The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Quoted for truth #40

Posted on December 15, 2013 by

The Huffington Post, 15 December 2013:

“The number of Britons who think Ed Miliband is likely to be the prime minister after the next election has fallen dramatically, according to a poll.

Research by ComRes for the Independent on Sunday and Sunday Mirror found 21% believed the Labour leader would be in No 10 after the next election, down 10 points since May.”

This, remember, is after a summer in which the nation’s political commentators almost universally agreed that Miliband’s conference promise of an energy price freeze and subsequent talk of a cost-of-living crisis was winning the hearts of the country.

Last week three separate opinion polls showed Labour’s lead over the Tories down to a pitiful five points, despite 70% of the population saying they’d felt no benefit from Britain’s feeble economic “recovery”.

We don’t think Labour has ever sacked a leader who hadn’t contested at least one general election. Ed Miliband will lead them to the polls in 2015, and only one in five Britons thinks he’ll end up in Number 10. Don’t take our word for it. Don’t heed the experts. Don’t even examine the statistics. Listen to the people who’ll be voting.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

50 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Donald MacDonald

Red Ed. Already dead.

Craig M

What’s the point in voting for Labour? Regardless of whether you are in Scotland (Independent or not) or elsewhere in the UK, you’ll be voting for the same policies that the current Westminster government embrace. They are all Right Wing, there is no point in voting for Labour as they won’t change direction. Tory=Labour=LibDem. All for one and nothing for everyone else!

handclapping

but I’d vote for Grommit

Bugger (the Panda)

@ handclapping 06:11 pm your time zone
He is in the USA building up a war chest and fan base.
Ask Hiliary.

msean

Does Grommit have a policy on Independence?What’s his views on the bedroom tax and the welfare system?How does he propose to control energy companies who think they are above the government?Too many questions remain unanswered by Grommit.

Dan Watt

So, these polls are suggesting that Ed M becoming PM is even LESS likely than Scotland becoming independent.
 
The future’s bright, the future’s a Tory/UKIP coalition.

Bugger (the Panda)

Come to think of it, Rev Stu, can you count the people who have clicked on your links in the “Links List,” especially the Zany Relief and, in particular, the Councillor Terry Kerry link?
Could be the source of another we stats post?

ronnie anderson

He must have Dougal o the Magic as his election agent, & Blair Mac Dougall as his spin orifice

Kenny Campbell

Will be interesting outcome, in Germany CDU(Conservatives) almost got a full majority due to collapse of Liberal vote. That could be repeated in UK election. Liberals are the walking dead at the moment.
 
Issue for CDU was total collapse of Liberal vote and they are their normal coalitoin partners bit collapse was so complete and lack of outright CDU majority actually forced them to a coalition with SPD who are centre left(Third Way Labour).
 
Interesting times……ask yourself, what would it take for them both to be aligned ? Its not much now.
 
They had had to make concessions on minimum wage and retirement age to get it. I suspect we could see something similar in UK. There is actually little betweeen them these days policy wise.

Linda's back

Sunday Times reports that Labour and Tories have been having secret talks whereby taxpayers will pay for the election campaigning based on previous Westminster election voting.

Also that John McTernan repeatedly used X- rated language — including the c-word — in official communications to trash rivals and colleagues alike during his time as a spin doctor to Julia Gillard, the former Australian prime minister.

Journalists who criticised government policy were threatened with “deep freeze” treatment. On another occasion a “scare campaign” was suggested to win over voters. Even a senior aide to Barack Obama could not escape McTernan’s vitriol and was labelled a “c***” for predicting that Gillard’s Labor party would lose power at the 2013 election.

The crude language and aggressive stance adopted by McTernan has inevitably led to him being compared to Malcolm Tucker, the Scottish spin doctor and government enforcer played by Peter Capaldi in the BBC satire The Thick of It.

McTernan, 54, who grew up in Scotland, was hired by Gillard as her director of communications in September 2011 after he had served as a strategist at Downing Street under Blair.

Thousands of his emails were leaked to the state-owned Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) after Gillard was ousted as the country’s first female prime minister earlier this year.

Bugger (the Panda)

Linda’s back
 
Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving nematode.

HandandShrimp

Ed doesn’t look a natural shoe in to No 10. I just can’t quite see it. That said he can’t be any worse than the current lot. Where my imagination completely fails is trying to envisage Johann as FM. That is just absolutely bloody terrifying.

jake

ComRes eh?

You do realise that amongst the other activities for which it is notorious it doesn’t just do polls, it lobbies and it doesn’t do so with the good of the Labour party in mind, well not in Westminster. I’m minded to the view that ComRes are less involved in sampling opinion than shaping it. If there is a whispering campaign in the corridors of power the issue is whether ComRes are acting as ears or acting as mouth.

Having said that I’ve come to understand they had good working relationships with some of our MSPs. I can only suppose that the interests they serve north of the border are better achieved by parties currently in opposition to government. Different political dynamics at Holyrood, not to mention different transparency rules, so it calls for different tactics.

Andy-B

The people don’t believe Ed Miliband, wasn’t he the Secertary of State for Energy and Climate Change  from 2008 to 2010, and not a blind bit of difference in energy bills occured then.
 
Interestingly in the self description category (Wiki) Ed Miliband describes himself as a socialist, and the implimentation of a living wage, Miliband also endorsed the so called “Blue Labour” which promotes friends and family instead of wealth,a bit rich I think coming from a Westminster politician, where cash is king.

Dcanmore

Despite the idiots we have in this wretched Westminster government, it will only be down hill from now on for Miliband simply because he doesn’t appeal to the soft Tory vote in the SE England the way Blair did (remember Broon wasn’t voted in), so the last time we actually had a Labour Prime Minister voted into office by the people was way back in 2005 and Labour’s majority was shrinking even then. Labour front bench has no appeal to the crucial swing voters so the real danger for the Tories in marginal seats will be UKIP, who are essentially Mr and Mrs very angry Tory voter. Miliband is a bit like Kinnock, despite Maggies nastiness he couldn’t get those SE England votes for love nor money and even eventually lost out to grey suit Major. I think it is written on the wall for Miliband, not electable, and it’s too late to change the suit. 

A2

” fails is trying to envisage Johann as FM. That is just absolutely bloody terrifying.”

That’s the only good reason I can think of to vote No.

Davy

Mmm, who’s the best possible PM ? , Ed the labour tory or David the tories tory, well you can’t make a decision based on policys because they are both using the same ones to win the middle england vote. Its a hard one folks, who would you pick ? or is it just a coin toss.

But the one advantage we have, is after 18th Sep next year we don’t have to give a shit as it won’t be anything to do with us.

JLT

Ed Miliband as Prime Minister – NEVER!
 
Seriously, the only way Ed would be Prime Minister, is for Cameron and Osborne to decide to go full hog, and implement full-on austerity measures that ends all benefits …ALL BENEFITS!
And even then, millions within the lunatic Tory hordes will think Cameron is the greatest thing since slice bread ( …or Maggie), as he has finally dealt with all those benefit junkies, the lazy, the useless and  oh …just about everybody else that shouldn’t either be here, or should be working at the coal face for 18 hours a day.
Sorry Ed. Just can’t see you beating Cameron. Your damned if you do, and damned if you don’t!
 
Then there’s Nick Clegg. Well, Nick lied during the run up to the election by breaking just about every promise he ever made so that he could obtain a wee bit power by getting into bed with the Tories. We all know Nick is untrustworthy. And yet …if it was a two horse race, it would still be a close run for Ed to beat Nick.
That says a lot!
 
If the hordes of Tory Supporters get sick of Cameron because he is just not fascist enough for them, then there is always Nigel Farage. If Nigel picks up a few seats at the next election, then Ed can kiss it all goodbye forever. The Tory hordes will demand a coalition with England’s new favourite son, and if they get it, expect orgasms all over the south east of England.
Even if the Tory party didn’t exist, and there was only UKIP and Labour, I would still put good money on Farage to whip Ed’s ass in a two horse race!
 
And don’t mention Scotland. Ed doesn’t care about Scotland. It may have 50 potential Labour seats within it, but so what! That place is full of Nationalists …and what do they know????
That says a lot about how much Ed cares about Scotland, and his complete sheer ignorance of what is happening in Scotland. It is no surprise (except to the media) that most Scots now wouldn’t vote Labour, even if you paid them.
 
Do I see Ed as Prime Minister.
 
In short ….No.

rabb

The sad truth of it is that it doesn’t matter who wins the next UK general election.
 
The next UK government agenda will be set by the bankers in the city of London and the government (left or right) will just jolly well have to accept their position in the pecking order.
 
For those who are undecided reading this, make no mistake, the bankers are running the UK. They know they are in control and driving government policy.
 
They own the arse of everything from you and your home to the newspapers (Do you think the Scotsman could carry on beating the unionist propaganda drum whilst haemorrhaging cash without an understanding banker behind them?).
 
A yes vote will be nice wee kick in the nuts for them next year as we take control back 🙂

HandandShrimp

O/T
 
I see that, probably in conjunction with the Guardian article bemoaning a lack of sense of humour in the independence debate, Better Together got Facebook to pull Better Together St Kilda (presumably for being too funny) I see they are back with a Better Together Saint Kilda and a redesigned logo so those of a humourless disposition can’t say their copyright has been breached. The new page is feistier than ever…which is good.

Papadocx

After next Westminster election I think we will have a con/lab coalition fleecing the country, with lib/ukip opposition scrambling for the loose change. The jocks will either be bayoneted or totally f*** by everybody who wants to. With the blessing of HMG & HMQ! The duke of Cumberlands battle plan ( Culloden 1746) will be brought up to modern standards and and issued to Lt Col. Cherchube for action. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN. 

msean

Watching sports personality,seriously,what’s with all the singing .

gordoz

What is most inexpicable of all are the morons in areas like Dunfermiline & Shettleston who keep voting a bunch of corrupt, self interested, pocket filling, blatant stealth tories, that is the ‘modern’ Labour / New Labour / Old labour / Blairite Labour party.
 
The lack of talent, policies, principles, probity, vision, dignity does not even come into it. Any gimmick going on the day suits Labour. Candidates such as Cara Hilton form the calibre of benchmark for modern Labour, but still get voted in by a public that should realy have learend by now, yet  time and time again buys the garbage that Labour peddle.
 
If you’re a Labour supporter reading this, ask yourself one question.
This man will ‘lead’ you exactly where ? Interms of charisma & chutzpa, you cant believe this Milliband character is the one  surely ?

david

Watching sports personality,seriously,what’s with all the singing .

aken, what a load  keech.

Ian Brotherhood

Did Rev ever find out who wrote the article referred to in ‘The Kinnock Factor’ post (as linked above via ‘our word for it’)?

kininvie

H&S
You are aware that there’s a Better Together Rockall facebook?
 
link to facebook.com
 
The chaps living there are doing a fine upstanding job for the union. Blair should be proud.

Old mikey

Rev Stuart Campbell and ‘ wings’, 2 mentions on BBC radio Scotland this morning ‘ what the papers say’ 9am-10am.
An IT dinosaur I’m not able to re-access the programme, but maybe some readers can sort it out.

call me dave

Old mikey        Here it is.  Haven’t heard it myself yet.
 
link to bbc.co.uk

gordoz

O/T
 
The ‘Orkney Mole Rat speaketh’ – (what a complete tosser)
Speaking to the Huffington Post, Lord Tallace of Vankerness said it would “be fine” for Scots such as himself to hold onto their titles even if there was a Yes vote in next year’s independence referendum.
At least he’s got Scotlands best interests at heart eh ?
 
link to newsnetscotland.com

Ian Brotherhood

The people who are helping keep BT afloat financially must realise that they’re backing a horse which happens to have no legs: they still haven’t found a positive case for staying in the UK, and even if they do manage to concoct one, they’ve no-one capable of delivering it.
 
Moore has already gone, Carmichael must, surely, soon follow – Darling and McDougall are degenerating by the day, Lamont is heading for a red-card in the SP, and Ruth Davidson must be keeping her fingers crossed that some voice-over work will yet materialise. (And Wee Wullie Rennie is, well, he’s Wee Wullie Rennie.)
 
BT doesn’t have ONE credible spokesperson, nothing positive to say, and virtually zero grassroots campaigning support:
 
…you are only coming through in waves…your lips move, but I can’t hear what you’re saying…’
 
Aye, Comfortably Numb is how they appear to be, and that’s probably the best they can hope for, but it’s going to cost a few bob to keep them in high-quality sedatives between now and September:


Brian Powell

gordoz
 
While a food bank opens in the Northern Isles, Lord Wallace stakes his claim of privilege.
The good thing is food banks and Lords will be out after Independence.

gordoz

@Brian Powell
 
The guy is a shocker, thought he stank as an MSP and Dep 1st Min, how he got to such a high office has always bemused me. Always looked very pleased with himself first and foremost.

gordoz

@Ian Brotherhood
 
Surely we could find a a job for Wullie, lifting ‘dogshit’ with his fingers and if he’s good we might even give him gloves, but only after lunch  (sorry for the pun Ian)

Ian Brotherhood

Was having a wee hunt for the elusive ‘Kinnock Factor’ article, and stumbled across this piece by MacWhirter – only two and a half years old, but already seems ancient.
 
Worth a look:
link to theguardian.com

The Man in the Jar

@Ian Brotherhood at 11;15pm
 
I took a look at that link you posted. The comments don`t seem as swivel-eyed as they are these days. 🙂

Thepnr

The comments were very interesting though spent the last 20mins reading them. sad Git!

Ian Brotherhood

Rev,
 
The ‘Kinnock Factor’ article is a mystery which deserves to be solved.
 
Clearly, you didn’t imagine the thing, but can you remember any one phrase, name, anything at all to help search? Something about it must’ve stuck in your heid – it’ll still be there, in your napper…
 
This is a useful test case – surely, with all the regulars onboard now, and all the means at our collective disposal, we can nail this thing?
 
(I’m wondering if the author of the original piece may be so unlikely a candidate that you’ve subconsciously deleted him/her from the list of possibles?)

Thepnr

Ian
Was it a WoS article, link please?

call me dave

Just watched this a few minutes ago from Common Weal.
 

Ian Brotherhood

@Thepnr-
Cheers mister, hope ye’re well – here it is:
http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-kinnock-factor/

ronnie anderson

Lord Wallace wull hiv tae move tae Enerland after Independence , Scotland dizzna hiv any peers, Blackpools goat a long drop aff ah hope he finds it

Tony Little

Probably not the “Kinnock effect” article you mean, but this?
 
link to betternation.org

Craig P

The Irish peers kept their places in Westminster and titles post 1922 until the last one died, I suspect Tankerness is banking on more of the same. 
 
Whch does kind of illustrate where the loyalties lie. 

Famous15

Personally I am not anti Labour but I am pro independence .If Labour were to return to a more principled time I would again support them. The fact is the SNP is closer to these principles than any view that Milliband and therefor Lamont holds. This newer Labour sells out these principles to the South East of these islands and tries to ape Tory policies.

Andrew Morton

@Ian Brotherhood
 
I’ve just had a look at those comments. It’s interesting how some of the most savagely anti SNP/independence posters like BangorStu were actually quite mild in their remarks back then. Attitudes have obviously hardened.

Patrick Roden

I think the ‘Kinnock Article’ touched on the fact that a person who scores least in the personal popularity polls, never goes on the win a General Election.

Patrician

Don’t know if this helps much in your search:
link to google.co.uk
 
apologies for formatting I am on my way out.


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,666 Posts, 1,201,435 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • Skip_NC on How it happened: “I imagine if any Greens had come here to campaign in the election it would have been to support the…Nov 7, 14:17
    • Skip_NC on How it happened: “It doesn’t prove that. It is merely an acceptance of reality. Trump is about ten weeks away from getting sworn…Nov 7, 14:06
    • Hatey McHateface on How it happened: “And of course, on the 7th November 2025, and every year afterwards on the same date, you will be back…Nov 7, 14:01
    • Peter McAvoy on How it happened: “No You have fallen into the trap of believing that anyone who has fair and legitimate disagreements is racist set…Nov 7, 13:44
    • Hatey McHateface on How it happened: “Hmmm. Somewhere between 15% and 20% of Brits were born abroad. That’s something like 12 million immigrants. For Scotland, the…Nov 7, 13:42
    • Republicofscotland on How it happened: “And there it is – in reality it wouldn’t have mattered who won the the election – behind the scenes,…Nov 7, 13:38
    • Hatey McHateface on How it happened: “I disagree. Trump’s mother was a first generation immigrant from Scotland. There probably hasn’t been a POTUS with a stronger…Nov 7, 13:27
    • Campbell Clansman on How it happened: “The Biden regime’s DoJ is reported to be dropping the charges against President-elect Trump. Dropping the charges the day after…Nov 7, 13:22
    • James on How it happened: “Who told you, brains?Nov 7, 13:13
    • Harry Dunlop on The Mandalorian Candidate: “Imagine my surprise when listening to Radio Scotland’s phone in this morning (9am onwards) to hear none other than the…Nov 7, 13:11
    • Dan on How it happened: “Whilst out doing yet another litter pick this fine sunny autumn morning (yesterday afternoon was spent clearing dangerous branches from…Nov 7, 12:37
    • Alan McMahon on How it happened: “The Claim of Right, in which sovereignty of the people of Scotland is enshrined, is a fundamental constitutional document and…Nov 7, 12:36
    • Robert Matthews on How it happened: “Free speech is dangerous says Angry Anderson.Nov 7, 12:25
    • Geoff Anderson on How it happened: “Cheshire Police says “MP Mike Amesbury has been charged with assault following an incident in Frodsham.” He’s been summoned to courtNov 7, 12:18
    • Andy Anderson on How it happened: “Love your tongue in cheek about Musk. His X is a joke and dangerous.Nov 7, 12:04
    • Liz on How it happened: “I think this is called DARVONov 7, 12:01
    • Geoff Anderson on How it happened: “Corporate USA has a Republican glove puppet on one hand and a Democrat glove puppet on the other. They fund…Nov 7, 11:57
    • Mac on How it happened: “Reading wings twitter account is amusing. I have never seen such delusional people as this current crop of democrats in…Nov 7, 11:54
    • sam on How it happened: “Neither the Democrats or Republicans are ever likely to abandon neoliberal policies despite the harm they do. Here is a…Nov 7, 11:29
    • TURABDIN on How it happened: “Whoever occupies the palace of the elective monarch of the US is irrelevant as Scotland is no closer to freedom…Nov 7, 11:22
    • Liz on How it happened: “Better he had backed no one and left the US to get on with it.Nov 7, 11:11
    • sam on How it happened: “The same as TrumpNov 7, 11:09
    • Skip_NC on How it happened: “It’s before 6am here and I haven’t decided whether your latest reply is borne of ignorance or is just downright…Nov 7, 10:48
    • Robert Matthews on How it happened: “Don’t believe anything Joe Scarbrough tells you.Nov 7, 10:39
    • Jay on How it happened: “Please state what is wrong with Pompeo and Cotton. ThanksNov 7, 10:32
    • Sven on How it happened: “One wonders what the learned Dr’s unsought professional opinion may have been regarding President Biden, had he proferred it.Nov 7, 10:28
    • Aidan on How it happened: “Okay, so firstly the Scottish Independence Bill of 2014 wasn’t passed, so isn’t law. Secondly, nowhere in MacCormick is there…Nov 7, 10:13
    • Kit Bee on How it happened: “If I am wrong about that then I am wrong but I wasn’t lyingNov 7, 09:38
    • Mike on How it happened: ““Harris “stepped up and led a historic campaign” that “embodied what’s possible when guided by a strong moral compass and…Nov 7, 09:36
    • Alf Baird on How it happened: “The fundamental difference in the meaning of sovereignty between Scotland is well established, and well-known, in Scotland at least. The…Nov 7, 09:34
  • A tall tale



↑ Top
52
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x