On:
In: Margaret Hamilton

Westminster does not have enough money, they say, to pay healthcare workers a decent pay rise. Meantime convoys of nuclear weapons have been travelling up to Scotland. Not replacements though. We hear this week that instead of reducing the number of warheads we have to 180 they are going to increase to 260. Why do we need all these? The picture that comes to my mind is little boys comparing their anatomy and seeing who can pee the furthest. More likely though is the bully boy scenario. The threat of actually wiping out a sizable part of the world. I fear for the next fewRead More →

On:
In: Grant Thoms, Uncategorized

The psychodrama that has prevailed amongst a minority of the national movement derived from #MeToo, the Alex Salmond affair and slanging matches over a gender recognition bill, which is no longer on the parliamentary timetable, must now stop.  Alex Salmond is innocent of criminal activity but clearly has a tarnished reputation from activities that took place during his time as the inhabitant of Bute House. Behaviour which is unbecoming of the First Minister of Scotland. However, that is now in the past and a line must be drawn under it. Revenge, which now seems to be the priority, is a dish best served cold andRead More →

On:
In: Jim Lynch

In such a confusing time it is difficult to know where to start.  I thought of looking back at various attempts to split the SNP; most of my comments will be personal. I see Jim Sillars  has thrown his hat in the ring, so it is worth emphasizing that every time he is quoted as a former Deputy Leader of the SNP people may not be aware that this was only for one year;  he managed to spend a lot of money, and members voted him out. I cannot remember exactly when but he made a proposal about more public demonstrations /civil disobedience  – this was passed at theRead More →

On:
In: Maureen MacGregor

With only a few days left until voting closes for the regional list candidates, most SNP members should have had a chance to listen to their candidates and make an informed choice in which order to rank them.  There is always contention over these lists as members want “their” people to be placed highest and others  want the reassurance of constituency MSPs at the top as a safety belt in case they don’t retain their seat.  This year, there has been more drama than usual due to the controversial decision to place a BAME candidate in the number 1 spot in four specific regions andRead More →

On:
In: Stephen Bird

In 1921, Sir Edward Carson in a speech opposing what became known as The Anglo-Irish Treaty, famously said “What a fool I was! I was only a puppet, and so was Ulster, and so was Ireland, in the political game that was to get the Conservative Party into Power.” I mention this, not just because it was 100 years ago but more because it contains a truth which should be learned by every Unionist as much as it’s known by Nationalist; you cannot trust the Tories. The colour of tory is irrelevant, red, blue or gold they will pursue two aims only. One being the unbridledRead More →

On:
In: Grant Thoms

A Scottish voter, with even a cursory glance at traditional or social media, could be forgiven for thinking the SNP is playing out a bizarre re-enactment of a Shakespeare tragedy. The lines they speak are particularly difficult to comprehend unless you are well versed in the lingo. The plot twists and turns and there is definitely a Macbeth or two out there with paranoid delusions. However, I write this in the aftermath of the monthly branch meeting with over forty people glued to a screen for the ubiquitous Zoom call. The agenda was skewed towards preparations and activity for the Scottish Parliament elections. Candidate wasRead More →

On:
In: Margaret Hamilton

As lockdown continues the topics are getting harder to find. However, social media got a bit hot last night (Monday) among SNP members, some saying they were resigning their membership. This seems to have become fashionable. I’m not sure resigning is necessary as you just need to stop your monthly payment. However, if you think you need to draw attention to yourself, I can see how an email or a letter of resignation might be something you would want to do. The SNP Westminster group was reshuffled on Monday. This is something that happens from time to time. It is no great deal usually. However,Read More →

On:
In: Jim Lynch

As a daily reader of The National I look forward to doing the Crossword each day; I do this at lunchtime.  However this does not happen on a Sunday! So at lunchtime on the Sunday I usually read Gerry Hassan – it is quite often in the 7 Days, a broadsheet, and difficult to handle. This week the 7 Days broadsheet had a front page by Hugh MacDonald  entitled ‘“The Wait of History” most of my time in the SNP’.  I never met Hugh but I knew his father, also Hugh MacDonald, SNP Vice Chairman for Publicity  at the time of the Hamilton by election.  He worked for Beaverbrook Newspapers,Read More →

On:
In: Maureen MacGregor

The hunt is on for yet another leader of Scottish Labour.  Once again, someone has stepped down either to try to bolster the party’s abysmal ratings ahead of an election or because they no longer believe in the message that they have to promote.  Since the inception of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, there have been no fewer than 9 elected leaders for Labour in that two decades compared to only 3 from the SNP.  The Lib Dems and the Tories showed more reliability with 4 and 5 respectively whilst the Greens, although now sharing a collective responsibility, have had 2 consistent leaders.  It isRead More →

On:
In: Stephen Bird

On the morning of 6 January I sat down with a new book which I’d received as a Christmas gift and was looking forward to reading. I’d spent a fair amount of the previous night watching CNN and hoping rather than expecting that the Democrats could win both Senate seats in Georgia’s runoffs. I knew that Trumpery had done a lot to help them but had the idiot in chief done enough? Little did I know how prescient that book selection would be as the day unfolded. The book; Bob Woodward’s “Rage”! As the day unfolded and it looked as though both seats were aboutRead More →