We’ve been off for a little break in the country, and as far as we can tell we’ve missed absolutely nothing in the moribund world of Scottish politics. We did, however, arrive back just in time for something mildly interesting, or at least revealing.
It’s the latest episode of a new podcast by veteran Scottish political journalist and broadcaster Bernard Ponsonby and jobbing opinion columnist Alex Massie, inventively titled The Ponsonby And Massie Podcast.
The first 35 minutes or so weren’t very noteworthy, other than the curious omission – when predicting the makeup of the next Scottish Government – of the idea of a Labour-SNP coalition, which to this site remains by far the most practical and logical outcome of the 2026 Holyrood election.
David Davis may be the last of his kind – a libertarian Tory from a council-scheme and grammar-school background, and also one of the few remaining big beasts occupying the political jungle of the back benches.
(He could in fact have been Tory leader, and would have been if David Cameron and George Osborne hadn’t teamed up to defeat him in 2005 after he won the first ballot.)
So on the rare occasions when he leads a Commons adjournment debate, as he did last Thursday evening, those with an educated eye for politics sit up and take notice.
The 2005 election was the last time the Daily Record and the Scottish Sun both endorsed the same party at a UK general election. So, y’know, something is going on.
Survation released their final projection for the election last night. It’s quite a boring image because they had to make it mostly grey to correctly illustrate the margin of Labour’s lead.
Those ranges are substantial, but even their BEST-case scenario for the Tories is below 100 seats. The WORST-case scenario for Labour – 447 seats – still gives them a majority of 244, which would smash the all-time record of 209 set by the Tories exactly 100 years ago. (The best case is a dizzying 384.)
Scotland is probably the hardest area of the UK to call. In most polls there are only a few points between Labour and the SNP, and depending on how the votes are spread and who’s best at getting their support out either could still win the most seats.
That won’t, of course, make the slightest difference to the governance of the UK for the next five years. Even 57 Scottish MPs out of 57, for any party, would be completely meaningless to a government with a majority of over 200.
But it’ll make a big difference to the independence movement. Because if the SNP manages to hold onto to a significant proportion of its seats, we can all wave goodbye to the slightest chance of progress for another decade on top of the one that’s been wasted since Alex Salmond resigned.
In the modern political world, you don’t get anywhere without a movement, and movements don’t get anywhere without a flag. So we’ve decided it’s time to take action and stand up for a very large group of people who are genuinely discriminated against and significantly disadvantaged in our society.
Here’s their symbol.
Today is July 1st, and we officially, on behalf of all our oppressed kinfolk, declare this to be People Who Aren’t Eligible For A Railcard Pride Month.
There are now just 10 days until the general election. Wings has never told its readers how to vote and we’re not going to start now. Which is lucky, because if we were, we wouldn’t have a clue how to.
Just, y’know, not for any of these wretched, worthless shiters.
Holiday Boy has of course chosen the general election campaign to spend the next three weeks feeding stray cats somewhere sunny, so here’s a cartoon by the brilliant webcomicname that summarises the Baillie Gifford story for anyone joining us late.
January 2018, with no general election due for four and a half years: “I very rarely talk about Scottish independence in the chamber, because I talk about things that matter”
June 2024, with an election in four weeks and a £91,346 salary, expenses and pension at stake: “ROBERT THE BRUCE! BANNOCKBURN! DECLARATION OF ARBROATH! FLOWER OF SCOTLAND! FREEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOMMMM!”
Dan on Looking up at the stars: “Wings killed itself because it continued to allow obvious disruptors to piss pretty much everyone off btl to the point…” Mar 14, 11:54
Northcode on Looking up at the stars: ““…if the metric is posting repetitive unhinged drivel then your team wins…” You are funny, AI Dan… for an artificial…” Mar 14, 11:11
Northcode on Looking up at the stars: “Would you look at that! Naw e’en haufway thru the day and us liberty lovin Scots seekin oor liberty frae…” Mar 14, 10:59
Aidan on Looking up at the stars: “Oh no doubt Northcode, if the metric is posting repetitive unhinged drivel then your team wins the gold! Obviously it’s…” Mar 14, 10:57
diabloandco on Looking up at the stars: “Thanks Turabdin – that’s a brilliant quote.” Mar 14, 09:39
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: ““it’s becoming a bore” Ach, Northy, you’ve brought a fleeting smile to my slow, weekend breakfast. Alert readers can clearly…” Mar 14, 08:54
Northcode on Looking up at the stars: “Maistly a surfeit o humour-free, tantersome, bauch and cat wittit colonist remerks in here yesterdey… which be hou maistlins nane…” Mar 14, 08:27
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “85,000 failed asylum seekers at £10,000 each is still less than £1 billion pounds. Small change for our UK government.…” Mar 14, 07:48
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Great posts, YL. There’s something about 2 AM that just seems to bring out your best. Re your claims. Do…” Mar 14, 07:34
Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: ““it has centuries of experience” 47 years of totalitarian theocracy. The Persians are the only ones who can justly claim…” Mar 14, 05:42
twathater on Looking up at the stars: “I commented recently that I had contacted ALL my MP’s and MSP’s of ALL parties to complain about Shabana Mahmood’s…” Mar 14, 03:39
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “HMcH Oaths? Let’s have a wee look at yours eh? 1. The Cub Scouts: Rule number 3: (That you swear…” Mar 14, 01:57
Cynicus on Looking up at the stars: “Iain More says: 12 March, 2026 at 10:24 pm “So the SNP SG continues to drag its heels over releasing…” Mar 14, 01:33
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “On the subject of pets, Geri, hows the dugs? At weekends, do you usually permit them more freedom? Let them…” Mar 13, 22:37
Geri on Looking up at the stars: “House Jock implies someone who still lives here who suffers an identity crisis. Pet Jock is about right, the token…” Mar 13, 20:41
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Monarchy is the default for humanity, TURABDIN. It’s wired into our DNA, almost certainly because over the long term, it…” Mar 13, 20:31
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Sure, Alf, these arguments go round and round with such depressing regularity that we can now all predict where they…” Mar 13, 20:30
Scot Finlayson on Looking up at the stars: “Lord Byron penned the song, Dark Lochnagar,about his youth in the highlands, Ah ! there my young footsteps in infancy…” Mar 13, 20:30
Alf Baird on Looking up at the stars: ““as if their Scottish Sovereignty is superior to the Scottish Sovereignty of other Scots” You appear to misunderstand the colonial…” Mar 13, 20:00
TURABDIN on Looking up at the stars: “«The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike…” Mar 13, 19:43
100%Yes on Looking up at the stars: “What is there to talk about that hasn’t already been said. Looking at the Rag today I had to look…” Mar 13, 19:20
TURABDIN on Looking up at the stars: “The MASSIVE elephant in the room is the US and its emerging absolutist «monarchy». If the sun sets on the…” Mar 13, 18:52
sarah on Looking up at the stars: “O/T Does anyone know what is happening with the Voices for Independence site? There has been no entry for today…” Mar 13, 18:41
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: ““the case with most of” What’s this, Alf? Are Cesaire’s ideological foundations starting to crumble? That “most” permits some doubt…” Mar 13, 18:09
twathater on Looking up at the stars: “WOW John boy Main is getting more unhinged by the day, he is now telling Geri that her views could…” Mar 13, 17:58
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Drink! Haha, just my wee joke, Alf. Obviously the only option open to us is to buy a copy of…” Mar 13, 17:53
Alf Baird on Looking up at the stars: ““I see a few are waking from the ways that were taught them, will the all wake up or will…” Mar 13, 16:23
Alf Baird on Looking up at the stars: ““pet-Jock moon howlers” Ah, and there’s plenty of them, each following Mannoni’s “dependency complex…that these groups are psychologically made for…” Mar 13, 15:56
sam on Looking up at the stars: “I know, Sven. It is impossible to know anything with certainty about illegal immigration numbers. You can get some idea…” Mar 13, 15:55
