What you didn’t hear
Yesterday was Wings’ biggest day of traffic in January – something which was no small beer, because January was this site’s busiest month for traffic since June 2017. The majority of it was down to one story – our shocking scoop about the incredibly shady goings-on earlier that day at a meeting of the SNP’s National Executive Council.
The reaction to it was absolutely explosive. Half of the Parliamentary SNP spent the whole night running around social media frantically firefighting their own members, who were absolutely furious about what they’d just discovered. Poisonous abuse from the party’s woke faction poured out like never before. We got called every kind of bigot under the sun by SNP officeholders.
(The article, of course, made no mention of any sort of bisexual people, Jewish people, trans people or women as a group, let alone actually being prejudiced against anyone. Ironically just about the only kind of prejudice that wasn’t alleged was ageism, possibly because it might have looked a smidge too ironic coming from a bunch of bedwetting children whose core ideological stance is that anyone over 29 is a Nazi.)
But there was one thing you DIDN’T read amid the torrents of hate.
You didn’t read anyone saying a single word of the post was untrue.
Because, naturally, it WAS true. The legal advice we published was true. The fact that Kirsten Oswald, having been advised that the proposal would likely lose in court, put it to a vote anyway and then used her casting vote to break the resulting tie and carry the proposal forward, was true.
Nobody disputed a single material fact we’d written, they just screamed about how outrageous it was that someone had told ordinary SNP members what their own NEC wouldn’t tell them – that it was risking large sums of their money pursuing a policy that discriminated AGAINST disabled and BAME people on the basis of where they lived, and could throw the SNP’s entire election campaign into unimaginable chaos.
We especially enjoyed the irony of this one:
What, like whoever leaked the Alex Salmond case to Davie Clegg, Mhairi? Or this?
The overwhelming reaction of ordinary members and activists that we saw on social media last night wasn’t anger at Wings. It was anger at the NEC. It was very clear who most SNP supporters thought were undermining the party and independence with their actions, and it wasn’t us.
We could have printed any of literally hundreds and hundreds of responses that were very much less restrained than the ones above.
Numerous people tried asking Mike Russell to specify in which ways the article had “misrepresented” the events of the meeting, let alone doing so “brutally” or “unfairly”. Answers came there none.
We were accused of making “abhorrent comments” about Graham Campbell.
But literally the worst thing we’d called him was a “councillor”, which he is. Below is the entirety of what we said about Cllr Campbell:
Some of the party’s more extreme elements took a bolder approach, suggesting that deliberately breaking equalities law to the clear detriment of huge numbers of minority candidates was in fact a heroic and principled step.
(Which also begged the question of why bother to spend quite a lot of money on legal advice at all if you were just going to ignore it anyway because legal advice subjugates minorities or something? Sadly it wasn’t even possible to ask that question, never mind get an answer to it, because as usual Ms Spear had shown her deep commitment to engagement, democracy and transparency by blocking replies to her tweet.)
All our best pals showed up, obviously:
Although none of them could, when asked, identify a single piece of “disinformation” in the article (or indeed any other Wings articles) either.
But we can’t blame them for joining in. Absolutely everyone was talking about it, even on a platform we’re not allowed to be on.
Everyone except the Scottish press, that is. Because as we write this, fully 19 hours after we broke the story, there still hasn’t been a single word about it in any Scottish newspaper, either print or online.
So let’s just recap what actually happened:
– the SNP rode roughshod over several established procedures and rules in order to pass a motion they’d been advised against by a QC on the grounds that it was probably illegal.
– ignoring that advice is highly likely to cost the party a six-figure sum of money that it really doesn’t have to spare, and wreak absolute havoc with its election campaign.
– if enacted, the policy would effectively bar disabled people from any chance of getting an SNP list seat in all of Scotland’s most populated regions.
– if enacted the policy would effectively bar BAME people from any chance of getting an SNP list seat in all of the other regions (except South Scotland, where we suspect the BAME population is very close to nil).
– if enacted the policy would allow people who weren’t actually disabled or BAME at all to self-identify as such and steal list places/seats from real disabled or BAME people.
– if enacted the policy could let a white person, who hadn’t received a SINGLE vote from members, to be parachuted into the top list spot in a region and be counted as a black person.
– if enacted the policy would actually bar transgender people from any chance of getting an SNP list seat in ANY of Scotland’s regions (unless they were also BAME or disabled). Sounds a bit transphobic, frankly.
– Wings didn’t actually express any view whatsoever on the principle of getting more BAME and disabled candidates nominated. We’re entirely in favour of that, although we’d prefer it if they were actual BAME and disabled people rather than the same tiny fringe of angry woke entryists who’ve been repeatedly rejected by SNP members on their own (lack of) merits but keep trying to find a cheaty way of slithering into seats without having to win any votes, by pretending to be oppressed minorities.
(Seriously, if you think we expressed a view, quote it to us. We expressed a view on the conduct of the meeting and in particular its chair, and on the behaviour of certain prospective candidates. At no point did we say, or in any way imply, that it was a bad idea to try to get more BAME and disabled candidates nominated. That principle, and its complex and difficult ramifications, are a discussion for another day.)
So, y’know, ho hum. Business as usual. The SNP’s toxic, hate-twisted and increasingly embattled and panicky woke faction continues to thrash and scream and try to deflect from the fact that more and more SNP members and supporters are discovering what it’s been up to and don’t like it, and as usual the Scottish media misses the story because nobody spoon-fed it to them in a press release.
Wings, meanwhile, will continue providing its readers with the simple and verifiable truth, and let them make of it whatever they will.
Well said Stu, keep up the good work
Thanks Stu. Mystified as to what the “non credible” information it is you are sharing. As far as I can see you report facts. I suppose if folk can kid themselves about basic biology they will kid themselves about anything.
Cheers Stu. A this demagoguery is making my head spin. I didn’t know Leask was allowed back at a keyboard. Its like giving matches and a gallon of petrol to a one year old.
is there anything to stop Wings making a press release?
(preferably yesterday)
“as usual the Scottish media misses the story because nobody spoon-fed it to them in a press release”
People will see what they want to see if it doesn’t fit in with their view and ideas. Couldn’t believe people for independence were following attack lines that you’d normally see from unionists, twisting a sentence to say it was anti something.
Was hoping at least Mike Russell would step forward and explain things, but no, following the line of nothing to see here, very disappointing.
Also a lot of, if you don’t believe us over anyone else, you’re the enemy.
SNP and the coat tail riders are in for a big shock at the election if they think independence=SNP.
Binfire of the ideologues
It must be well-past time to update Godwin’s law: replace Nazi with Trump(ist) or Republican. Has social media made people stupid, made people into sheep, or just provided a vehicle to advertise those characteristics? In my imaginary nostalgic world pre-social media, we listened to the content of what people said and didn’t shout BIGOT!!!! and cover our ears.
Meanwhile, if I were Rev Campbell, I’d consider constantly getting a reaction out of Leask and Hothersall to be in itself worth carrying on the blog for a good while longer.
Why are people in or associated with the SNP against people with critical thinking?
Wow, what a hornets’ nest. Keep exposing these charlatans for what they are, please.
Michael Russell surely must understand what happened at the meeting? He’s not a fool.
It doesn’t leave much [any?] room for hope that there will be an outbreak of democracy in the SNP or the Scottish government in favour of “allowing” the voters of Scotland to say whether they would like to run their own country. Dear oh dear. Tragic.
The comparison to “disinformation” is another tool in the box of cancel culture. There is a massive difference between revealing the actions of the wokerati and claiming that a pizza place is providing the blood of children for the US Democrats to gorge on.
The actions of the NEC are poorly judged and will alienate voters. If the equalities convener was doing a better job in encouraging and training minorities to be more active in the party then these actions would not be needed.
I was reading yesterday the Sturgeon and Swinney’s burgeoning army of SPADS lean on newspaper proprietors and guide them on what to print and not to print.
I’m sure that Mike Russell will confirm that isn’t true.
Interesting comment from Rhiannon Spear.
Donald Trump had five lawyers ready to defend him in front of the US Senate. He ignored their advice and ended up with no lawyers for a winnable case. Now he has a couple of mediocre lawyers and his chances of conviction have gone up just a bit.
Feel free to ignore legal advice from opponents, Ms Spear, but ignoring it from your own side is, perhaps, a little unwise.
Other journalists in one word______envy.
Long gone the days they could track down a story. Now they couldn’t track an elephant unless it walked past their deskbound arse.
I have never witnessed such a reaction to a Wings article.
Truth hurts, but so does being caught with your hands in the cookie jar. SNP HQ will be in meltdown with all the Elmer Fuds trying to shoot the honest mole.
Imagine honesty being a bar to being a member of the party.
The anger on twitter last night was palpable.
It shows what a bubble these people live in.
Tbh, I cannot adewuately express how angry I am at them.
They act like we’re the ones in the wrong.
They are totally out of touch with the members.
They have already been in power too long.
This is the first time I have posted on wings,I have voted most of my adult life snp to support scottish independence. During the last referendum I joined the snp to boost membership numbers and assist financially,
Last night I resigned from the snp.I am of course still a supporter of independence, however I shall not put any more money into a corrupt organisation. The sooner we have a party with a clear sense of direction towards independence the better
As a matter of simple fact, BAME people are not under-represented in the Scottish parliament – which is a good thing, of which we should be proud.
From census information the group which is severely under-represented happens to be English people. Do we want to go down this route?
http://bemis.org.uk/docs/code-census-briefing-scotland_v2.pdf
I just knew because you featured a photo of a black politician you would be accused of racism. These people are the dumbest of the dumb but also quite scary.
‘Reality-based journalism’ from reds under the bed Leask.
Whenever i need to gross error check my moral compass I look at quotations of David Leask (I blocked him) and add 180 degrees.
Wingy Leaks, the jaggy thorn in their side. Fantastic riposte.
@Craig Murray – the folk who are under-represented most, of course, are the honest and accountable folk of which there appear to be none.
Top-class, Stuart – the journo’s journo.
Wonder how many members were lost after yesterday’s disaster?
Scotland’s clumsy, burst, Watergate Party, they haven’t a bloody clue.
Agree with Daisy Walker’s point earlier today (The death wish):
‘Message for ISP, went to your website, with a view to joining, can’t find the words PLEBISCITE INDY ELECTION anywhere?‘..
ISP officials must be absolutely run off their feet at the mo.
I wrote back to Michael Russell
‘I absolutely agree with you on debate and dialogue, especially on this matter. TOTALLY!!
It is the lack of debate and transparency i am totally freaked out about.
The leaked document gives an opportunity to debate in the open.
The promotion of Lawrence to a position of influence (does that person have a vote?) is deeply disturbing.
I have serious reservations about Roberton. Especially as she was rejected as a constituency candidate by members. Is there a vetting process?
There are twitter messages of her saying she is self-identified disabled. I haven’t a clue what that means.
Is it true that Robertson and Campbell voted for themselves? It seems weird to the public that unelected people can vote for themselves.
I am also worried that a self-identified disabled person can take the place of a medically certified disabled person or a real BAME person by a self-ided BAME person.
This has happened in America even without ‘self-id’.
Is self-identified disabled and self-identified BLAME the criteria passed by the NEC yesterday?
In the courts the Scottish government is right now fighting women on the definition of ‘woman’.
The minuted i quoted uses the word ‘gender’ not sex. What is the definition of gender? What is the definition of disabled? What is the definition of self-identified disabled? BAME should be obvious but when the document mentions self-identified BAME, then obviously i am wrong and that needs a definition to.
There was not one mention of the word ‘Independence’ on the published minutes.
To an outsider it look like a massive distraction and now there is going to be the blame game of who leaked what. Another distraction. Another fire-fight.
Thousands like me just want to get the job done. The job being Independence before Johnson steam-rolls us out of existence.
Thanks for your reply,
prasad
His reply
‘Leaking of legal advice from the meeting is unforgivable. Al organisations have to be able to consider at executive level confidentially information. Tacking that is not a distraction, it is defending the ability of the SNP to operate as I have done since I joined it 47 years ago.
And on that point I have fought for independence all my life. Don’t lecture me on when or where it appears or doesn’t appear.
I have nothing to do with any office bearer of LGBTI groups or how they were chosen. Fiona Robertson is a party member entitled to be nominated by whatever group she is in.
Enough. I am working flat out for my constituents and my country. If you don’t like what I do, then fine but as I standing down in May you don’t have to put up with me for much longer.
Michael ‘
As was just pointed out to me on Twitter. Isn’t it funny that SNP choose to ignore legal advice when it comes to pandering to the wokerati,ignores legal advice when it came to Judicial Review resulting in Alec Salmond being awarded £500k+ in legal fees however it refuses to advance independence one inch unless it gets a ‘legal’ Section 30 acceptance by England’s Prime Minister.
Loving your work mate – the brats are so rarely told “no” they don’t know how to react to being challenged. Keep up the pressure – it’s a joy to behold!
It is remarkable that none of these utter roasters are able to live in reality even for a minute.
They never respond to what is actually said or written. Never. Instead they respond to some imaginary post you wrote which in their tiny, little minds, you said this and you said that and it was pure outrageous man… blah blah fucking blah (you boring droning nutcase cunts).
Personally IMHO you select the best candidate for the job every damn time no matter what and if that means you select 100%, whites, blacks, women, men, trannies, gay, straight, atheist, muslim, christian, or whatever then so be it.
Once you deviate from this, for any well intended reason, you embarking on the road to hell, whether you know it or not.
Can anybody explain to me why you would pay a top QC many thousands of pounds for advice you were going to ignore anyway? This is your money not theirs.
Is money so easy to come by you can fritter it away on a whim?
Good to see you continue to upset the Good, the Bad and The Ugly
Even the unionists are divided
I know there are some on the anti-indy side happy to see the toxic wings bunch attack other nats but they bring a level of infective that should not be encouraged. We can defeat the arguments of nationalism without their toxic help.
https://twitter.com/nondeplumeuk/status/1356179323519184900
I love the Wings site. The fact is that the SNP are a vile, poisonous Nationalist party. They alway have been and alway will be and the brainwashed followers who turn a blind eye are every bit as poisonous. The SNP always did a good job of hiding this, but not anymore. Wake up!!!
https://twitter.com/guitar_freak101/status/1356165189423476737
Rev Stu
From what I see, EVERY Monday sees us landing back at square one.
We NEVER seem to be moving forward in any shape or form.
We all love your determination to dig out a way forward, but it doesn’t seem to be materialising.
Round and round and round we go.
We had a meeting yesterday from within the SNP, and from what I can see, we are still stuck in this political rut.
We are living in a time of he said, she said Politics.
We need that, Silver Bullet, that Smoking Gun and it just isn’t appearing.
I’d say about 95% of the electorate are completely oblivious to what we read on Wings, that is what I mean about us having nothing to grasp and run with to these people who no absolutely nothing about what we discuss on here (or any other political blog in Scotland).
Until we do have something concrete to show our slumbering lazy Scottish electorate, we are going to be going nowhere fast.
Meaning, we roll relentlessly towards the May election.
I love the fact you back everything up.
Declared, diagnosed!
It seems to be standard these days for everyone just to tell lies, from tweeters to politicians. Nobody cares and if you get caught, so what, nobody is gonna put you on detention or give you lines. You’ll get a cuddle for the stress you are under and asked if you are okay and how can the rest of us help. It’s the modern way.
Amazing how no press, we are imploding and the establishment is rubbing its hands. Deja Vue Labour.
One thing that does strike me here as a teacher in the Highlands. Our kids look at the mountains and wonder what is over the other side, they leave, including my own girls and they never come back. There are no opportunities, why because of a lack of funding. Our best leave and do great things across the world and they could do great things here with their careers, they could. We really need to educate our youth, not this attempt at simply producing cannon fodder for the next war. Education needs to be out of gov hands in Scotland. Basically what I’m trying to say is our best need to return to help us run this country. Joanna needs to return along with many others. And if you are looking for the exception to prove my rule, Pistol Pete can stay south.
Good work Stu. Fee paying members deserve to know what the NEC and the woko haram faction have been up to.
@Prasad – He’s defending the indefensible and he knows it. Typical arrogant reply from Mike Russell. He’s had a good life, paid for by all of us. It’s time for him to check-out.
Exactly what we need! Exposure of what is happening to OUR Party. Also, what is obvious, is the collusion of the Party. This is the entryists pushing the nuclear button AGAINST Independence. They are only interested in promoting their ‘Trans is the Future’ agenda. They don’t care what the collateral damage is.
How the Party have turned a blind eye to the vitriol from this Out for Indy group is abysmal. Rules, it appears, only apply to others not members of this group. They make unsubstantiated allegations, won’t allow debate, distort Standing Orders to impose what they want onto the majority of the membership. The Party should have stopped this from proceeding, on many counts, but failed to do so. Why?
Members money should not be used to defend any court appearance regarding this, either the NEC, Party, Chair or individuals. They chose to ignore QC’s opinion, which they are now trying to portray as advice. I believe that part of the argument used by them ent along these lines
The summary in the legal advice regarding the equalities mechanism was, “the proposal is, however well-intentioned, of very dubious legality and is likely to be struck down by the courts if challenged”. It was commented that losing a legal case could cost many hundred of thousands of pounds and easily £300,000 per individual unlawfully deprived of election.
However, the movers of the motion noted that it wasn’t written that it was “VERY likely to be struck down”. Yes, their argument was that there was only one “very” not two, and therefore, we should go for it given that “You have to break the law to make the law”.
This beggars belief!
Rhiannon’s slant on legal advice and the law seems to explain quite a lot that’s been happening over the last couple of years.
“The law is a tool used by many to subjugate minorities.”
I guess this means we should drop the Salmond stuff, the questions about the indyref fund, and get behind the subjugated minorities involved.
Time to empty the prisons, I guess.
@John Green,
Welcome John. Every one of us here feels the same way, because we believed in something better. This is a hard school ,but one which gives honest and heartfelt opinions
Very thankful for your continued efforts in exposing the truth. Reading the angry comments on Twitter yesterday I started to wonder if all these accounts are in fact just a handful of people.
Maybe on the payroll of someone or something?
Have to say, I’m also concerned about Joanna Cherry now.
Please don’t tell me she’s the one who’s been disciplined over the defamation that she received?
If anyone knows her, could they say if she’s OK?
Keep up the good work. Lord knows the Scottish press is not going to keep us informed.
You got a reaction out of Disinformation Leask, the saddest man in Scotland. A good result, I think.
It is like picking the players for a football team. You pick the best players you have for each position.
If you started saying ‘no, but I think we need an asian guy to play in goals to make the team more diverse, the manager and other players would look at you like you had lost your marbles. And rightly so!
So why is this simple truth forgotten when we pick an MP candidate or employ someone for a job.
These so called ‘progressive’ ideologies are societal poison. And they have been designed as such.
They typically appeal to weak minded people who have been failures in their own lives. Just look at how stupid most of them are. This is not a coincidence.
This all reminds me of my time on the local community council. Embarrasing amateurism.
Cheers Stu, you know you are right when they throw the toys out the pram and resort to name calling.
Intersectional identity politics creates a heirarchy of stereotypes: should you criticise a black person for personal failings you are seen to have attacked their, and everyone else’s, blackness; then perhaps all LGBQTIA+ identities; all disabilities etc.
The intrigants got caught out trying to exploit their ‘oppression’ and now they’re going to stamp their feet and scream ‘I hate you!’
Well done on the ‘dysfunctional demagoguery’ though.
I really enjoy seeing the Wokerati/MSM wannabes pretending that they don’t read all this, when we know that in actuality they can’t tear themselves away from your site.
How you manage to keep doing this, day after day, beats me. But thank you so much that you do.
Once again thank you for honest and straight forward reporting. Sick to death of SNP lies, deceit, corruption and generally holding the electorate over a barrel as they are the main vehicle. Lets hope not for much longer. They need booted in to touch. This from an x SNP member. Also hope your leak is ok, but i imagine there might be more than 1 in the NEC who believes in fairness, honesty and transparency…..
I did these SNP office bearers and Unionists a courtesy
and double checked whether I’m mad or they are insane.
They are insane.
Stuart is charged with misinformation but not one of them
can identify a piece of information that was not accurate?
That means they are operating with fictitious claims- again.
Ms I’ll get a seat at the trough if it kills me Spear, likes engaging
in political debate as long as no one can communicate with her?
We are encouraged to be an SNP member but you are not entitled to a say
and the NEC will keep secret what they decide is good for you?
The U.K. media in every formation lies, misinforms a distorts life in
Scotland under SNP on a daily basis.
So what do they do?
The give millions to help them operate and attack the world’s most read
Political Blog, that just happens to support Scottish independence?
I can safely say that the characters in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
made much more sense than these imposters.
“is there anything to stop Wings making a press release?
(preferably yesterday)”
Everything we write is a press release. It’s right there out in the open.
Jealous, your sources were quicker than mine. Still the important thing was their attempts to cover up were entirely unsuccessful.
I cheered my readers up with Lesley Riddoch’s excellent documentary on how Estonia won its Independence and used it to completely transform the country in only one generation. It was only premiered on Sunday.
It’s an inspiring story on the Yours For Scotland blog. Link kindly provided on Wings page.
Those SNP members who are quitting the party should stop and think.
We need people like them still inside, still able to vote when it comes time.
By resigning, you leave more power in the hands of those who are causing this damage.
If what you want to do is stop your money funding this stuff, there are options.
Membership fees are multi options.
Really, you can cut your financial contributions but still keep your voting right for when the time comes.
Could it be that the trans faction have a difficult with the whole ‘play the man not the ball’ thing? ? ?
Mhairi Hunter – who’s online chat since Skripal has got to have been one of the biggest anti-recruiters for the SNP – tweeted this earlier:
“If our vision of independence isn’t progressive, if it isn’t about a Scotland for all of us, we will fail. Fundamentally independence is about a *better future* not more of the same. Never forget that.”
The vast majority of people who have a problem with that has been happening in the SNP over the last few years would consider themselves “progressive”. This kind of haughty, grotesque disingenuousness, tacitly smearing good-faith critics as bigots, is reminiscent of pre-2015 Scottish Labour. And we all know what happened to them.
Hoping against hope that there will be some sort of internal pause & reflection now. This is unsustainable.
@PhilM was on the money in the previous thread when he said that was all still politics and a lot of the opposition to these antics were still on level 1 and being left behind.
However I’m having a hard time getting past all these people shrieking and having tantrums. The gaslighting is the clever part as if everybody is apparently insane then maybe it’s not them but you.
I particularly loved Spear’s comment. She must think she’s recreating Selma, Alabama in her own we part of the world.
Fortunately Comfy Pete gives the game away with “They really do want us to beat ourselves” where he tacitly admits that what the NEC did was against the SNP’s constitution and probably the law but wants us all to “wheeesht for indy”.
Anybody got a clue about whether these kindergarten politics are a direct result of twitter or whether we have to endure this as this is the most effective use of twitter?
@Red Sunset,
To what end though.? Seems they are sidelining membership input in decision making anyway as per the NEC meeting last night which is just a blatant attempt to put their preferred candidates at the top of the list without asking members.
Everything is becoming centralised to control input from the membership.
Yesterday I left the SNP and joined the ISP. I had reached that decision following a detailed discussion with those involved with the SNP.
The Wings article appeared and confirmed everything I knew.
The only outcome of the Wings article for me was the need to apologise to the Rev for doubting his motives.
What happened Yesterday was not an issue to be buried hidden from site. It was the Truth needing to be shared and not held by a few with better contacts.
Celebrate what was uncovered.
All these issues stem from the fact that we’re stuck with a lousy voting system where individuals get elected to parliament without having to persuade a single voter to put a cross in a box next to their name. And once they’re in there’s no way to vote them out.
Sigh. Sight not site. Perhaps a Freudian slip
I think the judiciary are about to get involved – big time. Murrell don’t use any of our ring-fenced independence money. Or is it already too late ?
.
If oswald had any integrity – she’d resign. She wont so she should be expelled.
.
I, like many others, are no longer willing to accomodate the wokeratti and their handmaidens sadly that now includes mike russell.
All of this woke insanity currently running amok in the SNP is down to one person.
None of what we are seeing would have happened had Alex Salmond remained in charge, none of it.
All of this dystopian nightmare has come from Nicola Sturgeon, all of it.
She has pretty much systematically gutted the SNP of independence minded (and free thinking) MPs and replaced them with a woke army of screeching thick-as-pig-shit loyalists who will do all her dirty work for her (just like Leslie Evans and pretty much everyone else she has every surrounded herself with).
Nothing can be achieved while Nicola Sturgeon remains leader. Quite the opposite as she is now very obviously accelerating the damage as she know her days are numbered.
She is poisoning the SNP like a wife who feeds her husband small doses in every meal. So it takes years of gradual deterioration before they finally succumb to death… She needs removed it is that simple.
I certainly agree that in the normal run of things the NEC should be able to hold private discussions and that the only information released should be what everyone concerned has agreed to be shared. This is good practice and pretty standard in most organisations.
However the SNP needs to reflect on why it’s gone from an exceptionally disciplined party to a total circus in such a short space of time. Perhaps if it wasn’t stuffed full of poisonous nutjobs who fly off the handle when they hear an opinion they don’t like, people would discuss things properly rather than resort to leaking. When people aren’t being listened to they’ll either leave quietly or stay and get angry and that has consequences. All of this is a product of lack of proper debate and a leadership completely unable to cope with any form of dissent, however minor.
If they want someone to blame for the leak start with Sturgeon for creating the conditions that led to it.
lol glad I’ve put off retirement for a wee while.I thought the politicians here in the South East were a shower of shit.Jeez never thought I’d see the day scottish folk would support total troughers like the SNP.
No wonder your in a mess.
Your better than this,action this day is required. Scots whae hae,my erse.
Someone in power needs to act now and finish off this debacle.
toot toot I’m not holding my breath
Oh first class work by this site malthus underachieving tossers in the MSM look like the muppets they are.
Rhiannon Spear has hairy armpits. True fact.
If a more clear-eyed independence-focussed group gets hold of the reins, it would be tactically astute to draw up a list of relatively polarising and/or contentious issues and decide on how to neutralise them.
For example:
Trans rights – personal conscience issue in voting – policy creation will always be in line with safeguarding guidelines & in line with best medical & scientific advice.
Israel/Palestine – party respects UN resolutions in regards to both Israel & Palestine [re refugees] – party calls on Israel to uphold the human rights of all people living under its administration [re inevitable Israeli outrages] – party respects all citizens rights to freedom of conscience [re domestic support of BDS]
Neither of those positions risks all that much outwith the halls of those more chiefly concerned with those particular issues.
Any sane long-term political tactician in a status-quo-altering party, like the SNP, needs to get out ahead of these kind of grey-area, factionalising issues.
I was introduced to Henry McLeish at a social function shortly before the first Holyrood election.
He seemed a decent chap. We got chatting and I explained to him that I supported independence and it seemed inevitable as the final act of the end of empire. I was however seriously concerned that we lacked a political class of sufficient ability to run a country. Surely we didn’t want to be governed by a bunch of jumped up councillors there to award contracts to their brothers-in-law. It would appear that so far my concerns remain valid. If anything I am beginning to think I was unduly optimistic. Not only have they not delivered end of empire but in addition to insufficient ability we must now add insufficient integrity.
Just cancelled my snp membership and put the annual equivalent toward the ISP instead. I urge fellow SNP members to do the same:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/isp-scottish-elections-may-2021-campaign-fund
Nicola Sturgeon must go if we are to end this.
Nicola Sturgeon claims her hatred of Margaret Thatcher ‘inspired her’ to enter politics
Well then she should recall how the Tories got rid of Thatcher. It was a stalking horse candidate (in Maggies case Heseltine) and a visit from the ‘men in grey suits’
I assume Nicola owns ‘the grey suits’ but what’s to stop rumours of a stalking horse candidate emerging in the next couple of weeks? What about Kenny MacAskill or perhaps better Alex Neil?
Mhairi Hunter I saw someone mention..
Is that one of the Glasgow councillors who got Manny Singh jailed for organising the last huge AUOB march.
And is she a friend of Sturgeon. Birds of a feather
https://www.lesleyriddoch.com/films
Estonia The Baltic Tiger
Everyone should watch this short, informative film by Leslie Riddoch then compare and contrast with what Sturgeon is/isn’t doing. I feel very sad and utterly ashamed. NS is really, truly pathetic and as dangerous as a toddler with an open razor.
Please for God’s sake Scotland WAKE THE FUCK UP AND GROW A SPINE.
Sturgeon’s insulting behaviour is the final straw. She’s lost it, presuming she ever had it in the first place. Off to watch the film again. This should be shown in all schools and not the disgusting 100 genders or whatever Swinney pushes (like a drug dealer only INSIDE the school gates). Raging. Raging.
Where has yesterday’s post gone? Why has it been removed?
This site is beginning to open many eyes which were closed in the comforting thought that if they just held the belief everything would somehow work out for the best.
I include myself in that number. There comes a time though when you arouse yourself from that self induced slumber and realise that nothing has changed since you were dormant.
The time has come to act. How we act is yet to be determined for the good of all, but act we must. Should the SNP change then fine, but if they fail us ,we must have alternative plans in place to which we put our name.
We talk about our freedom. We have to win it first. I will support anybody that gives me that REAL opportunity.
“… that it was risking large sums of their money pursuing a policy that discriminated AGAINST disabled and BAME people on the basis of where they lived, and could throw the SNP’s entire election campaign into unimaginable chaos… ”
Thank you, Rev, for highlighting this because it is the indelible pattern of the whole SNPG approach to everything and anything courtesy of the Stonewall Diversity Champions and Denton’s: spend good money on legal advice and then ignore it and be forced to pay out massive court costs and reparations. Yes, Mr Salmond is entitled to sue for damages/reparations.
Re Rhiannon Spear’s tantrum: no, lady, you have actually to have suffered/be suffering some kind of inequality and discrimination before you have the right to challenge the law on lack of equality and the imposing of discrimination. If you challenge it because you’re miffed at not getting your own way, a la your average dictator, you are a totalitarian, at worst, and a fascist, at best. The pseudo ‘wokerati’ wouldn’t know discrimination of it came up and bit them on the place they keep their brains. One of these days, we are going to read that they have disappeared up their own nethers. I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
For anyone who does not know or is not sure: trans people have both human and civil rights in the same qualities and under the same conditions as the rest of us. The only brake on their advance in the rights department is that they are not the sex they claim to be, but only the gender, a societal stereotypical construct.
That behoves them to stop telling porkies about having no rights. The latest wheeze, to reform the 2004 GRA (which gave them even more rights, and which began the inexorable eating into women’s and girls’ sex-based rights) will actually bear down on women’s and girls’ rights and probably, in the longer term, destroy them altogether because they are absolutely determined to oust natal women from everything across the board – everything. Sine the same-sex marriage legislation made th 2004 GRA redundant, perhaps it is time that natal women looked at campaigning to have it repealed or to take their own case to the international court to have the whole human rights discrepancy sorted out. The UN charter specifically afford women their human rights which the trans lobby is trying its best to strip us of.
For all those gullible wee things that menstruate and have vaginas instead of penises, you are being had. They are shafting you big time. Think Gilead and handmaidens. You are attempting to wheel the Trojan horse through the gates against the advice of women much more experienced and much more worldy-wise than you are. We’ve seen it all before. Done that, got the T-shirt. One of these fine days, all you ambitious, stand-on-the-neck-of-your-own-sex menstruators and vagina-havers, who are so desperate to get into Holyrood – or anywhere that has the whiff of power – yes, you, Rhiannon Spear, among others – the lovely, oh so defenceless trans women that you are all breaking your necks to coddle and pamper will have ousted you and be sitting in parliament telling natal women how difficult it is with all those female problems like child-birth and breast-feeding to keep their seats.
Do none of you think at all? Stonewall and the trans lobby is awash with donations from corporate America/Britain and public funding. Do you never wonder why it doesn’t put its money where its big shouty mouth is and actually try to help trans people establish trans spaces? No, never crossed your minds to ask? And this is what we are expected to vote for in May? Strewth! Mike Russell, you used to be a clever man. When did the rot set in? No, let me guess, when you had to swallow the elixir of bampotery in order to keep your job? Ah, power, it corrupts the best of us. Is that the shade of Faust I see beside you, Mike? Oh, no, it’s Whishy-washy.
Twitter went nuclear last night. The SNP should be very concerned, because a large proportion of the comments were by SNP members, aimed directly at the NEC.
Oh, and at today’s briefing, to date by 1pm, the word “transparency” has been uttered at least 4 times.
Obviously the 3 million the Scots Gov gave the media was Hush money. Judas Iscariot would have struggled to get any dosh from the SNP as the queue of so called journalists would have been round the Block in front of him
Craig Murray says:
1 February, 2021 at 11:55 am
“As a matter of simple fact, BAME people are not under-represented in the Scottish parliament – which is a good thing, of which we should be proud.”
Black people are politically underrepresented in Scotland. There has never been a black MSP. The British construct BAME is used to hide this fact, by including black people with Asians and other minority groups.
This list nonsense devalues someone like Michelle Campbell, who is poised to become the first Scottish
MSP of African decent, nominated by her constituency with no special favours. NHS nurse, local councillor, competent and qualified for the job at hand.
The NEC decision is solely about Nepotism. So that Graham Campbell (An English race baiter) and Fiona Robertson can get on the gravy train despite being rejected by their constituencies.
The vast majority of black people in Scotland are of direct African decent, socially conservative, and value education above all else. The idea that they have something in common with the reality denying woke grifters that have infested the SNP is quite comical if it wasn’t so offensive.
No black people I know seek special favour nor put limits on their own ambition.
Racism is real. So are the erroneous stereotypes attached to black people (aggressive, lower intelligence), but placing black people in a tick box with Teddy the tranny hooker, Islamacists, and
every other useless fucker who blames someone everyone else for their lack of personal achievement or happiness is callous and counterproductive.
How we you know if black people face discrimination in Scotland if they are statistically included with people who aren’t?
Its the same as
How can we know the truth about female offending if the statistics are skewed by including male, transgender sex offenders?
Reading on Wings from posters who were going to sign up to become members of the new ISP Party.
And I am absolutely amazed to read that even the ISP have not committed to making the Holyrood election a Plebiscite on Scottish Independence.
WTF?
Please God, I hope I have read this wrong, but if they are refusing to put this into their Manifesto, then I will not be putting a penny into their coffers either.
Re Michael Russell’s reply, – ‘Leaking of legal advice from the meeting is unforgivable. Al organisations have to be able to consider at executive level confidentially information. Tacking that is not a distraction, it is defending the ability of the SNP to operate as I have done since I joined it 47 years ago.
And on that point I have fought for independence all my life. Don’t lecture me on when or where it appears or doesn’t appear.
I have nothing to do with any office bearer of LGBTI groups or how they were chosen. Fiona Robertson is a party member entitled to be nominated by whatever group she is in.
Enough. I am working flat out for my constituents and my country. If you don’t like what I do, then fine but as I standing down in May you don’t have to put up with me for much longer.’
Dear Michael,
No-one ‘self identifies’ into being disabled. My its very nature it is an unchosen and lifelong condition. The laws brought in to combat discrimination against those disabled are rendered useless, if any non disabled person can ‘self identify’ into the condition and steal jobs earmarked for them. The same principle applies with regards BAME
That the NEC of the SNP is so monumentally thick as to have to pay large amounts of money to get legal advice to point this out – when its so blatantly obvious, is shocking.
That they chose to IGNORE it, is incompetence on fundamental level. And since it was party members money that paid for the advice, and party members money that would be called upon to pay for the legal consequences of ignoring it, whoever ‘leaked’ that information has shown a great deal more responsibility to the party, and its members, AND the disabled and BAME members than you and those who hold your current stance.
And since this form of cheating is within the contect of a political party rigging election candidates against the wishes of the party majority – then you have the dubious dishonour of managing to stoop even lower than plain old gerrymandering. Its geryymandering foks and its stealing from disabled people and BAME people in order to achieve it.
You talk of defending the ability of the SNP to operate… but if this is the kind of operating you’re defending – then your moral compass is decidely broken.
Your response comes across as angry, arrogant and dismissive of voters genuine concerns.
Lastly you say, ‘If you don’t like what I do, then fine but as I standing down in May you don’t have to put up with me for much longer.’
Please can you confirm this is also in relation to your recent election as President of the SNP – as your current expressed support of the above would tend to suggest you are unable or unwilling to see how much it brings the SNP and the wider Independence Movement into disrepute.
@newburghgowfer – I believe there is a super-injunction in place although I do not know what it’s for.
The St Andrews House whistle-blowers are at work. Self preservation prohibits further silence.
It’s a public interest case and so when sufficient independent corroboration is in place, they will print.
My wife and I wept when we watched Lesley Riddoch’s inspiring film “Estonia” last night. There indeed was a true nation establishing its independence, having nurtured its identity through decades of colonial suppression, successfully led by foresighted, creative and focussed politicians.
We wept for the missed opportunity of 2014 when the joyous outburst of optimism of the most positive section of our people was frustrated by uninspired political management. The same political attitudes now dominate our so-called ‘drive’ towards independence and we are being betrayed by the party in which we have placed our trust.
We look for inspiration: we are served ‘now is not the time’. For our current leadership, it will never be the time. We hear sometimes that independence is never given, it must be seized – if we are ever to restore our rightful independence, it must therefore be seized first from our own corrupt government.
Mac
“They typically appeal to weak minded people who have been failures in their own lives. Just look at how stupid most of them are. This is not a coincidence.”
Summed up succinctly
The MSM need to go on the attack soon otherwise they won’t have enough time to bombard the general public with every piece of SNP lunacy by May. Their headline writers must be champing at the bit.
1. I thought Mike Russell was better than this.
2. I support BAME and disabled rights and encouraging minorities to seek selection when merited.
3. It would be good to get more info on ISP.They did not have a fortunate start with their Trumpist co founder but are they any good?
4 I just cannot vote Green as they are infected too.
5. I will vote SNP on constituency as our candidate is OK but need more research for my list vote.
Europe, and possibly the USA, is leisurely sliding into government authoritarianism. A nasty element in the body politic has been given a refresh thanks to SARS CoV-2 panic and the flight from reason it has engendered not to mention the rebooters and resetters, those unelected, unaccountable masters of the globe, who are getting off on it.
Authoritarianism is fond of stoking the sentimental. Coating the counter-democratic pill with schmalz and saccharine, capt Tom gives the sickly flavour of that coating, has become normative.
Scary ads on tv showing people in oxygen masks, save our NHS don’t use it kinda stuff, stokes the fear principle should the sugary sentiment not quite do the trick.
Europe spawned the antidemocratic cults of fascism, nazism and communism which led to 10s of millions of lives being terminated. The way politics is headed and the motley collection of prophets and messiahs heading it suggests a hybridisation of those cults has left the petrie dish.
Stay Intellectually Safe…don’t invite into your head.
Prasad, what an sniffy reply from Mike Russell. He is still an elected official and should be able to reply politely to all. The arrogance of him stating “don’t lecture me” is appalling. So he is retiring in May and basically telling you to sod off bothering him. What a pig (trough, trough)
Well done, Stu. What a midden they’ve made of themselves. What makes me chuckle is, just how far up the big African river they seem to be in the NEC. Ah well. “Those whom the Gods would destroy, etc.” This lot seem to be howling at the moon.
Is there any way to track how many SNP members resigned specifically in the last 24 hours?
There will of course be a spike in cancellations, but it will be interesting to see how big exactly.
The problem with you, Rev, is you have the cognitive ability to think things through to a logical conclusion. Like a grand master chess player.
These numpties who have hijacked the SNP can’t. They come up with an idea then demand its implementation instantly, with little idea of how it will play out in real life or what the opposition’s next move might be.
There’s no doubt this wheeze was dreamt up to remove Joan McAlpine from the top of the list, just like the wheeze to remove Alex Salmond from public life and just like the wheeze to prevent Joanna Cherry from standing for Holyrood. But they’re not able to think through the drawbacks, the repercussions, the unwanted side-effects or the backlash from their own membership. Their eagerness to deliver the results they want have blinded them to reality.
It’s the same lack of thinking things through that led to their failures in the Named Person, Offensive Behaviour at Football, Forensic Medical Services and now the Hate Crime bills.
If this is who’s in charge of the strategy to deliver our independence then we’re in very, very deep trouble.
And the reason the media are ignoring it all is possibly because they don’t want to interrupt their enemy while they’re making a mistake…
Promising to fight for independence doesn’t exclude you as a party/government from democratic and legal accountability. I am sick to the back teeth of this self entitled and arrogant attitude towards anyone who questions the inner workings of the SNP.
@Dave Beveridge says:
1 February, 2021 at 1:12 pm
“The MSM need to go on the attack soon otherwise they won’t have enough time to bombard the general public with every piece of SNP lunacy by May. Their headline writers must be champing at the bit.”
They started today with the row over publishing vaccine numbers and the EU threat etc. Someone was most definitely unhappy and struggled to sound convincing.
No one mentioned the NEC stuff. Wonder if it will be raised tomorrow as it is an update to the Scot Parl instead of normal briefing.
Davie Oga,
I am very happy about Michelle Campbell. There is a genuine difficulty with the concept of proportional representation of ethnic groups in a legislature.At the last sentence there were just 28,000 people in Scotland who identified as ethnically African or Caribbean, of whom a significant number would be children. It is one reason why the proportionality argument is a bad one – it would mean there should not be any black people in Parliament if that were the criterion. As it is, like you, I am delighted that Ms Campbell will likely get in on merit.
Great stuff Rev
Things are picking up and feel I need to start openly contributing to your debate.
Top class journalism.
I’m so bitterly disappointed that we’ve sleepwalked into allowing these idiots – who clearly are not interested in Scottish independence – to infiltrate and hijack the SNP, “under the radar”, and we are now allowing them to continue to distract other members from the SNP’s aim of making Scotland independent. C’mon, folks – stop giving them the oxygen of publicity by attacking them constantly. Just ignore them and let them pursue their divisive activities in peace – sooner or later they may go away if we ignore them.
@Samuel,
The ISP can only for financial reasons, stand on the regional list. Total available 56. Not enough to form a majority therefore pre election promise of a plebiscite with no support in the chamber as it stands would be meaningless.
They hope to gain support and build.
SNP – “What’s the legal advice regarding a re-written, retrospective, complaints policy against ex-employees?”
Council – “Bad idea. Westminster also thinks so. Likely to fail due to bias & major illegalities. Hugely costly if challenged.”
SNP – “We’ll proceed anyway.”
Also SNP – “What’s the view on discriminating against disabled & minorities by creating exclusionary candidate lists for election purposes?”
Council – “Bad idea. Likely, it is highly illegal and if challenge, will cost a fortune & create chaos, just before an election.”
SNP – “We’ll proceed anyway.”
Also SNP – “We need an S30 order legally agreed by Westminster before holding another referendum, don’t we?”
Council – “Yes. Under the current settlement an S30 request must be approved by Westminster legislation to give the referendum provenance & declare it legal.”
SNP – “OK, we’d hate to break the law, upset people & create constitutional chaos. Best just keep asking for permission every year or so then.”
Peter S @ 1:21:
Strange solution you propose there.
‘We’ve sleepwalked into this so let’s just ignore (sleepwalk?) it and I am sure it will all go away’.
The SNP NEC sounds just like a sack of cats, and about as much use.
alex thomson
@alextomo
Covering Scotland for C4N for next few weeks. Any stories? Send ‘em here
***************
An interesting development.
A friend tells me he’s here to investigate the Salmond scandal.
Dare to dream.
Isn’t Tuesday’s briefing to Holyrood bound to be a covid only session? I don’t think Unionists have given up on their “Not now” and “postpone” tactics toward Indyref2 and the elections. Only when they have to abandon those tactics will they move on to shrieking about corruption and “shenanigans” in the SNP. Aren’t they just keeping their powder dry at this stage?
Any other reason why MSM and Unionists aren’t pointing it out for the wider public?
JOANNA CHERRY SACKED FROM FRONT BENCH
’as usual the Scottish media misses the story because nobody spoon-fed it to them in a press release.’
It’s much worse than that, the press knows exactly what’s going on and they’re ignoring it. The question is why?
Had to chuckle at the previous blogpost – The Death Wish – and the highlighting of the tweet by Josh Aaron-Menie announcing rather grandly that he lives with Tourettes Syndrome, therefore being able to position himself (?) as disabled/differently abled. I also ‘live with Tourettes’ as my better half has it. It manifests mostly as involuntary facial twitches. I said to her this morning, ‘you’ll love this, turns out you’re disabled and will be able to get elected as an MSP’. I then explained the blogpost. For want of a better term, she sees that as total bonkers. I also explained however that although I am pale, male and stale (and oh so boringly straight) I now self identify as ‘differently abled’ so her surprise disability categorisation counted for little. She did raise an interesting point. Is she now eligible for disability allowance (about £238 a month)? Furthermore, if you can self-id as disabled, woohoo, free money!!!
Stuart,
I am an Englishman living in England who is ambivalent about independence. I read your site becuase you present the facts and analyse them logically. I don’t always agree with your analysis, but your argument is always clear. Don’t be discouraged and keep up the good work.
FFS WE NEED TO REVOLT NOW
At the point when you’re thinking that Nicola’s SNP couldn’t become anymore toxic – it does!
Joanna Cherry just tweeted that’s she’d been sacked from the Front Bench team. WTF is going on?
Cherry sacked from front bench. Jesus, still reeling from yesterday. Giants being replaced by perverts and weirdos. 🙁
@Andrew Morton – It may be an injunction by Scotgov. One has been issued, maybe it’s for this.
On a similar vein, I notice the Scottish legal profession have had enough of this and will start fighting back. Against Swinney and Wolffe…..not against us as they have been doing for the past 6-years.
not all disabilities are visible. One word –
TRANS-DISABLED
(with a hyphen in it)
make it work for you.
FFS
https://twitter.com/joannaccherry/status/1356233346565730304?s=20
I was going to wait until I knew what Alec Salmond has planned but I’ve gone ahead and joined the ISP and donated to their crowdfunder. It looks like they are the most likely of the alternative parties to have any influence in time for the election and the fact they are campaigning for Indy first and foremost is good enough for me at this stage. I have the feeling that whatever transpires the SNP are finished.
https://twitter.com/joannaccherry/status/1356233346565730304
Looks like they’re imploding!
Joanna Cherry sacked from SNP front bench. https://twitter.com/joannaccherry/status/1356233346565730304?s=21
the reference to wansee conference was stupid and disproportionate. it’s not anti semitic though and it’s just boring to claim so.
I don’t believe it’s toxic to attempt to look at ways to raise representation of under represented groups. I happen to disagree with the method but it’s not toxic.
The method smells of new Labour arrogantly dishing out careers to people forgetting voters simply want the best candidates that can argue for independence and progression.
Absolute troughers some of the intolerant parts of the SNP. Using tourettes just doesn’t feel right to me.
the leak was totally justified, members deserve to know what they’re thinking and going against legal advice is stupid. Make the necessary amendments if necessary.
Bob Mack says:
@ Bob Mack re1 February, 2021 at 1:23 pm
@Samuel,
The ISP can only for financial reasons, stand on the regional list. Total available 56. Not enough to form a majority therefore pre election promise of a plebiscite with no support in the chamber as it stands would be meaningless.
They hope to gain support and build.
—–
If they stand on a Plebiscite Election in May and win a significant number of seats – then that is the most effective way of introducing the concept to the electorate, given that the media will blank it.
I agree with you, they cannot win on list seats only, and by going only for the list seats they maximise the chance of creating a new pro indy party to get the SNP back on track. But if they stand candidates in every area of Scotland, so that every single voter in Scotland has a chance to vote for Plebiscite Indy – they will WIN.
And the BritNats, including the SNP will pull out every trick in the book to prevent it happening.
The danger now, is that the BritNats are already weasling their way into ISP and promoting a ‘now is not the time’ agenda.
If ISP take 15 or over seats on the list, they will be a party to recognise and in the 4 years they grow the party, the next election is the GE. Brexit damage will be at its freshest.
If they don’t have the balls to stand in May on PEH – (and that is contrary to what they have been putting forward), then they are playing the same game as the SNP. But with smaller carrots.
Right just now they are Scotland’s last hope. If they don’t put forward PEH so that we can vote for it with our 2nd vote, then for sure there will be no incintive for the SNP (even the good ones) to find the balls to do so also. And its over.
Ideally what needs to happen now, is for established Constituency MP’s and MSP’s from the SNP to be the ‘wiser heads’. They need to step away from the SNP, and become Independent candidates and stand on a PEH + Confirm Ref within 2 years mandate. The voters would see that as reasonable, and there is enough common ground there for ISP to trade with them over it if together they get a majority.
One thing that isn’t going to happen is ISP doing yet another gradualist thing – won’t be fooled again. And if their party leaders are promoting that action, then they’re all the way at it like the SNP have been, and look where that’s got them.
Alex Salmond will appear before the Fabiani Inquiry a week tomorrow. I wonder what the state of play will be within the SNP in a week? There may be a good chance that whatever Salmond says at the Inquiry will be accepted not only by the public, but by the majority SNP membership as well.
Joanna Cherry tweeting that westminster is irrelevant to Scotland’s consitutional future. A group of the party’s MPs thinking of defying the leadership and boycotting the Commons maybe?
Joanna Cherry sacked in the wee blawhard’s reshuffle. Big mistake on his part. She’s is by no stretch of the imagination a stupid woman, and I would think a dangerous enemy to make.
Dear goodness, what in the name of the wee man is going on with the SNP , is it mass Seppuka they’re going for.
Interesting selection of words JC has used, ‘sacked’.
Boris must have really put the wind up Nicola last week.
I’m just wondering how much more imploding is needed before the SNP MP’s, MSP’s and members either create a new party, or clear out the stables of the one they have?
If you step away now, you might just end up leaving the ones in the bunker having to pay their own legal fees.
Captain Yossarian says:
1 February, 2021 at 1:35 pm
@Andrew Morton – It may be an injunction by Scotgov. One has been issued, maybe it’s for this.
Probably why Stu has pulled yesterday’s post. ?
Ah, the SNP. So committed to equalities that they sack one of their most able, who is a gay woman.
I’m in a Tory/SNP marginal for Holyrood, but I cannot stomach voting for this shower at present.
So annoyed – the NEC and their whacky politics are messing with the SNP, and as the main indy party strike at the core of indy. Had enough – cancelled my SNP membership, paraphrasing the above in my closing comment. Plus, icing on the cake they have just sacked Cherry.
Ironically, given that they are the only mainstream indy party they will still get my candidate vote, but my list vote is v. much up for grabs.
@ red sunset
I have just resigned my SNP membership. What ‘power’ do I have to stop these pipsqueaks destroying everything?
@John Green Like you I joined the SNP in the euphoria of the moment as the results of the 2015 GE came in. Like you, I am totally disillusioned with the way in which members are ignored. (Try getting a reply to any email you send them!) Haven’t yet bitten the bullet and cancelled membership but it’s hanging on a shoogly peg at present.
@Rev Stu I’m still not getting notified of new posts by email despite ticking the box every time.
I applaud you publishing the information and it’s sad some of the criticism.
Gerry hassan is such a bore. Not even am intelligent link to Trump.
Have to say no idea how a white person gets in as black under this though.
It’s pretty simple. If Wings has misrepresented the decision-making process, then it should be very easy to clarify that by making all of the weekend’s deliberations public and transparent. That is what, ahem, a modern, democratic party committed to transparent and open government would do. Otherwise, what is there to hide?
This is what people can’t handle at all. Wings presents people with FACTS. I point this out often on the internet to accounts which typically post things along the lines of, “disgusting xxx-phobic hate from wings I can’t even bear to read it.” This is 80% of the attitude. Are these folk actually not capable of reading information in front of them and judging it on its own merit?
Yesterday was absolute cinema. Keep at it, Wings and Wings fans, wherever you are. The truth shall set us free
What I did hear though from way too many people was “how else can you be classed as disabled/bame if not by self id?” together with hideous over-reach such as “do you want them all registered somewhere” (paraphrasing here of course but you get the gist).
It is the height of privilege to think you can self id as either disabled or bame. Disability comes from a diagnosis and bame is an observable fact. To have the audacity to think you can self id into either is beyond belief & shows a level of unbridled opportunism previously unseen.
As for the whole testing the Equality Act garbage, give me strength. They seriously don’t think we believe that do they. We know fine well they have been Stonewalled and have been given orders to get rid of the sex-based protections women rely on. This is a bare-faced attempt to ridicule and have an excuse to the get rid of the Equality cos they keep getting telt they are breaking it.
Honestly, I wouldn’t trust this lot not to throw their granny aff a bus now.
Stu looks like the Nicola team have taken out the last of Good guys. Jo na Cherry sacked from front ench Westminster team.
Independence has no high level spokesperson in SNP now.
A dark day 🙁
I’ve just noticed transcrimeuk.com is down.
Has it been “cancelled”?
Does anyone know?
I like that you get to live rent free in the minds of the Unionists and the pretendy Indy wankers.
You know you’re right when they don’t argue any points in the article and just attack yourself. Pathetic really.
Great articles. Keep them coming.
To those on Denise Findlay’s twitter thread who think i made the whole thing up.
See previous Wings article The Death Wish for the first half of the exchange. Sorry for putting on two separate blogs that was a mistake.
I thought it was too boring to write my first questions but since i am being accused of lying here are my original questions. I was upset but not insulting.
‘Please tell me this isn’t real or please please explain what this is?
“i) In four regions first place on the list must go to a candidate who self-identifies as disabled; in the other four regions, first place on the list must go to a candidate
who self-identifies as BAME”
Please tell me why i should vote for a party that votes for this and Lees Lawrence?
Seriously,
please’
quickly followed by this when i saw the minutes
‘Please also explain what this means?
From [yesterday’s] minutes
“mechanisms currently available to address gender inequalities”
I don’t understand exactly what gender means?
isn’t sex the correct term?
You wrote to me months ago they you were in favour of female only candidate slots.
Does that also include biological men?’
My questions have not been answered.
Cf: David Leask. What is ‘reality-based journalism? Seriously.
Can anyone ever imagine all these trans woke shites infiltrating a party like sinn fein. Naw me neither.
Or the Dup.
Hi Jimmy Mac at 2:01 pm.
You typed,
“Probably why Stu has pulled yesterday’s post. ?”
Which one do you think is missing? I get email notifications whenever Rev Stu publishes a new post. I’ve checked my emails from yesterday.
He published “Weak in the presence of beauty” at approx 12.10 and “The death wish” at approx 17.03.
The next published post was “What you didn’t hear” at approx 11.26 today.
All these are accessible from the right-hand “Recent posts” list at
https://wingsoverscotland.com/
02-01 Cherry unpicking
02-01 What you didn’t hear
01-31 The death wish
01-31 Weak in the presence of beauty
01-30 Riding the U
I don’t see any published post missing.
It is really concerning that these anti wing cabal are and could be in key roles. What is happening to Scotland?!
Yasmin “what is happening in Scotland”. I know what will happen in Scotland, eventually.
“To Scotland”
Thanks Stu, good work as ever.
I am glad you can continue to produce good work and excellent interesting content despite the autistic screeching coming from the direction of twitter all day every day at the mere mention of this site.
Take care and don’t let the bastards drag you down.
Yet another eye opener.
Bit shocked at Mike Russel TBH.
The SNP needs to split or shovel oot the shit.
Maybe this is actually all a good thing.
Imagine the sort of Scotland they would want to create after gaining Independence.
Kat says: 1 February, 2021 at 3:01 pm
I had posted to the previous topic this morning about this notion of white privilege and it looks like I didn’t explain it properly.
I do wonder if this white privilege that is being talked about is really these white middle class types who game well intentioned policies like affirmative action, as you mention with self-id, for their own ends?
I had also mentioned last night about Scottish Asians being severely under-presented in Scottish politics despite them making up nearly 3% of the Scottish population. Are they not being picked because they are hard working, mostly socially conservative and most likely see through this woke nonsense?
If so, it does seem so arbitrary about who should be given a helping hand in society. Again, another example of this privilege that is decided by how popular these woke fanatics think it will do for their career and social media presence.
Cancelled my membership last night. Murrells can no longer flush my hard earned down the toilet on a list of issues all of which are not Independence. Been mulling it over for a few months but last night and events again today confirm it was the right thing to do. Hurry ye back Mr Salmond.
I have a theory about why this story hasn’t broken in the MSM: TIMING.
If it comes out now, there’s time to repair some of the damage.
If it comes out just at the right time before the election – maximum impact.
A good article, Stuart. David Leask is an interesting figure. It’s as if all the Russophobic talking points that come out of the US/UK security state and NATO have been turned into human form. The guy is a walking, talking Cold War throw back who literally thinks the Cossacks are under the bed.
His extreme contempt for people that aren’t BBC/Herald/Guardian blue checks is also quite funny. He thinks of himself as the high priest of Scottish journalism. An absolute fucking clown.
@Andrew Morton: The question is why
@Captain Yossarian: maybe an injunction.
My guess: it simply isn’t the right time yet, the “SNP civil war” shit storm will be truly released in the run-up to the election (last few weeks) when it is likely to have maximum effect.
Meanwhile in other news. Tonight on BBC Scotland a PPC by the Scottish Labour Party with Sir Keir Hardienot entirely hogging it and all about Covid. Not a Scottish Labour figure in site. Yet his pompadoured police state chancer is behind in the polls to DePfeffel. . As a lifelong labour member who supports independence I was reluctant to join the SNP. Now I am reluctant to stay in the Labour Party on the same day I am loathe to ever join the SNP. I think the ISP’s time has come. If we can get JC and AS in the vanguard with a plebiscite pledge. Wow.
Proper journalism.
‘Truth Hurts’.
Never been truer. Keep up the good work Stu and thanks for letting us know what’s going on.
Candidacy should be open to EVERYONE.
We’re all people who have EQUAL rights, not special privileges.
Most of my life I’ve been (at least vocally) standing up for minorities and the marginalized, but this pendulum has swung free of its axis and shattered the very principle of equality that I believe in.
Being white heterosexual and able bodied is not a legitimate disqualification from standing for selection. BAME / disability is not a qualification – not even in the superficial sense of ‘representation’. Sure, it’s nice to see diversity in the room, but only if the individuals are the best candidates for the job of serving their constituents, regardless of their background. Let them stand aside their equals and be judged as such, people have died for that right, and this exceptionalism stance does much damage to that hard won principle.
RevStu you got me, this is fucking bullshit.
@pacman said:
“Are they not being picked because they are hard working, mostly socially conservative and most likely see through this woke nonsense?”
Are they standing?
I see Leask and Hotarsehole are maintaining their usual standard of fuck headery
Don’t ever stop doing what you do Stu.