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Wings Over Scotland


Volkssturm John

Posted on April 29, 2024 by

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.

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David Hannah

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.

David Hannah

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!

PhilM

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’.

DavidT

Sixty is the new 40, mind.

David Hannah

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!

JLT

How the hell did it come to this?

Tommo

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)

JO'Neill

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.

David Hannah

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.

Tinto Chiel

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.

100%Yes

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.

Sven

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.

David Hannah

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.

Effijy

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.

PacMan

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’

link to archive.is

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.

Doug

Pro indy voters will be so scunnert by a two-year Swinney leadership that rebuilding will be impossible for the SNP.

Ian Mccubbin

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.

David Hannah

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.

David Hannah

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.

thothScot

@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.

AnneDon

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.

Hatuey

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.

stuart mctavish

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

sarah

@ 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. 🙂

duncanio

It’s looking like it’s going to be Dad’s Army John after all.

Don’t panic Captain Mainwaring!

Livionian

It also doesn’t help that Swinney is an awfully dull communicator. The public care about these things.

PacMan

thothScot says:
29 April, 2024 at 9:42 pm

@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.

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.

Shug

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.

Angus Files

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.

Mark Beggan

Ein Volk,ein Reich,ein Führer.

Northcode

“Himmler lookalike Patrick Harvie”

Proof positive that reincarnation is a reality, perhaps.

Dickie

£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

thothScot

@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 🙂

Alf Baird

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).

Derek

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.

PhilM

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…

Northcode

“…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.

Anthem

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!

crazycat

@ Derek at 11.41

If the ex-FM pension kicks in after leaving office, does Swinney not already receive it?

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!

David Hannah

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.

David Hannah

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.

David Hannah

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!

Glenn Boyd

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!

Hatuey

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.

Mark Beggan

Swinney is SNPs butler. A well paid butler. The faithful retainer.

Mark Beggan

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.

Dun Creggin

So is that Humza’s ‘Five Years To Independence Roadmap’ in the shredder?

Hatey McHateface

@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?

Robert Louis

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.

Hatey McHateface

@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.

Hatey McHateface

@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.

Jeremy Wickins

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.

Dorothy Devine

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.

Mac

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.

Luigi

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?

Mac

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.

Breeks

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?

Mac

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.)

Oneliner

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.

Oneliner

Sorry – ‘new’ should read ‘knew’

socrates macsporran

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.

stuart mctavish

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 (!)

Stoker

Watch classic Salmond correcting a radio presenter on the resignation of Hoozat Useless:

link to youtube.com

Mac

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.

Mac

(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.

Stuart MacKay

Given the “unsuitability” of politicians for delivering or even being able to spell “independence”, why isn’t there some equivalent of The Action Network, link to 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?

Mac

Oneliner says:
30 April, 2024 at 8:40 am

Agree with all of that (sadly).

robertkknight

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.

Northcode

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.

Colin Dawson

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.

ScottieDog

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.

Shug

Stoker
He is an absolute master
He turned it round from a london lense to the interviewer was agreeing with him

Alf Baird

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.

Vivian O’Blivion

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.

Garavelli Princip

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.

Northcode

“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.

Republicofscotland

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.

Northcode

“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.

Northcode

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.

Oneliner

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.

stuart mctavish

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).

🙂

tommy box

TimesRadio ( youtube ) suggesting the return of Sturgeon

socrates macsporran

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.

Ebok

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.

Ian Smith

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.

Hatuey

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…

desimond

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.

James Che

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,

Frank Gillougley

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.

Lorna Campbell

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.

Alf Baird

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.

sam

Northcode
Ignored says:
30 April, 2024 at 9:14 am
“Shakespeare, being Shakespeare,”

Alternatively, Shakespeare being Sir Henry Neville.

Republicofscotland

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.”

stuart mctavish

@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.

Republicofscotland

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.

Ian Smith

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.

Izzie

John Swinney is lead mentoring Marai McAllen just as Salmons mentored Sturgeon.

Ian

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”

Northcode

“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.

sarah

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”.

Richardinho

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

Garavelli Princip

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.

David Hannah

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.

David Hannah

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.

barelybare

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?

Jock McT

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!

David Hannah

MacCallan – She’s a robot.

“Equality. Inclusion. Diversity.”

“exterminate. Alba. And the men.”

Confused

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.

Sven

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.

David Hannah

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?

sam

@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

David Hannah

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.

Boyce Frank

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?

Captain Caveman

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.

Colin Dawson

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.

Steven Lannigan

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.

PhilM

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…

Dave Llewellyn

We could always give him so much stress he has a heart attack the week before he gets his pension .

Morag

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.)

Captain Caveman

“ I don’t agree with the Rev on Indy – but what a good journalist he is.”

Agreed. Courageous as well

John H.

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.

Liz

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

Alf Baird

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).

link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com

Mark Beggan

When they start to ban words it won’t be long till they ban people.

willie

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.

JockMcT

John H @ 1.58pm

Yes, I’ll be there..!

Alf Baird

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.

JB

Well Alf, only 22 days before NRS releases their next batch of data:

21st May : Ethnic group, national identity, language and religion

Republicofscotland

(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.”

Ian Smith

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?

Luigi

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.

Republicofscotland

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.

James Barr Gardner

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 !”

James Barr Gardner

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 !”

ROBERT M WALKER

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!…”

Luigi

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?

James Che

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,

Dorothy Devine

Luigi , forgive me as I may have missed the explanation , but which one is Nosferatu??

TURABDIN

The guillotine was based on a Scottish beheading machine called the maiden.
link to dailymail.co.uk
The above parasites should be encouraged to accept the maiden’s kiss.
Any more for the kiss list?

Doug

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.

Rona Ramerez

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

Mark Beggan

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.

TURABDIN

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.

James Che

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,

Ian Smith

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.

James

Northcode @ 09:14;

Brilliant description of Franchise Fanny & Gas Main, there.

Well done!

Mia

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?

Republicofscotland

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. “

Northcode

“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.

Mia

“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.

John McGregor

£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

Garavelli Princip

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

dasBlimp

Northcode
Ignored says:
30 April, 2024 at 12:26 pm
“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.

Good point, Northcode, because, let’s face it, there are hardly any great works of literature written in the English language. LOL

Lenny Hartley

The question is who is gonna be Herr Flick’s ( Swinney) Helga and will they have a Penis?

Lenny Hartley

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.

Shug

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.

Sven

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”.

John McGregor

Is Mp Barbell Nicoliars new squeeze?????

Hatuey

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…

David Hannah

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.

Northcode

“…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.

David Hannah

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!

David Hannah

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!

Iain More

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.

Northcode

Correction – “or that country which produced…” should read “or the language of that country which produced…”

robertkknight

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.

David Hannah

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!

David Hannah

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!

Dan

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.

link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com

stuart mctavish

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)

Mark Beggan

Bring on the clowns.

David Hannah

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.

David Hannah

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.

Scot Finlayson

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.

tommy box

Freeport Forbes ? Member of the British American Project ( CIA ) – Are ye for real ?

Dan

“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.

Onlooker

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)

Republicofscotland

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.”

Eric

Alba yet to have an MP or MSP elected under their own banner, little wonder they were given the bum’s rush.

Hatuey

“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.

Mia

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.

Confused

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.

Confused

link to youtube.com
good choon

Shug

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.

Charles (not the R one)

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.

Charles (not the R one)

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 . . .

Graham

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.

Hatuey

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.

Hatuey

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?

Breeks

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.

twathater

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

Breeks

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.

Ian Smith

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.

Stuart MacKay

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.

President Xiden

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.

AndyH

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.

Breeks


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.

socrates macsporran

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.

stuart mctavish

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.

sarah

@ socrates macsporran: Marmalade.

Yes, definitely. Keeping very very quiet.

Ian Smith

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.

Mac

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.

Captain Caveman

Right, don’t turns out the oft parodied “SNPBAAAAD” trope was actually entirely fair comment.

Who knew eh?

Captain Caveman

*It turns out

(D’oh)

David Hannah

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.”

David Hannah

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!

robertkknight

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!

wullie

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.

Willie

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.

David Hannah

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.

Mac

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.

David Hannah

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!

David Hannah

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.

desimond

@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?

willie

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.

Republicofscotland

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.

100%Yes

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.

Spartan 117

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.

James Che

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.

Republicofscotland

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.

David Hannah

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!

Hatuey

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.

TURABDIN

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.

Matt Quinn

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.

Alan Austin

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.

sarah

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.