[Tubby Isaacs]

What's the evidence that there's been any great shift on independence? Unionists got more votes in the general election, for the second time since Brexit. Anyway, Brexit isn't the only changed circumstance. "Scandinavia except with low taxes because oil" isn't tenable any more.

This could certainly change, for sure, but it hasn't yet.

[Abernathy]

Point taken, but I still think Jess was mistaken to be quite so apparently dismissive of the biggest issue in Scotland.

[Boiler]

I eagerly await Greater London voting to break from England as in terms of numbers, I reckon more people voted to remain in the EU in Greater London than actually dwell in the whole of Scotland.

It's not all about Scotland, as the Nats now seem to think it is.

[bluebellnutter]

And in many ways Greater London is actually a whole lot better placed to make a go of independence than Scotland.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Point taken, but I still think Jess was mistaken to be quite so apparently dismissive of the biggest issue in Scotland.

Apologies, that's a fair point.

[Tubby Isaacs]

I eagerly await Greater London voting to break from England as in terms of numbers, I reckon more people voted to remain in the EU in Greater London than actually dwell in the whole of Scotland.

It's not all about Scotland, as the Nats now seem to think it is.

The Nat exceptionalism isn't unlike Brexiters. Separatists are a nuisance to EU member states. Nobody here would say the last Spanish government handled Catalonia right (Cameron by contrast handled the Nat mandate in 2011 well) but there wasn't all that much support for Catalonia from other EU countries.

Scotland would be different from Catalonia in that it was a succession from a country that had left the EU but I suspect it's close enough a parallel for some governments to worry. I reckon Scotland joins ok but it takes a while

[Abernathy]

Haven't the EU27 already indicated that they would look very favourably on an application to join from a future independent Scotland ?

[Tubby Isaacs]

If Scotland meets the criteria, probably. But I think they have quite a bit to do that. I wouldn't expect too much in the way of fudging that by Spain, France, Belgium etc.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Joyous and civic.

[davidjay]

Alex Salmond cleared of all charges.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scot ... r-21658221

[Boiler]

Cue the CyberNats in 3... 2... 1...

[The Red Arrow]

McTrending.

[Abernathy]

I must admit that the sheer number of the charges and their nature did make me wonder whether some or all of them might not be all that they seemed to be.

The interesting thing is the single charge in which the returned verdict was not "not guilty", but the unique Scottish verdict of "not proven" - which basically means that the jury thinks you might be guilty but does not have enough evidence to return a guilty verdict, or a "not guilty" one either. It does however, have the same effect in law as a "not guilty" verdict.

I think that's about right for Salmond. Given his personality, I can easily see him being involved in some slightly questionable "sexy" shenanigans with women colleagues, but I don't think he's in the Harvey Weinstein league.

[The Red Arrow]

Oh dear. Trouble in Paradise.


Alex Salmond allies say he plans to sue Scottish government

Ex-first minister believed to be furious over treatment by SNP and Nicola Sturgeon’s office
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... government

[youngian]

Its not good for a public figure to have 'not proven' hanging over them and is just as well Salmond can't talk about it now due to this crisis. Slippery characters like Salmond are often bestowed with the Devil's luck. The SNP had to beg Salmond to come to Holyrood when it first opened. He initially relinquished the leadership to a new broom in order to be the SNP elder statesman in Westminster. Had a bit on the side down in the Smoke that shags like a rattlesnake, was my thought at the time.