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Wings Over Scotland


The Angry Man

Posted on May 14, 2018 by

So it seems our article of earlier today rattled the Herald’s cage but good. Scottish political Twitter has been an absolute logjam of incandescent Herald Group hacks all afternoon, making all manner of wild accusations and threats. At the head of the fury, of course, was Chief Reporter And Witchfinder General Mr David Leask.

Unfamiliar with the Scottish media? God, how we wish THAT was true.

Leask issued a long (long) stream of invective on Twitter, while hiding behind a block that means we can’t post any responses to it that any of his Twitter followers will see. So for the record, we suppose we’ll have to address them here.

Let’s see how many errors we find, then.

No it’s not.

Why is that proof? Leask constantly claims that the Herald’s readership is rising. But as he himself notes, that’s only true if you’re talking about the website.

The print papers’ sales are tanking and have been for years. In fact the vast bulk – upwards of 80% – of the papers’ claimed readership is online. And online the Herald and the Sunday Herald are a single entity. There is no distinction whatsoever on heraldscotland.com (which Leask’s bio lists as his work address) between weekday Herald and Sunday Herald content.

It’s a wildly irrelevant point anyway – in the context of editorial, who cares what Herald Group’s internal payroll structures are? – but nevertheless his claim is still wrong.

This clearly isn’t an “error” in the Wings article. But it’s false anyway – plenty people have attested, and demonstrated with evidence, that Leask has blocked them without them doing any of those things. He himself admits he does it “automatically” simply for people mentioning this site.

What’s next?

False. As his own screenshot shows, the article did NOT say “all”.

This tweet is such gibberish it’s hard to know what it means. Our best guess is that he’s trying to say he was joking all the times he suggested we might not really support independence, and therefore actually be saboteurs working for an unknown agent. Judge the comic intent of these rib-ticklers for yourself, folks:

Gosh, weren’t there a lot of those? But maybe it’s the way he tells them or something. Maybe it’s funny if you’re there. Our advice: don’t quit the day job, Dave.

We’re not sure what a “stooge” would do if not “repeat propaganda” and “endorse Russia”. In fact we haven’t done any of those things – as usual we’ve simply reported facts, and provided independent sources to go with all of them. This one’s just a mess.

Sort of almost true-ish, a bit. I’ve certainly described Leask’s six-year obsession with Wings as increasingly “deranged” and “demented”. But I have no idea whether it constitutes any sort of diagnosable mental condition. That’s just the language people use conversationally to describe something they think defies reason and logic.

A bit like when they call someone “bonkers”, say.

Leask was doing the vast bulk of this stuff long before we ever criticised him or any article of his. What set him off, goodness alone knows.

This one’s nothing to do with us, so we don’t know why we’re getting the blame for it. (Although we HAVE been told a very interesting story regarding him and security services, which we can neither verify nor dispute and so couldn’t possibly repeat here.)

In the article we described Neil Cameron’s threats as “veiled”, which means “not overtly stated”. Most people would interpret “this prick… I would love to meet him… it would be my satisfaction” as an allusion to physical violence. After all, you don’t need to meet someone in person just to tell them you don’t like them.

But Cameron helpfully stepped in to make things clearer anyway.

Of course, maybe he just meant “motivational encouragement”.

See the response to Leask’s claim (1) above. But also, don’t WE feel stupid for actually believing something that’s currently published on the Herald’s own website?

[EDIT 11.23pm: the Herald has now concealed this error by simply removing the link to Tom Gordon’s profile page from its bio section entirely. But Gordon’s page itself is still there at the time of making this edit, and still says “Sunday Herald”.]

[EDIT 1.50am, 16 May 2018: Still does.]

[EDIT 11.56am, 11 May 2019: Still does, even though the SH no longer exists.]

Still, employers can sometimes be a touch slack about keeping such things up-to-date. Maybe we could check his LinkedIn page instead?

Oh. He was the Scottish Political Editor of ONLY the Sunday Herald until about a year and a half ago, when he carefully edited his bio to reflect that fact that he now holds that post for the weekday Herald AND the Sunday Herald. Glad we cleared that up.

Nearly done now, folks.

Well, this is awkward.

Maybe PR Week are Trumpist cybernats too.

[EDIT 11.26pm: Leask has now corrected this, magnificently.]

And to be fair, which of us hasn’t at some point said “the UK government” when we meant “the Sunday Herald”, and also used the present tense when we meant to use the past tense? False negative i earlier tweet, indeed.

That’s just (1) again. His only actual complaint with the article appears to be that it might not be 100% accurate regarding a couple of Herald Group staff’s internal job titles, as if that has any bearing on what they’ve written.

Hmm, yes. As readers will of course know, we NEVER criticise the Daily Mail, the Express, the Daily Record, the Telegraph, the BBC, the Guardian or the Scotsman, and we’re ALWAYS sticking it to The National, the only pro-indy daily paper in the country. Remember that time six months ago when we, um, gave the site over to the National’s editor to write a sales pitch for it?

We’ve criticised the Sunday Herald in maybe five or six Wings articles in six and a half years, out of a total of almost five THOUSAND. That’s 0.1%. So if it’s our “main focus” we’re doing a pretty terrible job of focusing.

We make that 12 claims, 0 true. Sounds about right. Come back any time, Dave.

And if you ever think we’ve defamed you, you know our lawyer’s number.

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Peter

David Leask , a poundland Michael White. As my granny used to say , ‘he husnae slept wi a journalist’ …a laughable nobody

Street Andrew

“…Reality-based journalism…”.

Really ?

heraldnomore

And as always Mr Leask I, the buyer, reserve the right to give my hard earned to whichever media outlet I choose. The Herald benefitted from that policy for decades, but never again, a decision I made quite some time ago – shortly after said Mr Gardham was recruited.

Roll on the next Wings Crowdfunder.

ScottishPsyche

Actually reading that litany of bile from Leask et al over the years makes me feel quite anxious. I can only imagine what it feels like to be on the receiving end of it.

osakisushi

Gosh. It’s always a bit questionable when someone such as this is unable to identify any level of personal fault – to be polite.

The behaviour from The Herald staff today reminded me of the shambles when Scotland in Union stepped in a pile of THEIR OWN merde.

JaMur

“Unfamiliar with Scottish media”

I’ve heard some shite over the years but this one tops it for me.

Gan oan yersel rev.

Richard

He seems at tad obsessed by you Stu?

Merkin Scot

Go, Stu, Go!

Greannach

What a busy man. Anyone know if he has a job?

Brian Doonthetoon

Hi Rev Stu.

Congrats on shredding their (the unionist media) ß@ll$.

It would appear that we, the great unwashed, hang on to their every word, from what THEY believe.

It’s coming soon, for a’ thah’…

jfngw

The most frightening part is he attacks people that he has blocked, is this the definition of open debate. We can only be thankful that he isn’t a judge, ‘thats us heard the case for the prosecution, now the jury must reach its verdict’.

Of course he is a journalist, they don’t really believe in the right of reply.

Pretty soon anyone buying the Herald will also need to buy something like Playboy to hide it in, saves any embarrassment.

Vestas

The BBC’s propaganda money is certainly encouraging the unionist loonies on failing papers isn’t it?

Remember not to pay the BBC tax as part of it is given to privately owned media groups like Newsquest.

Cactus

Hey Mr Angry Man… getta grip loser.

Feeling ra quickening like aye?

Mr David, yer leakin’

Ahhhhh ha ha ha!

mogabee

This has all been highly entertaining, particularly as I blocked Leask a good while ago when I realised he had nothing much to say to me.

You know, this article has shown that many journalists are incredibly bad at interacting with their purchasing public.

Or should that be their ‘former’ purchasing public? Tricky…

(Oh, and hi Mr Leask.):D 😀 😀 😀 😀

MajorBloodnok

There’s something no right with Leasky there. Tsk tsk.

Seriously though – actually saying he’s not sure whether Wee Ginger Dug is pro-independence. I mean what the actual…?

Annabella

I love this site just away to set up a subscription for wings and the national, money well spent watching the “pro journos” being taking to school.

caledonia

Some not on twitter will not get this but

Dave Dave Dave Dave Dave Dave
Dave Dave Dave Dave Dave Dave
Dave Dave Dave Dave Dave Dave
Dave Dave Dave Dave Dave Dave

Thepnr

I see that @Historywoman hasn’t blocked him and he actually communicates with her. Explains a lot really.

By the way what did he mean by “Wings and his ilk”? He actually does a very good impression of being a bit of a knob and that’s without even trying. The man clearly has talent.

TheMadMurph

Hey Stu, do I get any credit for the motivational encouragement line?

It would be a little claim to fame, since I’m too lazy to right anything myself!

Roger Hyam

Well good to know he is one of your many readers who waits the next post bated breath.

TheMadMurph

Doh, that should of course be write!

jamero66

This article alone was worth my years Wings’ “subscription”.

Cactus

New award…

David Leaskin’.

Yer the absolute fanny of the day and night.

And always bitch.

iScotland aye.

Go quick!

jfngw

O/T early but I’m getting on a bit and don’t want to waste anymore of my diminishing brain cells on the Herald.

I see Corbyn has rejected the idea of a Norway type deal, he wants to be a rule giver, not taker.

I think even if May brought in a law that anyone on benefits was forbidden to have children, Corbyn could not win an election. To be honest I suspect this suggestion might actually go down well in some areas but I was trying to not be too ghoulish with the example.

Glamaig

He’s supposed to be running a newspaper not spending all day getting angry on twitter! does his boss know?

Keep a cool head Stu, you’ve already been arrested for nothing.

alexicon

Has the ‘rock’ just outed himself as David Leask?
The guy is a complete nutter and is in denial about everything that is fact.
I stopped visiting the herald/SH websites about 2 years ago. I used to contribute to their comment sections on a daily basis. I’ve never clicked on a link or anything to do with the herald since.
Not once have I missed their blatant bias.
Take some advice folks. ?

ScottieDog

It never ceases to amaze me the mal-intellect of people claiming to be journalists.
If someone makes what yor perceive an outrageous claim on social media, surely the best way is to engage, probe and let the person trip themselves up. (For all to see).

His anger is an indication that he’s been found out. Of course his friends in the ‘media’ profession will no doubt come to his aid.

And he argues far too hard that wings is a liability to YES. It’s the jewel in the crown and he knows it.

Be ready for some big artillery hits from MSM as SNP conference approaches.

Gfaetheblock

I fail to see what is being achieved here. An article where Leask’s jokes are taken as threats but Campbell’s jokes re mental health are just jokes, is patently ridiculous. Neither party is looking particularly good here, but it is doing nothing to counter the narrative that the fringe of Yes is a rabble up for sending out abuse and bile.

All in, a depressing few days for Scottish politics on the internet

yesindyref2

Oh do be quiet double-oh-seven. And leave the keys to the Aston Martin with Moneypenny on the way out. David L… I mean double-oh-thirteen will need them to go to Scotland. Leave the satnav in it, he’ll need it.

Big Jock

I think he is still wincing from the backlash to that picture in the SH, after the Indy march.

Realises he lost nearly all the yes readers. We now can’t trust the paper or the writers. No way back from that epic fail.

Ironic he accuses Wings of being a double agent. When his paper picked a picture which sold a lie. Described a peaceful march as angry exchanges!

Who is working for the unionist side Least? Divide and rule David! Not this time you charlatan.

Rock

“Remember that time six months ago when we, um, gave the site over to the National’s editor to write a sales pitch for it?”

The “independence supporting” The National, the younger sister of The Herald and The Sunday Herald, should surely now offer you its front page to counter these libelous comments by David Leask of the Herald Group?

Artyhetty

Wow, that’s just epic. I guess this guy Leask has nothing better to do, keep up the good work Stuart I don’t know how you stay sane. What a disgrace and a scourge on intelligent honest journalism really. You don’t have to look far to see that those trying to report honestly about what’s going on around the world are the ones who are defamed.

It’s quite something when someone in the UK media, spends their time attempting to demonise others who are trying to keep things factual, so that we can all make informed decisions. Shameful.

I saw that twitter exchange with those two guys and yes, it’s threatening towards Stuart.

Disgraceful and no excuses. How would Leask feel if he had that kind of language used about and toward him? Not happy or particularly safe I expect, and those tweets are not even false flag, it’s scarily from real folk!

Confused

The Quality of the Man is shown by the level of Hate he inspires

-Rev, O My Captain!

(what a fucking day-job to have)

yesindyref2

Mmm. … and leave the satnav in it, he’ll need it to find Inchgreen on the Clyde. They can build ships there. Bloody big ones like 3 auxiliaries for the RN. Their south and north slipways in total are 305 meters long each, compared to the 200 odd metres the ships actually need. So there IS room on the Clyde despite his protestations otherwise on April the whatever it was, 18th I think. Smart Alec he ain’t.

G. Campbell

O/T

Scottish Labour’s new communications guy accidentally deleted this article from his website.

Aidan Kerr: Scottish Labour’s tax plans will hurt most Scots and their own campaign
February 2, 2016

No political party has been successful in Scotland by asking the vast bulk of the country to pay more taxes. We may as a nation self-identify as a part of Scandinavia that somehow floated away and became attached to a neo-liberal land mass called Britain but the evidence is missing.

Most Scots don’t want to pay more tax. It’s just a fact of life. Those who have campaigned on doorsteps will tell you that. The fetish of enjoying paying more tax is a minority pursuit.

The Scottish Labour ship was already taking in water before this policy announcement today. Their sworn enemies the SNP have destroyed the party’s electoral base with their aforementioned all-encompassing political machine. Today, its captain has turned the ship to the left and now the party is heading straight for a Tory tax torpedo. Labourites should brace for impact.

Today’s tax plans from Scottish Labour has just validated the Scottish Tories’ entire election campaign message. Now Ruth Davidson can say as a matter of fact that she is the only Unionist party leader not proposing that Scots pay a higher rate of tax than their counterparts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Let’s be frank about Scottish Labour’s position in our politics today. They are pitching to the section of the electorate that is not interested in them while actively turning many middle class unionists – their new core voter base – off them. This is an electoral kamikaze campaign with the sole purpose of just trying to dent the SNP’s progressive facade.

If there was one thing that Scottish Labour – an army already suffering mass casualties – did not need was another front. Today they have opened up this new front voluntarily. God help them, as I’m not sure they can help themselves.

link to web.archive.org

Thepnr

It’s pure jealousy that has Leask raging. Simple as that.

Fillofficer

Well done Rev
One gets the impression that it’s all coming to a head
The AUOB march has knocked them all arse-over-tit, it would seem
If only the UK Gov wasn’t financing the dead tree scrolls via the BBC,
many may have folded by now
Interesting times indeed

Cactus

Just because of persons like David Leask…

Let’s go walkies on ra 2nd.

Scotland knows.

Fuck aye!

thingy

Leask, a man badly in need of a fucking life.

Or maybe just a man badly in need of a doctor.

He’s not the only one, though. The last indy march has given them the heebees and they are lashing out in all directions. As far as I can tell the AUOB movement doesn’t have a head honcho for them to target, so they comfort themselves with SNPbad (and Stubad) nonsense.
God knows what the next one in Dumfries will occasion them to.

To our friend Ms Mugabe, you are everything they are not.

One_Scot

Lol, genuinely think the man is a weirdo.

Highland Wifie

“His fan base is hugely problematic online IMO” says the Angry Man.
Setting aside the fact that this is a personal insult to me and all the other Wings posters and readers, you better believe we are hugely problematic to Leask and his ilk online. Not getting everything his own way any more. Rational thinking beings questioning the media narrative. You bet he’s pissed off.

Why is he so obsessed with Stu? I think we all know the answer to that.

Stravaiger

For someone claiming to be a journalist he’s not done a particularly good job at getting his facts right.

Mind you, that seems par for the course these days.

And they wonder why I’ve not bought a paper for several decades.

Clootie

Is Leask a Unionist!

If I walks like a duck! If it quacks like a duck!…..it is a f….n duck.
Front page after the March Mr. Leask!

Bill McLean

We’re with you Rev – enough of these ignorant and arrogant sods!

Dr Jim

It’s comforting to know we’ve been promoted to an *Ilk* from what we used to be called

Have they stopped calling us the other stuff now?

Charles

..jesus christ, did Leask really just say ‘the much missed Magnus Gardham’.

Brian Doonthetoon

Looking forward to Dumfries on 2nd June.

Busses booked from all over. Let’s show ’em!

“We’ll fight for what is right and the dawning of the day…”

link to youtube.com

Cactus

Ah lost ma sooth side signal…

And now we’re back.

That’s Scotland.

That’s Glasgow.

Cluthabound.

X.

Bill McLean

Everybody keep calm and cool and remind those who don’t read Wings to do the same. This is beginning to look like coordinated action. They want someone to lose the plot and give them something more to attack us with. Calm is good and we will win in the end! We are well on the way. Hope the National restores my faith tomorrow with some sort of support!

Dave McEwan Hill

Rock at 9.47

Why? What has it got to do with the National?

I’m beginning to enjoy these childish and stupid posts.

jfngw

Just been leaked, an excerpt from a journos novel:

All work and no play makes wings a bad boy
All work and no play makes wings a bad boy
All work and no play makes wings a bad boy


galamcennalath

What must really piss him/them off is that he/they can’t do what the The Rev does here on WoS.

Never ever, anywhere, do you find a BritNat taking a WoS article and forensically taking it apart. Never do they quote specific text and show it to be untrue with supporting links to what is true.

They are good at hissing and spitting, but pathetic when it comes to evidence supported arguments.

AndyMcAngry

As one of his twitter pals might say
“ he’s the pricks prick”
Leask is like the rest of them self centred, self promoting and trying desperately to hang onto a by gone age when people thought they were important.
They are now all like the guys in suits that walk about public places wearing hi-vis vests thinking the vest makes them important and everyone else just thinks “prick!!”

HandandShrimp

So is Leask a Yes supporter? I find his position somewhat ambiguous. Is he a dedicated Yes voter who finds Wings too feisty or is he playing the classic concern troll card?

Suzanne

Good grief. Can anyone recall any other editor of any other newspaper going full Twitter-rogue as Leask has? Astonishing. And I quite believe Stu who says this isn’t even the half of it. Hasn’t Leask learned yet that fact checking is the sauce to the Wings site? It gives it flavour and bite. It adds depth to the fare.

I think we’re now supposed to “grateful” that the SH had the guts to stand against the tide of unionist papers in Scotland. Well we were dead chuffed when the SH in its previous incarnation took up the standard and waved it aloft. Now apparently the unionists who have been moaning that they feel “shut out” from the SH since it embraced independence are from now on going to get an equal say.

So, the only newspaper left that espouses the independence cause is The National, because the SH isn’t brave enough to tell its unionist moaners “you have a plethora of other unionist titles to choose from, while the Indys only have the National and the SH so stop yer moaning.”

What these media types can’t stand is that there’s a vibrant and thriving alternative Indyverse up and running, and it’s not controlled by media barons or editors who feel the need to have a meltdown on Twitter when the readership asks why they’re paying good money to be insulted and patronised.

Yes, there is abuse on social media. No, it’s not acceptable. But since the SH is keen to give unionists an equal voice, let’s have an even-handed investigation into the abuse on ALL sides. That includes Mr Leask’s mate who has come up with her own choice barbarisms aimed at Indys. Is he proud of her, I wonder? Is he disgusted by what she has said? … *crickets*

Thepnr

If you make your living from a profession that relys on interacting with the public, ALL the public no matter their political views.

Then it’s probably not a good idea to have a twitter account where your only interaction with half of the public you rely on for your income is to block them from communicating with you because you don’t like what they say.

He should block himself from using twitter, damage limitation.

Artyhetty

Re;Bill McLean @10.11

Wise words Bill, any kind of insults from WoS people commenting will be used as bait, and ammunition. Let’s not give the Britnats any more ammunition than they already have at their disposal.

Keep it peaceful and above board. Tempting to be outwardly and vocally raging, but it gets us nowhere.

ronnie anderson

So Leask isnae keen on defamation , we’re no keen on deification of would be comic reporters

Morgatron

He will never be a journalist as long as I’ve got a hole in my arse.

findlay farquaharson

did u ever take this guys dinner money off him?

jfngw

Meanwhile on twitter someone thanks people for all the goodwill tweets from the trauma of being spattered with blood after having stabbed someone.

Marie Clark

Jeez oh, “they don’t like it up em Capt. Mainwaring”. What an absolute tirade from a so called journalist.

The AUOB March has fairly got them a’ upset hasn’t it. I think that they believed a’ their ain bilge aboot no one
wants indy ref2. Well I’ve got news for them, YES we do, and it’s frightened the hell out them. The sheer numbers that turned up as shaken them to their core.

As for the Wee Ginger Dug not being for independence, away and don’t talk pish man. I heard Paul speak on Saturday night in Castle Douglas, and it was a very passionate and heartfelt speech. An educated , articulate and very amusing man. An they Dug wiz braw an awe.

Roll on Dumfries on the 2nd June, I hope to meet many of you there.

Well done to you Rev, how on earth do you keep you sanity wading through this relentless stream of hogwash.

HandandShrimp

This is all so off the wall I find it difficult to actually process it. The world seems to get that little more unhinged every day in just about every corner of its globey extent.

Big Jock

Sunday Herald saga appearing on Scotland Tonight! Tune in folks let’s see how they spin This!

Big Jock

Ffs we’ve got that Scotland in Yoon guy on Scotland Tonight. The one that can’t pronounce his rrrrs properly.

thingy

Forgot to say, as someone on the previous article said, we are winning, and they know it. 🙂

Richard Hunter

Leaky himself sounds uncannily like Trump in a lot of those outbursts.

Airdrieonian

Tsk. That 20 year-old photo of Tom Gordon on his profile should’ve rung alarm bells about the veracity of the information in it.

Johnny

No, Confused as 10:16pm, everyone is NOT thinking that.

I think that post should come down.

Cactus

Sometimes aye need some time on my own like.

Sometimes aye need sometimes all alone.

Never mind the darkness like…

Fuck you Leask.

Love Scotland.

Axl kens.

Wing.

[…] Wings Over Scotland The Angry Man So it seems our article of earlier today rattled the Herald’s cage but good. […]

Robert J. Sutherland

Whatever the rights and wrongs of it, if you are a professional communicator and challenge people’s views, then block them from making a response, you’re not behaving professionally. More like a coward, in fact.

Some of the stuff that appears btl here is counter-productive Putin-purblind and other kinds of left-field nonsense, IMO, and (intentionally or otherwise) does the indy movement no favours, but not Stu’s articles, which are well-sourced and justifiably popular.

Which is more than we get from the MSM. All we have ever asked of The Herald and its sister papers is to give both sides of the indy debate a fair outing. Something that is sorely lacking. Independence would have thin fare indeed if it were not for WoS and some other weel-kent pro-indy websites.

Instead we get an outright travesty like last Sunday’s absurd misrepresentation of the march. Leask and Co may bluster away as much as they like after the event, but every single person who was did that walk knows the truth.

Time to man (or woman) up, Herald folks, and just admit a mistake instead of digging your own hole ever deeper.

Tam the Bam.

Well done Peter Bell…’ Will you buy the Sunday Herald again Peter?’……NO!…came the reply.Simon Pia an Indy supporter fighting for the Herald.

Andrew Davidson

Denying the chief reporter thing? It’s like a pathological liar stuck in a loop and unable to stop lying about things that are painfully easy to prove are lies. It just went downhill from there.

What a shambles of a paper.

Archbishop of Dork

Has he left any time in his busy tweeting schedule for journalism?

And why am I thinking of the denouement of the courtroom scenes in The Caine Mutiny?

Brian McHugh

What the Unionist media establishment fail to grasp, is that the more they deny the independence movement and a half of all people in Scotland a voice, the stronger the anger we feel and more we will kick back. When you hear them cry that the Yes movement has shot itself in the foot over the Sunday Herald argument, you can be more than sure that the opposite is true.

Cactus

3617 Robert.

Where do we go now…

Back of bitch Leask you.

You are a can’t.

Ra Ally Arms, sooth side.

Come talk with me…

With all the changing seasons and reasons of OUR life.

Mibbies ye’ll get better next time PNV’s.

The quickening is comin’

V good.

17’s talkin’

Scotland.

Scotland.

Scotland.

Feelin’ Whispy like…

Mon ra bears.

X.

MikeR

Simon Pia was a perfect example of the journalist union looking after each others backs on STV. Well done to our own Peter Bell sticking it to him though.

ScottishPsyche

Archbishop of Dork

I’m thinking more of Col. Nathan R. Jessup in the final courtroom scene in ‘A Few Good Men’.

Cactus

And if yer dyslexic like…

Do number 3671..

Same sum.

Be whispy.

Like.

iScotland is gonna be alright.

Robin

I can honestly say that I have never heard of this guy Leask , so I am afraid I will need to give this one a miss.

I just can’t understand why so much time is being wasted on a nobody.

jfngw

Bad news for the Herald/Sunday Herald after today’s twitter fiesta is that most, I suspect, have moved on from being angry to just mocking/pitying them. They will have lost the respect of a lot of readers over the last week that is unlikely ever to return.

It’s never a good look to have your readers laughing at you. On the plus side for them, I believe one of them has received a lot of support. Looks like SiU may have found a new hero.

yesindyref2

God, he really is in meltdown.

Dr Jim

Quick somebody give Simon Pia Angela Haggerty’s phone number so’s she can get him a newspaper job alongside her

BTW “journalists” check everything they write says Simon Pia

As I finished rubbing my chin after it bounced off the coffee table, Oh how I didn’t laugh

Cactus

Crystal balls AND yer eye-balls Scotland…

Ye don’t need to look to see.

This is obvious.

dakk

These highly self esteemed and arcane wordsmiths of the msm don’t half provide you with an endless argosy of good sport Stuart.

The guy Neil Cameron is the unacceptable face of Leaskism,and obviously the lunatic fringe of the Leaskists.

His veiled threats are disgraceful,even by an msm employee’s standards.

Cactus

You only need to breathe like.

Love YOU.

ronnie anderson

Ah kin see Simon Pia up front & centre at the Dumfries March another ( False Yesser/McKenna/Haggerty , we’re no so simple as Simon thinks .

Phronesis

America is lost in a nightmare of its own making, Scotland is not. Scotland is on a journey, it is imagining its future – its citizens are fact finding and marching for, debating and writing about, singing of their dream country-soon to be a reality.

“you cannot urge national political renewal on the basis of descriptions of fact. You have to describe the country in terms of what you passionately hope it will become, as well as in the terms of what you know it to be now. You have to be loyal to a dream country rather than to the one to which you wake up every morning. Unless such loyalty exists, the ideal has no chance of becoming actual.”

Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America by Richard M. Rorty

Tinto Chiel

Wow, just wow!

This guy is hysterical and dangerously obsessed.

Don’t quite know what is stronger: the smell of bullshit or the smell of panic/desperation.

His incoherent gibberish is definitely not the product of a rational, professional journalist.

Cue Twilight Zone music…

Thepnr

@Dr Jim

BTW “journalists” check everything they write says Simon Pia

If the Sunday Herald had checked what the churnalist wrote below the infamous front page picture the “ugly confrontations marred the event” before printing we wouldn’t be talking about it now.

Well done Peter Bell for taking part, not an easy task and takes some guts.

yesindyref2

@Rev
Perhaps you should consider pulling the article out of compassion, or even replacing it with “Article removed out of compassion – please carry on talking about anything you like”.

Maybe a picture of the Titanic all the same. Or one of Inchgreen and a link to a National article:

link to thenational.scot

Andrew Brophy

What an emotional and intellectual debt we owe to Wings Over Scotland.

Consistently brilliant and uplifting.

Chick McGregor

Rev,
Is there actually a plus side to twitter?

Cactus

Foreigner rocked GLASGOW.

Last night like.

Ah know U can show me…

Love being SO way aff topic.

Taps aff.

Summer.

Terry

Wow. They’re seriously rattled. I wonder if all their trolls are getting paid? Any other Yes group attracting trolls since the March? Mr Leask could do with a spot of counselling. Or Valium.

They’re now trying to goad us Yessers. DO NOT RISE TO THE BAIT! They will use anything and everything to provoke a reaction and then blame us. They detest this page too. Why? Cos it skewers their lies and bullshit. Mr leask has just directed more new readers to our page. So let’s welcome them!

Keep calm and Indy on ?????????

Ian McCubbin

One man or woman’s reality shiw is another’s fake reality.

Hiw dare you pose the truth to them Stu.

It just results in lie after lie.
This is a much better read than any fake news tabloid newspaper.

Tam the Bam.

I’m of the opinion Simon Pia has yet again u-turned and was looking for a face-saving way to extricate himself.How convenient for him then that a golden opportunity presents itself in the shape of ‘I’m backing the Herald….stop attacking pro-indy journos(he knows fine they are no such thing).

Expect an announcement..’It is with profound regret that I find I can no longer support the cause for Ind…..blah blah blah.’
Such a loss(not).

Hamish100

Just watched “All the Presidents Men” on the tele.

One telling piece from “Deep THROAT”

How illegal money was moving around various groups to discredit individuals and the democratic party, the false letters and press releases, the lies and deceipt, the use of ex army to inveigle themselves in order to undermine. Criminal activity

Take a step back we have the MSM, the trolls, BBC/ITV/SKY, Carmichael as SoS for Scotland and Mundell as his sidekick with their infamous behaviours, monies moving between unionist groups, bought journalists. Since the police got caught with undercover work with left wing green groups I am sure we can assume the authorities have already done this with SNP and GREEN Party Branches, Yes campaign groups. The agitators to divert efforts down blind allies.
Yip I am sure they have done it all and still are.

geeo

To quote Good Morning Vietnam…

*(to leask)*

“You are in more dire need of a blowjob than any white man in history”.

Hamish100

Pia, Haggarty, McLeish will out themselves as federalists and say vote first re brexit , no indy ref2. They will await the coming of the Brown.

I feel a Vow coming

Liz g

Can’t see what Alex Salmond and RT had to do with the Yes Campaign speaking out about the way our march was reported ?
Well other than never miss the chance to smear!

Archbishop of Dork

Leask is now tweeting that low profile reporters like himself don’t like this kind of attention.

Bob Mack

Doesn’t read your stuff and blocks you on the twitter media, yet criticises you with real venom. On what basis ? Hearsay of rumour?

It takes quite a concrete thinker to exhibit such reactions to someone you actively avoid.

The other thing of course is that you earn considerable takings via a fund raiser ( not all used on yourself),
Whilst he earns less. Jealousy is a powerful incitement to hate, especially if the self proclaimed”professional “feels inferior in the relationship.

I always maintain the old maxim is true “Those whom the God’s wish to destroy they first make mad”.

Cactus

Be the fuck.

Chris Cairns we miss and love you.

Love art.

Leask… yer a wank, you know like.

Et Trevor.

He’s a crazy GTA V fuck like.

What’s yer latest mission Michael?

Valerie

When I see someone with serious “issues” play out the internal workings of their mind, as catalogued here, I feel like a voyeur, who wound up paddling in unwanted sewage.

We must be the only country in the world treated to this type of deranged tirade from someone trying to sell papers.

Can you imagine their meetings?

“Neil, why are you crying”

“Some yessers have had a go on Twitter about that pic on the front page, the one we spent hours cropping”

“Whit!!! Release the kraken. Let him do his worst on those ungrateful cybernats. Who do they think they are, they should love that pic, and thank us for it”

“Look Neil, that’s a plan, we play victim, we call on the SNP to deal with this shite, and next week, you do a 3 page spread on cybernattery, how nasty it is, and how it upsets us. We sit back, and kerching”

“But, what does this have to do with a political party? It’s folk on Twitter not being nice”

“That’s the beauty, we drag them in, spin it like it’s their “supporters”, we always put them somewhere in the picture, we can say it’s Stewart MacMillan’s fault, he tweeted getting a nazi salute from the Britnats”

“Right folks, altogether, a chorus of ‘We’re in the money'”

There you have it, a sales strategy meeting of The Herald, an Indy supporting newspaper.

Bizarre doesn’t even begin to cover what we are witnessing here.

Rev, you have the mental fortitude of Ghandi. I seriously thank you for your work, and feel sorry that this work makes you the target of so many demented weirdos.

K1

Think he is just really really jealous and frightened of the readership and stats…yes the Herald ‘group’ has online readers, so does the Mail but as others have mentioned the hard copies are dropping year or year and with this type of personal investment that Leask is revealing, they must be so angry and frightened for their future. What future do any of them really have now, especially in Scotland’s current political climate?

Not one of them individually as so called journalists could pull the stats that Stu does on Wings, nor could any one of them crowdfund year on year and retain and increase their online readership as he has done also.

The more people like Leask lose the plot and shout down Wings, the more others who have not read Wings ‘fur fear’ of the big bad indy blog will come to check out Wings for themselves…the more they will see and realise the utter nonsense and propaganda that people like Lieask are promoting by these ridiculous assertions and lies…the more the independence vote will increase.

So well done Leask….you should know as a so called journalist there is no such thing as ‘bad’ publicity’…like Trump you are driving people to those very sites that you are threatened by…out of sheer curiosity, people do like to find out for themselves ‘is this true or not’.

Given all the evidence that Stu has just countered atl and by doing so revealing your silly paranoia and quite frankly disturbing outlook about ‘people complaining about lies the Sunday Herald printed on the 6th May’ and your very insulting manner wrt to Wings and its readership, you have no ground left to stand on.

You’ve made an absolute fool of yourself. Try being a ‘reporter’ of what takes place not an opinion maker, you’re crap at that anyway…as no doubt the Rev’s stats will prove soon enough when he posts this past fortnight’s figures…we await your nth meltdown…with bated breath. 🙂

Cactus

Robert Peffers dude.

Cool as fuck like.

Mon the City

Like.

Tis almost midnight.

Cactus

The City knows…

We SO do too.

Glasgow’s.

X.

Mary miles

Hi from Tassie:

Leask is good for a laugh isn’t he!

Does he not realise that the rubbish that is written by the likes of him make determination for Independence all the greater. Wings is not helping the unionists, people like him are helping the pro independence cause all the more!!

Scotland is on the whole a land of INDEPENDENT thinkers who only have to use their own eyes to see the only way for Scotland is being run by SCOTS. All the Anglo Scots should stay down in England where they belong!

We are being drowned over here in Australia with one propaganda program after another on the monarchy! As a matter of principle I do not watch any. I get very sad when I see interviews with people over there making insipid remarks about royal babies and weddings when they should be really frightened as to what is happening around them with the Brexit situation and the very uncertain future for all if Scotland does not break with the union.

The call for Independence if becoming greater because more people are realising that a Scotland choosing it’s own future is the only way!

It looks as if the awful wind rush situation has gone quiet together with the Russian poisoning – probably silenced to some extent by Westminster. Surely to goodness people care that they are having their thoughts controlled by Westminster. Unfortunately for the majority memories are short and people have to keep being reminded of the facts. Like the msm and BBC over there, we get very little news as to what is really happening over there, just what they allow to filter through!

Thank you Stuart for all the work you do. Bilge from the likes of Leask only prove that Wings etc have got the unionists worried. When Independence is achieved I hope it is soon so that all those good people who have supported it for years live to see it.

In admiration for Rev Stuart, Robert Peffers, Nanna, Liz, Tpnr and all the wonderful people who
donate to Wings taking Scotland inch by inch to INDEPENDENCE

WHAS LIKE US!

Cactus

Hey oor Mary frae Tassie.

Scotland is we can…

See ra light.

Night is young, Dalavich, Scotland, next week like Scotland.

Much for sharing.

Liz g

Bob Mack @ 11.47
I think you’ve got it there Bob, he probably won’t ever earn annually what the Rev does.
But he forgets that the Rev was …. head hunted…. “sort of” !! into this role.
Primarily because he was good at what he did
No “journalist skool” could make that guy more than just average, and that’s probably why he is so bitter.
Instead of trying to make his name by hitching himself to the Revs Star, mibbi it would be mair in his line, if he just reflected that at least he disnay have any student debt.
And carry on in his mediocrity !

Thepnr

I’ve reread the article as it’s been updated. Paying more attention this time I’m wondering if Mr Leask ever sleeps? He posts at all times of the day and night.

Anyway what really caught my attention was Tweet #7 from Mr Leask about him being “linked with GCHQ”, what’s that doing in a thread about Wings when it’s nothing to do with Wings?

It was written by someone writing for the random public journal website and has absolutely nothing to do with Wings? This behaviour is very strange, if not bizarre and I’m not surprised to read that “low profile reporters like himself don’t like this kind of attention.”

He has brought this unwanted attention entirely on himself. If you don’t like the heat get out of the kitchen. We’re baking pies, big big pies and it’s very hot in here.

Cubby

Our media in Scotland is a National disgrace. Journalists are just British Nationalist propaganda writers.

Like the trolls that write their dross on this site it is best just to ignore them. We do not need their rags and their propaganda. These so called journalists have over inflated egos. They are nowhere near as good as they think they are. They are just doing their masters bidding. They are all hoping for the call down to London (like Torrance) where they hope to be fed a regular supply of dog biscuits and an occasional pat on the head.

Do not give them your money (only exception the National.)

Cactus

Hey Glasgow, go furrit Glasgow, we’re pure gaun furrit.

Shaheds South Side.

Ask for Ally.

He’s cool.

300,00+

Readers…

Zat’s YOU!

LIKE.

Thepnr

I’m feeling a bit sorry for Mr Leask now, he seems to be taking all this nasty cybernat anger very badly. A wee tune for him, no don’t bother to thank me Mr Leask, you blocked me after one tweet.

You might like this Mr Leask as it’s from Bearsden.

link to youtube.com

jfngw

I don’t expect the journalists to do anything but back each other up, we have to remember they may be criticising someone who they find is recruiting them in the future. Most of them will not be on large salaries and the media business in Scotland is a small circle. So yes I do understand their circling the wagons, self preservation is a strong instinct.

But they need to accept that if the public don’t buy their product it’s not the public that’s at fault. Lose trust, you lose readers, you lose your job anyway.

Az

Just to confirm what others are saying, I’m someone who started reading Wings after seeing it mentioned negatively again and again but during indyref1 campaign. Undoubtedly this process will still be happening.

Cactus

Sittin atta busstop, thurs a police van flashin’ thur lights like.

Leask… yer still an arsehole…

Scotland says…

Ahm a wanderer.

jfngw

@Cactus

But are you:

Going round and round and round and round and round.

Cactus

A big cheers jfngw.

We are.

Soon…

Cactus

Fuck ra Tories..

Time is timeless.

X knows.

Walking HOME

Robert Peffers

@Dr Jim says: 14 May, 2018 at 11:10 pm:

” … BTW “journalists” check everything they write says Simon Pia.”

I wouldn’t know how it came over in the viewing as I don’t watch live TV but isn’t Simon Pia correct and Journalists do check everything the write?

This highlights two points.

The first point is, do they check everything those the criticise have written?

The second point being, that if they have checked what they have written themselves, why do the papers employ sub-editors?

In other words what this numptie wrote was not only what he intended to write but was checked and passed by a sub-editor and thus reflects the views of the paper.

sassenach

What a heap of nonsense that Pia cove spouted on STV Scotland Tonight – basically “You have to love all us Scottish journalists”.

Garbage!

Thank goodness for Peter Bell.

Cactus

Spicey chick pea channa rocks.

We know like.

March.

Karmanaut

“The Herald is publishing information that isn’t true.”

“Wrong! You’re the one one making mistakes. Look. See! This thing here… You’re claiming that this person works for us – that isn’t true!”

“That’s published on your website.”

“Well… We might have published it, but its actually false! And you’ve told everyone it was true. Therefore it proves you can’t be trusted and people shouldn’t listen to you when you say we publish false information.”

This wouldn’t be half as funny if some folk at the Herald didn’t take themselves so seriously.

Cactus

Scotland comes first.

1st and always.

Always & first.

Ahn ahm waiting furra bus…

Southbound like.

Thepnr

Yes we journalists do check everything we write to make sure we have actually portrayed the Independence movement in a negative light. We check and double check and everything we wrote we meant.

Doesn’t matter if “ugly confrontations that marred the event” as printed under an inflamatory picture on the front page is an absolute LIE because what counts is what we say. Do you get it? WE are the journalists and the rest of you rabble rousers can shut yer cakehole.

Not quite working out for the journalists as they expected is it? Torrance seems to have got out just in time, who’s next?

Cactus

Keep yer eyes on the road an yer hauns upon ra wheel..!

Ye gotta roll baby roll…

Its magic! 😉

It’s 17.

Thepnr

@Cactus

A wise sage once said when your ahead get yersel a taxi LOL

Robert Peffers

There is only one conclusion that stands out as true even if it is not ever hinted at by the Westminster Establishment and their paid for propagandists. That conclusion is that they are very badly rattled by the way things are panning out on more than one front.

Whether they like it or not this BR UKEXIT fiasco and the highly likely resultant indyref2 that it will engender are, like a Gordian Knot, so intertwined that it will be impossible to unravel and there is no way for Westminster to untangle it.

Like the original Gordian Knot it will require some lateral thinking to undo but the only lateral solution, as far as one of the only two partners in the union is concerned, is exactly the same as the solution to the Gordian Knot.

Cut the bloody thing apart as it cannot otherwise be undone. The Westminster Establishment will not, or cannot, willingly accept that solution.

It is, though, going to happen whether they agree to it or K not.

Cactus

Ahm always ahead of ra head thepnr…

It’s Tuesday.

iScotland knows.

Cheers for yours…

HOME soon.

Cactus

Good morning Robert Peffers…

Ahm heading for the V.

GTA style.

3671.

yesindyref2

@Thepnr
I’m feeling sorry for him too, complete meltdown. Must be that us “ilk” have soft hearts.

But contrary to what I posted earlier, Rev does have to cover it, as the guy blocked him on Twitter, and then attacks him on a medium he has no access to. There’s a traditional “right of reply” which Leask has totally failed to respect.

Cactus

Gets to that point inda night where U just don’t give a fuck like…

Aye ain’t angry, never, only ever passionate like.

Love Scotland.

Macart

Title makes grievous error. Gets called on it by an upset readership. Journos circle wagons and wind up compounding error. Hole digging 101. When you’re in one, it’s probably best to stop digging.

Cactus

Now is ra time..

2:17 like.

Soon.

Cactus

One is HOME.

HOME is one like.

Night.

Morning.

Fuck thy Tories like.

Put a needle on the record…

awizgonny

I suspect that Leask’s ploy has been to embroil the Rev in this argument to deflect attention away from Haggerty’s outing of Mhairi Black’s partner and her subsequent ham-fisted attempts to defend it. Don’t fall for it, Rev.

Les Roches

Great reply Rev, succinct and to the point.

Looks like he might be another great future appointment to the UK Gov’s scottish coms team if ever they to beef it up and add quality……OK, the last part was far fetched.

Breeks

OT

Can you imagine if our march through Glasgow had left 50 of us dead, some of the dead children, and hundreds of us hospitalised with gunshot wounds?

When Israelis sing like chickens they win Eurovision. When they act like chickens, it’s the Palestinians who pay the price with their lives.

I was never really comfortable with the concept of poor dumb animals. Then along came Donald Trump, Arsehole in Chief, and the epitome of the poorest, dumbest, animal ever to walk the planet.

Congratulations Mr President. You’ve made America grate again.

Bugger (the Panda)

David Leask is a man obsessed with digging his own grave that he isn’t going to stop until he teaches Australia

Bugger (the Panda)

Teaches= reaches

gus1940

Although he now says he supports Independence Simon Pia is as poisonous as ever.

scottieDog

The media are also doing a fine job distracting us from brexit. I don’t have a licence but does anyone know if corbyn was grilled by the Scottish media on his hard brexit stance?

Luigi

Keep up the good work, Rev.

You are obviously doing something right.

That is one seriously rattled newspaper, and one obsessive, foaming “chief reporter” that appears to have serious issues. He has lost the plot completely and is making a complete fool of himself.

They have been found out big time, and the pain of being impaled on their own stake of lies and deceipt must be excruciating. My heart bleeds. 🙂

heraldnomore

Hey Leasky, why don’t you pop along to the Ballgreen Hall in Strathaven tonight, and hear the Wee Ginger Dug talking down Scotland’s road to Indy. I’m sure Paul will let you clap the dug afterwards. 8.30. Be there.

Dorothy Devine

ScottieDog, the Scottish media would never be so bold as to intrude on the drivelings of the Labour Party the Tory Party or the Liberal Party – the Scottish National Party on the other hand get all the rap of the day heaped upon them.

See that Leask , is he having a Twitter nervous breakdown for all to see or what?

And who is that crony of his that threatens our Stu?

Does anyone think that Newsquest might notice the poor performance of the Herald group in Scotland ? Cut its losses and those of its shareholders?

Nana

Links

link to snp.org

Time for SNP to be more Radical.
link to barrheadboy.com

link to peterabell.blog

Scotland means business. FM @NicolaSturgeon addresses the City’s business leaders
Wee video here
link to twitter.com

Nana

link to scottishhousingnews.com

link to craigmurray.org.uk

Warning, upsetting
link to onekind.scot

Campaigners call for UK to act on rights as Turkish president arrives
link to archive.is

Ken500

People only access Herald on line to see what shocking lies are on it. It is actually shocking the nonsense that is ‘reported’. Two minutes on line can usually find the true stats. Yet these ‘reporters’ cannot research it? Comes down to complete and utter lies being ‘reported’. Then they wonder why people get annoyed and angry that they collude with a corrupt system.

People are being sanctioned and starved yet £Billions are spent inTrident and dumped on Scotland. People in Scotland have been lied to and cheated for years but this is just ignored. The real facts are just kept hidden by a corrupt Westminster system where Scotland’s resources and rights are mismanaged and misappropriated. No wonder people are annoyed and angry. To see events so misreported. Royals getting £Millions for a wedding while vulnerable people are starved. When the Scottish Gov try to make improvements they are constantly criticised. Maliciously. The Press should hang their head in shame. Colluding in a system from which they try to gain. The right wing non Dom tax evaders. Most of them should be in jail. More corrupt Murdoch revelations.

Nana

Brexit: ‘Little progress’ in talks since March, says Barnier
link to archive.is

link to politico.eu

link to rte.ie

In this week’s episode of The Limehouse Podcast, William Porteous talks to anti-Brexit activist Madeleina Kay, also known as EU Super Girl about… Brexit. A really super interview!
link to vip.politicsmeanspolitics.com

Nana

link to politicshome.com

EXCLUSIVE: The Health and Safety Executive inspected prisons at the end of 2017 in response to assaults on prison officers continuing to increase.
link to byline.com

Excellent thread
link to twitter.com

Speech by Michel Barnier at the EU Institute for Security Studies conference
link to europa.eu

Bill

When The Sunday Herald implied it was pro-indy I laughed and chortled so hard it cleared my nasal passages. When The National was created as a pro-indy paper I nearly wet myself.

Then to my utter disbelief everyone swallowed it, aye that’s right, you lot.

Common Weal, RIC, et al, one after another luvvies came out from under rocks to serve us what we wanted to hear on behalf of the Brits.

Please, for the love of Christ, can you all stop buying that shit, block Haggerty, Leask and every other piece of crap that purports to support an independent Scotland.

You lost in 2014 by a Daily Record rolled up and smacked over yer noses. Next time we could lose due to the shite you brought home and the crap you read.

Stop it now!

Macart

Mornin’ Nana

Here’s one to go with your first link.

link to archive.is

Another of those ‘who knew?’ moments.

Bill

Are we at the “then they attack you” stage?

starlaw

Watched STV prog. last night and well done Peter Bell, the Photo in the Sunday Mail was not a random choice it was a cropped image, deliberately made, created to show the supremacy of our Imperial masters. Attempts by Mr Pia to justify and play its significance down were lamentable.

Gotdon

SCHOOLED!

Nana

Good morning Macart. Ta, I’ve an appointment to get to so a bit rushed. Think I posted a couple more on re the latest developments or rather ‘lack of developments’ re Brexit. Mhairi Black is right, TM couldn’t deliver a pizza, lol

Norway-Style Brexit ‘Dead’ As Corbyn Attacks EEA Plan Flaws
link to archive.is

MPs are frantically deleting casework emails after being mistakenly advised that new regulations mean they have to clear the data that they hold on constituents.
link to archive.is

link to politico.com

Dorothy Devine

Regarding Israel and Palestine , it seems that peace in that region depends on Israel getting everything it wants , including bits of Syria and the Palestinians and Syrians getting nothing ,including that which is theirs.

Absolutely shocking.

Donald Bruce

Poor Mr Leask. Got himself in a real stressed out situation.. He has made a real mess of the propaganda he was supposed to be feeding into the media. His cover is blown, his job probably at risk.. He will never make any progress up the ladder of M5.

Clootie

Mmm…Leask may have unwittingly given too much information with his GCHQ post…did guilt lead to this error…does he have some dark secret…If only we had journalists in Scotland to follow it up.

Ken500

The Herald site is now a bit like many others. People actually access the site to see how badly it is doing. Groundhog Day. Down the tubes, The Press in meltdown. The internet is now the place where facts can be checked. Unfortunately for the ‘Press’.

Socrates MacSporran

I do not know David Leask, I have never knowingly met the guy or been in his company – we may both have been on the Editorial floor at the Herald during one of my very-infrequent visits there – but, he doesn’t half come across as a Fud over all of this.

David – stop digging, you are only making things worse for yourself.

To try to split hairs over who works for the Herald, the Sunday Herald or whatever, that’s pathetic. Online – there is only one Herald, while it is fairly common practice at the top of Renfield Street, for some writers to have their copy used in both titles. Until the generally incompetent (in my opinion) digital staff make it clear, which writer is writing for which title, the public could misidentify the title the writer is writing for.

TC

Absolutely brilliant piece Stu, You’ve really got him rattled, I can actually see the cracks appear as he has a mental breakdown. Its like a scene from The shinning, “here’s Johnny” maybe it should be “Here’s Davie” 🙂

Craig P

Magnus Gardham, I’d forgotten about him. I’d got the impression he worked for the government long before he actually left Newsquest.

As for Leask’s assertion that Wings and the Dug don’t support indy but common space are alright, unfortunately for him the rest of us can access these sites too and form our own opinion. (Though having just looked at Common Space, it has got better than it used to be.)

Cactus

Ahhhhh ha ha ha ha ha…

Davie Mundell on 95.8FM there.

“So called 7 years devolution transition settlement”

“Test it to destruction”

Yer the absolute fanny of the morning, ssson.

Morning.

Calum McKay

I stopped reading the herald for specially three reasons:

1. Pretending to be all things to all men, but when when it came to the crunch it sides with the union. That union being run by right wing tories seeking to decapitate the Scottish Parliament.

2. For reasons beyond me, it resorts at time, to misrepresentation, misinformation and down right lies when there it would be easier to state the facts and mot leave it’s self open to accusations of lying and fabrication.

3. When ever I have seen or heard a held representative on tv or radio I am left in no doubt as to their support for unionism and distain for independence. The recent march in Glasgow being describe as as a problem rather than triumph. Eeh?

I know where the mail, express and telegraph stand, they make no pretence about it. Whereas the herald misrepresents its stance in the belief it will gain a wider readership. This won”t work people who used to read the herald see straight through it, it”s dishonest.

James Brown

I know it’s stating the bloody obvious but.
There is no Scottish mainstream media. There is only British mainstream media in Scotland.
Yes I know the National is pro independence but it does come from the same stable as the Herald so I’m still unconvinced that it’s anymore than a marketing ploy.
A Scottish mainstream media can only exist in an independent Scotland. When that happens will Leask et al emigrate?

Robert Peffers

@Cactus says: 15 May, 2018 at 1:37 am

Good morning Robert Peffers…
Ahm heading for the V.
GTA style.
3671.”

Yeah! Cactus, after you get home and go to bed I offer you this little reminder of the truth being shown in GTA V by Rockstar for your morning viewing.

This is the real thing – Los Santos Skid Row. It is shocking that the game is to very true to life. It is what the Westminster Establishment is turning the United Kingdom into. This is where BR UKEXIT is headed if Scottish independence doesn’t make itself felt on NO voters.

link to youtube.com

The game doesn’t exaggerate one little bit.

Ghillie

Breeks and Dorothy Devine, the massacre of 55 Palestinians and the injuring of well over 1000, including children, is a dark day indeed.

Tinto Chiel

Thanks for the links, Nana.

Unalert readers might have presumed the horrible “stink pit” clip @7.49 was about the Scottish MSM.

Big question for Mr Leask is, will he finally switch off his JCB and manage to climb out of the massive crater he’s dug for himself?

Should be interesting to see who gives him hauners today in the Tweetosphere.

Calgacus MacAndrews

It used to be said that ‘when the spin doctor becomes the story’ they are finished.

Given that the bulk of MSM political ‘journalists’ in Scotland are paid to act as UK Establishment spin doctors, the fact that so many of them have become ‘the story’ recently (mostly of their own doing) reflects the bind they are in.

With support for Scottish independence at unprecedented levels in the real world, their paymasters are demanding the production of bigger and bigger SNPbaaaaad squirrels, and, in a Scotland where we have alternative media, a slow motion car crash like the Sunday Herald is experiencing at the moment is hard to avoid.

Once these ‘journalists’ become the story themselves, their ongoing usefulness to their MSM masters diminishes, and it’s coat-on-shoogly-peg time amid the general cutbacks at Old Media outlets.

Marcia

The press no longer have the one way street power they once possessed and resent it when their output is examined and found wanting.

Ghillie

As for Mr Leask, I fear that you, Rev Stu, have made him very very jealous. Not by design but simply by being a formidable investigative journalist.

As awizgonny @ 3.33 am wondered, so do I.

Is Mr Leask trying to deflect attention from Ms Angela Haggerty’s nasty outing of Mhairi Black’s partner?

How very dare she!? Surely that is beyond cruel.

I hope and pray that Mhairi’s dear partner can cope now that the worst has happened, albeit in the most despicable way.

Luigi

Marcia says:

15 May, 2018 at 9:21 am

The press no longer have the one way street power they once possessed and resent it when their output is examined and found wanting.

Well. Maybe instead of greetin about it they should up their game.

Try and become the real professional journalists that they profess to be. 🙂

Ghillie

John Mackay’s programme trying to look at the desperate state the Sunday Herald has now dropped itself into was interesting.

(Saw it at Mum and Dad’s, me not having live TV at home anymore for obvious reasons)

Peter Bell came across well.

He was measured and fair, while clearly simmering with alot more to say, but interestingly left unsaid because it really didn’t need saying.

That picture painted a thousand words.

And The Sunday Herald sent their message out loud and clear!

Simon Pia came across as screechy and empty.

John Mackay, thank you for giving Peter Bell the last word.

Dave McEwan Hill

James Brown at 9.30

All newspapers are “marketing ploys”. That is how it works. If they don’t sell they fold. Do you actually read the excellent,100% independence supporting and getting better National or are you just another infiltrator like “Bill” (or is it “dick”) at 7.52.
There’s getting to be quite team of you. We’ll call you “Rock’s Jocks.”

Jim McIntosh

@Dr Jim says: 14 May, 2018 at 11:10 pm:
“…. BTW “journalists” check everything they write says Simon Pia.”

More proof if needed that the SH front page was a conscious decision to antagonise Indy supporting readers.

Proud Cybernat

“And if you ever think we’ve defamed you, you know our lawyer’s number.”

And that, quite literally, is the bottom line.

Well Mr Leask?

paul gerard mccormack

i’ve read through this Leask character tweeter malarkey twice now. Strikes me as pretty classic tactical stuff:

1. come over all buffton-tuffton-like giving it pseudo-legalese so as to puff up your sense of self-importance.

2. This is also a statement about his class, so that it is clear the minions understand that he is above us.

3. talk about the opposition in a way that rubbishes it, doesn’t call it by its proper name thingy so that it is clear it is beneath your station in life to actually engage with suchlike as you are really too much an important and very busy person to actually talk about this

4. He strikes me as falling foul of that Orson Welles syndrome in Citizen Kane. (There’s none so blind as them that can see…

5. his last twittery sums his deluded position up (sorry if this is a bit of a repeat of point number one) – the resort to pseudo-legalese. Who ever comes away with patter like – ‘misrepresentation (6 syllables!) and false allegations of professional conduct’ – false – thats only ever legal – allegations – now that is into the completely rubbishy territory of ‘refuting’ and ‘redoubling of efforts’ what ‘profession is that? they’re only )*&^)&)&^ hacks FFS no more than (can’t remember the slimeball’s name – tory who ended up in jail – cain and abel)

Anyway, loved the rev’s response – you know our lawyer’s number, or in other words – ‘come ahead McQuillan, yer tea’s oot!’

jfngw

I see that the great copy for hire journalist McKenna (claims to support independence but some of his pieces are not so convincing) has waded in with a ‘You haven’t got a clue what’s happening here’ put down, I think he believes he is Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men (‘You can’t handle the truth’).

I wonder how many more journalists have put their name down to help dig the hole, where”s Bernard Cribbins when you need him.

Greannach

Yippeeee!!!!!

I used to be a cybernat but now I’m an ilk!

Liz g

awizgonnay @ 3.33 & Ghillie @ 9.28
You may by right, and he is escalating his behaviour to distract from that nasty outing of Mhairi’s partner !

But the Rev was sayin that this obsession has been going on for a while.
Which made me think that, mibbi he wants to be known as the nemesis of Wings, the go to guy to be putting the other point of view.

If he can pull that off , he can then ride the Revs coat tails to a position, like that Curtis the poll guy did with britsplanning the polls!
Potentially creating a yin & yang double act,that you wouldn’t get one without the other (I know but the MSM does this)

They all know how important Wings will be during Indy ref 2, I mean let’s face it (and no harm to Peter A Bell who did really good last night) but it really should have been the Rev who had the right of reply last night.
He was more “all up in the argument “ than any other Media because of the Twitter thing.

Either that or he really is having some kind of break?

jfngw

@Liz g

I think the ambition is bigger than just Wings, discrediting the whole Yes movement looks to be the aim and some are trying to get up a head of steam. They know the arguments used last time won’t wash so it’s time to play the independence faction are despicable.

Yes supporters need to be careful and not be goaded into making rash attacks, they will be jumped upon. As long as we are only rebutting their accusations then we are probably safe, but even then a bit of creative editing can still distort an exchange.

ScottishPsyche

This protectionism and closing of ranks by the MSM now is really illuminating. The whole ‘well if you call yourself a media commentator, you would know…’

It indicates that you have to be in their little group of ‘in the know’ people to be privy to the different hats they wear each day. The triumph and glee in making this pathetic point really shows where their priorities lie. Of course, the Rev is financially independent of them and doesn’t need their succour to exist, hence the rage at the lack of control they have over what he says.

On another note, catching up with Peter Bell who did so well last night, calm and stuck to the point with just the right amount of dig about Leask’s Trumpism obsession. Imagine if we were allowed that type of rebuttal every night?

jfngw

It’s been a good few days for it being revealed to the ordinary people the attitude of our media ‘giants’, you are there to swallow whatever crap they throw at you and not answer back. They actually look down on you as ignorant plebs. Whereas I now just see them as The Frogs Chorus.

orri

Love the way Haggerty is desperately trying to make it about LBGT when it’s about privacy. Her victim wasn’t, as far as I know, outed as being gay. That’s a total irrelevancy. She was outed as in a relationship with an MP. Subsequently leaving Twitter. The effect that’ll have on her work for a breast cancer charity might be major if her role is fund raising.

Big Jock

The more I watch this Brexit sham, the more I am convinced that the Tories are just letting time drift by. It’s like a partner who’s asked for a divorce, but is too lazy to actually leave the house. They are waiting on someone doing it for them.

It’s why I think the EU will just have to push the UK out. They will work out it’s the only way to move on.

There is no plan other than wanting to hold onto Scotland and amalgamate the UK into one country. The continuity bill will bring matters to a head in Scotland. I suspect that outcome will be the catalyst for the indi-ref 2 date to be named.

Baldeagle58

As I missed the programme with Peter Bell doing such a good job last night, can some bright young (or old!) tech type possibly supply a link for it?

Ta 🙂

thingy

A wee useless/useful nugget of info about GTA V – it is now the highest grossing entertainment product of all time. Rockstar North of Edinburgh, we salute you.

David

The irony of reading the twitter exchanges between Leask and Whoughtland on the Wings web site.

Thoughtland blocked me but I genuinely don’t know. I thought I was asking sensible questions.

Wings blocked me becasue I once called him a twat (very bad misdemanour, obviously).

Leask has never blocked me but probably becasue I have been ignoring him. I expect he has a sectret wish that twitter would allow you to block folks who ignore you.

Fred

“No man but a blockhead ever wrote but for money!”

Samuel Johnson.

Not that different from a prostitute really!

Dan Huil

Thank god for the Rev, WOS and Scotland’s pro-indy websites. Leask and his clubby classmates are history. Boycott all britnat media.

Patsy Millar

What a wonderful day finding out I’m an ilk. I’m so proud. Love your demolition of the Leask tweets.

Liz g

OT
Anyone know the time of the LCM debate in Holyrood today?
Thanks in advance…..

Robert Louis

Tired of all this now. It is abundantly clear what the Herald and Sunday Herald are about now. Just do not buy them. Buy the national instead. or iScot. Or both.

Anyway, this nonsense from a supposedly senior ‘journalist’ is nothing short of childish. It really is.

A so-called senior journalist just will not get taken seriously when behaving in that way. Frankly infantile.

A better man would rise above all this, and start talking to people in the indy movement, like an adult, instead of just denouncing those who do not see the whole world as he sees it.

As Harold Macmillan reportedly said, ‘jaw jaw is better than war war’.

Twitter, man. Oh boy. A waste of good bandwidth.

Vestas

@ Liz g :

Debate starts 2pm, vote at 5pm (ish).

inkypic

the lady doth protest too much methinks…..and slightly creepy to have someone stalk so much

wull2

Every time they tell untruths on their font page for everyone to see, it advertises to the public to pass it by, this rag prints fibs.

Even if its just your parents/grandparents tell them to vote YES this time.

jfngw

As the UK government makes its intention to dismantle the devolution settlement clear, a chief reporter at the Herald busies himself by apparently spending most of the time complaining that he has been insulted. Hence demonstrating that a journalists ego is more important than Scotland’s future.

Looking forward to a new subject, I think I’ve had my fill of journalists and their egos.

Joe of the Coutts

Think it was Chirchill. said, ‘jaw jaw is better than war war’.

schrodingers cat

jfngw says:

Looking forward to a new subject, I think I’ve had my fill of journalists and their egos.
============

agreed, today they are the news, i intend to make an effort to ignore them so completely that tomorrow they will be history

Dr Jim

What’s bordering on mental though is that STV news was roped in to investigate the meaning behind a section of society choosing not to read a newspaper anymore (Sunday Herald)

Who ever heard of such a thing as being news in the first place that people had to be asked about their newspaper preferences and why they might choose not to read a particular one
They never asked about the Daily Mail or the Express or the Telegraph or any of the others which tells me how desperate the Sunday Herald must be to drag in the Telly media to help them out

Are STV news now going to ask NO voters why they don’t read the National for maybe a wee bit of balance perchance

I guess I’ll probably expire haudin ma breath long before that happens

And they do it all with a straight face

jfngw

I see the BBC London correspondent for Scotland has given us her words of wisdom.

The power grab doesn’t matter, the people don’t care (perhaps because they have not been properly told)

Nicola Sturgeon is a trouble maker who likes nothing more than a fight with Westminster (straight from the Tory phrase book this one).

The UK parliament can do want it wants, it’s done it before, no big deal.

schrodingers cat

i never followed leadky on twitter cos i thought his profile pic made him look weird 🙂

jfngw

As the price of Brent crude pushes towards $80 a barrel, BBC Scotland reminds use of that classic from The Tremeloes, Silence Is Golden.

Whereas when it was below $30 a barrel their preferred song was Shout It From The Rooftops.

Heather

Absolutely brilliant. Thanks for the laugh.

skozra

The Rev FTW ! Brilliant stuff yet again 🙂

Macart

‘Constitutional crisis’. Who knew?

link to archive.is

Apparently the press are playing catch up. (shrugs)

Dr Jim

I demand an investigation as to why Muslims don’t read the Daily Mail

C’mon STV do a program on that

Irish journalists made a report on Scotlands media both print and TV and concluded that the standard of journalism in Scotland was a disgrace to any country and went on to say they couldn’t understand a media that denigrated its own country

In other big national news worrying the population of R-nation *man isn’t going to his daughters wedding* I for one will be having a sleepless night over that, nail biting stuff eh

It’s no wonder Britains media is rated at 42 in the world
and they have the outright cheek to criticise other countries (it’ll be the foreign accents that make them dodgy)

RichieBhoy

I call that’having one’s arse felt’!

robertknight

Political journos don’t like it up ’em when someone calls them out for what they are – having a title and a salary fools them into thinking they’ve got a proper job to go with their proper qualifications and god forbid those who should challenge their ‘professional’ standing.

In reality, the MSM in Scotland are merely the ‘useful idiots’ of the British Establishment. Always have been – always will be.

jfngw

@Dr Jim

It’s easy if you don’t believe Scotland is really a country but just a region of England. Just take the latest report from the BBC as an example, the Scottish parliament is effectively irrelevant in their eyes.

Lenny Hartley

Dr Jim, think its more newsworthy that the Groons faither has not been invited 🙂

Tam the Bam.

O/T

BRENT CRUDE : $79.06 per barrel.

Confused

– just in time for the next AUOB march

link to bbc.co.uk

– and (rumour) Police Scotland are outsourcing crowd control to the IDF whose briefing papers refer to the saltire as “celtic swastikas”

– watched “28 weeks later” the other night – now comes across as an elitist fantasy about what to do with “zombies” (the general public)

Meg merrilees

jfngw

the worst ones for treating us like a region of outer england are our ‘fellow’ scots reporters..

you only have to read Sarah Smith’s bbc website article about the upcoming debate at Holyrood to be told that the people of Scotland are really not bothered about the uK gov forcing Brexit on us and taking away our decision making powers.

‘The Scottish gov insist this is a really important moment but has it cut through to the public…” well of course not, you numpty, if no-one in the scottish media is reporting it them how do you expect the average person to know about it?

“…But this prime minister has ignored the will of the Scottish Parliament before. This time last year it voted in favour of a second indyref and the PM said no. There was no noticeable uprising of popular outrage then. And there is unlikely to be so now…”

link to bbc.co.uk

Reading the article leaves a dirty taste in the mouth – she’s trying to be impartial , ha ha . but is really taking the uK give side. Shame on you Sarah.

Fred

Good letter in the National from Sam Grodynski anent that Sunday Herald front page. Must be quite frosty in the lavvies!

Robert Louis

Dr Jim at 1248

Quote “Irish journalists made a report on Scotlands media both print and TV and concluded that the standard of journalism in Scotland was a disgrace to any country and went on to say they couldn’t understand a media that denigrated its own country” My bolding.

And that is the point isn’t it. It is what deep down really, really irks people in Scotland, that no matter what happens, good or bad, it MUST NEVER be presented in the Scottish media as good. Why? simple, the last thing they want is an SNP Government looking good. Our great new bridge is baaaad, baby boxes are baaad, rising oil price is baaad (or ignored), falling oil price is baaad, scotland’s railways are baaad and so on.

As a consequence, the Scottish Government could find enough gold for every man woman and child in Scotland to become a millionaire overnight, and the Scottish media would still present it as truly awful news, with devastating consequences, and how it proves that the SNP are just frankly appalling, ‘sturgeon should resign’ etc.. etc..etc…

The overall message from Scotland’s media is simply this; ‘Scotland is sh*te, England (especially London) is lovely, and don’t you ever, ever forget it, oh and why can you jocks not just be more ‘british’ like the rest of us.

It is a colonial, inferior mindset, hardwired in the ‘Scottish’ media.

TheItalianJob

What an absolute fool this Leask is.

So called journalist and having a set to with Stu and other pro-Indy sites and individuals.

Get on with your day job if you have one or are you paid just to counter the Indy movement on social internet sites.

I suspect the latter as being part of the establishment campaign against Indy.

We have them worried.

HandandShrimp

Pop eats itself? 🙂

TheItalianJob

@Meg merilees at 1.13pm

Yes just read the article. Sarah Smith another paid Establishment stooge.

Here’s an extract from the article.

“How much does it matter if the Scottish Parliament votes to reject the EU Withdrawal bill?
The Scottish government insists this is a highly significant moment, as it will be the first time the Holyrood parliament has ever refused consent to a piece of Westminster legislation that encroaches on policy areas devolved to Scotland.
It will certainly be a constitutional first – but one that’s pretty easily overcome by Westminster. The UK government have the authority to simply impose the Brexit legislation on Scotland. Even if that is politically problematic.”

Oh sure and the Scottish people are going to sit back and accept this.

TheItalianJob

I should have ended my last post with the sentence.

“I don’t think so.”

Davie Oga

1:25pm

It is a colonial, inferior mindset, hardwired in the ‘Scottish’ media.

It’s a colonial, inferior mindset, hardwired into Scotland.
The likes of Leask will have their treachery and mendacity recorded in posterius thanks to the internet. The folk that are steppin up. Dem go fly.

Baron Snooty of Darling

I want to know what Denise van Outen thinks about it all. Nay, I DEMAND to know.

Robert Peffers

@thingy says: 15 May, 2018 at 11:05 am:

“A wee useless/useful nugget of info about GTA V – it is now the highest grossing entertainment product of all time. Rockstar North of Edinburgh, we salute you.”

Actually I believe the GTA genre of games started out with “Acme”, in Dundee and that became DMA Design. Then DMA Design was bought out by Rockstar North.

And here I quote from Rockstar North’s own website:-

Rockstar North Limited (formerly DMA Design Limited) is a British video game developer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company was founded as Acme Software, in Dundee in 1984, by classmates David Jones, Russell Kay, Steve Hammond, and Mike Dailly, and was renamed DMA Design in 1987.

This is where being an old guy with a very good memory comes in useful.