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Wings Over Scotland


Archive for June, 2014


A flash of perspective 131

Posted on June 23, 2014 by

Professor Patrick Dunleavy of the London School of Economics, a man with absolutely no dog in the Scottish independence fight, has now published his detailed assessment of the set-up costs of an independent Scotland.

He puts the actual additional cost – that is, what Scotland would have to spend that it wouldn’t have to spend anyway if it stayed in the UK – at around £200m. That’s the total, not every year, and is somewhat below the UK government’s own “estimate” of £2.7bn, issued just three weeks ago to widespread derision.

For comparison purposes that’s very roughly what Scotland spends on the upkeep of Trident nuclear submarines every year (our share of the £2.24bn annual cost), but as the Unionist parties constantly complain that Scotland’s savings on Trident get spent several times over by Yes supporters, we thought we’d come up with an alternative.

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The news from Sealand, 22/6/2014 146

Posted on June 22, 2014 by

A round-up of recent UK stories you may have missed, from The Sealand Gazette.

1New Government cuts could see a million state jobs go

“George Osborne orders ‘ambitious’ new efficiency drive, to be detailed in the Autumn Statement, for savings and job cuts deep into the next parliament.”

2. British people favour leaving the European Union, according to poll

“Nearly half would vote to leave while only 37% would vote to stay.”

3. The reason voters feel powerless: because it’s the truth

“Public services are so fragmented there are no clear lines of accountability. Parents who are worried by what is happening in a school will try to pull levers and discover that no one is at the other end. They are left to fume impotently.”

4. Trussell Trust told ‘the government might try to shut you down’

“The chair of [foodbank charity] the Trussell Trust has said that the charity made a decision to tone down its criticisms of the benefit system after someone in power warned them that they could get shut down.”

5. Britain’s first secret trial

“Two men, known only as AB and CD, have been charged with terrorism; journalists were forbidden from disclosing even this simple fact until newspapers overturned a gagging order. But for the first time in centuries – and in a direct challenge to the Magna Carta of 1215 – the entire trial will be held in secrecy.”

Vote No if this sounds like your sort of country, readers.

Keir Hardie’s grave 297

Posted on June 22, 2014 by

Reports seismic disturbance. (Again.)

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The foreign danger 170

Posted on June 22, 2014 by

We are not making this up. This is not a spoof.

nobforeign

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They are not like us 162

Posted on June 22, 2014 by

This is from today’s Scottish Sun. (Click to enlarge.)

murdo25

Murdo Fraser actually thinks that houses getting 25% more expensive while wages grow by just 0.7% is a GOOD thing. He really believes that “It’ll cost an extra £23,000 to buy a house if you vote No” is a plus point for staying in the UK.

That’s all we’ve got on that one, folks.

The false borders 281

Posted on June 21, 2014 by

The second weekend in June played host to the Selkirk Common Riding, the oldest of the Ridings events in the Scottish Borders. For the uninitiated, this centuries-old tradition incorporates a series of festivities in the town, the centrepiece of which is a cavalcade of several hundred horses galloping around the perimeter of the Royal Burgh, ensuring the town’s ancient boundaries are in good order (ie that no pesky Sassenachs have invaded the territory).

Despite being raised in the nearby village of Ashkirk and attending Selkirk High School, I was never interested in the Riding. Even in primary school whilst being taught the lyrics to “Auld Selkirk” and “Hail Smilin Morn” it didn’t seem relevant – I only went to my first ride-out last year because my Polish girlfriend was intrigued.

selkirkjack

That’s when the penny dropped.

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The short walk to democracy 109

Posted on June 21, 2014 by

hamishconst

(Story, just in case you missed it in this week’s media “cybernat” horror orgy.)

Hello, Daily Mail readers! 159

Posted on June 21, 2014 by

And welcome. If you’ve come to our humble little site to see the nasty man at the head of the “highly controversial cyber organisation” described in this hilarious article, there’s a couple of things you should probably know. Because – and we apologise if this comes as a shock to you – the Daily Mail doesn’t always tell the truth.

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Don’t tell them your name, Pike 297

Posted on June 20, 2014 by

If you’re not on Twitter, readers, you’ve been missing ALL the fun today.

daillylist2

Above are just the creepiest two of a series of tweets posted this morning by “social justice campaigner” Mike Dailly of the Govan Law Centre – previously known to those of this parish – to the effect that he’d really rather prefer if people stopped following my personal Twitter account, @RevStu, because I was so all-around awful.

It didn’t work out quite as well as he’d hoped.

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Sunset for scaremongers 395

Posted on June 20, 2014 by

Europe Direct is the official information service of the EU. A reader recently contacted them with a query. Their reply seems significant. We’ll let you read it for yourself.

eurodirect

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When you get there 104

Posted on June 20, 2014 by

“…make sure you keep a place by your side for us.”

Now that’s what we call lovebombing.

Good faith and bad practice 160

Posted on June 20, 2014 by

The other day we highlighted a really good piece in the Scottish Sun, which while not perfect was a pretty decent stab at the sort of evidence-based journalism Scotland’s media should have been doing throughout the referendum campaign.

sunpound

Today, not so much.

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