Bollards
I was reading a piece in The National this morning (Westminster’s independence stance at odds with Holyrood mandate), and I suddenly thought, “Bollards!” Now, I have been known to use this term to describe people who are being particularly dense. But not on this occasion. Although that might have been appropriate given the level of stupidity on display. On this occasion, however, the now ubiquitous steel security bollards with which we are all familiar struck me as a perfect analogy for the way John Swinney is behaving. Bear with me, and I’ll explain.
Before I get onto that, I want to offer my congratulations to the author of the article, Abbi Garton-Crosbie. Thanks are due to her for services to truth. While Swinney and his wee army of sycophants strive to bury the fact that Swinney, in an act of monumental foolishness, set the bar for action on the constitutional issue at 65 seats or more for the SNP. He wanted to at least equal Alex Salmond’s achievement in the 2011 election. Swinney desperately wants to outdo Salmond in any way he can. But that’s another story.
As I say, the SNP leadership is determined to elide from all accounts of the 2026 election the fact that Swinney set the criterion for a mandate at 65 seats or more. They would rather we all pretend that didn’t happen. SNP loyalists are happy to oblige. But some of us prefer that truth be told. And that is why we should acknowledge the fact that Abbi Garton-Crosbie slipped the following into her article.
With the SNP winning 58 MSPs at the Holyrood 2026 election, First Minister John Swinney didn’t reach the majority that he set himself of 65 MSPs.
Swinney had said before polling day that an SNP majority would count as a trigger for a second independence referendum.
Back to those bollards. No! Not the SNP leadership! Well… yes, but no! I’m talking now about the role of bollards in an analogy for John Swinney’s approach to the constitutional issue. In this analogy, the bollards represent Westminster. Which, come to think of it, makes my euphemistic use of the word arguably more apt. So, there is a row of massive steel bollards in the road ahead. What does Swinney do? Does he craftily try to find a way around them? Does he stop or even slow down? Does he attempt some stunt such as you see in movie car chase scenes where the hero somehow contrives to make their vehicle leap over the obstacle? No! He drives straight at those bollards!
In this analogy, the bollards represent Westminster.
Oor John has a theory. He reckons if he drives straight at those bollards often enough, eventually they will move out of the way. Or turn into blancmange. Or something like that. I’m not privy to the details of this theory. Suffice it to say, John Swinney imagines the bollards that are Westminster will somehow stop being bollards if he repeatedly drives straight at them all the while complaining indignantly about the fact that they are blocking his way before swerving away and parking the vehicle (Scotland’s cause in our analogy) up a cul-de-sac and going off for a pint or a cup of coffee.
Neat analogy, eh? But there’s more. You see, the bollards aren’t even real. They are conjured by John Swinney’s colonised mind. And the road on which he sees the mirage of bollards doesn’t go where he says he wants to go. In fact, it doesn’t go anywhere!
You see, the bollards aren’t even real. They are conjured by John Swinney’s colonised mind.
Bollards don’t turn into blancmange no matter how many times you drive at them. Bollards tend to remain bollards. Only imaginary bollards courteously move aside to let you pass. And even if you imagine them doing so, the road on the other side just takes you round in a circle and brings you back to where you were before.
Westminster is only an obstacle if we let it be an obstacle. It is only an obstacle if we choose to take that road. We can choose not to regard Westminster as an obstacle. We can choose to take a road without bollards—imaginary or otherwise. We can choose not to put Westminster at the centre of the constitutional issue. We can choose not to accept Westminster’s authority to veto the will of Scotland’s people. John Swinney is making all the wrong choices.
Which brings us back neatly to the term ‘bollards’ as a euphemism for stupid.
Swinney has a wee factory in his Holyrood office which manufactures bollards specifically to ensure he will never have to face Westminster down.
I think Peter you give Holy Wullie the option of being stupid..when in fact he is quite a devious tricky wee b*st*rd.(bollards far too kind) He set a high bar for the SNP to fail...deliberately. He knows the set up for elections in Scotland is intended to make it impossible to achieve total majority. (Everything is a scam in Scotland)...so why would he do that? Well then he can go on his way decrying westmonster when they won't oblige by 'giving' him permission to challenge some foreign english 'rule' ...while making Scotland look infantile when we have to 'ask' daddy if we can go oot tae play.Reminds me of the totally insane comment by Salmond who should have known better. ..'once in a generation'...whit! we only get one shot at being free then we are kept prisoners FOREVER by the hostile turds south of OUR country pillaging and insulting our nation. Aye right jimmy...where did that dumb idea come from.......the sad colonised mind methinks...
Our beloved FM is NOT a leader...but a traitor to his homeland. We have quite a few in our fair land. ( look to Holyrood) I now anticipate in dread of watching the pantomime ( probably last 4 or 5 years) of him dancing aboot with no intention of really fighting for our desperately need independence..as the world becomes a very dangerous place and we are not in control. of our destiny in it...but allow the 'auld enemy' of Scotland..foreign england... to decide how to use us as fodder or resources..and we let them.
I hope every day something akin to an asteroid will hit westmonster and we finally come out of our self induced coma...and in fact it has happened ...the so called uk government are in a shocking mess...and we sit watching in a trance like it's a Netflix to be enjoyed instead of grabbing this opportunity of closing our border and finally growing up...but as long as swiney is in control we have absolutely no hope of being a self governing country ever again. When I talk to ordinary Scots they seethe with indignation..if we could only harness hatred and aim it south because if you truly want your country back you FIGHT for it..you trash the enemy as they have trashed you....let's hope the generations to come object to the hostile destruction of Scotland and take action..cos we sure as hell haven't.
For OUR Scotland and her brave weans to come.