The Unionist parties are taking such a kicking in the polls for next month’s Holyrood election that you could forgive them for not always knowing where they were.
The above tweet does indeed have the potential to be “astonishing”, given that (a) Ruth Davidson isn’t standing in Carnoustie, and (b) the 2011 result suggests that there are only around 700 Labour voters to find in the entire town behind the “1000s” of doors that 20 Tories have impressively managed to knock by teatime.
(Indeed, the area is so Labour-unfriendly that the Tories actually managed to come 2nd five years ago, getting over 50% more votes than the Labour candidate.)
But it’s not the only piece of geographical confusion afflicting the UK parties.
Alert readers may recall that a few months ago the Scottish press got itself in a right old lather about a temporary closure of the Forth Road Bridge. The SNP were attacked relentlessly in the media for what a subsequent inquiry in fact found to have been an “unforeseeable” fault on the bridge which posed no risk to life. But fair enough.
This week, 17 schools in the Edinburgh area were closed down over fears that they might be unsafe after the wall of one of them fell off in high winds, two years after another wall in an Edinburgh school collapsed and killed a 12-year-old girl.
All 17 had been built under a controversial PFI scheme signed in 2001, when the UK government, Scottish Parliament and Edinburgh City Council were all controlled by Labour, and which isn’t due to be finally paid off for another 20 years.
The Scottish press and opposition’s incandescent and somewhat vague fury at the Scottish Government working to bring billions of pounds in investment to Scotland has continued undiminished in this weekend’s newspapers. Scottish Labour in particular are getting themselves very worked up about today’s Sunday Times.
“Incredible”? Sounds exciting. Let’s find out more.
Those of you who read our post of earlier today probably didn’t feel there was anything ambiguous going on in it. When Ruth Davidson intervened in an election debate to protest that the chair, the BBC’s Louise White, was being unfair to Nicola Sturgeon, it was pretty obvious who she meant, and White’s response removed any doubt.
Which makes this eye-witness account of the event, spotted by an alert reader this afternoon, odd in several ways.
We were rather gobsmacked, readers, when we tuned into this morning’s BBC Radio Scotland phone-in at 9am. Ostensibly discussing the promotion of “Rangers” to the Premiership, presenter Louise White adopted the most astonishingly, openly partisan and aggressive approach we’ve ever heard from a host on the state broadcaster (which is no small feat), on the subject of whether the club was a new one or not.
Callers were harangued, interrupted and hustled on for daring to suggest the truth. It was a jaw-dropping display of disregard for not only impartiality but basic journalistic regard for the plain, uncontestable facts of the matter.
But don’t panic, football-haters. This post is about something else.
This is an intriguing and engrossing extended chat between Christopher Silver and Iain Macwhirter for what will hopefully become a regular series by the excellent Phantom Power Films, creators of Altered States and lots more:
It’s well worth whiling away a little bit of your afternoon on.
Dan on Response Level Upgrade: “Is there a distinction in law that toilets for the disabled are only to be used by those with a…” Jun 12, 18:32
James Che on Wider Than A Mile: “If only one of the two parliaments to the 1707 treaty is dissolved that were to create the united kingdom…” Jun 12, 18:11
Cynicus on Response Level Upgrade: “I really hope that more courteous response is not as good as it gets. Unfortunately, I think Robin McAlpine is…” Jun 12, 17:52
Skip_NC on Response Level Upgrade: “Disabled toilets exist so that those who need to use them have the same opportunities in life as any other…” Jun 12, 17:49
James Che on Wider Than A Mile: “Aiden, That may have been their intention, however after dissolving the Scottish parliament in the 1700s and then dissolving the…” Jun 12, 17:45
crisiscult on Response Level Upgrade: “Becoming more and more rare, but great to see there are still folk out there like Roddie D. and that…” Jun 12, 17:26
David Blake on Response Level Upgrade: “Trying to reconcile their earlier reply, Swinnet’s admission and the statement they had been advised.” There would be no further…” Jun 12, 17:09
sarah on Response Level Upgrade: “The KC is none other than Roddy Dunlop, Dean of the Faculty of Advocates – the Rev named him in…” Jun 12, 16:59
MaryB on Response Level Upgrade: “The SNP did a deal with the Greens to avoid a specific investigation into their own finances. Is it coincidental…” Jun 12, 16:36
100%Yes on Response Level Upgrade: “Sorry Sarah replied to you by mistake.” Jun 12, 16:34
100%Yes on Response Level Upgrade: “Lets be honest the SNP isn’t going to last as a political party, this is a fact. The party has…” Jun 12, 16:17
robertkknight on Wider Than A Mile: “I think you’ll find the Irish have done very well out of EU membership. As technically did Scotland, in particular…” Jun 12, 16:03
robertkknight on Response Level Upgrade: “If you need a crowdfunder for a Judicial Review sing out!” Jun 12, 15:59
Oneliner on Response Level Upgrade: “I wouldn’t get too excited – it looks like a Cheyne letter to me.” Jun 12, 15:52
Knuckle_Heid on Response Level Upgrade: “At least the Police have acknowledged it properly this time, that’s a small victory. Stu has basically done their work…” Jun 12, 15:32
Captain Caveman on Wider Than A Mile: “@Northy You appear to have missed off the “… lengthy meaningless waffle on WoS BTL rather than say, spending time…” Jun 12, 15:31
sarah on Response Level Upgrade: “Rev, whilst you have a KC at hand, could you ask him if anything can be done to remove an…” Jun 12, 15:19
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Wider Than A Mile: “MICHAEL FORAN – Lecture 2: SINGLE-SEX SPACES www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO3sdGmeZtU « Michael Foran is Associate Professor of Law and a Fellow of…” Jun 12, 15:05
barelybare on Response Level Upgrade: “Very good. Don’t hold your breath waiting for similar from COPFS.” Jun 12, 15:04
Northcode on Wider Than A Mile: ““No wonder you spend your whole time posting…” This comment thread: Northcode – comments: 4 (inc this one) AI Dan…” Jun 12, 15:01
Sian Laidlaw on Response Level Upgrade: “This is the response you should have received for your first email Mr. Campbell. I am delighted Police Scotland have…” Jun 12, 14:59
holymacmoses on Response Level Upgrade: “It’s football time. Jo will be rooting for Ingland:-)” Jun 12, 14:36
Aidan on Wider Than A Mile: “But of course it wouldn’t be required by default, it would be a highly unusual and novel arrangement that would…” Jun 12, 14:05
MP on Response Level Upgrade: “I can’t help wondering if the SNP let on privately during the investigation that the ‘ring fenced’ money had been…” Jun 12, 14:04
James on Wider Than A Mile: “Poor Adrian. More to be pitied than scorned.” Jun 12, 13:57
cirsium on Response Level Upgrade: ““Economic Crime Investigations” – I like the sound of that especially when I remember that criminals like Al Capone were…” Jun 12, 13:56
Aidan on Wider Than A Mile: “I assume that was to facilitate the ToU and the creation of the ‘new’ GB parliament?” Jun 12, 13:55
lothianlad on Response Level Upgrade: “they are stalling for time STU! the tactic of distancing being used. However, for them unfortunately, your not giving up.” Jun 12, 13:53
xaracen on Wider Than A Mile: “Your “arithmetic” presumes a single majority vote, Aidan, for which there is no agreement in the Treaty, or elsewhere. That…” Jun 12, 13:48
