Stuart's tweet whipped his followers up into a frenzy of anti-iScot hate, and there were a number of comments along the lines of "I'd cancel my subscription if I was actually a subscriber!" Basically he's got them believing that my column is the rough equivalent of the hit piece that was published by CommonSpace several years ago - but it's actually nothing of the sort, as he helpfully demonstrated by tweeting screenshots of the full article, showing that I simply discussed the potential pitfalls of a Wings party in a perfectly reasonable manner. If Stuart is serious about entering the political fray, is it really his position that he'll regard any newspaper or magazine editor as 'the enemy' if they don't censor columns that speak about his party in anything less than the most glowing terms? If so, that's rather sinister.
For the record, this was not an article I 'pitched' to the editor of iScot. I'm a regular columnist, and I have discretion to write about whatever I choose, within reason (for example I have to avoid anything that might cause legal difficulties). My fellow columnists Jason McCann and Peter A Bell have exactly the same discretion, which is why there have been a great many articles in iScot over the years expressing support for Stuart. The fact that the baying mob are blaming iScot rather than myself for the contents of my column is utterly ludicrous - not least because I've met Ken (the editor), and I know that he's very supportive of Stuart and that in all likelihood he disagrees with the article. But he doesn't tell his columnists what they can and can't write about, which is frankly something that Stuart, as a critic of the groupthink in the mainstream media, ought to heartily approve of.
Reading those delusions of a bitter mind. If we follow his idea, then the SNP will become further detached from voters like me. No party will then represent my beliefs. Do I then forsake Independence.
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteHopefully not. You may have to forsake some of Rev Stu's dafter ideas, like death by crushing is entirely the responsibility of those being crushed, or that the SNP is entirely made up of trans gender folk. For your information, I am both a member of the SNP and I have never, in my lifetime, met a transgender person. And I do not wish them ill.
He has lost the plot completely. Which is a tad sad. I used to admire him, but now?
Not so much.
I'd love to see what the Rev has said about James' article but I can't, because he has blocked me. And that was because I replied to one of his Nazi rants, saying "you've lost it". Maybe you'll survive his wrath, Douglas, being more than one step removed from his version of reality.
ReplyDeleteHe blocked me too. Freedom of speech and all of that guff. He's just another wee dictator and high time genuine independence supporters woke up to the fact. Craig Murray is another prone to blocking people. Both looking for a cult following to line their pockets.
DeleteThink your contributions have been excellent to the cause of independence,as have Rev Stu's in the past. We are all on the same side and want the best for our country. We can not agree on everything, but we can agree that independence is our future. Together we will achieve it.
ReplyDeleteThere's not enough Big Eater in iScot.
ReplyDeleteWhether or not a specific "Wings" party is a good idea or not is an open question depending on what you think of Stu Campbell. BUT pro-independence alternatives to the SNP should not be dismissed out of hand.
ReplyDeleteIn particular, we have to wait and see how the SNP will position themselves going into the Holyrood 2021 election. Without the coronavirus stuff, based on the chatter of even just 2 or 3 months ago a lot of indy folk - myself included - would be expecting the SNP to have a really clear and strong message on independence and indyref2 - the expectation and the focus would be on what the SNP were going to do to put pressure on Boris for indyref2, whether that was specific manifesto commitments to hold a referendum regardless of what the UK government said, taking it to the UK Supreme Court to finally resolve who has the power, plebiscite elections on independence itself, etc. The unhappiness at the response to Boris rejecting the S30 request would be the primary issue for the SNP to address in 2021's election for most indy voters.
However, if coronavirus is still a thing we're living with in terms of social distancing, managing the level of the virus, etc. and in particular dealing with the economic fall out etc. (and if you believe the FM now then there's no reason to suggest this is a problem going away any time soon), then the SNP may well go into that election with at best a much more...nuanced position and at worst a total cop out of "don't vote for us for indy, vote for us for crisis management" plus just enough mention of independence to keep the troops onboard.
And in that case I think a lot of Yes people would be very concerned that Holyrood 2021 would go exactly as per Westminster 2019 - the SNP winning well, making maybe some token efforts to get an S30 at some point during the life of the parliament but not really attempting to force the issue and then ultimately claiming they needed yet another mandate in the election after that to truly ratchet up their methods to get a referendum and/or indy itself. Thereby essentially just putting the whole thing on ice for yet another 5 years.
I might be completely wrong. But coronavirus may be a helpful excuse to the SNP to effectively let them tone down just how forceful their indy position would be, ostensibly in the name of reasonableness but really because they have become too afraid to countenance any possible defeat in a second referendum.
So in that context I do not think it is sensible yet to totally ditch the possibility of other pro-indy parties running in some way, D'Hondt system or not.
Exactly right. Robin McAlpine has been writing periodically for a long time that he doesn't believe Sturgeon has any real intention of pursuing independence and we need to find ways to apply much more pressure to her and the SNP because things are becoming more and more urgent. Nobody thinks Robin McAlpine is some wild-eyed crazy person for saying so. Meanwhile, it's easy enough to say that now is not the time for constitutional politics (and maybe it's not) but Sturgeon has chosen to stay in lockstep with the Johnson regime at the cost of hundreds of real lives. Doing the right thing would have saved lives AND advanced what's meant to be her defining political ambition. That seems like the ultimate win-win solution, but instead she absolutely refuses to criticise the WM government and seems incredibly reticent to diverge from that approach in anything other than the smallest ways. Something needs to change soon. An alternative party might be the only way to do it.
DeleteI'm always puzzled by the amount of people defending bloggers they've never met, never likely to meet, and couldn't care less most of the time if they did
ReplyDeleteThe rev Stuart Campbell is one of those people who other people think they know but actually don't, all they know is the's this bloke who has a blog who supports Independence for Scotland
Well does he now, does he, then how come that blog hasn't had one column fraction of an inch regarding Scottish Independence in at least six months, and probably longer
Well the rev Stuart Campbell y'know the dedicated to Scottish Independence guy has been spending all of his waking hours rubbishing the only party capable of acheiving that goal, which he insists they now don't want to do that at all and Nicola Sturgeon is a liar and a fraud and any other name he's too frightened to print against her because the rev Stuart dedicated to Scottish Independence Campbell saw an opportunity for another cause to champion and decided that Nicola Sturgeon was to be his intended target as the next crowdfunder exercise
But of course we can't say things like that about the rev dedicated to Scottish Independence Campbell because his beloved chums will all become angry, well they all know and love him personally don't they, and trust him, don't they, so much so they'll add the word *fact* to the end of their sentences to defend this rev that none of them ever met in the same way most people never met Billy Graham but worshipped him anyway, well, he is the truth and the light
Just like his mate the Scottish David Icke they support themselves by donations from the general public right after they've whipped them up into a frenzy about something they say they and only they know all about and the rest of us should believe every word they say because well they told us to, and they're nice aren't they
How come these people keep ending up in court expecting you to pay their legal bills and fines and support their lifestyles into the bargain, they can apparently do and say whatever they like to anybody they like or don't like and expect to get away with it because you the public have been conned into believing they're on your side and doing it all on your behalf so pay up suckers
Are you people daft, well of course you're not, but gullible, yes you are if you can spot a conman at your door or in the post but can't spot a conman when he's promising to offer the thing you want most then asking you to pay him money to rubbish the very thing he wants to destroy
It's not in the rev Stuart dedicated to Scottish Independence Campbell's interests to actually help to achieve Independence for Scotland because you'd have no more use for him, and his income stream would dry up just the same as his fake patter
This man has lost aquaintances faster than a speeding bullet because tose people have cottoned on to him and dropped him like a hot potato, he's trouble and they know it now, do yourselves a favour and follow the lead of the reasonable folk who actually do know him and have said *we want no more of this guy*
Very, VERY well said
DeleteFact of the evening.
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/JamesMelville/status/1254082530610950149
James Melville
@JamesMelville
The UK now has over 20,000 #Covid_19 hospital deaths and an estimated 43,000 total deaths. The UK has more Coronavirus deaths than Norway, Germany, Japan, Greece, Denmark, South Korea, Ireland, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Portugal, Taiwan and Austria combined.
Death is in general a true fact as their is no comeback. The BBC gives the toll every night so no need for you to indulge in your sad hobby.
DeleteI have noticed how you have never attacked the UK government for letting so many Brits die.
DeleteWhy is that GWC?
Here wis me thinking that it was a virus that is killing people. It killed my cousin in a home in Prestwick. You are a fool for making your above comment. Get a life Skier/James. If the Scottish Nat sis do get their parochial state hopefully idiots like you will be in care homes.
Delete'Parochial' accuses the insular flag waving one nation brit nationalist to the global multi-state free movement unionist.
DeleteBoris locked down way too late after telling us to 'take it on the chin' and the whole UK is suffering for it. We both have lost people we know, and it will touch everyone.
Don't try to shut me up when I point that out. It's you that should take a look at yourself.
Scotland locked down at 14 dead. Boris waited until 335. The results of that are unfolding before us. Can you not at least for once say Scotland - your country supposedly - did the right thing, even though it hurt our economy to shut down much earlier? Why do you excuse the English Tory Trump? You are supposed to be a fucking socialist.
Covidia needs to cite its evidence.
DeleteNo, the numbers are there in official Great British government records. Scotland locked down at 14 deaths, which would be 1400 infections 3+ weeks previously, assuming a 1% fatality rate.
DeleteThe rUK was locked down at 321 deaths, or 32,100 infections walking around a few weeks before. Hence why England has so many dead compared to Scotland, and why it will likely overtake Spain here.
Scots are not miraculously immune to disease. If Holyrood had followed the UK plan of 'taking on the chin' until the last minute to keep Brexiter share portfolio values high, we'd have the same number of dead.
Including estimated care home and out of hospital deaths specifically unreported by the UK government total deaths in England alone are 43.000 and rising
ReplyDeleteWhen this is over the political fallout will be nuclear as to the UKs mishandling from the beginning and what they knew and when
The specific denial of PPE and deliberate lack of co-operation with Scotland and Wales will be crushing politically for Westminster because it won't go away along with the refusal to participate in equipment purchasing collectively with the EU which would have led to more PPE being available
The emails and evidence are all available and will be used against Johnson when the time comes
Johnson's tea is well oot, watch the Murdoch press turn on him, coming to a country near you *SOOOON*
Kim yung Eck has died according to press reports. A vacancy at the Russian TV.
ReplyDeleteCovidia needs to cite its evidence.
DeleteThe Dreary Heil does not count as a source.
Skier/James Kelly, go to Blairgowrie and pick some berries. Do something useful with your life. There is always a first.
ReplyDeleteCovidia's Tory overlords will happily put it to work in the fields this summer, in exchange for its pittance of a state pension.
DeleteCovidia will be grateful.
Covidia knows all about Blairgowrie. Especially the Wellmeadow at the Gas Brae end. Freaky.
DeleteThe reason farms are short of berry pickers is brexiter voters are lazy bastards who are all mooth and nae breeks.
DeleteIf the farming industry goes under because brexiters fail to deliver on their promises to pick the harvest, then they are to blame.
Idle people like yourself and prisoners should be shackled and put to work on the farms without pay. Safe Distancing should be three feet.
DeleteIdle? I'm not the one of those who promised to do the harvests post brexit, but now are refusing to when called upon.
DeleteI have my normal job to get on with.
Yes spreading hate against our English neighbours. All workers including thee elites should do their bit picking the harvest. Castro introduced it in Cuba and even doctors got a break doing it. I did it during the sixties.
DeleteAnd now you can do it again, when your Tory overlords decide your pension is too much of a drain on their chums' tax breaks.
DeleteFor years I was an every day reader of Wings and chipped into fund raisers most times.
ReplyDeleteMy first doubts came when he threw a wee tantrum after the 2014 result and had to be begged to bring his ball back to the game again.
It was as if he had been let down by the movement. That took me straight back to my years in the old 'hard left' of the 1970's - '80s. Failures were always the outcome of betrayal and only this or that tiny, impotent sect had seen the world clearly.
I'm still not certain what I think about D'Hondt and a list only indy party. At present I think maybe there is room if carefully handled. Hostility to the SNP is no good as 'fuel' for this approach. It has to be seen cooly as a tactical move made in tacit co-operation with the SNP.
Wings will never manage that. Bitterness and sectarian self interest are so ingrained in its thinking as to make that impossible.
Chances are Wings will go the way of a multitude of the old left groups -'the world went to hell because we were the only ones who saw the way forward and we were ignored'.
I've had the misfortune to meet a few individuals from those days since. Always the same formula - self righteousness tightly wrapped in bitter resentment of betrayal.
Sounds familiar to some Wings readers maybe ?
We need to fight to keep our minds open and accept our movement as it is. You only have to read the section about King Robert in the Declaration of Arbroath once to see that they understood very well.
They succeeded. Message ends !
I think that a Scot Goes Pop Party might be able to appeal across the spectrum.
DeleteBut if it failed then my powerful jaws would snap shut and drag it under.
Would certainly be better placed to try. Maybe as the focal point for a managed spectrum of people. As long as all were committed 'Independistas' it would be realistic attitude that counted rather than particular views.
DeleteThe Rev S.C. has lost the fckn plot.
DeleteThere seems to be a worrying trend at the moment to throw toys out of the pram whenever a pro-independence publication prints anything that some disagree with. What are we looking for Pravda? Get a grip, people. I don't agree 100% all of the time with my dearest friends so why expect that from journalists. And anyway, isn't good journalism supposed to challenge your ideas, make you challenge them NOT to necessarily change your thoughts but to make sure your logic is sound.
ReplyDelete👍✊✌
DeleteDebate is healthy. If you cannot stand the heat..............etc.
ReplyDeleteI iz blocked so I can't possibly comment except to say that control freakery abounds at Wings.
ReplyDeleteI see two weeks quarantine is to be introduced at UK borders to control covid.
ReplyDeleteIt seems nonsensical to me for Scotland to e.g. quarantine arrivals from Norway in this way, but not from far more infected England.
Surely Westminster will give Scotland the power to quarantine at borders so that it can implement this UK plan in Scotland?
No no no, Scot*land* is incredibly important but not the vermin infecting the colony
DeleteStuart Wings Campbell has difficulty with democracy unless he controls the nature of it and makes a good living from the proceeds of his sage advice
ReplyDeleteThat all sounds very old Labour to me, Scotland's trying to get rid of those folk isn't it
But is Stuart Campbell all about politics or is he really all about causes that keep him earning, except he picked his latest gender cause and lo and behold it's a loser so he blames the SNP and the FM in particular in the hope of funding himself for his next court case or his mate's court case or any court case that keeps him relevant and earning
You don't like the mainstream media conning you, what's the difference with Campbell, he's no different, just another one with an angry fake opinion hoping to attract other angry folk to pay him money to support it
I was shocked by the name he choose for his website. It's just trying to leech off Paul McCartney's fame
DeleteI take it that was a joke? If not, why do you think he calls himself Rev? Isaiah: “They shall mount up with wings as eagles"
DeleteHe'd a choice of Paul McCartney or the Eagles and he choose the famous one so he can get fame and adverts.
DeleteEpidemic control always has a geographical element. Only fool would not lock down / open up different areas depending on how well infection was controlled in these. It's standard WHO advice. If the UK has locked down london early on like the Chinese did with Wuhan, we'd likely be in a much better position.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-52431863
Nicola Sturgeon says Scotland could have a different exit from the Covid-19 lockdown if she felt the UK government had taken "premature" decisions.
The first minster told the BBC she would do what she judged best to protect Scotland's population.
But Ms Sturgeon added she would not take a different path "for the sake of it".
"It's not political in any way, shape or form," she told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show...
...Asked by Andrew Marr if she would like to close the border between England and Scotland so she could pursue a different strategy, Ms Sturgeon said she had no power to do that.
"I don't have the power to close borders but these are discussions of course we want to continue to have with the UK government," she said.
Will Scotland be given the power to close it's borders or would Westminster rather see thousands more dead in Scotland?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-52329071
ReplyDeleteHealth Minister Jeane Freeman estimates that about 1500 to 2000 people in Scotland will be required to operate a "contact tracing" strategy as lockdown measures are eased.
She is asked on Sunday Politics Scotland whether the Scottish government would be recruiting "shoe leather medics" to follow people up in the community who might have come into contact with confirmed cases of Covid-19, pointing out that 600 units were being planned in the Bavaria area of Germany alone.
"Yes, we are," she replies. "Contact tracing is a complex and skilled operation and to do it at scale requires a mix of using proven digital technology and human beings with the skills.
"We are actively looking at how we need to scale up our current health protection teams who in the past would conduct contact tracing for infectious diseases."
What are unionists arguing for exactly?
ReplyDeleteIf the virus was out of control in Scotland, but down to a few isolated test and trace cases in England, what would they want?
That Scotland be unlocked like England, or England remain in full lockdown like Scotland?
The Psychopathic Yoons want us deid - simple!!!
DeleteJust top yerself IainM and save us the bother. A packet of paracetamol and a half bottle of English Gin should make it quick.
DeleteGWC, some information on Scottish gin after the Union:
Deletehttps://canmore.org.uk/site/48117/kennetpans-distillery
"The passing of the Lowland Licence Act in 1788 required all Scottish distillers working for the English markets had to give 12 months notice. In effect meant no whisky to be distilled for a year. Wash stills had to be greater than 200 gallons capacity and an extra duty for all spirits sent to England for rectification was levied..John Stein and others ceased trading at this point. From 1790-94, there were no legal whisky exports from Scotland to England."
Covidia and its Priti-esque empathy, everyone.
DeleteAlba Loun, that is very interesting information. Being a boring bastard I will use this in conversation.
DeleteI imagine you'll say "Big Jock knew properly-distilled spirits when he tasted them..."
DeleteCovidia prefers turps. It leaves the decent booze for its perceived betters in the British nationalist pecking order. It is an obedient colonial.
DeleteI don't understand how we "don't have the power to close borders" when we can stop people getting on ferries to the Western Isles. What's the difference?
ReplyDeleteFurthermore the Welsh police were apparently turning holidaymakers back home to England at the Easter bank holiday.
AFAIU it's only international borders that are reserved.
Skier/Kelly, We Unionists are not arguing with anyone it is you Nat sis who are squabbling with each other. Nice pic of wee Knickerless on the Herald front page today. She looks quite pretty for an aging burd.
DeleteThe latest snivelling missive from Covidia the Britnat si's sobbing cupboard, everyone.
DeleteDay 44:
ReplyDelete20,852 Spain
20,732 UK
18,279 Italy
https://www.newstatesman.com/2020/03/live-data-coronavirus-crisis-all-you-need-know
Looks like the UK will overtake Spain officially tomorrow.
It looks that by a short head the Spaniards are ahead but bookies favourite the UK are catching up. This will be a close run thing.
DeleteCovidia appears to be enjoying this, in a profoundly disturbing way.
DeleteGWC ....get a life , your socialist ideology is out of date ,it will never ever ever happen , I think deep down you know that , our English neighbours would delete Scotland as a country and suck it into greater Englandshire in a flash , they care not a jot about togetherness , they only want control, they sincerely believe they own Scotland already and just leave us a wee bit devolution out of the goodness of their heart.
ReplyDeleteYou need to remove your wooly willie warmer tc and let the air about it. Summer is here.
DeletePoor Covidia. So angry. So bitter. So very, very funny.
DeleteThis is getting serious GWC. Why are you brexiters not coming to the rescue here as you said you would post-brexit? You guys promised these farmers the hands they'd need in the fields, like back in the war days.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52435332
Coronavirus: Furloughed workers urged to become fruit pickers
...Much of the work would normally be done by seasonal migrant labourers.
According to the British Growers Association, 70,000 seasonal staff a year are needed.
However farmers say the pandemic has restricted the availability of foreign workers and have complained they cannot recruit enough domestic labour.
Instead, you laze about posting crap on the internet.
There are plenty workers available including you although you would be a liability. You would get upset if your nails got dirty and needed recovery to your loft hideout.
DeleteMy first job was pulling wild oats out of wheat fields GWC.
DeleteI've stacked shelves, waited tables, made fresh Italian pasta for restaurants across Edinburgh, and pulled pints in my time too.
Just because I'm Dr. Chemistry Skier these days doesn't mean I grew up with a silver spoon in my mouth.
Covidia confuses education with entitlement.
DeleteIt is as confused about education as it is about everything else it screams about.
It should be compulsory for students to bring in the harvest as a payback for their freebie tuition fees. It will show the middle and upper class what hard graft is.
DeleteI've always worked in the totty holidays.
DeleteIt should be compulsory for idle Brexiteers to bring in the harvest. It will show the idle chancers how much hard work is done by the migrant workers they despise.
DeleteGuy is an idiot. Get rid of our FM whose popularity is soaring and will be the messenger for Scotland'sfuture as an independent country? Aye right then.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of time for Stu but it wasn't a healthy reaction. iScot is a great magazine and needs all the support it can get. I so understand why he's hyper sensitive about certain lines of attack on him, but the "stab in the back" line doesn't do him many favours.
ReplyDelete