Volkssturm John
In the dying days of World War 2, as Berlin crumbled to rubble under Russian bombs and rockets, the Nazis played a desperate last card in the shape of the Volkssturm, an ad hoc fighting force primarily comprised of old men, invalided veterans and those not deemed fit for normal military service. (As most of those were already dead.)
They were rounded up and sent off to the front (usually only a few hundred yards away) in their civilian clothes, armed with whatever odds and sods of weaponry could be scrabbled together – most commonly the one-shot Panzerfaust anti-tank grenade, as seen in the pic above – and invariably slaughtered in the streets by the disbelieving battalions of the Red Army, because it didn’t matter to Hitler whether they lived or died.
And here we are again.
We got one thing wrong in our analysis piece of Thursday night. We predicted that Humza Yousaf would resign rather than face the votes of confidence (correct), and that the Greens would be satisfied enough by claiming his scalp as revenge to back the government in the Labour motion to avoid an election (also correct).
But we were slightly off the mark about this:
Because while it looks very much like Swinney WILL succeed Yousaf as SNP leader and First Minister, it won’t just be for a few weeks while the SNP conducts a leadership election, but for two years until the next scheduled Holyrood election in 2026.
And thinking about it, that makes a lot more sense. What we were suggesting was that a stopgap leader – we said Neil Gray – would take the role until one of the “serious” contenders was ready to step up. But why would you sacrifice any of your young blood in such a role when you could send out someone who was going to retire anyway and would be, to coin a phrase, no great loss?
Just over a year ago, during the leadership contest which resulted in the election of Humza Yousaf, John Swinney said the party needed “fresh thinking and fresh talent”, not him. He stood down as Deputy First Minister shortly afterwards in March 2023.
During a 2009 debate with Labour’s then-Secretary of State for Scotland Jim Murphy, Swinney – who’d been replaced as leader by Alex Salmond after the disastrous 2003 election – mocked the idea of returning to the job.
And yet all of a sudden, in his twilight years, he’s giving it “very active consideration”.
But why would he be being “overwhelmed” by demands from every other leadership contender to take on the role? Well, that’s not too hard to figure out either.
As we noted when today’s events began to unfold, the job of First Minister for the next two years is going to be a thankless and largely ceremonial one, rubberstamping whatever policy agenda the Scottish Greens decide to impose and capped with what are likely to be a couple of hefty batterings in Westminster then Holyrood elections.
(We suspect he won’t find the former part overly upsetting, given that he’s already so cosy with the Greens that Ross Greer calls Swinney his “work dad”.)
That’s a suicide mission to anyone with long-term political ambitions, so unsurprisingly all those people rushed to get behind Swinney and push him in front of the guns.
(It’s still possible that Kate Forbes will decide to lob her hat in the ring, of course, but it remains our view that she’ll think better of it, especially as she’d be in an impossible situation with the Parliamentary arithmetic and both the Greens and many on her own benches having the knives out from day one.)
Unlike the Volkssturm, of course, Swinney won’t be expected to lay down his (political) life for nothing. As a nice little retirement gift, he’ll get his salary more than doubled (an extra £104,000 a year) while he’s FM, and a pension boost too. The SNP might be too skint to afford a whipround for his leaving do, but as the kindly taxpayer is picking up the tab they can afford to be lavish.
In return for his stint as the hapless puppet of Himmler lookalike Patrick Harvie and for absorbing two election defeats – leaving the way clear for an untainted candidate to take over for the SNP’s long rebuilding years in opposition – John Swinney will do a lot better for himself than the Third Reich’s unfortunate last-ditch cannon fodder did.
As downfalls go, it’s a pretty sweet deal.
Brilliantly put article! We can’t let Volkssturm John and Heinrich Himmler lookalike – Harvie the imp – get away with two more years of Sturgeonism.
It’s time for recall petitions. Scotland deserves better than the crooked Edinburgh elite. We decide who get’s the First Ministers pension.
The prospect of a labour or Tory government in Scotland increases the chances of a new Lord Advocate jailing the corrupt regime of yesteryear.
I hope Sturgeon and the alphabetties are tossing and turning. Gate fever awaits!
RECALL!
Or if people find triggering literally any Nazi nomenclature whatsoever, you might want to call the various SNP ranks in parliament under Honest John’s leadership ‘Work Dad’s Army’.
Sixty is the new 40, mind.
The people of Scotland must decide who gets to be First minister. Not the deviant Imp holding Scotland to randsom. The SNP are unionists to their core. A change in regime matters nothing. I want the SNP bankrupted and liquidated.
They rejected Salmond’s offer of survival. The SNP must die. They must be killed off. Immediately. for the nationalist cause of liberty.
Let’s make it happen brothers and sisters. The I.P.P 2.0 must go!
How the hell did it come to this?
Dear Lord- Let us simply abolish the whole shambles-who loses ? (Apart from Swinney of course. And all the others in the assembly if it comes to that)
I don’t see how Swinney can be leader. He’s very likely to be called as a witness in any potential trial of Peter Murrell, (and who knows, Nicola Sturgeon?). He’d be cross examined on what he knew of circumstances and wouldn’t be able to give a politician’s evasive answer. It would look bad, especially if any defendant were found guilty. He’d have to resign. Can you imagine this trial taking place during a UK General Election.
Thinking arithmetically, there’s maybe an 80% chance of Murrell going to trial at which point it is 50/50. That means that by my reckoning there’s a 40% chance that Swinney has to resign.
Shyness gets you nowhere.
The Saturday girl, Beryl, the Deviant imp and Jenny Gilruth – who cost the tax payer £1 million before her transport ministerial sacking.
Will all be unemployed anyway!
Shyness gets you nowhere.
Liquidation and unemployment awaits.
Quite a financial return, though, for an unprincipled personality-bypass kinda guy, you have to admit.
When I saw him quaffing with Tory landowners in a Dunkeld deli the day Sturgeon hoisted her independence white flag at the end of January 2020, I finally knew we were screwed.
Think of all the folk like ourselves who were in tears on 19/9/14 (many of those who have died since) and then think of the shameless grifters coining it in on the SNP benches in both parliaments today.
They clearly never cared one iota for their country.
Unforgivable, ever.
Joanna Cherry just tweeted saying their has to be a contest, John Sweeney continuity candidate version two seems to be the Unionist best option to stop the break up of England.
The questions in the back of my mind is
1 Can the SNP afford a leadership contest
2 then a Westminster contest
3 and then a Holyrood contest all this year, I think not hence the idea of John Sweeney just taking over is more appealing because of the SNP finical position than the SNP leadership or media would want us to know.
John Sweeney has no interest in being leader he beg Salmond to take it over the last time he’s doing it because the SNP can’t afford it, the party is in real trouble and the Greens know it.
David Hannah @ 20.35 & 20.37.
There is no procedure for Recall Petitions for MSPs, David.
They just follow the example of Derek MacKay and continue to collect their salaries, expenses and pension contributions even if like him they don’t bother attending Holyrood for over a year.
It’s time to tell Volksstrum John and Deviant Imp. We’re taking our country back.
The game is up.
If you’re for transing the kids and for having rapists in vulnerable women’s spaces you’re unacceptable.
Look back at voting records. Then choose who should be pilloried.
Scotland in chains. We must break the chains.
Off topic but I just seen voting for the board of directors at Royal London and Baroness done nothing Ruth Davidson is again standing in hope of keeping her £85,000 per year job for up to 30 days “work”.
Her financial expertise is zero.
Her greatest achievement is to lead Scotland’s second party after Labour killed itself off
and she had the morals not to work with Boris until he offered her the Baroness title.
Jobs for the good old Tory Shills is what it is all about.
Had a laugh earlier on at the below Scotsman article that had a title of ‘Next SNP leader must tell followers that Scottish independence is dead for a generation’
https://archive.is/1QERc
However, reading this article from the Rev, that Scotsman one has left me with a bitter taste in my mouth as it will take a least a generation for an indy party to get into a a position to offer independence.
If the penny isn’t dropping now for indy supporters who think continued support for the SNP in it’s present form is the way to get indy, then I don’t know what will.
Pro indy voters will be so scunnert by a two-year Swinney leadership that rebuilding will be impossible for the SNP.
A well written article of parallels to 3rd reich. But the long term losers are all us Scots who worked for years for independence.
This cause nownlooks further back than northern Irelands case
Oh to have politicians of Sinn Fein calibre.
The SNP are the forth Reich. The article is absolutely brilliant. It will wind up all the right people. Couldn’t have put it better myself.
They rejected Independence. They hate Scottish independence. They hate freedom. They are loyal to gender ideology. The SNP have chosen their loyalty. They are godless people. Fascists and sex pests.
The saltire has been lowered. There are no flowers of Scotland blooming. They are weeping today.
The transgender flag resembles the swastika. 2 more years of SNP rule and it will be on every government building.
Glasgow City Council wants to raise the transgender flag. If you put 4 transgender flags together it resembles the nazi party symbol of oppression.
Last I checked. We were Scottish. Our flag is the Saltire! The flag of freedom that the nationalist party should be flying.
@David Hannah
Says everything about the trustworthy need of this shower, that it would take a win from another party before some truths might come out.
@pacman & @Doug
That once in a generation vote could well come to pass, just for different reasons.I doubt the penny will ever drop for a good number. Reasons vary from falling for it every time to simple denial. SNP are loathe to give anyone else a hint of being pro indy, to keep those people. In the wider world the media could care less about Alba, as they churn out the next sound bite. Regan’s brief bargaining position in the last week is the most they’ve had for ages.
It’s going to take Branchform outcomes, other investigations, continued lunatic policies and an election wipe out or two, just to clear the slate. Detaching them from independence. Even then, they’ll have core support. But one others might be able to push past. Those parties will have to be careful to avoid the grifters that infect the SNP, which is easier said than done. A long haul lies ahead.
Alex Salmond was on TalkTV earlier, saying that Humza had called Ash Regan at 7am to tell her he was interested in discussing her deal with her; yet an “SNP insider” was telling the Times last night that Yousaf would resign and Swinney would step in.
It’s lucky the Sturgeonistas behind this second leadership stitch-up don’t pay attention to what’s been happening to their predecessors when they tell Scots to come back to Labour. And Labour had far deeper roots in Scotland than the SNP.
We’re going to have to do with by ourselves – we simply cannot trust politicians.
Next Saturday for the AUOB march for me – and I’ll sign up with Salvo/Liberation.Scot then.
Sticking with the wartime theme;
“truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies” (Churchill)
John Swinney is that bodyguard, charged with protecting the precious truth of Sturgeon’s SNP.
They must be short of people they can trust, though. I assume there’s enough Sturgeon plants to make life hell for the likes of Forbes — and why on earth would she want to deal with that? — but I am guessing none of them are leadership material.
Things are clearly getting desperate.
Did the recent SNP leadership election not take a lot longer than 28 days?
If so, even if SNP started the process this morning, it still wouldn’t be fast enough to address either of the confidence motions tabled last week*
As such, any failure to call a snap election means SNP can, and presumably will, be obliged to nominate at least two candidates for FM during its own leadership contest..
*Humza’s resignation this morning being a defacto victory for at least one of them
@ AnneDon: “Next Saturday the AUOB march for me – and I’ll sign up with Salvo/Liberation.scot then.”
Thank you, Anne. It is encouraging to hear things like this. 🙂
It’s looking like it’s going to be Dad’s Army John after all.
Don’t panic Captain Mainwaring!
It also doesn’t help that Swinney is an awfully dull communicator. The public care about these things.
thothScot says:
29 April, 2024 at 9:42 pm
After I had written that comment, I had spent some time reading the BTL comments on Wee Ginger Dug and I get the impression that support of the SNP is based on the mistaken assumption that continued electoral success of a political party will deliver independence despite the overwhelming evidence that the political party in question, the SNP, has done nothing to further the cause of independence since 2014.
The SNP is and will continue to be part of the political establishment and a force in Scottish politics. Yes, they are going to face electoral defeat in the next couple of years and spend time in opposition but they will eventually get back in power.
The SNP is a political force, not a political movement. Their purpose is to stay in power simply out of financial survival which can be partly seen with the current events where Westminster politicians have publicly contradicted and undermined Yousaf so the party can maximise its’ Westminster contingent to safeguard Westminster short money.
That means it has turned into a devolutionist party and I’m not sure that is such a bad thing. Is it not better to have a political party that can achieve widespread political clout that has at Scottish interests at heart rather the branch outfits of the UK political parties?
Regardless of right and wrong of whether the SNP taking a devolutionist approach as part of the way of getting independence, there are too many people in denial who think that voting for SNP on it’s own is the only way to get independence.
There is a meme that continues to be thrown about political forums of the 7 stages of grief and I can’t help but feel that applies to SNP supporters. It is going to take time for them to come to terms that their rock solid belief in the SNP as a way to deliver independence has been misguided.
Hautey
The security services have them and they will use them when they think appropriate.
Like election time??
To be honest they have quite a lot of shit on this mob they are spoiled for choice, but they will not waste their cards. Quite a few polis i have spoken to have mentioned the dirt. It is why just about every polis i come across sneer at the snp.
The only certainty is their little helpers will be tossed under the bus when they are ready.
I laughed at the thought the SNP heed yins think Swinney can get them over the election to a rebuilding time. Once labour are in, the UK committee will be reinforced as the red tories are as bad as the blue ones.
How many times gave the labour party said now is not the time. Astonishing the snp dont understand the phrase fuck off.
The gerontocratic crowning of Swinney via another SNP voting charade will sadly make Scotland less credible world wide.Just a disaster of a week for independence sadly.
Ein Volk,ein Reich,ein Führer.
“Himmler lookalike Patrick Harvie”
Proof positive that reincarnation is a reality, perhaps.
£52k a year pension for 13 months work. No wonder his wife had a supercilious smirk on her pus and Useless was in tears…tears of laughter at the gullible taxpayer
@Pac Man
Having a “political party that can achieve widespread political clout that has at Scottish interests at heart” with a distinct voice and values, not run from Westminster seems inviting.
But, as you said yourself that there’s a mistaken assumption that their success is linked to independence. I’d say that extends to the perception they have Scotland’s interests at heart.
They now exist to perpetuate their existence. That distance from Westminster has just led to us having a group of allegedly dodgy grifters, with burner phone/campervan corruption levels that would embarrass a banana republic.
If staying in power means letting another party call the shots, they seem fine with it. No amount of incompetence or disrespect of those outside their core group seems to bother them.
They no longer have Scotland’s interests at heart. Only their own. As you say that’s going to take supporters of when they were a movement a long time to realise how little they matter to those they’ve let run their party.
A party with Scottish interests at heart, with lots of passionate support and previously large mandate to show others our values, whether independently or devolved. And look what they’ve done with everything they’ve touched. That probably has it’s own step on the 7 steps of grief 🙂
Hatuey @ 9:52 pm
“John Swinney is that bodyguard, charged with protecting the precious truth of Sturgeon’s SNP.”
A colonial regime aye depends on those who are tasked with holding the independence movement at bay, including the pensioned-off ‘confidential agents’ within the dominant national party elite who act as ‘watchdogs’:
“All of them tools of capitalism, all of them, openly or secretly, supporters of plundering colonialism… all the obscurers, all the inventors of subterfuges, the charlatans and tricksters, the dealers in gobbledygook. And do not seek to know…whether personally…they are or are not colonialists, because the essential thing is that their highly problematic subjective good faith is entirely irrelevant to the objective social implications of the evil work they perform as watchdogs of colonialism” (Aime Cesaire).
If the ex-FM pension kicks in after leaving office, does Swinney not already receive it?
The interesting bit regarding the above is whether it cuts out during the time that he’s re-appointed FM (if he is).
The correct thing is that it shouldn’t apply until state pension age.
After recent events, one thing the SNP might want to think about if they were truly serious about renewal is picking a leader with a major accountancy qualification. Let that one sink in…
“…because the essential thing is that their highly problematic subjective good faith is entirely irrelevant to the objective social implications of the evil work they perform as watchdogs of colonialism” (Aime Cesaire).”
This brings to mind some of the writings of Hannah Arendt, who coined the phrase ‘the banality of evil’ in a report she wrote after witnessing the trial of Adolf Eichmann.
Watching Kirsty Wark smirking with glee on Newsnight at the demise of the SNP and in turn (as she sees it) the end of the independence movement, makes me sick!
@ Derek at 11.41
When Swinney was leader before the SNP were in opposition; he’s never been FM (only deputy).
Also, I assume pensions are only paid after someone retires from the parliament, so he wouldn’t get one yet even if he had previously been FM. There’s a different, one off, severance payment for MPs etc who lose their seats and it was stated that Harvie and Slater would receive such a payment for being sacked. Swinney may have received that every time he left ministerial office. All very lucrative!
Kirsty Wark can smirk all she likes.
If Better Togethers performance over the last 10 years is anything to go by then it’s the end of the Union as well.
Pathetic journalism from Scotland’s broken establishment elite.
It’s why BBC Scotland’s the 9 was cancelled. They haven’t got a clue. We don’t swallow their lies.
I couldn’t care less if it was a labour or tory government now.
But I still want Independence. The 1.5 million haven’t changed their minds on Independence.
The better together campaign now includes the SNP under John Swinney.
Let John Swinney explain why he’ll put Shona Robinson, Keith Brown and Angus Robertson in his cabinet!…
We know exactly why.
They are all of Sturgeon’s mates. That’s why. Sturgeon was seen at the lesbian event in London this week. She had no wedding ring on her finger. She’d through John Swinney under a bus in a second. She’s already thrown her husband out. Look at poor Peter! She’ll have cut a deal with the cops to save face. Reports claim that Dorothy Bain of the corrupt crown office has stopped Sturgeon’s arrest.
When the regime changes – Sturgeon will be compromised. The British state will want to clean up the mess it created with AGENT STURGEON.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Swinney doesn’t realise just how much of a psychopath Nicola Sturgeon is.
The love of her life has been charged with embezzlement. Black bin bags packed. And thrown out into the street for Murrell.
Sturgeon is the judas. She only knows betrayal. If I were Swinney. I’d be careful of her. You don’t want a knife in the back.
She’s playing you John. She’s playing you like a fiddle. Beware of the hairy hand of Nicola Sturgeon… You’re next!
I think that Swinney’s finest hour was that now notorious photo of him and Cosy-Toes qaufing Bolinger on ice at .a Dunkeld Deli with their new best friends – animal abusers from a mob calling itself The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (If it flies it dies and lets wipe out wildlife!) Swinney and Wishart (The next Speaker of the House) two cunts I would never tire of punching fuck out off!
Swinney’s job isn’t to rebuild or recover the SNP. That isn’t possible. His job is to sustain it. In that he can assume that he has the full support of the British establishment.
The best outcome for the British State is an SNP that is badly wounded, not dead — if it completely died, the independence movement would simply move on and build a new party, and the British State would need to infiltrate it all over again.
Much better to have it limp on and absorb votes, muddy the waters, divide the independence movement, and effectively block the electoral prospects of any new party. This is all standard procedure; divide and rule applied to voting.
Recovery is not possible for the SNP, regardless of who they make leader, because the brand is totally toxic in the eyes of a large segment of the population (the segment with more than two brain cells).
Criminal investigations, the handling of covid, the ferries, the gender stuff, wanting to start WWIII, etc., etc., David Copperfield couldn’t make all that shit go away — what chance does Swinney have?
All in the game yo, all in the game…
The good news is that it might turn out to be a lot harder to keep the SNP alive than any of them expect. There are aspects of the ongoing SNP collapse that are unique (the investigations), and they seem to be in dire straits financially…
If everything goes really well over the next couple of years, they come out of this with about 10 Westminster seats and about 15 seats in Holyrood.
If everything goes badly over the next couple of years, they don’t come out of it all.
Swinney is SNPs butler. A well paid butler. The faithful retainer.
If Neil Grey is being kept for the future. What future would that be? They are finished and they know it. The biggest question of all is what have they been trying to hide apart from their ineptitude, lust and greed.
So is that Humza’s ‘Five Years To Independence Roadmap’ in the shredder?
@Hatuey says: 30 April, 2024 at 1:47 am
wanting to start WWIII
It’s pish like this that guarantees that whatever arises from the ashes of the SNP to replace it will be just as dysfunctional, if it has people who think like you supporting it.
It also guarantees that history will have to repeat itself. If the SNP’s replacement ever gets near to sniffing power and responsibility, it will again have to cut loose and distance itself from the “grass roots” fantasists and hysterics.
Honestly. Goebbels and Eichman and “the banality of evil”. What’s wrong with you people?
So, the SNP lose Humza, go through all this, then end up with ‘no-hope’ John (a man who openly laughed at the very notion of becoming leader again – and rightly so, he was sh*te at it), only to find unelectable Harvie, some Canadian woman on a holiday Visa and the unelected Greer man-child still calling the shots regarding policy.
The green party, the tail wagging the SNP dog.
Anything for a ministerial salary and pension, eh John and Patrick.
Meanwhile independence suffers, and yet more loony green ‘policies’ will be forced upon Scots, who never voted for them.
The next two years will just be one long suicide note for the SNP.
As an aside, The National currently has a poll for who folk think should be next SNP leader, and I looked down the list of names, and simply could not vote for any of them, including the wee free, religious fundamentalist (that IS what she is), Kate Forbes.
Who should lead the SNP? Alex Salmond of course. A politician, and ACTUAL LEADER, worth his weight in gold.
@Mark Beggan says: 30 April, 2024 at 2:31 am
what have they been trying to hide apart from their ineptitude, lust and greed
With the greatest of respect, Mark, the ineptitude has never been hidden. It has always been rather obviously on show, front and centre, every time one of them opened their mouths.
Alec Salmond being the exception proving the rule.
Plenty of Scots chose to believe that the ends (Indy) justified the means (voting in a bunch of weird tossers you wouldn’t trust in normal life to feed your cat while you went away for a long weekend).
Now it has all fallen apart, and poor Auld Scotia is once again lying, bruised and bloodied, in the gutter.
And the familiar refrain can be heard from all around – it wisnae us – some big English deep state basterts organised it all and then ran away.
It wis us though. Collectively, we Scots voted the obvious no-hopers in, over and over again. Tribalism over competence, every time. So the buck stops with us. That’s how democracy works.
BTW, lust and greed are near universal human constants. That’s why saints are so thin on the ground in real life.
@Robert Louis says: 30 April, 2024 at 6:56 am
You’re right about AS.
And wrong about KF.
Once again, you’re going to rate your narrow personal prejudices as more important than Scotland herself.
Scotland is hoaching with “wee free, religious fundamentalists” as you denigrate them, but they can GTF as far as you are concerned.
It’s your way, or no way. Indy under the cosh.
And thus the hopeless cycle of trying to get to Indy with half the population of Scots unwanted and disenfranchised will continue.
Good luck with that. You’re going to need it.
The man who defended the odious Named Person Scheme to its death is easily the right man for this job.
I met him once – at the Crannog Centre just after the fire. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone I felt contaminated just being near before.
Robert Louis, I reckon you are right . The only man capable of leading Scotland to independence was/ is Alex Salmond but he has been well and truly nobbled by the devious actions of others.
Whether he can bring the liars and plotters to justice very publicly has yet to be seen.
Swinney… Sturgeon’s sock-puppet. Great.
Have all the party procedures and rules for electing a new leader just been thrown out the window then. Who decided that then.
Two excruciating years of this utter simp is just not on. General election. Now.
Is the Scottish government actually run by a bunch of compromised woke and lesbian psychopaths (in grey kilts) on behalf of the British Establishment, or am I just being paranoid?
Who do you think Simmpy is going to be taking instructions from?
If Yousless was the ‘continuity’ candidate Swinney might as well just be Sturgeon.
This move is basically Sturgeon taking back the FM position via her drone.
Interesting timing… considering all the pending investigations and rumours regarding COPFS & PS & the LA.
Robert Louis
Ignored
says:
30 April, 2024 at 6:56 am
Who should lead the SNP? Alex Salmond of course. A politician, and ACTUAL LEADER, worth his weight in gold.
Brilliant point as ever from Mia yesterday…
Who, in detail, is the “old guard” who blocked Yousaf doing a deal with Salmond? Named and shamed please.
Why is the SNP Leader under anybody’s thumb?
Why is Independence being blocked off at source?
It is not just the SNP that cannot break the death-grip of this evil, corrupt, harridan, it is Scotland as well.
This bitch needs to be sent to jail along her grubby husband for the sake of the Nation.
It would be an act of patriotism. (Which is exactly why of course I doubt COPFS and PS will do it.)
I have read elsewhere, Alex Salmond being described as the Ally Macleod of Scottish politics. A decent bloke who had the crowd on his side but didn’t do tactics and new nothing of the opposition ploys. We don’t want him back. He is a talk show host.
John Swinney doesn’t even make it on to the team sheet.
Until such times as someone twigs the system, we are going nowhere. Please can we have our Short money from Westminster and by the way we want to break up the UK – fundamentally flawed.
Sorry – ‘new’ should read ‘knew’
Scottish history tells us, since at least 1603 our brightest and best have shot the craw for better opportunities, either in England or in England’s colonies, at the first oportunity. So it stands to reason the at-home gene pool is a lot shallower than it might be.
The exception to this brightest and best leaving rule is, of course, the MPs we have sent to Westminster since WWII – first of all the fabled Low-Flying Jimmies, more-recently the SNP’s Failing Fifty.
If we really did send our best to London, it stands to reason, we would be left with the likes of Yousless and Swinney up here.
We really are in a mess and with Alex Salmond I sadly now feel, fatally holed beneath the water line by the efforts of the Sturgeonites and the LOndon media, I fear, at my age, closer to 80 than 70, I will never see Independence.
But, we fight on, perhaps we are now in that period between the 1715 and 1745 Risings, using the same time line, we might get it right in 2044.
But, when you see the quality of the English politicians in-power today, perhaps even worse than the Scottish ones, I still cannot work-out what it would take to carry the other 50% of the Scottish population with us and gain our freedom.
Robert Louis @6:56 am
Setting aside the pickle Ross & Humza just put Parliament into (not least the hate crime element) now that the no confidence motion has been defacto accepted*, if Salmond is correct about the SNP old guard intervening to prevent discussions to save the day on Monday, it’s difficult to escape from the conclusion that the old guard wanted to martyr Humza as a Scottish Liz Truss for whatever reason (another party animal/favourite not allowed to face the electorate as leader?) and must have something particularly entertaining lined up for the next 50 days or so.
🙂
*A motion that can presumably now only be reversed, if at all, with a motion of absolute confidence, in Humza Youssaff, together with an open letter to SNP members begging they reject his resignation (!)
Watch classic Salmond correcting a radio presenter on the resignation of Hoozat Useless:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXuKUMyN8-8
Remember when the UK Services came out with the preposterous lie about Russian hackers only to be invited in to ‘check’ by Team Murrell.
Well at least we don’t have to worry about that happening again with Murray (I’m a nationalist now, honest) Foote in charge… phew.
Anytime anyone questions the validity of the ‘boiling frogs’ concept I point to Murray Foote and the remaining SNP membership. You are paying his wages, it amazes me, every single time it pops into my head.
Old school SNP people talking about saving the SNP still… Dreamers. They still have not grasped how disempowered they are now. They can’t even install any of their real leaders, never mind fix anything.
Yousless, Swinney, Gray… what a pile of shite that is.
(oops first attempt fell to the Ru$$iasbot, trying again)
Remember when the UK Services came out with the preposterous lie about Ru$$ian hackers only to be invited in to ‘check’ by Team Murrell.
Well at least we don’t have to worry about that happening again with Murray (I’m a nationalist now, honest) Foote in charge… phew.
Anytime anyone questions the validity of the ‘boiling frogs’ concept I point to Murray Foote and the remaining SNP membership. You are paying his wages, it amazes me, every single time it pops into my head.
Old school SNP people talking about saving the SNP still… Dreamers. They still have not grasped how disempowered they are now. They can’t even install any of their real leaders, never mind fix anything.
Yousless, Swinney, Gray… what a pile of shite that is.
Given the “unsuitability” of politicians for delivering or even being able to spell “independence”, why isn’t there some equivalent of The Action Network, https://actionnetwork.org/, in operation.
If you look at the aims and ignore the politics, the closest I can see is AUOB, but only in spirit. Perhaps Salvo goes a little further in terms of determination, but gives it up on effectiveness (except for constitution junkies) – apologies to all concerned.
The trannies are doing this. Why not fire with hellfire?
Oneliner says:
30 April, 2024 at 8:40 am
Agree with all of that (sadly).
Easy to envisage Nicolai Ceausturgeon sitting in her command bunker at the foot of the Royal Mile, white Persian cat on her lap, ordering Yousless to have no truck with her arch nemesis Salmond, whilst her No.2 (Swinney) simultaneously hands him the pre-prepared text of his resignation speech.
Apologies…just trying to cheer myself up by imagining fact as fiction.
Shakespeare, being Shakespeare, made his own version and used it in Henry V, Act IV, Scene IV when he wrote ” The empty vessel makes the greatest sound”.
The original proverb runs “Empty vessels make the most noise”, meaning those with little knowledge, wisdom or wit tend to be the most boastful and vocal about their own opinions.
The proverb dates from the 1400s.
Proverbs and aphorisms enter into popular language because they neatly encapsulate a fundamental truth observable in nature or in human behaviour.
We can all be guilty on occasion of over exuberance when expressing our opinions, especially when dealing with emotive issues or subjects which are of great interest to us. But in such situations a writer or speaker may be forgiven and might indeed impart some new and valuable insight to their audience.
The proverb applies to those for whom its meaning has become their default mode of expression. Those who constantly and with interminable monotony inflict their innumerable, usually worthless, opinions on others with little in the way of learning or wisdom or wit to support them.
The end result on those who fall victim to ’empty vessels’ is akin to a fly buzzing about a picnic table – an annoyance certainly, but in the end of no great consequence to listener, reader, or picnicker.
The terminal demise of the SNP cannot come soon enough for me. It is a devolutionist party which means that it is unionist.
Since 2011, it has squandered, some might argue sabotaged, Scotland’s best chance to win its independence. Firstly, it presented a woefully weak prospectus ahead of the 2014 referendum then, having lost, it did nothing to improve the prospectus or to enhance the massive increase in support for independence that the grass roots groups had built.
The SNP currently serves no useful purpose whatsoever for the independence movement. Quite the opposite in fact. It is more of an impediment to Scottish independence than Westminster.
Perhaps, to hasten its demise, former members should crowd fund a legal action against the party for jerrymandering the composition of the NEC during the Sturgeon / Murrell era, argaubly in breach of the then constitution and rules, and then using that unconstitutional NEC to disempower members and transform the party into an effective autocracy. If there was any criminality involved in this power grab then a police investigation might also be warranted.
Arguably, every act and decision of the party since that alleged gerrymandering, including the retrospective changes to the constitution and rules, is null and void. This includes every candidate selection, every new rule, every decision of the NEC, every manipulated conference and much more.
The only solution I can think of that doesn’t require the demise of the SNP would be for the party to declare itself formally as a party of devolution, focus only on the Scottish Parliament and Local Councils, declare itself to be pro-independence but do nothing to promote it (situation normal) and not stand any candidates at Westminster elections. The independence movement could then take full reponsibility for building support for independence and use every Westminster election to seek a mandate for it using another political vehicle or vehicles (Scotland United, Independents for Independence, Alba, ISP, a new AUOB Party or whatever). The SNP could then focus on domestic matters and the independence movement could focus on setting up a constitutional convention, improving the prospectus for independence and freeing Scotland from Westminster rule. Will this happen any time soon? I doubt it. The various supposedly pro-independence factions in Scotland couldn’t agree on the colour of shite at the moment.
I suppose better all round if swinney is in charge for the gubbing at the GE. That might free things up a bit for a changing of the guard. Wonder if Joanna cherry would put herself in the mix if that’s possible. The WM clique might be sufficiently broken up by then.
Stoker
He is an absolute master
He turned it round from a london lense to the interviewer was agreeing with him
Northcode @ 12:03 am
“the writings of Hannah Arendt, who coined the phrase ‘the banality of evil’ in a report she wrote after witnessing the trial of Adolf Eichmann.”
There seems little doubt that Swinney, likewise ‘an ordinary, rather bland, thoughtless bureaucrat’, is being brought back into play to help bury the independence cause. He has already had plenty of ‘previous’ in that function, according to Campbell Martin and others in the know, and the right ‘skills’ to facilitate the process. Which might also explain the briefing in the metropolitan capital the other day.
Rev. Stu’s thesis seems entirely plausible. Swinney to take the fall for impending electoral apocalypse in return for (taxpayer funded) platinum pension.
What’s the possible completion of the electoral disasters?
YouGov, field work 26 – 29 April, sample size 1043.
Westminster voting intention (variation from last election):
Con 14% seats 4 (-2)
Lab 34% seats 27 (+26)
LibDem 8% seats 5 (+3)
SNP 33% seats 21 (-27)
Comments: Field work conducted before full scope of current burach emerged. Model; Electoral Calculus.
Holyrood voting intention, Constituency (variation from last election):
Con 16% seats 10 (+5)
Lab 32% seats 22 (+20)
LibDem 9% seats 10 (+1)
SNP 36% seats 36 (-26)
Holyrood voting intention, Regional List (variation from last election):
Con 17% seats 14 (-12)
Lab 28% seats 17 (-3)
LibDem 8% seats 5 (+5)
SNP 31% seats 11 (+9)
Green 8% seats 9 (+1)
Summary:
Largest single Party SNP (by 8 seats)
Unionist block 73 seats
Nationalist (nominally) block 56 seats
Comments: As above. Model; Election Poling. SNP election gains at Holyrood (9) are on the List. Normally, this would be a collection of mouth-breathing, self-certified nutters and BAME candidates. In this case the prime positions on the List would be fought over tooth & nail by the 50 odd MPs and MSPs that envisage their comfortable sinecures evaporating and an uncertain future in the real world rearing its terrifying head.
List figure presume across the board, even distribution. ALBA are polling 8% in mid-Scotland & Fife, also polling 4% in West Scotland and Highlands & Islands.
Alf Baird
says:
30 April, 2024 at 9:28 am
Northcode @ 12:03 am
“Which might also explain the briefing in the metropolitan capital the other day.”
Little doubt about it. He was in Queen Anne’s Gate, site of the English imperial Home Office.
He made his ‘impromptu’ statement having emerged from the doors of the Resolution Foundation, a Right Wing (default Unionist) ‘think’ tank.
No attempt was made to hide that fact – indeed it seemed that they were keen to create those very ‘optics’ – no doubt to reassure their colonial masters.
The message that ‘Independence is over’ could not be more brazen – amplified all morning by the BBC.
“The SNP currently serves no useful purpose whatsoever for the independence movement. Quite the opposite in fact. It is more of an impediment to Scottish independence…”
An astute and accurate observation.
Like Sturgeon’s unopposed appointment as SNP leader and FM, I think Swinney will be unopposed and elected as leader and FM.
Or some SNP MSP will be asked stand against Swinny to give the feeling that its not just a nail on contest.
“The message that ‘Independence is over’ could not be more brazen – amplified all morning by the BBC.”
A desperate attempt, perhaps, – which will presumably become more desperate as Scotland’s bane begins to realise the catastrophic mistake it made in giving the compromised and incompetent SNP free reign over its Scottish colony – to ‘gaslight’ the Scots into believing their independence is unattainable.
My apologies – free reign should read free rein. Or should it? Maybe both are correct. Free reign as in unbridled royal authority. Who knows?
As long as the meaning is clear it don’t really matter much.
John Swinney, interviewed in London. said he had many requests from many colleagues and that he was actively considering them.
He was in London to negotiate the next consignment of coloured beads; bongo drums; whitewash and redactor pens.
Stoker @8:53
Listened to that long enough to hear the outragefest from last week attributed to a lack of trust (by one of the hosts).
In that particular context it’s worth remembering that UK parliament closed the NI Assembly in Stormont from 2017 to 2020.
Ostensibly to facilitate Brexit, apparently to impose same sex marriage in 2019, and legally (?) on basis that the assembly FAILED TO APPOINT a new FM within the proscribed time limit
By my reckoning, that infers that the (unconstititional) UK Supreme Court will thus have sufficient legal ground & precedent to allow the closure of Holyrood, if a new FM is not appointed, by Monday 27 May 2024 (which presumably means, in practice, Thursday 23).
🙂
TimesRadio ( youtube ) suggesting the return of Sturgeon
If indeed: repeating the same failed plan, in the hope of a different outcome, is a sure sign of madness, then the SNP has really lost the plot.
Swinney was an absolute disaster first time round (2000-2004) I can find no evidence of the 60-year-old Swinney being any more effective than the 40-year-old who stood down.
And, this time round, should they appoint him Leader, the SNP does not have Wee Eck, or anyone remotely of his quality, on the subs bench, to come on and save the jerseys.
Republicofscotland
‘I think Swinney will be unopposed and elected as leader and FM’
Something remarkable began to unfold even before dawn had broken on the morning of Yousafs ‘resignation’: a dozen or more recognisable figures from the party independently of each other had a vision that Swinney was the ‘only’ one to save the party.
Well, apart from Swinney himself: HIS vision was that the entire party machine, without any pre-agreements, would suddenly appear before cameras, at many different locations, begging him to become leader and FM, and, based on that vision, he arranged a press conference BEFORE the flood of endorsements in case his vision was miraculously unfolding.
So, the usual suspects have decided on Swinney, but don’t want a contest. Obviously immense pressure will be brought to suppress any challenges, but if there is no contest – as I expect – the likes of Forbes could only save face by quitting the party. Her failure to stand will be a clear indication that she is a persona non grata and could well signal her departure to her natural home in the Tory Party.
There will be no court cases against the Murrels until at least one, and quite possibly two elections have passed. so nothing there to bother Swinney.
So its just a Who Wants To Be A Millionaire post to try and make the best of a bad job while the real contenders build their positions.
Dreary, dreary stuff.
Some betrayed us simply for money, some were compelled to betray us, and for others it started when they pretended to be on our side in the first place.
Holyrood itself is a betrayal, pretending to offer the very thing it was designed to prevent. The whole MSM betrays us every day with a constant barrage of lies, and in almost every department of government, betrayal is institutionalised.
The Scots are the most betrayed people in all history. Maybe we are the biggest betrayers too, though, in that we so often betray ourselves…
So thats:
Swinney back at SNP
Cameron back at Tory Cabinet
Starmer aka Blair Lite/Max
Reeves aka the new Thatcher
Who needs vibrant change when REWIND works perfectly well in the Party Politics game.
Just because those in powerful places in general use the appendage “Scottish” before or after their chosen Titles, does not make them or it Scottish,
Scottish National party, The Scotsman, the Scottish government, the Scottish Tory party etc. Are no more than user names.
Another example is The Westminster of England adding the user name Great- Britain.
It is meant to confuse, mingle or share titles for the purpose of psychological misleading the masses,
It has worked for a very long time by the establishment,
If the leadership was between John Swinney and a bag of cement, I know who’d get my vote (if I had one). I’d vote for the bag of cement, as at least it could have the possibility of a central nervous system.
These people really do hold the utmost contempt for the Scottish people, don’t they? Well, boys and girls of the SNP, you have made your choice. Don’t say you were not warned.
Ebok @ 10:55 am
“the usual suspects have decided on Swinney”
Exactly, which means the colonial establishment and its media mouthpieces are convinced he’s ‘their’ man; i.e. a sauf pair o haunds tae rin thon colonial luckenbuith.
Which tells us he isnae oors.
Northcode
Ignored says:
30 April, 2024 at 9:14 am
“Shakespeare, being Shakespeare,”
Alternatively, Shakespeare being Sir Henry Neville.
And so it begins.
“THE SNP’s national secretary has confirmed details of how the party’s leadership race will work following the resignation of Humza Yousaf.
Nominations to enter the contest to succeed the First Minister have now opened, with Lorna Finn taking to Twitter/X to confirm these opened at 11.59pm on Monday evening.
She added that “nominations will close at noon on Monday, May 6” and that “any member wishing to declare their candidacy should email national.secretary@snp.org for a nomination form”.
And.
Elsewhere, SNP MSP Fergus Ewing backed former finance secretary Kate Forbes to go for the role.”
@Ebok
Hell of a coup for Ross if he can tempt Kate over to the Conservatives – especially if he can then muster the numbers to make her FM and pre empt Sunak (or even Starmer) being obliged to put ALL the MSPs out a job during the SNP’s 2 month selection process.
A London House Jock and treacherous b*stard speaks.
“AN SNP MP has claimed First Minister Humza Yousaf was wrong to say independence is ‘frustratingly close’ in his resignation speech.
After Yousaf announced he would be stepping down on Monday, Stewart McDonald insisted in a Scotsman column that the next leader of the SNP “must acknowledge indyref2 is not ‘frustratingly close’”, adding the party cannot keep “pretending otherwise”.”
As much as I hate to admit it McDonald is correct.
The problem with talking about gaining our freedom is that we need to stop banning things.
Wood burners, gas boilers – these are life or death essentials.
Thought crimes go to fundamental liberties.
Ulez zone, bus and cycle lanes prioritized over pot holes.
Then thousands of other things micromismanaged and interfered – smoking, junk food and promotions, carrier bags, recycling, rent controls, vaccine passports, booze prices, alarm systems.
All are progressed by virtually every party and none making the basics any better – housing costs, health, education, the environment – and all coming at significant costs, surveillance and interference.
We are leading the world in a dismal direction, not towards freedom.
John Swinney is lead mentoring Marai McAllen just as Salmons mentored Sturgeon.
Honest John is the name of villanous fox who snared Pinocchio with false promises so that the poor deluded boy started on a path that led him to transition into a donkey.
“Hey-diddle-dee-dee, a politician’s life for me”
“Alternatively, Shakespeare being Sir Henry Neville.”
Quite possibly, Sam. Although most Shakespearian scholars reject the idea.
But whoever he really was he’s credited with introducing at least 1700 new words into the English language. Apparently English wasn’t quite up to the task of producing great literature so he augmented it so that it might be.
However, the Scots leid, long before Shakespeare appeared, was always up to the task of producing great literature…and still is.
Does anyone here know Fergus Ewing well enough to beg him to stand as party Leader? Rev? He has brains, experience, and principles, and will speak to Alex Salmond. He is also not afraid of the gang running the party.
I would also like to see several others at least stand in the election. Is Lloyd Quinan still a member? Phil Boswell? Anyone who burns for independence plus has some brains and political nous. Get your email off to national.secretary@snp.org for a nomination form. “I’m down on my knees. I’m begging you, please”.
I believe it’s better to be in power than out of power. I wont be voting for any candidate on the grounds that they’re just a caretaker waiting for imminent defeat
News from the Holyrood Reichsbunker:
According to an insider, early yesterday morning Humza attempted to grow a pair and contacted Ash Reagan to try to safe his career by doing a deal with Alba.
News of this reached the bunker.
The deposed Reichsfeuhrereen issued a Staats order activating Volkssturm John.
The Times (of London) reported that Humza would resign and that Honest John would stand.
The apparatchiks shouted out as a man, woman and other: Heil Nikkla.
The rest is history.
Yes indeed, apparently she is still pulling the strings. But we all knew that.
Mhairi MacCallan is a career politician and she’s thick as a plank. Preggers with the SNP messiah and will probably only be elected as a list MSP come 2026 – If she’s not on maternity leave.
MacCallan is as timid as sleekit Sturgeon was beginning. Remember when Sleekit Nicola Sturgeon looked like planet of the apes?
MaCallan is in the same league as nicola. She’s damaged goods. Remember when she sat on the BBC panel next to Alex Salmond and didn’t even acknowledge he was the architect of 2014.
Meanwhile deaf the Islanders who travelled hundreds of miles because the ferry was out of action.
She’s pathetic. And she’s also pregnant after the jolly up with Humza in Dubai. It’s how she’s got the name the Saturday girl.
She’d be even less popular than Douglas Ross and Anas Sarwar for leader. Commanding no one’s authority. She’s not even a good deputy leader. She’s a disgrace to her false climate agenda
And she failed at transport. Just like Jenny Gilruth. She couldn’t build the A9. A dour faced bastard if I’ve ever seen one.
Questions to ask of any candidate:
1. Define “woman”
2. How long do you intend to hold the job?
3. Are you in favour of eliminating the lifetime £52,000 (i.e. 50% of FM salrary top-up) p.a. paid to former FMs regardless of length of service?
For all the wgd snp apologists, one word, and one question. Freeports, really? Add in fracking and loss of Grangemouth, all indefensible and so where is the shining light in all of that? The standing up for Scotland. Stand by and fiddle as they torch our future without the smallest bleat. Great job humza et al. We really need to hit the streets!
MacCallan – She’s a robot.
“Equality. Inclusion. Diversity.”
“exterminate. Alba. And the men.”
Swinney getting the top job creates another innovation for scottish politics :
the DOUBLE PATSY
– when one fall guy is not enough!
Harvie was on telly last night decrying the binfire, with the matches still in hand; it wisnae me, it was those … reactionary transphobes of the far right who don’t believe in progress.
In the background, Salmond lurks, older (as we all are), but seemingly stronger.
Izzie @ 12.07.
Gosh, I so wish you hadn’t put that thought in my old noddle, Izzie. It just does seem so likely !
Indies for Indy, and pull the chain on the smelly, degenerating mess the SNP has become, it’s beyond recovery.
What the SNP fail to realise is that the new generation of voters are much less resilient than the older generation.
And that is particularly true in the SNP. Where the under 22s get their free bus pass.
Their sense of entitlement and grandstanding is off the scale. MaCallan says her generation have “got to live with the consequences of climate change.”
Away and go and fuck yourself McCallan – the older generation have got to live with the consequences of Sturgeon giving the orders to empty the hospitals and send the plague into care homes.
Isn’t that right?
@Northcode
Extinguishing a culture.
Consequences of the 1872 Scottish Education Act.Gaelic speakers by Census
1891: 254,415
1901: 230,806
1911: 202,398
1921: 158,779
1931: 136,135
1951: 95,447
1961: 80,978
1971: 88,892
1981: 79,397
1991: 65,978
2001: 58,652
2011: 57,600
Last thing I’ll say about McCallan – A humourless robot. She’s got nothing to offer. And most women in Scotland are far more Braw a lassie than she is. Scotland already suffered with Sturgeon. We’re not going back.
She bangs on about climate change. Puts rail fares up by 8 per cent.
And increases the charges for electric cars by what? 45 per cent?
They cut the rail services. They propose cancelling night buses. They put up business rates. They introduce green emission zones.
They blow 80 million on bottle recycling schemes. They plan to create the highland clearances by banning fishing.
And that’s just a few. I hate all green policies. The grangemouth workers are going to lose their jobs. Scotland will be importing oil and gas at much higher cost from abroad. For our own oil.
All the green jobs are sold to foreign countries. And now cutting back on their climate targets, with no public energy companies. No doubt will mean less revenue even from the false green agenda.
MaCallan was rural affairs at one stage. She’s got her grubby hands all over the deals.
The SNP have fallen so far even the rats are making room for them in the sewers of Scotland.
Well done Nicola. Well done Humza. You have both reduced the SNP to a viscous trans, anti-Women Party which criminalises ordinary people for speaking and thinking truths about biology.
The Tories and Labour should be rewarding them both with seats in the Lords for services rendered to the British state.
What I want to know is: who the f*ck is voting SNP these days and where are their brains located?
The SNP is akin to some numpty-Hydra; no sooner do you slice off one head, up pop another half-dozen or so…
No matter how deep the scandal, nor the scalps piling up a the door – it just seems to stagger on regardless. Is there nothing that can finally rid Scotland of this joke of a party? If Holyrood is a shop window for home grown political talent, I weep for Scotland.
Just to add to my post at 9:15am, if, as I suggested, the SNP focuses on the Scottish Parliament and Council elections and steps aside to let the wider independence movement (using whatever vehicle it chooses) to stand at Westminster elections, to set up an independence convention, to improve the prospectus for independence, to convert undecideds and to win our independence, there would be clear demarcation allowing each group to focus on their respective responsibilities.
The independence movement could, additionally, use the regional list vote at each Scottish Parliament election to seek a mandate for independence. Best case, we win our independence. Worst case, we displace lots of unionists from the regional lists.
If we win a mandate for independence through either a Westminster or Holyrood election, the subsequent divorce settlement from rUK would then be negotiated by whatever vehicle the independence movement has chosen or set up, not by the SNP. The SNP would instead continue to focus on the Scottish Parliament and Councils, unencumbered by the additional responsibilities of negotiating the divorce. At an appropriate time during the divorce process, a Scottish Parliament election should be called to decide who should govern the newly independent Scotland. The exact timing of the divorce and election should be decided in advance by the independence convention.
We need to establish clear demarcation between the SNP and the mission to win Scotland’s independence otherwise, in my opinion, it will never happen.
Thank god for Wings & The Spectator – the two of them shining a spotlight on this lot for the last few years.
I don’t agree with the Rev on Indy – but what a good journalist he is.
Thanks mate.
Right now the people of Scotland are probably united by one desire and one desire only…a desperate wish to move on from the era of the Sturgeon-Lloyd bawbag. Ne’er before has Scotland suffered under the looming shadow of such a monstrous scrote.
No more, no more we cry!
Over to you Lukewarm Dave…
We could always give him so much stress he has a heart attack the week before he gets his pension .
TWILIGHT YEARS????
He’s only just turned sixty. (Alex Salmond was almost sixty at the time of the indyref and will be 70 later this year.)
“ I don’t agree with the Rev on Indy – but what a good journalist he is.”
Agreed. Courageous as well
Jock McT 12.50pm.
You can hit the streets in Glasgow next Saturday 4th May.AUOB March for Independence at 11.30am at Kelvingrove Park to Glasgow Green. Hope you can make it.
When Humza said, he’d rather resign than compromise his principles, most commentators took that to mean a deal with Alba
But just maybe it might have been a demand from the “old guard” aka Sturgeon to re enter a deal with the Greens in order to have her support
sam @ 12:57 pm
“Extinguishing a culture”
This (cultural imperialism) is a well established colonial ‘procedure’, intended to change the identity of the colonized group. This is done in large part by depriving ‘a people’ of their own indigenous languages, two in oor case – Scots and Gaelic, and giving them a new language – wi anely English garred doon oor thrapples. Langage is whit gies us oor ain identity efter aw.
Here we might also remember that language is a human right, according to the UN and Council of Europe; Scots speakers are still deprived o oor human richt, tae lairn oor ain langages.
And only 1.6m ‘rusted’ Scots language speakers left according to the last published census in 2011, less than a third of Scotland’s population, wi maist fowk noo anely Anglophone, bools in thair mooths.
Which helps explain why mony Scots, maistly naw voters, aye hae a confuised naitional identity, i.e. a British persona (English language made superior) and the Scottish persona (Scots languages made inferior).
Wha said ‘colonialism is hateful racism’? (Cesaire).
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2021/07/04/paper-two-the-determinants-of-independence/
When they start to ban words it won’t be long till they ban people.
Ah well, down maybe but certainly not out as the gravy runs on.
Seems that on stepping down from the office of First Minister our Humza thereafter gets a pension for life at an index linked rate of fifty percent of the First Minister salary.
Now for a 39 year old that represents a lot of dosh going forward since an FM’s salary enhancements takes the basic MSP salary from around £67,800 to around £168,400. So well done the taxpayer for supporting Humza for his year in office.
But hang about. What about John Swinney who is now being touted as a stopgap First Minister. Now Swinney had intimated that he was going to retire at the next election. However, if he slips unto a nice caretaker role, for however short that might be, perchance John to will pick up a fifty percent ex FM pension to supplement his MSP salary. Lovely jubbly as they say and well done the taxpayer.
And the speaker or presiding officer. Seems he too is on a fifty percent deal on stepping down.
Ah well, we can all take pride as taxpayers in paying up for the pride of Scotland and their super pensions.
John H @ 1.58pm
Yes, I’ll be there..!
James Che @ 11:22 am
“Just because those in powerful places in general use the appendage “Scottish” before or after their chosen Titles, does not make them or it Scottish”
Given the way our history has been re-written for us, might be an idea, upon independence, to return to our earlier name prior to all subsequent invasions – Pictland.
Well Alf, only 22 days before NRS releases their next batch of data:
21st May : Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion
(BAP) member and committed S30 route to indy seeker, Kate Forbes swithering whether to run r not for the leadership of the SNP.
The Greens detest Forbes almost evangelical beliefs, and I suppose they would strongly oppose her as the next FM, Swinney however fits the bill.
“KATE Forbes has said she has “a lot of support” in the SNP as she confirmed she was considering another tilt at the party leadership.
The former finance secretary also suggested she was in favour of a full-blown leadership contest, telling Sky News: “Membership needs to be behind the next leader and process needs to reflect that.”
The PA news agency reported she had told journalists she would think about what is best for “the party, the country and my family”.
She said: “It’s still early days. We’ll obviously be considering things over the next few hours and so on – nobody’s declared yet, so I think we do still have a bit of time.”
Asked if she was tempted to run, she said: “I think for me it’s clear I have a groundswell of support amongst the party.
“That was clear from the last contest and clearly we need to weigh up what is in the best interests of the party, the country and my family.
“It’s what I’ve said quite consistently over the last year that if I were to run, those would be the conditions.”
Could Swinney and Forbes be the only candidates then a scandal force Swinney out.
Would she be a shoo in for Leader but then voted down as FM by the gender weirdos in the parly?
Could there be some more acts to the Holyrood panto?
willie
Ignored says:
30 April, 2024 at 2:16 pm
Ah well, we can all take pride as taxpayers in paying up for the pride of Scotland and their super pensions.
Yep, that’s the so-called British elites for you. They are really taking the big P now.
The FM’s exceedingly generous golden handshake may somehow be tied to him keeping schtum (and keeping certain individuals out of jail) IMO. Those British elites eh? They certainly know how to spend our money.
Meanwhile the BLiS VONC in the government will be held on Wednesday. Tory branch manager in Scotland, Doulas Ross, his VONC on Yousaf has been dropped due to Yousaf resigning.
On the VONC on the SNP government on Wednesday this raises a very interesting question with no successor picked yet how do the Greens know who will be FM and will they like the persons gender issue credentials, which begs the question will they abstain on Wednesday.
I say the Greens already know who will be the next FM and that they will abstain on Wednesday because they know this, and it will be someone (Swinney) who is allied with their gender policies.
So for me the coronation of Swinney is a foregone conclusion no matter how much it looks like a contest on the outside.
Northcode
The original proverb runs “Empty vessels make the most noise”, meaning those with little knowledge, wisdom or wit tend to be the most boastful and vocal about their own opinions.
Translated intae Scots as “Aw patter an’ nae feckin’ busfare !”
Northcode
The original proverb runs “Empty vessels make the most noise”, meaning those with little knowledge, wisdom or wit tend to be the most boastful and vocal about their own opinions.
Translated intae Scots as “Aw patter an’ nae feckin’ bus fare !”
Has anyone else noticed Humza’s resignation was in front of a portrait of Burns?
“Wee sleekit, cow’ring timorous Beastie… Oh, what a panic’s in thy breastie!…”
Aye, the Swinney fix appears to be on. The chosen one.
I smelled a rat when Nosferatu was so quick out of the blocks to support Swinney. Now they are all falling into line and declaring their love and support for the chosen one. Are all these shenanigans just internal SNP machinations, or are darker forces involved?
Alf Baird,
I quite like you’re idea of returning to its original name, pictland covered a large area,
Does Alba mean white?
If it does, did Humaf know that, thats maybe the snp Alba refused that helping hand,
Luigi , forgive me as I may have missed the explanation , but which one is Nosferatu??
The guillotine was based on a Scottish beheading machine called the maiden.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13365887/lola-bute-25-birthday.html
The above parasites should be encouraged to accept the maiden’s kiss.
Any more for the kiss list?
Hope Forbes stands. Hope she wins. If it’s a Swinney coronation the SNP will lose just about all support of pro-indy voters – and SNP Sturgeonists won’t care a jot.
If Kate Forbes runs she may find that many of her previous supporters have left the SNP since the last leadership election. Therefore a Sturgeon majority will prevail
Labour call this and Labour are gonna dae that. What will Labour do next.
Nothing.
And if they sliver into power they will do.
Nothing.
Come to think about it Labour are going to do.
Nothing.
from the London Daily Telegraph.
Stephen Flynn, the current Westminster leader, argued Mr Swinney was the only person who could unite the party and the country.
Ms Gilruth tweeted: “John Swinney is the best choice to be Scotland’s Drst minister and @theSNP leader. I will be strongly supporting him if, as I hope, he chooses to run.”
Ian Blackford, the SNP’s former Westminster leader, said Mr Swinney “has what
it takes” to lead the SNP and “not just in the short term”.
Pete Wishart, the SNP’s longest-serving MP, tweeted: “John Swinney would be an excellent unifier for our country and our party. We should all get behind him if he chooses to run.”
But he is as naked of political skill as the day he was born…..diddums.
Mark beggan.
Labour, snp and greens often play policies together, they appear to be triplets,, they often allow their first cousin Rusie to join in the game,
Sturgeon might prefer the party collapsed, the SNP went in to opposition and some of the heat departed.
Swinney must be a risk. He can help try keeping the legal bodies on side, but while they are in power they remain the prime target for attention.
Northcode @ 09:14;
Brilliant description of Franchise Fanny & Gas Main, there.
Well done!
What can possibly be the appeal of Mr Black Pen as FM?
1. nobody wants to be anywhere near the poisoned chalice when operation snailform finally progresses and when the loss of westminster seats could render the party bankrupt or near bankrupcy or/and
2. Mr Black Pen’s “redacted” skills are on high demand once again to make any evidence left “go away” in light of the criminal cases being brought forward by Mr Salmond. Are the leakers and potential perjurers in need of more redacting assistance? Or there might be some new inquiry we do not know about on the pipeline that requires shredders’ overtime, and/or
3. He is the only one with stomach to put up with the toxic nonsense from the Greens.
4. They want him to reap what he sowed.
I have to say that the SNP were already rather low on my esteem since the political fraud’s capitulation speech in 2020, but, by jove this move makes them fall even lower. What a pathetic coward bunch they turned out to be.
I see that Liz Lloyd has been reactivated as a propaganda-pumping mouthpiece, constantly repeating the same tired nonsense that the people of Scotland does not want independence. What exactly has this woman ever done to be elevated to the rank of “celebrity” or “establishment expert”? She is being given a higher profile than Dominic Cummings, for goodness sake. I wonder if that is what a jolly to USA gets you or if you have to do something more substantial.
Sturgeon is now just a backbencher, with a husband charged with embezzlement and with investigations on herself pending. So where exactly does this woman, who did absolutely nothing to progress independence in 9 whole years while having 3 majorities of MPs at her disposal, gets the power from? Who exactly is controlling the party and who gave the most inefficient FM Scotland has ever had such level of control?
How long until a VoNC on Swinney and Patrick Harvie is brought forward?
Forbes allies claiming that the leadership contest is a bit of stich up, don’t we know it. Even a close ally of Forbes who fought for her in the last leadership contest now backs Swinney.
It would appear that there is much division within the SNP on who should be the next SNP leader, of course the Greens will never sanction Forbes as SNP leader.
“KATE Forbes’s allies have said the “SNP establishment” is lined up against a potential leadership bid from the former finance secretary.”
“Both she and John Swinney are considering a bid for leadership though has not confirmed whether she would take another tilt at the position after Humza Yousaf’s resignation.”
“One ally claimed there was a “concerted campaign” by Swinney’s allies – who are thought to include those close with Yousaf and former first minister Nicola Sturgeon – to stop Forbes from running.”
“But one SNP insider hit back bluntly: “Is there f**k.”
“But some who backed Forbes last time around now prefer Swinney for the top job, with former Yes Scotland strategist Stephen Noon switching sides.”
“He told BBC Newsnight on Monday that the aim was now to unite the party, something he believed Swinney could do but not Forbes.”
“Noon said: “I voted for Kate last year, she’s a substantial candidate but I think her contribution this time is not as leader. So I think the circumstances are different one year on.”
“An SNP source said they felt Forbes would not be able to pass a Budget if she was to become first minister, in anticipation of the Scottish Greens and other opposition parties refusing to work with her. “
“Translated intae Scots as “Aw patter an’ nae feckin’ bus fare !”
Aye, James Barr. A wee bit mair entertainin’ than thon English version whilst simultaneously expressing a similar sentiment.
“Stephen Flynn, the current Westminster leader, argued Mr Swinney was the only person who could unite the party and the country”
I am not sure about the party, but certainly in the case of the country, Flynn has hit the bullseye. Having Mr Black Pen back in office will most certainly unite the country AGAINST the SNP.
“Ms Gilruth tweeted: “John Swinney is the best choice to be Scotland’s Drst minister and @theSNP leader”
To say such crap, Ms Gilruth must be either an brazen and unapologetic liar who thinks the people of Scotland are idiots, or she is not very bright herself. Or both.
“Ian Blackford, the SNP’s former Westminster leader, said Mr Swinney “has what it takes” to lead the SNP and “not just in the short term””
Blackford is absolutely right. Mr Black Pen has what it takes to lead the SNP to the bin of political history for the foreseeable future. I wonder if this is what Blackford pursues so he does not have any remorse when taking possession of the red seat in that graveyard of political rejects and inconveniences, otherwise known as HoL.
“Pete Wishart, the SNP’s longest-serving MP, tweeted: “John Swinney would be an excellent unifier for our country and our party. We should all get behind him if he chooses to run.”
Now this is isn’t even original. It seems just a copy cat of what Flynn said. The same applies.
There is one think Mr Black Pen is useful for and that is “redacting” on industrial scale mountains of inconvenient and compromising information of high public interest.
£52 grand a year pension for being in the joab for a year plus his msp’s salary No bad for being pish at your joab eh
Mia says (5:03) :
Citing this quote “Stephen Flynn, the current Westminster leader, argued Mr Swinney was the only person who could unite the party and the country”
Mia said:
“I am not sure about the party, but certainly in the case of the country, Flynn has hit the bullseye. Having Mr Black Pen back in office will most certainly unite the country AGAINST the SNP”.
A hole-in-one Mia. NuSNP is a cult.
I am reminded of the line from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World:
‘The victim of mind-manipulation does not know that he is a victim. To him, the walls of his prison are invisible, and he believes himself to be free.’ (Huxley, ‘Brave New World Revisited’, archive.org, 1958, p.109).
The walls of the prison are closing in on all of us
Good point, Northcode, because, let’s face it, there are hardly any great works of literature written in the English language. LOL
The question is who is gonna be Herr Flick’s ( Swinney) Helga and will they have a Penis?
JO’Neill, more to the point and as everybody was reminded today by Craig Murray, their is a potential Scandal concerning an Indian Company with interests in Scotland on the Horizon and May I add it has been alleged that Swinney was wined and dined by them in Mumbai , question is who paid for the trip and if not Swinney was it declared in register of interests.
The only person that will lead Scotland to independence will be the person who unites alba, snp and thinking greens.
They also need to stop talking about addressing the problems of jobs, cost of living and energy etc and start talking about indy can address the problems caused by the union. They need to say NO voters were suckered by the unionists.
I am fed up listening to pishy sound bites.
Core subject of indy only.
They need to address the underlying dishonesty of the Salmond case. Anyone involve is compromised and us or may subject to blackmail. The need to be washed out before any rebuild can begin.
So Mr Wishart wanted to be Squeaker, he and Mr Blackford earnestly desire to be elevated to the House of Lords. Failed ex SNP leader Mr Swiney modestly (and he has, my view, much about which to be modest) considers the acclaim and encouragement he receives from his compeers in Holyrood to step up to the lucrative honour of being crowned First Minister and Leader of the Party.
At one time it would have seemed reprehensible to so closely resemble the Conservative & Labour practise of Mr Blair passing the crown to Mr Brown, Ms Truss to Mr Sunak, an unelected Mr Cameron being gifted a seat in the HoL to be Foreign Secretary.
But that “keep it in the family” approach was adopted by the coronation of Ms Sturgeon from Mr Salmond. The fraudulent “election” of continuity candidate Mr Yousaf. And now we see the lining up of all the ducks in a row to bring in Mr Redactor.
As I look at what the SNP has become as it has morphed into another political machine I can only admire the foresight of Mr Orwell, even though he wrote not in “wir ane Scotsk lied”.
“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which”.
Is Mp Barbell Nicoliars new squeeze?????
Assuming Swinney is mercenary enough to go for it, and that they find someone else desperate or daft enough to challenge him, will SNP rig this election like they rigged the last? As Robin McAlpine put it in 2023;
“The rigging of this election is so blatant that even a political ingenue couldn’t miss it…”
Who is going to count the votes this time? Will we find out anything interesting about membership numbers? I would guess the membership has increased over the last year, probably by tens of thousands…
I’ll back freeport Kate Forbes – In an Independent Scotland we can remove the free ports?
She’s more likely to talk to Alex Salmond and all parties across the chamber.
Purely for the fact that she’s a white Christian – the absolute antithesis to Ali Baba and the forty thieves. I want to see Kate Forbes win the contest.
Sarwar now has a choice. Does he prospone the vote of no confidence in the Government until after the leader is chosen?
It would force Patrick Harvie into the uncomfortable position of choosing unemployment, or having a white christian that is pro life. In charge of the SNP.
Ahahaha. For that reason alone I’d love to see it. She might even get something right for a change!
God bless Kate Forbes. God bless her beautiful highland soul and her bairn! May she walk up the steps of Bute House and restore sensibility and balance to our beautiful country of Scotland.
“…because, let’s face it, there are hardly any great works of literature written in the English language”
That seems harsh. I would say there are a good number of great literary works written in English. Mostly by England’s bard, Shakespeare, and several great English writers who followed on from him…after he’d fattened up their language for them.
Many of the greatest literary works, though, are written in Greek or Persian or Arabic or high Latin or Swedish or that country which produced Count Lev Nikolayevich, Solzhenitsyn, and Brodsky…and so the list goes on.
Even French has produced a few despite it being the flimsiest of Latin’s daughters. And of course last but by no possible reckoning least, the Scots leid itself.
Kate Forbes would mean no more money for LGBT Youth Scotland. No more money for Leonnie Gasson to make the SNP PORN film. You know the dyke movie self described with depraved acts. Awarded £84,000 by Angus Robertson’s department… Yet the mary barbour statue – red clydesider – wasn’t the right type of woman?!
No more money for the mens shed clubs. 75K to be taken away…. Not the right type of men.
Kate forbes. I despise the virtue signalling. I despise the woke policies. The hatred of our country by the SNP. The GRR. The hate crime bill. And self identification.
Kate Forbes. For her social views and that alone. I’d love to see her. It would be the ultimate rejection of the woke ideology.
If sarwar is sensible. He’ll wait until the leader is elected before calling the vote of no confidence in the government.
Creepy imp. Sexual deviant. Sexual predator and beast = Patrick harvie will be having a squeeky bum tonight. And it won’t be from Ross Greer. It will be clenching in fear! Of Unemployment or kissing the ring of Queen Kate.
MAKE IT HAPPEN CROOKED SNP!
Vote Kate Forbes. The anti woke vote.
No more virtue signalling.
No more grandstanding.
No more “i’m on the right side of history.”
Vote for Kate Forbes. Freeport Kate Forbes. And reject the Wokeratti. let them bend the knee to queen kate. And kiss the ring.
The virtuous ones have destroyed the SNP for far too long. We must eradicate them from our lives.
She might just save the SNP for another term. We know that the labour party supported the hate crime bill and GRR reform. We know Anas Sarwar has his very own. WHITE WHITE speech! Cut from the same private school cloth as Humza.
Sarwar – 21 in the opinion polls.
He might flounder to Queen Kate. God bless Queen Kate Forbes and all her beauty. Her morals and her Christian faith. The Wee Free from the highlands and mother!
Make it happen. Fucking ram it right up the cunts. Things you’d love to see!
Bring it on Swinney and Sturgeon the judas! You’re going down!
Forbes doesn’t have a chance as the Queers and other Quislings in the SNP will just defect to the Queer Greens. Ironic as the Queers brought about this leadership contest or Coronation in the first place. Now the Queers are in full panic mode.
I think it would be too much to expect for Forbes to get elected and purge the SNP of the Queers and other Quislings and Yoon Arse Bandits Bandits totally.
Correction – “or that country which produced…” should read “or the language of that country which produced…”
Doesn’t matter who is next FM… Swinney, Forbes, the Man in the Moon… The dead hand of Sturgeon will still be on the tiller of the SNP.
The only way to recover from the effects of Sturgeon and her acolytes is to tear down Sturgeon’s rancid SNP and consign it to history.
Sorry Mhairi McCallan. You’re not the SNP messiah – Humza’s just been a very naughty boy!
Queen Kate is the new chosen one from God himself! ahahaha. Come on. Bring it on. Please make this happen!
Let’s hope they are not using the same crooked Mi5-voice voting system as last time.
Free port Kate Forbes. Believes in the free market. She wants to restore freedom to Scotland. Meanwhile the SNP hate freedom! Sturgeon hates Freedom so much she wants to abolish juries.
I will pray to god right now. That freedom loving Kate Forbes gets the job. And sturgeon ends up in front of a jury. With a change in Lord Advocate.
Freeport Weee Free. Freedom loving Free market loving Kate Forbes. Queen kate. Could be the anti corruption candidate.
DRAIN THE LOCH. WEE FREE. DRAIN THE LOCH. THERE IT IS. SCOTLAND FIRST. DRAIN THE LOCH!
Sigh, amazing how quickly some forget / forgive Kate Forbes abstaining on a crucial vote re. the amendment that would have put in place safeguards / background checks re. Self ID.
Megan Gallagher (Conservative) was also on maternity leave but still managed to cast her vote to protect girls and women.
Plus Kate Forbes only stood in the last SNP leadership contest to take votes from Ash Regan which facilitated Yousaf winning. So just another year or so episode in the pantomime of pish that is Scottish Party Politics.
I’ve noticed a few supposedly decent SNP MSPs abstain on votes rather than grow a semblance of a spine and actually cast their vote in alignment with their constituents’ views.
Yay for Party Politics where you vote for ice cream but get a serving of dug shit…
A take on Freeports from yesterday.
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/04/29/the-burning-question-freeports/
Take it there’s nothing to stop Humza standing again, but on an independence now ticket.. all he’d need is the support of any non racist msps for Anas Sarwars motion and he can presumably trust the country to do the rest (& if he can bring Kate on board for a defacto ref too, it becomes win-win either way as far as vengeance on whoever asked him to resign for doing the right thing is concetned)
Bring on the clowns.
We can tear up the free port contacts and take our country back with independence. It sounds horrible. It really does.
Just like Scotwind. We need to tear up the scotwind contracts and take our country back.
Our colonial administrators have destroyed the country. Listen. I want the SNP liquidated. But Before that I’ll take Kate Forbes. She might get something right. And she’ll upset Sturgeon the Judas.
That’s the best we can hope for. We need an anti corruption First Minister prepared to drain the loch. Kate Forbes can be that woman. If she wants to. She must sack Shona Robinson. Swinney. She must sack them all on day 1.
The SNP have turned Scotland into foreign gold and foreign orders. Freeport Scotland for sale.
We need independence. We have to take our country back. Scotland first. No more Humza Yousafs. No more cheap foreign labour driving down wages.
We need a total nationalist government that puts the Scottish people. And people with British passports first. So that one day we can be a nation once again. Independent and free.
I believe it starts by voting in Kate Forbes. And rejecting the woke agenda. That will be a start. She might get something right. And she’s certainly more likeable than Douglas Ross and Anas Sarwar. And the creepy Imp Patrick Harvie – who might as well be First Minister. We must get Kate Forbes in the door. She’s not perfect. But she’s a start. We need someone sensible. She doesn’t want independence immediately. But we do. And we’ve got to keep the spirits up.
The 2030 climate targets were a fools errand failing before they got started,
whoever set the targets is a maroon.
Like a builder`s/mechanic`s estimate , it had no chance of being in the slightest any where near reality.
Freeport Forbes ? Member of the British American Project ( CIA ) – Are ye for real ?
“Saving the planet” Scotland sylée…
Spaff 5 grand of taxpayers’ cash on greenwashing pish to pay for a shitey Solar PV system and installation.
Generation figure for the year – 600kWhs. LOLZ
Unit price of 1kWh – 25pence.
600 x 25 pence = £150
5 grand divided by 150 quid = System should pay for itself in just 33 years!
But the great news is that these supershit installs won’t supply you with any worthwhile power to help keep yourself warm in the winter months, thus you’ll effectively be held in cryogenic suspension for a third of the year and won’t feel cold or age during this time; This means we can knock off a third of your actual lived time it takes to repay the system and reduce return of investment term down to only 22 years!
Plus other benefits mean that on average you’ll age a third slower slower and live a third longer than your unlucky friends that can afford to heat their properties, and being frozen solid for the winter months means you won’t be able to hear and endure the hellish near constant droning of your neighbours’ taxpayer funded crappy Air Sourced Heatpump installs.
Scotland’s politicians and government are just a sick, twisted, troll joke on us now, from the Americans running everything, aren’t they? It’s beyond depressing and disgusting. They’re having great fun at our expense. The worst thing in Scotland that ever happened to us was finding oil and gas. It hasn’t made us any richer, and indeed we’d be independent now if we hadn’t. Cos the vulture capitalist yanks wouldn’t care less. That and Trident being placed here have doomed us to extinction. But hey, the weans love the Disneyland, eh? (Spits contemptuously)
A wee bit of polling on what’s what, with the SNP leadership contest in mind.
“JOHN Swinney is the preferred choice to replace Humza Yousaf as first minister among SNP voters but the public back Kate Forbes in the role, according to the latest polling – and both are seen as better picks than Anas Sarwar or Douglas Ross.
Forbes has a six-point lead over the former deputy first minister in Ipsos polling of the Scottish public on potential successors.
However, among 2021 SNP voters, Swinney remains the top choice for the role with 30% – compared to 21% for Forbes and 14% for SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.
Meanwhile, when the wider public were asked who would make the best first minister, 26% backed Forbes, compared to 20% for Swinney and 14% for SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn.
The research – conducted on Monday and Tuesday this week with a sample of 1127 adults in Scotland – also found that 60% of SNP voters believe ending the Bute House Agreement with the Scottish Greens was the wrong move, compared to just 45% of the wider public.
On Scottish independence, half of the public believe Yousaf’s resignation will make no difference – while one in 10 expect a positive impact, and one-third a negative impact.”
Alba yet to have an MP or MSP elected under their own banner, little wonder they were given the bum’s rush.
“the Americans running everything”
At the moment, but for how long? Everything about America is falling apart.
And it’s just a matter of time before reality knocks on the US door and asks someone to pay the 35 trillion they owe back. Just about every economist I know is predicting catastrophic economic collapse in the US this year.
It is now openly and officially admitted that pumping trillions of dollars into the US arms industry is great way of stimulating the US economy. As the Wall Street Journal recently put it; “How War in Europe Boosts the U.S. Economy”.
“Crackpots” on the left were ridiculed for saying stuff like that for decades, but now it’s official, ask Victoria Nuland… causing wars is actually economic policy. That’s how fucked the US is.
And as the US and the west (Team Genocide) carry on destroying random people and places for money, the Chinese are building things and investing all over the world. Everybody loves when China knocks at the door, and they all hate us…. I wonder why.
Mr Salmond said that yesterday, in the morning of the day Mr Yousaf resigned, at around 7.30am, Mr Yousaf was on the phone to Ms Regan. Mr Salmond said that at that time, Mr Yousaf was still fighting for his job and he praised the requests made by Ms Regan in her letter as very reasonable. We all read that letter and we all know the requests were not only very reasonable but by no means unsurmountable or ambitious. They should be logical things to pursue for a nationalist party. Only undesirables who are anti-independence, misogynists, apologists of child abusers and who are happy watching how Scotland is being stripped of its assets could possibly have an objection to Ms REgan’s reasonable demands.
Mr Yousaf did not resign until midday. So between 7.30 and 12.00 something/someone changed his mind. What/who was that?
Intriguingly, newspapers already had the previous night the news that he most probably would resign according to some “senior figures” in the SNP.
So somebody told the newspapers that Mr Yousaf was going to resign even before Mr Yousaf had even made the decision himself of what to do.
Who the hell are those “senior figures” and what right did they have to jump the gun and pull the rag under Mr Yousaf’s feet? Why haven’t they been named? Why are they given the luxury of hiding like cowards in the shadows?
How is it possible that these figures knew Yousaf was going to resign at that time when he was still fighting for his job at 7.30 the following day unless they forced him to do so?
Who can possibly be a more senior figure in the party than the FM and leader of the party himself?
I find the leaking to the press to remove the rag from under Yousaf’s feet absolutely disgusting, disrespectful and an abuse of position of power.
We are treated as fools by the press who colludes with those undesirable individuals by helping them to hide their identities behind the meme “senior figures”.
And what on earth is a senior figure? A backbencher is not “a senior figure”. You call senior to somebody who is either old or is holding a senior position. Holding the same low ranking position for a very long time does not make you “senior”. It makes you experienced.
Goodness, I even read a quote from an article today where they called the pathetic Blackman who is so ignorant that doesn’t even know if she has XX or XY chromosomes, “a senior MP”. She is neither old nor she is holding a senior position, and thank heavens for that.
To me, deliberately leaking of that information to the press before Yousaf made the decision and then forcing him to resign so he could not cut a deal with ALBA comes across as a coup to stop the SNP returning to be a party of independence.
I am convinced they forced him to resign because the deal with Alba was not only possible but very likely. And the bastards could not stand it.
Is Mr Black Pen part of this inside coup job to keep the party as a useless devoutionist entity, or is he simply another opportunist after a good pension?
Name and shame, please. We have the right to know who those, so called, “senior figures”, that continue to deliberately block Scotland’s progression to independence after having wasted 9 years of our time and having pissed all over our anti-union majorities and democratic mandates, are.
Name the bastards so we can chuck them out at the next election.
Bored with this shit already; why do all commentators come out with the same boring shite, and get it wrong as well (apart from our patron) – lovely americanisms on bloomberg, describing humzas sacking the greens as a “power play”.
Swinney doesn’t know if he takes the job, he has to turn tranny; Harvie himself will be doing the “bottom surgery” with a rusty razor blade and a dettol soaked sponge.
Mayday is coming up – I say we burn them all in a giant wickerman on the grass just under the crags.
One thing about forbes calvinists, they stopped the witch hunts over 300 years ago, but the greens have them ongoing.
Right now I am silent praying at the greens, and there is nothing they can do to stop me.
I say we extend “accessing healthcare” (the dogwhistle for abortion) up to 720 months since conception.
“leiben unwertes lieben”
– that covers all the bases. Nazis – you can never go wrong on the internet by referencing the nazis.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRKaAiBy-Go
good choon
Swinney should say no.He will be the fall guy when the Salmond case hits as he was very close to the conspiracy and knows where the skeletons are buried. So close ge is bound to be questioned by the polis.
Now even if Salmonds case does not wash it out the unionists will use it during the election and off we go again.
Best to do a Nicola and head off to Portugal.
Mia wrote :
“Mr Yousaf did not resign until midday. So between 7.30 and 12.00 something/someone changed his mind. What/who was that?”
Mia, it seems to me there is one person in particular who could answer that question, once and for all, in full detail, and that is Mr Yousaf himself.
But, we all know he will not do so. That is what makes it all so disgusting – WE KNOW we will not be told the truth!
Even in the desperate (£50K a year for life pension) circumstances in which Yousaf finds himself today, he is STILL playing by the digusting and immoral SNP secrecy rules, and being faithful to the over-riding ethos of politicians that one NEVER, not in ANY circumstances, tells the truth to the common people.
The common people, too stupid to deserve to know.
That’s us.
Mr Yousaf had the choice today to be honest with us, but instead he has consciously decided to continue as “one of them”.
Hell mend them all.
Shug says – Best to do a Nicola and head off to Portugal.
Good idea Shug.
Her £50,000 a year FM pension will get a lot more there than it will here.
Portugal would be a nice place to tour in a posh campervan.
Just saying . . .
Best strategy for the SNP would be for Swinney to be crowned as leader and to take steps to unite the party, including appointing Kate Forbes as Finance Secretary and DFM. Swinney gets to be FM and the salary and pension bonus. He resigns after the Westminster election handing over to Kate, giving her the opportunity to prove herself to the electorate and build the case for independence ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election.
Confused: “they stopped the witch hunts over 300 years ago, but the greens have them ongoing…”
I also thought there was a distinctly racist whiff to the green’s attack on Humza and couldn’t help but wonder if they would have been so nasty towards him if…
Oh fuck, that’s just too ironic, let’s not go there.
Mia: “forcing him to resign so he could not cut a deal with ALBA comes across as a coup to stop the SNP returning to be a party of independence…”
I’m afraid you just aren’t getting it.
There was and is absolutely no chance of the SNP ever “returning to be a party of independence”. It really is a ridiculous suggestion. And, for the same reason (explained below), there was exactly no chance of Humza doing a deal with Ash and Alba, even if he wanted to.
What you need to understand and take on board is that 99% of SNP politicians supported Sturgeon or at least sat and said nothing as she tore the independence movement, Salmond, and everything else we cherished to pieces.
Is anybody willing to guess how many votes Humza would have lost from the ranks of SNP MSPs if he has gone into a vote of no confidence with Ash by his side? I would guess at least 10. We don’t know and will never know.
What we do know is that the majority of SNP politicians don’t give a fuck about independence — if they did they might have said or did something to oppose and stop Sturgeon. They didn’t though, they supported her or sat quietly with their pay-cheques.
How many in the SNP right now are getting their chains yanked by Sturgeon? Again, we have no idea, but we can guess a good few.
The deal with Ash and the kiss-and-make-up fairytale was never going to happen. Salmond knew that too. Everybody that knows a thing about politics knew it.
The only thing that has surprised me in the last few days is the number of people who actually expected something positive to come out of this latest SNP drama.
Read my lips: The SNP that you used to believe in is 100% gone. It isn’t even a political party in any normal sense, it stands for absolutely nothing. It’s really a sort of franchise business… another bunch of Scottish people on the make, selling their country down the river for a few shillings.
How could anything positive ever come from that?
Mia
Ignored says:
30 April, 2024 at 10:42 pm
Name the bastards so we can chuck them out at the next election.
You are very benign towards the seditious bastards who have betrayed our Nation and subverted our democratic route to Independence.
That the dullard Swinney, yesterday’s Mr Failure, is their steady hand in a crisis speaks volumes.. It isn’t the man with the charisma bypass they want of course, it’s his prowess with the redacting black marker, and all the sophistry which kept Sturgeon safe in her job after her gross betrayals of Scotland, Independence, and the disgusting smears against Alex Salmond. The SNP wants their secrets kept.
Never forget, the night when Scotland’s sovereignty was betrayed and our democracy unlawfully subjugated, Swinney and Wishart were out partying with the notorious huntin’ n’ shooting green welly brigade, supping their wine, ignoring Scotland’s crisis.
I confess, I feel a little out of sorts with Kate Forbes too. Her talents and ambitions for Independence somewhat escape me, and that she isn’t scathing in her defiance against Brexit Westminster’s wholly unconstitutional Freeports, (yet more erosion of Scotland’s sovereign integrity), I find deeply troubling.
If our hopes lie in Forbes, then all is not well. Is she even a disciple of Scotland United strategy? I simply don’t know. I cannot read her, but as a profound believer in Scottish Independence, she doesn’t strike me as kindred. If I was in the SNP and witness to what went on under Sturgeon, I’d be like the tropical fish, gasping its last, after jumping out the tank because the water was so foul.
We should all adopt Mia’s challenge. Name this mysterious “Old Guard”. Expose their nefarious organisation. “That” would feel like the beginning of something wholesome. Sadly, there’s no sign of it happening, Forbes or no Forbes.
How can anyone SERIOUSLY believe that kate forbes would be any different from the corrupt lying arseholes in charge of the Scum Nonce Party for the last 10 years, I really despair at the stupidity of people who refuse to look and see the evidence of collusion and cowardice of EVERY snp trougher, for the forbes apologists, produce some evidence ANY evidence to show she showed OPPOSITION to the woke lunacy,FFS she couldn’t even be bothered to vote to PROTECT her unborn child from the woke lunatics,preferring to stay silent and obsequious in case she brought the wrong attention from her mistress
Her despicable cowardice in refusing to protect her unborn childs future from these deviants and perverts only serves to illuminate her lack of morality,that some people refuse to acknowledge what she did or are willing to accept her collaboration and cowardice only shows their own lack of morality
Off Topic, sorry about that, but with the UK’s aircraft carriers seemingly suffering one design flaw after another, if you’re interested, Google Senator Matt Gaetz, who was recently making US Airforce Top Brass squirm about the F35, and its reliability. For the $100million + aircraft, only 29% are fully mission capable, and just over 50% airworthy. The Generals didn’t dispute the numbers.
Does the West / NATO really want to go to war?
Maybe the West / NATO should divert all those billions sending dud gear to you-know-where, and invest in some lower tech stuff that actually works.
Then again, thinking about that, perhaps we should grateful. Perhaps all the dud and dysfunctional equipment keeps the warmongering types more sober and wary of actually going to war, and 29% readiness is just fine.
I wonder what state of readiness the UK Aircraft Carriers are boasting.
While the laughably named big beasts of the SNP get behind Swinney, nobody mentions that he was one of the cabal that deleted their entire COVID correspondence.
That alone should be a disbarment from all future public office.
Yes, once the the Angel of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch becomes leader she will cast off all the micro-agressions that have kept her down. Standing there, in gleaming white, with the Angel of Edinburgh South West at her side, all the party faithful will tremble with fear, bow down, and pledge their allegiance to the quest for independence. Once again, the SNP, champion of Scotland’s Destiny, filled with righteous fervour, will rise up and smite the Unionists, with a terrible force that will set Scotland free.
Wake the f*** up. Looking for a saviour, past or present, is simply a coping strategy for people who’ve lost all hope.
Breeks asked “ Does the West / NATO really want to go to war?”
No, they want others to fight their wars for them. NATO are prepared to fight to the last Ukrainian,no matter the cost.
Compare and contrast Kate Forbes and Ash Reagans body language when Youslaz ‘won’.
Says it all for me.
But she’s the best of a bad bunch.
I just want to see this government go down in flames but the gravy is too tasty for them all.
AndyH
Ignored says:
1 May, 2024 at 7:43 am
Compare and contrast Kate Forbes and Ash Reagans body language when Youslaz ‘won’.
Says it all for me.
But she’s the best of a bad bunch.
Best of the bad bunch in the Holyrood sandbox, all swearing fealty to the colonial Scotland Act.
Fk ‘em all. Take Scotland out of the damned sandbox and form a “true” Scottish Government which swears fealty to Auld Scotland’s Sovereign Constitution and the Claim of Right.
Use that forum to consolidate Scotland’s position domestically and internationally, then take that to the people for democratic ratification once Scotland controls the narrative and the franchise.
A lot of people on here speculating on who is pulling the strings in the SNP at the moment. Who are the unnamed “Senior Figures”.
One name has been conspicuously absent from all the speculation. I detect the strong whiff of Marmalade in all the plotting that is going on – look out for the rise of the MacCeausescus Mark Two.
Excellent question from Mia @10:42 pm
One so important that Stephen Flynn probably needs to break with tradition in order to answer it at Prime Minister question time.
I can think of three authorities over Humza that would be perfectly understandable without explanation on his part
1. His wife, in which case it’s none of my business
2. His God, in which case Forbes might have destiny on board
3. His mistress (as in the lady whose honour he was gallantly trying to defend), in which case she (Nicola) needs to join the leadership race and explain herself
and a further three that could be excusable once explained:
4. Stephen Flynn himself, in which case the MPs CAN pull rank and Blackford could easily have prevented us leaving EU without our permission (ergo, as leader of majority of Scottish MPs Flynn can avoid explaining himself by declaring independence/ proroguing Holyrood for defacto referendum on same
5. The Bankers, debt was mentioned in his resignation speech so could either be IMF that’s applying pressure behind the scenes, in which case we need to see the receipts and full explanation, or he’s gotten himself in deep with a mafia, in which case throwing his hat back in on an indy now, no more pansy pottering about, ticket might be best way of optimising returns on his crowdfunder to clear the outstanding
6. Trump, Biden, Trudeau, UN, EU etc, in which case it’s presumably only in the unlikely event the request was received from former ambassador Trump that there might still be legitimate excuse to keep the source of the order a secret.
@ socrates macsporran: Marmalade.
Yes, definitely. Keeping very very quiet.
While the laughably named big beasts of the SNP get behind Swinney, nobody mentions that he was one of the cabal that deleted their entire COVID correspondence.
You can argue about how much he knew of the various scandals and how much he was culpably involved, but there is no hiding from the mass personal deletions.
That alone should be a disbarment from all future public office.
Onlooker says:
30 April, 2024 at 9:02 pm
“Scotland’s politicians and government are just a sick, twisted, troll joke on us now, from the Americans running everything, aren’t they? It’s beyond depressing and disgusting. They’re having great fun at our expense.”
Pretty decent summary there.
I don’t really know why I ever believed Independence would be allowed at the time, especially looking back now and having seen all that has been done since 2014, naivety I guess.
There was no way we were going to be allowed to break up the United Kingdom. I don’t think we realize how inconceivable that is to them, how shocking.
The crude and brutal destruction of the SNP and AS’s reputation post-2014 testify to that.
But also I don’t think we can trust the result in 2014 neither.
The US 2020 election was nobbled, according to the Vl@dP, and he said it was done using postal votes… ring any bells. Modus operandi right there.
IMHO the 56 seats out of 59 was because people had actually voted YES. That is why everyone else got wiped out in 2015 bar the SNP.
2015 is an utterly bizarre result for a country that had supposedly just resoundingly voted NO. I clearly remember thinking it at the time, it was baffling. And so were the seemingly endless mandates that followed…
2015 and after was not the aberration. 2014 is the aberration.
Personally I suspect it was very close and given the over the top reaction since 2014 I suspect it may well have been a narrow YES.
So yes, we have been cheated. The truth is the US does this to all its ‘allies’. Where do you think all this woke shit originated. All these woke politicians…
This is why I said a while back that the future of Scottish independence will only have a chance once the US empire collapses.
But even then I still doubt it because unlike any other colony that came after us our freedom involves breaking the United Kingdom brand.
No other colony that became independent did that. That is what makes us unique in this regard and what will make it very difficult for us to get out.
Right, don’t turns out the oft parodied “SNPBAAAAD” trope was actually entirely fair comment.
Who knew eh?
*It turns out
(D’oh)
Wee-free freeports-Forbsy:
“I would have voted, as a matter of conscience, along the lines of mainstream teaching in most major religions that marriage is between a man and a woman.”
“I believe a trans woman is a biological male.”
“My faith would say that children and sex is for marriage.”
“In terms of the morality of the issue I am a practising Christian and I practice the teachings of most mainstream religions – whether that is Islam, Judaism or Christianity – that marriage is between a man and a woman. But that’s what I practice.
“As a servant of democracy in a country where there is law I would defend to the hilt your right and anybody else’s right to live and to love without harassment or fear.”
“I previously argued that Scot Gov shouldn’t contest S35 unless there was a v high chance of success.
“A loss for Scot Gov would obvs absorb public funds but could also embolden future UK Govs to interfere in devolution, which no party of independence wishes to see.”
Ms Forbes said she had “significant concerns” about self-identification, and would not have been able to vote for the bill in its current form.
She said there should now be an “adult conversation” with the UK government about how the bill could be amended.
Asked in her BBC interview if someone should simply be able to declare they are a woman if they were born a biological male, she replied: “I don’t think self-identification is sufficient.”
The Bute House agreement – “should be repealed and the SNP should operate again as a one-party minority government”.
She said all the right things for me. Like she did last time. She’ll be the ultimate 2 fingers up to the woke and the globalists trying to destroy our once proud Christian country!
I hope she wins. If she doesn’t. I don’t give a damn either. I want the SNP liquidated!
So, the SNP has become the official definition of a political bin fire.
Is it because the SNP is infested from top to bottom with career imbeciles whose sole priority is to guarantee, at any cost, a personal income of a magnitude which they could never dream of securing in civvy street?
Or, is it because the party has been compromised and corrupted through the deliberate actions of those in positions of influence and control, who themselves are influenced and controlled by strategic interests in both London and Washington?
I don’t think Occam’s razor is required in this case… Congratulations MI5/CIA on a job well done. We’ll try to clean up your mess as quickly as possible…
Indy for Scotland!
SNP Out!
Ah. The old guard. What were they up to in 2014, looking forward and encouraging failure in the knowledge that if the referendum was lost Mr Salmond would resign and be out of the way. They could then make the party in their own greedy image. What do we have today open your eyes think differently.
The fact that Humza was looking towards a deal with Ash Reagan and dare I say Alex Salmond, confirms that the SNP or what is left of it is ripe for takeover.
The SNP is in utter collapse but under Salmond and his team the SNP became one a hugely successful and popular party taking fifty percent of the electoral vote.
Sturgeon and her clique which included and was supported by deep state establishment actors and influences set out to destroy that. And they did. Nothing is clearer.
Money, bribes, pseudo power and pseudo importance together with blackmail and the threat of exposure is how it’s done. And of course the attempted destruction of political threats such as Alex Salmond or truth teller Craig Murray.
The Brits are fighting a covert dirty war in Scotland. They are determined not to lose their colony with all the resources on their doorstep. And a dirty war it is where subterfuge is a key essence.
The Brits feared the SNP under Salmond, feared its popularity, knew that independence was closer than we thought. The referendum was granted in the mistaken notion that Yes would not win.
And that us why today the SNP is where it is and why the rush to destroy Scotland as a country is Westminster accelerated policy.
Freeports not part of Scotland with low tax, low regulation from everything from lo wages to employee rights to planning permission to compulsory purchase – ports they are not. Westminster created enclaves!
And ditto the special economic zones.
And all wrapped up with huge immigration from the south which immigration is currently a secret. ( which is why the 2021 census has never been released!!)
In a tried and tested colonial policy running from the North American Indians to the Australian Aborigines, Scots now head the same way.
Forbes would be like getting a Republican politician in charge.
Sturgeon has imported Hilary Clinton’s globalist agenda that hates borders.
Forbes regularly meets with the American Christian Institute. So I’ve read.
Yes we are stuck in the American sphere of influence. Swinney would be like getting a globalist democrat puppet who hates borders.
Forbes would be like getting a republican. That believes in Christian values. That would annoy all the right people for me and for that reason alone. Forbes for me has to get the job.
This is why I say in all seriousness that the Salmond stitch-up was Scotland’s JFK moment.
It was coup of sorts, a preventative one.
What should sober us all is that that was over 60 years ago now. They got away with it. And still are.
Swinney would be the status quo. He’s been vetted by Hilary Clinton’s war mongering regime.
Last I checked. Trump says he wants to end the war.
I think free-market Kate Forbes would be like getting a republican. She might end up sacking our corrupt civil service. Cutting the management who have built empires for themselves.
To STREAMLINE operations. She wants value for money. You can tell Forbes would get rid of the corrupt non-executive directors and family sitting on public health boards. She’s already said it herself!
She has to win! Go on Forbsy. Last time I’ll say it!
If we’re to be stuck in America’s bubble. Then on social issues I hope it’s a republican that wins.
We’ve had Covid vaccinations. Black Lives Matter. Identity politics. Gender vs Sex.
All imported by Sturgeon who was meeting with Hilary Clinton at luxury resorts in Milan – yes we all remember these things.
Crooked Sturgeon brought COP 26 to Scotland. The flashing from Nicola’s camera was near enough to induce and epileptic fit. Such was her need for attention!
Yousaf has continued the trend by giving John Kerry £24 million of our money. To level up Africa… That are building a new fucking river nile and a mega dam. They seem to be doing just fine at the equator – with all our money!
It’s time for a global reset for Western values to fight back.
Swinney hates borders so much that he’s timid on independence. The SNP want us back in the war mongering EU megastate. No thanks.
Freeports Forbsy means that can’t happen! She’s not perfect. But I can tolerate her.
@David Hannah
What KF might say isnt an assurance of what she might do should she ever get the keys to the Candy Store (likely that She wont of course once the games get played behind the scenes)
If her loving of Freeports is anything to go by, we would be heading back to the Tartan Tories label and do you really think she is the person to reset the target towards Independence?
Mac @ 9.19am
Your aligning of JFK assassination with the political attempted assassination and attempt to jail Alex Salmond is a good example of how people are taken out.
Somebody wanted JFK stopped and somebody wanted Alex Salmond stopped. It is that simple.
The Brits are absolutely excellent at these types of malign behaviours and of course the USA was Britain’s colony until they were kicked out. The UK and the USA increasingly two sides of the same arse.
Folks truly need to open their eyes more and look at what is happening around them.
Apparently a SNP insider says that a deal could be struck between Swinney and Forbes, he becoming FM, she becoming his deputy FM.
If true would Forbes becoming Swinney’s deputy FM be a deal breaker for the Greens.
I would suspect that if Kate Forbes becomes leader she’ll have a loud of politicians quit the party and go elsewhere. My advice to Kate, stand your ground and count your blessings Scots will support someone who’s going to lead but if she cows to these individuals she’ll be sorry.
Lots of posts regarding conspiracy theories as to why FollyRude is such the shambles it is – many of which may be entirely valid – however, there is also the very simple fact that the SNP are woefully incompetent stuffed full of careerist lefty big-state, interventionist, anti-freedom nuckfugget politicians.
You know the type; Net Zero champions, Lockdown enthusiasts, those who hanker to ban stuff or tax it into oblivion, etc. Just like the WM Tories and Labour.
The whole lot of them can get tae kcuf.
Twoing and froing over which wee party you are going to vote for from the establishment fairly keep some people occupied.
Does you vote count?
Cos here’s the thing,
In 2023 / 2024 The UK parliament boast on their Site, that they were not “after much deliberation” in 1707 going to ask the Scots to vote to join the treaty of union,
Because the Scots would probably vote “No” anyway,
That ( one) “non- vote” is more important to Scots and Scotlands Sovereignty than any other vote in our history,
Because you did not vote to join a Union,
That alone separates the Scots peoples from the treaty union.
If ( Scots) Did not vote to join the treaty of Union, you cannot vote to leave something you are not in.
And if percentages count, then over 99% of Scots are not in the union, and we do not 50% plus to leave a hoax,
Being as the UK parliament site make this statement in 2024. Perhaps we should be focused on those votes, ( or lack of) as they were and still are the more are important votes.
O/T.
Scottish prison officers are to get body cams in a three month trial period, as a report finds that four Scots prisoners per week die whilst in prison, a Council of Europe report also found that Scotland has the second highest prison population (per capita) in the whole of Europe.
We already have the highest drug deaths in Europe along with one of the highest suicide rates as well.
Colonialism and having a treacherous domestic colonial admin (SNP government) in office is definitely bad for Scots health.
Last thought. Freedom loving wee-free. Freeports forbsy – who loves freedom.
Would bring back the Lords prayer into the classroom. Our father who art in heaven would bring tears to the eyes of the green haired art teacher!
She’d fast become the most popular politican in the UK and keep labour from deviating too far to the woke left. No more Hate Crime Bills.
Swinney loves the Hate Crime Bill. He hates Freedom. Freedom loving free market wee free forbsy believes in freedom of speech, freedom of thought and free will.
I can tolerate a tory like forbes until 2026. Anas Sarwar not so much. He’s cut from the same cloth as Humza. WHITE WHITE. WHITE he hates the WHITES!
Mac: “unlike any other colony that came after us our freedom involves breaking the United Kingdom brand… No other colony that became independent did that. That is what makes us unique in this regard and what will make it very difficult for us to get out.”
You could have said the same of Ireland and they managed it (more or less). Not that it was made easy for them.
Solid point though, and I agree, it’s not going to be easy, but try looking at it from ‘their’ perspective and you see how precarious it is. All it takes is one slip and the whole thing changes dramatically in our favour… I’m talking about the existential need they have to stitch up our politics, the media, social media, etc.
They do all that very well and haven’t slipped up yet but it’ll happen and when it does the 50% support for independence you see now will ramp right up very quickly.
We only need to succeed once and if (or when) we do, it’s all over. They need to succeed every day forever.
The term NATIONALIST needs to brought in from the cold.
The current bunch dislike it and even choke on nation.
I ?? SCOTTISH NATIONALISM
One in the gonads for Globalism & Schwab’s catamites.
robertkknight: 1 May, 2024 at 9:00 am
“So, the SNP has become the official definition of a political bin fire.
Is it because the SNP is infested from top to bottom with career imbeciles whose sole priority is to guarantee, at any cost, a personal income of a magnitude which they could never dream of securing in civvy street?”
Well, no… That is (and has been for a very long time) the nature of the politics industry.
That industry has nothing to do with serving the public or advancing any principle; or even meeting the administrative needs of a country or region. “Political Football” is, more accurately, an overarching description of what goes on in politics; rather than having the meaning usually ascribed to the term.
The SNP is far from unique in terms of infestation. Personally, I cannot (off the top of my head) think of a single current Politician or politico who has the legitimate life experience (and therefore qualification) combined with the integrity necessary, to make a serious fist of serving the public.
People of that mettle are more often than not utterly revolted by politics; and in any case the injelitant, rote management systems now in place ensure that should they try to contribute to politics, they are weeded out, at best sidelined or more often bullied off the pitch. – This is also true in public service generally – as indeed it is in the corporate world.
It’s the mechanism by which scum generally does rise to the top.
Spartan’s post above hits the nail on the head. The Labour experiment of Devolution has been a disaster and brought no benefit to any of the people in Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Wales. We have small pretendy parliaments full of inadequates and incompetents wasting the taxpayers money and being paid handsomely for achieving nothing. Disband them all and only pay for one parliament which is bad as the 3 I am saying we should disband. Pay for one crap lot of politicians rather than 4 lots.
O/T but urgent. Free tax status has already started in the Cromarty Freeport [on 8th April] BUT Highland Council could still put a spoke in the wheel as a Final Business Case Submission will be presented to the Council within a few weeks.
The HC is Accountable Body. Presumably if the Council does not approve then the Freeport cannot go ahead.
Please any Highlands readers here, write to your Councillors to ask them to vote against. And write to your MSPs and MPs to use their influence on the Councillors/Council accordingly. The “Write to Them” site makes it easy to do.
Alan Austin,
I am not sure devolution is not working, it works for Westminster,
But imposes two (double sets of laws) on N Ireland, Wales and Scotland, whereas England rules itself with just one layer of laws.
If the three “Country nations” outside of England cannot see how this causes double suppression of their people from “Englands parliament” then there is not much hope for people to save themselves or their loved ones.
Its hard enough trying to explain that officially they are not in treaty of union, propaganda wise the are.
Colonial minds seem to want to believe what they have been carefully educated to think,
Each sub- parliament of Couse breaches the treaty of union anyway,
The article that says,
And hereafter there will be (ONE) parliament of Great-Britain,
Alan Austin…
“Pay for one crap lot of politicians rather than 4 lots.”
Couldn’t agree more…
Pay for Holyrood and to f**k with the rest!
Alf Baird
I remember reading something you wrote where you asserted that peoples held doun in colonised societies seldom seek justice despite the many injustices they must endure.
I was wondering why that might be. Is it because those peoples know deep down that seeking justice is a pointless endeavour for them, or is it because they’ve been condition to believe they don’t deserve to be treated justly? Or are there other reasons?
Any resident of Swinney’s constituency like to write an email to ask him what he thinks of the Cass Review and its implications for SNP politics?
No answer might be answer enough.
Devolution has been an abject failure, unless you happen to be one of the many spongers creaming off 5- or 6-figure salaries for achieving the square root of kcuf-all, paid for by us.
WM is also an abject failure and a clogged bog badly needing flushed and disinfected.
Democracy needs to be more direct, the current systems are not working for the majority. Corruption, nepotism and lobbyist are endemic throughout the West.
Sarah,
Freeports can only be Applied to Scotland if Scotland believes Westminsters propaganda on the union,
There is enough evidence to suggest there is and never was no union,
For a Start the Scottish parliament was put under Dissolution in England in 1707,
Official legal position on a parliament under dissolution. Uk constitution, if this is the official and correct position as stated,
1) A parliament under dissolution can have no parliament members
2) Parliament members that are no longer parliament members can no longer represent their constituents,
3) Nothing from the previous parliament can be binding on its successor parliament.
Since 1707 Scotland parliament has never been part of parliament of Westminster or represented in the the treaty of Union,
Scotland simply needs to reconvene its Scottish parliament
The Scottish parliament has never reconvened in Scotland, we have had no members in Westminster parliament since its dissolution in 1707.
The voting record of Kate Forbes apparently runs contrary to her professed personal beliefs. I can see two main explanations for this:
* She assesses the majority view of the constituents she represents and votes accordingly.
* She is a calculating machine politician who wants to keep her voting record “clean” to facilitate the assent up the greasy pole.
I am presently undecided which applies.
If it’s the latter, by presenting her “faith” so openly, she fails in her objective as witnessed by the incessant attacks being launched from the myriad of Jackson’s Entry, adolescent sock puppets.
The second conundrum is whether Forbes actually believes the rather extreme tenets of her Wee Free dogma?
From my perspective, Religions are just successful Cults.
This is not to say Cults are necessarily universally malign.
Some folk find life difficult without a support network. This is where Cults & Religions step in offering fellowship.
Moving house and needing a hand? Your fellow Cult members will step in and help you flit.
Going on holiday and need someone to mind the cat? … Ditto.
Forbes missed the 2023, SNP Conference to deliver paid speeches to Wheaton College “For Christ and His Kingdom”, Illinois. Wheaton is a crazy institution, way beyond what would be considered acceptable in an enlightened, European context. Wheaton extols the literal truth of the Bible.
The Earth is 6,000 years old and yet they have a Geology faculty (they don’t shy from inviting cognitive dissonance).
Prospective students have to sign a Covenant declaring homosexuality to be immoral.
Does Forbes actually believe that last point? I’m not referring to public pronouncements necessarily to remain within the cult like embrace of the Wee Free Church, I’m referring to her unknowable, private self.
Campaigning lesbian, Joanna Cherry knows and supports Forbes. Campaigning socialist Robin McAlpine knows and supports Forbes. Ostensibly, Forbes’ public positions are irreconcilable with those of Cherry and McAlpine.
Should we listen to the shrieking denouncements of the SNP’s Twittler Youth seeking to curry favour at HQ and further their nascent careers or should we listen to experienced, mature, qualified adults like Cherry and McAlpine?
Sarah,
Nothing from the old dissolved 1707 Scottish parliament would be binding on its successor Scottish parliament today over 300 years later.
Politicians are like canned good in a supermarket, if you don’t read the label before buying you could regret it.
But no use whining, you made the choice.
Scotland, get an eyetest.
Alan Austin says
,
‘Disband them all and only pay for one parliament which is bad as the 3 I am saying we should disband. Pay for one crap lot of politicians rather than 4 lots.’
Entirely agree, and it’s easier to keep an eye on one set of the shifty bar-stewards.
‘
Vivien O’Blivion @ 12.20.
An interesting conumdrum indeed.
My own, tentative, take is that Ms Forbes has genuine, personal beliefs which are on occasion tempered by practical political considerations.
Whilst on maternity leave, for example, she managed to avoid casting any online vote on the GRR Bill, despite a conservative MSP in a similar position managing to hit her keyboard.
And, a few weeks later she found herself in the position of actively campaigning to be Leader of her Party & FM.
Sarah,
When opening a new parliament in Scotland there is no stipulation under Constitutional law of either Scotland or England under Dissolution that it requires the same parliament to be opened again of the same three estates,
(In fact) Scotland would be wiser not to reconvene the same old three Estates parliament. to ensure nothing is binding on its successor parliament today,
Sarah @11.30am.
Freeports will be very bad for Scotland, (of which you know) we can thank Kate Forbes for working closely with Tory Michael Gove to foist these secret and wealth draining freeports which cover areas way beyond any ports in Scotland on us.
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/05/01/secrecy-and-green-freeports-prepare-to-be-shocked/
Sarah.
The mounting evidence there was no treaty of union,
The Scottish parliament was Dissolved from the treaty of union, not joined in parliament to Westminsters parliament, Not Subsumed into Westminster parliament, but > Dissolved,
The old parliament of “Englands House of Lords” were transferred without elections into the parliament of Englands– Great- Britain, a simple rebrand of user name,
The Bank of England remained the Bank of England, not a bank of a union, and the Treasury Solicitor reports to the Anttoney General for (England and Wales) still today,
The bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701 ensure that the line of Succession is to England throne. And that the Crown rests in Westminster parliament to give it Sovereignty in Westminster parliament of England,
The monarch is now the “monarch of England”: due to those two Acts mentioned above, both those acts are still in force today as a crucial part of the Constitution of England,
The Scottish Monarch, the Scottish Crown, the parliament of Scotland, the Old members of the Scottish parliament, a Scottish Bank and its own coinage, Scots law, and the Kingdom of Scotland. The territory of Scotland, Have all sat redundant for over three hundred years,
But Colonised by the parliament of Westminster under a fallacious hoax.
The evidence is building that there was no union of “parliaments” or of “kingdoms”.and According to Westminster UK parliament Site after much debate amongst themselves, they decided not to Ask the people of Scotland to join a union with them because the Scots would vote No,
The Scottish parliament was not subsumed or joined into the parliament of England, to create one united kingdom of Great Britain
The Scottish people were not subsumed or amalgamated with the people of England,
The Monarchy of Scotland is not a shared monarchy with the monarch of England,
The Bank of England is the Bank of England and Wales not a united kingdom Bank.
All of this information on records has only in recent years become available to the people of Scotland,
And they have good reason in – the past to believe the bigger Countries lies and propaganda hoax regards the treaty of union,
However once you know, you know, and it cannot be retracted,
And the Scots of today should share that new knowledge with their brethren.
.
Vivian: “Some folk find life difficult without a support network. This is where Cults & Religions step in offering fellowship…. Moving house and needing a hand? Your fellow Cult members will step in and help you flit. Going on holiday and need someone to mind the cat? … Ditto.”
Hmmmmmm. It might say that on the brochure but the real nuts and bones of successful regions involves infiltrating and embedding in life’s fundamentals — births, deaths, marriages, holidays, etc.
The reasons for doing that are obvious and it’s interesting that social media platforms like Facebook also do it.
It’s all very creepy, if you ask me.
Sarah @11:30am and Republicofscotland @1:21pm
Thanks for the link, Republicofscotland. Very informative.
Sarah. It looks like Freeports aren’t really ports at all. But large areas being set up to facilitate the further plundering of Scotland’s natural resources.
Watching Politics Scotland this afternoon, I am getting the feeling there is a sudden and unexpected outbreak of serious thinking within the ranks of the SNP MSPs.
They seemn to me to be starting to realise: the gemme’s a bogey and nobody wants to be left holding the poisoned chalice of leadership of the party once the Westminster and Holyrood elections, not forgetting the fall-out from the Salmond stitch-up come into play.
Somewhat «off piste».
As I «heart» HAMAS gets set to wreck universities, exams etc.
HOW SUBLIMINAL ISLAMOPHILIA DESPOILS THE WEST by XXXX
A notional book title that wouldn’t have a cat in hell chance of finding a publisher in the world of trigger warnings.
«Islam is under obligation to gain power over all nations»
Ibn Khaldun. 1332-1406
historian, philosopher, sociologist, polymath that unsurprisingly, few in the West have ever heard of, to their cost.
Most enjoyable moment of the motion of no confidence in Holyrood thus far, for me, was the sight of John Swiney apoplecric with rage and wagging his finger in remonstration at Douglas Ross referring to him as “Honest John”.
Perhaps even he is finally realising that this can only ever be an ironic title.
Forbsy will have no choice but to sign Michael Gove’s freeports deal.
It was Michael Gove’s free ports. Its tory brexit they are in charge of Scotland from behind the scenes.
I want a bit of socialism in Scotland. Nationalisation of utilities. energy companies. NHS. I want to open up the industry. Scotland first. Drill the oil the lot. In Scotland. Jobs for the Scots. I want a border at Gretna. 96 miles. Residency status for English they must be denied the ability to move north with CASH offers for our homes.
The English are the natural enemy of Scotland.
On social issues. I was raised in a protestant school we sang the lords prayer we went to church every friday with the minister.
My parents are catholics. We’re all Christians and this is a Christian country.
Our country is being flooded by cheap Nigerian immigrants. Claiming our affordable homes. They are here to work in the NHS.
I don’t mind the Christian ones – they are fine. It’s the muslim ones that want to through gay people from tall buildings.
Gay people would be safer with Wee Free Forbsy than a new caliphate under Anas Sarwar and Humza Yousaf.
We must defend our once catholic ancient Scotland. From guys like Angus Robertson. Who says we’re a lost tribe of Israel…
It’s a good thing the Scottish public has fallen out with Israel thats my opinion.
Forbsy and her freeports are not my politics. But I’ll rally around her. So desperate I am for change and for respect of all political values.
No more Woke Ideology in our schools
No more woke ideology in our NHS.
Scotland for the Scots. Scotland First. For the many not the few. KATE FORBES PLEASE!
Forbsy will have no choice but to sign Michael Gove’s freeports deal.
It was Michael Gove’s free ports. Its tory brexit they are in charge of Scotland from behind the scenes.
Michael Gove is an alcoholic. He’s separated from his wife and has cocaine addiction. He is selfish as he is greedy. He’s a drug taker and he’s damaged in the brain.
Freeports would have been his idea. It’s obvious.
I want a bit of socialism in Scotland. Nationalisation of utilities. energy companies. NHS. I want to open up the industry. Scotland first. Drill the oil the lot. In Scotland. Jobs for the Scots. I want a border at Gretna. 96 miles. Residency status for English they must be denied the ability to move north with CASH offers for our homes.
The English are the natural enemy of Scotland.
On social issues. I was raised in a protestant school we sang the lords prayer we went to church every friday with the minister.
My parents are catholics. We’re all Christians and this is a Christian country.
Our country is being flooded by cheap Nigerian immigrants. Claiming our affordable homes. They are here to work in the NHS.
I don’t mind the Christian ones – they are fine. It’s the muslim ones that want to through gay people from tall buildings.
Gay people would be safer with Wee Free Forbsy than a new caliphate under Anas Sarwar and Humza Yousaf.
We must defend our once catholic ancient Scotland. From guys like Angus Robertson… giving our country away to foreign enterprise. And billionaire beasts.
Forbsy and her freeports are not my politics. But I’ll rally around her. So desperate I am for change and for respect of all political values.
No more Woke Ideology in our schools
No more woke ideology in our NHS.
Scotland for the Scots. Scotland First. For the many not the few. KATE FORBES PLEASE!
It’s embarrassing. To see our SNP politicians coming out to attack Kate Forbes as a religious extremist.
They were fine with El Nakla – Humza’s heroin dealing brother in law – throwing people from tall buildings. It’s the muslim way.
But. But. But….
This is a majority Christian country with Christian values. The local kirks are standing tall and standing proud.
The crucifix is shining and basking in the light of God himself.
WEEE FREE freedom loving free ports FORBSY could be the SNP Messiah!
Defender of the Realm! and Scottish and British Values. God bless her!
We are sick of woke. She’s the ultimate rejection of Woke ideology and a national reset for our values in our nation of Scotland.
We believe in freedom in Scotland. We are free to be gay. Lesbians bisexuals. We are free.
We will not be thrown off tall buildings like they do in Saudi Arabia.
This is the west. No need to hide in the closet.
Get the pet shop boys on. Go WEST. GO WEST! with Freeports Forbsy!
Hatuey wrote:
“We only need to succeed once and if (or when) we do, it’s all over.”
No Hatuey, it wouldn’t be all over. It would be a big mistake to assume that, because you would be denying the people of their right ever after to hold another referendum, probably because you wouldn’t agree with it.
Hypothesis time.
Let us suppose there’s a referendum next week with a 65% turn-out, of whom 51% vote for independence. That would mean ONE THIRD of the electorate had voted for independence.
Suppose then, soon after that the situation changed, and there arose some mass realisation among the electorate that going independent AT THAT TIME was a bad idea, and all the polls said that more than TWO THIRDS of the electorate wanted another referendum, would you let them have their say?
What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Under Kate Forbes religion. Christianity. Women are allowed to be beautiful.
I’ve just googled Anas Sarwar wife.
Anas Sarwar is married to Furheen Ashrif. They got married in 2006 and have three children together.
She’s muslim and she’s got to cover up her hair. Only Anas – WHO HATES WHITES – just like Yousaf. oppresses his wife in the name of religion. She must not be seen. Nor heard. Second class citizen to him. Don’t see any men wearing burkas? Do you?
Women are free with Christianity. Anas Sarwar wants to hide his wife away. Isn’t that right?
Kate Forbes is a defender of the realm and this is the west.
We are free. Go West life is peaceful there! Let Anas Sarwar explain why he covers his wife up. And why Kate Forbes is extremist and not him?
HMMM!
Kate Forbes is a defender of the unborn child.
She’s pro life.
Let the SNP explain why abortion is morally justified. And why Kate Forbes – who believes in life is wrong.
Forbsy will defend women’s right to choose. So it’s not even an issue. I respect her different view. I love it actually.
She believes in life. But the SNP believe in death and steralising your children.
Let them explain why they favour having unborn children scrambled and vaccumed out of the womb. And why kate forbes is an extremist.
Abortion is extremist in my opinion but I don’t judge any woman and her right to choose. It’s a freedom we must defend in Scotland.
Anas Sarwar would have his wife covered up and married away to his cousins with his approval.
In Scotland. We can divorce. Just like Wee Nicola Sturgeon will be soon from Lavender Pete.
God bless Kate Forbes and all of our Western Values and freedoms!
Silly Charles thinks primary level arithmetic matters more than the will of the people.
Two things, silly Charles;
1) no country that ever achieved independence has regretted it and asked to be re-colonised but British halfwits.
2) turnout doesn’t matter a fuck.
@David Hannah
Is this Comedy youre spouting here?
@ Northcode at 2.03: “freeports aren’t ports at all but areas to facilitate the further plundering of Scotland..”
Exactly. The “Glasgow” zone runs from Inverclyde to North and South Lanarkshire inclusive, abutting the Forth freeport i.e. the entire Central Belt is now available for offshore investors to avoid taxes and business rates, pay their staff minimal rates, be subject to no employment or environmental regulations.
I see students protesting in the US have been attacked and people arrested.
I wonder who was paying to bus in the right wing attackers.
Quite funny if the KKK mobs are now supporting the jewish lobby rather than lynching them. Thats quite a turn around.
My understanding is that they want Forbes to play second fiddle next to Mr Redacted. They’re probably making promises along the lines of letting her takeover at some point.
Forbes would be crazy to entertain these sort of ideas.
The SNP situation is likely to go from bad to much worse. The smartest thing she could do is wait until after the Scottish elections… at least then she will have a mandate to reform the party and claim she represents change. Zzzzzzzzzz…
It’s not comedy. It’s western values! Kate Forbes. Beautiful brown eyes and auburn hair. She’s a highland fling. I’d love to ask her for a dance at a ceilidh. She’s a Scottish lassie. So beautiful.
Kate Forbes is free to look beautiful with her Christian values.
Anas Sarwar’s wife is hidden away. We don’t know what she looks like under the head scarf.
Who’s religion is extreemist?
I think we know the answer don’t we?!
HIS. NOT HERS!
@Sven
Not much of a debate (tuppence worth from 3 party leaders, Jackie Bailey & Humza hisself) but enjoyed the bit when presiding officer refused to let Mr Swinney be called honest in the chamber.
Guess it helped lift her own spirits before having to sit through her party being forced(?) to grovel before a leaderless government that had just sacked it’s green ministers to pre empt their resignation, mental (extremely kind/ perceptive of Ross to have set her up for the opportunity, for all that!)
🙂
Northcode @ 11:54 am
“Is it because those peoples know deep down that seeking justice is a pointless endeavour for them, or is it because they’ve been condition to believe they don’t deserve to be treated justly?”
Maybe a bit of both? Postcolonial theory suggests the “denial of justice” (Cesaire) is perhaps what the people become used to and hence normalise in a colonial society, which is why the native “hardly ever seeks for justice in the colonial framework” (Fanon).
The language of those in authority is not the language of the native. The ideology and cultural values of those in authority are not those of the native people either. Even the laws imposed are no longer the native’s own laws. There is therefore an established cultural chasm between colonizer and colonized.
The cultural distance placed between the colonizer (incl the assimilated/segregated native elite group) and the colonized reflects a justice system that is based on “an ideological aggression which tends to dehumanize the colonized” (Memmi); hence the emphasis is on punishment of an (supposedly inferior) ethnic group, and with “colonial racism built…on the gulf between the culture of the colonialist and the colonized”.
What is evident is that the colonial “myth is supported by a very solid organization; a government and a judicial system fed and renewed by the colonizer’s historic, economic and cultural needs” (Memmi); and, “whenever colonialism is imperiled…the oppressor will show his fangs” (Fanon), most notably via its ‘justice’ system.
“suppose there’s a referendum next week with a 65% turn-out, of whom 51% vote for independence”.
That’ll do me. And that number would rise to 65% if we limit an exercise on Scottish “SELF” – determination to native born Scots, and not allow colonists a say in our “SELF” determination.
That’s how it was sabotaged the last time.
It is not SELF- determination if others than SELF are given a say.
The matter would then be closed – just as it was when our country was sold to the English by our aristocracy and lairds in 1707.
Well those more social events and values ain’t gonna happen for Scotland as long as were a Colony of Westminster parliament with two sets of laws and legislation over the Scots, and crazy, woke , drug or drink enhanced people in tories and in labour control in Westminster control the wee prendy parliament of Scotland,
They just by pass that pretendy parliament to do free ports, control our finances and close gown our industries, sell or rent out our land and sea,
Holyrood is the enterainment baby politics to keep us all busy with a look over here while we are busy destroying Scotland over there,
Fancying one person is not enough in Scottish politics is not the same as US having that control over our own Country,
Westminster has control through the fallacious treaty of fracking licences, your passort, your driving licence, your taxes and inland revenue, food trade, and our borders, and on it goes,
We get the Gordon Browns, the tories like boris johnstone and Wee david Cameron rolling up his Sleeves to talk down to Scots, and the john Swinney and micheal gove, NS , Hunsaf, and ruth Davidson, patrick harvies,
The worst colony Trash for Scotland
That will never reach more social policies for Scotland and they all have resided or still reside at the wee pretendy holyrude parliament.
So, the lame duck administration lingers on; the lame duck parliament, when presented with an opportunity for positive change, shat itself.
Useless remains the very useless “leader” of a useless minority administration, backed by the useless fascist Greens, and the prospect of continuity Sturgeonism under either Useless or Bungling John who fucks everything up he touches remains.
Lots of drama, no change. We all remain poorer for it.
Thank you for reminding me why I fucking hate politics and politicians. They’re all cunts.
David Hannah,
Speaking as someone who doesn’t believe in an omnipresent and omnipotent invisible man,
politicians should be secular otherwise they should join their respective religious sects, but that’s only my opinion.
Hasn’t Forbes already made clear that she sees a future independence referendum is only in the gift of Westminster?
I fail to see how she can be any different from her immediate predecessors regarding self determination, especially considering her political sojourns to the USA.
Socartes @2.59. Can you please explain “the Salmons stitch – up.”
Grr Salmons (sorry)
Alf Baird @ 4:22pm
“The language of those in authority is not the language of the native. The ideology and cultural values of those in authority are not those of the native people either. Even the laws imposed are no longer the native’s own laws. There is therefore an established cultural chasm between colonizer and colonized.”
Thanks for your comprehensive response to my question, Alf.
In particular, the paragraph quoted above from your response has helped me understand more clearly what is evidently a complex psychological issue.
This from some personal notes I jotted down a while ago:
It makes a good deal of sense that a people forced to adopt another people’s laws would be disinclined to engage with their oppressor’s alien legal system.
And here we have it. The Greens voted for Yousaf’s government, demonstrating they have no principles whatsoever, just pure unadulterated greed.
Continuity continues. The assault on Scotland that are those freeports continue progressing forward without Scotland’s consent, and there not appears to be a single soul in that parliament of ours that has the balls to stand up and oppose to it.
The great robbery all over again. Over 100 MSPs doing nothing to stop it.
Swinney vs Kate Forbes. Is that a choice? Because I cannot see any choice there. Continuity vs Continuity. Mr Black Pen vs Mrs freeports. Mr devolution vs Mrs Devolution. That is not choice. Where is the choice for those who want independence NOW and the robbery of Scotland to stop NOW?
Izzie @5.25pm.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2019/08/the-alex-salmond-fit-up/
Hi Izzie.
That’s probably referring to the conspiracy run by ‘those who must be obeyed’ in the SNP, to dismiss Alex Salmond from Scottish politics, by using staff and civil servants to perjure themselves in a criminal court, making up alleged ‘offences’.
Woman H accused AS of attempted rape. It was proved during the defence evidence, that she wasn’t even in the same building on the date the offence was supposed to have happened.
I can’t wait for the eventual disclosure of the Alphabetties’ identities. Woman H, in particular, will be a revelation to those who don’t really follow politics.
@David Hannah
Have you stopped taking your medication again?
Mia,
I am thinking along the same lines as yourself, devolution is not a choice, especially as the Scots were never asked for their vote to join the treaty of union, after a political debate was held in 1707 on the subject, wether the “Sovereign Scots” should be asked, but the 1707 politicians decided not to ask the Scots because they would vote No.
That leaves the Sovereign Scot not in the treaty of Union and their parliament put under dissolution in England,
But not in Scotland,
It also highlights another issue,
The 1707 parliament members and Commissioners considered the people in Scotland as Sovereign from their parliament in Scotland,
There appears to be no historical records of a debate on wether the people of England Should get a vote to see if they want to join the treaty of union or not,
But then there wouldn’t be, as England had stole their Sovereignty when the politicians made (themselves) “Westminster parliament” Sovereign over the people of England under the 1689 Bill of Rights
Hi Izzie.
From Republicofscotland’s link…
“Police Scotland put 22 officers full time into trying to dig up historic dirt on Salmond. I have personally seen a statement from a woman who was astonished to be interviewed by Police Scotland after having been seen, years ago, to have a greeting peck on the cheek from her friend Alex at a public function. This has been the biggest, and most maliciously motivated, fishing expedition in Scottish police history.”
The end of the clique that made sexual fantasies state policy?
https://archive.ph/N5Lz8
Or is a bad wig and size 10 heels still the rainbow party dress code?
Oh, the hurt!
The Greens behaving in a manner akin to many of their supporters… Confused.
““the Salmons stitch – up.” ”
There is another dimension to the stitch up that has not been highlighted and spoken so much about as it should have been.
This dimension corresponds to how unscrupulous and morally corrupt individuals abused their positions of power, abused Scotland’s courts and abused the law and the prosecution service to give themselves a justification to redact key documents in industrial scale and in doing so, forcefully suppressed information from both public and from the courts that actually may have incriminated some of them.
How did they do this?
By the look of it, key individuals among the culprits raised criminal accusations against Mr Salmond and presented themselves as victims of sexual abuse (it is suspected that some of those actually perjured themselves during the criminal case).
But, if I understood correctly, “victims” of sexual abuse in Scotland do not get an immediate blanket anonymity order. So how did these individuals got one?
With help from somebody else.
Rather conveniently, if you believe in coincidences, a reporter present during the opening of the court case leaked the name of some of the accusers via twitter. This prompted the judge in the criminal case to enforce the blanket anonymity order on the accusers, and voila! The culprits and the Sgov itself proceeded to abuse this anonymity order to redact every piece of information which contained the name/names of the pretend victims or any reference that could lead to identify them. And by any I mean any. Some of the information blacked out had nothing to do with the court case, but revealed what they were thinking and pursuing at the time.
But for this level cosmic size cover up to work, an awful lot of actors at very high levels had to collude in this perversion of justice.
This strategy would have never worked without the reporter starting the process by leaking the name. This strategy would have never worked without the judge jumping like a fish to the work on the hook by imposing the anonymity order. This strategy would have never worked if whoever in government was tasked with blacking entire paragraphs leaving the documents illegible, had only redacted what was pertinent to the criminal case, not anything that contained the names of a false accuser or referred to the false accuser.
This strategy would have never worked if the judge and the people in the HOlyrood inquiry had challenged the SGov hard and demanded the documents to be unredacted or at least an auditor from the court to be present when redacted to corroborate that the redacting was legitimate and the blanket order was not being abused for criminals to cover their tracks.
This strategy would have never worked if the judge had lifted the anonymity order once Mr Salmond was acquitted and the accusers were proven to not be victims.
This would not have worked if the crown office had not abused its power to gag the HOlyrood committee and witnesses invited by that committee under the threat of prosecution.
This strategy would have never worked if the judge had released the infamous whatsapp messages of the vietnam group rather than forcefully suppress this information from the public to protect actual criminals.
In retrospect, it is evident Mr Salmond’s stitch up was the result of blatant corruption and abuse of power at the highest possible levels, but it was also the result of a massive level of collusion between different entities with the common interest of having Mr Salmond removed out of front line politics.
It is obvious those in the civil service and SNP involved were just useful idiots following orders. Whose orders is a question that remains unanswered even today. I do not believe for even a second they were STurgeon’s orders. The last 9 years have demonstrated Sturgeon is no strategist and does no sophistry. She is just an implementer and a rather blunt one. The elephant approach these individuals used to cover their giant tracks proves they were incapable of precision or subtlety. What they used to cover their tracks was a hammer/chainsaw approach, not surgical precision.
What this tells us is that the original plan could not possibly be concocted by such group of incompetents who evidently never thought the plan through, risk assessed it or made provisions for the possibility of things going wrong.
I am therefore convinced the plan was concocted somewhere else by a proper strategist who made the huge mistake of entrusting a brigade of idiots with its delivery.
Looking at elements from the crown as the crown office, the courts or the highest levels of the Civil service involved in the “clean up” operation, it seems clear to me that this plan originated at a very high level and somewhere else other than Scotland. What I am not sure is if the original plan was concocted in London, in a castle somewhere or at the other side of the Atlantic.
Sigh. The Green woke ghouls now running Scotland.
Correction: The Green woke ghouls still running Scotland.
Conclusion: The Green woke ghouls like being MSPs.
I suspect it’s already been decided (a Swinney fix), but what would the Green woke ghouls do if Forbes becomes FM? That’s when the toys really start flying out of the pram lol. If only. Watching a weak, charisma bypassed FM Swinney acquiesce to every Green woke ghoulish tantrum over the next two years is going to be so really really awful.
Poor Yousef. His political obituary will ignominiously read –
“Laid Low By Queers”
The poor bugger saw the light far too late. If any good comes from this it is that the Greens have been shown up for what they are in reality and that is a Party that never cared about Scots Indy and also cared even less about the Environment.
Forbes needs to stop dithering and join Alba along with Fergus Ewing and others who dont want to spread their arse cheeks for the Queers in the Green Party or the SNP or any other Party that loves to play with strapons.
@Hatuey says:1 May, 2024 at 4:04 pm
turnout doesn’t matter a fuck
Written like a true keyboard warrior.
I get it. You think that if you can’t persuade enough Scots to support Indy, or any of your other pet peeves, you’ll just enforce your minority view on the majority and these other disagreeable Sovereign Scots will just suck it up.
I’m thinking you’ve been scorning and laughing at those who will fight for their freedoms and beliefs for so long, you no longer comprehend that’s the most important factor in the real world.
Steep learning curve ahead!
@James Che,
Why has no one, not even Salmond, run with 1707-and-all-that as the route to independence? You seem convinced. Why is no one else?
Mia
So we have the Machiavellian genius, Sturgeon, who managed to hoodwink and twist to her will millions of Scots for a decade?
So we have all the apparatchiks of the state, including the law, the civil servants, etc. all bought and conniving together to keep Scotland under?
And for what? A cut of the UK’s wealth. With the UK’s wealth being propped up by Scotland’s stolen wealth.
If there was any chance of any of this ever being true, all Scotland has to do is invite Sturgeon and all of the apparatchiks of the state to work for us. Promise them ten times what they got from WM, out of the ample coffers of iScotland.
Put all of their world beating Machiavellian talent, their subterfuges, their secret networks, their informers, their media manipulation wizardry, their corruption of the law, to our purpose, and we will make them rich beyond imagining. Make them an offer they can’t refuse.
If only any of it was true, eh?
A bunch of losers and no-hopers, promoted way past their abilities, by tribalists who can’t see past the colours and the rosettes, and kept on way past their sell-by dates by those same tribalists who hate those they disagree with far more than they will ever love Indy.
Now that’s truth.
BDTT, good to ‘see’ you here – hope things have improved and continue so to do.
So, we will soon find out if there’s to be a choice on the menu or if they are going to simply force the country to eat coronation chicken.
Given the way the SNP rigged the last leadership election, I don’t suppose it matters much.
I did say the outcome would be depressingly boring and right now I can’t imagine a more depressingly boring prospect than John Swinney acting as FM for two years.
Would Kate Forbes acting as Honest John’s sidekick make me any less inclined to try and swallow my tongue?
It’ll be fun to watch everything crumble around them in the next few weeks, months, and years, if nothing else.
I couldn’t hate the SNP more.
@ TURABDIN says: 1 May, 2024 at 3:03 pm
Somewhat «off piste».
Careful there! It’s only, what, 6? weeks since there were calls on here for Indy to be parked and Scotland to throw its weight behind Yousaf to get the benighted citizens of you know where over here and settled in Scotland.
I’m expecting that idea to re-surface in a month or so, once the current stushie settles down and HR settles comfortably into the run up to the summer recess.
Does anybody know what Yousaf plans to do once the fix for his replacement is in? Maybe he already set up a charitable foundation that will just happen to have a vacancy at the top.
Hi Dorothy.
Still hingin’ in there!
“So we have the Machiavellian genius”
Machiavellian yes, genius no. The plan was pretty crap and whoever designed it, or the self-entitled arse who simply gave the order to take Mr Salmond out of politics, ain’t project manager. They never assessed the quality of the resources they had to implement “the plan” or, more importantly, how to recycle, discretely, the scale of waste that crap plan would generate.
“This , Sturgeon, who managed to hoodwink and twist to her will millions of Scots for a decade”
That is what abuse of power, having a rather expensive PR machine, far more “advisors” than those of a number of her predecessors combined and buying the press does for you.
“So we have all the apparatchiks of the state, including the law, the civil servants, etc. all bought and conniving together to keep Scotland under”
Pretty much. For instance, after all the irreparable damage to the image of those state institutions, after all the waste of taxpayers money and after all the trust in due process was lost because of this, where are the prosecutions? Where is the accountability? Nowhere to be seen. The only thing we see is some of these “actors” being quietly shifted somewhere else, like for example the crown agent being shifted to a sheriff court somewhere else or some of the civil servants interviewed during the parliamentary inquiry being shifted to other jobs or simply sent to a cushy retirement.
“And for what?”
Goodness, that is one hell of a stupid question.
Do you realise that if Scotland unilaterally ends the treaty the current royal line potentially loses its right to Scotland’s crown? The only thing that is keeping this ficticious “kingdom of Great Britain” is the Treaty of Union.
Which one do you think is the part of Great Britain that has the highest production of energy per head of population?
Which is the part of Great Britain that is energy self sufficient?
Which part of Great Britain has the longest coastline?
Which part of Great Britain has the best geopolitical position?
What part of Great Britain has the best fishing waters?
Which is the part of the UK that has most fresh water?
Do you realise that if Scotland revokes the treaty of union all those seats in the UN, NATO etc etc, unless Scotland agrees for England to become the successor state of the UK, are lost?
Do you realise that currently Scotland represents a huge part of the “internal market” to sell England’s produce?
Do you realise how little actually England is?
How much tax does Scotland generate and where does it end?
How many jobs does England have thanks to Scotland?
Where are the HQ of most industries/businesses operating in Scotland?
What do you think will happen to England if Scotland joins the EU? Take a look at the map. England would be completely isolated and surrounded by EU countries.
And now of course we have the next great robbery in the pipeline: the great con of the freeports.
Sorry, but you are fooling with your attempt at pretend irony.
“A cut of the UK’s wealth”
That will be one hell of a cut even if Scotland does not demand reparations for all the oil robbed from its waters from which Scotland has not seen a penny and when it should have, right now, an oil fund of the size of Norway’s. THAT is how much Scotland has been robbed from its own waters.
“With the UK’s wealth being propped up by Scotland’s stolen wealth”
That is correct. As I said above, an example of what has been robbed from Scotland is the size of Norway’s oil fund.
“Make them an offer they can’t refuse”
No. I want to see all those criminals, including whomever/whatever gave them the order of doing this, stripped of their rank and in prison.
“A bunch of losers and no-hopers, promoted way past their abilities, by tribalists”
What “tribalist” promoted the crown agent to the position he was and empowered him to gag the Holyrood enquiry and its witnesses under the threat of prosecution when surely they knew the plot inside out?
What “tribalist” promoted the judge who gave blanket anonymity to perjurers per life and then gave the order to suppress the whatsapp messages from the public?
What “tribalist” promoted Evans to the position she was in?
What “tribalist” is empowering the crown office to continue stalling operation branchform?
Over to you.
So. Alba are union supporters.
Ahh, Sturgeon”s fault…
Hatey McHateface @ 7:46 pm
“the UK’s wealth being propped up by Scotland’s stolen wealth”
Colonialism is ‘robbery’ after all. Its not that difficult to calculate a country’s ‘stolen wealth’. We can do this by comparing Scotland’s artificially low GDP-per-Capita with our near neighbours. On this basis the economic price for Scotland remaining in the UK Union can be reasonably estimated at between £150-200 billion per annum:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/03/19/the-real-economic-price-of-the-uk-union-for-scots/
I am surprised that no really passionate fighter for independence who is a member of the SNP is willing to stand as Leader.
It would be great to hear a real, genuinely pro-independence voice in the leadership contest instead of the usual people, none of whom prioritise independence.
Having a non-MSP/MP as Leader would alter the tone and direction of the party. The leader could concentrate on independence and would have the time to liaise with all the non-political independence groups.
Alf Baird…
What’s the price of independence for the revered Mr Salmond?
Goodbye Ash, who were you again?
Never mind. Not the first to be corrupted.
Let me guess? Ahh! Sturgeon’s fault.
Shagpile…
STFU will you?
Alba,like the majority who contribute here, BTL, can recognise a shower of troughing, charlatan devolutionists posing as the party of Independence when we see them.
Sturgeon’s rancid SNP has come close to killing the prospect of Indy for the next 20 years, and that’s f**k all to do with Alba.
Now, do us a favour and piss off back to the other weak and feeble mindeds over at WGD where you belong… tw@t!
Sarah @ 9:19
Ha Ha Ha Ha… Not surprised that Alba DO NOT support an independence government?
Probably Sturgeon’s fault! Right?
@ Shagpile “Sturgeon’s fault”.
You are right. I too am hearing that Humza and Ash were agreeing a deal on Sunday so Sturgeon briefed against him in the press and said he was going to resign! Then she roped in all those old faces to big-up Swinney.
Mia
You possibly misunderstood my post.
If Scotland is hoaching in money (see Professor Baird’s post above) …
If Sturgeon and her minions, aided and abetted by all the rest of the agricultural motive power units are as capable, sleekit and double-dealing as is claimed …
Then make them all offers they can’t refuse. iScotland, with all that wealth split between 5.5 million, can always outbid rUK, with next to no money split between 55 million.
Agricultural motive power units always go with the highest bidder. Get them working for us.
“No. I want to see all those criminals, including whomever/whatever gave them the order of doing this, stripped of their rank and in prison”
Hmmm. Don’t let your hatred of these people exceed your love of Indy, like I wrote.
There’s recent historical precedent for my idea. The NHS was set up in the face of opposition from doctors by, in the famous phrase, “stuffing their mouths with gold”.
@ robertkknight 9:26
Seriously, are you trusted with scissors?
Such a tantrum, really.
YOU ARE AWARE ALBA VOTED NO CONFIDENCE IN AN INDEPENDENCE SUPPORTING GOVERNMENT?
Oh… let’s cut to the quick. You don’t want independence. You are a bigot, afraid someone near you is pissing standing up whilst you are in a sedentary position.
You could grow a pair, however, you simply can’t man-up.
It’s cruel Britannia, but you really would rather that.
Sarah @ 9:35
Ha Ha Ha Ha …
You really believe that too?
I would just add… take care with scissors.
If you are going to make a serious reply , please do it quick before the unbathed in Bath bans me. He’s no right in his hied… ye ken?
Shagpile…
Away’n scuttle back under the rock whence you came.
SNP are pro-Indy? ROFLMFAO! Evidence? Plenty of it to the contrary!
As a former SNP member, CA Office Bearer and Candidate, I don’t need any advice to grow anything from one so blind they simply will not see the glaringly f**king obvious.
Face it pal, you’ve been sold a pup. Either that, or you’re one of those doing the selling… I’d wager the latter.
Jog on… and tell Nicla and her handlers we’re not for buying what you or she are selling.
If nobody puts themselves forward for leader by Monday, or a leader the presiding officer won’t let be described as honest gets shoehorned in by then, then presumably the presiding officer will need to call a defacto no confidence vote next week too
Could be fun to see if there’s any changes in the vote split arising
🙂
Folks…
Don’t get me wrong.
I Voted Alba 2nd vote last time and will never do it again… EVER. PROVED BEYOND ALL DOUBT YOUR OBJECTIVE IS NOT INDEPENDENCE!
Will not subscribe to the church of POISONED MINDS.
Reverend indeed NOT!
Vote ALBA.
BDTT, keep on keeping on!
I seem to remember the owner of this site indicating that obvious trolls were to be ignored , feeding them only encourages them.
robertkknight @ 10:09
“As a former SNP member, CA Office Bearer and Candidate, I don’t need any advice to grow anything from one so blind they simply will not see the glaringly f**king obvious.”
So YOU were the fuck*ng problem, so YOU blame others.
Hope The Alba Party are aware of your subversions you fecking parasite.
There is no space for self serving barstewards like yourself… Oh! Hang on… The Barsteward Brantch of The Poisoned Alba Party.
Helped you with that.
Here pup… Here Slease… Here Fcukwit. HEEL JACKBOOT!
No worries Cnut, I know who you are, you wont get lost… unfortunately.
“Will not subscribe to the church of POISONED MINDS”
Not a member of the Greens then? You do surprise us!
“Don’t get me wrong”
LOL! Don’t fret. We “get” you… Just another deluded Sturgeon loyalist. Bless…
Hello
“Dorothy Devine”
It’s why they tolerate you.
I could be condescending and call you “dear”… however, that might make you feel at home.
Imagine… feeling at home with fukcwits that vote against independence governments at Holyrood and want to sing bigoted songs at football games.
Wow! ever so glad I avoided that.
robertkknight
Yes indeed. I will not subscribe to the church of poisoned minds.
You do obviously. If it helps you wi’ yer “wee problems” in Angus. Rev’s “wee” section is available to ALL challenged individuals, although he might not admit it ’cause… you never know, those with little influence can be tolerated for so long (accept long as a figurative term) as long as they stay stupid and malleable.
“that vote against independence governments at Holyrood”
Hasn’t been one of those since, oh, 2015. Or didn’t you notice? Nurse not let you watch the news incase you got ‘animated’? Thought as much. A diet of Countdown, Judge Judy and Antiques Roadshow must get pretty dull, eh?
Let me give you an update. Mandate after mandate ignored. Brexit “open goal” deliberately missed. Needless UKSC INDYREF2 case fluffed by incompetent ministers and counsel. Need I go on? And all the while the noses were stuck firmly in the trough(s) and the hands were firmly in the til… allegedly.
Never mind. Just keep telling the party faithful it’s jam tomorrow and all would be well. Except 50,000 saw through the bullshit and voted with their feet, leaving 70,000 to pick up the tab – without having any real say in party policy or direction. More fool them…glad I’m not amongst their number!
Sturgeon’s rancid SNP had nearly a decade to shit. They didn’t. It’s time they got off the pot.
Indy for Scotland!
SNP Out!
Night night, Mr Wishart.
Sarah; “I am surprised that no really passionate fighter for independence who is a member of the SNP is willing to stand as Leader.”
Yip, good point, it would be great if someone unexpected threw their hat into the ring. I guess they are all either part of Sturgeon’s Borg army or are sitting too petrified to contemplate doing a thing, possibly both.
It’ll be most satisfying to see these losers who put their pay-cheques above everything else finally lose their jobs and their pay-cheques. That, I suppose, is why they are all so keen on Swinney taking over without any challengers… they know an election becomes more likely if someone contests his leadership, just as they know half of them are likely to be put out of a job if there’s an election.
I’m not a member of any party.
Not SNP.
Not Green.
I am an independentista.
Alba are quick to expose themselves as a party of something else.
Will not fall for them again.
YOU LOT WILL… Fckuing sad that is.
robertkknight
@you, you fcukwit…
Not one single bit of original words. An effluent or repeated slurs and conspiracy, culminating in who are you anyway…?
You have to laugh really…
“Hasn’t been one of those since, oh, 2015. Or didn’t you notice? Nurse not let you watch the news incase you got ‘animated’? Thought as much. A diet of Countdown, Judge Judy and Antiques Roadshow must get pretty dull, eh?
Let me give you an update. Mandate after mandate ignored. Brexit “open goal” deliberately missed. Needless UKSC INDYREF2 case fluffed by incompetent ministers and counsel. Need I go on? And all the while the noses were stuck firmly in the trough(s) and the hands were firmly in the til… allegedly.
Never mind. Just keep telling the party faithful it’s jam tomorrow and all would be well. Except 50,000 saw through the bullshit and voted with their feet, leaving 70,000 to pick up the tab – without having any real say in party policy or direction. More fool them…glad I’m not amongst their number!
Sturgeon’s rancid SNP had nearly a decade to shit. They didn’t. It’s time they got off the pot.
Indy for Scotland!
SNP Out!
Night night, Mr Wishart”.
Keep taking the tablets wee man. BREXIT means some drugs are scarce although you have an obvious priority.
Have fun in yer tractor ya cnut.
Forbes or Cherry, they are all frauds, otherwise they would have left the SNP to join ALBA when it was formed.
Regan too if genuine would have joined ALBA on the day she lost the SNP leadership contest.
The SNP has long been beyond redemption.
Forbes and Cherry are in there for their own ambitions, not for the sake of independence.
Shaggy… I can’t wait to vote against the SNP in the next elections. I’ll even vote Tory if it helps get rid of one of them. I might even leaflet for the Tories.
And I’ll sit up waiting on the results with sweets, popcorn, and booze, cheering every time an SNP scumbag loses his or her seat.
Does that mean I’m not Indy?
Lol.
Well well
Too near the knuckle Stu…
You know it too.
If Humza was stupid… so was YOUR hero.
I Wanted my last post to be visible.
@ Hatuey 12:02
“Shaggy… I can’t wait to vote against the SNP in the next elections. I’ll even vote Tory if it helps get rid of one of them. I might even leaflet for the Tories.
And I’ll sit up waiting on the results with sweets, popcorn, and booze, cheering every time an SNP scumbag loses his or her seat.
Does that mean I’m not Indy.
Lol”.
Ha Ha Ha… Tell me when ye take yer first bra aff dude. Then I’ll be able to discern whether or not you are old enough to be able to handle reality. At the moment you sound like some kind of pervert.
Don’t worry though, the rev’ likes you.
Shagpill,
You are Pete Wishart and I claim by £5
Scotsrenewables
Ignored says:
2 May, 2024 at 12:37 am
Shagpill,
You are Pete Wishart and I claim by £5
You are Queer Stammer…
Observations like this are common on this shite.
Everytime the SNP are under pressure they release the social media hound dogs. It doesn’t work any more. The Scottish Parliament has shown this week it’s about self interest and money for them. Can someone explain to me why a serial ministerial failure with one year in the job gets a £52k pension for the rest of his life. If he lives until he is 85. That’s 50 years worth of pension for one year as a failed FM. Aka God zillions for doing nothing right.
I see a certain former top legal person is putting the boot into the Police. I wonder if he’s pissed off at the treatment of a close friend? ??
“George Ferguson
Ignored says:
2 May, 2024 at 1:09 am
Everytime the SNP are under pressure they release the social media hound dogs. It doesn’t work any more. The Scottish Parliament has shown this week it’s about self interest and money for them. Can someone explain to me why a serial ministerial failure with one year in the job gets a £52k pension for the rest of his life. If he lives until he is 85. That’s 50 years worth of pension for one year as a failed FM. Aka God zillions for doing nothing right”.
YOU SEE…. and this is alternate rationale for independence?
I rest my case.
PS Humzas pension circa £2 and half million for one year’s of failed work if he lives to 85. Totally unsustainable. The Scottish Parliament is haemorrhaging money that belongs to future Scottish generations. Government has no money taxpayers provide the money.
So it’s true.
The nutters do come out at night.
Regarding Holyrood pensions; Alan Ferrier has this on Mastodon;
“In a statement today, the Scottish Parliament said: “Humza Yousaf’s First Minister pension will be either 1/40 or 1/50 of his final salary of £104,584 (depending on which funding option he chose) for each year in office (ie one year in office) – his First Minister pension will therefore be in the order of £2k per annum, payable from age 65.”
£2,000pa, not quite the outrage the right-wing press would have us believe.
Tried poisting a version of this a few minutes ago, nothing’s appeared so I’m going to try again.
About Yousaf’s FM pension;
“In a statement today, the Scottish Parliament said: “Humza Yousaf’s First Minister pension will be either 1/40 or 1/50 of his final salary of £104,584 (depending on which funding option he chose) for each year in office (ie one year in office) – his First Minister pension will therefore be in the order of £2k per annum, payable from age 65.”
From Alan ferrier on Mastodon. https://mastodon.social/@alanferrier@mastodon.scot
I have been out of the country for the last couple of weeks and missed all the ‘fun’.
Have read a few of Stu’s articles but it is like reading a two week old newspaper today. No criticism of Stu whose articles are ALWAYS informative, accurate and well researched. No point in reading any of the comments, the bulk of which are ALWAYS inaccurate, repetitive and simply reflect the individuals concerned pet hates and grievances. Some people simply LOVE seeing their name in print and will happily post the same shite day after day. They have nothing else in their lives.
Where does it all leave Scotland going forward. Sadly, basically in the same position it has been for years-NOWHERE! Independence is further away than ever and neither Forbes or Swinney will change that one bit. Meanwhile the Politicians salaries, pension contributions and expenses roll on unabated.
If only someone, anyone would try and show the Scottish electorate what life could be like if we were Independent. Too difficult, I expect and would any sane person honestly believe anything the current crop of politicians said or produced in writing?
The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and………….
Chas @ 8:36 am
“If only someone, anyone would try and show the Scottish electorate what life could be like if we were Independent.”
You must have missed it when you were out of the country. Life in a wealthy independent Scotland would obviously more resemble that in most of our smaller near neighbour European independent countries which have twice the UK/Scottish GDP-per-capita:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/03/19/the-real-economic-price-of-the-uk-union-for-scots/
Nobody who voted for the SNP in 2021 knew they were voting to put the Greens in Government.
Nobody who voted for the SNP in 2021 knew they were voting to make Humza First Minister.
Nobody who voted for the SNP in 2021 knew they were voting to make Swinney First Minister.
Time for an election.
Chas says:
“ If only someone, anyone would try and show the Scottish electorate what life could be like if we were Independent. Too difficult, I expect and would any sane person honestly believe anything the current crop of politicians said or produced in writing?”
The problem (one of many) – is they haven’t (or can’t).
I’ve repeatedly said here as elsewhere that, until and unless someone CREDIBLE can produce a believable, detailed prospectus which answers all the big questions at least in reasonable, outline terms such as currency, defence, NATO and EU status, divorce bill, jobs esp. public sector, pensions etc then it’s all just pipe dream pish. Someone, somewhere, needs to put an actual shift in and do some graft, if the grownups in Scotland who actually have something major to potentially lose eg. their houses, jobs, careers, pension pots, their children’s education etc.
Not going to happen though is it. For example, look at the Scottish political class, would you honestly expect any one of them to be capable of such a feat, even assuming they were prepared to do it? Heh! Most of them can barely run a bath, let alone a country.
Mind you, you point this stuff out – which should be utterly self-evident regardless – and I even the intelligent “moderates” deride such a need as “a Yoon trick” or suchlike. I was aghast.
I daresay, as an English Unionist who desperately wants Scotland to stay onside, long may it continue on one level, but on another I think Scotland as a proud, beautiful country full of amazing, talented people deserves so much better from its leaders. They are a joke and a laughing stock.
There is really no one in the Edinburgh «chat room» that has the skill and nous to rescue the cause.
They all look like rabbits in headlights, roadkill in waiting.
Next…Swinney & Forbes….SPLATTTTT!!!!
Captain Caveman @ 9:23 am
“a Yoon trick”
Yes, colonialism is always ‘a hoax’ and is mainly concerned with ‘economic plunder’ of a territory (Memmi). This inevitably comes at great economic and social cost to the colonized group.
The cost of colonialism for Scots, based on the difference between what the country’s GDP-per-capita is today compared with what it could reasonably be if Scotland were independent, is between £150-200 billion per annum:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/03/19/the-real-economic-price-of-the-uk-union-for-scots/
Captain Caveman,
As an “English Unionist” why on earth is it necessary for you to save Scotland from itself?
Why is it important to you that Scotland should not make decisions for itself?
Why is it important to you that Scotland’s fate lies in the hands of English voters?
How can you justify asking Scotland for answers that your own country can’t answer?
Do you realise that the UK is mired in monumental debt?
Why can’t England stand on its own two feet?
Why the hypocrisy of rules for thee but not for me?
Maybe it’s about time Unionists answered some simple questions.
@ Alf Baird
The “Yoon trick” comment was in very specific reference to a response I got for suggesting that Indy proposers need a credible route map and prospectus which, at the very least, answers the really big questions that I mention in outline terms, and provides an explanation of how Indy is to be achieved. To me, it is self-evident that such a thing is a pre-requisite, if you want to convince people to vote for it – people who actually have a lot to lose, be that their pension pots, public sector careers, property equity – you name it – not to mention their security, liability for any divorce bill and suchlike.
If we accept that the thought of a major political party going into a mere General Election without bothering to produce a manifesto is absurd, imagine how ridiculous a prospect of trying to convince people to permanently divorce from the UK after 300 years off the back of platitudes and soundbites like “Scotland is a country and should be independent like any other” and/or “Scotland will be like Norway(tm)” is?
Your projecting this to somehow mean something about your “colonialism” hobby horse is exactly that – projecting. It’s nothing that I’ve been referring to.
Back to the Future;
The day before yesterdays man, former failed leader Mr Swiney expected to announce his leadership bid later this morning.
@Breatplate
“As an “English Unionist” why on earth is it necessary for you to save Scotland from itself?”
Erm, necessary for ME? Lol. No mate. It’s necessary for YOU. So maybe get on with it Chief, if you believe an iScotland is the way forward.
@ Captain Caveman
I note you omit to include any thoughts on how an independent Kingdom of England would fare.
https://wingsoverscotland.com/spoiler-alert/comment-page-1/#comment-2771335
Hatuey
Ignored says:
2 May, 2024 at 9:09 am
Nobody who voted for the SNP in 2021 knew they were voting to put the Greens in Government.
Nobody who voted for the SNP in 2021 knew they were voting to make Humza First Minister.
Nobody who voted for the SNP in 2021 knew they were voting to make Swinney First Minister.
We wiz betrayed. The Empire struck back.
@ Dan
“I note you omit to include any thoughts on how an independent Kingdom of England would fare.”
I’m not omitting anything. I’ve commented that I think the proponents of Indy should at least produce a credible route map and prospectus which answers the big questions, at least in outline terms, which you’d think was hardly controversial…
If you’re now – entirely unrelatedly – asking ME how I think rUK would fare without Scotland, I’ll tell you: a lot worse. I mean, I’m a Unionist, so it would be strange indeed if I thought we’d be BETTER off without Scotland.
Does it never occur to you people that as proponents of independence YOU are the Agents of Change – and thus the onus of demonstrating that it’s a great idea is on you? Not “Yoons” or anyone else, but you?
Scotland is not a normal colonised country. It was done by stealth, dressed up as a voluntary union.
When that Union was formed. Modern economic policy and natural resources were not part of the agreement. Who knew that Oil would be discovered then, or even needed. Or that weapons of world destruction would be parked on Scotland’s shores.
Everything after the Act Of Union was forced upon Scotland ,due to sheer weight of numbers. We have about 8% representation in England’s parliament. So essentially we have no power to change, block or persuade in Scotland’s interest.
All Macro Economic policy, defense and foreign affairs are England’s decision alone. Who decided that Scotland’s oil revenues would go to England for them to exploit? Who decided that Whisky tax would flow to the English exchequer?
Scotland didn’t agree to any of this, but we are powerless to stop it. Scotland is a colony because the big country England , can take whatever it wishes. Essentially we are occupied economically and politically.
Captain Caveman,
You can deflect all you like but you are the one telling Scots they shouldn’t make their own decisions.
If it was up to me and many others, we would be getting on with it but unfortunately we have the drag force of the weak-kneed lickspittles demanding that they will only, under exceptional circumstances, take responsibility for their own fate.
Their fervour to believe another country’s propaganda showcases their gullibility, cowardice and intellectual shortcomings.
Alas, this is our greatest obstacle, an imprisoned mind frightened of liberation.
I really didn’t expect the Swinney press conference to be hilarious. If he had one thing going for him it was that he was unassuming, most would agree to boring. But today he’s transformed…
Not just an interim comedy act, a forever comedy act, John is going to unite the clans and use all his recognised experience and charm to march the country forward to independence (remember that idea?).
Golf courses all over the world are full of John Swinneys. There’s something about the pettiness of golf’s rule and etiquette that draws them.
He doesn’t realise it now, but his decision to stand as leader is the worst decision he has ever made in his dour life.
John Swinney is a decent honourable man. However I don’t know what he will bring to the Party. I still think that he is a holding candidate taking the fall when we lose a proportion of seats in the GE. Mentor for Mari McAllen.
Mia,
Either the old records in Westminster parliament and the Uk parliament are both lying or Scotland is not under the Crown of Great- Britain as one United kingdom.
The succession to the Crown and throne of England through the “two Acts” of the old parliament of England mentioned above and prior to the 1707 treaty of union had already created the succession
To the Crown and Throne of England,
These were English parliament Acts, “not” The parliament of great Britain. Nor the parliament of Scotland,
Once England presumed and claimed the descent of the crown and monarch would belong to England as that of Englands throne and kingdom it automatically left Scotland with no Monarch,
And a republic of Scotland prior to the treaty of Union,
After 1701 The “now” Crown and throne of England was no longer a shared monarch with the kingdom of Scotland,
The crown had crossed over from being a shared monarch of two separate kingdoms to become one monarch, the monarch by descent and succession to the kingdom of Englands monarch, officially.
At the time the fallacious treaty of union was signed in 1701, England was a crown monarchy and kingdom
But Scotlands territory was a republic of Scotland, without a monarch.
The uniting of two kingdoms under one shared monarch is as pretentious as the treaty of union itself.
With the Scottish parliament coming under dissolution as early as 1707 by the monarch of England,
And Uk parliament boasting they have “never ask the Scots to join the treaty of union”
a parliament That has become so very arrogant in thinking that now Scotland (for the first time) can access its records it will Not be educated enough to join the dots or find anomalies all these years later,
These history details matter,
@ Breastplate
I am deflecting nothing, I have postulated that the Independence Movement would do well to produce a credible prospectus and route map answering the big questions that everyday people care about; currency, pensions, security, jobs, divorce bill & terms, defence et al. I’ve yet to see any meaningful rebuttal whatsoever, just the usual tiresome goading, straw men and attempts to widen the scope of discussion to stuff I’m not even referring to in my OP.
Your post is laden with contempt, including for those you refer to as “lickspittles”. Y’know, maybe – just maybe – those “lickspittles” have real world stuff to lose, be that their houses, public sector careers, pension pots? Maybe they’ve got kids or grandkids? Maybe they look at those jokers in Holyrood and think “not on your nelly are these arseholes going to be exclusively and wholly controlling mine and my family’s fate”?
How you can fail – and continue to fail – to understand my very basic point here is beyond belief. Carry on I guess!
Big Jock,
I suspect the treaty of union is a fallacy,
At the time it was negotiated and signed the monarch of two kingdoms had already abdicated and vacated the throne of Scotland to become the successor of the crown monarch to the throne of England previously by the English parliaments bill of Rights Act 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701.
Hatuey, have you a link to it? I could do with a laugh.
I got one will not give either the Greens or Alba my second vote for fear what they do.
Captain Caveman
You are a Unionist whilst I am an Independence supporter. Yet you and I clearly see the problems that exist in trying in trying to convince the sane and educated Scots that Independence could be worthwhile to all. Too many on here are certain that it will all happen ‘by magic’ and an honest, competent Government will simply appear overnight following Independence. Do you see any sign of it? Neither do I. The hard of thinking do.
Baird
I opened your link and it would appear that it was written by your goodself. That was as far as I got. What are your financial/economic qualifications? No doubt it will be full of plagiarised pieces from discredited academics. Is there any bits in the guid Scottish words that you like to use repeatedly to show that you really are a ‘man of the people’.
Can you tell me in your brave new Scotland will everybody have to use the form of Scots language YOU prefer or will there be scope for regional variations in dialect, spelling and pronunciation? Is it four, fower or ferr? I have asked you this previously but did not get a response for some reason? Are you and the username ‘Northcode’, which has recently appeared, simply you in another guise?
I hate to tell you that the repetitive pish you produce, at least once, every single day are frankly boring. It adds nothing to the debate,except ‘It’s just no fair’. Change the record.
Captain caveman,
I could imagine the negotiations from Scotland to England on the share national debt.
For a start the Bank of England remained was a private bank to England from 1694 until 1946.
Previously the bank of England was enshrined as a corporation in 1878.
It is not a shared Bank of With Scotland for National debt of Great Britain,
Here is some information and indication of whose bank it is still today.
The Treasury Solicitor was enshrined as such in 1878 as a Corporation, and has legal powers invested in Corporation Sole,
The Treasury Solicitor reports to the Attorney General for England and Wales.
A private bank of England and then a Corporation Bank of England and Wales.
Taking the money of Scots and Scotland,
Negotiations over Shared National debt with England should be interesting.
Apologies if this causes unwanted images but we’re up the Swinney without a paddle.
“John Swinney is a decent honourable man”.
Nurse!
Didn’t know he was sunning himself on a beach in Marbella for the entire time Salmond was dragged through a Government process found by a judge to have been “unlawful”, “unfair” and “tainted by apparent bias”, not to mention the attempted fit-up via the criminal court. Then of course there’s the vanishing £600k, dodgy membership figures, Campervangate, legal protection for blokes in skirts inviting themselves to sit and spectate in women’s changing rooms, cash spiffed on grandstanding in the UKSC on battles that needn’t have been fought let alone lost… not enough hours in the day to talk about ferries, marine protection areas, school performance, NHS waiting times, dental treatment, climate targets, A9 dualling, etc. etc. etc.
If he was completely ignorant of the events unfolding within the highest echelons of the SNP Govt. because he was sitting on a beach for the past few years and was therefore unable to speak out against the removal of power from grass roots members, sway the idiots from pursuing policies nobody voted for and ignoring those for which they did, and having enough principles to say “stop this insanity or I walk”, then I absolutely agree that “John Swinney is a decent honourable man”. Otherwise…
Hatuey @ 11.05.
Surely we may expect a higher level of failure from Mr “Redactor” Swiney this time, Hats.
After all, he has his previous experience to assist him on to even greater disasters this time.
Plus, after the Coronavirus restrictions, he well knows how to delete WhatsApp messages.
1st post Yousaf resignation Scottish sub-sample. YouGov, Westminster voting intention, field work 30 Apr – 1 May
Con 15% seats 7 (+1)
Lab 37% seats 40 (+39)
LibDem 3% seats 2 (0)
SNP 27% seats 8 (-40)
Aye, it’s just a sub-sample but SNP are on 2% of UK preference, SNP are NEVER below 3% on YouGov, Westminster polls.
There is, I believe, a single question and no other indigenous Scots need consider at present…
Do they consign themselves to their inevitable extinction by remaining in a hoax union and under the boot of an oppressive coloniser hellbent on their demise, or do they gamble on a future where as a free people in their own land they might prosper and endure unbound by an ever tightening colonial noose?
For the Scots the first question on an independence ballot paper might be simply stated as “Do you want Scotland to live or do you want Scotland to die?”.
And a first question where the only options are ‘live’ or ‘die’ renders all other hypothetical questions about a future that will never come to pass meaningless if the answer given is ‘die’.
There usually isn’t much in the way of analysis required when pondering a life or death question. And all the arguments that could ever be devised across infinite time questioning Scotland’s ability to survive as an independent nation are beyond futile until that first question is answered. Answered by the Scots alone with a tick next to the box that says ‘live’.
An independent Scotland gives the Scots as a people the chance at least of a longer life – attempting to continue within a suffocating and hopeless ‘Union’ is their certain death.
@ Chas
I agree. But to be fair, the UK government isn’t exactly great either – and most assuredly neither is Starmer’s government-in-waiting. OK, it’s not SNP/Scottish Greens level of barrel-scraping, but still awful.
If we look elsewhere around the western world, we see duff politicians – and governments aplenty – all with unrepayable structural debt. Where have all the “serious” politicians gone? Where has sane, grown up supply side economics gone, instead of endlessly printing billions? A grim reckoning of some sort is coming at some point, right enough.
Currently listening to Humza Youssaff being referred to as FM by the presiding officer
It’s truly shite being Scottish
Captain Cavemen,
The subjects you demand answers (subject to your satisfaction, of course) is missing the point of self determination.
The point of self determination is not what the answers are, but who provides the answers.
My apologies if this is confusing for you.
A NEW CANDIDATE!!!
Graeme McCormick is seeking the 100 nominations from 20 Branches. He has 40 already.
Any SNP member who wants to nominate him should email him on t1feu@hotmail.com
Graeme has been trying for years to get his Annual Ground Rent policy discussed at conference. Never allowed. The AGR would raise all the money needed to pay for the public services.
@ Breastplate
Yawn.
Bore off, idiot.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/scotlands-crown-office-still-hasnt-received-murrells-charge-sheet/
I smell shite…
Sorry, Dorothy, I missed your request… you’ll see it all over the news because I’ve never seen BBC Scotland so excited about a “news conference” like that. And they love John Swinney, aren’t even hiding it.
Usually people declare their intention to run in a leadership contest outside their house, outside parliament, on the street, or wherever…. But John seemed to have hired a hall and packed it with clapping supporters. They even laughed at his crap jokes.
I would love to hear what a body language expert would make of his performance today. He came across as a very uncertain person who was trying to convince us that he was confident…
If Kate announces her candidacy, it’s popcorn time. The BBC seem very confident that she won’t run, though. I guess she’d need to be nuts to want the job right now.
“Sherif, is there not one thing in your life that is worth losing everything for?”
Think about it.
The fabled Men in the grey kilts must be shiting themselves at the moment, hoping Kate Forbes can be bought-off from launching a leadership bid, and forcing the SNP into a leadership election they cannot afford.
They will be in even-greater bother should some as yet unknown candidate emerge to force the issue.
Popcorn sales could well go up.
Captain Caveman,
I’m glad you’ve managed to condense your argument to its essence, well done!
Jo Swi as FiMi?
@ socrates macsporran: there IS a NEW candidate – Graeme McCormick. See above at 12.46.
@ Breastplate
Eh? Dream on, son.
“The subjects you demand answers (subject to your satisfaction, of course) is missing the point of self determination.”
Sigh. They’re not subjects I demand answers to, I couldn’t care less; I imagine, though, they *are* important questions requiring answers for those stakeholders living in Scotland with important stuff at stake – homes, jobs, pensions, futures, security. I mean, how many bloody times do you need this explaining, it is not a difficult concept to grasp even if you do have an IQ of 80.
“The point of self determination is not what the answers are, but who provides the answers.”
So your “point” is essentially don’t trust the answers to important questions, as provided by whoever on the iScot side compiled the prospectus. Genius. (Probably inadvertently correct as well, if the 2013 SNP White Paper was anything to go by).
Now like I say, bore off, idiot.
As expected, the candidate approved by the Archdiocese of Marmalade has thrown his redactor pen into the ring, those from other faiths need not apply. Kate Forbes will get a cabinet post, a balloon and a pencil.
Breastplate,
Aye there may not be a negotiated divorce bill on Scotlands side,
It may be more a case of Scotland requiring Reparations from Englands private bank and Corporation Bank that is directly officially attached to the parliament of Englands and Wales treasury,
Sarah @12:46
Be great if he can get the 100 nominations and offer Kate a choice of bosses..
Sarah @ 12.46.
Let’s face it, he’s already got an enormous advantage … just by not being John Swinney !
“They will be in even-greater bother should some as yet unknown candidate emerge to force the issue.”
See comments below this article @socrates macsporran says at 12:58 pm
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/05/02/some-random-thoughts-about-any-leadership-race/
Looks like there is at least one second candidate called Graeme McCormick prepared to force the skint BuSNP into a contest!
@ Oneliner – there IS A NEW CANDIDATE. Graeme McCormick. Any SNP member should email him on t1feu@hotmail.com asap he says. See Yours For Scotland blog today.
Socrates macsporran
Didnt u hear Swinney he,s made the announsment that Forbes will be his running mate both are scam artists .FThem
The latest from Robin McAlpine and he’s not happy that Swinney looks like he will be the next FM.
https://robinmcalpine.org/the-snp-must-choose-forbes/
Looks like Forbes has settled for the deputy FM position.
“KATE Forbes will not be running against John Swinney for SNP leadership.
The former finance secretary had been tipped as a potential replacement for Humza Yousaf after she narrowly lost out to him in last year’s contest.
But in a statement at Holyrood she is due to confirm she will not be launching a campaign this time around.”
It’s like bald men fighting over a broken comb. And yes, the irony that Bungling John is indeed bald isn’t lost on me either.
Voting SNP and expecting independence is like voting Tory and expecting tax cuts. Its folly in the extreme. Hopefully both are in for a deserved reaming from the electorate for their arrogance and the awful things both gave inflicted on the people they claim to Govern – Net Zero, Covid bollocks and Alphabet shite for starters – and I remain extremely worried that voting simpletons think that voting Labour, yet again, will somehow make things different.
This lot are only in it for themselves, like the rest of them.
Swinney is the Biden candidate.
Long overlooked for good reason and a front for getting the old band back together. And for God’s sake, not letting anyone fresh get a look at the books.
Let’s just hope someone else makes it onto the ballot to bring bankruptcy that little bit closer.
Kate Forbes is not taking the job – weak, and incapable of leadership. She’s bottled it.
The SNP saviour has blown it. She’s letting crooked John Swinney take the job. It’s going to get worse and worse and worse.
Humza’s bad news stories came out.
It’s time to release the Swinney files. I want the total destruction of the SNP. I will never vote for the SNP.
I would piss on the grave of the SNP badge. A cesspit of corruption. Unable to save itself.
Crooked John Swinney can’t be given the job today.
She can’t be given the job. Crooked John’s getting the job.
Salmond needs to bring him down. Salmond has to release all the details of all of the corruption.
Wikileaks and anything they can to free Scotland from the cabal.
sturgeon and her ilk are smiling. They think its all over.
The pervert Patrick Harvie is still going to be pulling the strings.
We deserve better than two more years of SNP Sturgeonism. Swinney is horrible. He is an awful sleezy person a crook a charlatan he shouldn’t be given a First Ministers pension. He’s disgusting. He is vile. He makes me sick. Crashing in the polls and running away. THE SNP ARE FINISHED!
SHAME ON KATE. SHE’S A COWARD! WOKE WINS AGAIN!
KATE FORBES. THE MINISTERY OF CHICKENS. SHE’S A FUCKING COWARD.
NOT MY FIRST MINISTER.
NOT NOW. NOT EVER!
FREEPORT FORBSY.SHE’S A GONNER! A COWARD. WHA WOULD BE A COWARD’S SLAVE.
KATE FORBES. THE COWARD. TO THINK I GAVE HER THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT!
FEARTY FORBSY. FEARTY FEARTY FORBSY. BUCK BUCK BUCK BUCK. CHICKEN AND SCARED OF INDEPENDENCE!
DEATH TO THE SNP.
Kate Frobes says she won’t stand another careerist with no principle.
Captain Caveman,
Unionists make the mistake of conflating sovereignty with finances again and again.
You’re trying to answer a constitutional question with a calculator.
It’s a quite simple case of apples and orangutans.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Forbes only stood the last time to stop Ash Regan winning and I’d love to know what a difference a year make. I’ll see her in hell.
Captain caveman.
The records of the old parliament of England and the records of the parliament of the present UK both tell us
1) That the Scots were not invited to join the treaty of Union,
2) that the parliament of England made the monarch of Scotland and the monarch of England just the monarch of England by succession.
3) that the parliament and monarch of England ( since 1701) put the parliament of Scotland under “dissolution” from entering the treaty of union parliament of great britain in 1707,
4) the monarch and parliament of England had no authority to close the parliament in Scotland now the two kingdoms no longer shared the monarch
5) The monarch of England since 1701 could no longer act as Scotland monarch with regards the treaty of union commissioners or give royal assent to Scotlands side of the treaty of union now she was a English monarch only..
6) the Bank of England remained the Bank of England and Wales, not a national Bank of a united kingdoms,
7) The privy Council of the parliament of England remained in Westminster parliament of England.
8) Englands parliament of Westminster continued to make English parliament treaties with Ireland and America,
9) “Crown privilege” is a principle of ” English Common law” which is under the Courts of England. Not Great Britain. See, ( Crown Court proceedings 1947.
All told there is sufficient evidence, records and Acts still mounting up, that would suggest a revaluation of the propaganda fed to Scotland over the 1707 treaty of union,
A new believe that Scotland and Scots are not in a treaty of union or were even under the same Monarch as the monarch of England at the time of the supposed treaty in 1707,
You needn’t inquire what Scotland will do if it becomes independent, the records from Westminster parliament of England and the UK parliament of England suggest it Scotland and Scots already is a independent nation, territory and republic of Scotland,
and was never captured other than by stealth, deceit, and lies of propaganda,
Ask instead what England will do now that Scotland becomes aware its Country was only Colonised, not officially captured in a treaty of union, between parliaments and kingdoms uniting.
Ask what plans England has when Scotland leaves it standing alone to cope with it new independent England,
Bye bye free ports, bye bye to the land used by Englands Defence in Scotland, bye bye to the oil revenues, bye bye to climate change taxes and revenues, bye bye to using Scottish waters and fishing, bye bye to taxes and revenues of the people of Scotland,……….
How will England sustain and cope with such a high population in England, when Scotland maybe Wales and Ireland leaves to?
Devolved governments breach the precious treaty of union. “One parliament of great Britain hereafter” anyway as did the poll tax and the removal of Scottish burghs, the removal of Scots laws etc
About time Scots did “suspend that supposed treaty” to investigate it in every sense,
Or walk away with our hands out for Reparations from Englands Bank and treasury,
@Captain Caveman;
You are confusing the justifications for independence with the means of bringing it about. You are also confused about who should be doing that.
The justifications have been clear for years, but the means has been problematic because the English deep state has no intention of allowing Scotland’s independence to happen, and they don’t give a stuff about Scotland’s sovereignty, they core only for England’s, and claim it outranks Scotland’s, so the rules around the means keep changing; every time the bar is met by the independistas, it is raised by yet another rule change.
There is nothing about Scotland’s sovereignty that requires it to submit to England’s sovereignty within the Union. Constitutionally then, the English half of the Union is not formally entitled to overrule the Scottish half of the Union in the first place, which means that England’s ten-fold MP numbers are irrelevant, so them outvoting Scotland’s MPs is fundamentally meaningless, and as soon as our MPs realise that, the Union is essentially over bar the shouting.
Also, you keep challenging us BTL commenters to provide those justifications and detailed means, when it is actually the job of those full-time politicians and their full-time civil servants to assemble and promote those things.
It’s not up to us here to do any of that, our job is to simply make the demand for that independence clear to our formal representatives. Because they are our representatives, we are entitled to hold them fully to account. That we clearly cannot is another travesty of democracy that matches that other abusive travesty in the House of Commons.
So let me summarise some topics discussed here – Sturgeon, Humza and their SNP cronies are actually against independence and it’s all because they’re troughers in the UK golden manger. They’re incredibly skilled at whatever it is they want to do (which despite their career choices and claims, isn’t independence). An independent Scotland would be rolling in it. The people or persons who delivered that to a grateful independent Scotland and rejoin the smug EU, could ask for any reward they liked, not to mention securing a cushy EU position when life in Scotland’s political scene got a little too samey. Adoration of the masses can be tiring.
Ok, let’s assume that it’s all true. However the reality is that Sturgeon and her husband are facing financial ruin or worse, the SNP are in deep political do do. Everything they try is failing, and they can’t even call the camper van their own. They must be really hoping that Westminster has a big reward pending for their loyalty to the union? No? Either the SNP are the greatest, most loyal ‘("Tractor" - Ed)s’ that history has ever seen, beyond people who were executed for their loyalties, or some part of your calculation is wrong.Care to suggest why your theories don’t match events?
James Che said;
“Once England presumed and claimed the descent of the crown and monarch would belong to England as that of England’s throne and kingdom it automatically left Scotland with no Monarch,
And a republic of Scotland prior to the treaty of Union”
Blethers, James, that presumption had no effect on Scotland’s monarchy at all, because it lacked the authority to do so. We’d already had almost a hundred years of two monarchies embodied in single individuals, so why would that suddenly cease to be possible just because England chose a specific successor? And they’d been separate individuals before 1603, so why would that not be possible again, too? In what way was it ‘automatic’ that Scotland then became a republic?
How exactly did England’s choice of a future successor prevent Scotland from choosing its own successor, either a different one or even the same one (which it actually did in 1707 as part of the Treaty articles)?
Also, in 1701, that was merely a choice for a possible future happenstance, one that didn’t come about until 1714, so how come Scotland lost its then current monarch, William of Orange in 1701 to become a republic? He didn’t die until 1702, and he was succeeded by Anne, and the new succession choice of 1701 didn’t come into effect unless and until she died without a living heir of her own body. And even then, the chosen successor of 1701 (Princess Sophia of Hanover) had already died just a matter of weeks before Anne died in 1714, so ultimately the actual successor was George, Sophia’s son, and he was monarch of both Scotland and England, just as both William and Anne were.
It was probably just a typo, but the ‘fallacious treaty of union’ was signed in 1707, not 1701. In 1707, Scotland was not a republic, its monarch was Queen Anne, and she signed the Treaty in that capacity, and then again in her English monarchical capacity; if it was a republic, the merging of the monarchies could never have happened! And despite the Union, the monarchies did NOT actually merge any more than they already had in 1603.
You really need to show your working, James, because your conclusion doesn’t clearly follow from your premises.
And, YES, these history details certainly do matter, so get them right!
“Also, you keep challenging us BTL commenters to provide those justifications and detailed means, when it is actually the job of those full-time politicians and their full-time civil servants to assemble and promote those things.”
I have not, of course, said any such thing – the notion that I’m berating *ordinary Indy supporters* for a 400-page detailed prospectus and route map is just as absurd as if I somehow expected grass roots Tory voters to come up with the next Conservative manifesto and economic policy.
For the avoidance of doubt – which should not need explanation – I think it would be advisable for the political party proposing independence (i.e. the SNP) to employ professional assistance e.g. economists to careful compile such a prospectus. However rubbish it was in eventuality, the 2013 White Paper purported to do just that – the likely need for such a thing shouldn’t surprise anyone.
It’s a devil’s advocate position for me; I am English and a Unionist. But I don’t see what is unreasonable about saying what I believe would be advisable, putting myself in the shoes of a Scotsman and an Indy supporter; this is a discussion forum for just such subject matter. I can well empathise with someone who does think it’s a good idea notwithstanding, considering the shitshow UK government we’ve had these last few years.
If I place myself in the shoes of a floating Indy voter, I’d want to feel confident that the would-be Indy Scotland would be in competent political and economic hands, that the thing had been wargamed to death and there were answers to reasonable questions. The iScot side has serious deficiencies on all fronts; many here don’t even think it’s necessary at all, and the calibre of the present day SNP politicians is (IMO) utterly dire.
Hatuey , no worries – caught a bit of the ‘Sincere Swinney’ – a little sickening.
Captain Caveman 2 May, 2024 at 3:12 pm
While I wouldn’t expect indy supporters to be able to come up with a plan, I would expect them to have ideas that go beyond spending theoretical money. There even seems to be a gap in understanding of the difference between the ownership of resources and taxing them.
Pat Blake…
I/we could list all the missed opportunities (‘The Vow’ that wasn’t, Brexit, countless mandates, withdrawing MPs from WM, Opposition Day farce, etc.etc.) and own goals (missing 600k, dodgy membership numbers, campervans, UKSC farce x2, countless parliamentary bills withdrawn, Salmond stitch-up, Murrell’s arrest/charge, failures by to deal with complaints about alleged criminal behaviour by a council leader, etc.etc.) but instead I’ll just steal the words of Conan Doyle’s famous sleuth…
“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
Robertkknight 2 May, 2024 at 3:50 pm
I get that you see evidence, where I see largely inability, but what I want to know is why they’re doing it. How come there are so many ardent pro unionists on your side of the border? I don’t know any this side. The strongest emotion is sentimentality, often because many of us have Scottish roots. But we’d not face career and financial ruin, let alone prison to keep the union.
“You’re trying to answer a constitutional question with a calculator.”
That’s a good line, Breastplate.
Pat Blake…
I also see plenty of inability, incompetence and the Peter principle in action, but I also see collusion, conspiracy, corruption, Kompromat and the dead hand of Westminster/Washington.
Nobody does anything, ahem, risqué… with the intention of being caught, but thanks to a single complaint from one individual to PS re. the 600k, and a jury which found the alphabetites’ accounts to be far from credible, the wheels have gradually started coming off one at a time.
Just proves that the biggest obstacle to Scottish independence is, as has always been the case, those Scots in positions of power, and one need look no further than the SNP to find plenty of those.
What amazes me is that despite 52% of Scots voting Yes in 2014, and every poll since then showing between 47-49% Yes, nearly a decade later the SNP have imploded in rancour, scandal and poor government, when it should, through good governance, have had Yes polling at a consistent 55%.
Why is that? Mr Holmes has the answer…
robertkknight 2 May, 2024 at 4:49 pm
“Nobody does anything, ahem, risqué… with the intention of being caught” but according to you guys, the big risk they’re taking is thwarting independence. When the money ran short, why didn’t they ask their Westminster paymasters to bung them the money? With true ‘risqué’ activities there is usually an immediate reward involved. What were Sturgeon and her husband getting? A campervan they couldn’t use? Boy, are they really that cheap?
My view is that they genuinely couldn’t deliver what wasn’t in their power to achieve. There were too many laws and bodies in the way. See how long and hard the Rwanda scheme has taken to get going, even with a majority in the Commons in favour of it.
I think that the EU said no to any membership without doing independence by the book. I think that the SNP believe that EU membership is key to your success. I think that a lack of progress lead to a lack of funds and some money was just sitting there… I think that they thought that it was justified to keep the SNP and the dream of independence alive.
There are a lot of bold claims about how independence can be achieved on this site, but most of them involve breaking the law and upsetting organisations you’d need after independence. Great for armchair anarchists but not so good for active politicians.
Pat Blake @ 4:09 pm
“How come there are so many ardent pro unionists on your side of the border?”
Approximately Half of anti-independence voters comprise people who come from outside Scotland to live in Scotland, and extraction, few of whom will be culturally Scottish; hence this group tend to have a weak (if any) cultural emotion as to the cause of liberation and ‘self’-determination of a ‘Scottish people’, the latter defined to a large extent by national culture.
The remaining ‘No’ voters are Scots many of whom may be subject to what is referred to in postcolonial theory as a ‘colonial mindset’. For the latter group, understanding why a colonized people ‘crave dependence’ and oppose their own liberation is explained here:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/03/03/the-colonial-mindset/
Alf Baird 2 May, 2024 at 5:32 pm
I’m talking about the SNP party including Sturgeon, Yousef etc. Not just everyday residents but people who choose to make a career out of independence politics. How keen on the union would they be to not join the opposition parties but to join the SNP and sabotage it from within? That’s not craving dependence, it’s bewildering. Just move house! To the EU if they love it so much.
Pat Blake @ 5:50 pm
“I’m talking about the SNP party including Sturgeon, Yousef etc…How keen on the union would they be to not join the opposition parties but to join the SNP and sabotage it from within?”
Postcolonial theory explains precisely what happens to a dominant national party elite in a colonial society during the struggle for independence. Note especially the section on Frantz Fanon:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2021/07/18/determinants-of-independence-colonialism/
@ Captain Caveman I will answer you honestly, YES our politicians and our independence parties should PROVIDE some evidence and education on what a future for Scotland and Scots would look like, it would not be all encompassing for there are many variables BUT they have done NOTHING
England produces GERS figures which are comprised of guestimates by the exchequer to maintain the lie that Scotland spends above its means,OUR politicians have constantly said that they will produce the REAL Scottish figures which can ONLY be guestimates also because the exchequer REFUSES to release the real figures but they have ALL failed to do so
EVERY unionist party LIED OPENLY about Brexshit and the effects it would have on the uk, they LIED about the horrendous financial aspects it would have on normal working people and YET English people still voted overwhelmingly for bojo the clown
You may be honest about your interest in an independent Scotland but it is hypocritical to demand answers from independence supporters on how Scotland will be financed and governed when England as part of the uk doesn’t have their own parliament or is NOT given an allowance (pocket money) to run England,England uses the uk finances to run things within England and is not subject to constraints imposed on it by Scotland
Scotland should and would be an independent country BUT we are BETRAYED by lying corrupt politicians much in the same way as the whole uk is so CC I think you should concentrate on fighting for better governance in england and let Scots fight their fight
Xaracen 15.9pm.
There was NO union of the crowns in 1603 all that happened was a Scottish king moved to England to take up the English throne, there is however NO throne of the UK they are two separate entities.
@Alf Baird
Convincing evidence from comparative GDP per capita data.
Even so, GDP is not the only evidence of the wellbeing of a nation. It takes no account of welfare provision or health. There is a wealth of research showing that UK government policies over the decades have caused poor health and poverty across the UK
The Happiness Index tries to measure happiness.
You might compare the findings below with GDP per capita ratings.
https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2024/happiness-of-the-younger-the-older-and-those-in-between/#ranking-of-happiness-2021-2023
@Republicofscotland; I didn’t actually reference the Union of the Crowns as such, all I intended to mean was that from 1603 a series of individuals held both monarchies. The union in that sense was simply a union of the lines of inheritance, and nothing more.
sam @ 7:22 pm
“Convincing evidence from comparative GDP per capita data. Even so, GDP is not the only evidence of the wellbeing of a nation.”
Yes, there is no way Scotland’s GDP should be half or a third of other near European nations, not with our even greater resources. That leaves us a lot less to spend on wellbeing, so there is a connection.
Alf Baird 2 May, 2024 at 6:04 pm
“Much as we now see with the SNP today, a dominant National Party will tend to make its own ‘accommodation with colonialism’ which stops far short of liberation.”
So what’s going to stop it happening again with the next party of independence and the next? Basically you’re claiming the freedom is impossible.
“Matters become clearer once the dominant National Party steps aboard the colonial gravy train”
But there are gravy trains everywhere. Why is Westminster’ gravy train so much better than an independent Scotland’s? You’re going to be sloshing in gravy, apparently. Or the EU’s garlic flavoured gravy? Where is Nicola’s gravy train now? Surely having mucked up independence, she should be in line for buckets of gravy?
“The party helps the government to hold the people down…becomes more and more clearly anti-democratic,” except you had your democracy in 2014 and you lost. The SNP are going to be much reduced at the next election. Some will be waving bye bye to the gravy.
I’m sorry but your basic premise doesn’t fit what has happened to the SNP and independence.
Pat Blake @ 8:48 pm
“I’m sorry but your basic premise doesn’t fit what has happened to the SNP and independence.”
Postcolonial theory tells us the dominant national party’s behaviour causes the rupture in the independence movement, which is what we see. The movement then refocuses on the core objective of liberating the people, with or without the dominant national party. This is why new national parties and other pro-independence organisations such as Salvo are created. If the SNP leadership is unable or unwilling to alter course, as appears to be the case, it will soon be cast aside by the people.
“…it will soon be cast aside by the people.”
I suspect the SNP has already been cast aside by the people, Alf.
The people, the Scots people, just haven’t had a chance yet to demonstrate their abandonment of what was once their hope.
Alf Baird, you’re missing the obvious, that independence is a lot harder than you think it is. Look at the migrant situation for the Tories. Even though their survival depends upon the Rwanda scheme working, look how long it’s taken to get this far. Neither country is America, where the President can smash through existing laws and make new stuff happen. We are tied up in red tape, both our own and stuff we’ve retained from the EU and elsewhere. Never mind individual protests like we saw yesterday. Doing something massive isn’t just a matter of willpower. Our own courts and civil servants dominate politics and make everything very difficult. Worse, politicians of all stripes are wedded to the systems that need to be changed. It seems to be in their DNA in the Western World. Look how hard Parliament and the Civil Service and the courts fought against Brexit, even after the vote. They hate change. Not least because it means more work for them. The cry before Brexit anytime the public wanted something was ‘the EU won’t let us’. That’s why I wanted out of the EU. Like you I wanted to bring the decision making closer to home. I wanted politicians to have fewer excuses to do nothing. We were becoming a ‘colony’ of the EU, unable to make our own decisions. Think about that and Scotland’s desire to return to it. It’s not just political parties that want the safety of being a ‘colony’. Although the word I’d use is country. Becoming one country is an EU prime goal. Seriously I can understand why you want independence.
Here at Wings you can tear up past agreements or even pretend they never existed but Scotland has to work with the rest of the World after you get independence. You’re not America that can do something outragious and tell the World, ‘deal with it’. Both our countries are too small.
I’m no champion for the SNP and I’m mildly amused that they’ve crashed and burned but I can see why they’ve failed. I can see parallels between the problems of our two countries.
Republicofscotland
Ignored says:
2 May, 2024 at 6:41 pm
Xaracen 15.9pm.
There was NO union of the crowns in 1603 all that happened was a Scottish king moved to England to take up the English throne, there is however NO throne of the UK they are two separate entities.
Every coronation since Edward the First of England, every monarch (38 of them) have been crowned sitting on his throne with the Scottish Stone of destiny tucked underneath, the symbolism is there ! No new UK throne has ever constructed or ever will be, Scotland truly is a Vassal State !
James Barr Gardner,
Thank you for clearing some of those issues up as I became to busy to reply yesterday,
Xaracen.
Scotland did not have a shared Monarch with England from 1701 – 1707.
And the Uk parliament site 2024, explain the “English parliaments Act of Settlement” regarding Monarchy was…..Extended…. to Scotland after the signitures on the treaty of union was still wet in 1707.
Which has the effect that Queen Anne was not a shared monarch between Scotland and Englands kingdoms.
The Scottish parliaments Act of Security also confirms that Scotland did not except the new Hanover monarch of England to replace the Scottish Stuart line as the monarchy of Scotland,
It still remains the monarch of England in present day, and is part of the constitution of England,
Not the constitution of Scotland,
RobertKnight:
“What amazes me is that despite 52% of Scots voting Yes in 2014…”
Uh, Scots voted 55.3% NO in 2014, 44.7% “Yes.”
It’s amazing how commenters here can deny objective facts.
This refusal to acknowledge facts discredits the whole Independence movement.
Pat Blake @ 9:06 am
“but Scotland has to work with the rest of the World after you get independence”
Aye, you wonder how the other 60+ former British colonies and dominions coped, or if they cared what the British civil service and other colonial ‘watchdogs’ thought.
A “ vassal state” is a country subject to the control of another country but not actually occupied by that country. Instead the vassal state pays tribute to the controlling entity and obeys its orders. A “ colony”, of course, is occupied and fully controlled by the colonizer.
Alf Baird 3 May, 2024 at 2:43 pm
“Aye, you wonder how the other 60+ former British colonies and dominions coped”
With very varied results.