Being called an ‘outright propagandist’ by James Kelly of Scot Goes Pop yesterday has reminded me to say something about him and the wee gang he has recently joined.
What do Campbell of Wings, Kelly, Craig Murray and Robin McAlpine of Common Weal have in common?
In 2014, I was a big fan of all as they played a significant part in the Yes campaign.
Since then, many of their ideas have been ignored by the SNP in government and so they have all gone in the huff. Have a look at their social media today and compare it with their activity in 2014.
They were impressive then, but today, all are more bothered by a range of issues including gender recognition reforms, economic policies, the campaign strategy and now leadership election conspiracy theories, than they seem to be about winning independence. They are more concerned with internal disputes than attacking the real enemies in the media and in the opposition parties. Have they nothing to say about the massive police presence?
At least one even seems to favour the Forbes candidacy! I worked with gay and trans colleagues and students who were Yes campaigners. They’d be horrified.
I’ve had my moments with the SNP leadership including writing angrily to the then FM to protest her puzzling adoration for the dread Hilary Clinton and for having gone to the US in 2015 to sign Scotland up to the American project, without asking me.
I’ve been on Russia Today four times, including once on the Alex Salmond show.
They still let me join in 2016.
Note: Hufragettes were a bit braver. Keyboard warriors, like me, not so brave as them
Talking-up Scotland 
I don’t know what is in the water at times, it’s like some weird dystopian film where some folks are brainwashed into pretty much switching their once good ideas and intentions, into not so good ideas and intentions. Maybe they were abducted and replaced with robots. It’s weird, whatever happened, they don’t have to agree with or like the SNP etc, but to turn against the party that is at least starting to repair long term terrible English rule damage to Scotland and the people of Scotland, I just can’t fathom. The British state is powerful that’s without doubt, so who knows what’s gone on.
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The 4 Arseholes of the Apocalypse…
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Still knocking Hamza supporter KF. Otherwise spot on.
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You too? I fell with both about 2015, concerning advice about how voters could best use their regional list vote.
It was obvious to me, and others (not claiming originality) that if the SNP constituency vote simply transferred to the regional list vote, because the SNP would have won almost all the constuemcies and how D’Hondt works that massive regional list vote would elect very few SNP regional list MSPs. And so it worked out.
Kelly had published a piece on his website encouraging #bothvotessnp. His reply was very hostile, and when we had much the same with a couple of other similar articles he blocked me.
I made similar comments on an article that appeared on Wings and was fairly roundly abused by Campbell for this (and few do abuse the way he does).
Yet the evidence was there. Take Glasgow region. If the SNP win all the constuemcies, even if all the constituency vote transfers to the regional list, unless they are taking 65% of the vote they will win few list seats, if any.
Last time out the SNP took just 2 list seats, but their constituency vote was greater than their list vote by more than before. The beneficiaries were the greens, because if you believe in independence but realise a list SNP vote will have little or no influence, you want to vote for another independence supporting party. Ok, there was alba and a radical left grouping but it was the greens who did best.
A couple of days ago the indefatigable Alan Sutherland claimed in the herald that this was an “electoral pact”, so I replied here https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/23438173.letters-snp-lost-way-needs-full-reset/?ref=suit
Bottom of the page
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Yes.
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The ‘Fab Four’ strike me as a throw-back to the student far lefties of the 70’s who would rather have internecine warfare rather than actually work to win an election against their supposed enemies .
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An the Monty Python Palestinians?
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It feels like they cannot rest till they have destroyed the SNP (or maybe just Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell) and heaven forbid anyone disagrees with their take on things. Ever since Alex Salmond’s trial and acquittal there has been nothing but innuendo, hints about what they know and sneers about cultish supporters refusing to see the light. As someone who has spoken up about SNP achievements you are clearly one of the deluded but you’ve plenty of us in the same boat
I’m not sure what they hope to achieve though –
personal revenge? very likely for some involved
justice? but why sit on this for so long if indeed they do have evidence of wrongdoing?
increased support/membership for Alba? not sure that will happen given the deep divisions within indy groups and personal allegiances or antipathies
As a deluded cult member I could of course be totally wrong about everything, possibly brainwashed by your incessant propaganda. However I feel I am old enough to accept that all parties, groups and individuals have their flaws and would much rather see everyone in the SNP working to fix things, those in Alba tending to their own affairs and supporters without trashing the rest of us and everyone else to keep an open mind for now. And I do hope you will keep posting the positives John, a bit of positivity is a good thing for us all
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If they had stayed in the SNP they could have voted for their preferred candidate. They didn’t, so they have no say.
Maybe one day they will start doing positive campaigning for Yes as they used to do instead of their negativity, which saddens me as I like James Kelly.
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I think there is room for all voices in this fight.
This website is a joy to read due to the positivity in exposing what Scotland does well.
Wings were the only voice to go after this rediculous ideology that was pulling the SNP apart. That site was hounded off twitter by this highly agressive mob, and surprise surprise after all the damage was done to both parties he turned out to be right about that miniscule and massively over promoted group of rabid ideologues.
Mr Murray has more than one axe to grind with the SNP having been jailed as collatoral damage in their going after Alex Salmond and his exposing of their perjury.
I continue to enjoy all three blogs in different ways and is saddens me when our best indy bloggers go after each other.
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I’ve stopped.
Somebody shared Kelly’s sarky comments about me and that set me off.
Back to the day job.
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lols. I haven’t ever looked at the other two blogs. Keep it upo John!
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Your evidence of the SNP going after AS is? Please provide examples of SNP perjury.
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G = Golfnut.
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he who pays the piper, calls the tune.
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Their argument is that governance on the SNP has been so distorted that you cannot win. Some of this is no worse than most political parties do, like forcing candidates on to particular constituencies. Nor should we be all that surprised if we’ve read Robert Michels’ “Political Parties” where for instance the party as a “career” was identified. That book btw was written more than 100 years ago. So nothing new.
What I don’t understand is why a politician of the many talents of Nicola Sturgeon would burn so much political capital on
1 ‘getting Alex salmond’ in such a ham fisted way. An ex post disciplinary procedure is just nonsense. One that seeks to deny the accused their rights under natural justice is, as the court of session said, fatally flawed. And for him to be found not guilty on 13 of 14 charges (not proven on the last) just put the tin lid on it.
2. I’m not saying the trans community are unworthy of support but given the heat generated by that debate it looks as if Nicola forgot that while good leadership is from the front, you have to keep the troops with you. Her approval ratings were such that she might have been able to pass a law requiring us all to eat broccoli at every meal, but on the trans debate this clearly wasn’t so. The insecurity was revealed by the manner in which such as Joanna cherry were monstered, rather than her arguments being addressed.
3. Then there’s the money. I’m certain the msm will squeeze every last drop of negativity from this and to hell with the truth. John makes this point abov about the police turnout as Nicola’s place, but is it unfair to say that there’s a problem when you’ve taken in more than 600 k in donations but only have a profit of just under 100k? If there’s a good or at least understandable explanation let’s hear it. But instead the ELECTED Treasurer felt resignation was his only course of action as Murrell wouldn’t let him have the information he needed. That is just outrageous and I still don’t understand why the membership didn’t rise up and dispute this when the man they elected has to resign because the CE won’t give him the information to do the job he was elected to do.
Alba reflects a party with these kinds of flaws (and for the record I am NOT saying Alba lacks flaws they’re just different ones). The SNP tradition of ‘iron discipline’ could always have lapsed into the centralised control ascribed to the present SNP, and as above, while some of it was inevitable or at least understandable, there are (as “Misreporting Scotland was fond of saying during the refendum) “questions to be answered”. I’m not saying we’ll get all the answers, but the questions should be asked.
The campbell Kelly super group, as John writes need to focus on winning independence but we shouldn’t sweep issues under the carpet. We tried that.
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No
Bad language
Must delete
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Just as Russell Brand has realised you can make more money from vaccine scare stories, Kelly and Campbell have realised you can make more money writing about sexual anxieties than about politics.
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There are comments WoS is a Tory.
Calmer Karma.
People should not have been percecuted. Or put in jail.
The unionist hierarchy gets away with murder. Illegal wars, financial fraud and tax evasion.
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Israel, France, Ukraine in flames. UK in turmoil.
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