The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Author Archive


The Ballad Of Naughty Jim 37

Posted on October 20, 2013 by

(with apologies to the author of The Ballad of Sir Patrick Spens, and with thanks to Johann Lamont for the virus)  

naughtie1

Read the rest of this entry →

Reinventing the right 102

Posted on October 20, 2013 by

In the 1979 general election, the Scottish Conservatives received 916,000 votes. In 1984, only a few years later, the US historian Barbara Tuchman wrote The March of Folly which explored the bizarre fact that governments sometimes act directly against their own interest, and lose the American colonies or the Vietnam war as a result.

vietnam

She identifies the chief folly as ‘wooden-headedness’ – sticking blindly to a policy despite all evidence that it is failing. Since 1976, the Scottish Tories have been doing just that. Too stupid to realise that they had to act differently or suffer for it. Too poor in imagination to reach for alternatives. And rapidly becoming too wee to be relevant.

Read the rest of this entry →

The long way around 175

Posted on October 03, 2013 by

My journey to Yes is probably a rather unconventional one. I’m from an establishment background: military family, English public school, Oxford. I’ve spent a lot of my life abroad and in England. My ancestors came from Hungary in the train of Saint Margaret of Scotland, who fled here from the Norman invasion and married Malcolm Canmore to become Queen Consort, way back.

queenmargaret

When they weren’t involved in Scotland, my family were mercenary soldiers all over Europe, as were so many others. I tracked down a pair of boots in the Schottenstift in Vienna which one of my forebears left in exchange for masses to be said for his soul.

Another was granted lands and a castle in what is now Moravia, and when I visited, before the Iron Curtain was raised, there was a notice saying that he had oppressed the peasants mightily. Maybe that was just Communist propaganda. Maybe not.

Read the rest of this entry →

  • About

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

    Stats: 6,761 Posts, 1,218,139 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Peter McAvoy on The shifting sands of memory: “As I have mentioned on previous comments to articles on Wings Why do the SNP and other independence supporting parties…May 21, 14:47
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The shifting sands of memory: “Scottish Sovereignty Research Group Conference (17 May 2025) KEYNOTE SPEECH BY PROFESSOR ROBERT BLACK KC Starts at 1.46.35 into youtube…May 21, 14:30
    • Skip_NC on The shifting sands of memory: “Can you extrapolate a Scottish sub-sample of Westminster voting intentions to Holyrood with any accuracy? Voters (well some at any…May 21, 14:30
    • Peter McAvoy on Just a couple more shots: “While watching the tv baftas,I wondered if someone would make a drama about For Women Scotland and their long and…May 21, 14:24
    • Effijy on The shifting sands of memory: “House Boy Kerr sits happily on the gravy train and no second class colony is going to take it away.…May 21, 14:13
    • PhilM on The shifting sands of memory: “Re: the inevitable comments of people unqualified to discuss the history of international law or the constitutional history of the…May 21, 13:59
    • Vivian O’Blivion on The shifting sands of memory: “Extremely rare for the SNP to hit 2%, four times in a row on UK wide, Westminster voting intention polls.…May 21, 13:53
    • Mark Beggan on The shifting sands of memory: “Better Together ?May 21, 13:45
    • aLurker on The shifting sands of memory: “CJ that link is broken. 🙁 So use this one instead: “The UK – A Voluntary Union or Capture by…May 21, 13:20
    • Ian McCubbin on The shifting sands of memory: “Well it just clarifies to us all that Scotland is a colony . Thus seeking independence has clearer reasons to…May 21, 13:19
    • 100%Yes on The shifting sands of memory: “What ever happened to the new site layout, I preferred it.May 21, 13:17
    • Young Lochinvar on The shifting sands of memory: ““We have catched Scotland and will hold her close” The Speaker at Westminster 1707 following the Treaty. Says it all…May 21, 13:17
    • 100%Yes on The shifting sands of memory: “I believe whats upset Mr Kerr is the fact he’s been running about like a tit all his life shouting…May 21, 13:12
    • Jennifer Livingston on The shifting sands of memory: “Robert the Bruce has made it clear by being accused of being a leper that he plans on being resurrected…May 21, 13:07
    • Aidan on The shifting sands of memory: “I’m not aware that anyone has ever said that ‘Scotland is a partner in the Union’ as a legal position,…May 21, 13:06
    • Robert Hughes on The shifting sands of memory: “One irony being the current SNP have studiously avoided referring to anything related to the * Union * , eg…May 21, 13:05
    • caltonjock on The shifting sands of memory: “https://caltonjock.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=27761&action=editMay 21, 12:54
    • BLMac on The shifting sands of memory: “If Scotland has been “absorbed” into England, why isn’t it called England? Or how about “North Britain”? – They tried…May 21, 12:48
    • Tormod on The shifting sands of memory: “Well, tories (of whatever complaexion) are going to tory.May 21, 12:36
    • aLurker on The Ace Attorney: “Mia 20 May, 2025 at 9:41 pm >I do not know if they were nutters or not. What I do…May 21, 12:35
    • Mark Beggan on Just a couple more shots: “Exactly Lorn. How did we survive in the past, how did we ever manage to survive. I agree with whoever…May 21, 12:34
    • Hatey McHateface on Just a couple more shots: “I know what you mean, but if you take a look at the manboobs on some of those lardy trans…May 21, 12:31
    • aLurker on The Ace Attorney: “@Captain Caveman Every day is a learning opportunity eh? It is indeed a well known political saying. Often attributed to…May 21, 12:24
    • Hatey McHateface on The Ace Attorney: ““religious differences, none of which matter today” If only that was true. I’ve been slow to pick up on this,…May 21, 12:22
    • Northcode on Just a couple more shots: “James Cheyne I thank you, too, for the sentiment. Of course, you couldn’t have missed my comments if you weren’t…May 21, 11:37
    • James Cheyne on Just a couple more shots: “And going for a mammogram. OuchMay 21, 11:09
    • James Cheyne on Just a couple more shots: “Northcode, I refrained from metioning that you were missed due to myself also not being present here, It appears that…May 21, 11:03
    • James Cheyne on Just a couple more shots: “Control the people with contrary confusing objectional laws of ideology, make the people suffer, make them poorer, remove their income,…May 21, 10:58
    • Jim Thomson on Just a couple more shots: “There was some talk about the 2021 census being the final one since there is already a huge amount of…May 21, 10:54
    • Jim Thomson on Just a couple more shots: “Never a truer word.May 21, 10:48
  • A tall tale



↑ Top