The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland



The fall guys 133

Posted on May 21, 2014 by

When I speak at independence events I introduce myself as the ‘token English guy’. It’s invariably received in the spirit it’s intended. Throughout my 18 years in Scotland, there’s always been plenty of banter, but pals from England have often asked if things sometimes go beyond the joking stage. Does it ever turn ugly?

rs

I’ve always found this quite amusing, but it should always be remembered that there are many south of the border still convinced that Glasgow is three notches down from 1980s Beirut. Years of apocalyptic films and hard-man dramas have filled their souls with terror at the idea of getting off the train at Glasgow Central and walking fifty yards into the deadly streets outside.

Read the rest of this entry →

When co-operation becomes captivity 154

Posted on April 01, 2014 by

As alert Wings reader may recall, I work for a charity in the Borders. Our volunteer who does the Monday-morning food run up the Nith valley is away in Asia and Australia for a month, so my week now starts with a ride up the A76. The countryside is drop-dead gorgeous, particularly in the early morning when the newly risen sun paints the peaks of the hills all kind of glowing colours.

rochdale

But the beaten up towns of the valley are like refugees. Only a few decades ago towns like Sanquhar and Kirkconnel had a genuine reason to exist. They mined coal. They helped keep everyone’s lights on. Then everything changed as Margaret Thatcher and Arthur Scargill played out their poker game which eventually consigned places like Sanquhar and Kirkconnel to the scrap heap of history.

Read the rest of this entry →

View from an immigrant 62

Posted on March 21, 2014 by

We’ve been taking the mickey out of Labour a lot in the last couple of days, which has been thoroughly merited and done with serious intent, but we thought it’d be nice to finish the week with something a bit more positive. Those of you who follow our Twitter account may have seen it already, but if not it’s well worth taking some time out for.

It’s a speech made at a Yes Scotland meeting in Lockerbie by Mark Frankland, who alert readers will recall from his appearance on this site last year, and it pretty much speaks for itself. Get this man on more stages.

A common enemy 124

Posted on September 19, 2013 by

[Over the coming months we aim to bring you the breadth and depth of the Yes vote under our “Perspectives” tag, because there’s no such thing as a “typical” Yes supporter. Yesterday we heard from 15-year-old Saffron Dickson. Today it’s the turn of one of the many English people living in Scotland who want out of the UK too.]

I saw a poll last week that gave the Yes campaign for an independent Scotland a 1% lead. The last time I looked, the No camp had had it by a country mile. Is this phenomenal turnaround any kind of surprise? Not in the slightest.

In an era of such abject political mediocrity, Alex Salmond stands out like a giant redwood among a field of saplings. It’s hard to imagine how far behind he would have to be for the No campaign to feel truly confident of success. A few weeks before the last Scottish Elections he was 20 points adrift, but when the ballots were counted he won by a country mile.

helisalmond

I’m no kind of betting man, but if I was, it would be a no-brainer as to where punt my cash. Not only is Salmond the standout politician of his generation in terms of getting ballots into boxes, the lineup who are going try to take him down aren’t even close to being in the same league. All of which makes it seem more than likely that Scotland will be its own nation in a year’s time.

It occurred to me the other day that I’ve now spent a third of my life up here as a “white settler”. I’m now a well and truly established immigrant. My English roots, though, don’t deny me the chance to have a vote on Scotland’s future and, unless something changes in a big way, that vote is almost certainly going to be Yes.

Read the rest of this entry →

  • About

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

    Stats: 6,673 Posts, 1,203,220 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Mac on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Not really I commented on that on the previous BTL. lol. Unfortunately this is on-going and I don’t think we…Nov 26, 10:06
    • Captain Caveman on A Personal Best For Kezia: “I absolutely do agree with you regarding the insidious drift of mainstream (UK) politics ever leftward – and with it…Nov 26, 09:54
    • Breeks on A Personal Best For Kezia: “You’re a wee bit off the pace there Mac. Not only has the US and UK disgracefully done enough to…Nov 26, 09:45
    • Doug on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Left or right the butcher’s apron must prevail.Nov 26, 09:42
    • Zander Tait on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Greetings Camel TransMan. Interesting word “averaged” isn’t it? So how many of those council by elections did Alba actually contest?…Nov 26, 09:08
    • Robert Hughes on A Personal Best For Kezia: “They are desperate to start a direct war with R before Trump takes over in January . All they will…Nov 26, 08:39
    • gregor on Telling the truth by mistake: “Elon Musk: “There is widespread gender ideology poison being spread by many non-profits at the urging of some of their…Nov 26, 08:35
    • Robert Hughes on Telling the truth by mistake: “Yes , and no surprise the two rabid war-hounds slavering for more blood to be spilt ( not their own…Nov 26, 08:33
    • Mac on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Listening to Galloway’s latest opening monologue… www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk09h8e1d7w&ab_channel=GeorgeGalloway Did you know that the UK, the US and France have now started…Nov 26, 08:30
    • gregor on Telling the truth by mistake: “Filthy NWO Butt-Plugs have penetrated everything… World Economic Forum: Organizations: Amnesty International: https://www.weforum.org/organizations/amnesty-international/Nov 26, 08:09
    • Breeks on The Unbargain Bin: “I detest the 2014 Referendum question. Should Scotland be an Independent Country is, how can I put it, – overweight.…Nov 26, 04:10
    • Robert Matthews on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Says the crackpot Wild Colonial Bore.Nov 26, 02:38
    • Donald on A Personal Best For Kezia: “That ghoulish front bench looks like the Munsters at HalloweenNov 26, 02:26
    • DaveL on A Personal Best For Kezia: “That’d be a dolls house smartie aye?Nov 26, 01:56
    • Campbell Clansman on A Personal Best For Kezia: “If the SNP is considered “Unionist” (as some here assert) that means the Indy parties are getting a 1% vote…Nov 26, 01:04
    • Young Lochinvar on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Correct. Brain dead Dugdale can only go on current polls and not look at future possibilities or probabilities as that…Nov 26, 00:39
    • Michael Laing on The Next Government Of Scotland: “That’s not going to happen, is it? The SNP is now a unionist party and it has done everything to…Nov 26, 00:05
    • willie on The Next Government Of Scotland: “Very good point Monica Worley. Voters have no where to go. The election but last was the opportunity for voters…Nov 25, 23:00
    • Alf Baird on A Personal Best For Kezia: “British identity is also a cultural illusion which many buy into.Nov 25, 22:52
    • Hatey McHateface on A Personal Best For Kezia: “What happened to you? You’ve become like Winston Smith at the end of 1984, a pathetic husk of your former…Nov 25, 22:13
    • Hatey McHateface on A Personal Best For Kezia: “In 2024, the political “right” has what our grandparents would have described as centre ground policies. That’s how far the…Nov 25, 22:05
    • James on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Clown.Nov 25, 21:50
    • John on A Personal Best For Kezia: “For the good of Scotland we don’t want the SNP anywhere near the levers of power for a very long…Nov 25, 21:42
    • robertkknight on A Personal Best For Kezia: “If an infinite number of Kezia Dugdales sat in front of an infinite number of typewriters and randomly pushed the…Nov 25, 21:37
    • sarah on The Unbargain Bin: “Thank you!Nov 25, 21:33
    • Ted on A Personal Best For Kezia: “There ain’t no stopping Reform UK, certainly not by a “centre left alliance”. It’s “centre left” that’s got us where…Nov 25, 21:14
    • Captain Caveman on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Maybe in the Scottish parliament there will be some lame, moribund left wing “coalition of the clueless” along these lines?…Nov 25, 21:00
    • John Moss on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Not going to happen. Simples ?Nov 25, 20:58
    • Hatey McHateface on A Personal Best For Kezia: “You quite sure these parties don’t exist? A heck of a lot of Scots vote for them, time after time…Nov 25, 20:56
    • Hatey McHateface on A Personal Best For Kezia: “Ach, it’s a puff piece not worth the paper it’s printed on. Nobody, but nobody, can see past February 2025,…Nov 25, 20:49
  • A tall tale



↑ Top