As alert readers will have noticed, Wings has been perusing the SNP’s Governance And Transparency Review over the last couple of days, a document which tentatively attempts to discern just how big a mess the party’s previous leadership has left it in.
The paper has now also reached the mainstream media.
Wings already touched on that particular aspect of the party’s mismanagement back in August, but in the light of the report now formally acknowledging the problem it’s worth taking a moment to establish just how astonishingly bad it is.
The writing, we mean. Because it’s not until you see it baldly written down in black and white that it really hits you how insane it is.
The SNP has 44 MPs now, and has not managed to enter independence negotiations.
Winning 29 seats would represent a LOSS of 15, or more than a third.
And they’re about to stand up in front of voters and insist that that would somehow compel the UK government to hand over what they’ve been flatly refusing since 2016.
(It’s all pretty academic anyway, obv, as we’ll be amazed if they get double figures.)
The very last shred of credibility has left the building, readers.
Labour won far more handsomely in last night’s by-election than anyone – and we very strongly suspect that includes themselves – expected. If the swing of over 20% was to be repeated nationwide next year (which it won’t be, but we’ll get to that in a minute), the SNP would be reduced to six or seven seats, as Wings has predicted for a while.
From the abject pit of despair of 2015, when Labour lost 40 of its 41 MPs in Scotland, let’s look at how the party has powered back to recapture the hearts of voters.
Humza Yousaf didn’t turn up to the count tonight. In the end, even on a dreadfully low turnout of 37%, Labour won by 9,446 votes, with more than twice as many as the SNP.
It was a much worse defeat for the governing party than most expected. There should be only one outcome.
Duncan Strachan on The Marshalling Plan: “Aye Frank he wouldnt look out out place amongst the rest of the stiffs.” Feb 4, 01:11
Willie on The Marshalling Plan: “And meanwhile police have revealed the royal sleaze bag formerly known as Prince Andrew is being investigated by police following…” Feb 4, 01:08
Duncan Strachan on The Marshalling Plan: “Wally anither exactly. Destroy the ballot. Make sure we do.” Feb 4, 01:03
Willie on The Marshalling Plan: “Inexcusable and unpatriotic says ex Prime Minister Gordon Brown about Mandleson leaking secret data to Epstein as the country tried…” Feb 3, 23:56
diabloandco on The Marshalling Plan: “The MSM doesn’t do anything worthwhile or honest .” Feb 3, 21:38
Del G on The Marshalling Plan: “So you explain how voters can play the system, and how unionist voters can combine to poke a stick in…” Feb 3, 21:31
Southernbystander on Shield Of The Phantom: “I would recommend the first two essays actually – the one by McGinn is as you would expect a bit…” Feb 3, 20:53
Confused on The Marshalling Plan: “one way Farage could boost support for reform would be to toughen up the stance on immigration; the voters would…” Feb 3, 20:48
Confused on The Marshalling Plan: “all these little flamboyant screeds I have put together about farage – its not me “making shit up” with a…” Feb 3, 20:45
Confused on The Marshalling Plan: “oil and gas was a disaster for Scotland as it allowed the thatcherite neoliberal wrecking ball to be applied EVERYONE…” Feb 3, 20:44
Willie on The Marshalling Plan: “Just been reading details of the emails between? Mandelson and Epstein during the Gordon Brown years. Mandelson’s interactions were not…” Feb 3, 20:40
Alf Baird on The Marshalling Plan: “The LS mandate offered is pretty clear and unambiguous, and fundamentally different to the SNP’s continued neutrality on independence. Voting…” Feb 3, 20:11
Skip_NC on The Marshalling Plan: “Hatey, next time you open your mouth, put some food in it. It’s better than letting your belly rumble.” Feb 3, 19:41
Skip_NC on The Marshalling Plan: “I agree that ISP is pro-independence but why on earth do you think Alba is not?” Feb 3, 19:39
Colin Alexander on The Marshalling Plan: “Alf Baird So, it’s a plebiscite: Aye or no to independence? So, they aren’t seeking election to the gravy train…” Feb 3, 19:38
Duncan Strachan on The Marshalling Plan: “Wally anither exactly. Destroy the ballot. Make sure we do.” Feb 3, 19:33
Duncan Strachan on The Marshalling Plan: “Effijy Exactly. vote reform? F off, vote Unionist nup. Vote that dog swiny, forget it. Go and destroy the constituency…” Feb 3, 19:25
Duncan Strachan on The Marshalling Plan: “Aye.I refuse to vote for that swiny. He is the worst thing to happen to Scotland. I will be destroying…” Feb 3, 19:14
Alf Baird on The Marshalling Plan: “Polls are intentionally excluding the Liberate Scotland alliance parties in their offer of options to surveyed voters. If independence voters…” Feb 3, 17:52
PC Foster on The Marshalling Plan: “sam says: In moving towards Scottish independence is it better to have a Reform government in UK/England and weak/no Reform…” Feb 3, 17:27
Hatey McHateface on The Marshalling Plan: “@Skip_NC The way I see it, the establishment of the wee pretendy parliament as a device to sink Indy was…” Feb 3, 14:08
Hatey McHateface on The Marshalling Plan: ““is it better to have a Reform government in UK/England and weak/no Reform in Scotland?” Before we can answer that…” Feb 3, 13:49
Hatey McHateface on The Marshalling Plan: ““There isn’t one ordinary Scot who benefited from oil in Scotland” Grade 1, 100% pure, gold-plated, shite. I personally know…” Feb 3, 13:40
James Cheyne on The Marshalling Plan: “The only way to save Scotland, its resources , mineral wealth and assets is for Scotland to recognise that it…” Feb 3, 13:26
James Cheyne on The Marshalling Plan: “The only way to save Scotland, its resources , mineral wealth and assets is for Scotland to recognise that it…” Feb 3, 13:19
James Cheyne on The Marshalling Plan: “I am not daft enough to blame Alex Salmond for all the woes of Scotland, he did some good things…” Feb 3, 12:52
100%Yes on The Marshalling Plan: “There isn’t one ordinary Scot who benefited from oil in Scotland the only people to have benefited was London and…” Feb 3, 12:45
sam on The Marshalling Plan: “In moving towards Scottish independence is it better to have a Reform government in UK/England and weak/no Reform in Scotland?” Feb 3, 12:18
Colin Alexander on The Marshalling Plan: ““Let’s just remind ourselves of something Alex Salmond did, he made the Scottish parliament a parliament”. Really? How? With Trumpian…” Feb 3, 12:16
