williemillersmoustache

Weird how a) a former lib dem would ignore the proportional vote in favour of FPTP and b) that you don't remember that the somewhat disparaging title of angry walnut was cited as one of the reasons David was driven from Scotland. A bit niche the second one maybe. Anyhoo, the only way to accurately gauge opinion on a binary choice is by holding a referendum, not a multiparty constituency vote and not by opinion polls. Although if you like opinion polls you can always take the 30% of pro indy labour voters out of your calculations which would i think neatly tip those scales. The debate on process is interesting and indicative of the wider problem but the mandate/support for/desire to have one is done. We do, there is, it is inarguable. Many reasonable unionist commentators agree and have conceded such in public and all unionists in private know it to be true. If unionist parties wanted to halt a referendum and StopRaEssEnnPeeeeeeee (as they have usually campaigned on at all opportunities) all they had to do was win an election. Something they have conspicuously failed to do. Even by working hand in hand in certain instances. To do or ague otherwise is just holding your breath and stamping your feet. Cherry picking opinion polls, or giving them such an elevated credence they somehow counter actual votes made in elections or ignoring the inconvenient list vote is I am afraid no better.

Most of your posts are actually quite informative, other than the output of the wee angry walnuts (latest if more lasting) flounce off from the Scottish political scene, but this is an assertion and not one based upon anything other than hope and a little bit of your own personal preferences.

Oh dear. Reports of goading and ugly scenes etc.

Really good opportunity to not only score but cement Alan McGregor there. Boo.

Highs and Lows of the season thread for this pish.

So drunk, so blinded by continual abuse of anti freeze, rinse aid and self loathing you can't tell he's making as good a fist of your arguments as it's possible to make. Describing the unquestionable majority as a quirk, is quite funny though. At some point it will have to be brought to a head, initially through the courts. However while a ruling stating that there is no route to self determination will be celebrated by the george square unwashed hordes initially, in the end that is both dangerous for everyone and counter productive for unionism. I remember Andrew Tickell saying that one of the biggest issues or frustrations facing the independence movement was basically a lack of revolutionary fervour. Nobody wants a Catalonia situation, nobody is suggesting this is a desirable position to be in and the constant provocations or unionist wet dreams of the "ulsterisation" of Scottish politics so they can decry the indy movement as extremist are as transparent as they are desperate. The question for Scottish unionists is do they want to wait until there is such a movement, as it is clear, and rather indicative of the problem, that Westminster under the control of whatever government just don't and wont give a shit either way. A week is a long time in politics, and I think what will happen in The Norn shortly may well have a bearing on what happens here. A wildly unpopular UK government being forced to impose direct rule because the unionists can't stomach playing second fiddle to republicans/nationalists would have to be handled very very carefully. And with a sensitivity and competence these mugs are just not capable of. For us or for me, we have to have a mechanism to consent or otherwise to the system of governance we have now. *A lot* has happened since we were last given that opportunity and it would be far better for both sides to make the arguments, have a campaign and then a vote. It should be easy and indeed a prideful or pleasurable democratic experience to make the (positive )case for the union. But unionists seem disinclined to do that, they seem to believe screaming "divisive" at the thought of having to argue with the courage of their convictions is somehow effective and not in fact revealing or self defeating. No doubt because they know the UK is a disgusting midden and they'd lose.

It's one thing to wear your gardeners utility gilet when gardening with your standard issue family labrador but, to wear it in a studio for interview suggests oddball sex case imo. Also the rapid switch from "let's wait and see what the enquiry says" to "I'm so sorry I resign" is a bit suspicious. I hope they're still planning to look in his hard drive and under his patio tbh.

Deny the inherent rights of individuals by closing off established routes and declaring alternatives that people are forced to take to assert these rights, illegal. Maybe the plan is to send Scots in favour of democracy to Rwanda?

First call was a definite penalty - the second I'm not so sure - Hayes doing a Charlie Adam and going down before he was even touched. Surely.

Can we just turn the football off now? Please god.

Disappointing lack of ear cupping from the Dons top scorer.

Laughable. Standard laughable officiating.

Jesus H that was a terrible, terrible 45 minutes from us.

God it has been so frustrating to dominate possession but never look like scoring and look like conceding every time the opposition have the ball. Well done the manager for changing things up a bit.

Yup.

I see someone dug up the permanently seething and hyper partisan ramblings of the angry walnut. Please, fetch balustrade lanyard,, Jum Murphy, Eddie Izzard, the solero girl and that entirely un qualified dog food salesman who thinks Scotland is just too stupid to have money. Might as well get the whole band back together, there's a referendum next year.

The only serious objection to the NIP, assuming that Brexit has happened and can’t be undone, is that it serves as a constant and ever present reminder to unionists and everyone else that this gloriously splendid sceptred united kingdom of flags couldn't give one single solitary f**k about Northern Ireland and would happily let it slide into the sea or be eaten by a monster for twos off a fag a couple of monster munch. That's it. I'm not saying that's not real or hurtful or unhelpful to unionism but without rejoining the single market and customs union, that's it.

Just the shan knuckle shuffles imo

A shame for all hard, working MPs

Awks

Tbf to her Anne-Marie Trevlyan, saying that an MP colleague pinned her against a wall, is fucking abhorrent. And of a different order (order) to thumbing through grot in committee. Police matter.

I'll say one thing for Boris, he has absolutely ruined the Linesman. The squashed-nosed little tart debasing himself every single day in the run up to the elections on this is really quite entertaining. Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross says Johnson 'fit for office' Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservative leader, has said Boris Johnson is “fit for office”. In January, as the Partygate revelations escalated, Ross said that he thought Johnson’s position was “no longer tenable”, and he said he was joining colleagues writing letters demanding a no confidence vote in Johnson as party leader. But Ross withdrew his letter after the invasion of Ukraine, on the grounds that the war required Johnson to remain in office. Asked by the Scotsman if Johnson was “fit for office”, Ross replied: "Yes"

Not sure this is a great idea tbh.

Seems like quite a difficult position for the council tbh but, it is unsmart in the extreme to tell a judge you don't plan to abide by his rulings. They do get a bit huffy at that kind of talk.