The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


The reddest flag in history

Posted on January 30, 2024 by

Nicola Sturgeon is due to give her evidence to the COVID inquiry tomorrow – if, of course, she remembers anything. We’re awaiting, open-mouthed in genuine shock, her explanation for this.

Because try as hard as we might, we cannot for the lives of us bring to mind a single possible legitimate justification for a First Minister to do such a thing.

Alert readers may however note that 19 March 2020 was just four days before Alex Salmond was cleared of all charges, and might find themselves pondering the reasons why she might want to be in possession of a cheap disposable text-capable phone at that particular point in time.

0 to “The reddest flag in history”

  1. Morgatron says:

    I can smell the reindeer dung from here.

    Reply
  2. sarah says:

    Of course I hope it will be raised but will the Covid enquiry really ask about this phone? It might have been kept just for chat about the criminal court case [“criminal” in both senses].

    Reply
  3. Where's Murphy says:

    She can’t even buy a proper burner phone. Everyone knows it’s to be a flip phone, an Alcatel 2057 for example. Your flip burner is easy to break in half when the feds are onto you. You snap it in two and chuck it in a public bin outside a train station and that’s you in the clear. This is basic stuff.

    Reply
  4. John says:

    Well, let’s let her give “evidence” and judge from there.

    Reply
  5. Iain Gray says:

    Was it one of the tiny ones beloved of prisoners because they fit neatly up the arse?

    Reply
  6. holymacmoses says:

    This could start to be real fun

    Reply
  7. KITTYBEE says:

    She wont give any evidence though will she- she has form. She wont recall, she will have to check… ad nauseum.

    Reply
  8. Den says:

    The answer is a simple one.. she is corrupt and the head of one of the biggest organised crime groups ever. They need jailed.

    Reply
  9. 1971Thistle says:

    They put them on expenses? FFS

    Reply
  10. 1971Thistle says:

    They put them on expenses? FFS – that’s industrial-grade stup

    Reply
  11. Tommo says:

    I hope the Editor is right and some justice is reached but the problem is that this is an ‘inquiry’ not a trial; the KC is very gentle in his (cross ?) examination – though clearly very thorough
    Everyone I know wants a verdict but I think this will merely prove a rehearsal for the actors in the event that criminal- or indeed civil- proceedings are brought

    Reply
  12. Astonished says:

    People are about to start protecting themselves. By throwing others under a bus. I wonder who’ll squeal first ?

    I wouldn’t want to be involved in any way with the plot.

    I do hope the media, the police, the legal profession and the politicians are getting very worried.

    It will make ‘Watergate’ look straightforward.

    Looking forward to the public awakening, the ruining of careers, the court cases and, hopefully, the movie.

    Reply
  13. David Hannah says:

    She’s been texting the alphabetties and her friend Lady Dorian.

    And she would have gotten away with her conspiracy…

    We’re it not for that meddling jury.

    Send her to Cornton Vale. Lady Covid minus – 19 approval rating.

    Justice for Alex Salmond. Read the whatsapp messages out David Davis
    Neale Hanvey. MakAskill. Set the truth free brothers and sisters. Name the perjurers in Westminster.

    Reply
  14. David Hannah says:

    If only wings over Scotland hadn’t discovered details of your secret criminal burner phone that criminals use.

    I hope you have a sleepless night Nicola. No rest. For the wicked

    Reply
  15. Kcor says:

    Explanation?

    Obviously she will not recall.

    Reply
  16. David Hannah says:

    If I could Hazard a guess.

    It was someone very leaky in your praetorian guard that bought that criminal secret burner phone on expenses.

    To take you out when the time came Nicola.

    Reply
  17. Doug says:

    Not a smart phone, then?

    Reply
  18. Mark Beggan says:

    “you’re going to need a bigger boat”

    Reply
  19. holymacmoses says:

    She might have bought it to contact a ‘special’ someone

    Reply
  20. Mark Beggan says:

    “Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got it in for me.”

    Reply
  21. Hatuey says:

    Maybe she wanted to talk to all of her prime-mates… ehhhh

    Okay I’m leaving.

    Reply
  22. ross says:

    She’s not the FM of a country though. She was the FM of a pro Independence ‘region’ within a larger hostile state.

    Only need to look at Spanish interference in catalan independence politicians to see that the hostile state and media will do anything to undermine a risk.

    Naive to think the leaders shouldn’t have comms outside of public glare.

    Reply
  23. Ian McCubbin says:

    Too reinforce what David Hannah says,

    A burner phone she either bought herself for secret clandestine chat, or ine of her protaerian guard bought for her.
    It speaks volumes in terms of wrong doing .

    Reply
  24. Ian Smith says:

    Her smartphone use was so heavy as she worked every hour of the day to save lives that she could not keep it charged.

    She was so vital to the survival of the nation it was essential she bought a lower powered device to ensure that the most critical contacts could always get through to her.

    She was crucial to the survival of the nation.

    She had to get a sim from one of the discount VMNOs that don’t do itemised bills because… eh, I can’t remember.

    Reply
  25. David Hannah says:

    She’s been texting Jean Freeman aparently.

    About the death protocol… As reported by Scottish Whistleblowing nurse Lesley Roberts. To Operation Koper.

    Check out the story ladies and gents.

    I despise Sturgeon. I hate her guts. Send her down boys. Ask the tough questions. Lady Covid deserves everything that’s coming her way.

    Reply
  26. Garrion says:

    We knew it, but now we definitely know it. Anyone still thinking that she wasn’t 100% committed to burying independence is delusional.

    Reply
  27. Mark Beggan says:

    She had to score some Crack for Humza’s bro.

    Reply
  28. ross says:

    To reinforce the message, it’s absolutely wild to me and an obvious weakness that a national cause of independence would have every word minuted, listened and handed on a plate to the hostile power via public transparency rules. It’s a bind the pro independence govt finds itself in. Need to start recognising this is a dirty game and if their raisen detre means anything at all, it’s not a run of the mill political party running education and transport. It’s a threat to the UK hegemony.

    Reply
  29. GM says:

    Robin McAlpine’s article today taken together with this one.

    Reply
  30. gordoz says:

    Dear fxcking God ……. ?

    Reply
  31. ross says:

    How have we got to the point we wouldn’t expect the leader of a a political movement seeking to break the state not to have somewhat secretive comms devices? I doubt Alex Salmond minuted every move in 2013, did he? Quite right too.

    It’s only been a few decades since many believed Willie McCrae was taken out for goodness sake. Would be more worried if the Indy didn’t take steps to communicate secretly.

    Reply
  32. David Hannah says:

    Silly Nicola. She’s slipped up, hasn’t she?

    All those manually deleted secret WhatsApp messages – that MI5 probably has – and she forgot about the burner phone…

    She must be tearing her hair out right know. And on the evening before she was due to take the stand.

    Silly Nicola. No time to prepare now. Ahaha. Get it fucking right yeee.

    Keep your friends close. But your enemies closer. Ahahaha.

    Reply
  33. David Hannah says:

    I’m sorry Ross. But it’s the entitlement of the SNP, that they can’t buy anything for themselves. They have to put it on expenses.

    Textbook Nicola. She purchased the burner phone. Because she’s a fucking criminal and so are every single one of her ilk.

    Sturgeon the Judas. Sturgeon the betrayer. It’s beyond suspicious behaviour.

    Lady Covid – 19 approval rating. Ha ha.

    Reply
  34. Geoff Anderson says:

    Oops

    link to x.com

    Reply
  35. Agent x says:

    The National:

    “How to watch Nicola Sturgeon at the Covid Inquiry”
    “NICOLA Sturgeon’s appearance at the UK Covid Inquiry is today (January 30).”
    link to thenational.scot
    ==========================================

    Wrong!

    Reply
  36. David Hannah says:

    I’ve got another theory about why Nicola bought the burner phone – on expenses of course.

    I wonder if Nicola bought it to sext her French Fancy. Behind Peters back?

    When the country was locked down. Perhaps Sturgeon didn’t know when she would be able to conduct and extra marital affair, on a bed of lavender?

    Behind Hubby Murrell’s back. We know she can’t speak for him. We know she doesn’t hang out with him.

    Has Nicola been sexting a French Fancy?

    Reply
  37. Nemisis Benn says:

    @Iain Gray
    Come on, next thing you’ll be saying is that the fishwife was planning ahead to incarceration. . . . Happy Days!

    Reply
  38. Oneliner says:

    I’m sure that the good Rev’s source/s is/are impeccable. Am I alone in finding them scary?

    Reply
  39. Young Lochinvar says:

    Tranny porn?

    Reply
  40. Confused says:

    The cop drama “trope” of “burner phones” has put a lot of idiots in jail; here’s hoping this is another.

    She could have made it look good by buying 10 from a newsagents, for cash, in an offbeat part of town, in a big hat and shades.

    I love my Samsung E1190 – had it for years; cost me £11, with a sim and £10 of credit, pay as you go, not linked to any credit card.

    I once had 4 of them, in different colours, for different reasons, but that’s my bizness.

    Fuck smartphones.

    Someone should tell her she has to eat her sim card or the satellites will find her.

    link to youtube.com

    Reply
  41. David Hannah says:

    They couldn’t even buy their own burners. The Shipman Sisters they’re calling her. Just read Robin MaCalpine’s article. Absolutely damming.

    The Shipman Sisters clearly didn’t read the world health organisation guidance from January 2020 on asymptomatic transition.

    Remorse is bottom of their agenda.

    Everyone can see what the grim reaper. Nicola Sturgeon has been up to. She’s trying to cover her tracks.

    But she’s fucking stupid. And that much of a low life. That she had to claim her burner phones on expenses.

    You’re a disgrace. God I hate you.

    Reply
  42. charlie says:

    I haven’t heard the term ‘burner’ before tonight but I have heard of drug phones, did Nikla get the phone for the drug of power? Asking for all her useless fucking compadres.

    Reply
  43. Hatuey says:

    Ross: “It’s only been a few decades since many believed Willie McCrae was taken out for goodness sake. Would be more worried if the Indy didn’t take steps to communicate secretly.”

    McCrae didn’t try to fit-up Salmond.

    Sturgeon has got nothing to do with “the Indy”.

    It’s more likely that she was using the phones to communicate with her handler at GCHQ.

    Reply
  44. PhilM says:

    GCHQ? Ridiculous!
    Anyone who knows anything about the security/intelligence world knows that assets meet their handlers in person on park benches in front of duck ponds. The ducks are specially brought in by a dedicated company to add authenticity to the situation when the clandestine meetings occur and the parties swap secrets and shit…

    Reply
  45. Hatuey says:

    Tinker Tailor Soldier Skank

    Reply
  46. Bob Costello says:

    I can only assume this was found out by checking her expense claims in which case she is even more stupid than I thought

    Reply
  47. Dave says:

    Mebbes she was in desperate need for a game of Snake?

    Reply
  48. Dubh says:

    I’d like to know why in March 2020 the SNP used public funds to pay the Scottish Newspaper industry 4 Million bucks for ‘retention’ purposes too.

    Reply
  49. Richard Denning says:

    Freeman bought 2 burner phones on the first day of Covid – March 24 – according to the Express and have been found out because they – stupidly – both claimed them on expenses!

    Reply
  50. Eileen Carson says:

    Every crook and burner phones eh? as they say “Be sure your sins will find you out”. Not today maybe, but I’m hoping for the big one, it will be nuclear!

    Reply
  51. James Carroll says:

    I predict a few failure to recall responses. It stinks to high heaven of collusion and I think its fair to assume it was used to coordinate a cover up.

    Reply
  52. Craig says:

    Source for this please

    Reply
  53. ross says:

    Hatuey – we don’t know that as fact any more than my hypothesis.

    You just prefer one explanation to the other. I’m open to both.

    All I’m saying is there are good reasons why a pro Independence campaign would have secretive comms devices. If I was FM of a potential breakaway state contemplating tactics of a defacto referendum or such, locking down comms is the first thing i’d do.

    The bizarre thing is putting it on expenses haha! That’s the bit I don’t get. Which makes it seem less like a clandestine operation.

    Reply
  54. Dan says:

    @ Craig

    If you click on the screenshot it will take you to an archived version of a Scottish Daily Express “news” page.
    Stu’s articles are often configured this way.

    Reply
  55. Sven says:

    Perhaps it’s my sceptical mind which sees a certain signifigance in the timing of the disclosure of this information the day before Ms Sturgeon appears at the inquiry.
    Could it be that, having served her purpose, the lady is now about to discover the truth of the Scriptural injunction to, “Put not thy trust in the favour of Princes” and experience what it is to be thrown to the wolves herself …

    Reply
  56. Harry Dunlop says:

    This is quite possibly the most bizarre and sinister detail to emerge post Covid about Sturgeon and her MO. What a great shame that the KC questioning her today cannot ask to explain why the leader of a western democracy needed to buy a cheap 2G phone and a SIM card.

    Reply
  57. Craig says:

    @ Dan 9.23

    Many thanks for that, I forgot to click on the “source”.

    Appreciate the reminder.

    Reply
  58. Hatuey says:

    “there are good reasons why a pro Independence campaign would have secretive comms devices”

    Ross, again, please take the point seriously — we are not talking about a pro-indy campaign or a pro-indy anything. If we were, you’d possibly have a point worth making.

    Reply
  59. Stoker says:

    “The then first minister also purchased £18 worth of sim card top-ups.”

    How’s that possible? You can only buy top-ups in multiples of £5 as far as i know. When did that change?

    Reply
  60. ross says:

    Hatuey – maybe aye, maybe no

    She literally declared she would take Scotland to a defacto vote, it wasn’t her fault half her own side wanted to decry it (Stewart MI5cdonalds) and push other agendas about Isla Bryson et al (wings, the media)

    That’s one theory, i’m not saying it’s right but she did fire a gun on a defacto vote only for it not to be backed by our own cause.

    Regardless, I do agree she should never have gone to the supreme court without the bottle to go through with the defacto vote when the inevitable was declared. To do so and then resign has set back a 300 year old cause in a few months is really, really poor. How much that was planned, I don’t know. But I don’t think it’s necessarily as black and white as you’re being led to believe.

    Reply
  61. John McGregor says:

    Do you think that was one of the things that the Plod was looking for in the raidin Hur hoose n gardin were looking for ???

    Reply


Comment - please read this page for comment rules. HTML tags like <i> and <b> are permitted. Use paragraph breaks in long comments. DO NOT SIGN YOUR COMMENTS, either with a name or a slogan. If your comment does not appear immediately, DO NOT REPOST IT. Ignore these rules and I WILL KILL YOU WITH HAMMERS.


  • About

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

    Stats: 6,731 Posts, 1,215,604 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Groomer’s Shield: ““because the culture of total and utter unaccountability of every single public body in Scotland is a stain on our…Apr 15, 01:32
    • Jay on The Groomer’s Shield: “Tommo, seems that you have ignored the change of leadership and constitutional changes in SNP. Why assume that the same…Apr 15, 01:01
    • Geri on The Groomer’s Shield: ““marked highly confidential and seen by the Guardian” LMAO!! Aye, that’s believable. It’s up there with Top secret but we…Apr 15, 00:43
    • Geri on SNP 2025 Update: “What is it with you & kiddies, Shitface? You seem to have an unhealthy fixation with them. Are you projecting…Apr 14, 23:52
    • Geri on The Groomer’s Shield: “There’s a way to fix that – permanently. Georgia has done it. You pass a law through parliament that ALL…Apr 14, 23:46
    • Geri on The Groomer’s Shield: “Well said, Mary…Apr 14, 23:18
    • Geri on The Groomer’s Shield: “The EU is infested with neocons. They’ve altered it beyond all recognition & turned it into hive mentality where they…Apr 14, 23:13
    • Craig P on The Groomer’s Shield: “I don’t know if you have heard of Kenneth Roy Stu. A campaigning journalist who used to run Scottish Review.…Apr 14, 23:12
    • agent x on The Groomer’s Shield: ““Kate Forbes to make UAE trade visit as she declares ‘Scotland open for business’ Kate Forbes will visit the United…Apr 14, 23:03
    • Geri on The Groomer’s Shield: “Bollocks. When the GFA was being drawn up there was a UN envoy, An EU envoy, A USA envoy (because…Apr 14, 22:41
    • Hatey McHateface on SNP 2025 Update: “Sorry, Geri, your post rambles a bit. Did you have an extra chortle at the blown up kiddies? A simple…Apr 14, 22:34
    • agent x on The Groomer’s Shield: “Building a New Scotland: Creating a modern constitution for an independent Scotland https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-creating-modern-constitution-independent-scotland/pages/3/ ——————————————— Have people not read this -…Apr 14, 22:31
    • F I MacIllFhinnein on The Groomer’s Shield: “The implication is that those imvestigated (if they were) might be liable in civil or even in criminal law. That…Apr 14, 22:30
    • Hatey McHateface on The Groomer’s Shield: ““they played the same psychological experiment on Germany of constant self flagellation & submission” “This shit is happening in Scotland…Apr 14, 22:15
    • Geri on SNP 2025 Update: “Oh do shut up FFS. The UK is heavily involved in terrorism & has been for centuries. It actively seeks…Apr 14, 22:12
    • Hatey McHateface on The Groomer’s Shield: “Isn’t “come on everybody” discriminatory against someone who self-identifies as disembodied? As there are supposedly 72 genders, surely one of…Apr 14, 22:04
    • MaryB on The Groomer’s Shield: “The only hope for changing any of these issues lies within an independent Scotland. OSCR is just one of many…Apr 14, 21:33
    • Geri on SNP 2025 Update: “LMAO!Apr 14, 21:32
    • sarah on The Groomer’s Shield: “LOL! 🙂Apr 14, 21:31
    • Geri on The Groomer’s Shield: “You’ve highlighted the problem in your post. Funny that this shit has been allowed to thrive in the two countries…Apr 14, 21:26
    • Confused on The Groomer’s Shield: “the Groomer’s Shield was an excellent real ale pub – until wetherspoons took it overApr 14, 21:19
    • Karen on The Groomer’s Shield: “A very busy lady by the looks of things!Apr 14, 21:15
    • Confused on SNP 2025 Update: “the thing about islam, a terrible system really, is that nothing happens without a reason; it’s like God lets you…Apr 14, 21:14
    • diabloandco on The Groomer’s Shield: “But they don’t mind confusing boys and girls who ken fine they’re a boy or a girl.Apr 14, 21:14
    • Xaracen on SNP 2025 Update: “Hatey said; “So the survivor’s ancestors will have been the greedy, grasping, selfish, sharp-elbowed, calculating, hypocritical cants. So what. A…Apr 14, 21:07
    • KT Lorimer on The Groomer’s Shield: “A start has been made – Sara Salyers has laid out the historical constitution both in writing and in speeches,…Apr 14, 20:56
    • AndrewKidd on The Groomer’s Shield: “OSCR are a regulator in name only. They do carry out very few if any investigations compared to the Charity…Apr 14, 20:56
    • Marie on The Groomer’s Shield: “And keep your kids away from armed forces recruiters – because THESE are the values(sic) that they would be fighting…Apr 14, 20:52
    • Yoon Scum on The Groomer’s Shield: “Yep I get £100 per postApr 14, 20:47
    • Tommo on The Groomer’s Shield: “As a Unionist- notwithstanding the dire state of the UK overall I think Scotland should be glad that the majority…Apr 14, 20:27
  • A tall tale



↑ Top