Back in 2014, the Wings Over Scotland and Scot Goes Pop blogs played a big part in the campaign that, in the end, pushed the Union to the brink. I often praised and shared their work.
Only 10 years later, all seems lost.
Wings today has a cartoon of John Swinney in a dress, some poll analysis more interested in Reform than anything else, two anxious wee pieces on what it means to be a woman and a swipe at Kezia Dugdale who, you may remember years ago, accused the author of homophobia. That’s quite a long grudge there though, admittedly, shorter than mine against BBC Scotland. There is nothing arguing for Scottish independence or offering evidence that, on the basis of what we have achieved these last 17 years, that we could do even better with full powers: https://wingsoverscotland.com/
SGP today has an enormous, 3 000 word, indignant piece, the latest in a never-ending tirade, against the Alba leadership, bemoaning his expulsion from Alba. This is preceded by some useful poll analysis but otherwise just more of his fight for recognition in a party polling around 2%, with no MPs, one MSP until May 2026 and one councillor (mine!). Rejection is tough. I get it but remember s/he’s not warf it, mate! SGP, like Wings used to be awful worried about defining womanhood too. There is nothing arguing for Scottish independence or offering evidence that, on the basis of what we have achieved these last 17 years, that we could do even better with full powers: https://scotgoespop.blogspot.com/
Judging by their own claims, both get far more readers than Talking-up Scotland and, clearly, far more comments under their posts on these matters of the moment.
I wonder, is this, as with Russell Brand when his site became host to vaccine denial rage and other conspiracies, these two bloggers finding lucrative income streams by working, mostly, in rich veins of anxious conspiracy about sexual identity, SNP/Alba corruption, of Nicola Sturgeon betrayal, of threatened masculinity, or whatever pays?
In 2014, these two were the sharpest wee tools in the box, I thought. SGP recently, wittily, renamed TuS, ‘Global Ferry News!’ Good, eh? My wife and weans laughed. Then and now, I’m the rusting adjustable spanner and claw-hammer. What else do you need to try to break-up a well-worn Union?
Come on lads! Get over it. There’s time yet.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
They are doing yoon work now. I don’t even remember them now, and I too followed them in the years after 2014. They are just pandering to slavering haters. They are bitter, despite their protestations.🙄
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Almost 10 years ago now and after previously supporting WOS for years the Rev blocked me as I dared to question the claims the SNP had failed the Indy cause by merely asking him to set out the Plan B instead. As you mentioned he almost in my view became obsessed with the Transgender debate and not least his closer relationship with Salmond over his alleged sexual misconduct. Never been back since.
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both former Indy sites blocked me for promoting an SNP 1 Green 2 vote at the last Holyrood election on their blogs, lol.
Scot goes Plop, said you can’t game the system, then went on to promote 2nd votes for Alba.
They’re not worth a look at all these days.
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I was never much of a fan of Wings. His Wee Blue Book was good though. SGP is more of a loss I think. He was, presumably still could be, very good on polling. And he commissioned polling with some of the questions that the big pollsters don’t think to ask. His polling was crowdfunded from Yes Movement. I wonder if he’d get that support now. He wouldn’t get mine.
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Always a shame though when people with good ideas and provide them as contributions to the cause of freedom seem to lose their way.
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In many ways COVID and the lockdowns has a lot to answer for.
People are fractious and self-occupied these days.
There is a war coming that will involve the western world. Of that I am convinced.
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Finding division – things you disagree about – is always easy if you look for it. WoS is essentially contrarian which was great in 2014 but now has the feeling of friendly fire – or not always so friendly. Had WoS been doing the UK state’s bidding, it couldn’t have done better.
Alba has been a distraction and in my view SGP will eventually come back to the mainstream and seek to influence the SNP as the only credible party political vehicle for independence.
Fundamentally I don’t like TUS and SGP continuing to take pot shots at each other! Meet, discuss and find common ground.
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He did once react to criticism from me by suggesting I should be ashamed of myself, that my wife, children and all of Scotland was ashamed of me – doctor?
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You said “Fundamentally I don’t like TUS and SGP continuing to take pot shots at each other! Meet, discuss and find common ground. “Finding division – things you disagree about – is always easy if you look for it”.
Sadly easier said than done, we are a fractious bunch who bear grudges. But seriously, if common ground cannot be found and old slights set aside maybe just ignore each other rather than carrying on the tiff?The last thing we need is yet another dispute with folk taking sides and falling out
As for influence, you may not get the passionate support of followers attracted by the lure of an indy group think which inevitably leads to splits and rancour John, but your contributions have the steady and possibly longer lasting influence of presenting facts and figures to help readers make sense of what is going on in Scotland. At his best this was a key strength of WoS and SGP also did good work around polling but both I think have moved on into the world of personal opinions and grievances
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You’ve kept your eyes on the prize, John. That’s the difference.
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I will stay with this one don’t trust the others.
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i do wonder what it will rake to get around what the SNP did to Salmond. The biggest problem is the perjury and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and the redactions. The unionists know about it and like branch form will use it.
how can this be cleared to the satisfaction of everyone
happy to discuss
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I could post here a message to say SGP had made untrue allegations against John. If say we have 20 regular readers, maybe 15 would believe my version because they have liked what I posted before or because my views are similar to theirs. Five might have doubts, maybe they know SGP or have their suspicions there is some truth in the story. Bad faith actors enter the fray, whispering here, suggesting there, bad mouthing one to the other until our group of 20 is totally fractured, not sure who or what to believe but taking sides out of loyalty or the conviction that they (and only they) know the truth. And such is the venom stirred up that WordPress takes the decision to ban John’s blog before it gives their organisation a bad name, and a disgruntled reader makes counter allegations against SGP and demands an investigation into both his conduct and his funds
In the feverish atmosphere of Scottish politics can any of us say for certain who did what to who and how much of what was done was caused by the original 2 figures? If we believe that one was set up can we concede that it is possible the other person was too? Can we accept that all our heroes have clay feet, make mistakes and get things wrong? Up until recently I would have said no but I feel a glimmering of hope that people are starting to see a way forward
The Good Friday Agreement gives us a model to follow – 2 main factions with umpteen splinter groups, bitterly opposed to each other with long held grudges sometimes justified, sometimes not brought together after years of fighting. The solution was not to insist that one side or the other had been right all along, or that only one side could claim they had won. No, instead they were free to choose their affiliation to one or all identities with this right protected and recognised but with a binding obligation that they had to negotiate and agree with the other sides how the country moved on. A bit like what the Scottish Govt have had to do since 2014 with Westminster and Unionist parties but equally applicable to individual personality disputes too
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