Ian Smart
@ianssmart
Followers
6,786
Following
322
Media
1,604
Statuses
84,521
Lefty lawyer; Scottish Labour Party hack; St Mirren till I die
Kilsyth
Joined September 2009
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
高橋一生
• 145062 Tweets
飯豊まりえ
• 119657 Tweets
共同親権
• 97972 Tweets
MARK 200 OUT NOW
• 92783 Tweets
岸辺露伴
• 72464 Tweets
#BRIDGERTON
• 58236 Tweets
Colin
• 54813 Tweets
都知事選
• 50927 Tweets
ジョジョ婚
• 41226 Tweets
石丸市長
• 39191 Tweets
出馬表明
• 32102 Tweets
露伴先生
• 28803 Tweets
#素のまんま
• 27542 Tweets
ビシエド
• 21964 Tweets
Arda Kardeşler
• 21922 Tweets
石丸さん
• 11331 Tweets
Antero
• 10125 Tweets
Pinned Tweet
On Wednesday, 8th April, my wife of thirty two years, Maureen O’Donovan, passed away. I’ve written about it here. Sorry it’s very long but it was a very long marriage.
521
139
3K
I may be alone in this but I think wee Greta is a bit annoying.
551
161
4K
I have literally no idea why a woman stabbing her husband to death has led both BBC and Channel4News while men stabbing their wives to death happen several times a week without featuring on nationwide news at all.
104
686
4K
Jeremy Corbyn. A man who won’t express an opinion between leave or remain but is able to express a clear preference regarding the internal politics of Bolivia.
59
663
2K
I am 63. In my entire life, under administrations of various political persuasions, you could always get back by train to Edinburgh after a Scotland game at Hampden. Now you can’t. That’s the price of an administration who’s only policy is hating English people.
129
445
2K
I hope HMRC are keeping careful note of the days Brian Cox is staying in the Country to spread his toxic bile about English people.
338
362
2K
There is literally no argument for Scottish Independence except an irrational hatred of English people. Never has been but never more obvious than today.
2K
294
2K
In case you have missed this, the SNP Government is using public money for public safety advertisements that feature the word “Scotland” visibly on screen. Twice. For political purpose alone. in the midst of this emergency. What utterly vile individuals these people are.
892
479
2K
For the avoidance of doubt, barring a last minute lightbulb in the head of Shona Robison, male sex offenders in Scotland will now have the absolute right to serve their sentence in a woman’s prison. At their discretion. Anybody want to explain why this statement is incorrect?
72
420
2K
Sorry? Reporting Scotland, which last night literally ignored the SNP inaction over the pervert Jordan Linden are tonight going to lead on Liz Truss saying something that upset Sturgeon. Bet she’s not nearly as upset as the 14 year old boy Linden preyed upon. This is mad.
71
498
2K
Where is the Scottish Press tonight? Potentially Johnson gone by tomorrow over Pincher and yet Sturgeon over Grady? Shrugs. Yet the worst allegation against Johnson is that he’s known about Pincher since 2019. Sturgeon has known about Grady since 2016.
111
522
2K
If, as I suspect is coming, Pincher and Johnson go, but Grady and Blackford survive, huge questions need asked about why.
117
330
2K
Some Nat apologising for singing IRA songs while drunk to a half empty audience in the “Queen’s Hall” kind of sums up the current SNP. It’s over.
45
304
2K
What sort of mindset sees a beautiful picture of the Northern Lights and responds “Fuck off English bastard”?
106
177
2K
In case it gets lost. When SNP Finance Minister Derek McKay was exposed as having preyed on a 16 year old boy over the Internet, Patrick Grady, SNP chief whip, argued there was nothing wrong with that. And the SNP leadership agreed with him. Have I got any part of that wrong?
43
556
2K
I keep going on about this but Johnson spending £50K of somebody’s money doing up 10 Downing Street leads even Tory Papers to call for his head. Meanwhile Sturgeon spent £1.5M of public money doing up Bute House and the Scottish news corps just shrugged.
45
488
2K
This is an utterly insane response at this stage. If it transpires the police are holding data about people who have been reported for NOT breaking the law there will be a massive fall out and probably an official inquiry. A more astute politician would have worked that out.
Humza Yousaf supports police recording non-crime hate incidents.
2K
120
275
105
407
2K
Unless I am misunderstanding this (I’m not) Sturgeon offered full co-operation with the Salmond inquiry and then authorised public expenditure for legal advice on how witnesses could avoid co-operating.
34
448
2K
As a criminal defence lawyer for more than 40 years. I have never had a case where the client’s case was assisted by them holding a press conference to protest their innocence. Let alone, then, refusing to answer questions. At a press conference. Happy to be contradicted.
116
333
2K
Is Reporting Scotland really proposing to ignore that the Prime Minister has resigned over covering up a Tory pervert while the First Minister proposes to remain in office after doing exactly the same about an SNP pervert? Apparently they are.
87
395
2K
Of course the census was going to be a shambles. It is being run by the Scottish Government
257
160
1K
So, Sturgeon has been in hiding over Grady since Johnson fell over an almost identical scandal. But she finally had to face the Scottish press today. And yet not one journalist asked a question about Grady. Or have I missed something?
76
399
1K
Sorry to be a damp squib but if Channel 4 refused to accept any Tory contributor to their debate except one of their own choosing then they will be in serious trouble with the regulator. And ought to be.
60
340
1K
It is inconceivable that people publicly standing behind a banner declaring “Decapitate Catholics (or Protestants or whatever) would not by now have been arrested and held in custody. The next few days will prove a serious test for our supposedly independent prosecution service.
39
326
1K
Deadly serious suggestion. The pubs and restaurants in Glasgow should just all announce they are opening tomorrow irrespective of the views of Sturgeon and Yousaf. In unity is strength. And they are on the record at Kenmure Street that you need not obey laws you don’t agree with.
53
263
1K
Huge, huge questions over why Sturgeon was grilled like this by Ciaran and
@PeterAdamSmith
but not at all by entirely Scottish based televisual media.
48
269
1K
Bravo to whoever found this. As a young person from a working class household in Scotland, you had more opportunity under Margaret Thatcher (Margaret Thatcher!!!!) than you have under Sturgeon
86
611
1K
Just for the avoidance of doubt, Swinney said on Tuesday that all key legal advice had been disclosed. He then disclosed further key legal advice yesterday. And then did so again today. Five minutes study and you know he’ll have to disclose more on Monday. Honest John
39
398
1K
Just in case you have missed its significance, the woman who, ten days ago, was First Minister of Scotland is tonight in hiding.
143
282
1K
New Year was cancelled in Scotland (Scotland!) for no good reason. Unless “being different from England” was a good reason. Get your head around that.
80
182
1K
Unless I have missed it, not one Scottish journalist has asked the SNP or the Scottish Green Party about where they stand on Jordan Linden remaining a serving politician. Not one. This is mad.
40
282
1K
Just so you haven’t missed it, as Johnson teeters over Pincher, Sturgeon remains unwilling to say whether Grady would be welcomed back in to the SNP. And offered an absolutely open goal the Scottish Press seem to have gone home for the night.
46
351
1K
Sorry? Is a hoax video leading Reporting Scotland? The world has gone mad.
47
98
1K
🧵As someone whose job is as a criminal lawyer, until 2 days ago I had never heard of third party reporting centres. So here are a few questions:
1. When were they set up?
2. Why?
3. If anybody can apply to become one, how was that possibility advertised?
4. What diligence/
this quote is really interesting.
Does this apply to other crimes?
"Discrimination of any kind is deplorable". What do they mean by discrimination? Is "discrimination" really a police matter?
how do third parties handle data?
What sort of training do they get?
22
87
277
79
565
1K
The census has failed. The Scottish Government should just fess up instead of throwing good money after bad. And by 2031 this should be restored as a function to the UK Government.
138
198
1K
No one will say this from within the Scottish press corps but, for at least nine months, any Scottish newspaper could have applied for the Spectator’s breakthrough ruling this week. Wasn’t even opposed except on detail by the Crown.Not one did.
27
322
1K
If you are insisting that sex offenders will not try to get GRCs in bad faith, how can you possibly object to an amendment which prevents sex offenders getting a GRC in bad faith? Who is damaged by that? Except sex offenders, obviously.
12
283
1K
My wife was buried on 14th April 2020. I had to tell very close friends they couldn’t come. Had to tell those who did come they couldn’t have a drink, even in the garden. 5 weeks later Boris had a party. Surely even decent Tories can see what’s wrong with that?
56
180
1K
This is a hugely, almost entirely unreported matter. It is a letter from James Hamilton QC telling you expressly that if the report is published with the redactions unilaterally imposed by the SNP it will not be the whole truth.
52
633
1K
Your reminder that when Sturgeon closed down Aberdeen to distract attention from the mess they had made of the exams, the incidence of Coronavirus in Aberdeen was less than 1/5th of what it currently is in Glasgow.
69
351
1K
Heard Ross Greer on the radio on my way home. The note of utter panic in his voice has quite made my weekend.
49
90
1K
I am certainly in favour of all St Johnstone fixtures being cancelled. Guarantees us top six. Although, strangely, when St Johnstone fans defied the lockdown to celebrate winning the League Cup, the Scottish Government said literally nothing
Upcoming Celtic vs Rangers clash in SERIOUS doubt as Nicola Sturgeon seeks assurances over fan behaviour
60
4
14
20
168
1K
This woman can speak perfectly good English. She is speaking this parody of a dialect in a conscious effort to make incomers feel unwelcome. But then, as a nationalist that is hardly surprising.
909
189
1K
We have arrived in Cornwall. Locals don’t seem noticeably hostile to our Scottish accents. St Austell Tesco very much like Craigmarloch Tesco, up to having Punk IPA on the shelves. You’d hardly realise you were supposedly in a foreign country at all. Unless you wanted to.
282
88
1K
Just a reminder that lockdown in Scotland only happened after lockdown in England. Every criticism Cummings makes of Johnson and the British Givernment applies equally to Sturgeon and the Scottish Government.
37
220
1K
Boring facts. A points based immigration system for an independent Scotland was a central proposal of the 2014 Independence White Paper. And the only mainstream politician ever to threaten to deport settled EU nationals is Nicola Sturgeon.
17
440
973
The abduction of the wee girl in the Borders seems to be beyond Sturgeon’s worst self ID nightmares. This would, on any view a remanded pending trial case. So, remanded where? Because, correctly, the presumption of innocence will apply and the “rapist” 3rd gender will not work.
33
211
1K
2014: “an Independent Scotland will still pay your Pensions”. 2022: “England will still pay your pensions and, if they don’t….we’ll be very annoyed. Vote Yes.” The whole thing is an increasingly visibly absurd proposition. As it always was, but less visibly.
58
185
1K
So the census has failed. £150M down the drain. These things happen
85
123
1K
On any view the biggest single hate speech in Scotland is Anglophobia. But it is not criminalised as it would put the entire government in the jail.
26
223
1K
It simply cannot be the case that tens of thousands of Scottish people travelling together to London is ok by Sturgeon, while individual Scottish citizens travelling to Manchester is (supposedly) illegal. She may finally have overplayed the “look at me!!!”
47
205
992
It would take five, no two, minutes, for anybody to destroy Sturgeon’s nonsense tomorrow. Not a single Scottish political journalist will do that. For they have a mutual interest in pretending the dead parrot remains alive.
48
164
978
It is now almost 24 hours since the Sunday Mail ran the story about the pervert Jordan Linden and probably 26 hours since the SNP were approached for comment. He remains a member of the SNP. This is apparently their comment.
38
289
960
The benefits of a long life. In 1979 the SNP voted to put Thatcher in power. Tonight they abstained to keep Truss in power. I’d welcome any indication of them actually being a left wing Party?
479
230
969
So, there was no room for the Sun, Record, Mail, Express, Herald or Scotsman at the SNP event but there was room for Radio Forth news?
94
166
921
I carry no affection for either half of the Old Firm but anybody suggesting that Celtic fans would have celebrated a hypothetical ten in a row with a small glass of white wine alongside their immediate family is completely at it.
32
89
910
Scotland’s schools will be closed for 5 months, more than anywhere else in the world. No new cases for 2 days. Yet it has ALREADY been decided that when the schools go back in another 9 weeks it will still only be (less than) part time. What the f is going on here?
139
237
865
Just be clear. The Ferguson Marine scandal will ultimately prove small beer compared to the Lochaber smelter deal.
38
206
895
Have read all the Salmond evidence twice. First of all, since it is careful to identify no complainers, huge questions should arise now about the intervention of wholly SNP publicly funded "Third Sector" organisations who demanded it not be published. Without apparently seeing it
12
256
876
Can I also just add that I thought Salmond was astonishingly impressive today over 5+ hours of evidence. Politics aside, very very few current MSPs could stand up to that level of scrutiny.
47
112
878
Andi was at her work
@tesco
today from 10 to 6.30. It was mad and she is knackered. She’s been there from start to (hopefully) finish throughout the pandemic. Tomorrow she starts at 6am and works to 3.30 to cover for colleagues with Covid. Not all heroes wear capes. I love her.
31
64
869
Nicola Sturgeon’s desire to be on the telly every day for the last four months to promote independence has led to people dying. She couldn’t care less. That seems to me unarguable.
379
191
808
No single Scottish journalist seems to have asked, after eighteen months, what happened to this “sue”. Which got Useless days of favourable press coverage. If the allegations were true it was outrageous and should be exposed as such. But if they were not?
48
280
855
10 days ago, Sturgeon got a days coverage by announcing she’d be a “super sponsor” for Ukrainian refugees. Not one Scottish journalist who wrote up that puff piece has since asked how it is going. Not a single one.
24
198
840
I accept the Met had to be dragged kicking and screaming in to investigating
#partygate
but they eventually did. The contrast with Police Scotland who couldn’t move faster to acquit Sturgeon is patent. So here are the questions the Press should be putting to them.
109
186
829
The UK Government should give Sturgeon until Friday to improve vaccine delivery or announce they are taking over. It is the first role of government to look after the health of its citizens, not to indulge narcissists.
As yesterday saw a new low for vaccinations and Scotland officially having the lowest rate of any of the nations and regions of the UK, the dead cat strategy is enacted. Watch all columnist rush to dissect the Joanna Cherry sacking, rather than SNP vaccine failure....
773
2K
7K
29
211
807
Just for the avoidance of doubt, local MSP, John Swinney said nothing at all about this. Literally nothing. Draw your own conclusions about what honest John was up to today. But it certainly wasn’t about public safety.
14
228
810
If you look at my timeline today, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that Scottish nationalism is not actually about independence. It is about living in a state of perpetual grievance. For whatever reason.
51
96
817
There is literally no reason the Gender reformation legislation needs to be passed in emergency session next week. None. Anybody want to dispute that?
33
126
823
So, Sturgeon’s staff meeting this morning. “I’m sorry FM but you’re going to get eaten even by this press on the SQA. Not to mention your false figures on deaths.” Nicola: “Any ideas?” Intern (shyly): “How about we close down Aberdeen?” Nicola: “Give this person a full time job!”
187
190
767
Twelve months ago the SNP appreciated Scotland would be in the eyes of the world next week. But they were to busy hating English people to do anything to prepare. Have I got anything wrong in that?
48
97
782
A facist rabble is a facist rabble. Unless it is a Scottish facist rabble. Whereupon it becomes “civic and joyous”.
23
97
761
Lesley Riddoch is 62, so her prescription would be free in any part of the UK. Perhaps she didn’t know that. Or perhaps she has an irrational hatred of English people. Your call.
Was in Kirkwall chemist to get pills I forgot to take on holiday. Pharmacist asks if I’m Scottish. ‘Och that’s easy then’. Cos prescriptions here are free. Yessers sd celebrate the fact that over Her Madge’s reign Scotland has dramatically departed from miserly British standards.
905
230
2K
63
140
788
Johnson fell, correctly, about a 3 year cover up over Pincher that was on any view less serious than than Sturgeon’s 6 year cover up over Grady. Yet the entire Scottish press did not think that worth asking about.
22
216
769
Your reminder that tonight Chris Pincher and Patrick Grady remain MPs and neither of their Parties have called on them to stand down
35
230
762
This “We don’t want English tourists” nonsense should be being called out by the SNP leadership. Not holding my breath.
39
95
749
When Robert Burns stood at “the pier o’ Leith” he was on his way to be a slave driver in Jamaica, I am absolutely for us owning our history. But all of it, not just that which fits a modern political narrative.
32
164
740
By the way, in case you missed it, the SNP voted last night to effectively abolish the famous 110 day rule governing the period you can be held in custody awaiting trial. The law of Scotland since time immemorial. This is not what devolution was intended for.
28
269
729
Given there are more Polish and Punjabi speakers than Gaelic speakers in urban Scotland, any Nat want to explain why there are only bilingual Gaelic signs? Careful now.
331
93
713
The SNP knew for nearly 18 months they were taking over Scotrail. It was their responsibility to ensure that at that point it would have an adequate workforce, even if that involved paying Abelio to do that. None of that was done because no eye was kept on the ball.
51
139
711
Just in case you have missed it. “Being rude to Patrick Harvie” is not a crime known to the law of Scotland. Although it appears the Scottish Green Party tried to report it as such.
56
91
700
If you’re my age you’ll remember wee boys jumping up and down behind any reporter filming outside Parkhead or Ibrox in the hope of, later, being momentarily “on the telly”. Sturgeon’s antics this week are strangely reminiscent of that.
22
69
670
You can barely get to one of our largest islands and that is the third (third!!!) item on Reporting Scotland.
59
111
669
For the avoidance of doubt, I am very much for prosecuting those involved in public disorder in George Square. As I am for prosecuting those in public disorder in Kenmure Street. But when lots of people are prosecuted for the former but none for the latter? That stinks.
67
98
660
No harm to the great
@afneil
but why haven't our domestic broadcast media being putting such points to Sturgeon for years?
40
102
658
We could have had fracking. We could have had nuclear. On both government surrendered to middle class cranks. Under no circumstance should anybody who opposed both be allowed to say they are concerned about poor people freezing this winter. Patently they are not and should own it
53
167
660
Don’t forget: the Nats complaining about Boris coming to Scotland today would have equally signed up to “Scotland snubbed as PM hasn’t been here for six months”. Grievance is their watchword.
28
98
649
I have to say that, when trying to explain why the SNP have stood by Jordan Linden as a predator of under age boys, protecting an even more senior, and older, member of their leadership is increasingly suggested to me. Surely somebody within our press is hearing the same?
60
182
646
It’s actually quite sad the number of Nats here who think there is going to be another referendum any time soon. Meanwhile Sturgeon is sitting in Bute House counting her money, planning her next job and quietly laughing at them.
26
90
639
Flags. You never see Sturgeon in an official picture without a flag. Until today. Because Michelle O’Neill as FM elect of Northern Ireland won’t appear with the flag of NI. But instead of saying OK, we’ll just have our flag, Sturgeon, for the first time ever, took ours down.Why?
56
128
641
Correct me if I am wrong. David Linden, who confessed this week to being a sexual predator and resigned as leader of North Lanarkshire Council in consequence, nonetheless remains a member of the SNP who have no problem with any of this?
37
156
636
Let’s be frank. Sturgeon cares nothing about public health. She cares about self promotion. That is the beginning and the end about what she cares about.
20
118
636
Actually 7 of these medals were with UK Teammates. Scotland alone won zero individual golds. Even dismissing the advantage of being part of UK Sport, alone, we’d have been 67th. Behind Colombia but just ahead of Azerbaijan. Facts and Nats seldom meet.
So that was 16 medals for Team Scotland (over 24% of UK total) which would put an Indy Scotland at 17 in the World. BTW Sport Scotland has about £40m pa budget.
490
138
487
17
152
621
You should not overlook that the reason the SNP are insisting there is a difference between Grady and Pincher is because they are in a state of utter panic over a potential by election in Glasgow North. Why?
25
156
635
Sturgeon’s Coronavirus strategy in utter disarray. Doesn’t care about kids, doesn’t care about parents, doesn’t care about the economy. Doesn’t seem to have a clue about what’s going on.
36
159
605
The SNP tried to cover up both Patrick Grady and Derek Mackay making inappropriate advances to teenage boys. Or have I missed something?
27
175
619
Remember Bellshill not being closed down when, per capita, they had a much larger outbreak than Aberdeen? Lucky for them Sturgeon didn’t need a diversion that day.
11
173
593
Imagine being
@NicolaSturgeon
tonight, scared to go to bed in case Boris might say something else and she’d need to insist on saying something (exactly the same) afterwards. Only for viewers in Scotland.
30
106
578
Because, of course, before yesterday racist graffiti was entirely legal in Scotland. This guy is a moron.
🔴 Humza Yousaf has suggested that racist graffiti targeting him near his family home shows the need for Scotland's controversial hate crime laws.
Read more here 👇
255
4
23
51
94
627
I’m sorry, I had missed this. Part of the Greens calculation on the DRS was that poor people would trail bins looking for bottles at 20p a time? Imagine the outrage if Jacob Rees-Mogg had suggested that? Scum is the proper word for this. Scum.
49
135
612