Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 26/09/2026Portugal decriminalised drugs in 2001 and subsequently treated drug abuse as a public health issue. Between 1999 and 2016 deaths from overdose fell by 92%. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 45440
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 23/09/2026After the gates were installed at the end of Downing Street in the Thatcher era, one of the cops on duty outside was interviewed. Classic line: "Yeah, they've put up these gates, but she still gets out." 0145
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 22/09/2026And nothing of value was lost. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukReform MSPs walk out of parliament in protest against independence debateThe party's leader in Scotland, Malcolm Offord, describes the debate as an insult and a waste of time. 3111
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 20/09/2026My own small contribution to the Ed Sheeran controversy. This, from 2022: 2181
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 17/09/2026An oil-producing nation with no refinery. An exporting nation with no shipping routes. An electricity producer forced to pay to upload to the “national” grid. Welcome to our blessed "union of equals". 3139105
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 16/09/2026There are *44* trade routes between the Republic of Ireland and the EU, bypassing the UK. Of course, Ireland can count on the cooperation and support of its EU partners. Scotland had only Westminster to call on for support which, naturally, was limited. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukPlans for Scottish ferry to mainland Europe scrappedForth Ports said it had doubts over the 'long-term viability' of the route between Rosyth and Dunkirk. 8167
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 15/09/2026But for the broad shoulders of the Union, Scotland would be as poor as Norway. 24715
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Top news stories on the BBC Wales and BBC Scotland websites at the moment: 22617
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Britain: the best democracy money can buy. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukReform receives second £36m donation in two days as crypto investor matches recordCryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne says he has matched a donation from Ben Delo announced late on Friday. 067
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 08/09/2026As an antidote to the poison being thrown at the RNLI, I give you Bill Bryson: 0319
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 30/08/2026The silence of British trade unions in the face of a Labour Prime Minister proudly supplying a billion pound corporation with free labour is damning. 0103
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 30/08/2026Unionism: the belief that two small, pretty similar countries might be better off together, unless those countries are both part of Ireland. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...irishtimes.comBritish PM Andy Burnham says border poll on united Ireland ‘off the table’Burnham claims referendums ‘can really take you backwards’ and cause rifts ‘that take a long, long time to heal’ 42613
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 28/08/2026#BetterTogether www.scotsman.com/news/politic...scotsman.comGrangemouth misses out on £200m UK Government fund for sustainable aviation fuelSNP-commissioned House of Commons Library analysis shows 29 separate awards were made from the Advanced Fuel Funds - with just one given to Scotland. 288
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 28/08/2026A reminder that we used to prosecute people for war crimes and genocide. www.reuters.com/world/bosnia...reuters.comBosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic, convicted of genocide, has died, Serbian TV reportsBosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic, who was serving a life sentence for genocide in the bloody 1992-95 war in Bosnia, has died in the United Nations detention centre in The Hague, Belgrad... 0157
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 26/08/2026I had a mate who visited Moscow before the wall came down. He met a guy in a bar and managed to buy his military cap for the price of a few beers. He was cutting around Glasgow for months wearing it until someone told him the Cyrillic writing on the front meant "Bus Conductor". 1142
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Members of the Royal Family spent at least £445,000 on visits to Scotland last year. The King's brief meeting with Prince Harry for tea at Clarence House cost taxpayers £44,209 as Charles flew from Aberdeen to RAF Northolt and then back again. 387
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Just a thought, BBC Scotland - but perhaps continually and relentlessly telling Scottish folk that they and the country in which they live are shite isn't a particularly effective marketing strategy. Hope this helps. dailybusinessgroup.co.uk/2023/07/bbc-...dailybusinessgroup.co.ukBBC Scotland suffers plunge in viewing figures – Daily BusinessBBC Scotland is facing new questions over the quality of its content as new data shows viewing figures have fallen sharply. 76833
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 13/08/2026The near-Dickensian "barred" list from the Half Moon pub in Herne Hill, south London. 371
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 03/08/2026A thought-provoking article from Robin McAlpine: www.thenational.scot/politics/264... However, where are the "credible, agreed, detailed plans," and the "communication with the public about benefits," that won us 74% support for our restored parliament? 2014 was 12 years ago and I see few signs.thenational.scotRobin McAlpine: Scotland will be independent but not through electoral tricksIN the last article I wrote for the Sunday National, I rejected a de facto referendum as a route to independence. 052
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 22/07/2026I can barely contain my indifference. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.uk 2102
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Tattie scone tacos? Genius! Scottish fusion cuisine to rival the Macaroni Pie @ The Islay Inn, Glasgow. 3235
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Awkward. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...theguardian.comLabour would scrap House of Lords, says Scottish party leaderAnas Sarwar calls instead for creation of ‘senate of nations and regions’ and rules out pact with SNP 63625
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 08/07/2026Last month, Andrew "Lord Brillo" Neil feared a "return to the bad old days of Tartan Army football hooliganism" and had a "nagging feeling in the back of my head... something could trigger it all going badly wrong". Let's see what Boston's Channel 10 has to say about that: 23014
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 07/07/2026Well, over a century ago the Norwegian Parliament declared the union between Norway and its larger neighbour Sweden dissolved. Norway then went on to become one of the wealthiest nations in the world and a country that absolutely prioritises the well-being of its citizens. So I'd say - hell, yes. 24720
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 24/06/2026I think it's fair to say that it's unlikely aliens will travel 100 billion light years to Earth and decide that the first thing they want to do is watch Scotland play football. bsky.app/profile/glub... 782
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 23/06/2026Ten years ago today, England voted to remove Scotland from the EU. 96% of Scotland's MPs had requested that all UK nations should agree before #Brexit was carried. The Tories, with 1 Scottish MP, overruled this request. Brexit was a UK vote because England decided it would be. 210165
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 22/06/2026So that'll be seven UK Prime Ministers in ten years. What happened to the "strong and stable government" we were all promised? I suppose promising us a decade of continual bin fires wouldn't have had the same ring to it. Time to go, Scotland. 13311
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 17/06/2026Anyone who's even just visited London for a weekend must know that this is the most unutterable bollocks. 93711
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Andrew Neil has a 'nagging feeling in the back of my head... something could trigger it all going badly wrong' What an utter tit that man is. Just can't bear to think of Scotland and Scottish folk doing well. 185717
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 15/06/2026Joan Baez crashes the Rolling Stones’ Glasgow party. Odeon Theatre, Renfield Street, 6th October 1965. 052
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 11/06/2026Clean energy projects in Scotland are set to pay £1 billion to use the UK’s electricity network while projects south of the border will be paid to connect. First they fuck us over then they charge us a billion quid for the privilege. www.thenational.scot/news/2617285... 02212
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 10/06/2026The reason why a bunch of Scottish football fans have had their US travel visas cancelled becomes clear. 0176
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 10/06/2026Clearly, Scotland is being fucked. I mean that word in the vulgar sense of "misused to give satisfaction or advantage to another." The area covered by this development will be 51 times the size of Iona. A mock-up of the view from Iona should it go ahead: www.scottishbeacon.com/news/opinion... 285
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 08/06/2026"Scottish" Labour campaign: "We need independence from London. They're making disastrous decisions, don't pay any attention to our requirements and their values don't align with those of the Scottish electorate." Scotland: "You fucking what?" www.thenational.scot/news/2617440...thenational.scotElection loss sparks campaign to split Scottish Labour from UK bossesA CAMPAIGN has been launched to split Scottish Labour from the Westminster party after the party slumped further in the polls, continuing a trend of… 12410
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 28/05/2026What was the case in South Africa is also the case in today's Scotland: there can be no reconciliation without truth. 021
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 19/05/2026Paging H.P. Lovecraft... www.earth.com/news/ran-rob...earth.comRobot submarine finds unknown structures beneath Antarctica, then loses contact and disappearsAn autonomous submarine named Ran discovers strange structures under the Dotson Ice Shelf in Antarctica, before mysteriously disappearing. 152
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 13/05/2026People are living in cardboard boxes, but at least the King's hat has its own coach, escorted by six household cavalry officers, like something out of a second-rate children's fantasy novel. This is supposed to be the 21st century. The UK is beyond parody. www.dailymotion.com/video/xa9l5ogdailymotion.comImperial State Crown leaves Palace for King’s SpeechDailymotion video by Royal Family Channel 22713
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 09/05/2026I see they've brought Gordon Brown out of retirement to dance on a ball like an old, abused circus bear. Again. 2506
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 09/05/2026We already know Westminster will refuse any direct Section 30 request despite yesterday's results, so here's a modest proposal: The SNP should hold a referendum with the question being: "Should the Scottish Parliament have the legal right to hold an independence referendum?" 108530
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 08/05/2026What's clear from today's election results is that three of the four constituent nations of the so-called United Kingdom have now elected political parties whose primary raison d'être is to bring an end to the United Kingdom. Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold. 410849
Alan Ferrier @alanferrier.bsky.social · 08/05/2026I see the "Scottish" Daily Express is taking the election results well. 64421