The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Probably not a robbery

Posted on April 17, 2015 by

So, let’s just get this one straight, this morning’s English edition of The Sun – two parties with 316 seats are “stealing” an election from two parties with 309 seats?

bombshellshock

Want us to walk you through that whole “counting” thing again?

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

2 Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. 17 04 15 10:10

    Probably not a robbery | Politics Scotland | S...
    Ignored

  2. 17 04 15 10:33

    Probably not a robbery | Speymouth
    Ignored

65 to “Probably not a robbery”

  1. Brian MacLeod
    Ignored
    says:

    Ah, you see, it’s those damned colonials in Scotland.

    Their votes shouldn’t count unless they vote for one of the master race parties. 🙂

    We’re coming to get them, and they don’t like it when the peasants are revolting.

  2. Kenneth McCargow
    Ignored
    says:

    Stu, I don’t think you need to walk us through it. Even the unionists know the score, even if they won’t admit it. Why do they keep talking about “winning” or “losing” the election?

  3. gordoz
    Ignored
    says:

    Clearly SNP are the brains in such an outfit.

    Best leave Labour to do the heavy lifting as they say.

  4. mogabee
    Ignored
    says:

    SHOCK! HORROR! The people are going to have their say.:D

  5. Clootie
    Ignored
    says:

    This democracy thing can be so unfair.Funny how it was OK for the Tories last September but not now!

  6. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    The LibDems nicked it, did they? No complains about the ConDems. National unity etc.

    The MSM are such hypocrites.

  7. Tackety Beets
    Ignored
    says:

    Ed’s clear refusal to work with the SNP last night ?

    So Ed was that the ” Bitter Together” you preached to us about for the last 2 years ?

    It only means we all need to re-double our efforts to have 50+ SNP MPs down there .
    If 85% of our MPs have no voice then this would also be the “Change in circumstance” Nicola refers ?

    I think Ed may have under estimated the rUK view on SNP policy ? ( Based from Twitter Feedback)

  8. Giesabrek
    Ignored
    says:

    Ah but Stu, as pointed out in this here website recently, even Jim (blue as in Tory) Smurph would agree that the SNP and Labour would be stealing the election, since according to him the biggest party forms the government.

    It was pointed out here that the Smurph himself is helping the Tories to win this election, even if they don’t have an overall majority. Question is though, if/when the SNP call for a confidence vote against a Tory/LibDem government that doesn’t have an overall majority, how will Labour vote? To boot out the Tories and LibDems? Or to abstain or actively vote to keep them in power.

    If a Labour party with less seats that the Tories refuse to form a government with the SNP’s help then as Nicola says, the people won’t forgive Labour. If Labour then refuse to vote down the minority Tory/LibDem government, I think we can safely say goodbye to Labour, in Scotland anyway, for a very, very long time. We’re certainly living in interesting and exciting times!

  9. Fran
    Ignored
    says:

    323-316= 7 SNP/LAB short of working majority even by Sun own calcs.
    286+23+8(ulster unionists)?= 317 right wing stole it back, but still short.

    Could be here doing this all day.

    Is this the start of the media putting the scare stories of a re-election if England don’t vote tory?

  10. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    The Sun/and MSM, have all shown their face.They are trying their best to destroy Scottish democracy. Anything but us unruly Scots it seems. They are very scared of how their monopoly could fall, we can expect this anti Scottish line up to and beyond the election.

    The BBC as bias as hell this morning, particularly and anti Nicol line. They are picking their callers well, and in the first few minutes it was a rave against her.
    Which of course was the exact opposite of viewers opinions last night. Hail the BBC, not!

  11. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Huv U seen the wie ah walk Waddle like ah Duck,so,s no thanks I,ll just ignore aw the SH****s , put the Bull before that.

  12. Alex Waugh
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m only surprised that it’s taken a sub-editor so long to connect the two names this way, given the ole cream bun’s fondness for pithy, oversized headlines. I suspect the eureka moment of “Hey look what happens if you shorten ‘Nicola’ and then add ‘Ed’.” came first and the story was written to match it. The layout suggests that readers are expected to react to the headline and the pic. – not actually read anything. Sadly, the Sun probably has the correct measure of its buyers.

    The most disgusting thing, however, is the clear message that anyone who, having been democratically elected, turfs the Tories out is a criminal. Sorry, but we know who the real criminals are.

  13. JPFife
    Ignored
    says:

    Lol, it’s also saying the largest party (tories) would not form the government. Have you shown it to Jim?

  14. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    The biggest party form the agovernment..even Yvette Cooper told us that ob Question Time last night. Im now wondering if this will be Labours cop out “Fair dues..tiries have mire seats and we did say biggest party makes govt so we step away”

    Fair olay by the way for a clever paper headline…should be NICH-ED it but still very clever name play..and nice to see Nichola at the front

  15. yerkitbreeks
    Ignored
    says:

    Isn’t politics great ! I’m so glad I finally got involved. Canvassing yesterday with occasional “not going to vote”ers, they’ve no idea what they’re missing.

    And the fun can be achieved if necessary by sitting on your backside.

  16. Louis B Argyll
    Ignored
    says:

    The BBC bias is now relentless. It is being fine tuned.
    note to journalists and editors… WAKE UP… IT IS YOUR COMPLICITY THAT PROPS UP THE UNFAIR ESTABLISHMENT.

    Remember how women had to shake up the establishment to get their vote…was their struggle.undemocratic?

    History will be using media manipulation to sort out the fudge of facts and patronage.

    Every half truth is a nail in the coffin of the MSMedia..

  17. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    There was a time, not so long ago, when Labour perceived as a party with a large number of Scots in senior roles – Brown, Reid, Darling, Alexander, Murphy, others who escape recollection.

    This was an English perception, those particular Scots did very little for Scotland. However, it definitely was a perception.

    They’ve had five years of a more English flavoured rule (with the odd LibDem exception) – people just like themselves.

    Now the SNP threaten to raise the Scottish Profile at Westminster, England’s parliament, and they don’t like it,

    Suppose the result were something like (which is more probable) …

    Lab 285
    Con 265
    Lib 25
    SNP 40

    …. They still wouldn’t like the idea of Lab supported by the SNP.

  18. Dewar
    Ignored
    says:

    Electoral Calculus site currently has blue tories with more votes but red tories with more seats. This also happened in the Feb 1974 and Oct 1951 elections. If this plays out on May 7th will both claim victory?

  19. 1971Thistle
    Ignored
    says:

    But Jim Murphy said that the party with the highest number of seats….

  20. scunnered
    Ignored
    says:

    maybe what they mean is if its a Scottish party that’s involved then they mustve stole it because were not supposed to get involved in these things
    were only important when it comes to things like losing oil revenue
    stole it,nicked it,pinched it,smuggled it I couldn’t care less as long as it gets us closer to the end game

  21. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    At which point will the Lib Dems no longer be termed “One of the 3 main parties”?

  22. heedtracker
    Ignored
    says:

    Nicked must be teamGB far right journos finest pun ever. Rupert’s soaraway Sun editors were on telly last night, all very jolly and smiley, just like neo fascism always is. BBC says “look at nice uncle Rupert’s staff teamGB, they’re hard line right wing lechers yes, but aren’t they smiley and jolly,” sort of BBC bullshit.

  23. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Say it ain’t so!

    You mean they don’t want a democracy of consensus driven politics? 😮

    They don’t love us or want us to be part of that great family? That our representatives aren’t acceptable?

    Who knew?

  24. grahamlive
    Ignored
    says:

    Why the hell are they worried? It’s an absolute undisputed fact that the largest Party always forms the government. Isn’t it Jim?

  25. joe macfarlane
    Ignored
    says:

    But will the labour mp’s hatred of the snp be stronger than the desire to be I government, or wil some side with the tories rather than have an agreement with snp, with some the hatred runs deep enough for that to happen. Definitely going to be interesting few weeks.

  26. orri
    Ignored
    says:

    Replace SNP in the above with Progressive Alliance. The look on Milliband’s face in the picture with the three lassies hugging tells it all. Although a simple confidence and supply with enough SNP members might be possible any attempt at a coalition with the Greens and PC making numbers with the LDs in order to exclude the SNP isn’t going to work.

  27. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    There are two battles – the immediate party political scramble for seats, and the future of the Union.

    I think their near death experience in September brought the ‘Scotland situation’ into focus for the London bubble in a way it previously hadn’t been.

    I find it quite difficult to judge which battle the Unionists are fighting in any particular situation.

    I can’t quite make my mind up how much the demonisation of the SNP has to do with Con-Lab-Lib party politics as each manoeuvres for advantage, and how much is because WM realises a strong SNP is an ongoing threat to their Union. The Sun’s article could be anti-Lab pro-Con electioneering, or pro-Union propaganda, or both.

    Perhaps this will all become clearer in the months after the GE.

  28. One_Scot
    Ignored
    says:

    It’s almost as if The Sun writes the headline, and then makes up the story to fit.

  29. Valerie
    Ignored
    says:

    desimond, I agree, sick of seeing the Lib dems everywhere, when the polls have them in the bin.

    Farage is asking for an inquiry into the BBC bias in the audience, which is rich, given that we have complained for months that this turd is never off our screen. He has two ex Tory who were sitting members in the House, and he is feted like a hero.

    BTW, have we spotted what today’s disaster for SNP/Scotland is, given Nicola turned in a fab performance?

  30. Joemcg
    Ignored
    says:

    Well, that’s the Red Tory and Murphy mantra completely blown out of the water at last. Just need to show this cover to any one of them that utters it again.

  31. bjsalba
    Ignored
    says:

    Shall shall we apply this to local councils? How many of them have been stolen then?

  32. ronnie anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    You could,nt make that Headline Up. Oh they just didedit,withoot the Edit. Must have been written by their Crystal Ball Editor.

  33. Barontorc
    Ignored
    says:

    Forget the number crunching, this or that, the fact of Miliband saying in public, on air that there’s no chance of Labour turning to the SNP block, means only one thing; Labour are terrified to take power and are happier to stay in opposition. So a labour vote, anywhere in the UK is a wasted vote.

    No wonder Cameron and Clegg couldn’t be bothered turning-up – they already know Labour has crapped out.

    It seems the cushy opposition, no pressure – but wages and expenses still flowing in, is the much more preferred trougher option and why are we surprised?

    Murphy’s standards are riven through the whole Labour Party. When are the true socialists gonna tell them to beat it?

  34. Donald Urquhart
    Ignored
    says:

    Demonisation and mis-representation.

    Callers to BBC Radio Scotland calling Sturgeon a “witch” and “aggressive”…. what debate did they watch?

    Can excuse BBC the views of their callers,,, but not two total lies in same news bulletin….

    “Nicola Sturgeon offered Ed Milliband a coalition” – not true, total lie.

    “Jim Murphy will end zero hour contracts”- not true, total lie. – he has only said he will end “exploitative zero hour contracts”. Big difference.

    Radio Scotland also calling Lib Dems one of the three main parties.. based on what membership, poll ratings, recent results?

  35. Geoff Huijer
    Ignored
    says:

    So, the media are still telling us what they want because.. er.. it worked during indyref.

    Will it work now, however, with many more people aware of their tactics?

    And SKY News mentioning only ONE poll from last night.

    That would be the only one that had Miliband ahead of Sturgeon (Survation -> 34% – 31%).

    Oh what a surprise and oh what a lovely war.

  36. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    Listened to that Norman Thingy BBC journo this morning and he said, Nigel Farage was being a bit silly criticising Auntie Beeb for bias coz he remembers the Nationalists waving placards and banners outside the BBC in Glasgow and that backfired on them

    So criticising Auntie Beeb isn’t always the best idea he opined
    What do you think he meant by that?

  37. Graham MacLure
    Ignored
    says:

    When the bottomless trough” of taxpayers money looks as if it could be snatched from under your snout it is a time of “Better Together”.
    That is where I see an error in all previous arithmetic as the Tory vote should be counted as the two highest figures giving a comfortable majority over the plague of Scots and the now expended Libdims.

  38. bookie from hell
    Ignored
    says:

    strangely I think SNP left of centre stance is helping Labour down South,even thou they are not as left wing.

  39. Wulls
    Ignored
    says:

    I knew we couldn’t rely on the Sun for accuracy or unbiased reporting
    but I did think the eejits could count or at least have a handle on democracy 101
    Unbelievably unsurprising.

  40. Tîm Criced i Gymru
    Ignored
    says:

    Don’t forget the between 3 and 5 Plaid Cymru stalwarts that will help you tip the balance – we might be a bit wee here in Cymru, but we’re right behind you!
    At least Leanne did state one extra thing last night to add to Nicola’s ‘We won’t at any cost be propping Tory govt.”, by adding, “…neither will we prop up a Labour govt. that insists on following basically the same line.”
    I have no truck whatsoever with either of the 2 ‘main’ Brit parties – let’s get the h— out of here asap, fellow Celts!

  41. Taranaich
    Ignored
    says:

    And SKY News mentioning only ONE poll from last night.

    That would be the only one that had Miliband ahead of Sturgeon (Survation -> 34% – 31%).

    A poll which was also apparently weighted disproportionately in Labour’s favour, and which also crucially put Nicola ahead when respondents were asked who performed best putting aside their party political preferences:

    Putting aside your own party preference and basing your answer on what you saw or heard during the programme, which one of the 5 leaders do you think performed the ‘best’? (Survation, respondents across Britain) :

    Nicola Sturgeon 35.2%
    Ed Miliband 29.3%
    Nigel Farage 25.5%
    Natalie Bennett 5.3%
    Leanne Wood 4.7%

    http://scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/super-sturgeon-claims-31-backing-in.html

  42. bjsalba
    Ignored
    says:

    @bookie from hell
    If I lived in England, I’d write to my Labour candidate telling him I was voting for him one last time. I would tell him I expect to him to work with SNP to deliver a left of centre policies.

    I would warn him that if he fails to do so, the Labour Party will never get my vote again in any election at any level of Government, and that I would be working to set up a new party to put them out of power forever.

  43. desimond
    Ignored
    says:

    Every senior Labour member and Jim Murphy have been asked about a potenial deal with the SNP or choosing to allow the Tories into Government.

    They continue to hum and haw.
    Talk about playing a dangerous game. Either way regardless the SNP grows in strength and reputation.

  44. Harry McAye
    Ignored
    says:

    Just watched Kay Burley give Nicola quite a grilling. Didn’t really lay a glove on her though and had a snidey remark alluding to the French Consulate conversation that never happened and was quickly slapped down by Oor Nic!

  45. Dave McEwan Hill
    Ignored
    says:

    The most significant and memorable element of the debate is the “Tory lite” development.

    This concept should be continuously promoted.
    It is a very clever way of suggesting that there is, from Scotland’s point of view, very little difference in a London Tory government and a London Labour one and trumps the perceived Scottish desire for a Labour government by providing an attractive prospect of a Labour government “kept honest” only by a huge SNP presence.

    I see a number of scribes supporting FFA as a useful step. It is in fact a dangerous impediment but we’ll get SFA unless we revert to promoting independence strongly after this election.

  46. Fergus Green
    Ignored
    says:

    Wouldn’t it be good if Nicola could come out and say something like this:

    ‘Of course, the big winner in last night’s debate was David Dimblebey as he demonstrated his ability to facilitate a discussion between party leaders where there were very few interruptions and almost no attempts to shout down opponents, thus affording viewers an opportunity to listen to and evaluate opposing arguments for themselves’

    James Cook and Gordon Brewer please take note.

  47. chalks
    Ignored
    says:

    I think you all forget Murdoch was ready to support scottish independence until some trotsky’s got ahold of him in the north east when he was up here to get a feel for things….now his sole intention is cause havoc with westminster and more importantly, cameron and co, by having his papers wind up the english white van drivers and middle class with provocative stuff like this, it is ultimately, precisely what we all want to see in England, a refusal from them to do business with scotland which will lead to the end of the union.

  48. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    The Kay Burley Interview

    Opening sequence over Burleys shoulder kept in focus the only book on the bookshelf facing outwards was a black book with the title “REICHS”

    I dont know the book in question but, (this was no accident)
    as during the interview it was kept in shot continually top left of our picture

    I don’t give a shit whether complaints are lodged and denied or any other shit that comes out of broadcasters mouths on this
    To me this “placement” was more than i care to accept on any level and i hope every reasonable Scot and Brit sees the Broadcasters for what they are

    This kind of behaviour is vile

  49. boris
    Ignored
    says:

    Take the test if you feel brave.
    http://www.borderagencyscotland.com/

  50. Edward
    Ignored
    says:

    The thing that strikes me most is the sheer amount of information on the internet flowing around.

    I’m speaking as someone who has voted in 10 UK General Elections
    Of that only the last 6 Elections have been in the computer age and of that only real interaction through the internet has developed about 5 years ago (that is Blogging, Twitter, Facebook)

    In the 2010 GE we relied, I think more on the broadcast media, though we did have internet interaction.

    Now this time I find myself watching the debate on TV (old media) and simultaneously watching comment on twitter from WOS and from the debates own hash tag and looking at ITV’s ‘worm’

    What I found funny (very funny in fact) is watching the post debate interviews in the ‘Spin Room’ with bias broadcasters, Politicians and newspaper editors spouting obvious garbage.
    I say obvious garbage as they fail to realise that everyone has just watched the same thing AND have been interacting all the way through the debate via twitter!

    Even today broadcasters such as Sky and the BBC still punt the unionist spin, even stating that Miliband came out ahead, based on one single slanted poll. Reminder to these idiot broadcasters WE ALL SAW THE CONSTANT UPDATES, WE ALL SAW EVERY POST DEBATE POLL!

  51. scav
    Ignored
    says:

    Again, the tactical mistake of portraying the person you are trying to ridicule in front of Number 10, thereby making it seem thinkable that they will be in power.

    Also, look at the miserablist, medieval Tories. Look at the depressed, defeated, used-up LibDems. Now look at that mocked-up picture of Nicola and Ed, having a huge laugh in front of Number 10. I think if UKIP have taught us anything it’s that about 13% of the population crave a laugh more than they want serious politics.

    Massive own-goal by the Sun if they are really trying to discourage a Labour vote in England.

    Essentially irrelevant in Scotland, where nobody is terrified of either Nicola or Ed (if for very different reasons!)

  52. JLT
    Ignored
    says:

    Fran
    323-316= 7 SNP/LAB short of working majority even by Sun own calcs.
    286+23+8(ulster unionists)?= 317 right wing stole it back, but still short.

    Fran, you’re forgetting about Plaid Cymru and the Greens. They’re seats would mean victory for Labour (and the SNP).

  53. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    So democracy is bad eh? Ah well, the ConDems have been lording it over Scotland for the past five years…

    Can someone remind me what the combined ConDem vote was in Scotland in 2010?

  54. Chris Downie
    Ignored
    says:

    Could there be a scenario where no combination secures a majority?

    Sinn Fein are likely to hold their 5 seats and will almost certainly continue to abstain, thus reducing the amount required for a majority from 326 to 323.

    That would mean that, with Cameron and co. on 286 and the LD’s on 23, they could join forces with the DUP (8 seats) and UKIP (possibly 4-5 seats) and get 321 or 322… which would lead to what? Another election? Organised chaos?

    Interesting times…

  55. Edward
    Ignored
    says:

    Just seen Kay Burley on Sky News mentioning that Nicola Sturgeons husband bought Nicola a painting for her birthday.

    Nothing note worthy about that

    But apparently (and I’m not sure if this is true) but the painting is of Nicola clad in leather and showing a pierced belly button!

    If that’s true then that’s the BDSM vote guaranteed for the SNP 😀

  56. Wee Chid
    Ignored
    says:

    Can one of the conditions of support be that they get rid of Ed please?

  57. Les Wilson
    Ignored
    says:

    I am totally sick to death of the bias Media,in all it’s faces. Yes, they have many of those, and every one biased.

  58. Richardinho
    Ignored
    says:

    The Labour party has spend the last several weeks telling everyone that the party with the most number of seats form the government. Now when there is a prospect of the Labour party having less seats than the Tories but still forming a government people are naturally a bit perturbed.

  59. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    I’ve read through the comments and the real point of that SUN item seems to be whooshing over many heads.

    This whole story boils down to just one basic presumption that the South Britain Establishment has always held as true. To them the entire Archipelago is England’s. Mind you it used to be they had designs on the whole World.

    The only way they could push the ideas in that article is by the mental fixations I’ve been wibbling on about for years. To them England, Britain, Great Britain and the United Kingdom all mean the same thing – It’s all one country and that country is England and it all belongs to them.

    They see the Welsh and Northern Irish as really being English or at best as English possessions. They used to think the same about we Scots until we got too big for our kilts. Don’t take my word for it take theirs. I already posted the UK Government funded study that says exactly that. David Mundell described it like this : -“The Treaty of Union extinguished the Kingdom of Scotland and renamed the Kingdom of England as the United Kingdom”.

    I have the Study paper as a PDF file but the link to the study paper on-line has become strangely very hard to find now. So that is the Unionist thinking and it is actually now fact. The Westminster Parliament of the United Kingdom is indeed the de facto Parliament of the country of England.

    It has 533 members who were elected as members of the United Kingdom Parliament along with another 117 non-English members but in fact Westminster runs England as the UK under England’s legal system, it funds England as the UK and devolves UK powers to only the non-English countries.

    So when there is the threat of the Scots and Welsh members of that, nominally, United Kingdom parliament they see it as interference in the actual Parliament of England – “THEIR COUNTRY”.

    That SUN article can only be believed if the idea is fixed in the mind that Scotland is a foreign country in an English Parliament.

    Westminster has only one real way to correct the matter. Get the parliament of England to hell out of the United Kingdom Parliament and give all four UK countries equal devolved functions.

  60. Lollysmum
    Ignored
    says:

    Bsjalba
    I’ve already done just that. However I neglected to say that I won’t be in England to vote as I’ll be in Scotland, helping out with canvassing 🙂

    As for Milliband, with the receptions that Nicola has been getting down here in England, he isn’t likely to say anything before the election about being supported by SNP. After the results are known they are going to have to spin like mad to a) work with SNP or b) refuse to work with SNP.
    He will be trapped between a rock & a hard place. He either loses Labour in Scotland if a) or he sacrifices the union if b) because this could well herald the change in circumstances that Nicola refers to.

    Either way, he is in trouble with a capital T. Too many people in rUK have now seen Nicola in action & like what they see. They are recognising that she is in a class apart from the rest & he will be answerable to them. Fun & games to come 🙂

  61. McBoxheid
    Ignored
    says:

    Tories WILL win most seats!!!
    There was me thinking it still has to be decided by the electorate and the sun can’t possibly know the actual numbers until after the final vote is counted. Silly me!
    Their crystal ball must be back from repair.
    To accuse that both of these parties (SNP and Lab), if democratically elected on May 7th, are somehow guilty of theft is saying that it would be an illegal government instead of a perfectly legal and acceptable method of forming the one.
    Libel anyone?

  62. Alba
    Ignored
    says:

    I don’t think maths is a requirement for reading, or writing in the Sun.

  63. MrObycyek
    Ignored
    says:

    If Scotland are part of the union then they have a legitimate right to have a say in said union. This is not rocket science. The Unionist parties seem to think that Scotland should remain part of their corrupt system but that they should not have a voice in it and should just be happy to let them continue to poorly run things for them. Sadly there are actually people in Scotland who are fine with that idea. Imbeciles.

  64. BornOptimist
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m looking forward to the day when the Tories are the largest party but don’t have an overall majority and Labour form the Government when supported by (but not in coalition with) the SNP, etc.

    Is Jim Murphy going to say the Tories should form the Government?

    Don’t be silly, he’ll just trot out something else, won’t he?

  65. Gary
    Ignored
    says:

    A very telling admission was made in the last 24 hours.

    In a television interview, as part of a panel, Polly Toynbee admitted that SNP have every right to govern if so elected. She obviously wasn’t pro-SNP but wasn’t overly worried about Labour working with them.



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.




↑ Top