The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Frustration in Parliament 68

Posted on January 06, 2014 by

Chapter 4 of “The Claim Of Scotland”.

claim4

Read the rest of this entry →

What did we miss? 98

Posted on January 06, 2014 by

It’s our own fault for reading a Brian Monteith column in the Scotsman, but:

“Am I the only person that finds it rather rich that Alex Salmond is so keen on debating the views of David Cameron, an Englishman with an English constituency, when he consciously arranged for the views of tens of thousands of people on the Scottish electoral register to be excluded from taking part in the referendum? Why did he not wish to hear their views?”

Hang on – Alex Salmond did what now? As far as we know, if you’re on the Scottish electoral register you get a vote in the referendum. What happened? Which “tens of thousands of people” are we talking about here? Shouldn’t this have been in the news or something? We hate trying to catch up after the holidays.

Muddying the waters 60

Posted on January 06, 2014 by

We were as perplexed as anyone by the bizarre YouGov poll commissioned by “Better Together” and released today, which reveals that the status quo they’re so strenuously campaigning for is the least popular constitutional option among Scots. As there’s no “more powers” option on the referendum ballot paper, and the official No campaign can neither define any such option nor pledge to implement one, it’s hard to understand what they get from asking a three-choice question about a two-choice vote.

muddywaters

Indeed, the survey’s result – 32% “more devolution”, 30% independence, 29% status quo – actually gives a higher Yes figure than some recent two-option polls. So what on Earth can the No camp be thinking?

Read the rest of this entry →

Borrowing Britain 51

Posted on January 06, 2014 by

It’s one of the weirder aspects of the independence debate that the No campaign constantly shrieks about how an independent Scotland might run a deficit, as if that was some sort of unusual and terrifying state unique to Scotland. So we thought it might be handy to keep this clip from today’s BBC Breakfast here for future reference.

Read the rest of this entry →

In all loyalty to the Crown 121

Posted on January 05, 2014 by

Continuing our daily serialisation of HJ Paton’s fascinating 1968 book “The Claim Of Scotland”, courtesy of splendidly alert and dedicated reader Wilma Watts.

claim3

Read the rest of this entry →

The No campaign for dummies 71

Posted on January 05, 2014 by

“Better Together” website, May 2013:

“In 500 days Scots will answer the most important question we have ever been asked. On all the big questions – on currency, on the EU, on pensions – the nationalists have shown they don’t have the answers to the questions that we and people all over Scotland are asking. 

Today we ask over 500 more questions. This list is by no means exhaustive – instead, it aims to demonstrate the range of different questions that still need answered. Many more questions already exist and as more of the big issues are debated more and more questions will arise. That’s why we will continue to ask the difficult questions.

It’s time we got some answers.”

Read the rest of this entry →

History and legend 114

Posted on January 04, 2014 by

The Claim Of Scotland chapter 2.

claim2

Read the rest of this entry →

Quotes Of The Year 2013: Box Set 48

Posted on January 04, 2014 by

We nearly killed ourselves this week compiling twelve “quotes of the year” articles for December 30 and 31, which required ploughing through over a THOUSAND posts (1,170 to be precise) looking for interesting or amusing word-nuggets. Unfortunately, everyone was on holiday or out having a good time, so hardly anybody read them.

bottlethis

So we’ve put them all together in a single ridiculously huge mega-post to give everyone who only reads the most recent article a chance to catch up. We’re nice that way.

And then on Monday, when we’ve all finally got back to having some sort of vague idea what day of the week it is again, 2014 starts in earnest.

Read the rest of this entry →

To our English brother 166

Posted on January 03, 2014 by

We’re enormously grateful to the alert reader who uncovered this little gem. “The Claim Of Scotland” is a book published in 1968 and written by one Herbert James Paton, a philosopher and a senior civil servant at the Admiralty and Foreign Office, who sadly died the following year.

claimofscotland

If you click the image above, you’ll find a scanned PDF of the foreword, contents and first chapter, which at just 14 pages is a modest task of reading. Prepare yourself to marvel at how little times have changed since this pre-North Sea oil age, and to smile ruefully at a few of the sentences you’ll encounter.

Read the rest of this entry →

Leading by example 237

Posted on January 03, 2014 by

Awesome start on healing those divisions, Johann.

johannheal

(From today’s Scottish Sun.)

Read the rest of this entry →

Brand re-imagining 321

Posted on January 02, 2014 by

Okay, readers, it’s time to speak your brains. We’ve been evolving the synergy of the Wings customer-facing recognition interface in line with the leading edge of the zeitgeist over the years, from our early crude banners through to the current clean and eye-catching style, and it’s time to pick the logo that’ll take us through 2014.

Give us your thoughts, whydoncha?

Read the rest of this entry →

The persistence of falsehood 137

Posted on January 02, 2014 by

“Gary Gibbon on Politics”, Channel 4 website, today:

“Peter Kellner of YouGov [..] says Scottish independence would wipe out the chances of majority Labour government for at least a generation and conceivably longer.”

Does he? Is he an idiot or something?

Read the rest of this entry →

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,886 Posts, 1,237,716 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Monarchy is the default for humanity, TURABDIN. It’s wired into our DNA, almost certainly because over the long term, it…Mar 13, 20:31
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Sure, Alf, these arguments go round and round with such depressing regularity that we can now all predict where they…Mar 13, 20:30
    • Scot Finlayson on Looking up at the stars: “Lord Byron penned the song, Dark Lochnagar,about his youth in the highlands, Ah ! there my young footsteps in infancy…Mar 13, 20:30
    • Alf Baird on Looking up at the stars: ““as if their Scottish Sovereignty is superior to the Scottish Sovereignty of other Scots” You appear to misunderstand the colonial…Mar 13, 20:00
    • TURABDIN on Looking up at the stars: “«The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike…Mar 13, 19:43
    • 100%Yes on Looking up at the stars: “What is there to talk about that hasn’t already been said. Looking at the Rag today I had to look…Mar 13, 19:20
    • TURABDIN on Looking up at the stars: “The MASSIVE elephant in the room is the US and its emerging absolutist «monarchy». If the sun sets on the…Mar 13, 18:52
    • sarah on Looking up at the stars: “O/T Does anyone know what is happening with the Voices for Independence site? There has been no entry for today…Mar 13, 18:41
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: ““the case with most of” What’s this, Alf? Are Cesaire’s ideological foundations starting to crumble? That “most” permits some doubt…Mar 13, 18:09
    • twathater on Looking up at the stars: “WOW John boy Main is getting more unhinged by the day, he is now telling Geri that her views could…Mar 13, 17:58
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Drink! Haha, just my wee joke, Alf. Obviously the only option open to us is to buy a copy of…Mar 13, 17:53
    • Alf Baird on Looking up at the stars: ““I see a few are waking from the ways that were taught them, will the all wake up or will…Mar 13, 16:23
    • Alf Baird on Looking up at the stars: ““pet-Jock moon howlers” Ah, and there’s plenty of them, each following Mannoni’s “dependency complex…that these groups are psychologically made for…Mar 13, 15:56
    • sam on Looking up at the stars: “I know, Sven. It is impossible to know anything with certainty about illegal immigration numbers. You can get some idea…Mar 13, 15:55
    • agentx on Looking up at the stars: “Following the Union St fire the demolition company is Burnfield Demolition. Ironic.Mar 13, 15:54
    • Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “Police Scotland refused a request under the freedom of information to reveal the criminal numbers connected to immigrant hotels. Their…Mar 13, 15:29
    • Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “That has been the elite establishments plan all along. The socialist post-colonial ideology. Get into bed with the death cult.…Mar 13, 15:23
    • Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “That would be the exact Nasty Nats answer just get to one over the English bastards. Then they would staple…Mar 13, 15:14
    • Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “@ Sam How many illegal immigrants came into Scotland? I don’t know They don’t know. You don’t know. Did they…Mar 13, 15:03
    • Sven on Looking up at the stars: “Sam @ 14.26. I’m guessing that would be legal immigrants, Sam. As I doubt asylum seekers awaiting classification, illegals or…Mar 13, 14:50
    • Sven on Looking up at the stars: “Mark Beggan @ 14.12. I do, Mark. And if they don’t, I believe the full power of the state will…Mar 13, 14:31
    • sam on Looking up at the stars: “Jist fir til let ye know, ken? https://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/2022-reports/scotland-s-census-2022-ethnic-group-national-identity-language-and-religion/ The largest group of immigrants in 2022 was from the category, “Other…Mar 13, 14:26
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Careful you dinna scuff the covers of your holy book, Geri. If you do, some meditative, focussed cant will have…Mar 13, 14:15
    • Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “I think you mean the government. The country is fit and able. This summer is going to be the crunch…Mar 13, 14:12
    • Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “I miss oor national mammie. She excelled at topping whatever England did. That was more or less her entire and…Mar 13, 14:07
    • Geri on Looking up at the stars: “Meditation is good for the soul. Focus is good for the mind. If a child can recite an entire book…Mar 13, 13:58
    • Sven on Looking up at the stars: “Too little, too late, Mark B. I doubt this country has either the will nor the means to locate, identify,…Mar 13, 13:19
    • Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “Should Scotland seriously consider sending the illegal immigrants hame tae think again?Mar 13, 13:09
    • Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “Too late your mask slipped there Herr Von Leichtenvar.Mar 13, 12:53
    • Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “In yer dreams big boy. Mr Apple comes first too geezer dead clever cunt. Then there’s wee Bert the atom…Mar 13, 12:50
  • A tall tale



↑ Top