Readers, we’d like you to meet Steven MacGregor. He’s the chap on the right of this pic, taken last Monday while campaigning for the Tories in Ochil & South Perthshire with party leader Ruth Davidson, just a foot or so away from him.
Disclaimer first: as we always say in situations like this, BOOKMAKERS’ ODDS ARE NOT PREDICTIONS. They’re based in significant part on the level of wagers placed, which means that you could affect the odds simply by making a large bet, which of course wouldn’t actually change the likelihood of a particular candidate winning.
So with that proviso, we present the following information purely for interest.
…which we felt it important to preserve for posterity lest anything happen to it. We’d charitably blame it all on the Telegraph, who made it, were it not for the fact that the Scottish Conservatives have posted it on their own Facebook page.
We’re being told that this Tory leaflet, where Stephanie Smith is described as “Ruth Davidson’s candidate” for Edinburgh South, is standard across the whole country.
…that will satisfy the Unionist parties. Last night Ruth Davidson told STV viewers that even getting more than 50% of the vote in a general election wouldn’t give the SNP a mandate to pursue their manifesto policies.
She was echoing the words of Kezia Dugdale just over a year ago:
So that’s clear. Davidson has reversed her previous view. There is now no peaceful democratic avenue by which the people of Scotland could express the wish for a second referendum which the two main Unionist parties would accept. They have EXPLICITLY said, in full public view, that they would reject any democratic mandate.
She’d insisted explicitly several times that a Jeremy Corbyn administration WOULD block a new indyref, even after being shown a video clip of Corbyn from earlier in the day saying he wouldn’t, and she repeatedly urged readers not to listen to the party’s leader and to instead go and look at the Labour manifesto.
Today’s Daily Record has a swipe at Jeremy Corbyn for, well, let’s call them “mixed messages” over a second independence referendum. It suggests his Scottish branch manager Kezia Dugdale would have “her head in her hands” over his latest comments, which is a bit rich considering Dugdale’s own history on the subject.
And since her headline boast when she took over as leader of the North British office was that people would know exactly what Labour stood for (and indeed she spent all of the weekend’s keynote Sunday Politics interview listing all the things she’d been very very clear about), we thought we’d have a recap and see how that was going.
Tremendous news for the rest of Scotland’s football clubs as Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers promises never to win the treble unbeaten again, even if his side score more goals than the other team in all their matches.
…is roughly how often Aberdeen get to the final of the Scottish Cup these days. The last time was 17 years ago – a tournament which started in the last century and ended the year Rangers started paying their players with EBTs – when SFA rules meant that they had to play almost the entire game without a recognised goalkeeper.
(A tackle in the third minute broke veteran custodian Jim Leighton’s jaw, and because you were only allowed three players on the subs bench the Dons had no backup No.1 and had to put striker Robbie Winters between the sticks, with a predictable outcome. Leighton never played professional football again.)
In politics, Labour were only one year into the first ever administration of the modern Scottish Parliament, and still in the first term of Tony Blair’s rule at Westminster. The idea of the SNP winning an election, let alone holding an independence referendum, was the preserve of mad fantasists.
And the last time the Pittodrie side actually won the trophy was 27 years back, which is so long ago that most of Hampden was still open to the elements.
Still, it would be weird if we got to the final again next year and some of the Aberdeen support refused to go on the grounds that the matter of who was the best cup football team in Scotland had been settled forever today.
Or if Celtic won but had fielded an ineligible player and the SFA ordered a replay, but the Dons declined to take part because they’d played too many finals recently.
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Tuning In The Shine: “Wow, I was a LONG way out, then.” Jul 2, 17:17
Hatey McHateface on Tuning In The Shine: ““no proper newspapers support independence” Ouch! That “proper” will sting over at The National.” Jul 2, 17:13
Effijy on Fob, Fob, Fobbing Along: “Unbelievable! A completely insulting reply that ignores the blatant fact that a crime has been committed and the person or…” Jul 2, 17:08
MARTIN on Fob, Fob, Fobbing Along: “I think a Judicial Review might end up being the only way to prove it was fraud if COPFS and…” Jul 2, 17:08
Jas on Tuning In The Shine: “Not long before ‘Strictly’ calls?” Jul 2, 16:12
gastrocnemius on Tuning In The Shine: “The anglicised version of Mac Giolla Bháin is McElwaine, with the emphasis on the Mc, not the El” Jul 2, 16:04
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “Confused (2 July 9.59am) writes: “Spook HQ in Glasgow is Kentigern House” ————————- KENTIGERN etymology. Saint’s formal name, also affectionately…” Jul 2, 16:02
Young Lochinvar on Tuning In The Shine: “Er ye go, the assertions been made so over to you John Swinney – move into and live in a…” Jul 2, 15:52
joolz on Tuning In The Shine: ““John Swinney would live in a cave for independence” but he won’t be honest about money. He can’t claim the…” Jul 2, 15:48
Ian Smith on Tuning In The Shine: “I cannot understand why Beattie stood again, (never mind why anyone would vote for him again) if not that he…” Jul 2, 15:35
Effijy on Tuning In The Shine: “Could we enquire why Guissler didn’t investigate or ask his bbc colleagues or bosses? Because they are anti Scottish and…” Jul 2, 15:33
Shug on Tuning In The Shine: “The big question for nationalists is Why did the MSM protect the SNP Why do legal professionals at the highest…” Jul 2, 15:27
Alf Baird on Tuning In The Shine: ““don’t think any of it got “censored”” At least you got a Brit State platform Rev, congrats. I offered Geissler…” Jul 2, 15:23
Liza Laine on Tuning In The Shine: “Upton Sinclair explained this ~100 years ago: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary…” Jul 2, 15:18
Mark Beggan on Tuning In The Shine: “Good point. The only interview I seen was when he was asked about the impact it had on his life…” Jul 2, 14:37
Ronnie on Tuning In The Shine: “Enjoyed that. The only comment I would make is how does Geissler not understand how there were two crimes commited?” Jul 2, 14:34
Mark Beggan on Tuning In The Shine: “” ..Fru fru knickknacks for his kitchen..” My favorite.” Jul 2, 14:10
David Ferguson on Tuning In The Shine: “Interesting your remarks abut Colin Beattie. He has done a fantastic job of staying completely under the radar so far.…” Jul 2, 14:04
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Ping-Pong-Fiddle-Aye-No: ““Except that’s not quite the case. The small print of the fundraiser pretty much did say it could be spent…” Jul 2, 13:55
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Fast Track: ““Just a thought, but is it possible the alleged ringfenced referendum cash doesn’t appear in the annual accounts because it’s…” Jul 2, 13:53
James Che on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “The so called new incoming prime minister has no given mandate to go forward, there would have to be an…” Jul 2, 13:45
Mark Beggan on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “A bit off topic but not really. The fifty percent women cabinets have a habit of turning into a a…” Jul 2, 13:31
Mark Beggan on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “I give Andy Cap twenty minutes on the seat of power before his biscuits start burning and his Marxist plot…” Jul 2, 13:23
Peter McAvoy on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “While quickly browsing the BBC Scotland today website some stories on the review of the papers front pages attracted my…” Jul 2, 13:22
Andy Wiltshire on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston of Police Scotland and Crown Agent John Logue of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal…” Jul 2, 12:45
Hatey McHateface on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “Out in the real world, the UK is about to get a new Prime Minister who has already outlined his…” Jul 2, 11:19
Hatey McHateface on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “Aye, Northy, you must be ruing the day you all so right royally fucked up the 2014 referendum. It’s good…” Jul 2, 11:11
Hatey McHateface on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “I have to agree Homer. Asserting that anybody who disagrees with one is a “fucking moron” who “enjoys taking it…” Jul 2, 11:04
Hatey Mchateface on Strike A Pose, There’s Nothing To It: “Aye, Confused, we’d be down the pits digging coal, or on the Clyde welding supertankers, and all whilst being paid…” Jul 2, 10:51
