Although we’re retired we already wrote this, so we may as well put it up for the 99.9% of Scots who don’t read the comments on David Leask‘s columns in the Herald.
It’s a claim he’s been banging on about since at least 2014, without ever providing a scrap of evidence to support it (his standard modus operandi), and yesterday was no exception. So let’s show Little Dave how proper big-boy journalists do it.
The First Minister released a short film this week.
While it has the character of a hostage video, with terrorists just off-camera pointing a gun at the unfortunate victim and forcing them to read out a pre-prepared text, sadly we doubt that was the case. We think this is really what she believes and intends.
Even just the tweet above by the author of the Times piece fails all kinds of basic journalistic standards of impartiality, but the article itself is vastly worse.
Any time you’re not sure whether something that happens in Scottish politics is good or bad for the cause of independence, here’s a top tip for you: see how the enemies of independence feel about it.
“Running scared” would seem to be a fair, if understated, summary.
In an attempt to freshen up its usual panel of tired and tiresome politicians and pundits, last night’s Question Time (ostensibly from an oddly-vague location in “the North East”) featured moderately-known circus fortune-teller Gypsy Rose Petulengro, crossing her palm with silver for some analysis in a short break from one of her celebrated seances.
The clip above was her take on whether Nicola Sturgeon would resign if either of the current inquiries found that she’d systematically and repeatedly lied to Parliament and broken the Ministerial Code, and the strange thing about it was that for someone who was professing to be looking into the future, she didn’t even appear to know the basic pertinent facts of the present or the past.
Alert readers will know by now that there’s nothing the Scottish media – and the Scottish Daily Mail in particular – likes more than printing scary-sounding figures with no context whatsoever by which people could judge how big or small they really are.
Nothing’s changed today (other than a rather sneaky inset shot of an old story about a different statistic which misleadingly makes today’s one look like a big increase), so rather than bang on we’ll just fill in the blanks: ScotRail runs around 760,000 trains a year, so this year’s cancellation figures amount to about 3.5% of all trains.
Which is to say, around one time in every 30 that you go to get a train it’ll have been cancelled and you’ll have to wait for the next one, which on the average commuter line will probably mean 15-20 minutes.
Which is still a pain in the hole, of course, but if it’s such a high number ask yourself why the Mail is so pathologically averse to simply telling you what percentage it is.
We’ll see you again with these figures in a few weeks, folks.
Wings Over Scotland isn’t the only website dedicated to scrutinising the truthfulness of things claimed by politicians and media pundits. There’s the widely-respected and diligent FullFact.org, there’s Scotland’s own The Ferret, and there’s the BBC’s Reality Check (which frequently takes the more unconventional approach of, er, not making a finding either way about what the reality of things is).
And then there’s Channel 4’s FactCheck, which we’re going to generously assume had a liquid lunch yesterday and was a little under the weather.
Because not only is the conclusion that it reached on the subject of an independent Scotland having to use the Euro utter nonsense that’s been debunked roughly 1000 times in the last six years, it doesn’t even agree with itself.
Michael Glackin of the Sunday Times is the only serious contender to the Scotsman’s demented Brian Wilson as the most poisonously, blindly instinctive hater of anything even passingly connected to the SNP or independence in the Scottish media. His weekly bilious rants in the paper make even Scottish Daily Express hacks wince and say “Blimey, that’s a bit strong”.
But even by those standards, this week’s column is quite something. So let’s take a little look at just how much of an idiot you can make of yourself if you never allow facts to get in the way of your rage.
Mia on The same old tricks: ““Why would you interpret a choice not to vote as a rejection of the political system?” Choosing not to vote…” Jan 17, 13:41
Anthem on The same old tricks: “What a load of twaddle! Make it up as you go along why don’t you.” Jan 17, 13:13
Vivian O’Blivion on The same old tricks: “Massive, YouGov, MRP poll has Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht – Vernunft und Gerechtigkeit (BSW) at 6%, breaking the ceiling for representation…” Jan 17, 13:06
Aidan on The same old tricks: “Why would you interpret a choice not to vote as a rejection of the political system? It’s more likely as…” Jan 17, 12:52
Alf Baird on The same old tricks: “What has any% of the vote got to do with it? We’re only talking about cancelling a single mankit violated…” Jan 17, 12:46
Mia on The same old tricks: “That election was not “run on the basis of indiref 2 or independence” because the political fraud Sturgeon announced it…” Jan 17, 12:26
agent X on The same old tricks: “As an aside I note that The National has removed the ceasefire from their online main articles and it barely…” Jan 17, 12:13
Southernbystander on The same old tricks: “How many ordinary Scots would side with those who use phrases like ‘BritNazi Establishment parties’ do you think?” Jan 17, 12:10
Aidan on The same old tricks: “Worth pointing out that the only election which a majority of votes have been cast for pro-independence parties was 2015…” Jan 17, 12:02
Andy on The same old tricks: “Horrible thought, but maybe the policy of deliberating for ever over whether to bring any charges in Op Branchform, is…” Jan 17, 10:55
Alf Baird on The same old tricks: “Yes Mia, some people seem to forget the SNP were given several nationalist majorities yet still insist on asking permission…” Jan 17, 10:42
gregor on A crisis of democracy: “BBC (2025): Search for missing fragments from Stone of Destiny: “A search is under way to trace up to 30…” Jan 17, 10:23
Andy Anderson on The same old tricks: “Very defeatist Ross. The last two polls put independence at 54%. The reason the media is not talking about it…” Jan 17, 10:19
Royston Rickard on A crisis of democracy: “I think the world’s wealthiest man, with gigantic enterprises and the DOGE to run has far better things to do…” Jan 17, 09:43
Royston Rickard on A crisis of democracy: “Oh, you’d get coalitions as the norm – but that’s what we’re headed for the the FPTP/ Rotten Boroughs system…” Jan 17, 09:30
Royston Rickard on A crisis of democracy: “It’s not a threat: it’s a reality. Have you read the FT, Times, Telegraph, Economist or Indie since c. 2010?…” Jan 17, 09:26
Mia on The same old tricks: ““this particular poll doesnae convince” Absolutely. My thoughts exactly. But I guess it all depends on the pool of people…” Jan 17, 09:06
Aidan on The same old tricks: “Good to see that the Harvie/Slater co-leadership is about as popular as the coronavirus!” Jan 17, 08:36
Aidan on A crisis of democracy: “And of course they won’t want to bring in some of the crazies (not to name names, but those who…” Jan 17, 06:59
Cynicus on The same old tricks: “PICTS! Where is Alf when you need him!?” Jan 17, 03:02
Young Lochinvar on A crisis of democracy: “It’s interesting you say that because when you consider it, really, so much of the proxy wars of the Cold…” Jan 17, 02:51
Young Lochinvar on A crisis of democracy: “It’s established historical fact that America dictated that American youth would not be sacrificed to reestablish former colonial empires. Laudable…” Jan 17, 02:34
Young Lochinvar on A crisis of democracy: “Aye well, as you clink your cut glass malts together do try and give a thought or two as to…” Jan 17, 02:09
Young Lochinvar on A crisis of democracy: “It’s called asymmetric warfare. As old as bullying Empires. Best understand it before begrudging Wallace or a screen entertainment iteration…” Jan 17, 01:54
Young Lochinvar on A crisis of democracy: “Sounding like Al Murray’s pub landlord character there. Uncalled for.” Jan 17, 01:35
Young Lochinvar on A crisis of democracy: ““Kill the culture” is an age old Imperial trick; make it easier for those under the heel just to use…” Jan 17, 01:29
gregor on A crisis of democracy: “Hopefully you’ll love your forever-partnership – The people of UK/Scotland deserve far better health care services.” Jan 17, 01:06
