Mark Irvine - Blogger, Campaigner, Organiser

Arf https://t.co/gkQW5pyHRP — Elaine Miller, Venus Envy (@GussieGrips) April 29, 2024 Fair to say it would take a heart of stone not to laugh at this great video - featuring three great Scottish comedians.

COMMENT: It’s a sign of how bad things are for the SNP that we’re now being asked to believe John Swinney - yesterday’s man until today, apparently - is the man who will sail them to the promised land https://t.co/fI7SlY9bws — Chris Musson (@ChrisMusson) April 30, 2024 John Swinney stood down from the Scottish Government last year, along with Nicola Sturgeon, saying it was time for new talent and fresh thinking to come forward.   But now Humza Yousaf has been forced to resign the SNP has apparently run out of fresh blood and new ideas - and is thinking of going back to 'Yesterday's Man' to steady its sinking ship.    

Morten Morland's cartoon in The Times hits the nail on the head over Humza Yousaf's resignation. Scotland's worst First Minister ever was thrown out on his ear after a dreadful year in office - he was hand-picked by the SNP discredited old guard, completely out of his depth and it showed.    

Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader and Nicola Sturgeon has joined calls by Labour and the Liberal Democrats for a general election. It's after Liz Truss resigned as prime minister just 44 days after taking over from Boris Johnson 👉 https://t.co/uprAqZu3cR pic.twitter.com/srKYcdNi1E — Sky News (@SkyNews) October 20, 2022 Here's Nicola Sturgeon demanding a general election in October 2022 after Liz Truss resigned as Prime Minister - 'a democratic necessity' insisted Scotland's First Minister at the time. In 2024 the SNP can't have their cake and eat it - the SNP can't ape the Tories and at the same time say they're not just as cynical and anti-democratic when it suits their purpose. A reminder of Nicola Sturgeon calling for a general election after Liz Truss resigned. If the SNP thinks enthroning leaders is wrong in Westminster then it’s wrong at Holyrood. An election now please, and quit the gross Scottish exceptionalism hypocrisy https://...

Can somebody please send this to @billybragg so he can complain about how far right the Morning Star is? https://t.co/gyNzFqiPYV — Jane, Empress of the Known Universe (not GP)🏳️‍🌈 (@blablafishcakes) April 29, 2024 Fair comment from @blablafishcakes on Billy Bragg and the gender critical stance of the Morning Star - the daily newspaper of the socialist 'far-left'.  Yet Silly Billy claims that people who disagree with self-ID and trans ideology are bosom buddies with the 'far-right'. Complete baloney, of course.

As I was writing my post about Humza Yousaf basing himself in Broughty Ferry an old tune popped into my head, so I thought I'd share it on the blog after changing a few of the original words: It's a long way to Broughty Ferry It's a long way to go. It's a long way to Broughty Ferry To the sweetest girl I know! Goodbye Crookston Castle Farewell to George Square! It's a long long way to Broughty Ferry But my heart's right there.

  Humza Yousaf is the SNP MSP for Glasgow Pollok yet he lives in Broughty Ferry on the other side of Scotland in the outskirts of Dundee. Now the SNP 'old guard' have allowed this arrangement to stand even though it makes a complete mockery of local democracy. Because there is no way that Humza can represent the Glasgow Pollok to the best of his ability  while he's based in Broughty Ferry - a four hour return car journey away. It's a terrible insult to voters in Glasgow.    

In which case why did the SNP say Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak had no mandate to govern without calling a general election? — Mark Irvine (@Mark1957) April 28, 2024 Seems like the SNP are about to follow the lead of the Tories who imposed Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak on the country after Boris Johnson resigned as PM - without calling an election.   The SNP have lost the confidence of the public on issues like self-ID, men declaring themselves to be women and their damaging alliance with the Scottish Greens. As they say, there has clearly been a material change in circumstances since the last Holyrood election - and the voters now deserve their say in who governs Scotland.  

Constituents in Glasgow Pollok seem unfazed by Humza Yousaf's resignation - some are unaware he's the local MSP which is not that surprising as he lives on the other side of Scotland in the leafy suburb of Broughty Ferry, Dundee.

NEW: One of Humza Yousaf’s most senior ministers could be lined up to replace him as he fights for his political career this week. Factions have begun to form, with phones buzzing as different factions take the temperature after a frenzied weekend https://t.co/Oul3kpU6rz — Alasdair Clark (@alasdair_clark) April 28, 2024

The Kelvin Hall Putsch. The funniest thing you’ll read today. The inside story of the Greens in meltdown as rebels demand leaders go | The Herald https://t.co/FlmriJnIjy — Brian Spilei (@BrianSpanner1) April 28, 2024 Apparently the Scottish Greens are in a full scale civil war as grassroots members demand that Harvie, Slater and Greer are held to account over their farcical alliance with the SNP. "There’s demands for co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater to go. There’s calls for every Green MSP to be 'de-selected' for 'selling out the party’s values'. There’s accusations of gaslighting and bullying cliques at the top of the party creating a toxic culture of fear and intimidation." What a hoot!

Will Humza Yousaf's final address as First Minister be the usual bluster about Indy and how the SNP are the greatest thing since sliced bread - or will he reflect on the huge part he played in his own downfall?   

Jenny Gilruth, who is gathering support to be Scotland’s next First Minister, can’t tell a BBC QT audience whether a double rapist is a man or a woman. This is why Sturgeon fell, why Yousaf is about to. These are not ‘progressive’ values - it’s a denial of science and contempt… https://t.co/01gHqzGrCz — Susan Dalgety (@DalgetySusan) April 29, 2024 Susan Dalgety hits the nail on the head with her comments on Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon - there is nothing remotely 'progressive' about pretending men can self-identify and magically declare themselves to be women.  

“Progressive” 🚩🚩🚩 “Lurch to the right” 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/LjF4gw2TUB — Sister Suffragette KPSS 🦖❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@sisterousier) April 27, 2024 The insufferable Greens think it's fine to denounce anyone who disagrees with them as right-wing and/or transphobic, but the vast majority of Scots are fed up with their focus on identity politics and nonsense about self-ID.  It's not in the least 'progressive' to pretend that men can transform themselves into women by the power of their imaginations.     

A man tried to enter the women’s division and the American Longboard Association said nope. 👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/7ZZNLtgsQ3 — Taylor Silverman (@tmsilverman) April 27, 2024 How refreshing! A chap from the American Longboard Association (ALA) says 'men are men' and 'women are women' before making a stand in favour of sporting values and fair competition in surfing.

Euan McColm assesses Humza Yousaf's prospects going forward into the New Year. "His party might be in the depths of crisis, the independence movement might be fracturing, but Yousaf sticks to the line that everything’s going to work out just fine. He stands, like a cop in front of an exploding firework factory, insisting there’s nothing to see here."  Seems to me Humza is as deluded as the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.