The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Search Results

Interview with Tom Harris MP 7

Posted on December 02, 2011 by

As regular readers will know, as a supporter of independence this blog fervently hopes that Tom Harris wins the contest for the leadership of Scottish Labour. Not only because Comical Tom – a fervent pro-Unionist who has already proclaimed that "I don't want Scotland to run her own affairs" – would be a massive recruiting sergeant for the Yes campaign, but also because he's simply the most entertaining.

It recently dawned on us that by joining Youth Labour for just £1, we could actually help to make such a thing happen by having a vote in the leadership election. We duly filled out the form with some enthusiasm, but were sad to realise that we lived far too far away from any of the hustings to quiz Tom directly. Until, that is, he sportingly hosted a live Q&A session on his website

Read the rest of this entry →

Tom Harris is a liar 14

Posted on November 14, 2011 by

We’re going to come right out and say it. Tom Harris MP will not be the next leader of Scottish Labour. This is because while Scottish Labour might be collectively a bit dim, it’s not THAT dim. Despite having by far the highest media profile of the three leadership candidates (which, in fairness, is clearing a not-very-high bar), Harris failed to secure the support of a single Holyrood MSP for his nomination, a situation that would hopelessly undermine whichever unfortunate lackey was chosen to deliver his attacks on Alex Salmond at First Minister’s Questions.

Opponents of blood sports would shy away from the screen in horror as Labour challenged the FM every week with – at best – a deputy leader acting as a mouthpiece for a Westminster MP. The lack of credibility of an MSP group unable to put forward a single member of sufficient talent to lead would make the party in Scotland a laughing stock, particularly if – as might well happen – the new deputy was a Westminster politician too, such as Ian Davidson or Anas Sarwar.

The SNP, though, will doubtless be hoping against hope that Harris manages to win anyway, because the MP for Glasgow South would represent a massive liability to Labour in many other ways too.

Read the rest of this entry →

Another unfortunate oversight 484

Posted on January 30, 2019 by

Earlier on today we reported on a case of a Scottish Labour MP being inadvertently unacquainted with some quite pertinent facts regarding a public pronouncement they’d made. While we’d assumed this to be an isolated incident, it’s in fact our sad duty to report another example within the Northern Branch Office.

That’s the pro-Brexit former Labour minister Tom Harris, there, making just the sort of statement that this site like to fact-check. So let’s see the most recent data.

Read the rest of this entry →

The Big-Stats Quiz Of The Year 168

Posted on December 27, 2016 by

So called because doing it makes our traffic figures get larger 😉

jimmycarr

Read the rest of this entry →

Powers without pennies 200

Posted on June 23, 2016 by

One of the more intriguing aspects of the EU debate has been the claim made by former Labour minister Tom Harris that a vote to leave the EU would transfer a raft of new powers, including over fishing and farming, to the Scottish government.

(Part of a fairly major volte-face by Harris on who should control what in Scotland, but let’s not get into that right now.)

PICTURE 1 (1)

On the face of it, this is a perfectly feasible possibility, since devolution was set up on a “reserved list” basis – any issues not specifically reserved to Westminster are devolved to the Scottish Parliament. In theory this would indeed mean that powers over farming and fishing would revert to Holyrood automatically upon exit from the EU.

But it’s not quite as simple as that.

Read the rest of this entry →

The empty cupboard 93

Posted on August 16, 2015 by

Here’s former Scottish Labour MP Tom Harris in today’s Sunday Times:

“The toughest job for an opposition leader is to get people’s attention and Kez will make a good job of that. She is different from what you’d normally expect.

But the only thing that would make people give Labour a second glance at the moment is offering something that I am absolutely opposed to, and that is independence. The only way we can attract voters back is by offering them what they want and that is independence.”

Wait, what now?

Read the rest of this entry →

A masterpiece of timing 107

Posted on July 08, 2015 by

Here’s Kezia Dugdale in the Scotsman:

“Too often in the recent past it has looked like we are only on the side of one group of people – the most vulnerable in society.”

Now, to be honest we’re not sure we remember exactly when that was. Was it when Scottish Labour were threatening to slash “something for nothing” public services? Was it when Rachel Reeves said “we are not the party of people on benefits” (which is almost half the country)? Was it when Tom Harris said we weren’t set up as some sort of charity to help the poorest in society”?

keziadugdale6

All we do know is, if we were a prospective Labour leader and we were going to make comments like that at all, we probably wouldn’t choose to do it just hours before a Tory chancellor was going to produce a budget battering living hell out of the most vulnerable in society and throwing 500,000 children in Scotland alone into poverty.

Because, y’know, we might be idiots, but we’re not complete idiots.

The blind eyes 91

Posted on April 23, 2015 by

Earlier today we highlighted some of the social-media charm of Labour blogger and BBC pundit Ian Smart, after the Scottish branch office deputy leader Kezia Dugdale demanded that the First Minister should take a more pro-active role in policing the comments of party members on Twitter and Facebook.

smartbbc

Mr Smart’s history of incredibly abusive and offensive comments stretches back many years. But of course, it wouldn’t be reasonable to berate Scottish Labour for its failure to act if it wasn’t aware of them. So we had a trawl through his Twitter followers list just to see if there was anyone who might have noticed and brought it to the leadership’s attention so they could have a quiet word.

Read the rest of this entry →

A question for the Labour Party 243

Posted on March 17, 2015 by

From a piece on Labour’s welfare shadow Rachel Reeves in today’s Guardian.

scumreeves1

So… who DOES represent those people, then?

Read the rest of this entry →

But seriously 328

Posted on December 13, 2014 by

We suppose we should offer a few thoughts on this, then.

dastardlyandmuttley

And we don’t mean Kezia Dugdale’s freakishly gigantic hands.

Read the rest of this entry →

Leopard’s spots resprayed 165

Posted on November 15, 2014 by

We noted with interest this morning an uncredited story in the Herald, suggesting that Scottish Labour leadership candidate Jim Murphy would stand as an unlikely champion of the poor and downtrodden and the heroic defender of universal benefits.

Murphy rejects Lamont stance on benefit cuts

Jim Murphy has signalled a major shift in Scottish Labour policy if he wins the leadership, saying he would not seek to axe popular benefits and entitlements.”

On investigation, the truth was somewhat at odds with the headline.

Read the rest of this entry →

Friends and comrades 141

Posted on November 03, 2014 by

Just for fun, we thought you might like to see a list of the Scottish Labour MPs, MSPs and MEPs who are eligible to nominate a candidate for the leadership and deputy leadership positions, but have declined to endorse anyone for either.

silentmonkeys

If you wouldn’t, don’t look below, whatever you do.

Read the rest of this entry →

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,790 Posts, 1,222,661 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Hatey McHateface on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “I predict that the only “choice” this new party will offer Scotland is how many P@lestinian sizzlers we will take:…Jul 25, 16:48
    • Chas on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “I was reading your fascinating post. At the start of the second sentence my eyes were getting heavy. At the…Jul 25, 16:43
    • Hatey McHateface on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Did you just assume her pronouns, x?Jul 25, 16:40
    • sarah on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “100%Yes: Of course I would take a Corbyn-allowed vote BUT I’m not yet convinced that he would offer one. AND…Jul 25, 16:35
    • Aidan on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “@Bilbo – so you’re coming on here to announce you’ve been watching loads of porn?Jul 25, 16:30
    • Andy Ellis on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “That presupposes the new party – once it has decided what to call itself which is hardly a great start…Jul 25, 16:27
    • 100%Yes on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Sarah, If Jeremy’s New party offered the Scots a vote for Independence then why wouldn’t anyone who actually wants Independence…Jul 25, 15:53
    • Northcode on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Ideologies are like rubbish theatre of the romantic kind. That’s why Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s formula, ‘the willing suspension of disbelief’,…Jul 25, 15:46
    • Mark Beggan on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Then that John Brown gave Victoria one for Scotland. Before you know it kilts are everywhere and the bloody bagpipes…Jul 25, 15:41
    • James Cheyne on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Mark Beggan, Nice of you to accept that they acted in Colonial behaviour when passing these three Acts in 1715,…Jul 25, 15:23
    • James Cheyne on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “If the Monarch can provide a signed Document from God that he has the divine right to rule, ….. I…Jul 25, 15:11
    • Marie on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Yeah that must be why the World Bagpipe Championships is such a failure and no one bothers attending year on…Jul 25, 15:10
    • Northcode on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Since the colonialists oan here be talkin pish the noo a thocht a wid broach a subject close tae ma…Jul 25, 14:51
    • Mark Beggan on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Banning those bagpipes was an act of kindness by our Colonial masters.Jul 25, 14:38
    • Captain Caveman on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Well yeah, I am “paid” – in stark contrast to you bloody pair, one imagines.Jul 25, 14:35
    • Captain Caveman on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “‘… I suggest you calm down and maybe drink some tea. Then you can bask in the radiant glow of…Jul 25, 14:33
    • Mark Beggan on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “She’s a very famous comedian now.Jul 25, 14:29
    • DaveL on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “You’re right James, you’re right. ‘It doesn’t even matter whether the UN says yes to any of this,…’ but I…Jul 25, 14:28
    • Mark Beggan on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “So what’s the problem. Just type in your age and let Pam and her five sisters do the rest.Jul 25, 14:24
    • Mark Beggan on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Will Mickey Mouse be the First minister?Jul 25, 14:20
    • James Cheyne on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “LORN, DAN, ALF BAIRD. Scotland were daft enough to let Colonialism happen to them. One of the first Colonial Acts…Jul 25, 14:19
    • Aidan on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Turns out I’m wrong, statement has just been posted from the secretariat of the UN General Assembly, the case of…Jul 25, 14:16
    • Rob on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “It doesn’t even matter whether the UN says yes to any of this, assuming they are even interested. At best…Jul 25, 14:11
    • Aidan on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “I knew you’d appear like clockwork to tell us that Elvis is still alive. If anyone in the UN is…Jul 25, 14:10
    • James on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “DaveL; Don’t waste your time on these paid yoon w*nkers.Jul 25, 14:07
    • James on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Look in a mirror…..Jul 25, 13:58
    • Xaracen on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “But, Aidan, the C-24 did no such thing! You’ve been carefully reframing the situation as ‘the C-24 committee rejected the…Jul 25, 13:52
    • DaveL on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Oh my! Listen to you. You are upset. And now you say I have a problem. Well no I don’t…Jul 25, 13:51
    • Bilbo on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Before the establishment gunned for Corbyn, he was making an absolute mess as leader of the Labour party by either…Jul 25, 13:36
    • Bilbo on Everybody’s Normal Nowadays: “Today sees legislation enforced that forces individuals to provide age verification in order to access p0rn sites. A quick internet…Jul 25, 13:33
  • A tall tale



↑ Top