The Scottish Government have just launched yet another nanny-state “healthy eating” intervention, and to be honest, readers, the cheap-shot open goals just queued up.
Our first instinct was to do a simple picture gallery of some of the insatiable pie-hounds squeezing their expenses-fed backsides onto the groaning, creaking benches and chairs of the Holyrood and Westminster parliaments, such as Kirsten “Elbows” Oswald (pictured above, slumped back under the sheer weight of her neck) – so known to other MPs because you get between her and a buffet at grave peril to your ribcage.
(And no, we’re not telling you which ones told us that.)
We’re reluctant to even mention the farcical, embarrassing goings-on in the House Of Commons last night, but the very short version is that the SNP somehow contrived to save Keir Starmer from an embarrassing mass rebellion of Labour MPs.
And in so far as anyone cared about them at all, the people of Gaza were the losers.
If there’s ever been a (branch office of a) political party that could somehow manage to blow it in Scotland against the burning trainwreck in a ditch full of sewage that is the SNP right now, it’s definitely Anas Sarwar’s hapless Scottish Labour.
Honestly, this stuff is comedy gold. But in a winner-takes-all dumb-off with Humza Yousaf’s SNP, it’s way too close to call.
As Twitter followers will have noticed, we’ve been busy this week with an extensive remodelling of Wings HQ, which involved the main computer being out of commission for several days while the office was basically torn down and rebuilt from scratch. (It seemed a good time to do it, given that there’s nothing remotely of interest happening in Scottish politics.)
Unfortunately the lack of activity on the site caused the comments on the last post to degenerate into the most wretched playground shrieking match, so let’s see if we can’t distract the children and talk about something else for a bit.
Particularly alert observers will have noted that Kezia Dugdale, the most spectacularly inept and unsuccessful Scottish political leader in history, this week demitted her role as Director of the John Smith Centre, which she was handed as an incentive to quit Scottish Labour after dragging it to 14% in the opinion polls.
We make no apology for returning once again to the depressing subject of the Scottish Government’s proposed new law to ban “conversion practices”, because it provides such an illuminating microcosm of how far a once competent and widely-respected administration has fallen since 2015.
Emma Roddick, who is piloting the bill towards the statute books in much the same way that Mohamed Atta piloted American Airlines Flight 11 towards the World Trade Centre, is a 26-year-old who by her own admission suffers from a serious and debilitating mental illness that any sane country would regard as an insurmountable bar to political office.
To the surprise of most of those watching, including ourselves, the Court Of Session delivered its judgement immediately at the end of today’s hearing, after only the most cursory of conflabs between the three august panel members.
The short version is that the Scottish Government lost, and must now comply with Wings reader Benjamin Harrop‘s FOI request regarding evidence that was supplied to independent adviser James Hamilton during his inquiry into the unlawful investigation of false allegations against Alex Salmond.
James Cheyne on The Gulf War: “If your going to vote, do the Cross in box yourself, demand the votes are counted where they are and…” Jan 1, 12:03
Vivian O’Blivion on The Gulf War: “Continental Drift will separate Scotland fae England, before the SNP does.” Jan 1, 11:57
James Cheyne on The Gulf War: “The SNP do not represent Scotland any more than Nigal Farage does. Both just turn their jackets inside out depending…” Jan 1, 11:35
James Cheyne on The Gulf War: “A happy new year to everyone, The bond between party and goal is broken.. Or The bond between politician and…” Jan 1, 11:20
Morag on The Gulf War: “I remember back in about 1994 there was a similar gulf between support for independence (one poll had it at…” Jan 1, 11:19
David Holden on The Gulf War: “Happy New Year to you all from a pile of rocks off the West coast of the colony also known…” Jan 1, 11:17
100%Yes on The Gulf War: “The SNP has shown to the voters that they aren’t any good in government, they have no ideas and out…” Jan 1, 11:15
Stuart MacKay on The Gulf War: “How big does that margin need to be before it attracts someone to fill that vacuum? And who would it…” Jan 1, 11:13
robertkknight on The Gulf War: “A guid New Year tae ane an aa / Bliadhna Mhath Ùr / Happy New Year Indy for Scotland! SNP…” Jan 1, 10:30
GM on The Fear Of The Briar: “All Alan’s contempt is aimed at Scotland, England or what he calls ‘GB & NI’ gets a pass presumably because…” Jan 1, 10:29
Ronnie on The Gulf War: “Happy New Year tae all. Surely even the most ardent SNP supporter must recognise that Swinney has tae go?” Jan 1, 10:17
Andy Ellis on The Gulf War: “Excellent analysis as always. A wee typographical lapse in No. 8 perhaps….. “even though their own support has only barely…” Jan 1, 09:50
Tinto Chiel on Off-topic: “And all the best in 2026 for you and the fambly, Ian. Steak Pie Day today and Mrs Chiel’s tiramisu:…” Jan 1, 09:43
duncanio on The Gulf War: “Great analysis, Rev. “The bond between party and goal is broken” is truly a reflection of the association between the…” Jan 1, 09:33
Marie on The Gulf War: “SNP? Not for me. (From a YES voter). Happy New Year.” Jan 1, 09:23
robertkknight on The Fear Of The Briar: “The National? Is that still in print? Who buys that pi$h FFS? And a guid New Year tae ane an…” Jan 1, 02:33
Rob on The Fear Of The Briar: “When has Scotland given mandate after mandate for independence? There was one referendum and it was naw. Voting for the…” Jan 1, 02:13
Al-Stuart on The Fear Of The Briar: “. Oh Stuart Campbell, I just love the forensic analysis and fact-rich way in which you write. Your logic unassailable.…” Jan 1, 00:23
Ian Brotherhood on Off-topic: “Good to see a wee flurry in this place! Just a few minutes to go and those big bad bells…” Dec 31, 23:55
DaveL on The Fear Of The Briar: “@ Alan Scott. You’re living in southern England so which set of muppets do you mean when you say ‘our…” Dec 31, 23:39
Alf Baird on The Fear Of The Briar: “There is no ‘United Kingdom’, its a myth. Scotland was annexed by England and the English crown rebranded as ‘UK’.” Dec 31, 23:37
Northcode on The Fear Of The Briar: “One last dig at the SNP before the bells ring in the new year. The desire of the Scots for…” Dec 31, 23:32
Tinto Chiel on Off-topic: ““My husband is the only other person who talks of those wooden stairs to Bedfordshire!” Age-related I suspect, like Lobey…” Dec 31, 23:14
Alan Scott on The Fear Of The Briar: “Can you explain why leaving the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will improve the calibre of our…” Dec 31, 22:57
sarah on The Fear Of The Briar: “Hi, aLurker: the Inverness event on 7th February is a possibility for me. Though as you suspect, I’m no Spring…” Dec 31, 22:48
sarah on Off-topic: “My husband is the only other person who talks of those wooden stairs to Bedfordshire! We too will be wending…” Dec 31, 22:34
sarah on The Fear Of The Briar: “You’d put off restoring Scotland as a country just because of the current batch of MSPs? You’ll never get a…” Dec 31, 22:29
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Curious Fringes: “‘ST PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE’ (The prayer as recorded is dated on linguistic grounds to the early 8th century.) « Crist lim.…” Dec 31, 22:23
Tinto Chiel on Off-topic: “@Sarah: something else for your Hogmanay hootenanny and to prove Julie Fowlis is trilingual: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu_3-VDi7wY Going up wood hill to…” Dec 31, 22:15
