Normally when I go back to Bath after spending time in Scotland, it’s with a mixture of sadness and happiness, because – usually after a delightful but exhausting round of racing around working and catching up with family and old pals – I’m returning to the place where I’ve made my life, where most of my friends and familiar comforts reside.
This time it feels different.
Because I don’t think I’ve ever been this scared for Scotland before.
Last night’s farce in the House Of Commons, where MPs rejected in turn every single possible Brexit option and variant thereof, perfectly encapsulated the ridiculous state of British politics and may well have scuppered any chance of avoiding a no-deal Brexit, because the EU’s terms for a longer Article 50 extension than April 12 were that the UK presented a clear and achievable plan.
But who ultimately sank the plans for either a softer Brexit or a second referendum?
Well, hopefully there won’t be too much of that, as we’ve got a sitter in to keep the Separats in check while we’re away. But activity on Wings will probably be a little sparse over the next few days, for hopefully-obvious reasons.
There’s a limit on how much we’ll be able to say about the case, and chances to post on the site will be restricted in general, but we’ll try to keep on top of any important events. Normal service will be resumed ASAP. In the meantime, behave yourselves.
Wings Over Scotland isn’t the only website dedicated to scrutinising the truthfulness of things claimed by politicians and media pundits. There’s the widely-respected and diligent FullFact.org, there’s Scotland’s own The Ferret, and there’s the BBC’s Reality Check (which frequently takes the more unconventional approach of, er, not making a finding either way about what the reality of things is).
And then there’s Channel 4’s FactCheck, which we’re going to generously assume had a liquid lunch yesterday and was a little under the weather.
Because not only is the conclusion that it reached on the subject of an independent Scotland having to use the Euro utter nonsense that’s been debunked roughly 1000 times in the last six years, it doesn’t even agree with itself.
This was the Scottish Tories two years ago, when Scotland’s economy registered a small downturn for a single quarter, which was definitely the SNP’s fault:
Shall we find out what actually happened, readers?
Several media outlets today relate a story from BBC Scotland’s fascinating three-part documentary of the indyref, revealing that secret UK government polling in the first week of September 2014 gave Yes a lead even bigger than the famous 51-49 one published by the Sunday Times on the 7th.
And naturally we couldn’t help wondering what might have caused it.
Dr Craig Dalzell of the Common Weal is a very sharp guy we’ve run several pieces by on Wings, and he’s currently appearing all over the place with a highly accessible and concise explanation of how an independent Scotland could sensibly run its economy.
If you haven’t been able to make it out to see him, a quiet Sunday might be an ideal time to catch up with it.
So, some official and very brief Wings analysis, because we just watched an army of pundits on the TV all missing the bleeding obvious and talking as if a delay to Brexit was now a done deal.
After tonight’s series of votes in the Commons, all five of which were technically won by Theresa May, there are three possible outcomes. Let’s whizz through them all.
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “Re. My previous inexcusably intemperate post. May I obsequiously and regretfully add the correction that references to “Brown people” meant…” Mar 13, 02:18
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “Yup MB It’s just so much more civilised that the “chaps” just blow up the camel jockeys, mullahs and stupid…” Mar 13, 01:59
Cynicus on Looking up at the stars: “Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh says: 12 March, 2026 at 7:26 pm “Peers backed the change by 227 votes to 221” ===== Well…” Mar 13, 01:31
Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “Right Hatey Bin Hateful Stop invading countries right now and Give that stuff back. Geri as your a self confessed…” Mar 13, 00:31
Iain More on Looking up at the stars: “Now i hear that the toxic Kaye Adams was removed from the BBC following alleged misconduct complaint against her. Several…” Mar 13, 00:23
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “HMcH Yawn.. An oath made under duress of unemployment in an area devastated by HMs psychotic government is no oath…” Mar 12, 23:26
robertkknight on Looking up at the stars: “Taxi for Swinney with G4S on the side would be nice…” Mar 12, 22:27
Iain More on Looking up at the stars: “So the SNP SG continues to drag its heels over releasing the dirt on MI6 Agent Sturgeon. Taxi for Swinney…” Mar 12, 22:24
Geri on Looking up at the stars: ““People are going to lose $trillions in wealth” Says the American on the telly. “Trump needs to get on the…” Mar 12, 22:10
Geri on Looking up at the stars: “Stop talking utter shite. It’s Westerners who are squatting all over the ME & Asia Pacific. Military bases everywhere &…” Mar 12, 21:30
Geri on Looking up at the stars: ““What can take it’s place. Well my answer to that is nothing will take it’s place. ” A vacuum will…” Mar 12, 21:14
Northcode on Looking up at the stars: “James, you are one of those ‘fortunate’ Scots who sees the truth of Scotland’s relationship with England and has broken…” Mar 12, 21:11
Northcode on Looking up at the stars: ““…we don’t even have our own academics of anti-colonialism.” There’s a Scottish academic who goes by the name of Professor…” Mar 12, 21:05
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “One interesting side effect of the opening of World War 3’s third offensive front is seeing all those maps of…” Mar 12, 20:54
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Bet Wilson is white and thus an easy target for two-tier justice.” Mar 12, 20:42
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Irony of ironies, Alf. We’re so colonised, we don’t even have our own academics of anti-colonialism. We have to import…” Mar 12, 20:37
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Looks like James has the sock puppets. But considering what he’s been doing in them, best await an offer from…” Mar 12, 20:25
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Dodged the questions again, Alf. Entirely expected, but don’t kid yourself the alert readers don’t notice.” Mar 12, 20:20
agentx on Looking up at the stars: ““A mother-of-10 who kept a vulnerable woman captive as a slave for 25 years has been jailed for 13 years.…” Mar 12, 20:20
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Fact has it that you’re a man whose word can’t be trusted. Someone who swears an oath of fealty. Then…” Mar 12, 20:13
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Whatever we Scots have achieved, Northy, it’s fuck all to do with you. You’re a Pict. An untermensch. We Scots…” Mar 12, 20:03
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: ““We’ve only had one vote and we voted yes” Don’t you just hate it when commoners adopt the royal we?…” Mar 12, 19:59
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Looking up at the stars: “PEERS VOTE TO GO BEYOND GOVT’S PLEDGE TO END NON-CRIME HATE INCIDENTS The House of Lords has voted to strengthen…” Mar 12, 19:26
James Che on Looking up at the stars: “Northcode, Three hundred years and more of conditioning has to have had an effect on the people of Scotland, Goodness…” Mar 12, 19:06
Sven on Looking up at the stars: “Diabloandco @ 15.55. He did indeed, D & Co, in the (very) late 1700s. His statue stands outside the establishment,…” Mar 12, 19:00
James Che on Looking up at the stars: “Factchecker, You are right of course, the Scottish people have to attain the will to wake up first, prior to…” Mar 12, 18:48
James on Looking up at the stars: “Apologies, Geri, but I’ve got to correct you there; it’s not “rubbish” the site Prick babbles 24/7, but pure, unadulterated…” Mar 12, 18:46
James Che on Looking up at the stars: “Mark Beggan, The age of aquarius is supposed to be the age of enlightenment, so its said, when truths are…” Mar 12, 18:32
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “James Rumour is that Hatey likes Dickens, just not on the first date! Allegedly..” Mar 12, 18:31
