Billions of years from now, when the Sun finally dies and expands to swallow and burn up the Earth in a final cataclysmic explosion, the very last thing to turn to dust and atoms will be Scottish Labour’s brass neck.
Coming from The Eternal Abstainers themselves that’s already quite a breathtakingly hypocritical claim, but if you look at last night’s results closely it gets a lot worse.
The breakdown data from last week’s vote on Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement:
ENGLAND: 266 MPs for, 256 MPs against (51%-49%) SCOTLAND: 13 for, 45 against (22%-78%) WALES: 6 for, 33 against (15%-85%) NORTHERN IRELAND: 1 for, 10 against (9%-91%)
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.
Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “James @ 9.51 “Shower of b8st8rds” is what yer looking for James..” May 3, 00:29
Mark Beggan on Seven Days Too Long: “Jesus loves you Geri but everyone else thinks you’re a nasty wee cunt.” May 2, 23:45
Mark Beggan on Seven Days Too Long: “He should have been shot.” May 2, 23:24
James on Seven Days Too Long: “What’s the collective noun for three unionist pricks in a row on a Scottish independence website? Is it “three pricks”?” May 2, 21:51
James on Seven Days Too Long: “You’re more of a “douche” I’d say….” May 2, 21:41
James on Seven Days Too Long: “Just close down “BBC Scotchland” : it’s all lies anyway….. but that won’t happen, will it?” May 2, 21:22
Bilbo on Seven Days Too Long: “You’ll go blind watching that stuff 🙂” May 2, 21:11
James on Seven Days Too Long: ““Second this comment from Confused.” Thirded. Funny eh, any time the ALLIANCE TO LIBERARE SCOTLAND gets mentioned there’s a pile…” May 2, 21:08
James on Seven Days Too Long: ““…I know little about Portugal….” You, sunshine, know little about anything.” May 2, 20:47
James on Seven Days Too Long: ““Alan M” – thanks but I’d rather have a health service. “John Main” – Away and take a flying fuck…” May 2, 20:40
Iain More on Seven Days Too Long: “Yet another Opinion Poll projecting an SNP majority. I dont get it. They have had virtually zero donations and the…” May 2, 20:22
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Seven Days Too Long: “‘SNP’S FERGUS EWING CLAIMS SIX CIVIL SERVANTS AND ADVISERS PLOTTED TO JAIL FORMER FIRST MINISTER ALEX SALMOND’ (By MIchael Blackley,…” May 2, 20:21
Towbar Sullivan on Seven Days Too Long: “Ballycogley Independent Orange Lodge will be taking part in the annual Orange March in Rossnowlagh on Saturday 11th of July.…” May 2, 20:16
Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “Beggars @ 2.46 Spaffed probably. At least there’s a court case pending (hopefully).. On the subject of wasted money, what…” May 2, 19:46
Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “Geri @ 1.31 Game set and match Geri! Just handed Hatey his fundamental on a platter 🙂 🙂 Brilliant! No…” May 2, 19:32
DeL G on Seven Days Too Long: “What a classic response! Thank you for your sympathy! It’s gone now. Either it vanished all by itself or stu…” May 2, 19:30
Bilbo on Seven Days Too Long: “O/T I see that the BBC is making cuts to it’s News operation but this is the part that interested…” May 2, 19:00
Alf Baird on Seven Days Too Long: “Aye, an whaur’s the £150 billion+ per year missin fae oor Scottish GDP, Mark? https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/03/19/the-real-economic-price-of-the-uk-union-for-scots/comment-page-1/” May 2, 18:00
Sven on Seven Days Too Long: “Geri @ 16.19. The vids I’ve seen show one cop & what I’m guessing is a Jewish security guy trying…” May 2, 17:23
Bilbo on Seven Days Too Long: “Geri. You are saying exactly what Polanski said. If you believe what you said is true, why did Polanski apologise…” May 2, 17:13
Bilbo on Seven Days Too Long: “I don’t see text links text links to predominantly sex websites when I look at this site. Sounds like your…” May 2, 16:50
twathater on Seven Days Too Long: “Fearghas I’m afraid I don’t share your enthusiasm about the integrity and honesty of Fergus Ewing , he along with…” May 2, 16:23
Geri on Seven Days Too Long: “Sven, Allegedly – they set about kicking him in the head AFTER he had already been incapacitated & tasered. What’s…” May 2, 16:19
100%Yes on Seven Days Too Long: “Goes anyone know if Dave Llewellyn has a YouTube I know he used to do Twa Auld Heids?” May 2, 15:50
Geri on Seven Days Too Long: “Cave Dweller Wot? Like Jean Charles de Menezes? Just brutal overkill by thugs acting “On a hunch” It’s documented fact…” May 2, 15:35
Captain Caveman on Seven Days Too Long: “@Sven I think most decent people think this guy deserved all he got and more; got off very lightly indeed.…” May 2, 14:50
Del G on Seven Days Too Long: “Why am I seeing the top of your home page with dozens of text links to predominantly sex websites?” May 2, 14:34
Sven on Seven Days Too Long: “I’d suspect there are better examples of police misbehaviour than this, Geri. I’m a bit prejudiced on this as I’ve…” May 2, 14:26
Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “Wonder why the MSN news is what it is today and who is pulling Starmers strings? Google: declassified uk for…” May 2, 14:13
Geri on Seven Days Too Long: ““They would have run you through, quick as look at you, and worried afterwards that perhaps they had defiled their…” May 2, 13:31
