The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Labour rejects mature debate

Posted on March 12, 2012 by

Okay, so it's not the most shocking headline we've ever run. But it's dismaying to see how openly Scottish Labour recoils from the very idea. Over on LabourHame today, Tom Harris runs yet another another one-eyed piece we won't dignify with a link, about how SNP supporters are nasty and arrogant while Labour's are paragons of humble virtue to a man. It only took him a few minutes to delete our comment in response:

"The fact is the nationalists might win. I hope they don’t, but they might. We might win. We might not, but we might." [Tom Harris]

Speaking as an evil cybernat, I agree completely with this statement. But when moaning on about how SNP supporters apparently have a monopoly on certainty, as usual you ignore the beam in your own eye. You don't have to look very far to see that attitude on the Labour side – in fact, only as far as your nearest rival for LabourHame's most prolific contributer, Mr Ian Smart, who asserts at every opportunity that (a) there won't be a referendum at all, and (b) if there is, the Yes vote will be 28%.

You're a pretty clever guy, Tom. Imagine what a force you could be in the campaign if you abandoned the puerile, transparently-hypocritical sniping that makes you so easy to mock and dismiss as a troll, and actually tried engaging in a vaguely mature debate.

Sadly, despite our (actually entirely genuine) plea, Tom has very much nailed his colours – we're not really sure which ones those are – to the "puerile, transparently hypocritical sniping" mast. We think that's a terrible shame, for reasons we've covered previously in some detail, but on Labour's head be it.

2 to “Labour rejects mature debate”

  1. Janos says:

    Ech, when people are wrong, they have nothing but immaturity and irrationality as their defence.  Abandoning that will leave them with nothing, and people don't like that, so all they can do is bleat on with their crap.  Sad fact of human psychology really =/.

    Reply
  2. nancy says:

    best thing to do with tom harris is to ignore him – that would really annoy him nothing worse than realising your an irrelevance.

    Reply


Comment - please read this page for comment rules. HTML tags like <i> and <b> are permitted. Use paragraph breaks in long comments. DO NOT SIGN YOUR COMMENTS, either with a name or a slogan. If your comment does not appear immediately, DO NOT REPOST IT. Ignore these rules and I WILL KILL YOU WITH HAMMERS.


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,981 Posts, 1,251,807 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Northcode on Cowering From Destiny: ““… Indy isn’t gonna come from them sitting on their arses, holding out their hands, and saying “Gonna gie us…” Sep 26, 09:02
    • Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: ““this once Scottish university” Havers, Willie. Even back in my day, Edinburgh was one of the two English unis in…” Sep 26, 09:00
    • Willie on Cowering From Destiny: “And meanwhile in Edinburgh where Edinburgh Univesity is culling some ninety arts and humanitues courses of which very very many…” Sep 26, 08:25
    • Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: ““the Scottish Parliament could and should call a referendum on the NHS” Make it a twofer with a second question…” Sep 26, 08:18
    • Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “@Lorncal Here’s an interesting read on the qualitative differences between Yank and Covid AI: https://unherd.com/2026/09/xi-will-win-the-ai-war/ Spoiler alert: The Covid approach…” Sep 26, 08:11
    • Willie on Cowering From Destiny: “There is absolutely no doubt that there are plans to privatise the NHS. South of the border NHS England is…” Sep 26, 07:59
    • Peter McAvoy on Cowering From Destiny: “I’ve stated on comments on previous articles that the future of the NHS is in doubt,why doesn’t the Scottish Parliament…” Sep 26, 02:31
    • Bobo bunny on Cowering From Destiny: “My partner has just had a heart operation at the Edinburgh infirmary. The quality of care she recieved from the…” Sep 26, 00:11
    • Southernbystander on Cowering From Destiny: “Interesting points Hatey. I dunno, the media down here would have a field day questioning Burnham if Labour lost to…” Sep 25, 23:49
    • Lorncal on Cowering From Destiny: “H McH: the technology exists and we can’t turn the clock back. We can, however, use everything at our disposal…” Sep 25, 22:24
    • Mark Beggan on Cowering From Destiny: ““The Proles are free”” Sep 25, 21:47
    • Mark Beggan on Cowering From Destiny: “‘You can count on us to stand up for fairness and justice. You can count on us to bring people…” Sep 25, 21:02
    • Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “Typical, isn’t is, SBS? They’ve got a chance to put into power somebody who could increase the bust size of…” Sep 25, 21:00
    • Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “Colder houses are warmer houses. Damper houses are healthier houses. Men are women. Higher taxes is more spending money in…” Sep 25, 20:44
    • Southernbystander on Cowering From Destiny: “Interesting stats Sam. Trouble is they are so volatile they could all be reversed by events, then reversed again. The…” Sep 25, 20:42
    • Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “@ Alf Baird says: 25 September, 2026 at 9:31 am “a sign that the people may be closer to liberation…” Sep 25, 20:27
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Cowering From Destiny: “AN TEACHDAIRE PÀRLAMAIDEACH (Bilingual Holyrood Newsletter, issue 25 Sept) « […] Tha sinn cuideachd ag aithris air Aithris Bith-iomadachd na…” Sep 25, 20:27
    • Mark Beggan on Cowering From Destiny: “The Ministry of Truth War is Peace Freedom is Slavery Ignorance is Strength Fear is Hope In the end the…” Sep 25, 19:56
    • Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: ““in more savage, feudal times preceding modern borders, democracy and government” Hmmm. I don’t quite see what was more savage…” Sep 25, 19:44
    • Sargie on How To Create Racists: “Spot on, Stu.” Sep 25, 19:33
    • Spartan 117 on Cowering From Destiny: “We obviously disagree, however your response is to call democracy and views different to yours as “stupid”. I’m not feart…” Sep 25, 18:54
    • Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: ““Sovereignty is an absolute. Its restoration ought to be the aim” The unicorn believers are convinced individual Scottish Sovereignty never…” Sep 25, 18:40
    • Spartan 117 on Cowering From Destiny: “Sums it all up pretty well to be honest, Hatey. It’s easier to sit back on your taxpayer-funded meal ticket…” Sep 25, 18:30
    • Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: ““Our interest starts and ends at our borders” What can I say? Irrespective of whether the borders you write about…” Sep 25, 18:28
    • Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “I guess you won’t have sussed why Swinney, Sturgeon and co are petrified of Indy support rising. Hint: It’s the…” Sep 25, 18:09
    • Hatey McHateface on Cowering From Destiny: “@Marie says: 25 September, 2026 at 10:08 am “The future is Eurasian” You’ll be able to get surgery to sort…” Sep 25, 17:57
    • Spartan 117 on Cowering From Destiny: “Yes, I do have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about it. I’m not ignorant of what Ru**ia…” Sep 25, 16:40
    • Spartan 117 on Cowering From Destiny: ““When Scotland sorts out the underhand economic plunder from our land we too will have a very positive and valuable…” Sep 25, 16:24
    • lothianlad on Cowering From Destiny: “Swinney and co are petrified of Independence support rising! They are captured by the british state! Make no mistake, Sturgeon…” Sep 25, 15:50
    • Spartan 117 on Cowering From Destiny: ““Reform have the capacity to be highly authoritarian” Another one asleep since 1997. Were you in a coma post-9/11, during…” Sep 25, 15:40
  • A tall tale



↑ Top