The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


When winning is the only thing 185

Posted on March 05, 2021 by

What puzzles many about the Alex Salmond situation is motive. It’s incredibly difficult for some Yes supporters to imagine any motive that could justify the awfulness of what Alex Salmond has been put through by his successor, and so they reject the whole idea of any sinister goings-on out of hand.

However, it’s far easier to understand what went on when you look at the personality of Nicola Sturgeon and her historical pattern of behaviour.

Because the core fact is that Sturgeon simply cannot bear to lose. She’s very single-minded, and doesn’t really adapt or regroup in the face of adversity. When events and new information make problems for her ideas and plans, she just keeps going – often creating more problems as she tries to force the plan back on track.

Sturgeon’s main priority – in common with most politicians – is to stay in power and to boost her own image and profile. We can look at some hot topics and her behaviour around them, and gain clear insights into what happened to Alex Salmond and why.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category comment, corruption, disturbing, scottish politics

How to make a coup 132

Posted on February 02, 2021 by

Having never been part of a political party, an area where Wings lacks expertise is in understanding the nuts and bolts of their operation, and how a party’s rules can be used to usurp their members’ power. We’re delighted to have someone equipped to provide a valuable insight into how that’s happened to the SNP in the last two years.

The following line is still a definitive statement in the SNP constitution:

“National Conference is the supreme governing and policy-making body of the Party.”

But in practice it is no longer the case. The 2018 redraft of the constitution centralised power in the Leader and in the NEC. The party Leader has sole and total power over policy – both in the manifesto and in government – and the NEC has sole power over who represents the party and what they are allowed to say.

So in effect, since 2018 the party elite – not the membership – has ruled the SNP.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category comment, corruption, disturbing, investigation, scottish politics

  • About

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

    Stats: 6,762 Posts, 1,218,662 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

    and finally and firstly arithmetic fail braveheart klaxon britnats captain darling cartoons Chris Cairns confused cringe crybabies dateline debates Devo Nano Federalists Unionists and Devolutionists flat-out lies foreigner watch from the archives fundraisers galleries Greg Moodie hamish hypocrisy liars light-hearted banter lizards memogate misinformation one nation perspectives poll project fear project feart qft Scott Minto smears snp accused soapbox the positive case for the union The Vow ticktock toldyouso too wee too poor too stupid unionist of the day vote no get nothing

  • Recent Comments

    • Dan on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “The younger ADHD generation will likely toil to apply themselves to growing foodstuffs, as it takes reasonably long term attention…” May 28, 16:58
    • Captain Caveman on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Kit Bee said: “Its the IT providers who see public sector contracts as a cash cow- they know every trick…” May 28, 15:11
    • Kit Bee on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Captain Caveman says ‘Are civil servants even capable of running the proverbial piss up in a brewery north or south…” May 28, 13:37
    • robertkknight on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Whether an independent Scotland, thanks to malicious behaviour on the part of the departing colonial power ended up behaving like…” May 28, 12:59
    • Hatey McHateface on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Robin defo talks a good talk. I’d much prefer to see HR prioritising drill, baby, drill. Opening a coal mine…” May 28, 12:47
    • Hatey McHateface on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: ““Every disastrous policy foisted on the Scots by Holyrood is ultimately sanctioned by England and is therefore England’s disastrous policy…” May 28, 12:20
    • Hatey McHateface on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: ““I guess Scotland should never aspire to be a normal, independent, sovereign state” Beats me how you could read that…” May 28, 12:09
    • James Cheyne on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Dan, May I add that people where they have a garden or piece of land available to them and are…” May 28, 11:56
    • Captain Caveman on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “As a matter of interest, has there even *ever been* a successful public sector IT project roll out in the…” May 28, 11:14
    • James Cheyne on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “The SNP became a business to gather money from Scotland with a CEO,” May 28, 10:50
    • Northcode on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “This is my view. As usual – each can cleave to their own. The ‘Scottish’ government is England wearing a…” May 28, 10:49
    • Dan on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Other things going on where a bit of common sense usage wouldn’t have gone a miss… I understand our Health…” May 28, 10:43
    • James Cheyne on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Dan, Like your common sense approach, to many airy fairy think tanks seeking payed for employment In Scotland as there…” May 28, 10:30
    • SusanAHF on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Well said TH and Lorn also” May 28, 10:18
    • Southernbystander on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Alf, you remind me of the dad on Goodness Gracious Me who whatever his son is talking about, it is…” May 28, 10:17
    • robertkknight on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “I guess Scotland should never aspire to be a normal, independent, sovereign state, like the 200 or so others on…” May 28, 09:03
    • Sven on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Dan @ 08.08 Always interested in your common sense posts, Dan. As someone once said, “it’s strange it’s called common…” May 28, 08:27
    • Hatey McHateface on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: ““the inescapable conclusion ….in the words of Mr Baird – Independence IS Decolonisation” Hey, I’m not knocking the idea, Bob,…” May 28, 08:11
    • Dan on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “See if your country was caught in an ongoing unmitigated disaster with aw thing like its infrastructure and services going…” May 28, 08:08
    • Robert Hughes on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “From Robin McAlpine’s latest ( typically incisive ) post talking about the outrageous but entirely predictable green light given to…” May 28, 07:18
    • Willie on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “The SNP are not for turning. Certainly not underthe current coterie of control that continues to show them as an…” May 28, 03:11
    • Jim Dryburgh on The Undertaker: “whether it’s 75% or whatever with each year the amount of indigenous Scots v Non Indigenous Scots is becoming less…” May 28, 01:31
    • duncanio on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Sarah – Yes there is time for them all to change their minds. And we must keep trying to persuade…” May 27, 22:57
    • sarah on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “@ duncanio at 8.56 re ISP and the M4I. I’m perplexed. However there is time for ISP to change their…” May 27, 22:03
    • duncanio on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Sarah – I’m afraid Collette Walker was quite explicit in her email to me about the ISP developing their own…” May 27, 20:56
    • Hatey McHateface on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Sorry Alf. Common sense tells me that even if you accept the existence of the Coloniser (with one set of…” May 27, 20:00
    • Hatey McHateface on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “Be honest now, Marie. Wouldn’t you be better for shedding a few pounds? If you don’t want to entertain any…” May 27, 19:39
    • sarah on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “I am really surprised at that response from ISP. I’ve read and thought over the MforI and cannot see anything…” May 27, 19:26
    • duncanio on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “twathater I have supported SSRG, Salvo and Liberation since inception, having attended the Edinburgh Proclamation gathering on 1st September 2022…” May 27, 19:13
    • Alf Baird on What Are We, And Where Are We Going?: “We cannot treat “the colonial question…as a subsidiary part of some more important global matter” (Robin D. G. Kelley). And…” May 27, 18:47

  • A tall tale



↑ Top