Readers may be aware that Wings Over Scotland is (fairly remarkably, really) the UK’s second-most-read politics blog, behind the hardcore right-wing “Guido Fawkes”.
Our “competitor” isn’t a site we look at a lot – the comments make the Daily Mail readership seem like enlightened and thoughtful moderates – but last week someone asked us about a smear piece they’d run on SNP MP Corri Wilson, and we only just remembered today to check it out. Our initial findings weren’t well received.
It seems that Mr Fawkes and his minions aren’t too keen on scrutiny themselves.
Ever since Scottish Daily Mail political editor Alan Roden jumped ship to go and rearrange the deckchairs for Labour, his former paper has very noticeably toned down its hysterical “SNP BAD” content. We can go through the Mail for days on end now without finding some ludicrously distorted misrepresentation or screaming outrage piece about how a Nat MP found 20p down the back of their sofa without declaring it to HMRC or such.
But we suppose that it’ll at least be bleakly funny, whenever the second independence referendum comes round, watching Labour try to sell a vote for the UK as a vote for internationalist brotherhood and solidarity.
To be honest, readers, we gave up on taking any notice of David Torrance‘s mundane attempts at trolling in the Herald some time ago. But some alert readers pointed us towards this week’s column, suggesting that it was a bald rewriting of history some way beyond their usual bland irritancy.
This was the passage they objected to:
It’s a patronising piece of “shut up and eat your cereal” condescension for sure. But to be fair to Torrance, it does also happen to be true. Wait, not true. The other thing.
The starting pistol hasn’t actually been fired on the two-year Brexit process yet, but now we have a clear statement of when it will be: this morning on The Andrew Marr Show, the Prime Minister pledged that it would happen before the end of next March.
(We might end up broke, in other words, but at least we’ll be good old British broke, with none of those awful smelly foreign Euro-Johnnies around to see it.)
And nobody was getting a sick note.
And for supporters of independence, that’s about as good as news gets.
The Daily Telegraph just released a video called “100 Reasons Why Brexit Was A Good Thing”. It listed them to a soundtrack of “Jerusalem”, the same song that closed the Labour Party conference earlier this week with its stirring ode to just one of the four nations of the United Kingdom.
We’ve saved a few of the highlights below, just in case the Telegraph should delete the video in a fit of sanity. We’ve also added one fake one. See if you can spot it.
Low-wattage Labour list MSP Neil Findlay (rejected by the electorate of Almond Valley by a thumping 8,393 votes in May) puffed himself up to maximum socialism this week and attacked the SNP’s rather more popular Paisley MP Mhairi Black over a Scottish Daily Express story about travel expenses.
It might have been an idea if he’d read the piece all the way to the end.
Ian on The Pit Of Vipers: “Margaret Thatcher’s government famously attempted to ban Spycatcher (1987), a memoir by former MI5 officer Peter Wright that alleged illegal…” Apr 19, 17:46
George Ferguson on The Pit Of Vipers: “@Sarah I was in Dundee at the time. I distributed the wee blue book during the Independence Campaign. Dundee delivered…” Apr 19, 17:39
GM on The Pit Of Vipers: “Starting with Sturgeon, dozens of these repulsive individuals should be facing charges and certain jail terms. It is obvious that…” Apr 19, 17:39
Confused on The Pit Of Vipers: “cultured Prime of Miss Jean Brodie reference …” Apr 19, 17:34
Morgatron on The Pit Of Vipers: “I can’t wait for the day everyone of these bastards are named and held accountable in a court of law.…” Apr 19, 17:32
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Pit Of Vipers: “CHANNEL 4 NEWS Alex Salmond interview (26 Mar 2021) « But when are you going to apologise to the women???…” Apr 19, 17:27
willie on The Pit Of Vipers: “You make a very important point Alf Baird. The persecution against Salmond was aided and abetted by the Westminster deep…” Apr 19, 17:12
sarah on The Pit Of Vipers: “And was it in Dundee that the SNP made it difficult to distribute the Wee Blue Book? They wouldn’t have…” Apr 19, 17:00
Lenny Hartley on The Pit Of Vipers: “The Late Alison Balharry who was the Yes Scotland Press Officer responsible for arranging Spokespeople to Radio and TV claime…” Apr 19, 16:20
Jeannie McCrimmon on The Pit Of Vipers: “We are governed by pathetic sickos.” Apr 19, 16:11
Sven on The Pit Of Vipers: “I make no comment upon any individual alleged to be connected with what appears to me to be a criminal…” Apr 19, 16:09
Alf Baird on The Pit Of Vipers: “This is clearly about a lot more than just a few senior people in the SNP. Considering the significant number…” Apr 19, 16:06
sarah on The Pit Of Vipers: “@ Effijy: Vote for people who aren’t party politicians. And have integrity and principles. There’s quite a few standing as…” Apr 19, 15:39
shug on The Pit Of Vipers: “Never forget the part the BBC played in their programme, where only the prosecution evidence was reported. Where they openly…” Apr 19, 15:33
Confused on The Pit Of Vipers: “this really is massive the whole jenga pile could go I expect there is more to come” Apr 19, 15:33
Patsy Millar on The Pit Of Vipers: “Your last sentence says it all.” Apr 19, 15:24
panda paws on The Pit Of Vipers: “Some nuSNP idiots online are saying “msm are trying to discredit the SNP before an election”. Well duh! And of…” Apr 19, 15:23
Effijy on The Pit Of Vipers: “It looks like you really need to be immoral, corrupt and incapable if you wish to be a politician I…” Apr 19, 15:17
The Flying Iron of Doom on The Narcissism Of No Differences: “Dave says: 19 April, 2026 at 2:01 pm Admitting you’re racist is step one. Step two is realising God’s not…” Apr 19, 14:41
Alf Baird on The Narcissism Of No Differences: ““Admitting you’re racist is step one” Indeed but it is difficult for the colonizer to admit their racism or that…” Apr 19, 14:33
Dave on The Narcissism Of No Differences: “Admitting you’re racist is step one. Step two is realising God’s not your co-signer.” Apr 19, 14:01
Young Lochinvar on The Narcissism Of No Differences: “Beggars Try as you will you aren’t going to be able the rehabilitate the reputations of Oswald Mosley and Enoch…” Apr 19, 13:44
Young Lochinvar on The Narcissism Of No Differences: “Aidan 10 motorways or 10 bits of motorways? And I think the point was that life exists beyond the central…” Apr 19, 13:40
Young Lochinvar on The Narcissism Of No Differences: “Now now Dan Don’t be bitter.. The wee parish cooncil of certain devolved powers has been around for nearly 30…” Apr 19, 13:36
Alf Baird on The Narcissism Of No Differences: ““There are ten motorways in Scotland connecting the central belt” Aye richt, Aden. An the muin is makkit o cheese.…” Apr 19, 13:11
Alf Baird on The Narcissism Of No Differences: ““At least they have a unified group and a realistic plans of action and the latest Yougov poll is interestingly…” Apr 19, 12:55
Mark Beggan on The Narcissism Of No Differences: “The geopolitical situation has turned the Left upside down and left them standing on the wrong side of history. The…” Apr 19, 12:53
Northcode on The Narcissism Of No Differences: “Guid day tae aw ye sinfu synners oot ther on this blessit Saubath, this wan day o the week set…” Apr 19, 12:36
Red on The Narcissism Of No Differences: “It’s a tough choice for left of centre voters. Do we vote for the noncey LGBTQ pervert mass immigration Net…” Apr 19, 12:28
