The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland

The ground war 125

Posted on November 04, 2013 by

I make videos. The written word is not my weapon of choice. But “Better Together” have left me with no alternative. Let me explain.

I’m a recently-retired video producer. Another recently-retired video producer (aka ‘the wife’) and I decided to make a series of films about how the grassroots of the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns were bringing their respective messages to the people of Scotland.

spotdiff

We kicked off by covering Yes Garnock Valley and West Kilbride’s public meeting in Kilbirnie. We contacted the local organisers who were very happy to have us come along, even providing us with a private side room where we could get ‘sound bites’ from the speakers, Dennis Canavan, Shona McAlpine and Alex Bell. Everybody was most welcoming, and frankly they couldn’t have been more helpful.

We’ve released the speeches and the Q&A in their entirety, warts and all, so that anybody interested can listen to the arguments and make up their own mind.

Our next foray into citizen video journalism was to have been the Better Together East Ayrshire launch event on November 1st at the Burns Monument Centre in Kilmarnock. That was where things started to go pear-shaped.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category comment, investigation, scottish politics

Sorry, readers 139

Posted on November 03, 2013 by

This is why you’ve had no posts today.

ratz

Meet Skye, Islay, Rona, Shuna, Cara and Jura. They’ll be staying.

Category admin, music, pictures

Frozen at zero 101

Posted on November 03, 2013 by

So I guess now we know why Ed Miliband isn’t too bothered about whether energy companies whack their prices up before and after his 16-month “price freeze” or not.

edlectric

Because we’re paying his bill either way.

Ed Miliband’s parliamentary salary is approximately £140,000. Plus expenses.

Category uk politics

The Great Gingerbread Robbery 216

Posted on November 02, 2013 by

When you’re a full time carer, managing to get out for an hour or so to the local branch of Morrisons to get the weekly shopping counts as ‘quality me time’. It allows me to stock up on favourite munchies and comfort food. I like a wee slice of Kirriemuir gingerbread, slathered with butter. The other half enjoys a thick slab of it in a bowl, covered in Devon custard with a dollop of double cream. Bugger the cholesterol.

But the other day there was none in the usual aisle, just a pile of Christmas cakes.

gingerbread

I asked a guy stocking shelves where they’d moved it to. He apologised, and told me there wasn’t any in stock. All the ordering is done by Head Office down in England he said, and they’d sent instructions that no more would be ordered until the New Year in order to make space for piles of Christmas cake. In October.

Who eats Christmas cake in October anyway?

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category comment, culture

Balanced movie night 78

Posted on November 02, 2013 by

blairheart

(Story.)

Tags: ,
Category media, pictures

The dirty game 422

Posted on November 02, 2013 by

“There’ll be nae books or pencils fur Our Lady’s High School if the SNP gets in here.”

ourladys

I heard those words first-hand at a door in Motherwell some years ago. But let me give you some context first. Lots of people reading this in parts of Scotland will have no idea about what I’m about to describe here so I’d better establish my credentials and provide some background.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category comment, culture, scottish politics

Experimental trailer 43

Posted on November 01, 2013 by

Tune in at 8am tomorrow for more.

noirish

Tags: ,
Category pictures

That time of the month 135

Posted on November 01, 2013 by

It’s the 1st of November and we almost forgot to do a stats post. Tch, eh?

2013stats

We’re calling one of those numbers another landmark.

Read the rest of this entry →

Category navel-gazing, stats

Scorched Ayrth 174

Posted on November 01, 2013 by

We’re really, really sorry about that headline, on several levels.

apost1

But wait until you see what this one’s about.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category comment, culture, disturbing, scottish politics

It’s a trap! 106

Posted on November 01, 2013 by

Blair McDougall, director of “Better Together”, Dundee University, 30 October 2013:

“UK ministers are not going to fall into the trap of acting against Scotland until Scotland decides to leave the United Kingdom”

blairsdu

You heard it straight from the horse’s – well, let’s be kind and say “mouth”, folks.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: , ,
Category audio, scottish politics, stupidity, transcripts, video

Revolution for lazy people 77

Posted on October 31, 2013 by

Oh, I was irritating when I was 15.

fizzycola

On our way to school, my friends would stop at Ian’s Newsagents and scatter their pocket money on the counter to work out how many fizzy cola bottles and packets of Space Raiders they could get. I’d do the same, but mine would have a copy of The New Statesman thrown in too.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category comment, culture, scottish politics

Our man at the scene 190

Posted on October 31, 2013 by

Hello, I’m Andrew. Rather than follow my desires and mingle with the true believers at the Yes Scotland meeting in Penicuik last night, I decided to expand my horizons and instead attended the launch of Better Together Musselburgh at the Brunton Hall.

btmussel

My first surprise was to discover that the meeting was being chaired by a neighbour of mine. I sloped off to the back of the hall to keep a low profile.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category comment

← Previous Entries
Next Entries →

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,975 Posts, 1,250,795 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

    and finally and firstly arithmetic fail braveheart klaxon britnats captain darling cartoons Chris Cairns confused cringe crybabies dateline debates Devo Nano Federalists Unionists and Devolutionists flat-out lies foreigner watch from the archives fundraisers galleries Greg Moodie hamish hypocrisy liars light-hearted banter lizards memogate misinformation one nation perspectives poll project fear project feart qft Scott Minto smears snp accused soapbox the positive case for the union The Vow ticktock toldyouso too wee too poor too stupid unionist of the day vote no get nothing

  • Recent Comments

    • Insider on Anything But That: “100%Yes says: 11 September, 2026 at 10:45 am “I like listening to Alf Baird and to be honest I could…” Sep 11, 12:36
    • sam on Anything But That: “It was hostile. The Aliens Act used to get the Commissioners to sign up to negotiate the deal threatened about…” Sep 11, 12:20
    • Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “One point where I have to agree with Confused. Trump could declare Scotland Independent. I seriously wonder why SALVO isn’t…” Sep 11, 12:11
    • Alf Baird on Anything But That: “Yes indeed, colonial denial is soon enough forced to shift to such desperate denials as Cesaire’s ‘the moon is made…” Sep 11, 12:01
    • Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Come oaf it Confused. You’d fight tooth and nail against any policy that attempted to make the UK, or Scotland…” Sep 11, 11:55
    • Captain Caveman on Anything But That: ““Stop interpreting a man’s words by reading” Yeah, perish the thought eh. Idiot.” Sep 11, 11:26
    • Captain Caveman on Anything But That: “Maybe some people don’t like what they’re hearing, as due to the bigotry openly on display? An intense dislike of…” Sep 11, 11:24
    • willie on Anything But That: “To change the dial just a little but how many people know that in May this year the Standards Commission…” Sep 11, 11:19
    • Confused on Anything But That: “trumpton calling … sargon calls for the anglo pak union www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9BLYgbR9sA – this is progress, the way of the future;…” Sep 11, 11:17
    • Confused on Anything But That: “you can never win a game which is controlled by your opponent, which is why you need external support to…” Sep 11, 11:16
    • Confused on Anything But That: “Quit it northcode – stop interpreting a man’s words we CAN ALL READ FOR OURSELVES (thanks sam) – and your…” Sep 11, 11:14
    • 100%Yes on Anything But That: “I like listening to Alf Baird and to be honest I could listen to him until the cows come home.…” Sep 11, 10:45
    • Captain Caveman on Anything But That: “Well said Northy: the truth matters. How much better would the world be if the sanctity of the truth was…” Sep 11, 10:36
    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Anything But That: “HIISTORY OF GAELIC-MEDIUM EDUCATION Informative but sobering 2023 audio interview – « Donald MacNeill, chief executive of Comunn na Gàidhlig…” Sep 11, 10:17
    • Northcode on Anything But That: “I agree, Hatey — independence has to be a broad kirk, rooted in democratic legitimacy and grounded in reality rather…” Sep 11, 10:15
    • sam on Anything But That: “Northcode, You say: “He did not classify Scotland as a colony under international law. He did not argue Scotland is…” Sep 11, 10:09
    • Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Indy built on truth – amen to that. The first truth is that Indy has to be the “broad kirk”…” Sep 11, 09:50
    • Northcode on Anything But That: “For clarity, and because Professor Black’s work is often invoked in different ways, here is my understanding of what he…” Sep 11, 09:27
    • Chas on Anything But That: “I am absolutely gutted by your response. Well, not really. Who I donate to is none of your business. It…” Sep 11, 09:25
    • 100%Yes on Anything But That: “Chas@11 September, 2026 at 8:08 am I’ve donated to Savlo and Liberation Scotland, we all know why we are donating…” Sep 11, 08:52
    • Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Does the professor also subscribe to the “And With One Bound Scotland Was Free” notion, or does he admit that…” Sep 11, 08:23
    • Chas on Anything But That: “Did you pay your own costs? Or did you rely on the donations from the mugs, sorry supporters of your…” Sep 11, 08:08
    • Alf Baird on Anything But That: ““The story of the 1707 Union is not one of a voluntary, mutual partnership. It is a story of annexation,…” Sep 10, 21:42
    • Alf Baird on Anything But That: ““The evidence points to only one conclusion: Scotland was annexed into a continuing English state.” (Prof Robert Black, ‘The Takeover…” Sep 10, 20:35
    • Alf Baird on Anything But That: “Yes indeed Sam, Professor Black confirmed his conclusion on the ‘takeover’ and ‘annexation’ of Scotland by England during the SSRG…” Sep 10, 20:11
    • Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Most admirable, Spartan. Is your brand of committed pacifism reciprocated by the people you call puerile, shite-posting idiots, or do…” Sep 10, 19:54
    • sam on Anything But That: “Northcode, You say: “In informal settings — interviews, videos, conferences — he [Robert Black,KC] sometimes uses the word “annexed” as…” Sep 10, 19:48
    • 100%Yes on Anything But That: “Have a listen to Gayle Miller on this Wednesday of Scottish Prism and the lady has posted a more detailed…” Sep 10, 19:42
    • Spartan 117 on Anything But That: “A good post Mark (and James above). Destructive unnatural ideologies specifically designed to break the Human spirit and democratic rule…” Sep 10, 18:47
    • Spartan 117 on Anything But That: “Good post. Well said.” Sep 10, 18:42

  • A tall tale



↑ Top