With the greatest of reluctance, and only in the absence of anything even remotely more interesting, then, let’s have a few words on Scottish Labour’s latest solemn and sincere declaration of its full, total, complete and utter autonomy.
Because while the media is reporting the development that UK Labour has decided to extend a few extra inches of lead to Kezia Dugdale’s branch office as if it had the slightest importance to anything, it seems oddly reluctant to ask the obvious question.
The Sunday Times has a new Panelbase poll out today, and it borrows a question that was first asked by this website (via the same pollster) 14 months ago. These were the results this month:
They broadly show little change from when we asked last year (for the five options the changes are +1, 0, -3, +8 and -5), suggesting that the main practical upshot of the EU referendum campaign was to halve the number of Don’t Knows, which was achieved by shifting almost all of them straight onto the Leave side with the Remain camp’s abysmal recreation of Better Together’s “Project Fear”.
Nevertheless, the chart is a fascinating and pertinent one. Because while there’s only one of the four non-DK groups in the list who definitely can’t get what they want, there’s another one whose decision will be a lot harder than Yes supporters would like.
The press and social media today are frothing with excitement about a new Ipsos Mori poll for STV which shows (for the second poll in succession) Ruth Davidson scoring marginally higher approval ratings than Nicola Sturgeon.
But the problem is that that wasn’t what people were actually asked.
We’ve already highlighted the abominable state of the Daily Express this week, but an article in today’s edition is surely some sort of record-breaking low.
Hold onto your hats, folks, you won’t believe this one.
The tone of coverage deployed by the Daily Express (Scottish and English editions alike) with regard to the First Minister of Scotland in recent weeks has been both bizarre and disturbing. Yesterday the paper ran this “story”:
It’s a load of gibberish, obviously. But if the FM was preparing herself for a punch-up, you could hardly blame her given what’s apparently been going on.
Supporters of Scottish independence have known for years that the civic “nationalism” espoused by the Yes movement bears no relation to the so-called “blood and soil” varieties found in many other countries. Every racist or ethnic-nationalist organisation in Britain – the BNP, the EDL/SDL, the National Front and so on – was stridently No.
The BBC lunchtime weather forecast of 15 October 1987 is now fondly looked back on as a moment of shared national doh-what-are-we-like? comedy, in the same vein as a Morecambe and Wise Christmas show or something.
Eternally angry Conservative MSP Adam Tomkins has been even shoutier than usual this week, purple-faced with rage about the fact that the SNP has decided to spend some of its own money (not taxpayer cash) asking people for their opinions.
It’s a curious argument from a member of a party that’s been rejected in successive elections in Scotland in 1964, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1974 again, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016, but keeps turning up and barking orders anyway. You’d think the first 50 years might qualify as a hint.
Andrew scott on The Marshalling Plan: “WHY WOULD ANYONE IN THEiIR RIGHT MIND VOTE GREEN” Feb 2, 19:10
Skip_NC on The Marshalling Plan: “100% Yes, I should have thought it was obvious that I do not see the SNP (or Greens, for that…” Feb 2, 19:09
Young Lochinvar on Shield Of The Phantom: “Indeed James Bauge is slated for mention, not least as heir apparent Chooky Clarence getting the chop there started the…” Feb 2, 19:08
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “One of the things I find interesting about this: Unionists (with insight) recognise the ‘placeholder value’ of the masquerading SNP…” Feb 2, 19:07
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “Sorry, but can I just say as an afterthought – Doug, whether Swinney resigns or not is almost a moot…” Feb 2, 19:01
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “So you say, you may feel differently on the day.” Feb 2, 18:50
Nae Need on The Marshalling Plan: ““Maybe an anglo-centric Reform-led government installed on a very low tournout will shock politically complacent Scots into realising the necessity…” Feb 2, 18:48
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “Andrew: “I’m no fan of the SNP and didnt vote for them in 2021, but anyone who supports independence and…” Feb 2, 18:43
agentx on The Marshalling Plan: “I vote after taking into account the policies of each party – opinion polls do not influence me at all.” Feb 2, 18:42
Doug on The Marshalling Plan: “It won’t surprise me if it’s a very low turnout in May. Will Swinney resign as SNP leader if the…” Feb 2, 18:41
Andrew on The Marshalling Plan: “I’m no fan of the SNP and didnt vote for them in 2021, but anyone who supports independence and votes…” Feb 2, 18:14
Al-Stuart on The Marshalling Plan: “. Psycho Pop Goes Stalk just imploded. James The Janitor Kelly has proof that NO ONE other than a pitiful…” Feb 2, 18:14
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “Agreed, Willie, but we now have to the play the game as its rules are presented to us, forced on…” Feb 2, 17:56
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: ““Just 7% of voters switching from Labour to Reform, and 5% switching from Tory to Reform, actually WINS Reform the…” Feb 2, 17:43
Frank Gillougley on The Marshalling Plan: “cue joni mitchell music – ‘And the seasons they go round and round And the painted ponies go up and…” Feb 2, 17:04
100%Yes on The Marshalling Plan: “He’s a sad individual who only knows three things Wings BAD Alba party BAD and give both votes to the…” Feb 2, 17:03
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “Sorry, Skip, I disagree. This election is decisively NOT about voting IN pro-indy parties, it’s about getting rid of the…” Feb 2, 17:02
100%Yes on The Marshalling Plan: “Skip_NC, I wished I could make you realise that the SNP leadership isn’t genuine about Independence, I don’t even believe…” Feb 2, 17:00
Hatey McHateface on The Marshalling Plan: ““rainbow/green trailer, with blokes in frocks dancing in the streets and women everywhere worrying about their next toilet stop” Wow!…” Feb 2, 16:59
Iain More on The Marshalling Plan: “So you will be voting for an English NAZI Party on the Constituency. Pro Indy Party Voter my arse. I…” Feb 2, 16:42
Wally Jumblatt on The Marshalling Plan: “I suspect neither Labour nor Tory / Unionist know what runes are, so there’s not much risk of them trying…” Feb 2, 16:42
Xaracen on Shield Of The Phantom: “Final correction, I promise! An opinion delivered by Lord Hope in a parliamentary committee has no binding legal force, because…” Feb 2, 16:11
Willie on The Marshalling Plan: “The colonial creation through its system has the pretend party exactly where Westminster wants it. That together with the utter…” Feb 2, 15:57
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Marshalling Plan: “I think the chances of Reform voters going back to any of the old parties now, even tactically, are microscopic.” Feb 2, 15:55
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Marshalling Plan: “By “sitting” do you mean “standing”?” Feb 2, 15:54
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Marshalling Plan: “He hasn’t even commented on the Times article yet! I think he might be ill.” Feb 2, 15:54
Xaracen on Shield Of The Phantom: “Correction, I posted too quickly. An opinion delivered by Lord Hope in a parliamentary committee has no binding legal force,…” Feb 2, 15:53
Tartan Tory on The Marshalling Plan: “100% my thoughts too. My desire for Indy has never waned. My desire for it to arrive on the back…” Feb 2, 15:50
Xaracen on Shield Of The Phantom: “@Aidan; An opinion delivered by Lord Hope in a parliamentary committee has no binding legal force, because he was not…” Feb 2, 15:48
