Gerry Adams is a man of towering ambition who'd no moral qualms about securing his goal through murder
A British minister described Adams as a man of 'superior intelligence'. Unionists see him as sanctimonious and scheming – yet it was his foresight and cunning which persuaded the IRA to stop killing.
Gerry Adams is one of the world's most enigmatic, most controversial, and most consequential living political figures.
The former Sinn Féin president is a mass of contradictions. He supported – and by multiple credible accounts directed – a campaign of mass murder, yet was the single most important figure in bringing that murder to an end.
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The National
an hour ago
- The National
This result shows the time has arrived for make-or-break move for SNP
We didn't need Professor Curtice to highlight that SNP fortunes haven't improved since the General Election. It was readily apparent to anyone who followed this SNP leadership contesting Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse as a supposed party of 'independence' and yet not relying on it to garner support. At a time when national polling for independence is reckoned to hover around 54%, Swinney's SNP managed to garner just 12% support from Hamilton's electorate (only 29% of those who actually voted). Doesn't this prove beyond any doubt he and his party are getting it woefully wrong? At a time when the independence movement is straining at the leash for real campaigning political leadership, itching to get the campaign into full swing, hasn't the SNP's campaign chief, Jamie Hepburn, signalled indy being kicked down the road once again when in Laura Pollock's report (June 6) he states: 'Next year, we're going into a General Election for the Scottish Parliament ... the fundamental question will be who's forming the next government ... who's going to be the next first minister ... either John Swinney or Anas Sarwar.' READ MORE: Patrick Harvie: Increased UK defence spending only makes war more likely There we have it. This SNP's clear intention is to just play regional politics, presumably to secure their own positions, rather than fight the 2026 election as the de facto referendum the movement demands and the polls suggest the public desires. I suspect the new strategy SNP may be heading towards claiming that the de facto referendum should be at the next General Election and promising to make it so ... just as long as we elect them to Holyrood next year so they can 'deliver' it. Well, let's head that one off at the pass. If 2026 is ignored as the legitimate platform for Scots to determine their national status, or fail to force the referendum our democratic rights deserve, then who doubts the SNP will be soundly defeated and the independence movement will need to start from scratch to fight for independence without them; trust in the SNP decimated and Scotland's independence prospects truly parked for another generation – victory for the Unionists? If Keir Starmer, as seems likely, is about to scapegoat Rachel Reeves to secure his position, isn't it time for the SNP to scapegoat their current leader and his influencers in order to elect a leader in time for 2026 who has independence at heart, has the drive to deliver it and can persuade 54% and rising of Scots that they can do so? Hasn't the Hamilton election result shown the time has arrived for, if no serious independence leadership and drive for it, then no SNP? Jim Taylor Scotland THE loss of the Hamilton by-election to the risibly inept 'Scottish' Labour – a party so devoid of ideas it could barely muster a coherent manifesto – is not merely a setback. It is a catastrophe of the SNP's own making, a fiasco that reeks of complacency, strategic idiocy and the kind of centrist dithering that has come to define John Swinney's leadership. This was an entirely avoidable humiliation. Instead of seizing the moment – with independence support now at a formidable sum – Swinney, that master of inertia, chose to dither. His response? A pledge to wait until 75% of Scots beg for freedom before lifting a finger. One wonders if he imagines history's great emancipators –Washington, Bolívar, even the wretched Garibaldi – paused to consult focus groups before acting. When Starmer, that most unctuous of Westminster careerists, declared he would block any independence referendum, Swinney's silence was deafening. Not a word of defiance, not a hint of resistance to the colonial farce of Section 30. Instead, he opted to align with Labour – a party whose sole distinction from Reform is a marginally more polished veneer of hypocrisy. Both are Unionist to the core, united in their mission to siphon Scotland's wealth southward while offering nothing but condescension in return. The campaign itself was a masterclass in misdirection. Rather than rallying the independence movement with a bold vision, Swinney fixated on Reform – as if thwarting Nigel Farage's band of reactionary clowns was the defining struggle of Scottish nationalism. The result? A muddled, defensive mess that left voters uninspired and Labour undeservedly triumphant. Worse still, Swinney has perpetuated the worst excesses of the Sturgeon era: the cult of secrecy, the slavish deference to corporate interests (see: Flamingo Land's desecration of Loch Lomond) and the systematic sidelining of anyone with a spine. Sturgeon's legacy was to ensure that no competent successor could emerge – only loyalists and mediocrities, of which Swinney is the apotheosis. The truth is stark: the SNP have no plan for independence. No strategy beyond grovelling to Westminster for permission to hold a vote – a humiliation masquerading as diplomacy. It is a spectacle so pitiful it verges on self-parody. Swinney must go. Not with a whimper, but with the swift, decisive exit his failures demand. The independence movement deserves leaders who grasp that freedom is seized, not negotiated – and who possess the courage to act accordingly. Until then, the SNP's decline will continue, and Scotland's potential will remain shackled by the timid and the unimaginative. Alan Hinnrichs Dundee
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Mirror Daily Digest: Top stories from Beckham's knighthood to salad warning
In this Friday's Mirror Daily Digest, we've pulled together the biggest stories of the day from the tragic death of a British toddler to the DWP's new state pension warning Welcome to the Mirror's Daily Digest, where we pull together all the best stories of the day from our News, Showbiz, Sport teams and more. This Friday, we're taking a look at everything from Donald Trump and Elon Musk's big falling out, to the UK Health Security Agency's salad warning. BBC Question Time came to dramatic halt as Donald Trump issues threat at Elon Musk Yesterday evening's BBC Question Time was briefly interrupted for 'breaking news' as the public fallout between Donald Trump and Elon Musk rages on. On the panel on Thursday, June 5 Alex Davies-Jones MP, Darren Millar MS, Llinos Medi MP, Annabel Denham and Mark Serwotka appeared alongside host Fiona Bruce. The panel discussed the new 20mph speed limits in Wales and the rise in the number of illegal boat crossings, but their discussion was dramatically halted for "breaking news" as US President Donald Trump issued a scathing threat to Elon Musk. Trump threatened to end Musk's government contracts and it left Question Time viewers fuming. In the "breaking news update" US President Donald Trump addressed his fall-out with Elon Musk saying he is "very disappointed" in the SpaceX founder. David Beckham at risk of losing knighthood before he's even got it after huge blunder Earlier today, our Showbiz team reported that football star David Beckham is set to finally get his wish for a knighthood, after having made his hope for one very clear over the years. Now closer to his dream than ever, there are rumblings that his impending knighthood might be under threat. David, 50, is due to receive the honour in King Charles ' upcoming Birthday Honours List, which is set to be announced this month by The Gazette. It has been claimed David is set to become a Sir while his wife Victoria Beckham will become Lady Beckham, as David will be reportedly named in the Kings Birthday Honours list next week. However, the early announcement of Beckham's reported knighthood could risk him losing the title before its officially awarded, a source has told the Mirror. New State Pension age set to change next year for people born on these dates Ever a subject for discussion, our Politics team today reported that there is to be a further change to state pension age for some Brits. Brits born between two specific dates need to review their pension age due to upcoming changes. The Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP) is urging individuals with particular birthdates to verify their State Pension timing using their online checker. With plans set to incrementally raise the State Pension age from 66 to 67 beginning next year, it's important that everyone takes note of this imminent shift. By 2028, the transition is expected to be implemented nationwide. Brit boy, 2, dies after his family find him floating in the pool at Ibiza holiday home Our World News team have reported the sad news that a two-year-old British boy has died after getting into trouble while swimming in a pool at a private villa in Ibiza. The tragic incident happened shortly bfore 10.40am on Wednesday, June 5 at a holiday home on the northern part of the popular Spanish island. The young boy was found in the pool without a pulse, according to local news outlet Diario de Ibiza. Emergency services rushed to the villa following a report of an unresponsive child just before 11am local time. First to arrive at the holiday home was the basic life support ambulance (BLS). These ambulances are equipped with essential equipment for providing basic life support, such as oxygen, portable devices for respiratory tract care and defibrillators. Health agency issues urgent UK alert to anyone who buys supermarket salad Our Health team have reported a warning from the UK Health Security Agency about potentially dangerous illnesses contracted from bagged supermarket salads. As the weather heats up in summer, people may want to opt for something lighter for lunch, like a salad. But a fresh health alert from UK authorities warns that these foods could make people ill if one very important step is ignored. It may not always be possible to grab fresh food to whip up a refreshing and healthy salad, so many people instead reach for the premade packs available in most supermarkets. However, people who do this have been warned to take one extra step to avoid falling ill. It might seem like common sense, but some people simply tip their bag out and tuck it in. Experts suggest taking one extra precaution to avoid coming into contact with bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria.
Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
Why I'm scared by a report about Britain's 'minority white' future
A new study has predicted that 'white British' people are set to become a minority in Britain in the next 40 years. Cue the hysteria. I'm not surprised, it feels like this was exactly the intention behind this report. Conducted by Matt Goodwin of Buckingham University, who is also a regular voice on the right-wing TV channel GB News channel, the research claims that the proportion of white Brits will decline from 73% (where it currently stands) to 57% by 2050. It is then thought that white British people will become a minority by 2063 and that by the end of the century they will only constitute a third of the overall population. Referencing his study's findings, Goodwin said that those in favour of 'maintaining the way of life of the traditional majority population' will need their concerns 'recognised, respected and addressed.' Let's be real about what we're looking at here. This is not an impartial, apolitical study of demographic change. Goodwin's definition is so absurdly broad that figures such as King Charles and Winston Churchill wouldn't be considered 'White British' in this instance. Firstly, Goodwin makes frankly insulting and arbitrary decisions about what exactly is considered 'White British'. He defines this as those without at least one immigrant parent – creating a strange conclusion in which some people seem defined only by their 'foreign' side, creating a two-tiered system in which only those untainted by immigrant blood are considered genuinely 'White British' or native. By his definition, as a Muslim with one English parent and one Libyan, I'm not as British as a white non-Muslim, despite being born and raised here. This only reinforces what I have known my entire life – or at least, since I started looking visibly foreign by first wearing the hijab at 15: That I am always defined by my foreignness and never my Englishness. Goodwin's definition is so absurdly broad that figures such as King Charles and Winston Churchill wouldn't be considered 'White British' in this instance. But it is not white people with an American mother or a Greek father who are accused of diluting the native British population when it comes to studies like these. It's people like me whose brown, Muslim lineage renders me a foreigner, despite me being ethnically just as English as I am Libyan. Why else would Goodwin focus on his headline-grabbing statistic that 1 in 5 Britons will apparently be Muslim by the end of the century. In fact, Goodwin's main report on 'religious projections' doesn't even mention any other faiths, simply categorising the UK population along the lines of Muslim or non-Muslim. This sounds chillingly like 'us versus them', 'good guy versus bad guy' or 'native versus foreigner' – all of which fuel hysteria about a Muslim takeover and label Islam and Britishness as mutual exclusives. In fact, just this week we have seen Reform – a party that many predict could soon find its way in Number 10 – raising the issue of a Burka ban. For many, being British is about more than a passport. It looks, sounds and acts a certain way – and that is not Muslim. Studies like the one released this week embolden those holding Islamophobic views, giving them a statistical basis for their bigotry. Research conducted by someone with such incendiary views should be taken with far more suspicion than we have seen with these findings – but I suppose that doesn't matter when there are some catchy fear-mongering soundbites on offer. While the survey has predictably been used as evidence for lowering immigration levels, beneath the odd (frankly racist) categorisation of British identity, it also paints a picture of the birth rates of different communities in the UK and how that will impact future demographics. Given that Britain's birth rate is at an all-time low, we have seen pronatalist policies slowly creep into the mainstream as politicians panic about what the future will look like if nobody can afford to have babies. But what this survey seems to reinforce is that calls to raise the birth rate aren't simply about providing the nation with the next generation of workers and taxpayers. It is, for many, ensuring that the future face of the west remains white and that the so-called native population reproduces quickly enough to balance out other communities like my own, who traditionally tend to have larger families. Last year a peer in the House of Lords made a speech in which he warned about radical Muslims taking over Britain 'through the power of the womb'. More Trending Every year when the name Muhammad inevitably tops the list of most popular baby names, we see another wave of media-manufactured moral panic that Britain overrun by Muslims unless the white British population has more babies. Reports like these don't just legitimise conspiracy theories like this, they help manufacture them, and attempt to make people like me feel more othered, more unsafe. Who knows what this hypothetical Britain will look like in decades time? But if the children and grandchildren of people like me aren't considered part of the future British population, but a hostile outside force, then things are only going to get worse for all of us. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: Donald Trump and Elon Musk might make peace – but it will never last MORE: What does Eid Mubarak mean and how should you reply to the greeting? MORE: Universal digital 'BritCards' on an app could soon be used to prove who you are
