Keeping respectable company
Well, sort of, anyway. We were going to have another poll post tonight, but your eyes go a bit squiffy after an entire day of cross-referencing spreadsheets full of percentages so instead we’re just going to allow ourselves a wee brief glow of pride about this.
We hadn’t any idea the vote was taking place so we couldn’t even shamelessly urge readers to stuff the virtual ballot boxes, so we’re pretty chuffed to be sharing what we’re officially calling “joint 11th place” with some very decent reporters indeed, and to even be on the same list as the likes of Alex Thomson of Channel 4 and other people who get actually shot at for a living (instead of just on the internet) isn’t the worst feeling we’ve ever had.
And the fact that we’re the only other crowdfunded operation, along with the winner, means that you – Wings Over Scotland’s readers and employers – get the credit too.
Thanks to anyone who voted for us, and to everyone who’s helped make it happen.
Well done, Rev am dead chuffed for you. Very well deserved x
Many congratulations. I had no idea such a thing was happening. (Imagine how high you could have gone if you’d dropped a wee hint, even on Twitter!)
I’m impressed, Rev – but not surprised. You’re fast becoming quite the celeb. A guest spot on Have I Got news For You beckons, shurely… 🙂
Congrats on ‘joint 11th’ – next year we’ll get you in the top 5!
It’s your writing what does it. Your work on that there 2 year long Labour Devonano Commission farce is light years better than anything any Scottish journalist is capable of. Or as the vote No Severin Carrell will whine, stop attacking Scottish journalism.
WELL DONE REVEREND!
It is good that the media down south are watching and giving you a well deserved ‘mention in despatches’.
“…and other people who get actually shot at for a living”
Love the line.
Well done Rev and mark this one in your diary and I’m sure you’ll win next year. After you give us the heads up of course.
Well earned recognition.
Imagine if they had included the impact of your Aberdeen and SPL twitter punditry?
Well, You got us to notice you, people who wanted a wee bit more than MSM & here we get everything else added from history to rippin pish headlines apart. Congratulations
It’s the backed up journalism that does it,getting all the facts together must be tedious and boring,but the effort is appreciated.Well done.
weel done cutty sark!, btw nae sign of big Bliar or any of the bitters oan the list
Well done. Well deserved.
Gosh, RevStu, you are officially respectable! Wait till the wetnats on twitter hear about this.
Not sure about “next year we’ll get you in the top 5!” tho… Surely the equivalent of a pulitzer for your contribution to helping us achieve our independence.
O/T Bellacaledonia is off air!
ooo, congrats on that Stu! 😀
I’m sure the “reporters” (*allows self a sarcastic chuckle*) at the Daily Mail will be really happy to see you on that list, hehe. 😉
Well deserved though. Without sites like this, the MSM would be getting free rein to spread lies and misinformation without any alternative sources of information to challenge them on it.
Should be getting public service awards for that alone!
So just why did we not know there was a vote on the matter? How come none of the regular commenters knew? Are we to assume that it was only the lurkers who did the voting?
Hey! Way to go man! A STUpefying result …
Motion:
The Rev should take the Easter weekend off and recharge his batteries.
It is absolutely deserved.
The standard of writing and research is excellent
and something not seen in mainstream media for a
LONG time.
Congratulations! Well done indeed.
(Owen Jones on George Robertson in the Guardian is indeed worth a read – thanks Rev)
Scotland tonight: Lord Robertson. This clown should be in a straight jacket,
Rev Stu – Make sure you remember this recognition from your peers when the days are frustrating and the nights long. Well done from me!
I’ve shaken that man’s hand.
🙂
Well done Stu.
Congrats Rev.
Great that recognition given.
I guess that makes1st part of Gandhi’s quote officially over, they cannot ignore you now.
We are now laughing at BT, so that only leaves the fighting stage to be completed and after recent weeks news, I would say that was well under way.
Then we win!
As will you next year after seeing us to victory in Sept. and recording for posterity all the shenanigans and negotiating positions undertaken thereafter!
Enjoy your celebratory beverage of choice, I will raise a glass to you!
Cheers!
Well done Stu, however I think your work and excellent articles should rank even higher in my view.
You definitely deserve this Stu! This is an amazing site with great discussions and everything backed up with information for the troops to read and take out into the community and use. Very well done!
Very well done and richly deserved ,plus it should piss off Better Together rather tremendously
Well deserved. 🙂
Very well done, All I can say is that the others must be on top of the game if they are rated better than you.
Wings is now the only site I regularly (and I mean at least 10 times a day) read, the others I may check if there is a link that interests, but you are now basically my only source of referendum news.
I no longer watch/listen to the BBC or ITV or indeed Sky but occasionally watch RT news, mostly my only source of non referendum news is Manx Radio.
The only problem I can see if post Sept 18th, what am I going to do without Wings?
Well deserved Stu.
@gerry parker
So have I and I haven’t washed since 😀
Robertson foaming at the mouth on Newsnight Scotland at the possible loss of his beloved Trident Missiles.
Cataclysmic……..lots of love GeorgeXX
Ooh, well done! That site’s version of “alphabetical order” had me a bit confused, but that’s easily done.
Celebrate! Cakes and ale and, I dunno, special ratfood treats or something. 🙂
Speaking of respectable I see in the list there was only one BBC journalist who was a sports writer his twitter handle honestfrank. Quite telling for a trade mag poll.
Much more of this and unionist mothers will be putting their children to bed with a warning that if they don’t go to sleep the Rev. Stu will come and get them.
HT to Sir James Douglas
Jingly jangly
Much work to be done starting 19th Sept. That date is not the end, its just the beginning.
Well done Stu.
With your precise and incisive analysis you are the scalpel cutting through the rankest of cancers that is mainstream journalism.
Your skill is much appreciated.
Steady, you’ll be getting head hunted next and not necessarily by those that offer a job and extra dosh!
I think Robertson has suffered a cataclysmic loss of common sense. I actually thought his tone sounded quite menacing and threatening. Maybe he’s one of those ‘dark forces’ himself.
Funny thing, and not intending to derail, but I came across this by accident when I was checking on the progress of all the Yes Scotland fundraisers.
link to indiegogo.com
I’ve not come across these people but they seem to have quite a good conceit of themselves. My main thoughts are, they’re about 2 years too late, they’re making the mistake of asking for money cold rather than presenting a product they want to continue with, and they have been thoroughly, completely and comprehensively gazumped.
Congrats Rev on well-deserved recognition from your journalistic peers and fellow social mediahounds.
OT Can’t say I’d heard of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s events, and have no idea to their content (or if there is pro-union bias) – but anyone who wants to absorb multiple hours of serious-minded discussions, here is a link to them
link to royalsoced.org.uk
Apparently the book will be available free in the near future
Morag, your right, however the more the merrier, if its pro-independence I will support it. Maybe have a look tomorrow.
C & P’d this from last thread cos I’m always behind the pace of blether on here,
and well done Stu.
Hi folks,
seems like it’s been a good day all round, really interesting stats from the poll analysis.
Lord Robertson with a timely intervention just to make sure BT don’t veer from the calamitous course they’ve set 😉
BBC Scotland further sullying their relationship with the Scottish people and eroding a bit more of the trust that’s left for them.
Finally, hoping for a wee kick on with the Yes Saltire project. It has started well enough but really needs to maintain momentum to reach the required target. Any help would be very welcome.
link to indiegogo.com
What am I saying – Royal. Society. Edinburgh. Of course, it will be pro-union, but probably still worth tackling
Well done that man.
What about the Orwell Prize? You must be in with a shout for that one.
Well done Stuart – richly deserved. The site is becoming a massive force in this referendum and I would not be surprised if the exponential growth of hits on the graph I recall seeing for February has not continued to surge upwards.
By the way – having sat through some true guff on the telly the night, I thought professor John Kay on news night scotland was very interesting. Encouraged to hear the currency union being ruled out described in such dismissive terms. Worth a look.
Well, the only other two names I recognise are David Leask and David Hencke, so I guess that makes the Rev joint 1st.
O/T couple more Labour folks voting YES
link to yesscotland.net
Jamie
The royal society book is here. Just found it myself.
link to royalsoced.org.uk
tartanpigsy
The link doesn’t work.
Talking of fundraisers, the girls are slowing getting towards there target.
link to indiegogo.com
Just want to add my congrats.
The interesting thing for me is that if the BBC hadn’t banned comments on political blogs we would be venting our spleen on them.
So I feel they have shot themselves in the foot because I couldn’t really care less about the BBC blogs anymore.
Just one more nail in their theoretical coffin.
It’s not all good news Rev. Lord Robertson reckons you may be the greatest single threat to World peace. Those nukes may have their target re-assigned to Bath.
More O/T Excellent article by Owen Jones in Gunardian
link to archive.is
GordonMcA,
I did say the very near future. Cheers 🙂
A well deserved hat tip there. Now back to work and stop tempting fate. 🙂
What George Robertson will be up to on September 19th – “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. “
Well done Rev, thoroughly deserved. As others have noted Wings is my “go to” site and the first one recommended to others.
Re Robertson, watched him on Newsnicht, thought brewer was a bit soft with him, but maybe he was just incredulous at the Cataclysm. Robertson just looked like an old fool.
O/T someone sent me a link re privatisation of Police in England
link to theguardian.com
Something else coming down the road south of the border.
Cheers Marcia,
Numpty here thought he could cut corners and C & P the lot link to Yes Saltire appeal here
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/10-000-flags-for-yes–11/x/2353157
incidentally the preview box is currently AWOL, wait, no it’s not, aw well posting anyway
Congratulations, you deserve recognition for the analysis and critique you have provided over the past two (?) years.
Fantastic Stu, well done!
@tartanpigsy
I bought one of your flags the other day, what is the delivery time.
And what is your fund for, do you have a “plan”.
The flags look good , lookin forward to getting it out on the flagpole flying high above the house
jingly jangl
The only problem I can see if post Sept 18th, what am I going to do without Wings?
Are you not going hang about to help tidy the house up after the big party? 🙂
The Reverend is The Chosen One.
On George Robertson: When my Abyssinian cat died the other day that was cat-aclysmic. (Okay, I’ll get my coat.)
Congratulations Stuart. Your analysis is meticulous, informative and always easy to understand (well maybe with the exception of devo nano which tested even your great skills). You must be the hardest working journalist on the planet. A well-deserved accolade.
O/T sorry
Don’t know about these things
Will this affect any of you who host blogs, seems like a nasty establishment software update
blog.torproject.org/blog/openssl-bug-cve-2014-0160
Don’t give the lad too big a head – we allow him a living wage – wee smiley thing.
Wow! Well done you.
The site that keeps on giving.
Can I make a suggestion?
Is it possible for you to create an index for new (and old) readers, with a general heading- Finance, Currency, Defence, etc, with links to articles?
Newcomers to the site would then be able to get instant info on any subject they wish to persue.
Just a thought
You deserved a higher placing there Stu. You’ll get that next year when we’re through this and on to discussing how negotiations are panning out with the RUK
Congrats on your accolade Rev, you thoroughly deserve it.
Just watched AS performing well on Morning Joe on MSNBC, he is one smooth operator.
link to msnbc.com
Nice to see recognition from your peers Stu. No slacking now though. Much to be done before September. I’ll sign off your holiday form so you can go ‘tattie howkin’ in October! 😉
David McCann
I’m honestly not trying to be cheeky, but top right of page.
SEARCH
Would that not the same as an index and more? 🙂
@ Tartan Tory – well said xx
Congratulations Stu – well deserved for all your hard work and dedication to the cause of Scotland’s Independence!
Wingsoverscotland is my first port of call for information about anything to do with the independence campaign and the first recommendation I give to anyone I meet wishing to do likewise!
As for George Robertson and Alastair Darling “Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad” ( or something along those lines!)
They certainly sound like they’re losing the plot anyway!
George ‘Nay-dough’ Robertson has set the bar nice and high – the other Scottish Labour Big Beasts will be asked whether or not they agree with him.
I’m looking forward to the reappearance of Helen Lidl. She was, surely, one of the most despised politicians in recent decades, and the deja-vu caused by her squashed-Wotsit coupon appearing on screens nationwide will not fill decent Labour voters with glee.
As for ‘Doctor’ John Reid? We’ve had many rammies on this site over the use of certain words, so I won’t even go there. (See youse next Tuesday.)
Well deserved.
It’s a shame so many of us didn’t know about it.
Stu-perb! Especially considering that none of us WOSers, including the Rev, even knew this poll was on the go.
Nice one, Rev Stu. You’ll be well pleased and so you should be. All the best for the future too.
Just testing out my Gravatar!
Yikes!! It works!! A Cybernat at last!
That is smart as. 🙂
Just the start, Stu.
Two years from now, you’ll be wearing the ‘Order of St Andrew’, Scotland’s highest ranking gong round yer neck too! 😉
Well Rev, I’d like to say thanks and you deserve any accolades coming your way. I can only speak for myself but I can say for sure that it your determination and unstinting effort that is an inspiration to myself.
Only through such determination will we win. The truth must be told, there is no place for censorship or propaganda. At least not in the new Scotland that I hope to be part of.
There are walls yet to be knocked down and egos to deflate, so no slacking lol. I do think though and I’ll say it in public, have a week off, just a wee break, maybe. You could always make a few posts to be delivered over the period and have guest posts fill in the slots.
I know your strong but am scared of burnout coming at the wrong time. You know yourself much better than me so for you to decide.
After Independence, you will be number one on that list. Congratulations on getting there without trying in the first place.
]
Congrats Stu,
it must mean a wee bit to you to be on that list otherwise you’d no be posting about it.
In terms of shit Stu, you’ve taken more than any of us whilst simply trying to get the truth out there. Your tenacity is an inspiration. As they say “Good things come to good people”. You might be a fairway down on a very UKcentric list, but you’re top of the list for Indy sites that are attempting to redress the imbalance.
Like Thepnr, I can only speak for myself. I’d just like to say without your insightful comments I don’t think we’d be half as informed as we are.
O/T I’m planning on doing honors next year here in Australia and for my thesis I want to look at sovereignty, identity, and the formation of independent nation-states. I intend to compare the Declaration of Arbroath and the American Declaration of Independence. If anyone (Morag)has any links to people or articles in Scotland that might help, it would be much appreciated.
@keef –
If you haven’t already got it, The Flag in the Wind by John MacCormick is a must-read: explains how the National Party of Scotland was started – without that, there would’ve been no ‘SNP’.
Well done Rev, as many have already said, WoS is the first place I go to for all independence related news. In fact it’s where I get the news on what’s happening in Scotland in the serious sense of what is important and related to our common reality of living in this country. That’s one of the biggest draws for me, I never watched or even read the news in any regular routine way, because it didn’t relate to my life, choices etc.
As others have also commented your analysis and often witty and insightful tear down of the obfuscating, mind numbingly archaic tactics of bt and their msm bedfellows is…a breath of fresh air…I could go on…you get my drift…well done for your superb journalism!
Cameron B.
Point taken and thanks, so perhaps you can help me with something else.
I nearly always have to re-type my name and email, and no longer able to edit,italicise, embolden etc, as well as having no return to top arrow.
All this I had in the past, but no longer.
Am I doing something wrong?
It’s well earned Rev.
Your coverage and analysis is dazzling.
ps
I’m lovin the hashtag #IndyRev
David McCann
Am I doing something wrong?</i<
Nope, at least I don't think so.
This site is apparently under constant cyber-warfare attacks, such as DDOS.
A bit of a nuisance (not sure what the Rev. thinks 🙂 ), 'cause it just makes things a bit WEIRD.
Many hearty congratulations Rev, you thoroughly deserve it, Thank you for your hard work and commitment,
I see that Women for Independence might need a wee helping hand over the line, 7 days to go and they’re almost there.
link to indiegogo.com
@David McCann
The Rev changed his comment plug-in some time ago. It’s a wee bit more primitive, but probably more secure. You should be able to log in by typing just the first letter of name & the site fills in the rest. Not a pain.
You use html tags to get your effects bold is Same for italics, but use i instead of b
Top arrow has gone, and we all miss the edit option – but you just have to read the preview more carefully!
Yeah, well that was a mess – sorry David. Suggest google HTML bold tags
@David McCann
I think I recall some stuff about the comment box being changed earlier in the year (or was it at the end of last year?)
Not sure what happened to the return to top arrow.
The “home” and “end” keys on your keyboard should let you jump straight to the top and bottom of the page anyway.
(if they don’t work, try clicking on a blank part of the page first to get the pointer focus out of the comment box).
As for bold and italics, I think it’s just a case of using HTML tags for them. Quick guide here if anyone needs one (I think most of the tags in the “text formatting” section there will work on here. Not going to wind up Stu by testing all of the others! 😉 ):
link to simplehtmlguide.com
OT
Nationalist MSP ‘assaulted’ during pub debate on independence.
I am waiting for Alistair Darling to shout about this one… tick tock, tick tock… Ah well I guess not. Or mibee it will end up on BBC… but I wont hold my breath waiting.
Thanks Ian I shall search that book out. I have to say it was only a few years ago I learned of the declaration of Arbroath. There was never a peep about it at school. So finding information on it might be my biggest challenge.
First time posting after ages of lurking. I’m an American currently living in Alaska. I lived in Scotland for about 15 years. I can’t begin to thank you (and your superb readership) enough for the hard work being put in to seeing Scotland take her rightful place in the world. The level of wit, intelligence, and passion is incomparable, and I am certain this will be brought to bear in the rebirth of Scotland. You people are a class act, and I cannot wait for The Vote (I will, of course, be there on that auspicious day, wouldn’t miss it for anything). Stu, you rock, and so do all your pals.
clydebuilt says
“O/T Bellacaledonia is off air!”
Bella’s on holiday for a week. 😉
Fantastic news Stu if it been a Blue Peter appeal they would have had an avalanche of milk bottle tops(what the hell did they do with them, take them to the scrappies?)
Have I stepped through the looking glass? did I hear the right dishonerable Lord demand an apology from the SNP?
Eh what happened? did their face leave scuff marks on his shoe while he was kicking it?
this man is beyond satire and the previous post for Rab the Doubter
“I actually thought his tone sounded quite menacing and threatening. Maybe he’s one of those ‘dark forces’ himself.”
was accurate there was a sense of menace in his comments but being menaced by him is akin to being threatened with gbh by Orvill,
These nonentities should be given the level of attention they deserve, does anyone seriously think the people listening to that fool weren’t shaking their heads in disbelief and wondering what they would be having for tea,
In years to come people will look back on these dinosaurs and wonder how on Earth these creatures managed to fool ANYONE with their weak and timid little (mid atlantic) roars.
Just catching up on Lord George’s outings on the tele last night. He told Gordon B that, not only had he looked up the meaning of the word ‘cataclysmic’ but, he knew what it meant ‘an event which causes repercussions and change’, so I suppose that covers childbirth, Demba Ba’s goal for Chelsea last night, the blowing up of the Red Road tower blocks as well?
Not sure which dictionary he uses but certainly not the same as mine. Labour just full of intellectuals.
BBC Scotlandshire news 06.30
Ed Davey with yet another attempt to wind up the gramophone record again but put too much into winding the handle so we get a pinky and perky rendition of Scotland’s electricity prices will go through the roof because it turns out it would be cheaper for England to have an interconnector laid all the way to Argentina than take our nasty (English subsidised renewable energy) of which we have so much of the stuff we can sell it,
So when you have your power cuts in England Ed good luck explaining why the lights are still on next door,
your attitude displays a lack of understanding of how a free market economy works Ed, just look a Russia and the Ukraine when Russia decided how much Ukraine would pay for gas and Ukraine had two choices like it or lump it,
Really do these people not get bored repeating the same old pish over and over in the hope that Mrs McGlinshie who’s sitting on the fence will be toppled of to the no side,
GET A REAL JOB ED instead of trying to frighten little old ladies you horrible little man,
The problem the no side face is the constant sound of klaxon’s becomes background noise after a while and one day the klaxon will sound for real and no one will be listening, and it will be ALL THEIR FAULT.
cartoon-Scotsman –lol
link to scotsman.com
@David McCann
I recognise that artwork David. 😀
Noo, don’t you start gettin bigheided.
@john king
“Really do these people not get bored repeating the same old pish over and over ”
I’m think they’re now getting embarrassed, look at his face as he reads it out. You can see he just wants to shake his head.
Congratulations Rev
” … and then you win.”
@Ian Brotherhood – her squashed-Wotsit coupon LOL I’ll never get this porridge oot ma keyboard..
Well done Stu.
And welcome aboard Skip. You didn’t jag fish for a living when you were over here, by any chance?
test
Croompenstein says
“@Ian Brotherhood – her squashed-Wotsit coupon LOL I’ll never get this porridge oot ma keyboard..”
Why do you think I changed to kippers?
Thepnr@ 07.36
But just how long are these people going to report this garbage without questioning it? its way past time the ODIHR stepped in a stopped this naked propaganda,
gettin mad baby.
msean says:
8 April, 2014 at 10:30 pm
It’s the backed up journalism that does it,getting all the facts together must be tedious and boring,but the effort is appreciated.Well done.
100% agree.
Congratulations Rev. Well deserved!
Quelle surprise
suddenly Im flavour of the month with The Scotsman again
just thought I’d try logging in to comment on Crazy Lord Robertsons prophesies of doom and lo, Im back in (dammit) and my jdman post taking pride of place,
tick tock Scotsman
tick tock
Ed Davey in Edinburgh to give us a positive case for staying with UK.
Well done Rev. you must be chuffed, not only about the genuine congrats but equally for the fact that there will be a good few noses out of joint. It’s good to have the last laugh.
Rev, congratulations, well deserved!
Congratulations Stu and nice to see our national broadcaster picking up a few crumbs. I wonder what they spend their budget on if it’s not journalism?
OT, I wanted to suggest a different way to present your articles. Presently, you tend to have a teaser headline with a short intro with the real story revealed under the ‘read more’ link. This takes a long time to load – even with my new fibre broadband – and may put people off before they get the real story.
Maybe you should go for a tabloid approach with a catchy headline, a graphic and a short para above the break. People then get the story at a glance and can still get your cutting analysis using the link.
just a suggestion
Fame at last! Well done stu.
@Dave, I think that must be just you, or your browser. No delay here even on a phone, and I like the teaser style posts.
Many congratulations. You deserve the recognition for all the effort you have put in. Your ideas and standards are excellent. Keep up the good work. Fantastic!
That’s cracking recognition Rev. The Orwell one will be up soon so expect more cos you throughly deserve it…
What a car crash of an interview on GMS by Ed Davey, UK Energy Minister. In Edinburgh to frighten the shit out of the natives.
Saying that he would buy energy from any country OTHER than an Independent Scotland. Even though Scotland is already connected on to their national grid.
And that was him being “positive”.
He stuttered all the way through the interview.
FFS Ed Davey, away hame.
Project Fear raising it’s ugly wee head again, and Douglas Fraser of BBC Scotland, with his short, intense bursts, is trying his best to make the Energy story a really scary one.
STV tonight / Lord Bobo –
John Mackay is clearly just a news reader. Hopeless with Robertson (have to say compare with Brewer who challenged the whole premise of this out of touch dinosaur, and ridiculed the language used and the ‘whole end of days’ assessment). STV failing badly.
Who was the banana academic afterwards ?? What was he rattling on about ?? Cover of the book was the give away -nice clean UJack with jumbled mess of Saltire –
Oh dear we scots are thick and miss all the subliminal messages. Doohhh
Yeah Davey ?
Forgot most countries like paying top dollar for their quality energy.
Scotlands only has that bad ‘doorstop’ energy, like the bad type of oil, that very volatile stuff, unlike all other oil elsewhere. You know elsewhere oil, that is a valuable asset.
World good / Scotland Bad : Lord George Baw Baw said so.
Do us a favour
Caz M
The UK Government has moved to block Scottish ministers from taking part in a European Commission investigation into its plans to subsidise a new nuclear plant in England.
The newspaper is today reporting that a UK Government minister Michael Fallon has told his Holyrood counterpart Fergus Ewing that any evidence provided by the Scottish Government would be considered a “hostile act”.
The Scottish Government has already raised its own concerns that the deal with French firm EDF will lead to a rise in household bills and will hit the renewables industry in Scotland.
But the BBC didn’t ask Ed Davey about that.
link to newsnetscotland.com
O/T:
Today’s scare is already being beamed into Scottish homes by the BBC, (Biased Broadcasting Clique).. The Naysayers claim our fuel bills will rise if we become independent. Trouble is they are obviously liars. First, Scottish consumers already directly pay their whack of the renewables subsidy. Second, here is a typical year’s renewables figures : The Year is 2010 : –
Gas, oil and coal prices were subsidised by £3.63bn. (Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).
Offshore and onshore wind got just £0.7bn.
All renewables, (including wind), got just £1.4bn. (Data from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc).
(Just before announcing the new renewables subsidies the government cut subsidy for on shore turbines by 10%.)
Nuclear power gets subsidised, some well hidden, more than all others put together.
The new scare also neglects to mention that Scottish generators are also subsidising Southern England just for being Northern Scottish based.
The current, “Grid Connection Charging”, regime means that, for example, an energy provider in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire pays over £20 per kw for a grid connection while London-based energy provider get a subsidy of over £3 per kw. It is estimated that Scottish based companies currently pay £100 million extra than they should as a result. That’s £100 Million per year extra we Scots subsidise the English Consumers.
Firstly, all credit to Stuart for building this blog into an essential daily read. Wings has that bit of “edge” that worries the hell out of anti-independence fearties, who can’t handle public questioning of their daft assertions.
Secondly, well done to all those who make the effort to share & follow, make comments on the posts and analysis, and share other information sources.
There are many blogs that hardly attract any comments; I nominate “Notes from North Britain” for whatever is the bottom of the Press Gazette awards.
Many congrats. Stu. well deserved.
Nice to be recognised by your peers, makes a change from all the crap you get thrown at you.
You rock Rev. 😉
Well done Stuart. Great website and all down to you. Well deserved.
Also thanks to the regular contributers. I’m on this website every day from morn to night.
Welcome Skip and thanks for your support. I guess working here in Scotland and now in Alaska you may work in the oil industry like me.
O/T
I’m here in Fife (Langtoon) visiting family and we still have a way to go to get people over to the cause as a lot of no’s I’ve spoken to are ingrained no’s and don’t even know about the Barnett formula, Slab devo nano proposals (this from a Lab supporter), can’t stand AS, NS etc etc. Also assault on local SNP MSP on Saturday here. Very disappointing.
George Robertson says he fights for social justice and equality in Scottish society.
In times when parents are struggling to feed their children or disabled people being forced back to work because of welfare cuts.
Why then is he happy with paying £100 Billion pounds for the Trident Nuclear Missile renewal.
This is where Scottish Labour are going wrong, they have lost the confidence of the Scottish people.
Trident renewal is just one example of why Scottish Labour are becoming irrelevant in Scotland.
This will be distressing news for certain ‘critics’ on the twitter feed!
The good news just keep a-coming!
Great work Stu, but since you do the work of at least 10 journos, you should be number 1 on that list.
…and please, Don’t Give Up the 24 Hour a Day Job!
@TheItalianJob
Yeh lots of work to do I am afraid. The wife was on a train to Glasgow yesterday morning and there were a bunch of 8 oil workers on their way abroad drinking vodka and beer (what is it with drink in this society??). Through the fing this and fing that the talk of independence boiled down to fing alicsammin, hate him and I don’t want to to pay anymore fing tax ‘cos that’s what shall happen, so its gotta be no.
As well as being a generally uncomfortable experience for her and her colleague and no doubt all the other passengers, she was appalled by the level of ignorance voiced by all these guys. Really sad.
Good for you; good for us; great for the country.
YES would be in a far more difficult situation without you rev; thanks
caz-m
Useful article here on George Robertson:
newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-opinion/9024-a-rocket-for-the-former-nato-head
Congratulations Stu. A well deserved award. Your incisive deconstructions of the brinat propaganda is second to none as far as I am concerned. And a bit of satirical humour thrown in as well!
I think it’s going to be a bit of a roller-coaster from here on in. Lord Robertson’s only the beginning of the new super-scare campaign. Hold on to your hats.
Looking forward to seeing how the MSM propaganda machine deals with the SNP conference this weekend. How will they cope with all that positivity?
Ed Davey… sigh! another day another dud fear bomb.
What’s that you’re saying? Energy rich Scotland will become poor because you’ll not buy our electricity? Oh! you’ll buy gas from Norway and electricity from France. You know Ed. (may I call you ED?) The difference between you and Mr Ed the talking horse is that Mr Ed talked out of his mouth.
Oh well done, Stu. Very well deserved.
Well done, Rev. To get on to that list bearing in mind your anti-establishment agenda is a startling achievement.
@James Arriere
Re Royal Society’s ‘impartial’ book, take a look at the link given above. Its claim to be evidence-based is laughable – it’s a Unionist tract.
You might recall the heavy involvement of the RSE in the letter written by a number of scientists to the newspapers just before the May 2007 elections, claiming that Scottish independence would harm scientiific research in our universities – it seems the leopard hasn’t changed its spots.
Very negligent of the Scotland Tonight reporter not to have at least skimmed the book befiore interviewing the doddering Sir John Arbuthnott last night.
Congratulations Rev, thoroughly deserved 🙂
Ed Davy = train = gravy.
Och, I just don’t have the energy.
@Brian Powell
Yes, Robertson must have done more for the YES vote yesterday than all those posters that were up a couple of weeks ago.
At all their Party Conferences, they all said they needed to be more positive in the message the want to get out to the Scottish people.
And yet all we are seeing is Project Fear being wheeled out again with the same old scare stories.
Congratulations Rev, and lots and lots of gratitude for all your hard work so far. There will be lots of vacant journalist posts in Scotland after September where you could take your skills even further.
How about a new YES slogan, “Ah’m no Ah fearty – Ah’m a Yesser”
Well done Rev. Bloody well deserved too.
@keef –
re The book I mentioned. I got it in ‘The Works’. Don’t know if there’s one near you, but they always have a good selection of Scottish books (mainly published by Birlinn) and they sell them for washers. I think I paid £3 for it. Great shop.
@caz-m
“At all their Party Conferences, they all said they needed to be more positive in the message the want to get out to the Scottish people.
And yet all we are seeing is Project Fear being wheeled out again with the same old scare stories.”
Well to be fair, they are being positive. They’re positive they want to scare everyone into submission! 😀
Good news for the Yes campaign anyway. We can break out the popcorn and sit back and watch BT drive themselves into a frantic foaming frenzy before falling apart and probably just sitting in the corner rocking back and forth and constantly muttering the words: “I’m in my happy place. This isn’t happening!” on the 17th…
Keef
Great book, Image and Identity; The making and remaking of Scotland through the ages.
Edited by D broun, R,J, Finlay and M lynch
Thanks Ian ,
Wonder if they have a ‘Works’ in Australia 🙂
Castile hill that sounds very interesting too. Thanks for the tip.
Superb Rev. I think none of us knowing about this award lends more weight to the achievement. Also, the list is in alphabetical order, so you might have to think about changing the name to “bings”.Joking aside,we’re extremely lucky to have you on our side. Well done.
My sister & I were talking today on the phone, & we both agree that WINGS has done MORE for this referendum campaign than any other organisation we know, & we both donate monthly to YES. YOU are the best REV, you get to the facts of everything & then share it with the world via this site. we think you should stand for our INDEPENDENT parliament too, as it is obvious you would win a seat. we would all move houses to vote for you.
Kate
@Giving Goose I did indeed jag fish when I lived in Scotland!
@theItalianJob not actually in the oil business. I sell booze
Thanks for the welcome. Back to the news!