The best-laid plans
Social media has been alive in recent days with No voters concocting a fiendish plan to vote tactically against the SNP at next year’s general election. Labour supporters are urging people to vote Conservative rather than let the SNP take any new seats which might be used to secure a better devolution settlement for Scotland.
We’re not sure the Nats have too much to worry about.
For a start, we’re not talking about geniuses here.
But more to the point, the UK’s newest tacticians may have some trouble herding their cats. The Labour candidate for the Gordon seat Alex Salmond has said he hopes to contest are Braden Davy (yes, that’s the right way round), a nasty wee foetus who came to the party straight out of McDonalds and now works at Westminster for Anne Begg MP, when she’s not sharing a laugh and campaigning with the National Front.
The Lib Dems, meanwhile, have selected Christine Jardine, a former BBC journalist who was last seen securing a whopping 1,940 votes for the party in the Aberdeen Donside by-election last year. And the dastardly conspirators seem a little confused about who the proud defenders of the Union should throw their weight behind.
Still, for those 76 minutes you could only admire their spirit.
BBC producer Paul Lambert
UKIP’s new Director of Communications
I wanna be the leader
I wanna be the leader
Can I be the leader?
Can I? I can?
Promise? Promise?
Yippee I’m the leader
I’m the leader
OK what shall we do? (Roger McGough)
What?
Scottish Labour supporters voting for David Cameron?
Scottish Conservatives voting for Ed Milliband?
They may be daft, but they ain’t stupid.
turnout
They are not very bright.This madness will appeal to a certain type of voter who has no morals and is happy to see Scotland suffer at the hands of Westminster. We need to make sure that sufficient numbers of the 55% No voters are made aware of the reality of austerity offered by all three shades of Tory party and have the confidence in the SNP to represent their interests.
Well seen Ms Jardine on the telly today, one nippy sweety.
A few questions on Danny Alexander nodding in unison to his boss Osborne tax breaks for the wealthy and why his other boss Clegg was hiding in Cornwall — I like Cornwall folk too!
Since the Libd Dems entered coalition with the Tories to reduce the deficit,was it a success or failure discuss?
Does she agree with her previous demoted SOS for Scotland M Moore that Scotland has Home rule. Discuss why this statement is a load of old manure.
Will all rejected MP’s and MSP’s over the next 2 years become Lords and Dames ? Ok Yes.
Sorry Luigi, I disagree. Their fear is palpable as is their hatred of the SNP. There will be Labour voters trying to vote tactically as will some Tory voters. Luckily it will not alter the outcome in any meaningful way.
Bring it on.
There you have it folks. If there was ever any doubt in your mind about the depths to which the Labour Branch Office would sink, you have your answer.
I am in my senior years, very senior years, never in my life time did I ever imagine the day would dawn that a Labour Party, in Scotland, would ever advise it’s supporters to vote Tory against the best interests of the Scottish people.
I suppose it serves to demonstrate Labour’s hatred of all things SNP.
BUT!!, when their apparent motive ‘proclaimed’ is,
“To prevent the SNP from requiring any new seats to enhance the Devolution settlement”.
The only inference to be drawn must be. “Fuck the SNP at any lengths. Even if it means, FUCKING SCOTLAND”.
They have fallen through the bottom of the barrel. They are beneath contempt.
link to craigmurray.org.uk
Desperation!
Any Labour politician in Scotland advocating a vote for the Tories in the 2015 GE under any circumstances will surely be the final nail in the coffin for SLAB.
Other than the table above I have yet to see any article where this has been proposed. If anyone comes across such a thing make sure we highlight it.
Judging by today’s Twitter traffic these poor dears are living in La La Land:-)
Bless!
Labours supporters voting tory, in your dreams. Mibies they high heid yins are red tories, but the ordinary punter aint.
Tell me again, we lost the referendum and they won. Right? Well what the hell are they in such a total and utter bourach about. If that’s the brain power behind the tactical voting we don’t have ower much to worry about.
What is wrong with these people. Oh dear, to bad, never mind. Carry on chaps, keep up the good work and we’ll show these nasty yes voters a thing or two.
So – labour supporters will vote tory, tory voters will vote lib-dem and lib-dem voters will vote labour? Sorted.
Well if that is standard of English they employ they aren’t that bright, but then probably at University.
Surely where have they come from?
Rainbow Tories fighting amongst themselves,they are better together.
msean, then they can rent a bigger hall than normal.
@Rev Stu
The Lib Dems, meanwhile, have selected Christine Jardine, a former BBC journalist who was last seen securing a whopping 1,940 votes for the party in the Aberdeen Donside by-election last year.
I was wondering where and when this individual was going to next pop up. Last time I heard of Jardine was when she was on a BBC Scotland radio programme, when she told John Beattie and an investigative journalist (whose name escapes me), that an independent Scotland would be forced to join the Euro. A shameless lie from Christine Jardine, no doubt the electorate in Gordon can expect many more from her. When she was lying you could tell the other people knew it as well. Another shameless professional unionist, who will lie and cheat the electorate in Scotland with no apparent hesitation at all.
(Don’t hate me – I’m not in Scotland, but I’d have been part of Labour Yes if I was!)
Labour Party Rule book, Chapter 2 Clause 1 Article 4B:
“A member of the party who joins and/ or supports a political organisation other than an official Labour group or other unit of the party,or supports any candidate who stands against an official Labour candidate, or publicly declares their intent to stand against a Labour candidate, shall automatically be ineligible to be or remain a party member, subject to the provisions of Chapter 6.I.2 below of the disciplinary rules.”
Any Labour MPs, MSPs or PPCs campaigning on that basis have no place in the Party, full stop. If Labour wants to win in Scotland, then it should be reaching out to the Scottish people, not stitching it up with other parties and any candidate fighting on that basis deserves to lose
The head bone’s connected to the sleaze bone
The sleaze bone’s connected to the heart bone
The heart bone’s connected to the wallet bone
Hear the word of the Lords.
Here we go again, all ballot boxes will need serious attention, over the whole of Scotland. We can never forget these dark forces will do ANYTHING.
Im sparticus……..
Im sparticus……..
Im Brian and so’s my wife….
What is it with these prepubescent candidates?
I read last night that the SNP candidate for the GE in my constituency (Airdrie & Shotts) is a 28 year old from Orkney whose entire career to date has been spent running Alex Neil’s office.
Bearing in mind that the incumbent MP (Pamela Nash) was in her 20’s at the last election, and was shoe-horned in by John Reid after spending her entire career up to that point as his assistant, it’s like they don’t want to win the seat!
What unionists forget in their unyielding hatred of the SNP is that a fair section of SNP voters do not support independence. So they will have voted No in September, but will in all likelihood go back to voting SNP in elections to come. Unionist parties in Scotland and the MSM abuse the SNP so much that it is bound to put off unionist supporting SNP voters from voting for UK branch office parties. They have already demonised Salmond to such an extent that it will probably start to work against them now as well.
So, from exalting the SNP to lay aside thoughts of self-determination and ‘get on with the job of governance, the pathetic opposition are now obsessed with killing off the SNP rather than ‘getting on with the job of governance.’
What a bunch of shysters.
The dastardly conspirators concocting a plan to vote tactically?
LMAO
🙂
We are now seeing the truth laid bare. There is only one British party, the Westminster Party. It has different sections, with different colours, but all have the same aim. London rule over Scotlands assets.
They have a wee error in their numbers with the new members not new voters tag. The turnout in 2011 was only about 50%. 45% of that is about a million-ish. I don’t recall the greens getting 6-700000 votes. Not to mention that probably not all snp or green voters would have voted yes (though probably 95%+ would have)
Plus the greens have about another 3-5k members as well.
And I really doubt we’ll get that high a turnout next May but it’s very possible that those extra potential 750000 will come out and vote, and not likely for the lib lab con collective.
But then numbers have never been labours strong point
Muttley – that’s not the half of it. Read some of the complete nonsense she was telling people in public meetings: link to misssymartin.blogspot.co.uk
Driving on the right, different speed limits, signs in a foreign language – you name it.
(How ironic that the Smith proposals would actually give the Scottish Government the power to change road signs to any language they wanted…)
Labour- Westmonster North, and Dud Murphy have assured us that they are now listening to the people of Scotland.
Have they heard anything about pay-back time from the electorate
for climbing into bed with the Tory party and doing their dirty work for them? Obviously not as here they go telling people to vote Tory? Their next line is “not voting Labour will put the Tory Party back into government”?
So In summary go vote Tory and you only have yourself to blame if the Tories get back in.
Scots have not voted once for a Tory Government in my 50 year life span, and yet most of my life has been lived under the heel of variou Tory governments.
This proves beyond doubt that voting Labour means getting a Blue Tory Government most of the time, and as history has proved the odd Red Tory Government the rest of the time.
Let’s break the cycle and tell the corrupt establishment to get on their bikes forever. Vote SNP, Green, or SSP,and get a life.
First past the post is an incredibly undemocratic system when there are multiple parties. At WM it means that governments get elected when they got nothing like half the votes ie Thatcher in 1979 got just 43.9% of votes cast, but won enough seats.
Needs must when the Devil drives, and FPTP might deliver good results for the SNP because it’s a multi party competition.
Tactical voting is inevitable. I’ve never needed to do it personally. I’ve always lived where it has been a simple SNP versus someone else situation. The also rans would be wasted votes, no getting away from that. What would I do if my SNP choice seemed to be lying well behind two other parties? Historically I would have tactically voted anti-Tory. Now, I believe I would vote anti-Labour.
It will effect both sides. Other Indy parties may take away votes which might otherwise have caused a Lab seat to fall to the SNP. Everyone has to wrestle with their own conscience, my conscience would tell me to vote for the Indy party most likely to win.
I can’t therefore blame any Unionist who chooses to vote for the pro Unionist party most likely to win in their constituency. That is IF the Union is their most important consideration.
So the choice is an experienced, Battle proven, if slightly unlucky at the end Politician from an organised and focused Political party or one of two stuffed shirts with no track record, beholding to their masters for their position.
Who would you vote for?
Who would represent your best interests, those of the man on the street?
Chic: Hear the word of the Lords.
Neat. 🙂
[…] The best-laid plans […]
So its Vote Tory to stop getting a Tory Government?
No wonder Labour seem so confused all the time!
Saturday 6th November 2014.
We learn that Septic Meg is to urge voters to vote for the red tories as the only way of preventing the blue tories getting power.
Sunday 7th November 2014.
We learn that the small remaining band of red tory supporters are urging voters to vote for the blue tories in order to block the SNP.
Confused?
Not half as much as the Unionists.
🙂
“… but where have they came [sic] from?”
Not too sure, but more than likely a place that taught them the proper grammatical use of the verb to come when using the present perfect tense…
Not usually a grammar pedant, but will make an exception in the case of that piece of trash.
Who are the perpetrators of that? Is it a flyer? Is it something from a Facebook page? Why does it have “BIG” in red letters under the central paragraph?
Labour )
Cons. )— I’VE GOT A BAG O SWEETIES.
LibDems. )
WOW!
These unionist parties have really grown up haven’t they?
I mean now they are now old enough to not only PLAY “Ring a Ring a Roses” but also understand what the result of playing this game means. 😛
I wonder what their next wee game will be … anyone for a game of Blind Man’s Bluff? 😉
I really hope the London parties try to polarise elections into unionist v nationalist contests.
Which Tory will you vote for? Red, Blue or Yellow.
i can imagine jardine rubbing her greedy hands in glee at the thought of an easy win and a westminster expenses account, what a joyful thought knowing how devasted she must be now, get in there mr salmond, nice 1.
To see the london labour party aka (red-tories) actually die a death in Scotland, will be one of the greatest days in our countrys history.
To advise their current labour supporters to vote rightwing tory to prevent another leftwing social democratic party in Scotland from gaining another seat in Westminster, must be the ultimate betrayal to labour supporters in Scotland.
If you are a labour supporter or former supporter, you need to join the SNP, they have old labour values where people come first. If you stay with the current labour/red-tories your values are the values of David Cameron and George Osbourne, where the rich come first and foremost, “always”.
You chose !!!
Well you can’t have a better opportunity to tactically vote than in local elections with the single transferable vote system. Setting aside the Orkney by-election where independents stood, the four by-elections since the referendum have seen three comfortable SNP victories and a narrow Labour hold in a Mid-Lothian heartland seat by 79 votes. Not much evidence of a unified front there.
The notion of Labour asking Labour voters to vote Tory in seats where a Tory might beat the SNP is frankly horrifying. Also what would Labour say to its supporters if the Tories get in with a small majority and it was the half dozen seats they put a Tory into in Scotland that tipped the balance? I can’t imagine Tory voters are excited by the idea of putting Miliband into No 10 either come to think of it. Are they all going to vote for the principle free zone that is Lib Dem?
The Labour Party has lost its soul.
Terrible grammar in the Labour leaflet.
Labour says “Vote Lib Dem to keep the S.N.P. out of Westminster!”
Lib Dems say “Vote Tory to keep the S.N.P. out of Westminster!”
Tories say “Vote Conservative to keep David Cameron in Number 10!”
Oh you tease, Stu.
Come on, tell us, what is the tactical vote in East Renfrewshire?
@Doug Daniel
Yes, that sounds very much like Jardine.
Oh dear Lord, We are in for a helluva few months. I fail to understand such hatred/envy, I don’t want my country to be run by people filled with such hatred. It is unhealthy.
Anyone else thinking Westminster Labour/Tory coalition in 2015?
[…] The best-laid plans […]
Oh dear, I see that Gerry Hassan is being complimented by loads of prominent Nos on Twitter for his article in the Scotland on Sunday (among them Douglas Alexander, Effie Deans and Claire Lally).
I’m sure everyone has heard of the old game called “Russian Roulette.” Well I think we have just witnessed the 21st centuries version of it. The only difference is that in the original version a real gun and one bullet was used. In this version an imaginary gun, the May elections in 2015, is used.
I can just see wee RED Ed sitting in his palacious home thinking THIS idea through. 😉 I wonder how wee Murph the Smurph is taking the news that London HEAD office is, apparently, suggesting that Labour voters should vote Tory to keep the S.N.P. out. Ach what am I thinking THIS is probably one of Murph the Smurph’s great wheezes! 😀
The final nail in Labours coffin, I would think.
The final nail in Labour’s coffin? With the amount of final nails they’ve been using that lid is going to be really really well secured.
Great, so come the election campaign we will be able to go out and say that Labour want the people of Scotland to increase the number of Tory MPs that it has.
Can’t wait!
Haha
Could anyone know this would happen after we lost the vote ?
Labour voting for tory. They have lost the plot. Thatcher was right, her greatest achievement was New labour.
Dead as dodo’s
This week has been pure comedy gold from the labour party. It’s gonna be a shame when they die as we will NEVER have so many laughs again 🙂
The second one has to be about turnout? Only 600,000 extra voted Yes over and above what the SNP got whereas the Nos got an extra million. So the Unionist Party will find it easier to get their votes as it is a 50% increase whereas the SNP has to create a 60% increase. That’s the new voters sorted.
But they are a bit adrift on the members. 25,000 to 90,000 seems to be a 360% increase for the SNP alone and yet we are still in the position that the SNP’s original 25,000 is larger than the present or previous membership of all three Unionist Parties combined.
They wouldn’t be lying to us, would they?
Aaaand the idiocy continues.
‘Remove the SNP’.
Why?
Miliband can’t win a majority so scots can either let UKIP and the yellow tories have the influence or vote for a party that puts scotland’s needs first in the SNP, which is what the polls are all showing. 🙂
Sunday Politics Scotland (07.12.14)
link to bbc.co.uk
@ 47min 30sec Alex Salmond interview.
Macart says:
Aaaand the idiocy continues.
‘Remove the SNP’.
Why?
Well that is an easy question to answer Macart.
Vote out theSNP cause they are fighting for THE PEOPLE of Scotland. Everybody knows damned fine that it is the right of every Westminster politician to fight for the right of EVERY POLITICIAN and to HELL with the electorate! SIMPLES! 😛
@Grousebeater
😈
Dem LibDem bones
Dem Bye bones
etc.
That post of mine, up there @ 5.07pm, should read 6th and 7th of December – not 6th and 7th November.
See what happens when you try and keep up with all those master tacticians.
🙂
Stoker
Thanks for posting the interview with Alex Salmond.
@Lesley-Anne
Yeah, but besides that… 😀
Seriously though, its a question they simply can’t answer. By any reasonable measure they have proven a competent government, so why?
The only logical answer anyone can take from Tory, Labour or Libdem strategy/narrative therefore is ‘just because’.
Just because its oor turn.
Just because wur no happy.
Just because they’re daein’ stuff we should have thought of.
Just because they’ve made a better job of budgeting the chump change than we did.
Just because they’re makin’ us look bad (and daein’ it deliberately)
Just because we say so.
Just because.
Nice boost vote LibDem or else from BBC R4 news just there. That strange little man Cooke in Pacific Quay says Jardine is a former journalist which isn’t quite true as he left out Jardine is in fact BBC journalist and not former as she’s rehired when ever she wants. Another little wee BBC fraud farted out.
Not Jardine, she’s not a fart. She sounds very strong though, on a BBC tape with no stuff like real world balance, decent non BBC sneaky creepy grovelling, inquiries etc. So was the last LibDem. Bruce has no qualms going round blaming AlicSamin for the NON by-pass around Aberdeen, despite UKOK liggers like him holding it all up for at least 40 years, or since Aberdeen became the OIL CAPITAL OF EUROPE, with a victorian road network, while everywhere in England got dualed and motorways coming out of every city and town.
Such is teamGB.
Gerry Hassan has always annoyed me.
I used to read his blogs but after 1000s of words, he never reached any conclusions.
He was always – maybe, this, that, the other- ad infinitum.
I never got the point of his articles.
He always came across as a reluctant Yes
@ Chic Mc Gregor 4.41 Ah big Tammy doff to you.
@Chic Mc Gregor, Chic get all the lyrics of the song & Email then to Jock Scot at Yew Choob.
@ Marcia.
You’re welcome.
Heedtracker
Two words on Better Together’s transport priorities EDINBURGH TRAMS.
A bit of a joke about Unionists voting to stop SNP . Have they not studied the second preferences in the Aberdeenshire Troup By-Election (Ward 2) by election on 27 November
We need to make sure no “yes voters” vote Labour to try to keep the torys out, rather than worrying about Unionist tactical voting.
Whole thing smells of Braveheart when Longshanks lieutenant turns to the despot and saya.” But we will be killing our own men” to which Longshanks replies “yes but We will be killing theirs too” That is exactly how ruthless these bas—ds are.
A lot of No voters will tactically vote whether asked to or not. Like us, the referendum is still fresh and the BBC et al are once again whipping up anti SNP sentiment. A depressing number of people have either short memories or not much interest in politics and are easily influenced by MSM. I do worry about Alex Salmond’s chances because of this. Short term we will take hits, I am sure of it.
However, once Labour voters get used to voting Tory and vice versa, SLAB is as dead as a dead Lib Dem in a dead coalition. Any success in May will be heavily paid for in the future.
“My name is Braden Davy…vote for me and I’ll let yous pway wiff my crayons”
“My name is Christine Jardine…please please vote for me, you don’t know what it’s like being double whammied as a BBC journalist and a Lib-Dem candidate. I hate this sanctimonious, insincere life and desperately need friends”.
“My name is Alex Salmond…I’m real”
The question is: will the 600,000 plus tories in Scotland vote tactically against the SNP (other than Dumfriesshire) and how many true Brits and fearties who have voted SNP for free prescriptions etc. in the past will be scared to vote SNP again because of fear of another near miss outcome as per the REF?
Remember all the traditional SNP areas that voted NO? Is a GE going to wash away the identity aspect?, bearing in mind the 250,000 Orange and 400,000 resident English votes cast on that basis alone. In addition, there is the 60% hard core Labour vote that stuck with Labour ‘NO’ in the biggest decision of our country’s existence. Are they going to crumble/stay at home?
I am disappointed personally that there is no YES Alliance agreement for the GE. It may be only a couple of seats that were appropriate for non-SNP YES candidiates, but the fact of such an alliance would permit many hard Labour voters disallusioned Post Ref to vote SNP in the rest of the seats, who may not have felt able to vote this way otherwise.
People may mock the idea of Labour voters tactically switching to Tory, but they underestimate the tribal hatred many have towards the SNP. I certainly encountered quite a few in an area that voted majority ‘YES’.
Macart says:
@Lesley-Anne
Yeah, but besides that… 😀
Doffs hat! 😉
With regards to your other points I think the answer is simple. The Rainbow Tories want the S.N.P. out cause whatever it is the S.N.P. are doing they are doing it DELIBERATELY! ( just ask Lord George Foulkes about it he’ll be able to confirm it! 😛 )
I think Alex Salmond in his interviews today was right to emphasize the point that with every SNP MP elected it would mean more pressure on Westminster to deliver what the majority of people in Scotland want: full devolution.
Voting tactically to keep the SNP out will result in the implementation of an insultingly weak Smith report. This is not what the majority want therefore why would they vote tactically to destroy the chance of full devolution?
Gordon Libdem supporter
“Tactical Voting” Labour must vote LibDem
Reply from our fav “you’re banned”
William Young ?@youngwd1
“sorry but only labour can win Gordon”
nae chance of tic tacks.
It’s like living in the bloody Matrix, or some parallel universe where these intellectually challenged numpties subject the even greater challenged to their brain farts. That’s democracy, I suppose, but it leaves you cold, that this is the snakes belly standards, some aspire to.
Don’t think we need worry too much. We have just confirmed a cracking candidate to stand against Mr McClymont here.
@Lochside, SNP have said that non SNP persons can stand under their banner. I think SNP perhaps just want their name on as a sponsor, because as I understand, SNP would help out, e.g., the local branch canvassing.
Ian @ 4.43, Regarding the Airdrie & Shotts SNP candidate for 2015.I was at the branch meeting last week where they took nominations for the candidate, not been voted on yet!! Anyway what’s wrong with a young Orcadian, in your opinion?
For the sake of ballot box security we will need folk more vigilant than ever before.
Get out and vote. We will win if we all do that.
This is all predicated on a belief that all unionists HATE the SNP.I don’t think they do.Mays vote is an election,not a referendum on independence.There are plenty unionists who realise a big SNP contingent in Westminster is good for Scotland.
Landslide SNP victory. Especially when the AWPR starts in January. Labour never even used to put up a candidate.
The best plan for the 2015 GE would be a YES to the future alliance across the UK – SNP in Scotland, Plaid Cymru in Wales and the Green Party in England (sorry not sure what the NI option is).
Why does “The Human Centipede” spring to mind? 🙂
Chic McGregor
Lol. 🙂
Amazing the amount of media time and trougher statements that is devoted to the hatred of the SNP and Scotland in general.
A wee, stupid and poor country inhabited by kilt wearing, bagpipe playing, shortbread eating natives is causing them so much trouble that the state has to devote enormous resources through politicians, the tv, the radio and print to put Scotland down at every opportunity.
I`m thinking project fear wont carry much weight anymore, you can only cry wolf so often.
@ CameronB – that is a wee bit uncalled for darling, but funny.
Labour voters to vote Tory? Aren’t they the same thing anyway, just different colours?
600 odd comments (and counting) on the BBC website on thon Alicsammin standing as a candidate. If you can bring yourself to have a look, some of the commenters are either;
– Ill informed (“trougher” – who donates some of his salary to charity)
– anti Scottish (take your pick)
– thick (SNP MPs don’t vote on non Scottish matters)
The temerity of the man, standing as a candidate for a general election – I mean, who does he think he is?
I had a bottle of champagne on ice for 19th September.
Going to enjoy drinking it watching the GE results next year when “Labour” get their arses booted up and down the country.
Listen dears – we should really be pushing for a UK wide alliance for the 2015 GE, let’s go for it – a radical shake up of the UK. SNP, PC and Green.
Re. Gerry Hassan. I read most of what he wrote during the inyref debate. I didn’t actually agree with much that he said, and trusted is motives even less. Just my personal opinion.
So from now till the ge pro independence supporters who participate in Polls should say I’m voting Labour. ThatLl get them all excited……….. then as you push your wee snp ballot paper into the box…whisper. …only kiddin!!
Off topic, but i’m sure you and your readers will be interested
Some proof that at least one of Better Together’s staff is now working on Jim Murphy’s leadership campaign and has been for 2 months according to his profile
link to uk.linkedin.com
He was also an intern for Labour’s Jim Park MSP back in 2010.
Much activity up in Ellon today
link to news.sky.com
Brilliant wee boost to the hardworking YESNP local branch.
Paula Rose
That’s why I didn’t post a link. 🙂
This is taken from an ashcroft poll on who would voters prefer in a coalition government.
“Six in ten voters said they would be unhappy to see the Scottish National Party in a coalition government, including 77% of Tories and 53% of Labour voters. Indeed nearly one third (32%) of all voters said they would be “very unhappy” to see the SNP as part of a coalition – more than said the same of the DUP, the SDLP or Plaid Cymru. Though only 37% of voters said they would be happy to see the Welsh nationalists in government, their general inoffensiveness gave them the third highest “net happiness” score, behind the Greens and the Lib Dems.”
Down south the propaganda seems to be working.
Six in ten voters said they would be unhappy to see the Scottish National Party in a coalition government
Ha Ha it’s the price of union unionists so suck it up. I know a perfectly good solution for this 😀
@ earthshaker, aye and he was at the Fabian Society as well.
I would like to vote tactically and remove my present red tory MP, Russell ‘scare the pensioners’ Brown. At last GE, Dumfries and Galloway was red tory 1st, blue tory 2nd and SNP a distant 3rd.
Should I hold my nose and vote blue tory? I have never voted for them in my life and never thought I would consider it.
Anyone else from this area? What are your plans?
Alan Mackintosh
It isn’t possible to advance in the British Labour party, without being a Fabian.
“If you want to get along, go along”. – Sam Rayburn
I’m in the next region over DV and we actually have Scotland’s solitary pet Tory as our M.P. but that will not stop me from voting SNP in May 2015. In 2010 our very capable candidate came a distant 4th. That said, we all know we have fight and a half on our hands but nothing is going to stop us giving it our best shot to persuade the Labourites in our constituency to vote SNP.
I think I would choke on my cereal if london labour had to make a deal with the SNP for a coalition. The sweet irony.
It seems to be that the libdems think all that voted no actually voted for them.
Christine Jardine is a wannabe professional Unionist. She has spent the last few years desperately trying to get herself elected as a Lib Dem. In the meantime she has been busy networking and making connections with all the ‘right’ people. At one time she styled herself as ‘Voice of the Glens’, that was when she was trying to get elected in the Highlands. She actually moved up here for a few months (note didn’t move her family) and took a job at HIE although that didn’t last long and she didn’t hang around, then off down to London to be a special advisor in David Cameron’s office if I am correct. I always laugh as she must have thought she was a shoe as a Lib-Dum but it looks like the tide is against her. How unfortunate…..
Look here chums – if we are one nation let’s make sure that the values of the SNP are applicable across the UK.
@ Ian 4.43pm
I know your prospective SNP candidate well, as it happens. I don’t think you will have reason to be disappointed.
@ Lesley – Anne
Thanks for the reply. The SNP did win the old Galloway and Upper Nithsdale seat in 1997 and I believe the old Galloway seat in 1974, there are just so many no voters here that it is very easy to be pessimistic !
All the best for giving Mundell his jotters!
msean says:
It seems to be that the libdems think all that voted no actually voted for them.
Boy are THEY in for a REAL shock in May 2015 msean. 😛
When you contemplate the alliance between Labour and Tories you must just have a passing image of writhing snakes in a barrel filled with slurrey.
Somehow at some point you may consider that the Tories are on top again with Labour having it’s head under the surface. Such is the relationship between Tory and Labour today.
Looking on this scene revulsion may not be the first reaction that you experience. Given the manner in which Labour has succumbed to the Tory whip during the referendum campaign, and since.
Your first reaction might be sympathy for those decent people who both parties have duped for decades with promises of one kind or another. Promises they have consistently failed to deliver. However, it’s up to them, those of the 55, to wake up and rebel through political process.
Now here, again, it would appear that a further alliance is about to prevail between these accomplices, within the slurrey barrel, to thwart the aspirations of the electorate in Scotland. No deed too dreadful in the eyes of Labour or Conservative alike, to indulge in to corrupt the political system in an effort to sway the result in their favour to the detriment of the people of Scotland.
To bring this to a halt. The people of Scotland need to realise that Albion, in all her might, will stop at nothing to prevent the true aspirations of Scottish people to realise their destiny. Only by working together, in a common cause, will we accomplish our aims. So, it must be, via the might of our vote, if we are together, we should resort, on May 2015, and send them homeward to think again. We must prevail. Independence must eventually be won.
Alex Salmond’s opponent in Gordon
Braden views on himself : I get angry when people talk at me, or when people don’t listen to what I have to say and ignore my opinions. This is particularly true when politicians don’t answer the question which was asked. I am Opinionated, logical and ambitious. Throughout the 2010 election campaign I was being told by Labour that they were going to win in Wansbeck and by the Lib Dems a vote for anyone but them would be wasted as they were the only party who could beat Labour. “I don’t want to be told why I shouldn’t vote for people.
But his facebook page belies this view. he attacks the SNP with a vengence despite having no historical connection with Scotland. It appears he is content just to be a labour Party mouthpiece which is very sad since he himself is a fervent nationalist supporting the Northumbrian movement at the time he lived in England.
link to caltonjock.com
De Valera says:
@ Lesley – Anne
Thanks for the reply. The SNP did win the old Galloway and Upper Nithsdale seat in 1997 and I believe the old Galloway seat in 1974, there are just so many no voters here that it is very easy to be pessimistic !
All the best for giving Mundell his jotters!M
I know what you mean about all those NO voters DV, ignorance seems to be their main claim to fame. They were not interested in even the slightest bit of information about how they were being lied to but hey ho they now live to reap what they have sewn.
Thanks for your best wishes and I’d like to reciprocate our wishes to you in your efforts to unseat that Russell Brown fella. 😉
On tactical voting I had a strange experience a few weeks ago when I met an old acquaintance in the pub – diehard Unionist. He was quite angry, for a winner, and kept telling me they won and they would win again come GE May15 as they would vote “tactically” to keep out the Nats.
I laughed and asked him who he was voting for then?
Tories – no major vote.
Lib Dems – vote collapsed.
Labour – vote collapsing.
His reply – no answer.
Labour are all stabbing each other in the back or resigning in droves. Let’s just throw in some Lib-Dems and Tories for good measure and let’s have a real blood bath.
Tactical voting for the Union – let’s see them organise that in the next few months – there is a laugh indeed.
However, it is telling that Labour are now telling their supporters to vote Tory to keep out the SNP – I was fully expecting it to arise before the GE.
Principles – none. Hatred of the SNP overcomes all.
The best laid plans of unionists and men gang aft agley
Malcolm Bruce get oot o ma hoose,
Christine Jardine get oot o ma garden,
Braden Davy, eh, I shat in your gravy 🙂
It seems like it so far.
Vote red/yellow/blue tory? But eh whit happens if you’re colour blind? Ach it disnae matter – they’re a’ the same.
Valerie 7 December, 2014 at 7:26 pm
@Lochside, SNP have said that non SNP persons can stand under their banner. I think SNP perhaps just want their name on as a sponsor, because as I understand, SNP would help out, e.g., the local branch canvassing.
ITS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE SNP SHOULD OFFER up to 4 NSNP/GREEN OR SNP/SOC SEATS TO MAXIMISE ACTIVISM AND VOTES ACROSS ALL CONSTITUENCIES, ESP IF THEY WANT TO TRY FOR 59 OVERALL – there will be many seats where a few 1000 votes will make the difference
@Paula Rose 7 December, 2014 at 8:28 pm
Listen dears – we should really be pushing for a UK wide alliance for the 2015 GE, let’s go for it – a radical shake up of the UK. SNP, PC and Green.
THE BENEFIT OF PAULAS IDEA IS THAT IT WILL CATCH THE IMAGINATION OF DISENFRANCHISED VOTERS SOUTH OF THE BOARDER AND PROB THE LONDON MSM TOO – create an alternative ‘wave’ and give loads of people a voice – it would finish the Lib Dems and shock the WM bubble
Of course he is, it’s mana from heaven to Unionists.
See, the problem is that a lot of the stuff he says sounds reasonable, but it requires treating the majority of Yes voters and campaigners as if they were idiots. It’s full of false equivalencies, golden means fallacies, and to top it off, parts are rather objectionable.
link to wildernessofpeace.wordpress.com
I held off on posting it, but I decided just to take the plunge. I figure if I’m wrong, someone will put me right shortly, and I’ll be happy to say so. But from what I read, it comes across as naive at best, and wetnattery at worst.
Rev Stu,
where is the rest of the Labour tactical vote list to be found?
Just for a laugh – I want to see who the selected red/yellow/blue tory is for my constituency.
@De Valera 9.43
No need to hold your nose – if Labour have gone from 45% to 25% SNP are in with a shout even in your constituency link to en.wikipedia.org
DV Russell Brown is my MP as well, and I know it can be a bit of an uphill struggle since they footered aboot with the constituency boundries a while ago. But I have never voted tory in my life and certainly won’t ever vote for them or the red tories at the GE.
Used to vote tacticly when we had the likes of Ian Lang as the MP but since we were lumped in with part of Dumfries it’s been harder to get the SNP voted in. I’ll still vote for them, you can only live in hope. Although doon here it can be a bit like banging your heid aff a brick wa’.
@De Valera – indeed your constituency is an example of one where a YES Alliance SNP candidate would benefit from Allowing an SNP/Green to run in Glasgow and a SNP/Soc to run in Glasgow
2.5% (or more) votes to be had here (if you add Green/Soc voters to this that would have been tactically voting on the FPTP system)
Scottish Green John Schofield 745 1.5 +1.5
Scottish Socialist John Dennis 497 1.0
Taranaich, the problem with Hassan is that he is long on opinion and ‘perception’ but short on facts.
@Dan Huil
“I think Alex Salmond in his interviews today was right to emphasize the point that with every SNP MP elected it would mean more pressure on Westminster to deliver what the majority of people in Scotland want: full devolution.
Voting tactically to keep the SNP out will result in the implementation of an insultingly weak Smith report. This is not what the majority want therefore why would they vote tactically to destroy the chance of full devolution?”
This is true and another reason to campaign on a Devo-MAX platform next year, to avoid tactical voting.
Do we really want the GE to be turned into an ‘all or nothing’ re-run of the independence referendum that we just lost ?
It’s too soon for that.
If the SNP campaigns on a maximum devolution platform, then most people actually can agree with that.
It doesn’t rule out independence further down the line.
The message needs to be very simple:
SNP = More powers for Scotland.
but you were defeated, democracy and truth lost, now lay back down and be ruled.
that is as plain as day what they are implying.
De Valera says:
7 December, 2014 at 9:43 pm
“I would like to vote tactically and remove my present red tory MP, Russell ‘scare the pensioners’ Brown.”
In what universe would voting in a Tory be better than Labour?
When you rid your land of the worst destructive vermin. You do not re-introduce it as a means of tackling the second worst piece of vermin.
My own view is ALWAYS vote for the party manifesto closest to your own views. If tactical voting had been used then the SNP would never have come to power and the greens and SSP never will.
Grow the vote of the party you believe in. You can “lend” your vote for an election if one of your major values has dominance in two parties e.g. Independence – as a Green Party supporter you may vote SNP next May.
What is the difference in this form of tactical voting – you are always voting FOR something with your vote and not AGAINST something in a negative manner.
Taranaich 11.13pm
Well done sir.
outstanding read. 🙂
@Onwards 11.34 – I think Alex Salmond was saying exactly what you were saying today
I’ve been thinking about Alex’s decision to stand in Gordon. It puts the Lib Dems in a really difficult situation, and that brings me endless amounts of joy.
The lib dems have a choice.
They either follow their tory masters wishes and pour every resource into fighting for Gordon as if their existence depended on it…depriving the scottish branch of the resources to fight for Carmichael and Alexanders seats.
Salmond may get in. Carmichael out. Alexander out.
Or they decide to put all their resources into fighting to hold onto Carmichaels seat as its the safest.
Salmond in. Alexander out. Lib Dems are rarer than pandas in Scotland.
Win-Win for us. Salmond either walks in without a challenge, or he indirectly takes all major Lib Dem scalps while attempting to do so.
That wee Braden Davy’s LinkedIn profile says “Education: Beijing Normal University.” Then you scroll way, way down to the bottom and it says “A 7 week study programme in China to learn about the effects of globalisation. Involved 2 weeks in Beijing Normal University,”
What a wee phony, trying to pass of a 2 week study stint at a uni as an education. That’s Labour spin for you, he’ll fit in fine.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the so-called ‘tactical voting’ being discussed by Labour activists is no more than a wish-list. People aren’t daft. Those that wanted devo-max, still want devo-max and will vote SNP to get it. As will those who wanted independence.
But this ‘wish-list’ is also their fall-back should the election get rigged. As if they would ever do that!
But just in case, we should assign someone with a car fitted with a dash cam to record everything to follow every ballot box to the count. That driver should then not take his or her eyes off the boxes until they are safely delivered to the count room.
At the referendum, ballot boxes ‘disappeared’ into ante-rooms that no-one was allowed to visit. This must not happen this time.
All we want is a fair and open democracy. If the people vote against the SNP, so be it, that is their democratic choice. But let’s make sure the election is tightly observed at every step.
The first time I posted that Labour unionists would align with the Tories to ‘save Scotland from itself’ was many years ago now, and was then ridiculed to the nth degree.
But back then the suggestion that the BBC were biased or that the NHS was being privatised was normally regarded as lunacy as well
@ Taranaich. I come to expect nothing less from You, brilliant writing.
@Taranaich, brilliant deconstruction, excellent links, respect 🙂
@Taranaich, liked this link
link to newsnetscotland.scot
The revelations that the Labour MP, when Secretary of State for Scotland, was helping organise the Tories and LibDems against a referendum, that polls indicated most Scots wanted, are sensational and are sure to cause embarrassment to Mr Murphy who only last week insisted that he will not share an anti-independence platform with Conservative PM David Cameron in the forthcoming referendum campaign.
Pressed last week in an interview whether he would join Tory PM David Cameron in campaigning against independence Mr Murphy said: ““I was on the same side as David Cameron on the AV vote. But I wouldn’t share a platform with him and I’m not going to share a platform with him on the referendum.”
Murphys a Red Tory to the bone.
Those tweets remind me of th bit in life of Brian, where the people’s Judiean front argue with the Judiean peoplesn front about how to save Brian. Those tweets are comedy gold.
OT
I hate Nicholas Witchell.
@ StevieMcB
Murphy’s name comes up in Wikileaks in secret communications written by the US Ambassador in London regarding info on that referendum.
Funny that?
@Taranaich
That’s one of the finest deconstructions I’ve read.
Kudos
Gerry always struck me as an over thinker, seeing complexity where the simplest answer was almost always the correct one. I believe him to be wrong in almost every way possible on this latest post of his.
I think we can and indeed must think in terms of what’s best for Scotland from now on. We are a country sharing an administration as part of an international agreement. Our representatives to this administration must reflect this fact and represent the interests of the Scottish electorate accordingly. This is what must be ‘normalised’ in the minds of the electorate, that we are in fact already a separate entity, (a nation), and that what we share, or have given away as part of this treaty, is sovereignty over our own administration. What must be ‘normalised’ is the fact that we can reclaim those sovereign powers as and when we feel the need to.
Just listened to that bitter and twisted so and so, Malcolm Bruce on Good Morning Jocks. Oh, there’s a bitter man. I really wish I could have seen his face when he found out AS is contesting the Gordon seat.
Guardian say vote Labour in Scotland via very hard hitting vote Labour Scotland, its evil not to and we hate SNP dont we, from rancid old Guardian, getting a bit tetchy our imperial red tory masters
“But Labour in Scotland has a storied set of past achievements, deep roots, and more good sense than it always shows – and may get its act, or part of it, together again. Mr Salmond talks a big game. The SNP has wind in its sails. But there is a long way to go until May. The deeper post-referendum argument has barely been joined. That necessary debate has the potential to start reshaping Scottish politics and to shape the result of the UK election. It suits the SNP’s interest to prejudge it. But the SNP and Scotland are not the same thing.”
I know it was an unpopular word pre-referendum but can we now start calling these people the ("Tractor" - Ed)s that they are?
ClanDonald
Probably sees Ian Duncan ‘Padua’ Smith as a role model
Heedtracker
I think the Guardian piece is disjointed and rather vague as to who it is backing. I have asked if they let Severin write it because the Guardian is supposedly Lib Dem supporting. Whoever wrote it is clearly rattled by the rise in support for the SNP and is hoping for a Labour revival or something.
BtP
I have never warmed to him either, I was mildly taken aback to find out Prince Charles isn’t a fan either.
It was said during the referendum that the result in fife would indicate the result in Scotland as fife was viewed as a scotland in miniture, and the result in fife proved the case, 45/55%
some other comparisons
speaking with yes folk at the count, the traditional labour areas in fife, dunfermline, kirkcaldy etc, the count was much closer, in many of these areas Yes was a majority, which unfortunately, probably means my own area of NEF was probably a greater no vote than the 55%.
in traditional labour areas, such as kirkcaldy, if you are a unionist and wish to vote tactically, it is a no brainer, you vote labour.
However in NEF, it is far less clear cut how a similar unionist should vote and if stu’s article is anything to go by, the cats fighting in this particular bag are unable to organise this at a local level and there is no london based move to organise this either. yet. their division is to our advantage and may well be the same in similar areas such as Mundells
just as an aside, I looked at Mundells constituency and found that it differed greatly from the holyrood constituency whereas, fife being surrounded on 3 sides by water and the western boundary of the kingdom is somewhat fixed, the westminster and holyrood constituencies are very similar and comparible. eg, kirkcaldy and cowdenbeath, the labour vote has held up at about 24,000 votes, except in 2010 when brown was the candidate and also the pm which gave the labour vote a boost.The media did such a good job of convincing everyone that brown was a shoe in, that the voters of all other parties didnt even show up. 10 months later in 2011, 24,000 labour voters turned out again, but so did 23,800 SNP voters. You win seats by convincing your support to turn out, not by changing peoples minds and not my doing the medias job for them and telling your own supporters they have no chance
As much as I hope there is a block of 40 odd SNP MP’s and they have the balance of power..
I have the dark suspicion there will be a Labour/Conservative (for the good of the country working relationship
@ HandandShrimp, it’s a good red Tory boy read though, a badly written Comical Cockers of The Telegraph style we hate seps and AlicSamin don’t we grind.
The best bit is what all teamGB rule Britannia tub thumpers like Carrell and co actually leave out as in, rancid Graun says Labour are being “trounced” in Scotland and yet not one of them can bring themselves to say why, out loud. It’s all just one of those irational silly things that pop up in their regions sometimes, annoying sure, all AlicSamin’s fault ofcourse, but we are really are Better Together and we did give the anoying uppity jocks devo max, so its up to you future Lord Jim Murphy, no pressure Jim, the power and the might of the BBC is right behind you, two in a row hello:D
Martin Wood says:
8 December, 2014 at 9:55 am
As much as I hope there is a block of 40 odd SNP MP’s and they have the balance of power..
I have the dark suspicion there will be a Labour/Conservative (for the good of the country working relationship
If the Red Tories even think about that, they will be completely and utterly finished in Scotland (they are anyway, but this would speed their demise by 1000%).
@Capn Andy:
Malcolm Bruce has always been the LDs most vitriolic anti-Nat. Their equivalent of Brian Wilson. He must be desperate for ermine.
This is politics as a tribal pursuit. This is purely ‘my enemy’s enemy is my friend’. These guys wouldn’t sell their granny. No, they’d rent her out instead…
Just for you Ronnie
Dem Lib Dem bones, dem bye bones,
Dem Lib Dem bones, dem bye bones,
Dem Lib Dem bones, dem bye bones,
Now hear the word of the Lords
The brain bone’s connected to the sleaze bone,
The sleaze bone’s connected to the heart bone.
The heart bone’s connected to the wallet bone,
Now hear the word of the Lords.
The wallet bone’s connected to the hip bone,
The hip bone’s connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone’s connected to the beg bone,
Now hear the word of the Lords.
Dem Lib Dem bones, dem bye bones,
Dem Lib Dem bones, dem bye bones,
Dem Lib Dem bones, dem bye bones,
Now hear the word of the Lords
The beg bone’s connected to the cringe bone,
The cringe bone’s connected to the jaw bone,
The jaw bone’s connected to the lie bone,
Now hear the word of the Lords
There is, of course, no back bone,
There is, of course, no back bone,
There is, of course, no back bone,
Now hear the word of the Lords
Dem Lib Dem bones, dem bye bones,
Dem Lib Dem bones, dem bye bones,
Dem Lib Dem bones, dem bye bones,
Now hear the word of the Lords
Now hear – the word – of the Lords!
Braden Davy is a serious Labour candidate.
link to bbc.co.uk
Anyone else remember Roxanne Egan?
@Taranaich
Excellent analysis of Gerry Hassan’s SoS article.
I used to regularly read his blog. Haven’t done so since the referendum. What others can say in 10 words, Gerry finds it necessary to use 100. And usually – as this latest piece again demonstrates – it comprises reams of repetitive, vacuous phrases purporting to analyse the ‘problem’, without offering any definitive conclusion or remedy. In that sense, he contravenes the most basic rules of opinion writing.
If I had to try & sum up his latest musings though, it seems to be for Yes voters to accept the result, move on, politics is the art of the possible & Gerry’s ‘radical politics’ can be realised through the existing constitutional structure. Two problems though : (1) Gerry doesn’t appear to define specifically what ‘radical’ policies he supports and (2) how they can be remotely realised through even a post-Smith powers settlement.
Re Gerry Hassan, I have long since personally categorised him as a “Rebel in search of a clause.”
Like most of them, and I include both Bell and McWhirter, Hassan flip flops all over the place and I see from Taranaich’s blog not much has changed, well at least what I have read, got to go back and finish it.
I gave up reading any of them a while ago but I see on Munguin that the two Unionist’s quoted from Hassan to justify that they voted NO.
@ Chic McGregor
“There is, of course, no back bone,
Now hear the word of the Lords”
Not that you would want to hear me but I shall be singing this all day.
You can criticise Gerry Hasson’s style but don’t lump him in with the Gardhams, Crichtons, Cochranes, Robertsons, Campbells, Frazer and Taylor, etc, brigade and that’s just those supposedly writing and broadcasting to Scots for Scots – he at least attempts balance and thinks through his line before publishing. The rest are simply torags of the first order.
@think again
Jings, hope I huvnae created an earworm . 🙂
Labour in Gordon don’t exist, they are a non-entity, whilst the lib dems got by on the fact that Malcolm Bruce actually started out quite well, only to be consumed by power, greed and money. Christine Jardine is a joke, the main opposition will come from the Tory, Colin Clark, whom no one has heard of.
Salmond should walk it, but this contest is basically why we are right not to campaign on independence, as they would all club up and pick the lib dem, Jardine, as she also used to be special adviser to David Cameron…yes, seriously.
O/T but I found it funny…
My kids may have been listening to the internal family debates.
At a kids party my 6 year old was handed a Union Jack by the magician during the show and asked who’s flag it was.
“England’s” she replied..
The guy was stumped and didn’t know what to say for a few seconds – he just looked at her.
I think there’s a possibility of an organised Unionist anti-Salmond vote in Gordon. BT Mark2. Tories and LDs are currently in coalition, even if that is winding down as both parties prepare for GE15. They’ll throw everything at it to get a very high turn out of all their voters. But they’ll have to decide which candidate to back, and it will probably be Christine, on account of her local profile, and the fact of it being a LD seat. They’ll also figure that they can afford to let the LDs have it as they (Tories) will have enough seats without Gordon. The objective of thumping Salmond will trump everything else.
Expect a fight. Expect major BBC complicity.
@Devorgilla
Bring it on.
I’m in Gordon and I am up for it.
As are the troops.
@Schrodingers Cat
The other things about NEF are that Ming Campbell is retiring so bang go his personal support. Also NEF is just across the water from the People’s Republic of Dundee and many folk cross the water in both directions for work. Dundee is bound to infect NEF. No constituency is an island, not even in Fife 😉
Be of good cheer, the general collapse of LibDem support and the above bode well in NEF. We just have to make sure Labour don’t pinch it. Push them on Leuchars, what would Labour have done differently? Will they reinstate it or guarantee it being used properly for something else? The GE is the obvious place for those questions as defence is reserved.
I wonder if Gerry Hassan will take over the Editor job at the Scottish Review now that Kenneth Roy has said he is stepping down?
New launch in the New Year, apparently.
@chalks. Good to hear it. Every vote will count.
Gary says:
This is politics as a tribal pursuit. This is purely ‘my enemy’s enemy is my friend’. These guys wouldn’t sell their granny. No, they’d rent her out instead
re jim sillars on niel kinnock
“he would bile his grunny doon fer glue to win votes” 🙂
Just noticed the Wording on a Barr’s delivery lorry,
The Bru Must Get Through.
Unlike the Murph’s message, shoulda hud wheels on they crates Jim.
martin wood
I live in Spain and the Union Jack is seen as quite cool here. Its on handbags, shoes, posters etc
During the referendum my kids have picked on my mood to all things British, although i did try to tone it down when talking to them about it. Now , when out and about, and they see a Union Jack both of them shout out BOOOOOOOOOO!!!! as loud as they can and point. My wifes not too happy but at least i know they listen to me haha.
@Chic McGregor: re Hassan:
‘Rebel in search of a lost cause’?
He still hopes for the Second Coming of Old Labour in Scotland being somehow reincarnated as the old historic Independent Labour Party.
Agree he’s not off the wall like Gardham, etc.
My main issues with him though are not his political stance but his writing style in not getting to the point and obscuring the point by a thousand digressions and for not basing any tendentious points he seems to be raising on any hard facts.
There’s a word for it: a pseud.
@ Chic McGregor thanks Chic am singing it in a up tempo beat.
Dem bones dem dry bones
Rattling wit empty words.
[…] Social media has been alive in recent days with No voters concocting a fiendish plan to vote tactically against the SNP at next year’s general election. Labour supporters are urging people to vote Conservative rather than let the SNP take any new seats which might be used to secure a better devolution settlement for Scotland. […]
@Muscleguy
lol@ the PROD
agreed, but i was pointing out that the inability of the unionists to organise is what might help us win in NEF and other such areas, as per this article by stu
but should they manage to unite, then we are toast here and elsewhere.
btw, if we do win big in may, the unionists in westminster will focus on exactly that, as Chic McGregor said above, this isnt beyond possibility now, although i dont see it happening before may.
if the libdems get wiped out and slab get creamed, the creation of a scottish unionist party would be a logical conclusion for all the london leaders, regardless of what slab or johann lamont said.
A pity Alex is not running against Curran here, he would skoosh it and shut her trap at the same time.
nice cartoon The Scotsman today
link to scotsman.com
I never got it. Foreign affairs & Defence would be reserved matters in a Independant Scotland.
In a breakdown in marrage & divorce & leaving the matrimorial home you dont leave your best suit in the wardrobe in the off chance you return.You dont dance to the enemys tune, the savings in the long run on defence in Scotland would be justifyable, no more white elephants (aircraft carriers minus the planes ).
Scotland doesent need to follow the UK embassy model, there sole purpose is to promote British propaganda.
Fred says:
8 December, 2014 at 11:40 am
A pity Alex is not running against Curran here, he would skoosh it and shut her trap at the same time.
I would rather see Curran v Mason round 3.
I wonder if JM (currently a local MSP, well respected) would be up for it?
ronnie anderson says:
The Bru Must Get Through.
Unlike the future Unionist plans which will be:
The Buroo Must Get Privatised
A CONTROVERSIAL former adviser to Tony Blair is being tipped as the latest would-be MP to join the race to succeed Alistair Darling in Edinburgh South West.
link to archive.today
ClanDonald I noted Braden Davy’s bogus claim to a degree from a Chinese University. He is indeed a “Walter Mitty” character. His career path, such as it is minds me of another failed university student who abandoned studies for a degree in favour of a career in politics. Jim Murphy. A concern to voters in Gordon must be the parachuting into their constituency of a young nationalist wanabee politician from Northumbria with little knowledge of Scotland.
Reading through his employment record reveals his attendance at Durham University, a period interrupted by a number of drop out phases leading to his abandonment of degree studies. Indicative of that time was his flirting with local politics as a young pretend “leader”.
Quite why he left his beloved Northumbria and seemingly assured future as a local Councillor is unclear but I expect questions will be asked of him in respect of his baffling move to the McDonalds franchise in Aberdeen
Desimond
‘The Buroo Must Get Privatised’
benefits will be devolved down to local councils for sure.
Rumoured at the Yes Clacks Ceilidh on Saturday that Gordon Banks may be moving one of the Dunfermline Seats any one else heard this. Maybe Docherty is moving into Browns old seat.
Desimond ps
unless of course we vote snp scotgreens ssp to stop localism in it’s tracks.
If the unionists tactical voting ploy is being conducted by social media there is not a lot to stop us providing a variety of ‘assistance’.
In this instance, two wrongs may indeed make a right.
Devorgilla says:
“Kenneth Roy has said he is stepping down?”
I cannot say how much that cheers me up!
Have given up on Gerry. Life’s too short
@Nana – OMG not #McTernanPredicts 🙁
@Croompenstein
I almost choked on my tea when I saw that headline.
Labour out of touch and out of time!
A CONTROVERSIAL former adviser to Tony Blair is being tipped as the latest would-be MP to join the race to succeed Alistair Darling in Edinburgh South West.
John McTernan, who was a special adviser and then director of political operations in Downing Street, is said to be interested in standing as Labour’s candidate in the seat at next year’s general election.
bfh—pretty hard to tactical vote–tories are 2nd
Ah wunner if oor FM Nicola will take a selfie wie her Madj,ah mean its no every day one’s invited tae share a Chanty Poo wie Queenie.
Someone said to me that the other day that a friend had been at university with Murphy…they then paused and said not that that’s all that unusual. He was there so long half the country has been at university with him
I smiled wryly.
Brandon sounds like a similar kettle of aardvarks.
That Braden gadgie has got far too much to say for himself..
link to bradendavy.blogspot.co.uk
Luigi, we need somebody new here, a dragon-slayer, somebody wi harrrrumffff.
Thanks so much for the kind comments, folks! It seems from Twitter that Mr Hassan has read my piece, but again, either he didn’t seem to get my argument, or I haven’t got his. Such, I fear, is life.