We’ve spent a fair bit of time over the course of this website’s existence documenting the multi-media witch-hunts that invariably arise in the Scottish media whenever some obscure and/or anonymous independence supporter on the internet says something slightly intemperate (or even just expresses an unpopular opinion).
We especially enjoy contrasting it against the way that the elected, taxpayer-funded representatives of major political parties can get away unremarked with comparing the First Minister to dictators and genocidal mass murderers (of the sort “Better Together” donors like to give hundreds of thousands of pounds to).
The vast difference in the amount of media weight given to abusive behaviour from British nationalists and that from the independence side (the infamous “cybernats”) has long been a feature of Scottish political debate, but over the last 12 hours the phenomenon has seen an intriguing new twist.
This is Labour leader Ed Miliband on Radio 4’s “World At One” yesterday:
(From 16m 12s on iPlayer.)
“I think people are asking this very very important question about the country, which is, y’know, are our problems so deep that NOBODY can actually make a difference to them? My emphatic answer is yes.”
Ours is too, though to a slightly different question.
We had to be out most of yesterday, so we didn’t have time to cover a story which broke in the morning in several UK papers. 24 hours later, though, we can still find no mention of it in the Scottish media, which remains fully occupied in filling its pages with recycled wittering drivel about the pound.
This is a worrying state of affairs, because yesterday’s story is of direct concern to an awful lot more Scots than a hypothetical scaremongering fantasy about currency.
Weirdly, the front-page lead story of today’s Herald newspaper is (at the time of writing) completely absent from the online edition. We did a little digging and found that it had been somehow fused into a piece about three women and a baby being involved in a car crash, with no text.
Hopefully the Herald will fix the glitch soon, but in the meantime we’ve managed to get a hold of this low-resolution but (just barely) legible image.
Our survey of Scottish political website readership closed last night, and the results are in. And we must admit, we really didn’t see this one coming.
Remarkably, the winner of the poll – excellent news resource BBC Scotlandshire – was on 0 votes the day before voting closed, largely because we’d forgotten to include it. But to our surprise, in the small hours of the morning a whopping 1,011 votes arrived out of nowhere – or more specifically, according to our IP tracking, from a single building close to the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood.
When we checked, we found that it was the headquarters of a smaller and more amateurish news-reporting organisation, so we assume that lots of employees working the late shift had all decided to vote to express their admiration for a respected rival at once. (Curiously all from the same computer, and now we come to think about it, several hours after the poll had in fact closed.)
An alert reader pointed something interesting out to us this morning. STV News, the Telegraph and the Paisley Daily Express all carry an almost word-for-word-identical story (the only one with a byline is the Telegraph’s version, which credits it to the grumpy-looking Josie Ensor), all three of them headlined with slight variations on the phrase “Over 60 per cent unconvinced on Scottish independence”.
It refers to a poll conducted for the “Better Together” campaign, and reports its findings accurately. Or to be more precise, reports some of its findings.
We stumbled across this quite by accident yesterday. We think you’ll enjoy it.
The clip is from last year, and was aired on Canadian national news channel Sun News. Douglas Murray is a British writer who claims to be half-Scottish on account of unspecified links to Unionist breeding ground the Isle of Lewis, popular haunt of No-camp luminaries like Alistair Darling, virulent Labour anti-devolutionist Brian Wilson and controversial “Better Together” donor Ian Taylor.
Murray studied at Eton and Oxford and writes for august UK journals like the Spectator and Guardian, as well as appearing on numerous BBC political shows. For some reason, the Canadians consider him an expert on Scottish politics, qualified to inform and enlighten their viewers. See what you think.
The Scottish Co-operative Party’s 2011 manifesto is one full of co-operative and mutual solutions to the challenges faced in Scotland, issues of independence, devolution or the constitutional settlement did not feature. The annual Co-operative Party conference has passed motions which promote a view of Scotland playing a vital role in a United Kingdom.
We have noted the personal comments made by Mary Lockhart, a long serving Co-operative Party and Labour Party member. Mary has been a great advocate for co-operative and mutual solutions. Whilst we recognise that members of political parties hold differing, sometimes opposite, positions the views Mary has expressed are not shared by the Party. Mary has offered her resignation from the role of Chair of the Scottish Co-operative Party and the Scottish Executive committee has accepted this.“
The BBC’s flagship satirical programme “Have I Got News For You” is, of course, comedy. The tone of the opening minutes of last night’s episode was a little uglier and nastier than the usual friendly inter-regional jibes (normally delivered by the likes of Jeremy Clarkson and accompanied by rebukes from the rest of the panel), but it really wasn’t anything to get overly worked up about. Comedy isn’t always cuddly.
It must have been a little uncomfortable for the No camp, though.
twathater on A Long Hard Think: “You would also have noted Willie that the Donald also brought up the situation regarding the Argentinian claims for the…” Sep 13, 03:26
Mark Beggan on A Long Hard Think: “Aye and Mad Dog starting to bark. Statements being issued. Sinn Fein on the ropes. something already brewing then Trump…” Sep 13, 00:02
Confused on A Long Hard Think: “trump says “up the ‘ra” tom harris says andy burnham needs to send him a message – special branch as…” Sep 12, 23:46
sam on A Long Hard Think: “Maybe if I ask Rev Stu he might remove Beggan’s threat of my rape as well? Or Beggan might ask.” Sep 12, 22:06
sam on A Long Hard Think: “I see the Rev has deleted Beggan’s abusive threat of rape to Marie.” Sep 12, 22:02
Insider on A Long Hard Think: “James says: “it is truly astonishing how ‘someone’ can occupy so much physical space while contributing absolutely nothing of intellectual…” Sep 12, 21:24
robertkknight on A Long Hard Think: “Prick 1 and Prick 2 tag-teaming. What a novel approach to discourse. BTL contaminated by the usual suspects.” Sep 12, 20:54
Mark Beggan on A Long Hard Think: “Interesting. There’s a village on the east coast of Scotland where the buildings all have unique red roof tiles that…” Sep 12, 19:52
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: ““Why would they come to Scotland” Because their ancestors came from Scotland. “such a shithole as you constantly try to…” Sep 12, 19:21
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: “Near ten hours for that one, twathater. Please tell us it took you nine and a half hours to clean…” Sep 12, 18:59
Dan on A Long Hard Think: “Why would they come to Scotland if it is such a shithole as you constantly try to point out. Why…” Sep 12, 18:55
James on A Long Hard Think: “Young Lochinvar is adept at educating Scots regarding their own history, much of which has been airbrushed out of existence…” Sep 12, 18:53
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: “Sure you’re Scottish, sam? Back when I was a loon, clyping was beyond the pale. The one unforgivable that marked…” Sep 12, 18:47
Dan on A Long Hard Think: “The issue with that is covered in this post. https://wingsoverscotland.com/a-long-hard-think/#comment-3445700 Totes win for the corrputed cunts when they simply remove…” Sep 12, 18:47
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: ““I think a Unified Ireland is coming” Then you must also think a million or so Ulster Unionists are coming…” Sep 12, 18:34
Hatey McHateface on A Long Hard Think: “Fa’s the James that posts “Prick”? His posts gie readers muckle mair time tae hae a life.” Sep 12, 18:25
twathater on A Long Hard Think: “And as usual Arsehole Main deliberately misses the point of my comment , as a member of the 77th brigade…” Sep 12, 18:15
Stuart Swanston on A Long Hard Think: “If enough of us keep libelling Nicola Sturgeon as a person who has handled stolen goods and when informed by…” Sep 12, 17:32
Mark Beggan on A Long Hard Think: “Maybe they will rape you instead.” Sep 12, 17:08
Mark Beggan on A Long Hard Think: “72 million! The war chest is full. Let battle commence. No quarter asked No quarter given. Let’s; Make Scotland Normal…” Sep 12, 17:04
sam on A Long Hard Think: “The documents reportedly included information on torture:physical and psychological torture was employed against suspected Mau Mau members and sympathisers. There…” Sep 12, 16:39
James on A Long Hard Think: “See, Jockos; it’s all yer own fault. So sing the “all day, every day” unionists. Dealing with a hollow, insulting…” Sep 12, 16:36
SJB on A Long Hard Think: “And the brutal Mau Mau murders of white farmers and their families in Kenya at that time” Sep 12, 15:14
Captain Caveman on A Long Hard Think: “‘Ferries procurement’ comes to mind. Well, if your entire government – and bloated Civil Service – is filled to the…” Sep 12, 14:32
Marie on A Long Hard Think: “@chas 11.41am – 300 years is nothing. Absolutely nothing. And yes, the colonial authorities did destroy documentation relating to their…” Sep 12, 14:28
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on A Long Hard Think: “Many thanks to Prof Alf Baird for this presentation: THE COST OF COLONIALISM (5 Sept 2026) www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnfqeZr-2fU” Sep 12, 14:24
100%Yes on A Long Hard Think: “Please have a look at the link below, your be amazed at the shit that’s happening in Scotland. https://www.isp.scot/september-5th-september-11th-2026/” Sep 12, 13:47
Knuckle_Heid on A Long Hard Think: “Kind of related to Stu’s headline story – on 14th of July (almost two months ago) David Hendry & Sean…” Sep 12, 12:35
Knuckle_Heid on A Long Hard Think: “Very interesting Willie, I read Robin McAlpines articles about the Standards Commission / Fiona Higgins case and was appalled at…” Sep 12, 12:28
