I’ve just watched open-mouthed as BBC Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall said:
An argument that was effectively being made by the former First Minister, Alex Salmond, the architect of the modern day SNP, someone who’d done more than anybody else to make Scottish Nationalism mainstream over the last two decades, effectively saying that as a result of this scandal, as a result of the political leadership that Scotland currently has, in his view, seemed to be intimating that Scotland wasn’t really ready for independence.
Here’s what Salmond said:
Some people say that the failure of these institutions, the blurring of the boundaries between party, government and prosecution service mean that Scotland is in danger of becoming a failed state. I disagree. The Scottish civil servant hasn’t failed. It’s leadership has failed. The Crown Office hasn’t failed. It’s leadership has failed. Scotland hasn’t failed. It’s leadership has failed.
I do not get what Goodall is trying to suggest here. Salmond clearly disagreed with his thesis. Isn’t he saying Scotland is ready but, in his view, just needs a change of leadership.
Is Goodall saying that all of the efforts of the millions to make this the kind of country with an economy, culture and political institutions demonstrably superior to those in many other European states, including England, are somehow discounted by this case?
Another archaic personality politics pundit.
Talking-up Scotland / Scottish media fact checking is like shooting fish in a barrel 
Added to this distortion we had on the BBC (who else) 10 o clock news the presenter (I think Sophie Rainworth?)
state that AS amongst other things was challenging the worth of the courts.
Total misrepresentation. Misreporting.
Nay, lies. The BBC is so flawed as to be beyond redemption.
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What we saw was the effect of the instructions BBC people are being given by Mr Nick Robinson in how to be ‘impartial’, but in a pro-British anti-independence way.
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Alasdair
No doubt you correct as to what we saw
But as far as our sense of hearing encountered
Then it was complete and utter
Coital Bovine Scatology
As for our sense of smell
Well then
RATS
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It just goes to show how lucky we are to have been able to watch/listen to the session yesterday and to have the likes of twitter to make sure inaccuracies are challenged. Makes you wonder what they got away with in the good old internet-less days.
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I suspect more people watched the actual session than ever watch the ‘stories from around Scotland’ STV or the Biased British Broadcasting corporations analysis.
I think Scotland did a collective switch off a few years ago.
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Brobb
Wonder what they got away with in days of old without Internet
Well here are 10 as a starter for a 100
Genocide
Plunder
Mass Starvation
Invention construction and full use of a concentration camp
Hiring ruthless criminals and releasing from jail to murder on their behalf
Aiding and abetting Dictators
Bare faced lying
Suppliers of powerful narcotics
Creating Fall guys to save their own
Financial corruption
To finish that little wors THEY can mean many different things to many different people on many different occassions
So for the avoidance of doubt the word They
Refers to a nest of vipers who function at Westminster
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It was good to see Alex so well after the ordeal he has been through. An absolute nightmare, Hopefully he can rejoin the SNP and take his place in politics again. Or if he can be bothered start up his own political party. That would be great. Getting the band back together.
Two parties supporting a Independence is just what Scotland needs. Two great leaders. A bit of choice and variety. Some alternative, conciliatory policies would not go amiss. Alex actually stood down after the 2014 IndyRef. To let Nicola come forward and shine. He stopped coming to the Conference as a distraction. So much was his support.
There is no doubt he will still play an important central roll in the continuing fight for justice and Independence, Especially after the unjustifiable ordeal he has been put though. Welcome back Alex. He needs more than a sincere apology and compensation at the very least. Alex can not go down the street without being mobbed by people hugging and kissing him. Taking selfies. Being taken into people’s houses for a cup of tea, Did that have sexual intent? No. Now Nicola must be conciliatory with her former mentor.Or tea’s out.
Evans should not have been in that selfie room. Bad publicity. After the wrong that has been done to all concerned, A man languishes in jail for six months. For a deleted tweet. With all the detracted ‘evidence’. Another miscarriage of justice. Far too harsh. An appeal must be made and granted. £Billion lost to the public purse. That could have helped abused women. Those who really need it. To get help and relocate. It is not a good look.
Haste ye back Alex. Back into the fray where you should be, Two great leaders are better than one, Alex Salmond still has a main part to play.
Please come back soon. Everyone missed you. One of the best Statesman Scotland has ever had. Clear and concise as always.
Smith was at it again. More lies and had to apologise.. They do not get it the press and MSM. Everyone is sick of them. The white noise in the background out of touch with reality. Totally out of touch with people’s lives and experience. People just want them to go away and stop bothering them. A waste of time and space. Lying all the time. Good riddance,
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but we have 2 independence supporting parties, the SNP and the Green Party, if Independence supporters vote SNP 1 Green 2 in May, we could have a 30 seat Indy supporting majority, a coalition government.
Or Independence supporters could vote SNP 1 and 2, and hope for a 3 or 4 seat majority.
In a parliament with a voting system set up to prevent 1 party winning a majority, it’s a no brainer.
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Please accept that “your” no brainer is simply that – Yours.
I will very reluctantly vote SNP in the constituency as Independence is critical to our future. However voting for one Party that denies Women a voice in the GRA debate is bad enough. The Greens are not an option because identity politics have replaced their Green label.
I will vote ISP on the list and that is my “no brainer”. If Politicians want to put the Trans issue ahead of Independence then don’t blame the voters for making a choice.
My Vote, My choice. I did not ask to be forced to choose between Independence and the protection of Women’s Rights.
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I totally agree Gordon
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Greens are no use. Just a thought. Everyone has their preference. This is a 2021 election. Not a 2016 rerun. More support. Get a majority. Change the voting system. The 3rd rate list. First preference votes go in the bin, to let 3rd raters in. They cannot be got rid. No way to renounce and riddance them. The Tories trying to destroy the Parliament. Helped by their little helper unionists. Another own goal. Losing support.
The unionists took in D’Hondt. Without electorate agreement. Not for fairness but for control.
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Support for Independence is totally unrelated to Party Politics. We may disagree over many things but that unites us.
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I agree, what policies parties standing in the May election have, are irrelevant, only if they show a strong commitment to an Indy Ref wins my votes.
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Yes Alex was in good form yesterday. I think the BBC and others are now struggling with the likely outcome being a shredding of some senior civil servants and staffers that us voters will applaud and move on, rather than a cataclysmic earthquake. I only wonder what AS might have been alluding to with his comments about ‘other matters not allowable at this table’
AS was very conciliatory to NS, in particular contrast to her prickly ‘alternative universe’ spraffing the other day.
Let’s hope that next week brings some closure and some reciprocal conciliatory words.
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Bus, train, car, plane–you take the best vehicle available to get to your destination of choice.
Want independence? Vote SNP.
Second vote–your choice of several pro-indy parties.
Want dependency?
Vote for DRossy– barred from the Union Unit loop.
Vote for Starwars/Lemmon–in a party run by Tory Keir Starmer.
Vote for Wee Wullie Willie–no policies, no hope, no credibility.
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Wasted vote. Your vote. Your choice.
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Andrew Marr repeated that guff this morning again.
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