The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland



Ian Davidson calls for second question 13

Posted on August 11, 2012 by

We’re indebted to keen Wings Over Scotland reader “Holebender” for digging out this little nugget. Ian Davidson MP, chair of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee, is at the forefront of Labour’s demands for the Scottish Government to hold a single-question referendum on Scottish independence, regardless of whether the Scottish electorate might want a third option. But it turns out Ian hasn’t always been quite so keen on restricting voters to straight yes/no choices.

Back in February 2008, he wrote to Nick Clegg about the Liberal Democrats’ proposed referendum on UK membership of the EU. You can find the full original text of his letter at this page on the Conservative Home website. Just for a bit of fun, though, we’ve reprinted it below with some extremely minor adjustments.

Read the rest of this entry →

URGENT: HELP NEEDED 25

Posted on June 18, 2012 by

We think our brains may have been completely fused by a story in today’s Daily Record, which is based around comments by Rutherglen Labour MSP James Kelly, pictured below in a scene from the particularly bad acid headache he’s just given us.

Here’s the bit that’s been making our minds spin round and round and round in circles this morning until we’re dizzy trying to make sense of it:

ALEX Salmond was accused of “double standards” yesterday over his efforts to woo Rupert Murdoch. Labour raised further questions about the First Minister’s links with Murdoch following claims the media mogul lobbied Tony Blair to wage war in Iraq.

Former spin doctor Alastair Campbell said in the latest volume of his memoirs that Blair “took a call from Murdoch who was pressing on timings, saying how News International would support us, etc”.

Salmond won plaudits across Scotland for his outspoken opposition to the war which he described as “the most disastrous foreign policy decision of recent times”. But it did not stop him from trying to get closer to Murdoch to win The Sun newspaper’s backing for the SNP.

Labour MSP and chief whip James Kelly said: “This could make the conversation a little uncomfortable the next time Alex Salmond has Rupert Murdoch round to Bute House for tea and biscuits. Alex Salmond was against the Iraq war but that didn’t stop him cosying up to Rupert Murdoch. This is classic double standards from Alex Salmond who is prepared to put his party’s interests ahead of any issue.””

Let’s try to talk our way through this slowly: LABOUR is attacking the SNP for not being sufficiently critical of RUPERT MURDOCH when he backed LABOUR Prime Minister TONY BLAIR over going to war in IRAQ in 2003? What, seriously?

That can’t really be it, can it? Labour, who instigated the illegal war that left hundreds of thousands dead, attacking an opposition party who voted against that war (and which actually tried to impeach Blair for it) for not being critical enough of a newspaper proprietor whose papers enthusiastically backed Labour at the time and who made Tony Blair godfather to one of his children, because when subsequently in government it had a couple of meetings with that newspaper proprietor (also one of Scotland’s largest private-sector employers) the best part of a decade later?

Are we dreaming this stuff? Please tell us we’re dreaming it.

When the things you love keep changing 26

Posted on March 10, 2012 by

Tom Harris MP on Twitter, 10th March 2012:

"To the homeless, the unemployed, the hungry, the vulnerable, I say this: the SNP will give you a Scottish passport!"

Oof! That's some biting satire from the Scottish Labour man there, suggesting the SNP will do nothing for these unfortunate people other than change their nationality! That's going to sting those pesky "Tartan Tory" Nats! Hurrah for the good comrades of the Red Flag who stand up for the poor and the dispossessed!

But wait a minute – who's this vile, compassionless Tory slimebag sort, being quoted approvingly in the Telegraph by arch-Tory columnist Alan Cochrane barely three months earlier for telling those same unemployed, homeless and vulnerable to go and get stuffed, because his party has nothing to offer them?

"We were set up as the party to represent the values of working people, working being the key word. We weren't set up as some sort of charity to help the poorest in society – the long-term unemployed, the benefit dependent, the drug addicted, the homeless."

What? It's Tom Harris of the Scottish Labour Party, you say? We're confused again.

  • About

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

    Stats: 6,705 Posts, 1,212,390 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Geri on Bricked-up windows: “Can Shug not take the matter to parliament through his MSP? One of those public bill thingies? This farce has…Feb 11, 22:01
    • Blackhack on Bricked-up windows: “Stuart, they’ll tell you hew haw…You’re like a boil on their arse, they know it’s there and think if they…Feb 11, 22:01
    • gregor on The End Of The Reich: “BLM: 7 Demands: “1. Convict and ban Trump from future political office… 2. Expel Republican members of Congress… 3. Launch…Feb 11, 21:55
    • gregor on The End Of The Reich: “Mike: “$27 million of grants from USAID to… Black Lives Matter Global Network… which serves as a pressurizer for action…Feb 11, 21:53
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Front On The Volga: “Then I’d have had to change the word “front” 😀Feb 11, 21:47
    • 100%Yes on Bricked-up windows: “I told you all, she’ll be back. She’s a cruel vindictive bitch with vengeance on her mind Scotland watch your…Feb 11, 21:31
    • Arthur Martin on Bricked-up windows: “Let’s assume all charges are dropped and Branchform is swept under the carpet. I imagine a private prosecution would be…Feb 11, 21:26
    • Diane on The End Of The Reich: “They’re all still men.Feb 11, 21:23
    • gregor on The End Of The Reich: “World Economic Forum: Partners: Palantir Technologies: https://www.weforum.org/organizations/palantir-technologies/ World Economic Forum: People: Alex Karp: https://www.weforum.org/people/alex-karp/ World Economic Forum: Young Global Leaders:…Feb 11, 21:13
    • Marie on The Front On The Volga: “Absolutely. Politicians are bought by elites. They buy politicians the way we buy toothpaste and washing up liquid in the…Feb 11, 21:05
    • gregor on The End Of The Reich: “CNBC (2024): Palantir CEO says his outspoken pro-I***el views have caused employees to leave company: “Palantir, known for its government…Feb 11, 21:02
    • carjamtic on Bricked-up windows: “A few thoughts immediately spring to mind, where is the demarcation line between self interest and public interest (obstruction of…Feb 11, 20:53
    • McDuff on The End Of The Reich: “When is the our spineless MSM going to join the rev in fighting this insanity.Feb 11, 20:49
    • gregor on The End Of The Reich: “Forbes (2013): How A ‘Deviant’ Philosopher Built Palantir, A CIA-Funded Data-Mining Juggernaut: “Since rumors began to spread that a startup…Feb 11, 20:47
    • sarah on Bricked-up windows: “Confess, Rev. You couldn’t stand the almost optimism of “The Front on the Volga” and were pleased to get this…Feb 11, 20:41
    • gregor on The End Of The Reich: “Public Technology (2024): NHS claims two-thirds of trusts and ICBs now using Palantir data platform: “NHS England has claimed that…Feb 11, 20:37
    • G m on The Front On The Volga: “This article highlights compares the Trans ‘rights’ movement with other rights movements. Trans rights didn’t come from the ground up.…Feb 11, 20:26
    • Ian McCubbin on Bricked-up windows: “Omg the level of use of elaborate language and repetition is astounding. I admire your journalism in thus case thznk…Feb 11, 20:21
    • gregor on The End Of The Reich: “I love it – makes identifying Scotland’s arch enemies far easier. I’m gonna pummel ‘The Negatron’ with my giant reality-hammer…Feb 11, 20:20
    • gregor on The End Of The Reich: “Cheers Jock Noted #ChampFeb 11, 20:06
    • Alf Baird on The Front On The Volga: “The Holyrood colonial administration long since dumped the national saltire for the imperial rainbow flag and its woke fascist laws,…Feb 11, 19:58
    • Graeme on The Front On The Volga: “Don’t you mean the front on the Vulva?Feb 11, 19:55
    • Young Lochinvar on The Front On The Volga: “Well said.Feb 11, 19:51
    • Dan on The Joker: “Be More Alert and lolz if you think I believe the current crop of political dross in Holyrood are pro-indy.…Feb 11, 19:50
    • PacMan on The Front On The Volga: “I’m sure there was funding from other US Federal agencies that was being used for this as well which DOGE…Feb 11, 19:14
    • gregor on The End Of The Reich: “The Sun (10/02/25): SITTING TARGETS Allies of SNP chief ‘draw-up hit list of MSPs they want to replace with axed…Feb 11, 19:02
    • Hatey McHateface on The End Of The Reich: “I can’t argue with a single word of your post, Dan. As I’ve stated before, if you lived in my…Feb 11, 18:47
    • Hatey McHateface on The Front On The Volga: “I’m guessing Scotland still has 24 official genders though. I’m also guessing that no date has been set for when…Feb 11, 18:36
    • 100%Yes on The Front On The Volga: “FFS 48% follow for transgender. When are we going to get of this subject and get back on Independence. 2026…Feb 11, 18:32
    • Geri on The Front On The Volga: “‘So the Doctor could have requested an individual changing room but he rathered making women uncomfortable.’ That’s what they’ve always…Feb 11, 18:27
  • A tall tale



↑ Top