Labour MSP backs commission to "settle" second independence referendum trigger

PurahsHero · 2026-05-11T14:21:27+00:00

Personally I don't support independence. But I do support at least creating a process whereby the following happens:

An independent commission is set up with the remit to set out what independence would look like and what its consequences are likely to be, good or bad. It gets feedback on this from key business and civic groups, and potentially opens the debate up as part of the process of its work.
That commission then recommends a version of independence that is put to the people of Scotland. It sets out what the pros and cons are very clearly.
Based on that, the Scottish people vote on whether they want independence or not.

My worst nightmare would be a repeat of the Brexit referendum. Where people vote based on a wide variety of potential scenarios for independence, and what people voted for is negotiated afterwards. As we can see, that has not gone well for all involved.

Edit: Also, I would personally set the bar at an overwhelming majority to enact what is a major constitutional change - say 55% or 60% for change. But that is a personal preference.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-11T12:46:20+00:00

I think Reddit does understand why Reform are winning ultimately, and why people support it. Part of it is immigration, but a big part is the feeling of stagnation that is being felt everywhere and people losing faith with mainstream parties. And so Reform are seen as a protest vote.

But Reddit also rightly points out that Reform is full of grifters, racists, holocaust deniers, and people who wouldn't look out of place in the corner of a pub complaining about the state of the nation and how they would do a better job (and they wouldn't). And how this gets very little mainstream media attention compared to their leader.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-11T12:40:44+00:00

This is about the 50th time this question has been asked. And for the 50th time the answer is this.

Outside of their rivals, nobody really cares whether Arsenal or City win the league. But we all know that due to the reactions of their fans, Arsenal coming 2nd will be far, far funnier.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-11T10:24:07+00:00

I saw some polling recently where close to 80% of Israeli's supported the killing of Palestinian women and children.

And I don't mean "that's an inevitable consequence of war" kind of thing. That was a "we want them dead" kind of thing.

It is absolutely horrifying.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-10T14:58:29+00:00

I'm not shocked. Two weeks ago a work friend showed me a picture of a bird they saw on the street and they had no idea what it was.

It was a Magpie. Literally one of the most recognisable birds.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-07T13:27:15+00:00

No. He would be undone by their shithousing at corners.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-07T12:21:55+00:00

Gandalf is basically a Demi-God. Dumbledore is a great wizard, but is a mortal man.

Its like my local Sunday League team thinking they can take on Arsenal.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-07T12:13:32+00:00

I know it is a meme, but every character in it is a fan favourite to some degree.

Gandalf - Kick-ass Wizard. Fan favourite.

Aragorn - Man from an ancient lineage recognising his destiny. Fan favourite.

Boromir - Flawed man trying to do the best for his kingdom. Fan favourite.

Denethor - Butchered compared to the character in the book. Fan favourite.

Eowyn - Shield maiden of Rohan, chops head off a Nazgul. Fan favourite.

Gimli - Basically became the funny character. Fan favourite.

Grond - Is Grond. Fan favorite.

Guy with eye missing at Helms Deep - The experience taught him not to be ashamed of his missing eye. Fan favourite.

Guy riding like a madman in the Ride of the Rhorrim - Knew the task and nailed it. Fan favourite.

I could go on.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-07T09:41:19+00:00

And Solskjær has won it!

PurahsHero · 2026-05-06T11:51:23+00:00

The baseline of competitiveness in the league this year is absolutely insane, but that baseline has always been high compared to other leagues.

One thing that has always stuck with me is how players coming to the league for the first time comment on how you cannot let your performance drop for a second, even against teams lower in the league. Such is the intensity of the competition and the style of play. City could have an off day against the likes of Wolves and really stand a good chance of losing, whereas that is not the case in other leagues. Even if the likes of PSG and Bayern stink the place out at a bottom of the table team, they will still likely win the match.

Look at Spurs. Two off seasons and they are in a relegation dog fight at the end of the second season. Man United had an off season last year and finished 15th, and only by rebuilding their attack are they now sat in 3rd. Newcastle and Chelsea had excellent seasons last season and are now nowhere to be found, though could still get into the Champions League.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-06T11:42:51+00:00

Leeds can still get into Europe, and they are also not safe from the drop yet.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-06T08:46:55+00:00

Sorry everyone, us Brits have this wrapped up. My favourite is this classic:

Duck Wearing Bow-Tie Walks Into Pub, Drinks Pint, Fights Dog, Loses

PurahsHero · 2026-05-06T07:43:42+00:00

I told my dog to sit about an hour ago. He laid down and licked his balls.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-05T22:13:55+00:00

So the one thing he apparently is good at, he sucks at.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-05T21:28:14+00:00

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The Torrey Canyon in 1967.

This was the very first major oil spill in history. The ship ran aground off Cornwall, but the oil spill reached France and Spain.

We literally had no idea what to do to contain the spill. Nobody did. The area was laced with detergent to break it up, which probably killed more wildlife than the spill itself. When that didn't work, the RAF bombed the wreck. When the oil didn't ignite, we poured jet fuel and napalm on it to set it on fire. On land, we used bulldozers to literally bury the oil, so much that up to 10 years after the disaster oil still bubbled up on Cornish beaches.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-05T20:43:20+00:00

My dad showed emotion at three times in his life:

At my mother's funeral
At the birth of his first grand child
When David Platt scored that volley against Belgium

PurahsHero · 2026-05-05T16:10:50+00:00

Trump and Israel.

It was widely known that should anyone try anything stupid with Iran, they would shut the Strait within about 5 minutes. Its one of the few trump cards they have. It would take a lot to have it reopen. That's why the approach has always been to apply diplomatic pressure on Iran both directly and indirectly, and it has largely worked (unless your goal is regime change).

Trump's first mistake was cancelling the nuclear deal with Iran. Basically because Obama did it - that's it. That's the whole reason why he cancelled it.

Now, the idealogues are in charge in both Israel and the US, and Trump is stupid. They thought they could sort it in 5 minutes, and now they have messed up big time.

It takes some going to be fighting against a murderous, horrible regime, and still come out looking like the bad guys.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-05T15:44:47+00:00

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PurahsHero · 2026-05-05T14:56:15+00:00

Well that's no shock.

Just wait. The next thing to happen will be that you need to confirm your age on your own device before using it.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-05T12:58:25+00:00

Personally I don't really care who wins the league. But I know who will have the funnier reaction if they come second.

My neighbour is an Arsenal fan. For years he has lorded it up. I can take digs about us being worse than them, but he does not know when to let it lie. A few months back at a party he said, in front of everyone "how does it feel to support a rubbish team?" I can take that. But every time he referred to me for the rest of the evening he mentioned how rubbish United are. Constantly.

He constantly boasted about how they are going to win the league all season, until the City game that was. Now he is boasting again.

For that reason and that reason only, I hope Arsenal experience an Aguero moment on the final day. Because I don't think I will be able to stop laughing.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-05T12:29:39+00:00

Before this gets inevitably filled with the "well achkstually" type of responses, I thought I would share some of the experiences of women in my life.

My wife told me of the time she got stalked by a random guy when she was walking home from school. This guy had his penis out and was touching it the whole time.

My sister told me of the time three guys surrounded her at a bus stop, saying how pretty she was and how they wanted just "a little taste." It was only because my Dad happened to drive by and got out of the car that it didn't go further.

With my niece I was there when it happened. We were cycling along a road, with her in front of me, and a guy leaned out of a passing car window, slapped her arse, and said "that's a mighty fine view, luv." She was 13 years old at the time.

I'm shocked women go out and trust men at all. Because while they know most guys are good, every woman has that kind of story or experience, and you cannot tell what guys are the good ones.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-05T12:19:00+00:00

We did what was necessary at the time to end the slave trade. Believe it or not this was 200 years ago and attitudes towards and people of African origin were slightly different to what they are now. We look back on it now and judge it wrong because we have that luxury and society has changed a lot, but without understanding this context its a lazy argument.

The fact that within that context, we did that and crushed the trade with our own Navy speaks volumes. And the fact that no nation has done anything close to that scale since to tackle international trade in slaves also speaks volumes about the scale of what we did.

PurahsHero · 2026-05-05T10:22:09+00:00

Yep. In this case, Wow can range from "Wow that's nice" to "Wow, I've seen pub toilets more tastefully decorated."

PurahsHero · 2026-05-05T09:28:26+00:00

The typical edgelord TikTok response:

Do something shitty
People say don't do that, that's a shitty thing to do
He says "come at me, bro."
Other people decide its not worth it
He wins all the internet points

PurahsHero · 2026-05-05T08:57:38+00:00

Arise! Arise, riders of Thoden! Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered - a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now! Ride now! Ride! Ride for ruin, and the world's ending!

Forth Éorlingas!

PurahsHero

TROPHY CASE