A few weeks ago when we said Wings was going to take a break for a bit, we also said “There may be posts now and then if something particularly significant happens”. Well, this week something particularly significant happened.
It was a development that we’d been predicting ever since Boris Johnson became UK Prime Minister, but it’s no less important for that. And it’s not an exaggeration to say that it could be the deciding factor in whether Scotland becomes independent.
Well, at least they gave it serious and respectful consideration first.
Be fair, that’s almost two whole hours before being told to sod off and eat our cereal. If that’s not one partner in a union showing the other respect, we don’t know what is.
We had a brief but semi-enlightening debate on Twitter with some daft young idiot from Scottish Labour this morning, which culminated in his desperately clutching at votes for the Tories and Lib Dems last month as somehow representing a victory for Labour.
Readers can pass an idle moment by identifying all the obvious logical flaws in that tweet for themselves, but it did lead us to a striking realisation, which we instinctively knew was true but still had to double-check because it seems so ridiculous.
So we’ve got a couple of weeks to wait to find out what the SNP’s grand plan that they should have had ready yesterday was, and in the absence of anything better to do we suppose we might as well speculate on the possibilities.
WARNING: if you’re one of the decreasing rump of ultra-faithful still clinging to the idea of a new indyref in 2020, don’t build your hopes up.
So it’s finally official: Boris Says No. He’s formally done the thing that we’ve all known he was going to do ever since he became UK Prime Minister last July.
So what’s the stunning, game-changing counter-response we’ve got for him, having known for six months that this was what he’d say and had all that time to prepare for it? What’s the stroke of strategic genius that all those SNP loyalists insisted we had up our sleeve and just weren’t revealing until the key moment?
“We’re going to wait for however long it takes for the Westminster establishment to accept that another referendum is inevitable.”
Brilliant. What a plan. To the barricades, everyone.
Anyone who’s followed the UK political media over the last decade or so with specific reference to Scotland will know that in a very crowded field, the standout poster boy for arrogant, condescending metropolitan cluelessness is the Independent’s chief political commentator John Rentoul.
For reasons which escape us, Rentoul – who was born in India and as far as we know has spent not a single day of his life resident in Scotland – identifies as Scottish. And yet he doesn’t appear to even recognise the concept of Scotland as a political entity, and today he demonstrated that fact in a manner so stark and striking that it’s worth recording for posterity.
Captain Caveman on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Stinking of piss eh? Hardly. Louis Vuitton Imagination, actually. 🙂 Still, that’ll be you projecting again – probably literally. Hapless…” Aug 20, 16:40
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Not when I’m self-identifying. Which is, after all, my right as a Sovereign Scot.” Aug 20, 16:36
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Man! Independence is so close I can taste it! Any. Day. Now. Beats me how any cant could be bothered…” Aug 20, 16:33
sarah on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Rev, is there any news on Mark Hirst’s fundraiser? He was only needing £5000 so I hope that was quickly…” Aug 20, 16:21
Confused on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “speak for yourself; fair play if a man of your age can still raise the sail and you do stink…” Aug 20, 16:10
Captain Caveman on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Oh do shut up, you utter twat. Get back to sniffing the solvents and your “WFH”. (We all know what…” Aug 20, 16:00
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““prevented the teaching of Gaelic with punitive steps” “This repression of Gaelic culture suggests a colonial mindset” You don’t say!…” Aug 20, 15:45
Confused on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “3 emojis – so you did enlist the 5 year old after all tell her to be a good girl…” Aug 20, 15:42
Mark Beggan on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “It is essential that the candidate believes in non-binary fairies, and that stealing is just another word for appropriation, They…” Aug 20, 15:41
Insider on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Indeed, Young Lochinvar! I asked Mr Google a few weeks ago what the current circulation of “The National” is. It…” Aug 20, 15:32
agentx on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““20th August 2026 Precautionary movement restrictions have been put in place after a case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly…” Aug 20, 15:31
sam on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Aidan, To get a comprehensive answer you would really need to read all of the man posts the former Treasury…” Aug 20, 15:29
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““One Kingdom by the Name of Great Britain” Amazing! A kingdom must, of course, have a king. And we have.…” Aug 20, 15:26
Captain Caveman on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Yeah of course you do, and of course you are pal. That deserves THREE emojis, here you go! 😀 :D…” Aug 20, 15:24
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “You forgot “Taking bribes from MI5 to censor discussion of Scotland’s colonial status”. That’s assuming the successful applicant won’t have…” Aug 20, 15:18
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Fa’s James aboot the day? We need his contribution tae improve the quality o’ BTL debate. Ah cannae dae it…” Aug 20, 15:12
factchecker on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “NC says “However, it could be argued, colonialism set aside, that Scotland is a founding partner – equal in standing…” Aug 20, 15:12
Confused on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “caveman – you just posted an emoji (as did main) – 2 of them, since neither of you are 12…” Aug 20, 15:12
Confused on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “english bluetongue has appeared in Scotland – been on the BTL for a long time; and the mad cow disease…” Aug 20, 15:07
Young Lochinvar on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““Fast growing pool of subscribers” Hmmm. Figures to support that claim? I see their printed output doesn’t even merit a…” Aug 20, 15:04
Captain Caveman on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““start on the personal abuse then BOO HOO when you can’t take it back” Oh yeah, I’m crying a fucking…” Aug 20, 14:59
Aidan on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Doesn’t advertise a salary, likely because there isn’t one or at least not one that anyone could survive on. Requirements…” Aug 20, 14:56
Confused on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Beggar Boy – if the main-caveman axis represents 2 prime arse cheeks, then you are a mere pustule on them…” Aug 20, 14:46
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “Wheesht, Mark! He has hairline fractures in every finger of his mouse hand.” Aug 20, 14:45
Confused on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “aw main, you and your flower-pot-man buddy start on the personal abuse then BOO HOO when you can’t take it…” Aug 20, 14:43
Hatey McHateface on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““two distinct and incompatible kingdoms, and their different peoples” Of course, you meant to write “two kingdoms and peoples with…” Aug 20, 14:38
agentx on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: ““How to apply to become a journalist for The National Exciting opportunity here: A very rare chance has emerged to…” Aug 20, 14:38
Mark Beggan on The Land Of Do-As-You-Please: “That comment deserves funding from the Jason Arday memorial foundation. Have you considered a professorship?” Aug 20, 14:30
