In over 20 years of living in Bath, spanning five general elections, we’ve never seen a political billboard in town before. There’s been no point. In vote-share terms the city is the 4th-safest Lib Dem seat in the UK (and the 2nd-safest in England), and it has been since the party won it from the Conservatives in 1992.
But we’ve got a billboard now, featuring two men whose parties haven’t got an earthly hope of winning here (one of them because it’s not standing). What’s that all about?
This is an extract from this morning’s Today programme on Radio 4 (starts about 2h 5m in), in which James Naughtie expresses an unusually frank and forthright opinion on Jim Murphy’s claim about the biggest party forming the government.
Because we’ve been thinking about it carefully, and as the biggest party always forms the government of the UK – like it or not, that’s a simple fact – there’s only one way to protect Scotland’s interests for the next five years. Independence can wait.
Like some sort of out-of-control, unstoppable lying machine, Scottish Labour keep telling the electorate that the party with the most seats in a hung parliament is the one that forms the government, and that the only way to prevent the Conservatives from returning to power is for Labour to be the biggest party.
(Because if the answer is yes then Labour’s entire Scottish election strategy – “Vote SNP get Tories!” – crumbles to dust, and if it’s no then Labour is saying that it’d be prepared to abandon not just Scotland but the whole UK to another five years of Conservative government purely out of spite against the SNP.)
Three of the party’s elected representatives have now been asked the question on air – James Kelly MSP by John Mackay of Scotland Tonight a week ago, branch office leader Jim Murphy by BBC Scotland’s Gary Robertson yesterday, and the shadow Scottish Secretary Margaret Curran last night (below), again by STV’s John Mackay.
As you can see, Scotland’s voters still await an answer. But on this page we’ll keep track of all the swerves, evasions and dodges until we get one, if we ever do.
Because we took a short break over the weekend, we sadly missed Labour’s solemn commemorations of the 1979 confidence vote, and as a result we don’t know whether anyone actually did don a black armband or lay a wreath to remember the miners that Labour didn’t support when they went on strike a few years later.
We’re going to compile all of these onto a single page soon, because as you can see, Scottish Labour just can’t seem to stop telling this lie.
Today’s expert saying “Does it, aye?” (and the latest in a long and distinguished line) is Peter Riddell from the Institute For Government, speaking on Radio 4’s “World At One” this afternoon (from 35m).
Listeners to today’s “Good Morning Scotland” were treated (from 2h 7m at that link) to a consummate masterclass in the art of evasion from Labour’s Scottish branch-office manager Jim Murphy. The bulk of a 13-minute segment was devoted to Murphy’s claim that a Labour vote in this May’s general election would bring about an end to foodbanks in Scotland, although the pledge steadily degraded as interviewer Gary Robertson pressed fruitlessly for detail.
(Murphy refused to say if or when any money generated by a Labour UK government would be given to the Scottish Government, wouldn’t be drawn on when the need for foodbanks would be eradicated, shot down a straw man on benefit sanctions and eventually conceded that in fact there would always be foodbanks, by way of a brief diversion to “I do a lot of work for charity but I don’t like to talk about it”.)
Hi, I’m Lauren. Some of you might know me – during the referendum I wrote a letter to the Wee Ginger Dug about my journey from No to Yes. I’m a true convert, and once I crossed over I got busy – I leafleted and canvassed and worked my socks off as most activists do. I never joined the SNP because on the doorsteps I liked being able to say “it’s not all about the SNP, I’m not a member”.
But after the referendum I did join. I joined because I knew that I could still be actively involved in campaigning for independence. Within a few months I was chosen to be Branch Organiser in my hometown of Bathgate. Every time a new leaflet came out I counted 10,000 leaflets into their individual runs and delivered them to volunteers and I delivered the ones that that no one else wanted to do after I’d done my own.
I organised training days and visited new members, encouraging them to get involved. Wednesday nights and Friday afternoons were spent on canvassing sessions. For the by-election in nearby Armadale I’d get up on a Saturday morning, leave the kids with my partner and chap doors. On other Saturdays I manned street stalls.
Monday and Tuesday were spent building the constituency website where each of the branches could have space to communicate outside the confines of internal emails but in private. I went to constituency meetings and was also made Political Education Officer. I was actively campaigning full-time while having a job, four young children and a house to run.
I didn’t mind that I had very little time to see my friends, I didn’t mind that I had to give up our family time at the weekends, I didn’t mind that my petrol budget doubled, I didn’t mind that I missed my wee girl singing solo at a school opening ceremony because I was out canvassing. It was all for the cause, for a better Scotland
Yesterday I resigned from the SNP because the party told me I was second-class.
MaryB on The Final Robbery: “Robin McAlpine has a forensic analysis on his blog entitled ‘ The Protection Racket: why is Sturgeon free tonight? It’s…” May 25, 15:23
Kev on The Final Robbery: “How the SNP’s auditors never uncovered any of this over a ten year period is both startling and suspicious.” May 25, 15:22
Mike on The Final Robbery: “I’m old enough to remember the great coffee machine scandal of 2015, which according to some reports on stv news…” May 25, 15:20
Andouillette on The Final Robbery: “Too many other skeletons rattling around in his closet? I have heard tell of some VERY interesting photographs taken in…” May 25, 15:16
Marie on The Final Robbery: “So glad I never gave this shower a single penny of my hard-earned cash.” May 25, 15:15
Pete on The Final Robbery: “Now we will never know which of the alphabeties were given “gifts” to compensate them. Well done Rev you called…” May 25, 15:10
100%Yes on The Final Robbery: “The reality is the UKG wants to protect the SNP because the SNP is protecting the union.” May 25, 15:06
100%Yes on The Final Robbery: “Sturgeon took over the party and from the begiging she and she alone has not only destroyed Independence but what…” May 25, 15:03
TURABDIN on The Final Robbery: “What goes in the Whore of Parliament’s piss stained precincts https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/inequalities/2024/11/13/buying-influence-donations-and-corruption-in-british-politics/ may i interest you bloody revolution? not today thanks.…” May 25, 15:00
Izzie on The Final Robbery: “You are only a victim if you are of have been an SNP member or fundraiser. No public funds were…” May 25, 14:59
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Final Robbery: “That appears a highly plausible possibility.” May 25, 14:53
Nemisis Benn on The Final Robbery: “Today’s outcome reminds me of Jeremy Thorpe admitting all sorts of things under oath knowing that he would be immune…” May 25, 14:51
Rev. Stuart Campbell on The Final Robbery: “That is entirely incorrect. https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/details-peter-murrells-original-indictment-36715704” May 25, 14:50
100%Yes on The Final Robbery: “Ginger “Branchform’s over and the SNP is still standing” as if this is something to be proud of. The Betrayal…” May 25, 14:48
Dave Llewellyn on The Final Robbery: “Vindicated. ( mike drop )” May 25, 14:47
Andy Wiltshire on The Final Robbery: “Any private Scottish citizen whose money is still missing – do you have the money to undertake a private prosecution?…” May 25, 14:26
McDuff on The Final Robbery: “I’m not great conspiracy lover but there is clear evidence of a change for the worse when the Sturgeon took…” May 25, 14:25
James Barr Gardner on The Final Robbery: “I hope that those especially SNP members can now see how their trust in the SNP Hierarchy was misused, for…” May 25, 14:23
desimond on The Final Robbery: “Just to be clear…did he actually loan them their own money?” May 25, 14:17
Iain More on The Final Robbery: “Since the evil Sturgeon has dropped Murrell right in it and washed he hands like Pontius Pilat I hope he…” May 25, 14:13
sam on The Final Robbery: “Swinney was leader when Murrell was appointed CEO” May 25, 14:13
Cynicus on The Final Robbery: “There was some speculation here the other day about why Colin Weir abruptly cut off the cash and walked away…” May 25, 14:11
Aidan on The Final Robbery: “At least the excessive and oppressive Scottish contempt of court restrictions should no longer apply! You can understand Mrs Murrell…” May 25, 14:10
Victor Clements on The Final Robbery: “You are right to ask about the difference, even if it is only £660,000 minus £400,000….. but the reality is…” May 25, 14:07
I. Despair on The Final Robbery: “Not quite – Sturgeon and Beattie were not “initially charged.” They were arrested and interviewed, then released without charge.” May 25, 14:01
Athanasius on The Final Robbery: “Soon…anyone else thinking “take one for the team?”” May 25, 14:00
duncanio on The Final Robbery: “The COPFS didn’t prosecute the other two that were initially charged. I suppose that doesn’t stop a private prosecution from…” May 25, 13:55
agentx on The Final Robbery: “Nicola Sturgeon has responded after her estranged husband Peter Murrell was remanded She wrote on Instagram: “My reaction to the…” May 25, 13:55
