Published in the Sunday Herald today, retired Prof of German History, Jill Stephenson, is enabled to repeat, above, the old claim that Scotland ‘is not qualified to join the on grounds currency, control of monetary policy, lender of last resort and deficit’. TuS gets a rare mention as a ‘separatist blog‘. Should we rename as ‘Splitting-up Britain?’
More on Prof Paterson, her colleagues in a covert letter-writing and radio phone-in group, later, but first the substance of her claim. She’s wrong, all wrong. The full answer is far too long for this place but you can read it at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-independent-scotland-eu/pages/11/
Who and what type of critic is Professor Stephenson?
Prof says ‘the UK would save money if Scotland left it!’
In Herald letters 16 September 2021:
EITHER Nicola Sturgeon’s army of special advisers is becoming nervous, or she herself is.
Her conference speech sank to a new low, making absurd allegations about the “damage” Westminster will do to Scotland – “our working population is likely to fall. Who knows what will happen to our NHS in future trade deals” (“Sturgeon says unionists will try to exploit Brexit impact”, The Herald, September 14). Actually, it is under SNP health governance that every health board in Scotland has signed a contract with the US private health company, IHI.
Westminster has, allegedly, “made us poorer”. The truth is that, over and above the usual £2,000 per person per year Barnett bonus, Westminster has poured an extra £14 billion into Scotland during the pandemic, in terms of furloughing and business support. It is not Westminster’s fault that £2.7bn of business support has not reached business but has been snarled up somewhere in the SNP system. “They want us to believe we are powerless in the face of the disastrous decisions they have taken for us,” Ms Sturgeon claims. Yep. Furloughing and the quick production and distribution of Covid vaccines really were “disastrous decisions”. She talks about “resisting” Westminster as if Scots lived in an occupied country (as some of the wilder fringes of the SNP claim).
To listen to Ms Sturgeon, you would think that “Westminster” – Tories, English, London, obviously – spends most of its waking hours engaged in a conspiracy to do Scotland down, that there is a whole civil service unit dedicated to that policy, just as she spends our money on her civil service referendum unit. This is the tired old SNP trope that was dishonest at the time of devolution, propagated incessantly during the referendum, and harped on at every election campaign. But now there is a clear element of paranoia in Ms Sturgeon’s words. “They are out to get us” is her message. It’s all to stop us from being “independent” – and look around us, she says, at other countries: “independence works”. I rather thought her adviser, Professor Mark Blyth, put the mockers on that by pointing out that “Denmark took 600 years to become Denmark” and that Scotland would not be transformed overnight into some mythical paradise (“FM adviser warns independence would bring 20 years of economic upheaval”, The Herald, September 7).
The blunt truth is that the UK would save money if Scotland left it. The corollary of that is that Scotland would be a lot poorer. Persecution-complex talk of Westminster being desperate to damage Scotland is a product of secession mania and deep-seated hostility towards our fellow citizens in the UK. Talk of “resisting” is an escalation of hostility. But fear not: we all know that Ms Sturgeon is becoming rather desperate in the face of the impossibility of holding a legal referendum on her own authority. What is interesting is that it has reached such a pass that her desperation is now very obvious.
Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh.
Today Ruth Marr writes (not published by the Herald:
According to Jill Stephenson, the UK pours money into Scotland and “the blunt truth is that the UK would save money if Scotland left it”. We probably have a better class of food banks too, as part of the Union dividend. So, what is Boris Johnson waiting for? He should call a referendum forthwith and let Scotland re-join the EU and give him back his Trident weapons of mass destruction. Alas, if only we’d had an Oil Fund, we could have reciprocated the generosity shown us by kindly Westminster governments and poured fifty years of our oil revenues into their Treasury. Instead, we should get down on our knees and thank Westminster for dropping their money into our begging bowls, and apologise for being alive.
Spot on!
Longer-term readers may remember we used to spend time on Stephenson:
Emeritus Professor, Jill Stephenson, is back with a personal attack based on amazing delusions. She is the one who described MP Mhairi Black as a ‘foul-mouthed slut’ back in 2015. Her tweet, above, is just the latest in a string of madcap paranoid assertions.
Here’s what we wrote of her back in May 2017:
‘Independence referendum will cause break-up of SCOTLAND not UK, warns top professor’
The ‘top’ professor returning to the fray is 73-year-old retired expert on Nazi Germany, Jill Stephenson. She’s predicting that even if we win Indyref2 we’ll trigger the further fragmentation of Scotland as Orkney and Shetland will elect to stay in Britain, like a northern Gibraltar. Here’s some of what she said:
‘It is clear that Scotland is a deeply divided country. This is the result of a long and bitter referendum campaign in 2012-14. There is palpable hatred on both sides of the divide that will take years, or perhaps decades, to heal.’
She should know about any bitterness after her comments about MP Mhairi black in 2015. I wrote about the prof at the time in Newsnet.scot. To avoid repeating myself, here’s and extract from what I said about the then only 71-year-old retired English professor who has only ever researched and written about Nazi Germany:
“If electors vote for a foul-mouthed slut like M Black, it says a lot about them and none of it is good.”
A wee Twitter storm developed, ending up with the good professor herself tweeting that she didn’t “give a flying fuck” and a respondent suggesting that as unionist she supported paedophiles!
Professor Stephenson’s [former?] expertise is Nazi Germany so you can see where’s she’s going with the ‘charisma’ comment. She has written on ‘German Christians in the Thuringian Protestant Church (1927-1945)’ so that must have been useful in looking at Scottish 21st Century politics. What about her, ‘Hitler’s priests, Catholic clergy and National Socialism?’
Oh come on, we’ve got Catholic clergy. She’s a professor. They know about all sorts of stuff, don’t they? She clearly has researched German history but has published nothing at all on Scottish politics and so is less authoritative on that than a researcher currently working on it.
newsnet.scot/commentary/when-is-a-professor-an-expert-the-answer-may-be-academic/embed/#?secret=hVevWhmp2XAdvertisements
What is the Unionist right-wing covert group that Stephenson is a member of?
Herald publishes anti-SNP unattributed letter by Ian Murray’s election agent and member of Scotland in Union’s covert propaganda letter writing group
In the Herald today, a letter attacking the ‘SNP Government’s’ handling of NHS Scotland and, in particular the issues of bed-blocking and discharges to care homes. https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/18532508.letters-need-national-care-service-work-alongside-nhs/
Thanks to one of our wonderful feeders, we can reveal that the author, unmentioned, was Ian Murray’s ‘wonderful agent’:
More worrying, however, Tate is a member of Scotland in Union’s undercover letter-writing group.
This letter-writing group organised by Scotland in Union is essentially a covert propaganda unit, clearly aware of the need to keep their existence secret.
They are writing to journalists, hoping to influence them and readers, pretending to be simply members of the public, honest citizens, if you like.
I don’t know about the legality of such practice but it’s clearly anti-democratic.
In July 2020, I wrote to the group’s CE, Pamela Nash, now a Labour MP:
To: Ms Pamela Nash, Chief Executive, Scotland in Union info@scotlandinunion.co.uk
cc: Ms Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister Nicola.Sturgeon.msp@parliament.scot
Transparency and accuracy in political campaigning
Dear Ms Nash
I write to you as the leader of Scotland’s largest pro-UK campaign group, to seek your help in promoting better political communication, providing members of the electorate with the transparency and accuracy they deserve and thus helping them to make informed decisions. I feel sure that as a former MP and as a democrat, you will agree with me, on the great importance of protecting these central principles of our democratic system.
I note that your group has a fact check system, further suggesting that this matters to you as much as it does to me.
I have two points to make.
Firstly, seeing recent ‘reader’s’ letters in Scottish newspapers and hearing calls to Radio Scotland, from members of your covert writing group, I have been concerned that none have mentioned their membership of Scotland in Union. I hope you will agree that this breaches the trust which members of the electorate should be able to put in all campaigners.
I attach evidence of the existence of this group and its apparent intention to deceive journalists and the public.
Secondly, I have been concerned by the inaccuracy of the content of the letters and statements made recently by Phil Tate, Professor Emerita Gill Stephenson, Allan Sutherland and David Bone. In every case, false statements were made. I won’t distract from the main issue here, lack of transparency, and point to these but suggest that in the interests of the reputation of your group you introduce some editorial control.
Professor John Robertson (rtd)
No reply.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
An article from 5 September 2024…
“New report shows the extent of universities’ role in driving economic growth in Scotland”
https://www.universities-scotland.ac.uk/lescotland/
“New data reveals the economic impact delivered by Scotland’s 19 universities and higher education institutions at £17.1 billion and highlights that Scotland’s higher education sector offers a better economic return on public investment made in research and innovation than anywhere else in the UK, except London, with a benefit-to-cost ratio of nearly 11:1.
As the Scottish Government focuses on its priority of economic growth with a purpose and attracting external investment, Scotland’s universities are a major economic asset and partner in this agenda.
In a report commissioned from London Economics by Universities UK, the economic impact of the UK university sector’s teaching, research, and innovation activities was evaluated, with a detailed disaggregation by UK nation and region. The data focuses on the 2021-22 academic year.”
continues
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Well it is the letters page after all….
I guess “We know…” who continues stirring the shite even in retirement….
You should thank her for the free ad for “separatist blog”, perhaps say it with flowers, a poison ivy wreath seems appropriate…..
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Quite why dear Jill is not one of the Heralds feature writers yet, I still don’t know.
Does she have any experience with catamarans?
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Given that her ”speciality ” is Nazi Germany , then she has probably learned from wee Joe Goebbels that if you are going to tell a lie , make it a big one – and keep repeating it !
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Getting a Scottish Gov education pension. To slag off Scotland.
Not much gratitude there. Tory austerity.
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I’m sorry, but I just can’t….I just can’t….Ha Ha
But then again…..why not….so also Ha Ha
If it looks like a British Nationalist (Ha Ha) spins like a British Nationalist (Ha Ha) and so writes like a British Nationalist…..hack (Ha Ha) then it’s probably a British Nationalist (Ha Ha)….and so……..
That is what she is , for sure.
Demented for Britain…. also for sure…..and also yet another Ha Ha
Liz S
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Today, 9 March 2025 , Kevin McKenna in The Herald.
The Herald tweeted this today as stated by Kevin McKenna……(a favourite Hack of this site… Ha Ha) ….
“It’s clear that the FM is rattled by the growing popularity of Reform UK”.
“Many decent folk support reform because SNP is now a haven for frauds and extremists”
How about I change that tweet to this :
‘It’s clear that Kevin is rattled because of the now greatly diminishing support for Labour in Scotland , which Labour assumed , as did Kevin also assume , would continue up to 2026 after last years GE wins for Labour in Scotland.
However now most voters here see how useless, cruel , unreliable and Tory like the Labour party are , so they as voters, are now saying ‘Duck that for a game of Soldiers’ , and so they, as voters, will stick with the SNP in the 2026 Scottish elections, though perhaps some staunch Labour voters may vote for Reform UK, maybe even Kevin will too, since he seems to ‘like them’.
Many decent folk support the SNP because the Labour party is a haven for frauds, liars and British Nationalists. Hacks like Kevin McKenna are pumping out British Nationalist propaganda to help Labour in Scotland and also to try to hinder the SNP’.
So when push comes to shove if you find that you , as a Hack ,start to sink down to the depths of saying nice things about a Nigel Farage party……
………especially when you supposedly should know better, as in know exactly who and what Farage is , and then also know who and what his various pseudo protest parties represent.
Then perhaps “Now is the time” when you should seek alternative employment as you have just destroyed all of your credibility, if that is, you had any in the first place, which I doubt, as you are way way too partisan as a Hack and also way way too anti SNP in all that you scribble in any British Nationalist rag that employs you , but only employs you for that sole purpose , in you mainly writing #SNPBAD on repeat….in column after column.
But wait……..
A great wee Indy supporting Twitter account called ‘Johnny Dundee’ tweeted this on 2 February 2025.
“Next time you see The Herald’s Kevin McKenna’s weekly ‘I hate the SNP’ column, it helps to remember this. Quality judgement you expect from journalists, and too an MSM in Scotland, who are increasingly nothing more than being all about the trolling”.
This tweet by Johnny Dundee was prompted by a tweet from Kevin McKenna and also by a quote from Thomas Kerr , as in the former Tory Councillor who has now defected to the Reform UK party.
McKenna’s tweet on 2 September 2023
“I spent an afternoon on the stump of Burnbank with the most impressive Conservative I’ve ever encountered. My feature on Thomas Kerr in The Herald”
Thomas Kerr had commented on the 2 February 2025 that “the country should be ‘rolling out the red carpet’ for Donald Trump” whom he, Kerr, believes is the “most pro UK President there has ever been”.
A lesson for Thomas Kerr in ‘life coming at you fast’………..with his Hero Trump now being crucified by the world wide and UK media , who have extensively reported on the recent Oval office charade with Zelensky…….Ha Ha, no worries though, as Thomas (formerly) impressed Kevin as a Tory …..allegedly.
I guess though, this makes the case for Kevin McKenna’s lack of political judgement and also very much his lack of judgement on others people’s character aka politicians characters.
I mean who even knew that he, McKenna, cared enough or chose to take the time to find any “impressive Conservatives” and then spend an afternoon with them Ha Ha
Now that Thomas Kerr is no longer a “Conservative” , as now he himself fails to remain both “impressed” with or loyal to his former Tory party , instead he chose to leave the British Nationalist Tory party and defect to an English Nationalist party , The Reform UK party. (as he, Thomas Kerr, was likely ‘impressed’ with the good polling for Reform UK compared to the poor polling for his former party the Tories Ha Ha).
Cue Kevin McKenna now spending another afternoon with Thomas Kerr and still finding him to be “impressive”, but this time as an “Impressive” Reform UK Councillor, that is, a defected one (in more ways than one) as opposed to an elected one Ha Ha .
Message here is ‘Be careful of the (political) company you keep’ , though it seems Kevin is not that fussy as long as it’s not the company of the SNP, whom Kevin regards as being “frauds and extremists”, yet he fails to recognise the way way way too many “Frauds and Extremists” in his own profession, himself included, and also very very very much all of those “Frauds and Extremists” in all of pro UK political parties.
Vote SNP in 2026, if nothing else just to shut up people like Kevin McKenna and his fraudulent and extremist claims that lies about why the FM is really against the uber self serving right wing protest party , Reform UK party, clue its not because of their ‘growing popularity’ in Scotland ( as that is mainly in Kevin’s hopeful head, as in #AnybodyButTheSNP).
Liz S
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She is a consistent contributor to arch Tory Robert Kilgour’s site, ThinkScotland, which is actually anti Scottish, where they most definitely show their absolute hatred for all Scottish people who agree with Independence.
Kilgour is listed as an entrepreneur who has made a fortune from his private care homes…….https://robertkilgour.com/He very kindly shares his time between London and Scotland, he also backed Murdo Fraser for leader of the Tory party in Scotland……….https://conservativehome.com/2024/09/06/robert-kilgour-in-2011-i-backed-fraser-for-scottish-tory-leader-but-this-time-findlay-is-the-only-choice/ as a die hard tory his ThinkScotland website is one very small step from Reform.
Stephenson seems to be obsessed with Talking Up Scotland and mentions it whenever she can in her anti Scottish bile posts, for example…..
“This is particularly true among Scottish nationalists. They have been tutored in their ideology and what they must say to combat the ‘Unionists’ they detest and whom they habitually accuse of ‘talking Scotland down’. Their propaganda sources, either the SNP’s ‘communications’ department or some blatantly inaccurate websites (‘Business for Scotland’, ‘Believe in Scotland’, ‘You yes yet’, e.g.) or blogs (‘talking up Scotland’, ‘Newsnet’, ‘Yours for Scotland’, e.g.) disparage the UK and make idle boasts about the ‘successes’ of the SNP regime in such areas as health, education, welfare.”
Anybody getting really annoyed yet…..just in case you are not, here is some more from her same post……..
“The real problem is, however, that the SNP and the fringe separatist groups have not been able to produce a coherent case for Scotland seceding from the UK, whereas the case for the pro-UK side is unassailable and recognised as such by the well-informed. All that is left to the nationalists is lying about the relevant facts and figures and attacking the experts who produce the evidence that Scotland would be poorer and in a worse condition if it left the UK.”
If you really want to read the entire psychobabble here is the link…Why so many nationalists disparage experts in Scotland
If you want to read more of her bilious hatred, which I suggest is really not worth the effort, again here is the link but don’t blame me….. Author: Jill Stephenson – Think Scotland
JB
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