This evening’s Question Time saw one of the most incident-packed passages on the show in recent memory. From left to right onscreen the panellists were Paul Marshall (hedge fund manager, head of a chain of academy schools and co-author of the Lib Dems’ infamous “Orange Book”), Alex Salmond, Tory minister Greg Clark, Labour’s shadow home secretary Andy Burnham and right-wing think-tanker Jill Kirby.
We’d hoped to be bringing you in-depth analysis of the Scottish Labour manifesto by now, readers, but a couple of hours after their launch event there’s still no sign of it anywhere (we’ve checked their website, Facebook page and Twitter feed, all blank).
So we’re going to nip out to the shops for a bit. In the meantime, here’s some footage we recorded of the fantastic live stream of the launch the party put out.
We’re looking forward to the publication of the Scottish Labour manifesto for next month’s election, which is due to be published on Wednesday, just eight days before the vote. We confidently anticipate that it will definitively clear up a few issues we’re still not absolutely sure of the branch office’s position on.
Considering we’re only eleven days from a general election, there’s remarkably little politics coverage in the Sunday papers today. Most of what there is is in the Sunday Herald, which has a substantial (and quite entertaining) interview with Kezia Dugdale and another two pages devoted to what’s essentially spluttering attempted justification of its shambolic front-page lead from last week.
We’re not going to go into it in depth, as James Kelly on Scot Goes Pop! has already had a close look and made a pretty fair assessment. But for want of anything more interesting to talk about, and in the wake of some depressing Twitter conversations with people who apparently STILL don’t understand either the Holyrood electoral system or basic arithmetic, we’re going to have one more wade in the list-vote debate.
You might want to see if there’s football on or something.
But note how delicately that tweet is phrased. The clear implication – while not directly stated – is that only the Tories were responsible for the promises.
We’ve noted on numerous occasions previously that one of this site’s prime functions is merely to remember things – to serve as a repository of fact which can be referred to when politicians or the media try to mislead people about what happened in the past. It was a thought we were struck by again on reading The Times this morning.
Because as we beheld Kenny Farquharson’s account of the SNP’s manifesto launch, and how its emphasis on the word “RE-ELECT” was unfamiliar and “very different” to their last Holyrood manifesto launch, we were sure that wasn’t how we recalled it.
This site has never told readers how to vote in Scottish elections and never will, partly because its editor has no vote there and doesn’t have to live with the consequences whoever wins. (Something that ISN’T true about independence, in which case Wings would relocate to Scotland, which is why we freely express a firm view on that.)
It’s in that context that we make the following observations about next month’s vote.
Young Lochinvar on A matter of class: “What has happened to this site? What has happened to the BTL/ Below the Bridge comments more like? Just sample…” Dec 23, 03:35
twathater on A matter of class: ““If only Wings BTL provided a forum where adults could maturely discuss and debate stuff like this. What fascinating dialogues…” Dec 23, 02:04
twathater on A matter of class: “You will notice Alf that as soon as the Franchise Fanny rolls up with his usual round of progressive poncy…” Dec 23, 01:55
DaveL on A matter of class: “Concerning your reply to my above request all you came up with was a sort of pantomime ‘they’re behind you’…” Dec 22, 23:15
Dan on A matter of class: “@Lorna What post of mine are you actually responding to with that wordy spiel? A Ctrl F search of page…” Dec 22, 23:05
Lorncal on A matter of class: “Dan: the problem is that this stuff is not going away any time soon. It has infiltrated every aspect of…” Dec 22, 22:10
Dan on A matter of class: “John Bot sounds a bit weary and lacking in accuracy as it churns out more drivel. A quick refresher, perhaps……” Dec 22, 21:16
agentx on A matter of class: “Alf Baird says: 21 December, 2025 at 2:05 pm Hatey, I assume you have good reason for suggesting that ethnic…” Dec 22, 20:27
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “You’ll eat and enjoy the traditional denner (not dinner) of True Scots everywhere: mince.” Dec 22, 20:20
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Sure, Dan, you’ve stated a lot of things, in between the insults, the hair-trigger rants and the potty-mouthed childishness. And…” Dec 22, 20:16
Scot Finlayson on A matter of class: “North Briton`s Judges,everyone a public school twonk, Craig Murray was jailed by Judge for eight months for contempt of court…” Dec 22, 19:52
Dan on A matter of class: “Jesus fuck, if I’d wanted to hear from an arsehole, I’d have farted. But what a sad little bot twat…” Dec 22, 19:41
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: ““decade’s worth of posts on here on a myriad subjects” Sure, Dan. I don’t doubt that. Just as I don’t…” Dec 22, 19:21
Dan on A matter of class: “Aidan says at 2:09 pm “The bigger picture Dan is that the only thing you seem to be in favour…” Dec 22, 18:32
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Oh dear, Northy. If there are any psychologists reading here they’ll be in no doubt about what ails you. Get…” Dec 22, 17:05
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Hey, Northy, you’ve succeeded in conveying a real sense of hysteria through your prose. If it’s genuine, and not just…” Dec 22, 16:54
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “Good one, Sam. “Sovereigntists”. Like it. Throwing a spelling error though. “Sovereign tits” doesn’t, so perhaps that’s what the author…” Dec 22, 16:51
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: ““Surely any self respecting native Scot would communicate solely in their own language, not that of their oppressor?” This. 100…” Dec 22, 16:45
Insider on A matter of class: “For Christ’s sake ! Will ye just shut up woman and pit ma dinner on !” Dec 22, 16:44
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: ““Bawbag”, eh, Dan? Let me guess – you’ve packed in the calls for productive dialogue on here as part of…” Dec 22, 16:40
James on A matter of class: ““…I actually worked in industry in the early 80s…” LOL. Aye,right.” Dec 22, 16:29
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “When England went Solo as an English parliament in 1800 so did Scotland, When the monarch of England went Solo…” Dec 22, 16:15
James on A matter of class: “Who’s “we”? LOL. You think anyone reads the shite that you post? What you might think you “know” in your…” Dec 22, 15:57
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “North Code, Scotland does need to wake up, and pretty quick, If England claims only Scotland is bound by the…” Dec 22, 14:29
sam on A matter of class: “https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1467-923X.13214 “Exploring Sovereignty in Scotland” David McCrone Michael Keating “The largest proportion in the sample, 30 per cent are ‘Scottish…” Dec 22, 14:21
Captain Caveman on A matter of class: “I couldn’t care less whether the likes of you believes me or not – as I’ve already told you. Feel…” Dec 22, 14:09
Aidan on A matter of class: “The bigger picture Dan is that the only thing you seem to be in favour of is highest taxes on…” Dec 22, 14:09
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@Alf Baird 8.24pm Like any peoples language the Scots language plays ‘a vital role in shaping and defining ethnic identity’,…” Dec 22, 14:07
James on A matter of class: “We’ve only got your word for that though, haven’t we sweetie? You’re a Reform shill so probably a born liar.” Dec 22, 13:53
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “Alf Baird. Even with the trickery, bribery and deceit it must be remembered that the Scottish participation was only set…” Dec 22, 13:48
