We are reasonable people 105
Posted on
June 11, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
If you missed it, today’s John Beattie show featuring Hamish Macdonell and myself:
Touring the studios 180
Posted on
June 11, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Sorry we’ve deserted you today, readers. I’ve been dashing around the BBC Bath radio cupboard, the ITV West Country studio and BBC Broadcasting House in Bristol talking mainly about the Clare Lally business, which the No campaign is throwing everything at. You’re going to have a hard time avoiding my big stupid face on the telly tonight.
The three appearances were very different in nature. On BBC Radio Scotland I had a very civilised discussion with host John Beattie and fellow guest Hamish Macdonell (of various publications), where everyone got to say their piece without us interrupting each other, while at Broadcasting House for, I think, Scotland 2014, I got pretty aggressively grilled but in a perfectly proper and professional journalistic manner. No complaints there – pending, of course, what makes the edit.
The ITV gig for Scotland Tonight was something else.
Inaudible mumble amplified 489
Posted on
June 10, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
The New Statesman has been doggedly ignoring all our polite requests to release the audio of its controversial interview with Alistair Darling for several days now, but today it very quietly released the full text of it on its website.
Where previously it had reported the “Better Together” leader as having made an “inaudible mumble” in response to a question about whether the SNP were guilty of “blood-and-soil nationalism”, apparently the mag had given its ears a good swabbing out with a cotton-bud and concluded that it HAD been able to hear him after all.
Voters less ordinary 509
Posted on
June 10, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
The Times has a front-page lead this morning on the “Better Together” rally held in Glasgow yesterday, at which the official lead campaign group debuted its new “No Thanks” slogan. The article makes an interesting claim:
Well, that all seems legit.
Against all odds 193
Posted on
June 09, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
The Daily Record carries a story this evening about a man placing a £200,000 bet with William Hill on a No vote in the independence referendum.
And readers might be forgiven for finding it a bit familiar.
Alerting the others 346
Posted on
June 09, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Our ever-attentive readers will already have noticed that since the weekend there’s been a new link on the centre column, called “CAMPAIGN MATERIALS”. Over the next 100 days it’s going to be key to getting our message out to the people of Scotland, and it’s your chance to take it directly to your own neighbourhood.
Because even with quarter of a million readers, it’s no good just sitting here preaching to the already-converted. We need to go on the road.
Stories of the week, 8/6/2014 84
Posted on
June 08, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
The top five most-read stories on Wings Over Scotland in the last seven days.
1. OBAMA INTERVENES IN REFERENDUM
All two words of it. We’re not sure how to feel about that.
2. It’s about democracy, stupid
A more eloquent response from American Scot Jean Muir.
3. What Alistair Darling said
We’re still waiting for the New Statesman to release the tapes.
4. Zombies walk the Earth
The reason Labour have shoved Anas Sarwar off onto a bus.
5. How times don’t change
You’d already forgotten the Strathclyde Commission happened, hadn’t you?
This week’s theme: spot the sensible.
A great fire in our hearts 189
Posted on
June 08, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
The latest leaked poster from our spy in the No camp. “They’re pretty sure this one’s legally bulletproof“, was all it said on the note in the envelope.
“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?”
– Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)
The bones of what you’ll believe 131
Posted on
June 08, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
This is what the media is asking you to swallow today, readers:
“If Scotland wants to be like the vast majority of NATO members and have no nuclear weapons stationed on its territory, NATO will cut off its own nose to spite its face and reject Scotland as a member, even though that would leave the strategically-crucial North Atlantic Gate (also known as the ‘GIUK Gap‘) guarded by a non-member state and one with basically no military at all.”
Right.
Uh-huh.
Sure. Of course.
We’ve said it before, readers, and with the heaviest of hearts we must presume that we’ll have to say it many more times in the next 100 days: they think you’re morons.
It’s about democracy, stupid 146
Posted on
June 08, 2014 by
Jean Muir
“Great Britain” began with the Union of the Crowns in 1603, when James the VI of Scotland ascended to the Throne of England and Ireland, but the “United Kingdom” didn’t come into existence until the Act of Union in 1707, which effectively dissolved the Scottish Parliament. The “British Empire” began with the Union with Scotland and, if those in support of a Yes vote have their way, it will end with Scottish independence.
But what’s any of that got to do with Barack Obama?
The inadequate tide 69
Posted on
June 07, 2014 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
