Caught by the listicles

Cybernats everywhere are trembling in their boots this morning.  The Scottish Labour thought police have compiled a 51-page dossier of people who have used the words 'quisling' or 'traitor' or who have used swear words about Scottish Labour party members on Twitter. Trembling with anticipation to see if they have been included on the list.  And, given the dossier lists only 46 people out of the 115,000 SNP members, it's kind of like winning the lottery.  I can almost hear the squeals of excitement amid the much larger sighs of disappointment as people peruse the leaked dossier to see if they're on it.

The dossier itself is a bit of an anti-climax.  On reading the tweets you are left with a feeling of 'is that it?'.  And one has to ask what Scottish Labour hope to achieve by this.  Currently leaderless and without a coherent plan, this is what they choose to spend their time and resources on?

Of course, Scottish Labour internally would never use such language.  Everything in the land of Scottish Labour is all kittens and puppies, rainbows and unicorns.  No-one ever disagrees with anyone else, and there are no divisions, or in-fighting. and no-one on the Unionist side has ever done a similar thing with the SNP as their target.


And what has the reaction on Twitter?  As usual, humour.  The hashtag #ClypeGate is being used to discuss the list, and how appropriate that is.  The list very much has the feel of a schoolchild shouting 'Miss, miss, so-and-so used a bad word!'  There is also a #CybernatAMovieQuote.

The real test of this will be the reaction of the SNP leadership.  Handling this by a draconian crackdown might well see them start to lose members as well has giving the appearance of dancing to Scottish Labour's tune.

The real lesson of this whole affair is that it would appear that, in Scottish Labour's view, free speech is fine, but only if it's not directed at them.  No-one is to be allowed to have an opinion unless it is an approved opinion.  I do believe the world has seem something like this before.  Mr McCarthy would be proud.