The lifeline
Okay. So we hate the name and the first half hour of the online press conference was a complete shambles. But none of that matters.
There is now a pro-independence party with a serious chance of winning a significant number of seats that sane people who believe in science and women’s rights and civil liberties (and actually meaningfully pursuing independence rather than just using it as a carrot to generate pension contributions) can vote for.
Wings Over Scotland has never told its readers who to vote for. But what we can say is that if we lived in Scotland we would be voting for it without a moment’s hesitation. We don’t believe it’s at all an exaggeration to say it’s the last chance to save Scotland as a country that we’d want to live in if and when it finally does achieve its independence. A country worth winning.
If you feel the same, click the pic above.
rob @ 8.45
look further down your e mail there should be a receipt with a number on it. ( Maybe that’s just if you gave a donation – in which case I’ve quoted a receipt number and not a m/ship number.
Member 1345. Joined about 6 o’clock
Daisy
I signed up at about 4 o’clock and got a welcome email almost immediately. The payment seemed to be taking ages to finalize but I thought that receiving the email meant all was well. I was able to sign in to my account. After reading all the comments here about a numbered receipt of payment I checked my cc statement and there was no mention of the transaction so I went back to the Alba site and tried again. This time it all went smoothly and seconds later a receipt arrived (at 20.08) no #2015. I’m confused. I appear to have joined earlier without paying. I was able to make a donation and apply for online events even getting email acknowledgements each time. Seems to be all in order now!
Okay here’s the shocking update…
We are probably going to need to vote SNP 1. Even if we don’t want to.
The d’hondt system uses that divisor mechanism which effectively punishes the party that wins on the fptp side. That means if the snp loses on the consituency vote, because a lot of us don’t vote for them, all of its second votes become active and relevant on the list side.
Anyone given any thought to this?
This damaged goods shite
Let’s get some bloody perspective on this crap , we are supposed to believe Alex Salmond the most watched political pest the Union has ever had to deal with , was running wild and out of control in every venue and situation imaginable , no woman was safe within 100 bloody feet of him, that’s 30.48 mtrs for the younger folks .
All these dastardly acts occurred when he was first minister , during that time there are countless clips and on the record quotes from Princess Nicola about how great he was almost her hero,
If Alex was so much of a danger back then remember we are talking about more than a few years ago ,all this apparently disgusting behaviour was to be forgotten , that was until he refused to back a woman candidate for Holyrood , and then he started his show on RT , mysteriously when it was suspected he was about to return to politics , a whole bag of shite was suddenly found and a fishing expedition was mounted and possibly the largest investigation in police Scotlands history got underway .
Over one million pounds to silence one man , and it spectacularly failed , lies were told , evidence was withheld police search warrants ignored crucial information so heavily redacted that most of the requested documents were blank they ran out of fkn black ink ,
And still Princess Nicola hasn’t been sacked or jailed along with countless others , not a single person is liable for the biggest fk up in Scottish political history , not fkn one .
Did anyone on Channel 4 ask Eck if it’s illegal to run your hands down a titanium spine? God I hope not.
A lifeline indeed Stuart and a glimmer of hope at last. 🙂
Of course, the irony here is that many people were considering not voting SNP on the Constituency vote. Now, for ALBA to gain list seats and to ensure the “Super Majority” that Salmond is talking about, it has to be … SNP1, ALBA2, no?
Another DT article – they were quick off the mark with this one 😉 In launching Alba, swaggering Alex Salmond has proved he’s still a threat to Nicola Sturgeon
Alex Salmond’s dramatic announcement could herald a new era for Scottish politics
TOM HARRIS 26 March 2021 • 3:09pm
Scottish Twitter has not been kind to Alex Salmond. “What a plank – splitting the nationalist vote. I hope the good people of Scotland send him packing,” wrote one typical, exasperated SNP supporter this afternoon. And she was not alone. The news – announced by Salmond himself – that he would lead his new Alba Party into the Scottish Parliament elections in May was greeted with dismay by supporters of Salmond’s successor as first minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
It was a display of bitter yet impressive swagger. Alba candidates will not stand in the constituency vote but will appear only on the ballot paper to elect additional members on a proportional system. The mechanics matter almost as much as the personalities.
At the 2016 election, the SNP won 59 of Scotland’s 73 first-past-the-post seats and therefore won very few additional member seats which are, after all, intended to top up those parties who secure a significant number of votes in the constituencies without returning many MSPs. The problem for Sturgeon’s party now is that she relies on the six Green MSPs elected on the lists last time; it is an unspoken arrangement that Greens – who also don’t stand candidates in constituencies – benefit from SNP supporters’ list votes and return the favour by offering unconditional support to the Scottish Government. But if Alba encroaches on the Green as well as the SNP vote in the lists, it could inadvertently help the Unionist parties by splitting the nationalist vote.
Sturgeon is determined to win an overall majority for her party on its own and has steadfastly promoted a “both votes SNP” strategy. Ironically, the only time her party won a majority was when Salmond himself led it in 2011.
But the politics and personalities make today’s announcement even more fascinating. Salmond has a grudge to bear. Rightly or wrongly he blames Sturgeon personally for the ills that have befallen him in recent years: becoming the subject of an internal Scottish Government inquiry into complaints by female civil servants, then facing prosecution in court on a series of serious sex offences, all of which he was acquitted on.
Even if his new party doesn’t achieve the breakthrough he hopes for, he is personally likely to be elected to the parliament he has resigned from twice already – once in 2001 and again in 2014. Seeing him mingle and work with his former party colleagues – including Sturgeon – will be worth the BBC TV licence fee all on its own. And if his intervention secures what he calls a nationalist “super majority” and a future SNP administration can govern only with his and his colleagues’ support, we will enter a new era in Scottish politics that will be different from anything any of us have ever experienced. The promise of the new politics heralded by devolution could not have foreseen the country’s longest running and most dramatic soap opera taking its entire central cast into live performances each week at First minister’s Questions.
If nothing else, Salmond today proved what everyone already knew and some would prefer was not the case: as Scotland’s foremost elder statesman, he is still dynamite box office. And he’s enjoying every single minute of it.
Signed up as soon as I logged into WINGS and saw the announcement, what a fantastic day for Scotland ALBA ,ALBA ,ALBA.
@msdidi – thanks – have tried again, payment went through no problems this time. Will keep an eye out for the receipt and number.
@ Michael Laing – you’re quite right to point out my very bad spelling. And since I pointed out Tommy Sherridan’s lack of use of paragraphs, I will make every effort now to pull my spelling socks up.
Can I give credit where its due to Tommy – really good that’s he’s been consistent in his support for Country over party all the way through, especially now. I don’t always see eye to eye with him on a number of matters, but credit where its due.
Hatuey @ 8.53pm
I understand what you are saying but I still cannot bring myself to vote for such a corrupt, lying bunch of criminals. Sensible or not I will be voting against SNP in every election until Sturgeon and her crooked cronies are gone. I cannot and will not forgive and will not be happy until they are all jailed.
I’m from the lowlands, so I will pronounce ALBA as it is written. I’ve never heard of anyone complaining about the pronunciation before.
I went onto the internet and found some images of Saltires with ALBA in front of them. I’ve printed a few out for my car and house windows. It saves time and money. I don’t think the party has produced any yet or I would buy theirs.
Ian Brotherhood @7:16pm
> It’s still sinking in, isn’t it?
It is, isn’t it. It’s amazing and exciting to see everybody so energised. This is the spirit that’s been missing from the SNP for a very, very long time. I don’t see it ever returning.
See, Nicola, this is what leadership is.
I’m number 2144, and I’m very proud of it.
“I’ve caught a few typos for them this afternoon, should be fixed now”
I won’t stand for this Abla-ist discrimination
Stuart Mackay.
Hallelujah.
We’ve all been despairing for so long. It’s brilliant.
New party, new start, we can build from the bottom up.
Daisy Walker says:
26 March, 2021 at 9:10 pm
I’m number 2144, and I’m very proud of it.
nice one Daisy
did eck get female staff to tie his shoelaces
niall dickson says:
26 March, 2021 at 9:19 pm
did eck get female staff to tie his shoelaces
not funny
Signed up for monthly payments for both of us using link posted by Stu (btw awesome work Rev). payment went through and got receipts (1248 and 1258) with the welcome e-mail.
However,slightly confused as the site also has a sign up page (doesn’t ask for any monetary contributions).
We share the same e-mail address, so, although I signed both of us up, we can only log in under the one e-mail
Hope this doesn’t mean that we only show as one member
Elmac, I feel the exact same. I honestly don’t think I could vote for the SNP.
The worry is that if enough of us don’t vote SNP 1, we could see the SNP woke crackpot fringe pick up seats on the list at alba’s expense.
We should be able to make better predictions and come up with better estimates once we see some polls.
The d’hondt system is really, really shit.
Tommy Sheridan has just tweeted that AFI is standing down immediately in support of Alba.
It’s happening!
😉
AFI have announced they are standing down their candidates and will be supporting ALBA. Tell me this is real!
Hatuey
What’s your goal here? Independence?
Vote SNP 1, Eck 2
You can worry about the morals after we’re free.
I haven’t read much of the two threads that have been put up on friday . It’s sat mornng here in NZ & I’ve just come on line.
I noticed the new Alba party being registered at the beginning of the month. Jeggit was saying there was good news coming down the line. I thought it would be this.
I actually e-mailed Iain Lawson saying I thought this was what Alex has planned. Naturally Iain, even if he did know couldn’t tell me.
So pleased this has happened, I expect there will be some big names jumping ship into Alba. You all know who they are.
This is absolutely brilliant news. Sitting here with a huge smile on my face.
Just a thought Alex.
Next time you’re asked-
Are you not going to apologise to the women?
Reply.
Should I really apologise for a set of disproven allegations?
The media are just gonny keep beating this drum ad nauseum.
I was interested to see that Rhiannon “Lost A Rigged Election” Spear said that somebody mispronouncing the word Alba was “literally the definition of white male privilege”.
Really? Maybe it’s the definition of mispronouncing a word? This kind of mindless intersectional-studies-faculty 1968 crap is toxic to 95% of voters.
We are off to a good start here folks. The sheer sense of entitlement, the sheer Scottish-Labour-sequence levels of arrogance and hubris, on display from The Chosen Ones today confirms our (I have joined) point about Sturgeon’s SNP- and is also a sign of how beatable they are.
It’s like Banquo’s fucking ghost in another famous Scottish drama.
Some of the Clowns on La La Land are acting like Donald Trump , he was always crap , and I never trusted that one , everybody he was ever in contact with and eventually fell out with was rubbished ,
the list of Independence supporters that have been dropped and rubbished on that site has been growing everyone who says anything about Princess Nicola immediately becomes a unionist a plant working for MI5 anything under the Sun .
Yes, reading like AFI are standing down all 42 candidates.
Woop Woop!
The Alba party was registered with the Electoral Commission on Feb 8th this year.
It has a wiki entry.
link to en.wikipedia.org
Nally Anders says:
26 March, 2021 at 9:27 pm
Just a thought Alex.
Next time you’re asked-
Are you not going to apologise to the women?
Reply.
Should I really apologise for a set of disproven allegations?
The media are just gonny keep beating this drum ad nauseum.
Next they will be asking him how hard you need to squeeze a dozen prosthetic legs … its disgusting
Brilliant news AFI
Jimmy – Yes they are standing aside. Grown up politics. Unlike the petty snide SNP members.
shiregirl.
Yes AFI is to stand down 42 candidates now that the ALBA party is here, lets make it count.
link to facebook.com
Where does this leave the likes of Tommy Sheridan, Craig Murray and Martin Keatings?
The launch of the Alba party is a very big and sudden gamechanger.
I have been totally opposed to giving the constituency vote to the corrupt lying criminal SNP but have now reconsidered my postion.
I continue to support a tactical constituency vote in favour of candidates most likely to defeat all SNP ministers and Robertson in Edinburgh Central.
As it stands, I am 100% in favour of a tactical vote for Sarwar in Sturgeon’s Glasgow Southside constituency.
Although my preference would be for Tommy Sheridan to stand against Sturgeon, Craig Murray against Robertson and Martin Keatings against Swinney.
If Sturgeon, Swinney and other ministers are unseated, and Robertson fails to get elected, what will be the postion of the spineless SNP stooges and the woke drones if they are re-elected or elected?
I am sure the Rev. Stuart Campbell will soon be doing some number crunching and present us with the information we need to make the best choice.
But one thing is for sure.
The Alba party holding the balance of power and Alex Salmond leading it in parliament will mean that the cause for independence is firmly back on the agenda every day of the week, Covid or no Covid.
I wonder if ISP will stand down the same as AFI has, I suppose candidates from both parties might be able to add something to the ALBA party, afterall we are all seeking the same goal.
More than 525 comments and the “I’m voting SNP 1/2 because I want Nicola Sturgeon to have to face the consequences of her actions” has not had a word to say about this gamechanging event apart from pedantry about pronouncing Gaelic words!
just receievd this email, I am sure AFI will not mind this being printed here to clarify the situation. I also hope ISP show as much integrity and determination to gain independence as AFI has done
“Action for Independence (AFI)
Scotland before Party
“The National Executive of Action for Independence (AFI) has agreed to stand down its 42 candidates in the forthcoming election on the 6th May following the launch of Alex Salmond’s ‘list only’ Alba party today.
AFI is gratified that its concept of Max the Yes and the building of a supermajority of independence supporting MSPs has been taken up by such a highly credible party with such influential leadership. The Alba Party is to all intents and purposes “AFI 2” and we note that the ideas, slogans and Max the Yes concept it employs were all spawned by AFI.
AFI’s members were right in pursuing the Max the Yes concept and they should all be proud of the part they have played in paving the way for an independence supermajority.
AFI thanks all of our members, candidates and branches for the amazing work they have done in bringing the Max the Yes concept to the fore in Scottish politics and looks forward to an overwhelming pro-independence majority on the 6th of May.
AFI’s aim has always been to unite the Yes family on the regional lists and we are confident that the Alba Party, with the help of AFI’s members, will succeed in doing that.
Scotland before Party.”
It’s happening!!!!
Never felt so energised in years.
Thank you Alex Sal.ond a d AFI. Also stuart , craig, Tommy and others
Hatuey @ 8:53pm, let’s see about this. I ran some numbers on the Glasgow list a week or two ago. If we (by which I mean Alba) take 25% of the 2016 SNP list vote and the other parties remain the same in list votes and if the SNP lose two constituencies to Labour, the list breakdown would be three Labour, two Conservative and two Alba. With 25% of the SNP vote, we would be the fourth largest party in Glasgow, marginally behind the Tories.
Now, if we take Green votes, we start threatening the Tories for their second list seat.
So, in general, I think it makes sense to vote SNP on the constituency, given that the policy is to maximize pro-independence seats at Holyrood (let’s leave aside how much the SNP prioritizes independence for now). However, one might also argue that it may be worth sacrificing a pro-independence seat or two to give the SNP a bloody nose in the right place.
Surely some of the AFI candidates can be invited into the ALBA party – helping to establish a widespread candidate list very quickly.
Joined the second I clicked on the atl article.
Like many I’m assuming the receipt number bottom right of email is a membership number?
I joined at 8.30pm this evening: ‘confirmation #2084’
So…by this time tomorrow…say 10,000 members? 🙂
Thank you AFI – it really, really means a lot what you have done.
This is a very good day.
I watched the whole press conference.
Fantastic!
It’s bizarre the Nicolites are screaming foul when Alba is recommending we all give our first vote to the SNP.
And total kudos to AFI for their rapid response. Come on Colette Walker, we need the ISP to be as big as the AFI now.
The Game is back ON with a vengeance.
Republicofscotland says,
“Yes AFI is to stand down 42 candidates now that the ALBA party is here, lets make it count.”
Will Tommy Sheridan, Craig Murray and Martin Keatings will now be on ALBA lists?
Do Scotland a great favour and go for the corrupt lying SNP criminals in the constituencies – against Sturgeon, Robertson and Swinney.
ISP on Twitter wishing the ALBA party well, but that’s it so far.
Commentors asking the ISP to merge with ALBA.
link to twitter.com
Incidentally, I posted on LinkedIn that I had joined. My posts tend to be about US taxation matters. Over the course of two or three weeks I can expect to get anywhere between 30 and 70 views on a post. I am up to 33 views in a matter of hours and I am sure I do not harness all the available technology to make my posts more visible.
@disillusioned half Scot says: 26 March, 2021 at 8:43 pm
“Long post, copied & pasted from Telegraph, as it’s paywalled. Stu, delete if appropriate, but MSM waking up …”
Anyone with the intelligence to look at the press with academic neutrality knows that whilst the Telegraph is unashamedly old school Tory, it is also first and foremost old school journalism by nature, and they’ve never had qualms about giving a fair hearing to those they felt deserved it.
I still remember a blistering article they did many years ago, outraged that there were brand new office blocks on Canary Wharf with their lights burning brightly in empty offices at night by way of “advertising” their location and modernity, whilst across the other sides of the Isle of Dogs many homes already had their lights out to save electricity and some windows flicked as people were using candles to save money on light and heat.
It was only a few years from the BNP’s short council tenure, and the Telegraph’s warning was much worse forces could soon arrive welcomed by people with nothing to lose, as proved to the case, when the notorious Mohammad Lutfur Rahman’s Tower Hamlet’s First party broke from Labour and turned the place into his private fiefdom. By the time action was taken against him, the damage was done.
Hi K1
Just like you, I clicked and joined instantly without reading or learning anything about them. I got number 12. 2084 is a good number, and doing some quick arithmetic in my head I think you are right, tomorrow it should be 10k minimum.
Kcor @9.50pm.
“Will Tommy Sheridan, Craig Murray and Martin Keatings will now be on ALBA lists?”
I certainly hope so as all three are well know dynamic personalities not afraid to speak their minds, and they support an independent Scotland.
I’d imagine things will be going on behind the scenes at a pace right now.
VERY, VERY WELL DONE TOMMY SHERIDAN AND ALL AT ACTION FOR INDEPENDENCE!
I may not have been their biggest fans, but once again, Tommy has proven himself the bigger man when duty demands it.
Here’s to you sir, and to those of the AFI, whom I will also raise a glass to tonight.
(Oh by the way, I know for a fact they aren’t the last – no, not the ISP …)
Scotland defeat France in France the first time in 22 years well done the Scottish rugby team.
Scotland win in France at the death yaaaaaasss
Skip_NC says,
“However, one might also argue that it may be worth sacrificing a pro-independence seat or two to give the SNP a bloody nose in the right place.”
And where would be a more righter place than the Glasgow Southside constituency?
A tactical vote in favour of Sarwar to unseat Sturgeon.
Voting for Sarwar against Sturgeon will not make any difference to the number of unionist or SNP MSPs elected.
Instead of Sarwar getting in on the list, he will get in in the constituency.
Instead of Sturgeon getting in in the constituency, an SNP BAME candidate will get in on the list.
No harm done.
Sturgeon either gone or left humiliatingly cheating her way in by forcing an SNP BAME MSP to resign.
Scotkand beat france!!!!!!
Mark Boyle says:
26 March, 2021 at 9:52 pm
“Anyone with the intelligence to look at the press with academic neutrality knows that whilst the Telegraph is unashamedly old school Tory, it is also first and foremost old school journalism by nature, and they’ve never had qualms about giving a fair hearing to those they felt deserved it.”
Yes, but I fear the DT is not the investigative force it was, particularly after taking Gates’ money. The days of exposing the MP expenses scandal seem a long way away, but it’s good that they are devoting some resource to Scotland’s situation.
oh, and after today, I may change handle to ‘less disillusioned half Scot’, or even ‘more optimistic half Scot’.
Rugby. Scotland win against France 27 to 23.
An omen!
And Scotland have just beaten France in the rugby 27 – 23.
What an amazing day!
Meg…that’s the icing on the cake! Fabulous last try!
Republicofscotland says,
“I’d imagine things will be going on behind the scenes at a pace right now.”
They sure will.
And I am sure the Rev. Stuart Campbell will be doing some serious number crunching behind the scenes!
Above everything else, I want Sturgeon to be heavily defeated in the Glasgow Southside constituency.
Even Sarwar is not anywhere near as evil as her.
Anyone know what the Rev’s question to Alex was? I saw him on screen briefly but my computer was playing up. Loved the contributions from Grousebeater & Barrhead Boy too (why did I imagine BB was much younger?!)
A thrilling day. Incredible play from Alex, to ensure that folk disgusted with the SNP now have a solid reason to vote for them anyway – since SNP1 votes are now effectively doing work for the Alba party.
So excited. Would love to join; hopefully nae UK address required to do so.
Talking of interesting pronunciations, France 2 just names their man of the match as the French No 11, Gael Fickou 🙂
Something to look forward to!
Due to the overwhelming influx of new members, please bear with us while we issue your ‘Founder Member’ Limited Edition metal membership card. Expect arrival, by post in the next 4 – 6 weeks.
C’mon. The 1st group of clans (AFI) have rallied to the banner!
Next ISP ?
My respect for Tommy Sheridan had started when during the independence referendum, he was campaigning strongly for independence, setting aside all political differences.
Unlike the bastard Harvey of the Greens who took every opportunity to make snide remarks against Alex Salmond.
FFS, there’s too much good stuff happening too fast!
“Aye, but we’ll just pay fur it later…”
😉
@ Skip_NC – thanks to you too for keeping a light shining in other corners of the world.
Unlike Ireland – I don’t think Scotland has tapped into the good will and support it could engender from across the seas.
I took a gander over on the WGD and went btl – both things I’d promised myself not to do. A thumb nail sketch estimate, at least initially, I’d say about 4 out of 5 contributors were politely disagreeing with Paul and coming out in support of Alba for vote 2.
Others are open to it, but going to wait for a bit more polling evidence.
And some just will not budge.
But its 180 degrees the opposite ratio of what I expected to read there.
And that is a significant ground change.
It’s taken 6 years of the current SNP Leadership and policies to split the Yes movement right down the middle.
And one day, one speach, from one man – is well on the way to mending it. Now that’s Statesmanship and Leadership.
Really good day.
-Mark Boyle at 9.52-
Coming to think of it, has anybody ever seen Rahman and Murrell in the same room at the same time?
Oh, glorious day! I’m so giddy I could dance! Those dismal bastards might get their comeuppance yet!
What do Wings readers think will happen in Glasgow Southside?
LINK FROM WINGS OVER SCOTLAND TO ALBA NOT WORKING FOR PAYMENTS
NEED TO GO DIRECT TO link to albaparty.org FOR THE PAYMENT TO TAKE EFFECT
both on my Android phone and Dell laptop
An indication of Alba’s chances of success will be whether I see an account on Twitter, established 2009, name John Smith, username Scotsman419009768513, 2 followers, 4 following, profile picture a sunset, saying “I’ve known Alex Salmond since I was sixteen…”
AFI standing down all 42 candidates and getting behind Alba is genuinely amazing. I’m feeling a lot more positive today!
Hopefully ISP will do the same.
@ Daisy Walker 10.15
“It’s taken 6 years of the current SNP Leadership and policies to split the Yes movement right down the middle.
And one day, one speech, from one man – is well on the way to mending it. Now that’s Statesmanship and Leadership.
Really good day.”
well said Daisy.
SNP for constituency , Alba for List
Signed up
I still cannot bring myself to vote for such a corrupt, lying bunch of criminals. afi stood down because their reason d’etre was to max the yes. And one day, one speach, from one man – is well on the way to mending it. Now that’s Statesmanship and Leadership. A thumb nail sketch estimate, at least initially, I’d say about 4 out of 5 contributors were politely disagreeing with Paul and coming out in support of Alba for vote 2. Incredible play from Alex, to ensure that folk disgusted with the SNP now have a solid reason to vote for them anyway – since SNP1 votes are now effectively doing work for the Alba party. The days of exposing the MP expenses scandal seem a long way away, but it’s good that they are devoting some resource to Scotland’s situation. I may not have been their biggest fans, but once again, Tommy has proven himself the bigger man when duty demands it. It’s bizarre the Nicolites are screaming foul when Alba is recommending we all give our first vote to the SNP. Those dismal bastards might get their comeuppance yet!
What a generous & unselfish thing AFI have done! It doesn’t surprise me though as I have always seen Tommy Sheridan as totally willing to put Scotland before his own party! I hope he will throw his hat into the ring and stand for office as I hope many of those who were standing for office in AFI will also do!!
WELL DONE AFI!! KUDOS!
What a great day (now, that I am down off the roof after that match – fantastic) and then things got even better during a quick catch up reading about Tommy Sheridan.
NS should pay attention, because when it comes to Scotlands Independence, that’s what real leadership looks like.
Stand Together. SNP 1 ALBA 2.
Kcor says:
More than 525 comments and the “I’m voting SNP 1/2 because I want Nicola Sturgeon to have to face the consequences of her actions” has not had a word to say about this gamechanging event apart from pedantry about pronouncing Gaelic words!
Reply
You are one seriously creepy fucker!
Fuck off creepy stalker!
Thanks AFI, now to see if ISP puts country before Party.
Kind of astonishing to hear someone talking cogently, forcefully, passionately and strategically about independence. Then you realise that the leader of the party ostensibly devoted to that cause has never uttered anything like that, and it would like getting blood out of a stone to hear such reasoned campaigning. If you want an illustration of what’s gone wrong there it is. Yes, she will go on about covid, Johnson, the Evil Salmond, trans people – but independence? Nah, brush that well under the carpet, in fact stop people in your own party discussing it. Looking a bit lame and out of touch now aren’t you Nikla, eh?
I assume this ‘kcor’ poster is a baddie stirring things up
Daisy Walker, as it happens, about half of my followers on LinkedIn are from here and the other half are people I know from home – although the “here” contingent is slowly increasing, as you might expect. My hope is that it will encourage a few people from home to join the party and you never know – it may elicit a donation or two from my stateside followers, especially after we have policy positions up. I am encouraged to post when the policies emerge, given the response so far. It’s not going to bankroll the whole campaign but we all do what we can for the cause don’t we?
You know, you are so right about the Irish tapping into the diaspora. Here in NC, there are the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain, but I’m scared to go in case it turns out to be a parody. But apart from that, the Irish are the ones that make all the noise. If we are to move towards independence, that must change. One day a year in New York City is simply not enough.
Today has been a wonderful day and one which exceeded my hopes.
I have no membership number ,I’m in a huff
Nice to see Kirk J Torrance involved with Alba (signatory to my email receipt for membership to the Party).
Kirk’s on Twitter.
I recall him tweeting that he’d been blocked by Nicola Sturgeon, and immediately trusted the guy. He was featured on Salmond’s show (he’s a bit of an electronics wizard, too), and is probably why Sturgeon blocked him.
Anyway, must toddle-off – I have a whack of Whatsapps I must run through.
Watching the end of the rugby. What a metaphor for today!
The Alba label hopefully unites all the separate Independence parties outside of SNP and Greens
“ AFI standing down all 42 candidates and getting behind Alba is genuinely amazing. I’m feeling a lot more positive today!”
No!
Really!
Superb!
Ross Greer is an orange skid-mark.
Absolutely fuck8ng foul hatefest against Alex Salmond and the new Alba partner on the BBC News at Ten tonight.
The bile is being poured out it is truly hateful. If ever there was a politically biased organ that drips poison it is the BBC. Tonight’s headline intro news was an utter disgrace.
But let us recognise this. These fuckers are locked into a never ending attempt to destroy Scotland’s independence. The ferocity with which this evening’s News at Ten has responded should be encouragement to us all of the fear that this new party drives into the heart of the British establishment.
This from Criag Murray’s twitter, ‘Like all other AFI candidates, I am standing down in order to give Alba a clear run at putting the positive case for Independence and bringing real pressure to bear in the Scottish parliament for action not words.
No individual is more important than Scotland.’
Thank you Craig. I hope you stand as a candidate for Alba. And I stand ready to contribute to your legal appeal fund.
I am not particularly pro independence, but joined immediately, because I want people to feel independent.
I was interested to see that Rhiannon “Lost A Rigged Election” Spear said that somebody mispronouncing the word Alba was “literally the definition of white male privilege”.
Holy shit, how tone deaf* are these people?
Despising half the population of Scotland because of their genitals and skin colour just makes her a hateful idiot.
Telling people about it, when her job literally depends on winning popularity contests as a pretend Scottish nationalist, makes her a window licking moron.
Margo MacDonald once told me she wasn’t that keen on promoting the Gaelic. I mildly disagree, it’s part of Scotland’s cultural heritage and I’d like to see it survive, but I understood where she was coming from. It hasn’t been a living language in the most populated bits of Scotland for centuries so is always going to have limited relevance in the central belt. She was more interested in practical politics.
I’ve never heard about the “correct” pronunciation of Alba in my entire life before today either, mibbe I lack Dotaman privilege.
*(Not an ableist slur, don’t jail me Humza)
@Hatuey 8:53 pm
Okay here’s the shocking update… We are probably going to need to vote SNP 1. Even if we don’t want to. THe d’hondt system etc……. Anyone given any thought to this?
Totally true – The less constituency seats the SNP win – the more they will take list seats from ALBA
If ALBA is to win a lot of list seats – then the SNP will have to wind the constituency seats
Of thought, as I have been told by my my wife.
We can only grow from here. Remember that.
And not to play the man instead of the ball, the great British BBC on propane time news at ten even gave air time to that, and I use the word correctly, little nobody Ross Greer.
Screaming on television this afternoon he had to be closed down for calling Salmonspd a criminal.
Now I don’t know about defamation but maybe Mr Salmond should just get his lawyers to raise an action against this little runt of a nobody. That was a serious outrageous comment to make from a little green man on national television.
Time to maybe ream the little sewer mouth a new one I’d say. What horrible, horrible politics. But that’s maybe the way the loon ball Green Team operate.
The SNP is the last Party I want to vote for with my first vote.
But they’re getting it anyway.
I would only make an exception if I lived in Glasgow Southside – the wicked witch must go.
SNP 1 Alba 2
Imagine we woke up with all those seats and no Sturgeon – holy moses that would be fantastic.
The long pass to van der Merwe took some nerve.
You could say we won at the Bottle of Hastings.
I’ll get ma coat.
@
Skip_NC says:
26 March, 2021 at 10:28 pm
Daisy Walker, as it happens, about half of my followers on LinkedIn are from here and the other half are people I know from home’
It seems to me, that there is a great pool of decency and sanity throughout the world, that has systematically been put on mute by the media and corporate world and its political parties, and every now and again some big event enables ordinary voices to be heard.
And it inspires all who hear it, wherever they are.
As a child, in Perth, I listened to Mohammed Ali in his prime, talking FREEDOM. In those days the only Scots Characters on TV or film were the baddy or the drunk (Sir Sean being the exception – and James Bond was an English hero really).
And when Ali did, he spoke to the heart of every Scot, as much as to his ain folk. These days the TV cameras would not go near him, unless he was selling shoes. But back then TV was new and folk were out to make a name for themselves making new programs.
Still, ‘there’s mair nor a rough wind blawin through the great glen oh the wurld the day.’
Scottish Politics has just become electrified. Hope has once again returned to the country, except of course for those unfortunates who are neighbours of Sara, Kirsty, Danni, Nicla, Pishhead Pete, Angus, Sweeney Todd and the rest of the degenerates. Poor souls can’t hear themselves think for all the snarling, growling weeping and Sheer blind panic emulating from “them next door!”
Only those with a heart of stone could fail to laugh at the predicament those scumbags now find themselves in even despite all their lies, scheming and failed plots. We await with interest who will cross the floor to join the new organisation. It must also be clear that whoever Alex choses to stand against will be shortly filling out their application for Universal Credit, given he is the finest politician this country has ever produced.
I’m very impressed that AFI have taken such a principled stand. Well done them. Excellent news to top off an excellent day!
I would be even more pleased if Craig Murray, Tommy Sheridan and others were able to stand on the Alba ticket. I know many people aren’t keen on Tommy, but I don’t think the ordinary people of Scotland have ever had a more determined and resolute champion. His speeches during the 2014 campaign were powerful and convincing and he’s been on every independence march and rally that I’ve attended. I would love to see him back in the parliament.
Well as quiet days go that was a bit poor. I have gone from having no natural home for my vote to having at least a productive place to place my second vote and a sense of optimism. Watching the meltdown of the usual suspects has been fun but disturbing. I will leave checking on the Ginger Slug mob until morning. We also won in Paris so a good day.
Carol Neill says:
26 March, 2021 at 10:28 pm
I have no membership number ,I’m in a huff
it says you’re #2075
“ The long pass to van der Merwe took some nerve.
You could say we won at the Bottle of Hastings.
I’ll get ma coat.”
Nop Hastings did great. Hope he’s more politically savvy than his father..
Daisy Walker says:
26 March, 2021 at 10:15 pm
“I took a gander over on the WGD and went btl – both things I’d promised myself not to do. A thumb nail sketch estimate, at least initially, I’d say about 4 out of 5 contributors were politely disagreeing with Paul and coming out in support of Alba for vote 2.”
Wow. thanks for looking by the way – I couldn’t bear to.
Is a Nicola Sturgeon led SNP becoming a “Unionist Party”??
They will now be seen by the BritNat media as the sensible alternative to ‘Mad Sepratists’
And the pish coming from the now bonkers Mhairi Black is why we’ve gone over to another party.
Red @ 10.33
It is the Scots language, which most Scots still speak, which provides for most of us our (Scottish) identity, and which also gives us our Scottish national consciousness; without national consciousness there would be no motivation for independence. But the Scots language really needs to be taught, according to the Council of Europe minority languages group. Scots language is not taught for a reason, which is to make us feel more British, and less Scottish.
Great news tonight with the Alba Party.
what a wonderful day for Scotland – Alba, a new party that’s finally saying “something about independence” that Scots were desperate to hear, the AFI joining Alba and to crown it all -a Rugby win!
Looks like Scotland is back on the right track to get the Holyrood that Scots really want, rather than being forced into voting for an SNP dystopia or Unionist candidates.
I hope the the ISP joins forces with Alba and AFI and that ISP and AFI candidates are selected to stand for Alba.
Whatever the ISP decides, credit and thanks are due to them and AFI for keeping the Independence flame alight through a very dark time.
And let’s not forget Bonny Prince Rob who is also doing his bit!
Today is a momentous day in the independence movement. The Max The Yes strategy to deliver an Indy Supermajority was always sound and appropriate and AFI deserves credit for consistently raising it and promoting it but a more credible vehicle is now on the scene and it was imperative that AFI recognised that Scotland Before Party is not just a slogan but a guiding principle. We recruited over 400 members in a short space of time and elected a very credible group of 42 list candidates but Alex changes the narrative. He is a leader who carries credibility and respect within the independence movement despite the shrills of abuse from the unionists. We did the right thing by voting to withdraw from the election and backing the Alba Party.
Now of course there is still a lot of work to do but the Both Votes SNP mantra is a reckless folly and must now be challenged at every opportunity and replaced with the Both Votes Independence motto. That means SNP 1 / Alba 2 despite some serious and justified doubts about the current SNP leadership. Amid our disappointment within AFI at withdrawing from the electoral stage we were also happy at the prospect of uniting behind Alba to evict scores of useless unionists and perhaps some arrogant and conceited Greens. The Indy Supermajority goal is now within our grasp. Hopefully ISP will soon announce a similar decision. Let’s do all we can to elect a Parliament where Alba is the official opposition and the unionist parties are reduced to rumps.
Cadogan @10:28
“I assume this ‘kcor’ poster is a baddie stirring things up”
Don’t assume. Ruby insists on repeating to all her intention to punish Sturgeon by voting for her.
Those who point out the folly of such a proposal are portrayed in a sinister manner as “stalkers”.
Ross Greer is a fanny.
You hear me Ross?
Angus MacNeil’s personal info on his twitter banner still mentions that he’s an MP, but doesn’t mention the SNP. Interesting.
Whats happening at AUOB? Two posts already attacking Salmond
Daisy Walker
Sorry, for the first time in years I, too, took a swatch at WGD btl and granted mine was not a very scientific analysis, since I couldn’t thole reading the whole thing but I could only pick out a handful that were even halfway tolerant to the idea of voting for the Alba party.
They are still in thrall to the sainted Nicola it seems and simmering with hatred for Stuart Campbell, which plays very well with the host who they all appear to think is a model of tolerance in comparison, even when happily seeing off someone who left the site tonight.
I didn’t see much that was conciliatory there and an awful lot of SNP propaganda swallowed whole. Anyway, after a voting lifetime of never joining any political party, that visit has convinced me to join Alba.
A few weeks ago Jason Michael was hinting at something big coming and saying it would be emotional when we found out well today we’ve had:
Salmond back
ALBA party launched
Comrie and McElheny on board with more to follow
AFI stand down to clear path (that move is due a massive thank you to those involved)
If Jason also knew we would beat France at rugby then he’s got some special powers!
Thoroughly enjoying the worried look on DRoss and Greer’s coupons as they realise their political careers have just came to a full stop.
Feels like a real change in momentum.
If Carlsberg did Fridays…
Hatuey – Anyone given any thought to this?
I’ve thought about it. As one of those white males of alleged privilege Rihanna Spears (or whatever her name is) feels so very free to pour scorn on, I’m not voting SNP. She’s just saying what many of them are thinking anyway.
If they kicked out the liars, the grifters, the race baiters, the man haters, and the fetish lifestyle activists, I’d reconsider (though they’d have virtually no elected members left).
But they’d also have to publicly apologise to both Alex Salmond and the Scottish people, explain exactly where the referendum money went, undo the damage they’ve done to our freedom (it is to laugh) of speech and our criminal justice system, repent of their wokey sins and prove, through their actions, that they’ve rededicated themselves to freedom for Scotland and her people.
I won’t hold my breath.
I understand the electoral logic just fine, and would never try to tell anyone else how to vote or hold it against them for disagreeing with me. Unlike the New SNP.
But nah, I’m not voting for people who hate me and wish me harm. Not putting an X in the box for a party that wants men in knickers to share a changing room with my wife and teach my son to feel guilty about being a white Scottish boy in Scotland or consider changing his gender.
I’ll be voting Alba though, that’s for sure.
Great future for the ALBA party. Can look forward to a sizable number of list seats.
A new dawn has suddenly and unexpectedly appeared in Scotland.
From the 600+ comments so far, with one notable exception, everyone is agreed on List vote to ALBA!
JGedd @ 10.59 pm
Who did they boot off over there? Not bothered looking there in a while, they’ve lost the plot IMHO
They need to realise the SNP are not entitled to our vote.They need to earn it. With crazy policies like GRA @ HCB it’s a NO from me.
A NO .YOU HEAR ME OVER THERE AT WGD, A NO.
Anent membership numbers: I have just donated to but NOT joined [yet] Alba and my receipt email gives the number 2403. So that isn’t a membership number but it does indicate a healthy number of donations. 🙂
It’ll be interesting to see who smears the most, although Im assuming the SNP will be happy to stand back and watch their well funded MSM do the grafting.
Tommy Sheridan @10:57
You and AFI have shown political maturity and wisdom. That’s a great post too.
The viciousness from the Beeb and the other Scottish parties was expected. Interesting that the SNP are now seen as so little a threat that they were wheeled out to add their tuppence worth, such was the MSM terror of Salmond. What’s even more fascinating isthat although Salmond was questioned on Newsnight, etc, none of his opponents, Anwar, Yousaf, DRoss, Greer (god preserve us from uptight schoolboys), Harvie, et al, that NONE of them seemed prepared to take Salmond on in even the briefest of debates. This will be an election which will be personal, abusive, and dishonest like no other campaign we have seen.
Which is ok, because the establishment parties, including the SNP this time, are frightened of us again.
So now we have more candidates in the Alba Party than there are list positions. A very good state of affairs.
So is it time to reconsider the idea of fielding candidates in 4 or 5 constituent seats? Let’s say the seats in which the most obnoxious SNP candidates are running?
robertknight says,
“Don’t assume. Ruby insists on repeating to all her intention to punish Sturgeon by voting for her.
Those who point out the folly of such a proposal are portrayed in a sinister manner as “stalkers”.”
While wanting Sturgeon to remain in power, she falsely accuses other of having been diehard Sturgeonists:
Ruby says,
“What really pisses me off about people like robertknight, Glasgow Racer, Kcor & everyone else on here who accuses me of being a Sturgeonite is that way back when Sturgeon fired Mark MacDonald for sending a text I spotted her true colours they didn’t.”
Ruby says (The Big Win),
“I’ve got Kcor who has been a diehard Sturgeonista until about two weeks ago calling me names.”
Kcor replies (The Big Win),
“What utter lies. Point me to one post where I have been a “Sturgeonista”, let alone a diehard one.”
Despite her usual extensive posting, on this momentous day, she has refused to state if she will now give her list vote to the SNP or to Alba!
Accusing someone of stalking because they have lost the argument is a very typical woke tactic!
S–R ALBA!
JGedd my look over btl on WGD was not scientific either.
I just found myself pleasantly surprised, compared with previous wall to wall, St Nicla coverage.
Admittedly after the first 100 comments, the more entrenched, rallied to their cause and the negativity returned.
OT – had a wee look at Niclas Twitter account to see if there was anything interesting mentioned… but no.
What she is saying is that the SNP intend to build 100,000 affordable homes in the next decade. And that it will support 14,000 jobs a year.
Now here’s a wee thing. I went my dinger at the SNP for being complacent about building new homes as an automatic vote winner.
It is not. People see open fields and mature trees torn up and gone forever, for a bunch of houses, out of their price range, and full of people new to their area.
Mixing expensive houses, cheek by jowl, with social housing and putting an unemployed, single mother, with substance abuse issues and all the antisocial problems that go with that in the house next to £300,000 + does not work and only succeeds in getting the libdems, and the tories to unite on a local level.
However, I demanded that the SNP, at least advertise the fact that home building, created jobs, and to quantify the number.
And I went to a new building site and spoke to the site manager and found out this.
Generally they build new builds, in blocks of 100 residential units say 60 individual houses, and 40 flats.
They aim for it to be up and built in 18 months. And during that time they have about 60 trades on site doing the building.
So, 100,000 over 10 years = 10,000 a year. Divide by 100 units = 100 x 60 trade jobs = 6,000 jobs created (and I’ve just rounded it down from 18 months to 1 year for the house completion period).
So, not really 14,000 jobs a year, as advertised. Quite a bit less in fact.
But for campaigners its a useful bit of info – 100 new houses, 18 months, 60 trades fully employed. That’s an apprenticeship period right there.
Tonight a friend and I discussed this development via WhatsApp and I wrote a list of “Dodgy Shit NS Has Been Involved In”, this was just from memory, and wasn’t exhaustive, took me forty minutes to write. I wonder whether it would be possible to write a Black Book Of Nicola Sturgeon that could inform the public as to the leadership clique’s wrongdoings?
-Tommy Sheridan-
Wise decision to stand aside today, unlike others you recognise your duty to the wider cause is greater than any ego.
robertknight says:
26 March, 2021 at 10:58 pm
Cadogan @10:28
“I assume this ‘kcor’ poster is a baddie stirring things up”
Don’t assume. Ruby insists on repeating to all her intention to punish Sturgeon by voting for her.
Those who point out the folly of such a proposal are portrayed in a sinister manner as “stalkers”.
Reply
Another member of the ‘Creepy Sockpuppet Stalker Gang’.
Lets say I did say punish Sturgeon by voting for her does that give you the right to stalk me and post a whole series of abusive posts.
Your behaviour is very creepy!
To Cadogan I would say check out Kcor posts and make up your own mind!
What a day – no vote for the Sturrell-Murgeon Cabal from me, not even holding my nose – but ALBA – yes!
AYRSHIRE ROB
Actually it was a voluntary leave-taking announcing, albeit politely, that he could no longer visit the site & he disagreed with votes 1&2 SNP. However, the host couldn’t resist a ‘bye then’ which I thought beneath his dignity as a host since the comment about leaving had been perfectly civil in expressing disagreement.
I won’t be visiting again. It’s just dispiriting.
What’s this shite from the Torygraph??
“Among its false claims was that Sir Winston Churchill “dispatched English troops and tanks” to stamp out a major protest by striking workers in Glasgow in 1919 while locking up Scottish soldiers in barracks.”
False claims? This did indeed happen, unless I am sorely mistaken. And I’m not.
TOMMY SHERIDAN says,
“Amid our disappointment within AFI at withdrawing from the electoral stage we were also happy at the prospect of uniting behind Alba to evict scores of useless unionists and perhaps some arrogant and conceited Greens.”
Alex says,
“So is it time to reconsider the idea of fielding candidates in 4 or 5 constituent seats? Let’s say the seats in which the most obnoxious SNP candidates are running?”
It absolutely is and absolutely was.
What about putting some of your withdrawn candidates to good use, Tommy?
If you yourself don’t get to the top of one of the ALBA lists, what is stopping you from taking on Sturgeon in her Glasgow Southside constituency?
Kcor says:
26 March, 2021 at 11:17 pm
robertknight says,
“Don’t assume. Ruby insists on repeating to all her intention to punish Sturgeon by voting for her.
Those who point out the folly of such a proposal are portrayed in a sinister manner as “stalkers”.”
While wanting Sturgeon to remain in power, she falsely accuses other of having been diehard Sturgeonists:
Ruby says,
“What really pisses me off about people like robertknight, Glasgow Racer, Kcor & everyone else on here who accuses me of being a Sturgeonite is that way back when Sturgeon fired Mark MacDonald for sending a text I spotted her true colours they didn’t.”
Ruby says (The Big Win),
“I’ve got Kcor who has been a diehard Sturgeonista until about two weeks ago calling me names.”
Kcor replies (The Big Win),
“What utter lies. Point me to one post where I have been a “Sturgeonista”, let alone a diehard one.”
Despite her usual extensive posting, on this momentous day, she has refused to state if she will now give her list vote to the SNP or to Alba!
Accusing someone of stalking because they have lost the argument is a very typical woke tactic!
S–R ALBA!
Reply
Decisions! Decisions! Decisions!
Should I ignore this creepy fucker or totally take the piss?
Remember kids – supporters of WGD should now be referred to as “DOGGERS” (chortle)
the bedwetters have thrown their rusks from the high chair
the she-males are hysterical (- no change then, really)
smalltown boy is having a meltdown (but 14 comments on his latest is a bit of a win for him)
a lot of holyrood seat warmers better get the CVs updated
PLEASE could people stop saying SNP ‘one’ and ALBA ‘two
It will confuse voters – this is not a local election
PLEASE SAY
SNP ‘Constituency’ and ALBA ‘list’
Ruby says,
“To Cadogan I would say check out Kcor posts and make up your own mind!”
To make it simpler to check:
Ruby says (The Big Win),
“I’ve got Kcor who has been a diehard Sturgeonista until about two weeks ago calling me names.”
Kcor replies (The Big Win),
“What utter lies. Point me to one post where I have been a “Sturgeonista”, let alone a diehard one.”
Where is Ruby’s bold letters “Reply” to that?
WGD has the audacity to put a principle on his Site, it reads;
‘This is your reminder that the purpose of this blog is to promote Scottish independence. If the comment you want to make will not assist with that goal then don’t post it’
And it sits directly under his ‘vote snp 1 & 2’ piece.
Fuck sake, guys basically breaking his own rules with that pish right there.
Stand Together: SNP 1 ALBA 2
Cadogan Enright says,
“PLEASE SAY
SNP ‘Constituency’ and ALBA ‘list’”
Ruby says (“Three choices” – March 22, 2021),
“I’m voting SNP 1/2 because I want Nicola Sturgeon to have to face the consequences of her actions.”
Great, and good for AFI. I hope there are a lot of their members standing for the new Alba party.
With our list system I expect a fair few Alba members in Holyrood.
Whatever anyone says about the current SNP they will be held to account and cleaned up by having single policy Alba members holding their feet to the fire.
It has to be SNP1 and Alba 2. That is what Alex is clearly saying. I’m with Alex.
A good day.
WGD – How the hell does voting SNP on the list help the cause. Unless he thinks electing 40 Tories and Labour seat warmers helps us.
Two possibilities. He is really , really dim, or it’s a promotion of the SNP mantra to prevent a super majority.
Had a feeling this might happen, much better option than AFI.
Still can’t be any votes SNP, anyone voting new SNP is part of the problem and anyone thinking that sturgeon will change her ways or give one fuck what Alex Salmond says is deluded.
Sturgeon swinney yousaf and the rest all need permanently removed from public office. Vote them out.
Red
Pretty much my take on it, although Alba have announced a women’s conference and that all policies will be centred around women. I’ll wait to see what policies they bring up regarding life expectancy, suicide rates, mental health, alcohol and drug abuse, homelessness, lack of support for male victims of domestic abuse, attainment in schools and getting to university etc.
There are many other areas where men and boys have been left behind and I’ll see how they’re going to address that before jumping on the Alba band wagon.
Alf Baird – I have a wee guy in primary school and they do teach some Scots, but I’m not sure how much. (He came home asking if Robert Burns was a mouse)
Not sure if secondary schools include the works of MacDiarmid and Morgan, though they should. I’d go further and include Alasdair Gray (Lanark is one of the greatest novels of the 20th century), Lewis Grassic Gibbon, James Hogg, and Robert Louis Stevenson (because it’s ok for reading to be fun).
The goal shouldn’t be to promote Scottishness – that’s a happy side effect. The goal should be to promote a love of words and writing, and the confidence that comes from being able to draw from a deep and sustaining well of shared cultural heritage.
Daisy – I’m also not that excited to see Baratt’s building offensively inoffensive identikit housing estates on every spare scrap of green land. Usually with little or no consideration to scaling local amenities to meet the new demand.
We should want abundant, affordable and quality homes to be available in Scotland, and that means building. But the current system only delivers on the first part, as far as I can tell. Seems like it’s mainly benefiting house builders and mortgage lenders. And the High Street is dying on its arse, so why not build in town centres?
Confused says:
26 March, 2021 at 11:28 pm
Remember kids – supporters of WGD should now be referred to as “DOGGERS” (chortle)
Reply
link to tinyurl.com
Ruby
26 March, 2021 at 11.28 pm
Raised a chortle.
@ disillusioned half Scot at 8.43pm:
“Then, at 2pm on Friday, came the unexpected announcement that Mr Salmond is to lead a new party into the elections. Its aim, he claims, is to achieve a “supermajority” for independence in the Scottish parliament, but its effect is more likely to be splitting the vote between the SNP and Alba (the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland).”
Can the
idiotso-called journalist who wrote this really have no understanding that there are separate constituency and list ballots for Holyrood, and that Alba is only standing on the list? Absolutely clueless. Or is it deliberate?This is the most optimistic I’ve felt about Scottish independence in over a year. I have, for the first time, become a member of a political party at age of 48, membership# 2356 :).
You’ve taken a lot of criticism for highlighting the rot and corruption within the SNP; I for one can’t thank you enough for the work you’ve done to try and steer the independence movement in the right direction. Keep up the good work Stu!
ps, when can we expect wings to hold their next fundraiser?
Michael Laing
I’m afraid that very few English journalists understand the list system as it is completely foreign to them. The Sky newspaper commentators made exactly the same erroneous point that “Salmond would split the vote” and the SNP could lose, Including Susie Boniface who is generally sympathetic to the Idea of Independence if the Scots vote for it.
Roll on the Super Majority.
Constituency SNP and List Alba.
Tonight, for the first time in a long time, I had a dram. Hope returns.
@Ruby – good one! – back at ya
link to youtube.com
What a cracking Friday!
Alba Party launched, AS true to his word that they hadn’t seen the last of his bonnet and he! (to paraphrase).
Scotland beat France in Paris for the first time since 1999 to win the Auld Alliance Trophy!
BritNat Media loosing their shit over AS and Alba Party.
Green and SNP Wokist seatwarmers greeting like wee lassies as they realise their gravy train is away to hit the buffers.
AFI putting Country first in a show of selfless commitment to Scottish Independence.
Green wipe out looks likely (as all their MSPs are on the list and mostly SNP lent votes) and fully deserved for Ross Greers disgraceful performance on the news slandering AS today alone.
FibDem wipe out (or loss of 2/3 of seats) now very possible as BritNAts coalesce around the Tories and the Highlands and Islands standing a good chance of going SNP / Alba to punish Brexit fucking the fishing and farming communities.
Hopefully AFIs candidates are selected as Alba Candidates because MSPs of the calibre of Sheridan, Murray, Keatings etc. would bring a much needed breath of fresh air and passion to Holyrood.
A handful of Tory, Labour (max 1 or 2 FibDems) and a couple of George Galloways BritNat Zoomers would make up the opposition.
HCB repeal and GRA abandonment as first orders of a new Holyrood session.
🙂
David – I don’t mind doing stuff for women, the only reason I knock my pan in at work every day instead of drinking Buckfast under a bridge like the magnificently carefree jaikie I could easily have been is for the sake of a woman.
But you’re right, there’s a lot of men and boys who need help too.
My hope for Alba is that they simply love Scotland and her people – all of them – and try to do right by Scots.
Identity politics is absolute cancer, turning society into a crab bucket of mutually hostile “victim” groups, perpetually clawing and gouging each other to clamber up the intersectional totem pole. It’s the exact opposite of nationalism, which should be generous, sustaining and promote empathy. A country that’s free and tolerant and comfortable in its own skin – know what I mean?
I’m voting for Alba because I have faith that Alex Salmond will do the right things.
So how many supporters have Alba got so far? And seeing the liberal fascist PC SNP lobotomies sneer at another independence party has been one of the most vomitous, entitled (some of the wannabe-American usual crew of female idiots whimpering about ‘white male privilege’) things I have ever seen in my life. Hilarious! 🙂
After an amazing day of hope, after so many months of depressing and bad news for wings readers, here is another Scottish sporting achievement.
Robert MacIntyre, the young Oban golfer, has qualified for the last 16 in the US Dell Matchplay.The top 64 golfers in the world qualified to take part. Well done Robert.
@ Red at 12.01am:
“Identity politics is absolute cancer, turning society into a crab bucket of mutually hostile “victim” groups, perpetually clawing and gouging each other to clamber up the intersectional totem pole. It’s the exact opposite of nationalism, which should be generous, sustaining and promote empathy. A country that’s free and tolerant and comfortable in its own skin – know what I mean?”
Quote of the day!
Ach, for heavens sake, could folk stop with the very personal attacks on Paul Kavanagh (aka wee ginger dug). OK, you don’t agree entirely with him, neither do I, but just stop and think for a bit. We all want indy (and given his commitment over many years, Paul certainly does – anybody who suggests otherwise is just daft). The clowns posting inflammatory comments are just trying to sow division. Wise up.
Indy is the focus now. 1st Vote SNP, 2nd vote ALBA.
I take it Alba Party will at the top of the list alphabetically.
Red
The declaration they’ve posted looks promising. As you say identity politics needs to be challenged and I hope that this party will pick up the challenge. Will see if if All of Us First will replace Me First.
If it wasn’t for a woman and my 2 boys I’d probably under that bridge with you.
Total respect for AFI, I for one will not forget this Beau Geste on their part, yet again Total Respect !
SNP’s idiotic edict of 1&2 was only at best going to result in the status quo with the SNP/Greens in government !
The Alba Party will ensure all those smug smirking tories on the list vote will not be smiling or waltzing back into Holyrood ! Something the SNP could have achieved in 2016 but for their “It’s Ma Ba'” mentality !
Today we found a place for our List vote
The leader of that party has indicated that to create the super majority Scots should vote SNP and Alba
He has also said time and again that this will be a positive experience with Alba
Why do people think they are smarter than Alex by talking up a plan to depose some of the SNP less desirable candidates
Day one and you are already stirring things up by creating an SNP v Alba scenario
Gie yir heid a shake !
Only a lunatic would vote SNP 1 and 2.
I only know of one lunatic who is going to do this.
She is a Sturgeon Ultra who won’t have a bad word said about her wee darlin Nikla.
I think she calls herself “Ruby says”.
Unusual I know,,, but so is she.
She fights with every second poster on Wings.
She is better off staying in her comfort zone, over on the Wee Gingerbread Man’s website.
Alex says:
26 March, 2021 at 11:15 pm
“So is it time to reconsider the idea of fielding candidates in 4 or 5 constituent seats? Let’s say the seats in which the most obnoxious SNP candidates are running?”
As our principle aim is to maximize the Independence vote.
Helping get Unionists elected FPTP would seem too high a price to pay from a credibility stand point.
Furthermore as the SNP’s wokieness, control-freakery and the unlikelihood of them gaining List seats are three of the factors which will attract voters into our fold.
Making it more likely that the SNP picks up a list seat, when the fact that Wokeism and unquestioning loyalty to the SSNP Großer Generalstab are the twin factors that decide who tops the SNP’s Regional Lists – Seem more than a tad counter intuitive.
Foreigner here with indefinite leave to remain. Pro-independence and already got my voting card in the post 🙂 Please somebody explain again how to make the tactical vote to ensure a majority of pro-indy MSPs get elected in May. Is it SNP in the local list and Alba in the regional one, or the other way around? Thank you.
“Is it SNP in the local list and Alba in the regional one, or the other way around?”
The local list and the regional list are the same thing.
Assuming you believe the SNP are a pro-independence party, the way to maximise seats is to vote SNP for your INDIVIDUAL LOCAL NAMED CANDIDATE on the first ballot paper, and for Alba on the second ballot paper (the regional list) which has party names rather than individual person names on it.
Andy
Well said.
Red @ 11:42
“I have a wee guy in primary school and they do teach some Scots, but I’m not sure how much. (He came home asking if Robert Burns was a mouse)”
Tell the wee guy its a moose, and he lives in a hoose.
Language is a human right, or ‘richt’. The state refusing to teach a language inevitably means the language will die. As language helps determine our identity, the death of a language (linguicide) means the end of that identity and culture is near. Linguicide is intentional, not accidental; colonialism always involves linguistic imperialism, which is the imposition of an alien language to replace the indigenous language(s) (Phillipson). Peoples in self-determination conflict invariably tend to be linguistically divided. The majority of Yes voters are Scots speakers (holding to a Scottish identity) whereas many No voters appear to be more or entirely Anglophone (and holding to a British identity).
kapelmeister at 10:58 pm
Angus MacNeil’s personal info on his twitter banner still mentions that he’s an MP, but doesn’t mention the SNP. Interesting..
Likewise Kenny MacAskill’s Twitter account. Not sure if MacAskill’s account previously stated ‘SNP’? but it sure as hell don’t now.
..actually, Angus MacNeil’s Twitter handle ‘does’ mention SNP –
@AngusMacNeilSNP
(Kenny MacAskill’s doesn’t – @KennyMacAskill)
Also noticed Ross Greer’s twitter account is; @PureGreetinTitGreen
The future looked so grim.
Now there is hope, thanks to the Salmond.
Did anyone see this?
link to bit.ly
It made it to the States and George Takei’s page.
Woke up this morning from other other side of the world to this amazing news! Just joined Alba (took a bit of faffing but it’s now accepted my payment).
I had a shorted lived membership of the SNP (2 years ended 2017) and vowed I’d never join a political party again. But I think this needs our support, one last throw of the dice and all that to get independence back on track.
Hope lots of people offer to become a volunteer as well – going to need all hands on deck to get the results we are looking for.
After these wilderness years, let’s hope this is the tipping point.
After all that AS has been through, my god, he sure has some stamina.
Outside the political bubble how many Scots understand how regional/list voting system works,
most still think it as first past the post and the rest think it is a `second` choice,
try and explain how a 1,000,000 votes for SNP got 4 seats and 150,000 votes for the Green Goblins got 6 seats.
link to caltonjock.com
Of note is Alex Salmond’s retiral from Scottish politics in 2014. Events recorded in this part of the article refer to the period 2007-2018 when the Scottish Government was led by Nicola Sturgeon. This is her and her party’s disgraceful legacy and reveals the cynicism behind the pursuit of Alex Salmond. It was to divert attention away from the on-going harassment of women in Holyrood.
I believe prospective candidates have until Wednesday to submit their nominations paperwork. It should be an interesting few days, with a few surprises
I’d love to see someone with a fighting chance take on Sturgeon in her own back yard. Has George Galloways declared any intentions yet?
Alba will do well in the South Side of Glasgow. You can count on that.
Well as this is a new party will it have candidates in all areas of scotland or just a few? Im in east dunbartonshire and cant see any for my area? I didnt vote last time and wasnt voting this time but IF there is a candidate standing in my area it gives me someone to vote for. Why is the party only on the list party and not the constituency, i would rather vote alba on both. I wont vote snp on the constituency as the vote will be supporting the hate crime/gender bills. I wont vote for torries/labour/greens or libdem (closet torries) Another issue what is the stance with alba/alex salmond re hate crime and the gender bills are they for or against them?
Looks like I will have to vote for Richard Lochhead to try and stop the Wokist Emma Roddick getting in.
Have been a reader of this site for quite a few years, but never commented.
Been a supporter of independence since childhood.
Have never joined a political party.
Wrote to Alex Salmond in 2014 thanking him for working tirelessly for ALL people of Scotland.
Have watched in horror to what has become of my dreams of a better future for all.
Joined ALBA this evening.
@ mags at 1.19am: Voting Alba Party on both the constituency and list would be just as much a waste of your votes as voting SNP on both the list and constituency would be. If you vote for the same party with both votes, the constituency vote effectively cancels out the list vote. That is why the Alba Party are only standing on the list. This is the whole point of the party, at least at the coming election. SNP #1 ALBA #2 gives the best chance of a pro-independence majority.
Please read the Alba Party’s web-site. It’s here: link to albaparty.org
mags says:
27 March, 2021 at 1:19 am
Well as this is a new party will it have candidates in all areas of scotland or just a few? Im in east dunbartonshire and cant see any for my area?
Their plan is to stand at least 4 candidates in each of the 8 regions, but they’ve not yet announced who all these candidates will be. Give them chance – the new party was only announced 12 hours ago!
“Identity politics is absolute cancer… It’s the exact opposite of nationalism…”
It’s possible the above is intended as a joke and I need more sleep.
Nationalism itself is identarian. Politics-wise, nearly everything outside of the ultra-general is. It’s a pretty useless term.
Interestingly, supporting independence for the right reasons (democracy, self determination, subsidiarity, etc.) can’t be called identity politics. That means nobody is excluded.
And that’s the big problem with the cultural arguments for independence — they exclude people and create unnecessary resistance.
Scot Finlayson says:
27 March, 2021 at 1:09 am
Outside the political bubble how many Scots understand how regional/list voting system works,
most still think it as first past the post and the rest think it is a `second` choice,
try and explain how a 1,000,000 votes for SNP got 4 seats and 150,000 votes for the Green Goblins got 6 seats.
This is what leads to all the nonsense being spouted (including on Twitter) about Alba ‘splitting the independence/nationalist vote’. I think people genuinely don’t realise that the better a party does in constituencies, the less likely it is to pick up list seats. Hopefully their election material will spell it out VERY clearly & simply.
Can we look forward to a Wee Blue Alba Book?
“Audit Scotland pressured to imply SNP had prepared better for Covid pandemic”
link to thetimes.co.uk
“In total the Scottish government tried to make more than a dozen changes…”
The article doesn’t say if anyone at Audit Scotland was threatened with legal action or arrested.
Hatuey says:@1:46AM
“And that’s the big problem with the cultural arguments for independence — they exclude people and create unnecessary resistance.”
There are lies, damned lies and trendy middle class faux-left bullshit.
DANGER! DANGER! “CIVIC nationalist” ALERT! – Take your haggis pills and head for Brigadoon IMMEDIATELY!
Beware the Imperialists, the settlers and the hedonistic trend-setters, whether willfully, sub-consciously, by force of numbers or disproportionate influence. They will erode, supplant and eventually extinguish the culture of their host. It has been so in every corner of the globe, since time began.
I’m sure there is an axiom about not learning from history.
I joined the Alba Party today, signed up for an annual membership, but also donated an instant one off payment to assist with their election campaign.
I will sleep soundly tonight in the knowledge that we have, at least the chance of, an early Indyref. The SNPs timescale of at least 2.5 years to indy had filled me with dread. Another 2.5 years minimum would see the UK Gov in Scotland well bedded in, in their shiny new buildings in Edinburgh and Glasgow, inflicting their Interal market bill on us & stripping out Holyrood’s competencies to govern.
We need to go in hard and fast after the election for a purely Scottish run Indyref, with international overview and I can’t think of a single person more suitable or equipped to do this than Alex Salmond.
After many months of despair, I am delighted to report that I am a very happy bunny tonight. ??
link to twitter.com
That will be Hogg getting the heave then. The EBC and maybe the SNP will see to that.
Scotland must vote Labour to keep the Tories out of Westminster
It is a fact, So sayeth New Labour leader Jim Murphy
SNP say vote SNP SNP to ensure Independence
If we say it enough times it must be true….right ?
Another bowl of cornflakes please.
TOMMY SHERIDAN says:
26 March, 2021 at 10:57 pm
Today is a momentous day in the independence movement. The Max The Yes strategy to deliver an Indy Supermajority was always sound and appropriate….
Tremendous respect for yourself and AFI Tommy. Actions speak louder than words, and what a lift for the morale it is to see true Independence supporters putting Scotland first, and giving us a chance.
A vote for Rotten Nicola was actually unthinkable this time yesterday, but it’s amazing how much difference it makes to the boundaries of what’s tolerable to know there is now a real prospect of Holyrood returning a strong SNP with it’s feet held to the fire by a strong ALBA under Alex and yourself and reigning in the SNP’s flights of delusional madness.
The SNP now has opposition to it’s lunacy which cannot be smeared as being anti Independence or undermining the cause, and that is a massive development.
The challenge now is for the heart and soul of the real Independence supporters in the SNP to step up to the plate, take their lead from the courage of AFI, and embrace the ALBA party for the new dynamic it delivers to the Independence cause.
Whether they know it or not, whether they like it or not, the ALBA party is already holding the SNP to account, and testing their commitment to Independence. No surprise the carpet baggers and Wokeratti don’t like it, but ignoring these tossers who have caused so much trouble, it is a lifeline for the soul of the SNP, and a lifeline for Independence when all looked lost.
People know where my heart lies, and while I’m not going to defend or excuse the WGDuggers, I would ask that people don’t throw water on a chip pan fire. If there is ANY sanity left over there, it is important that we let it express itself and be emboldened. Let them and their true commitment to Independence be tested by holding their bile and cynicism and embracing the opportunity to secure an SNP and ALBA super majority for Scottish Independence.
If you like, we need to bite our tongues while they hawd their noses, and hopefully, there can be a ceasefire and moratorium on the hatespeak which allows enough coming together for Scottish Independence to take centre stage. If Alex Salmond can endure all the vindictive muck and smears thrown at him, yet still draw a line under everything and start again in good faith, then we can do no less.
It won’t deliver Independence, it won’t deliver a referendum, it won’t be a plebiscite Election. Sadly, those bolts have been shot. But May CAN yet deliver a pro-Independence super-majority that put’s Scotland back in the fight, and that can also make a start at healing our divide.
What’s the betting they’ll suddenly find more allegations to fling at Alex now though? I really worry for him putting himself front and centre like this. It needed done for the publicity – AFI and ISP had none, and no name recognition. But it’s just too easy to fling smears and false allegations. Hope he and the party are prepared for that.
Though that said, they’re bringing out that ice lolly photo again now. It must be from 30 or 40 years ago. After everything – all the police time and interviews and stitch up attempts, that is still all they’ve actually got on him. And yet so many people fully believe the smears, and will instantly believe any further allegation anyone makes. Honestly sickening, given what so many other political figures get away with.
@beflox 10.48
Cheers I feel special now , lol
It now needs MPs in Westmidden to jump ship to the Alba Party.
Su can you do an article on List Vote for Dummies please? A ton of peeps on social media saying this will split the independence vote and has to be SNP 1 and 2. Don’t know if these peeps are wilfully thick or just SNPers trying to muddy the water but seems a bit of educating wouldn’t go amiss.
Cath,
Don’t worry, in a few weeks all the attacks against Alex will stop as real politics and work for independence takes over.
I am member 264 of which I am truly proud.
I am really, really, really struggling with the idea of voting SNP on the constituency vote.
I know because of the system there is an argument for it… but man they are so far gone for me that it is very difficult to go back now for any reason with Sturgeon still in charge and all those hideous woke ARSEHOLES!
Maybe in a month I will have mellowed.
(Will I fuck.)
.
Jeezo Stuart Campbell,
You have a rare gift for summing everything up in an ascerbic, witty sentence.
Those few words you wrote at the top of this page were an antidote to the Sturgeon pandemic of depression caused by her lying Borgenesque perverted scheming over these past few years. I think your summation of SNP’s flavour of Independence being a carrot to generate pension funds for careerist selfish tractors such as Pension-Pete-I-wannabe-UK-parliament-speaker says it all.
This leads me to the topic of fundraising for the Alba Party and the need to turbo-charge the number of MSPs that a few margin percentage points of voter-swing to Alba will help secure.
Stuart, you will probably have this covered in future WoS posts during the next week or two. But please can I let you know that there are substantial funds available for Alba?
On the micro-economic basis, there is a wee blue box in my study marked “SNP membership” where I have been saving ALL the weekly money I “would” have paid to my local SNP branch. It includes much more than membership fees. It has money for SNP raffles, for SNP crowdfunders, for SNP election drives, for SNP branch subs etc.
All of that will now be going to the Alba Party. Indeed a fair bit more if needed.
There is £927.66 in that box. the size of that stash would have all gone to the SNP.
If all of us on Wings and beyond have, in fact, stopped paying money to the SNP, no wonder they had to steal (sorry I meant to write “weave”) £600,000 of ring-fenced YES money to avoid the SNP going bankrupt.
I ripped up my SNP membership card 19 months ago when it became clear that the local MSP and MP were bent bastards. By that I mean dishonest.
Worse, because of their position of trust, there is a criminal term of consequence in Crown Office sentencing should go before the word bent. They are “aggravated” bent. We can call it malfeasance in public office or any one of a dozen offences. All made worse because as various ministerial and public office holder codes state: they should be held to a higher standard because of their position.
Noblesse oblige.
At the time the SNP MP and MSP broke the law at our local SNP branch meeting there were 39 witnesses. I was stunned. Having seen New Labour plumb these depths of political dishonesty my stomach churned. I thought the SNP were better than that. Nicola certainly advertised the holier than though bit just before she was anointed Saint Nicola.
Stuart, you will want to know my point?
Is it time to very quickly deploy 500,000 Wee Blue Books of Truth & Reconciliation?
I believe your first Wee Blue Book in 2014 made such a profound difference to real households and actual voters that it pushed the IndyRef YES result up from 39% to 45%. I reckon it was that important because it bypassed the avalanche of utter shyte churned out by the BBC and Unionist mouthpieces.
The very moment yesterday that Alex Salmond announced the launch of the Alba Party, all here have witnessed the panicky Unionist TV presenters’ crawl out from under their damp rocks and try to traduce Alex Salmond. I am surprised nobody has hashtagged “#AlexBad” yet.
It’s worse for Alba.
We have our own side throwing political monkey dung at us. That verbally incontinent “Ginger Turd” launched such a violent immature pubic diatribe against Alex Salmond that I was shocked a sitting Green MSP could get away with such dishonesty. It is Hellish when you start agreeing with shits such as Piers Morgan, but he was correct in name Ross Greer a “Ginger Turd”. Greer if you are reading this, you brought the Scottish Parliament into disrepute with your ad hominem attack. Indeed if I had time it may be worth having you referred to the Parliamentary authorities or even Police Scotland as you appear to have infracted several laws. The current favourite of Contempt of Court may be headed your way. Does anyone know if Greer is in the Twittler Youth?
He had that mad eyed scared panicky look about him during the television interview. We will leave the Ginger Turd’s political and legal future for later.
Stuart, my second point.
Macro-economically, there are substantial funds, if needed for the Alba Party. Stu., you are right that this is the last chance we have to save Scotland from the Sturgeonite McWokeists and those pulling their puppet strings.
Ergo, all hands on deck.
Stuart, the Alba Party could NOW do with those 3% to 6% percentage your first Wee Blue Book helped secure during 2014.
As we all know with the D’hondt system, it takes just a few percentage points to START GETTING SMALL PARTY LIST CANDIDATES ELECTED TO HOLYROOD.
So here’s my question..
In the face of a warped and universally hostile media in Scotland, all of whom hate Alex Salmond and the Alba Party, PLEASE can we bypass them and post out between 250,000 and 500,000 Wee Blue Books of Truth & Reconciliation?
This is a mamouth task to ask. But it may make the difference between just 4 Alba MSPs or 24 Alba MSPs.
Stuart, I suspect your ability with words could get a Wee Blue Books of Truth & Reconciliation written, copy-edited and proof-read in a long weekend.
SURELY THAT WOULD HELP THE ALBA PARTY HOLD THE BALANCE OF POWER AT HOLYROOD AFTER 6TH MAY 2021?
I have a special savings account with enough in it to pay for a decent chunk of the print-run and would be honoured to step up to the plate.
Though I suspect ALL Wingers here who “get” what you have been writing about for the past three years will also want to contribute to a new Wee Blue Book.
How about it Stu?
Alex Salmond had every right to walk away. To sail off into a well earned retirement. The man has more guts and steel and integrity and honour about him than any other person in Scotland.
We asked Alex Salmomd to put himself forward. He has replied to these requests with class and enthusiasm.
Bonnie Dundee is back.
Now is the time for us to dig deep. I refuse to leave the country of my birth and the one I love with all my heart to my grandchildren, where it is run like a mafia infested banana republic by some disgusting politicians from the ilk of those Sturgeonite McWokeists.
Mac @ 7.03am
‘I am really, really, really struggling with the idea of voting SNP on the constituency vote.’
Good, so am I. It’s the most disappointing aspect of this whole episode, the number of people willing to still give the SNP any vote after what they have inflicted on us all.
People quite happy to see an entire sex erased from society, ludicrous authoritarian laws and no effective plan for indy.
I even noticed Denise Findlay the other day tweeting about the horrors of an SNP-Green government and saying no list vote for the Greens. However, she said nothing about the SNP or about the constituency vote. I would have thought with her involvement with on current issues she would have been a guaranteed ‘no votes SNP’ champion first and foremost. Yet she didn’t and that has really perplexed me.
Me, I’m not voting SNP. I already compromised voting SNP in Westminster GE in 2019 despite personal issues with SNP policy, and I’m not doing it again.
Yes, accuse me of not wanting independence, of damaging the cause etc, but I’ve never lived with an independent Scotland. I spent an entire life living with in a society based on biological reality. I’ve seen woman struggle and fight, even within my own family and circle of friends.
If the SNP think I am willing to destroy that, to be blackmailed into voting for them because I’ve got no-one else to vote for in the constituency, then they are wrong. I’ll spoil it.
All the people on here, including Salmond and the Alba Party who are advocating a vote for the SNP simply do not care about the issues of gender/sex. They say they might, but their actions give them away.
If you vote for the SNP, your are supporting their policies for government. This is a government election, not a referendum.
Stick to your guns Mac, don’t vote SNP.
Michael Laing says:
27 March, 2021 at 1:34 am
@ mags at 1.19am:
Quote:-
“Voting Alba Party on both the constituency and list would be just as much a waste of your votes as voting SNP on both the list and constituency would be. If you vote for the same party with both votes, the constituency vote effectively cancels out the list vote. That is why the Alba Party are only standing on the list. This is the whole point of the party, at least at the coming election. SNP #1 ALBA #2 gives the best chance of a pro-independence majority.
Please read the Alba Party’s web-site. It’s here: link to albaparty.org”
—actually you missed out the important “supermajority” at the end of that link.
Is this the standard of transparency we are to expect from now on????
Read the small print!
So just on you go and do what your told, then 5 more years of hatecrime/wokism and corruption.
FFS I thought this was THE MOMENT for National Unity to begin to raise it’s head………..but instead it’s MORE OF THE SAME SHIT.
So DISSAPOINTED with this vote SNP first pish…
It’s so good to come on here now & see happy posters. These past weeks/months have been dark & depressing & with what’s been going on with the SNP.
I have no skin in this fight, but I want my fellow Scots to get their independence.
On the 26th Feb 2021 I e-mailed Iain Lawson On “Yours for Scotland” giving him my thoughts on what I thought would happen when all enquiries were done & dusted & after the parliament went into furlough.
In many ways it was wishful thinking on my part, but it has happened exactly the way I stated in the E-mail. Even the civil suit with a judge & the police being called in regarding the leak.
I asked Iain not to post it to his blog as I didn’t want the element of surprise to be detriment to the new party Alba that had just been listed. Just in case I was right.
I just had a such a strong gut feeling this was the party Alex would lead.
Given I left Scotland in my 20s & haven’t returned, having lived in NZ 50 years, was gob smacked when things turned out the way I had envisioned. So happy.
I believe Alex will do well on the list votes. I also think he will be eying up the GE in 2014. If still tied to WM.
In the next Scottish election in 2026 he will have candidates in both the constituency seats & list.
The chances are though by then you may well be independent.
I recon within a year the yes movement will be a close tight family again as it was in 2014. Independence the main goal.
Exciting times ahead folks. Things again looking positive.
Tried three times last night to join and twice this morning, no luck.
If ALBA get 15 or more list Msps, greens 5 and SNP 65. Then we are moving into Supermajority territory.
I think independence will happen fairly quickly. Certainly before 2024, as the SNP have planned.
It will be ours to take.
This is how the dehont system works. Get familiar with it before the election.
link to internationalscotland.com
How can I find my Alba membership number?
Tartan . I wouldn’t worry about the Greens. They will be lucky to get 5 list Msps. They are bricking it.
Interesting .. a neighbour has removed SNP posters promoting Catriona MacDonald for Edinburgh Southern from their windows. I understand Catriona to be from the Joanna Cherry wing of the party, so this could be a sign we’ll see her announced as an Alba candidate when the names are announced next week. (Although as of now she’s still listed on-line as the SNP candidate for Edinburgh Southern).
Maybe a hint of something even more interesting to come from Joanna Cherry, as some were speculating here last night?
I’ve been mulling things over.
I understand the usefulness of a super majority with all that brings, but still wondering that if with this now revived enthusiasm for Indy supporters to turn out and vote, the SNP gain a majority by themselves, which would then just allow them to continue on the path they are taking with the likes of the Hate Crime Act and the gender stuff.
With an overall SNP majority ALBA won’t be as able to hold SNP feet to the fire on certain matters.
So could there be SNP defections to Alba after the election as certain SNP candidates are already committed to standing for SNP and possibly can’t back out.
If enough post election defections occurred that may reduce an overall SNP majority and empower Alba.
People won’t like the idea that the Greens and the SNP keep calling the only man in Scottish politics to have delivered a legal and binding referendum (a has been)and innuendos are the SNP and the Greens worried I think so. Mr Salmond my leader of my new party has the backing and full support from this household. Has anyone done a Alba Party poster that can be downloaded for the Window.
Cant say I’m as enthused as much as some. SNP will never get my vote under Sturgeon; however, Salmond, remember, is also damaged goods and by his QC’s own admission ‘could have been a better man’.
He also doesn’t present himself with the gravitas and swagger he once did. He appears battle worn, old and tired and very visably affected by recent events.
I’ll watch with interest but have no interest in becoming a founding member of a party formed by someone who I have far less respect for now than I did 10 years ago.
Just wanted to add my tuppence worth on what was a glorious day for Scotland (The rugby, which I don’t even watch, topped it all off!). I went to bed very happy after hearing that the AFI had stood down all 42 candidates. Kudos to all, they must have had mixed feelings but knew it was the correct course of action. I joined the ISP recently, so haven’t joined Alba yet. I know there’s nothing to stop me, but it doesn’t seem right atm. I hope the ISP will see sense over the weekend and also stand down to get firmly behind Alex’s party.
I was going to spoil my ballot. I’d even sketched out what I was going to write in protest. Now I will vote SNP/Alba. The SNP should really be thanking him! One good thing if everybody here votes SNP1, less chance of some of the trans cult horrors getting in on the list. But, having said that, if I lived in Glasgow Southside I’d be voting for Sarwar!!!
Fred. Salmond is just getting warmed up. As for his past. The past is for reference not for residence.
Or as someone famously said:” The past is another country”.
Like everyone in here,and in the wider world. I have said and done things in the past , that have hurt or let peoole down.
Things I wish I hadn’t done. I can’t undo those things, but I can try and be a better person now and in the future.
People must allow Salmond his future, that is yet unwritten.
What a difference a day makes !!
Joined Alex and Alba yesterday, and then was given another reason to reach for the malt last night after watching Scotland use up their penalties to win rather than settling for a draw.
What tenacity !! We can win !
I think the tide is finally turning.
And if the SNP cant be rinsed of the Murrells and their malevolent influence on Scottish politics, may the be completely washed away.
And since things have taken such a positive swing for once, I hope that someone gets prosecuted for accusing Salmond of “behaviour” he has been cleared of.
The whole point of the Alba party is to get a supermajority. So of course it has to recommend voting SNP1. It would be contradictory to do otherwise.
That supermajority idea is what makes voting Alba2 such a good idea.
It was a good idea when SC brought it up on here month ago and it still is a good idea now AS is backing it.
It does require voting SNP1 which personally gives me the boak but that should be a great relief to many who were more sad than mad at what had happened with the SNP under Sturgeon and Murrell.
That said I would also be voting for Sarwar if I lived in that constituency or whoever was most likely to beat NS. I would also still be looking very closely at who my constituency vote is for if i do vote SNP1. Some of those SNP MSPs would not be getting my SNP1 vote even if Salmond phoned me up personally to smooth-talk me into it. Use your judgement folks…
Let’s get the supermajority and take it from there. Once we have our foot in the door all sorts of new possibilities will open up.
The mispronounced Alba was very Starbucks in that it gets people talking about it as free advertising
@ wee monkey says 7.50:
From someone who had grudgingly came to the decision of writing “redacted” across the constituencies paper, I dont think this is “the same shit, do what your told” nor “5 more years of hatecrime/wokism and corruption. ‘Alba’ makes this a completely different situation altogether now. My favorite interpretation (so far) as to what Alba means you can read at link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
I trust ALBA will adopt the Runrig track of the same name as its party song. I believe Runrig’s drummer at that time was none other than Pension Pete Wishart and I can already picture him cringing every time it is played. Only trouble is, knowing Pension Pete, he’ll push for royalties.
Andy says:
27 March, 2021 at 12:17 am
Only a lunatic would vote SNP 1 and 2.
I only know of one lunatic who is going to do this.
She is a Sturgeon Ultra who won’t have a bad word said about her wee darlin Nikla.
I think she calls herself “Ruby says”.
Unusual I know,,, but so is she.
She fights with every second poster on Wings.
She is better off staying in her comfort zone, over on the Wee Gingerbread Man’s website.
Reply
The Sockpuppet Stalker using his ‘Andy says’ account this morning.
I’m tired of it now. Going to take a break from Wings.
Hasta la vista!
Hatuey @ 1:46 am
“And that’s the big problem with the cultural arguments for independence — they exclude people and create unnecessary resistance.”
We’ve been through this before, but here goes…
National consciousness is dependent on our culture. Without our national consciousness there can be no motivation for national independence.
As Fanon stated:
“If culture is the expression of national consciousness… it is national consciousness which is the most elaborate form of culture.”
The basis of any culture (and identity) is our language(s), which is what helps give a people their cultural distinctiveness. It is language oppression (through imperialism and colonialism) and its resultant inequalities including a ‘cultural division of labour’ which creates conflict between peoples.
Peoples in self-determination conflict are always linguistically (and hence culturally) divided. Without national consciousness (which is not nationalism) there can be no reason for national independence.
(trans-national) Nationalism involves having another language (and culture) forced on a people and replacing their own language(s).
I think I’m the 2,377th new Albanach! 🙂
It’s a great relief to have an alternative to the despair inducing SNP.
Hopefully independence can be put back on track.
This truly is a lifeline to Scotland and its future! We need a clean sweep of all the SNP trash out of politics and this move is a great one to do that. In a way this might work out a blessing as all the people with the nature of being selfish careerists, cowards or corrupt will be caught in the dying SNP and kept out of the new breath of fresh air and real organic grassroots movements replacing them. They all had their chance to speak out and they chose CAREERS AND MONEY OVER SCOTLAND AND ITS FUTURE. They chose to vote for and support the corruption and insane route they’ve been taking us down and to attack Wings and anyone who suppots it. Don’t trust the turncoats of convenience either who only jump ship when they smell the money or careers drying up and a new gravy train to ride coming into town.
Sturgeon and her clique will be furious and it is wonderful! ?
Remember with this new party there will be both MI5 going in to ruin it and drive it down bad roads and SNP spies and spoilers. Keep an eye on things. Sadly the world we live in right now.
@Alf Baird
America got independence using the same language as England back in the day. So you’re wrong on the language part. There are other examples of this through the long story of history. Language is not key to it at all.
Michael Laing – thank you
Hatuey – No joke.
Nationalism itself is identarian. Politics-wise, nearly everything outside of the ultra-general is. It’s a pretty useless term.
Disagree, it’s a useful term because it’s descriptive of something that is real and distinct from other affiliations.
Wokeism: “As a transgendered dyslexic quarter-Eskimo Zoroastrian of colour who is oppressed by the cisheteropatriarchal white supremacery matrix…”
Nationalism: “As Scots…”
One offers people belonging to something grander, more inclusive, and more enduring.
The other is atomisation and the dissolution of society into something much less – mutually distrustful mini-tribes. Screaming at each other on Twitter. Forever.
Guess which one global capitalism prefers? Every multibillion dollar multinational corporation on the planet aggressively supports Woke for a reason. And not because they mean you well.
Of course, you can generalise identity to mean almost everything if you want, and try to make wokeism disappear in a puff of logic. Obviously nationhood implies a national identity. But that’s missing the point.
That identity politics is out there. It can’t be reasoned with, it can’t be bargained with… it doesn’t feel pity of remorse or fear… and it absolutely will not stop. Ever. Until you are dead or change gender.
Interestingly, supporting independence for the right reasons (democracy, self determination, subsidiarity, etc.) can’t be called identity politics. That means nobody is excluded.
And that’s the big problem with the cultural arguments for independence — they exclude people and create unnecessary resistance.
I don’t know if there are wrong reasons to support independence. You can take nationalism, and pretty much any other political idea, in bad directions if you’re of a mind to. But there’s nothing inherently wrong with nationalism. It’s a consequence of something that is real and organic – nations exist, they are unique and valuable, and they should be free to govern themselves.
If that were not so, we may as well talk about independence for Inverclyde. Freedom for Falkirk. Liberation for Livingston. UDI for Uddingston.
I’m a simple man. I believe in independence for my people, the Scots, because they are my people, and Scotland is our home.
I just imagine Salmond squaring up to Sturgeon in the opposition benches, when she tries to apply for a section 30 for the 4th time!
One wonders if any of these nationalist parties, or even any individual member of these nationalist parties, will ever find it in themselves to try to present an actual case for independence, credible or otherwise, or to explain how Scotland would function outside of the UK?
It can’t be that difficult surely?
Friday was the true gamechanger. Now its time to heal the yes family and prepare for our certain Independence. I know its hard but please dont lower yourself to their sub standards by taking the bait of the wokeratti. Be courtious, disciplined and focussed on winning the end game of Independence.
Alba member no. 45 ( i beat the queue by joining at the beginning of the press conference)
Remember, every Alba winner is a Yoon less. That is the beautiful thing about this. With any luck, no Greens. The guys can buy themselves a new dress to commiserate.
Arch Stanton
Since you seem to be interested you could easily make a quick study of the matter by having a read of The Wee Blue Book, link is near the top of this page. Warning: it will change your mind.
Robert. You are right. Just because the Nicola cult are behaving like petulant children , doesn’t mean we have to.
Be polite , but firm. Simply point out the percentages in the list vote.
Arch- How does every other nation function outside the UK. I don’t think independence needs explaining at a micro level. You either believe in sovereignty or you don’t, but it’s not a whacky concept. It’s normal. No nation has ever gone back.
That tells you all you need to know. Malta, Jamaica, Ireland, Canada, USA , Australia….Instead the unionists should explain why Scotland is uniquely incapable.
I want to thank AFI for standing down. I believe they helped show the way, and perhaps gave a measure of confidence to ALBA. I hope the individuals have more to contribute.
Arch Stanton says:
27 March, 2021 at 11:17 am
So what’s the case for the Union?
Arch Stanton @ 11:17 am
“One wonders if any of these nationalist parties, or even any individual member of these nationalist parties, will ever find it in themselves to try to present an actual case for independence”
No longer being governed by another country and people was a good enough reason for most colonies to seek independence.
Craig Murray’s Blog is up and running TODAY:
link to craigmurray.org.uk
I am not a nationalist and nor am I in favour of independence but I am glad AS has returned to politics. Democracy demands it if that is what he chooses to do and I hope it provides a counter to the poisonous face of nationalism we have been subject to for years, several without even knowing it. I am frightened of what the SNP has become afraid of the nationalist stooges that are now stuffed into our government agencies of various kinds, rejecting anything but the rhetoric of the snp. I am therefore disappointed he has chosen to advocate the SNP for constituency votes. Nevertheless I hope he can provide some opposition to the woke agenda and assault on free speech we have recently seen.
I am sick and tired of hearing AS maligned by rumour, gossip and implication on social media and in the press. A press which has had every opportunity to report the facts of the spurious allegations made against him in court, not least Alex Massie who makes my blood boil. I have had a small taste of those in power setting themselves against me and therefore admire his fortitude. That’s in addition to lies and unsubstantiated stories of his behaviour he left politics before. I have no idea what his true behaviour was at that time but I do know accounts of Edinburgh airport
are strongly contested. Arrogant he may well have been but that isn’t a crime.
I’m am certainly not under the impression that AS is any angel as is commonly the case with politicians but I know the difference between right and wrong and what happened to him was very wrong. It is ironic that the SNP seems to have precipitated his return to politics, which he may not have otherwise chosen to do. So I hope he fails in his objective of getting independence for Scotland but admire his tenacity and wish him well in his court and police actions and welcome any input he may have in straightening out the crooked government and institutions we currently endure.
So in case people don’t know there is a meeting online at 3 PM today of ISP members. We are discussing the implications of yesterday’s seismic announcement. Will l let you know. Want to record my thanks to Colette and her team. along with AFI they gave independence supporters an alternative to the woeful SNP. I hope the campaign whatever we decide, can benefit from the brilliant resources ISP have developed.
So you still believe making absurd and fatuous assertions that Scotland is a colony will persuade people Alf?
WeeChid
I’ll take that as a No then?
Big Jock,
A no from you too then?
Heaver,
To save me the time, what point would you make yourself?
Does anyone know where I can still find an archive of Craig Murray’s reporting on the Salmond trial? He was forced to remove it from his site.
Further to my comment yesterday – which is awaiting moderation – I would like to report that I tried to access Alba Party out of curiosity – and let’s face it, because I am thinking about joining in – and my college blocked that, and I got a message on screen stating I was not allowed to access the site as it was a security threat. I wish there was a way to add attachments for all of you to see.
This is a fairly large sized college – I am talking over 1,000 students – and due to the lockdown restrictions, our only way to access Internet as libraries etc are closed.
Just think of the numbers of potential new members Alba is missing out on…I found it really bizarre they consider the website a security threat. First time this happens to me and I have accessed hundreds of website since I joined the course last September.
Arch Stanton @ 2:06 pm
“So you still believe making absurd and fatuous assertions that Scotland is a colony will persuade people Alf?”
There is nothing absurd or fatuous about postcolonial theory, Arch. As an academic, my role is merely that of a researcher and educator. A trained researcher will look at the theory and the evidence for/against a given phenomenon, and make conclusions on that basis.
Scotland is clearly being run by another country (and guided by its culture, values and language), which is colonialism. Independence is therefore decolonisation; a quick scan of many UN member states confirms this.
The difficulty here lies in the fact that colonialism, as Fanon tells us, can totally brainwash a people. This explains why some colonised people will deny colonialism exists. In this, the colonised have a ‘depersonalized self’.
This is not an easy process; Fanon himself noted that in order to change this dynamic “a country under colonial domination requires liberating the mind”.
Gave a £25 donation – see how it goes. No Paypal, no Founder member happening – don’t see any payment by card protection.
First time I’ve contributed money since 2014 – certainly don’t see any point in donating to the SNP. It was clear in the EU elections that Ms Sturgeon wasn’t putting indy as a priority and only tagged on the ‘material change’ clause at the end after pressure was applied.
Still, Alec fkd up resigning – he was ALWAYS going to regret that and indeed he has…
You can tell yourself Scotland is a colony until you’re blue in the face, or rather blue with kind of white, diagonal lines, but you convince even less people than you can convince that you’re an academic, which is a number somewhere south of two.
You cannot make a case for independence, you cannot explain how you might conceivably imagine Scotland functioning outside of the UK and so you simply resort to some phoney, race based, revisionist nonsense about colonisers and settlers and non – Scots.
Seriously – you really do need to get a grip!
Whoops daisy, I should have said my post above was in response to Alfred.
Given that Big Jock, WeeChid, Heaver and Alfie are clearly struggling to explain their vision of Scotland would function outside of the UK, I just wondered if anyone else might fancy a shottie?
I’ve only been asking this question for seven years so have infinite patience.
Arch Stanton, did you ever bother to read the Wee Blue Book?
No of course you didn’t, because you are only here to troll people and to try to deflect attention away from what is actually happening.
Yawn. You BritNats are so boring.
David,
I find it astonishing that you would accuse me of trolling and deflecting from some unknown and unarticulated issue, simply because no one, yourself included apparently, seems to be willing or able to answer what should be a simple question, particularly for those armed with such incontrovertible knowledge and confidence.
No I haven’t been able to download the Wee Blue Book but I have tried and will continue to do so. In the meantime however, surely you or someone else could do me the courtesy, presuming you have read the apparently sacred gospel that is the Wee Blue Book, of trying to explain how you would personally envisage Scotland functioning as an independent state outside of the UK. There’s a lot of ground to over there, so even a little idea around currency, debt, lender of last resort, deficit, borders, trade or immigration, would be helpful in the meantime?
Hi Arch Stanton.
No need to download. Read it on the web.
link to theweebluebook.com
Mac says:
27 March, 2021 at 2:23 pm
Does anyone know where I can still find an archive of Craig Murray’s reporting on the Salmond trial? He was forced to remove it from his site.
WIN 20210319 10 24 50 Pro
Sorry Mac
For some reason the site doesn’t let me post it. If you Copy & paste WIN 20210319 10 24 50 Pro into You Tube search you should be able to get it.
“WIN 20210319 10 24 50 Pro”
=
link to youtube.com