Despite having an even number of participants, the panel is split 3:1 in favour of Remain and 3:1 against independence (surely the biggest specifically Scottish issue likely to arise from the Brexit vote, and which several polls in the last couple of weeks now show is backed by a majority of voters).
Half of the debaters are also Labour politicians, which means that the third-placed party which got 22% of the vote in this May’s election has as much representation as two parties who got 69% between them.
We’ve been racking our brains for a couple of hours trying to work out a way in which such a multiply-skewed line-up could be justified (other than flat-out trolling), and we’ve got nothing. Does anyone have any ideas?
The UK is currently a non-functioning democracy. The Prime Minister has handed in his notice and has no nominated successor. The leader of the Opposition has just been served with a vote of no confidence by 80% of his own MPs. Parliamentarians are openly discussing overturning the result of a democratic referendum. People are pretending that Angela Eagle is a credible future Prime Minister.
We’re currently trying to write an article summarising the state of UK politics, but our brains keep exploding two sentences in. So in the meantime we thought we’d share this just-released image from YouGov with you, for the benefit of anyone dim enough to ever put any stock by bookmakers’ odds as predictors of the future.
The people (of England) have spoken, and their elected representatives are freaking out all over the shop.
Several senior Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs have openly called for the result of a democratic referendum to be overturned by Parliament against the wishes of voters. The Prime Minister has quit, the Chancellor is expected to follow on Monday, and half of the Labour shadow cabinet is apparently doing it as we speak, after Jeremy Corbyn fired Hilary Benn for planning a coup.
(Apparently including Ian Murray, the shadow Scottish Secretary who’s also the only Scottish Labour MP at Westminster, putting the party in the farcical position of having to find itself a spokesman on Scottish affairs who either sits in an English or Welsh seat or is an unelected lord.)
Labour MPs are also demanding Corbyn’s head, in essence for the crime of his being hugely popular with the party’s membership for reflecting the old-fashioned left-wing ideology and views that they actually believe in, rather than the “moderate” neo-Tory position of Blairite parliamentarians. Corbyn shows no sign of going.
It’s been suggested that the Scottish Parliament could in fact block any attempt by the UK to leave (though it seems unlikely). Britain faces a future without Milky Way Magic Stars. UK politics, to put it mildly, is in chaos. So what the hell’s going on?
Scotland (overwhelmingly) and Northern Ireland (less so) have voted to stay in Europe while England (decisively) and Wales (narrowly) have voted to leave. Northern Ireland has its own choices to make, but Scotland must now hold a second referendum.
Yesterday the UK as a whole voted to leave the European Union, while Scotland voted to stay in. Unless something is done, Scotland will be dragged out of the EU against its clearly-expressed will – the margin for Remain was two and a half times the margin for No in 2014.
The temptations for Yes voters are almost overwhelming. The rage that many of them feel is genuine and fully justified. Scotland was lied to remorselessly and relentlessly throughout the indyref campaign, threatened and bullied and cowed into staying in a fantasy UK bearing no resemblance to the one we now find ourselves in.
The sheer irony of the UK plunging into exactly the sort of calamitous uncertainty we were told would befall an independent Scotland would test the character of a saint.
And for everyone whose restraint is being stretched to the very limits of its endurance today, we have a two-word message: George Square.
The game just changed, readers. We’ve been up all night. We’ll have some analysis for you in a few hours. For now, spend a few moments pondering who the “narrow nationalists” and “separatists” in the UK are.
Captain Caveman on A matter of class: “Merry Christmas! A fly press tastic happy new year! 🙂” Dec 25, 12:05
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “I’m bloody annoyed now, Alf, because you’ve made me break the promise I made to myself. But please tell me…” Dec 25, 11:28
Alf Baird on A matter of class: ““what are they like” Pretty much like any other colonial institution, it seems, in imposing its alien cultural ‘values’ on…” Dec 25, 11:07
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “Merry Christmas to all, My best wishes to everyone for the coming year,” Dec 25, 10:57
Northcode on A matter of class: “A Merry Christmas tae aw youse wha roam theis place. May God leuk favorably upo ye and yer kin theis…” Dec 25, 10:26
agentx on A matter of class: “Bloody Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) what are they like eh!” Dec 24, 21:30
Willie on A matter of class: “As someone once said there’s three in this relationship. Diana, Charles and could it be perchance our current queen, our…” Dec 24, 19:29
Cynicus on A matter of class: “Andy Ellis says: 24 December, 2025 at 1:15 pm “Ah hae ma doots bud! I’ve been posting since well before…” Dec 24, 19:09
Dan on A matter of class: “I hear next year’s Speyside Stages car rally based around Elgin has been cancelled due to not being able to…” Dec 24, 18:33
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “I’m sure you’re right, willie. And I’m sure the authorities will be all over it soon. But first they have…” Dec 24, 18:10
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “As always, sam, more illuminating for what is omitted rather than what is said. Where are the figures permitting comparisons…” Dec 24, 17:50
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “C’moan noo, Andy. I’m certain Twatty is spelled wi twa ‘T’s.” Dec 24, 17:36
Hatey McHateface on A matter of class: “I make it 21%, Stu. Are you rounding up or rounding down? And Stu, why aren’t you posting under your…” Dec 24, 17:29
Dan on A matter of class: “And a quick update for that third comment from Andy. “moonhowling, nativist, bigotry, ethnic nationalism, blood and soil nationalism, Siol…” Dec 24, 17:26
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@twatbynametwatbynature The onus is on you to prove that moonhowling nativist bigotry is the norm Twaty. There’s oodles of evidence…” Dec 24, 17:20
Dan on A matter of class: “Just for adjudication purposes for those playing Franchise Fanny Crimbo Bingo Numberwang! In this comment trail currently including two of…” Dec 24, 17:12
twathater on A matter of class: ““Those who have apparently abandoned civic nationalism in favour of divisive ethno-nationalism always take umbrage when I say that they…” Dec 24, 17:03
Andy Ellis on A matter of class: “@sam 1.57pm Yeah, I think that looks familiar: I’m not convinced by the (at least to my mind) simplistic correlation…” Dec 24, 16:21
DaveL on A matter of class: ““But then think back to the Jimmy Saville scandal and who was close to that.” Willie at 1.57pm. That’d be…” Dec 24, 15:12
agentx on A matter of class: “willie says: “Anyway, child abuse, even when in Scotland, seems not to be an issue for our athorities – or…” Dec 24, 15:11
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “agentx, Thanks for that info, Local Councils do not give out planning permission very easily in Scotland especially in Green…” Dec 24, 15:10
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “DaveL, Thank you, Let Scots make our own mistakes, stop telling us what mistakes to make. Much appreciated.” Dec 24, 15:02
agentx on A matter of class: ““7 March 2025 Demolition work has started at a cottage in the Highlands formerly owned by Jimmy Savile. The site’s…” Dec 24, 14:59
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “Willie, No you are not missing the mark, Jimmy Savelle even had a holiday cottage in Scotland. While the crown…” Dec 24, 14:44
I. Despair on A matter of class: “A Ferrari? Doesn’t appeal as a daily driver. Too cramped inside. I’d happily have a shot in one at a…” Dec 24, 14:40
sam on A matter of class: ““Scots take an inclusive approach to independence Only 50% of those who support Scottish independence say that being born in…” Dec 24, 14:23
DaveL on A matter of class: “I reckon about twenty percent of posts btl here belong to Hatey. I think most are in reply and all…” Dec 24, 14:16
James Cheyne on A matter of class: “The difference between the two is the English approach to the Scottish approach, English Approach. One tells, lies or bullies…” Dec 24, 14:11
Stuart MacKay on A matter of class: “Andy. you’re looking at it from a values and morals perspective. You don’t seemed to have learned anything from the…” Dec 24, 14:01
willie on A matter of class: “Scotland the colony. Scotland the corrupt. Its all in play as the establishment and the system reveal time after time.…” Dec 24, 13:57
