BY HAMISH GOBSON Why Sturgeon’s clannish conceit is a challenge to democracy Many of those who watched a bit of Nicola Sturgeon and Alister Jack in the Covid show of late will have been struck, as I was, by how accurate Ian Mitchell’s analysis of nationalistic Scottish politics was in the two books he has written on the subject (see foot of this article). His essential … Continue reading Clannish Conceit
BY EFFIE DEANS For a few months during the pandemic Nicola Sturgeon had what she had always dreamed of. She had independence. It’s true that the money still came from London. The vaccines were developed in London. The British Army put up the Nightingale hospitals. Still in every other respect she had something close to absolute power. In no previous time in Scottish history had … Continue reading The Worst Scandal in Scottish Political History
BY STEWART SLATER The narrative, it is clear, has been set. It may be several years, and untold millions of pounds, before the Covid inquiry reports, but its conclusion is now obvious. Not in the sense of what it actually decides, but of what it will be thought to have decided. For, after the past weeks of testimony, it is certain that Britain had a … Continue reading Asking the Wrong Question
BY EFFIE DEANS The likely result of the next General Election in Scotland is that the SNP will lose around 20 seats to Labour and a few to the Conservatives and the Lib Dems. If that happens the SNP might still just be the largest party in Scotland on around 25 seats, but it will no longer be the dominant force. Alex Salmond has come … Continue reading The SNP Should Ditch Sturgeon
BY EFFIE DEANS The Scottish play in which we are all performing even if our parts are minor can still end one of two ways, either in tragedy or in comedy. But it is becoming clearer that we are approaching the end one way or the other. The heroine is Nicola Sturgeon. She may still be hoping for an ending with a marriage, reconciliation and … Continue reading Sturgeon’s Tragic Flaw
BY EFFIE DEANS What happened in Bucha? The vast majority of us have no doubt that atrocities were committed. The pictures, films and reports are convincing. We still basically trust the Western media to tell the truth. Yet the Russians deny they have done anything wrong. This is a problem, not because it will convince the majority of us that the Russian forces are innocent, … Continue reading Bucha & Truth
BY EFFIE DEANS When I read that Nicola Sturgeon wants to chop off the bottom of all the classroom doors in Scotland to increase ventilation my first thought was why don’t they open the windows instead? Decades from now as people wander through Scottish schools with doors like no others in the world, they might be curious about the phenomenon of the Scottish door. It … Continue reading Cutting off the Branch on Which She Sits
BY EFFIE DEANS A Conservative MSP got into trouble this week for suggesting that Nicola Sturgeon might be anti-English. Sturgeon was pointing out that everyone who lived in Scotland was at home here, to which Tess White replied “except the English”. For this White was forced to apologise or else be suspended from Holyrood. Woe betide anyone who suggests Popes are Catholic or that bears … Continue reading Doth Protest Too Much
BY EFFIE DEANS The Scottish Greens will not save the world, though if given the chance they might wreck Scotland. The deal they have made with the SNP changes nothing whatsoever. It was unnecessary for Sturgeon to form a coalition with the Greens, because she knows that they always vote with the SNP anyway. We are no closer to a second independence referendum because Sturgeon … Continue reading Sickly Shade of Yellow
BY EFFIE DEANS What’s the worst thing the SNP could do to you personally? Many Pro UK people would assume that it would be if Sturgeon achieved her goal of Scottish independence. But this is not true. Whatever we might think about the economic consequences of the breakup of the UK these would not necessarily affect us personally. We would still have choices. We could … Continue reading The Worst Thing the SNP Can Do to You
BY EFFIE DEANS I have been writing less since the Scottish Parliament election. The mood has changed. It is partly because it is summer. I have been more interested in using the sunshine to travel around Scotland than write about Scottish politics. But it’s not just me. Both sides of the constitutional divide spent the year or so before the election building up to the … Continue reading Summer Stasis
BY EFFIE DEANS An acquaintance of mine called John Bull moved to Scotland as a student from Bulford in Wiltshire. He loved Scotland so much he decided to stay. He met a Scottish woman and because she was an SNP supporter, he began to move in Scottish nationalist circles. He campaigned for Scottish independence in 2014 and has voted SNP since. Like many English people … Continue reading Scots’ Anglophobia Stirred by SNP
BY EFFIE DEANS An organisation called The Social Justice and Fairness Commission recently published a report dated March 2021. We didn’t see it in March however, but rather it was only revealed after the Scottish Parliament Election. Of course, the organisation is another of the SNP’s front organisations. The authors of the report are SNP politicians and supporters. Like every other SNP report, it concludes that independence kills … Continue reading Brits, Move to Scotland
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
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 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
BY EFFIE DEANS We have learned this year about what is essential and what is inessential. Everything that is truly essential has remained open, everything that is not completely essential has at times been shut. We found that we did not really need to go to restaurants and pubs. We could watch films on Netflix. But strangely we have discovered that schools are not really … Continue reading Must Do Better
