SNP-loyalist comedians like Janey Godley leave Scotland lacking real satire of those in power – Brian Wilson

In Scotland, even the ‘satirists’ are house-trained loyalists to the regime, so Janey Godley’s humour never had any cutting edge.

Comedian Janey Godley takes part in the All Under One Banner march in support of Scottish independence in 2019 (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Instead, she became a court favourite and, of course, recipient of Scottish government engagements.

This week’s revelation of her tweeting history suggested that a little time should have been spent by one of the innumerable special advisers on due diligence before Ms Godley was promoted as the vernacular voice of the nation.

Some of these tweets were so disgustingly racist, obscene and offensive, particularly towards disabled people, that family newspapers did not reprint them. When the storm broke, the content could not be communicated to ministers because the Scottish government IT binned them.

The absence of satire from Scottish broadcasting is one of its significant downsides. Can you imagine the response if there was any equivalent to Have I Got News for You?, handing out the same indiscriminately brutal treatment to Scottish politicians as is accepted (because they have no choice) by Westminster ones?

But what of Ms Godley? Her penitence would have been more convincing if it had come before the tweets emerged rather than after. Sorry for being caught, more like it. As for them being “historic”, 2016 scarcely matches that description, for a person who has had plenty time to know better.

Here, however, is the test question. Would I prosecute her under Humza Yousaf’s Hate Crimes Act? Of course not.

Let her stew in her own ignominy – but it does go to show the judgements that will have to be made under that pernicious legislation.

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