Alert readers may be familiar with the market research and polling company Progress Scotland. Readers of The National certainly will be, as the semi-newspaper has run over 120 stories about it, most of them around the company’s creation in early 2019.
The company was formed by Angus Robertson, at the time an unemployed former SNP MP after he lost his Moray seat in the 2017 election, and its stated goal was to persuade those not yet fully decided.
This is the second time Wings Over Scotland has asked Police Scotland a question through the proper official channels, only to read the response in the tabloid press before we’d heard it firsthand (which we still haven’t, incidentally, several days after the 28-day deadline expired).
But the sidebar piece in today’s Sunday Mail raises more questions than it answers.
According to SNP President and acting CEO Mike Russell, SNP members are too thick to understand the concept of changing their vote, and integrity is “disruptive”.
We’re not very clear on why a revote would be susceptible to “hacking” in any way that the original vote isn’t, but we’re sure there’s a great explanation.
There can surely be no credible disputing that the SNP leadership election – and therefore that of Scotland’s next First Minister – is, to put it very mildly, under a cloud.
As things stand, whoever wins will be forever tainted by the process – easy meat for the Unionist opposition in the Holyrood chamber and the media and a potential legal challenge could cause untold further damage to the party.
With six days still left for voting, the case for a reballot – an administratively fairly trivial task in an election being conducted almost entirely online – is now unanswerable, and needn’t even involve a delay.
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Yes and that’s perfectly sensible YL, but the Alliance isn’t going to hold the SNP to account when it comes…” May 1, 16:09
JCD on Seven Days Too Long: “Could someone advise me on the most constructive way to spoil a ballot? What I’m looking for is the nearest…” May 1, 16:01
Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “Fat Slag Wilma Flintstone @ 3.35 “Maaaaaate”..” May 1, 15:44
Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “AI Dun @ 2.30 PS: Sinn Fein I believe take their seats at Stormont (not Westminster). It’s the Unionists now…” May 1, 15:41
Mark Beggan on Seven Days Too Long: “One would have thought the Lady boys and the attempted brain washing of children would have been enough for most…” May 1, 15:40
Alf Baird on Seven Days Too Long: “Colonialism is described as ‘legalized lawlessness’ (Elkins), which raises questions about what may be deemed ‘lawful’ by a dominant power.…” May 1, 15:40
Captain Caveman on Seven Days Too Long: “Aww! Rambo’s triggered *again*… Good grief, you’re such a fragile little twerp aren’t you. Looks like my original remark went…” May 1, 15:35
Northcode on Seven Days Too Long: ““Oh my mistake…” That’s a pretty weak retort… you’re no fun to play with. In fact, none of the current…” May 1, 15:27
Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “Fat Slag Wilma Flintstone @ 2.48 Oh I’m perfectly comfortable to be rated as smaller than you Wilma thunderthighs, heck,…” May 1, 15:24
Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “AI Dun & 4.02 Somebody has to unambiguously hold the SNPs feet to the fire about actually striving for independence…” May 1, 15:18
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Oh my mistake, it’s just that all of your posts are so verbose, boring and absurd that it’s hard to…” May 1, 15:11
sarah on Seven Days Too Long: “@ Potace: not ALL the candidates are “an utterly depressing shower”. You’re right about the established parties but there’s independents,…” May 1, 15:09
Northcode on Seven Days Too Long: “Good God! First… far from being tiny and deluded, my mind is vast and crystal clear and far, far beyond…” May 1, 14:54
Captain Caveman on Seven Days Too Long: ““All parties start small, that’s life.” Well, the word on the street is you know all about “being small”, Rambo.…” May 1, 14:48
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “I’m aware YL that all parties start small, but think also how many countless political parties have been started and…” May 1, 14:30
Young Lochinvar on Seven Days Too Long: “AI Dun and Fat Slag Wilma Flintstone All parties start small, that’s life. I believe I made that pretty clear…” May 1, 14:02
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Your tiny deluded mind cannot possibly think that your life would be in anyway better if a war started with…” May 1, 13:31
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “That is absolutely true Alf, but that’s a different proposition from dispossessing people of property they now already lawfully owned…” May 1, 13:28
Del G on Seven Days Too Long: “As each day passes, Reform UK manage to flush themselves further down the pan. Their % rating in polls is…” May 1, 13:26
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Sorry fat stinker are you telling me where I am and am not welcome? You don’t have authority over your…” May 1, 13:25
TimePilot on Push The Button: “This is a common misconception. Whilst it may be of interest, you DO NOT need to PROVE anyone’s motivation in…” May 1, 13:16
Frank Gillougley on Seven Days Too Long: “I know that I’m a slow learner, but the obvious answer to this d’hondt groundhog day is staring everyone in…” May 1, 13:11
Northcode on Seven Days Too Long: “The resulting affspring produced whin the seed o the Scots and that o the English is mixt thegither is an…” May 1, 13:04
James on Seven Days Too Long: “Depends on wether you want a health service dunnit? Like tax cuts for the rich and service/benefit cuts for the…” May 1, 13:01
James on Seven Days Too Long: “Jezo they’re back. Read the posts. You aren’t welcome here. GTF the pair of you.” May 1, 12:50
Northcode on Seven Days Too Long: ““You’ve got to be aware that the teasing of the English is the Scottish sense of humour and there’s no…” May 1, 12:32
Alf Baird on Seven Days Too Long: “Most countries sensibly impose restrictions on foreign ownership of property/land especially where this would tend to disadvantage the indigenous population,…” May 1, 12:24
Angry Weegie on Seven Days Too Long: “Be careful what you wish for. Five years of a unionist majority could do untold damage to what remains of…” May 1, 12:22
ALANM on Seven Days Too Long: “What would really shake them up at Holyrood is if everyone pissed off with the state of Scottish politics went…” May 1, 12:12
Angry Weegie on Seven Days Too Long: “My choice in the constituency is SNP or one of 5 English based unionist party candidates. Isn’t it wonderful being…” May 1, 12:10
