Labour won far more handsomely in last night’s by-election than anyone – and we very strongly suspect that includes themselves – expected. If the swing of over 20% was to be repeated nationwide next year (which it won’t be, but we’ll get to that in a minute), the SNP would be reduced to six or seven seats, as Wings has predicted for a while.
From the abject pit of despair of 2015, when Labour lost 40 of its 41 MPs in Scotland, let’s look at how the party has powered back to recapture the hearts of voters.
Humza Yousaf didn’t turn up to the count tonight. In the end, even on a dreadfully low turnout of 37%, Labour won by 9,446 votes, with more than twice as many as the SNP.
It was a much worse defeat for the governing party than most expected. There should be only one outcome.
We were curious to find out what we’d said, but it seems to have been expunged from The National’s website. We eventually managed to track the email down in our vaults, though, so just as a bit of a change, here it is, as a reminder of a different time.
The greatest intellectual weakness of the independence movement is its attitude towards Trident, and trying to reason with people about it (whether readers or other independence activists) is consistently one of the most frustrating aspects of writing Wings, because nuclear disarmers and Unionists are equally impervious to logic on the subject.
The UK’s nuclear “deterrent” – or as it was more accurately and memorably described by the former Vulcan nuclear bomber squadron commander Air Commodore Alastair Mackie, “a virility symbol, like a stick-on hairy chest” – is the greatest gift to a future Scottish independence negotiating team imaginable.
The rest of the UK gets a lot of economic and infrastructural benefits from Scotland, like water and energy, but ultimately it’s not massively bothered about those. Water is not yet a critical area and energy can be sourced elsewhere, and in any event Brexit shows us that the UK is more than willing to do itself enormous harm in the service of ideological political goals.
Holiday Boy is sadly incapacitated today – ironically, having injured himself on his last holiday – but fortunately we do have some graphical content for you, having just been leaked this copy of the SNP’s campaign poster for the next general election.
You can almost smell the mince and carrots, can’t you?
Last night a by-election hustings was held in Rutherglen to which all 14 candidates were invited to hear and answer questions from the electorate on women’s issues. The SNP, Labour, Green and Lib Dem candidates all declined to attend. But the SNP, at least, was represented at the event.
The Scottish National Party, in legal character, is what’s known as an unincorporated association. (The same form of entity as Wings, local colour fans.)
Jamie on Sicknote Slippers: “Aidan, you miss the point. If winning elections was all that mattered I would still vote SNP as they are…” Mar 31, 22:56
James on Sicknote Slippers: “YL; ach, he/she/it’s only following the script. Only obeying orders….” Mar 31, 22:34
George Ferguson on Clocks And Calendars: “@Peter McAvoy Because you don’t get to tell others on this site they are bastards. So I am not your…” Mar 31, 21:08
Young Lochinvar on Sicknote Slippers: “Wet P1shfart says; “A vote for the SNP is a vote for my pension pot! Vote SNP, vote for comfy…” Mar 31, 21:06
Young Lochinvar on Sicknote Slippers: “Aidan @ 12.32 “Liberate not even registered in the polls yet”.. Wowser!! Curiouser and curiouser as there’s already both a…” Mar 31, 21:03
Young Lochinvar on Clocks And Calendars: “Malcolm Offord for comedian of the year award. It wouldn’t really be that difficult when you look at the rubbish…” Mar 31, 20:48
Peter McAvoy on Clocks And Calendars: “George How is contribution to you bank balance relevant about this issue? What is wrong with someone who opposed the…” Mar 31, 20:39
Young Lochinvar on Clocks And Calendars: “Yet another pedo pooftah caught out? They’re falling like nine pins at the mo.. And they were all supposed to…” Mar 31, 20:38
George Ferguson on Clocks And Calendars: “@Peter McAvoy I have checked my bank account and you are not a contributor. Dont you think we have been…” Mar 31, 20:13
Mark Beggan on Clocks And Calendars: “Let’s blame someone It’s obviously someone else’s fault. Let’s get together and dance around the crooked clock.” Mar 31, 20:09
Onlooker on Clocks And Calendars: “Look at these two clowns. Sarwar – parents paid for his shitty political career. Baillie – a pie-scoffing brain-flatline. And…” Mar 31, 19:42
Aidan on Sicknote Slippers: “Right so you are voting for Reform then are you? What is the point in voting for Alliance/Liberate. It is…” Mar 31, 19:30
robertkknight on Clocks And Calendars: “This has a familiar ring to it… “Former SNP candidate accused of sex offences” https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yx8rdryr0o Otherwise posted without comment.” Mar 31, 19:14
robertkknight on Clocks And Calendars: “That’s a sweeping but entirely accurate assessment of Scottish politics in general.” Mar 31, 19:11
100%Yes on Clocks And Calendars: “James Kelly, has become part of a bigger problem we have within the Independence movement, it’s been happening since Sturgeon…” Mar 31, 19:11
James on Sicknote Slippers: “Ah, Adrian promoting the Scotch Yoon vote yet again. Jamie (& Geri) are spot on with their posts; only a…” Mar 31, 18:18
TURABDIN on Clocks And Calendars: “THE UNITED KINGDOM, united in homogenized banality. What’s not to like?” Mar 31, 15:54
Peter McAvoy on Clocks And Calendars: “Today on the BBC Scotland news website mentioned that the Alexander Dennis factory in Falkirk is to close and the…” Mar 31, 15:14
Aidan on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Do they really? If these regimes are so popular, then why do they need to imprison and execute people for…” Mar 31, 15:00
Captain Caveman on Protest But Don’t Survive: ““I live in Scotland” 😀 Yeah, course you do mate (lol). Along the same lines as “I’ve never been banned”,…” Mar 31, 14:52
Geri on Protest But Don’t Survive: ““working this site” Are you a rent boy? LOL! blimey. I can see the relevance to yer handle now, insider.…” Mar 31, 14:47
Geri on Protest But Don’t Survive: “I live in Scotland. Unlike you three deadbeat fuds. No one is interested in yer Reform pish around these parts.…” Mar 31, 14:40
Insider on Protest But Don’t Survive: ““Geri” You are, by far, the most obvious foreign-based troll “working this site”. Piss off !” Mar 31, 14:23
Aidan on Protest But Don’t Survive: “I can say with absolute confidence that the quality of life in the U.K. and in Scotland is much much…” Mar 31, 14:21
Captain Caveman on Protest But Don’t Survive: “… Whereas you don’t even live in the fucking UK, “Geri”, let alone Scotland, so maybe pipe down mate.” Mar 31, 14:01
Geri on Protest But Don’t Survive: ““Heh. Like, as if that imbecile is on the Electoral Roll… probably doesn’t even have a fixed address.” Says the…” Mar 31, 13:54
Captain Caveman on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Ah well, at least you have a sense of humour! 😀” Mar 31, 13:44
Geri on Sicknote Slippers: “The defeat of the SNP will come when there is an indy party to replace them. Until then there won’t…” Mar 31, 13:35
