Zimba
Reply to desimond
4 days ago
Hope I’m not the only one to notice here no mention of gay or lesbian in that ‘scheme’? Sounds like three groups whose rights had to be fought for — women, gay men and lesbians — the winning of which brought us closer to a world of tolerance and respect, are being completely airbrushed out of the picture by a government that claims to be standing up for liberal values. Interesting.
Karen
6 days ago
My favourite thing is this might actually be discriminatory on grounds of belief and race (not plain language for non-native English speakers). Hopefully someone will challenge it.
sarah
6 days ago
Surely this twaddle foisted on the public, at the financial cost of the public, amounts to misfeasance/malfeasance? A complete waste of money and time. And also harmful in that it debases the proper use of language and renders communication of information impossible.
Annoyed
6 days ago
Every MSP who signs/signed up to this should have to display their preferred gender prior to this absurdity being foisted onto the Scottish people.
mike cassidy
6 days ago
I’m not so much questioning my gender
As questioning my will to live
Zander Tait
6 days ago
The SNP must be destroyed. Completely and forever.
Along with the Greens, the Libdems and the Labour Party Scottish office who also subscribe to this deranged bat guano.
Effijy
6 days ago
Dear God that is more than pathetic.
With so many cut backs and people living in abject poverty can you imagine how much was spent concocting this crap.
I couldn’t bring myself to read more than a few lines but have they discriminated against the people of have sex with animals?
Do they need a classification for horses, donkeys, dogs etc?
If a party wants to rule Holyrood, just promise to wipe this out and remove it from embarrassing Scotland’s history.
SusanAHF
6 days ago
This brain rot has to stop. I, for one, will not be complying
Astonished
Reply to SusanAHF
6 days ago
I don’t imagine we’ll be alone.
I do hope the nuSNP and labour are destroyed before 2026, I simply can’t stand much more of this.
Geri
Reply to McDuff
3 days ago
Its an American directive. All governments are to adopt this shit or face consequences (via withholding funds or being sanctioned by IMF)
Hungary is refusing to take part & the knives are out for Orban. Slovakia too & a few other countries. They rightly describe it as an attack on family & their family values. Especially compulsory teaching this nonsense to children.
The Western wealthy elite must have more than a few deranged lunatics to pay copious amounts of cash force governments to impose this gobbledygook bullshit on every country. None of it passed with public consent either.
Things are going to get ugly. There’s a ‘continuum’…
Garrion
Reply to McDuff
5 days ago
would contend that the ‘agenda’ is to have the SNP limp along like the howling clown car that it is while ‘representing’ Scottish independence.
The sooner it is comprehensively removed from the face of the earth, the sooner we can all get on with building a clear and unequivocal voice for the single, un-wedge issued, non-partisan, clear and single focused objective of getting this country out of the ‘union’.
G M
6 days ago
An Irish senator read out 170odd genders in the Seanad Eireann last week. A punishing task to complete without breaking down at some point in it hysterical with laughter. And a wild listen it was. We have only 24! Ha ha ha!
G M
Reply to Geri
2 days ago
The senator was against it, as are many in the Irish Senate. She was highlighting how ridiculous and dangerous it is. Nontheless it was some effort. Maybe laughing at this shite is all we need to do?
duncanio
6 days ago
The “guidance” is all tosh of course.
If I had to pick a favourite numpty descriptor it would be ‘bigender’.
The Scottish Government probably intend that this category be pronounced ‘bi-gender’.
However, I think folks should insist on the phonetic being ‘big-ender’.
Ellie
5 days ago
Would Scotgov be allowed to push one religion onto the public over all others?
Of course not, so why are they doing this? It’s all so very offensive.
Alf Baird
Reply to Ellie
5 days ago
Gender identity ideology seems a new form of cultural imperialism, in effect a colonial procedure imposed on people, the intention of which appears to be to diminish or perhaps even totally remove peoples sense of national identity.
wull
Reply to Aidan
5 days ago
Don’t trash Alf, especially when he is being discriminated against by the most non-inclusive (supposedly Scottish) Government in the world. He’s an Alfa-male, and they don’t even get a mention. You, of all people, should be able to sympathise, because there’s no place for a mAidan either. When is all this discrimination going to end?
The Government waants tae pit me in the nick;
It willnae gie me a box ah can tick!
Ah cannae fit in, tae their in-clusive plan
That prevents ony Scot from bein’ a man –
Or a wummin, for a’ that; for we’ve a’ been excised
Frae the gender we’re born wi’, for it’s been despised
By oor nin-com-puke rulers, wha’ waant us tae cower
An’ bow doon in front o’ their twenty-fower…
Which expand to infinity, but never include
The twa’ we a’ ken, for that would intrude,
And destroy, the make-believe world,
To which they waant Sco’lan’, for aye, tae be thirled.
‘Awa wi’ your freedom, your sex and your gender,
Forget independence, suck up oor agenda
Which we duly flagged up, and lang since unfurled,
The day, pair wee Scots, ye were mugged and got Murrelled!’
‘Ye didnae ken?’ That’s nae excuse: it willnae dae:
The response is clear: ‘Whaur did ye come fae?
Whaur hae ye been?’ “But ah hadnae a clue!”
‘Wha’s faut wis that? … Ah weel, ye ken noo!’,
It’s ever so late.. Are we left to our fate?
Or a reckoning day? Then hasten the date
When that will tak’ place, an’ we will re-make
The Scotland of old, of free men and women
Where illusion is vanquished and sins are forgiven,
False hatreds are banished that caused our division:
Two Genders Restored, True Scots will have Risen…
Not by diktat of law, but good common sense
Which rises within us, to our defence,
So we see through the clothes of our make-believe rulers
And discover they’re naked and naught but Tom-Foolers
And Uglies to boot, with their wicked agendas
Which mutilate others, and leave them ungendered,
Disfigured, unhappy, and only for profit…
Which our tyrants and others put squint in their pockets
Or straight, if you want, but that’s not what they are,
These devious wretches that robbed us from far:
They saw us a-coming, took our goodwill for granted,
And exploited it richly, for their own advantage,
But riches will pass, and they too will perish,
For Hell, not our Scotland, is the place for the Hellish
With fiends there a-plenty, with whom to plot trouble
To march others down there, so quick, at the double:
Just lie and deceive, confuse and destroy.
Tell boys they are girls, and girls they are boys,
And anyone can be whatever they want:
Tear Scotland apart, put them all out of joint.
Scots Men and Scots Women entirely berate:
And start with the young, so they can’t procreate.
What our Masters are after is ‘Scotland No More’:
They plan our destruction from their every pore:
The birth rate must sink, and the old disappear
Scorched earth is the means, till no Scots are here.
The Scotland they dream of makes Scots people history,
Their future reduced to fossil-like mystery.
Survivors there may be, but only a few,
And as they die out will have nothing to do
Except look for their genes, and seek out its code
Peer into a past that is over, for all over-rode
By the pure Selfish Gene which the SNP swallowed
When independence they ditched, and Woke-ism followed:
They hollowed out Salmond, and their own raison d’etre,
Filled up themselves, and left their people to fester.
Begone with them all! Scotland arise!
The time is short! Seize quick the prize!
Don’t be UnManned! An’ don’t be UnWumanned!
Stand up erect! Be fully human!
Love as ye should! An ha’e yer braw bairns!
Scotland arise! Be true Scots again!
The country is oors, if only we seize it!
Wha’ daurs wins! And only thus frees it!
Nane should walk ower us! We’re made to be free!
Cry it oot loud: ‘Wha’ daur meddle wi’ me?’
As did Bruce in the past, an’ Wallace, an’ a’,
An’ freeman rise or freeman fa’
Freedom rests thon bonny thing
Thon fact o’ facts that winna ding
Thon Truth to which a’ guid fowk cling:
Rise, then, an’ sing.
The auld song, that really hasnae de’ed
And never wull, till we – an’ a’ – be freed.
Stuart MacKay
5 days ago
> Scottish Government’s guidance on data collection
If ever you needed evidence that the Scottish Government is F****d Up Beyond All Recognition, then this is it. How on earth are 24 subjective descriptions which form a fuzzy spectrum ever going to be communicated effectively, never mind answered consistently. They’ve just trashed decades of institutional data collection. Information that’s essential for any form of policy or long term planning, etc. etc.
Unless the interim, junior, associate intern, third-class with the green hair, piercings and high on ritalin was given this assignment, this is a deliberate act of wanton destruction. And they self-identify as elites.
LES HALLES
5 days ago
Do you ever feel you’re living in the last days of Ancient Rome and that it won’t be long before a horse becomes leader of the SNP?
moixx
5 days ago
From the latest SG Consultation Updates email – how babies can understand and assert their rights.
“Of all the participation resources that we came across in our research stage, nothing was aimed directly at including babies in work on their rights. We felt passionately that this was a significant gap. Babies have the right to be included! The method should empower babies to develop an understanding that they are rights holders and to show that babies can understand complex ideas like rights when they have experienced them. This way we could ensure all children were included and that it was realistic in terms of developmental appropriateness.”
“The method that we created is interactive: a gentle discussion and observation based method to gather children’s views on their rights. We talk about the language of babies, infants, and young children. How it is made up of so much more than their words. We encourage practitioners to talk about rights, using the language of rights in day to day practice, to empower children to exercise their rights, treating them with respect and dignity so they can be empowered to expect respect and dignity.”
I’m not quite sure what is being meant by ‘rights’ here but, given the way children are being targeted in schools, including primary school, is it another aspect of the ‘trans agenda’?
Gerry Parker
5 days ago
I refuse to learn the vocabulary of this nonsense.
Republicofscotland
5 days ago
Utter madness – it would be almost funny if it wasn’t so frightening – some of titles and descriptions must’ve been drawn up whilst the writer/s were high on crack – or Spice.
I especially like the Bigender one – and the Auitgender to do with Autism – does that mean anyone with any medical or mental condition – can have a gender named after them?
We really need to get the SNP government out of office come 2026 – along with the degenerate Greens – we can vote Alba for Alex ( now there’s an election slogan if ever I saw one) or we can vote ISP – or for any other indy party that might show up on your ballot paper in your constituency (but not the SNP they are NOT an indy party anymore).
The Chief upstairs (Alex) must be scratching his heid at aw this nonsense.
Republicofscotland
5 days ago
I should’ve added – that the outside world must be looking in at auld colonial Scotland – and laughing their f*ckin heids aff – at the sheer stupidity of oor ain colonial government – its an utter embarrassment.
This is of course the plan – to f*ck Scotland up so badly that – folk will be too buy just trying to make ends meet – and avoid opening their mouths – incase they fall foul to the preposterous Hate Crime Laws – that independence won’t even come into their minds.
We MUST when the time comes get the SNP and Greens out of power – or this madness will only get worse vote Alba or ISP – never vote for a Britnat party either.
Alf Baird
Reply to Hatey McHateface
5 days ago
Scotland’s GDP per capita is the lowest in NW Europe and zero growth a long-term norm. That’s not the fault of the EU, its due to our economy being plundered by England. The UK ‘colonial corset’ is costing Scotland at least £150 billion a year:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
Ian Smith
Reply to Alf Baird
4 days ago
We’ve voted socialist for 70 straight years, despite all the evidence that it is catastrophic everywhere all the time.
The evidence is stark North vs South Korea, East vs West Germany, Singapore vs Cuba.
There is an ingrained mentality that it is somebody else’s responsibility to provide us with a standard of living.
There is no need to look beyond our borders.
Michael Laing
Reply to Ian Smith
4 days ago
Total garbage. There is no reason whatsoever why a few greedy individuals should own this planet’s land, resources and wealth while the rest have nothing or next-to-nothing. Everyone is entitled to and deserves an equal share. Also, it’s a simple fact that economies perform best when there is greater social equality, as demonstrated by the Scandinavian countries. And what do you know about North Korea? Everything we are told about that country is propaganda. China is also a communist country and it seems to be outperforming every other country in the world.
robertkknight
Reply to Hatey McHateface
5 days ago
Once upon a time there were 27 countries in which you could live, work, study, retire to even, and not a single trumped up little immigration officer, civil servant or politician could say boo.
Then along came Nigel with his crombie coat and German wife and German passport and persuaded the weak and feeble minded xenophobes that England didn’t win the war to be told what to do by guess who? The Germans!!!
Buyers regret? They’re choking to death on it and I’m laughing my ass off watching them doing so.
And aside from the freedom of movement, or absence therefore… The post-Brexit UK economy???
“Britain has dropped out of the top ten rankings for manufacturing for the first time ever, new research from an industry body revealed. In the most recent standings, which analyses 2022 performances, Britain slipped to 12th place, down from eighth in the year prior,”
“Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the government’s outstanding debt pile reached 100% of gross domestic product in August, the highest level since 1961”
Karma’s a bitch!
Robert Hughes
5 days ago
The War On Reality continues . We’re losing .
If distraction/destruction ( of Reason ) is the objective ; this shit is the weapon .
Very difficult to defend against , ’cause if we ignore it the lunacy will continue unchecked ; if we fight it we’re allowing ourselves to be caught-up in an argument of bottomless stupidity against people not amenable to Reason .
Be good to think ridicule alone would be an effective defence ; not sure it is .
Think it may come down to a rule-of-thumb scenario that any politician , pundit or prattling ponce promoting/accepting this weaponised idiocy is automatically consigned to the ” Dafty . Ignore ” category : + relentless scorn . ( n don’t forget , laughter )
Tinto Chiel
Reply to Michael Laing
5 days ago
I’m going to cut to the chase through all this crapola and remind the world that gender is for nouns and sex is for people and other animals.
Thanks, Rev, for reading all the way through that drivel for us. Coincidentally, I’m reading The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies by the Rev. Robert Kirk of Aberfeldy (17th century) and it makes a whole lot more sense.
Meanwhile our country circles the drain but at least John Swinney has a nice wee rainbow on his semmit.
John C
5 days ago
A decade ago Scotland was discussing how best to use tax raised here to rebuild local communities, it’s NHS & raise people out of poverty. Now the Scottish Government is discussing how many ‘genders’ there are.
Here’s the answer. Zero. There are no genders. Just as there’s no God, Allah, Yahweh, Zeus, Odin or any cosmic deity. One might have faith they exist but in 2024 nobody has the right to impose their faith upon anyone else. Sure, I’ll respect Christian, Jewish & Muslim friends who know I’m not a subject for conversion, but for the Trans lot it’s an essential part of the ideology for it to impose itself upon people and society. They know they can’t do it slowly or respectfully, so for 20 years they’ve been about to
inveigle their ideology into society & when people kicked back, they went down the route of influencing lawmakers.
So we have an insane situation where the Scottish Government pays quangos to tell it what it wants to hear. These quangos are stuffed full of activists and mates/partners of newer MSPs who then work on rubbish like this.
There’s a cost of living crisis. People are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Education is in decline. The NHS is struggling. Public services are being cut back but somehow the Scottish Government wastes time, energy & money on this and wonder why voters are abandoning them?
Thing is even the slightest bit of critical thinking shows up the mess of genderism hence why TRAs want unquestioning acceptance. Any questioning makes their ideology fall apart.
GeoffC.
Reply to John C
2 days ago
20 decades ago, and more, Scotland was Enlightening the World with its wisdom.
Now, the World likely laughs, that is if it can find us on a map.
Vivian O’Blivion
5 days ago
Genius has its limitations, stupidity is not thus encumbered. Anon
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh
5 days ago
The sight of those Stonewall-sponsored shoe-laces in Holyrood evokes the gruesome image of our Scottish body politic as willing host to infestation by voraciously parasitical multicoloured worms — the arrhythmic heart of government riddled to near destruction and the short-circuiting brain screaming under terminal attack…
Dan
5 days ago
Said it years ago but it’s all just a load of utter shit being doled out as a clearly successful divide and rule tool to what appears to be an increasingly brain dead society that has lost the ability of critical thinking.
It has similarities with other prominent emotive subjects being pushed onto us with the saving the planet and re-wilding narratives.
When I go shopping I see the prevalence of so much processed and highly refined additive packed food on the shelves that it makes me think it’s some chemicals prevalent in the food chain that are compromising so many people’s mental and physical health and well-being.
If anybody feels out of kilter or has a general malaise then try dropping as many processed food stuffs out of your diet as possible.
I know it’s tricky to break habits and make that change but things like making a basic muesli out of oats and adding your own fruits is easy and eliminates all the extra crap and sugars in ready made muesli.
Make a big pot of homemade lentil soup or a veg broth and it will last a few days, and have it with a proper oatcake (many contain gluten) with a bit of cheese for lunch.
Drop quantities of carbs like pasta and spuds as it’s likely most folk aren’t doing anything like the physical exercise required to burn them off.
Cheaper breads and other products with gluten are another thing to avoid, and well worth eliminating for a while if bothered with joint pain and see if symptoms reduce.
Avoid coffee (especially first thing) if bothered with gastro issues.
I observe everything that is being pushed hard onto us and avoid it like the plague.
We know BigPharma and related chemical industries have a big hand in pushing the genderwoowoo nonsense, do you really think this is their first rodeo of making folk ill and pushing cures?
Lorna Campbell
5 days ago
Quite apart from the fruit-loop element, imagine being so self-obsessed that you spend hours and days and months trying to work out exactly what you are, as if anyone gives a toss.
There’s money in them thar identities.
As or the SG, it is malfeasance/misfeasance, not to mention the worst misogyny and homophobia on the planet.
The men – the women are just eejits, incapable of forming an independent thought, and the bairns are victims – are paraphiliacs/fetishists. It is here that they have to be attacked if we are to bring them down at all.
By the way, they haven’t included zoophilia but I suppose sheep shagging is not ‘sexy’ to the impressionable young. This is the result of an addiction to p**n taking over lives, with the impetus of mega bucks for Big Pharma.
It’s no use attacking them for being insane or money-grubbing these days, but show them up for what they really, really are, and that is sex addicted fools who are completely in thrall to their pee-pees and who will go to any lengths, including co-opting damaged and neurodiverse children and unwilling females into their public fetish. Take it all down to brass tacks and put the spotlight on what is nothing more than grubby self-pleasuring in the public arena.
Campbell Clansman
5 days ago
These SNP policies are insane. And everyone here is right in mocking them. But I’d wager most of those commenting here also voted SNP at some point in the last 20 years.
These SNP voters should take some of the responsibility for putting these crooks and idiots in office.
You’re getting who you voted for.
Michael Laing
Reply to Campbell Clansman
5 days ago
Don’t be ridiculous. As is obvious and has been pointed out to you before, Scots voted for the SNP in order to bring about Scotland’s independence, because that was the SNP’s purpose. By what logic does it become the voter’s fault if the politician does something they were not elected to do?
Jason Smoothpiece
5 days ago
There are only four genders.
male, female, mentally ill and fetishised.
If you are male or female good effort.
If you are mentally ill I am sorry and hope you get the assistance you need as soon as possible.
If you have a fetish good for you hope you have fun.
However to the mentally ill and the fetish group don’t expect me to confirm your beliefs and stay away from woman’s spaces and sports.
Breeks
5 days ago
This whole realm of Transgender depravity and corruption is a fire which keeps burning without fuel, heat, or Oxygen. It shouldn’t exist but it does.
Nobody needs it, nobody wants it, and the internet is awash with Companies and Institutions, from Bud Light to Disney, suddenly in a tail spin on the route to going broke because they were stupid enough to embrace this corrosive horseshit. We can add Scotland to that list.
Nothing is sacred to the deranged footsoldiers who mobilise this pish, and that creates a paradox; how can such mentally feeble imbeciles create such an effective mechanism to install themselves in positions of power? How?
“Oh nobody’s going to listen to this toxic balloon”, then suddenly this toxic balloon gets a high profile job in government or quango on a six figure salary. It stinks.
It stinks, and it has created a mechanism which has derailed Scottish Independence, so don’t expect the UK State or broadcasting Establishment to lift a finger to address it. They’ll be “purring” like their deceased Queen was, when their corrupt manipulations worked for them in 2014.
Who needs sectarianism when transgenderism can supply the requisite number of nutcases to destabilise or misdirect political momentum?
Robert Hughes
Reply to Breeks
5 days ago
Quite so , B . ” Transgenderism ” IS the new sectarianism : except this time it’s not about competing/conflicting * religions * , but competing versions of Reality . It should be a walkover for our side , that it’s not indicates the amount of political & financial capital the other side has on it’s side . Sufficient it seems to override the fact that the overwhelming majority of people who are aware of this lunacy think it’s the biggest pile of steaming shite they’ve ever encountered , yet we are unable to pull the plug on it and flush it down the toilet .
Think we might need a bigger plunger
Vivian O’Blivion
5 days ago
Oh the pitfalls of Identity Politics. Across the Celtic sea the prospects of Sinn Féin in the all too imminent General Election are circling the drain over the scandal of Nial O’ Donnghaile, ex Mayor of Belfast. O’ Donnghaile was caught sending explicit texts to a 16 year old boy. That would make him a pederast in Northern Ireland and significantly worse in the Republic.
This is scarily redolent of any number of SNP scandals (Derek Mackay, Patrick Grady, Jordan Linden, … ). As was the case here, Sinn Féin’s problems are amplified by orders of magnitude by the coverup.
Uncharacteristically I don’t attribute blame here to the Security Services. The Permanent State created the environment but the SNP and Sinn Féin did the rest of their own volition. Why do the hierarchies of political parties see some kind of magical virtue in individuals outwith the heterosexual majority? Probably for a variety of reasons I have speculated about before, and the fingerprints of the Permanent State are detectable in this.
The group dynamics of the cult, the need to appear culturally “Progressive” (a hideous imported phrase from America), or the desire to build a broad spectrum electoral appeal that incorporates “the kids” (Sinn Féin’s strategy in the Republic).
Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill may be the outward face of Sinn Féin, but behind the scene the “big scary fuckers from South Armagh” still apparently run the show. If these hard men and women raised for generations to spot the malign influence of the Security Services can be captured by the Siren call of Identity Politics, what hope the rest of us?
Alf Baird
Reply to Vivian O’Blivion
5 days ago
The moral pitfalls of a nationalist party seeking to compromise and opt for ‘an accommodation with colonialism’. We can see how that worked out in Scotland.
On the matter of identity replacement, we know that language, culture and national identity intersect to form our belief in ‘who we are’. When a people become incorporated into a more dominant imposed language and (alien) culture that has subsumed them, they stand to lose their heritage and identity, and their way.
link to grousebeater.wordpress.com
Lorna Campbell
Reply to Vivian O’Blivion
4 days ago
Vivian: you are spot on. I have been saying for the past couple of years that Sinn Fein are as captured as the SNP. I don’t know what is wrong with so many people that they do not understand how this ‘trans’ lobby works. They are an offshoot of the hard left and post structuralists who wish to destroy society as we know it and take it back to Year Zero a la Pol Pot. Independence and nationalism are anathema to these people and they WILL destroy Sinn Fein as they have destroyed the SNP, Greens, Lib Dems and Labour. In dependence supporters just do not get that they are ideologically opposed to nationalism. The NI and Irish might rid themselves of them, but they will probably have to resort to the old methods, and we all know what they are. The other impediment is Big Pharma which stands to make billions out of it, so I wouldn’t be holding my breath that even Sinn Fein will be able too shake them off. It will be only when we are the point that people can see clearly what they are that things will swing back again.
Robert Hughes
Reply to Vivian O’Blivion
4 days ago
” If these hard men and women raised for generations to spot the malign influence of the Security Services can be captured by the Siren call of Identity Politics, what hope the rest of us? ” . None . No hope whatsoever .
Mary Lou McDonald , in many ways a truly admirable/formidable representative of the fight to restore Ireland to full nationhood , ie Reunification , as well as holding sound views on Global events , makes her equivalents in the SNP look like the weak-kneed , feeble-minded idiots they are : except , potentially disastrously for her cause , when it comes to the bafflingly stupid/socially fragmenting issue of Identity Politics . This may well prove to be her/Sinn Fein’s Achilles Heel , because , assuredly , the * Trans * wing of Identity Politics will prove to be it’s Trojan Horse .
It’s possible the ” big scary fuckers from South Armagh ” will realise in time the viper they have invited into their midst has no interest in anything other than inserting it’s venomous fangs into whatever * host * is naive enough to allow it in ; but such is the degree of uncritical – of what passes for – thinking on the issue it remains to be seen if they will .
In our case , we don’t even have the possible corrective of ” big scary fuckers ” to spot the danger – and eliminate it . Rather , ” we ” have a succession of dribbling , ball-less , clueless drones , totally bereft of the capacity for critical/independent thought devising , signing-up for & nodding-through evermore ridiculous/damaging policies without giving even cursory consideration to what the people they are meant to represent think/feel about such policies . Not to mention the impact of these policies on how people perceive Scotland would be post-Union .
Sinn Fein – like SNP – seem to be labouring under the delusion that the whole D.E.I /Identity Politics farrago is universally agreed to be a ” good thing ” . The public protests in the Republic , eg against the attempt to redefine things like marriage , what a woman is ;as well as the issue of mass immigration show this assumption to be false .
At least in Ireland there are such public protests : here in Scotland passive – if grudging – acceptance seems to be all that’s available .
They say when an animal , eg dog , cat , is neutered it loses it’s ” elan vital ” , it’s ” animal spirit ” , becoming not much more than enervated shadow of it’s former self
The SNP are leading the campaign to have the whole country spayed , and with each cut are stripping away a little more of what makes our country distinct , along with the energy that will be required to preserve it’s distinctiveness .
Which distinctiveness will ONLY be preserved by Independence .
sarah
4 days ago
What is the betting on how redacted the disclosure of Scotgov legal advice will be?
And on how clear the explanation for the Scottish public of the ins and outs will be by the MSM? It is very easy to make it all so dull and complex that the gist will be obscured. Of course, the Rev will make it crystal clear but the MSM will finally report properly in about 50 years time.
Republicofscotland
4 days ago
Anyone who thinks that the COPFS – will prosecute with regards to the multiple Operations Police Scotland has on the go – with SNP machinations in mind, is kidding themselves on.
For me the COPFS staff are in it up to their necks, as is the current and previous LA – and that’s why these Operations have been dragging on and on, for years.
The COPFS isn’t going to be hoisted by its own petard – by allowing all the machinations of the SNP – and what the COPFS office did to aid and abet in them – into the public domain – Christ the then Crown Agent when all the underhandedness was going on was/is a Mi5.
I think the only casualty will be Peter Murrell and even there a light touch on prosecution will be applied.
Republicofscotland
4 days ago
The media whores – in what passes for the media in Scotland – are at it again, bigging up the Colonial Games – which are coming to my home town of Glasgow – because no other nation on Earth wants them – but the mayor of Scotland John Swinney, is more than happy to comply with London and foist them on Glasgow.
I call Swinney the Mayor of Scotland – because he was deeply willing to act like one, when he presented himself as the Mayor of Scotland at the Nations and Regions meeting organised by the English Labour Government.
Swinney – looked more than delighted at rubbing shoulders with mayors of England’s regions.
Oneliner
4 days ago
How many types of independence are there?
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh
Reply to Oneliner
4 days ago
Agree with Alf. Of course in these globalist times, constant negotiation or recalibration is required, international exchanges being enriching at best, isolationism not being optimal. A key aspect of cultural independence for Alf is, as we well know and as I agree, linguistic (with historical continuity of literature and freedom of consciousness implicit in that).
Language has hardly begun to register as an important factor with Scots as a nation, our arguments for independence being almost exclusively economic. (It occurs to me that Scots actually do have a linguistic mannerism which gets staunchly vaunted as our distinctive Scottish “thing”, ie the liberal peppering of discourse with demotic anglo-saxon swear words.)
As I have written elsewhere, “Our language thinks us”. Which of course brings us back to Stuart Campbell’s gender list at the top of this article. Those of us of a more mature age react to it as patently insane. Not so school kids who have been caught young and implanted with it all. For them these categories are default reality because school said so. School also primes them to expect opposition from parents, school therefore becoming safe-haven against such argumentative backwardness. Home resistance is especially stressful when the young suddenly become desperately aware of their (perceived) need to stop their puberty clock ticking forthwith.
This all jumps my mind back to John Swinney’s nefarious “Named Person” plan to usurp parental prerogative by interposing a state appointee for every child, with power accorded the bureaucratic interceder to amass a clandestine dossier on parental thoughts as reported by the child. Despite the failure of Swinney’s incipient pernicious project, the comprehensive invasion of schools by State-think has since of course been realised, with every door being flung wide open to Stonewall, allowing them and like organisations to influence, even write, the curriculum at every educational level from P1 (if not nursery itself) upwards.
The Supreme Court (of Greater England) of course stymied John Swinney’s original scheme. And we must be grateful for that even through clenched teeth. A key ruling by the Court was the following:
« Individual differences are the product of the interplay between the individual person and his upbringing and environment. Different upbringings produce different people. The first thing that a totalitarian regime tries to do is to get at the children, to distance them from the subversive, varied influences of their families, and indoctrinate them in their rulers’ view of the world. Within limits, families must be left to bring up their children in their own way. »
I caught part of a radio discussion the other day about the ongoing dreadfulness of children in Africa being kidnapped and turned into brutal child soldiers. Of course totalitarian regimes like Nazism and Maoism also had youth activists who were indoctrinated against their parents. The radio contributor referred to the hideous Khmer Rouge under Pol Pot when children tortured their own parents.
Philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd, who lived through the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, wrote:
« We have witnessed the unspeakably bloody and reactionary regime of nazism. Moreover, these totalitarian ideals were backed by the military power of a mighty modern state. Science and art, child rearing and education, industry and technology, labour organizations and philanthropy – all were made subservient. »
Nicola Sturgeon and her lieutenant John Swinney were, thankfully, not in a position of being “backed by the military power of a mighty modern state”, but Sturgeon’s entire approach to statecraft became increasingly totalitarian.
Another mark of a totalitarian bias in a country is the refusal to countenance any regard for international law. Dooyeweerd in the late 1940s, writing his critique of Nazism, perceived a crisis within humanism itself at work, a fraught shift from its objectivist (scientific law) polarity to its subjectivist (free personalistic) polarity. I see this as perceptively valid, and think we are indeed still experiencing the out-working of this tectonic upheaval in Western thinking. It has plausible explanatory power for how we have arrived at the replacement of validated biological laws with such child-tantrum foot-stamping as is evident in the list of indefinable genders above.
Again, linking totalitarianism to all this, Dooyeweerd writes (c 1946) –
« Rationalistic humanism (in its view of mathematics and modern natural science) turned into irrationalistic humanism, which rejected all universally valid laws and order. It elevated individual potential to the status of law. […] When the Historical School attempted to understand the entire culture, language, art, jurisprudence, and the economic and social orders in terms of the historical development of an individual national spirit, it elevated the national character to the status of the origin of all order. […] Historicism robs us of our belief in abiding standards […] If everything is in historical flux and if the stability of principles is a figment of the imagination, then why prefer an ideology of human rights to the ideals of a strong race and its bond to the German soil?’ » (Herman Dooyeweerd, ‘Roots of Western Culture: Pagan, Secular, and Christian Options’, Paideia Press, 2012, pp 52, 63, 74, 87)
Michael Laing
Reply to Ian Stewart
4 days ago
People voted for the SNP because they wanted independence and the SNP was supposed to be the party of independence. Voters are not responsible for what parties do or fail to do in office. We have no way of holding them to account, other than by not voting for them at the next election. And even then, the d’Hondt system will ensure that we get lumbered with unwanted MSPs and policies.
Xaracen
Reply to Michael Laing
3 days ago
<i>”Don’t be ridiculous.
People are electing a GOVERNMENT, not a ’cause.'”</i>
Nope! People elect representatives to represent them, because in an actual democracy, the people are supposed to be the rulers, at least in principle. Since they cannot govern in practice, that task is delegated to a full time body along with sufficient powers to enable them to carry out all the relevant jobs a government is supposed to do on behalf of their country/nation/kingdom for the best interests of their country’s people. That means <b>ALL</b> of them, not just a tiny favoured subset, ie, the ones with the most money!
Voters hope their party of choice might form a government, and that they might then carry forward the manifesto policies they were supposedly voted in for. But for the sovereign Scots that will <b>never</b> happen.
Even when the SNP had 56 out of Scotland’s 59 seats, they hadn’t the faintest hope of forming a UK government. Under Westminster’s current rules Scotland will never elect a Scottish government in the Union parliament despite owning 50% of the Union’s two sovereignties. That’s an English-only privilege, and one not formally agreed in the Treaty or Acts of Union.
This is yet another of Scotland’s many democratic deficits, all of which occur because England’s establishment refuses to recognise Scotland’s sovereignty as being fully equal to England’s in their Union, and in their poxy over-entitled parliament!
sarah
Reply to Republicofscotland
3 days ago
Kate Forbes is such a disappointment (to put it politely). She could have exerted pressure and solved so many ferry-related problems, saving hundreds of millions in the process. She could have served Scotland’s cause and the people by not signing us up to freeports and SEZs. But she has instead dealt massive economic blows and also anti-independence blows to us.
Garavelli Princip
Reply to Republicofscotland
3 days ago
While we are on the subject, I think you should also look at the Scottish North-American Business Council (SNABC)
It was founded by (among others) Andrew Fulton – who remains on its Board.
Very modestly, its website describes him thus:
“Andrew Fulton spent over 30 years in HM Diplomatic Service with postings in Saigon, Rome, East Berlin, Oslo, the United Nations in New York and finally Washington DC”.
Very ‘diplomatic’, one might say, for Andrew was in fact the MI6 in-house spy in all of these postings- and was in fact MI6 Station chief in Washington.
He was appointed law ‘professor’ at Glasgow University (despite having no academic credentials) apparently for the sole purpose of heading the Lockerbie Trial Briefing Unit – from which he had to step down when his cover was blown
As we know, GU is still appointing dubious professors for God knows what purpose:
SNABC was in fact run from Glasgow University (No10 Professors Square) when it was first established in the early 2000s.
I think Glasgow University’s contributions to the Brit secret state ought to better recognised!
Geri
Reply to Robert Hughes
3 days ago
Money & fear.
Just look what happens to them when they refuse to play ball. Thrown to the lions on jumped up charges, a sex scandal or three, or in extreme cases, assassinated or just plain old overthrown in disgrace.
The Corbyn treatment was a recent one. Even if he wasn’t playing ball his foot soldiers definitely were to undermine him as the BBC, another colluding operation, crucified him.
As for ppl like Dumbza & Sturgeon. Easily manipulated. They’re already drunk on their own self importance they’d consider it an honor the establishment picked them thinking they were in with the in crowd.
Vivian O’Blivion
Reply to Stuart MacKay
3 days ago
To attempt to answer your primary question, defenestrated Scottish politicians go into (faux) academia, third sector influencing outfits and think tanks. The House of Lords is closed to the SNP (for the time being).
Stephen Gethins was taken in by the spook infested, School of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews with indecent haste when he lost his seat in the 2019, crash GE. Gethins rose quickly to the status of Professor.
Kezia Dugdale moved firstly into the third sector (John Smith Centre at the University of Glasgow) before risibly being named a Professor without having a Doctorate and with laughable claims of teaching experience. At least Gethins had some post Graduate research qualifications.
Mike Russell was briefly given the title of Professor by the UoG, and that was only because he lost a Cabinet position, he retained his MSP salary. Russell’s tenure was derisively short. Real academics at the UoG chafe at these demeaning appointments (see MI6 senior officer, Andrew Fulton being named a Professor in 1999 to spin the proceedings of the Lockerbie trial to the world’s press).
Back at the John Smith Centre, it’s opening its horizons. Having arranged internships exclusively to Holyrood for a number of years, it is now fixing places for tyro, Stepford politicians at Westminster, Greater Manchester and possibly Merseyside.
So yes, the status of Holyrood is diminishing with the active collusion of First Minister John Swinney (and even Sturgeon wouldn’t go along with that as it would appear to be a slight on her personal standing).
Tinto Chiel
2 days ago
Since this thread is getting on a bit, some might be interested in a Salvo-themed effort which explains why this union is so illegitimate and oppressive.
Apologies if you’ve seen it before: link to youtube.com
Xaracen
Reply to Campbell Clansman
1 day ago
“An example of where a minority of MPs “imposed legislation” on the majority?
That’s not how democracy works. That’s not how ANY legislature works.
Do you even understand this “democracy” thing? Majority rules?”
Well, you certainly don’t!
There’s a lot more to Democracy than a simple majority flat vote! Democracy has to be fair to those participating, and it has to be seen to be fair if the losing side is to accept losing some of the time, but only some of the time. If there is no realistic chance of one side ever winning, then there is no point in that side taking part in the first place; they’d be far better off just going off and doing their own thing.
Westminster’s voting system is rigged to very strongly favour England’s MPs, so Scotland’s MPs are always on the losing end of any flat majority vote for obvious reasons, so they have essentially no reason to continue to participate in them, or in the Union. The impact of losing in this system is that Scotland’s sovereignty is completely ignored by England, and England’s MPs don’t even care to bother compromising with Scotland’s MPs in order to get whatever matter England wants to pass.
As I’ve pointed out on previous occasions, Democracy doesn’t get to trump Sovereignty, especially since it’s perfectly possible for Scotland and England to employ a democratic voting system that respects the sovereignties of both kingdoms while retaining their current numbers of MP representatives.
Only two kingdoms founded the Union, and it is their two sovereignties that empower their Treaty and their Union’s shared parliament. The Union does not belong to England alone, and Scotland is not the subordinate partner to England. Both are fully entitled to exert their own power within their Union and their parliament with respect to their own territories because neither of them gave up their sovereignties, and nothing in the Treaty or Acts says they did, just as nothing in them obliges the use of a flat vote on legislation.
Therefore at the top level of governance, there can be only two votes, one from each of the two kingdoms, provided by their respective MP representatives using simple flat majority voting within their own separate ranks.
One Kingdom, One Vote.
England’s MPs get to provide the English (including Wales and N.I.) vote, and Scotland’s MPs get to provide the Scottish vote. Perfectly fair to both sovereign kingdoms, and both kingdoms’ populations get the full number of MPs they need to properly represent them.
Neither kingdom, nor their populations, nor their MPs get to overrule the other, because of those sovereignties! Perfectly fair and perfectly simple. The sooner our MPs understand this fundamental truth of the Union, the better. If England won’t play ball, then our MPs are fully entitled to end the Union unilaterally, right there and then.
It’s a bloody disgrace that this has never been sorted out in over 317 years, and our MPs have been entirely complicit in the abuse that England has inflicted on Scotland in all that time!
There will be a reckoning!
Mia
Reply to Campbell Clansman
2 days ago
“when are you (and Stuart) going to demand that Scotland’s MPs set a “non-meddling” example by not voting in (or attending) Parliament?”
And what “parliament” would that be, exactly?
Westminster is not England’s parliament. It is the parliament of the UK.
If England does not want Scotland MPs, Wales’ MPs and NI’s MPs voting in its parliament, the first thing it has to do is to set up its own devolved parliament like Scotland, Wales and NI have.
But doing so means it can no longer meddle in everybody else’s business. And doing so means having to have a separate budget, like Scotland, Wales and NI have, therefore not dipping on demand on the UK’s coffers, as it is currently doing, and using UK’s funds as if it were England’s own.
Also, having its own parliament means for England to have to confront its own debts and deficit. And about time too. At the minute, England causes most of the deficit and most of the debt in the UK by a loooong mile, but England’s debt is dished out to the other nations under the guise of “UK’s” debt and deficit.
The last time I checked, Scotland was the only nation in the UK who not only had a balance between imports and exports outwith the UK. Actually it had a positive balance. The eyewatering deficit in trade is caused by England, year on year. And yet, that deficit is called “UK” deficit.
It is not Scotland, Wales or NI who have a problem with England setting up its own parliament and having in that parliament only England MPs voting for England’s things. It is England and England’s mandarins who do. Because the moment that parliament is set up, England will have to start living within its own means rather than helping itself to everybody else’s resources as if they currently are, and all while at the same time, continue to force Scotland, Wales and NI to bear a share of its own debt and deficit.
Once that parliament is up and running, the people of England will have to face just how unsustainable England is and will realise who of Scotland and England was the subsidised and the one constantly sending the subsides.
So, please, go for it. Bring it on. Set up an independent parliament for England so it is only England MPs, who vote there but also it is only England’s money and not UK’s money what is budgeted for it.
It is about time Scotland, Wales and NI stopped paying for England’s vanity projects, infrastructure and wars that do not bring any benefit to us whatsoever. It is about time England started standing in its own two feet, facing its own debt, rather than sitting on everybody else’s backs and living at everybody else’s expense.
Do you see England MPs ever finding the balls to set up that parliament and face the music? I don’t. Not in a million years. Not unless they are forced to. Scotland will have to take the initiative and declare independence before England MPs find the courage to set up that parliament. That is why this new fudge of “nations and regions” nonsense came about. Everything is better than having England set up its own parliament, having to take its hand off the UK’s purse and start living within its own means instead.
Republicofscotland
Reply to Mia
1 day ago
Good Comment Mia – however it matters greatly how the illegal union came about – we know – that from my link the union is illegal – (Researched by Salvo) we know from historical reports from the likes of the English spy Daniel Defoe – who was in Scotland at the time, of the foisting of the union on Scots, that the people rioted in the streets – as the worthless union documents were signed in the cellar of a shop on the corner of a street in Edinburgh – the romantic version (unionist) of this is that it was signed in some Summer House.
Then there was the illegal bribe the Equivalent, given to the corrupt, nobles lords and politicians – to sell their country out.
You see if the people of Scotland who are sovereign in Scotland – had no say in the foisting of the union on Scots – and they didn’t – then there cannot be any form of union whatsoever.
I’m wondering – if like now, back then many Scots were unaware that the people of Scotland are sovereign in the nation of Scotland – and that any monarch or parliament of the day only governed by the consent of the people.
You mention this to some folk today and they look at you as though you have two heids – so ignorance of their power in Scotland is still rife.
On the Equivalent, I’m pretty sure some of it was used to set-up what eventually became the Royal Bank of Scotland.
On oor ain politicians, yes they have no interest in the CoR – or outing it for they know that they’d lose their cushy well paid jobs – their reticence to speak out over the centuries is breathtaking to say the least.
We’re not just fighting against a foreign countries parliament (England) we’re fighting against oor ain corrupt politicians who have a long history of selling Scotland out.
As you rightly say the illegal union has been breached on multiple occasions -and what did our corrupt politicians do about? not a f*ckin thing – was ex-Welsh FM Carwyn Jones who spoke openly of his amazement – that the Scottish government did absolutely nothing – with regards to Brexit breeching our sovereignty.
No English king or queen can swear to uphold the CoR – simply put, because the CoR doesn’t allow them or to remove Scottish assets in any shape or form from Scotland.
Confused
1 day ago
Money, get tae fuck …
Something most will not have noticed, for these things are not explained. Rachel Reeves, of the magic money vagina, has changed the fiscal borrowing rules, debt levels. Technical, look away, pleb.
– yeah, uh … so, I am changing the rules to borrow 70B more.
Just like that. Easy. The deeper questions of why govts need to borrow their own money from the markets and pay interest (its our interest) to bankers, is too deep a rabbit hole to enter right now …
So, the black hole of 12B, 22B, 40B, is this what its about? Nah.
Or are they doing this to give the pensioners a bit of central heating? Nah.
So, what is the real reason? It is deep, but it’s yet another scam. You see western nations all signed up to the net zero scam, something which simply destroys perfectly good infrastructure, in order to replace it with “green tech” (which depends on exotic metals and extractive industry), thus artificially creating demand for goods, and to raise the stock market; content with your gas boiler and your diesel car? Tough luck, cunt, these will soon become illegal. Companies who sell the green tech will be quids in, as will be the banks who make the loans so people can buy this shite.
But shouldn’t the free market sort all this out, by itself; price discovery, supply and demand, the scarce allocation problem? – you see how when “the free market” wasn’t producing the right result, the govt intervenes.
2 stories from earlier in the year (if you read the biz press) – BlackRock (yes, the lizard people who are real) was going on about how “green tech” was going to lead to a 1T (trillion) bonanza, and it was positioning itself to get its blood funnel stuck into every money orifice …
– then a bit later it was whining, bigtime, that the people were not interested in this enough and NEEDED GOVTS to give them a push. The govt (as they all will be) is borrowing large sums to “grease the wheels” of green tech (“investment in infrastructure”), so that vampires like BlackRock and all the rest can wet their beaks. And this is the “labour” party – when was the last time it did anything for the worker?
China, India, Africa are not going green. And the pentagon will still be the world’s worst single entity polluter; the people who matter don’t give a shit. Siberia will turn from frozen waste to rich farmland, is that not a win – massive top notch real estate for the coming hordes; it is only us, the diddies whose actions don’t matter are getting browbeaten … because its a scam, and we don’t have lobbyists to work for us.
Also, howsabout a regional energy pricing policy? Nah. Fuck you Scotland. You will pay the same as England.
This also illustrates something else about economic policy –
The magic money tree / magic vagina booty stash – which “does not exist” we are told, well, it does, but only for the right people, it goes like this :
– there is always money from somewhere for what we want to do e.g. eastern war, or nuke power, or the supernuke, or cool shit for london, another major war in the middle east
but
– there is never any money for what you (the people) want as … it would … cause inflation (that’s a good one) and “wreck the economy”
it’s an old trick, but always works. Labour sticking it to the people they are meant to represent also shows “fiscal responsibility”. E.g. Blair once said a pay deal for the firemen would cost 200M and wreck the economy, but then next year they bailed out the collapse of northern rock, which cost 50B – before the big banking crisis. That crisis led us to a new, unstated, economic orthodoxy – permanent bailouts for the city and permanent austerity for the people. In fact, in their models, the people are like an infinite sponge that can be squeezed indefinitely for economic reasons.
Mia
1 day ago
The woman is an absolute disgrace. She has proved for the last ten years that she has no principles, no loyalty, no ethics, no word or a shred of dignity.
But, surely, even somebody this arrogant, pathetic and so unable to read the room will at least have the decency of showing some respect by not turning up.
What could she possibly expect to achieve by turning up? Another stupid selfie? Can she not see that she has become a laughing stock?
Willie
1 day ago
Alex’s funeral is first and foremost the formal proceedings to mark his passing. A time to reflect, a time to honour, a tome to maybe mourn but also a time to cheer at who and what he was, and a time to reflect on him going to join all who have gone before.
The funeral is intended to be personal and close. That is right. However, there are those, who are not welcome. The family have made that clear and those who are not welcome know they are not welcome.
Against that background I believe, as this cartoon alludes, there are those who might try to attend. Maybe therefore with all due reverence, a list could be issued to thank people if they were thinking of attending but saying no thanks.
Such a list could name the political opponents and maybe the well known ones and their assistants who conspired in Alex’s criminal trial to give evidence against him.
At a time like this it is so very important that Alex’s funeral is not used by his opponents inappropriately.
Republicofscotland
1 day ago
Only in Scotland would a parliament ban any visitor from displaying a Saltire – our national flag – also Gaelic and Scots are the indigenous languages of Scotland, Gaelic has official status as a ‘national language’ of Scotland under the Gaelic Language Act (2005). It is protected under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages – but Scots a wider spoken language in Scotland than Gaelic isn’t protected.
Our teachers are too busy teaching about gender shite – too teach oor ain weans about oor history – for if they did, they’d surely be a huge uproar on our national flag not being allowed into our national parliament.
Alf Baird
Reply to Republicofscotland
1 day ago
Aye, it is indigenous language that confirms our identity and for this Scots have to look tae oor ain braw ‘Scots’ langage, which is still not taught in Scottish schuils.
Denial of this reality based on continued English language domination results in what MacSiomoin refers to as ‘Super-Colonized Syndrome’; which we might also relate to the confidence-sapping Scottish Cultural Cringe, the latter a form of internalized racism.
Hence independence is also about dealing with the long-term psychological effects of colonialism. However, no sign of any SNP ScotGov policy dealing with our ‘colonial condition’ as yet. A ‘Scots Language Act’ wad be a guid staert, as weel as respectin a fowk’s human richt tae lairn thair ain langage.
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
Young Lochinvar
Reply to Rev. Stuart Campbell
1 day ago
Not being pedantic, but if we -Joe Public- don’t know the names of those contained in some “ a legal anonymity order” then how can we “Joe Public” be guilty of mentioning their names?
So for example if I was to say Liz Lloyd was quoted on the TV last night, as opposed to Liz Lloyd (for the purposes of discussion) might/ could be the individual hidden under the black bits of redaction then how can I reasonably be sent to jail in a (straight face) “free country”??
And if we are not to say “Liz Lloyd (or whoever) at all because she is now somehow legally anonymous then what position can that anonymous person whose name cannot be used live in modern society?
Bank accounts, social media, wage and tax documentation etc?
In fact is Liz Lloyd (or whoever) even allowed to use their own name, and by chance if they refer to themselves in the 3rd person as “Liz Lloyd” or whatever does she get sent to jail.
No wonder the countries in such a Machiavellian mess.
I blame people like Liz Lloyd (or whoever)..
Young Lochinvar
Reply to Young Lochinvar
13 hours ago
Addendum-
Meant to say; nothing heretofore stated infers any identification which could be elucidated while playing jigsaw puzzles, snakes and ladders, particularly Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, Rubix cubes or even dallying with an SNP party Ouija board signed by She whose (really) name should no longer be uttered out loud..
Garavelli Princip
1 day ago
This is one helluva mess (and thanks Stu for efforts to unravel it all). This ” ‘Scottish’ Government” is seen once again to be both utterly dishonest and totally shambolic.
If you are going to be as dishonest as this, you really need to have a modicum of competence.
It all went tits-up as soon as the baton was passed from a great Scot to a pathetic pygmy.
There is much more to be learned. Without Wings we would have no hope of doing so.
Vivian O’Blivion
1 day ago
A timely reminder that Keir Starmer’s recently dispensed with Chief of Staff, Sue Gray took a sabbatical from the Civil Service in the 1980’s to manage a Republican pub (the Cove Bar) in Newry. Some have speculated that Gray was an employee of Thames House.
The role of Chief of Staff would be an ideal position for an MI5 officer to function from. Everything passes their desk and a particularly freewheeling individual could choose to interfere in all kinds of business.
Ian Brotherhood
1 day ago
We’ll find out eventually.
In the meantime, perhaps we should spare a thought for the poor sowels who stuck in at school and followed their elders’ advice to get a nice boring job with some government department or the National Savings Bank or suchlike – regular hours, decent holidays, nothing too dramatic or demanding from day to day, pension secure, retirement plans possible.
Aye, of course, you get ‘office politics’ everywhere, but this is way over and above what any employee should have to thole – they’re tainted by mere association and must be scunnered beyond belief.
Confused
1 day ago
lying is so much more effort than telling the truth and every civil service wanker thinks he is a poundshop macchiavelli
partial crossword and logic puzzle
R1
(8 or 9) letters
R2
(2/3 5/6) letters
and un-named A is NOT a SPAD, and … so on
obviously … it was the vicar, in the greenhouse, with a candlestick
I just wish we had a Sir Begbie KC to sort all the shit out
right – some cunt gave that cunt bad legal advice and nae cunt leaves here till we know what cunt did it … m,lud
Ellie
1 day ago
One has to wonder just how much of the Scottish taxpayers money has been wasted by Scotgov on procuring advice for something … then completely ignoring it?
Annoyed
1 day ago
It is my understanding, that, certain individuals both within and outwith the Scottish Government have sighted unredacted versions of Hamilton’s report.
Fergus Ewing MSP said it contained evidence of the gravest misdeeds and criminality by the Sturgeon administration.
It is my belief, that, if the SG don’t release the unredacted version then someone else will, perhaps by using Parliamentary Privilege.
Dan
Reply to Annoyed
1 day ago
Pity Joanna Cherry, Neale Hanvey, or Kenny MacAskill didn’t take the opportunity to progress resolving this ridiculous protracted situation when they had MP status and privilege.
Great tactical play for Scotland there leaving all the effort and onus on David Davis who belongs to a Party Scotland has rejected being oor government since around the middle of last century.
Carpe diem…
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
sam
1 day ago
Very poignant to read again Gordon Dangerfield’s analysis of the actions taken against Alex Salmond.
Republicofscotland
1 day ago
Lets hope it happens.
“Calls are being made for Nicola Sturgeon to face a new inquiry into whether she broke the ministerial code.
The interventions have been made by Acting Alba Leader Kenny MacAskill as well as SNP MSP Fergus Ewing and former SNP MP Joanna Cherry.”
Calls for new probe into whether Nicola Sturgeon broke code | The Herald
Dan
Reply to Robert Hughes
1 day ago
Attending the Poundshop Parliament of (Badly) Administrated Devolved Powers would be a tough gig for any half competent human to put up with.
Seriously, with all the brain melting idiocy going on in and emanating from there there’s enough content for Irvine Welsh to chuck together Acid House 2 – Chronicles of Holyrood.
Chapters on how men can be women, fitting solar pv on north facing roofs, 30/40 mill for two proven turn key ready to go catamaran ferries but instead opting to piss away near ten times that cost on two shite ferries, Sturgeon perma-roofied so she can’t recall anything. You’d have to be dosing on schrooms to think any of that is competent governance.
It’s nearly Guy Fawkes night so the only hope for improvement is if some oldskool analogue smoker defies the ULEZ rules and walks past Holyrood and discards a ciggy butt which ignites the huge clouds of xylene fumes that have accumulated in the area from Swinney’s manic redacting pen sessions.
Now that I’ve said that expect the idea to grow legs and we’ll see Muriel Gray hired as Holyrood fire safety officer, and several minutes later the place goes up and all the incriminating documents are turned to ash.
Geri
Reply to TURABDIN
19 hours ago
The UN will implode soon as the majority will abandon it for BRICS & a return to properly interpreting international law.
It was clear from the summit a few weeks ago that every country that took to the podium is pissed off with the USA completely dominating every single aspect of world affairs, economies, flagrant disregard for international laws & especially so over dragging their heels over geno-cide & still supplying weapons when a clear instruction had already been given not to.
No one was buying their “rules based order, we’ll make it up as we go along” nonsense & good news for Scotland, the majority of countries don’t support or see why two permanent yaps, with feck all worth to anyone in terms of GDP, PPP, military & population get to sit on the security council & use its veto to bark orders to everyone else. (UK & France) They should be removed.
To placate Africa they offered them a seat but only as a guest who wasn’t to speak LMAO! They told them to get tae f…! As one said, what’s the point of attending a banquet & then being told you can’t eat anything. You’re only here to watch us eating. You can hush & shut up & sit up the back..
The US & Isr have killed the UN beyond repair & their place in Persia & the Arab nations too. As evidenced by them refusing to allow attacks launched from their territory to attack Irn.
The world is shifting & it’ll happen faster than they’re expecting. The UN is beyond pissed & the majority walked out when Yahoo took to the podium. Same with the yap from Eastern Europe demanding everyone pay him homage & acting like thugs insulting as many countries as they can.
Yahoo, in his stupidity, even pronounced a map of all the countries he planned to overthrow – all of his neighbours who were sitting in the audience LMAO! Aye, righto, there goes yer permission launching attacks from our soil then..
Robert Hughes
Reply to TURABDIN
21 hours ago
” we were able to build our dream home ” , quoth one of those lovely ” New Scots ” : ah , that’s nice for you .
What yr view on Scottish Independence , dear New Scot ?
………………………………………….., um ……………………..wots’ that me ol china plate ?
I recently had an exchange with one such ersatz Neo Caledonyin , who was expressing mock * despair * at having to find things to occupy her FIVE children during the school Half Term holiday ; when I remarked that it must cost her a fortune in childminding/nursery costs she replied , ” oh , it’s fine , most of the cost is subsidised by Scot Gov ” : to which I said ” ah well , I hope you’ll not be voting for any of the English Parties as they’ll almost certainly do away with such things if they become the Scottish Gov ” . It was as if I had slapped her in the coupon , like ” how dare you bring that subject up ” , after which she spluttered ” are all the Parties up here not Scottish ? ” .
That’s the level of understanding and interest in Scottish Affairs evinced by the majority of ” new arrivals ” I’ve encountered ( an ever-increasing amount ) over the last few years . As the article states …..the numbers of such have accelerated greatly since * Covid * . The latter being a gift for Scotland that just keeps giving , eh ?
This trend is set to continue and increase exponentially as the quality of life ” Down South ” deteriorates even further .
Swinney’s participation in that , essentially ….meeting of Regional Mayors the other week is merely another stride in cementing the perception of Scotland as a Northern Shire of Greater England .
Alf Baird
Reply to Robert Hughes
20 hours ago
The se***er only moves to a colony ‘for an easier life’, and ‘for a profit’, which is based on ‘privilege’ (Albert Memmi).
Scotland’s population has risen by some one million people over the past 20 years or so, an incomplete census yet to reveal this properly. Which helps explain the worsening crises in budgets, health, education, housing, etc, as well as the static pro-independence vote, and a sustained unionist vote.
Demographics as a determinant of independence:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
Vivian O’Blivion
21 hours ago
The decision to post the response on the Scottish Government website at the last possible moment (Saturday) as opposed to say the last working day of the week may appear churlish, or to use the gid auld Scots term thrawn, but given that we are dealing with 101 pages of jumbled correspondence, it did avoid the Sunday papers with their editorial deadlines.
This playing for time (measured in days) smacks of desperation. Tick tock …
Republicofscotland
15 hours ago
Very informative comment from Mark Hirst.
“The UK National Archive holds records that show that even in the 1970s “every SNP branch in Scotland” had a special branch informant, reporting to MI5. It’s been 20 years since I first revealed this information and it was reported, briefly, in a couple of the MSM outlets.
@JohnSwinney even congratulated me personally on this work although neither he or anyone else took any action to address and counter such interference.”
Those who claim the SNP are not infiltrated now are naive or deliberately trying to prevent closer scrutiny. Why? That’s for them to answer”
Mark Hirst (@Documark) | nitter.poast.org
Mia
14 hours ago
What is this “redacting” hiding and why?
This Hamilton Report has nothing to do with Mr Salmond’s criminal case, so anonymity should not apply here. So, other than attempting to deliberately keep the public in the dark, why exactly is this anonymity still being abused and why are they being allowed to get away with it?
Is it the identity of a particular person/people that cannot be revealed? If so, why? What makes that individual so special that their identity cannot be known despite being right at the middle of all what appears to have gone wrong since some idiot came up with the idea of the complaints procedure?
Or is the actions of a particular person/people that are being covered up here? If so, why? Why are their actions being covered up instead of being disciplined for them? And where do those actions stem from? Was this individual acting rogue or were they follow instructions from somebody else? If the latter, from whom?
Or the anonymity is to attempt to hide the large number of different dodgy things a particular individual have had their fingers stuck on? If this is the case, what exactly makes this individual so special above everybody else that, besides having their finger in all the pies, continues to be granted the luxury of anonymity so the public cannot know the gruesome extent of this individual’s interference, meddling and incompetence?
Why some particular individuals within the civil service can completely escape scrutiny in this blatant and grotesque fashion? This is an insult to the people of Scotland who are being forced to pay the overinflated salaries of these unelected civil servants. Who exactly is protecting them and why?
I think it is about time the public got an answer. This is a matter of highest public interest. So why are these corrupt crooks being allowed to continue suppressing this information from the public?
Michael Laing
Reply to Mia
13 hours ago
I suspect that if this person’s identity is revealed, the dots will rapidly be joined and the whole utterly corrupt, criminal edifice will come crashing down. They are trying desperately to prevent that, but they can’t keep lying and obfuscating forever. The dam is cracked and leaking. Can’t be long now until it gives way.
Robert Hughes
Reply to Mia
12 hours ago
” So why are these corrupt crooks being allowed to continue suppressing this information from the public? ”
Because the entire Political System is corrupt .
It’s implausible to imagine the characters involved in this malignant drama are enjoying the immunity from consequence they ( currently ) are purely under their own auspices . Only a * higher power * could provide such cover .
Why is the Brit State not using this scandal to totally , once and for all , destroy the SNP ? They have all the * material * they need to do so .
They could be biding their time , waiting for the point where/when maximum damage could be achieved by opening the sluice-gates n letting the shit flow out in a deluge .
Or , it suits their purpose to have the whole thing forever bubbling away , keeping the Movement divided/paralysed , everything unresolved n still festering .
Alf Baird
Reply to Oneliner
55 minutes ago
There is no such thing as ‘civil service Scotland’.
Colonies are ‘managed’ by officials sent from the metropolitan capital (Memmi), plus the usual ‘confidential agents pensioned off at high reward’ (Cesaire), and of course ‘co-opted national party elites’ (Fanon), as well as institutions holding only to ‘the colonizers values’ (Memmi).
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
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