The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland

Archive for August, 2014

← Previous Entries
Next Entries →

Diluting the poisoned chalice 182

Posted on August 28, 2014 by

This story from earlier this month is now the third most-read in Wings history. But there was an aspect of the revelations in the Future Of England survey that we didn’t touch on, and it’s worth picking up now.

“Voters in England are also inclined to support greater autonomy for a post-No Scotland than do the pro-union parties. For instance, 42% of people in England support the idea that ‘The Scottish Parliament should be given control over the majority of taxes raised in Scotland’, something that only 25% disagree with. 

This would appear to place people in England at the maximal end of the various proposals that have been put forward for further-reaching Scottish devolution, and significantly beyond the modest reform proposals put forward by the Labour Party.”

And that’s quite an interesting finding, because it means that Scottish Labour – the self-proclaimed “party of devolution” – now actually wants LESS tax-raising power for the Scottish Parliament than just about anyone else anywhere in the entire UK.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category analysis, scottish politics, uk politics

No lights in the window 357

Posted on August 27, 2014 by

Here’s “Better Together” chief Blair McDougall in today’s Herald:

“Launching the [#PatronisingBTLady] video yesterday, Better Together campaign director Blair McDougall said: ‘The key factor for people isn’t the love of our country – as both Yes and No voters love Scotland. The key factor is the love of our families.’“

Let’s just read that through again. He’s saying that his campaign can’t use “love of our country” as a campaign weapon because people on both sides love their country. So instead he’s going to use “love of our families” as a distinguishing characteristic.

The only possible conclusion that can be drawn from those statements is that Yes supporters don’t love their families. It’s a bold gambit, we’ll give him that.

taxiformrmcdougall

Category comment, disturbing, idiots, scottish politics

Dead ringers 218

Posted on August 27, 2014 by

Several papers today report that “Better Together” are filing a complaint with the BBC about the audience at Monday’s debate between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling, alleging bias in both audience composition and question selection – claiming that 10 questions favoured the Yes side to only three favouring No.

bgent2

We’re not really sure how a question can favour either side, but the sour-grapes move does raise an interesting issue, which we’re going to illustrate with an example from the debate the BBC ran the following evening in Edinburgh.

Read the rest of this entry →

Category analysis, comment, investigation, media, scottish politics

Powerhouse interventions 78

Posted on August 27, 2014 by

(Help keep this vital news outlet broadcasting here.)

Tags:
Category scottish politics, video

Hubris adjustment 117

Posted on August 27, 2014 by

The website of the Dumfries & Galloway Conservative Party yesterday:

dumtories

Perhaps they read the press coverage of the Salmond-Darling debate later on.

Read the rest of this entry →

Category comment, scottish politics

A decisive choice 264

Posted on August 26, 2014 by

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category leaks, scottish politics, video

In all the excitement 193

Posted on August 26, 2014 by

We almost forgot to mention this.

hitstreets

Not for the first time, readers, you’ve left us gobsmacked sideways. Despite previous successes we were a little apprehensive about this latest fundraiser, as people have been getting asked for a lot of money by a lot of groups in recent months, and we were a bit worried that everyone might have donation fatigue or simply be skint.

That apprehension lasted two and a half hours.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category admin

Out of the loop 203

Posted on August 26, 2014 by

The key exchange on currency from last night’s debate:

At the end of the clip, a flustered Darling finally blurts out what the No camp have been trying not to admit for the entire campaign: “Of course we could use the pound”.

Unionists and journalists are now frantically spinning that they’d never denied such a thing. But we know that’s not true, and nobody got left with more egg on their face than Mr Darling’s supposed superior, Scottish Labour “leader” Johann Lamont.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category comment, debunks, scottish politics, video

Voices of the people 157

Posted on August 26, 2014 by

Things you’ll never hear a Scottish interviewer say.

Category comment, scottish politics, video

Results just in 308

Posted on August 25, 2014 by

totcarn

Tags:
Category comment, scottish politics

Safe in their hands 375

Posted on August 25, 2014 by

Alistair Darling was angry last week, as he was awake. In a tetchy interview with the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland he insisted that “there is no political party in the United Kingdom at the moment that could get away with destroying the NHS”.

darlingns11

He went on to rubbish the idea that the English service was being privatised by the Conservative-led government, and accused the SNP of scaremongering over the issue for opportunistic political gain. So we thought we’d see if we could find anyone else who thought the NHS was in danger of privatisation and destruction.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category comment, investigation, scottish politics, uk politics

Alistair Darling Lie Bingo 138

Posted on August 25, 2014 by

We’ve been so busy with the Wee Blue Book for the past week or so that we only just got round to listening to last Tuesday’s interview with Alistair Darling on Good Morning Scotland in time, before it vanished from the iPlayer. The former Chancellor gets a quite uncomfortable ride from presenter Gary Robertson, and flaps angrily for much of the ten-and-a-half minutes trying to turn every question into one on currency.

soundwave2

Mr Darling also makes some startlingly and empirically false statements throughout the interview, and we thought it’d be worth noting a few of them and seeing if they crop up on tonight’s BBC1 debate with the First Minister.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category audio, comment, debunks, scottish politics

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,778 Posts, 1,220,328 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

    and finally and firstly arithmetic fail braveheart klaxon britnats captain darling cartoons Chris Cairns confused cringe crybabies dateline debates Devo Nano Federalists Unionists and Devolutionists flat-out lies foreigner watch from the archives fundraisers galleries Greg Moodie hamish hypocrisy liars light-hearted banter lizards memogate misinformation one nation perspectives poll project fear project feart qft Scott Minto smears snp accused soapbox the positive case for the union The Vow ticktock toldyouso too wee too poor too stupid unionist of the day vote no get nothing

  • Recent Comments

    • Insider on Holiday Relief: “sarah… Tell us all when you have the latest news…. The Cromarty Firth by-election [Highland Council] is absolutely vital in…” Jun 20, 23:08
    • Alf Baird on Holiday Relief: ““Nine years – no rush then!” The SNP leadership has been content to run a colonial administration for almost 20…” Jun 20, 21:56
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Holiday Relief: “‘LONDON CALLING: HOW THE BBC STOLE THE REFERENDUM’ by GA PONSONBY KINDLE £1.99 Review 21 May 2015 — Verified Purchase…” Jun 20, 21:56
    • Breastplate on Holiday Relief: “Andy, “outlandish conspiracy theories about vote rigging”. The British secret services, I’m sure you will agree, exist specifically to protect…” Jun 20, 21:51
    • sarah on Holiday Relief: “Total votes 2410. Reform was knocked out at stage 7 with 396 votes. Having no inside information, it looks to…” Jun 20, 21:19
    • Scot Finlayson on Holiday Relief: “Scotland still to vote on their Assisted Killing bill, Brought forward by LibDem Liam McArthur who is funded by shadowy…” Jun 20, 20:58
    • twathater on Holiday Relief: “The happy-clappy relentless positivity of the campaign had some merit, and obviously played well in some quarters, but it ultimately…” Jun 20, 20:50
    • Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “You’re defo onto something with the robotic wank arm, Dan. I hope you’ll still remember us and continue to post…” Jun 20, 20:38
    • Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “Fit happened tae yer CAPS LOCK key? Hae ye worn it oot?” Jun 20, 20:29
    • Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “You could start talking in Scots. Where are you with learning your 500 words? Into double figures yet? Ah hae…” Jun 20, 20:22
    • twathater on Holiday Relief: “Tell the truth bastard tax you didn’t read it you got your nurse to read it and explain the words…” Jun 20, 20:12
    • sarah on Holiday Relief: “Result in the Cromarty Firth by-election [Highland Council]: Stage 1: Conservatives 48, Labour 77, Alba 91, Greens 92, LibDems 290,…” Jun 20, 20:07
    • Confused on Holiday Relief: “worse than a shooting range at a carny no exit poll = rigged. Exit polls are the early warning system…” Jun 20, 19:14
    • Confused on Holiday Relief: “– just a thought : is “being English” considered a disability? (- an “antisocial personality disorder”? Or a “narcissistic psychosis”?)…” Jun 20, 18:53
    • Confused on Holiday Relief: “The disabled will be “sorted” when assisted dying comes in. We are all equal in the grave. Equality at the…” Jun 20, 18:37
    • Andy Ellis on Holiday Relief: “The most obvious reasons are known and accepted by all sane folk tho’ James. Primarily, not enough Scots (whether native…” Jun 20, 18:27
    • Dan on Holiday Relief: “@ Aidan If the UK is so great then why does it have to import so much stuff and [eople…” Jun 20, 18:16
    • James Cheyne on Holiday Relief: “Why would any one argue that a law abiding mostly safe country should follow and back slide to other countries…” Jun 20, 17:35
    • Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: ““Although where there is a will, there is a way” Naw. That’s gullibility reinforced by the lucky accident of having…” Jun 20, 17:11
    • James Cheyne on Holiday Relief: “Breastplate, Aye At what point does a censorship country make a regime change to a dictatorship country. Although where there…” Jun 20, 16:15
    • Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “Somebody had better check the small print. It could well be that at ScotGov, a “disabled” person is somebody trapped…” Jun 20, 15:40
    • Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “Sure, Bip. If only we had more cheerleading for poot and more bigging up of the lassie torturing tunnel skulkers…” Jun 20, 15:36
    • agent x on Holiday Relief: ““THE Scottish Government has launched a “milestone” report which aims to put disabled people’s experiences and concerns at the centre…” Jun 20, 14:00
    • George Ferguson on Holiday Relief: “@Alf Baird 10:03am The purpose of being an Independent Candidate is surely that you don’t have a party or organisation…” Jun 20, 13:40
    • James on Holiday Relief: “Alongside a toon cooncil franchise and 24/7 interference by a foreign media system….” Jun 20, 13:38
    • Breastplate on Holiday Relief: “There’s a sign that hangs on the wall of the retirement home in The Simpsons. It says “Thank you for…” Jun 20, 13:13
    • lothianlad on Holiday Relief: “The 2014 referendunm was rigged.” Jun 20, 12:17
    • James Cheyne on Holiday Relief: “There were many reasons why the Scottish referendum did not work out for the scottish people in that year, some…” Jun 20, 11:54
    • James Cheyne on Holiday Relief: “I hope you can fit the story line together, it had to be done this way, because it kept getting…” Jun 20, 11:48
    • James Cheyne on Holiday Relief: “Mr johnstone admmited that their friends had interfered in stuff they had no business being connected too back in 2014…” Jun 20, 11:42

  • A tall tale



↑ Top