This article is the only thing Wings is going to say about the COVID-19 crisis, because (a) we’re on holiday, (b) it has very little to do with Scottish politics, and (c) we’re not virologists and have no expertise to offer.
But in so far as we have some sort of reach and to some extent people listen to us, and we don’t want any of you to die, here’s a small plea for all our sakes.
Today a mostly-female jury drawn from the most Unionist city in Scotland and directed by a female judge delivered the only verdict it was credibly possible to reach on the (total absence of) evidence before it: that Alex Salmond was not guilty of any crime.
After two weeks hearing an assortment of lurid allegations from former friends and colleagues hidden behind cloaks of public anonymity, the jury – having been advised by the prosecuting counsel that they were the sole arbiters of fact – decided that there was no truth to them.
Since the two most serious charges, in particular, were both matters of the accuser’s word against that of the accused, and the two parties gave completely irreconcilable accounts of the facts (rather than competing interpretations of agreed events), it can only be the case that one side was lying absolutely, and the jury decided that it was the anonymous accusers who were doing so.
It remains to see whether there will be a legal reckoning for those lies. But more than one sort of reckoning will surely follow from these events.
There are now exactly two weeks remaining of the Scottish Government’s second fake “consultation” into its proposed reforms to gender law.
We say “fake” not out of cynicism or mad paranoia, but because the cabinet minister responsible for the reforms has already made it explicitly, publicly and repeatedly clear that she intends to press ahead with them regardless of the responses, and that the only purpose of the “consultation” is to try to persuade people to agree with them.
Shirley-Anne Somerville reiterated this position just days ago, telling Scotland Tonight that she was “absolutely determined” to enact the bill and only interested in silencing opposition and removing any “medicalisation” of the process of gender transition.
While the Scottish Government has met literally hundreds of times with transactivist groups with regard to the reforms, it has refused to meet women’s groups critical of them, and frequently lied about that refusal.
The consultation document and the draft bill leave enormous logical and legislative gaps which are likely to cause untold chaos if the reforms are implemented. The Scottish Government has apparently learned nothing from the shambolic fiascos around the Offensive Behaviour (Football) Act and Named Person legislation, both of which have collapsed despite widespread public support – something the proposed gender reforms emphatically do NOT enjoy.
We’re obliged for the sake of sanity to assume that at some point the First Minister, the Cabinet Secretary or both will have to undertake at least one proper interview on the subject of these extremely serious and potentially catastrophic proposals.
For the consideration of whoever may conduct these interviews, we submit below some questions which a very considerable number of people in Scotland – primarily but by no means exclusively women, and encompassing a majority of every political and social demographic – urgently want answered.
A few weeks ago when we said Wings was going to take a break for a bit, we also said “There may be posts now and then if something particularly significant happens”. Well, this week something particularly significant happened.
It was a development that we’d been predicting ever since Boris Johnson became UK Prime Minister, but it’s no less important for that. And it’s not an exaggeration to say that it could be the deciding factor in whether Scotland becomes independent.
Captain Caveman on A Long Hard Think: “‘Ferries procurement’ comes to mind. Well, if your entire government – and bloated Civil Service – is filled to the…” Sep 12, 14:32
Marie on A Long Hard Think: “@chas 11.41am – 300 years is nothing. Absolutely nothing. And yes, the colonial authorities did destroy documentation relating to their…” Sep 12, 14:28
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on A Long Hard Think: “Many thanks to Prof Alf Baird for this presentation: THE COST OF COLONIALISM (5 Sept 2026) www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnfqeZr-2fU” Sep 12, 14:24
100%Yes on A Long Hard Think: “Please have a look at the link below, your be amazed at the shit that’s happening in Scotland. https://www.isp.scot/september-5th-september-11th-2026/” Sep 12, 13:47
Knuckle_Heid on A Long Hard Think: “Kind of related to Stu’s headline story – on 14th of July (almost two months ago) David Hendry & Sean…” Sep 12, 12:35
Knuckle_Heid on A Long Hard Think: “Very interesting Willie, I read Robin McAlpines articles about the Standards Commission / Fiona Higgins case and was appalled at…” Sep 12, 12:28
Alf Baird on A Long Hard Think: ““There really are jobs that take years, even decades, of experience to master” That’s a valid point, Hatey. ‘Ferries procurement’…” Sep 12, 12:00
Confused on A Long Hard Think: “everyone else is doing it, why don’t we https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/09/12/trump-united-ireland-would-be-a-great-thing/ trump, at the very least, doesn’t give a fuck about england.…” Sep 12, 11:53
willie on A Long Hard Think: “Interesting how on his visit to Ireland that President Trump said he thought a united Ireland would be a good…” Sep 12, 11:45
Chas on A Long Hard Think: “Yep. 300+ years will be wiped out because professor crank says so. Of course, with some help from some dubious…” Sep 12, 11:41
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: “Fair enough, Alf, post-Indy everybody currently running Scotland will flee to London as predicted by the post colonial boys. Does…” Sep 12, 11:32
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: ““Scotland’s people are closer to ending the UK ‘union’ hoax than many think” That will undoubtedly rely on a personalised…” Sep 12, 11:16
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: ““you’re the wings champion” Shucks, I’m welling up here. Tell you what, Dave, if you post another after this one…” Sep 12, 11:05
Alf Baird on A Long Hard Think: ““if we’d voted Yes in 2014, although even the most cursory thought would tell us it would be much the…” Sep 12, 10:30
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: “Anarcho tyranny and neo feudalism are two of the terms being used to describe the state of affairs we see.…” Sep 12, 10:23
DaveL on A Long Hard Think: “…don’t stop there! Last word, come on you can do it. We all know you can do it, you’re the…” Sep 12, 10:18
DaveL on A Long Hard Think: “Ten twenty and more at a time soon mounts up but you know better eh. Any idea what the service…” Sep 12, 10:12
Alf Baird on A Long Hard Think: ““burning down the court house records to protect the guilty” was, according to Prof Elkins, a rather common feature in…” Sep 12, 10:11
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: ““You’re just to thick and gobby for your own good” Aha! The Baton of Erudition has been recovered and is…” Sep 12, 10:00
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: “I absolutely and categorically believe with every fiber of my being that “ten, twenty or more” isn’t “thousands”. Just as…” Sep 12, 09:51
Spartan 117 on A Long Hard Think: “Good post. Your second paragraph accurately sums up the current state of the whole of the UK. We are ruled…” Sep 12, 09:39
Spartan 117 on A Long Hard Think: “It’s not hard to imagine Chas as that’s exactly what we have at present.” Sep 12, 09:30
DaveL on A Long Hard Think: “The reasoning is quite simple and easy to see. People the police like are left alone to do as they…” Sep 12, 09:25
DaveL on A Long Hard Think: “Do you think that when ten, twenty or more people lifted at a time on ‘terrorism’ charges get to wait…” Sep 12, 09:13
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: “If you don’t want anybody to be investigated and possibly penalised for the missing money and goods, twathater, just say…” Sep 12, 08:36
twathater on A Long Hard Think: “AND let us also not FORGET Robert Corruption. This sorry excuse for a country, governed by the corrupt for the…” Sep 12, 03:12
twathater on A Long Hard Think: ““That is the UK Gov taking action because the Scottish Gov will not!” Correct. By far the most significant development…” Sep 12, 03:05
Willie on A Long Hard Think: “And meanwhile how many people know that the ‘ Kangaroo court ” they call the Standards Commission Scotland has changed…” Sep 12, 01:05
Andrew Morton on A Long Hard Think: “Obvious, innit? The items in her possession are presumably the ones removed from the charge sheet. As they aren’t the…” Sep 12, 00:28
Lorncal on A Long Hard Think: “Must admit that this is something that I did think about initially, but, now, I don’t care. All I want…” Sep 11, 23:14
