The New Britain
So things are getting pretty strange.
Polling in Scotland, the UK and Wales in the last few days has shown Great Britain taking a fairly heavy swerve to the right after just five months of Sir Keir Starmer’s government. Labour now lead Reform (who have five seats to Labour’s 411) by just three points in the UK and are even more remarkably now in THIRD place in Wales, a country where the party has won every single election for over 100 years.
Scotland, meanwhile, is heading for a hung Parliament in 2026 in which – as this site has been telling its readers for the last year and a half – the only possibility of a stable administration will be an SNP-Labour coalition.
We live, as they say, in interesting times.
(Our dear cousins across the Irish Sea, incidentally, are in a similar boat. Last week’s election to the Dáil left the nation so split, with no party able to achieve even 22% of the vote, that a coalition of FOUR parties might be required to get anything done.)
In so far as a single conclusion can be drawn from these disparate political situations, it’s that public disillusionment with all major parties is at an all-time high, the unifying evidence being the surge in support for Reform – even in Scotland, where the party has basically zero presence but is currently set to take as many as 14 seats, and could well have an even more dramatic effect on the political map than the projection above.
So, y’know, it’s not all bad.
What’s left of the much-reduced Scottish political blogosphere has mostly reacted to these developments with either catatonic indifference or wild outbreaks of denial, clutching at all manner of straws to pretend that there’s any credible prospect of a pro-indy majority after the next Holyrood election.
18 months is a long time in politics, but we’re going to call this one early: there is zero prospect of a pro-indy majority after the next Holyrood election. None. Barring a nuclear war or an alien invasion or some equally implausible revolutionary event, it’s simply not happening, and our first job is to deal with that fact, because otherwise we’re going to waste another year-and-a-half chasing unicorns before we get down to any serious work. And that hasn’t worked out too well in the last decade.
Scottish Labour’s short-lived lead in the polls was always a passive one derived from people’s disgust with the SNP, rather than based on any surge of enthusiasm for Anas Sarwar’s wet lettuce of a branch office, and Keir Starmer has well and truly torpedoed it with his impossibly hapless start in 10 Downing Street.
But people who were so disenchanted with the SNP that they voted for a party as dismally weak as Scottish Labour aren’t just going to fall back in love with John Swinney’s rolling binfire. Nor do they show any inclination to vote for any of the new indy parties, however much we might all like to believe otherwise.
Instead, like Americans did last month, they appear increasingly inclined to vote in the manner which most expresses their loathing for the entire political establishment. And while wealthy banker Nigel Farage is nobody’s idea of a plucky outsider, these things are relative, and he’s been so ostracised and vilified by mainstream parties and the cultural media for the last 20 years that he just about fits the bill for people who feel that nobody else is even pretending to listen to them.
(As a side note, Wings always felt, and said at the time, that Alex Salmond calling his new party “Alba” was a terrible misjudgement. It now appears to be widely-agreed wisdom that an obsession with minority identity politics is at the root of the malaise affecting parties of the broad left, and what could signal that more strongly than naming your party in a language spoken by even fewer voters in Scotland than there are transgender people? Like it or not, most Scots find Gaelic a total irrelevance at best, actively alienating at worst, and Salmond swiftly giving in to the people who demanded he pronounce it “Aluhpa” just compounded the issue. It immediately put public perception of the new party back where the SNP was in the early 70s, dismissed as a bunch of nutty fringe teuchters in Rob Roy costumes, before – ironically – Salmond himself modernised and professionalised it.)
For a few years now we’ve called it the “Fuck You” vote.
And it doesn’t matter how much we warn people, they refuse to listen.
But shutting your eyes and sticking your fingers in your ears doesn’t make it go away.
And here we are again.
Only the Tories have learned anything in Scotland, electing the competent and fairly sane Russell Findlay as their new leader, but it’s probably too late to save them – years of damage at the hands of the idiot Douglas Ross and the inconceivably farcical UK party are unlikely to be repaired any time soon, even despite Kemi Badenoch’s impressively quick turnaround of Tory fortunes in England.
She’s taken them from just 23.7% in the general election to as high as 30% just a few days ago by pushing the Conservatives to the right on a range of issues, but the revival seems to be in addition to growing support for Reform rather than despite it.
Extraordinarily, just five months after an election in which Labour won a 174-seat majority, the parties of the UK right now lead the party of the notional left by around 20 points, and Labour is responding by triangulating further and further right on issues like immigration and welfare, which only serves to bring Reform closer to the effective centre and makes voting for them easier.
Wishful thinkers in Scotland suggest that the UK’s rightward shift will serve to make independence a more attractive prospect, but that’s a desperate fantasy for a whole clutch of reasons, perhaps most pertinently that the supposed party of independence has absolutely no strategy for achieving it. The SNP tried to ride that horse in July’s election (“Vote for us and we’ll achieve independence by er um mumble mumble something”), and crashed and burned spectacularly. Nobody remotely sane is buying the dead puppy in a paper bag they’re selling.
(It would be a tough enough job at the best of times, but the current leader is no salesman. His almost parodically robotic sermon of bland, vacuous wonkspeak for St Andrew’s Day would have sent a hummingbird to sleep.)
Of course, it’s at this point that people ask what our solutions are. And unfortunately we don’t have a magic rabbit to pull out of a hat. The answers are the same as they always are – stop trying to force niche ideologies onto people that they don’t want. Stop making their lives worse at every single turn because you have neither the resources nor the basic competence to make them better. Stop putting up their train fares, stop punishing them for driving the wrong kind of car or liking the wrong food, stop grooming their children, stop wanging on about Gaza, and all the rest of it.
None of it is remotely rocket science. All of the data showing how the electorate feels about these things is out there in plain sight. But our politicians, across parties, are pathologically obsessed with social engineering, trying to create the public they wish existed rather than serve the one that does.
So who are we even talking to? There, readers, is the rub. The SNP aren’t listening. Alba aren’t being listened to. The latest new indy party couldn’t even manage to have a website organised in time for their launch, and isn’t running in 2026 anyway.
We’re probably on extremely shaky ground trying to explain things by way of reference to the popular Nintendo videogame series Advance Wars. (Older readers can apply most of the following to the boardgame Risk instead, the fundamentals are the same.)
But take it from us – the key lesson of that game is that you don’t send weak troops into battle. If your units have taken a battering you retreat to your bases to recover, regroup and reinforce. Staying out in the field, sending infantry with sticks and stones up against tank divisions, just gets you slaughtered.
We’ve lost our most skilled general and the former High Command is full of cowards, idiots and traitors, (and soon bankrupt to boot). This is a defensive phase. We need to hunker down in a fortified position, start facing up to some hard facts, and not come back out until we’re in fighting shape.
If that sounds like woolly rhetoric, well, it sort of is. But what it really is is a call for a return to first principles, and that means stopping telling voters that they’re wrong. It means stopping telling them that independence means a bunch of stuff happening that they don’t want.
We need to offer them a country where THEY get to decide things. We need to tell them that they can elect whoever they want in an indy Scotland, even parties WE don’t like. Because until we can agree on that basic core premise, and stop insulting their choices and their priorities and their freedoms, they’re going to keep saying “Fuck You”, louder and louder and louder, until it’s the only voice anyone can hear.
Spot on yet again.
Immigration both legal and illegal, is the far and away biggest issue in the UK. Reform UK is the only party that confronts the centrality of this issue for the health service, the education system and the fabric of society. The momentum throughout the whole UK is with Reform. In my nearly 80 years I’ve never known a more exciting time.
Without immigration, the health service would collapse. I assume you’re a fit and healthy 80 year old.
That’s a circular argument. Immigrants are needed to replace British workers who are not encouraged to work either for Benefits reasons or ludicrous anti work taxation policies. Of course the hundreds of thousands of immigrants then need more immigrants to provide for their health needs and so on.
So let’s see if I have this right?
These anti-work taxation policies only affect “British Workers” but not immigrant workers in the NHS?
How does that work as a process? Is it something to do with Schrödinger?
It would also be useful to have the definition of what is being considered an “immigrant” here?
Thank you.
“These anti-work taxation policies only affect “British Workers” but not immigrant workers in the NHS?” Most immigrant workers do not work in the NHS nor do most British workers. The NHS may well pay wages that are more attractive than Benefits-plus-wages to both British native workers and immigrants.
The fact is that many people are unable to see the point of entering the work force (not simply the NHS) because of taxation policies that remove benefits on a scale pro-rata with wages earned and where the tax bands start at such low levels. (Reform wants wages under 20k excluded).
However to restrict ourselves to the NHS, it is the case that we employ thousands of immigrants to treat many more thousands of immigrants, as any visit to A & E will confirm or any attempt to get a GP appointment will show. Of course the NHS can’t cope without immigrants precisely because of the masses of immigrants using it.
I’m surprised you don’t know what an immigrant is. They are people who immigrate to the UK for economic reasons mainly and whose numbers have recently been revealed to be in numbers about the size of the City of Leeds. Some immigrants call themselves “asylum seekers” (sic) and they are illegal having broken into the country. They need health services, schools and use of the infra structure and often do not share our culture in any way. Which takes us back to the enormous success of Reform UK.
Ted, the original context of Derek Thompson’s question to which you replied was the NHS
“Without immigration, the health service would collapse.”
And that was the context of my first question.
To which you still have not supplied an evidence based response.
You state: “The fact is that many people are unable to see the point of entering the work force (not simply the NHS) because of taxation policies that remove benefits on a scale pro-rata with wages earned and where the tax bands start at such low levels.”
That will be the case for ALL people in employment, immigrant as well as non-immigrant.
Your original statement that “British workers who are not encouraged to work either for Benefits reasons or ludicrous anti work taxation policies” implies that this is only the case for British workers and not for workers who are “immigrants”.
Hence the request to explain how this actually works?
Dealing with the issue of the concept of “immigrant” I see that it will be necessary to simplify the question to Janet and John level:
Does YOUR definition of “immigrant” include ALL people coming to work or study in this country, or is it limited to particular groups of immigrants and not others?
Whilst we are on the subject, two observations occur:
Firstly, the issue you define is easily solvable. All that is required is to remove the demand. This can be done by;
(a) The UK, among others, to cease interfering directly and indirectly (through proxies) in other countries by bombing them back to the Stone Age.
(b) The UK, among others, ceasing to interfere in the economic development and progress of other countries by aggressively imposing economic policies which insist on privatising their infrastructures and resources for the benefit of UK and other Western corporations.
It is not quantum mechanics. Libya, to cite merely one among numerous examples, was the richest country on the African continent until it was wrecked, with UK support. Add in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Lebanon, Syria, Ukraine et al.
And even then the UK is only receiving a tiny fraction of the refugees our Government created compared to the neighbouring states of those countries cited above.
Moving on to your evidence free claim that the NHS is only treating immigrants, I have tell you not only that you are factually wrong but also that you are talking nonsense.
Try that line with the exercise class of cancer patients I am presently attending, and they will fall about with the derision that nonsense deserves.
Not one of them is an immigrant. Yet all of us were dealt with speedily, professionally, effectively and efficiently by the offspring of both native and immigrant employees in the NHS. Not just immediately but over months.
Since my initial diagnosis in January, I’ve been through Urology, Hepatology, Haematology, and Cancer as well as the speciality dealing with my bowel cancer. I have experience none of the problems you claim to exist not has anyone else I know.
Similarly, I have this afternoon visited a friend who has just been discharged home from surgery to remove a benign brain tumour. They tell me the same story of their experience.
I spent last Easter in a hospital ward where, on Easter Friday morning I was woken up by one of the male nurses whose parents were originally from India who wished me a “Happy Good Friday”.
In seventy years of orbit around the sun, I have yet to witness a reverse of this – i.e where someone from another culture is greeted in similar fashion by someone from Britain.
Your statements in this regard are myths. Fed to the naive and gullible by a corporate media and unscrupulous chancers and hypocrites like Farage and others like him. Who then repeat this evidence free nonsense at odds with the everyday experiences of real people.
This is no different to the shite the woke put out. They are rightfully challenged for their evidence free nonsense and told they are wrong. You are equally wrong, Ted.
Reform (and the lizard Farage) also want to abolish the NHS and introduce private healthcare akin to the US model. Let’s hope that either a. they never get near power (but I fear the masses are turning into dolts) or b. you never get ill.
“…the NHS can’t cope without immigrants precisely because of the masses of immigrants using it.”
Dearie, dearie, dearie. Desperate stuff.
Imagine people in this country voting for far-right wing parties. Have we learned nothing?
Better get our blackshirts hunted out.
Trebles all round, what!
It’s not just Reform trying to replace the NHS & SNHS with private health care.
Haven’t you noticed planned and wilful destruction by all parties over the past decade?
You’ll find, in Scotland, the the reason for non-treatment is not because there are not enough nurses and doctors. It’s because of budget restraints demanded by Holyrood.
In Fife they’ve actually closed Dunfermline Hospital as a normally functioning Hospital!
Now why would you do that when we have waiting lists longer than my lifetime?
The SNHS is a service, it is not business, so stop treating it in that model.
If the health of the nation is in such a critical condition then its due to the choices presented to us. Therefore, it follows those who created and happily promoted this condition should pay to resolve it.
Whether through fraud, deceit, lies, corruption or exploitation and excessive profits there has to be justice. Why should the public be the only ones to suffer through their health and basic standard of existence.
” they’ve actually closed Dunfermline Hospital as a normally functioning Hospital!”….Jeez, I was born there.
Of course Queen Margaret in Dunfermline wasn’t in Broon’s constituency so vast amounts were spent building and favouring the new in his era one in Kirkcaldy, which was.
And, of course, I lay the blame for the destruction of the SNHS squarely at feet of she who can’t be named.
I agree. But as the Rev has noted previously; the Tories are just evil.
This is a very good point about the Americanization of health care. Let me explain what that means in reality. My wife got very sick at the start of the year. She nearly died. Skilled medical care saved her life. The only reason she is back to work, contributing to society is because she has almost constant kidney dialysis for three days, then regular sessions thrice weekly for about a month. We got a bill for $20,000 because the insurance company decided that the dialysis wasn’t medically necessary. Who the (insert choice of expletive) thinks that kidney dialysis is a choice?
Anyone who votes for the right-wing parties -Con, Lab or “Reform” is voting for crap like my wife and I are going through, figuring out how we can pay $20,000 out of a gross income of $90,000 on top of our other living expenses, including $8,500 per year for the privilege of having medical insurance that finds excuses not to pay out on the expensive stuff.
Voting SNP, of course is like voting for Baa Baa Black Sheep. What a minging set of options.
Sorry to hear about your problems, Skip.
I read recently that the biggest cause of bankruptcy/people losing their homes in the US is that they get sick and can’t afford the medical bills. And some here are cheering it on.
Unbelievable.
That is true. Something like 62% of bankruptcies are down to medical debt, which can fall into several categories:
Incidentally, the $8,500 I quoted above is just my wife’s share of medical insurance premiums. Her employer pays the rest and the total cost in 2023 was just over $23,000. That is just the insurance. Out of pocket expenses are about $4,000 in a year without exceptional expenses. Years in which either of us needs an endoscopy or colonoscopy hit hard because the largest company that employs anaesthetists nationwide refuses to accept insurance.
The US Bankruptcy Code is comprehensive and there are provisions that will let you keep your home whilst getting other debt written off. however, it does require a regular monthly income, which one may not have if one is ill.
There are opportunities in the USA for a fantastic life, but only if you can afford the little things that we take for granted. Perhaps if our elected officials and assorted hangers-on only got median wages (which is more or less where my wife and I are) they would form different views.
Usually I agree with lots that you post James but this comment is why we cannot have a serious discussion about immigration
As soon as you raise the issue the despicable racist card is played , it is comparable to the anti semitic diatribe and curse if you dare to criticise Israhel or Judaism, or Islam or Mohammed
BUT a white Christian is fair game for everyone to insult we are the only racists and bigots on the planet
I agree with Dave Hansell re the uk acting with others destabilising other countries whether through war or other means and forcing people to flee their homelands or become refugees BUT their are other people who come for economic reasons and create problems with the systems that are currently in place
The reality is that the uk has been mismanaged by successive governments and imbecilic politicians who are more interested in keeping neocons happy by ignoring tax avoidance and evasion than FORCING them to pay their fair share of taxation, HENCE all social constructs are facing ever more shrinking finances
England currently has the highest rate of illiteracy of the 25 developed nations, has 30% child poverty, which has created an attainment level of a third world country, a housing crisis never seen in my lifetime, failing public services with councils on the verge of bankruptcy, leaving them no option but to reduce services to the point where they are no longer able to meet their statutory responsibilities, has penalised parenthood to the extent that the indigenous population is in decline, this is all pretty basic stuff that you need to address, for without grabbing the nettle and nurturing your indigenous population, then you will always be reliant on immigration. Would also point out that Englands unemployment level is only 4.4% one of the lowest rates in Europe and is causing employers real difficulties in finding staff, Scotlands 3.3% is a serious threat to any notion of growth. You can bash on about immigration as much as you like, but without addressing all of the above, you have no where else to turn, it’s either immigration or recession, even a depression is on the cards
“…I heard it in the house of commons, “everything’s for sale…”
Ah yes, the Tories, don’cha just luv ’em? Lowest pension in Europe, highest fuel bills in the world, zero hours contracts, 3 part-time jobs, working people using food banks. Didn’t they do well?
Power, telecoms, railways, Post Office, you name it; all sold off to their friends for pennies, because, as we have seen they know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
And now the meeja is fooling them towards ‘Reform’. And we get whatever Engerland votes for. Every time. Jesus wept.
Lowest pension, but highest paid train drivers….
Train drivers do a useful skilled job.
Unlike office dross or estate agents.
Nurses do a skilled job. Not every one needs to travel by train, but sooner or later we all need the help of a nurse, but which one gets paid the most, nurse or train driver?
Try being a train driver and see how you like it. Most people wouldn’t last a day in the job.
The basis of your somewhat bold claim being…?
Trains run on rails, Michael. They stop and go in response to external, computerised signals. Their speeds are limited/controlled by GPS assessment of where they are on the track, and the position/direction of other trains in the vicinity.
In a world where driverless cars are seriously being mooted as a technical reality for ordinary citizens, driverless trains would be a project solveable by undergrads working towards their computer science degree.
I think more people could successfully be a train driver than could successfully be a nurse.
“attainment level of a third world country”
Ah yes, that reminds me.
Maybe thirty years ago, a certain somebody predicted that by filling a country with third-world people, you would inevitably produce a third-world country.
Obviously, at the time, they were terribly wrong and racist and despicable and evil and cuntish and maybe even more cuntish than that. And everybody “nice” got shouty at them until they slunk off in disgrace.
Nowadays? Not so many “nice” virtue signalling shouters as there once was.
Your analysis is wrang.
The UK has long brought in immigrants already trained to do jobs. It is a cost constraint.
In 1971, 31% of UK doctors were trained abroad.
Today, about 24% of UK nurses and midwives trained abroad.
Yes Derek I’ve seen hundreds of doctors and nurses coming across the chanel
Derek, with respect that is garbage. And if it wasn’t garbage it is an argument for immediate structural reform, not mass immigration.
Are you genuinely proposing that the % of healtcare workers within the 800,000 immigrant arrivals p/a is much higher than that in the host population? Or that immigrants don’t access health care?
If my area requires huge demographic change to support the NHS, and it’s absurd how quickly this is happening, then maybe the NHS isn’t worth it.
There’s a rumour going about on certain online sites that Musk may be prepared to bankroll Reform to the tune of £100 million.
If true, that will make things interesting as well as exciting.
What kind of person are you?
A mirror image of the woke process and approach he thinks he is against.
The kind of person who gets honest self-abusers a bad name – thats who he is.
We can all admire honesty, Willie, but this time you’ve taken your honesty too far 🙂
Starmer will introduce legislation to prevent Musk doing any such thing (although it was ok for Labour to accept a £4 million donation from a Caribbean tax haven registered company).
The English governments economic growth “plan” , is based on increasing the service economy by growing the population, as the birth rate is incapable of sustaining that growth, the only feasible alternative is to import educated and keen workers from (currently) India and Nigeria, without the 700k net migration, the economic plan collapses and recession is inevitable.
Previously I’d have said immigration was not a significant factor here in Scotland but over the last 5 years or so I’ve personally seen (N.Lanarkshire) not only an increase but a change in the demographic of immigrants; ie single males you might jreasonably conclude came in on illegal rubber boats and headed North where they knew they could get lost in a crowd.
What’s immigration got to do with the colonial parliament at Holyrood? Immigration policy is reserved to the Westminster imperial parliament.
Immigration was never the problem. Failure to resource things like housing and health is the problem – then they blame it on immigrants. Much is made over the ‘small boats’ but that makes up 3% of those coming into the country and 75% of them are genuine refugees. This leaves 1% of immigrants as being those with no right to be here and 93% were specifically invited.
Back in the ‘old days’ the NHS directly trained their nurses whilst paying them, they had training centres but now you need to pay for your own degree or at least for the costs (aside from tutoring) if in Scotland. Places for other medical education were drastically cut so that even if none of that was a barrier you’ll find it ten times harder to even begin training. Hence them reaching out to countries like Kenya and causing a brain drain so severe it has affected their health service detrimentally. This is specifically in breach of an international agreement the UK signed to not do this.
Replicate this for many professions, trades and necessary front line jobs and you get to a position where we are so short of skilled people we have to steal them from overseas.
The answer is money – into education, the NHS and yes, into the Border Force and Home office to process claims quickly in order to separate real refugees (who aren’t the problem) from illegals who are a tiny part of the problem.
The greatest part of this problem is successive governments deciding to slash funding for education, NHS, Civil Service and Housing. They then turned round and blamed immigrants – the vast majority of whom they invited here..
Well said Rev.
The Alba Party is a none starter and it always has been, its time to rethink before its to late. No disrespect to the former FM but Sturgeon ruined his political career and he never returned from the abyss.
If over 50% want Independence and its now the norm WHY isn’t the movement capitalizing on such a huge amount. I believe if Scotland wants to move forward and quickly there is only one option and for me and its seems the right option for Scotland too, Start a new political party appealing to the English nationalist who want Independence for England and with the view of ENDING the Union and every nation going its own way. I no longer believe in the SNP or Scotland becoming Independent without appealing to the English wanting the same goal.
There is only one place that can make a difference for anyone living on these Islands and that’s Westminster, 56mp didn’t do it and neither can 59 Scottish MPs but with the rest of the UK wanting the same goal as Scotland and Wales and with this goal we can beat Farage and the Unionist parties if the Independence tickets is on the table for all the nations in the union. The Unionist parties wouldn’t want to talk about England wanting to leave this Union so lets make a political party to end the whole Union not just Scotland and Wales. I believe when England finds out that it doesn’t exist anymore we have a strong case to end this Union with English nationalist help.
How would England not exist any more?
I did suggest on previous occasions that SNP then Alba should stand in English constituencies on a platform of “independence for England”. If they had stood in the Speaker’s seat there would have been no other candidates and I’m sure would have done well.
Alba should stand in English constituencies when they can’t find candidates for Scottish constituencies?
They might improve on their usual 1% in England, because a lot of English voters would be happy to see Scotland go.
Westminster is where the power is and the SNP have made it perfectly clear they will not change the status-quo. Its really going to be a difcult battle for us Indy supporters when we are fighting both governments on our right to exsist. The SNP has become the main force behind denying us our place in the world and not alot of people are paying attention to the fact the SNP is handing Scotland to the Unionist south of the border and their goal is simple one Island under one name,Britian. For me this isn’t appealing at all its frighting. The Indy movement is the strongest force in Scotland but the SNP is trying its hardest to destroy in peoples minds the idea that Scotland being a country is a good thing. What the SNP does want is to remain as a county with little or no powers working within the Union, their mesage coundn’t be any clearier if it was coming from the mouth of a DUP MP.
I can’t count how many Indy parties has been formed since 2014 and what has been achieved NOTHING we even have our own newspaper who headlines seem to be more about the Labour party that the way forward towards Independence.
Another ten years will pass and nothing will change the Indy parties will remain the same no seats in Holyrood or Westminster and the real fact is Westminster is where the real power is.
The SNP has deibrately cause the merry go round with no way off. The real problem isn’t Westminster is the SNP and the Greens until we rid ourselve of these parties Scotland is slowing becoming irrelevant and its all been done by design the SNP leadership and supporters.
WM may be where the power lies but Alex still managed to get #indyref1 with 6 MPS
He did that from Holyrood so it depends on those in Holyrood to get the finger out.
Of course Swinney and Sturgeon were both happy to defer to WM
Alex would never have taken that.
Interesting.
It’s certainly the approach that did for the Soviet Union.
Watched Scotland Tonight yesterday evening and listened to the talking heads discussing the upcoming budget.
Apart from Ponsonby talking sense the former politician and political monkey both thought an early election would be an eye rolling heaven forbid anything but situation.
I was disgusted, an election is when we the voters get our say and the fact the troughers in power are mulling over who of their enemies they are willing to put their pyjama bottoms on back to front for rather than demeaning themselves to let us have our say paints a very telling picture.
Yup fuck you..
I have been banging on about that for a few years now, we have been fighting the war on the wrong battleground, it would be far simpler to appeal to the English nationalist gammons, convincing them that the other constituent nations are a drain on their economy, if you told the English electorate that Scotland, Wales and NI were responsible for the majority of the English governments deficit, they would believe it and probably unquestioningly vote to get rid.
Presumably, on the basis of some of the attitudes one witnesses daily, in such an event there would be calls to limit, if not totally remove, all immigration from Scotland?
They would, but nobody in power wants that because they know we are a wealth of natural resources to be exploited.
Ah! Given that the context here is [checks notes] the “fuck your open borders” requirements of the
consumersvoters rather than those in power (politicians) it would seem reasonable to surmise that in this scenario the Scots would be considered as the “Good” immigrants rather than the “Bad” ones? (whichconsumersvoters get to choose, how is the issue framed, and who gets to do the counting?)Things can change very quickly these days as the recent collapse of landslide Labour proves. If the current leadership of the SNP was to change in favour of a believably pro-independence one the SNP’s fortunes would rapidly improve.
Swinney must go. A budget rejected followed by a quick Holyrood election with July-like abstentions from the pro-independence electorate could see him depart because of the high number of lost seats. We would still have the 2026 election to come, hopefully with someone in charge of the SNP who actually wants independence and who is ready to put all the superfluous muck to one side in order to get the pro-indy voters back on side, resulting in a larger-than-ever SNP win.
I don’t know anything much about most SNP MSPs – nothing good, certainly – but they don’t seem to have anyone with a burning desire for independence. Fergus Ewing, and presumably Annabelle, are the most fiery, probably – but it needs more than 2.
As for other SNP members. Who is there to lead them in the right direction? Might Joanna Cherry be the answer? I’m not sure.
The Scottish electorate for the most part have yet to come to terms with their colonial status and the part the SNP continues to play in facilitating the dominance of another countries parliament over Scotland’s affairs! Joanna Cherry is not and will never be the “answer”!
A very astute and subtle comment which raises a key problem with part of the analysis presented by the Rev in this piece.
Because logically, the concept of national independence can only exist where a relationship of colonial control is in place. The two cannot be rationally separated.
By definition, therefore, the very position of seeking independence from the colonial situation – whether it’s an average independence voter or a politician from a political party seeking independence – is telling those voters who don’t accept the concept of colonialism (economic as well as political) – be it Scottish or anywhere else (Palestine springs to mind) – that they are wrong.
Because “stop wanging on about places like Gaza.” As though the concept of independence is not a generic one, but is only applicable in specific cases and not others. Sounds very much like Josep Borrell’s Golden Billion of the (superior) Western Garden and the (inferior) everybody else outside the West.
Similarly, any practical process in which independence occurs for Scotland vis a vis its relationship with England/the rest of the UK will require a new economic structure for both entities.
That process will inevitably include who gets to inherit what proportion of the UK debt. In which case the question of debt write-downs for the colonised state – in this case Scotland – will have to feature.
Simply because – whether it’s Scotland, England, the USA or anywhere else in the world – as detailed by those such as the economist Michael Hudson, compound interest grows exponentially whilst production only grows logarithmically. Consequently, as the historical record demonstrates, to avoid the collapse of a society such unpayable debt cannot be paid and will have to be written down.
That’s not dogma. It’s not woke. It’s not ideological. It’s basic arithmetic. Good luck to anyone trying to gain independence – economic and political – by either rejecting this reality or by going along with anyone who rejects that reality and failing to tell them they are wrong and explain why they are wrong.
Because politics ain’t a consumer product. And spouting complete impractical bollocks is not a monopoly limited to politicians and the PMC’s. Average punters are just as prone to it and just as prolific.
Both need to be pulled up when they come up with or repeat evidence free nonsense fed to them by others. Which means calling out anyone – whoever they happen to be – when they are objectively wrong on a matter.
Limiting the practice only in the case of the woke – whose definition and whose doing the counting – is something of a departure from the core values and approach a lot of us who have followed this site over the years understand those values and that approach to be.
Fergus Ewing can barely stand up, never mind lead a new charge for independence. He was clearly unwell at AS’s funeral. I cant see a way forward at all. Perhaps Reform, Trump and Musk will burn it all down, and the revolution will begin.
“Burn it all down”
That could be sooner than you think and maybe a bit too toasty, if the idiots Starmer and Biden keep going as they are….
Joanna is not in politics?
Jeezo.
Imagine replacing ‘Honest’ John with BAP / Freeports Forbes or walking ignoramus Shona Robison. How about Neil- ‘I didn’t get it wrong enough, I should have done more of doing the wrong thing’ Grey? How about invisible no-mark clique dangleberry ‘Shirley-Anne-shit-for-brains’ (to quote our host).
Get real.
If change was to come, it would have to be in place BEFORE the turkeys take another opportunity to reorganise the deck chairs.
🙁
And another thing.
from Grouse Beaters full throated
‘The Speech I Would Have Given‘
And Holyrood’s Salem: Nicola Sturgeon and her scented agents, Alex’s own colleagues Liz, Heather, Shirley-Anne, Lesley, Catriona, Francesca, Katie, and the chief book keeper, Peter Murrell
link to archive.is
There’s 9 names you would not want to see left in power.
Oh and while you’re at it,
consider to buy his new book:
“30 Tenets of Liberty” 😉
Beware of accidental jigsaws
Unfortunately you are correct, Rev.
But can we put a stick in the Unionist parties tri-cycle wheels?
Could you ask a top Scottish lawyer if there is a way to force the Electoral Commission to stop Labour, Conservative and Lib-Dems misleading the voter by putting “Scottish” in front of the actual legal party entity’s name?
I would contribute to a crowdfund for such a case.
You don’t have to be “a top Scottish lawyer” to understand that putting “Scottish” in front of a party’s legal name signifies nothing more than that, somewhere along the line, said party has some of form of relevance to Scotland – whether by location of its head (or branch) office, the nature of its interests, the specific geographical area of its concerns etc.
Everything you ever post is crackpot pish.
I can’t remember which wannabe Prez of the US it was who, upon hearing that he had lost the election, said:
” The people have spoken. The bastards”
🙂
That would have been notorious prankster, Dick Tuck. Anyone wanting a few tips for political mayhem will enjoy some of his tricks.
1. Create a new party
2. Use AI to propose an overarching manifesto to provide maximum benefit to the majority
3. Allow crowdsourced modification to the manifesto at constituency level
4. Crowdfund ballot deposit per constituency
5. Use blockchain smart contract per constituency to select a list of potential candidates from the donors
6. Best willing candidate signs contract to only vote how constituency wants them to on any specific issue on pain of fine/deselection
Gets us back to “by the people, for the people” and removes the influence of lobbying. Gets away from personality politics.
Thoughts?
John Farnham: Whispering Jack: You’re the Voice:
“We have the chance to turn the pages over
We can write what we want to write
We gotta make ends meet, before we get much older
We’re all someone’s daughter
We’re all someone’s son
How long can we look at each other
Down the barrel of a gun?
You’re the voice, try and understand it
Make a noise and make it clear
Oh, whoa
We’re not gonna sit in silence
We’re not gonna live with fear
Oh, whoa
This time, we know we all can stand together
With the power to be powerful
Believing we can make it better…”:
link to tinyurl.com
#WEScotland…
Dear negative ones (Nicola and Peter ??),
Why don’t you believe in Scotland ?
Why do you scorn the notion of people empowerment ??
Why don’t you consider yourselves Team-Scotland players ???
Why on earth do you shady forever-losers hide like pathetic cowards in the dark (it’s far easier to rip your integrity to pieces if you cannot face reality)
#PowerToScotlandsPeople
Hi Craig, there’s a lot of reliance on tech in your suggestion, but the bones of it are not that far off what I’ve been suggesting for years but effectively getting zero support or engagement…
The question is would you actually be prepared to yield from your exact suggestion and meld it with the similar ideas of others?
But the first thing to clarify is whether your suggestion is about electing individuals to continue to play along with being bit part players in this farce of a union which continues to fail Scotland, or will these individuals you hope to elect with the democratically expressed support of their electorate end the union.
Over recent days I’ve asked and bumped various past comments to garner clarity on using a plebiscite election to end the union, but not had any input from the site owner…
I think the strength of the idea is that it’s entirely people-powered. Once it was set up, I’d want nothing to do with running it or controlling it. Anyone in a position of power is too easily influenced. That’s why the reliance on tech. Smart contracts are open to all to review to ensure nothing funny is going on. Blockchain allows the party finances to be directed towards the deposit for the ballot and any extra could be donated to other constituencies who didn’t collect enough, local charities or spent on campaigning leaflets etc as the members saw fit. Polymorphic encryption allows for voting systems that allow individuals to ensure their vote was correctly counted, allows transparent voting but also preserves privacy. Anything less is too open to manipulation.
In terms of the ability to gain independence, if a party like this got into power, it may actually make the UK system workable for all nations, nullifying the need for independence. However, it also opens up the option for voters in England to vote for English independence, or to support Scotland in it’s bid to have another referendum. I don’t see this as an independence party, rather just a means of near direct democracy. Chances are it could lead to independence or devo max etc.
“In terms of the ability to gain independence, if a party like this got into power, it may actually make the UK system workable for all nations, nullifying the need for independence. However, it also opens up the option for voters in England to vote for English independence, or to support Scotland in it’s bid to have another referendum. I don’t see this as an independence party, rather just a means of near direct democracy. Chances are it could lead to independence or devo max etc.”
Hmm, so that’s not really much help in resolving Scotland’s predicament then because your suggested idea just plays into continuing within the current UK political system.
How would the Kingdom of Scotland manage to have an equal political say on matters when the democratic deficit of us being outvoted by 10 to 1 by the Kingdom of England is in place.
That’s why I initially asked for clarity on what your proposal was for because I had my suspicions it was more of a wider theoretical concept rather than a method to quickly extract Scotland from a course of ruination inflicted on us by continued London Rule.
Due to electoral numbers, Scotland can’t “fix” or save England. The sooner folk realise this and focus on saving Scotland the better.
Plus why would England vote for its independence when in this new transparent honest UK political paradigm you envisage, it becomes clear that the Kingdom of England is heavily reliant on the Kingdom of Scotland’s assets and resources keeping it afloat.
Such a party would be a massive target It would struggle to survive- a great idea though.
What if it wasn’t a Party? But a loose alliance of local independent candidates merely acting as a conduit to genuinely represent their specific constituencies?
Candidates stand on a much simpler recall commitment too that if they ever fail to act as instructed, or their behaviour renders them unsuitable to continue representing their constituents, they will stand down.
I’ll also chuck in not taking a wage* as a sweetener and sign that some are not in it for slurping at gravy.
*Expenses and staffing costs would be taken though.
Much harder for these honest local individual representatives to be taken out by the powers that be like what we’ve seen play out with Corbyn & Salmond, and their political Parties smeared by association, and imo if similar attacks were made by “outsiders” then it could even backfire and actually galvanize local support around the individual.
Of course still need to find about 53 individuals to stand and get busy in their locales.
Or of course we could jist sit on oor arses and continue to whine about the shite state of affairs…
I get what you’re saying, Dan. An umbrella grouping such as Action for Independence where individuals and small parties stood under the principle of Independence First [or Manifesto for Independence] so all votes for any of them counted as pro-independence, regardless of their other policies.
Trouble is that voters don’t get the message in time because the group is starved of MSM coverage.
There were several committed, principled I4I and ISP candidates in 2024, any one of whom would have been better than what we got, so the people are there – it’s just the system.
And I’ve explained already why I4I didn’t make significant inroads.
It was far too short a campaign time, compromised electoral leaflet deliveries, big name bloggers did little to fuck all to promote the candidates because they were not in the clique. Something which is even more ridiculous when I4I women were predominantly gender critical women which has been Stu’s main focus for years.
Eva actually did pick up more votes than Alba’s Kenny McAskill who belatedly switched constituencies which compromised his own campaign.
Now admittedly Eva did not get a huge vote share in the scheme of things, but she didn’t get next to zero votes either so potential was shown.
And you have to remember the short time frame of campaign. Anyone thinking a few months is adequate time to succeed with an electoral campaign really doesn’t understand the real world practicalities on the ground.
With proper organisation and developing a local network within each constituency it would make a difference. But it is essential that folk have to be receptive to working with other people.
Political Parties are fucked because they are filled with the remaining toxic political junk that’s slurped on gravy for far too long. Voter turnouts show this, Reform increasing vote share also a sign.
Even other Scottish supposedly pro-Indy MPs when they had the chance failed to use their parliamentary privilege to assist in clearing Alex before his premature demise. Jeezo, with friends and colleagues like these… Instead they left it to English Conservative David Davis to step up.
Stop thinking on so much of a national scale as clearly we can’t rely on and would be stupid to look for a single leader to follow. Years have been pissed away because the current crop at the top have utterly failed to identify and nurture any new rising talent or other initiatives.
That’s short sighted in the extreme and points to self-serving outlook rather than developing the overall cause of returning Scotland to self-governing status so we can begin to repair the carnage inflicted on our socoety and country over the course of this 300 year union.
All these folk waiting for “a leader” to arise might have actually supported the folk that were trying to do something in the past. And if they didn’t recognise what was happening back then and are only just catching on now, then maybe accept that they aren’t that up with events so might consider a reset of how valuable their views actually are.
AFI and ISP were the first to manifest years back to fill the vacuum created by NuSNP’s pish.
But instead of folk getting behind them we got further confusion and division with Alba forming and now Schrodinger’s NSP party forming at a time when the electorate are evermore sick of fucking political Parties…
So aye, the loose national alliance is in the background, but work away to develop the I4I strategy in each local area. Face to face with real people, not on the sodding internet platform with its all too prevalent trolling disruption and low brow like or hate interactions.
“Nothing happening in Scottish Politics”, “Ten years before something will happen”… Just get in the sea with that pish because you have no idea what Scotland will be like in ten years time to have a clue what the prevailing wonts and needs will actually be. If you can’t identify any potential leaders now then how on earth do you know there will be anyone that fits your exacting criteria in the future?
FFS Rev Stu will not even address or respond to legitimate questions on his plebiscite manifesto, be they from committed Indy activists or just trolls trying to shred his manifesto for independence.
If he won’t defend his own manifesto when folk try to ask if it can be tweaked or others are picking holes in it, then why would or should any activist support and run with it if he won’t help back them up on it?
I think the main advantage of my suggestion is it’s nothing to do with individuals seeking to gain power by convincing people they’re worthy. It’s a chance to poke the establishment in the eye. It’s like a “none of the above” option but with the added bonus that they may well elect someone who will be legally obliged to vote in parliament in line with their constituency’s wishes.
It reminds me of Rage Against The Machine getting xmas number 1 a few years ago because people were sick of the X-Factor mob having it buttoned-up every year.
Political engagement is in the toilet because people can see nothing but pigs in the trough differentiated only by their rosette colours. If people started to see an opportunity to kick them out, I think they’d jump at the chance. It’s the kind of thing I can see going viral on social media etc.
“Political engagement is in the toilet because people can see nothing but pigs in the trough differentiated only by their rosette colours. If people started to see an opportunity to kick them out, I think they’d jump at the chance. It’s the kind of thing I can see going viral on social media etc.”
Breaking news, some folk have been well aware of this for a long time and proffering alternatives that break away from the conventional system that has led us to the point of considerable political disenfranchisement, but virtually nobody has been supportive of them…
(This says so much about the cause of returning Scotland to self-governance in that it isn’t receptive, dynamic, or resilient enough to make political capital when even Reform can manage to.)
One can pick up the various nuances up by interacting and conversing with people face to face way better than on t’internet with its highly compromised and disparate comms platforms.
The real work needs to be done on the ground in the local communities in amongst those that live there, because it’s highly unlikely a huge number of the local electorate utilise the same online platforms to get informed and garner unity of cause on such a local political developments.
The only way something of any sustained worth would or could go viral on social media is after the essential ground work has already been put in place to ensure the local network and resources are in place to progress the initiative.
Proper planning prevents piss poor performance. Try to do it after the going viral fact and it risks bandwagon jumpers and infiltration by disruptors.
Talk of implementing polymorphic blockchains voting and crowdfunders when some areas don’t even have decent internet or cell phone signals, and a considerable section of society aren’t tech savvy enough to use them will not work.
Much better to hold public meetings and hustings which could be utlised as two way educational processes where folk can have discussions to gain comprehension of the pros and cons of relevant matters before decisions are made on which way to vote on a matter.
The public are incredibly uninformed on a huge number of very important subjects; Hence why the likes of Reform make inroads. They do that because they are organised and committed to their ongoing objectives.
I posted about it before but does anyone think the likes of Farage / Vote Leave / Matthew Elliot, Dominic Cummings, etc took their foot off the gas after the “Brexit” vote occurred.
Do folk think they all just stopped what they were doing and took up knitting or stamp collecting so you didn’t need to do anything to counter what is happening.
The utter fucking naivety and lack of sustained commitment to the cause of returning Scotland to self-governance and improving our society is incredible.
But we now have Freeports and SEZs being implemented, yet our supposed informed “leaders” say “There’s nothing going on“…
link to desmog.com
Considering the few votes I4I and ISP get, the MSM covers them far TOO MUCH. Far more than they merit.
The extremist fringe will blame anything for their poor showing at the polls–except the fact that people aren’t buying what they’re selling.
Hey, “Sarah,” what happened at that Indy “Summit” you were promoting a couple days ago? You know, the one for Dec. 3rd.
How many people actually attended? A dozen? Two dozen? Your failure to mention it implies that pretty much nobody showed up.
Exact numbers please.
“What if it wasn’t a Party? But a loose alliance of local independent candidates merely acting as a conduit to genuinely represent their specific constituencies?”
You’re reading my mind. I had thought the name COIN would be good for the party, short for “coalition of independents”.
Also in terms of wages for those elected, I’d suggest they’d need to be on at least the same salary as they’re already on. Or some multiple of the minimum or average wage. And donate the rest to local charities.
Finding people willing to stand shouldn’t be that hard I reckon. All you’d need is to donate to the ballot deposit crowdfund, even if it was just 50p, and tick the box stating you’d be willing to stand. Then a smart contract can pick a winner at random. I did actually think we could use some sort of robot since they’d not be tempted by brown envelopes and wouldn’t need a salary, just some electricity…
No, Craig, not a randomly selected candidate.
OK, I’ll compromise.
Randomly selected candidates on the day after you get on a bus with a driver randomly selected from people who like the idea of bus driving, or go for root canal work from a bloke randomly selected from people who fancy themselves as dentists 🙂
BTW, even if all MSM is sidetracked, everybody and everything is captured on people’s mobys, and on UTube etc within seconds.
A candidate that doesn’t look presentable, can’t string two words together, freezes or explodes at awkward questions, etc. will be just as much a liability under your scheme as now.
People need charismatic, eloquent, inspirational, persuasive, natural leaders. That’s how we’re wired. It’s not going to change. That’s why politics is “show business for ugly people”.
The other idea I think you have wrong is the belief the job is an easy one. It’s probably the hardest job in the world. That’s why they say that every political career eventually ends in failure, with the only exceptions being those leaders who are assassinated before they can fail.
It would indeed be a target, just as any threat to the establishment is a target as Corbyn and Alex found out. However, the beauty of it is that they can’t attack a figurehead individual, the candidates would be picked at random from the electorate and they would vote as directed by their constituency’s crowd-sourced manifesto. So by attacking the party, they’re attacking all it’s members, not some figurehead.
You need to do a lot more work on # 6.
For starters, the constituency will consist of two blocs (at least) – the bloc that voted for the candidate – and the bloc that didn’t. Possibly the second bloc will be larger than the first.
How does the candidate find out what the constituency wants, given that it is unlikely that the constituency will ever be unanimous on anything?
Secondly, surely only a very poor quality candidate would find herself in the position that her constituency has better answers for complex questions than she has. If she is doing her job, she will be full-time studying and learning about the issues she is dealing with, taking into account all kinds of dependencies, and the pros and cons for any course of action.
I would think that virtually no member of her constituency would have that depth and breadth of knowledge. Besides we’re talking about government. The candidate will often be party to knowledge that isn’t and can’t be in the public domain.
So in short, without a great deal of refinement, the candidate would quite likely find herself often rubber stamping decisions taken by some shouty, ignorant (in the sense of not having all the relevant facts) eejits.
And that doesn’t seem much good at all.
“You need to do a lot more work on # 6.
For starters, the constituency will consist of two blocs (at least) – the bloc that voted for the candidate – and the bloc that didn’t. Possibly the second bloc will be larger than the first.
How does the candidate find out what the constituency wants, given that it is unlikely that the constituency will ever be unanimous on anything?”
Of course there won’t be unanimity around any subjects as we all have our beliefs. But we’re talking about democracy, majority rule. I foresee the crowdsourced manifesto as a living document, able to be changed in line with the majority view in any given constituency. It may even be that differing constituencies under the same party umbrella vote against each other. That’s fine, that’s democracy.
“Secondly, surely only a very poor quality candidate would find herself in the position that her constituency has better answers for complex questions than she has. If she is doing her job, she will be full-time studying and learning about the issues she is dealing with, taking into account all kinds of dependencies, and the pros and cons for any course of action.”
I don’t see the candidates as standard politicians, because if they are, they’re just as open to lobbying etc as our current breed of troughing politicians. I see their job as glorified button pushers to allow the member’s wishes to be expressed in parliament. I’d replace them with robots if the tech was available.
For local matters, locals should discuss how best to handle any situation and make their wishes known to their candidate.
“I would think that virtually no member of her constituency would have that depth and breadth of knowledge. Besides we’re talking about government. The candidate will often be party to knowledge that isn’t and can’t be in the public domain.”
I think this level of secrecy is what allows the levels of blatant abuse and corruption to go unchallenged. Maybe for matters of national security they’d be unable to share some info with the members. short of that, they should be as transparent as possible.
“So in short, without a great deal of refinement, the candidate would quite likely find herself often rubber stamping decisions taken by some shouty, ignorant (in the sense of not having all the relevant facts) eejits.
And that doesn’t seem much good at all.”
Again, that’s democracy. I think that you make a good point here but misdirect your ire. I don’t blame people for their stupid (in my opinion, of course) beliefs. The unbelievably biased media in this country has the ability to sway opinion and not for the best. So many turkeys might well vote for xmas. The saving grace is this system would mean the people had real influence on how they are governed. If that’s the case, I think they may well be incentivised to look beyond the headlines before voting either way. And it puts the onus on level-headed sorts to try to explain the best solutions in an accessible way to garner support.
There’s loads that could be done to help people come to the best decisions they can. Mini publics for major topics where some people are picked, like jury duty, to listen to experts from either side of an argument and make a decision on the best course of action. Or at least present the pros/cons to the members so they can make a more informed decision.
Thanks for your reply.
Lots to think about in it!
Unfortunately, I agree with your last 4 paragraphs
The two council by-elections should give an indicator of public opinion.
The minor, fringe parties (Monster Raving Loony, Alba, ISP) couldn’t even find a candidate.
It’s projected that Unionist parties will get at least twice the vote share of the nominally Indy SNP.
‘Alba’ does not have ‘national’ it its title. The word ‘national’ being so easily spun, pejoritively and it is also guaranteed top billing in ‘alphabetical order’ election ballot papers. A well thought out article though. Your crystal ball gazing will prove to be very accurate, yet again. When people feel they need to vote to register their anger, disappointment and contempt for lies, hidden agendas & politically expedient cover-ups, we reap the political whirlwind.
Wikipedia: Alexander III of Scotland:
“…King of Alba (Scotland)…”:
link to archive.ph
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Spot on. It’s got nothing to do with Scotland now. It’s about stopping the Woke Madness by what ever means .
“Woke Madness”
Bed And Breakfast Non-Gender-Specific Person…
“Barring a nuclear war or an alien invasion”
there’s an alien invasion being predicted for tomorrow, funnily enough (on X…….i know)
sincerely hope so
always guid tae hear frae ye, rev
lol, true…
Q ‘The Voice Of Q’:
“(This is the voice of Q
Whatchu got to do
Open your mind and listen
Prepare to receive?transmission)
Let’s?communicate
Interplanetary hyperspace
Open up?your mind
Q will answer questions anytime…
Feel the gravity
Move into?a?new?reality…”:
link to tinyurl.com
Elon Mars: Alien XXX:
link to tinyurl.com
Mars Elon: Cassiopeia:
link to tinyurl.com
Absurd Smoque: Q: Cassiopeia:
link to tinyurl.com
#RealityWins
Reality loves Scotland and its amazing people (:even regressive scornful forever-losers:)
It’s the ultimate ally for all non-delusional and conscious humans…
Zero One: Psy-Fi: Reality:
link to tinyurl.com
Mars Elon: Zero, My Crazy:
link to tinyurl.com
The negative ones never learn (soulless low IQ total fu**wits) – Reality never stops, especially for forever-losers – REALITY = CONTINUUM (duh)…
Zero One: Psy-Fi: Continuum:
link to tinyurl.com
@QTHESTORMM
“A NEW WORLD BEGINS. NOTHING STOPS TEH CAW …”:
link to tinyurl.com
Zero: Continuum:
link to tinyurl.com
#SeeMirrorFuckwits
Absurd Smoque: Q: Continuum:
link to tinyurl.com
#LetsGo…
Yes: Mirror To The Sky: Mirror To The Sky:
“You are my mirror to the sky (the sky)
You’re my mirror to the sky…
What the shadow minds behind the third eye
Spies in vain define
The essence they fail to possess and so resist all
They cannot control
Their forces then despise the very Soul
And Its inseparable ties
To the limitless sacred skies
Voices stir, from future Earth (ooh ooh ooh)
Tikkun olam
Spiritus mundi
Affirm the principal of unity…”:
link to tinyurl.com
And if this shit doesn’t stop there will be no Scotland to fight over.
I didn’t expect much from Labour & Starmer but to say they’ve made a mess of their first five months is an understatement. Sure, there’s some good in there but he’s going to be remembered for freezing pensioners to death, while helping push an assisted suicide bill through with barely any debate and no detail that it’s going to hang on his shoulders for as long as he’s PM. Hence why people pissed off are voting Reform.
There’s the obvious concern that voting for a hard/far right party like Reform in numbers takes us into dangerous ground, but the likes of the Greens have dragged us into exceptionally dangerous ground hence the backlash they’re suffering in polls across Europe. If they’d remained eco-socialists campaigning for the environment and to warn us of climate change they’d be fine but the push into identity politics, gender and trans ideology which is being pushed upon most against their will has made people despise them. Trans authotarianism is being pushed back on as people are done with their bullying and the violent threats women especially have to face.
So I do think Reform could even be the 3rd largest party in Holyrood which means the SNP and Labour will work together as Stu says. Independence as a political force is over. The SNP will be seriously reduced while it’s increasingly debatable whether the Greens care any more. They’re more interested in bike lanes and grooming children and vulnerable adults.
At some point things are going to get very bad and I can’t help but think of 2019 and the prime chance Sturgeon had to get a second referendum and she failed. In 2019 we’d have won. I’m certain of that and now we’re going to suffer all because of that women’s ego and her hubris.
She never failed; she didn’t bother, it’s not in her remit.
At risk of repeating myself.
The only country which can deliver Scottish independence is America. We could somehow get another referendum in thirty years time and vote 75% in favour, but if Washington don’t recognise it then it is pointless. (as happened in Catalonia)
Better then to seek to join the United States. Become their next state, but one with the same rights as Texas, – ie the ability to leave the Union.
We are in a stanglehold from Westminster which only a bigger bully (ie Washignton) can break. Yeah it’s a mad idea, but what other alternative could actually work. Time to think outside the UK box folks!
Parties aren’t winning by gaining seats, they’re losing fewer than the other lot.
It’s all a Shambles – perhaps we need a dictatorship – no wait, we had that with recent FMs.
There must be goodness in the world we call Politics, somewhere, isn’t there?
Nigel Farage was a metals trader rather than a banker but otherwise…..ooft.
A parasite, in effect.
I thought Alba was a great name choice, not least because it is the title of a Runrig song. How Pete must have choked on his tea.
Also in Scotland:
Fuck your woodburning stove ban
Fuck your heat exchange systems
Fuck your minimum unit pricing of alcohol
Fuck your speed limit reduction (but increase for HGV)
Fuck your pylons
Fuck your substations
Fuck your giving away our energy
Fuck your closure of Grangemouth
Fuck your gayest parliament in the world
Fuck your redactions
Fuck your expenses
Fuck your muirburn
Fuck your Time for Inclusive Education and rainbow laces
Fuck your Decapitate TERFs
Fuck your White! White! White!
Fuck your unfunded public sector pay rises!
Because that’s what is about to turn around and fuck all the rest of us.
And fuck you!
Up the arse wi’ a pointy stick!
Careful Michael, you’re not on one of your hook up sites!
This is Wings BTL.
Respect to you and your missus though. Your relationship must be a strong one.
I’m assuming that you’ve actually told her 🙂
“Fuck your unfunded public sector pay rises!”
That’s the equivalent of someone who lives on a flood plain where the river has burst its banks and who is knee-deep in rising water phoning the plumber rather than the Water company/Environment Agency because they think the flooding is due to the dripping tap.
And there I was thinking the British education system was the envy of the world!
Nah, it’s the equivalent of saying that a government with a finite income stream will have to cut funding for some things when it increases funding for other things.
Such as attempting to buy votes from its captive client base – the Scottish public sector.
BTW, I’ve never heard of the British education system. The nations of the UK pursue different and largely independent educational systems.
Obviously you weren’t paying attention. That lack of focus would also explain your special “talent” for getting other things spectacularly wrong too.
“a government with a finite income stream will have to cut funding for some things when it increases funding for other things.”
In which case, it would be much more effective to focus on the far larger expense for (Western) Governments like the UK of rental costs to the FIRE sector rather than the comparatively smaller costs (by a large margin) associated with wages – which have been stagnating compared to the parasitic non-value producing growth of this cost over the past four decades.
Clearly, the water analogy used went right over your little head. Demonstrating that your knowledge of economics is even worse than that of Rachael Reeves.
Have you considered joining a library? I understand many of them still stock Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations – if not the more contemporary analysis of those such as Michael Hudson or David Graeber.
“Such as attempting to buy votes from its captive client base – the Scottish public sector.”
You are even more obviously confused in your understanding of the systems which are operating, as what you think is the public sector was effectively privatised a long time ago and has for many years been run and operated of private enterprise lines.
Again, some effort to keep up on such basics is required if you wish to avoid continually embarrassing yourself in this way.
But, seeing as I like you today (I might not like you tomorrow) I’ll help you out with a basic starting point – link to harrowell.org.uk
“BTW, I’ve never heard of the British education system.”
On your showing so far your estrangement from education is so obvious it needs no explicit acknowledgement on your part. Or are you giving us an example of a dog always returning to its own vomit?
“The nations of the UK pursue different and largely independent educational systems.”
That may well be constitutionally the case. However, they are all based on the same basic paradigm in terms of structure and process. Consequently, the point stands.
“Obviously you weren’t paying attention. That lack of focus would also explain your special “talent” for getting other things spectacularly wrong too.”
Thank you. It is always most gratifying to receive recognition from the acknowledged expert in a particular field.
“Have you considered joining a library”
No point. The libraries will have to close to fund the public sector pay rises.
“the public sector was effectively privatised a long time ago”
OK, have it your way. ScotGov still pays the wages of the privatised public sector. And thus still funds the pay rises too.
“That may well be constitutionally the case”
Ordinary Scots would simply say “damnitall, you’re right”.
As already pointed to you, the libraries are closing down as a result of the far larger costs associated with the parasitic rent seeking finance sector which has de-industrialised these islands and which produces no real value, rather than wages which, in any case, get spent back into the local economy and keep many other local business and tradesmen afloat.
Because wages, unlike the far larger amount of free helicopter money Western Government’s give to the Finance and corporate sectors which is hoarded, goes back into the local economies. The fact that wages in real terms have dropped to the lowest level since Napoleonic times, rather than increases in wages, is what is decimating both the local and national economies.
Or are you insisting on creating a situation which will force more and more businesses to go under? Go figure. You have this arse about face.*
*[Christ on a bike! Why is it necessary to have to explain such basics – like my income is your wages and vice versa]
Adam Smith was right/correct/accurate/congruent with reality on this point at the time, and is correct today. ie that it was productive value adding Capitalist enterprise which originally opposed the legacy Feudalist Rent seeking sector of the economy and who sought to persuade the State to create basic public utilities like education, utilities, health care etc as a subsidy to the productive sector of the economy to keep wage levels down because without those basic services in the public sector their workforce could not survive.
However, if you wish to revel in ignorance, that is your problem. Deal with it rather than inflicting it on the rest of us ordinary
citizenssubjects of the Realm.It was a shite song as well.
The ‘basic core premise’ is that independence means decolonization, according to the UN, and as mony ordinary Scots ken fine. In a colonial society it is mainly the native middle class /bourgeoisie wha are aye a wee bit late in figuring oot this ‘basic core premise’, according to postcolonial theory. Which also helps explain the SNP’s ‘neutral’ stance on independence and the rupture in the movement:
link to salvo-cor.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com
Correct.
What is the exact meaning of independence?
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of a dependent territory or colony.
Check out the Oxford dictionary.
AI will be the big game changer in the coming years, a lot of cosy middle class jobs will disappear. Manufacturing has already been adjusted by robotics….tradesmen will always be needed. The Revolution is Coming……..!!!
Reform is being groomed to become the next government at the next general election, that is obvious, the establishment sees that people are turning away from the duopoly which was created to maintain the status quo, they can’t afford for the people to elect a party which will truly represent the people and the country hence the grooming of reform, the status quo must be maintained at all cost.
I didn’t vote at all at the general election in June and won’t vote at any general election going forward, I didn’t vote SNP at the last Holyrood election and going forward I will only vote for an independent candidate who holds my values and that includes being against genocide and US hegemony, NATO and rejoining the EU.
“against genocide and US hegemony, NATO and rejoining the EU”
You’re against lots of stuff but haven’t told us what you’re in favour of. Maybe nothing. Maybe totalitarianism, colonialism and aggressive imperialism, centred on Moscow.
Fair enough, you should get off your butt and campaign for all that stuff. Run it up the flagpole, see who salutes.
But you do, personally, really need to be in favour of better educational standards in Scotland. Then you’d know what is and what isn’t genocide.
I tried to upvote you but my vote registered as a minus. Can’t stand the antisemitic stuff of some nationalists.Then I tried to delete my tick by ticking the minus and downvoted you again! (Senior moments).
Nae bother.
Unless a post is topping out at -20 or so, it’s obviously not too good.
You get a -1 for every fact, and a -3 or -5 for every opinion or POV that resonates with the majority of decent, grounded, rational, pragmatic Scots.
Just why facts and reasonable opinions stick in the craws of some of the Wings BTL regulars is a rich source of endless fascination and wide-eyed wonder.
Medice, c?r? t? ipsum
Helen, I agree with every point you make in your comment, but please don’t use that dreadful management-speak/politician-speak expression, ‘going forward’. ‘In the future’ or ‘henceforth’ are much better.
Aye, Helen, that’s the first and the nice warning.
There will be no second warning. Cross Michael again and it’ll be the farmyard noises and the number two plops for you!
stop wanging on about Gaza
Rev Stu for First Minister of Scotland and Keeper of the Great Seal.
Fucking just do it, Stu!
(BTW, I was going to point out that the figures for Reform are before Musk bungs them £100 million to finance their campaign. Maybe that’s just a big fat rumour, I guess we will find out soon enough).
stop wanging on about G@za
Rev Stu for First Minister of Scotland and Keeper of the Great Seal.
Fucking just do it, Stu!
Why not push on the door that is already opening – go for a Unilateral Declaration of Independence – for England.
Everybody want reform – let’s do it with a top-to-bottom clean-out of the garbage. All of it.
re. “let’s do it with a top-to-bottom clean-out of the garbage. All of it.”
Team-Humanity (the undisputed winning team) is all inclusive and won’t be stopping –
We’re having unlimited success – unity, peace and harmony –
We’re gonna have lots of fun while doing the cleaning and our future will be fu**Ing awesome (Come and try and stop us, miserable powerless ones)…
#TrashNWOCan
Sigh, all the down-voting in the world (especially from those spineless scornful cowards hiding in the darkness) doesn’t stop Team-Humanity/Scotland
It’s a actually blessing in disguise for our forever-winning team…
#SovereignScotlandPeopleRule
#PowerlessNegativeFools
The downvotes are probably because nobody has a clue what you’re gibbering about. Do you support independence or not?
What do you think, Michael (sigh)
It would appear that a number of total f**kwits on here take issue with our love and support for Independent Scotland and its people –
How dare you belittle and trash our wonderful Scotland.
#ScotlandForever
Any chance you could answer a question, Gregor?
How many halfwits in a total f**kwit? Is it exactly two, or is there some kind of rounding error so that you will end up +/- a fractional part, what I might call a fracwit?
Would a +fracwit and a -fracwit cancel each other out? This is getting interesting, and I have a 12-seat Christmas dinner to plan!
Sorry! Got carried away and ended up with extra questions.
Hatey, no need to apologise –
“How many halfwits in a total f**kwit?”
As many as it takes…
Would a +fracwit and a -fracwit cancel each other out?
Perhaps it would be wise to ask your fracwits/sources (you’ve got nothing to lose:)
Banoffee: Look at Us Now Dad: Fuckwit:
“I told you
I don’t sweat the little things…
This is so much bigger than small…
So tired of all the talk
?Leading to nothing…
I hope they think you taste good
I hope they love you
Like you so desperately need someone to
I hope you think you do good…
I know you could do good
Just if you want to
I guess you must really have fucked with
I guess you must really have fucked with
I guess you must really have fucked with me
(I hope they love you)…”:
link to tinyurl.com
#GodIsGreat
#AllFuckwitsMatter
Do you scorn-driven fu**wits prefer the devil (evil) over God (jeez) ?
Do you regressive forever-losers have anything positive to offer Scotland, at all ??
An empowered independent Scotland must give you unmitigated losers fu**ing nightmares
Should you deny reality it will shine right back into your face and will expose you –
There is no escaping reality (far better to embrace it than face its wrath:)
#RealityWins
Up-votes = pro God
Down-votes = pro devil
The very obvious answer can be found by purchasing one of the items to be found on this site and using it for its primary purpose, Gregor.
link to mirroroutlet.co.uk
Apologies, Gregor, that should read “Hatey McHateface.”
Dave, no need to apologise,
Dave, vanity mirrors are useless –
A true mirror can see inside your soul (if you can find it)…
Absurd Smoque: Evolution: A Scottish Nightmare (Original Version):
link to tinyurl.com
I have no idea. Try expressing yourself in plain, concise language instead of unintelligible riddles and people might understand what point you’re trying to make.
LOVE YOU SCOTLAND
Can you comprehend reality, Michael ?
POWER TO SCOTLAND’S PEOPLE
100%Yes (Wings contributor)
“I can’t count how many Indy parties has been formed since 2014 and what has been achieved NOTHING…”:
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Agreed (smile)…
link to x.com
Hello, Scotland:
link to tinyurl.com
#powerless1984
Do you negative ones love Scotland ???
Hands up if you love Scotland and its people –
Are you stand-up people capable of proclaiming your love for Scotland, on a public forum…
#LoveScotlandForever
Support:
“To agree with and give encouragement to someone or something because you want him, her, or it to succeed:
My father supported the Labour Party all his life.”
“If you support a sports team or a sports player, you want them to win, and might show it by going to watch them play:
Which team do you support?”:
link to dictionary.cambridge.org
#TeamHumanity #TeamIndyScotland2024…
#KeirSACKEDStarmer
Yes: The Quest: Music To My Ears:
“Move towards your goal
Take back all control
Go to the waters edge now
Sail the oceans and make your pledge
It’s music to my ears, music to my ears
Music to my ears, you’ve found the way
You don’t have to ask
Or question every task
There’s a strength you’ve found
Step by step moving around…
It’s music to my ears (it’s a blessing in disguise)
Music to my ears (as the darkness disappears)
Music to my ears, you found the way…”:
link to tinyurl.com
#LoveYouSovereignScotland
#Freedom…
Prior to the last GE I saw a number of interviews between Kellie Jay & Richard Tice. They seem to get on very well & were in agreement on gender issues.
Here’s one interview:
link to youtube.com
The question is what will Reform do in the next election? Will they focus on what happened in the US and maybe follow in Trump’s foot steps with regards to gender issues.
If they do they could be on to a winner.
None of the Scottish parties seem to be very interested in ‘women’s rights’ or the ‘woke mind virus’.
Reform is as much a business as a political party.It is about self enrichment.
link to hopenothate.org.uk
Well done, Sam.
Thought as much. Never trust a bastarting Tory.
They sound pretty much like every other party.
Both you and James are missing the point.
No they aren’t.
I dunno how many times I’ve to say it but the gender bullshit is a directive from the clown billionaires with too much time on their hands. Those eejits over at World Bank, IMF, WEF +++ & their many think tank eejits who dream up policy.
They’re even telling Africans now to forget poverty & starvation & get up to speed on gender policy & pronoun pish or there’ll be no more aid or loans.
It’s a gentleman’s club of porn addled toffs & Reform is a fully paid up member of the Roger anything club – they’re Tories!
Forget what Trump says he’ll do until he actually does it. He said anything for votes. He’ll probably throw them a party next week saying how great they all are…
It’s not impossible to imagine that Labour in Scotland might go it alone and align itself with Independence. Then again, it’s possible to imagine almost anything you like. Including,the SNP crossing the floor on behalf of their future employment prospects.
I woùld rather the Tories came out for indy. After all it is pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, standing on your own 2 feet, etc.
Standing on your own 2 feet doing your 3 part time jobs on a zero hour contract (on minimum wage)?
Is that what you mean?
Only 2 feet, James?
The general subject matter of your posts had convinced me you have 4.
Job? You?
Moo.
I think that is pretty much impossible to imagine. If Labour had any inclination towards seeking independence for Scotland they’ve had plenty of opportunity to demonstrate it, and they’ve done no such thing.
Great analysis. Starmer will be oot the door in 5 years if Farage decides to side again with the Tories. There’s every chance he could end up as PM but he’s arguably the most dangerous man in British politics to the establishment.
Trump is a lunatic on many things but Americans like his outspoken personality and the feeling that he’s on the average Joe’s side (they seem to ignore the fact he’s a billionaire and part of the establishment but go figure). The woke rhetoric is a gift to him as is a totally inept, spineless opposition.
And as for Scotland, well it’ll just keep on keeping on as a wee dreamer of independence but it’s not happening for at least a decade. The rot must be utterly cleaned out and replaced with something that respects its electorate and puts common sense policies first. To borrow a phrase – make Scotland Great Again. A start would be revitalising our once renowned education system, investing in our growth sectors and sorting out our mess of a legal system. We also need to make Scotland healthy again and face the fact that the average Scot is a disgraceful overweight mess. It’s not something to be proud of but an utter embarrassment.
Just my strategic tuppenceworth…
Forming any party or movement right now is premature and I very much fear, is doomed to fail. Sad, but true. The SNP really did a number on us.
But FFs be proactive and plan! Develop a cohesive, rational, step by step path to Independence properly delivered, and do that first, and allow the streamlining of all these disparate initiatives to coalesce around a SINGLE plan of attack.
This can ONLY happen via a Constitutional Convention; a meeting of strategists, where everybody leaves their egos and politics at the door, and focuses solely upon the job in hand; sovereign Independence.
Take that core value, sovereign Independence, and adopt that as the skeletal framework from which other initiatives can be hung.
We are doing this in reverse currently; fracturing into factions and despairing at the faltering camaraderie. People are signing up to parties without knowing what the core strategy is, and consequently, we have as many parallel strategies as there are separated factions to promote them. It is literally Peoples Front of Judea type stuff right now.
Progress away from this moribund stasis begins with the simplicity of a plan, (correction, make that a cogent plan), which everybody who is pro Independence can say yes to, and for fk sake, say yes to it!
And for goodness sake be discerning; we know who our betrayers are. Keep the barstewards out of influencial appointments. If we assemble around a core value that is crystal clear and unambiguous, we become that much harder to divide and misdirect.
In 2014, a three letter word, “YES” said everything and meant everything.
You Yes Yet?
Become the coiled snake that is ready to strike. “IF” now isn’t the time, then be ready to act decisively the moment it is time.
That’s pretty much what the New Scotland Party are advocating? Get independence then sort out all the other divisive issues.
They’re not even standing candidates, they’e trying to coalesce all independence supporters around their “Manifesto for Independence”, a single issue Manifesto
“Cap in hand” for SNP members
Can you name one political movement in all of recorded history “where everybody leaves their egos and politics at the door?”
I can’t.
What you’re calling for is just more pie-in-the-sky.
And how would you magically make “everyone” agree the “core values?”
Just for starters, how would you define “sovereign” independence?” If most Scots want to join the EU, which explicitly claims sovereignty over nations that join, doesn’t that negate the sovereignty you wish for? Would you explicitly reject an “independent” Scotland joining the EU?
Try again.. and this time, deal with people as they are, not as you wish them to be.
“Keep the barstewards out of influencial appointments.”
Worth remembering that in a colonial society all institutions are managed only by those who hold to the colonizer’s values. Successive SNP governments refused to alter this colonial ‘cultural hegemony’, instead becoming a ‘co-opted’ part of the racket.
“We need to offer them a country where THEY get to decide things.”
Yes, this is the bottom line for all that is going on. And, though not mentioned in the article, the ISP have been more or less going down that path since its inception. ‘Direct Democracy’ is one of its core principles.
Funnily enough, Direct Democracy wasn’t something Alex Salmond was in favour of: he wanted the status quo of the people are only sovereign during the time it takes them to mark an ‘x’ in a box and, after that, all power would flow to politicians again. For me that batted a vote for Alba right out of court and Alex Salmond tumbled in my esteem too.
Is any of this do-able. I think yes, Switzerland does a reasonable job of Direct Democracy, and they can force a politician out of power if they deem him/her beyond saving.
‘Salvo’ is also notable in that it too is on favour of Direct Democracy and a principle of being able to sack politicians if they are proving to be utter duds.
Who are THEY, Scotland
Who are YOU
We’ll get there…
Who are WE, Scotland (sigh)
If you don’t know who you are and are unwilling to look yourself in the mirror –
WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU, SCOTLAND (a fu**ing lost coward) ???
How about Scotland values ???
(I asked this question on this forum years ago with zero success)
Does Scotland 2024 hold any values….
Down-voting = NO values
Up-voting = YES Scotland has values
The actual poll results are worse for Indy Parties than Stu’s tables suggest.
The actual voter intention for Scotland (not counting the “don’t knows”) in the next general election is:
Conservative 17%
Labour 12%
Lib Dem 9%
Reform 17&
Greens 11%
SNP 29%
Other 5%
To sum up, there’s a vast majority of Scots who will vote for Unionist parties.
See link to findoutnow.co.uk and the links provided, for the numbers.
And if the “Don’t knows” are included in this poll. only 18% of Scots plan to vote SNP.
Politicians want, first and foremost, to keep their jobs. If there existed an overwhelming demand for Indy, the politicians would respond. There isn’t–and the politicians have concluded that there isn’t.
For me we’ll never leave this illegal union – unless we take our independence – England just cannot afford to let Scotland go – I doubt things will get better come the 2031 elections – England controls the all powerful media and Scotland is riddled with gatekeepers, and House Jocks – and that’s even before the English security services play their part.
Yes the Scottish public – won’t rise up to rid themselves of tyranny – but neither did the majority of the Irish – until they knew that John Connelly was executed by the British whilst tied to a hospital stretcher – he was too ill to stand and be shot.
Remember the gatekeepers – House Jocks along with Westminster, have blocked-off any route out of this illegal union – ( not even what happen to Salmond ignited the flames of rebellion) I wonder if they’ll ever be a incident in Scotland – that will waken Scots up and see them rise up and free themselves from the shackles of this ungodly union.
The truth about Connolly’s execution was not subject to the same suppression as that of Willie MacRae.
The legal brain (Mulholland) who saw something apparently untoward in Duff and Phelps administration accounting procedure saw nothing suspicious in a ‘suicide’ using a rifle to the back of the head.
Maybe when Faslane goes up?
Oops! Too late.
James Connolly
The time between now and ’26 is very long. Lots of time for Reform to blot its copy book and/or implode. For Farage to get censured for never being in the House. A long time for the far right bigotry to burst it’s cages and leave Scots in particular cold.
It is also more than long enough for the UNDC to have ridden into town with new eligibility rules for indyref2 (native Scots & maybe 1st gen exiles). Voters will have seen the SNP caught like rabbits in the headlights no idea what to do.
Plenty of time for the public to learn that only ISP has been involved (heavily) in Salvo & Liberation. Only we will have a story to tell about our liberation.
History says that such parties do well. We could hoover up unionist seats on the List. Our member John Hannah got 8.75% coming 4th in a council election just after the GE. That is enough to get us seats and more than Alba has achieved.
” Plenty of time for the public to learn that only ISP has been involved (heavily) in Salvo & Liberation. Only we will have a story to tell about our liberation.”
This is crucial .
As this WOS post refers to and listed by others , above , all those dividing n distracting ( from the goal of Independence ) * issues * are , in essence , stories , mostly ” told by an idiot , full of sound & ( performative ) * fury * ” ; but stories nonetheless ; narratives , ways of describing/understanding the World
The spurning of the entreaties of Salvo & Liberation to collaborate , and form a united front capable of giving the Independence cause greater depth and width , by the other pro-Independence Parties – with the notable exception of ISP – is an act of unpardonable folly , and has contributed to the growing disillusionment of the Independence supporting % of the Scottish Electorate with any of the ” established ” Parties .
The Public need to hear much better , richer , more resonant stories , eg about where we are as a Nation – the Present – how we got to the * condition * we’re in – History – and where we could go if liberated from our current hobbled circumstances – the Future .
Salvo & Liberation AND Alf Baird are trying to tell us these deeper stories , stories that ring true – because they ARE true .
” Scotland ” would do well to listen to these stories
Agreed.
For me, as per my comment above, SALVO is providing the cogent route to Independence which every faction should coalesce behind.
At the risk of over thinking this; even if a successful initiative “doesn’t work”, or more likely does work but gets ignored; having Scotland’s sovereign integrity affirmed as legitimate in law, becomes a towering influence over everything else.
It’s not same, but there are similarities… for all the good it’s actually done them, (and that’s a shameful indictment), just imagine how weak and anaemic the Palestinian argument would be without the 131 UN resolutions overwhelmingly backing their plight and condemning the illegal occupation of their land.
Yes, it’s true, it has yet to prevail in the real world, but that legal distinction, that affirmation that the occupation is illegal, is a watershed with defining ramifications. It gives legality to one side of the argument and denies legality to the other. Imagine the situation of that distinction didn’t exist.
A comparable affirmation of Scotland’s sovereign integrity would provide a similar watershed in Scotland’s long running predicament, and while it may not deliver all we want, it will curtail and discriminate against the unlawful activities of the non-sovereign opportunists, and it will serve notice on those currently plundering Scotland’s resources with impunity.
If it’s true that support of Independence sits around the 50%+ mark already, (I suspect it’s higher amongst Scots), without these landmark adjudications, just imagine power and vindication they would give to Scotland’s position, and correspondingly, imagine how damaging they would be to our parasitic colonial style usurpers of power.
It is my firm conviction that SALVO is closer than anyone, to the defining injustice of Scotland’s impoverished predicament in a “Union” which should never have properly existed to begin with.
This issue, Constitutional sovereignty, is the heart of all arguments. When truth stands for all to see, it’s the lies and betrayals which are undone. The Union will collapse in ignominy. There is no other conclusion possible.
Project Arbroath booklet link
https://projectarbroath.scot can help people understand where we are
Is there a free version available?
Please tell me more about how the UN is going to ride into town and restrict the democratic franchise away from people who are lawfully resident in Scotland, and may have been for 40+ years. The alien invasion referred to above is much more likely to happen.
I’m sure coming 4th is a huge achievement for someone representing a crank ideology, however I think it’s unlikely that turnout will be 20% in 2026, as it was in the aforementioned council by-election. A whole 1% of the electorate supporting ISP is hardly overwhelming evidence of popular support.
It just struck me that in 2026 no party will be offering social democracy (which the SNP used to do under Salmond and Sturgeon for a shirt while), liberalism or conservatism. Instead it’s a mix of neoliberalism, identity politics, ultra capitalism and the hard to far right ideas of Farage and Reform. Reform may be the ‘fuck you’ party but they offer Scotland nothing.
The days of Holyrood being left leaning and liberal is ending as it has been for the last five years at least. The right is full of dangerous people like Farage but what’s happened to the left is a tragedy. This obsession with the Omnicause has seen things like people crying ‘genocide’ in regards Gaza but complete silence regards the half a million dead is Syria. Or the outrage in regards Gregg Wallaces comments about middle aged women but the complete silence in regards women being abused by TRAs.
As Stu says, people want a roof over their head, feed themselves, have a job with decent conditions and public infrastructure that works. As a whole these people have been abandoned and it’s from this group that Reform and Trump draw their support. Having cities reshaped for a few middle class bike ridings geeks while kids can’t get fed and councils cut services is a pisstake. Grooming their kids is unforgiveable. Of course people are angry.
Sadly your leftish/liberal parties are infested with young activists who see politics not as a way to improve the lives of tye majority but to impose their ideology on us and if we don’t like it they’ll make laws that can imprison us. I can’t see any improvement in the short term but the poor, disabled and working class don’t have a voice in party politics as a whole barring a few outliers. Everything is focused either on the wealthy and/or the middle class.
We’re in dangerous times. There’s a huge risk of Trump crashing the American economy in the next few years and that’s going to go around the world. Labour are going to be lucky to do anything to repair the damage the Tories did and may well make things worse. Meanwhile the SNP flounder with no direction, imagination or drive beyond individuals working out how to keep, or get, a safe seat in 2026 and I despair again as activists lead by Sturgeon, chased out so many capable people to be replaced by empty-eyed pod people.
Good post. I would also say that the virtue signalling leftists in the independence movement should also be called out for their Trump Derangement Syndrome. As much as many of us don’t like the guy, his incoming administration is one we will have to deal with, one way or another. His personal stance, of a Unionist persuasion (albeit sentimental, die to his mother’s stance a century ago, when the UK was a very different place) will not budge – and given his narcissistic personality, may even harden and become vindictive – if our movement keeps bleating on about him being “literally Hitler” or such like.
That Derangement Syndrome is not limited to Trump.
A perusal of some of the above comments reveals at least two more similar Derangement Syndrome’s.
Putin Derangement Syndrome and Gaza Derangement Syndrome. Sometimes from the same source.
Exactly we should use his love of scotland to our advantage, any sane FM would. Trumps unionist leanings are malleable at best. Though he will be out of office and likely dead of old age the time Scotland has any serious prospects of independence.
The current system of government is flawed. Once in power the government assumes an authority that should not be available to it. The manifesto commitments should be sacrosanct. Referendums, as often referred to as the Switzerland practise, needs to be adopted so as to understand, and act upon the views of the population.
There’s no easy answers because it’s not an easy task, especially not in the context of a modern democratic wealthy state like the U.K. There are dozens of independence movements across Europe, all of whom are failing to achieve any real traction.
To stand even a fight chance, I think a few things are needed;
a) seriously outstanding people, the calibre of Dominic Cummings, who are prepared to work away at the cause for decades;
b) to recognise that more public support is needed, and to get more unionists in the position where whilst it its not their ideal choice, it’s something they can get comfortable with and live with; and
c) jettison all of the conspiracy theorists, Russia apologists, self appointed legal scholars, UDI enthusiasts etc. (looking at you Salvo).
Even those three things won’t guarantee success, but in absence I think there is a guarantee of failure.
Dominic fcucking Cummings!?
ROTFLMFAO!!!
” jettison all of the conspiracy theorists, Russia apologists, self appointed legal scholars, UDI enthusiasts etc. (looking at you Salvo). ”
Translated from Wonk Speak ……
1.Believe every piece of intelligence-insulting pish fed to you by MSM and it’s deformed co-dependent Political Class , eg ” you must take these amazing new wonder drugs – MRNA * Vaccines * , we tested them for ,oh …at least 3 weeks , they’re brilliantly safe & outstandingly effective ” .They were neither ; ask the 1000s of people who are still suffering the deleterious effects of these ( highly lucrative ) * panaceas * – the dead are unavailable for comment . After yv done that take a look at the jaw-dropping profits made by the altruists @ Big Pharma . But you probably won’t bother , right ?
2.People who have the capacity to understand Russia’s position re it’s security concerns . I’m not going to repeat them , if you either don’t understand those ( totally legit ) concerns or are on the same page as the arrogant clowns in West Govs who are so contemptuous and dismissive of that country they refuse to even consider what ” all this ” looks like from the Russian side ; you’re very much part of the problem – however much you imagine you’re being ” realistic ” or ” defending Liberal Values ” any of that self-deceiving pabulum
3 . In short …..people who have maybe not been to University ; or if they did , to * inferior * ones
4 . People who know there is not a fckn chance-in-hell of Scotland ever being ” allowed ” to become Independent via any kind of Brit State imprimatur/co-operation – that is not happening . Independence will be taken ; there is simply no other way .
This is not a Herald/Scotsman- type sponsored * debate ” scenario ; where people who are either against Scottish Independence or ( really ) couldn’t care less about it talk with nice Middle Class / ” Educated ” accents in an impeccably ” civilised ” manner about The ” Scottish Independence Issue ” .
This is a struggle for National Liberation . It’s been going on in some form or other for 300+ years .
Where have you been ?
All the nitpicking bollocks posters like you seek to waste people’s time with on here is worth precisely 0 .
” Something is happening here , but you don’t know what is ; do you Mr * Jones * ”
You and yr ilk don’t have a clue what Scottish Independence is really about .
Clue …not fckn ” Personalities ” ; not ” finding an inspirational figure ” ; not ” winning the Economic argument ” ; not , emphatically not , being an obedient , compliant little head-nodder for the ” Rules Based Order ” being vomited up by the warmongering filth that preside over us to justify acts of obscene lunacy .
BTW ” Dominic Cummings ” – HA ! you blew yr cover with that risible suggestion
” jettison all of the conspiracy theorists, 8ussia apologists, self appointed legal scholars, UDI enthusiasts etc. (looking at you Salvo). ”
Translated from Wonk Speak ……
1.Believe every piece of intelligence-insulting pish fed to you by MSM and it’s deformed co-dependent Political Class , eg ” you must take these amazing new wonder drugs – * 8accines * , we tested them for ,oh …at least 3 weeks , they’re brilliantly safe & outstandingly effective ” .They were neither ; ask the 1000s of people who are still suffering the deleterious effects of these ( highly lucrative ) * panaceas * – the dead are unavailable for comment . After yv done that take a look at the jaw-dropping profits made by the altruists @ Big Pharma . But you probably won’t bother , right ?
2.People who have the capacity to understand 8ussia’s position re it’s security concerns . I’m not going to repeat them , if you either don’t understand those ( totally legit ) concerns or are on the same page as the arrogant clowns in West Govs who are so contemptuous and dismissive of that country they refuse to even consider what ” all this ” looks like from the 8ussian side ; you’re very much part of the problem – however much you imagine you’re being ” realistic ” or ” defending Liberal Values ” any of that self-deceiving pabulum
3 . In short …..people who have maybe not been to University ; or if they did , to * inferior * ones
4 . People who know there is not a fckn chance-in-hell of Scotland ever being ” allowed ” to become Independent via any kind of Brit State imprimatur/co-operation – that is not happening . Independence will be taken ; there is simply no other way .
This is not a Herald/Scotsman- type sponsored * debate ” scenario ; where people who are either against Scottish Independence or ( really ) couldn’t care less about it talk with nice Middle Class / ” Educated ” accents in an impeccably ” civilised ” manner about The ” Scottish Independence Issue ” .
This is a struggle for National Liberation . It’s been going on in some form or other for 300+ years .
Where have you been ?
All the nitpicking bollocks posters like you seek to waste people’s time with on here is worth precisely 0 .
” Something is happening here , but you don’t know what is ; do you Mr * Jones * ”
You and yr ilk don’t have a clue what Scottish Independence is really about .
Clue …not fckn ” Personalities ” ; not ” finding an inspirational figure ” ; not ” winning the Economic argument ” ; not , emphatically not , being an obedient , compliant little head-nodder for the ” Rules Based Order ” being vomited up by the warmongering filth that preside over us to justify acts of obscene lunacy .
BTW ” Dominic Cummings ” – HA ! you blew yr cover with that risible suggestion
It’s funny how Russias “legitimate security concerns” require it to repeatedly invade neighbouring countries doesn’t it?
I didn’t say Dominic Cummings is the man for the job, but his abilities and ability to successfully form and execute strategy over decades is undeniable. Independence needs someone like that bluntly.
In other words, jettison all the Indy carpet baggers, who wear their pro-Indy badges on both sleeves, but who every time they open their mouth, or put fists to keyboard, start wanging on about something else.
Take that tired, old chestnut in your point 3, 8ussia’s “legitimate security concerns”. How you just love to wang on that the biggest country in the world, with more colonies than most people can agree on, and such a big nuclear arsenal that counters lose count, must be allowed to re-absorb one of them that actually, after a hundred years of effort and sacrifice, managed to get away.
Yet you won’t or can’t acknowledge that if 8ussia has “legitimate security concerns”, then so has England, with knobs on. Thus your wanging on about your own pet concern damages the Indy cause that’s supposed to be your priority.
And so Aidan’s point is proved. And the only real question the readers want to ask is: Is Robert harming the Indy cause through foolishness, or is it something darker?
Wank
🙂
BOOM. Both barrels. Excellent.
As much as I admire and believe in what Salvo are trying to achieve, the thought of listening to Sara Salyers, droning on in her school teacherly tone, over explaining every point with her impressive vocabulary, just sends me to sleep.
The message needs to be short and to the point, so the layman can pick it up quickly.
Cut the waffle – we know how clever you are – but we dont have all day. The message is getting lost because you like the sound of your own voice too much. You are boring us to death.
Robin McAlpine take note as well.
(Trying again as can’t even quote your own words…)
“…stop wanging on about Gaz@, and all the rest of it.”
It. Wow!
Maybe start your own site, “Mac”.
“Wangs Over G@za”!
Run it up the flagpole, see who salutes 🙂
Good game this isn’t it – where anyone can “play” using the same general principles?
Rev, you have explained the “f u” problem clearly and equally clearly that the solution is to make the SNP “change, change utterly” so that people will be prepared to vote for them.
Have you any idea on how that can be done?
As you know, there are many groups beavering away on various aspects of independence campaigning, and it seems that they are all prepared to work with each other and with the political parties.
It is only the main, supposedly pro-independence political party, that won’t co-operate. So, whilst hunkering down in our defensive fortified position, what can be done about the SNP?
[I hope that my query won’t drive you mad…]
“stop wanging on about G–az z-a”
Wow! I’m speechless there’s a Jenno-cide ongoing in you know where, and the ICC has at least issued arrest warrants – somehow I think the majority of the Scottish public are wanging on about it in there own ways.
Kit Klarenberg ????? (@KitKlarenberg): “This is the most important image of the 21st century to date. Study it. Never forgive. Never forget.” | nitter.poast.org
Breaking news – sole occupant of scotland loses voice – all contact with scotland lost.
Breathtakingly astonishing that a so-called Indy supporter – supposedly sensitised through harsh and bitter experience to the fact that a hysterical accusation is not a guilty verdict – nevertheless chooses to treat an accusation as a fact and a guilty verdict when it suits his own rampant antisemitism.
And that’s before we look at the numbers, approx 45,000 dead in 13 and a half months.
We killed half as many as that again in WW2, IN FRANCE, and we weren’t even at war with them. Was that a “Jenno-cide” too?
Speaking of a “Wow”, jump past the 2 minute ad at the beginning, and the first few minutes of this Livestream are dynamite.
link to youtube.com
I’ve never seen it summarised so concisely.
Incredible. ‘Operation Timber Sycamore’ eh?
Boris Johnstone; “one of the great fools of our time”
These fools will kill us all while, like the neo-con loon atop the nuclear missile in Dr.Strangelove, whooping and hollering three cheers for God and property while they blow us all to kingdom come.
I disagree with Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon, but for balance, I refer the anti Zionist/Israel lobby to the official constitution of Hamas which calls for “EVERY Jew on the PLANET to be killed.” That sounds a tad genocidal too.
I have to say I find it a bit funny that you attribute the problem to talking about G@za and gen0cide when you have subjected us to a gazillion funking articles on trannies.
Even during the last Scottish election when ALBA was trying to get traction… endless tranny stories.
Craig Murray actually angrily tweeted as much straight after the defeat.
Did that have an adverse effect at all buddy?
Could you please post a link to the articles on trannies.
Also the the tweet by high profile trans activist Craig Murray.
Seriously?
The trannies deranged world view is adversely affecting half of all Scots right now. The half with lady bits.
Now it is true that the G@zan’s world view could adversely affect half of all Scots too. And surprise, surprise, it would again be primarily the half with lady bits.
But unlike the trannies, who are here with us, the G@zans are still a few thousand miles away.
And then it’s not a gen0cide either. Everybody’s donkey has sussed that a war that can be stopped by releasing a hundred or so hostages and promising to stop lobbing rockets could never be a gen0cide.
No true gen0cide in the entire history of the world ever had the advantage of such a simple solution.
To wang on and on, forever insisting that something is true just because you wanted it to be true, was never going to fly in such a simple, open-and-shut case.
The half with the lady bits? Is this another new term for women?
I would suggest ‘the trannies deranged word view’ as you call it is affecting more than just the women but sadly a high percentage of those ‘without the lady bits’ just don’t get it.
“a hundred or so hostages”
There are a lot more hostages than that.
Oh! Sorry. Scrub that.
I’m forgetting, In this mirror image inversion of the woke practice (known as “The Rules Based Order”) that only works one way and the thousands of hostages in jail don’t count.
And of course it goes without saying, that this oft toted right to self defence only operates one way as well.
Don’t you just love those “British Values”!
Makes you wonder why we have this reputation of being labelled Perfidious Albion?
I hate say it, but I think the loss of Mr Salmond is a completely unrecoverable disaster for both Alba, and the independence movement as a whole.
I’m an Alba member,and SNP before that, but Salmond was our Lionel Messi/Micheal Schumacher (insert god levelsportsman here).
Who can you honestly say could lead the independence movement and give it the profile it needs?
None of the current heid yins, that’s for sure.
Get set for rule by unionist fuckwits for the rest of the decade,simply because there is no successor worthy, or able.
And thats it in a nutshell.
…sorry to be so negative, but I can’t see it any other way.
It was nice for a bit tho..(2007-2014)
Which is of course exactly why he was taken out.
For Scotland to have any chance whatsoever… things will have to come to a head elsewhere.
And then, maybe, independence will fall (somehow) into our laps.
But even if it it did… our massive fifth column population would find a way to squander it.
(Apologies…yet again ballsed up the email address)
Which is (of course) exactly why he was taken out.
For Scotland to have any chance whatsoever… things will have to come to a head ‘elsewhere’.
And then, maybe, independence will fall (somehow) into our laps.
But even if it it did… our massive fifth column population would find a way to squander it.
Scotland is unique as we are right next to the beating heart of it.
We are kidding ourselves that we are just going to ‘vote’ ourselves out of this nightmare.
Duncan Hamilton showed a fair bit of the necessary attributes, I thought. If he could be pushed to the fore it would be very useful.
I thought that too when I was listening to him speak in StGiles on Saturday.
Very very sad, but very very true
On current polling the SNP group in 2026 will consist largely of the same people as at present with few ex-MP’s added in. As the majority group in a SNP/Lab coalition they will offer more of the same policy agenda and Labour will find it hard to disagree as they don’t want to rock the boat with the Trade Unions and the Third Sector either. So we will carry on with little reform to the public sector with the occasional free stuff handed out to generate a headline. The only hope of movement before 2031 is if the membership of the SNP tires of being taken for granted and takes action rather drift into apathy.
Tonight Scottish TV Viewers can watch a women’s qualification football match against the Republic of Ireland.
The ITN news did a feature on the Wales match at 6.30pm. On another free channel Scots can watch a friendly women’s match England Vs Switzerland.
Scotland’s women were also playing a qualifier over in Finland
tonight.
No mention on the news and no TV coverage.
Why do the Scottish government not call this out?
It was shown live on BBC.
I thought the Alba Party was founded by Laurie Flynn and therefore named by him and that Mr Salmond joined the party. Or did he just get Mr Flynn to register it so that his name was not associated with it until he was ready?
“Swinney must go.”- Doug
=======
As sure as night follows day.
But it is far more important for Holyrood and the SNP to rid themselves of the Dreghorn Midden. Robin McAlpine puts the case in language more polite than my uncharitable capacities:
link to robinmcalpine.org
The reason why Labour across the UK are doing so badly, is that after getting elected as a change from the hated Tories, they have done nothing but follow exactly the Tory strategy (with a few meaningless tweaks).
The reason why the SNP are so unpopular, is because they are not doing what people elected them to do – pursue independence.
In both Labour and the SNP, their is a failure to lead. Their is no vision, on the part of Labour, for a better ‘britin’ (as they would put it). All they say, is they will make tough decisions – failing quite miserable, in the process, to realise that is EXACTLY what the tories told us for 14 years.
Likewise, the SNP, seem obsessed with everything but independence. All of them just want to play politics. Not one, since the departure of Alex Salmond has the political nous or backbone required to effectively stand up to the English colonial government and push independence (and the end of English colonial rule) forward.
In both cases, timid tepid leadership and poor policy choices are at the root. Sir Keir Starmer is clearly a man of ZERO principles, drifting like the wind, and the same can be said of almost ALL SNP politicians – paying lip service to independence only when they need votes.
Nobody on the left has, it seems, the ability to make the case for taxing the super rich. Nobody, it seems, in the SNP, has the ability to make the obvious case for Scottish independence.
In both cases, they seek to appease. Pursuing tepid policies, scared of frightening the horses.
And PEOPLE ARE SICK OF IT. That is why they voted in Trump in America, that is why extreme right wing, loony parties are gaining votes. People see current politicians for what they are, careerist nobodies who stand for nothing, except their own bank balances.
Of course voting in nutters like trump is stupid. Of course voting for people like Farage is stupid. People do it, because they are right royally f***ed off with existing political nobodies who stand for NOTHING.
MEMO to politicians: stand up for what you believe in.
MEMO to politicians: stand up for what you believe in.
?
Sadly this is exactly what they are doing they do not and never will give a shit about the people.
The era of politicians must end
“MEMO to politicians: stand up for what you believe in”
And, sadly, that is exactly what they are currently doing.
To stand up for what they believe in, which is their careers, bank accounts, pensions, easy life, subsidised bars, free ministerial car rides and licking USA’s arse, of course.
The entire political system in Scotland and the UK is a complete failure. It is a device to ensure absolute rule can be administered whilst disguised as a pretend “democracy”.
Currently, one has to wonder who is actually in control of the UK, never mind Scotland. Is it the English crown? Is it MI5 and MI6? Is it USA’s deep state? Or are the children murderers in I who are in control?
Because if one thing is certain is that it is not the people of the UK, never mind the Scottish people.
When exactly did the people of the UK agreed to put the interests of the last USA puppet acting as U’s president ahead of the interests of UK’s pensioners? and when did we agree to spend billions of taxpayers’ pounds prolonging USA’s proxy war against R threatening us all with nuclear oblivion? When exactly did we agree to support the current disgusting genocide in the middle east?
When exactly did we agree to call transwomen women, to put rapists dressed as women in women’s prisons, or to let males pretending to be women beat the crap out of women in “sports”?
When did we agree to funnel millions of taxpayers’ funds into dodgy quangos like Stonewall or LGBT Youth Scotland?
Now we hear rumours that Musk, an American citizen, is planning to fund Reform to the hilt to transform that party into Trump’s mini political satellite. In other words, overt foreign interference into “our” political system on an industrial scale. And nobody even blinks. We are expected to just accept that an American citizen has more control over Scotland than the entire Scottish people themselves. How wonderful. How democratic. The electoral commission might tell us that such contribution will break the rules. But all the foreign interference during the Brexit referendum also “broke the rules”, yet, including courts, everybody in control just turned a blind eye. Foreign interference in our political systems is not only acceptable for the ruling classes. It appears to be encouraged. And then they tell us this system is democracy. They must think we are all idiots.
The article above beautifully shows that the current political system does not and it has never been designed to properly represent the people who allegedly vote in it. We are told that recent polls have put support for independence above 50%. And yet, the first figure of the article shows a formation for the upcoming 2026 Holyrood Parliament where not a single seat represents people who pursue independence. Not one seat.
SNP and Greens have demonstrated since 2021 that they have SFA interest in delivering independence. With absolute anti-union majorities in Westminster and with pro-independence majorities in Holyrood if any of these two parties had truly any interest in delivering independence, they would have done it already. Yet, these two useless parties couldn’t even be arsed to deliver a bloody referendum and tried to kill time instead by bringing in the dodgy gender nonsense and failed bottle return schemes.
This lack of representation, which leads to parliaments and governments completely detached from the Scottish public interest and aligning with USA’s and I’s interests instead, will continue for as long as we continue to support this rotten, broken, rigged system with our votes.
I cannot help but laughing at some of the comments in the National. There are some idiots who think that removing Alba, ISP and other pro-independence parties from the political scene will ensure that all us ex-SNP voters are going to run to cast our vote for these brigade of betrayers, grifters and troughers. That is a beautiful example of what is wrong with this system: the belief that political success rests on actively denying democracy by constantly removing from the ballots the options which constitute vehicles to deliver Scotland’s independence.
If we want change, the way to start is by bringing the whole rotten thing down. If we are not presented with the option of a vehicle to deliver independence worthwhile to vote for, then we may as well spoil the ballots or refuse to vote.
Do we know if Elon Musk supports Scottish Independence or not?
BladeoftheSun
@BladeoftheS
“You have a choice, stand with Elon Musk or stand with Humza Yousaf.
The choice is yours…”:
link to tinyurl.com
Elon Musk (06/12/2024):
“Free yourself”:
link to tinyurl.com
#Freedom
“Currently, one has to wonder who is actually in control of the UK, never mind Scotland. Is it the English crown? Is it MI5 and MI6? Is it USA’s deep state? Or are the children murderers in I who are in control?”
We don’t know. And it is by design.
We never see that tree, only its fruit.
Personally I think it is fluid in that it changes over time. WWI&II were very pivotal in this regard. As will be WWIII.
Idi Amin’s son (allegedly) made an (easy to find tweet) about the US deep state that sticks in my mind. Maybe we are vastly over complicating this…
This is why I say what is happening the middle east is a lens.
It is showing us.
re. “one has to wonder who is actually in control…”
Mac and Mia (et al) are in control…
#PowerlessNWOLoser
Patriotic Mac and Mia (et al) are storming forward at the forefront, contributing a wealth of ideas, information and knowledge (re. how to save Scotland and planet earth, etc) – while the phantom powerless ones (stupid regressive top-down NWO shills) furiously wrestle with their plastic disapproval buttons.
Isn’t it awesome to behold such power, Scotland…
#PowerToThePeople
If you look at the leadership in the West versus R and even C what strikes me is that our leaders don’t like us, the western populations.
In fact they seem intent on destroying us. They hate us.
Whereas the leaders of R & C seem to like their own populations and are striving to improve their lives.
When you look at how much they have improved their countries this last 30 years and then compare and contrast what has been done in our countries by our leaders… then I think it tells a very clear story.
They inflicted this woke nightmare on us, targeted our kids… decades in the planning. Weaponized immigration… open borders… dumbing down… it is huge list.
“In fact they seem intent on destroying us. They hate us”
We are seen as cannon fodder. We are seen as tools. We are seen as an inconvenience that needs to be bypassed and ignored. More to my point of wandering who/what the hell is controlling the UK, never mind Scotland.
The woke nightmare and open borders are nothing other than instruments of division. The reality is that they would not be able to keep 60 million people in the UK on a leash if we all joined together against this criminal and warmongering government. They need something to divide us up and to keep us fighting against each other rather than against them.
Bring that up a notch and you have the same strategy operating at a global scale in USA and EU. How many people do you really think would want a full blown war against R? Very few. I often wonder if the deployment of this woke shite was always a strategy to stop the people in the USA, EU and the UK organising against their disgustingly corrupt and warmongering governments.
For the American people, voting for Trump is not stupid.
He’s listening to the people.
Remove all illegal immigrants, cut down US NATO funding in Europe, make peace with R*****.
He wants to increase employment for the blue collar worker and keep US money in the US.
Hence massive tariffs on imported goods.
He is of course still supporting I***** as they all do.
BTW the Scots people do not want illegal immigration either and that’s not racist.
So our politicians need to listen to what the people want and stop assuming that all comers are welcome
Superb commentary. No more immigration. The NHS needs to be rebranded as a national service. They should recruit men in Glasgow.
“Born in Castlemilk. Made in the NHS.”
Make it brave to join the health service and serve your community. Stop the immigration from abroad taking the number one thing voters in Scotland care about. The NHS.
The NHS needs to restore it’s Scottish identity.
‘Union on Trial’ (Part One)
Sara Salyers and others with a history lesson…
link to youtube.com
I “enjoyed” that, Ian: sobering stuff destined never to air on MSM. Imagine if people were routinely exposed to these truths by truly independent media in Scotland rather than the endless slurry of Britnat propaganda to which they are subjected!
And what a charming lady MP near the start exulting in Scottish historical defeat and forced emigration, much to the amusement of the House of Commons.
Can’t remember if any of the feeble SNP contingent stopped thinking of their pronouns or bank balances long enough to put her in her place. They only walked out once and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t on that occasion.
Jings.
Maybe I misunderstood but was the G@za comment directed at Craig Murray?
I can’t think of anyone else (who is high profile) involved in Scottish politics who has been speaking out about the gen0cide and ethnic cleansing…
In fact what has been noticeable is the almost total silence in Scottish politics over what is happening in G@za. That is much more of an issue than people talking about it IMHO.
I understand why as it is the ‘third rail’ in western politics, touch it and you die. Which means hardly anyone is talking about.
Alex was much braver than most with respect to foreign policy, but now he has conveniently gone, and Galloway lost his seat, who in the HoC is even mentioning it, certainly not the SNP.
‘That is much more of an issue than people talking about it IMHO.’
Agreed.
But what can be done?
If folk don’t want to discuss something, not much anyone can do about that.
If folk shrug and say <i>’so what?'</i> that might be a scunner but at least they’re admitting that they don’t care.
If folk say <i>’there’s nothing I can do about that'</i> then fair enough, but that could apply to pretty much anything unpleasant.
I suppose ‘freedom of speech’ itself is something that a lot of people aren’t <i>really</i> that bothered about either, especially those who are vaguely ashamed that they can happily pontificate on all manner of topics but find themselves at a sudden loss for words when civilians are being shredded right in front of their fucking faces.
“You Gov has looked at what Reform supporters believe.
Of the policy statements we put to them, the one they are most likely to believe is that “young people today do not have enough respect for traditional British values”, at 89%.
They are similarly likely to think that “migrants coming to the United Kingdom across the English Channel should all be immediately removed from the United Kingdom and prevented from ever returning” (86%) and also have a very strong tendency to say “multiculturalism has made the UK worse” (78%).
When it comes to crime, 85% believe that court sentences are not harsh enough, and 77% think the death penalty should be allowed.
On LGBTQ+ issues, while two thirds support same sex marriage (65%), a similar number also say that transgender people should not be allowed to legally change their gender (69%).”
There are other policies that some of us here might support.
“Big businesses in the UK take advantage of ordinary people
74
Ordinary working people do not get their fair share of the nation’s wealth
73
Utilities like energy, water and railways should be run in the public sector”
link to yougov.co.uk
This is a false prospectus, I think.
Richard Tice is a multimillionaire. He went to a private school. His family is enormously rich.
It would be useful to have some explicit and tied down definitions of precisely what those “traditional British values are?
Along with whose definitions they are and who is doing the counting.
It would then be possible to enable a compare and contrast assessment of the stated “values” and the actual implementation.
One example might be, say, the value of respect for others alongside the total absence of respect for civilians being deliberately exterminated – almost to the point from some people of cheering it on- because, well, that’s “woke” and just performative “virtue signalling”; besides which, as appears very clear, they are only “foreigners” anyway and not as “good” as “us.”
I suspect that what we would find is a mirror image of the Woke in which all the definitions are subjective and convenient to a particular power dynamic and there is absolutely no reciprocation involved whatsoever. The so called stated value only operating one way.
Much like Eurocrat Josep Borrell’s Western “Garden” of superior beings and the “Jungle” of inferiors that is everything outside the Collective Worst approach which is part and parcel of “The Rules Based International Order” (we make the Rules, you obey the Orders).
Yet again, conflation of gender with sex. Gender is an essentially meaningless social construct. It’s sex that is binary and cannot be changed. Why do so many people find this so hard to understand?
Wonder what ‘traditional British values’ means to these tossers? God save Sausage Fingers?
James
It is a mixed bag of reasons for supporting Reform, looking at the full range of answers.
Reform is likely/certain to be a vehicle for millionaires like Farage and Tice to extract more wealth.
The downward trajectory over decades across the UK will continue with damage to health and welfare continuing.
As always with very unequal societies violence will increase.
“Deaths of despair” through drugs alcohol and suicide will continue.
Life expectancy will continue to fall.
Sooner or later most Scots will look for a way out.
But with reform in power, Scotland will never peacefully be allowed to leave this one sided union, piecemeal perhaps.
I suspect Reform supporters believe whatever they want the party to deliver. This is not a swing to the right in any sense that it’s currently understood. It’s a demand for change and Reform are the only outfit that appear willing to deliver it. Blue-rinse Tories are deluding themselves if they think this will be a return to traditional conservatism. Far from it. I don’t think anybody really knows where this will head.
If you look at the rise of the “far right” in Portugal everyone thinks it’s a return to Catholic conservatism but a sizeable number of the supporters of Chega (Enough) are in their late teens and early twenties. They see the future, and it’s not bright, so they want change, preferably for the better. The party realises this. The publicity stunts they get into look childish and are derided as such, but their antics are likely appealing to the young who see entrenched interests of the middle-aged and elderly (all those fat pensions they awarded themselves) as blocking their chances. Farage is probably smart enough to see this too.
Woke Leftism simply doesn’t work. In any nation it’s tried, and especially Scotland
Thus, the Reform Party’s growth.
“Woke Leftism”
“leftism”. What is that? A relic? Is that even relevant anymore in a place like Scotland where the political axis has been, since September 2014, firmly stuck between the sides of pro and against independence?
Stonewall got millions of pounds from the UK purse while the tories were in power. Women in England, during the tory tenure, were chucked out of their jobs for criticising the gender woo woo nonsense.
So, are you suggesting that the tories responsible for forced austerity on the working class for the best part of 10 years, the tories that exponentially increased the number of food banks and dependence of working people on them, the tories who imposed the disgusting benefit 2-child cap while catapulting individuals like Lady Mone to the HoL, the tories who paid millions to Stonewall and helped the 1% to continue evading taxes and siphon from the public purse, are “the left”?
You have a very strange concept of right and left.
Mia’s admission of ignorance is believable.
It rather confirms what everyone already knew.
“You have a very strange concept of right and left.”
Precisely. – link to medium.com
It never ceases to amaze that, on the one hand, people will baulk at someone self-identifying as the opposite sex whilst at the same time having no problem with someone espousing such an obvious individualised Thatcherite and Randian based ideology self-identifying as “left/progressive”.
Probably has something to do with the Gell-Mann effect – link to epsilontheory.com
It never ceases to amaze me that people, confronted with government at all levels that claims more and more power to control people’s lives, that has hiked taxes (and spending) to levels not seen since WW2, that has imposed wokeness on a resisting people, still think that the UK government and the Scottish Assembly are somehow NOT Leftist.
What is the definition of “left” being used here? Whose definition is it, and who is doing the counting?
Is that definition congruent with the accepted objective based known criteria? Such as collective and class based rather than an atomised an individualised one with its own manufactured hierarchy of oppression? A public rather than privately owned and controlled economy?
Because last time I looked everything in the Country – including political parties and the State has been totally privatised; Collective Bargaining and organisational structure has been atomised into individual constituent parts which produce outcomes which are less, rather than more than the sum of the parts*; and collective class based solidarity has largely been abandoned in favour of simplistic scapegoating which gives the real parasites a free ride.
[Again, see here: link to harrowell.org.uk ]
As I have argued here: link to medium.com
“the [woke] insistence on the primacy of subjective based individual/group narratives over testable evidence based objective social reality, because objective society does not exist, only the subjective feelings and narratives of the individual and the group, has familiar echoes.
It should do because this is the narrative of “no such thing as society, only the individual and the family” philosophy of Thatcherism….
…..A process and approach which ultra emphasises subjective based differences to divide what should be united. Where Class based action is neutralised in favour of an atomised approach of a war of all against all in order to achieve and maintain control against any practical challenge to the current status quo within that artificially manufactured hierarchy of oppression and the primacy of its narrative. Which is why it is actively supported and financed by authoritarian State institutions and organisations from the police service and judiciary through to corporations and the media”
Rebranding and relabelling something as “left” or “progressive” makes it possible to enforce and get away with any old reactionary policies and behaviours.
Occasional BTL contributor on this site Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh succinctly sums up the very real links of right wing individualist political philosophy and practice, social atomisation and the woke approach :
“Thus arises an intriguing ‘binary’ relationship between extreme individualistic subjectivism and extreme state authoritarianism. Assertion of non-negotiable pseudo-sacrosanct narcissistic power is common to both. Objective law as irreducible sphere of reality is subverted by arbitrary personalism. Might determine’s right. Autocracy of self-ID is mirrored by autocracy on high.”
But, I’m all ears. Give it your best shot Campbell and demonstrate objectively how an individualised philosophy like the woke self ID which undermines the political left wing class based collective philosophy by recreating and manufacturing right wing hierarchies of oppression actually fits the criteria of being of the political left?
Again, I doubt I’m alone in not holding my breath.
So your standard of proof is the unsourced assertion, “last time I looked.”
And many hundreds of words (mostly your own), without ONE objective fact or statistic.
Your comment gets a grade of “Fail.”
Since you seem allergic of statistics, how about this indication of big government: the UK tax burden is today the highest it’s been in the last 50 years.
link to obr.uk
And that’s not counting the increasing costs of government regulations, which add so much cost to everything we purchase.
link to rpc.blog.gov.uk
You can (and probably would) argue that more government is a good thing. That’s a discussion for another thread. What you can’t deny is that we in the UK have greater burdens imposed on us by government than, say, 50 years ago.
A simple no to my question would have sufficed.
But this begs the question as to what exactly the problems you identify has to do with the values and philosophy of the criteria associated with left wing politics?
Are you arguing that the Tory Party under May, Johnson, Truss and Sunak; along with the second eleven of His Majesty’s Official Loyal Opposition (the blatant clue is in the title) that is now the “Labour” (sic) Government under Starmer have and are enacting left-wing policies?
Can you enlighten us as how privatisation and the role of robber baron companies like Blackrock…..
link to opendemocracy.net
which are buying up large parts of the economies and resource base of countries around the world, represents “left wing” policies – like public ownership – on the part of this sorry excuse for a “Labour” (sic) Government?
Are you denying the level of privatisation that has taken place over the past four decades? Utilities, Education, Health, Transport etc. Or the resultant deindustrialisation as a result of the takeover by Big finance?
If so, on what evidence?
As I’ve pointed out, above…..
link to wingsoverscotland.com
….the FIRE Sector and the value free rentier interests represented by that sector, rather than the productive industrial sector, now dominates the UK economy.
link to researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk
Can you point out using your own criteria – evidence – that the problems you identify can even remotely be associated with what everyone understands as the result of political left policies?
Perhaps sites such as here…..
link to taxresearch.org.uk
….would be helpful in considering these questions?
Or the analysis to be found here?
link to abebooks.co.uk
“tories responsible for forced austerity on the working class for the best part of 10 years”
That’ll be the same tories that payed millions of the working class to sit on their arses for up to two years to [checks notes] “save the NHS”.
Weren’t you one of the regulars on here, eternally calling for yet more Covid restrictions and yet more free government handouts?
Face it, Mia, the money’s run out. And now the bill has to be paid.
And BTW, the fecking NHS wasn’t saved either. In fact, it was wrecked.
If Alba, with Alex Salmond’s star power, couldn’t get more than 1% of the vote, why should any sane person think that a handful of crank bloggers can start a new party and do better?
Because the bar of standards is so, so darn low right now that it would be incredibly hard to do any worse for Scotland than the damage Sturgeon’s SNP, Greens, Labour, Tories or LibDems have inflicted on this country during the last 10 years.
Each of those “crank bloggers” as you feel self-entitled to call them, have far more integrity in their little finger that the entire compound of corrupt, cowardly, self-serving MSPs + MPs + SPADS and other troughers who claim to be working for and representing Scotland, while all what they are doing is keeping a healthy cash flow into their bank accounts and a nice padded seat under their arses.
At the very least, those bloggers, in line with what the country thinks, believe Scotland could have much better and are making an effort to push for something better. The corrupt self-serving cowards and troughers sitting in both parliaments cannot even be arsed to pretend they are trying.
“Mia,” you evaded the question I posed: If Alex Salmond couldn’t do it with Alba, how could a handful of unknown cranks create yet another fringe party that would win elections?
BTW if they ever gained office (heaven forbid) history informs us that the new party politicians would become troughers too.
“if they ever gained office (heaven forbid) history informs us that the new party politicians would become troughers too”
And that is why the route to Scotland’s independence is by bypassing or not sending MPs to Westminster rather than by insisting in being fooled by the idea that, once well positioned in the green seats and with a comfortable salary, “anti-union” MPs will ever lift a finger to end the union.
The only way out is through a party like ISP where elected representatives do not take the seats, do not swear allegiance to a foreign crown and reject the Scotland Act.
“how could a handful of unknown cranks create another fringe party that would win elections?”
My guess is by tapering on the right audience.
Look around you. There were over 600,000 pro-independence voters who chose to stay at home at the last GE rather than voting because they were not tempted enough to even bothering in casting a vote.
Clearly these people are not impressed with the embarrassing “S30 begging bowl” strategy of the SNP. That figure can even be bigger by 2026. Target that audience with the right, bold pro-independence message and you get an election winner.
Alba or ISP may not have won any election so far, but their work has not gone to waste. The SNP continues to haemorrhage voters and those voters refuse to go to the unionist parties.
In the first figure in the article, it seems like the 14 seats projected for Reform come directly from the Conservatives. In other words, despite the increasing number of disillusioned pro-independence voters, the unionist vote is not growing, it is simply moving around.
What this means is that, not only the potential audience for that new “fringe” political party is increasing by the day, but also that the unionist parties are incapable of stopping it.
It seems useless to get “Mia” (and other online Indy cranks) to acknowledge actual statistics that refute her assertions.
Which is the mark of a fringe fanatic.
I cited the statistics above on voting intentions, from the poll my fellow clansman Stu cites: SNP is at 29%. Unionist parties are getting 70% of the vote in this poll, and more importantly, in actual elections this year. The SNP used to get in the 40+% range.
The Unionist vote is GROWING, not merely “moving around.” The reality is the complete opposite of what you assert.
“Unionist parties are getting 70% of the vote in this poll”
70% OF THE VOTE. Right. Where do the 600,000 pro-indy voters who did not cast a vote in the 2024 GE fit in that poll?
How representative of the voting population and what kind of mandate a “70%” of the vote is if less than 50% of the voters could actually stomach turning up to vote for the same old shite?
Don’t let the concept of the “percentage of the vote” fool you. That is not what matters in the longer term, bigger picture. Turnover is progressively decreasing and with it the concept of “democratic” representation.
Being governed by any political outfit of a set of options which you despise on equal measure will only increase your discontent and your desire for something different.
The thing is that when you have been disillusioned for a long time and deprived of a suitable option to vote for, you become very reactive to the possibility of change. So, when the possibility of that change comes your way, yo do not let it pass. You will get up your chair and vote for it.
Meanwhile, having more of the same disappointing old shite will only serve to increase the number of disillusioned voters even further. This will increase the size of the potential audience a new pro-indy party can target.
So, do you seriously think that, right now, I give a toss for your myopic “statistics”? What I want is to see the entire undemocratic, rotten in corruption, and rigged political edifice currently forcing Scotland to remain in this union and to continue preserving a ToU that has more holes than a sieve, to fall right down to the ground.
So, if that is okay with you, I rather look at the bigger picture and keep waiting for that increasing audience of disillusioned pro-independence voters to reach critical mass, thank you.
“when the possibility of that change comes your way, yo do not let it pass. You will get up your chair and vote for it”
Do you reckon Scots will vote for poot? Why don’t you make a real effort to build your base? No need to be coy, Mia, if you believe in it as much as you claim you do, big it up to the world.
Maybe play down the reality that after one successful majority vote in favour, there won’t ever be another vote. 🙂
Play up the reality that getting into bed with the NK and Ir@n axis will solve our immigration and sizzler “problems” at a stroke.
Maybe start a new emigration problem though.
What do you reckon, Mia? Will Scotswomen wheesht for cheeky lassies being taken off the streets and beaten to death for uncovered hair and other similar “deadly sins”?
Will you?
Wank
Mia is on record as hoping for victory for imperialist poot. CM is on record as hoping for victory for the humous terrorists.
This place is full of comments supporting and cheering them on.
These are simple facts. Have the guts to own them and the courage to debate your beliefs honestly and openly.
Don’t be scared, @BritishArmy will save you all…
BBC: Major war could destroy army in six months – minister:
“The British army could be wiped out in as little as six months if forced to fight a war on the scale of the U***ine conflict, a defence minister has warned…
…we cannot generate mass, we cannot meet the plethora of defence tasks and challenges that we require, and we cannot seamlessly integrate the very best experts into the heart of our armed forces.”:
link to archive.ph
While pathetic @DefenceHQ and its Giant Ever-Expanding WEF Butt-Plugs are no match for any bear/human –
#UKDefenceSissiesRUs
Nah, he’s the kind of person who gets honest self-abusers a bad name.
He’s more of a plamf.
“Do you reckon Scots will vote for poot?”
I take your overt and childish go at whataboutery and deflection from the subject of discussion in our previous comment exchange (regarding progressively decreasing turnouts and the fact that the seats reform is projected to get appear to be just a rearrangement of conservative seats), as your honest admission that you do not have anything else to add.
I found our previous comment exchange regarding Scottish elections interesting enough to engage in it. However, I have zero interest in engaging with your fishing and deflecting whataboutery comments.
Enjoy the rest of the evening.
You post on here that you support pres poot and hope for his victory over the sovereign nation, culture and people of Ukr.
That’s a relevant and pertinent fact to any casual reader who may believe you support the sovereign nation, culture and people of Scotland.
If you’re ashamed of your colonialist, imperialist sympathies, don’t brag about them on here.
You’re wasting your time trying to talk sense to UKOK trolls like Bellend there, Mia. They’re not here to engage in honest debate, but just to disrupt, distract and annoy.
.
Doing a LOL!
The only reason why I engage in debate with the colonial trolls is because other people may read the comments, might find them thought provoking and be prompted to contribute with their own ideas, points of view and suggestions, enriching the debate.
I am being selfish and selective, I admit it. I am using the colonial trolls’ comments simply as a platform to start new conversations which I think could interest pro-independence supporters or people reading these comments that are still undecided.
The more we learn about what the undecided think, the better arguments we can use to change their minds.
If you believe the neo-Tsarist, imperialist and aggressive destroyer of free, sovereign nations is one of your “better arguments”, then set out your stall in the open.
Stop being coy about what you really think.
Sway the undecideds by the logic and moral certainty of your call for Ukr’s destruction.
Spell out how death and mayhem on a national scale, and the unleashing of tens of millions of penniless refugees onto Europe’s streets, will hasten our Independence.
Don’t worry about being “selfish and selective”. We’ll forgive you if you show us the key that will unlock Scotland’s Independence.
It’s not a matter of how many votes this party or that personality gets, it’s about the fact that the majority of Scots want their nation to be free of the yoke of colonialism. That’s what matters, regardless of whether one particular party gets 100%, 1% or 0.001% of the vote.
“Stop making their lives worse at every single turn because you have neither the resources nor the basic competence to make them better. Stop putting up their trainfares, stop punishing them for driving the wrong kind of car or liking the wrong food, stop grooming their children, stop wanging on about Gaza, and all the rest of it.”
Amen.
Sadly i don’t see ALBA going anywhere. You are right about the name being a mistake. They seem just like the SNP but sane. That is not enough now. Change of name and leadership may lead to more fruitful results.
But alas there is no shortcuts to Independence.
Would it be possible for Holyrood to have a vote on gaining powers from Westminster and if there is a majority Holyrood would adopt the responsibility with immediate effect,except defence and foreign affairs to satisfy the majority of no voters who preferred that and to convince them to change their minds.
First you need to get rid of the unemployable cretins who have never had a decent job or done a real days work and replace them with competent people who genuinely support independence
No, it wouldn’t, Holyrood gains its power through the Scotland Act passed at Westminister, so the Westminster parliament would need to legislate for that to happen.
“Holyrood gains its power through the Scotland Act passed at Westminister”
Don’t be ridiculous. The Scotland Act is like a straight jacket put on Scotland’s parliament to stop it becoming a full blown Scotland’s parliament.
What do you think that dodgy and unelected figure of “Lord Advocate” is doing sitting in the middle of Scotland’s cabinet? It is handing control over Scotland’s executive and legislative power to the English crown to stop Holyrood becoming a full blown parliament.
What right has the English crown or England MPs for that matter to restrict the control of Scotland’s people over their own effing legislative power?
None. That equals to imposing absolute rule over Scotland, which is a direct violation of the Claim of Right and indirectly a violation of the ToU. If we only had real representatives of Scotland among the MPs and MSPs instead of crown useful idiots, the ToU would have been declared null and void by now.
Holyrood gained its power through the vote of the Scottish people in the referendum of 1997, not Westminster. Westminster just had to comply.
What do you think the following means?
“The Union with Scotland Act 1706 and the Union with England Act 1707 have effect subject to this Act”
The above quote has been extracted from the Scotland Act 1998 Section 37.
My interpretation of that quote is that it is the Scotland Act and the shackling of Holyrood with that Act and the dodgy figure of Lord Advocate what is preserving the Union of Scotland with England. Remove that Act, and remove that unelected figure from our government cabinet and Holyrood becomes a full blown Scotland’s parliament. This would signal the end of the ToU for good.
Why? Because a full blown Scotland’s parliament will be a direct breach of Article 3 of the ToU. There is a very good reason for unionists to keep calling Holyrood “assembly” rather than Parliament.
Your own personal reinterpretation of the law has the same value as all the other eccentric personal reinterpretations of the law adopted by people like Freemen on Land, that being none. The Scotland Act clearly established the Holyrood Parliament, even if you ignore the legal argument, as a factual matter you can clearly see the causal link between the two.
If you think I’m wrong, please provide some legal authority (I.e. not just more of your own opinions) to prove it.
“Absolute rule” is an odd term to use but an accurate one, the United Kingdom Parliament has unlimited power to make laws in Scotland, see the UNCRC case at the Supreme Court. To the extent that the Claim of Right and the Treaty of Union have any remaining legal effect, the U.K. Parliament could simply pass a law which repealed them completely and that would take effect as passed. So it does not matter that anything the U.K. Parliament passed was in breach of either of those two things, as the U.K. Parliament is not bound to adhere to them when passing laws.
Finally, your interpretation of what is basically a legal clarification (that if a conflict occurs between the Scotland Act and the Treaty of Union Act, the Scotland act prevails), is doing a lot of heavy lifting. As a matter of statutory interpretation, it is very unlikely that something as significant as you are suggesting is achieved by implication. If all is as you say, then why does the law not say it explicitly?
“Your own personal reinterpretation of the law”
What law? UK law? Would that be the same UK law that frequently breaches the Claim of Right and indirectly the ToU?
“The Scotland Act clearly established the Holyrood Parliament”
No, it did not. What it established was an administrative unit with restricted powers. A delegation, if you like. The only way Westminster, as the UK parliament, has to restore Scotland’s own parliament is by terminating itself.
The Scotland Act, the same as the Acts of Union, is only a piece of domestic law. It has no validity in the context of international law like the ToU does. For as long as Holyrood is tied down by the Scotland Act, Holyrood is not a parliament. It may be “called” parliament, but it is simply Westminster’s administrative unit in Scotland.
“the United Kingdom Parliament has unlimited power to make laws in Scotland”
No, it does not. It may have power to pass laws that apply to Scotland for as long as Scotland remains in the union, but it does not have power to alter the body of Scotland’s constitutional law that predates the ToU. Doing so breaches the treaty itself. The Claim of Right predates the ToU and it is a fundamental condition of it, therefore Westminister as the “UK parliament” has no power to revoke it or change it in any way.
Actually, if I have to be honest, I have serious doubts that “UK law” passed by Holyrood or Westminster can actually be considered proper “Scottish” law at all because neither Holyrood nor Westminster are the Scottish parliament.
The concept of “parliamentary sovereignty” is an English law convention that does not have counterpart in Scotland’s law. You also talk about the so called “Supreme Court”. I do not recognise that court as the Supreme court of Scotland .In my eyes that is just an overpromoted English court where the English crown can make convenient use of the English law convention of “parliamentary sovereignty” to stop Scotland’s independence or the entering of any referendum bill into Holyrood. In my own opinion, the legitimacy of this court as “supreme court of the UK” under the ToU is, to say the least, dubious if not downright unlawful. In my eyes it is just another example of the abuse Scotland is subjected to within this union and yet another breach of the fundamental articles of the ToU.
“To the extent that the Claim of Right and the Treaty of Union have any remaining legal effect, the U.K. Parliament could simply pass a law which repealed them completely and that would take effect as passed”
Both the Claim of Right and the Treaty of Union have still full legal effect. If they didn’t King Charles would not be swearing to uphold the Claim of Right as he did. I also remind you of the quote I wrote above and that is part of the Scotland Act 1998 (section 37):
““The Union with Scotland Act 1706 and the Union with England Act 1707 have effect subject to this Act”
If the ToU did not have full legal effect, there would not be any need to mention the Acts which transferred the ratification of the international Treaty into the bodies of domestic law of England and Scotland.
The Acts of Union with Scotland and with England are just pieces of domestic legislation that have no jurisdiction in the context of international law. The ToU, however, is a piece of international law and it is above Westminster.
“it does not matter that anything the U.K. Parliament passed was in breach of either of those two things, as the U.K. Parliament is not bound to adhere to them when passing laws”
Of course it is bound to them. The so called “UK” parliament is a byproduct of the Treaty of Union and therefore subordinated to the two parliaments who ratified the treaty. The only reason why it is getting away with breaching both things is because Scotland is represented by spineless cowards who rather preserve their salaries and pensions than stand up for their country.
“that if a conflict occurs between the Scotland Act and the Treaty of Union Act, the Scotland act prevails”
Eh??? Where did you get this ridiculous interpretation from? You are suggesting that the Scotland Act supersedes both Acts of Union. That is preposterous. It is certainly not my interpretation of what that quote in the Scotland Act means.
My interpretation of that quote is that those who passed and signed this Scotland Act acknowledged that the creation of a separate parliament for Scotland was a direct breach of article 3 of the Treaty of Union and the two pieces of domestic legislation (Acts of Union with Scotland and England) that enshrined that treaty in both, Scotland’s and England’s separate bodies of constitutional law.
By introducing a reservation of powers in the Scotland Act, they stopped Holyrood becoming an actual parliament and instead ensured it remained as an administrative unit of the Westminster parliament. That is what “subjected to this Act” means in my book.
The reason as to why the ToU and the two domestic acts of union are subjected to the Act is beyond obvious: if there is no reservation of powers and Holyrood is not tied down as an administrative unit of Westminster by that Act, it becomes a full blown Scotland’s parliament terminating one of the most fundamental premises of the ToU, which is article 3.
The Scotland Act 1998 had to be signed by representatives of England and representatives of Scotland. What does that tell you? That tells you loud and clear that England MPs and “Westminster” have not unlimited power to legislate in Scotland. They can only legislate by consent.
The care the HoC and specially the HoLs are putting into avoiding violations of the fundamental premises of the ToU, and Hansard is littered with examples of this, tells you that this Treaty is very much extant and it is fundamental to the continuation of Great Britain as a state unit.
Again, very well said.
However are our leaders listening?
No chance; guarantors of the status quo the lot of them.
Charlatans and philanderers..
You should stand, you’d get my vote.
“You should stand, you’d get my vote.”
She’d get my vote too.
In fact, any of the usual suspects, if they were ever to stir their useless, flabby arses to actually try to make a difference by doing something, rather than eternally sitting on the sidelines greetin and gurnin, would get my vote if they were standing in my constituency.
The big question is, would they get anybody else’s vote?
I don’t know, but I doubt it and so, of course, do the usual suspects, which is why they will stay firmly in their comfort zones, flabby arses welded to sagging sofas.
But it’s all there for the taking in an open, free, democratic, discontented society like we have in Scotland right now. Aff the flabby arse, pounding the streets, wanging on about what concerns your average, rational, apolitical, struggling Scot.
In a reasoned, grounded, polite, respectful, plausibly persuasive manner, natch. Offer hope for a better future and a logical, believable route to its delivery, not a list of real and imaginary grievances and the possibility of settling grudges.
Votes too numerous to count are just waiting to be weighed by any movement, party or group of people who are prepared to put the graft in.
As we can see all over the democratic world where new parties and politicians are coming into power.
Again, all of the above is littered with phrases such as “in my opinion” and “in my view” which gives away the fact that what you are saying is not an objective statement of what the constitutional law in this country is, but your opinion of what it should have evolved to be. That doesn’t make what you are saying irrelevant as an academic exercise, but equally you can’t suggest that the route to Scottish independence lies in some legal doctrines which aren’t recognised by the legal or governance system of the U.K.
There’s a lot to individually rebut there, but I think the fundamental point you misunderstand is that the Treaty of Union is not now a treaty in international law between two sovereign states. The ToU merged two states, that of England and Scotland, into a single state, that of the U.K. Scotland culturally remains a country, but international law does not deal in countries, it deals in states, and a state cannot enter into a treaty in international law within itself. The ToU, to the extent that it has any legal effect, only exists in domestic law.
Thirdly, there is the practical problem with this argument that I’ve raised several time and nobody has attempted to answer. If we take your premise that the Treaty of Union and Claim of Right cannot be altered by the U.K. Parliament, then by what procedure can they be altered? Or are we to believe that the U.K. is stuck with a set of unalterable laws dating from the 1600’s and 1700’s, and if that is the case, how might Scottish independence be implemented legally given that it would involve changing or repealing the ToU?
Again, if you think I am wrong, then by all means provide some legal authority to prove it, by which I mean statements made in an authoritative context (I.e. a judge in a court room) which positively describe what you’re saying. I can provide you with dozens of examples, like the UNCRC case or the S.30 order case. Can you provide a single example of anyone with authority positively saying “this is what the law is” which backs you up explicitly (i.e. not some wild interpretation of S.37, which bears no relationship to the words actually used in the text).
Aidan, how dare you ask “Mia” to prove her multiple (and laughable) assertions! Asking for proof is so “yoon” of you!
The United Kingdom Parliament does NOT have unlimited power to make laws in Scotland, and if the Supreme Court has said it does, then it has seriously erred.
Westminsters’ unlimited sovereignty doesn’t apply in or over Scotland, which has its own inherent sovereignty, a sovereignty it never gave up or transferred. When the Treaty’s Principals delegated authority over the territories of both parent kingdoms to the new Union parliament, they did so with conditions and limitations, and the Union parliament cannot ignore those conditions and limitations without losing its legitimacy.
Similarly, if the UK parliament passed a law that repealed Scotland’s Claim of Right, that would be a direct and fundamental breach of a critical obligation of the Treaty and would end the Union immediately, because the CoR is guaranteed its permanence under a formal obligation as a condition of ratification set by Scotland’s old parliament. When both parliaments formally ratified the Treaty along with that attached obligation it became binding on the Union and its parliament for as long as the Union endures.
WM may consider itself fully entitled to break such conditions, and I accept that it is, but that does not mean that it is entitled to expect no formal adverse consequences for doing so, and ending the very Union itself is one of them.
The supreme court’s ignorance of the Treaty’s formal terms and conditions, and the fact of the equality of the sovereignties of the two kingdoms that founded the Union is no excuse. It could have known better, so it bloody well should have known better.
England’s disdain for Scotland’s sovereignty, constitution and the rights of its people has been a constant feature of Union governance for centuries.
It is going to regret it.
I think it would be possible. In fact, I have constantly wondered since the 19 September 2014 what the hell where the useless SNP and Greens playing at by not including this in their manifestos.
At present, and for as long as our useless MSPs continue to abide by the Scotland Act, the power for Scotland to unilaterally dissolve this union is with Scotland’s MPs. For that to be enacted, we just need an absolute majority of anti-union MPs. That is all what we have ever needed. However, none of the establishment parties’ MPs (SNP, Greens, Labour, Libdems, Tories or, heaven forbid, Reform) will ever do such a thing and renounce to their salaries, so we need a pathway to overrule our own useless MPs.
A vote to bring back reserved powers to Scotland is that pathway. A vote to bring back all reserved powers to Scotland is, at all practical effects, the same as a vote for independence. This is because it will empower Holyrood as Scotland’s parliament. But to tell you the truth, I do not see any of the spineless “leaders” currently in control of “Scotland’s” main political parties ever finding the balls to do such thing and cut their revenue stream.
However, even if any of the new independence parties in Scotland were to include this in their manifestos for the upcoming Holyrood election, for this to work you require two things:
The right time to do this was the 2016 and the 2021 election, when Scotland had absolute majorities of anti-union MPs and pro-independence Majorities in Holyrood.
I was totally expecting that the political fraud Sturgeon would start bringing powers back to Holyrood one by one – that is what I would have done if I was in control of all those majorities and had at my disposal as many as 6 elections. I can guarantee that if the political fraud had done that, the SNP would not be now sinking in the sewer of UK politics and fading into irrelevance as it is now. But the useless hypocrite and the troughers surrounding her couldn’t even bother to try because they were never seeking independence in the first place.
Amen to that.
If that’s the reason tell them to amend the act
I entirely agree with this article. However, if I might be so bold, the point missed is the direction of travel. This hard lurch to the right is ongoing – it is but a snapshot in a still rapidly changing picture, and crucially – it isn’t done yet. The political trajectory is as clear as day: all the increasingly unpalatable nonsense of the Left (as described here daily) is simply too much form”ordinary people” (non political zealots) to possibly bear – and that’s *in addition* to left wing politics being demonstrably moribund and pretty useless anyway, without all the weird stuff.
To sum up: the Left is finished, clear as day. Even in Scotland. Look to the USA, or most of the EU – unthinkable even, say, 3 years ago. The Left has not only failed to deliver, it has demonstrably made things far worse for most people. This is nothing less than a “lightbulb moment” – and it’s about time. Good.
What does this mean for Scottish Independence? Scots will need to take their political blinkers off and smell the coffee, for starters. Maybe a renaissance beckons for the long-time deeply unfashionable “Tartan Tory”. Again, good. Much to the chagrin of the usual suspects here, again no doubt. (Suck it up boys and girls).
As Stu says, we do indeed live in interesting times. How this ends is anyone’s guess.
Oh, they’re starting to get bold!
Scots don’t like Tories, never have, and they haven’t won a national election here since 1955.
Suck it up Tory Boy.
Welcome to the new world matey. Cry harder.
Reference to ‘Left’ or Right’ was useful in pre-revolutionary France, but increasingly less useful ever since. Expect you know exactly what you mean but what about others (unless they are some sort of Cogniscienti)?
I assume this question is rhetorical.
If not, may I recommend Google, which will provide ample explanation as to what is )broadly) meant by left wing and right wing politics, including in a UK context.
That is not a rhetorical question. I want to know what YOU mean by the terms. Evidently, I should have been more direct in questioning. None-the-less, your answer is illuminating, including (possibly) of a dismissive attitude on your part. Do you obtain your opinions from google? What do YOU mean by the terms?
If a political movement is to be built, more clarity and substance are needed, not potentially confusing labels.
What a load of pish. Social equality and solidarity are deeply embedded in Scottish culture. It is part of who we are. And your assertion that “left wing politics [is] demonstrably moribund and pretty useless anyway” is also patent nonsense. It’s a simple fact that the UK economy (and others) performed far better in the thirty years following the Second World War when most industry and public services were under public ownership and there was a progressive taxation policy than it has since the advent of neo-liberalism. Free-market capitalism funnels wealth from local economies and the poor into the offshore bank accounts of the rich. Ordinary people have become relatively poorer, to the extent that young people in well-paid jobs can’t even afford to buy a house or start a family now, people are dependent upon foodbanks, and there are thousands begging and sleeping in the streets. All unimaginable thirty or forty years ago.
“deeply embedded”
Fnarr, fnarr 🙂
Is that really the best you can do?
“Fnarr, fnar”
Well, there’s a shock. Who would have predicted that. You, of all people, struggling with basic language skills!
Or are you going to kid us on that you had your fifth limb stuck in your gob?
Here you go, Dave:
link to urbandictionary.com
BTW, either your attention to detail, or your cut-and-paste ability, needs a little work.
Ah! A reader of Viz. That explains a lot.
No wonder a little subtle humour went straight over your head.
By the way, have you considered employing an agent rather than sitting there in the dark handling yourself?
re. “Social equality and solidarity are deeply embedded in Scottish culture. It is part of who we are.”
Yeah, we value our precious tapestry of amazing people as true national champions.
#OneScotlandForever
#WingsPatriots
Hey all you wonderful Wings Patriots, et al
Hands up if you value Scotland and its people ???
Let’s see/hear your support for Scotland:
#WeValueScotland
#WingsForever
This is Scotland,
What a pathetic and shameful response –
Team-Scotland and its true patriots will utterly expose you all (useful idiots/bad Actors/frauds, etc) – while you obliterate your own integrity (PROMISE:) –
And I urge anyone/anything to come and have a go (if you think you’re hard/intelligent enough:) – including rotten Scottish/British State pip-squeak…
#ScotlandsPeopleAreGreat
@UKDefenceButtPlugsRUs
@GCHQStoneAgeTech
@Mi5/6TransSissyAgents
@77thBlowJobBrigade
Up-voting signals that you value Scotland and its people.
Down-voting signals that you don’t value Scotland and its people.
Down-voting on this post, here, signals that you don’t value humans (yourself), full stop.
Good luck…
#HumansAreWonderful
Good grief, absolute mince from start to finish – and some paragraph breaks wouldn’t go amiss, neither. Difficult to even know where to start with this binfire, but I shall give it a stab.
“What a load of pish”
What, exactly, was “pish” about my post? (Noting that, as ever, you fail to talk any specifics and just take the ad hom route. Imagine my surprise etc.)
I asserted the very clear (rightward) direction of travel in EU and US politics – you’d have to be both blind and stupid to deny this? If one accepts this as fact, it naturally follows that people – en masse – are rejecting left wing politics. I mean, DUH.
This then begs the question: WHY are said en masse people rejecting left wing politics in said droves? No doubt there is some nuance here and regional variation, but again – you’d have to be beyond stupid not to see that in broad terms, people are sick of being expected to pay ever greater taxes on things they don’t agree with (e.g. mass, uncontrolled immigration), and they don’t like the increasingly insane things the woke left force feed them. All bleeding obvious to anyone with eyes to see with, which obviously excluded you and your ilk, crying “la la la” into to metal waste paper bin metaphorically placed over your heads. Yawn.
I did laugh at your assertion that “public ownership” is the key to upward mobility and high living standards for people – despite all the evidence to the contrary, especially in the UK, which was bankrupted by 1976 and had to go to the IMF begging bowl in hand, the 3-day week, blackouts, rubbish rotting on the streets, strike after strike and the Winter of Discontent. Yes, I was bloody there mate, and later I did my spell on the shop floor too – and saw with my own two eyes exactly where militant, anti-business left wing politics gets people: NOWHERE. I’m betting you were either in bloody shorts then and/or never felt swarf between yer toes, mate, so how about giving your keyboard a rest and leaving stuff like this to them that actually know what they’re talking about, eh?
As things stand, actual Far Right *governments* are in place in Italy (comparably sized economy to the UK), Slovakia, Hungary, Finland, Croatia, Sweden. Only today, the French government has collapsed – only a fool would bet against a hard right French government incoming – and Germany looks likely to follow. See also Trump’s America. Again, to deny these things – even to oneself – is beyond pathetic wishful thinking; seeing (and dealing with) the world as it is, not how you think it should be lies at the heart of pragmatic right wing conservatism.
As I posted (vainly) to “Geri” as few months ago here, ordinary hard working people are FED UP to their nines being expected to pay for others taking a slice from their income – one in four people of working age in the UK is “economically inactive”. One in four!! That must – and will – stop, and this (among other things) is, and will be, a key driver for change – in Scotland as well mate (as per the clear inference implied by Stu’s piece, did you even read it?)
I’m guessing there are plenty of hardworking people in Scotland who’ve seen quite enough of the home-grown “progressive” politics of the SNP et al, and who are hungry for a complete reset. Let’s hope so, eh mate.
re. “This hard lurch to the right is ongoing – it is but a snapshot in a still rapidly changing picture, and crucially – it isn’t done yet. The political trajectory is as clear as day:”
Mr Mister: Welcome To The Real World: Black/White:
“Two characters both weak and strong…
We chant and we dance, we draw ourselves in
Then we run from each other again
Love is so strange, how we change from day to night
And love is so strange, how we change from black to white
Ever so strange, how we change from day to night (Hey yeah)
I draw a picture of your face…
We are the ones who fell into this love
We must be in the right place…”:
link to tinyurl.com
Mr Mister: Welcome To The Real World: Broken Wings:
“Why we can’t just hold on to each other’s hands?
This time might be the last I fear
Unless I make it all too clear
I need you so, ohh
Take these broken wings
And learn to fly again, learn to live so free
When we hear the voices sing
The book of love will open up and let us in…
Baby, I think tonight
We can take what was wrong and make it right…”:
link to tinyurl.com
Dear silent negative ones,
Wouldn’t you like to resolve our human differences ?
Don’t you believe in love (e.g. yourself) ??
If you are not able/willing to openly discuss your apparent issues, feel free to publicly express your disapproval/contempt for humans/love/resolution, etc, via as many down-votes as you feel necessary…
#TeamHumanityAreChampions
What kind of human doesn’t love their self (destitute soulless freaks) –
Keep down-voting if you sadomasochistic imbeciles (incessant forever-losers) agree…
#LovingYourselfIsGood
Whatevs. Weirdo spammer.
No need to be nasty, Caveman:
“Someone who lived in a cave in the early stages of the development of human society.”
“A modern man who is very rude or violent towards other people, especially women.”:
link to dictionary.cambridge.org
#LongLiveWomen
Captain Sensible: Power of Love: I Love Her:
“I love her
I bless the moment that I found her
I’ll build my little world around her…”:
link to tinyurl.com
I ain’t rude to women mate, less still violent towards them. Not in my DNA mate, I would sooner die in the case of the latter.
I don’t suffer fools, though, of either sex.
Where did I say that you are rude to women ?
Can you please provide me/everyone with an actual citation – to the spoken words in which you are referring to (re. direct source of information).
Many thanks, mate
Weirdo ?
“A person who behaves strangely:
What did he mean by that? Weirdo!”:
link to dictionary.cambridge.org
Angus B. MacNeil joins the Alba party – and he could stand at the 2026 elections.
A year to 18 months too late.
Should have said, i’m in my 70’s and my wife and i have no children( thank f***).
Scotland will get what it deserves, England is already lost sadly.
Still waiting on my first comment appearing.
I would agree England is already lost. London, Birmingham and Manchester especially. If only we had voted Independence in 2014. You have missed out on life if you think children and grandchildren are a burden. Each to his own I suppose. They are my joy.
Be interesting to see what percentage of the Reform vote comprises blow-ins from south of the border and those who are of a Sevco Ltd persuasion.
A good proportion I’d wager.
In short, ignorant Huns and colonists.
You are a Scottish nationalist; I am a Unionist, and English to boot. I’m not sure you want a friend like me, but I am one, and reading this has made my day.
Conmon sense to achieve a political outcome I don’t remotely support, other than in the general democratic sense- if independence is wanted, fight for it, persuade and succeed. I wish we all had the calibre of clear thinkers like the author in the UK generally; maybe we’d do better. I wish you luck.
Why are you a Unionist? It seems odd to want one country to dominate another, remove all their powers and wealth, and cause the decline of their population and standards.
Do you have to be a Unionist to want that?
Plenty of self-identifying so-called Indy supporters salivating at the thought of the extermination of U.
Plenty of self-identifying so-called blood-and-soil nationalists salivating at the thought of the extermination of Isr.
Yoon and Indy are as much pointless labels as left and right. It’s where people stand on individual issues that defines them. We can all see on here that a significant number of so-called sovereignty and culture defenders are anything but.
Any rational, grounded, facts-based Scot can also see the abysmal reality of how the Indy movement, spearheaded by it’s sacred, walk-on-water party of numpties squatting in HR, has driven Scotland in to the mire over the past decade.
Trashed our international reputation, wrecked our SNHS, decimated our industries, wrecked our children’s educations and slashed at our freedoms. Lied in our faces over and over without even half trying to cover up the lies.
Catapulted us up the international laughing-stock ratings, but that’s still not good.
But you have it your way, as always – some big, English bastirts did it, and then they ran away.
No sarah, the Indy movement did this to Scotland by returning the same incompetent grifters and fantasists to power, long after it was obvious what they really were. And it’s the Indy movement that needs to face up to that before there can be any hope that Scotland is going to give Indy a second chance.
Human/s
#LongLiveHumans
There is no road to independence via sending MSPs to Holyrood.
What you would be voting for is colonial administrators, administering devolved sovereignty of the English Crown in Westminster.
Rosie K. takes on allcomers.
@PeteWishart has blocked you:
“…We need to unite the movement in an organised convention but this will be impossible until there is a mutual respect and some sort of basic standard of behaviour and engagement.”
@HateMonsterScot (Hate Monster Official):
“And you think you’re an exemplar of mutual respect, do you?”
@PeteWishart has blocked you:
“Oh hello you…. Looking at your timeline I sort of suspect that our Twitter relationship won’t come into the ‘useful’ or ‘productive’ categories. Now off you pop.”
@HateMonsterScot:
“I wasn’t at all rude to you. It’s a fair question. Do you think your conduct on here contributes to “mutual respect” and “unity”?”:
link to tinyurl.com
Completely O/T. Auchindrain township, a 28 acre area with authentic crofting buildings and fields owned by a charity, has had its £600,000 p.a. HES funding cut as from March 2025. See Grouse Beater blog yesterday 3rd December.
The site is the only township that was never altered – no new buildings – due to its remoteness. It was occupied until the 1960’s.
It is therefore an important illustration of how our ordinary, subsistence-level, ancestors lived. Apparently it attracts 20,000 visitors annually, many from overseas with roots here.
I haven’t seen an appeal but the Auchindrain Township website has a Donate page.
A quick look at HES shows it gets the bulk of its funding from ScotGov.
Obviously the ScotGov choice to make a generous and ultimately un-affordable pay award to Scottish public sector workers will have an adverse affect on funding for other suckers on the teats of state.
As I pointed out on here not so long ago.
Oh dear Wings. It’s fine that Alba was called Alba. In a normal country that would be ok. You don’t live in Scotland and have not for a long time and it shows. If ‘fringe lunatic teuchtars’ is how you see the Highlands I’m not sure why they should vote for independence. Won’t they just be seen as fringe lunatics? Are you sure the SNP don’t think this already which is why overtourism, mass gentrification, disneyfication, poor schooling, poor healthcare (in many islands have to travel for chemotherapy and pay to stay in a hotel while they get it) big business Green Lairds, runaway depopulation and poorer and poorer transport are the lot of the Highlands. (And the SNP have NOTHING to say about these things) So why should fringe lunatics vote for independence if these are the policies presented to them?
Well said, Lorna.
Our host seems to have a thing about Gaelic. Why shouldn’t Alba be pronounced as the Gaels do? It’s a Gaelic word anyway. Seems like a classic case of the Boswellian Scottish Cringe: ” Sorry, I’m Scottish but I cannae help it!”
Since The Rev has rightly eulogised Mr Salmond recently, maybe he should ponder why the great man chose Alba as the name for the party. I don’t think it was on a whim.
I visit Skye regularly and all the social ills you list are manifest but our deluded and achingly “progressive” SNP seems to be blind to them and equally unwilling to fight for its constituents, unlike for the fringe sexual weirdos who seem to have infiltrated it.
Frankly, “teuchters” is the kind of language I thought had died out decades ago, along with other offensive terms worthy of Nigel Farage and his pals.
‘Don’t pronounce the word correctly you fools! You embarrass me.’
If you’re conversing in English you say Paris.
If you’re conversing in French you pronounce it Paree.
Why should Gaelic be any different?
If you’re conversing in English you say Alba.
If you’re conversing in Gaelic you pronounce it Aluhpa.
What’s the problem?
That’s a farcical argument. 99% of Scots don’t converse in Gaelic, therefore ‘Aluppah’ sounds alien and means nothing to most Scots. And incidentally we don’t generally converse in French either, so Scots don’t refer to Paris as ‘Paree’. I am not denying that Gaelic is of academic and historical significance, but it is of vastly less importance to contemporary Scotland than the language that’s spoken by the vast majority of Scots, i.e. Scots, which is ignored, suppressed, and not even recognised by the powers-that-be as a language. It could be argued that the imposition of Gaelic in parts of Scotland where it is not and never was the common language and the suppression of Scots is a deliberate ploy to promote division amongst Scots and weaken our national identity. It is undoubtedly implemented by middle-class politicians who are either ignorant or ashamed of genuine Scottish culture.
Language is what gives a people their identity, which in our case is primarily the Scots language:
link to salvo-cor.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com
Alf (and his super-senses) kens what makes nations/people so unique and special (precious:) – and successful…
Aye, ye canna get mair divide an rule than tae gie ane tribe their leid (i.e. Gaels/Gaelic) an no anither (Scots/Scots). Clearly the colonizer is aware that it is the latter speakers who comprise the bulk of the independence movement.
Peoples in self-determination conflict are always linguistically divided, and in our case that divide is between the colonizer’s language (English) and the native language (Scots).
Can you imagine Tony Robinson’s Time Team or Alice Robert’s Digging for Britain, “digging up” an Anglo Saxon word or written text they didn’t understand, and all the fuss that would be made of it?
Scotland has a whole, living language and a culture surrounding it, and yet it’s decline is ignored as a worthless thing.
I’m not a Gael myself, but I once met an elderly lady, a fellow Scot, and yet she didn’t speak a word on English. I knew Gaelic speakers existed of course, but I was blown away to learn that a few, here and there, had no English. It was just a tiniest glimpse into a hidden depth of Scotland I never knew existed, and probably no longer does.
It’s the same with Space. The world would be beside itself to discover a quarter inch worm crawling about on Mars; yet we live in a world where rhinos, bears, tigers, and all manner of other critters are endangered and driven to extinction.
I’ve been looking at the Auchindrain Township blog – it says that Gaelic names were not allowed to be registered on birth certificates until the 1960’s! That really is outrageous.
But that explains why my native Gaelic speaker neighbour had an English name. He spoke Lochbroom Gaelic himself but was punished at school for it so didn’t teach his children it. But it is tragic – he sang gaelic songs, he and others wrote them too, and now no-one here does. It was a powerful culture and now is gone.
Aye, sheer arrogance it is.
However, there is a good case for pronouncing Alba in the Gaelic way in Gaelic areas and the non-Gaelic way in other areas.
There is also the terrible lack of recognition for the Scots leid. It is outrageous that it is not an official language. Why not have the same system as in Wales i.e. everything for public reading has to be in Welsh as well as English. Scotland should do the same.
This is really scary. I have been telling everyone here that Scotland will never vote Reform England, sorry U.K. And now it looks horrifyingly possible. Another PM who will be hated by most Scots (hopefully) and will only be secreted in and out like the Tory ones. Farage hasn’t even been over the border recently. It was reported that he said it was ‘too dangerous’ for him. Is he trying to make Scotland an alien and scary place to England? I’m sure he is. Divide and rule yet again.
I can only hope the very English First influence of Farage (and that of Tommy Robinson) will maybe push England towards their own thoughts of independence.
PS is it just me & my phone or is my eyesight failing as I get older, but the print is quite faint on the new BTL comments…
Cranky and her disciples have already “made Scotland an alien and scary place”.
Best column for a long time Stu. Always excellent. This…outstanding.
#ScotlandLoves
Hey Wings,
Who loves Scotland and its people ???
Up-vote if you do
Down-vote if you don’t
I love Scotland and its people (you)
#ScotlandValues
And if you don’t give a fu** about Scotland and its wonderful people, ignore.
#LovingScotlandMatters
Check out all the love and appreciation for you, Team-Scotland – from all the stand-up Scotland patriots –
HANG YOUR SORRY HEADS IN SCOTLAND SHAME –
Find your soul and get on the winning team (or have nothing)
#TeamScotlandChampions
I won’t down/up vote I will just tell you instead.
The answer is NO I do not love Scotland at the moment.
This is your moment, Scotland/Ruby
“Who loves Scotland and its people ???”
President Donald Trump – the most powerful political leader in the world, and he’s a Scotsman by parental descent. Maybe he can help liberate us? More chance of Trump liberating Scotland than Swinney’s colonial administrators.
Good points, Alf
Keep informing Scotland and leading the way (what’s stopping you)…
#Freedom
I commend Alf as a true Guardian of Scotland.
“All these billionaire patriots be saving our asses and the masses don’t realize how unf*cked we are because of them.
Guardians of civilization is what they are.
But there are also some supervillain billionaires who want to destroy civilization with forced vaccines, censorship, and the erosion of national sovereignty.”
Elon Musk:
“True, especially the last part”
link to tinyurl.com
King’s X: King’s X: The World Around Me:
“One morning walking down the street
Where nobody walks nobody can hear
Started listening to a sound so clear
To the world around me
Incredible scene I had to believe
I saw a difference to the way I see
The Mystery said come and see…
I started to laugh but a grin took its place
And my heart beat louder like it never did before
I saw things that I never saw before
In this world around me
I couldn’t see how this could be an accident
I can’t resist
I wanna see more…
Ahhh…
See the world all around
Ahhh…
See the world all around me!!!…”:
link to tinyurl.com
#We
Francis Fukuyama notoriously predicted the «end of history».
Plainly his definition of «history» was a rather particular one.
«History» is the only substantive recorded reality. Levantine, Mesopotamian and Rus histories to cite but three, are overheating and bubbling away with their long memories sharpened by events enrobed in history.
The tectonics of history shift, the smug faced anglo-globalists in their high towers put the telescope to the blind eye and deny the seismic reordering of the political terrain which will topple their high places.
Scotland stuck in a failing state in a continent seemingly set to repeat the last century desperately requires a new «dispensation». The old system, its politics and its actors no longer inspire.
Historically, Scotland was a locus of scientific reason, admired by the French, any new dispensation ought to reflect at least that.
No more dreaming.
Cosmic!
The rise of Reform in Scotland does not surprise me in the slightest. I actually endorsed them on here at the last GE much to my own surprise.
There is a very simple reason for this… Reform are a nationalist party and the SNP are not (now).
I find the attitudes of many Scottish nationalists to Reform and Farage really interesting.
They typically buy into the BBC version of Farage and Reform. Which is essentially that British/English nationalism is just racism, BNP etc….
As a result they are going to underestimate Farage and Reform who are now offering the Scottish public British Nationalism instead of non-existent Scottish nationalism.
This is the danger of Farage is that he outcompetes Scottish nationalism with British nationalism. Right now it is a one horse race sadly.
But there will also be a massive opportunity for us as well. It is the slap in the face we need quite honestly. So I welcome the rise of Farage and Reform.
After the death of Alex I can only seem them getting stronger and stronger in Scotland. At least into the short and medium term.
YCBS!
Can’t disagree with much of this. The only hope I can see is if the SNP was wrenched from the dead hand of Swinney and Sturgeonism and that means find in a proper leader who is prepared to rule out the GRR nonsense and to actually take on WM on a daily basis, not kow tow to WM and play at being a good wee parliamentarian. I had high hopes for Steven Flynn as he seems to have a personality, but no doubt the establishment will do their best to block anything he tries to do (and I mean the current SNP leadership, not just the British state. oh, and it would need to be done soon to give time for the message to get across before 2026. And finally indy must be front and centre of any strategy as otherwise what’s the point?
Of course events could change things quickly. But there isn’t really a lot of time left.
High hopes for Flynn? Really?
He’s no Salmond, but he’s better than a Swinney or a Robertson.
Flynn said that he didn’t want independence – or words to that effect. He was happy with devolution. I think the Rev put those quotes from Flynn on Wings.
“you just need to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down”
FLYNN is as his name suggests FLY YIN or at least he thinks he is , BUT fortunately MOST indy supporters recognise that he is nothing but a blood sucking parasite who is a FAKE indy mp
When you see him being interviewed he makes yir skin crawl wi his duplicitous patter
He outed himself for the chancer that he is when he thought he could jump on both gravy trains and nae body would notice then he shit himself when people called him out on it and the backpedalling was lightening quick
It’s nae FLYNN it’s FLOUNCE
Farage’s party is Mosley’s New party resurrected.
Typically «fascist» in the ability to face in any political direction to suit and seduce the punter.
Very much the Zeitgeist.
All the other parties have left a open goal from Mosley’s new party.
It’s not that long ago that Farage needed a police escort out of the ‘The Canons’ Gait’ on the Royal Mile. (he didn’t feel safe in Scotland)
On his next visit he’ll be welcomed by folk waving Union Jacks (that is if Mac’s suggestion is correct)
The trouble with all the ‘fuck your’ stuff is that it is not a worldview but a disparate load of complaints, some of which make sense, many of which do not and many which contradict each other. It is hard to know how any political party / movement could address such a list. It is easy to complain but that is no basis for a political renaissance.
People can be genuinely ignorant and stupid but populist political parties pander to that and even end up embracing it! It is why they are not a solution. We need people with real wisdom, not just the party political, get elected variety.
And I do not think this pie in the sky – folk do recognise real vision when they encounter it.
This “real vision” thing. Is this an MDMA induced vision or a road to Damascus type of vision.
I mean one that is based in sound argument and conveyed well. This will mean it won’t address all the ‘fuck your’ points but will persuade people that some of them are right and should be addressed and some untrue, unworkable or redundant. To me, the point of politics is to lead and persuade, not just to pander to ignorance to get in power.
England currently importing 25% of its leccy energy needs*.
19% from those pesky Europeans, and 6% from Jockland.
link to gridwatch.templar.co.uk
link to extranet.nationalenergyso.com
*England is also currently generating 28% of its leccy in gas power stations, and 65% of UK gas fields are in Scotland’s geographic area.
Scots can “enjoy” oor muckle energy bills and cauld hooses and businesses due to the disastrous mismanagement of UK energy system under London Rule.
Scotland currently using 2.9GW leccy, and still managing to generate a surplus and send 4.8GW down south.
link to extranet.nationalenergyso.com
The SNP government has blood on its hands.
SNP are risking complicity in grave breaches of international law | The National
Serious stuff (sigh)…
“£3 million of Scottish Enterprise grants have been given to arms companies since 2023, with those companies seemingly waived through Scottish Enterprise’s human rights due diligence checks. Despite many of them being linked to states guilty of carrying out international humanitarian law breaches, including Is***l, not one has ever failed one of Scottish Enterprise’s human rights checks.”
#Consequences
#SNPWarRegime
“guilty of”
For an individual, group, organisation or state to be “guilty of” something, more is needed than another individual, group, organisation or state pointing the finger and declaiming “guilty”.
It’s interesting, to say the least, how so many Indy supporters and passionate defenders of the late Alex Salmond are so quick to forget that fundamental fact.
Hatey, I didn’t say guilty and don’t require fingers to point…
Taproot: …Something More Than Nothing: Mirror’s Reflection:
“I’m your mirror’s reflection
What you don’t like about me is what you hate in yourself
You should see through others eyes before you go ahead
And make them feel like s**t
But you won’t because you hate yourself’s image…
A life so bland and boring uncontent living through others learning from nothing true and nothing real
You try to lie to yourself
But you can’t break through that sacred wisdom…”:
link to tinyurl.com
Naw, you didn’t say “guilty”, you merely quoted somebody else saying “guilty”.
You’d have been a hoot at Nuremberg.
Now get out of my mirror. I’m trying to take a slash here, and it won’t flow if I think somebody’s watching.
I don’t take orders, Hatey…
Taproot: Gift: Smile:
“Can’t you see I’m still me anti-authority
Same philosophy
Enjoying life as much as
I can I will
Trying to create that contagious smile
With that passion that I long to
Succeed in my ways…”:
link to tinyurl.com
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Taproot: Gift: I:
“I’m seeing tunnel vision in a world that’s dark and cold…
I can’t believe I lost control of my fate
I need forgiveness from the people I truly care about
I need support behind my back to help me spit it out
I’m gonna win…
I hate myself sometimes, I love myself
If contradiction’s the way of life
Happiness is wealthiness is healthiness
I hate myself sometimes, I love myself…”:
link to tinyurl.com
link to wingsoverscotland.com
“I don’t take orders”
Ooo, bad move, gregor, putting that boast out in public.
Now your missus wants a word …
I was responding to your absurd authoritarian command re. “Now get out of my mirror.”
What missus – I’m as one (unity is sacred and good:)
I didn’t put that boast out for me – you have…
#RealityWins
Thanks…
link to wingsoverscotland.com
Nat King Cole: The World Of Nat King Cole: Love Letters:
“The sky may be starless
The night may be moonless
But deep in my heart there’s a glow
For deep in my heart
I know that you love me
You love me because you told me so
Love letters straight from your heart
Keep us so near while apart
I’m not alone in the night
When I can have all the love you write…
Love letters straight from your heart
Keep us so near while apart…”:
link to tinyurl.com
Nah. Here’s some quotes from the article along with some commentary.
“intent to physically destroy them has been clear for the world to see”
If there was an intent to physically destroy them, they would be long since destroyed.
“manufacturers of the precision targeting systems used in F-35 jets”
What exactly is the objection to precision targeting? Would imprecise targeting with higher collateral body counts somehow be better?
“The numbers of dead and injured in G@za can seem so vast as to almost become abstract”
Nah, they are much less than a tenth of the numbers of dead and injured in Syria, to take but one example.
“It is Isr@el that is responsible for the devastation”
Is it though? Why are Islamic scholars holding H@mas responsible then? You know, the boys who filmed themselves slaughtering, raping and carving up screaming lassies. No blame attached to them, then?
“In the context of an ongoing gen0cide”
First they decide it’s a gen0cide, then they use the argument that it’s a gen0cide to justify other demands more suited to their agenda.
“As a state party to the Gen0cide Convention, the UK Government has a legal obligation to help prevent gen0cide”
The absolute knock-out quote by a country mile. As the Ir@nians and their proxies have sworn to eliminate Isr@el from the face of the earth, the UK and indeed the Scottish government has a legal obligation to help prevent that gen0cide.
Because if they don’t, they really will have blood on their hands.
It’s unbe fucking lievable that the Amnesty International charity, which was originally founded to help and support prisoners, can publish a shitey article like that one with not one single mention of the innocent hostages who have been mouldering in the tunnels for near 14 months.
Just another captured front organisation that should be defunded and its deluded useful idiots told to find themselves proper jobs.
More carrot dangling from the treacherous SNP.
“SHONA Robison has said that the Scottish Government’s papers on an independent Scotland are “in the final stages”.
Shona Robison says independence papers ‘almost at end of process’ | The National
“Final stages”….as in death throes?
No point in waving the carrot. The donkey vote is dead.
Or rather “it has ceased to be..”
Notre Dame opens this weekend.
First office, Requiem Mass for the Fifth Republic.
Nobody is enthused in any way whatsoever to actually vote SNP – Alba needs to up its game enormously if they are to get noticed. People will vote for the genuine goods, not the SNP McGuffin which is now just another Brit party that She/her turned it into a pride-trans cheerleader party.
Just seen the news re. the top baby boy’s name in England and Wales for 2023.
I imagine more Reform Party voters will be joining the White Flight from England to Scotland as a result.
Marvelous….
The top baby boy’s name in England and Wales is Muhammad.
Other spellings of the name (Mohammed and Mohammad) also made the list of top 100 for England and Wales.
In Scotland it’s MacHammad.
Or Hamas Yousless a.k.a. Hazna Akloo.
Here’s the first names of the Pakistan T20 cricket team who played yesterday.
Sahibzada
Omair
Salman
Usman
Tayyab
Qasim
Arafat
Abbas
Jahandad
Mohammad
Sufiyan
So 1 from 11. Methinks our Muslim friends are having a laugh.
Methinks your Muslim friends are of the imaginary kind.
Whatever happened to the Continuity Candidate?
Continued right on out the door.
The ACLU is now as bad – as LGBT Youth Scotland.
ACLU to Defend Pedophile Group | WIRED
Am I missing something? That article is twenty-four years old.
I should also mention that, as well as activism, ACLU also represents people in court on civil liberties or freedom of speech issues. That does not necessarily mean they agree with the views of their client (although there is a fair chance they do). I see that as no different to me representing a client before the Internal Revenue Service. I have represented taxpayers who have been wronged by the administrative state but have also represented clients who did not address their problems until very late in the day and, sometimes, odious characters who want to put one over “The Man.” I do not enjoy representing the latter but, as long as they let me do my job ethically, I am content to do so and, indeed feel very strongly that they deserve competent and zealous representation, whatever my personal views.
Yip – and nothings changed.
SamSorbo (@thesamsorbo): “This ACLU lawyer says that 2-year-olds know they’re trans, so it’s only right to castrate them. This is child abuse.” | nitter.poast.org
Oh i didn’t realise Chase Strangio was ACLU-affiliated. It still doesn’t change my view that anyone, no matter how odious, deserves legal representation. To bring it closer to home, do you think Donald Findlay KC actually agrees with the people he defends?
I agree with your sentiment except ALBA are doing what you say they should do, they are focusing on the issues that matter and they are slowly making ground.
Like you say, it is a defensive phase, no one is saying that it will change over night but realistically if Alba can win a 2 or 3 seats in the next election that would be a good success as it would begin to build momentum and realistically if they can win 1 seat then it shows they have begun to make progress so that would be acceptable progress.
There are no shortcuts and we are where we are and ALBA are the only party offering the alternative you want in Scotland but they are up against the same system that held the SNP back for a long time even with Salmond in charge he lost many elections before ultimate victory.
It may be that same road is what is ahead for Scotland. We can’t expect to be like Reform because that is ultimately a party that talks a good game about peoples interests and gives them some policies they want like reduced immigration and and an end to gender madness but really at the core it is a party of austerity and tax cuts which is exactly what Donald Trump has started making plans for in the USA.
Trump and Farage are backed by far more big money than ALBA and is supported by sections of the big media. ALBA is a peoples party funded by the people. That is always a slow burn just like the SNP Salmond built.
We will get there but it is a long road ahead.
There is also Independence for Scotland Party, is there not? Plus I4I, SSP.
Zzzzz…..
I could well be wrong here, but watching the startled rabbit announcing our budget yesterday it struck me that more and more budgets are announcing what is going to happen in future years.
Aren’t budgets supposed to be about the coming year?
Or is it just cynical jam tomorrow..
This gives the politicians enough time to get their cash into the offshore bank accounts and disappear.
That was a trick that the Right Dishonourable Gordon Brown used as Chancellor. In Year 1 he would announce Policy A for the upcoming year and Policy B for future years. in Year 2 he would say “Last year we implemented Policy A; this year we are implementing Policy B. Next year we will implement Policy C.” In Year 3 it was “Last Year we implemented Policy B; this year we are implementing Policy C. Next year we will implement Policy D.” Sounds great until you realize that Policies B, C and D are all rehashes of Policy A.
There is nothing wrong with looking further ahead than the upcoming year. It gives individuals, businesses and the civic sector time to plan. However, doing stuff like Brown did gives the impression that one is doing more than they really are. The advantage Brown had was a solid majority in the House of Commons. If the majority is smaller, or non-existent, the stick that normally dangles a mouldy carrot may be used to beat you.
Today is a momentous anniversary.
Thirty years ago, on 5 December 1994, at a ceremony in Budapest, Ukr@ine joined Bel@rus and K@zakhstan in giving up their nuclear arsenals in return for security guarantees from the US, the UK, France, China and Russi@.
We can all see how well that one turned out for them.
If Scotland ever gets Indy, will we give up our nukes in exchange for a security guarantee from England?
I bet we will!
That’s around the same time that the USA promised 8ussia that in return for Perestroika, NATO would never move ‘one inch eastward’.
We can all see how well that one turned out for them.
Ah ken fit ye mean, James. Without Ukr, Russi@ is only half as much bigger again as the second biggest country in the world, Canada.
If Russi@ can take Ukr, they will add two and a half times the size of the UK to their total. So even if Canada starts annexing chunks of Alaska or other US states, Russi@ will still be comfortably ahead.
Anyhoo, I wouldn’t worry too much about NATO. As Geri (fa’s she these days?) loves to wang on about, none of the western weapons work.
It will be for the political majority in an independent Scotland to decide whether we give up nuclear weapons. That’s the beauty of independence. You can make decisions like that.
And that’s a beautiful fairy tale to tell wee children before bedtime.
ScotGov in its current SNP/Green cancerous mutation has already announced that an “Independent” Scotland will be joining the EU.
No questions asked, no mandate required from the pesky Scots voters.
Just like last time, there’s too much of a risk of the voters returning the “wrong” decision, so our politicos won’t take that chance.
I have absolutely no idea if we Scots in an Independent Scotland will be given much say on what will actually happen about many of the “big” issues. From currency, through immigration policy, to defence.
I think you have absolutely no idea too.
The SNP just proved again that they are ANTI-INDEPENDENCE.
They just want Brussels to rule them, not the UK Parliament. They’re just exchanging one master for another, worse, master in which Scotland will have far less power.
Take note of the following:
“EU law takes precedence over national laws when there is a conflict between the two. This principle is also known as the primacy of EU law or precedence of EU law.”
“As the CJEU put it in Simmenthal, national courts, in such circumstances, must “apply [EU] law in its entirety”, disregarding “any provision of national law”—whenever it might have been enacted—“which may conflict with [EU law]”. From an EU law perspective, the principle is an uncompromising one: the CJEU has confirmed that EU law has priority over all forms of domestic law, including provisions found in Member States’ constitutions and in constitutional bills of rights.”
About a million Sovereign Scots voted for Brexit. About 1.6 million Scots thought their sovereignty was of no value to them, so voted to remain under ultimate Brussels rule.
If an Independent Scotland votes to join (not rejoin – we will be joining as Scotland – only the UK could rejoin), we will of course have to adopt the Euro, throw open our lebensraum to freedom of movement, and allow European companies a level playing field when it comes to doing business.
On the plus side, moby data roaming abroad will be cheaper, and those fickle Scots who still mourn the loss of an easy route for them to fuck off out of Scotland will finally be happy.
It does look though, that the EU will have fissured, or at least changed into something unrecognisable, before Starmer’s term is done. The slomo collapse of the German economy, and now the looming collapse of the French one too, is going to shift the EU centre of power east.
Poland is perhaps best placed to start driving the EU agenda as the old powerhouses fade. That could have interesting ramifications for Scotland, given how many Poles have lived here in recent decades, and indeed still do.
In Scotland, Polish has as much right to be written on the side of ambulances as Gaelic, as similar percentages of the population speak each language.
An aspiring Indy Scotland, looking to make friends in the EU to smooth our accession, could do a lot worse than cultivate Poland. Of course, we’d have to get real about defense and pulling our weight and countering pres poot’s aggressive imperialism – things that are anathema to a certain cadre of Indy supporters.
Sounds good to me though 🙂
The logical choice is join EFTA. All the benefits, none of the chains, and our own currency
Well Gloriana (imagine Elgars Nimrod playing between his ears)..
If, as latterly and fulsomely deserved, the NuSNP is toast, and all other Indy parties (without a track record so far) are “microbes” as you remind us constantly then why are you so obsessed with them and who do you think the (give or take) 50 percenters will vote for?
Genuine question..
Mass conversions to graveyard bound Scotch Tories or off to Engerlunds “Emperors New Clothes” Reform?
Yer avin a larf guvnor!
So you’re trying to change the subject from my pointing out reality (microbe Indy parties) to WHY I’m pointing out reality?
Shouldn’t you try pointing out reality too?
Genuine question.
No Gloriana
I am asking you a straightforward question as opposed to merely going back to your broken record monologue.
Who do you think the 50 (+ or -) percenters will vote for?
Simple because they aren’t going away no matter how much you wish it so..
PS It won’t be your lot (as usual) unless I badly miss the mark or your jaundiced interpretations of “polls”.
Neither the SNP (under current management) nor the Greens are going to take us to independence, so what they think the first post-independence Scottish government might do is of no consequence.
All the topics you mention are matters for the Scottish electorate to vote on after independence. I suppose currency would have to be sort of settled as part of the independence campaign but the others can be sorted out in elections after we regain our sovereignty.
Broadly agreed that it’s kinda a chicken-and-egg situation.
My take is that I do indeed acknowledge there are plenty of Scots happy to live on brose and go bare-footed in a blackhouse for the rest of their lives, just so long as Scotland is Independent.
Plenty, but nowhere near a majority.
The rest of us want to know the lights will stay on, and our savings and incomes won’t be slashed by forced currency exchanges at punitive market rates.
So yes, prior to ticking Yes or No in the ballot box, we want some plausible confidence we can be Independent and not very much worse off. And in a generation’s time, things will defo start to improve
Nobody buys the Independent and stinking rich moonshine. If we did, we would have been Independent in 2014!
More reality: in the 2 council elections last night, 71% of voters voted for Unionist parties. Less than 29% voted for the SNP.
The microbe Indy parties (Alba, ISP) had no candidates.
To be exact, in Stirling East the SNP got 34.6%, in Kelvindale 23.1%. The SNP vote share declined from the last election in these areas.
“71% of voters voted for Unionist parties”
Actually no. Intentionally or not, 100% of the voters who cast a valid vote in those elections did so for a unionist party. For the last 10 years, SNP and Greens have demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that they are pro-status quo and not pro-independence parties.
Coincidentally, the turnout in the Kelvindale council election and the Stirling East council election was the same: 21.7%.
Less than a quarter of the electorate of both areas could be bothered to cast a vote. I do not see how that result cannot be considered democratically representative of the preference of the majority. It would be more accurate to say that the majority of the electorate in those areas choose “none of the above”.
It is starting to become very obvious that the only people keen to vote anymore are the unionists. Even then, the percentage of the electorate they represent appears to be shrinking and fast.
In the case of Kelvindale, and according to the Glasgow Live, the turnout went from 47.1% in 2022 to 21.7% in this last election. That is a decline of more than half in 2 years.
For Stirling East, and according to Wikipedia, the turnout went from 45.5% in 2022 to 21.7% in 2024. Again, a decline in turnout of more than half in two years.
71% of a 21.7% turnout is a meagre 15.4% of the electorate in those areas. So quite frankly, I am not sure what is there to boast about.
Those “victories” are only significant if you hide the fact that almost 80% of the electorate in those areas appears to be disenfranchised.
I wonder how far down the turnout has to fall to before this system collapses. Will the “result” still be considered “democratic” and valid if only 10% people turn out to vote?
The comment above is based on information taken from:
Sanderlands, D (2024) “Glasgow by-election victory for Labour after death of long-serving SNP councillor”, published on Glasgow Live, 6 December 2024
Glen, I (2024) “SNP’s Willie Ferguson wins Stirling East by-election” published on The Courier, on 6 December 2024
Wikipedia “2022 Stirling Council election” Accessed on 06/12/2024
“It is starting to become very obvious that the only people keen to vote anymore are the unionists”
Roll up, roll up! See Mia demonstrate the miraculous power of circular logic.
1) Declare that ALL political parties are unionist.
2) Deduce that therefore, ALL votes cast are unionist.
3) Deduce that the 80% of those who didn’t vote are NOT unionists and must therefore due to the self-identified binary of the situation (Yoon or Indy), be Indy supporters.
Right, nobody move until Mia has passed around the hat. You don’t get this for free.
BTW, Mia, why are you so confident that the 80% who didn’t vote aren’t pro-poot protagonists? Surely you can’t be the only one?
1) “Declare that ALL political parties are unionist”
All political parties that stood candidates in those two elections are, overtly or covertly, pro-union. After 10 years of absolute SNP majorities in Westminster and Green+SNP majorities in Holyrood, independence for Scotland has not moved forward even an inch despite many opportunities to do so. That is not what a pro-independence party does. That is what pro-union parties do. Therefore, stating that all the options in those elections were unionist is not circular but direct logic.
2) “Deduce that therefore, All votes cast are unionist”
Because the actions of the SNP and Green demonstrate those parties are no longer pro-independence, intentionally or not, all those who cast a vote for those two parties have endorsed the status quo, ie the union. That is not “circular logic”. It is direct logic.
3) “Deduce that the 80% of those who didn’t vote are NOT unionists”
You have made that up. Read my comment again. What I have said is that it appears that close to 80% of the electorate in those areas ARE DISENFRANCHISED.
I did not state that all of them are pro-independence. You have made that up. But I do indeed claim that, it is very likely, given the way in how the SNP and Greens betrayed their voting base, that a larger proportion of those disenfranchised are pro-independence voters. Again, none of that is “circular logic”. It is applying direct logic.
You seem to get awfully jumpy and distressed when presented with the fact that the turnouts are becoming so, so ridiculously low that labour’s and indeed SNP’s latest “wins” are nothing but pyrrhic victories.
How far does the turnout have to fall before a result can no longer be considered officially valid and representative of the majority?
For me that limit is 50% and we have surpassed that long ago. What is your limit? Do you even have a limit? Would you consider the result valid even if just 5 people turn out to vote?
Mia’s comments are always good for a laugh.
Her latest: The fact that all parties in these elections are, by her definitions, “Unionist,” that 100% of the votes cast were for “Unionist” parties, and that no “Indy” candidate could be found, somehow shows how popular “Indy” is!
“I did not state that all of them are pro-independence. You have made that up. But I do indeed claim that, it is very likely, given the way in how the SNP and Greens betrayed their voting base, that a larger proportion of those disenfranchised are pro-independence voters.”
So I only made up the bit about the smaller proportion then. You’re sticking with your claim the larger proportion (AKA the majority) are pro-Indy.
I’ll answer your question when you answer my prior question. Of the smaller proportion of your disenfranchised – that proportion that by your own admission are not pro-Indy voters – why are you so dismissive of the idea they could be pro-poot enthusiasts, biding their time until a suitable political vehicle comes along to harness their support?
That is your position after all, based on your belief that after a poot takeover, the people of the new colony (or more accurately, the survivors) get handed a share of the “liberated” loot by benevolent, generous uncle poot.
I’ll try not to get too “jumpy and distressed” while I await your reply 🙂
Where I wrote
“ I do not see how that result cannot be considered democratically representative of the preference of the majority”
what I meant to write is
“I do not see how that result can be considered democratically representative of the preference of the majority”
Can’t really compare by-election turnouts with full local authority election turnouts.
The nature of multi-Councillor wards and STV voting in a by-election for a single seat is a bit meh.
Plus with the state of the economy with ongoing austerity and crap “government” funding priorities, local authorities are working on a shoe string so there is little of worth a Councillor can achieve other than getting frustrated or ridiculed for accomplishing little if any positives.
The likes of CC can brag all they like about unionists “winning” all these by-elections, but all that does is put the unionists in the spotlight to miraculously improve out local services, and with the shit state of the UK economy that is going to be an ask.
I certainly wouldn’t waste my effort as a lowly Councillor at this time. I just get on and sort stuff out myself because the local representatives just appear to play Party political games a lot of the time trying to get one over on each other, rather than working collectively to improve their respective Wards. Party Politics should have no place in local government imo.
You have no say, so pipe down.
How do you know I have no say? UK electoral law changed earlier this year to abolish the requirement that a UK citizen can only vote if they resided in the UK in the last fifteen years.
This is not the first time you have been rude to me (or to others, for that matter). Are you threatened by me, and others? If so, what is it that makes you feel so inadequate? Perhaps someone here can help.
Inadequate.
He boasts, then he cowers
Can’t say I’ve got any sympathy for this lowlife.
Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein): “Slain UnitedHealthcare CEO was sued by a firefighters’ pension fund in March for insider trading and fraud. The suit alleges he sold $15 million in company stock while failing to disclose a DOJ investigation into the company. Read the lawsuit: link to kenklippenstein.com” | nitter.poast.org
I assume you mean the CEO and not the shooter? Homicide is wrong in any case, but I see what you’re saying. UHC has a bloody awful reputation over here. They stole money from my wife and me years ago and swore they were right and that I obviously didn’t understand the US Tax Code. Ahem. In the end it wasn’t worth pursuing but i am sure there are many thousands of people who have lost much more.
It remains to be seen if this was a patient that was upset or if it was an investor that felt cheated.
“They stole money from my wife and me years ago”
Where were YOU at the time of this shooting, that’s the question.
I was at home having breakfast. I was in my office in Raleigh, NC by 9am and seen by numerous people. To get from NYC to Raleigh in about two hours would have required a fast private jet taking off from Central Park. Those of us who have suffered at the hands of health insurance companies generally do not have the disposable income to be able to afford a private jet and certainly not a pilot who would agree to take off from Central Park.
FWIW, I think it is more likely, at this stage, that it is a disgruntled investor, but we will see in due course.
Moan, spill the beans.
You paid somebody to set up the hit, didn’t you?
How much, what currency, and do they work internationally?
No specific reasons for asking 🙂
so the INDPENDANCE voters are sticking with the GREENS i would find that hard to believe…..and they will def not vote labs etc…… so ALBA are bound to gain something,,,,,,,,or is that not allowed
It’s 16 months to the next Scottish Parliamentary Elections barring if you believe the Greens and the Corstorphine Lib Dems will vote the Scottish Scottish budget down. A miniscule prospect. Time for a long range bet. How about a tenner on Reform to get 20 plus MSPs at 8 to 1?. What was that about a disruptive influence. It was the GRRB wot done it a couple of Christmas ago.
@X Trending: Sadiq Khan Knighthood: Amidst Public Backlash:
“Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, is set to receive a knighthood in the upcoming New Year Honours list for his ‘political and public service’. Despite this recognition, public opinion on social media largely reflects dissatisfaction with his tenure…”:
link to tinyurl.com
World Economic Forum: Agenda Contributor:
Sadiq Khan:
link to weforum.org
#SACKED
…while his private strategic partner in (NWO) crime is considering pardons for Trump critics –
BBC: Biden considering pre-emptive pardons for Trump critics – sources:
“Outgoing US President Joe Biden is considering pre-emptive pardons for prominent critics of his successor Donald Trump, multiple people familiar with the discussions have told CBS, the BBC’s US partner…”:
link to archive.ph
World Economic Forum: Agenda Contributor:
Barack Hussein Obama:
link to weforum.org
#NWOSACKED
CBS News: Davos: The World Economic Forum:
link to archive.ph
World Economic Forum: Organizations:
Paramount Global (CBS owner):
link to weforum.org
British Broadcasting Corporation:
link to weforum.org
re. “for prominent critics”
Freedom of speech/expression only applies to ‘them’ ?
Anybody that knows anything about the Honours Nomination process knows the Prime Minister has sign off and then with superior prevalence is the Monarch. Nobody has signed off the Nomination of the Mayor of London. Why would you when Muhammad is the natural choice of boys name these days. Of course the King has privilege to prevent this Nomination. And save all the people that were named after King George VI like me. Republicans take note. Somebody has to be a goalkeeper.
Double good news in Scotland this morning.
First, Police Scotland has decided to drop its pending attempt to force all police officers to be clean shaven.
Second, the ham-fisted, poorly thought out institutional overreach, so stereotypical of everything fucked up by ScotGov and its failing institutions, has “only” cost the hard-pressed Scottish taxpayers £60,000 in compo.
The £60,000 was paid out to four officers who took legal action on being told to shave. A nice little earner for them. Scottish taxpayers resigned to routinely being on the hook for compo in the millions of pounds will heave a sigh of relief.
I can’t find any information on the gender of these beardy officers, so can’t say if they self-identify as male, or female, or something else.
I’m hoping male. The thought of regaining consciousness after a road traffic accident, say, to find some enormous, bearded, uniformed laydee bending over me, is very scary indeed.
Logically though, Police Scotland remains an organisation where its members have the right to grow beards and self-identify as any of Scotland’s 24 official genders, so my nightmare can’t be entirely written off as an impossibility.
BBC: Police Scotland ditches plan to ban beards:
“The force has now told BBC Scotland News there are “no plans” to introduce the changes.
Police Scotland paid out £60,000 in total to four officers who took legal action after being told to shave.,,”:
link to archive.ph
#GoWokeGoBroke
Look up REVOLUTION in an English dictionary and violence forms part of the standard definition. Plainly, the English are not partial to the thing.
In other languages it generally indicates a profound societal change in mentality, perception, ideas, praxis etc.
Unless there is that kind of revolution in Scottish politics the dog will continue to chase its tail and «comfy» North Britain will endure.
Revolution:
“A change in the way a country is governed, usually to a different political system and often using violence or war:
The French Revolution changed France from a monarchy to a republic.
The country seems to be heading towards revolution.”:
link to dictionary.cambridge.org
#RealityRevolution
The second sense you give of revolution is also exactly what it can mean in English.
Darragh: Traveler: Surrounded by Light:
link to tinyurl.com
BBC: Millions sent government alert as Storm Darragh approaches:
link to archive.ph
BBC: Amber warning as Storm Darragh hits Scotland:
link to archive.ph
Amber: Amber: I Found Myself In You:
“In my heart of hearts
Lived a lonely soul
Searching for someone
Who can make me whole?…
Then I found you
I found you
You heal me
You feel me
Like a stranger yet someone
I once knew…
The breath of life
That you breathed into me
Is a hunger craved?
For eternity
I am bound to you
I am bound to you…
You shield me
Reveal me
You’re the other half of me
It’s true
I found myself in you
You show me laughter
You show me life
It’s heaven on earth…
No longer lost now
I believe we found
Our sacred, sacred ground…”:
link to tinyurl.com
#Green!
The hypocrisy and onesided big brother laws of this illegal union stinks – but Scots are far too gutless to rise up and break their shackles.
Yet Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) is also a proscribed group in the UK. But both British mainstream media and British Muslim outlets have been openly promoting and praising HTS for a week – frankly much more openly than I have ever witnessed anyone in the UK support Haa -ma-s and H-ee-zzbowl-la-h – and not a single person has been arrested or even warned by UK police.
The End of Pluralism in the Middle East – Craig Murray
These gun happy guys in Syria backed by Nato member Turkey, UK buddy Qatar and possibly the US are good guys because they’re against the super evil al Assad régime and its ultra evil supporters.
link to english.elpais.com
but…ooops!
link to archive.is
Islamist jihadi wolves in sanitized Turkish sheep skin.
from Wikipedia:
Islamophobia is the irrational fear of, hostility towards, or hatred against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general. Islamophobia is primarily a form of religious or cultural bigotry, and people who harbour such sentiments often stereotype Muslims as a geopolitical threat or a source of terrorism.
An irrational fear….afflicting many, many generations of we non Muslims throughout the dar al islam….
Call it irrational and issue swept neatly under the prayer rug.
Ach, there’s a nasty war on, TURABDIN. All sort of shit is going to be going down.
Poot used his deniable ally, Ir@n, to put pressure on their deniable proxies, H@mas & Hezboll@h, to open up a second front in the ME.
As is often the way in war, that spiralled out of control, and Hezboll@h eventually got smashed, weakening support for Ass@d, so now a new (third?) front is kicking off in Syria.
If you’re against imperialist colonialist aggression, and in favour of millenia-old indigenous occupational rights, as I am, the sight of poot’s problems multiplying provides some satisfaction.
Maybe he should send his NK killers to Syria instead.
“Evil” and “ultra evil” are relative terms – relative to the side you support, I mean. Obvs the Orcs and Ass@d killing 600,000 people can indeed be swept neatly under the prayer rug if you intend to interminably wang on and on about the 45,000 dead “gen0cide”, and the N@zi infested biolabs.
No, «evil» is not a relative term, we can instinctively smell evil regardless of allegiance.
It is a matter of how much deodorant we apply to disguise its stench.
Numbers are just stats, they do not indicate the personal, the community, the people and their cultural variety. Humans are THE endangered species, they are just too arrogant to see it but no doubt they will continue to build their Towers of Babel, physical and AI.
The region i was born in was the birth place of civilization, i suspect it may be where it ends.
i doubt i shall my quarter century…but inshallah! Deo volente!
back to my sane world of physics…’
“Humans are THE endangered species”
It was Carl Sagan who said – “If you see another human being let them live – for outside Earth, you won’t find another one anywhere in the Universe.”
I hope that you do see your quarter century Turabdin. I enjoy reading your thoughts.
Likewise . His comments/thoughts display a maturity of perception & understanding miles beyond , eg some of the babbling idiots on here twice/three times his age
What a depressing read from Craig Murray. I note our media did not report the US air attack,
Of course not ; the * sensational * story of an arsehole being an arsehole ( Gregg Wallace ) is far more newsworthy than trivial stuff like how the Ameraeli Duopoly of Pyromaniacs is torching the entire M.E in an insane to attempt to maintain/expand it’s hegemony in the region – and ” elsewhere “
Left Wing politics is no longer fit for purpose. The world has rapidly changed and the Lefty Elite have disappeared up their own existence and called it progress. Meanwhile back in the real world where real people exist there is a real sense of revolution. The unthinkable, the undoable and the unsayable are grasping hold. The British Spring may well be more than the return of the same old same old. Bend with the wind or break.
If only that were true there might be some hope for us.
So far though, it’s not the “British” I see doing all the running on our streets. Whatever “they” want, it’s not going to be fully, or maybe even partially aligned with what the “British”, i.e. indigenous Scots, Welsh, Irish and English, want.
I agree with you entirely, see my earlier post.
I see Romania is about to become “far right” too.
True
lol. Aye, right-on! Let’s fully privatise the SNHS. Hallelujah!
People might not have to wait months/years if they did, mate.
Bring it on.
I was right, you ARE a clown.
Seriously, “James”, what exactly do you bring to this Board? Seems to me you’re a low-wattage, one-trick pony troll with nothing useful to say. Ever.
I mean, apologies if I’m mistaken and all that. Honest guv. (Lol)
No self-awareness either then.
Buzz off moron.
Campbell, there is no need to resort to abusive language. It does you no favours in advancing your points of view.
Does it?
Same goes to you too, you moronic botfly. Buzz off and do something useful pal.
I am sorry you feel this way. After all, Campbell these emotions of yours clearly display anger management issues.
Also it is not good for your blood pressure.
Why don’t you calm down a little bit and enjoy the weekend.
Wouldn’t you like to resolve any perceived human differences ?
Fair enough (sigh)…
slowlyfaintly: Lonely Mars Machine: You’re A Botfly:
There’s no safe word
No escape hatch
To prevent your…
You lay 400 hundred ideas under my skin
I’d take gonorrhea
You’re a botfly
Keep your boring details about your larva to yourself…”:
link to tinyurl.com
Ooh, the trolls are getting all hot under the collar! Apparently they think those who believe in Scotland’s independence should “buzz off” and they should have this site all to themselves. Pretty much sums up the unionist attitude to Scotland, doesn’t it?
Aw didums. Got your arse handed to you at last encounter, now reduced to pathetic name-calling.
Congrats, you’ve found your level. You can do one as well, troll.
Keep trolling, Troglodyte. You’re doing a grand job!
Hello again CC, I’d hoped that your mood might have lifted my dear Clansman.
I do enjoy your unique points of view at times but wish you might dial back the personal abuse.
Give it a try CC.
Says the biggest halfwit on a site full of halfwits.
Trolls calling other people trolls. A prime example of projection.
Now! Now! Girls.. Handbags at ten paces!
‘PRIDE’ FLAG REFUSAL LANDS CANADIAN TOWN WITH $15k BILL
« A small town and its mayor must pay out CA$15,000 for refusing to celebrate ‘Pride’ month, an Ontario tribunal has ruled.
« In 2020, LGBT activist group Borderland Pride accused Emo town council of discrimination after it voted against displaying a multicoloured ‘LGBTQ2? flag for one week during June.
« The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has now ordered The Corporation of the Township of Emo and Mayor Harold McQuaker to pay compensation to the group “for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect”. Town officials have also been ordered to attend ‘equality’ training.
LGBT agenda
« Ahead of the tribunal, Borderland Pride offered to drop proceedings if the Mayor and Council agreed to a published apology, financial compensation, diversity training, and “adopt Pride proclamations in the future”.
« As part of the deal, the activist group said it would donate some of the compensation to Emo Public Library “on the condition that it host a drag story time event, free to all to attend, on a date of our choosing this year”.
« Before the end of the year, the Council would also have to provide facilities for a “charitable drag event”.
« Signed by group Director and litigator Douglas W. Judson, the open letter accused Councillors who voted against celebrating Pride month of “bigotry and hate” and branded them ‘transphobes’.
‘Pride’ demands
« Responding to the tribunal ruling, Judson claimed: “Generally this is a non-controversial thing. But it’s an important signal in a small community.”
« Mayor McQuaker, who is refusing to pay his $5,000 share of the fine and attend training, said: “I did not do anything wrong, if anybody needs training it’s the LGBTQ2+ to quit pushing their weight around and make demands that people can’t live with.”
« It has been reported that Emo Town Hall does not have a flagpole. »
(From The Christian Institute website)
Well done EMO town council and Mayor MacQuaker for standing up to these despicable BULLIES , apparently it was the decision of the combined town council which would make it partially democratic , Mayor MacQuaker should go the whole hog and arrange a full democratic vote of the residents of his township and if the decision remains the same take the human rights tribunal to court for opposing their HUMAN RIGHTS
I see they’re now ” taking the knee ” for LGBZzzzz at the start of Premier League football matches : did they reckon doing the same for Anti-Racism has cured the World of that particular abstraction ( did you know only WHITE ! people can be * racist * ? Yip , says so in all the top guides on how to succeed in the Anti-Racism Industry ) and will be equally successfully gestural applied to ” Homo Superior ” .
Well , all Humza X had to do was announce his Party’s intention to end child poverty n POOF ! child poverty disappeared . ( as an issue )
Canada is a grim foreboding of what happens when * Prog * clowns are running the ” show ” – everything gets worse as they try to force us to be ” better ” . This is what the SNP seek to emulate ; they’re doing pretty well on that – things are definitely getting worse . Result !
Every day is Pantomime Day : ‘cept it’s a Pantomime conceived by fanatical ideologues ; scripted by $tonewall Inc n * performed * by demented narcissists like , eg Just In Trudy ; Nikki Hilarious Stoogeon ; Ursula Von Shut Yr Trapp n the rest of the cast .
Whom Gods Destroy: Far Reaches: Them:
“Of all the nightmares
That you’ve grown to fear
You think you know
Well, I know more…”:
link to tinyurl.com
WEF: What’s taking the knee and why is it important?
link to archive.ph
World Economic Forum
@wef:
“6 ways watching the English Premier League makes you a better leader”
link to x.com
Great, thanks…
I was almost embarrassed for that treacherous b*stard – oor ain Mayor of Scotland Swinney – as he appeared nervous and uneasy coming out from a meeting with his boss and arch-Z–i-o M-onns-ter Keir Starmer.
Swinney, the wretch of a man obediently took his place in the line next to other obedient so called leaders of devolved governments.
Swinney’s doppelganger Pat McFadden – (Labour, and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster since July) – when asked about Swinney’s plan to stop the two-child cap – said, that the SNP doesn’t know where the money will yet come from, to fulfill their promise.
Always the obedient Mayor of Scotland – Swinney the Judas b*stard sat quiet like the little f*ckin lapdog he is.
A fairly good summary of todays pantomime..
Special place in hell and all that and bring on an election!
Nato/EU puppets would’ve lost – so the Presidential elections were annulled in Romania.
O/T Ed Milliband has given the green light for dams to be built on Loch Ness, reportedly.
More of Westminster doing what they like in Scotland – again.
Sara Salyers is going to involve Salvo and lawyers. She hopes to build a coalition of independence and environmental groups to fight the scheme.
I’m almost convinced that bacon sandwich mangling zealot is certifiable !
Well, they’ve got away with everything for 317 years so they won’t stop voluntarily.
Is this to start preparations for the grand theft of Scotland’s water to send it to England for free, just as they are doing with the electricity produced in Scotland and the oil extracted from Scotland’s waters?
What else is England going to rob Scotland of? The air we breath?
Meanwhile, the utterly useless so called Scotland’s representatives from Labour, Libdems, Tories and SNP sit on their useless hands and do SFA to stop it other than whine and look the other way while the robbery continues. It is beyond sickening.
Do you know if Sara Salyers is planning a crowdfunding for this?
If it’s true then it’s time to turn it into a toxic sewer.
I only saw an exchange of tweets by Sara and Norrie Hunter that was posted on The Crossgate Centre’s facebook this afternoon. Sara said that when there is a plan of action, she will post it [somewhere].
So no crowdfunder as yet but watch Sara Salyer’s social media sites for news.
The SNP got 30% of the vote at the 2024 general election.
The SNP has been averaging about 29% of the vote in the local elections after that.
And the SNP is the only (even nominal) Indy Party out there that is getting any votes.
Even math-challenged fringe Indy cranks should be able to see a trend here.
Naw can’t see it. I think you need to up the bold and font size.
Mac, don’t encourage Glorianas fixation FFS!
It’s factual information based on speculation and selective reading..
I support your analysis but the disconnection between the SNP and the Independence movement was fractured a long time ago. Steady at around 50% Independence supporters are not reliant or in hawk to the SNP.. In that time Unionists have failed to make any case. It’s not over when Unionists are complacent about their own situation.You have lost several major cities in England subsumed by another culture. Far Right perspective,? Or reality?
Good points. Can I say that the Unionists don’t have to make a case. That case, as far as they are concerned, was made in 2014. I agree totally. Is there a far right perspective. Or will there be one now.
Should have went to Specsavers.
53%. Do one.
Now that Ed Miliband is back in the headlines, it’s maybe worth revisiting his involvement in ‘The Vow’.
I don’t remember seeing this at the time (Sep 2015) so I’m assuming others may wish to read it. (Not providing link – this is the stripped down article.)
It’s the type of hyperbolic self-satisfied pish you’d expect, but interesting all the same, especially regarding authorship and Foote’s use of ‘colony/country’.
‘Inside THE VOW: How historic Daily Record front page which changed the course of Britain’s constitutional settlement was born
DAILY Record Editor MURRAY FOOTE lifts the lid on how The Vow – the historic front page which played a major part role in the resolution of last year’s independence referendum, was inspired and created.
By Murray Foote
21:26, 17 SEP 2015Updated23:35, 17 SEP 2015
THE Vow. A simple two-word headline on the front page of the Daily Record that changed the face of Scotland.
Even today it is still at the epicentre of the independence debate.
Thousands of words have been devoted to how The Vow originated.
The vast majority of them have been utter dross.
So today, on the first anniversary of the referendum, I thought I’d set the record straight.
As a newspaper, the Daily Record has supported the Labour Party since 1955.
But the party who used to fight for the people gradually lost their way – the Iraq War is a bloody stain on Labour, as is their support for weapons designed to wipe out millions.
On the referendum, we were – on balance – pro-union.
Poverty and social injustice do not stop at Gretna and breaking up the United Kingdom would not help our brothers and sisters in Liverpool, Belfast and Cardiff.
Equally, we would never say never to independence if the circumstances are right for the Scottish people.
We also believed that Alex Salmond was not offering true independence.
Keeping the pound would have meant a so-called free Scotland would still be under the control of the Bank of England – we would end up a colony rather than a country.
To quote Ewan MacGregor’s character Mark “Rent Boy” Renton in Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting: “We can’t even find a decent culture to be colonized by.”
But we also believed we had a responsibility to ensure both sides had a voice in the debate.
We gave equal prominence to the Yes and No campaigns, allowing both the unprecedented opportunity to edit an edition of the Record.
Who went first was decided by a toss of the coin between Blair McDougall and Blair Jenkins, the respective heads of the Better Together and Yes Scotland campaigns.
Jenkins won the toss and, under explicit orders from Salmond, elected to go second. As per normal, Alex preferred to have the last word.
Of course, we also took flak from Cybernats for letting No go first, also as per normal.
The truth is I would have preferred Alex to have gone first, as it would have caused a bigger public reaction with a big YES WE CAN headline splashed across our front page.
It is fair to say that in the weeks leading up to the referendum, the relationship between Better Together and the Record was going through a rocky patch.
It was always an uncomfortable one. While we were campaigning against the bedroom tax, welfare cuts and disability tests, Labour were sharing a platform with our natural enemies, the Tories.
The reasoning was that they needed Tory money to match the SNP’s big spenders. Pounds counted more than principles.
We were on the verge of divorce. Better Together were shambolic, complacent and lacked direction.
But most critically, they had offered nothing in the way of new powers for Scotland.
Along with Gordon Brown, we had called for a return to the principles of John Maxton and a commitment to a form of Home Rule which would bring us together as a nation rather than divide us.
The catalyst for The Vow came with that famous shock poll in the Sunday Times on September 7.
It put the Yes campaign on 51 per cent, with the No side on 49 per cent – overturning a 22-point lead for the Better Together campaign in the space of a month.
The Sunday morning political TV programmes were astonishing.
One after the other, a slew of unionist politicians of various hues spluttered incoherently through interviews.
It was truly astounding and obvious they had no coherent strategy.
In unison, they all spoke about a timetable for new powers.
But, given that Better Together could barely agree on which day of the week it was, there was no unified detail as to what those new powers would be.
I spoke to my boss who had, in his words, already been “pissed off” by a petulant demand from a senior Labour figure that we axe our SNP columnist Joan McAlpine. (He told them to “shove it”.)
That gave birth to another iconic front page.
That Monday’s front page featured Ed Milband, David Cameron and Nick Clegg as the three “blithe” monkeys: Hear No Devo, See No Devo, Speak No Devo. It stuck the boot into Better Together and demanded that they give a commitment to the Scottish people for more powers.
We fired a warning shot across their bows with a leader column which branded them “complacent and arrogant” for refusing to come up with that commitment.
It read: “We have entered the final furlong and we are well past the time for vague promises.
“We need a cast-iron devolution offer that all three main Westminster parties are committed to delivering.
“For the avoidance of doubt, should such an offer not materialise before September 18, this paper is not
advocating our readers vote Yes in protest. Equally, we are not saying the country should vote No. What we are saying is: We must know what that offer is before we make up our their minds.
“Anything less is an affront to this democratic process.
“We need a ‘read my lips’ guarantee of more powers, real powers. If these three do not deliver it, they will be authors of their own nightmares.”
That front page sent a shockwave through the chaotic Better Together campaign, already panicking in the wake of the latest polls.
One senior Labour figure said: “In a weekend we lost our lead in the polls and looked as if we were about to lose the Daily Record too.”
The paper was on the breakfast tables of both Number 10 and Number 11 Downing Street. It was a shrill wake-up call to complacent Cameron that a better offer had to be made. But it was not Cameron, Clegg or Miliband who came up with the Plan B.
It was the Daily Record and Gordon Brown, the former Labour prime minister who, up until 1997, was our politics columnist.
Sitting round the editorial morning conference table, I asked each head of department if they believed the rhetoric about a timetable.
Some were pro-independence, some were pro-union. Each in turn shook their head.
The staff of the Daily Record were split down the middle on the referendum debate but on this they spoke as one: We don’t believe them. I decided we needed the three party leaders – one of whom was going to form the next
Westminster Government – to make a joint promise of more powers.
And to make it binding, they had to put their signatures to it.
The first step was to ask Brown to help broker the promise.
Cameron, shaken by the poll and Our Hear No Devo front page, was now taking advice from a man who was his sworn enemy.
If Brown could get Cameron on board, I would convince Labour leader Miliband.
If they both signed up, Lib Dem leader Clegg would have to play along.
Brown is notoriously difficult to pin down because of his constant workload.
So I sent the following text message to a former colleague now working for him: “Would Gordon be able to get the three party leaders to sign an agreed wording Daily Record pledge for more devolved powers for Scotland? We could then present that as a front page document.”
And so The Vow was born.
The intention was clear from the off: It was a joint offer that would be presented as a binding document.
Brown negotiated with Cameron, I negotiated with Miliband and Clegg fell into line.
Who penned the actual words?
It was written by a committee of politicians and their aides and the original draft was amended at different times and by different party leaders.
Not one word was composed by any Daily Record journalist.
What I do know, because I was told by someone who was present, is that one of the political teams helping draft The Vow were less than chuffed to be “altering the British constitution for Murray Bloody Foote and the Daily Record”.
I received the final, agreed draft of The Vow by email from Brown’s office.
I also received electronic copies by email from the offices of the three party leaders. The last act was to insist that their signatures be replicated on our front page.
The plan was to publish the front page on Monday, September 15.
Then, horrifically, Scottish hostage David Haines was murdered by Isis and, out of respect, we delayed publication until the following day.
The Vow caused an unprecedented reaction on Tuesday, September 16.
But it became a bigger talking point post-election as Salmond scrambled about for excuses for what turned out to be a heavy and personally humiliating defeat.
His ego would not allow him to look inwardly at his own failings so he chose to blame The Vow, which his fanclub variously described as a fake or a con.
At the same time, he also said the Daily Record’s coverage was “credible”.
He still fuels the myth that losing the referendum was “someone else’s fault”.
As for The Vow itself, the following is undeniable:
It DID deliver the Smith Commission …
Which DID deliver the Scotland Bill …
Which WILL give us more powers.
Contrary to popular belief, we never wanted The Vow to sway the outcome of the vote, even if that’s what the
politicians who signed it might have hoped for.
Our intention was to make binding more powers for those people who voted No.
Once Holyrood’s new powers – which are undoubtedly coming down the line from Westminster – come into effect next year and start making a positive difference to the lives of millions of Scots, perhaps, just perhaps, the SNP might accept that The Vow was a force for good.
We’re not holding our breath.
However, the landscape has changed since September 18 with the election of 56 SNP MPs and the obliteration of Scottish Labour.
The Vow did deliver but there is arguably now a mandate for powers beyond those in Smith.’
This, the assumption that Labour would ever work with SNP for the sake of stability, assumes that Labour UK cares about that. Not only do they not care but instability (to be blamed on SNP) will actively work in their favour for both the next Holyrood and GE votes.
Sadly people vote without thinking and, those that do vote and think always cast a tactical vote. We saw this with the collapse of Labour. People voted Labour as there was no other choice – despite Labour having long ago abandoned the working class. SNP have been both progressive and have offset the worst behaviour of the Tory government, and now Labour. They get no credit for that of course and there’s no gratitude in politics as Churchill found out after the war.
Unfortunately there’s way too many young people (especially men) who are vulnerable to the racist ramblings of Reform. Our voting system is open to both weak government and fringe groups having excessive power. Imagine if there was a decision by Labour to have a ‘grand coalition’ with both Tories and Reform in order to keep the SNP out. Can you imagine the damage they could do in a single term?
A wee break… what a master this guy is.
link to youtube.com
Niceone Mac (soul music:)
Sean Mann: Fly on, little wing:
link to tinyurl.com
Cannae wait to finish building my partscaster
Okay, maybe you are right. Maybe there is a gap in the political market in Scotland. Maybe someone should make Scotland Great Again and recapture the spirit of 1314.
After all, the biggest issue is immigration and the biggest migrant group coming into Scotland is the English so this new party should target the English the same way reform targets black folk.
We all know 52% of Scots voted yes but due to 80% of English voters voting No, England vetoed Scottish independence so this new party would right that historic wrong.
This new party could put an end to the English invasion of Scotland and stop the white flight English refugees escaping the tyranny of having to have a black neighbour.
On that note, I am thinking of starting a small boat tours of Scotland day trip company. I will pick folk up in Calais and drop them off in Edinburgh so they can have a day out.
With a bit of luck it might scare the English back down south.
I welcome other people to join in, it could be a big society event type thing.
I could vote for these ideas. You might just be right Rev. After all, it is only racist if reform are racist so we can use their language about the English because reform are not racist, am I right?
The problem for nativists going off at the mouth about immigration is that most Scots aren’t buying it. Many of those who ARE buying it of course are the ones switching to Reform, who aren’t generally any better received in polite company generally than they are welcome BTL here.
Recent polling seems to show that Reform in Scotland is generally cannibalising the Scottish Tory vote, though doubtless a few dyed in the wool nativists on the far left who have a real bee in their bonnets about immigration might also be attracted to vote for them on the “Fuck You” principle that Rev Stu discusses in the OP.
Of course, it’s overwhelmingly likely that, however much the moon howling fraternity in here dislike the fact, sophomoric sub Trumpian, anti-immigrant, pro Russki isolationism is about as popular with the general population and wider independence movement as a fart in a sauna.
It’s as good an explanation of why OTS failed miserably as any other.
Said it before, Andy, and I’ll say it again.
If Scotland must be stuck with immigration, I favour the white flight kind by orders of magnitude over the alternative that has turned many English cities into ever deteriorating third-world shitholes.
I fully understand that for plenty of Indy supporters, English hatred forms the bedrock of their worldview. Fine. I don’t share that level of antagonism.
I find that no matter how much I disagree with a Little Englander, whether on Indy, religion, culture, behaviour or anything else, there is zero chance I will have a fatwah issued against me.
Figures just issued for 2023 show that near 800,000 additional people flooded into this overcrowded island. That’s the ballpark figure for every fecking year. The majority of them don’t share my culture and values, and the evidence they will never share them is overwhelming.
You might think it sophomoric and sub Trumpian to be opposed to this supposedly unstoppable flood, fine again.
To me, it’s this deluge of people, the majority of whom extract more from the state than they contribute, who are ultimately responsible for many of the societal ills I see, not excluding the state’s recent declaration that rather than give people the medical support they will need, it will assist with killing them off instead.
I don’t really care what colour they are. Any legal immigrant irrespective of background should be under an obligation (legal, not just moral) to accept that obtaining citizenship requires them to accept our values.
No country could or should accept open borders or have lost control over the scale of immigration. I don’t share the view that we’re being swamped or that we’re full up. I do share concerns that successive governments have lost the plot and appear unable to fix things.
A debate on the merits (or as others might see it demerits) of multiculturalism is perhaps something for another place, but in principle there’s nothing wrong in my view with the concept of the old US style melting pot idea: “e pluribus unum” is even their national motto.
It does however presuppose that those paying you the compliment of coming to live amongst you accept your basic values.
Avowing that most immigrants extract more from the state than they contribute is just a soundbite. I’d need to see receipts: from memory when folks examined such claims pre-brexit when Farage and his minions were frothing at the mouth about Romanians and Bulgarians being given free movement, they found that immigrants actually contributed more than they cost. They tended to be younger, not use the NHS much and contribute more in direct and indirect taxes than they cost. Facts, eh…?
Whether the ills you identify are really attributable to mass migration, whether partly or wholly, has to be open to doubt. Doubtless there are issues, particularly in some geographical areas and in terms of some areas of policy but we should beware of scapegoating immigrants for the generalised ills of society and the failure of our governments and system to tackle those issues as they should.
If you try to find a definitive value for the income at which a working age adult earns sufficient to pay enough tax to support what she will take from the state in services, etc. you will quickly withdraw with a migraine.
It may well be in the range £30,000 to £40,000 PA. Suffice to say that even the lower figure is far beyond the UK minimum wage, even for an adult toiling for 45 hours per week.
Certainly the pro-immigration protagonists have always pushed your line about immigrants “paying their way”. Rubbish, of course. Simple logic dictates that if people on minimum wage (immigrants or not) pay their way, then the taxes extracted from minimum wage earners are exactly the taxes that can be justifiably extracted from higher earners too!
So bleeding obviously, the far higher taxes extorted from those fortunate enough to be higher earners are needed to compensate for the shortfalls in the taxes of the lower earners. Many of whom are immigrants.
Maybe we’re not full up as you say, although this island’s shortfall in its ability to feed itself might be a justified cause for concern. And then we have the unquantifiable nature of that shortfall, given the uncertainty over just how many people are here.
The stories about millions of “extra” people just keep coming up. Tesco numbers based on their sales. Covid vaccine take ups millions higher than the official numbers. And lately, GP surgeries in England & Wales have indicated they have 6 million more registered patients than there are supposedly people.
So I don’t think anybody knows if we are full up, nor will they ever know.
And then there’s the lunacy of those claiming we need immigrants to care for our longer-living, unproductive oldies.
That’s the very epitome of a Ponzi Scheme, conveniently ignoring the fact that as these immigrants age to unproductiveness, new tranches of immigrants will be needed to care for them.
You know very well, Andy, that no Ponzi Scheme ever winds down uneventfully. It’s always catastrophic collapse.
“obtaining citizenship requires them to accept our values.”
There is a major difference between imposed British values and Scottish values and the former dominating the latter; in a colony ‘only the values of the colonizer are sovereign’ (Memmi).
“No country could or should accept open borders or have lost control over the scale of immigration.”
Colonized peoples are always in this category, made ‘bystanders’ as they continue to be exploited, manipulated and displaced.
He hasn’t identified any ‘ills’. He simply says – more migrants = shitholes. The ill is in migration and population increase ( a valid point). The rest is racism.
Yes, the days of the Left being able to effectively guilt-shame ordinary people for daring to suggest that importing vast swathes of people is not in theirs or the country’s interests are indeed over.
Not just the left if memory serves. Mind you, given the shift in the Overton window, presumably all those One Nation tories count as part of what you and others would consider the Left nowadays.
I never had any time for John Major, wet Tories or Christian Democracy in general, but one thing he was dead right about was that the Bastard collective in his party (who are of course now UKIP/Reform) needed to be defeated. Sadly he and the country as a whole, failed to stake the movement through its cold, dead heart.
There’s a lesson there for others who are punting the merits of unity and “all eyes on the prize”, whether in the Tory party or the independence movement. Sometimes the cancer needs to be cut out or in extreme cases limbs need to be amputated.
Like many, I used to count myself as a “small c” moderate Conservative.
Not any more. Big C all the way, Andy!
I suspect most in here have already clocked that you’re a big C Captain. 🙂
Oh for sure, but then it’s all relative isn’t it? Personally, I’m happy to wear such an “accolade” as a badge of honour – here at least.
I am shocked Campbell.
I had you down as a Reformer with a big fat hairy stinking RRRRSSSS.
I may be wrong, you may be misinterpreting the line “you’re a big C”….
The days of the right guilt tripping Scots into accepting with a smile the English swarm are also indeed, over.
I ain’t swarming anywhere pal – certainly not Scotland. You must be joking.
Aww did I hurt your feelings? Well, yi ken whit yi kin dae then eh?
“Hurt my feelings” LOL. Hardly pal.
Allow me to be clear: I relish your contempt and those of your ilk. I’m laughing in your face.
I disagree with you, I have a black neighbour and they have never caused me bother or veteod Scottish independence.
I would much rather a town full of black folk than a town full of the English. I lived in England for 2 yeaes and the place makes my skin crawl.
Royalist cock suckers, so syhcophantic it makes me sick, a little England, little Royston Vassey and I will be fucked if Scotland will be turned into another little cricket pitch to drink warm beer.
I never liked cricket then and I still hate it. I would rather dance about my housing scheme in bare feet and half naked dancing around bin fire than play cricket.
Over my dead body. We all have different reasons for not liking England, the most common one is politics. One way or the other, there will be unintended conseqyences of Reform, it might not lead to independence but it will sicken folk, it will be interesting to see what the reaction is up here to it, and there will be one. The Tories winning England coincided with the rise of the SNP. Who knows what reform winning England will do, it could end up being just as dramatic.
the main immigrant problem is : the little englander, always and first
McTrump says – deport the anglo and build a wall
hit teams will chase them from their dens – edinburgh, borders, highlands – with giant net guns
they are up here, sniffing for free prescriptions, free education and running county lines drugs gangs and we can’t afford it
they are just a different kind of people with alien cultural values and are better off with their own kind
or else we become a mongrel, mulatto, race
danish pirates : fuck off back to jutland – they’ve got windpower, a brewery and a pig farm now, go home, anglo man
Ah yes, ‘mongrel’, ‘mulatto’. Cannot have that kind of impurity can we? Pass me the gas chambers.
I know. Quite remarkable isn’t it?
I can only assume Stu doesn’t read this BTL stuff. Who can blame him.
What an extraordinary stushie over ‘alleged’ English snobbery at Edinburgh Uni.
It seems that 70& of EdU students are English. (?!)
This tweet by Mark Hirst, and the accompanying video by an ex-EU student, will be a real eye-opener for many.
Certainly was for me anyway.
x.com/Documark/status/1865141647459111034
That should be 70%
And the English students, after a good talking to, promise to just piss on the natives in future.
Does anyone know if this is true?
Duncan McKay
@DuncMcKay
49m
The number of Scots attending Edinburgh Uni is decided and determined by the Scottish Government. Places for Scottish students are capped and the money allocated doesn’t cover the costing of teaching. Those English students are subsidising the teaching of Scottish students.
x.com/DuncMcKay/status/1865154225618960828
link to archive.ph
link to archive.ph
Cheers for those links C.
‘Edinburgh University says it aims to have a student community that is roughly one third Scottish, one third international and one third from elsewhere in the UK. In 2023, it had 69,377 undergraduate applications, with 27,608 offers being made – a rate of 40 per cent – leading to 6,409 acceptances.’
That, clearly, is wildly at odds with the 70% being claimed by Mark Hirst.
its only 24% Scots, 25 english and the rest overseas; 70 percent foreigners, a simple slip. But the way the english behave you would think they were 70%, so loudly do their voices bray.
Shame about OTS BTW – that was a very high quality piece of work; was it too expensive to leave up?
I can understand the feeling of wanting to “chuck it” right now; Salmond gone, holyrood a nest of rats, not a lot to be positive about.
If the design of the site is set aside (which it was cause my boy did it, that’s his thing and I still owe him £1,750) it wasn’t really that onerous. Roughly £80 monthly. I got enough regular small donations, mostly from Wingers, that usually covered it, but it did become time-consuming, not so much on the keyboard but mentally.
The final straw was when Rev published a list of the ‘top’ independence-supporting websites last week and we weren’t even on it. I had hoped, when we started, that we’d be overtaking WGD within 3-6 months. That was the main target.
Didn’t even get close. And trailing so far behind that wretch is too much humiliation for any normal soul to thole.
Mind you, the e-books turned out well and they may yet appear in hard copy.
Thanks for asking C.
Hoots!
😉
As I said in our private correspondence …..we , ie those who read and appreciated OTS , let you down Ian ; we could and should have been more supportive – all credit to those – it seems too few – who did materially support your efforts .
I gave you my reasons , but on reflection they seem pretty flimsy and left me regretful of not doing more .
If it’s not too late – and ‘kin annoying – would you reconsider closing down OTS if some of us committed to supporting the site both financially and in terms of input BTL and ( possibly ) with entire posts ?
It’s a really dismal state-of-affairs that a quality endeavour like OTS ” failed ” when tediously repetitive , unchallenging SNoPium-for-the-easily-pleased fanzines like Wee Ginger Poodle ” succeed ” – despite not contributing one mm to the progress of our cause . On the contrary ….contributing to it’s continuing stasis
Cheers Robert. The thought is much appreciated.
🙂
1750 is value for money – family discount.
The doggers are a fanatical bunch though.
I thought OTS could be like “our” version of “bella caledonia” i.e. what it claims to be, thinks it is (not just weakpiss bourgeois identity politics).
It would take up all your time, a fulltime job, even if it doesn’t pay minimum wage.
One way to make it pay would be to get the boys at kentigern to fund you as a “disinformation site”.
True fact : MI6 once ran a virulently anti-british pro arab nationalist radio station out of cairo; a front, designed to gather intelligence and then, at some critical juncture, “divert the discourse”.
– but it never did much diverting and all it did was spew hardcore anti british diatribes all day … it was suggested MI6 shut it down, but they refused as
“it was the only one of our operations which made any money”.
imperialism, it’s always about the money.
I feel bad about not contributing anything, but life has been very trying lately, and I haven’t been able to contribute pretty much anywhere.
Same with my contributions to ALBA and SALVO, Liberation, etc, etc… Member on paper, but not much more.
No address, no local branch, no registration for a vote… Peripheral to everything, and just trying to hold on. Housing crisis? Yeah. Tell me about it. Fkg racket, cover to cover.
The most momentous events for a long, long, time, and precisely what I’ve been advocating for as long as I can remember, yet here I am able to contribute nothing. The Gods can be fickle, twisted bastards sometimes…
Things are slowly getting back on an even keel, but my output is still a fraction of what it was / should be.
The SNP hide seems thicker than ever, and sadly, a thing must burn to ash before a Pheonix can rise. We have lower to sink to be sure we rid ourselves of these charlatans who have poisoned our wells, but be rid of them we must, or they will poison the fresh springs as they emerge.
Cheers Breeks. As you know, OTS had the regular ‘Not Hitting The Wall’ feature and I doubt there was a single one of the 55 episodes which didn’t have several of your comments included.
The btl Wings commentary is precious documentary and if our digests helped make it more readable then that’s something worthwhile.
Hello Breeks. Salvo has branches across the country covering most area but not all. Check their website out.
Salvo.scot
Those Scots making up the approx one third at Edin Uni will mostly be from the 5% of the population who attend private schools; i.e. in postcolonial theory the most culturally assimilated group, which also looks down on the native/culture. The objective of colonialism is to widen inequality and Scotland’s elite uni’s are part of that, as are most of our institutions.
The problem with the terms ‘Scots’ is similar to the problem with the term ‘woman’
What is a woman? What is a Scot?
National identity is certainly confused in a colonial setting, intentionally so. What do we think ‘cultural assimilation’ means, or its purpose, other than to alter our identity.
What made the Indians, Kenyans, Barbadians and Irish believe they were British? What made Algerians, Tunisians and Martinicans think they were French? What makes Puerto Ricans and Hawaii-ans think they are American?
The answer, as Albert Memmi wrote, is that colonialism makes us into ‘a manufactured being’. It gives us the illusion of a new identity, requiring the native to discard their own authentic national identity in favour of another.
We have a whole different type of colonialism & ‘manufactured beings’ these days! We woman are being colonised by ‘cocks in frocks’ and you old Scots are being upstaged by the Morris & Bhangra Dancers in kilts.
BBC: Welby sorry for hurting abuse survivors with speech:
“”The reality is that there comes a time if you are technically leading a particular institution or area of responsibility where the shame of what has gone wrong – whether one is personally responsible or not – must require a head to roll,” the archbishop said in the Lords on Thursday.
Mark Stibbe, who has previously told the BBC he was groomed and beaten by Smyth in the 1970s, said the archbishop’s joke about “one head” rolling was “disturbing”.
…archbishop said he wanted to “apologise wholeheartedly” …the things that I said, and those I omitted to say – have caused further distress for those who were traumatised, and continue to be harmed, by John Smyth’s heinous abuse, and by the far reaching effects of other perpetrators of abuse,”…”:
link to archive.ph
Google demon and Wayback Machine are attempting to re-write history:
re. World Economic Forum: Agenda Contributor: Justin Welby…
“Hrm. Wayback Machine has not archived that URL.”
https://www.weforum.org/stories/authors/justin-welby/
link to tinyurl.com
link to tinyurl.com
World Economic Forum and UN Sign Strategic Partnership Framework:
“…signed in a meeting held at United Nations headquarters between UN Secretary-General António Guterres and World Economic Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda”:
link to archive.ph
Church of England National Investing Bodies join UN…:
Church of England’s three National Investing Bodies (NIBS) representing over £12 billion in assets under management… Now 18-strong, the new membership has collective assets under management of over US$4.3 trillion…”:
link to archive.ph
The SDP is doing rather well as the Scottish electorate remembers winters in Scotland are brutally cold and damp, but what will the trans-rainbow misogyny collective do with a majority YES and a majority SDP MSPs ?
He/him will sternly invest in more hand-wringing, whinging and… nothing.
However, it seems the Scottish electorate have seen Stazi’s gov for the nasty, cruel, authoritarian neo-neoliberal bureauocracy it is. Perhaps the Scots will force the SDP to become SNP again but not holding my breath.
Quick post to share link.
link to barrheadboy.com