Stories of the week, 9/2/2014
The top five most-read stories on Wings Over Scotland in the last seven days.
1. Unleashing a firestorm
The Financial Times breaks ranks and tells the truth.
2. Ask and ye shall receive
Actual lovebombs from the rest of the UK.
3. Father knows best
Lesley Riddoch puts David Aaronovitch in his place.
4. The ultimate weapon
John Barrowman Of The Week.
5. A mixed day for Johann Lamont
Probably the best she can hope for from now on.
The top two of those are also our all-time #3 and #4 most-read posts, in what’s been a record-shattering start to February. As we write this we’re well over 800,000 pageviews for the week, with five hours to go, compared to the previous best of 618,499. And as for the number of unique visitors, well, we’re not even going to talk about that yet.
What a week, gone past so quickly…
That’s great news. Wings is still the first place I send “doubters”, normally for particular stories (I still get a lot of mileage from the great gingerbread robbery). As the ref. draws closer I wonder about the massive swing we can get when (if) the MSM toes the line re: impartiality. Next stop 1M hits per week.
And still the onslaught of lies continues, more to come I’m sure.
Sorry for O/T so early.
Need some help over on a Canadian newspaper comment board, not inflammatory, but so many questions/answers and ignorance.
Help!
link to ca.news.yahoo.com
Astonishing figures….
Had anyone make you any offers for the site ?
That sort of hit rate is gonna attract attention from yer Corporate types…..
I wouldnae settle fer anything less than a cool half billion
And all the time, the Yes vote, very slowly, and very quietly …keeps growing.
People are becoming aware folks. They are becoming aware.
We are going to win!
Believe.
Lovely numbers…
Go the Rev.
Go us.
Scotland will be informed on wings of truth.
Can’t imagine what the unique vewing visitor numbers will be, surmise high, and if even half of them are pro-indy and agreed to donate only £1 each to the cause, that would surely give us a huge fighting fund, would it not? Eagerly awaiting new crowdfunding appeal.
Excellent figures Rev.
Well done to all who strive to get our voice heard.
@JLT.
Believe, aye, but keep working.
Since I discovered wingsland.podgamer or whatever the original url for WoS was, I have been on a journey, meeting likeminded people (or cabernats) who believe we will have a more just and equitable society, if we vote Yes. My disgust at the MSM, in particular the BBC, is now absolute. The WosS daily demolition of the lies and half-truths of the media is essential reading. Plus the excellent and sometimes hilarious btl comments (step forward Major Bloodnok) are a tonic!
“As we write this we’re well over 800,000 pageviews for the week, with five hours to go” Congratulations Reverend! Something is really happening out here in Scotland. Think how much it would cost business to get this number of hits, let alone a political site. I loved that snide git Aaronovitch tweet yesterday though. Times columnist/ one more Murdoch poodle says WoS is “quite extraordinary. Real evidence of how groupthink makes for madness.” Charming chap.
You’d think there was a master Controller at the back of this pulling the strings …
The FT online is my daily paper so I have been following their coverage all week.
Item: it is unusual to have a breakaway reported without rebels / fighting
Item: from BTL comments; this story was news to many
Item: Pretty fair summary of Yes and No cases
Item: the FT supports the incumbent, ie UK, as it always does
Item: the reporting style was as if it was from a foreign country
Item: following on from that, no exposition of what either decision will mean for rUK
The FT running this will have put it into the scenarios of the big boys but the most likely time to have worked out impact statements will be end April/May when the proximity of the Euro elections will inhibit their propagation. So if any fallout, it will be end July/ August when the world is off on its holidays.
It is only to us that the FT producing some balanced journalism on the battle for Scottish Independence is amazing. We have the Beeb and “Scottish” MSM to thank for that.
A huge congratulations Rev. Amazing job your are doing.
I am very happy to be a supporter of Wings and commend Rev Stu and his group of dedicated helpers and writers who put so much work into this site. It can only come from the dedication and passion that they feel for Scotland to be it’s own country. Well done all.
Wings has become a daily must-read for me, the articles along with the many thoughtful comments. I’ve bunged the Rev some cash and encourage others to do so – cash gives us more Wings…
@alexicon 7.38,just lefta comment on Bbc bias / newspapers,re to Wings/ Yes Scot.
C mon lads n lasses go on to that site,leave message,s of the
true picture of Scotland,s fight,7.38
Thank goodness for the internet.
Thank you for the decline in the press, tinged with regret at the loss of the art of journalism as the price.
More exposure of pundits and think tanks who pretend to be neutral. They are not giving the truth or debating. They are trying to get us to adopt an idea – this is termed propaganda!
…and most importantly a toast to the exposure of the BBC as a tool of the state.
@david Martin, are you stocked up with Irn Bru n crisps ( Highlander are a must )an tucked up in bed Cybernattering,lke all good Cybernats.
Incredible stats Rev. You should really be sending a bouquet of stink weed to The Daily Mail, Anas, Kezia, Lord Foulkes, Curran et al for all the brilliant free marketing.
Onward and upward on turbo wings!
Looks like two fingers to BP.
link to businessforscotland.co.uk
Well Stu, I think most folk would agree you are making a huge difference in this debate. All I can say is thank you from me, my family and those of us still to be born. Hail Alba.
@Ronnie anderson says:
@david Martin, are you stocked up with Irn Bru n crisps
I hope all you bedroom Cybernats make sure you always put all those empty juice bottles and crisp packets in the Recycling.
BT are very good at Recycling. It seems like they’ve been doing little else for months …
Story of the Week, for many, will be ‘that speech’.
‘We want you to stay!’
It’s real love, Cameron style, and reminiscent of this (not for squeamish):
Rev,tweet that Aaronovitch, the cheeky cunt, ah dont need groupthink fur madness,ave got letter,s tae prove individual madness,Wings groupthink hold,s that in check.an saner as a result of Winger,s.
What happens if you do “Othering” and “Groupthinking” at the same time?
(and do it deliberately)
@Calacus Mac Andrews, Shush dont let the Bbc ken, they made him redundant, on thomas the Tank Engine, he,s noo oor Fat Controller.
@ronnie anderson,
cheers Ronnie. It’s good to put the record straight.
For some strange reason I can’t get the comments on my iPad.
Will return to it later.
‘Calacus Mac Andrew,s,Naw dont gie them shite even,Ive had forage intae recycleing auld TVs, there,s money in muck, a 1p per can about that,am no contributing tae they cunard,s.
@ronnie anderson says:
‘Calacus Mac Andrew,s,Naw dont gie them shite even,/i>
OK Ronnie … I’ll make sure they don’t even get the flickering off my Cybernat screen.
O/T
Anyone who has not yet read David Cameron’s remarkable poem in defence of the union should most certainly do so. Here it is:
link to nationalcollective.com
They are going on and on about our first winter Olympic medal ignoring the bronze that Alain Baxter won at Salt Lake City..
His third place was cancelled when he failed a drug test
IT WAS REINSTATED WHEN IT WAS ESTABLISHED THAT THE DRUG,WHICH WAS NOT PERFORMANCE ENHANCING, CAME FROM A TUBE OF VICK
Why is the traffic so slow tonight?
Is there something unmissable on the box?
(Please, please, let it be another Cameron speech…)
Terrific Rev, the million will be along very soon. You are indeed making the difference. Your excellent posts, the great comments and the links make this the place to start every day. And happy as it makes us now, in six months it’ll be even better.
Congrats Rev. 800,000 pages eh?, that’s a lot of flickering cybernats and no mistake!
@Ian Brotherhood says:
Why is the traffic so slow tonight?
Is there something unmissable on the box?
“Piping Live” has just finished on BBC Alba, so everybody will be back at Wings soon …
Dave McEwan Hill
Although I and many others might agree with you the medal was not awarded to Mr Baxter. He was cleared as you say on appeal but never got medal, bad luck for him. Mr Raich the Austrian might have considered refusing the bronze but accepted it.
link to news.bbc.co.uk
@Calgacus MacAndrews –
‘Piping Live’?
Now it all makes sense…another one of those fucking bakery programmes.
@Hill
Baxter never did get his medal reinstated innocent though he was.
Anyone ever visit Mudcat café website?
There’s a good thread titled ’25 reasons to leave Scotland’ link to mudcat.org
One of the folks posted this. Thought it might be appreciated –
I am a Scottish MP
From a city grey and black,
So I’ll shut my mouth when I’m in the south
Just in case they send me back.
Now some folks work for Labour
And some for the Tory class,
But I work like hell for me myself
And the rest can kiss my kilt.
Chorus: For I’m off to London in the morn, in the morn,
In Westminster I will be,
And I’ll leave behind my brains and mind
And try for an MBE.
Oh Scotland, dearest Scotland
You have given me your trust,
And if I make the grade to the Board of Trade
Just guess who I’ll trade first ?
I’ll trade the Lowlands for a peerage
Give me an Earldom for the Isles,
And the whole damn lot could be easily bought
With one of Lizzie’s smiles.
I am a Scots Home-Ruler
At my English Queen’s command,
For my real birth-right is to be a knight
And the rest can be Republicans.
So come Grimmond, Home and Ramsey
Our Scottish Englishman,
Nationality for a Scots MP
Means tea at Number Ten.
I found Wings about Oct last year and commented first time at the beginning of this year . Ite amazing reading the blogs and then the comments . I’ve noticed too there are lots and lots more comments and Rev must be exhausted with all these blogs !
Thanks Rev for giving us some hope and thanks folks for all the good comments !
I’m on the site at 4 times a day and it’s getting more . It’s completely addictive !
call me dave and dave McEwan hill
Baxter was not cleared see
link to jurisprudence.tas-cas.org
JnrTick
That’s an old song dating from the sixties, it was on an
Album called Scottish Republican Songs
I used to get a Vinyl copy from the Bridge of Don, Aberdeen Library in the late 80’s early 90’s.
Sung to the tune of “Off to Dublin in the Green” which I believe is an Irish Republican Song.
I’ve got dust on the mantlepiece. The beds are unmade and the floor badly needs a wash.
But FGS! Rev. you’re putting so much stuff out and I’m struggling to keep up.
But don’t stop yet because we’ve still got a few months left to persuade those no’s and undecided.
I think I’ll get a cleaner!
jingly jangly
Thanks for that. Sad story anyhow!
PS: Ian Bell’s letter to Dave good read.
link to subrosa-blonde.blogspot.co.uk
Yeah the punishment definitely did not fit the crime. I remember it live on the telly, and jumping about like a lunatic, if I remember correctly he was in Silver if not Gold position for a wee while.
Considering there are scores of drug cheats that get away with it all the time and nothing is done about them but a Scot takes an off the shelf common cold remedy is disqualified.
Makes you think if we had a Scottish Ski Federation then maybe we would not get shat on all the time, remember Estonia, they should have been disqualified, but as Scotland is not a proper country Fifa order the match to be replayed..
@JnrTick says:
So come Grimmond, Home and Ramsey
Our Scottish Englishman
I use to live in Orkney, and I had Jo Grimmond in our house one day for a wee while.
What a comedown for Orkney and Shetland to have the services these days of Ali C (is it because I is black-affronted by Nicola?)
(O/T, but don’t want to put this in the older thread with things so slow.)
re Aaronovitch’s intervention in the referendum debate.
For younger Wings readers who maybe aren’t too familiar with Aaronovitch – if you want to get some idea of what this guy is all about, please watch these two clips, even fleetingly.
Next time this ‘intellectual’ has the gall to show his face anywhere near any debates relating to our future, we may want to remind him of this before telling him where to go.
Lesley Riddoch was firm, but gentle. But then, she’s a professional broadcaster. Most of us aren’t – this despicable fud, and his cosmopolitan ilk, must be told, in plain language, what to do with their sophisticated State-sponsored ‘opinions’.
(NB the second link is grim.)
OT
Keeping a theme of unusual accounts you see on twitter like
link to twitter.com
I’m not entirely sure if this one is a spoof account or not….
link to twitter.com
FT economics, BT put their foot in it again, peerless investigative journalism yeah, yeah, yeah … whit’s wrang wi’ the cartoons?!
PS to my last –
Sorry if that image has upset anyone. I don’t know why the first copied YT link appears as text, but the second opens the window. It wasn’t intentional.
Yeah Ian
While we all have a duty to face, if we can, the harsh realities, the timing, i.e. whether we have readied ourselves to do so, should be a matter of personal choice.
Post editing restrictions, especially of course, since the revamp, has always been one of the few negatives for this site IMHO.
Jingly jangly,
I always thought Baxter didn’t get that much support from the BOC. Probably a fuck you for dying your hair Saltire.
They could quite easily have highlighted the amount of top name american athletes who got off with the same substance
Generally speaking, I think this weekend has produced probably the best, most incisive and intelligent set of articles and comments yet.
Nothing really to add, except to emphasise that although financial implications are extreme motivators for the imperialist Brit. Nat. machine, of far more concern to them is the threat an independent Scotland poses to the whole rotten, entitlement deluded, edifice that constitutes the London centric pile of corrupta.
This should raise a smile on a quiet Sunday night.
“Indian call centre – Scottish accent”
O/T
Latest thoughts from Ian Smart (who I find to be an interesting window into what the other side are thinking, notwithstanding his often unhelpful interventions in the debate)
link to ianssmart.blogspot.co.uk
There is clearly a complete lack of understanding as to the importance of the Ground War, they don’t even care about it, leaving us to make all the running. Bizarre, yet explains a lot.
Staggering complacency from Mr Smart
@
alexicon
Canadian site is a waste of time the folk don’t know their Erse Fae elbow
@Tattie-bogle.
Ye I realise that.
I see a lot of similarities with them, Canadians and the Quebecans(?), and the English and Scotland.
Similarities in the way they (Canadians) denigrate and resent the Quebecans for wanting, or daring to want Independence.
That is fascinating, Ivan, and explains so much. In fact just about all that is wrong about UK politics. All that matters is getting the vote out.
The early 70’s was the beginning of the end of for proper hustings when all the candidates toured town halls etc. of their constituencies, together. Facing unscripted questions and critisms from the, usually packed, floor.
Without that politicians and politics withdrew behind closed doors into the own chummy world with just the scripted message for tv. cameras and the stagemanaged, invitation only, meetings and conferences.
All that mattered was getting the vote out. Not listening to people, not representing people,not having a discussion with them or even having the ability of arguing a view against scrutiny. Just getting the vote out.
‘Selling the brand’, as Cameron, would say. Without the bother of any after sales service. Little wonder their brand is failing.
Oh, and congratulations of your recent media appearances, definitely no prisoners taken there. The political interviewers do seem to have problems when they have someone who knows what they are talking about rather than the scripted clones that they are used to.
Deplorable, apparently racist attack reported in The Herald today on an Englishman watching the Calcutta Cup game yesterday. Thing is, was that game not on Saturday, was it not the France game that was on yesterday? not that it matters spose.
Unfortunately that there is no description of the thug.
It has England v Scotland, racist attack and Bannockburn all linked. There are now comments on the story blaming the indy debate!
Hope the police get to the bottom of this.
Poll from Yougov showing less resistance to immigration in Scotland.
BBC:
Tables:
link to tinyurl.com
Interesting in itself, but what’s more interesting is that Yougov’s Scottish sample isn’t demographically representative of Scotland in terms of (all important for the referendum) national identification; too British.
It’s not the number people selecting British as part of their natID (which is more subjective as it is a secondary natID for most) that you can see this from specifically, but instead too few selecting ‘Scottish’.
In SSAS Moreno long term averages, 87% of people select ‘Scottish’ as part of their identity. In the census, it’s 83%. In SSAS forced choice natID (Scottish, British or other), it’s 75% so that number should be at least the very minimum. Yet Yougov only get 66% ticking the ‘Scottish’ box. Sample skewed heavily towards British; something I’ve suspected for a while and a similar problem to MORI telephone.
Add in that Yougov, even though finding that there is a recall (whether innocent or intentiona) problem with 2010 voting as per other pollsters, still weight to 2010 (see party ID weighting data ‘Labour 2010 but SNP 2011’ group in Y/N polls which of course needs strongly up-weighted as the first part has a recall problem).
So this is why Yougov shows the same closing gap trends, but is an outlier from all the main pollsters in terms of actual numbers.
Back to the immigration survey; 60% think the Scottish government should control immigration. Interesting as this figure should in reality be higher given the sample is skewed to British.
BBC: link to archive.is
Ah ha, problem also highlighted in country of birth data.
Number of people in Yougov answering ‘Born in Scotland’ = 74%
Census = 83%.
Number of people in Yougov answering ‘rUK’ = 18%
Census = 10%.
That’s a pretty big error.
@Scottish Skier
Just listened to discussion on Radio Scotland re this poll. So good to have your take on it.
It’s a pity more people don’t have the benefit of your analysis.
Thank you
@scottish skier
I thought the difference between Yes and No Voters and their respective attitudes to immigration was interesting, have only heard the detail on my wireless though.
I thought the difference between Yes and No Voters and their respective attitudes to immigration was interesting
That part should be reasonably accurate; the skew to Britishness just affecting Y/N levels and attitudes of the sample as whole.
Ivan
I don’t think they have any intention of shifting from their line that the WP is s**t and anything coming from Holyrood is assertion, assumption and generally mince. They are confident that they are winning. They have tied up the press (possibly where the Tory millions are going) and the BBC. They will park the bus until September. It is down to foot soldiers, David Cameron, yon American Scottish actor and the Krankies.
BBC Scotland and GMS are experts at mixing UK headline stories with Scottish headline stories and forgetting to remind listeners which is which.
They will do this for effect, to see which one will give you the biggest scare.
They done it again this morning with the headlines on GMS that Scots Universities would be on strike today regarding low pay.
This is meant to imply that it is Scottish Universities against the SNP/Scottish government.
It is infact a UK wide strike by lecturers because of a 1% pay offer. Link.
link to fairpay.web.ucu.org.uk
This is just one example of the “selective reporting” that BBC Scotland use.
One of the underhand tricks by BBC Scotland that we need to watch out for.
@Ivan McKee (4.44 am)
That kind of shows up the (Scottish) Labour mindset right there. The mentality of, ‘We’re going to win anyway, so who cares what the other lot do. ‘Our’ regular labour voters will be voting for ‘us’ no matter what.’ is striking.
Mr. Smart seems to be under the illusion that the referendum is just another election.
Ah well, let (Scottish) labour and their wilfull blindness to the reality of the independence debate be their undoing.
While here, may I say a great big thank you for your contributions to the Scottish independence debate on broadcast media. Please do keep on putting the ‘real’ truth and the ‘real’ facts out there for the viewers/listeners, which is a breath of fresh air amid the putrid stench of smear, sneer and fear from the (Not) Better Together miserablists and their MSM propagandists.
@bunter.
I thought there was no such thing as racism between Scots and English?
This looks, as usual, that the Herald is trying to mix it. We don’t know the full story and by the description of the attacker it wouldn’t surprised me if someone anyone was going to get attacked that time/night.
Not condoning violence and I also hope the perpetrator gets caught.
On the other side there were at least 3 English people in my local during the Calcutta cup and not one of them was verbally or physically attacked.
@Bunter
Question to Herald.
Was Neil Lennon racially attacked by Aberdeen fans last week because he came from Northern Ireland?.
@bunter
Sorry to hear of anyone being attacked / abused.
However, stones and glass houses…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1227524/Go-home-die–English-man-jailed-racially-abusing-Scottish-neighbour.html
link to scotsman.com
@scottish_skier
Well done for researching and delving into this poll’s (and others when released) results and retrieving any anomalies within.
This being a YouGov poll, would you say that they are more ‘inclined’ to give favourable results toward the Better Together cause? If so, would that be because of their polling methods, or, and trying not to be too conspiratorialist here(!), because they may well have an agenda, thus are not being wholly truthful (biased questions,etc.)?
Thanks for any reply.
I’d like to say your contributions, I believe, have been vital to the debate, not only here on Wings, but also further afield within the pro-independence ranks. Also, your ‘theories’ have been more-or-less spot-on so far, and your positivity about the upward direction of ‘Yes’ and ultimate result of the referendum are always heartening. Cheers for that!
On the immigration thing…heard the Tory eejit on as I left the hoose.
Can anyone confirm the UK and Ireland have IDENTICAL immigration policies, because that seemed to be what he was implying?
I find it hard to believe that Dublin would let London dictate who it could or could not allow in, but am willing to be proved wrong.
“If so, would that be because of their polling methods”
This. Just sloppy and with a poor understanding of Scotland / how to correctly poll the referendum.
The single, biggest factor in the referendum is national identity. We have accurate census data for this yet while pollsters use the census to weight their sample to be demographically representative in terms of e.g. age, sex, region, private sector / public sector etc, they don’t do it with National ID. It affects some pollsters more than others; MORI and Yougov are the worst hit. Just a matter of methodology and how samples are obtained.
The pollster that weights to census national ID should be the one closest to what the reality is. Can’t account for shyness, but simply asking the ‘In the 2011 census the following question was asked, can you please state how you answered’ right at the start then weighting to the census accordingly it would be ideal.
Great Balado – there was a recent article on this very site confirming they don’t have identical immigration policies. Can’t seem to find it (at work) but I’m sure someone else can provide the link. It identified a number of countries outwith the EU from which people could travel into Ireland (without a visa) and then travel onward from Ireland into the UK (as a result of the UK/Ireland travel agreement). You couldn’t have gone direct from those same countries into the UK without a visa and going through immigration.
@The Great Baldo
Here’s the one you want:
link to wingsoverscotland.com