It's Disciplinary Eve here at Scot Goes Pop HQ - so I can't help but note the irony of the sudden emergence today of a new genre of Alba tweet, about how "expelling independence supporters from political parties is BAD"

Several months after the Alba leadership started targeting me, first by unconstitutionally removing me from my directly elected position on a working group that was (ironically) reviewing the party constitution, and then by arbitrarily suspending my party membership altogether, I will finally, at long last, face an actual "disciplinary" hearing tomorrow night.  Yvonne Ridley boasted that she had inside knowledge that it had been long since pre-decided that I will be expelled from the party outright - I've no idea if that's true, but I will very shortly find out, and I must say that based on what I've witnessed as an elected member of the Disciplinary Committee in recent months, I don't find the idea inherently implausible.

Given the irony of the timing, I couldn't help but be thoroughly bemused by the sudden emergence today of a new genre of tweet from leading Alba figures, which essentially amounts to "expelling independence supporters from political parties is BAD". An attitude I thoroughly approve of, if it's actually put into practice and means something.

Neale Hanvey: "Expelled for demanding *checks notes* action on independence. 

Independence is the @AlbaParty priority. 

@AngusBMacNeil will fit right in."

Suzanne Blackley: "Expelled for putting Independence front and centre.

No one should doubt his commitment to the cause and having people like Angus in Holyrood will actually see us make some progress!"

Robert Reid: "*Expelled for being too radical in pursuit of Scottish Independence.

Fixed it for you"

Crikey, this is inspiring stuff, isn't it?  "In our party, you can be bold, be radical, be yourself, speak your mind.  There's no need to self-censor. If you see something that's wrong, don't shut up, make demands.  Join us, and we won't take disciplinary action against you for doing these things like the SNP did.  You'll fit right in!"

I've gotta say, chaps, that is exactly the sort of party I thought I was joining when I joined Alba in 2021, but can you put your hands on your hearts and say it's actually worked out that way in the real world?  No, you can't.  Good independence supporters have been expelled from Alba this year, while others were subject to obscenely lengthy suspensions.  None of them were guilty of anything that anyone with an ounce of common sense would regard as genuine wrongdoing.  They weren't violent or threatening, they didn't defraud anyone, they didn't sexually harass anyone, they didn't use racist language.  All they were "guilty" of was trying to win independence in what the Alba leadership deemed to be the "wrong" way (ie. by continuing to work with indy supporters outside the party), or speaking out about what they genuinely - and in my view rightly - felt to be disturbing irregularities in the party's internal procedures.

In my case, I'm facing disciplinary action because I spoke out strongly and persistently about the need to democratise the party's system of internal elections. So whatever the outcome of tomorrow's hearing, I trust the committee won't make a total mockery of today's official narrative of "speak out, demand radicalism, and in Alba you'll fit right in!"  It would be rather odd if away from the public gaze that narrative suddenly morphed into a barrage of questions along the lines of "why didn't you shut up?  why did you speak publicly about your own personal views without authorisation? don't you realise Alba is a secret society and you can only say these things behind closed doors and even then THERE ARE LIMITS?", etc, etc, etc.

In 24 hours we shall see.