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.
Bilbo on Pandora’s Campervan: “More important than all of this. PayPal Kavanagh is off sick again. Dig deep and click on that donate button…” Jun 2, 17:38
agentx on Pandora’s Campervan: “He told reporters that there had been a “colossal breach of trust”. Swinney said that while the party’s systems were…” Jun 2, 17:16
Tenruh on Pandora’s Campervan: “Heard today that Murrell and Swinney have been friends since childhood,any truth in that?” Jun 2, 17:08
AdamH on Pandora’s Campervan: “That Tommy Sheppard article He (now) knows exactly what went wrong yet seems to have no recognition of being 1…” Jun 2, 16:48
Anne on Pandora’s Campervan: “Is it not more likely that this excess of pointless bling purchasing and overspend on office refurbishment is a way…” Jun 2, 16:34
Ebok on Pandora’s Campervan: “It’s difficult to put into words the appreciation for, and admiration of, the sheer volume and depth of work being…” Jun 2, 16:16
agentx on Pandora’s Campervan: “Why embezzle a camper van and never use it?” Jun 2, 15:34
Ian on Pandora’s Campervan: “Incidentally, when those figures for ‘audio visual’ came out, I remember trying to compile a realistic invoice for a conference…” Jun 2, 15:30
agentx on Pandora’s Campervan: “Murrell was CEO of SNP from 2001. Murrell married Sturgeon in July 2010 The offences started 12 August 2010. ———————————————–…” Jun 2, 15:25
Alf Baird on Pandora’s Campervan: ““The Brits are past masters in dirty trickery, subversion, great gaming” Indeed, and especially so in the ‘strategic’ colonies where…” Jun 2, 15:25
Ian on Pandora’s Campervan: “Given that the motor home was never used, and stuffed full of ‘luxury’ goods, you can’t help thinking that Murrell…” Jun 2, 15:23
100%Yes on Pandora’s Campervan: “What ever surplus money the SNP got he or them just spent it on what ever they wanted, wither it…” Jun 2, 14:53
Cynicus on Pandora’s Campervan: ““Begs the question, why did the Crown feel they had to agree to a deal? Could they not have proved…” Jun 2, 14:44
100%Yes on Pandora’s Campervan: “Sturgeon forced to answer for herself on national TV, with crocodile tears, only to turn round and say what have…” Jun 2, 14:37
Rogueslr on Pandora’s Campervan: “With only 4 miles on the camper van it should make a good price at auction. But, I am left…” Jun 2, 14:34
BigJay on Pandora’s Campervan: “There was an interesting article in the Sunday Times, part of which outlined the Swinney/Murrell connection from their schooldays, church…” Jun 2, 14:23
agentx on Pandora’s Campervan: “PUBLIC FUNDS £8,143,658.37 in Short Money from the House of Commons £2,437,821.47 in policy development grants from the Electoral Commission…” Jun 2, 14:21
Iain Ross on The View From Row Z: “The van should be shown in the Balance Sheet at cost price (ex VAT) less accumulated depreciation. Not sure what…” Jun 2, 14:19
Andy Wiltshire on Pandora’s Campervan: “Exactly! Come on Wingers, there must be a lawyer here who can address this vital point.” Jun 2, 14:13
RobertG on Pandora’s Campervan: “I also wonder if the deliberate own goal decision to go to the Supreme Court over indyref2 was part of…” Jun 2, 14:12
Rocky on Pandora’s Campervan: “Who were the Sloggi knickers for?” Jun 2, 14:09
Jim Anderson on Pandora’s Campervan: “Getting interesting as the extent and timing of the control failures by Beattie and Sturgeon that favoured Murrell’s criminality are…” Jun 2, 14:05
barelybare on Pandora’s Campervan: ““I’ve been through the 107 pages of items bought by Peter Murrell” Keep in mind that BBC list excludes all…” Jun 2, 13:59
Al-Stuart on Pandora’s Campervan: “. Hi Stuart. Thanks for your excellent Pandora’s Box article. I’ve been through the 107 pages of items bought by…” Jun 2, 13:49
LES HALLES on Pandora’s Campervan: “Out of all this, one thing everyone should be thankful for are your unrelenting efforts to shine a light into…” Jun 2, 13:48
TURABDIN on Pandora’s Campervan: “It is of course not beyond reason to suspect the entire SNP «staff» of being British intelligence spooks, both knowing…” Jun 2, 13:36
100%Yes on Pandora’s Campervan: “Its should be no public inquiry then return the money that was donated to the SNP. Is it possible to…” Jun 2, 13:26
100%Yes on Pandora’s Campervan: “Jester or just a complete and utter idiot Colin Beattie with 1mb of ram for brain power. Who says one…” Jun 2, 13:20
