SNP lists - attacks on Joan McAlpine

He is a horrible man- you don't have to be woke to think that. His saving grace now is the SNP seem to be even more unpleasant than him.

Should have mentioned Wings/Stuart Campbell is permanently banned from Twitter.

Because of his GC views.
Like many others.

I’ll go now. Sorry for the essay.

On 4) are the factions (assuming they exist) really bothered about selfID/feminist needs or is this some kind of issue being used as a proxy war for leadership (this is a take I read on twitter).

Hard to judge with Sturgeon but as a lesbian MP I think Cherry has “skin in the game” on LGB equality. She also pressed Twitter very hard in Parliament on why they weren’t policing misogyny in the same way they policed other “hateful conduct” and forced them to agree that T*RF was a misogynist slur.

@GreenUp - on 2) Do JC and NS represent totally different factions (if so what do they want) and is their only bone of contention around self ID or do they have different ideas for Scotland?

Joanna Cherry is allied with Alex Salmond.

Alex stood down after losing the referendum and NS took the helm.

Many supporters of independence (Scotland has been a separate, independent country for far more of its history than it has been part of Britain) feel that the SNP under Nicola is simply not pushing hard enough for independence - that the party has become too comfortable with the status quo, troughing in lovely Westminster salaries and all the pension rights that come with that, and dominating Holyrood.

It was rumoured that Salmond intended a return to Scottish politics to put some energy back into the independence movement.

Then the allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him. I don’t know what to believe on the suggestion that the court case was a deliberate conspiracy by Sturgeon and her supporters in the Scottish civil service to permanently remove him from public life. It needs to be examined and the truth needs to come out.

I do think it’s wrong that Nicola Sturgeon’s husband is the chief executive of the SNP.

On Wings - he is loathed by the woke because many of his posts are gender-critical and hold up what he has dubbed “the Twitler Youth” of the party to the sunlight.

You wouldn’t know about the disability rule change without his blog.

His critics will point to a joke he made about David Mundell coming out as gay to allege he is a homophobe.

Personally I think he does an immense service by shining the sunlight on what the NEC is doing.

Those who would prefer these rule changes to happen in smoke-filled rules don’t like him.

To add a little on point (3)

@MissBarbary is correct to say “Cherry is a Westminster MP so has no say in what happens at Holyrood. It certainly looks as if self ID is being used as a tool to hinder Cherry's leadership ambitions.”

Joanna Cherry wanted to contest a Holyrood seat in the forthcoming election.

The SNP NEC enacted an emergency rule change to require any sitting MP who wanted to stand for Holyrood to resign so that a by-election for their seat could be held on the same day as the Holyrood poll. So if you didn’t win the Holyrood seat you would be unemployed.

Supporters of Cherry felt this was done to deter her from standing and allow Angus Robertson, who lost his Westminster seat at the last election, to take the nomination for Edinburgh Central (currently Ruth Davidson’s seat).

It prevents Cherry from challenging Sturgeon for leadership at Holyrood.

Handy, that.

I use "separatism". I don't see a need for "independence" "independence" from what? The separatists want to break up my county. I'm British.

Talk of "independence" is as unpalatable for me as c*s is for most of you.

Should have mentioned Wings/Stuart Campbell is permanently banned from Twitter.

Separatism = Independence
Which is the normal state of things

The SNP seem to be doing everything they can to get rid of anyone who actually wants independence

Yes, I am coming around to the view that devolution was a bad idea, which is not something I ever thought I would say.

However, Scotland has its own legal system, so presumably could reform the GRA even if it was not devolved. What worries me really about the current situation in Scotland, and not just in relation to the GRA, is that there is no significant opposition to the SNP and some of their decisions seem to be made with lobby groups rather than through a process of democracy. They are also fundamentally, I think, anti-woman (just look at Scots family law, which is in respects a controller’s charter, which is ironic from a country which recognised and legislated for coercive control).

1. Wings Over Scotland is the self- styled "Reverend" Stuart Campbell. Campbell lives in Bath or Bristol or Brighton (I can't remember which) He is fanatically pro- separatist and has been blogging on that issue for years. The SNP don't like him because he is aggressive and very rude and very critical of them. Unionists don't like him because he is aggressive and very rude and very critical of them , although he is useful for Unionists to be able to point to as just how awful separatists can be; which is another reason the SNP don't like him.

1. No idea what motivates either of them or what their factions are beyond the aim of separatism so to that extent for me each is as bad as the other. Cherry is a supporter of Salmond and I'm sure has her sights on leadership.

1. No idea- see answer above - each is as unpalatable as the other. Cherry is a Westminster MP so has no say in what happens at Holyrood. It certainly looks as if self ID is being used as a tool to hinder Cherry's leadership ambitions.

1. There is a very definite faction in the SNP who are genuinely seriously determined to push for Scotland to be the same as Canada and Ireland and want rid of anyone who opposes that. On feminist needs (whatever that might mean) I don't know.

The self ID issue is irrelevant for me. They could drop all talk of it and my opinion would remain the same- namely the SNP's governance of Scotland is dire and separatism is an ill thought out , "little Scotlander", sentimental notion which would be ruinous for Scotland if it ever happened.

So far as Scottish politics- devolution was a bad idea.

Would anyone Scots be willing to give a quick precis of SNP politics for those of us not living in Scotland.

I am a bit confused about the following:

1. Who is Wings in relation to SNP - I know he talks up in favour of women's rights but what does he want aside from that?

2. Do JC and NS represent totally different factions (if so what do they want) and is their only bone of contention around self ID or do they have different ideas for Scotland?

3. Who has most power/public support in all of this (out of JC vs NS)? I read that SNP using the self-ID debate to defenestrate any leadership challenge from JC. Is that the case?

4. are the factions (assuming they exist) really bothered about selfID/feminist needs or is this some kind of issue being used as a proxy war for leadership (this is a take I read on twitter).

PS. I'm stuck in England, but support Scots to do what they want to do with regards to their own country so this isn't supposed to be any kind of political post or jab, I just would genuinely like to understand more about how the self-ID issue relates to Scottish politics overall. It's a bit confusing if you are not subsumed in Scottish media.

Just woke up, flicked through Twitter and saw this latest madness.

I remember my grandad was very interested in Scottish nationalism as a concept, and how it could be achieved. He was a skilled draughtsman in the Clyde shipyards.

He'd have admired Joan M very much.

Honestly SNP what they will do to keep women out

Do the SNP. Really think our country won’t notice ?

I am anti-SNP. I vote Conservative ergo I'm right wing too. Am I supposed to be embarrassed by this?

I used to be very left- wing (embarrassingly so) I was anti- SNP then too.

Whole thread in Scotsnet accusing anyone who is anti SNP of being right wing

I thought it would be a cold day in hell before I found myself agreeing with wings over scotland and yet, here we are.

I'm presuming he is advocating for Alec Salmond?

What a bunch of contemptible wankers. Hardly inspires confidence about how they’d manage an independent Scotland, does it?

Another who is happy to dig for Joan. Just say the word Joan. 💐

I see that Josh Aaron Mennie, on being mentioned on Wings site, has accused Wings of being a right-wing Unionist blogger.

It's come to something when Wings Over Scotland is the voice of sanity and reason.

Ready to dig for Joan (despite the fact I could not be more done with the SNP)

Self IDing as disabled is as utterly disgusting as self IDing as a woman. Every time I read “I identify as” it is a synonym for “I am not”.