Chaos / Scotland: 10 Political Questions Facing Us
As the chaos and confusion surrounding the break-up of the Bute House Agreement and the resignation of Humza Yousaf continues to explode, a few issues and questions emerge. Here’s 10:
- What does all this mean for the independence movement rather than the SNP? If, as seems likely the SNP is going through a period of crisis what does this mean for the YES movement? The journalist Neil Mackay writes: “By the way, independence isn’t dead, and anyone saying so is an arse. Support remains as high as it ever was since 2014. What’s changed is that the politicians who back independence have shown themselves to be utterly useless We need the Yes movement freed from political parties.” How would this work?
- Ladbrokes have suspended betting on the leadership after receiving so many bets on him. The afternoon saw many high level SNP party members, MPs and MSPs support him. But if he’s a stabilising force doesn’t he also represent ‘continuity’ when the SNP is in desperate need of change? Isn’t someone associated with the Sturgeon-Salmond-Murrell era a millstone?
- Should there be a Scottish election? Isn’t it hypocritical to denounce the Conservatives changing leader and retaining power at No 10 – but then not argue the same is needed here? There’s one planned for 2026 – and one for the UK due within the next eight months.
- In his resignation speech Humza Yousaf said that “Independence is frustratingly close.” But Independence doesn’t feel frustrating close at all! … This is just delusional and a very strange thing to say. Is that self-delusion on his part, or am I missing something?
- To what extent does the deeper political crisis represent a crisis of the whole of devolution rather than just the SNP? After being in power for so long, and having become synonymous with devolution itself, and embedded as THE political establishment, how do you – or DO YOU – protect the idea of devolution from the collapse of the SNP? Or, is devolution worth defending?
- Is there another political party more delusional than Alba? Despite being hugely boosted by a very friendly media they seemed astonished that their kind offer of the support of their one MSP was rejected. Of all the parties they are the one hoping that there will not be a Scottish election.
- In his resignation speech Humza Yousaf was clearly emotional. Earlier in the week Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay burst into tears on Radio Scotland. Do these expressions of emotions make you warm to individuals for showing their humanity, or make them look ridiculous?
- Much has been made of Humza Yousaf being Scotland’s first Scottish Asian leader, indeed he referenced it in his speech today. But isn’t it true that some of the underlying opposition to him has been, in fact, racist?
- Does the spectacle of this politics make you feel even more deflated and depressed at the grandstanding and jostling for position? Doesn’t the whole political class just look ridiculous?
- In modern politics so much seems viewed through the prism of personality. He’s a ‘nice guy’, he’s a steady ‘pair of hands’, she’s ‘attractive to voters’. Does it just show a void of policy differences?
This time I agree with much of what you’ve written, with some exceptions, that is. The comment on opposition to Humza’s role as First Minister being racist. I could say that his ethnic origin may have been the reason for promoting him, and was itself racist. After all, by whatever measure you use he failed at every office he’s held before becoming FM. Maybe the SNP couldn’t let the English get away with having a minority PM. Actually, most people realised that Nicola chose him for her own purposes, not Scotland’s.
He is a virtue-signalling, self-professed progressive who uses identity politics to try to establish his moral superiority over everyone. Scots are nofools, but dare criticise him and you are automatically labelled as racist. It’s a scam. Until the political establishment is honest with itself and starts being honest with the Scottish people, then the Scottish political establishment will continue to fail to deliver independence, and good governance . They are no better than their counterparts in Westminster.
The English people are every bit as skeptical about the One-Nation Tories, the dizzy Labour leadership (dizzy because of the 21 or so of Starmer’s U-turns); the dopey Lib Dem’s, and the Far-Woke Greens – who’s connection with reality is as tenuous as Hitler’s was in 1945.
Labour and Plaid in Wales have shown just how disconnected they are from our Welsh working class cousins (I am 1/4 Welsh).
For decades now the political establishment, unelected civil service and quango executives & management have demonstrated that they do not have qualities that we took for granted in public servants such as Clement Attlee and the likes of the late Frank Field. We live in a technocracy of highly educated people, who use their gift of education not to deliver the people’s needs or aspirations, but to tell them what should have, what they should think and to be grateful for it.
Their problem is, we now live in an age of consumer expectation. We don’t put up with crap service and results from the commercial suppliers, so why should we put up with poor governance from people who take and waste a lot of our tax revenues. The establishment politicians can no longer rely on their mates in the mainstream media to hide their greed, ideology and incompetence any more.
So my advice to the current top of public servants is to up your game, or hand over control to the populists, who are now gaining ground all over Europe, and will soon dominate even the European Parliament.
Before any of you start whingeing. The Intelligentsia have brought it on themselves. Who’d listen to the Populists if the establishment had delivered on their promises and their oath to serve the people as laid out in the act of settlement, when the crown who represents the public servants gave the oath on their behalf.
Hi Steve
Not sure about the vitriol but your basic point – that if progressives don’t deliver genuine change for the population at large, then the population will turn to the crazies – seems sound.
It might be good to include reference to the fact that the crazies control so much of the media, which is partly why progressives act so timidly and don’t make tthe changes we need
History shows the crazies thrive in bad economic conditions and just make things drastically worse economically and socially.
To misquote Rufus T Firefly- ‘if you think things are bad now just wait until I get through with things.’
Fortunately, despite all the current travails, there is little sign that the ‘crazies’ so loved by Stevie H are making any political progress with electorate in Scotland.
Just so.
Someone who is not a politician ..there is a lady that come to mind…….she would get support from everyone ..speaks her mind ..the truth..has great charisma…you know her…
Who?
The ghost of Mary Whitehouse ?
Nope – who is this?
Lily Savage ? But she/He’s dead . Is that a barrier to power ?
This disillusioned boomer agrees with a comment by’confused’ on the Wings blog- Sturgeon+spook manipulation have brought us to where we are-there’s a concerted effort by deep-state to finish Indy off,and I find the nexus of media/commentariat/skewered candidate selection to give us callow spads+ minority over-representation(all parties equally guilty) has combined to leave us with no quality or heft in the move to Independence.
‘Spook manipulation’? Tell us more.
On Wings piece today, comments section, @ 11-54 by-line ‘confused’.
Is Gazza available?
I like John Swinney; he is a good man and technically competent. Unfortunately he is too nice and suffered in his short while as stand in leader. It now appears he is being pushed by all to step in and steady the ship. This would be a mistake. There is blood in the water and the forces of unionism will swallow him up if he takes the job.
I do not see anyone in Holyrood able to fill the boots of Alec Salmond or Nicola Sturgeon. There are some in Westminster that could do the job but that option has been ruled, by the buggins turn members at Holyrood, that they are ineligible.
Westminster SNP MPs are wasting their time, being ignored and ridiculed. Let them turn their backs on Westminster as the Irish did, bring them home and set them to work building a consensus here until there is a time where they would have the balance of power and be able to force Westminster to listen.
I sometimes get the feeling that Scotland’s central government is run by Serco and KPMG etc, and the politicians are just a PR show (and the means to flog stuff off to Serco, KPMG etc / nic stuff from your local council and give it to the forementioned). I trust shampoo advertising more than I trust the Scottish government proclaiming that they are fighting climate change/poverty/homelessness/NHS waiting lists/educational inequality/whatever. The governing party becoming so remarkably talentless must have taken serious dedication. Today I have listened to supporters of the current disasterous FM telling me that his greatest achievement was avoiding a strike (apart from where there were strikes). They have all got the same line, and thats it FFS. The Greens in government have also been a disaster zone (main achievement: ‘Net zero’ target scrapped due to government inaction helped along by the Green’s incompetence). I think it will get even worse with the next FM, then there will be an early Holyrood election. The independence movement (if you can call it that – I would call it a brand of Facebook pages), must look at the prospects of the Scottish government running a State with some trepidation, if they give it any consideration at all. Rant over.
Transphobia has destroyed any hope of independence. JK Rowling has only ever had one aim, to maintain the union. And she has played a blinder in leading the bigoted end of the independence movement destroy their own cause through hatred. It’s over. Welcome to another 300 years of colonialism, transphobes.
Transphobia as an impediment to independence? Goodness, you’ve not just gone down a particularly large rabbit hole, you seem to be lost in a warren. What is absurd it that gender issues have become such a contentious issue and political hot potato – talk about a first world problem. So 0.5% of the population have at times been discriminated against. Accepted. In a fair society we need to ensure this doesn’t continue. But compared with issues like global warming, poverty and inequality, an economic system on its last legs, drug addiction, and increasing geopolitical turmoil, it really is an issue that deserves the last couple of lines of the last paragraph of any party’s manifesto. That gender politics was a major contributing factor to the turmoil in the SNP and Scottish politics is just bizarre. We live in seriously interesting times, interesting as in chaotic and sinister.
Totally agree , John. All minorities suffer prejudice at times and it is the duty of the majority to protect minorities where possible. However the greatest good of the greatest number must be the main duty of government. Minority rights must never exceed the rights of the majority as this leads to resentment of the minority and increased intolerance.
I agree with both these posts.
I would also add that the independence movement has to gain widespread support to be successful. This doesn’t mean it should be populist but address the primary concerns of majority of population which in Scotland I would suggest are Health, economy, inequality, climate change and crime.
It also means that it cannot get too far ahead of public opinion with more niche issues such as gender reform as this will fracture independence movement and be ruthlessly exploited by opponents as has been demonstrated.
The SNP also has to reflect these priorities as it is by necessity a broad church.
Lastly the refusal of Westminster to accept another independence referendum has led to frustration within independence movement as there appears no viable way to independence at present time. The infighting within independence movement and SNP is in part due to this frustration and we appear to have started arguing amongst ourselves rather than with opponents.
Calm heads are needed at present to bring people together and avoid the infighting becoming worse prior to Westminster election.
1. What does all this mean for the independence movement rather than the SNP? Neil Mackay writes: “By the way, independence isn’t dead … We need the Yes movement freed from political parties.” How would this work?
The SNP and Greens have been destroyed by the British state in an unholy alliance with the globalists who make no secret of their wish to end the sovereignty of nation states altogether.
It’s much the same playbook as they have always used. I believe the SNP and the Greens – and the Scottish Parliament – are or were genuine but have been manipulated into making idiots of themselves.
For example, the SNP leadership challenge was a set up divide and rule culture war: traditional, highland, rural Scotland set against a ‘woke’ (whatever that means), urban, lowland one. Whichever ‘side’ won, Scotland as a whole would lose.
I think there’s been a naivety and a reluctance to accept just how nasty those addicted to absolute power at any cost can be. Nicola Sturgeon’s authoritarianism I suspect was at least partly a reaction to sustained attempts to destroy the party from within by setting people against each other.
The Greens found themselves infiltrated by people with a corporate agenda, as I discovered to my cost (after being a Green activist, branch officer and candidate for many years I suddenly found my membership cancelled)
So this whole mess might well make people weep. Politicians are not as incompetent as they are painted, but they have been outsmarted and outgunned by the experts. Alex Salmond is a tough, experienced politician and they destroyed his career. Nicola Sturgeon was naturally cautious and careful, but sadly not bold enough. Cognitive warfare is all the rage these days.
A lot of money has already been poured into the election campaign for Westminster here in Wester Ross by a nice well-meaning chap from Fort William who promises to speak up for us against SNP centralisation in Edinburgh. He’s a LibDem and he keeps on about what a good man Charles Kennedy was, years ago. He’s living a fantasy. The idea of those funding him is apparently to portray independence as discredited so we all come back to deciding we are ‘better together’ with Westminster. Well we’ll see about that!
The problem is really the same as in England and the US – whoever you vote for will be the ‘lesser’ of two or more evils. We are told to vote negatively every time – to keep someone else out. But the lesser of two evils may still be evil. Which of the two Westminster parties – corrupt, genocide supporting neofascists – do you prefer? This looks more and more like Putin’s ‘managed democracy’.
The Unionists and their globalist friends have deliberately engineered the current crisis in Scottish politics to destroy independence. The SNP and Greens have meekly accepted that globalism is the only show in town and that we are all dependent on international oligarchs for everything. That has destroyed their ability to do anything meaningful.
Political parties deprive individual politicians of their freedom to vote with their consciences. They are forced to do as they are told. Sadly I think that some politicians, discovering themselves frustrated, ignored, and persuaded to vote for things they have real personal ethical issues with, resort to passive aggressive behaviour like ‘learned incompetence’. They then decide to leave politics altogether.
The answer is surely to put up and vote for only independent candidates sworn to uphold the Claim of Right, and to put the needs and wishes of those they represent before party or lobbyists. (The Supreme Court’s rejection of it was a political act with no legal validity. Even now that needs to be appealed to the ECHR).
Every one of those candidates would be committed at least to Scotland’s right to decide its own future. I hope that on arrival at Westminster they would refuse to be treated with the contempt the SNP put up with and simply declare independence on the basis of a popular mandate.
The form our future takes will then be for Scots to decide democratically. Whether we rejoin the EU, have a Scots Pound, renationalise our Post Office and so on are simply matters for us to debate.
2. Isn’t someone associated with the Sturgeon-Salmond-Murrell era a millstone?
Sadly yes. The SNP needs a complete shake up and change of direction and it will take too long to persuade voters it’s genuine.
3. Should there be a Scottish election?
Yes of course. But at the moment the Unionists will run away with it – not because we are really better together with them but because people will be afraid of anarchy and chaos. We need a new political force with moral strength and credibility.
4. In his resignation speech Humza Yousaf said that “Independence is frustratingly close.” Is that self-delusion on his part, or am I missing something?
I don’t think it is self delusion. It seems pretty accurate to me, but it needs to be delivered by someone else – who can give rural Scotland a voice, because even in urban areas many people have rural family roots they care about. Scotland is far too centralised and urban centric. Worse, we are seeing an apparently deliberate managed decline and depopulation of so-called ‘remote rural’ areas in pursuance of the WEF’s 30:30 agenda. Rural Scotland has as much right to survive and thrive as urban areas. We need a new FM and Parliament with a vision of a decentralised, less globally dependent Scotland that we can all buy into.
5. To what extent does the deeper political crisis represent a crisis of the whole of devolution rather than just the SNP? … Or, is devolution worth defending?
Devolution is not worth defending! Power devolved is power retained – as we have seen. The only way for devolution to work would be through a devolved, federal UK, within a devolved EU, which will never happen. It’s now either complete integration into a unitary ‘UK’ state or full Scottish sovereignty.
6. Is there another political party more delusional than Alba? … Of all the parties they are the one hoping that there will not be a Scottish election.
I disagree. If Alba played its cards right I think it could win an election in Scotland. Which is why the Unionists, the SNP and the Greens constantly fear and denigrate it.
7. In his resignation speech Humza Yousaf was clearly emotional. .. Do these expressions of emotions make you warm to individuals for showing their humanity, or make them look ridiculous?
I warm to them. I don’t find it ridiculous at all. In contrast to any crocodile tears shed by Tories (of whatever colour)
8. Much has been made of Humza Yousaf being Scotland’s first Scottish Asian leader, indeed he referenced it in his speech today. But isn’t it true that some of the underlying opposition to him has been, in fact, racist?
Probably. I suspect the whole SNP leadership election was set up as it was with that in mind. Just as Kate Forbes was unfairly vilified for her religious views.
9. Does the spectacle of this politics make you feel even more deflated and depressed at the grandstanding and jostling for position? Doesn’t the whole political class just look ridiculous?
Yes and no. There is I believe a fascist / technocratic / antidemocratic agenda to make the political class look ridiculous. That message is ‘Let the technocrats come in and sort it all out.’ Politics has become commodified and sold to consumers like any other product or service. But what we buy and who we vote for is ultimately up to us.
10. In modern politics so much seems viewed through the prism of personality. He’s a ‘nice guy’, he’s a steady ‘pair of hands’, she’s ‘attractive to voters’. Does it just show a void of policy differences?
Yes. It’s a distraction.
Here’s a suggestion. Why don’t we all think up our own ‘manifestos’ of what we want and put them to candidates instead of waiting for their lies, platitudes, false promises. Ask them what if anything they actually believe. What if any vision for our (and their) future they have. And in what way they will guarantee voters that they will represent their interests before corrupt lobbyists, blackmailers and bullies. Will they consult with their constituents on major decisions? Why do they want to be an MP in the first place?
If we are going to hand power to people it’s up to us to make sure why we are doing it.