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The same old tricks

Posted on January 16, 2025 by

Way back in the day, the Lib Dems in particular, but also other parties and the “Better Together” campaign, were infamous for the “dodgy barchart” tactic.

And so degraded is the modern SNP, it’s now scraping the same barrel.

Here’s a graphic the party’s MSPs have been tweeting this week, made up to look like it came from the polling company Survation:

And here’s the tragic reality from Survation’s website:

That’s politics, of course. So far so casually, cynically dishonest. Business as usual. But what’s (very) mildly interesting about it is the way the SNP have bigged up Anas Sarwar in it. Their graphic suggests he’s the second-least-unpopular leader, when in fact he’s even LESS popular than Russell Findlay and Alex Cole-Hamilton.

A Scottish Labour leader being less popular than even the Tories’ would be something you might expect the SNP to want to make a bit of capital out of. Unless, of course, there was some reason they wanted to go easy on Labour.

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Morag Frame

Stroking Sarwar! SNP already making plans to be in coalition with labour, after the 2026 election? Shame on them.

Muscleguy

Not to mention Lorna Slater of the Greens doing the same thing.

Nae Need!

Sneaky with the graphic, eh.
For the consummate liars that they clearly are, I’m surprised, and a tad disappointed, that Swinney is still viewed so favourably. Only minus 1.
I fully understand how Harvie/Slater get minus 18 and are viewed the LEAST favourably, but Swinney should, based on his track record, be closer to minus 18. And why is Ash Regan viewed so badly? Weird.
The NuSNP have been sooking up to SLab for ages – nauseating, obsequious-ness – ‘Choose us, choose us, we won’t steal the duvet and hog all the pillows, kiss kiss’.

Mark Beggan

The Nolan sisters. Hands up who was turned on in a very nice way by these Irish beauties. Ok hands down.

Parachute Boy is being groomed.

twathater

It would be interesting to run a survey asking voters if they would prefer having an STD instead of ANY of these fuckwits

What a collection of imbeciles and LIARS

Young Lochinvar

When the sun of politics is low even dwarves cast shadows..

Alibi

I don’t see that bar chart as showing anything of the kind. Clearly Sarwar is far more unpopular than Swinney and Findlay as the bar chart shows. That’s hardly going easy on Sarwar. Not often I disagree with WoS but in this case I do. Maybe if the chart was in black and white it would be clearer…

Owen Mullions

Look again

sarah

It’s the photo that has Sarwar second [the bar chart is correct].

duncanio

I saw this reported elsewhere in a nominally pro-Independence website by a nominally pro-Independence blogger.

I pointed out that all of the leaders/branch managers of parties in Scotland were in negative territory and as such was hardly a ringing endorsement of political discourse in Scotland.

Cue silence.

TenV

Seems as if they have fallen in step with Colonialising England now. Taking turns at being in Gov and then pointing the finger of blame (pretendy) Chuckle Brothers’ From me to you You to me’
Let Labour take stick for a wee while, hoping we forget their betrayals eh?

Vivian O’Blivion

The John Smith Centre introduced its Parliamentary Interns for 2025 this week (they weren’t the worst bunch they’ve produced). One was in her third year at the University of Glasgow doing a degree in Politics & Theatre Studies. After overcoming my initial outrage at such a preposterous course title, on reflection, it makes perfect sense. Actual performance and competency is sooo 1970’s. Perception is the only game in town.

Willie

Labour and the SNP are two cheeks from the same are.

British establishment parties supporting a neo liberal agenda. The SNP now, and indeed for some time habe been fully in the Better Together camp.

And that’s it folks. Game over. Enjoy your fuel poverty, your declining standards, and all wrapped up with the eradication of Scotland as anything more than an English region.

The SNP sold out and soon Swinney, Surgeon and the rest of the sell out brigade wi ride off into the sunset well pensioner up.

100%Yes

People are so fed up with politics and being lied to that the general public don’t know who to trust. For me it has to be said that politics in the last century was a better place to be, so what’s happened? It would have been unthinkable in the last century to be making someone acquaintance by sticking your longest finger into a fellow MP arse or to be looking at porn on a free Ipad with another 649 MP’s watching and not blinking a eyelid.

The funny thing is in the last century we used to look at Westminster as a joke and think at least in Scotland our MSP’s are a bit better you can no longer say that, if anything the SNP has brought our parliament right down to the sewer Its not that Swinney popularity is great its that who do you trust and who do you vote for. John Swinney hasn’t changed the party’s fortunes its that Labour down south is abysmal and the general public are picking up on it. The real test is when there’s a by-election and what the turn out is and here is were the SNP voting number are so low if I was John Swinney I’d be worried but I’m not John Swinney and I’m also not a moron.

I don’t pay attention to polls on any subject as its all down to the question your being asked because if you put the right phrase into the question you’ll get the answer you want every time.

For starters, I don’t under any circumstances call Labour Scottish we should get out of saying that all together there British Labour, end off.

Nae Need!

“For me it has to be said that politics in the last century was a better place to be, so what’s happened?”

I agree.
As to what’s happened, I think a veritable panoply (and this is by no means an exhaustive list) of very cynical thinking/behaviour, rampant greed & self interest, the promotion of deviancy, a gang mentality has ensured what appears to be a frantic race to the bottom.

Our elected representatives are supposed to be the BEST of us.

They now appear to be the WORST of us in increasingly greater numbers.

Last edited 1 hour ago by Nae Need!
100%Yes

They have absolutely no interest in Politics or their constituency never mind their Country its all about the free bar, food and the wage and pension and the best of all the french benefits that comes with the JOB its so overwhelming they’ll say and do anything to keep the lifestyle up. This is the reason why Scotland isn’t Independent and why Sturgeon is the Messiah. Look at the clip of Kate Forbes that was posted by Wings the other day she was Window Dressing John Swinney arese and she look as untidy in her appearance. I going to be honest If I had to pick and I only had two options of the next leader between Sturgeon and Forbes trust me it would be a hard choice, Forbes is in it for the money and I would trust her with my Country never mind a rotten party like the SNP.

Ross

Eekies for Swinney is actually a pretty good result I’d say given everything.

Definitely get the impression he’s no William Wallace but a safe pair of hands.

Anthem

He didn’t dimiss fracking in Scotland today at FM’s questions.
Safe pair of hands? Yer arse!

sarah

Safe for whom? Not for those who want good governance nor those wishing Scotland to be out of the Union.

Ross

Long way to go but SNP might actually end up winning again haha.
Labour are awful.
Just show you how things can change.
SNP actually do quite well when Labour are in govt as people can remember how terrible they were.
Polling showing pro indy majority isn’t totally off the cards according to survation

I’d rather see SNP out and rise back from opposition but if they maintain an independence majority again… that would be a turn up

twathater

Ross I see your promoting snp as usual , what I do not understand is how can you seriously believe that anyone within the snp is actually working FOR independence, how can you forgive and forget the BLATANT BETRAYAL of sturgeon,useless and now swinney towards Scotland and Scots

Are you, like them quite happy to accept devolution , how many broken promises , lies and corruption are you willing to accept b4 it registers that they are taking the piss out of you and your fellow apologists ,FFS Pete wishfart OPENLY BOASTS about being 20+ years in WM , to any SANE person a person who was elected to sever ties with WM and gain Scotland’s independence boasting about his 20+ years in the heart of WM must realise that that fuckwit is maybe not trying hard enough or he is really ripping the serious pish

Nae Need!

Every word of this. Total agreement.

Muscleguy

Well SLab was nice enough to abstain so the SNP could get their budget through. So a dry run in semi cooperation there.

100%Yes

Asar wanted to keep is JOB that’s the only reason.

Kit Bee

No such thing as SLab only BLab!!

Muscleguy

And Ash Regan is only the party leader at Holyrood by default as she is Alba’s only representative now.

Nae Need!

I was unsure what was going on there. I am clearly running off old data, but last I knew Kenny was interim Leader of Alba . . . so what’s been happening?

duncanio

Ash Regan is only the party leader at Holyrood

Kenny MacAskill is interim party leader … but not in the chamber … as he’s not elected to it.

Nae Need!

Thanks for explaining.

I’m not a party member so don’t get the full bhuna, I only get occasional emails from Alba as someone who has previously donated.

Nae Need!

And just in case Stu is wondering if we are all myopic, yes, the opening bar graph is quite something 🙂
96 season tickets of a difference, and the red bar is almost double in size to the pale blue one.

They’ve got a book out: ‘How to lie in bar graphs for dummies’.

And this would be quite funny if the NuSNP weren’t at it too.

Corrado Mella

That Ash Regan has a worse rating than the “leaders” of the BritNazi Establishment parties is the clincher I needed.
This country is populated by imbeciles and doesn’t deserve independence nor my efforts
To hell with it.
I’m upping sticks.


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    • Kit Bee on The same old tricks: “No such thing as SLab only BLab!!Jan 16, 19:12
    • sarah on The same old tricks: “Safe for whom? Not for those who want good governance nor those wishing Scotland to be out of the Union.Jan 16, 19:08
    • sarah on The same old tricks: “It’s the photo that has Sarwar second [the bar chart is correct].Jan 16, 19:02
    • Corrado Mella on The same old tricks: “That Ash Regan has a worse rating than the “leaders” of the BritNazi Establishment parties is the clincher I needed.…Jan 16, 18:58
    • Nae Need! on The same old tricks: “And just in case Stu is wondering if we are all myopic, yes, the opening bar graph is quite something…Jan 16, 18:54
    • Anthem on The same old tricks: “He didn’t dimiss fracking in Scotland today at FM’s questions. Safe pair of hands? Yer arse!Jan 16, 18:54
    • Nae Need! on The same old tricks: “Every word of this. Total agreement.Jan 16, 18:28
    • Nae Need! on The same old tricks: “Thanks for explaining. I’m not a party member so don’t get the full bhuna, I only get occasional emails from…Jan 16, 18:26
    • twathater on The same old tricks: “Ross I see your promoting snp as usual , what I do not understand is how can you seriously believe…Jan 16, 18:21
    • duncanio on The same old tricks: ““Ash Regan is only the party leader at Holyrood” Kenny MacAskill is interim party leader … but not in the…Jan 16, 18:16
    • Andy Ellis on A crisis of democracy: “I am happy to accept that Gaelic has an influence but it is hardly the dominant linguistic influence in terms…Jan 16, 18:09
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on The same old tricks: “Pay more attention.Jan 16, 17:57
    • twathater on A crisis of democracy: “Wee Johnny bastard tax Moan is upset that someone other than him is mentioning brown people , are you annoyed…Jan 16, 17:37
    • 100%Yes on The same old tricks: “Asar wanted to keep is JOB that’s the only reason.Jan 16, 17:36
    • Nae Need! on The same old tricks: “I was unsure what was going on there. I am clearly running off old data, but last I knew Kenny…Jan 16, 17:34
    • 100%Yes on The same old tricks: “They have absolutely no interest in Politics or their constituency never mind their Country its all about the free bar,…Jan 16, 17:33
    • Chas on A crisis of democracy: “Do you actually read the mince that Gregor posts? I thought you were better than that.Jan 16, 17:28
    • James on A crisis of democracy: “All you need to do is follow the worms….Jan 16, 17:28
    • Muscleguy on The same old tricks: “And Ash Regan is only the party leader at Holyrood by default as she is Alba’s only representative now.Jan 16, 17:26
    • Muscleguy on The same old tricks: “Well SLab was nice enough to abstain so the SNP could get their budget through. So a dry run in…Jan 16, 17:22
    • Muscleguy on The same old tricks: “Not to mention Lorna Slater of the Greens doing the same thing.Jan 16, 17:21
    • Nae Need! on The same old tricks: ““For me it has to be said that politics in the last century was a better place to be, so…Jan 16, 17:20
    • Billy Carlin on A crisis of democracy: “Three down votes from my comment from people clueless about what a scam system they are born into – totally…Jan 16, 17:19
    • Ross on The same old tricks: “Long way to go but SNP might actually end up winning again haha. Labour are awful. Just show you how…Jan 16, 17:16
    • Owen Mullions on The same old tricks: “Look againJan 16, 17:15
    • Ross on The same old tricks: “Eekies for Swinney is actually a pretty good result I’d say given everything. Definitely get the impression he’s no William…Jan 16, 17:13
    • twathater on A crisis of democracy: “Right efter you bastard tax MoanJan 16, 17:10
    • Young Lochinvar on The same old tricks: “When the sun of politics is low even dwarves cast shadows..Jan 16, 17:08
    • 100%Yes on The same old tricks: “People are so fed up with politics and being lied to that the general public don’t know who to trust.…Jan 16, 17:03
    • Willie on The same old tricks: “Labour and the SNP are two cheeks from the same are. British establishment parties supporting a neo liberal agenda. The…Jan 16, 16:48
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