Blog | My Mutteringshttps://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/2024-03-29T01:49:13+00:00BlogGood Oil, Bad Oil2013-04-22T22:40:00+00:002024-03-28T17:27:18+00:00mutteringshttps://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/author/mutterings/https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/good-oil-bad-oil/<p><img alt="Good Oil, Bad Oil" class="img-responsive" src="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/static/media/uploads/images/blog/0000/politics/repository/cartoon-good-oil-bad-oil.jpg" title="Good Oil, Bad Oil"/></p>
<h2>About</h2>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Better Together:</b></p>
<ul>
<li>Bosnia, Iraq, Vitol - Good Oil</li>
<li>Scotland - Bad Oil</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>The cartoon satirizes the No Campaign's portrayal of North Sea oil revenues as a volatile and unpredictable resource, which an independent Scotland could not handle.</p>
<p>It is also in reference to the recent <a class="external-link" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20140621025337/http://www.nationalcollective.com/2013/04/07/dirty-money-the-tory-millionaire-bankrolling-better-together/" target="_blank">scandal</a> surrounding the £500,000 donation to the Better Together campaign from Ian Taylor, Chief Executive of oil trading company Vitol plc. Vitol had paid $1 million to a Serbian war criminal during the Bosnian conflict and been charged for providing kickbacks to Iraqi officials to win oil supply contracts.</p>
<h2>Source</h2>
<p>The Cartoon is © <a href="https://www.cairnstoon.com" target="_blank">Chris Cairns</a> 2013. It was published by Wings Over Scotland under the headline <a class="external-link" href="http://archive.is/20160105004039/http://wingsoverscotland.com/a-simple-guide/" target="_blank" title="A simple guide">A simple guide</a> on 22nd April 2013.</p>Jackie Bird & Brian Taylor2013-03-23T10:25:00+00:002024-03-28T11:42:17+00:00mutteringshttps://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/author/mutterings/https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/jackie-bird-brian-taylor/<p><img alt="BBC Scotland: Jackie Bird + Brian Taylor" class="img-responsive" src="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/static/media/uploads/images/blog/0000/politics/repository/cartoon-bbc-scotland-jackie-bird-brian-taylor.jpg" title="BBC Scotland: Jackie Bird + Brian Taylor"/></p>
<h2>About</h2>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Jackie Bird</b>: I'm joined now by our political editor, Brian Taylor. So, we've had the Edinburgh Agreement, the Electoral Commission's recommendations have been accepted in full, the wording of the question has been agreed and now the date has been set. But the uncertainty doesn't end there, does it?</p>
<p><b>Brian Taylor</b>: Indeed not, Jackie. Mr Salmond's opponents are already demanding to know what the weather will be like on September 18 2014. It is, they say, just one more thing the SNP has simply failed to think through.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Source</h2>
<p>The Cartoon is © Chris Cairns 2013. It was published by Wings Over Scotland under the headline <a class="external-link" href="http://archive.is/20160105030758/http://wingsoverscotland.com/fair-and-balanced/" target="_blank" title="Fair and balanced">Fair and balanced</a> on 21st March 2013, the day the First Minister Alex Salmond announced the date of the independence referendum.</p>One Pound for Wingsland2013-03-12T00:05:00+00:002024-03-29T01:49:13+00:00mutteringshttps://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/author/mutterings/https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/one-pound-for-wingsland/<p><img alt="£1 for Wingsland" class="img-responsive" src="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/static/media/uploads/images/blog/0000/politics/repository/hamish-your-country-needs-you.jpg" title="£1 for Wingsland"/></p>
<h2>About</h2>
<blockquote>
<p>Citizens!</p>
<p>Your country needs <b>you</b>.</p>
<p>£1 for WIngsland</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Modelled on the famous <a class="image-link external-link" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/30a_Sammlung_Eybl_Gro%C3%9Fbritannien._Alfred_Leete_%281882%E2%80%931933%29_Britons_%28Kitchener%29_wants_you_%28Briten_Kitchener_braucht_Euch%29._1914_%28Nachdruck%29%2C_74_x_50_cm._%28Slg.Nr._552%29.jpg/514px-thumbnail.jpg" target="_blank">Lord Kitchener Wants You</a> recruitment poster, this cartoon accompanied the Wings Over Scotland <a class="external-link" href="http://wingsoverscotland.com/lets-get-serious/">What's journalism worth to you?</a> fund raising appeal. The campaign to finance a full-time journalist, which was launched on 6th February 2013, gathered an amazing 28% of the £30,000 target in its first eight hours.</p>
<h2>Source</h2>
<p>The Cartoon is © Chris Cairns 2013. It was published by Wings Over Scotland on 7th February 2013 in the article <a class="external-link" href="http://wingsoverscotland.com/blown-away/">Blown away</a>.</p>Doomsayer Alistair Darling2013-03-03T18:10:00+00:002024-03-27T14:01:41+00:00mutteringshttps://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/author/mutterings/https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/doomsayer-alistair-darling/<p><img alt="Doomsayer Alistair Darling" class="img-responsive" src="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/static/media/uploads/images/blog/0000/politics/repository/cartoon-doomsayer-alistair-darling.jpg" title="Doomsayer Alistair Darling"/></p>
<h2>About</h2>
<blockquote>We're a' doomed, doomed ah tell ye - Doomed!</blockquote>
<p>The cartoon depicts Alistair Darling, leader of the No Campaign, as Dad's Army<a class="anchor-link" href="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/tag/amusing/feeds/atom/#note-dadsarmy"><sup class="reference" id="ref-dadsarmy">[1]</sup></a> character Private James Frazer, who was portrayed as a dour Scotsman constantly giving exaggerated warnings of doom.</p>
<p>This characterization is in reference to scaremongering being the sole contribution to the independence referendum debate by the No Campaign and Alistair Darling in particular. The cartoon was published shortly after Alistair Darling had claimed that the SNP's plans for Scotland's currency and tax post independence were falling apart<a class="anchor-link" href="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/tag/amusing/feeds/atom/#note-scotsman"><sup class="reference" id="ref-scotsman">[2]</sup></a>.</p>
<h2>Source</h2>
<p>The Cartoon is © Chris Cairns 2013. It was published by Wings Over Scotland on 23rd February 2013 in the article <a class="external-link" href="http://archive.is/20160105023926/http://wingsoverscotland.com/darling-warns-blah-blah-something/" target="_blank" title="Darling warns blah blah something">Darling warns blah blah something</a>.</p>
<hr class="footnote-separator"/>
<ol class="listTypeDecimal footnotes">
<li id="note-dadsarmy"><a class="anchor-link" href="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/tag/amusing/feeds/atom/#ref-dadsarmy">^</a> Dad's Army was a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War.</li>
<li id="note-scotsman"><a class="anchor-link" href="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/tag/amusing/feeds/atom/#ref-scotsman">^</a> cached copy of Scotsman article <a class="external-link" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20140816111556/http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/darling-financial-plans-for-independence-don-t-add-up-1-2806703" target="_blank" title="Darling: Financial plans for independence don&rsquo;t add up">Darling: Financial plans for independence don’t add up</a></li>
</ol>Scottish Labour Out2013-02-21T11:20:00+00:002024-03-28T16:57:48+00:00mutteringshttps://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/author/mutterings/https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/scottish-labour-out/<p>A sign of things to come.</p>
<p><img alt="Vote Scottish Labour Out" class="img-responsive" src="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/static/media/uploads/images/blog/0000/politics/repository/scottish-labour-out.jpg" title="Vote Scottish Labour Out"/></p>
<h2>About</h2>
<p>The photo shows a Labour Party election sign positioned on a post above an "out" traffic sign. The picture was taken in Stornoway on the first full day of the campaign for the UK general election 2010.</p>
<blockquote>"Vote Scottish Labour" - "Out"</blockquote>
<p>The sign turned out to be prophetic as Labour subsequently lost the election.</p>
<h2>Source</h2>
<p>Photo © Donald Macleod, and licensed for reuse under this <a class="external-link" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Licence</a>.</p>Tonight on Reporting Scotland2013-02-04T23:20:00+00:002024-03-28T17:40:04+00:00mutteringshttps://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/author/mutterings/https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/tonight-on-reporting-scotland/<p><img alt="Illuminating the Debate" class="img-responsive" src="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/static/media/uploads/images/blog/0000/politics/repository/illuminating-the-debate.jpg" title="Illuminating the Debate"/></p>
<h2>About</h2>
<p>Summing up the output of Reporting Scotland, BBC Scotland's national television news programme:</p>
<blockquote>Tonight on Reporting Scotland - murders, fitba' and the same story you've just seen on the proper news - now with the boring bits they edited out put back in. But first, our political editor, Brian Taylor, reports on a big row over something someone says Alex Salmond really meant when he said completely the opposite…</blockquote>
<p>The title of the cartoon is in reference to the <a class="internal-link" href="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/illuminate-the-debate" title="Illuminate the Debate Rally">Illuminate the Debate Rally</a> for balanced broadcasting of the independence referendum.</p>
<h2>Source</h2>
<p>The Cartoon is © <a href="https://www.cairnstoon.com" target="_blank" title="Chris Cairns Cartoons">Chris Cairns</a> 2013. It was published by Wings Over Scotland on 4th February 2013 in the article <a class="external-link" href="http://archive.is/20160105012253/http://wingsoverscotland.com/illuminating-the-debate/" target="_blank" title="Illuminating the debate">Illuminating the debate</a>.</p>Bridge to Europe2013-01-29T21:15:00+00:002024-03-28T15:48:57+00:00mutteringshttps://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/author/mutterings/https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/bridge-to-europe/<p><img alt="Bridge to Europe" class="img-responsive" src="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/static/media/uploads/images/blog/0000/politics/repository/cartoon-bridge-to-europe.jpg" title="Bridge to Europe"/></p>
<h2>About</h2>
<p>"So you think you'll just walk in, do you?," says John Bull<a class="anchor-link" href="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/tag/amusing/feeds/atom/#note-bull"><sup class="reference" id="ref-bull">[1]</sup></a> to the wee Scottish lion as they are standing at the bridge to Europe, which the man is about to blow up.</p>
<p>The cartoon appeared the day after David Cameron's promise of an "in or out" referendum on Britain's EU membership<a class="anchor-link" href="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/tag/amusing/feeds/atom/#note-speech"><sup class="reference" id="ref-speech">[2]</sup></a> and after months of scaremongering about an independent Scotland facing EU application.</p>
<h2>Source</h2>
<p>The Cartoon is © <a href="https://www.cairnstoon.com" target="_blank" title="Chris Cairns Cartoons">Chris Cairns</a> 2013. It was published on 24th January 2013 by Wings Over Scotland in the article <a class="external-link" href="http://archive.is/20160105005709/http://wingsoverscotland.com/bull-bridge/" target="_blank" title="Bull Bridge"><span class="external-link">Bull Bridge</span></a>. It was the first cartoon on the site. The lion was christened Hamish on the same thread.</p>
<hr class="footnote-separator"/>
<ol class="listTypeDecimal footnotes">
<li id="note-bull"><a class="anchor-link" href="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/tag/amusing/feeds/atom/#ref-bull">^</a> The burly cartoon character John Bull originated in the early 18th century as a personification of Britain in general or England in particular.</li>
<li id="note-speech"><a class="anchor-link" href="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/tag/amusing/feeds/atom/#ref-speech">^</a> <a class="external-link" href="http://archive.is/20130628040619/https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/eu-speech-at-bloomberg" target="_blank" title="David Cameron's EU speech at Bloomberg">David Cameron's EU speech at Bloomberg</a></li>
</ol>Too Wee, Too Poor, Too Stupid2013-01-29T19:35:00+00:002024-03-27T14:02:24+00:00mutteringshttps://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/author/mutterings/https://my.mutterings.co.uk/blog/too-wee-too-poor-too-stupid/<p class="description">Cartoon of hot air balloon with Hamish the Lion cutting loose the Too Wee, Too Poor, Too Stupid weights</p>
<p class="description"><img alt="Scotland: Too Wee, Too Poor, Too Stupid" class="img-responsive" src="https://my.mutterings.co.uk/static/media/uploads/images/blog/0000/politics/repository/cartoon-hot-air-balloon.jpg" title="Scotland: Too Wee, Too Poor, Too Stupid"/></p>
<h2>About</h2>
<p>The often quoted but unattributed phrase "too wee, too poor, too stupid" describes the sentiments of many unionist arguments against Scottish independence.</p>
<h2>Source</h2>
<p>The Cartoon is © <a href="https://www.cairnstoon.com/" target="_blank" title="Chris Cairns Cartoons">Chris Cairns</a> 2013. It was published by Wings Over Scotland on 28th January 2013 in the article <a class="external-link" href="http://archive.is/20160105004618/http://wingsoverscotland.com/and-finally-5/" target="_blank" title="And finally&hellip; #5">And finally… #5</a>.</p>