I’ve just remembered that I meant to leave this pinned to the front page when I shut Wings down as a blog, so here it is. It’s just a short one.
I am willing to bet anyone in the UK any amount of money of their choosing that there will NOT be a second independence referendum in Scotland while Nicola Sturgeon is First Minister.
If you still believe she’ll deliver one, now’s your chance to demonstrate your faith in public AND get yourself some free cash. (It’s a matter of public record that I’ve never failed to pay up on a losing wager.)
So come on, SNP loyalists and true believers, let’s see you. Put your name and the amount you want to bet in the comments below* and let’s find out how much you really trust her. This is an entirely genuine, serious offer and remains open to anyone** until such times as Nicola Sturgeon stands down as First Minister, even if that’s 20 years from now. Any amount you like. I’m waiting keenly for your responses.
.
*PLEASE DO NOT COMMENT EXCEPT TO TAKE THE BET.
**WAGERS FROM GERRY “THE WELCHER” HASSAN NOT ACCEPTED.
Craig Murray is due to be released from HMP Edinburgh a week tomorrow, having served half of an eight-month sentence for contempt of court via “jigsaw identification”. Our latest poll data from Panelbase, surveying 2000 Scottish voters last week, reveals that just a quarter of Scots think that such an offence merits imprisonment.
Readers may find the figures for male and female respondents of note. The full data tables can be downloaded here.
So, in accordance with the wishes of the readership (and despite rather peculiar claims on some sites that all polls in Scotland are now commissioned by Unionists), Wings has its first polling data for you in its present form, relayed without comment.
In association with Panelbase, this month we surveyed 2000 Scottish voters (double the normal sample size) on a couple of subjects. The first question was this:
“Barring unforeseen events, next year Nicola Sturgeon will overtake Alex Salmond as Scotland’s longest-serving First Minister. She took office in November 2014, in a Scotland which was evenly split on the constitution. (Average support for independence in polling was at 50%, compared to the current 48%.)
Which of the following, if any, do you personally regard as her greatest achievement in office?”
Right, as promised, one last piece of admin. (This post will be removed in due time.)
We left yesterday’s piece and the associated poll up for two full days to make sure the people who don’t read Wings at weekends saw it and had the chance to vote in it too. But in truth it was pretty obvious how the vote would go from about 20 minutes in.
When the Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts died last month, the first of their songs that popped into my head, for no particular reason, was “Under My Thumb”, a mildly controversial 1966 album track the band never released as a single in the West.
Its most infamous place in history, though, is this.
Until Watts’ death I was only very broadly aware of the events at Altamont Speedway in 1969, a free festival at a racetrack near San Francisco at which four people died in scenes of malevolent chaos and which is widely regarded as the grim headstone of the hippy era.
But on seeing the extraordinary footage above for the first time on the day of Watts’ death – taken from “Gimme Shelter”, notionally the official movie of the show, although the first two-thirds of it are actually a mundane travelogue of the preceding tour dates – I did some proper reading up on it.
And as I did, a horribly familiar feeling started to unfold.
For many years now, whenever I’ve done one of those “Which Political Party Should You Be In?” online quiz things, it always says that I’m a Green, which is weird because I really hate cyclists. Nevertheless, it was still the result when I did one most recently, just last month.
So I decided that for the first time in my life it was finally time to join a political party.
Mark Beggan on The Con Merchant: “” presenting our Independence offer in 2026 ” These clowns are serious.” Jun 28, 15:31
Victor Clements on The Con Merchant: “The problem with the SNP is there is not a carrot in either of the boxes. If there is, it…” Jun 28, 15:12
A2 on And it’s goodnight from he/him: “Missed a trick there! this wee vid has “Legal battles, theft, back biting, progress, marketing campaigns, money, greed & metaphor.”” Jun 28, 14:00
TURABDIN on The Art Of Noise: “THE SNP indie radicals, assuming such actually exist, ought to have disposed of Swinney last year, now it’s strategically too…” Jun 28, 12:55
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Holiday Relief: “Alf, thanks for posting. I have just sent you a reply which frustratingly has gone into moderation. That fate also…” Jun 28, 12:44
Alf Baird on Holiday Relief: “I see you have attracted a dubious ‘friend’ there Fearghas, which would tend to suggest, as I believe, that I…” Jun 28, 12:04
Alf Baird on The Art Of Noise: “Scotland’s strategic geographic location on the Great Circle Route has not changed, so we continue to hold that advantage for…” Jun 28, 11:43
100%Yes on The Art Of Noise: “I have no idea what percentage of the general public is aware of the SNP stance on Indy, I would…” Jun 28, 11:15
Andy Ellis on Holiday Relief: “@Fherghas (passim) Good to see you shining a light on Alt’s obfuscations and attempts to re-write history. The fact he…” Jun 28, 11:14
100%Yes on The Art Of Noise: “Can you explain as to why my post on Craig Murray recent visit to the UN aren’t being posted. If…” Jun 28, 10:40
Grendel on Anatomy Of A Lunatic: “Kelly was our LACU Political Officer or some such thing, and in his time in office he did the square…” Jun 28, 10:24
Stuart MacKay on The Art Of Noise: “Alf. Your fired! Time to pick the the Ports and Transport portfolio once more. I’d be interested to hear what…” Jun 28, 10:05
Stuart MacKay on The Art Of Noise: “Sounds like Swinney is, quite deliberately, setting himself up for spectacular failure. No doubt with the goal of getting an…” Jun 28, 10:01
Sven on The Art Of Noise: “Turabdin @ 08.50. Sorry, argument falls down; not even a single reference to what Post Colonial Theory suggests and the…” Jun 28, 09:28
TURABDIN on The Art Of Noise: “« I want to deliver a significant advance on my political arguments for independence…» AI being so HOT with politicos,…” Jun 28, 08:50
Colin Dawson on The Art Of Noise: “The only thing that will bring independence any closer is destroying the credibility of the SNP long before the 2026…” Jun 28, 08:31
Alf Baird on Holiday Relief: “We have to consider the realities of the time, and over time, Fearghas, as well as how languages develop. All…” Jun 28, 08:06
Jamie on But Don’t Give Yourself Away: “What nonsense to say we can only have 1 referendum election, more like a million consecutively or as many as…” Jun 27, 23:55
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Holiday Relief: “My fault Alf for not making my last question tight enough. However unlikely the prospect that you might one day…” Jun 27, 22:53
Mark Beggan on The Art Of Noise: “Stay on the Downers John boy that shit ain’t doing you no good” Jun 27, 22:51
Mark Beggan on The Art Of Noise: “Crack cocaine.? What else?” Jun 27, 22:49
Alf Baird on Holiday Relief: “It is well established that English (and other languages) use many words from various languages. The essential thing for us…” Jun 27, 22:17
Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “Sure, Alf, and perhaps “cide” is derived from the Humous for “yellow, tunnel skulking, helpless lassie mutilator”, but that’s all…” Jun 27, 21:36
Hatey McHateface on The Art Of Noise: “Surely Swinney is doing a first-class job? It’s not his fault that nobody ever asked for the job description to…” Jun 27, 21:24
sarah on The Art Of Noise: “They got rid of the Good Guys and they changed the party rules to permit self-identifying of disability in order…” Jun 27, 21:13
Alf Baird on Holiday Relief: ““linguicide” (death of a language due to natural or political causes) is derived from the Latin ‘lingua’, meaning tongue.” Jun 27, 21:11
Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: ““Linguicide” Loving it, Alf. BTW, what’s the Scots for linguicide? That’s surely gonna be the first question every alert…” Jun 27, 20:59
Hatey McHateface on And it’s goodnight from he/him: “That’s a thought provoking post, Andy, but tell us true. If we Scots all just shouted “Bairns Not Bombs” in…” Jun 27, 20:51
socratesmacsporran on The Art Of Noise: “You might have hoped, given what a success Swinney was as SNP leader, first time round, a half-way sensible party…” Jun 27, 20:43
Hatey McHateface on But Don’t Give Yourself Away: “James’s Mammie gone oot again. Hope she left James plenty of Kleenex!” Jun 27, 20:42