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Wings Over Scotland


Hostile takeover 73

Posted on June 17, 2023 by

Inspired by this tweet:

We thought we’d try the idea out.

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Mixed messaging 34

Posted on June 17, 2023 by

A man hears what he wants to hear 97

Posted on June 16, 2023 by

This quote:

Does not say this:

No matter how much we’re all desperate for a story.

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Humza Yousaf’s Last Week 132

Posted on June 16, 2023 by

So this is pretty embarrassing.

The Scottish National Party’s primary and defining purpose is Scottish independence. Next weekend’s “special conference” will at least notionally determine its policy on that subject for years to come. On the face of it it’s the most important congregation of party members in the SNP’s history.

The Caird Hall can accommodate just 3% of the claimed membership. (And you’d expect at least half the seats to have been reserved in advance for the faithful payroll.) Members ought to be fighting like dogs for a ticket. And yet a week before the event the leader is having to send out pleading letters to try to scare up enough attendees that it won’t be a half-empty humiliation.

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Kirsty Blackman’s Genitals 424

Posted on June 13, 2023 by

Some of you still won’t have seen them, er, we mean “this”:

While it may have been the funniest – and Joanna Cherry silently spoke for every sane person in the nation as it went on – remarkably it wasn’t even the stupidest or most offensive part of her speech to yesterday’s Parliamentary debate in Westminster Hall about the definition of “sex” in the Equality Act.

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The Queen Of All The Cretins 180

Posted on June 12, 2023 by

Nicola Sturgeon has not been charged with any crime. Yesterday she was arrested, questioned and released without charge pending further investigation. We do not even know which specific suspected crime or crimes she was questioned in connection with, so it is manifestly impossible to meaningfully speculate on her innocence or guilt (save of course for the fact that all are innocent in the eyes of the law until proven otherwise, something Sturgeon herself often appears to forget).

Nevertheless, in Scotland the Contempt Of Court Act 1981 applies from the moment a person is arrested, as the country’s most senior lawyer and its official prosecution service were both keen to remind people yesterday in the clearest possible terms, and it applies equally whether you’re asserting someone’s guilt or their innocence.

So you need to be a really extra-special class of boneheaded numbwit to do this:

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The topical news quiz 96

Posted on June 11, 2023 by

Your first question, Ian Murray: who is the First Minister and leader of the SNP?

Ooh, sorry, zero points.

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Now it’s all out 71

Posted on June 11, 2023 by

Welcome to Cell Club, Nicola.

Developing a complex 122

Posted on June 10, 2023 by

Wings two days ago: “The SNP wants to do a devo-max deal with Labour”.

The SNP today: “We’re prepared to do a devo-max deal with Labour”.

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The heavy lifting 83

Posted on June 10, 2023 by

The Next Government Of Scotland 115

Posted on June 09, 2023 by

Is pictured below.

We’re putting it here for the record.

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Surrender when you’re winning 161

Posted on June 08, 2023 by

Let’s start with what we know.

The SNP tell us that independence support is currently at 53%.

They tell us that most Scots want a referendum within the next year:

And we know that it’s absolutely unequivocally possible for the SNP and Greens to trigger a Holyrood election which would serve as a de facto referendum not only within a year, but within weeks. Scots could entirely realistically go to the polls this August or September, or even on the date Nicola Sturgeon promised less than a year ago.

So why are the SNP choosing this of all moments to give up?

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    • Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: ““brainwashed us with being supposed to hate for, er, “reasons”” Check out Vinted. They’ll have plenty of pedestals to sell,…” Oct 20, 12:30
    • Southernbystander on Faces In Sand: “There are valid points here. It is interesting that in my experience jokes about (against) the English by non-English people…” Oct 20, 12:23
    • Northcode on Faces In Sand: “It’s also worth noting that imperial England recruited elites from many places — Ireland, Wales, India, Africa, the Caribbean, Canada,…” Oct 20, 12:18
    • Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: ““Essex humour is not tied to national identity” And there we see the core of the matter exposed. Northy is…” Oct 20, 12:12
    • Northcode on Faces In Sand: “Caveman, the point isn’t whether some Scots participated — they clearly did. The distinction I’m making is between elite participation…” Oct 20, 12:06
    • Captain Caveman on Faces In Sand: “I think the germane point is that Scotland – in conjunction with England – was a very willing, highly effective…” Oct 20, 11:28
    • Northcode on Faces In Sand: “Aidan, yes — elites on both sides participated in imperial expansion, and the effects weren’t evenly distributed across either society.…” Oct 20, 11:18
    • Aidan on Faces In Sand: “Absolutely Northcode – but a more succinct way of putting it is that English and Scottish elites both working together…” Oct 20, 11:07
    • Northcode on Faces In Sand: “Aidan, yes — that’s broadly correct. The same class distinction applies in England: imperial agency sat with elites, not with…” Oct 20, 10:54
    • Captain Caveman on Faces In Sand: “Awesome Spartan! 🙂 Truth be told, a Capri is a Cortina in drag and all mouth, no trousers. But it…” Oct 20, 10:51
    • Rob on Faces In Sand: “I do find it entertaining as I am another of those “middle class unionist” that seem to draw ire from…” Oct 20, 10:47
    • Northcode on Faces In Sand: “Just to clarify — none of what I wrote was about fragility, offence, or “lightening up.” I’m not arguing that…” Oct 20, 10:46
    • Aidan on Faces In Sand: “@Northcode – it wasn’t just the Scottish elites that participated in colonialism, but also your argument above is generally true…” Oct 20, 10:31
    • Spartan 117 on Faces In Sand: “Correct Captain. Humour however is lost on the professionally offended puritans who can’t think for themselves and are *told* to…” Oct 20, 10:26
    • Northcode on Faces In Sand: “Scotland did not have colonies. Scottish elites participated in the British Empire – ordinary Scots did not benefit from it.…” Oct 20, 10:21
    • Spartan 117 on Faces In Sand: “I get your argument Northcode, however selective outrage ends up eating itself. In my view, nothing is beyond critique or…” Oct 20, 10:13
    • Northcode on Faces In Sand: “You’re not engaging with the point I made — you’re engaging with a version of “Old Northy”, perhaps nostalgically, that…” Oct 20, 10:10
    • Spartan 117 on Faces In Sand: “*David Brent voice* Oooh, you’re hard. No virtue signalling here, I just don’t get a stiffy for violence and war,…” Oct 20, 10:06
    • Captain Caveman on Faces In Sand: “I’ve never understood this fragility and undue sensitivity to a bit of affectionate piss-taking. As Essex Man, myself and my…” Oct 20, 10:05
    • Spartan 117 on Faces In Sand: “That’s the point Rob. None of it is offensive, but selective outrage is an absurd self-defeating fallacy.” Oct 20, 09:58
    • Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: ““Old” Northy used to reject “insider” humour by claiming that the “insider” must be an outsider in disguise. Even if…” Oct 20, 09:44
    • Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: ““I’m of the view that those who thirst for conflict should [by] default be the first to be sent to…” Oct 20, 09:29
    • Rob on Faces In Sand: “The best thing about the view that somehow it was “offensive” is that Rab C was based on a real…” Oct 20, 09:24
    • 100%Yes on Faces In Sand: “Answer is no one and to be honest Sarah I wouldn’t call the SNP a party certainly not one that…” Oct 20, 09:20
    • Northcode on Faces In Sand: “Insider humour is affection; outsider humour is judgement. When someone mocks their own culture the audience hears: – affection -…” Oct 20, 09:16
    • Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: “Robert Hardman reporting from Paris for the Mail Online this morning: “Most of the looters are, indeed, from ethnic minorities…” Oct 20, 09:15
    • Captain Caveman on Faces In Sand: ““Trump is buying diesel from “R” and “R” is going to the G20 summit next year in Edinburgh.” What has…” Oct 20, 08:45
    • Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: ““I’m sure there are other examples” Of course, sam, why not spend a happy Monday trawling your eighteenth and nineteenth…” Oct 20, 08:19
    • Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: “Goanay no dae that, FC. If James makes himself known to the The National Museum of Scotland they’ll have him…” Oct 20, 08:02
    • Hatey McHateface on Faces In Sand: ““Its you and your hypocritical imperialistic kind who aye advocate bombing other countries” You’re sae richt, Alf. But to be…” Oct 20, 07:52
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