In this site’s view, the proposed new employee-parking levy which the 2019 budget will enable local authorities to implement if they choose to – but which is in no sense being imposed on anyone by the SNP, who don’t have a majority on a single Scottish council – is a pretty rotten idea, which will do nothing to combat climate change or congestion and will punish ordinary workers purely to make Greens feel important, but that’s neither here nor there. Councils can answer to voters if they use it.
What we’re a lot more worried about is the rampant Zimbabwe-style hyper-inflation that’s apparently running wild across Scotland, at least if you listen to Olympic-grade imbecile Jamie Greene MSP.
That was at 10.18 yesterday morning. But by halfway through lunchtime the situation had become far more serious.
We had an interesting exchange with Scottish Labour MP Paul Sweeney this week on the deathless lie that is the “fiscal transfer” – the £10bn or so that Unionists rather startlingly insist the rest of the UK generously donates to Scotland every year out of the goodness of its heart, just for the pleasure of our company.
As you can see, the debate was of a high intellectual standard.
Last night we observed the considerable statistical difficulty involved in getting to speak on the BBC’s flagship political debate show Question Time not just once, or even twice, but THREE times, and the remarkable ease with which shouty sectarian UKIP and Loyalist bigot Billy Mitchell has achieved it.
But readers, we’re afraid we must acknowledge a rare factual inaccuracy on Wings Over Scotland. Because he’s actually been on it at least FOUR times.
And the odds against that happening by chance are really quite something.
It was comment-worthy because it’s actually quite a feat to get on Question Time twice. The audience is vetted on numerous grounds and the show deliberately discriminates against people who’ve previously come through the heavily-oversubscribed ballot, so that the widest possible range of voices get a chance to be heard.
So the odds of not only getting on twice but then being selected to speak twice are extremely long – an absolute minimum of 1,000 to 1 depending on the size of the venue. The chances of managing it three times are astronomical.
So we tip our hats to Eileen from Glasgow tonight.
Alert readers will recall that earlier today we conducted one of our regular context checks for statistics misleadingly-incompletely reported in the Scottish press. But while those are like shooting fish in a barrel, there’s one thing that’s an even more reliable open goal for the website editor looking for content in a slow news week.
Ladies and gentlemen, once again we give you… Scottish Labour.
There’s absolutely nothing that happens in Scotland that Scottish Labour are happy with. Day in and day out they can be found putting the bleakest possible spin on any statistic for a dwindling audience of diehard supporters and Scottish journalists.
Something bad happened? SCOTLAND IS TERRIBLE AND IT’S ALL THE SNP’S FAULT. Something good happened? IT WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH AND IT’S ALL THE SNP’S FAULT. And the solution is always the same: let Labour run things.
As readers will have come to expect, the article is entirely free of any figures by which readers could gauge whether 1000 was a high number or not. So as usual, we’ll have to do it for them.
This is Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald on today’s Andrew Marr show:
While she doesn’t say so explicitly, McDonald appears to strongly imply that the SNP’s MPs would be as well to boycott the UK Parliament, as Sinn Fein’s have always done.
Dan on The value bet: “AIdan says:”I’d guess this is all a bit of a game for you since you spend 100% of your time…” May 7, 12:51
Confused on Pick Your Poison: “Then theres the nutter parties – an abolish holyrood party (I appreciate the sentiment but – do you really think…” May 7, 12:50
Confused on Pick Your Poison: “ERECTION DAY on telly last night john curtice does not look well; the poor man looks like a cadaver what…” May 7, 12:46
Geri on Pick Your Poison: “Reform will fix nothing on immigration. That’s a global elite problem & we don’t get a vote on them. &…” May 7, 12:45
Cynicus on Pick Your Poison: “#No Votes SNP Zero For any Swinney bonehead reading this, BOTH -2 equals zero” May 7, 12:43
Geri on Pick Your Poison: “Yes. It lets them know they were rejected. They’re still counted. Not bothering to vote at all let’s them know…” May 7, 12:34
Cuphook on Pick Your Poison: “The main stimulus for voting Reform is immigration, specifically Muslim immigration. This is why I think that their vote will…” May 7, 12:22
Marie on Pick Your Poison: “Don’t know what to do about the candidate paper. They’re all bought/captured/owned by external actors. What’s the point? May vote…” May 7, 12:21
Northcode on Pick Your Poison: “Voting advice for a people seeking their liberation from an imperial coloniZer. Indigenous, liberty-seeking Scots should NOT vote – UNDER…” May 7, 12:20
Aidan on The value bet: “Not you James, you aren’t capable of understanding a subject like GERS and you’re too stubborn to try. Thankfully you’re…” May 7, 12:16
Cuphook on Pick Your Poison: “You seriously think any politician appreciates the nobility of your spoilt ballot?” May 7, 12:13
James on The value bet: “Wilma’s mates in the 77th doing the postal count again this time? Or is that just referendums?” May 7, 12:13
James on The value bet: “Doesn’t do irony either, it seems. Another poxy unionist warmongering troll. But nicely shot down in flames. Again. Never learns.…” May 7, 12:10
James on The value bet: “Should we all seek out your truthful “GERS” bible, charlatan man? You are nothing but a colonial snake oil salesman;…” May 7, 12:04
lothianlad on Pick Your Poison: “Sturgeon and the Brit infested SNP leadership have done a job at stiffling the independence movement. The New parcel of…” May 7, 12:00
Colin Alexander on Pick Your Poison: “I won’t be voting on the candidate voting paper. But Tommy Sheridan is top nominee for the Alliance To Liberate…” May 7, 11:59
sam on Pick Your Poison: “Hi Sven, In East Lothian where I am I see a large turnout of the elderly, including a frail 90…” May 7, 11:58
100%Yes on Pick Your Poison: “Sven, Same where I live, looking on the TV their doesn’t seem to be large turn out for the SNP…” May 7, 11:53
Bilbo on Pick Your Poison: “If Reform does do well today, IMHO I think it is more to do with general dissatisfaction where every part…” May 7, 11:50
James on The value bet: “Up early, Adrian? Must be cauld in that curryvan. You should do some spooning.” May 7, 11:47
Aidan on The value bet: ““R” is a good option if you don’t value things like liberty and freedom of expression. It’s really sad that…” May 7, 11:41
Geri on Pick Your Poison: “Cuphook Go & spoil yer constituency ballot & vote Alliance on the Regional list. If yer still indy, that is.…” May 7, 11:33
Aidan on The value bet: “If an accurate summary of Craig Murray’s blog is “tarnishing” then that speaks volumes doesn’t it Dan. Is Craig not…” May 7, 11:28
Cuphook on Pick Your Poison: “I think Reform will do better than expected. Their voters are more motivated. I spent two years campaigning full-time during…” May 7, 11:16
Northcode on The value bet: “” Unless you were standing under another name you weren’t on my ballots.” My name is Legion, for we are…” May 7, 11:16
Sven on Pick Your Poison: “No Party workers in evidence where I cast my votes this morning, 100%. So, no exit poll here. We’ve not…” May 7, 11:14
Sven on The value bet: “Just cast my two votes, Northy. Unless you were standing under another name you weren’t on my ballots, or I’d…” May 7, 11:04
Captain Caveman on Seven Days Too Long: “Ha! What’s that Scots expression? “Telt”” May 7, 10:56
Dan on Pick Your Poison: “Re-posting this info on voting options in specific areas. 1st vote: Constituencies. https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/sp.c.2026-05-07/scottish-parliament-elections-constituencies/ 2nd vote: Regions. https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/sp.r.2026-05-07/scottish-parliament-elections-regions/” May 7, 10:56
KOF on Binfire Of The Vanities: “With respect, this is Satan’s Little Season and you are a fool for listening to men. Belieive in Jesus and…” May 7, 10:56
