The Longest Mile
There’s an interesting new blog today called “Will support for Scottish independence go away?”, based on some analysis of long-term polling and demographic trends. If you don’t have time to read all of it, its conclusion is, well, non-conclusive. But the problem with it is that it’s asking the wrong question.
Wings has very little doubt that polling support for Scottish independence will continue to fluctuate within a few points either way of 50% for the forseeable future, as it has done for the last decade. But the real question is whether that will matter.
Because there are other issues with very similar numbers.
Veteran readers will be familiar with this site’s nuanced position on capital punishment. (Newcomers should go and read the linked piece immediately, as it’s frankly excellent.) But the return of hanging is a subject on which there has been a consistent majority in the UK population for decades.
Even in 2015, when the British Social Attitudes Survey headlined a drop in support to below 50% for the first time, that figure was distorted by the inclusion of Don’t Knows. In the normal binary language of polling with the 16% of DKs excluded, it would have been reported as 57%.
As far as we can tell the BSA hasn’t covered the topic again since. But in 2021 a Redfield & Wilton poll found that an absolute majority of 54% still backed the death penalty for terrorists, which translates to a massive 70% of those who expressed a view either way.
And yet no political party in the UK advocates the return of the noose, and the issue is never meaningfully discussed. The views of the public are simply studiously ignored, and have been for almost 60 years. (In fact the 60th anniversary of the last hanging in Scotland passed less than a month ago, with the last one in the UK coming just a few months later in April 1964.)
For clarity, Wings is thankful that there’s no prospect of a political revival of the issue. But it’s also precisely what we fear the future holds for Scottish independence.
This site has exhaustively documented the SNP’s barely-concealed abandonment of any genuine pursuit of independence. Increasingly openly it’s used only as a rallying call for election votes, in a manner very much like the way Labour treats abolition of the House Of Lords or the Lib Dems treat electoral reform – ie talked about loudly in opposition, dropped like a hot potato when in power.
If, as we suspect, Stephen Flynn ends up leading the party sooner rather than later, that process will accelerate. We can all too easily envisage a situation where he does a Clause 4 on the SNP constitution much as Tony Blair did with Labour’s.
But even if he doesn’t, it’s been plain for a long time now that the party has no plan to actually enact its supposed goal. Just as Labour did under Blair, it assumes that its support has nowhere else to go and will simply grit its teeth and endure any amount of indignity, disappointment and betrayal in order to keep SNP MPs in the lifestyles to which they’ve become accustomed.
(How many times have you heard “Oh sure, the SNP aren’t perfect but they’re the only vehicle we have for independence so just shut up and vote for them and we’ll sort everything else out afterwards” in the last few years?)
Blair found out that that line only works for so long, and the UK has subsequently endured 13 years of Conservative government as a result. The SNP have stretched it out a bit longer – 16 years so far – but their time is almost up.
Since Nicola Sturgeon took over from Alex Salmond, independence has been a show fight, a wrestling bout rather than a boxing match. But we’re heading for a future where it’s downgraded even from that.
And it’s not even the bit beforehand where the two antagonists snarl some lame scripted pantomime putdowns at each other at the weigh-in. It’s the bit where some no-hope would-be contender demands that the champion face him in the ring when the champ has no obligation to do so and there isn’t even a purse on offer.
Support for independence will hold up, but nobody will be throwing any punches for it. Sustained polling over 50% (and a long way over, at that) hasn’t worked for capital punishment, and until there’s a radical reconstruction of the independence movement and its political strategy it won’t work for us.
In the UK, the condemned almost always met their fate within a few weeks of being sentenced. In the US and Japan, the last “civilised” countries where executions are still commonplace, prisoners can spend years and often even decades on Death Row, grimly going through the motions with no hope of release.
By now all of us will know lifelong indy campaigners who’ve passed away with their dream unfulfilled while the careerists and grifters of the SNP worked on nothing but their own pensions as the UK staggered through its weakest era in living memory.
Many, many more are likely to follow before we get another chance as good as the one Nicola Sturgeon and her cronies blew.
We wish we could see a brighter road ahead, but we are where we are.
Scotland where capital punishment is carried out by ribbon .
Hello,
I enjoy reading your analyses- mostly well researched. In this instance I’m not sure if the comparison you draw holds up. More of practical interest – and in general – I don’t seem to find any recent analyses as to whether you think Alba party would be an electorally credible alternative to SNP and, if not, what independence-minded voters in your opinion ought then to vote for. That would be interesting to learn.
Great article and film. I’m old and often think of the old ones who have died and didn’t see an independent Scotland. Sturgeon is too blame. It is hard to think of the future because the way forward is now so difficult.
Frankly the local groups, which are largely made up of long-term members who do view Independence as he core value of the party, need to start rocking the boat. They need to stick up for the cause and be aggressive in their retaking of the party. Otherwise, they are just kidding themselves. Sadly I think many put party loyalty before country. Failing in the own core values as Independence supporters. AS such if they fail to retake control they deserve derision.
Kate Forbes took any vestigial credibility she had regards Independence, smothered it with a copy of the Daily Mail, burned it in a skip and dissolved the ashes in hydrofluoric acid.
Forbes will attend the British American Project, Liverpool conference in November (while Holyrood in in session). The BAP is widely considered a front for the CIA (although US State Department may be more accurate).
I had previously considered the possibility of “agents” planted within the SNP (as opposed to “assets”) as far fetched (with the notable exception of Angus Robertson).
Events last week force me to conclude that Forbes was recruited as a mole while attending Cambridge University. The University of Cambridge is after-all a favourite venue for cultivating agents for the British Security Services.
“In this instance I’m not sure if the comparison you draw holds up.”
Why?
“Frankly the local groups, which are largely made up of long-term members who do view Independence as he core value of the party, need to start rocking the boat. They need to stick up for the cause and be aggressive in their retaking of the party.”
“If there is hope, it lies in the proles.”
It’s unfortunate that there’s still too many people that can’t see the SNP duck for what it is, if it walks like a Unionist and talks like a Unionist…
The SNP have been willing to take a dive in the 3rd round for 30 pieces of silver to stash in their pension pot and we have people online from various sites, including this one, saying it’s Alex Salmond’s fault, the man that scared the shit out of the Establishment north and south of the border.
The gullibility factor is a massive problem for independence, the ability to trust the untrustworthy is beyond reason.
An example of why Scots cannot afford to prolong their «attachment» to their neighbour with the fabulous «special relationship».
https://archive.ph/utlFh
Independence means more than flags and embassies it means guarding your interests and choosing your friends with great care.
Being a part of the US led so called Western Alliance, or any power driven alliance for that matter, in a rapidly changing shift in political tectonics, may not be in Scotland’s long term best interest.
Too many latter day T rex types on the prowl whose extinction horizon may be looming.
Scotland should not surrender to the globalist predators.
Sharp eyed readers can win a prize if they notice any major structural changes in the last 13-16 years during which the Tories and SNP governed as Continuity Labour because this is all a scam being played on thick voters by legalised criminals.
Well, I say “prize”, it’s actually another kick in the balls by the tax man.
I think writing about “the noose” provides us with a good example to illustrate how controlling the language allows control of the debate.
Nobody can argue against the facts that hanging is medieval, barbaric, over complicated, extends suffering, etc etc.
No, for once the Russtis show us the true way – bullet in the back of the head. Quick, painless, simple, cheap.
Only a couple of weeks since Letby, so I would imagine the horror of an NHS nurse slaying helpless babies might have shifted the needle on the death penalty support dial (slaying them after birth, as opposed to before, in case that’s unclear).
Which brings us to Rev Stu’s oft republished graph showing Indy support flatlined at 47% since 2015. There must have been hundreds of thousands of views of that graph by now, yet my impression from much reading BTL here is that most have yet to understand its message:
Continuing to do exactly the same things, pursuing exactly the same policies, voting for exactly the same people, aint gonna deliver Independence.
But don’t listen to me. Here’s a wee quote from the man himself. I urge you all to read it and ponder what it means:
until there’s a radical reconstruction of the independence movement and its political strategy it won’t work for us
Capeesh?
Forbes will attend the British American Project
I believe quite a number of low level politicians in this country attend this shindig. I think they call it a future leaders shwareeee. Forbes or any other person attending should be allowed near any public office. Nothing more than a vassal of a foreign power and will never have Scotland at heart.
Stu,
A astute piece of journalism,
Many independence supporters have passed away without seeing their dream become reality over the years, and they are sadly missed,
for the quality of their comments, for their ability to think for themselves and outside the box, , for their willingness to try new approaches, to learn from all the research that you and they provided in the Wee Blue Book,
Being contraversial or standing out in standing up for Scotland was not a sin in those earlier days,
And although dyslexic and unsure of myself I loved learning from those who had done the research, provided the links to show that they were not just trolls gossiping to distract the cause.
I am one those early life long supporters of independence, on here from early days when the likes of Robert pheffers used to post.
Both yourself and He taught me a valueble lesson in digging deep with research and proven records of historyold and modern, to find the truths for the benefit of Scotland independence.
Nowadays many just want you to do all the work for them, then ignore the information that could be the new catalyst to independence,
Alf Baird has done his research on Colonialism and how it relates to Scotland, I take my hat off to him for hishard work that has repositioned many peoples view as to the condition of Scotland, and that same said praise is also high on my list for Salvo, in their research,
I am not really into the bait clickers or gossipers for the sake of holding a conversation, I am not a high achiever in many things including diplomacy, with my old fashioned up bringing I call a spade is a spade.
Stu, that same praise and high regard for old fashioned and astuteness in political research, that informs those that are capable of hearing lies with yourself.
Many of us that invisaged Scotlands independence as first and foremost for generations and had the enthusiasm to act upon it are still passing away, waiting on death row,
The wood gets in the way of the way of the trees for many, so they stand around lost chatting as if they were on the set of coronation street,
Not looking for alternative ways out.
A spade is a spade, regardless.
And yes I say it with great sadness I miss the enthusiasm and knowledge often provided on wings over Scotland by the older generation now passing away.
Forbes will attend the British American Project
I believe quite a number of low level politicians in this country attend this shindig. I think they call it a future leaders shwareeee. Forbes or any other person attending should never be allowed near any public office. Nothing more than a vassal of a foreign power and will never have Scotland at heart.
It is the politicians holding us back.
So what can we do? How do the sovereign people change the minds of the politicians?
Educating them on the Claim of Right and the true constitutional position and powers of the people doesn’t seem to be working. They don’t want to hear that they are subservient to the people.
We poor souls will carry on plugging away in various non-political projects and hoping that some principled candidates appear and win seats in 2024 and 2026. But that is depressing and worrying – we need to leave the Union NOW and there is no guarantee of enough principled politicians winning enough seats.
How I despise our MPs and MSPs.
Nobody can argue against the facts that hanging is medieval, barbaric, over complicated, extends suffering, etc etc
So? Don’t commit murder then.
He who hingeth aboot gets hee-haw.
I’m so sick of the give me a mandate! Give it to me know!!
Ok, ta, now fck off. *I’ll* decide when I will trigger it. Mibbies aye, mibbies naw. Cool yer pants..where’s the rush?! Zzzz
The rush is we can all bet that WM isn’t hinging about in the background .
Have you seen the rubbish on the SNP website? They’re the real opposition didn’t ye know.
They’re settling in. Absolutely zero chance of them leaving.
Bastards.
8 yrs wasted on this shite for eejits to play with fancy fckn titles in WM & dick around .
SNP out.
What a way to spend Valentine’s Day, that year!
Having lived in a small seaside town with a big drug problem, time was I would have happily agreed to the death penalty for the Mr Bigs, the ones who can push addiction, hopelessness, crime and death into whole communities, with generational effects.
Also, if I committed a crime myself, I think I’d rather die than spend my life in prison.
Lucy Letby? She’d maybe rather be executed.
I guess societies have to overcome evil without becoming evil themselves, that’s the crux.
And I didn’t see the numbers logic in killing an innocent citizen *every time* the death penalty is carried out, when perhaps less than 1% of cases are wrongful convictions.
And how about the people who pay hitmen? The people who let their pals take pets out of Afghanistan instead of loyal-serving Afghanis, leaving them to die? The people who cause untold bankruptcies, divorces, repossessions and suicides because they become Prime Minister and tank the economy in two weeks, because They’ve Got An Idea? The people who let people infected with Covid back into care homes, and then lie about it? Do they get peerages; or do they get the Big Jag?
Provocative article though!!
Vivian O’Blivion
I don’t think there’s any need to invoke the CIA. The State Department is more than capable of wielding America’s soft power.
I’m sure the big brains at the State Department realised a long time ago that feting foreign nationals is a great way to make them feel important and hence well disposed to the USA. Now in a trust building programme like the British American Project there are ample friendly opportunities for get to know people better, etc, etc.
For example, if I worked for the State Department, I’d be very interested in learning how, Kate manages to juggle her deep religious beliefs with the tasks she has in government. I might also ask whether she felt whether her faith in an independent Scotland might no longer gain the prominence it deserved, given the secular nature of some of the main characters in the SNP. I’d also ask whether she felt that, despite the disadvantages, the relative isolation of the western parts of Scotland meant that the community was able to hold onto traditions maintain the values that have sustained them in a rather harsh environment. I could go further and say that America was built on providing sanctuary for people who were unable to follow their faith in Europe and so there is a deep connection with communities who are still able to maintain a close relationship with The Lord.
There you go. Seed planted that, perhaps, Kate might not want to be the vessel that resulted in the destruction of her faith. All very Inception, but very, very easy to do. All is cost was a little time and possibly a cup of tea and a sandwich.
TURABDIN.
The shift in global tectonics is already introduced in Scotland through stonewall, the Greens double agenda on, lets call it weather patterns that have always happened, to bring in restriction on human beings ways of living,
On gender indoctrination education, and perversion related associations towards women and children,
With allies in the Snp to change the human right on freedom of opinions and free speech whilst it is all happening our Wee Pretendy Scottish parliament under UK legislation.
Locking people up with out a trial is now rephrased terminology to lockdowns.
Turning the world up side down and back to front seems to be the opposite from common sense and the conservative view of family and local community.
These policies are world wide policies, global policies,
We to find a alternative and quicker legal method to a independent Scotland with out violence.
Vivian
Agreed. Forbes is a plant.
I don’t believe in conspiracy theories either but the British have form & a long documented history of squeezing itself in to where it’s not wanted. Only need to look at the shit they pulled in NI.
Sue Gray – I was just a lowly pub landlady. Honest LOL!!
Red.
IF they actually did it.
How many miscarriages of justice has there been?
Capital punishment isn’t a deterrent anyway & you can’t say Oops! Sorry about that – hang on & I’ll bring them back.
@Rev Stu
Prole art threat?
It’s the seat on the security council that would have USA, Israel & the UK government shitting themselves & making damn sure Scottish independence doesn’t kiss it goodbye.
Plus Scotland’s oil wealth that keeps the UK playing with the big boys at war games.
Red says:
11 September, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Nobody can argue against the facts that hanging is medieval, barbaric, over complicated, extends suffering, etc etc
“So? Don’t commit murder then.”
Tell that to the Birmingham six/Guildford four and all the others ya fcuking Tory roaster.
Lots of interesting comments on lots of different subjects…anyone got anything of interest to say about the article itself?
Perhaps we are a bit slow because until recent history, we were not in the know of what goes on behind closed doors politically.
I think the MacCrone report is a good example, and one I first became aware of through Wings over Scotland a few years back now,
There are many such instances of withheld information regarding the position of Scotland sitting within the Isles of Britain,
The one piece of information that I personally think to be very important to Scottish independence, but goes over the head of most people, is the opposing and contradictory positions between Scotland and England that is (written down) on the UK parliament site, is that Westminster in England thinks the Scottish parliament was extinguished from the treaty of union in 1707.
While the people of Scotland think the opposite, and believe their parliament is still in the treaty as of 1707.
Both attitudes towards a parliamentary union in 1707 cannot politically hold true.
Which is correct?
But the most important take from this, is that Westminster UK parliament have settled their opinion and position on the treaty of union in writing publicaly around the Globe.
Quote: from UK parliament site 2023, “The Scottish parliament extinguished itself by agreeing to the treaty of union,”
It does not state the Scottish parliament was subsumed into the Great British parliament nor that the Scottish parliament was extinguished in Scotland.
But was extinguished from the treaty of union. By agreeing to the treaty of union
Scotland believes it parliament still exists within the treaty of union Great British parliament.
Apparently Westminster UK parliament does not.
Stuart MacKay
Agreed, the CIA is all too often cited for dramatic effect.
I’ve always worked on the basis that the State Dept retains the remit for “friendly, Western countries” while the CIA handles the rest. Protocol Dear boy.
Subtle, psychological manipulation of the individual has long been taught at Foggy Bottom. When the devolved Administrations were launched, the State Department actually put out a press release stating that they would be “taking an interest”. Talk about a democratic outrage (one that went without comment from our bought and paid for msm).
Preferred tools for gaining compliance of an individual fall under M.I.C.E.
Money: always a seductive proposal.
Ideology: where applicable.
Compromise: or Kompromat if you prefer.
Ego: attractive to nonentities
Vivian O’Blivion
To give you an idea of the art of the State Department. I once new a group of web developers who were running their own shop. The mostly did NGO work and a lot of it was funded by the State Department. One of the projects they were tasked with was building a system to map drone strikes in Afghanistan to show, and I kid you not, just how accurate and precise the policy was and how all those stories of wedding, funerals and children were evil propaganda. These guys were honourable to the last strand of their DNA yet here they were whitewashing some pretty evil stuff. They truly believed their mission was doing good. Raising a surprised eyebrow made no impression on them at all.
The saddest thing of all, those people who genuinely campaigned for Independence all their lives like my grandmother who is 95 will die and their lives as she said, “was a waste of campaigning” and those NuSNP cunts will never know her anger at how let down and betrayed she feels.
Those people should face those on their deathbeds to hear how hurt they’ve been with their lack of interest in what should be the SNP party goal.
They definitely wouldn’t give 2 shits in all honesty, soulless cunts, the lot of them.
I wouldn’t be so pessimistic:
The disenfranchised 50% are going to have to shift for themselves, sooner rather than later, as;
CBDCs, restricted travel, bogus Carbon taxes, and generally increased surveillance and repression all descend in the near future.
Many can see what’s going on but just haven’t worked out the direction out yet.
Work to rule.
I am under no illusion about the SNP, but are they all plants? Could be. What I do think many of them are is neoliberal global corporatists egged opens by the hard left ‘wokists’ to commit electoral suicide, feathering nests along the way to oblivion.
By the 1970s, the gradualists were entirely wrong in their approach, and even devolution was a brake on independence rather than a half-way house. By the 2000s, leaving the Union should have been an absolute priority, and, in 2014, it was. Unfortunately, the fearties blew it for us. Although the referendum was a huge boost for ordinary SNP members and others out there, I do not believe that all of the MPs and MSPs were wholly on board. The gradualists and devolutionists were determined, after 2014, to retake the party and shut down the push for independence.
If Labour wins the SE in 2024, how will it really affect the MPs and MSPs (except that many will lose their seats and walk away with a decent golden handshake and a nice pension pot)? A long stint in opposition will afford them all a rest from the headache of government, and will allow an ever-more independence-light variety of MP and MSP – youthful, Millennial, untried but full of ambition matching a complete lack of life experience and political nous – to climb the greasy pole, with a hand-up from the gradualists and devolutionists. Win-win all round – except for the members and all those who actually do want independence this side the millennium.
Meantime, Labour will become infiltrated, yet again, as the SNP was, because the hardline ‘wokists’ and cultural Marxists, post modernists and queer theorists want power above all. and the whole roundabout will start all over again. Or, alternatively, something massive will occur that will force the cracks to widen to chasms, and, as the Union crumbles even more, Scotland seizes its chance.
@ Craig at 3.20: NuSNP “wouldn’t give two shits” about betraying the people who have campaigned for decades.
Perhaps the best we can do is go to the MP/MSP surgery and tell them face to face what we think of them.
One of the surefire methods to damage a movement an establishment does not like is to exaggerate the extent to which it is full of moles, double/triple agents, plants, foreign spies etc., a condition that movement, minus the tabloid exaggeration, should already be well aware of.
That is of course not the real object of the ploy, killing confidence and trust, sowing suspicion is. Infiltrators ultimately will give themselves away. We are not dealing with the idealized spy fiction world of wily George Smiley and The Circus here.
Unfortunately, the damage, however inept, may be rather bruising.
Anyone with any sense knows that the same folk who were in charge since 2014, are still in charge. Nowt is gonna change, now that the party of independence has been locked away and the key stored somewhere in Whitehall or Washington. NS didn’t like the name ‘National’ so how long before the NUSnp become the SDP (Scottish Democratic Party). Maybe they will wait till polling is back in the teens, or when Alba finally overtake them.
Whatever way you look at it, the only threat to the UK was the united front of Scots votes. Young folk now are pre-disposed to self-determination, so the wedge had to be driven through the heart of the independence movement, for with the vote now split, there is no way ever that democracy will deliver independence.
People who think that a Scotland United ticket will work are missing the point – the whole point of the SNP since 2014 has been to split the movement, and let’s face it, they’ve been brilliantly successful in doing that. Anyone who watched NS at work in her early days will recognize the same tactics brought to bear on our precious movement, but with the clout of the UK/US establishment behind it to force through the plans.
I don’t want to sound too defeatist but this one is gonna take a lot of thinking to work it out.
Lorna Campbell @ 3:39 pm
“I am under no illusion about the SNP, but are they all plants?”
Well, those SNP MPS/MSPs who aye refuse to describe themselves as ‘nationalists’ are probably telling the truth, i.e. they are not nationalists. That seems to be most of them.
Postcolonial theory suggests the native must become a nationalist in order to liberate the people. So its no surprise the SNP is floundering; if they are not nationalists they must be something else.
Geri says:
11 September, 2023 at 2:15 pm
Red.
Capital punishment isn’t a deterrent anyway & you can’t say Oops! Sorry about that – hang on & I’ll bring them back.
It’s not meant to be a deterrent, it’s a punishment.
James says:
11 September, 2023 at 2:25 pm
Red says:
11 September, 2023 at 1:46 pm
Nobody can argue against the facts that hanging is medieval, barbaric, over complicated, extends suffering, etc etc
“So? Don’t commit murder then.”
Tell that to the Birmingham six/Guildford four and all the others ya fcuking Tory roaster.
C’mere.
@sarah says:11 September, 2023 at 1:45 pm
It is the politicians holding us back.
So what can we do? How do the sovereign people change the minds of the politicians?
The answer is for some of the Sovereign People to become politicians.
This unnecessary division between “the people” and “the politicians” is a barrier really existing only in people’s heids.
The Scots and other ordinary Brits of 3 to 4 generations ago knew this well, which is why they formed the Labour Party, from the people, of the people, and for the people.
Something has happened since to ensure that the vast majority of us can only sit on our hands and greet. That apathetic mindset has to be defeated.
Interesting point!
I believe she’s on suicide watch which might indicate that you are correct.
If euthanasia and assisted suicide become law prisoners like Lucy Letby might be given a choice.
Jeffrey Epstein & Harold Shipman chose the suicide option.
@TURABDIN says:11 September, 2023 at 3:50 pm
Careful now!
There’s only so much BTL truth that can be posted each day before somebody has a meltdown 🙂
I see no need to invoke MI5, CIA, etc etc when self-evident total lack of competence, intellect, initiative and imagination is entirely adequate to describe everything we have seen from the SNP, since AS stepped down, to date.
FFS, they tell us up front of their complete inability to govern an iScotland and then we get surprised at their complete inability to bring about that iScotland!
What is “Independence In Europe” if not an unconditional surrender before a single shot has been fired?
Off topic
A Heaney poem for Alf.
A Birl for Burns
From the start, Burns’ birl and rhythm,
That tongue the Ulster Scots brought wi’ them
And stick to still in County Antrim
Was in my ear.
From east of Bann it westered in
On the Derry air.
My neighbours toved and bummed and blowed,
They happed themselves until it thowed,
By slaps and stiles they thrawed and tholed
And snedded thrissles,
And when the rigs were braked and hoed
They’d wet their whistles.
Old men and women getting crabbèd
Would hark like dogs who’d seen a rabbit,
Then straighten, stare and have a stab at
Standard habbie:
Custom never staled their habit
O’ quotin’ Rabbie.
Leg-lifting, heartsome, lightsome Burns!
He overflowed the well-wrought urns
Like buttermilk from slurping churns,
Rich and unruly,
Or dancers flying, doing turns
At some wild hooley.
For Rabbie’s free and Rabbie’s big,
His stanza may be tight and trig
But once he sets the sail and rig
Away he goes
Like Tam-O-Shanter o’er the brig
Where no one follows.
And though his first tongue’s going, gone,
And word lists now get added on
And even words like stroan and thrawn
Have to be glossed,
In Burns’s rhymes they travel on
And won’t be lost.
Good article Rev, the SNP’s treachery has turned the indy cause into a long slog as we wait for another indy party to rise, sadly many devoted indy supporters who thought Sturgeon would be the one to deliver dissolving the union won’t live to see an independent Scotland.
Pity there wasn’t an SNP indy group within Holyrood, that had the courage to take control of the party and get it back on track.
Vivian Oblivion.
Here’s a few more (BAP) devotees that need watching.
https://nitter.net/kennardmatt/status/1699156416462750144#m
https://nitter.net/pic/orig/media%2FF5SbnyxXwAAzFOw.jpg
The branch manager of BLiS or as the Electoral Commission calls it, an (OIM) Optional Image Mark, Anas Sarwar joined (BAP) in 2018.
what selection is excuses for losing Rutherglen will be floated.
Do the world understand that Scotland, Wales and N.I.,are regions of England and are given a budget this way like Birmingham Council?
Strange how the Lord Advocate has suddenly offered Glasgow safe drug consumption rooms after refusing for so long. Is this a sweetener? Keep the colonists happy?
Support for independence won’t go away so the question arises: What is the vehicle? How does it manifest itself, as it were.
Up until recently, this has been (at least apparently) via the SNP, however the SNP have betrayed the people and in my view should be expunged. They are beyond redemption and beyond repair. They are permanently tainted and can never be trusted again.
There is a second question however. Is a political party the right vehicle? Can/will there ever be a political solution to the independence question? I used to hope so, but increasingly I think not…
JOHN MAIN
Independence is as much a psychological state as a political one.
Being shoved around and lectured at by third parties is «undesirable» in both conditions.
As the Greeks and Hungarians know well the contemporary EU is not exactly a union of equals any more the British one.
When Humza was elected (if he was indeed elected) that’s when the descent became engrained and I do not see any way back from this. Although I have never voted Conservative, I reckon that they are the only decent party at Holyrood. Led by a chap who attended the local secondary school. The finances at Holyrood are in a mess. So many big commitments to fund things which most of us think are utter crap.
So my home town of Glasgow is to be turned into a living lab experiment and no one consulted the public about it.
UKRI/NERC and the University of Glasgow will carry out a £10.2 million quids worth of experiment in the city, and most Glaswegians won’t even know about it, let alone vote on whether they want it or not.
The UKRI’s ex-chief, denounced the proposal for a temporary European ban on the pesticides blamed for killing bees.
I’ve no idea what this lot are going to be up to in my home town, however I’m pretty confident that it won’t be to the benefit of Glaswegians.
Re my previous comment on Glasgow and its people being one giant experiment, one of the board member of the UKRI Sir Ian Boyd, advised the UK government on the false flag Skripal affair.
I’ve just read the 2015 piece, linked to here:
The Death Cult of Tony Blair.
It predates Corbyn and shows how Labour lost its way under Blair:
1997 (Tony Blair): 13,518,167
2001 (Tony Blair): 10,724,953
2005 (Tony Blair): 9,552,436
With the massive drop in votes in 2001 before the Iraq invasion.
A really insightful piece: Blair is not the way forward.
But we are here again, with a huge increase in business funding for Labour and policies to match. Someone is happy.
I agree with that. Politicians are the problem not the answer.
Something strange happens to people when they enter politics.
They get carried away with the fame & fortune become divas and which is very obvious in the case of Humza the Useless become blinded by ambition.
Sure like pop stars there are some good guys who stay humble but for the most part they get a bit carried away with themselves.
We need to stop relying on politicians and start getting creative.
Date: 11th September 2023.
Having read through these comments, I am puzzled by such discord and mean-spiritness about how Scotland’s restoration of independence and EU Membership can be achieved.
Those who really care about Scotland’s future as a mature, all-embracing democracy within the EU must understand that if, following the next UK Election, the Conservative Party wins, then I predict Rishi Sunak, along with his team, will be ousted by an extreme far-right cadre. This nightmare scenario is not far-fetched and will be exacerbated by Donald Trump’s return to The White House. “Goodnight, Vienna,” perhaps?
Seven years ago, Scotland voted to remain part of the EU by a substantial majority. I am not alone in being utterly furious about being stripped of my EU Citizenship on the back of lies, damned lies and subterfuge.
For goodness’sake, SNP, Alba and the Green Party! Stop bickering and snarling at each other, settle your differences, “get a grip” and present a unified front to achieve what is long overdue.
Future generations within Scotland will judge you very harshly indeed if this self-destructive nonsense continues.
OK, enough misery. There IS something that can be done to improve the quality of some of our politicians.
The Rev said that he almost founded a political party himself – and then we got ISP, Alba and others.
But, Rev, you have a higher profile/following than most AND you have a clear cause – Independence and Truth. Rather like Martin Bell when he stood against Neil Hamilton, you stand for purity [well, you know what I mean] rather than politics.
Imagine you and other non-political independistas standing in seats – albeit under a Scotland United umbrella – perhaps against the worst SNP candidates. Tim Rideout, Alf Baird, Iain Lawson, Sara Salyers, Craig Murray, Geoff Bush and many others – honest, principled, intelligent people.
AND in England too – in England it could be on the policy of Independence for All [i.e. England, Wales and Scotland]. “Let’s be normal”. Berwick would be a very possible win as most of those voters want[ed] to be back in Scotland according to a poll I read about recently.
You could start with some of these by-elections caused by misbehaving MPs and see what happens.
Well, it is a cheering idea and I look forward to seeing what you think, Rev.
.
Brilliant piece. Thank you Rev.
Unfortunately Stu., (and it is unlike you), you missed out the “known unknowns” as commonly sourced to former US Defence Secretary, the late Donald Rumsfeld. More accurately sourced to Luft and Ingham in their development of the Johari Window protocol.
From usually impeccable sources, the U.K. is headed in the same direction as America with their electing a useful idiot via their: Trump Fuckk-The-Washington-Swamp election of 2016.
That can be summarised as an electorate, so utterly disgusted with politicians, SPADS and corrupt lobbyists, that the electorate DELIBERATELY elect the WORST person for the top job.
The received wisdom on that philosophy is… “If you won’t listen to us, the electorate, we WILL inflict our will on you, the corpulent government.”
Unfortunately, the Yanks really opened Pandora’s Box: America is about to implode…
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/03/opinion/trump-has-big-plans-for-2025.html
This is a Johari Window KNOWN UNKNOWN.
But the thing that will bypass all of this is something far, far worse. The UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS.
Craig Murray will likely be the one to break the U-U horror show as the Ambassador that advised me where to look cannot go public for fairly obvious reasons. Whereas Craig Murray is one of the bravest, most principled men you will ever meet and has turned down multiple honours from OBE’s to LVO’s and it is fairly sure a knighthood was considered in the hallowed offices of where these matters are decided. Moreover, how many journalists does anyone here know who would do jail time on principle.
What I hope and pray is that Craig Murray NEVER has to announce what Vladimir Putin is about to set loose.
Most folk in the West swallow the media spin as deeply as Muscovites swallow Pravda news.
But here are three important things:-
1). Vladimir Putin is a very clever man. Underestimate him at your peril.
2). Few rational people ever thought Trump would be president of America.
3). Few rational people ever thought Boris Johnson would be U.K. prime minister.
The point? U.K. and Scottish electorates will start to elect the WORST candidate or party to punish the current politicians, who, Stuart quite rightly advised in this article simply DO NOT LISTEN TO THE ELECTORATE.
It’s the one AFTER Rishi Sunak that will cause the penny to drop.
But that ain’t the worst of it. President Putin is no fool. He is not an idiot. Yes he has many character flaws, but he is also very very smart.
The Russians blew up the Nord Stream pipeline to cause maximum economic distress to the West.
It is what the Russians are about to commence: their electronic version of Nord Stream.
This will make Elon Musk’s theories about “disruptors” look like child’s play.
This is the Johari Window and UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS.
I wish it could be deployed as a comfort to this article written by Stuart. It can’t, The Russians have it in the bag. They will suffer, but it is a cultural asset with Russia. Suffering and the discipline to be able to suffer is in Soviet DNA.
Compare this to the West? None of us have the capacity to suffer like the Soviets.
What this means is that Stuart’s article above will, one day, be looked at as the happy times. Imagine Stuart Campbell as Ricky Fulton in his comedic persona as the very apt Reverend I.M. Jolly. Then remove the humour.
The Russians have something very unpleasant in their bag of tricks. It is NOT nuclear. It is NOT very lethal. It will be 100 times worse than the pandemic was.
The good aspect is that TRA and all this GRA stuff will go to the very bottom of all political agendas.
Lucky white heather anyone?
I still remember the abuse many of us got after Sturgeon’s coronation, when we not only lamented the lack of post-mortem analysis of the YES Scotland campaign’s failure, but pointed out that she and her cohorts were behaving as if they won the referendum, as opposed to it being what it was – a devastating loss. I also felt at the time, as I do now, that Jim Sillars was all too readily dismissed for some of his harsh criticisms, but he was right from the start, in that a second referendum would have to be granted.
As long as the SNP, or anyone in their wake, insists we can only become independent by playing by the rules of the very people we wish to unentangle from, it’s a non-starter.
Alf Baird @ 3:57pm
Given that Scotland’s ‘government’ appears to be nothing more than a Westminster proxy disguised as an elected and autonomous parliament ostensibly representing the Scots (the devolved power retained trick), then aren’t all Scotland’s MPS/MSPs ultimately ‘approved’ by Westminster and ‘allowed’ to take up their political positions whether they, or we, know it or not?
Because it seems as if those Scottish MPS/MSPs who show the slightest hint of genuine support for Scottish independence don’t last long before some ‘mechanism’ is found to render them ineffective.
You could end up being charged with a hate crime!
The best thing would be just to ignore them and to encourage people to stay away from their surgeries.
No I won’t be telling Angus Robertson & Tommy Shepherd face to face what I think of them.
The sad truth is neither of these guys give a shit what their constituents think of them.
I would be dismissed like Gillian Duffy was by Gordon Brown as just a bigoted woman.
UKRI/NERC and the University of Glasgow will carry out a £10.2 million quids worth of experiment in the city.
This giant lab experiment using Glasgow actually began early in 2022, any Glaswegian who drives will tell you that you can’t get far in the city without bumping into roadworks, roadworks that no one really know what they are for. The live experiment in Glasgow is called Operation Gallant.
One of Glasgow City Councils partners in this experiment is C40 Cities, that locks cities into low carbon policies that end up costing citizens of the targeted cities a fortune in fuel bills.
C40 Cities cities is funded by the George Soros Foundation, Michael Bloomberg and the Climate Works Foundation, which is financially backed by Bill Gates.
Reading the posts shows independence had gone. Dalmond said it years back that the SNP needed to show the vision of an independent Scotland and convince people to back them by being a competent government. Sturgeon could neither describe the vision and blew the competence bit entirely
@ Ruby
Got my google fu game on and found the other pic I was recalling of an MP (Stewart MacDonald) with Nathan Sparling in this nitter thread.
https://nitter.net/MrMalky/status/1371815774839574529
Note that’s Hannah Rodger also in the pic.
https://wingsoverscotland.com/this-wont-take-a-minute/
As regards the ‘death penalty’, AKA state sanctioned cold blooded murder, I have no time for it. Too many innocent people have been murdered by the low-life scum state murderers (‘executioners’) to have it again. In essence, I Share some of REV Stu’s views on it, but am also firmly opposed to killing of any kind, even when dressed up as something fancy, like ‘executions’. I often think some Scottish theatre group should revive (and perhaps improve) the play, which I think was called ‘please mister’, which were reportedly the pleading words from the last teenager hung (murdered) by the authorities in Scotland at Barlinnie.
As Regards Scottish independence, it really seems like all those in the SNP who have blabbed about independence, don’t really see it as important. I, and others in Scotland, view it as urgent. But then, why would independence be urgent, if London’s policies don’t really affect you, on a grossly inflated salary plus expenses, sending your weans to the best Schools money can buy, and not having to worry about jobs or the ‘cost of living’. Nah, to those in the SNP, independence is just something they talk about to placate the ‘diehards’, as they reportedly do call them.
I find it hard to understand that there are still some in the independence movement or SNP who, despite the complete lack of action by the SNP, still think they are pushing for independence. To the SNP, independence is just something to talk about, to keep the ‘plebs’ happy.
They are indulging exactly the same folly which beset British Labour in Scotland, prior to getting booted out of office. They presume that as they are the main supposedly pro-indy party, that indy supporters will have no choice but to vote for them, regardless of their inaction.
Well, I am one indy voter and until just a few years ago an SNP member. I will absolutely NOT be voting for the SNP come the next general election. I mean why bother, they had every single seat bar one, and did absolutely nothing to obtain independence. So, seriously, what is the point in sending SNP MP’s to London?? Oh, sure, they stand up and make grandiose speeches, proclaiming things like ‘Scotland will not be taken out of the EU against its will’, for example. But it is and was meaningless. Unless the SNP are prepared to properly take a stand, and rebel against the hubris of Westminster, there is really very little point in sending them there.
As regards Humza, the first minister? No.
I mean what have they done about the silly English pretendy ‘supreme court’ decision about holding a referendum?? I’ll tell you, SFA.
For the current SNP, independence is probably last on their list of things ‘to do’. It certainly seems that way. So they don’t deserve my vote. I shall vote ALBA party.
Cheers Dan!
https://tinyurl.com/y5rbumu5
Are they twins?
I’ll juxtapose that on with this one
https://tinyurl.com/bdfk6xsc
Obviously if you have a trans twin you might want to kill a terf!
I am in favour of the death penalty…
For trans child snatcher Amy George. The butcher.
And violent trans paedo Katy Dolatowski.
And double male rapist, transwoman of the female jail Isla Bryson the beast.
Why should the tax payer fork out 25K a year to spoonfeed these scumbags. Wouldn’t it be better they were sent back to hell!
Send them back to hell boys. After lobotomisation…
Build my gallows build them high… As the Rangers supporters sing at Ibrox.
The majority support the death penalty. Good to know.
You really should read this, no you MUST read this.
“A private company with Tory MP Peter Lilley on the board was very quietly given contracts and money from councils across Scotland, before the referendum in 2013, for the Tory MP’s company to take charge of an expected 20% of the vote – postal votes – without informing the nation of this new setup. SNP councils were so desperate to put Tory MP Peter Lilley in charge, the three SNP controlled Tayside councils all chipped in together to give Idox Elections one big Tayside contract, in May 2013, with Nicola’s mother – Provost of North Ayrshire SNP controlled council – which also put Idox Elections in charge of postal votes.”
“Being a software engineer myself, my first thought was – could this be easily used to print replacement postal votes with the voters’ ID and their signature, changing our vote for a different candidate while binning your postal vote? I had to conclude yes it could.”
https://wikispooks.com/wiki/Document:Tory_in_Charge_of_Entire_Scottish_Council_Election_Count
Mibbes tis just a matter of time before the public start dying of boredom of what passes for political discourse and will hence cease to vote at all, that a bit of rollerball will need to be introduced to liven these dismal proceedings up a bit – Jonathan! Jonathan!
Dan you are a whizz at the google fu!
Journalists getting cosy with SNP politicians is another possible series. Do you fancy doing that?
Isn’t there a picture of Liz Lloyd & Murray Foote in New York?
That one could be juxtaposed next to the leak to the D. Record.
You might also need a song to go along with it.
You can tell that I’ve been really inspired by Stu & his ‘Coming Undone’ article.
“Nobody can argue against the facts that hanging is medieval, barbaric, over complicated, extends suffering, etc etc.”
It’s none of those things. Carried out properly it’s one of the least inhumane methods in the book.
Get yourselves along to Freedom Square (aka George Sq) this Saturday.
“Come along this Saturday for a 12noon start & we can promise you a great Yes day with the focus on #ScotlandUnited for Independence.
Speakers across the political parties & artists who believe in Independence will keep you entertained until 4pm.”
https://nitter.net/hopeoverfear01/status/1701230229715378309#m
Got kids or grandchildren you want to see protected from all the gender madness? then get yourselves along to this on the 28th of September, again in Freedom Square (aka George Sq) kick-off is 1.30pm.
https://nitter.net/pic/media%2FF5vZl00WkAAJ7S3.jpg%3Fname%3Dsmall%26format%3Dwebp
In the event of euthanasia/assisted suicide becoming law do you think prisoners like Lucy Letby should be given the option of assisted suicide?
Maybe this policy would focus a few minds.
Say in the case of Letby, a public petition could be started. If the number of signatories hits say 10,000 (or whatever), her death penalty is carried out. If further down the line, evidence emerges proving she’s innocent, every name on that list are lined up and shot.
I’ll consider the death penalty once we design a perfect system of justice. Until then the room for killing innocent people makes it non-negotiable.
@ Ruby
This article will help with your last query. It was Clegg, not Foote btw. 😉
https://wingsoverscotland.com/all-the-jolly-boys-and-girls/
interesting wee fact
The ANC and Ominium, the pro-independence non-partisan, civic societies have
11.2 million EUROS in cash
with circa 200k members
the SNP had 125k at one point.
For interest, check out the huge banners the Catalans manage to produce and still have money left over…
Something dodgy with the SNP takings over the last decade. They should be rolling in it..
https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20230911/9217924/dos-vidas-comun-omnium-anc.html
there’s no party whose raison d’etre is hanging though
“The Russians blew up the Nord Stream pipeline to cause maximum economic distress to the West.
It is what the Russians are about to commence: their electronic version of Nord Stream.
This will make Elon Musk’s theories about “disruptors” look like child’s play.”
Oh right, the RF blew it up and cost themselves billions in revenue, just to finger point at the West, and let the USA into Europe to sell its far more expensive gas/oil, I don’t think so.
Sy Hersh who is an ward winning journalist who broke the My Lai massacre story during the Vietnam war, also reported on the Nordstream terrorist attack planned during the Nato Baltops exercise, and carried out by the USA and Norway, the objective to stop the RF from selling its oil and gas to Europe. Ironically India now buys huge quantities of RF oil, and sells it onto Europe at a profit.
As for Musk, he has come under attack from the West for refusing Nato, when they asked him to use his Starling array to aid the Yuk-ies to bomb Crimea.
Looking at Scotland through the eyes of a Martian who has time continuum abilities! I see 2014 and the democracy process they use and it keeps Scotland part of the united Kingdoms. So I scan up and down the years and I go between then till now. I see the Scottish society slowly break down. I see hatred manifest. I see foreign children replace the Scottish children seat by seat in the Power houses of knowledge. I see Alcoholic drug addicted Scots begging on the streets So I dial back to the early 1990’s I see the same University’s with Scottish children this time. But Pause Go Back !! They are closing the Door behind them…..
@ ROS
” With the Tory leader caught by her own arrogant words, a police investigation started days after the Scottish Referendum into how Ruth Davidson knew the “result” of the postal votes before the official count.[3] ”
Don’t remember hearing about any outcome to this ” investigation ” : was it concluded that Ruth was just a jolly nice , chubby – bubbly even Tartan Tory – member of the new up n coming LGBlah divinely-ordained * classless* super-class , thereby incapable of such illicit behaviour ? She wore that tank well , didn’t she ?
I don’t know if the Ref was rigged , certainly there were … let’s call them ” anomalies ” the whole process , and the counting seemed needlessly convoluted ; depending on what ” needlessly ” means in this context . We also know how determined the Brit State is not to lose Scotland – it’s strategic & wealth-generating assets anyway ; the Scots people it doesn’t give a fuck about . Not that it gives much of a fuck about the English/N Irish/Welsh either .
We’ll probably never know what – if anything – * really * happened . It’s equally possible it happened as the * official * version has it . My own sense is that there was * interference * , just based – as stated above – on assessing what the damage to the – for lack of a better term – Brit/International Establishment would be if Scotland gained Independence , and to what lengths they would go to prevent that happening .
Think of the protracted , bloody attrition the Brits waged to prevent the reunification of Ireland ; the * loss * of Scotland is of far more concern to them . And they don’t even have to fire a gun ; they have far more sophisticated weapons at their disposal now .
I don’t know how you do the whole archive link post.
But obengrupenfurer Yousaf wants local councils to hand back an astronomical £331 million from social care to the Government.
Not a chance in fucking hell I say.
Get the SNP to fuck.
You replied to my earlier comment about being doubtful that your comparison holds up with ‘why’?
the reason is that, in the case of capital punishment, there is a silent consensus among the major political stake-holders from the main political camps that this issue won’t be used to gain political advantage.
By contrast, if there were (hypothetically) as 60%+ sustained popular majority for Scottish independence in the polls, then the political party representing such a majority (be it the SNP or whoever else) would be clamouring loud and politically irrepressible about a democratic mechanism to satisfy such obvious widely held majority view.
In other words, if – and only if- there were 60%+ in the polls and THEN the independence-representing party would run on the explicit ticket of delivering a referendum, the pressure would be immense to deliver clear democratic choice (and that’s different to the ‘silent’ pro-capital punishment majority).
but, once more, I would be immensely interested in your own choice as voter given that clearly do not think a vote for the SNP would be in the interest of Scottish independence. I myself have no clearly held conviction on this point.
The way the SNP are going, other than Joanna Cherry, I cannot see any of the current Westminster MP’s holding on to their seats at the next election. How ironic it would be if Joanna Cherry is the sole surviving SNP MP at Westminster.
Tactical voting by unionists, the low turnout from traditional SNP voters and the large inward migration of RUK residents to rural Scotland over the last ten years will result in a drubbing for the SNP. I suspect Scotland will be the only part of the UK where the conservatives will keep all of their seats and possibly make a gain or two. What a mess Sturgeon has made of the SNP.
Re. Lucy Letby, that’s a textbook case where the death penalty could murder an unsafely convicted person. Look up the websites Science on Trial, Rexvslucyletby2023, Chimp Investor or the Law Health and Tech substack for a critical review of the evidence.
If it happened to Luke Mitchell it can sure as hell happen to a patsy in England’s charnel-house of an NHS.
@Frazerio says:11 September, 2023 at 7:05 pm
I’ll consider the death penalty once we design a perfect system of justice. Until then the room for killing innocent people makes it non-negotiable
Hmmm.
I’ve always seen the resources of any state as being finite. However you want to salami slice the state’s finances, there is a cost for every convicted, appeals-process-exhausted, killer who has to spend perhaps many decades at the taxpayer’s expense, until finally passing on.
Meantime, week after week, year after year, the funds being spent on that convicted killer are unavailable for some homeless person’s accommodation, some pensioner’s home help, or some cripple’s hip replacement.
Any words for these innocent people, Frazerio?
Want to tell them why the warm feeling you derive from your virtue signalling trumps their real discomfort, reduced quality of life, and long-term pain?
@Al-Stuart says:11 September, 2023 at 5:38 pm
Great post, wonderfully apt date for it too: 911.
No timeline though. Here in the real world, we need timelines.
Minibus tax is up at month end, and I need to know if I should just get the 6 months option.
This is important stuff Al, so help us out. The extra cost of taxing twice a year instead of just once is around 10%.
Indy isn’t getting any closer. That’s demographics. And the Scots population gets more diluted every year, whether it’s English retirees moving to the borders, or south Asians coming in to Glasgow.
It is what it is. And those who advocate for only Scots to have the franchise, just think that there’s 750,000 Scots-born who live in England by choice (colonisers, some may say), and they would morally be entitled to a vote.
@Republicofscotland says:11 September, 2023 at 7:25 pm
It’s “Starlink” RoS.
I’d like to say that an obvious fail like that one doesn’t necessarily invalidate the rest of your post.
Soz, but I can’t.
Ye! As I was saying those children who closed the door behind them. Well I told my alien mates about them. They just laughed and gave me a machine which can literally forecast an individuals earth journey from childhood to First Minister. So being a typical earth man I never read the instructions. Anyway stuck it on and pressed the biggest button. You will never believe what came up…
@ John Foerster, 11 September, 2023 at 12:44 pm:
“I’m not sure if the comparison you [Rev Stu] draw holds up.”
@ Rev. Stuart Campbell, 11 September, 2023 at 12:59 pm
“Why>”
Like John Foerster, I find your analysis unpersuasive, Rev, because you’ve changed the terms halfway through. Your data says that there’s no political mileage in calling for the death penalty for terrorists, but your argument is then that there’s no political mileage in calling for the death penalty for anybody. The first of these propositions may be true, but the second doesn’t follow. They’re very different propositions, and it’s disingenuous of you to flop from one to the other just to bolster your argument.
Regarding independence, it’s not your data that says there’s no political mileage in calling for it, it’s the British establishment, and they’re not data, they’re players, so they don’t count. Your data – as in your oft-repeated graph – says that there’s a consistent call for independence, and that means that there can be political mileage in it. How this call might translate into action I don’t know, but your argument that it can’t happen is a false conclusion.
Also I’m startled that you call your views ‘nuanced’. If you google LDOCE (Longman’s dictionary of contemporary English, the best free online dictionary for English) you’ll find that ‘nuance’ means something with a very slight, hardly noticeable difference. But your views don’t have a very slight, hardly noticeable difference. They’re radically different, very clear, and cogently set out: if you vote for the death penalty, you go into a ballot to decide who next gets topped. I approve of your views wholeheartedly, but nuanced they’re not.
Re the death penalty and innocents,
We all die of something, at at all sorts of ages. Accidents, cancers, heart attacks, whatever.
I don’t see why anyone innocent of crime being hung or shot is worse than anyone dying before a natural time of a cancer.
Given that the very vast majority of murderers are actually guilty, having gone through an enormous and open process of justice, we would be talking of one or two people a year being wrongfully convicted and then executed. In the grand scale of things, that’s ignorable. Worse things happen at sea.
Main;
Aye, unless it’s you, right? …..RIGHT?
“Anton Decadent says:
11 September, 2023 at 2:20 pm
@Rev Stu
Prole art threat?”
High Tension Line given the subject matter, no?
Does anyone agree that the Rev should revert to his plan of setting up a new political party? A party for non-political candidates – standing on principle and on the truth.
On the subject of hanging, that is an excellent way to settle the issue: a referendum where you must embrace the risk of innocent death.
This could be extended to other policies – do you support the war in Ukraine? Benefit cuts for the vulnerable?
To whomsoever this degree may appertain, the warning goes forth:- build not for the future,but for eternity,for it is very nigh;and if though sowest aught,make no count of the harvest,for the seasons are not to thy hand;yet both sow and build for the greater good,and work in hope!
Rev Stu does a fairly good job of highlighting the travesties going on in Scottish politics, without having to get involved.
To me, he should keep aloof of political engagement, ie no “WOS” party. We know that this blog is read by the politicos; let them learn from his insight. Or maybe, they’re beyond redemption – they’re too far down the dogma road.
John Main 8:23pm
Oh Dear! You do realise that there are a group of international lawyers who have been fighting for decades to help the MASSIVE amount of people convicted with the death penalty who are INNOCENT – Go look at the stats on the Death Penalty Information Center.
Apart from the FACT that most of the police and legal system are useless clowns just like most of the rest of the people running our government, councils etc there are also many of them who are corrupt and who will fit up anyone to get convictions so that they can crawl up the greasy pole.
The biggest laugh is these polls of the views of the public – the vast majority of whom are totally clueless about anything and who only know what the corrupt controlled mainstream media and political parties tell them. There is also the FACT that they do NOT want to know the TRUTH about anything and that is why they have been getting suckered and conned since the day they were born for thousands of years at least.
Most of what they have been getting told is total LIES and PROPAGANDA and always has been – the masses hate the leaders etc of other countries that their corrupt governments and mainstream media tell them to and then they are suckered into going to war etc on these LIES and PROPAGANDA to take out those countries and put in puppets to run them on behalf of the MAFIAS that run our countries.
All of the “terrorism” is totally FAKE as well all being carried out by our corrupt governments etc to take away our RIGHTS and FREEDOM etc – got to laugh at the people who have been suckered by the “terrorist” escaping from jail story filling the news this last week etc they were using to bring airports to a halt just after the air traffic control system “failed” disrupting peoples travel for over a week as well – keeping up the stopping people from travelling agenda they started with the SCAMDEMIC and this “cost of living” SCAM as part of the UN/WEF Agenda 21/Agenda 2030 etc agenda of 15/20 minute cities that the Global Warming/Climate Change SCAM is part of as well.
Richard D Hall did an excellent job of totally exposing the FAKE Manchester Bombing which is part of this agenda and you can also see his excellent documentary totally exposing the Jo Cox “murder” as well on his website – this shows that they do indeed have plants in the political parties working for their agenda and in this case it was to demonise those pushing for Brexit and to try and influence the vote with this FAKE “murder”. What Richard totally exposed in this documentary is how they fitted up that guy for that “murder” so he would have been given the death penalty if the people got their way as per that poll. Then again as many of us think he could just have been another of the CRISIS ACTORS they actually use in these FAKE “terror” attacks. What most of the dumb masses do not realise as well is the amazing co-incidence that there was a TERROR DRILL going on at the EXACT same time or just before these events with the EXACT same scenario etc that are then passed off as real.
Also amazing how people do NOT notice how all of the governments and mainstream media all over the world are all doing and saying the EXACT same thing with regard to the SCAMDEMIC, COST OF LIVING Scam DELIBERATE destroying of our economies, bringing out “Online Harms” bills to protect the kids etc from DISINFO, MISINFORMATION – only their information is allowed, and “Energy” Bills to force everyone on to smart meters and devices etc and “Green” Energy – the vast majority of MP’s from every political party has just voted for this corrupt bill in Westminster and the dumb masses think that voting for any of these parties or politicians is going to make any difference.
Every single politician who has voted for all of this has been committing TREASON and GENOCIDE with regard to the SCAMDEMIC and these Bio-weapon “vaccines”. Did that nurse actually kill those babies or was it the vaccines that have killed millions of people all over the world so far and seriously injured hundreds of millions more including babies and children and she has been fitted up as a scapegoat to cover up for this – who knows as there is so much LIES and PROPAGANDA in the mainstream media etc as a distraction to the masses from what is really going on such as the sending of the old into the care homes to die of COVID which is the biggest LIE out as there is NO COVID and absolutely NO evidence that it exists and they actually MURDERED the old people with Midazolam and Diamorphine and starved them of food and water. This has been reported to the police by Doctors and Nurses etc but they will do NOTHING like the Scottish and Metropolitan Police etc who are doing NOTHING after been given the EVIDENCE of this SCAMDEMIC and all of the deaths and serious injuries being caused by these “vaccines” by doctors, lawyers, ex-police etc as well. Only one MP Andrew Brigden is exposing this and he has been kicked out of the Tory party for daring to open his mouth.
Like I said before the people are waking up to all of this and these politicians and order followers etc are going to get a big surprise as the EVIDENCE against them is being gathered in order to deal with them.
Nice to see you commenting, Brian. Are you out of hospital?
Re the Rev’s party idea, his would be a very different one from even ISP and Alba because its objective would be to use the political system but not operate in the usual way. As Martin Bell did – an anti-politics party that fights for a principle.
Because something different is needed. The current politicians in the SNP and Greens [and the other parties] will learn nothing and do nothing for us or Scotland. They are a shameful group of irresponsible, selfish, wasters.
I was a mere whipper snapper when I tuned into wings , now as a slap headed 60 year old, the long , exciting summer leading up to that Sept vote in 2014 seems like decades ago. Pfft . I was cheated like so many from a teenage dream , through middle age by these career politicians . I will never forgive or forget their deception. Unforgivable.
Tell you what, Billy Carlin, the main one on here is “totally clueless” is you. Go and sort your own head out before shouting long and loud at others.
How could Ruth Davidson predict the result of an election before the count had taken place? Here’s how – there has been 2 months campaigning in Rutherglen so far – if the Labour party has identified 10,000 supporters and got them signed up for postal votes then if the postal turnout is over 80% and the overall turnout is 25% Labour will know they have won without seeing one ballot paper opened.
The Aliens name was Jacob.
Good grief. I see that Heather Pervert has had his meat and 2 veg turned into toad n’ the hole…
Possibly for the best… He thinks kids bring twerking adults in their underwear on themselves…
Well done Heather. You’re a real woman now.
With a rare hint of optimism, I honestly believe the problem with Scotland’s politics boils down to a simple question of calibre… or lack of it.
We have a handful of good politicians, most of them vilified for things they didn’t do, and a short handful of those would make decent global statesmen. But by a long way, the average Scottish politician seems a desperate and feckless creature, with all the cunning of the chicken, not the fox.
I don’t think they’re intrinsically bad people, just intrinsically weak people who’re not very good at their jobs. To paraphrase Cher, ” Papa would do whatever he could,
Preach a little gospel,
sell a couple bottles of Doctor Good…”
There is something far more sinister holding Scotland back, and that frailty lies in “the system”, which seems to weed out the good people, select the worst of us to go through, indoctrinate the chosen few, or rather the elected few, and turn them into insipid wet blankets who hold their electorate in contempt. Err, why are we doing this?
We live in a “Democracy”, but yet our actual democratic process is wholly compromised and dysfunctional, riven with disinformation, indoctrination and dishonesty, and our electorate brainwashed by UK opinion and interference, and where our Constitutional Sovereignty is paid lip service, but routinely demeaned and ridiculed.
It is a very rare thing for a true character, a Leader, to emerge and seriously threaten the paradigm of UK Government. Controversial perhaps, but it’s my considered opinion that ONLY Alex Salmond has ever actually done it.
I mean no disrespect to other Independentists, some of them giants, some of them stars, many of whom kept the cause alive when all the odds and polling were against it, but with the possible exception of Willie MacRae, only Alex Salmond ever had the UK Government properly “on the run”.
All Sturgeon ever was, was the syringe through which the British Establishment injected toxicity into everything which Salmond had created, but that intervention could only succeed because so many stupid WGD type sycophants and useful idiots inside the SNP were desperate Prima Donas far too eager to swallow the malicious narrative hook, line and sinker.
I mean for fk sake, Scotland’s subjugation, a gross impropriety which was never legitimate to begin with, but we were there, on the cusp of Freedom in 2014, and again in 2016, and yet, here we sit in 2023 going backwards, having picked, err let me check the list,… Humza Yousaf, Shona Robison, Stephen Flynn and Mhairi Black as the “Best of Us” to lead this fight.
Err,… who? Can we have a quick recount? Hello? What have they ever done to prove their mettle as leaders? A drag Queen to a primary school? Whit? What actual skills do they have? What are their leadership credentials? I mean, holy shit. Supposing we only drew straws at random, there’s a pretty good chance we’d be far more likely to pick a better quartet to lead us.
Jesus H. Every time I think about it, I come over all “Theodin King”, standing in a doorway with a searchlight behind me, and asking Gamlin, “How the fk did it come to this??? Where is the horse and rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? Where is that man Salmond, the Champion most capable of doing this? Where’s he? Why have we handed the reins to a treacherous crock of absolute douche bags who can’t even run a Ferry? We’re gonna fkg lose now, despite having everything necessary to win.
Alex Salmond, SALVO, settle whatever differences you have, and get the Elves to light the fires and make 100% sure Scotland’s Politics, and Scotland’s Sovereign Constitution, are forged into one of those all conquering swords which can never be broken again.
This must be done people. Follow the Leaders who can and will free us, and abandon this folly where the second best, political non-entities will only lead Scotland to defeat and humiliation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVEYcTyj1Do&t=105s
We are running out of time.
@Sarah 1.45pm
It is the politicians holding us back.
So what can we do? How do the sovereign people change the minds of the politicians?
John MOAN says
The answer is for some of the Sovereign People to become politicians.
As much as it pains me I have to say John MOAN is technically correct
BUT instead of ordinary people putting themselves forward I believe the ONLY way things can be changed is for the people involved in SALVO and Liberation.scot to become political
I have immense faith in the people who have formed SALVO and Liberation.scot, the information they have unearthed and produced in the short time they have been in existence is amazing , whilst politicians of ALL parties concentrate and engage in the westminster way which constantly sees the goalposts on rails irrespective of who is in power SALVO is concentrating on educating and reminding the people that the POWER is in THEIR HANDS if only they could use it
Sara Salyers and her team have done more in 1 year than ALL our politicians have done for the past 9 years to promote and encourage independence support and unity
When Sara made her speech at the ALBA convention the whole room was energised and on board when she put forward the details of a people’s convention or assembly but politicians being politicians DEMAND that the power remains with them and the illuminati
How many times have we been promised a convention of the estates and NOTHING happens, because they know that to concede power they become answerable to the people, I personally am heartily sick of politicians CONSTANTLY LYING about what they will do when they are elected and as soon as they are elected they IGNORE the voters and plough on with what THEY want,
Imagine if you will we elected SALVO representatives to government and they then had the ability and opportunity to educate and inform people of the true riches of Scotland’s resources and how they have been stolen and used for the betterment of a foreign country
Also imagine if you will our SALVO representatives publicly exposing the lies that have been used by the unionist parties to keep us hogtied to this corrupt and venal state
Imagine if you will HONEST PEOPLE like Sara Salyers or Alfred Baird governing a rich thriving country on behalf of the people, wouldn’t it be a refreshing change
Problem is they’re more likely to hang you for teaching your dog to say “woo” whilst giving a bent arm paw than any of the idiots that gave us mask mandates, secret police/ courts, fear of the weather/ each other, etc
Love the idea of KF going to the British American Project though – If she takes a big enough stick she’ll be in excellent position to muster a fair slice of Gods fury and, should any of them so much as cough, whack their current bollocks so far back up their deep throats they’ll be spitting the proud boys back out in no time.
@twathater says:12 September, 2023 at 4:20 am
It must be really EATING at you, eh TH? What ELSE have I been right about that you don’t have the SMARTS to wrap your heid around?
Maybes spend less time hammering YOUR keyboard and more time atoning for the mess you and the likes of you HAVE made of Scotland with your blind acceptance and thoughtfree CHEERING for the SNP over the YEARS.
The flawed and fraudulent PRETENDY FM currently turning Scotland into an international laughing STOCK is on you, not me. So be humble, read and LEARN. You owe it to us Sovereign Scots to DO that.
And a wee APOLOGY can’t do any harm.
@Billy Carlin says:11 September, 2023 at 10:55 pm
Thanks for your response. You cover too much ground in one post for me to meaningfully respond to, but I will make two points.
the FAKE Manchester Bombing
Many grieving parents buried the shredded bodies of their innocent children after that atrocity. It adds insult to injury to claim that the sadness and sorrow that will attend their every day until the ends of their lives is in any way fake.
there is NO COVID and absolutely NO evidence that it exists
Something made me quite ill for a while. You are partially right, I don’t know exactly what it was, but I am content to call it COVID. The people I passed it on to all called their infections COVID too.
Hi Sarah.
Been home since 1st September. Taking it easy and snoozing a lot.
Morning Twathater!
I have some question re your post
https://wingsoverscotland.com/the-longest-mile/#comment-2789326
Why would Salvo need to enter politics to be able to get their message across to the people?
What guarantee do we have that honest people like Sara Salyers & Alfred Baird won’t be bitten by ‘gravytrainitis’ and become as dishonest as the rest of the politicians?
I don’t believe politicians are the answer they are the problem.
Innarestin article on Unherd this morning: “An Arctic War Is Coming”.
By “war”, the author means the escalating scramble for access and resources as the far north thaws, but also the flashpoints at which the competition may well morph into a shooting match.
As the furthest north part of the UK, Scotland will have to play its geographically dictated role in this newly unfolding world, whether Independent or not.
I find it innarestin to contemplate how the different world power blocs are treating the impending climate chaos. Here in the wealthy west, we are bending every sinew to stop it. Beggaring ourselves in the process, we virtue signal about how we owe it to the developing world to minimise the changes.
But in the third world, as represented by the BRICS, they can’t wait to bring it on, and to hell with the consequences. Their mad scramble to burn ever more fossil fuels continues, and meantime they can’t believe their luck that we are voluntarily abandoning our political and economic top spot so that we can pursue some unattainable net-zero mirage.
Abandoning all of that luvverly coal, oil and gas to them.
Go figure.
When Sara made her speech at the ALBA convention the whole room was energised and on board when she put forward the details of a people’s convention/
Yes I remember that. And I do know they tried to make sure that Sara never got to the podium
.
The next person to speak was Alex Salmond and he was fkn ragin he has no interest in power being held by the people.
The audience were indeed electrified by Saras speech but as usual in Scotland the people held on to the past, Alba were lucky that day they know they dodged a bullet.
SO
Alex Salmond, SALVO, settle whatever differences you have Not a hope in hell.
Well said!
I reckon more people trust Stu than they do any politician.
Maybe if Alf Baird & Salvo want to get their message across they should take a look at the work Stu has done.
We need to get creative like Stu.
Privately or on the NHS?
Geri says:
11 September, 2023 at 2:10 pm
Vivian
“Agreed. Forbes is a plant.”
Do you seriously believe that even the dimmest SNeeper would use a young Christian, obviously with an excellent political brain and who is against homosexual marriage as a plant?
To outlandish even for Humza.
It ain’t easy being good!
Om! Om! Om!
I must not swear or be personally abusive!
I must not swear or be personally abusive!
I must not swear or be personally abusive!
I must not swear or be personally abusive!
Om! Om! Om!
Why was Mrs Murrell able to wreck the Independence cause?
Easy peasy Mrs Murrell was only one of a powerful minority of social deviants taking over the political stage not only in Scotland but throughout the Western world with the full backing of the MSM and proponents of other causes like climate change equality and diversity.
We all vote these cranks into government soon they will achieve full control. 10 years? Is there anyone who thinks they can be reined in?
@ akenaton
Since you rocked up on here praising Kate Forbes so highly, please elucidate the reasons this great politically brained individual chose not to attend parliament and cast her vote that would have ensured the GRRB amendment re. safeguarding procedures and background checks for Self ID would pass. By her not doing so the amendment failed.
Also whilst you’re at it, please explain the benefits to Scotland and Scots of Freeports, which the great political brain Kate is a supporter of.
If you want to save yourself the hassle of typing you could just link directly to her published statements with supportive evidence explaining the reasons for her taking these positions on these two particular matters.
The sooner people realise the Alba party is the only party that wants independence, the better.
@wullie says:12 September, 2023 at 8:27 am
The next person to speak was Alex Salmond and he was fkn ragin he has no interest in power being held by the people
Do you grow your own food, Wullie?
Maybes you machine spare parts for your car.
Grind new lenses for your glasses.
Remove appendixes from your family and friends.
My point is that modern life inevitably requires us to entrust specialists and experts to take on most roles on our behalf.
The issue with the “people are sovereign” trope is that inevitably that sovereignty has to be handed over to specialists and experts to do the full time day-to-day stuff that an aspirational first-world country requires.
I’m not saying we can’t improve on what we currently have. I am saying that at some point, we have to let the representatives of the people get on with the job we have tasked them with doing.
It’s the real world. There are as many opinions as there are Sovereign Scots. Our representatives have to find a compromise that they can make work. The mark of a good compromise is that EVERYBODY is disappointed to a greater or lesser extent.
My suggestion is to keep the system we currently have, but to grow new politicians from amongst the people. We could hopefully believe that they have not sold out, when they try to do things in power we don’t agree with, but are faithfully trying to do what is possible for the greatest good.
Ruby @ 09.05
You can do it, Ruby, for one who articulates the desire for independence so well (and, when not in “detention”, so frequently) just controlling your language can’t be such a challenge. The two teenagers next door to us can manage it.
And, as an unsought benefit for you, I actually get to read your posts now. So there you go, your admirable self restraint has increased your audience by one.
My wife, Lady Lululemon Sparkle, logs into wings almost everyday, me….not so much. She never comments but I do hear her swearing at a lot of the posts!
The days where I do have a keek seem to coincide with a rant from the latest nutter, the esteemed Billy Carlin. On skipping through his latest outburst, at pace, at least there is no reference to the VATICAN MAFIA this time. On reflection, I probably should not have mentioned that as it will undoubtedly form the substance of his next round of mince.
I see Ruby is back. Sorry hen-you were never good.
When will the site stalwarts realise that the prospect of Independence is dead for a good number of years but ……. never say never.
JOHN MAIN
An Arctic War is Coming….
More likely welcome to the Very Wild North.
China, a self declared «near Arctic state».
An iScotland might get a load of that too; an intelligent, well informed, prescient, motivated iScotland that is.
There is no climate chaos by any measurable output, only by modelling.
No more or no worse storms, floods, droughts, heatwaves. Fewer people are dying from bad weather events than any time in history. Crop yields are steadily increasing all across the world. Populations are rising and living longer. Deserts are shrinking and the planet is greening. Arctic ice caps remain much as they have for as long as we have known them. Polar bears are thriving, the Great Barrier Reef is currently the largest and healthiest it has ever been measured.
It is a conspiracy by the usual suspects who come together over climate, covid, pick a conflict of your choice, independence.
Government, global organisations, billionaire foundations have bought out science, media, politics to produce highly skewed reporting and analysis, eg weather maps showing temperatures of 15 degrees and yellow and 20 as red when previously they mild grees; reporting the much higher ground temperatures than previous air temperatures.
And all of it can only be cured by you paying higher taxes, additional energy surcharges, ULEZ and congestion charges, limiting your purchases, your travel, the size of your family, cutting out your pets. Living colder, smaller, more limited, uncomfortable lives, trapped where you are allowed to stay.
While the main propagandists add to their multiple property portfolios, make fortunes from their hedge funds knowing where they can influence regulation and government spending, travel to world wide conferences, often in private jets. The superyacht industry has never been busier. Even at the lower level you can still stretch to a luxury campervan.
For God’s sake people wake up.
Akenaton @ 08.49
Would a young Christian with an (alleged) excellent political brain and against homosexual marriage be selected …
Thesis Extreme GRR policies.
Antithesis This candidate has strong personal beliefs against even gay relationships.
Synthesis. This candidate will now restrict her beliefs to her personal, not political life.
Well said John, the problem is that in todays complicated world we keep electing representatives with other agendas.
The media directs almost all of us, they demonise the good and laud the bad. They know what they are doing and are experts at manipulation. I’m afraid our notion of democracy is becomming outdated, I expected ahuge correction when LBG jumped off the Stonewall bandwagon to save their skins, but it never happened and now they are stronger than ever by persuading the majority that they did so in the cause of womens rights.
Societal change is the name of the game no matter which flag one waves.
Regarding the 4 main ways they gain control over someone; M.I.C.E. Money, Ideology, Compromise, Ego. If you were to make a Venn diagram of those categories all four would be significantly overlapping of each other.
I think it is far worse than most of realize. This is true not only of our politicians but also the media. It is true in the UK, in most of the EU and in the US.
Good honest politicians are a rarity and they are not tolerated as we saw with Corbyn, Salmond… going back in a long line to JFK. Trump despite his huge list of faults was also not under their control so he also got the treatment.
The Bush Family, The Clintons, I hear Michelle Obama might even be making a run… it is almost a closed shop as it is. Tony Blair… Nicola Sturgeon…
Epstein of course was rare glimpse into a massive honeypot operation (and much more) run by at least one major secret service of one country but chances are it was multiple services of more than one country involved. Plus Epstein will not be the only operation out there for sure and it is will still be happening, right now.
Am I the only that is noticing that there are no leaders left in Europe. They are all gone. We are near completely rudderless. And then you look at the US and it is Joe Biden supposedly in charge. Not a chance is he in charge so who is?
‘They’ are.
It is a complete takeover at this point.
The astonishing attempted stitch-up of a former FM by a bent politician, a bent judiciary, a bent police force, and a bent media, heralded it, amongst many other things these last few years.
We may not be in a state of tyranny yet but we can definitely see it from here, and it is fast approaching.
@Ruby says:12 September, 2023 at 9:05 am
You’re struggling cos you’re nae daeing it richt. It’s:
Om Mani Padme Hum.
Om Mani Padme Hum.
Om Mani Padme Hum.
On you go now, 500 reps.
Another 500 if necessary.
@ Mac
Aye, re. The overlap of politicos and media… It’s the same as it ever was, at least in my lifetime.
Last night Ruby mentioned collating information on the links the current politicians have. But it would pretty much be just an update of this article from around 10 years ago.
https://lenathehyena.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/oh-what-a-tangled-web-we-weave-when-first-we-practice-to-deceive-bbc-scotland-and-the-labour-party/
The present Holyrood administration will never last for another 3-years. While we all wait in silence for Branchform to report, everyone knows that. It’s over for the SNP and the Rutherglen by-election result will prove that.
I’m a spokesman for neither, but it isn’t SALVO’s chosen roll to be or become the politicians, but to arm Scotland’s politicians with far better knowledge and understanding of the Constitutional power they have at their fingertips. Power that is, IF they adhere to the founding principles of our Scottish nation, rather than the invasive and unconstitutional doctrines imposed upon Scotland by London.
SALVO doesn’t have the power to sanction or impeach our politicians, but SALVO can remind us about a Convention of the Estates which historically can, and indeed has kept our government in line. An impermanent arbiter, which only takes form when a particular crisis demands it.
Don’t forget, London requires Scotland’s tacit complicity and acquiescence to subjugate Scotland, and all too often, our grovelling politicians hand it over on a plate. Look at that cowardly wretch Sturgeon, squandering a massive tactical mandate and abdicating Scotland’s democratically sovereign rejection of Brexit. Had she instigated an entirely appropriate Claim of Right to affirm Scotland’s democratic will was implicitly a sovereign will, then the Union would have been plunged into an existential Constitutional crisis it would not have survived. Scotland NEEDED a Convention of the Estates in 2016; first to see our sovereign will respected, but second, to impeach that feckless idiot Sturgeon.
Alex Salmond, whom I respect and admire tremendously, is a consummate politician in the best sense of the word, but despite my admiration, I believe he is wrong to maintain that Democracy is the superior voice beside Scotland’s Constitutional legitimacy according to Scotland’s Law.
I fully understand his fear, or at least think I do, because there is something unconstitutional about a Scottish democratic mandate which can be overruled, even when it’s being overruled by it’s own Constitution.
That sounds complicated, but all it means is that Scotland could never properly “vote” away it’s sovereignty. If it ever did, the vote would be outranked by the sovereignty of the Constitution. Even with a majority mandate demanding it, (heaven forbid), Sovereignty isn’t ours to give away, because it remains the birthright of those of us yet to be born. It is inviolable.
I am a Sovereign Scot, born here, living here, but I truly see no compromise of my sovereign rights by recognising it is the Constitution itself which delivers me my sovereign rights. So, by extension, ultimately, the essential nature of Scotland’s sovereign Constitution, the principle, outranks the sovereign individuality that’s given to me.
There is no inconsistency or irregularity to this. A sovereign King under a Divine Sovereignty still recognises the ascendancy of God. It’s where the “law” which empowers that King comes from, and doesn’t impinge on his sovereignty to recognise a higher entity exists.
So it is with Scotland; the law which makes us sovereign, is the source of our sovereignty, and thus the Constitutional Law must enjoy higher status and sanctity than the sovereignty of the individuals whom it makes sovereign.
Where does Scotland’s power ultimately lie? Is it in the will of the sovereign people, or is it in the Constitution which endows them with their sovereignty?
I believe Alex Salmond would say it’s the will of the people, whereas I myself, (and I think SALVO too), would put our Constitution, the principle, one step higher than all of us.
“That” is the difference we need settled.
@Captain Yossarian says:12 September, 2023 at 10:21 am
The present Holyrood administration will never last for another 3-years
You wanna bet?
It’s a well-known feature of democratic governments that once the writing is on the wall, they spin out the gravy train until the last possible moment. It makes perfect sense – they get maximum salaries and perks, plenty of time to plan their exit strategy, and just maybes, something will come up.
A new Falklands War or similar.
So, my money is on WM GE in January 2025, and HR in May 2026.
But it’s not all bad news. For HR, that gives us over 2 years to grow a new Indy party. Best not waste that valuable time.
Whilst I understand the wild over-excitement that will break out on here if/when the SNP get thrashed at Rutherglen, what in the real world will actually be any different?
Answers on a PC.
Dan;
Akenaton doesn’t care about policies, he/she/it just hates gays. One dimensional sock puppet. Probably a wee free.
Craig Murray talks about how reluctant and timid his Scottish lawyers were in making any criticism of Lady Dorrian. The things she had done and is attempting to do are outrageous but where in the Scottish legal community is that outrage. It is near non-existent.
Then we look at the behaviour of Police Scotland and COPFS… wow. Yet it is the same, where is the outrage, where are the whistle blowers. Crickets…
And completing the circle… the media and the giant turd cherry of the BBC.
When you start totalling it up there is no way we can sincerely call this a democracy in any true sense of the word.
Plus there is a bigger picture here in the ‘west’ as a whole that is coming into focus and it is truly horrific.
Personally I think we need to be getting guillotines built, not dismantled. We are going to need them.
John Main – You are forgetting Branchform. The Press in Scotland is emaciated, but it’s healthy enough in the rest of the UK. I understand there to be 20 lines of inquiry, that’s more than double the number if inquiries opened during the Salmond trial. Plus, the Salmond evidence was relatively weak as was proven in Court. This type of evidence is hardly ever weak and so my guess is that there will be an election soon in about 6-months. If they had elected Forbes as Leader, the Nationalists would have had someone trusted and credible to follow. They don’t all agree with her but she was a credible figure. When the collapse occurs, they will have nothing and it will be a complete collapse worse even than Labour suffered 20 or so years ago.
Time for giullotines – Trevor Moore – song on YouTube
Pour encourager les autres ?
@Captain Yossarian says:12 September, 2023 at 10:51 am
Thanks for your reply.
I certainly follow your logic.
If you are right and I am wrong, there is no time to build a new Indy party before the next HR election. At the very least then, Alba needs to start necking steroids!
Weird, but if you are right about Branchform, true Indy supporters should be wishing for the SNP to brazen it out for as long as possible, to give the 2-3 year breathing space necessary for Alba and/or alternatives to grow to electable sizes.
If the SNP administration collapses sooner, and there are no credible Indy alternatives, then it’s Labour right enough. That could take HR into the 2030’s under an anti-Indy administration.
The day after Rutherglen, assuming an SNP defeat, picture the media headlines.
The unionist establishment, Labour, Tory & the rest will proclaim the death of independence i.e. Scotland shoved back in the box of irrelevance.
Even with independence lifesigns at 47% the funeral ceremonies and rites will be performed with nauseating enthusiasm.
If you live in Rutherglen and are a true nationalist remember that after the instant euphoria of seeing the SNP you don’t like get its just deserts the subsequent withdrawal symptoms may last and last and….
Cutting your nose off etc is the appropriate old saw.
Aba and the SNP only refer to sovereignty of the people as a tradition. That sovereignty of the people is only something that would be created AFTER independence.
The auld “jam the morra” tactic ?
Alex Salmond does argue the legal right of self-determination according to the UN Charter. An argument the UK Supreme Court has already rejected in the case of Scotland. (I know which opinion WM would rely on.)
Whereas, SALVO assert sovereignty of the people is a continuing Scottish constitutional legal right that has never been extinguished.
Sadly, Alba and the SNP both continue to uphold the sovereignty of the English Crown in the Imperial Parliament and its devo Hoor-rood.
I think this so they can take seats at WM and HR as professional career politicians.
I have reached the decision I cannot help elect a politician to be another sworn servant of the sovereignty of the English Crown in WM.
I will only vote for politicians who assert the sovereignty of the Scots NOW and who will reject swearing allegiance to the English Crown / KCIII, politicians like Colette Walker / ISP.
Dan @9:16
Can’t speak for Akenaton or KF but as it was by far the least important vote in SP history (and had a Westminster & judicial* backstop in event of any madness prevailing) I’d hope that her husband asked her to stay well clear of their batshit circus/ “seasonal” party that close to Christmas – especially with a newborn in tow.
*a bonus of events as they transpired being that it also smoked out fundamental breaches of the treaty of union within the judiciary (no less!) where the law was broken in favour of legislative anticipation in the subsequent Isla Bryson saga.
Repulicofscotland,
Remenber Boris Johnstone’s interview wher he said, The russians had interfered with the 2014 Scottish referendum,
Nice to know that he was possibly aided and abetted by a lilly tory, and another one knowing election results before they were all counted,
It was note worthy that the British Government did not offer Scotland a Second and fair referendum after learning the results had been interfered with in 2014,
Tells us all we need to know about following the rule book of the establishment in Scotland,
John Main – Any country that allows the Fabiani Inquiry and allows the Deputy First Minister to redact documents, refuse to hear evidence and redacts even the Inquiry recommendations so that they read differently, is miles away from being able to run itself with honesty and accountability. That, sadly, is where the SNP have left us all. I don’t expect the Labour Party to be any better, frankly. It will be Conservative for me for the first time in my life. Alba’s policies will make them unelectable for many, plus they will find it difficult to wash themselves of SNP malfeasance, if that is indeed what has been found. (I understand that one of the Branchform lines of Inquiry is “embezzlement”)
Main@8.23am.
Washington and Westminster (the main culprits no joke intended) have caused the expansion of multipolar world today with their bellicose actions.
This is why there is a great divide in progress where the likes of the SCO and BRICS nations are moving away from the dollar and Western trade and using their own currencies to trade between themselves, basically Washington and Westminster have in their greed and especially Washington, in its desperate need to retain a type of world dominance in a financial sense, have reduced the levels of the standards of living of the people in the West, sadly its only going to get worse.
In the embers of a dying empire (USA, all empires fall) the USA will in turn become more and more aggressive which could lead to a full scale global conflict, unfortunately for us, it will be Europe that sees the worst of it, as its on the front line.
I’ll never understand the European mentality of taking the fall for the USA, which in reality, as Victoria Nuland said F*ck Europe, when the Europeans expressed their concerns over a certain conflict.
Breeks @10:28am
Sturgeon never had the political capital to assert the Claim of Right, even if she was inclined to do so. She staked her claim on what concerns middle-aged, middle-class, American, feminists.
Government was merely a vehicle to further her career and ingratiate herself with the afore mentioned. She used the idea of male excesses to try and bring down Salmond but was brought down as a result (trans) male excesses – oh, the irony.
As for the Constitution or Sovereignty or Democracy? Yes. They provide a nice layered structure where all three play an important part, with the Constitution being the guard rails that keeps the other two in check. If you look at the USA the combination of constitution and democracy are not enough as it appears that one side is running away with the ball. Sovereignty would likely keep that in check as the under-represented side could simply declare enough is enough.
The only thing missing is some one or group who would have the stature to talk about this. Sadly, all the other civic institutions have eroded or been undermined – likely that was no accident.
“the FAKE Manchester Bombing
Many grieving parents buried the shredded bodies of their innocent children after that atrocity. It adds insult to injury to claim that the sadness and sorrow that will attend their every day until the ends of their lives is in any way fake.”
Main.
The term fake in these matters doesn’t mean no one died, it means that the event occurred not unknow to the security services, the perpetrator was known to them and in all honesty he was groomed by them, its a very common practice in England now for the security services to groom young Muslims who they think have radical tendencies just below the surface, and give them the means to carry out an attack.
Sometimes known affiliates (even from foreign nations are used) such as in the Lee Rigby event.
Ruby @ 8:36 am
“Maybe if Alf Baird & Salvo want to get their message across they should take a look at the work Stu has done.”
All anti-colonial literature and art tends to be complementary, working toward the same aim, and to improve the understanding of the people. An example:
Condition – COLONIALISM
Remedy – LIBERATION
Means – UDI
https://peterabell.scot/2023/08/27/the-new-thinking/
Handing our vote to politicians in a rigged unfair system is why Scotland always gets what it did not vote for.
All The politicians in holyrood and the british media did not cry out so loud, in thinking it was important that Scotland should have a fair election in 2014,
Not one politician in Holyrood challenged the interfered with 2014 referendum. When BJ announced it on TV.
The political system set up for Scotlands votes does not seem to be a genuine democratic process at all and should cause concern for every election held in Scotland or through the pretendy parliament back door contracts for the voting system,
It has easily more ability to be corrupted and manipulated under AI and postal votes.
Apparently in Scotland the wee pretendy parliament and every Council is not grown up enough, reliable or intelligent enough, or simply not allowed to count their own ballot paper votes under a public watchful eye, phone videos and local survaillence cameras,
Having been inform by the prime minster Boris Johnstone that the 2014 election suffered interference,
It surely knocks the “trope” pushed out by union minded folk here that Scots had their chance in 2014 and voted to remain in the union,
Is that right now, maybe we didn’t, someone just stacked our votes against independence winning.
With that in mind, when my local MP told me that the Snp were going to win before the last election took place, and then did, in a area known for voting tory,
one seriosly wonders if we ever get what we vote for in Scotland
«I will only vote for politicians who assert the sovereignty of the Scots NOW and who will reject swearing allegiance to the English Crown…»writes COLIN ALEXANDER
In the ideal that is how it would be. To get to that ideal Scots might begin training in how not to be a British puppet. Not that hard for there is nothing to be gained nowadays from being one.
All those involved in Scottish politics, regardless of orientation, seem to act like rabbits when the Brits turn on the headlights.
As part of the training/reprogramming I recommend a daily dose of the online DM. Modern «Britain» in all its sickmaking vacuity then vomit over the rest of UK’s whoring media.
What medics call a purgative. Not nice to take but you’ll feel so much better afterwards.
Get ready for the declaration of Hampden.
“Get ready for the declaration of Hampden.
*Yawn*
Aye, all the 90-minute patriots will be out in force across the land.
John Main said;
“The issue with the “people are sovereign” trope is that inevitably that sovereignty has to be handed over to specialists and experts to do the full time day-to-day stuff that an aspirational first-world country requires.”
Blethers, John, your use of language is as sloppy as ever.
Sovereignty is never handed over! What is handed over in these cases is ‘delegated authority’, which is limited to very specific areas for very specific purposes, and which can be terminated once the purposes have been achieved. Such delegations do not represent ‘issues with the “people are sovereign” trope’, they are just issues with perfectly ordinary shortfalls of knowledge or skills.
They are examples of entities engaging services and expertise in a polity where no one entity is expert in everything, and no entity requires to be, because such a system would be an extremely inefficient system indeed.
“we have to let the representatives of the people get on with the job we have tasked them with doing.”
Indeed, but that task does NOT authorise our representatives to submit to the representatives of a different country, a country which has no legitimate authority to demand such submission.
“The mark of a good compromise is that EVERYBODY is disappointed to a greater or lesser extent.”
That’s a very negative view. I’d say the mark of a good compromise is that EVERYBODY accepts that the outcome is fair to all. In Westminster, England’s MPs do not consider they need to compromise at all with Scotland’s MPs, as they believe themselves fully entitled to just overrule the Scots through bullying by numbers, also called majoritarianism. That belief is false because it presumes an authority they do not own.
If hanging was ever to return as punishment in Scotland perhaps the first on the list should be ("Tractor" - Ed)s to one’s own Country wether it be politicians or the malfunctioning justice system imposed on Scotland,
and abusive perverted sexual actors and indoctrinators,
And finally big corporations bribery in goverment,
That would be a excellent start to clearing and cleaning up Scotland
Changing our quality of politicians: In my first btl on this topic at 5.38 p.m. yesterday I suggested that we needed some non-political politicians – people who are dedicated wholly to the truth and to regaining our independence, and not in it for the gravy etc. I proposed that the Rev revive his plan of setting up such a party and I named some suitable fellow-candidates from Salvo, SSRG, and even SNP-outliers such as Tim Rideout.
As John Main said at 4.04pm “The answer is for some of the Sovereign People to become politicians.”
@ twathater at 04.20 “The ONLY way that things can be changed is for the people involved in Salvo and Liberation to become political.”
Breeks at 10.28 today and earlier – “it isn’t Salvo’s chosen role to be politicians..”
As Sara Salyers said in this month’s iScot magazine, the UK is an elite i.e. closed democracy where the people cannot hold the politicians to account. The pre-1707 system in Scotland was Direct Democracy, the most democratic form as the people are acknowledged to be sovereign and able to have direct impact on the politicians and constitution. Switzerland is such a Direct Democracy.
To answer Breeks’ point, I know that Salvo/Liberation is non-political BUT we don’t have the luxury of the amount of time needed to educate enough people, get to the UN, exert pressure on the UK etc etc etc.
So we have to operate under the political system that we currently have. There is no party currently that is willing to support Salvo/Liberation’s principle of restoring popular sovereignty which means a new party is needed. It needn’t be Salvo’s party, just a party that espouses the cause of restoring the People as fully Sovereign. Who better than the Rev to form such a party? He is honest, principled, devoted to Scotland’s cause, and has established a large following and high profile.
I urge the Rev to think about this very seriously, and urgently. As things stand life for all of us is going to get even worse. The political route is the quickest way to make a difference.
You are all blinded with Indy.Pointing fingers like naughty children, not me it was you. No one and I mean no one knows how to get there. Diatribe after diatribe. Idiot after idiot. Scandal after Scandal. Barking about the past like a rabid dog. Meanwhile your country has been dismantled. Your rights eroded. Your services all but gone. Law and Order on the verge of chaos. All that you hold dear thrown aside in the wave of wokism. Unelected criminals ruining whats left. The laughing stock of the civilised world. Your children used in a sick sex experiment of the elite. The Tories have got their size nines rammed down your throat and Dirty filthy Labour Gloat.
Scotland blank, blank.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/23781747.scotland-europe-ferry-petition-signed-thousands/
Sturgeon’s gov. was wild about LHR.
Provincial is as provincial does.
Sometimes a thwack with a baseball bat appears the only solution to such anserine thinking.
Prosecuting someone for hate is like trying to put your arms around a memory.
The latest from Grouse Beater, of the extent that Scottish energy assets are being stolen, not just by England but other nations as well, whilst Scots struggle to heat and light their homes.
Only independence can stop these hyenas from stripping Scottish assets.
“The absurdity’s that there are public ownership and state companies operating in the Scottish and UK offshore wind sector. The absurdity is that they are neither Scottish or UK, but foreign state firms operating in Scottish and UK waters. Delivering profit not for governments in Edinburgh or London but furth of these shores and with the wealth benefiting lands many far from these.
Neart na Gaoithe, Firth of Forth: jointly owned by French state EDF and Ireland’s publicly owned ESB.
Inchcape windfarm, Firth of Forth: 49% shares owned by SDIC Power Holdings Co of Beijing, China.
Aberdeen Offshore windfarm: 100% owned by Sweden’s state energy company Vattenfall.
Peterhead Hywind: 75% stake held by Norwegian state energy company Equinor.”
https://grousebeater.wordpress.com/2023/09/12/scotlands-energy-company/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Sarah.
People are becoming aware in Scotland more recently, that politicians are not honest nor do they look after the Sovereignty of “all” human beings,
Nine times out of ten they are careerists that can be bought and sold for Britains very similar to those original few of noted signitories that signed themselves into a treaty without the Scots,
Those signed and named people were not monarchs of the kingdom of Scotland and the Monarch was not Monarch of Scotland either,
The Sovereignty rests with the people, hence the Charade they have to maintain of voters and elections,.
For the past two or more years I have been suggesting a Sovereign Scots peoples parliament,
This puts paid to the Falsehood of politicians if elections rotate among the public, not because you are a genius or because you have money to buy your way in, but because you are a member of Scotland, living in Scotland,
A public parliament that distributes Scottish sovereignty evenly.
I have researched the treaty of union articles thoroughly and there is not one article that says Scotland cannot reopen a adjourned Sine die’d parliament (in Scotland,)
Keeping in mind that the UK parliament site 2023 officially declares that the Scottish parliament was extinguished itself from ” England” and the treaty in 1707, by agreeing to the treaty of union
The discrepency over “which parliaments” are still in the treaty of union between England and Scotland, gives Scotland a great unforseen opportunity.
Westminster has proven that point for a second time by sending a devolved government to Scotland,
There was no legal requirement for a devolved government to represent Scotland and Scots, If we have had equal partnership representation in Westminster since 1707,
There is obviously a sincere need in Scotland for the Scots to have representation of their “Country” and their people,
The Westminster parliament has conceded that there was no Scottish parliament sitting in Westminster as representation for over three hundred years until a the devolved branch office was sent to Scotland under the ( Scotland ) Act legislation, acting as a subsiduary parliament of England Westminster parliament,
The opportunity to have and legally hold a Sovereign peoples parliament in Scotland without career politicians is there!
And could return to the oldsystem of Scottish Sovereignty of the people.
The only problem that interferes with proceeding in this direction is that Scots still believe their old 1707 parliament still exists in Westminster,
Westminster UK parliament does not hold that same view of Scotlands old 1707 parliament still existing in Westminster.
Google «Jobs for Life» and the result is there is now no such thing.
So why do people in politics imagine they are an exception.
A constitution limiting the time individuals may be in public office, local as well as national?
Politics ought to be a pot on a rolling boil, not one on languid simmer.
The good thing about being a nobody is that nobody listens and that means nobody can come back at you about nothing you said.
@Derek
Jeanette Fletcher is strange but not in a horrible way.
@Dan
Your drip feeding of extremely telling and relevant articles is very much appreciated.
Republicofscotland,
Nice to see all the information and links you provided
Mark Began – no one knows how to get there.
Somebody knew how to get tonights game on channel 4 despite rights being owned (until now?) by a pay per view outfit.
If there’s an easier trail to follow than that of the 10,000 rutherglen recall IDs (that appear to have vanished without a fuss/ 3rd party verification) then SNP could prolly do worse than try to get them on board for the future/ next one.
@ James Che: “People’s parliament”.
Yes but there are other initiatives being built already and I think speed is of the essence.
If the Rev did form a party – and I think he is watching btl to see how much support there is – then it starts with a viewing population of tens of thousands and the goodwill of all Yes voters.
Such a party could start appearing in all the Westminster by-elections before the 1924/25 General election. Standing in England would ensure public attention – as I suggested, it could be on the policy of Independence for All Nations i.e. England, Wales and Scotland, so that it would attract all the English voters who think Scotland and Wales are subsidised. As well as attracting all anti-politician voters – the “all politicians are the same” kind of person.
I was thinking of something a bit more visual something in the style of Stu’s ‘Coming Undone’ masterpiece.
@Mark Beggan says:12 September, 2023 at 1:17 pm
Ouch, that stung.
TBH, not seeing much to argue with in your post.
What’s your secret Chas? How do you avoid being pre-moderated?
James Che said;
“There was no legal requirement for a devolved government to represent Scotland and Scots, if we have had equal partnership representation in Westminster since 1707.”
We don’t need equal representation as such, which would require a major re-jigging of the constituencies, we just needed equal voting authority in the Commons, which can be done by merely amending its voting rules;
One majority vote by Scotland’s MPs who represent the Scottish partner in the Union, and one majority vote by the rest of the MPs who represent the English partner. All decisions to require a Yes majority from BOTH groups. Failure to achieve two Yes votes fails the matter voted on.
Simple and fair.
I was just thinking of the similarity between Yusaf and Biden, overpromoted dingbats who fall off their scooter/bike at staged events for the media, who have a trail of alleged corruption in their wake and who are clearly puppets for their predecessors.
What’s your secret? How do you avoid being ‘pre-moderated’?
I reckon there are quite a few posters who would like to know?
I know what you mean. It’s all the same stuff that’s being discussed over and over and over again.
‘It’s the same as it ever was’
Is that not a line from a ‘Talking Heads’ song?
UK, Centre of the Universe or Arschloch der Welt?
https://archive.ph/x6aoZ
A new anthem for Little Britain…
There are bad times just around the corner,
There are dark clouds hurtling through the sky
And it’s no good whining
About a silver lining
For we know from experience that they won’t roll by,
With a scowl and a frown
We’ll keep our peckers down
And prepare for depression and doom and dread,
We’re going to unpack our troubles from our old kit bag
And wait until we drop down dead.
(Noel Coward)
Better Together?
I know it’s terrible. All happening while Scotland is in the Union.
Had the UK Gov not passed the totally insane 2004 GRA we wouldn’t have this wave of wokism.
Which countries in the civilised world are laughing? Canada, Australia, Spain?
I am assuming the country & rights you are referring to isn’t your country.
Another great read. Thanks, Rev!
Rev wrote: “Since Nicola Sturgeon took over from Alex Salmond, independence has been a show fight, a wrestling bout rather than a boxing match.”
With joint top billing going to Cat Weasel Murrell and Big ‘Shirley’ Daddy (aka Alyn Smith).
________
Buried deep in that article is the most important message ever stated on Wings as far as i’m concerned. It says: “..until there’s a radical reconstruction of the independence movement and its political strategy it won’t work for us.”
We need a group of highly qualified experienced individuals to pull the masses together and pull indy away from the politicos.
The group, ideally, would include at least 2 or 3 highly successful legal brains. We’d also be looking to that same group to be ‘The Negotiators’ and creators of our written constitution etc.
To lead us up to the point of our first Scottish general election where the successful party will then take over the reigns and govern accordingly.
All these steps are far too valuable to be letting self-serving “politicians” anywhere near them, especially the current SNP lot because we’d end up with ‘glory holes’ written into our constitution as a birth right or something.
That’s my, very rough, tuppence worth. If i had all the answers Scotland would be independent by now. 😉
Is that a line from a song or a poem?
What does it mean?
Ruby says:
12 September, 2023 at 4:04 pm
John Main says:
12 September, 2023 at 10:11 am
@Ruby says:12 September, 2023 at 9:05 am
You’re struggling cos you’re nae daeing it richt.
What’s your secret? How do you avoid being ‘pre-moderated’?
I reckon there are quite a few posters who would like to know?
He has you at a distinct disadvantage Ruby, because for the most part, nobody actually reads what he says. Just scroll on by like the rest of us Ruby, humming it to the tune of Dionne Warwick… Just scroll on by… Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa-paa! Lol.
Heads up folks, Glasgow from 12pm on Saturday 16th, a Hope Over Fear Rally at Freedom Square. Be there if you can folks. If you want Scotland United to brew into something tasty, then you need to add the ingredients. That means you.
SALVO also have a Democracy Day Event outside Holyrood starting at 11am on the 19th, (that’s Tuesday), when the Scottish Government will be formally handed the Stirling Directive.
What’s the Stirling Directive? Keep up … With luck and a following breeze, it’s actual Scottish history in the making, and you can tell your grandkids you were there and saw it happen.
https://salvo-cor.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/Stirling+Directive.pdf
We should all remember Smallaxe, no longer with us, but who’s spirit was that the smallest of axes can still fell the mightiest of trees. Amen to that, but for what it’s worth, I personally believe SALVO are less of a small axe, and more “walking softly but carrying a big stick”.
We shall see.
Things are moving people. Lend your support and make your presence felt. Spread the word, build the belief. Be there.
Rudy;
1.Its going to get a whole lot more terribler. 2a. All happening under the Tartan Tories. 2b. All happening while people are following the carrot to Indy never never land, following the pied piper to the cave! 3. All civilised nations where grown up adults live with morals and principles (remember those!). 4.”Dr Livingston I presume stepping out of the jungle bloom” Moody Blues. I never assume! It can lead to prejudices unforeseen.
Stay within your compass then you will be sure to avoid the problems that others must endure.
@Breeks says:12 September, 2023 at 6:04 pm
for the most part, nobody actually reads what he says
Haha. You wish, eh Breeks?
See me, I read all the posts, even the ones from the eejits. It’s my considered opinion that being feart to read stuff, in case it might feature a truth the reader can’t handle, is a sign of weakness.
Practically all the former colonial territories now members of the United Nations are independent without benefit of opinion polls and referenda, they had leaders who took risks for their beliefs even when the odds seem stacked against them.
The lesson is obvious. There is no such thing as an easy ride to freedom.
Bravo Stoker!
I totally agree with that. No more inviting them to speak at rallies or anything to do with independence.
Let them have their own marches & rallies. Let them have their own Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter of Independence.
They don’t listen to us so why should we listen to them.
It would be handy if these legal brains could find a way to get our £600k back.
Rudy;
Have you ever tried to hug a memory of a love one gone! Its there and its very very real but you can’t touch it. You cant touch hatred until it manifests itself.
I hate people that fold their empty crisp packets into a perfect triangle. Am I a criminal?
@ BDTT: thanks for the update. I hope you are getting a beautiful evening as I am looking at – sunny and calm. Long may it last!
If only!
I have some questions about the behaviour of yourself and
Mark Beggan.
Why would you write a post to someone who has just confirmed that he doesn’t read your posts?
Who are the eejits? Are they real people or just a figment of your imagination?
Mark
Why would you hate people who fold their crisp bags into triangles.
What does the triangle symbolise for you?
Does it frighten you?
@ Breeks
By a stroke of serendipity doo dah I’m gonna be in the Dear Green Place this weekend – a trip planned before I knew about the H.O.F thang , so will def be there , circling the Square of Geordie . ( it’s no his , it’s oors )
Yr right , we really need to embrace what Salvo are doing , get behind it n help to push the information it’s providing forward , into the consciousness of more of our people.
Salvo has never tried to present itself as a route to Independence in it’s own right – it will require more than what they can offer . But what they CAN offer is not only historical-relevant to now – context and strong arguments from Law ( eg breaches of Treaty ) , maybe more importantly , a * new * angle/emphasis from which to view how we got to where we are now , and how we can get to where we want to be . This is of great service & value .
” If you are the big tree ,
we are the small axe
Ready to cut you down ( well sharp )
Ready to cut you down ” . Bob Marley 🙂
Rudy;
How do you know he doesn’t read the post. You’ve only got his word for that.
Ok the second answer is a bit more complex might take some time to construct a comprehensive answer ( get back to you on that one) Hey! it might even answer itself!
Don’t understand that question about Ejits. You’ll have to expand.
The triangle one. Well! you must have hung around with different kind of guys than me when you were young.
Fear nothing except fear itself.
I don’t have any questions about you at all Rudy but I do want to tell you the story of Timon of Athens.
Rudy P>S
correction I think I will leave the story of Timon of Athens to the Good Reverend If he has a mind to tell it. Could do a much better job than me anyway
@ Ruby
My diagnosis is that Mark may be lactose intolerant and also suffer bovinophobia; Ergo the apparent innocence to us of an empty crisp packet origamied into a triangle shape could provoke a double whammy hit for Mark, instigating strong reactions of self-preservation and rejection manifesting in the emotional feeling of hate towards all things dairy and triangular.
#LaVacheQuiRit
Rudy;
My readers have grown to 3! From 0 to 3 in a day. I must be getting better.
@Mark Beggan says:12 September, 2023 at 6:48 pm
I hate people that fold their empty crisp packets into a perfect triangle
I hate people who don’t put their empty crisp packets in the bin.
Folded or unfolded.
I like to tie a knot in them myself. Stops them blowing about if outside. Takes up less room in the public bins, which are usually overflowing.
Dan;
Not bad at all, started well there, but got weak at the end. Never make your attack direct Dan. Never use words your reader wont understand. It defeats the purpose of your argument plus you’ve left yourself wide open for counter attack. Show your intelligent prowess. Play the game correctly
John Main;
You got me. I could never do the triangle. So its not hate at all its jealousy. It took me years to get the knot. I always take my litter home. I hate drivers who use poo bins to put their coffee cups and MacDonald’s rubbish in. Then the old biddy cant dispose of her doggy’s poo. These people are beneath contempt.
Don’t normally ever watch friendlies but tuned into the Scotland game there at about 31 minutes gone and 0-0. Tuned out at 35 minutes gone 0-2. That will learn me.
I was listening to radio scotland this morning and in the phone in a number of the usual suspect called in complaining about drug using centres. Later on I caught a piece of the radio news at just after 4 and Johnny Beattie used exactly the same people again as some sort of vox box.
This was not a news show it was pure propaganda again
Mark Beggan.
Surely not ANOTHER “name” from site lunatic Main?
Ron Clark;
Don’t call me Shirley.
🙂
Hatred of origami!
That’s got to be a racist hate crime.
Je suis La Vache Qui Rit!
So, Shirley Beggan it is then!
Not that I give a shit but what team won the best haircuts and most tatoos whilst occasionally kicking a ball aboot the field?
I didn’t think muscular Unionism extended to the sporting environment. But apparently it does. The best team won. We played poorly, players with European Champions Cup medals didn’t turn up. The upside we will qualify for the Euros next year. And after the disappointment of Sunday in the World Rugby Union Cup. We are not out if it yet. It was ever thus with supporting Scotland.
Johnlm;
I’m sure Ron can deal with this himself johnml. But its good you stick your bit in for your chum.
Trigonophobia is a thing! Google it!
Is flipping “b” and “d” a sign of dyslexia?
I think even if Mark Beggan does commit a racist hate crime he’ll be spared prison due to his trigonophobia & dyslexia.
‘Shauna the Hairdresser’ did a lot worse than hating the Japanese & their origami & the French with their Laughing Cow triangles.
When you know you have Trigonophobia why would you hang out with Japenese people who eat bags of crisps.
The simple solution would be to make friends with people who eat Pringles. Sorted.
Why would one be checking what people put in the poo bin?
Is this another phobia?
The more phobias we can discover the more chance of Mark being spared prison for all his hate crimes.
Shirl
Use your crisp packet to make a hat, a brooch, or a pterodactyl.
There was a young man called Useless
He was vain, greedy and toothless
He tried to change a nation older than the sun
Oh Boy such fun watching him come undone!
James Che at 11:42 am.
“Remenber Boris Johnstone’s interview wher he said, The russians had interfered with the 2014 Scottish referendum,”
Again, he did not. Stop telling your lies,
The triangle shape is often used in warning or hazard signs… Crisps are made of tatties… Combine the two and it all makes sense.
#potnonomicaphobia
When I was young we used to shrink crisp packets in the oven and then mount them on safety pins to make badges out of them.
Bones, Claws, and Fangs, and occasional Monster Munch were the go to options.
Republicofscotland at 12:03 pm
“the FAKE Manchester Bombing
Many grieving parents buried the shredded bodies of their innocent children after that atrocity. It adds insult to injury to claim that the sadness and sorrow that will attend their every day until the ends of their lives is in any way fake.”
Main.
The term fake in these matters doesn’t mean no one died, it means that the event occurred not unknow to the security services, the perpetrator was known to them and in all honesty he was groomed by them, its a very common practice in England now for the security services to groom young Muslims who they think have radical tendencies just below the surface, and give them the means to carry out an attack.”
What an idiotic thing to say. Get a grip, man.
“Ruby says:
12 September, 2023 at 6:04 pm
“…like trying to put your arms around a memory.”
Is that a line from a song or a poem?”
It’s a reference to a Johnny Thunders song.
johnml:
pterodactyl. I had to go look that up in the dictionary. What kind of crisps do you eat mate.
England won, Dan. 1 – 3.
Johnml;
Johnml! That’s not a name! That’s made up!
Taxpayer’s dosh helping landlords (often owning dozens of properties) to get free “eco”-upgrades.
https://ecowarmthscotland.co.uk/landlords-in-scotland-access-eco-4-funding-improve-epc/
“eco” often being a complete load of greenwashing pish. Solar PV on north facing roofs, heatpumps on very poorly insulated properties with single glazing. And the latest wheeze round my way seems to be solar PV arrays just laid out on the lawn where they are positioned so badly they will get pretty much no sun in late autumn and winter. Christ knows how folk are meant to mow the grass around these “planet saving” installations with panels just dumped on the grass and connecting cables lying all over the place.
When the doctors discover you’ve got all those phobias you’ll be on puberty blockers before you can decide what you want to be called.
Can I suggest Shirley-Anne might suit you better than just plain Shirley.
Derek
Yes, that is a Johnny Thunders line.
” It doesn’t pay to try
all the smart boys know why. It doesn’t mean I didn’t try
I just never know why”
“get high on a Chinese rock” was another line of his.
The Movie Airplane 1980
Scene
Ted Striker
Quotes. Rumack : Can you fly this plane, and land it?
Ted Striker : Surely you can’t be serious.
Rumack : I am serious… and don’t call me Shirley.
DUH!!!
GRR reactionaries.
Dan
I’ve had a wee look on google and can’t find any solar panels on north-facing roofs – could you provide a location? You mention it often like it is a big problem. Also noticed how few roofs have solar panels
And just in case people think that the Greens are behind the EPC system, this is in England:
https://www.nrla.org.uk/news/epc-rules-for-rented-property-what-you-need-to-know
The Greens are not in government in England.
Green initiatives are/were typically done to conform to EU Directives and Regulations. LEZs play a big part in forcing car manufacturers to cut the harmful pollutants their product emits – so they can extend their production and use. Proper green policies would be curtailing car journeys by combinations of development design, public transport, car sharing systems, etc.
Imagine the insulation you could do on sub-standard houses with the £2.5 billion (2.5 thousand million) allocated to dualling the A9. How many people die every year from cold houses? Is it more than half-a-dozen?
Is it?
“I’m living on a Chinese rock
All my best things are in hock”
No “get high” in the lyric that I could find.
I have been wondering about the following since I read the Wings Over Scotland twitter last night
1. Can you test for cervical cancer by sticking a speculum up a woman’s penis?
This is the speculum used when testing for cervical cancer
https://tinyurl.com/5e85j657
Would the woman require a local/general anaesthetic or would gas & air be enough?
Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman.
2. Will Heather Herbert have to use this
https://tinyurl.com/5e85j657
on a daily basis to ensure the success of her first cervical smear test?
Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman.
3. Last but definitely not least
How is a man with a cervix and a penis tested for cervical cancer?
This is important. Keep in mind that Lord Ian Duncan’s brother tragically died of cervical cancer just when he thought his sex change was complete.
Everything about transgenderism is bloody tragic and these people are being conned by being told that they can change sex.
Thanks Derek!
These are bloody awful lyrics.
I’m sticking with Leonard Cohen. Every line of a Leonard Cohen song is a masterpiece.
Which I don’t pretend to understand at all
That’s a line from a song which I expect Everybody Knows
@ fruitella
Soz you don’t believe me but I am not giving out my location. Rest assured there are many properties around my locale with newly fitted significantly compromised PV array installations. Some having the panel groupings being split over hip roofs, or shaded by huge trees or other buildings, and some having terrible oblique angle positioning and others having all panels facing north.
This means the much reduced efficiency and resultant far lower overall generation output of these compromised installations means they would not have been deemed viable in return of investment over duration of life of system if proper surveying of the properties had been completed by knowledgeable engineers who actually understand how these systems work.
And as I have stated many times before and which you seem to continually avoid responding to. Scotland’s electricity grid is pretty much powered by renewables all the time to the point we are export significant amounts down to England. And the generation capacity in Scotland is increasing with every new large project that comes online.
https://nitter.net/Thewiseman1234/status/1670692028701605888
That being the case every property with a leccy grid connection in Scotland is already green as it is served by a simple and robust infrastructure connection that rarely goes wrong, so it is not green to spend many thousands of pounds badly installing lots of crap on unsuitable properties. Note that all this PV and ASHP and associated kit which won’t last long in the scheme of things doesn’t just magic itself into existence; It takes lots of highly refined mineral resources to make these products in energy intensive industrial processes in some far flung land, then transport it all on huge cargo vessels and all the the other distribution networks.
This isn’t rocket science, insulating properties to reduce overall heating energy requirements should be the first thing that is done.
Talking of green transport and giving up or reducing personal car use. Maybe you must missed my post re. reduced bus service as the local clowncil can’t even keep the overhanging trees cut back.
https://wingsoverscotland.com/the-scourge/#comment-2788686
And the train network is still only electrified as far north as Dunblane, so it’s probably still a big thumbs up for diesel trains from anyone needing to go further north that doesn’t fancy getting off at Dunblane and finishing their journey to Inverness or Aberdeen by bicycle…
Dan
Your household energy use is heating and lighting/entertainment mostly. Household fossil fuel use (by proxy) for food production, and personal transport, is mostly not included. You agree that insulation is the prime issue, an issue the AS and JS knocked back, and PH failed to pull the plug (in 2009).
If daft solar and heat exchanger arrangements are evident (and would be easily assessed by any competent grant awarding person, or form, or algorithm, with an hours training), how about daft – massive – contracts to unnecessarily embellish already functional roads, adding to their future management costs, or seemingly daft carbon capture schemes?
Saying that, I get your point about collective renewable sources using the grid. Sadly, renewables seem to be in the hands of private finance or external corporations.
The technical snags you mention to rural public transport are easily solvable, though perhaps not politically viable if a private transport billionaire funded your party and that legacy still lingers.
Some of your (and many others) argument seems to rely on the straw-man of a green-living person being motivated by moral righteousness. Far from it. Most greens are motivated by the survival of themselves and those they love in a peaceful community – no need for any holy-willieness.
fruitella the hun 11.56pm
“Imagine the insulation you could do on sub-standard houses with the £2.5 billion (2.5 thousand million) allocated to dualling the A9. How many people die every year from cold houses? Is it more than half-a-dozen?”
Is this an either/or?
If so, imagine the insulation you could do… (take your pick).
Not really an argument.
Why a new ferry route to Europe for Scottish trade is now essential after Brexit, but its going very slow in getting it up and running.
https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenational.scot%2Fnews%2F23784334.scotland-europe-ferry-necessity-scottish-economy%2F
Most greens are motivated by the survival of themselves and those they love in a peaceful community – no need for any
True, it’s a pseudoscientific eschatological cult for droning midwits who lack the self awareness to realise they’ve just joined a crappier religion.
@ fruitella
That’s the point. There clearly isn’t adequate oversight by knowledgeable people in place to administer and audit all these taxpayer funded grants for “planet saving” stuff that is being awarded if there are highly compromised installations are being carried out.
Ergo they are actually wasting taxpayer’s money, and wasting mineral resources, and wasting considerable energy (not necessarily generated through renewable sources I might add) to manufacture load of devices that have a relatively short lifespan, and then fit them onto properties that are already served by a robust green electrical energy connection.
And clearly the simple management of adequately maintaining the roads and pavements by having a program to clear overhanging branches and trees is beyond the clowncil too. They are too busy holding committee meetings about kerbing Islamaphobia and antisemitism, which is a little beyond the remit of a local rural council I would have thought.
And by the way, you seem to conflate my observations and critique of flawed green policies with the Green Party. You should not do that as the Green Party in Scotland seems to have been captured by various folk with objectives that are far from being properly thought out green policy. The whole DRS debacle costing taxpayers even more cash being a fine example of zoomers and grifters at work.
The real issue is we seem to have an awful lot of people in positions of influence and power that don’t have a fucking clue, or they do have a clue but are happy to keep quiet as they are being well remunerated for implementing flawed policies.
Steepbrae
Every spending decision is the result of an argument, it’s inferred. Am I claiming tbat an argument for unnecessary construction projects is an argument against necessary (urgent human need) projects – of course I am.
And clearly the simple management of adequately maintaining the roads and pavements by having a program to clear overhanging branches and trees is beyond the clowncil too. They are too busy holding committee meetings about kerbing Islamaphobia and antisemitism, which is a little beyond the remit of a local rural council I would have thought
Politics should be about normal, boring issues discussed by normal, boring adults who know the difference between men and women:
Jobs
Taxes
Crime
Education and health
Especially at the local level, where all most people want from their council is to collect the bins and fix potholes.
The Green scam is clever, because it shifts the conversation away from what politicians are meant to be doing for us and changes it to a one sided conversation where political parties compete to see who can collapse your standard of living the fastest.
In the old days, if you wanted to get elected you had to kiss babies and promise people a better future. They’re now promising to ban you from owning a car or having access to affordable electricity. We are meant to take it on faith that the Scottish Government, which can’t buy a ferry, can change a planetary weather system by randomly spaffing Scottish taxpayer money on African dictatorships.
Pish, isn’t it.
Rev Stuey is spot on in his assessment that the opinion polls will float around 3% (the statistical margin of error in a 1,000 sample) of 50% for years, just as they have done for years.
Remember the panic when the figure hit 53% shortly before the once in a lifetime Referendum?
What was the outcome of that apparent, but illusory, lead? Less than 38% of Scotland’s electorate voted for the destruction of the Union which was created by Scots for the benefit of Scots.
That’s why Salmond is going to have up his game if he wants to overturn the democratically expressed will of the people in the Referendum which he so comprehensively lost due his botched campaigning.
The SNumPties, meanwhile, have got more chance of winning the Euromillions jackpot tonight than they have of winning an election. They’re a busted flush, in every way.
Democracy can be a bitch!
Republicofscotland @ 10:02 am
“Why a new ferry route to Europe for Scottish trade is now essential after Brexit, but its going very slow in getting it up and running.”
This has been raised many times with the ScotGov but they remain ambivalent. Officials also take the UK line that international shipping should not be subsidised, so they leave it ‘to the market’.
The promoter of this also seems unaware of what chased away the Superfast Ferries service, i.e. high port charges and lack of land for freight at Rosyth, a port owned by offshore private equity and foreign pension funds.
He is also unaware, as is the Scottish Government, that the EU ‘Motorways of the Sea’ policy, which I helped develop, can be used to select and support a new international ferry service – even connecting the EU and neighbouring countries, and allows for subsidy:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03088839.2012.705028
SteepBrae says:
13 September, 2023 at 9:58 am
fruitella the hun 11.56pm
“Imagine the insulation you could do on sub-standard houses with the £2.5 billion…..
….Is this an either/or?
If so, imagine the insulation you could do… (take your pick).
Not really an argument.
Except it could be.
If you take a traditional stone wall, that wall is far more sophisticated than people give it credit for. It works like a membrane, absorbing external precipitation until it’s ready to vent that moisture back to the atmosphere, while simultaneously venting moisture produced internally, from steam, drying clothes etc.
Consequently you have a structure which maintains a comfortably habitable internal environment while also maintaining it’s own fabric and integrity over centuries, with absolutely minimal maintenance, and typically optimal neglect. No bad.
If you introduce a non-porous cement render, or even an air sealing paint, or, if you line internally with a foil backed board, you introduce impermeable barriers which compromise the wall’s capacity to function properly, and encourage more dampness and higher moisture contents to occur, rather than less.
Similarly, if you introduce a skin of insulation to the internal side of the wall, you will typically lower the core temperature of that wall, and compromise the dynamics whereby that stonework can properly drive condensation and moisture out towards the exterior.
A stonewall requires a core temperature to function effectively, and it is wrong to consider this a heat loss, because the reality is, it is heat energy being diverted into fabric stability and atmospheric regulation rather than simply temperature.
What has changed in recent decades is NOT the capacity of a traditional stone property to provide an excellent place to live. What HAS changed is the relative unit cost of the energy being input.
This has created the phenomenon of hermetically sealed units of accommodation where every expensive unit of energy must be retained by an incredible degree of insulation and thermal containment.
When this philosophy is applied to stone-built housing retrospectively, it is typically disasterous for the integrity of the stone construction, and frequently fails to meet the criteria of this “modern” energy doctrine, leaving a lot of money spent with nobody happy with the result.
Stone built properties have been our steadfast allies in housing our people for centuries, and we should not stigmatise (or compromise) their performance because of “our” modern re-evaluation of design criteria, and a catastrophic increase in energy costs.
There is no argument that burning solid fuel, especially fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas is no longer sustainable. Burning wood however, is carbon neutral.
The unit cost of energy IS a problem with stonebuilt properties, because they were designed to standards where, (by comparison with modern practice), we could be profligate with our use of affordable fuels with no regard for the environmental impact. Those days are gone.
However… it is my personal conviction that an extremely worthwhile and workable symbiosis can still exist between a built-to-last traditional stone property and a geothermal heating system.
A ground source heat pump largely circumvents the prohibitive cost of heat energy bought from a greedy Energy supplier with a supply monopoly, there are zero environmental emmissions, and a passive background heating system that is typical with a heat pump is perfectly compatible with a mass stone wall which retains heat and uses it to regulate moisture and the internal comfort.
Such a system is simply replacing open fires which once burned coal, with a geothermal heating system which draws energy from the ground, – an inexhaustible supply.
The internal environment is far superior. The air changes in a traditional house are far healthier than the stifling hermetically sealed bubbles of modern homes, with dust mites and pathogens held in check, and current trens in asthma and allergies hopefully reversed.
Granted, I accept, that a Geothermal heating system is not a viable option in a wide variety of situations, but where it is viable, there is no reason why Scotland could not be adding to the nation’s housing stock with traditional Scottish vernacular stone-built housing.
Controversial? Not in my book. I detest modern housing, and pretty much everything it stands for. The old ways were better.
@ Red
” Politics should be about normal, boring issues discussed by normal, boring adults who know the difference between men and women:
Jobs
Taxes
Crime
Education and health
Especially at the local level, where all most people want from their council is to collect the bins and fix potholes.
The Green scam is clever, because it shifts the conversation away from what politicians are meant to be doing for us and changes it to a one sided conversation where political parties compete to see who can collapse your standard of living the fastest. ”
Precisely .
I’m sure people like Eff the Aitch are sincere in their * beliefs * ; just as people like ourselves are accurate in our perceptions that the whole Green * Climate Emergency * ( quick , call Ally McGore , he’s down to his last $30billion and needs to re-up on Green dollars , or barely-animated cadaver John Kerry , get him to fly over on his wife’s ( so , CLEARLY , nothing to do with him )private jet n save us ) is shaping-up to be the greatest scam of all time . Which will impact drastically on all our standards of living , remove what diminishing freedoms we have left and have negligible impact on the climate – try arguing with the sun and millions of years of cyclical/changing weather patterns , see how you get on .
Net Zero is on the same level of delusional thinking as the Second Coming
It makes the £10 monthly subscription all the more worthwhile when this site and its BTL contributors succeed in getting the swivel eyed Yoons, like the roaster contributing at 10:57, frothing at the mouth and hunkered down over their keyboards like a demented Dr Frankenstein in a 1920’s B-movie. Raving about their precious Union in a ‘History Woman’ meets Gollum mash-up of sheer terror and desperation. Priceless! Keep on keepin’ on!
@ fruitella the hun and Dan at various times:
About 5 years ago a herd of charming Highland cattle was evicted from a field ten miles from where I live, and replaced by 30 or so houses. There are now more than that.
When I noticed that the houses all had solar panels integrated into their roofs, I was delighted – I think it should be a condition of planning permission for all new build. I was also pleased that they were integrated, not bolted on like the ones on the new primary school in my own nearest village. Some were pv, some solar thermal; oddly, not all of the houses had both.
Odder still, however, was the aspect of the roofs into which these panels were set. The estate has internal roads, of course, so the houses face in several different directions, and many of the panels are in/on north or north-east facing roofs!
Somehow, this received planning permission. More education of planning officers required; every house with a north-facing roof also has a south-facing one, every north-east aspect has a south-west one. If the panels go in at the very beginning, surely there are no constraints about which side they’re on?
Red
“ it’s a pseudoscientific eschatological cult for droning midwits who lack the self awareness to realise they’ve just joined a crappier religion.”
Aren’t all political movements driven by the idea ”we cant go on this way”? Too simple for a proper marxist to contemplate, I suspect.
I caught the scottish fans booing the english national anthem and it strikes me there is a huge population fed up with the union there us just no party willing to pull them together.
I can’t wait to see the Rutherglen result either way and the snp either getting their act together or moving aside.
The political landscape in Scotland is indeed grim. The energy,optimism, purpose and drive which fuelled the independence movement post the disappointment of 2014 and the incredible political tsunami of the 2015 General Election has been used, abused and wasted by a political leadership at the head of the SNP dedicated first and foremost to self-preservation and secondly to the cult priorities of the cameleon Greens. The SNP will lose Rutherglen badly but the winner won’t be useless unionist Labour it will be apathy and disengagement as thousands indicate their disgust with the state of mainstream politics through abstention from the murky pool of false promises and poverty of vision and honesty.
The picture at a UK level is even worse of course. The prospect of Sir Starmer in No 10 makes me want to puke. The absence of political principles amongst that bunch of red Tories is so conspicuous that even a burning detestation of the official Tories may not convince ordinary folk to vote for the Tory second team. I predict a poor turnout whenever it happens within the next 12 months.
However despite the darkness of the political terrain we now live in it is vital, essential, fundamental, necessary for those of us who still truly believe in the cause of independence and a new, better and fairer Scotland to keep marching, standing, shouting and any other indication of support to show ourselves as the light of hope for a better future must never be allowed to disappear. Even a flicker of hope can one day reignite the bright flame that delivered polls in excess of 60% support for independence over the 2016-2018 period. On Saturday the annual Hope Over Fear rally for independence takes place under the banner of Scotland United for Independence. Stalwarts of our cause like Kenny MacAskill, Angus MacNeil,Jim Fairlie,Ash Regan, Neale Hanvey and several grassroots representatives will inspire with speeches and Indy supporting musical stalwarts will entertain us. It kicks off at 12noon in Glasgow’s George Square. Come along and declare loud and proud. We will never give up or give in. Independence for us is a cause not a fad. A new and better Scotland is not an impossible dream it is just an aim which requires a lot of hard work and proper leadership to deliver.
crazycat says: at 11:48 am
“…Somehow, this received planning permission. More education of planning officers required; every house with a north-facing roof also has a south-facing one, every north-east aspect has a south-west one. If the panels go in at the very beginning, surely there are no constraints about which side they’re on?”
Welcome to the world where listed building, and conservation area status, along with wholly inappropriate tree preservation orders trump sensible building policy…
@ Tommy Sheridan
If junior, then when did Jim go in for reprogramming? Quality political acumen upgrade required for the cause of returning Scotland to self-governing status after helping prompt the electorate to piss away over 1 million 2nd votes for SNP in 21 Holyrood election.
https://nitter.net/jimfairlielogie/status/1375776911750742019
Especially when Eva Comrie was actually selected to be top of the SNP Regional List for mid-Scotland & Fife prior to her moving to Alba because she had zero chance of getting elected in that region as an SNP candidate due to the way D’Hondt system works. IIRC some no mark wokey was then moved to the top of the SNP regional list for the region.
All those 2nd SNP votes in that region like many others were wasted. And he will have known this would happen, and was also very extremely incredibly lucky to get selected over Gethins as a constituency candidate.
Alf @11.03am
Pity Alf, that you were not in charge of this department, you’d make an excellent Scottish government minister.
Date:13th September 2023.
I’d like to raise another issue which, to me, revealed the true nature of far-right Conservative Party orthodoxy.
Without naming the two tabloids, I’ll quote the following from them:
(1) “Rishi Sunak swipes at Remainders accused of hijacking Last Night of the Proms with a sea of EU flags …”
(2) Richard Twice, Reform UK Leader “has called for banning EU flags from Last Night of The Proms.”
Also, I understand that former Tory MP Harvey Proctor has called for an inquiry into what happened at the Royal Albert Hall last Saturday evening.
It was during the 2017 Proms Season, when Daniel Barenboim and his Staatskapelle Berlin played Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No. One as an encore. The audience started its rhythmic clapping which then petered out after a few seconds.
Maestro Barenboim addressed the audience and pointed out that music is an international language and Elgar’s music is part of the European artistic heritage rather than one country per se.
As a composer, I concur fully. Paradoxically, it can be argued that it was the far-right, pan nationalists who hijacked Elgar’s March, Arne’s “Rule Britannia,” Sir Henry Wood’s Fantasia on British Sea Songs and Sir Hubert Parry”s “Jerusalem” for its own nefarious triumphalism several decades ago.
In fact, these masterpieces are appreciated globally and do not belong to any cult or “ism.” If such music has become associated with British patriotism, then I would venture to add that Brexit and the Banality of Brexit was an act tantamount to self-destruction. Perhaps Elgar, Parry, Arne and Wood are turning in their graves.
I wear a lapel badge of the Union Jack and EU flags. If I decide to brandish an EU flag at a public event, then so be it. Unlike these Brexiteers, suffering from neo-imperialist delusions of grandeur, I remain an European at heart and will continue to voice my opinions – whilst I still can.
“Robert Hughes says:
13 September, 2023 at 11:12 am
The Green scam is clever
Net Zero is on the same level of delusional thinking as the Second Coming”
Net zero is just paying someone else to carry the can for your excesses.
I might be a lone voice in thinking that the bottle/can return scheme was – at heart – a good idea. The trouble is that it was taking everything back into waste material rather than re-usable (bottles are the prime example). It would need breweries (etc), hauliers and so on to work together to make it work. Packaging and labelling adhesives and so on would need to change – some of the label glues aren’t hot water soluble, and the packaging is disposable heat-shrunk one-shot.
If beer – for example – was once again distributed in crates rather than cardboard/plastic, then the bottles can be returned to the brewer the same way. Distribution transport can also be collection transport, thus reducing vehicle miles.
Some breweries and food producers have quite ornate jars and bottles; it must be cheaper to wash them than to crush and make anew, surely?
Cans and tins obviously go into re-processing as they’re not re-useable.
I agree about the “green scam”, too. The party isn’t really a green party. I still have an Ecology Party (the predecessor) badge kicking around somewhere.