Your Enemy’s Enemies
The Scottish Greens, in a feat of remarkable hubris and financial profligacy, stood 44 candidates in this week’s general election, knowing that most of them would lose their deposits, which they duly did.
But not quite all of them. And there the comedy arose.
Because while SNP boneheads on social media are raging idiotically at Alba, Wings and others for causing division and damaging the unity of the indy cause yada yada yada, a small handful of Green candidates made a real difference.
Working on the reasonable assumption that most Green votes would have gone to the SNP in the absence of a Green candidate – given the parties were in coalition till five minutes ago – the 4,233 votes that went to creepy abusive crossdressing bloke Iris Duane would have given the seat to Alison Thewliss (pictured NOT winning it, above).
Over in Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, the 4,669 votes won by Amanda Grimm would have been more than enough to keep Tommy Sheppard in place.
And the Greens also made sure the Tories held Dumfries & Galloway as they battled the SNP to see whose vote could fall the most.
The SNP candidate’s the one on the left, by the way. For now.
But it gets better. Back in Glasgow, “he/him” Green candidate Niall Christie – who had urged people to vote against Labour in order to protect queer and trans rights – got 5,554 votes which would otherwise likely have saved the job of Stewart McDonald, and handed the seat to Labour instead, despite the apparent voice of Mount Florida.
Only one response seems appropriate:
But we’ve saved the best for last. Because at least those three Greens got double-digit vote shares, saved their deposits and came a respectable 3rd. But up in Stirling and Strathallan, a proper no-hoper trailed in 6th, lost his deposit but still managed to leech away 2,320 votes that would have saved the job of… Alyn “Daddy Bear” Smith.
Readers, irony hasn’t come this thick and juicy since Nicola Sturgeon’s long-time consigliere, and hyper-aggressive transactivist, Mhairi Hunter (below, top) lost her job on Glasgow City Council to Scottish Greens dude-in-a-dress Elaine Gallagher.
We congratulate and thank the Scottish Greens for doing a useful service to Scottish and UK politics for the first time in their lives, and offer them our heartfelt wishes for many more such successes in future.
Allison Thewliss of Glasgow Central deserved to go. The homeless queue up under Glasgow Central every night. An Indoor Soup Kitchen doesn’t exist. She didn’t care enough to do anything about it.
I’m delighted she’s lost her seat thanks to a wokey Green taking SNP votes.
I couldn’t help but chuckle ?
That is truly hilarious.
Laugh??? I nearly paid my SNP subscription fee.
That fair cheered me up on a very dreich Sunday evening! 🙂
Who was it said that “politics is show biz for ugly people?”
Glad my tea was well settled before I clocked this article.
All of these areas are chock full of English students and/or trust funders up in Scotland for the ‘leftist’ paradise.
Possibly the best WOS article of 2024.
Gosh, I did enjoy that !
I actually love you ?
I love you bro ?
Great picture of Alison Thewliss.
Fair cheered me up when I heard she was out, deselected, chucked, given the order of the boot. And boy she deserved it.
But the picture of her blotchy, distraught,tear stained face is an absolute beauty to behold.
Great that she’s gone.
“Mhairi Hunter (below, top)”
PMSL, superb as always.
Some commenters here actually believe politicians prioritize the public’s interest rather than their own.
What world do they live in?
Of course the Green Party pursued their perceived self-interest. Why would anyone expect differently?
You want an independent Scotland? Then get 70% support for it among the Scottish people. I can assure you that the politicians, to save their jobs, will then act.
All this anti-historical moonhowling about the 1707 Act, or the Claim of Right, is just a waste of everyone’s time–and embarrasses the Indy cause.
44% (2014 referendum) or 47% (current polls) doesn’t do it, folks.
The Sham Nationalist Party don’t do irony, but if they did…
As for that photo… A belter!
Henceforth to be known asAlison (Of the tears and snotters) Thewliss.
Congratulations, we’ve found the thing that FPTP is good for.
Oh, that is fucking priceless!
On the last two photos which is Gallagher and which is Hunter, I mean which is the woman and which is the man?
On the Greens at least they did something right for a change even if it was inadvertent, but I still wouldn’t vote for them.
Well done the Greens.
With pals like that etc.
That was seriously enjoyable.
“But we’ve saved the best for last.… Alyn “Daddy Bear” Smith.”
You sure did. He was my second least favourite after Wishart.
Some you win, some you lose, but at 9 seats and I am not going to quibble.
So sweet it was the coalition with the greens to shut out ALBA, that effectively killed him off. He oxygenated his future suffocators.
10lbs of shit in a 5lbs bag, sneering, arrogant, Sturgeon, wank.
So does that mean we have to thank YOULESS for actually doing something right?
It was inevitable.
You’ve got to hand it to the bo heided Greens, priceless eejits, every last one of them.
The facts of reality that it was the Greens that lost nuSNP Westminster seats is irrelevant.
It doesn’t fit the narrative of the nuSNP because it would unravel part’s Nicola Sturgeon’s legacy, the one being of the first leader of a political administration in the UK to bring the Greens into government.
As the likes of McDonald are no longer protected by Parliamentary Privilege, might we hear less from them now?
And will WoS be providing one, of many, platforms to Joanna Cherry KC?
Finally, with this round of politics out the way, are you doing any further ice lolly features?
What’s the Campbell’s Soup du Jour?
It’s yesterday’s left over ‘Pea & Ham’.
It’s disgusting it look like a bowl of snotters!
All of them could still now be in a cushy job had they just chosen to not be complete arseholes… but no.
It is in their DNA.
People better get ahead planning for post Holyrood 2026 as this clowntown shower of imbeciles are not learning a single lesson from 9 seats in WM.
‘kin beautiful irony , are the Coen Brothers writing this script ?
Imagine getting gubbed by pronouns ,’specially as you were so nice to the pronouns , took them into yr house , made them feel special , gave them jobs n loadsa money , n then they go n fuck-up the deal by siphoning off votes that were RIGHTFULLY YOURS ! Crying shame .
Alias Smith n MacDonald , though , hahahaha , undone by the Gender Agenda beneficiaries they so avidly promoted n Sheppard similarly by a Green named Grimm !
Pure gold 🙂
Testing
Vinegar Tits.
Just testing to see why my posts are disappearing.
Who is VT. Must be n*ippy
Testing
Mhairi the pal & Val the Pal look alike.
The Scottish Greens are the lowest of the low in Scottish politics, IMHO.
But inadvertently, they did the independence cause a favour, and gave the last laugh to the Rev. Stuart Campbell.
“Campbell Clansman
says:
7 July, 2024 at 10:07 pm
…47% (current polls)…”
47% of what? Population, voters, respondents? Please qualify.
All that TRA funding to the Green party sure came in handy.
It couldn’t have happened to a nicer bunch of useless troughers & it’s delicious that it came via their very own chums.
Remember folks, the young are our parties future. Hahahaha!
Seeing the Quizzer Allyn Smith unemployed pleases me no end. It warms the cockles of my heart. Oh the irony of being unseated by his fellow Queers.
“Then get 70% support for it among the Scottish people.”
Away & behave ya undemocratic, fasc*st eejit.
“Imagine getting gubbed by pronouns”
LMAO!
I guess that’s Alyns light well & truly extinguished.
The Union was kept in place with 55% of the population. Yet Clansman thinks we need 70% to end it!!
Democracy for Dummies. Majority = winner.
He also quotes 47% support. In actual fact the poll of polls has Yes somewhere between 50 and 51%. I will remind him that the last referendum proposal had pre vote polls at 28%.
In fact we can have as many referendums as we wish. That’s democracy. If we vote for it we get it.
Anything else is blatant fascism.
It seems trans rights are more important than independence these days?
Big Jock
Ignored says:
8 July, 2024 at 12:08 am
In actual fact the poll of polls has Yes somewhere between 50 and 51%.
Statista’s average of polls shows 47%. I cited that to be generous to Indy. Take a look at “What Scotland Thinks” which is linked to at WoS–so that even the dullest Indy supporter can find it. The latest three polls there (Savanta of July 2, YouGov and Redfield & Wilton) show 44%, 37% and 46% of Scots would vote Yes in a referendum.
Note that I cite specific polls and specific numbers. You should try it sometime….
Fin
That’s the memo from the globalists.
LGBTQWERTYS2+++++++ is to trump every other cause.
In every single country & coming in thick & fast to every single parliament near you.
Labour will be full steam ahead now they’re in No10. They’ll be earning their donations.
If only the clowns we have could identify as being MPs/MSPs from an independent country eh? We can now just imagine everything.
Clansman Campbell
We should have one big massive poll eh?
Let’s call it a referendum.
What you scared of?
Geri, we’ve already had a referendum on Indy.
But if you like referenda deciding things, how about a UK referenda on whether we should get rid of the Holyrood Parliament?
What are you scared of?
Absolutely nothing in the rules to say we can’t have another one. In fact it’s been the democratic will of Scotland since 2014. Did you miss it?
I’d be up for one on Holyrood too.
Westminsters branch office out of Scotland. Sounds good to me. Scotland would move direct to independence & we can have our own.
We can have as many referendums as we like. On every subject. Imagine that. Direct democracy. Sounds bliss.
Hilarious stuff. I have to wonder what sort of jobs these people are going to find outside of politics. It isn’t a good time to be entering the job market with zero skills.
In other news, I have heard a few people saying Biden is expected to throw in the towel on Monday, to be replaced by Kamala… lol
There’s a lot going on right now.
@ Robert Hughes 11.25pm “Imagine getting gubbed by pronouns” LMFAO you’re on fire lately bud
Puir wee Alison she’ll need to go and get a joab noo , she could maybe get wan wae the cooncil clearing out SEWAGE as she’s used tae workin wae shite
Thowless Thewliss right enough. What a balloon!
In view of the photographic content of this excellent article, I feel a warning might have been given.
After all, it’ll soon be breakfast time.
That level of voting would increase their chances of even more list seats at Holyrood.
Orange walk coming up guys. Have your tin flutes at the ready.
Remember the Campbell’s took King Billy’s shilling to massacre the Macdonalds. (Sorry Stu, I know it wasn’t you)
Me? I could murder a Burgerking
As we know they are incapable of change roll on 2026 and remember to get yer bets on folks.
“The Union was kept in place with 55% of the population.”
It wasn’t it was 55.3% NO of 84.59% turnout (if you believe the official results, I don’t due to several hundred thousand dodgy postal votes).
So officially that is 46.7% of the electorate.
So NO did not even get an absolute majority (even with all the cheating).
Had that been YES on those numbers we would have been told over and over again that YES therefore did not have a legitimate mandate as it was not an absolute majority. You know it…
That cuts both ways of course.
Thewliss was Chair of the MPs ‘All Party Parliamentary Group on Infant Feeding & Inequalities’ Committee. For supposedly standing up for wee babies, as Chair, Thewliss received circa £25K on top of her £91K basic salary plus all her expenses.
This Committee’s raison d’etre is to promote the benefits of breast milk. It contains antibodies which protect babies and doing so also reduces mothers’ risks of breast & ovarian cancers.
When I raised the issue of wee babies being forced to drink untested, bile-like leakages from male bodies, bodies which had been injected with untested drugs, alien to those male bodies, she blocked me on twitter.
I don’t know how Alison Thewliss sleeps at night.
Scottish women are resilient, enduring and, on occasion, forgiving. But threaten our babies, and our children? Then seal your own fate.
They don’t like it up ’em, Especially from behind.
If Karma didn’t exist you’d need to invent it, just for this occasion.
If you want to maintain this level of comedy, and provide our host with endless an endless supply of material, a small donation to the Greens clearly goes a very, very long way.
The next two years are going to be bland and less confrontational with the nuSNP licking their wounds after such a monumental electoral defeat.
For these next two years, Labour will be playing nice with Holyrood in order to present the image that it is a break from the past stormy relationships with Holyrood that previous Tory governments followed.
Labour will also do this to try to prove to the Scottish people it can be trusted to have the Scottish peoples interests at heart in order to gain control of Holyrood.
In these two years, nuSNP will not rock the boat, at least not on constitutional issues. They will go into the 2026 election with the narrative that with a Labour government in Westminster that a Labour Holyrood administration can’t be trusted to put Scotland’s interests before party and the nuSNP are the best party to lead Holyrood to get the best deal for Scotland.
There won’t be any any lessons learned for the nuSNP unless they experience a similar defeat in 2026.
If these SNP MP’s knocked on a handful of doors surely they would would have known they were going to be defeated.
I can picture them at a door where the female resident tore into them above removing women’s rights and they run away up the path with their fingers in their ears shouting Transphob, Transphob, Ahhhhhh.
Get me out of here I’m a nonentity!
link to m.youtube.com
An indicator of things to come.
link to archive.ph
Islamization, a new breed of sectarianism.
Slightly off topic, but related
Keir Starmer flew up to Scotland pre election day to canvass,
Keir Starmer after elections were over, flew back up to Scotland to meet on friendly open arm welcome with John Swinny,
To hell with Climate change,
But here we have very similar arrangement meetings that Nicola Sturgon’s meetings with Boris Johnstone, Teresa May and The Queen,
The ties of Westminster’s rule over their rolled down legislated government sent in Scotland for management and who controls it is obvious, and I have no doubt that the English law of the Hate crime Bill was no accident along with the encouragement of gender issues that could later be discribed as incompetence of a Scottish governance that Westminster Has the ability under its control over laws made in Scotland,
It was a lesson to Scots to recognised that Englands parliament can write or dismiss laws made under very questionable Scots Law, Westminster can intercept them which implies they are not laws of “Scots laws”.
But were and are laws of Westminster under their legislation and statues,
It is also very easy under those back door circumstances to deduce who really controls The Scottish devolved parliament to make Charges through civil servants to Alex Salmond leadership, and its is also extremely easy to control whom sits or gets to remain in the devolved parliament from afar with a quick visit from the leaders of Westminster parliament,
Every leader or MP that displays early promise towards Scottish Independence is soon enough fit in law suits and threatened physically in someway,
The mechanisms for controlling Scottish independence or anyone that sticks their head above the parapit for Scottish independence and controlling the Scots, for imposing two tier laws on Scots wether the Hate Crime bill, the Rape clauses or the gender issues in Scotland derives from one Source, The rolled down devolved governance sent to Scotland,
If any of these were genuine “Scots Laws” passed by a genuine Scottish parliament, Westminster could not alter, change or challenge them, So herein lies food for thought.
Everything about that Holyrood parliament that is Stymieing Scottish independence and removing able or legal leaders while becoming the most inept governance of Scotland, costing the people in Scotland their ringed supposedly fenced money or Scottish taxpers money by the millions on projects that don’t work.
Is there for one reason, and that is something that the people of Scotland do not need,
And it breaches the treaty of union articles on there being only “One parliament of Great- Britain”
SNP carrot patch destroy by aphids.
According to ‘The Fragrant Pharmacy’ all it takes to get rid of green fly is a few drops of essential oil of lavender.
Humza tried that trick but it was too late. The carrot patch was already rotting.
Greenfly are not always green. With a number of different species, they can appear green, brown or pink.
Rose gardens often become victims to an invasion of green aphids, more commonly known as greenfly.
Starmer should perhaps take action now to prevent his ‘Rose Garden’ being destroys by the pink aphids.
So sad too bad! I suppose it could have been worse it could have been ‘Spanish Fly’
As for a new treaty being signed up between Scotland and England,
That would be impossible due to the devolved government in Scotland being under Westminster legislation and Statues legally being a second (parliament) that breaches the treaty of union,
Either it is a Scottish parliament in its own right separate from Westminster altogether that could legally make a treaty of union or it is the parliament of Englands Westminster,
If it is a genuine legal Scottish parliament then Scotland is already independent,
If it is a Westminster parliament of the UK , then Westminster parliament cannot create a treaty with itself “Westminster parliament of UK ” to hold Scotland, because Scotland is not in a treaty of union with the United kingdom Westminster parliament,
It was in a political treaty of union with the parliament of England.
Well done greens you got rid of 5 MPs who didn’t have the slightest interest in Indyref2.
Cuilean
Excellent question to her.
See, that’s what rips my knitting. That’s exactly why no one from Scotland should take their seat at Westminster. Grifters getting paid extra money to divert & distract them from what they were actually elected for.
They weren’t elected to chair pishy causes that’s completely irrelevant & time wasting. The benefits of Mother’s milk has been around since the dawn of time & for expectant mother’s a bit dim, they’re given health care professionals & midwives that give that advice out 24/7. I’m sure there’s even a free baby box now too with that advice.
Had that waster actually tried fulfilling the role she was elected to do for Scots she may have still been in a job.
Greedy knt.
I remember she got pelters on X as she complained bitterly her summer recess was being ruined by having to work extra & late. She was given short shift & rightly so. Well now she’s on a permanent recess. Suck it up, buttercup LOL
I wonder if “Decapitate TERFS” also played a role in her demise.
Who the f@ck votes for these misogynistic science denying grifters,
also, WhoTF votes for the Scottish Green Party.
Who is to blame for the fall of the SNP definitely not Alex Salmond. 🙂
“I’m one of the few people in Scotland who can say ‘I voted for a successful SNP candidate!'”
Alba leader Alex Salmond tells @matthew_wright
that the fall of the nationalist parties in Scotland can’t be on his shoulders, having voted for his former party on Thursday.
link to x.com
A lot of the MSM are going with the headline Alex Salmond voted SNP without giving full details.
This is one of the better headlines.
link to tinyurl.com
Alba leader Alex Salmond admits he voted SNP to stop Douglas Ross winning seat for Tories
Manna from heaven. Well hoisted.
In this case, thank God for the Greens.
But it doesn’t bode well for Holyrood.
Someone posted recently that Glasgow has 185,000 students!!
I’m assuming that’s where most of this Green nonsense comes from
I’d like to thank them for the 200 quid I made betting that the SNP would get fewer than 10 seats. Thanks, Greens – couldn’t have done it without you!
Certainly an interesting political gun for Alba and others to hold at the head of any unrepentant SNP drones for constituency votes at Holyrood 2026.
Worth ensuring that Alba and the ISP get this organised in the run up to the elections, particularly as it’s likely that lots of the dross that just got booted out last week will be busting a gut to feed their gravy habit at Holyrood rather than Westminster.
Don’t be so dismissive Hatuey @ 2.09 about our now unemployed joining the job market with zero skills.
That’s not quite accurate. Alyn Smith by way of example will be well skilled in the art of being a Rent Boy. Ideal in fact. A political prostitute is a political prostitute.
But yes, some of them will struggle. And not long really to wait until the next clear out come the Hollyrood elections in 2026 when another load of dross will be dumped by the electorate.
We are going to secure independence without them.
link to tinyurl.com
Another SNP obituary.
JIM SILLARS: A damning verdict on my party’s record of failure and incompetence
Jim reckons The guilt lies squarely on the shoulders of John Swinney
I never thought I’d be saying this but, the Scottish Greens did something good for once, in helping to flush the lavvy of colonial administrator, child-corrupting SNP keech.
Alex Salmond is boasting that he voted SNP.
Alex Thorburn on Yours For Scotland points out:
“The Alba Party was created, and for a short while did provide a little of that hope, but as we know, adherence to Westminster Parliamentary Sovereignty is what the Leader of that party has sworn to “assist and defend” through his status as one of the King’s Privy Councillors.”
Or as I put it, Alex Salmond is another sworn servant of “English Crown in Westminster” sovereignty just like Nicola Sturgeon.
Alex Salmond put Alex Salmond’s status as part of the British Establishment before Scottish sovereignty just like Sturgeon.
It’s there on photo and video: Alex Salmond at the proclamation of fealty to King Charles III pledging all faithful obedience to the English Crown.
You have been warned.
The elections in Scotland is a farce, it is a nonsical pretence at democracy for Weeks ahead of anyone voting in Scotland they had a Labour governance by a majority,
The gender issue is a labour policy as much as the labour Snps policies as tha parallel each other and keir Starmer does not recognise what a women is any more than the Labour Snp,
One wonders who they are married too, but then the gender woo woo laws might not apply to the elites in the same way climate change travel does not,
The woes of Scotland and its people come down to to whom is controlling the puppets in Holyrood.
We in Scotland could have a fully effective independence referendum in Scotland tomorrow if only someone here was prepared to pay for it. I reckon crowdfunding at £20 a head would cover it.
But as long as the received wisdom is that the UK parliament has to pay for a referendum, we shall never have a referendum, because the will of the UK parliament is against holding a referendum, and will remain so, until a convincing pro-independence referendum result has already been obtained.
Can anyone see the way out of this insolubly dark labyrinth, or are we all destined to starve to death in the cold and dark damp fog?
A free postal vote to every Scottish household could do it.
“Well-behaved women rarely make history.”
That quote has been attributed to Marilyn Monroe, Eleanor Roosevelt, and even Anne Boleyn.
However, the credit should have gone to Laurel Ulrich, a student destined to become a Harvard professor.
So girls (how patronising – but I’m a man and as such the patronising of women is my birthright), if you want to make history you won’t…if you ain’t misbehavin’.
Is it possible there are a few women on here who agree with Laurel Ulrich? I think it might be.
And this Wildean antithesis:
“Wicked women bother one. Good women bore one.”
I imagine it’s a terrible disappointment for a man if his wicked woman turns good.
And I suppose it’s equally disappointing for those men who prefer good women when their good woman turns wicked.
Scotland has been a good girl for 300 years and done what she’s been told, but it’s time for her to embrace her wicked side and start misbehaving.
It’s time for her to give her treacherous ‘partner’ a swift kick or two tae its wee shrivelled-up imperial baws.
Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman
scornedbetrayed.It’s time for betrayed Scotland to stop being a bore and start being a bother.
James Che
The TRA agenda is a direct instruction. That’s why it’s exploded into every single parliament in the West.
This is confirmed by the Eastern countries who are flat out rejecting it as it goes against the very fabric of their beliefs & values & have confirmed it’s an instruction. We always suspected that cause no way was this shite spawned from grass roots. It was instant.
Sir Kid Starver will go full throttle now. He was told to STFU about lady penises until AFTER the election. Now it will be back front & centre. They didn’t donate to his campaign for nothing.
As for the SNP, they thought they’d have 40yrs plus like Labour did. No wonder they’re greeting. It’s a huge pay drop as they gravy train stopped at destination fcked. Enjoy yer stay lol…
Are we all assuming the SNP government will last until 2026?
SLAB will want to have an election as soon as possible and can now offer more to the Greens than the SNP can. There’s bad blood between the Greens and the SNP now too.
Sarwar’s intellect might be hard to detect but his ambition isn’t.
Jim Sillars on Alba and Alex Salmond: Is there an alternative to the SNP? ALBA? Afraid not. The derisory votes it received is an inescapable message of its irrelevance. “Alex Salmond is one of Scotland’s tragedies, a politician of the first order, found not guilty of the criminal charges against him, but scarred beyond repair by what was revealed at his trial.
The asset he brought with himself to ALBA is out weighted by the liability. I don’t say that with any satisfaction. It is simply the reality.”
Alex Salmond is boasting that he voted SNP.
No he’s not.
Only clowns without a sense of humour/irony would think that.
link to spice-spotlight.scot
“The budget document shows that Scottish income tax policy is estimated to generate £12,365 million in 2020-21. This is only £46 million more than will be deducted through the block grant adjustment. So, rather than generating an additional £600 million or more for the Scottish budget, the different income tax policy is only just managing to offset the block grant adjustment.
In budgetary terms, we are effectively running to stand still. This is largely because of differences in earnings growth and the composition of taxpayers in Scotland compared to the rest of the UK. Because of these differences between the two economies, the Scottish Government is having to set higher taxes in order to generate enough revenue to offset the block grant adjustment.”
Should someone tell Alison Thewliss that Spock didn’t really die in the Wrath of Khan and that is was just a film? Or that no matter how hard she tries, getting beamed up doesn’t work for the same reason. What next? She finds out that Santa isn’t a real person? Clearly a person with a low IQ and even lower EQ.
Holyrood Alert
Don’t expect the SNP to see sense and agree to a “Scotland United” approach in 2026. It may seem to even a child that this would be the most sensible approach after their drubbing last Thursday, but it won’t happen. No chance.
The most disgusting sight yet to see pre-2026 will be those ex-WM troughers, the desperados (the usual suspects) battling it out to try for a comfy Holyrood (list) seat to replace the comfy WM seat they lost in 2024. Talk about cats in a bag lol. You ain’t seen nothing yet, folks. They will be too scared to go for a constituency so it will be list seats all round. Brave hearts in short supply. So, sad to say, it’s going to be another ridiculous “vote SNP 1 and 2”, this time on stilts. Prepare yersels. 🙂
Alba leader Alex Salmond admits he voted SNP to stop Douglas Ross winning seat for Tories
Hmmm.
It was Reform that did for DRoss. Their 5,500 votes dwarves the difference between the SNP and Tory tallies.
@Hatuey says:8 July, 2024 at 10:58 am
Sarwar’s intellect might be hard to detect but his ambition isn’t
True, plus HR has reverted once again to white, white white.
And Swinney’s big baldie white heid just makes the look worse.
Time for a change.
link to youtube.com
I’ve just been listening to this
Jordan Petersen talks to Farage.
Farage wants to build a movement of common sense.
That sounds fair enough.
He wants to concentrate on family, community & country.
Which also sounds fair enough except for the part about country.
He and Jordan Peterson are both thinking that country is England.
Farage wants to replace all rainbow flags in schools with Union flags & lots of Englishness.
There was no mention of Scotland. I suppose it would be difficult to continue to argue for sovereignty & taking back control if Scotland were to be brought into the discussion.
Reform sounds fine for England if that is what they want although the community issue could be a problem because there are so many different communities in England.
Many different cultures, many different religions, many different languages.
On top of all that there are many different genders.
I don’t think the Farage plan will work it’s too late.
You’d need a heart of stone not to laugh.
Very good article today.
snp org started updating Mps list on Sat and had 10 but numbers 5 to 8 (2nd line) showed defeated ones like our areas Monaghan – bye bye !
MSPs has not still been updated.
Uzeless is still Leader and 1st Minister. (So is Swiney)
Hapless Robison is still his Deputy
Forbes isn’t Deputy FM (yet on it)
It’s all very amateurish – like them !
“A free postal vote to every Scottish household could do it”
Sure it could, Geri.
This has made me think…
The Scotland Act is the principal tool used by the British state to keep Holyrood on a straight jacket. It stipulates that Holyrood cannot debate/bring forward matters reserved to Westminster.
Westminster itself, without ever having bothered to consult the Scottish people at all – who, incidentally and under the doctrine of popular sovereignty are the real owners of all Scotland’s powers – has decided on its own accord that anything to do with the union or independence, and that includes a referendum, is a reserved matter.
The Scotland Act installed two gatekeepers against Scotland’s independence. The first one, is that unelected crown representative sitting in the middle of the cabinet of our executive as “lord advocate”.
This figure, which shows one of the ways in which the crown exercises absolute rule over Scotland, controls the legislative power by vetoing any legislation related to independence to ever enter the chamber to be debated. This is exactly what we saw that undemocratic embarrassment to her profession Bain doing not that long ago.
This crown representative is a crown safeguard against a pro-indy majority in the chamber which would pass any independence legislation in a heartbeat.
The clause in the Scotland act which declares that the matter of the union is a reserved matter is the gatekeeper at the other side: if a law regarding independence “accidentally” happens to be passed, then that legislation is contested in the courts and royal consent is immediately denied under the excuse that it is “beyond” the powers of HOlyrood.
We know this is ultravires. If sovereignty in Scotland lies with the people, a bunch of self-serving MPs down in London, the imperial viceroy sitting at Scotland’s office or the crown apparatchiks have no right to decide what matters related to Scotland are reserved or deny intervention from the people of Scotland on those matters. This is an intrinsic violation of the Claim of Right, and yet, this is precisely what they are doing.
Holyrood could immediately become Scotland’s parliament if the supine amoebas sitting in it were ever to find the backbone to ditch the Scotland Act and eject that unelected crown representative, which is usurping from the people of Scotland the control over executive and legislative powers, from the middle of the government cabinet.
They could go the extra mile and remove the fangs of that other gatekeeper of the crown, “the crown office”, from the jugular of our prosecution service.
But this is wishful thinking, isn’t it? It will never happen. Our MSPs and MPs simply do not have either the balls or the commitment to ever do so.
So we will have to do it ourselves.
Here is a thought. It is only Holyrood that is bound by that con which is the Scotland Act. We are not. And neither will be any convention of the states or similar structure reconvened by public initiative.
We do not have to invite into such convention any gatekeeper figure, like the lord advocate, representing the crown’s interests. In fact, the attempt to impose on the convention such figure should be resisted.
If we do not have a gatekeeper vetoing the entry into the convention of independence/union matters to be debated in it, and that convention is not blindfolded and with the hands tied at the back with the Scotland Act, and if the convention does not give a shit about receiving “royal assent” or not because it considers it is the people of Scotland the real sovereign, what exactly would be stopping such a convention to call an independence referendum?
Such a convention could of course select its own franchise. For instance, what could stop those organising it from looking at the registry and establish who wasa living in Scotland for at least the last 5 or 10 years?
It would be rather tedious and time consuming, but not an impossible task.
We should not keep hitting our head against the same reinforced concrete wall expecting that one day it will crumble. It is more likely than not that we will end up breaking up our skulls first.
What we have to do is to find ways of jumping over the wall or simply walking around it.
Nothing is insurmountable if we find the will to do it.
Very annoying thicko!
Norse Warrior? More like Norse Pine. As thick as two short planks of Nordic Pine.
Oh dear, haha that made me smile.
Salmond’s never giving up on the SNP. Why’s he voted for those charlatans, thieves and crooks? Has he got Stockholm syndrome of something?
What’s he got a Highland Bond Syndrome?
Is he suffering from the Edinburgh Effect?
Or the Aberdeen Affinity?
Salmond. Don’t vote for those fucking crooks. Look what they’ve done to you!
Listen to what Jim Sillars says and take Sturgeon the Judas to the cleaners.
She’s still sitting there all high and mighty with her pursed lips. Face like thunder. More lacer on her hair than planet of the apes. She’s got her hench woman and piece of human filth – LIZZARD lloyd doing TV interviews.
Send these bitches to jail Big Eck. Fuck them.
Sturgeon and Liz Lloyd are shape shifters.
They are not from this world.
Salmond. You know what to do.
Salmond needs to do what Farage did. And go for the SNP jugular.
Take no prisoners! No prisoners!
David Hannah
Ignored says:
8 July, 2024 at 12:24 pm
Salmond’s never giving up on the SNP. Why’s he voted for those charlatans, thieves and crooks?
“Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.”(Sun Tzu).
Don’t take everything at face value. There are political wheels turning and moves currently being played that we do not know about. Salmond is by no means perfect (and he has made mistakes). However, he is like a chess grandmaster compared to his current enemies (most of whom would struggle to understand tiddlywinks). Let’s wait and see how things unfold. Popcorn ready.
That shot of Hunter looks like Eddie Izzard after a rough night
I see that the Moonhowlers at Yours for Stupidity have given up on Alba (just as they’ve given up on the SNP) and are now promoting the ISP as their vehicle for Indy.
The ISP got a whole 678 votes in the recent election.
By way of perspective, the Monster Raving Loony Party got 5,814 votes. Eight times as many as ISP.
And this despite the fact that one of the co-leaders of the Monster Raving Loony Party died. Co-Leader “Howling Laud Hope” carried on despite the death of his co-leader, his pet cat, Catmondo.
Mia: “So we will have to do it ourselves.”
All of your plans have the same solution. And you get to say prophetic and profound things like “Nothing is insurmountable if we find the will to do it….”
Whoever said the devil had the best tunes was wrong.
How do I order tickets for the crackpot disco?
When does Salmond’s case against the Scottish government come to court
“The ISP got a whole 678 votes in the recent election”
So what?
ISP is the only political party in Scotland currently standing on an abstentionist manifesto. In other words, it is the only political party that, as today, acknowledges Scotland’s popular sovereignty. All the rest could not run fast enough to swear allegiance to a foreign crown and surrender the interests of the constituencies and country they are meant to represent to the interests of that crown – in exchange, of course, for a pat in the back, a big salary, a generous pension, connections and access to subsidised bars.
Do not forget that over 500,000 Scottish voters could not stomach even approaching the polling places on the last election. Why? because they either were sick of being taken for fools by the current political elite or the parties standing had nothing of value to offer for them.
ISP stood only in a couple of constituencies. ISP is not a product of the establishment like Reform is, and therefore cannot immediately pull out of the hat and out of thin air sufficient candidates and funding to stand in all constituencies, nor it can command access to every propaganda mouthpiece the establishment has control over.
Come back and laugh again when they stand in all constituencies and when the people of Scotland realise that, for once, there is a political party that is not accepting the bribe of the subsidised bars, high salaries and nice pensions, and is therefore willing to put the interests of Scotland first.
“Salmond needs to do what Farage did. And go for the SNP jugular”
In my opinion, his party would go further if they fully embraced popular sovereignty and an abstentionist mandate.
For as long as our political parties to embrace the Scotland Act, Holyrood will remain as Westminster’s talking shop in Scotland and will never become Scotland’s parliament.
In all honesty, I cannot understand how any political party which seeks to restore Scotland’s statehood can continue to abide by the abusive Scotland Act and allowing it to continue stealing from the people of Scotland the control over Scotland’s own legislative, executive and judicial powers.
Either you are a pro-independence party and ditch the Scotland Act, or you are not.
Luigi says:
“Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.”(Sun Tzu).
———————–
Wasn’t it (from memory):
“Keep your enemies close but keep your friends even closer”
Otherwise, I agree with your take of AS.
Mia
Ignored says:
8 July, 2024 at 1:13 pm
“The ISP got a whole 678 votes in the recent election”
So what?
“So what” sums up one reason why the Indy movement has stalled.
By way of context, the “Portsmouth Party” got 733 votes, “Confelicity” 750, “Propel” 1,041, the “Animal Welfare Party” 1,486, and the “North East Party” 1,581. While the ISP lost to these parties, and got smashed by the Monster Raving Loonys, the ISP did, however, edge out (barely) the “Putting Crewe First” Party.
BTW Alba’s derisory 11,784 votes was dwarfed by the 17,227 votes of the “Yorkshire Party.” It appears Yorkshire regionalism is more popular than Alba-style Indy. And more popular than Alba and ISP combined.
“All of your plans have the same solution”
All my suggestions have the same outcome:
Transferring back control over Scotland’s powers from the crown to the people of Scotland.
What is the outcome of yours and where are they? Excuse my shortsightedness, but I don’t see how campaigning for GZ is going to bring Scotland’s powers back to the people of Scotland.
Swinney it was who “negotiated” the outcome of The Vow. He and the SNP are partly responsible for the present fiasco regarding the raising of tax. Of course, they (SNP and their civil servants) were taken for mugs by the UK gov.
It matters if the country wants to be redistributive. We are bound now into a low tax system.
“BTW Alba’s derisory 11,784 votes was dwarfed by the 17,227 votes of the “Yorkshire Party.”
And?
Why should a Scottish nationalist give a toss about how many votes in England and England party gets?
Besides, considering the population of England is over 10 times that of Scotland, it does look like, in proportion, that English party you mention did far worse than Alba.
There is a need for supporters of independence and particularly their political leaders to develop and show a vision of what an independent Scotland would look like. And it will not be like 2014.
Some research on what the punters think.
“Thus, among Scottish sovereigntists:
As many as 54% accept sharing a currency with the remaining UK (rUK) after independence (46% want a Scottish currency);
41% accept sharing armed forces with rUK (58% want Scotland to have its own armed forces);
43% accept UK spending in Scotland in areas usually decided by Scottish Government (such as schools, roads and hospitals).
On immigration, 31% (almost a third) think the rules should be same in Scotland as rUK in context of independence.
Among British unionists, we also find unexpected crossovers:
On taxes, only 36% think the UK should decide all taxes; on welfare benefits, only 30% of unionists think that all benefits should be decided by UK government.
On who should have right to decide on a second Independence referendum, only a bare majority (54%) by the UK parliament alone.
On the UK parliament making laws for Scotland, one-third of unionists think it should not – ostensibly a sovereigntist position.
What we take from these findings is that even among Scottish sovereigntists and British unionists, the two polar positions on the subject of self-determination, there is considerable nuance and complexity about the object, such that the sovereigntists are willing to accept sharing with the UK, even post-independence, while unionists accede that many decisions should be the responsibility of Scottish Government. There is still a large measure of support for options that ‘mix and match’ elements of Scottish sovereignty and British union in different ways.
link to rse.org.uk
Facts for numbers-challenged Mia:
I compared the Yorkshire Party to Alba/ISP in part because Yorkshire HAS THE SAME NUMBER of PEOPLE as Scotland. And the Yorkshire Party got a lot more votes than Alba/ISP combined.
But don’t worry–we can all feel confident that sometime in the distant future, ISP will start outpolling the Monster Raving Loony Party. Especially since the pet cats who lead the MRLP keep on dying. The leadership of “Catmondo” can’t be easily replaced!
Here’s a crazy idea – start governing well.
You know, actually listening to the voters concerns.
Show that you can govern competently and you will win independence in the court of public opinion.
It will also win over NO voters – you know, the ones needed to make the country independent.
I am constantly amazed at how this rather obvious thing is overlooked by clueless politicians.
Looking at the story is it me or is it real that LGBT alphabet folk seem to be more than statistically represented in and around mp’s
As far as the crossdressers are concerned I am surprised any party would put up these candidates, never mind folk voting for them.
296–the number of votes Independence for Scotland Party leader Collette Walker got in the 2024 election (E. Renfrewshire).
Versus
340–the number of votes Monster Raving Loony Party leader “Howling Laud Hope” got in N. Hampshire.
And “Howling Laud Hope” outpolled Walker despite the death of his Party’s co-leader, his pet cat “Catmando.”
Perhaps the ISP should choose a pet cat as their party’s co-leader.
Ooh, karma. It’s a beautiful thing. Thank you, Rev. Fair made me laugh. All those ‘bonnie’ chaps in frocks. You’d never be able to tell, would you? Our young have screwed themselves. No, don’t laugh. They have. No young generation before has been quite so devoid of sense on such a large scale, but their even younger brothers and sisters deplore this ordure. Independence just got a shot in the arm and the Unionists haven’t a scoobie.
I came close to vomiting into my coffee cup over the picture of “Iris” Duane. But this is the reality of contemporary Scottish politics. You must keep doing us a service by rubbing our faces in it Rev Campbell.
Fir holyrood it has to be snp 1 alba or isp 2
No duplication sit down and agree it.
The Scottish green movement is toxic dump it.
Salmond gets to name the folk to be thrown under the bus
Nicola, humza robertson and co and swinney to be summarily dismissed
““So what” sums up one reason why the Indy movement has stalled”
Has it stalled? I do not think it has. Figures may have not increased but there is work going on in the background that denotes progress forward.
You also need to look at it from the opposite angle: despite having control over and access to everything, despite having hijacked and destroyed the main political vehicle for independence, despite having succeeded in tarnishing the reputation of the individual most capable to take us to independence, despite throwing everything at it and more, the British state has been incapable to increase support for the union in Scotland. Actually, they have not been even able to contain support at the 55% they claim there was in Scotland in 2014. Support for independence around 50% has now become the norm, not the outlier.
Over 500,000 people chose to stay at home and could not bring themselves to cast a vote for a unionist party. What does that tell you? To me, it says that it is not the pro-independence movement what has stalled. The one that has stalled, and is actually regressing, is the pro-union movement.
I appreciate that Wikipedia may not be the most reliable source, but I could not find the figures anywhere else yet. It seems the BBC was very keen to report on the number of seats and percentage of the vote but not so keen in reporting the actual figures for either the votes, turnout and the electorate figure.I am not sure who they think they are fooling.
According to Wikipedia, in 2024, the three main unionist parties (labour, liberal democrats and conservatives) pulled together in Scotland 1,393,469 votes.
That is a decrease from what they achieved in 2019. In 2019, they pulled 1,468,194. And that is after 5 disastrous SNP years where the SNP have done everything they could possibly do wrong. It does not look like the “pro-union” movement is moving forward at all, does it?
If you look a little bit more in detail at the figures, you can see that the increase in the labour vote is mainly coming from the conservative vote.
In Scotland, the conservative vote collapsed from 692,939 in 2019 to 307,344 in 2024. That is a fall of more than half. Yet you do not hear much about it in the propaganda mouthpieces, do you?
The decrease in the conservative vote was of 385,595 votes.
Liberal democrats lost 29,189 votes compared to 2019. If you add them both:
385,595 + 29,189 = 414,784
The SNP lost 517,622 votes compared to the election in 2019.
517,622 + 414,784 = 932,406
If labour had the mother of all landslides that the establishment mouthpieces, including Curtice, expect us to believe it had, they you would expect labour to hoover up around 900,000 votes.
However, the increase in the labour vote in Scotland from 2019 is a meagre 340,059. That is almost a third of the available extra vote.
When you look at the figures, it stands to the obvious that what has really happened is a strategic transfer of the unionist vote from tories and libdem voters to labour to fabricate, aided by Reform which shrank the conservative vote even further, a labour “landslide”. This is exactly what we saw in Ms Ferrier constituency. But the reality is that the landslide in unionist seats sits on an overall unionist vote that is even lower than what it was in 2019.
This smacks at the establishment desperately rearranging the deckchairs in the Titanic. The unionist vote moving from one party to another to create the illusion of change. I wonder how long it is going to take for the establishment to drop the farce and pull the three parties into one, which is what they have been behaving as since 2014.
When you add the vote of the three unionist parties, it looks like the unionist vote not only has not increased, in fact, it might have shrunk by almost 70,000 votes.
In light of this, I would advise you that instead of boasting about the misperception that the pro-independence movement is becoming irrelevant, you actually look in detail at the figures which are clearly suggesting that it is the pro-union support in Scotland what is disappearing and fast.
Iris Duane is a feminist activist fighting to be one of Glasgow first Green MPs.
Are ye, aye?
She is seeking to become the first trans woman of colour elected to Westminster.
Why would Scottish people want that?
Facts, logic, and statistics rarely persuade humans. Emotion is humanity’s guiding light.
An independent Scotland could become the most destitute of nations, highly unlikely considering her abundance of rich natural resources, and still her people, moved by an emotive argument, would embrace her liberty and by extension their own.
Just as we see in individuals, emotion is the key to moving a people to take action, not the dry and brittle counting of numbers or the hard truths of logic.
Folk will expend the least effort and spend as little as possible to get what they need – but will go to any lengths and spend any amount to attain what they desire.
Mundane politicians stutter in clumsy incoherence of economies and percentages and rules and regulations – great leaders speak eloquently of dreams and hopes and destinies.
They speak of heroic pasts and glittering diamond futures.
They can break hearts or bring forth tears of joy.
They can lift spirits high and move entire peoples to follow them no matter what obstacles they might face.
But we live in the age of mediocre man, and it seems there are no great leaders to be found anymore.
The old ones, the best of whom were never more than competent and who never quite reached the peaks of greatness despite their gift for the gab, must be put out to pasture. They tried and they failed. They failed spectacularly – all of them.
They were given many chances, but their mediocrity, and for some their corruption and with it their inevitable fall from grace, ruined them all.
And now they spend their days wallowing in recriminations; blaming everyone and anyone, even those Scots who raised them up, but themselves for their failure to liberate a nation from its oppression.
They are a spent force who were given a magnificent opportunity by their people. An opportunity squandered in bitter childish argument. A golden goose plucked and gutted and offered on a platter as a gift. A gift contemptuously tossed aside by their beloved master.
The Scots put their faith in a handful of self-absorbed self-serving infants. A third rate troupe of vainglorious costumed actors caked in stage make-up and vying with each other for their master’s applause.
There isn’t one of them of any use to the Scots. Not one of them.
Let us hope that a real leader is preparing in the shadows awaiting their moment. A ‘freedom fighter’ – a genuine great leader, and not some false idol or some perversion of a clown cavorting about in pantomime.
Perhaps the ISP is the golden egg that will hatch such a leader, one who will lead the Scots to liberation. Or perhaps Scotland’s greatest leader waits patiently within the ranks of Salvo for their time to come – we shall see.
Scottish politics lolz,what a clownshow. So glad my granny’s not alive to see how it
Red @ 16.01.
“Why would Scottish people want that ?”.
Hopefully, they’d be spending a lot more time out of Scotland, which would suit me just fine, Red.
Red says on 8 July 2024 at 4:01 pm:
“Iris Duane is a feminist activist fighting to be one of Glasgow first Green MPs. She is seeking to become the first trans woman of colour elected to Westminster. Why would Scottish people want that?”
“Scottish people”? I’d be willing to wager most of his support comes from Glasgow’s considerable student population.
Self appointed John Swinney became leader of the SNP and once again has shown he’s no leader whats so ever.
But what do I know John says he the best man for the Job and takes all the blame for something that Sturgeon did. He says he’s prepared to listen the only trouble is John no one is listen to you and don’t care what you have to say because its not you who’s in control its Nicola Sturgeon who controlling you.
“The Yorkshire Party got a lot more votes than Alba/ISP combined”
1. The Yorkshire party was established in 2014, that is 10 years ago. Alba and ISP are far more recent. This is the first time Alba and ISP stood candidates on a UK general election, while it is not the first run of the Yorkshire party in a general election.
2. The Yorkshire party stood candidates in 27 constituencies. The Alba party stood candidates only in 19 constituencies. ISP just in two.
3. Despite being around for 10 years, in the constituency of Richmond & Northallerton, for example, which is where the Yorkshire party got the lower percentage of the vote, it achieved just 132 votes. The constituency for which ISP achieved the lowest percentage of the vote was Renfrewshire East, where ISP got 296 votes. The constituency for which Alba got the lower percentage of the vote was Dunbartonshire Mid, where the Alba candidate got 449 votes.
4. The Yorkshire party campaigns for the status quo but with a devolved Yorkshire parliament. It does not campaign for Yorkshire’s independence or to break the UK union, like Alba and ISP campaign for.
5. As far as I can work out, although I might be mistaken, the Yorkshire party is a niche and does not have any real competition. Alba and ISP are competing with the SNP for the pro-independence vote. To see the real success of the Yorkshire party, considering that what it pursues makes it unique in Yorkshire (it is the political vehicle for Yorkshire’s pro-devolution vote), you need to compare it with all the pro-independence vote in Scotland – that would mean including Alba + ISP + SNP. When you look at it from that perspective, the Yorkshire party, despite having a well defined and unique brand and campaigning for something very fair, is not very successful.
Numbers-challenged Mia post another laughable comment.
Using HER OWN categories, the election results show the 3 main pro-Union parties (Labour, Conservative, LibDem) with 1,393,469 votes.
The 3 Indy Parties (SNP, Alba, ISP) got 737,150 votes.
In short, by HER OWN figures, the pro-Indy parties got only 34% of the vote compared to the pro-union parties. This also represents a DECLINE in the percentage of pro-Indy party votes from 2019.
She nonetheless claims this as a victory for the Indy movement!
At this point, one must wonder whether “Mia” is paid to embarrass the ISP and the pro-Indy cause.
Stoker, it’s very generous of the Scottish people to let the universities turn Glasgow into a doss house for ugly foreign oddballs.
Sven, there’s a lot of people who just need chased.
Mia @ 3:35 pm
““So what” sums up one reason why the Indy movement has stalled”
Yes, nationalist politicians (and most of the people it must be said) remain ignorant that the goal of self-determination is decolonization; this is what the UN Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples provides the legal basis of.
As for ‘the reason’: well, successive elected nationalist majorities of MPs and MSPs have refused to progress self-determination and decolonization, they have instead opted to protect colonialism (hence they have been ‘co-opted’ in postcolonial theory). It is this deceit that has ‘sickened the people’ and ‘ruptured the movement’, causing the people to refuse to back the dominant party to the hilt any more.
Quite obviously now the SNP elite have been and still are working against the self-determination (i.e. decolonization) of the Scottish people. They have become willing puppets of the colonial power and hence represent a blockage to progress, preventing liberation of the people.
A better understanding of colonial society is at least some progress, and this also allows us to see where we are in the decolonization process:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
Ruled by pantomime dames – whoopee!
Red, that gave me a chuckle. 😉
Lets now watch the SNP react in completely the wrong way by attacking WOS, Alba, and stay-at-home indy supporters. Swinney is not the right man. If they do not elect a fully fledged independence person they are dust in 26.
How dare we pull them away from the WM Gravy Train.
I found your website a few months ago thanks to an online newspaper reader comment. Very grateful. This article also is very insightful. The Grren fallout has damaged the SNP more than I realised, as it is clear from this article the Greens most likely cost the SNP a number of key seats. The question is, what do they (the SNP) do now ? Repair the bonds before 2026 ? Denigrate them as a wasted vote (hard to do in a PR election). Interesting times for the SNP !
Dorothy
“Ruled by pantomime dames – whoopee!”
Oh no we aren’t. Oh yes we are. 🙂
@Boyce Franks
“If they do not elect a fully fledged independence person they are dust in 26.”
Dust is their destiny. They can’t turn round a loss of trust in competence in 2 Years.
June 7th on X.The full line up for Perth and Kinross-shire. Really grateful to the Greens for not standing again. Reform are and are certain to take a couple of thousand votes of the Tories. No Alba either. Thought they’d be queuing up to take on old ‘comfy slippers’…. He’s no daft but how or why does it happen?
Yawn.
Northcode: “emotion is the key to moving a people to take action, not the dry and brittle counting of numbers or the hard truths of logic…”
95% of the people who say stuff like that are crap with numbers.
@Campbell Clansman
“in short, by her own figures, the pro-indy parties got only 34% of the vote compared to the pro-union parties. This also represents a DECLINE in the percentage of pro-indy parties votes from 2019”.
Goodness, do you set yourself to deliberately miss the point or are you trying to deflect?
Have you not been reading this blog for months?
1. The SNP lost over 500,000 votes. That is an undeniable fact. Looking at the vote figures, as many as 500,000 voters chose to remain at home rather than casting their vote at this election. That is another undeniable fact.
It has been established for months in this thread and several others besides social media that a very large number of pro-independence supporters no longer see the SNP as a pro-independence party (me included).
They see it as a devolutionist party at best, and at worse, as a labour shell that has been deliberately self-immolating to help the establishment fabricate that faux labour “landslide”.
With regards to Alba and ISP, they did not stood candidates in all constituencies, therefore they cannot be comparable to any of the three unionist parties. Having said that, yes, you are right, they got much less vote than it was expected considering that the SNP had made themselves unelectable.
It is very true that both Alba and ISP need to reflect as to why those 500,000 pro-independent voters chose stay at home and not cast a vote for them instead, as they were presented as the pro-independence alternatives. But if what has been written here is an indication of what has happened, many pro-indy voters were not given the option to vote for those parties in their constituencies. Others did not trust them as real pro-independence parties either. Others might have not been aware of them. Others refused to cast a vote for Westminster because they do not want Scotland MPs sitting there any longer. Others might have been sickened by politics altogether.
But whatever reason, the reality is that 500,000 voters disgusted by the SNP and ripe to be hoovered up by the labour party chose to stay at home rather than casting a vote for labour or any unionist party for that matter.
I am not going to let you deflect from this, sorry. The labour “landslide” we are being sold by the establishment is a pup. Yes, they got a hell of a lot of more seats than they did in 2019, but there has not been any meaningful transfer of pro-independence vote from the SNP to labour. The transfer appears to have been from the conservatives and libdems to labour. This represents a rearrangement of the unionist vote, not a gain.
Why is this an indication that the pro-union vote is tanking?
Because the SNP could not have been a worse party of government and a worse leader for independence that they have been. As I said in my previous comment to you, EVERYTHING they could possibly do wrong, they did wrong and more. They made themselves unelectable. They made themselves look incompetent. They made themselves look dishonest and unethical. They made themselves look undemocratic. They let many mandates expire without even making an effort to use them. They offered NOTHING to pro-independence supporters other than carrots. They cosied up to labour and even attempted to present labour as a reasonable party to vote for by joining on the charade of “no tories in Scotland”.
Yet, despite sickening their core support to their back teeth, the establishment still could not manage to transfer that vote into unionist parties.
Goodness, just look back at what STurgeon has been presiding on. We had the gender crap nonsense with a direct threat to women and children. We had the Hate bill which represents an assault on freedom of speech. We had failure after failure of government. We had her insidious vindictiveness against gender critical women and pro-independence supporters. We had her destruction of the democratic structures of the party. We had the fabricated criminal case against Mr Salmond, the imprisonment of Mr Murray and the threat of the removal of juries. We had £600,000 of donations for a referendum “woven” through the accounts. We had the forensic tent in her garden plus police cars escorting her and her husband for questioning. We had an expensive campervan first parked at the mother in law’s house and then towed away by the police. We had a bogus leadership election for Humza and then a coronation for Swinney. You name it. We had it all. Anything bad that could possibly have happen, she made it happen. And yet, the establishment was incapable to transfer any of that vote to labour.
Say what you want and throw the toys out of the pram as much as you like. But the labour “landslide” is sitting on borrowed tory vote, and the unionist seats landslide is sitting in less unionist vote than the vote they got in 2019.
Starmer’s “mandate” over Scotland is sitting on foundations made of sand.
Just heard Guilianie on the radio saying talk of indy lost the election.
Talk about not reading the room
Interesting Swinney has thrown out the St. Andrews flags.
A sad day for scotland.
“Just heard Guilianie on the radio saying talk of indy lost the election”
Let them say whatever nonsense they want and let them pretend as much as they like. The labour “landslide” in Scotland is sitting on foundations of sand.
As soon as you look at the figures in context, you realise it is unionism what has lost the election. In my opinion, this was their last hurrah
For years, they have been making the SNP look completely incompetent, unelectable, undemocratic and dictatorial, dangerous and dishonest. To top it up, they irreversibly damaged the brand by transforming the party into a devolutionist one.
In such circumstances, the expectation would be for the SNP vote to transfer in masse to labour at least as a form of punishment. Well, they failed on that mission and they failed spectacularly. Only the conservative vote transferred in meaningful numbers.
If even in such ridiculously favourable circumstances they could not manage to transfer the vote, the only logical conclusion anybody can make out of this is that unionism has lost the democratic battle in Scotland. FPTP is simply the tool they are hiding the real figures with.
I would suspect that if Starmer comes in too strong in his “muscular unionism” he may soon realise that the foundations of sand his “landslide” is currently sitting on will collapse very quickly. So lets see him try.
Mia
Ignored says:
8 July, 2024 at 5:33 pm
@Campbell Clansman
Have you not been reading this blog for months?
Yes, I have, as you well know. Mostly to chuckle at laughable moonhowling commenters like yourself.
I’ve already laid out most of the election facts. Here’s some more, with specific references to the last UK election (2019):
In 2019 the (nominally) Pro-Indy party (SNP) got 45% of the total Scottish vote.
In 2024, down to 30%. Add ISP and Alba to that and it still doesn’t add up to 32%.
45% to 32%. Even halfway intelligent people should acknowledge this big decline.
How can a guy in a dress represent the feminist movement?
I find it amusing listening to the latest round of troughers from Scotland going down to the foreign parliament in England. In that they say we’re going to change this and that, I don’t know if its naivety or outright lying on their part but we ALL know that Scottish MPs CANNOT change anything in the alien parliament in the foreign country of England.
Also I would say that the removal of the SNP’s MP troughers was more a protest vote, that a jump to BLIS as a whole.
End the ILLEGAL union now.
Rob @ 18.10.
You’re being just a wee bit too sensible now, Rob.
“Chicks with dicks” would seem to be the new political class.
“45% to 32%. Even halfway intelligent people should acknowledge this big decline”
And who isn’t?
Even a child would acknowledge after being told three times that over 500,000 ex-SNP voters chose to rather stay at home than casting a vote for ANY unionist party.
Considering that this general election was a situation where, by accident or by design, absolutely everything was going on labour’s favour, the fact that they still did not manage to attract that ex-SNP vote, indicates that unionism has lost the democratic battle in Scotland.
Campbell Clansman.
I think Mia has explained things to you in very realistic terms. And you know she’s right.
Independence won’t be won on votes or English propaganda.
If you just try and wipe the scales from your eyes, you might just see it.
I won’t hold my breath.
Hatuey
Ignored
says:
8 July, 2024 at 5:30 pm
Northcode: “emotion is the key to moving a people to take action, not the dry and brittle counting of numbers or the hard truths of logic…”
95% of the people who say stuff like that are crap with numbers.
That’s quite a weird reply Hatuey. Are you saying it isn’t emotion that drives people to take action?
Where did you get the info that people who make that claim are crap with numbers.
Are people who are good with numbers emotionless?
I wonder if ‘Better Together’ concentrated so much on ‘show us the money’ because they knew if it was down to only emotion independence would have won. The 30% hardcore BritNat vote was an emotional vote. Likewise the English is Scotland.
Farage is appealing to peoples emotions.
Family, community & country.
It was emotion that drove people to vote for Farage.
Farage of course is a conman and conmen are very good at manipulating your emotions.
I’m building up an argument that everything is driven by human emotion even if you are good at numbers.
Greed is also an emotion so those who voted NO because they believed what ‘Project Fear’ told them vis a vis Scotland being a basket case were also driven by greed.
One big reason for SNP decline.
link to forwomen.scot
“What is taught?
89% of secondary schools are teaching that people have a gender identity that may be different from their sex.
7% are teaching that some people or children may be born in the wrong body.
37% are teaching pupils that a person who self identifies as a man or a woman should be treated as such in all circumstances, even if this does not match their biological sex.
75% of schools use external providers for resources on gender identity. Most frequently cited are RSHP.scot, LGBT Youth Scotland and Time for Inclusive Education.
There is a misconception that the occasional headlines in the press about children socially transitioned without parents knowledge or boys causing upset by using the girls’ toilets represent isolated incidents, and that such practices are only happening in a small number of schools. This report conclusively disproves that theory.
The transgender guidance provided by the Scottish Government clearly has a significant influence on decisions made by schools which, by and large, unquestioningly follow its advice, even when it is out of date, unlawful and supports an unscientific contested belief system that has more in common with religious studies than it does with biology lessons. “
Starmer has problems with gender identity that are unlikely to be resolved.
He intends to make it easier to claim a gender identity while respecting women’s rights. This won’t and can’t work.
Ruby (among many) has the answer.
And Sarwar and cronies voted for this crap.
This guy Duane is just absolutely taking the piss.
Do the crime but you won’t do the time if the SNP government gets its way.
“SNP ministers have been slammed after it was announced long-term prisoners in Scotland could be released after serving just two-thirds of their sentence under controversial plans.
The Scottish Government has been forced to consider early release due to chronic overcrowding in the country’s crumbling jail system.
Scotland locks-up more people per head of population than almost every other country in Europe despite repeated pledges to reduce the prison population.
Around 500 prisoners on short-term sentences are already in line for early release to free-up capacity.”
The Teflon Don Swinney and Sturgeon the Judas can do a helluva lot more damage to Scotland between now and the 2026 elections.
I’m a bit jealous of the ‘Campbell’s Soup Man’ he seems to get a lot of attention.
What are people trying to do turn him into a YES voter.
The guy is here like Duane with the man boobs to take the piss.
He intends to make it easier to claim a gender identity while respecting women’s rights.
The con here is that he is not referring to biological women.
Transwomen are women. Women rights are trans rights!
This black bloke called Duane showing us his moobs in the above photo is a woman.
He thinks he’s proving it by showing us his moobs.
They are all taking the piss either that or they are mental.
Thewliss’s dress looks very green, don’t you think?
Ruby: “I’m building up an argument that everything is driven by human emotion even if you are good at numbers.”
If I was to ask you what 2 + 2 equalled, would your answer be emotional?
@ Mia at 5.33pm: Excellent analysis indeed. I agree with every word of your comment.
@Campbell Clansman 6:07pm
An unfortunate fact. The Independence polling has not changed. 47 to 48% in favour of Independence. A fact that the new Prime Minister is totally aware of. I accept the lack of probity and competence of the SNP Government has checked the momentum of the Scottish Independence movement. But the SNP are on the way out. A cult loses it’s influence. Jim whathisname of Guyana as an example. The worry for you is just as the Independence movement has not made the case for the status of Independence. Neither has the Unionist case been proved. I am willing to give the Labour Government a chance to change my views . And the GB Energy location doesn’t go to Aberdeen as a start.
@Northcode 4:13
Never forget where you are – Wings BTL.
To a solid cadre of the regulars, a freedom fighter is a despicable N@zi.
The trouble with that kind of twisted perversity is that people notice. Undecided Scots recoil in disgust from a movement that attracts that kind of following.
Just as there is no more than a token acceptance by the professional SNP politicos that they must take responsibility for the denouement, so you won’t find any of the regular hoonmowlers considering for even one second that they bear some responsibility too.
Not even a week yet, but already the doubling down on the lunacy is well under way.
Mia: The decline in Indy vote from 45% to 32% “indicates that unionism has lost the democratic battle in Scotland.”
What next, Mia and all? Are you going to tell us that Scotland WON that football match with Germany?
@Hatuey 8:02
My money’s on very emotional indeed.
Any reconstructed Nationalist party must engage with the real young, not the weirdo «young» troubled by sexual dysphoria on tiktok.
France could have a PM who is 28, that’s young even to me, who has rallied his age group to engage in politics. Compare that to the embittered, old leftist antisemite also on the list of possibles and you get the message.
Whether it pleases or not Le Pen has scored a superstrike with a constituency that deserves to be heard.
Salmond is a political titan. His stewardship as First Minister delivered real government within what is a devolved parliament with subsidiary powers.
Salmond also took on the Westminster establishment, secured a referendum and in doing so galvanised a Yes movement and a nation to all but deliver independence.
His standing down and handing over to the odious shape shifter Sturgeon and her clique was a mistake. Sturgeon and her clique of control have destroyed the SNP. Her clique, with th r help of the establishment, police and procurstor fiscal tried to destroy Mr Salmond. But the charges were rejected. That truth of the Sturgeon lying and conniving is still to come out.
Salmond is maybe quiet just now but he is a tactician and strategies and he has not gone away. But the SNP has as it crawls to its death.
Against this background I would suspect things could be quite interesting in the not too distant future when a new SNP emerges to replace the corpse created by Sturgeon.
Peter Oborne exposing the lies of Sir Kid Starver
link to x.com
In this article the Rev has correctly asserted that a number of nuSNP’s MP’s lost their seats because votes that would have went to them went to the Green who had fielded more candidates in this elections.
A number of BTL posters have asserted that this has happened in constituencies with large number of academic students who are more likely than other demographics to vote Green due to their policies, the most prominent one that of Trans.
If the assertion linking student population in a constituency to the size of Green votes is correct, it is real life example of how certain demographics can affect the outcome of elections, even though they are small compared to the overall population.
It can also be used in the ongoing argument on here about who should vote in a future independence referendum.
Of course this argument academic until there is conclusive proof but it does show as an example of how demographics could affect elections.
Of course my answer would be emotional.
ie Fuck off who do you think you are asking me such an idiotic question.
Alternatively I could give a very happy answer or even sing the answer as they do when announcing the winning numbers in the Spanish lottery. It would all depend on emotions. 🙂
The original premise was “emotion is the key to moving a people to take action’
The action here is you asking me a question which is driven by emotion likewise my answer. The fact that 2 + 2 = 4 isn’t an action it’s a fact.
Your turn Hatuey!
Betty Boop
says:
8 July, 2024 at 7:56 pm
Thewliss’s dress looks very green, don’t you think
I think sharny haha!
So good to see your post Betty, hope all is very well with you and the family – I miss fun Wings days.
Hillhead is the most green constituency in Scotland..hence Iris!
Betty Boop
Ignored
says:
8 July, 2024 at 7:56 pm
Thewliss’s dress looks very green, don’t you think?
Somewhat sharny I thought haha!
So good to see your post Betty, hope all is very well with you and the family – I miss Wings days ?
@Campbell Clansman
“Mia: The decline in Indy vote from 45% to 32% “indicates that unionism has lost the democratic battle in Scotland.”
Didn’t take you long to go for the classic bottom of the barrel gaslighting, did it?
How pathetic of you. I didn’t expect you would throw the towel this quickly, to be honest. What a disappointment. There really is nothing behind unionism other than a strategy based on abuse, disinformation, distortion, manipulation, deflection and scaremongering, is there?
How does it feel having to descend to the bottom of the sewer to defend what you know cannot be defended?
Doesn’t it make you feel worthless?
*According to Google:
“Gaslighting is a form of abuse, in which one person tries to control the other by causing them to doubt and question themselves”
“Examples of gaslighting behaviors are denying something the other person knows is true, spreading rumors about them, and blaming the victim”
You are gaslighting. I know that you are gaslighting because you are twisting what I wrote presenting it as if it was meant to have a completely different meaning to the way I wrote it.
I know you are gaslighting because you are seeking to cause doubt on the veracity of what I wrote.
I know you are gaslighting because you are purporting to blame me for your pretend lack of understanding of the facts.
I think what is really happening is that you cannot face accepting the facts being widely known so you are trying to hide them with your unsuccessful gaslighting. However the only thing you are really achieving is drawing even more attention to them Indirectly, you are acknowledging that you are incapable to counteract my argument with a reasonable argument of your own, so, like a coward, you are resource to gaslighting to hide it.
Well I am not going to let you hide it, so here it is again:
Starmer’s “landslide” in Scotland is resting on a foundations made of borrowed tory vote. The “landslide” of unionist seats in Westminster is resting on a foundation of less votes than the unionist vote achieved in 2019. Despite the unmitigated disaster that the SNP has been and despite having politically self-immolated itself for years to make themselves unelectable, resulted in over 500,000 disenfranchised SNP voters, Starmer’s labour has been incapable to attract that vote. Therefore the conclusion from this is that Starmer’s “mandate” over Scotland is sitting on foundations weaker than sand.
So as you know, I will continue to repeat it every time you attempt to gaslight me again. To avoid repetition, I would strongly recommend you to stop digging now.
Colin Alexander
8 July, 2024 at 10:14 am
“Alex Salmond put Alex Salmond’s status as part of the British Establishment before Scottish sovereignty just like Sturgeon.”
You can keep on attacking Salmond at every opportunity.
More grateful independence supporters will remember him as the only Scot in 300 years to give the people of Scotland a genuine opportunity to decide on independence.
When comparing Salmond with Sturgeon, you should keep in mind that Salmond remains 100% in favour of independence whereas Sturgeon has been 0% in favour of independence, at least since becoming SNP leader, if not always.
Salmond almost ended up in jail for trying to bring back independence as the number one priority for the SNP.
Who do you think is currently the best person to lead the fight for independence?
The sum of the numbers representing each of the alphabetical positions of the individual letters that make the word ’emotional’ equals 104.
Remove 1 from 104 and we’re left with 04 which can be simplified as 4.
Therefore the sum of 2 + 2 = emotional
It would appear that Ruby is correct and that emotion is the underlying foundation of all possible number system – and probably the entire field of theoretical mathematics, too.
And perhaps even astronomy – I know I used to get quite emotional when courting my sweetheart, the lovely Mae Calhoun, on a moonlit evening under the stars.
Lies, damned lies etc….
Polls show a steady 47% of the electorate favour Indy.
Roughly the same oppose and the remainder are undecided.
Turnout last week was 60% of the electorate and of that turnout only 30% voted SNP.
Therefore 18% of the total electorate made a conscious effort to vote SNP last week, while polls suggest a much larger figure of 47% of the electorate actually support Indy.
Taking Indy supporters as a whole, that means only 38% of them made a conscious effort to vote SNP. Nearly 2/3, or 62% to be precise, of Indy supporters for whatever reason chose not to vote SNP.
If we are ever to achieve Indy we must acknowledge and accept that it WILL NOT HAPPEN if we place all the eggs into a basket belonging to a so called party of Independence, which can only attract 38% of those who support Indy to vote for them.
There must be another way forward.
Mia 11.54am
Agree.
This also chimes with what Christine Graham said in Holyrood during 2014 in Holyrood.
If Scots want independence they can have it even if Holyrood didn’t exist.
Holyrood may be Westminsters baby but its not ours. They have no jurisdiction over what happens OUTSIDE of Holyrood.
I also think Scotland should have a referendum on the monarchy too. We’ve never even been asked if we agree to him being here or not. “Supposedly” he is here by consent. Well whose consent? Certainly not Joe publics. That’s a kinda important thing to have, Scots consent, wouldn’t you say? Meddling in Holyrood & giving shit his royal ascent when he’s never even asked any of us first if he has our approval to even still be here.
I think that’d be another angle. Stop giving that foreigner our consent. Remove the English monarch & the whole house falls. It’s also test the theory they’re here by our consent or if that’s yer more made up rubbish.
There was some talk back when Ruth Davidson was moved from Glasgow to Edinburgh Central that it was due to the Green vote that the SNP lost and Davidson won.
If I remember correctly it was Alison Johnson who stood for the Greens in Edinburgh Central.
Edinburgh Central is full of students.
For the benefit of those unsophisticated minds whose ability for abstract thought and whose understanding of metaphor might yet be rudimentary, and whose reading comprehension might barely match their, as yet, immature mental age, I offer this clarification.
I detest violence of any kind – even the use of vicious words; such is my sensitive nature. Although I do consider ‘fighting’ metaphors as acceptable rhetorical devices to describe intellectual ‘battles’ .
If the Scots cannot secure their liberation using democratic political or constitutional mechanisms then there is no other means available to them beyond peaceful protest.
I hope I have made my position clear on the unacceptable use of force to solve disputes.
Ruby
Just in case my ‘equation’ comment comes across as a dig at you, Ruby (I worry about such things). It isn’t. I offer it in support.
Hautey
A number 2 + a number 2 = a very big shit.
🙂
Liz
Ignored
says:
8 July, 2024 at 9:44 am
In this case, thank God for the Greens.
I think they might have picked 21k votes Glasgow.
Mia 3:35
Excellent breakdown.
It would appear that Ruby is correct and that emotion is the underlying foundation of all possible number system – and probably the entire field of theoretical mathematics, too.
Did I actually say that?
Well I’m saying it now.
The entire number system came about because of an emotional action.
The emotion of curiosity.
Without that emotion nobody would be asking what’s 2 + 2.
Northcode Boo!
I think you are scared of me!
“Did I actually say that?”
No, I inferred it and generously attributed it to you. You’re welcome.
I haven’t considered the possibility that I might be scared of you. But now that you mention it…
Robertknight, there’s good evidence to suggest that turnout for independence supporters was lower than the 60% national average, which would mean the situation is worse than you are suggesting. Fair point though.
I know plenty of independence supporters that voted for unionist parties as a way of registering their dissatisfaction with the SNP. I’m not sure if that might be explained as an emotional response or a calculated one based on a basic understanding of mathematics. Probably a bit of both.
Interestingly, the idea that human behaviour is governed and explained by emotion or passion is a view that’s more typically found on the right in history, social sciences, politics, philosophy, economics, etc. In the arts it’s associated with romanticism… Zzzzzzzz.
It’s all a bit simplistic for me but it’s noteworthy that Marx was determined to ground his analysis and theories in science and was keen to avoid claims that he was making any sort of emotional or moral argument.
Other alternative explanations are available.
A digital conundrum for you. How do you stop Alba taking money from you. How do you relinquish your membership status. I have spent the last hour trying to do that. They don’t make it easy. I bought a walking talking dollie for my 4 year old granddaughter that cost more that the funds available to local Alba branch. I will try again tomorrow.
TURABDIN says:
8 July, 2024 at 8:36 am
An indicator of things to come.
link to archive.ph
Islamization, a new breed of sectarianism.
Thanks for that link to the telegraph Turabdin I have never seen any other newspaper EXPOSE this THREAT, I posted comments, highlighting this situation over the past few months and on different blogs
The first time I heard about TMV was in comments from Yvonne Ridley who is a Muslim convert, on Barrheadboys blog, she was saying that The Muslim Vote were consolidating and organising themselves to ensure Muslim issues were at the forefront of politicians actions
I commented on the blog that I thought this issue created a very dangerous situation for politics and non Muslims, Roddy responded that this was nothing new and these actions had been utilised by unionists and others to encourage voters of certain religions to vote for their brand of sectarianism
TBQH I find this action to be extremely threatening and dangerous but as usual if you say anything critical about it you are branded as racist,sectarian,Islamaphobic to silence you
The IRONY is that Bliar and the liebour party were the beneficiaries of the untrammeled immigration and open door policies, and now they are losing votes and seats because of their failure to oppose the Palestinian situation
Seriously Twathater?
This is you just noticing?
What other facts have passed you by? For example, have you clocked that the sun rises in the east?
I’m getting tired of looking at Thewliss’ discomfiture. Schadenfreude isn’t my thing.
Other opinions are available.
George Ferguson
You cancel the payment via your bank.
Oneliner @ 06.33.
I was considering making it my screensaver.
George Ferguson@ 1.15am
When you find out, will you explain it on here please..
The SNP have become a literal freak show.
Some of them are having a real hard time taking this in (currently in denial)… still talking about calling de facto referendums… lol, it is crazy.
They are not in a position to do anything at Holyrood now. They are all dead-transpeople-walking in the eyes of the electorate. Dead ducks or transpigeons take your crazy bonkers pick….
And they removed everyone capable of saving them. Ha ha. That is karma in action right there.
They are absolutely not going to be able to turn this around. Unless outside events intervene somehow to save them…Starmer is exceptionally horrific between now and then for example. It is possible.
They are truly horrendous, I can barely look at these people anymore (especially that fist picture), never mind listen to them or vote for them, fuck no. So sick of them…
If Sturgeon gets the expected PS/COPFS whitewash she will be back as FM faster than Swinney can throw himself under a big yellow bus.
It is really cult like… it is not just an insult, there is truth to it. I think it is why they selected this particular demographic of ‘people’. Susceptible to cults due their inherent stupidity.
BLiS mouthpiece Jackie Baillie thinks Wes Streeting plan of further privatisation for the NHS in England should also happen in Scotland.
“Pushed on the issue, it was highlighted to Baillie that Alan Milburn – who was health secretary under Blair and regarded as one of the architects for more private involvement – was returning to advise Streeting in Cabinet role.
She said: “Alan Milburn was a great health secretary in his time”
link to archive.is
Is there a breakdown of the votes in Scotland , giving percentage turnout , spoilt ballot papers etc?
Northcode , I’m behind you! ( obviously very far behind you!)
The next hope for a rise in independence will be when London Labour screws up and needs more money from Scotland to help pacify the English voters.
The Scottish seats are totally insignificant to ruling over Westminster.
If every single Scottish vote was conservative last week we still get Labour and vice versa on the previous election.
Yes we do get more per person than in England but then they cover up that is still only a fraction of what we send South for England to spend.
Starmer can take £500 from each of us and give it names like equality, levelling up, we are all in it together to give what we can, etc
If he is going to renegotiate with the EU will he fight for Scotland to have equal rights with N. Ireland. After all no country gave a higher proportion of Remain voters.
We are in red Tory territory now and Scotland will be kicked and gagged in its franchise wee box.
@Alf Baird –
Thanks for responding to our piece and apologies for not acknowledging before now.
😉
Alf Baird
Ignored says:
6 July, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Rab Clark @ 10:21 am
‘Just a few remarks:
Anderson rightly accepts that nations are a cultural creation, which is the same for postcolonial theorists. Language forms a key part of culture and has a decisive role. Revolutions and decolonizations are defined in national terms and peoples in self-determination conflict are generally linguistically and culturally divided.
Indigenous languages and national cultures evolve naturally; imperial entities do not. Empires are artificially created through force and imposition of colonial procedures. This includes cultural imperialism and language subordination (native language literature and history is not taught/distorted) of the oppressed groups.
Nations are ’emotional and spiritual’. Colonised nations suffer from cultural assimilation and here the people become ‘dislocated’ from their culture, their culture is ‘obliterated’ and they and their culture are in the process of perishing so long as colonialism continues.
The aim of colonialism via cultural imperialism methods is to replace a peoples national identity with something else; to make Estonians feel Russian, or Catalans Spanish, or Scots as Brits. Here the colonized ends up ‘mimicking’ the colonizer’s language (because only his language opens the doors of opportunity) and discards their own ‘inferior’ native mother tongue (i.e. cultural assimilation), casting aside and denigrating his ain culture. However the imperial nation ‘identity’ remains a ‘cultural illusion’, given the oppressed native ‘a false persona’.
As Fanon noted, the desire for independence of a colonized people is dependent on their ‘national consciousness’, but this is not nationalism.’
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
“I have never seen any other newspaper EXPOSE this THREAT”
Because it isn’t a “threat”, it’s democracy.
Inshallah.
Mac @ 8:53 am
“The SNP have become a literal freak show.”
For sure what we see with the SNP behaviour and laws ‘mystifies the people’, yet this is all part of the well-trod decolonization template; here we should consider the dominant ‘co-opted’ national party elite are not yet finished in their efforts to destroy the independence movement and in their main task, which is to keep the colonial racket going.
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
Starmer taking Swinney ‘under his wing’ continues the theme, with more mystifying policies soon to follow, such as the UK or devolved gov issuing visas for more people from other countries to be brought in to Scotland, all part of a faux national party policy.
Mac: “They are absolutely not going to be able to turn this around. Unless outside events intervene somehow to save them…Starmer is exceptionally horrific between now and then for example. It is possible.”
It’s impossible for the SNP.
You know, two or three years ago we speculated that when the truth came out about the Salmond thing it would sink them. Then we moved on to the finances and said the same about that.
They’re on the slide with support dropping like a stone, totally discredited, fighting like rats in a sack, and the terrible truth of those things has still to come.
On top of all that, they must be totally broke. I forget what percentage of their income MPs gave to the party but with only 9 left standing, they must be in a truly dire financial situation.
Scottish Labour will be out to strike while the iron is hot and push for Scottish elections as soon as possible. In terms of ‘motions of confidence’ and voting in Holyrood, I doubt if the aggrieved Greens are going to worry about upsetting anyone in the SNP after what’s happened recently.
Sturgeon saw all this coming and couldn’t get out of dodge fast enough. Now she’s sitting on the sidelines constantly trying to figure out how an innocent Nicola would act under the circumstances that she herself brought about.
For anybody who needs a bit of angry, sleazy energy for the existential Scottish fight ahead.
link to whorattledyourcage.blogspot.com
Any news about Branchform?
It’s all kicking off on Twitter about ‘Tilly the destroyer of books’ getting her jotters from Waterstones.
Then there’s this
link to tinyurl.com
Some of this is just pure poetry.
They put the woman who wrecked the SNP on telly and trained a camera on her all night as one SNP MP after another lost their seat — and they didn’t even think to make it pay per view.
This is going on my ‘Goodbye SNP’ playlist.
The camera cut to Sturgeon, who by this point looked like Rosa Klebb biting down on a cyanide pill.
“Sturgeon … sitting on the sidelines constantly trying to figure out how an innocent Nicola would act under the circumstances that she herself brought about”
Honest question:
In your own opinion, why do you think the establishment might be rehabilitating Sturgeon and teflon woman Lloyd through the main TV broadcasters?
And why was Sturgeon never evicted from the party after all the mess she orchestrated?
Do you think there is any chance we should be bracing ourselves for “Terminator – phase II” aka her return as the (fake) “saviour” of the party to mimic Mr Salmond’s return after Swinney almost completely destroyed it?
I have been wondering for a while now if the British establishment might have her in stand by as their go to “damage limitation tool” should they do not manage to muster (rig?) a unionist majority in 2026.
We already know that the 2-faced wee shite will never cooperate to form a pro-indy supermajority, don’t we?
In the end, the SNP limped home with just nine MPs. At least they can all fit in a camper van now.
So colonial adminis("Tractor" - Ed) Bawface Baillie is in the media today going on aboot how privatising the NHS is a Very Good Thing, and Reeves is in the media today going on aboot how draining the last of Scotland’s oil and gas revenues is a Very Good Thing. Labour are not wasting any time at all punishing Scotland for voting them out for years for the SNP, are they?
England wants to just finish the Scotland-murdering parasitic job now, let’s face it, deliver the coup de grace after their coup d’etat. Every fucking halfwit who voted no at the indyref gave them carte blanche for this evil idiocy, as did the modern SNP for the last ten years, and anybody who just voted Labour. Fuck it.
Cherry showed not a speck of warmth towards Sturgeon, who repaid her with a stare so icy that it probably set global warming back a decade.
There they sat, the three wise monkeys: Ed Balls, George Osborne and Nicola Sturgeon. See no evil, hear no evil, deleted all evil in line with Scottish Government policy.
Hatuey @ 1:08 am
“the idea that human behaviour is governed and explained by emotion”
In the context of independence it is much more than merely an ‘idea’; Postcolonial theory describes independence as primarily “a cultural emotion”, and the struggle for independence as “a fight for a national culture” (Fanon).
Which further explains why the only theoretical framework explaining the phenomenon of Scottish independence (see the book ‘Doun-Hauden’) has ‘Culture’ as determinant number 1:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
Reflecting the strategic national importance of culture, there is a Scottish Cabinet Secr responsible for ‘Scottish Culture’, but he seems as clueless aboot the importance o oor Scottis culture as he is on the matter of independence.
link to gov.scot
And, just to illustrate colonial divide and rule theory in practice, there is a Cabinet Secretary responsible for Gaelic, but naebody at aw responsible for protecting and promoting the Scots Language; i.e. the langage whit gies maist o us Scots oor culture an oor identity, an oor naitional consciousness – withoot whit thar wadna be ony independence muivement.
narcissist thinks : it can’t be ME, (obviously) … so it must be YOU – so what do you have to say for yourselves??
The SNP will tell us what happened to them, but never why.
a great piece of advice for the liar is : don’t tell lies about things to people who were there at the time
but then there is that joke about the guy caught in bed with another woman, red-handed by his wife … and he gets out of bed, denies the adultery, and says to her
– who are you going to believe, me, or your lying eyes ?
so – “we were all there” and yet, immediately, the SNP cultists and woke-leftists are out and about talking about “lying eyes” – it is quite breathtaking; the SNP lost because it “sold out its principles to the right” and that to win next time, all we need to do, is do even more of the SHITE people hated …
another movie quote : “never get high on your own supply”
NB whenever you see the word “radical” in these circles, replace it with : “really stupid fucking shit”
they will all press on with their delusions until 2026, and while a comeuppance is in play, alas the dhondt system will come to their rescue – losses on the constituencies will be compensated by more seats on the list. But the vicious musical chairs of all this will be fun.
also : and this is a real laugh – “abstentionism” a la Sinn Fein, is now back on the cards … which might have had some impact if done holding 56 MPs, but looks just a little bit SHIT when you only have 9
and some twitchers are getting all upset about france and the far right, but more and more people are realising “words don’t mean what they used to mean”
link to nakedcapitalism.com
– especially “left” and “right”; left-right was always a model, one which made some sense up to around 1990, but it doesn’t anymore, and in any case the map is not the territory and never was
To be honest, I felt a pang of pathos as a grim-faced Swinney attempted to spin his party’s catastrophic results while counting centre staff folded up tables and put chairs away behind him. Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first send metaphors.
From behind a curled lip, she made things personal: ‘I’ve got a feeling he’s had that pent up in him for some time.’
I think they have and now they’re letting rip.
Strip away the selfie-taking, the novel recommendations and the Loose Women bonhomie and she’s just a nasty piece of work.
Ruby Thursday: Jesus Christ woman, this is not your personal toilet wall to scrawl on, stop spamming the place with shite.
Thanks for the link, Ruby Tuesday. An entertaining read.
Of Sturgeon Daisley says:
“Strip away the selfie-taking, the novel recommendations and the Loose Women bonhomie and she’s just a nasty piece of work.”
Wee Nicola? Surely not!
I’m amazed she managed to hide her true nature for so long, especially from those who worked closely with her.
She had me fooled for a wee while tae.
Is it upsetting you?
It’s Tuesday pal! Stay alert.
And, just to illustrate colonial divide and rule theory in practice, there is a Cabinet Secretary responsible for Gaelic, but naebody at aw responsible for protecting and promoting the Scots Language
I’ll get back to Alf trying to ‘divide & rule’ Gaelic speakers from Scots speakers later.
Nobody is having fits because someone speaks Scots not the same story for Gaelic.
I always have a problem with Alf claiming Scots is oor mithers tongue.
My mithers tongue was Gaelic.
Otherwise Alf is OK.
Oh, and Ruby Tuesday – you don’t scare me.
It’s that Ruby Monday that terrifies me.
I’m amazed she managed to hide her true nature for so long, especially from those who worked closely with her. Northcode
Maybe it just wasn’t reported. She seemed to have had some hold over the MSM for all these years but that appears to have gone now.
It must be time for Branchform to conclude their enquiries.
Here’s Comedy Club Tommy’ take on things
link to tinyurl.com
Former SNP MP says Operation Branchform was ‘the elephant in the room’
I haven’t read it yet. Gotta go.
Maybe ‘Onlooker’ could read it and tell us what he thinks.
Is Comedy Club Tommy saying anything of interest?
Ruby,
More number 2 por favor? It’s mardi.
Onlooker – try to live up to yer moniker
There was a more important election last week and the quality of the candidates was excellent. On top of that they are not only experienced in the real world of work but they are intelligent, principled and honest!!!
Liberation.scot’s committee members can be seen in their videos on Iain Lawson’s blog YOURS FOR SCOTLAND and in writing on the liberation.scot site under the Voting button. Cheer yourselves up by having a look.
Ruby Tuesday
“Is Comedy Club Tommy saying anything of interest?”
Not much beyond it wisnae his fault. There’s this:
“…he dismissed the Scottish Government as essentially a provincial administration in a small part of the UK.”
And…
“Then there were those who feel that everything is sh*t and they blame us for it.”
No sh*t, Sheppard.
I see on “Yours for Stupidity” that Alf Baird, a regular commenter here, has been “elected” to the “Liberation Scotland” steering committee.
I’m curious about how many people actually “voted” in this “online election”–or more precisely, how many voting members does LS have. YfS doesn’t say. The fact that there were two “dead heats” suggests–not many. But unlike many commenters here, I’m trying to determine the objective facts before making a judgment.
So Alf, in the interests of truth, how about telling the world how many people voted?
I forgot to say that the Liberation Movement’s committee are working for free!!!
Dorothy
“Northcode , I’m behind you! ”
Thanks, Dorothy – it’s good to know you have my back. 🙂
Did you know that it was a guy called Joseph Grimaldi who set the standard for the pantomime clown back in 1800; back when I was just a boy?
It was he who first developed the tradition of men dressing as women in pantomime.
With regard to Alison Thewliss, she is a member of the John Smith Institute which is funded by what appears to be the banking community to place black and brown people into key positions in Scottish infrastructure.
With regard to Nicola Sturgeon and her rehabilitation, in what was her constituency, Govanhill, her surgeries were held in the mosque at the corner of Butterbiggens Road and Langside Road.
With regard to smearing people as racists, AS and xenophobes to marginalise them and scare off other people from voicing their concerns, this is a tactic also used by TRA’s.
With regard to civil nationalism, one of the fathers of this was Hans Kohn who believed that ethnic Nationalism was very bad if adopted by white people but was a Zynst who was an ethnic Nationalist when it came to his own people.
I am currently reading a book about the psychological effects of warfare on both combatants and civilians. For civilians one of the most damaging aspects is the loss of the emotional safety net of community. In Western nations we are seeing the undeserving poor, the white, working class, losing those communities to the deserving poor, the non white working class.
“Yours for Stupidity” ‘
Is your carefully studied substitution of the name of our country SCOTLAND for the derogatory term stupidity another example of abuse as part of your ongoing gaslighting campaign, or is it simply a display of racism against the Scottish people?
The correct name of the website is YOURS FOR SCOTLAND. Just in case your ability to read is challenged. The only stupidity there (and here) is your own.
Regarding the number of votes that Mr Baird had, what is it to you? Are you a member of the Liberation of Scotland movement? If you are a member, then it will not be difficult at all to find out. If you are not a member, what business of yours is to stick your gaslighting nose in it?
What is it? your handler has now asked you to focus your disruption and gaslighting attempts on Yours for SCOTLAND and the liberation movement after your complete lack of success here?
Shit scrolled in right wing rags like the Tory Express are never worth reading.
Scotlands NHS is in dire straights sure enough and it’s there because of Englands Westminster.
The latest survey show the NHS in Wales ran by Labour for 25 years is the worst in the U.K.
N. Ireland also has a very poor record over the years and Tory NHS has privatised many of its
services where a rich Tory can take on zero hours contracts and fill their pockets.
We have not faced the procession of strikes that the other countries have.
We pay our nurses more and we are unique in paying for them to train.
With our remote rural areas to support and our history of problems with alcohol and poor diet
we should have the worst record and not the best.
I have had to use our NHS frequently recently and although I can see many problems I can get treatment and I do see dedicated and caring staff.
When the NHS Strikes were on an average of an extra 500 people were dying each week and the Tories refused to sit at a negotiating table.
Could they send a clearer message to the English voters.
They don’t give a damn about your life so what would they do for you.
England deserves all it gets for putting the Tories in and believing in Boris’ 40 new hospitals
the great new Brexit trade deals.
A couple of people tried blaming Alba (currently and likely to remain irrelevant for the next 10 years) for Shte Nicola Party’s drubbing – deaf, dumb and blind sheeple.
Nicky’s legacy is to have done what the Brits couldn’t do : emasulated and destroyed the : collective mission; the raison d’être; the political hierarchy; the… need I go on and on ?
The SNP is dead : the only solution is a new party formed from the remains of the SNP (after the coming Holyrood SNP voter rejection); Alba and the wider YES movement.
From the Yours For Scotland website:
“Pay particular attention to Alf Baird’s video which highlights the colonial situation in Scotland which is Liberation’s key target to overthrow.”
1 Alf Baird. 94%
Here’s the link to the ‘Yours For Scotland’ commitee election results:
THE LIBERATION COMMITTEE ELECTION RESULTS
@Logorrhea Mia 1.17pm
Given that Liberation Scotland are holding themselves out as being the precursors for – and electing a Committee to lead – a novel grassroots organisation which says it will be able to advance independence without the need for a referendum, plebiscitary election or trouble details like demonstrating majority support, isn’t it incumbent on them to be as open as possible?
If they are to represent the “Community of the Realm” in setting up some form of assembly, or Convention of the Estates, what harm is there in publicising what their membership figures are, how many people voted for these candidates, how those voting were vetted to check they were entitled to vote in Scotland, where their funding comes from etc.
None of these are unreasonable questions. If I join Liberation Scotland is it OK for me to publicise the numbers? If not, why not? If it is OK, why can’t Campbell Clansman ask?
It pays to be suspicious of any organisation which insists it has to keep these things secret: that applies in spades to one like Liberation Scotland which purports to be the start of some new mass movement which is somehow going to succeed where traditional political parties have failed.
Mia: Your usual intellectual reaction (some variation of “feck off”) to a request for facts, suggests that you know as well as I do that the so-called “Liberation Committee” was chosen by only a handful of people.
Basically, I’m asking for proof that “Salvo” and the “Liberation Committee” are something other than a handful of moonhowlers. The vote for ISP candidates–and the lack of such candidates–suggests that they’re an astroturf (fake grass roots) movement.
Prove this wrong with numbers. If you can’t, or won’t, that says it all.
Effijy
Good post. I agree with that. Sometimes there is too much diminishing of our frontline workers. A lot of good work is done across Scotland by good people who should be praised.
Our NHS is in greater danger now.
Alf Baird
Just watched your video on the ‘Yours For Scotland’ website, Alf.
An excellent summation of Scotland’s colonised status. Congratulations on being elected to the Liberation committee.
‘The Cunt & Cock-a-leekie’ have joined forces.
‘The Cunt & Cock-a-leekie’ have joined forces.
“It pays to be suspicious of any organisation which insists it has to keep these things secret”
Ha, that’s rich coming form the Wingate W*nker.
Of course when you have the full force of the English security services, and their pathetic House Jock working against you it pays to be careful.
Salvo/Liberation are doing the right thing by not reveling their every move.
Already the Hubble road tossers and the Denison d*cks have created false Salvo/Liberation websites to dupe Scots.
“I’m asking for proof that “Salvo” and the “Liberation Committee” are something other than a handful of moonhowlers”
Why do not need to “have” proof? What for? What do you intend to do with it?
Let me ask you again: if you are not a member, as you clearly are not because if you were you would be able to find out the figures you are so desperately looking for, then how many people voted for Prof Baird is absolutely none of your business. So you can stop the comedy and hung back on the peg your “Inspector Clusseau” (blastoned in UJs) raincoat and half mustache and focus your amateur attempts at gaslighting and derogatory racism against the Scottish people and Scotland, somewhere else.
I find very telling that you have not even attempted to deny the gaslighting and derogatory racism in your comments.
“Prove this wrong with numbers”
Do you seriously think I was born yesterday? Give me some credit. I know the new colonial Viceroy sitting in Scotland’s office and the imperial master sitting in n10 thanks to borrowed tory votes must be desperate to know how many people are members of Liberation, now that the SNP has been hijacked by the British state and their new soundbite that “independence is stone cold dead”.
Just tell them both to ask MI5 to find out. I am most certainly not going to put it easy for you.
“If you can’t, or won’t, that says it all”
Yeah, it says you are as transparent as clean fresh water.
It’s obvious to every man/woman and his dug. That independence is not going to come via our elected politicians. I draw a parallel with Estonia.
They grew tired of their elected politicians inertia, and laziness over independence. So the people began to organise themselves into several pressure groups. The important thing is that they all worked in unison , and bounced ideas of each other. Eventually they forced their politicians to carry out their wishes. Thus leading to independence.
If all some people do is criticise Salvo and others for trying to move things along. Then we might as well just give up. We need to work with all groups. This is what we did in 2014. A mass mobilisation of people. It was exciting, and I remember the bloggers and online political organisations appearing as if overnight.
We need to get back to being the positive force we were in 2014. People will not be motivated by apathy, back stabbing and splinter groups.
Campbell Clansman is classic example of a nay-sayer. He has no ideas of his own , so wants to rip shreds off those working their socks off behind the scenes. Why is he even here?
@ Campbell Clansman at 12.47pm:
If there was a vote amongst WOS readers on the popularity of the commenters on this site, how many votes do you suppose you would receive? I doubt if you would receive any at all, because your opinions are irrelevant and you have nothing useful or constructive to add to the conversation here.
And with regard to Liberation Scotland, what does the number of votes received have to do with it? The person with the most votes came top of the list. The number of votes is irrelevant.
@ “my way (without evidence) or the highway” Andy Ellis
I have just responded to your other moniker Clansman, so you can read my response to you there.
The new colonial viceroy must be a bit concerned about the LIberation of Scotland movement when he is making the resident troll here use two of the troll accounts in stereo. The Ellis moniker posted at 1.44 and the Clansman moniker at 1.48. The Ellis moniker was dormant since yesterday 8th July at 9.50am and suddenly came back to life when the words “figures” and “LIberation movement” were mentioned in the same sentence.
We all realise the new colonial Viceroy was never known for his brain power, but I mean, did he really think using two troll accounts almost at unison was going to give more credibility to the request?
The only thing it does is to prove how desperate he appears to be to find out the figures.
@Ruby Tuesday
“‘The Cunt & Cock-a-leekie’ have joined forces”
Indeed. I am now convinced they are just different accounts manned by the same troll.
@Michael Laing 2.16pm
And with regard to Liberation Scotland, what does the number of votes received have to do with it? The person with the most votes came top of the list. The number of votes is irrelevant.
Sorry, but that’s just utter bullshit. If the %’s shown for each candidate are from a total electorate of 27, then it means something rather different than if several hundred thousand had voted.
Liberation Scotland and Salvo are trying to convince the Scottish people as a whole that they can deliver independence via a novel route, bypassing conventional parties, elections and referendums or plebiscitary elections.
For them to have any legitimacy at all it is incumbent on them to demonstrate why anyone should give their pretensions to relevance even the slightest bit of notice.
Those who support these organisations may be happy to spend years building up their support from a low base, but how on earth do they expect anyone to take them seriously, or indeed notice them at all, still less accept their way forward when we have no idea what level of support they enjoy.
This isn’t rocket science. If Liberation Scotland is someday in a position to put a call out and see “La Diada” numbers of Scots pour on to the streets to demand adoption of their platform that’s great: personally I think it’s pretty unlikely but more power to them if they can do before most of us are deid.
For all we know however, they have about the same level of support as Alba or the ISP. A few thousand voices aren’t enough to drive an agenda for change. I don’t know about you, but I’d still rather put my faith in plebiscitary elections and conventional parties which might at least produce results in a reasonable timescale.
I see no prospect of Liberation Scotland &/or Salvo either turning in to mass movements themselves or even acting in a more limited capacity as ginger group to encourage the broader independence movement down a certain path they advocate.
In asking for the number of voters in the “Liberation Committee” election, “I’m asking for proof that “Salvo” and the “Liberation Committee” are something other than a handful of moonhowlers.”
As expected, several responses from the usual suspects, all with some variation of “feck off.” No numbers, no facts, but plenty of hate. Do you think this kind of response is the way to gain support?
And isn’t funny how the same commenters who criticize other movements and political parties for secrecy, for lack of transparency, and for lack of democratic legitimacy…. then hide the facts of their own “election.”
@Logorrha Mia 2.25pm
It’s a constant refrain from the usual suspects in here that anyone they disagree with is either a yoon plant and/or the same person with multiple accounts. It all just sounds like tin-foil hattery to any reasonable folk of course, but then what more can one expect from moonhowlers.
I’ve no idea who Campbell Clansman is, or Hatey McHateface or any other contributor BTL here. Unlike most I post under my own name. I don’t have the time or the desire to try and post under multiple or sock accounts. I’ve no idea how sophisticated Rev Stu’s systems are, but I’d imagine they might be able to tell if any regular contributors were coming from the same IP address.
Then again since he’s on record as rarely reading BTL comments, he probably doesn’t really care.
It is however symptomatic of the hard of reasoning that the knee jerk response to the comments concerned is deflection about their origin and whether they’re MI6 moles rather than dealing with the issue at had.
Why, one might almost think the usual suspects had something to hide.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead (1901 – 1978). Cultural anthropologist.
@ my way (without evidence) or the highway Andy Ellis
You say “how on earth do they expect anyone to take them seriously ….when we have no idea what level of support they enjoy”
Well, considering that this particular moniker was dormant since yesterday at 9.50am and all the sudden whoever is manning it is in a frenzy dishing comment after comment demanding the figures, I would say that whoever is manning the account or whoever is line-managing them appears to have taken Liberation most seriously.
” isn’t funny how the same commenters who criticize other movements and political parties for secrecy, for lack of transparency, and for lack of democratic legitimacy…. then hide the facts of their own “election.”
Are you a member of the organisation?
Did you participate in the election?
Are you a stakeholder of the organisation?
Will you be immediately affected by the result of that election?
If the answer to the above is “no”, then there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for you to require access to the figures other than your own curiosity.
This:
“Never depend upon institutions or government to solve any problem. All social movements are founded by, guided by, motivated and seen through by the passion of individuals.”
And this:
“We came to realize that a civilization which rode roughshod over the way of life of other peoples was incorporating evil in its own way of life.”
And this:
“There is no hierarchy of values by which one culture has the right to insist on all its own values and deny those of another.”
I think I would have liked Margaret Mead if I’d ever had the chance to meet her.
@ “my way (without evidence) or the highway” Andy Ellis
The person using this moniker wrote “one might almost think the usual suspects had something to hide”
If that individual referred to the unhealthy curiosity to find out the figures for the last election of the Liberation movement displayed by the “usual suspects” after they had been day after day derailing these threads and targeting others with their trolling, gaslighting and derogatory comments against Scotland and the people of Scotland, then yes. They absolutely look like they have something to hide.
@Logorrhea Mia 3.00pm
It’s entirely appropriate for anyone to query the bona fides of Liberation Scotland, just as it would be appropriate for them to question those of an organisation promoting the union or devolution.
Failing to be open just risks being seen as an astro-turf outfit, or – perhaps even worse – one whose support is so negligible they don’t want folk to point and laugh at them when they disclose their membership figures.
It’s not a great advert for their mass campaign, or their chances of convincing Scots to back their cunning plan for indy if they aren’t prepared to be honest about their elections and levels of support.
“My grandmother wanted me to get a good education, so she kept me as far away from schools as possible.”
I think I’m in love with Margaret Mead’s mind.
“It’s not a great advert for their mass campaign, or their chances of convincing Scots to back their cunning plan for indy if they aren’t prepared to be honest about their elections and levels of support.”
Andy: We don’t agree on some things, but you make a great point.
@Northcode 2.53 pm
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
Indeed: Meade’s quote is often used…and misused.
The full quote is actually:
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, ORGANIZED citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.
What the unreasoning usual suspects will of course miss in their rush to judgement (because MI6/yoon plant/ yadda yadda…) is that whilst the sentiment may well be true, the prospect of a small group delivering Scottish independence – or even of acting as a catalyst for a larger movement to carry it forward – in any reasonable timescale is pretty remote.
Of course, the issue at hand is whether Liberation Scotland &/or Salvo ARE small groups. Perhaps they’re large. Or medium sized. How would we know unless they either told us, or it somehow so obvious that they didn’t need to announce it. How they would do that when we can’t measure it in elections or votes like we do for conventional political parties I’m not sure.
If they were holding huge rallies perhaps?
Or if they had huge resources from donations and we knew where they came from?
Or if it was just so obvious because we all knew people who supported them, wore the badges, were activists on their behalf.
The word organisation would appear to be the pertinent one here, no? Organisations which lack scrutiny, democratic accountability and refuse to be open and honest about their membership figures, funding and internal processes start to look a lot like the SNP.
Remind us how well that went….
@Campbell Clansman 3.35 pm
Andy: We don’t agree on some things, but you make a great point.
Shhhh…don’t tell them Pike. They still think we’re the same person! 🙂
“Andy: We don’t agree on some things, but you make a great point.
Shhhh…don’t tell them Pike. They still think we’re the same person!”
The establishment talking to itself, possibly even the same person.
Seems the alter egos are now in conversation with each other. I am reminded of Anthony Perkins talking to his mamma’s skeleton in the loft!
During 24/26 June, 2024, a Norstat/The Sunday Times poll sampled 1,258 voters in Scotland as to their view on Indy: 47% Yes 47% No and 6% Undecided.
At 1 December, 2023, the number of people registered to vote in UK Parliamentary elections in Scotland was 4,007,200.
Transfering those results to the entire electorate in Scotland gives a total of 1,883,384 who favour Indy.
IndyRef1 had 1,617,989 vote Yes, which was 45% of an 85% turnout, therefore the 1.8 million Yes on the basis of 47% poll seems reasonable.
Given that 724,758 voted SNP last week, that shows over 1 million Indy supporters did not vote SNP. These people desperately need and deserve a non-SNP home for their political aspirations.
The Estonians ran a campaign to sign people up as Estonian citizens – as opposed to being in of the Estonia Soviet or whatever the USSR entity was.
Perhaps this is something we should do in Scotland. It is a simple and clear way of
people identifying with the cause – much clearer than Mike Fenwick’s or Liberation’s which need some explaining to folk. Both of these are valuable but are proving slow in gathering signatures.
O/T: it would free space and time btl if no-one responded directly to some commenters.
@RoS 4.06pm
Tell you what bud, I’m happy to disclose to any neutral third party my actual name and whereabouts (….not that it’s exactly a secret given I post under my own name) and provide them proof, on condition you can persuade Campbell Clansman and all the other sock puppet accounts the moonhowlers insist are used by MI6 or whoever to do the same, and of course on condition you disclose your own details.
Can’t say fairer than that can we?
After all, I’ve never really believed your claimed adherence to Alba (or even membership wasn’t it?). Or have you gone off them now?
Of course it’s easy to come out with the kind of stuff you do when you’re anonymous, and it’s hardly surprising you’d want to keep some of your more outlandish opinions that way.
Why, one might almost think you were ashamed of them. 🙂
Andy, love the “Dad’s Army” reference. One of my favorite shows!
@Campbell Clansman 4.20pm
Andy, love the “Dad’s Army” reference. One of my favorite shows!
Just what a British nationalist agent would say of course. 🙂
You’ll be saying you aren’t me next. Or is today you day not to be Hatey McHateface?
I forget which day our handlers told us to be who.
Ever since this near 80 year old pensioner was described as a 77th Brigade agitator by an ardent Sturgeonista on a different Forum for commenting that I’ve always regarded her as a self centred, egotistical narcissist I’ve had little belief in accusations or denials of “secret squirrel” involvement by individuals.
What I truly don’t get is the point raised by Sarah @ 16.15, why on earth would anyone even bother responding to trolling provocateurs ? Does anyone truly imagine that they’ll suddenly change their expressed views or accept contrary arguments ?
In the absence of an ignore function which works it’s surely easier to just scroll on by and don’t bother engaging.
It’s not a good look for Indy at the moment. I fear that many SNP voters, in their blind devotion, will never stop voting for the party.
The 725,000 who voted SNP last week – including Alex Salmond – can hardly have been unaware of the duplicity and potential criminality of the party, yet they still supported them. Even as the election fallout continues – and will do for some time – it cannot be guaranteed that present SNP support will collapse quickly; moreover, though its representation took a mauling at the GE, FPTP and AMS are two entirely different animals and a similar level of support at HR ’26 will still result in SNP being the second largest party by some considerable distance.
Meanwhile, Indy parties are struggling to make an impact, particularly Alba. Early strong support for Alex is weakening rapidly, even amongst btl commenters, and when George Ferguson and others are now asking how to get OUT of Alba, its sustainability comes into question.
If unfolding events lead to a long-drawn-out demise for SNP, it will damage the cause of Indy as a pre-requisite to progress is a united front, something that no-one is tackling.
We need 50% + support for Indy, but also need 100% of SNP’s current and erstwhile supporters. So, they are key if unity is to be achieved: we need to re-group with them, but it won’t happen via terminally damaged SNP, or Alba, or any current political platform whom the electorate has rejected at HR ’21, council elections 2022, the GE last week, and every single by-election in between.
One unlikely possibility is if Liberation were to become political and vetted potential candidates for HR ’26, it could become an umbrella organisation able to attract support from across the political divide. Other than that, I’m at a loss to see where Indy goes from here.
@sarah 4.15pm
The Estonian campaign to sign folk up to citizenship ran from 1993-98, after they gained independence. The details are here:
link to ft.dk
It’ll fair make all the nativists, xenophobes and Brigadoon bigots who infest BTL here bust a blood vessel.
The Estonian Sovereignty Declaration (Estonian: suveräänsusdeklaratsioon) was actually issued as far back as 1988 by the Assembly of the Estonian SSR during the Singing Revolution: it asserted the sovereignty of Estonia and the supremacy of Estonian laws over those of the USSR.
It was the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR which adopted a resolution on the status of Estonia as a state on 30th March 1990 declaring the state power of the Estonian SSR established by the Soviet Union in 1940 illegal.
The constitution of the pre WW2 republic of Estonia was restored by the Supreme Soviet in May 1990, which renamed itself the Supreme Council for a transitional period until the holding of the independence referendum on 3rd March 1991.
I wonder if Holyrood would ever have the guts to act as the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR did? More to the point, will Liberation Scotland / Salvo ever be in a position of influence which enables them rather than (say) Holyrood or conventional political parties to push forward their independence the way our Baltic friends did?
Ah hae ma doots…!
O/T: it would free a lot of space if Logorrhea Mia got an editor, or if the moonhowlers stopped going on about people being British nationalist agents. It’ll never catch on more’s the pity!
Must see viewing for SNP activists this summer since there’s no flag waving this year;
Brave Heart
The Maggie
That sinking feeling
Leslie Riddoch’s Denmark film
Down amongst the big boys
Rob Roy
Local hero.
Hankies an Maltesers.
That’ll be Jim Jones of the People’s Temple, he being the charismatic pill-addled loon who was the architect of that messy Jonestown business back in, err, 1979 I think. Let us hope that the WGDers do not resort to similarly tragic measures come 2026 – we really don’t want to have the expression, “Don’t drink the Irn Bru” enter the lexicon, do we? 🙂
I mind the Estonian independence very well.
Was living in West Germany from August’89 and found the surrounding development fascinating. It also helped accelerate my A level German to actual understanding.
At the time as I remember it . Estonia declared independence from Moscow Soviet rule. The Western World. IE , NATO Nations said NOTHING.
As I remember, the first acknowledgment of Estonian Independence came from Gorbi’s Moscow. Then the rest rushed to shout “Goan yersel “
Met a young woman a couple of years later on a fruit farm in South East England from Tallin . She had been involved in the School movement for the popular rise to independence. Was the Education Minister for the country within 10 years.
Doubt many of all of us have 10 years now.
Here’s hoping anyhoo
OT there is anther heart wrenching advert/appeal for the RSPCA please donate to the SPCA and NOT the RSPCA.
According to Steven Gethins all is fine in the SNP. Swinneys approval ratings are good and he steadied the ship.
Now he is all convivial with Starmer. Resetting devolution. So the plan it seems is to demonstrate good governance at Holyrood. Essentially to improve SNP figures come 2026. Not to deliver independence.
The SNP are terminally stupid, and being led down a rabbit hole by the media. The media tells John that the SNP lost 38 seats because of independence.
What actually happened was 500k Yes voters refused to even vote. Because the SNP did nothing about independence. The fact that Swinney can’t grasp that, shows how really stupid he is.
It seems the SNP are going to dissappear completely. I will not shed a tear for these imbeciles.
@ John: ” Met a young woman on a fruit farm in SE England from Tallin. Was the Education Minister for the country within 10 years.”
Many thanks for giving some facts about Estonia’s revolution, and some inspiration. It CAN be done. Come on Scotland – put enough pressure on our politicians and we could make progress much faster. I’m in my seventies and would like to see justice done and Scotland be itself again before it is too late for me to enjoy it.
In the parallel universe of woke, a dark reality where presumably everyone has sinister little beards, we have a theory :
the YES movement has destroyed indy, because it has destroyed the SNP, which was the only vehicle for indy … and thus the YES movement must be removed in order for indy to flourish … got that?
this is like one of those conspiracy theories that gets taken too far – hitler was a british agent, recruited by MI6 in 1919, in a gay honeytrap, and stalin was a freemason …
the rev must thus be a deep cover operative, working for them, going way back
hell, I could be a hypnotised mind control assassin myself, everytime I hear hey diddle diddle the cat and the fiddle … I wake up with 3 hours of lost time, blood everywhere
anyway, you got that folks – to get indy, the YES movement must be destroyed … not the SNP …
Big Jock…
“What actually happened was 500k Yes voters refused to even vote.”
Closer to 1 million.
Sham Nationalist Party was 500,000 down this GE from previous, but still repulsed a further 500,000 who didn’t come near them last time either.
See my previous at 4:12
They could be but I don’t think so. What is interesting about ‘The Cunt & The Cock-a-leekie’ joining forces is that ‘The Cock-a-leekie’ is a Unionist troll and ‘The Cunt’ is supposed to be an independence supporter who shouldn’t be feeding Unionist trolls yet he regularly pals up with these UTs
I’m not questioning if they are the same person I’m questioning if they both support the same side.
Big Jock
Ignored
says:
9 July, 2024 at 5:22 pm
According to Steven Gethins all is fine in the SNP. Swinneys approval ratings are good and he steadied the ship.’
Swinney is on the other side has been for a couple of decades and more. He won’t be happy until Scotland is an unrecognisable mess. He and Sturgeon were nothing more than managers for the British state. He will work hand in glove with Labour. The next few years will be torture.
We really don’t want to have the expression, “Don’t drink the Irn Bru” enter the lexicon, do we?
The Flying Iron of Doom
🙂 Good one!
Hautey was saying on a previous thread that we need a leader.
I don’t know about that. It can be dangerous if there are people who can’t think for themselves and are reliant on the leader for their every thought.
In the case of ‘The Ginger Doggers’ would it not be ‘Don’t drink the Ginger’ 🙂
Sven
Ignored
says:
9 July, 2024 at 4:38 pm
Ever since this near 80 year old pensioner was described as a 77th Brigade agitator..
Scroll on by.’ Its easy. You suss out who all the genuine ones are pretty easily and who the tossers are and ignore the tossers. The tosseurs get not a blind bit of attention, not so much as a word is read. I find it easy to do.
And there we have the WHITE FLIGHT arsehole Ellis running from the hordes the same ARSEHOLE that constantly derides and denigrates every member of Liberation.Scot
I WILL ANSWER YOU AND YIR PAL CLANSMEN FANNY, “how many votes were cast for the Liberation committee”
NANE AE YER FUCKIN BUSINESS DOUGHBALLS
Very interesting to see how the Salvo election has disturbed the Britnat trolls. Haven’t heard from them for a while as not much has been disturbing the status quo. But now they’re out in force against Salvo. Show it has potential!!
@Ebok 4.50 pm
One unlikely possibility is if Liberation were to become political and vetted potential candidates for HR ’26, it could become an umbrella organisation able to attract support from across the political divide. Other than that, I’m at a loss to see where Indy goes from here.
Agreed that it is unlikely. However any “United Scotland” platform that might have had any prospect of successfully leading to independence via plebiscitary elections is contingent on either destroying the SNP or at least making it co-operate with other pro-indy parties, and then building up ahead of stam to deliver a majority at #HR2026 elections.
I’m doubtful that’s possible in the time left before the elections, though it’s definitely not impossible. Early signs from the SNP are not encouraging however. Continuity Sturgeonism remains an almost insuperable barrier to reforming the SNP. If the few adults left in the organisation manage to effect change there’s still a chance.
If not, I’m afraid Rev Stu and others may be right and we’re looking at a decade before the dead hand of the SNP can be overcome.
@The Flying Iron of Doom 5:11pm
Indeed Irn Bru is sacrosanct. Using a topical analogy to express myself “The Ba is burst for me”. If Alba get 15% of the vote in 2026 I will pay out myself. A long dormant period for the Independence movement is upon us. Not what I wanted but the reality. An example, if Ian Murray saves Grangemouth or has a positive outcome in a few days what does that say about Holyrood?
“There is no hierarchy of values by which one culture has the right to insist on all its own values and deny those of another.”
I’m not too sure if a multi-cultural society works that well especially when you have cultures that are as different as night and day.
The question is what are our values here in Scotland and are we expected to adapt our values to accommodate the values of others.
Not too sure about the above. I think there has got to be some sort of insistence that
immigrants adapt to our culture particularly with regards to respect for women and the rest.
The above would be a good message for trans-activist also with regards to respect for women.
In case of any doubt about the word women it’s simple. A man in a dress is not a woman.
@John 5.18 pm
As I remember, the first acknowledgment of Estonian Independence came from Gorbi’s Moscow. Then the rest rushed to shout “Goan yersel “
You remember wrong.
Moscow was 36th to recognise Estonia’s independence. Most of Europe, the USA, Japan, South Korea, Turkey and China did it first.
Iceland was the first country to recognise Estonia’s independence in 1991: the Estonians renamed the square in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia – it was renamed ‘Islandi väljak’ (Iceland Square) in August 1998 and, as of 1999, the address of the ministry is Islandi väljak 1 (1 Iceland Square).
link to en.wikipedia.org).
link to vm.ee.
CLANSMEN, your angry but your hitting out at the wrong people.
The SNP has killed Independence and here is where you need to divert your attention to, not people and bloggers who tried desperately to educate every about Sturgeon and the leadership in the NUSNP.
If you want to help your Country waken up and turn your anger into action at removing the SNP from Holyrood in 2026 and replacing the NUSNP with a party who will delivery Indyref2 and STOP reading the Rag its messing with your head.
gm @ 16.29.
Completely agree, gm, and how chuffed am I that, you having read my post, I’ve bodyswerved the ‘tosser’ definition.
Thanks & “Yay @ me”.
Andy, while I agree with you that the SNP is a drag on actual independence, I’d add that Alba and ISP/Salvo/Liberation, through their lack of transparency and their miniscule public support, have also shown they aren’t fit for the purpose.
Plus, people like the aptly named “hater” think that “NANE AE YER FUCKIN BUSINESS DOUGHBALLS” is a persuasive response to questions about their lack of transparency. Who’d want to “unite” with “Indy advocates” like that?
A United “nothing” (assuming it could ever happen) is still nothing.
Sven
Ignored
says:
9 July, 2024 at 7:14 pm
gm @ 16.29.
Completely agree, gm, and how chuffed am I that, you having read my post, I’ve bodyswerved the ‘tosser’ definition.
Thanks & “Yay @ me”.
YOU KEN FINE WHO I AM TALKING ABOOT.
Havenae come by many women trollers/characters on wings. Hazard a gues as to why? It is as easy to be a man as it is a woman after all (Joke btw). When posting online
Sven
Ignored
says:
9 July, 2024 at 7:14 pm
gm @ 16.29.
Completely agree, gm, and how chuffed am I that, you having read my post, I’ve bodyswerved the ‘tosser’ definition.
Thanks & “Yay @ me”.
YOU KEN FINE WHO I AM TALKING ABOOT.
Havenae come by many women trollers/characters on wings. Hazard a guess as to why? It is as easy to be a man as it is a woman after all (Joke btw). When posting online
Sven
Ignored
says:
9 July, 2024 at 7:14 pm
gm @ 16.29.
Completely agree, gm, and how chuffed am I that, you having read my post, I’ve bodyswerved the ‘tosser’ definition.
Thanks & “Yay @ me”.
There’s only ever 2 or maybe 3 at one time
. I like reading the comments, tons of good folk pass some time on these things. Get some decent info and opinion too.
Gordon Dangerfield’s blog was good for that. Excellent patter in the comments. Lawyers used to have a comment as well. It was heartening to know at the time that there were many that were very unhappy that their profession was being sullied.
Ruby Tuesday @7:02pm
“I’m not too sure if a multi-cultural society works that well especially when you have cultures that are as different as night and day.”
I tend to agree with your view. Logically, It seems obvious that forcing different peoples with considerably different cultures together is going to create some difficulties when a smaller, immigrant culture, is at odds with its larger indigenous host’s culture .
But I think Mead was talking in terms of cultural relativism not multi-culturalism.
The implication of cultural relativism is that no one society is superior to another; they’re just different.
I haven’t read Mead in any great detail so it’s possible my understanding of her work is not entirely accurate as yet.
The point I was attempting to make by quoting Mead is that Scotland’s culture is neither superior nor inferior to any other culture – just different.
But the Scots, due to their oppression, have been made to believe their culture is inferior to another, alien culture, when that is far from the truth.
Northcode it’s actually worse than that. The British have actively tried to extinguish the Scottish culture. They also try and homogenise Scottishness with Britishness. As if we are a mere region of something bigger. As if our culture only began after suppressing the 1745, and we were forced to merge with England’s identity.
Then there is the cultural appropriation. Where bagpipes and whisky or Burns. Becomes a part of the British identity. When these things are unique to Scotland.
But to top the lot. An English king wearing our national dress. It’s akin to turning up in France with a beret and string of onions. Wrong on every level and completely patronising. Plus Charlie doesn’t have the legs for a kilt.
Over 4000 people in North Glasgow voted for THAT? Is it a yuppie middle class area then?
The daggers come in thick and fast:
link to archive.is
The daggers come in thick and fast:
link to archive.is
Big Jock @8:28pm
“Plus Charlie doesn’t have the legs for a kilt.”
Perhaps the most serious crime of all perpetrated against the Scots.
My facetiousness aside, you are, of course, correct – our culture is in the process of being eradicated.
The Scots haven’t just been made to feel their cultural identity is inferior (a pre-cursor to its extinction) – their oppressor is attempting to re-write their history and convince them their unique culture doesn’t exist beyond some quaint ‘regional’ customs, bagpipes, some anglicised form of ‘kilt’, shortbread and a funny accent…and never really did.
And I hated the White Heather Club. Jimmy Shand, Andy Stewart (ma faither coudna staund him) and the rest of its crew perpetrating the myth of a wee provincial Scotland.
Yep. And Stewart was unionist to his core. Yet was quite happy using Scottishness to make a fine living for himself.
The worst kind of plastic Jock.
Ellis there, founding member of Alba, talking about being honest & transparent with elections & support for Liberation as negligible..
Didn’t they all fall out over internal elections & hiding shit? LOL
He’s comedy gold..
A plant if ever there was one. Alex Salmond needs to get him tae fck..He is doing Alba zero favours on here.
Ellis. Re Estonian independence. Don’t wish to engage more.
I was referring to the actual days after declaration of intent. My memories were collaborated a couple of years later by a future ( current) politician. How the documentation and box ticking that followed went, I will bow to you and Wiki knowing if that helps.
I did not remember wrong. You have serious issues.
You will tell me that Berlin wasn’t under German control until the mid 1990’s next
PacMan
“Stalin’s wee sister”
LMFAO!
Aye & Thatchers niece.
It was well documented, over on Yours for Scotland by Iain Lawson if you want to look it up, all the shenanigans the Murrels did to take over complete control of the party, NEC, branches, conference & selection process. I believe Angus Robertson was the one who instantly changed the parties constitution too the moment Sturgeon took office.
I originally thought the rot had set in around 2017 but it seems it was from the very start of Sturgeon being elected.
She also killed off all the various YES groups too. She was Stalin’s wee sister. Absolutely toxic now looking back with info coming to light..
Keep an eye on the Scotgov website re quango appointments over the next few months. More than likely they’ll pull in these clowns to keep them warm.
Thanks again rev for all your work.
Alison Thewliss. I can’t cry for you. But did you cry for Margaret Curran?. What goes round comes around. The SNP the party of named person and GRR and everything else, is finished. And did the 48 SNP MPs do anything about it?. No you allowed Holyrood to determine your fate. Enjoy your job
in McDonald’s.
Well Said Jim Sillar’s Stalin’s wee sister. Things you love to hear.
The Scottish Government are so corrupt. The civil service. The managerial class.
Let’s take them on. I hate their guts.
Now’s the time to strip the rot from our public sector. NHS the lot. Let’s get rid of the corrupt managerial class. Let’s sack them like we sacked the SNP.
Another feature of this SNP government. Was that they were constantly led by events, rather than leading events.
Wait for Brexit, see what it’s like, wait till Covids over, wait on the next Tory PM, wait till economics are better.
Now John Swinney wants to go back to 2007 and try and demonstrate they are good at managing the ‘Parish Council’. Before they think about independence.
If you are reading this John, or one of your many spy lackies. You lost because Yes voters don’t want more devolution. They won’t vote SNP to give you another 5 years to fanny about. Is this getting through?
The SNP are like a ship that never launches until the wind is perfect. No such thing exists, so the ship never launches, and eventually rots away.
I said this in a previous comment:
”The point I was attempting to make by quoting Mead is that Scotland’s culture is neither superior nor inferior to any other culture – just different. “
But it’s a clumsily written statement and it doesn’t accurately convey what I meant to say – in short, it’s bollocks.
It should have read like this:
”The point I was attempting to make by quoting Mead is that within the context of Cultural Relativism Scotland’s culture cannot be judged as either superior or inferior by any other culture. “
But since I’m a Scot I’m entitled to make a judgement on my own culture. I wouldn’t go so far as to say Scotland’s culture is superior to any other – just better in every possible way.
Indeed. It is that very culture that keeps the flame of liberation burning. If we lose that, then it’s over.
Be interesting to see who is appointed Witch King of Westminster, a.k.a Lord of the Nazgûl, also known simply as The Nine – servants of the Dark Lord Sturgeon.
Will Flynn keep his job automatically or can one of the other multi-talented defenders of Scotland get a turn?
You have all been taken for mugs if you think nearly all tartan are “scottish” and things like the kilt are traditional dress.
These things were produced mainly in Victorian times as part of the Victorian balmoral fling with Scotland. The whole thing with each clan having a bright red or blue tartan for every name under the sun is moonshine to sell to the tourists.
Rob says:
10 July, 2024 at 2:11 am
In this age of globalism and mass tourism nowadays, every countries culture has been diluted to the point of parody, much like Disney has done to traditional folktales where their next film Snow white is played by a dark coloured Latino actress as well as most of dwarves played by normal actors and called companions.
This is recent but it happened hundreds of years ago here in Scotland with the likes of Sir Walter Scot ‘Disneyfing’ Scottish culture to make it appeal to the English upper classes and includes tartan as you say.
IIRC, there was a debate on here where it was mentioned there was portraits before Scott era that showed Scottish individuals having Tartan.
I can’t remember all the details but I’m sure tartan is part of our ‘real’ rather than colonised culture but not in the form it is seen as nowadays and it’s hard to see kilts being worn on a daily basis by normal people as a practical form of clothing, as seen in movies, simply because of our climate.
I have been wakened prematurely from a deep sleep.
My ancestors call to me in my dreams and say “Awaken, Northcode, awaken and scribble doun some pish for thon Wings blog.”
“Na.” says I. “Let me sleep ye deid yins ye.”
“Na.” says they. “Ye must enlighten yer kinfolk wi yer pontificatin’ drivel thait thae micht see whit happens whin ane gits too faur up ther ain erse.”
And so, to placate my very ancient and very deid ancestors that they might gie me peace, I must scribble doun some stuff whits been kickin’ aboot in ma heid.
Who remembers my mini tutorial on the figure of Diacope?
What, No-one?
‘Bond, James Bond’. Remember now?
Ah, James Bond, the smart-mouthed secret sword and defender of the British Empire. Turns out he was a Scot who supported Scottish independence and didn’t much care for empire. Who knew?
But what real man wouldn’t want to be Bond?
What real man wouldn’t want to be waist deep in cold wars and women? Warring and wooing. Shooting and shagging…and shooting again.
What real man wouldn’t want to ponce about in a sporty wee car stocked up with guns and cool gadgetry; delivering death at every breach of what passes for a highway code in whatever country he’s rampaging around and smashing up?
What real man would sit at a desk banging away on a keyboard when he could be kiss kiss bang bangin’ away in exotic foreign lands, shootin’ the ‘bad guys’ and shootin’ the dice; drinking shoogled martinis and winning at baccarat wearing a fancy tux and a fancy bow-tie in a fancy casino?
And what real man would pretend they were Scottish and post anti-Scots drivel on a popular Scottish blog?
Not James Bond that’s for sure – he was a proper British spy; always carrying out his missions with nonchalant style, a stiff upper-lip, and a witty quick-draw quip.
No, I’m afraid there are no real spies hingin’ aboot this place and definitely no James Bonds – disappointing, I know; especially for the women, and maybe some of the men.
Not me, though. I’m a real Scottish man – I’m immune to disappointment after 17 years of the SNP.
Once I learned about the recent origins of the kilt, as we know it today, that was it for me.
The more I look at it now, the bonnie prince charlie jackets, the frills etc… it is incredibly gay.
I dare say if you transported someone back wearing all that to the times of real highlanders they would think it was lady-boy or some form of rentboy male prostitute.
It is not a popular opinion, I understand.
Karma’s a bitch eh
Thing about tartan, bagpipes, Scottish soldiery etc… Don’t fall into the trap of abandoning these cultural phenomena just because “somebody” is misappropriating the cultural references for their own ends. “These” belong to Scotland.
There is nothing new in this… witness the frequency of Christian churches being built upon Pagan sites in order to appropriate their religious significance.
It turns my stomach to watch these wannabe Scots for a day poncing around in Highland regalia, now doubt having a great giggle about what else they’re wearing, or not. Just look at that imbecile Cole Hamilton disgracing Kilt while asserting that an Independent Scotland should never exist. Men who did believe in Scotland were hung for wearing plaid. Who is this Cole Hamilton fuckwit? How fkg stupid do you have to be, to be a Lib Dem gobshite? His parents must be so proud, even if he did it all for some deviant weirdo, not them. Can we not find a vacant Oubliette for the illustrious Mr Cole Hamilton. Maybe a big one he can share with Sturgeon.
Same with the Pipes at Military Tattoos. Once upon a time, the sound of the pipes would have had these Redcoats shitting themselves. Gotta appropriate the pipes as Briddish… can’t leave that to the Scots.
It wasn’t service to the British Army which earned the Scots their reputation on the battlefield. Vice versa in fact. The British Army’s “Thin Red Line” they’re so proud of, was a thin red line of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders who repulsed an attack by Russian cavalry which confounded the rule book.
The Highlanders were all that stood between the viral port of Balaklava and the Russian cavalry which risked cutting off the whole British Army from its only supply route. The Highlanders however were marching in Line formation at the time, and convention has it that troops in line formation are very vulnerable to cavalry attack. – (Witness the squares formed at Waterloo). They should by rights have been slaughtered.
Had the Highlanders formed squares however, the Russian Cavalry would have poured through and sacked the Port. Thus the Highlanders engaged the Russian Cavalry in their thin Line formation, and did the unthinkable. They held. They held, and repulsed the Russian Cavalry, and literally saved the day. That’s the origin of the “British” thin red line. 25th October 1854.
So where did the fighting prowess originate? Pre 1707 that’s for sure, yet many many Scots these days have never even heard of the Gallowglass, or the Gardes Écossaises of the 15th Century. Or Pope Martin V after the Battle of Baugé, ”Verily the Scots are the antidote of the English”. Even the Great Michael, the largest battleship in the world, how many Scots kids have even heard of it? What are Scots soldiers to the Union? No great mischief should they fall…
Life in Scotland before the Union is to be purged from the memory don’t you know? Youz can all fk off, but leave us your tartan dress and bagpipes, and the Old Long Sign song too, to play with… and the desolation of your thriving communities will allow us to conduct our blood fest atrocities on your wildlife without interference.
The biggest lie for me however, the one that gets under my skin, is the “Wars of Scottish Independence”. What war of Independence? Scotland defeated the unlawful colonial invasion of a murderous foreign Monarch and evil bastard who butchered the Scottish town of Berwick. Why the fk do we call this a war of Independence? Shouldn’t WW2 be thus considered the French War of Independence? Or Poland’s War of Independence?
Nah… only in Scotland eh? Now shut up and eat your porridge.
Robert Knight
I hope they’re not allowed one under Westminster rules cause they’re under ten LOL They hardly need organising.
I think it was Alex Neil who recommends Flynn & Forbes for Holyrood. That’d be the SNPs final nail ffs.
The only ones that could have any hope of a revival for the SNP would be Angus B MacNeil & Cherry, imo. Their final throw of the dice.
Everyone else need not apply.
The absolute dross that’s already there ALL need deselected. They’ve been there long enough. Fresh candidates chosen for brains not brawn & put into their CORRECT portfolio. Not given a job they know feck all about.
That was another thing about Sturgeon – she just shuffled around the shit from one disastrous department straight into another instead of getting rid of them immediately. I also agree with Pillars about Foote. I said a few days ago he has to be sacked immediately. He isn’t interested in Scottish independence & never has been. He’s a fcking liar too & should never have been brought back. A clear indication as any that it’s the UK running the SNP with that appointment & no doubt pissing themselves laughing at the YES movement who allowed it.
Most modern tartan associated garb can trace its origins to military use from the 18th and 19th centuries, adapted during the 20th century for what could be considered civilian use.
The little kilt, tartan trews, Prince Charlie jacket and vest etc. etc. all trace their origins to the uniform items of the British army’s highland regiments, particularly the styles of Officer’s Mess dress.
These, and the introduction of tartans of various sets which followed the State visit by George IV in 1822, the first reigning monarch to set foot in Scotland since Charles II in 1651, were again military in origin; the visit was choreographed by Sir Walter Scott, and included the King being dressed in the uniform of a highland regiment, complete with flesh coloured tights to protect the royal dignity. (Nobbly Royal knees not being fit for public consumption). The popularity among civil (high) society of tartan only really took off with Queen Victoria’s frequent highland sojourns.
Therefore to label everything as being to attract tourists would be to ignore the military and fashionable, aristocratic origins of what we see today.
However, there’s nothing to stop anyone walking around like an extra from Outlander, if that’s your thing.
Reading the things Sillars says must be done you realize just how difficult it would be.
Seeing their colleagues blootered at West Minister however will be sobering for those MSPs who remain. Sort of like being set a date for your own execution. It might, maybe, loosen Sturgeon’s grip on the SNP. Because following her is political suicide, that is now very clear, or should be. (Some of them are very stupid though.)
Yousaf and Swinney were/are the ‘continuity’ candidates. And they are, only the thing that will continue, under those clowns, is the 4th of July massacre.
May 2026, tick tock… when ‘Malky’ comes to Holyrood.
Lancet estimates 186,000 people killed in P@lestine by Isr@el.
That is genocide.
The people on here trying to justify or deny it are utterly contemptible.
How many of them were kids. Truly disgusting.
(trying again minus the direct link)
link to archive.is
That is like murdering the population of Aberdeen.
(Proportionally much worse as the population of P@lestine is much less than Scotland’s.)
Anyone arguing on here that this a proportional response to October7th is a nutcase or a liar or both.
Dumbza & Dumbza were appointed to keep the bodies hidden.
Two clique members on speed dial to Sturgeon.
They’re terrified to hand over to anyone else cause it’d reveal their involvement in all of it. They’re part of Sturgeons tufty club & hen pecked cowards.
If she isn’t removed from her seat & given the walk of shame immediately then they’ve absolutely zero hope & it’s *all out of tricks for ’26* lol
With ref to posts above,
The kilt is a simplified costume design, the lower half of an older woollen toga like garment, possibly created by a Quaker from Lancashire expressly for military dress. That in itself is enough for resisting its contemporary use, its fetishistic appropriation by modern homosexualism is another.
Tartan, possibly French word, is patterned folk weave notoriously attributed to individual families by the scurrilous Sobieski brothers.
Essentially faux «Scotch», noble savage, romantic, highland games, junk but has, nevertheless, served unionism exceeding well in that Hail Caledonia, stern and wild mode.
Edward Said would have have made much of such Scotch myths, symbols and curiosities.
Geri @ 8:33 am
“it’s the UK running the SNP”
For sure; such is the Manichaeism of colonialism, where the colonizer’s use of confidential agents to block progress plus revival of tribal feuds divides and ruptures the movement.
And, much as we see: “The nationalist parties do not understand this phenomenon which precipitates their disintegration” (Fanon)
Geno is defined not by numbers but by a willful act to destroy a people entirely. Given the shite they’ve publicly admitted to live on television to anyone who’d listen about vermin & their final solutions, it beggars belief the ICJ is still confused but it demonstrates to the entire world they’re completely captured & utterly useless to serve justice.
You’ll have noted the Hannibal directive too. Killing their own & responsible for the slaughter over over half at the concert. So they didn’t have to deal with hostages.
Another arse that’s wanted on multiple charges but by some miracle is still in a job giving out execution orders.
Maybe the yanks will arrest him on entry & he’ll be found dead in a cell.
All ye Alba, ISP, Salvo, Independies for Indy etc,
Don’t get your hopes up for a “Scotland United” agreement with the SNP in 2026. In these uncertain times, there is but one certainty: it’s going to be “Vote SNP 1 and 2”. The SNP, if still around by then, are not going to play ball. No two ways about it. Too many ex-troughers will be looking for list seats.
Hopefully, real supporters of independence will already expect this and try to formulate other plans (or at least a decent Plan B when the SNP turn them down). Don’t say you weren’t warned. Troughers can and will talk the talk, but at the end of the day, they only care about themselves.
Sorry folks, if the SNP survive the next two years, it’s another ridiculous “Vote SNP 1 and 2” message coming in 2026. Sure as night follows day.
It’s time for Alba (or a Scotland Utd candidate less the SNP) to take the gloves off, contest and fight hard for every constituency and list seat in Scotland come 2026. The whole lot of them.
Of course, there is a small possibility that the SNP may actually be bankrupt by 2026. Another scenario to plan for?
Reading through the comments on Craig Murray’s latest post I came across a comment by Yvonne Ridley which contained this sentence ..
” I think in Alba we need to draw a line under the sand and move forwards, onwards and upwards. The party has offloaded most of the toxic individuals & their self destruct buttons. ” .
This from the recently returned/failed wannabe MP for an English constituency . What if she had won , though ?
It would have meant her spending the next 5 years * elsewhere * – ditto Craig .
Seems Scottish Independence can always wait
Is ALBA just a kind of political dilettante’s hobby , a home for SNP exiles who , in fact , long to be readmitted to the bosom of the Mother Party and who whilst , ostensibly , in opposition have inherited all the mannerisms and bad habits of their estranged parent ?
Alex Salmond voting for the Party that would have seen him jailed for life had the perps not been such fckn idiots and the jury capable of seeing the insanely flimsy prosecution case – that should never have left the confines of the PF’s desk . We , of course , know why it did .
At least the ” toxic individuals ” Yvonne Ridley refers to stayed in Scotland to fight the only fight that matters to our country ; they all * lost * – so fckn what .
They’ll stand and fight again . Eventually , they and us and Scotland will win . We must . We REALLY MUST .
The existential struggle for our Liberation can’t afford part-timers who for whatever reason ( I don’t question the sincerity of Yvonne & Craig’s motivation ) think it’s ok to go and chase squirrels at a time of great peril for Scotland , when the once sole ” vehicle of Independence ” is a burnt-out clown car and the hyenas of the Brit State are closing in , looking to feast on the dead n wounded .
100% commitment or fuck-off . This is not a game or a rehearsal
This is I think the most dangerous time I have ever lived in.
Trump is set to win a landslide. I don’t think they will let that happen. I don’t how they can…
This few months between now and November is when it will happen, if it happens.
Presidents of Serbia and Hungary explicitly warning us that other EU leaders are preparing for imminent war.
Anyone else got a very bad feeling about this? Seriously?
Word of the day- sprachle
Mac , seriously yes! My eldest grandson is 14 just now and I can see call up papers floating around . utterly terrifying.
I want none of the young of Scotland involved in a war to satisfy a warmongering neighbour or warmongering ‘bestie’.
Mac
Ignored says:
10 July, 2024 at 10:11 am
“This is I think the most dangerous time I have ever lived in.”
Not only the most dangerous – the most insane . Which is what is causing the danger .
Look at this post , alone
What’s the connection between some deranged MAN describing himself as a ” Feminist ” & ” Lesbian ” AND BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY and a – literally – demented POTUS incapable of completing a coherent sentence or even knowing where-the-fuck he is most of the time giving what looks increasingly like an Eve Of War mumbling , bumbling , dribbling * address @ NATO HQ ?
The connection is they are both products of the War On Reality which the Financial/Power Elites are waging – it appears * successfully * – against the People’s of the West .
Is this W.O.R about to enter it’s apotheosis , the fulfilment of it’s nihilistic ambition , total World-destroying insanity ?
Maybe ……
I cling to the hope there is still enough rationality , enough genuine humanity around to pull-back from destruction .
But listening to the reality-denying imbeciles in and around the U.S State Dept / White House , NATO , E.U : that Ghoul’s Chorus now -to absolutely no one’s surprise – joined by obedient Globalist & moral vacuum Starmer , does not fill one with confidence there is ANYONE in a position to do so willing to halt the insanity . On the contrary they are all cheerleading for more blood .
Not their own , of course . ” Someone ” else’s
Mac
Aye.
I dunno wtf Norway is playing at by allowing Americans (Not NATO) in Sweden & Finland. They must be insane cause they might just turn & look west rather than east..oh lookie, a nice little energy rich country ripe for overthrowing.
Looks like there’s a special seat in hell for Tusk too. Intent on starting WW3 & getting in on some action.
It’s all according to plan tho. The EU is to destroy itself so there’s no spoils for them at the end & they’ve used themselves to do it.
It’s great that the SNP machine has been exposed by RevStu. No need to repeat the facts from me. We are never going to gain independence without the cunning of Alex Salmond. No one comes close in my mind. Many mistakes have been made though.
If we are to win independence, the movement must include people from right leaning politics. People like me. Why should independence be owned by the left ? This needs to change and fast. We are running out of time.
Good comment by Mr. Hughes above; “Is ALBA just a kind of political dilettante’s hobby , a home for SNP exiles who , in fact , long to be readmitted to the bosom of the Mother Party and who whilst , ostensibly , in opposition have inherited all the mannerisms and bad habits of their estranged parent ?”
The idea that they can wait until all the rats have abandoned ship then get back on board is flawed logic. The rats themselves aren’t really the problem; ship itself is totally fucked.
There are a lot of similarities between politicians and actors.
We’ve recently had the big audition and some of the lucky ones won parts and will be acting out the role of caring politician for the next five years as per instructions from their director aka prime minister/party leader.
The others will be ‘resting’ until the next big audition comes along.
Obviously Craig Murray and Yvonne Ridley need a job hence the reason they went for an audition in England.
It’s trickier being a politician than it is an actor because you can’t play the part of Stalin or his wee sister and then go back to playing the part of a ‘democratic feminist to your finger tips’ whereas an actor can.
In the case of Craig Murray & Yvonne Ridley they can’t support trans rights & women’s rights at the same time unless you believe transwomen are women whereas an actor can do just that.
Trans rights is a tricky one for the actor/politicians.
It’s fun watching the show because most politicians aren’t very good actors and having to play the same role for five years is very difficult hence ‘democratic feminist to her fingertips’ turned into ‘Stalin’s wee sister’.
I’m working on the idea that all politicians start off as good actors and then before the end of 5 years the mask slips.
That idea just popped into my head as I was writing this post. More research needed.
Tony Blair played the part of a caring prime minister who promised things could only get better and ended up as a war criminal.
‘Conscientious objectors’
might be an interesting topic.
Make Scotland a conscientious objector.
No soldiers no war.
Kcor
It remains open to debate whether indyref was as you put it: “a genuine opportunity for independence”.
But, whether it was or not, it’s a fact Alex Salmond did not lead Scotland to independence when at the height of his and the SNP’s popularity. Instead he walked away and handed the reins over to “Stalin’s Sister”, who has left the SNP in ruins.
You go on to ask: “Who do you think is currently the best person to lead the fight for independence?
For starters, looking for one person to lead would be repeating the mistakes of the past. Putting all the eggs in one basket, when this is about all Scots.
I also believe it’s highly unlikely indy can ever be achieved via the UK electoral system. On the contrary, putting all efforts into electing politicians to serve as so-called “pro-indy” British MPs / MSPS appears to me to be counter-productive.
It merely reinforces the idea of English Crown in English / British Parliament sovereignty and gives every Scots politician who is sympathetic to independence 90,000 good reasons to keep riding the UK state gravy train and never push to achieve independence.
YAY, got my “Hate Monster” WOS badges this morning … to be worn with pride !
link to tinyurl.com
Two recent sexual abuse cases involving young Romani girls have sparked a growing sense of outrage in Spain after courts noted the victims’ ethnicities and “cultural context” in their verdicts — in one case acquitting a man who impregnated a 12-year-old girl.
It’s this sort of thing that makes me question multi-culturalism which the UK is very proud of.
I see hogwarts has re-convened … but where are the death eaters when you need them?
– will the remembrancer locate the 10th horcrux in order for the budget to be passed?
all this and more … I don’t care about …
Farage got to speak; I like the cut of this lad’s jib – maybe the BBC could get him on the telly a bit more, looks good value, the voice of the middle englander with a holiday home in magaluf, a vendetta against cyclists, and a talent for interpreting “business use” for the tax return …
Farage could be PM in 2029 once it all plays out; this is bad for us he is a viciously bigoted little englander, an anglo supremacist who thinks the English are the Master Race and maybe a lost tribe of israel as well (“should have taken the Hess deal”)
– to people like that Scotland = a region of England and no amount of historical documents, or tight arguments from the likes of Xaracen matter. What matters here is power – and we don’t have any, or any leverage with the outside for protection.
Scots need to wake up; this country is going to be over-run, carved up, sold off, split, and the bit the indigenous people are left with, poor, overcrowded and dependent. Just because it didn’t happen overnight does not mean it is not happening, look what happened to the middle east (- civic nationalism doesn’t work with ethnoracial-supremacists.)
link to archive.is
The cultural appropriation of Scotland’s ancient identity raises an interesting question for a liberated Scotland.
How should the liberated Scots go about reclaiming their true cultural identity?
I’d be happy to ditch a few ‘national symbols’ completely and revive or recover more ancient symbols of our nation’s history. Or even invent new national symbols to reflect Scotland’s liberation from oppression.
The modern dress kilt and all the faux tartans created as sartorial expressions of ‘traditional’ Scottishness should be tossed in the midden for a start.
The shortbread tin and caber tossing Highland coo perception of wee quaint Scotland needs to go; to be replaced with an image more fitting for such a great nation. A nation which has played an important part in creating the modern world.
A commission could be set up to investigate and analyse the extent of Scotland’s stolen and bastardised cultural heritage tasked with reversing or erasing all traces of England’s appropriation of it.
There’s no doubt a lot of work awaits an independent Scotland – we aren’t going to repair all the damage done across three centuries of subjugation, oppression and mind-control overnight.
The image of Scotland presented to the world is not the real Scotland – it’s a mockery of a once great people. And the Scots most of all should not buy into their oppressors wee tartan ‘joke’.
Wee fancy skirts tae symbolise a great and ancient people? Get tae…an gie us aw a break ffs.
And you think the SNP has got problems?
link to bylinetimes.com
sam @ 10:33 am
“Word of the day- sprachle”
Sprauchle – meaning ‘to struggle’.
As in: the Scots fowks sprauchle for leeberation.
Leeberation fae bein oppressed (‘doun-hauden’).
Hence the goal of self-determination, which is decolonization, an leeberation o an doun-hauden fowk.
Pot calling the kettle..! Alyn Smith, a great beneficiary of SNP cabal, is in the National saying “SNP party structures AND STAFF are “not fit for purpose”.
They were fit for his purpose, sliding smoothly from EU parliament into Stirling. What’s changed?
Joanna Cherry speaks up on the mundane issues in politics, But as a supposed legal eagle she had the ability and training to actually challenge breaches to the fallicious treaty of union long before brexit, and trade agreements,
Taxation and poll tax was one of those breaches.
Removing royal Burgh’s was another one,
The Scottish Univerities change their religion,
Sovereignty of the Scottish people under the Claim of Right,
Colonialism of the “treaty of union” by Westminster parliament.
That the Monarchy was the monarch of England only at the time of the treaty of union,
That the Scottish parliament was dissolved from the treaty of union,
That the treaty of union was never put into domestic law in Scotland,
That the Monarch of England “could not and did not give” Royal assent to the treaty of union in 1707.
That the two territories and kingdoms were not shared by the monarch of England, but was EXTENDED by the English Westminster parliament to include Scotland (AFTER) the treaty of Union as part of the monarchs new territory.
Meaning as the queen of England it was not her territory or kingdom prior to the faux treaty of union,
That all laws prior to the treaty should remain Scots laws.
That Scots had private rights, wrote into the treaty that the “hate crime bill” and the “gender bill” breaches
That Englands Westminster could not set up the Crown offices in Scotland due to Scottish claim of right over Scottish Sovereignty of the people over the Crown.
Challenge why Westminster parliament State in 2023 and 2024 they did not ask the Scots to join in the treaty of Union, so we could legally presume that the Scots are not in a union in the present day.
To name but a small number of issues that Joanna Cherry and any other lawyer and legal individual or legal team team in Scotland would and could have Westminster parliament in a legal tizzy,
But small time Scottish legal people must be quite content with all their crown employers……….not with Decolonising Scotland to make it a independent Nation of people.
Northcode explains how Scots can “reclaim” their cultural identity:
“I’d be happy to ditch a few ‘national symbols’ completely and revive or recover more ancient symbols of our nation’s history. Or even invent new national symbols to reflect Scotland’s liberation from oppression.”
Lol. It’s almost as if culture is an invention, i.e. a social construct, rather than some intrinsic characteristic that is particular to the people here… just choose what you want, right?
I should keep out of this since I really have no idea what culture means. It sounds like I’m not the only one, though.
Class-based models can explain Scottish culture and the sort of snobbery we see when it comes to language much better than theories of cultural imperialism/colonialism can. Proof of this is found in its effectiveness in explaining similar outcomes in other countries, even ones that have never been colonised, where you will find the exact same sort of outcomes.
In short, elements like language, culture, laws, all sorts of values, education, and just about everything else they can sink their claws into, can largely be explained by the role of rich and powerful people in societies.
Dominant classes dominate.
The dominant class in Scotland is pretty much the same dominant class you will find in the rest of the UK. Certainly they are behaving in the same way when it comes to imposing their English prose, values, etc.
The working classes in the rest of the UK suffer this just as Scots do, and it’s pretty much the same in all other countries where the dominant classes also dominate.
Remove the supposed Scots language from the colonial model and you have almost nothing left to hang your cultural hat on. Culture is artificial and, in actual fact, it’s often a tool found in the hands of the colonisers and dominators of societies, used to consolidate and strengthen their privileged positions.
We have a problem in Scotland that we play by the Colonises rule book rather than questioning why we are Colonised?
Northcode @ 12.16.
Aww Northy, to realise that I’ve fallen sadly in your opinion causes regret. All these decades I’ve happily worn one of my kilts, frequently on a daily basis, since I got my first adult kilt in the early eighties without realising I was unintentionally contributing to the “mockery of a once great people”.
And now I discover that had you seen me bimbling along the High St in my kilt & anorak (I own nothing so exotic as a Prince Charlie jacket or doublet) you would have been in silent assent to the sentiment expressed by such shouts of encouragement by our local youths as, “Brigadoon’s second on the left auld yin” and “Hey coffin dodger, where’s yer shortie tin”. Though I doubt not your comments would greatly exceed theirs in erudition.
Nonetheless, despite the apparently almost unanimous disapproval of our BTL community, I shall continue to enjoy my (apparently eccentric) taste in clothing whilst reminding myself of the old adage that, “A man in a kilt is a man and a half”.
And, to quote the former motto of the now defunct Scottish Tartans Society, borrowed from the seige of Lucknow, “Bring Forrit the Tartan”.
“Pressure mounts on John Swinney to step aside for Kate Forbes or Stephen Flynn as ex-MP breaks ranks…
“Former party treasurer Douglas Chapman has called on the SNP leader to quit for fresh blood with less than 700 days until the Holyrood election” (from the Scottish Daily Express)
He’s probably got to go. I say that as someone who appreciates some of the things he achieved when he was deputy leader.
It is not “struggle” in my vocabulary from childhood,Alf. And there is no need to correct my spelling of sprachle
It’s a noun or verb, most often referring to someone who is awkward.
Interesting that scottish language was brought up above are something to be protected.
What scottish language are we talking about? gaelic was never mine or most folks first language and I have no affinity or interest in ever learning to speak it and it has nothing to do with being scottish.
Even english was a more common spoken language in scotland than gaelic ever was and auld scots is even older.
@Hatuey
“.. I say that as someone who appreciates some of the things he achieved when he was deputy leader.”
You mean like the botched fiscal settlement?
Sarah @ 13.03.
Aww Sarah, even the mention of that trougher’s name fair makes me grue into my porridge.
I’m guessing he’s looking for some publicly funded sinecure of a job chairing a quango or committee looking into party structures and procedures.
What I’d think of as “a wee job for a wee jobby”.
Alf Baird.
We can not even begin to address the subject of Scots and their territorial lands and sea boundaries being Colonised until we approach the subject and the fallacies of the treaty of union realistically head on, so we ourselves have a grasp at what point this happened, before we can promote the arguement elsewhere,
We need to address, identify and numerically list the moments in history, changes in laws, alterations to the agreement and of the treaty of union,
Westminster parliament site in 2023 / 2024 states the Scots were not or never were in the treaty of union, because if they were not that is Colonisation of the Scottish people,
We need to ascertain if the Crown and the monarch of England was at the time of the treaty in 1707 also actually the monarch of Scotland at the same time once The bill of rights and the Act of settlement had been passed, because under those Acts she was crowned in line of decent to the throne of England.
As queen to the throne of England since 1702 and never undertaking the Scottish Oath or being Coronated as the Queen of Scots
The point is that yes, we can make statements and comments or quote phrases that we were colonised without our consent, but pointing out the timelines and events in historical context to prove our arguements to the world is now up to all of us here to research, to identify, to clarfy,
Meanwhile the claim we are Colonised without our evidence is a suspended vague topic of conversation in animation only.
“Pressure mounts on John Swinney to step aside for Kate Forbes or Stephen Flynn as ex-MP breaks ranks…”
With these two in mind the thought crossed my mind of, from the frying pan into the fire.
Both are careerists, both are not interested in dissolving this illegal union.
It is nought but appalling that the Scots have been made to feel ashamed of their own national dress and culture by incomers and Colonisation of the mind of Scots,
Nobody I have ever met wears the kilt like a Scotsman, for even in a kilt a Scotsman looks like a man,
When others wear it as a fancy dress costume when the come to Scotland including the royals they look like men dressed up ready for a play acting role, and you tell the difference a mile away,
But a Scots man wearing a kilt, wow,
Be proud of yerselves, and remember that you are a genuine Scot, not using a fake ID. For the others are just that fake imposters.
Mac
Ignored says:
10 July, 2024 at 10:11 am
This is I think the most dangerous time I have ever lived in. Trump is set to win a landslide. I don’t think they will let that happen
Remind me.. who are “they” ?
Hatuey,
Thanks for the reminder,
Education was meant to remain to Scotland according to the treaty of union, so another legal challenge that Joanna Cherry could make to a breach of the fallacious treaty of union.
Many thanks.
Sven
You have not in the slightest fallen in my opinion. In fact, I hold your opinions in high regard.
But there are kilts and there are skirts palmed-off as kilts. And I suspect your refusal to adorn yourself with doublets and fancy jaikets and possibly all the other paraphernalia that makes up Scotland’s ‘national dress’ puts you in the former bracket.
I prefer wearing my tartan belted plaid in toga fashion when perambulating the high street – the addition of a six foot long claymore tends to discourage the sorts of insult you courageously and stoutly bear.
My beef with the modern kilt is its anglicised poncification – the pre-union belted plaid is something else entirely.
“..their exterior dress was mottled cloaks of many colours …, their belts were over their loins outside their cloaks.”
I also have a cloak of many colours – which I wear when participating in some archaic and occult pre-Christian religious ceremonies.
I decry the proliferation of faux tartans – not our historic and genuine clan tartans; one of which my family clan regularly sports.
So fear not, Sven. I respect you even more now that I know you are a true Scotsman. And I’m sure you cast a fine and heroic figure when out and about; dignified in silent disdain of the whelps who taunt you.
Let me know if you ever need need hauners fending of the ‘dogs’ snapping at your mighty heels – I’ll accompany you down the high street wearing my ceremonial belted plaid and swingin’ ma claymore aboot ma heid.
Northcode @ 14.15.
The origin of my adult kiltwearing & interest in independence arose in the early 1980s through meeting a fascinating (and complex) Bagpipe & Kiltmaker through my work. And, it was as a small act of personal rebellion against the iniquitous Act of Proscription that I commenced kiltwearing. Me being a wee bit of a contrarian by nature.
Naturally enough, being a first generation descendant of two great Highland clans I assumed the sett officially recognised by my Clan Chief.
As far as this lowlander by birth, removed from my ancestral Faroe Isles & Caithness by two generations, retaining an affection and respect for my Highland & Islands home, well, my forefathers had a Scots word for it.
Cianalas.
@ Rob
and it [Gaelic language] has nothing to do with being scottish.
What a bletherskite you are.
The Gaelic language has been part of the Scottish consciousness for centuries – it’s the ancient tongue of Scotland and is considered to be the founding language of the country.?
Gaelic is a close relative of Irish and Manx Gaelic. The Gaelic language is believed to have come to what is now Scotland from what is now Ireland in around 500AD.??
The term Scot comes from the Latin word Scoti, meaning a Gaelic speaker.”
Northcode,Are you Gus McDonald in disguise? Your comments parrot his rhetoric of thirty years ago .Shortbread tin,kilts backwards entertainment,head of Stv, what a legend.Here in Angus we have Pictish stones,How Scottish is that? with ehm, fish, birds, and swirls on them,lets get rid of the twee Walter Scott stuff,and start again ,t shirts with fish ,birds and swirls on them,the Black Watch would have worn them in the trenches over the heavy Kilts any day.Jimmy Shand remember, sold over a million records,created a new genre of music,often playing Scots tunes from Scots fiddle / pipe masters,Gow/ Marshall etc, The BBC Radio Programme playing this music is the longest running programme in the UK.England has nothing to compare it with,its tradition im afraid,But hey! It makes us backward, as you and Gus Who? said thirty years ago
Sven
I should have added in seriousness that I, too, wear a kilt on occasion – but like yourself, it isn’t one of those pimped-up numbers. The tartan has faded somewhat yet is still recognisable.
I don’t subscribe to all the surrounding paraphernalia either – beyond a treasured heirloom in the form of a silver sgian dubh and a, very slightly, elaborate belt.
Northcode @ 14.32.
Your kind offer of claymore or basket hilted broadsword swinging was also appreciated. Whilst I remain always equipped with an enormous weapon of tremendous size and girth the disapproval of the local Constabulary and the fear of inducing feelings of inadequacy amongst my fellow Scotsmen combine to reduce the likelihood of my ever producing it in public.
Northcode: “I also have a cloak of many colours – which I wear when participating in some archaic and occult pre-Christian religious ceremonies.”
Quite a lot to unpack there…
The Alex Salmond Party current plan for indy ( let’s call it that for the sake of argument) consists of gaining a majority in the HR List Vote in 2026 and arguing that’s a mandate for indy.
It’s no much different from Swinney arguing a minority of SNP MPs being elected would have been a mandate to open indy negotiations.
Both would, in theory, could try to open indy negotiations.
Salmond or Swinney: “We won a mandate for indy”. UK Govt Response: “We are elected to keep the integrity of the UK. UK Parliament is sovereign. Devolution MSPs cannot overrule UK Parliament or HM’s UK Govt. Negotiations over. Bye now.”
The reality in both cases is, it’s about getting some seats on the UK political gravy train.
Hatuey @ 14.52.
Just please don’t get Northy started on the difficulties of finding biological women virgins in his neck of the woods.
I’ve read about some of these archaic practises …
Not that I’m anti-asylum seeker but how about giving ALL Scots free bus travel first, are we not good enough for it?
“THE Scottish Government is set to deliver a pilot giving asylum seekers free bus travel over the next year, an official document has said.
The issue is currently subject to a petition before a Holyrood committee, but former first minister Humza Yousaf said in September it was under “active consideration” by Government.
Free bus travel is currently afforded to those over the age of 60 and under the age of 22.
According to the delivery plan for the Scottish Government’s New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy – published on Wednesday – the pilot will be in place by the end of this financial year.
“Develop and deliver a national pilot to support free bus travel for people seeking asylum, building on local and regional pilots delivered by third sector organisations over recent years, and to inform potential for future travel support,” the 43-page report said.
Transport Scotland will take the lead, supported by third sector organisations and councils. “
sam @ 2:27 pm
“The term Scot comes from the Latin word Scoti, meaning a Gaelic speaker.””
Actually, it comes from the name of Ireland’s founding queen, Scota, daughter of an Egyptian pharaoh. The name ‘Scota’ had a habit of moving on to new lands. Ireland was initially called ‘Scotia’ before the third century AD; “Claudian, Orosius, Marianus Scotus, Isidore and Bede all mention that Ireland was called Scotia” (Ellis 2006). The Romans referred to the Scottii well before Gaelic made an appearance in Argyll via Antrim around 500 AD.
Of course, the Picts pre-date the Gaels in Scotland as the descendants of the Neolithic people. The alliance between Gaels and Picts in the 800s AD to create a Scottish kingdom to deal with invaders from north and south appears to have ended with one language (Gaelic) dominating for a while thereafter; but the Picts did not disappear, and Gaelic was not their tongue.
The Scots language was subsequently developed by Scots within Scotland and remains spoken throughout most of Scotland, as has been the case for a thousand years and more; it should not be ignored. There is of course plenty of evidence where an invader deprives a people of their language and imposes another. A slight change in dominant leadership culture in the mid 800s might have made us ‘Pictland’.
Gaelic was never a national scots language spoken by any majority. It was a west coast language. Try telling anybody from Sutherland or the northern isles that their traditional language was gaelic and see where it gets you.
The area I grew up was auld scots which predates english, English was the common language in Lothian at the time of the Angles coming to the UK, Danish and Norse was spoken in the North and East and gawd knows what Doric was/is?
The point I am making is that Gaelic never was a “national Language” and I do resent the attempts to try and pretend it was as well as the money my taxes pay for to keep up the pretence.
Hatuey
“Quite a lot to unpack there…”
It isn’t quite clear to me if you’re referring to my comment or to Sven’s enormous weapon of tremendous size and girth.
You can keep making the point that Gaelic was never a national language. You can keep being wrong.
Gaelic came to Scotland in the 4th century from Ireland. its use grew until it replaced Pictish language by the 9th century. In the 11th century Gaelic was spoken throughout Scotland except in small areas in the east.
Later in the same century Gaelic began to be replaced by Scots.
Ireland was known as Scotia before the third century AD, named after Scota, daughter of an Egyptian pharaoh.
The interesting thing about the Scots language is that it was developed within Scotland by Scots. The tragedy is that it is not taught tae Scots bairns in the schuils, but we know from postcolonial theory why an oppressed people are deprived of thair ain mither tongue:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
Seems necessary to teach granny to suck eggs….
Until the 11 century the language of lowland Scotland was Cumbric, a cousin of modern Welsh. Gaelic and Inglis/Scots both arrived in the 6/7 centuries politically dominating in their regions.
Pictish was similar to Cumbric.
Modern Gaelic is syntactically/structurally more aligned to Welsh than Irish.
Glasgow, Lanark, Penicuik, Arbroath, Aberdour, Linlithgow etc and the old name for Edinburgh, Din Eiddyn the capital of the Manaw Gododdin are P.Celtic.
A culture airbrushed out of Scottish history, and not by the English.
Free bus travel for asylum seekers.
Just not free safe passage to get here first. Lol
Sounds like someone in the Scottish government is trying to noise up some locals. We Scots just aren’t resentful enough. We should be more like our neighbors & get pissed off with foreigners. Let’s give them everything & do some agitating.
It’s right up there with pardoning witches & vat free sun screen for Scots FFS.
There must be a piss take sweep amongst NGOs for the most pointless waste of parliamentary time.
Colin Alexander
Aye, everyone & their granny knows that the only election that counts is the one to Westminster. The recognised seat of power. Not the branch office.
I understand Alba may want to break through into Holyrood but they shouldn’t piss off an already pissed off electorate by saying it carries any weight regards immediate withdrawal. It doesn’t. At best it can only be a back up plan for a double mandate.
Colin Alexander
10 July, 2024 at 11:26 am
“It remains open to debate whether indyref was as you put it: “a genuine opportunity for independence”.”
First of all, why are you misquoting me?
“a genuine opportunity TO DECIDE on independence.”
What debate?
It is a 100% true fact.
Unless you can point to any other opportunity in the 300 years before 2014?
Likening Salmond with Sturgeon also betrays your personal bitter agenda against Salmond.
“it’s a fact Alex Salmond did not lead Scotland to independence when at the height of his and the SNP’s popularity. Instead he walked away and handed the reins over to “Stalin’s Sister”, who has left the SNP in ruins.”
It was an honourable thing for him to resign as leader after the referendum defeat. After every vote, there is pressure on the leader of the losing party to resign.
At the time of his resignation, Sturgeon was extremely popular as the new leader of the independence movement.
The height of the SNP’s popularity came AFTER Salmond had resigned. If he had been leader at the time of Brexit, he would not have missed the opportunity to make Scotland independent.
It was Sturgeon who betrayed independence supporters.
On realising this, Salmond made an attempt to make independence a priority again, for which he almost ended up in jail on false charges of rape.
The current state of ALBA and Salmond’s role within it is debatable, but it is an undebatable fact that it was Salmond who led the SNP to an unimaginable majority in the Scottish parliament and delivered on a YES/NO referendum, avoiding a devolution alternative.
“It’s there on photo and video: Alex Salmond at the proclamation of fealty to King Charles III pledging all faithful obedience to the English Crown.”
Even at the time of the referendum, the Yes movement did not stand on a platform of abolishing the monarchy in Scotland.
There was a significant support for the Crown in Scotland, and any decision on it has to come after independence.
Salmond is a politician, and no politician will be 100% to your liking.
But apart from you, I doubt there is any other Scot who would doubt Salmond’s 100% commitment to independence.
Compared to the 0% of Sturgeon and the rest of the SNP scum.
Turabdin: “Seems necessary to teach granny to suck eggs….”
Or teach her to speak Eggy language…
Eggy is the only language that deserves funding. The colonial bastards are trying to smother it.
Turabdin
My gaelic speaking ( from the island of Tiree)mother told me that she could understand Irish gaelic but not Welsh .
Aaah, the fabulous “Alba, Wings and the Cybergnats have taken away our votes and we lost our MPs” paired to “Alba has taken no votes, they have failed” Schroedinger’s Cat fantasy by the Saint Nicola’s Party cultists is a spectacle to behold.
Narcissistic sociopaths, living in a parallel universe where incompatible things can happen at the same time, completely delulu.
Please start slapping them with a mackerel every time you see one. Better if frozen, it hits different.