The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Author Archive


Unionists are the real narrow nationalists 7

Posted on July 01, 2012 by

*Jonathan Edwards is the Plaid Cymru MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr. This piece first appeared on his own blog, but we asked if we could reprint it to bring some of its excellent insights to a wider audience. (And also to fix the original’s impressively esoteric rendering of “paraphernalia”. We’re real spelling Nazis.)

I’ve been meaning to write this blog ever since Ed Miliband’s car-crash speech on English identity. I have also taken part in a number of BBC interviews over recent months in which it is sometimes difficult to get your point across when you have an interviewer on the other end barking at you as you challenge unionist perceptions. It also supports why Leanne Woods’ intervention this week is an important one.

When the Miliband speech was being pre-briefed I had high hopes that we were about to hear something significant – that Labour were going to proclaim that their answer to the challenge posed by the SNP’s independence drive was a federal settlement for the British state. I expected Labour to position themselves as advocates of an English Parliament as the political expression of English identity. Instead what we got was hot air, followed by one of the most painful interviews I have seen by a Unionist leader on Channel 4 News.

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: 6,718 Posts, 1,214,031 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Tinto Chiel on Off-topic: “Stuart McHardy cuts through the crap re The Jacobites: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx7fJY1hr98 Remember history is usually written by the victors unless the…Mar 13, 21:18
    • Hatey McHateface on The tint of rose: “Boo hoo, Mia gurnin aboot being “forced oot o the EU agin oor will” again. Hindsight is, of course, a…Mar 13, 20:38
    • Mia on The tint of rose: ““I cannot see anything which would suggest that the treaty intended to retain two separate sovereign states with their respective…Mar 13, 19:30
    • Hatey McHateface on Signal and noise: ““she hates the English with a venom” Are you sure? Has she tried to get them jailed on trumped-up sexual…Mar 13, 18:52
    • Hatey McHateface on Signal and noise: “Good point, Lorn. Still, part of living your best trans life requires somebody to take a (hopefully sharp) knife to…Mar 13, 18:47
    • agent x on Signal and noise: ““what are the odds on Sturgeon running for MP in the UK Parliament at the next opportunity?” Zero chance -…Mar 13, 18:31
    • diabloandco on Signal and noise: “Oops! Sorry Rev!Mar 13, 18:10
    • agent x on Signal and noise: “Eric Trump at Bute House with Swinney today.Mar 13, 17:11
    • sarah on Signal and noise: “Nothing is happening politically – not for independence nor as competent government. Holyrood currently is a toxic puddle – gone…Mar 13, 17:00
    • diabloandco on Signal and noise: “He had a more black and white view of diversity.Mar 13, 16:26
    • diabloandco on Signal and noise: “He had a more black and white view of diversity.Mar 13, 16:21
    • Xaracen on The tint of rose: “Aidan said: “in context of over 300 years of union governance, I think we have to see the fundamental principles…Mar 13, 16:12
    • Sven on Signal and noise: “Charles (non R one) My money would still be on her looking for a post with the EU or UN.…Mar 13, 15:55
    • TURABDIN on Signal and noise: “Signals & Noises in a land far, far away….. RWANDA, new «enriched» kid, thanx2UK, on the neo imperalist block… https://archive.is/k4YGa…Mar 13, 15:24
    • John McGregor on Signal and noise: “Ave no priblem way men dressing as womem but as long as they have awe their bits they are MEN…Mar 13, 15:04
    • Charles (not the R one) on Signal and noise: “Don’t forget this – the only reason the SNP is able to behave like this, is because so many Scottish…Mar 13, 14:58
    • willie on Signal and noise: “Why should we worry about the country that Scotland has become. We allowed it to happen. Economic stagnation over the…Mar 13, 13:37
    • Lorn on Signal and noise: “Well, Hatey, you are going to have to explain that one to the four (at the last count) ‘men’ who…Mar 13, 12:54
    • Aidan on Signal and noise: “In another turn of events Sarah is partially right and Stuart is partially wrong. Designation as a non-self governing territory…Mar 13, 12:29
    • Marie on Signal and noise: “I agree but we need to fight for Scotland’s historical legacy as an epicentre of enlightened thinking. Political parties that…Mar 13, 11:13
    • diabloandco on Signal and noise: “I used to be proud of Scotland but now I see it as a land of misogyny, perverted beyond belief…Mar 13, 09:43
    • Dave G on Signal and noise: ““Scotland’s top gender law specialist” as ITV dubs her is actually an English barrister (she has a Scottish father) who…Mar 13, 09:30
    • TURABDIN on Signal and noise: “«all within the law, none outside the law, none against the law» pace Benito MUSSOLINIMar 13, 09:11
    • 100%Yes on The evolution of fairness: “Sara, Your correct the UN Decolonisation of Scotland is a winner for so many reason. Its progress, when all we…Mar 13, 08:59
    • Frank Gillougley on Signal and noise: “Maggie Chapman was born in the wrong body and she is also a time-traveller. She was born as Lavrenty Pavlovich…Mar 13, 07:26
    • Hatey McHateface on Signal and noise: ““Don’t you want an independent Scotland to be the first islamic country in the EU?” I want the Islamic leader…Mar 13, 07:10
    • Yoon Scum on Signal and noise: “We really need a party in Scotland which is 1 :- Actually sane 2:- ignores the indy issue as it…Mar 13, 06:47
    • Yoon Scum on Signal and noise: “Try and get two facts into your teeny weeny head FACT 1 My number 1 priority is to make scotland…Mar 13, 06:44
    • Hatey McHateface on Signal and noise: ““if we fill Scotland with ‘trans’ people, the climate will be saved. The last one was a joke” Zatso? Then…Mar 13, 06:44
    • Yoon Scum on Signal and noise: “You’re sounding like a far right reform voter there Don’t you want an independent Scotland to be the first islamic…Mar 13, 06:28
  • A tall tale



↑ Top