Meet the new blood
STV have leaked the results of Scottish Labour’s list-candidate rankings. Alert readers will recall that Kezia Dugdale promised that her leadership would see an influx of “new talent and fresh faces” to the beleaguered branch office’s ranks.
So let’s see how that panned out.
We’ll only list the top seven for each region, since there are only that many list seats. Note that Labour lists are “zipped”, and must alternate between women and non-women regardless of actual votes.
———————————————————————————————————-
Central
1. Richard Leonard UNION POLITICAL OFFICER
2. Monica Lennon CURRENT COUNCILLOR
3. Mark Griffin CURRENT MSP
4. Elaine Smith CURRENT MSP
5. Craig Martin CURRENT COUNCILLOR
6. Margaret McCulloch CURRENT MSP
7. John Pentland CURRENT MSP
Only one out of seven is not a current elected Labour official, and four out of seven are current MSPs. It’s not the most spectacular start. But as we’ll see, it’s as good as it’s going to get. Labour could conceivably collect five or even six list seats here, which would mean three new faces in Holyrood.
———————————————————————————————————-
Glasgow
1. Anas Sarwar FORMER MP
2. Johann Lamont CURRENT MSP
3. James Kelly CURRENT MSP
4. Pauline McNeill FORMER MSP
5. Bill Butler FORMER MSP
6. Patricia Ferguson CURRENT MSP
7. James Adams CURRENT COUNCILLOR
Ooft. A lineup of current MSPs and those already rejected by the electorate. The only one who’s not a current or former Parliamentarian is last on the list and has essentially no chance.
———————————————————————————————————-
Highlands and Islands
1. Rhoda Grant CURRENT MSP
2. David Stewart CURRENT MSP
3. Leah Franchetti ACTUAL FRESH FACE!
4. Sean Morton CURRENT COUNCILLOR
5. Sarah Atkin ACTUAL FRESH FACE!
6. John Erskine PARLIAMENTARY RESEARCHER
7. Robina Barton ACTUAL FRESH FACE!
Labour will do well to improve on the two MSPs it got in 2011, so it looks like no change. If it does pick up a third seat, it’ll go to Edinburgh-based Leah Franchetti, which is going to be a bit of a commute. We must in fairness note that there’s some bona-fide new talent here, but none of it has any realistic hope of getting to Holyrood.
———————————————————————————————————-
Lothian
1. Kezia Dugdale CURRENT MSP
2. Neil Findlay CURRENT MSP
3. Sarah Boyack CURRENT MSP
4. Daniel Johnson ACTUAL FRESH FACE!
5. Lesley Hinds CURRENT COUNCILLOR
6. Jalal Chaudry CURRENT NEC MEMBER
7. Cat Headley CURRENT CONSTITUENCY CANDIDATE
Four is the most optimistic scenario for Labour in Lothian, so there’s a possibility of a single new MSP here.
———————————————————————————————————-
Mid Scotland and Fife
1. Alex Rowley CURRENT MSP
2. Claire Baker CURRENT MSP
3. Thomas Docherty FORMER MP
4. Cara Hilton CURRENT MSP
5. Craig Miller PARLIAMENTARY RESEARCHER
6. Johanna Boyd CURRENT COUNCILLOR
7. Jamie Glackin FORMER PARTY CHAIR
Again, four seats here is the maximum plausible outcome, so at best it’s going to be three sitting MSPs and one former MP.
———————————————————————————————————-
North East Scotland
1. Jenny Marra CURRENT MSP
2. Lewis MacDonald CURRENT MSP
3. Lesley Brennan CURRENT MSP
4. Richard McCready CURRENT COUNCILLOR
5. Sarah Duncan ACTUAL FRESH FACE!
6. Willie Young CURRENT COUNCILLOR
7. Alison Evison CURRENT COUNCILLOR
There’s basically almost no chance of Labour picking up a fourth seat here. In 2011 the SNP swept all 10 constituencies and still got one on the list. Expect as-you-were.
———————————————————————————————————-
South Scotland
1. Iain Gray CURRENT MSP
2. Claudia Beamish CURRENT MSP
3. Colin Smyth CURRENT COUNCILLOR (+ FORMER GENERAL SECRETARY)
4. Carol Mochan ACTUAL FRESH-ISH FACE!
5. Kenryck Lloyd-Jones FORMER WESTMINSTER CANDIDATE
6. Fiona O’Donnell FORMER MP
7. Andrew Cochrane ACTUAL FRESH FACE!
Andrew Cochrane is a face so fresh, in fact, that we couldn’t find a single piece of internet presence for him, which is pretty remarkable. However, as three seats here would be a great result for Labour, it’s a bit of a moot point. We won’t be seeing any more of him.
———————————————————————————————————-
West Scotland
1. Jackie Baillie CURRENT MSP
2. Neil Bibby CURRENT MSP
3. Mary Fee CURRENT MSP
4. Ken MacIntosh CURRENT MSP
5. Johanna Baxter CURRENT NEC MEMBER
6. Joe Cullinane CURRENT COUNCILLOR
7. Siobhan McCready CURRENT CONSTITUENCY CANDIDATE
Labour could plausibly pick up five seats here, but with the top four places hogged by current MSPs, the only chance of a new face is a prominent party apparatchik.
———————————————————————————————————-
So in terms of candidates with any remotely realistic chance of getting elected:
CURRENT MSPs: 23
FORMER MSPs/MPs: 4
CURRENT COUNCILLORS: 3
GENUINE NEW FACES: 3
Remember, that’s a maximum. On current polls Labour won’t come anywhere near 33 list seats, so only one of those newcomers is a cert. Feel the freshness, folks.
Titans All !
Same shite….different day.
It now seems likely that Lamont, Gray and Dugdale will be returned to Holyrood in May.
In that scenario there will soon be three discredited former leaders among a Labour group of about 20.
That unhappy triumvirate would soon be joined, of course, by an as-yet-unnamed fourth person after the local elections of 2017.
One fifth of the parliamentary Labour party…
Meet the new blood…
Same as the old blood…
The problem SLAB have (apart from being irrelevant) is that the have few new faces. The bright 16-20 somethings are all in the SNP.
Sarwar is however a gift, Kez, watch your back!
…same as the old blood!
I luv you Stuart.
Some of the rankings will see quite a few MSP’s not returning in May. I see the McMahon’s will be out if they don’t win a constituency seat.
Good breakdown Rev much better than I could do. You’ve neglected the Sarawar factor though.
Who in their right mind could vote for that reprobate?
Before you pull me up again about my use of language:
1. an unprincipled person.
2. archaic
(in Calvinism) a sinner who is not of the elect and is predestined to damnation.
Labour screwed.
Anyone else thinking of the “Party Games” episode of Yes Minister? In particular I’m thinking of the line “which is mostly gristle, head meat, other offcuts and mechanically-recovered meat… steamed off the carcasses” which seems strangely appropriate to the level of fresh meat in those listings.
Och! The list has only been out a couple of hours and you have already made it into the labour mince it represents for Scotland.
It’s true!
The party’s over
It’s time to call it day
you’ve burst their pretty balloon
And made all the yoons afraid…. etc etc.
What a lot of new faeces. Damn this Dyslexia. ( faces of course)
I think the most notable thing about the lists is that Anas is a shoe in and probably a direct challenge to Kezia’s leadership within a few months and a number of current MSPs look set to be thrown under a bus.
It doesn’t strike me as an exciting slate but perhaps it wets the sponge of the remaining Labour voters.
So sad!
Oh good grief!
Even when they have the opportunity, they can’t bring themselves to look in the mirror and form an honest appraisal of what they find.
So rinse and repeat. Maybe the public will have forgotten what they did and continue to do.
They might be in for a rude awakening on that cunning plan.
@Dr Ew says: 5 February, 2016 at 9:24 pm:
“Meet the new blood…
Same as the old blood…”
Without really wishing to seem cruel, that Labour new blood seems likely to cause them a bit of blood poisoning.
Central has two of its current MSP’s certain of the heave. They must be furious. Bet Margaret McCulloch wishes she was on the tory list judging by their current showing, and seeing as she was a red tory before it was fashionable.
Alas – and as predicted – Jabba is top of her list , so the Ministry of Truth will still have a spokesperson to lie on demand.
On the upside, they are not going to put up much of an opposition with that “talent” pool.
You are all fired !!
Great post Rev and thanks good to know what we are up against but then its basically the same old motley crew of chancers,rats in a sack comes to mind for some reason,i am really starting to take a dislike to this list system.
I got the leaflet for Daniel Johnson through the door the other night there.
Lot’s of pics of him with Alistair Darling, Ian Murray, Dugdale etc. Lots of nonsense about how he wants to bring people and politics together, along with dubious assertions about what powers are coming to Holyrood.
And lots of bullshit about the SNP’s record. This included pish about the NHS budget, waiting times, housing (I’m not sure how many 16yr olds own their own home in the UK) and education, all debunked by Wings in recent months.
They even blamed Labour’s time in office on Sturgeon, and hinted that she was responsible for the financial crisis. But then the leaflet is promoted by Dunce Bothersall.
If Daniel gets elected, it’ll be a miracle.
I don’t think Dracula, in his thirstiest ever state, would go anywhere near that “fresh” blood.
SNPx2
Aw! Hing oan there Rev Stu. There’s a tattie an a neep in there amang the mince.
Mince!
It’s an affront to democracy that Jackie Baillie can’t be voted out of Holyrood. She will survive regardless of the overall result.
Think on that when we ponder our ‘free and fair’ society.
Auld Labour. New Labour. Same old. Same old Brit Nats.
All old blood – clots
Why does England not face the facts, the union is finished! There is no prospect of this situation changing. We have moved on, the UK is dead, one of the sovereign powers that signed the treaty of union, no longer wants to be a part of it. England can be seen throughout the world as a parasite state. It has a chance of being a good neighbor of Scotland and being a decent partner in a divorce. Or it could choose a couple of generations of hatred. It is up to England!
Anas Sarwar FFS. I’d hoped we’d seen the last of that odious shit when he got the boot at the General Election
Aye Robert am sure i seen a few doughballs as well and plenty of onions.
OT
Talking of new blood, Scotland Under 20s have defeated England Under 20s by 24 points to 6 this evening. Now that’s real new blood, not the fake stuff Slab are offering the voters.
‘Setback for Scottish Labour bid to find fresh blood for Holyrood election’ says the Hootsman.
link to archive.is
Fresh meat ?? Fresh meat ??
That went well.
Need to stew over this as I don’t want to mince my words . I don’t give a sausage who they put up as just know they will try to ……ham it up …..which is commonly known in da political circles as daein a Murphy.
Make no bones about it don’t need a pie chart to see who is fresh meat and who isnae. Yae get me Kevin ” Mister charty man “.Gonna no dae a chart aboot this…gonna no.
But wha will be chewing the FAT !!!!!!!!!!!!! .
Me no likey meat anyway , even if it fresh..ish , I’m a vegetarian ….end of.
Bbc reporting Scotland , talking crap again. Labour taxes good!
I’m amazed they managed to persuade that many new people to stand. They must have pulled out every stop.
Three seats in Dumfries would allow creepy wee creature Colin Smythe in. Please, gonnae no dae that.
Labours “Ship of fools”
No surprises from the liebore party i north britain then!
Did you honestly expect anything different from this parcel o’rogues!
Same auld blood.
Same auld Corruption.
Same auld lies.
Same auld smears.
Same auld shite.
Same auld pish.
Let’s brush out this excrement right out the door for good!
Vote SNP X 2 May 5th 2016, job nearly done! Keep at folks, they are on the run, but don’t slacken, wounded animals are always dangerous, take care! Get out there and get the Vote in!
Scotland, rise and cleanse yourself of these tractors!
It’s time for Scotland to flourish and prosper!
How did Jackie Bailie possibly manage to finish first on her list? The only plausible explanation for this I can think of is that she has all the dirt on most of the elected representatives in Scottish Labour. Baillie is a talent vacuum, but has seemingly inexhaustible survival skills…
The Empire of SLabour Strikes Back II
Starring “new talent and fresh faces”
link to youtube.com
Pure genius.
From my spreadsheet from the TNS poll, this is the Labour expectations:
Central Scotland 5
Glasgow 5
Highland and Islands 1
Lothian 2
Mid Scot and Fife 3
NE Scotland 2
South Scotland 3
West Scotland 4
Total 25.
@clapper57
Excellent comment,thanks for the chuckle.
Love, Labour’s Lost.
*Hic*
And I am certain that all these Labour elections were above board and honest. Excuse me a moment. Sorry about that,I just got distracted by a pig flying over my roof!
Roll on Labour’s blood letting from all those not happy with the results.
Anas Sarwar? How did he manage to slither to the top of his list? Is he there in place to take over when KD falls? Watch yer back, Kez!
@H&S Agreed. How’s this scenario?
Lab lose badly, but Anas ‘persuades’ Kezia to hang on until Council elections in 2017 and gives her his “total support”.
The CE2017 will probably be a disaster, after which he will knife her in the back and run for leader.
Cuilean says
“Love, Labour’s Lost.
*Hic*”
Nice…
Monica Lennon (central list) banned me from her campaign page for asking why she is happy to have, and be photographed with, one of the most disgusting labour facebook trolls, DEL RASHID.
It seems the little “fresh blood” available comes with much the same baggage.
Oops…!
heedtracker
Did I spot James Kelly looking completely lost in the city centre? Absolute genius- I remember watching that at my work ending myself laughing.
Luigi,
“Anas Sarwar? How did he manage to slither to the top of his list?”
His daddy has a lot of money.
[…] Meet the new blood […]
So now we know who is in the lifeboats.
Anas Sarwar’s only on the list coz his Daddy won’t give him any money, he told him to get out and work, but Anas put himself on the list instead
A man of principles Anas, and where can you buy them says he, give me the cheapest, that’s easy, in Holyrood, Willie Rennie sells them (Surely you MUST understand that) says Willie
Together Anas and Willie combine to save the world and the SNP steal all their policies and not give Willie and Anas the credit (That we really really deserve ) says Willie to Nicola as she trips and goes tumbling down the Rabbit Hole
John Swinney laughed and laughed, then wiped his eyes
Next week children “Jabba Baillie in Munchland”….. PG Certificate
Labour would love to bring in young, smart, exciting, new candidates,
but there are none willing to join such a debased organisation,
the Labour party in Scotland is a Zombie party only kept artificially going through the help of a bunch of depraved media Blairite hacks and the corrupt BBC.
Rock& Luigi, @ 10:42pm,
I’m just thinking out loud here (eh, writing out loud), could not the S.N.P. Maneuverer/recommend Anas Sanwar into the presiding officers chair, which in effect sidelines him for 5yrs, it’s either that, or make him the toilet cleaner/cloakroom attendant.
She was not strong enough to clear the old guard, Baillie, Gray, Lamont etc out and she will pay the price with her head leaving Sarwar in pole position to take over.
@Rev
I do have a quibble (or is it a wibble?) with this article Rev.
Central
1. Richard Leonard UNION POLITICAL OFFICER
He is a fresh face, to Holyrood, Westminster and the Council Chanber. He’s a Regional Organiser for GMB, and political officer.
Old blood
New Blood
It’s a party that’s suffering from a terminal case of septicaemia no amount of transfusion seems able to save it from its long lingering death
Sawar in Holyrood. Are we going to have to listen to that twat.
Damn it, he never shuts his mouth. Has to use toilet paper as a tissue.
McV at 9.42
Did you notice that the real Tory in Edinburgh Southern (privately educated at cost of £10,000 a year) says he worked as a community case worker in constituency but the non career politician forgot to mention that he was working for the disgraced former MP Nigel Griffiths.
Well if thats the cream of the crop, as chosen fairly and squarely by the comrades then SLAB are finished. That lot are only there for the rewards that utter failure brings. What arrogance to take a bunch of deadwood and try and pass it off as fresh new blood. Whoever accepts that crap is even more delusional than the eegits who chose this bunch of wasters and con artists.
Good old EBC is trying to push this crap down the throats of the Scottish people, and try to pass it off as serious politics. SLAB EBC RANCID AND WITHOUT SCROUPLES OR MORALS.
ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING, BENEATH CONTEMPT THE BOTH OF THEM.
Boris@ 10:59pm,
As I said in Stews previous article , the real reason A.Sarwar is standing for Holyrood, is to “knife” his way to the pop Labour job in Scotland.
Thick as she must be, surely Kez must be aware of that, or could it be that she is already thinking that being “leader” is a job too far?.
What say you Mr Kelty?. ( and I don’t mean Wullie Rennie as Mr Kelty)
BBC ‘Scotland’ tonight was a party political broadcast on behalf of the Labour/Dems. Promoted the benefits of the new tax and tried to convince viewers they are insecure
if that’s the cream of Kesias new labour I would hate to see what falls out its arse.
Here’s a wee prophecy.
Several MSPs will loose their seats this time round.
I’d bet good money that many of them will not go quietly.
Tam Jardine says:
5 February, 2016 at 10:40 pm
heedtracker
Did I spot James Kelly looking completely lost in the city centre?
I think he was going for an interview at the apple store Buchanan St, as a door stop. He didn’t get the job.
Wonder what happened to all of the imperial masters though and the massed ranks of spads, torch bearers, flunkies and sycophants and that old brute that tries on the hardman act?
BBC vote SLab really have their work cut out now. Tonight I listened to the Pacific Quay imperial masterdom demand I pay higher taxes, vote SLab, its the honourable decent SLab way, not the evil Swinney way and its for my own good and yours.
Darth Vader has nothing on those gits.
Going to bed tonight in a happy clappy mood. Anas Sarwar top pick for the Glasgow list seat will surely reduce their vote.
Not even the most sympathetic or deluded Labour voter that is still standing could vote that that misery and arrogant chump.
Labour, say goodbye to Glasgow. Kezia, say goodbye to your job.
Don’t you just love it when Labour do your job for you, can’t wait to see Anas lead Labour into the 2017 elections.
The charge of the lightest brigade ever assembled, into slaughter.
Same old, same old septicaemia.
Grunters at the trough.
yesindyref2 says:
5 February, 2016 at 10:28 pm
From my spreadsheet from the TNS poll, this is the Labour expectations:
Central Scotland 5
Glasgow 5
Highland and Islands 1
Lothian 2
Mid Scot and Fife 3
NE Scotland 2
South Scotland 3
West Scotland 4
Total 25.
If your calculations are right we could see Sarah Boyack going in Lothian , something to look forward to , she will not be a happy bunny if not elected hahahaha
Scotland can well do without the likes of Monica Lennon in Holyrood.
I witnessed her at a Scottish Government cabinet meeting in Rutherglen posing as an ordinary member of the public to ask inane questions.
There was a while crew of them. They thought they were being very clever splitting up and spreading themselves out, but you could spot them a mile off. They’re no as bright as they think they are. And that just about sums Labour up.
What comes across strongly is that no matter how bad an incumbent list MSP is, there’s no way for the electorate to vote them out. A definite weakness of the D’Hondt system.
Iain @ 9:56
There are indeed prospects and opportunities and we will never give up.
How about they vote to leave the EU and Scotland votes to stay and it’s the Scottish votes that narrowly keep them in the EU.
Imagine the outrage across Engerlaannnndshire. I’ll be framing the Daily Fail front page if it happens.
Call me Dave will have no option other than to cave in to the demands for English Referendum to dissolve the “Union”.
If that happens hopefully they’ll have their wee Referendum ASAP.
A hefty dose of Labour mince right enough.
Also on the Slab, I can also see a couple of mealy puddin’s (Rentahonk, Joanne’s Lament) and a few slabbery chops (Rowely and Grey) .
To be honest everyone knows Labour are offal! (Ahem).
@joe macfarlane
I think the speradsheet is right, might upgrade it half-time watching rugby with the half-time waffle on mute.
It is of course just a prediction from a poll, and uniform swing at that. Diffrent regions can move different ways, and there are personality factors. Like Anas Sarwar!
Rev,
Now you’re being cruel.
They have nothing to offer, so who new would offer themselves as servants to a political party so devoid of aspiration that all they promote it higher taxes.
If you were a child at school, and the school bully stole your lunch money would you parents just give you more? Well that’s what’s on offer from labour, tories in heart and soul, their supremacy elivated themselves to the lords, whilst the very companies they hold directorships with are investigated for child abuse.
Morales they have none, passion they have none, a vision for the future of my country they have none. In the words of Brown, die bastards if you want blood or transplants, fear our army on you borders if you wish to seek freedom said a fop of a politician, who ejaculated when eating a bacon sandwich, now we know why don’t we David!
And some wonder why the tories, despicable as they are, are set to trounce labour. Better the giver than the receiver.
Don’t want to be seen voting Tory?
Vote Labour, for Labour will support Tory policies on your behalf.
Labour – your route to an earldom.
It also shows up the election system for what it is. The list system is open to abuse in the fact that we can have total losers foisted on us no matter how pathetic or useless they are. Democracy (for the colonies) Londinium style.
WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS SHIT!
Read all about it ….# attention..seeker..NON..news
Apparently Muriel Gray ( fifty shades of ) tweeting she was abused by woman in CCA bar …Gray’s ( fifty shades of ) tweet stated ” Woman trying to ruin our lovely evening , you shame Scotland ” which weirdly resulted in Gray ( fifty shades of ) concluding ” I will now follow @Brian Spanner FOREVER . Even if he gets boring #YOULOSE “.
Gets Boring ??? Where u been ?
Forever ??? As in Infinity and Beyond ? …Good luck wae that.
#YOULOSE ???……. Uh !!!!!!!!!!!
So she gonna ….Follow the Yellow Prick Toad…..Follow the Yellow Prick Toad…Follow..Follow..Follow…Follow…Follow the Yellow Prick Toad.
I remember when she was on the Ch4 prog ‘The Tube’….how apt.
Excuse me Albaman, wee Wullie doesnt come from Kelty I believe he is from that other crucible of political thinking, Gateside, and as far as the other wan goes,hes not too popular around these parts either!
Journalists.
Siobhan Synnot @SiobhanSynnot 28 Nov 2013
Today’s Telegraph has a piece on Nigella that appears to excuse spousal abuse. Dailys Teleg and Mail should just get a room #trollpapers
Siobhan Synnot @SiobhanSynnot 9 Feb 2015
Those were my last @scotonsunday film reviews. V sad to leave a lovely team, but v excited to join Scottish Daily Mail as arts & chat galpal
Monica Lennon keeps some very unsavoury company on social media.
Noticed she got herself on tv the other night as well, different face, same old message.
Sarwar. The shite you just can’t scrape of the sole of your boot.
@Andrew Morton
“A definite weakness of the D’Hondt system.”
Agreed. Interesting that in 2011 Kezia, Ruth, and Wee Wullie acheived 1845 votes between them.
And they were all for Ruth.
In what sense is that democracy.
yesindyref2,
The highland list is very difficult to guess. John Finnie and Jean Urquhart are both standing outwith the SNP which is bound to divide the SNP/Yes vote and could result in less seats or more seats!
My take on this
link to bbc.co.uk
Love thy neighbour,
Of course, but if he came into my house and wants my bank account, my property and my future then we have a problem,.
So tomorrow we have the rugby, ant the tweed and pearl twin sets will be calling for ” when will we see your like again?” Whilst calling me, ex army a Nazi!
Interesting from mr Leonard’s page. Looks like he’s favoured by the trades unions. Is that an insight to the relative strength of the “ordinary” membership of the party in Central region?
link to archive.is
Ms Dugdale said: “I am absolutely hamstrung with the untalented group of people who have been foisted on me as Labour candidates.
“From unbalanced and lacking experience MSPs to frankly mad young candidates, from past it former teachers to the usual work shy trade union officials, and from bankrupt and aspirational small business owners to unemployable charity workers – this is an less than impressive list of second class candidates.
“We are in no doubt about the scale of the challenge we faces no that we are absolutely feckless , but Scottish Labour is headsless and marching blindly into the election in May full of fear and so lacking in confidence in our vision for Scotland. That we shall have a man walking in front of our bandwagon waving a butchers apron!
Where do I send the bill for fixing that for you, oh London surely!
Anas Sarwar topping the Glasgow list is a prime example of why we should have open lists, like they do in Sweden.
In an open list, the voters rank the order of the candidates, not the party. So the likes of Sarwar would not be able to get booted out of one parliament and then sneak back into the other by wining and dining party members – he’d have to make himself genuinely popular with voters.
It’s actually a scandal that Lamont isn’t top of the Glasgow list. Say what you will about her (I certainly have in the past), but while she was an awful branch manager, she does seem to be a genuine kind of person who is in politics for something resembling the right reasons. Sarwar’s just a creepy robot.
Anyway, it’s interesting to note that for all Kezia’s protestations that Labour is now open to pro-independence folk, Mary Lockhart was placed bottom of her list. Seems the party faithful are as slavishly unionist as ever.
Oh, and if Labour gets more than two MSPs in the North East region, I’ll be amazed. They got about 10% less in the equivalent Westminster North East seats in 2015 than they did across the whole of Scotland – 14.7% to 24.3% – whereas the Tories got about 5% more – 19.6% to 14.9%. Now that they’re polling 20% across Scotland, they might struggle to even get two MSPs…
Herald article from Daniel Sanderson “Dugdale’s search for fresh blood falls flat as Labour veterans dominate party lists”
@cearc
Yes, the mathematical analysis can’t cater for local anomalies. It needs a bit of personal rejigging afterwards.
Long time lurker, first time poster.
Yesterday I attended the Big Debate in East Kilbride with Gordon (I’ll interrupt you if you are SNP) Brewer. The first question asked was on wee Kezia’s 1p tax increase. It is worth listening to her msp colleague Margaret McCulloch’s reply to the question on BBC I player. It was hilarious.
Sorry don’t know how to link.
Douglas
Lamont is a popular in the labour institution as a declaration of friendship with Jimmy savell is with the BBC!
The obvious difference between the two is one was the honest whistle blower the other the dirty pervert who’s abuse was covered up at the expense of the taxpayers for decades!
Not surprised to see Pauline McNeill on there.
BBC flog her like a dead horse, whenever the word politics is mentioned. Sick of her repetitive waffle.
The tension and excitement of the Slab list is…. non existent.
As for Sarwar, how embarrassing to see his name again.
@Douglas Daniel
Yes choosing Sarwar as No 1 speaks volumes. Who choose him?
My god, the same people we love to hate. I have nothing but contempt for Sarwar, I could put up with Lamont but to think the Labour members in Glasgow put Sarwar first is beyond belief.
This will lose them many list votes and that makes me happy. Get him in Holyrood, even elect him as leader after Dugdale and say goodbye forever to you Scottish electorate vote.
Arseholes.
It was London who had chosen Sarwar as payment for the cost of the Scottish election! Duh!
Douglas Daniel,
In the dutch system the parties compile their list.
When you vote you can either tick the party box at the top of the list or a particular candidate’s box.
The personal votes move that person up the list so the top people are not guaranteed the seat.
One thing I meant to mention – Patricia Ferguson 6th on the list for Glasgow, which is a bit of an insult to her.
South of Scotland candidate, Kenryck Lloyd-Jones FORMER WESTMINSTER CANDIDATE, was the former candidate in the 2012 Scottish Borders Council election, East Berwickshire ward, but lost out to SNP. I wonder if he’ll be the candidate again in next year’s election as well. It’s almost like a full time job for him.
The Scottish Labour Party in Scotland? What a bunch of ignorant, lying misfits, actors and conmen / women. A total embarrassment to Scotland in fact especially with the World looking on.
I HONESTLY know of many 13 / 14 year old teenagers that are far brighter than them, any one of them, and I’m NOT exaggerating (our brilliant politicians of the future). So politically bright and engaged that they put me to shame. In saying that I contributed to their political / historical education as much younger children (some of them) so not going to be eclipsed here at all, lol.
SLab a real bunch of chancers in other words. They have been ‘chancing their arm or luck’, lying back and doing sweet F*nny Adams for the Scots for decades now and hoping that no-one would suss them out …. notice …. see right through them.
The Scots were so focused on keeping the Tories out of power that they (we / our ancestors) blindly voted for these morons for at least 70 plus years. Their extremely ‘strange relationship’ with the Tories pre-Referendum, and our ability to unearth data online, just opened our eyes (many of us) to the fact that they have been an ENEMY of the Scots for God knows how long … Wilson and McCrone, Blair / Dewar and the Stolen Seas, Blair and Iraq, Brown and pension pot robbing / latterly ‘pension lying’ etc etc etc. God how you could just go on and on with this.
Then there are the SLab multi-millionaires such as Blair. The SLabs at the VERY top of the Westminster expense claim list (overtaking the Tories) such as Jim Murphy (even claiming for his electricy bill) and Sarwar Millionaire … and daddy before him. The SLabs in the House of Lords such as Neil Kinnoch (AND wife and son) scr*wing every penny out of the EU too.
It’s a sad, sad situation. So sad it must have led to Keir Hardie and millions of other extremely poor Scottish ‘heroes’ (like my ancestors) that fought their butts off for the working classes turning in their graves. Having convulsions in fact.
I’ve also witnessed many totally deluded (delusions of grandeur) jumped up shop stewards in the work place ‘progress’ to becoming Councillors and then ‘move on to’ becoming MPs.
Some of these councillors tell their wifes / husbands it’s a ‘doddle’ .. money for nothing and hey ho on they go. They become councillors too. Two for one. I thought that they had to ‘go to work’, like you and I, at their local Council every day from Monday to Friday 9 – 5pm but no. They pop in once or twice a month and that applies to all political parties.
Someone on here pointed out recently that the number of Councillors covering New York US was an absolute drop in the ocean in comparison to the numbers covering Scotland. Let’s start with them. Let’s start scrutinising what they actually do. How many hours they put in. How much they get paid for doing what exactly? And then they have their support workers. What are they doing for what?
Then target the media (as I know many have been doing). Stuart is doing a BRILLIANT job by exposing media manipulation and bias on here. Follow it up by taking note of what we read on here / elsewhere and contacting / complaining to the BBC (hopeless case in a way but do it anyway) and more so STV. Complain about the bias and ask them why they are not reporting daily, positive issues that we find on here and elsewhere.
Now adding a couple of brilliant (must read) articles from The National:
‘Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp: Labour’s policy failings are chances for the SNP.’
link to thenational.scot
‘Jeane Freeman: Please don’t try to justify a system that’s rotten.’
link to thenational.scot
Clapper57 says:
5 February, 2016 at 11:43 pm
Read all about it ….# attention..seeker..NON..news
Apparently Muriel Gray ( fifty shades of ) tweeting she was abused by woman in CCA bar …Gray’s ( fifty shades of ) tweet stated ” Woman trying to ruin our lovely evening , you shame Scotland ” which weirdly resulted in Gray ( fifty shades of ) concluding ” I will now follow @Brian Spanner FOREVER . Even if he gets boring #YOULOSE “.
…
I remember when she was on the Ch4 prog ‘The Tube’….how apt.
Yeah, I remember reading her munro book once.
It’s ironic how she ended up such an establishment figure.
I looked at her twitter feed before, and it was all ‘division this, division that’, playing the Daily Mail game.
She would follow this Spanner creep anyway, so this is just an excuse to justify her hypocrisy.
An example of the theory about getting more conservative as you get old. I wonder if she still climbs hills and then looks down at the land all around her, thinking to herself we aren’t good enough to be a normal country in the world. Just a northern region that should know its place.
I still like her in general, but it’s sad to see how the cringe develops.
Iain says:
5 February, 2016 at 9:56 pm
Why does England not face the facts, the union is finished! There is no prospect of this situation changing. We have moved on, the UK is dead…
It’s not dead yet unfortunately, although the trend is in that direction. Despite Labour’s current troubles, and the woeful unionist politicians in Scotland, we still have to get into a winning position.. Old habits die hard for some, and the EU question could complicate things.
Personally I think it will happen gradually through further devolution evolving into independence. A friendly independence, where we have close links with the rest of Britain.
Worth reading.
link to thenational.scot
The reference to Scottish questions in this article should be required reading when it comes to the machinations of political parties.
Said it before and I’ll say it again, woe betide any institution that puts party politics and loyalty to the Westminster system before the wellbeing of Scotland’s electorate and their needs.
@Macart
Labour currently at around 20% or less, and dropping. There’s 3 months to go and they could still be dropping.
18% is one off the TNS poll, 17% is possible next poll. No reason it can’t go below 16% Or less. At 15% they’d be down to 17 seats. At 12% down to 14 or 15.
Of course, their vote could go up.
@Yesindyref2
Anything is possible. 😮
Seriously though dads, I reckon they’ll bottom out around 16 or 17%. Their current tack and by association their media wing’s, on the Scotland bill and the better together tax has been near catastrophic for them. I can hardly believe they didn’t see this coming, though in hindsight its not the first time their blinkered party belligerence has prevented them from seeing/accepting popular public opinion.
They don’t see that paying tax isn’t the problem. People will, in most instances gladly pay for what they want government to keep, so long as it is seen as a positive benefit to their society.
Its not fighting establishment ideology that is costing them credibility. Its being seen to capitulate and accept powers only as a means of offsetting or mitigating the punitive legislation of a central government they swore blind would care for us in times of economic hardship. Worse, taking an active part in endorsing a Scotland bill which most folk can see is nowhere near what they were led expect.
You can’t put party agenda and self interest before people.
Who knew?
Andrew Morton @ 11:35:
Agree with that sentiment.
It might be better if we’d a system (I think other places do this) whereby each of a party’s ten regional candidates were placed on the ballot for the public to vote for on election day.
It’s possible that might create other problems I can’t think of at 7am but it would certainly go some way to resolving the ‘we’re going to foist Idiot X on the general public whether they’d be their preferred candidate or not, because Idiot X has the most cronies in the party’ issue.
Ah, reading further down I see the learned Douglas Daniel has noted that the Swedes do that! Very much agree with Doug’s suggestion. It’s the way forward.
Like sewer rats it’s startling how so many of the ” high profilers ” have sought to cling on by getting themselves to the top of the list. Rejected by the voters in their constituency they do indeed squeeze out fresh faces. But why would any fresh face want to be a candidate for SLAB.
Pretty dumb really by SLP since shuffling the pack and bringing in some genuinely new people is an obvious thing to do to try and kickstart some vigour and enthusiasm into the Labour party parliamentary group, and one of the few options left to them.
But then I don’t imagine it’s easy to shift the ones already at the table: too much ‘knowledge of where the bodies are buried’ for that!
Great Toon Chris, but ah Blunderbus would have been my choice of weapon & more emphasis on the Blunder.
New tv series, ” Scotland and the living dead!”
Macart says:
Spot on!
As confirmed till-death-supporters of their Union they are willing to accept foreign rule by an alien party. They just can’t see that the solution isn’t mitigation, it’s self determination in all things.
With the current labour party in Scotland, seemingly on a self harming road to electoral oblivion, it begs the question, why ?
Do they actually believe in their fantasy economics ?
They simply cannot.
Do they actually believe putting forwards previously rejected has-beens and never were’s are not going to cause electoral anger ?
Surely not ??
Could it be some mad self sacrifice at the alter of unionism, a gamble that the more blairite minded voters will NOT vote labour in May and turn to the Tories with their vote in an twisted belief that a Tory party, previously hated in Scotland, suddenly becoming the 2nd force is evidence that Scots are rejecting the SNP values and are backing the ‘great’ union ?
It makes as much sense as jumping out a plane before the parachute is attached, using the logic that while you will hit the bottom harder, but you will at least get there faster !!
@Macart “I reckon they’ll bottom out around 16 or 17%”
Maybe. But look what happened to the LibDems. 2010 General Election 18.9%, 2015 GE 7.5%, currently polling around 6%.
Once they went they’re gone!
Perhaps Alex Bell is behind Labour’s election strategy.
The list of Labour candidates for Holyrood rather reminds me of football managers.
You know whenever a football club sacks a manager you expect to see an up and coming brand new talented manager
brimming with new ideas on how to make the club successful.
Instead what you end up with get is one of the usual faces from a small pool, who have already been sacked by numerous other clubs.
Anyone know what happened to Gordon Matheson? Did he take the huff after the deputy leadership contest and not stand, or did he stand nd not place?
Old dried up blood becomes a scab!
Scab Lab needs to be picked off!
Gutless britnat Westmnster lapdogs in the finest labour tradition. Brown and Darling must be very proud their influence on Labour continues.
Bill Hume says:
5 February, 2016 at 9:19 pm
..Same shite….different day.
Gives sh’te a bad name.
Spin-un-spun. Good article.
@ Rev that photo is of Steak Mince. Labour would’nt make the grade for Beef Mince, an ah know ma Mince lol.
That’s what I love about ‘Scottish’ Labour, their main concern is always the people they represent, not their own self interest, self greed, gravy train mentality.
Iain 9.56pm. Knowing england, they will probably opt for the couple of generations of hatred.
Excellent Kezia toon Chris right down to the ill fitting trouser suits.
I’m thinking her weapon should be a machine gun as they’ve all shot themselves in both feet with this list free for all.
Too bad to be true or the usual managed mayhem that only North Britain Branch Office can do so well?
They’ve had loads of practice.
Let’s not go confusing Slab with a real political party.
They are only part of the sleekit unspoken Grand Coalition cabal,that hasn’t gone away as it’s a permanent feature till the Establishment Union Dragon has been slain.
How is it that Tories and Pig sticker Cameron get a free pass with anything that they do dan sarf from the rotten corrupt CorpMedia orchestra and their conductor BBC yet the same applies to Slavouring Slab in backwater Jocksville?
The easy answer is that its all run from the same core stable.
Establishment must be protected at all and any cost.
Today we got Philip Hammond dismissing the UN ruling on Julian Assange while Cameron insists that his ‘vital’ EU consessions will be guaranteed by,wait for it,the very same UN that they’ve just totally disregarded.
You couldn’t make it up.
Only in the good old political toy town that is Rule Brittania.
Ah well at least we’ve got all the Proud Scot Butts cheering on North Britain at the rugby while singing Flower of Scotland to look forward to.
And as for the pisstake that is the Scotland Bill Crock of Shit,I’m hoping it gets what it was always going to merit.
Rejection.
Another step closer to a free Independent Scotland.
Not long now.
I don’t profess to have an encyclopedic knowledge of this strangest of strange electoral systems, but it seems to me that a good number of these Labour list candidates who’re currently measuring up for curtains in their new Holyrood offices would be toast if their party were fortunate enough to win a constituency seat in their region.
So will they be telling supporters on the doorstep to vote SNP for the constituency and Labour for the list?
@Yesindyref2
“Perhaps Alex Bell is behind Labour’s election strategy.”
😀 LOL
I get what you mean though.
I still believe the Labour party core vote base, though not what it was, is still enough to keep them above single digits. The real shift in our society and long term voting trends will occur on the back of the council elections next year.
This is the most entrenched of political machinery and the foundation of the vote for the higher offices. When they go, the gates fall. Right now its like peeling away the layers of an onion.
Do the labour party members select their representatives?
I seem to recall that opinion polling prior to the 2011 Scottish elections was so inaccurate that Prof Curtice suggested that Labour might actually gain an overall majority.
I can only hope that current polling is overstating Labour support by the same margin. I don’t like to underestimate the comedy value of Anas Sarwar’s probable contributions to the Scottish Parliament, but on balance I think it would be better for everyone (especially Labour) if he wasn’t there.
Sadly unlikely.
Onwards says :
“Yeah, I remember reading her munro book once.
It’s ironic how she ended up such an establishment figure”
Yes Onwards , She once was SNP then she married well, very well.
Proof indeed that money corrupts .
It is her complete U turn politically that makes one question if her former political convictions were truly sincere or just a display of anti establishment rhetoric.
If she insists on following Spanner and supporting his comments then it would seem she has also decided to abandon support for women who are abused on Twitter , thus she cannot complain if she herself falls victim to the same abuse.
People being elected via list votes rather than via the constituency vote and then taking high office just doesn’t seem right.
Maybe time for a wee change and limit any cabinet/leader roles to constituancy MSPs to stop this happening?
Can anyone really believe this list was made by the Scottish branch office of the Labour Party? It has all the hallmarks of an engineered list from the labour HQ at Westminster, prime example is sarwar top the list above wee Jimmy krankie (you know the woman who told us we are better together, then said she was not taking orders from Westminster and quit) as for the rest what a joke jobs for the boys and girls. How does the song go again? “F”@* the working class I got the union job at last” to the tune of the red flag labours anthem
Thanks for the breakdown of how few new people will stand for labour. I’m amazed they got so many actually. Until they are truly shown to be polling about as low as the tories for a good few years I for one will still be wary of a comeback.
As for Muriel Gray whom I used to admire, and whose opinions I’ve disliked for some time now, I would still defend her against abuse. Just because she’s become a bit of an idiot herself and supports such people, doesn’t give anyone else the right to abuse her. Calling her out on hypocrisy is definitely needful and the louder the better since unfortunately she is news whether we like it or not, since she’s still got a fan base and a voice people outwith Scotland listen to. The more often people like her are called out on support for abuse and the more people who do that the better.
Muriel Gray has done very well by her Slab connections she followed the money!
We rightly condemn the House of Lords as a farce but this List is no better, time it was scrapped altogether. James Kelly & Jackie Baillie…..shakes heid n goes to pub.
Mabel Says :
” As for Muriel Gray whom I used to admire, and whose opinions I’ve disliked for some time now, I would still defend her against abuse. Just because she’s become a bit of an idiot herself and supports such people, doesn’t give anyone else the right to abuse her ” .
Indeed Mabel , however we live in a time where it would appear abuse is only condoned if directed at those of us who are supportive of Independence.
Two wrongs do not make a right however one should always be prepared to highlight blatant hypocrisy and treat it with the contempt it truly deserves.
As to the woman in question who chose an inopportune time and location to voice her opinion against Gray , well , not knowing the full facts or circumstances that prompted this woman’s outburst towards Gray, I would hesitate to make an uninformed judgement , that’s the modus operandi of the gutter press .
However I can judge Gray’s reaction to this as being predictable and petty. Call the woman out Ms Gray if you feel aggrieved but do not then spoil your own argument by declaring eternal loyalty to a troll like Spanner.
I can’t make Kezia out at all. She came out with the “new blood” pish in all sincerity, not a hint of discomfort to be ascertained in voice or expression (and nobody laughed!!!) Amazing performance. I used to think she was just thick but now I’m not so sure. Either she’s a cracking actress, or is mentally ill, delusional in the extreme, almost sociopathic, in that she appears to believe the truth is what she says it is, despite all the evidence to the contrary. A condition which is fairly common in serial killers or career criminals. This approach to the “truth” seems to be essential for every Labour politician and MSM reporter in Scotland. It’s quite frightening because how can you debate or reason with such people?
Sorry folks I don’t have a link or know where I saw it,
But a few months ago I saw an article on line that said that Kezia had indeed wanted to bring in fresh blood, but that the Big boys at Westminster told her no.
There was a bit of a spat but Kez lost out and so now we have Anas et al.
I didn’t archive as I thought it was a false flag, in which it would look like Westminster was leaning on little kez, only for her to stand up to them (showing that she was up to the job)
It was an on-line article so google might still bring it up!
Very embarrassing for Labour when we find it.
Richard Leonard’s inclusion is interesting, in that he’s managed to inveigle himself into some prominence in the Labour Party despite being an old style communist – the sort who thinks of little else – from the north of England. He has no regard for or interest in Scoland as a country, and sees no point in the existence of the Scottish Parliament, and thus I suspect that his willingness to present himself in a Labour guise is to acquire a political platform which he couldn’t get in England. But – assuming he gets in – that will be good for us, and bad for Labour, because it will be evident that he’s a naive twat.
Now I’ve improved the formulas in the List Seat spreadsheet cells so the grid recalculates every time I “award” a list seat to the highest resulting percentage for each list seat in each region, it’s allowed a bit of very easy gaming.
If for instance Labour drop to 14% from 19% on the list, with SNP 53% on the list vote (with 69 constituency seats), Con 18% ( 3), Lib 6% (1), Green 7% and others 2% you get List seats totals:
SNP 8, Lab 17, Con 17, Lib 4, Green 6, Others 4. All the usual waivers.
For Labour, Glasgow go down to 3 from 5 = 3 (5), Central Scot to 3 (5), H&I 1 (1), Lothian 2 (2), Mid Scot 2 (3), NE Scot 1 (2), South Scot 2 (3) and West Scot 3 (4).
As I said before, RISE and Green should be targetting Labour (+Lib Dems).
Just woke up laughing about this list.
Surely putting a rejected MP at the top of the list is an excellent way of putting folk off giving SLAB their list vote?
BTW, I see some of these people have been compared to excrement. Now you all know how insulting that is … to excrement 🙂
Iain, your comments about Richard Leonard sound a tad racist. He is a Paisley buddie, having stayed there for many many years. Not sure where he bides now but he is a talented and knowledgable guy who has spoken at many public gatherings in Paisley. He is a likeable bloke who can be very entertaining with a great knowledge of local history. I may not agree with his politics but I am certain he would make a valuable contribution to the Scottish Parliament. He will easily rank in the top performers there.
Sarwar and Lamont, I dread FMQ’s looking at their mugs side by side. It will be enough to put me off my tea.
Who knew? Labour have no new blood to promote. Why is Jackie Bailey?
The good people supporting Labour need to get rid of her. Quite easy. Be principled (I know). Vote Labour for the constituency and A.N.Other for the list. Ergo, she’s oot.
@Bumper
I’ve never met or heard him, but from the little I saw he would be one of Labour’s best assets – and Holyrood’s. I just hope he’s not too “party political” when he gets there, because short a 10 scale earthquake, he’s to be an MSP.
Interesting. Sarwar and Lamont can’t stand each other.
link to heraldscotland.com
Anas Sarwar, Thomas Docherty and Fiona O’Donnell. Oh yes, I remember their magnificent contribution to political life. The envy of legislatures world-wide.
Is that a challenge, Reverend, to the SNP branches of West Scotland?
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.