The cluelessness of the Conservative Governor General of the colony of Scotlandshire never ceases to amaze. Alister Jack takes arrogant patrician ignorance to such depths that by comparison he makes the self regarding contestants on Love Island seem like professors of moral philosophy debating why if there is indeed a loving god he allows so much suffering to take place, or indeed why he has seen fit to place Alister Jack in a position of power and responsibility over a supposedly democratic harmless small country which has not voted for Jack’s party for a decade before Jack was born.
On Tuesday Jack gave a statement to the House of Commons about his reasons for invoking Section 35 of the Scotland Act in order to prevent the Scottish Gender Recognition Bill from receiving Royal Assent. He began by stating that he would rather not be in this position and as the debate went on that became abundantly clear. Jack was clearly longing for his peerage so that he could recline on the benches of the House of Lords and have a nice wee nap. He repeatedly failed to answer any questions about his actions or about the effects of the bill from increasingly irate MPs. Instead he spent his time humming and hawing, emming and ahing his way through the session. This is a man who would be out of his depth in a damp patch.
It was soon abundantly clear that he understands nothing about the subject that he had chosen to weaponise in order to attack the Scottish Parliament and the devolution settlement. When asked by SNP MP Kirsty Blackman what a Gender Recognition Certificate is and what it does he stammered away for a bit before triumphantly answering a different question entirely. This was of course just fine with Lindsey Hoyle, the speaker of the House, and that is why the House of Commons is a joke which is unable to hold the British Government to account. A functioning democracy would be nice, but Scotland won’t ever get it as long as it remains under Westminster’s corrupt and unaccountable rule.
Jack doesn’t even know what a Gender Recognition Certificate does but he still thinks it’s so important that he has used it as an excuse to blow up the devolution settlement and create a major constitutional crisis. He was equally unable to explain exactly which parts of the Equality Act are changed by this Bill, or why the existing Gender Recognition Certificates do not clash with the Equalities Act but the new ones would, even though they have exactly the same purpose and effect. All that is changing is a simplification of the process by which the certificates are obtained by transgender people, the certificates themselves and their legal effects remain exactly the same. It was lucky for him that no one asked him why the British Government recognises and accepts gender recognition certificates from eighteen other countries which have self-ID for transgender people but it cannot accept Scottish ones, because what passes for his brain would most likely have exploded.
Kemi Badenoch, the far right Conservative Minister for Inequalities who manages to make Suella Braverman seem moderate, announced on Tuesday that the British Government plans to ‘revise’ the list of countries whose gender recognition certificates it accepts, a clear attempt to provide some retrospective cover to the decision to invoke a Section 35 order against Holyrood. But it was too late to save Jack’s blushes. Although of course Jack would never have blushed anyway as he is without shame.
You might have thought that before going for the nuclear option and blowing up the devolution settlement and sparking off a major constitutional crisis Alister Jack might have got on top of his brief and appeared before MPs with full and detailed answers that laid to rest the questions that he, or rather his advisors, most assuredly will have realised that MPs were going to have. But no. Rather he flailed around helplessly, he had rehearsed his opening statement and as far as he was concerned that ought to have been quite sufficient for the peasants. It’s hard to decide what is worse here, that Alister Jack thought it was perfectly OK to use an unprecedented measure to blow up the devolution settlement by vetoing a bill relating to devolved matters which had gone through the normal procedures and scrutiny which any bill presented to the Scottish Parliament is subjected to, or that he thought that having done so it was acceptable to appear in front of MPs and be unable to explain clearly and logically why he had taken the action that he had. The arrogance and contempt are breath-taking.
If Jack had deliberately sought to create the impression that the only reason the Conservative Government had taken this step was because it wanted to weaponise a culture wars issue in the hope of creating a precedent which would make it much easier in future for it to veto any legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament that it didn’t like, he succeeded admirably.
The truth is that Jack neither knows nor cares what this bill does, for him and his Tory colleagues it’s all about using a stigmatised minority as a stick to beat Holyrood into line. They chose this issue thinking that the controversy surrounding it would help them to get away with a blatant attack on the devolution settlement and the Scottish Parliament. The Tories certainly don’t care about trans people or about women, they only care about power and getting their own way. They don’t care who or what they destroy in the process.
Jack insisted that his action in using the Section 35 order did not set a precedent and future Holyrood legislation would be safe under the Conservatives. To which the only sane response is “Aye, right, uh-huh.” The Conservatives have blocked Scottish legislation before by going to the Supreme Court, as they did in 2021 when they took the Scottish Government to the Supreme Court over the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill.
This time there has been no court ruling, rather Jack has blocked Scottish legislation by executive order. If the UK Government really thought that it had a legal basis to challenge this bill it could have referred the bill to the Supreme Court. But it chose not to do that. It chose to order that the bill should not receive Royal Assent, unilaterally over-riding a bill that had been passed by the Scottish Parliament with a large cross-party majority. The Conservatives lost the election to the Scottish Parliament, they lost the vote in Holyrood when the bill came before Holyrood, but they are determined to get their way anyway, just as occurred with the independence referendum. In the process they have made a mockery of democracy, made a mockery of the Scottish Parliament, and made a mockery of the devolution settlement. It doesn’t matter how the people of Scotland vote in elections, it doesn’t matter how the MSPs that they elected vote in the Scottish Parliament, the Conservatives will just impose their will on Scotland anyway.
All Alister Jack and the Conservatives have done is to confirm that the campaign for independence really is a campaign for democracy in Scotland.
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Excellent piece again.i believe the Tories picked this Nil and at this time so know one would be outraged that there Bill attacking Unions and workers rights which passed on the same day they choose to attack the GRR bill.
Thank you for an excellent piece clearly explaining the situation…..I feel I am living in a past century where people like Jack strode about expecting forelocks to be tugged.
Strange that Northern Ireland has had gender self ID from the mid 2000’s and didn’t seem to get a mention.
Certainly it applies from 18 years of age.
Thought this was all a response to westmonster starting the process off but then johnson abandoned legislation.
Northern Ireland doesn’t have self ID according to NIdirect – you must be over 18, have lived in the new gender for 2 years and have gender dysphoria diagnosed. Is this wrong?
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/gender-recognition
Don’t know all the details I just commented that they even have a cost for the application, £5???, and help if you are on certain benefits.
Certainly you are correct about the conditions, over 18, not in a partnership and 2 years living in the new ID, promise to live in the new ID for the rest of your life.
Have I missed anything?
Diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
Thanks, so not self ID.
have lived in the new gender for 2 years
Does someone have a link to the what actually counts here? Presumably trans people and those tasked with making the assessment are given a tick box list of some sort? I used to think this condition sounded sort of fair enough until I though about it and came up with this question. The list, of course, doesn’t exist. It’s a test with no questions nor answers, but you need to prove you’ve passed it somehow…
gender dysphoria diagnosed
It’s ironic that the Tories own review concluded:
https://archive.is/6VGOa#selection-781.0-793.77
The health secretary’s move follows interim findings of Dr Cass’s report into GIDS. She found a lack of expert agreement around what constitutes gender dysphoria
And of course many trans people are not dysphoric (distressed to the point of being ill about their bodies / natal sex).
As for those who might be, Doctors can’t be asked to diagnose this – certainly as a precondition for something legal – unless you give them an agreed definition of what it constitutes. You can’t have different doctors concluding differently, which is what happens when something is subjective like this.
Hence the BMA backing reforms. Doctors have found themselves in an unenviable position here.
I posted the link to NIdirect above. If you scroll down you will find guidance on applying and a link to download the application form and leaflet.
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/gender-recognition#toc-0
Thanks very much. This is genuinely interesting. Had to dig a little but go to:
https://www.gov.uk/apply-gender-recognition-certificate/what-documents-you-need
Not simple tick box, vague and pretty subjective as I suspected. Also somewhat nonsensical, and doesn’t prove anything really.
I say this not to be awkward, but just because that’s my opinion (and one shared by experts, hence the changes being made here).
My title is Dr incidentally. That’s what all my bills, ids etc say. My first name, while most commonly used for men, is also used as a woman’s first name. My preferred pronouns, at least during the transition, might be ‘they/them’, and this would actually make perfect sense for such a limbo period.
I don’t see how I could have a passport saying F unless I already have a GRC to this effect? This bit genuinely has me confused.
Certainly, what seems to be required offers no protection against a perv getting a GRC if for some reason it did seem to offer a free pass for nefarious activities (which I just can’t see how it does). This is backed up with some pervs being in the possession of GRCs. If the goal was preventing this, it was a total flop.
Seems to me the rules are at most useful for / aimed at stopping people wasting taxpayers time and money on a whim which they might then want to undo. But if the whole process is made simpler, then this problem is itself neatly solved. Complex process costing lots of cash = 2 years of test. Simple process = 3 months should be enough to deter those acting on a whim?
Anyway, I diverge…
You forgot the medical opinion of two doctors, or one doctor and one psychiatrist, registered in the UK. It’s a form of gatekeeping. I take it you’re not a medical doctor and clearly not a biologist.
Before adding any further comment, I just want to say that I am sure we both want to make sure nobody is put at risk and nobody’s rights are impinged.
I am a chemist / chemical engineer (did first year biology at uni ;-)). I am not an expert on medical / human rights matters (I guess you are not either?), and this was particularly important to me when trying to conclude because it’s not my field:
https://www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-centre/leading-doctors-affirm-trans-and-non-binary-rights-in-healthcare
As was the opinion of the UN, Council of Europe etc. I do now understand their reasoning when I didn’t used to.
As linked to earlier, there is no agreed definition of gender dysphoria, ergo it can’t form a legal precondition. Likewise, many trans people are not dysphoric, so again this can’t realistically form a legal pre-condition for a GRC. Furthermore, any diagnosis of gender dysphoria, or a GP simply concluding that someone ‘appears, subjectively, in their opinion, to be trans’, is based on the patient self-id’ing as that. Just like LGBH, there are no physical tests that can be performed to confirm.
A GRC does not permit the holder special access to vulnerable people, so safeguarding is not obviously required. Trans people are already free under the Equality Act to use the loos / changing rooms that they feel suit them best. They have been doing so as long as these have existed, and gained legal protections for this many years ago now. These are also not considered places where safeguarding is required. If they were, we’d all need to be evaluated for the risk we might present. They are just way too public.
If a GRC allowed someone to e.g., look after vulnerable children alone, that would be a wholly different scenario. The current assessment is first and foremost medical as you note, not criminal risk based. The psychologist is a gender specialist, not a criminal psychologist. That’s the reason for all the talk of ‘de-medicalisation’. Trans people are not considered potential criminals, but the current process does treat them like they are mentally unwell and need to prove they are ‘for real’, with the right-wing media really trying it’s best to suggest we should view them with inherent suspicion.
I may not be a medical expert, but I do understand risk, probability etc, and I honestly can’t see how the changes in the bill will put my friends and family at risk. I’ve not found a plausible scenario for that yet. When I consider that I’ve more chance of finding a 4 leaved clover if I went looking than a GRC holder, then that settles matters until such time as I might have cause to review. That’s my own opinion and others are free to conclude (and vote) as they see fit.
Here’s to sensible debate, evidence-based policy, and an independent Scotland. 🙂
Actually, NI has the same system as the rest of the UK–you’re thinking of the Irish Republic. https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/gender-recognition
Can’t help but wonder what happens if your property straddles the border? GRC is ok in the kitchen but not in the toilet?
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a now 60+ Female.
”England is like some stricken beast too stupid to know that it is dead . Ingloriously foundering in its own waste products , the backlash and bad Karma of Empire !”
William Boroughs
Substitute ‘Westminster’ for ‘ England ‘ and you have the problem facing the UK today – with colonialists like Union Jack wallowing in the past .
Reblogged this on Site Title.
Paul, as you stated your belief that devolution has died, following the unprecedented use of s35 of the Scotland Act, do you support proposals that the Scottish Parliament (which has an SNP / Green majority) should use its ability to amend the Scotland Act to empower MSPs to dissolve the current parliament by simple majority?
So that it would enable the SNP / Greens majority to dissolve parliament and so trigger an election this year which can then be used as the promised de facto referendum. What’s your thoughts on this?
You just can’t Colin
Aileen McHarg, who is a Professor in public law, said on Twitter:
“Under the SA s3 there can be an extraordinary general election if there is a 2/3 majority vote in the Parliament, but s3 can be amended by the Parliament, either on a one-off basis or permanently. Such a Bill cd be introduced either by a minister or a member.”
http://www.twitter.com/AileenMcHarg/status/1614046219109539840
It appears there is nothing to stop the SNP / Greens coalition delivering the promised independence referendum in 2023 via a Holyrood de facto referendum Scottish Parliament election – if they wanted to.
No, you just can’t Colin
” you just can’t Colin”. Are quoting British Tory, Douglas Ross, to deny a glaring opportunity for a de facto indyref? It doesn’t surprise me.
Well said- this is a valuable account of the issue itself – and the back ground.
It has also helped me to understand why A. Jack manages to bring out the worst in me. I know there are some very fine people in the Tory Party- however fiercely I disagree with them- and I know it’s wrong to argue ‘ad hominem’ but A. Jack seems absolutely disgusting to me – repulsive- and I’m hoping Wigtownshire has the satisfaction of voting him out of his D&G seat at next election.
His cold, crude response to Deidre Brock – “Suck it up”- summed him up: he seems devoid of ideas or human empathy; he shows no sense of obligation to explain his actions or respect the views of other people. He apparently made his fortune renting out empty spaces: QED. The disgrace continues apparently:
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/scottish-secretary-alister-jack-million-28956721
‘Suck it up…’ bloody arsehole that he is
There is a level of cruelty here towards your fellow human beings which I find hard to fathom.
I think an investigation into who is funding and supporting the right wing groups who are supposedly “ charities” would be of interest. Certainly they do not have a charitable bone in their body. The links with key tories/ bbc/ news media groupies would be of interest.
Whereas we know who’s funding Stonewall, Mermaids and Global Butterflies: us – it’s our taxes that keep them going via clueless civil servants.
And we’re back to the BEEB reporting that this is devastating for the Scottish Government and they will lose in court and waste millions of tax payers money. We live in a morally bankrupt Union aided and abetted by a morally corrupt media and it’s only going to get worse. They now have a stick to beat the government with and the MSM will push it to the limit, a fair trial in the Supreme Court is unlikely given their recent decision on our governments competency.
I noticed the article on the BBC News app from Lord Hope former supreme court judge saying this situation is devasting for Scottish Govt.Lord Hope is 84 and retired as a judge in 2013 but is still scamming the taxpayers as has a seat in House of Lords.Just deleted BBC News App as I will no longer subject myself to any more of their propaganda. My subscription to The National is barely hanging on by a thread unless they deal with the trolls on the comments section particularly one very obvious unionist one and I have told the National that. The mainstream media really are pathetic
On the National: Would they stop using the herald’s rangers and Celtic fan club articles from the Herald.
I’ve stopped buying a copy now. I don’t give a Tuppenny toss about Michael Beale saviour of the sons of William, or the Oz wizard over at Sellick Park.
The Herald’s very existence depends on pandering to the knuckle dragging psychos, churning out pathetic puerile nonsense in the columns of the once laudable broadsheet, the erstwhile weighty tome that was the Glasgow Herald.
I am not prepared to pay by the back door to perpetuate this drivel.
It is clear that Newsnet has the National on a tight leash, and minimum cash.
The only daily supporting Self Determination, bigging up fitba’ bigots and rampaging vandals?
Murdo Fraser The King’s Eleven, will be singing God Bless The Pope the next time he dogs off work as an MSP to attend a Ranjurs Euro tie?
In any other field of employment he would have been summarily dismissed.
By buying the National, Through the back door, we who shall take our country back, are forced to pay for clearly Brit Nat Wee Arra Peepil, Up the ‘Ra propaganda?
Seriously, flex your muscles, The National Team.
Tell your US owners, enough is a enough.
If you have no editorial control over the Sports content, do you have control of anything in the ‘pro Independence’ daily?
Scrap the fitba’.
Some of the frankly homoerotic gushing from the Herald fitba’ hacks is really quite sad.
To all supporters of the Glasgow teams who are also Duggers, I invite your comments.
There are many supporters of the *big two* that are independence supporters and they pay their money to buy the National, so given that newspapers, particularly the National, need to sell papers to make cash, they stick the fitba in the paper or the *big two* supporters will go right back to buying the Daily Record and dear lord anything but that
Dr Jim, they stick the Brit Jock hacks’ versions of the ‘Mighty Two ‘in the National.
Remember that the next time 15,000 low life maniacs march through Glasgow destroying everything in their wake and assaulting our police officers and terrifying our fellow law abiding Scots citizens.
They churn out juvenile junk to pander to the bottom feeders.
I won’t be buying toilet paper journalism.
That’s all I am saying.
If I accidentally dropped a bar of chocolate into a puddle, I wouldn’t retrieve it, dry it off with a tissue then eat it, ignoring the dank stench.
The Big Two are a dank stench.
The fair point on other countries self ID laws having been accepted and no bar to their citizens visiting or staying in the UK was indeed made by a Labour MP. Can’t remember his name but a very senior well known respected backbencher. Btw as an Alba member post 45 a time SNP years I was pretty impressed with the contributions from snp MPs…would that that talent were let loose on public forums in the advancement of our cause.
Alister Jack is like his predecessors a biscuit fetcher, he says what he’s told to say, and does what he’s told to do, the problem is Sunak is also the same kind of biscuit fetcher as Jack for the people who are really running the show
The Tory party is a cash munching machine dependent on those who fund it, and when those people want something to happen that’s what happens
Who ever thought in their wildest dreams that the way to tackle poverty in a population was to give people money to pay towards multi billion ££ corporations who are increasing their fuel charges far beyond what is necessary, then allow food inflation to spiral out of control forcing people to pay even more money which the government then takes back in tax from those companies to fund the fuel giveaways they insist they’re giving to people
They’re moving money from one source to another and all the while collecting taxes from each to maintain the impression of a circular economy, at the same time conning the public into thinking that somehow the government is doing something to help them with the giveaways that’s their own money in the first place
The multi billion ££ fuel corporations are doing lovely, the food giants are smashing it ( you’ve never seen the supermarkets so busy ) and all the while the people are getting poorer bit by bit by bit, be in no doubt it isn’t going to be any of us that will be declaring our profits a little up or a little down at the end of the financial year
We’ll be declaring we don’t got nuthin, the Tories will declare they helped everybody, and the multi billion ££ corporations will make their donations to a grateful Tory party for all the help they gave them
If you’ve got any money left and are thinking you might manage a wee week on the Costas this summer, wait for it, just wait for it, because by then it’ll be the turn of the airlines to screw you over
Is it any wonder folk can see clearly why Labours Sir Keir Starmer does his best to impress the multi billion ££ corporations and Rupert Murdoch’s media to back him to be the next Tory PM
Alister Jack was bred from birth to be a member the Ruling Class, the Landed Gentry, the Oligarchy who run Scotland, no matter which way the 5.4 million Scots vote.
He’s not from nobility, or one of the descendants of the Robber Barons, the Lairds, the parcel of rogues, who sold Scotland to the English in 1707.
By the looks of his WKI entry, he is just a rung lower in the Scotia Nostra Hierarchy.
His dad was Lord Lieutenant of the County, and indeed, I believe, Jack himself is Deputy Lord Lieutenant; that will all change of course when his ascent to the House of Lards kicks in.
As is written he ‘ll then ascend the ladder to Lord Lieutenant fulfilling the natural order of things.
He has been bumped up to Baron on the recommendation of his good friend, the lying, fascist, sexually incontinent, serial adulterer and racist, Boris Johnson..this is the company he keeps.
As he bumbles his way through sessions Down There, he is aware that in 18 months time, he won’t be there.
He can say anything he likes.
He will join Baroness Rape Clause, and the Bra Queen, on the Gravy Train For Life.
I adjudge that he was bred ‘from birth’ merely by perusing his entry in Wiki.
His pater was Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries.
Jack Minor attended a fee paying prep school for the Sons of Gentlefolk, before being shunted off to boarding school in Perth, to sex and bullying scandals riven Glenalmond College, one of the chain of Scottish fee paying schools which are subject to bullying and sex crimes at the moment.
Then a brief mention that he attended Herriot Watt Uni…no that’s it.
He owns a 1200 acre ‘farm’ in Dumfries, has apparently amassed a £20 million fortune hiring out tents and storage space, has been an MP since 2017, ousted New Zealand Trade Envoy Mundell as SoS Governor General of Scotland, held the post through the May Johnson Truss Sunak Years, presumably because no one else wanted it.
He is a member of the Royal College of Archers (I must have missed the job advert) the King’s Bodyguard in Scotland (oh, stop laughing your heads off, Duggers) .
You may recall the Bodyguards, a troupe of old men in tights wi’ bows and arrows flanking the deceased queen’s coffin in Edinburgh.
He spent his formative years, and education within Scotland, yet he speaks with a bools in the mooth Oxford RP accent, like all of the Scottish Lairds.
Of course he gets to declare ‘I’ve decided’ in WM.
He is the Elite. The money; the power.
Or so he genuinely believes.
Unlike yesterday when he was star of the show, today at PMQ he was shunted along the line on the front bench, and order was restored. Sunak had Braverman the nazi, to his left, and Douglas Raab to his right.
Jeremy Hunt, more swivel eyed than normal, And Stephen Barclay nodding in all the right NHS places were also prominent.
But Jack had been put back in his box, at he extreme end of the line, out of the public eye, dozing.
Penny Mordant made the periphery, looking sullen, and disinterested in the whole PMQ pantomime.
Sub Lieutenant Andrew Bowie (RN Failed) sat behind the PM reading his e mails.
Bowie knows that he has 18 months left, and will be hoping for ermine when his party is kicked out in May ’24.
The sad thing is that Jack actually believes that he controls our destiny, well, just because.
He is rich, entitled, and his family is quoted.
Come April when the sh1t hits the fan, all hell will break loose.
A five year stint as the local MP, then the Lords.
Time to force the issue.
Typical nationalist! What are they like eh!
https://archive.is/OLDWp
BBC Scotland journalist stunned by Paul Sweeney ‘Viceroy Jack’ jibe
BBC Scotland’s political editor appeared stunned when Unionist-in-chief Alister Jack was branded a “Viceroy” after blocking Holyrood’s gender recognition reforms.
Glenn Campbell grabbed Labour MSP Paul Sweeney for a chat to discuss the news the UK Government would stop the Scottish Government’s Gender Recognition Reform bill from becoming law – and appeared to get a stronger response than he had anticipated.
That would be the Paul Sweeney who threatened us all that BAE would cancel the frigate contracts, and not give their Scotstoun yard a multi million pound upgrade if we voted Yes in 2014?
Yet another Union pledge down the toilet.
I recall Sweeney’s photo op at the gates of Govan shipyard with the Brit Shop stewards, promising milk and honey that he could not, nor ever will be able to, deliver.
Now Sweeney talks of Jack as ‘viceroy’?
He’ll be crossing the house now that he has at last had his ‘lux in tenebris’ moment?
Young man, we are a militarily occupied conquered colony of Keir Starmer’s England.
Come into the light, sirrah.
The choice is stark.
Self Determination or a lifetime of slavery as England strips our nation’s wealth for the Filthy Rich.
“The truth is that Jack neither knows nor cares what this bill does”
Indeed Paul and neither does all of those who today , on programmes on both TV and radio, care or know what this bill does.
I saw a video today on Twitter of a Guardian ‘journalist’ totally misrepresenting what this bill was about and it was blatant rubbish considering she MUST have , as a ‘journalist’ , seen and heard ALL the arguments as debated yesterday in the HOC and I assume has actually READ what it, the bill, is about…. “ill thought through” she said…..she was on the mundane and supposed non political waste of time and energy programme ‘This Morning’…..the female in question was once , when Jeremy Corbyn was Labour leader , someone who did not have a problem with Scottish independence but NOW since Starmer has taken over and currently labour are leading in the polls her views has suddenly changed on this…..Hmm
Dross was on Iain Dales’s programme on LBC and was framing this as purely as a SNP against the UK government matter…..never heard what response to his s**** (rhymes with Fright) was but assume that no one highlighted that members of HIS Tory party at Holyrood also voted for this bill….as did Labour MSP’s and Lib Dems too because no one on this programme I assume really KNOWS or CARES what this bill does or who in the Scottish parliament voted for it. However we do all know that as far as Scottish politics is concerned they who are ignorant of the facts darn Sarf just LOVE to talk a LOT about political matters in Scotland (when it suits THEIR agenda) that they know so very little about (or care about) and who prefer to source their (mis)’information’ via specially selected guests who are renowned anti SNP and anti independence and thus Pro UK supporters….many people have asked why currently in these debates on TV and Radio is there NO Trans people involved to give their side (apart from Channel 4 news the other night)…….why indeed…..I mean who needs the very people this affects when one has an agenda to promote false arguments and yet another opportunity to try and undermine the Scottish government……a mystery yet NOT a mystery just like when they discuss independence for Scotland but have NO pro independence politicians ,experts or Journalists on to balance the debate…..as if….
Sarwar has now come out of hiding and has chosen to hide behind Ian Murray’s fake (non) argument into the debate yesterday in the HOC via him, Murray, as the supposed ‘Scottish’ (INO) spokesperson for Scottish (INO) Labour and he, Sarwar, is presenting Murray’s NON argument as this being just a ‘constitutional and culture fight’ something another of Sarwar’s MSP’s has already proclaimed as a “disingenuous” statement from Murray……NO standing up for devolution from Sarwar……ironic that the Labour Welsh FM is currently doing MORE to fight for devolution than the Scottish one is….I say ironic but I mean typical from a branch office manager in Scotland whose only mission is to cede all power and control to their respective HQ and beloved UK……..he hopes HIS career path will lead to the HOL’s hence his Union and party uber alles ongoing slavish support…….
Ironic also that many who support sustaining the UK’s current status quo promote the SNP’s supposed, according to THEM, SOLE obsession with independence which they say sees them, the SNP, as a government neglecting other matters like public services, while simultanously conveniently ignoring all of the voters who VOTED for the SNP winning most seats in both Scottish and too in GE’s in recent successive elections, yet they themselves fail to concede their opposing Pro UK position is one that is clearly obsessive and unrelenting via politics, media and other self interested (biased Pro UK) sources and tis they , the Pro UK gang, who are given a CONSTANT nay EXCESSIVE media platform to promote Pro UK propaganda and anti independence propaganda….
Where and when will this all end …..well it is very much a fact that tis they the Pro UK gang who will continue to promote and incite all of the constitutional arguments to sway those voters who currently are oblivious to facts via the NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE (other than Pro UK propaganda) media that sways heavily AGAINST those in favour of anything and anyone who supports Scottish independence while communicating favourably on behalf of those who are Pro UK politicians and too their supporters (as in supposed ‘experts’ and ‘respected’ individuals who are more than willing to voice their dissent against independence, the SNP and even Scotland itself as a recognised country) .
This is being seen as and promoted as yet another opportunity by those usual suspects (politicians, media and other unreliable biased sources) who HATE the SNP and indeed are vehemntly against independence as yet ANOTHER excuse or opportunity for them to promote MORE lies, misinformation and frame it as another supposed damaging and reckless action taken by the SNP…… and one that they say is a unpopular bill with the public in Scotland and that is being framed by them as being solely generated and supported ONLY by the Scottish government or rather as they like to say the SNP…..
This is a never ending fight that they have started yet again and will continue to fight everything and anything that they see as a opportunity to raise yet more false arguments and too fake indignation solely to promote support for their UK in Scotland….while disregarding the clear and blatant corruption, incompetence and bad policies enforced via the UK government and the weak and compliant (non) response via the supposed but NOT ACTING AS IF official opposition party at WM as in New New (Tory) Labour……that is the reality of THEIR UK.
No Thanks……lived through it and want a change …via independence….. YES Please….before we all go mad with the injustice, frustration and sheer hypocrisy of it all …………..
This is yet another ,’oh, look, a squirrel.’ ploy by the Brits and the Jock media.
We’re not talking about energy bills, millions freezing or staving, the cancelled frigate contract, 4 jobs Ross claiming wages for attending Edinburgh and WM at the same time, (He, Mundell, Lamont, and Duguid were missing form WM for today’s PMQ) and trouser SFA dosh as a tubby Linesman.
It’s wall to wall GRR from the Hackerie,
No need to report on starvation, hyperthermia, evictions, or excess deaths.
Sarwar confirmed what we all knew.
If Starmer stubbed his toe and cried ‘Sh!t’, Sarwar would obediently soil his kegs.
Joanne Lamont let the cat out of the bag. There is no Scottish party.
Sarwar runs the Branch Office of an English Party, run by dinosaurs.
Sarwar is nothing politically.
As per, loved the stream of consciousness, NMRN.
Indeed Jack OR a former Chancellor via truss’s SHORT failed and flawed premiership now needing to pay MILLIONS over tax affairs…one Nadhim Zahawi…..this particular story should take real outrage precedence in those currently grossly offended and opposed to the supposed “harmful to women” GRR bill ……. their selective opposition and offence would be better placed to be taken upon things that ARE actually BAD in politics via the Tory UK as is…..plus the Tory donor who got millions for a contract for PPE and who has now again been awarded another contract worth millions to DISPOSE of it…..via Alister jack’s UK government ……….but they media, politicians and others on the Pro UK side feel compelled that NOW IS THE TIME to fight yet another battle instigated by the Tory government against our parliament and devolution while actually MINIMISING the publicity of all of the real scandals and corruption and bad politics via the Tory Brexit UK government…..for reasons.
Labour politicians and their media seem to LOVE to fight the Tories battles WITH and FOR them do they not….for reasons…too many and obvious to mention.
Have a nice evening Jack
🙂
Any minute now, leek and potato soup, my Everlovin’s recipe, and crusty day old baguette smothered in butter, NMRN.
heaven in a bowl.
Keep on, keeping on.
Mmm……tasty.
My favourite is homemade Lentil soup with crusty bread….yum yum.
Enjoy jack…..and you keep on keeping on too
🙂
It was, of course delicious, NMRN.
I’m a simple man.
Heaven cooked by an angel.
Bisous.
“Labour politicians and their media seem to LOVE to fight the Tories battles WITH and FOR them do they not….for reasons…too many and ones that are too obvious to mention”
Obvs meant whenever it is anything to do with Scotland…….via their UNITED Pro UK cause ….as in a LOST cause.
Though one could also argue that they have been and still are also most negligent in incessantly highlighting the many dubious methods and too the dubious individuals who managed to corruptly win the EU referendum vote based on lies and as now evidenced the many many broken pledges and assurances that have NOT , as they promised, materialised post Brexit….indeed the OPPOSITE has happened.
Ironic that one argument Tories gave for Brexit was to see a high wage economy however NOW according to these same Tories they are currently fighting AGAINST workers having higher wages…say ironic BUT tis yet another falsehood promised and NOT fulfilled via Brexit….I think they, Tories, meant the already wealthy individuals receiving even HIGHER wages, bonuses etc…..I say I think but tis more a case of that I KNOW this is what they meant.
Any fleeting browser on this blog who may read this please please do not consider voting labour here in Scotland in the next GE…..a pet may be promoted as being forever….but a vote for Labour to win a GE is NOT a forever vote….if they do win the next GE it will only be a matter of time before those who are fickle in another country decide to vote yet again for a Tory government which then leaves Scotland back to square one …plus in voting Labour you are only voting for a poor imitation of the Tory party where the NHS is NOT safe from privatisation, Scotland will still be regarded the black sheep in thought and action in their UK and thus disregarded and devoid of ANY real democracy within their UK and who finds itself living (existing) within a now Labour Toryish controlled UK…..one where Brexit will STILL be sustained and falsely promoted as a UK policy which is very much against the vote and the will of You and yours as citizens of Scotland who rejected it as a policy but who were IGNORED for doing so.
So where is the change and hope in voting labour…..clue…..there is NONE.
If you want REAL change and REAL hope vote for the SNP and vote YES to independence as the alternative is to continue to commit to the will and control of those Pro UK parties who will ensure that you continue to suffer and are made to endure the very worse things that only BAD governments have to offer the people they govern BADLY while in their UKnotOK.
Sarwar was in hiding for days following this decision by Englands ruling body awaiting his instructions from Starmer, it took him those days to read and understand what he was instructed to repeat
The FM is readily available to be questioned on anything, but the media in Scotland actively avoid interviewing her if they can possibly help it, I believe their fears are every time she appears on the Telly a wee bell rings and another person joins the SNP, so they keep her off it
Mr. Sarwar ‘ normalised’ the Orange order for political reasons as instructed by Labour strategists controlled by the party elite. No problem at all for Mr. Sarwar to undermine and insult Scottish society for his pals in London.
https://twitter.com/elphinstonejack/status/1615717522229035008?s=61&t=4y7axtOe5HYubXGrK86qvw
A slippery slope from devolution to independence.
Let’s hope chumps like Jack keep making sure said slope gets ever more slippery.
They’ll try to close our parliament over my dead body.
Viceroy Jack 🙂
Paul Sweeney wins the airwaves this year so far. Buy that man a pint!
I know.
I’m finding this whole debate much more cheering than I thought I would. The thing is, I don’t think the anti-self-ID case has ever before been quite so convincingly shown up for the groundless, bigoted, scaremongering nonsense it is. And so many Yes people who don’t normally have much reason to think about trans issues have been fired up by the Tories to take a closer look. And they’re absolutely taking the pants off the Tories over this. It’s actually hilarious.
It’s still not nice, as a trans woman, to be in the eye of this culture-wars storm. But it’s increasingly obvious that the Tories have picked absolutely the wrong battle with Holyrood, and are going to lose heavily. Bring it on.
Your last paragraph:
“All Alister Jack and the Conservatives have done is to confirm that the campaign for independence really is a campaign for democracy in Scotland.“
Looks like this idea of independence has gone into the long grass. According to our FM the campaign started in 2016. What campaign and what date? Looks to me like 2026, maybe. Last year we were promised a referendum in October this year ‘ no ifs and no buts’ she said. There are two ways this can legally be accomplished. Is it going to? NO.
I regrettably have no confidence now in the SNP to deliver.
I have kept a table of every promise the party had made on this since 2026. It is like Groundhog Day. Promises before elections. No significant action. I have had enough.
Last para 2016 not 2026
Oh that’s a damn shame. Have you thought of entering politics yourself at some point, to try and shake things up a bit?
I have had enough.
That’s sad to hear. I’ll not give up myself. I hope you won’t either. It’s what the British nationalists want.
The way to indy is not through politicians, it’s through talking to friends, family, colleagues, chapping doors. Never give up. If at first you don’t succeed try, try and try again.
Do that, and the rest follows. Politicians come and go. If you leave it to others, you can’t complain if they don’t deliver as expected. As Stephen says, why not make a run of things yourself if you are unhappy?
Goodbye then. However long it may take, this struggle will be won by whichever side coheres together longest, through thick and thin. In the meantime, it will be a blessed relief all round to be spared self-pitying morale-sapping public negativity, which only serves opponents of independence. (You wouldn’t want that, now, would you?)
It’s not the SNP’s job to deliver Independence. That’s OUR job.
Aye. Just like we have enough of yir greetin. If you believe in independence you don’t give up.
Another insightful article. What is missing is mention of the arrogance of Jack in deciding to make his sect 35 announcement before publishing the considered reasons for his decision. This contemptible move demonstrated his cavalier, less than invested approach to the matter at hand.
Then somewhere from his back office the leaders of the opposition parties were emailed a copy of the ‘reasons for decision ‘ as though this, not even 11th hour concession would make amends for his tawdry treatment of this momentous occasion.
Flynn had the nous to get the Speaker on side with a request for an early(immediate?) debate whereupon, miraculously, the weighty tome that Jack had not wished to bore the house with was distributed. Six sides of A4. Wow!
Utter fiasco. A clear demonstration of Jack-boot’s disdain for what should have been a well prepared delivery of an historic use of an article of the UK’s continued control of its maverick colony.
Shame, there will be none, since as was observed, this man has as little idea of what shame is as he has for his duty in the house.
I’m still amazed that this useless lump of lard who currently masquerades as the UK’s Scottish Secretary, our absent “Viceroy” indeed, could shift himself out of his self-imposed obscurity with enough energy to even produce an S.35 objection, never mind cogent reasons {oooh!} for it.
Without doubt he is the veritable nadir of UK governance in Scotland (to date, anyway), and whatever the rights and wrongs of the issue at hand, this abject failure is an object lesson to the entire country that things really do have to change. And I don’t mean merely that this vacuous nonentity should be shunted out of harm’s way and hidden from public view now among the throng of the Great House of the (uber-privileged) People.
Saw on Twitter this statement :
“Keir Starmer’s spokesman says the party can’t identify any aspect of the Scottish Gender Recognition Reform act that would undermine single sex spaces, but want to wait to see the government’s own legal advice before offering a view”……
” Wait to see the government’s (Tories) own legal advice before offering a view”…that’s him awaiting to see the opposition party’s own legal advice as in the Tory party’s legal advice….seems Labour have NO legal advice at hand that could elaborate and advise them on this bill……is he himself not a lawyer (Barrister) ?
How about Keir Starmer speaking to his colleagues in Holyrood who VOTED for this bill……how about just taking a position based on what you read in this bill….how about STOPPING sitting on the fence ALWAYS as you try and gauge what action will make you more electable with CERTAIN voters and then always adopting those policies and views that concur and coincide with those of the Tory party….ironically most voters say that the very thing that makes the labour party UNELECTABLE for them as voters is the Labour party’s reluctance to fully communicate and articulate to voters what their own DISTINCTIVE policies are compared to Tory policies ……….. other than them copying and pasting Tory policies and rhetoric…though to be fair to Labour they are fully committed to not ALLOWING Scotland to have another independence referendum……and they do ignore our support and vote to remain in the EU….so basically they UNITE with the Tories upon this ONE issue…….on this there is NO area that is not clear and indistinct…….they are both as parties a UNITED front on Scotland and it’s politics…..which they see as part of their remit and KINGDOM.
As to Scottish Labour MSP’s who are breaking ranks and condemning this action taken by the Tories perhaps tis because they see the significance and relevance of this in the context of devolution and too the current survival of the UK status quo….. unlike Brit Nat Ian Murray and some of his colleagues at WM…..who base everything in the context of them as British Nationalist pro UK supporters against us who support independence…..or as they like to call us ‘divisive separatists’……they love labels do Labour and t’others as they think it makes us and that which we believe in appear less legitimate and thus rogue…..
My heart goes out to Trans people who I am sure in many instances in their daily lives have to suffer much ignorance and prejudice and who are subjected to abusive language from those who are very much intolerant towards anything they do not understand….. and have no desire to want to understand…. or to empathise with.
Everyone is considered useful fodder for the Pro UK politicians poorly chosen battles…..even if it means that a false perception is formed by some of the general public against Trans people via this bill…..
I am so sick of this UK and it’s politicians and deplorable media targeting the wrong people aka the innocent who then suffer abuse through fake news while the actual people, as in SOME politicians and media , who say and do all of the wrong things in their UK are ignored or forgiven when they should be the ones getting the abuse they deserve via their selfish, ignorant and overall well below standard of anything that could be considered as near being decent or moral.
I detest the Tories and in honesty I concede that I also detest the Labour party too as there is nothing that separates them as political parties as far as Scotland is concerned…..both do not represent Scotland politically instead they oppose us and work together to deny our democracy and dictate , based on contrary evidence via our voting record in Scotland, that they know what we need and want and thus impose what they see as best for ……THEM….but NEVER what is best for US….or indeed ever show respect for the political party that WE choose to democratically VOTE FOR in Scotland via a majority.
Now is the Time for more Scots to wake up to reality….as it is only going to get worse in this awful fake country called the UK….not my country that’s for sure.
Apologies for multiple comments today by me but I am particularly enraged by this…..
I thought what you had to say was very well said and more than that it had to be said and hit the right spots for me.
🙂
Hope you have had a nice evening Alex C …..and will have a good day tomorrow too.
NMRN, the Red Blue and Yellow Tories are three fleas off the same mangy Britnat dug
Indeed Jack the dug being the British BULLDUG (bully Dug more like)…some of the Scottish (INO) Lib Dem MP’s are speaking out against the Tories on this but only because this is something they support……pity then that these Scottish (INO) Lib Dem MP’s could not see that tis their allegiance to the UK that has resulted in this very situation happening…….
Have I missed Alex ‘F*** You Maree’ Cole-Hamilton on TV giving his opinion on this….he is not usually a political wall flower when there is contention around…..perhaps afraid if he is TOO publicly vocal on this matter and seen to be attacking the Tories too much he’ll risk losing some of the votes that his party hopes to scavenge from those who have now become disenchanted Tory voters…..funny how they as former Tory voters automatically turn to the Lib Dems when they lose faith with the Tory party…almost as if they see a similar style of politics and politician via the Lib Dems that is indistinguishable from their former party of choice aka the Tories…..I mean how many seats have the HQ Lib Dem party won in by-elections in seats darn Sarf that were previously held by the Tory party…..Hmm
What a shower they all are…..
Take Care Jack
🙂
The internet airwaves will soon be full of “I was SNP but no more” people
Every time the politics is ramped up the opposition ramp up also, the fake supporters and ex fake supporters abound, they claim this and they claim that, but when push comes to shove they want the same thing *out with Nicola Sturgeon*
And it’s puzzling in a way because one minute they claim she’s useless, then the next minute they’re terrified of her, she made a promise and didn’t keep it they claim, well tell me a political party in the history of the world who didn’t make promises
The difference with Nicola Sturgeon’s promises is that the English government and the enemies of Scotland refuse to recognise the principle of democracy and unless these complainers expect the FM to don a suit of armour mount a horse and lead Scotlands troops to London to smite the English dragons what would you have her do when there are not enough people supporting independence at this moment to take any kind of unilateral action, even the peaceful kind against Englands fascist government
The English government controls every aspect of Scotlands lives, our money and our energy and they even have their own tame Supreme court all set up to deny the very existence of Scotland, no political big mouth insisting they can do better actually means it, they know they can’t do it, but the FM is an easy snipe because she’s got the unpleasant job of being responsible for everything with the powers of nothing
Scotlands people is the power, but they for damn sure are either too lazy or too dependent on someone else doing it for them then blaming somebody, anybody, if it doesn’t happen
That was borne out of Labour party control and subjugation under the Tories for a very long time, the will of all of the people cannot be exercised if they don’t have any will to begin with
In most other countries of the world what’s happening to Scotland wouldn’t be tolerated by them in their countries, including England
Does anybody believe that if Scotland were in charge and we treated the English this way, they’d put up with it? of course they wouldn’t
BTW They’re sending some ultra right wing anti Scottish Nastys to protest outside our parliament, these people travel the world spreading their unprintable ideology from the 1930s Germany regime, you all know these types and what they stand for
None of this is coincidence
Someone else made a comment about Jack, or Bobbin’ Jack as I call him, the last SoS of Scotland not having his heart in it, and maybe that’s right. Anyways, here’s an interesting resource, starting with this page about Bobbin’ John, the first SoS of Scotland and a Jacobite and then double agent and then …
https://www.orderofthefleurdelys.org.uk/order-history/john-erskine-of-mar-1716-1730/
One of my favourite Steeleye Span tunes, some great shivering minor harmonies on the album version
“Hey for Sandy Don, Hey for Cockalorum.
Hey for Bobbin` John And his Heilan quorum”
OT
Here’s a shout out for for poor IfS who has as much understanding of context as a nut in May
https:// www. youtube. com/watch?v=kDzdTl8Ykmc (remove spaces)
Oh wow, look at those little legs go!
Anyways, to be serious for a wee minute, and I’ve been waiting to say this one. From the UKSC judgement on the LA referral, in relation to the issue of self-determination, using Quebec as an example for some odd reason:
““In summary, the international law right to self-determination only generates, at best, a right to external self-determination in situations of former colonies; where a people is oppressed, as for example under foreign military occupation; or where a definable group is denied meaningful access to government to pursue their political, economic, social and cultural development. In all three situations, the people in question are entitled to a right to external self-determination because they have been denied the ability to exert internally their right to self-determination. Such exceptional circumstances are manifestly inapplicable to Quebec under existing conditions.” (at para 138)”
Hoist by their own petard. That would be the “rUKSC”.
“or where a definable group is denied meaningful access to government to pursue their political, economic, social and cultural development.”
Thank you Alister Jack and good night, we’ll be pleased to accept your resignation as colonial governor-general or indeed, as viceroy. The rUK is liable for your severance pay and pension. Security guards will supervise you clearing your desk,
Quebec has autonomy,
In a few months Jack and the Tories will be gone. Millionaires milking the system for all they can. Grants and loans not equally available. The cannot stop the GRC reforms. They will have to be implemented by Westminster. Or Westmibster break International Law, again. It will be challenged in UN Courts again. Westminster will be the loser again.
Women are not attacked in (mixed) changing rooms. They are safer there. Women are attacked in their own homes by people that they know. The do not get legal aid. The do not have equal rights. The majority that cohabit, They can lose the roof over their head so have to stay in unsafe, abusive places, The Law needs to be changed. They get legal aid in England, which has to be paid back in any case with any settlement.
They do get legal aid Ken in Scotland, but the payments per case are inadequate and a lot of solicitors and solicitors practices won’t take the cases.
But women in trouble should still seek help, the aid is there even if not enough for overworked and underpaid solicitors (paid half the prosecutors).
It’s actually the other way around though – more people are eligible in Scotland than England.
Quebec 9 million
Canada 38Million
Canada and Spain both more equal. Life expectancy Spain 84 years. Life expectancy Canada 81 years.
Jacinda Arderne has resigned as PM of New Zealand. She says she just hasn’t enough left in the tank to go on. How long before our FM’s called on to follow suit? Who will be first to draw the comparison? BBC? Alba? Dross? ACH?
Women in Scotland do not get legal aid. If any property. Women in England get legal aid in spite of property. The Law was changed recently. Women who cohabit (the majority) do not have equal rights. With married women or men,They have to raise a claim within a year and or fight through courts. Costing time and £thousands. Many do not have £thousands but do not get legal aid. That is why abused women cannot get away. They have no where to go, That is why people can get abused. A Domestic abuse Act that cannot be dropped r appealed. The Police are acting as judge and jury. They do not have legal or diversity training.
Letting agencies illegally charge women 6 months and deposit upfront rent, Even with adequate finances and good credit. Everyone knows about the Law and ineffective lawyers.
A full financial assessment is carried out for anyone applying for legal aid in Scotland. If someone owns a property but due to threat of violence or abuse from a partner etc so cannot live there they may still get legal aid
Solicitors charge £459 an hour and take time. Hardly underpaid. Most are £Millionaires. Making vast profits. Legal practices make £Millions. Abused women cannot get the help they need and do not have equal rights. The majority cohabit. The Law needs reformed.
I daresay you know better than the Law Society of Scotland – and the solicitors I know doing legal aid cases.
https://www.lawscot.org.uk/news-and-events/law-society-news/law-society-responds-to-offer-on-legal-aid/
And another:
https://www.lawscot.org.uk/news-and-events/law-society-news/law-society-response-to-scotgov-legal-aid-letter/
“… including the need to reverse the acute reduction in the number of solicitors currently able to offer civil, children’s and criminal legal aid.
…
While this brings much needed progress, after more than two decades of chronic underfunding, the government’s proposed increase does not fully resolve the deep-rooted issues in the legal aid sector.“
And another:
https://www.lawscot.org.uk/news-and-events/law-society-news/legal-aid-crisis-hitting-scotlands-most-deprived-families/
“It says the crisis is exacerbated by the fact that legal aid fees agreed in 1999 had only increased by 10%, compared to an inflation increase of 55%.“
Oh, and you’ll love this one. £459 an hour did you say?
“A report for the Law Society of Scotland”
Click to access legal-aid-financial-health-report-february-2017.pdf
Hourly wage: £6.65 an hour. They work at home, preparing cases. Travel on their own time.
“The owners of the smallest firms that participated with fees of under £100,000
were earning just £6.65 an hour, a level below the living wage;”
Survey from 2017 with 15% respondees.
Most legal firms do not do legal aid. Legal firms make £Millions. Look it up. The standard rate is £450 an hour. .
Ignorance is bliss Artogance is the norm