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.
Hatey McHateface on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Much to agree with in your post, willie. But any vipers reading here will be affronted at being compared to…” Aug 5, 21:26
Hatey McHateface on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “And another two penises. Fit happened tae the re-enactment o’ Otterburn then? Car widnae start? Scotland’s gonna need a new…” Aug 5, 21:22
Alf Baird on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: ““it is the “no” voters like me that need convincing.” In a colonial society, rejecting the liberation of one’s own…” Aug 5, 21:02
Young Lochinvar on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “In reply to P3nisbreath McP3nisbreath @ 8.10 The only todgers mentioned were your nickname; and you wonder why 🙂 .…” Aug 5, 20:55
Hatey McHateface on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Is that a new boy then (Said)? I don’t recall you mentioning him before. Interesting that the “experience equally agonising”…” Aug 5, 20:30
willie on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Word is that Kate Forbes is standing down because the party ” a nest of vipers ” Although I think…” Aug 5, 20:26
Hatey McHateface on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: ““Is there anything more boring and irrelevant” Sure. Any number of things.” Aug 5, 20:21
Hatey McHateface on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “You need to spend a lot more time in Middle Earth, Confused. It obviously calms you down, even although Da…” Aug 5, 20:17
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Christine, thank you for your comment (5 Aug, 6.37 pm). It brought to mind this powerful extract from an interview…” Aug 5, 20:16
Hatey McHateface on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “That’s the great thing about the internet, YL Sah! War correspondents can do it all from behind the closed curtains…” Aug 5, 20:10
George Ferguson on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “@Christine Yes and the said troika would reinstate the 16th Century fig leaf that so damaged the original work of…” Aug 5, 19:14
agent x on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “During the leadership debate it was only Forbes that said something sensible about independence. Something along the lines of -…” Aug 5, 19:13
Alf Baird on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Yes James, if colonialism is allowed to continue the oppressed group culture and nation ‘will ultimately perish’ (Fanon). Ethnic oppression…” Aug 5, 19:06
agent x on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: ““When Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) leave office, they are entitled to a leaving payment to help them adjust…” Aug 5, 18:48
agent x on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Is there anything more boring and irrelevant than watching interviews with other people’s children getting exam results. “Look at my…” Aug 5, 18:38
christine on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Yes, I’ve heard it all before from this troika of victim feminists. I guess there’s nothing else going on for…” Aug 5, 18:37
Mark Beggan on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “They just can’t help themselves. Media spill on women politicians unable to balance work with motherhood. The dwarf is doing…” Aug 5, 17:57
twathater on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Anyone who thinks Kate Forbes was an asset to Scotland and independence is a Daftie, Forbes was just another trougher…” Aug 5, 17:47
James Cheyne on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “If politicians spend their time trying to intergrat nations an blend Countries, How will they hit their diversity agenda, They…” Aug 5, 17:33
Dan on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Muckle gusts here so I hud tae batten doon the hatches and even tether ma corn on the cob plants…” Aug 5, 17:17
Young Lochinvar on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “In reply to P3nisbreath McP3nisbreathface @ 7.11 Just in from our correspondent with Scottish forces: And he (Douglas) has bunt…” Aug 5, 16:34
Confused on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “The use of mythology to create a shared national identity is not some trivial matter; we have the example of…” Aug 5, 13:28
Confused on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “windy today, maybe windy tomorrow. very interesting https://archive.ph/4pM3p now imagine a community owned company setup to create energy in Lewis?…” Aug 5, 13:25
Marie on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Thanks for info. Very interesting to learn the names of the various Lowland clans involved in the battle. A bit…” Aug 5, 13:14
Hatey McHateface on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Are you sure about Khan Yunis? They might be deep underground in a tunnel, being “entertained” by some teenage lassie.…” Aug 5, 12:38
agent x on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “She’ll also get a substantial payout for leaving office – the first £30,000 is tax free.” Aug 5, 12:05
anniethenoo on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Thanks Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh, will watch. I notice Darren McGarvey is putting his non-invite to Embra Book Fest down to being…” Aug 5, 11:13
