Titanic Blinky
In a post last month we referenced a ZX Spectrum computer game from 1984 called “Worse Things Happen At Sea”. Today as we watched the First Minister on the Andrew Marr Show, we were put in mind of another nautical-disaster-themed one from a great deal nearer to the end of the Speccy’s life.
It was grim viewing in every sense.
We counted a remarkable 41 blinks in the 20 seconds Sturgeon was onscreen before she said a word, and the rate barely decreased throughout the 16-minute interview.
If you don’t think there’s anything significant about that, we suggest trying it yourself. Walk around your house blinking twice a second (or do it while reading this) and see how long it takes before you have to stop because you’re getting dizzy. It’s like being in a disco when a strobe light comes on. It really isn’t natural.
But the overall performance was dire. With a face like thunder the FM simply waffled and swerved around every question an unusually combative Marr put to her, and every time her ultimate fallback answer (often reached via “We’re not as bad as England”) was “We’re ahead in the polls”.
It is, as we’ve noted before, basically the argument of a violent spouse – “You’ve got nowhere else to go, what are you going to do?” The SNP are untouchable in the polls because Scotland has a farcical clown show for an opposition, and because the No vote is split three ways while the Yes vote is the property of a single party.
But time and time again Sturgeon evaded tough realities she couldn’t explain away by saying “Hey, I’ll leave it up to the people to judge me”.
Thing is, that would need her to survive until May.
This Tuesday, the Holyrood inquiry into the botched Alex Salmond investigation will hear evidence from Sturgeon’s principal private secretary John Somers. The evidence could be explosive in itself. Somers (far left in the pic below) has no reason to go down with the ship by covering for the SNP leader, and in civil service terms is still a young man with a promising career ahead of him – so long as he can avoid any culpability in this maliciously-planned and incompetently-executed five-alarm trainwreck.
But it’s the person at the other end of the shot who might feature more dramatically in next week’s news. It’s widely expected that John Swinney will announce – and quite possibly on the same day as Somers’ appearance – that the Scottish Government will maintain its refusal to release its legal advice on the Salmond case.
If it does, it appears likely that the opposition parties will call a vote of no confidence in the Deputy First Minister, and very probably win it, leaving him no option but to resign. Such an event would be seen as a “you’re next” warning shot across the bows of the FM, and at that point things would get very interesting indeed.
(It’s perhaps worth noting in passing how embarrassing it is for the SNP to be insisting that Boris Johnson will “respect democracy” and cave in to a Section 30 if another pro-indy majority Scottish Parliament is elected next year, while itself steadfastly refusing to respect two clear democratic votes of that selfsame Parliament.)
Sturgeon has been using Swinney as a human shield until now, putting him squarely in the firing line by having him set the remit for the separate Parliamentary standards inquiry and also handing him the ticking timebomb of the legal advice. If he goes, she’ll have to start frantically casting around for other people to throw under the bus to try to somehow save her own skin.
If we were Leslie Evans, James Wolffe, Liz Lloyd or Judith Mackinnon we’d be very nervous indeed. But they weren’t the ones who had to go on telly this morning, and anyone with the slightest ability to take a detached view will have seen for themselves what it looks like when you can see the inescapability of the iceberg ahead.
Is it certain that Swinney would have to resign if a VONC against him wins?
Could the FM override it by saying that we’re in a national emergency and she needs her ‘best’ people until we’re through it all?
“Could the FM override it by saying that we’re in a national emergency and she needs her ‘best’ people until we’re through it all?”
Technically I believe she could. But she’d then be all but forcing the opposition to call one on her instead.
NS looking stressed – she knows her time is running out.
man, this is painful
Dark eyes.blinking,obsfucation, misdirdction, . The Ides could be closer than we think.
The lesson for the SNP is when you stab someone in the back, make sure to finish the job.
Because if you don’t, it’s going to bounce back on you.
Didn’t see Marr this morning.
But did see John Swinney on Sophie on Sky. Actually it depressed me no end, I used to have very high regard for him, thought he was a truly honest and trustworthy person. This morning I just thought, your time is up, you’re the fall guy. Very sad and depressing.
Anyway, I’ve just cast loads of votes in the SNP voting, now hoping it helps to make some sort of difference.
Why is Swinney so, apparently, pliable to the Murrell couple’s ‘control freakery’? What I am trying to say is, why is Swinney happy to be Sturgeon’s ‘patsy’?
I have found Swinney’s contributions to date to be the most baffling. Any thoughts?
“I used to have very high regard for him, thought he was a truly honest and trustworthy person. “
I think that went out the window for most reasonable people when he pulled that truly gruesome attempted smear on Salmond this week over the child-abuse inquiry. Absolutely disgusting.
Meanwhile, on Radio 4
link to bbc.co.uk
the Scotland piece is lengthy, full of gravitas (bullshit), starts at 8:44
“If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well it were done quickly.”
Looks like there WAS a point to all that Shakespeare stuff at school after all. Lance the boil NOW and by next May it’ll be “Nicola who?”
@Chilean
I think it stems from him being removed from the finance brief and given education.NS has never had any respect for him unlike her predecessor.However it still doesn’t explain his capitulation and subsequent move over to the dark side.She saved him from the exam fiasco.Why?
If I was in charge of strategy for the Union I would be trying to maintain
“a farcical clown show for an opposition, and because the No vote is split three ways”
And keep my best players away from the front line, along with any positive arguments for the Union.
They don’t need any, just let the SNP stagger from one crisis to the next.
Once they are worn out and disillusioned in 2026 we can strike then when the least expect.
She saved him from the exam fiasco.Why?
Same as with so many others – now he owes her.
According to Holyrood magazine, “No-confidence motions are not legally binding but are seen as an expression of the parliament’s opinion.”
Would be most difficult, but hardly impossible for Swinney to stay on. If Sturgeon decides his time is up then it would be. But if she decided she wanted him to remain then he could, should he chose to do so
Swinney, In my mind, used to be the honest broker of the SNP. Nicola is taking that reputation and absolutely trashing it. Looks like john has been manoeuvred into being the (first) fall guy for Nicola.
A real shame for John.
I also thought highly of mr swinney. I am so disappointed. The smearing of AS was hopefully the nadir of his political career. However he has to go.
NS is looking awfy old. I hope she resigns soon for her sake as much as Scotland’s.
I see what you are saying red sunset but what was in it for him then, really? The chance to have to resign a few months later and arguably in more scandal? Or did he not see that favours were going to be “called in”?
If she does fall who will replace her and how will it be decided?
I briefly touched upon this in a previous thread, but the VONC issue is an interesting one and could quite possibly have a twist to come. I say this because, as Rev has alluded to, the media and establishment have given the FM an easy ride due to being resigned to the fact a Unionist party has no chance of winning the next election, so she is the least-worst option.
This certainly won’t have gone unnoticed with Unionist MSP’s, so what if, hypothetically, she survives a VONC thanks to the votes of a few far-thinking Unionist MSP’s? Where does that leave us then? Surely it would be a mortal blow to change, which would precipitate 5 years of all sorts of MacWoke nastiness and absolutely no chance of an independence referendum before 2026?
It doesn’t see that there’s much “scrutiny and accountability” being offered. Faced with these type of questions responding with the measures that were taken would at least have given the viewer that the government was at least trying. Unfortunately since this is her personal crusade the First Minister seemed to take this as a personal attack. Trying to spread the blame by saying how bad it was elsewhere is not going to cut much ice with the people who have lost family members.
Despite the vaccine, I don’t think there is really going to be a real upturn until the weather starts improving. The SNP might just find out, that once people start to count the cost to their families and themselves and consider what might have been, there will only be one direction in which their wrath will be expressed.
why would they hate mr salmond so much that they would do this?
Good point @Tadge
No one near in the Holyrood coterie, Joanna Cherry is the natural choice (and worthiest IMO) all the rest are like frightened rabbits.
Good God! I thought this would be bad but I actually felt sorry for her watching this. Completely out of her depth.
That’s the thing I don’t get about Sturgeon. There’s such a cult of personality around her but she’s so… crap. Just has always struck me as a very mediocre, uninspiring hack politician.
Interesting clip. None of the shouty grandstanding, interupting style from Marr that you get from the likes of Brillo. I thought Marr asked pointed questions, then let her respond fairly. If he and his researchers havent been paying very close attention to this blog regarding the line of questioning, its hat munching time. She squirmed when Salmond was raised and since this post concentrates on facial ticks, can anyone explain the tongue grimace thing she does at the end of her response to the Salmond questions? Amusing to see her skewered on her ‘when did you know?’ by showing her the clip of her previous, live on telly ‘April’ claim. Again, with that, an interesting downward cowing response in the library clip. Defensive, meek??? She seems to be trying to concoct some sort of obfuscating ‘Sky asked me the previous November about something similar but different that people seem to be mistakenly concluding I was lying’ sort of defence. She’s really starting to remind me of Tony Blair by the end who, with a pile of evidence mounting to the contrary, increasingly trotted out his ‘trust me, I’m an honest kinda guy’.
Said it from day one, she’s just dreadful at lying; simply unable to contain her emotions which spill out through body language that would have her rejected in the first five minutes of a properly professional job interview.
A common trait among those under pressure in an interview is to talk too much. It’s a defense mechanism, hoping that the person asking the questions will either have forgotten what the question was or simply run out of time preventing them from probing more deeply. It’s the behaviour frankly of an amateur.
And finger pointing is possibly the worst way to position oneself from a supposed position of strength. It’s a cheap shot at blaming someone or something else for an outcome you should have had full authority & control over.
If one chooses, like she has, to be the face of Scotland’s pandemic, she cannot then apportion blame or misdirect by asking the observer to look elsewhere. She either owns all of it or steps down and lets someone else take command. She wants it both ways. This is NOT leadership.
Imagine this was you own performance while you were asking a board of directors to offer you the job of Chief Executive?
A secret button under the table would be pressed, a buzzer would sound & the Company Secretary would make up some hasty excuse about having to have the building emptied due to a fire alarm exercise. You would be promptly marched out the door and never be contacted again.
And while lying seems to be easy for her, it doesn’t make for comfortable viewing. She fails to possess the sophisticated skills & charisma that helped the likes of Harold Shipman or Ted Bundy hide their hideous crimes for years.
You either have to be an accomplished practitioner or were born where fibbing is as second nature as taking a deep breath after climbing a steep flight of stairs. She is neither of these.
It such a shame that the opposition is so dreadful; they would have seen this one off months ago. Parliament & indeed Scotland deserves strong ethical leadership and an equally strong & ethical opposition to keep it like that.
It will be interesting to count how many scalps this useless coalition of Tories, Labour & Lib Dems will claim in the next six months.
Swinney is indeed standing on soft ground. The question he might be asking of himself is how much honour is he willing to retain if he steps down or is he prepared to draw his dirk & take out a few colleagues along the way.
You know, if you had asked my five years ago, I would have expected him to have already offered his resignation. But now, I think he has become so infected by the machinery of party & of state, he might just draw blood first.
On the blinking, I don’t think it’s useful to focus on that – false eyelashes, contact lenses, the cold – all can make rapid blinks a thing. What I actually think is the issue is, is menopause – dry eyes and looking like shit (sorry, but it’s the easiest way to describe it) are just two common symptoms – everyone is different, but her appearance and twitches match with what can be side effects (and there are hundreds, look them up if you are curious). Menopause is shit. I’m not sure about the weight loss mind you, it’s usually the opposite – but the general detrimental effect on your physical health means menopause can be the cause of that too.
What was more interesting was her mouth while waiting to answer a question. Tongue in cheek literally.
But, I agree on everything else written here – and wonder if she will refuse to have Swinney stand down. So far it has been blanket, outright, denial that anything is amiss. I was surprised Marr asked straight out about if she wanted Alex Salmond back in the party – again she wouldn’t answer, using the cover of ‘there were complaints’ blah blah – that she wouldn’t answer – a question regarding her personal desires on the matter, not policy – I guess we can take as a ‘no’.
I attended a – well, what turned out to be a fringe conference event of mostly SNP people, I’m not totally sure I should have voted, but I wasn’t in disagreement with 98 – 99% of opinion on resolutions so I think I can live with it – a panel discussion on Scotland having a new currency and the Scotland Reserve Bank on independence (my main reason for signing up), then Angus and Chris on their plan B, then Grouse moors reform amendment, then nuclear weapons – all passed with those overwhelming majorities (only about 150 people in attendance though).
Anyway – in a discussion with Tim Rideout – he agreed our greatest barrier to have a clear and understandable message on the currency debate (and to implementing it), is the SNP leadership – they are the ONLY thing standing in our way at the moment – it’s going to be one of the biggest convincing arguments for us to allow no-voters to concede that independence won’t be disaster (and for some to change minds).
Nicola Sturgeon has been so publicly adamant about her innocence in in the Salmond affair – at this stage it might just need one serious breach in her wall of silence – or the release of proof – and she will have to go. Economically speaking, it needs all her sycophants to be removed or at least suppressed, as well though.
God who blinks that many times? The only other time I can remember seeing somebody blink that many times was watching Mark Zuckerberg getting a grilling off a US senator a while back. Normal people don’t blink like that, only the very anxious or those who have something major to hide. And obviously neither of those apply to our first minister…
-GH Graham-
Yes, I would not hire somebody who came to an interview be having like this.
Thirty years ago this week Thatcher’s long-time right-hand-man, Geoffrey Howe, finally had enough with her, quit and got rid of her.
Just a thought…
On the VONC – I think it would need the SNP MSPs to vote no confidence too. The last vote for them to release the legal advice re the Salmond affair only had I think 5 SNP MSPs not vote in favour – probably just abstained – and they ‘got in trouble’ over that. Internal party rebellion – but not worth it for Swinney maybe?
The falsely perceived much better handling of Covid was always bound to to be highlighted sooner or later. Not sure where Marr got his figues but using ‘Excess deaths per million’ as per Travelling Tabby site, Englands figure is the highest, although Scotland’s isn’t much lower, and Wales/NI are each lower respectively.
England – 1,116
Scotland – 1,057
Wales – 911
N Ireland – 844
So even allowing for Marr’s figures being questionable, Scotland clearly hasn’t dealt with Covid that well and she should have expected this line of questioning and been prepared for it. Her responses mentioned nothing about inability to block close international flight arrivals, uncertainty about furlough funding via Westminster to allow an earlier lockdown in Spring etc. No UK imposed constraints highlighted.
Accept responsibility where necessary, but letting the UK factors off without mention was disgracefull. The touchy feely stuff has it’s place but not when you’re being attacked by those significantly to blame for the difficulties facing Scotland in tackling such a serious crisis as Covid. She should have bitten back.
Overall she just looks like she’s done. Very Tony Blair. Loves the praise but looks shakey as hell when the blame comes their way.
Can anyone seriously imagine her, along with certain current prominent MSP/MP’s actually leading Scotland through independence negotiations and the inital period of actual independence?
Thankfully there are those that could and hopefully will.
John Swinney lied to Parliament in June 2019 regarding the corruption that forced the closure of a special school in his own constituency, and he lied again in July 2020.
The man has no integrity.
There is an intellectual and a moral deficit at the top which demeans the independence mission.
In short, we are not fit to run our own country with people like this ‘leading’ from the front. They are a national embarrassment and the SNP needs fresh blood, new ideas, and a very clearly articulated vision about what type of country we wish to become.
I have to say, viewers are liable to accept what she has had to say at face value, a few, better informed, will know there are questions to answer.
No one should present her answers as a train crash. You’d have to know the find detail in advance to make such a judgement, even if you accept the Covid-19 figures Marr produced are an indictment of copying Boris and his gang solutions to the pandemic.
Watch it with no sound..jeez
A couple of things came to mind – timing, the Brit Nats are just as much under the timing hammer (re Brexit and re Holyrood Election) as we are.
I suspect what we just saw – was them laying the foundations with regards ensuring the SNP do not get re-elected come May. The destroying of St Nicla of Crona – being a centre plank of that.
With regards Sweiney. Its worth remembering ALL the tools the Brit Nats have in their tool box, and how they have been utilised in the past. He has a young and lovely family. I don’t doubt some scary people from the Brit Nats could have reminded him how easy it is for ‘accidents’ to happen.
And in those shoes – who am I to judge.
We can go round him – and others like him though, concentrate on the job in hand.
Last thought. I was busy doing stuff, so was listening to this, rather than watching. If you heard it only – NS, once again, came over, very, very well, including, dare I say it her last remarks regarding ‘its not for Boris to tell the People of Scotland what they can and cannot do’.
Fact that it is a call for ‘yet another mandate’ once the damage is done, is unlikely to have dawned on the ever loyal, no matter how corrupt, to Nicla, ‘look at the polls’ brigade.
If she hangs onto power until 1/1/21, and the No Deal Brexit goes through – she will be rewarded.
If she keeps going, and ensures the SNP is unelectable by May, she’ll get a bonus.
” while the Yes vote is the property of a single party”
You have forgotten about the Green Party?
red sunset says:
29 November, 2020 at 2:12 pm
Didn’t see Marr this morning.
But did see John Swinney…. I used to have very high regard for him, thought he was a truly honest and trustworthy person…
Many years ago I had a legitimate grievance which nobody in the SNP would address properly. Swinney was at the end of the line in that grievance, refusing to answer any of the questions raised, and using the get out clause that “he had nothing to add to the replies I’d already been given”. Of course, none of those replies had addressed the grievance either, which is why it was still being pursued and referred to him.
That Swinney is now covering up, and using sophistry and obfuscation to subvert legitimate grievances might come as a surprise to some people, but sadly it’s no surprise to me. It actually provides a degree of vindication that my grievance all those years ago was whitewashed… which I always knew of course.
The irony is, despite threatening to complain about breaching the Ministerial Code by not addressing the issues, ultimately, the reason I didn’t pursue justice further was a reflection of MY desire not to injure the Independence cause by forcing rogues in the SNP to quit amidst public humiliation.
That said, it wasn’t entirely my own choice. My confidence in ANY complaint process was severely dented. My resources were exhausted, the stress of it all was making me ill, and the sophistry of feckless Scottish Government working hand in hand with corrupt Local Authority was impenetrable. Wankers the lot of them.
I cannot properly say I saw all of ‘this’ coming, but seeing what is now emerging comes as absolutely no surprise to me. I wish I could remember the choice of phrases I used way back pre-2014 so a search engine might find them and I could dredge up my old comments. I’ve tried but I can’t find them.
The point is, I hope Rev Stu brings their rotten house down, and finally we can trust the business of Scottish Independence to proper patriots who have a degree of integrity too. Maybe then, life will finally taste a little less bitter, and Scotland’s Independence might actually be delivered.
I may be wrong but I seem to remember that the call for an enquiry into child abuse was also refused by labour when in power in Scotland but I have only heard about AS refusing – I wish when people see the writing on the wall they would just go rather than hang on and take good people with them.
NS was right to call for an enquiry into complaints (if they were genuine) but she believed the wrong people whom I think set her up and she fell for it instead of talking to AS and forming her own judgement. At least this morning she acknowledged that AS had been acquitted of all charges.
-Daisy Walker-
I think you are right. The unionists have run their tired “vote Tory to save the union” campaign a million times and it’s got them nowhere. The only thing they can do is throw the kitchen sink at Sturgeon in the hope that they deny independence supporters a majority. I don’t think that that is as unlikely a prospect as others do.
To be fair Nicola has always been a ‘blinker’. Look at interviews even from a few years ago, even then she has a rapid blink, maybe she’s always more on edge than she appears. However this today was off the scale.
And I’m sorry to say to @Contrary at 2.55pm that menopause and dry eyes won’t cut it as an excuse. I know, for I suffer from both. Eye drops from Boots would sort normal dry eye issue but they sure won’t help evasiveness or nerves. She’s on the ropes here and the week ahead is going to be very interesting indeed.
Milady – true, she knew she had an interview, and could have used eye drops. In fact, she’s in a position to get all sorts of remedies easily on demand, I’ll concede that. Will you give me the ‘looking like shit’, menopause excuse, part though?
Can I ask a question?
No matter the outcome of the internal Government enquiry process.
Could the SG begin another ‘clean’ investigation of Mr Salmond’s conduct?
Is this why the actual process has not been amended one bit after the Judicial Review outcome? Do they plan to try it again, but this time without the prior interference which seemed to be the big issue for the judge?
It would take balls of steel, but Leslie Evans has them aplenty and might just try another crack at it.
Re the Blinking.
It can have another effect on the audience, that of being a bit mesmerising or hypnotic.
In the above clip, it looks very out of place in the first minute, because she has not got into her stride, but once she starts on her script re Covid – ‘I’m doing all that I can – no-one cares about this more than me’, then her blinking is almost rhythmical with her speech pattern.
Rapid blinking will ensure that the pupils never adjust fully to the daylight surroundings and pupils are ‘almost’ constantly dilated – an old seduction trick – and something people notice on an automatic/unconscious level – which is the physical reason why it can have an effect.
The things you learn. Every day is a school day.
link to talkingupscotlandtwo.com
But I think the FM will go before the new year.
I’ll have to take your word for the entire interview for now (I’ll take it in little doses)
Just can’t stand to watch it, too painful on so many levels.
Let’s hope we finally see some issues resolved soon.
Many thanks Stu
@contrary Sadly yes, lol
@McHaggis
Could the SG begin another ‘clean’ investigation of Mr Salmond’s conduct?
And prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there was a conspiracy to “get” the former First Minister?
@McHaggis
Could the SG begin another ‘clean’ investigation of Mr Salmond’s conduct?
And prove beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there was a conspiracy to “get” the former First Minister?Ok
Repost cause I can’t spell my handle!
From the Scottish Parliament website under ‘Confidence of Parliament’ : –
‘When a motion of no confidence (rule 8.12) is passed, stating that the Scottish Executive no longer enjoys the confidence of the Parliament, all Ministers in the Scottish Administration (including junior Scottish Ministers) are required by the Scotland Act 1998 to resign (section 45(2), section 47(3)(c), section 48(2), Scotland Act 1998). When such a motion directed at a named minister is passed, no such statutory obligation arises, but that minister would be expected to resign.’
It seems that the pressure would be on Swinney personally.
“It seems that the pressure would be on Swinney personally.”
Yes. Because the point is that if they pass one against him and he doesn’t go, they then bring one against Sturgeon or the whole government. Like I said in the piece, it’s a warning shot.
This interview was ill-advised. I feel embarrassed and somewhat angry. She has walked into the lions den. Were the organs of the British State going to be unprepared with the prime opportunity of SNP conference weekend ?
This display will do nothing to motivate the SNP faithful. Why couldn’t she make the effort to openly support the Conference over this weekend IN Real Time and make herself visible and available for questioning from members away from the MSM cameras. Or even keep a track of the drivel which is passing for debate.
There’s no glory in Covid micromanagement. And no getting away from the fishy smell. The Good Ship Lollipop’s timbers are creaking.
Re menopause / looking like shit.
I am currently going through the menopause – same age as St Nicla.
I’m not blinking and I don’t look any more shit than normal. Admit to being bad tempered and having a face like thunder – but only in the face of abject stupid – and to be fair its been that way for the last 10 years… not so much menopause as getting older and no longer giving a stuff about telling folk off.
For true believers of St Nicla, I think they will see her haggart looks this morning as evidence of the tremendous strain she’s been under, single handedly dealing with Covid, and being the only one to care. Wee scone.
As Alex Salmond has been completely exonerated by a female majority Jury after forensic examination of the evidence, there really is no reason not to allow Mr Salmond back in the SNP, unless it’s out of malice or some other reason.
@Grousebeater
Excellent blog WRT “Wheesht for Indy”, just as we have come to expect. Thought I’d copy my response here too:
“I wholeheartedly agree with all of the above Gareth. The SNPs gradualism is kryptonite to Scottish sovereignty, but I’ve come to realise that since the party has no real intention of pursuing the restoration of our sovereignty – or even looked at charitably sees no urgency in doing so – there is nothing practical to be done in the short to medium term. Although I try to live in hope that things will change politically, it is becoming increasingly difficult not to simply give up, say hell mend them all and just wait for developments.
What you say about our politicians being more grounded because we are in a smaller country and they have nowhere to hide may be true. I’ve heard many say that after 1707, the process of influence and power draining away south that had begun in 1603, left rule in Edinburgh and Scotland more widely essentially in the hands of the “B team”. Those with the get up and go, got up and went. Scots here had nobody local to pelt with stones in the High Street as they had been accustomed to do to their under-performing politicos in days of yore.
I was minded of this the other day as my wife and I perused the shelves of Sainsbury’s store in Craigleith, when a be-masked Alex Cole-Hamilton walked up the aisle towards us. In other times I would have stopped him and told him exactly what I thought of him and his politics, that he was in fact an anti-democratic piece of work with principles of a rabid baboon and all the charisma of sea cucumber. I found however that I honestly couldn’t be bothered: doubtless the poor man just had messages to do on the way home from his Holyrood sinecure and whilst venting at one vapid Liberal Democrat no-mark might have made me feel better, what would be the point? It’s not as if his party is of any significance in contemporary Scottish politics, and for what it’s worth there are a few SNP politicians I’d have had some choice words for too if they’d bumped into me over the dairy produce.
Sadly, we are now as badly served by the SNP as we were for centuries after 1707 when the power, influence headed south and popular accountability of our political elites disappeared like snaw aff a dyke. Sadly it seems we Scots never learn. The British nationalists now don’t even need to have a Melville style Grand Manager of Scotland: the gradualists in the SNP are so tholed that Westminster has no fear of any imminent challenge.”
@winifred mccartney says:
29 November, 2020 at 3:21 pm
“I may be wrong but I seem to remember that the call for an enquiry into child abuse was also refused by labour when in power in Scotland but I have only heard about AS refusing”
McConnell’s input at the enquiry was reported, and his reasons were basically the same as Salmond’s. But there was no reason for Swinney to make the comments in the manner that he did.
A VONC I think is likely, and given Swinney’s track record he will ignore the result if unfavourable to him.
Quoting Mrs. Murrell:
“excess deaths in Scotland have actually been lower than in England but a higher proportion of these excess deaths have been attributed to Covid.”
So she’s actually admitting that the Covid figures are falsified.
@ ‘McHaggis69 says:
29 November, 2020 at 3:42 pm
Can I ask a question?
No matter the outcome of the internal Government enquiry process.
Could the SG begin another ‘clean’ investigation of Mr Salmond’s conduct?
Is this why the actual process has not been amended one bit after the Judicial Review outcome? Do they plan to try it again, but this time without the prior interference which seemed to be the big issue for the judge?
It would take balls of steel, but Leslie Evans has them aplenty and might just try another crack at it.’
No doubt they would like to try, but they would have to drum up a complete new set of complainers to do so, as the initial ones cannot now be ‘uncompromised’ as it were.
And given that they put 22 cops on the job for (I think) 2 years – and came up with spurious charges – that in the cold light of day – should never have reached court, given the lack of evidence to Substantiate a Crime!!!! never mind sufficiency of evidence. I would think even they realise that this tactic is a no go.
Sturgeon should have agreed to the arbitration request by Alex Salmond. Now we could be looking at conspiracy and/or perverting the course of justice charges. Both have tariffs of life in prison. Exaggeration? Depends on what evidence comes out. Swinney looks as though he is running after the bus. He should release the legal advice without a third denial. The truth will come out anyway.
The thing about lying is it’s hard work and I don’t believe Nicola is a natural lier, lying means constantly thinking about and evaluating everything you say it’s not easy and it shows on this interview today and the recent one with Sophie Ridge.
I don’t believe she’s a fundamentally bad person or know what’s got her into this position but whatever it is her deputy wont save her, she’s finished and I think she knows it
Depending on the result of the elections tomorrow
All Salmond has to do is apply for membership. The decision is not Nicola’s The decision is the National Secretary and the NEC.
If there is a pro-Salmond Nat. Sec. and NEC he is in.
Great stuff, Rev. Totally heartening.
The remarkable thing about today’s Marr grilling was that he didn’t let her hide behind any imagined coronavirus success.
I heard the Vote of No Confidence is likely to be directed at the Lord Advocate which would be even more devastating than Swinney.
I’m not fussy though, either will do for now.
Just to clarify though, exposing the truth of what happened to Salmond is the only thing that will provide an opportunity to replace Sturgeon and avoid the disaster that awaits in May if she stays.
The SNP is stitched up so tightly that there’s simply no prospect of changing leader or policy within the confines of the party.
All hope lies with the Inquiry. That’s it. It’s all we have.
“You have forgotten about the Green Party?”
The Greens are meaningless. They contest about three constituency seats out of 73. They’re not a proper party in the way that Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems are – even if those three are really shit parties, they still contest every seat.
Marr was full of it this morning especially his pathetic attempt to show deaths from Covid in Scotland were higher than England.
Covid is out of control South of the border, one wonders just how many folk in England have died from the virus but their deaths have been register as dying from something else.
link to archive.is
As for Sturgeon it was a poor performance by her, if only she pursued independence as aggressively as she did Alex Salmond we wouldn’t be in this state.
Part of me suspects Marr pushed her hard to further help endear her to the Scottish public, which in normal times would be good for independence, but on this occasion there’s a strong possibility further endearment won’t lead to independence.
“No one should present her answers as a train crash.”
What answers? She didn’t give any answers. She dodged every question with whataboutery and polling.
Wait! So the Scottish govt are claiming that there were only two people present at both meetings WHEN THEIR OWN EVIDENCE says that there were three at the second meeting. Who is this extra person? In addition to Jon Somers and the complainant who could it be? There’s a massive contradiction here – what’s the answer Stu? Or can I simply not count?
The whole face was twitching and she was nervous and for just cause, she knows she’s a barefaced lair. Its when Marr confronted her with the Fact that Johnston was never ever going to consent to a section 30 order, her very own GOLD STANDARD that she made up to trick every Scot into believing that the Gold Standard is the only route to Independence for all of Scotland which is another lie from Sturgeon. Then it came the word democracy the very thing that this woman alone is denying every single Scot with her Gold standard she knows that the UK and no matter who is PM will never ever grant a section 30 order not now or in fifty years time. Five years ago she lied about protecting our place in the EU and five years from May 2021 she lie again with an excuse why we’ll still in this union. Personally the best thing for Scotland at the moment is to get rid of the Murrell’s and soft Independence supporters from the NEC.
Worth noting that Tuesday’s session at the harassment inquiry is a two-parter!
Morning and afternoon sessions:
link to parliament.scot
Milady, sadly yes same here too LOL
Daisy, the constant, em, quick to anger, eased off for me after about 12 or so years – so don’t think it permanent (though, everyone is different, so can’t promise you that,,,), I still want to cry, mind you, at any incredible acts of kindness, you know, like someone making me a cup of tea. Sigh.
Sturgeon has had softballs thrown at her for most of her time as leader of the SNP.
I must admit I am bemused that so many find her performances admirable / competent.
I have always found her very wooden, lacking charm and wit, and a bit of a ham. And that was when she first got the job. Bland.
Now know all that we do… FFS toe curling dreadful stuff. Squirming on the end of a hook of her own creation.
Nicola tries to emulate that Tony Blair routine when asked a critical or even a difficult question… you know where she looks disappointed / sad and gives this ‘forgive them Lord they know not what they do’ look. Like her shit could not possibly stink.
Newsflash Nicky. It is eye wateringingly honking.
Sorry to intrude on what is fast becoming the Salmond fan club but as a long time SNP member and one who has walked to the moon and back canvassing for Indy I resent this persistant attacks on Sturgeon. While I have some respect for Salmond he is yesterday’s man. He was a liability in the Indy campaign and his TV performances were an embarrassment. IMany many women expresed their dislike of him
.. agreed, a poor and defensive performance. But was part of the problem that she was near frozen-to-death? I don’t know how long she stood there waiting for Marr to finish with Rabb, but by the time she got going her breath seemed to freeze in front of her, and I think I noticed the odd shiver, which might not just have been fear.
Whatever, I agree with someone who observed earlier that the Harassment Enquiry will either bring her down, or we’ll be stuck with her (or Angus Robertson, so no difference) for a long time to come. What an utterly depressing thought.
But for what it’s worth, my own view is that she’s unlikely to make it through to the May election.
The SNP fall into the same trap every time. Marr and every Brit interviewer leads with the basic, but totally false narrative, that the UK Govt and the Scots Govt can be compared on an equal footing, as if Scotland was already an independent country.
The reality is that Holyrood is not equal entity with Westminster. Every independence supportermust call that out each and every time it occurs!
1. Covid handling? Scots Govt no fiscal or constitutional power to shut down economy, borders, international travel which are not devolved. ONLY independence will give Edinburgh parity with LOndon. It’s a nonsense but the Britnats trot it out all the time!
2. Education attainment gap? Again, only independence and full fiscal levers will allow Scots to fight and reverse the Universal Credit tory policy poverty imposed on us from London.
Is it Sturgeon’s ego that prevents her from calling out this false comparison because her ego fails to allow her to admit she (and the rest of us) have no real power to alter Scotland’s poverty, until we take that power into our own hands.Holyrood is like a mechanic tinkering to fix an unroadworthy car, which car is driven into the ground by the Tory London driver.
For God’s sake we need to call this false narrative out. The SNP leadership has not learned this basic tactic since 2014.
She looked like a five-year-old child telling fibs.
@Robbo,
Is that you Nicola?
Ian Brotherhood,
Interesting that the committee had to be given special dispensation to have the committee running at the same time as parliament sits in the afternoon – and seems to be easily granted! Parliament seems to be getting frustrated at the glacial pace of it too.
You notice that nearly all evidence for this phase – to investigate the handling of complaints – involves back and forward letters to/from Swinney (to him, is asking for the evidence), where he refuses to allow witnesses to show until they’ve submitted written evidence, delaying written evidence submission, and blaming Alex Salmond lawyers for the delays!
So the caveats on Gillian Russell’s and Judith MacKinnon’s evidence is that they won’t answer questions that are not shown in the written evidence – I’m detecting a bit of a flaw here – but Swinney promises that there will be a timeline submitted (when? He just said before the 1st Dec). Control of what’s said by the gov’t there.
I used to have respect for Stu but these persistant attacks on Sturgeon are depressing and resemble the minutes of a Salmond fan club meeting. As a long time SNP member and someone who has walked thousands of miles canvassing for the Party and Indy I will tell you now Salmond became a liability for the cause. To be blunt in 2014 his TV performances were an embarrassment and from my door step personal experience many women especially did not vote ‘YES’ given their dislike of the man. There is no PLAN B and those that tell you otherwise are lying and it pointless debating this ad nauseam and from armed insurrection there is other road to take. Lets not forget one verdict on his conduct was not proven he is yesterdays man.
Politics is a dirty game so there is no point in suggesting otherwise and that we have the moral high ground. We play by the rules already well established and we sometimes have to use dubious tactics to get what we want so instead of criticising her and the rest lets focus on dismantling the tripe and dishonesty coming from our opponents. We are losing focus and I would dare to say that if those here think Sturgeon’s days are numbered and take some satisfaction from it they are very naive.
I did not see the Marr interview but I suspect weeks of concentrating on the virus must surely be taking its toll and yes I blink a lot wearing contact lenses and glasses so to interpret that as an indication of her ‘dishonesty’ is just Bulls**t.
The young civil servant will not provide the explosive evidence, simply because M15 spook will have a chilli g word in his ear if they haven’t already,
They will wreck his life or richly reward his life style depending on his compliance.
Such is the wat the brit state works.
Given sturgeon us under the control of her brit nat handlers, she also will do what she is told, until she becomes of no more use to the british state.
At that point the unionist media will savagely expose the splits and criminality within the snp to damage the independence cause irreparably.
Cant believe this slow train crash hasn’t been seen coming by large numbers of yessers.
Who replaces sturgeon is key to the demise or survival of the horrid union.
I fear it is too late for the SNP. It has been deliberately infected by nature deniers, careerists and agent pravocateurs for years.
Time for the Yes movement to take the reigns!
@Robbo,
We get it. Your a Nicola fan club member. Perhaps you can ignore everything to that end, but some of us mere mortals cannot.
Time will tell.
Just google ‘why do liars blink’.
Robbo, apart from being a lifelong SNP member who has walked a billion miles – as if anyone gives a fuck – and your anti-Salmond prejudice, what do you think of the possibility that the current leader conspired to send an innocent man to prison?
Thanks in advance.
@ robbo 5.12pm whilst I may agree in part about some women not taking to him and his rabbit headlight moment against the arsehole darling , I am NOT aware of him colluding or actioning a conspiracy to jail an innocent someone for the rest of their life . And before you claim Nikla’s innocence would that then not make it imperative to release the legal advice which she so adamantly refuses to do because (reasons)
I also noted in today’s Marr interview when Salmond was brought up she was quick to bring up the puir women who had accused Salmond but NO MENTION of Salmond being found innocent , to me that emphasises that she STILL DOESN’T accept the juries verdict and that justifies her continued assault on his integrity
@Robbo,
As an aside Nicola does NOT spend every day dealing with this virus. That is done by Civil servants, and scientific and health staff.They collate all the information and ask Nicola to choose an option. That’s what she does.
It’s all laid out for her chapter and verse. Unless if course you think she does it all by herself.
It may be convention that the government does not reveal its legal advice but is it not also convention that members of the cabinet do not reveal the content of discussions that take place in cabinet?
Is it also a convention that if the cabinet makes a decision, such as not to hold an enquiry say, all members of the cabinet at the time (unless they resign) are collectively responsible for that decision, not just the first minister at the time, regardless of what they may or may not have said in the cabinet meeting?
I wonder, when she is alone doing her much vaunted book reading,having a shower, on the toilet, basically alone with her thoughts, does she, as she says, regret (which implies responsibility, btw),
Every Single Death?..
Does she ‘really’ have (haunted) visions of old, dead people.
Robbo @ 5.30pm
Am sure Stanley B , will be around soon to give you some compliments lol. Hopefully you can let him know if you live in Ayrshire like me? Not sure if he stuck in at the school when Geography was being taught.
The handling of the virus goes from bad to worse. The current lunacy I’m questioning is my council’s insistence on parents dropping off children at nursery/P1/P2 to a) remain outdoors, b) wear masks, AND c) stay 2 metres apart for interactions of less than 10 minutes. None of this makes any sense – there is no evidence anywhere in the world of transmission outdoors except when breathing heavily. The message being sent to the youngest children is atrocious, but the council claims it is based on SG advice. If so, none of the advice is worth anything.
The determination of the current SNP leadership to influence opinion by controlling presetnation rather than demonstrating performance is deeply troubling.
Control the regulators and let them appease local authorities to secure political support. Avoid scrutiny. Defame those who oppose us or who stand in the way of policy. Throw out distracting policies that suggest humanity but which deliver the opposite (tampons, free school meals, etc) to divert criticism. Populate key institutions with sycophants (Covid recovery group) and bind the 3rd sector to funding largesse that renders them compliant.
What we experienced was the SNP leadership at it’s worst, and it was all led by Swinney.
link to tns2019.org
“What the whole sorry mess tells us about Scotland is that
We are a nation that appears to attach little or no value to the rule of law, to natural justice, or to human rights. We care little about our children and young people and are happy to see harm done to them to save money and to deflect responsibility from those who vlaue their own reputations ahead of doing what is just and proper.
And it shows that our major institutions are not so much affected by as riddled with corruption, and that seniority is inversely proportional to professional competence and integrity.”
Robot, it’s not the blinking. The blinking is just her way of dealing with her dishonesty.
It’s the ACTUAL dishonesty that is so appalling.
..tbh, Nicola Sturgeon could have just as well been on the radio.
It is interesting the BBC focus of the death per million of population. However, if you assume Scotland has 10% of the UK population you can compare how well the UK is doing.
If Scotland has 100 deaths, then the UK should have around 1000
The current 10 day average for Scotland is
Deaths per day: 29.5
Cases identified per day: 906
If you multiply the Scottish figure by ten that should be the English figure.
The UK figures for the same period are:
Deaths: 447
Cases: 16477
As you can see down south you have a much better chance of catching it and dying
I struggle to decide who I dislike the most between Surgeon and Swinney, I wouldn’t trust either of them as far as I could throw them, I don’t see how she can possibly survive until next year but I expect it will depend on just exactly what power she has at her back, great article Stu.
I have had a quick look at the national population and covid infection and death rates:
cases per population
scotland 1.73
UK 2.42
Deaths
scotland .07
UK .09
The simple answer has to be the BBC is fake news
TNS2019,
In a nutshell.
Once you seen, you can’t unsee.
Robbo…
“persistant attacks on Sturgeon are depressing” but are entirely justified.
All the blinky, sleep deprived, exhausted from saving us all choreographed bullshit on display for Andy Marr etc. won’t extract an ounce of sympathy from me.
She’s got the intellectual pigmies in the party prepared to crawl through a mile of broken glass just to kiss her hallowed backside. The rest of us see her and her cabal for what and who they are… the biggest obstacles to Scottish Independence since the creation of the SNP.
The blatant amateurish attempt to smear Alex Salmond, is disgraceful. I suspect John Swinney is now part of the cabal.
Let’s make 2 things clear here.
Scotland’s handling of Covid is clearly superior to England’s
The BBC, Sky and UK media lie for a living
The video looks as if it has been tampered with
@Robbo,
It may or may not be the case that fewer women voted during Alex Salmond’s leadership. I imagine that far far fewer women will be willing to vote for what the current – female – leader is seeking to impose on them.
The idea of trusting the SNP or Nicola Sturgeon because they’re better than the UK leadership is like putting imaginary meat on a skeleton.
And given the actions of the current administration – the TRA issues, the NCS conduct and the “just resting in our account’ Indyref funds, the idea that “But… but… OOR corruption is better than THEIR corruption” is not a good one. It is absolutely right to hold their feet to the fire as much as the UK govt.
Maybe the grassroots’ new slogan should be “A squeaky bum gets more done”
We have yet to express as a nation what we want to be as a nation.
We are as far from New Zealand as Sturgeon is from Ardern.
Our SNP roots have been cauterised by a sepparatism born of hatred for others rather than a conviction is ourselves. We have yet to prove that we can do this because we there is a vacuum in leadership, the absence of any vision that transcends independence per se, and a complete disregard for the pragmatics of going it alone.
Who screwed the last referendum? Swinney.
Who will lead the next? Swinney.
He is a bank manager and not a charasmatic nation-building leader.
And Sturgeon is a lawyer who knows fine well that she cannot deliver with her current apostles.
Either the SNP needs to clear out the dead wood, or we need a new party to represent an optimistic formative nation.
BUT WE MUST NEVER LOSE OUR ROOTS. SCOTLAND WAS NEVER ABOUT HARMING OTHERS BUT ABOUT SELF-BELIEF.
THE SNP HAS DESTROYED THAT.
An interesting article in the National newspaper.
Here’s a snippet.
“the continued pedalling of the Andrew Wilson nonsense on the Sustainable Growth Commission. How is it possible that Denmark using its own krone and New Zealand with its homegrown “kiwi dollar” can cope with the same vicissitudes of a pandemic yet Nicola Sturgeon proposes we go cap in hand to the money markets of London for her sterlingisation plan?”
link to thenational.scot
Sorry, can’t watch her anymore, i detest her almost as much as i detest Ruth Davidson and that’s no exaggeration.
There is no acceptable reason on earth why she hasn’t made any advances towards independence over the previous several years.
Even if the next manifesto says a guaranteed referendum in the event of a majority i doubt i would believe it, such is the distrust she has created under her stewardship.
But the next manifesto is *not* going to give any rock-solid guarantee. It will be written in such a way as to fool the utterly deluded and will, at least, contain one caveat.
Only on Friday there i already witnessed one tweet from a sycophant claiming she said, in her recent tv interview, that “there will be a referendum if there’s a majority”. That certainly wasn’t in the tv interview i watched.
As for Swinney, i remember feeling sorry for him some time ago and ferociously defending him against all sorts of BritNat drivel. But after his sickening Salmond stunt, which i coudn’t believe hearing, i will enjoy his fall when it comes.
So, Sturgeon still thinks Salmond is guilty and hints that that story is not over. Any lingering respect I had for her evaporated then.
She is absolutely bang to rights and should know it. That she has not resigned as a result so her party had plenty of time to choose a replacement does not speak well of her and suggests she thinks she is irreplaceable. Such people tend to find reality rather nasty. See a certain Orange Chimp over the Atlantic.
In terms of Covid response Mar is right. By hitching our wagon to WM we made a huge mistake. WM treated this as though it was a pandemic flu. Those countries, largely in the Asia-Pacific region but see Canada as well treated it as a SARS type virus. So they locked down harder, earlier, stricter and had test and trace working to squash flare ups.
it is only fairly recently that ordinary folk could get Cofid tests. We could have done that starting back in March but didn’t. So the virus spread unchecked and untracked in the community. I caught it when venturing to the supermarket for food. My mistake? I didn’t have my cartridge respirator mask on while queuing to go in. But no test for me. I don’t think I infected anyone else since I did not venture out again before I felt unwell. I locked down until 14 days after the last symptoms, much longer than advised. Forced out by the need for food (delivery slots could not be had then).
Sturgeon has concentrated on presentation and not substance. We begged her to close the border in the first wave. The Welsh did recently did we? partially. Relying on people being honest and obeying the rules as plenty of those from England have not been doing when coming up here.
The FM is a lame duck, who has passed her sale by date and her performance on the Marr show was deeply sad for the whole of the Independence movement. Her attitude towards the former FM is shocking and disrespectful and I would remind Nicola Sturgeon and these women that Mr Salmond was found innocent of all charges in a court of law and by a jury mostly made up of women and remarks like, the battle is lost but well win the war seem to be continuing against Mr Salmond when the SNP’s attention should be against the UK not the former FM. I cannot see what or where the SNP as a party or Scotland as a country has benefited by having Nicola Sturgeon as leader, all I’ve heard in the last 6yrs about what the SNP have achieved, are achievement made by the former FM while he was in office. We are still apart of the UK even though we gave the Nicola Sturgeon’s government more than 6 mandates, we are leaving the EU and we don’t even know if or when we’ll be able to rejoin the EU or even leave the UK. So for me Sturgeon is a complete failure and the quicker she’s gone the better for Scotland. I did hope she would put party and country before herself but she no Alex Salmond!!
Andrew Marr used ONS statistics for the week-ending 13th November that showed Scotland had 50 deaths per million and England had 40 deaths per million. He omitted to say that Wales had 60 deaths per million in the same week.
Scotland has managed the pandemic better that the government for England.
link to talkingupscotlandtwo.com
So, who’ll step aside to force a by-election that Joanna Cherry win will in an open, transparent and positive campaign?
Cherry as FM, Kate Forbes as DFM/Finance Sec. And, correcting a huge mistake, Andy Wightman brought in to do something on land reform. Add to that a total reform of the civil service and legal system in Scotland, a new excise system and massive infrastructure renewal, and we might make up all the time we’ve lost.
Nothing easy, no quick wins, a worrying number of people we have to work around, all whilst we work with the EU to rebuild trade links and public trust and confidence.
We hope the Rev has time to go to the shops for sweets.
Someone up page doing moonwalks aye ok look what happened to the last one that made moonwalks a party piece , I seem to remember him having a monkey called bubbles i often wonder what happened to bubbles ,a load of pish anyway Robbo IMHO .
As for the interview well thats what Politicians do they answer searching questions from hostil interviewers if they cant handle the pressure change careers ,within a minute it was obvious someone had grabbed Marr by the Goolies and told him his job depended on not acting as if he was interviewing a tory minister,
Effijy says:
29 November, 2020 at 6:54 pm
Let’s make 2 things clear here.
Scotland’s handling of Covid is clearly superior to England’s
———————
Without evidence you’re just expressing feelings. I’ve explained this to you before.
I love your optimism Stu, but Sturgeon will survive.
The greens will foil the vote of no confidence.
And even if they don’t, she will manage to find a way to wriggle free from this. As much as they are the butt of the joke in this blog, it will be the Polls that save her.
The whole Covid rubbish is irrelevant with regard to the drive to
independence. The whole UK is one of the worst in the world at handling the virus with 75.9 deaths per 100000 just ahead of Equador and just below Mexico and Bolivia – in Europe only Spain Belgium and San Marino score worse (Wikipedia). Even Sweden is lower with 59.73 per 100000. Worldometer has the UK as 7th worst in the world for deaths per million. With these scores obviously Scotland is going to contribute to the crapness of the UK’s response. Who cares about who won the ‘home nations’ Covid tournament? If you care about deaths fair enough but lets not make this a contest.
England’s health service was in very poor shape before this due to Thatcher and Blair’s efficiency savings and the Health and Social Care Act of 2012 driven by the incompetent Andrew Lansley. That England has done so well considering the butchering of their service is the most amazing thing out of all this. It’s not good down there – Scotland doesn’t know how lucky it is.
As for Sturgeon’s blinking – I cannot believe you are trotting out that guff again. I don’t like the woman much but really – blinking? This is guff pseudo science – ‘The Thick of It’ was a comedy show folks.
There is certainly a lot of questions for Sturgeon, Swinney and others to answer about a load of dodgy stuff, but get a grip. If Sturgeon was such a bad liar as you all seem to think she wouldn’t be First Minister. You think politicians don’t lie?
WT, flimsy stuff. Is that your defence of sturgeon? Lol.
“ If you care about deaths fair enough”
Fucking crackpot.
Some stats for next week’s Andrew Marr Show
link to travellingtabby.com
Total Deaths
England – 50,998 (Est.Pop – 56,286,961)
Scotland – 3,722 (Est.Pop – 5,500,000)
Wales- 2,539 (Est.Pop – 3,230,490)
N.Ireland – 986 (Est.Pop – 1,908,250)
Deaths per million (past 7 days)
England – 49.5
Scotland – 40.1
Wales – 51.7
N. Ireland – 28
Hello Hatuey. No its not my defence of Sturgeon and its not flimsy stuff. Blinking is not a sign of lying.
…but being a politician might be
So where are we now.
We have Sturgeon and her husband along with a select inner group who appear to have actively plotted to frame AS and send him to prison for possible the rest of his life.
Then there is the missing referendum money.
These are crimes if proved, those responsible should go to prison.
And there is of course the woke madness.
Through all this we have the majority of SNP MSP/MP`s utterly silent.
With all the above and more we have a Holyrood election next year and if Sturgeon stays who the hell do we vote for, a party leader that is rotten to the core and has absolutely no intention of pursuing independence or what, who?
I cant believe i`m saying this but I am starting to loathe the SNP for what it is doing to the cause of independence.
@Hatuey
Do they give you Fridays off?
Blinking = lying, Lmao.
What dribble is this? Bloody old wife’s tale imho.
Let’s all check Boris and Trump out.If they don’t blink then we’ll know it’s a truth, ha ha .
See how ridiculous it sounds,aye? Two biggest liars on planet,do it for a living.
link to caltonjock.com
Boozy BBC politics veteran Marr, who last year tried to gag papers over another affair was snapped outside a late-night bar passionately embracing a brunette television producer.
A source said “I spotted them hugging and kissing up against the fence. They were there for a few minutes. Eventually, they went back to the bar and stayed until closing time before leaving together. I couldn’t believe the way he was carrying on. You’d have thought he was old enough to know better.”
@Ayrshoire Rab
What dribble is this?
For sure t’is a bloody olde wifes tale?
What hands are here! Ha, they pluck out mine ayes.
AYRSHIRE
Go on say it,,,
“Sturgeon, you are one lying evil wee bastard”.
Just once AYRSHIRE,,, just once.
Otherwise, fuck off!!!
No Sturgeonistas allowed on Wings anymore.
Did you forget Dick heed???
@Stan
You as well Stan.
Heed?
Really?
I don’t think Marr’s phoney grilling of Sturgeon is mortally damaging independence, or doing any ‘favours’ to those who no longer trust her. If he – and all other British types – really cared about striking a blow to our cause, then they have more than enough on her – MORE than enough – to nail her to the floor, now. They’re actually not nailing this lying, cowardly, cosy, wealthy and not-interested-in-indy SNP leader to any floor; why would they? she poses zero threat to them, she’s their pal, for Christ’s sake.
All Marr’s doing is introducing more doubt and dubiety about Scotland’s leader (of which we’re all too familiar on this site) and raising the old hackles of those in this country who, to the death, implicitly trust her.
If Sturgeon’s still holding her absolutely corrupted power by next May/next Ref (Ref: quasi-joke), THEN they’ll go to work.
If they really held her to account – like they did to Salmond at every desperate, grasping, given moment – then this imposter would be long-gone and wouldn’t have been anywhere near Marr’s show earlier today.
They’ll panic when Sturgeon’s being booted out of office, and only then – unless there’s a conveyor belt of Sturgeon independence assassin clones.
A clip of Alex Salmond on the Andrew Marr Show 14th September 2014.
If anyone is counting blinks there is a lot. Asked by Marr what constitutes ‘a generation’ his reply IMHO is on a par with Alistair Jack’s opinion on what constitutes a generation! The time it took to hold a second referendum on devolution! Marr says 18 or 20 years, then asks him “Could you, Alex Salmond pledge not to bring back another referendum if you lose this one?”
Unbelievable..
link to bbc.co.uk
@Stan
You as well.
Heed?
Really?
So, we now have a whole new definition of ordinary everyday politics and it’s perfectly normal for politicians to lie and stitch up opponents.
It’s great news. We don’t need to be depressed and ashamed any more. And we can all get behind our leader and our party and participate in the great fight for our country’s independence.
What? What do you mean there’s no great fight for independence? Seriously? It’s all for fuck all? What? You’re taking the piss now… we’re fighting for GRA? Not independence?
I’m not sure this is what I signed up for… let’s call it a misunderstanding. Could I have my money back… you know, the money I donated to the “ring fenced” indy fund?
What? Layered? What the fuck does that mean? You said it was going to kept separate, what the fuck do you mean “layered”?
Hello? Where did you go? Hello? Anyone there? That’s strange…
“In my opinion, in my personal opinion, this is a once in a generation, if not a lifetime, opportunity”
Are politicians stated personal views, on opportunities, when responding to questions in interviews immediately transcribed into law?
Best let Gammeron, Treeza, Boredofthis, that weird little guy that opened the Arc in Indiana Jones and Pob know of this.
@Hatuey
Do you have anything original to say, or only minor variations on a recurring theme?
Not surprisingly, you managed the whole bingo card once again.
Must get a bit boring.
Finished was the El D Stanley? What you on now,the QC?
Finished was the El D Stanley? What you on now,the QC?
Nite
ElGordo, you’re right. This is it.
To tell the truth, I’m stuck. I can’t get past the Salmond stitch-up, disappearing ring-fenced funds, and the abject failure on indyref2.
If I was more intelligent and politically mature, I’d be able to put all that to one side and delight in the introduction of those baby boxes.
Hatuay,
How thick are you?
I’ve given you the evidence at least 5 times and done the arithmetic for you too.
Scotland has performed better than England in dealing with Covid 19.
Pro rata less Cases and less Deaths.
Read the numbers you prat.
You make Trigger from Only Fools And Horses look Bamber Gascoigne.
link to google.co.uk
@Hatuey
Bit of a give away on the baby box ref.
Report in for additional training monday morning.
El Gordo
Please don’t tell me you are another one of these Sturgeonistas???
Only Dildos and Dick Heeds are Sturgeonistas.
So you are all for men to dress up as women and enter female toilets/changing rooms???
Is there something you want to discuss with us ElGordo???
Effijy, I’m obviously as thick as Andrew Marr.
“What answers? She didn’t give any answers. She dodged every question with whataboutery and polling.”
Yes, she dodged giving direct answers, I did not say otherwise, but viewing her performance as no more than chronic evasiveness is liable not to be shared by the general public who see her answer in similarly ways in other interviews.
Nor will amateur psychology convince folk successive blinking indicates cast iron signs of evasiveness and not badly fitted contact lenses. We live in a time when tough leaders are admired. They can blink all they like.
That’s why our FM – might well – be our FM this time next year.
ElGordo, you tell me, we’ll leave aside all the disasters, failures, and suspicious stuff, and focus instead on the good stuff, so where is it?
Help me find balance by pointing me to the good stuff…
I’ll wait.
@Stanley
Funny you all pop together, something on that’s paying overtime for the weekend?
Let’s invite everybody to chip in on this question that we’ve stumbled upon. It’ll make a change from the usual attacks, insults, and negativity. So here it is…
Q) we are trying to balance out all the shit of the last few years with good stuff – so on one side we have the failure to achieve indyref2, the Salmond stuff, the ring-fenced fund scandal, GRA, Hate crime stuff, and all the petty nastiness towards people like Joanna Cherry – and so I’m wondering what “good stuff” can we put on the other side of the scales to balance all that out?
I’m trying to be positive here, please help.
Swinney should be gone already for what he’s done to children with the RSHP.Scot stuff in schools. Truly disgusting, I’ll be glad to see the back of him for any reason.
@Hatuey
Sorry, bit late, the posting history.
It’s relatively simple, you just click on an article and CTRL-F Hatuey.
Unfortunately, it’s prob time to recycle those usernames again.
If you can report in with Ayrshoire Rab and Stanley on monday morning, we can work out some new names, personas, vpn’s, bingo cards etc and build back better.
As the Proclaimers would say,,,
“Sturgeon no more”.
@Stanley
That’s got potential, maybe “Sturgone” would be a bit punchier. You need to work on the backstory too, it needs to be convincing, well, target market convincing
Anyways, just initial thoughts for now, it’s been a long weekend and we all need some shut eye, let’s all have a chat in the morning, and try to ensure that we get some longevity out of our next creations.
2020 continues in much the same vein…
I have a horrible feeling George Galloway is targetting Ferrier’s seat here in Rutherglen, going by a tweet I’ve seen.
Help
@ Beaker
Has anyone indicated that there will be a by-election for him to target? The criteria for recall petitions are quite narrow, and I don’t believe they have been fulfilled (not yet, anyway), so unless MF decides to resign, GG can whistle in the wind.
@ Beaker
ps – he’s also broken the rules, by travelling to his house in the Borders, from England, to carry out renovations. Or if he hasn’t actually done that, he tweeted his intention to. So quite how he can claim the moral high ground, I don’t know (he’ll try; he was my MP for the last 2 years of my sojourn in Glasgow).
Grouse Beater wrote: That’s why our FM – might well – be our FM this time next year.
Possibly, but Salmond is yet to rise and she has failed to heed oor Niccolo’s admonition that, “[i]f an injury is to be inflicted on an enemy, it is to be so severe, that the enemy’s retaliation need not be feared”.
Hatuey says:
29 November, 2020 at 11:58 pm
….I’m wondering what “good stuff” can we put on the other side of the scales to balance all that out?
I’m trying to be positive here, please help.
What keeps me going is that all that Constitutional stuff about Scotland’s popular sovereignty which I keep rambling on about, WILL have it’s day in the International Court of Justice at the UN, and the phoney unwritten ‘convention’ of the UK’s Parliamentary Sovereignty will not survive diligent scrutiny.
The Union is a fallacy. The best metaphor for it would be to compare Scotland to the abused wife forced into a marriage of convenience which has been an abusive relationship from the beginning. Constantly abused and denigrated, Scotland’s self confidence has been perniciously eroded and our poor unfortunate maiden has started to believe the nonsense that she’s ugly, stupid and couldn’t possibly make her own way in the world.
Her resources, of which she has plenty, are routinely plundered by her abusive partner, and she is ‘rewarded’ with a token stipend, pin money, but never allowed to forget this miserly sum is something to be forever grateful for.
The truth is, it is her wealth which pays for the abusive partner’s hedonistic lifestyle, and permits him to live his drunken arrogant and indolent lifestyle which is living the high life well beyond his means.
My fears for Scotland are the signs emerging that Scotland’s people have, after 300 years of this constant abuse have begun to forget the truth, believe the abuse, and resign themselves to being trapped forever in this Union without hope of escape. Throughout these 300+ years of abusive relationship, most further colonial encroachment emanating from Westminster has been met with a vociferous defence of Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty and the route way it provides for Scotland to exit the Treaty of Union if and when it chooses. In short, Westminster has been warned to keep off the grass, and been compelled to listen.
In the past, that threat has been sufficiently potent to temper, (but not halt) the colonial ambitions of Westminster, and their infidelity towards Scotland has had to be subtle and clandestine, like the McCrone Report… fully knowledgable and conversant with the truth, but cynically manipulated to obscure the truth behind a false narrative which wilfully hides the massive theft of Scotland’s resources.
In more recent decades however, especially since Devolution, I think there has been a change in the dynamic. Scotland has been duped by Devolution, and has become much less surefooted in it’s Constitutional defences and sovereignty, while throughout the same period, Scotland’s more docile reaction to Westminster’s colonialism has greatly emboldened the BritNat Establishment to push the boundaries of what it can get away with, and seek to entrench it’s colonial beachhead in constitutional matters where it doesn’t belong.
Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile. Give an inch on Scottish Sovereignty and you get Westminster’s Brexit isolationism, deregulated economy and constitutional obscurity for Scotland.
When tested by English / Westminster colonialism, whether that’s McCrone made public, or lie after lie about warship construction, GERS, or biased and bigoted broadcasting,… (I could go on, but we all know the list), but the point is, Scotland has weakened and become more diffident and yielding to the advances. Just look at Brexit. Naked and unmitigated colonial subjugation of Scotland’s democracy and constitutional sovereignty. Yet how we have reacted to it? NOT like an angry and properly affronted sovereign Nation, but like a whipped cur of a dog whimpering under the table.
Sturgeon’s gutless capitulation should warrant immediate impeachment for her stupid and witless Government, but surprise, surprise, it emerges Scotland has been duped into accepting a Mickey Mouse Holyrood “Parliament” which doesn’t have any impeachment mechanism, but does afford Westminster the power of veto over Scotland’s democracy. Who on earth wrote those rules??? …Oh.
Sturgeon’s dismal strategic acumen and grotesque subservience to the ascendancy of Westminster’s sovereignty has led Scotland charging down a one-way cul-de-sac which has seen Scotland stripped of its constitutional defences and submitting itself to the charitable mercies of Boris Johnson. We can go no further down this Cul-de-sac because the road is blocked by a Section 30 Agreement which Westminster believes to be a veto over the will of Scotland.
If Sturgeon isn’t actually working for the Establishment, the Establishment could never in it’s wildest dreams have imagined it’s prayers being answered with a Scottish “Leader“ as dismally inept and subservient to their agendas as Nicola Sturgeon.
The ONLY way out of this Cul-de-sac is to get rid of the meek and lamb like “leadership” which has allowed this tragedy to unfold, somehow slam our Indy juggernaut into reverse or get it turned around, and start retracing our steps out of this hopeless Cul-de-sac of subservience, and get back to the fork in the road where we parted company with our powerful and unassailable Constitutionally Sovereign Rights.
Take us back to the point in our journey where it is us, the sovereign people of Scotland, who actually rule Scotland, and take it upon ourselves to end the Union forthwith, either by a democratic ballot of sovereign Scottish citizens, or, as I prefer, simply citing Scotland’s Brexit subjugation as warranted excuse to declare the Treaty of Union irremediably breached by Westminster’s unlawful and unconstitutional colonialism, and the United Kingdom has ceased to exist.
Every journey begins with one small step. Our first step is backwards, back the way we have come. We need to hear Scotland’s “vehicle reversing” alarm. Let’s go back and pick up our inalienable sovereignty. I promise you, it will be right where we left it.
McHaggis69 @3.42 pm
You wrote ,
Could the SG begin another ‘clean’ investigation of Mr Salmond’s conduct?
“Is this why the actual process has not been amended one bit after the Judicial Review outcome? Do they plan to try it again, “
Your question reminded me of Craig Murray and what he said at the time ,
“ This article and the committee both spectacularly miss the point. Of course the Scottish government has not changed the unlawful policy. It was only ever a one shot weapon designed to “get” Alex Salmond . It will never be used again, so why correct it? .
link to twitter.com
And the article in the National that Craig Murray refers to ,
link to archive.vn
And from Craig Murray , “ The circle of amnesiacs “ .
link to craigmurray.org.uk
Hatuey,
Yes you must be on a par with Marr!
He used the Covid stats as one small snap shot to
Help the unionist cause by creating a false impression
of the overall picture.
If discussing the Covid stats you look at all the stats from the beginning
Up until the latest figures.
By doing that, on the link I’ve posted 6 times, Scotland has the much healthier figures,
even with fewer powers than Westminster.
I’d rather have a healthier figures over all rather than a blip here and there.
Who wouldn’t?
Don’t answer!
Kind Regards
From Joanna Cherry’s twitter account ,
“Thanks ?Kevin McKenna for defending me. Again. Thanks also to all ?the SNP members & friends in the legal community who have been in touch to offer their support after the latest attempts to smear me. #FreeSpeechMatters “
link to twitter.com
An excellent article from Kevin McKenna: “ Joanna Cherry needs to examine ‘Trumpian’ behaviours in the SNP “
“ The party’s Westminster spokesperson for home affairs and justice might justifiably have used her speech to talk about the Trumpian behaviour that exists within her own party.
However, there is also an open sewer running through this party. This was evident in those of its elected politicians and party workers who chose to sign an open letter about defending trans rights that had another objective: to maintain the campaign of bullying and intimidation that Cherry has been forced to endure for the last two years. This is mainly because of her insistence on speaking up for the sex-based rights of women in the debate over GRA reform. “
link to archive.is
I’m still waiting to see when Nicola Sturgeon will stand up and defend Joanna Cherry against the bullying that Joanna has had to endure but I think we’ll all be waiting for a very long time for it to happen .
I can only hope that this weekends elections for the Snp’s NEC and the other committee elections are only the first step to in the the right direction to get people elected to them who can start to get the party back on track .
Ha Ha, I read that McKenna piece. Right at the end he exhorts that the eedjits to get off the case of those promoting new ideas on independence who are doing the “heavy lifting”, like Common Weal and the wider Yes movement.
You really are a lazy bastard, Rev. Get out there and do a shift.
Andrew Pierce, the Tory supporting journalist
On breakfast TV unhappy with SNP success
rips into what’s his name, the useless Labour
Leader in Scotland? Lol
He is to blame for not being able to fool the Scots again.
Quite incredible these days when both English Parties want
The other one to do well if it keeps Westminster’s hand in Scotland’s pocket.
Effijy: “ I’d rather have a healthier figures [than england] over all rather than a blip here and there.
Who wouldn’t?”
1, you don’t deny that Scotland has had more covid-19 deaths than England during this second wave, significantly more over the last 4 weeks. That’s a fact.
2, why do you always insist on comparing with England anyway, a country with one of the worst records in the world? Is that what we need to do to feel good about ourselves? I won’t be celebrating the deaths of English people or any other people, no matter how good it makes our terrible record look.
3, if you compare our plight against a country with a similar sized population to Scotland, like Singapore, which has had 28 deaths in total since March, compared to several thousand here, our handling has simply been diabolical.
4, our economy is in tatters, a locked-down wasteland, and thousands have died. Without comparing to any other country, can you please explain why we should be happy or proud of the situation?
I look forward to reading your expert analysis.
Thanks in advance.
Reassuring interview with Sturgeon there on Radio Scotland. She was asked to condemn the bullying of Joanna Cherry and responded by saying she condemns all bullying.
It reminds me of the response by socially responsible racists to the Black Lived Matter campaign – all lives matter, they insisted.
True leadership.
‘Lies, lies and damn statistics’. Data can be manipulated to suit a particular line of argument. There are 3 critical areas of decision making I would like to see independent scrutiny of:
1 The original decision re Care Homes. Public Inquiry to establish the learning opportunities and the SNP shouldn’t be blocking that Public Inquiry
2 To paraphrase the Public Health expert Professor Linda Bauld. “Anybody watching the FMs tv interview will say she has politicised the pandemic” Namely the reluctance to apply restrictions to greater Glasgow sooner. Holyrood Inquiry needed.
3 The impact of students attending University at the beginning of the academic year was predicted beforehand. Holyrood Inquiry needed.
Lets learn something and stop the petty politicking.
Need to get over this Covid, the pandemic that never really was, malarky, pdq.
Scotland is not a sinking ship despite the dedicated efforts of the worms in the timber.
Bon voyage!
Breeks @ 5.24 ( you were up early, or late ! ) Excellent post as per . 100% with you on this . If only we ourselves – those who see where the terrible folly , stupidity and cowardice of the current SNP Government of Appeasement is leading us – could enact a ” regime change ” before it’s too late – it’s currently 23.59pm . Looks like our only chance of getting rid of them is via the enquiry’s findings/conclusions , the pertinent information for which will have to be extracted at gunpoint from Swinney et al .
Grouse Beater says:
29 November, 2020 at 3:10 pm
” You’d have to know the find detail in advance to make such a judgement, even if you accept the Covid-19 figures Marr produced are an indictment of copying Boris and his gang solutions to the pandemic.”
Aye, and instead of hiding the figures we should be claiming how much better we might well have been had we been able to close borders, ports, airports etc and do our own thing – only possible with independence.
Swinney is acting as patsy to achieve some time shifting. Nicola will fall. If she falls before May and the successor isn’t in place the whole project is threatened. Parliament, the majority and the mandate for Indyref2.
What about Andrew Marr’s failings in this interview. I would say the Rev. has lost his focus.
Mr Thms @11pm
Interesting clip followed by Alistair Darling talking about faster, safer, change in stronger parliament, etc.
Plenty blinking in that one too..!
NS failure to come out and defend Joanna Cherry unambiguously speaks volumes. She leapt to Rhiannon Spear’s defence without qualification. What a nasty piece of work she is showing herself to be.
This is an eye opening article from Martin Keating in the National.
A snippet.
“A section 30 order has already been refused three times, by Theresa May, a written response from Boris Johnson, and in a letter from Scottish Secretary Alister Jack.”
The article includes important info on the Continuity bill.
link to thenational.scot
@ Hautey re all the shit / Good Stuff
Good Stuff
One of the most politically savvy electorate anywhere
The Yes Movement – the opposition have to pay for this, we have an army of volunteers. This method of campaigning will need to be amended due to Covid – we’re talking High Visability – with face masks, etc and an emphasis on Posters/Billboards etc A good picture is worth a thousand words.
Covid – Nothing has highlighted how much better we could do, than Covid. And nothing has highlighted how important our NHS is – this is a really big one for our No Voting/Brexit leaning/If only We had control of our own borders brigade – of a certain vintage era.
Boris – for all he might not last long after Christmas – one of the downfalls of being the High profile Clown is that the Image lingers. And what better metaphor for us –
We Can Do So Much Better Than Boris
Devolution – the Threat to Holyrood. Remember 74 % voted for it – and despite changing demographics – I suspect the support levels have remained high…. particularly in view of Boris.
Holyrood Election – The 2 Vote System – which has been Gamed from the start by the Unionist parties – offers a unique opportunity to vote SNP1 and Proper Indy on 2.
Given the threat to Devolution – and the clarity with which Boris and Mogg – have expressed their threat to it – it really is Indy or Bust now. They can haver forever about another IndyRef, but they cannot put off elections – Holryood must become Plebiscite Election for Indy.
Brexit – No Deal – Timing – nothing concentrates the mind more, than imminent danger, food shortages and quality, medicine, goods, jobs, NHS – going, going gone.
Ability – in the Yes Movement, in the SNP (although its not shining its best at top table at present), in the community. The list is too long to start.
Geography – we are here. Win, Lose or Draw we’re not going anywhere. And we have so much to lose, and everything to win.
Size – it takes a minute for a lie to get half way round the world, while the truth is getting its boots on. Takes my auntie Mary about 10 seconds to get word to the whole family about the latest gossip. Sometimes small is good.
A Plan – S30 has been refused, categorically, Angus McNeil clarified that, Its Indy or Bust at Holyrood now. And we have 5 winter months to get the electorate educated to vote for this, and 5 months to get candidates ready to stand. It costs £500 per seat which would need to be paid in about 21 days before the election.
A rallying point – Holyrood in Edinburgh is the obvious one. Glasgow – you chose one for the West. Inverness the North. Dress warm, keep it in the open, use masks (even if you don’t agree – that is a separate matter, Indy first, lets not give the opposition ammunition).
Visible, Visible, Visible ( in addition to home windows, car windows,, etc) – from each hub, people are deployed with mobile billboards, lollypop posters for busy pedestrian crossings (that way you get the vehicles stopped and interact with the pedestrians crossing. Its not the same as door to door canvassing, but it can be effective. (And remember it will be busy with the Festive Seasons shopping). Covid means campaigning in a different way, and it also means campaigning in the depths of winter – lets work it to our advantage.
Hogmanay – In every city and in every town and village, we gather in the old centre and at Holyrood, and immediately after the bells and the song, We Light A CANDLE and a minutes silence – SOVEREIGN. (This last would have seemed corny about a year ago, but post Covid / clap at the door on a Thursday – not so much so).
Leadership or the lack thereof. Responsible leaders just now are trying to put the wheels back on the SNP bus – and they are right to do so. The movement itself has got to do the hard graft just now and ‘force’ the SNP hand to change policy so that the Plebiscite policy is adopted.
Hatuey @09.12
NS “condemns all bullying”? Yes, exactly parallels the ‘I’m not a racist but’ reply.
For NewSNP, some bullies are definitely more equal than others.
Why does JC not leave?
But apparently: “The SNP, whose virtual conference takes places this weekend, could hardly be in finer fettle.”
link to whatscotlandthinks.org
Republic- The Tories may eventually say yes, but not to a referendum of the SNP’s choice.
It will be a take it or leave it multi option referendum with loads of caveats attached. One of the traps would be Faslane and the other the Shetland’s right to choose. This is how the Brits do business. They like to squeeze every ounce out a colony before it goes. They also like the divide and rule tactics they employed in Ireland and India. They would quite happily partition Scotland to get Shetland’s oil.
Good luck to Craig Murray today (SNP Presidential candidate) and to Joanna Cherry (NEC candidate) results today for both of them.
Big Jock, Shetland doesnt have any oil, it would have a 12 mile zone if it became an exclave.
@DaisyWalker
Re. Visibility – can I remind YES groups everywhere about the National Banner Library organised by Grassroots Oban?
link to grassrootsoban.scot
We have over a dozen groups signed up so far, and we are always on the lookout for new designs and design ideas.
Contact details are on the website.
Republicofscotland says:
30 November, 2020 at 10:23 am
Good luck to Craig Murray today (SNP Presidential candidate) and to Joanna Cherry (NEC candidate) results today for both of them.
+1
What time will the results be announced?
People are dying horrible deaths due to Covid all around us and we are losing beloved family and friends, and there are still arseholes on here denying that it’s real and that it’s dangerous, and insisting that the precautions taken against it are pointless. People will believe anything, no matter how absurd and contrary to the evidence, won’t they? Perhaps they’ll have second thoughts when they or their loved-ones succumb to it.
susanXX says:
30 November, 2020 at 9:57 am
NS failure to come out and defend Joanna Cherry unambiguously speaks volumes. She leapt to Rhiannon Spear’s defence without qualification. What a nasty piece of work she is showing herself to be.
I agree with susanXX. Hopefully the wokeratti will get their just desserts today.
I doubt I’ll listen to nicola’s speech.
@ Breeks at 5.24am: I’d like to add my name to the others who’ve responded to your excellent comment. You’ve expressed exactly what I feel about the SNP as it is at present. They have failed us in every way. What I still can’t work out is whether it’s abject incompetence, or if there’s a deliberate goal of sabotaging and thwarting independence. Either way, they deserve total contempt.
I’m 57 and I’ve voted SNP at every election since 1983. You’d better believe I’m angry.
It turns out the blinking is morse code and she’s been sending messages to her handlers in The Circus.
An ex military guy I know has decoded it for me and it reads as follows;
“I’ve been rumbled / haven’t been sleeping well / my ass is parsley / Send help / Urgent.”
“Martin Keatings…said that while the Programme for Government had spoken of the “moral” and “democratic” justification for a referendum, the word “legal” was conspicuous by its absence.
“These three paragraphs are a masterclass of spin…they deliberately miss out what happens if Boris Johnson refuses to grant a Section 30 order.”
——————————
How did the SNP end up with a quizer as leader.
@ ‘Michael Laing says:
30 November, 2020 at 10:44 am
People are dying horrible deaths due to Covid all around us and we are losing beloved family and friends, and there are still arseholes on here denying that it’s real and that it’s dangerous, and insisting that the precautions taken against it are pointless.’
Hello Michael, I hope the above is not aimed at me. I fully support the taking of precautions. For any campaigning – the wearing of PPE and doing so in a Covid appropriate manner is essential, regardless of ones personal beliefs – not to do so would be handing our opponents an open goal. It is a separate matter from Indy and should not be brought into the mix. Indy first.
With regards the exact nature of the dangers of Covid – there is simply so much difference with regards data collection between countries – and its a new virus (everyone can agree on that) that I simply don’t know.
What I do know is that the powers that be can be incompetent, corrupt, ruthless, and prone to doing all of the above when no-one is holding them to account. I won’t be shutting down the sceptical voices regarding Corona any time soon, for that reason. I hope you can appreciate where I’m coming from in that regards.
Yours for Indy. Kind regards, and good health.
Just re posting this here, might make the speech a bit more palatable.
About a month ago I stated that there would be no great bombshell revelations at the Nicola Sturgeon Enquiry – prior to the SNP Conference – nothing that might threaten a coup.
I also said there would be numerous polls putting support for Indy well over 50% but shy of 60% (the SNP’s own benchmark).
In that way the rallying cry would be LOOK AT THE POLLS, LOOK AT THE POLLS.
In between COVID, COVID, COVID.
Hey ho.
I now predict the Contents of Nicola Sturgeons Big Conference Speech – lets call it Nicla Bingo Speech Card…. If you win, you get to buy yourself a chocolate biscuit of your choice – don’t say I’m not good to you…
NICLA BINGO SPEACH CARD
(Players should tick off the subjects as they appear in Niclas Big Conference Speech (2021 version).
‘LET ME BE CLEAR” – with regards Scotland democratic deficit. Valid stats can be used and trust is created by presenting uncontested facts with the audience. A sense of mutual injustice against Scotland is shared.
IN THESE UNPRESIDENTED TIMES / COVID – CHALLENGES WE ALL FACE – TOGETHER – allows for statesman like presentation, Leadership in times of crisis, Empathy in times of fear.
GOOD NEWS – LOOK AT THE POLLS, LOOK AT THE POLLS – allows for her to say current lack of action is working, a steady as she goes policy, don’t scare the horses.
UNITY – all voices of concern are BETRAYING INDY.
LOOK AT THE POLLS
COVID – justifies all lack of action on Indy
LOOK AT THE POLLS
I TRULY BELIEVE / WE’VE NEVER BEEN CLOSER / SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW – a smorgasbord assortment, plants seeds of hope, without the bother of an actionable plan ( and saves them having to look down the back of the sofa for a half million pounds thats Interwoven). Ensures that pursuing Indy is all about Faith and actual deeds and actions are not needed.
LOOK AT THE POLLS
GOLD STANDARD / S30 / NO WAY LONDON CAN KEEP SAYING NO, NO WAY THE REST OF THE WORLD WILL PUT UP WITH THAT OUTRAGE – keeps the audience happy as it reflects the audiences’ values back to the audience – has absolutely no effect on the powers that be in London, or the rest of the world.
HOPE/ BELIEVE – SHOULD BE HELD / WOULD LIKE IT TO BE HELD – FIRST PART OF NEXT PARLIAMENT – REFERENDUM – a hint of action to placate the practical who are concerned, but no date set and the words, ‘hope’ and ‘should’ used widely as a get out clause. No set action – such as announcing campaign banners/posters, a roll out program of billboards – none, nout, nil.
BUILD A COUNTRY THAT’S FAIR TO EVERYONE – head off all criticism of GRA/Hate Crime Bill by waxing lyrical about genuine Equality issues.
GOLD STANDARD / S30 – GOOD – REFERENDUM, REFERENDUM, REFERENDUM.
BAD, BAD, BAD, PLEBISCITE ELECTIONS, UDI, UNLAWFUL, WILDCAT, CATALONIA…. keep all democratic eggs in the S30 REFERENDUM basket.
IRRESPONSIBLE / SELFISH TO CAMPAIGN NOW – COVID COVID COVID – number one excused for doing nothing about Brexit and Indy.
LOOK AT THE POLLS – UNITY IS STRENGTH – STRENGTH IS UNITY.
JUST ONE MORE MANDATE
THE DREAM SHALL NEVER DIE – she might actually have the brass neck to use this.
TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY – BREXIT – LOOK AT THE POLLS.
SO CLOSE, SO NEAR, DON’T ARGUE, LOOK AT THE POLLS, ONE MORE PUSH, ONE MORE MANDATE, KEEP THE FAITH, ALL DISSENT IS DISLOYALTY. ONCE MORE FOR NICLA – TRUST IN NICLA.
So there we have it. Have I missed anything?
Oh, I know, unlike previous SNP Conference speeches by the leader – where the BBC always had ‘technical’ issues during recording, and ‘scheduling’ issues during reporting… I hearby predict, Nicla will give a barnstorming ‘hold, hold, hold’ type speech with just enough ‘somewhere over the rainbow’ in it and that the BBC will broadcast it – in full, and up front, Prime Time. Bet you another Choccie biscuit on it.
@Daisy Walker
You missed out many references to the use of I, me, I, me, my Government etc
And condemnation of the Toe-Rays. Otherwise excellent.
Let me guess… did the SNP have a ‘HOPE’ sign on the lectern as usual at conference??? If so, then they really are out of ideas given the gravity of the situation facing Scotland right now. Mibbes they should add ‘LESS’ to that sign!
I don’t know what you are all moaning about.
Sturgeon couldn’t have been any clearer on the telly this morning
The next referendum on Scottish Independence will be held “early” in the next Parliament…mibees, could be, possibly will be, almost certainly.
But…
Only if every every single person in the Universe is vaccinated against the Coronavirus.
Hope that clears up any misunderstanding or confusion regarding indyRef2.
Vote Nikla!!!
On a lighter note…
Happy Saint Andrew’s Day everybody.
?
???????
@ Tannadice Boy. Noted.
All Bingo Players please amend your Bingo Cards, and at or near the part entitled
COVID, COVID, COVID
Please attach the following
I, ME, MY GOVERMENT, I, ME, ME, ME.
This can also be entered in near all phrases such as I TRULY BELIEVE.
Anyone know when’s kick off. I wouldn’t want to miss it. Question is what choccie biccie of choice will it be. Hmm decisions.
@Daisy Walker
3 30 coverage from Jo Co on Politics live BBC 2
Is it just me or does anyone else think NS looks like a pantomime dame, ie extremely massculine when the Marr interview is paused,
Tannadice Boy says:
30 November, 2020 at 12:21 pm
@Daisy Walker
3 30 coverage from Jo Co on Politics live BBC 2
I haven’t got a TV. Any suggestions.
When are the NEC / President Election results announced.
This below is from Craig Murray’s twitter
‘Every single declared vote at SNP conference has shown between 1200-1300 delegates present. Yet 3,200 are allegedly registered.
The discrepancy is just too great – 60% absent. Am I right to feel concerned about these 2,000 phantom delegates and the NEC elections?’
Hmm, let me think. Yes Craig, I’d say your quite right to feel concerned.
@Daisy Walker
Far be it for me to promote a paper that gave us The Vow. But the Daily Record website has been streaming live speeches from Conference. Enjoy! My Bingo card is ready.
Me neither Daisy Walker @12:29pm. I think NS has abandoned Joanna for 2 reasons: 1) NS is a queer theory adherent 2) Joanna is a serious leadership rival.
Let’s hope the NEC elections are successful.
I don’t care who Nicola Sturgeon goes to bed with or whether they are male or female.
What does bother me is that she’s in bed with the British Establishment as their British colonial administrator.
Marr is cherry picking covid data.
Scotland has dropped well below England in last 10 days and before that was very similar since the end of the first peak but during the first massive peak Scotland had almost half the death rate of England. NS is right about the total average so far: England 906 per million, Scotland 681
Nothing to crow about but not how Marr portrays it. I am no fan of NS but Marr was pathetic
link to travellingtabby.com
“What time will the results be announced?”
Scotsrenewables.
I don’t know the time, I read the article in the National.
Just watched the Andrew Marr interview with Nicola and the Michael Russel interview on the politics show.
And in my opinion the majority of anti-Nicola comments are complete bolloxs. She gave a very considered and compete response to barrage of nasty lies from Marr.
Why are most of you having a go at our First Minster but saying nought about Andrew Marr and his shite ? You need to get your priorities right.
As for the Michael Russel interview, by the end of it he appeared to be doing the interviewing. A class act.
@ Davy 3.31pm BTW did Mike Russell in his interview mention anything about his book where HE wants to privatise the SNHS or where he wants medical practitioners to buy out and take over OUR hospitals , or did he mention his plans to make EVERY hospital be FORCED to run at a PROFIT and the ones that don’t should be broken up into smaller community hospitals did he mention any of those things David or did they slip his mind
Davy: “Why are most of you having a go at our First Minster but saying nought about Andrew Marr and his shite ?”
Because we are unorthodox.
The reality is that Sturgeon is a consummate politician who is about to win another election. If she can’t or won’t deliver independence, don’t delude yourself that somebody else will any time soon.
“twathater”, should you not be asking why the interviewer did not ask these questions ??? You can’t blame Michael Russell for not answering questions he was not asked about.
“Hatuey” unorthodox = nought.
SP are currently conducting a (criminal) investigation into Care Homes & COVID.
I wonder where that is leading & who is going to take the rap?
I am 72 and no one wants Indy more than me and I opened myself to criticism here for my previous remarks about Stu , Salmond and the popularity of Sturgeon which is OK but just to clarify under Salmond we were far from getting across the line than we are now. If it wasn’t for the efforts of many canvassers on the ground we would never have closed the gap in 2014. The campaign then was amateurish in fact in the latter stages I stand by my comments that Salmond was a liability and it maybe just a co-incidence but since the Stu’s interview with him he has changed tac. Social media and the Press are now full of stories about a split in the Party and this persistant negativity is feeding that and damaging the Indy effort. I repeat Salmond is yesterdays man and there is no way back for him. Sturgeon knows very well that to cover for his ‘misdemeanours’ would have been catastrophic for the Party and she had no option but to give the green light to his prosecution. There is No Plan B and some hidden obscure route to Indy we must stick with it for better of worse. Moreover Swinney is highly thought of in Education circles so lets not give our enemies another scalp to slaver over.
Well I listened to the evidence, John Sommers PPS to FM, gave to the Committee this afternoon. There was no revelations.
However when asked about his Civil Service career, it came out that his current position as PPS to FM was his first PPS position.
That makes me think he was chosen for the position because of his lack of experience. Probably easy to manage or manipulate.
I got the impression that Sommers was shy of women.
“ The reality is that Sturgeon is a consummate politician who is about to win another election.”-Observer
She certainly is. Like One T. Blair she has superb presentational skills. But what else is there?
The bookies’ odds shorten by the day against her surviving until May.
There’s zero chance I’d vote for this party ever again. Just abandon it and start one with honest people instead and champion the cause properly. How can anyone with sense or honesty vote for a party that is covering up and obviously dishonest like this? It is unrecoverable.
“Only following orders” is not an excuse! Everyone else in the party has long had the chance to throw her out and whistleblow but they close ranks to keep on the gravy train. Disgusting. As soon as you start covering up crime and dishonesty “for the cause” the cause stops being worth a damn. The ends do not justify the means! That’s how Hitler’s types think.
If you turn a blind eye to such corruption you should not be anywhere near power. You shouldn’t be running a tuck shop or school crossing, never mind a national government.