Earlier today we were moved to tweet our scepticism regarding a claim made by the Scottish Labour branch manager Kezia Dugdale, as reported in the Guardian.
Even on the most casual glance, the numbers just didn’t seem to add up. If 62% of Scots voted to stay in the EU and 55% voted to stay in the UK, with no correlation between the two things, then the Venn-diagram intersection between those two groups seems pretty unlikely to add up to more than 50%, let alone a “vast” majority.
We’re not naturally disposed to sympathy for Tories, but it must be hellish being poor Ruth Davidson at the moment. The poor woman doesn’t know which way she’s facing from one minute to the next. Here she is less than a year ago:
Angela Eagle isn’t happy in the Labour Party and the Tories need a new leader. STV News Edinburgh may have jumped the gun slightly this evening, but this alternative career path makes a lot of sense.
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?
Skip_NC on The Marshalling Plan: “NaeNeed@5:02pm, this election is about casting a vote for independence. Voters can choose whomever they like on the constituency ballot,…” Feb 3, 02:06
Cynicus on The Marshalling Plan: ““Bogey the game is.” -======== From the word order does either Yoda or Fearghas think in Gaelic? ‘’S e taibhse…” Feb 3, 02:02
dan macaulay on The Marshalling Plan: “I get it, and it’s a no brainer, that I will vote for ALBA on the regional list. But otherwise,…” Feb 2, 22:43
willie on The Marshalling Plan: “When Swinney was the sole candidate to stand for election as party chief another candidate came forward. That candidate it…” Feb 2, 22:11
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “As if, who would have it. Pauline and Hatey KISSING UP A TREE.” Feb 2, 22:01
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “Aidan says: 2 February, 2026 at 7:42 pm @RevStu I think you’re being unfair, all you need to do is…” Feb 2, 21:53
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Marshalling Plan: “Never become a full-time Musical Chairs professional.” Feb 2, 21:28
Hatey McHateface on The Marshalling Plan: ““How about Venus, Jupiter or Mars?” Or that planet, light years away, the Picts came frae. Colonising cants. Nae wonder…” Feb 2, 21:19
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “AgentX Hm, You ARE a conundrum, I like you, So, you never feel differently on the day? But why on…” Feb 2, 20:54
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “Oh my gawd, Ian, listen to yourself. Mind you, thanks for the laughs 🙂 And you’ve fair made my day,…” Feb 2, 20:47
Insider on The Marshalling Plan: “That tool for predicting the number of seats is addictive! Just a few more points lost by the SNP and…” Feb 2, 20:40
100%Yes on The Marshalling Plan: “Doug, If this man would betray his own country then why would he resign? Make no mistakes about the people…” Feb 2, 20:37
Cherrybank on The Marshalling Plan: “I think Craig Houston the You- tuber has a good chance of getting elected on the Glasgow List vote.” Feb 2, 20:29
Scot Finlayson on The Marshalling Plan: “WHY WOULD ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND VOTE GREEN nobody in their right mind votes green. As Churchill said ish,…” Feb 2, 20:13
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “I DON’t KNOW, ANDREW SCOTT, WHY WOULD THEY?” Feb 2, 20:03
Nae Need! on The Marshalling Plan: “Skip, “there will be only seven pro-independence MSPs, ie, from Alba alone.” Negate this from your mind. And focus. NOMINALLY…” Feb 2, 19:45
Aidan on The Marshalling Plan: “@RevStu I think you’re being unfair, all you need to do is vote SNP a wee bit more and then…” Feb 2, 19:42
100%Yes on The Marshalling Plan: “For every vote you don’t give to the SNP and give to someone else the SNP has to find two…” Feb 2, 19:33
Rev. Stuart Campbell 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, 19:26
agentx on The Marshalling Plan: “No I never feel differently on the day – why on Earth should I?” Feb 2, 19:21
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
