[0762]

There's still a "ray of hope" re the independence issue itself Jim! I can understand the despondency coming from many people re this current situation. However, I'm old enough to remember worse situations than this one when the SNP was truly split between the left and right of the party decades ago, but the party eventually came out of the crisis much stronger and more unified. Recent opinion polls show that the solid core indy support is thankfully still holding steady and I'm not surprised as most people view the SNP predicament as a political one rather than any slight on the independence movement. I, and indeed you, have previously highlighted the continuous hostile attacks on the SNP and the Scot govt for well over a year - a complicit RW media/press orchestrated from down south attacking our political ideology (strongly anti-Brexit btw and they don't like that!!) and democratically elected Scot govt that they don't like. Like him or loathe him, Yousaf will not be helped by this hostile media that is eager to exploit any "news" in Scotland that can be manipulated to promote a RW ideology and/or to sustain a long-dysfunctional and increasingly undemocratic Union. The worse the "news", the happier will be those preying on fears and feeding the self-interest of their customers predominantly located south of the border. This is what I'm observing at the moment. All who support independence already know that the sooner Scotland has the powers to determine its own future, the sooner the more serious work on constructing a fair, egalitarian and prosperous country can commence. In the meantime, the Scottish govt must work within an economic straitjacket, wrestling with many demands forced upon it. The "ray of hope" for me lies in a good number of ideas raised during that recent leadership contest - they not only have merit, but they can bring together the SNP and the wider "Yes Movement" in progressing our common cause. Like many other indy supporters, I regard Nicola Sturgeon as failing badly in that regard and that has to be quickly rectified by Yousaf, and others like the newly appointed Minister for Independence. The challenge is huge, but initial actions by Yousaf are encouraging - broaden involvement and input both within and outwith the SNP (perhaps via a Scottish Independence Convention). As every day, another "negative Scot Govt story" is broadcast by BBC Scotland, and permeates the UK MS media, often without any objective context, Yousaf's idea of an instant/rapid "rebuttal unit" is a good one IMO. It needs to be created in order that an appropriate spokesperson can immediately inform the media of pertinent context (rather than rely on more Tory propaganda). Same goes for these bogus annual GERS figures that Sturgeon and her govt meekly accepted on an annual basis and compiled by a devious Brit govt - the preparation of "RealGERS" figures/reports required and publicised please!!!!! That is long overdue and useful in subjectively countering misleading claims that Scotland has an enduring reliance on UK financial aid. Lastly, I concur re that gut feeling there is something else going on in the background re the Murrell case and not quite sure what it is. Is that sinister Brit govt financed "Union Unit" involved in this shit???? I'm not sure! I wish some kinda whistleblower "crawled out the woodwork" to expose a Unionist conspiracy against Scotland that is definitely active and has been for quite a while. It goes "hand in hand" with the aforementioned media and political attacks that we have previously debated with great concern.

[0762]

I notice during the never-ending weekly English media/press assaults against our democratically elected Scottish govt and the SNP, the Foreign Sec (James Cleverly) recently commented that Scottish govt officials abroad would be monitored by Foreign Office officials instructed to ensure they are not "talking up" Scottish independence and Scottish trade interests??? Unbelievable childish, insecure political behaviour in my humble opinion. And it won't work - too many political allies/friends abroad already know of Scotland's quest for Scot independence and the total opposition to GB Brexit - a failure that we voted overwhelmingly against but got dragged out of the EU in spite of pre-promises by shit-bag Brit-Unionist politicians that this wouldn't happen. Then, a couple of days ago, an unelected cretinous lickspittle named Lord Frost additionally called on the Scottish govt to be denied diplomatic status????? Absolutely outrageous antagonism being observed from politicians behaving like insecure juvenile delinquents! I've come to the conclusion that these bastards have been told to try to antagonise in the hope of an extreme reaction from factions of Scots who have had enough of this shit - playing right into their hands and their compliant BBC's hands. We must not fall for this!! An unelected Brexiteer should have no say in our affairs and hopefully the Scot gov is keeping relevant international bodies and groups "in the loop". To any Scots reading this, I just wanna end this thread by saying, "I think it is incumbent on all of us to become personal ambassadors for Scotland. The world will judge us as individual people and recognise Scotland as a nation (not a colony of England!!) if we continually make the case that we are Scots and that we are an oppressed people - let the world know Scotland is a victim of insidious and systematic oppression that is clearly being orchestrated from England in different ways, the worst that I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.

[0762]

Today the Scottish Labour Party leader, Anas Sarwar, dismissed claims Scot Labour is just a "branch office"??? Aye, that'll be right Mr Sarwar!!! Too many savvy Scottish voters know otherwise btw. Also a quick check of the Electoral Commission shows no evidence of a political party named Scottish Labour. It is registered as an accounting unit of the UK Labour party and is not registered under the terms of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. I rest my case and anybody voting for this political party any time soon really needs to "give themselves a shake" and waken up to whatever bizarre reasoning they have in coming to such an ill-conceived decision.

[0762]

On the subject of Nicola Sturgeon herself, I notice she has finally accepted the publishing offer from Pan Macmillan who have won the rights to her book covering her memoirs after a nine-way bidding war. I wonder how much that deal will eventually bring in to her and her husband, Peter Murrell? And I applaud her for telling Labour's Keir Starmer to "grow a backbone" in a subtle jibe today at an Edinburgh Fringe event.

[St Charles Owl]

On the subject of Nicola Sturgeon herself, I notice she has finally accepted the publishing offer from Pan Macmillan who have won the rights to her book covering her memoirs after a nine-way bidding war. I wonder how much that deal will eventually bring in to her and her husband, Peter Murrell? And I applaud her for telling Labour's Keir Starmer to "grow a backbone" in a subtle jibe today at an Edinburgh Fringe event.

I might read this, quite like Political books. Thatchers book was excellent even though I didn’t agree with her policies and the Alan Clark Diaries are a good read.

[0762]

What is also unsurprising to me is the huge international interest in her book. No doubt, this is why there was such an intense competition between nine reputable publishers to get her to "sign on the dotted line".

[hibeejim21]

Police scotland are going to have to decide soon whether to charge nicola and her husband, this is just getting ridiculous. The money and its rather dubious accounting of have been common knowledge for years now.

Every main political party in the UK has been rather "creative" in its accounting and donations for years now. I don't remember anyone else getting their garden dug up though.

[0762]

Leave the whole case open until next year, GE 2024, Jim? How politically convenient that would be in keeping an open case stigmatising an anti-Union political enemy/party called the SNP while realising there are no charges to bear on either of them or the treasurer. Over two and a half years since this whole accounting issue arose and the ex-Chief Constable's (Ian Livingstone) recent defensive comments re the lengthy period of Police investigation and the use of a "murder tent" in the front garden to protect the parties under investigation are highly suspicious. Meanwhile the Tories/Brit govt have been allowed to get away with a huge list of historical financial violations that are far bigger than this small-fry one against the SNP where the colluding media and BBC up here cover the "bad SNP" crusade far differently than they do re similar issues in England or Wales. The £37B misspent on test n trace, the PPE scandal, the Tory donors' scandal, Sunak's £7.3B tax cuts to the financial sector and then allowing the polluters in the fossil fuel industry to drill for more poison in the North Sea. Remember, this was the same oil and gas that we Scots were told was running out by these Unionist liars in Scotref year 2014!!!!! And more recently, note the Infrastructure Project Authority (IPA) has branded HS2 delivery dates for the first two phases as UNACHIEVABLE!!! This is not a financially insignificant project - it is costing upwards of £100B. From the original cost of £55B btw!!! The IPA is the UK's centre of expertise in infrastructure project management - they know what they are talking about!!! The funding for this project will be taken from the broad shoulders of HM Treasury. "Taken from monthly revenue", one may ask? No, not normally. The projects' monies are taken from long-term borrowings of government bonds, counted as govt debt and guess what? We all pay for it!! Yep, England, Scotland and Welsh taxpayers pay for it!! The Bank of England sets interest rates to attract these bond sales, to fund these debts!! Yes, based on Bank of England base rates! So with interest rate rises, we all suffer from at risk projects like this one. Any others? I'd add Hinckley Point, Sizewell C Nuclear Plants plus the Ajax military vehicles to name three. I won't get started on Trident, WMDs that the Scot population is unanimously against being utilised in Bella Caledonia. And yet, the likes of the UK Labour Party based in Scotland seem to think that the Scottish Govt is profligate??????????? Small fry stuff as previously commented and highly political anti-Scotland/anti-democracy activities bordering on desperation.

[hibeejim21]

It always amazes me when people think the UK is NOT corrupt.

[0762]

Yep! Hugely corrupt and we in Scotland are being hit in so many ways by these corrupt bastards and their colluding press/media who cross our border from another country and hammer us with their usual bogus, exaggerated bullshit, salvo after salvo, been doing it for ages and getting away with it. Eg recent civil servants' spending/expenses bills presented by BBC Scotland as the SNP's fault??????????????????????? An absolutely outrageous presentation of blame apportioned to the SNP!!!!!!? This is the the kinda politically driven skewed presentations that the BBC and the politically driven Unionist infiltrators in their organisation have been desperately feeding to a Scottish audience for a long time. I'd love to shut them down and replace them with a totally independent Scottish Broadcasting Authority instead of what should be more accurately named the British National Broadcasting Authority that has outstayed it's welcome in Scotland. Note full independence for Scotland can do that as well as return all our monies that we can utilise to transform our country into a far better, accountable nation that respects the welfare/wellbeing of its citizens as set out in a proper written constitution. We can do so much better instead of being held to this tired and unworkable Union where we are not an equal partner as these lying bastards have previously alluded and now realised they have been well sussed out by millions of Scots - WE CAN THRIVE AS A VIBRANT, NEW NATION AND MATCH UP TO SIMILAR-SIZED COUNTRIES THAT HAVE ATTAINED THIS SUCCEESSFUL TRANSITION AND PROVED TO BE BIG ENOUGH, SMART ENOUGH AND RICH ENOUGH.