Mark Irvine - Blogger, Campaigner, Organiser

I mean, who would ever have thought the SNP promoting a woke agenda in Scotland's schools would lead to this kind of situation? The vast majority of Scots, I imagine. Women, Girls and Single Sex Spaces ( March 16, 2023 ) Well I never! Who would ever have thought that teenage boys would behave like teenage boys in mixed sex toilets?  I'd sue the school.

The woeful state of Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street is a national disgrace - never ending 'works', empty shops, boarded up pubs, graffiti everywhere, dirty pavements, litter, fly-tipping and an ugly, intrusive, often dangerous cycle lane.

I will not be surprised in the slightest if, come April, a number of these ongoing projects are shelved before completion. Still, those Deliveroo Motorways we’ve paid for are great. pic.twitter.com/oupeo6LiN2 — Brian Spilei (@BrianSpanner1) December 18, 2024 I was in a store in Sauchiehall Street the other day and asked staff what they thought of the 'improvements' to Glasgow's once-upon-a-time most famous shopping street. The place has been dug up for months on end, but it's fair to say that everybody I spoke to was underwhelmed at the final result - a few new trees dotted here and there doesn't add up to much.

How can anyone celebrate Christmas while the land Christ was born is soaked in blood. — Mohamad Safa (@mhdksafa) December 17, 2024 Diplomat dude asks how anyone can celebrate Christmas given the war in Gaza, but I don't recall Eid being cancelled in years gone by when tens of thousands of Muslims were being killed in Syria's terrible civil war.

EXC: Nicola Sturgeon probe secrecy row continues as civil service chief responds to @FOIScotland criticism SG wasted public money by pursuing weak court appeal against it. @heraldscotland @HeraldPols https://t.co/NfMNsBupMg — Kathleen Nutt (@kacnutt) December 20, 2024 Seems like the SNP government won't accept any criticism of its performance even when this comes from the Scottish Information Commissioner - an independent watchdog set up to champion the interests of the public on transparency and openness. 

The current Labour government believes that every time a woman sees "woman only" on the door, she must embark on a guessing game about which men, if any, that particular provider, will treat as a woman. No. https://t.co/0VjZZo9w4g — Lucy HunterBlackburn (@LucyHunterB) December 19, 2024 Fair comment from Lucy HunterBlackburn (MBM) and Sex Matters. Women shouldn't have to play a guessing game over their rights to single sex spaces - men should just stay out and respect women's boundaries.

"I want all women who have been raped to say: Madame Pelicot did it, I can too. I don't want them to be ashamed any longer." That shame was never hers to carry. Gisele Pelicot is so right and so brave to refuse it and to demand that it changes side. https://t.co/cRRxkLoMHl — Dr. Ann Olivarius (@AnnOlivarius) October 23, 2024 I came across this tweet on Madame Gisele Pelicot's fight for justice which is worth sharing.  "I want all women who have been raped to say: Madame Pelicot did it, I can too. I don't want them to be ashamed any longer."

The lawyer of one of Gisele Pelicot’s rapists gets emotional outside the court, calling the female protesters “hysterical”, “foul-mouthed” and “shit”. https://t.co/FSOBK6EFOa — Róisín Michaux (@RoisinMichaux) December 19, 2024 Róisín Michaux shares a video of the lawyer representing one of Gisele Pelicot's rapists - a chap called Christophe Bruchi who calls women protesting outside the court a whole load of nasty names!

Gisele Pelicot has delivered a statement after her ex-husband was sentenced to 20 years in prison She said she 'never regretted' opening the doors of the trial, 'so society could see what was happening'. Read more: https://t.co/0wOCRCjSD1 pic.twitter.com/4UETaSNF9U — Sky News (@SkyNews) December 19, 2024 Gisele Pelicot's powerful, dignified, proud statement at the conclusion of a horrific trial is well worth a read. Courage calls to courage everywhere.  "Please, if you could respect my emotional state as much as possible. Thank you. It's with a lot of emotion that I'm here to make a statement. "This case was a very difficult test for me. And I'm thinking first and foremost of my three children, David, Caroline and Florian.  "I'm also thinking about my grandchildren because they are the future and for them, I wanted to really put this struggle forward. Oran and Celene as well. "I'm thinking about all the other families affecte...

Euan McColm hits the nail on the head with his comment piece on Humza Yousaf, the outgoing MSP for the seat of Glasgow Pollok. Humza was Scotland's worst First Minister by a country mile and his track record in other posts was just as bad - his support for self-ID and sending rapists to women's prisons, for example. To use a Glasgow term Humza is a 'chancer' who owes his career to the patronage of others rather than innate talent or his ability to deliver anything - illustrated perfectly by being forced to resign by the Greens.     

You know we're winning when the cool kids are mocking the other side https://t.co/6qPhELQmR8 — Helen Joyce (@HJoyceGender) December 19, 2024 Now this young chap made me laugh - very funny! Does anyone know his name?

“Why do women’s sports exist? If you can’t define the difference between women & men, why not abolish women’s sports…” Gender ideology does not survive even the most basic scrutiny. pic.twitter.com/8RFxnvs26G — Sall Grover (@salltweets) December 16, 2024 It's painful to watch otherwise intelligent women making such fools of themselves - by failing to answer such a straightforward question Women's sports exist to ensure fair competition because males have an big physical advantage over females from the onset of puberty.  

The Daily Record's tongue-in-cheek 'Driving Miss Crazy' headline belies a serious point - just who do these SNP ministers think they are? Angela Constance knows how bad it looks to be taking a family member or friend to such an event and Neil Gray is the same - what's supposed to be the serious business of government becomes a junket, a jolly at taxpayers expense.

The President of Ireland rattled at the backfire effect of their extremist politics is now lying about Israel seeking to send settlers to Egypt. Doing as every antisemite has ever done. Imagining Jews as evil and then getting indignant when they object. pic.twitter.com/8S9HO6LAQS — Heidi Bachram 🎗️ (@HeidiBachram) December 17, 2024 Ireland's president Michael Higgins makes a fool of himself yet again after claiming Israel is seeking to send settlers to Egypt. Higgins latest gaffe comes on top of his baloney claim about Israel leaking a 'cosying-up' letter to the new Iranian president (Masoud Pezeshkian) which was actually posted on the official X account of the Iranian embassy in Dublin. No Irish Jokes, Please! ( September 23, 2024 ) Ireland's president Michael Higgins accused Israel of leaking an embarrassing letter, yet his 'cosying-up' congratulations were posted on the official X account of the Iranian embassy in Dublin. The country's president has to...

“Hearing Nicola Sturgeon complain about toxicity and division is rather like hearing an arsonist complain he can’t get a Steakbake after he burned down the local Greggs.” my @MailOnline column on the former FM rewriting history: https://t.co/xI3pP9I2g2 — euan mccolm (@euanmccolm) December 18, 2024 Euan McColm made me laugh with his comment about Nicola Sturgeon trying to rewrite history over her appalling handling of self-ID and the gender recognition debate. “Hearing Nicola Sturgeon complain about toxicity and division is rather like hearing an arsonist complain he can’t get a Steakbake after he burned down the local Greggs.” Well said, sir - not least because the former SNP leader and first minister described opponents of her self-ID plans as "deeply misogynist, often homophobic, possibly some of them racist as well".   

So after an inglorious career Humza Yousaf finally accepts the game's up and it's time to move on after 15 years in the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government although he'll keep drawing his lucrative MSP salary until May 2026. Yet John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon who've been in the Scottish Parliament for 25 years (since 1999) do not seem to realise they're both long past their respective sell-by dates.