The fateful day
A few weeks ago when we said Wings was going to take a break for a bit, we also said “There may be posts now and then if something particularly significant happens”. Well, this week something particularly significant happened.
It was a development that we’d been predicting ever since Boris Johnson became UK Prime Minister, but it’s no less important for that. And it’s not an exaggeration to say that it could be the deciding factor in whether Scotland becomes independent.
Until now, advocates of “gender recognition reform” could dismiss it as an irrelevance in terms of the independence issue on the grounds that the Tories were planning to introduce it in the rest of the UK anyway. But that’s no longer the case.
Should there be an independence referendum any time soon – and we remain firmly of the belief that there’s no chance of that while Nicola Sturgeon leads the SNP, a belief she reaffirmed today on the Andrew Marr Show – there will now be a distinct choice facing all Scottish women: the choice between independence and protecting their sex-based rights to at least some degree by staying in the UK.
For many women (particularly after an abysmally glib, dishonest, condescending and evasive defence of the proposals by Shirley-Anne Somerville on Scotland Tonight on Thursday), that’s going to be no decision at all.
We could post another 100 examples. But to assess how significant the effect might potentially be, it’s worth restating just HOW unpopular gender reform is among women (and all other voters), even when the question is framed by those in favour of it.
(Interestingly, the Pink News story that Herald piece refers to has now been vanished from the Pink News website. The poll data can still be found on YouGov, showing that fewer than one in five women back letting people self-declare their legal sex.)
Poll after poll after poll, using every imaginable variant on the question, has found broadly identical results, with very little difference between demographics – male or female, Yes or No, SNP, Labour or Tory, wealthy or poor, Remain or Leave.
In October 2019, only 25% of Scots thought people should be able to change the sex on their birth certificate at all, never mind doing it purely on their own say-so without a medical diagnosis.
In March 2019, only 17% of Scottish voters supported self-declaration of sex.
In the same poll, only 14% thought transwomen should be allowed to compete in sport against biological women.
In October 2018, only 19% considered a person with male genitalia who identified as a woman to actually be one.
In the same poll, only 13% thought a biologically male person should be allowed to compete in women’s sport.
In the same poll, only 14% thought a person with male genitalia should be able to use women’s changing rooms.
In the same poll, only 12% thought a criminal with male genitalia should be able to serve their sentence in a women’s prison.
In the same poll, only 9% thought a genitally-male doctor/nurse identifying as a woman should be able to conduct gynaecological exams on a woman without her consent to that specific person carrying out the procedure.
In the same poll, only 13% of UK voters thought people should be allowed to legally redefine their gender without a supporting letter from a doctor.
In July 2018, as we’ve seen, only 18% agreed to that same proposition.
In May 2018, only 19% of English voters thought self-ID was a good idea.
In December 2017, only 18% of Scottish voters thought self-ID was a good idea.
Let’s put those numbers on a chart just to visualise it.
But what if we focus only on the sort of people likely to vote for independence in the first place? Late last year we polled SNP voters specifically on the subject, and the number who described themselves as “totally opposed” to the gender reforms – 0 on a scale of 0 to 10 – was 18%.
(Or 33% if you include anyone ranking their support between 0 and 3/10.)
If we use the 2019 UK general election as a basis for the number of SNP voters, 18% is 223,628 people. The number of switched votes required to reverse the result of the 2014 independence referendum would have been 191,969.
We saw earlier in this article that some people are indeed so opposed to self-ID that they would vote against independence to prevent it. If only those SNP voters who describe themselves as “totally opposed” to the reforms switched their votes, a Yes vote would be effectively impossible.
If you add in those from other parties who might otherwise be persuadable, and those SNP voters whose support for gender reform is rated only fractionally higher than total implacable opposition, the size of the task becomes insurmountable by any rational assessment – particularly given the toxic, abusive attitudes and methods adopted by trans advocates in the party.
(The same goes for those who oppose the reforms but tell women to hold their noses, vote SNP/Yes and wait to sort it all out after independence. We invite readers to share with us in the comments all their experiences of successfully telling women to shut up about things they care about and just do what they’re told by men.)
Until this week, it was still possible to cling to the hope, however optimistic, that there would be no clear dividing line between an independent Scotland and the Union over gender, and therefore the policy would do no harm in a referendum. That hope has now been shattered.
The SNP’s dogged determination to alienate the vast majority of the electorate for the benefit of a microscopic minority of loud, aggressive entryist extremists may have sounded the death knell for independence in our lifetimes.
It of course raises the question how the SNP could under any circumstances arrive at such a policy direction. It indeed bodes badly for post independent government.
The sooner we get a “wings party” the better!!
I think those in the SNP pushing this assume the general public will be none the wiser of these policies (If I weren’t on twitter i’d have no idea drag queens are in primary schools in Renfrewshire) and will continue to vote for them and even those that do know about it will be stuck with nowhere else to put there vote.
That’s exactly how I feel Stu. Independence at the cost of selling women down the river? No fkn way! And to do so based on anti-science nonsense? Adding insult to injury. IF I vote in 2021 depends entirely upon how my MSP votes on this Bill. Thoroughly disgusted at this state of affairs.
Sex is immutable. “transwomen” are men, “transmen” are women, and always will be, irrespective of cosmetic surgery, drugs and clothes.
First of all there’s quite a few SNP apologists who formerly posted on this blog btl who ran off in a huff at Campbell’s predictions. One or two of them even stayed to continue posting. These folk should realise apologies are usually the order of the day when you monumentally fuck up.
Secondly, it’s not only women but i stated before this article a couple of weeks ago that i will not be giving the SNP another vote until they close this gender farse. I’ll repeat, i’m not in the business of keeping SNP politicians such as the Murrell’s et al in comfy life-styles a-la Unionists. And certainly not for them to shove an extreme minorities warped desires down my throat and railroad them into legislation against the wishes of the vast majority.
No vote from me for the SNP until they bin this gender crap. And if Sturgeon thinks she’ll sneek off into the wide blue yonder and a cosy life abroad once she destroys our Independence chances, and everything will quieten down, she can think again.
Now cue apologists with ‘but 2020 isn’t over yet’. It may as well be with all this gender crap, bullying and threats which would have *NEVER* been tolerated under any previous leadership. They’ll get no more mandates out of me nor will i be committing myself as i’ve been doing. Raging at what i’ve already committed, contributed and the sacrifices i keep making only to realise i’m promoting another dictator.
Now very seriously ticked off at her style of leadership or apparent lack of it. She’s showing what we can expect from the SNP is nothing better than the dictatorship we already have. Is she not aware many folk will settle on the old saying ‘better the devil we know”? If this whole fiasco is not binned then a change in leadership should be a priority.
I am a member of the SNP. I don’t know where all this nonsense came from, but Nicola Sturgeon and her close circle seem to be determined to push it through, no matter what. I have craved independence for my country for over fifty years, and there has never been a better opportunity than we have now.
I have remained loyal to her up until now, hoping that the stories I heard and read weren’t true, but I will never forgive Nicola Sturgeon if we don’t grasp this chance to escape from England’s clutches. She seems though to have other priorities before independence.
With time running out fast, the upcoming conference should be very interesting.
They have dug a hole for themselves they cannot escape without a complete loss of face for many at the very top of the party, the hubris may be the end of them. Too many want the ‘progressive’ headlines and just saw this as an extension of what happened previously without any regard to how this will affect the majority of the population.
They have also been infiltrated by the woke brigade that will latch onto any party in power they think they can influence (they will steer clear of Tories in general as they play the game to win elections and minorities are of no interest to them).
It’s a bit strange that around 20% support is driving this, whilst 50% for independence seems to have some brake in the system.
If I was a Tory I would now exploit this to the maximum as they are no longer constrained by what the party in England will do. The irony is Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership could in the end herald a Tory FM, it is an easy get out for not hold a indy poll I suppose.
Well said Stoker!
The issue is a mainstream one now. I think the SNP were hoping they could slip it under the radar (after all that’s what the TRA advisors were suggesting they do), but if that was ever achievable, that time has passed. Apart from anything else, the topic makes for entertaining television – even people with no interest in politics enjoy watching inept politicians get savaged, and in this regard, Somerville makes Jo Swinson look like bloody Einstein. The Daily Mail etc will go to town, even English editions will cover it if the Tories weaponise it (and they will). It has caught the public imagination, and people aren’t buying the SNP’s weak paternalistic nothing-to-see-here spiel with regard to dismantling women’s rights.
If the choice is between women’s and lesbians rights versus Independence, then there is no contest.
Voting for Independence on these terms is not possible for me. It would be a difficult choice as to whether to spoil the ballotpaper or vote aginst Independence.
The SNP could kill the contraversy by putting it to a referendum but they won’t because they know the public won’t back GRA reform.
The sad thing is there is nothing much wrong with the current laws – they don’t need changing.
I think those offended by the Twitler Youth meme inclusion need to know the context.
The SNP Youth have proclaimed on Twitter that they will be the generation that leads Scotland to Independence. They have made it clear they believe that they are the ones to ensure that the TRA agenda is upheld and an Independent Scotland will be the one they envisage.
There does not appear to be one dissenting voice in the SNP Youth for GRA reform. To my knowledge it appears any dissent from this viewpoint would be incompatible with membership of the SNP Youth. SNP members could enlighten me differently.
The hold they appear to have over the main party is frightening.
My extended family is some 75% (biological) female. I cancelled my membership over this and wrote my mp/msp’s who gave a bit of waffle but didn’t seem to be willing to put their heads above the parapet. More than fifty years voting SNP – but it seems that may stop.
The one thing that I have wondered about when considering the tiny, but very vocal, minority pushing this is is this the establishments follow on to Project Fear? It seems the kind of action one might expect from a dirty tricks brigade. If it is and the the SNP don’t put a stop to it they deserve to disappear into the wilderness and let another independence party take up the reins.
Over the last year or so I’ve found myself to be less in agreement with you than previously Stuart.
On this one however, you are dead right. The SNP leadership seem to be blind both to the science and the electoral implications of their position.
Surely we are not going to see the old cringe thing of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory on such an important matter ?
It will certainly bring this 68 year old, hetero male’s SNP membership to an end if it does.
I think we need a split in the SNP, with the sane heads walking away from this transgender sh**e now. Oh, and another indy party.
The GRA should be repealed, there’s no need for it now that same-sex marriage is legal. The only reason for changing a birth certificate should be the extremely rare case of some DSDs. what about transgendered ppl? For those with genuine gender dysphoria , lying to them isn’t the answer, for the rest,o refuse to be a prop for their fantasies and fetishes.
I almost didn’t vote for them last year because of this ridiculous policy, but I didn’t want to risk Labour taking the seat. But never again. It won’t stop me voting Yes, but it’s not my rights at stake and I completely understand why women wouldn’t vote Yes if this would be a deciding factor.
It’s abundantly clear that the SNP has completely lost its way, and I don’t think Sturgeon has a clue what she’s doing.
I just hope Cherry makes it to Holyrood and replaces her, sooner rather than later.
Who is the biggest fool in the SNP right now?
It’s probably Silly-Anne Bummerville.
susan @3.46
I agree with you regarding repeal. It was an inherently homophobic piece of legislation that has now been rendered obsolete anyway.
[…] Wings Over Scotland The fateful day A few weeks ago when we said Wings was going to take a break for a bit, we also said […]
If there is no change in policy it looks like we need more than just a list independence party.
A party that doesn’t exclude people for the minutest transgression, that doesn’t seems quite happy to be the midwife of child grooming, that protects women’s long hard fought for rights, that doesn’t see women being damaged by males in sport as just collateral damage in their claim of ‘equality’ (it’s not equality, it’s male advantage).
We have a chance if Joanna cherry leads the party.
Also the Issue is beginning to move from twitter to Facebook.
Ask yourself – would you go to bed at night and leave your door unlocked? Most people wouldn’t rob you. But you’d still lock it. Same example goes for women’s prisons. The attack on women’s places of safety and giving puberty blockers to kids is unacceptable. Remember the money jo Swinson got from the pharmaceutical firm that made these?
It’s got the reek of money and powerful interests and the untouchables such as alyn smith etc written all over it. I say this with a heavy heart. I honestly don’t think this part of the snp want independence. They’ll rue the day as first to dump them will be former labour supporters. They’ve been conned before. It’s easier to spot and you’re quicker to act when you’ve been fooled before.
Will not vote for independence either if this is pushed through.
There are voices saying that we have *no choice* as there is only SNP as a party strong enough to get indy done but even that appears to be a load of mince now.
*well fuck that…
As a former member of the SNP who left in protest at their treatment of Gareth Wardell (GrouseBeater on twitter) some time ago, I can’t say I’m particularly surprised at recent developments. When I moved back to Scotland in 2017, having joined the party while still in England in 205, I was full of optimism that independence was – if not imminent – at least achievable within the next few years.
Over the last six months I’ve become increasingly disillusioned with the gradualism of the SNP leadership and their lack of commitment to securing indyref2, and their stance on GRA and self-ID. As a vocal and I suppose visible supporter of Wings Over Scotland there was always a risk I’d come to the attention of the Twitler Youth of course, so last Friday my twitter account @ndls61 was suspended. Although I’ve appealed, I doubt there is any point trying to resurrect it, or indeed to bother with twitter anymore.
Many in the Yes movement seem determined to drive our chances of achieving independence over the cliff: in the end it doesn’t really matter whether the proximate cause is gradualist political cowardice or Woko Haram extremism eating the SNP from inside, the result will be the same.
What kind of country would an independent Scotland be, ruled by the current SNP cabal? Pushing through drastic social engineering Bills against the wishes of the majority of the electorate…there’s a word for that – authoritarian.
As I keep saying, there are far too many homosexuals at the top of the SNP.
A much bigger percentage than other parties.
Time for maw, paw and the bairns to call time on this madness.
It’s an awful choice for many, I see. But by not voting for independence I’m forced to study what I AM voting for. And that is the continued harsh treatment, up to and including the killing of disabled people. And that is only one example of the Tories disgusting and evil ideology. That is a deal breaker for me. There are enough sensible people in Scotland that can help to put a stop to this gender stuff in a Scotland free of the Tories.
I can see the detrimental effect this policy and how the SNP is trying to push it through is having. I’m completely against self ID.
What I can’t understand is how anyone, male or female could say they’ve been lifelong or longtime supporters of independence, but this will stop them from voting Yes to independence.
The UK government may have shelved the policy (for now or for good) but will that have any immediate impact in England or will the translobby just keep pushing.
Would we be better off staying in a right wing Tory led UK who are leading us to a hard Brexit, who are cutting services and funding left right and centre, who are killing people through the welfare state, who are pushing an ever increasingly hostile environment, who have plunged WASPI women into poverty…
OR
Should we vote Yes to an independent Scotland (assuming we ever get a referendum) and if this legislation as been pushed through, work to repeal it? I mean, if it already gets through before a referendum, what’s the point in voting No or not voting?
In France, La Republique En Marche won both the presidency and a majority in the National Assembly only a year after being set up as a party in 2016.
The assertion that a new indy party couldn’t speedily supplant the SNP is perhaps just wishful thinking by the SNP leadership and salariat.
I’ve left the SNP over this shit. I donated to the crowdfunding campaign of my excellent local MP in the 2019 GE, but the party aren’t seeing another penny out of me until this madness ends. And if it doesn’t end, they have lost my vote forever. Parties can be replaced quickly – ask Scottish Labour.
I’m a woman, and a child safeguarding professional. This is one of the most disgraceful pieces of legislation I have ever seen proposed. The fact that they are trying to evade scrutiny tells you all you need to know.
If this is the hill they have chosen to die on, then they will die, as the vast majority of people are opposed to this.
Sadly this is the hill they will die on.
I have spoken to loads of people at branch level who all have the same message.
This is not the job…… this is a distraction.
Please don’t let 2% of the population fuck it up for the rest.
Joanna cherry for leader asap.
@Pete
“As I keep saying, there are far too many homosexuals at the top of the SNP.”
that’s a disgusting comment. Frankly I’d rather have the lesbian Joanna Cherry leading the party than the heterosexual current leader.
I’m in England so I have no vote. SNP was the first and only party I’ve ever joined, about when my pension arrived. This year I haven’t bothered renewing. I’m not going to contribute when an entryist clique is taking over.
I believe there’s no point in writing to them to tell them this, that’s how bad I see things. I wonder what the current membership is, and how it may have changed recently.
The intransigence shown by certain MSPs within the SNP, and in particular Sturgeon and the woke movement, within the party will damage our cause.
This unquestionably means its now greater than ever that another independence party is formed and is not just voted for in the list vote but the constituency vote as well, do we have enough time and potential candidates to challenge the SNP, is the question.
I can only hope that the party is up and running for next years election. We cannot allow our women folk to suffer at the hands of the woke brigade within the SNP.
Moreover part of me wonders why this particular folly cannot be put off, and discussed until after we win independence.
Surely Sturgeon must be fully aware that this will damage not just her party, but our indy cause.
I’d like to see the new indy party hoover up disinfranchised womens votes, at least I hope it will.
I’ll still be voting SNP as I support independence,however,I don’t support the nutty stuff. This is what happens when a party begins to forget what they were put in place to do.
They should remember their Declaration of Arbroath quotes.
If they get side tracked and begin to disappear up their own a**es,then we can always get someone else to do it.
Before any multicoloured Tories get any ideas about winning elections,I always vote,but I won’t be voting for any party that doesn’t agree that it’s up to those living in Scotland to decide on independence,There is no “wouldn’t normally” squirrelly language here,I just won’t vote for anyone who doesn’t agree about independence.
I’d rather spoil my ballot.
A line seems to have been crossed here, irrevocably crossed. We are witnessing, it seems, the slow, inexorable but inevitable fall of Nicola Sturgeon.
The problem for all charismatic leaders is that they must keep delivering tangible evidence; that Sturgeon has delivered impressive electoral victories but has squandered their momentum for independence through her inaction and failure to lead, can only end in her downfall.
“In France, La Republique En Marche won both the presidency and a majority in the National Assembly only a year after being set up as a party in 2016.”
Yes well said Kapelmeister, and lets not forget the comedian guy, who quickly became the president of Ukraine.
Change can happen quickly enough if the will exists for it to do so.
The GRA consultation is opened until 17 March 2020. This article should be forwarded by the author as a submission.
Nicola S is not the person I thought she was.
I was really pleased when she took over from Alex but I get more and more depressed by the day.
Even today on Marr, she was talking about waiting till the end of 2020, when Brexit will hit – it’s madness.
She doesn’t have the confidence to lead us to indy and maybe she originally thought she could but now has thrown in the towel.
The only Angus R thing is annoying the hell out of me as well.
He made sure he got in first,acting like he’d already been nominated for Edinburgh.
I think he knew in advance that Joanna C was going to put her hat in the ring.
It’ obvious to me that AR is NSs choice and she will push for him to get the nomination.
Similar to Alyn S getting parachuted into Stirling
Last thing NS wants is JC at Holyrood.
Whoohoo, Westminster is doing everybody a favour. There’s a simple choice for the SNP now:
Purge or die?
@ Pete
It’s often the case that males who make outrageous comments regarding homosexuals are, in fact, terrified by the, for them, unacceptable truth of their own sexuality. Just saying, Pete.
Surely voting SNP and getting independence is THE MAIN AND FOREMOST thing!
Then vote out the SNP IF they are still for this gender thing, and vote some other party in if that is what the majority of people living in an INDEPENDENT Scotland want.
If there is no independence all it needs is for the Tories to do a U-turn (and they have history of that! as we all well know), and we are stuck for ever more with the Tories, awful gender issues and in the backward, racist, and misogynistic Union.
Nicola Sturgeon has said we’d get our say on independence in 2020. It is ONLY February! An awful lot of you give up awfully easy like.
I have no idea at all, why the SNP are so very keen to pursue this policy. I believe people should be treated with respect, inclduign transgender people, free of abuse or stigma.
But, this trans ideaology which is being very aggressively pushed, is beyond dangerous, it acively threatens gay and Lesbian rights AND identities. Some gay folk still have not switched on as to why others are so concerned about GRA, but it is gay coversion by stealth.
Meanwhile, it seems that Nicola Sturgeon is still determined to carry on doing nothing to help Scotland get its independence, and is happy to do what Westminster tells her. She needs to go. She really needs to go, and the sooner the better.
You cannot lead a political party, whose stated aim is independence, and simply sit on your hands, despite chance after chance, after chance to achieve that goal.
People want action, not yet more of this bullsh*t from Nicola Sturgeon regarding independence. It is abundantly clearm, she is trying to delay things as long as possible, until such time as it is too late to call indyref in 2020. She will then blame Boris, and say, that logically the best way forward is to wait until after the scot parliament elections. And that if folk vote SNP AGAIN! then they really, really promise that this time, they really, really will call indyref, probably. They will not get re-elected with such piffle.
AND THAT WILL BE THE END OF ANY HOPE OF INDEPENDENCE FOR AROUND TEN YEARS AT LEAST.
The polls will not change signifcantly until an actual indyref campaign is under way. It is the only way to fully engage the voters of Scotland.
Please take part in the consultation even if it’s only to answer the five questions. There is help at the links below if you want suggestions on the kind of comments you could add.
link to forwomen.scot
link to snpwomenspledge.com
Pete at 415pm,
The sexuality of a person, does not determine their ability to do a job. Your comment is just homophobic, pure and simple. Kindly grow the f*ck up, or b*gger off back under your rock.
And let me just say, the real problem with NS, is simple, we no longer trust her. And that is entirely her own fault.
@Tatu3
Just chucking 50+% of the population under the bus ‘For Indy’ isn’t good enough. Women and children will be seriously harmed if this legislation comes to pass, and I’m afraid that is more important than anything.
Tatu3,
I understand the point you make about it only being February. However, the indyref needs called ahead of the actuall vote, their needs to be campaign time, and choosing the date is also very important. It really needs called very soon, or it just is not going to happen.
Our streets are littered with the destitute and homeless; the poor, disabled; unemployed and elderly are now in the frame as prime candidates for ‘workfare’ i.e. forced labour for welfare; we are defined as beggars, by our Uk State ‘handout’, the ‘Barnett formula’, a Tory fabricated device for keeping Scotland, a naturally rich country, grasping on to a begging bowl; our land still in the hands of robber barons and foreign capitalists; our youth and talent still flooding out of our country to be replaced by RUK settlers.
And yet on the cusp of grasping our freedom, the SNP, the party created to lead us to that objective is now becalmed, like a ship in a sea of social engineering, with a captain who has lost the compass and the direction of travel. In the vice like grip of a scurvy crew of entryists, which has either captured her or were always part of the mutinous planned takeover of the ship. Either way, we are marooned in the doldrums, the horse lattitudes of despair with no direction and no leadership.
Despite all the rhetoric about not being taken out of the EU…We have been, without a whimper. Empty vessels like Alyn Smyth babble about ‘leaving a light on’…well the lightbulb moment has a arrived and we can clearly see the charlatans such as he and Summerville and Wishart etc. for what they are….liars one and all. The Rev has been proven correct in his analysis. We need an alternative leadership or an alternative party to break the logjam of inactivity and distraction being employed by the SNP to bewitch us.
The former would be the most logical answer. Another party seems impossible to organise in any kind of realistic timeframe. But are there people within the SNP ready to kick out the imposters running the current show? They need to be communicators who can inspire supporters and waverers. They must be challengers of the proto fascists now running England i.e telling them that we don’t need their ‘permission’ for any changes in our people’s sovereign status. Like the Civil Rights movement in the US stated in the ’60s’ ‘I am a man’ to the white hegemony, we should be stating ‘WE are a Nation’ to the English dictators.
Exactly what I have been saying for years now and that is , if I apply basic logic to everything that Nicola Sturgeon has done I would have to come to the conclusion that the SNP are anti independence
Let’s get independence first & sort out our domestics later. No matter what we think or personally wish for, will, in 90%+ instances, be decided by English MPs.
Remember, an independent Scotland will not be a one party state. It’s surprising that the ignorance of some voters seem to think that this is the case. We are a democratic nation, not a dictatorate, like the direction England is currently heading.
This article is a complete waste of time. It is reminiscent of the nonsense that was written in the fifties and sixties about gay men being perverts etc. I have no doubt that some eejit May use this legislation to sneak in the ladies. If they do so to commit an offence then they will be nicked. And they could actually do that now if they wanted to. This legislation is about supporting people to live the life they want. The fact that the tories are not proceeding with this makes it even more desirable for Scotland to lead on this. Passing legislation to support minorities is not a beauty parade designed to win votes. It’s about passing progressive legislation that will educate and bring the rest of us along and make us a better nation. This issue has nothing to do with independence.
I should also say that changing your birth certificate to reflect what gender you feel you are without medical opinion seems not to be a sensible approach.
Surely that is akin to when the BBC documentary makers allow history to be rewritten when they call Henry the 8th a british king. No matter how much he wanted to be King of britain,he wasn’t.
Republicofscotland says:
23 February, 2020 at 4:46 pm
“In France, La Republique En Marche won both the presidency and a majority in the National Assembly only a year after being set up as a party in 2016.”
Yes well said Kapelmeister, and lets not forget the comedian guy, who quickly became the president of Ukraine.
Change can happen quickly enough if the will exists for it to do so.
It’s wildly ambitious, but intoxicating to think about… I think such a phenomenon might be possible in Scotland if there was a fast and effective runaway campaign to formally dispute UK Sovereignty, suspend Scotland’s expulsion from Europe while still safe in the transition period, and advocate a ratification plebiscite confirming Scottish Independence next year.
That is… Constitutional Indy through the Courts and UN, European Citizenship salvaged, (opt out of Brexit and into EU holding pen status), and a ‘ratification’ IndyRef plebiscite inside 18 months…
(I say Constitutional Indy, but even just disputed UK Sovereignty becoming credible will provide Scotland with the probationary status of a potentially sovereign Government… and simultaneously curtail the sovereign entitlements which Westminster currently enjoys. ) That would be a viable transitional Government which could survive long enough to reach the ratification plebiscite…
Name me any Yesser who wouldn’t sign up to that. Show people the way to win, and win properly, and show them the program which will make it happen.
Small observation too for SNP faithful… an Indy Scotland will have neither a Westminster Parliament nor a Holyrood Parliament which has adopted the Scotland Act as it’s constitution. It will have a new Government and a new governmental franchise and constitution, to serve and honour the mandate it is given by the sovereign Scottish electorate… That could be an SNP Government that gets re-elected under new terms and conditions. If you want rid of the toxic woke contingent, it seems credible that there will be an opportunity to restructure and recompose the SNP…
Just imagine the YES Army being suited and booted, and mobilised in time for Arbroath or as soon as practicable thereafter… And don’t forget, mibees a 2020 Wee Blue Book in their pocket…
Aye… intoxicating stuff… but could it be possible…. but there isn’t much time, especially if we want European Citizenship. Boris will accelerate his no deal and end transition…. we need to be light on our feet…
A number of btl commenters are saying ‘let’s get indy first before we deal with GRA’, but what they seem to be missing is that there is NO guarantee of getting indy at all, and certainly not in the next few years. If NS was progressing towards the indy ref, if there was a campaign going on, or the prospect of one being imminent, I am sure we would all be happy to put GRA aside momentarily to fight as one for indy.
However, what we are seeing is just what Stu has been predicting: No movement on indy at all, a lot of broken promises from the senior SNP people, and the pushing of GRA against the will of any sane person which cares about their own rights and the rights of others. We arent moving towards indy, in fact we are going backwards right now, no matter what the polls say. No cash in the indy campaign coffers, current membership hidden from view, no Spring conference for discussion of the issues which are alienating members and other yessers.
All this attacks confidence and trust in the snp high heid yins. So why should we still be saying’wait for indy then deal with other matters like GRA’, when it is beginning to look very much like a vote to keep the snp in gov in Scotland will be a vote for an authoritarian body which is every bit as bad as WM. If we cant trust them to save Scotland from WM and we cant trust them to protect the rights of women, children and gays, then we sure cant trust them not to follow WM’s lead and start to trash pensions, benefits and SNHS.
I blindly trusted the snp throughout Stu’s warnings, thinking it was sour grapes, and fully expecting him to be proved wrong. I thought we should let NS lead, be patient, wait for things to unfold. But as Stu told us, NS has been lying to us all along and it shows in her body language now. I cant and could never vote for a unionist party, but I no longer feel much incentive to vote for the SNP, because the trust is gone. So I will probably not vote or spoil the ballot paper in protest. Unless something huge happens to indicate that NS or the SNP have made a firm move towards indy, or unless a viable new indy party is formed in time. By viable I dont mean the SSP or RISE or any of these lunatic fringe pretendy-left parties.
Apologies to Stu for my earlier doubts about what he was saying and predicting.
Laws are made unmade repealed tampered with debated over scrapped, people do all this till the next people come along and do it all over again, so why would anyone want to persuade others vote to against control of your own country to do all those things that at the moment somebody else can do without any say so from anybody in the country you live in anyway, Boris Johnson could decide tomorrow to reduce my pension if he wanted, he already took me out of the EU and I rather liked being in that but my vote didn’t count because I’m a Scottish Palestinian with no country of my own
Westminster hasn’t quite abandoned Self ID just yet. They will respond by the summer:
The government will formally respond to a public consultation on updating the Gender Recognition Act by the summer.
They will have one eye on the appalling spectacle of the Labour leadership contest with all candidates tripping over themselves to brand women as bigots.
Their other eye will be on the Scottish consultation. I will post a final reminder in March, before the closing date of 17th March. But, as others above have said, please do respond to this consultation and let your views be known.
I will be amazed if this policy survives much longer. The light being shed on the implications is too revealing. The proponents had hoped to slip it in under the radar. But that hope has died.
Also, for those other who have not resigned from the SNP, please do raise it at Branch level.
Links from For Women Scotland as Susan has already posted. Like Susan, I think the GRA 2004 should be repealed because of the travesty of science it enshrines in law. Same sex marriage resolves the human rights anomaly which existed prior to 2004.
https://forwomen.scot
Wondering what I’ve done to be thrown into moderation.
Wonder why my previous comment went into moderation.Not aware that I’ve crossed any lines.
SPLITTERS!
Fionan – if you have used a banned word such as r*pe, even if it is within a word, your post will not appear. You can go back and correct it.
Also, if you post a link to a youtube video without first removing the https:\\ it won’t appear.
Since I started participating in this board, I have always been 100% in agreement with the topics and opinions which The Rev posts, including this latest one today.
However, I’m not beginning to think that this board may also be hampering our independence efforts for the following reason:
The SNP and it’s leadership cannot and will not ever allow themselves to be seen to be taking policy decisions based on what is posted here by the Rev, even though he posts total, common sense. They are so dogmatic that if anything is suggested here, then that just makes them even more determined to dig their heels in and press ahead even harder with whatever agenda they are pursuing at any given time. In fact, I’m of the belief that whatever they read here (and be assured, they DO read this board), then they will go and do the exact opposite, no matter how harmful it is for the independence cause, just to spite The Rev and Wings. I am absolutely sure of this.
Westminster has the SNP over a barrel and the SNP has independence supporters over a barrel so I guess it’s true what they say, ‘Shit rolls downhill’.
BTW, have I mentioned how furious I am with the SNP?
Thank you David Ross @ 5.26pm, for that wonderful bit of mansplaining. I feel to much better now!
Just noticed from twitter that SNP Women’s Pledge have a new website with good advice on answers to the consultation.
http://www.snpwomenspledge.com
My wife and are not members of the SNP but in the interests of independence We lend them our votes to push it through to manage ScotGov well and push for independence.
The latter is sadly lacking and focus seem to be on issues which are divisive and a distraction from the main purpose of the SNP which was independence.
Nicola Sturgeon be assured we will not continue to vote for you or your party if you continue with pushing for this unscientific and unpopular self ID crap for crap is what it is.
We will look to other independence parties for the future.
In short, Nicola you gave pissed on yer chips with this.
david ross 5.26
Ah, the bravado of ossified youth, without any historical or moral compass and just the stench of ideology in their sails.
Slightly O/T but the thought crossed my mind last night, I wonder if Mrs. Murrell is one of the complainants against Alex Salmond? A couple of the accusations involve incidents which allegedly took place within Bute House, so how many women are going to find themselves alone with an alleged sexual offender in Bute House? Not many, I’d wager so for me, that points to at least one of the complainants being much closer to home.
I suspect Mrs. Murrell is one of them.
Joybell says:
23 February, 2020 at 6:09 pm
Thank you David Ross @ 5.26pm, for that wonderful bit of mansplaining. I feel to much better now!
Yes Joybell, it is really not progressive to be worried about woman and girls being r-ped as that infringes on the rights of men.
Also lesbians aren’t being fair by not wanting to have sex with men. They deserve to be chucked out of bars by progressive bar owners. Labelling lesbians transphobes will redress things by making them choose between their job and sleeping with men it is the progressive thing to do.
I Joined the SNP after the mass walkout at Westminster. I hoped things were moving. I was wrong.
I attended a few branch meetings. I was not really made welcome. No one wanted to know what I could offer. I asked if the AGM was quorate and was told to be quiet. There was no enthusiasm and i found it sad.
I no longer attend.
My view on NS.
She is a Peter Principal wee lassie. She was no lawyer. No adversarial fire like a proper Law person. JC for instance. No NS was a solicitor. Not a lawyer. Not ever.
She signed off on the appointment of L Evans in spite of that person’s earlier toxic involvement on PPI . Watch Phantom Power’s expose which WoS highlighted.
Then there is the AS smear. NS signed off LE’s trap for AS by allowing retrospective enablement. What proper lawyer would do that?
Everything is held pending the AS show trial. If it actually goes ahead! Interesting times indeed.
Read Craig Murray’s “Yes Minister fan fiction”
link to reddit.com
Guess who “Marmalade” is. Hint his wife was SPAD to AS and was in Bute House often.
Ask why Craig Murray was not considered fit to be an SNP candidate?
I won’t waste my time on the Self Certification stuff. What is “Non Binary” anyway?
David Ross
The legislation is not about supporting people to live the life they want.
It is about supporting people who think their selfidentification gives them the right to redefine the word ‘woman’
so that they can live the life that they want at the expense of actual, existing women.
Perhaps you should start by reading this.
link to twitter.com
.
WHY ARE SNP BRANCH MEMBERS ALLOWING THE SNP TO DIE IN THIS; “TRANS-LOBBY-RUN-THE” SNP BATTLE?
I understand the weakness/comploance of Nicola Sturgeon in throwing EVERYTHING that Alex Salmond gave her away.
I am aware that Nicola cancelled the SNP Spring Conference to avoid any discussion or even a vote of no confidence in her leadership.
But why for the love of Scotland are the SNP members doing NOTHING to stop this…
link to wingsoverscotland.com
“Aye… intoxicating stuff… but could it be possible…. but there isn’t much time, especially if we want European Citizenship. Boris will accelerate his no deal and end transition…. we need to be light on our feet…”
Breeks.
Some interesting points in your comment, the most pressing being time, would we have enough time to arrange everything for May 6th next year, especially with a new party that’s bound to have infighting and squabbling until its hierarchy settles in, and pursues its modus operandi, which would need to be indy first and foremost .
Part of me wants to scream in Sturgeons ear wake up! Maybe we’re blowing this GRA way out of proportion, maybe Sturgeon doesn’t see the threat to indy as we do, maybe she wants to remain in power, and indy is an inconvenience to that.
The real proof is in the pudding at next years elections will or won’t Sturgeons party do well, by that I mean take seat other than the ones they have now, and will she include a indyref in her manifesto, the answer to that will give us an idea as to what might happen.
All I know for sure is that the English government have been in dissary for the last 3 to 4 years, and that Sturgeon never capitalised on it with regards to holding a indyref, or even keeping Scotland in the EU even though at the last poll 70% of Scots wanted to remain.
If we’re judging, and we must, then Sturgeon has failed miserably on delivering independence.
Having watched Nicola’s pityfull performance on Marr this morning I’ve had to go and stick my head under a pillow.
Pointed questions avoided when there should have been a sharp reply with facts, eg, (we can’t join the EU as we have a defifcit of 7% and 3% is the limit, what about the countries who have already done this? Never mind stating what deficit?
Again it was a rerun of her delayed speech earlier this year.
Where is the passion we need to keep up our spririts which has been raised to such a high level?
Somebody please come to the front with some fire in their belly and lead the lions, or is it lead by donkeys time all over again?
Scotland, a progressive place fit for men in dresses, women with wives, where your every thought is monitored for correctness, where small minority themes occupy the stage and ‘intersectionality’ is the word.
Who needs independence when you can live in a brave new world of such paragons.
Entryism? The SNP well and truly shafted?
“Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive
But to be young was very heaven.”
(William Wordsworth)
O tempora….that has such shits in it.
Let’s vote for independence.
The first thing we have to do after we win independence is establish how we will be governed as an Independent country. That will require elections.
At that election, we vote out any party that will propose to trash the rights of half of the population. We establish a new party at that point.
All the existing parties will need to be reshaped and renamed. We won’t want any parties with links to Westminster and we won’t need a Scottish National Party.
The SNP exists to win Independence, allegedly, once we have won that, the SNP has no reason to continue and will have to regroup. If we don’t like their policies then don’t vote for them.
If we don’t vote for them now then we don’t get Indy.
Let’s get indy first and then sort things out.
“She signed off on the appointment of L Evans in spite of that person’s earlier toxic involvement on PPI . Watch Phantom Power’s expose which WoS highlighted.”
Robert Kerr.
Lesley Evans gets a mention (in a bad way) in the Only Game in Town part-2. The Rev had it up in here awhile back. It made for a interesting watch.
It’s best not to complain about this here but to write, (as I have done) to info@snp.org.
You can address it to Peter Murrell, or Nicola.
Don’t expect a reply. I didn’t get one. But a wave of comments on the folly of alienating large numbers of women for the gratification of less than a tenth of one percent of the population may be noticed.
The post below shows the illogical thinking that is the cause of the problem. There is a naive and lazy view that LGB rights are compatible with transgender self ID. Conflating the two by appealing to liberal sentiment is why we are in this position. Gay marriage is an entirely separate subject which had wide support and became a mainstream idea. The GRA issue on the other hand is very much a minority sport. It’s because there are so many unintended consequences inherent in this current bill. The more that is revealed the more the public see through it which is why a tiny obsessive fringe has entered the SNP to slip it in under the radar. The Tories, much as I despise them , have already binned the idea of gender reform which is why they win elections. Just look at how Swinson/Moran/Long Bailey and an Nandy make a fool of themselves by defending the indefensible. Our woke princess Nicola loves the virtue signalling but will soon realise that appealing to the 0.5% and disregarding the majority of common sense minded folk , is not clever politics.
David Ross says:
23 February, 2020 at 5:26 pm
This article is a complete waste of time. It is reminiscent of the nonsense that was written in the fifties and sixties about gay men being perverts etc. I have no doubt that some eejit May use this legislation to sneak in the ladies. If they do so to commit an offence then they will be nicked. And they could actually do that now if they wanted to. This legislation is about supporting people to live the life they want. The fact that the tories are not proceeding with this makes it even more desirable for Scotland to lead on this. Passing legislation to support minorities is not a beauty parade designed to win votes. It’s about passing progressive
@Robert Kerr
I was initially a bit confused about Craig Murray’s ‘fiction’ but events regarding the Edinburgh seat have clarified things enormously.
Cronyism personified. Cherry all the way.
A political party should NOT be run and controlled by homosexuals.
They do not understand how normal people run their lives.
Nothing against them but if there are too many, it becomes a problem.
You reap what you sow.
What? The SNP is pushing policies that undermine independence? Only an absolute MI5 tool would suggest such a thing!
Or Nazi. Or a fascist. Or a Bigot
Or anything else the people who have co-opted the Scottish Independence movement and attack anyone who thinks outside of their self-defeating ‘progressive’ box has learned from their circle of twitter contacts.
This IS fun though. What is fun, Joe? Well, let me explain –
Issue by issue you are starting to wake up. Some unknown bigot like me will say 2 years ago that women and children will soon be under threat in Scotland due to ‘trans rights’ legislation. It will be dismissed and, of course, insults thrown.
We will say some years ago that ‘it looks obvious that the SNP are not what they say on the tin and might just be a trojan horse for dangerous post modern, ‘critical theory’ BS and general wokeness’. Dismissed. Insults thrown. Such a yoon bigot. Etc.
We’ll say ‘The UK is not democratic in regards to Scotland. But the EU is not the way to go’. Dismissed. Insults thrown. MI5 plant. Racist. etc.
Im enjoying seeing the left, yes even the Scottish Independence movement, get slapped in the face by the brutal unavoidable facts when they finally cant be dodged.
Especially since anyone who steps outside of the accepted mode of thinking is treated with disrespect.
Here are some realities:
– Leaving the EU isnt necessarily going to be a default disaster for the UK. Despite what you’ve been told by globalist establishment media.
– The EU is not a democratic institution and neither is the Eurozone economically viable over a long period.
– The SNP establishment (in its current form) don’t give a shit about an independent Scotland.
– If there is not enough backlash from the public about GRA the next step will be to try to make people think of paedophilia as just another letter in the LGBTQ thing. Its on the agenda.
– Unless Scottish indy supporters become less limp wristed and pathetic there is zero chance of Scotland becoming independent.
– Progressivism is totalitarianism disguised as empathy and its coming for every one of your rights in the name of equality. Its only just got started with GRA.
Do people like me have a crystal ball? Nope. We just don’t let others tell us how and what to think.
Get ahead of the game folks or you will always be led by your noses. If not then ill at least get some amusement when the realities strike.
@ Pete
Well, if we are going to play the quota game there should only be about 2% of any government in the UK comprised of gay people.
Of course im a bigot who thinks gender quotas are fkng ridiculous so what do I know?
BTW the SNP Women’s Pledge advice says you can cut and paste their answers to the consultation. I wouldn’t recommend cutting and pasting as that might offer SAS an excuse to discard those responses. Just read through, then put your responses in your own words.
@Fionan
23 February, 2020 at 5:49 pm
Well said
Joe
Absolutely correct.
In fact, the UK is going to make a success of being out of the EU.
It’s falling apart. Varadkar’s out on his ear. They’re scrambling about trying to sort out their future budgets.
There’s no way Ireland wants reunification as the costs are so enormous.
Right of centre parties are on the up throughout Europe whereas the SNP is stuck in this hopeless model of socialism. No wonder nobody wants to come and work here. We tax too high and education is poor.
Wake up and smell the coffee.
Joe
About 25% of SNP MP’s are homosexual.
Obscene.
There’s a rancid smell of homophobia seeping into the BTL comments here today.
I’m still up for trying to live ‘as if in the early days of better nation’. Clearly there are individuals that don’t. Very glad to see one or two other contributors calling this homophobia out directly. I hope many more are also rejecting this homophobia albeit silently!
On the main issue in this thread, re David Ross @ 5:26 pm – I have sympathy with your view but admit that I still struggle to get my head around all the factors being brought into play from the various sides of the debate both in Scotland and internationally.
My overall sense is that more heat than light is being generated – regrettably unhelpful heat being stoked from parties on different sides of the debate.
My sense is that there is indeed a vulnerable, trans minority which progressive public policy should seek to assist – as it should in principle for all vulnerable minorities. Yes this appears to be raising serious, legitimate concerns from others but this is a social policy challenge to be ‘solved’ – even if not easy – not abandoned, not weaponised!
I had hoped that we in Scotland would wish to continue to lead in finding socially just solutions for such challenges however difficult these might prove. Based on reading WoS it seems I have been so very naive!
To be honest I’m surprised the UK government have decided to delay this now, I always felt they would with Boris at the helm but I did think they would wait at least until the end of the year which would have placed the Scottish Government in an even bigger predicament than they are in now, they have given The SNP time to sort this mess out and if they don’t do so and quickly the kickback from supporters will be immense, the Tories however will use this relentlessly now to attack The SNP and rightly so, I watched Nicola on Marr this morning and it should have been obvious to a blind person that Independence is not Nicolas priority if it ever was, it’s just as well there will be another party on the scene before 2021 and for those saying a new party needs years to become credible, how long did it take Nigel Farage to start his party and bring it right to the fore of politics, also Joanna Cherry being in Holyrood will set the cat among the pidgeons, it’s going to be an interesting year to be sure.
@David Ross (and a couple of other posters here) some further suggested reading I found very useful…
link to janeclarejones.com
Not my first comment but censored.
Lochside, well said.
Censored comment was:
No shortage of easy targets for the Wings of old.
Pete @7.47pm., 7@46pm
‘Wake up and smell the coffee.’
I know what I smell in your posts and it isn’t coffee. Why don’t you get gone with your appalling opinions and find a home elsewhere for your homophobia – like under a bridge, with other trolls.
Sorry it is not very often I disagree with WOS but on this I do. Firstly as far as I can discern there has been no serious issues in Ireland since they introuduced Gender Recognition in 2015 which is in accord with the European Convention of Human Rights. I would have thought by not pushing thro’ this legislation (as seesm the case in England) surely open the door to court cases and expense for the taxpayer which they will lose. Sorry again but as far as the interview with Ms Somerville I did not see and fudging of the issues re protecting ‘Women’s places’ quiet the opposite she clearly stated the proposed legislation would do that to avoid any ‘predatory’ males and protect young people from bei ng exploited. Frankly I do not see the issue here especially given the nos involved in looking to go down that route.
Twitter is awash tonight with the sycophantic ‘in Nicola we trust’ clowns who will not countenance any criticism no matter how bonkers things get.
If the bill is passed , I shall cease voting for the SNP and could never vote for independence if they were driving the campaign.
The heads in the sand sheep who think we can ‘park’ this until Indy is done are politically naive fools. If this bill passes , the dream is OVER.
No point in showing:”Not my first comment but censored” without showing the censored comment.
@Robbo 8.40 pm
The situation in Ireland is not the same. Also an impact audit due for publication has not been released as yet.
link to womansplaceuk.org
Also the same issues are of concern e.g. :
link to dublinlive.ie
@Robbo
Do some further research and check increased rapes in prisons where this has gone through, it is putting children at risk from sexual predators.
Tatu3 says: 23 February, 2020 at 5:04 pm:
“Surely voting SNP and getting independence is THE MAIN AND FOREMOST thing!”
You sure you’re not Sturgeon in disguise? You don’t get it do you? There will be NO FRICKEN independence if they continue down this extremely unnecessary route. Thousands of women are not going to vote for it.
As for your pig-ignorant statement of “it’s only FEBRUARY” blah blah diddy blah. At least learn to read articles and other comments. Sturgeon has more or less stated now on more than one occasion that it’s probably not going to happen this year. Do try and keep up.
As if our battle to convince & convert is not hard enough they now go and allow many female supporters to be put off the idea. Thanks for spitting in all our activist faces.
And btw, those trying to put blame on Somerville are barking up an empty tree. She’s a clueless one trick infiltrator. Sturgeon is the one who appointed her and Sturgeon is the one who keeps her in the post and Sturgeon is the one who allows them to keep this extreme minority interest top & front of the agenda just because Sturgeon is now being exposed as a liar who has strung us all along from one event to another.
Sturgeon also showed a complete lack of leadership strength when she failed to act swiftly and sack those responsible for serious threats being made about other SNP members. I don’t like Campbell’s Hitler Youth graphic it’s embarrassing but hey, you know what, as the very old saying goes IF THE CAP FITS.
Sturgeon has the power to make this disappear overnight. It is now down to her to display what sort of a leader she truly is.
____________________
To “Pete” further up the thread:
What’s your Surname? Murrell? You’re comment is homophobic and unappreciated around these here parts. If you were switched-on you would be alert to the FACT that many lesbian & gay folk stand with hetero folk on this issue. Even a lot of true transgender folk stand with women on this and don’t see any need for the proposed changes. The main driving force for these sort of changes is being driven by nasty & violent transvestites & certain categories of criminal all backed financially by very rich faceless people. So please cut out the fuckin’ homophobia this is the 21st Century.
This is an unpopular policy that will lose indy supporters and I believe this is why Sturgeon is pursuing it as come the election in `21 the SNP vote will drop and she will use that as an excuse to postpone a ref.
Her goal is not indy but to win in `21, see her time out and resign before the next election.
She simply doesn’t care, as witnessed by her lack of any passion or plan since `14.
I have being saying, sadly, over the past two years like others that Sturgeon has no intention of calling a ref on her watch as she is terrified it will result in a Yes and she knows she is incapable of handling the logistics of separation.
I despair.
Pete and Joe
I would have selfidentified them as a trolling tagteam
Except they are probably the same person.
Austerity even biting in Trolland now
“Death knell of independence in our lifetime” Rev, I fear it will be the death of our country, future generations will never get the chance, WM will make sure of it. The last decade has been too close for comfort for them and Scotland as a seperate identity will be killed off for good starting with Holyrood.
Pete 7.46
If its as bad as you say what are you doing here?
Seems to me that Pete may be stuck in a closet and scared to come out, so much deflection, he’s a troubled soul.
I completely understand Rev Stu anger here. Its piss poor leadership by sturgeon!!!! As for shirley anne??? WTF!!! ???
The members need to remove this toxic bunch now!!
* Fireproofjim says:
23 February, 2020 at 6:56 pm
It’s best not to complain about this here but to write, (as I have done) to info [at] snp [dot] org.*
That gets ignored. Go to IanMcCann@snp.org. Thats the address to put your points to. Got it off Twitter.
I sent an email to him on the MacKay thing, asking why, as was mentioned above about Grousebeater, he was not kicked out of the party. AND, by only being demoted, and not fired, he can collect £12,000 as a wee retiral to backbenches prezzie.
He replied, saying they had not had a lot of comments on him, which I was a wee bit credulous of.
*John Jones says:
23 February, 2020 at 6:41 pm
Somebody please come to the front with some fire in their belly and lead the lions, or is it lead by donkeys time all over again?*
I’ve always been damned if I could see just why Ms. Sturgeon is reckoned to be the one and only one who could do that job. Hero-worship is a bad matter, where the hero can do no wrong. Everybody can mistakes, does not have the courage in some situations. She fell into the job when Alex resigned, NO one is indespensible.
Speaking of which.
Did anyone else see Mary-Lou McDonald make that speech in the Daile on Thur. there. My God, she was on fire. That’s a leader that is, Varadker and Martin didny know where to look. 10 minutes, just a couple of glances at her notes. A tour de force.
If you have not seen it, look it up. The only one we have here similar with that fire is Tommy Sheridan. You’ll be needing a hankie. If only we had similar.
Back to Ms. Sturgeon and the topic above. I watched a Q & A she did after a speech at the UN. Got the link on Twitter?
During it, a guy from Prestwick. About 60ish, white hair, an Aussie by his accent asked her about this self-ID. Did’nt want male/females around in his daughters, grand childrens changing areas, also the age thing. She was quite abrupt, and in the course of the too and fro, I got the impression that she would be ameanable to giving medication to Under 16s. Hormone blockers etc.
Also again watched SA Somerville on Wed. night STV there with John McKay. No question answered directly, waffle, waffle, but did say towards the end that legislation Was going thro.
I see the Swedes are now taking a step back, an explosion in young girls wanting to convert. Eng. & Wales kicking it into the long grass. International best practice, all of four countries, aye, right.
Sorry but I have to say that there’s a lot of sheep on here today.
Surely everyone can see that we must get independence first and then we get to vote for the party that reflects our views. Regarding the SNP ;yes I was also disappointed and surprised at Nicola Sturgeon’s very poor performance on Marr’s show today and maybe an AUOB march to Bute House is required to kick start Indyref2. Some seem too comfortable in their current positions.
Well this post seems to have drawn viewers out of their slumber.
When you have a party which has a voting system on issues that allows each member to have an equal say, just as it should be, and that party is infiltrated, which appears to have happened, by enough people with malevolent intent, then you get situations like this.
How does this get sorted?
Well it certainly doesn’t by people opposed ripping up their membership cards. That just further entrenches the “bad eggs”.
People who genuinely care about the issue must try and take back control of the agenda and kill it. Secondly they must remove the malevolent actors from positions of power within the party.
As Stu suggests the Tories will make hay with this and kill off independence for the forseeable future. It would not surprise me if MI5 have infiltrated the SNP and pushed this agenda in order to destroy independence. They and the police infiltrated organisations such as Greenpeace and Animal rights activists in order to destroy from within.
Glencoats Primary School, Renfrewshire.
The school is welcoming LGBT visitors, including MP Mairi Black, to celebrate LGBT History Month, an event that extends beyond the school gates to local libraries and the police station.
link to archive.is
Here’s the person SNP MP Mhairi Black took along to read stories to the pupils.
link to twitter.com
The LGBT Youth Scotland group don’t understand why people would object to this.
link to twitter.com
Watch this and weep.
youtube.com/watch?v=zFEDcc9DaLk
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald.
DragQueen Storytelling.
The American Experience.
link to archive.is
And as someone else said somewhere – lost track
If Mhairi Black’s friend identifies as a woman
Why is he pretending to be a drag queen?
There is so much talent in the indy movement compared to the dismal technocrats in the SNP. There is simply no need for the SNP at all. They have policies on everything under the sun, except the most important thing: independence.
Leslie Riddoch, Robin McAlpine, Elaine Smith, Tommy Sheridan, Craig Murray, Stu Campbell, Isobel Lindsay, Alex Salmond, Business for Independence, Wee Ginger Dug… compare them to even the “cabinet”, who are supposed to be “the best”. Heavens, just about every poster on here would do a better job at being interviewed by Marr or any BBC put-up-job hack.
Incidentally, Ian Blackford saying the SNP will stand up for the BBC (!) is the absolutely last straw.
I would prefer to live in union with England if England has better rules than Scotland on things like the subject in question. There is something not right about all the people who are pressing for primary school kids to be taught about adult matters like sex, let alone attacking women’s rights, lesbians, safe spaces. It is like they need to find an outlet for something that is not right inside themselves.
If we want independence, we have to do it ourselves. I think that is what will happen. The indy movement has never been about being negative — always about being positive and affirmative. So let’s be affirmative and start that alternative party as of today. Independents for Independence.
Man dressed in flamboyant clothing wants to tell children a story.
link to youtube.com
.
Pete do you hate all pooofters or just the ones in power?
Away you go you rancid little prikk
We finally get to a place in Scotland where it does not matter if you love someone of the same sex and creepy bigots like Pete McCreep crawl out from under his rock.
Looking at that evil doctor who presides over Syria – hating a third of his country and killing off a third, whilst looking after the third that are sycophants to his sick, murderous regime. There is precious little love in the world and far too much killing. If someone loves another of the same sex, please applaud that rather than condemn it.
These GRA entryists that are destroying the SNP like political cancer are also feeding throwbacks like Pooofter Pete The Poison Pen troll. Pete, get back in yon closet.
You have to hand it to the British State and 77th Brigade. They have played a blinder in really flucking up Scottish Independence. We are swimming in a cesspit of trolls and have the SNP being fifth columned to destruction.
Nicola will NOT listen. She requires to be removed from office by a vote of no confidence.
The SNP membership are asleep at the wheel and have become ARROGANT believing they are now THE PERMANENT PARTY OF POWER IN SCOTLAND.
AYE RIGHT.
If you are a member of the SNP, PLEASE, for the sake of Scotland, re-read Stuart Campbell’s well written article…
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Or prepare for the SNP to go the way of New Labour and SLAB.
I’d be interested in how staying in the UK would stop this legislation if it is devolved. You could only do this by either voting for a unionist party or advocating Holyrood is abolished.
You may stop self ID with this but you will also more than likely have to start paying for prescriptions, paying university fees, having the bedroom tax imposed without mitigation, handing infrastructure handed back to Westminster.
I don’t know why you’re criticising me when you all seem to want rid of the MANY weirdos who are leading the SNP.
What a party!!
Some men are cunts.
@jfngw 10:10pm
Nailed it!
Sigh, of all the important things our government chooses to focus on at this time.
Kiddy fiddling while Scotland burns…
If the Named Person Scheme was scrapped when judges ruled against it, then Self ID with all its related aspects surely opens up another level of potential contentions.
EG: There are legal ages for various things like shagging, marriage, voting, smoking, drinking.
If someone has retarded or stopped aspects of a child’s natural development through the administration of puberty blockers, then it’s arguable the legal “age” of a child would no longer be applicable.
I can envisage numerous background and psychological reports would require to be completed to determine if a child / young adult actually complied with the various “normal” parameters of faculties for a person of that age.
On the subject of Trans, during the Transition Period of us losing our EU Citizenship, it looked at least to me that we still have a small window to utilise the 4 freedoms should folk want to escape the ensuing #McSkipFire
Al-Stuart
It’s like immigration policy.
A little is fine but too much destroys the fabric of society.
The leaders of a party should reflect the people who vote for it.
When it gets way out of kilter, like 25%, then trouble ensues.
Simple, but you voted for these people so on your heads be it.
The SNP don’t respond to emails. Mrs. Murrell doesn’t appear to interact with people unless it’s polling time. The SNP and other interested parties obviously read this board. To all intents and purposes, it seems to me that the SNP and its leadership are more occupied by a war of attrition with this board than in dealing with their core business, ie Scottish Independence.
Something has to change. Mrs. Murrell’s not about to give up her leadership anytime soon, yet she’s harming the independence cause.
During the Brexit years, the constant mantra was ‘Don’t criticise Mrs. Murrell/The SNP, we don’t want the MSM to think there are any splits or divisions, we need to present a united front.’
I would argue is that split within the SNP is precisely what’s needed to bring about change within the SNP or within the greater independence movement. If the MSM gets wind of it, writes about it, shouts it from the rooftops to the world, so what? They’d find out about a split sooner or later, so why let the MSM dictate events?
I would suggest a mass protest at the forthcoming SNP conference (assuming it’s not postponed again, or even cancelled), or even a walk out when Mrs. Murrell appears on stage to give her centrepiece speech. A slow handclap would do.
Mrs. Murrell and the SNP hierarchy can ignore the opinions expressed on the internet, but they can’t ignore the opinions of the membership when it’s right there in front of them in the flesh, with the worlds media watching.
And that would be my tactic for breaking the deadlock over the lack of movement and ambition concerning the leadership and our quest for Scottish independence.
Peaceful, direct action in front of the worlds media at the conference will focus their minds.
I am 68 years old. I have been an SNP member since 1974. For the first time since then, I no longer expect to see independence in my lifetime. Thank you Nicola Sturgeon, Peter Murrell, Shirley-Anne Sommerville, Ian Blackford and the rest of the gradualists, devolutionists and entryists.
Thank goodness Joanna Cherry is standing against Angus Robertson. I suspect that the constituency party asked her to stand in protest against Robertson being parachuted into the seat. If other constituency parties and branches shout loudly enough, maybe we can shake up the leadership. Otherwise we are doomed.
Bah, post in moderation.
@Kangaroo at 9:35 pm
Re. membership. I mentioned the other day about folk ripping up their membership cards which removes their ability to influence change. Surely better to have a say.
I also pointed out that looking at the Party’s current Executive Committee, you wonder if they’d try what Labour did and restrict a load of recent new members joining up from voting on internal Party matters.
After seeing the twitler youth image, I though I’d dig this one out I’d knocked together one drunken night a while ago after seeing the greasy bugger who is the star of it on smarming and talking shite on some politics show..
The SNP permanently lost my sister’s vote the last time over this dangerous woke nonsense, I must admit, I though hard about it but eventually voted for them (not so much held my nose, but put on a fucking gasmask)
I now regard doing so to be a mistake, and one I’m not likely to repeat again, ever.
So that’ll be me not voting again, as there are no viable alternatives I’ve seen that I can stomach, and no valid and legally binding ‘none of the above’ option available.
I have cancelled my membership of the SNP, having first joined in 1959. Not only on this issue but on them bowing to the absurd opinions of the trendy twitchers in east Sutherland
I admit the Clearances was described to me as evil as I toddled around fishertown Dornoch . I have a terrible hatred of those who valued sheep above my kinfolk. My family left East Sutherland for work in the Central Belt. I found in the SNP back then,a party which would address the wrongs of the Highland Clearances. This year I watched with pride local people and that poet from Golspie speak up for employment of young people on the new Coul golf course which would have completed an arc of excellence for golfers visiting The Highlands. But NO the SNP called it in and preferred the bogus arguments of uninformed twitchers. I even heard arguments which only made sense if the area was arid like Spain or Southern Africa.
The trendies won against an utterly gobsmacked local population. The SNP is no longer a party of the people. It is woke,it is greenfeart, it is become its own worst enemy.
I want independence but not-at any price.
For Pete the bigot who said – “It’s like immigration policy.
A little is fine but too much destroys the fabric of society.
The leaders of a party should reflect the people who vote for it.
When it gets way out of kilter, like 25%, then trouble ensues.
Simple, but you voted for these people so on your heads be it.”
Hmmm…
‘Nach der Säuberung erhöhte Hitler Himmlers Status und er wurde sehr aktiv bei der Unterdrückung der Homosexualität. Er rief aus: “Wir müssen diese Menschen Wurzel und Zweig ausrotten … der Homosexuelle muss beseitigt werden’.
“…after the purge, Hitler elevated Himmler’s status and he became very active in the suppression of homosexuality. He exclaimed: “We must exterminate these people root and branch… the homosexual must be eliminated.”
Welcome to Pete’s new “Wings”…best of luck.
KennyJ
Thanks for the address for complaints to the SNP.
There was a small error in what you gave me. I have subsequently found that the address is
ian.mccann@snp.org
And I have sent my complaint about the proposed Self ID and GRA legislation to that address.
Thanks for your help.
Rev, how about you get your hammers out & get rid of the slanderous individuals. Many of your regulars, I’m sure, are getting a bit more than upset with their posts.
Opinions are one thing but their insults belong to the gutter.
Stuart. Fancy changing your middle name to Cassandra?
OH NO
I’m never voting for SNP again ( never intended to never have is more like )
That NS isn’t the person I thought she was ( didn’t know her before don’t know her now )
What if the SNP drop the gender recognition act too but after independence the new Independent Labour Party resurrect it ?
OH NO !! It’s all just so terrible …you know….all those things that have NOT happened
WOS days we must worry about them even though they have not happened
So best to forget about Scottish independence and austerity and England stealing all your countries wealth
Actually this is not me speaking
It’s all you nutters on here saying don’t vote for Scottish independence because because because
Because WOS has lost the plot
What a load of invented nonsense about danger to women and children backed up by absolutely zero other than WOS phobia
Famous15…..cloth heed
WOS goodbye and good riddance
Junk
@Garrion 11.30 pm
Name is taken – and I did predict all this shit months ago – the reason for the name choice.
Many on here didn’t listen or got extremely angry at me but I warned them and now it gives me no pleasure whatsoever to see how it has panned out.
Talk about getting your knickers in a twist for decks sake get over yourselves the number who declare themselves as different from the gender they are born will be tiny. Talk about making a Mountain out of a mole hill!
I fully agree all this must be put on the back burner until Scotland is an independent Nation.
However, if a predatory male pretended to be in transition in order to gain access to Female
Facilities and acted in any way inappropriately the Police would need to be summons and the
Perpetrator apprehended, tried and convicted.
At the trail person with male genitalia puts forward that they are female but
One who would like to be a Lesbian woman and as such entitled to approach females
Anywhere they like.
If convicted that leaves the question on where to incarcerate this person?
Does the person with male genitalia go to a woman’s prison where they
Might have the time of their lives at the cost of the tax payer?
Some Trans people have had the surgery and then asked to go back as it was a mistake.
With the NHS struggling for funds we cannot be forking out for surgery and
Then reversal surgery.
No one should be operated on until after assessment at age 21.
No going back after one change.
While in possession of male or female genitalia you must use the same
Sex facilities.
Arrest anyone who causes any commotion while in the facilities for the opposite sex.
As someone who has already switched from a Yes in 2014 to a No in a future Independence referendum over the issue of the EU, this seems to be another example of Sturgeon and Co putting the interests of Scotland last and looking good to the EU first.
She’s forever talking about it should be Scotland choice over a second Independence referendum, but why should that be the only matter in which it is Scotland’s choice. If they believe in this Gender Recognition legislation it seems there’s a simple solution put it to the people give us a say on such a fundamental change to the rules of society.
Seems the wake up call the SNP need is the formation of a new Indy supporting party, as maybe then those who blindly follow the SNP without questioning anything they do because of indy might have an alternative option to vote for.
ScotPHO gives the percentage of those who self identify in Scotland as LGB or other at 2.2% and 2.6% elswhere in the rest of the UK by average
The survey was carried out and recieved 21.000 respondants
Bodies involved were the Scottish crime and justice survey, the Scottish health survey and the Scottish household survey
Nearest estimates to ID as transgender as part of this survey were 0.02%
94.5% of Scots identified as heterosexual
This survey was carried out on over 16s to 74 years as from 2011
There are many more figures available from the ScotPHO website on a variety of subjects involving health and welfare of the public
@Paul
Are you being willfully obtuse?
Important and objectionable as the consequences of the GRA are, you’re missing what’s also sticking in a lot of our craws about this farce, the fact that a party which touts itself as our last best hope for Independence and which a lot of us who are not SNP members have voted for in elections for that reason alone and the SNP know that, has been subverted/infested (at least, that’s what it looks like from outside) by a bunch of woke chancers on the make who’re using our votes to enact and enshrine as the law of the land…apparently whatever fucking weird pseudo-science shit (which, in comparison, makes the stuff the Co$ peddle look like the Principia) is going through their wokey wee heads..and now the Unionist press have brought their cannons to bear on the subject, a hell of a lot of people are being exposed to these shenanigans for the first time and are going to be saying ‘what the fuckety fuck are we doing voting for these nutters?’
Sayonara SNP votes, Scottish Independence? exeunt stage left…
Being of a cynical mind, is it not curious that Labour, the Liberals and the SNP are visibly full of these woke fuckwits, yet the Tories are remarkably lacking?, Is it not just wonderfully fortuitous that,just at the start of another 10 year Tory Reich, just as we’re about to enter an interesting fecal-matter-hitting-the-rotating-metal-bladey-thing period for the UK economy, the opposition parties hand the Tories the very sticks they require to beat them with?
Talking numbers, if, as you say, these numbers ‘will be tiny’ then why are they spending so much time on this?, why is so much money being spent on it?, why are they trying to give anyone opposing the legislation the ‘bums rush’?, why did they try to pass it into law with as little public scrutiny as possible? etc. bloody etc.
As the old saying goes ‘follow the money’, much public monies, time and effort, especially the very ‘sleekit’ effort, has been expended on the GRA and it’s cheerleaders, apparently for the altruistic benefit of such a ‘tiny’ percentage of our population (and what makes them so deserving of such attentions?, if it’s based on persecution and issues of society accepting their self-identity, then the furrys of Greenock – all two of them – top the trans mob any day when it comes to that game), one wonders who’ll be profiting from it?
Considering what the next Tory decade holds in store for us, you’d think the parliament in Scotland would have more urgent things which will impact all the people in Scotland to worry about.
“Get independence first THEN worry about the GRA reform” sounds sensible but it is very difficult to remove rights from ppl after they’ve been granted ( unless it’s women of course) so that seems like a non-starter to me. It would be a very brave government that could turn round and say ?sorry, we were wrong. This law was constructed on lies and has damaged our country”. So, for me, it is best not enacted in the first place.
Im not sure it could be any simpler. Stick to achieving independence for Scotland. Any other non essential policy or plan you attach to that is simply a loser of votes. A 10 year old should understand it. Yet here we are. The SNP are either dangerously naive ideologues or are actively subversive. I strongly believe its the latter.
The SNP have taken the miles people walked posting leaflets, the time spent convincing others, the blogs, the videos, the rallies, the money and Scottish independence and burned it all on the altar of woke bullshit progressive garbage…all while asking you to cough up more money. Nobody with brains would be defending them at this point.
For anyone thinking im some sort of agent or shill i can only say this – if I was id be telling you to have faith in those fkng clowns and maybe chip in a few quid also.
Look at the statistics, you’re more likely to encounter a fully dressed clown from the Moscow circus with an exploding car than a transgender person in a toilet
@ Dr Jim I enjoy your posts and your dry wit I also understand what you are saying but this ignoring of the electorate and the membership is extremely worrying to say the least , you have in the past referred to your disabled grandchild and I sincerely hope she is well and happy , but you also stated that if anything were to happen to her in regards to any kind of interference you would gladly suffer the consequences
That is why there is such an outcry over this lunatic legislation , there is no need for it , the existing legislation is suitably robust , the demand for it comes from a very vocal and aggressive minority within the overall population , people are angry and outraged that this madness has taken precedence over our drive for independence and NS is rightfully the person who should be challenged
I just watched Mike Cassidy’s links at 9.37pm and quite honestly I was horrified and outraged that this is being allowed in primary schools in Paisley and pushed by Mharie Black , if I as an avid indy supporter are repelled by this lunacy what would a swithering or undecided voter think
In the past I have agreed with the assertion get indy first and then repeal the legislation but this dictatorial not listening attitude convinces me that that is not a viable proposition
IMO Nicola Sturgeon needs to go as people have lost faith in her promises and the party needs to be purged of the wokists or 77th brigade
@twathater
The FM currently has the full support of the party and manufactured grievences and faux displays of outrage by those who don’t support her aren’t working, in fact they’re having the opposite effect, even the BBC took a look at this issue and intervied some connected folk on the matter but still couldn’t find a way to make a SNP bad story out of it as it’s just not a story when it pertains to 0.02% of the population
I’m quite sure if the BBC thought they could make something out of it they would, the PC brigade is on both sides of this non existent row with themselves, the general population of the country are oblivious to this, it’s a twitter row amongst the the tiniest minority trying to enlarge it for their own ends and Mr and Mrs ordinary punter just doesn’t care or even know about it
As to my own situation and granchild, you’re absolutely right I did say that if something were to occur with my child no law would prevent me doing what I felt was right, but then again who convicts a 71 year old man for battering the shit out of some pervert in a toilet in defence of his child, but again the odds are so minute I’m probably safe from the bravado of my own big mouth, bad things can happen anywhere anytime to anyone, you get on with it and deal
If one instance of what people describe their fears to be actually happens, just like the football law the opposition will demand repeal immediately the newspapers will make a noise in support, then it’ll become an issue and repealed
I’m afraid I just cannot get energised about this from any side of the argument, I even spoke to my neighbours and not one of them had even heard of it, one didn’t even know Nicola Sturgeon was still the FM or that the SNP was still in power and couldn’t care less who it was anyway
The country is choc a bloc with people who don’t care about anything until it costs them money, then you hear them complain that naebdy dun nughin, or naebdy telt them and sumdy shoulda
That’s why the Independence figures are only at 53% Scotland’s a country of people of whom loads of them aren’t interested in responsibility because they’ve never had to be before and they cannae be bothered wae it aw
That was all a bit long winded but do you see my point, only Twitter people care about what Twitter people say and within a year or so half of them will be gone from Twitter because they won’t be able to be anonymous once the new laws come in to make arresting folk that much easier, chances are this site could be gone any day, Johnson has his people on shutting down as much stuff that’s not him as he can, and if he makes laws in that regard the SG will do it too
Time for tea and bed
Of course we all know a vote for independence allows us to choose a government in Scotland with policies we agree. It is blindingly obvious that if the SNP tried to get voted in as the first government of a newly independent Scotland with this policy, they would not win.
I am all for squeezing a boil to get the pus out. Keep squeezing Stu.
I backed the SNP when they were pushing Named Person act even though I feel they messed it up, but now I’m glad it didn’t go through because I wonder if NP & the proposed changes to GRA would mean both acts may have inadvertently complimented each other.
Stonewall, who have influence over many government agencies would have unfettered access to our school age kids, if they don’t already do now, would promote shutting out parents in the pursuit of ‘Trans kids’ ideology, shared loos in School, just no way!
That is my concern, puberty blockers, surgery on under sixteens that we hear of in the US, women being mocked for protecting their hard fought rights & protections from rapists, domestic abusers, with safe gaurds dropped in the name of ‘progressive politics’. That we could expect that in Scotland I’m totally ashamed of the SNPs complicity in this matter.
How do we stop them? How do we make them see sense? The unionist press are beginning to turn the screw on GRA, I won’t defend the SNP on GRA reforms like I did with NP.
Might those SNP MP’S/MSP’S who are silent & against GRA stand up & say no more? Ill back them to the hilt
I have never seen so much negativity from you, Rev Stu, before.
Here is a double dose of it:-“Should there be an independence referendum any time soon – and we remain firmly of the belief that there’s no chance of that while Nicola Sturgeon leads the SNP, a belief she reaffirmed today on the Andrew Marr Show – there will now be a distinct choice facing all Scottish women: the choice between independence and protecting their sex-based rights to at least some degree by staying in the UK”.
Telling us that Nicola’s leadership provides no chance of a referendum while she’s First Minister is just at variance with the beliefs of so many of us.
The suggestion that she could remove all sex-based protections for women is verging on slander. Please be assured that, she has no such power, as the Leader of a Minority Government.
We surely need to understand that equality is not indivisible. Some of us have squeamishness about modern understanding of sex and gender. I have discovered, to my temporary cost, that many women, possibly from a blue-rinse brigade, don’t want men involved in any discussion. Nevertheless, the concept of a distinction between biological sex and the social construct of gender undoubtedly exists. The distinction is followed not only in the context of the social sciences but also in the documents written for the World Health Organization.
I hope that WoS remains, and thrives, as an open forum for discussion as we maintain our unstoppable progress to an Independent Scotland.
I have to admit I don’t understand the mindset of those posting here that say they won’t vote for a party that has a policy they don’t agree with, because in simple terms, that’s what you are saying.
Millions around the world have faced baton charges, tear gas, water cannons, live rounds fired at them, been wounded, tortured, imprisoned or killed to achieve freedom for their country, but you won’t vote for it, because.
You would rather your next door neighbour continued to siphon off all your resources, almost £2 Trillion in oil and gas alone, pass laws that create poverty amongst the poorest in our society, destroy the lives and futures of our children, inflict the lowest pensions in Europe on the oldest of our communities, sell off what’s left of public assets for the benefit of the top 1%, socially murder over 200,000 people in the UK, remove our right to withhold consent. You would prefer one of the most venal and corrupt systems on the planet to continue to revile us both at home and abroad, refer to us as subsidy junkies, Nazis, racists, too wee, too poor, to stupid to manage our own affairs.
Are you serious?
Dr Jim says:
24 February, 2020 at 4:15 am
The FM currently has the full support of the party and manufactured grievences and faux displays of outrage by those who don’t support her aren’t working, in fact they’re having the opposite effect, even the BBC took a look at this issue and intervied some connected folk on the matter but still couldn’t find a way to make a SNP bad story out of it as it’s just not a story when it pertains to 0.02% of the population…
Give me an honest answer Dr Jim… what % chance would you give for the very thing you describe being hubris?
I don’t have any problem with the SNP defying criticism, but that’s not what they’re doing. They’re not defying criticism, they are defying critics, and bluffing it out while not giving any reassurance to those pro Independence people who see ominous cracks in the mantle.
We know it’s bluff, because we were all bystanders waiting for some kind of fightback and deliverance from Scotland’s protracted humiliation and ultimate capitulation before our unconstitutional and unlawful Brexit.
What did we get? Nothing. Worse than nothing. On Brexit Day we are treated to Mr Smugness personified Wishart and Swinney being wined and dined by the shootin’ and fishin’ fraternity and a First Minister delivering an overhyped sack of shite and waffle delayed until Brexit day “for greater impact”. Greater fucking impact… I could weep.
Manufactured grievance eh? Where the fuck is my European Citizenship? Why was Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty subjugated without as much as a whimper from our “Scottish” Government? Manufactured grievance??? Fuck off.
A growing number of people believe they’re being bullshitted and shafted by the SNP, and there’s a growing portfolio of evidence that we are.
We now need a lifeboat to save ourselves from the lifeboat which was meant to save us from the imminent shipwreck of Brexit.
Dr Jim @4:15am
It might be the right thing to do but if a very large number of Yes voters are telling you that they will never vote for independence if the legislation goes through then it clearly shows that independence is not a sufficiently important issue for the SNP leadership.
Breeks @ 8:50
x2
Golfnut @ 8.48am Respectfully, I think you are missing some of the point in what people are saying about giving up membership and/or vote for snp. The GRA stuff is just an example, a symptom, although a very serious example/symptom of what the complaints are about. The overwhelming problem is the utter failure of the snp heirarchy to listen to what their supporters are saying about the many lies they have now been shown to have told.
It is no use to say ‘get indy then deal with issues like GRA’, because it is pretty obvious now that the snp are not even trying to lead us towards indy (apart from a few like Joanna Cherry).
They ask us to vote for them again in 2021 after breaking yet another of their promises about indyref2, so they will be secure in HR for another 5 years, by which time they can happily claim that Johnson et el have taken all the relevent powers away which might enable us to achieve independence. This is what NS & co seem to be moving towards, while moving the woke brigade into the senior positions which would make it very difficult to remove faulty GRA legislation.
So it isnt a case of choosing to stay with WM instead of getting indy, just because of sour grapes over GRA, it is the case that we now fear that we will be stuck in the UK forever, with GRA and who knows what else imposed on us, regardless of how we might vote, due to SNP seemingly deliberate inaction on anything other than the woke stuff that we reject so strongly. NS & Co have repeatedly lied to us, that has killed off trust that they have indy or our interests at heart, it looks very like they just want us to endorse their return to the gravy trough for another five years in 2021. And worse, they seem to be stifling any discussion or dissent. They are basically our public servants, yet they are acting like our masters.
Breeks, well said!
Jeezo, I looked through various links and tweets to see what was going on in Glencoats primary school and the individuals involved.
The only thing Rainbow my mates and I were interested whilst at primary school was knowing what Zippy, George, and Bungle were getting up to.
On a mild upside, what with Scots losing our EU Citizenship, and women potentially having their rights diminished, at least we can probably now cross borders declaring refugee status due to political repression.
NB. I’m not an asylum seeker, I’ve already found one, I just want to get out of it.
I jacked my SNP membership at Christmas.
It’s done folks. Only a Wings Party will work now and that could take twenty years.
The SNP arent interested in independence for Scotland, I’ve been taken for a mug.
My congratulations to all the Unionists on here, your overlords have played a blinder, you win, Scotland loses.
A warning from the women in the SNPs Womens Pledge, that the changes that some in the SNP are determined to push through on GRA, will lead to women becoming vulnerable to predatory men.
The group includes Caroline McAllister, Joanna Cherry and Joan McAlpine. McAllister said, The current gender recognition law is already compliant with human rights laws, so these changes are not needed.
Shirley Anne Somerville, Social Security secretary, said she’d never jeopardise women’s rights.
Will Sturgeon have the good sense to postpone pushing this through, or will she alienate thousands of women and lose their votes, effectively she’d be cutting off her nose to spite her face.
O/T.
So it turns out that the nasty woman who spewed out her bigoted views on QT, has actually stood twice as a candidate for the National Front. Shes also an ardent fan of Tommy Robinson.
This is the kind of thing that we’ve come to expect from Englands propaganda machine the BBC, and some in the SNP think we can actually reason with them or hold them to account, yeah right.
I’m disgusted with the shite that Shirley Anne Somervill comes out with – she say “transwomen are women” when by any rational parameter they are not. That is the crucial point. If her disingenuous assertion is incorrect, her whole house of cards collapses. As for that Mhairi Black “drag queen in primary school” nonsense, who on earth sanctioned that? Who is driving this perverted nonsense?Did anyone involved have a PVG certificate? Who are these people and why have they not been expelled form the SNP? Is this some sort of deliberate ploy to harm the independence movement? I get regular letters from the SNP begging for money, but despite being a member for many years (first joined in 1968) they’re not getting another penny from me until they get rid of these perverts.
Kenny J mentioned a Mary-Lou McDonald clip upthread, then posted a YT link that wasn’t formatted quite right.
When posting a YouTube link you remove the: https://
10 minute long vid.
link to youtube.com
Or Grousebeater retweeted Sinn Féin tweet with the vid a few days ago.
link to twitter.com
Seems to be more tories stirring up trouble on this blog than those supporting independence!
I’ll take a wild guess and say this is down to the blogger following his own agenda, tory trolls and people supporting independence not contributing any more!
Ask yourself how yourself how are we going to achieve independence if not with the SNP?
It’s a simple as that, united we stand,………..
By the same logic it means you want transmen to be using women’s only spaces.
Clearly the status quo isn’t right, the GRA isn’t perfect but we can’t just ignore the rights of trans people or make them jump through more hoops because of our fears
As usual most of this could be solved by better education, and better safe spaces that _anyone_ can feel safe and comfortable using
The Conservative Party stand to profit massively from this GRA drivel, and frankly they deserve to, since the SNP are offering them an open goal. I can tell you that when you contact a Tory MSP regarding this they will meet/correspond with you, already have a handle on the issue, and (honestly) talk robust, compassionate sense regarding women AND transsexuals. Good luck getting your SNP MSP to even respond to your questions. Like it or not, that’s the truth. The SNP hubris (beyond honourable mentions like Joan) is quite horrific. Conservatives know this and they smell blood.
Maybe i’m missing something. Folk are saying they won’t vote for Indy if this becomes law.
This is happening as part of the union, so how does that work?
Surely it makes more sense to vote for Indy, then choose a party that will change things.
Dan says:
24 February, 2020 at 9:55 am
Kenny J mentioned a Mary-Lou McDonald clip upthread, then posted a YT link that wasn’t formatted quite right….
Imagine if Mary-Lou MacDonald had a YES / AUOB movement behind her, putting tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, of people on the streets of our towns and cities, armed with saltire and a Constitutional Birth Certificate of the Nation, that the UNESCO recognises as a “Memory of the World”, and centuries of history, provenance and cross reference to the Independent Nation of Scotland, and an inverted reciprocal of colonial subjugation and infamous history of perfidious sophistry surrounding a Union which came about through bribery, coercion, suppression and injustice…
What do you think Mary-Lou MacDonald would be doing about it?
Do you begin to see the problem yet Dr Jim?
Im much more of a land owning, gun totin, freedom luvin, free speech defendin republican than a faux-right establishment tool toff tory.
But I appreciate the sentiment. Trump 2020 all the way.
Oh im enjoying waych the left kick themselves hard in the balls repeatedly these days. Just a pity they have to drag the issue of Scottish independence into it like 2 loser, misfit, junkie, burn out hippy parents fighting over their innocent child.
Golfnut 8.48
As usual, a bit of global perspective on any particular ‘issue’ is always illuminating. Take a step back and consider what you would think if this sort of statement was made by the BBC on let’s say, something happening in China…
”Over the past 10 years there has been a 4000% increase of young girls – most of whom are lesbians, being referred to this clinic in Shanghai (substitute the word, Tavistock) for gender reassignment surgery. Clinicians who have left the service cited fears that this was a form of gay conversion therapy.”
You’d be horrified and quite rightly so and think this was a frightening example of totalitarianism. Such doublespeak and doublethink are the fruits of ideology. This is really what voters are being asked to support in Scotland. The GRA is not just another ‘issue’. It is about whether one of the basic scientifically established tenets of human life (biology) and all that follows from this science is to go in the bin of history.
A lesbian intellectual and transgender identitarianism.
link to theamericanconservative.com
The barbarians are at the gate and the prideful citizens indulge in sexual ‘cosplay’.
The reason why independence and national cultural renewal is even more important.
Divide and Conquer.
It would seem to be working well.
This ‘tale of two letters’ is yet another example of how deeply ideology is currently entrenched in tendrils of the Scottish government at the expense of evidence and reason.
link to murrayblackburnmackenzie.org
It concerns the lack of due diligence in assessing the evidence submitted in the consultation over the sex/ gender dispute in relation to the 2021 census questions.
In the current GRA consultation, submissions from anywhere in the world are allowed and activists have been vocal in recruiting support from groups furth of Scotland – and we know this is a global minority movement anxious to push an agenda wherever it can.
Why is consultation on Scottish legislation being extended to groups out with Scotland, not affected.by its consequences?
The proposed legislation is of concern primarily to people living in Scotland. One would hope that the tactic of slipping this in under the radar has not worked and that many people in Scotland will take the trouble to voice what concerns they have. However, how will the views from people in Scotland be assessed?
While views from elsewhere might form part of the discussion,one would expect that the views of Scots would be paramount and given maximum weighting. However, the article above does not give me confidence that this will happen, even if these views run counter to views ‘collected’ from elsewhere.
I believe that it is the intention of the proposers of the bill to use any and all support, irrespective of its provenance to justify going ahead, as the article linked to above demonstrates,
@MikeLothian It’s patronising shite like this coming from men that makes us women mad.
We do not need more fucking education, we’re not scared of trans people but we are mad at our hard fought rights being taken away.
It may or may not surprise you but TM cannot rape women. And before you accuse me of trans hysteria, it’s already happened.
As for safe spaces for all, we’ve been advocating third spaces for trans people but we then get told this is apartheid. So wind your male privileged neck in.
Also I’m with Breeks, this is not manufactured grievance, we were PROMISED a choice between indy and Brexit.
I am blazing mad at losing my EU membership.
Something happened after NS came out all guns firing post Brexit.
She not only kicked indy into the long grass but also agreed to chuck Alex S to the wolves.
We can speculate what it was but it was enough to make her give up on many promises.
@Frank Gillougley 10:32
Iran is the home of state sanctioned reassignment surgery for homosexuals.
Oh the irony!
Yes I want independence. But not at the price of magical thinking supplanting science and women’s rights to self segregate being dismantled. That affects ME and 50% of the population directly. Trans Identifying Males and Trans Identifying Females are just that: MALES and FEMALES. Humans are not able to change sex and sex is not “assigned” at birth, it is set at conception and observed at birth. “Born in the wrong body” my arse.
You really have to wonder who’s behind this surge in self-ID, Gender reassignment etc, and what’s in it for the politicians pushing the likes of puberty blockers.
Its known the Lib/Dems have taken donations from them, one wonders which other parties have taken money.
link to firstthings.com
I would invite those reading the comments to consider whether those advocating not voting for the SNP in general or the removal of Nicola Sturgeon in particular over the GRA are actually sane.
Only with independence can we enshrine citizens rights, not by acts of parliament, or international convention, or EU Law or external pressure to conform, but by a Written Constitution, agreed by the people of Scotland that cannot in law be contravened, constrained or ignored by politicians.
That can only be achieved with independence.
Nothing that is currently law or will become law prior to independence if it is not consistent with the constitution will survive a written Constitution.
Young brains aren’t equipped to make life changing decision with regards to a sex change. The Scottish government know this they commissioned a report on it.
link to mobile.twitter.com
If we let the Self-ID and the gender nuts away with this….
……along will come the paedophiles.
End the Union! @ 10:03
“Ask yourself how are we going to achieve independence if not with the SNP?”
The real question is to ask yourself how are we going to achieve independence despite the SNP? They’ve been going backwards since the 24th of June 2016. And before anyone shouts about polls showing 50%, they should be at +60% given where we are currently.
Crowing about 50% in the political and constitutional cluster-f**k that is Boris’ Brexit-Britain is akin to celebrating Scotland holding the Faroe Islands to a 1:1 draw!
The division is caused by SNP policy makers forcing legislation that threaten women and children. Not the people who oppose. Get real ffs. Ill fly that ol’ butchers apron above my head before i submit to the women in my life and in society as a whole being deprived of their rights and ill happily fight the asshole scots who propose it.
eunuch = man without testes.
transvestite = man who dresses as a woman.
that’s it folks, unless the problem is in your head, for a very, very small percentage of the male population.
However,
what is the corollary of these titles when we are talking of an even smaller percentage of the female of the species, who wish to (fully – important word) transition to male. A situation most appear to want to do, unlike their male counterparts.
it would appear we are not talking of a level playing field, since the ‘natural’ guys are getting all the attention (as usual).
For someone who claimed that his main reason for supporting women’s based rights and is lobbying heavily against GRA reform, was because he had a group of friends who were lesbians that hugely influenced his outlook when he was younger, I’m surprised at his tolerance for the overt homophobia displayed on this and other posts on his own blog.
Why are you not cautioning or even curbing these type of posts, especially as you fought so hard against the defamation of your own character on the very issue of homophobia?
Yet you allow open vile and disgusting posts by bigots and homophobic trolls to litter your blog posts?
Why?
You say ‘don’t’ feed the trolls, that ‘you’ decide who gets banned on here but you’ve done nothing to discourage this type of commentary, allowing the trans discussions to be hijacked by overt and hostile homophobes who conflate the issues deliberately.
Clean your house Stu. Fucking disgraceful that you are allowing those posts to stand unchallenged by you the ‘great defender’ of homosexuals.
ahundredthidiot says:
24 February, 2020 at 11:26 am
If we let the Self-ID and the gender nuts away with this….
……along will come the paedophiles.
Response –
maybe they are already here.
Meanwhile the MoD wants to dump nuclear waste in the Faslane area, have your say on the matter here
link to consultation.sepa.org.uk
Lets not forget that SEPA is a captured body with ex-Shell senior executives on its board maybe that’s why SEPA darent challenge Exxon-Shell for the continous flaring at their Mossmorran plant that emitted 1.1 million tonnes of greenhouse gases into Scottish skies last year.
Paul Wheelhouse Minister for Energy, has trod lighty against big oil, and is conveniently leaving it to SEPA to sort out.
The north African scientific historian Ibn Khaldun got the measure of this stage in social development.
link to qcurtius.com
[As wealth and power grow, a slow but sure weakness begins to creep into the hearts of the citizenry. The binding force of religion begins to lose its hold on the minds of men; effeminate qualities begin to appear that undermine traditional masculine, martial virtues; and men begin to prefer luxury to work.
This luxury and weakness attracts the attention of probing barbarians on the society’s frontiers. Hungry mouths are drawn by the the sight of urbanized weakness. New nomads move in, destroying or changing the civilization, and beginning the cycle (of civilization) again.]
Self-ID/GRA is the way in for the paedos;
link to theguardian.com
I’m sorry but anyone who would sacrifice independence over whether someone has a dick or a cunt or where their head is in between those two things needs to take a long hard look at how division is used to undermine a movement.
Protecting women’s spaces is just a no-brainer for me. I do not support the GRA, although I can see the need for a more inclusivity for trans folk.
Independence is still my primary focus and I will continue to support whatever party can offer a realistic route to that. At the moment that is still ONLY the SNP. Everyone trying to undermine them over the GRA is playing into the unionists hands and pushing the possibility of independence further away. If you think that is OK then I have to question your commitment to the cause.
This will be my last post on Wings until folk on all sides come to their senses, so it may be my very last post it seems.
Carlaw saying on his Twitter that the SNP has been in charge for 14 years. 2007 to 2020. That’s 13 years. No wonder the man’s businesses failed. He can’t even do simple arithmetic.
A reminder for everyone, we do not live in a country which has freedom of speech – not with hate speech laws – The Rev may have some protection given the recent Harry Miller case in England, but in Scotland, all it takes is an idiot to make a complaint and the cops will be knocking on your door to ‘check your thinking’. As soon as GRA goes through, you won’t be able to express an opinion on their mental illness.
K1 – instead of ‘shutting people up’ as you appear to be suggesting, maybe go elsewhere, don’t tolerate it, stand by your principles and piss off instead. It’s dummies like you who sell off democratic rights so cheaply and then cry fowl when you wake up in an Orwellian nightmare.
X Sticks at 11:37
I am assuming your message is for the SNP.
Or did you not read the Revs post…..with all them tweets….no?
I don’t want to live in an independant state where the women are second class citizens. Gender classification is a mental illness nothing else and sexual predators are salivating at the prospect of this getting through.
I am self diagnosing with Anthropophobia and I would like for everyone else to promptly kill themselves so that my minority rights can be protected at the expense of everyone elses hard won/fought for Rights…….just because.
@ K1
Mibbe Mr Campbell is smart enough to know that letting someone speak their mind is the surest way to figure out what they stand for. You totalitarian crybaby. Grow up ffs.
Just seen a Labour MSP on Politics Live advocating free sanitary products for all women.
How far does the nanny state need to go?
The next thing will be free toilet paper, shaving products, the list could be endless.
Shouldn’t we be encouraging people to people to stand on their own feet.
Madness I.m.o.
Pete – you should get a job writing for the Daily Mail?
That’s about your level.
I’ll repeat what I posted earlier.
Do those saying they won’t vote for Indy because of this not realise it is happening now, in the union.
What does Indy have to do with it?
Folk are being manipulated by psy/ops, and they don’t seem to realise it.
X_Sticks says: at 11:37 am
“I’m sorry but anyone who would sacrifice independence over whether someone has a dick or a cunt or where their head is in between those two things needs to take a long hard look at how division is used to undermine a movement.”
I would think most politically informed folk in Scotland know only too well how divide and rule works.
It is the tool in the Establishment’s Box that is polished shiny bright and never gets a chance to dull or rust because of its constant use.
It’s function is to have the plebs perpetually bickering amongst themselves over religion, football, immigration, Self ID, etc, whilst the status quo of the rich syphoning off the wealth goes on unhindered and unnoticed by the bickering fools.
It is for that very reason one has to wonder why on earth the Scottish government chooses this particular point in time to look at such an emotive matter.
My post got held in moderation last night but is now clear which is along these lines.
link to wingsoverscotland.com
And keep posting or you will have succumb to the divide and rule tool’s intended purposes.
The fuckin maahoosif dusty and unused Scottish Sovereignty spanner should have been the tool we picked up and wielded to undo the Imperial nuts that bind us in such a dysfunctional undemocratic Union.
Juteman @ 1pm
Did the Sunday Times headline and piece not provide you with enough information to come the the conclusion that Westminster is kicking it into the very, very, very long grass.
Not so Holyrood……and championed by the SNP no less….vote loser if ever I saw one.
This is how identity politics works = by losing.
I’ll just leave this here
Ghostbusters 2016
The headline made me think the article would be about some sexual practice I’m too old to know about
But its surprisingly untabloid like
X-rated drag queen called ‘Flowjob’ visits primary school sparking backlash
link to archive.is
And for those who say
minority interest
nobody cares
etc
This took place for the ‘benefit’ of primary one kids in an ordinary Scottish primary.
This is mainstream now.
One for the investors out there.
Granted it’s a long term prediction, but after another 300 million years it will probably be a prudent idea to dump Spire Healthcare shares as their sexual reassignment surgery and puberty blocker providing services might go out of business.
link to ourblueplanet.bbcearth.com
“Think about it – fish have been around for 500 million years: today there are more than 26,000 described living species. Compare this to the roughly 200 million years that mammals have been around, and the fact that there’s less than 6,000 species of us,” he says. “There’s simply more diversity in fishes: thanks to evolutionary radiation, they are more widely adapted to a broad range of environmental niches. And where you get variation, you get diversity in all sorts of ways, including how they reproduce.”
Things we know, and things we suspect…
The Labour Party got knobbled at a young age, from within – the greedy lackeys who’s attitude once in power was, ‘its oor turn noo’, and ensured they gatekeepered all entries at local level to have a similar attitude and lack of genuine ability. Scottish Labour today is the result of that gene puddle.
And in the same vein, but different tactic (for the British Establishment will use a multitude of tactics, not just one or two) – the unelectable policy – 3 day working week, anyone?
And then along comes the saviour, the smooth, professional looking one, the Tony Blair – who will do everything the tories want, but slightly slower and with a sad face.
A bi party system made and designed to operate in tandem, an opposition party whose sole purpose is to ‘manage the expectations of the poor’ and every now and again, give them crumbs from the maisters table.
We have all our eggs in one basket with the SNP. And their current policy on GRA reform makes them unelectable to a very significant part of THEIR OWN SUPPORTERS. And that is before the media starts to role out how unjust, unsafe and totally bonkers it is.
It will make the stushie they created over the Named Person policy (which was a good enough law) look like a very small practice run indeed.
If we look at how the British Establishment will/is operating, then we can not get bogged down will small battles and we must concentrate on the overall win.
They will corrupt our main players within the SNP. As a last resort they will disclose them to the public, but so much more useful to keep them in place and have them spike the guns, pull the punches, slip up and ‘make errors of judgement’.
One would expect a social media savvy young MP to carry out a basic Twitter check on any person she associates with and publicly brings into a school.
And she is undoubtedly incredibly talented – an error of judgement? Perhaps Jim Sillars taught her too well.
All First Ministers are automatically members of the Privy Council. There is no way they can have intimate personal relationships with officials from another country. It is automatically a security issue and a conflict of interest. Were such a thing to be happening (and I am choosing my words extremely carefully here) and for it not to be disclosed by the media – it could only happen on the direct instructions from Westminster, and if that were to happen, it means without a shadow of a doubt that person has been controlled by WM and is working for them and them alone.
For 2 of our top MP’s/MSP’s on the day of Nicola Sturgeons Brexit day speech, to not realise the impact of the optics of them being wined and dined by the hunting, shooting, fishing brigade – just beggars belief. Until you start to see the bigger picture.
So, we could get bogged down, looking for evidence, hoping against hope that it isn’t true, that one more mandate will be enough, or that Nicola has a plan, a secret plan that is so clever, only her super brain can cope with it and us mere mortals couldn’t begin to comprehend its complexity.
Or we can do 2 things, at the same time. With regards GRA reform – a wee phrase the gradualists will like, NOW IS NOT THE TIME. Shelve it all the way into the long grass. No arguments, no debates, no sides, NOW IS NOT THE TIME.
This should be pushed for at local branch level, and become official policy. (For those who can still stomach the party). If this wins, it will save the party. If you lose, you will have identified those in the party who are compromised (one way or another).
And for others, we need a Yes Alliance of electable people. We need for all our eggs not to be in the one basket anymore. We need to concentrate on the policy of Indy, before everything else.
Fife has shown us the way. The Yes movement really is bigger than the ‘Yet another Mandate Party’.
Any news yet on a policy from the SNP regards, what will we do with a 5th Mandate if Boris says No yet again. You don’t win at negotiations without leverage, and for leverage to work we really should be selling it to the electorate about now, I’d suggest.
Kind regards to all.
“Get independence first THEN worry about the GRA reform”
Folk who think this are nuts.
To get independence we need voters, people putting their X on the ballot sheet next to the party that will get them there. At the moment this still looks like being the SNP.
Half the population are women, biological females who have fought long and hard to get the security of spaces reserved to and for the sole use of women.
If a party thinks it can bring in legislation designed to satisfy a very small, vocal male minority, who are seeking to carve out a large chunk of the female domain by pretending to be “women”, then they live in a strange world.
Women don’t want to accept “camouflaged” males into their hard, fought for Rights and spaces. Women’s Rights are a life long domain and not for selling off cheap.
The SNP and their bunch of underhand “wokies” are p******g women off and they won’t give up their Rights. Why should they? They’re putting women off voting for them.
So if you first want independence, you have to get that X on the ballot from the women.
OOPS..
A whole paragraph disappeared at the top about folk thinking GRA doesn’t matter to women, they’ll still vote anyway.
Mea culpa, sorry..
@daisy walker
All First Ministers are automatically members of the Privy Council. There is no way they can have intimate personal relationships with officials from another country. It is automatically a security issue and a conflict of interest. Were such a thing to be happening (and I am choosing my words extremely carefully here) and for it not to be disclosed by the media – it could only happen on the direct instructions from Westminster, and if that were to happen, it means without a shadow of a doubt that person has been controlled by WM and is working for them and them alone.
I am assuming you have some knowledge.
Allegedly the press are not allowed to comment on certain private information
I don’t understand how much of this is to do with what’s between a person’s legs and how much is what’s between their ears. 🙁
@ahundredthidiot
Yeah, I know that, but Holyrood is part of the union. It is as part of the union that this is being enacted.
Why would folk not vote Indy because of it?
Your teacup is rather stormy Rev…Independence first! Everything else, after!
I’m of the view that far to much energy is wasted on this matter. I have no great interest in how people identify. The number of people than transition is very small. The number of those that do who might present in prison or at a women’s refuge even smaller. Penny numbers at most.
It is not beyond the wit of man to draft an act that protects both trans’ rights and women’s rights. The current GRA act is less than the incredibly vocal activist minority of trans people want and with some discussion could meet what most people on all sides would consider an equitable outcome.
However, for those of us who have been active in SNP electioneering (as in a couple of months ago) how often did this get raised as an issue? Not once in my experience. Nor is it something my branch gets tied in knots over.
This is a bitter battle with a pretty small number of activists. I have no issue with Stu entering the fray but it isn’t something that sustains my interest and consequently I’m taking a rest from Wings until something interesting happens (assuming something interesting ever does happen).
The Tories might kick this into the long grass but I doubt any other party will so it is not politically relevant to me what the Tories do as I will never vote for them. Starving the poor, pension age, buying nukes, xenophobia…the case against on the other side of the equation is so vast as to make this matter look like pimple on the butt of an elephant.
Until more interesting times.
Could someone who is in child protection please explain to me what is considered child abuse these ( interesting) days.
And can people who are in a position of dealing with young children be sacked for pushing ‘boundaries”
Why are homosexual etc groups so interested in schools? How much of this ‘entryism’ is taking place with the approval of local and school authorities? Are these bodies afraid of ‘consequences’ were they to disapprove?
Scotland seems on the surface to have gone from a level-headed, relatively conservative society to an unstable, ‘no holes barred’ one and all at the behest of a minority that considers it has a grievance against nature.
I consider that the appearance of these ‘groups’ at a time when the SNP was doing very well is no mere coincidence. They’ve hitched to the nationalist band wagon and are steering the vehicle off road. By design? What a silly question!
Totally scunnered with wee kids having to deal with this stuff.
Instead of protecting them and helping them accept that being different is OK, they are being told to change their bodies and core beliefs of what they and others are to accommodate a small minority. The later stuff to do with puberty and sexuality is being brought forward earlier when it is neither appropriate nor safe.
It appears it is all to accommodate a small group of mostly men whose ‘feelings’ and (it now seems) ‘kinks’ transcend the discomfort they create in women and girls. If a delusion is a false belief out of step with culture and religious background we are slowly having the background changed to normalise these beliefs as normal.
It stinks that some of the most influential women can be complicit in this while all the time couched in ‘BE KIND’.
Never mind this Gra thing, 99.9 percent of people have never heard of it, what does it stand for anyway, go for Independence, GRA- Great Republican Alliance, everyone who wants to dissolve the union join together and call the movement GRA solve a few problems.
Two major problems here I think, one, will women still vote for the SNP,if this goes ahead, and will Sturgeon name a date for the indyref.
Interestingly in my opinion that is, will the latter cancel out the former to an extent. Independence is of course the goal is it not, and if Kelly and Co can repeal the OBFA, then surely if implemented, the GRA, can be repealed at a later date, depending on the make up of who holds, and who supports power at Holyrood.
Individuals will need to decide for themselves, which is the more damaging to Scotland, Westminster or the GRA. I’d say it will be easier to reform/repeal the GRA, if implemented in an independent Scotland than it will be to wait another X amount of years to be rid of Westminster and the union, if we miss an opportunity that might arise in the near future.
There will be no indyref in 2020, and there won’t be another indyref at all if the Conservative Party win well next year. The core unionist vote has always had a natural ceiling, even when the Tories took advantage of Labour’s collapse. Now – pissed off people will lend them a vote because of the GRA issue just to show the SNP they can’t chuck away women’s rights without consequences. And anyway, if it goes through the Tories would be mad not to campaign on Vote Conservative – Repeal the GRA. It gives them a break from NO2INDYREF2, quite apart from the emotional appeal of a guaranteed very popular policy that will set them apart from the rest.
I don’t think its appreciated just how well the Tories are handling this. They are making hay with it, behind the scenes. Plenty of women who wouldn’t want to vote Tory are going to vote for a specific Tory candidate as a personal vote, because he listened and understood. This isn’t speculation, I know women like this. They aren’t normally political, but right now they are hopping mad.
I don’t believe this legislation will ever see the light of day.
It will be dropped by the Scottish Government as soon as it is recognised that it will be abused by male predators seeking to exploit weaknesses in the law to target vulnerable women in places where they should feel safe.
Particularly at risk in these situations are lesbian, Bi and Transwomen themselves.
The LGBT community will soon realise this and join the campaign to stop it.
Silverdarling “…If a delusion is a false belief out of step with culture and religious background…”
Oh, the irony.
The British Labour Party slogan is `For The Many Not The Few`
there are 30,000,000 woman in UK and 2000(est) men that identify as woman,
yet British Labour are sacrificing the rights of 30,000,000 woman (the Many) for the feelings of 2000 men who identify as woman (the Few).
Meanwhile, over in paedoville, Peter Nygard is the latest link to Prince Andrew – who should be in front of an FBI agent.
Taking transvestites into schools isn’t education, it’s indoctrination. My wife are quite happy to discuss sexual education and sexual matters with our children at home when they want to know things and as a result, seem to be open minded and accepting. We see transvestites quite a lot here, so they know what they are and they’re not bothered a hoot if a man wants to dress up as a woman or a woman wants to dress up as a man. My children are quite happy with that.
THAT’S education. It’s NOT indoctrination because my children aren’t forced to learn about it as the children are in some primary schools in Scotland.
Mhairi Black is currently digging herself into a hole on Twitter over the latest mess. Her decision making ability is extremely poor.
@James
Why the passive aggressive comment?
The accepted definition of a delusion is what I posted. We are being asked to accept not what we see in front of us or that which is scientifically accepted and verified. Not only that we are being TOLD to accept what is to a vocal minority their version of reality:
That pink and blue brains are real, that women should shut up and accept men’s feelings are paramount. That to question any of that is homophobic or transphobic or unprogressive. That any step outside the rigid stereotypes created by TRAs means in their topsy turvy world that you must be in the wrong body.
Oh dear, have I hurt your FEELINGS?
silverdarling
‘That to question any of that is homophobic or transphobic or unprogressive’
This reminds me of ‘that’ scene from the body snatchers.
The great irony is that people who want to shut down others opinions simply because they disagree, fit exactly, the definition of a bigot.
Therefore, where we see a bigot, we should call it a bigot.
Tobias Ellewood Tory MP in the HOC just referred to this year being the 75th anniversary of victory *over* Europe
Mr Ellewood went on to describe the UN as a toothless organisation with no power whilst ignoring the fact that on two recent occasions the UK government has ignored UN directives on human rights within the UK and their continuing position of refusing to withdraw from the Chagos islands
Mr Ellewood is advocating *direct action* against the Assad Russia campaign in Syria
Secretary of state Tory MP James Cleverly said the UK is providing more money than ever before and more aid to the affected
SNP MP Hannah Bardell said if we can’t stop them doing it at least call for them to cease fire and allow the people to get out
Sec of state Cleverly said the UK is providing aid
So the UK is immensely powerful when bullying smaller nations or organisations but chickenshit feart to even talk to the bigger ones showing that when the aquisition of money’s involved they’re right in there, but if there’s a chance they might get their Arses kicked they’re like a rat up a drainpipe in the opposite direction
I originally thought this push for ‘Transwomen’ to be accepted by all and sundry as ‘women’ was some sort of weird attempt by said ‘transwomen’ to be attractive for lesbians. The claim being “Look we are women so you should be attracted to us. And if you are not, you are discriminating against us”
But now, its getting far more sinister with ‘transwomen’ gaining access to spaces where they have no business being, being accepted by Law Enforcement as ‘Women’, and accessing the minds of children with, quite frankly, disturbing consequences.
Now, anyone should be allowed to call themselves anything they want, and act in any way they want including engaging in elective surgery once they are an adult, as long as it does not cause offence, break the law, or threaten juveniles.
Independence is the prize. Everything else is a diversion from that. I do not know of anyone who voted for self ID or trans anything.Westminster must be laughing that we make everything so easy for them.
Getting to the state where I can’t read this blog anymore. We are being mugged again, suckered into fighting each other. I know some say we all know about “divide and rule” – OK so why fall for it. From what I read this GRA is very much a minority interest – why are we allowing it to distract us from our main aim of Scottish independence? The Britnats must be delighted – thanks for doing their job for them!
I never for one moment thought that the MSM would be able to mobilise enough protestors with regards the Named Person bill.
The Named Person bill was dull, worthy, conscientious and – in complete contrast to the GRA reforms – thoroughly justified, reasoned and sane. It looked at recognised areas of proven failure in child protection cases and looked to fill them in a sensible way.
Quite how the MSM managed to demonise it, is beyond me. But then I don’t have kids.
Met a few folk who do, and do you know, they (quite rightly, if we’re being honest – get kind of protective – about their children, about who has access to their children – physically and with regards the content of whatever they are promoting, and also with regards to what rights they as parents have).
Now that Boris has kicked the bonkers GRA reforms into the English long grass – the gloves are off with regards the MSM putting the boot into the SNP’s inconsistent and downright dangerous official stand point on this bonkers mess.
For those going round the doors and saying no-one on the doorsteps was mentioning it – well get ready, because the MSM is going to play this one to the hilt. You’ll be hearing it soon.
And if you thought, the SNP have been lacklustre in standing up for the things they can prove. Wait until you see them tie themselves up in knots trying to justify the mess that is GRA Reform. UNELECTABLE.
This is not going away just because you’re not interested, or you don’t get it, or you once met a drag queen, or a transgender and they seemed a nice person (and I’m sure they were) or the women in your life don’t mind sharing the M and S changing rooms, or you don’t have any daughters in the top end of sports away to lose their careers cause a self Id’ing male is cheating.
The Olympics – the biggest athletic event in the world – is this year, and guess what – self identifying males are getting to compete in the womens event. The stage could not get any bigger.
What a hill to die on right enough.
Or, we could do the sensible thing, the thing that no-one could take issue with – and quite deliberately kick it into the long grass. Sweden is taking time out to re-assess the policy due to the large numbers of those who transformed regretting it.
For those who genuine believe in this stuff, take time and allow bona fide evidence to be collected. And put Independence first.
Kind regards to all.
After seeing the minute reasons some have been excluded from the SNP, watching a MP attending a school event with a drag queen then seeing pictures of the children on his site which contains what many would consider soft p*rn. Well lets see where the SNP moral compass is with this one, are they going to through child safeguarding under the bus beside women’s rights.
HandandShrimp says:
24 February, 2020 at 2:14 pm
“I’m of the view that far to much energy is wasted on this matter. I have no great interest in how people identify. The number of people than transition is very small. The number of those that do who might present in prison or at a women’s refuge even smaller. Penny numbers at most.”
Sorry, you couldn’t be more wrong about this. Here’s some research about the no. of male prisoners in the UK currently planning to transition to the female estate.
And remember, with self-ID there is NO requirement for any diagnosis of gender dysphoria, let alone drug treatment or surgery.
link to twitter.com
“The British Labour Party slogan is `For The Many Not The Few`
there are 30,000,000 woman in UK and 2000(est) men that identify as woman,”
How many asians? Muslims? Homosexuals? Are they going under the bus as well in this bright new socially-conservative nationalism?
If any issue’s more important than independence – NATO, nukes, chlorinated chicken, or whatever – then the game’s a bogie, anyway. For some reason you have decided that what 1000-odd people do with their lives is more important. It took a while, but they found a shiny thing you couldn’t leave alone. “I’m not voting independence if ” could be filled with any number of things and I’m sure some blogger pointed out the stupidity of going down that road some time in the past. Who was that guy?
It only took a few years to go from an important very successful independence supporting blog to a web page for a rabid cult of a man’s a man and a spade’s a spade. My visits here have become much less frequent and now I’m wondering if I might be better just going directly to the Daily Mail web site.
@ Daisey Walker.
Excellent post, for anyone under the illusion that the Ukok state isn’t somehow involved in all of this, read the latest from ‘Barrheadboy’.
For those posting here that are genuine independence supporters but are willing to put aside that support over this issue, think again, you will further no ones interest other than Westminster. You will sacrifice everything, everything that has been gained so far, will be lost.
Bill McLean at 4:39 pm:
“From what I read this GRA is very much a minority interest – why are we allowing it to distract us from our main aim of Scottish independence?”
I can understand why it may be of no interest to you, but women and girls are over 50% of the population and the question that I want to ask is – why is the SNP government allowing it to distract from its main aim of Scottish independence?
@Bill McLean at 4:39 pm
Aye Bill, it’s textbook divide and rule, the trouble is it is folk on our own supposed side that has created the divide by taking this matter on at this particular time.
The Scottish Government could be looking to make hay from the 70% of Scots pissed off at losing their EU Citizenship after being told Scotland wouldn’t be taken out of the EU against our will.
I’m aware of three companies operating in a small area of Scotland with monthly turnover into the millions that rely on various aspects of being in the EU for their businesses to function.
There’s massive implications for their futures and the communities they effectively support through the employment of locals.
You’d think that might just be more important than fuckin around with Self ID.
OT Was recently staying at a hoose with one of those old fashioned telly things in it.
Turned it on and viewed the new Frankie Boyle show, which I’d describe as like watching a valiumed down Philomena Cunk.
Have your say:
The link to the consultation: link to consult.gov.scot
Further sources of information:
Stonewall: link to stonewallscotland.org.uk
Scottish Trans Alliance: What is Transgender? link to scottishtrans.org
Fair Play for Women: Is the legal gender recognition process really too intrusive, too costly and too difficult? link to fairplayforwomen.com
Trans Rights Europe: Trans Rights in other countries: link to tgeu.org
The consultation closes on March 17th 2020.
MorvenM – I did not say GRA was of no interest to me. Just that it is very much a minority interest. Are you telling me in your last sentence that all women and girls are interested in GRA – your statement is a wee bit confusing – that’s “confusing” not confused to avoid being misquoted again! I very much support the rights of women and have no problem with what any individual wants to identify as. I am nearly 76, an age that not many would expect feminism in a man. Dan at 0509 – Agreed! There’s so much more to think about an discuss than GRA especially in this torrid political time. I’ll imply again that this could well be deliberately in the interest of Britnationalism!
@ Dr Jim 4.15am thanks for your response I assume that we will continue to agree to disagree
Congratulations to Estonia on not being part of the UK or they would’nt have had the ability to celebrate their Independence day
They’d have been too wee and too poor
MorvenM @5:05
‘why is the SNP government allowing it to distract from its main aim of Scottish independence?’
There can be only one logical conclusion – the SNP doesn’t want independence for Scotland. We’ve all been taken for mugs, those lacking the moral courage to face their own cognitive dissonance over this matter are the ones still backing the Party.
Nicola Sturgeon was the STEWARD of Scotland while her citizens were dragged out of the EU against their will and did NOTHING.
Be you Remainer or Brexiteer, we should all agree for that alone, she should resign. But no, just another career politician working for the establishment and their own self interest.
I’d be more than happy to put this Gender stuff on the back burner till after Indy.
Never met anyone in the Yes movement who doesn’t think that it would be the obvious thing to do!
The people who should be being asked to do so are not the one’s with the concerns over it.
But rather the SNP,the Greens and the GRA activists should be the one’s being told to park it,that Indy is much more important and that they are doing damage that risks a backlash from voter’s.
This issue is getting into the mainstream and it doesn’t matter if it is, or isn’t a perverts charter….
It really doesn’t….
What matters is that voter’s Believe it is.
It will be weaponised against Yes and the re-election of a pro Indy majority at Holyrood.
For those who actually support this legislation to insist it passes under these circumstances is spectacularly stupid.
To head off Indy the media will circulate the most nasty propaganda around this issue and it’s going to be the Trans people right in the firing line.
The GRA will then be the most hated piece of legislation and a political football going forward and a hot button topic for the media.
If they really cared about Trans people,they would back off and wait for independence. Then have the conversation and bring forward their proposals in the light,above board and divorced from everyone else’s business except the Scottish People and their parliament. With the added advantage of learning from other countries of what the pitfalls really are.
I’d defer this and put Indy first in a heartbeat…..
Will They?
Republicofscotland @2:42pm
Individuals will need to decide for themselves, which is the more damaging to Scotland, Westminster or the GRA.
From all the uproar here, it’s no contest – GRA is a hot-button, emotional issue, that anybody who can string two words together can get involved in. The travails from Westminster don’t stand a chance in getting any attention while this is kicking around.
Even if Brexit really starts to bite it will only a take a couple puffs to re-ignite this firestorm whenever it suits Westminster or the MSM.
The SNP may as well be drowning kittens and clubbing puppies.
One of the reasons I want independence for Scotland is that I want the government that the people ELECT to PROTECT AND SERVE our citizens to be answerable to those people
Currently we are informed that at least 52% of the electorate want Scotland to be an independent country , but we are also informed that we are not allowed to be an independent country unless the country we are in a political union with agrees to accept the outcome of a vote to be an independent country , but that same country refuses to AGREE to an agreement regarding the outcome of that vote
So basically we have a government that we elected to protect and serve our citizens is NOT answerable to us but is instead answerable to the government and citizens of another adjoining country
We also have our government that we elected saying that they represent the whole of the voting public and they have to consider the 48% wishes as well
Yet we have a government that we elected determined to push through legislation that will only benefit 0.02% of the population and will go against the objections of at LEAST 50% of the population , something is not quite right and honestly that is not what I envisioned when I voted for the SNP to protect and serve our nation
One from Peter Bell.
link to peterabell.scot
To the MANY people saying indy first then let’s sort it out , and the many others saying storm in a teacup , minority interest , threatening independence , falling for divide and conquer , britnat deviousness , splitting the party ,just remember it is not the people who are against this legislation that is CAUSING DIVIDE IT IS THE FUCKING STUPID SNP and the woke fantasists who are DIVIDING US , as many are saying bin it or shelve it or is that too SIMPLE or is there another reason
Renfrewshire Council has a stable door moment.
Apology after drag queen visit to Paisley primary school
link to archive.is
Who thought this twitter name would be needed?
link to twitter.com
It is astonishing if you look at the twitter account of “Mhairi Black MP”. Ungrammatical and abusive tweets. Also, she has the rainbow flag, but not the flag of her country. Surely she should have stood for election under a party using this flag, rather than the SNP, a party which has a country’s name in its title?
Why does she not have the whip withdrawn? The Tory press will have a field day, as will unionists. Compare this to the way MPs like Michelle Thomson or even a prospective SNP MP (candidate) were thrown under the bus over absolutely nothing.
WTF WTF WTF
link to twitter.com
Don’t think any covert personnel need bother about destroying the SNP from the inside.
Not when they’re doing it themselves.
And in case you think
No way!
link to instagram.com
@ Mike Cassidy
Damn your right, man. I might be transferred from my job of stating the utterly obvious to people who refuse to see on this blog to something else if this keeps up! Its almost as if some in the SNP were the agents and not me! Crivvens
I have to state a sad truth here – even if the SNP come to their senses after the threat of losing massive amounts of voters they have damaged their brand, and Scottish independence, too much. Unless theres a complete clearout of leadership and a string statement declaring a change of direction the damage will stick. Youll be quicker in your goal by starting a new party
One possible reversal would be Alex Salmond acquittal and him jumping back into Scottish politics and sticking the boot into the Sturgeon crew and clearing house. That would offer a reversal with enough momentum to undo whats been done.
Joe’s correct.
Just remember, you voted for all those MP’s and MSP’s like Nicholson,Smith,Black, McKay et al.
Get them out!!
Actually now that I think of it that scenario would be the best thing to happen to Scotland for a long, long time. With Boris cuddling up to China and the wokenats close to ruining everything Mr Salmond would appear like the 2nd coming and a resurgent movement would be very promising
@Kenny 18::33
Ms Black is the quintessence of the SNP’s problems, useful voting fodder but not much original thinking functioning between the ears; another example of Sturgeon’s non-binary set of nodding lapdogs.
With such independence will always play the minor rôle to personal ‘issues’.
Mike Cassidy at 6:42
wow, just wow. if the MSM are looking for their SNP BAD story, then here it is, full throttle…..an absolute GIFT!
But my guess is that it wont even make page 7, so deep runs the conspiracy.
The parents of these children should be looking for their head teachers scalp. Their kids will, by now, be having their faces superimposed on victims of child sex abuse on the internet.
Fucking disgrace. Mhairi Black needs to resign immediately.
Mhairi Black and Flowjob the drag queen have been trending UK wide on Twitter today. This is just the beginning, this issue is going to bleed into so many news stories…
@ Ahundredtheidiot
Are you suggesting there is some sort of…I dont know..Common Purpose at work here?…
I am sick to the core with the SNP leadership and current policy over trans rights.
As an SNP member who joined before sturgeon, and still currently a member, I cannot remember a time when we had this much support and were so close to Indy. However, we have never been closer to fucking it all up!!
Mhari black said in her pre Westminster employment hustings, that the voters should kick her out if she is not doing her job!, well… she’s making a grand job of not doing the very thing she was put there to do and that is advance independence!
With Sturgeon and the pocket lining Midlothian politicians creaming of the public purse, taking the voters for granted and delivering nothing close to independence, the indy movement is being let down big time by these self seeking and morally repugnant politicians.
don’t get me started on shirley anne somerville either! I’m only keeping my SNP membership to vote out sturgeon when the time comes. The indy movement needs leadership!
Rev is correct, never have we had so much support and trust from the public and done so little!. and he’s right about the future, if the North of England can vote tory, watch out SNP! the public will not keep putting their trust in SNP if things continue the way they are!
The SNP used to be seen as squeaky clean compared to the vile sleazy unionists with their pedo scandals , cash for honours , cash for questions, ilegal arms deals and expenses scandles etc…
However, in the eyes of the public, in a very short space of time, drag queens at schools etc, has put us way back.
get us a real leader who can sort this out!!
If we can ever achieve another referendum, which we will win. Then it will be time to clean out the sewer.
Mhairi Black – I think we need to be considering the recall of MPs Act to get rid of her
Forget the ‘tucked away on page 7’ stuff.
The Rev’s twitter feed shows the initial story is being covered.
BBC STV Times Telegraph
Not sure if they’ve caught the instagram development yet.
If/when they do, they’ll think its christmas.
I genuinely wonder if the SNP are making themselves unelectable or at least lose enough seats so they don’t need to form the next Holyrood government?
If the brit secret service could manage to infiltrate the highest levels of the IRA, does anyone with a molecule of grey matter honestly think they haven’t infiltrated the leadership of the SNP?!
bearing in mind that we are the biggest threat to the existence of the uk, it would be crazy not to think they are influencing the SNP. Backed by their loyal media, we are in for stormy seas.
We need to look closely at who is fucking this all up and clear them out. And its not those writing on this blog that are the problem, its those directing policy and strategy in the SNP.
Pete 7.46
It’s my opinion and I am entitled to express it. This is not your site.
I wonder if the key to all this garbage will become clear following Alex’s “trial”? Is that what the FM is waiting for too?
I don’t give much credence to conspiracy theories. This is a homemade crisis for the SNP. Made in Scotland from girders. In the past they have not been good at rectifying their mistakes. Outlook not good. Power centralised, decision making centralised. Both fingers in the ear so to speak.
@ Lothianlad
Ordinary Scottish people will never be allowed to walk away with the bulk of the UK energy reserves. Hundreds of thousands died in Iraq for less. To think Scots would just get a referendum and then a nice wee fairwell do after winning a fair 50/50 referendum is the stuff of unicorns, wizards and fairies
Scotland needs a government that thinks outside of the UK box and is prepared to get both dirty while being practical. The only way that can happen is by drastically raising the standard of thinking for Yes supporters because, frankly, theres way too much dreamy naive ideology floating around. You dont win a country playing by others rules and if your nice youll be fucking crushed
Theres not many i see with the kind of brains, understanding and basic fighting spirit to do it at the moment. Mr Campbell is impressive however. He also has a deserved large following. Trouble is i would never wish going up against UK/globalist apparatus on anyone. Its bad enough for Trump and hes a billionaire with US military intelligence (NSA) backing him
Tanadice lad
maybe you should learn the difference between a conspiracy and a conspiracy theory, after you’ve taken your head out of the ground that is.
Everything is a conspiracy – everything is conspired, whether its getting up at 6am by setting an alarm clock or billionaires funding LGBTQ law changes. People simply cannot afford to be this naive – or stay brainwashed like a pavlovs dog on hearing the word ‘conspiracy’ to react with disdain.
@ Joe & Lothianlad, the possibilities the 2014 Referendum was fixed looks very probable if what your both thinking and saying, have the Scottish Government been got at, the way things are going all Independence thinkers are having different views when we should all be thinking together, somethings nae right.
Tannadice lad is the BBC reporter. So out of due deference I avoided his handle. Your welcome to your view. I haven’t changed my mind. However the situation is described the origin of the problem is the SNP as it is their policy. We will see what comes out of the formal consultation process. Try to contain your anger it’s not a good look.
The link from MorvenM at 4.50pm states that there are around 1500 male prisoners who have transitioned and are queueing to get into female prisons – their are only 3000 women in jail so that will be noticeable for all but the most blinkered. (I think these numbers are either English prisons or for the whole UK) .
Transcultists tell us to not worry that sex offenders will take advantage of lax regulations to serve their time in women’s prisons.
They also tell us that trans people are really nice people who are so vulnerable that even the hint of misgendering could cause them to harm themselves.
The numbers above don’t fit with these claims because either sex offenders are transitioning or transwomen have pro rata a huge propensity to commit crimes.
Divide and conquer, it’s the English way.
@RM
I come on here, often reluctantly, to try to inject a different (if not always correct) perspective on things. I have been right about the way things have gone since i contacted Alex Salmond in 2007 about the liklihood of a massive economic crash starting from the US banking system
Why do the wokeists and their fellow travellers in the SNP think Scotland has to be in the vanguard of every progressive cause? As if we’d be unworthy of independence otherwise.
Throwing off London’s colonial yoke is the most progressive cause for us. Because colonialism, whether of the vicious or slightly milder variety, is always a malign force.
Independence is the top priority for all clued up and sensibly progressive Scots.
The 2014 referendum was absolutely fixed! I said it at the time and prior to the vote. It is far easier to move ballot boxes between polling stations than to move coulport on the clyde.
I was denounced as a conspiracy theorist at the time. However, the evidence is that so many people complained about the ballot back then and every complaint led to a dead end trail. my ballot paper had no bar code just as an example. for a seemingly tight vote, the unionist politicians were looking all to smug at 10pm and no exit poll. then there was the postal vote scandal.
What we need is for the yes movement to control the direction of the indy journey as SNP members are even being side-lined by the SNP top brass.
We need to create a climate of resistance to the westminster system and oppose and expose it wherever it reaches. At the moment its all to tame.
Wonder why?
What makes me so special? Nothing. Im just looking at the right picture. Most people arent. The picture is that for a long, long time a cabal of families have had a massive influence on economics, politics and social movements. The money we print is debt owed to them (sovereign bond holders). Obviously im an insane conspiracy theorist. But i also call coming events/trends very accurately also.
Divide and conquer. You cant take peoples wealth and enslave them to debt if you leave them alone to think for themselves. You need to bring in societal issues that cause division. Use your media to slander any politician who stands up to you. Use right politics to ease regulation and use left wing politics to rack up the debt and clamp down on peoples rights
When a society collapses whether because of war or debt/economic problems thats just fine. Go in and buy up assets at a fraction of the price while paying for it with money you printed or taxed from someone else anyway. Thats what we have been dealing with. The economic cycle has been manipulated by central bank monetary policy to facilitate this exact outcome for decades
Things have changed recently. Some proof can be found in the rate cutes or rate hikes by the fed as a reaction to US economic data. For the 1st time since the Feds creation central bank policy has been to be proactive rather than reactive to negative economic data. I have it from finance professionals that this is the case also
What does this mean? It means that someone, for the 1st time, is using the fed to actually boost the US economy rather let it fall (which provides very wealthy people excellent buying opportunities) and stops ordinary people from losing jobs and foreclosures. Its big. Something has changed in a big way
The UK establishment is under pressure they never expected (and are not reporting on) and now their helpful wee stooges in Holyrood are starting to become transparent.
‘wee stooges in Holyrood are starting to become transparent.’
You’ve been transparent since your first post as a fake papist yoon roaster.Both you and your colleague Pete.
Lothianlad @ 7:54
“We need to look closely at who is fucking this all up and clear them out. And its not those writing on this blog that are the problem, its those directing policy and strategy in the SNP.”
When you have eliminated all other possible explanations, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth…
Silverdarling – Hello, Darling…
I found it hilarious that you compared something you term as a ‘delusion’ with ‘religion’, the biggest delusion of them all! No rational human being can believe in religious claptrap. Very ironic but it gave me a laugh….
So, ban diversity in schools but welcome any religious nutcase in to tell the kiddies about their superstitions and myths. Cardinal O’Brien maybe? Not in front of the choirboys, please.
This site is full of zoomers and bigots nowadays.
@Joe
GB
0:00 / 49:21
Catastrophe – The Day the Sun Went Out
A documentary in two parts intriquing. google for vids.
@James
That is the medical definition not mine.
If someone says they believe in a God they are not automatically deemed mentally ill because it is acceptable culturally. You might not believe in a God and neither do I but that is the definition for now.
I was pointing out belief in science is being undermined and changed to accommodate pseudoscience and undermine safeguarding.
So you can take your assumptions elsewhere. I have no idea why you are bringing in Catholicism except you obviously have have a problem with religion.
I have a problem with idiots like you who don’t know the first thing about the danger of self ID and wade into an argument armed with little knowledge and assumptions about my beliefs.
.
The Sun newspaper is going down the tubes.
What a shame.
Readers are deserting it. The phone hacking scandal currently costs £27,000,000 and that brings the current losses to £68,000,000.
Some good news at last…
link to bbc.co.uk
Silver Darling @ 12.02
Well said Silver Darling!
It’s no secret that I have very little time for any religion.
But….And it’s a big but….
Even I know that it’s roots are in the origins of human awareness of self, and formed the infancy of it.
It’s not by any stretch of the imagination a mental illness!
While the tactics of the “Gender is all” advocates, mirror the religions,so do the methods of dictatorships.
It’s all social engineering —- and like any form of propaganda,it only works if people don’t name it as such.. 🙂
To coin and misquote a phrase*** Prove it to the people Pal*** shall be the whole of the law***.
Which brings me to, A Written Constitution,and sends everyone else to sleep… 🙂 🙂 🙂
Good Night,Good Winger’s xxx
.
In the current SNP HQ betrayal doom cycle, it is good to have a little good news.
Looks like the WHOLE Yoon media is in TERMINAL DECLINE…
link to tinyurl.com
All we need is Joanna Cherry as new leader or Alex Salmond and a LOT of the wretched GRA and Nicola taking £1,200,000 English Gold Westminster short money every year will disappear.
Divide and conquer, it’s the English way.
Infighting within the Scottish Independence movement, the English Tory government must be in raptures.
Seems it’s not only the MSM that put forward articles that hate the SNP.
After 10 years of Tory rule, and another five to go…
link to bbc.co.uk
“Life expectancy among women living in the poorest communities in England has declined since 2011, says a report warning of growing health inequalities.
Overall, life expectancy growth has stalled over the past decade – for the first time in 100 years.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there was “still much more to do”.”
Dread to think what he has in mind!
.
Just been targeted by one of these Yoon UKOK Social media adverts on Facebook.
Anyone else been so afflicted?
Who pays for this Westminster propaganda in Scotland?
link to m.facebook.com
Not me. I’m not on Facebook or Twitter.
Bill McLean says:
24 February, 2020 at 8:28 pm
I wonder if the key to all this garbage will become clear following Alex’s “trial”? Is that what the FM is waiting for too?
The bottom line Bill is that I want Scottish Independence more than anything, but feel it slipping away between our fingers because the SNP is fucking it up. Sturgeon has tunnel vision, isn’t responding to objective criticism, and by any standard you care to use as yardstick, their handling of Scotland’s Brexit was thoroughly abysmal, and instead of a black and white binary battle over Constitutional Sovereignty which Westminster could not have won, the Scottish Government capitulated and threw away a winning hand and everything that was needed for victory.
How in God’s name can anybody in the SNP, who are pilloried by repeated lies in the media about Scottish Education, follow up the inappropriate texting of a youth by an SNP Minister by deciding to take a man in a dress calling himself Flow Job, into a primary school. I mean, for fuck sake. Was there not at least one brain cell sparking “whoa! Stop! Wait a minute”?
I am grateful to have the SNP running our devolved assembly and caretaking for Scotland with the limited powers Westminster is giving them, but sadly, as the means to extricate Scotland from this lamentable Union, the Scottish Government is simply weak, directionless, it seems inexcusably Constitutionally illiterate, and thoroughly devoid of initiative.
Nicola Sturgeon’s “wait and see” strategy has starved the YES movement of all stimulus, political nutrition and leadership, and SNP strategy has let the air out the tyres time and time again, and driven many ardent and productive YES stalwarts to despair.
Colin Dunn, who’s output of pro-Indy graphics has been prestigious beyond description has been ground down to a halt, Rev Stu, who produced the fantastic and timely Wee Blue Book and countless demolitions of anti-Independence lies and falsehoods has been alienated by many SNP critics for not turning a blind eye to the SNP’s ludicrous mishandling of Scottish Independence. Every SNP MP and MSP should have been there in force at every AUOB march, and yet there’s rarely enough of them to fill a taxi.The SNP takes the pet because it’s organised by somebody else.
IT ISN’T THE YES COMPONENT OF INDEPENDENCE FAILING US, IT IS THE SNP.
I’m keen for this business with Alex Salmond to come to a head for the sake of Alex Salmond, a true Scottish Statesman of the highest caliber. The whole episode stinks of vindictive smear and political emasculation by dark forces not entirely “outwith” the SNP. Being unable to speak about it is bad enough for us, but it must be a terrible strain on Mr Salmond.
But Alex Salmond’s hopeful acquittal is not the game changing moment I’m waiting for. The initiative I’ve been waiting for, the tipping point beyond which we start winning and the BritNat’s start losing, is when the struggle for Scottish Independence moves to the Constitutional stage, in a Court, putting the perfidious Union under minute Constitutional scrutiny.
Until that happens, until the Union’s arbitrary conventions and unwritten liberties are undone by scrutiny and exposure, then Scottish Independence is going to remain a subjective aspiration which is close to faith. I have that faith, but I am also a heretic, a cynical paradox, because I know faith by itself is not enough.
Faith has to become real, and they only way faith can become real is when the Constitution of Scotland has been repaired, like an engine brought back to life after years of sitting idle. Faith won’t do it. It needs a mechanic to resurrect the dysfunctional components. Until we open the bonnet, and subject our ‘constitutional’ engine to examination, then we can only ever speculate on why it isn’t running,
We need the Nation’s Constitution demystified, made clear and definitive, and then we will know how to exit this Union and realise that ambition. That’s the change I’m waiting for. When the Indy Movement finally grows up and comes of age. We’re not an Independent Nation because enough of us want to be. We’re an Independent Nation because 700 years ago the people of Scotland rose up to repel a colonial invader from their land, and having done that, installed far reaching constitutional safeguards to protect Scotland from colonial invasion and subjugation. That’s the Scottish Nation which fought and won the right to exist.
AYE!
link to youtube.com
RIGHT!
O/t
Just got back from Estonia last week and there’s a nice picture and article in the National showing them celebrating their independence. I’m no expert I Estonia but I liked the place, they seemed very proud of their independence and not too small, too poor or too dumb. Just shows what can be done!
@ Breeks, could you not organise every Independence hub into a more organised unit so everyone can work together, as you say the SNP were holding back these last few years WHY? But there’s lots of SNP voters who are desperate for the break up of the union they are asking the same question WHY?
I’m fed up of drag being put to kids. They throw up panto as an example. That’s not highly sexualised and only came about cos women weren’t allowed to act on stage. Misogyny
Also it could be argued that drag is to women almost what black face is to Afro Americans. If it has It’s place its in adult entertainment and fair play to some of the Drag queens for saying so. They missed a real learning opportunity and could have taken in a rounded LGBT person who had a story to tell. Possibly better with older kids too as 5 year olds are focussing more on other things and historical discrimination and section 28 would have been over their heads.
A big thank you to all the good men speaking out about this. Particularly Father Ted writer and Wings. But most of all our hero these days on many fronts – Joanna cherry. A diamond. She is far more likely to get us independence than the present set up. A real woman of courage. How very dare she prioritise independence and stick up for women’s rights in the SNP! ?????????
@ Breeks,
I would make only one addition to your excellent comment, and that is the importance of the as yet unused but latent power that resides within the Scottish Parliament.
Whatever restrictions using the convention of parliamentary sovereignty at Westminster have attempted to impose upon Holyrood through Devolution, it does not override the fact that the Scottish Parliament was brought back by the absolute Sovereign Will of the Scottish people. It exists because we voted for it. Scottish Parliaments have never been recognised as sovereign in Scottish Constitunional law, but they have the power to wield the constitutional sword on the people’s behalf. A 62% vote to stay in the EU was a missed opportunity, a perfect opportunity to drag Westminster through the courts.
Rm says:
25 February, 2020 at 7:02 am
@ Breeks, could you not organise every Independence hub into a more organised unit so everyone can work together, as you say the SNP were holding back these last few years WHY? But there’s lots of SNP voters who are desperate for the break up of the union they are asking the same question WHY?
That’s what I’m hoping can emerge from Arbroath on 4th April. YES feels like a flotilla of little boats which are all stout little vessels, watertight and seaworthy individually, but becalmed and not underway because there is no campaign or plan to coordinate them.. They need leadership, or at least a single compass bearing for everybody to make headway in the right direction.
While I cannot see any progressive way out of this mess which isn’t Constitutional and legally based, there doesn’t seem to be widespread agreement it will succeed. I can see the risks, and I can also appreciate the ramifications of a Court ruling that there is even legitimacy in the Union’s sovereign convention, – but even if that worst case scenario arose, there is still nothing I’m aware of which threatens the removal of sovereignty from the people. There is 0% risk of that being removed, but the “gamble” is that the UK convention which claims Scotland’s Sovereignty is pooled voluntarily and the Union exists by mutual consensus, and then cites the 2014 referendum… I think that’s a very credible possible outcome too…. in fact, probably the most credible.
However, that wouldn’t be the end of the matter, because Brexit witnessed the emphatic will of the Scottish people overruled by Westminster, and Westminster subsequently moving to inhibit Scottish democracy, so a new argument exists, about whether the alleged pooling together of Sovereignty actually is a consensual agreement, when we have Brexit to prove it is not.
Scotland’s written Constitution, the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath, and the 2020 unconstitutional subjugation of Scotland’s choice to stay in Europe give Scotland compelling arguments to dispute both the Treaty of Union, UK Sovereignty and / or the convention of U.K. Sovereignty,
In those circumstances of disputed sovereignty, a stasis or sovereign paralysis will become manifest, with all manner of political imperatives suspended; no trade deals, no sovereign negotiations, being possible before the dispute in sovereignty is resolved. Boris couldn’t trade away Scottish fish without proving the fish were his to trade.
And that’s the point… Boris would have to prove Scotland’s fish were his to trade, and that requirement, which is currently recognised as UK prerogative, would not be recognised but disputed, and the mechanism whereby Boris claims sovereign prerogative over Scotland’s fish will require to made clear, explained and codified.
It is my belief that a good and thorough Scottish case could prove at the judgement stage that the UK ‘convention’ of Westminster’s Parliamentary Sovereignty cannot function without Scotland’s Agreement, and when there is no agreement, or like Brexit where there is express disagreement the UK’s ‘convention’ of Sovereignty cannot deliver agreement through consensus but actually delivers subjugation, and subjugation is contrary to International Law, and contrary to the Treaty of Union.
People are wrong. We do not need an emphatic pro Independence majority to win Scotland’s Independence. but as the expression goes, once you win the war, you need to win the peace, and that very much is a political exercise, but that is achievable. An Indy Scotland would be steaming its way back to Europe, but more importantly, and something tricky to understand is that Scottish Sovereignty is politically neutral. A NO majority is as sovereign as a YES majority, and the Constitutional Court case is a neutral and impartial defence of sovereign Constitution from colonial usurpation.
The political debate wouldn’t be a re-run of 2014’s YES or NO to Independence the political debate would be Sovereign Nation of Yes AND No voters, or a Subjugated Non-Nation ? No more “Better Together” nonsense, the truth about Unionism would be “Better Defeated” as a campaign motif.
The SNP has based its independence argument and rationale on economics, Scotland’s Oil etc. not on the uniqueness of the country’s cultural identity which it has tended to consider marginal and dangerously ‘nationalist’.
Now that oil is considerably less important than previously the party thanks to the utilitarians and identitarians finds itself grounded.
What is to be done?
A redefinition of the party’s historic purpose?
A bright, charismatic, unashamedly nationalist leadership to take us into 2021 ‘independence elections’?
Certainly no more of this pettifogging, micawberite, rainbow coloured mashup.
Peter Bell’s latest post notes that Johann Cherry believes that the key to Scottish Independence lies with the Scottish Parliament rather than at Westminster, at last says I.
Nicola Sturgeon must go, the lunatics have taken over the asylum. Mhairi Black should be sacked on the spot. And all these woke fascists need expelled from positions of power and influence within the party.
Our only hope is that Cherry wins the Edinburgh seat, triggers a leadership bid and pulls the SNP back form the brink by dumping this GRA crap and providing a fresh strategy for independence.
Labour lost Scotland coz they took voters for granted, the SNP will lose Scotland coz they took voters for mugs.
Scozzie
Far too many homosexuals at the top of the SNP.
Way above the % of the country as a whole.
You voted them in!!
I see the SNP take is this is a bit like ‘je suis Cyril Smith’. They are circling the wagons to defend the SNP culprit.
I contributed financially to the NO2NP campaign and did my bit. This GRA fiasco will follow the same path. Defeated one way or another. Through the courts or at the ballot box.
Ottomanboi @9.24am . . . . . The SNP has based its independence argument and
rationale on economics, Scotlands oil etc. ” “
You are correct the SNP has based its argument on Scotland’s Oil ( and economics). The important word is “has”. Oil has not featured in SNP campaigning for several elections.
Johnsons immigration plan will force a fifth of small Scottish businesses to go bust, maybe that’s the plan.
link to thenational.scot
Meanwhile Willie (Never to independence) Rennie’s branch office comes under fire with their very own Paedogate.
Branch manager Rennie is expected to say it’s all the SNPs fault again.
link to thenational.scot
One old hasbeen, is backing another old hasbeen, as Gordon Brown back Jackie Baillie to be the next London Labours branch deputy leader in Scotland.
Brown, who surely must have been tripping on LSD, at the time said, Jackie has a positive plan for getting Scottish Labour back into power in 2021.
@Joe
“ The money we print is debt owed to them (sovereign bond holders)”
Anyone who has a pension will likely hold govt bonds. It’s not really debt owed to anyone. sterling has to be issued before bonds are offered up. You have to have sterling in order to buy a bond. The sole issuer of sterling is the treasury via a perpetual overdraft at the Bank of England. Money is issued when it is spent.
These bonds aren’t really debt unless they are denominated in a foreign currency – the Bank of England cannot issue dollars to pay of dollar use debt for example.
So ultimately the state is in control – not a few families with big stashes of cash. The Bank of England now owns 25% of U.K. govt bonds. All it did was swap back the bonds for reserves through its asset purchase programme (a spreadsheet exercise)
The main conspiracy I’d say is billionaires lobbying power – puting money in individual MP’s pockets to influence policy. This is why we need to tax the crap out of these people – not to fund govt (since the govt is the monopoly issuer of sterling anyway and can always make purchase in the domestic currency) but to reduce their power and influence.
With unionist media ramping up the fact that Glasgow City council put up the council tax, as did most cities in England and to a similar rate.
SNP councillors fought tooth and nail in North Larnarkshire council to keep open Kilbowie outdoor centre for the kids, but the Labour led adminstration is closing it down.
Glasgow City council has had to close its Blaivadach centre in Argyll and Bute due to cuts as well, paying out half a billion pounds to the Cordia employees, that Labour denied equal pay to for 12 years, and a 2 million pounds lawyers fees to keep it in the courts, hasn’t helped any.
So Lesley Riddoch was in Estonia yesterday enjoying Estonia’s independence day celebrations, but how can that be I mean it only has a population of 1.3 million people, surely its too wee and too poor, to be a independent nation.
The EU sent its warms wishes to Estonia yesterday, and so did the USA, of course the USA only sent their congrats, because Estonia is a Baltic state that buffers onto Russia.
I doubt Trump or Pompeo will wish us good luck if we dump the union ball and chain and the US nukes.
well fukme, another SNPBaad story, that’s it, I’m voting for them again, lol.
Pete @ 9:56 am
Not sure if you have an objection to too many homosexual politicians in general, or just an observation about the SNP.
You might like to know.
link to en.m.wikipedia.org
“Following the 2019 general election, the UK parliament has the highest number of self-identifying LGBT members of any national legislature worldwide.”
Women’s rights always good, trans rights also fine, of course.
Some technical stuff to work out, sure, but we are all civilised people.
A more important question though:
*what the flying feck does this have to do with independence*?
Re Mhairi Black.
Right at the start of her parliamentary career – she was subjected to the media carrying out a Social Media troll on her for any kind of issue.
She cannot plead naivety about this.
Primary Schools have a policy of getting the emergency services to attend and do a wee talk to the pupils, on the subject of People who Help Us.
It is not unreasonable to extend that concept, for the child to perceive, that anyone presented to them, by an authority figure, in the school setting, will also be an adult who they can turn to and trust.
For an MP or MSP to introduce someone/anyone to Primary School children – they simply must take the very basic steps of carrying out a rudimentary check of that persons Social Media content – because the Media, the Teaching Staff and the Parents most certainly will.
Mhairi Black has been deeply, deeply negligent in her duties as a representative of the SNP and the Yes Movement, and more troubling, for the potential and likely backlash publicity like this is likely to bring upon those Transgenders who are not part of this ‘in your face, sexually explicit/aggressive behaviour’.
If this is not dealt with in a robust manner by the SNP management – and they were quick enough to get rid of the Fife candidate without any form of hearing – it will be a running sore with which opponents of Indy will hit us over and over. And for once, they will be right to do so.
UNELECTABLE.
Daily Record has the mhairi black ‘FlowJobQueen’ in primary school scandal on page 8……I was one page out with my prediction.
This shit is coordinated to a very scary degree
Clydebuilt says:
You are correct the SNP has based its argument on Scotland’s Oil ( and economics). The important word is “has”. Oil has not featured in SNP campaigning for several elections.
Well of course, we all need to get our green fingers out now, and if the SNP are campaigning for action against climate change, due diligence to Glasgow COP after their little bust up on who does what. It would be hypocritical to make the case that it’s ‘Scotland’s oil’, but in actual fact – we should be refraining from fossil fuel use.
Rev – PLEASE: start another twitter feed, to concentrate on this Gender Recognition pish.
I come on to Wings about the fight for Independence. Your obsession with this GRA, trans stuff simply turns both me, and I am sure other mature “Baby Boomers” off.
This is a diversion, Indy is the big issue. If you want to have a platform for trans pish, start another platform and let Wings get back to what it does best.
Fergus the Troll says: Stuck in the dark Ages maybe?
maybe you could bring up polls on the amount of people opposed to same sex marriages in the 70’s, Stuart… or just people against Gay people, or the amount of people opposed to Jews in Germany in the 30’s, you know…If that’s supposed to be a bases for a moral argument on the issue… which of course it isn’t, and presenting it as such just shows a lack of morality and ethics.
What I find strange about this type of ‘obviously fallacious rhetoric’ is the directed focus to seek approval where non should be given, sure, you can be against transgender people just like those against Gay people and those against same sex marriages, or those against Jews and the mentally disabled, but then yeah sure, you put yourself in that category, due to ignorance of the subject matter or indeed ignorance of what science actually is as is apparent in some cases presented, or just a confirmation bias that’s just sucking the intellect out of you so you can keep the same twisted perspective forever. Maybe it’s a view based on irrational religious beliefs which would be the definition of an argument from ignorance, or maybe it’s based on people saying they are something and them not being that thing at all, like you being a Reverend for example, maybe because you have this dishonesty in yourself and use it to your benefit you think everyone else will be the same? who knows… should we be trusting you Stu? should we ever have trusted you Stu? no, of course we shouldn’t.
How someone can come to the conclusion that something that does not specifically target women, and is specifically not sexist, is turned into something that is sexist for you to make any argument is quite, well, astounding, that thought process would indeed take a complete sub intellect in order to make any sense out of it, and preying on the sub intellectual with it is quite abhorrent. maybe the entire ideal that you see people who take no gender, or people who assign themselves another gender than the one given to them at birth as just; males becoming women… says a lot more about your sexism than it does about anything else and indeed highlights your ignorance of the subject.
I personally do not understand Transgender people, or people that wish to be identified as neither male or female, as I just do not see the importance in it at all, but then I also don’t understand Gay people, or people that would want to marry people of their own gender, but hey, I don’t use that ignorance to form an argument against it, that would be stupid by definition.
now I see you’re attracting comments like “Far too many homosexuals at the top of the SNP.
Way above the % of the country as a whole.
You voted them in!!”
great work Stu! you must be so proud… If you ever do form a political party, That’ll be great, I’ll know exactly who to oppose more than any other, and for someone who’s used peoples association with far right agendas as an argument against their relevance, it will be interesting to see who you’re standing side by side with in the future with this rhetoric by your side… ya vul my fuhrer! . you want divide and conquer? and it seems you’ll do it at any cost, what a disappointment you’ve become, and it is very apparent that YOU are the one who deserves the “Hitler Youth” message with your oppressive views, it just doesn’t fit with the SNP and their progressive views though does it? there’s just become far too much hypocrisy and irony here for me to take anything you say seriously on this issue. I remember when you used to point out the fallaciousness in peoples arguments in the newspapers, now you’re just using it to your own end, what a disappointment.
I’m sure this argument can carry on after Scotland becomes Independent.
Socrates MacSporran @12-07
Hear hear!!
Oh no. Silverdarling has banned me. Hilarious.
Daisy Walker @ 11:25 am
Re Mhairi Black, you write: “For an MP or MSP to introduce someone/anyone to Primary School children – they simply must take the very basic steps of carrying out a rudimentary check of that persons Social Media content – because the Media, the Teaching Staff and the Parents most certainly will.”
It’s come to a pretty pass when I feel obliged to advise WoS readers to visit a BBC source in order to get some perspective!
link to bbc.co.uk
Fergus Denoon
How someone can come to the conclusion that something that does not specifically target women, and is specifically not sexist, is turned into something that is sexist…
Whatever could have made anybody think women were being specifically targeted?
link to archive.is
are some people just not reading the article?? jesus wept GRA is losing us votes hand over fist, and not just SNP votes, but Yes votes.
This is why I think it’s done, what point indy if scotland is to be run by woke fools intent on selling out womens rights for a tiny minority of mentally ill people who deny biological science? we might as well stick with cunt public school boys in london.
@James
WTF are you talking about now?
I can’t ban anyone. I think you are an idiot who has difficulty with comprehension but whether you continue to post or not is up to you.
I can ignore you from now on so zoom on with your weird opinions and assumptions.
@Socrates Mcsporran – why don’t you take yourself elsewhere if you don’t like what’s being posted?
It’s the Revs blog, not yours and don’t speak for others only yourself
I thought that any poll worth analysing, showed the demographics least supportive of Indy. Strategists for Indy would logically look to target and win over that demographic. Women were consistently one group least receptive to Indy.
Antagonising specifically that demographic, seems illogical and irrational for an Indy strategy in extreme – or it’s not strategy. If not strategy, then one would expect it to be countered.
In the absense of any counter (as appears the case currently) the only logical implications are: that there is no rational strategy, or there is no functional strategic machine. There is room to lever a deus ex machina of course – but Occam would suggest no functional machine and Hanlon, no rational one.
For Indy, there seems a lot of money riding on Deus ex Machina though – oh well, pays yer money, takes yer choice.
@Clydebuilt.
Unfortunately oil’s decline has not shifted the perspective away from economics.
There are many facets to Scottish nationalism, the economic facet is the plaything of functionaries, it does little to fire the imagination. It treats Scotland and its people as a market utility.
I suspect that many leading lights in the National party know little about their country and it is the reason they shy away from or ignore the cultural aspects of nationalism. Even the term nationalism provokes a cringe apology from many, those tired old UK Labour party proscriptions showing through.
The SNP has morphed into a party of devolved government at time when England is running on Johnsonite high octane nationalism.
Scotland now looks tired and washed out by comparison.
Unionists say stick with the UK because Boris Johnson WON’T be in charge forever
In Scotland it’s don’t vote for Independence because Nicola Sturgeon WILL be in charge forever
I’m sure Gordon Brown is proud that some folk have adopted his logic to prosecute their case
stewartb says:
25 February, 2020 at 12:51 pm
Daisy Walker @ 11:25 am
Re Mhairi Black, you write: “For an MP or MSP to introduce someone/anyone to Primary School children – they simply must take the very basic steps of carrying out a rudimentary check of that persons Social Media content – because the Media, the Teaching Staff and the Parents most certainly will.”
Stewartb – I’m not sure how the above paragraph offends or confuses you.
Any MP or MSP is in the public eye, and in a position of responsibility and trust. If they are going to introduce any person, to any group, but particularly to very young children in a school setting, they must take basic, rudimentary checks on that person’s Social Media to – at least try – and ensure they do not bring their party, and the Yes movement into disrepute.
Mhairi Black did not do this. And since, right at the start of her parliamentary career, she was subjected to Social Media scrutiny… she cannot plead ‘the daft lassie’ that she didn’t realise.
I approve whole heartedly with the LGBT week, and with having a representative from the community speak to the pupils – something Ms Black could have done herself, and done incredibly well I’m sure.
But a professional Drag Queen is by profession, catering to a sexualised, night time, adult, economy.
Even this would not preclude them doing so, but the sexually explicit/soft porn activities in plain view on their Twitter account, just handed our opponents and a very large ‘cock and balls’ to hit us with. And for once they are right.
Serious Disciplinary action needs to be taken regarding Ms Blacks actions, and quickly too.
UNELECTABLE.
Ottomanboi @1.13pm. “Unfortunately Oil’s decline. . . . ”
Scotland’s Oil hasn’t declined, our media talk only of the 30 years or so left in Scotland’s North Sea.
Never a word about Scotland’s Atlantic Margin. (SAM) Which is many many times larger than those in the North Sea. With a life expectancy of 150 to 200 years depending on extraction rates.
The oil fields in SAM are some of the largest in the world.
link to bellacaledonia.org.uk
IMHO, in regards to gender recognition, I believe if one person is committed to transition to the opposite gender fully, with realization there is no going back then that is enough for me to accept them legally and personally on their decision on who they are.
None of this non/extra-binary gender though, you are male, female and possibly even somewhere in between as it is not possible to change your assigned sex given from birth. While gender is fluid, I will not accept somebody waking up one day and declares themselves the opposite gender with no precursor of psycho-analysis of gender interpretation and the relevant assessments and treatment that must be undertaken to forego transition. I will and can accept those who’s decisions reflect their very personal circumstances and inhibit their quality of life.
Example in the celebrated (but also vile) India Willoughby, who I see as a woman. But not in Sam Smith, who terms himself as gender nonbinary – load of BS.
Here we go again, Scotland’s oil industry is declining, its no worth anything and its bad for the planet so no point talking, thinking or planning how best we could utilise or benefit from it.
It’s all rubbish of course, just that the UK is about to lose it so let’s use it as a weapon against they stupid jocks. That of course means highlighting how much damage it does to the planet. So a bit of perspective is required.
The UK footprint is 1.1%, just 0.1% higher than France and Italy. China at over 27%, and the U.S. at just under 15% are the real bogeyman here, Russia and India coming in at 6% are the closest.
Oil and gas extraction,production and use are the main offenders, Westminster of course have indicated that it intends to build 2 Carbon capture plants, one at St Fergus( hahaha). An announcement just in time for of course the climate change conference.
Norway, which extracts roughly the same as Scotland isn’t even listed, its lumped in with the rest of the world, and since the world rankings go down 0.5%, they are below that level.Why, because they actually use carbon capture technology.
Although Scotland has made significant reductions in emissions, up to 24% since 2007, way better than RUK, we can’t really significantly alter our already tiny footprint without control of the oil and gas industry. Scotland will use carbon capture technology.
You only have to look at what Westminster did ‘re oil and gas during the 2014 referendum to understand why the SNP don’t talk or promote it at this time, it has fuck all to do with embarrassment.
ahundredthidiot once again displaying pure idiocy –
‘fools intent on selling out womens rights for a tiny minority of mentally ill people who deny biological science?’
While selling out women’s rights is by far unacceptable to instead favour a minority like this, calling them ‘mentally ill’ is just a heartless statement assumed by an idiotic dickhead.
It’s not the majority of ‘trans’ people who are pushing this forward, it is the woke extreme-left issue on tilting the balance of equality to give minorities more rights than those who are not.
link to jesusandmo.net
Seems strangely relevant. Substitute “SNP talk” instead of “Man talk” and there you go….
Re- today’s discussion about Scotland’s offshore oil & gas I wrote this on Talking Up Scotland recently.
In a speech last month, the recently appointed chair of the OGA, Tim Eggar spoke at length about the UK offshore oil & gas sector’s future in the period of transition to a net zero carbon economy. His remarks are worth storing away for use in debate with Unionists who dismiss the significance of Scotland’s remaining oil & gas assets.
(link to ogauthority.co.uk )
Here are some notable extracts from his speech:
“Since 2015, the ‘tripartite’ partnership between government, industry and the OGA has firmly focused on our prime objective – maximising economic recovery. …. Out of the oil price crisis, that partnership has helped add nearly 4 billion barrels to forecasts and achieve year-on-year production efficiency increases.
We’ve seen operating costs stabilise and hugely encouraging decommissioning cost efficiency. Congratulations. You have MADE THIS BASIN COMPETITIVE again. A huge achievement.” (my emphasis)
So the UK (largely Scottish) offshore is ‘competitive’. That’s good to have confirmed by this UK government agency!
Eggar goes on: “The most well regarded and objective analysis of the path to 2050 – the Committee on Climate Change’s ‘Net Zero’ report – points to oil and gas REMAINING AN IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL PART of our energy mix for the foreseeable future, as we transition to net zero. Indeed, WITHOUT GAS WE CANNOT TRANSITION to net zero.”
So oil & gas will remain a key contributor to the UK’s energy mix ‘for the foreseeable future’, with in particular natural gas being essential. It’s good to have this longevity and sustained strategic value confirmed by this UK government agency! Of course once Scotland becomes independent England’s dependency on imports of the oil & gas it needs will skyrocket!
And then Eggar states: “It is QUITE FEASIBLE FOR THE UKCS TO BE CARBON NEGATIVE by 2050.” and “Maximising economic recovery of oil and gas DOES NOT NEED TO BE IN CONFLICT WITH the transition to net zero. They can and should be fully integrated.”
And finally here: “Policy on CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage) is for government. We need policy clarity as soon as possible. …. Success could help make the basin carbon negative.” and “We will increase our work with key stakeholders on ENERGY INTEGRATION OPPORTUNITIES with renewables, electrification, CCUS and hydrogen.”
So to recap: the chair of the OGA tells us in terms that Scotland has a competitive offshore oil & gas province; that there will be a need for the energy the Scottish offshore oil & gas industry supplies for the foreseeable future and the supply of gas in particular is essential to achieving the transition to net zero carbon emissions; these energy assets can be exploited in ways compatible with the transition to net zero; and this will require significant but feasible technology developments in order to transition successfully and to deliver valuable energy integration outcomes.
Not a bad draft text for the economic investment prospectus for a newly independent country of c. 5.5 million people – and that’s before we get to include all Scotland’s other indigenous assets!
With such assets and opportunities longterm from Scotland’s continental shelf now confirmed here, it is remarkable how opponents of independence seem to have managed to convince so many in Scotland that offshore oil & gas is economically irrelevant and/or harmful (toxic) to the economic case for independence – and whilst this agency of the Westminster government lauds its continuing longterm relevance and importance even to an economy the size of the present UK!
stewartb, an interesting point. But I would question the SNPs decisions on exploiting natural resources after already committing themselves to make an indy Scotland a ‘global leader’ in the fight against climate change and cutting carbon emissions to net-zero.
If an alternative indy party had just maintained the position on gas and oil would of course be an indigenous asset in the structure of Scotland’s future economy, then at least it is credible.
The SNP are trying to win votes by sticking their fingers in every moral pie, example by this very post, but people are catching on that you cannot have it all ways.
Nicola Sturgeon has been a good First Minister. Able, capable and competent. But these last couple of years she has run out of steam. She and her coterie of close advisers no longer reflect the aspirations of the independence movement but rather the managers of a party of devolved government
With repeated electoral mandates it is difficult to understand why this is so. Especially since aside of ditching independence the devolved legislative agenda is now all about woke policies that the vast majority of folk either have no interest in or actually despise.
The Gender Recognition Act being one such policy that shows how out of touch the SNP have become. But it’s not just the GRA. The increasing complacency with big business is now all too clear and no accident that our environmental protection agency has a board comprising of executives from Big Oil. Or a similar complacency where senior SNP such as Derek Mackay and Susan Aitken and supported by civil service officials can wine and dine at swanky property development bashes in Cannes. Or where land reform and the control of huge swathes of our country are owned and operated by offshore companies whose only interest is to retain these estates for grouse and deer shooting.
Comfortable in their positions were it not for the iron focus in the party there would have by now been a civil war that would make the Labour Party internal war look like a playground tussle. But change is I suspect now coming.
If change does not come the SNP will die. Already out of touch the independence movement is now starting to operate out-with the party.
No plan B or C or any other plan save for the now laid bare failure of plan A. But things will change. Folks, or at least folks who want independence, do not want another five years of cosy comfortable devolved government with a phalanx of MPs who deliver nothing.
Maybe we shall see a change at the helm sooner rather than later.
Nicola Sturgeon has been a good First Minister. She has worked hard. Of that there is no doubt. But it’s Independence we want not placid acceptance of devolution and Westminster Tory rule.
Willie at 3.16pm
Purely speaking as an Independista, outside the SNp, ‘Well said , Sir.’
To paraphtase Mr. Ghandi,
We have to be the change we want to see in Scotland.
The Independence movement is a people movement above a political movement.
sorry, paraphrase!
Oil:
1970s Don’t tell the Scots they’ve got it because they’ll dump us and become Independent and be rich like Norway
2020 You can tell the Scots they’ve got oil now but they can’t use it because *Green* ha ha
In between times they moved the maritime border from Berwick on Tweed to Arbroath so they could keep all of that oil and gas without sharing or declaring the revenue from it (McCrone report buried for 30 years) but in the meantime tell the Scots that the oil is worthless and running out every time anybody mentions the word
They always forget to mention that,,, is *forget* the right word
One day in around 100 years from now a Tory will stand up in the HOC and apologise for previous English governments lying to Scotlands people…….after it means SFA
In 2011 Her majesty the Queen muttered the tiniest of *I’m sorry’s* to Ireland for slaughtering over 100,000 of its citizens buried in mass graves in every county of that country so England could strip them more easily, that was nearer 100 years later….but still they’re sorry eh
The Highland clearances: well you’d say that if you were looking at Scotland from England, but in Scotland it was just *the clearances* because it begun at the borders of Scotland and they worked their way up
Oh and remember to keep rewriting history as we go chaps
It’s the Tory England way and they’ll never change it because it’s always worked in the past, but hey, a man in a frock
Sturgeon, Blackford & Co had better start proving that SNP doesn’t stand for Stifling Nationalist Prospects.
Any precious selfish blinkered creatures out there who think there is ever a valid case for any country not to be independent should go and tell Germany or any other country(including britin) which has committed genocide they should be subsumed and not independent.
Argue about which party has the best policy of who should pish and shite where, if you wish.
But please try get yourselves a fucking wee life ffs.
If you think the british state will ever give a fuck about you, you deserve everything that is coming to you.
Willie @ 3.16pm
Fair comment and some good points raised.
I cannot help feeling, however, Independence will be the beginning of the end for the SNP. I would expect them to be given the first term of office as the government of an Independent Scotland.
But, I suspect, during that time, the current Unionist parties would, once they realised the UK was dead and there was no going back, reorganise themselves into genuine Scottish parties, formulating their own policies and not taking their orders from London.
This could and perhaps would lead to an erosion in SNP members, as those natural Labour, Liberal and Tory members who had loaned their support to the SNP to win Independence, gravitated back tot heir natural political homes.
Might be a reason why some within the party seem happy to be in power in a colonial administration, but are unwilling to push really hard for an Independent government.
Socrates McSporran at 12.07
‘I come on to Wings about the fight for Independence. Your obsession with this GRA, trans stuff simply turns both me, and I am sure other mature “Baby Boomers” off.
This is a diversion, Indy is the big issue. If you want to have a platform for trans pish, start another platform and let Wings get back to what it does best.’
Hear hear!
@ stewartb
Good post, thanks.
We are undoubtedly going to face more of the kind of nonsense Almond Chutney posted, somehow with the best record of emissions reduction in the UK, its the SNP that have to justify their position. Hey ho.
@Clydebuilt
Oil is old tech. As a fuel it pollutes and its industrial uses as in plastics increase carbon output. Oil producing countries eg Saudi Arabia, Nigeria are needing to diversify. The bonanza years are over.
Scotland’s future lies is in ‘green’ tech. sea, wind and water power.
We need to move on.
Wednesday April 8th in Greenock will see the bi-centennial ceremony of the Radical War go if you can, in which brave men such as John Baird and Andrew Hardie were executed for attempting to separate the Kingdom of Scotland from English rule.
Hardies last words to the crowd that had gathered some having the courage to shout at his executioner murderer:
“Suffering countrymen, I remain under the firm conviction I die a martyr, in the cause of truth and justice, and in the hope that you will soon succeed in the cause which I took up arms for.”
Will we not hold fast to Baird and Hardie’s wish, or for the 18 souls that were gunned down in Greenock, for complaining about injustice, and wrongful imprisonment when Scots stormed their very on Bastille Greenock prison freeing the unjust held prisoners.
Needless to say the British state could not have murdered these men women and children, and Baird and Hardie without the aid of treacherous Scots such as Sheriff Aiton of Hamilton, and the Herald newspaper which reported gleefully of our heroes gruesome demise, and that others had still to be rooted out.
Ottomanboi @4:15 pm
You write: “Oil is old tech. As a fuel it pollutes and its industrial uses as in plastics increase carbon output. Oil producing countries eg Saudi Arabia, Nigeria are needing to diversify. The bonanza years are over. Scotland’s future lies is in ‘green’ tech. sea, wind and water power. We need to move on.”
Well let’s move on; let’s help in achieving the necessary transition to net zero; let’s look at how to benefit from opportunities during the transition. But let’s not disadvantage or sacrifice Scotland’s economy and future UNNECESSARILY in the process.
Others are moving on without abandoning oil & gas assets but rather positioning themselves for win wins – environmentally and economically.
Source: link to designnews.com
“The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has announced that it will be moving forward with an undersea project for carbon capture and storage (CSS), the first in the world to be able to store carbon dioxide (CO2) waste from multiple industrial sources. If the project is successful, it will serve as a stepping stone for full scale international operations.
The impetus behind this is to get ahead of the carbon capture curve and create an economically viable value chain solution for CCS. When this infrastructure is put into place, Norway will be able to import CO2 for permanent storage, providing a ready mechanism for countries and companies to set up their own CCS operations. It will also lower the threshold for a European hydrogen market. Norway could be getting into the business of importing and sequestering CO2 as a service.”
Source: link to ogauthority.co.uk
“The UK’s infrastructure, subsurface reservoirs and expertise, along with a world-class supply chain which is already diversifying into renewables, make it well-placed to be a global leader in the energy transition.
A more integrated offshore energy sector, including closer links between oil and gas and offshore renewables, will be vital to accelerate the energy transition.
• Platform electrification could reduce emissions on oil and gas installations by using electricity generated from windfarms instead of diesel
• Gas-to-wire may enable gas to be converted to electricity offshore and transported using existing windfarm cables
• Natural gas produced offshore can be converted to hydrogen using methane reforming, with the CO2 stored in reservoirs
• Offshore energy hubs can enable hydrogen to be generated offshore using windfarms and either stored in reservoirs or transported to shore using oil and gas infrastructure.”
Ottomaboi there are different ways to ‘move on’!
Socrates McSporran @ 12.07
Seconded!!
Ian Foulds , Socrates Mc, sassenach and others , this gender pish that you and others are so annoyed that people are discussing and highlighting is CENTRAL to INDEPENDENCE
I AM SURE you are ALL intelligent enough to realise that without womens support independence is DEAD IN THE WATER , take a little time to work out the numbers , Scottish population 5.2 million , females approx 50% , woke activists determined to get their version of feminism 0.02% , SNP members 125,000 ??? Just whose support do we need to gain independence for Scotland
Maybe ask your wives , sisters , daughters , female relatives , are they happy that a shower of aggressive , bullying , self absorbed individuals are DETERMINED to INFLICT their definition of WOMANHOOD on them and their future generations of FEMALES , all endorsed by a FEMALE FM who will not even engage with them but has an open door for the lobbyists that are pushing this lunacy
PS I’ll let you into a little secret I am a 69 yr old male who is desperate for independence in his lifetime but I am fucked if I want Scotland run by a shower of narcissistic nut jobs and a FM who will sell out her own species
Ian Foulds says: 3:43 pm
Socrates McSporran at 12.07
‘I come on to Wings about the fight for Independence. Your obsession with this GRA, trans stuff simply turns both me, and I am sure other mature “Baby Boomers” off.
————————
If you want independence, you need the votes from men AND women.
If the SNP is pushing GRA which turns off a large majority of women because it reduces their rights, then you won’t get enough votes from the women.
Not enough votes, no independence.
“But, I suspect, during that time, the current Unionist parties would, once they realised the UK was dead and there was no going back, reorganise themselves into genuine Scottish parties, formulating their own policies and not taking their orders from London.”
Really, what makes you think ardent unionist parties that are funded primarily by another country, will suddenly decide that their interests lie elsewhere. Their visceral hatred of the SNP and Scottish progressiveness won’t just fade away, nor will England’s interests in holding onto to them diminish.
We just have to look at English political interference in countries in say Africa, Kenya for one.
Republicofscotland
Well said old boy. I would chase all unionist politicians out of the country to their real homes in England following independence.
They would be a dangerous enemy within, they are enemies of the Scottish people and cannot expect to hold positions of power in a new Scotland.
Almond Chutney @2:20
Body Dysphoric Disorder is a mental illness. People who want kids to decide that they should change sex – are mentally ill and/or a danger to society. Those facilitating this abuse of our children are mentally ill and/or evil. Those who actively promote it and decry anyone who dare disagree – are out and out bigots (like Mhairi Black).
Those who go along with it without question – are no better than the good people of Germany who stood by in the 30s and did nothing.
Not expecting a response from you Chutney as I am guessing your ‘shift’ is over.
In the words of the Big Lebowski – this GRA nonsense, WILL NOT STAND!
Someone on LBC commenting about GRA a few months ago said ‘policies developed in the shadows cannot stand in the light of day’
Radio Shortbreid between 17:00hrs and 18:00hrs John Beattie manages to devote only 2 minutes on disgraced ‘Scottish’ FibDem Peer David Steele jumping before he is pushed for turning a blind ear to Cyril Smiths paedophillia and claiming he is a scapegoat because Smith is dead and the inquiry couldn’t get an MPs scalp.
Compare to the way they treated Michelle Thomson for example!
Protect ‘The Precious’ still being the mission statement of Her Majesties BBC aka The official Opposition to the Scottish Government.
@twathater 5.04 and Midgehunter 5.15: yes, potentially alienating 52% of the Scottish electorate over GRA is utter madness. The MSM will be delighted to use this issue to maximum effect against the SNP simply because it is the government pushing it so strongly.
I’m also amazed at the conduct of some of GRA’s most aggressive proponents on-line and in schools and doubly so when I compare it to the unjust and immediate treatment handed out to Michelle Thomson and Grouse Beater even when they had done nothing wrong.
Why an avowed feminist like the FM seems untroubled by giving people with male equipment access to female areas is quite astonishing to me.
You’d almost think this toxic and anti-scientific issue was being pushed by certain people who wish to discredit and derail the independence movement…..
So some Lib/Dems are threatening to resign in Willie Rennies London branch office in Scotland, and at Westminster if, a new investigation into #Paedogate is reopened.
A report concluded that “Westminster
politicians valued reputation “far higher than the fate of the children involved”.
link to news.sky.com
Meanwhile the Scottish Government are opening the doors for paedos to run amok.
BBCs Bryan Taylor working extremely hard to avoid any attachment of bad behaviour to Lord David Steel one of his long time *chums*
Cut to Willie Rennie who puts on his best puzzled childlike face and says “I believe David did the right thing” while ommitting the part about voting Steel back in to the Liberal Democrats when Rennie knew Steel had done the wrong thing but Rennie figured they had gotten away with it so that was OK, Phew! Relief! Ooops!
Listening to the Proclaimers tonight Cap in Hand, what a great song and straight to the point why does Scotland let another country tell us how to run our country, the SNP government should maybe start playing it to themselves every day just to remind them what their Agenda is apart from running the country, dissolving the union, Breeks has the right idea, if Independence Hubs could meet at the Declaration of Arbroath anniversary there might be another route that’s possible.
Irrespective of who pishes where, indoors or out I don’t see an Indy ref as a good idea any time soon.
Simple arithmetic and powers of deduction tells me the death rate from covid is around 12% and is highly contagious.
The 3 hiv strands which have been manually inserted will interfere with your immune system’s ability to fight it.
Its all out there in the Lancet.
Read it weeks ago.
Add the AS trial and the unsavoury DM episode and a halfwit would see Indyref would be a sideshow to most fainthearts.
The Brexit issue during the transition perod/indyref would also be lost on many weak minded Scots.
Events dear boy, events.
As for the money/bond issue – money in a fiat monetary system (the one we have) is largely derived from debt. It actually amazes me that its more people on the right wing side of politics who see this as important rather than the left because it is, in effect, debt slavery that nobody signed up to. Its pure predatory capitalism on the scale of nations and yes it does benefit a very small clique of international entities.
Anyone serious about setting up an independent country should have the issuance of currency as a primary concern.
The following quote is attributed to Winston Churchill to a certain Lord: ‘Germany’s most unforgivable crime before the Second World War was her attempt to extricate her economic power from the world’s trading system and to create her own exchange mechanism which would deny world finance its opportunity to profit.’ However that subject is a murky one that leads on sinister paths.
As for GRA and independence – GRA is the (very unnecessary) issue that will poison a large section of the public to the SNP and therefore is critical to the immediate health of a push towards Scottish independence. Do we think it a vote winner? Will it turn soft no’s? Maybe turn off the soft yes’s? Im actually amazed that anyone can pretend not to see that.
To me, it’s simple.
Any political party, who stands in any post-independence Scottish election must,
A) Have a registered address in Scotland.
B) Must not be allowed to accept funding from any individual or organisation, who is domiciled, or has a registered address outwith Scotland.
Labour, Tories and Lib-Dems would be free to reorganise themselves as purely Scottish parties, with no funding from outside Scotland.
Time they stood on their own six feet (under?).
And I must admit, I’m a bit pee’d off about the prominence given to the desires of such a small percentage of SNP membership and disappointed to see the likes of Mhairi Black supporting that position.
The priority of the SNP should be INDEPENDENCE – anything controversial should be kicked into the long grass, like the Tories dan sarf have done.
@StewartB 4:45
Certainly we must move on and this why.
link to cnbc.com
We are not Norway. Alas that model is simply pipe dreaming, even if we were independent.
Lord David Steel……hard of hearing apparently….also fails in comprehension and moral fibre as to what constitutes a heinous act against children ….Lib Dems last year performed a sweep sweep under the carpet on the Steel/Smith scandal …..only then for both Lib Dems and Steel to now be presented with the findings of an independent inquiry that , unlike the Lib Dems inquiry on Steel, were more concerned with the abused children than the reputations of Steel and Lib Dem party………..
Emperor Ming Campbell prior to Steel’s resignation threatened to resign should the Lib Dems expel Steel on the findings against Steel of this new inquiry…..which in itself says more about Ming’s priorities….. where obviously the ‘party’ comes first even before the suffering and abuse of innocent children at the hands of one of his own colleagues and then covered up by the leader of his party….with a weak Steel argument of ‘I knew nothing’ which then morphed into ( courtesy of Mr Willie ‘we need a public inquiry on the SNP’ Rennie) I misheard question as hard of hearing….
So Malcolm Brice asserts politicians are liars….well one can also add that they are enablers of abusers and hiders of truth…especially Lib Dems.
Is there no end to the shocking sheeite the Lib Dems inflict upon the political arena…where continually they have the audacity to demand so much from their political opponents while they themselves fall so badly short of what we, the public, should expect and get with those politicians that we elect as our political representatives…..they have so much history of scandal…Jeremy Thorpe being another example….yet they stand in their collective self constructed position of preaching from a higher moral ground…… while looking down upon their opponents……one wonders that with the Lib Dems many, and now recorded, scandals if the Lib Dems seem to appear to endorse the ‘Do as I say Not as I do’ mantra……or are they just rotten to the core as we all, on many occasions, have acknowledged was the case via their many lies and puffed up contrived grievances that contribute jack sh*t to the political debate.
Can we at least see Alex Cole Hamilton’s twitter account in lockdown for a period of…not reflection…or even self reflection…but for the sake of some decency in equating his perception of what he sees as a certain bridge’s failings being most certainly NOT on par with this recent revelation on last years obvious ‘operation Lib Dem cover up’ on Steel , masking another cover up originally orchestrated in 1979 by gravy train opportunist Lord Steel who saw fit to nominate Smith ,a confessed paedophile, for a knighthood….
One hopes Steel’s nomination of Smith was NOT for the reason of making him , Smith, untouchable for the atrocious acts he committed against innocent children…….though I suspect it was an act to cover up and somehow make Smith appear a paragon of virtue within an establishment that was and is seemingly untouchable and not held to same account by instigation of criminal procedures that ordinary mere mortals are regularly exposed to and punished by….and where the media once again are complicit in their hidden knowledge and in their withholding the truth…but only on some preferred parties……..after all the did the media relentlessly pursue Willie Rennie last year on Steel being absolved of any guilt in Lib Dems inquiry which resulted in him being readmitted to the party last year ?…was there days upon days of newspaper and media coverage and cross party politicians discussing this on TV political programmes on how on earth Steel was readmitted to Lib Dem party….AND how this bewildering outcome was reached by the Lib Dems last year given the evidence against Steel’s mishandling and blatant cover up of information he was privy to re Smith’s perversion and guilt ….I do not think so……..wrong party and wrong political cause you see.
‘ Drain the Swamp ?’…..’We’re going to need a bigger boat’……and …..one that is able to go back in time too….cause there is more of this you know…..much more.
Thatcher was warned that Liberal Cyril Smith was a child abuser
But she told police to take no action.
She was also told by her police body guard that her PA
by the name of Morrison was attending hedonistic parties
We’re Young boys were being paraded.
Again she demanded no action.
Westminster is a corrupt stinking cess pit that knows no depths for depravity.
There is no constitutional route to independence, how can there be when there is no written constitution and the one used can be modified at will by Westminster.
The Irish realised this over 100 years ago and took action to end the annexation of their country. Sinn Fein created in 2005, country independent in 17 years. SNP created in 1934, effectively no nearer independence now than we were 86 years ago. There may be more support from the people but at this time I see no Plan to achieve this goal.
If we wait on Westminster approval they will pick a time that is favourable to them, once exhaustion has set in and moral destroyed.
@jfngw
“Sinn Fein created in 2005, country independent in 17 years.”
I realise you meant 1905 but Ireland is not yet an independent country. It is a country that has had a large chunk of it annexed after a bloody civil war.
Am I to assume that you see a bloody civil war as the way forward for Scotland just as happened in Ireland 17 years after the formation of Sein Fein or do I have you all wrong and that you believe waiting for majority support in a referendum might not be such a bad idea after all?
@ Ottomanboi.
Business models are adapted and changed to meet changing market requirements, the oil and gas industry haven’t invested tens of billions of dollars over the last 5 years in North sea and West of Shetland fields for the fun of it. America, the UK, France interest in creating turmoil in the middle East, killing hundreds of thousands people in the process is about oil and who controls it, Israel isn’t sitting on the Golan heights for the view. Spare us the oils worthless crap.
So the Westminster paedo ring crime gets the softsoaping with only Smith and Morrison being fingered.
That the british values right enough.
Thirty years of cover up, then a wee bit of handwringing and a wee octogenarian early retirement package for some cunt.
@ jfngy.
Viewed from a British nationalist standpoint or just plain Westminster arrogance, maybe. Scotland’s constitutional law says otherwise. It’s not the route that’s the problem, its the will that’s missing.
Not sure if anyone else read story/watched on STV news about Scottish Farmer (f**king sadist more like) who was fined 550 pounds for punching two of his sheep…was on STV News where footage shown of covert filming by animal organisation, PETA I think, of this sub human sh*tbag punching sheep in face and kicking them.
Unbelievably this sub human sh*tbag was NOT banned from owning or keeping animals….WTF
Farmer Sadist F**kface survives another day to continue abusing more animals….cause the Sheriff probably didn’t see fit to impose a ban…..cause it’s just animals you know……I wish him, Farmer Sadist F**kface and all of the others like him a long and very painful and premature death, preferably at the hands ( or rather the hoofs/claws) of an animal/s.
@Clapper57 2:08am
Maybe there are some other nice farmers in his area who know him and can educate him in animal welfare (if you know what I mean) or maybe the people who buy from him might not relish the bad reputation of using him as a supplier
Bad people eventually end up the victims of their own badness
Liz, Liz g , Cappella , Silver Darling , Daisy Walker and all the other females interested in showing their distaste and abhorrence of this bill would it not be possible for the various womens groups to collectively arrange and hold a march in Edinburgh culminating at the SP , that way all parties will be under no illusion that irrespective of who is in government this bill will not be accepted and will be vigorously opposed
I personally would accompany my wife and I am sure husbands , boyfriends ,uncles ,grandfathers could be ( ahem ) persuaded to support the womenfolk
I am sure the woke fantasist cabal would attend to show their ( ahem ) displeasure but that would only EXPOSE their arrogance and rabid behaviour to a wider public
Who knows it may even convince NS ,MB and SAS that women WILL NOT BACK DOWN
Socrates MacSporran says on 25 February, 2020 at 12:07 pm: “This is a diversion, Indy is the big issue.”
Correct! 100%! So run along and put that to the *only* person with the power to put all this “trans pish”, as you put it, to bed. That person would be Nicola Sturgeon. For whatever reason(s) she has allowed this to rumble on & on & on. Even failing to move swiftly and deal with those making threats about other party members.
It is now my belief she is allowing this distraction deliberately to detract from her strategic mistakes OR from a really clever plan she has and knows she has no intention of letting these changes take place? Either way she is losing the Indy movement support for every day this rumbles on.
Half (roughly) the population (women) are quite a necessary requirement to achieve indy so it’s a wee bit important to keep them on board don’t you think? So WTF is going on? And it’s not just women who are getting angry about all this unnecessary crap, a lot of men are getting seriously ticked-off with it also for various reasons.
I’ve asked this multiple times now and have not been given the answer so i’ll ask again: With Sturgeon knowing the growing anger & resentment out there over this crap and how it is detracting from the SNP’s reason for existence (to take back our right of self-determination) WHY is she letting it continue?
And not only is it Sturgeon who’s responsible for letting this rumble on it’s also not Campbell who keeps it going. Have you seen social media outlets recently? There’s even a well-known drag act named Kitty(?) who has come out on the side of the parents of the children involved in Mhairi Black’s sick wee experiment. Something Black should be sacked for and so should the head of that school for not consulting the parents first.
I personally think she’s letting it rumble on to disguise her own strategic ineptness/failings. She’s even allowing 2 big hitters from her party to vie for the same seat where a good strategist would never allow that to happen.
But yes, you are 100% correct, it is a distraction but it is *not* one created by Stuart Campbell. Even if it was his creation, or the Green Slimes, it is all entirely Nicola Sturgeons doing. She appointed the antagonists and she’s the *only* one with the power to stop it but she chooses not to. WHY?
Oh that’s right, it’s going through a “consultation” phase isn’t it? Yeah! That’s right! A CONsultation opened to the entire world who don’t live in Scotland. Now that alone, to many of us, is a blatant attempt to gerrymander a result the extreme minority want.
This communication was made possible thanks to Nicola Sturgeon.
The Scottish Government doesn’t really have any power we’re made to think the have, the same as Westminster it’s the civil service that really hold the power, governments come and go but the secret civil service are always there working behind the scenes, it’s the same in Scotland, westminster have their civil servants ruling up here, you just have to look at all the councils ever wondered who makes all the big money decisions, it’s definitely not the councillors most of them are told what to do, when devolution came about Westminster had their plants in place. Scotland would have to remove them before the union could be dissolved.
So, the likes of The Guardian and The Independent on their websites brag about how ‘nobody tells them what to say or report’. So why is it that both newspaper have coverage of the utterly outrageous treatment of fellow journalist Julian Assange, hidden away in small links far down their pages?
These so-called ‘independent’ Journalists, have en masse decided to try NOT to attract public attention to what is being done in an English court, right now, in 2020, in London.
Oh, and as for the Guardian, I looked yesterday, and despoite them running their limited coverage far down the page of their so-called ‘news’paper, Assange was their first third and tenth most read subject. So, they cannot even pretend that ‘their is no interest in the story’.
But what about SKY news or the supposedly ‘independent’ BBC? Nothing. Pretending it is not even happening.
What is being done to Assange is barbaric. Mass murderers are treated better, ISIS terrorists are treated better. Assange is being sytematically tortured, according to the UN, and the so-called ‘journalists’ that shout loud and hard about integrity sit and say NOTHING.
Only RT.com are providing proper and full coverage.
Read about what is happening on Craig Murray’s blog.
Stoker at 4:51 am
“For whatever reason(s) she has allowed this to rumble on & on & on.”
Have you considered writing to the WHO and asking them to reverse their decision?
link to bbc.com
“Transgender health issues will no longer be classified as mental and behavioural disorders under big changes to the World Health Organization’s global manual of diagnoses.
The newly-approved version instead places issues of gender incongruence under a chapter on sexual health.
A World Health Organization expert said it now understands transgender is “not actually a mental health condition”.”
The article also says
” Nations will have until January 2022 to put the changes in place.”
SNP holding a conference today that includes individuals and
Family members who have been affected by drug addiction.
Clyde Radio, part of UK Media propaganda news services, find a woman who
Lost a daughter due to drugs but who isn’t part of the 350 people participating.
So there it is SNP Bad for being inclusive, thinking outside the box and working
Hard to find a solution but they must be bad as not every single person in Scotland
Who has been affected will be present?
Hampden Park couldn’t hold all those affected.
If it could, how many years would it take for everyone
To tell their story and put forward their recommendations.
Radio Clyde and UK Media stink to the high heavens with the rotting flesh of reality and truth.
@ twathater – yes there will come a time when publuc demonstrations of dissent may be necessary. First we have to persuade everyone to respond to the consultation.
ATM it is the Tories who are talking sense. See Lord Lucas, Tory peer, in the HoL. “Why are we seeking to make women uncomfortable in toilets? Who is benefitting from this?
link to twitter.com
Re the WHO decision that this is not a mental health issue, policy capture may extend to the top of thw WHO too. That is quite a shocking prospect.
New NHS England figures released showing thousands of patients are waiting hours on a hospital trolley for a bed.
link to talkingupscotlandtwo.com
“BBC England’s health correspondent desperately tries to include Scotland in his tale of despair”
@ mrthms
Exactly.
This is pushed at an international (globalist) level. What else is on the agenda? How would one oppose it? Are we starting to get a piece of the picture?
Robert Louis at 0716- spot on! I find myself more and more watching foreign news programmes, namely RT and Al Jazeera as the English media is utter propagandist crap, only the Scottish is worse, with the exception of the National – deliberately so I fear. The treatment of Julian Asange is beyond monstrous – but then it is the British government and their US bosses in charge! Contrast the treatment of Assange, and some of our Scottish politicians, with the paedophilies at Westminster!
The momentum for independence is building with 55% of voters wanting a indyref within five years, only 27% think it shouldn’t happen within that time frame.
link to thenational.scot
We all know Westminster is a den of iniquity, but the extent, is far greater than you could have thought, as a new report names,those involved and those who shielded the perpetrators in child sex abuse.
Another good reason to dissolve this unfit for purpose union, as if we needed another one that is.
link to thenational.scot
Kenny MacAskill makes a valid point here.
Sturgeon never had a Plan B, for indyref2, MacAskill is urging Holyrood to call for a consultative plebiscite on independence to test the validity in the courts.
He addeds A consultative indyref is legally possible. Tnere may well be judicial approval for it, but even if there isn’t then the organisation of one is also a democratic right.
Test it legally and see, and if not then its Plan B.
SNP MSP James Dornan (Cathcart constituency) who fought tirelessly against sectarianism in Scotland receiving umpteen death threats, and constant abuse is to stand down at the next Scottish elections.
Doran, claimed a complicit media, football clubs and the lack of political will at Holyrood to tackle sectarianism has seen him give up on continuing to fight against it.
Doran added that there are bodies out there that are quite happy to pretend that there isn’t a problem with Sectarianism in Scotland.
Stoker @ 4.51am
You wrote: “Socrates MacSporran says on 25 February, 2020 at 12:07 pm: “This is a diversion, Indy is the big issue.”
Correct! 100%! So run along and put that to the *only* person with the power to put all this “trans pish”, as you put it, to bed. That person would be Nicola Sturgeon. For whatever reason(s) she has allowed this to rumble on & on & on. Even failing to move swiftly and deal with those making threats about other party members.”
I have already written to Nicola Sturgeon on this matter. I actually wrote to her on Sunday, mainly about letting Andrew Marr away with murder during their interview on Sunday. However, I also suggested to her, she cut Joanna Cherry loose from party constraints to mount a legal challenge on the Constitution, before, finally, suggesting she drop this GRA pish.
So, I have done my bit. Still waiting for a response, however.
One wonders how many in the SNP and others are now on MI5’s list, and just how many are working hard for them at Holyrood within other parties and the Civil Service besides LE.
Quite a few I’d imagine.
link to thenational.scot
@Robert J. Sutherland
And here we have the problem, instead of engaging with the issues Stu raises you concern troll over ONE image in the story. Until SNP people like you get that this is a big problem the whole Indy project will go to hell in a handcart as voters desert you.
I WILL NOT vote SNP in 2021 unless my MSP comes out as implacably opposed and pledged to vote against it and I shall be asking her. I WILL NOT vote either SNP or Green on the List. IF no viable alternatives present themselves (I shall not vote Unionist) I shall spoil my ballot for the first time in my life and write why on it so it is read and understood.
I will NOT throw my wife, daughters, neices, aunts, cousins under the bus over this.
Indy has to be about building a nation fit for everyone, not a gender rights dictatorship by a vocal, bullying tiny minority. I don’t know anyone who is Trans. I volunteer in a charity shop and have never encountered a Trans person in over a year doing front of house.
Don’t worry if I did I would treat them the same as everyone else. We don’t have a changing room so no such issues arise anyway.
It is a measure of how incidental independence has become that other topics fill these posts.
Be that as it may, the following link is worth a read. An American conservative source, coherently argued and touching on matters concerning truth, logic, reality, science and fact.
link to heritage.org
That international ’humanitarian’ organizations such as WHO have fallen hook line and sinker for the rather bathetic ‘gender’ narrative ought to set alarm bells ringing. Such transnational coteries dominated by ‘progressives with agendas’ are socially dangerous. They are not accountable, have limitless back up funding from the mega-rich eg Gates and Soros and care little for custom, dissent, democracy and bizarrely, ‘human rights’ which they are prepared to subvert in order to achieve the end.
Independence implies having the right to disagree, dissent, resist and say no to Big Brother, Big Sister or Big Woker.
The political class in Scotland would appear to have an issue with that.
Not quite so rainbow diverse after all.
In Canada the PQ have dwindled into obscurity after losing the second IndyRef* because they have gone down the language rabbit hole which PC in Wales is desperate not to be pigeon holed with.
Ukraine split in two because the govt passed Ukrainian language only legislation so the Russian speakers in the East concluded it was no longer their country.
It looks like GRA might be the hill the SNP and maybe Indy will die on. Not Gaelic, not Indy, not Social Democracy but pandering to a TINY minority because they are shit scared of being labelled by people.
I’m a Biologist and nobody is going to tell me that sex doesn’t exist or I just need to ‘get over it’. Science denial is not okay when it comes to evolution teaching, it’s not okay when it comes to vaccines, it’s not okay when it comes to Climate Denial but it is somehow okay when it comes to GRA. This is inconsistent. Science doesn’t stop working when it meats gender Mrs Sturgeon.
@ twathater,
re marching to show displeasure at the SNP’s GRA amendment policy.
The SNP are my reps, I’ve voted for them for over 30 years… and now… now, I’m supposed to go on protest marches against them, for them holding a political policy which discriminates against women, diminishes the safety of women and children, and calls anyone who dares attempt to debate the serious concerns they have about it ‘bigots, homophobes and transphobes’, not to mention that the proposed legislation is a dogs dinner of contradictory statements and completely unenforceable.
You’ll forgive me if I feel my concerns on this matter should be heard by the leaders of the SNP without the need for me to march.
Or do they only ‘value’ my contribution when they’re shaking the fundraising tin.
.
Well said Socrates.
Though many years ago, I realised how impotent politicians are.
They have little interest in the letters that they receive from the likes of you, me and the public. Unless it is election time and they need our votes.
The majority have taxpayer funded staff to answer letters. Politically most politicians have their own hobbyhorse agenda such as GRA. Anyone else can fluck off.
Some are lazy. Some are greedy. Some are like Lord Sir David Steel.
Every now and then you get a good one. Alec Salmond is a class act and fine example.
Socrates, I used to write letters to my MP/MSP. But nothing meaningful ever happened.
Then a pal started a community newspaper. The circulation went to 3,000 with an old Roneo. duplicator. The local MSP started paying attention and doing his job. But he was still a useless lying idiot. As a LibDem MSP that came naturally.
At the 2007 election, the wee community newspaper came out to back the SNP candidate for Holyrood. Many of us who helped distribute the wee paper got grief off of the Orange Lodge and shouted at in the street as Republican Barstewards.
Here’s the thing. The SNP MSP won the seat off of the LibDem MSP by just a few hundred votes. The SNP then formed the 2007 government by ONE seat.
So people power works. Letter writing not so much.
You don’t need to print and publish a newspaper nowadays. Just spend £6 registering a website and several hours on YouTube learning how to work WordPress or Joomla operating systems.
If ScotGoesPop and BellaCaledonia can do this, so can you and anyone here. Look at the positive impact Stuart Campbell has achieved with “just a blog”.
The MSPs generally only wake up when they have bulk votes at stake or Heaven forbid, their comfortable financial gravy train job at Holyrood or the Palace of Westminster. If several of us here start new website blogs that include calling out GRA entryists that are damaging the Independence movement, EVENTUALLY the SNP membership and conference will have to do something to sort out the mess to which Nicola is WILFULLY BLIND.
The time for letters to MSPs and MPs is now passed my friend.
Part of me kinda hopes Joanna Cherry does a Neale Hanvey, gets axed from the SNP by the wokists, but stands in Edinburgh Central as an Independent, romps home on a massive landslide YES majority, and becomes the leader elect of a newly emerging Constitutional List Party which resolves to clarify the Constitutional duplicity of the Union by disputing UK Sovereignty and taking it to the UN and Council of Europe.
Review what the polls are saying once there is tangible progress on the Constitutional front, and then determine whether it’s a List Party supporting the SNP, or a stand-alone Independence Party and rival to the SNP, with a flagship policy of Constitutional Sovereignty restored through lawful review and International Recognition, then a ratification plebiscite on Constitutional Independence, followed then by Scottish General Election to elect members of the Scottish National Parliament.
Imagine too, Alex Salmond being cleared of all smears, and weighing in to resurrect the SNP as the rebellious Pro-Indy Party of old, which actually embraced the new List Party under Cherry, and lent the full weight of the Scottish Government behind backing a Constitutional challenge to UK Sovereignty.
It is thereby possible that the SNP under Salmond and the YES List Party under Cherry would never meet face to face across a ballot, but their first democratic engagement would be over a ratification plebiscite, and a Scottish General Election thereafter wouldn’t necessarily be a d’Hondt system.
Ottomanboi 10.12
Of course the right will expose the dodgy thinking on this issue.
Not the dodgy thinking on , for example, climate change or ethnic IQ rates which are part of their political constituency
But they see an open goal on the transactivism issue.
And in the Scottish context they don’t need to get people to start voting for them in a Holyrood election.
They just need to get some SNP voters not voting for the SNP.
The Dhondt system is all about the fine margins that can prevent the SNP having a majority.
Anything that can prevent that in 2021 is political gold from their point of view.
No majority means no case for an independence referendum don’t you know.
Al-Stuart @ 10.35am
A fine post young man, and, thank you for your sage advice.
As a semi-retired journalist, I have often thought of starting a locally-based community website, given our local paper is well down the slippery slope to oblivion.
However, I reckon, in my eighth decade, my time for this is past, so, I content myself writing a couple of sporting blogs, on which I can let rip at the time-wasters, self-servers and downright fuckwits ruining Scottish fitba and Scottish rugby.
Each lawyer’s letter from one or other of the offended governing bodies bossts me somewhat.
I don’t know Nicola Sturgeon, but, I used to work with one of her uncles, and she is now showing some of the same traits he showed.
I fear the FM and more than a few SNP establishment figures are going down the road of “Scottish Labour,” being more concerned with hanging onto power than actually doing anything worth-while with those powers.
I used to get to sub Alex Salmond’s racing column in The Scotsman, I will not hear a bad word against the wee man. I fear the upcoming case is nothing more than a blatant and all too obvious Establishment smear plot, which, hopefully, will fail.
I get confused by polls which say people will support Independence or a referendum, but only in five years time.
I’d vote for Indy five years from now, next year, next month, next week, this afternoon, yesterday, last week, and five years ago… I just believe in Independence, and there isn’t a time factor component to it.
I don’t follow the logic of “I’m going to vote Indy, but just not yet”.
I mean what?? Do you wanna go mad with a 5 year bucket list of “UK” things to do before the end of the Union?
Here’s a sort of Scottishcringe version of this article.
link to archive.is
ahundredthidiot
You don’t label people mentally ill to hide your transphobia, that’s for sure. BDD is a real issue that affects millions of people, it’s not exclusive to trans people, it just so happens that the circumstance of trans people lead to BDD. Also, don’t twist my comments to suggest that I support the GRA. I implied that there should be strong differentiation between those that are genuinely in need of help and the woke individuals that support extra-gender, or those that seek to obtain more rights rather than equality.
It’s people like you with your festering hate that cause statistics to show that 48% of trans people in the UK have attempted or successfully committed suicide in response to violent or threatening behaviour, are there lives or their choice worth nothing to you? People can still be trans and live in society without the need of this ridiculous GRA or your explicit bullshit.
Robertson vs Cherry is a failure of SNP leadership
link to archive.is
@twathater, I don’t often agree with you but on this issue you’re spot on. And @muscleguy, thank you! I too had a biology education and I will NOT have my speech compelled, my thought compelled, nor the basic premises of biology overturned by ppl pandering to delusion.
@ Mike Cassidy – thanks for posting that archive link. McKenna really, really hits every nail on the head with this one.
Happily the 48% trans suicide stat has been debunked.
link to twitter.com
Twathater
I don’t think that the issue is “mainstream” enough yet for a march.
We need to let Labour do the grunt work first 🙂
………………..
As to the W.H.O. reframing this as a Sexual Health issue!
As I understand it,the push for this was based on the problems an insurance based system throws up for funding treatment.
Apparently insurance won’t pay for surgery or hormones if it’s a mental health issue,they will only pay for shrinks.
So the reclassification from mental health to sexual health,has very little to do with science,and everything to do with money… As per usual…
@Breeks,
a polster could ask the question,
`do you want indy ref in 5 years`,
what you gonna say if the option is yes or no,
you say yes,
you can`t say `no i want it now`, cause that is not an option,
unionist media then claim people don`t want indy ref just now but in 5 years.
Why are these two SNP big hitters going for the same seat when the seat next door is occupied by twitter idiot Alex Cole-Hamilton. Surely ousting this waste of space should be high on the SNP agenda.
Bumbling Boris making a right arse of himself. The know nothing, do nothing prime minister.
Taking the piss out of Ian Blackford as usual, Blackford’s softly, softly approach is pathetic.
We badly need a charismatic leader to lead us to back to being an independent country. Surely there must be someone, somewhere in Scotland that can stir the masses and get us free from this vile English Tory run UK.
@jfngw, for JC to run for Holyrood – she needs to stay on her own patch, for practical reasons as much as anything.
AR has no such ties. Which begs the question, is he campaigning for that seat in order to see JC off (and any potential – plan B’s – she might bring to the table).
It seems like such a short time ago AR was asking for crowdfunding in order to carry out analysis regarding independence for Scotland.
@jfngw
Purley because Sturgeon does not want Cherry anywhere near Holyrood.
@Mike Cassidy
The SNP is regardless of what one might think of the current leadership and certain policies the only vehicle for independence. To be without it is something devoutly to be wished by the enemy.
Keeping the vehicle on the highway to independence is what we are about.
Nothing disloyal or useful idiot about that.
Crush Unionism….we possess the means, soon, I trust, the strategy.
@twathater 3.43 am
I would be happy to protest/march but I want to see how the ‘consultation’ goes first. If you can get every person you know to reply that would be a huge help.
link to forwomen.scot have compiled a comprehensive background and guidance to the proposed changes which you can download and print off.
The cross party support for this is crucial and we may become aware of significant allies as the Bill goes to debate. I assume it will go to debate but the indecent haste and lack of due diligence with which it seems to be being rushed through is worrying.
It has assumed a totemic significance for those who would promote it so expect fall out no matter what. I am not a member of the SNP but colleagues and acquaintances who are say they have got nowhere raising it through their branch or writing to S A Somerville.
Your support is gratefully acknowledged though.
Breaks @ 10.41.
I can fully understand the logic of you hoping that Joanna Cherry would not be selected and that she would in consequence head up the emerging Constitutional List Party.
Two thing here. Firstly, setting emotion aside with where we have ended up at present, I think Joanna Cherry would be better in the SNP because I do think if she was leader she would turn things round. Nicola Sturgeon, and presumably vice versa, cannot stand Joanna and that tells you something. So better in to effect the change we all want.
However on the List Party issue this is something I think we need. Yes Cherry would be ideal, but so would many others currently not in the SNP but utterly respected as independence luminaries. A voting system that causes a million SNP votes to secure only four members is something that can be redressed by a Constitutional List Party and could deliver potentially up to 20 seats – thereby delivering an independence super majority.
Moreover it would assist keeping the more comfortable existing elected members on the message of independence and not devolution!
So yes, and a big yes to Ms Cherry. Let’s keep her in the SNP team because that’s where she’ll do most good turning the party back into what it once was.
Breaks @ 10.41.
And if I may make another comment about Joanna Cherry. Isn’t it more than interesting how the First Minister who cannot stand Joanna Cherry has allowed the Edinburgh Central selection to become a gladiatorial contest between two talented individuals.
It’s absolutely astounding and as Kevin McKenna euphemistically reports it’s an example of management failure at the top. Me, I’d put it much more malign than that. I’d say it’s a deliberate manipulation by the top to start a war between two star performers and their supporters in the hope that one loses.
Like King Phyrrus of Epirus what would such a result deliver for today’s Queen Nicola and the SNP – – – a victory perchance or a latter day Phyrrhic one?
But that sadly seems to be the game being played and already today, Angus Robertson in the Edinburgh Evening News has in all but name attacked Joanna Cherry for not being a full time candidate and an MP with limited experience unlike himself. No doubt Nicola will be pleased because that is what she and her coterie set up – rather than a slot for both.
Meanwhile on BBC news online, Scotland part, there is a report on a shortage of surgical masks to clinical staff.
Why? It doesn’t tell you but the inference is that the Scottish Government is to blame.
Funny that, as a BBC news report from the 14 Feb on their Health pages reports that there is a shortage because the masks are manufactured in China!
Now why wouldn’t the BBC in Scotland tell you that?
No need to answer…..
Just finished reading Day 2 of the Julian Assange extradition hearing by Craig Murray. Hard to put my disgust into words so I won’t bother, but one of the comments btl caught my attention.
For context, the judge had stated that basically internal law overrode a Treaty, specifically UK internal against the extradition Treaty with the USA. She will hear arguments tomorrow. But one of the btl posters found an interesting statement made by Teressa May in relation to I think the withdrawal bill. Anyway, she stated that a Treaty always trumps domestic law. Now I’m pretty certain that was pretty obvious to quite a lot of us, apparently not to a judge. Interesting though.
Ho/w come everyone appears to know that the First Minister and Ms Cherry can’t stand each other? – First I have heard of such acrimony or are folk just mischief making?
Willie @ 10.41.
Evidence, please with regard as to the dislike between Ms Sturgeon & Ms Cherry or is it just a bland somewhat slanderous statement.
Hmmm… I didn’t actually know there was animosity between Joanna Cherry and Nicola Sturgeon.
It might explain why Joanna Cherry’s success pulling Constitutional levers to such great effect has not been built upon, when Joanna Cherry twice had Westminster’s back to the canvas, and the UK’s Supreme Court twice knocked out of the ring.
2 stunning constitutionally based victories with both feet planted firmly in Scots Law, but neither capitalised upon nor put to very effective use in my opinion, and the vital constitutional component left remarkably understated. Here was me putting it down to the BritNat Ministry of Truth BBC.
The plot thickens…
Politicians who don’t agree with each other on everything must be mortal enemies but if they do agree on everything then they’re party drones with no minds of their own
Newspapers eh, gossip eh,
People don’t scribble this crap to prove something, they do it to destabilise your head into thinking what they want you to think
Politician used to smoke dope, therefore totally untrustworthy and bad, a Royal wummins faither is an arsehole so she must be too, I knew Princess Diana’s butler who says……..and on it goes crap after crap about stuff people don’t know, so get a rumour going and within a week it’ll be a fact whether it is or isn’t
Dr Jim , agreed.
Gossip about Nicola and Joanna. Nothing else.
I’ve twice gone to hear Joanna speak in the last year, (she is my MP), and there was nothing but support, respect and warm words for Nicola.
Don’t make up divisive rubbish.
Isn’t the timing of all the SNP ‘scandals’ interesting? I am of course talking about the MP/ MSPs conduct and behaviour.
recent polls showing Independence in the lead and – derek Mackay scandal, Alex salmonds trial etc… all being ramped up by the media.
Im not saying what Derek mackay did was right, on the conterary, but the timing is significant for exposure. As for Alex .. he is innocent until proven guilty, and I personally believe it suits the Brit state too much to have him discredited that I think he is being set up.
Add to the mix the imoral mhari black and the nature grudgers, the battering the SNP is getting is immense!
This affects the entire Indy movement which is the British states plan. They have a compliant media to utterly discredit Independence, without the stupid actions of MI5 watched MPs and MSPs.
I was disappointed but not surprised stuart hosie was set up and caught with his pants down, but come on, its called entrapment!! The brit secret service are masters at it.
Every SNP politician is being watched and enticed relentlesly, whether its comfortable living, exposure of sexual desires or behaviour, fraud, financial indescretios etc.. all of them are in the sites of the british security services.
It would be utterly nieve to think they are not already working from within. look at the dividsions in the indy movement when we should be charging to victory!!
How quickly SNP politicians have been seduced by the comfortable lifestyle political employment brings.
Time for a change of leader. For Scotlands sake!
Can you imagine trying to conduct an indyref/ campaign in the middle of a world health crisis pandemic.
We have to accept it ain’t gonna happen any time soon. Nicola Sturgeon or no Nicola Sturgeon.
NS did not support Joanna when the wokerati decided they wanted rid of her.
She didn’t support her when JC was receiving death threats for taking BJ to court.
In case people think NS did contact her in private, think again.JC, who is obviously discreet and does not want the press to big up a division between her and NS, has stated in the press that she has barely spoken to NS and thinks she once had a phone call from her.
JC is a rival and also much more experience in law, braver, stronger and sticks up for women’s rights.
So please, the NS can do no wrong people, open your eyes.
Smooth fm rivaling BBC at 3 o clock. Bma say most GP surgeries in Scotland don’t have the masks the Scottish government promised them
Bias and twisted
If we don’t get out of this union soon I am moving to ireland
Fireproofjim says:
26 February, 2020 at 2:39 pm
Don’t make up divisive rubbish.
Read the article. Take it up with Kevin McKenna.
Ta, Dr Jim, Dorothy Devine, Fireproofjim.
Notice Willie hasn’t come back yet. Another sh*t-stirrer in our midst?
Notice the continent, especially Germany, is taking an increased interest in Scotland. Patience, real Scots. Steadily gaining international support.
People want to gossip about this politician or that politician troughing at the expense of the taxpayer whenever there’s something they don’t like or they’ve *heard* something they are told not to like, it’s the SNPs turn to get the faeces flung at them, and that’s to make folk immediately forget about the people behind who’s telling them this crap and why, and who’s paying them to do it
How about ex Labour FM Jack McConnell taking around £1000 per week from the HOL and you’d think that’s a damn disgrace isn’t it, but they don’t tell you that his expenses are the highest in the HOL at over £100,000 per year on top of that
Jack (Armani suit hand made shirt and shoes) McConnell says it’s travelling expenses to and from London, this is a man who has less power than my shoe brush but he’s exercising his Tory supported right to fleecing the lot of us
Now that’s what I call troughing
My understanding is that Tory MSP Murdo Fraser between his wages and expenses is one of the highest earners in Holyrood and nobody has voted for this Bastirt ever
I’ll quote “It doesn’t help, of course, that Cherry and Sturgeon can barely stand to be in the same room as each other…”
OT
Wow. Closes 13th March.
link to consultation.sepa.org.uk
Wow! As in, “buy yourself a fishing boat to blockade the Clyde Estuary kind of Wow”…
Remember how Willie Rennie called for a Holyrood inquiry/probe into Derek Mackay and how he maintained that Nicola Sturgeon should not have let him just RESIGN…..
Well life has come very fast at Wille Rennie now…his position should be untenable in the Steel/Smith internal ‘Inquiry’ held by Lib Dems last year that found it appropriate for Steel to be readmitted to Lib Dems….and somehow Willie Rennie also finds it ACCEPTABLE that Steel should now just be able to RESIGN from Lib Dems when new independent inquiry found that Steel had, in relation to Smith, knew about the allegations of Smith’s crimes against children but had “turned a blind eye” on Cyril Smith’s abhorrent acts against these children and thus it amounted to an ” abdication of responsibility” on his, Steel’s, part.
Willie surprisingly was not available for comment on GMS this morning…surprising considering how ‘available’ Willie usually is when any opportunity arises to diss the SNP…..one only has to remember the journalistic rugby scrum at Holyrood that the FM faced post the Derek Mackay incident…..where as Willie was given one on one interviews via various media channels yesterday and now has gone AWOL thus as leader of a political party he is showing a dereliction of duty and indeed a lack of dignity, morals and strength in hiding from media / public scrutiny…a scrutiny he is NOT reticent in demanding that should be applied to the Scottish government ……I am aware he is insignificant and ineffective as a politician…but….this particular scandal and obvious historical injustice warrants further investigation and prominence….not a story that should be shut down by the media and presented as a one day only story.
Willie Rennie…who stands on a self constructed high moral ground…should condemn Steel for his tactless and insensitive remarks i.e. Steel’s statement re resigning to avoid “turmoil in my party” and also saying “not having secured a parliamentary scalp I fear that I have been made a proxy for Cyril Smith”….
Absolutely shocking and worthy of wide condemnation…no apology for the victims but instead presenting himself as a victim/fall guy and also an added ‘noble’ gesture as a self appointed sacrificial lamb in ‘sacrificing’ himself to save his party…..as opposed to apologising to the victims for both withholding information on Smith and also for Smith’s actions…..Scotland Tonight’s John Mackay needs to take a good look at himself if he views this as a ” sad end” to Steel’s political career…..a worryingly and extremely wrong take on this Mr Mackay….and not one any decent person would also agree was an appropriate summation of this horrible story.
But Willie Rennie stated yesterday that he thought it was “right that David Steel has decided to resign from the Liberal Democrats and retire from public life”…….so the first step of sweep sweep under the carpet to be forgotten and never ever ( Willie hopes) to be seen again…..this …this is acceptable to Willie Rennie….really ?
Well this has not ended as the solicitor dealing with the victims of Smith stated ” An extraordinarily mealy-mouthed resignation statement from Lord Steel. Not even a hint of apology to Smith’s victims- in fact Steel seeks to portray himself as the victim here. Ludicrous and shameful” AND one of the victims of Cyril Smith has stated that David Steel ” should be prosecuted”…..obvs as an enabler who knew the truth but chose party reputation over safety of children…..
Let’s also not forget the role of the ‘PM who never was’ Jo Swinson…and also a ” short term MP”…who in an interview with Joe Pike whitewashed the incident and attempted to place a smokescreen around the Lib Dem (non) inquiry on Steel last year…..
And where o where is the other parties condemnation on this obvious scandal…in Jackson Carlaw’s Twitter a/c there are endless SNPBAD tweets but uber quelle surprise…………….. Abso..f**king..lutely…NOTHING…about Lib Dems and David Steel….same for Richard Leonard….
Cross party hypocrisy on stilts as per….wait until a certain date in March…..they’ll all have something to say then no doubt….including, I am sure, Willie bloody Rennie !!!
Apologies for long post……but this should NOT be shut down especially when one considers the constant carping from the sidelines the Lib Dems make us all endure…..and then when the spotlight turns on them they expect to hide in the shadows and not be held to account……we should not allow them to do that…..EVER.
Willie Rennie has stated that previous best pal and mentor Lord David Steel has a deafness problem so didn’t always hear stuff
I could list all the stuff the SNP’s done for Scotland, and it would be a long list but none of that counts now because it’s time to *get them* and those who want to *get them* have their agendas for doing that, I would just say have a think for a minute on why it’s become so easy for for folk to do this and why Boris Johnson is spreading £5million quid all over the Internet to help that process along
The SNPs exists soley to get Scotland Independence, I keep hearing and reading that pish, well it might be the top of the list thing but there’s a hell of a lot more besides, and they’re doing that
When we had the Labour party before now for the entirety of my life, they promised evey year without fail they would raise standards of living and on and on and on but they did nothing but take, and when the SNP came along we collectively said thank Christ for these guys because they actually are doing stuff
Then the SNP became overwhelmingly successful and the panic set in, and the forces of darkness crawled out from under their rocks with the invention of easy social media and said *let’s get the SNP* and you know what bugs me about these people some of them couldn’t care less about Scotland, they’re having fun like it’s an entertainment
I don’t care whether politicians like each other or not, or if they’re having long hot showers with each other, the result’s what counts and everybody’s entitled to pontificate on how to achieve the results they’d like, but inventions and smearing are the work of the gutter politician and the subversives, engage in it and you assist them by participating in your own deception for their purpose
Did David Steel maybe confide to more Lib Dem politicians? Should be more said and done about this, if more people new and the Peodo was still after kids, get something done about this is this getting swept under the carpet, Willie Rennie just a sleekit useless liar.
You know we complain a lot about the SNP on the independence front, but they do deliver some good policies, here’s one in the making with the Greens.
“Details of a new SNP-Greens budget deal have emerged with plans to introduce free bus travel for people aged 18 and under and other key climate change-tackling measures. ”
“Cabinet Secretary for Finance Kate Forbes has reached an agreement with the Scottish Green Party to ensure passage of the Scottish Government’s budget at all stages in parliament.”
link to thenational.scot
Free bus travel for under 18s
That’s nice – more government money thrown at Souter and the Easdales!
Liz g , Liz , capella , silver darling , daisy walker , Susan thanks for all yer responses and I take on board the mibees not just now for a march idea , but I hope it is NOT needed and sense will win out , but know that I and a lot of other males back up your and our fight .
I will fill out the consultation and I will vehemently outline my objection that this has been opened to the world and I agree with stoker that this is a deliberate ploy to skew and manipulate the responses
@ Dr Jim
The SNP I grew up with, with Alex Salmond leading the way against Thatcher and the subsequent victory in Holyrood in 2007, is absolutely a different animal now.
I keep railing about the need for people to widen their perspective here. The SNP’s priorities are very similar to many other ‘progressive’ governments around the globe. They have an agenda that is not Scottish independence and it comes from international groups.
At what point do people actually take the partys obvious priorities seriously?
Basic civil rights beats the independence debate in the minds of anyone with objective reason. Sorry but its the brutal truth. The SNP are fking themselves and the Scottish independence cause with their policies. Which aren’t even their policies.
People cross the world are increasingly having policies pushed down their throats they were never asked for on the basis of ‘international best practice’and the SNP has joined this.
To say that opposition to what the SNP are doing is only down to the efforts of the UK is to be lacking in basic reasoning and knowledge.
Re Robertson and Cherry, they can both succeed in getting elected
The Scotland Act 2016 gives the Scottish Government powers to make changes to the electoral system.
For example, List MSPs are currently elected based on ‘Regional’ voting.
The next batch of List MSPs to Holyrood could be selected based on the ‘National’ vote.
Some EU countries using a ‘National’ vote, not the ‘Regional’ vote to pick their List candidates, it could result in the SNP gaining more List MSPs than the current system does, and it brings the real prospect of an SNP majority should they do well in the Constituency seats.
The ever London obedient unionist STV news, knowing fine well, that Westminster #Paedogate is firmly in the spotlight has on its 6pm programme, led with Scotlands full of paedophiles story, their predictability is if nothing consistant.
“That’s nice – more government money thrown at Souter and the Easdales!”
Jeez oh, some food see no good in anything, other nations citizens would be pleased as punch with this.
The majority of folk live in Glasgow and Edinburgh First bus is the largest provider in Glasgow, Lothian buses serve Edinburgh neither is owned by Souter as far as I know.
As for the paedophilia scandal –
Its not just some dirty perverts.
Its perverts who were given access to what they wanted so they could be controlled via blackmail. This is a global issue. High level politicians and children.
Were Epstein and Ghislane Maxwell a mossad operation to control US politicians and other leaders? How many times did Bill Clinton visit the island? How many times without secret service detail?
John Podesta – the man with images of child abuse on his walls who was involved with the Clintons. The emails of Hillarys team using paedophile terminology.
Hollywood and the many accusations involving child abuse.
The lost dossier in the UK that contained the investigation into high level paedophilia. Lost on a train. Apparently.
How many more paedophile friends have the Royals had beyond Epstein and Savile?
Why did the BBC (and police) cover up for Savile for so long? Could Savile be a link to a much more important paedophile ring?
The same question could be asked of Epstein. The difference is – Epstien recorded everything for blackmail. Who has those tapes?
Is there a satanic/cult twist to all this?
Seth Rich – the DNC staffer who was murdered by 2 MS13 gang members (who were then subsequently found murdered). Did he leak damning material to Wikileaks? Was it really a ‘Russian hack’ on the DNC which Julian Assange denied?
Who wants Assange dead? Who wants him alive? Does Trump intend to have Assange give evidence? How many powerful people would be implicated if that happened?
Does the NSA have all records of all electronic communications? Who did the NSA help before the last US election?
There’s a lot of entrenched establishment people guilty of treason and worse crimes who never thought Hillary would lose.
Its just a pity Scotland doesn’t have an indy party that’s worth 2 farts right now. A lot of hay could be made.
Jackman Carplot in the latest PPB for the Conservative and Unionist party uses the language and style of the internet troll in this new bitter filled broadcast, he has however made an error once again as he staked his career on his victory over, as he refers to her, *Sturgeon*
We shall see who votes for what if and when the time comes, because Carplot has offered the alternative
PPB by Tories in Scotland.
Nobody does nationalism like the Tories. But it is British nationalism which is much less civic beast.
Plus the Tories do not do democracy.
Re my 6.07pm comment where the unionist STV news led with the Scotlands full of paedos story due Westminsters #Paedogate firmly in the spotlight.
Well Englands other propaganda news channel in Scotland Reporting Scotland led with the exact same, that child sex abuse is out of control in Scotland.
Tonight is a perfect example of Londons propaganda channels in Scotland posing as Scottish news channels, STV news and Reporting Scotland, coordinating their top stories in order to take some heat away from the Westminster #Paedogate scandal.
Both English serving propaganda news channels are no more than Fifth Columns in Scotland. They serve London not Scotland.
What a show from Rangers.
They did Scotland proud tonight.
C’mon the GERS.
Golfnut @1.53
Its actually good news if the judge said that internal law over-rides an international treaty because the principle of noble intent that was written into English law – pursuant to the prorogation appeal – means that Assange must now be set free immediately.
Unionists very unhappy at young folk getting the free bus travel, because in their minds that means that there’ll be more kids going to school and college than there were the day before which will lead to massive overcrowding by the same amount of kids
Moments like this are when you know the education system’s fine, it’s just that Unionists deliberately and conveniently forget they had any when they became Unionists
Oh and potholes, and eh well we just hate, and we’ll wait to be instructed what it is we hate then we’ll be back to hate another thing when we’re told
Things are pretty bad for the Tories when all they’ve got left are Jo Swinson Liberal democrat quotes
Twathater @ 5.36
Why thank you sir.. 🙂
It’s good to know that some of you Gents have our back.
Unfortunately…While great news in England,as I’m hearing Westminster have dropped the GRA due to child safety concerns.
That means the Scottish Government if they push ahead,are not only hanging women and girls out to dry… But also leaving the Yes movement that we all try so desperately hard not to damage,with its arse hanging in the wind.
They ( SNP & Greens ) must know Westminster will weaponise this!!
They must suspect Westminster are only dropping this Gender push in western democracies TO have a stick to beat Indy with.
We’ve only been telling them for months!
They need to find a reason to drop it, and fast.
Apparently Westminster are using their consultation as an excuse Holyrood should do that too.
It’s no good pointing out that after a no vote the GRA will come back on to the Westminster agenda.
And those bloody Trans Rights Activists must see that they are risking all our futures!
Hopefully they will realise that they’d never be forgiven for it….And If it’s acceptance they want they’re going the wrong way about it!!!!
.
Clapper57, please do NOT apologise for the length of your post at 3.30pm today 26/2/2020.
Every word that you wrote is true and needed to be written.
As for H.R.H. Lord Sir David Steel, K.F.E., that little man with delusions of adequacy should be prosecuted and serve jail time.
I have been at the police side of these events and evil really does triumph when good men fail to act.
Mr Steel is a failure on every level. The intitials K.F.E. stand for kiddy fiddler enabler and those post nominals should follow that deluded 5hit for the rest of his miserable days. It matters not about his mealy mouth excuse that a big boy did it and ran away so no criminality lays at the door of David Steel.
The creepy little Lord David knew and SHOULD have had the guts to report what he knew to the police. Contemporaneous timing is irrelevant in Steel’s eligibility to be charged.
Anyone who knows that paedophiles are active and fails to stop them CAN and should be prosecuted under a wide range of legislation.
The damage caused by those such as David Steel ruin lives to such an extent that many victims commit suicide and those who don’t then end up carrying the abuse on their shoulders for their lives akin to a life sentence of the foul smelling, obese monster that was Cyril Smith, LibDem pervert.
Clapper57, every word you wrote hit the mark. Well said.
Almond Chutney @11.31
If transphobia is such a thing, then maybe I do have a touch of it, so for you to level the accusation doesn’t bother me in the slightest, certainly given todays standards. Hell, feel free to call me a racist, homophobe, bigot, or any other kind of ‘ist’ you like – we’re all anonymous here Chutfucker.
Now away off and polish troopys dick, you low level operator of the worst and feeble kind. Maybe one day when you actually need to earn a living and raise a family in the real world will you actually start to wake up and form opinions of your own. child.
Shocking and disgraceful that David Steel did not utter the word Sorry in his resignation statement.
He knew Smith was a self confessed child abuser yet recommended he be Knighted.
Smith went on to abuse more children.
Willie Rennie should apologise to the victims himself or urge his UK colleagues to.
The wee boys should be the main concern, not whether a political career is damaged or ended. Rennie is a complete hypocrite.
Clapper57 @2.08am
That farmer is not at all unusual. I was married to a shepherd for years, I saw regularly sheep having their faces repeatedly slammed down into the concrete floors to ‘stop them struggling’ ffs. I saw a ewe with her four legs tied to a bench, her stomach cut open and a lamb taken out, a handful of antibiotic powder chucked into the large wound , then sewn up with something like baler twine. All without even local anaesthetic. She was cut loose, got up and staggered a few steps before dropping dead with shock. The lamb died as it was premature and had ‘wet lungs’.
On a farm close by me right now, there is a sheep crawling on its knees through deep snow. It cant stand and cant reach the hay being put out for the flock. It has been in that state for at least a week now. The same farm a few months ago, got a vet out to a young stirk to bandage its leg. It never regained the use of its leg but was in obvious great pain, head hanging, huddling around the edge of the field away from the others. It was like that for around 8 weeks, never saw the vet again, and was removed with the others probably on a float to market when it could barely stand and walk. This is common treatment of farm animals. They are only livestock after all.
This is how our prime ‘quality’ Scottish meat is produced, through the most awful suffering and brutal treatment.
But at least we dont boil screaming pigs alive like the dutch do, we have welfare standards!
Liz g @7.02
I think it would actually be fairly easy to drop GRA reform right now – if there was a political will to do so. A quick reshuffle, dump Shirley-Anne, then the new broom can change course without much drama. This very unpopular policy would quickly die despite the best efforts of the TRAs – people just don’t want it, there is no popular appetite.
Unfortunately I think Nicola Sturgeon is as keen as ever. Her close aides who are pushing it certainly are. That’s why this ill thought out period poverty stuff is being supported, so they can have a sop to claim to support women while erasing our rights and boundaries.
I’d really like to know why Nicola is so keen. Is it just to get that UN job? So odd.
@ ahundredtheidiot
I have to admit that this label could apply to me also. I dont take pride from it. But the thought of the kind of damaging alterations people go through to pretend to themselves that they are a different sex makes me feel physically sick. Its not without some sympathy though.
I just hope that if i go to my doctor telling them im a 1 legged man trapped in a 2 legged mans body they will call the shrink and not reach for the hacksaw.
Dr Jim says:
“so why would anyone want to persuade others vote to against control of your own country to do all those things that at the moment somebody else can do without any say so from anybody in the country you live in anyway”
Because Dr Jim, some people are like sheep!
Credit to you, you point out truths more diplomatically than I do!
Imagine you get a chance to fly to Canada for zero cost with air Canada, but you say I am not going unless I can fly with SIngapore Airlines because my mate says they are better! You live in Paisley.
You’d never leave Paisley if you listened to your mate, let alone have the experience of a life time!
Let’s, let the bigots do what they want, let’s be amongst the majority who have no axe to grind either way!
Who but a gullible idiot would risk their future over issues that are best avoided until that future is secured?
United we stand, divided………….
@ Stewart McTavish.
Actually it doesn’t. The discrepancy between the Treaty of Extradition and Internal law will allow the extradition of Julian to the USA. There are certain condition before extradition is legal that are contained within the Treaty which are absent in Englaw law.
Absolutely astounding ignorance for anyone to say that giving free travel to under 18s is, pejoratively only giving income to the Easdale’s and Souter.
The moron and it’s bias understands nothing save for its bias. The predominant purpose in affording free bus travel to senior citizens, the disabled, and now the under 18s is that of giving subsidy to bus services – whilst achieving better utilisation of transport accessibility.
That the bus companies get around 50% of the fare when the wrinkles get on, this allows the buses to run services that would otherwise be uneconomic. And so instead of three buses an hour, one in the morning, one at lunch time, and one in the evening whilst the a) wrinkly ones stay at home and b) contribute nothing to the economy and c) contribute nothing to the economy and d) deny folk that need a frequent bus service that service – and especially the worker who needs a bus to get to work.
Maybe as the moron says, we shouldn’t pay pensions to save money.. No wages, no spending, no jobs …….ah that’s the ticket. Cut the bus passes, sack the drivers, incarcerate the wrinkles at home, restrict the economy. Economic and physical suffocation.
Ah well, the moron knows best – and you know what, bus journeys are still dropping.
Why would you want an independent Scotland with moron policies that reject increased mobility and accessibility as has been opined here.
Well done the SG for widening access – and you know what, including the under 18s will only serve to increase bus travel for a deserving societal sector whilst actually reducing the per person journey subsidy. ( eg more travellers, lower percentage fare to the bus operator, equals same governmental cost – but that’s a difficult concept for some )
@ endtheunion
I think a few bigot women might not agree. Filthy selfish females. Yet, they do make up 50% of the electorate. Maybe a step in the right direction would be to take away their votes if they wont be politically correct? That would at least keep the religion of peace types happy.
There’s one other thing the free bus service will do, it’ll give parents the opportunity to say *I’m not getting the car out to take you to school when the bus is free*
So for those parents who don’t have to go to work at that time, you just got an extra lie in
I have a wife, I have a daughter, and I have a granddaughter. It is my inalienable right to protect their interests. I only hope good sense will prevail at the GRA consultation conclusion. Otherwise its going to be a war of attrition. Indy…irrelevant in this context. Get it sorted SNP.
Im happy with tax payer funded bus travel for under 18s if i can legally beat the wee wanks for misbehaving
Willie 3.16
Good post but I differ in that I don’t believe NS has worked hard for independence. As I have stated before, she has no plan or strategy or passion and has done nothing to further the goal of independence other than react to events.
@ Al-Stuart @ 7.30pm
Hi Al, both you and I…and I am sure others…know the wagons are circling to shut this story down…After all the BBC Rep Scotland & STV news have many Scottish Drug, NHS stories etc that they can, when needed, recycle….
Unfortunately Rennie also knows this…so he’ll stay under cover until heat dies down and then as bold as brass resurface to continue a deluge of SNPBAD comments…..and the media will be only too willing to interview him then….at HIS convenience obvs…….shocking….where’s John Pilger when you need him.
I believe some on Twitter are trying to get #RennieMustResign trending….if you know anyone on Twitter get them to do it…
ps. thanks for reading my comment and NOT thinking it was TOOOOOOOOOOO LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG……Lol
****************************************************
@ Fionan @ 8.12pm
Hi Fionan, yes I know this NOT a rare occurrence…your stories make for sad reading indeed….unfortunately there are many who live among us who are one step away from Psycho….I say one step away but fear some have already stepped over the line….
I have often thought that those who are capable of being cruel to animals would have absolutely no qualms about killing people if they had to…..irrespective of whether this is someone’s livelihood i.e. farmer….and irrespective of the fact that as a farmer who has bought and therefore owns the animal he has bought….. that does not mean that via ownership they are then given free rein to be cruel to that animal….there are laws which a farmer must also adhere to…Thank God there are those brave enough to obtain footage and highlight these sh*ts inhumane actions but the sad thing is it not punished appropriately by the courts.
I am actually quite upset after reading your post….because even although you are aware this is going on it leaves you feeling such a hatred , anger and deep sorrow that people like this exist and that they seem to be totally deficient in feeling anything for animals and thus treat them as a mere commodity ripe for abusing….and devoid of feelings.
This is such a sh*t world or rather a world that has sh*ts that live in it who let the rest of humanity down….and indeed let down other species who have the misfortune to share this planet that is sadly partly populated by Homo Sapien morons who seek to destroy as opposed to wanting to create a better world for every living thing to coexist within.
Both of you have a good evening…what’s left of it.
Fiona at 8.20
Your local farmer sounds like a disgrace, but you cannot damn the whole Scottish farming industry in one bad actor and one other news story. I married into a family of sheep and cattle farmers, they have incredible high animal welfare standards and are disgusted by this type of behaviour.
Your comment is crude stereotyping and denigrating of thousands of hard workers who are out in all weathers and work insanely long and hard hours through this time of year.
Golfnut @8.40 pm
Actually it does; and since the principle is such a new addition to the internal law it probably also means that the judge (who will be well versed in English common law but not necessarily Scottish) just declared themselves incompetent.
The UK government are ‘dropping plans’ or kicking their plans into the short grass. (they have until January 2022) to resolve the dilemma of the WHO removing ‘gender identity disorder’ from its diagnostic manual laws. Countries all around have based treatment and laws on existing WHO definitions. Several countries have done it. Why is the UK Government dragging its heels? Do they have plans to abolish the HRA before January 2022?
@ Stuart McTavish.
I doubt she is incompetent, more having her chain pulled, at least that’s how I read her reaction, very aggressive. Or perhaps they are going for a dismissal without upsetting the U.S..
How about this for a law *wear something light at night* remember that campaign, once again tonight I nearly hit an idiot pedestrian wearing dark clothing with a hood up running across the road between cars and against the lights in the pouring rain which means the roads are black the same colour as them rendering said idiot pedestrian invisible
Don’t get me wrong I don’t give a shit about the idiots being hurt, I give a shit about me getting the blame for their stupidity and teaching their kids to do the same thing, oh and cyclists with no lights wearing the same dark clothing, I bet you’ve all come across them, when I was a boy out in the car with my father it happened to him and he jumped out of the car kicked the kid so hard in the Arse and shouted at him that was a lot less painful than being knocked down by a car, but you’re not allowed to do that anymore, oh and my eyes are real good
Mibbees the Green people might pick this one up
Allium @ 8.20
Well.. Yes…
If ye believe it’s worth dropping!
IF ye are convinced it’s the right thing to do… Then not so much?
We all live in our own bubble,and, if the FM has been convinced that this is the correct course of action for the Scotland she envisages then… I can see why she backs it.
It’s been going on in western democracies for a fair few years now!
We need not appeal to her integrity,but rather, to her
caution!!!
In small “c” Conservative Scotland…. should we not.. Hold!
Everything that Nicola has asked the YES Movement to do,should apply…
Wait.
Build support.
Get Civic Scotland on board.
Reach an Unstoppable Momentum.
Demonstrate The Will of the Scottish People.
….. Have Westminster Permission…….
A Legal and Internationally Recognised Step?
Something we could look at without Westminster permission.
An Independent Country that was not Divided
The list is endless…
If our First Minister believes that a change in the law is warranted….
Then…Don’t look to staying within the Westminster system!
Get us out of it first….last….and.always….
Then we can all discuss Gender stuff???
@Dr Jim
Pity he couldn’t kick those idiots running the SNP in the same way.
“Pete says:
26 February, 2020 at 6:55 pm
What a show from Rangers.
They did Scotland proud tonight.
C’mon the GERS.”
What a surprise.
Dr.Jim – How about this for a law *wear something light at night* remember that campaign, once again tonight I nearly hit an idiot pedestrian wearing dark clothing with a hood up running across the road between cars and against the lights in the pouring rain which means the roads are black the same colour as them rendering said idiot pedestrian invisible..
Drive slower then you wanker. I know you fcuckers dont like the truth but pedestrians have right of way in town centres. You sit on your arse in a nice warm car while we stand in the same pissing rain for 5 minutes waiting to cross the road.
James @ 11.12
EH!!
This isnay Facebook son
Tell yer tails by all means..
But this is a political discussion?
Hope yer fine… but dinnay be distracting us noo!
@mr thms at 9:31 pm
Always worth considering who do the WHO get their information to formulate policy from, and of course the ever important question of who funds them.
As a current but rather temporary in the greater scheme of things organism of the world, I don’t recall being asked for my input which collectively with my fellow inhabitants of the planet would give the WHO a mandate to implement any specific policies.
From a quick search the WHO all seems rather biased towards humans, which means it could well be argued that policies emanating from the organisation would be different if the WHO took their instruction from say Northern White Rhinos.
I could envisage Northern White Rhinos ideas of “world health” may well differ from current WHO aims, and NWR influenced policy might well have gone more along the lines of assisting killing off every last arsehole human sooner rather than later.
Well there was me thinking Willie Rennie was in hiding…natural mistake to make as he was NOT available for interview this morning with GMS…………
But now having spent most of the day polishing his brass neck with Brasso he has emerged with this SNPBAD/GreensBad too tweet…..as follows :
” Just like last year and the year before the Greens have capitulated to the SNP Government, conceding their headline demands yet again.
This budget leaves the police with a shortfall of tens of millions of pounds and the hard-pressed service with real problems”.
Obviously understandable WHY he has come out of hiding and is now emboldened to continue the same old same old SNPBAD routine now that NO longer any MENTION in media about David Steel or indeed the Lib Dems themselves readmitting him into party post THEIR ‘inquiry’ last year…..this of course demonstrates how quickly a story linked to a Unionist party is killed off…..where as one related to the SNP is dragged on and on, rinsed within an inch of it’s life and grows arms and legs until no aspect is left untouched…..whether it be relevant, true or via mere biased opinion….it MUST be forensically analysed and dissected for greater impact and indeed for the ultimate damage to be directed against the SNP and indeed the Independence movement…..hence the constant SAME media stories regurgitated by Unionist media channels and press.
Yesterday…Willie Rennie was vulnerable…today he is confident that he can proceed as normal and pursue his carping from the sidelines via his self imposed moral high ground….and the media will comply with the usual formula they adopt…..to move along ….onto next #SNPBAD story….contrived usually.
Let’s NOT allow Willie to think this is an end to the matter…because there are children who were victims in this and Willie thinks that it is sufficient for Steel to retire from the Lib Dems and public life with NO consequence to him or to the party who relinquished all responsibility in NOT finding him at fault last year in their…’inquiry’…..
#RennieMustResign
#DavidSteelShouldBeProsecuted
@ Dan
Im not sure how many people understand how on the money your comment is. Or if theres many who can bring themselves to.
@ Golfnut
Fair enough although, whether she is playing a blinder or acting unwittingly, knowledge of the law is a condition precedent to the position and, having ruled contract law to be subordinate to internal law, the case must now be dismissed unless custody can somehow be transferred to the Scottish system 🙂
This would ensure all the benefits of the Westminster system would be available to our MP’s who would fully discharge their duties to their constituents but would not contribute to any of the political debates in the House of Commons, except where there was a clear advantage to Scotland for them to do so.
link to caltonjock.com
@ Joe
Let women speak for themselves then, don’t assume 51% of the population support your view that has been handed down unchallenged to you as if by some god like being you adore!
People who support pet themes advocated by others without question, are sheep!
If Campbell said go jump in the river, would you do it?
It’s just a great shame that a resource such as Wings has been totally devalued and is a loss to the cause, annoyingly out of an ego and sheepish behaviour!
Challenge, don’t follow blindly!
P.S. I have no axe to grind either way in this debate, merely my annoyance results in having to come forwards to point out absurdities to people acting foolishly by endangering the very thing that brought them to aWings in the first place!
This blog should be discussing immigration policy of uk government and the drugs summit, etc, not this nonsensical distraction!
Hope the SNP government go for wee willie wonky today, all he does is take the Scottish Government and Scotland down nothing else so go for him get the useless article to resign.
@ Stuart McTavish.
Has she, I understood she was to hear arguments yesterday.
‘transfer to Scottish law ‘ change jurisdiction, now that would be very interesting.
I’m football fan and hoped to see the goals from the European matches last night.
I’ve seen Manchester City’s Goals and those of their opponents 3 times but the Scottish
Team playing in Portugal scored last night but Nothing?
Same with International matches where we see England Men, Women and Youth teams on TV
for every match. You can see Scotland men’s team playing on terrestrial TV, if they are playing England.
I look forward to UK media being removed for ever from Scotland’s shores.
The convenient departure statement from Sir David Steel without a shred of remorse and ending in the comment that ………..”My wife has suffered poor health this last year. I shall now stop the weekly travel from Scotland to London and ENJOY a quiet retirement from public life” tells you all about this scumbag.
Not for him any one shred of culpability. Only the smug comment that he will now get on and enjoy his well funded retirement.
As for the 11 and 12 year old boys raped and abused retirement will not to be so comfortable for them as they live with the legacy of abuse covered up by Steel and his ilk. And lest we think this is just another legacy or “ past history “ cover up that he admitted, let us not forget that no lesser a scumbag than our very own current Willie Rennie only around a year back re-admitted Steel after he had been suspended from the Scottish Liberal Democrat because of the concerns about his complicity in the paedophile cover up.
That in my book makes Rennie as good as the child abuser patron that Steel is. Utter scumbags.
But isn’t it time the Police took action. Do we really live in a society when senior Lords and Knights of our realm can cover up and protect child abusers for political expediency, or maybe because they are too, closet supporters of child exploitation.
At least with the flair and arrogance of a man who doesn’t give a damn he’s now of ……” to ENJOY a quiet retirement from public life “
Boris claiming £232 Million to help the homeless today.
Wish Uk media would add up all his £Billions in false promises.
£Billions of extra funds proposed for HS2, The NHS, Flood Defences and clean
Up operation, Crossrail over spend, the Police, the Councils, Social Care.
Anyone remember the Tory promise to pay off all UK debt as they sought office
In 2010 and 2015?
The UK Debt Clock on line is moving faster than Lewis Hamilton.
link to nationaldebtclock.co.uk
£2,313,067,564,846.98 Trillion of Debt and the interest
You will be paying for Boris going thru the roof.
Late last year Luxembourg announced that all public transport would be free,
from 1 March 2020, there will be no charge for using the trains, trams and buses,
traffic congestion and particulate pollution is a major issue
yet cutting congestion and improving the environment are not the main drivers of the free public transport initiative
it is primarily a social measure,the objective is to stop the deepening gap between rich and poor,
for people on low wages, transport expenses matter,
therefore it is easier to make it free for everyone.
@Dan 11:38
Made the point about WHO funding and influences earlier.
International esp. humanitarian orgs.are subject to influencers such as the Gates, Soros inter alia. Effectively the rich function as alternative governments.
The so called World Bank has a record of financing and encouraging schemes which have failed or become ecologically unsound. Tropical forest exploitation and palm oil production being two of the worst.
As for the UN, I fail to see its purpose given the appallingly ineffectual record in eg the Middle East, north and sub Saharan Africa and ethnic minority rights.
Well done SNP. Young Scots have free bus travel in their unfree country.
Gfaetheblock says:
26 February, 2020 at 9:18 pm
Fiona at 8.20
If you are or have been part of the animal agri community, you will be perfectly aware that although I gave only two examples, cruel compassionless behaviour is widespread in farming. The sheep getting their faces slammed into concrete floors for example, happened regularly at handlings, over many years, where workers from a number of farms come together to do the work, they shift around each farm in turn. Thus I witnessed this brutality being carried out by a number of men from different farms, it was standard practice. I could go on giving further examples from other local farms and other farms on which I have worked, including a piggery on the farm of a well known tory-supporting Scottish farmer, to evidence the fact that brutality and neglect are endemic in Scottish agri as much as in every other country.
So please dont try to patronise me as some ignorant female who saw one or two episodes and tarred the whole community, I have worked on farms in a number of locations in a number of jobs, and everywhere, I saw the same cruelty and lack of compassion for the suffering of the animals, anything to save a vet bill or to maximie profits. Cruelty is endemic in animal agriculture, even our ‘prime’ meat production industry. And dont even start on the state of the salmon in our five-star fish farm industry suffice to say that people who have worked there often can not stand the idea of eating salmon.
“Hope the SNP government go for wee willie wonky today”
Totally agree with you @Rm says at 7:38 am
They should go for the jugular.
Something like
“When did you first become aware that Cyril Smith was a paedophile and when did you first become aware David Steel had known about this but covered it up?”
With a supplemental of:
“Was your decision to reinstate D Steel to the FibDems following your internal investigation condone the cover up of Cyril Smiths actions by David Steel for political expediency? and would you like to take this opportunity to apologise to the victims of Cyril Smith in the 1980s who would have been spared from abuse if David Steel has reported him to the police in 1979?”
Getting more folk on public transport will hopefully be a start to influencing people to utilise other methods of transport to get from A to B, rather than the current insane levels of single occupant cars being driven.
Plus, the bus is safer than a motorbike in wintery Scotland as Batman recently found out.
link to twitter.com
@ Golfnut – Not sure how it could be otherwise.
Notwithstanding the principles underpinning the prorogation case, nearly 50 years of domestic legislation based on napoleonic code have just been thrown into question by Brexit.
Might have been different with the help of a competent jury, but alas, by accident or design, etc..