying to blame Catholics for the perilous situation in which Western nations now find themselves. Expect to see this go more mainstream particularly as Eire finds itself in a battle for survival.

    @JohnIm, re Universe 25, “you will own nothing and be happy”.

  117. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    ‘Some people are untouchable. It seems that Sturgeon and her fragrant spouse fall into that category and we may never know why.

    So perhaps we should hope for the best and prepare for the worst, the latter being the likelihood that Branchform has taken so long because those charged with providing answers have been struggling to prepare plausible explanations. What ‘the best’ might involve is a matter of personal preference but we cannot envisage a scenario where some patsies are sacrificed and the whole sordid business is declared done and dusted.’

    https://www.offtopicscotland.com/post/preparing-for-the-worst

  118. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    Just back from taking a neighbour to an appointment and notice the local council have money to send out workers in the pissing rain to install numerous new road signs reducing the speed of a rural road to 20mph, then increase it to 40mph for a couple of hundred yards then reduce it again to 20mph.
    But there’s no money available to actual maintain the pavements or clean out the choked road drains along these same sections of roads though. Priorities eh…

  119. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Professor Mini Windbag really needs to stop watching ‘war porn’ on the BBC.

    Warning: Watching too much ‘war porn’ on the BBC can cause serious mental health problems.

    A bit of peripatetic meditation is recommended.

    Just put your clothes on before you go out. Weather could freeze your balls off, that is if you’ve got any.

    Sorry I didn’t mean to be eunuchophobic. You want a ‘smoothie’ well that’s OK by me but just watch out for these farm workers they might be OK with the pigs & sheep but maybe not so good with humans.

    PS What ever happened to the naked rambler?

  120. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Mia says: 23 January, 2024 at 12:03 pm

    Always the fault of the USA eh?

    The USA made Poot do it.

    The USA made Hamas do it.

    The USA making the short-arse third-generation tyrant in NK lob missiles at Japan.

    Anyhoo, any ideas, in the new multipolar world you foretell, where iScotland should sit?

    A western satellite of the Covid Spreaders?

    How’s about a remote gulag for the Russtis?

    Maybes you think we are being too hard on the Female Genital Mutilators? Time to get onboard with them?

    Have to say, not one of these three will be allowing you to post what you like on here. In at least one of them, you won’t be allowed internet access. In another, you won’t be allowed out of the house unaccompanied.

    But never mind all that. Expand your analysis and give us your preferred options. Let us know what you want the future to hold for us Sovereign Scots.

    As the hated Yanks say, run it up the flagpole, see who salutes.

  121. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    John Main, I was actually trying to allay your fears, having detected you were anxious about the world…

    There’s a lot of people talking about WWIII right now though. It may look like the US and Britain are trying to start a war but my reading is that they are actually on the defensive, trying to hold ground rather than take it.

    But let’s not be fooled by the aircraft carriers and other toys on show — you always need stuff like that when you are playing away from home. Missile and drone technology has changed everything, signalling the end of US supremacy just as dreadnoughts ultimately put an end to British dominance.

    On another positive note, most empires collapse with a whimper rather than a fight. There are exceptions but most go into the night quietly, rather than kicking and screaming, once they see the writing in the wall.

    It’s almost time to accept that it’s all over for the west, and almost time to pass the baton to China.

    The king is dead, long live the king, etc., etc., and so on and so forth.

  122. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    My childhood was hell due to ‘fuckin’ flashers’ and warnings about a third World War.

    That was way back in 1962 See Cuban Missile Crisis.

    I was only a child I hadn’t even had a chance to experience any free love or being a hippy.

    I was very scared and had nightmares.

    But the Cuban Missile Crisis passed and then we had Vietnam,Joan Baez, Woodstock and all these war protest songs.

    I got a letter from L.B.J
    It said, “This is your lucky day”
    It’s time to put your khaki trousers on
    Though it may seem very queer
    We’ve got no jobs to give you here
    So we are sending you to Vietnam

    That was by Tom Paxton affectionately known as TamPax.
    My mother was a big fan.

    Aye ‘Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose’

  123. crazycat
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Agent X at 10.24

    Your Herald link archived:
    https://archive.ph/49rCp

  124. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Stoker says: 23 January, 2024 at 11:05 am

    “In the 80s we (USA) were friends with Pol Pot, Saddam Hussain and Osama Bin Laden, until it didn’t suit our purpose.”

    Would that be before Pol Pot started the genocide (a real one) of millions of Cambodians?

    Would that be before Saddam invaded a sovereign country (Kuwait)?

    Would that be before Bin Laden committed a terrorist atrocity that took 3000+ innocent lives?

    Some peeps might think that to assume the best in anybody until they demonstrate otherwise is actually a great trait to have, both personally and at government level.

    What’s your philosophy of life then, Stoker? How would you have the government of iScotland behave? Immediate hostility and lethal violence at first sight? Aw naw, the new leader of [X] looks like she could be a bad one some day – launch a missile!

    Maybes you think we’ll rediscover oor Brahan Seer powers to tell how the future is going to pan out.

    Maybes you don’t think at all.

  125. Johnlm
    Ignored
    says:

    In Main’s World a new war is always arousing.
    Schwing !

  126. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    When Pete Seeger originally wrote this song, he was singing for the soldiers in Vietnam (“If you love your Uncle Sam, bring em home. Bring em home…”) Lately, however, Seeger and others have resurrected the tune as a tribute to the soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Pete Seeger

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4-w2FYIJbw

    Bruce Springsteen

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv4vW1FGnCQ

  127. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Dan says: 23 January, 2024 at 12:33 pm

    It’s not all bad.

    20 mph limits are there to force people to drive at 30 mph, as per the previous limits.

    Drive at 30, as you should have been doing all these years anyway, and you’ll be grand.

  128. Johnlm
    Ignored
    says:

    Bin L. took 3000+ lives?
    He wasn’t indicted by the FBI for 911.

    The Johnocide Main fiction factory is appearing a bit ‘burnt out’.

    Could his handlers not give him a few days paid leave?

  129. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Hatuey says: 23 January, 2024 at 12:46 pm

    almost time to pass the baton to China

    Lead from the front then. Set a good example to us all.

    Start by cutting yourself off from free, non-state-moderated, western, internet.

    So long then, Hats.

    And for pity’s sake, get shot of the baton before Ruby starts taking an unnerving innarest. See? I do have your welfare at heart some of the time! 🙂

  130. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    “Maybes you think we are being too hard on the Female Genital Mutilators? Time to get onboard with them?”

    I knew you were going to jump to that comment like a spring. You are very predictable. You can put back your sensationalist script with hyperbolic emotional blackmailing claptrap back in your resources’ box. It does not impress me at all. The articles written by serious economists and financial analysts I have been reading during the last few weeks do.

    “As the hated Yanks say, run it up the flagpole, see who salutes”

    If that is okay with you, I rather follow that other common say: “follow the money” In this instance, the dollar and those far too invested in the dollar.

    Who stands to lose the most from de-dollarisation?

    Who stands to win the most on a full on big full-fat war which flattens the economic system and the sprouting seeds of multi-polarisation and bilateral trade agreements in local currencies which exclude the dollar and erode its hegemony?

    Who ended up losing the most because of the economic sanctions imposed on R u ssia backfired after it bypassed the dollar and started trading with C h ina in a different currency?

    Who loses the most if USA’s economic sanctions are not feared anymore because they have become toothless?

    Who loses the most if the countries of the world start to dealign from USA’s foreign policy and domestic policy?

    Who loses the most if the countries around the world start to trade in their own currencies rather than the dollar?

    Who loses the most if countries stop buying USA’s securities and rather invest their surpluses in other ventures?

    Who loses the most if oil and energy trade in a different currency other than the dollar?

    Who loses the most if countries start to back up their currencies with gold rather than dollars/yen/pounds/euro?

    Who stands to win the most if the unipolar world and the privilege of the dollar is restored?

    In terms of gaining control over the global economy, who benefitted the most since WWII?

    “Let us know what you want the future to hold for us Sovereign Scots”

    I want the people of Scotland to govern their country, control all of Scotland’s assets, revenues, territory, economy, legislation, languages and heritage, trade agreements, defence and currency, politics, domestic and foreign policy. I want the government elected by the people of Scotland to make decisions on the basis of what the people of Scotland wants rather than what a monarch, our neighbour, the allies of our neighbour or the secret services of our neighbour and the allies of our neighbour want.

  131. TURABDIN
    Ignored
    says:

    HATUEY 12:46
    Wars finish empires, the Ottomans & British being two examples. Both were exhausted by the experience hence their rapid collapse.
    The US, the inheritor of the British imperial mission may be in decline but it still has military tech. and soft global outreach.
    It may take a very big war indeed to finish off the viral «Americanist» ideology. The anglos, however, are existentially vulnerable. The reaction to the Houthi «rebels» is totemic.
    But «Rebels» against whom? The Saudi klepto régime, the Gulf plutocracies, Washington, London.
    The global arms industrial conglomerates are nearing rapture.
    Götterdämmerung is all in the mind, unfortunately for civilzation, some apocalyptic minds engaged by the imagery have escaped the asylum.

  132. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    crazycat
    Ignored
    says:
    23 January, 2024 at 12:49 pm

    @ Agent X at 10.24

    Your Herald link archived:
    https://archive.ph/49rCp

    Bloody right CrazyQueencat.

    Everything done by this regime should be boycotted.

    Could be your important link is being missed due to most everyone giving their all to a crazy and it ain’t you.

  133. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Here’s Tom Paxton singing ‘The Last Thing On My Mind’
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08lVuhv_Va8

    Not sure what that song is about yet but it’s lovely

    This one is called ‘Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation’
    I know what this one is about:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXcG3tXYNF8

  134. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    This link is better.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mawfdhLyPcg


    Well, here I sit in this rice paddy
    Wondering about Big Daddy
    And I know that Lyndon loves me so
    Yet how sadly I remember
    Way back yonder in November
    When he said I’d never have to go
    And Lyndon Johnson told the nation
    Have no fear of escalation
    I am trying everyone to please
    Though it isn’t really war
    We’re sending fifty thousand more
    To help save Vietnam from the Vietnamese

  135. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    Good afternoon, TURABDIN.

    You say “wars finish empires” but empires are wars, and your assessment suddenly appears quite meaningless. If you think empires are not wars then you are in real trouble but please do explain.

    Again, though, sticking to my commitment to positivity and factual analysis, sort of, it is verifiably true and noteworthy that big wars (ie. world wars) have tended to lead to all sorts of progress too — Britain’s post-war consensus in 1945, the extension of the franchise to women after WW1, etc., etc., there are countless examples in other countries too.

    I wonder if a big world war might lead to Scottish independence. Whether Britain won or lost, there’s a good chance it would. But since we aren’t likely to have such a war, I won’t let myself get too excited.

  136. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    “The Herald understands the Scottish Solicitor Bar Association (SSBA) is set to ballot members on the controversial proposal in the new Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.””

    Yes the clusterf*ck that is juryless trials to get the conviction rates up on sex offences, nevermind the evidence its the numbers that count. Of course it would only be a matter of time until juryless trials found there way into other aspects of the judicial court system, Craig Murray knows how it feels to face a juryless trial (or fit up as its better known).

    Thankfully some, who are well positioned, are not happy with the juryless trial set up.

    https://nitter.net/scotscrimbar

    Of course its not just in Scotland that injustice in the judicial system occurs Julian Assange has been in Belmarsh prison, a high security prison, in England for awhile now held without charge.

    “The WikiLeaks founder has been jailed at London’s Belmarsh prison since 2019, awaiting possible extradition to the United States on espionage charges for publishing documents that revealed U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

  137. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    The funny thing is the person going on about genital mutilation is probably lacking his foreskin.

    Nothing like getting a scalpel out on a pristine new born baby and hacking bits off eh.

  138. willie
    Ignored
    says:

    Thinking about the title ” the end of the road ” it looks like the airline industries penchant for saving money nearly last nigh brought a TUI holiday flight from Eygpt to Glasgow to the end of the road.

    After around six hours in the air weather conditions did not allow it to land at Glasgow whereupon on it’s diversion to more favourable Manchester it had to declare a fuel emergency.

    Thankfully at 22.06 last night the Boeing 737 max landed safely but by that time the plane must have been running on just about the proverbial fumes.

    But that was not the only such incident as a similar diversion of an Easy Jet was diverted from Glasgow to Manchester thereby occasioning another fuel emergency.

    Clearly planes meet bad weather but anticipating weather is part and parcel of any flight planning. Flying at all, or to where, and or changing destination en-route is, or should be, an utterly critical action in any airline’s business.

    Lightning can strike once, but twice in the space of minutes on the same night suggests failure. So did Glasgow get it wrong, and or did the airlines get it wrong?

  139. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ TURABDIN says:23 January, 2024 at 1:24 pm

    And still they come.

    Drifting across the Channel in their tens of thousands. As soon as one named storm fades, even in the depths of winter, the next flotilla of dinghies is on the move.

    Or tramping through the desert, and swimming the rivers, in their millions. Risking life and limb for a piece of the American Dream.

    If I thought anybody takes any innarest whatsoever in the BTL posts on here, I would be telling the Tories how to solve their Rwanda problem.

    Buy every migrant a laptop, and a subscription to Wings BTL. Then stand clear as they hot foot it back to France.

    Anyhoo, good analysis. Feel free to do the same for Russtiland. I’ll start you off. The Russti Federation includes 21 republics, 9 territories, 46 regions, 1 autonomous region, and 4 autonomous districts. More than a hundred different national and ethnic groups, and 9 time zones.

    What’s your prognostications for that behemoth as we enter the age of imperial decline and “forever wars”?

  140. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    A chance to put back into public view and minds some of our history and culture via our languages.

    We really need Scots to view this as a positive step, in my opinion much more than just our languages are at stake here.

    “HOLYROOD has launched a call for views on a bill that would give Gaelic and Scots languages official status in Scotland.

    The legislation specifies that the Scottish Government must promote Gaelic and Scots education in schools, while giving ministers powers to set standards on the languages within education.

    It would designate geographical areas as “areas of linguistic significance” – where 20% of the area population speaks Gaelic, has a historical connection with the language, provides Gaelic education, or “hosts other significant Gaelic activity”.

    The legislation would change the responsibilities of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the public body that is responsible for promoting Gaelic development, and allow ministers to create guidance for public bodies in relation to the promotion and support for the Gaelic and Scots languages.

    Bòrd na Gàidhlig would be required to report on progress in regard to the Gaelic language strategy, as well as whether public authorities are complying with their duties to promote the use of the language.”

  141. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Stoker 11.05

    I haven’t seen that documentary but I’ll check it out, ta.
    I’ve listened to a few lectures of what happened after, as Breeks says, the collapse of the USSR. Rather than be happy & stick to their treaty they have done nothing but renege & bait before the ink was even dry. They want Russkies gone. Period.

    I’ve listened to a few of Ps press conferences & he has plenty genuine grievance, even more so now that they blew up Nordstream. He was supplying the EU far cheaper & they are now forced to deal with the yanks at triple the cost & record $billions in profits sail off to America & Norway.

    In the press conference he listed acts against international law & defying UN resolutions & all his efforts at trying to repair relations & reminding them they were an ally during EU/911 terrorism & WW2 but the yanks scoffed in his face & they had the EU do the same. The last laugh is on the EU now tho as I heard Germany & others are raging over the cost of Gas & their cheap source was deliberately sabotaged.

    I have Prime, I’ll check it out, thanks.

    Mia, spot on. I think the yanks keeping his reserves & saying they’ll spend it on country 404s war effort was just more baiting. I’m surprised P has been very reasoned & restrained. Not the mentalist the west would have us believe. Anyone deliberately freezing another country’s reserves & blowing up Gas pipes would have genuine reason to launch a warning.

    Ruby – damn right it escalates. Criminologists & therapists know this. That’s why MAPs isn’t a thing & never will be. There comes a point all that snuff & porn isn’t enough & it escalates into real life because they’ve desensitised themselves to the point they see nothing wrong with it. Any women pushing this shit is either insane, a victim of abuse or is a nonce themselves. Sadly the latter is on the rise.

    Someone asked above what in it for the warmongers – the markets. Huge corporations are now in charge. A country’s assets are fair game. Governments have created a beast they cannot control. Neo liberalism asset strips & strangles a country & the USA mafia is there to enforce it & Thatcher was the cheerleader. She’ll be burning in hell for her body count.

  142. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Mac says: 23 January, 2024 at 2:16 pm

    Cock out post of the year so far.

    Soz, meant to write “knock out”.

    I’m not going to re-post links to the articles showing how the Iranians shoot female demonstrators in the genitals. Nor will I bother with any links about the widespread occurrences of FGM, right across the ME. I’ll make an exception for the UK:

    https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/female-genital-mutilation/april-2021—march-2022

    And as for the sickening sexual mutilation and violence of 7th October, we all know who did that.

    And even you know the common thread linking all of these facts.

    But go on, fill your boots. You ave a good larff.

  143. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    England’s Border Force, that chases desperate refugees, fleeing wars (probably created by Westminster and its allies) away from their shores in overfilled tiny boats, is using hired boats to carry out their dirty deeds.

    The Border Forces have been waiting for delivery of new boats which are now FOUR YEARS late on delivery.

    https://nitter.net/Grouse_Beater/status/1749440761244909856#m

  144. Captain Yosarian
    Ignored
    says:

    I looked-in there and noticed as usual that Mr Ferguson puts the concise facts on the table in a few lines. Does anyone listen? Speaking as a well balanced man of the world I see it as a lose-lose not only for the SNP but for the Scottish parliament. No wonder Dorothy looks so stressed these days. As many others have said, there can be no less than 3No charged and if that doesn’t happen, then the grotesque fandango of Holyrood will come under intense pressure all of a sudden. It’s supposed to be the peoples parliament, remember?

  145. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Wow is the ‘X Ignore thingy’ partially working to-day?

    No sign of ‘Professor le Windbag’ this morning.

    Not coming to the aid of his Mini?

  146. Lenny Hartley
    Ignored
    says:

    Wullie, nobody got it wrong, by law the flight plan must provide for flying to destination, making an approach, going around, flying to alternate destination, making an approach, and having 45 minutes of extra fuel.
    Manchester declared only fuel emergency diversions would be allowed so at least six flights simply declared Fuel emergencies and diverted to Manchester Other flights from Scotland to London and south of England diverted as far as Cologne and Paris.

  147. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    John Main says: at 1:05 pm

    It’s not all bad.

    20 mph limits are there to force people to drive at 30 mph, as per the previous limits.

    Drive at 30, as you should have been doing all these years anyway, and you’ll be grand.

    Trouble with what you have just said is that it’s shit, and doing 30 in a 20 will get you pulled if the rozzers are out with speed checking equipment.
    I stated it is a rural road and the previous speed limits were 60mph on the open road and 30mph through the villages. Now we have 60 @ 40 limits on open roads and some villages have a 20 limit whilst others have a 30.
    The speed restrictions changing on open road for what amounts to just a few seconds of driving is bonkers. With no continuity folk will be so busy looking and processing all the ever changing road signage they’ll be less focused on observing the actual real world road hazards and conditions.

    Maybe if the local authority spent the funds they do have maintaining the roads and pavements, and also teaching bairns the green cross code instead of filling their wee developing nappers with genderwoowoo pish we’d all be in a better place.

    The thing is, due to the council not maintaining the pavements along the road they have become overgrown and covered in detritus forcing anyone using the pavement to walk on the clean edge of the pavement right next to the road traffic.
    If they cleaned the fucking pavements then folk can walk in the middle or inner edge of the pavement a safer distance away from the moving traffic. #RocketScience it ain’t #RoadScience it is.

  148. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    Bit tangential but I do find it funny that when (some) people condemn genital mutilation they add in the qualifying adjective ‘female’ (genital mutilation).

    Why do they need to do that? Surely they should just be saying ‘genital mutilation is bad’.

    Adding in female almost sounds like you are implying male genital mutilation is ok.

    And guess what that is what they are implying and do think.

    Circumcision (practiced by Judaism and Islam) is male genital mutilation.

    But that’s ooooookay. That is why they have to add in the female part qualifier to genital mutilation. They know.

    I find it astonishing this practice is so widespread in the high tech modern age. People butchering their own babies. It is barbaric.

  149. Sven
    Ignored
    says:

    Willie @ 14.20

    Quite possible the pilot’s decision owing to changes in flight plans, Will.
    I recall back in the late 1980s Captain Brian Walpole being permanently grounded because he chose to land Concorde with less than the required fuel reserve rather than diverting to refuel.
    In his case I believe it was a fault with the hydraulics which was the reason for the increased fuel usage.

  150. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    From last year but I think even more significant now in the light of the attacks on indysites and the deletion of important information on WhatsApp.

    https://caltonjock.com/2023/01/26/is-mi6-running-the-snp/

  151. James
    Ignored
    says:

    Stoker;

    May I recommend the series “The Untold History of the United States” by Oliver Stone? Tells the true story of USA interference around the world, starting point WWI, Bush family links with Nazi Germany, ‘British’ trashing of Greece after WWII etc. Also outlines how the R*ssians have saved the world from nuclear holocaust. Twice. (And tried hard a third time at the tragic Reykjavík Summit in 1986, but American arms fantasies got in the way).
    Covers the period up to 9/11 and Obama’s mostly failed presidency.

  152. TURABDIN
    Ignored
    says:

    JOHN MAIN & HATUEY.

    Hatuey….dont be such a pedant, you know exactly what i mean re «empire». When people talk of «progress» i reach for the waffle maker.
    john main…..like all imperial creations Russia is vulnerable to defection, time will tell.
    The US, as long as the myth has devotees may survive intact but once the myth dies…again time will tell. Demographic changes are also signaling the end of old anglo-america.
    The West, as currently constructed, is in the twilight years. Scotland’s great and good may have to do some deep thinking on how they handle that.
    The rut, the furrow currently powerless Scotland is mired in leads to nowhere.

  153. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Wow I’m on topic, well kinda!

    Another headache for Dorothy.

    https://archive.is/Fdtma

    It was just three months after taking up the post of Lord Advocate this summer that Dorothy Bain QC threw something of a curveball at the profession, telling MSPs on Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee that juryless trials for sexual offence cases should be looked into as a matter of urgency.

    https://archive.is/UhHQX

    Bain doubles down on judge-only trials as Tories seek to protect juries

    Lawyers prepare to boycott!

    A spokesperson for the Scottish parliament said: “The committee is hearing from a range of witnesses representing the legal profession including the Law Society, the Scottish Criminal Bar Association, and a leading KC. The SSBA was invited to provide a written submission.”

    Aye a range of witnesses! We’ve heard that one before.

  154. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Can you believe UPPER CASE TURABDIN is a 17 year old boy from Iraq?

    What a boy!

  155. Anycolouryoulike
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t think we can be surprised by Miss Bains’ position.
    Up until 2002 she was principally known as a Divorce specialist.
    I doubt if she had ever defended a High Court criminal case prior to her appointment as AD.
    That in itself would be surprising although not unique in Scotland.
    The acceptance of the post would undoubtedly have been the first step on the road to Lord Advocate and from there to a “ red jersey” C of S judge – definitely NOT a shrieval appointment!
    It’s a well trodden path- one that her husband partially followed( missing out LA)
    Alan Turnbull however did extensive defence work.
    Point here is that Miss Bains whole perspective & experience in crime comes from her work
    s a prosecutor and she now sits atop the system.
    You can see how that may lead to a bias in assessing cases.
    I have to say at this point that I believe 100% that Miss Bain is a woman of integrity- by that I mean she will do what she believes is correct.You or I may not agree with her but she will be acting on her own belief- not that of Humza- or as some suggest Westminster.
    Remember she did not prosecute Craig Murray- that was off Dorian’s back.
    I have absolutely no doubt that if the Crime Investigation Report re Branchform is a three liner-ie the cops ( who know the evidential requirements for a conviction) believe there is a sufficiency of evidence to secure a conviction against any or all of the charged individuals then a criminal Petition will be served on them.
    She would have little or no choice for the reasons you have raised- but one more.
    She wants the red jersey- it’s the pinnacle of any legal career- the Olympic gold.
    I believe the vast majority of the Senior judiciary have had more than enough of the SNP/Green attempts at social engineering via legislation & would love to see the whole shambles blown away.
    They’re going anyway- most of the head rats jumped ship & the remaining lot don’t even seem to realise their ship is sinking- so why should she wish to protect them?
    You suggest she may get a move upstairs prior to the “ big decision “- but what idiot( and goodness knows there are plenty at the bar )would grasp the poisoned chalice?
    We have to be careful we don’t slip into some kind of Trumpian netherworld where everything is doubted & all public servants who are dragged into the political arena are vilified.
    I know Bain is in the political arena- so first step to regain the perception of integrity
    has to the removal of the LA from government.
    Miss Bain could conceivably resign from Cabinet but retain the post of LA or alternatively make it crystal clear that she will not attend any further cabinet meetings and restrict herself to advising on the legality of policy rather than be seen as creating it.

  156. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    GI Genocidal John 1.13

    **Start by cutting yourself off from free, non-state-moderated, western, internet.**

    Lol, ya rocket!

    1. Broadband isn’t free. WTF is your provider?

    2. It is state moderated. Surveillance is on yer phone, yer TV, yer car & soon to be bank accounts. What kinda Victorian hovel do you live in?

    X, Facebook, Instagram all heavily censored to the point it’s orgasmic as this site owner can testify along with countless others who found themselves removed for not believing the cults ideology.

    3. The internet is available to anyone. It doesn’t belong to the West. The parts are probably made in China. Along with the satalites & all the chips for mobile phones. They missed a market there eh? Too busy warring I’ll guess.

    You certainly have a fcked up world view made from the BBC. Are you living in a cave with a daily visit to a library for yer *free* internet access? – oh, that’s right -even that is limited to one hour only & then the free loving West cuts it off LOL!

    Internet says no.

    Mind pay yer license fees too. All that *free* propaganda won’t pay for itself you know or it’s 6months in the clink.

  157. Anton Decadent
    Ignored
    says:

    @RoS

    “England’s Border Force, that chases desperate refugees, fleeing wars (probably created by Westminster and its allies) away from their shores in overfilled tiny boats, is using hired boats to carry out their dirty deeds.”

    Could you please inform us which war in France they are fleeing from? They are economic migrants.

  158. Xaracen
    Ignored
    says:

    Westminster’s sovereignty over the United Kingdom is not absolute, and it isn’t inherent in the institution itself; its authority is derived from the representatives of the two sovereign kingdoms that founded the Union and its parliament, making its authority wholly dependent on the agreement of those representatives. Westminster has no authority of its own outside of those two sovereignties, being merely the place where the representatives negotiate their agreements for the joint governance of their Union.

    Westminster’s authority over Scotland derives exclusively from Scotland’s MPs, and from no other body. Scotland’s MPs embody Westminster’s authority over the Scottish half of the Union. Absent them, Westminster’s authority to govern Scotland vanishes completely, effectively ending the Union, and leading to the formal negotiations for the disaggregation of the Union’s debts and assets.

    (‘Half of the Union’ because there are only two sovereign members in it, not 650, and both are sovereign equals. England’s greater numbers of population and MPs are irrelevant to the equation because they cannot add to England’s authority in the Union, because its sovereignty is already absolute within its own territory, and it ranks no higher or lower than Scotland’s sovereignty in the Union.)

    So equally, Westminster’s authority over England derives exclusively from the English kingdom’s MPs, and from no other body. England’s MPs embody Westminster’s authority over the English half of the Union.

    Clearly then, Westminster’s MPs cannot sensibly, let alone legally or democratically, be deemed to comprise a single uniform body in any meaningful sense because NO MP shares both sovereignties. Of the MPs’ 650 total, 59 wield the full sovereign authority of the Scottish half of the Union without a shred of England’s sovereign authority, and the remaining 591 wield the full sovereign authority of the English half of the Union without a shred of Scotland’s sovereign authority.

    Since neither half of the Union has any formal authority over the other half, then neither half can have any formal authority over the whole Union. All decisions of the Union’s parliament MUST therefore be agreed by BOTH bodies.

    That is why treating both bodies of MPs as a single body and subjecting them to a simple flat majority vote where one body of MPs outnumbers the other ten times over is ludicrously inappropriate, with no democratic or constitutional provenance, since it obviously directly denies the sovereign authority of the Scottish partner in particular.

    The simple flat majority vote effectively substitutes the two symmetric sovereignties with two highly asymmetric numeric ‘authorities’, thereby conferring England’s representation with an enormous and entirely unwarranted power advantage over Scotland’s representation on any matter of governance. As a matter of recorded fact, the Treaty’s MP numbers were calculated on the basis of the relative tax-raising capacities of the two kingdoms, democracy in any modern sense having had nothing to do with it.

    Needless to say, nothing requiring the use of simple flat majority voting was formally agreed in the Treaty, nor agreed and ratified in either Act of Union. It is therefore unwarranted and has no formal constitutional standing, and that means it can be amended.

    Every time England’s MPs outvote Scotland’s to pass a matter that Scotland’s MPs clearly rejected, England exceeds its formal authority, and directly defies the constitutional basis of the Union itself. Westminster’s managers should NOT be permitting this!

    Scotland’s resiling of the Treaty, the ending of the Union, and the resumption of its independence is already fully justified.

  159. sam
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ruby

    Country Joe and the Fish

    Feel Like I’m fixing to Die Rag

    A singalong

  160. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Lenny Hartley 2.39

    I’d argue the pilots were at fault. Severe weather is supposed to be factored into the flight plan. So is calling for an alternate before a plane is at the running on fumes stage.

    Unless it’s just the media being over dramatic. The pilots know how much fuel they have to spare & with a clock ticking on the go around watching it drain away isn’t something an experienced pilot would favour without eyeing up an alternative well in advance of running on fumes.

    I’d choose the media being overdramatic option.

  161. John
    Ignored
    says:

    @Mac 2:43
    Circumcision is widely practised in the US . In the UK too, it was the norm in many Private Schools.
    Since my late dad once threatened (mentioning) it when I was a boy I have thought wtf is this about ?
    Apparently for some, who may not be challenged, it seems their God got it a wee bit wrong and needed a snip .
    As the sole carer for a child from birth till adult I have an idea that circumcision is the favourite cut for people with other intentions.
    Just my opinion.

  162. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    “Could you please inform us which war in France they are fleeing from? They are economic migrants.”

    As far as I know refugees are under no obligation (Geneva Convention) to remain in the first country that offers them sanctuary/asylum.

    Some refugees heading to the UK might do so because they have family or friends who currently live there, or they (mistakenly that’s for sure) feel safer and that their rights will not be greatly impinged upon if they live in the UK. They also come to the UK in the hope of a better more prosperous life for them and their children.

    As I said in my previous comment undoubtably most will be fleeing wars and oppression in their homelands, most likely brought on by Western influences.

  163. Andy Ellis
    Ignored
    says:

    @Turabdin 3.05pm

    The West, as currently constructed, is in the twilight years. Scotland’s great and good may have to do some deep thinking on how they handle that.
    The rut, the furrow currently powerless Scotland is mired in leads to nowhere.

    You may be right about the West, but reports of it’s imminent demise may, like those of Mark Twain, prove premature. I don’t honestly think it’s something that the great and the good give a lot of thought to and suspect ordinary folk worry about it even less.

    We don’t know how long the twilight period will last, or whether the replacement (whenever that emerges) will result in something better, or something worse. Much as the fringe in here rage against the Great Satan and its lesser minions, there’s no guarantee the emergence of a new world order will be characterised by the benevolent rule of our new Chinese of Ruski or BRICs masters.

    Scotland is in the general scheme of things a pretty small cog. Many of us think of course that we could and should be doing better than we do now as part of the UK. Becoming independent and the deep thinking which will no doubt be involved in deciding what an independent Scotland look like, what policies it follows, and how it relates to the world’s other “players” might radically change things, or things might not be all that different for many.

    There will still be taxes, mortgages and other bills to pay, pensions to arrange, jobs to do. A lot of folk don’t have much bandwidth to be that invested in politics, or simply don’t care: for many their lives won’t change that much.

    Of course we can hope that in an independent Scotland more people will be doing better than they are now, and that Scotland will be a positive influence on world affairs. I very much doubt that means it will be following the policies some of the usual suspects in here would like to see implemented, but who knows?

    Perhaps future Scotland will be the neutral, progressive, egalitarian republic outside of NATO and the EU, befriending the BRICS and ploughing its own non-aligned furrow in the international scene that some folks dreams about.

    Ah hae ma doots, but looking around today I suppose we’re still better off than many, and at least we have more leeway than many to bring about change. Whether “we” as a people summon up the courage to do so remains to be seen.

  164. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    sam
    Ignored
    says:
    23 January, 2024 at 4:42 pm

    @Ruby

    Country Joe and the Fish

    Feel Like I’m fixing to Die Rag

    A singalong

    A happly clappy singalong!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRl6-bHlz-4

    And it came from
    Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam
    Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam

    It was just the next day his mother got a telegram
    It was addressed from Vietnam
    Now mistress Brown, she lives in the USA
    And this is what she wrote and said
    Don’t be alarmed, she told me the telegram said
    But mistress Brown your son is dead

  165. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Anton Decedent

    Do they speak French?
    If they are genuine refugees they get to go where they like. They choose their destination. Not the Tories.
    That’s the rules the UK signed up to.

    & Btw, no one is advocating open borders in an iScot. A country should (& does) get to decide who is or isn’t allowed to stay. An iScotland would have its own border controls & a working system unlike the Brits *fck it -that shit costs money. We’ll just tell the plebs it’s the EUs fault for not funding our problems for free* attitude.

    Mac

    How can I put this? Umm, Female mutilation in those countries is to stop female pleasure by removing that bit lol. Male circumcisions aren’t the same & doesn’t interfere in a males pleasure or sexual function.

    It’s also been scientifically proven, (if you believe that shit now since the GRR gang bastardised it) that male circumcisions stops unwanted cancers & such like.

    So one is basically for good health.
    The other is used for torture.

    The Greens version IS also for torture & a fetish of theirs to have young boys & girls unable to climax. It prolongs their sick torture. Big in the Bondge pampers crew. Peter Pan playthings forever.

  166. ross
    Ignored
    says:

    “No matter whether or not there had been any corruption involved in the failure to bring anyone to account – even if there were only solid and legitimate legal grounds behind the decision”

    Would rather the Courts did what was right by law rather than what makes things easy, thanks.

  167. Andy Ellis
    Ignored
    says:

    @John 4.48pm

    Male circumcision is the rule rather than the exception in the US, although rates are supposedly falling, it’s around 70-80% for American men.

    I know quite a few British and European folks who moved there and they’ve all said that it’s more or less automatic in hospitals unless you specifically state you don’t want it done. The supposed medical benefits are arguable and/or negligible. The real reason it’s so popular is probably a combination of fashion, social convention and the attraction of medicalisation denoting status.

    https://qz.com/885018/why-is-circumcision-so-popular-in-the-us

  168. Viscount Ennui
    Ignored
    says:

    So, forgive me for saying so, this thread has evolved from another excellent piece of journalism about the potential and actual conflicts of interest between the Lord Advocate and the Scottish Government.
    As I was taught many, many, years ago, it is fundamental for a functioning democracy to exhibit a separation of powers between the excutive, legislature, and judiciary.
    What the Rev is suggesting is that the current arrangements have blurred boundaries and that corrupt practices may have resulted from this.
    I am not one to disagree.
    But this is all so demeaning from a country once held in high regard for its judicial system. We now appear closer to Zimbabwe that New Zealand and this decline has occurred in such a short period of time.
    I suspect that the history books will label the Sturgeon/Swinney era as ‘The Great Obscurement’. Not quite the dark ages but a era when the truth was suppressed in favour of cheap populism.
    An affront not only to democracy but a dumbing-down of the nation.

  169. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    Did yon plane to Glasgow have to divert to Manchester coz there wiz nae fuel left in Scotland after the RAF C-17A Globemaster ZZ174 dropped in to Edinburgh airport yesterday for refueling and drank it all.
    Muckle beast of a plane, wonder what it was in the air for.
    2 minutes of footage of the plane at Edinburgh from a previous visit a few years back.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89tjvS03krg

    https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircraft/globemaster-c-17/

  170. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    I know I could Google to find out but I’ve got the spinning beach ball again & I know you guys are better than Google.

    I am assuming that during the time of the Vietnam War when Pete Seeger was singing ‘Bring em Home’ the US had military conscription.

    But when Bruce Springsteen was singing the same song for the boys in Iraq & Afghanistan they did not.

    At the time of the Vietnam war

    ‘Though it may seem very queer
    We’ve got no jobs to give you here
    So we are sending you to Vietnam…’

    Jobs or no jobs they had to go.

    Did the no jobs thing still apply to the time of the Iraq/Afghnistan war. Because there were no jobs military conscription wasn’t necessary and lots were willing to sign up.

    US has a new incentive. Join the Army & we’ll make you a into woman!

    Does the same thing happen in the UK? Unemployment the price worth paying to get them to sign up.

    Seems kinda silly to be singing ‘Bring em home’ when they volunteer to go in the first place but would make sense if the army is they only job they can get.

    Are the British Army Forces claiming ‘Join the Army & we’ll make you into a woman?
    Nice big 36DD boobs, castration/a new fanny, birth certificate, drivers licence, passport all saying you are a woman.

    Some recent comments on this:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXcG3tXYNF8

    Doing versions of the song ie

    Vladimir Pu*tin Told the Nation…

    Zel*ensky told the nation…

    Save Vietnam from Vietnamese
    Save Afghan from Afghans
    Save Ukr*aine from Ukra*inian
    Iraq from Iranian
    Libya from libyan
    Syria from syrian

    Plus ca change!

    PS Sam I’ve still got Raglan Road on my list.

  171. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    Devi Lalita Sridhar (born 1984) is a Professor and Chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh . Her research considers the effectiveness of public health interventions and how to improve developmental assistance for health.

    Devi has confirmed today what we already know. HERR sturgeon. Opengrupenfhurer of the gold command asked her to send covid information to her personal SNP email. And to forget protocol.

    We know Nicola Sturgeon has been lying to the committee that she only operated through official channels. It’s time we kick Sturgeon’s doors in again and take off the mask.

  172. Anton Decadent
    Ignored
    says:

    @RoS

    That is not what you said, you said, and I quote “England’s Border Force, that chases desperate refugees, fleeing wars” and I asked you which war they are fleeing in France and you changed tact.

    “or they (mistakenly that’s for sure) feel safer and that their rights will not be greatly impinged upon if they live in the UK.”

    I have been the victim of unprovoked attacks in the street where I live twice in the last just over six years and because it was brown on white violence my right to justice was greatly impinged upon to keep people like you happy. You put myself, my family and my neighbours, I have family members and neighbours who have also been attacked in the same area under the same circumstances with no convictions for any of these, the one last year in which a neighbour was battered unconscious and lost an eye has gone to charges being brought which is an outlier for this area, in actual physical danger via your cavalier attitude towards the white, working class areas in which these people are housed and the immunity from having to face any kind of consequences for their actions whilst we are told of the microaggressions they face.

    @Geri

    “& Btw, no one is advocating open borders in an iScot.”

    A day or so ago you advocated mass immigration into Scotland from Palestine because you felt that they were more likely to vote in a manner of which you would approve than the English. You have also previously posted things like “Scotland is socialist” without offering anything to back up this take. Neither of us speak for Scotland. With regard to Scotland being socialist a few years ago after local elections I looked up the results in Rutherglen and found that an animal rights party and a Christian fundamentalist party had both received more votes than RISE.

  173. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    https://nitter.net/staylorish/status/1749798632633540738#m

    The honest Devi Svridar. Being encouraged by Sturgeon to commit a crime. Sturgeon is a confirmed law breaker.

    Confirmed law breaker. NICLIAR STURGEON. HERRR STURGEON OF THE SS.NP.It’s time for MI5 to open her books. We need access to her personal emails

  174. David Hannah
    Ignored
    says:

    We need access to Nicola Sturgeon’s emails. It’s time to get wikileaks on the phone. It’s time to release the files.

    Dorothy Bain will be doing her best to bury Nicola’s bodies.

    Dorothy Bain isn’t interested in justice. The anti justice lady advocate. She’s certainly no patient advocate that’s for sure.

    When they killed all the care home residents during her tenure.

    Isn’t that right, Dorothy?

  175. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Dan

    Probably transporting prisoners to the mafia for questioning.
    They circumvent international laws by stopping off in Scotland to transfer/transport terror suspects. A policy brought in by the Bush administration & the UK gladly plays along & uses Scotland.

    Poor Annie Borjesson washed up deid on a Scottish beach for her investigative journalism into this practice. Police Scotland ruled a suicide despite all the evidence of foul play from the coroner & evidence from her family.

    I wonder if they froze her bank accounts too? She was last seen on CCTV at an airport trying desperately to get money out of an ATM at least three times. Police Scotland were useless & quick to determine case closed by their handlers.

  176. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    The thing about refugees preferring to come to the UK is that living in a foreign country is very difficult.

    The UK isn’t a foreign country for anyone.

    The UK is a multi-cultural nation so wherever you come from you will have a community here.

    Is that good or bad? Well it’s a bit late to do anything about it now.

    https://archive.is/75Xj6

    Those who supported Enoch Powell soon got sorted out.
    The PC Brigade branded them racists and there were all kinds of new race crimes introduced.
    The Labour Party thought they would really show them by flooding the country with immigrants.

    I know how the Enoch supporters felt we women are being branded bigots and all kinds of hate crimes are being introduced to shut us up.

    Since we are about to be blown up I’m living dangerously.

    I am a transphobe

    Mr Idul Wadhwa is a man with a prick. No idea if he has been circumcised or not. FMD….

  177. dasBlimp
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruby
    Ignored says:
    23 January, 2024 at 12:35 pm

    PS What ever happened to the naked rambler?

    Some onlookers claim he is a flasher but the rate of his gait indicates he is a long exposure.

  178. John
    Ignored
    says:

    @andy Ellis 5:26
    I knew the rates of male genital mutilation ( modification) circumcision in the US were very high for the Johnson & Johnson population. As with the UK Private Schools.
    My true belief is the foreskin is a nuisance for any paedophilic behaviour with infants. Increasing the risk of infection through the unnatural activities they seek . By paedophilic I do not mean your Prince Randy Andy liking them young. No . The committed beasts go for so young that they may have little memory.
    How young do most people have memory of ? It has always amazed me the variety of ages people have any memory of.

  179. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    David Hannah.

    Honest?

    “Devi Lalita Sridhar is a professor of global public health at the University of Edinburgh. Her research considers the effectiveness of public health interventions and how to improve developmental assistance for health. A WEF/Young Global Leader, she advocates on British corporate media for harsh restrictions and a “Zero COVID” strategy.

    She has been giving medical advice to Nicola Sturgeon. She was extremely jab-happy when it comes to children[1], and claimed that “the vaccines are 100% safe and effective for children” in a video made for CBBC[2] which the BBC later rolled back.

    Her expertise has been questioned.[3][4] She blamed excess deaths in Summer 2022 on climate change.[5]

    In 2023, she was claiming ULEZ, 15-minute cities and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods “save lives”. She was part of WEF/Young Global Leaders 2021.[23] She promoted vaccine passports and mask mandates, as well as a Christmas lockdown in Winter 2021.[24] She praised Scotland for locking down and criticised England for not.

    In June 2022, she wrote a scaremongering article in The Guardian titled “Don’t be complacent, another Covid wave is coming.”

    https://www.wikispooks.com/wiki/Devi_Sridhar

  180. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Anton Decedent

    ***A day or so ago you advocated mass immigration into Scotland from Palestine because you felt that they were more likely to vote in a manner of which you would approve than the English. You have also previously posted things like “Scotland is socialist” without offering anything to back up this take. Neither of us speak for Scotland. With regard to Scotland being socialist a few years ago after local elections I looked up the results in Rutherglen and found that an animal rights party and a Christian fundamentalist party had both received more votes than RISE.***

    1. Scotland would welcome refugees fleeing a war zone. What I said was we’d not welcome a mass expulsion of an entire population to suit another country’s mentalist & deranged agenda. Them not voting Britnat was a JOKE. Confirmed by my adding *Every cloud* after it.

    2. Scotland is socialist. We live it every day. Scotland already looks out for its own citizens. We don’t need to demonstrate it, surely? England does not. It doesn’t even have a health minister that is legally responsible for it’s citizens. We do. We also have no end of benefits that benefit the average family. Free elderly & childcare, free prescriptions, eye & dental, buss passes, tuition etc. England couldn’t give a fck about any of that shit. Their citizens will pay & continue to pay & if anyone falls through the cracks, tough..& in the unlikely event they wish to change party – they get the same shit on offer.

    3. Rise. Anyone would have beaten them. The SNP was currently enjoying a wave of popularity brought about by Salmond. Soaring high in the charts & in membership. No one knew Sturgeon was a Britnat at that time or knew she’d every intention of squandering mandates. The party line at the time was not to split the vote. A decision that seems permanently etched on to the fckwits & hard to shift now as the whole voting system is set up to do exactly that = create multiple parties.

    4. Don’t twist my words in future. A practice Britnats use all the time.

  181. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    Someone on Twitter just asked why someone doesn’t just spray the names of the Alphabetties on a wall?

    Not that any of us would ever dare suggest or condone such a thing, of course.

    🙂

  182. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Should’ve added to the tune of over £600 million in mitigation from our budget pocket money.

    I hardly think that needs *back up* to prove it’s take or existence. & Before you start, that’s also Scotlands money. Not Westminsters.

  183. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    By the sound of Anton Decadent’s name he would probably be at home living in France.

    It was kinda difficult for me what with me only having only an O grade in French and De Gaule keeping the UK out of the EU.

    ‘I don’t drink coffee, I take tea, my dear
    I like my toast done on one side
    And you can hear it in my accent when I talk
    I’m an alien, an alien on the Cote d’Azur.’

    The worst problem I had was that I couldn’t stand the taste of olives and there were olives in everything even the bloody stew. Anyway I was so hungry I just ate the bloody things and now I bloody love olives, green, black or stuffed.

    I understand why folk from Iraq might not want to stop off there and continue to the UK where they’ll find loads of other Iraqis & like minded folk.

    If they were coming from Morocco they would stop off in Spain and from Algeria they would be happy to travel on to France. Not sure if the French would be happy to have them but cause & effect Mesdames et Messieurs.

  184. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Anton Decadent says: 23 January, 2024 at 5:59 pm

    Welcome to the asylum.

    Today, everybody and their iguana has a universal human right to come to Scotland.

    Tomorrow, it’ll be the New Scots that are holding us back by not wanting Indy.

    Alert readers will note it’s often the same posters asserting both views.

    Could be Alzheimer’s, I guess. I’m no doctor, but then Geri at 4:44 is no CAA Incident Investigator, and that doesn’t hold her back.

  185. Andy Storrie
    Ignored
    says:

    Holy fuck, man! We all know that Sturgeon and her fat husband were a pair of corrupt shit bags. This carry on has rumbled on for long enough, and it’s about time that the wretched wee witch and her old man (literally an old man) were dealt with by the law once and for all.

    London and London Fake News Media are like a dog with a fucking bone over the Sturgeon corruption era. The Fake media in London are trying to squeeze 100 litres of juice out of one orange by continuing to bang on and on and on about the stupid wee witch!

    We all know that they were a pair of corrupt shit bags. It’s about time we stopped hearing about the pair of arse holes.

    London media seems to think that Sturgeon having been corrupt is somehow an impediment and a barrier when it comes to Scotland gaining full autonomy.

    The ever-climbing percentage of Scots who want nothing to do with London would suggest otherwise, though – and Fake London media will need to acknowledge that uncomfortable fact sooner or later.

  186. President Xiden
    Ignored
    says:

    It appears the wee dentist didn’t believe the cod science he was pedalling either.

  187. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    “and I asked you which war they are fleeing in France and you changed tact.”

    Anton Decedent.

    First off no one likes to be attacked or insulted, and I sympathise with you on that.

    We have to remember that many more immigrants/refugees suffer abuse and racial slurs in the UK than white folk do.

    Anyway as for your above sentence French Wars/colonialism in Burkino Faso, Chad, Niger, Mali, Mauritania and a few more in the Sahel and possibly North Africa.

    Do you really expect indigenous folk fleeing from these countries and French oppression, to head to France to seek asylum? no nor would I.

    Also it would appear that France and possibly German already have the highest Muslim populations in Europe.

  188. President Xiden
    Ignored
    says:

    Devi Sridhar is also part of the Clinton foundation.

  189. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    dasBlimp
    Not Ignored cos he’s quite witty
    says:
    23 January, 2024 at 6:17 pm

    Ruby
    Ignored says:
    23 January, 2024 at 12:35 pm

    PS What ever happened to the naked rambler?

    Some onlookers claim he is a flasher but the rate of his gait indicates he is a long exposure.

    Hi Daschiel hows’s it goin’ Wee Man?

    That poor man was in quite a state after serving his country for years. He was going about Scotland totally naked and getting arrested every other day and the MOD didn’t even offer him a coat. I’m sure one of the Generals must have had an old army great coat that they could have given him.

  190. sam
    Ignored
    says:

    A week today will be the anniversary of a famous event in the HoC when a notorious liar got what he deserved.

  191. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruby

    The Enoch Powell types could have got their way.

    The problem the English have is

    1. Their government don’t want to pay for checks & borders. They want someone else to do it for them.
    2. Their government don’t want to pay for tuition. They’d rather pinch someone else’s professionals like Doctors, Nurses & Teachers & they come with a family.
    2. No one wants to do the menial shit jobs of chambermaids, waiters & fruit pickers on minimum wage. A lesson brought home to roost by Brexshit when those some Enoch Powell types screamed for exemptions to save their business.

    Farage could be on the beach tomorrow with a wee desk & a clipboard if he wanted. They don’t want to. That costs money. Far better to just blame everyone else & get the racists on the daily fail all riled up.

  192. Confused
    Ignored
    says:

    covid enquiry :

    – why aren’t the people being questioned just told to : hand over your phone … we will get the IT guys to look at it

    watch the panic

    one thing for sure – the spooks have all those “deleted messages”; that they are holding onto them is because … why ? … the only reason I can think of is : they are protecting an asset, Nikki

    contra : suppose Alex S had a bunch of messages about doing sex tourism in all the kiddy fiddling capitals – how long before such data was leaked? Would his “deletions” protect him?

    smug older brother (leitch) / asian babe (devi) / skeletor barbie (bauld) – the trio who browbeat us during covid have no technical expertise in virology (or bioweaponry) – they hold paper in “public health” and are just mouthpieces for chatham house; leitch is dentist FFS. A fucking dentist. But everybody goes to turkey anyway.

    chatham house is an establishment propaganda unit masquerading as an academic institute, being founded by the milner gang.

  193. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Geri says: 23 January, 2024 at 6:29 pm

    we’d not welcome a mass expulsion of an entire population to suit another country’s mentalist & deranged agenda

    My, do clarify.

    Half the population alright?

    Maybes a quarter then?

    You’re like the best friend who says you can sleep on her sofa any time, but not if you get evicted.

    That’ll be your landlord’s mentalist & deranged agenda, so you can go on the streets.

    Haha, just my little joke. Be honest with us, Geri. You’re backpedalling furiously cos it dawned on you that Pres Poot and the Ham Boys are the ones with the mentalist agenda.

  194. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Republicofscotland says: 23 January, 2024 at 6:45 pm

    We have to remember that many more immigrants/refugees suffer abuse and racial slurs in the UK than white folk do.

    Do they though? And yet they keep coming in ever larger numbers. So what does that make them, masochists, or liars?

    And on a practical note, see these ever growing numbers of places where the white folks are outnumbered? Are the brave white folks still going around hurling abuse and racial slurs? I hae ma doots.

    Also it would appear that France and possibly German already have the highest Muslim populations in Europe

    What an extraordinary claim. And yet neither country has a Muslim PM, FM, President, or whatever, and wee Scotland has. So are we being lied to about our Muslim numbers, or was making Yousaf pretendy FM an example of your “racial abuse”?

    Tell you what RoS. Your consistency in always being all over the place in every post is unmatched on here.

  195. Chas
    Ignored
    says:

    After a month enjoying the sun and heat,I decided to revisit Wings. I skimmed through the articles by Stu that I missed, but sensibly ignored the comments section. I can almost guarantee that there will have been 100+ posts from Che about the 300 year old guff, 100+ from RoS about all sorts of shite and 80+ from Baird about Colonialism, including quotes from his favourites and liberal use of guid Scottish words.
    I have looked at the current posts and see that Andy Ellis, Ruby, and Hateuy are back into the fold. One of those tries to counter the more rabid drivel from the fantasists. One can be mildly amusing at times. One is, and always has been, full of pish. Can you guess which one is which?
    It always amazes me that all World Leaders do not read the comments here on a regular basis. Whatever problems there are in the world today there is a knowledgeable Wings poster with all the answers. Although there is alway a fellow Wings poster who states the exact opposite.
    Is Saint Nicola of Sturgeon behind bars yet or is it imminent? Fingers crossed.

  196. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Which European countries have banned the burqa?

    There are currently 16 states that have banned the burqa and niqab, both Muslim-majority countries and non-Muslim countries, including Tunisia, Austria, Denmark, France Belgium, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, the Netherlands, China, Morocco, Sri Lanka and Switzerland.

    The UK Government does not support a ban on the wearing of the burqa or other religious head coverings. Any restrictions on what a woman can wear in public would be out of keeping with British values and our nation’s longstanding record of religious tolerance and gender equality.

  197. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    All the benefits of male genital mutilation are modern day post rationalisations of something that is laid out very clearly in the book of genesis. Do you really believe it is just a coincidence that this brutal practice is now ‘scientific’ but just happens to coincide with the book of Genesis… And of course it is designed to reduce sexual pleasure as is the female version.

    The chapter in the book of Genesis is entitled the Covenant of Circumcision. I quote… King James Version.

    “Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

    Interesting that God seems cool with ‘buying people’ and more concerned with mutilating their genitals but that is another discussion.

    This horrendous practice has been normalised to protect it from being rightfully banned and outlawed.

    You are cutting up babies FFS.

    And then we come the way it is done… at least in Judaism. Holy fuck…

  198. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    GI Genocidal John

    **I’m no doctor, but then Geri at 4:44 is no CAA Incident Investigator, and that doesn’t hold her back.**

    I don’t claim to be but I’ve watched enough Mentour Pilot (Great channel from a real Pilot) on air traffic incidents & air crash investigations to know the fckin pilot is the one with the fuel gauge & a flight plan has at least two alternates allowing for freaks of nature & including bad weather LOL!

    The man on the ground doesn’t have a dashboard.

    A plane running on fumes is pilot error. They should’ve chosen an alternate far sooner. Unless, as suggested, there was a fault with the plane in which case it would still be pilot error cause they’d have looked up their workshop manual for a fix & got on the blower to declare an emergency to air traffic control with the fault.

    All recorded in the pilots cabin as well as data on the black box of exactly what controls & checks were used.

    Stick to warring eh? There’s a chap.

  199. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    Unherd is playing a very cruel trick tonight with its latest article: “Why can’t Britain force Pakistan to accept a deportation?”.

    Headlined with a pic of Sunak, I immediately thought that he had worked out a cunning plan to double or maybes treble Tory support in Scotland for the next WM election – rid us of Yousaf.

    But naw, nae such luck.

    Looks like here in Scotland, we’re lumbered with the pretendy fraudulent one for the forseeable.

    That will grow Tory support too, but not nearly as quick.

  200. Confused
    Ignored
    says:

    these new “r4pe the jury” trials sound interesting

    – another first for Scotland. (8 out of 15 gets you an acquittal, to be performed in 2 hours, without viagra)

    People say our justice system was best when it was run by flamboyant paedophiles, but I like the cut of their jib, these useless-wimmin.

    Bain could combine the best by wearing extravagant waistcoats, bowler hats and have a gold watch on a chain.

    we had a homosexual cabal with fettesgate, why not a lesbian cabal – all the nurse ratcheds exerting power over men to compensate for the barren-ness of their wombs

  201. sam
    Ignored
    says:

    In a week today it will be the anniversary of a striking event that took place in the HoC.

    It involved an attempt to put truth in the mouth of a Tory Home Secretary.

  202. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Ruby says: 23 January, 2024 at 7:17 pm

    Any restrictions on what a woman can wear in public would be out of keeping with British values and our nation’s longstanding record of religious tolerance and gender equality

    Odd, I clearly remember women being hoofed out of the Scottish Pretendy Parliament for wearing a ribbon or arm band or such like. Just last year, I think it was.

    Such a shame that British values are so far ahead of Scottish ones.

    Weird to see the Covid Spreaders on that list. Every chance they get, they are forcing their people to cover their faces.

    And come to think of it, so are our governments too, when it suits.

    Here’s what I really think. The burqa and niqab are regressive, oppressive and misogynistic garments that cement and institutionalise women as second-class citizens. Some European countries have the clarity of vision and the bravery to ban it.

    Our country lacks the guts to do so, and hides its craven cowardice behind weasel words of feel-good guff. “Religious tolerance” can’t be used to justify discrimination against half the population.

    Once again, the tail is wagging the dog.

  203. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    Mac

    Aye. It’s not something I’d advocate.
    In the case of the first trans child (?) David Reimer – the result of one going wrong & dispelling the belief of nurture over nature as he later took his own life. Tragic.

    As for as I understand it, through religious times, it was to replace the act of human sacrifice by just giving a bit instead. I think the Egyptians were first.

    Maybe that’s why GRR is so big in the States & Canada. Botched circumcisions? They aren’t exactly great with a scalpel according to the many detransitioners who are left scarred for life after thinking they could work wonders making a vagina & a penis out of skin graphs lol!

  204. Andy Ellis
    Ignored
    says:

    @Chas 7.17pm

    Did the storms blow you back from sunnier climes? No news on the imminent – or otherwise – apprehension of notorious disgraced politicos: watch this space. I imagine this place will lose its collective shit when something actually happens, whatever it might be!

    You’ll have noticed the zingy new ignore function: sadly Rev Stu’s WordPress set up doesn’t support the disappearance of those ignored in to the cyber aether, but red boxing is a useful signpost of who to ignore.

    Hopefully the full functionality will be available at some future point…?

  205. John
    Ignored
    says:

    @mac 7:24
    “Holy fuck “ indeed.
    Lots of us have known our lifelong that the beasts are in charge. It makes it no less terrifying to have it increasingly confirmed as we are every single day.
    ‘Twas always thus. Is the only consolation and acknowledgment is progress to denial.

  206. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Mac says: 23 January, 2024 at 7:24 pm

    of course it is designed to reduce sexual pleasure

    Not what they say down the synagogue, “Mac”. Quite the contrary …

    Fess up, you’re just pure dead jealous.

    Have a heart-to-heart with your missus, “Mac”. You might find she has an opinion too. Maybes quite a forceful one. 🙂

  207. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    GI Genocidal Border force John..

    Why would Dumbza be up for deportation? He is a Scottish citizen. Born & bred here.

    If you put yourself up we could certainly ask if he wants to join you along with a few thousand others. Pack yer butt plug for the boat trip tho & you may want a gob plug as well.
    You’d be up first for friggin in the rigging with your gob LOL

  208. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    The first time I read about this I assumed it was bullshit but it is all true and verifiable by routine internet searches.

    In Judaism they have these guys called Mohels who are ‘trained’ in male genital mutilation / circumcision.

    Generally speaking this is some elderly Jewish guy. And what he will do is cut the skin of the penis off and then put the baby’s mutilated penis in his mouth to ‘clean’ off the blood. I shit you not. He sucks the baby’s bleeding dick.

    This has resulted in well documented cases where the Mohel has transmitted a sexually transmitted disease to the baby, herpes syphilis etc. Again you can search all this on the internet. I think one even died as a result…

    So you tell me, do you still believe this is a normal, scientific medical procedure.

    I would suggest if you are a father and you are standing by watching some old unqualified guy slice the end of your baby boy’s cock off and then putting the bleeding stump in his mouth for a week suck… and you are cool with all that, that you are insane, ideologically insane.

  209. Chas
    Ignored
    says:

    Andy Ellis

    Landing was a wee bit scary but I have experienced some dodgy ‘touch downs’ in the past so kinda knew what to expect. Once came came back from the USA, via Paris and 100 feet or so from the ground the pilot ‘put his foot down’ and upwards we went to try again. What fun!
    I did wonder what the x thing after a posters name was and saw some reply to comments with ‘ignore’ after the posters name.
    Not sure if I will bother with it. When I see some posters’ names I immediately scroll past anyways. You will know who I mean. The real loony ones, who do not post umpteen times every day, are sometimes jaw dropping in their ignorance and it reinforces my view that Scotland and the UK is in one almighty mess. Nobody commenting on here will remedy that.
    Love to see Nicola and the rest of her cabal, being led in to the back of a Poileas van with their respective wrists joined together with some metal ‘bracelets’.
    Onwards and upwards.

  210. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Professor Mini Windbag trying to twist my words again.

    Making it look like I said
    Any restrictions on what a woman can wear in public would be out of keeping with British values and our nation’s longstanding record of religious tolerance and gender equality

    That was the UK Gov that said it.

    He’s rabbiting on about women with suffragette scarves getting chucked out of Holyrood.

    What the feck has that got to do with refugees/immigrants not wanting to stay in France.

    Can the dumbfeck not join the dots.

    A load of drivel all just to say Scotland is shite.

    British Values?

    Do none of them think wait a minute is there a connection between these ‘British values’ & the problems we are having with immigration.

    France ban the burqua the UK do not. Let’s give this some thought. Why would refugees/immigrants by-pass France and come to the UK?

    These British values don’t seem to include tolerance of Scottish wishes to leave their feckin colony.

  211. sam
    Ignored
    says:

    “But, in the face of a wealthy, Conservative Home Secretary falsely blaming oppressed Irish Catholics for their own moider at the hands of his soldiers without so much as expressing regret for their de4ths, not even Gandhi himself could have turned the other cheek.

    As Bernadette said recently: “My only regret is that I didn’t hit him hard enough.””

    https://radicalteatowel.co.uk/blog/bernadette-devlin-and-the-slap-heard-round-the-world

  212. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @Chas 8:25

    You really, really should read the comments through from around midnight last night.

    If you can honestly say you have laughed more in the past month, then you must be a lucky so-and-so.

    Some of the stuff from the usual suspects is absolutely priceless.

    And always these questions will be at the back of your mind:

    Does he really believe this?

    Does she truly think this is of benefit to the Indy cause?

  213. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Immigration in Scotland and immigration in England are very different.

    Scotland not enough immigrants England too many immigrants.

    UK solution to problem let’s Brexit and stop European immigration.

    Brexiteers think it’s all sorted (possibly because they thought Africa & Asia were in Europe)

    Who cares about Scotland.

    All the folk from Africa & Asia voted for Brexit because they wanted all the Europeans out and more Africans and Asians in.

    None of these Polish know how to cook a curry we need someone from Bangladesh.

    The cook from Bangladesh might believe in forced marriage, honour killing and selective abortion (nobody wants a daughter)

    NB Humza believes in selective abortion & having four women.

    I don’t know about having a multi-cultural society but it’s too late now.

    I would just say having immigration from Europe rather than Africa & Asia is much less problematic.

    What are British values. Surely if British folk believe in honour killing, forced marriage, selective abortion (daughters not welcome), FGM the wearing of burkas, having 4 wives,burning the deceased and floating them down the Thames etc then these are British values.

  214. Johnlm
    Ignored
    says:

    Lovely to see the yoons playing together, comparing notes, and sharing holiday stories.
    Award winning stuff.

  215. John
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ruby 9:32
    Mebbies like all parasites they need a host ! Plus , it’s their job.

  216. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Ruby says: 23 January, 2024 at 9:32 pm

    If any of us ‘fringe nutters’ dare to post our drivel on their website they could just ban us

    I’ll explain it for you, although I don’t expect you will understand. And if you do, you’ll pretend not to.

    You believe it’s your Scotland, and that Scotland’s future will be the future you want.

    I’m saying it’s my Scotland too, that you and your similar hard-of-thinking fringe nutters have right royally fecked it all up, and that it’s time to let the rational grown ups have a say. Time to reverse the 10-year decline into the national joke under pretendy FM Yousaf that is your only legacy.

    So I’m not innarested in banning any of the fringe nutters, not even you. Banning isn’t anything anybody would ever do if they felt confident they write the truth. Banning is for the weak, the deluded, the liars, the feart.

    Every piece of drivel you post, you’re just reminding the readers that your bolt is shot, that you’ve nothing of value to contribute, that the future of Scotland won’t include you in any meaningful role.

    It’s time for change. It’s time to get real. Your day is over. You won’t ever accept it but that’s grand. You can continue to disqualify yourself with your very own posts.

    You’re welcome, always.

    Now off you go and post something to prove me right.

  217. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    People that shout and moan about immigration are nearly always vile closet racists. They’re also usually pretty thick. They’re usually hypocrites. And they’re always wrong.

    When the Irish flocked to places like Glasgow for sanctuary, for example, after the famine, they were greeted on the piers by these types with their anti-immigrant slogans.

    Those “immigrants” played a major part in building the infrastructure of Scotland, canals, railways, bridges, dams, etc., stuff we depend on to this day, and most of their descendants voted for independence in 2014.

    Curiously, on the other side of the divide, it is those who are inclined to target the Irish that are the most adamantly unionist. Our failure in 2014 had nothing to do with immigrants and everything to do with natives, people born and bred here in Scotland.

    It’s worth pointing out that the vast majority of Irish people living in Scotland today are not descended from immigrants. Ireland until about 1947 was part of the UK, and the Irish who came here had every right to move around (just as Scottish people and others have moved around freely in the UK for hundreds of years). They were not immigrants.

    Almost everything said above about the Irish can be said of people from places like Pakistan, India, and elsewhere too; most rightfully had “subject” status as members of the empire and commonwealth, most have played a valuable part in the economy, etc.

    As for the hypocrisy of all this, curious turns to curioser when you consider the historical role of the Scots in building the British empire — a subject many Scots are conflicted on to this day — and sticking their noses into the affairs and lives of foreigners.

    I stand by it exactly — usually racist, usually thick, usually hypocritical, and always wrong.

  218. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    GI John, the Genocidal Tory

    Please remind us of all of the benefits we’ve received as part of your glorious union. Yoons have been in charge for over 307 years head start.

    We’ll wait cause it’s a burning question that stumps all Britnats everywhere as they struggle to name one.

    Take yer time, Petal.

    In the meantime – here’s a quick reminder of the last time yoons were in charge.

    PFI on hospital carparks.
    Schools falling down.
    Roads? What are they & do we need them?
    7 Houses built (or was half of that just the planning?)
    Over budget on Holyrood.
    Over budget on trams.
    £1.5 billion left in the London treasury cause they couldn’t think what to spend it on.
    Copious amounts spent on legal fees denying women equal pay.
    Corrupt as fck with everyone on the take in every council.

    Any more?

    I think we should adopt a 60% rule for yoons to be even considered. 100% for Tory.

    Just need to look at the shite councils they’re already in charge of to see they’re not exactly the feckin metropolis your senile mind remembers.

    Still, you’ll be pleased they blew all their money on a coronation no fecker cared about other than some dumb yanks on a day out that the BBC managed to accost for an interview & now they’re greeting like Mr Martini fae One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest on how they can win their money back..

    Aye, it’s sure to be a Utopia you have planned there in yer wee head. I suggest you wake the fck up in 3. 2..1 & get back in the room for yer meds.

  219. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    They are racists.

    If the likes of Ukippers got their way & deported every immigrant, they’d only pick someone else to target. It’s a Yoon mental condition.

    The Irish, the Welsh, the Scots, the travelling community, the midge, the fish & the candle stick maker oh, and the sick, the disabled & anyone thought to be short changing them out of *their* money.

    There’s a want aboot them..

  220. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    That’s right, Geri, they’d pick on someone else. The problem is internal; they’re full of hate and living in denial about their own failings — it simply must be someone else’s fault that they failed in life.

    The cure for this is the truth; deprivation in Scotland caused by being in the Union. And that truth explains a lot of Scotland’s social afflictions.

    It has nothing to do with immigrants.

  221. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Professor Mini Windbag is totally mad.

    He’s accused me of fucking up his Scotland.

    I’ve never set foot in East Kilbride.

    He says my day is over. I won’t be part of the future Scotland I’ve disqualified myself by posting on Wings.

    What’s my punishment do I have to stay British while Andy Ellis, Chas & Main all become the future of Scotland. Quel cauchemar!

    Dream on I’ll be aceing the ‘Scottishness test’
    And I’ll be Scottish afore ye,

    I’ll be skipping along on the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomond
    while you are still insisting that you want to keep your British nationality & your British values and your ‘Britain First’ membership!

    Sorry Sir the UK government wont allow dual-nationality so do you want to be Scottish or not.

    Yeah that’s what I thought.

  222. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    Sounds like you’ve rattled him, Ruby… to be honest though, speaking from experience, he’s pretty easily rattled.

    “Haha”

  223. Geri
    Ignored
    says:

    They even lie about British values – they don’t exist.

    Democracy – Nope! We only have pretendy democracy as six indy mandates proved & a PM can be chosen by mates.

    Rule of Law -Nope! That only applies if yer face fits with the Freemasons.
    Respect and Tolerance – Nope! Remember the vans? The *swarms* of Turkish that were coming?
    Individual Liberty. Nope! The Tories are putting a stop to that nonsense.

    Hatuey

    It is internal. Yoons too. They live in constant angst because they’re pissed off they dunno why they’re defending something that’s never benefitted them directly. All those families struggling to pay bills while the Billionaire PM causes more warring & turns up the heating on his swimming pool & another billionaire throws a tantrum he wants to be a Tampax & have coronation & we’ve to pay for it.

    I’ve never met a happy one. If they actually had answers they’d come out with a long list.

    Scotland should pay a fee for remaining in the Union, just like the EU, then the English would have to furnish all the benefits on offer to each nation wishing to join. The paper would be blank because there is none.

  224. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    Wow, the night shift have been busy.

    Twa wee gems worth a mention:

    Hatuey – “always wrong”.

    So Hats, when somebody who is always wrong (you) accuses me of being always wrong, what’s the result in classical logic. Tak yer time …

    Geri – “I’ve never met a happy one”.

    Oh Geri, you wee ray of sunshine. Somehow or other, all your posts read as a long rant of grievances, but all along, that’s just been your way of showing your happiness. I had no idea!

    And Ruby, thanks for proving me right.

  225. Andy Ellis
    Ignored
    says:

    @John Main 9.11pm

    Some of the stuff from the usual suspects is absolutely priceless.

    And always these questions will be at the back of your mind:

    Does he really believe this?

    Does she truly think this is of benefit to the Indy cause?

    Indeed. Although I’m open to the idea that a few of them are paid plants or operatives, I’m more inclined to a more quotidian explanation: most of them actually do believe the stuff they come out with. They’ve even convinced themselves they somehow represent a significant proportion of the independence movement.

    Of course all the evidence shows their worldview is about as popular as RISE/ISP in their heyday and their fringe left-crank views enjoy less traction than those of the hapless Scottish Greens.

    Ask yourself why they can never explain why no party or significant political figures actually support the policies they advocate. There’s no polling evidence (and of course the polls are all fixed and paid for by yoons/MSM/WEF…yadda, yadda, yadda), there’s no sudden increase in support for RISE/ISP or new parties which platform their views.

    Why, it’s almost as if blood and soil nationalism, franchise restriction and fluffing for Uncle Vlad and Islamo-fascism just aren’t very popular amongst the general public.

    Who knew, eh? 🙂

  226. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    James says on 23 January 2024 at 2:54 pm: “May I recommend the series “The Untold History of the United States” by Oliver Stone?”

    Thanks, James, i’ll keep it in mind.

  227. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    If Chas Main & Ellis represent the majority of independence supporters then how come there are only three of them posting here?

    Professor le Windbag says:

    Ask yourself why they can never explain why no party or significant political figures actually support the policies they advocate.

    I can’t answer that Professor maybe you can being that you are a founder member of Alba.

    Why do Alba not support the ‘Repeal of the Gender Recognition Act 2004?’

  228. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Ask yourself why they can never explain why no party or significant political figures actually support the policies they advocate.

    It’s a good question. I guess it’s because political figures no longer represent the people.

  229. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    At John Main on 23 January 2024 at 12:51 pm:

    I don’t normally respond to ignorant bigots who twist other folks’ words in order to illicit some attention but i’ll make an exception in your case.

    Until you know what the whole point was behind the remarks made then it’s best to keep your mouth shut lest you look like the attention-seeker you are. The whole point behind those remarks was to give example to America’s hypocrisy over, and often used trope to attack other countries, their references to and “dislike” of “tinpot dictatorships” when in reality they are countries with “democratically elected” leaders.

    Don’t ever try and judge who i am by your own twisted demented selective interpretations of what you want to read. You don’t know me or anything about me, your demented ramblings prove as much. And if i have to choose who to believe out of qualified professionals in a documentary or the resident WOS attention-seeking squatter, ‘Genocidal John’, (no idea why they call you that but it seems a good fit), then i’m choosing the qualified professionals every time.

    I also noted in your previous WOS ramblings you had the nerve to ponder why folk on here don’t stand for election themselves and accusing others on here of doing nothing in the campaign for indy. What i also noted was a lack of the same sort of commitment from YOU. Where did you announce you would be standing? Did i miss that? As for the latter part of that tripe from you, you’ve no idea what form of activism Wingers have participated in over the years. A damn-sight more than you ever have, that’s for sure.

    You sit on here around the clock, lurking and waiting to pounce on unsuspecting folk, just to grab yourself some attention. If i didn’t know any better i’d swear you were being paid by Stuart to keep the comment numbers high. You lurk around these pages like some kind of modern internet stalker. Hiding in the shadows just waiting to pounce and get some interaction with folk because your sad reality existence prohibits you from forming any real-life relationships. LOL!

    Your comments have now convinced me that you are nothing more than an attention-seeking troll desperate to illicit responses at any cost. My mistake was to originally give you the benefit of doubt. You have done nothing but exhibit a serious lack of understanding of political strategy and an uncontrollable propensity for grandstanding and trying to ridicule folk. Consider this my last response to your demented disruptive ramblings. 🙂

  230. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    The UK’s version of John “Mad Dog” Bolton, Tobias Ellwwood, says that the world has a 1939 feel to it right now. Meanwhile Sky news reporting that army conscriptions might be needed to the numbers up in the British army.

    “In September 2018, Ellwood announced that he had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as a reservist in the psychological warfare unit 77th Brigade, which has played a central role in the government’s massive psyop to force through drastic COVID-19 restrictions.[5]

    Also in 2018, he was an agent provocateur against George Papadopoulos[6] as part of the Russiagate operation.”

  231. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    Stoker, well said.

  232. twathater
    Ignored
    says:

    Hatuey says People that shout and moan about immigration are nearly always vile closet racists. They’re also usually pretty thick. They’re usually hypocrites. And they’re always wrong.
    So if you object to untrammelled , unsupported and open borders you automatically become a VILE RACIST,THICK,A HYPOCRITE, any other demeaning,derogatory slurs that you would like to heap on people who genuinely believe that charity begins at home, and that we should do the best to look after our own citizens, our own children, our own homeless,our own pensioners,our own disabled BEFORE we start inviting people from all over the world, refugees and economic migrants to share our resources

    I despise every government that has participated in causing the vast migration of people from war torn countries that we have seen for the last few decades due to invading them or meddling in their governance but the continued refusal to acknowledge that immigration is out of control and cannot be sustained is lunacy, and NO AMOUNT of virtue signalling or name calling will change that
    If the virtue signallers are so enraged at limiting immigration numbers perhaps they should ensure that our governments STOP bombing people’s lives to smithereens and STOP selling weaponry to warring factions ,or is it easier to just call people VILE RACISTS

  233. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    I think I see where you’ve gone wrong, Twathater.

    “BEFORE we start inviting people from all over the world, refugees and economic migrants to share our resources…”

    Strange since I gave examples and explained it reasonably well but let me spell it out for you one more time; the history of this country, Scotland, and just about any other country you care to mention, shows that migrants generally contribute positively to the economy.

    That is to say, they aren’t a drain on resources, as you seem to think — they are productive and resourceful and they stimulate all sorts of things like GDP and economic growth.

    If you don’t understand that then I’m afraid we have reached an impasse because I can’t dumb it down any further.

    What you are really complaining about, I suspect, is the lack of opportunity and investment in public services that Scotland suffers from as a consequence of being fleeced by Westminster.

    That’s technically a separate issue and it’s a valid issue but it isn’t an argument for making the economy worse which is what you’d do if you blocked inward migration.

    Incidentally, I’ve been looking closely at migration to and from Scotland. It isn’t the big issue you think it is — from memory, I think we had net migration of something like 14,000 in 2019/2020.

    A much bigger problem from an economic standpoint, and an age-old one, is people leaving.

    The reason you aren’t worried about that is because the Scottish people are essentially detached from their own economy and don’t feel it matters whether the economy improves or deteriorates — it’s not really our economy as long as we are tied to this colonial relationship.

    I think you should be complaining about that rather than migrants. It’s really the core issue.

  234. twathater
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Hatuey I see you are doing the usual spurious diversionary tactics so favoured by the virtue signallers
    “That is to say, they aren’t a drain on resources, as you seem to think — they are productive and resourceful and they stimulate all sorts of things like GDP and economic growth.”

    Try telling that to people who have waited years for council housing and are living in squalid conditions with their children whilst refugees and illegal economic migrants are given priority for social housing, try telling that to people who feel threatened and afraid to walk in their neighbourhood in the dark with all the groups of young aggressive men hanging about turning the place into no go areas

    Anyway it is pointless arguing with you as your progressiveness and virtue signalling is tiresome

  235. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    You’re determined to pigeonhole me I can’t stop you, Twathater, but I have a right to explain why you shouldn’t based on what you’re saying.

    “Try telling that to people who have waited years for council housing and are living in squalid conditions with their children whilst refugees and illegal economic migrants are given priority for social housing…”

    The problem isn’t migrants, it a lack of social housing and investment in basic services. And that problem in turn is down to the colonial nature of our relationship within the UK.

    Your problem is based on us continuing as a colony of the UK. That means you are basically using a unionist argument — it’s an argument that only makes sense if you assume we remain in the UK.

    My solution and my analysis is based on independence. Immigration wouldn’t be a problem if we were independent, it would be a huge boon to the economy.

  236. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Hatuey says:25 January, 2024 at 1:26 pm

    Immigration wouldn’t be a problem if we were independent, it would be a huge boon to the economy

    Always good to see a dose of Scottish Exceptionalism in clear sight. If that’s what it is.

    All over Europe, indeed all over the world, migration is a problem. It’s such a problem it has given rise to the idea of “weaponised migration”, where countries enact hostile acts against their neighbours by bussing hordes of migrants to the borders, then pushing them across.

    They do this in the full knowledge that this will likely swamp their neighbour’s public services, their health resources, their social unity, etc. and cause a breakdown of public order.

    Alert readers might wonder why Hatuey consistently pushes policies that will benefit Scotland not one jot.

  237. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    There’s nothing exceptional about it. Have you ever considered reading a book?

    Every economic boom in history, including the Industrial Revolution in Britain and elsewhere, the rise of the US (although in their case many of the migrants didn’t have much choice), all the way through the 20th century, the German Miracle, the rise of China, even the recent housing bubble or boom in London (attributed in large part to Polish tradesmen) — they can all be explained in terms of inflows of migrant workers.

    I guess that’s the conversation over and you’ll revert to some other thinly-veiled racist trope.

  238. John McGregor
    Ignored
    says:

    They canny get let off as the 3 Stooges signed off the Accounts pure n simple Does anybody know when the LYING Fitba Mike gets let off way his £11grand phone bill ???

  239. Alf Baird
    Ignored
    says:

    Hatuey @ 1:30 am

    “Have you ever considered reading a book?”

    In the research for my book, ‘Doun-Hauden:The Socio-Political Determinants of Scottish Independence’, demographics forms a key part of the theoretical framework developed. It is people who determine the outcome on independence votes, and their culture and values, their identity, where they and their family come from etc has a major influence.

    My findings, also from analysis of historic census data, suggest Scotland’s migration differs from many other countries in that much of our in-migration comprises a meritocracy, i.e. a managerial and professional class, mainly coming from one other nation and culture.

    Scotland therefore exhibits what Professor Michael Hechter termed ‘a cultural division of labour within the UK Internal Colonialism Model’. To this may now be added very substantial numbers of retirees, also mostly middle class. So overall, this is clearly not the same thing as a people ‘migrating for survival’ and thus expanding outputs contributing to economic growth.

    Further, this helps explain the historic and ongoing tendency for many Scots who are forced to seek higher-level opportunities outside Scotland, because they are deprived of sufficient opportunities in their own land.

  240. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    Hatuey

    “Every economic boom in history… can (all) be explained in terms of inflows of migrant workers.”

    Ignoring technological change and scientific discovery, you have a point. I think the term I would use is “cheap labour” one of the necessary (but not sufficient) conditions for the concoction of economic growth. The others being cheap energy and cheap resources. Those two are off the menu. Oh, and a well of accumulated wealth in the hands of a few “developers”. Now then, we’re taught not to see it but, as a slow learner, I have always noticed the racism, wars, forced inequality, greed and natural destruction and delusion present in that strategy.

  241. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    Fruitella; “I think the term I would use is “cheap labour””

    That’s a much bigger point than you possibly know. I’m not criticising it, but there is a case for applying relativity— what’s cheap to you may be a fair price to someone else, etc. — and, of course, the age-old supply-demand curve that classical economics rests upon.

    Alf Baird, your concern, as I understand it, is to win a referendum and that’s okay. You are talking about immigration right now in what is essentially a colony, though — you are making a political argument, not an economic one. And I agree there are grounds for concern in terms of diluting the vote.

    I suspect that after independence you will be less concerned about immigration, as will many others. As I said, immigration very straightforwardly becomes an economic boon after independence, and may even be a prerequisite for prosperity and success.

    Context is everything, then. But I can’t help feeling rather sorry for the Syrian or Englishman who comes here for all the right reasons; to work, to enjoy our countryside, to enjoy our company, etc. His reasons for coming here remain the same, but how he is received seems to hinge on matters that are probably beyond his understanding and certainly beyond his control.

    We can’t claim to have a principled opinion on things like immigration if those principles depend on wider, seemingly unconnected, matters.

  242. Alf Baird
    Ignored
    says:

    Hatuey @ 7:19 pm

    “You are talking about immigration right now in what is essentially a colony, though — you are making a political argument, not an economic one.”

    Postcolonial theory tells us that migration into a colonial territory from the ‘mother country’ is related to economic exploitation and associated cultural domination of an oppressed people (Fanon).

    Postcolonial theory is also interesting in what it says occurs post-independence. After liberation/independence of ‘a people’, much of the se***er group (the ‘usurper’) tend to return to the ‘mother country (Memmi), whilst some native diaspora may be motivated to come ‘home’ and help rebuild their nation, and to participate in reclaiming their national sovereignty, which is a significant cultural and international matter.

  243. fruitella the hun
    Ignored
    says:

    “We can’t claim to have a principled opinion on things like immigration if those principles depend on wider, seemingly unconnected, matters.”

    Not sure what that means. Anyway, I was born with the inability to see any clear difference between politics, economics, social and environmental. Or physics and chemistry for that matter. But I can tell the difference between economics and astrology. One of them looks at something real and then, in common with the other, make up a story about what it means will happen.

    You say resisting immigration is racist. That means you would judge the objective of self-sufficiency as racist – or, stepping back, the very concept of environmental limits to economic activity as racist. Which is a difficult position to be defending these days.

  244. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    Alf: “Postcolonial theory tells us that migration into a colonial territory from the ‘mother country’ is related to economic exploitation and associated cultural domination of an oppressed people (Fanon).”

    Of course, that’s a given; colonisers don’t colonise in order to make friends.

    But all situations are unique and Scotland’s particularly so. For one, we are neighbours with the mother country, and we have thousands of years of shared history, mixing, marrying, common cultural traits, language, etc. All of that and more is unusual in a colonial relationship.

    You can’t simply dismiss all that reality in favour of theory.

    If Scotland was the straightforward colony you suppose it is, achieving independence would be a walk in the park. But, as much as I agree we are essentially in an exploitative, colonial relationship, we will never be that blameless little island in the southern hemisphere of your imagination, sitting with a culture and language that is as well defined as its colonial wounds.

    You know all this, yet you ignore it.

  245. Alf Baird
    Ignored
    says:

    Hatuey @ 9:54 pm

    “we are essentially in an exploitative, colonial relationship”

    For which the only remedy is liberation, failing which a people and their nation perish.



Comment - please read this page for comment rules. HTML tags like <i> and <b> are permitted. Use paragraph breaks in long comments. DO NOT SIGN YOUR COMMENTS, either with a name or a slogan. If your comment does not appear immediately, DO NOT REPOST IT. Ignore these rules and I WILL KILL YOU WITH HAMMERS.




↑ Top