World Of Hubris
Posted on
May 08, 2015 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
But having mocked these unfortunate predictions, it’s only fair that we should put up a hostage to fortune ourselves. So maybe we’ll have to take our sniggers about this one on the chin in 12 months’ time:
We’re willing to take that risk.
A big thank you to the Rev. Stuart Campbell for tirelessly exposing the lies of the unionist politicians and media which led to a very well informed Scottish electorate delivering a stunning result.
I am delighted that my fears of massive vote rigging were not proved right.
But think about the result. The Tories got a majority and Scotland’s only Tory MP survived.
Could it be that the British Establishment was too busy rigging the vote in the Tories’ favour to care much about rigging it in Scotland in Labour’s favour?
Two of the three unionist MPs who survived did so by playing extremely dirty, aided as always by the media, especially Pravda GB.
The Scottish Tory MP’s 798 vote majority could have easily been rigged (Morag?). I am also unhappy that Green voters didn’t see it right to vote SNP to unseat a Tory MP in a seat in which they themselves had no chance.
A Tory government will be harsh but will lead to independence much faster than any government led by that total plonker Milliband (with SNP support).
It would have been very harmful to the SNP for getting involved with Labour in any way – Labour is the most corrupt of the formerly three, now two “main” unionist parties.
Looking back on all of this is fun.
So much for the certainty born out of ignorance. It’ll pay politicians to get to know people from now on, let alone take them for granted.
🙂
Jim was right; they didn’t lose a single seat, it was Edinburgh South.
There’s a German word for this feeling……escapes me for the moment…….lol
Hell mend them.
I’ve just been visiting the twitter accounts of Kezia, Margrit, Murphy and Douglas Alexander.
I loved how a few days ago they were having a smear fest, and telling anyone daft enough to listed how great their campaigning teams were doing and what a brilliant response they were getting.
Bye bye Labour…thanks for nothing!
Now that’s a confident looking FM in waiting if ever i’ve seen one.
Needs more glue.
“Scottish Labour’s new leader: we won’t lose a single seat to the SNP”
Well, he was right!
Labour didn’t lose one, they lost a whole lot of seats (40) to the SNP 🙂
Can’t be the labour party then,as I doubt he’ll last the weekend.
Maybe he’s planning a comeback as leader of the new “I haven’t worked a day in my life,please don’t send me to the job centre party”
handclapping says:
8 May, 2015 at 10:10 pm
Jim was right; they didn’t lose a single seat, it was Edinburgh South.
Clever 😛
He looks more like the ‘Moodie’ version with every passing hour.
Does Greg Moodie base his drawings of Jim Murphy on the real Jim Murphy, or does Jim Murphy base his facial contortions on the drawings produced by Greg Moodie?
His methods for demolishing Labour prospects are so effective, I’m beginning to think McTernan must be some kind of Tory infiltra(c)tor.
Problem is there is a big chance Labour will get a more Blairite leader and the UK will be more than ever between two shades of tories. If only the people that voted no in the referedum could get a time machine and see this. It’s good to see labour getting a kick but for those that will live the next five years with zero hour contracts, bedroom tax, legalized tax dodging while public services are ravaged this election was a disgrace.
Nice one Rev Stu,
Murphy is just a political genius – what vision he has.
I fully support his decision to stay and I hope he keeps Macternan and MacDougal on as his SPADs.
Just Brilliant – after SE16 and the local government elections, Labour will cease to exist in Scotland as a political party.
Then that will be the right time for Murphy to resign from the SLAB leadership – perhaps he will be the only one left.
Murphy has nothing to lose since he has lost his 5 year stint representing East Renfrewshire! After yesterday’s election we can see why he announced just the other day that he would represent ERenf for a full term.
He obviously got wind of the potential voting intentions and thought by saying he would stay the full 5 years he would stem the tide. Not for the first time he was wrong.
If he resigns as party leader he will be a goner for ever and he knows it. His only chance left for his ego is to try and keep going for a year and get elected directly or by regional vote to Holyrood. Watch how will sook up to the Holyrood MSP’s before asking one to stand down. He is a bit unlucky there are a few ex MP’s lining up to do likewise.
@ Rev Sos.
link to youtube.com
O/T
Very interesting read..
link to medium.com
I need a bath.
Has no one else said it yet? – ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold.’
Well, in this case warmish; but it’ll do.
He does look quite mad in today’s Herald. And it takes a certain kind of madness to deliver a resignation speech without resigning.
Murphy can’t resign. He knows if he does his “political career” is over. There are too many Ex labour MP’s who will be wanting to go on the Holyrood candidate lists. Murphy is in the way but they are too cowardly to oust him…….yet. Desperation will set in.. The whispering campaign will begin….does Kezia wish to stand aside?
Johan Lamont must have a wry smile.
What a tosser Murhy is… as previously noted, he is going to use lawyers against his own party to cling onto power.
And he and his two amigo’s Curran and Duggie lost their seat even after channeling all the resources of the northern branch office into these three seats to win.
My reckoning is that there is plenty of further fun to come from down at the Scottish(sic) Labour funny farm.
What’s hubris? Do you need a crisp packet?
Dear Stuart Campbell,
Thank you.
Regards,
Scotland.
What happens to Fozzie now he’s the last orangotange in Scotland?
Surely, without being in the ConDem coalition any more he reverts back to a common or garden MP, no longer SoS?
As for Fluffty Mundle, from the nervous look on his face throughout the evening clearly worried about something, maybe burly blokes, yet once he mounted the stage all smiles?
20,000 Tories in his constituency seems excessive.
If I were the SG I’d be taking a forensic look at that result.
Does anyone take Hothersall seriously?
When it comes to getting Labour candidates elected, Duncan’s been about as effective as a luffing sail.
Noone has picked up on Big Dim Jim’s visit to the lawyers. You only have to be an elected representative at the time of the election to stand as a Labour leader.
Now the plan was that he’d head North and “save” Scotland for Labour and, when Ed went, he’d go South not stopping at Derby and claim the real leadership for himself.
“Ode mainly in the Scottish tongue to a Jim on losing East Renfrewshire.”
Poor wee co’ering … men gang aft agley!
Did those stolen White Van Man ballot papers go to Grant Schapps
marginal constituencies for Conservatives.
what was it? roughly 1500 votes
Proportional representation must be brought in !!!!!!
Labour in Scotland – from a power-base on ‘red Clydeside’ to a whimper in ‘red Morningside’ (South Edinburgh), a once in a generation achievement!
Murphy is so blind he does not perceive he took part in a revolution but was on the wrong side of the palace gates.
Loony actress Frances Barbour has tweeted that SNP supporters are racist. Maybe she should hook up with fellow Labourite Ian Smart and see what a real racist looks like. Or she could just look in the mirror.
Those messages from SLAB should really act as a warning to the SNP on the dangers of hubris, and the need to keep their feet on the ground. We still have a long way to go, and we do not want to get sucked into the British establishment, and neutered in the way that SLAB have over the decades. It completely blunted their cutting edge.
@Hamish10
I don’t believe the ex-MPs will attempt to get into Holyrood next year, as I think the kicking they have just taken will be too raw, and they won’t want to take the risk of a second kicking so soon.
Besides, with their disdain for Holyrood in the past, they’d probably feel it was a humiliating step down for them. I think they’ll bide their time till the next GE and attempt to get back to Westminster (if we’re still unfortunate enough to be in the UK) or just disappear. I’d recommend the latter myself.
Feel very sorry for Mr Hay in Edinburgh South losing through dirty tricks and lies by that horrible little bunter Murray. He looked devastated and looked like he wanted to murder the pie eater when offered a handshake. Hope the eejits who voted for the winner regretted the decision after watching his disgusting appearance on telly after the declaration.
First up I’d like to add my voice to every other voice thanking you Stu for your fearless and steadfst stance on calling out the lies,smears, dirty tricks etc of the unionist parties during the referendum and now the 2015 General Election. I think you should walk tall in the knowledge that without your tireless efforts last night’s results here in Scotland would not have been so dcisive, in my village idiot view. 😉
Many may recall way back in the recent past I was one who said we could win 59 seats. I admit I was supping from the glass of over optimism every time I said this but if you don’t ask and don’t dream you never receive. 🙂 I have to admit though that I was still surprised and even a wee bit shocked by last night’s exit poll predictions. 😛
Can I apologise to everyone here for our failure here in Dumfries, Clydesdale and Tweeddale to boot Fluffy out of office. Just like Emma and everyone who worked so tirelessly for her to win I was truly gutted by last night’s result. What I will say though is that I think, sorry Morag 😉 , there were some definitively dirty shenanigans going on yesterday instigated by Ruth Davidson and her now infamous tweet about burly blokes preventing voters entering polling station in Annan if they didn’t vot for a “particular party.”
Up till now I have had a reserved level of respect for Davidson but after this event that has all but disappeared. Personally I hope the police can investigate this matter although I suspect nothing will come from it, much like the *ahem* interviews she had after the referendum.
Finally can I just give a huge THANK YOU to Emma Harper for giving up her time to stand for our constituency. She should NEVER feel downheartend by last night’s result. Yes we didn’t win but we dID give Fluffy one hell of a bloody nose. His majority in this constituency has been cut from one of thousands to one of hundreds. THIS in itself is something everyone here in DCT should be extremely proud of. Remember back in 2010 the S.N.P. ended up in fourth place many, many thousands of votes behind Fluffy. Last night we pushed him hard, ever so hard that we did almost achieve the impossible.
To everyone from DCT who worked so tirelessly for a victory I can only say one thing … THANK YOU.
This looks like the original image Greg Moodie used. Mind you, he must’ve been spoilt for choice. It’s well-buried in Google ‘Images’, but does seem to fit the bill:
link to i.dailymail.co.uk
Imagine how it’s going to be for those three unionists tavelling down to London…on their own. No pals to make wise cracks with; just themselves staring out the window of the train or plane going south and looking at Scotland receding into the distance: no one even bothering to wave them goodbye.
Suck it right up!
DimJims having ah period of stability,ahem Kezia,s goat ah spare Tampax in her handbag,& he knows where he should shove it,ittle stop the skitters Jim.
As Derek Bateman said tonight, I hope he stays on, nothing like having a confirmed loser leading a campaign.
I think he is acting just as we have come to expect from him, and it is with great relief, we can say we no longer have to foot the bill for this delusional behaviour, he will have to do it on his own time. I want my taxes put to better use!
Thank you Rev. for all that you do, along with all the other great writers, AND I would like to think The National has helped our case as well, despite its detractors!
Labour fell victim to the pro-SNP vote north of the Border and the anti-SNP vote south of it; having sacrificed themselves in Scotland on the alter of the Union. (Nice to see First Past the Post benefit the SNP for once).
However, those of us savouring this victory would do well to keep our feet firmly on the ground…
Only 23% of the total electorate voted SNP in the 2011 Holyrood election (50% turnout)
Only 38% of the total electorate voted Yes in the 2014 Independence referendum (85% turnout)
Only 35% of the total electorate voted SNP in the 2015 Westminster election (70% turnout)
Let us not become complacent for much work remains to be done!
I’m starting to pick up more on some of the confusion the BBC seems to have with simple statistics I think.
Reporting Scotland just said that the average 24% swing to SNP in Scotland meant that ‘about 1 in 4 labour voters’ had changed their vote.
Surely what he really meant was 1 in 4 of all voters?
Hubris is such a great word
Urban Dictionary: hubris
link to urbandictionary.com
Top Definition. hubris. From the Greek word of the same spelling, the concept of overweaning pride, or expectations that far exceed the scope of one’s being.
Well Jimbo was right, he didn’t lose a single seat he retained a single seat and even better than that, it wasn’t his.
I wonder how long it will take for his remaining colleagues to sharpen their bayonets for him.
Within a week, we are going to be amazed at the amount of coverage and deference which will still be given to the non-entity Murphy by the BBC and other corporate media.
Will you forgive me for posting a link to what I wrote this morning? In the euphoria it may not seem relevant, but I believe it will prove in time to be the most important thing I have written. So much so I haven’t posted anything since in order to give people time to find it.
link to craigmurray.org.uk
Winning Holyrood again is not a formality.
There was a perfect storm of events which lead to the ‘impossible’ result the last time.
Re Joemcg at 10.52 says:
The only reason Labour held onto Edinburgh South was down to a dirty tricks smear campaign, supported by the Tory press, and tactically voting by 25% of Tory voters who supported the ultra unionist Labour MP.
Who can forget Ian Murray’s Union Jack jacket photo op at an expenses paid freebie at Glastonbury?
Rev Stu
I suggest that this post and a selection of other key WoS posts should be published in hardback and become compulsory reading for all students of politics in all Universities in Scotland.
I suspect not all SPADs study politics so a copy should also be held by all MSPs and Scottish MPS so their “staff” can be enlightened.
Don’t worry this suggestion is not made with the aim of making you redundant. Just hoping it will make your task more challenging. 😉
I still believe I’m going to score a hat-trick for Scotland against Brazil in a World Cup Final. I am only 43 after all.
I’m flattered, somebody is reading my essay in Tonga. 🙂
link to wp.me
Great day for the people of Scotland, but I think a bad few will be sticking a pin in a map of Europe to find the best place to move, property prices allowing, of course.
Now that the SNP is clearly the third force in UK politics, will the “national” BBC and other broadcasters give the same coverage on news and current affairs programmes as they currently give to the Lib Dems?
For example I look forward to an SNP representative on every Question Time programme rather than their obsession with UKIP.
I’m in a wee bit of confused state tonight 😉 over Murph the Smurph. I may be wrong but I am pretty sure that the Labour party determined that the holder of the post of branch manager HAD to be either an M.P. or M.S.P.
Now that the Smurph is no longer an M.P. then under Labour party rules he should surely stand down. However, as some may recall it was recently reported that he had been seen visiting his lawyers to apparently discuss how he could stay on as branch manager if he lost his seat. We now know that this is what he intendes to do. If I were a Labour member I’d be calling in the *ahem* heavyweights to kick Murphy out as he no longer merits that position. As we all know however Murphy will cling on by any means he can find.
I said above I was confused and the confusion rises from what I said above re Murphy being required, in my understanding, to vacate the post of branch manager and being a S.N.P. member who wants him to stay on as branch manager because, in my view, he is the best weapon in the S.N.P. armoury that will ensure another S.N.P. victory in May 2016. 😀
First Saturday edition of the NATIONAL is on sale tomorrow.
I’m a bit confused. How can the smugurph still claim any justification of being leader of the northern accounting unit after being booted out of one of Labours safest seats in the Westminster election while as far as I know he doesn’t have a seat to contest in the Holyrood election. His sidekick Ken Macintosh would have been the obvious choice to stand aside and allow him ease of passage but that’s not likely.Surely even the Labour Party must have a rule about who can qualify to be northern branch manager.Unless of course he’s going for the double and plans to reduce Labour MSP numbers to one!
[…] World Of Hubris […]
Dinosaur Kirsty Wark BBC rage right now, she sez Cameron is going to “give” Scotland full fiscal autonomy, with all that red hot BBC Scotland right to reign over you hubris.
FFA hasn’t been even been mentioned.
I do wonder if the disaster that Labour has just had could have been averted under a different leader? Is Jim just an unlucky victim of circumstance or the architect of it?
And actually I wouldn’t bet against Murphy being First Minister. Things can’t get any worse (shurely) for Labour and it wouldn’t actually take a huge amount for the SNP their majority in the Scottish Parliament. Remember the Parliament was not designed for parties to be able to form majorities. If the SNP aren’t a majority it’s highly likely that the Better Together party will elect the Labour leader as the First Minister.
The main problem Jim has is not been deposed by his own party between now and then.
Baroness Williams (Shirley) said today “it’s sad that so many dedicated people have lost their jobs. It’s a tragedy that we no longer have great MPs like Jim Murphy at Westminster.”
My jaw actually dropped in astonishment.
As Murphy said last night: “The fight back begins tomorrow!” And already SLAB have a cunning plan.
Don’t laugh, but here it is:
Catherine MacLeod, former advisor to Alisdair Darling, says Scot Lab needs to attack the SNP more.
!!!!
It is now the time for the Scottish government to boycott any Viceroy that might be sent to rule us.
There is no democratic mandate for the post – it must be abolished.
Any dealings must be between the Scottish and UK governments and between the First Minister and Prime Minister.
We are now equals and must be treated as equals.
I still think it’s hilarious that some (mostly labour) politicians are still complaining that the electorate did not listen to them.
What happened to representative democracy ??????
The Dali Lama said “when you speak you simply repeat what you already know. Listen and you may learn something new”
I’m thinking a lot of former MPs could learn something from Dali…..
Another thought ……. When you factor in the different turnout percentages a very similar amount
of people who voted yes also voted SNP last night.
If nothing else it clearly demonstrates the difference no between a ballot, FPTP and PR.
@Craig Murray (11.06) –
You’ve been there and seen it first-hand, so we have to assume that at least some of the 56 will find WM seductive. It’s surely up to the SNP hierarchy to maintain the discipline which has brought them thus far.
But let’s say, for argument’s sake, that Salmond/Robertson have their troops neatly corralled each and every day: guys’ ties properly knotted, lassies’ make-up done just-so. And let’s further imagine that not one of that coach-load is ever going to step out of line in any respect, no matter how trivial. No grandstanding. No manufactured conflicts. Just boring, procedural, co-ordinated dismantling of the British Establishment’s faux ‘hold’ over Scotland…the proverbial midges driving the elephant mad by targetting his eyes.
Fair play to them. They can perhaps best represent ‘Scotland’, for now, by not saying or doing anything to upset anyone. We have a long summer ahead. Citizens outwith the WM bubble are, right now, digesting the implications of another five-year Tory stretch, and all that it entails – a lot of folk were already very very angry, even before this GE campaign got under way.
A few weeks from now, the SNP may not be a pressing priority for Cameron and/or Johnson.
@Rock
Agree with every word you said.
But we’re in new territory now.
This is end game for the Union.
We will see to that.
Kenny says:
As Murphy said last night: “The fight back begins tomorrow!” And already SLAB have a cunning plan.
Don’t laugh, but here it is:
Catherine MacLeod, former advisor to Alisdair Darling, says Scot Lab needs to attack the SNP more.
!!!!
I think that is what is called Labour learning from past mistakes Kenny. Long may it continue cause it has been suck an effective tool in their armoury up till now hasn’t it? 😀
If they do keep doing what they have been doing up till May 2016 I think we are looking at ANOTHER Labour rout. I know the Holyrood elections is totally different electoral system but even that cna not help save Labour in 2016 if they keep up their current dead rhetoric that has worked so well for them so far … NOT! 😛
The Scottish people achieved something yesterday that was thought of as just not possible. Over 50% of the electorate voted for change and elected 95% of our MP’s.
That in itself is simply amazing when you consider the decades that Scotland has given the nod to Labour without a it seems a single thought.
Consider this, in one of the poorest constituencies is Scotland that is Glasgow North East there was a 39% swing.
What does that mean in reality? It means that in 2010 over two thirds 68% voted for Labour, an impregnable majority.
Now in 2015 58% of that same electorate have voted for the SNP. Truly amazing and is in fact a record swing in any election in British history.
The Scottish people have awoken but we are still far from achieving the goals that I seek. More need to be enlightened, turnout although the best in the UK was still only 72%.
See when we get half of that missing 28% on our side. Game over!
Murphy was part and parcel and beneficiary of the apartheid regime in South Africa from his very early childhood to late teens.
He only left to avoid doing his duty to the regime under which he flourished – conscription.
He only likes to milk the system, never pays anything into it.
He has absolutely no shame. He has been defeated and is ineligible to be Labour’s North Britain branch manager but still wants to remain in the post.
I think it is time to start planning for SNP candidates standing in the north of England
Hmm, there seems to be something of a power vacuum in Labour in Scotland. I’m sure being a dictator in charge would suit Murphy (he has previous in that role 🙂 ) and I can’t see anyone else with enough clout left to say no to him.
I don’t know much about Labour’s inner workings, but does anyone think that the Unions might step in and make their feelings known about Murphy staying?
They were entitled to a third of the original vote, so they presumably have some say in who the leader should be. And in the current circumstances they would have very good reason to propose the equivalent of a vote of no confidence (if there is such a thing). They must be raging.
I like Murphy’s quote “The fightback starts tomorrow”, it reminds me of the phrase “the diet starts tomorrow”, which we all know means it never will…
With Murphy insisting he’s staying on, at least until the Scottish election, isn’t there the delicate matter of who is paying him?
Other than some bye-bye bucks there’s no longer any parliamentary stipend, no expenses, no nothing. For a whole year.
Scottish Labour is skint.
So does he become the bit on the side of the new Westminster Lab leader? Whoever that turns out to be?
Are there disclosure rules when the cash is coming from because he’s technically not a Scottish parliamentarian.
Nice little stitch up, I’d say.
I am so so tired of all this talk of vote-rigging. No sooner does someone express relief that the vote wasn’t rigged, than he then starts speculating that the DC&T vote was rigged!
No it wasn’t. None of them were. Not like that.
Vote-rigging, when it happens, is private enterprise. An individual trying to get on the gravy train and registering unreal people for postal votes, or going to the local retirement home and “taking care” of the postal voting chore. If they go beyond a certain low level of activity they’re usually caught, and there are several newspaper reports of such incidents. A seat would have to be running extremely close for such shenanigams to be able to affect the result.
An individual might conceivably have the help of their political part when playing this game, though I think that’s very unlikely these days. What doesn’t and can’t happen is some shadowy “they” deciding what they want the result to be, and tampering with voting papers.
Voting papers are extraordinarily hard to tamper with – I’d say impossible in practical terms. Ballot box security is taken very seriously by the returning officers and by the police. Nobody is switching or substituting ballots to get a pre-arranged result.
We lost (narrowly) in DC&T because our candidate and campaign weren’t quite good enough under the circumstances on the ground, and because the rump of LibDem voters who hadn’t defected to the SNP early in the campaign seem to have decided to defect late to the Tories to keep the SNP out. We tried very hard, all of us did, but the result was fair.
Apologies for going O/T but just seem a tweet to Mhairi Black asking if she could do an interview with Max Keiser next week. Now THAT is one interview well worth watching I reckon. 😉
Anybody mentioned Charlie Kennedy’s “night of the long Sgian Dubhs” comment during his losing speech?
I for one found it a bit disturbing, a reference to the infamous 1934 Nazi Putsch?
Sick of the “Natzi” jibes – expected better of him and hope he was just trying to be clever (and failing).
Something else about the DC&T result.
What makes you think they didn’t?
Actually they did, by the truckload. The Green vote was very depressed compared to what it should have been. Several personal friends of mine who are Green voters voted SNP for exactly that reason. One was seen wearing a “Vote Emma” badge everywhere she went. Another put a “Vote Emma” poster in her window, with a small Green Party poster under it. (Also, my neighbour who is a Labour man voted SNP to get rid of Mundell.)
But you can’t dictate people’s votes like that. There are always going to be some people who stick loyally by their party to prevent it having a complete whitewash. Who are we to condemn that?
File under “Whoops!”
Have you ever actually been here? It’s Tory Central. The first guy on my leafleting run gave £100,000 to the Conservative party recently. (And some of these votes were LibDems trying to keep the SNP out.)
Of course Mundell was worried. Less than 800 votes is very tight indeed. He realised he could well be about to lose.
But the candidates know the result before they go up on the stage. The last stages of the count and the scrutiny of the spoiled ballots are done with them in attendance. They are asked to agree that the count is right and the result right before it’s announced. So obviously he was all smiles when he got on the stage. (Some candidates manage to do the poker face bit remarkably well, but some don’t.)
Do you think that tweet would put anyone off voting SNP? I can’t see it myself. It was a nasty piece of lying smear though. I think she was just making trouble for the sake of making trouble.
Funny, but last night I got the distinct impression, that iain davidson wanted to “bayonet” jim murphy.
These guys in Scotland are going to be like ferrets in a sack shortly, I can”t wait to see the alpha ned in action.
Discussion on TV has moved to what caused the great wipe out, some pontificating it was due to labour A Team going to westminster and B Team Holyrood.
Bizzarely events on TV coming from England swung to whom will replace Ed. The beauty parade was brimming with unheard of non entities. It then struck me labour has little talent to pick from. Perhaps bailey or kez are options?
To rub salt in, it”s highlighted that the tories will do boundary changes that gift them 30 seats, meaning labour would need an additional 130 seats to overtake tories in 2020, it” ain’t going to happen. Conversation then moves onto difference between left, right and Scotland, England and the need to pick a winner for England.
In sum, labour are completely fucked!
This was posted by Craig Murray at 11.06 last night – it deserves to be read and responded-to:
link to craigmurray.org.uk
DC&T was a difficult seat. It’s huge, and none of the candidates could be everywhere. Mundell however had the advantage of being known even by people who’d never met him and that counted. People were saying he’d done a good job on this or that, mainly things the council had actually done and he was claiming credit for, and of course someone who is a challenger can’t counter that.
Unfortunately Emma only paid a single flying visit up here, whereas Mundell, the Labour candidate and the LibDem candidate all personally canvassed round the doors. That was noticed I’m afraid. I can only assume Emma was concentrating on other places. She couldn’t be everywhere.
We also had a problem with Emma’s leaflets. The first was so badly received we had to stop putting it out. “I’m a nurse not a politician” played very badly on the doorsteps, as people said, but she’s asking to be elected as a politician. The whole “Vote Emma” thing put some people off as being too familiar – we needed “Vote Harper” material.
The message that was getting through here was vote SNP to send a strong voice to Westminster to speak up for Scotland. Some of the HQ leaflets were very good for that. But “vote SNP to kick out the last Tory” wasn’t going to work, not when the voters you’re trying to persuade are actually Tories themselves! Emma’s leaflets were again leaning heavily on the “get the Tory out” line. One of my leafleters simply handed them back saying he couldn’t give them to the people on his run.
I don’t know whether Twitter helps at all, but Emma’s Twitter account wasn’t used apart from the occasional re-tweet. I had to unfollow her twice because all I was getting was these spam “10 people followed me and 8 people unfollowed me, all tracked by spambot.com” messages. At the same time I was constantly seeing and rewteeting messages from other candidates, particularly Calum Kerr.
We came really really close and at one point I thought we’d actually done it. Maybe a more experienced campaigner would have refined the message and used the available tools more effectively, but who knows. For a campaign which was left to its own devices with virtually no support or direction from HQ to get so close was magnificent. But everything was spread very thin with so many seats all in contention for the party that it couldn’t be perfect.
So really, we don’t need a bunch of conspiracy theories to explain why we didn’t win that seat. A good and enthusiastic campaign which just wasn’t quite good enough to pull it off under the prevailing circumstances is the answer.
Ian Brotherhood @ 11.51
Hi Ian
“Just boring, procedural, co-ordinated dismantling of the British Establishment’s faux ‘hold’ over Scotland…the proverbial midges driving the elephant mad by targetting his eyes”
I am afraid I think you under-estimate the capacity of a government with a majority to control Parliament. The UK does not have a strong scrutiny system. Select Committees have almost no real influence. As you know the younger Alex Salmond behaved in the opposite way in Westminster to the way you describe, getting suspended for his disruptions.
But I am really pleased that the SNP will not have any influence on the UK government, because it was the temptation of wielding UK power and getting diverted from Independence which really worried me. That is now reduced. It is a blind alley getting real powers from the Tories; it will be played along but won’t happen.
@scunner asked
Anybody mentioned Charlie Kennedy’s “night of the long Sgian Dubhs” comment during his losing speech?
Yes it was a poor joke but I’ll reserve judgement on Kennedy (who I don’t have much time for).
I prefer the reference to be a nod towards Harold McMillan PM nicknamed (Mac the Knife) Who in 1962, reshuffled 6 members of his tory cabinet for fear of the Liberals becoming popular.
‘Night of the long knives’.
Your welcome to your opinion but only Mr Kennedy can answer that.
PS:
Excellent article with two audio clips with Mr Bateman chewing the fat and sifting the ashes from yesterday with James over on ‘Scot goes pop’
PPS:
Hello Morag nice to hear from you again. Disappointing to lose so narrowly and is a downer for all concerned in your team.
I felt similar when Lindsay Roy unexpectedly won in Glenrothes beating an excellent SNP candidate Mr Grant. Many pavements pounded and canvassing was done and hopes were high 🙁
But yesterday Mr Grant got in with a large swing to the SNP to put matters right at last.
Anyhoo! Kind regards all the same.
What gets me most is the press and TV always saying the English subsidise the scots
And always get away with it
Maybe an odd snp person will say we pay more tax but most dont push it enough
This is starting to turn the english against us and maybe one of the reasond they voted more tory as they did not like idea of snp/labout colition
John swinney had perfect chance tonight when someone in the audience said they are sick of subsidising the scots
Instead of just saying we pay more tax they need to make people more aware by keeping on the subject ie telling the audience member that the opposition are basically lying and ask the audience member how much we pay
Thank you Dave.
I agree with you about the sgian dubh comment. It was definitely a nod to the “night of the long knives” thing, which is legendary and frequently quoted. He just used sgian dubh to give it a Jockanese twist.
Unionists like to over-exaggerate the import of every bloody word independence supporters utter. I don’t like it when we stoop to their level and start seeing “abuse” in perfectly normal turns of phrase.
Hi Morag,
Don’t blame yourselves or Emma or the people who wrote her leaflets. The SNP did extremely well by pushing the anti-austerity, anti-Trident agenda. That message is obviously going to be a much harder sell in an area where the politics are different from the rest of Scotland and for whatever reasons, people are historically Tory. I think it would be a mistake for the SNP to try, other than very marginally, to have a different message there. It is the absence of that kind of hypocrisy that attracts people to the SNP.
Also while I am sorry you have to live with the Tory, I have to admit to a feeling that it would have been wrong if Labour, Tory and Lib Dems had been totally eliminated. I know the FPTP system is not our fault, but I have to say for me I am not unhappy we got all but three and left a representative each for the other parties. (I should make a disclosure. Alistair Carmichael has been a friend of mine for decades, which has survived his brief secretary of stateship). 56 out of 59 feels brilliant.
Not even a micro second of a thought for anyone who lost their job no matter how good they thought they were or how long they were an MP
When they were victorious after the referendum to a man and woman they laughed and celebrated as loudly as they could at Scotlands sadness it’s who and what they are
Alex Salmond a man none of them will ever come close to either as a human being or politician was more dignified in defeat yet they still mocked and belittled him
So I for one give no thought to The Labour Branch Office’s passing or any Unionist for that matter, Scotland will be the better for their absence the only talent they possessed
seemed to be the ability to lie badly followed by memory loss at their crime
Scotland must rid itself of these amateur liars for good and the next step will be the Holyrood elections to wipe the slate clean of these people
As long as we continue to maintain MSPs like Dugdale and Baillie and their Ilk who seek to use the politics of abuse
for their ends, opposition parties will remain meaningless
To blame the SNP for losing to the Conservatives in England then still blame the SNP for the Electorate choosing the SNP in Scotland shows the incredible level of arrogance and lack of responsibility the Labour Party has for itself
Make no mistake about the Conservatives either Ruth Davidson who always comes across well as the likeable hockey sticks girl is as unpleasant as any of her English counterparts the only difference is she’s here in Scotland and cannot show her contempt for her Nations Folk openly
I watched some snot nosed Tories on Newsnight earlier and the general agreement seemed to be that the Scots are no different to the English really, it’s just that they’re not English are they
So I’ll just shut up now and go off and polish the head boys boots and then I have to FAG for Flashman after supper
Oh, about that Devolution thing
Please sir, can i have some more
It’s time for Scotland to say “We are not the Nation with whom to Fuck” anymore
@Craig Murray (12.57) –
Cheers for response.
I know nothing about what happens in these places, and can’t pretend to. On my part, it’s all conjecture, and no small amount of wishful thinking. I don’t want to see the SNP ‘causing trouble’. I want to see them making real change. As you indicate, that’s unlikely to happen in the HOC.
I don’t doubt that real change is about to happen, but it won’t be enacted by the SNP – it’ll come from people in RUK who will not countenance another half-decade of Tory sadism.
I once heard a French Revolution joke about the Irish guy opting to lie face up on a faulty guillotine and, able to see the problem, pointing out what was wrong.
For some months, I’d worried WoS was providing this service for SLAB but thankfully SLAB remained moronic to the end. Just stunned Mundily has not resigned – has the guy no sense of anything? But perhaps he’s best retained as he has done rather well for Scotlands future.
The biggest danger I suspect Scotland now faces is DC proposing AS as Sec State for Scotland. That would muddy the waters badly.
Finally, brilliant for WoS and well done and my thanks. The misery of the last 9 months has been (hopefully) worth the potentials which now exist. Hopefully the newbies realise the trough isn’t everything as we’ve a country to win.
Just as wee comparison here are the General Election results for DCT in 2010 and last night.
2010
Conservative 17,457 with 38% vote share
Labour 13,263 with 28.9% vote share
Liberal Dem 9.080 with 19.8% vote share
S.N.P. 4,945 with 10.8% vote share
UKIP 637 with 1.4% vote share
Green 510 with 1.1% vote share
Turnout was 68.9%
Majority was 4,194
2015
Conservative 20,759 with 39.8% vote share
S.N.P. 19.961 with 38.3% vote share
Labour 7,711 with 14.8% vote share
UKIP 1,472 with 2.8% vote share
Liberal Dem 1,392 with 2.7% vote share
Green 839 with 1.6% vote share
Turnout was 76.1%
Majority was 798
For me, despite the huge upset about not winning last night I can still feel imensely proud of Emma Harper and what the S.N.P. achieved down here in DCT.
Emma has managed to take the S.N.P. from FOURTH place in 2010 with a 10.8% share of the vote to SECOND place last night with 38.3% share of the vote. Not only that but we managed to turn around a deficit of around 12,500 last night to one of less than 800.
In fact when you look at the change in vote share since 2010 the vote share of the S.N.P. went up a whopping 27.5% whilst the Tories managed a measly 1.5%
All in all we did a magnificent job last night but we just fell theat wee bit short. I think it was always going to be a hard struggle to win considering where we were starting from. Bear in mind that Aileen Orr, our 2010 candidate, had done a fantastic job to increase the positi
Yes we didn’t win last night but what we have done is continue to INCREASE the presence of the S.N.P. in DCT and that gives me hope and belief for future elections be they Westminster, Holyrood or council.
Perhaps a bit petty but another 4,700 votes nationally would have given the ScotNat CyberNat brigade just 59 seats. We were that close.
At least the voters of East Ren no longer need pay 8 quid each per year for their MP’s feed bag. (Born in Giffnock and gobsmacked at that clown)
Saturday edition of the National. I’ll buy that.
Meanwhile Murphy, mutters and meanders on matters most meaningful what a shameless brass neck….is there anyone in charge of the branch or has he got squatter’s rights?
Iron Bru and mars bars littering the floor up here in Glasgow Ed…. Ed… Anyone! Forgot Ed did the decent thing.
Hope archive thingy working.
link to archive.is
IMO
The 3 seats not won by SNP were/are freaky sorts of seats in very,very strange circumstances/locations.
I will not go into the reasons why as we all know why,a big up to those 3 SNP canditates,is in order.
To put it in horse racing parlance they were all beat in photo finishes,in races not run in their favour and under terrible conditions.
These 3 canditates have earned my respect,more so than say an easy 20 length winner in an average race,time will show these 3 are made of strong stuff,you need to be to compete so well at that level,they have a very bright futures,respect. 😉
Rock says:
8 May, 2015 at 11:47 pm
It is now the time for the Scottish government to boycott any Viceroy that might be sent to rule us…
Any dealings must be between the Scottish and UK governments and between the First Minister and Prime Minister…
Too bloody true!
A view from ‘daan South’ The last paragraph here which chimes in with me.
————————————————————
The group said they were annoyed at one word uttered by the Prime Minister outside Number 10. Taking out his i-Phone, Cammie, another programmer, pulled up a picture of the BBC’s huge street map jigsaw of the results outside Broadcasting House in London. He pointed to the small yellow area covered in yellow. “That is us. Scotland. Does this – all of it – look like “one nation”? No, it doesn’t. And that’s the Tories problem, no ours.”
…………………………………………………
The whole article:
link to archive.is
Bah! After 40hrs awake I foolishly had a sleep about teatime now here I am wide awake. 🙂
Anyhoo! Time for a change New avatar…
Let the good news continue.
There appears to have been a couple of Council by elections last last and guess what folks … the S.N.P. won BOTH! 😀
Fife council now have another S.N.P. councillor from the Dunfermline South Ward and there is another S.N.P. councillor for the Nairn ward in Highland council. 😀
Stuart, many thanks for your astute forensic analysis and for holding steady the odd weak nerve. More power to your elbow, m’man.
Craig Murray: I have to admit to a feeling that it would have been wrong if Labour, Tory and Lib Dems had been totally eliminated.
Aye, true. It proves to the world we are not completely prejudiced. 😉
Prof Vernon Bogdanor (constitutional expert, stop sniggering Bob) complaining on bbc news that “the SNP have 56 MP’s standing up for Scotland Wales have Plaid Cymru the Tory backbenchers are saying who’s standing up for England?”
I SHIT YOU NOT!
Don’t look to the unions to do anything about Murphy. After all, it was the unions who gave us Moribund. Remind me again, how did that one go? 🙂
Well done Stu, and everyone else who did anything, however small, to achieve this fantastic result.
Hope there’s not too many sore heids this morning.
🙂
Now lets look at what is to be done next.
From http://www.parliament .uk
“The first time a newly elected MP speaks in the Chamber of the House of Commons is known as a maiden speech. By tradition, the Member is called ahead of other MPs who may have indicated their wish to speak at the same time. A maiden speech is usually uncontroversial, fairly short and contains a tribute to the MP’s predecessor and favourable remarks about the constituency. It is also a tradition that a maiden speech is heard without interruption and for any speeches that may follow, to praise the new MP’s first contribution. In the House of Lords a Member making a maiden speech will do so in a debate with a speakers’ list so that the House and, in particular the next speaker, may know that conventional courtesies apply. The maiden speech is expected to be short and uncontroversial and would not express views that would provoke an interruption.”
Is that right?
Nice and cosey Eh?
The Scottish people will be listening very closely now that they have woken up. Time for some (Scottish) home truths I think.
Scottish question time? Bring it on.
The Scottish grand committee? (minus Davidson) I’d love to know Nicola’s battle plan!
remember, we still have
http://www.writetothem.com
Use it, and know that now you will (in Scotland) be writing to a Scottish National Party MP.
It’s hard to believe that red Clydeside and socialist Glasgow who for generations were Labour strongholds do not have one Labour MP. As a former Labour supporter (pre Blair) I find this astonishing. It’s only what they deserve though for taking he Scottish vote for granted in recent years. Also unbelievable is out of all the 41 Labour MPs the only one left is a little ignorant unionist runt from Edinburgh. I mean, this clown is the sole representative of Labour in Scotland. How the mighty have fallen.
Scotland is more confident now, Scotland is in good hands. Karma.
Osakasushi says AS for Sec State for Scotland..
What bit of We will not support the tories, is not understood?
Secretary of State for Scotland is a Cabinet Post, and so would
Need a full-blown Coalition for AS to be there. And by the by,
SNP is not a nationalist party, rather a national party.
Scotland didnt go “Nationalists” it went Scottish.
Now for the Holyrood elections to get rid of the rest of them.
Uhubris?
Being down in England(I voted Yes via a service vote) I am finding it hard at the moment to be jubilant at the SNP surge. 5 more years of Tory cuts. 12 billion off the welfare budget. Not a nice time to be disabled or disadvantaged in any way. Another referendum is required for Scotland to break free of this austerity.
Good overview from Brian Taylor over on BBC Scotland News online page (posted up yesterday). Nice about the SNP and doesn’t pull many punches over Labour demise.
Muttley79 @10.50
My thoughts entirely Muttley, I have a terrible nightmare where people like Mhari Black and Natalie McGarry and Chris Law are taken in by the establishment and come out as clones of Ian Davidson, Mags Curran and Jimmy Hood, then I wake up and think, “it couldn’t happen, could it?”.
_______________________________________________________________
Joemcg says
” Hope the eejits who voted for the winner regretted the decision after watching his disgusting appearance on telly after the declaration.”
I thought the public might have realized what was being done when they were reminded of the behaviour of Bill Walker at every opportunity, which overshadowed the quality of Shirley-Anne Somerville in favour of a lying disingenous little creature in the shape of the sock puppet Cara Hilton (in terms of quality she couldn’t lace Somerville’s shoes), who put out leaflets claiming that it was Labour who abolished bridge tolls and introduced free prescriptions, (no really)
people were fooled into believing what those clowns said because “the labour party wouldn’t lie would they?”
there is STILL a real lack of awareness within the general public, and although we have made a major step down the road to take the scales from peoples eyes we still have 50% of the population who STILL think that what they were told by the unionist parties was true.
__________________________________________________________
Ian Brotherhood @11.51pm
The trouble with holding the troops firmly in harness Ian is how many people would have remembered a young SNP MP had he not interrupted the chancellor Nigel Lawson in his budget speech?
He’s now a household name in every part of the UK, goes by the name of Alex Salmond.
________________________________________________________________
Lesley-Anne @ 12.15am
“Apologies for going O/T but just seem a tweet to Mhairi Black asking if she could do an interview with Max Keiser next week. Now THAT is one interview well worth watching I reckon. ”
Hhahaha the blank look of Max’s face while he waits for an interpreter would be worth seeing. 🙂
_____________________________________________________________
Scunner says @12.18
“Sick of the “Natzi” jibes – expected better of him and hope he was just trying to be clever (and failing).”
I think it was just a final parting shot in a fit of pique nothing more.
__________________________________________________________
Craig Murrey @ 12.57am
I with Craig on this one Ian, the SNP contingent should do what they do best,
MAKE THEIR LIVES HELL.
____________________________________________________________
Call me Dave says @
“I prefer the reference to be a nod towards Harold McMillan PM nicknamed (Mac the Knife) Who in 1962, reshuffled 6 members of his tory cabinet for fear of the Liberals becoming popular.
‘Night of the long knives’.
Your welcome to your opinion but only Mr Kennedy can answer that.”
Thats the inference that I took from it as well,
“The Night of the Long Knives (German: About this sound Nacht der langen Messer , sometimes called Operation Hummingbird or, in Germany, the Röhm Putsch, was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany from June 30 to July 2, 1934, when the Nazi regime carried out a series of political murders. Leading figures of the left-wing Strasserist faction of the Nazi Party, along with its figurehead, Gregor Strasser, were murdered, as were prominent conservative anti-Nazis (such as former Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher and Gustav Ritter von Kahr, who had suppressed Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch in 1923). Many of those killed were leaders of the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary Brownshirts.The Night of the Long Knives (German: About this sound Nacht der langen Messer (help·info)), sometimes called Operation Hummingbird or, in Germany, the Röhm Putsch, was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany from June 30 to July 2, 1934, when the Nazi regime carried out a series of political murders. Leading figures of the left-wing Strasserist faction of the Nazi Party, along with its figurehead, Gregor Strasser, were murdered, as were prominent conservative anti-Nazis (such as former Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher and Gustav Ritter von Kahr, who had suppressed Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch in 1923). Many of those killed were leaders of the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary Brownshirts.”
Eh not so much.
______________________________________________________________
Dr Jim @ 1.20am
Rarely do we see a post so full of spite and anger,
and I could not agree more,
burn in hell Labour,
HEAR HEAR DR JIM.
___________________________________________________________
Good morning my fellow wingers.Bleary eyed after a good and happy nights snooze after Thursdays and Fridays marathon. Can I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for keeping me sane since the despair of last Sept when it felt all was lost. Thanks Stu and all you crazy cats.
We know a bit about subversion in the North
link to tinyurl.com
As always Stu., your are on the case with this article. Might I add a quote today’s National newspaper which carries a simple paragraph about Jim Murphy that perfectly sums up Labour’s problem pesonified:-
Jim (Murphy) did not think he would lose his seat. He thought he would hold on. I think a lot of his insistence about staying on is that he has nowhere else to go. He hasn’t got a seat. He’s not going to the Lords. He’s out of the game completely.
Quote, via The National, from a Labour Source
By the way, Stuart, please can I say a BIG THANKYOU for all the work you have done along with the Wings Over Scotland website. It must be a near certainty with 50,000,000 page views via WoS that has helped bring about an SNP victory in Scotland. On a personal basis you have given hope to many disabled people who are currently being subject to a vicious and deadly onslaught from the current PRO-AUSTERITY Westminster government. The SNP’s ANTI-AUSTERITY message has certainly chimed with many in Scotland.
After Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage did the decent thing and resigned, Jim Murphy is evidently deluded by personal greed. Anyone care to place a BET ON THE DATE WHEN JIM MURPHY WILL BE FORCED TO DO THE HONOURABLE THING & RESING?
I reckon he has 14 days before the Labour Grandees in red coats come to take him away.
Just listened to an interesting interview on GMS this morning on the after 8 slot
Izzy was talking to Stewart Hosie and Andy Kerr (remember him?)
One of the snippets was Andy Kerr’s view that Labour’s problem in Scotland goes back to 1999 and hinted that having Murphy staying on did not help but was part of the problem.
He also stated that Labour should be completely separate in Scotland from London, as in stand alone.
Kerr’s words certainly warmed up Izzy. The sound of bowls of cereal being dropped on the floor across Scotland, from Labour activists probably could be heard.
Ok Kerr, probably doesn’t carry any influence, but having a Labour member putting it out there, may be considered as the first loading up the musket for the coming civil war within Labour
Might be worth a listen to, to see what direction Labour might go in
Suck it up McTernan, ya nyaff.
The polls will start turning at the end of the month, aye right, turning to the SNP that is.
The thing about negotiation is that the team wanting more (money, food, better canteen facilities – think you get the picture) usually start with the tactic of asking for more than what is expected to be offered.
So keeping that thought, I would recommend to the SNP that in any discussion with Cameron, is to demand everything for Scotland and I mean EVERYTHING short of independence, perhaps suggesting a federal system of the Canadian model, in which, in Canada the province keeps all revenues including resources such as oil and makes a contribution towards foreign affairs and defence.
There is already hints from London of a Federal system, so the SNP might be leaning on an open door
Any reference now to either Calman and / or Smith commission is just so much souvenir window dressing, that is there are well , well past their sell by date as we are now in the territory of just having the lot.
As for ‘Full Fiscal Autonomy’, that’s so last month! We are very much heading to the new frontier.
Its about Scotland having control over everything and just making a contribution towards foreign affairs and defence.
Being the last stop in the journey towards complete independence.
For those that don’t think it will happen, that is having it all short of independence. Think whats just happened and think that we have 56 (Fifty Six) SNP MP’s
@caledonia says:
9 May, 2015 at 1:11 am
What gets me most is the press and TV always saying the English subsidise the scots
I’ve felt the anger myself and many on here have complained that during these TV debates none of our MP/MEPs argue and point out the truth about the Barnett formula or debunk the “English subsidise the Scots BS.” Given how well Swinney/Salmond/Nicola etc argue for Scotland how can they let this myth go unchallenged? I think the answer is that it suits us that English MPs and audiences get pissed off at this myth. Once you realise this it is quite enjoyable watching them get into a lather about the Barnett formula. It’s fun to watch Dimbleby and Swinney with a wee smirk on their faces when the question is repeatedly brought up. It’s fun when you realise that Swinney’s wee smirk is for a completely different reason than Dimbleby’s. With half of Scotland wanting independence and half of England pissed off at us there is only one outcome. We are toying with them, it’s all part of the strategy.
Just think, after independence you will be able to flip over to an English channel and hear their MPs being asked “hoi, where’s all the Barnett formula money gone now we are not subsidising the Scots?” Can’t wait to hear their answer 🙂
Edward at 9.04am – Please can I endorse your post, and politely ask Nicola plus ANY and ALL of our new SNP MPs to consider what you have written Edward:-
Recommend to the SNP that in any discussion with Cameron, demand everything for Scotland and I mean EVERYTHING short of independence, perhaps suggesting a FEDERAL system of the Canadian model, in which, in Canada the province keeps all revenues including resources such as oil and makes a contribution towards foreign affairs and defence.
There is already hints from London of a Federal system, so the SNP might be leaning on an open door.
If there are any of the new SNP MPs reading this Wings Over Scotland webpage, I for one, who with many others here, went with hope in our hearts to vote for you and politely ask for a reply and dedication that this is what you will be seeking? (My SNP MP is Stewart Hosie).
As a start, so as to stop the horrendous welfare reform deaths caused by DWP/Westminster, PLEASE can the SNP bloc of MPs seek, as a matter of urgency to have ALL of the Department of Welfare & Pensions devolved to Scotland. I trust our Scottish Parliament. It has 8 years of good governance by the SNP. Whereas it has been proven that the Westminster orientated DWP are lethal to those with disabilities.
Thank you.
Come on Stu … we know the Scottish press really do all this work for you ?
One man couldn’t have this much impact on getting nearer to the truth than any other source could he ?? 🙂
@Al-Stuart says:
9 May, 2015 at 9:24 am
Edward at 9.04am
I agree with everything you have said. The hardest part will be getting our “ex regio” geographic area reassigned to Scotland! I cannot see Cameron releasing that from his oily grasp without one almighty battle.
Well, only now coming back down to earth, it was a great night for me and I am sure for all of us here and beyond.
It was soo satisfying to see the dour faces of both Alexanders, Murphy, Curran, Davidson, Sanwar, Bain, and all of the bitter together faces turn to desperate looks, boy I was very very happy to see it all happen.
The only neg was the biggie of the Tories still being in place. We will not have as much chance to put them down.
Still, we will make life uncomfortable for them by a big factor. The tories are actually weaker than before, the only have 12 of a majority whereas the had a much bigger majority with their coalition with the Condems.
So there will be many chances of causing problems for Cameron and his government. We are just the people to do just that.
So it is going to be fun, and I expect concessions will have to be made towards what Scotland wants. We well plod forward a bit at a time, they are going to hate the Scots interfering with their cosy elite world.
Bring it on.
In regards to Murphy, if he is not put down by labour themselves, it shows 2 things, 1, That Murphy has no principles, by clinging on, and 2, that labour has no talent worthy of support. They are dead in the water for a long time.
Al-Stuart @ 9.24 am
Thanks and welcome for the endorsement of my comment 🙂
There is no chance of federalism. We know, and they know, that Scotland’s wealth is essential to the UK. If you believe that then it is not possible to imagine that they will give us any meaningful devo max
Only just reclaimed my sleep from Thursday night 🙂 Still can’t quite believe the scale of the victory. I never even dared hope for 56 seats and to come close second in the remaining three. There is no part of Scotland that the SNP is not strong. A 71% turnout just underlines that strength.
The quotes above are amazing, I had forgotten half of them. I also think we had a few here celebrating Murphy’s win as leader because a right wing Blairite was just what Labour “needed”. Crazy stuff.
Heard Andy Kerr ex MSP talking a lot of sense on the radio this morning and his worries that Labour won’t grasp the nettle and see that the problems lie close to home and that they need to sort themselves.
I wonder as they have so little to lose now whether they will ironically gain independence and set up an independent Scottish Labour Party distinct like the SDLP in Ireland. Will London trust it or worry it will “go native”.
In the meantime we have to explore what Cameron means by “stringest devolved government in the world”. Man all the committees. I presume that the SNP will get to chair the Scottish Select Committee. There would be a certain poetic justice if Eilidh was made Chair. 🙂
Pssssst :
Hey Labour, if you ever want to do anything in North Britain again
get yer hieds oot of the trough.
If you ever want to do anything in Scotland again; represent the Scottish people not London Labour.
If yer agin’ “Independence” you will get no traction with your former target audience anymore.
Pssst yer target audience is now the “SNP” heartlands, oh and that seems to be all of Scotland apart from Shorkney & the toffy bit of Edinburgh.
Really simple solution – “Independent Labour Scotland” give that a try.
Got to be better than the Murph trip ???
Be fair, we all make mistakes!
Rob C says:
8 May, 2015 at 10:10 pm
There’s a German word for this feeling……escapes me for the moment…….lol
Schadenfreude maybe?
Sorry if it’s been answered already.
Murphy’s political career is already over does he want to destroy the remnants of SLAB or is he going now?
Almannysbunnet @ 9.48
Actually to retain the “ex regio” geographic area is a two edged sword for Westminster to argue on
Consider this:
Your right Westminster would not want to easily give up that resource as its a valuable cash cow for them
But on the other hand Westminster have argued all through the referendum and the general election that the oil was running out.
So the negotiation is this – Which is it Westminster? Is the Oil running out, then why the problem of just handing it over to Scotland (after all it is Scotland’s natural resource). As such your not reliant on it.
Or is in fact the Oil NOT running out and that its a highly valuable resource. Which means that Westminster would have to admit to the public at large that it has been lying all along!.
If Westminster admit to lying all along and that the oil is far from running out, then that would provide useful leverage for Scotland to say, you know what, forget federalism, we will take Independence.
David says:
9 May, 2015 at 10:24 am
Murphy’s political career is already over does he want to destroy the remnants of SLAB or is he going now?
He has nowhere else to go. He will hang on as long as he can, just to avoid the dole queue. Labour would be very wise to dump him asap and start anew. We shall see.
john king says:
9 May, 2015 at 8:10 am
Muttley79 @10.50
My thoughts entirely Muttley, I have a terrible nightmare where people like Mhari Black and Natalie McGarry and Chris Law are taken in by the establishment and come out as clones of Ian Davidson, Mags Curran and Jimmy Hood, then I wake up and think, “it couldn’t happen, could it?”.
Let’s give them a fair chance:
There’s a world of difference in intent, between career politicians heading for the trough, and convicted individuals determined to shake up a corrupt system and help their fellow citizens.
yea you are right Fiona federalism ,FFA or what ever you want to call it will not be given ,it will be kicked about the HoC then it will spend years bouncing back and forward out the HoL and by the time they legislate it ,it will have been amended so much it will not be acceptable to us,and that is if we can get action on it in the first year because failing that once the EU referendum starts it will get pushed into the long grass.
we will be lucky to see it in the 5 years of this parliament but that is what they want ,they know independence is inevitable its all about slowing it down now,and if anybody doubts this then have a look at team GB history on countries that have got independence from the UK,they have form on this.
Here’s a question regarding Murphy
Murphy is currently unemployed, so does he get paid for being leader of the Labour party in Scotland? Anyone know?
If he does not get an income, then surely he needs to sign on. Or is he hoping that he can get by for about a year and become an MSP next year for which he will be paid.
Remember Murphy has never actually been employed in the proper sense, he has never held down a job, other than being an MP
He spent 9 years at university and came away without any qualifications. To realistically he is unemployable, other than taking on unskilled work
@Rock
Lay off the Greens. The SNP rejected calls for a Yes Alliance. Mundell’s re-election is the consequence they have to live with for that decision.
Jings Morag & DC&T crew – don’t be down hearted, you came from 4th and massively increased your voteshare. It should be the 4000 odd that STILL voted labour that should hang their heads in shame – look what they got….tory MP, Tory maj Govt, that one seat could have been really important.
The other thing you don’t hear in BBC & press is how the TORY vote collapsed – they are too busy clapping themselves on the back about holding onto fluffy’s seat. The vote collapsed to a worst ever 14.7%, the one seat held onto by a miniscule majority of 800 – and all this happening with a total lib dem collapse where they should have been hovering up their votes. – when will MSM address that question with Ruth Davidson their lovie.
There’s already been talk of Slabour splitting from London. I think we are going to end up with two minority parties. One Like the greens independence light. Another with the Londonshire left overs.
UK Labour is dead in Scotland. It will never come back. Remember Scotland without Labour is as good as dead to UK Labour.
Like the first Queen Empress, Murphy, when pressed on his resignation, has taken to referring to himself as “we & our”. A candidate for the “Caper Hoose”, totally barking.
We have seen Cameron’s negotiating ‘skill’ in Europe.
We have seen Cameron’s questionable judgement on the morn after the indyref.
He will not negotiate to an acceptable solution. That will be a ‘material change’.
Methinks Indyref 2 will be in the next Holyrood manifesto. My personal preference would be for Unilateral Declaration of Independence to be on the manifesto but wee Nicola has promised the ‘triple lock’.
Agree Fiona. It’s why indi ref has to be on 2016 manifesto. We need to keep it live!
And we don’t want to lose the nuovo nationalists. It’s all about momentum. London is of no use to Scotland.
For anyone thinking Murphy has to go on the dole, don’t wast your tears. The trough is still open.
On leaving the House of Commons, an MP will be entitled to what is essentially severance pay. It’s called a Resettlement Grant
The Resettlement Grant varies between 50% and 100% of the annual salary payable to a Member of Parliament at the time of the Dissolution. The first £30,000 of severance pay is tax free. The amount retiring MPs, or those who lose their seats receive depends on how old they are and how long they have served in the House. Example. An MP who stays in office for one term (say 5 years) and then leaves office will currently receive tax-free severance pay of 50% of his current salary. For the 2010-2015 Parliament, only MPs defeated in their attempt to be re-elected will get one month’s salary for each year served, up to a maximum of six months or over £33,000. They also get a winding up allowance, up to £42,000 and of course a very nice pension.
Although not wanting to dwell on the flotsam and jetsam of the Labour Party I find it very difficult to see any future for Labour in Scotland.
As for setting up a new party in Scotland before independence there is the massive problem of having to remove the SNP from the ground they once occupied but vacated chasing the Right Wing voters in England.
Looking at the MSP list system I would think that any Labour person relying on getting in the back door to Holyrood may find a great dearth of Labour votes as second preference.
Isn’t it ironic that a “Yes” vote in the Referendum was Labour in Scotland’s best chance of survival, assuming of course that the “Broadchurch” that is the SNP evolved into different segments.
On Mundell, Morag is correct.
Any sales expert will tell you that second rate products or services can often become market leaders with the right marketing campaign. So, no matter how good your unique selling point (USP), if the price, functionality, features & availability are not made known to the market, it will sell in lower numbers than one might have otherwise predicted. Especially if the critical mass point has not been achieved.
Countrywide. the SNP landslide was in part due to an overwhelming critical mass, that became unstoppable as Labour supporters themselves became private marketing agents for the SNP.
However, I believe Mundell won due to his far reaching, well funded & professional marketing skills. His opponent’s weaker campaign also worked to save him from the SNP’s guillotine. I would go further & say Carmichael’s success was due to similar circumstances.
So you have to hand it to Ian Murray in Edinburgh South. I suspect his jobless Labour chums will be examining his campaign in great detail in an attempt to figure out how to replicate his tactics at the next opportunity.
Just read a colleague’s Daily Mail for an update
On raging right wing propaganda, and was very
Pleased to read that the Tories are absolutely
Outraged at the BBC’ s bias toward the Labour
Party? They demand Cameron but look at clearing
Out this enclave of Leftie Loonies and put an end
To them receiving tax payers money.
There we have it.
Nicola must agree to a combined effort to clear
Out the corrupt management at the Beeb and appoint
An independent body to monitor them for political
Bias! Dr John Robertson is my candidate!
As a consequence of Jim Murphy’s historic failure, he will receive from the taxpayer a lump sum (before tax deductions) somewhere between £80,000 & £105,000 plus an annual pension up to a maximum of $40,000 per year.
MP’s severance pay 2009
MP……………………………….Relocation… Winding Up……Total
Billy Etherington (Labour)……….£48,101……..£40,799……£88,900
Peter Atkinson (Conservative)….£53,161……..£40,799……£93,960
Eric Martlew (Labour)……………£63,291……..£40,799……£104,090
Phil Willis (Lib/Dem)……………..£36,708……..£40,799……£77,507
Source: House of Commons Library
A massive thanks to Stu and all the wingers/SNP/Yessers for this incredible result.
Can’t get my head round being depressed at 56 outa 59 MP’s for Scotland,personally feel its’ a lifetime best achievement for the push to self determination.
Don’t be sad…56 outa 59 ain’t bad.
Onwards and upwards
GHGraham,
“I suspect his jobless Labour chums will be examining his campaign in great detail in an attempt to figure out how to replicate his tactics at the next opportunity.”
D’you think what aided his retention was not simply down to the massive smearing campaign aimed against his opponent, in that last week leading to the vote? AIded by some ‘tactical’ voting?
It seems to me, that was the entire ‘strategy’ by Labour in Scotland, they had nothing else. And if they had had the resources to smear every single one of the SNP candidates in the run up. That’s what they would have replicated across the board.
In fact that was their overaching strategy: they had the papers, the newsrooms/radio to aid them, and their single issue message was: SNP Bad.
It failed ‘spectacularly’.
If Ian Murray’s campaign is to be regarded in any way as somehow a ‘success’ and used as some sort of ‘template’ for the rLabour branch in Scotland. Then they have not and never will learn anything. It will be decades, imo, before Labour will ever be welcome, in their current manifestation, in Scotland again.
Just had a wee celebration so catching-up. Correct me if I’m wrong but does not the leader of the Branch Office have to an MSP or MP? Or have they shifted the goal posts again?
Auld Rock
@ Auld Rock
As I understand it he must be an MP or MSP when he is elected. Constitution is silent on whether he has to resign the position if he loses his seat
Somehow I don’t think Murphy is going to survive the next 4 weeks. He took labours dominance in Scottish politics and destroyed it. He’s a loser, not a winner. He just doesn’t smell of defeat, he positively reeks of it. Anyone in labour with any functioning survival instincts will be putting a clear blue ocean between themselves and Murphy. There is a lot of pissed of unemployed labour MPs who have gotten fat off Scotland for the last 30yrs who will ensure that Murphy’s ambitions will come to nothing.
He could always become a bitter dead-ender and write angry rants in the Scottish Daily Star. Or go back to university and finish his degree. As far as politics in Scotland the man is persona non grata.
As for Hothersall, McTernan & the rest: They can rant all they want, but the sharks are already circling.
“For the 2010-2015 Parliament, only MPs defeated in their attempt to be re-elected will get one month’s salary for each year served, up to a maximum of six months or over £33,000. They also get a winding up allowance, up to £42,000 and of course a very nice pension.”
Don’t forget Murphy’s nice little earner of renting out his London property, too. He’s not going hungry any day soon.
I dont think another referendum will get us anywhere. They (msm bbc, will brainwash and terrify sections of the populace into voting no again. I would prefer udi on the manifesto .
Muscleguy,
“Lay off the Greens. The SNP rejected calls for a Yes Alliance. Mundell’s re-election is the consequence they have to live with for that decision.”
As an independence supporter are you not happy about the SNP winning 56 seats despite being a Green supporter?
Or are you happy that the SNP lost to a Tory because they had rejected calls for a Yes Alliance (according to you)?
What did the Greens achieve by losing a deposit to increase their votes from 510 to 839?
This was not the election for the Scottish Greens to increase their political representation. They had no chance of winning a single seat.
Patrich Harvey should have been wise enough to wait for that opportunity in 2016.
The danger now for the SNP is having foisted on them a form of Full Fiscal Autonomy that requires a balanced budget. Whilst you can in principle counteract the austerity cuts with FFA by raising taxes, this is likely to be deflationary in a time of recession.
It would prevent the Scottish Govt from being able to follow anti-cyclical policies, and would have the added unfairness that the Westminster govt could still use deficit financing, a share of the interest on which would fall on Scottish taxpayers.
A balanced budget was feasible for the limited range of expenditure that Edinburgh has up to now undertaken, but should it have to take responsibility for everything bar defence, it would be unviable.
Much as I could be persuaded to support the Greens programme some day, this election was certainly not the time. They regarded this campaign as a dry-run for next year when they might fare better on the list.
The SNP is now a very broad church and if others in the YES Alliance saw fit to lend their support the party at this crucial time, the Greens chose self-indulgance. It’s put me quite off them altogether and the brown rice went out to the doos this very morning. 🙂
So has Ian Davidson scheduled a date to publicly bayonet himself?