The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Archive for the ‘comment’


The best-laid plans 195

Posted on December 07, 2014 by

Social media has been alive in recent days with No voters concocting a fiendish plan to vote tactically against the SNP at next year’s general election. Labour supporters are urging people to vote Conservative rather than let the SNP take any new seats which might be used to secure a better devolution settlement for Scotland.

bestlaid1

We’re not sure the Nats have too much to worry about.

Read the rest of this entry →

MP For Vendetta 205

Posted on December 07, 2014 by

We’ve noted on a number of occasions that the BBC is fond of using the late-night papers review show on the News channel as a sneaky little Nat-bashing section in which London-based broadsheet journalists (always, always Unionists) get to display the full depth of their arrogant cluelessness about Scottish politics.

Last night’s, however, was quite something even by the usual standards.

Read the rest of this entry →

The definition of redundancy 236

Posted on December 06, 2014 by

Ladies and gentlemen, it gives us great pleasure today to present to you the most unnecessary words ever printed in the history of Scottish political journalism.

“Even Nicola Sturgeon agrees that Scots should vote Labour to make sure David Cameron’s Conservatives do not win the 2015 General Election, Margaret Curran will say today.

The Shadow Scottish Secretary will make the claim in a speech to a Labour summit in Perth when she is also due to attack the SNP.”

On current polling, it won’t be long before Ms Curran emulates her script.

The future, coming soon 150

Posted on December 05, 2014 by

From a YouGov poll of young (18-24) voters today:

yg1824

Now that’s quite the thing.

Read the rest of this entry →

One more twist of the corkscrew 96

Posted on December 05, 2014 by

The Herald, 1 June 2014:

“[A] YouGov poll compiled by Better Together suggests most Scots want to share pensions and benefits across the UK. Labour released the findings ahead of the launch of its referendum campaign, due to take place at a rally in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Scottish leader Johann Lamont will be joined by former prime minister Gordon Brown at the event. 

Ms Lamont said: ‘According to this Better Together polling, most Scots understand that our pensions and benefits are better being backed across the United Kingdom, spread across 60 million people rather than six million.'”

We’ll let Johann’s rather shaky grasp of the UK and Scottish population sizes slide on this occasion – she taught English, not maths or geography. The important thing is that the No vote in the referendum assured that benefits would remain a central, shared and uniform facet of British life. Right?

Read the rest of this entry →

Not keeping up with the news 156

Posted on December 04, 2014 by

A real letter sent out by the shadow Secretary of State for Scotland this week.

magritblah

Someone do us a favour and explain to her in language she’ll understand that as the Scottish Parliament isn’t trusted by her Westminster pals to control its own resources, the price of oil doesn’t actually impact on “the SNP’s economic plan” in any way whatsoever, would you? We’re not very good with crayons.

A lucky escape 104

Posted on December 04, 2014 by

Phew, eh?

espensions

(April 2014 on the left, December 2014 on the right.)

Votes of confidence 297

Posted on December 03, 2014 by

Alert readers will already be aware that we’re not the biggest fans of prospective Scottish Labour deputy “leader” Kezia Dugdale. Even this site, however, doesn’t think the Lothian list MSP is so inept and slow-witted that she could single-handedly be held responsible for the party losing the next two general elections.

katyclarkletter

Some of her comrades, however, have less faith.

Read the rest of this entry →

The lie and the truth 72

Posted on December 03, 2014 by

The Daily Record, 27 November 2014:

budget2x

So, IS the Scottish Government budget going to “nearly double”?

Read the rest of this entry →

Souls in the system 109

Posted on December 03, 2014 by

We’ve been watching in some bafflement the continuation of this bizarre non-story from yesterday. (For which, incidentally, the P&J has published a correction today.)

wingssquad

As one in five Scottish children live in poverty and temperatures fall at the beginning of winter with many families facing the choice between heating their homes or buying food, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie apparently arrived at the conclusion that the most important thing he could be doing with his taxpayer-funded time was occupying the Scottish Parliament with a demand to know (for no immediately apparent reason) how often civil servants had accessed Wings Over Scotland in the six months leading up to the referendum.

Read the rest of this entry →

A less permanent permanence 69

Posted on December 03, 2014 by

“We are agreed that the Scottish Parliament is permanent”:

vowperm

Read the rest of this entry →

World speed-reading record broken again 205

Posted on December 02, 2014 by

We didn’t think we’d ever encounter a greater feat of rapid comprehension than Alistair Darling digesting and analysing the entire 670-page White Paper on independence in under two hours back in 2013, readers. But we’re delighted to reveal a new champion.

Read the rest of this entry →

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,991 Posts, 1,253,522 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Confused on Vibecoding A Better World: “it always baffles me that the maddest of the mad yoons are batshit zio nutters as well https://archive.ph/v1Zno – lest…” Nov 6, 22:00
    • Confused on Vibecoding A Better World: “laffing at you www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7CkA0H75oo www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVICfWS-d5M – not with you fast track this lad for the GDP growth and theconomy https://x.com/RMXnews/status/2118617949325906250…” Nov 6, 21:59
    • Confused on Vibecoding A Better World: “this is fucking mental – skip to 1 minute 20 seconds www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJgkEHzkLck – but I prefer the brahan seer myself…” Nov 6, 21:59
    • Confused on Vibecoding A Better World: “evenin’ all (busy week), some random morsels for all the good people and fuck these yoon arseholes who keep stodging…” Nov 6, 21:58
    • 100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “I wished Rev would get rid of this annoying idiot and barr him. People come on here to have a…” Nov 6, 21:10
    • 100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “Independence is the only hope to remove the colonial constraints. Scotland is house bond by house Westminster. With Independence and…” Nov 6, 21:02
    • Connie Davidson on Vibecoding A Better World: “Aye you, Hatey. There’s quite a few insults I could launch at you ‘n’ a’, but nae need. You show…” Nov 6, 20:20
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Vibecoding A Better World: “‘The Debate: What’s the best route to Scottish independence?’ (5 Nov 2026) « Robin McAlpine of Common Weal and Professor…” Nov 6, 20:03
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “How odd, Spartan! Your posts get longer and longer as you care less and less.” Nov 6, 18:37
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““think outside the box constructed for us” As I recall, constructed by no less a personage than the late, great…” Nov 6, 18:31
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Michty! Friday comes aroond quick. James hame all alane again. Hope yer maw’s left ye a puckle o’ denners in…” Nov 6, 18:04
    • Aidan on Vibecoding A Better World: “Thanks James – really interesting comment.” Nov 6, 17:52
    • Connie Davidson on Vibecoding A Better World: “I watched the debate on the National You Tube channel between Alf Baird and Robin MacAlpine and I was enraged…” Nov 6, 17:33
    • James on Vibecoding A Better World: “But Adrian, as anyone above the age of 6 reading ony of your posts can tell – you lack ony…” Nov 6, 15:40
    • James on Vibecoding A Better World: ““Prick”.” Nov 6, 15:37
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Well Sam, we can look at several factors. The insistence on alignment with the myriad of EU rules, despite being…” Nov 6, 14:41
    • MaryB on Vibecoding A Better World: “Robin is behaving according to Alf’s thesis, as part of the middle class political class who, like the SNP, are…” Nov 6, 14:34
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Ah, so you’re retired then. Or semi? That explains the amount of time you waste on here and why you’re…” Nov 6, 14:24
    • James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “Agentx, May I refer you to The Law Society of Scotland of ratification of the 1707 treaty of union being…” Nov 6, 14:03
    • 100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “I’ve said for a long time that their are individuals within the YES/Independence movement more interested in Money than the…” Nov 6, 13:47
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““he’s not daft” Crivens! Where could this possibly lead us if we but had the courage to follow? “it doesn’t…” Nov 6, 13:02
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Very wise, MH. Too much risk of encountering a muckle, bearded loon self-identifying as a spoon. I’d be a bit…” Nov 6, 12:49
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Cheers Spartan. My lowly spirits are always uplifted when somebody as important and busy as you takes time out of…” Nov 6, 12:40
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “So true, Mary. Robin needs to extend the olive branch to Lavrov. Maybe praise him as a peacemaker? Perhaps that…” Nov 6, 12:32
    • sarah on Vibecoding A Better World: “Thanks for the heads-up, MaryB. Robin’s attitude is inexplicable – he’s not daft and he is pro-independence so why criticise…” Nov 6, 12:25
    • Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: “Indeed, Spartan, we are agreed once again. Like you no doubt, if there’s one thing I cannot stand, it is…” Nov 6, 11:40
    • MaryB on Vibecoding A Better World: “Now on Salvo and Liberation Scotland Facebook.” Nov 6, 11:37
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Don’t forget Stormont, which has the full 5 Bananas rating on the Banana Republic scale. While we’re at it, the…” Nov 6, 11:26
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Agreed CC. The Dutch model is the most workable and with the best outcomes. The US is great if you…” Nov 6, 11:23
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “No Hatey, I’m not in a strop thanks. Much more important things to worry about than what some random on…” Nov 6, 11:18
  • A tall tale



↑ Top