When I was a lad, a primary school pupil, my dad took me out campaigning. I was a shy kid and didn't exactly put myself forward but I was spat on by Labour activists. These weren't the dainty spits...
View ArticleMussels recipe
Rapeseed oil to cover the bottom of a big frying pan - a hooch of dried oregano and a good skelp of cumin seed in; low flame while you prep. Peel and chop a fair dode of sweet potato; into a big bowl...
View ArticleSpeaking of the Brown Union
Thanks to the generosity of Kenny Farquharson we have the notes that Gordon Brown spoke from when he gave his Donald Dewar lecture at the Edinburgh Book Festival. One thing struck me, though, when I...
View ArticleMundell and the Money Problem
The Herald has reported that Scottish Secretary, David 'Fluffy' Mundell, accepted donations worth £10,000 in this year from a property company that has a single source of income which brings in about...
View Articled'Hondt and its intrigues
There's been a bit of a disagreement here and there about how Yes supporters should vote on the regional list in May. A rare wee argument about how the AMS system works is always delightful if you're...
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Labour's tax rise and why it's wrong in very many ways
This week Labour promised a new dawn - an increase in Scottish income tax. Kezia Dugdale, who is a fine woman trying her hardest in a difficult situation (imagine trying to fashion ice sculptures from...
View ArticleDancing with Labour's tax plan
Let's give Labour's tax policy another turn around the dance floor before we go for a buster on the way home. It's a bit boring but worth looking at and you'll get a buster on the way home. Labour's...
View ArticleTwo votes? Two votes you say?
I thought I'd tell you how to use your regional list (second / Additional Member / what's this thing?) vote in the Scottish Parliament election to get the result you want if you're a supporter of...
View ArticleSchooling the Tories
A few days ago the ruler of the Tory hordes in Scotland (one Ruth Davidson, for who else could it be?) answered a charge of Tory poshness from a posh lawyer (Mr Worrier, forename Peat) in an odd...
View ArticleThe big boys want all the sweeties
The Scottish Retail Consortium wants the Scottish Government to scrap the rates surcharge on large businesses.The Scottish Retail Consortium doesn't actually exist, it's just a name that the British...
View ArticleBenefit Scroungers
Peter Chapman MSPBrowsing through Holyrood's register of interests, I came across Peter Chapman MSP. There are these four farms listed under heritable property -Until 14 July 2016 I owned a 50% share...
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Labour's train of thought is off the rails
Here's a thing - at First Minister's Questions in Holyrood today, Kezia Dugdale (Labour)(Lothian list)(Leader) claimed that a third of all rail routes in Scotland have services that are late more often...
View ArticleOrwell and a Tory
Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Tories in Scotland, made a speech about Orwell (you can read the whole thing on the Tory website if you so desire but you don't have to) and what struck me is that...
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Did Cameron Save May's Bacon?
EVEL raises its headDavid Cameron may have saved Theresa May's Government. I'd been wondering why she was so fixated on getting a deal with the DUP that gave her confidence and supply but no other...
View ArticleWhen ye lay doon wi the De'il...
Yesterday (Wednesday) there was a division on the Queen's Speech (translation from Westminsterese - a vote on the Government's legislative programme) on getting rid of the pay cap on public sector...
View ArticleNHS much healthier under the SNP than it ever was under Labour
Labour and the NHS campaignLabour, being the mendacious and unprincipled bunch of self-seeking wannabes we all know of old (I love them really), has been talking a lot recently about 'saving' the NHS...
View ArticleHubris and conceit
Labour's David Martin has called for Labour and the SNP to start working towards a coalition at the next Holyrood election in 2021. It's hubris and it's horrendously conceited and here's why -1. It...
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Why Derek Mackay is better than Labour
There was some eejit on twitter asked me why I hadn't criticised Derek Mackay's most excellent budget since it has tax rises and I'd criticised Labour plan to raise taxes on the lowest-paid...
View ArticlePoll - 39.7% Yes, 41.4% No, 18.9% DK
There was a poll… A rare poll, a rattling poll… A poll down indyref-ee-oh So, see that TNS-BMRB poll that gave such surprising results? There were lots of comments about how it wasn’t weighted to the...
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