Rag-dolled

It was always gonnae happen. The Unionist -backing media were always going to seek out and try to destroy all of the leadership candidates for the race to become First Minister of Scotland. 

Did anyone actually expect anything different?

Humza cannae make a train run on time, or organise a surgery waiting list, wee Kate has strong religious beliefs, she’s too close to the God fulla, he, she or it will come first, and Ash Regan’s no big on committing herself tae saving the planet or gender reform.

They don’t just want Kate Forbes tae pull out. They want all the candidates tae chuck it, Holyrood tae be turned intae a bingo and all of us tae get into in a sanitised box firmly behind a bunch of chancing New Labour centre right trough-eaters, bleeding us dry. Back to the good old days.

The rumours are flying that there will be a late entrant or two before the books close on Friday. If there is they’ll get a media mauling as well, whomever they are, on whatever subject they can get them on, from whatever angle seems the easiest means of attack. There will be no escape.

It’s the way of things in Scotland. It’s part of the process of a controlling power from another country using one of its tools to divide, conquer, confuse and bewilder a nation which they think they’ve more or less convinced, by constant reinforcing propaganda over many years, to believe that we are unable to cope without them governing us. 

We are useless, gallant losers, afraid to be successful and eager to find contentment in excuses why we fail. We don’t want to win, we’ll self-sabotage (with their help) to make sure we don’t succeed. That’s how they see us.

Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson, (I’m still unsure which of these is the current Prime Minister, I don’t think they know either) could take a dump on live television in broad daylight in the middle of Downing Street after dancing round a bonfire of twenty-pound notes wearing nothing but their old school tie, then later in a live BBC interview vehemently deny that either of these events actually took place and get away with it. Move on, move on, nothing to see here.

These incompetent and corrupt feckers resign out of one door, go on holidays paid for by corporate sponsors and come back in through another door and back on the political scene in weeks without fear of outcry or criticism. They have no conscience and they are protected.

But woe betide you if you add a touch of authentic honesty, sprinkle in some courage of convictions, the integrity to stand up and say what may not be popular or win you friends, whilst committing to fiercely protect the freedoms of all.

Mix that in with the bravery to put oneself forward for high office, having been subjected to a long-running vile and unlawful campaign of racist and religious bigotry, knowing full well that if high office is attained this evil bile he and his family faces will only get worse. 

Or, in the absence of unity, being a candidate willing to reach out, to build bridges and begin to mend fences for the greater good, a strategy sure to put many party voters offside, and all hell breaks loose.

I have no preference for an individual candidate in the campaign to become the next First Minister. I see pros and cons in the campaign of all three current candidates. Let them get on with it.

Things look chaotic right now. The media is working to make sure that this is the case. They’ll stir it for every last ounce of negativity that they can. But it will settle down. Trust the members of the party of devolved limited powers government in Scotland to take time to consider the issues that count and come up with the leader to move us forward through the next stage of our journey to our rightful independence.

When it comes to politics I’d rather have our prospective leaders being plain-spoken, open, honest and forthright. For that I am grateful. 

There is no comparison when you look at the farce which is Westminster politics. One chamber filled with non-elected elite spivs, the other mainly filled with representatives of two parties who almost mirror each other in their race to be as creepily appealing to those of of the electorate who see self as being first, last and all of the middle in terms of priorities as they can be. Cowards. 

Independence is normal. Being governed by another country is not.