You’re probably going to see this misreported in the press quite a lot tomorrow. We thought we should get the whole thing up for the record, to avoid confusion.
We were as stunned as everyone else for a moment. On the Question Time special earlier tonight, Ed Miliband appeared to state that he’d rather not form a government (ie he’d let the Tories in) than do so with the support of the SNP. It sounded like he’d gone dramatically further than he’d ever gone before.
And then he realised what he’d done, and panicked.
As far as we know, this is the final major set-piece interview that Jim Murphy will have to give before the general election.
As Sally Magnusson of Reporting Scotland makes an admirably dogged but ultimately unsuccessful effort to get a straight answer on just about anything out of Labour’s regional branch manager, we’d swear it was possible to actually measure the delirium of relief on his face as the end draws near and the desperate evasion is over forever.
We gather that for the next week Scottish Labour are just bringing in boardgames.
On the left, Jim Murphy campaigning for the Scottish Labour leadership a few months ago (the backdrop is distinctive, placing the pic sometime last November).
It’s come awfully late, but we’ve finally got an answer to a question people have been asking Jim Murphy since last December.
In an interview with the BBC’s Gary Robertson this morning, the Scottish Labour regional manager told listeners that should he win the East Renfrewshire seat in next month’s election, he’d stay in the job for the full five-year term, but would also stand for election as a Holyrood MSP in 2016.
Greg Moodie’s Election Dissection, a compilation of splendid cartoon strips from The National, Bella Caledonia and elsewhere, is available to order now.
Scottish Labour branch office manager Jim Murphy will be appearing on BBC Radio Scotland’s “Call Kaye” programme from 9am today, taking questions from voters as well as presenter Kaye Adams. The phone number to ring in is 0500 92 95 00.
Below are a few posers readers might like to put to Mr Murphy, because he seems to have been adept at avoiding them throughout the campaign. Feel free to reword them.
It’s from an exhibition at the Leiper Fine Art Gallery in West George Street in Glasgow (a firm friend of the Yes movement), featuring political artwork by Wings cartoonists Chris Cairns – creator of the pic above – and Greg Moodie, along with many others, of which you can buy originals to enhance your home.
It runs until 11 May, so you should probably pop along if you’re in the vicinity. We’re not saying we’ll definitely stab you if you don’t, but why take unnecessary risks?
There’s a tactical voting tool on the Telegraph website, which despite a somewhat loaded headline purports to even-handedly advise confused voters on the best course of action to take in their own constituency depending on whether they want to keep Ed Miliband or David Cameron OUT of 10 Downing Street.
We were a bit suspicious when we typed our Bath postcode in and asked to keep Cameron out, because it advised us to vote Labour even though it’s one of the safest Lib Dem seats in the country (with the Tories in 2nd) and Labour got just 3,251 votes in 2010, which is to say they’ve got absolutely no hope here.
And then we tried some Scottish seats, and things got a bit creepy.
Waking up bleary-eyed this morning at 6.45am, we reached over to switch on Good Morning Scotland, just in time for the news headlines round-up. This is what we heard:
Tenruh on Holiday Relief: “Fergus Ewing stands as independent candidate in 2026” Jun 20, 07:07
twathater on Holiday Relief: “And here is a word for BASTARD TAX MOAN which describes him FUCKWIT” Jun 20, 01:42
Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “All very funny, Confused, but just imagine how much funnier you would be writing in Scots. I’ve been thinking about…” Jun 19, 23:07
James on Holiday Relief: “As I said….totally spooked!” Jun 19, 22:51
Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “Sorry, I couldn’t really follow the detail in your post. It defo had a vibe though, a kind of oppressive,…” Jun 19, 22:47
Confused on Holiday Relief: “FRANKIE BOYLE is taking in 20 asylum seekers this weekend in solidarity (no one say “grooming gang” FGS) https://archive.ph/O9M7f -…” Jun 19, 22:39
Confused on Holiday Relief: “here is word for Northcode : anglo-frei” Jun 19, 22:37
Insider on Holiday Relief: “Away to your bed Dan ! With a bit of luck you might wake up sober tomorrow !” Jun 19, 22:25
Northcode on Holiday Relief: “A correction: I don’t want to make a big thing out of my mistake so I’ll keep this correction short…” Jun 19, 21:45
agent x on Holiday Relief: “Dan says: 19 June, 2025 at 9:07 pm And there’s nothing spooks you about the Uni-Parties running the UK and…” Jun 19, 21:44
Dan on Holiday Relief: “And there’s nothing spooks you about the Uni-Parties running the UK and the trajectory they are dragging us all on?…” Jun 19, 21:07
agent x on Holiday Relief: “Maybe you should have another long weekend off rather than making up your imaginary words.” Jun 19, 20:22
Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “@ Northcode says: 19 June, 2025 at 7:50 pm “Volksgiest – a German loanword that refers to a unique national…” Jun 19, 20:18
Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: “That’s an interesting comment, Bip, on the very day WM has published new guidance on how it will consider fresh…” Jun 19, 20:07
agent x on Holiday Relief: “Breastplate says: 19 June, 2025 at 7:21 pm Logic would dictate that Scottish self determination “spooks” them. Losing control over…” Jun 19, 19:54
Northcode on Holiday Relief: “Meant to say thanks for the welcome back, James. I was only gone for a long weekend more or less…” Jun 19, 19:54
Northcode on Holiday Relief: “Volksgiest – a German loanword that refers to a unique national ‘spirit’ possessed collectively by each people or nation. Fowkgaist:…” Jun 19, 19:50
Breastplate on Holiday Relief: “Logic would dictate that Scottish self determination “spooks” them. Losing control over valuable resources wouldn’t be a good look for…” Jun 19, 19:21
Dan on Holiday Relief: “If you’re a genuine supporter of the Kingdom of Scotland returning to self-governing status, then that means you’re also a…” Jun 19, 18:39
agent x on Holiday Relief: “James says: 19 June, 2025 at 5:40 pm Yoons out in force on here again the day. Something’s spooking them,…” Jun 19, 18:38
twathater on Holiday Relief: “As usual James their exceptionalism hates for anyone to disagree or disprove their PISH” Jun 19, 18:14
James on Holiday Relief: “Yoons out in force on here again the day. Something’s spooking them, what on earth can it be….” Jun 19, 17:40
Oneliner on Holiday Relief: “You are a factchecker from the Samuel Goldwyn school ‘Don’t confuse me with facts – I’ve made my mind up’” Jun 19, 17:20
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Holiday Relief: “Following presentation well worth pondering: « Andy Anderson, Democratic Socialist Federation Education Officer, introduces the “Dunoon Unit Report: The Postal…” Jun 19, 16:39
sarah on Holiday Relief: “Lloyd Quinan on Through a Scottish Prism recently was saying that he knows several Returning Officers who would like to…” Jun 19, 16:24
Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: ““exploited Asian and African immigrants” Ach, but they love being exploited. Who are we to deny them their heart’s desire?…” Jun 19, 16:08
Hatey McHateface on Holiday Relief: ““the language of the ruling power is felt to burn your lips” That’s a great excuse to have in hand…” Jun 19, 15:56
factchecker on Holiday Relief: “On a statistical basis, presumably around 45% of those involved in the transportation and counting process were supporters of independence.…” Jun 19, 15:14
Andy Wiltshire on Holiday Relief: “‘Why aren’t you posting in Scots, Confused?’ I think perhaps he’s a mighty warrior on the interweb, but in real…” Jun 19, 15:05
James Cheyne on Holiday Relief: “Aye I was here in 2014 noting purdah and transporting the votes through the night , in both case connected…” Jun 19, 15:05
