Whatever happened to the "series of papers" to strengthen the case for independence?
Anyway, since we know that whatever the prime minister does, Sturgeon will complain, whine and whinge endlessly, s/he might as well do whatever s/he thinks is best to shut her up and allow us to lead a semi-normal life without this constant sword of Damocles hanging over our heads.
Well said as always, Stephen. Unless the UK government steps in and neuters the Scottish devolved administration there's going to be a violent incident. Sturgeon turns up the heat then sits back. What will she do when the pot boils over?
I assume that Sturgeon’s writers applied their minds carefully to the statement issued. It seems from its terms that it’s clearly wrong to abuse journalists (I hope you read it, Andrew) but by implication its ok to abuse anyone else.
Sturgeon’s statement regarding journalists and James Cook in particular must be taken at face value only . She neither believes in free speech ( see her muzzled back benchers) nor does she believe in democracy. In any event are the foul mouthed threats and abuse made by the baying crowd not ‘hate crimes’ as defined by their own legislation . Should they not have been arrested .
The SNP protest outside Perth Concert Hall on Tuesday was an ugly sight. Apart from the BNP and some far left pressure groups, no other party in the UK turns out such braying, spitting and egg-throwing mobs. The police, in numbers reminiscent of the miners’ strike, did well to hold them back.
My only previous encounter with SNP supporters en masse was several years ago when they marched through Perth. They were led by men wearing 18th century warrior garb, blue bonnets and some of them carried shields and plastic pikestaffs. There was pride, rather than embarrassment, in the imagery of a 21st century political party held together by an 18th century grievance. In the same vein, one of our local SNP councillors spoke in 2017 of “...quislings who may seek to see smaller cultures extinguished on an island of coffins by redcoats.”... Coffins ?....Redcoats ? It makes no sense but it played well with the the SNP voters because he was elected MP for Angus in 2019.
In that mindset, it is a small step to conjoin the Conservative Party with the deep, wide and ugly anti-English stripe which has been at the core of the SNP since its earliest days. It finds expression in the “Tory Scum” banners and chants in the protestors’ script.
It was, in microcosm, a foretaste of the bitterness and divisiveness that would accompany any future referendum. That may be a long way off but it would make sense, as Stephen recommends, to enact the restrictions In this article with the addition of expenditure on more pretend-embassies.
If the vitriol and outright racism had been directed at any other group by a right wing crowd there would have been arrests and rightly so Where is the difference here ?
A party of patriot’s, eh! No the SNP are not that. The underlying hatred of our country GB, will always be there.
What we have are thugs & bullies.
Best thing in the long run is to close the Scottish Parliament and take the pain because right now living in Scotland with the hatred stirred up by the NATS is just awful for normal and a peaceful people.
Turn back the clock, mend the damage and move on to a better future. It will take a lifetime to sort so let’s get cracking.
The vitriol and divisiveness of the protestors is matched by the anti SNP sentiments here in the comments . The printed word lacks the rawness and volume of a raucous crowd but the authors are no less febrile in their somewhat sanitised rhetoric. And no less resentful and divisive simply because their feelings are printed rather than screamed. The venom and hate directed at the FM is palpable even if articulated in a different medium. "Time to get tough with the braying mob" and put the "whining whinging" uppity Scots, in their place.
Whatever happened to the "series of papers" to strengthen the case for independence?
Anyway, since we know that whatever the prime minister does, Sturgeon will complain, whine and whinge endlessly, s/he might as well do whatever s/he thinks is best to shut her up and allow us to lead a semi-normal life without this constant sword of Damocles hanging over our heads.
They are not interested in making devolution work it negates their entire strategy ...and it has left Scotland going backwards to third world status
Well said as always, Stephen. Unless the UK government steps in and neuters the Scottish devolved administration there's going to be a violent incident. Sturgeon turns up the heat then sits back. What will she do when the pot boils over?
Brilliant analysis thanks
I assume that Sturgeon’s writers applied their minds carefully to the statement issued. It seems from its terms that it’s clearly wrong to abuse journalists (I hope you read it, Andrew) but by implication its ok to abuse anyone else.
Sturgeon’s statement regarding journalists and James Cook in particular must be taken at face value only . She neither believes in free speech ( see her muzzled back benchers) nor does she believe in democracy. In any event are the foul mouthed threats and abuse made by the baying crowd not ‘hate crimes’ as defined by their own legislation . Should they not have been arrested .
The SNP protest outside Perth Concert Hall on Tuesday was an ugly sight. Apart from the BNP and some far left pressure groups, no other party in the UK turns out such braying, spitting and egg-throwing mobs. The police, in numbers reminiscent of the miners’ strike, did well to hold them back.
My only previous encounter with SNP supporters en masse was several years ago when they marched through Perth. They were led by men wearing 18th century warrior garb, blue bonnets and some of them carried shields and plastic pikestaffs. There was pride, rather than embarrassment, in the imagery of a 21st century political party held together by an 18th century grievance. In the same vein, one of our local SNP councillors spoke in 2017 of “...quislings who may seek to see smaller cultures extinguished on an island of coffins by redcoats.”... Coffins ?....Redcoats ? It makes no sense but it played well with the the SNP voters because he was elected MP for Angus in 2019.
In that mindset, it is a small step to conjoin the Conservative Party with the deep, wide and ugly anti-English stripe which has been at the core of the SNP since its earliest days. It finds expression in the “Tory Scum” banners and chants in the protestors’ script.
It was, in microcosm, a foretaste of the bitterness and divisiveness that would accompany any future referendum. That may be a long way off but it would make sense, as Stephen recommends, to enact the restrictions In this article with the addition of expenditure on more pretend-embassies.
If the vitriol and outright racism had been directed at any other group by a right wing crowd there would have been arrests and rightly so Where is the difference here ?
Well said they do not have the Monopoly on patriotism ,time to put them in their place or there will be no Scotland to govern ,start getting tough.
"knuckle down to governing" - Scots get back in your boxes and obey your Imperial masters! Vive la Revolution...
A party of patriot’s, eh! No the SNP are not that. The underlying hatred of our country GB, will always be there.
What we have are thugs & bullies.
Best thing in the long run is to close the Scottish Parliament and take the pain because right now living in Scotland with the hatred stirred up by the NATS is just awful for normal and a peaceful people.
Turn back the clock, mend the damage and move on to a better future. It will take a lifetime to sort so let’s get cracking.
Plain speaking and the absolutely truth. We see it again and again and again.
The vitriol and divisiveness of the protestors is matched by the anti SNP sentiments here in the comments . The printed word lacks the rawness and volume of a raucous crowd but the authors are no less febrile in their somewhat sanitised rhetoric. And no less resentful and divisive simply because their feelings are printed rather than screamed. The venom and hate directed at the FM is palpable even if articulated in a different medium. "Time to get tough with the braying mob" and put the "whining whinging" uppity Scots, in their place.
Elizabeth , sorry about the garbled comment …..my iPad does that sometimes when I type during recharging . I ought to have checked it first though .