Wings Over Scotland

Alex Kerr and his girlfriend spent their Sunday bombarding Eastwood SNP folk with Facebook friend requests and follows on twitter. Anyone following back or accepting on Facebook then got a private message asking for a ‘chat’ on the phone.
Now of course, maybe he has simply messaged everyone who follows Eastwood SNP or maybe he has a list from someone to identify them.
Its certainly an interesting tactic when vetting for other candidates is still suspended. He is creating a narrative that he is already the frontrunner.
I am in all the WhatsApp and Facebook groups for Eastwood SNP folk and not a single one of them want Kerr here , but we are concerned that there’s a stitch up on the horizon.

This fills you with confidence?

It’s become a monopoly. On jobs for the boys.

Dan Watt says: 1.05pm.

Nicola Sturgeon took over.

Gavin Lundy seems a strange choice for Ayr, especially since he promotes the waste of around 1m second votes while our ex MP from SNP actively backs Alliance for Independence.

I can’t see him winning anything here in a Tory strong hold with inclusion politics. The reason Tories win is the wealthy ones in South Ayr turnout in the 70%s where working class North Ayr are lucky to see 30%. Working class people his age around here see the left as transsexuals.

Enjoyed parts of his one article in The National calling out people for calling undecideds “Yoons” although he never went on to point out the disablism in the term, coined by none other than Pete Wishart.

Disgraceful from a party that has put themselves before country
and lost all meaningful direction that will serve the majority of the
Electorate.

I’m stuck with this crumbling party as our most likely means
Of achieving independence but once it arrives I think most of
Them know they will be dropped like a ton of bricks.

An independent Scotland would benefit from having local independent
MP’s who vote on what is good for their constituencies and not what
Any party whip demands you vote for.

Effigy
How right you are.
Party politics is the enemy of democracy.
2 party politics is Hobsons choice.
1 party(effectively) is the high road to hell, as we see.

What sort of people would vote for this shambles?

cant see whats wrong with people putting themselves forward as PPC’s.

however, if existing Mps were to come forward as PPC’s for holyrood, it would be a real boost to constituencies who dont have indy msps but unionist msps. lets face it, if you were in eastwoon snp branch, who would you chose, eg dr philipa whitford or alex kerr?

a bit of a no brainer.

also, if we do win big eg, 50%+ and bojo says no, then i think it would be time for mps to walk out of wm and come home.

whats the point in us campaigning to get a new candidate elected for vacated snp mps seats when their first job wont be a maiden speech but to walk out of wm?

and if bojo does say yes, they will be walking out anyway?

Correct me if I am wrong (or apologies for stating the obvious), but wouldn’t somebody as prestigious within the SNP be the preferable candidate (if JC wished to do so) for Edinburgh Central in the 2021 Holyrood elections?

I mean, the SNP have assumed that it is already theirs, and the popularity of somebody like JC would gain the vote more so than some rising hopeful still clinging to their adolescent naivety.

Edinburgh Central seems like gaining a tactical seat to help spread further the policies of the SNP. I just really want someone to explain to me the logic of the alternative?

Bob I agree – Stu is the only one that might actually re-ignite the fire of independence. Right now it’s in danger of become a dead ember.

It’s no wonder the SNP hierarchy don’t like him. He is exposing their charade. Nicola saying she will be there for another 5 years is like a nail in the coffin of the indy movement.

She is disingenuous. It’s the Nicola show. It’s all about her legacy and her ego. I am not saying she was always like this. But power does things to people. It makes them fearful , protective and distant.

Nicola never appearing at the indy marches, was a calculated PR stunt. She appeared at many anti Brexit marches. Kissed Alistair Campbell at one. Yet she wants to distance herself from her own people?

Read into it what you will, but the above alone convinces me she is not the genuine article anymore.

She is the manager of devolution, not the leader of revolution.

Independence can never happen while she is in charge. People have to face reality.

Also does anyone seriously doubt that Jo Cherry is intellectually superior to Nicola? I think that might be the very reason Nicola fears her. When you fear someone you avoid debating with them. and at worst try and eliminate them.

Lundy – I’d like to hear his views on Alyn Smith’s internal email and Mhair Black describing her constituents as “Jeremy Hunts” in reaction to her bringing a drag artist called Flowjob into a primary school. After all, he sits on the Members Conduct Committee.

I see Nicola is apologising for the SQA fuckup. The only reason for that is the genuine threat of the no confidence vote. Wonder what wee Patrick is getting to stay on board, although he’s committed to supporting the opposition. Expect fireworks if he decides to support Swinney.

Looks like the future “baby” could be another Greer, green behind the ears.

Stand him on a stage with Joanna C and it’l be a massacre of the innocents.

As for national secretary Angus MacLeod, it’s looking more and more like he’s gonna be the next follow on FM from NS. It’s him who’s pushing the agenda in the background, steering the party with the band of twitler helpers, wokists and anyone looking for a ministers job.

The SNP of the future won’t be anything like that of AS, JC, Dr. W, and more who turned the party from a fringe circle into the election winning blockbuster that we had until recently.

For those seeking independence the moment is rapidly approaching where decisions will have to be made.

Stay and turn into a soggy version of the Libdems or stand up an’ fight.

Peter @1:05;
“..but we are concerned that there’s a stitch up on the horizon.”

I’m concerned about the many stitch-ups now.

What a rotten, ugly party the SNP have become, yes there are decent MPs & MSPs, but they’re impotent unless they actually act.
When we’re now at a place where we clearly see the rotten apples in the barrel of brazen shite, then unionists, Orangemen and 77th needn’t waste their time trying to divide us when the enemy is within.

The minute they started the process of stitching-up the former First Minister was the beginning of the public decay, couldn’t even carry that through, let-alone free a country, the rank amateurs.
I’m sure many SNP brass read this blog, perhaps secretly, but know this; we’re onto you now, and I personally am at the stage where I’ll refuse to give you charlatans my 1st vote, any vote. No blaming Westminster this time – the corrupt and the clowns started this.

Imagine if the Covid Crisis hadn’t come along?

We don’t have too,we would be having the very same debate about what Nicola was doing about indy ref 2. Do not doubt for a minute that she would be doing exactly the same. The waiting game! Nicola is very good at waiting.

Covid – 19 just meant she had an excuse for waiting , rather than trying to find one.

Just wait until 2021 , things will be different…she can keep us waiting until April 2026!

@Beaker

Trying to read between the lines my guess is they are going to review/re-assess the downgraded results without needing to appeal, in the most deprived area schools at least. They can’t just give the results without some comparison the prelims and prediction marking are of the same standard, otherwise that would just be practically unregulated handing out of exam results.

Everything has consequences though, if they boost those that wouldn’t have passed and they perform badly at university, these universities will look with scepticism on the quality of Scottish education qualifications next year.

@Teetering
I think the NEC, or the woke at least, think people will simply forget this stunt. The reason the rule won’t be on the website is that it isn’t a rule until either Council or Conference adopt it.

Interestingly the NEC is a part of both of those. Also interestingly is the Smith “leak”, should he have his way, would not just see woke votes of the NEC but also 18 regional reps. Depending on how they’ve voted and when the proposed shake up takes place that might actually swing things in his desired direction.

Regardless. Given the outrage by SNP members and the further outrage at his proposed balancing, that “rule” is probably never going to be enacted.

Also. The only evidence that the NEC were asked by the SNP membership to come up with anything like that rule was a conference for them to consider the implications of dual mandates. That does not give them carte blanche to simply outlaw them entirely or if they do to adopt an insane and potentially damaging policy of giving up a seat prior to an election in order to achieve something that they can’t actually deliver.

For a party that is in a situation where an overall majority in Holyrood is the current target the unionists insist on setting any blanket rule that stops the candidate best placed to win a seat regardless of unionist opposition would, if they were serious, be ditched as soon as it was no longer useful.

I suppose there’s a hair splitting going on that means the NEC can claim it’s simply a ruling and as they have control over whether candidates are accepted for selection, although that seems only to extend to the vetting period, then it’s a fair warning.

Another peculiarity of the SNP vetting process. Seems as though the NEC can only suggest candidates, impose them, on a local branch if there’s only one candidate put forward by said branch. In other words put forward two or more prospects and no parachuted favourites can be landed on you.

AP.
Why?
The list frees all.

The seats have long been dished out, and alternative indy candidates are queering their pitch, hence the hostility to fellow travellers.

Jfngw – Who mentioned throwing out the SNP?

We just need a new leader. It’s perfectly rational to want change within an organisation. There seems to be an assumption that you are a loony or a fundamentalist , if you don’t like the leader of the SNP. This is something that many of the execs in the SNP like to peddle.

Change is normal…when change is required. A refusal to acknowledge a problem, is a head in the sand approach. Sure it means you can hide the problem under the recesses of your mind. But it will not go away unless you confront it.

I don’t think there is anyone out there that seriously thinks Nicola is going to lead us to independence in the next 3 years, or ever. She is can kicking. She is the Jam Tomorrow politician.

We cannot escape it. Personally I think she is going to run down the clock. Stay for another 3 years, and then bugger off when independence is no closer. Then the next leader will have to try and do a salvage job.

I would rather not have another 3 wasted years.

-defo-

Not sure what you mean? I just think Kerr might go down badly in Eastwood.

Totally o/t nope no apologies

Tory MPs are keeping up the good work protecting dear old Blighty , They are demanding no insisting tougher draconian action be taken to stop the invasion of these people ,it doesn’t matter who they are or what perilous circumstances they are attempting to keep themselves safe that doesn’t matter it’s these people .

The Daily Express or was it the Mail it doesn’t really matter both are the same anyway they made the same demands in the 1930 s when Jewish refugees were attempted to flee nazi Germany again these people were not wanted in Dear old compassionate Blighty I guess the parents of these Tory MPs agreed with the sentiments expressed

The present Home Secretary’s family would have been refused entry if Enoch Powel had been able to force and convince the government of the day they did not qualify for entry into Blighty,

Nothing changes with the country to the south of our border , they can never be trusted how many times do they need to prove that they can’t be trusted in any agreement entered into , That’s why the Sun never set on the English Empire even God wouldn’t trust the bar Stuart’s in the dark .

More from that meeting

link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com

Cheers guys
I stand corrected.
Does that still apply if the SNP fail to take Eastwood & maybe 1 other constituency in the region?

We at Wings don’t like to discourage the young folks from getting involved in politics.

There was Pitt the Younger who entered parliament at an exceptionally youthful age.

But Gavin Lundy MSP would be (The) Pits the Younger.

@Big Jock

How do you get one without the other, if the SNP wins NS stays unless she is deposed by the party. All these people will have campaigned on the same manifesto, what are they going to raise as the reason. And as next to nobody on this site seems to be a member I’m not sure how this is brought about.

If she lost her constituency seat that would probably be an unrecoverable position, apart from that I don’t see it happening.

There is the AS case but these enquiries are usually a whitewash, those on them usually have an eye on what the consequences for themselves could be in the future. There will be a thick document with a lot of recommendations to prevent this occurring in the future (I really am a cynic).

Your best hope is a juicy offer elsewhere is of more interest.

Effijy at 1.16

An independent Scotland would benefit from having local independent
MP’s who vote on what is good for their constituencies and not what
Any party whip demands you vote for.

WELL SAID

Rev Stu at 1.16

but this site exists to fight the opponents of independence wherever they are, and right now it’s in far more danger from the SNP than it is from the pathetic rabble of Unionist parties and media.

So True ?

Bob Mack at 1.27

Spot on.

I couldn’t find it in myself to ever vote for any of those individuals after some of the things I’ve read them say on social media. As you say their clique is completely intolerant. They are dismissive, often ageist and misogynistic and show no empathy to others, they hold only to a very narrow agenda. They feel that is acceptable since they stand for the SNP which is so dominant they don’t need to win over too many voters. It’s a horrible way for any potential politician to behave, since they must govern for all once in power and they don’t even try to appeal to all within the same party.

@ jfngw

You were right of course that Sturgeon apologised for the exam grades. We both seemed to feel she shouldn’t but that she would. This falls into our argument yesterday about them (or Labour) being harassed by the press. As you said the same thing happened in England and Wales with grades but what will be remembered is she apologised because she alone got it wrong. And it fits in with my argument that had she come out fighting to begin with rather than now apologising she wouldn’t be the one in the wrong. Instead she’s put herself on the back foot by doing this. It is entirely self damage.

Hope betrayed, abandoned, binned.
Self-indulgent factionalism may eventually doom the SNP to irrelevance.
The intellectual and ideological dynamic of Scottish nationalism, political and cultural, must not be doomed with it.

The Eastwood Branch have a favourite and it is not Mr Kerr.

@Polly

If they want an election (they don’t) they could make any vote of confidence in John Swinney a vote of confidence in the government, education is their number one priority I thought. They can then campaign on independence and mandates this year (I would put this option at 0.0005% of possibility).

@jfngw says:
10 August, 2020 at 4:19 pm
“More than likely, and once the the opposition have the head of John the Swinney they will forget about it. Their concern for ‘the students’ is just political games”

If it is political games, then why did Alex Neil come out and criticise? True, he didn’t feel it was a resigning matter but he was sufficiently alarmed, and he is one of the SNP politicians I will listen to.

Swinney is going under the bus, and it is his own fault. Remember when the SQA fucked up in 2000? Sturgeon demanded Galbraith’s head.

They are panicking because of next year’s elections. Regardless what happens tomorrow this will probably cost them votes.

@Almond Chutney 1:57 pm 10th

She didnt have to break rules – at least not in the last wasted 5 years. It’s what she doesn’t do that worries me so much. So many actions that can build the momentum that she just ignores, presumably for fear of upsetting WM.

She could have initiated a Scottish GERS, properly data researched, to counter the mendacious WM GERS that instead she just swallows as given. Take on Richard Murphy as an advisor, he is brilliant.
She could have appointed a shadow Minister of Defence and of Foreign Affairs, never mind the reserved powers, just to prepare the procedures and research and build up unofficial contacts.
She sure as hell could have tested s30 in the courts instead of leaving it to a private individual to crowdfund and even strew obstacles in his path.
So many small and large actions not taken that together tell a depressing story.

I saw this guy’s photo in the National at the weekend and thought Christ another one?…someone with no life experience, a ‘woke’ and also probably doesn’t like the ‘National’ part in the party’s title…just like Nicola apparently.

Why is the party awash with these sweetie wives ( e.g. ‘young activists…contacted me…feeling ‘threatend’…by who?.housebound pensioners ?)… these spineless tossers?
Scotland was born fighting…yet we are now led by a collection of morally degenerate self seeking liars. Unless the SNP cleanses itself of these parasites, it really is doomed and us along with it.

Once we had men such as Jimmy Reid, real working class leaders.
Women such as Margo Macdonald. Now , we have ‘Daddy Bear’ and Rhiannon Spears leading us….. where? I despair, I really do.

BTW, the latest grovelling apology from Sturgeon over the SQA…sorry if I missed it…but did they do a dummy run with this algorithmic based system and check the results before launching it? Or was it like all the other fuckups, where they breenged ahead without any proper due dilligence?

Red Sunset: yes, I do believe that the Unionists – all of them – are one on this. They want Swinney’s head on a plate. It is purely political. It remains to be seen whether the FM will allow them to have his head on a plate, or any other way. John Swinney is one of the decent chaps in Holyrood – too decent, sometimes – but this is the price you pay for being too decent. All those people you were so nice to start demanding your head. Being nice to the hard core NO voters was the biggest mistake of them all – and there have been plenty of them since 2014. Losing that referendum should have hardened the SG’s resolve to find another route out of this mess that did not involve kow towing to either our resident NO voters or to Westminster and Whitehall. It has always been perfectly feasible.

Rev: thank you for this website that shines the light on what is wrong.

For clarification. I have had an unbroken SNP membership since 1989! You can be a critic and be in a party.

It’s the leadership that is at fault , not the party.

@Lorna Campbell says:
10 August, 2020 at 5:22 pm
“Red Sunset: yes, I do believe that the Unionists – all of them – are one on this. They want Swinney’s head on a plate. It is purely political.”

Erm, he is a politician and also a cabinet minister. He determines the policy that the SQA use (it’s in statute) and therefore any decision is a political one. It’s not a unionist conspiracy – it’s all his own work.

I do feel for Swinney, after Health, Education must be the worst political brief to be given.

I’d be more worried about internal forces trying to oust him. He doesn’t represent any of the more radical elements within.

Beaker says:
10 August, 2020 at 5:50 pm
@Lorna Campbell says:
10 August, 2020 at 5:22 pm
“Red Sunset: yes, I do believe that the Unionists – all of them – are one on this. They want Swinney’s head on a plate. It is purely political.”

I’d be more worried about internal forces trying to oust him. He doesn’t represent any of the more radical elements within.”

Yes, that was my worry. A good seasoned decent person who could be next to be thrown under the bus.

Who actually made the decision to use those algorithms for the recalibration? Was it Swinney, or was he handed the decision?

@red sunset 4.09

Yes, that’s exactly what’s happening! There was absolutely no need to apologise for the exam results. The appeals process has hardly started. I know for a fact the SQA were told today that this decision by N Sturgeon is just politics.

John Swinney is a gentleman but I believe he’s under Nicola’s thumb.

He was responsible for rolling out TIE materials in primary.

These materials are inappropriate for very young children, but he refuses to listen to complaints from parents

Didn’t you used to be mates with Doug Daniel? I distinctly remember you and him shutting me down years ago for calling the cunt out.

The Lebonese Government has just resigned en masse.

How about it Sturgeon???

If the whole Lebonese Government can resign within a few hours, then surely Sturgeon can pack her bags and take her freak show with her within the next few months.

With or without dignity,,,I’m not bothered Nicola, just as long as you go.

O/T

I presume this was called IERS in its day. It’s the first video that I’m referring to (COUP 53)

link to twitter.com

“FFS, I can’t win, I’m so tired”
Nae wonder. However, if this further outing of this mob is you when tired, it’ll do. It’ll do just fine.
Those SNP members, who know all this, and have felt impotent in the face of it all, will, I have no doubt be taking great heart from your work.
You have given them the ammo.

These woke types will be looking to get in on the list. My main hope was that an Indy/List party would get rid of unionists. Now we need it to stop SNP listers too!

What a stramash as Arthur would have said. (Oldy Aberdeen fans only!).

Nil Desperandum. You remain the best.

TIE is a very creepy thing, mainly because it is being pushed almost solely by politicians who, as I have written here before, have this weird obsession with sex – and not in a good way.

In Europe, people just get on with sex and it is not a part of their Twitter heading or their politics. But when you return to Scotland and England, you see politicians, like Nicola Sturgeon in particular, who have this strange obsession with sex… and always the marginal, edgy kind. It is as if they are somehow fulfilling themselves in this way because they do not have an outlet in the proper, adult, healthy way. There is something just not right about adults being obsessed with “sex + education + children”. I cannot quite put my finger on it, as I am not a psychologist. But the Derek Mackay thing seems like a microcosm of these creepy politicians.

Why not make all kids learn economics? I always think that is missing in our schools. Especially where money comes from.

There is one aspect of the SNP which concerns me. They seem to avoid taking any action at all against shooting estates where hawks and eagles are killed, though they have legal protection. The worst cases are those poisoned by illegal use of banned pesticides. I can only assume they are cosy with the Hunting, Shooting and Fishing folk. This does not fit with a pro-inde attitude, nor a concern for wildlife and general green issues.

Details – Raptor Persecution Scotland blog.

Stu – I like your new articles however much you dislike having to write them -the repetitive ripping apart of British press wasn’t of particular interest to me except on the odd occasion – but once you started applying the same rigour to the information being revealed about the SNP, it’s something I believe we all need to know, however much people still don’t want to believe it.

The SNP is a political party, they will change their ways if popular opinion demands it, but while we know nothing, we can’t demand, and while people still refuse to believe, despite the evidence, there will be no demand, and it will be a long haul to independence. By ignoring the evidence, people are enabling the poor performance of the SNP (on constitutional matters).

That a big rambling behemoth of a party like the SNP has not quite held true is not really a surprise – politicians are politicians after all – but that people still think it can’t be true is still a surprise for me. The ‘no debate’ ideology has spread far and wide now, and is not healthy.

It’s good to know about Patrick Grady, I’ve had my suspicions for some time but had never seen any overt indication from him that he favoured the gradualist agenda. He’s my MP so I don’t need to decide if he gets my vote yet,,, well, hopefully not.

I would be very pleased if you would invite Tim Rideout to write a guest post on how introducing a new currency nearly immediately after independence IS *actually* SNP policy, something which the current leadership has chosen to ignore. I know it’s not your usual stuff, and won’t inspire your readers, but it IS important – that everyone knows it is the right thing to happen, and that the leadership are not adopting their own party’s voted-for policy. The leadership seem to be hell bent on a path of a neoliberal economic policy (if they ever accidently take us through to independence). I just think the widest possible coverage of this might be the only way the get the current SNP leadership to start behaving according to party rules.

Scot Finlayson says:
it`s to do with an ancient belief/ritual that required a sacrifice to end Winter for Spring to arrive.

————
dont give ’em ideas Scot, next thing you know ,me bungo pony and I, will be starin’ oot o’ a wickerman

.
Stuart,

I feel the pain too. But with deja vu.

On 1st May 1997 I voted for Tony Blair and Labour.

All seemed to go brilliantly compared to the stale, wretched fag-end of a turgid Tory turd-heap run by John Major and his bidey-in Edwina Currie.

Then came the Iraq War. Alex Salmond took the hugely principled but very unpopular decision then and called Blair out.

For me the end of New Labour came when that appointed ATOS to kill the disabled off. Stinking Red Tory.

Downhill very fast with Gordon Brown. Now we have Sir Keir Starmer from central casting as yet another Red Tory.

My point?

I did not leave Labour, Labour left me.

Never again will I vote Labour. To my soul I swear never ever again will I vote for that dishonest bundle of shysters.

In 2007, I first voted for Alex Salmond because he got the economy right.

In 2014 Alex persuaded me to vote for Scottish Independence.

But this McWoke Brigade have poisoned the well of the SNP. A LOT of good and decent SNP lifelong voters are clearly hurting.

Labour went downhill fast in the end. Gordon Brown didn’t last.

The same WILL happen for Nicola Sturgeon. She is a VERY GOOD OFFICE MANAGER.

God bless Alex Salmond, he must be heartbroken that Sturgeon back-stabbed him.

These arrogant McWokeists wanting to become MSPs make me puke. They are SELFISH SELF-INTERESTED EXCREMENT.

These shysters have sacrificed Scottish Independence for their own narrow, self-centred, obsessive GRA detritus. Live and let live. By all means put on a frock and have a sex change. But please don’t KILL OFF SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE as part of your parade.

The SNP high command have an arrogance beyond belief. How the Hell do they thing they got 56 out of 59 MPs? Because disgusted ex-Labour voters were asked to LEND their vote to the SNP.

Alex Salmond WILL get my vote. The SNP will not. I am not alone amongst those that lent the SNP their vote.

—————————————————————————–
QUOTE…

Rev. Stuart Campbell says:
10 August, 2020 at 1:16 pm
“Not your fault Stu, but for what feels like the longest time, reading this blog seems to only make me mad.”

Believe me, I feel your pain, man. I hate every article I have to write bashing the SNP instead of Unionists, it’s no fun at all, but this site exists to fight the opponents of independence wherever they are, and right now it’s in far more danger from the SNP than it is from the pathetic rabble of Unionist parties and media.

@SC,

Have done. Will do again.

@ da cat

Maybe you could also put that same suggestion to all our committed Pro-Indy MSPs and MPs that take home considerably more dosh than the average wage.
With a decent donation from them all to assist the funding and clarification of a matter you’d think they would have an interest in I’m sure the total would soon be reached.

I’ve knocked my cunt in for years getting them elected and in doing so sacrificed a huge amount of time I could have been earning, and incurred a lot of expense too.
I’m tapped oot this week as spent bucks yesterday on Indy by procuring an inverter to power a projection project seeing as the “the big important official groups” don’t appear to have done anything like Led By Donkeys.
Spent best part of today sorting out cabling and terminals and planning install in my car.

@schrodingers cat,

nae offence but it had to be someone very important that had been venerated for the year previous,

always thought Stu or Alex Salmond would fulfil the role of the sacrificial Winter King,

Scotland is in perpetual Winter under Westminster and we need a sacrifice to end the Winter and bring us into the Spring of a reborn Nation,

don`t know if Stu would be up for it though 🙂

So we need to burn Neil Lennon then Scot?
That’ll pick up a few ‘soft no’ blue noses!

@ Beaker at 8.58

Further to Skip_NC’s comment at 9.26 :

In 2011, the SNP won all the constituencies in both Glasgow and Lothian.

In 2016, a voter in Glasgow assuming that they would retain all their seats, and that it was therefore not risky to vote for a different party on the list, would have been correct. (Unless that other party was the Greens, however, that list vote would not have elected an MSP.)

A voter making the same assumption in Lothian would not have been correct; the SNP lost 3 constituencies, one to each of the multi-coloured Tories, and did not get enough list votes to replace any of them.

That is not necessarily the same as an across the board drop in support; each of the 3 losses had local features – 2 new candidates, the fall-out from the hounding of Michelle Thomson, etc. It would, however, be trickier for other list parties to win seats if the SNP are also in real contention for them as a consequence of losing/failing to gain constituencies.

I donated a tenner to this. Anybody got any thoughts, positive, or negative, on it, and what it’s trying to do?

link to r.mail.crowdjustice.co.uk

All the more reason to burn him then Scot.

WoS. You learn something new every day!

Back on topic… is there a female equivalent?
😉

Just been in the people’s action on section 30 legal case.

They had to do an extra crowdfunder. Guess why?

The Scottish government tried to delay it for three months and block it! That’s right Nicola’s own government tried to stop the people.

It’s the feckin final straw!

‘Confused says:

10 August, 2020 at 2:49 pm
thanks again rev, for swimming in this sewer, so most of us don’t have to.’

Loved yer post. The appropriate amount of anger and vitriolic, sensible scorn for this whole fucking hotel fire.

Big Jock @ 11.36
Are you sure it the SNP in Holyrood Scottish government and not the Civil Service St Andrews House Scottish government?

Liz- Since March 2020 we have had to deal with a number of administrative motions. The first was resisting a motion by the Scottish Government to halt proceedings for 3 months. We won this motion – and the 8 week “adjustment period” commenced, being the time in which parties refine their arguments.

‘Grouser says:
10 August, 2020 at 5:01 pm
I hope Eastwood goes with a local candidate who has worked in the constiuency.
I was told the story of a South Glasgow constituency who had a council candidate parachuted in over the heads of good branch candidates who wanted to stand and who had the support of the branch members. The branch lost some good members over the whole sorry business.’

They tried to foist Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh on Falkirk years ago, and were told in no uncertain terms where to go, as I recall.

@Skip_NC says:
10 August, 2020 at 9:26 pm
“The bottom line – vote on the list for the party that best represents your values. In the constituency, vote for the party with the best chance of winning that is closest to your values.”

Monster Raving Loony Party 1st vote if they get a candidate. I’m being serious. See if they can beat the Lib Dems.

Thanks to you and crazycat for the clarity. If I get really bored over the next few weeks I might start playing around with figures.

‘schrodingers cat says:
10 August, 2020 at 9:05 pm
just shy of 65K for legal crowd fund

put yer money where yer mouths are folks’

Already done.

Strange how GMK can write this whole guff expecting folk to believe it when he makes absolutely no mention of Sturgeon’s promises (or call them what you will) such as IndyRef by the end of 2020 etc etc.

If the snp have a strategy to Yes then someone had better let Sturgeon in on it because her actions, or lack of them, regarding certain issues tells me she hasn’t a clue about this “clear strategy” GMK speaks of.

If such a “clear strategy” exists then why has Sturgeon made promises/commitments she has failed to keep? And that’s before we include Angus’ battle cry of ‘We shall not be dragged out of the EU against our will.” Oops! There we go! Right out on our ears.

And if this great “clear strategy” of his does exist then what’s he doing spreading it all out on paper (so to speak) for all to see? Fuckin brilliant plan that eh? Tell your enemy what your intentions are. Fuck me! Tool, sharpest, box all spring to mind.

link to twitter.com

Dan says:
Maybe you could also put that same suggestion to all our committed Pro-Indy MSPs and MPs that take home considerably more dosh than the average wage.
———————————-

link to scotgoespop.blogspot.com

RevStuJuly 16, 2020 at 5:27 PM
(Oh, and as I’ve also noted on Wings recently: the SNP’s official accounts should be published next month. I’m very happy to wager a tenner that when they are, they’ll show the SNP as having less money in the bank than Wings Over Scotland currently does.)

The thing is with crowdfunders you have to be pushing it in peoples faces everywhere, all the time. I see the “Peoples Action on Section 30” by Forward as One referenced a few times but only vaguely and indirectly my mentioning Martin J Keatings.

How about a link, link to crowdjustice.com. How about funding updates.

You need to keep reminding people that it’s there because you never know when you’ll hit the button that triggers them to donate.

Forward as one has another crowd funder, link to crowdjustice.com which match it’s original target, I think did not quite meet it’s stretch target but how would I know. But the point is that Forward as One seems successful. They seem serious. Maybe, I’ll donate because they have a track record, they seem popular and they look as if they know what they are doing.

This all might be covered on twitter and facebook so often that everybody is sick to death of it, but by some accident it’s rarely mentioned on the biggest pro-independence blog there is.

This is just an armchair observation but it seems y’all could be doing a lot better.

WhoRattledYourCage says:
10 August, 2020 at 10:37 pm

I donated a tenner to this. Anybody got any thoughts, positive, or negative, on it, and what it’s trying to do?

I think it’s got to be supported.

To be blunt, I don’t think it’s our “best shot”, but it’s the Scottish Government who is in possession of all our “best shots”, and determined to take none of them.

Some people argue there are risks and ramifications if he loses, and dangerous precedents which might be set, but frankly those precedents, IF they happen, seem no more damaging to the cause than our lightweight “Scottish Government” cocking it’s leg on Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty and capitulating to Brexit.

I have commented in the past that I would have preferred to see a straight out dispute contesting the UK’s unwritten convention on sovereignty and the inherent incompatability which exists beside Scotland’s written and explicit sovereign Constitution. In the words of the Highlander movie… “There can be only one…”

So why do I support it? Well, the same reason as I supported Joanna Cherry dragging the UK Establishment to Court. It’s not the action itself, but it’s proof to the non-believers that Scotland and it’s Constitution is a very real and potent phenomenon in the realm of domestic and International law.

Since 1707, Scotland the Nation has been emasculated by the Union in the realm of International Relations, but in the realm of Law, Scotland still has the legal personality of a fully fledged Independent Nation. If you doubt that, then explain to me what constitutional phenomenon it was which compelled Boris Johnson to un-prorogue his “sovereign” Westminster Parliament. Hint.. it was Scots Law putting a “UK Sovereign” in his place. Do the arithmetic.

Because the Scottish Government hasn’t the guts to take on Westmestminster, the whole of Scotland must look upon these ostensibly minor legal challenges to the UK Establishments hegemony as the tapers which might light the fuse, which will lead to one almighty conflagration and the full blown Constitutional standoff between Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty and the faux-sovereign convention of the UK Parliament.

Joanna Cherry twice lit the fuse and presented Scotland with legal victories which a willing Scottish Government could have escalated into full blown Constitutional disputes and procedural interdicts. It is clearly a waste of time presenting such opportunities to “this” Scottish Government, which has no appetite for confrontation and who’s bizarre instincts were to turn on Joanna Cherry.

The good thing about Martin Keatings challenge is that it’s kinda calling the SNP’s bluff, and if he wins, the SNP will find it much harder to sweep the ramifactions under the carpet in the same way as they did for Joanna Cherry.

I actually think Joanna Cherry’s defeat of Boris Johnson’s prorogation put the constitutional crosshairs right between the eyes of the Union, but her victory over the whole UK Establishment was dismissed as a tree falling in the woods which didn’t make any sound. I think perhaps it was ‘too’ clever and didn’t take enough people along.

Even though I personally think the challenge to Section 30 is more lightweight in Constituional terms (it merely challenges the potency of Devolution, not the whole the UK Constitution), I think what Martin Keatings has, which Joanna Cherry perhaps did not, is a lot kindling around the touchpaper. I think is a much greater likelihood of it escalating into a Constitutional standoff which ultimately, the UK Union will not survive.

Maybe it’s not our best shot, but at least the SNP can’t kill it off, although it seems they have tried to do just that. I don’t know what the SNP is playing at. Maybe it would take a trial for impeachment to find out.

@ian brotherhood

It’s a strange feeling looking back, the relief to get the Tories out without realising they had more or less just been re-elected. Still remember passing Brian Wilson in a corridor at about four in the morning looking full if himself.

I also contributed to Martins fund although I’d prefer what Breeks is talking about. Challenge the TOU.

I never thought things would get worse within the SNP but they have.
They’ve fully morphed into new labour.

Can’t tell you how depressed I feel.
Maybe things will get better but Holyrood is full of mediocrities and is about to get worse if all these kids get their own way.

I know Alex isn’t writing a book and it’s not fair to expect so much of him but I hope he has a plan.
I’m too old to leave Scotland now but if we don’t become indy, it’s going to be a sad place to live

@schrodingers cat at 4:33 am

Soz, don’t see what the SNP Party’s overall finances have got to do with their elected representatives choosing to contribute to the crowdfunder out of their own well enumerated pockets.

If the Party is so concerned about its finances it may have been a prudent modus for some of its members not to push policies and behave in ways that pissed off the membership to the point they stopped donating or gave up their membership completely.
If things are that tight then maybe stop sending out fancy shiny cards with the dear leader’s coupon on them to the entire membership. That’ll save a few quids.
Plus surely they’ll be getting a wee bit of dosh in return from the invested monies “ring fenced”* for an Indy campaign.

* “ring fenced” may mean different things to different people these days seeing as the definition of words is becoming fluid in ways such as any proffered criticism can be classed as HATE, and the word woman can mean someone with a male body whose fathered kids.

@ jfngw

Yes entirely agree with them and you. And also agree with Liz above. But we’re at the desperation end now and things will get worse before any dawn or spring, but hopefully no more sacrifices, Salmond’s scalp being on the line was enough.

Skimming through the Government of India Act 1935 (as you do)
I was struck by the similarities to the Scotland Act; in particular – Part V Chapter 2 Section 108 – Legislative Powers.

Whereby India (specifically her ‘Provinces’) could not repeal any Act of the British parliament without the approval of the governor general or make a law in relation to the sovereign in any circumstance.

“…there shall not be introduced into, or moved in, either Chamber of the Federal Legislature, any Bill or amendment which…repeals, amends or is repugnant to any provisions of any Act of Parliament extending to British India’ etc.

Frankly after some more intense skimming and referencing a few other Colonial Acts – I concluded that the Scotland Act was just some judicious cut & pasting of old Acts applied to British Colonies and varous federated Commonwealth dominions.
So no great revelation there.

Ultimately they all found a way out – up to and including the novelty of rejecting the monarchy, thereby severing Parliamentary Sovereignty.
A tactic also utilsed, in part, by the (then) Irish Free State – first withdrawing oath of allegiance etc prior to ultimately declaring republicanism.
Alternatively, like South Africa, implementing a bypass of the Royal Assent required for bills to be passed in its own parliament – effectively severing Westminster Parliamentary sovereignty.

[I think the last Wings poll showed 50% in favour of Scotland retaining the monarchy – that was a long time ago though…]

Anyway, that’s only an interesting aside in the murky history of secession from Empire, which often had a lot of blood involved. I don’t propose a solution for Scotland, excepting to note that everyone found a way.
Not least because, although the Scotland Act was an effective cut & paste job, it differed from the rest in one important point – the incorporation of any aspect of the Statute of Westminster 1931.

Following Balfour and the subsequent incorporation of the Statute of Westminster into their legislature; most Dominions had the autonomy and right to amend, or repeal any legislation – in effect, they had the sovereign competence to do so.

“No Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom passed after the commencement of this Act shall extend, or be deemed to extend, to a Dominion as part of the law of that Dominion, unless it is expressly declared in that Act that that Dominion has requested, and consented to, the enactment thereof”

“No law and no provision of any law made after the commencement of this Act by the Parliament of a Dominion shall be void or inoperative on the ground that it is repugnant to the Law of England, or…any existing or future Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom…the powers of the Parliament of a Dominion shall include the power to repeal or amend any such Act, order, rule or regulation in so far as the same is part of the law of the Dominion”

The alert will notice this precedes the Government of India Act 1935 and indeed the ‘Indian Act had the offending ‘binding’ section consequently removed and India repealed the entire GoI Act in 1950.
The ‘Government of India Act itself, was a precursor to move India towards official Dominion Status which others in theb’Emlire’ had ready been afforded.
Interestingly the ‘India Act’ (among others) lay on UK Statute, until the ‘Statute Law (repeals) Act of 1998.
Y’know, just in case it came in handy for cutting and pasting into new legislation for some other *cough uppity province.

Scotland of course still retains the offending ‘competency’ clauses within the Scotland Act of err..1998.
We are still incompetent to act in any way ‘repugnant to Westminster’ – quite literally it appears..

So what is Scotland’s status? Extinquished, annexed, incorporated, or merely her sovereignty dominated by that of Westminster and the English Crown – a diminutive dominion of England without the autonomy afforded one – Answers on a postcard.

I haven’t looked closely at Martin Keatings case yet, but I do hope he asks the right questions. Very important in a court to identify and ask the right questions – You really have to be Socratic.

Reading the scotsgoespop blog is incredible. It is full of very snooty Indy supporters criticising Stu and this will kill you. Some hope that the Wings contributors never become candidates because they feel we don’t have the intellectual ability to carry it off.

Is this a reflection on their party? Funny thing is I remembering oxygen from Wings but none were correct in their analysis from that time.

They remain shut your eyes and move forward. Trust in Nicola.

@Polly 10:35 pm

Burns promoted Sturgeon, she wanted the council leader’s job, back stabbed willie Gibson and as a consequence lost control of the council but she got the SNP Group Leader job, I think that gave her a £10k hike in money
I’d suggest Patrica Gibson was less than kosher

@ stonefree

Not being from that area I didn’t know much about council politics until papa Sturgeon was promoted and resulting denouement. Thank you for the information.

Bob Mack

Wings contributors don’t have the intellect to be a politician?

How about Gray the former Labour leader who asked where the money would come from for an oil fund?

How about Tory Grayling spending millions to hire ships from a company with no ships?

What about Cummings and Gove Driving cars with their kids in it when they don’t know if they can see properly?

I think the contributors here on Wings fly way above the dross we currently endure!

I find it so amusing that the English Tory supreme race
Who have demanded control of their borders are sending their
Representatives to France today with a request for them to
Take control of their borders! Lol

The citizens of the French towns bordering their coast must
Hate having so many desperate migrant camps on their doorstep.

The French charities are straining to feed and offer medical assistance
To so many who don’t want to be in France.

Why would the French want to retain these people to help an arrogant
English Government who wants nothing to do with the EU and who made
Their citizens so I welcomed that they had to return to France?

Beaker: yes, he’s a politician and, yes, the SQA does follow rules. That is not my point. My point is that he is being assailed by the Unionists as a matter of political expediency and callous disregard for the real issues, and he is probably yet another seasoned member of the hierarchy whom the ‘wokerati’ wish to displace and replace. Mistakes have been made, but I’m just not sure that they are John Swinney’s mistakes. We seem to have no answer (except for this site and others) to the incessant Unionist carping and political sharpening of knives. I’d recommend that the FM (I know she won’t) make it plain that she intends to make a 2021 win the stepping stone for immediate independence. That would give both the Unionists and the ‘wokerati’ a well-deserved kick up their respective rone pipes, and galvanize the independence campaign.

@Ottomanboi,

I suppose I am a Nationalist in that I have travelled the world extensively and seen amazing sights and cultures and yet nothing compares to that feeling when I arrive back in Scotland. I always think and say I’m home.

We Scots are not better,fitter,or smarter than anybody else, but I can communicate easly with a fellow Scot wherever I am. Much in common I suppose.

I love Scotland for the right reasons. Home, family ,friends
and the familiarity with her beautiful and varied surroundings.

I welcome anybody as I am welcomed on my travels.

Gullane@10:42

Oh sure. Sturgie was just about to put it in the back of the net and win us independence with her brilliant master strategy of asking BoJo for a section 30.

@Bob Mack

Can I put my hand up and say I would make a bloody awful politician, I don’t have the temperament. Pretty sure I would lose it one day with the London parties and get thrown out.

Bob Mack says:
@gullane no4,
No responsibility attributed to the SNP then? Just Wings. Oh boy!!
—————-
wings is shedding support, long term supporters. they are allowed to comment btl aswell?