The figure below is my own, but it’s also remarkably typical:
Click the pic to get yours.
(It actually feels like a lot more than that – quite possibly because I have, in fact, not for one minute of my entire life been represented by a government at Westminster – or anywhere else, come to that – that I voted for, unless you count the token presence of the Lib Dems in the 2010-15 coalition. Which I don’t, because they immediately betrayed every policy and principle for which I’d voted for them in the first place.)
For Scotland, democracy in the UK simply doesn’t work.
There’s a new hot buzz-phrase in the Yoonstream: “GERS deniers”.
It’s actually been around for quite a few months – coincidentally since this site started exposing the true nature of the figures – but has become a constant mantra recently, in particular since the intervention of an actual proper expert who doesn’t sell cat litter for a living, Professor Richard Murphy.
Ever since he set tongues and tails wagging by writing a series of hard-hitting articles for his widely-renowned Tax Research UK blog last week, rubbishing the quality of the data, Unionists have been in an increasingly shrill flap about it.
We saw this exchange on Twitter this morning, involving left-wing Labour activist Eoin Clarke, a reader, and Scottish Labour list MSP Elaine Smith.
Smith professed to find it “unbelievable” and “scary” that the reader thought he’d had Tory governments for most of his lifetime. (We asked him how old he was and he said 34, which means he’s had Tory governments for 62% of his life, so that checks out.)
But it’s a standard Scottish Labour line that there’s no real difference between Scottish and English voters in terms of favouring left-wing politics, so we thought we’d just quickly check the arithmetic on that. The results are unlikely to shock you.
It’s important to note, firstly, that the version of Sadiq Khan’s speech to the Scottish Labour conference he tweeted on Saturday morning simply flat-out said that Scottish nationalists were the same as racists and sectarian bigots. Its meaning was as clear as crystal to the Daily Record, a newspaper which is hardly hostile to Khan’s party.
“No difference” is a stark and unambiguous phrase. The speech did not contain the hastily-added qualifiers about “in this respect” and “of course I’m not saying the SNP are racist” which suddenly appeared when he read it out onstage that afternoon.
The reliably-wise Stephen Bush of The New Statesman said something perceptive yesterday on the subject of an EU referendum, although it applies much more widely.
It’s a view we’ve held for many years, most often in relation to UK governments ruling with huge majorities won on pretty tiddly pluralities of the vote (often in the mid-30%s), where the bulk of the electorate has no defence against a party it didn’t vote for.
Despite an electoral system that makes such events far rarer, the phenomenon crops up a lot in Scotland too, and both sides are guilty, often on the same subject. Scottish employment figures, for example, alternate with almost metronomic regularity between being higher/lower than those in the rest of the UK, and whichever it is in any given month one side or the other will trumpet it as conclusive and permanent proof that Scotland’s governance is better/worse than that of London.
(Even though Holyrood in fact has almost no power over the economy, so deserves little of either the blame or credit, whichever applies that month.)
Below is part of a segment from Monday’s edition of Good Morning Scotland (from 2h 35m at the link beneath the clip), which featured an interview with Professor Allyson Pollock, an extremely experienced academic in the field of healthcare on both sides of the border who so far as we know has no dog in the Scottish constitutional fight.
Cynicus on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Marie says: 15 April, 2026 at 11:40 am “And Vance’s boss – Dr Jesus Trump M.D – is a global…” Apr 15, 11:53
James Che on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Mini wind turbines set on our roofs or beside our houses would be a steadier energy source than daylight or…” Apr 15, 11:35
Northcode on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Frantz Fanon reminds us that, “Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.”…” Apr 15, 11:32
James Che on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Dan, Not only are Scottish homes not adequitly insulated but the solar energy is not stored, meaning shorter daylight hours…” Apr 15, 11:22
Dan on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Economies of scale mean energy generation infrastructure is a matter best dealt with at a national level. Of course, that…” Apr 15, 10:05
James Che on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “The colonial governance employs perverts and we pay them to do so, extra Scottish tax, This nonsense of pretending that…” Apr 15, 09:52
James Che on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Being controlled directly or indirectly in our energy and communications by BBC in Scotland 2026. Becoming the energy supplier to…” Apr 15, 09:45
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “From LANARK by Alasdair Gray, Chap 22: One morning Thaw and McAlpin went into the Cowcaddens, a poor district behind…” Apr 15, 09:35
James Che on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Wandering away from the topic as others do, Resources and Scotland powering the rest of Britain through solar energy, The…” Apr 15, 09:23
TURABDIN on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “AND THIS JUST GOES ON AND ON…. https://www.glasgowworld.com/news/insurance-hearing-set-to-decide-the-fate-of-glasgow-school-of-art-mackintosh-building-5502043 All worthy of some backwater banana republic where nothing matters any more….except…” Apr 15, 08:57
Cynicus on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “It seems I may have underestimated the age of Persian civilisation ‘s ancient roots at 7000 years. Elsewhere, I read:…” Apr 15, 08:53
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: ““given it’s long list of explosive scandals. It certainly shouldn’t be receiving government funding” I’m up for ScotGov funding a…” Apr 15, 08:47
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: ““sunny weather provides a “surge” in energy production and also windy weather too; between the two, your energy needs are…” Apr 15, 08:41
TURABDIN on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “It would appear that having a «mental disorder» does not disqualify for office, It may even be a bonus in…” Apr 15, 08:36
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: ““he is a Walter Mitty character” Anybody ken if Walt is still with us? If he is, I hope he…” Apr 15, 08:18
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: ““7000 year old civilisation” Laughter came easy, but words fail. ScotGov should commission a study into the adverse mental health…” Apr 15, 08:13
Hatey McHateface on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Am I the only reader who feels bitterly let down by the intellectual stuntedness and aspirational poverty of the Scottish…” Apr 15, 08:03
Peter McAvoy on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “I agree with another comment about Scottish books and other stories being filmed in Scotland with a majority Scottish cast…” Apr 15, 02:02
Young Lochinvar on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “He’s here! He’s there! He’s absolutely No effin where! Hatey Auld Hateys Back In remand.. 🙂 🙂 🙂” Apr 15, 00:20
Young Lochinvar on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “C @ 11.11 Lanark? Well! If it’s anything like Londons Uber trendy West End rendition of “Hamilton” then I’m afraid…” Apr 15, 00:06
Cynicus on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “I note that erstwhile stalwart supporters are annoyed with that son of Scotland, Dòmhnall Iain Trump for outing himself as…” Apr 14, 23:57
Confused on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “note the cunning way this is framed – free energy, or worse still – being PAID to use it, is…” Apr 14, 23:12
Confused on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “oooh … I remember that now … it was so over the top … and yet a great “analogy” for…” Apr 14, 23:11
George Ferguson on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “@Dan Great stuff Dan. I went on a cruise for a special anniversary and saw how the other half live.…” Apr 14, 20:55
Dan on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “Don’t do it George, because that’s exactly what the “Greens” want you to do! There’s nothing says you’ve reduced your…” Apr 14, 20:24
Geri on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: ““A full investigation into the media allegations” Notice it’s not into the clowns who planned on recruiting this fantasist! I…” Apr 14, 19:59
Young Lochinvar on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “C I think they did the bad Anglo desperate to bum the Scots hero already in Outlander.. Maybe they’ll do…” Apr 14, 19:47
Alf Baird on Do You Believe In The Westwood?: “The top of the iceberg, considering our colonial hierarchy. Might be an idea to check on the hundreds of other…” Apr 14, 19:15
