The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Progress to nowhere 160

Posted on April 14, 2023 by

Alert readers may be familiar with the market research and polling company Progress Scotland. Readers of The National certainly will be, as the semi-newspaper has run over 120 stories about it, most of them around the company’s creation in early 2019.

The company was formed by Angus Robertson, at the time an unemployed former SNP MP after he lost his Moray seat in the 2017 election, and its stated goal was to persuade those not yet fully decided.

Read the rest of this entry →

When you’re already gone 308

Posted on April 12, 2023 by

So it turned out there was very little new information in this story.

But the tiny bit there was raises an extremely disproportionate number of issues.

Read the rest of this entry →

Also Humza Yousaf 89

Posted on April 12, 2023 by

7 April 2023: “Your priorities will be my priorities.”

1 April 2023: “Here are our priorities.”

Now for the surprise!

Read the rest of this entry →

Standing on quicksand 143

Posted on April 11, 2023 by

So let’s just recap where we are with this.

Because it really doesn’t look very good.

Read the rest of this entry →

From the mouths of idiots 113

Posted on April 11, 2023 by

Readers with any modest working knowledge of Scottish politics in recent years would naturally assume at first sight that the illiterate, corrupt, self-serving, gravy-hoovering drama student with whom the SNP hilariously replaced experienced KC Joanna Cherry as shadow justice secretary simply couldn’t spell “final straight”, a term meaning the easy last stretch of a horse race where there are no jumps or turns.

(We are, after all, talking here about someone who can’t spell her own name.)

But they might be wrong.

Read the rest of this entry →

The Party’s Over 399

Posted on April 09, 2023 by

On a day like today, all an honest person can really do with the Scottish National Party is make like Pontius Pilate and wash their hands of it.

Because there ain’t no resurrection from this.

Read the rest of this entry →

That Sinking Feeling 217

Posted on April 08, 2023 by

Stranger Things 364

Posted on April 05, 2023 by

Well, what an odd day that’s been.

Because for a start, if you’re the one person in Scotland who believes the above, please drop us a line. We’d love to have a chat with you.

Read the rest of this entry →

Lipstick On Your Collar 338

Posted on April 05, 2023 by

Until a few weeks ago Calum Steele was the chief of the Scottish Police Federation, so as due-credits go we particularly appreciate this one.

So let’s remind ourselves of a few things.

Read the rest of this entry →

Two separate facts 114

Posted on April 05, 2023 by

Presented without comment.


And a bonus one, from two years and one day ago:

At the edge of the deep blue sea 76

Posted on April 04, 2023 by

So a week and a bit after the deadline, this arrived.

And it’s not quite what you were told before.

Read the rest of this entry →

Inside The Cult 161

Posted on April 03, 2023 by

In June of last year, I started work at Transport Scotland. It wasn’t the best job I’ve ever had. It was pretty much an entry-level post and it was only a temp gig through an agency, but after spending almost six years out of the workforce following a bout with cancer, two frozen shoulders, and chronic knee and hip pain, it was a huge relief just to be earning my keep again.

Of course, June is Pride Month, and Saltire (the Scottish Government’s intranet) was full of news and blogs about “LGBTI+” issues.

Also on the Saltire front page was a prominent invitation to two training sessions to understand the issues facing these groups: “LGBT+ Awareness 101” and “Trans 101”.

These were both run by the LGBTI+ Network, one of several “affinity networks” for civil servants belonging to different groups. With the GRR Bill on the horizon, and having heard stories about how difficult it had been for gender critical groups to get a hearing from the Government in relation to it, I was very curious to hear what this training involved, and I signed up to attend via Teams.

The first session was “LGBT+ Awareness 101”. This session was fairly inoffensive. The content regarding gay people was about what you would expect, and the T+ stuff was clearly biased, but not terrible.

However, the tone of the event suggested quite strongly that you weren’t meant to disagree with anything that was said. Towards the end, when questions were invited, I typed my question into the chat:

“How does the Scottish Government handle conflicts between TERFs and trans people?”

And there my troubles began.

Read the rest of this entry →

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,946 Posts, 1,246,458 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Captain Caveman on Search And Replace: “Yes, precisely Aidan: such enormous strides in road safety and crash survivability are the (priceless) dividend of research, progress and…Jul 8, 07:48
    • Aidan on Search And Replace: “I’d point out that the basic Mini weighs 1,160kg, the higher 1750kg weight is probably for the countryman which is…Jul 8, 07:16
    • Captain Caveman on Search And Replace: “Ah, impotently throwing insults around, blatantly ignoring points raised and refusing to address them – and posting more mince I…Jul 8, 06:25
    • Peter McAvoy on The Interests Of The Many: “I thought it was worth mentioning the Daily record Tuesday 7th July. Humza Yousef warned Scotland can no longer pretend…Jul 8, 01:53
    • Dan on Search And Replace: “Aye, Sam, the dickhead troll jist has to try to find an angle to kick off and create discord and…Jul 7, 22:07
    • 100%Yes on The Interests Of The Many: “Carol, I don’t need to read the book to know. Take a look at the picture of Swinney and then…Jul 7, 22:01
    • 100%Yes on The Interests Of The Many: “Alf I totally agree and support the work Salvo and yourself is doing but de-colonization isn’t going to work alone.…Jul 7, 21:49
    • Alf Baird on The Interests Of The Many: “If national independence is not decolonisation, Hatey, then pray tell us and all those former colonies that are now UN…Jul 7, 21:47
    • Hatey McHateface on The Interests Of The Many: “I guess once you’ve ruled everybody else out, Twat H, that’ll just leave you. You can count on my vote…Jul 7, 21:16
    • twathater on The Interests Of The Many: “I agree with Alf regarding Joanna Cherry she sat for years in silence and her vociferous opposition to the GRA…Jul 7, 21:07
    • Carol Neill on The Interests Of The Many: “https://malcolmrichardclark.substack.com/p/sturgeons-crime-fiction-sob-storyJul 7, 21:00
    • Hatey McHateface on The Interests Of The Many: “Of course, Alf, excepting yourself and a few disciples who “know what Independence means”, damn few Scots know either. Which…Jul 7, 20:58
    • AndSpouse on The Interests Of The Many: “Was it payable to the SNP?Jul 7, 20:50
    • Chas on The Interests Of The Many: “Simple question Alf. Who forms an honest, competent Government in a newly Independent Scotland? Names please.Jul 7, 20:41
    • Alf Baird on The Interests Of The Many: ““She’s only one who I believe can can bring Independence” A hae ma douts. Unfortunately, like most of the SNP…Jul 7, 20:22
    • twathater on The Interests Of The Many: “Oh I love that comment, how very appropriate, I hope the big man Alex Salmond can see KARMA taking placeJul 7, 18:13
    • 100%Yes on The Interests Of The Many: “Put your hand up who would like to see a SNP MSP give up their seat, to allow Joanna cherry…Jul 7, 17:36
    • 100%Yes on The Interests Of The Many: “I had to look at my emails but I did it by checking emails from Jim Henderson and it brought…Jul 7, 17:18
    • Cherrybank on The Interests Of The Many: “Big trouble in Cranhill district of Glasgow ,massive police presence locals protesting about local alledged rapist .Jul 7, 16:57
    • Andspouse on The Interests Of The Many: “Can anyone give me a heads up on when the donations were paid (month, year) and to whom so I…Jul 7, 16:54
    • sarah on The Interests Of The Many: “@ Morag: I didn’t until very recently! But the other, more commonly understood, meaning is what I think the Rev…Jul 7, 16:43
    • Morag on The Interests Of The Many: “Do you know what that phrase is actually referring to? (Clue: “Jock Tamson” translates to “John Thomas” in English.)Jul 7, 16:30
    • Morag on The Interests Of The Many: “Surely it’s your bank record of payment that’s the important thing? If the Yes Scotland thing goes anywhere, I have…Jul 7, 16:28
    • Lorncal on The Interests Of The Many: “Prior INTENT will require to be proved: that the SNP top brass and NEC members knew that the money raised…Jul 7, 16:22
    • Lorncal on Search And Replace: “James: I have checked those cases, and none of them appears to be applicable to this case. In each case,…Jul 7, 15:45
    • Skip_NC on The Interests Of The Many: “So nobody bothered to spend a few quid a year maintaining the domain? How stupid is that? Perhaps more pertinently…Jul 7, 15:35
    • 100%Yes on The Interests Of The Many: “When the greedy fear the loss of there own money, that’s when the rats start turning on each other its…Jul 7, 15:10
    • Ian Smith on The Interests Of The Many: “Even if there was a technical route for a court order, the court would do everything in its power to…Jul 7, 15:10
    • Andrew F on The Interests Of The Many: “Love how the link for ref.scot in the first paragraph under “The Defender’s Fundraising Representations” takes you to an online…Jul 7, 15:06
    • MP on The Interests Of The Many: “Yes – but if there is no criminal prosecution they can buy off the Civil Case, which is why I…Jul 7, 15:04
  • A tall tale



↑ Top