stewartb In early April 2020 I did some online research into which institutions in the UK referred to Scotland as a ‘nation’ or as a ‘country’: I kept notes on what I found, with links to sources. I was prompted to do this after seeing many social media contributions from Unionists denying that the UK was other than one, unified state. One of the sources I used at the time was the website of The Commonwealth. I used this:  https://thecommonwealth.org/our-member-countries/united-kingdom At that time, in April 2020 it stated explicitly that the UK is a union of four countries: England, Scotland, … Continue reading Stop referring to Scotland and Wales as “countries”

The above story is just one of many twisting reality into a distorted shriek aimed at attracting attention, sales and advertising revenue, through clicks. News media owned by corporations only serve their own interests and can never serve the interests of readers. State media, to state the obvious, serve the interests of the state, manifest in the ruling party and groups which dominate the establishment ie the civil service heads, the top military officers, university principals, chief executives and others like them. State media will never serve the interests of the masses or of minorities seeking outcomes not conducive to … Continue reading An alternative to Scotland’s corporate and state media

Excited at the prospect of taking Shona Robison’s scalp a second time, our MSM and their feeders have conveniently forgotten the fourth party, the Greens, and restored the titchy Lib Dems to importance in the campaign. From the Herald: Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison has called for Holyrood’s opposition parties to back full devolution of powers over employment policies to Scotland. But the bid to secure more powers to the Scottish Parliament has been branded a “predictable political fight” and the minister has been urged to focus on using the powers Scotland has already. Douglas Ross gets the chance to try … Continue reading Scotland’s media ignore Greens surpassing Lib Dems to maintain employment powers story

The Herald reports breathlessly: More than half a billion pounds has been paid out by Scottish public bodies during the coronavirus crisis without any scrutiny. Analysis by the Herald on Sunday of public contracts show more than 160 were awarded by the NHS, Scottish Government, local authorities, and others directly to suppliers without any competitive process. And, shockingly, ‘some’ firms have SNP links! Wait, around 50% of the population is pro-independence so by rights 50% of companies getting contracts might be expected to be owned by or led by someone pro-indy? Now if any of the contracts went to Nicola’s chums at … Continue reading Ayrshire town residents furious that Nicola gave them no contracts

As the UK establishment forces ponder what they can do about Scottish support for independence and decide to send a super-rich prince, to flaunt his wealth and sense of entitlement, in a country also moving to the republican left, I’m reminded of Frankie Boyle’s comments on Afghanistan and Prince Harry. He said, as I remember it: How can we teach the Afghans about democracy? I know, let’s send a prince to shoot at them from a helicopter! A more subtle approach is proposed in our hilly wee land and this prince, though also helicopter-capable, will be helicoptered in for a … Continue reading What about that Charlie?

Alasdair Galloway Some may remember a piece I wrote on March 24th,  which was published here (https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2021/03/24/something-not-about-alex-nicola-or-even-james-hamilton/), which concluded “Call it what you want – collapse of a dysfunctional UK state, divorce, or whatever. It does though seem to me that a referendum is not necessarily going to be the only way forward.” An event took place – or at least we had notice – in the last few days which may, in due course take this forward. That event – as the title suggests – is accession to, at least the power of DUP leader, if not FM of … Continue reading Gladstone and Lloyd George were brought down by Ireland, so what chance does Boris have?

As the infection rates of the UK and India converge, after India failed to match the UK peak by some way, will the authorities in India soon be requiring Brits to quarantine on arrival? If the current trends continue, will India put the UK on their Red List? Remembering when the film Slumdog Millionaire was labelled ‘poverty porn’ will BBC coverage of the pandemic in India come to be known as ‘pandemic porn?’ Sources: https://ig.ft.com/coronavirus-chart/?areas=ind&areas=gbr&areasRegional=usny&areasRegional=usnj&areasRegional=usia&areasRegional=usca&areasRegional=usnd&areasRegional=ussd&cumulative=0&logScale=0&per100K=1&startDate=2020-09-01&values=cases Continue reading Will India put UK on Amber List?

Only Wales, Israel, UAE, Mongolia and Scotland have now administered more than 100 vaccines for every 100 people. That’s not what the public want to know says Puttick of the Times: No, indeed, says Holt of BBC Scotland speaking from back in February: And, Scotland NOT lagging behind other UK nations! What? Surely not. Don’t tell ‘them’ they might vote SNP: Douglas Ross: ‘It’s a tiny increase by Scotland made to look better by a decline in the figures for England. Who is in charge there? Remind me. Graphs: https://www.travellingtabby.com/uk-coronavirus-tracker/ Continue reading Most of World lagging behind Scotland with more vaccinations than people

The Herald opens with: MINISTERS have provoked anger for telling teachers to watch out for critics of Covid-19 public health messaging in a bid to prevent radicalisation of children. The Education Scotland ‘prevent extremism’ advice says that official “reporting procedures” should be implemented to curb children’s access to fake news and combat “extremists’ disinformation” over Covid-19 – indicating effectively that the parents could end up carrying the can. Melodramatc, paranoid, nonsense in a desperate attempt to construct another ‘crisis’ in schools. There is a huge amount of fake news, misinformation and downright quackery right across social media and, at times, in the tabloids urging … Continue reading Herald joins campaign to reduce vaccine uptake

When I see Susan Dalgety, former First Minister, Dame Jack MacConnell’s PA, I smell bile and hypocrisy, that popular New Labour aftershave favoured by the likes of Brian Bad Vibrations Wilson, even at the bottom of the Scotsman’s front page, I read no further, for my own health: The headline’s enough. ‘We’ need new suffragettes? Aye, right! Dalgety is the right-of-centre, establishment type that would have been sticking hoses down suffragette throats in some prison cell. Here she is her natural home, Johnson’s old Scottophobic rag, the Spectator, attacking her ‘own’ if it were possible for sociopathic Blairites to ever … Continue reading Susan Dalgety means we don’t need new hypocrites