Prominent North Ayrshire Labour councillor, Alex Gallagher, Visiting Guest Letters Editor at the Herald seems to be using his position to foreground his own letters. Today, January 1st we read his exciting proposal that the FM should apologise for the 2013 White Paper on independence. I haven’t read the letter. I refuse. Nobody can make me. I don’t need to, to know it’s just daft. Does he think it fooled some of the 45% into voting Yes? Don’t tell me. North Ayrshire Labour Twig* had been at it again earlier in December using the Herald Letters page to attack the SNP. Again, I haven’t read it etc.
*For information, Scottish Labour is a ‘branch’ of British Labour’s now much-thickened ‘trunk’ so North Ayrshire is a sub-branch or ‘twig.’ Some have suggested wittily ‘TWIG’ is also an acronym for ‘Tories When In Government.’
Perhaps justifying his appointment to the Herald, Gallagher has also shown the Leonard-like intelligence needed in leadership:
Using the classic ‘Triple D’ or ‘Dickie Dimwit Dodge’, Gallagher pretended not to know that nuclear waste disposal is a reserved matter before accusing the SNP of a conspiracy to dump nuclear waste Fairlie near to his North Ayrshire domain.
Less predictable in its effects on voters, has been Gallagher’s flirtation with matters sectarian. In the peer-reviewed ETims Online Fanzine, in June 2018:
‘A Labour councillor has been criticised for attacking a journalist as not a “real Scot” after he wrote a sympathetic article about the SNP . Alex Gallagher apologised for the comment he made about former Herald columnist Chris Deerin who penned a positive analysis piece in a London-based magazine. Deerin, who is also director of the think tank Reform Scotland in Edinburgh, described the SNP pro-immigration and pro-Europe, and contrasted that favourably with the Tories and its Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg. Deerin was also critical of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s Euro-scepticism. “You don’t have to want Scottish independence to appreciate today’s SNP as an emblem of decency, progressiveness and social conscience,” he concluded in his article in the New Statesman. “Scottish nationalism has grown up and it has grown up well.” But North Ayrshire councillor Gallagher took umbrage at Deerin’s take on the political parties. He posted on Twitter. “As a 50-year reader and subscriber to the NS, this is total and utter bollocks.”
The Etims condemnation may have been triggered by Gallagher’s surprising tweet blaming Cardinal O’Brien for ‘something else’:
Personally, I see something in this one. After all, the then-entirely-Catholic, medieval Church of Scotland leadership, were very influential in supporting the Scottish independence movement led by the Bruce, in the early years of the 14th Century.
Finally, however, Gallagher seems to have done some damage to his own cause with, these typical ill-judged tweets.
I knew a few SNP English-haters back in the day, but I’d be hard pushed to identify one today. Are they all in North Ayrshire? Me? Don’t be daft. I have/had three English aunties (My grandad got around). Iris Murdoch helped me cheat at Uni. My first heroes and style icons were the Who, the Small Faces and the Kinks. I’m un-elected convenor of the ‘Decent English Folk for Indecent Yoons’ population swap initiative.
So, TuS calls on the Herald to cancel their agreement with North Ayrshire Labour Twig and return editorship of their letters page to the usual cub reporter team.
Talking-up Scotland 
Morning John & a very Happy New Year sir 😃
Greetings from the coalface of the faux Bairn, ultra anti English, SNP supporting regiment of the Indy movement here in Falkirk 😮
Where do you even begin to start with that Alex Gallagher fellow?
Nup, I’m no gonnae.
I’m only here to wish you a Happy New Year, continued good mental health & thank you for all your good-natured & whimsical output of recent times.
Toodle pip sir 😃
LikeLiked by 2 people
Cheers Andy. All the best to you and ‘get tae Fawkirk!’
How are you a faux Bairn?
I wasn’t born there nor was my dad so…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well faux in the sense that I’ve ONLY lived in Falkirk for almost 17 years, Ayrshire by birth but Weegie by heart & upbringing! 😊
Despite being a Celtic man I do go along to the Falkirk games when I get the chance.
Mind you, on the basis that I’ve started not one, but two new businesses here in the last couple of months my future’s definitely in Falkirk.
Och hell, I’m a Bairn, it’s clearly just a state of mind!
LikeLike
Is this the faux Professor of Oxon and self appointed guardian of Frothy Unionism which includes Jill Stephenson and assorted swiveled eyers.
HERALD is following The Scotsman like a leming off the cliff if bankruptcy.
Question is, who is subidising this Death Wish lunacy.
We know why.
They are bricking it and we haven’t started yet.
Expect real dirty tricks during the real fight.
We are the Krav Magna boys and girls.
No prisoners from now on in.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Just realised that this is the N Ayrshire Cooncillor, not the faux Prof.
Bugger
Let us just get rid of the lot of them and let so
the celestial teapot sort them out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought that was going to develop into a troop rallying speech, to challenge the St. Crispin day one for top slot. I could feel it building but save it till later, I think/hope not much later.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Just a stream of consciousness and a sober one with autocorrect buggerations.
I am tired of the phony war.
Time to retaliate first
LikeLiked by 3 people
The Panda roars!
Krav Magna?
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2015-11/06/content_22383409.htm
LikeLike
Is that Panda doing a Sheela na gig?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheela_na_gig
LikeLike
Real durty street fighting
LikeLiked by 2 people
I coukd have told them all that for a Passport and a bottle of decent red.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Street fighting from Warsaw ghetto
LikeLike
In the early naughtiest I used to think that Alex Gallagher was our best secret weapon. Now that the Herald’s readership has shrunk might as well let him write all the letters Nae body’s reading the shite.
LikeLiked by 2 people
There are so many now – Leonard, Kelly………………
LikeLiked by 1 person