BY EFFIE DEANS During an election campaign, the last thing the SNP wants to talk about is independence. The core SNP vote is obsessed with this and it is the primary motivation for these voters to choose the SNP. These people will overlook the SNP’s performance in Government. Indeed, they don’t appear to care if the SNP rules well or poorly. If only the SNP … Continue reading The Deteriorating SNP Argument
BY EFFIE DEANS In theory Alex Salmond’s new Alba Party is good news for independence supporters. Let’s assume that support for independence is 45%. Well if the SNP wins 45% of the vote in the constituency seats, it will win nearly all of them. But this means that it will win few if any list seats, because the number of constituencies you win is part … Continue reading Alba
BY EFFIE DEANS In Scotland there are a group of people who want Scotland to be an independent country. But who are they and why do they want this? They are frequently supporters of the SNP though some also support the Scottish Greens or other less well-known parties. Some don’t support any party but have decided that they would vote for Scottish independence at any future … Continue reading Not More Scottish Than Me
BY EFFIE DEANS Nicola Sturgeon compared the legal case which the Scottish Government lost to Alex Salmond paying him more than half a million, with the case about minimum unit pricing for alcohol. She said that in every such case there is negative legal advice and if a Government ceased every case whenever a lawyer suggested it might lose it would never be able to … Continue reading Teflon Nicola?
BY PHLEGYAS On this historic day, I stand before you to make a commitment – a commitment that I’ve been wanting to fulfil all my life – and even before. Scotland will be independent! We will break asunder the bonds of the Act of Union! We will become separate from the Constitution and institutions of the United Kingdom at Westminster! We will stand tall and … Continue reading Scottish Election Victory Speech
BY EFFIE DEANS Nicola Sturgeon thinks that Alex Salmond is a fantasist living in an alternative reality. It was his behaviour towards women that led to his going to court rather than a conspiracy orchestrated by her. She thinks there is no evidence whatsoever that she did anything wrong. It is quite clear that she believes that Salmond is a liar lucky to be acquitted as … Continue reading Resign, Sturgeon
CSM EDITORIAL Now that the history is out, there can be no doubt that the London Mayoralty, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Senedd were built to house Labour placers. Devolution was yet another New Labour ploy to perpetuate a gravy train for, and to quieten, their mates – not dissimilar to the placement of Labour cronies into quangos and charities. Now, like many of … Continue reading End Devolution Now
BY EFFIE DEANS We don’t know when the next Scottish Parliament Election will be. It might be in May as scheduled or it might be delayed. Polls suggest that the SNP will win an overall majority. Each of us gets two votes for the Scottish Parliament. The first is for 73 constituencies elected by First Past the Post. The second is for 8 regions elected … Continue reading All for Unity
BY EFFIE DEANS The fundamental misunderstanding that forms the basis of Scottish nationalism has been undermined by a statement from the European Commission. When the UK finally left the EU, the Government decided not to continue to take part in the Erasmus Program, but instead to replace it with the Turing Scheme. The SNP objected and asked the European Commission whether Scotland could join the … Continue reading Deciding Erasmus
BY EFFIE DEANS I talked to someone who lives in England the other day who wanted to know about the latest developments in Scottish politics. I mentioned the scandal surrounding the Alex Salmond Inquiry and the possibility that Nicola Sturgeon was involved in a conspiracy against Mr Salmond. This was the first time my friend had heard anything about it. Sturgeon remains popular in Scotland … Continue reading Sturgeon Surrounded
BY EFFIE DEANS The latest developments in the Alex Salmond Scandal remind me of the famous David Low cartoon Rendezvous from 1939. Just like then it is tempting to hope that both sides lose. Just like then it is impossible to trust what either side says. On the one side we have Nicola Sturgeon, her husband Peter Murrell and probably still the majority of SNP … Continue reading SNP V SNP
BY EFFIE DEANS If it turns out to be true that the Scottish Government paid £55,000 pounds to coach civil servants before they gave testimony to the Salmond Inquiry and if it also turns out to be true that these same civil servants met each other prior to testifying, then it will be impossible to avoid the conclusion that the whole system of Government in … Continue reading And Nothing but the Truth
BY EFFIE DEANS My initial reaction to Alex Salmond’s revelations was to be underwhelmed. The rather long, boring legalistic text that he intends to submit to the Inquiry has nothing juicy. We don’t find out that Nicola Sturgeon knew about Alex Salmond’s behaviour in 2014. We don’t find out that she has been leading a rather scandalous double life. We don’t find out that she … Continue reading Salmond V Sturgeon
There are plenty of reasons for moving to rural Scotland, with the wonderful natural landscape and bargain property prices among them. What are the key factors to take into account to make a good decision? Source: Pxhere Access to the Towns and Cities It is easy to under-estimate the size of Scotland and the remoteness of many regions. Up to 80% of the population live … Continue reading Top Factors to Consider When Choosing a Rural Property in Scotland
BY EFFIE DEANS Joanna Cherry recently said that the SNP “shouldn’t be about the cult of leader, whether it’s Alex or Nicola, or anyone else”. Cherry is unquestionably one of the cleverest Scottish nationalists. She wrote Mental Health and Scots Law in Practice in 2014. She is willing to think for herself on moral issues such as gender rather than simply take the easy route … Continue reading Cult SNP
