The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Archive for June, 2014


The Jim Murphy Fan Club 373

Posted on June 19, 2014 by

Labour MP and nuclear weapon enthusiast Jim Murphy is out and about this week, flitting bat-like across Scotland as part of his “100 Corners” tour where he stands on a box and tells wide-eyed Ordinary Members Of The Public ™ about the splendour of the union. Some of Jim’s pals have been proudly tweeting shots of the packed crowds.

murphygroupie

But our eagle-eyed viewers couldn’t help spotting something.

Read the rest of this entry →

Quoted for Nazis, again 158

Posted on June 19, 2014 by

Kerry Gill in the Scottish Daily Express, 19 June 2014:

“Think back to the Second World War, as we have all been doing this month in commemoration of the D–Day landings. The BBC was foremost in selling the rightness of Britain’s eventual victory to the rest of the world.

It was most certainly not unbiased or objective. If it had been, the German Gestapo and their Axis colleagues would not have spent all their days and nights trying to stop anyone from listening to BBC broadcasts.

Of course, you will say, the independence referendum is entirely different. We are not at war with each other. We are discussing the merits or otherwise of separation in a, mostly, sensible and grown–up manner.

It is the BBC’s duty to report all that is said and done without bias, and without favour to either side whether Unionists or Nationalists. But, for the reasons above, I don’t believe this should be so.”

Yes, you really did read that in a “Scottish” national newspaper, folks: the BBC should be biased against independence because it was biased against the Nazis. You can go ahead and follow that wee gem through to its logical conclusion yourself.

The missing questions 416

Posted on June 19, 2014 by

A number of papers today report a manufactured furore concerning some comments we made on Twitter a couple of days ago about Tory MSP Alex Johnstone while watching Scotland Tonight. The Herald, astonishingly, makes it the second-lead story on its website, with political editor Magnus Gardham gleefully seizing the opportunity to stick the boot in after being the subject of much criticism on this site.

heraldscum

The Times also has a large piece about the tweet and it gets a quarter page in the Daily Mail, while the Scotsman’s coverage is more muted – which is perhaps out of embarrassment at coming on the same day the paper had to grudgingly publish a belated correction and “apology” for two grotesque and utterly false smears about us last week. Even Holyrood Magazine gets in on the act, as does the Courier.

That’s all fine and good. Getting monstered by Unionist newspapers isn’t exactly a new experience for us, after all. But there’s something odd about all of the stories.

Read the rest of this entry →

Lies and replies 260

Posted on June 18, 2014 by

We suppose, then, that we’d better deal with the UK government’s bizarre propaganda booklet that’s about to slither through every letterbox in Scotland at taxpayers’ expense whether they like it or not. We’ve been having some fun with the cover image in the last couple of days, but astonishingly enough this is the real version:

pishflet1

To be honest, readers, we’re still kind of rubbing our eyes in disbelief at that one. But the McTrapp Family above (who are these implausibly happy children? Where, who or what are they running from? Are they trespassing? Where are their parents?) aren’t even nearly the weirdest thing about the pamphlet.

Read the rest of this entry →

Chinese PM speaks out for Union 148

Posted on June 18, 2014 by

bttianenmen

Read the rest of this entry →

Let’s get this started 244

Posted on June 17, 2014 by

stayuk

Read the rest of this entry →

More stuff that doesn’t matter 193

Posted on June 17, 2014 by

The big story in most of today’s papers is the British Social Attitudes survey, which has discovered a whole bunch of things of absolutely no importance whatsoever.

eardog

The Scotsman, for example, highlights the fact that while Scottish people don’t want the UK to have nuclear weapons, if they’re going to exist then a sizeable number of Scots want them – and the hundreds of jobs dependent on them – to stay on the Clyde. (Though just as many want them to leave.)

None of which, of course, will have the slightest effect on anything.

Read the rest of this entry →

The people’s champion 165

Posted on June 17, 2014 by

We know only a few of you sit through these long video clips, but for the benefit of those who do this is a slightly unusual debate organised by the Prospect trade union and chaired by Magnus Gardham of the Herald, which took place at the union’s conference in Glasgow last month and saw Anas Sarwar and Nicola Sturgeon quizzed on some quite specific topics by various representatives of civic Scotland.

Readers can, as ever, come to their own conclusions as to which of the two gave the most convincing and honest answers, but one line from early on did leap out at us.

Read the rest of this entry →

Another paranoid cybernat 163

Posted on June 17, 2014 by

Charlie Brooker in the Guardian, 17 June 2014:

“David Cameron has responded to [the ‘Trojan Horse’ schools] crisis by declaring we need to celebrate ‘Britishness’ with more enthusiasm.

More enthusiasm? More? We’ve been celebrating Britishness with the strained determination of a man desperately trying to shit a cricket ball for the past five years. There’s a Union Flag on every cushion, bedspread and Rimmel commercial. Twee cartoons of the London skyline adorn packets of biscuits. TV can’t shut up about Britain. The Great British Menu. The Great British Summer. The Great British Sewing Bee. The Great British Bake Off. The Great British Bayou. The Great British Bull Run. The Great British France.

We had the Olympics, for Christ’s sake. We spent the whole of 2012 waving flags like a semaphore dictionary on fast-forward. And that wasn’t enough? Now, years later, just as the Keep Calm and Carry On posters are finally starting to yellow and peel and fall from the wall like scraps of torched parchment, now Cameron wants MORE of that bullshit?”

Nice to know it’s not just us noticing.

Read the rest of this entry →

Better ourselves 225

Posted on June 16, 2014 by

In the course of debunking some No-camp myths about “high taxes” and the cost of living in Scandinavian countries, we’ve often mentioned that in addition to average real incomes being far higher in places like Norway and Denmark (even after adjusting for the cost of living), that average is itself misleading, because the poor distribution of wealth in the UK means that it’s artificially inflated by the incomes of the super-rich.

spiritlevel

Now it’s possible to actually put figures on that.

Read the rest of this entry →

More help for Scottish journalists 179

Posted on June 16, 2014 by

This morning’s papers report that Labour, the Tories and a small fringe party whose name has slipped our minds for a moment will this week release a statement about their shared commitment to further devolution of powers to Holyrood after a No vote.

scotpress

We’re sure that Scotland’s journalists are all on top of the situation as usual and will put the statement under microscope-like scrutiny, but just in case, we have a tip.

Read the rest of this entry →

Stories of the week, 15/6/2014 59

Posted on June 15, 2014 by

The top five most-read stories on Wings Over Scotland in the last seven days.

1. Voters less ordinary
Housewife turns out to be activist. What could go wrong?

2. Inaudible mumble amplified
A good week to bury someone calling a million Scots racists.

3. Becoming the story
Smearing the messenger.

4. To the editor of the Scotsman
Standing by for developments.

5. The unacceptable face of politics
Grumpy-Looking Man confronts Not Quite All There Woman.

This week’s theme: CYBERNATS! (Again.)

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,680 Posts, 1,205,460 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Campbell Clansman on Trump’s Card: “Scotland, with 8.2% of the UK population, pays 8.1% of total UK taxes, and receives 9.1% of government expenditures. Sounds…Dec 18, 03:15
    • twathater on The Cost Of Truth: “I think it is rather telling the vastly increased infestation of yoononists and britnats posting BTL, I am beginning to…Dec 18, 03:12
    • Campbell Clansman on Trump’s Card: “I give statistics. You don’t, and you can’t. I’m pleased with the contrast.Dec 18, 03:11
    • Peter McAvoy on The Cost Of Truth: “If the copy of the document displayed at the top of the article is real those responsible for it have…Dec 18, 02:45
    • Robert Matthews on The Cost Of Truth: “Bring back Rhodesia.Dec 18, 02:43
    • Michael Laing on The Cost Of Truth: “So you think that because we might not achieve justice for Alex Salmond, there’s no point in fighting to clear…Dec 18, 01:20
    • Anthem on The Cost Of Truth: “Can’t disagree with that!Dec 18, 00:58
    • Geri on The Cost Of Truth: “Scotland is a country. Not a region. & Any country can seek decolonisation & every country has the right to…Dec 18, 00:36
    • Geri on The Cost Of Truth: “That’s a certainty. The more I follow others world news & elections the more American interference there is. Georgia, Romania,…Dec 18, 00:28
    • Geri on The Cost Of Truth: “And? Kosovo isn’t at the American puppet show, UN. Are they any great loss to the UN, wh3re the Americans…Dec 18, 00:13
    • Young Lochinvar on The Cost Of Truth: “SHE whose name shall not be uttered is swanning about with a brass neck unable to resist attention. I have…Dec 18, 00:02
    • Mark Beggan on The Cost Of Truth: “I see Useless is giving up politics to return to University. Where he will learn which bit is the arse…Dec 17, 23:39
    • Mark Beggan on The Cost Of Truth: “I would like to thank the good Rev for being a beacon of Truth in these dark times.Dec 17, 23:29
    • Mark Beggan on The Cost Of Truth: “The cost of truth may be more than any one anticipates. The price may be the Unthinkable. A large swing…Dec 17, 23:21
    • Jay on The Cost Of Truth: “Is there a psychiatrist in the house?Dec 17, 23:15
    • Dan on The Cost Of Truth: “One could jist as easily state “Independence is the price of justice”. Because we won’t be in a position to…Dec 17, 22:53
    • Michael Laing on Trump’s Card: “Clear off.Dec 17, 22:51
    • Michael Laing on Trump’s Card: “Go away, troll.Dec 17, 22:51
    • Michael Laing on Trump’s Card: “Exactly. What sort of off-the-scale arrogance does it take for these creeps to justify bombarding supporters of independence with their…Dec 17, 22:48
    • Zander Tait on Trump’s Card: “I did not know that Insider. Thanks. If I need any more information on rancid syphalitic penises, you will be…Dec 17, 22:47
    • Michael Laing on Trump’s Card: “I had exactly the same thought only a few minutes ago. They presumably have no awareness of the loathing they’re…Dec 17, 22:39
    • Michael Laing on Trump’s Card: “Haha! “I find you boring, troll.” That’s all the thanks you get. I think you should take the gloves off!Dec 17, 22:36
    • G m on The Cost Of Truth: “The leadership at the Crown Office, Polis, Civil Service, commentariat all took part in the stitchup. Maybe she is immune…Dec 17, 22:33
    • Insider on Trump’s Card: “A “rancid syphalitic {sic} penis” is the last thing that would “stick out” ! Unless of course you’re the exception…Dec 17, 22:24
    • Zander Tait on Trump’s Card: “Geri, Grendel (Captain and Campbell) would disappear into the torrent of verbal diahorrea that passes for debate in the Express…Dec 17, 22:10
    • Skip_NC on The Cost Of Truth: “She is of no use to the Democratic party over here. People like her are ten a penny. She is…Dec 17, 22:10
    • Skip_NC on The Cost Of Truth: “I believe there is a rationale for the e-mail recipient and sender redactions. When the Holyrood Whitewash was at its…Dec 17, 22:06
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Cost Of Truth: “Sturgeon’s demeanour all through this suggests she has been assured of protection at the highest levels. Her astounding notion of…Dec 17, 22:00
    • Young Lochinvar on Trump’s Card: “Correct. 3 big mark V tanks with additional trench crossing length also utilised to add even more machine guns in,…Dec 17, 21:59
    • agent X on The Cost Of Truth: ““Sturgeon thinks she might make a come back” She will realise when her book fails that she is not the…Dec 17, 21:58
  • A tall tale



↑ Top