We had, we think it’s only fair to say, extremely low expectations of Nicola Sturgeon’s keynote speech this afternoon to the SNP’s soporific, strangled 2020 non-conference. It seems that members felt the same, because 15 seconds before the speech began only 1,166 of them were logged in to watch it.
The speech she just delivered, though, limboed under those expectations in platform shoes and a stovepipe hat without even grazing the underside of the bar.
In a post last month we referenced a ZX Spectrum computer game from 1984 called “Worse Things Happen At Sea”. Today as we watched the First Minister on the Andrew Marr Show, we were put in mind of another nautical-disaster-themed one from a great deal nearer to the end of the Speccy’s life.
When’s a Plan B not a Plan B? Well, when it’s something that could and should have been done already, and won’t be anywhere near adequate even if delivered.
Yet that seems to be what some colleagues are now arguing for. It’s welcome that their thoughts are at last turning to the possibility of the Tories saying No to the Scottish people’s democratic vote. But it’s happening dangerously slowly as the dismantling of devolution and reintegration into the UK gathers pace. Which’s why the Yes Movement needs to act now, not after a Holyrood election.
This week on Wings has been altogether more navel-gazey than we’re comfortable with, as various SNP MPs have mounted a series of all-out personal attacks on the site before the weekend’s crucial NEC elections.
So we’ll have a proper article for you a little later on today, but in the meantime it’d be remiss of us not to tidy up the last fragments of shrapnel, so we’ll direct you to the right of reply to Alyn Smith’s column that The National kindly gave us today:
(Sadly they chose to disable comments, we’d quite have enjoyed the reaction from the few remaining diehard leadership loyalists still posting there.)
We couldn’t help but chuckle yesterday when the £100K-a-year Westminster MP and obsessive Wings Over Scotland reader “Pension Pete” Wishart announced – in the space of six minutes – that this site was simultaneously an irrelevance that nobody listened to, but also somehow one of the greatest threats to independence.
Wings Over Scotland marked its ninth birthday earlier this month. To be honest, we totally forgot about it until someone reminded us. Normally we mark the anniversary with a small reflection and taking of stock over how things are going, but this year we couldn’t be bothered – we’d already mentioned readership stats in August.
But today in The National we found out that we were apparently dead.
But reports of our demise have been, as the saying goes, somewhat exaggerated.
sam on The Only Notes That Really Count: “Yes, it is. https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/35/2/235/8008562?login=false “Profound changes to mortality trends and inequalities were observed across both nations and all cities in…” Jul 10, 12:17
Alf Baird on The Only Notes That Really Count: “The highest legislative authority over Scotland is England’s House of Commons, House of Lords and King; and Scotland is their…” Jul 10, 11:38
Southernbystander on The Interests Of The Many: “James – you will have noticed I am English living in England so that is what I mean by ‘we’…” Jul 10, 11:31
Aidan on The Only Notes That Really Count: “The second element of the Ghosh test is disapplied yes, the point is the test used to determine whether a…” Jul 10, 11:06
Willie on The Only Notes That Really Count: “Id say you should join You were defrauded, the fraud clearly caused you distress since you were upset enough to…” Jul 10, 10:43
sam on The Only Notes That Really Count: “I think the referendum fund raising kicked off in March 2017. Were the Weirs paid back their loan in 2018?…” Jul 10, 10:41
Alf Baird on The Only Notes That Really Count: “The usual caveat from postcolonial theory applies, following on from the increasingly dubious events over the last decade or so,…” Jul 10, 10:35
crazycat on The Only Notes That Really Count: “@ Aidan at 8.04 That’s covered in paragraphs 19-24 – Ghosh does not apply. I’m not a lawyer, but it…” Jul 10, 10:19
laukat on The Only Notes That Really Count: “Wee question – I donated but got my £25 refunded in 2019. In theory that’s a couple of years where…” Jul 10, 09:44
Hatey McHateface on The Only Notes That Really Count: “Any suggestions for the timeline over which all of this will work out? It’s looking like many of us will…” Jul 10, 08:46
Dave Albiston on The Only Notes That Really Count: “Does anyone have the timeline of when: The Weirs called in their loan The referendum fund was announced” Jul 10, 08:46
Ian on The Only Notes That Really Count: “Thought I’d see what AI makes of political betrayal and it’s consequences. It basically boils down to how strong denial…” Jul 10, 08:33
Aidan on The Interests Of The Many: “It can’t be nice being “James”, as he told us yesterday the voices inside his head are speaking in an…” Jul 10, 08:17
Hatey McHateface on The Only Notes That Really Count: ““Fresh start required, brains and stamina required, common sense reinstated, drop the rubbish, start the plans” To that, I would…” Jul 10, 08:05
Hatey McHateface on The Only Notes That Really Count: “Don’t you mean “raise a disposable plastic cup”? I don’t see you as the type who has much in the…” Jul 10, 07:46
BLMac on The Only Notes That Really Count: “If you look at the events of the last few years it’s obvious that when the SNP cleared out the…” Jul 10, 07:40
Hatey McHateface on The Interests Of The Many: “Hey, CC, you got a “please” from Wally W. He must have twigged he gets mair haddies thrown his way…” Jul 10, 07:30
Captain Caveman on The Interests Of The Many: ““Blow it out your arse”™, Fatso. People like me were the first to be thrilled for Scotland when the great…” Jul 10, 07:06
Captain Caveman on The Only Notes That Really Count: “I know this will be an alien concept, YL, but some of us have to be up with the lark…” Jul 10, 06:25
Aidan on The Only Notes That Really Count: “Aye I think the facts of the case probably do lean against the narrative I set out above, but I…” Jul 10, 06:04
Young Lochinvar on The Only Notes That Really Count: “Ooh errr.. Muham..d has just topped the list of male newborns names in home of Torydom Merry ol’ Engerlund.. Wowsers!…” Jul 10, 04:40
What Rot on The Only Notes That Really Count: “I contributed, more than I could afford at the time, but I’ve got zero evidence now that I ever did.…” Jul 10, 03:08
Onlooker on The Only Notes That Really Count: “The only notes that really count…are the ones that come in wads. Indeed.” Jul 10, 02:07
Young Lochinvar on The Only Notes That Really Count: “Ooops! Meant to say: HMcH @ 8.52. Anyway it’s after his bedtime/ wing lockdown now anyhows.. Waiting for hung-over intemperate…” Jul 10, 02:06
Young Lochinvar on The Only Notes That Really Count: “HMcH Somehow I doubt Roddy feels particularly chastised by your wee piece of grandstanding.. Anyways peeps, happy birthday tomorrow to…” Jul 10, 01:48
Stuart Swanston on The Only Notes That Really Count: “Once the donors who had requested repayment had been refunded we must assume that that total subtracted from the grand…” Jul 10, 01:02
