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The spanner in the works

Posted on May 10, 2021 by

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356 to “The spanner in the works”

  1. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    No serious democratic politician would squander a million + votes if they’d passed their ‘O’ Grade Arithmetic.

  2. stuart mctavish
    Ignored
    says:

    @Breeks
    Either that or all the garlic speeakers ended up going with SNP2 cos they counldn’t find alapa on the list

  3. robertknight
    Ignored
    says:

    No serious politician would have squandered the previous mandate.

  4. Finnz
    Ignored
    says:

    The obvious question is, would there be a different outcome if there had been a few Alba MSPs elected.

    The answer is of course, no.

  5. Effigy
    Ignored
    says:

    £1,000 a roll papering over the cracks.

    I’m trying to find some comfort in the endless delays and
    mounting mandates.

    The best I can calm myself with is the fact that there are more and more
    Yes youth voters every year who are replacing the old brainwashed senior
    citizens that believe the absurdity of no pensions, no NHS, no Blood transfusions, etc

    Thanks Clunker Brown for being a despicable lying B*****d!

  6. robertknight
    Ignored
    says:

    Finnz…

    Fast forward 5 years, I sincerely hope you’ll be proved right, but I have my doubts.

    Who is there with leverage to steer Sturgeon off the Woke agenda and onto a constitutional one? The Greens?

  7. Baxter
    Ignored
    says:

    Another great offering.
    Can’t help thinking though Chris you missed a trick by not putting a red nose, face paint etc on the joker at the front. First thought on seeing it this morning was a thought of Steelers Wheel’s Stuck in the Middle with you.

  8. Stephen
    Ignored
    says:

    Sturgeon will keep buying shoes, loving all things French and singing La Marseillaise while Scotland burns.
    For her the mandate is her own excess.

  9. The Isolator
    Ignored
    says:

    Meanwhile the fuse rises on the basis that the SNP failed to gain an overall majority.Go figure.

  10. The Isolator
    Ignored
    says:

    FTSE …predictive text

  11. John Martini
    Ignored
    says:

    The UK will determine if you have another referendum. The people of scotland are not sovereign no matter how hard you try to convince them.

  12. Captain Yossarian
    Ignored
    says:

    There was a newspaper headline which told us that there were more complaints from civil-servants about bullying by Hoyrood Ministers than there were from Ministers from all of the other UK Gov bodies put together, including Westminster.

    If you think about that for a while, it explains everything.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8632417/Scottish-ministers-face-bullying-complaints-UK-department-COMBINED.html

  13. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    https://archive.is/eIkwE

    She/Her said to Boris:
    Indyref2 now ‘a matter of when – not if’

    Boris said: Covid recovery.

    “They both agreed that their immediate focus should be and is on working together to build back from the pandemic.

    After the call, she/her said:
    her immediate focus was on steering the country through Covid and into recovery.

  14. Robert Hughes
    Ignored
    says:

    ” As I’m no serious , democratic politician with an ounce of integrity I refuse to accept our mandate “

  15. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    stuart mctavish says:
    10 May, 2021 at 7:37 am
    @Breeks
    Either that or all the garlic speeakers ended up going with SNP2 cos they counldn’t find alapa on the list

    Rely

    Spot the racist!

  16. Andy Ellis
    Ignored
    says:

    @Finnz 7.52am

    The obvious answer is that it depends on the arithmetic. If the SNP had to rely on Alba rather than the Greens for a majority does anyone really think we’d be worse off than we are now?

    As Kirk Torrance’s recent tweet shows it could all have been very different, but once again the Scots people have conspired to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. We can moan about the MSM, entryism and careerism in our political parties (or vote rigging &/or the intervention of the UK intelligence services if you’re of a conspiratorial frame of mind) all we like, but in the end the result is adequately explained by a general lack of political courage.

    Perhaps it’s true that things will have to get worse before the Scots people finally bestir themselves to action? If so I hope there is a party or movement left to deliver independence.

  17. Willie
    Ignored
    says:

    Stephen@8.02 – Why do you say Sturgeon loves all things French. What makes you say that as opposed to say, all things Greek.

  18. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    What tune is he whistling for she/her

    “Whistling Dixie”

  19. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    Effigy says:
    10 May, 2021 at 7:53 am

    “Yes youth voters every year who are replacing the old brainwashed senior citizens that believe the absurdity of no pensions, no NHS, no Blood transfusions, etc”

    The Yes youth who insist on voting for a party that has no intention of giving them independence but brainwashes them with Queer Theory?

    Shame that they are just as open to brainwashing as a generation brought up with the “British is Best” mantra, only their creed will be “Biology is bunkum”.

    If that’s the future, thank f**k I’m on my way out. Unfortunately I won’t ever see independence – but hopefully I won’t see the complete and deliberate androgenisation of the human species – the big Green plan to solve the world’s population proplem.

  20. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Willie says:
    10 May, 2021 at 8:41 am
    Stephen@8.02 – Why do you say Sturgeon loves all things French.

    Reply
    I think he’s talking about ‘French kissing’

    oh la la!

  21. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:


    Finnz says:
    10 May, 2021 at 7:52 am
    The obvious question is, would there be a different outcome if there had been a few Alba MSPs elected.

    That’s not the important difference to my mind. The important difference would be that SNP supporters putting ALBA on their List Vote would be indicative of an SNP which was alert, switched on and actually wanted Scottish Independence, rather than bizarrely content with Sturgeon’s somewhat hollow coronation and a Supermajority shattered.

    It’s just wrong. The whole thing. Wrong, wrong, wrong. An SNP dominant in Constituency Seats augmented by an ALBA party dominant in List Seats should have been a total no-brainer for anybody and everybody who wants to see an Independent Scotland. Scotland would right now be romping home the last few furlongs to Independence delivered. Calling the SNP, calling the SNP… what in God’s name has gotten in to you?

    Compare that with the spite and enmity poured over Alex Salmond’s head, when Alex Salmond is the only adult in the room capable of actually winning independence. The bile and hatred which the SNP has for Alex Salmond is truly, truly, unfathomable to me. I have NEVER seen such a good person so wickedly maligned by such an amateurish and ungrateful clique of spoiled-bastard incompetents. It really is quite nauseating to see.

    You’d expect it from Unionists and trolls. Alex Salmond is after all, a potent existential threat to the Union. But that Tweet from MacDonald? And that imbecile frog spawn Spears claiming Alex lost the 2014 Referendum? I’m sorry, that’s through the looking glass country, where absurdity rules supreme.

    Aye Finnz, the important change I’d like to see is the SNP showing a modicum of sanity, and rediscovering it’s long lost commitment to Scottish Independence.

    All things considered, and I mean considered a length, I cannot reconcile this visceral hatred of Alex Salmond not being orchestrated by persons known and unknown, who are absolutely determined to derail Scottish Independence, and sadly for Scotland, they are enjoying considerable success, and not for the first time.

    That suspicion is hardly alleviated when you begin to look at who the chief shit-stirrers are, and evaluate their contribution to the cause. The SNP seems riven top to bottom, and I don’t understand the mechanism of how such talentless, mediocre non-entities are being promoted, enjoying advancement and cropping up in powerful stations and positions stratospherically above their competence level.

    I fear that ALBA and Alex Salmond will now be under intense pressure from these same sources, but so much is at stake here, ALBA must survive and endure, and I hope Alex Salmond somehow find the resolve to keep going. ALBA has a future. Under Sturgeon, the SNP does not, and nor does Scotland.

  22. Robert Hughes
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks

    ” Calling the SNP, calling the SNP… what in God’s name has gotten in to you? ”

    Some ” Imp/s of the perverse ” it appears , which we can pretty confidently assume will eventually lead to the fall of the House of Murrell.

    Spot-on comment/s from you as ever

  23. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    I call Boris a clown because that is the personna he choses to project. I think it is something he has realized works for him, makes him more affable to his base.

    But this does not make him stupid.

    My view is that no Tory PM will ever again will ‘do a David Cameron’. They are never ever going to agree to that again. No one is going to be that guy going to see the Queen again with her on the verge of ‘losing Scotland’. They are absolutely going to stonewall it. (It’s what I would do if I was them.)

    So whatever the path forward is, forget about that way, total waste of time.

    We will have to force it somehow… if only we had a majority (or better a supermajority) to push through radical constitutional legislation if need be… ah well never mind.

  24. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    “ , and I don’t understand the mechanism of how such talentless, mediocre non-entities are being promoted, enjoying advancement and cropping up in powerful stations and positions stratospherically above their competence level….”

    Joanna Cherry out, Anne McLauchlin in… WTF?

    There is subversion going on here, sedition at work, right before our eyes, and it’s been going on since 2015, perhaps longer.

  25. Franky
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks

    If only the SNP and Sturgeon were not voted back into government.

    I wonder what absolute arseholes voted for the SNP?

    And probably told everyone they know to vote SNP.

    Eh, I wonder who done that?

    And then they come out with this faux anger, as if it had nothing to do with them.

    I wonder who done that?

  26. John McNab
    Ignored
    says:

    To quote the late, great Gil Scott-Heron, “mandate, my ass!”

  27. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    I see bellendiacaledonia made an absolute trumpet out of themselves mis-cartoonisting CC over the Stella cartoon in the previous article.

    I don’t know what was funnier, that or them pretending after their mistake was pointed out that they knew all along. What a tube. lol.

  28. Franky
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruby

    Are you the same Ruby who, only a few weeks ago was telling everyone to vote SNP 1 and 2?

  29. Stephen
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruby @ 8.48
    Yes
    She is restoring the Auld Alliance

  30. osakisushi
    Ignored
    says:

    This time, I didn’t have that Sept 19th feeling. Instead, anger at a contrived result from the SNP and belief, to paraphrase a certain liar, “we may have lost a battle but not our bottle.”

    Hopefully May 6th shall be relegated to history as simply the first skirmish for people who’ve had enough.

  31. Franky
    Ignored
    says:

    So, after you SNP voters went out and helped Sturgeon back into power, you are all now trying to back track on what you done.

    Well, it is too fuckin late.

    You were advised be many on here not to touch the SNP, even the Rev strongly advise against Voting the SNP back into power. Did you listen? did you fuck.

    So don’t take us for idiots, we see you are trying to blame the “other”.

    You lot own the fuckin car crash that is fast approaching.

    And stop posting your pish about how bad a person Nicola Sturgeon is, some of us have known that for a very long time.

    It’s a pity the penny didn’t drop with you SNP lot.

  32. Sensible Dave
    Ignored
    says:

    I read an interesting piece about potential court cases.

    If the UK government were to challenge, in the courts, Holyrood’s right to hold a referendum (even though they have a “slam dunk” case) then that could look very authoritarian and unattractive. However, if a private citizen in Scotland were to challenge Holyrood’s right to hold a referendum (a Gina Miller type character) then the whole thing could be brought to halt –

  33. 100%Yes
    Ignored
    says:

    I do remembering Mr Salmond saying quite clearly and in a calm voice, a million votes would be wasted on the list if people voted for the SNP twice and by voting for the Alba Party the Scottish parliament could have a super majority, and a million votes have been wasted! Sturgeon is out of her league on this one and the Unionist press will have her and her drones for Breakfast. We have just had Ian Blackford on GMTV stating a generation is defined (in Good Friday agreement) as once in seven years, when did the public sign up to that and a referendum only being once every 7 years. When the SNP are asked about “This once in a generation” they have to say we have moved on and I can’t see why the SNP can’t just simply say until Scotland is Independent the SNP will always put the option of a referendum in our manifesto and if the Scots vote for it that’s what will happen (and if the SNP aren’t elected in 7yrs or once in a generation then whats what will happen also), but apparently Boris Johnson said the last Westminster election was a once in a generation vote, does that mean there wont be another Westminster election for a generation, NO, so will the MSM and the British elite move on the Scots have and where having that referendum wither you like it or not.

  34. cynicalHighlander
    Ignored
    says:

    Frankly I hope my scroll wheel lasts the day!

  35. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    John Martini says:
    10 May, 2021 at 8:15 am

    The UK will determine if you have another referendum. The people of scotland are not sovereign no matter how hard you try to convince them.

    Sorry to burst your wee bubble here, but the Scottish people are sovereign in Scotland.

    The Crown of Scotland has a duty to ensure the democratically expressed wishes of the people of Scotland are carried out.

  36. Stephen
    Ignored
    says:

    The Greens are polling 26% in Germany. They are now the party with the largest popular support.

  37. Lost
    Ignored
    says:

    Looking at some of the figures today. Approx 44,000 people voted for Alba. Ranked just behind the Lib Dems. A party thats only 2 months old, they’ve already flew past smaller parties in votes, has an MP, councillor’s in it’s numbers. They’ve had to deal with a news blackout.

    They’ve got the next 5 years to build up and take advantage of any inaction of the SNP.

  38. kapelmeister
    Ignored
    says:

    A wealthy clown there who looks down on Scots and will do anything to stop an indyref……and I think the other one’s Boris Johnson.

  39. Alf Baird
    Ignored
    says:

    Scott @ 9:25 am

    “..but the Scottish people are sovereign in Scotland.”

    Scottish sovereignty is only relevant if and when Scotland’s political representatives decide to assert that sovereignty. So long as nationalist majorities of Scottish MPs and MSPs consent to sit in and serve British parliaments, Scottish sovereignty is meaningless.

    “The Crown of Scotland has a duty to ensure the democratically expressed wishes of the people of Scotland are carried out.”

    The crown is the ‘legal embodiment of the British state’ in Scotland. Its role is arguably to prevent independence, much in the way the Lord Advocate opposed Keatings.

  40. Dave Hansell
    Ignored
    says:

    This would seem to summarise the position succinctly:

    “If you believe that the Sturgeon project was a genuine belief that a gradualist and woke agenda would get Scottish Independence back on track after the 2014 refurendum, then the Sturgeon Project has totally failed on those terms.

    If you believe that the Sturgeon project was a scheme to neutralise any threat from Scottish Independence to Unionism, he United Kingdom and the vast disparity of wealth in the UK and internationally, then it has spectacularly succeeded.

    Firstly, it seems to me that anybody who believes the Sturgeon project was ever the former is a fool. It is at best an insurance policy, toensure nothing radical would happen to discomfit the rich and end the Union. Sturgeon’s job is to mitigate any SNP victory.”

  41. kapelmeister
    Ignored
    says:

    Stu commissioned a poll from Panelbase in July 2020 that said that 26% of voters would definitely or probably give their list vote to an Alex Salmond led indy party. So how did it transpire that such a party only got 1.7% on the list? How do you go from 26% to less than 2% unless there has been substantial electoral fraud? It can’t be just explained away by Alba not appearing in the tv debates.

  42. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    Doubt very much Bozo could even spell integrity. If he asks Sturgeon he will at least learn he’s not alone.

    In other news, i see the BBC in Scotland quickly changed their Saturday deliberately misleading headline of DEVOLUTION SUMMIT at some point on Sunday to COVID RECOVERY SUMMIT. The wording of the accompanying story remained the same though, to discuss how “Team UK” get through and out of Covid blah blah blah.

    Scotgov shouldn’t even entertain it on the basis alone that they are calling it “Team UK” without any consultation. It’s a principle thing. But Sturgeon will not pass up the opportunity to get in front of some publicity cameras etc. They are dribbling rings around her and she can’t see it because her heads up her own arse.

  43. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Kapel – 1 million SNP second votes , explains it. People were conned or bottled it. Nicola should apologise for every SNP second voter in Glasgow in particular. She would have been as well not allowing SNP voters a second vote. Yes it is that mad!

  44. chas
    Ignored
    says:

    Now that the dust has settled it is time to take stock.
    What have we got? Another minority Government who, with the help of the loons in the Green Party, will further promote division and hatred in Scotland and squander millions of pounds in the process. The further dumbing down of education in Scotland?
    A referendum will maybe take place, some time, when it suits Mrs Murrell. An open ended timescale is in place.
    I do not know what Alex Salmond has to take down the Murrells but he must now give serious thought to bringing this in to the public domain. If he does this now he cannot be accused of electioneering as voting has now taken place. If he is waiting for Court cases to take place it might be too late.
    All in all we are in a very depressing place.
    On a separate issue-what do the SNP MP’s in Westminster actually do? Other than embarrass themselves every time one of them gets on their feet to speak and of course, run up expenses!

  45. wilma mcewan
    Ignored
    says:

    Wee Chid says:
    10 May, 2021 at 8:44 am
    Effigy says:
    10 May, 2021 at 7:53 am

    “Yes youth voters every year who are replacing the old brainwashed senior citizens that believe the absurdity of no pensions, no NHS, no Blood transfusions, etc” Talk about entirely missing the point..

  46. wilma mcewan
    Ignored
    says:

    Wee Chid says:
    10 May, 2021 at 8:44 am
    Effigy says:
    10 May, 2021 at 7:53 am

    “Yes youth voters every year who are replacing the old brainwashed senior citizens that believe the absurdity of no pensions, no NHS, no Blood transfusions, etc” Spectacularly missing the point by a country mile

  47. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Chas- It’s a rebuild job. We knew that before the election.

    Alba are having a conference in June. I am a member and will be attending. The plan is to target the council elections 2022. It will take at least 5 years for Alba to be a presence.

    Don’t forget. If indy ref 2 hasn’t happened going into the GE 2024. Then the SNP will get slaughtered, even worse than 2017. Then by 2026 people will be looking for a new indy party.

    I know all of this sounds like a long game, and more years of pain. But we have no other option. The SNP have strangled Scottish politics for the next 5 years.

  48. holymacmoses
    Ignored
    says:

    We need to take monkey wrenches to the whole lot of them.

    I do love your work Mr Cairns. The Gandhi of political cartooning is what you are. It all looks so gentle and delicate – but it gets to the heart of the matter time after time.

    Hope you’re feeling better Mr Wings.

  49. kapelmeister
    Ignored
    says:

    Big Jock @10:06

    OK Jock, some of the 26% in Stu’s poll must have bottled it or been confused and gave their 2nd vote to Sturgeon. That still doesn’t entirely explain what happened to the Alba vote.

  50. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    A couple of hours dans le jardin this morning planting veg seeds had me pondering about other simple awareness raising activities.
    Jaunita, myself, and many other “new sisters” could simply join zoom meetings for The Women’s Guild or the like.
    We wouldn’t even need to leave the house, just sit there in out virtual box adding our presence.

  51. Robert Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    I agree with a few comments above regarding the ALBA final vote tally , I am a bit mystified because anyone I spoke to and I had explained they had nothing to lose voting ALBA in fact doing that they could stop the Tory party in their tracks and they would not be in second place i.e. The opposition in Holyrood ,

    Oh well I suppose that was a re-run of 2014 the same answers from the same people maybe I need a wider circle of people to draw useful feedback from who knows the results seem very small

    I guess the beat the Jocks into submission project fear MK 2 is off and running again the British MSM have been fooled by Sturgeon this time they believe she is seriously going for Indy ref2 ha ha oh well keeps them busy I suppose ,

    The verbal contortions Sturgeon will be offering will be interesting no doubt laced with the expected excuses just to keep the mugs happy yeah Princess Nicola is out there fighting the pesky English

  52. wull
    Ignored
    says:

    Stephen says:
    10 May, 2021 at 9:28 am
    The Greens are polling 26% in Germany. They are now the party with the largest popular support.

    That’s because they don’t have Patrick Harvie.

  53. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    100%Yes says on 10 May, 2021 at 9:22 am:

    “We have just had Ian Blackford on GMTV stating a generation is defined (in Good Friday agreement) as once in seven years, when did the public sign up to that and a referendum only being once every 7 years. When the SNP are asked about “This once in a generation” they have to say we have moved on and I can’t see why the SNP can’t just simply say until Scotland is Independent the SNP will always put the option of a referendum in our manifesto and if the Scots vote for it that’s what will happen..”

    The answer is in your own words, the name Ian Blackford. That is the calibre of snp politician we are stuck with. Utterly useless Sweetie-wives who do nothing but talk and conspire like a coven of bitches behind peoples backs.

    This once in a generation crap would have been buried by any half-decent politician in a manner that would make the BritNats shit-scared to raise it again for fear of being made to look humiliated and clueless. But as i said, the calibre of the current bunch of snp politicians are the poorest they’ve *ever* been. They routinely allow Scotland to be humiliated due to their inability to nail the lies & deceptions. They are embarrassing beyond description.

  54. Helen Yates
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s safe to say independence has now been kicked into the long grass for the foreseeable future, in my opinion as long as Alex Salmond remains a threat then Westminster will accept The SNP being in power, they know Sturgeon can’t move on Indy and it’s looking more likely that there are no SNP MSPs with the cojones to upset the apple cart.
    However for the union to remain safe then the state with the help of the media and SNP hierarchy have to ensure the people believe Indy is on the horizon otherwise we might rebel and put a genuine indy party in power, then they really are in trouble.

    So this is just a thought but maybe those of us who are serious about indy and who know we won’t see it under Sturgeon or her sidekick when she finally steps down need to change our thinking on tactical voting, I honestly don’t think Alba is going to make a breakthrough anytime soon, there is too much against them, so maybe the only thing that is going to wake the sheeple up is seeing a rise in support for the Tories, we know they won’t get into power but maybe swelling their numbers in Holyrood will be the thing to actually get them to open their bloody eyes.

    I mean what have we got to lose, they already control us and without doubt while we’re dithering Westminster is putting things in place to nail Scotland down tight.
    Of course it could already be too late for any action to make a difference, we have 5 yrs before the next election, god knows what position Scotland will be in by then, although we could make a start with the council elections next year.
    To be honest I’ve thought for a few years now that maybe Scotland needs another spell of Tory rule to remind us just what we did gain under the same man who till this day remains the only threat to the union.

    When they lose all the benefits they enjoy now, free bus passes, free prescriptions etc maybe they’ll start to use their heads.

  55. David Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    There is a very simple and easy way to take back our country, just tell Johnstone, and Sturgeon to feck off, nobody can govern without the will of the people being behind them.
    Just imagine for one minute, 100,000 independence supporters move to the highlands and set up their own rules and regulations about how they want to live in scotland.
    They obey the law if its serving the majority and not the minority of pervs and fancy boys as it does now, they do not pay income tax to keep the corruption and its benefactors fed and watered.
    They all club together in an equal union, build up a fund that takes care of everything like the infastructure of their little piece of scotland.
    Anyone that says this cannot be done, it has been done in america for decades and the government leaves them alone to get on with it, don’t forget these communities are armed to the teeth and will fight to the death if any government in america bothers them with their army.
    So there you have it, a solution to a problem that is easily fixed, just tell them to feck off, this is our scotland and if you want to stop us you will have to fecking kill us, cause you ain’t telling me how to live my life anymore, so fuck off ?

  56. shug
    Ignored
    says:

    I was talking to a senior nationalist yesterday and they said ” if she does not call indyref this year” there will be a riot and she will be toast.

    suppose it will depend on how much she believes her own propaganda.

  57. Mark Boyle
    Ignored
    says:

    @kapelmeister says:
    10 May, 2021 at 9:49 am

    Stu commissioned a poll from Panelbase in July 2020 that said that 26% of voters would definitely or probably give their list vote to an Alex Salmond led indy party. So how did it transpire that such a party only got 1.7% on the list? How do you go from 26% to less than 2% unless there has been substantial electoral fraud? It can’t be just explained away by Alba not appearing in the tv debates.

    What people say they are prepared to do in the voting booth a year ago does not signify they will do the same a year later. As Wilson noted, a week’s a long time in politics, and it has always been so. Churchill went in the public’s eye from a pariah in 1938 to a prophet by 1939. No one foresaw the electoral extermination of almost every other party bar the SNP post-independence referendum – all logic would have suggested it should have been the other way around as per the Bloc Quebecqui.

    In the vast majority of Scotland, Alba’s “campaign” consisted of delivering one poxy leafet by mail drop and nothing else. The simple fact is the Alba campaign was an utter non-event – too much reliant on the Salmond brand name to bring home the votes as a “given” … the same naivity the fatuous Tiddles Galloway relied on.

    Meanwhile the SNP, Labour, Tories and even the Greens were doing three drops (well two and a half in the greens’ case!).

    At the very least, the latter three’s zealousness may have scared some arithmetic challenged SNP voters that they were a bigger threat than the press and polls were suggesting, and so stuck with both votes SNP rather than “risking” giving them to Alba or anyone else.

    There’s no “conspiracy” – Salmond just reaped the fruits of an overreliance on social media and “past form” to compensate for a lack of basic electioneering and a media blackout.

    If you don’t work for your votes, you don’t get your votes – and a new party needs to work ten times harder than an established brand, no matter who is fronting it. It takes a massive psychological shift for most people to switch their vote to another party come election time (fifty years of Labour doing zero up here showed that), and if you do little to jar them into moving, you should not be surprised at the result.

  58. Helen Yates
    Ignored
    says:

    Big Jock says.
    Don’t forget. If indy ref 2 hasn’t happened going into the GE 2024. Then the SNP will get slaughtered, even worse than 2017. Then by 2026 people will be looking for a new indy party.

    I’d love to think that would be the case but after last weeks election I wouldn’t bank on it,
    We proved we’re not as politically savvy as we believe we are.

  59. John Martini
    Ignored
    says:

    @scott

    The people of scotland were not sovereign when they were bought and sold for british gold.

    People like you are 300 years out of date. Do you really think the UK is going to hand over the oil and gas? If it comes to it they will send in the army.

  60. David Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    Btw, I am not advocating any kind of violence in my last comment.but just remember what they did to the miners, thatcher was not adverse to using the police to put them down.
    If you are attacked the law allows you to defend yourself, and that includes police brutality masked as civil defence

  61. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    Alf Baird says:
    10 May, 2021 at 9:43 am

    The crown is the ‘legal embodiment of the British state’ in Scotland. Its role is arguably to prevent independence, much in the way the Lord Advocate opposed Keatings.

    Keatings case is a red herring. Each case in Scots Law is treated on its own merits.

    The Crown of Scotland only represents the people of Scotland in matters of Law.

    A privately run referendum would be a valid exercise.

    The Union of the Crowns would be unaffected if Scotland became independent.

  62. Stuart MacKay
    Ignored
    says:

    Stoker

    There is some value in getting the 7 years to stick – at least in the minds of the populace, particularly south of the border. That’s just over one parliamentary term so it’s reasonably short. At least it makes a reasonable attempt at killing off the 50+ years that’s been talked about before.

    The fly in the ointment is that it welds the idea of independence and referendum together so plebiscite elections are off the cards. I’m sure that suits the SNP.

    Can’t remember where the Good Friday Agreement number got raised first but it’s definitely not an original thought by Blackford.

    He should come here more often so some more handy tips on how to do his job.

  63. Astonished
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks spot on with “No serious democratic politician would squander a million + votes” .

    Sturgeon better deliver. And I don’t mean genderwoowoo.

    I give it a year before the rumblings become loud enough to hear.

  64. Helen Yates
    Ignored
    says:

    David Caledonia says:
    10 May, 2021 at 10:30 am
    There is a very simple and easy way to take back our country, just tell Johnstone, and Sturgeon to feck off, nobody can govern without the will of the people being behind them.

    Or we could actually take to the streets in numbers like we see in Catalonia, that would get the job done too, however we have proved we’re not like the Catalonians or the Irish for that matter, it would appear that our speciality lies in talking the talk. try and get most of them to actually get off their backsides and then it’s a different story.

  65. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    John Martini says:
    10 May, 2021 at 10:38 am

    Do you really think the UK is going to hand over the oil and gas? If it comes to it they will send in the army.

    Will they, aye?

    The off sales only opened at 10, come up for breath more often.

  66. Robert Hughes
    Ignored
    says:

    Dan says:
    10 May, 2021 at 10:24 am
    ” A couple of hours dans le jardin this morning planting veg seeds had me pondering about other simple awareness raising activities.
    Jaunita, myself, and many other “new sisters” could simply join zoom meetings for The Women’s Guild or the like.
    We wouldn’t even need to leave the house, just sit there in out virtual box adding our presence. ”

    Having abandoned my ( Daisy inspired . yea, cheers Daze ) Sex Goddess aspiration due lack of success in the actual sex dept ( and a no doubt Patriarchal attachment to my genitals , sorry but the baws had to stay ) I would be honoured to admitted to your venerable Sisterhood .

    I believe my painful experiences of total rejection would be of great assistance to other misguided SG wannabes , as would my prolonged battle with the crippling disability of – admittedly occasional- attacks of hiccups .

    Yours Sincerely

    Roberta Starchild Fluke

  67. Helen Yates
    Ignored
    says:

    Andy Ellis says:
    10 May, 2021 at 8:40 am
    @Finnz 7.52am

    Perhaps it’s true that things will have to get worse before the Scots people finally bestir themselves to action? If so I hope there is a party or movement left to deliver independence.

    I believe this is true.

  68. Shocked
    Ignored
    says:

    Another con trick from Sturgeon the liar. You’d think as a former lawyer (albeit incompetent and disgraced) she’d have read the Scotland act. As per section 29 Boris doesn’t have to do anything, any referendum she tries to run is automatically illegal. More tactical genius from sturgeon. Instead of making the case for independence she wants to pick a fight that won’t even happen.

  69. David Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    The system is corrupt, every counting station should have members of every party there to watch the count, that happens in america, but ofc the democrats would not allow anyone near the count, which was against the constitution.
    I have not doubt that sturgeon and her corrupt ways would try that here on some excuse, like the boxes have been contaminated by some awful virus, aye right, if that counter person, it that, her him or whatever its calling itself today can count then I can watch, maybe it has had some magical injection that makes it immune from the virus, but not immune from me and my beedy eyes

  70. Wally Jumblatt
    Ignored
    says:

    When we get great leader that the people can rally behind, and when 70% of the votes are for independence parties, and when 100,000 take to the streets in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and big numbers in all the cities including even London ex-Pats, then we’ll get independence in weeks.
    The people will decide, the current generation of politicians are hopelessy incompetent and way too comfortable with the status quo, change will not come through them.

    You don’t want promotion with a relegation-quality manager.
    First get rid of Sturgeon’s regime, that would be a good step.
    It would have been better to not have started from here -where she claims she got a mandate.
    AS was wrong, he thought by saying vote SNP on the main seats, he would be cut some slack on publicity. He obviously did not know his enemy and time was not on his side before 6th May. Maybe he thought the gamble was worth it, but he must therefore has seen this scenario was possible in whcih case what is his next step. I would suggest clearing his name by dragging some malicious people through the courts is an option.

  71. John Martini
    Ignored
    says:

    You would think there was a msjority in favour of scottish independence the way some people go on. It is not a fact.

  72. David Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    I got off my backside decades ago, I realised I was living amongst a crowd of sheep that just kept on voting for the monkey wearing the labour rosette, it would have been more useful having the rosette stuck down its lying throat.
    At least the cost of the rosette could have then been justified

  73. wull
    Ignored
    says:

    Mark Boyle @ 10.34. I have to confess I never did any leaflet dropping for ALBA (or anyone else, for that matter). There are various reasons why I can’t do it.

    That surely does not give me the right to slag off those who did give so much of their time and energy to doing this service, for the cause they believe in.

    So, I presume you yourself were one of those committed souls who was out leafleting for ALBA – thank you for having done so, and congratulations! In which case, maybe you can tell us: would there have been enough ALBA volunteers to go round all the houses in your Regional vote area 3 times, in the six weeks that were available from the new Party’s public lunch until the vote on May 6th?

    Another thing you can tell us: would ALBA have had enough finance to print all the leaflets required, and on time for the vote? They started off with nothing, after all, and no hitherto known profile at all …

    Personally, I would be a bit careful about lambasting ALBA for only having been able to deliver ‘one poxy mail drop’ etc.

    Not the dismissive language I would feel entitled to use. Especially when I hadn’t been able to do nearly enough, or anything much at all, to further ALBA’s cause.

    Meanwhile, thanks to all those good people who did put their hearts and souls into it. Don’t allow other people (who didn’t, and who don’t care) put you off, or discourage you. This is the beginning of ALBA, not the end of it.

  74. David Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    You would think there was a msjority, ( I think he/she means majority ) in favour of scottish independence the way some people go on, It is not a fact
    Simple arithmetic certainly not one of his/her few talents it seems.

  75. Effigy
    Ignored
    says:

    Has this been discussed as yet?

    http://worldofstuart.excellentcontent.com/heraldorangeorder.htm

    Stay suppressed or we will suppress you extreme violence seems to be their
    demand.

    Now can anyone tell how that hate crime bill would work with this national threat?

  76. David A.
    Ignored
    says:

    The cartoon is a bit stupid because she should be in the clown outfit too at a minimum, all things considered. Plus, the reality is that if he can easily refuse something he doesn’t want anyway, why would he accept it? He’d be a clown to do otherwise. Remember these are the ruthless power games of politics on this globe and how it works. NS has clearly demonstrated she’s of the same ilk and so are the majority of power holders in the party and most parties or anything with power, really.

    Ruthless and ambitious people get to the top and…behave like ruthless and ambitious people.

  77. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    I know I can be decidedly slow in the uptake sometimes ,but it has only just occurred to me that they didn’t need to find Alex Salmond guilty , all they needed was for the charges to result in a trip to court and the media take over from there.

    Find him innocent of all charges but smear him from one end of the country to the other and jobs a good ‘un.

    I am quite astonished by the folk I once considered rational but who have decided he was guilty never having heard the evidence or attended court. I am equally astonished by some of the farcical charges made by supposedly grown women and accepted by the Procurator Fiscal.

    I have yet to read in any major outlet that Woman ? was offered another post , same salary , same career ladder but turned it down choosing to stay put.

    The more I think about it the angrier I get with the Alphabet Sisterhood and their anonymity not to mention their ‘Woe is me ‘ depression.

    So Brand Salmond becomes tainted by the unnamed and Brand Sturgeon encourages and adds to the taint.

    Shite and spite right enough.

  78. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Does anyone see the possibility of the Tories now trying to offer FFA. But not full control over oil revenues.

    The way I see it. The Tories will want to buy as much time before Scotland leaves. If they think that will give them another 10 years they might try it. Sturgeon would be delighted , as it’s all she probably wants anyway. She is terrified of fighting a referendum.

  79. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    Posted in wrong thread

    robbo says:
    10 May, 2021 at 11:21 am
    What always amazes me with elections is why people don’t vote at all.

    If you look at the wiki update 4,280,785 people were registered to vote.

    2,716,547 actually voted on the list vote as an example.

    Now that’s 1,564,238 voters registered to vote never got up off the couch to bother- why?

    I can’t believe people solely just REGISTER to vote so they can get on voters roll so they can obtain a mortgage of credit or other? Only when as near as 100% of people vote will you ever get the true intentions of voters of any country.

    Or what ?

  80. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    Effigy says:
    10 May, 2021 at 11:13 am

    Has this been discussed as yet?

    https://archive.is/BEg19

    Neil Mackay stirring the shite as usual, except 20 years ago.

  81. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    I see Mr Johnny Martini has been on the cinzano bianco again. Bit early ,no?

    You must have to drink about 5 bottles of that to get pissed.

  82. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    Brown and Swinney and McLeish
    https://www.thenational.scot/news/19291021.gordon-brown-launches-new-masterplan-save-union/
    Such useful Scotch idiots, tee hee, exclaimed Boris, makes you proud to be English.
    Up your kilts!

  83. Prasad
    Ignored
    says:

    The crazy thing is that Boris Johnson has more integrity than her. There is an honesty in his lies, as everyone knows he is lying and he doesn’t care. She has that same disregard for the rule of law, decency and democracy. She appears to be more tyrannical than him.
    Another example of her dreadful statesmanship that she can’t see this when all she has to do is look in the mirror. Of course it could all be deliberate and she knows he will refuse but i have come close to the conclusion that she hasn’t even a grand plan to avoid indyref, she just isn’t bright enough to be an evil genius.
    Not knocking the cartoon though, bloody brilliant.
    We are going to need a lot of cartoon to get us through the next 5-10 years.

  84. David A.
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t know why people are bothering to worry about or argue if Westminster would take the oil from Scotland. The oil and gas for Scotland won’t do any good as NS has made it very clear she’s going to tie a knot in it soon one way or another. So it is worth zero or could even be a burden in that frame of mind. A resources you can’t use or is deeply unprofitable isn’t much good to anyone. May as well let Westminster have it then and put up some solar panels. Same with all the coal that’s now basically worthless despite generations of energy supply in there.

    Watching Scottish politics is like watching someone strong do a judeo move on themselves over and over again until they are too dizzy and bruised to even stand up.

  85. Liz
    Ignored
    says:

    Re the 7 years quote.
    Many of us on twitter have been saying that for ages along with the Smith agreement, signed off by all parties, stating Scotland can have a ref at ANY time the people want it.

    Both of these need pushed by the SNP at every opportunity, but will they?

  86. bjsalba
    Ignored
    says:

    @Stephen 9:28 am
    The Greens are polling 26% in Germany. They are now the party with the largest popular support.

    What is their position on Gender ID?

  87. holymacmoses
    Ignored
    says:

    Martin Lewis is holding a poll of a referendum for Scotland on his twitter page. The NOs are winning at the moment

  88. gus1940
    Ignored
    says:

    ‘When not If’ has been the situation re Indy since 2007 – not just because St Nic announced it yesterday and her faithful media disciples joined in to shout it from the rooftops.

    I reckon the next move from the dark forces at WM will be to set out to destroy NS and The SNP completely by leaking all the dirt on her which they have been saving up.

    Am I the only one puzzled by the saturation coverage of Indy by WM and their metropolitan media slaves?

  89. Robert Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    Just listened to a short phone in re Scotland and independence on LBC the mostly southern England radio station anyway the usual tripe mostly and the usual proud Scots who have parked their brains up their arses , the most engaged ones were English people living and working in Scotland they get it and are more in tune than some Scots, who really need to have stayed on at school a bit longer thick didn’t even come close,

    Well what currency would Scotland use ? Christ on a bike ffs eh the same currency as every other country yah dumb fk , what about the border ? Well if we rejoin the EU as Scotland and not the UK obviously if the EU has a border with countries outside the EU we would have one as well.

    I thought most people would get it by now they have had information and education since 2014 everyone should know the answers off by heart they should be able to recite the arguments in their sleep but still the message hasn’t got through are some Scots naturally dumb or do they need to work at it ? ,

    Case in point being the Regional vote the best part of a million votes getting 2 fkn seats the whole excercise SNP 1-2 elected the Unionist opposition these votes enabled Murdo to sit back on his fat arse knowing he had never won any election he put himself forward for but still gets a seat all curtsy of princess Nicola the master tactician and the stupidest SNP leader since Swindler .

  90. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    Kapelmeister @ 9.49

    How do you go from 26% to less than 2% unless there has been substantial electoral fraud? It can’t be just explained away by Alba not appearing in the tv debates.

    The media has done a hatchet job on AS.
    The Kirsty Wark retrialby TV; every interview beginning with the dredging up of the Court case and accusations;
    the FM herself saying that even though he is not guilty of any criminal actions ‘I KNOW’ he behaved in this way – she was reprimanded by the Law Society of Scotland and the Faculty of Advocates who asked all those involved in debates to think about the words they were using as they were openly undermining the veracity of Jury trials and the Scottish Court System by their words;
    The 8 Hour session Nicola had to ‘endure’ to make sure her lies were effective – anyone telling the truth would have not needed so much questioning nor would they have taken so long to convince those investigating – don’t forget, apparently SNP membership surged after that 8 hour session;
    The ‘Me Too’ movement;
    ‘Sexual accusations’ is the quickest, easiest and oldest method of bringing down a powerful man and thankfully, unlike Karl Sargeant, we still have Alex to ‘fight again’.

    Most of this has happened in the last year, whilst we were all on lockdown and couldn’t discuss it with friends and colleagues and consider different points of view.

    Aye, the media did a hatchet job on him, but so did the SNP, Nicola, the newspapers and “a’ body else who could haud up a ploo’ at the muckin o Geordie’s byre”.

    All credit to Alex Salmond, one of the finest politicians this country has ever produced – it took guts to stand again, but he believes in Independence for Scotland and sees himself as a small cog in a vital fight.

  91. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    Prasad 11:39
    With Johnson you get what you see. He may act the clown but he is no fool.
    The fools are those in Scotland who think him a clown. His model, Churchill, was also taken for a clown and loose cannon and above all, a risk taker.
    The Holyrood government would have us believe they must conquer «the virus» before political normality resumes ie no ref/2 until then.
    Not only does that display a visceral distaste for risk but an alarming ignorance of the nature of the Coronavirus. King Knute had a similar ignorance regarding the nature of ocean tides.

  92. Anna
    Ignored
    says:

    Either ‘some’ working for others or others are working them.

    They, whoever they are, were out to get Salmond and as we already know “the best of conscientious can be bought and sold” . Its how Scotland’s future ended up in England’s hands. .

    There are few politicians it seems , men or women, who are squeaky clean , but who hypocritically, no doubt, will be shouting foul at Salmond, Their ‘inappropriateness’ locked away, forgotten they hope, unlikely ever to see the light of day, far less end them in court,
    Politics is a ruthless game though. Nobody’s back safe it seems.

  93. Prasad
    Ignored
    says:

    David Caledonia says:
    10 May, 2021 at 10:30 am

    I am being thick, i know, but why do you call him Johnston.
    Many people doing it but what am i missing, why would Scotland want to own Fucko.

  94. Prasad
    Ignored
    says:

    Meant Johnstone.

  95. Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    Chris Cairns will be getting overtime shortly

  96. Graf Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    Hopefully a lot of the YES movement will have now cottoned on to the fact that miracles don’t exist.

    Every election, large or small, seems to be proceeded with columns and columns of folk rejoicing at how they’re going to use their power to change this, throw out that, negotiate the best deal, take revenge. They hadn’t even got the eggs, let alone count them.

    Are we any worse off than before, probably not in terms of seats, same government, policies and quality of Opposition.

    Are we better off? I think we are.

    We now have a brand new pro Indy party which despite all attempts to “Strangle the bastard” in the cot, survived the onslaught. It now has the chance to develop and grow over the next few years in local elections and by being street-wise in getting the ALBA message out.

    Wasted votes, scream it from the rooftops, guerrilla non-violent activities, stop the traffic..! 🙂

    Nicla’s corrupt cabal, because of ALBA, had to pull out all the stops including making very public promises to the Scots about preparing for and going for an Indy referendum in this parliament. The newspapers, BBC, SNP bloggers, the great majority of the great unwashed etc. have all taken her word for it. Even Gove got very sweaty underpants when Marr pushed it. 🙂
    She’s talked herself into a corner and unwittingly committed herself to it by 2023/2024. It’s not something that the ever improving Covid situation can avoid.

    Don’t believe it, have a look at WGD, the loyal supporters have gotten it tattooed onto their foreheads, so if she doesn’t deliver…! 😉 😉

    As for the Gender woowoo, that’s coming into reality in the very near future, they can’t hide it forever; it has to go through Parliament with open discussion and has real repercussions in everyday life. It’s lightbulb on time.

    What about the genuine judicial Evens Inquiry and how about the missing 600,000 quid?

    Plenty of “events” to rattle the SNP and get the voice of ALBA a coming don’t you think?

  97. lothianlad
    Ignored
    says:

    The other fly in the ointment is that under sturgeon, the SNP will ‘run’ or should it be ruin the referendum. weak SNP politicians and spokespersons will allow the hostile interviewers total control of the narrative and information.

    Unable to satisfy the 1000s of questions they will plod on convincing no undecided’s with logic or evidence. The outcome will be a weak campaign and a real risk of failure.

    This suits the SNP leadership. They will cry foul after the result, but, that’s their plan.

    Do we really want Angus Robertson, Nicola sturgeon and others to be at the helm of the Yes Campaign??

    With all the skeletons in their cupboards, the Brit state will love that, so will their media!

  98. lothianlad
    Ignored
    says:

    Sturgeon is out to sabotage the Indy cause. There is so much dirt on them now that with genderwoo policies, HCB, the skeletons in the cupboard of the SNP SG and the financial misdealing’s, that will be enough to sink the Indy ship if she is at the helm!

  99. David A.
    Ignored
    says:

    NS has said there won’t be any referendum while lockdowns and pandemics continue. There will be another wave soon enough or some mutation or other virus for the same result over and over so there is your permanent excuse from doing a referendum.

  100. PaulaJ
    Ignored
    says:

    Alf Baird says:

    “The crown is the ‘legal embodiment of the British state’ in Scotland. Its role is arguably to prevent independence”

    Only ‘arguably’?

  101. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    The subtle and charismatic art of no compromise.
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZIqdrFeFBk&ucbcb=1

  102. Prasad
    Ignored
    says:

    Prasad says:
    10 May, 2021 at 11:39 am

    P.S. I don’t discount that her handler is an ‘evil genius’.

    What amazes me is that the only people who think Clown Sturgeon is going to push for Independence are the media and the Unionists. They think she is obsessed with Independence. It is very odd, they are in away the only ones putting visible pressure on her every time she is on tv especially now the covid crisis is on hold. Quite bizarre like parallel universes.

  103. Mark Boyle
    Ignored
    says:

    @wull says:
    10 May, 2021 at 11:06 am

    Mark Boyle @ 10.34. I have to confess I never did any leaflet dropping for ALBA (or anyone else, for that matter). There are various reasons why I can’t do it.

    That surely does not give me the right to slag off those who did give so much of their time and energy to doing this service, for the cause they believe in.

    So, I presume you yourself were one of those committed souls who was out leafleting for ALBA – thank you for having done so, and congratulations! In which case, maybe you can tell us: would there have been enough ALBA volunteers to go round all the houses in your Regional vote area 3 times, in the six weeks that were available from the new Party’s public lunch until the vote on May 6th?

    Another thing you can tell us: would ALBA have had enough finance to print all the leaflets required, and on time for the vote? They started off with nothing, after all, and no hitherto known profile at all …

    Personally, I would be a bit careful about lambasting ALBA for only having been able to deliver ‘one poxy mail drop’ etc.

    Not the dismissive language I would feel entitled to use. Especially when I hadn’t been able to do nearly enough, or anything much at all, to further ALBA’s cause.

    Meanwhile, thanks to all those good people who did put their hearts and souls into it. Don’t allow other people (who didn’t, and who don’t care) put you off, or discourage you. This is the beginning of ALBA, not the end of it.

    With respect, I stated several times over the last few weeks that I had helped Andy Doig leaflet with his campaign since he was a hard working local councillor – unlike some chancers that have been manifesting themselves as microwave ready “saviours of the people” at election times and seen bugger all else of the time thereafter. There were several Alba candidates that were bloody well not fit for purpose, everyone knew it, but from Salmond diktat they got the backing and that was that – with predicable results.

    Corri “Expenses” Wilson? Tasmina “Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal” Ahmed-Sheikh? When was the last time either of them got their fingers out campaigning for anyone but themselves? Too many were people in the cream puff they’d failed to get an SNP gravy train ticket who would happily have sang Holy Holies for Dear Leader Sturgeon had they got one.

    Andy Doig by contrast did one full leaflet drop across the constituency by foot as well as one delivered by the post. Oh, and a small matter of nine years attending tenents meetings, community council meetings and the rest of the rigmarole of life as a councillor (which most actually no longer bother their arses doing) on top of his normal job in social work. Could easily have leafletted the constituency a third time, but unlike a certain party all the money for the campaign came out of his own pocket, rather than expecting everyone else to pay for it. It’s what’s called in the trade not being a lazy bastard.

    He knew from the off it was going to be a tough job, esp. as the ridiculous amount of Labour leafleteering made some locals nervous they had a hope of winning (they didn’t) and less inclined to go elsewhere, but in the end he came within 60 votes of beating the LibDems, clobbered Labour in a number of the ballot boxes, and now looks good for reelection to Renfrewshire Council next year.

    Nope, simple fact was Alba talked a great battle from behind monitor screens and video conferences and bugger all else, with predictable results. Too many members, not enough activists, like most political parties, but when you’re meant to be an all shiny new “insurgent”, that’s fatal.

    Either people quit with the silly conspiracy theories and excuses for no action beyond a computer keyboard and do some graft to make Alba (or whatever other alternatives now crawl out from under stones now they appear a bust flush already) work, or they knock the whole thing on the head. Either way, the time’s long gone for certain people to stop kidding themselves.

  104. Red
    Ignored
    says:

    chas says: On a separate issue-what do the SNP MP’s in Westminster actually do?

    Interns.

  105. PaulaJ
    Ignored
    says:

    Robert Graham says:
    “all curtsy of princess Nicola”

    Now I’d pay to see her do one of those!

  106. Al-Stuart
    Ignored
    says:

    .
    Best post of the day (so far)…

    cynicalHighlander says:
    10 May, 2021 at 9:23 am

    Frankly I hope my scroll wheel lasts the day!

    Thanks Cynical.

    As for Chris Cairns’ cartoon. I cannot actually look at THAT woman anymore without a deep sense of burning injustice. She is a boil on the ‘erse of humanity.

    Some solace as a wise person once wrote…

    “All political careers end in failure, some in jail.”

    Finally, to save time and effort of genuine Wingers, here is the Troll Forecast:

    Trolling light to blustery in the east, becoming wet from the west with damp patches in his breeks toward the afternoon as the troll cannot tear himself away from the keyboard. Later in the day, the troll weather improves as the copy/past deviant goes for a nap whilst it is off-duty, and gies us all peace.

    Like the weather, it’s Scotland. We now have dreich days and troll days. C’est la vie.

    ——————————————————-

    This idiot troll who thinks by changing his/her/it’s name every 2 days has us all fooled is back under his new ID. Currently posting under the new sock-puppet name of…

    FRANKLY

    Previous FAKE names with the IDENTICAL copy and paste messages…

    Rock
    KcoR
    Hudson,,,
    Andy,,,
    Patrick Jones
    Eugene Henderson
    Stainless Steel,,,
    Market Force,,,
    Davie170,,,
    Labour4Indy

    It starts out engaging random Wingers in a pleasant manner, then gets its kicks by calling the poster a PEDO or saying how he and his mates enjoyed GANG RAPING your wife or that your wife is a WHORE. The threads of this unstable individual along with screenshots are all there.

    Police Scotland cyber-crime unit have been spoken to. Hopefully this arsewipe will be doing porridge soon enough.

    It’s good to see fellow Wingers giving the heads-up when the idiot troll starts up under his next fake sock puppet name.

    Thanks cynical. A smile and a troll-alert all in the one post.

    https://wingsoverscotland.com/the-spanner-in-the-works/#comment-2658659

  107. K1
    Ignored
    says:

    Seriuoilsy effigy? From 2002 that article.

    What a shit show this place has turned into, talk about ‘reaching’.

  108. Effigy
    Ignored
    says:

    Ottomanboi says At 11.38

    That link to the National-

    Gordon Brown tells Scotland and the PM?

    A failed Chancellor and PM, Brown was in charge
    of monitoring the banks when they crashed the economy with Casino banking.
    He stood at Indy ref 1 and scaremongered our pensioners that an independent
    Scotland wouldn’t have pensions, an NHS or Blood Transfusions.

    Why would Scots believe this failure and compulsive liar with a reputation for bullying?

    The man who sold our gold before the price doubled, the man who stopped final salary pensions,
    the idiot who set up the absurd PPI deals.

    Henry McLeish telling Scotland it’s good in the Union?
    Has he forgot he was allowed to resign as First Minister to prevent a fraud investigation
    for pocketing money renting out a constituency office?

    I believe he gets a pension from us in excess of £1,000 per week for life.
    I’d rather spend £2K per week keeping him imprisoned for embezzlement.

    The crooks presented by U.K. media as Scottish leading lights.

  109. David A.
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ottomanboi:
    “King Knute had a similar ignorance regarding the nature of ocean tides.”

    Completely the opposite!

    “Then the king leapt backwards, saying: ‘Let all men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings, for there is none worthy of the name, but He whom heaven, earth, and sea obey by eternal laws.'” He then hung his gold crown on a crucifix, and never wore it again “to the honour of God the almighty King””

    He was likely a better king and leader than anyone alive today in the UK and understood humlity despite being king of England, Denmark and Norway in his lifetime. Compare that to the ladder climbing managerial types we have today.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Canute_and_the_tide

    You’ve got to hit the books to learn about history.

  110. Balaaargh
    Ignored
    says:

    Say what you like about Henry McLeish but at least he resigned when he broke the ministerial code…

  111. Effigy
    Ignored
    says:

    Boris under investigation for a free £15,000 holiday.

    Wouldn’t it be easier to just discuss anything that man does
    that isn’t corrupt and it immoral?

    And some Scots voted to keep that thing ruling over us???

  112. Cenchos
    Ignored
    says:

    We are basically being conditioned to regard the politicians and media figures who get away with breaking the law and twisting the rules as aspirational figures.

    If we are vulnerable to the law, it’s our own fault for being little people.

  113. Prasad
    Ignored
    says:

    David A. says:
    10 May, 2021 at 12:57 pm

    Thanks David A.
    Saved me the time and yours was better.

  114. willie
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruby@8.48 why do you think Stephen@8.02 would be thinking about Sturgeon French kissing when he said that Sturgeon loves all things French.

    That is a strange thing to say. What’s the connection.

  115. Stephen
    Ignored
    says:

    Bjsalba@11.52
    What is the German Green Party position on Gender ID?
    /
    I don’t know.
    It would be interesting to find out and also to establish whether there is any linkage across boundaries.
    It could be that Patrick Harvie and his band are just an aberration!

  116. Stephen P
    Ignored
    says:

    Re 7 years between referenda in NI and SNP

    Joanna Cherry raised this point several months back in Westminster. No doubt that great team player Blackford stole the line.

  117. frogesque
    Ignored
    says:

    @David A 11.43

    Yes, and let Westminster deal with the costs of decommissioning.

    Worst case Scotland gets a dried out sponge and all the hassle of Green tinged works to put everything back the way it was. Basically an ocean floor desert.

    Personally I’d cap and seal wellheads as they come off stream and use the junk as a base for reef building and an exclusion zone nursery to help rebuild fish stocks.

  118. James Che.
    Ignored
    says:

    When we find commentators for the union on a Scottish blog site still commenting like crazy after the election is over,
    what questions can be asked ?
    1) what worries them.
    2) why are they still worried?
    3) why do they subconsciously suspect the game is not over?
    4) are they commenting in the same way or manner To Australia German or french blog sites?
    5) if none of the above is true to them, then are they here because they are racist towards Scottish people rather than an political election that has passed?
    6) is showing and displaying racism and browbeating a select group of people still a racist Crime?
    It stirred great curiosity in me as to why they are still here,
    Having rechecked their comments,reactions, and responses to others, ignoring the abuse and looking through the bluster to their narrative.
    We see Fear. Fear that the issue of a Scotland that may still yet gain independence.
    We see the underlying Fear from them, that the people of Scotland have not given up or went back in their box.
    We see by their responses, Fear being displayed in anger, like an animal trapped and cornered.
    We see instant reactionary Fear being displayed by them also when the people of Scotland discuss alternative methods of insuring Scottish independence.
    We would if we are correct in analysis see reactionary fear and retaliation to others from them, as we would see from any other cornered animal, this is normal behaviour when trapped.
    We see them display Fear at the thought of letting the Scottish people get on with their lives unsupervised by themselves.
    We see innate Fear being displayed from them, that the Scottish people might decide a different path if not mentally continually coralled and taught to to think differently.
    After studying the anger continued in their comments after the election has passed, after analysis of the chosen language they used we can make a few quite accurate assumptions.
    1) mentally they can not walk away or find it within their power to let situation go and move forward.
    2) they Fear that the situation may unravel before their eyes if not continually controlled.
    3) to subordinate their victim, adds to a feeling of self importance.
    4) their feeling of inferiority complex causes them to resort to using a debase form of language,
    5) their motives and therefore their behaviour displays an addiction they cannot control.
    6) Fear of a future that they may not be able to control is by far the driving factor, and an inferiority complex of being left alone to fend for themselves.

  119. cynicalHighlander
    Ignored
    says:

    Wow just wow!

    https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1389915279019450371.html

    Seems to go on forever.

  120. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    Mark Boyle says:
    10 May, 2021 at 12:43 pm
    @wull says:
    10 May, 2021 at 11:06 am

    ———–

    To be fair Mark they’re all at it with regards expenses. Why spend your own money when someone else will pay ie – US mugs.

    https://www.mpsexpenses.info/#!/all

  121. Anton Decadent
    Ignored
    says:

    Re German Greens and Gender ID, people seem to be forgetting that the EU helped to write the Denton Files which are a how to on how to force the legislation through via attaching it to other causes. The Greens are usually extremely pro EU and have priorities which are not environmental so it is unlikely that any European version would go against this.

  122. Kate
    Ignored
    says:

    @David Caledonia – why not take over one of the islands? That way you wouldn’t have to avoid an existing population containing ‘No’ voters. Just a thought. Crowdfund it. Many a ‘Yoon’ would contribute to it!

  123. John McNab
    Ignored
    says:

    David Caledonia at 10.30am

    So your suggestion for when, yet again, the secessionists just can’t get it over the line, is to put them all in a reservation?

    Good grief.

  124. Socrates MacSporran
    Ignored
    says:

    I see the “Seven years is a political generation” line being raised again on here.

    The first person to come up with that argument was Alex Salmond.

    It is one line the SNP should be using regularly in Westminster. Another, even-better line is the Thatcher one about electing a majority of pro-Independence MPs to Westminster would be grounds for Independence. That one should be uttered at them daily – it would be a brave Tory who said the Blessed Margaret was wrong on anything.

    A wee question, now that “Marmalade” is back among the SNP’s movers and shakers, they not only have the McCeausescus, they also have the McMarcoses – can we decide which pair is which?

  125. crazycat
    Ignored
    says:

    @ robbo at 11.30

    Since you’ve re-posted your question from the last thread, I’ll re-post the answer I put there – gives me the opportunity to correct my typo, too:

    Theoretically, it’s illegal not to register to vote.

    Years ago, someone I knew was employed to visit addresses where no-one had registered, to chase them up, and my (now deceased) neighbour, who never registered and was rarely in residence, used to received three or four reminders every year. He got away with it, but most people will comply.

  126. John Main
    Ignored
    says:

    “No serious democratic politician with an ounce of integrity could refuse to accept our mandate”.

    What effing mandate is that?

    I can recall, back in January or whenever, all the pro-Indy calls for the election just past to be made a plebiscite on Independence. Nikla, patron saint of convenient forgetfulness, could have done just that.

    She could have had that mandate if she had the balls to nail her colours to the mast and go for it.

    But she bottled it. In their heart of hearts, Scots voters know she bottled it. Bojo knows better than he knows the pattern on his own wallpaper that she bottled it.

    I wonder just what Bojo and Saint Nikla talk about when the mikes are off and their PA’s are out of earshot. I bet we will have to wait a generation, and by that I mean the universally accepted timespan of 30 years, to find out.

    I’m betting they agree to keep the Punch & Judy show going for another 5 years as that plays to their individual constituencies. BoJo has to be seen to be mastering the rebellious Scots to sustain his votes. St Nikla has to be seen to be constantly thwarted by forces beyond her control in order to sustain hers.

  127. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    A real nasty piece against Alex Salmond and the Alba party, by National newspaper columnist Stephen Paton.

    https://archive.is/DU89J

    Meanwhile the same paper has 9 pictures of Nicola Sturgeon today, at least two are accompanied by double-page spreads.

  128. Don
    Ignored
    says:

    @ David Caledonia 10 May, 2021 at 10:30 am
    “There is a very simple and easy way to take back our country, just tell Johnstone, and Sturgeon to feck off, nobody can govern without the will of the people being behind them.
    Just imagine for one minute, 100,000 independence supporters move to the highlands and set up their own rules and regulations about how they want to live in scotland.
    They obey the law if its serving the majority and not the minority of pervs and fancy boys as it does now, they do not pay income tax to keep the corruption and its benefactors fed and watered.
    They all club together in an equal union, build up a fund that takes care of everything like the infastructure of their little piece of scotland.
    Anyone that says this cannot be done, it has been done in america for decades and the government leaves them alone to get on with it, don’t forget these communities are armed to the teeth and will fight to the death if any government in america bothers them with their army.
    So there you have it, a solution to a problem that is easily fixed, just tell them to feck off, this is our scotland and if you want to stop us you will have to fecking kill us, cause you ain’t telling me how to live my life anymore, so fuck off ?”

    So how many days is that you have went without your medication now then ? No doubt though you will want Scot Gov to to provide you free prescription , Free NHS and Dole money though eh ? Which Blog have you been reading is it that planted this sort of complete dross into you Head ?

  129. Red
    Ignored
    says:

    What is the German Green Party position on Gender ID?

    The Deutsche Greens believe all the same nutty, self-harming stuff the North British ones do: gender self-ID for anyone over the age of 13, tedious gender quota nonsense in place of getting shit done, cult-like devotion to unlimited migration, aggressive de-industrialisation and prepping the locals for a permanent reduction in their living standards disguised as progress.

    Given that the future belongs to people who can be bothered to show up, it’s all just pointless displacement activity to kill time between now and Germany demographically dissolving into whatever societies inherit its territory, who will likely be a lot more realistic in their views (Erdogan would draw bigger crowds in much of Germany than Merkel does, and I don’t think he’s a big fan of wokeness).

    The political equivalent of autoerotic asphyxiation. But kink-shaming is probably some sort of hate crime.

    At least they’ll get to feel smug about it on Twitter, and that’s got to count for something in the end, right?

    Narrator: In the end, it doesn’t even matter.

  130. McDuff
    Ignored
    says:

    The only thing we have left is our voice and presence. When this covid thing has passed we need to assemble in our thousands and March in support of Alba promoting it as the true party of independence while also highlighting the SNP’s anti independence stance.

  131. Stephen
    Ignored
    says:

    Red
    Well that is really worrying.

  132. Lochside
    Ignored
    says:

    ‘John Martini says:
    10 May, 2021 at 10:38 am
    @scott

    ‘The people of scotland were not sovereign when they were bought and sold for british gold.

    People like you are 300 years out of date. Do you really think the UK is going to hand over the oil and gas? If it comes to it they will send in the army.’………………………………………………….
    ……………………………………………………….

    Are you a tag team of cretins? Martini when I read your contributions I am neither shaken nor stirred. But the one above stinks of either cowardice or trolling.

    Anybody who has been reading this site for anytime at all knows
    and can rest assured that the ‘UK’ is a ‘gold standard’ International Treaty between England and Scotland agreed in 1707. Therefore two de jure equal states in International law. Unfortunately, over three hundred years Scotland’s politicians have allowed de facto domination and oppressive rule over Scotland by England under the guise of ‘Britain’.

    Sturgeon and co. are continuing this subordinate stupidity deliberately with the Section 30 shite. We can dissolve the Union now , in Westminster with the existing majority of Scottish seats. But craven and certainly compromised Nikla will never do it.

    So we will be humiliated ad nauseum with bleating Blackford, blagger Black et al whining about the ‘democratic rights’ of Scotland’s people whilst being rogered by the Scotland Act being used all the way ‘up’ to the English Supreme Court as a judicial gauntlet for the final diminution and final extinction of our Sovereignty. This is the opportunity that the English elite have longed for three hundred years: the judicial execution of Scottish identity,

    As Alf Baird says earlier on this thread, until Scotland has leaders who ASSERT our SOVEREIGN RIGHT to call out our own destiny and journey back into the World, we are destined to be bound like slaves to Mother England’s ongoing depredations.

    And if our Sovereignty is allowed to become a football for the English and their corrupt judicial system to kick out of the park, then we should just turn the lights out as we have failed as a nation.

  133. Don
    Ignored
    says:

    @John Martini 10 May, 2021 at 10:38 am

    “The people of scotland were not sovereign when they were bought and sold for british gold.
    People like you are 300 years out of date. Do you really think the UK is going to hand over the oil and gas? If it comes to it they will send in the army.”

    Hate to be the bearer of bad News but Scotland already gets all its own Oil and Gas Revenues , you can find this on the Scot Government website on this page link
    https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/statistics/2020/08/gers-detailed-methodology-2019-20/documents/gers-detailed-revenue-methodology-2019-20/gers-detailed-revenue-methodology-2019-20/govscot%3Adocument/GERS%2B2019-20%2B-%2BDetailed%2BRevenue%2BMethodology.pdf

    Even the SNP’s own Economists say Oil should be used to budget for an Indy Scotland any more so try to catch up with what is going on in the real World nowadays https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-39178324

  134. Pete Roberts
    Ignored
    says:

    Just wondering, could women self ID-ing as men claim equal pay with men in situations where women get paid less than men for doing the same jobs?

    Or to put it another way, if men self-ID as women would their pay be downgraded to womens pay in jobs where women get paid less than men for doing the same work?

  135. Captain Yossarian
    Ignored
    says:

    ‘English and their corrupt judicial system’.

    The correct course of action from here is for our Lord Advocate to produce his legal advice to Nicola Sturgeon in support of another referendum and for her to publish it, unredacted…..correct?

    By the way, the English have good reason to be calling our legal system corrupt at the moment. I don’t think they are calling it that, but they could.

  136. Graf Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    Stephen says: at 1:26 pm

    “Bjsalba@11.52
    What is the German Green Party position on Gender ID?
    /
    I don’t know.
    It would be interesting to find out and also to establish whether there is any linkage across boundaries.
    It could be that Patrick Harvie and his band are just an aberration!”
    —————————

    The German Green Party (GGP) is nowhere near as mad as their counterpart in Scotland and would certainly not entertain being catagorised as gender Woowoo nutters. Harvie would just be a teaboy. 🙂

    Yes they are responsive to the situation or wishes of minorities such as refugees, immigration, gay or trans people.

    Trans issues are openly discussed and available to read on their website, e.g.
    https://www.gruene.de/artikel/fuer-das-queerste-grundsatzprogramm-aller-zeiten

    But one thing I can assure you of, WOMEN – adult human females, have a very big say in what happens in the GGP. They always have a woman/man double as the leadership and wo betide any man that thinks he can impose anything onto women or impinge on their rights.

    The Chancellor candidate for the GGP is a woman, Annalene Baerbock. She is a profi level trampolinist, mother of two, is a lawyer and did her Masters at the LSE. She’s gorgeous (shivers..) and is with 31% way ahead of any of the other candidates, 17% Scholz (SPD) or the CDU guy Laschet 9%.

  137. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    O/T but someone pointed me in the direction of this shitshow. Just fuck right off with your “kids of two or four making a decision”. They can’t decide which fucking flavour of ice cream to have in less than half an hour. Gimme peace. Must be a case of Munchausens. http://www.twitter.com/thismorning/status/1391708707805929473

  138. Moira Girvan
    Ignored
    says:

    Being totally honest – even I was somewhat carried away by the ‘hype’. Social media can be something of a goldfish bowl and you often get the message you want to hear or believe. The many photos of ALBA activists all over Scotland. The buoyant mood from the pro-ALBA bloggers. I was convinced that ALBA would get at least three or four wins. Alas, the numbers speak for themselves. The complete MSM blackout and the constant hostility directed at AS was – in the end – fatal. I’m not really sure how that can be undone. It’s like asking the UK media to have another think about Jeremy Corbyn. It just isn’t going to happen. Maybe I’m being too negative. But ultimately it’s the hierarchy of the SNP that will be undone by their own hubris. And when the majority of people who voted for them – in most cases twice – realise they are being conned. There will be No Infyref2 in this parliament.

  139. Stephen
    Ignored
    says:

    Graf Midgehunter
    Yes, I heard that the Greens were challenging as Merkel exits.
    I am reassured on reading your analysis.

  140. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    I’d have a little more respect for the Green politicians if they led by example and rocked up to Holyrood under their own power whilst adorned in homemade clothing manufactured from locally sourced materials.
    I mean, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.

    Sups another mouthful of birch sap I tapped from a nearby tree to re-hydrate, after finishing planting 3 dozen tattie plants, a hunner onions, 3 pumpkin and 6 kale plants…

  141. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    A large sports complex in Glasgow has been taken over by HM government , as a Covid testing centre. The landlord had no choice in the matter.

    This will be their testing facility for Cop climate summit in November…..no doubt. So much for health being devolved!

  142. Robert Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    Ok smart arse PaulaJ

    COURTESY

    Happy ?

    Ha Ha

    I didn’t think anyone read the pish I post oh well every days a School Day eh

  143. Effigy
    Ignored
    says:

    Can I point out the people of Scotland were declared Sovereign 701 years ago.
    That doesn’t get changed by any kind of document produced in Westminster and
    signed off by English politicians.

    The future of what belongs to the people of Scotland can only be decided by the
    people of Scotland.

  144. John Martini
    Ignored
    says:

    @lochside

    Scotland does not have a genuone parliament, crown or leaders. The powers are held by th UK parliament and crown. The english and scots parliaments were dissolved and the crown given to the United Kingdom.

    There is no body in scotland who can legally dissolve the union.

  145. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    No point greetin any more about it all.

    Dae something!

    Makes ye feel better instantly.

    Now Scotland and For Women Scotland are a perfect match for Alba – the best of talent in all three will create something powerful in time for the Alba June conference. Hopefully, we’ll have the opportunity to get together physically, and we’ll be free of the SNP1&2 roasters. No big loss!

    https://www.nowscotland.scot

    https://twitter.com/NowScotlandNow

    https://forwomen.scot

    https://twitter.com/ForwomenScot

  146. Captain Yossarian
    Ignored
    says:

    Effigy says:
    10 May, 2021 at 3:12 pm

    Get the Lord Advocate to set that case out and Nicola Sturgeon can publish it. That’s what we pay them to do. If they can get that done by Friday, it will save us all a lot of time….Agreed?

  147. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    Dan says:
    10 May, 2021 at 3:06 pm

    I really don’t think that saving the planet is their number one priority any longer – unless it’s by making sure the human race is extinct because everyone has transitioned and nobody is left to carry on the speicies.

  148. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    Dan says:
    10 May, 2021 at 3:06 pm

    I really don’t think that saving the planet is their number one priority any longer – unless it’s by making sure the human race is extinct because everyone has transitioned and nobody is left to carry on the species.

  149. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    Sorry – don’t know how that posted twice. Blame my current bout of RSI.

  150. Graf Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    Red says: at 2:37 pm

    “What is the German Green Party position on Gender ID?

    The Deutsche Greens believe all the same nutty, self-harming stuff the North British ones do: gender self-ID for anyone over the age of 13, tedious gender quota nonsense in place of getting shit done, cult-like devotion to unlimited migration, aggressive de-industrialisation and prepping the locals for a permanent reduction in their living standards disguised as progress.

    Given that the future belongs to people who can be bothered to show up, it’s all just pointless displacement activity to kill time between now and Germany demographically dissolving into whatever societies inherit its territory, who will likely be a lot more realistic in their views (Erdogan would draw bigger crowds in much of Germany than Merkel does, and I don’t think he’s a big fan of wokeness).”
    —————————–

    Red is another of the nodding donkeys with big mouths, no brains and thinks we don’t notice it. 🙂

    The GGP is an integrated part of German society, industry and politics.

    The German state of Baden-Würtemberg is the powerhouse of Germany with a huge car sector, the home of inventors, the Mittelstand (SMEs) was born here and has Germanys best cuisine. Even the little plastic dubel things that you stick in the holes to hold up your picture of the Queen are made there Red… you silly little boy. 🙂

    The GGP with Winfried Kretschmann has been the Government there for the last 8 years and was just reelected for another 4 years a few weeks ago with top results.

    They als run various cities, have mayors and have a very real chance of being the next Government of Germany in September.

    And while we’re here, despite Covid, the industrial sector is just starting to move along just nicely, thank you Red.

  151. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    crazycat says:
    10 May, 2021 at 2:29 pm
    @ robbo at 11.30

    Thanks crazycat.

    Well in theory if Alba even got 10% of those that couldn’t be arsed to vote then we’d huv goat a few seats. Maybe they should offer a free lollipop or balloon like the auld gypsie rag men used to do to get yer ma’s best fur coat! lol

  152. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    Bündnis90/Die Grünen the German Green party supports this.
    European Union
    Alliance 90/The Greens supports the eventual federalization of the European Union into a Federal European Republic (Föderale Europäische Republik), i.e. a single federal European sovereign state.
    Something considerably more whacky than even this.
    https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/01/15/germany-tessa-ganserer-transgender/

  153. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    An interesting take on the SNPs victory by George Kerevan, in which he doesn’t so much praise Sturgeon, but realises that she must be more than just lucky, in what looks like becoming the longest serving FM by 2026 if she stays on that is.

    Kerevan adds and I think rightly so that a niche has opened up for the Alba party left of the SNP, with the SNP now pandering to the middle and upper classes in Scotland, to afraid to hold an indyref without a nod of consent from them, that might come when the economy begins refilling their coffers again.

    Alba can get on with acquiring support from the common working man and woman, who seeks independence amongst other socialist type policies. The Alba party at present I think, just needs to grow over the next five years, and if Sturgeon hasn’t held her indyref by then, its very likely many who voted for the SNP, in the pretext that she would hold an indyref might decide to vote for the Alba party instead.

    One way or another we’ll see over the next parliamentary term how independence will fair under Sturgeons tenure. Sturgeon knows the talking will eventually need to stop and that action will need to take its place. There’s only so many promises on independence that the electorate will believe before they desert the ship.

  154. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    Ian Brotherhood says:
    10 May, 2021 at 3:17 pm

    Isn’t Now Scotland a bit like Business For Scotland and just another SNP fan club?

  155. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    Dan says:
    10 May, 2021 at 3:06 pm
    I’d have a little more respect for the Green politicians if they led by example and rocked up to Holyrood under their own power whilst adorned in homemade clothing manufactured from locally sourced materials.

    —————

    I bet ye auld Patrick Harvie turned up in a nice new tweed suit though, eh

  156. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    @Wee Chid (3.34) –

    No, I can assure you, it isn’t.

    I know some of the organisers and they’re as pissed off about what’s happening as anyone else.

    😉

  157. robbo
    Ignored
    says:

    Ian Brotherhood says:
    10 May, 2021 at 3:40 pm
    @Wee Chid (3.34) –

    Well get it sorted Ian B auld champ. Time & place and as long as you don’t bring Franky! lol

  158. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Robbo – I thought PJ Harvie’s suits were all made from recycled SNP peach ballots. Gets a new one every 5 years.

  159. Ian Brotherhood
    Ignored
    says:

    @Wee Chid, and anyone else who isn’t sure about Now Scotland:

    ‘Now Scotland evolved out of two mass online events held in November 2020 organised by members of the All Under One Banner team on the future of independence campaigning. Over 1200 people attended and were in support of establishing a mass membership organisation to resource campaigning and take forward ideas on campaigning during Covid-19 lockdown and beyond. A call for volunteers resulted in a fifteen-strong interim committee being elected by participants to set up the new organisation.

    A mass-membership organisation is needed to provide a democratic forum for the independence movement and to unite the Scottish people.

    Since 2014 the active independence movement has expanded by hundreds of thousands and overflowed the boundaries of the existing pro-independence political parties. Now Scotland is a unique forum that allows every supporter of independence an equal voice in determining the common direction of the movement.

    For the first time in modern history a consistent majority of the Scottish electorate now say they want to re-establish Scottish independence. This is a momentous turning point. Now Scotland provides a means for the rising Scottish nation to act together in a non-partisan way. We are open to everyone – party members, but also those who associate with no particular political party. We do not claim exclusivity, but we aim to provide a national umbrella organisation for all those active in the struggle for Scottish emancipation.’

  160. Red
    Ignored
    says:

    Graf – they’ve already proposed self-ID:

    Self-determination for ages 14 and above?
    It is this process that the self-determination law hopes to simplify, by replacing the 40-year-old Transsexual Law. Two separate bills, proposed by opposition parties the Greens and the pro-business FDP in 2020, call for a system that would allow self-determination for those aged 14 and above.

    “From the age of 14, young people can decide independently of their parents whether to join or leave a religious community,” Hümpfner pointed out. “Freedom of religion is a fundamental right. The recognition of one’s own gender identity is also protected by fundamental rights such as the protection of human dignity or the right to the free development of personality.”

    The proposed change to the law would allow individuals to change their legal gender. This does not affect the process to receive hormone treatment or surgery, which is carried out separately in consultation with a medical doctor.
    From DW

    Effigy says:
    10 May, 2021 at 3:12 pm
    Can I point out the people of Scotland were declared Sovereign 701 years ago.
    That doesn’t get changed by any kind of document produced in Westminster and
    signed off by English politicians.

    It also doesn’t matter unless the Scots, or our supposed leaders, are willing and able to make it matter.

    The guys who signed the Declaration of Arbroath are all deid. We can self-ID as sovereign all we like, but it’s action that changes history.

  161. sassenach
    Ignored
    says:

    Can’t wait too long, now.

  162. Robert Graham
    Ignored
    says:

    Aye the National does anyone really buy it ? I used to subscribe to the online edition but gave up because it became a Unionist magnet with no moderation whatsoever the punters posting the same pish about every article you could see some division but every single article it was obvious that Unionists had set up camp and were being allowed free reign , I was banned because I kept saying it must be a commercial decision to increase the site traffic ,haven’t bought it since,

    As for Steven Paton he used to do some clips about independence although he always struck me as being a bit young and probably a budding actor was his thing but Independence gave him a Audience so I guess he has to turn a coin ,it’s probably the same with the national hatchet job he’s just needing some attention and feels safe now the results are in ,it’s amazing what people will do for money eh principles well he probably has lots and all interchangeable just like the Weather

  163. James Che.
    Ignored
    says:

    John martini, you do not even have a legal crown to cling to. Edward the forth was born illegitimate,the wrong side of the bed as they say he was the son of a bowman.
    His supposed father the king was away fighting in the french wars when he was conceived, so much for the crown of Britain.
    Time teams tony Robinson did a documentary on the subject, look up “who is the real monarch of Britain, turns out to be an Australian bloke working on rice research,

  164. DJ
    Ignored
    says:

    Is it not time to place the Act of Union itself under the microscope, in terms of potential breaches (Brexit for starters). Could that even be done, through national and international court systems? Are there such avenues even available?

    I would really like to know.

  165. Effigy
    Ignored
    says:

    If a guy with a penis can legally say he is a woman
    you better believe I’m a sovereign Scot.

    If anyone says different against my race it’s a hate crime.

  166. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    “Our nation’s newspaper industry is full of deid heids. It’s time to start carving the inscription on its tombstone – Scotland’s Free Press RIP.”

    Worth a read and a bookmark if you haven’t done so already: https://jaggy.blog/2021/04/30/scotlands-free-press-rip/
    ________

    BTW, talking of good investigative journalism if anyone hasn’t seen the new Netflix documentary ‘Sons of Sam’ i’d also recommend that to fill some free time. Four-part documentary, each part lasting about an hour.

  167. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Wee Chid at 3.28pm

    I’m just waiting on the Green Party utilising this 2 minute Doug Stanhope vid as their next party political broadcast.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2o7y_b04YE

    Lucky Bruce Forsyth’s gone now as between deadly covid killing everyone, lockdown restricting any social liaisons, and folk wanting to hack off their working sex organs, we’ll be hard pushed to produce another series of The Generation Game!

  168. Graf Midgehunter
    Ignored
    says:

    Red says: at 3:53 pm

    “Graf – they’ve already proposed self-ID”
    ——————–
    I know and more than that, but knowing the GGP since about 45 years, they’ll discuss it to death or until the women (AHF) have decided what they’ll allow or not. 🙂

  169. Alan McHarg
    Ignored
    says:

    I think that the Sturgeon character should have a “spiv’s” moustache. That would just complete this snake oil saleswoman.

  170. Stuart MacKay
    Ignored
    says:

    Since the Union and sovereignty has come up in a couple of comments you might want to read this assessment of the election from Stephen Tierney (Professor of Constitutional Theory, Edinburgh Law School and Legal Adviser, House of Lords Constitution Committee.) in the UK Constitutional Law Association blog, https://archive.is/UURqG

    It’s a bit dry but it’s worth a read if only to realise what roadblocks or more accurately land-mines await any push for a referendum and any push contingent on the result.

    You’ll note of course in the article that everything is framed in terms that benefit the status quo i.e. England, oops I mean the UK.

    It’s going to take a leader with the boldness of Alexander to cut through the legal Gordian knot that is being used to tie down Scotland.

    Not saying it can’t be done but we all know who’s not going to be able to do it. Perhaps an application for legal aid can be drafted in time.

  171. Stoker
    Ignored
    says:

    DJ says on 10 May, 2021 at 4:01 pm
    “Is it not time to place the Act of Union itself under the microscope, in terms of potential breaches (Brexit for starters). Could that even be done, through national and international court systems? Are there such avenues even available? I would really like to know.”

    And so would quite a few of us. I’ve seen a few folk raise this suggestion over the past couple of years. But there’s one major problem as far as i’m concerned, there has to be the political will & skill to do it. Unfortunately i believe there is a major major deficit of both amid the current crop of snp “politicians”, Joanna Cherry aside of course.

  172. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    One has to wonder why the unionist powers that be, still tend to rely on Gordon Brown when it comes to trying to convince Scots to remain in the union.

    Scots are well aware that Brown an ex-politician with absolutely no political clout is toxic to the majority of the Scottish public, we all recall Brown’s and the Daily Record’s failed Vow, which after no won in 2014 that it wasn’t fulfilled.

    Brown’s unionist think tank, Our Scottish Future, has set its sights on stopping Scottish independence, Brown says it will make a case to reform the UK, of course we’ve heard all this before and I’m pretty sure Boris Johnson has his own ideas on how to keep Scotland chained to this one sided union.

    The case for Scottish independence was made years ago, and its even stronger now with Brexit thrown into the mix.

  173. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    Dan says:
    10 May, 2021 at 4:05 pm
    Great – nae weans so I can burn the hell oot o hoose coal till I’m deid – if it’s no banned yet.

  174. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    Swindler’s List – Episode 3 – The Chronicles of Roddick

    Doubling down on stupid, I note Emma(North) is still blaming Alba voters…

    https://twitter.com/Emma_Roddick/status/1391665287032868874

    She’s clearly not worthy of an Alert Reader badge.

    https://wingsoverscotland.com/dawn-of-the-imbeciles/

  175. Lochside
    Ignored
    says:

    John Martini says:
    10 May, 2021 at 3:17 pm
    @lochside

    ‘Scotland does not have a genuone parliament, crown or leaders. The powers are held by th UK parliament and crown. The english and scots parliaments were dissolved and the crown given to the United Kingdom.’

    There is no body in scotland who can legally dissolve the /union.’
    —————————————————————–

    I think Martini that you are very confused and ill informed. No crown was ‘given’ to England in 1707. If you mean the Union of Crowns in 1603, then a Scottish Monarch, James the V1 inherited the Crown of England.

    In 1707 both England and Scotland’s Parliaments voted to co-join with agreed numbers of Scots and English M.P.s. This ‘Union’ was a political act of bribery and corruption. Enacted by a Scottish assembly in Edinburgh unelected by popular Sovereignty. A group of aristocratic crooks who were bribed by the ‘Equivalent’ a sum of £398,000 paid directly to the lords who were bust. The country of Scotland was not broke despite all the propaganda since.

    England’s debt , incidentally, was £14 MILLION !!. Spent on the wars of Spanish Succession. So don’t believe the hype about how Scotland needed England, it was and still is the other way about.

    A mutually agreed Union however can, in law, be severed by one party. Even Maggie Thatcher realised that. What you and all the Unionist drones keep suggesting is that the anti-democratic selling of Scotland’s people into the ‘Union’ should be sustained in the present time of universal suffrage, whereby the people decide who and where they are ruled by. Just to remind you..Scotland’s people and elected representatives has asserted itself several times via the DECLARATION OF ARBROATH and two ClAIMS OF RIGHT…the most recent in 1989. These clearly assert Sovereignty rests with the PEOPLE of Scotland.

  176. Alan Thoms
    Ignored
    says:

    The Scotland Act is watertight. It is not within the remit of the Scottish Parliament to demand a referendum. Sturgeon knows this, and would get nowhere by at taking legal action. She is now taking another tack in demanding of Westminster why Scotland shouldn’t have yet another referendum. The answer is simple. The Act of Union accompanied with the Scotland Act gives ALL the power and leverage to the Westminster Parliamment. Sturgeon can huff and puff but she won’t get her way. Incidentally the SNP failed to achieve an overall majoriy. In addition 51% of those who voted on Thursday voted for parties committed to the Union. This is not to mention the large percentage of the electorate who did not vote. One could assume that these folks are not committed to independence. If they were surely they would have voted for the one trick pony that is the SNP or even Alba.

  177. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Neither Boris Johnson or Nicola Surgeon are idiots. Neither want a referendum anytime soon. So folks, prepare yourselves for a long-drawn out gameshow over the next few years (yawn). Its just a game and we have two master players participating. Seriously, these two are more than capable of stringing the constitution drama out for a long time. The object of the exercise will be to let us down gently and then bore us to death. Boris wants to bury independence for good, Nicola want to put in on ice indefinitely, and they will get away with it unless:

    The indy movement keeps fighting, out campaigning and marching as soon as possible, and Alex Salmond and ALBA stay in the game, maintaining pressure. It’s a long haul folks, but this isn’t a cup final (never was), it’s a war of attrition. The last person standing wins. Noone said it was going to be easy. Keep fighting and we can win, but be prepared for setbacks like last week. We can win.

  178. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    Dorothy Devine says:
    10 May, 2021 at 11:26 am

    “I am quite astonished by the folk I once considered rational but who have decided he was guilty never having heard the evidence or attended court. I am equally astonished by some of the farcical charges made by supposedly grown women and accepted by the Procurator Fiscal.”

    Same here. Got told he was to be far less trusted on women’s rights than Sturgeon because of the “bad behaviour he admitted to”.

    The person didn’t want to know any details about the case or who the women were and closed the discussion when I pointed out that it was Sturgeon and the SNP who wanted to stand a c**k in a frock in a constituency reserved for a woman. Fingers in ears blah, blah blah time – Nikla Good, Alex Bad.

    Very frustrating.

  179. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Sturgeon knows she cannot force Johnson to budge and that he has the weight of the establishment on his side. She knows this, but is playing along – because she is playing for time. She just doesn’t seem to want a referendum anytime soon but knows that she has to be seen to be fighting for it – so she chooses to fight on ground where she knows she will loose. Job done. She just ain’t ready for the big showdown yet – maybe she will never be. 🙁

  180. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    I think there should be a speech bubble coming from Johnson that says:

    “No serious democratic politician with an ounce of integrity could refuse TO DELIVER such mandate, when that politician commands a supermajority of Scotland’s MPs in Westminster, heads the biggest share of Scotland’s parliament seats, holds the biggest share of the vote and every condition they stipulated as requirement for the activation of that mandate has been reached”

    I think that toon is has the outfits of the characters swapped. It’s Nicola who should be wearing the clown outfit. Because only the biggest clown would ask the electorate for a mandate only to let it expire after they have handed for free a veto to the opponents of the mandate.

    Just like Nicola did.

    If you have to compare clown levels between Sturgeon and Johnson, frankly, I am not sure who is the biggest clown, if he who says no or her, who hands over free vetos so he can continue to say no.

  181. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    “The only thing we have left is our voice and presence. When this covid thing has passed we need to assemble in our thousands and March in support of Alba promoting it as the true party of independence£

    McDuff @2.37pm.

    I think the Alba party will grow over time, I think there’s a niche for it to the left of the SNP. As for Sturgeon and the SNP, we need to over the next few years hold her to her promise of holding an indyref. Her promise to hold an indyref cannot be left to fade into the background and quietly kicked into the long grass after interest in this election has died down, it must be kept in the foreground.

    Afterall many voter who voted for Sturgeon voted in the pretext that she will secure an indyref in the coming years, we cannot yet again let another mandate pass us by. So I suggest when and if in the next five years it doesn’t appear that Sturgeon has any intentions of keeping her promise of holding an indyref we demonstrate in large numbers.

    This could take place outside Holyrood and Bute House, we can’t remove her but we can demonstrate to get our point across, that we want her to fulfill her promise on holding an indyref over the next five years.

  182. Stuart MacKay
    Ignored
    says:

    Strange no mention so far of Craig Murray’s latest foray into the world of trans-rights, https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2021/05/those-scottish-elections-and-what-happens-now/

    The phrase: “when you’re in a hole…” springs to mind.

    Ah well, going to take Daisy’s lead and redirect funds in Alba’s direction.

  183. Anton Decadent
    Ignored
    says:

    If and when a referendum arrives a way to ensure a win is for everyone to self declare themselves a transwoman and produce five children made up of sticks and a ballon with a face drawn on it as a head. Once they come of voting age it’s a done deal and surely no one could say that they are not real children. You could reall feck up random guys lives by insisting they’re the father and demand child maintainance payments and that a DNA test would be a denial of your lived experience.

  184. INDEPENDENT
    Ignored
    says:

    Well Stu,
    Everybody seems to have missed that this was explicitly the result that you predicted Nicola Sturgeon planned for.
    No overall majority propped up by the Greens again.
    Allowing her all the wriggle room she needs to keep kicking the can down the road.
    Ref AS not starting Alba Party early enough?
    You also correctly predicted that NS would draw out the proceedings for as long as she could for exactly that reason.

  185. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Twitter is awash with SNP followers. Telling all critics to be quiet and drop the negativity.

    I have one thing to say to that. 2014 was 7 years ago. Sturgeon has been in power for 7 years. Yet here we are in 2021, and we are still arguing with Westminster about the right to hold a referendum. Nicola first requested the right in 2017. She said it wouldn’t stand! Well it’s stood for 4 years Nicola.

    Who’s to say it can stand for another 4 years.

  186. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Independent – You are right.

    Nicola arranged this. She knew that the SNP couldn’t win a majority on the first vote, but also knew that she couldn’t win a majority with the 2nd votes included. So she squandered 20 plus list pro indy msps , for the sake of 2 SNP mps.

    Only a narcissistic control freak would commit such and act of self harm to the movement.

  187. Red
    Ignored
    says:

    Graf – I don’t mean to be unkind to mullet-sporting lederhosen fanciers, but that’s the kind of muddled complacency that explains why this thing called “Germany” isn’t long for this world, whether they get their wish to dissolve themselves into pan-European structures or not.

    You claim there’s a great future for German industry when they’re busily ensuring there won’t be. Can’t have heavy industry without cheap energy, and the double whammy of extremely restrictive carbon rations and effectively outlawing the only viable alternative to fossil fuels is like sawing away the branch you’re sitting on while merrily whistling The Happy Wanderer. They even want to stop Nord Stream 2, which is lol.

    Perhaps BMW factories can make their cars using flower power on windy Tuesdays in future. Not that it’ll matter when internal combustion engines are illegal and the average pleb can no longer afford a car, or much of anything else.

    You claim “the women” won’t allow gender self-ID when they’ve already put forward proposed legislation to do exactly that. Btw I’m not convinced that being completely whipped by the fraulines is something to boast about. Unless they look like Jet from Gladiators and you’re into that sort of thing.

    A lot of people hate Tayyip Erdogan because they can’t handle his epic bantz and dapper moustache, but he’s a far better leader than anything Germany or the rest of Europe has. Turkey isn’t deliberately trying to make its people poorer, or encouraging children to aspire to castration, and they know fine well where babies come from and actually want to have families.

    Mon the Sultans of Swing.

  188. Scozzie
    Ignored
    says:

    Stuart McKay @ 4.44pm
    I’m truly baffled by CM’s doubling down on trans rights. I suppose that it’s a good example of intellect doesn’t equate to common sense. He really seems like he’s on the trans train – probably could be invited onto a cabinet position with the SNP.

    I have to say I’m so disappointed in him, I honestly thought he could at least understand women’s position on this. He seems to have bought into the ‘be kind’ mantra.

    I still wish him well tomorrow in his sentencing.

  189. susanXX
    Ignored
    says:

    Commenting on an earlier post: Stephen/Stephanie Paton is one of those weirdos who think they’re the opposite sex. His opinions are not worth wasting time on.

  190. Stuart MacKay
    Ignored
    says:

    Scozzie

    Nobody has anything against genuine trans folk who have to go through 7 circles of Hell. However it’s been shown time and time and time and time again it’s the misogyny and predatory behaviour towards women and children that the carpet baggers and opportunists bring that’s the problem!

    From the blog post:

    Personally I am extremely frustrated at the extraordinary alignment between

    Never-never Independence supporters and trans rights,

    versus

    Independence Now supporters and trans exclusion

    There seems no logical connection between the two….

    Somebody clearly wasn’t paying attention in class when all the alarm bells about 51% of the pro-independence vote walking out the door and never returning.

  191. Argus
    Ignored
    says:

    I know how worried we all were about how Ruth Davidson would cope after leaving Holyrood.

    Apparently we can relax:

    https://www.cityam.com/ruth-davidson-in-for-85000-payday-as-she-joins-royal-london-board-as-ned/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

    £85,000 for 30 days a year – nice work if you can get it!

  192. Breastplate
    Ignored
    says:

    Alan Thoms,
    There you Unionists go again, why do you assume that people who don’t want to vote for independence are on your side?
    Surely, that would mean that the same point could be used against you, that people that didn’t want to vote for the Union are not on your side.

    The truth is that many feel disenfranchised and don’t give a shit who gets in because they believe nothing will change for them either way.

    Also, do you actually know what a referendum denotes?
    Because if you do you must be undemocratic and if you don’t, you must be an idiot, maybe there is another explanation that you can show me.

  193. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    I was reading this morning the comments of an article in the National from Paton re Alba (I totally skipped the article because by the title it sounded just like another embarrassing session of high pitched pathetic whining against Alba and Mr Salmond).

    What amazed me the most was the complete lack of self awareness and the gargantuan sense of entitlement that SNP supporters (or trolls working for Murray Foote, you never know) showed in that comments section.

    Among the idiot or two who attempted to discredit ALBA by attacking Mr Salmond (yawn) and by for one hundredth time attempting to undermine the verdict of the criminal court (double yawn), there were others who simply thought that the only thing they needed to do was get rid of ALBA so all ALBA voters would run back like damsels in distress to daddy SNP.
    As if!

    It hasn’t yet clicked in the brain of these people that Alba voters are not coming back to the SNP. I am certainly not coming back. it still hasn’t dawn on them that Alba voters are voters the SNP has ALREADY lost, not about to lose.

    They are so ungrateful that they have not yet brought themselves to admit (maybe they are so incapable to read the room or so indoctrinated that they did not realise yet) that it is thanks to Alba voters that they won two of the many constituencies they got.

    But oh no. They somehow believe they OWN Alba’s votes and ALBA’s voters and the only thing they can possibly think of is that those 44,000 votes for ALBA in the list, if cast for the SNP would render more MPs in the list for SNP.

    The lack of self awareness criticising the loss of 44,000 votes when they lost over one million because of their stupidity SNP1 SNP2 and which they sacrificed in the altar of the overblown ego of their mediocre leader is frankly a sight to behold that matches the complete lack of awareness, maturity and integrity and the enormous sense of entitlement of that McDonald SNP MP with his embarrassingly tacky hahaha tweet.

    If any of the SNP members is reading this, please know that my ALBA vote belongs TO ME. It does not belong to the SNP and never did. If ALBA did not exist, I would either spoil my ballots or vote for somebody else. I would not vote SNP and in fact you can quite confidently say that I cast my last vote for the SNP in December 2019.

    So stop making fool of yourselves by treating Alba’s voters as if they were SNP voters who escaped the corral, are somehow lost and desperate to come back. We are not lost. In fact we have found our way and we got the map, thank you.

    Sturgeon’s SNP ALREADY lost our votes and the sooner you stop considering our votes yours, the sooner you will start to ask yourselves why it is that some ex SNP members felt the need to leave the SNP so you can stop more SNP members leaving your party and joining ALBA.

    The only reason why many ALBA voters cast their ballot for the SNP in the constituency was because Mr Salmond asked them to do so. If he hadn’t, you would be mourning today the lost of another 2 seats. So frankly, it really takes the pinnacle of ungratefulness to criticise the man for giving you two seats.

    It would not be amiss that instead of directly criticise our list votes, which by the way we have the right to vote for whoever the fck we want, you actually THANK Alba, for giving your party constituency votes that your party does not deserve.

    Stop looking at OUR 44,000 votes and start looking at YOUR own one million votes that YOU lost and that have ensured YOU let 46 unionists to enter Holyrood by the back door because YOU follow the entirely wrong advice from a leader who has no intention to deliver independence.

    It is about time your own up that if you had voted tactically, you would see a significant number of pro independence ALBA candidates getting in instead of the 46 unionists that your leader’s flawed strategy let in so they can stop the referendum on her behalf.

    ALBA voters do not owe the SNP anything at all. The SNP owes ALBA voters two constituency seats. ALBA did its part for a supermajority for pro independence. The selfishness of a weak leader who could not possibly face real challenge by a real pro indy leader, led you to waste one million of your pro indy votes to ensure she had 46 half baked unionist as an opposition instead and she could feel superior. I guess those 46 half baked unionists are the only way your leader can keep the pretence she is independent and she is a leader.

    So before you criticise ALBA’s backyard, take a good look at your own front garden, where dandelions and moss appear to have completely taken over your lawn after 6 years of your leader totally neglecting the grass.

    Even after the election, the continuous, almost desperate attempts to poison Alba’s roots by the SNP praetorian guard (among which I now include the National), convinces me even more that this election was rigged with the sole purpose of stopping any ALBA candidates reaching Holyrood.

    There is some kind of deja vu here. I have the impression they were hoping that stopping ALBA entering Holyrood, would kill the party. Just like they expected the complaints procedure and relentless smears would kill Mr Salmond’s political come back. Well, they failed then, they will fail now.

    You can kind of see a resemblance here in the modus operandi. Everything points at the same: an absolute fear, panic actually, at Mr Salmond coming back to the front line of politics.

    I cannot be the only one who wonders why. Why is it that all these mediocre politicians are so terrified of him that cannot possibly even entertain the idea of a fair fight (metaphorically speaking) face to face against the man so they have to use every method in the book of rules and the book of “against the ethical rules” to stop the man getting anywhere near a lectern so they can pretend he does not exist?

    Mr Salmond against an army of political pygmies. Every attempt they made to smear him, to stop him reaching debate, to stop reaching a seat makes him bigger and them smaller.

  194. Mark Boyle
    Ignored
    says:

    Stuart MacKay says:
    10 May, 2021 at 4:44 pm

    Strange no mention so far of Craig Murray’s latest foray into the world of trans-rights, https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2021/05/those-scottish-elections-and-what-happens-now/

    The phrase: “when you’re in a hole…” springs to mind.

    Ah well, going to take Daisy’s lead and redirect funds in Alba’s direction.

    It’s come to something else when I’d sooner listen to this former ambassador than that one …

    https://cutt.ly/VbAq2ji

  195. Grey Gull
    Ignored
    says:

    Alex Salmond on Radio Shortbread just now. Didn’t hear it all but it sounded not too bad an interview despite Johnnie Beattie getting a wee dig in at the end about his character. Alex saying he’s had more invites onto the MSM in the last 3 days compared to the last 6 weeks. Hope that continues and the Alba party gets some proper media attention.

  196. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    “Only a narcissistic control freak would commit such and act of self harm to the movement”

    She is not so much a narcissist as an incredibly weak leader and even weaker pro-independence who could not possibly cope with direct challenge from a real pro independence leader and the challenge of somebody else moving her from her comfort zone by demanding negotiations for independence to commence.

    In the same way Starmer’s labour only looks “left” when something like UKIP is nearby, Sturgeon only looks pro independence when Sarwar, Rennie and DRoss are near by. If Mr Salmond or any other ALBA candidate were present, her faux facade of pro-independence credentials would crumble in a matter of seconds.

    I am of the opinion that her (and her praetorian guard of MPs)’s demanding SNP1 and SNP2 was the way to ensure all those unionists would get in because she needs them. She needs them to continue vetoing indyref for her and she needs them to keep the pretence that she is pro independence.

    If I learned how d’Hont works in an afternoon, hell, surely these individuals with the amount of expensive advisors they have would have learned it even quicker.

    Exactly as Daisy predicted, she deliberately fought against the supermajority by asking over one million of SNP voters to waste their votes so 46 unionist could get in.

    But I still think Mr Salmond played a blinder and even being out of Holyrood he is the actual winner. He has exposed their vindictiveness and their fear to ALba. Also, by saying days before the election that if ALBA got in and there was a pro indy majority he would ask for negotiations for independence to commence (personally I think this is what sentenced Alba’s fate in this election), he put indyref in the middle point and simultaneously he put the procrastinating queen and Westminster in the back foot.

    For as long as ALBA is going, Westminster cannot say they do not support a referendum because if they do they will do so in fear that next years’ council elections can become a plebiscite for outright independence. In the same way, if Sturgeon delays the referendum too long, the plebiscite will go ahead with or without the SNP joining in.

    Hence the whines and desperation for ALBA to fold down and for Mr Salmond to leave the leadershiip of the party. Hence the faux wrestling match between Gove and Sturgeon. All for the gallery.

    Please Mr Salmond don’t step down as leader. You got them exactly where we all wanted.

  197. Liz
    Ignored
    says:

    Re George Ks opinion of NS. Yes many people worship her but one reason she did well, is cos the MSM held back when we all know, they could destroy her, the way they did with AS.

  198. Salmond dindunuffin
    Ignored
    says:

    Stuart MacKay says:
    10 May, 2021 at 4:44 pm
    “Strange no mention so far of Craig Murray’s latest foray into the world of trans-rights”

    As much as he deserves the right to blog without state interference Murray’s political positions, whether because of questionable political judgment or some other reason, has always been flawed.

    There was no sane reason to go to lengths of special pleading he did to maintain that Putin wasn’t the obvious culprit to have poisoned Skripal, and that other innocent member of the public who was collateral damage.

    No surprise then that he’s a fickle friend to reality in other ways.

  199. Duncan Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    How many Greens will make it into Ministerial roles? What will be the cost to the SNP for Green compliance?

    More importantly, what will be the cost to us?

  200. Scot Finlayson
    Ignored
    says:

    Could Craig Murray have been given an offer he couldn`t refuse,

    `go to jail or join the establishment`

    he knows fine there is no transphobia only the will to protect vulnerable woman and children from so called transactivists and Kirsty Blackman.

  201. Terry
    Ignored
    says:

    Most feet on the ground delivering and campaigning on the election was for Alba. None of them paid. Unlike the staffers in the snp. Quite a few of alba volunteers were snp members going under the radar. That was in my city. It was great to see the brightest of those still in the snp doing this. Others had jumped ship to Alba. . Other new faces appeared.

    Compare this to the snp complaining they couldn’t get volunteers locally. We are committed. This scenario was replicated round Scotland.

  202. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    “they could destroy her, the way they did with AS”

    They did not destroy Mr Salmond, Liz. If they had, you would not have an army of British state useful idiots since the election results in the first constituency were announced desperately ramping up the smears against Mr Salmond, even after his party (if you are to believe the results, which I don’t) did not get a single MSP and absolutely desperate to fold Alba down. Since the moment the first constituency was announced, the British state propaganda mouthpieces couldn’t possibly contain themselves giving already all sort of predictions that ALBA would not get even a seat. Never mind that all the other constituencies were still to come and there was no exit poll and the pre election polls pointed at Alba getting seats. It was as if they already knew the result even before the counting took place. The National even went the extra mile by leaving Mr Salmond completely out of the picture of party leaders in their live run of the election BEFORE the counting started. Bizarrely, they only included Mr Salmond in the picture when the first day of counting has been completed and it was clear that the votes they expect us to believe were cast, would not give ALBA even one seat. You could smell that something was afoot.

    It is pretty remarkable. Even when they threw the entire British state apparatus to stop Alba getting in Holyrood, they are still continuing with the smears. But make no mistake. If they do is because they know they did not destroy the man and they fear him as much today as they did in 2017.

    Mr Salmond has withstood FOUR years of continuous vicious, cowardly smears, innuendo, an absolutely disgusting undermining of and disregard for the verdict of a court of law and portraying perjurers as victims. And yet, there he is, still standing way taller than Nicola Sturgeon will ever be as a politician no matter how high the heels she chooses to wear. She would not last the day if the press were after her in the way they were after Salmond.

  203. James Che.
    Ignored
    says:

    Lochside, well said and explained,
    Detail explanations are probably not my forte’ as I don’t have much patience trying to explain to those who ignore factual history so they can try mislead others,
    The corruption of history by those whom wish to control win its favour is not the same as facts,
    You proof that working together we can destroy propaganda.
    And like effigy, I believe I am sovereign here in Scotland the same as every other Scot.
    You can give it away only if you don’t fight for it, or you’re have been fooled into thinking it’s been already given away so therefore you do not stand by it.
    However the word “sovereignty” itself explains what it means, and as you state it is a recognised part of Scottish history for hundreds of years,
    Regardless of the propaganda protagonists, Not one unionist disputed her statement that Scottish people were sovereign on live interviews this last week, nor did they protest and say it was false when AS used to say it as first minister in MSM interviews. Westminster has not denied it, they cannot deny it, in fact the Scottish people have the right to chose their government, according to Westminster, placing sovereignty of people higher than any parliament.
    I do not repeat this for the protagonists benifit, but for the people who are unaware of their position here in Scotland.
    Simply stating Scots are not sovereign needs to come with proven fact based information and documentation disproving our claim.

  204. Liz
    Ignored
    says:

    @mia they have destroyed his reputation with many indy supporters.
    Most of my family think AS is toxic.

  205. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Mia at 5.28 , thank you – that fair cheered me up and spurred me on!

    I tried to write the word ‘jildied’ and thought to check the spelling – it doesn’t seem to exist in the Scots dictionarys that I tried on line , anyone know how to spell it?

  206. Stuart MacKay
    Ignored
    says:

    Scot Finlayson

    I doubt it, that’s where his adherence to principle would give him the backbone to resist.

  207. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:


    https://archive.is/qdqA1

    Interesting… but then again, we know it happens, and we know the Electoral Commission doesn’t give a flying fk.

    But added to the grubby shenanigans of the SNP stabbing ALBA in the back and gifting List Seats to Unionists, the known state of the BritNat media skewing the narrative and excluding ALBA from debates, it just draws a thoroughly rancid picture of Scottish politics… clearly unfit for purpose.

    I know it’s too radical for some people, but a Constitutional “reinvention” of a Scottish Parliament which puts Scotland’s Constitutional sovereignty upon a pedestal and clears out all the carpetbaggers and careerists, could be fleshed out into a much wider argument than merely being pedantic about constitutional definitions. It may be there is an argument for throwing the Holyrood baby out with the bath water if it makes way for a true Constitutional Parliament and clears out the crooks and weirdos, and sweeps in a much more constitutionally astute mechanism of government.

  208. ScottieDog
    Ignored
    says:

    @Liz
    Yes I found myself facing an uphill battle when talking to family and friends who I thought were well enough read to see what was happening to AS.
    My wife faced a tirade on Facebook when she mentioned Neale hanvey. Comments such as “why are you defending a rapist?” amongst other unsavoury stuff. The man is always guilty and that’s that.

    I had wondered if it was better if AS was more behind the scenes in Alba, yet he is far too talented a politician to be on the sidelines. The thought of the chimps tea party in holyrood negotiating our secession is terrifying.

    So sod it, let AS be the front and centre of Alba. I’m a member. If folk don’t like it they can bugger off. I’m sick of the disgusting specimens who call themselves media. Even the so-called ‘pro-indy’ journosaurs as I call them – such as Ruth Wishart simply discarded the guy without any investigative journalism of her own. They are protecting their quarterly shot on the Scottish nine. That’s what’s most important to them, not the truth.

    The guy is innocent and the truth matters, and he’s he’s on a different political scale to anyone sitting in holyrood. All the happy retirees such as mike Russell, hang your head in shame.

  209. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    So, just as predicted, once re-elected, the SNP put independence on the back burner AGAIN, until the next election, when they will mumble about it, with vague ideas, then do nothing.

    I mean, Nicola Sturgeon has now literally adopted the mantra of Theresa May, ‘Now is not the time’.

    Nicola Sturgeon is as much a threat to the union as Douglas Ross the Tory-boy suck-up linesman. She is stringing indy supporters along.

    How stupid some folk on the indy side are, that even now, they still cannot see the bluff they are being fed. And the media play along, bigging up the supposed ‘threat’ of an indyref, making it sound like it really could happen, when both they and Nicola Sturgeon know it won’t. All carefully choreographed.

    She is a fraud. Pure and simple. By the time of the next Scottish election, she may well be thinking of retirement. Nicola Sturgeon will NEVER instigate, lead, or try to win an independence referendum.

    All entirely as REV STU predicted.

    Boris can sleep easy, the union is safe in Nicola’s hands.

  210. Tom
    Ignored
    says:

    A new and strengthened Britain is emerging, without most people realising.

    We now have two British establishment parties; the Tories in Westminster, and the SNP in Holyrood, both committed to the same neo-liberal agenda, and to the status quo.

    And they need each other. The Tories need Sturgeon to keep enough independence supporters enthused and under her control, to avoid the rise of a more dangerous and unpredictable opposition, as ALBA had the potential to be. They owe it to Sturgeon for keeping the lid on ALBA, with Sturgeon happy to oblige, very successfully – in their joint interest.

    Conversely, the SNP need the Tories. Without Brexit, an English-nationalist parliament in Westminster, the loathsome Boris and his anti-Scots rhetoric, Sturgeon would have nothing to rail against. Instead she’d have to find other reasons for independence, which there is no evidence she intends doing.

    Of course, she’ll bring on her independence bill in Holyrood, when ‘the time is right’, after covid, whenever, and Johnson will ensure it gets nowhere, or that the referendum is granted, but only in such a way, and with such a question, that the Union is guaranteed to win. So again, both parties benefit; Johnson saving the Union for those of that persuasion, and Sturgeon (nominally) fighting for plucky wee Scotland against the hated Tories and, as expected, keeping SNP true-believers under her thumb. Which, all round, just amounts to more of the same.

    Now, I’m sure the wily Sturgeon knows exactly what she’s up to, but I’m not sure Johnson does. In fact, the British tail (Scotland) is clearly wagging the British dog, which is why so many ultra-Unionists (for example, Andrew Neil in this morning’s Daily Mail) are in such a political tizz.

    But really, there is nothing for them to worry about. Independence is off the agenda for the SNP, whatever the fancy rhetoric. For those who disagree, let’s hear and see the evidence to the contrary.

    The Tories should buckle down and play the game. There are many ways they could recover the political initiative, including granting Sturgeon the Section 30 order she says she wants, but dreads having. If they did, the independence movement would get slaughtered in the referendum, and that really would be the end, not just for a decade or so, but ‘The End’.

    We have two populist leaders in Britain, one north and the other south, each shoring the other up, but one pretending otherwise, and the other not quite (yet) getting it. One completely unscrupulous, and the other a bit of a showman, and also just a bit dim.

    Nicola Sturgeon, defender of the Union. Who’d have thought it.

  211. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    “they have destroyed his reputation with many indy supporters”

    Clearly not near enough to make the British state feel anywhere near safe. If they did, they would not continue with their petty smears AFTER the election results were released and Alba has no seats.

    It is clear as day that Mr Salmond’s salvo of demanding negotiations for independence to commence after the election scared the bejesus out of the British state and the fraud.

    They did not destroyed him. He is destroying them. You will not hear now Johnson saying so quickly no to a referendum because they all fear Alba going into the council elections next year and the GE after that on a mandate to ending the union. Sturgeon has pushed us back so far that any door that indy supporters can see now open to accelerate independence they will take it, leaving her behind.

    Mr Salmond has now made indyref look like the only chance the British state has now to stop Scotland ending the union and Sturgeon being left behind.

    He achieved that in 6 weeks, while the queen of procrastination wasted SIX YEARS dishing waffle. That proves he is nowhere near finished. He has just started.

  212. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    “Everybody seems to have missed that this was explicitly the result that you predicted Nicola Sturgeon planned for.
    No overall majority propped up by the Greens again.”

    Independent @4.45pm.

    I don’t profess to be a political nerd, but I’m pretty sure that Sturgeon would’ve preferred to have gotten a majority, not specifically for the indy cause, but to allow her party to make and pass policy without having to ask another party for their support.

    After the first option above, having Green MSPs in the chamber to rely on I think would be Sturgeons second route of choice, for they both seem to sing of the same hymn sheet on certain matters such as gender policies, and the Greens backed John Swinney on his VONC’s saving his bacon.

  213. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks,

    You have a good idea. Perhaps you are correct, that Holyrood will need throwing out.

    Perhaps ALBA candidates at the next general election could stand on a mandate of a majority meaning the union will end, and an immediate convening, post-independence, of a new true sovereign Scots parliament (or multi party constitutional convention), thereby sidelining the SNP wastrels in Holyrood. No messing, no referendum, just a clear electoral mandate – and let’s not forget, Holyrood already has a notional majority for indy anyway.

    If, as LOndon often tells us, holrood is a subdivision of Westminster rule, then surely with indy it would need to go, anyway. New elections.

    Now that, I would vote for.

  214. Cenchos
    Ignored
    says:

    The problem with gender/sex self-ID. Part 1,984.

    If there is one thing about men I know, it is that it is not safe to allow SOME men into women’s spaces, regardless of what sex or gender or pronoun you would have them known by.

    SOME men are beyond any labeling, beyond any prefixes and suffixes, and WILL use any excuse, justification and rationalisation whatsoever to put their penis in anything/ anybody that they desire.

    Do not stand there holding the door open for these men. It only takes one.

    Robert Black would have loved it.

  215. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Today and tomorrow MSPs will swear allegiance to the Queen and her heirs and successors. That kind of puts Holyrood into perspective with regards to parliaments of other countries around the globe, that are independent nation states.

  216. willie
    Ignored
    says:

    Couldn’t agree more that Alba is her to stay.

    The Party has elected MPs and elected council officials. It has over 5,000 members across all of the constituencies in Scotland.

    The Party created itself, raised cash, and got campaigning in the teeth of a media blackout, smear campaign and unrelenting message from the SNP to vote 1 and 2.

    And the party gained votes. Not enough to take any list seats but enough to more than establish itself. And establish itself putting down roots, growing in strength it will. Alba will campaign next year in the council elections. Of that there is no doubt.
    But for now Nicola will be trying to spin it that her minority government is a success. Bit folks know better and Alba will be on the SNP’s shoulder.

    Alba will grow and become the predominant independence party. Guaranteed.

  217. Carol Neill
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m such a parrot but I still think Eck has a plan , he’s no thick

  218. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    The only thing giving me hope, is the ALBA party. The SNP are a pro-devolution party now. They just talk about independence to win elections. All very cosy, in their extremely well paid jobs that require very little actual work.

    I mean, there are not many jobs in Scotland that offer talentless unionists like Douglas Ross or MI5’s chum, Stewart MacDonald, 65k a year plus expenses. I mean, Holyrood is in recess for hald the year, and doesn’t even sit for the whole week. Part time job, 65k a year.

    What a scoosh. Club 18-30 reps everyhwere, your new career (once you get too old) beckons. Great pension too.

  219. TNS2019
    Ignored
    says:

    Tom says:
    10 May, 2021 at 6:47 pm

    A new and strengthened Britain is emerging, without most people realising.
    We now have two British establishment parties; the Tories in Westminster, and the SNP in Holyrood, both committed to the same neo-liberal agenda, and to the status quo.
    Nicola Sturgeon, defender of the Union. Who’d have thought it.

    You have nailed it Tom. My thoughts exactly.

  220. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    Carol Neill,

    I think you are quite correct. Alex Salmond seems to thrive on this kind of thing. A master of his craft – and that’s what scares the living daylights out of nobodies like Sturgeon.

  221. Liz
    Ignored
    says:

    @mia, do you always like to have the last word.
    I didn’t say AS was damaged, I said his reputation was and sadly it is.

    There was talk of folk crossing the floor if Alba had achieved a few seats.

    I don’t see this happening now but or could give some of them more guts to push NS to keep her promises- I know, no laughing at the back there.

  222. Carol Neill
    Ignored
    says:

    Funny thing is , I was never very keen on eck till this pile on against him started . Once ALBA was launched I was right in there
    I have a little granddaughter to protect

  223. Stuart MacKay
    Ignored
    says:

    Grumpy Scottish Man has a good take on why Alba won the election – https://grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com/2021/05/10/who-won-the-election-alba-won-the-election/

    There’s also an entertaining post from Wilderness of Peace that mixes The Thing with the upcoming referendum – what’s not to love, https://grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com/2021/05/10/who-won-the-election-alba-won-the-election/

    More fun reads, all in one place at voices.scot

    (Don’t worry I’m not making this a habit – well not too often)

  224. Captain Yossarian
    Ignored
    says:

    Tom says:
    10 May, 2021 at 6:47 pm

    The SNP have ‘put a smell’ on Alex Salmond, as they say. That’s Scottish politics for you; a veritable shite-house at the moment.

    The other way of looking at it is that all of those who have taken us through the pandemic have been rewarded.

    A clearer picture will emerge in a month or two.

  225. Stuart MacKay
    Ignored
    says:

    Ooops, messed up the second link. Should be https://wildernessofpeace.wordpress.com/2021/05/09/the-john-carpenter-blues/

  226. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    “I didn’t say AS was damaged, I said his reputation was and sadly it is”

    Mr Salmond is a politician. Reputation is fundamental for a politician and that is why Sturgeon and the British state have been desperately for the last 4 years attempting to destroy his reputation.

    If you say his reputation is damaged, then you believe he is damaged.

    Well, I don’t. I believe he will come out of this stronger.

  227. Carol Neill
    Ignored
    says:

    Wish I was as techno-savvy as some but I’m not so I’ll just add my tuppence worth when I feel like it

  228. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    Grey Gull @ 5.41
    If Alex is now being invited onto mainstream media programmes then it definitely seems that there was an embargo on interviewing him or even mentioning ALBA in the weeks before the election.

    Of course they will still try to get their little digs in but Alex will trump them when he explains how 1 million votes have been wasted. If even half a dozen recognise what he is saying then that will reap benefits.

  229. Mia
    Ignored
    says:

    “There was talk of folk crossing the floor if Alba had achieved a few seats”

    What is stopping them crossing it now?

    Do they believe in Alba or the possibility of moving across was only an opportunistic attempt to be on the side of winner, just like voting for the Hate Bill or supporting the erosion of females’ rights?

    If there were some MSPs/MPs thinking about moving to ALBA this is precisely the time to do it. The SNP + the Greens have a majority of just 6/7

    Even just 2 SNP MSPs moving to ALBA would have an effect and give ALBA a presence in parliament, which is what Sturgeon and the British state have desperately attempted to stop.

  230. Sharny Dubs
    Ignored
    says:

    Mia@7:27.

    I believe the whole point we need to make clear is that what they tried to do to Alex is unacceptable and this kind of political control should not work despite their efforts to make it the norm,

    IMO Sturgeon figures independence is a slam dunk so she is working to make sure an independent Scotland is a “Woke” Scotland with all the power controlled by a genderwoowoo SNP.

    We should combat this at every level and make Scotland a place where the modern madness has no home.

  231. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    So as usual Salmond has explained Gove’s comments.

    He is saying that WM won’t block the referendum, because that would be political suicide. Gove will just arrange a member of the public to challenge the referendum. Probably Scotland in Union. That way it drags it through court and the Tories can say it wasn’t them.

    He also said it would take Nicola at least 3 years to get a referendum if she started right now.

    Now that she has admitted nothing is happening this year. We are looking at 2024 at the very earliest.

    The whole ting is a giant con.

  232. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Mia

    Re. Crossing the floor. Probably best to give it some time and see how things play out.
    Plus legitimate reasons for doing so may transpire.
    All it would needs is for someone to get an MSP to state if they agree with the dictionary definition of woman, and if they answer in the affirmative, BOOM!, they’d probably be suspended, or thrown / hounded out, and I’m fairly certain they would still retain the backing of their constituents should that occur.

  233. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    ALBA also has two MP’s sitting Westminster. Neale Hanvey and Kenny MacAskill…

    I hope they’re busy.

    Actually, what I really hope is that they might be using their situation to resurrect the modern equivalent of the Scottish UN Committee, founded by Willie MacRae…

    https://www.electricscotland.com/independence/scotlandun.htm


    “… Willie’s efforts were not in vain, because the Scotland-UN Committee that he helped to found later cracked the home rule nut for the first time in 300 years with a brilliant international diplomatic action that restored the Scottish Government and Parliament, and thereby gave the SNP the key to the door for its independence project…

    https://www.electricscotland.com/independence/scotEUMcRae.pdf

    I very much hope Alex Salmond can do something similar to what Willie MacRae did, tackling head on the “prevailing” unconstitutional misconceptions, which are in fact, sinister colonial beachheads and encroachment currently being entrenched by both Westminster and Holyrood.

    Scotland’s freedom lies in Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty. It is the key. It is a covenant between the Scottish Nation and the sovereign Scottish people, and nobody, neither at Westminster nor Holyrood can rewrite it.

    I very much hope Joanna Cherry is in the loop too.

    Read these links people. It will fill you with hope. To me, this Constitutional stuff feels like eating a proper meal after interminable weeks snacking on junk food. It’s about the laws, the distinctions, the meanings of words…. There is a substance to it which is nowhere to be found in the current political climate, and the hand we’ve been dealt is greatly impoverished without such knowledge and expertise.

    Go through the links folks. Yes, I know, it’s largely focused around Devolution, indeed the UN-Committee was would up after Holyrood reopened, but it’s the method, the process, the thinking, the reinvention of arguments which should never have been allowed to go stale.

    I sincerely believe that Alex Salmond and Willie MacRae are cut from the same cloth, and Alex Salmond can finish what Willie MacRae started.

    I also believe Scotland’s unconstitutional subjugation with Brexit turned into an act of colonialism forced upon Scotland contrary to the emphatic democratic will of the Sovereign people, can, if we so choose, be the spear point which brings down the Union as a Treaty which has been irredeemably breached. It is a subjugation that is thoroughly incompatible with the Treaty of Union, and what Scotland needs in a Scottish UN Committee to somehow crack that nut, and make it stick.

  234. James Barr Gardner
    Ignored
    says:

    Dorothy Devine says:
    10 May, 2021 at 6:26 pm

    I tried to write the word ‘jildied’ and thought to check the spelling – it doesn’t seem to exist in the Scots dictionarys that I tried on line , anyone know how to spell it?

    Jildy comes from the Indian word for hurry up “juldee”. It was a common place word when the UK had ties with the Indian in colonial days and WW2.

  235. Hatuey
    Ignored
    says:

    If Eck has a plan, now would be a pretty fucking good time to tell us about it. “I’m wearing a cardboard belt…”

    Seriously, now is the time for a Scottish Brexit-type party that takes a no-nonsense, scathing stance towards the Holyrood troughers and their perversions. And I don’t just mean the SNP; they’re all in on it.

    We have all been hamstrung and distracted by the fake independence debate. There’s a case for temporarily dropping the whole subject and taking a look at not only the other weird crap that’s been going on in the background, but the inaction too.

    I’m sick of the same old crap record playing over and over… “we’re going to invest in the NHS, we’re going to encourage women to go back to work by reducing childcare costs, and we’ll make every dirty thought you ever had a legally recognised gender…”

    As all that’s been going on the country has been falling to pieces. Isn’t there more to our economy and lives than the NHS? It’s a bottomless pit.

    Most people know I don’t have any time for cultural crap. But maybe it’s time this nationalist movement of ours became really nationalist. If the hat fits, right? We’ve tried the left-wing liberation movement pitch. Maybe it’s time for a huge and dramatic right turn.

    Show me the Scottish equivalent of Nigel Farage and I’ll show you a guy capable of winning our independence.

  236. Kcor
    Ignored
    says:

    All those SNP 1 posters here, how are you now feeling about your SNP 1 vote?

    Any regrets at all?

  237. Franky
    Ignored
    says:

    Alex Salmond is finished, and should retire with as much grace as possible.

    Anything he is associated with from now on will get nowhere.

    ALBA didn’t even get 2% of the vote.

    If he continues to front Alba at the Council elections they will receive a similar show of support.

    ALBA need a new face. If the last election didn’t prove to you that Alex is damaged goods, then I don’t know what will.

    I think the hardcore Salmond/SNP voters are actually a very thick shower of numbuts. You seem to be a bit slow on the uptake.

    “Behind the curve” would be a good description of your little clique.

    Alex Salmond has got to be heaven sent for the likes of Sturgeon and the media.

    So all those who voted SNP, they are here for the foreseeable future.

    And the Salmond clique need to face reality and the facts.

    Prove me wrong!!!

    We should have took a hit at this election and voted for anybody but the SNP.

    But the selfish among you just couldn’t help yourselves.

    2031 will be your next chance to take back control of your destiny.

  238. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    Franky says:
    10 May, 2021 at 8:13 pm

    “some drivel”

    You’re supposed to cut out the green bits, not eat them. Must do better. Wire brush & Dettol for you.

  239. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    I see the evening shift trolls have clocked in. The British and Scottish establishments must be really crapping their pants if they are trying so hard lol.

    Salmond Baaaad!, ALBA Baaaad! Geez you sound like a flock of sheep.

    All the more reason for ALBA to stick around. We must be doing something right if they are so scared – even after their great “victory” last week. 🙂

  240. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Franky @*.13pm.

    I beg to differ there, in my opinion the Alba party wouldn’t have achieved 2% without Alex Salmond at its head, nor would we have seen the switching of several MPs and councillors to the party without the political titan that is Alex Salmond at the party’s head.

    No if there’s a finger to be pointed at anyone one or thing for Albas showing in the elections it should be pointed at the BritNat controlled media who blanked out the Alba party and Alex Salmond unfairly because they know he intends to bring independence to Scots.

  241. Brian Doonthetoon
    Ignored
    says:

    Yes, I agree, Republicofscotland.

    BBC Scotland, STV and “the papers” starved Alba of publicity – and they did it deliberately! If the plebs don’t have the info, how can they make an informed decision?

  242. Don
    Ignored
    says:

    @Big Jock 10 May, 2021 at 7:57 pm

    “So as usual Salmond has explained Gove’s comments.
    He is saying that WM won’t block the referendum, because that would be political suicide. Gove will just arrange a member of the public to challenge the referendum. Probably Scotland in Union. He also said it would take Nicola at least 3 years to get a referendum if she started right now.
    The whole ting is a giant con.”

    Its a Con alright but by who on who ? https://www.holyrood.com/news/view,michael-gove-refuses-to-rule-out-court-action-over-second-independence-referendum

  243. Papko
    Ignored
    says:

    @Republic
    I agree with this
    “I beg to differ there, in my opinion the Alba party wouldn’t have achieved 2% without Alex Salmond at its head, nor would we have seen the switching of several MPs and councillors to the party without the political titan that is Alex Salmond at the party’s head.”

    But if this is true, surely it would be up to the SNP to say “vote list Alba” -as the list garnered them 2 MSP’s afterall. And if there was a flaw in the voting system to be exploited and IF the SNP wanted the “supermajority” Then surely if all the “Ifs” aligned then they would of done ?

    “No if there’s a finger to be pointed at anyone one or thing for Albas showing in the elections it should be pointed at the BritNat controlled media who blanked out the Alba party and Alex Salmond unfairly because they know he intends to bring independence to Scots.”

    What did the “BritNAt media” have to do, to exculpate themselves ?

    Surely they should of interrupted SNP broadcast with “SNP1 ALba2 regardless of what the leader of the SNP has just said, vote Alba and get a Supermajority”

    Does not seem plausible to me.

  244. Franky
    Ignored
    says:

    Scott
    Luigi
    Republic of Scotland

    Regards my post at 8.13pm

    When I said you lot were “behind the curve”, you just proved my point.

    And no one mentioned ALBA were bad. I said they need a new face.

    Jesus, you lot are thick.

  245. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Don @8.43pm.

    Yes in the unlikely event that Sturgeon does push for an indyref within the next five years, I heard on a radio programme that individuals such as Gina Millar who took the UK government to court over Brexit, could do the same with regards to the legality of the SNP holding an indyref.

    In that aspect I can understand why Gove hinted that the Tory government wouldn’t challenge the decision, and damage their credibility on democracy, probably because they’ll be financially backing, or at least advising certain individuals who want to contest the decision.

  246. John Martini
    Ignored
    says:

    Alba are finished. They never really got started/

  247. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    “But if this is true, surely it would be up to the SNP to say “vote list Alba” -as the list garnered them 2 MSP’s afterall.”

    Papko.

    No political party is going to endorse another party running against them (even if its on the list) in an election. Sturgeon would rather waste over 1 million list votes to gain two SNP list seats than endorse Alba. Sturgeon didn’t ask voters to give their buddies the Greens their second vote either.

    “What did the “BritNAt media” have to do, to exculpate themselves ?”

    Show parity to the Alba party, but its a bit late now the elections have past.

  248. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    James Barr Gardiner , thank you! I knew the meaning ‘getting a jildy on’ but I thought it was a Scottish word .

    How fascinating that like pyjama and bungalow it came from India.

    I’m fair chuffed to learn that.

  249. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    “Alba are finished.”

    Pray tell John Martini, just why are Alba finished…this ought to be good.

  250. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Franky @8.52pm.

    Its well past your bedtime son, tomorrow is a school day.

  251. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    Republicofscotland says:
    10 May, 2021 at 8:53 pm

    Don @8.43pm.

    Yes in the unlikely event that Sturgeon does push for an indyref within the next five years, I heard on a radio programme that individuals such as Gina Millar who took the UK government to court over Brexit, could do the same with regards to the legality of the SNP holding an indyref.

    Any referendum held in Scotland will be run according to Scots Law, as always.

    Court of Session would be the first place for any “GM type” to place a challenge….I’m moving to Edinburgh & opening a ‘Popcorn & Let’s Laugh At The Press t-shirt’ emporium.

    I could run a poll of the electorate in Scotland & there’s bugger all Michael Gove or DRoss or any other deluded Tory could do about it.

  252. John Martini
    Ignored
    says:

    Because they can’t get elected as they are associated with an unconvicted sexual predator in the eyes of 99% of scots folk.

    How is alba meant to appeal to your average ethnic scot.

  253. Andy Ellis
    Ignored
    says:

    @Republicofscotland 8.53pm

    It was always entirely predictable that some random British nationalist with more money than sense of democratic values would bankroll such a challenge. It’s something many people have warned of for years, in fact for about as long as we’ve been wondering why the Scottish government steadfastly refused to put the matter beyond doubt immediately after Westminster first said: “Now is not the time.”

  254. PhilM
    Ignored
    says:

    On the subject of complete nobodies saying Alex Salmond is finished, just remember he who laughs last laughs longest. There’s still quite a way to go in the whole saga and if all you have are one liners such as Alba is finished and they couldn’t get more than 2%, whilst neglecting to mention the complete absence of MSM coverage then you’re not contributing anything at all of substance and I wouldn’t trust your motives as far as I could throw you.

  255. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    John Martini says:
    10 May, 2021 at 9:16 pm

    average ethnic scot


    What’s one of those?

  256. John Martini
    Ignored
    says:

    @philm

    It’s over. You will never be independent. You are a minority.

  257. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    JBG, sorry about the intrusive ‘i’.

  258. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Scott.

    Save me one of those T-shirts for when the day comes. lol.

  259. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    Big Jock @ 7.57

    So, do you think a Baroness or other peer of the realm could challenge the Scottish government over a referendum or is that too close to the seat of Government?

  260. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    “Because they can’t get elected as they are associated with an unconvicted sexual predator in the eyes of 99% of scots folk.”

    John Martini 99% you say, do you have proof of such a wild accusation, or is Occams Razor more likely to apply here in that no airtime equates to no votes, because many folk don’t realise your party exists.

    I thought that the Alba party did exceptionally well considering it at the time was only weeks old, and faced a media blackout.

  261. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Andy Ellis @9.21pm.

    Yes Andy I think its highly likely that this scenario will unfold, if by chance Sturgeon did attempt try and hold an indyref.

  262. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    ” and I wouldn’t trust your motives as far as I could throw you.”

    Indeed PhilM, John Martini and Franky in my opinion are only on here to demean and post negative comments, better just to ignore the shills as I shall do from now on.

  263. Tommo
    Ignored
    says:

    Did I dream it or did Sturgeon say to Andrew Marr over the weekend that she hadn’t spoken to ‘her’ law officers about the legality of passing Scots legislation for a referendum? If so That must mean that either;
    1She hadn’t even bothered which seems unlikely or
    2. She’s lying because the advice doesn’t suit

  264. John Martini
    Ignored
    says:

    @republicofscotland

    I’m sure you really meant Ockham’s razor as Occam’s is bullcrap

    Occam’s Razor – all things being equal, that which is easy for most to understand, and as well conforms with an a priori stack of easy-to-understands, along with what I believe most scientists think, tends to obviate the need for any scientific investigation. A false logical construct invented by SSkepticism to replace and change the efficacy of Ockham’s Razor, the latter employed as a viable principle in scientific logic. Occam’s Razor was a twist off the older Ockham’s Razor, which was slight and almost undetectable, but can be used to reverse the applicability of the more valid thought discipline inside of Ockham’s Razor. “All things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the correct one” is a logical fallacy; constituting a completely different and antithetical approach than that of Ockham’s Razor. Occam’s Razor can only result in conformance based explanations, regardless of their scientific validity.

  265. ian murray
    Ignored
    says:

    Over a million list votes for the SNP produced only 2 seats
    Something like this should be the mantra for ALBA for the next 5 years
    The population does not understand the D’Honte system we have now got time to educate folk

  266. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Joanna Cherry to return to work.

    https://archive.is/zpldC

  267. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Meg – It could be any wealthy Tory donor, who challenges the referendum.

  268. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Keith Brown on the Nine. Advising he welcomed softening of Tory language on referendum. So he goes on to say :” When we require a Section 30″.

    Did I miss something? The Section 30 should be requested immediately, if the referendum is to happen in this term. He is suggesting not asking until maybe next year.

    So the SNP win an election and don’t even bother asking for a Section 30.

    I will guarantee that this time next year. We will still be talking about a section 30

    Alba will be waiting for the defections.

  269. MaggieC
    Ignored
    says:

    Reminder about Craig Murray’s sentencing at court tomorrow and the dial-in details for it .

    Supreme Courts Hearing Access

    High Court of Justiciary
    Case: Sentencing Hearing – Petition and Complaint re Craig Murray
    Date: 11 May, 2021 Time: 9:45am
    Dial (United Kingdom toll): +44-20-7660-8149
    Access code: 137 361 4070

    Wishing Craig all the very best wishes for tomorrow although in my opinion he shouldn’t have been charged in the first place .

  270. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000vxl3

    Alex Salmond start 1:21:24

    It’s the only interesting part of the programme the rest is the some old bla bla.

  271. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    Big Jock says:
    10 May, 2021 at 10:10 pm

    Meg – It could be any wealthy Tory donor, who challenges the referendum.

    Nobody can challenge the holding of a poll of the electorate if it conforms to Scots Law.

    Tell everyone you know.

    Ask them to tell everyone they know, please and thank you.

  272. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Ruby. I was listening to Salmond on the John Beattie show. What struck me was how gifted he was at communicating and explaining. I was dreaming it was pre- 2014 , and Nicola had just been a bad dream.

    Alas Salmond is not the FM anymore. We are stuck with 2 votes Sturgeon. Sturgeon who has just enabled 31 Tories.

    The imposter is in office, but not in power.

  273. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Scott- Unfortunately they can.

    If a referendum bill were debated and passed, it would then be open to legal challenge by any citizen based in Scotland or organisation directly affected by Scots law. For example, in 2016 the UK Supreme Court, which has the power to overrule the Scottish Government, blocked the “named person” scheme until it had been amended.

  274. stuart mctavish
    Ignored
    says:

    @Ruby
    Alternative interpretation might be that all the voters who said they’d vote for Alex Salmond last July were seduced back to both votes SNP by lockdown season2 and an outstanding election campaign.

  275. holymacmoses
    Ignored
    says:

    I think Mr Murray’s done enough to stay out of jail and given that his wife has just had a child, I don’t suppose I can blame him for helping the woke folk

  276. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    What a big fuss about a referendum.

    It’s only to find out what the people of Scotland want FFS.

  277. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    I was watching Murdo Fraser on Newsnight just now. All I could think of was ‘Nicola you did this to us’. Along with every dumbass SNP 2 voter.

  278. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    Big Jock says:
    10 May, 2021 at 10:10 pm
    Meg – It could be any wealthy Tory donor, who challenges the referendum.

    Reply

    What would they be challenging?

    The result or the the right to have our say in a referendum?

    What would be their chances of winning?

    It would be interesting but I would be very surprised if she/her calls a referendum without Big Boris’s permission.

    We need a revolutionary leader and she/her definitely ain’t that basically she/her is a dud.

  279. Scott
    Ignored
    says:

    Big Jock says:
    10 May, 2021 at 10:57 pm

    Scott- Unfortunately they can.

    If a referendum bill were debated and passed, it would then be open to legal challenge by any citizen based in Scotland or organisation directly affected by Scots law. For example, in 2016 the UK Supreme Court, which has the power to overrule the Scottish Government, blocked the “named person” scheme until it had been amended.

    You’re confusing legislation with the right of the private citizen.

    I’ll repeat…I can run a poll of the electorate that conforms to Scots Law and nobody can stop me.

    If the people of Scotland weren’t sovereign, they’d have no right to seek Judicial Review, they’d have to seek redress through Westminster.

    English Law has Judicial Review as a gift from the Executive only. The Tories want to limit it in England.

    That right should be fiercely protected by Scotland.

  280. Mel
    Ignored
    says:

    Simple arithmetic should indeed determine whether or not there is a majority for independence.

    Except it doesn’t. A little over 30% of the electorate voted for Nationalist parties and a little over 30% of the electorate voted for the Unionist parties. But more of the electorate decided not to vote for either.

    It’s a certainty that some who voted for Labour want Independence and some who voted for the SNP and the Greens don’t want independence.

    And of course Scots living outside of Scotland have no say.

    So it’s anything but simple trying to work out numbers.

    Easy to suggest if people don’t vote they don’t have a say, but their silence means Nicola does not speak for them, and therefore does not speak for the majority of the people of Scotland.

    The Independence movement has to engage these non voters in order to succeed.

  281. Stuart
    Ignored
    says:

    Not sure I’ve ever seen a country whereafter 300+ years of apparent “subjugation “, where at any given time approximately 50% of the population don’t see the ” benefits” of Independance from the “subjugator “??

    Must be “Scottish exceptionalism ” , or maybe just maybe you’ve “missed the boat for “reasons”.

    Please believe me , even as a Unionist I am not disparaging you, its clear most of the people on here are passionate, honest people, who truly believe in an Independant Scotland, I may disagree with your aspirations, but I would never doubt your passion, honesty and integrity.

    I’ve said it many times and been ignored many times (which is your right), learn from people who face the same (but different) problems In their lifes, the only difference being with their constitutional position (like that matters to a Geordie who has been placed on the scrap heap of life, just as welder from the shipyards of the Clyde has, for example )

    I spent an afternoon with my wife’s Brother this afternoon, who is facing the results of his post chemo scan tomorrow, which will tell him how long he has to live

    The guy left school at 15 ,went straight down the pit,then when they closed joined the Army. He never in his 62 years would have ever dreamt of voting anything other than Labour, yet even though he will likely never see what he voted for, he voted Conservative last week.

    He’s not thick or bigoted or swayed by any twat from the MSM, he is just anormal working bloke or was, just as every normal bloke or woman in Scotland, and like Labour in both countries, they’ve left him and millions of others, he hasn’t left them.

    My point is that don’t fall for the bullshit pervaed by not only the Labour Party, but also the SNP and to an extent Alba of “othering” people exactly the same as you, just with a different accent and memories of history, “othering” has a different meaning to these weirdo’s, the world over.

    It doesn’t at the end of the day, if you believe in an Independant Scotland matter a flying feck if you invite the rest of the Union to vote, what their motives are. Whatever you say it affects people in all four corners, whether that be emotionally or economically, that is the Reality, might not be what you wish for but its true.

    You can’t change history no matter how strongly you feel, its not possible. As you can’t change the political reality of where you are. Yeah as I saw some numpty suggest today you can decamp to the Highlands and live outside society… Good luck with that.

    Just have a go at not calling Unionists whether weak ones or not, idiots, scum etc, whether or not you engage with them , you’ll always need to persuade a lot of them to your way of thinking. Have a look at Sir Kneel for details. And BTW please finish with this Corbyn crap about the press etc, compared to Alex Salmond, it just doesn’t work, one is a complete patriot, the other a complete fuckwit who hates everything about his country and still thinks he’s in the Students Union, a total middle class wanker, whose never worked a real day in his pathetic life, and as a Statesman can’t even pretend to tie Salmonds boots, but hey he hates what you hate so must be OK.

  282. Stuart
    Ignored
    says:

    Also, nobody ever answered why the English cannon fodder were so inferior to the Scottish cannon fodder at Bannockburn or wherever in their “nobility”, guess as cannon fodder they didn’t count

  283. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    As I have said numerous times, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Craig Murray.

    But if we are going to start sharing criticisms then I do find his far left of centre politics and ball-aching woke politics utterly tedious and dead end.

    If anything fucked YES in 2014 is was being seen to court the far left and pander to them. They are alas poison as has been shown in the years subsequent where they pretty much took over and then destroyed the SNP from within.

    This seems a natural break point. I wish Craig all the best but I can’t support his views anymore. Financially or otherwise.

    Good luck bud, I genuinely mean that. No hard feelings at all. You are an extremely brave guy (today is no better testament to that) and I will always respect what you did during Salmond’s darkest hours.

  284. Effigy
    Ignored
    says:

    The reason that there are so many willing to vote unionist
    is the lack of statements from SNP as to why we need to part from Westminster.

    Where are the full page adverts calling Boris out?
    That man wrote a poem about us being Verminous Scots.
    He printed a statement on how he hates the Scots, how
    he would put us in a ghetto and eliminate us.
    When the Tories announced 3,000 HMRC jobs in Scotland where to be
    relocated to Croydon he said Good, he would always invest a pound in
    England before Scotland.

    Where will the Scottish public learn that in the Brexit negotiations, small EU
    Federal states like Wollonia get a say in what Scotland’s relationship with the EU
    but Scotland uniquely gets no say in it whatsoever?

    How about every Tory walking out of Westminster when SNP stood to speak about Brexit?

    Do Scots know that if every single Scottish vote on Brexit was to remain, the English majority
    would still have ripped us out of Europe?

    Has SNP presented how much Scots have to pay on interest for English debt.
    How much do nuclear weapons cost us?
    How much for England’s HS2 rail?
    How much for England’s new Nuclear power plant?
    How much handed out to Tory supporters in rogue Covid contracts?

    Why did Scotland have 25% of U.K. casualties in World War 1 when we had 10-12% of the soldiers?

    Our Scottish politicians should be smacking us in the face with stats like this but not one bloody word.

    WHY?

  285. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    Stuart says:
    11 May, 2021 at 3:13 am

    Please believe me , even as a Unionist I am not disparaging you…

    Aren’t you?

    You perhaps don’t see it, but your take on Scottish Independence strikes me as lazy, like you’ve never gone out of your way to find out why some people want Independence. You’ve just imagined yourself as an Englishman in a Scotsman’s circumstances and speculated how you’d feel about it.

    You reveal the same lack of empathy as the “London based media”, who broadcast their own opinions like they’re a world authority on Scotland, while in Scotland, it’s so off beam and discordant that it takes a few minutes to register they’re actually talking about Scotland.

    You see equality as us being at one with the downtrodden unfortunates at the low end of your society, yet never do you recognise the upper levels of wealth, prosperity, achievement and opulence which are strangely absent in Scotland because that level of achievement is siphoned off by a parasitic Union. That’s not being derogatory, the Union feeds on Scotland’s resources, denies us our own nutrients, yet thinks because it feeds us baubles and trinkets we don’t want, and tasteless gruel so we don’t starve that we should lap it up and be won over by your benign generosity.

    Ask yourself honestly why would you resent Scotland having its own independent news and media Broadcasting service? Why must Scotland be chained in subservience rather than the loyalty of mutual respect and true friendship? We don’t make that decision. The UK does. Scotland has a sovereign Constitution which introduced societal concepts way ahead of its time, yet so profound and far reaching it formed the basis for the American Constitution. But in the UK that historic constitutional status is maligned and denigrated, and bogged to the axles in UK colonial sludge.

    We don’t need the brotherly advice from a chancer who spends our money like it’s his, tells us who our friends are, can’t socialise with our friends and picks fights to impress his chums. It’s embarrassing frankly, and it isn’t a right you were given, it is a right you have taken upon yourself. You are not even our brother, despite you’re steadfast endeavours to shore up the fallacy of a “British” nation which has in reality NEVER existed.

    The Union to Unionists seems some kind of Borg-like assimilation which changed everything right down to our DNA. It’s bullshit. The Union to us is just a bogus paper Treaty signed by bribed t(raitors) who hadn’t the pips to sign it in the first place, which Westminster has interpreted for 300 years as licence to plunder all things Scottish for the good of an English nation who’s “noblest” contribution to the “deal” was to allow itself to be called the United Kingdom rather than England.

    Scotland hasn’t inhaled a breath of free and unfettered air in over 300 centuries. We can’t, because there’s a lodger who is living in our house and thinks he own’s the place. Our life is on hold, our aspirations held in check, and our plans for the place cannot move forward until he’s gone.

    We honestly don’t hate the English. That is your simplistic notion devised by you to paint the picture that we Scots are unreasonable and intemperate. We are not. Quite the reverse. We are just thoroughly exasperated that you have overstayed your welcome and helped yourselves to things which weren’t yours, and you’re just not taking the hint that it’s time you were on your way.

  286. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    Stuart says:
    11 May, 2021 at 3:13 am

    “My point is that don’t fall for the bullshit pervaed by not only the Labour Party, but also the SNP and to an extent Alba”

    So, like your brother in law we should just comply with and endorse the open corruption of the Tory party? I’d rather never vote again in my life.

    As George Carlin says (paraphrasing) “Don’t blame the folks who didn’t vote, blame those who voted them into office” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxsQ7jJJcEA

  287. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    Am I the only one who feels like they have turned up to street fight and the opposition are all armed with knives, clubs, broken bottles, half-bricks, knuckledusters, bottles of acid, molotov cocktails and bear spray.

    But when I look around at my side they are all armed with pillows and feather dusters and half of them are on a soap box reciting the Marquis of Queensberry rules while admonishing their fellow fighters about not landing any pillow blows to your opponents nether region as that would be morally reprehensible.

    I even include Salmond in that. He is such a decent and honourable man he really is not equipped for this. If he was going to get stuck into them it would have happened by now. So it is not going to happen is my view. It is not his way and I would not ask him to change.

    We have no real leader at this point.

    Personally I am getting sick of it. Our side needs to grow some teeth and talons.

  288. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    Mac says:
    11 May, 2021 at 8:02 am

    Personally I am getting sick of it. Our side needs to grow some teeth and talons.

    Yes. I agree. And the sharpest talon we have is the Scottish Sovereign Constitution shredding the colonial subjugation of Scotland’s Brexit and the eternal fallacy of the Treaty of Union, publicly, formally, and using a UN forum which sets it on a world stage and engages International Law.

    But right now, instead of moving forward from 2016, Sturgeon has changed gear into reverse, and that has to change. She has to go.

  289. Fishy Wullie
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Mac

    I feel the same way you do, but I don’t believe Alex isn’t up to the job he’s a shrewd operator, and more than capable of taking the gloves off if he has to.

    But he’s up against it, he’s been forced to fight with both hands tied behind his back since Sturgeon ruthlessly betrayed him.

    A smart general picks his battles and the ground he fights on, Alex will overcome he’s only just started, keep the faith, Sturgeons days are numbered I’m sure of it

  290. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks – We are having the same discussion as in 2016,17,18,19,20.

    Put on the radio and they are still arguing about the right to hold a referendum. Sturgeon has had 6 years to sort this out , and we are not further forward. Indeed she has now admitted they won’t even request a Section 30 until the pandemic is over.

    As we know from last summer. We went through a period much like this , then in August it all went pear shaped and we went back to lockdown. Look at Moray! Even with the vaccines the virus can still take over!

    So constantly delaying even asking for the Section 30, in order to move to stage 2 , the Holyrood referendum, then the potential legal challenge. Puts us no further forward than 2017. Boris is repeating the May mantra , now is not the time.

    Sturgeon is going along with it , again! She now knows she has a license to fanny about for 5 years.

    I disagree that we have to wait for the pandemic to be over. We have to live with Covid. We deal with it and Scotland’s democracy cannot be put in a tin box because of a virus or any other crisis.

    She has already lined up the Cop conference as the next excuse. Will we even see a request for a Section 30 this year! I have my doubts.

  291. David Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    The simple and obvious reason most of us voted SNP1, Alba 2 was to keep the unionists out, the unionists have done very well with their unprincipled tactical voting.
    To all of the people blaming us for the SNP still being in power, it was obvious they where going to get elected again whether we voted for them or not, but at least we tried to keep to a minimum any unionists getting in.
    If anyone cannot see the obvious in that tactical situation then I am quite simply flabbergasted that you think your principled stance did the independence cause any favours.
    Some people it seems never learn how the political game is played, they think anyone gives a monkeys fart about their principled stance and how chuffed they are to say, well I never voted SNP, tories and labour supporters got together and voted for each other to keep the SNP candidates out, that’s what you call good tactical awareness.

    And it fecking paid off for them because of you and your
    lack of political awareness, principles in politics are
    you having a laugh ?

  292. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Fishy – You are right. Salmond is waiting in the wings.

    Soon it become apparent that Nicola is not going to move us any further forward. This is a slow burner , unfortunately.

    We have to let the time pass before people realise they have been swindled again. Sturgeon will milk the virus for all it’s worth. Then as I said before, some other third party crisis will come along.

    There is a pattern with Sturgeon.

  293. John McNab
    Ignored
    says:

    Effigy at 7.32am

    “ Where are the full page adverts calling Boris out? That man wrote a poem about us being Verminous Scots.”

    That’s not true. I would suggest that you’re wilfully lying, but given some of the idiotic, bilious slurry you pass off here as opinion, confirms you’re not smart enough to do so.

    Do you seriously think you can vote in an informed manner with a view to establishing and running a country?

  294. David Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    The SNP did not get a majority, is that not one of the funniest pieces of crap you have ever heard.
    We wokie harvie and his plooks give the SNP their majority as they are always reliable in backing the SNP.
    As has been said about many things so many times

    They are two cheeks on the same arse

  295. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    The thing that saddens and annoys me in equal measure is the people who know Salmond was stitched-up, who have followed it all on here and know what really happened, repeating the mud-sticks, damaged-goods mantra.

    Salmond was targeted, like Assange was targeted, like George Galloway was targeted (probably still is), like Jeremy Corbyn was targeted and like Craig Murray was targeted. There are many others before them.

    These accusations and smears against Alex Salmond are a BADGE OF HONOUR. There should be no higher endorsement of his credentials than what the tried to do to him, to destroy him.

    Alex Salmond should be perceived as more on a par with what Vaclav Havel is for the Czechs.

    Not even the Czech communists stooped as low as with Havel as what the UK establishment did with Salmond it should also be noted, it says a lot about them.

    Instead people who even know what really happened lap-up this damaged-goods mantra and repeat like it is an inevitable fact…

    Most of them learnt nothing from 2014. You don’t just roll-over and accept that shit or indeed it does become ‘fact’.

    300+ years of it has made Scots one of the most politically domesticated people in the world, maybe the most.

  296. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    We needs a little madness, or else we never dare cut the rope and be free.
    Nikos Kazantzakis

  297. David Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    We do not have Chris the Alba guy as one of our representatives in Edinburgh, he left the SNP just weeks ago to represent Alba in greenock and renfrewshire.
    What an opportunity missed to get this guy in amongst sturgeon and her cohorts, sad, sad, sad, at least we have one guy here in the greenock area that does what it says on the tin

  298. Andy Ellis
    Ignored
    says:

    I’d agree that the SNP and to an extent the broader Yes movement have continued the errors of the 2012-14 campaign, and it’s the equivalent of turning up with a knife at a gunfight. It gives me a sense of déjà vu to be honest. I always argued – and recall being criticised by quite a few – that true Yes campaign fought with one hand tied behind its back. The focus on a relentlessly positive happy-clappy campaign to the exclusion of anything else was deeply flawed. We never really laid a glove on Project Fear, nor did we counter unionist disinformation.

    The current SNP is simply following in the same vein, hence the determined refusal to legally challenge the yoons assertion that Holyrood requires permission to hold a referendum, the milquetoast nationalism of the Growth Commission, the concentration on tangential issues like self ID and the HCB which enjoy negligible public support and lack of progress on any radical policies to actually improve most people’s lives or to build up the institutions and infrastructure required to support independence.

    I see little prospect of the etiolated nationalism of the current SNP leadership changing. They are the IPP de nos jours. They may deliver independence at some indeterminate point in the future, but we’re talking about decades not years. If we want progress in the short to medium term we need an alternative, and the only plausible vehicle for that is a party like Alba backed up by non-party mass organisations which aren’t under the thumb of any political group. Whether that’s Now Scotland, a new Constitutional Convention or something like AUOB or something more like Catalan organisations like Omnium and/or Committees for the Defence of the Republic is less important than there being a parallel non party political force.

    We have 5 years until the next Holyrood elections to sort this, or we risk seeing the movement get lost in the long grass. When the SNP inevitably fails to deliver on its promises, those disillusioned with the lack of progress will need a new political home and focus if they are not to simply give up.

  299. David Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    Mac, your so right, their stupidity even amazes me, and I don’t tend to get amazed to often

  300. David Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    What is it with some on here, is plain english not good enough for you, I have never learned french, and neither has anyone I know, so why use it at all, long winded comments and fancy words, do not make a person seem more intelligent than the rest of us, put your egos back in the box and you might get read by people like me.
    Vanity and egotism, not good for the soul.

  301. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    https://archive.is/5A9UK

    “Ian Blackford: Johnson must ‘respect the will’ of Scots over Indyref2”

    What if he doesn’t?

    What are the SNP going to do?

    Has she/her asked for a section 30 or is “now not the time”?

    “A little less conversation, a little more action, please”

  302. Robert Hughes
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks @ 7.39 .

    I saw Stuart’s comment earlier and thought to reply , decided it would take too long to say what I wanted . Glad I didn’t .

    You have said all I would have , only more eloquently than I would have managed .

    Thanks

  303. Socrates MacSporran
    Ignored
    says:

    Mac

    Just one thing wrong with your spirited defence of Alex Salmond in the thread above.

    Yes, I am absolutely convinced the Salmond stitch-up was encouraged and facilitated by the UK Establishment, however, like all good gangsters – they were at least one stage removed from the actions taken.

    It was not the UK Government or its agents who conducted the stitch-up – it was the Scottish Government and the high heid yins in the SNP who conducted the operation.

    The UK Establishment does not have to lower itself to such devious deeds, for as long as they have Scots willing to turn against the greatest Scottish politician of the past 50 years.

  304. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Twitter is awash with SNP loyalists , telling people like us to suck it up, shut up and get on board the Sturgeon train to Nirvana.

    They can’t answer how over 1 million SNP 2 votes , that helped elect Douglas Dross, Annie Wells and Murdo Fraser. Was to help the independence cause. They really don’t understand what has happened , and why it was a betrayal.

    Sturgeon deliberately destroyed Alba’s chances , in order to elect at least 25 unionists. And we are supposed to just move on!

  305. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    David Caledonia says:
    11 May, 2021 at 8:54 am
    What is it with some on here, is plain english not good enough for you,

    Reply

    What is the English for cul-de-sac?

    FYI:
    cul = arse
    sac = bag

  306. Ottomanboi
    Ignored
    says:

    More rope..
    There are slavish souls who carry their appreciation for favors done so far as to strangle themselves with the rope of gratitude.
    «Friedrich Nietzsche»
    A man driven mad by the mindless peace of conformity.

  307. Shug
    Ignored
    says:

    Call kaye back on stupid scottish government giving schools a hard time and the kids are crying.
    No mention of did you do the work at home, did you do the online class what’s your attendance
    All the fault of the SG
    Same old propaganda machine

  308. Ruby
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s quite scary that there are so many people in Scotland who believe:

    There will be zero problems caused by self-id

    That both votes SNP was a good idea

    That there isn’t something suspicious about the Alex Salmond accusations.

  309. David Caledonia
    Ignored
    says:

    My mother died a few years ago, I was in her house one wednesday night, we where watching STV and it was showing arsenal live in the champions league.
    Celtic where playing in europe that night and scotland got arsenal live on stv, says it all, stv and all the other media outlets treating us with contempt.
    Alex Salmond was correct when he said, when scotland becomes independent we will have our own broadcasters so this will not happen, we cannot even see the scottish team playing england live unless we subscribe to sky television, the root cause of all the problems in football in the UK with their subscription services

  310. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    David – That’s right. Because BBC spent all our money on Gary Linekars wages , and the FA broadcast license.

    The SPL highlights are shown after the English highlights on a Sunday night. We can’t even get the Scottish highlights before the English ones! That’s BBC Scotland for you!

  311. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    Big Jock says:
    11 May, 2021 at 8:25 am
    Breeks – We are having the same discussion as in 2016,17,18,19,20.

    Put on the radio and they are still arguing about the right to hold a referendum. Sturgeon has had 6 years to sort this out , and we are not further forward…

    Yup. I agree 100%.

    Did you read the links I posted yesterday about Willie MacRae and the Scottish UN Commission?

    The work of this Commission is THE reason why Scotland now has a Parliament and Devolved Government. What they did for Devolution, we need to do again for Scotland’s lawful Constitutional Sovereignty.

    You didn’t put dumbest people in charge of strategy, you put the smartest ones, the innovators, the awkward bastards who can think outside the box and construct the support and winning arguments that are needed for change. Any nodding donkey can do if you’re only ever planning to plod along beside establish conventions.

    We have the means to win Scotland’s exit from this Union right there within our grasp, but there is no joined up thinking, no modern Scottish UN Committee, plotting and laying the groundwork for the devastating blow to the Union from which it cannot recover.

    Democracy is NOT defining issue. It is a part of the process, but it is NOT paramount. Just look how “Democracy” has just last week been used to sabotage a Supermajority and stop us removing artificial obstacles being placed in our way, with the “result” trumpeted as a victory for democracy. It’s some “democracy” which renders over a million votes irrelevant.

    For a start, if you are fretting about a Section 30 being agreed, you have already conceded :-

    1) Westminster can arbitrarily veto Scottish democracy with a Section 30 Agreement .
    2) Scottish Democracy has adopted the 1998 Scotland Act as it’s constitution, which is NOT the sovereign Constitution of the people.
    3) That Scottish Society ISN’T sovereign, but subservient to Holyrood, which is in turn subservient to Westminster.

    I REJECT THESE CONCESSIONS. Wholly and completely.

    Don’t you see? Holyrood is being used as a colonial beachhead. It’s the landing spot for a colonial takeover of Scotland, an unlawful encroachment of our constitutional rights, which is embedding itself where it has no right to be.

    Every time we look to our “Government” in Holyrood to defend us, we are inadvertently helping Westminster in it’s objective to have the puppet Assembly it “owns” and which recognises the supremacy of Westminster, become enshrined as the foreign imposter, their puppet government embedded in our Sovereign society.

    When that is the stage upon which we “agree” to fight for our Constitutional Rights, the battle is already conceded, and our democracy is no more authoritative than a coin toss. The Assembly is theirs. The political parties are theirs. The narrative and agenda is theirs. The media is theirs. The indoctrination is theirs. The rule book is theirs. The watchdogs of probity are theirs. The arbiters are theirs. The winning line is set by their criteria… and yet somehow it remains “our” democracy?

    Wake up Scotland. Our democracy is no more valid or legitimate than our GERS figures. The control all the variables, keep the data secret, and write all the conclusions. “Our” democracy is a coin toss in their colonial mechanism, and Sturgeon’s fawning adoration for legal referendum with a Section 30 agreement in place should have every Scottish citizen retching into a sick bucket. She has sold Scotland out! And she’s now trying to make that sellout intractable and irreversible.

  312. DJ
    Ignored
    says:

    Remember all those Yes stickers stuck on lampposts during the Indyref 1 campaign? Some of them are still there!
    We should do that again – this time for Alba.

  313. Big Jock
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks – Yes I did read the Willie MacRae links. A real eye opener as far as I am concerned.

    Sturgeon is acting like a vassal of Westminster. She is a useful idiot to them. Hence the media helped keep her in power at the expense of Alba.

    Salmond is a MacRae figure. Forensic in his pursuit of the truth and a true strategist, and out of the box thinker. We replaced him with a non entity , who couldn’t think her way out of a shoe box.

    We have to think beyond Sturgeon, beyond Holyrood and then Scotland might escape.

  314. Sharny Dubs
    Ignored
    says:

    Breeks @9:28

    Agree whole heartedly except that the toss of the coin is always heads I win tails you loose for the colonial masters.

    The game is well and truly rigged.

  315. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    So the Catalan people are looking North to Scotland with great envy after the election results. Its press has said that Spain should take heed, that London would not take the case to court if the SNP pursued another indyref.

    Other comments from the Catalan press include that the British government would not unlike in the Catalan indyref use police force or judicial repression.

    An interesting point made by its media is that sixteen year olds can vote in Scotland, yet over one million people in Catalonia cannot vote because they don’t have Spanish nationality yet they were born in Catalonia.

  316. cynicalHighlander
    Ignored
    says:

    Craig Murray sentenced 8months.

  317. Cenchos
    Ignored
    says:

    Perhaps we should start conceptualising Scottish independence in terms of a national will to self-identification, as a process of national transitioning towards political autonomy.

    Viewed thusly, unionism and conservatism function as forms of conversion therapy that prevent the nation from achieving its natural and real political selfhood. Such obstructionism can immediately be realised to be entirely unacceptable and intolerable.

    Such a conceptualisation will ensure that the independence mandate surely becomes an unquestionable moral imperative to be acted on immediately, rather than an uncertain and uncomfortable electoral and political debate more easily postponed than confronted.

  318. oneliner
    Ignored
    says:

    Those who cause embarrassment to the Whitehall suits are silenced and/or compromised.
    Am I alone in being concerned for Joanna Cherry?

  319. Margaret Eleftheriou
    Ignored
    says:

    Craig Murray sentenced to 8 months jail. And this is justice that is seen to be done? Is Kirsty Wark dancing?

  320. yesbot
    Ignored
    says:

    Craig Murray has been sentenced to 8 months in prison.

  321. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    8 months… for doing nothing.

  322. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    That is utterly shocking news about Craig Murray.

  323. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    One wonders what Boris Johnson has in mind by invitations to the devolved leaders of the Home Nations at a summit.

    What exactly will Johnson say to Sturgeon, Drakeford, and Foster, (outgoing). will he do a DUP and bribe them with cash to fall in line with his plans, or will Johnson try and strongarm them into doing what he wants them to do.

    The former seems more likely, extra cash will always have that effect, which allows a devolved government to spend and allocate more money, which in turn endears the party and the FM more with the people.

    Either way Johnson would not invite the leaders without having some sort of plan, that you can be sure will be detrimental to the home Nations in the long term.

  324. DJ
    Ignored
    says:

    Disgusted by the Craig Murray verdict. In fact, disgusted doesn’t even come close to the way I feel right now.

  325. Stephen
    Ignored
    says:

    Ottamonboi@9.11
    Rope
    /
    Another quote from Nietzsche explaining his view of our predicament –

    “Man is a rope, tied between beast and overman – a rope over an abyss.”

  326. Desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Is Lady Dorrian lined up to be the next Lord Advocate?

  327. Scozzie
    Ignored
    says:

    Absolutely awful news about Craig Murray, what a corrupt system Scotland has become.

  328. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    So, having been tried and sentenced for a particular crime could Craig Murray be tried and convicted again if he releases everything he knows?

  329. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Absolutely shocking a travesty of justice, the Scottish judicial system, is now akin to that of a banana republic, this is what happens when you allow a Lord Advocate to sit on the cabinet of a Scottish government that’s been up to no good. Craig Murray exposed the dark under belly of the SNP government and the COPFS, and for his troubles he’s been fitted up and sent to prison.

    The outside world will reverberate in shock at this from the giants of justice Noam Chomsky to John Pilger, they’ll now look upon Scotland as a small country ran by a corrupt government and Crown.

  330. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    8 months??? Fkg unbelievable.

  331. Mac
    Ignored
    says:

    Anyone know Dorrian’s first name because I can’t refer to this specimen as Lady anything.

    Again Craig Murray talked her up all the way the Salmond trial through despite her denying Salmond defense the right to present crucial evidence. I never understood that either.

    8 months.

    What a disgrace the Scottish justice system has become. Truly shameful.

  332. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Wee Chid, I was wondering that too – spilt beans would be of great interest.

    How much more disreputable can the system become? I suppose we have another 5 years to find out.

  333. X_Sticks
    Ignored
    says:

    Leeona June Dorrian, Lady Dorrian (born 16 June 1957) is the Lord Justice Clerk, the second most senior judicial post in Scotland. An advocate since 1981, she has been a judge since 2002. After three years as a temporary judge, she became a Judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland in 2005.

  334. Cenchos
    Ignored
    says:

    Lady Dorrian could eventually be looking at some time herself.

  335. Jm
    Ignored
    says:

    Deeply disturbing news about Craig Murray.What the fuck is going on in Scotland??Staggering absolutely staggering excuse for justice.

  336. Tony Hay
    Ignored
    says:

    Meanwhile those reporters(establishment stooges) who did exactly the same laugh into their cappuccinos and give not one single fuck. Disgraceful.

  337. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    This guy knows a thing or two about the machinations of the judiciary and S&G.

    https://twitter.com/PeterCherbi

    http://petercherbi.blogspot.com/

  338. oneliner
    Ignored
    says:

    Disgaceful news about the Craig Murray sentence. The person who leaked the Alex Salmond ‘story’ to the Daily Record must now be shaking in their shoes.

  339. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m sure Dani Garavlli, who now works for Sturgeon will be doing cartwheels with joy.

  340. Colin Alexander
    Ignored
    says:

    Telling the truth is a dangerous thing.

  341. katherine hamilton
    Ignored
    says:

    On Craig releasing his info. No. It wouldn’t be double jeapordy, it would be further contempt. Bigger sentence.

  342. PhilM
    Ignored
    says:

    Expecting a small pile-on after this but this comments section will probably need a devil’s advocate…so… can people stop calling the Scottish justice system corrupt and like a banana republic just because they (and that includes me) find today’s outcome absolutely appalling?
    There’s a lot wrong with every legal system but sometimes the law is all we have to protect us from the powerful. Sometimes.
    Do we want to be the kind of people praising Scots law and the legal system when it keeps Alex Salmond out of jail but absolutely damning it when Craig Murray is found guilty of contempt?
    I think James Coleman mentioned that an advocate depute said Craig could make use of the Nobile Officium, which is there in criminal matters for the purposes of mitigation. I think but I don’t really know that the point of appealing to the Supreme Court would be on a point of law which is a completely different beast. So Craig is not going to jail yet and he does have an avenue of hope. That is still something to hold onto if not exactly to celebrate. If our legal system was so corrupt, he would have been in jail long before now. Contempt of court is really serious. What annoys me about our legal system is that many areas of the law are still undeveloped, which is verging on the ridiculous in such an old legal system. Craig basically walked unwarily into a trap without really appearing to appreciate the seriousness of the potential consequences. We need to teach the legal system in schools as a potential qualification (I see that a school in Clydebank offers something about law and crime but that’s not what I would have in mind). The law should be something we all know about but it’s a bit of an elite pastime like fox-hunting or group orgies.
    Like the good fellow above, I would recommend Peter Cherbi’s blog and remember to read all the comments. Very educational.

  343. bittie45
    Ignored
    says:

    Really shocked and upset to hear about Craig Murray being sentenced to prison. A person with a young family – where’s the compassion and justice in that, even if guilty – but when compared to the other MSM publications against whom no action was taken whatsoever – I can only come to one conclusion – total corruption. Utter fucking bastards.

  344. DJ
    Ignored
    says:

    Phil @ 11.25 am
    Craig basically walked unwarily into a trap without really appearing to appreciate the seriousness of the potential consequences.

    I don’t understand that because, if I remember correctly, he went to great lengths to hide the identity of the alphabet women.

    But the prosecution seemed to push the idea that if someone else, subsequently and separately, published a piece of information, which when added together from both sources led to identification, then an offence had been committed.

    But maybe I’ve misunderstood.

  345. bittie45
    Ignored
    says:

    Was going to post this before finding out about Craig. Another fair-handed treatment by the british Electoral Commission. Not. The Alba Party being denied their logo despite an early application – yet the Independent Green Voice was allowed with a logo of a green leaf that might be confusing.

    This could be argued to have taken a seat away from the Scottish Green Party – an independence supporting party.

    https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2021/05/11/fascists-playing-the-system-to-effectively-deny-pro-independence-green-voters/

  346. Sharny Dubs
    Ignored
    says:

    Craig Murray’s sentence is a warning to everyone, no matter what, if you don’t follow the official line you will be punished.

  347. Pixywine
    Ignored
    says:

    Excellent.

  348. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    https://archive.is/OaFw8

    She’s only been there a day and she’s already whining that the trough is too small.

    Gotta get your priorities right eh?

  349. winifred mccartney
    Ignored
    says:

    Horrendous news about Craig Murray – establishment sticking together and putting the knife in whilst Garavelli, Wark and Smith all walk away scot free. It is often said the law is an ass – why does it feel like this has just be proved once again.

  350. Stuart
    Ignored
    says:

    Beers,

    If you came down from your self awarded, Speaker of Nation mountain of nonsense for once and actually read what I wrote, not what you like to imagine i wrote, I’d actually listen to why you want something I don’t.

    I also appreciate in your world, I have no right to express an opinion in variance to “your truths”, perish the thought its just plain rude at best, actionable at worst I guess.

    You rant was very funny though, I know your having a bad few days. I’ll be sure to put in a word with my handler and ask them to bear this in mind.

    Never defeated Always cheated, must be a stressful and sad way to live your life.

  351. Stuart
    Ignored
    says:

    simplistic notion that WE Scots hate the English WE don’t?? Ah see what you did there back to the im not as Scottish as you crap, cos I and a large percentage of your fellow Scots that even have the temerity to live in your land of unfettered fresh air don’t agree with your truths. I used to have a degree of sympathy for people like you, no longer as you keep making the same mistakes, over and over again.

  352. stonefree
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Breeks at 12:56 pm

    I note she is setting aside a sum for charity, that’ll be a fucking first for any SNP politician ( as well as the other parties, Only I that did was the late Presiding Officer
    Is she the dyslexic or the diabetic one?
    I’ll bet she got money when she was unemployed?

  353. Brian Doonthetoon
    Ignored
    says:

    Hi Big Jock at 9:05 am.

    You typed,
    “They can’t answer how over 1 million SNP 2 votes , that helped elect Douglas Dross, Annie Wells and Murdo Fraser. Was to help the independence cause. They really don’t understand what has happened , and why it was a betrayal.

    Sturgeon deliberately destroyed Alba’s chances , in order to elect at least 25 unionists. And we are supposed to just move on!”

    Even if any percentage of SNP regional voters had voted Alba, your three Tories mentioned above would have still been elected – because the Tories vote is strong enough in those regions to guarantee election of whoever is at the top of the Tory list for those regions.

    You are correct, however, in stating “Sturgeon deliberately destroyed Alba’s chances , in order to elect at least 25 unionists.”
    She was faird of Alex Salmond being an MSP and leader of a party in Holyrood. She’d rather have the unionists in Holyrood, than someone nipping her ankles.

  354. PaulaJ
    Ignored
    says:

    Mia says:
    “Reputation is fundamental for a politician…”

    That can’t really be so, since we seem to revile most of them most of the time, yet they muddle along anyway, collecting all that lovely salary and expenses for not giving the electorate what they promised – time after time after time…



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