The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Stacking the odds

Posted on March 25, 2017 by

1 Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. 25 03 17 11:57

    Stacking the odds | speymouth

106 to “Stacking the odds”

  1. Croompenstein says:

    Cracker Chris, Harrison, Wullie and the Dug should be stacking shelves..

    Reply
  2. defo says:

    Yer usual topical brilliance Chris.
    As close to face sitting as wee Willie will ever get :-0

    Reply
  3. Muscleguy says:

    Shouldn’t Nicola be standing on Patrick Harvie? Or he could be offering her a hand up.

    Is Cairnstoon pushing the unionist idea that only the SNP have a referendum mandate?

    Reply
  4. Clootie says:

    As always – captured perfectly.

    Reply
  5. Valerie says:

    Haha, buffalo rider strikes again.

    Reply
  6. Malky says:

    Captured NS’s unruffled disdain for the shrill and empty ‘opposition’ quite nicely.

    Reply
  7. we want democracy says:

    The unionist Tower of Babble.

    Reply
  8. Dr Jim says:

    The opposition clearly having to stand on each others shoulders to reach the level of the FM

    Yet still unbalanced and toppling over themselves

    Reply
  9. Fixitfox says:

    Stacking the oddballs more like.

    Reply
  10. Dorothy Devine says:

    Most excellent! One sharp kick in the shins and the wee tower will topple in an ungainly heap .

    Come to think of it ‘ Ungainly Heap Party’ has a certain descriptive ring to it.

    Reply
  11. Gaelstorm says:

    TBF Muscleguy, Patrick is not contesting the existence of a mandate, which is the point being made.

    Reply
  12. mumsyhugs says:

    “and ma dad’s bigger than your dad tae!!!” – typical yoonie bullying tactics.

    Nae worries – we’ll haud yer coat Nicola! 🙂

    Reply
  13. K1 says:

    Brilliant Chris! None of what they say stacks up…well how could it built on a foundation of pish.

    Reply
  14. manandboy says:

    They’re building a hill of beans – with three beans!

    Reply
  15. Proud Cybernat says:

    Brilliant Chris!!

    SNP form a majority Gov = “One-Party State”
    SNP form a minority Gov = “No Mandate”.

    Yoon’s pretzel logic.

    Reply
  16. Richardinho says:

    Am I the only one to notice a striking resemblance between Ruth and Sam Slade Robohunter’s infantile adversary ‘Kidd’ from the 2000Ad comic?

    Reply
  17. stonefree says:

    That’s 2 buffaloes ,7 tanks and 1 Rennie broken by Oberleutnant Tank Commander, the Dugdale doesn’t count as not sure it was in working order

    Reply
  18. manandboy says:

    ‘Our mandate is bigger than yours’ cries Ruthie the cartoon Tory. The electorate wait in silence.

    “Wee, sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beasties,
    O, what a panic’s in thy breasties! ”
    Cos ye know the days a comin when
    Aff the train o’ gravy, then
    oot on yer erse yir gonnae be
    greetin ‘n girnin we will see;
    yi’ll say the gither ‘it wisnae me’!

    Reply
  19. I thought ruthy was gay, cause wullie is well hrmm right there between ruthies ehh hrmmmm anyway nice cartoon lol.

    Reply
  20. Grouse Beater says:

    Nice, Chris. On the backs of the mediocre stand … the mediocre.

    Beautiful, bright, sunny day today here in Embra, the kind to fill you with optimism that regaining dignity and nationhood is just around the corner. Enjoy it, Chris.

    Your weekend reading

    Don’t come to Scotland: link to wp.me
    A strange phone call: link to wp.me
    The nothingness of Trump:link to wp.me

    Reply
  21. Macart says:

    Heh. They look like an argument searching for an empty room. 🙂

    Reply
  22. Mike says:

    Hey Sturgeon! You’re never goin tae win a mandate fur anything in this one party State of yours.

    Reply
  23. HandandShrimp says:

    Particularly ironic given that Ruth came a distant second and yet if you read the press the day after you would have thought she was moving into Bute House.

    Ruth does not speak for me 🙂

    Reply
  24. Mike says:

    We’re absolutely no goin tae campaign on the same anti Indyref platform ever again.

    Eh after we point oot our joint mandate to oppose yer Indyref is mair valid than your one party State mandate wie the Greens.

    Ah ken wimmen who have a better grasp of logic than this.

    Reply
  25. heedtracker says:

    Is Cairnstoon pushing the unionist idea that only the SNP have a referendum mandate?

    Stop whining about nothing perlease. Its one satirical cartoon.

    Reply
  26. jimnarlene says:

    Love the look on Nicola’s face, “Is it, aye?”

    Reply
  27. Smallaxe says:

    Excellent, as usual, Chris is it just coincidental that the three Yoonatics have as much trouble balancing themselves as it is for them to balance their books?
    🙂

    Peace Always

    Reply
  28. Smallaxe says:

    Mike says:

    “Ah ken wimmen who have a better grasp of logic than this.”

    Was that remark really necessary Mike?

    Peace Always

    Reply
  29. Mike says:

    Smallaxe

    ??

    Would you have asked if Id posted “Ah ken men who have a better grasp of logic than this”?

    Reply
  30. Calum McKay says:

    Wonder when penny will drop for labour voters that their labour vote legitimises and effectively endorses tory rule?

    Reply
  31. Calum McKay says:

    Wonder when penny will drop for labour voters that their labour vote legitimises and effectively endorses tory rule?

    Reply
  32. Graeme Doig says:

    You just copied a photo of FMQ’s (;

    One of your best Chris.

    Reply
  33. Smallaxe says:

    Mike:

    But you didn’t!

    link to youtube.com

    Peace Always

    Reply
  34. Reluctant Nationalist says:

    It’s a fair enough comment that Mike made, Smallaxe. I wouldn’t think that any woman who would want to know him is capable of rational thought.

    Reply
  35. Mike says:

    Smallaxe

    Lol. Very good. Touche.

    But if we cant all be subject to humour should any of us be?

    Reply
  36. Tackety Beets says:

    Been harbouring this one for a few weeks now.

    As seen above Ruth, Kezia & Rennie will be back in bed together.

    Ruth an Kez are a bit iffy aboutr it, as they don’t like Willie !

    Reply
  37. Capella says:

    SNP MSPs = 63
    CON + LAB + LIB MSPs = 59 – 1 (Presiding Officer) = 58

    SNP majority over Unionists = 5.
    GREEN MSPs = 6

    Independence majority over Unionists = 11

    That’s the mandate the Scottish voters have delivered. The arithmetic is so simple, even the BBC could get it right. So let’s see that honoured on Tuesday.

    Reply
  38. Smallaxe says:

    Mike:
    🙂

    Peace Always my Friend

    Reply
  39. Mike says:

    @Reluctant

    Really?

    Reply
  40. cynicalHighlander says:

    Nicola has loaded up her pet donkey before taking them on a suprise holiday to Indyland.

    Reply
  41. Macart says:

    Latest Journey to YES.

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  42. Morag says:

    That’s hilarious! Thanks Chris.

    Reply
  43. Artyhetty says:

    Excellent image. The three stooges all hoping to get to the top, using and supporting each other.

    Weird, I saw that imbecilic comment by Joseph Robinson@11.58, thought I would see what it comes up with, clicked on the name and red screen saying ‘warning, a likely ‘phishing site’ came up. Just so you know.

    Reply
  44. K1 says:

    Mike your ‘Really?’ at RN’s ‘reversing’ of your ‘humour’ to turn it back on you is ‘ironically’ humorous. Don’t gie it oot if ye cannae take it back min…just sayin’

    Reply
  45. Reluctant Nationalist says:

    You have offended my feminine sensitivity. And I’m extra sensitive today as I’m on the blob right noo.

    Reply
  46. Artyhetty says:

    Mike@12.12

    WTF. Sometimes your comments make sense, is there more than one mike? Get lost with your anti women crap, it doesn’t belong here.

    Reply
  47. K1 says:

    Yes there is Arthetty…the other ‘mike’ has an initial after his forename…perhaps yer confusing the twa? 😉

    Reply
  48. Mike says:

    Artyhetty

    Seriously? You object to an injection of humour within a thread commenting on a cartoon?

    Reply
  49. Smallaxe says:

    People, Wingers, just let it be. Last night there was enough discord to put people off posting.

    It’s Saturday, cartoon day, chill out and enjoy the rest of the day.

    Peace to All Always

    Reply
  50. Mike says:

    K1

    Oh ok I mistook it for an attempt at abuse not humour.

    Silly me. I’ll remember next time.

    Reply
  51. Dr Jim says:

    What are the Ruthies Unionistas waiting for
    I wonder what our ancestors who didn’t get offered the chance of a referendum on the sale of their country to a foreign dictatorship would make of us today having to ask that foreign occupying power who over 300 years lifted by stealth everything Scotland has, and is only being forced to return it in bits at a time because the world has changed and it’s now unacceptable to do what they used to do to us and every other country which is throw us out or kill us to get what they want, and every time I see Ruthies face twist up with anger I can see she’d just love a return to the good old days

    Maybe after Brexit they’ll return to the old tried and tested method
    After all shouting and threatening us doesn’t seem to work anymore no matter how much their representatives try

    Too angry?….Mibbees aye! but Mibbees Naw!

    PS Norway’s geographically close to us and they’re happy
    what’s wrong with preferring those guys over the people who shout at us all the time and tell us we cannae dae nuttin and they wouldnae let us anyway

    It’s not a normal or equitable state of affairs is it?

    Reply
  52. DerekM says:

    lol great cartoon Chris the unionist tower of lies as they pretend to be different political parties and use the merged figures of their support to try and stop Scottish democracy.

    Despicable people who need their p45`s asap.

    Reply
  53. K1 says:

    Seems you want tae pick and choose what ‘you’ consider ‘humour’ Mike?

    So if another person regards ‘your’ humour as ‘offensive’ they cannae take a joke, but if you cannae see their humour ‘your’ offended cause you cannae see their joke?

    May ah remind ye of what ‘you’ just said:

    ‘But if we cant all be subject to humour should any of us be?’

    Reply
  54. Reluctant Nationalist says:

    I was just joking with you mike. I thought it would be fun to gang up wi smallaxe on ye. But then he went and 🙂 ‘d at you and left me to sink like a big serious stone.

    Reply
  55. Hamish100 says:

    Joseph Robinson says:
    25 March, 2017 at 11:58 am
    I thought ruthy was gay, cause wullie is well hrmm right there between ruthies ehh hrmmmm anyway nice cartoon lol.

    Gi’en somebody a “shouldery” or a “co-carry” is not dependent on your sexuality.

    This about politics and power and the unionists are losing it. Don’t divert the message.

    Reply
  56. Robert Peffers says:

    @Mike says: 25 March, 2017 at 12:12 pm:

    “Ah ken wimmen who have a better grasp of logic than this.”

    Ah ken auld Blairadam Bricks wi mair logic than Ruthie.

    Reply
  57. Mike says:

    K1

    “Seems you want tae pick and choose what ‘you’ consider ‘humour’ Mike?”

    Who should pick and choose for me then?

    “So if another person regards ‘your’ humour as ‘offensive’ they cannae take a joke”

    That’s why I ensure its funny and no offensive.

    “but if you cannae see their humour ‘your’ offended cause you cannae see their joke?”

    I don’t appear to have your infallible ability to tell the difference. You should never put down those with lesser abilities than your own. that’s just bad.

    “May ah remind ye of what ‘you’ just said:”

    You have no idea how often I require that service.

    “‘But if we cant all be subject to humour should any of us be?’”

    So you’re not trying to be funny then?

    Reply
  58. Mike says:

    @Reluctant

    Its ma fault I don’t have K1s abilities to discriminate Humour fae Nae humour.

    Probably why I struggle tae find rational wimmen tae talk tae.

    Reply
  59. K1 says:

    I have nae excuse Mike…ah just thought if wis ironic that ye took offence havin’ just admonished others fur taking offence 🙂

    *looks over at Smallaxe…and peace reigned upon Wingsland* 😉

    Reply
  60. Mike says:

    K1

    Irony can be funny.

    Reply
  61. Robert J. Sutherland says:

    Mike,

    Since you’ve been on WoS you seem to be spoiling for a fight with almost anybody, a curious attitude to take towards people whom you supposedly support.

    This thread (like the others) is not about you. Grow up.

    Now, can we get back on topic, everyone, please…?

    Reply
  62. Mike says:

    @Robert

    Put em up! Put em up!

    I thought the topic was humour? Isnt that a cartoon at the top of the page?

    Reply
  63. Bill Hume says:

    If Ruth and Kezia ever actually want a large ‘man date’….I suggest they look for someone more effective than Wee Willie.

    Reply
  64. Reluctant Nationalist says:

    Peace Always

    Peace of my arse mairlike.

    (piece)

    Reply
  65. heedtracker says:

    If you’re in or near Scotland’s capital city Edinburgh, christ its stunning today, there’s the Young European Movement March for Europe right now, pan Europe, commemorating today’s 60 year anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

    What a country the European nation state of Scotland can become, or remain a mere tory ruled region, of greater Brexit England, under the heal of Pacific Quay beeb gimps, forever:D

    Reply
  66. Dorothy Devine says:

    Bill Hume , he does come over as a pathetic wee simpleton doesn’t he ?

    Reply
  67. Arbroath1320 says:

    Apologies for being O/T here peeps but came across this.

    link to archive.is

    Don’t all laugh at once and when you do laugh can we please keep it down to a dull roar, I have a bit of a crasher today … thanks. 😀

    Thinking outside the box what do you call an MP who has defected from the Tories to UKIP to now being an Independent MP?

    TUKPI? 😀

    Reply
  68. K1 says:

    You thought yer comment wis funny, others didnae Mike, but then you thought RN’s wisnae, so of course you’re deciding what you find funny or not? Nae point in admonishing others if they didn’t find what you found…funny. Cause it wisnae tae them?

    Ah don’t think what I said wis that complicated…and ah certainly wasn’t ‘putting you down’ Mike, merely pointing out the ‘irony’ in the ‘logic’ applied? Ergo can’t have it both ways, if what you find funny is ‘taken as’ offensive by others, ye can’t rebuke them for feeling that way when you yersel’ respond exactly the same way to another person’s humour that you find offensive?

    Im no discerner of what’s ‘humourous’ or not Mike and that’s not at all the angle I came in from. You’re the one who thinks he know’s what humour is here Mike: ‘That’s why I ensure its funny and no offensive.’ That’s a ‘subjective’ and wholly impossible assertion to prove, it precisely makes my point for me Mike. But you then you immediately contradict that very statement by stating: ‘I don’t appear to have your infallible ability to tell the difference’

    I’m genuinely confused by the contradictions in yer logic Mike. I’m not getting at ye and there is no justification for you tae infer that ah view this exchange in the manner that you seem to: ‘You should never put down those with lesser abilities than your own. that’s just bad.’

    I didn’t put you down, have no clue where your or what your abilities may be, therefore cannot possibly ‘compare’ them with ma own to establish ‘lesser’ or ‘greater’ criterion with which to judge accordingly.

    End.

    Reply
  69. Meindevon says:

    O/t. Did anyone see Davey Coburn on RT Going Underground? At least I think it was him or a caricature of him. It was hilarious. Even the interviewer was trying not to laugh at one point.

    SNP bad, SNP mad, snp completely bonkers, what are they thinking they’re certifiable,nobody but NOBODY wants another ref, SNP stupidly, crazy to to mention BAD.

    Oh and I almost forgot Scotland has a huge, humongous, getting bigger by the day £15B defect and not only that it was, and I quote ’caused by the SNP’ extremely bad people.

    And breathe…..

    Reply
  70. K1 says:

    Looks like it was inevitable LA…think they’ll force a by election..Arron Banks wants tae stand against him…miminpopcorn distraction time. I’d like tae see them trounced doon there especially Banks!

    TRUKIP (Tory Rump United Kingdom Independence Party)

    Reply
  71. Arbroath1320 says:

    I am convinced, well almost convinced, that RT only have David Coburn on their programmes for comedy effect NOT for any serious discussion Meindevon.

    link to plus.google.com

    Reply
  72. Reluctant Nationalist says:

    Man goes to the doctors. He says, ‘I’ve been getting these dizzy spells, along with an awful headache, and to top it all off I’ve got this horrendous cough.’
    Doctor says: ‘Hmmm…do you ever masturbate?’
    Man replies: ‘Excuse me?! I’d rather not talk about something so private. But if it helps, yes I do occassionally masturbate.’
    Doctor says: ‘It’s fuckin great isn’t it?’

    Reply
  73. Reluctant Nationalist says:

    Ah FFS. Wrong thread.

    Reply
  74. Clootie says:

    link to hebrides-news.com

    Reply
  75. Clootie says:

    link to hebrides-news.com

    Reply
  76. yesindyref2 says:

    Yes indeed, Hamish arms crossed looking casual at John Bull with the red white and blue falling apart in no particular order, and with no particular place to go, while Dugdale vainly reaches for Chris’s pen, trying to get him to stop the world as she wants to get off, and wonderng if she really wants to be propping up such a shambolic mess. Even Willie’s lost his smile.

    I need a cup of tea.

    Reply
  77. Thepnr says:

    O/T After yesterdays discussion on Gers this morning I downloaded a document “Country and Regional Analysis Noverber 2016” from the HMRC website.

    It purports to breakdown “identifiable expenditure” spending in England, Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland into its various components, health, education etc.

    One item in particular was amazing to me at least. According to this document:

    “The UK average spend per head is £9,076. The highest spend per head is in Northern Ireland at £10,983, this is followed by Scotland at £10,536, Wales at £9,996 and then England at £8,816.”

    So the spend in Scotland per person is now £1720/person more than in England. Take note that “identifiable expenditure” is only 88% of expenditure, the other 12% being deemed as “UK expenditure”.

    There are a couple of really interesting facts in there like for General public services the spend in Scotland is £189/head and in England less than half that at ££89/head.

    I’ll bet you didn’t know that for Environment Protection (dealing with waste)spend in Scotland is £258 and in England just £165.

    Or I’ll bet you be thrilled to hear that Scotland spends £199/head on Recreation, culture and religion compared to the poor English who only get £102 🙁

    Here’s a biggie the UK generously spends £261/head on national and local roads in Scotland. What’s the score then as England only get’s a paltry £130/head spent on roads?

    Now we must have the best roads in the UK eh! I smell shit.

    link to gov.uk

    Reply
  78. Steffano says:

    The overarching look of the picture is that Nicola is standing taller than all yoons put together!

    Reply
  79. Steffano says:

    Also Chris could have included a representation of the yoon madia in a boller hat right at the bottom of kez and Nicola would still stand taller.For sure its the yoon media that props up all those fuds.

    Reply
  80. Breeks says:

    I honest to God wish the Unionists would get with the program. The referendum is going to happen, and happen on our terms.

    It WILL feature our staying in Europe.
    It WILL feature our open and inclusive society in stark comparison to UK xenophobic hysteria.
    It WILL feature our candour about the economy versus the UK’s fictional GERS and deficits.
    It WILL feature how our economy will thrive in the EU, not suffer delusions about the stupidity of a petulant ill prepared and friendless Brexit.
    It WILL feature a prosperous oil industry. McCrone will not be forgotten or forgiven.
    It WILL feature a prosperous renewables industry to contrast sharply with UK’s overpriced nuclear folly.
    It WILL feature the Unionist duplicity and betrayal of 2014 in all its lurid detail.

    But most of all; this time around, it will also feature Scotland’s certain, inalienable and non-transferable civic sovereignty; the sovereignty which the Unionists at Westminster and in the Mundell’s household, would have us believe ceased to exist 300 years ago, but which remains a thorn in your side.

    Mandate for all of the above? Why that’s a simple one, you LIED to us all and conned us back in 2014, and if you lie or try to con us again over ScotRef, then we will take that as our mandate for IndyRef3, or IndyRef4,… Scotland will have its justice, so you had better bury your secrets deep.

    St Augustine of Hippo circa 400AD — ‘The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.’

    Aye, and that lion might just run rampant.

    Reply
  81. K1 says:

    Plato apparently quipped:

    ‘One of the penalties for not engaging in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.’

    Never a truer word in our circumstances…let’s stay utterly engaged in removing the red Tories from our councils this May. Then onwards tae removing the arch blue Tories from ruling our country…for ever.

    Reply
  82. Thepnr says:

    @Breeks

    St Augustine of Hippo circa 400AD — ‘The truth is like a lion; you don’t have to defend it. Let it loose; it will defend itself.’

    Aye, and that lion might just run rampant.

    Class!

    Reply
  83. Robert Peffers says:

    @K1 says: 25 March, 2017 at 2:05 pm:

    “You thought yer comment wis funny, others didnae Mike, but then you thought RN’s wisnae, so of course you’re deciding what you find funny or not? Nae point in admonishing others if they didn’t find what you found…funny. Cause it wisnae tae them?”

    Sheesh! I just had a complaint, by email, frae an Auld Blairadam Brick that I use as a garage doorstop.

    I have to post a public apology on Wings for comparing it to a Scottish Tory Leader on the WoS blog.

    It seems ma Auld Blairadam Brick wisan amused an could na see the joke.

    Sorry Blairadam Brick Ah thocht ye were prood tae be an afu dense kind o brick.

    Reply
  84. Thepnr says:

    Re my earlier post there are figures in that document that I can believe all per person Scotland v England.

    Spending on health: £2258 Sco £2106 Eng
    Education: £1470 Sco £1266 Eng
    Social Housing: £245 Sco £67 Eng

    Note that these are all Devolved issues which in itself speaks volumes. Compare with roads which is under the Department of Transports budget.

    Don’t you just get the feeling they are dumping “spending” on Scotland that really isn’t attributable to Scotland?

    On page 9 you have a cracker of a get out clause for the figures for spending on roads for the “regions”, it is this:

    “a robust methodology is not available to allocate all expenditure to regions on a ‘who benefits?’ basis. This is particularly difficult for spending on motorways and trunk roads (by the Highways Agency) due to the nature of the networks, so
    expenditure is therefore allocated on an ‘in’ basis”

    Now not entirely sure just what means but it does imply that costs can be attributed to Scotland even if we don’t benefit. There are two types of spend according to them “who benefits” which is directly attributable and “who’s in” which is all of us.

    I guess their argument is that Scotland “benefits” from improvements or maintenance of the M1 just as much as England does cause we Scots might use the M1 on our trips to England.

    Laughable so it isnae!

    Reply
  85. manandboy says:

    In The National today, Jean-Claude Juncker is quoted as saying the following –
    He said: “I have met in my life two big destroyers: Gorbachev, who destroyed the Soviet Union, and Cameron, who destroyed the United Kingdom to some extent, even if there is no wave of Scotland to become independent.”

    ‘EVEN IF THERE IS NO WAVE OF SCOTLAND TO BECOME INDEPENDENT’

    Keep in mind that English is not Herr Juncker’s first language, and that this line is ambiguous at best, there is room to believe that the President of the EU is a little unclear perhaps as to the electoral balance in Scotland for and against Independence, and beyond that, is Herr President also perhaps unclear about the serious democratic obstacles facing Scotland as a disguised Colony, suffering suppression of any indigenous mass media to call its own, not to mention the exploitation of Scotland’s natural resources to the exclusive benefit of England and the detriment of Scotland itself.

    Had he said ‘even were there to be no wave of Scotland to become independent’, then there would be little room for doubt or misunderstanding. But that’s not what he said.

    I call on the Scottish Government and Scotland’s MEP’s to take the appropriate steps to clarify this matter.

    Reply
  86. manandboy says:

    If I lived in another part of the developed world, to be told that in Scotland 99% of the mass media, including 4 TV Companies were all Unionist, I’d say the Independence movement had no chance.

    I say that to draw attention to the fact that we are fighting against overwhelming odds, but gaining ground all the time. This Independence of ours has a hidden force within it which will prevail, with our efforts. We will be free. Only the date is in doubt. The result is not.

    Fear not.

    Reply
  87. Dan Huil says:

    Stacking the sods?

    Reply
  88. Breeks says:

    He said: “I have met in my life two big destroyers: Gorbachev, who destroyed the Soviet Union, and Cameron, who destroyed the United Kingdom to some extent, even if there is no wave of Scotland to become independent.”

    I think Junckers is right on the money. Everybody here couches the 50/50 split for Indy in the polls in terms of something we expect to grow, and something we hope will flourish if only we can circumvent the hostile media and get the pro Independence narrative properly unfolded and explained to the whole population. Don’t get me wrong, I very much believe that is going to happen, and it will be decisive in the end.

    From outside Scotland looking in, I suspect it is hard to perceive much momentum for Independence. Don’t forget, when the Brexit result came in, both Jean-Claude Junckers and Guy Verhofstadt were talking in terms of Scotland becoming independent quickly. Pains me to say it, but there wasn’t any appetite for that. Someone once said our advance towards independence is glacial; as in a few cm per year. There is no tidal wave of opinion sweeping away all resistance and demanding Independence. We have only just demanded the right to have another bash at a referendum with half of our population still unconvinced that Independence is the right answer, even after Brexit.

    Junckers is correct, there is an expectation that the Union is perhaps coming to an end, and it is largely because of Brexit, but the case has yet to made and the compelling arguments have yet to be won. I think Junckers is a canny politician, and what he doesn’t say often reveals more than what he does.

    Europe will have a big part to play in ScotRef, and it will be down to us and our Indy campaign and liaison between Holyrood and Brussels to get our friends in Europe properly engaged. Get it right, and I think they can and will give us tremendous support.

    Let’s not kid ourselves, our European friends see Scottish independence as the icing on the cake; that cake being getting shot of the British awkward squad. Perhaps that’s unfair, because there really is a better relationship between Europe and Scotland, but they’re not sad to see the back of Westminster. If we want to be saved, there’s some swimming to be done.

    Reply
  89. Liz Rannoch says:

    @ Breeks 3.29

    Stirring speech Breeks. Fair made me feel like getting up and singing – a cannae tho’. 🙂

    Reply
  90. Footsoldier says:

    Tens of thousands marching in London in favour of the EU..When we are filling civic squares in Scotland with such numbers for independence, I will feel we are on our way.

    Reply
  91. yesindyref2 says:

    @manandboy
    But there isn’t a wave just yet, no tsunami of movement to YES. Just a steady trickle 🙂

    BEWARE THE FLOOD!

    Reply
  92. Orri says:

    On simple seat terms the SNP have more seats than all the unionist parties combined. Percentage of votes perhaps not. It’s the regional vote where the combined total of the Green and SNP vote is bigger than the unionists combined that shows that if you get down to the level of counting the size of mandates then you’re putting an emphasis on the PR element of the system.

    There’s a reason the attack has switched to denying the Greens mandate. If anything May gleefully saying we’re leaving the EU and not even independence will do anything to stop that is endorsing the against our will clause in the SNP mandate being activated. I get that BoJo was and is a diplomatic incident waiting to happen but if anything May is worse.

    Reply
  93. Mike says:

    Thepnr

    “The UK average spend per head is £9,076. The highest spend per head is in Northern Ireland at £10,983, this is followed by Scotland at £10,536, Wales at £9,996 and then England at £8,816.”

    If Scotlands spend per head is 10,983 our overall expenditure is 58,209,900,000

    That means our deficit only amounts to 58 billion less 53 billion = 5 Billion no 15 billion.

    See they UK Government figures? they’re all over the place and ye cannae get them to fit together.

    Reply
  94. Mike says:

    Sorry that should be Scotland at 10,536 which comes to 55,840,800,000

    Which means Scotlands overall deficit amounts to 56 billion less 53 billion = 3 billion.

    Oh my oh my.

    Reply
  95. Hamish100 says:

    Mike,

    Twaddle

    We have no deficit . Scotland balances its books each year as it is required to by law. RUK at Westminster does what it likes. Think off all the centralist uk jobs based in London.

    U.K. Has a deficit.

    Reply
  96. Hamish100 says:

    Yesindyref2

    Do you think your man Gibson should stand down.
    link to heraldscotland.com
    Noone is helping in Ardrossan and Stevenston for the council elections because it is claimed he has had too much to say over the candidates for the council elections. Is this true? They work for his parliamentary office or has other close connections ? Isn’t one already a landlord? SNP HQ need to get its house in order and investigate. We can’t afford such behaviour.

    Reply
  97. Mike says:

    Hamish 100

    Eh Ok. I get the bit where the Scottish Government balances its books and underspends but I’m looking at this from a UK Government perspective where on the one hand they tell us we have a 15.8 billion deficit while also telling us our spend per head is 10,536.

    Putting that together and you get a discrepancy of 12.8 billion in our so called deficit. From their calculations and Forecasts.

    That’s all I was pointing out.

    Reply
  98. Graf Midgehunter says:

    Re. Juncker

    He said: “I have met in my life two big destroyers: Gorbachev, who destroyed the Soviet Union, and Cameron, who destroyed the United Kingdom to some extent, even if there is no wave of Scotland to become independent.”

    Some things (lots?) in English and vice versa in German or any other language are not always translatable one-to-one.

    With wave he means an “increase or surge”.

    …and Cameron, who destroyed the United Kingdom to some extent, even if there was no surge of enthusiasm in Scotland to become independent.”

    In German they say “To shoot yourself in the knee” not in the foot as in English.

    A famous/fun saying in German is “Er ist schwer auf Draht”. Meaning:
    “He is clever, he knows what he is doing”.

    In English the translation is: “He is heavy on the wire”.

    Blanks stares would be the answer to that down at the pub…!

    Ask WGD, it’s the same in Spanish. 🙂

    Reply
  99. Cactus says:

    Scotland… it’s yours!

    Take it.. take your rightful ownership beautiful people.

    Love Cairnstoon.

    Love Wings.

    Love Independence.

    Love Freedom.

    Love Scotland,
    X.

    Reply
  100. gus1940 says:

    O/T

    During the recent battle for Aleppo US & UK politicians and their fan clubs in the media were up in arms shouting their heads of accusing The Russians and Syrians of War Crimes regarding their shelling and bombing of the city and its population.

    The battle for Mosul has now been raging for months and the Coalition of Iraq, US and I understand UK have been and still are bombing and shelling the city with a steadily increasing toll of deaths of innocent civilians.

    Has this coalition been accused of War Crimes? Have they hell.

    If it was OK to accuse the Russians of War Crimes for exactly the same thing why no cries of outrage regarding the Mosul outrage?

    This situation must be in line for the worst ever example of disgusting political hypocrisy.

    Reply
  101. DerekM says:

    hmm i see you are back under attack from the lets all talk about Trump idiots again Rev.

    All mouth and no fucking action the lot of them,you do more for indy every day than they have done in the last 3 years.

    I do not even see anything about the fact we just busted Gers they are all to busy talking about Trump.

    Get your eye on the ball or get the fuck out our faces and let us do the job we have always done.

    Though i have no idea what the fuck they bring to the indy movement except pictures of the Trump.

    Reply
  102. William Wallace says:

    Love the broad shoulders of the union sketch. Fantastic. I don’t smile at cartoons often but I laughed out loud at this. Nearly spilt my malt.

    Reply
  103. Ian McCubbin says:

    A great piece of light relief. Do agree Patrick Harvie deserves and place holding the Easter windmill maybe and key to section 30?

    Reply
  104. Reluctant Nationalist says:

    @ manandboy, re: Juncker

    The only difference I see between his statement and your altered one is your correct use of the subjunctive. Both are hypothetical, and mean the same thing to me, or am I just being thick? I’m being thick aren’t I?

    Reply
  105. Christian Schmidt says:

    That’s not a cartoon – I think that’s what they truly believe.

    The reasoning probably goes like this: As Scotland voted no in 2014, on any constitutional issues the SNP and other yes-parties cannot have any mandate, but the mandate to determine Scotland’s constitutional future lies solely with the UK government and the unionist parties in Scotland.

    No amount of votes for any independence-supporting parties in any Westminster or Holyrood elections can ever change that. The only way to change that is through another referendum. But it is solely the right of those who have a mandate to determine whether and when another referendum is allowed.

    That’s 100% logical, and if independence supporters disagree and say that this is a circular argument, that doesn’t matter for the reasons outlined above.

    Reply
  106. Liam says:

    Christian Schmidt said:

    “As Scotland voted no in 2014, on any constitutional issues the SNP and other yes-parties cannot have any mandate”

    By that ‘logic’ circumstances don’t change anything. Once something has been decided that’s it. Nothing would ever re-examined. No one would ever think, ‘wait a minute, my decision was based on faulty evidence, lies, and deception…’.

    As you argue it the whole of western democracy has been based on the fundamental error of assuming that THINGS CHANGE! Apparently, according to you, things don’t change at all. Well that was a waste of several hundred years of thought and discussion.

    Hold the front page! The world is flat after all!

    Reply


Comment - please read this page for comment rules. HTML tags like <i> and <b> are permitted. Use paragraph breaks in long comments. DO NOT SIGN YOUR COMMENTS, either with a name or a slogan. If your comment does not appear immediately, DO NOT REPOST IT. Ignore these rules and I WILL KILL YOU WITH HAMMERS.


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,718 Posts, 1,214,086 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • TURABDIN on Signal and noise: “IN THESE PECULIAR TIMES… in which the mechanisms of democracy are lubricated to serve the interests of the sheikhs of…Mar 15, 08:49
    • Yoon scum on Signal and noise: “He’s if I put my sauce in https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/foi-eir-release/2023/08/foi-202300359025/documents/foi-202300359025—information-for-release—2/foi-202300359025—information-for-release—2/govscot%3Adocument/FOI%2B202300359025%2B-%2BInformation%2Bfor%2BRelease%2B-%2B2.pdfMar 15, 07:20
    • Yoon Scum on Signal and noise: ““Anthem says: 14 March, 2025 at 9:31 pm Yoon Scum. That’s your belief and you’re welcome to it. Almost 50%…Mar 15, 07:20
    • Ian Brotherhood on Signal and noise: “Sorry Sarah, didn’t see your reply until now. I suppose we could ask it about what it does know about…Mar 14, 23:42
    • Alf Baird on Signal and noise: “And with a decent franchise.Mar 14, 23:39
    • Anthem on Signal and noise: “GF. On the SNP, aye. On Independence naw. Events dear friend, Events.Mar 14, 22:11
    • Anthem on Signal and noise: “Sorry, but I think you are wrong. Scotland, as a nation, is older and has more independent history than England.…Mar 14, 21:44
    • Anthem on Signal and noise: “Yoon Scum. That’s your belief and you’re welcome to it. Almost 50% of the country don’t.Mar 14, 21:31
    • George Ferguson on Signal and noise: “@Sarah 6:47pm I know nobody wants to admit the ba is burst on Scottish Independence and the SNP.Mar 14, 20:11
    • sarah on Signal and noise: “This is extraordinary, IB. It comes across as rational, reasonable and informed – some MSP/MPs could do with Grok’s assistance.…Mar 14, 19:40
    • sarah on Signal and noise: “O/T and funny! Jim Sillars says that Sturgeon once said [in her usual charming and polite manner] to Margot Macdonald…Mar 14, 18:47
    • william campbell on Signal and noise: “It was pathetic to watch FM question time a couple of days ago. There she sat gurning behind Mr continuity…Mar 14, 18:46
    • Mia on The tint of rose: ““You’re (I feel deliberately now) misunderstanding Clause XXV” Now you are using the strategy of dishonesty to get around this,…Mar 14, 18:14
    • George Ferguson on Signal and noise: “After decades of Irish Republic strategy and many people dead. The Irish after all their Britnat hatred have handed over…Mar 14, 18:05
    • Xaracen on The tint of rose: “Aidan said; “@Xaracen – there is no distinction between constitutional law and domestic law, constitutional law is domestic law by…Mar 14, 16:40
    • George Ferguson on Signal and noise: “@Sarah 4:02pm Sure a 25% turnout but you can’t argue with the consistency of the SNP. Freebies that other people…Mar 14, 16:37
    • sarah on Signal and noise: “25% turnout. It’s not apathy, it is frustrated fury – a 75% vote for None of the Above.Mar 14, 16:02
    • Aidan on The tint of rose: “@Mia – again you’re (I feel deliberately now) misunderstanding Clause XXV. At the point at which the Treaty of Union…Mar 14, 15:57
    • George Ferguson on Signal and noise: “So my latest by election results are in, a wee council by election. An SNP win. Labour second and Reform…Mar 14, 15:32
    • Mia on The tint of rose: “@Aidan You said: “The treaty explicitly provides for the new parliament of Great Britain as the national legislative body” Nope.…Mar 14, 15:22
    • Young Lochinvar on Signal and noise: “Yes indeed. One to add to the risks section though; All the paid grifters who have made a cosy career…Mar 14, 15:19
    • Mia on The tint of rose: “@ Aidan You say: “It does not say anything about limiting the powers of the new parliament” And it does…Mar 14, 15:15
    • Mia on The tint of rose: “@ Aidan you say: It’s 180 degrees the other way” I disagree. It is as it is. You say: “The…Mar 14, 15:13
    • Mia on The tint of rose: “@ Aidan I have tried to reply to your comment several times now, but it comes back as being in…Mar 14, 15:06
    • Ian Brotherhood on Signal and noise: “Wow, yon ‘Grok’ is impressive. It answered this question in approximately 3 seconds. If you were a supporter of Scottish…Mar 14, 14:44
    • Aidan on The tint of rose: “No Mia, it’s 180 degrees the other way. The treaty required the two separate parliaments each to dispose of incompatible…Mar 14, 13:49
    • Mia on The tint of rose: ““If the authors of the ToU intended to impose that significant restriction, they would have done so explicitly” And they…Mar 14, 13:17
    • Young Lochinvar on Signal and noise: “Aha! Press reporting that SHE whose name shall not be uttered is still under investigation in Branchform. “Timing” again anyone?Mar 14, 13:09
    • Aidan on Signal and noise: “A combination of very little going on in the pro-Indy front, and the deluge of cranks and trolls who, like…Mar 14, 12:38
    • Aidan on The tint of rose: “@Mia – no it doesn’t stand to reason at all, that implication would have an enormous impact on future union…Mar 14, 12:31
  • A tall tale



↑ Top