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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.

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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.

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

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    • James on A Stitch In Timing: ““…have campaigned for Indy all my adult life.” LOLZ. That right, aye?” Feb 8, 00:03
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    • James on A Stitch In Timing: “You joined the other team.” Feb 7, 23:55
    • David Holden on A Stitch In Timing: “Sorry Alf still not sure what your point is and if you are implying I am a non native and\or…” Feb 7, 23:35
    • Young Lochinvar on A Stitch In Timing: “Or.. To quote English Henry VII (Tudor) marrying off his daughter to a reluctant King James IV of Scotland; “The…” Feb 7, 22:58
    • sam on A Stitch In Timing: “https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203788332/internal-colonialism-michael-hechter “…Hechter examines the unexpected persistence of ethnicity in the politics of industrial societies by focusing on the British Isles.…” Feb 7, 22:10
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    • Hatey McHateface on A Stitch In Timing: “Awww. I wanted an opportunity to enthuse about the health and fitness benefits of goose stepping. Stamina building too, and…” Feb 7, 21:21
    • Hatey McHateface on A Stitch In Timing: “Language theory, and common sense, tells us that colonial and post colonial are different things. A science and engineering background…” Feb 7, 21:03
    • DaveL on A Stitch In Timing: “Ask the Rev, his machine chose to protect you from having to answer to it.” Feb 7, 20:56
    • Hatey McHateface on A Stitch In Timing: “What would a Yank like Hechter know of the Celtic Periphery? To many of the bulk of Scots residing in…” Feb 7, 20:54
    • Hatey McHateface on A Stitch In Timing: “Were they about goose stepping by any chance? Relax. You’ve already covered that to the best of your ability.” Feb 7, 20:42
    • Alf Baird on A Stitch In Timing: ““not sure what your point is” Postcolonial theory tells us that the more culturally assimilated native bourgeoisie, being “the most…” Feb 7, 20:41
    • Hatey McHateface on A Stitch In Timing: “@Alf I never made the team either. You have my sympathy. Like you, I still remember how much it hurt.…” Feb 7, 20:37
    • factchecker on A Stitch In Timing: “David, You are obviously not aware of the threat of cultural colonisation that we live under. Indeed, it may already…” Feb 7, 20:00
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    • factchecker on A Stitch In Timing: “The ProfessorHechter is quoted as saying “Within the Celtic Periphery this also meant that the English held: ‘a disproportionate share…” Feb 7, 19:43
    • David Holden on A Stitch In Timing: “@ Alf Baird 6.31 pm . I remember it well Alf also supporters of a certain football club that were…” Feb 7, 19:21
    • Alf Baird on A Stitch In Timing: “Interesting, but lets not confuse colonialism with the class struggle. This from Professor Michael Hechter’s study of ‘The UK Internal…” Feb 7, 18:41
    • Alf Baird on A Stitch In Timing: “You maybe don’t remember ‘Rugby Legends for No’, reflecting the more privileged culturally assimilated native groups greater propensity to oppose…” Feb 7, 18:31
    • James on A Stitch In Timing: “See above, everyone. Another unionist Fanny.” Feb 7, 17:59
    • DaveL on A Stitch In Timing: “Hey Rev, I’m wondering why two lengthy replies concerning fascism to Hatey’s post at 7.41pm on the 6th have been…” Feb 7, 17:44
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    • Marie on A Stitch In Timing: “Well said. Agree with every word.” Feb 7, 16:31
    • Andy Wiltshire on A Stitch In Timing: “The long arm of colonialism can even reach as far as Italy.” Feb 7, 16:24
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