I was just about to give you the full figures from tonight's new Norstat poll, but the archived page I was relying on has stopped working (probably temporarily). What I can tell you for now from memory is that the poll shows the SNP and Greens on course to retain a narrow pro-independence majority at Holyrood, with 65 seats between them, and unionist parties on 64. Labour and the Tories are both dangerously close to being overtaken by Reform - they are on 18 seats apiece and Reform are on 15.
Once again, Alba are not projected to win any seats, and their list vote share has dropped by one point.
The independence question shows an exact 50-50 tie.
I'll update this post once I find the full numbers.
UPDATE: Here are the figures...
Scottish Parliament constituency ballot (Norstat / Sunday Times, 11th-14th February 2025):
SNP 35% (-2)
Labour 18% (-3)
Conservatives 15% (+1)
Reform UK 14% (+2)
Liberal Democrats 11% (+1)
Greens 6% (+1)
Scottish Parliament regional list ballot:
SNP 30% (-2)
Labour 17% (-1)
Conservatives 15% (-1)
Reform UK 13% (+1)
Liberal Democrats 11% (+1)
Greens 10% (+2)
Alba 4% (-1)
Seats projection: SNP 55, Conservatives 18, Labour 18, Reform UK 15, Liberal Democrats 13, Greens 10
I noticed Alba HQ's resident wonderbairn Robert Reid sniffing around Ballot Box Scotland on Bluesky the other day, and one possible reason for that may be that BBS contradicted John Curtice's official seats projection from the previous Norstat poll by suggesting Alba might actually win one seat. Alba have since been flogging that unofficial BBS projection for all they're worth, but I'm fairly sure there's no way BBS will be projecting Alba to have any seats now that their list vote is down to 4%. Remember that since 2021, Norstat (and their predecessor Panelbase) have had a house effect that consistently overestimates Alba's list support, so although 4% would be an encouraging vote share for Alba if another polling firm reported it, in the context of Norstat it's a disappointment for them.
Across all polling firms, this is the fourth out of the last five Holyrood polls to have shown a pro-indy majority on the seats projection, so there's no point in anyone suggesting that it's a fluke at this stage. The odd one out was the Survation poll, but even that had the SNP and Greens combined on 63 seats - just two short of a majority.
Should Scotland be an independent country?
Yes 50% (-4)
No 50% (+4)
It's now pretty clear that the previous Norstat poll putting Yes on 54% was a bit of an outlier, and that may well explain why the SNP's vote has dipped a little in the Holyrood numbers - the previous poll may just have had too many Yes and SNP supporters in the sample due to random sampling variation. But I'm actually fairly encouraged by a 50-50 tie, because the data tables from the Survation poll a few weeks ago gave the impression of quite a substantial No lead on the unpublished independence question, so at least there's no sign from Norstat of a swing to No apart from the natural reversion of an outlying result. Norstat/Panelbase have been a relatively No-friendly polling firm in recent years, and 50% for Yes is very much on the high side from them.
Net ratings of leaders:
John Swinney (SNP): -2
Anas Sarwar (Labour): -17
Russell Findlay (Conservatives): -24
Donald Trump (US Republicans): -32
Keir Starmer (Labour): -34
Kemi Badenoch (Conservatives): -37
And those net ratings are a strong clue that the SNP's lead over Labour is highly unlikely to be overturned in time for next May unless there is some kind of major disruptive event - by which I mean something on the scale of the Falklands War, the Covid pandemic, or a change of Prime Minister.
Nigel Farage is a slightly odd omission from the above list - as intriguing as it is to see where Trump slots in, Farage's rating would have been of greater significance.
There's also a Westminster question in the poll - for some reason the Sunday Times have only published sketchy details of it, but it must be favourable for the SNP because the seats projection is: SNP 38, Labour 8, Liberal Democrats 6, Conservatives 5.
* * *
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Is this where labour says “we will work with the snp”
ReplyDeleteI think SNP would form a SNP-Green coalition.
DeleteI bloody well hope not... The only thing Humza Yousaf did right was bin the Bute House agreement, we don't need that level of incompetence returning to Government!
DeleteThe Bain principle is shot through SLab like letters through a stick of rock. They'd die screaming Vile Nats '79 before ever making a deal with the SNP.
Delete"The Bain principle is shot through SLab like letters through a stick of rock. They'd die screaming Vile Nats '79 before ever making a deal with the SNP."
DeleteUntil they get even a sniff of power. Then they'll roll over.
Please please not the Greens
DeleteThey're only good for hissy scenes
They cost Scotland hundreds of millions
Ban the cars, carry their messages on pillions
While normal folk cannae afford a tin of beans
Good result for SNP allowing another SNP government to be formed which is important.
ReplyDeleteIt’s not a result it’s only a poll.
DeleteVery good week all round for the SNP, very proud of the parties recovery. A certain poster on here will be absolutely raging lol.
ReplyDeleteI am not, ya daftie!
DeleteDo you mean the one who posts as IFS but also posts as an anon? But he’s an ardent Indy supporter, is he not?
DeletePunched the air when I seen this poll!
DeleteCare to make another brilliant prediction for the next election?
When I seen?
DeleteOh please.
Keep Niddrie away from the New Town.
IFS won't be happy at anon 3:01 lol
DeleteIt's like SNP gaslighting central btl on SGP these days led by the ultra propagandist Scottish Skier.
DeleteSNP 30% on the regional list. That is the vote that both Skier and James always say is the most important vote.
Independence 50% SNP 30% says it all. Aye some SNP recovery Skier( Declan).
There's Alba on 2%, ISP on 0.4 %,
DeleteEncouraging poll for SNP.
ReplyDeleteI concur.
DeleteThe big question is how do we move the dial on independence
ReplyDeleteA pro-independence majority next year is an essential prerequisite for that, so step one is campaigning for the SNP (or the Greens).
DeleteA prerequisite for what though? Another half hearted section 30 and an easy NO from Master? What comes next? See you all again for the next election, and thanks for all your votes, ya mugs.
DeleteAnd your brilliant plan is...? Vote Labour or Reform? That's what Campbell will be telling you to do, without doubt.
DeleteAnon at 11.12 has no plan for Indy because he is a unionist troll.
DeleteWhy do you people keep deflecting with: What’s your alternative plan?
DeleteLiterally any plan whatsoever would be preferable at this point—at least try something! It's not like The SNP haven't had the time!
Even the de facto referendum idea would shift the status quo, as it would no longer be hypothetical whether Scots want independence. That alone would open up other legal avenues to pursue, which is a far better approach than just sitting around and doing the same thing for another five years.
But aye let's not have that discussion and ask people to Vote SNP like sheep instead.
That's probably a slightly smarter plan than voting Labour or Reform like sheep, which I note you don't deny is your alternative plan.
DeleteAnon at 1.14. There is no deflection. You are being asked a direct question. If you do not have a plan, just say so, and be honest with us and with yourself. Give it a try.
DeleteErm..
DeleteIt's an "easy no" because a bawhair more votes than the unionists wasn't a strong enough mandate to scare London.
We may disagree and moan but that's the reality. I think 50 plus 1 is fair but London wasn't scared by it.
The snp can't "have a plan" unless enough people vote for the plan to succeed.
What would you do with 50.1%, a no from London and polls showing Scots don't really want another referendum urgently?
@8:17
DeleteApply that same argument to the position when the SNP won their mandate in 2011.
The Tories had just returned to power after 13 years. The SNP rose to a record vote in Holyrood, and Scotgov seized the initiative to negotiate an independence referendum under Section 30 with the new UK government. Cameron agreed because he saw the polls were nowhere near close. Indeed, he demanded Salmond make it a simple Yes/No question without any enhanced DevoMax middle ground on the ballot because the Brits were so sure they'd win.
Suddenly, we had an EVENT. A date on the calendar—September 2014—and the Yes Movement formed out of nothing but regular people's passion to make our nation free again. It was glorious!
We almost won. But No won on the day, of course, and by your logic and Cameron's and Brown's: that would have killed independence for a generation. Months later, though, the SNP won the greatest landslide in HISTORY in the 2015 general election, the first of so many fresh mandates to return.
Give Scots the chance to answer the question again. Yes will rise and fight with everything we've got.
There's been 500,000 births in Scotland since Indyref, and a similar number of young folk entering the voting population. They deserve their referendum and their chance for freedom too.
This time we will win.
9.36
DeleteI don't know what "logic" your referring to from my comment. I don't disagree 2011 the SNP sized the initiative and 2014 was great.
What's that got to do with my argument?
London were scared by the unprecedented surge and Scots clearly wanted to test a question which hadn't been asked before and answered.
Refusing a referendum Scots wanted and hadn't opined on could give huge moral initiative to the SNP which could see a dam burst.
They didn't know how a refusal could play out if Scots are refused a say. We then got a say and voted No. We're not in the same position as 2011 anymore.
They've called our bluff and don't feel scared by 50 plus 1 anymore. They feel they can ride it out because they have already done so.
The SNP could take the initiative but it requires the Scottish people to run with them. Supreme Court blocking did not see Scots put all to one side for the cause. They got 30% of the vote.
I have a feeling if we get another vote,.it'll be because independence is clearly the opinion of the people before we've even confirmed it.
DeleteI agree demographic can shape the future. We've also had huge immigration from the rest of the UK and non EU in the last few years. It's not all "ready made" Yes voters moving in. Yes will need to continue to be a welcoming, modern identity which I hope it will.
The Anon @ 1:14 AM puts forward a solid suggestion for an "alternative plan."
DeleteHe even offers a counterargument to the usual dismissals of "it will never work" or "Westminster will never accept it," which tend to appear whenever a de-facto referendum is mentioned. At the very least, it disrupts the status quo and opens up new avenues to pursue.
The biggest frustration for many right now is the sense of being stuck in limbo, asked to repeat the same approach in 2026, only to endure another five years of inaction. That’s a tough ask for those who see independence as an urgent necessity and believe Scotland cannot afford another decade without meaningful progress.
It’s up to the SNP to convince those people that they deserve another chance by putting forward a plan that’s actually worth backing. The idea that votes are owed to them regardless is a dangerous assumption. People need a real reason to support a strategy—something beyond simply maintaining the status quo. If the party wants continued support, it must prove that it's serious about delivering tangible steps towards independence, not just offering another cycle of empty promises.
@9:51
DeleteMy central point was that we MADE THINGS HAPPEN in 2014. Ever since then, despite all the tumult of Brexit, covid, Johnson and Trump, nothing has happened for us because our leaders haven’t taken any action themselves.
One thing is certain in Scottish politics: independence won’t come to us by doing NOTHING but waiting generation after generation for it in hope. History is in the hands of those who SEIZE THE INITIATIVE.
Swinney? Are you now?
Remember: the SNP FLOURISHED *AFTER* indyref. After we lost! If that’s what we have to fear from trying again, then BRING IT ON!
Delete10.12
DeleteOh, absolutely, let’s just throw together *literally any plan whatsoever* and hope for the best. Maybe we can scribble "Independence Now" on a bit of paper and wave it at Westminster—surely that’ll work! Who needs strategy, legal standing, or public support when we can just *try something* for the sake of looking busy?
And of course, the SNP *totally* haven't spent years navigating the legal and political obstacles deliberately put in place to block Scotland's right to choose. No, they’ve just been twiddling their thumbs, right? Forget the Supreme Court ruling, Westminster’s repeated refusals, and the fact that a de facto referendum would still require overwhelming public support *and* a legal mechanism to enforce it. Nah, let’s just assume it would magically "open up other legal avenues" despite having zero evidence for that claim.
But aye, let’s criticise party that’s actually got a mandate for independence, split the vote, and hand control back to the unionists who *definitely* have Scotland’s best interests at heart. Sounds like a foolproof plan!
What’s missing from this discussion is the impact of the campaign itself once a vote for independence is actually on the table. The assumption that current polling is fixed ignores what happened in 2014 when a real campaign was underway.
DeleteAt the start of that campaign, Yes was polling like 32-38%, not even close to winning. But over the course of the campaign, support steadily grew. By September 2014, some polls even had Yes ahead, with YouGov recording 51% Yes, 49% No at one stage. That shift didn’t happen because independence was already popular—it happened because people were engaged, debating the future, and questioning the status quo in a way they hadn’t before.
Fast forward to now, and we’re starting from a much stronger position. A lot of polls currently put Yes and No at a dead heat 50/50. That’s a huge difference from last time. If a referendum campaign could move support nearly 20 points in 2014, imagine what could happen when we’re already at level pegging before the proper campaign even begins.
We don’t need to wait for some mythical baseline or the right conditions. We just need a political event to rally behind and for the campaign to start. That’s what will shift the dial.
Anon @ 10:25
DeleteYou're completely missing the point. No one is saying the SNP should scribble "Independence Now" on a bit of paper and expect Westminster to cave. The frustration is that they’ve had countless opportunities to escalate the issue and force movement but have instead chosen to play it safe. Brexit, Westminster scandals, the Supreme Court ruling itself—each could have been used as a rallying point to build real pressure. Instead, the SNP’s strategy has been to ask for a referendum, get told no, and then do nothing to push the matter further.
The Supreme Court ruling isn’t the immovable obstacle you’re making it out to be. It only ruled out Holyrood legislating for a referendum, not other democratic routes like a de facto referendum or an electoral mandate for independence. Pretending nothing else is possible is just an excuse for inaction. If one door closes, a serious movement finds another way.
As for the idea that criticising the SNP only helps the unionists, that ignores the fact that independence isn’t happening under the current approach anyway. A mandate is worthless if you don’t use it. If voting SNP every election just means more waiting, at what point do we admit this strategy is getting us nowhere? The real danger isn’t splitting the vote—it’s wasting another decade hoping something changes while doing nothing to make it happen.
10.37:
DeleteOh, of course! The SNP should have just **waved a magic wand** and forced Westminster to hand over independence on a silver platter. Silly us for thinking the Supreme Court ruling actually mattered! Clearly, the UK government was just waiting for the SNP to "escalate" things properly—maybe a strongly worded tweet or a particularly intense glare across the Commons floor would’ve done the trick.
And Brexit? Oh yes, that was a golden opportunity! Nothing quite like the UK tearing itself apart to really make Westminster **more** open to Scottish independence, right? Because if there’s one thing the Tories love, it’s admitting mistakes and handing power away.
But no, you’re right. The SNP should have just **declared** independence, maybe printed off some passports in Bute House, and hoped Westminster would go along with it. Because that would have totally worked! Never mind the legal constraints, the international recognition issue, or the small detail of not actually having a democratic majority demanding immediate separation.
And as for a **de facto referendum**, what a brilliant plan! Nothing says "mandate" like asking voters to support a government in an election that’s also about, you know, governing. Because obviously, Westminster would see a 51% vote share and instantly crumble, right? It’s not like they ignored an actual **majority** for an actual referendum before or anything.
But please, go ahead. Keep demanding the SNP do something—**anything!**—without actually explaining what, beyond vaguely "forcing movement." Maybe a sternly worded letter? A strongly felt protest? Holding their breath until Westminster caves?
Yes, let’s absolutely spend another decade bashing the SNP for **not achieving the impossible**, because that’ll surely get us closer to independence. Brilliant strategy.
You’re gonna die a Brit if you keep on waiting hard enough. Don’t you see the obvious? They’re sitting in their hands, enjoying the gravy, while you get nothing.
Delete10.55
DeleteThe SNP cannot just declare independence but deciding to go to the Supreme Court without an immediate and agreed response was a grave error of judgement.
It may not have been the time to declare a defacto referendum, I feel that maybe it wasn't...
but it will be the only way to demonstrate a clear opinion from the Scottish people AT SOME POINT in the future (if independence is ever to happen at all).
Proceeding to jump head first into the legal dead end without an immediate response has left the whole movement weakened and the psychological damage to the view that Scotland's people's mandates must prevail over downing street could be fatal.
The SNP are the only game in town and if we are to take it forward a sad truth is they're day to day governing is a price people will have to pay to push it over the line but the SNP/Sturgeon are not blameless for putting the movement in a weak position. Let's not pass over this.
The should have declared a policy of immediately expecting independence negotiations after the SNP receive over 50% (or even 55%) of the vote.
DeleteMeans there is a path to a new status quo where Scots clearly want independence.
Until that happens, nothing happens and we trundle along as usual. Preserves time until the Scottish people are ready.
What you don't do is make the legal position clear against you and then start rubbishing the defacto route for you and subsequent generations.
Question for Anon @10:55 AM.
DeleteYou're basically arguing that there’s no real path to independence, so what exactly do we gain by voting for the SNP? How do they plan to overcome the hurdles you’ve just outlined?
It’s a strange argument to say in one breath that we need to vote SNP for independence, then in the next admit there’s nothing they can actually do to achieve it.
Id like to make clear there's more than one anonymous, I agree the SNP are not in a good position to seize the intravenous right now because the Scottisb people are not ready for another vote in sufficient numbers to scare London.
DeleteI'm not waving the white flag and a defacto vote almost certainly is the only route towards demonstrating when the Scottish people ARE ready. It may be in 5, it may be in 15, it may be in 20 years or never... but defacto is in the armoury. It takes you to another position if it is won.
Those rubbishing it are not looking long term and are weakening their position. Being so pragmatic to the point of capitulation. It's the only way. It shouldn't have been fired by Sturgeon without the balls to play the card.. but it will be needed at some point.
*"Intraneous" should read initiative haha
Delete11.53
DeleteI agree. 10.55 is over the top. As well all packing up and not bothering voting SNP if that was the case.
Ultimately you vote SNP in the hope an almighty mandate from all Scots forces London to realise the games up. But it does mean London playing ball. You either believe they will because denying a clear mandate on a clear defacto vote will be dismissed by the UK electorate and Scottish electorate... or you belive they can say no regardless. If the latter, there's no point in voting SNP.
Yeah It’s a backwards argument because in elections, the onus is on political parties to give people a reason to vote for them—not on the electorate to justify why they wouldn’t.
DeleteAnon @ 11:53 AM
DeleteI'm curious for your thoughts on the point Anon @ 10:27 AM is making. That we need a proper campaign rather than waiting on some mythical baseline or the right conditions.
Anon at 12.06
DeleteI agree it will be in our favour once a date is set and a campaign begins.
I don't think a date can be set without feeling Scotland wants another vote. That's a tough judgement call. I think it's different when people clearly wanted a referendum before and when it's a mere and small plurality.
I think it's a just a slow build at thr moment and we're in limbo because the main vehicle, the SNP, isn't an insurgent victor. It's a relatively tired government.
My view is have a policy of 50% for another referendum, make it even 55% and then every election becomes a date. Sometimes it'll be a bad loss but there's always next time.
DeleteOr you go with what their doing no. Shutting up about bit for a while and hope the Labour party go unpopular and then call the defacto vote from a portion of strength.
The biggest challenge the SNP face though is that if they say, vote for us for a mandate for another referendum, many simply won’t believe them.
DeleteIt’s like The Boy Who Cried Wolf—they’ve said it too many times without delivering, and the trust just isn’t there anymore.
Anon 10.37 Agree - spot on. Putting it off to the future is a waste of time. The future stretches to infinity - I don't. I've seen too many elderly friends die as the SNP politicians get fatter and fatter munching their way through public money riding chauffeur driven limos to another jolly. If they don't have a plan, if they want to wait indefinitely why vote for them? Wake me up when they get some guts and go for independence. And before you ask do I have a plan, yes I do. But I don't get paid an effing fortune to come up with one you should be asking them why they don't have one. By the way my plan might be crap but it's a plan.
DeleteNot WY but WT
DeleteWT
DeleteOh, absolutely—those SNP politicians must be rolling around in gold-plated limos, feasting on caviar while laughing maniacally at the peasants below. It’s a wonder they even find time between all their extravagant "jollies" to, you know, run a government. Clearly, if independence hasn’t been achieved overnight with a magic wand, it must be because they’re too busy counting their piles of public money rather than dealing with little things like legal roadblocks, economic planning, and, oh yeah, the minor detail of needing majority support.
But hey, fantastic that you’ve got a plan—sure, it might be "crap," but at least it exists! Maybe the SNP should ditch all their pesky responsibilities and just implement yours immediately. After all, who needs diplomacy, strategy, or a mandate when you’ve got pure, unfiltered rage and a crappy plan?
Why do you keep saying "overnight" when the idea that another referendum is just around the corner has been dangled in front of people since 2016?
DeleteIt’s not hard to find that now-infamous collage of front-page headlines from The National—"Game On", "Get Ready for #indyref2", "It’s Happening" etc—all declaring that another referendum was imminent. These aren’t just headlines from the past year or two; they go back nearly a decade.
Every election, every political crisis, every setback for Westminster has been framed as the moment when independence would finally be within reach. Yet here we are, still being told to wait.
The frustration people feel isn’t because they expected independence to happen instantly. It’s because they’ve been strung along with promise after promise, each time assured that this was the moment—only to watch nothing materialise. At some point, it stops being about patience and starts being about credibility. If the SNP keep insisting that independence is always just over the horizon but never actually take meaningful steps to get there, they can’t be surprised when people stop believing them.
2.54
DeleteGee, you’re absolutely right. Why didn't we think of that. Duh!! The SNP should have just clicked their fingers and made independence happen.
After all, constitutional change is famously simple, and Westminster is always incredibly accommodating when Scotland asks for a referendum.
Of course, it’s completely unreasonable to suggest that political conditions might change, or that building a sustained case for independence might take time.
And those headlines? Clearly, they were legally binding contracts rather than attempts by SNP to rally support. Silly SNP for not realising that and thinking that keeping momentum alive in the face of constant Westminster obstruction was important.
But hey, maybe next time the SNP should just declare independence via a strongly worded tweet. That should do the trick, right?
Anon @ 3:30PM.
DeleteOh, spare me the sarcasm. No one is saying the SNP should have 'clicked their fingers' and made independence happen overnight, but pretending they’ve been making steady progress when they’ve spent the last decade going in circles is delusional. Westminster was never going to accommodate independence, which is exactly why waiting around for them to grant a referendum was a terrible strategy from the start. The SNP have had mandate after mandate, crisis after crisis in Westminster to exploit, and yet here we are—still being told to be patient while they kick the can further down the road.
And yes, those headlines weren’t legally binding, but they were deliberate attempts to string people along. If the SNP knew all along that these constant promises of “just around the corner” weren’t realistic, then they were misleading their own supporters. If they actually believed what they were saying at the time, then they’ve failed spectacularly at delivering on their own strategy. Either way, they’re not off the hook.
Momentum isn’t about churning out empty slogans and hoping people stay engaged indefinitely. It’s about taking action when the moment arises, and time and time again, the SNP have refused to do that. So no, no one is suggesting independence can be declared via a magic wand, but maybe—just maybe—the party that claims to exist to deliver independence should actually have a strategy to achieve it instead of feeding people excuses while expecting their loyalty in return.
Makes you wonder how long Davey and his Anon counterpart would be comfortable with continued mandates for Independence, all of them squandered by the SNP. 10 more years? 2045 maybe? How about giving them the benefit of the doubt and making it a clean half century? Still too soon. Has everyone got a clear calendar for 2114?
DeleteWhere’s your red line Davey boy? When does the zip finally end on the back of you?
Anon 1.58 take away the sarcasm and I totally agree. Try asking your SNP rep what their plan is, soon as they have one they can have my vote. It might be a crap vote but it's there for the taking. I take issue with one remark 'rsge' - I have no rage just disappointment and disenchantment. I have no idea what age you are, but some people are on limited time - they haven't got the luxury of waiting around for fat arses to come up with sumfin'. You got a plan? Even a crappy one like mine? How about sitting down and thinking about all those other countries that gained independence without asking for a section 30. Not many of them wanted to become the speaker of the house or governal general. Lords? Great idea Mr. Blackford. So revolutionary, that will have them quaking in their boots. But can he fit through the door? I don't know how wide it is
Delete4.32 and WT:
DeleteAh yes, because Nicola Sturgeon—clearly omnipotent and in possession of some secret, foolproof path to independence—just *chose* not to use it.
She must have been sitting in Bute House twiddling her thumbs, thinking, *"Hmm, should I pursue a winning strategy today? Nah, let’s keep everyone waiting for the fun of it."*
Obviously, she should have just ignored legal reality, international recognition, and the minor inconvenience of the UK government blocking every democratic route.
Who needs a lawful, recognised process when she could have just declared independence from a podium and hoped for the best? That would definitely have worked out well.
And of course, those newspaper headlines were all binding commitments rather than, you know, attempts to *galvanise support* for the SNP in a political landscape where momentum *actually matters*.
But sure, let’s pretend the SNP had some easy, guaranteed path to independence and simply refused to take it—because that’s far more believable than, say, the reality of trying to extract a nation from a hostile state that controls the legal and political levers.
But hey, if anyone on here has a step-by-step guide to achieving independence without legal recognition, international backing, or democratic legitimacy, I’m sure the SNP would love to hear it.
Come to think of it, if only Nicola Sturgeon had come to you guys, Anon and WT, for your great wisdom and your plans, in the first place, she would have known what to do, instead of, oh, minor achievements like just taking the SNP to the highest ever opinion ratings in the party's history.
8.03
DeleteEven if everything you've said is correct, going to the supreme court without a plan after it's obvious conclusion was Nicola's error.
If there was no independence referendum plan imminent, there was no need to make the legal block an unambiguous reality at a time of weakness. It could have been left til the snp/Scotland were ready to call a referendum come what may.
@8.03
DeleteIt was Nicola Sturgeon who raised making the 2024 election a Defacto Independence Referendum.
She thoroughly discredited her own strategy by quitting when she did, and left us stuck in a blind alley.
Delete8:03PM
DeleteChrist, that is just more of the same—sarcasm, strawmen, and deflection rather than an actual rebuttal... The constant sarcasm instead of an actual argument is getting tiring. If you have a real defence of the SNP’s approach, then make it, because so far, all you’ve done is mock positions that no one is actually taking.
No one is claiming Nicola Sturgeon had a foolproof path to independence and simply refused to use it. The criticism is that she and the SNP repeatedly had opportunities to escalate, to apply real pressure, to shift the political landscape—and they chose not to. Instead, their entire strategy amounted to politely requesting a referendum, being told no, and then doing absolutely nothing to force the issue. If your plan relies on the UK government agreeing to something they have every incentive to block, then it was never a real strategy to begin with.
And yes, legal recognition and international legitimacy matter, but waiting indefinitely for Westminster to grant permission isn’t the only way to secure them. Other independence movements have succeeded by building external pressure, making unilateral moves that force negotiations, or using election results as leverage. The SNP did none of that. They won mandate after mandate, told supporters independence was always just around the corner, and then kicked the can down the road when the moment came to act.
As for the claim that those newspaper headlines were just about *galvanising support*—that’s exactly the problem. They weren’t meant to be empty rallying cries; they were presented as signals that action was imminent. If they were never serious about delivering, then it was nothing more than stringing people along to maintain electoral dominance.
And let’s talk about Sturgeon’s “highest-ever opinion ratings.” What exactly did that achieve for independence? Popularity is meaningless if it doesn’t translate into progress. The SNP’s electoral success didn’t bring Scotland any closer to leaving the UK—it just solidified a cycle where independence supporters keep voting for them because they have no alternative, and the party keeps taking that support for granted.
So if you want to argue that the SNP’s approach has been the right one, then explain why—without the sarcasm, without the strawmen. Because after nearly a decade of the same promises, the same excuses, and the same inaction, people have every right to be fed up.
9:08 is absolutely correct.
DeleteI'll just add this: What's been holding back Scotgov from addressing the infamous "questions" on the border, currency and pensions which were so effective against us in 2014? Why not make the positive case for independence, and show some respect for people's intelligence by answering their doubts?
The "supreme" court didn't outlaw debate, or making our case to the voters. Yet the SNP has behaved as though it has put the whole concept of independence back in the box and firmly closed the lid.
Look at Swinney's actions—not what he says, but what he does—and they all align perfectly with a unionist first minister with no interest whatsoever in popularising, let alone pursuing independence. He abolished the cabinet post for independence. Then he went to the Summit of the Shires with Saddiq and chums, looking delighted. Next he'll be at the sleepover at Buck House with Charlie, calling him Your Majesty. Sarwar must be so jealous! These are all the same things a Labour first minister would do.
DeleteWho are they kidding?
Going to Supreme Court without an agreed plan across the independence community was worst of all worlds.
DeleteBakes in the idea Scotland cannot take forward any means of expressing independence without London backing.
The threat of indy has been a concession maker for Scots even within the UK and it's been built on the idea our people can pursue independence.
Effectively made this threat a peashooter. It was always built on the ambiguous legality which was in our campaigns favour.
We've taken that ambiguity away and while we twiddle our thumbs waiting for SNP to be popular again, the new legal realities weaken the resolve.
Nicola made a terrible tactical error here.
Oh, of course! Genius comment.
DeleteBecause just sitting around, hoping Westminster might suddenly have a change of heart, was such a foolproof strategy. Who needs legal clarity when you can just bask in the warm, fuzzy glow of "ambiguous legality"? That was *definitely* going to force London's hand any day now.
The Supreme Court move didn't "bake in" anything new—it exposed what was already obvious: Westminster was never going to just roll over and accept a Scottish independence referendum without a fight. But sure, let’s pretend that playing legal Schrödinger with Scotland’s right to self-determination was some kind of masterstroke.
The *real* problem isn't legal clarity—it's that some people would rather cling to comforting illusions than deal with political reality. The fight was never about keeping Westminster guessing; it’s about building an unshakable democratic mandate. But yeah, let’s blame Sturgeon for not keeping the fantasy alive a little longer.
"Westminster was never going to just roll over and accept a Scottish independence referendum without a fight"
DeleteIsn't that still the current SNP strategy though? The belief that their refusal is "unsustainable" because reasons?
11.31
DeleteErm.. I don't have a problem with gaining legal clarity but it needs to be backed up with a consequential response ie. A defacto referendum.
In which case you wait till you're prepared to do that.
Nicola decided to get the clarity without an agreed response between her own party, the greens and the wider movement.
Not sure what we've gained by gaining this clarity right now. A stupendous error of timing.
It absolutely has "baked in" something new.
DeleteAbsolute nonsense to suggest otherwise.
Now everyone in Scotland believes there's no way Scotland can profess an opinion on independence via its elected government.
That wasn't the case from 1970-2019. A schrodinger right to decide, without legal clairty, has been exactly the position used to take the moral case forward. Without a straight no, the threat was there.
It's now gone. For what?
It had to be clarified, of course, but at the right time. It had to be clarified to make the case for a defacto last resort, just as Sturgeon theorised. But it had to be done at the opportune time.
A horrendous error. Seems in hindsight about Nicola leaving having "tried her best", rather than a strategy for those to follow.
The shroedingers right to decide is why London feared the people's reaction and why concessions have been gained over decades. They didn't give us anything because they love us. They did it because there was a threat. If they unambiguously hold the whip hand, no threat arises. This had huge consequences for Scotland even inside the union.
Delete"The fight was never about keeping Westminster guessing; it’s about building an unshakable democratic mandate."
DeleteIt's obviously about both with both being equally important given the carelessly ceded legal veto.
The legal veto has a direct impact on creating a democratic unimpeachable mandate. If its impossible to get independence, it eventually becomes a dud political idea. The idea you can break the legal veto has to be part of the convincing case,.otherwise it dies eventually on the vine.
DeleteIt's a conundrum as we seem to have SNP supporters simultaneously saying that we need to vote SNP for independence but they're also saying that there's nothing they can actually do to achieve it...
DeleteAnon at 1.42pm says:- " If it's impossible to get independence " don't be daft, of course it's not impossible. It's only Britnats who want weak willed people to think that and SNP politicians to tell you it needs overwhelming support and it will take forever and ever.
DeleteThis is a really good poll for SNP because it allows the SNP to form another government after the next election in a coalition with the Green party.
ReplyDeleteThe SNP is the only party that can do so.
A SNP-Green coalition will work better next time as both parties have had a chance to reassess how best to work these things out.
Will they switch things round and have The Greens get the blame for their own incompetence, student politics antics and jizzing money away on policies that never come to fruition?
DeleteThe waste of public money was of course a direct consequence of the actions of the unionist Sec of State for Scotland, but you knew that.
DeleteDoes that mean Lorna Slater could be back in the Government in time to take the blame for the bottle deposit scheme fiasco?
DeleteMe too! (Murderous lungfish from Shetland. 1974!!)
DeleteWhat is the SNP - Green policy on reducing the percentage of plastic in people's brains?
DeleteGreat poll for John Swinney in terms of approval ratings.
ReplyDeleteJohn Swinney continues to stand out as the most positively viewed major leader in the UK, with a net rating of just -2—far ahead of his rivals.
ReplyDeleteWhile others struggle with deep negatives, Swinney’s leadership keeps the SNP in a strong position.
Steady, experienced, and respected—his numbers speak for themselves.
A great leader.
The modern Mandela.
DeleteHe would benefit from a stay on Robin McAlpine Island:
Delete"7. SNP Baaaad
I do not struggle to understand the desire to defend political parties which are trying to achieve the same thing as you. There is no shortage of attacks on them. And yet, if one of the biggest barriers to Scottish independence among our target voter is their lack of confidence in the political parties and leaders who would have to implement it (and it definitely is), we should listen, not shout them down.
Governmental performance was deteriorating for a long time and we didn’t face it. There are times when you have to defend your own, but there are times when you must look to your own and admit and then say ‘you’re not performing well enough and you need to improve rapidly’. No-one ever had their doubts shouted out of them. No-one ever improved via sycophancy."
“ A great leader” - are we independent? When did it happen?
Delete12.51am posting pish.
Lol. SNP vote COLLAPSING, Reform SURGING, Labour GAINFULLY DOING NOTHING, and somehow we’re meant to believe everything is FINE because SNP is still the MOST POPULAR PARTY ON MAINLAND BRITAIN. A PRO-INDY MAJORITY hanging on by a THREAD, votes BLEEDING OUT in EVERY DIRECTION, and the leadership STILL pretending this is just a minor BLIP. VOTERS ARE SCREAMING AT THEM, and Swinney and Forbes are covering their ears like it’s not happening. But aye, keep telling yourselves this is all part of the MASTER PLAN. The absolute STATE of it.
ReplyDeleteReform are in fact not surging at all, only the reportage by the British media is making it appear as though they are, the numbers do not lie, in council elections even in England Reform are doing nothing
DeleteIn Scotland Reform are performing even worse than in England, the panic by their British branches in Scotland is that any gain from Reform is a huge blow in their efforts to mount a serious challenge to the SNP
Now that Salmond is gone and his shower of misogynist anti women followers have lost their purpose to exist the British have given up using them against the SNP so media coverage for what's left of them will cease altogether as they fade away
It's the media that win and lose elections, people are really very distant from actual thoughtful participation in elections, they do what their favourite media tells them is best, that why the voters are nicknamed sheep, a term invented for them by the very media that manipulates the way they think
Like you're tying to do by constantly posting insulting garbage all over this stupid blog for muffin headed twits that the author only entertains because he hopes when he asks for their money they'll stupidly hand it over thinking he's one of us, he's one of us, he's one of us
He's not you know, like the media he doesn't care either
Zzzzzzzz. Go out and try to get your hole. Sad desperate wee man that you are.
DeleteTenth Rate Fakes don't really cut it.
ReplyDeleteLike Wet Farts in a trance.
Albaist, Wingnuts and Yoons take note.
Ta.
If there's a terrible apocalypse with all ghe Trump carry on, can we ne sure we'll get a balanced diet? Then there's all them undead zombies chasing us. And what about the Channel 5 Player?
ReplyDeleteNuclear apocalypse has it's advantages. With a complete collapse of all functions of the UK state, Scotland would be a free country. Every mushroom cloud has a silver lining.
ReplyDeleteI'm inviting Fergus round for a drink.
DeleteOf cocoa
DeleteAlthough lots of dead children, women and men makes the scenario less attractive. The film Dr Strangelove is becoming more apt.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see. Only SNP can improve Scotland.
ReplyDeleteNow is the time for SNP to declare that given the constant closeness of the Independence question, Westminster has no moral authority to declare 2014 as the settled will, and the question should go back to the people. They should use 2026 as defacto referendum. Trump-ism will be in full swing, Starmers government will be mired in more sleeze, and the spector of Farage as PM will disgust most Scots.
ReplyDeleteWe must start using the lurch to the right in England (Britain) to our advantage .
We have calculated that at least 7.5% of voters here have Salmond blood. Our prospects are bright.
ReplyDeleteOnwards and upwards!
https://ballotbox.scot/preview-buw-2025/
Listening to Vance -Donalds, wee pall on the Tv does make me wonder how they 2 could ever have been elected. I do do think the two should now be known as VD - something no person should wish on anyone.
ReplyDeleteI am not taking that from you or your ilk. My conscience is as clean as a bishop's whistle.
DeleteThe whole idea of independence is completely nuts.
ReplyDeleteRule Britannia.
I'm glad you feel strongly enough to put your name to that wacko view. Whheeeee! Mentaaaal!
DeleteRule Brittania - if Trump gives his permission.
Delete@1:48,
DeleteFully agree. Only the deluded and brainwashed think any different.
are the scotch not happy to have their resources, wealth and aspirations handled by the superior anglo brain; do we not allow them a status as second rate english and save them from their national follies of strong drink, sentimentality and presbyterianism
Delete- the scottish mind cannot handle money anyway, and they wouldn't know how to drill for oil if they needed to
once farage gets in he will become our fuhrer and use scotland as a dumping ground for all the wogs and spear chuckers thent is
rule britannia all the way baby!
personally, I can't take a shite without an englishman at my side telling me when to push
DeleteAnon 3.08 English isn't your first language.
DeleteI just shat myself because no englishmen was available
Deletenicola sturgeon did a lot for independence
ReplyDelete- 2 in the head
- 2 in the heart
aye she drove the indy bus right over the cliff and now seeks to return just to set fire to it, in case it is repairable
DeleteAnon @ 3-12pm
DeleteAnother suitable subject for a frontal lobotomy.
But does she have a balanced diet?
Deletenaw but she's got a campervan and a cracking burd
DeleteAye all Nicola Sturgeons fault. No one else? The critics on the sidelines barking all the things they want done but don’t do themselves. Still let’s move on. We can influence tomorrow rather than yesterday.
ReplyDeleteAye all those people on the sidelines should just become Government Ministers and implement all the things they want done. Shame on them for not doing that and naively expecting the people they vote for to do what they promise.
DeleteI tried to get a gubmint joab but when I said "women dont have penises" the interview ended abruptly
DeleteAn SNP Labour coalition government.
ReplyDeleteThat's 😁
DeleteAt least it would make a change to incompetent quangoes all the way from shipbuilding to cataract operations.
ReplyDeleteCant wait for GB energy and Grangemouth -labour will deliver
Deleteincompetent quangoes did a great deal for blind welders and near sighted sailors
DeleteYeh the aircraft carrier and frigate debacles is something that westminster is famous for.
ReplyDeletethey are also pish with nuclear power stations and high speed rail
Deletepish football team pish food fat women shitty water
DeleteJames has to moderate each post. A small group of arseholes are clearly intent on blocking genuine debate on how we progress Indy. Pathetic individuals.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your alternative plan?
DeleteThere's a lengthy discussion above starting from February 15, 2025 at 11:02 PM that touches on that.
DeleteIt's a three year wait for a cataract operation in Edinburgh. I don't think it involves an aircraft carrier.
ReplyDeleteI'd hate to have guests for a dinner party like Nigel Farage, Anas Sarwar, the Liberal guy and That snooty Sarah Smith from the BBC, then I have a chip pan fire. Oh god!
DeleteJames Kelly is the Red Adair of chip pan fires.
DeleteRachel Hamilton (snooty shit)
Delete9.07, the joys of being part of the UK lol.
DeleteYes, I wouldn't expect cataract operations to be held on an aircraft carrier. Your point is? Serious will be taken earlier. Less serious later. As a britnat go private save a NHS space. Its your patriotic duty.
ReplyDeletehas any of you fine gentlemen been hacking james unrequited love interest website?
ReplyDeletewings now redirects to irish huring, fetish websites and tries to put malware if you click on a link
the rev doesn't seem to give a shit as he is spamming away on twitter about trannies
also investment opportunities from nigerians with connections to the abacha regime
Deletefill your boots
The rev hasn't been taking his medication.
Delete65 countries told the english to fuck right off and no one ever asked them back
ReplyDeleteits a no brainer - 66 is coming
Seek help you halfwit.
DeleteYip, not one country has asked to be controlled by waste monster. They now recognise the lies of the colonial masters. Same applies to Spanish, Portuguese (of interest to labour in Scotland’s Dep leader) Italian, Russian, Japanese, Turkish, French, US colonialists and the rest.
Delete@9:45am,
DeleteDeluded brainwashed fool.
At least 10.45 has a brain.
DeleteI’d question whether anyone who thinks independence is a good idea has a brain!
Deletesmaller nations clearly cannot do better on their own, they need to be hooked into something bigger for better together and efficiencies of scale
Delete- the UK needs to hookup to the coming hegemon; we need to enter in a super union with china.
At least the chinks know how to build things; we might even get the roads fixed.
Pooling and sharing, better together, shared history with the worlds biggest nation and most powerful manufacturing economy.
I disagree, small nations setting up on their own can do really well.
DeleteAmerica, for example. Work out for it. Mostly.
you seem worried about indy - don't be - no one will be sending you for a free shower, but the worst of you will be deported, the rest facing a non-scottish residence tax
ReplyDeleteYou are deluded.
Deleteanglos should be licensed, like XL bullies. They are a dangerous breed, always thieving.
DeleteEmbarrassing stuff from anon@2:32.
DeleteSwinney has been a very good leader to SNP.
ReplyDeleteHis leadership has been marked by wisdom and a steady hand.
Not the steady hand crap again. Give it a rest with this senseless shit.
Deletethe steady hand of a corpse
DeleteAre you the corpse?
DeleteNicola Sturgeon deserves credit for intervening many times to protect people from Alex Salmond bullying.
ReplyDeleteThat Baby Box really put a stop to Alex Salmond!
Delete10.18am - who are these people who got bullied. Name names.
DeleteSomebody told me Nicola Sturgeon can walk on water but disnae do it in public as she disnae want any more fan mail. Do you believe that as well 10.18am?
DeleteYou are one saddo. You will never back Scotland
DeleteThe SNP are losing votes to Reform and losing votes to voter apathy due to their ever increasing demands to flood Scotland with even more immigration despite a huge surge in the cost of private renting, demands on social housing and the breakneck demographic changes we are seeing all over the country.
ReplyDeleteYou will be hard pushed to see a none white sleeping rough!!
Migration is reserved to Westminster.
DeleteYou're going to deport them yourself, are you Davey Boy? Maybe once you've purged the land of undesirables, we can reach the magic number for Yes that triggers indyref2 at long last?
DeleteWhere are you taking all these Scots, by the way?
(Meant for the comment below, posted there instead.)
DeleteTime James turfed oot racists such as Anon 10-26
DeleteZzzzzzzz. You are wanker of the day. Congrats
DeleteImmigrants IN.
ReplyDeleteReform's Racist Rancid Repugnant Repulsive Rubbish OUT.
You're going to deport them yourself, are you Davey Boy? Maybe once you've purged the land of undesirables, we can reach the magic number for Yes that triggers indyref2 at long last?
DeleteWhere are you taking all these Scots, by the way?
Gruinard ?
DeleteShould put that on a billboard!
DeleteToo many negative comments about Nicola Sturgeon who is positive.
ReplyDeleteA positive asset for the British state, we can all agree.
DeleteWithout Sturgeon no one would have even heard that Scotland is a country
DeleteShe put us on the world map and remember she was the only one to ruffle Trump and put him straight, Salmond tugged his forelock to him
instead of cultivating the most powerful man on earth, half scottish, towards our cause - she snubbed him and went to a pride march. What good did that do?
DeleteIf Trump told Starmer "Scotland is going indy" it would happen, because the UK is vassal state and Starmer is a toom tabard with enough blackmail material on him to fill a hard drive
- the world is full of nasty people; getting something out of them is a clever thing to do and is what everyone else does. It is why we have diplomats. Geopolitics is a combination of dealmaking and gangsterism.
"Without Sturgeon no one would have even heard that Scotland is a country
DeleteShe put us on the world map..."
Have we really fallen that low? Is this the Nu Global Cringe?
We know from first hand accounts since his passing that Salmond often got recognised whilst abroad. Can the same be said for Sturgeon?
DeleteYes.
DeleteO/T Give the wings frothers a post on politics and Indy and he is lucky to get 100 posts. Give them confected outrage and disgust and you see post numbers trebling. What do we want? Gender bashing! When do we want it? Now!
ReplyDeleteWestminster figures floating around online, very similar to the Find Out Now turnout adjusted ones.
ReplyDeleteSNP: 32% (+1)
LAB: 18% (-2)
RFM: 17% (+2)
CON: 13% (-1)
LDM: 11% (+2)
GRN: 6% (-)
Demonstrates John Swinney doing good job as leader.
DeleteIf the SNP push out Fergus Ewing, whether you like him or loathe him, they have lost the plot completely. AND my vote.
ReplyDeletehttps://archive.is/DGFWX
Mr Ewing had read in some outlets that a “senior insider” believed there is a “compelling case” for his rejection. Yesterday, he told the Press & Journal newspaper: “That individual, whoever it may be, lacks the guts to give his or her name to that view. There is no shortage of fearties in Scottish politics - and a surfeit of sleekit cowards operating behind the scenes.”"
Sounds familiar. Cowardly pathetic weak useless stupid self-centred moronic lickspittles or power crazies who hae absolutely nothing good to contribute. Parties need to get rid of these wastemongers.
This contribution is too harsh towards party staff, who do a necessary and challenging job in terms of party management. Their work is made harder by a small number of elected politicians who are often egotistical and who intervene in a way that is off-brand or off-message for the party as a whole.
DeleteIt's worrying when you agree with Kevin McKenna:
Delete"If the SNP bar him from standing it will represent the ultimate betrayal by this zombie party."
Anon at 4:13 PM "off-brand or off-message"
DeleteAh! You mean people with a mind of their own who aren't drones.
The man or woman o' independent mind.
Fergus Ewing is a bit of a knob in my view. He only was elected (25 years ago ... a nice pension coming) because of who his mummy was. Often seen wearing a Scottish Gamekeepers Association tie... nuff said.
Delete"Often seen wearing a Scottish Gamekeepers Association tie... nuff said."
DeleteSo what? Shooting in Scotland is worth £350m to the economy every year, the equivalent of 5,600 jobs, plus £780m of wider economic activity.
There are parts of Scotland where the whole local economy depends on game-keeping, with no realistic alternative. Even including keeping that local shop open. I know, I've been there. And there. And there.
What James said about it on X: "If I could just gently say to the SNP, this would be a big mistake, a) because it's wrong as a matter of principle, and b) because Fergus Ewing might react by defecting to Alba, and why breathe new life into an opposing party which is currently tearing itself apart?"
Delete"Fergus Ewing is a bit of a knob in my view. He only was elected (25 years ago ... a nice pension coming)"
DeleteUm... doesn't the fact that he keeps being re-elected and currently has a majority of over 9,000 not indicate something?
I wonder if the same useless self-righteous gang are after Kate Forbes?
Deleteyi2- Im no voting for the snp, I am voting for the snp, naw Im no, maybees aye , maybees naw, Im a bit of a military right winger fae north ayrshire. Cmon the Kilwinning rangers.
DeleteIndyref2 again with the pro- toff , love the keepers crap. The shooting fraternity has presided over 200 years of extermination of our native fauna and the concomitant loss of biodiversity and ability for natural carbon sequestration. Jobs? Speak to keepers and maist of them now are from the south ( unlike 10 to 20 years ago).
DeleteThere would be more jobs going if we restored oor ecology and joined the 21st century. And biodiversity loss is a threat to our own survival. Green jobs like rangers and knock on employment related to nature would more than make up for getting rid of keepers. Think of Mull and the white- tailed eagle .
Alba gu brath!
Good for you. Doesn't make you a bad person.
DeleteThat last was at Anon at 4:40 PM. As for "pro- toff , love the keepers Anon at 4:42 PM - good for you. If they live in Scotland and pay the SRIT, then they are contributory citizens of the inclusive Scotland the SNP quite rightly push for.
DeleteI'm sure you're not anti-English are you, perish the thought!
Anyways, good to see my fan club is still intact :-) Puts a whole different meaning of the word "stalker"!
And, by the way, perfectly illustrates the intolerance that sadly exists within the extremes of the Independence movement towards people with different views from them. Sad.
DeleteFergus could join Alba but he's not that daft !
DeleteAch - this Ewing ban stuff is just to fuel more anti-Swinney argy bargy. Nobody has banned Fergus Ewing - and nobody knows if he will be banned. Not worth writing or talking about until there is evidence of a decision having been made one way or t'other. And let's face it, if he is banned, no doubt it will provide some work for any legal friend he has likely looking for the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be better for a whole load of people to protest to try to prevent such a disastrous calamitous, nasty, self-serving move by a small band of decrepit no-hopers? Rather than cry about it afterwards saying "Ah well, what a shame, never mind".
DeleteThe SNP as a whole needs to sort this tyrannical nonsense out before it totally self-destructs and ends up on a funeral pyre of our lost Independence hopes and dreams.
Aye Indyref 2 loves the keepers wha love to kill wildlife. There's one doon the glen frae me . He spends maist o the year trapping stoats and , I suspect , pine martens. And he goes oot everyday from summer onwards feeding pheasants. When he does he blows a dog whistle . When the toffs arrive he goes oot afore them to call in the pheasants to be shot. Sport? ! The daft things are tame and sitting ducks!
DeleteAnon stalker at 4:54 PM who bases his whole extreme views on one single person. What a knob. Still, keeps you out of mischief.
DeleteIndyref 2 thinks taking a science- based rational view of the mismanagement of our environment is extreme!
DeleteBTW killing stoats is what keepers do . There's traps all over the countryside. And it's still legal . Killing Raptors and pine martins is not but we know it happens across a wide area . Why do you think red kites do well around the black isle but fail to spread eastwards? Why do you think hen harriers are so rare? And goshawks , so common on the continent, are virtually extinct in Scotland. Even foxes are disappearing in the countryside, although not from towns.
DeleteAlba gu brath!
No, I think you're extreme for hearing what you want to believe and disregarding the rest [of the science-based rational views].
DeleteDoesn't make you a bad boxer all the same. Even if you do make it up as you go along about what people think or do. THAT is a classic trick of the extremist - putting words into other mouths. Desist you mad fool!
That nature-hating IR2 would probably not want to reintroduce packs of wolves and bears, followed later by tigers and lions!
DeleteFergus's new pal, the former editor of the Scottish Daily Mail ( K. McKenna) is getting all upset about it.
Delete