The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Time to draw a line 83

Posted on February 20, 2014 by

Let’s all agree: from now on, anyone who says “An independent Scotland would have to join the Euro!” is either deliberately lying or a dribbling slack-jawed imbecile without the faintest idea of what they’re talking about.

As such their views should be dismissed with contempt, and ideally they should be chased out of town by an angry mob with pitchforks and flaming torches. We’d say Dr Zuleeg was pretty unequivocal and definitive on the subject here.

The news in numbers 139

Posted on February 20, 2014 by

We wouldn’t like to suggest Unionists are clutching at straws this week, but:

Number of words actually spoken by David Bowie about independence: 4

Number of words written about it so far by major news outlets: 3,916

To be honest we stopped counting after that.

Read the rest of this entry →

Quoted for LOLZ 284

Posted on February 19, 2014 by

Recently discovered by an alert reader, another gem revealing the sort of razor-sharp attention to statistical detail that led the UK into the most disastrous recession of all time, from a man who thinks the population of Scotland is six million:

“Asked if he fancied another crack at being chancellor in the future, Darling said: ‘At the moment I am totally focused on the [Scottish] referendum in October 2014, after that I will see where I stand.'”

Might want to work a little more on that focus, Cap’n.

(Quote from May 2013, two months after the referendum date was announced.)

Jenny Marra’s Nation 163

Posted on February 19, 2014 by

Alert readers may recall a piece from earlier today in which we mused on the curious and perhaps unique unwillingness of the people of Scotland to seek more powers over their own lives. It was in part triggered by a curious moment from last night’s BBC Scotland independence debate from Kelso in the Borders.

A gentleman in the audience had asked the assembled panel of politicians “what they understand by the word ‘nation’, and which nation or nations do you belong to?”, and Labour MSP Jenny Marra’s reply was illuminating and perplexing in equal measures.

Read the rest of this entry →

This far and no further 143

Posted on February 19, 2014 by

One way or another, pretty much the entire history of mankind has been that of a struggle for power. Whether military conquest to secure resources, religious crusades to impose ideology or the fight for individual human rights, people across the globe have constantly striven for power over themselves and each other, and do to this day.

scotty

Scots seem to be the only exception.

Read the rest of this entry →

Gordon Brown Trousers 133

Posted on February 18, 2014 by

A second Unionist politician in a week doesn’t want to face STV’s questions.

What is it with cowardly Chancellors at the moment?

The news is not news 266

Posted on February 18, 2014 by

So we just got this a few minutes ago (click pic to enlarge):

nonews

And now we’re really starting to think a licence-fee avoidance campaign is a good idea.

Read the rest of this entry →

Fox News UK 189

Posted on February 18, 2014 by

Another scrupulously balanced panel from the state broadcaster.

The papers-review slot is turning into quite the little regular treat.

Kicking the hinges off 122

Posted on February 18, 2014 by

Some recent comments of mine about how the UK government and European Union wouldn’t – because they couldn’t – strip citizenship from anyone in the event of a Yes vote in the independence referendum brought dissenting responses on Twitter from a few folk who certainly know a thing or two about government.

kickdoors

Their primary arguments were so weak, though, that coming from such able individuals they exemplified how much the establishment is being forced to state obvious untruths in defence of an otherwise perfectly legitimate line of argument. But does politics really have to be this dishonest?

Read the rest of this entry →

Stretch goal 85

Posted on February 18, 2014 by

If we should be fortunate enough to exceed the target in our imminent fundraiser, readers, we promise we’ll use any extra money to try to make this happen.

sillarsmcleish

Question sourcing 284

Posted on February 17, 2014 by

We’re only a few days from the second annual Wings Over Scotland fundraiser, readers, so don’t go buying anything expensive, because we’ve got some big and very exciting plans and we’re going to need your cash. We want to mark the appeal with the third of our super-fun opinion polls, and we’re already at work on the initial draft.

We’ve got some excellent questions lined up already, but what do YOU want to see asked? We’re especially keen to find out more social-attitudes stuff, as the data last time (here and here) were fascinating, so ideas for more of that will be extra-welcome, but let’s hear anything you’ve got.

Anger management 407

Posted on February 17, 2014 by

We’ve noted on several previous occasions the somewhat alarming way in which “Better Together” campaign chairman Alistair Darling can barely contain his fury at the sheer outrageous temerity of the independence movement in seeking to peacefully secure democratic self-determination for the people of Scotland.

We were all set for more of the same on BBC News this morning after Alex Salmond’s speech on currency, but were surprised to be met instead by a calm, softly-spoken and altogether more statesmanlike approach.

And in fairness, he kept it up for a good 15 seconds.

Read the rest of this entry →

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,891 Posts, 1,238,785 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Young Lochinvar on Clocks And Calendars: “Beggars You missed out Enoch Powell’s “rivers of blood” hysteria in your post. A but remiss of you there “old…Mar 31, 02:59
    • Young Lochinvar on Clocks And Calendars: “Now now Beggars, don’t get carmugeonly.. Pains me to say it, but Baby Uncle Sam has done what Amnesiac Baby…Mar 31, 02:50
    • Mark Beggan on Clocks And Calendars: “Any gamblers amongst us? General election before 2029. 3/1 General election 2027. 7/1 General election 2026. 11/1 Marshall Law declared.…Mar 31, 02:12
    • Mark Beggan on Clocks And Calendars: “I don’t think you understand what’s going on geopolitically. There’s a new sheriff in town. The war has been won.…Mar 31, 02:07
    • Young Lochinvar on Clocks And Calendars: “Beggars That’s LONG since breached paying for rusted subs and missiles that go “plop” – and you didn’t even notice…Mar 31, 01:03
    • Charlie on Clocks And Calendars: “You must have lived somewhere posh, that was in my local newsagents 😉Mar 30, 23:17
    • James on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Dirty protest? What’s that, voting Tory? More your two’s style, I’d say.Mar 30, 22:59
    • Captain Caveman on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Heh. Like, as if that imbecile is on the Electoral Roll… probably doesn’t even have a fixed address.Mar 30, 22:53
    • Mark Beggan on Clocks And Calendars: “When will the IMF come knocking on the door? Any number crunchers out there? How long till Britains credit is…Mar 30, 22:09
    • Glenn Boyd on Clocks And Calendars: “Lord help us if that New Labour Scumbag Sarwar gets anywhere near taking power. Lets remember this is the fucking…Mar 30, 20:51
    • Southernbystander on Sicknote Slippers: “Thanks for saying this. It is of course correct. It has becomes standard for any progressive / anti-fascist march to…Mar 30, 20:50
    • Aidan on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Assume you’ll be planning your normal dirty protest in the polling booth “James”?Mar 30, 19:53
    • George Ferguson on Clocks And Calendars: “To some my claim of Scottish Labour finishing fourth is fanciful. As fanciful as Sarwar claiming moral authority. We will…Mar 30, 19:31
    • James on Clocks And Calendars: “YL; Here’s to Good King Robert. Cheers! They don’t like it up ’em.Mar 30, 18:50
    • Dan on Sicknote Slippers: “I had an ironic chuckle at Stu having a go at Slipper’s albeit limited hair! At least as the cost…Mar 30, 18:39
    • James on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Aye, draw a great big ‘Captain Caveman’ on your ballot paper, folks.Mar 30, 18:37
    • twathater on Clocks And Calendars: “The Scotsman in conjunction with every other shite rag is trolling the electorate with this insulting PISH The Headline should…Mar 30, 18:26
    • Young Lochinvar on Clocks And Calendars: “Happy anniversary tomorrow of the 1307 battle of Glentrool. Bruce’s looking at spiders days were put behind him at Glentrool…Mar 30, 18:19
    • Frank Gillougley on Clocks And Calendars: “Aye, ‘Vote fur Jack Duggan Sarwar’, it’s definitely got a ring tae it. Pure wild wae it so he is.Mar 30, 17:23
    • Young Lochinvar on Clocks And Calendars: “Yee haw pardner.. Uncle Sam’s getting all worked up about a super bigly expensive low gear fly by mission “to…Mar 30, 17:21
    • Alf Baird on Clocks And Calendars: “Past time The Hootsman changed its teetle tae ‘The Hoose Jock’; or just go the hale hog as ‘The Colonialist’.…Mar 30, 15:50
    • Aidan on Clocks And Calendars: “Labour are really going to form a coalition with Reform are they? Oh aye i bet they’ll be shouting about…Mar 30, 15:14
    • Captain Caveman on Sicknote Slippers: “Although approaching things from a different perspective to my own, what a marvelous post, though doubtless largely wasted here. Bravo.…Mar 30, 14:12
    • Mark Beggan on Clocks And Calendars: “If you thought that was crazy did anyone see Scottish Labours political broadcast online. A day in the life of…Mar 30, 14:11
    • David on Clocks And Calendars: “I assume this was written and supplied to The Scotsman by a deluded Labour Hack. Why don’t The Scotsman republish…Mar 30, 14:10
    • Campbell Clansman on Clocks And Calendars: “Labour, and The Scotsman, must think voters are dumb enough to take this “analysis” seriously. Which says a lot about…Mar 30, 13:28
    • Lorncal on Sicknote Slippers: “The real far right is a tiny minority of heid-the-bas. Always was. Even in the halcyon days of Mosley. What…Mar 30, 13:25
    • Confused on Sicknote Slippers: “better together, pooling and sharing so, exactly what benefit do we draw from this “arrangement”, being siamese-twinned to these kleptomaniac…Mar 30, 12:59
    • Northcode on Protest But Don’t Survive: “A fine adaptation from Allende’s speech, James, and a quote most apt in the context of Scotland’s subjugation by a…Mar 30, 12:11
    • Northcode on Sicknote Slippers: “*Do yous want tae march? Apparently 99% of actual, real and genuine liberty seeking, independence supporting Scots didn’t want to……Mar 30, 11:47
  • A tall tale



↑ Top