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Wings Over Scotland


Our problems and how to solve them 357

Posted on March 05, 2018 by

As the winter Scottish political news drought enters its 17th week, mainstream and alternative media commentators alike are scratching around desperately for anything to write about, which tends to end up in overlong reflective and/or hectoring essays about how to secure independence, invariably concluding that what we need is for everyone in Scotland to start thinking and acting exactly like the author of the article.

We’re going to aim for something a bit shorter and more practical, at least.

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The uninvited 493

Posted on March 03, 2018 by

The terrible burden of volatility 595

Posted on March 01, 2018 by

What you’re missing:

That’s a single year’s profits. For a bit of perspective, it’s about four times the Scottish Government’s entire annual budget. Thank goodness we’ve had Westminster to manage our resources for us all this time, eh?

Here come the monsters again 472

Posted on February 27, 2018 by

If you’re a person (unemployed or working) subsisting via state welfare in the UK, there can be no more genuinely, blood-runs-cold, terrifying phrase in the English language than a Tory saying they’ve come up with “fresh thinking” on poverty and benefits.

Because – and if you’re only going to trust us on one thing in your life, trust us on this – it never, ever means your life’s about to get better.

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Yet another metaphor 236

Posted on February 26, 2018 by

…for the relationship between the four “partner” nations of the UK presented itself at the weekend when BBC anchorman John Inverdale asked the Scottish rugby pundit and former international Andy Nicol “what does this do for self-belief from a Scottish perspective, Andy?”

Which was clearly pretty ironic in itself:

But alert readers may recall how that “epitome of Better Together” worked out.

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The tunes of glory 228

Posted on February 25, 2018 by

After Scotland’s rugby team sent proud Edward (Jones)’s army homeward with some well-skelped erses from Murrayfield yesterday, it seemed like an opportune moment to reflect on this from just 12 years ago.

The full story is below.

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The tea party 151

Posted on February 24, 2018 by

The makings of a deal 374

Posted on February 22, 2018 by

A timely reminder about how much 85% of British people (or to put that another way, English people) really value the rest of the UK.

“Lead us, Scotland, don’t leave us!” is going to be a pretty hard sell next time.

From the archives #8 156

Posted on February 21, 2018 by

It’s still thin, thin gruel for Scottish politics in the press – everyone’s desperately trying to pretend income tax is a story again today – so while we do some research it’s back to the vaults for more ironic historical chuckles we go.

Foote replaced by Dick 455

Posted on February 19, 2018 by

Last week, just a day after we highlighted the disastrous sales collapse of the Daily Record during almost certainly the most tumultuous and eventful seven-year period in Scotland’s peacetime history, the paper’s editor-in-chief Murray Foote apparently took the Scottish newspaper industry by surprise by suddenly resigning his position.

(We’re sure, incidentally, this is entirely unconnected with the recent advertising of some senior media vacancies in Scottish Labour.)

Rival hacks dutifully issued a series of glowing tweets about what a smashing guy Foote was and how much he’d improved the paper during his 27-year tenure there in various positions, most recently editor-in-chief, group editor and deputy editor.

So even though Foote accused this site of “debasing public life” with “sewage politics, conspiracy theories, hatred and paranoia” when we forced his paper to reluctantly and belatedly correct a massive front-page lie, we thought we’d join in the salutes.

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Really smart and very stable 290

Posted on February 17, 2018 by

The seven-year ditch 266

Posted on February 15, 2018 by

Presented without comment, covering a period of THREE major national referendums, EIGHT elections (UK, Scottish, EU, council) and of course the death of Rangers.

What we’re saying is, it’s not like there wasn’t any news.

(Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

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    • James on Vibecoding A Better World: “But Adrian, as anyone above the age of 6 reading ony of your posts can tell – you lack ony…” Nov 6, 15:40
    • James on Vibecoding A Better World: ““Prick”.” Nov 6, 15:37
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Well Sam, we can look at several factors. The insistence on alignment with the myriad of EU rules, despite being…” Nov 6, 14:41
    • MaryB on Vibecoding A Better World: “Robin is behaving according to Alf’s thesis, as part of the middle class political class who, like the SNP, are…” Nov 6, 14:34
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Ah, so you’re retired then. Or semi? That explains the amount of time you waste on here and why you’re…” Nov 6, 14:24
    • James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “Agentx, May I refer you to The Law Society of Scotland of ratification of the 1707 treaty of union being…” Nov 6, 14:03
    • 100%Yes on Vibecoding A Better World: “I’ve said for a long time that their are individuals within the YES/Independence movement more interested in Money than the…” Nov 6, 13:47
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: ““he’s not daft” Crivens! Where could this possibly lead us if we but had the courage to follow? “it doesn’t…” Nov 6, 13:02
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Very wise, MH. Too much risk of encountering a muckle, bearded loon self-identifying as a spoon. I’d be a bit…” Nov 6, 12:49
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Cheers Spartan. My lowly spirits are always uplifted when somebody as important and busy as you takes time out of…” Nov 6, 12:40
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “So true, Mary. Robin needs to extend the olive branch to Lavrov. Maybe praise him as a peacemaker? Perhaps that…” Nov 6, 12:32
    • sarah on Vibecoding A Better World: “Thanks for the heads-up, MaryB. Robin’s attitude is inexplicable – he’s not daft and he is pro-independence so why criticise…” Nov 6, 12:25
    • Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: “Indeed, Spartan, we are agreed once again. Like you no doubt, if there’s one thing I cannot stand, it is…” Nov 6, 11:40
    • MaryB on Vibecoding A Better World: “Now on Salvo and Liberation Scotland Facebook.” Nov 6, 11:37
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Don’t forget Stormont, which has the full 5 Bananas rating on the Banana Republic scale. While we’re at it, the…” Nov 6, 11:26
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “Agreed CC. The Dutch model is the most workable and with the best outcomes. The US is great if you…” Nov 6, 11:23
    • Spartan 117 on Vibecoding A Better World: “No Hatey, I’m not in a strop thanks. Much more important things to worry about than what some random on…” Nov 6, 11:18
    • agentx on Vibecoding A Better World: “The Ratification Timeline The political process that legally bound the two nations followed a specific sequence: • 22 July 1706:…” Nov 6, 11:05
    • Minceheid on Vibecoding A Better World: “Hatey McHateface says: 5 November, 2026 at 8:55 am I see nothing stopping “muesli eater” becoming a valid, protected identity…” Nov 6, 10:30
    • James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “One would surmise seeing as there is NO treaty of Union between the old parliament of Scotland and the parliament…” Nov 6, 10:19
    • MaryB on Vibecoding A Better World: “There’s a very good debate hosted by The National (maybe someone could put up the link), between Robin McAlpine and…” Nov 6, 10:14
    • James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “The parliament of Great Britain as a new created united state could only come into being for its projected conclusion…” Nov 6, 09:51
    • Captain Caveman on Vibecoding A Better World: “The NHS really does serve to demonstrate to the establishment of the world: “This is how NOT to do universal…” Nov 6, 09:39
    • James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “As stated many times, Scotlands old parliament, never agreed or entered a 1st May 1707 treaty of Union with the…” Nov 6, 09:21
    • James Che on Vibecoding A Better World: “North Code, Then narrative is that the Scottish parliament was closed, ended, made void, dissolved, Sine Die, on the 28th…” Nov 6, 09:11
    • Knuckle_Heid on Vibecoding A Better World: “I didn’t see that Frank and what a shower they are in HR, awarding themselves way above inflation pay rises…” Nov 6, 08:36
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “The NHS, being a supertanker of a monolithic institution, is always going to be behind the trend. The actual, real-time…” Nov 6, 08:21
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “Quick! Send more money. There’s a few in various parts of the world could tell you what real state threats…” Nov 6, 08:05
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Vibecoding A Better World: “NHS SQUANDERING MILLIONS ON SEX-SWAP SURGERIES NHS England has spent over £5 million this past year on mastectomies for gender-confused…” Nov 6, 00:00
    • Hatey McHateface on Vibecoding A Better World: “There’s plenty of speculation that Harris intends to stand for nomination as presidential candidate for 2028. So if you’re opening…” Nov 5, 23:49
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