Tag: Nationalism

We have the amusing canard that the SNP response to this crisis has been above politics. We have already seen how the SNP has sought to deflect criticisms towards Westminster while looking to make the most amount of political gain from our relatively fortunate health outcomes. But they nevertheless insist that they are holding back… Continue reading The SNP Ain’t Scotland Part 15

There are numerous distortions operated by the SNP Scottish Executive. Not least the distortion is evidenced by the behaviour of the Scottish Government Covid-19 Advisory Group, which was set up by Nicola Sturgeon in response to the pandemic. As things stand right now, their advice has not yet diverged from the UK government’s strategy. For… Continue reading The SNP Ain’t Scotland Part 14

There is the suggestion that Scotland has shown the rest of the UK how to handle crisis. The Nationalists have implied that Scotland has developed its own unique response to the crisis which differs from England, so our death rate is lower. The idea is supposed to go like this: “Health is fully devolved in… Continue reading The SNP Ain’t Scotland Part 13

The conspiracy theory of a Westminster “sabotage”. The principal criticism of Scotland’s handling of the pandemic has been the shortage of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). In response to this criticism, the SNP have pushed the narrative through their media (not least the front page of The National) and social media channels that English firms were… Continue reading The SNP Ain’t Scotland Part 12

Like many other political actors around the world, the SNP are looking to make electoral hay from the ongoing pandemic, and, they hope, bring a second independence referendum closer to reality. And from their point of view, it seems the sooner the better. Since the Westminster election of 2019, a slight majority of Scots now… Continue reading The SNP Ain’t Scotland Part 11

The response to the coronavirus pandemic has shown the “sheer might” of the UK union, Boris Johnson has said during a visit to Scotland. Mr Johnson was in Orkney and the north of Scotland one year on from the day he took office as prime minister. He said the work of the military and Treasury… Continue reading The SNP Ain’t Scotland Part 10

Nicola Sturgeon has told Boris Johnson not to use the coronavirus pandemic as a “political weapon” after the prime minister claimed Scotland’s response to the virus had benefited from being part of the UK. Speaking on Thursday as Mr Johnson visited Scotland, the first minister told reporters: “I don’t think any of us, and I… Continue reading The SNP Ain’t Scotland Part 9

STV has launched an internal investigation after the broadcaster released a video of children praising Nicola Sturgeon for “keeping them safe” during the coronavirus pandemic. A series of clips from the video were posted on Twitter yesterday before being taken down following a number of complaints. Some compared it to the sort of brainwashing media… Continue reading The SNP Ain’t Scotland Part 8

An investigation has uncovered evidence coronavirus may have been brought to Scotland during a conference of Nike employees in Edinburgh. A BBC Scotland Disclosure investigation found more than 70 Nike employees from around the world attended a conference at Edinburgh’s Hilton Carlton Hotel on February 26 and 27, before the first confirmed covid-19 case in… Continue reading The SNP Ain’t Scotland Part 7

This coronavirus crisis has delivered a lesson in the power of the British state and its institutions. Rishi Sunak has added something like £60bn to public spending, and another £330bn in loan guarantees to companies. The most impressive and reassuring presences on our TV screens have been chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific… Continue reading The SNP Ain’t Scotland Part 6