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.
Her Majesty’s Prisoner No. 157095, or Craig Murray as we still prefer to call him, is a fascinating piece of living evidence of the Kafkaesque country Scotland has become under the despotic rule of Nicola Sturgeon.
Craig has a number of serious medical conditions, one of which causes him frequent dizziness and fainting spells. To gauge their severity (because obviously it’s hard for Craig to judge, given that he’s dizzy and/or fainting at the time), his doctor gave him a device called a pulse oximeter. Depending on the readings from it after an attack, Craig’s life could be in danger and an ambulance should be called.
But because presumably even the Scottish prison authorities realise that it would look quite bad if a political prisoner like Craig died in jail, they did offer him an alternative.
An ongoing exception to this site’s retirement is for news relating to the scandalous imprisonment of journalist and former UK ambassador Craig Murray, the only human in the history of the planet Earth ever to be jailed for the barely-defined pseudo-crime of “jigsaw identification”.
We had another phone call from Craig in HMP Edinburgh yesterday, and he continues to be in good spirits and be well treated by both staff and fellow inmates. He expressed great gratitude for the flood of mail sent by Wings readers in response to our appeal a couple of weeks ago – he’s been receiving up to 60 letters, emails and packages a day, which have been very much appreciated in helping him pass the 22.5 hours out of every 24 that he spends locked alone in his cell.
The prison authorities, however, imposed some bizarre restrictions.
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Your Call Is Important To Us: “I have not. I’d redact it with a black box if I’d done that.” Jul 9, 19:57
James Barr Gardner on Your Call Is Important To Us: “Mallaidh is an Irish and Scottish Gaelic spelling of the name “Molly,” which itself is a traditional pet form of…” Jul 9, 18:31
DelayedResponse on Your Call Is Important To Us: “That’s incredibly frustrating – it’s amazing how often you can get a vague response like that. Hopefully they’ll actually get…” Jul 9, 17:48
twathater on Your Call Is Important To Us: “The ENDLESS mindless responses that all say the same thing “Fuck Off” we’re not interested in addressing your complaints, even…” Jul 9, 17:42
Hatey McHateface on Your Call Is Important To Us: ““Mallaidh” is a very nice Gaelic female name. So probably a real person, possibly a real woman, but according to…” Jul 9, 16:24
A2 on Your Call Is Important To Us: “Too be fair (as we say) You did complain about the rapidity of the previous. “If we twiddle our thumbs…” Jul 9, 16:14
100%Yes on Your Call Is Important To Us: “I would presume, you likely to hear from copfs after the SNP responds in 21 days to these summons.” Jul 9, 16:00
Andy Wiltshire on Your Call Is Important To Us: “Do we know who ‘Mallaidh’ is? A real person, I naively assume.” Jul 9, 15:59
Hatey McHateface on The Interests Of The Many: “WGF is a gust of fresh air compared with the disgraceful and disgusting poison perpetrated by the teatowel wearers and…” Jul 9, 15:42
Morgatron on Response Level Upgrade: “I just wonder if they would arrest you or take you up in front of a Judge in such a…” Jul 9, 15:41
Hatey McHateface on Your Call Is Important To Us: ““avenues of justice” In Scotland these tend to be more wynds than avenues. Unlit at night, deserted, twisting to and…” Jul 9, 15:35
100%Yes on Your Call Is Important To Us: “When your being asked to “Please Hold” from the previous letters I would consider that statement as progress.” Jul 9, 15:23
Captain Caveman on The Interests Of The Many: ““Try fucking off somewhere else.” Ooooh Fatso! 😀 I doubt you can even stand up straight unaided, let alone blow…” Jul 9, 14:18
Confused on The Interests Of The Many: “we know where you live now, main; the nonce-police won’t be able to protect you forever https://archive.ph/qVBBR – aren’t policeman…” Jul 9, 14:03
Confused on The Interests Of The Many: “one day, soon … www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpuDsFSd8YA wir aw jock tamsons bairns” Jul 9, 14:01
Hatey McHateface on The Interests Of The Many: “Seriously, TURABDIN? No mention of the events in Ir@n? How ethnically and religiously diverse are that lot?” Jul 9, 13:50
Oneliner on The Interests Of The Many: “Whilst there may be some dubiety attached to the political veracity of some of its contributors, each year The National…” Jul 9, 13:46
Hatey McHateface on The Interests Of The Many: “On the subject of ethnic diversity, I half watched near 20 minutes of the Canada-Morocco game before I twigged that…” Jul 9, 13:37
Hatey McHateface on The Interests Of The Many: “@ Alf Baird says: 9 July, 2026 at 12:40 pm I don’t do Facebook, Alf. How odd that you do.…” Jul 9, 13:33
TURABDIN on The Interests Of The Many: “i have an aversion to jingoistic idolatrous nationalism of the flag waving sort….i was born in a country where such…” Jul 9, 13:26
James on The Interests Of The Many: ““…try spellcheck….” Try fucking off somewhere else.” Jul 9, 13:24
Alf Baird on The Interests Of The Many: ““Tell us what happens next” There are only two possible outcomes with colonialism, Hatey, as stated at the end of…” Jul 9, 12:40
Marie on The Interests Of The Many: “I agree Turabdin. It’s not normal to have another country’s achievements thrown in your face via media. I’m thankful that…” Jul 9, 12:29
Captain Caveman on The Interests Of The Many: ““Ye wad shuirly fund gey mair ‘morons’ tae the poleetical richt, gied the condeetion o the Western libeal-imperial pouers!” Try…” Jul 9, 12:28
Hatey McHateface on The Interests Of The Many: ““finally, once the people figure out they have been duped, ‘the national party disintegrates’” “Finally”, Alf? No way can that…” Jul 9, 12:17
Hatey McHateface on The Interests Of The Many: “Can’t say I’ve noticed, TURABDIN, no. And then I also have little to compare it against. Although the scenes coming…” Jul 9, 12:14
Hatey McHateface on The Interests Of The Many: “@ Dick Wall says: 8 July, 2026 at 9:52 pm “I wonder what examples you might point out that show…” Jul 9, 12:05
Alf Baird on The Interests Of The Many: “““moron”” Ye wad shuirly fund gey mair ‘morons’ tae the poleetical richt, gied the condeetion o the Western libeal-imperial pouers!” Jul 9, 11:58
