I made this video before the news broke about Donald Trump's comments on Diego Garcia, which has resulted in this bizarre commentary from Henry Zeffman on the BBC News website (it's possibly a transcribed version of what he said on-air):
"It is not clear that any world leader has quite found a reliable way to handle President Trump. But Starmer’s attempts to do so earned him plaudits across the political spectrum. Foreign affairs had been seen as one of the real positives of his time in Downing Street. That verdict may have to be revised. What a mess."
Laura Kuenssberg said something almost identical the other day, which creates the impression that it is practically the editorial line of the BBC that Starmer's handling of foreign affairs, and of Trump in particular, have "earned plaudits across the political spectrum". As the SNP are part of the political spectrum, could the BBC clarify precisely who in the SNP has praised Starmer on foreign affairs, and when? Who in the Green party did it? Who in the Corbyn/Sultana party did it? Etc, etc.
* * *
* * *Serious question: how can a foreign leader "veto" any decision made by the UK about UK sovereign territory? I thought Brexit was supposed to end "vassalage"? Why do you think it hasn't and why do you appear to be so happy about that? https://t.co/mqw7Wc4co5
— James Kelly (@JamesKelly) January 20, 2026
Scot Goes Pop: The Final Fundraiser is underway (you can read more about why I anticipate it being the final one HERE) and it's already a bit over halfway towards its target figure of £1700. A million thanks to everyone who has donated so far. Card donations can be made at the GoFundMe page HERE, or if you prefer to cut out the middle-man, direct PayPal donations can be made to my PayPal email address, which is: jkellysta@yahoo.co.uk
Put aside for the moment the possibility of European governments reaching for economic levers to retaliate against the US. The European people have agency. The EU, and UK have a combined population of 510 million. The US has a population of 340 million. Boycotts of American goods can be organised under the “Free Greenland” banner. Physical goods are easy (Tesla EVs, Apple phones, etcetera). Cultural goods (Hollywood trash, McDonald’s, KFC, etcetera) may be harder for folk to join the dots. Soft wear (social media, operating systems, Microsoft Office, etcetera) may be harder still (people who know a great deal more than myself, say alternatives are available).
ReplyDeleteThere are alternatives available and easily accessible. This needs to start with I T at primary schools using alternative European based O/S and software. It will take ten years but it will remove the reliance on American software and hardware. Manufacturing bases for I T hardware need to be established. All doable with political will. The “alliance” with America will weaken but it needs to.
DeleteThe BBC's political spectrum extends to Conservative (& now Reform) and Labour. As long as they got a comment from each, that's it covered.
ReplyDeleteEuropean leaders are blinking (I would say seeing the light). In chronological order, the following have suggested talking to the Russian Federation. Giorgia Meloni, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz. Usrula von der Leyen falls chronologically between Marcon, and Merz, but she’s a different category.
ReplyDeleteUvdL called not for immediate talks, but rather for the identification of a negotiator. Why the additional step?
UvdL can’t talk to her opposite number in the Russian Federation (Putin) due to the episode last year where she claimed the Russians blocked the GPS signal for her plane, causing it to circle above an airfield in Romania for hours before the pilot landed using paper maps. That story was thoroughly debunked within hours.
The European Commission’s, High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs (Kaja Kallas) can’t talk to her opposite number, Foreign Minister Lavrov, because she’s a deranged, rabid Russophobe with zero credibility.
UVdL suggested President of Finland, Alexander Stubb as a negotiator. Four years ago this would have been an excellent choice. However, Finland joined NATO under identity politics poster girl Sanna Marin. Marin is out of the picture having resigned as a Finish MP to take up a position as a consultant to Tony Blair (and by their friends so shall ye know them).
In the UK, Starmer doesn’t blink, and call for talks with Moscow. Why?
Because the cost of entry likely to be extracted by Lavrov, would be an admission that the whole Salisbury / Skripal / Novichok nonsense was a false flag operation launched by British SIS (with Sergei Skripal’s assistance) to discredit the Russian Federation.
The extremely deadly poison that wisnae so deadly for the Skripal’s.
DeleteAre you Nadine Dorries?
DeleteI see the internet is working well in Iran.
DeleteStarmer is Trump’s poodle 🐩and Swinney is Trump and Starmer’s poodle 🐩. We will not get independence as long as the SNP is controlled by devolutionists. There is a greater chance of Trump taking Shetland than there is of the SNP doing anything about independence.
ReplyDeleteAch there's always the ISP!
DeleteI know you think that’s funny, @achanon, given how often you say it. The trouble is it's true: with the SNP compromised like this, there is no viable alternative. The Yes movement had one centralised point of failure and that has been firmly exploited. So here we are, completely stuck, battened down aboard the good ship Britain just in time for her roughest ever seas.
DeleteAch, there's always alternate histories.
Has your handler not told you who to vote for yet IFS or does he just tell you who not to vote for, and that's always the SNP?
DeleteFunny how that's what you're whole existence seems to be about
Well that and hating women politicians
Anon troll at 1.27am - I see you have not followed my advice and stopped drinking the Buckfast. Strangely you seem to have mastered the use of a ? but the use of a . seems to be beyond your capabilities. You must have been pissed when the SNP put up the price of your bottle of Buckfast. However, the drivel you post in the wee sma hours suggests being pissed is your normal state.
DeleteYouGov, Westminster voting intention, field work 18 - 19 Jan.
ReplyDeleteUK headlines; RefUK 5% lead (over Labour!), +1% on last week. Tories down 2%, Greens on record equaling 17% (+3%) for YouGov. SNP back to 3% after 2 weeks on 4% (good while it lasted).
Scottish sub-sample (203)
Con 9%, Lab 18%, LibDem 13%, SNP 33%, RefUK 15%, Green 11%.
RefUK are now also rans for second place.
SNP MP for Glasgow South, turned lobbyist for the Military Industrial Complex, Stewart McDonald says the one take away from events of the last few days is to; “ … increase defence spending at a much faster rate than previously planned.”.
ReplyDeleteIt’s the big item, vanity projects like Trident, and two useless aircraft carriers that got us into this mess. These have very little to do with defence, and a whole lot more to do with (impotent) force projection.
Note: America didn’t put boots on the ground in Venezuela. The government there armed the people, and formed militias. An actual American invasion would have rapidly become a bloodbath of guerrilla warfare.
Practical defence of the UK (or an independent Scotland) should be based on similar principles. Give me an Accuracy International, L115A3 sniper rifle, and I”ll meet the Yankee hordes.
‘Mon then! Come ahead!
Come ahead, canny lad, when the boats come in and there's fog on the Tyne.
DeleteLooks like the fascist scum in the US administration, the fascist scum in the Russian administration and the fascist scum in Reform are all now pretty much singing from the same fascist hymnbook.
ReplyDeleteAll Happy Fascists together.
Who showed Idiot for Scotland how to insert poodles into his comments?
ReplyDeleteAnon at 6.11pm 🥕🥕 🫏 just for you numpty. Only an ass like you would keep on munching away at the carrots doled out year after year by the SNP leadership since 2016.
Delete