As alert readers will know, we’ve just done another Panelbase opinion poll. You’ll be hearing more about the results over the next couple of days, but we thought we’d give you the headline finding first.
The most interesting thing about those numbers is that as far as we can make out that’s the highest Yes figure Panelbase has ever returned for that question. (The last two times, for the Sunday Times in September and July, both came out 47-53.)
And has no more luck this week with hapless Scottish Labour list MSP Claire Baker than he did with her habitually mendacious colleague Jackie Baillie last week:
(The Big Debate, BBC Radio Scotland, 13 November 2015) .
One of the stranger criticisms regularly levelled at this site is that we don’t attack the SNP/Scottish Government enough.
That’s weird firstly because it’s not like there’s currently a shortage of hostile media scrutiny of Nicola Sturgeon and her colleagues, and secondly because we’ve never in our four-year life claimed for a moment to be neutral.
What Unionists insisted was the biggest and most important parliamentary transfer of powers to a devolved government anywhere in the world was squeezed into five and a half hours of debate time in the House Of Commons tonight, approximately two hours of which were taken up by Westminster’s farcical voting system.
Of the remaining three and a bit hours, a third of the time was taken up by the three MPs you can see video of at the bottom of this post. We know it’s a lot to ask to watch an hour of politicians deliberately trolling Scotland, but if you didn’t see the debate live it’s about the minimum you need to get an accurate sense of the tone.
At the end of it all, a small number of things had been decided.
The tiny number of people who watch the BBC Parliament channel is undoubtedly a blessing to the parties of the Union. We’ll be bringing you some eye-opening excerpts from today’s Scotland Bill debate later, but as a taster here’s one brief exchange.
Alberto Costa, the Scottish-born Conservative MP for South Leicestershire (of whom we’ll be seeing much more in a bit), is heard loudly expressing his satisfaction that not a single Scottish MP of any party (nor indeed any from Wales or Northern Ireland) has been permitted to sit on the Joint Committee discussing the government’s plan to scrap the Human Rights Act, although six unelected peers do get places.
When challenged, Costa explains that he’s happy about it because it’s a matter reserved to the “United Kingdom Parliament”. The fact that he apparently doesn’t consider any Scottish members elected to that parliament to have any business with its affairs is perhaps rather more revealing than Mr Costa intended it to be.
Last Friday’s article on the limitations of GERS caused quite a stir among the stout defenders of the Union, as social-media users may have noticed over the weekend.
Amidst the wildly-flailing fury-storm of shouty, abusive responses which pathologically evaded addressing the article’s point, the one vaguely factual argument raised was the notion that an independent Scotland wouldn’t be able to make significant savings on its current (notional) £3bn defence budget because NATO supposedly requires all member states to spend 2% of their GDP on defence.
When it comes to Scottish Labour’s great brainwave about “restoring” Tory tax-credit cuts, the madness just won’t stop. Here’s Magnus Gardham, formerly political editor of Scotland’s staunchest Labour paper the Daily Record, in the Herald today:
Aidan on Looking up at the stars: “I’m sorry to have disappointed you, but equally I do feel the likelihood was always that it was going to…” Mar 16, 20:29
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: ““It cannot be Gaelic because only 50,000 people speak the latter” Scots speakers are a minority too, Alf. A bigger…” Mar 16, 20:06
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Lebanon is in for a kicking because they lack the ability to expel the terrorist cuckoos who have been occupying…” Mar 16, 20:00
Dan on Looking up at the stars: “Dan says: “Would you eat a wild Scottish caught salmon or trout out of the Tay, when we still pump…” Mar 16, 19:56
Alf Baird on Looking up at the stars: ““Gaelic, the language of the actual historical ‘Scots’.” No one can dispute this, Fearghas, however it is only ever part…” Mar 16, 19:45
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “We can’t all be related to Adam and Eve. In the pictures, they’re clearly white, white, white. And, TBQFH, that’s…” Mar 16, 19:44
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: ““maybe you participate in things like that” Nobody is much bothered that you’re “pig curious”, twathater, but you’re defo on…” Mar 16, 19:41
100%Yes on Looking up at the stars: “I suppose if we go right to the beginning were all related to Adam and Eve.” Mar 16, 19:40
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: ““Majorities of MSPs and MPs at Holyrood and Westminster have led to absolutely no progress whatsoever in the independence fight”…” Mar 16, 19:34
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Dunno what you’re so bitter about, YL. Thought you were celebrating the English losing the war. Don’t tell me you’ve…” Mar 16, 19:23
Sven on Looking up at the stars: “Mark Beggan @ 18.01. Perhaps one of the most accurate and depressing posts on WOS btl recently, Mark. Self inflicted…” Mar 16, 18:59
Aidan on Looking up at the stars: “To be clear, I ate it this morning, it didn’t come out of the Tay this morning. It was smoked,…” Mar 16, 18:57
Dan on Looking up at the stars: “Ach, that’s a pity you don’t like fishing like I do. But make your mind up will you, as after…” Mar 16, 18:50
Young Lochinvar on Looking up at the stars: “HMcH JML appear to do a portable cushion. Ideal for you with a sore a8se after all that Proud Boys…” Mar 16, 18:45
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: “Could it be that kilts are just dish cloots we took to wearing around our waists. There being no real…” Mar 16, 18:43
Aidan on Looking up at the stars: “The Tories voted against it 26 to 2 (in favour), that’s just a fact regardless of whether it upsets you.…” Mar 16, 18:34
Northcode on Looking up at the stars: “Thank you, Sven. You, sir, are a true gentleman.” Mar 16, 18:33
Aidan on Looking up at the stars: “Fine – but you did say that travelling around quite a lot I should be aware of how well other…” Mar 16, 18:31
Hatey McHateface on Looking up at the stars: ““Your hatred has blinded your judgement” Not at all, Mark. The judgement is that women’s rights have to be watered…” Mar 16, 18:25
Northcode on Looking up at the stars: ““WERE THE SCOTS IRISH?” Yes, they were – they were called the Scotti and came from Ireland, but the Picts…” Mar 16, 18:25
Scot Finlayson on Looking up at the stars: “The Picts (not that they called themselves that)or Caledonians are indigenous to Scotland, the Scots are (for want of a…” Mar 16, 18:23
Northcode on Looking up at the stars: “My God, Sven, you’re right. How could I have missed such preposterously incorrect grammar? Well spotted, that man. Only an…” Mar 16, 18:15
Dan on Looking up at the stars: “@Aidan FFS, just because I highlighted one engineering project in Egypt, that does not mean I agree with or am…” Mar 16, 18:14
twathater on Looking up at the stars: “@ Ada you are lying again the bill passed in HR with the votes of the tories, not all tories…” Mar 16, 18:12
Northcode on Looking up at the stars: “Likewise, of course, Gaelic, the language of the actual historical ‘Scots’. You are funny sometimes, Fearghas . But you are…” Mar 16, 18:11
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on Looking up at the stars: “Alf @ 4.49 pm “The maist important factor is that the Scots language we ken and speak was developed in…” Mar 16, 18:08
Sven on Looking up at the stars: “Northcode @ 17.43. No problem at all, Northy. No one who appreciates Shelley can fail to find a sympathetic reception…” Mar 16, 18:04
Mark Beggan on Looking up at the stars: “Victories of the past are more palatable than the present self inflicted kick in the teeth.” Mar 16, 18:01
