John Swinney proved he was A loser during his first tenure as leader of the SNP between 2000 and 2004 at the 2001 UKGE, the 2003 Scottish Parliament election and the European elections a year later. He proved it again last year at the UK General Election. And once again quite spectacularly in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse last Thursday.
But don’t forget who THE loser was … the real one, that is: those that support the return of Scotland’s independent statehood.
Excellent comment from Stephen Duncan which complements Jim Sillars' article. Scottish politics needs clear thought and comments to encourage those currently in thrall to the Swinney devolution organisation to smell the roses and shake the SNP in to action as the supposed party of independence.
Actually I can see how John Swinney made sense at the time he was chosen, as at that point it looked like they were just choosing which person was going to lose in 2026 - so someone coming to the end of their career, who's not going to change policy direction (resulting in the fresh policy direction unfairly getting the blame for the loss) could be a sensible choice.
But since then, Labour have managed to make it seem likely the SNP will win (if we define "win" as being comfortably the biggest party) in 2026. Which means it was the wrong decision.
Labour winning that by election, after the start they have had in Government, is quite incredible. Things can get get better, as they say, in the next year and I would be very concerned if I was an SNP supporter that the Holyrood election will be held in more favourable conditions for Labour. I also believe Reform will falter as their policies are highlighted. All very encouraging.
There are, despite the fact that Scotland is untouched by thi “mass” immigration. It blows wide apart the myth that Scots are “better” and more progressive than the English. We have a tiny amount of immigrants and yet still manage to be xenophobic. Imagine what the reaction would be if the immigration we need to sustain us as an independent nation was to take place? I worked for years interviewing thousands of people in Scotland and England and heard more racist/homophobic view expressed in Scotland than I ever did in England. We would have a right wing populist Government in Scotland within ten years of independence, which would come as a shock to those that live in a cosy bubble.
Swinney and others within a 'co-opted' national party elite are hardly a "manifest failure" as far as the colonizer is concerned considering he is clearly one of the colonizer's numerous "confidential agents pensioned off at high reward" (Cesaire) whose primary task is to delay or prevent independence.
Forget 'failure', or 'loser' or 'devolutionist' labels, because, in this instance "the essential thing is that their highly problematical subjective good faith is entirely irrelevant to the objective social implications of the evil work they perform as watchdogs of colonialism" (Cesaire).
Some understanding of postcolonial theory and where we are in the decolonization process might be helpful:
As long as the lunatic fringe keep airing offensive stuff like this, a large section of the Scottish population will reject independence. An insult to people who really suffered under colonialism, often led from the front by Scots.
I suppose you would also regard Professor Robert Black KC analysis of Scotland's annexation and takeover (i.e. our absolute colonial status) as 'lunatic fringe':
If those are his views, yes. Your colony nonsense is an affront to the many decent people in the independence movement who denounce such rubbish. Keep it up, though. Anything that hinders your progress is fine by me 👍
In the SSRG conference video Professor Black explains the reasoning behind his conclusion that Scotland is a Non Self-Governing Territory (NSGT), i.e. a colony. Which also explains and helps justify the current Liberation.scot UN decolonization initiative.
You are probably also unaware that 'colonization is based on psychology' (Cesaire) which means there is a recognised pathology associated with the 'condition'; this further explains why some of the oppressed group 'crave dependence’, deny they are oppressed and oppose their own liberation:
We had a free vote and you lost. In the latest by election 70% voted for anti independence parties. Most of us don’t want to live in a wee, parochial, bankrupt country riven by sectarianism, thank you.
I see you have a very low opinion of Scots and our capabilities. Tho your description seems more a fit with Brexit Britain.
Instead of playing @ British politics, here is what the SNP leadership should have been doing long ago, taking Scotland’s case to the UN; and which comes with the realisation that independence means decolonization, something the national party and most of the people haes still tae feegur oot:
Excellent article and nails the lie that Swindler Swinnry is a healer and a winner. He is a devolutionist. But here is the challenge to the devolutionist SNP given the current and self inflicted hiatus around indyref 2.. In their manifesto for 2026, will the SNP list the powers they will seek to restore to Scotland? Media? Fiscal autonomy?, control over foreign nationals owning the majority of land? These are few examples of how we can continue our journey to being a nation once again. If there is nothing on transfer of more powers for Scotland in the SNP manifesto, then they can kiss my vote goodbye forever.
Fiscal autonomy would be a good one. The nationalists would have kittens taking actual responsibility, and it would prove the madness of independence. In the meantime another 52 billions allocated by the Labour Government.
John Swinney proved he was A loser during his first tenure as leader of the SNP between 2000 and 2004 at the 2001 UKGE, the 2003 Scottish Parliament election and the European elections a year later. He proved it again last year at the UK General Election. And once again quite spectacularly in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse last Thursday.
But don’t forget who THE loser was … the real one, that is: those that support the return of Scotland’s independent statehood.
John Swinney claimed only 3 weeks ago that he had “healed” the SNP (https://www.thenational.scot/news/25172314.fractured-snp-now-healed-says-john-swinney/).
The remaining membership of the party better take head and get rid of him otherwise he really will heal it.
For good.
Excellent comment from Stephen Duncan which complements Jim Sillars' article. Scottish politics needs clear thought and comments to encourage those currently in thrall to the Swinney devolution organisation to smell the roses and shake the SNP in to action as the supposed party of independence.
Actually I can see how John Swinney made sense at the time he was chosen, as at that point it looked like they were just choosing which person was going to lose in 2026 - so someone coming to the end of their career, who's not going to change policy direction (resulting in the fresh policy direction unfairly getting the blame for the loss) could be a sensible choice.
But since then, Labour have managed to make it seem likely the SNP will win (if we define "win" as being comfortably the biggest party) in 2026. Which means it was the wrong decision.
It's not 'xenophobic ' to be concerned about mass undocumented immigration.
Labour winning that by election, after the start they have had in Government, is quite incredible. Things can get get better, as they say, in the next year and I would be very concerned if I was an SNP supporter that the Holyrood election will be held in more favourable conditions for Labour. I also believe Reform will falter as their policies are highlighted. All very encouraging.
I get your point,but the fact is large numbers of Scots ARE concerned about mass undocumented immigration, hence the increasing vote for Reform.
There are, despite the fact that Scotland is untouched by thi “mass” immigration. It blows wide apart the myth that Scots are “better” and more progressive than the English. We have a tiny amount of immigrants and yet still manage to be xenophobic. Imagine what the reaction would be if the immigration we need to sustain us as an independent nation was to take place? I worked for years interviewing thousands of people in Scotland and England and heard more racist/homophobic view expressed in Scotland than I ever did in England. We would have a right wing populist Government in Scotland within ten years of independence, which would come as a shock to those that live in a cosy bubble.
Swinney and others within a 'co-opted' national party elite are hardly a "manifest failure" as far as the colonizer is concerned considering he is clearly one of the colonizer's numerous "confidential agents pensioned off at high reward" (Cesaire) whose primary task is to delay or prevent independence.
Forget 'failure', or 'loser' or 'devolutionist' labels, because, in this instance "the essential thing is that their highly problematical subjective good faith is entirely irrelevant to the objective social implications of the evil work they perform as watchdogs of colonialism" (Cesaire).
Some understanding of postcolonial theory and where we are in the decolonization process might be helpful:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/05/25/the-three-phases-of-decolonization-lessons-for-scotland/
As long as the lunatic fringe keep airing offensive stuff like this, a large section of the Scottish population will reject independence. An insult to people who really suffered under colonialism, often led from the front by Scots.
I suppose you would also regard Professor Robert Black KC analysis of Scotland's annexation and takeover (i.e. our absolute colonial status) as 'lunatic fringe':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F0h92UrafI
If those are his views, yes. Your colony nonsense is an affront to the many decent people in the independence movement who denounce such rubbish. Keep it up, though. Anything that hinders your progress is fine by me 👍
In the SSRG conference video Professor Black explains the reasoning behind his conclusion that Scotland is a Non Self-Governing Territory (NSGT), i.e. a colony. Which also explains and helps justify the current Liberation.scot UN decolonization initiative.
You are probably also unaware that 'colonization is based on psychology' (Cesaire) which means there is a recognised pathology associated with the 'condition'; this further explains why some of the oppressed group 'crave dependence’, deny they are oppressed and oppose their own liberation:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/03/03/the-colonial-mindset/
We had a free vote and you lost. In the latest by election 70% voted for anti independence parties. Most of us don’t want to live in a wee, parochial, bankrupt country riven by sectarianism, thank you.
"a wee, parochial, bankrupt country"
I see you have a very low opinion of Scots and our capabilities. Tho your description seems more a fit with Brexit Britain.
Instead of playing @ British politics, here is what the SNP leadership should have been doing long ago, taking Scotland’s case to the UN; and which comes with the realisation that independence means decolonization, something the national party and most of the people haes still tae feegur oot:
https://www.jpti.ch/post/jpti-at-the-united-nations-speaking-out-for-decolonization-and-human-rights
Excellent article and nails the lie that Swindler Swinnry is a healer and a winner. He is a devolutionist. But here is the challenge to the devolutionist SNP given the current and self inflicted hiatus around indyref 2.. In their manifesto for 2026, will the SNP list the powers they will seek to restore to Scotland? Media? Fiscal autonomy?, control over foreign nationals owning the majority of land? These are few examples of how we can continue our journey to being a nation once again. If there is nothing on transfer of more powers for Scotland in the SNP manifesto, then they can kiss my vote goodbye forever.
Fiscal autonomy would be a good one. The nationalists would have kittens taking actual responsibility, and it would prove the madness of independence. In the meantime another 52 billions allocated by the Labour Government.