For ages now it’s been nagging at us that there wasn’t a quick and easy reference point for all the opinion polls we’ve commissioned, listing all the subjects covered by each poll and linking to both our own analyses of the figures and the raw data tables for people who wanted to go delving in amongst the stats themselves.
So now there is – it’s here. (And in future you can easily locate it under “Polls” in the menu bar running across the top of the front page.) We’re off for a bit of a lie down.
We thought we might leave this here so that Scottish journalists could print it out and stick it on their monitors as a memory aid. It’s something they keep unaccountably forgetting for some reason.
You never know, it might just cheer them up a bit.
Joan McAlpine, SNP MSP for the South of Scotland, extensively documented at the weekend the obstructiveness of Labour councillors in Dumfries and Galloway, who in an attempt to score some SNP BAD points were refusing to inform their constituents about the Scottish Government’s £1500-per-household flood relief grants to help people cope after recent storms.
The councillors eventually backed down and informed hard-pressed householders and businesses of the help available, but today the issue was debated on the floor of the Holyrood chamber, and when Labour once again tried to make the issue party political, the Deputy First Minister ran out of patience.
We had a lot of requests for the footage, so there it is.
Despite what you may have read in the newspapers at the weekend (and then in the Daily Record a day later), Scotland was today rocked by the news that the SNP’s manifesto for this May’s general election in fact DOES contain a commitment to a second independence referendum within the term of the coming Scottish Parliament.
Who says so? Why, it’s Oliver Mundell, son of the only Conservative MP in Scotland and the Scottish Tory candidate for the Holyrood seat of Dumfriesshire, in a leaflet hitting the doorsteps of constituents in the Borders today.
As we noted on Tuesday, Scottish Labour’s opening election salvo for 2016 has been to blame the Scottish Government for unaffordable house prices.
Of the 450 most obvious flaws in that argument, not least the extraordinary efforts a 13-year Labour government went to to keep the housing bubble inflated, the one that caught our eye was that in the past three years we were regularly told of one thing that definitely WOULD bring prices down dramatically, but which Labour pathologically fought every step of the way.
If you’re primarily or solely contesting regional seats, and you’re chiefly (as seems to be the case) targeting people who are going to use their first vote for the SNP, “Vote for us so that we can provide strong opposition to the SNP” is a pretty weird pitch.
You’re basically asking people to use their second vote to cancel out their first. And that’s quite a tough angle to be trying to sell them. Just saying, like.
We suppose we shouldn’t technically be surprised that today’s newspapers carry no analysis whatsoever of Kezia Dugdale’s big speech yesterday detailing Scottish Labour’s first big election pledge – a £6000 handout to first-time home buyers.
After all, current polling suggests Scottish Labour have about as much chance of exerting any influence in the next Scottish Parliament as Lemmy has of posthumously winning the Eurovision Song Contest, so it doesn’t really matter if Kezia Dugdale promises every voter a free unicorn made of diamonds and glitter.
Still, if only for the mental exercise, it’s worth taking a look in detail.
Young Lochinvar on Only An Excuse: “Brother As I have discovered, not just here, there is no respect given for your service. None. Sad. Makes you…” May 24, 03:41
George Ferguson on Only An Excuse: “For completeness a Yellow Card was your rules of engagement. A standard military procedure.However 50 years later that’s no defence…” May 23, 22:57
George Ferguson on Only An Excuse: “@Dan I don’t know if I will be a recipient of the new Sir Keir Starmer rules on what constitutes…” May 23, 22:21
Ebok on Only An Excuse: “‘That Green MSP shouldn’t even be allowed to take up office’ If it hadn’t been that Green, it would have…” May 23, 21:40
Dan on Only An Excuse: “George’s 600m targeting skillz may be somewhat overstated going by his ability to find and click on the correct reply…” May 23, 21:40
Young Lochinvar on Only An Excuse: “Uncalled for Dan He’s referring to his army days back when weapons weren’t pop guns and still of a decent…” May 23, 21:07
Aidan on Only An Excuse: “Oh yeah Dan I’m sure Geri is a normal person keeping society functioning. That’s definitely the impression I’m getting. I…” May 23, 21:02
Young Lochinvar on Only An Excuse: “Fat Slag Wilma Flintstone @ 1.17 Jesus H. Christ! The social media lifestyle influencer/ dating site catfisher is back at…” May 23, 21:01
Geri on Only An Excuse: “Whit exactly is the point of SpaceX rocket? Yet more debris in the Indian ocean. Probably killed loads of marine…” May 23, 20:52
Geri on Only An Excuse: “Ach, dinnie be like that..” May 23, 20:40
Geri on Only An Excuse: “Well who disnae love a roastie with herbs – lush! Just follow the correct strength tho or it’ll be yer…” May 23, 20:38
George Ferguson on Only An Excuse: “@Dan Missed the point again Dan as always. You save Scotland I know you want to. The only reason I…” May 23, 19:59
Dan on Only An Excuse: “AiDan struggling to comprehend that “normal” people that keep society functioning may work night shift or live / work in…” May 23, 19:50
Dan on Only An Excuse: “Hitting a target at 600m… Whit’s this aw aboot? Are Scotland’s issues somehow going to be resolved through a long…” May 23, 19:39
George Ferguson on Only An Excuse: “@Geri I have given you the heads up on where this is going. We the people have given a Scottish…” May 23, 19:13
TURABDIN on Only An Excuse: “A quote from D.H. Lawrence “All the lot. Their spunk is gone dead. Motor-cars and cinemas and aeroplanes suck that…” May 23, 19:02
Geri on Only An Excuse: “Then scroll by. Fuck off. Don’t comment. It’s not exactly rocket science is it? It’s you that seems troubled &…” May 23, 19:02
Geri on Only An Excuse: “But you can at least vote out a presidente, George. & I’d assume an independent Scotland would have a constitution…” May 23, 18:53
Aidan on Only An Excuse: “The things that you post on here Geri are deranged, and the fact that you post them in the early…” May 23, 18:32
George Ferguson on Only An Excuse: “@Geri We are monarchists because we don’t want Nicola Sturgeon as El Presidente in charge of a Country that doesn’t…” May 23, 18:11
Geri on Only An Excuse: “I do know that, AI Dan. I just dunno WTF some sad wanker would think to check it & then…” May 23, 18:05
Aidan on Only An Excuse: “I don’t know if you know this Geri – but at the bottom of each post it shows what time…” May 23, 17:43
Geri on Only An Excuse: “I dunno. There was nothing like going off to fight for king & country to come hame tae yer entire…” May 23, 17:42
Tinto Chiel on Off-topic: “@Marie. In that case, may The Force be with you!” May 23, 17:35
George Ferguson on Only An Excuse: “Well thats the Trongate trashed tonight. And most Celtic supporters won’t be able to tell you why. It was Father…” May 23, 16:49
Alf Baird on Only An Excuse: “Hatey, in a colony we are all colonised to some extent, some groups more, some less, and those exhibiting denial…” May 23, 16:47
Geri on Only An Excuse: “Shiteface, Do you need a hanky?” May 23, 16:45
Geri on Only An Excuse: “AI Dan, It’s quite easy to call you a sad bastard. You & Shiteface give so many opportunities. Whit other…” May 23, 16:32
Young Lochinvar on Only An Excuse: “I’mnogay McI’mnogayface @ 8.11 Well well well! 😉 What a Julian Clareyesque rant! Raw nerve hit eh.. I think you’ll…” May 23, 15:56
Young Lochinvar on Only An Excuse: “I’mnogay McI’mnogayface @ 8.46 Your projecting again “old boy”.. And not one reference to oaths either, you’re slipping..” May 23, 15:39
