Much of central Cowdenbeath was closed down for several hours by the police yesterday to facilitate an Orange Order parade attended by DUP leader Arlene Foster. (Curiously, Ruth Davidson, who’d been vocal in her complaints about traffic disruption in Glasgow due to the recent Yes march, had no objections this time.)
Foster made an audaciously ironic plea for a nation “free from intolerance and hatred“, right before the next speaker stepped up to denounce large sections of the local population as “enemies of Christ”.
In our latest Panelbase poll, we asked the same independence question we asked in the last one, and got much the same answer. (Technically the indy vote went up by about a sixth of one percent, but that’s statistically meaningless.)
That’s a bit disappointing after the events of recent weeks, but also not very surprising – after all, the way the question is framed pretty much guarantees at least 38% of the population will choose the second option straight off the bat.
Much more interesting is the question we asked next.
Political pundits on both sides on the border often marvel at how the SNP appear able to defy the normal rules of electoral gravity, still holding a comfortable double-digit lead in the polls after more than 11 years in power. But there’s no great mystery to it, and the answer is simple, in several senses of that word.
Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to present to you Scottish Labour’s offering for who’d be in charge of all the Scottish Government’s money if the SNP weren’t in power – finance spokesman James Kelly MSP.
As alert readers will know, we’ve heard little from the Unionist parties in Scotland over the last couple of years but “SCOTLAND SAID NO!”, “SCOTLAND DOESN’T WANT ANOTHER REFERENDUM!” and “WHAT PART OF NO DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND?”
That clutch of blunt, angry slogans was (and remains) pretty much the entire Scottish Conservatives manifesto, for example, and it rests on the claim – based on some extremely misleading selective reading of opinion polls – that the nation is implacably opposed to a second vote. The reality, as we know, is somewhat more balanced. But it’s never been quite THIS balanced before.
We’ve just got the results back from a new Panelbase poll of Scottish voters. As ever there’s some fascinating stuff in there, but we’ll start with the headline voting numbers:
HOLYROOD VOTING INTENTION (excl DK, chgs vs Dec 2017)
SNP 41 (+2)
Con 27 (-1)
Lab 22 (-3)
LD 6 (-)
Grn 2 (-)
This year’s Scottish Social Attitudes Survey has found, yet again, that Scottish people trust their government in Holyrood vastly more than they trust the one in Westminster. The figures transcend party loyalties, with far more people saying they trust the Scottish Government than vote for the SNP.
Trust in both governments was down by five points, which meant the Scottish Government had lost 7.6% of its trust (66 down to 61) while the UK government had lost 20% of its trust (25 down to 20).
Now let’s see how two newspapers owned by the same company reported the news.
The Sunday Times puts some poll results in an interesting frame today:
And readers who’ve learned anything at all from this site over the last six years will be looking at that tweet and immediately wondering “what AREN’T we being told there?”
And to be absolutely fair to the Scottish Lib Dem leader, he’s always been consistent in his beliefs, such as the view that elected members should be given a second chance when they’ve committed a minor misdemeanour, and NOT have to (for example) stand down and face re-election.
Cynicus on Looking up at the stars: ““Meanwhile the chosen people keep killing anyone that the Donald could deal with…” ========= That son of Scotland, Dòmhnall Iain…” Mar 20, 01:01
Geri on Looking up at the stars: “It wasn’t surprising that the gayist parliament in Scotland, with the gayist parties, would jump aboard the latest gay crusade…” Mar 20, 00:23
robertkknight on Looking up at the stars: “https://news.sky.com/story/north-sea-oil-is-it-time-to-reconsider-drilling-13520893 Someone’s been pissing down our backs again…” Mar 20, 00:06
Iain More on Looking up at the stars: “I see the Kleptomaniac Sassanachs are now talking about rationing Gas, Petrol and Diesel. I guess the policy of maliciously…” Mar 19, 23:46
Geri on Looking up at the stars: “That comment to Japan was cringe. He’s lost it. What an embarrassment he is. It’s right up there with telling…” Mar 19, 22:31
sarah on Looking up at the stars: “A Plea to Chris Cairns, Cartoonist of that Ilk Woe, woe, thrice times woe! Get out your pencils. Pin paper…” Mar 19, 22:18
Lorncal on Looking up at the stars: “I support independence, Dan. Always have, always will. I was making no “digging response”. I was very annoyed that you…” Mar 19, 22:10
Geri on Looking up at the stars: “Areswipe, I hope Alf tells ye to GTF after all yer snide comments every other time. Have you never heard…” Mar 19, 22:09
Aidan on Looking up at the stars: “@Alf Baird – this is somewhere I’d welcome your opinion” Mar 19, 21:10
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: ““who will be left for the great deal maker to work with?” Do you think you may have put your…” Mar 19, 20:50
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “Aidan As I said, grown ups will find a way. There are plenty of ports, the madness has been loading…” Mar 19, 20:46
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “HMcH Childish silly names? What, like Hatey? Fair one, it is a childish name, but, I am not its creator.…” Mar 19, 20:33
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “HMcH Ah! Then so much for “saving neutral Belgium” and second time around Poland..” Mar 19, 20:28
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Well, YL, you’ve called all the people you dislike silly, childish names. So I guess you’re winning.” Mar 19, 20:22
David Holden on Looking up at the stars: “Several weeks into Donald’s big Persian excursion and still the tankers do not move unless you strike a deal with…” Mar 19, 20:21
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “HMcH Fair point though I suppose 1950s type technology may possibly be less susceptible being pre circuit board technology. Plus…” Mar 19, 20:18
Aidan on Looking up at the stars: “There are not “other ports” YL that have anything close to the capacity of the short straits, which is the…” Mar 19, 20:13
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “The fact that you would have Scotland maintain neutrality on the clear case of neocolonialist imperialism in eastern Europe, now…” Mar 19, 20:09
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “Beggars Strange. Hadn’t Baby Trump claimed the previous set of bombings (before this round) had bigly destroyed all I rans…” Mar 19, 20:03
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Doesn’t 100% of the UK’s illegals come through Kent? The decision to quarantine the place or not may be more…” Mar 19, 19:59
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “How are the electronics in “simple heat seekers” able to resist EMP? How are “simple heat seekers” able to differentiate…” Mar 19, 19:53
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “There are other ports. Grown ups should be able to deal with it, plus you’re statement is a great reminder…” Mar 19, 19:49
Alf Baird on Looking up at the stars: ““UK has been skint for years” Yes, England has always been skint after continually fighting wars, which is why they…” Mar 19, 19:46
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “Very entertaining Beggars. Had to laugh about Biden referring to the Straight of Hormuz as the Gay of Hormuz! 🙂” Mar 19, 19:41
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “Beggars Early 2000s design, less than 200 in service because of costs (minus of course the reported crashes). The Americans…” Mar 19, 19:35
Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “Two weeks from weapons grade Uranium. The alternative is unimaginable.” Mar 19, 19:32
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Wow, sarah, if optimism like yours could be bottled for resale you’d be a squillionaire by now. Is it possible…” Mar 19, 19:32
Aidan on Looking up at the stars: ““Quarantine Kent” – do you know how much of the UK’s food comes through Kent?” Mar 19, 19:28
