Like it or not, the causes of Scottish self-government and independence are both in intimately linked to the fortunes of the SNP. We only have a devolved Scottish Parliament because the Labour party was concerned to fend off the electoral rise of the SNP. Equally any loss of support for the SNP in an election will be spun by the British nationalist parties and their friends in the media as ‘proof’ that Scotland doesn’t want independence. They will do so no matter what is happening to support for independence in opinion polling or whether there is an increase in support for any other party that backs Scottish independence.
The Conservatives have always been hostile to the idea of Scottish self-government and only refrain from a full frontal assault on the devolution settlement because they fear that if they do so they will boost support for the SNP and for independence. Instead they resort to sleekit attacks on devolution, passing legislation to allow Westminster to intervene on devolved matters and pretending that by doing so they are, in the words of Michael Gove, ‘augmenting devolution.’ Naturally the Scottish media colludes in this undemocratic charade because for the most part its priority is to stave off independence and so it refuses to defend Scottish interests within this UK it is so determined to keep Scotland a part of because it fears boosting support for independence if it criticises the actions of Westminster.
What the Conservatives have refrained from until now is proposing to roll back the powers of the Scottish Parliament and removing powers that Holyrood has and giving them back to Westminster. Although many of them might wish to abolish Holyrood entirely, the Scottish Tories for the most part know better than to admit this in public, as it’s electoral Kryptonite for them. However most Tory voters in Scotland would like to see the abolition of the Scottish Parliament, and there can be little doubt that the Tories would jump at the chance to do so if they thought that they could limit the electoral damage to themselves and avoid creating a boost in support for the SNP and independence.
According to an opinion poll carried out by You Gov in May 2021, only 20% of voters in Scotland would support the abolition of the Scottish Parliament and the reimposition of direct rule from Westminster, but that 20% is not evenly spread across the Scottish population. 34% of those over 65 would like to abolish the Scottish Parliament as would 37% of those who voted Leave in 2016. But by far and away the largest group which wants to see the abolition of the Scottish Parliament are those who voted Tory in Scotland in 2019, a shocking 59% of whom would vote to abolish the Scottish Parliament if there was a referendum on the subject. That figure ought to be deeply concerning to the 80% of Scots who do not want Holyrood to be abolished as the Conservatives have no compunction about using their Westminster majority to impose their will on Scotland even though they are unable to obtain a democratic mandate from the people of Scotland at the ballot box.
It’s no secret that many Tories deny the status of Scotland as a nation. Alister Jack, the Conservative Viceroy of the North Britain territory, said last year that he dislikes the phrase ‘four nations’ to refer to the constituent parts of the United Kingdom as in his eyes the United Kingdom is the political expression of a single ‘British nation’ which has Scotland as one of its regions.
So it should come as no surprise that arch-Brexiteer David Frost, who was Boris Johnson’s chief Brexit negotiator, has leapt on the current travails of the SNP as providing an opportunity to claw back powers from Holyrood and to reduce it to what he sees as its ‘proper’ status, that of a glorified county council. In an article for the Telegraph, Frost proposes that should the Conservatives win the next UK General Election they should undo important parts of the devolution settlement. In particular he mentions stripping the Scottish Parliament of its limited tax raising powers and ensuring that the Scottish Government can have no international representation.
Naturally Frost made no mention of winning support for these proposals from the people of Scotland, but then why would he, the entire point for the Conservatives of undermining, undoing, or abolishing devolution is so that they no longer have to pretend that they care about the opinions of voters in a country which has refused to give the Conservatives a majority since 1955. The Tories will use every lever at their disposal to undermine devolution and to neutralise a source of power and authority that they cannot control. They will not hesitate to weaponise the current difficulties of the SNP in order to further their centralising Anglo-British nationalist agenda. This will make it more difficult for the Scottish Government to protect vulnerable Scottish households from the damaging effects of Conservative policies and will undermine the legitimacy of a mandate for independence obtained within Scotland.
The Scottish Tories have rushed to disassociate themselves from Frost’s article, something which we can safely file under ‘they would say that wouldn’t they.’ They have denied that they have any plans to claw back powers from Holyrood, but then this is also the party which swore blind that it regarded Scotland as a much loved partner in a family of nations, promised to institute a ‘respect agenda’ and never to make any changes to the devolution settlement without the express consent of the Scottish Parliament only to go on to unilaterally introduce a number of measures allowing Westminster to by-pass or sideline Holyrood. The only reason that the Scottish Tories have disavowed Frost’s proposals is because he has said out loud something which many of them think in private but which they do not want to get out for fear of the electoral damage it might cause them and the potential it has to boost support for independence.
However if the Conservatives win the next UK General Election and the SNP suffers losses on the scale of those it endured in 2017, then the Tories most assuredly will embark on an all out attack on the powers of the Scottish Parliament no matter what they say now. If Labour wins that election and the SNP lose a significant number of seats then Starmer’s already weak proposals for devolution will be watered down even further rendering Holyrood incapable of resisting the Conservatives the next time that they take power at Westminster, as they most assuredly will eventually. But the very best Labour can offer is a respite from Conservative rule, sooner or later England will vote Tory again and will proceed to undo everything Labour did. This is why it is vital for anyone who believes in meaningful Scottish self government to continue to support the SNP.
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Wee Ginger Dug 
I renewed my membership the other day for tie exact same reason. What ever has or is going to happen with regards to recent events I see the SNP as the only way we will ever get independence.
Just renewed my membership and stuck a wedge into the fighting fund.
“……. anyone who believes in meaningful Scottish self government……”
========
The ONLY meaningful Scottish self government is INDEPENDENCE, nothing less.
After almost a quarter century we can surely see that the gradualist, devolutionist Salmond/Sturgeon strategy has been a failure; an increasingly embarrassing one at that. Is there anyone here who seriously believes that Humza Yousaf can somehow rescue us from this débâcle?
To those Tories who want to abolish Holyrood, I say: bring it on.
The entire world pays attention to countries that suffer war famine flood wildfire and bodies piling up as a result, nobody pays attention to a country that sits on its backside bleating about the country next door being mean to them
If the approach to English dictatorship is not changed the result will be the same
Well said.
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a now 60+ Female.
Get my first wage in my new job this week. Will be bunging the SNP another donation as per the BBC’s appeal.
They can spend it on erm, ‘high value items’ ((c) British nationalists) like pens, pots ‘n’ pans and a fridge-freezers for the office kitchen if they want.
“However most Tory voters in Scotland would like to see the abolition of the Scottish Parliament”
Nope.
Accord the 2021 BSA it’s just 25% of Tory voters in Scotland. Page 29 of
https://www.bsa.natcen.ac.uk/media/39477/bsa39_constitutional-reform. pdf (remove space)
69% of Tory voters SUPPORT devolution, and 5% of them even support Independence.
According to that YouGov poll I cited it was a majority. Different polls use different methodologies and arrive at different conclusions, which is why you cannot meaningfully compare different opinion polls from different companies. The British Social attitudes survey is a long term tracker which offers multiple options. The YouGov poll I cited was a study of a given moment in time which offered a binary choice. YouGov asked a different question and naturally got a different result. The details of the YouGov poll are here :
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2021/05/04/who-supports-abolishing-devolved-parliaments-and-w
The comparison for that single Yougov poll, and the latest of the series of BSDA SSAS trackers is:
Yougov
Total=20% Con=59% Lab=20% Lib Dem=25% SNP=3%
https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/9k2lif2viv/Scotland_Devo_Tabs. pdf (remove space)
SAS
Total=8% Con=25% Lab=8% Lib Dem=n/a SNP=1%
So Yougov is about two and a half times as much!
I suspect Curtice / Kelly / Geoghegan wouldn’t be impressed.
Do you think 20% of Labour voters and 25% of LibDem voters want to abolish the Scottish Parliament? And 20% of ALL voters in Scotland?
This is why I never understood why people in Scotland in 2017 ,post the 2016 EU referendum, voted in LESS SNP MP’s into HOC …..at a time when it seemed crucial for us to have a maximum of SNP representation to fight against Brexit and the fact that Scotland voted against it in the referendum !…Scots effectively voted to weaken our hand in the strong argument (62% voted against Brexit in Scotland) that we did not want and would not accept Brexit…..
Now with so much at stake post Brexit and the risk it is to devolution I really hope people look at the BIGGER picture going forward come the next GE and do not get taken in by both the media and Pro UK politicians who frankly care not a jot WHICH Pro UK party Scottish people vote for as long as THAT Pro UK party takes seats AWAY from the SNP and thus allows THEM, the Pro UK mob, to declare yet again that independence is dead and then think that then gives them license to ride roughshod over our parliament and it’s powers/decisions …..while they, as a Pro UK party, focus yet again MORE attention upon areas within their UK that elects them into power……the Tory levelling up fiasco has NOT matched EU funding BUT it has funnelled a disproportionate amount of funding into areas held by the Tories……to try and bribe people in those areas into still voting for them , the Tories, in the next GE and other elections…..
Tory HQ will continue to undermine and try to muzzle and restrict devolved governments via their flawed Brexit boldness (that has allowed THEM to take total control) with the powers/finances held by them as the UK government.
Labour HQ will undermine and try to diminish the significance of devolved governments by presenting them as equal entities to those regional areas in England who they, Labour, say will be given more devolved powers ..and MONEY…….all via the powers/finances they, Labour, will have if they are elected as the new UK government….and will present British jobs for British workers as a way to convince the gullible that they as a new government will “Make Brexit work”…….but like the Tories it is all Pie in the Sky……
Both above scenarios ,come next GE, means that Scotland loses BIG time…….is that what Scottish voters want to happen ?…….because that is what they will get if they LEND their vote to a Pro UK party to oust the SNP candidate…..and post their vote it will be buyers remorse I am sure….and there will be no gloating from people like me in saying ” Telt yea what would happen”…instead I will feel, like others, that yet again some people are easily led, easily feart and have in effect become the architects of their own destruction (and alas mine too)…..
However THEY will gloat …as in the pro UK parties AND their client media….as for them it’s all about keeping Scotland in it’s place while ensuring our resources benefit both them as a government and too their UK both now and in the future…..as to Scotland…. not so much….. as we will still be presented by them and their media as those that are the beneficiaries of respective UK governments benevolence …….the POOR relation in the FAMILY of Nations according to them …….as Wales are presented also by them…meanwhile wheesht for what England contributes to their UK…..and the fact that currently they seem a tad subdued in wanting their own independence from those other nations that they are led to believe that they subsidise……Hmm…..makes sense?…..of course not !
Have a nice day everyone
🙂
But for the SNP to avoid a drop in support at the next election it must take radical action very quickly.
Those at the top of the party responsible for undermining internal democracy must go. Unpopular policies should be dropped. Independence should be expressly promoted.
At present the same people whose actions got us into this mess are still there. No serious change is going to come from them.
And it appears that the leaders are in denial as to the unpopularity of several policies. The damage will thus be ongoing.
And Independence is being further suppressed as a campaigning aim. In 2017 we were told by the party that a vote for the SNP was not a vote for independence – and of course large numbers of independence supporters were demotivated and stayed at home.
I take your point, Paul, as to the danger of the SNP losing support. But it is not enough to call for or expect blind loyalty – there are very serious problems with the party which the party must address.
I’m just a wee pare dumb auld Jock who is not a member of the SNP.
Can it be assumed from your btl contribution that you are a member of the SNP with unrestricted access to the ‘very serious’ party problems.
Can you or any, of the many advisers please enlighten me as to what these ‘very serious problems’, which outweigh by an unknown order of magnitude the bùrach that is the tory party and the MIST, actually are.
At least if the amount of unsolicited commentary on them is anything to go by, everyone should be deeply concerned by these ‘very serious problems’ whatever they are.
Of course everyone has a right to their own opinion whatever that may be, even if it is the most abhorrent thing on the planet. It is their opinion and they may keep it as such. No one has the right to force their opinion on you as the most correct one, and neither are you permitted to force yours on anyone else.
Membership clubs and political parties operate in much the same way on a Homo Gestalt basis. If you are part of the club you have an equal say, if not your screams are just chaff in the wind.
You may or may not (dependant on how much attention you pay to the btl) have noticed that no one hear abouts tells the tories, liebore, or the lab dumbs how to conduct themselves, or how to run their parties, or deal with their ‘very serious problems’.
We do quite often tell them not to do things. But luckily they never listen anyway.
I may be wrong but in Scotland political parties are expected to conduct and sort out their own problems and systems without outside interference, and be judged on their performance by the highest authority in the land. EVERY SCOTTISH VOTER.
Careful Peter!
“speaking the truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act”
What has he said that is backed up by evidence as distinct from speculation? And if he has evidence why has he not given a statement to the police? Sad wee individual making unfounded claims to appear important and in the know. There are lots of them. He might feel more at home across on the space rocket WOS. So might you. Opinion and speculation are not the same as truth and verified facts.
Like Pogmothon, I’m not an SNP member, but I’ve read more than enough accusations of “blind loyalty” as response to any who question the multiple assertions in circulation over the SNP, including the deliberately vague “unpopularity of several policies”.
I have little doubt problems existed and will continue to exist in the SNP just as with any other party, but I don’t hear any demands of ANY other party in the UK to change it’s ways then shift the goalposts when they do, it’s very much a singular target in UK politics.
Everybody appears to be in denial except the accusers, apparently…
Torches and Pitchforks ?
“In 2017 we were told by the party that a vote for the SNP was not a vote for independence – and of course large numbers of independence supporters were demotivated and stayed at home”
Well if that was the case……it must have been a pretty widespread feeling of demotivation given that they, the SNP, went from 56 MP’s to 35 MP’s thus giving the opposition a boost and too an assumed apathy being promoted re Scotland in relation to the Tory Brexit for the WHOLE UK……and thus a false message could be relayed from both opposition parties and their media that support for the Union was up and that independence support had declined and that the Tory Brexit was not suffering the expected backlash via the ballot box in Scotland based on the results of the 2017 GE where Tories in Scotland increased their number of MP’s elected…..all via the people who mattered as in the Scottish voters…..a pretty expensive strop then was it not……and a weak strategy by us the voters ….as in to withhold our votes from the SNP at such a crucial time and thus allow both the opposition and their media to parade their assumed victory both politically and constitutionally……..also known as gloating…..
“Blind loyalty”….or just loyalty (for now that is)……..
Anyway ….Have a nice day
🙂
In fact, quite a small drop in percentage points can result in a large drop in seats won under the FPTP system. Current polls showing SNP on low 30s% also show a large drop in Westminster seats.
In 2014 in my area I could drive for miles up valley and see hundreds of Saltires hanging from windows and garden poles. In 2015 we elected a SNP MP. In 2017 there was less visible support and a Tory – Andrew Bowie – won the constituency. It wasn’t a swing to other parties. It was SNP/independence supporters staying at home.
Independence has to be seen to be the sole purpose of voting SNP.
This has been a favoured tactic of Tories for years – Convince the opposition’s voters to be disillusioned and stay at home, voila a landslide, a fallen red wall, a resigned Labour leader, an arrogant grinning clown as MP.
Good article on voter suppression in Wikipedia. Scroll down for the use of Voter ID and Misinformation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_suppression
If your kid comes home from school and complains of bullying what happens?
Well we all know the long drawn out procedures to this and in the end is it ever satisfactory? no of course it’s not, and why not? really and truly nobody really cares until there a bad ending then everybody feigns surprise and vows it will never happen again because action will be taken and blah de blah blah, until the next time it definitley does happen and round we go again
The question here is one of importance, and Scotland and Scottish independence is of no importance in the grand scheme of things to anybody except those of us that want it
So how does something become so important that people pay due attention to it?
Well it can’t be protest marching because everybody representing every cause does that and either nobody cares or its an inconvenience, the planet is divebombing to hell because of the type of *growth* various governments insist we all need to survive, and so that message is given more *important* coverage than protesters doing all sorts of things to bring our planets destruction to our attention
What does this tell us? well again it shows that when it comes to what the people say they want, their propaganda is always less powerful than governmental control of their media who insist differently, but they will *look* at the situation and do *everything they can* to fix the planet, then they don’t
In Westminster they must have a big big can labelled *kick me very far into some very long grass for a very long time* and of course that my friends is the English government’s go to solution for every problem that has arisen in England since the dawn of their time, if they can’t steal it they’ll negotiate a money deal for it, or an arms deal for it, or a promise of anything they know they can renege on much farther down the line for it
The people of Scotland are not important to England’s governments, only where we live is, and England already owns that so why should they give a damn about a bunch of people who’s very votes don’t count towards them being elected in the first place
It’s the same with Wales, and don’t even get me started on Northern Ireland where nobody has the opportunity to cast a vote that has any meaning whatsoever to England
So England has it all sewn up, complete and total dictatorship that pretends magnificently to give the appearance of a democracy yet still has a monarchial system of control, and all backed up with the best propaganda in the world that convinces people poverty pestilence and Covid plagues must be borne with British chin up fortitude to show all the Johnny Foreigners of the world that our poverty pestilence and Covid plagues can be toelrated better than theirs, because we may be poorer but we aspire to be proud as we show we can suffer better
So good is the English British nationalist propaganda they have convinced half the nation of Scotland that no matter how hard we work, no matter how wealthy our country is or could be, if we do not achieve these things under their pocket money devolution parliament it is then the fault of our parliamentarians, thus we must not have this parliament and recieve the blessings of England directly from Westminster so we can have all the benefits of being one nation one country beloved by them
And all that sounds great to some folk, except well England’s a shithole one party dictatorship monarchial state with zero democracy at its very core, and a state controlled media that lies and lies and lies to every person in it on behalf of the most successful propaganda spinning government the world has ever seen, and it’s so successful they don’t even realise they’re seeing it
If Scotland wants to achieve independence we cannot ask for what we cannot take, it’s a sign of weakness that England will refuse smilingly every time until the end of time
Why are we polite to people like that? the world will not notice Scotland until we stop being polite to the people we complain about
In the end how was the school bully dealt with round your way? or are you still living with the memory of it and wish you had dealt with it differently at the time?
Thought so
Yes, the teachers, so called, that allowed my son to suffer horribly at the hands of the school bullies, some who were teachers and a ‘guidance teacher’, were disgraceful in their deliberate neglect to stop the bullies. Usually the bullied gets the blame in fact, or is told to ‘find another school to go to’. Effects are life long.
Excellent comment again Dr.Jim.
I watched this last night, it’s a long interview/discussion, but it’s about mass manipulation of folks in the states and I am sure is mirrored in some ways in the UknotsoOK. Worth a watch, if a bit scary and depressing.
Scots who think it is a good idea to have their government elected by people in another country are beyond my understanding.
The only way that can be justified is by considering that Scotland is not a country.
That is the narrative being pushed by the English establishment and their media here on Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon did a good job of making the world understand that Scotland is a nation/country and now it is up to Humsa to convince doubting Scots (or perhaps doubting North Britons) so that they too can see the light.
Yes I guess post England’s Brexit and dragging Scotland out of the EU, and with all of the catastrophic consequences happening, and that’s just the start, means that England needs Scotland’s resources, water, land etc even more desperately than before.
With a far rightwing media, controlled by the Brexiteers in Westminster, Scotland is of course at a huge disadvantage. Not many countries have their media controlled by the country next door, and the BritNat propaganda assault on the people of Scotland to a certain extent has an effect, seeding doubt and fear.
The people of Scotland must be nudged every day to remember the days of British rule, the legacy of poverty, crime, drugs, unemployment, neglected infrastructure if any, and huge inequality, taking women workers to court who just wanted equal pay, and, simply taking Scotland’s massively lucrative resources (oil to the tune of £trillions), while calling Scotland poor in need of England’s hard earned cash.
We aren’t hearing so many English folk demanding English independence, true, because they know that would add to their own made Brexit woes.
Brexit is a disaster to say the very least, and the so called media are doing their best to hide that fact, just hope people of Scotland realise it’s just the start, and that things, will only get worse, much worse economically, leading to more inequality, removal of basic rights, human rights and workers rights etc.
Fingers crossed people are astute enough to see through Britnat Tory and BritNat Labour lies because if not, Scotland is finished.
So like this video shows shots from Glasgow, Scotland.
National story.
https://archive.is/wip/HkY1G
Sir Kier Partridge or Alan Starmer? another little jumped up English fake that Scotland should have no time for
Craig Murray better not buy any nice pens or cookware in the coming months. Could see the polis at the door again. If the missus gets a new fridge freezer fae Currys, it will be a big blue tent and 20 stern look officers standing guard ootside.
https://archive.is/wip/b8sPZ
Incidentally, I guess he won’t be arguing that it was the Scottish Government that ‘colluded with the Crown office and Polis Scotland’ to get him locked up. That sounded stupid enough at the time, never mind in light of recent events.
I feel you Emma. Hence I’m legally Irish and no longer Great Shitish when visiting the in-laws and other neighbours on hols, with work etc.
https://archive.is/NvN3E
I saw the UK through the eyes of my French in-laws – and it was deeply embarrassing
Our rivers run with poo, we have hundreds of food banks and it is virtually impossible to get a doctor’s appointment. Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to appreciate how bad things are.
France isnot doing too well.
Countdown to getting rid of the Tories.
Aye, but still a f**k lot better than Shitain, hence the protests against Macron trying to do Tory ultra-light stuff there.
Compared to brexshite UK, France is doing very well.
And compared to us their economy is booming.
At least they looked after the energy bills.
Incidentally, France began evacuating from Sudan 2+ days ago. Was taking Brits out with its own citizens.
https://archive.is/UZoyM
Published: 23 April ,2023: 09:49 AM GST
France has begun to evacuate its citizens and diplomatic staff from Sudan, where fighting between rival forces has entered its second week, the foreign ministry announced Sunday.
O/T Looks like the Westminster government is presiding over another cock-up that is now putting UK citizens in greater jeopardy than those of other nation-states. The UK cock-up is playing out in war torn Sudan.
Even without the necessary ‘airlift capability’ – the military ability to fly into a country to deploy or evacuate people, unlike the UK, Ireland is active in evacuating its diplomats AND its citizens from the dangers of this civil war.
The Irish Times today, 24 April reports: ‘The Government announced an emergency team of diplomats and up to 12 troops from the Irish Army Ranger Wing are to travel to Africa to assist the evacuation of Irish citizens in Sudan, following the outbreak of a major conflict in recent weeks.’
And: ‘Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, announced on Sunday an emergency consular assistance team would travel to the region to assist Irish citizens getting out of the country. The team will include up to 12 members of the Defence Forces’ specialist Army Ranger Wing and Department of Foreign Affairs officials.
‘A consular base has been set up on the ground in nearby Djibouti, a small country in the Horn of Africa. From there, the team will move onward into Sudan on military aircraft of another European country carrying out similar evacuation efforts.’
It adds: ‘So far, around 50 Irish citizens, including dependents, have been evacuated from Sudan in airlift operations run by France and Spain.
‘Emails from the department to Irish citizens in Sudan on Sunday had advised that airlifts organised by other European countries were taking place, if people could get to “muster points”, such as their embassies or ambassadors’ residences.’
And noted: ‘For example, two Spanish military planes evacuated around 30 of its citizens yesterday, as well as 70 people from other countries, including Ireland, Poland, Italy, Mexico and Portugal.’
Source: https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/04/24/how-will-the-irish-evacuation-effort-in-sudan-work/
Two hours ago, the BBC News website published an article with this headline: ‘Sudan crisis: UK citizens ‘abandoned’ as evacuations fail to materialise’.
It includes this: ‘Hundreds of foreign nationals have already been evacuated, but the UK has faced growing criticism from many of its citizens who say they have been essentially abandoned.’
The BBC reports the following: ‘One British citizen – William – told the BBC he had received virtually no assistance from government officials since the conflict began more than a week ago.’
“We’ve had absolutely nothing but nonsense from the government,” he told the Today programme on Monday. “Not even nonsense, we’ve had nothing. The last communication was that the government itself is going to do nothing, so we had to take this option.” His story mirrored that of other British citizens – who have watched on in dismay as their international counterparts have been evacuated by other governments.’
“We feel abandoned,” Edinburgh native Fatima Osman, who was visiting family when the violence began, told the BBC from Khartoum. “It’s very traumatising here and the situation is very bad, it’s getting worse. The clashes, the fighting, and there are dead bodies everywhere. And everyone is trying to escape and flee the country, and you can see the country is really getting into a civil war.”
Her husband, Amar Osman, said their experience of trying to get advice from the Foreign Office had left him infuriated. “I filled the location form on the [Foreign Office] website and I received an email saying they’ve received my form,” he told the Today programme as the sound of gunfire echoed nearby. “But nothing else. It’s auto reply after you submit your form and that’s it.”
The BBC article also reports that: ‘Some UK nationals have turned down alternative offers of evacuation from friends, family and other nations, as they believed they had assurances of evacuations from UK officials.’
Assurances? I heard a UK government minister on radio this morning state that the ‘official’ UK government advice to its citizens trapped in Sudan is to (in terms) ‘stay indoors’ but gave no indication of any prospect of rescue.
On Sunday night on Ch4 news this interview on the Sudan evacuation of British citizens particularly the first replies to Kathy Newman’s questions was chilling. Tonight Andrew Mitchel MP, a Foreig Office Mihister, echoed some of the comments from the previous evening’s broadcast.
Basically the safety of British Nationals in this situation is not a priority. Blue passports anyone?
https://www.channel4.com/news/sudan-evacuation-extremely-complex-says-ex-british-armed-forces-commander
A complete debacle. The Italians and French are evacuating British people stranded without any information or help. The Foreign Office seems completely paralysed. Suella Braverman as incompetent as Dominic Raab
Oops – James not-so-Cleverley. Suella is in fact the incompetent Home Secretary
I think you can be forgiven in this instance this given the rather high turnover when it comes British cabinet posts. It’s not unusual for e.g. a PM to last just 49 days. I think it’s still Sunak at the moment right?
Her flights to Rwanda were confusing me about what her job actually is. 🙄
French German Italian and other nations have rescued more British citizens than the British have so far
I’m sure the British will be working very hard on a great plan that includes detailed negotiation dialogue and into the night serious discussions about logistics and implementation just in time to be too late
Still, the important people are out eh
Naturally my EU passport means I can seek assistance in such instances from any EU embassy.
SS -that is a bit of a smug comment , think yourself lucky and don’t shove it in our face- eh?
Wasn’t intended to be smug. It’s what people voting for brexit wanted to give up for some unfathomable reason – that was the point I was trying to convey.
You wonder if any brexit voters asked to board EU emergency flights in Sudan…
Plenty of DUP etc voters in N. Ireland getting Irish passports for example…
Yes and I’m sure they would all come across as pretty smug too.
I’m not sure I quite follow, but what I can say is I really serious doubt DUPers etc in the north of Ireland are walking around smugly waving Irish passports. That would be like me proudly waving a Great Shitish one around. I suspect the former are probably hiding their Irish passport at the bottom of the sock drawer rather than showing off their newly adopted nationality at the local Orange Lodge.
My point was to you showing off your EU passport on here when probably most reading this don’t have one- including myself ( but voted to retain it).. You, on the other hand will be fine, thanks very much’ in such instances ‘.So ‘ In a war torn Scotland when yeez are all getting blown to bits dinnae worry- the Scottish skier will be gettin awa tae Ireland fur his holidays! ‘Naturally’ -Hah! You can deflect all you like, intended or not, it is a smug comment.
Och behave yourself – The central point SS was making is that EU citizens get priority with EU arrangements whichever part of the EU they belong to – UK citizens can and have done similar despite not being EU citizens, they are not turned away as it’s an emergency.
I’ve a UK passport but it is proof of residence in an EU country which gives me higher priority than without it, that’s all there is to it.
Rescue flights have taken out all sorts including UK and other citizens from outside the EU, it’s the UK’s response which has been pitiful – Telling UK citizens to sit tight in a warzone whilst they figure out a plan is beyond ludicrous given the activity of other countries’ military, but such is the myopic “sovereignty” politics of HMG.
It must have been profoundly frustrating for RAF crews who have rehearsed such operations and ready to go at a moment’s notice, that they could neither assist in the rescue nor get UK citizens out, having to wait days on Tory Ministers to give them the green light.
It has thus far been a shambles by the UK.
I’ve been following RTE news on what has been happening as it’s more trustworthy than the BBC etc., but military across the EU have been going full tilt at airlifting their citizens out with any vacant slot filled by any other nationality including British.
It appears that with such a fluid situation on the ground, they have had to change muster points and instructions on an ongoing basis.
From what I’ve been hearing it’s not the UK’s Military who are dragging their heels but Government Ministries and Ministers… Don’t be susprised if you hear an echo of Dominic Raab’s “the sea was closed” shortly…
Royal Canadian airforce landing at Prestwick just now with their nationals to refuel. Just an idea but maybe their could be a few Scot’s stowaways?
The mounties would be quicker than the Brits
With the issue of how many members in Scotland the unionists parties have -and they will keep secret I now will try my best never to refer to Scottish Labour, Scottish tories etcetera. It’s a bad habit.
SNP and others should point out this error each time stv/bbc and other refer to this.
So Brit Nat tories, Brit Nat labour how many members do you have ?
A typical line: “He said he understands the SNP will miss out on around £1.2 million in Short money if accounts are not submitted by the deadline”
This is an undemocratic nonsense. IF audited accounts are required, then in the event a submitter of accounts can not find an auditor, it should be up to whoever requires the audit to supply a default one, at some sort of sensible default fee level.
For the Westminster accounts therefore, the SNP Westminster group should make sure they submit the accounts by the deadline of 31st May – with or without them being audited. THEN they have at least filled the spirit of the law, if not the letter. In that case even if some penalty would be levied, the SNP group should still receive the £1.2 million short money – that is money they are fully entitled to, to enable them to function as a party within Westminster.
And whatever body it is responsible for receiving those accounts shouldn’t sit back and wait, it should proactively inform the Westminster SNP group of that option. Or of course ultimately, the SNP might have to sue for damages and costs.
I believe for the SNP party accounts the EC would appoint their own auditors though you won’t read this in most unionist media. It is, apparently, hard to get auditors these days, which means any legal requirement to have them should revert by default to government or whatever governing body requires them. THAT is only fair and equitable in any society that respects the Rule of Law.
As a micro-entity, by the way, I have twice successfully appealed late penalties at Companies House, and once HMRC, for emergency medical reasons – supplying a copy of hospital discharge letter where appropriate. It should surely be as equitable for any political party.
Perhaps the English government are *passively* discouraging auditors by their obvious proactive anti Scottish anti SNP stance
You can certainly bet your boots off that if it was the Tory party or even Labour or LibDems, there’d be emergency legislation passing through the Commons like greased lightning.
As Der Spiegel would say, the UK is a nation in crisis as its democracy ‘rots away’.
On top of the recognised general problem over available auditors, this would not surprise me in the least…
On the subject of accounting and figures by the way, I’ve been waiting for 4 weeks or more for some journalist with the slightest cop-on about accounting and figures to put 1 and 1 together and do the maths to make 2. Abject fail. Oh well. And all perfectly legal.
The buck stops with Sunak, just imagine what the media would be doing and who they would be blaming if Nicola was still in charge.
[…] Source […]
Independence averted; union saved by inclusive reference of fictional animal:
https://greatcampaign.com/unicorn-kingdom/
(yes, this is an actual official UK-gov link)
This link has a phishing tracker attached to it
I may be wrong but based on the company’s advertised you can remove Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales as examples of the great campaign!
How about the great English rip off.
And not a thing in any other language on the septic isle – except English.
England’s defense secretary says all the other countries in the world that sent flights to rescue thousands of stranded people in Sudan were wrong and we *Britain* are right to have taken the decision we did which was to advise people to *sit tight* because the media could have been reporting on attacks on civilians instead of rescues
Now there you have it in a nutshell, England right, the entire rest of the world wrong
Brings England’s approach on Covid to mind doesn’t it, Covid won’t affect us here in blighty by Jove, it wouldn’t bally dare
Now we have these bally johnny foreigner Sudan chappies carrying on, just ignore the lot of them and it’ll all blow over, harrumph harrumph snort, we’ll send a bally gunboat accross, that’ll sort the blighters out eh, what, by jove
What is the definition of the first sign of insanity? when you believe all are mad but you
England has been insane for a very long time
Winston Churchill in the war room during WW2 demanded more cavalry be sent in
I know what you’re thinking, but no, he meant actual horses
Aye, “The UK is beginning a large-scale, complex evacuation of British people from Sudan, PM Rishi Sunak has said” 1 minute ago..
48 hours after rescuing diplomatic staff…
🙄
What’s the bet Uber Nigeria got the winning tender…
Are they Heavy horse or Archers?
General Gordon to supervise?
Tom ?
So the campervan has nothing to do with the SNP then. Obviously the treasurer would know what vehicles were being included on the vehicle asset line totaling £80k (and the corresponding expenditure) especially as they were new assets that were not on the account pre 2021.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65385825
If you mean the BBC article on Colin Beattie, he says that he was not the Treasurer when the campervan was bought.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65385825
He signed off the accounts in which the ‘motorhome’ was first listed, therefore he would of had to reviewed the accounts and known what vehicles has been purchased, especially as the party has not had vehicles on its book previously.
OK. I think we are wading too far into discussing a live case so will stop here.
How could the campervan both have ‘nothing to do with the SNP’ while simultaneously the SNP treasurer ‘signed off the accounts in which the ‘motorhome’ was first listed’. This sounds like Schrodinger’s campervan.
And have you found out about the pots & pans yet? what about the ‘high value’ pens? Any update there? I suggest you delve deep on the fridge freezer – that could change the course of history. Many hours research needed here to establish the true facts!
Anyhoo, my MSPs wasn’t involved, so I’m good to vote SNP again. Off to make another donation the now. Seems I’m not the only one based on the news!
Dear God that’s pretty damned desperate citing a HMS James Cook article as proof of anything, sailors even ignore their weather forecasts.
Yet why are you inviting comment on this forum on a matter which can stray into areas of contempt of court during a live police investigation ?
Do you work for Glenn Campbell or Craig Hoy ?
Tory Labour Alba Lib Dems now in tandem jumping in gleeful celebration at SNP misfortunes, but I predict with premature exuberance
The day ain’t over yet
Here is it is in the national if you prefer reading it on that.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/23479289.colin-beattie-says-snp-finances-in-black-holyrood-return/
Your answer to the second ?
I’m posting links to publically reported news stories, how people decide to comment is down to them or the mods to remove if they feel cross the line
It’s good that the type of reporting you are doing is resulting in people flocking to join up and donate!
It’s vital that people are reminded of the importance of donating. They can just tend to forget outside of campaign periods.
So what?
While you look for the tiddlers the whales swim on by, followed by dame Mone in her luxury yacht and the ex pats who supported Brexit.
Billions on covid masks that can’t be used with over 250000 dead, Tory politicians up to their neck in Russian and now Chinese donations……./energy companies lapping up the profits, oil companies lapping up the price of oil when in 2014 the said prompted by Cameron and co there was none left.
Proportionality has gone out the window.
As I snp member I donate and I pay my dues. Maybe we should have bought the Brexit bus and did a respray?
Maybe we should have bought the Brexit bus and did a respray?
__________
Which reminds me of another earlier story involving R2D2.
Deluded or … erm … deluded?
https://nation.cymru/news/andrew-rt-davies-brexit-350m-per-week-does-go-to-the-nhs/
The leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies has once more come under fire on social media for making claims that have shown to be factually incorrect.
In a series of Tweets which began with him hitting out at Welsh Labour’s record with the NHS, he claimed that the NHS is in receipt of the £350m per week that former PM Boris Johnson promised Brexit would make available.
[…]
From today’s english media.
Dross will be staying clear of the ‘Ferries’ this week.
Seems Rosyth is witnessing the cannibalisation of the carrier named ‘prince of wales’ to provide spares for the carrier named QE.
The cost of scrapping the extra carrier might just drown out other costs for military equipment.
Maybe the QE will be getting ready to go to the Red Sea to help out.
From the National:
“NICOLA Sturgeon has said she is frustrated she is “not able to get her version” of events on what is happening while the police investigation continues into the SNP’s finances.”
She’s not the only one; it’s frustrating for anyone with a deductive frame of mind who’d like to speculate. The necessary silence seems at the moment to favour the critics who know no bounds. Ah well, ’twas ever so.
Seems that if you counsel you need a Counsel.
I cannot help but feel this is all going to turn into the unionist’s worst nightmare. So far it is not going well for them at all. People joining and donating to the SNP in their thousands with SNP and Yes VI totally unaffected (so far) is probably not what they were hoping for…
Both Nicola Sturgeon and Colin Beattie have been interviewed arriving at Holyrood today. Both are frustrated because, like us, they can’t go into detail. Those of you who watch TV will have seen them but for the licence fee deniers like me, here’s a clip of Colin:
🤣
I have been critical of SNP governance, deferential culture and lack of transparency but always remember that this is essentially approx £600K raised for promoting independence that may have been transferred to coffers of major political party of independence movement – this is not a government pissing tax payers money to them and their pals financial benefit or accepting money from donors then promoting them to House of Lords. In other words it is small beer compared to what goes on elsewhere and the continual hyping up of this reallocation of funds and not to forget ‘a camper van’ by MSM will begin to grate with people.
When it comes to voting for Westminster my concerns are:
1.who will best represent my constituency?
2.who will best represent Scotland’s interests at Westminster?
3.who will oppose Brexit ?
4.who will promote independence cause?
5.who will take action on climate change to help my children and grandchildren?
Question 1 is a personal issue depending on MP.
Tory,Labour or Lib Dem are UK parties and constrained for question 2, have given up on 3 are opposed to 4 and as for 5 Tories oppose onshore windfarms and Labour see Scottish renewable resources as belonging to them.
Regardless of current SNP difficulties if like me you find Alba a disparate band of individuals I only have option to vote SNP or Green and in my constituency Greens have no chance of winning so no choice really.
Curious link tweeted by Calum Steele who was General Secretary of the Scottish Police authority. It’s about the Investigative Powers Act 2016 and the powers of Scottish ministers to issue warrants.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/25/section/21/enacted
This other page is interesting too:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/25/part/2/chapter/1/crossheading/power-to-issue-warrants/enacted
Indeed. The learning curve is perpendicular these days. There will be a short exam on WGD at the end of the month.
And the press scrum as Nicola Sturgeon arrived at Holyrood.
Nicola Sturgeon as always shows her class under tremendous pressure, those reporters are the opposite of what she stands for. Slimeballs is all I can think of right now but I’m sure there is a much better description I could have used for toerags like them.
Toerags for Tory rags might be a start.
It appears the happier Alba is with this, the more disgusted Scotland is with Alba
More folk are joining and rejoining the SNP and donating like crazy such is the affection for Nicola Sturgeon
Don’t you understand? Wings says we need to destroy the Yes movement to win independence!
🙂
And here was me thinking it was people like Wings and the English government that were obstacles, I really need to listen more to Alex Salmond to get more of his pal Tory MP David Davis’s advice on this complicated issue of how to get Scottish independence by avoiding getting it
A new poll carried out suggests the majority of Scots seem to understand perfectly well that SNHS is far superior to England’s version no matter what the English political parties try to infer
That result also means Scots are not daft enough to swallow the English media Sunak Starmer Dross and Sarwar’s lies
Another wee FM Nicky bonus
These people are not the brightest are they?
https://archive.is/iDSGI
He [Beattie] later said although he did not know about the [campervan] transaction at the time of purchase, he found out about it in the 2021 annual accounts.
I understand he erm, wasn’t treasurer at the time of the campervan purchase (nor the pens, pots & pans and fridge maybe?), but took up the role ahead of the 2021 accounts prep. (?). Might that erm, explain things for those a bit slow on the uptake?
Interesting to know that Beattie wasn’t in charge of the books when the campervan was bought. That’s kindae awkward isn’t it, without needing to expand…
Funny it is not interesting it is diverting attention away from the tories, Brexit, Ireland, austerity and inflation…../
‘Someone didn’t know about all an organisation’s purchases as they were not treasurer until they became treasurer and did the party end of year accounts so learning about these shocker!’.
Truly scandalous!
So who’s next for the blue tent and chap on the door at dawn treatment? Douglas Chapman and NEC colleagues at the time of #campervanpurchasegate?
Just a selection from this morning.
‘Laissez-faire’ approach to Covid loan schemes may lose taxpayers billions, say MPs
Royal Navy warship costing £3 billion stripped for parts after mechanical error
‘Tory rule’ sees record number of emergency food parcels delivered across UK
This cruel Illegal Migration Bill reveals a loss of common humanity
Extremism experts say far right groups ‘find a friend in GB News’
Which is why over half of Scots are paying the campervan story little to no attention, just waiting to see whether there is any truth to it, with only Tory voters saying they are watching closely.
There are some attempting to promote conspiracy theories, but I suspect most are looking forward to the Police concluding their investigations, since that is after all the central point.
What I suspect most are appalled by is yet again the media manipulation in reporting, eg “Ex-SNP treasurer says he was aware of motorhome” in prime spot on BBC/Scotland for the last 13 hours – Really ?
This is the matter which is of greatest concern to the Scottish public ?
Ehm, naw…
I’m sure most people here know this but as I keep on seeing the claim ‘we fund the BBC so they should be answerable to us’. We have never funded the BBC directly, we have paid a Westminster government tax to receive broadcast television, the government then funds the BBC and in effect controls its output by this funding control.
The old ‘It’s your BBC’ claim they made in the past was a lie then as much it is now. It is a state owned broadcaster given the cloak of being independent from government. But anyone in Scotland can see the cold hand of the UK government in its output in Scotland.
You will never find anything in writing because that is not how the UK state works, it’s all done by appointment plus a nod and a wink. Suggestions are made at meetings but they are never orders than can be traced back to the top. The underling will be the scapegoat if details emerge.
I have just found out the membership figures of the following parties:
Scottish Labour – 0
Scottish Conservatives – 0
Sottish LibDem’s – 0
It appears they have no members because they do not actually exist as parties. If you want to know how many in Scotland think they are members of these virtual Scottish parties I think you need to contact the London HQ.
Absolutely.
The London based political parties operating in Scotland do not want their funding investigated because it would expose the fact that they have little support from members and receive most of their income from HQ and vested interests.
That in turn amplifies the claim that Scotland is being operated as a colony by England’s government.
The SNP should change it’s name to include the word Democratic because what we are seeing from the London based parties is the complete opposite.
They only gain political purchase in Scotland by having a complient media prepared to do London’s bidding.
The present media “investigation” into the SNP finances demonstrates that assertion.
Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Independence, will be meeting Believe in Scotland on Wednesday for a Q & A. Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp produces a lot of excellent campaign material.
Jamie Hepburn to attend Believe in Scotland national meeting
https://archive.fo/1sArg
O/T. Left Foot Forward (LFF) is a ‘news and comment’ website with left leaning journalistic sympathies. Yesterday (25 April) it published an article entitled: ‘Why Labour are on track for massive gains in the local elections’. The article was written by Eli Folan who also runs a blog called Stats for Lefties, ‘a polling and elections blog that takes a leftwing perspective on British politics’.
The article included these statistics on the UK Labour Party membership and finance (with my emphasis):
‘.. Labour may be popular in polls but it is IN POOR SHAPE ORGANISATIONALLY – and you need to be organised to compete and win in the literally thousands of wards that are contested in local elections (compared to 632 British seats in general elections).
‘Labour’s most recent accounts show that IT HAS A FINANCIAL DEFICIT OF £4.8M, COMPARED TO A SURPLUS AT THE END OF 2019; meanwhile, its PAID-UP MEMBERSHIP HAS DROPPED FROM 480,000 IN 2019 TO 380,000 IN 2023. In local elections volunteers are an essential resource, and Labour is in desperate need of them.’
Source: https://leftfootforward.org/2023/04/why-labour-are-on-track-for-massive-gains-in-the-local-elections/
So , given the admitted state of the Labour Party ,one would expect Starmer to be doorstepped at any moment by a pack of media hyenas, questioning the mismanagement of the party ,demanding resignations and throwing doubt on the financial viability of the organisation .
Waiting….still waiting …
So Labour is haemorrhaging members and is in the red financially then? This will be on BBC Scotland tonight I guess?
Well spotted. Pity some Scottish membership numbers weren’t revealed. There was an estimate some years ago from an internal election. However, the numbers were inflated by people having two votes if they were also members of trades social clubs. Even so I recall it was in the region of 7,000 when the SNP at the time had 12,000.
Beyond the obvious hypocrisy on display to Scots of an Indy persuasion over the much vaunted imminent demise of Indy and the SNP over membership numbers, consider that most if not ALL of that fall of 21% in membership over 4 years will have been in England.
This is a huge problem for the Tories – With little more than a fag-paper difference in their core policies, and not having time to create another pseudo “Opposition” a la Farage, they somehow have to prop up Labour in the short term for the hegemonic scam of ‘democracy’ to continue.
Labour lost it’s principles under Blair, England is slowly waking up to that fact….
“We’ve never had it so good” now British people just have to accept they’re poorer
I heard that in the last hour, I remember hearing the same thing over 60 years ago and my fathers words at that time when he said “The Bastirts”
A very good article on that very subject and the man currently promoting it, Huw Pill https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2023/04/26/the-bank-of-england-is-in-for-a-ride-awakening-because-people-have-had-enough-of-being-told-they-must-accept-being-worse-off/ with this superb BTL observation –
”
…. just saw this “below the line” in the FT
From an article published on Huw Pill’s appointmet…..
“Pill, an Oxbridge graduate who worked for Goldman Sachs, will report to the deputy governor for monetary policy, Ben Broadbent, an Oxbridge graduate who worked for Goldman Sachs. Broadbent also sits on the Financial Policy Committee with Jonathan Hall, an Oxbridge graduate who worked for Goldman Sachs. And while the Bank is technically independent of the government, Pill and Broadbent will work closely with the Treasury and its Chancellor, Rishi Sunak (an Oxbridge graduate who worked for Goldman Sachs).”
Need I say more?
“
What an astonishing coincidence. Weren’t they bailed out in 2008 when their worthless CDO bonds crashed the mortgage market – the bank Matt Taibbi (who is threatened now with prison for releasing the Twitter files) called the “great vampire squid”?
If you need any reminder at all about just how bad the UK Labour party is, look no further than their suspending the whip from Diane Abbott who doesn’t have a single racist or anti-semitic bone in her body.
And it shows just how weak and watery “Sir” Starmer is.
She is friends with Jeremy though, so fair game for the Starmerites.
He’ll have to purge some more of them before he completes full Toryism though
Labour do seem intent on expelling anyone showing any left wing leanings.
I wonder if Ricardo Leopold (and others) will be purged for backing the GRR court case…
Sarwar would love to get rid of Ricardo and Monica Lennon specifically, and a couple of other Labour party people
Anybody that agrees with anything the SNP say must be purged and replaced with real Tories like Jackie Baillie
After the disgraceful shouting from the tv and radio journalists with the ex FM and the earlier wolf pack surrounding Beattie MSP can I ask why the snp PR gurus allow this?
You know at the moment any questions being asked will have the response back “I can’t discuss the ongoing…..” yet we know the hacks have no such restrictions in asking trap questions.
Standing at Holyrood with the pack around trapping you in is just bad management.
Sunak, Starmer even Ross will give 1 to 1’s in the calm of standing in the back garden or as Sunak tends to do is just don’t be interviewed.
So SNP stop giving fuel to our enemies.
When something has to be said say it, print it and move on.
“ can I ask why the snp PR gurus allow this?”
======
Perhaps the term “gurus” flatters a bunch of tumshies?
Robin McAlpine might not be your cup of tea, but he DOES know the PR world. You really ought to check out this thread.
http://robinmcalpine.org/the-desperate-need-to-get-a-grip-and-how-to-do-it/
Particularly paragraph #4.
“Keep your leader away from cameras until he knows what he’s going to say”
It’s actually quite clever if you think about it – Whatever the discomfort of the individual and however the media portray it, it came across in both cases as honest individuals cornered by jackals – The media would run with their story irrespective of what was said, it would only gild the cow-pat to have an “exclusive”.
It is pretty obvious the “Perhaps the term “gurus” flatters a bunch of tumshies?” brigade don’t get it either – Treating the public as complete idiots who can’t see ‘honesty’ when they see it it is what caused Labour’s demise in Scotland, and they recommend the same tactic for the SNP ?
Scots will always empathise with the victim because they’ve been there time and again. There is a place for honesty in politics, there always was.
“ There is a place for honesty in politics, there always was.”
========•=
Agreed -vide Kate Forbes, even though I disagree with many of her views.
Unlike HY, she did not pretend otherwise. Unlike CB, she is not (at best) clueless or (at worst) commenting foolishly on a live police investigation.
Sorry to be so late back.
And that’s the problem right there, your perceptions are not necessarily those of the Scottish public, who tend to side with the perceived victim as being honest until something convinces them otherwise.
It wasn’t always that way, but the days when the media could cry “Wolf” and be believed are long gone, Aesop’s fable in real life, too many wolves.
Labour under “Sir Keir” are tories hiding under the Labour banner.
Scots finally need to wake up Labour the Tories and the other English controlled parties care nothing for Scotland, never have and never will.
Jackie Baillie could’ve been leader many times over, but chose to reject the poison chalice preferring the second place that you never get sacked from
A good career politician who rejects the top job has a lifetime of wages to look forward to, and you never have to be accountable or do any actual work
Hmm, I thought the recent Yougov was a no change.
Seems it’s actually a slight rise.
https://www.whatscotlandthinks.org/questions/how-would-you-vote-in-the-in-a-scottish-independence-referendum-if-held-now-ask/?removed
20-04 Yougov – 46(+1)% Yes
03-04 Survation – 47(+2)% Yes
01-04 R&W – 47(+2)% Yes
31-03 Savanta – 49(-)% Yes
30-03 Panelbase – 48(-)% Yes
Which suggests Yes has remained steady or even risen of late.
Did anyone else pick up on Sunak’s motorcade passing through Whitehall the other day.
I think we call it up here as “Wee man syndrome”.
Yes I saw that on Twitter but assumed Rishi Sunak was cycling to work and that was why all the police were on their bikes. How bizarre.
Hadn’t seen it so ta… Even more bizarre than I gathered…
Had heard about it at the end of a video showcasing 30p Lee’s obnoxious self in Committee questioning the Met chief, which you can spin back to if you want to hear arrogance and ignorance in stereo….
At this point in the video the chairman is querying this spectacle with the Met Chief, which answer was even more strange…
We got this …
https://nation.cymru/news/watch-met-officers-dash-to-keep-up-with-pms-car-as-part-of-bizarre-police-escort/
Over 50 Met police officers have been seen running and peddling beside Rishi Sunak’s car as part of the prime minister’s police escort.
In the video posted by Politics UK, one officer can be seen riding ahead of the escort on a peddle bike shouting “out of the way! Out of the way please”.
Behind the officer on the bike, more officers in high-vis can be seen running down the road and a member of the public can be heard asking “You usually have motorbikes, what’s going on with the motorbikes? Who’s there?”
[…]
“peddle” ? 😂
Seen my response about being ‘a crack force’, Capella? 😉
🤣
Ha ha , maybe they were peddling bikes!
In Scotland, oor FM just travels in a wee campervan.
I doubt it had many miles on it before being so theatrically seized as potential evidence of ‘proceeds of crime’, shortly to be extended by HMG to include ‘proceeds of grime’…
That’s the sort of escort Putin or Alexander Lukashenko favour.
Here’s one of Putin in Moscow:
Russia is richer, so can afford cars rather than bikes.
I assumed it was some sort punishment for all the scandals the Met was mired in. “Motorbikes? Certainly not, you will run alongside my car. ”
The UK is a strange place getting ever more strange.
Is it just me who had flashbacks of “Make way for the King..” from the deluge of ‘Made in England’ films from years gone by ?
There’s never a Black Knight when you really need one eh…
More like the March of the Orcas in Lord of the Rings films
I believe “Make way for the Ring” causes too much confusion among Tories…
Grim
Good cover pic.
Sadly the news media will continue their fawning and cap doffing to their betters!
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/scotland-s-gdp-remains-below-pre-pandemic-levels-figures-show/ar-AA1an0Du?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=eadb0aa1e9b343b3a0e79ce4950aca62&ei=37
Plus this Capella. £210.7 Billion GDP from Scotland.
How much is it they graciously ‘Give us’ to run our country?
£60 Billion?
I know you know Capella, but to anyone else looking in, that’s £150 Billion of our money that Westminster is keeping to itself for projects like Crossrail,HS2,Heathrow expansion and many more projects that benefit London only.
So for anyone looking in, that’s £150 Billion annually that could be spent on Scotland.
Well exactly. If we’re so rich how come we’re so poor?
But, but, but a campervan…a John Lewis cookware set!…nice pens!
A wonderful exhibition, of co-ordinated group cycling, running and being chased by motorcycles and cars with flashing blue lights, then its seems, more group running.
London certainly needs more of this. Can we maybe get the the real “Lords a Leaping” in their outfits next time? Michelle probably wont be able to make it though.
Ooops.. This should have been under the Sunak Police Escort
Ah, I see – it was synchronised cycling. Mystery solved.
I can categorically state that exhibition has nothing to do with security
Every security expert on the planet will tell you if somebody wants to kill anybody then they can, that was a show of self importance and authority
This tiny wee mind man Sunak is extremely dangerous
Please explain your headline with examples of how we have been, and will be, protected. Asking for a friend.
By independence.
Certainly won’t be protected by voting for the union / unionist parties, that’s for sure! Must be pro-indy, whatever option people personally prefer.
By the way, ‘Tories’ include Labour as it’s a general term for right-wingers rather than the party itself.
Fuss about nothing. The camper van could just be sold.
Only Independence will save Scotland from the Tories, GE coming. Council elections in the South. Last of the Tories.
Rich!’s mounted and footloose escort reminded me of Monty Python’s horse-less knights in The Holy Grail – but funnier !
Perhaps we should not be so critical of the wee billionaire tailor’s dummy-look-a-like as it may have been a genuine attempt by this socially responsible Government to save Public Money .
They have squandered so much on useless V I P Covid Get-Rich-Quick contracts , pointless Test and Trace which couldn’t find its a*se with two hands , an HS2 which will be as useful as Boris Johnson’s imaginary bridges and Truss-o-nomics which brought the UK financial sector to its knees .
Like St Paul on the road to Damascus they have at last seen the light !
Expect to hear soon socially responsible policies being dispensed like Public money to Michelle Mone as the Tories U-turn on their evil past .
Suella Braverman’s Rwanda policy will be reinvented as a scheme to send the poor and disadvantaged for a short break in the sun with an all expenses trip Africa .
Sunak’s ”Small Boats ” mantra will now be their solution to the delayed ferries in Scotland with thousands of small craft being sent to service the Scottish islands .
Brexit will be followed by Scexit as Alister Jack holds his nose and , through gritted teeth , recognises the democratic right of serfs in Scotland to vote on their constitutional future.
DRoss solves the unemployment crisis in his constituency by resigning from all his extra jobs – but retains his SFA appointment as linesman as it is his only contact with real people .
And closet Tories Starmer and Sarwar immediately react to this change of Tory direction .
Starmer halts his campaign to seek and destroy any Socialist in the Labour Party and announces that his Party will in future be renamed The Real Tory Labour Party .
Sarwar halts his Ambulance Chasing and Pigeon obsession and does exactly as he is told by his HQ manager and paymaster .
Isn’t it telling that the least popular people insist on exaggerating their own popularity in massive terms when in positions of security, yet they themselves must be unconvinced by that propaganda or they’d be driving around the big London in open topped cars waving at the adoring public they insist like them so much
Our love must confuse them
FMQs today demonstrated once again why Alison Johnstone is yet again the most impotent useless presiding officer, strict guidelines are already in the rules about the use of props in the parliament, yet both DRoss and Sarwar regularly make use of them only to be told they’re against the rules and to cease doing it, to which their reply is to smilingly not stop doing it and carry right on disrespecting our parliament and the rules and the presiding officer
Week after week in particular the Tories are told to shut up during questions and answers, they completely ignore the presiding officer when she instructs them time and time again to obey the rules
Why in the name of anybody’s deity is this woman unable to enforce the rules when it comes to the Tories?
Is it not obvious she is a closet Tory and Royalist and English admirer. I complained umpteen times to the parliament about her obvious bias and lack of control last year with zero results. With what is happening right now she should be removed from her position and forced to resign. A new vote with the two deputies standing and competing with a third selected MSP. Our future depends on this being done now not tomorrow!