Mark Irvine - Blogger, Campaigner, Organiser

Column - Patrick Harvie: sanctimonious revolutionary who shaped our politics https://t.co/195FB087ya — alexmassie (@alexmassie) April 2, 2025 Alex Massie with a hilarious assessment of Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie and his 'wine bar revolutionaries'. " Nicola Sturgeon  may not have needed much encouragement in the matter of redefining sex and gender in modern Scotland but she received it from the Scottish Greens anyway. Indeed, their enthusiasm for abolishing the concept of biological sex exceeded even hers. There is a canon of beliefs here and anyone who questions any one of them will be cast into the wilderness and branded a bigot." "It says something about the modern Greens that the party could not tolerate the presence of someone such as  Andy Wightman  within it."   

  Great video from Dr Dame Katy Denise - they're not called the 'Terrible Twos' for nothing, you know! These toddlers have been arrested for multiple crimes against the Trans community; undercover officers are escorting them to court. They’ve been shackled together to stop reoffending or absconding. Let’s hope justice is served. 🏳️‍⚧️ pic.twitter.com/3FVWd2kQb3 — Dr. Dame Katy Denise CH GBE 🏳️‍⚧️🇳🇬🪑 (@damekatydenise_) April 1, 2025  

The pay of local councillors has taken a big jump of up to 41% at the same time as everyone's council tax is going up - in Glasgow by 7.5%. Inflation is currently running at 3.7% so councillors are doing very well for themselves compared to everyone else.  Backbench councillors (ie those with no extra council wide responsibilities) are to receive a 22% increase for doing exactly the same jobs they've been doing for years.  The cost across Scotland will add an extra £8million a year to the councillor paybill. Meanwhile council tax payers are stumping up even more for fewer and poorer local services.

While Humza Yousaf boasts about a council tax freeze the reality is that people are paying much more for fewer and poorer local services. "£144 million will not fully fund a council tax freeze, say COSLA However, Local Government’s core revenue budget was cut by £63m from the outset,  essentially leaving just £81m compensation for a council tax freeze. As a result, Local Government is faced with the reality that the funding offered for a council tax freeze only equates to a  2.8%  rise. https://www.cosla.gov.uk/news/2024/144-million-will-not-fully-fund-a-council-tax-freeze,-say-cosla

So Scotland's council tax charges went up yesterday - in Glasgow the increase is 7.5% while inflation is running at just 3.7%. Last year during his brief spell as First Minister Humza Yousaf insisted a council tax freeze was necessary to protect hard working Scots. But Full On Swinney has taken the brakes off in 2025 which is why we are witnessing inflation busting tax rises along with eye watering pay increases for local councillors! Humza's Council Tax Freeze - Fully Funded My Arse! ( March 24, 2024 ) While Humza Yousaf boasts about a council tax freeze the reality is that people are paying much more for fewer and poorer local services. "£144 million will not fully fund a council tax freeze, say COSLA However, Local Government’s core revenue budget was cut by £63m from the outset,  essentially leaving just £81m compensation for a council tax freeze. As a result, Local Government is faced with the reality that the funding offered for a council tax freeze only equates to a...

Man converted to Islam and now says he is a Muslim woman 🏳️‍⚧️ pic.twitter.com/E16KIzRADP — Anti Woke Memes (@AntiWokeMemes) March 30, 2025 I wonder how this is going down at his local mosque? 

🚨 BREAKING: Hamas militias have killed 22-year-old Odai Naser Saadi, one of the leaders of the anti-Hamas protest movement in Gaza. He was kidnapped, tortured for four hours, and then executed. His body was dumped at the doorstep of his family’s home, with a chilling message:… pic.twitter.com/GfeMpmhljX — Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) March 29, 2025 Odai Naser Saadi, a 22-year-old leader of the anti-Hamas protest movement in Gaza has been murdered by cowardly Islamists. Odai was kidnapped, tortured and executed - his body was dumped outside his family's home with the message: “This is the price for those who criticise Hamas.”

Happy Birthday, Eric Idle. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983) The Galaxy Song is incredibly smart. When we consider the vastness of the universe, and our tiny place in the cosmos, we must also realise the insignificance of our daily worries. All that for someone's liver. pic.twitter.com/aolHRVai1z — The Sting (@TheStingisBack) March 29, 2025 Eric Idle has also just turned 82 and to celebrate his many fine performances here he is singing The Galaxy Song. The words and extremely clever as well as entertaining. 

  When I had a trapped nerve (C6 if I remember correctly) in my neck recently, I received some great help and support from The Rehab Hub in Glasgow's Kinning Park. Sarah Jane (SJ) and her expert team provide a wide range of services and they do what they say on their web site: We get you answers, a plan, the right treatment— and results fast! The Rehab Hub Glasgow - www.therehabhub.co.uk  

I watched a movie the other night which featured one of my favourite actors - Christopher Walken - who played starring roles in The Deer Hunter, True Romance and Pulp Fiction. But here is Christopher showing a different side to his talents as the star of Weapon of Choice a great video showing off his dancing talents accompanied by the music of Fatboy Slim.

I hadn't heard 'Gerundula' by Status Quo in ages - still good fun though!

Fife NHS has got itself into a terrible mess over self-ID and men being allowed into female-only single sex spaces? What I'd like to know is: 1)  When was the policy introduced? 2)  Did the Board approve the policy? 3) How was the policy announced to staff? 4) Were NHS staff consulted directly and by what means? 5) Were the recognised trade unions consulted and what did they say? And can it be a coincidence that up until March 2023 the Chair of Fife NHS was Tricia Marwick - the former SNP MSP who held the post for six years and had her role as Chair extended by none other than Humza Yousaf. Humza Yousaf is another SNP champion of self-ID of course - during as justice minister (prisons), health minister and first minister.

Stonewall research shows us that the UK’s priests are conducting one LGBTQ+ exorcism for every three people they marry in church. The 2017 National LGBT survey found 2% had undergone conversion therapy. New Stonewall research shows 10% have now had exorcisms 1/3 pic.twitter.com/CORxLtqlA9 — John Armstrong (@johnarmstrong5) March 30, 2025 John Swinney and the SNP have given the private lobby group Stonewall over £400,000 of taxpayers' money in recent years. John Armstrong says Stonewall's research implies that UK clerics are performing 15,000 gay exorcisms a year which must be exhausting - if the movie is anything to go by!