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History and legend 114

Posted on January 04, 2014 by

The Claim Of Scotland chapter 2.

claim2

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Quotes Of The Year 2013: Box Set 48

Posted on January 04, 2014 by

We nearly killed ourselves this week compiling twelve “quotes of the year” articles for December 30 and 31, which required ploughing through over a THOUSAND posts (1,170 to be precise) looking for interesting or amusing word-nuggets. Unfortunately, everyone was on holiday or out having a good time, so hardly anybody read them.

bottlethis

So we’ve put them all together in a single ridiculously huge mega-post to give everyone who only reads the most recent article a chance to catch up. We’re nice that way.

And then on Monday, when we’ve all finally got back to having some sort of vague idea what day of the week it is again, 2014 starts in earnest.

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To our English brother 166

Posted on January 03, 2014 by

We’re enormously grateful to the alert reader who uncovered this little gem. “The Claim Of Scotland” is a book published in 1968 and written by one Herbert James Paton, a philosopher and a senior civil servant at the Admiralty and Foreign Office, who sadly died the following year.

claimofscotland

If you click the image above, you’ll find a scanned PDF of the foreword, contents and first chapter, which at just 14 pages is a modest task of reading. Prepare yourself to marvel at how little times have changed since this pre-North Sea oil age, and to smile ruefully at a few of the sentences you’ll encounter.

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Leading by example 237

Posted on January 03, 2014 by

Awesome start on healing those divisions, Johann.

johannheal

(From today’s Scottish Sun.)

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Brand re-imagining 321

Posted on January 02, 2014 by

Okay, readers, it’s time to speak your brains. We’ve been evolving the synergy of the Wings customer-facing recognition interface in line with the leading edge of the zeitgeist over the years, from our early crude banners through to the current clean and eye-catching style, and it’s time to pick the logo that’ll take us through 2014.

Give us your thoughts, whydoncha?

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The persistence of falsehood 137

Posted on January 02, 2014 by

“Gary Gibbon on Politics”, Channel 4 website, today:

“Peter Kellner of YouGov [..] says Scottish independence would wipe out the chances of majority Labour government for at least a generation and conceivably longer.”

Does he? Is he an idiot or something?

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Our New Year’s Resolution 181

Posted on January 02, 2014 by

Is to mercilessly and with extreme prejudice delete the comments of anyone who doesn’t put the right amount of paragraph breaks in them.

starr

Just sayin’.

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One day in May 122

Posted on January 01, 2014 by

There are now just fewer than nine months to go until the referendum that will decide Scotland’s future. But in those 260 or so days, there will be one that more than any other is likely to shape the outcome, and curiously it’s one in which few people in Scotland will actually be very interested.

eurolections

The last elections to the European Parliament, in 2009, saw a turnout in Scotland of under 29%, below even the dismal UK figure of 34%. We have no reason to believe this year’s will be massively different, at least not on the northern side of the border.

But the election, which takes place (on 22 May) almost exactly halfway between now and the referendum, will have a huge impact on UK politics, and the corresponding knock-on effect could decide which way Scotland swings in September.

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Practice over 98

Posted on January 01, 2014 by

Okay. We’re done warming up.

2013statstotal

Time to go for it properly.

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Something borrowed, something blue 107

Posted on January 01, 2014 by

So here we are, then. 80% of the referendum campaign is over. It’s 2014. The next nine months are when we’ll either win or lose it all. Time to get to work.

caltonsaltire

Happy New Year, readers. In every sense of all of those words.

Quotes Of The Year #12 60

Posted on December 31, 2013 by

Holy hell, we made it! (Via January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November.)

“It is in the UK’s self-interest to portray relations with an independent Scotland on this side of the referendum as highly contentious and difficult but its interests will immediately change on the other side of a referendum if Scotland votes Yes.” – Professor James Mitchell of Edinburgh University casually exposes the massive con-trick that lies at the heart of the entire No campaign.

Let’s hammer a stake through this sucker and go home.

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Quotes Of The Year #11 48

Posted on December 31, 2013 by

We’re so close now, readers. Stick with it. Think of the stories you’ll be able to tell your grandchildren. (Earlier tales: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October.)

Well, we have worked together, absolutely closely and co-operating throughout this process. The, the, the power to impose special measures on the Falkirk Labour Party is taken at the NEC, and I’m part of the UK party, and certainly I’ve been part of that process. – Johann Lamont finds a roundabout way of saying she hasn’t been consulted on Labour’s ongoing car-crash.

johannlamontconf27

An auspicious start to November, for sure.

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    • Geri on Seven Days Too Long: “AI Dan is getting desperate clutching at straws now. He obviously didn’t bother to read Dan’s link where Stu gives…May 5, 00:37
    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I So you are apparently quite happy for us to be sh8gged by one lot but not the other? Kind…May 5, 00:36
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    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “A Civil disobedience I’m afraid is the only answer when the democratic process is so obviously blocked. Whether people have…May 5, 00:17
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    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Agreed Alf. That’s the gut change that’s needed. George, sorry brother but small as it’ll start, or if something else…May 4, 23:50
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    • Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: “That implies there are some 35% of voters with a non Scottish-only identity, which is significant. In addition, as the…May 4, 20:42
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    • Bilbo on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I’ve had the misfortune to have to sit through it many a time on YouTube until I figured out how…May 4, 20:03
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Did you read past the first paragraph? FFS.May 4, 19:55
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Oh do shush.May 4, 19:55
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    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Tory and Reform voters both think that, though.May 4, 19:53
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