From our community reporter
It’s been a very slow news day today and it’s chucking it down outside, so we found ourselves stuck for entertainment. Earlier this afternoon alert readers will have noticed us tweeting about breaking through 35,000 Twitter followers, and while we were comparing that to various other entities for our own amusement (eg it’s over 10,000 more followers than Scottish Labour, the Scottish Conservatives and the Scottish Lib Dems put together), we stumbled across this feature from 16 months ago.
And because – as readers of our Panelbase polling features will know – there’s nothing we like more than the occasional wallow in some stats, we got to work.
Last July’s piece recorded the 50 most prominent and prolific Twitter accounts on the Scottish politics scene, or at least the ones we knew about. Mainly eschewing actual politicians (who tend to tweet rarely and say very little of note), it comprised bloggers, activists, mainstream journalists, commentators, newspapers and broadcasters.
We figured it would be of interest (to us, at least) to see how things had changed.
Above (click to biggen) is the top 50 for 2014. We’ve used the same 50 accounts as we did last year for comparability, so any exciting newcomers who’ve appeared on the scene, or anyone we just forgot last year, aren’t included.
Three accounts have been closed since then – Labour MP Tom Harris (ironically appointed as the party’s “Twitter czar”, but who promptly befouled his social-media copybook with a badly-judged “Downfall” spoof aimed at Alex Salmond and vanished from the web), The Herald’s main account (it’s hard to be sure which one has replaced it), and that of Eddie Barnes, who left the Scotsman to work for the Scottish Tories.
The big story is the spectacular social-media success of Yes Scotland, which added over 100,000 new followers to its 2013 total to become by far the most-followed account, with almost double the number of the SNP, both of them knocking 2013’s table-topper (the Daily Record) into third spot.
Sorting the chart by who’s gathered the most new followers is enlightening:
Yes Scotland and the SNP come out top again, but up at No. 3 is a website you may have heard of, which added a whacking 31,295 followers to its tally. And if you sort by percentage increase, it’s an even prettier picture.
Way out in front with an 845% increase in followers is little old us, but it’s hard not to notice the political alignment of all the top performers. Wings, Business For Scotland, Radical Independence, National Collective, Yes Scotland, the Scottish Greens, Pat Kane, the SSP, Bella Caledonia and the Sunday Herald make a clean sweep of the top 10 for Yes-supporting sites (along with four of the next five).
It’s hard not to also note the inverse relationship between either of the last two charts and the voices which get to appear on broadcast media. The top echelons of any of the charts above are notable for the near-total absence of any of the people in them from the nation’s airwaves, with the exceptions of Lesley Riddoch and (to a slightly lesser extent) Pat Kane.
The talking heads most commonly employed by the BBC and STV and others are almost unfailingly people with a tiny fraction of the following of those higher up in the listings – basically the further down the chart you go and the less popular a pundit or journalist is with the online public, the more you’ll see of them on air.
Finally, for completeness, the chart sorted by position change on 2013:
Other than the dramatic rocketing up the table of ourselves and Business For Scotland, the main feature of note here is the appearance of Daily Record political editor Davie Clegg at No. 8, interrupting the otherwise all-Yes make-up of the top 10 again despite a modest total of 4372 followers (barely a third as many as anyone else in the first dozen) but representing a respectable climb of nine places on last year – albeit from a starting position of No. 49, which is kinda hard NOT to improve on.
So that was our afternoon. Fingers crossed for some major events soon, eh readers?
You need a hobby 😉 Go play online poker or something when it is a slow news day.
A fair reflection of yer work Mr Wings.
interesting figures are people following hotdog stall tae see whit pish he is spewing?
Everyone must have been congratulating Davie Clegg for destroying the Labour Party. Or words to that effect.
I’d have an 850% increase in Twitter followers if seventeen people started to follow me… 🙂
Poor wee Duncan Hothersall. It seems that his characteristic mixture of pomposity, condescension, mendacity and Labour propaganda isn’t winning many people over. Let’s all spend a quiet moment of reflection with him in mind…
There. Now let’s forget him and move on.
Elsewhere, if you aren’t following the @PeatWorrier on Twitter you’re missing something very fine indeed. He’s erudite, witty and very, very funny.
I think the top five in that table will continue to increase their number of followers in the run up to May 2015. The same cannot be said for the pro-unionist bloggers and sites.
SSP in number 7 is interesting mainly for my belief that it can nab a few Labour MSP seats in 2016.
I’m pleased that it has proven to be the grassroots of the Yes campaign are not prepared to throw in the towel, the same cannot be said for those millionaires that backed the No campaign.
And if it carries on raining he’ll be updating the Credits for the 2014 fundraiser or dreaming up a Scottish poll 😉
With all these charts I had this playing in my head http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9GS3SofhdU
It’s simple really. Quality sells, and so Wings soars upwards.
In Glasgow today, popped into the Horseshoe Bar for a light snack and a pint. Quite busy. “Ok to share a table with you” I asked of a guy of my generation. Within a few minutes of conversation – my new acquaintance, an Ayrshire man, like me; had an engineering career like me; ex-labour voter – not like me, I’m longterm SNP, and a Yes voter, and so too his kids. So too mine.
We ain’t going anywhere, we ain’t shutting up, we will continue to campaign and look to open the eyes and minds of our fellow Scots to the expensive an undemocratic nonsense that is the UK Establishment.
Liars accuse others of being liars,even if untrue. Cheats call others cheats even if untrue. And so the Establishment complain and are accusing the Yes side of continuing to campaign – which is absolutely true!
WOS has over 10,000 more twitter followers than the LibLabCons combined.
FFS, a blog far outstripping the combined efforts of 3 supposedly “major” political parties, eh.
Not so feckin major after-all, eh.
BE AFRAID TRAITORS – BE VERY AFRAID.
🙂
I agree with Patrician. Mister Stu’, even when it’s lashing down you can go to the movies or shopping, whatever! Personally, I’d recommend the last Woody Allen. It’s a charming movie with a cute ginger actress and besides it is set in the south of France where, as every Scot know, the Sun shines from dusk to dawn! 🙂
With stats like those, no wonder you like to wallow in them!
Och! I only came on here cos I thought you were a Paul McCartney tribute band!
A continuing theme of Labservative aligned organisations and individuals perfectly placed to capitalise on their success and press home their victory.
Or maybe not!
Herald newspaper -41. Gulp! Death by numbers.
Not forgetting the wonderful @AngrySalmond….
I’m not a Twit user .
These stats are great Rev , big pat on back to you .
Maybe an old codger like me should jump on the Bandwagon to see what yer all blethering , eh Tweeting about(correct lingo?) .
Strikes me the Indy group as such is very much more active on line as well as everything else .
Everyone has been reporting big turnouts at meetings plus the Demos as we all know etc
We need to beaver away keeping up the momentum for GE2015
Can’t wait to see your WOS stats next month .
Well done Rev .
Paul Cochrane, top comment my man,
If there was a chart for who would be the least followed with the least number of tweets it would probably be me.
I have a twitter account that is very seldom used and that I have little or no interest in.
I am sure on that big debate radio show today, I heard someone ask the red-tory how much new members they had, and I believe he did a “curran”, you know ‘waffle waffle pish pish waffle’, so has anyone heard anything about membership figures from anywhere for any of the tory parties, whatever colour they are.
Wonder how many people follow this numpty.
http://www.scottishconservatives.com/2014/10/snp-risks-creating-criminals-new-drink-driving-limit/
Methinks I could do with some new Wings business cards – anyone got some good ideas for the wording?
@james caithness
As long as it includes a couple of polis when he next goes out for dinner and drinkies I’ll be happy
Evening Times article talking ‘re. Nicolas tour, and numbers in the parties. Tories said it’s not policy to discuss membership numbers, and an insider said there are around 8000 in Labour.
SCOT goes POP has new poll of polls http://scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk/
SNP 42.0% (+3.2)
Labour 26.1% (+0.3)
Conservatives 16.0% (-3.4)
Liberal Democrats 6.0% (-1.8)
Greens 4.7% (+1.8)
UKIP 3.7% (-1.7)
We really need a full Scotland wide poll with some good questions to ascertain how the SNP vote is likely to fair once all the BBC and MSM propaganda kicks in for the GE. Any takers, Rev I’m looking at you!
Paul Cochrane says
“Och! I only came on here cos I thought you were a Paul McCartney tribute band!”
But here you’ll never f*intyre of mulling over the posts,
Ah’ll em, get ma coat.
@ Valerie
“insider lies”
real voting members, less than 4,000.
Ouija board says so, as does, my waters.
I’m not on Twitter, so need to get on. Googled Angry Salmond, he is so funny, and making Socialism sexy!
Might be of interest for an article Rev Stu if you’re stuck on Labour discussion before the Vow between Ed Milliband and the Welsh First Minister
It’s a good example of the Labour Party mantra of party first country second, the Welsh Labour First Minister Carwyn Jones let it slip in an interview earlier this week that he talked to Ed Milliband about the infamous ‘Vow’ before it was made by the 3 parties and like a good Labour sock puppet Carwyn Jones signed up to it even though it contain an promise on the Barnett Formula that underfunds Wales and is something he and Labour in Wales has been complaining about for years.
Some more details including teh transcipt of the exchange and link to the BBC Wales interview if you can stomach it http://dailywales.net/2014/10/24/carwyn-jones-wont-let-wales-stand-in-way-of-labours-one-nation/
BtP – I would trust what your waters or your spooky board are saying every time, over any proven liars from the Slabbers.
@Paula Rose
How about the Wings motto?
Veritas vos liberabit,
The truth will set you free.
John King darling – that was actually funny!
Keith Brown has caught out SLAB, ha ha ha….
http://www.snp.org/media-centre/news/2014/oct/labours-hypocrisy-rail-franchise-exposed
John King – Hee, hee – hope you’re going to be here all week. 😉
@ Scot Finlayson – actually I think Latin should be the official written language of the EU. It seems to me to be the most precise of our European early language thingies.
Is Johann Lamont a twit… (tickle in throat…cough, cough)
I’ll try again. Is Johann Lamont a twit… (damned cough … again)
Is Johann Lamont a twitter user?
If it was a table for most tweets sent I think that Labour hipster bloke who lives in one of the leafy foodbank-free suburbs of Edinburgh would probably win it. Labour are demented alright.
saporian says:
“We really need a full Scotland wide poll with some good questions to ascertain how the SNP vote is likely to fair once all the BBC and MSM propaganda kicks in for the GE. ”
Yes. My fear is some Scots revert to Lab to keep out Tories nonsense.
However, there has never been a GE with the current set of circumstances. Everything … Grassroots, alternative media, pro Indy organisations up to speed, pissed of No voters who have been failed, a Labour Party with no direction, down and out LibDems, swing to the right in England, UKIP, etc etc .
The BBC and MSN may have their eye off the Scottish ball. London certainly will be occupied by a Lab Con UKIP triangle and have no interest in Scotland. Even the Scottish media will be London facing.
It will not be like the referendum! And, that may be to ‘Project Indy’ advantage.
Hiya Paula-Rose & TJenny
thanks for that. 🙂
@ B&P
That’s just your cellar contents.
@ B&P
That’s just your cellar contents.
Hic
Bugger honey – see you on the 22nd, Rev honey we could crowd-fund you a ticket xx
apparently lamont is on the verge of doing something!
JK + PR – are you going to Nic’s gig and Yesbar after on 22 Nov?
@Paula Rose
Sadly at school I had the chance to do either Latin or Woodwork.
Four years later I had a fish shaped wooden bottle opener for which I got a C in my O levels, which is a bit strange because I chose Latin.
@fred blogger
Sleep walking!
@fred blogger
Sleep walking!
I know, totally off-topic but I’ve posted there as well.
I’m collecting names for a minibus to go through to the Friends of Wings Over Scotland get-together at the YES Bar in Glasgow, on the evening of 22nd November, for those of us in the Dundee / Angus / North Fife / Perth catchment area.
Still looking for 9 names. If you want to join us, post in ‘off-topic’. Don’t know the cost yet, but it’ll be less than commercial cost because the minibus will be supplied by the YES Bus team, aka Bob Costello, who supports the YES aspiration.
Lamont on verge of stepping down, or just a rallying cry to gather the remanants of the faithful around her ’cause she’s feeling a ‘ritter bit ronery’?
Meanwhile, there was on the French TV a nice documentary on the Outer Hebrides and the isles of Rùm and Eigg. A nice voyage through remote Scotland!
cynicalHighlander
🙂
Bloody hell she’s going, who’s taking her place, Ed will decide!.
Scot Finlayson – xxx, T Jenny honey – dearest I will be there, Nicola is borrowing my heels, she’ll be along to the Yes bar to return them and kiss the Rev who will also be there xx
Goodbye Lamont…….
That means Lamont’s 6ft 1 decoy will be out of a job, unless SLab’s new leader just happens to be a hatchet-faced neb with teeth like mashed liquorice allsorts.
Obviously people follow ‘the opposition’ to see what crap is being spouted and what we have to counter.
I would like to suggest though, that as part of our general boycotting of certain organisations, we include the ‘unfollowing’ on social media of these organisations.
Let’s start with https://twitter.com/Daily_Record
1. Visit link
2. Say ‘Fuck Them”
3. Click ‘unfollow’
4. Feel better about yourself and slightly more cleansed.
I suspect a sizeable chunk of their followers are us lot. Let’s see if we can drag that number down with a campaign to encourage others not to encourage them. Small steps to big changes and all that.
Let’s bury this piece of crap in every way we can.
Lamont gone, forthwith. Bugger, hoped she’d hing aboot.
Jumping out of the fraying pan into the fire, that’s what the Labour Party is doing, why? Would you believe it Anus Sarwar(spelling?) is taking over meanwhile, –oh joy!!.
Johann Lamont’s juke-box selection:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmHTpvc691A
She’s not resigning, just having a debate about the options.
Oh No Johann has resigned…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29765415
What are we going to do now that one of our best assets has gone?
Who next I wonder – Gordon Brown – he would be brilliant – for Yes!
Who will take over the poisoned chalice of Slab leader in SP?
Jabba
the alleged Fifi La Bon
or gNash er?
Who will be brave enough to stand up to oor Nicky?
Will be interesting to hear Lamonts resignation speech. Blaming British Party interference apparently.
Who will want to take this poisoned chalice? Don’t know the rules, must it be an MSP?
If Lamont has resigned, I would normally say: good riddance to bad rubbish. But she was such an asset in helping to destroy what little credibility the Red Tories once had. Look on YouTube for a video entitled:
“JOHANN LAMONT: Does anyone know what she’s talking about? Does she know herself?”
… and watch Lesley Riddoch and Alex Massie squirm in embarrassment…
Lamont’s departure will provide some respite for wee Jimmy Krankie, who must be fed up being accused of being nasty to Alex Salmond.
How about that Macintosh guy?
He would be good – if he could spell properly?
See my. Post earlier re Lamont’s successor , it’s going to be even better for us!!.
Johann Lamont will go down in history as the biggest idiot ever interviewed
just watch this its better than the two ronnies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bIhbrgXJcs
Johann Lamont resigns! Millions weep…………..with mirth mainly. We’ll never see her like again, unless Wendy reappears. Jackie Baillie for queen! Sorry I’m not genetically programmed for news like this.
She left her mark – a toty wee pish-stain on the underpants of Scottish history.
Quoted from BBC website (emphasis mine):
BBC Scotland understands that Ms Lamont has been unhappy for some time about the direction of party strategy.
In particular, she has wanted more autonomy for the party in Scotland and significant new powers for the Scottish parliament. She felt both of those objectives were being thwarted.
Hmmm. Really?
Labour Hame
Johann Lamont led the Scottish Labour Party to major success in the local government elections of 2012, and resounding victory in the independence referendum last month.
The party is currently enjoying a period of increasing membership and engagement.
Thank you Johann, for all you’ve done for the party. We wish you well for the future.
hope she now lets a few cats out the bag as she must be pissed off with the labour party
she was not genetically programmed to make political decisions.
Joy Division, ‘She’s Lost Control’ –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVc29bYIvCM
I’m going to miss her.
Gutted to hear that Johann has given up the Red Tory ghost – shame, I thought she was doing a grand job.
I wonder if she’ll finally spit out the wasp she’s been chewing for the last 3 years
NAW, WEE JIMMY JABBER MUST STAY.
SLABBER ARE BETTER TOGETHER.
🙂
It would have to be Malcolm Chisholm surely if Labour are remotely serious. However a James Kelly/Jackie Baillie dream team is my hope.
Anas Sarwar temporarily in charge. Sounds great, who will take the job full time knowing they are doomed in 2015 and 2016?
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/exclusive-scottish-labour-leader-johann-4502273
blaming London
Jo La finished ! Hip hip hooray .
As per my previous post on earlier thread , they show smugness as winners , but as winners they seam rattled !
Whoop whoop !
Pa Broon gonna step up , only if it doesn’t interfere with his £500k earnings as a ” speaker” or his ermine fitting .
Maybe we’ll find out how many voting members they’ve got.
Presumably the worthy successor will fill the Hydro.
Oh go, bring back Elmer
Jo La finished ! Hip hip hooray .
As per my previous post on earlier thread , they show smugness as winners , but as winners they seam rattled !
Whoop whoop !
Pa Broon gonna step up , only if it doesn’t interfere with his £500k earnings as a ” speaker” or his ermine fitting .
Just when you think it is a slow news day, Joanne Lamont resigns! Yes!
lanmonr sticking the boot in to WM lABOUR
Next focus Broon or Murphy
So Stairheid’s off in the huff, the Hereditary MP steps up to take over the Scottish Branch of Labour, JaBa will take over at Holyrood with Skeletor lurking in the wings but how will the MSM spin it without calling it chaos.
Without a debate surely not.
Bring back Iain Gray! 😀
You know it makes sense 😉
Bye bye Johann, when will we see you like again?
Answer:after the leadership elections….
I wonder if BBC Scotland will give this the same level of coverage as the SNP deputy leadership contest?
Will Johann still attend the Glasgow dinner?
What will the imperial master, Ed impose on SLAB now?
How will McTernan spin this one?
“There are so many unanswered questions” as she once said of Alex Salmond.
Happy days indeed.
Ken Macintosh?
(If Milliband remembers his name)
I hear she’s heading off across the pond to do a speaking tour.
Let’s be fair to Johann just for a minute. She was done over by London MPs regarding the Devo proposals. One of them should come up and take over,right?
They thought she would be a useful idiot, but she’s just an idiot.
Tony Bliar now sticking the knife in to Millibland.. labour imploding 🙂
Maybe Ken Macintosh is not the right man – seems far too sensible.
from wiki…
He described the 2011 Holyrood election result as a “disaster”, and that the party had been too negative and if it did not change it “will consign ourselves to steady decline and years of opposition.”
What great foresight the man has – a genius.
also…
In an early address to party members, Macintosh said he was a devolutionist, not a unionist.
Oh dear – that will be him finished for any potential future leadership then.
Miliband will be the next to go. CLUNKING Gordon saved the Union, so now he can save the Labour party…
bbc article wi lamonts resignation, archived (fitting epitaph: gone but also forgotten)
https://archive.today/sdt1w
@Ian Brotherhood says:
24 October, 2014 at 10:00 pm
She left her mark – a toty wee pish-stain on the underpants of Scottish history.
If I could favourite that, I would.
Strangely, I was listening to ‘CUD’ and their brilliant ‘Only (A Prawn in Whitby)’ as the news broke, which was the song that taught me the meaning of ‘apocryphal’ which could describe most things she said.
Then the track ‘Bibi Couldn’t See’ came on which I’ve always taken to be an anti-BBC track. Seemed apt.
Blasting Dinosaur Jr ‘Feel the Pain’ earlier seemed to sum up how I feel also.
Anyway, let’s hope the fecking greedy expenses cheat Snake Murphy get’s the gig. Given the sneaky B ruled it out 4 days ago, I imagine he has been skulking around pulling strings.
@Paula Rose, 9,17pm
Seriously, is the Rev going to be there?
Not that slow a news day now with Dave Cameron refusing to honour finacial contributions to EU as per agreed formula.This is almost defaulting if followed through.
UK happy to accept rebates from EU when economy performs poorly but welshes when outperforming other countries.
Whatever happened to “pooling and sharing”.Only when Westminster benefits,their true colours being shown to Europe.
How did you know?
YOU MUST HAVE KNOWN
I am totally astounded to hear Johann Lamont has resigned today.I honestly thought she had resigned years ago.
Who are they trying to kid with all this ‘blame London’ tripe.
The cold hard facts are that a whole list of “Scottish” Red Tory
("Tractor" - Ed)s sold us out.
Brown. Murphy. Darling. Alexander and many many many more.
Using Wee Jimmy Jabber as the (pre arranged) fall-guy might
fool a few Slabber supporters but it ain’t fooling us Yessers.
Wee Jimmy Jabber is nothing more than a pathetic wee obnoxious
wet fart of a ("Tractor" - Ed).
There was absolutely NOTHING stopping Slabber, a long time ago,
from coming out and declaring themselves separate from London
and declaring that they stand for Scottish Independence or other.
The fact is they didn’t – they love Scotland that much
their submission to The Smith Commission is THE poorest of ALL
party submissions. They thought Scotland worthy of nothing.
And Slabber were right in on that from day one.
Slabber are finished in Scotland – filthy red tory ("Tractor" - Ed)s.
Labour are also on the brink of disaster in England.
Slabber made a pact with the devil and no amount of gerrymandering will prevent the Yes movement from putting Slabber out of its misery.
Treating us like brainless incompetents is what got Slabber
into this mess in the first place. Driven, of course, by their
individual AND collective self-interest and greed.
Scotland must rid herself of the red tory ("Tractor" - Ed)s.
Well said Stoker. B***ards one and all.
William Hague MP is standing down at the 2015 GE. He would make a good leader for the Labservative Scotland Independent Branch Office.
DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD
WHICH OLD WITCH
THE WICKED WITCH
DING DONG THE WICKED WITCH IS DEAD 🙂
sorry couldn;t resist it.
Stoker 11.10
bravo sir well said.
Anus for the leaders job….. it will match both cheeks nicely.
Who’s next for the job . Skeletor , the Blob. of Mad mags
Does it matter… see stoker above 🙂
@Damn! And I was looking forward to the Scottish parties all having female leaders at Holyrood. All that work of wee digs about three witches of Endor and such like. Mind you I’m not really into cat-fights.
Isobel:,”what happened?”
Jackie Baillie “We are doing a wonderful job and the SNP is not listening”
Do not interfere when your enemy is self destructing!
Slow news day indeed, Mr Wings. Labour appear to have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.