Thread by @ianssmart

Wee thread in lieu of a blog. Firstly, why have I stopped blogging? Mainly because I blogged mainly about the demerits of Scottish Independence. But Scottish Independence is no longer a thing.

In 2014 it managed to scrape together a semblance of coherence. But it still lost. Now, nobody even advances such a pretence. What currency would Scotland use? Don't know. How could we be in the EU and still have an open border with England? Don't know.

How, now, that on any view, we couldn't rely on oil, would we deal the the public spending deficit? Don't know. How do we even get to a referendum against UK opposition? Don't know. What else could we do? Don't know.

The whole thing is incoherent. Yet the livelihoods of many, many people depend on maintaining the fiction that this dead thing is still a thing. Elected SNP politicians from the FM down to the humblest cooncillor. And their staff.

Never mind those careerists who, intent on "a career in politics" may be realising they have hitched their their wagon to the wrong horse at the wrong time. And of course those who simply saw the opportunity to grift.

And that is even before you consider the journalistic corps who have a vested interest in not asking obvious questions.

Because, you see, there will not be a 2nd referendum while the Tories remain in power. And there will not be a 2nd Referendum if Labour is in a position to replace them after a UK General Election. Because why would we need to concede that?

In case the SNP voted with the Tories to bring down a Labour Government? Good luck with that line in the West of Scotland at a subsequent immediate second General Election.

But, of course, if a lot of people want to keep their well (UK Government) paid jobs , then they need to find a way of justifying their existence. Not least to their own rank and file. Who, if told the truth, might decide to get a life.

Stoking grievance appears to be their proposed solution. Which is why, today, the priority of the SNP transport minister was denouncing people on cross border trains not having to put on a face mask at the border.

Rather than, for example, insisting to know how soon people might be able once again to travel by train from Ayr to Glasgow. With or without a mask.