The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Archive for the ‘uk politics’


Handed back on a plate 288

Posted on September 11, 2014 by

From a press conference a few minutes ago:

We must admit, this is our favoured mode for the First Minister.

Spelling it out 77

Posted on September 11, 2014 by

Yesterday the three UK party leaders all came to Scotland to “campaign”. None of them would appear in public or be interviewed on TV, speaking only to small crowds of invited supporters before scurrying south again. Nevertheless, their fleeting presence north of the border meant that the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions was conducted by substitutes. Standing in for David Cameron was William Hague.

So that’s all a bit clearer now.

Read the rest of this entry →

Politics is satire plus time 509

Posted on September 10, 2014 by

Here’s an image we made back in October 2012:

edunity

It’s based on a graphic from the movie version of “V For Vendetta”.

Read the rest of this entry →

Spoiled for choice 133

Posted on September 10, 2014 by

George Monbiot in the Guardian, 10 September 2014:

“If Scotland becomes independent, it will be despite the efforts of almost the entire UK establishment. It will be because social media has defeated the corporate media. It will be a victory for citizens over the Westminster machine, for shoes over helicopters.

It will show that a sufficiently inspiring idea can cut through bribes and blackmail, through threats and fear-mongering. That hope, marginalised at first, can spread across a nation, defying all attempts to suppress it. That you can be hated by the Daily Mail and still have a chance of winning.”

We could have picked almost any paragraph. A tour de force.

A case apart 569

Posted on September 09, 2014 by

We’ve long argued that whatever the small print, when it comes to an independent Scotland’s membership of the European Union common sense and realpolitik will prevail, because nobody wants Scotland to be out of the EU for even a day and it’s in nobody’s interests for it to be.

Of course, we’re just some idiots with a website and nobody should listen to OUR opinion about anything. But it seems as though people like Graham Avery (Honorary Director-General of the European Commission), Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, (the former Deputy Secretary-General of the UN) and Sionaidh Douglas-Scott, (author of a book on EU constitutional law and professor of European law and human rights at Oxford University) ought to have a pretty good inside track on Europe stuff.

And if all those still aren’t enough, how about the esteemed Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament? He ought to know what he’s talking about, right?

A time to choose 76

Posted on September 09, 2014 by

Between this, and this.

Hard medicine 183

Posted on September 08, 2014 by

First Owen Jones’ stinging rebuff to the odious fauxcialist John McTernan, now this:

weedougieslap

As another famous Unionist might say: Oooft!

Finding sense to make it work 205

Posted on September 08, 2014 by

The alert readers of this site have encountered currency trader Alpesh Patel of equity company Praefinium Partners before. We were more than a little bit scathing about a previous appearance of his on the BBC News channel back in February, on which it seems fair to say that he nailed his Unionist colours very firmly indeed to the mast.

So this clip from the same channel this morning was interesting.

We don’t think his words need any comment from us, save perhaps that we commend Mr Patel for having learned from his previous errors when it comes to assessing the attitude of businesses to the prospect of Scottish independence. Anyone can make a mistake. The key is to not keep repeating it when the evidence proves you wrong.

A theme develops 238

Posted on September 07, 2014 by

Save it from what, exactly? Democracy?

theme

(More here.)

The great surrender 70

Posted on September 07, 2014 by

Owen Jones in the Guardian, 7 September 2014:

“New Labour’s surrender to the underlying assumptions of the Thatcherite crusade gave the independence movement its greatest opportunity. Yes, the Blairites could not entirely purge Labour’s traditions, and so the minimum wage was introduced (albeit at too low a level), poverty was reduced and public services were invested in.

Yet they illegally invaded Iraq with Conservative support, killing hundreds of thousands of civilians and 179 British military personnel before handing much of the country over to fanatics. They punished aspiration by introducing tuition fees, saddled public services with long-term debt through the colossal rip-off of PFI, and began privatising our NHS – laying the foundations for some of the pernicious policies of this coalition as they did so.

They allowed the living standards of millions of working people to begin falling years before the crash, even as the coffers of corporate Britain prospered like never before. They failed to solve an ever-worsening housing crisis, leaving 5 million languishing on council housing waiting lists. They cut taxes on corporate Britain while indulging in entirely destructive gimmicks such as scrapping the 10p tax rate.

Many Scots look at the Britain built by this political elite, they don’t like it and they want out.”

Seems to pretty much cover it.

Quack quack quack quack quack 299

Posted on September 07, 2014 by

Here’s what George Osborne actually said on today’s Andrew Marr Show:

“You will see in the next few days a plan of action to give more powers to Scotland. More tax powers, more spending powers, more plans for powers over the welfare state. 

That will be put into effect – the timetable for delivering that will be put into effect – the moment there is a no vote in the referendum. The clock will be ticking for delivering those powers – and then Scotland will have the best of both worlds.”

(From 32m 40s.) It’s not actually very hard to follow.

Read the rest of this entry →

All over the place 318

Posted on September 07, 2014 by

So, first this happened:

timesyes

Read the rest of this entry →

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,886 Posts, 1,238,067 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Lorncal on Looking up at the stars: “Geri: no, we have no overseas territories, but we almost did before 1707 – Darien? We are the equivalent of…Mar 19, 13:19
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Surely anyone cursed by being born a Pict has already been found guilty of serious transgressions in a previous life?…Mar 19, 12:57
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “What if Geri claims they’ll never get aff the groond? That’ll set your gas at a peep. Haha, price of…Mar 19, 12:50
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: ““Indy we would be awash in cheap energy, with domestic bills on the ground, offering cheap power to anyone who…Mar 19, 12:47
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “UK has been skint for years, Confused. Maybe things would have gone a lot better in 2014 if the movement…Mar 19, 12:35
    • Lorncal on Looking up at the stars: “Women already receive a far smaller proportion of public funding overall. I daresay they will lie and say that some…Mar 19, 12:30
    • Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “In this world of political storm there’s those that have Lockheed Martin F22 Raptors and there are those that don’t.Mar 19, 12:26
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: ““what exactly is “propaganda” in my posts??” Around 80% Geri. Lies and fabrications, wishful thinking, bias, flat denial of verifiable…Mar 19, 12:24
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Ah, c’moan noo, Jamie. Seriously now. Is there anybody posting on here who isn’t getting paid by the British government?…Mar 19, 12:10
    • Confused on Looking up at the stars: “problems, problems – nice ones to have https://archive.ph/NSRpr – the norwegs are protecting their wealth against global risk – we…Mar 19, 11:59
    • Confused on Looking up at the stars: “the thieves are back thieving https://archive.ph/z3LQi but, but, I thought the oil wasn’t worth anything free translation added : “england…Mar 19, 11:56
    • Sven on Looking up at the stars: “Sam @ 09.31. I’m no theologue, Sam, however last time I looked it was something like, “Thou shalt not take…Mar 19, 11:14
    • Geri on Looking up at the stars: “The UN is funded by the membership. The richer a country is the higher the contribution. Considering the Middle East…Mar 19, 11:05
    • Jamie on Looking up at the stars: “Thank you and I think you might be correct about Alba, the way it ended is highly suspicious.Mar 19, 09:50
    • Jamie on Looking up at the stars: “Do you get paid by the British government to comment here?Mar 19, 09:48
    • sam on Looking up at the stars: “Northcode You may already have seen the video. If not search “flann obrien atomic theory video”. I can’t get the…Mar 19, 09:31
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Back on form I see, Geri. I know it’s asking a lot of you, but please endeavour to always maintain…Mar 19, 08:53
    • Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “Geri I see your thinking but no the UN has become a sanctuary for terrorists. A talking shop paid for…Mar 19, 07:17
    • Geri on Looking up at the stars: “Lorncal What are you suggesting is propaganda? It’s documented fact that the father of a disabled child asked the German…Mar 19, 02:02
    • Lorncal on Looking up at the stars: “Geri: the Nazis certainly practised eugenics, on Jews, Slavs, the disabled, those with mental ill-health or illness, etc., but they…Mar 18, 23:46
    • Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “Assisted dying bill; Automatic do not resuscitate classifications have been in operation for ages.. Anyway, assisted dying; Go to Muirhouse…Mar 18, 22:03
    • Geri on Looking up at the stars: “As Maggie said, international law is all we’ve got between us & the barbarians. Ironic really cause they ARE the…Mar 18, 21:38
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Looking up at the stars: “MLA CRITICISES WOKE GOVERNMENT FORM An MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) has criticised the Northern Ireland Civil Service for…Mar 18, 21:36
    • Geri on Looking up at the stars: “They have options. Those options don’t have to involve everyone else. If they want to check out then go for…Mar 18, 21:25
    • Geri on Looking up at the stars: “Last time I looked it wasn’t Poot offering euthanasia to avoid paying healthcare & pensions or sterilising his own population…Mar 18, 20:57
    • Southernbystander on Looking up at the stars: “It is palpably untrue that supporting assisted dying is all about government population control – the statement is offensive and…Mar 18, 20:57
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Surely half a bicycle is a cycle?Mar 18, 20:02
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “When you write “us” Geri, is that you deploying your royal we again? That makes more sense than the alternative…Mar 18, 20:00
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “With so many women in the workforce, there’s a lot of demand for anything that will help them slim down.Mar 18, 19:48
    • Geri on Looking up at the stars: “Mark WEF – where billionaires empty the contents of their head thinking no one is listening. They loathe the working…Mar 18, 19:28
  • A tall tale



↑ Top