Michael Gove insists 'nationalism in retreat in Scotland' 3 Oct 2023 at 12:21pm
Michael Gove has insisted that ?nationalism is in retreat in Scotland? as he pledged his party will take the fight to Labour at the next general election.
Row as new Scottish Labour HQ linked to tax haven 3 Oct 2023 at 6:00am
Scottish Labour is under fire for accepting the lease of a new headquarters building linked to a tax haven from the family of a millionaire donor.
Douglas Ross has had secret talks with SNP rebels to end Greens deal 3 Oct 2023 at 12:01am
Douglas Ross has held secret talks with frustrated SNP rebels about the ?direction of their government? ? hoping it could lead to the downfall of Humza Yousaf?s coalition with the Scottish Greens.
What a trick the SNP missed in backing Yousaf over Forbes 3 Oct 2023 at 6:15am
I was so impressed by the sound common sense and economic awareness and maturity of the statements of Kate Forbes, particularly those concerning the education attainment gap and the continuing extraction of fossil fuels, that my immediate thought was that, if I were one of her constituents I might be persuaded to cast my vote in her direction.
Not all Police Scotland officers have vetting records 3 Oct 2023 at 5:28pm
Not all Police Scotland officers have a vetting record, according to a review by His Majesty?s Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland.
'No criminality' in Sikh protest of Indian commissioner at gurdwara 3 Oct 2023 at 4:01pm
Police Scotland has ended a probe prompted by a complaint from the Indian government after their High Commissioner was met by protesters outside the Gurdwara in Glasgow?s Southside.
FM defends £6.6m cut to Creative Scotland's budget 3 Oct 2023 at 3:14pm
Humza Yousaf has said he understands the frustration of the arts sector after the decision to re-impose a £6.6 million cut to Creative Scotland?s budget.
Scottish Police Federation in warning over officer number cuts 3 Oct 2023 at 6:30am
The head of the Scottish Police Federation has warned that cuts to officer number could lead to a repeat of the tragedy on the M9 that saw Lamara Bell left in a crashed car for three days.
The Winter Of Independence 3 Oct 2023 at 6:38pm
Following on from that unforgettable summer: We’re sure that, like us, you can hardly wait. ?
From the archives #16 2 Oct 2023 at 11:29am
Someone tweeted this today: We were curious to find out what we’d said, but it seems to have been expunged from The National’s website. We eventually managed to track the email down in our vaults, though, so just as a bit of a change, here it is, as a reminder of a different time. Tell …
Not long now! 1 Oct 2023 at 11:36am
Get your coat, it’s nearly time.
The Widowmaker 30 Sep 2023 at 11:45am
The greatest intellectual weakness of the independence movement is its attitude towards Trident, and trying to reason with people about it (whether readers or other independence activists) is consistently one of the most frustrating aspects of writing Wings, because nuclear disarmers and Unionists are equally impervious to logic on the subject. The UK’s nuclear ?deterrent? …
Birth Of A Politician 26 Sep 2023 at 2:16am
You can’t do this, you know. You just can’t. These things cannot both be true. Math Campbell-Sturgess is seeking to be the SNP’s candidate for Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber at the next election. And he’s trying to do it by wearing two faces at the same time. You cannot change sex “at a physical …
Taking Stock 23 Sep 2023 at 7:23pm
Holiday Boy is sadly incapacitated today – ironically, having injured himself on his last holiday – but fortunately we do have some graphical content for you, having just been leaked this copy of the SNP’s campaign poster for the next general election. You can almost smell the mince and carrots, can’t you?
The Control Panel 22 Sep 2023 at 12:34pm
Last night a by-election hustings was held in Rutherglen to which all 14 candidates were invited to hear and answer questions from the electorate on women’s issues. The SNP, Labour, Green and Lib Dem candidates all declined to attend. But the SNP, at least, was represented at the event. Or at any rate, just outside …
The washing of the hands 20 Sep 2023 at 11:12am
The Scottish National Party, in legal character, is what’s known as an unincorporated association. (The same form of entity as Wings, local colour fans.) This has a number of interesting ramifications. The one that’s relevant to us today is this one: Because it may go a considerable distance to explaining this: The above are this …
Approaching Election Alert 19 Sep 2023 at 8:15pm
Tonight an SNP MP tweeted this: “Desperately”, eh? We wonder why it hasn’t been achieved in those nine years. Oh yeah. Now we remember.
Nine More Years A Slave 18 Sep 2023 at 2:47pm
To be honest it barely seems worth marking the ninth anniversary of the indyref. The day our nation – albeit narrowly – bottled out of becoming a real one again is nothing to be celebrated. The supposed party of independence has run away from the fight, concerned only with feathering its own nest, and its …
I flew back from Amsterdam yesterday after a month spent campaigning for Julian Assange, much of it organisational rather than public. Seeing Scotland with perspective after a month away really brings home the astonishing state of Scottish politics, particularly around the Independence movement. Support for Independence is as consistently high as it has ever been. …
This covers a lot of ground – Assange, Ellsberg, Skripal, Salmond, Taiwan and more. My highlight was getting to point out that China cannot “invade” Taiwan. Taiwan is Chinese and you cannot invade your own territory. Even Taiwan accepts it is part of China, it merely thinks its side of the Chinese Civil War should …
Thanks entirely to the brilliance of Chris Hedges in leading me through the material, I think this is the most clear outline of the Assange case which I have ever given. I wish to address some social media attacks: Nobody is paying me to be here to campaign for Julian, other than the subscribers to …
I am currently in Minnesota where I am speaking tonight and doing several media interviews. The primary purpose of the whole US visit is not the public appearances, but preparation for the campaign and defence in the USA should extradition go ahead. That does not mean at all that the focus has in any way …
The complaint to the United Nations against my imprisonment for contempt of court has now been submitted. This is the first time I have been able to state the case without the compulsory use of Scottish counsel, who were astonishingly timid of criticising Lady Dorrian or detailing Sturgeon’s conspiracy, its personnel, and how it worked. …
On 28 July a gender critical woman demonstrator, Julie Marshall, was “punched in the face” by a political opponent in Aberdeen. The man who struck her was questioned and issued with a police caution not to punch people. He was neither arrested nor charged. A month later, Scottish Government minister Patrick Harvie was giving a …
Could a Scottish council run out of money? 30 Sep 2023 at 8:40am
As councils weigh up cuts to services like libraries and swimming pools, are any at risk of going bust?
Uniquely in world history, the SNP have a majority fringe 29 Sep 2023 at 10:30am
Three names mentioned by Good Morning Scotland this morning who support of Fergus Ewing.1. Joanna Cherry2. Alex Neil3. Kate ForbesAll three are members of the fringe 'malcontents' group we identifi...
An appeal for nominations for Alba's forthcoming internal elections 18 Sep 2023 at 9:53pm
This is a message for readers who are members of the Alba Party. As you may know, nominations have opened for various internal elections within the party, and I'd like to put myself forward and se...
Rishi Sunak challenged over public?s view of him as ?rich? 1 Oct 2023 at 9:18pm
The Prime Minister ? who with his wife has an estimated net worth of £529m ? was shown a word cloud showing the main word associated with him is 'rich'.
Politicians calling for tax cuts are not honest about the consequences 3 Oct 2023 at 6:45pm
OF course nobody likes paying taxes, but calls for cuts, in particular to corporation tax, are misguided. When politicians embark on their cutting crusades, what they are not doing is acknowledging what taxes exist for. They forget or ignore that taxes are to pay for public services. More likely they don?t forget but are embarking on a deliberate misdirection with the intent of fooling the public.
SNP say they won't deprive branches of funding with planned changes 3 Oct 2023 at 5:33pm
THE SNP have insisted the will not change how branches are funded ?without consultation? amid fears some patches could be left without an election ?fighting fund? under changes to their funding mechanism.
Facebook blocks Alba ad mocking Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar 3 Oct 2023 at 4:45pm
ALBA have had a political advertisement banned from social media ? just months after it was banned from running an attack on the Tories by one of the UK?s biggest billboard firms.
North Lanarkshire Council won't be the last to make unpopular choices 3 Oct 2023 at 4:30pm
I HESITATE to intervene on the universally unpopular decision by Labour-controlled North Lanarkshire Council to close 39 facilities across the authority, but perhaps the injection of a small dose of financial reality is required.
Police cuts: ?People may die?, warns federation 3 Oct 2023 at 1:25am
The SPF general secretary said that reducing the number of officers able to respond to emergency calls could result in another incident like the M9 tragedy involving Lamara Bell and John Yuill in 2015
Humza Yousaf plays down SNP prospects in key byelection 3 Oct 2023 at 3:40pm
Party leader says it will be difficult to win Rutherglen and Hamilton West as Labour attacks ?incompetent SNP government?UK politics live ? latest updatesHumza Yousaf has downplayed the Scottish National party?s prospects of winning a key byelection on Thursday as he and his Labour rival traded i...
Rishi Sunak claims putting reducing inflation ahead of tax cuts Thatcherite a... 1 Oct 2023 at 6:38pm
Prime minister says ?the best tax cut we can give is to cut inflation? after Michael Gove says taxes should be cut before general electionThe BBC?s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg is starting. As well as Rishi Sunak, Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, is also being interviewed.Q: Do you sti...
Labour optimistic in ?huge? byelection in Rutherglen and Hamilton West 1 Oct 2023 at 8:00am
Activists say feedback from the doorsteps bodes well for a result that they hope will herald a revival for the party in ScotlandLabour insiders have described the Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection this week as the biggest vote since the last election, amid notable confidence they will win t...
Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection could be ?make or break? for Labour 30 Sep 2023 at 12:00pm
Seat will be critical test of Keir Starmer?s prospects in Scotland and mark his party?s chances to gain back power in WestminsterKeir Starmer has made no secret of the fact that winning the byelection in Rutherglen and Hamilton West on the outskirts of Glasgow next Thursday is crucial to Labour?s...
Axing most winter fuel payments would break Tory manifesto promise, says Labo... 29 Sep 2023 at 5:30pm
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our UK political coverage hereUK sanctions have been imposed on Russian officials involved in ?sham? elections in annexed Ukrainian territory, the Foreign Office has announced.Labour is currently on course to win a majority of 90 in a general ele...
Labour aims to win back voters across Scotland with byelection success 29 Sep 2023 at 3:22pm
Rutherglen and Hamilton West is a must-win seat for Keir Starmer ? as it is for an SNP fighting to stay in powerAs scores of Labour activists queued up for Keir Starmer?s final rallying speech before next week?s Rutherglen and Hamilton West byelection, another queue was forming at the church next...
Rishi Sunak refuses to endorse Suella Braverman?s claim multiculturalism has ... 28 Sep 2023 at 6:20pm
This blog is now closed, you can read more of our UK political coverage hereThe former SNP minister Fergus Ewing has claimed his party no longer stands up for Scotland as he was suspended for a week after a disciplinary vote by fellow MSPs.The sanction, which was backed by 48 votes to nine with f...
Veteran MSP Fergus Ewing suspended from SNP over rebellions 27 Sep 2023 at 9:11pm
Former minister had voted with the opposition in a motion of no-confidence against Green co-leader Lorna SlaterThe veteran MSP Fergus Ewing has been suspended from the Scottish National party for a week.The Inverness and Nairn MSP ? the son of the late SNP trailblazer Winnie Ewing ? has been an o...
?Insulting?: Beano fans pour scorn on UK government advert 26 Sep 2023 at 1:59pm
Anger at ?created in London? tagline on poster of Dennis the Menace, who was made by a cartoonist in DundeeIt was, according to Scotland?s foremost comic book creator, ?madness?.Mark Millar, the writer of Kick-Ass, Jupiter?s Legacy and Ultimate X-Men, was reacting to a new billboard advertisement...
Battles, old flames and key narratives: a look ahead to conference season 23 Sep 2023 at 8:00am
From Liz Truss to Jeremy Corbyn, Brexit to net zero, who are the key figures and crucial issues to look out for at the main party conferences?Although the next general election may be more than a year away, the main parties are already beginning to outline positions on key issues ? a process like...
Optional identity mark sock puppets 3 Oct 2023 at 10:54am
I’m a bit late with this blog piece because I had a physiotherapy appointment on Friday and then we had friends from London staying over for the weekend. But things are back on track now. Last week Keir Starmer was in Scotland to insist that Labour is “the change that Scotland needs,” that change apparently …
The Lib Dem conference: the ego has landed 26 Sep 2023 at 11:13am
Party conference season is upon us, the time of year when politicians make speeches aimed at pleasing their party’s base and the rest of us switch off. These are likely to be the last party conferences before the Westminster general election which is due next year, and the parties will be using their conferences as …
British nationalism means heads, Scotland loses, tails, Scotland still loses 20 Sep 2023 at 12:27pm
There can be no doubt by now that the Labour party is in the business of peddling exactly the same right wing Anglo-British exceptionalist nationalism as the Conservatives. It’s the politics of fantasy and goal post shifting. Keir Starmer’s Brexit plans have been dismissed as “delusional” by leading European commentators. Wolfgang Münchau, director of the …
Keeping the dream alive 15 Sep 2023 at 2:14pm
An opinion poll carried out by Find Out Now was published this week showing that a majority in Scotland would vote Yes for independence if Westminster were to permit a vote, a vote which neither the Labour nor the Conservative parties will concede to because they fear that the No campaign would lose. According to …
Labour?s discomfort zone for Scotland 11 Sep 2023 at 11:34am
In this week’s episode of “You’ve got some cheek” brought to you by the Labour Party’s Scottish Optional Identity Mark, Douglas Alexander has claimed that the past decade in Scotland has been lost to “constitutional squabbling,” and nothing has been achieved. To be fair, the last decade in Scottish politics was not entirely a waste, …
The failure of British Democracy 6 Sep 2023 at 11:43am
Keir Starmer has high hopes of becoming the next Prime Minister. However his claim to deserve the office rests not upon any positive offer of real and meaningful change from a Labour party which he has taken so far to the right that a conservative American Republican senator has hailed the British Labour party as …
Health update 30 Aug 2023 at 3:06pm
I thought I should keep you all posted about what’s going on and why I’ve not been blogging this week. As regular readers may recall, my mother has been battling ocular cancer which resulted in her losing her left eye. Unfortunately, the cancer has now spread to her liver and we have been told that …
Labour?s moonbeams and fairy dust 21 Aug 2023 at 12:28pm
During an interview last week, Anas Sarwar, the branch manager of Labour’s Scottish Optional Identity Mark, told us that even though he personally opposes independence, that “?doesn’t mean you don’t have the right to support independence, or the right to wish a referendum at some point in the future.” Is Anas wanting praise for demonstrating …
The BBC?s toxic presence in Scottish public life 18 Aug 2023 at 11:52am
There’s a definite pattern to BBC Scotland’s handling of Scottish Government stories. There is no point in the BBC continuing to deny it. The Corporation is not a public service broadcaster informing and educating the people of Scotland in an even handed and unbiased way about the issues of the day, it is an active …
Labour?s Scottish optional identity mark: Fantasy politics from a fantasy party 15 Aug 2023 at 9:50am
On Monday Keir Starmer was on one of his trips to Scotland to pretend that he cares about us. He certainly doesn’t care enough to take any Scottish opinions on board, or indeed to show any awareness that such a thing as a Scottish opinion exists. The Labour leader is one of those British nationalists …
NHS Scotland operations surge back toward pre-pandemic levels and capacity to... 3 Oct 2023 at 5:41pm
The Herald, as always sticks a grubby thumb into NHS figures and comes out with a bad news story. Sad? Desperate? Both. From Public Health Scotland today: During August 2023, there were 26,006 operations planned to take place across NHSScotland, the highest number of planned operations since February 2020. This is 10.1% higher than the number planned a year previously in August 2022 (23,626). T...
New ferry will still have capacity nearly SIX times average customer demand 3 Oct 2023 at 5:21pm
The Herald’s ferry feeding frenzy continues today with: ‘Beyond belief’: Scots fiasco ferries to have 300-passenger cut for safety reasons The Ardrossan-Brodick crossing carried a total of nearly 700 000 passengers last year. There are 16 crossings almost every day, all year long, giving a total of around 5 800 per year. So, the average sailing takes around 120 passengers. So, a safety cut from...
Thousands of patients will be able to have scans thanks to another Humza Yous... 3 Oct 2023 at 10:19am
In the Guardian today: Tens of thousands of patients will be unable to have scans on Tuesday when radiographers join consultants and junior doctors in strike action, hospital bosses have said. Radiographers across England will take industrial action from 8am, which will limit the chances of patients using cancer, A&E and maternity services getting a scan or X-ray. https://www.theguardian.com/uk...
A comment on the ?Scotland has Sovereignty? people 3 Oct 2023 at 9:35am
By Alasdair Galloway There is a widely held, and often well-informed view that Scotland retains its sovereignty, and indeed that this is in the control of the people ? ie unlike England where the tradition is for the monarch to hold sovereignty, so that often the power of the House of the Commons is described as ?the monarch in Parliament?. This was a matter of historical development, but in En...
?Cop Cuts? ? As by-election looms reminder of the facts on plummeting crime i... 3 Oct 2023 at 9:04am
The press is full of warnings of loss of life if police officer staffing is cut, from a ‘top officer’ who is, in fact, a trade union leader not a senior officer nor a Sherlock-like detective. With two days to go until a by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West this is misconceived political campaigning on behalf of a Rightist Labour Party which would not hesitate to slash their staffing furt...
Herald?s Ferry Newsletter author missing obvious stories 2 Oct 2023 at 8:32pm
For a few months now the Herald’s Maritime Williams has had a Scotland’s Ferries newsletter to deal with the surge in media reports of ferry failures. There is, of course, no actual surge in ferry failures, any more than there was a surge in care home deaths caused by hospital discharges (it was poor agency workers) or a surge in sexual offences by trans folk or a surge in SNP fraud. It’s just ...
Council Tax payments in Rutherglen and Hamilton West amongst very lowest in U... 2 Oct 2023 at 8:26pm
By stewartb Whilst on the theme of cross UK comparisons, I recently came across a report from the Taxpayers? Alliance (TA) which examined what it referred to as the ?burden? of Council Tax (CT) in England, Scotland and Wales. (This Tufton Street-based organisation is not one I?ve ever referred to before ? at least not positively ? but, usefully in this instance, it?s a source likely to seen as ...
Why is Joseph Rowntree Foundation so interested in ?politically charged eleme... 2 Oct 2023 at 8:22pm
By stewartb The reasons why the JRF has such a relatively high level of interest in Scotland are not known: I could speculate but without evidence this would have no merit. However, there is information in the JRF?s 2022 Annual Report that does touch on the point made earlier about it simply responding to ?commissions? from third parties. I don?t think this applies here for reasons that should ...
Are there no ?Poverty in England? reports from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation? 2 Oct 2023 at 3:10pm
By stewartb I don?t doubt that the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) does important work on a crucial matter, poverty. But I agree with the thrust of the main blog post that sometimes its communications on matters in Scotland can be ? let?s say, ?problematic?. The JRF is certainly ?interested? in Scotland. Searching its website reveals a series of ?Poverty in Scotland? reports, dating from 2023,...
Rutherglen By-election Alert ? voters should be wary of eye-watering prices f... 2 Oct 2023 at 1:53pm
From BBC Business a few hours ago: Water companies in England and Wales want bills to increase by £156 a year by 2030 to pay for upgrades and reduce sewage discharges. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66979271 In response from the SNP: The SNP has said “independence is the only way to guarantee key services are safe in public hands” – as privatised water companies in England and Wales seek t...
