The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Of no materiality 351

Posted on May 27, 2020 by

We’ve just learned that we’ve lost the appeal over our defamation by the then-Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale, when she repeatedly and publicly made the appalling, damaging and wholly untrue smear that I was a homophobe, even though the appeal judges all agreed with the original sheriff that the smear was false and defamatory.

But when it comes to deciding the verdict in a defamation case, it seems that the fact that absolutely everyone agrees I was definitely defamed is, to borrow a phrase from later in the judgement,“of no materiality”.

Read the rest of this entry →

Left to their own devices 156

Posted on May 26, 2020 by

We’ve received a response from the Scottish Government to our follow-up letter of last week regarding the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. It’s attached below.

Read the rest of this entry →

Is it safe? 784

Posted on May 23, 2020 by

Another problem solved 454

Posted on May 21, 2020 by

When the news isn’t news:

Lots of Scottish newspapers (most notably everything in the Herald And Times Group) had already ducked out of providing ABC figures at all, but this will be a godsend for the rest to save their growing embarrassment.

Wings readers can remember the pitiful state of the last published figures here.

Passing the buck 179

Posted on May 20, 2020 by

With commendable swiftness, we’ve received a reply to our letter of earlier this week to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice. You can read it in full below (click to enlarge).

Sadly, however, it’s precisely the sort of evasion we expected, and it is not acceptable.

Read the rest of this entry →

In the hands of others 121

Posted on May 20, 2020 by

On the 1st of January, Chinese authorities took the decision to close the Wuhan food market. The following day, 41 admitted hospital patients in Wuhan, were confirmed to have contracted 2019-nCoV (novel coronavirus) which we now know as COVID-19.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a New Year message, from the private island of Mustique in the Caribbean, that the “first item” on his agenda remained his commitment to take Britain out of the EU by the end of January.

Within weeks the virus had spread across the world to many countries including Italy, Germany, Australia, the USA and of course the UK.

Read the rest of this entry →

A bit of spot colour 141

Posted on May 19, 2020 by

We thought readers might be interested in a small update on yesterday’s post. As we told you, Graham Shields – the Head of Strategic Communications and Engagement at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service who fobbed off our complaint about newspapers enabling the identification of sexual assault accusers – was the editor of the Evening Times until he was let go in December 2017.

Which is just two months after this happened:

So you’d think that if anyone knew what jigsaw identification looked like, he would.

A letter to Humza Yousaf 305

Posted on May 18, 2020 by

As we still haven’t received any response from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, we sent this letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice today. Some passages have been redacted in accordance with contempt-of-court law.

We hope he’s listening.

Read the rest of this entry →

Blind pig finds truffle 194

Posted on May 17, 2020 by

In a shock finding that’s sure to provoke soul-searching and recriminations at SNP HQ, it appears that the Scottish Government actually has a new policy that’s backed by a majority of the Scottish public.

Honestly, we were as surprised as you.

Read the rest of this entry →

Token offerings 354

Posted on May 16, 2020 by

Image adjustment 142

Posted on May 15, 2020 by

We lost a few quid to Graham Linehan at poker this afternoon and we needed a wee bit of cheering up, so God bless the SNP Twitler Youth for coming to our rescue.

Okay, now we’re worried.

Read the rest of this entry →

Always keep in touch with your friends 304

Posted on May 15, 2020 by

As overt direct interference by unelected, unaccountable foreign media corporations in national politics continues to intensify, readers of Wings will be aware that it’s now considerably more difficult for us to even let you know when we have a new post up.

(Obviously this isn’t quite so much of an issue when we’re on holiday – which despite the flurry of activity in the last week or so we still officially are, since the coronavirus has knackered everything up and unavoidably delayed the decision we’d planned to make last month – but the general principle remains alarming.)

So here are some things you can do.

Read the rest of this entry →

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,900 Posts, 1,240,744 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • twathater on Binfire Of The Vanities: “@ Confused, there was also the case of the highly respected (hahaha) QC who it is alleged was involved in…May 5, 03:03
    • twathater on Binfire Of The Vanities: “@ YL , Cynicus , George Ferguson, I cannot understand the logic of voting for parties who have proven inumerable…May 5, 02:53
    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “C @ 12.29 Not voting SNP? Fine. Tactically voting for Unionists? Enjoy drinking the fruits of your self inflicted damnation..May 5, 01:19
    • Geri on Seven Days Too Long: “AI Dan is getting desperate clutching at straws now. He obviously didn’t bother to read Dan’s link where Stu gives…May 5, 00:37
    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I So you are apparently quite happy for us to be sh8gged by one lot but not the other? Kind…May 5, 00:36
    • Cynicus on Binfire Of The Vanities: “George Ferguson says: 4 May, 2026 at 8:04 pm “I don’t see a vote against the SNP as a right…May 5, 00:29
    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “A Civil disobedience I’m afraid is the only answer when the democratic process is so obviously blocked. Whether people have…May 5, 00:17
    • Cynicus on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Hold your nose and LEND your vote to the party most likely to beat the SNP. #No Votes SNPMay 5, 00:13
    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “BB “Nowt”.. Nowt? Nowt?? Hmmmm.. Eeee bah goom! Anyway, have you stopped to actually listen to so much of the…May 5, 00:07
    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Agreed Alf. That’s the gut change that’s needed. George, sorry brother but small as it’ll start, or if something else…May 4, 23:50
    • Confused on Binfire Of The Vanities: “in every other place with Dhondt there emerges 2 sets of parties and people vote tactically; the shiteness of the…May 4, 23:31
    • Angus on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Scotland will never achieve independence “democratically” as long as politicians are in charge. The SNP, still viewed as the independence…May 4, 23:08
    • George Ferguson on Binfire Of The Vanities: “@Alf Baird I am well past the stage of voting for Alliance Scotland. Don’t you think I have done the…May 4, 22:19
    • Aidan on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Well at least if they’re Sun readers they can read so that’s Sun 1 James 0May 4, 22:13
    • Ian on Binfire Of The Vanities: “It’s all down to the SNP. With a competent party the support for independence would be higher. So for many…May 4, 21:38
    • Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““I don’t see a vote against the SNP as a right wing vote.” I see it as an anti-woke vote,…May 4, 21:07
    • BroughtyBoy on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Jeezo, you’ve really learnt nothing from last 10 years Iain have you? Shrieking “Nazi !” at folk you disagree with…May 4, 21:03
    • Bilbo on Binfire Of The Vanities: “As always, the only poll that matters in the one on election day. There is a far too many reasons…May 4, 20:47
    • Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: “That implies there are some 35% of voters with a non Scottish-only identity, which is significant. In addition, as the…May 4, 20:42
    • George Ferguson on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I don’t see a vote against the SNP as a right wing vote. Based on their record. Still a 20%…May 4, 20:04
    • Bilbo on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I’ve had the misfortune to have to sit through it many a time on YouTube until I figured out how…May 4, 20:03
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Did you read past the first paragraph? FFS.May 4, 19:55
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Oh do shush.May 4, 19:55
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “The (notional) left is going to win the election, though.May 4, 19:54
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Tory and Reform voters both think that, though.May 4, 19:53
    • Dunter on Binfire Of The Vanities: “I’ve completed polls for both YouGov and Survation in the past week, both on voting intentions (Yes/HR intentions)/leaders’ performance/current issues.…May 4, 19:39
    • Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Yea see James is more like a drunk piss soaked homeless guy who keeps bothering people for change at a…May 4, 19:09
    • 100%Yes on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Reform will look after England its the SNP who ruined Scotland.May 4, 19:07
    • 100%Yes on Binfire Of The Vanities: “If the SNP and MFI hadn’t rigged humza to be leader of the SNP and Forbes had won and she…May 4, 19:05
    • Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Beggars Aye very good bumpkin.. It’s being so cheerie that keeps ye going eh Adolf..May 4, 18:56
  • A tall tale



↑ Top