Tomorrow’s man today
Michael Gove has been saying some words today, to the general astonishment of all.
Which seems like a good time to bring up some more data from our latest poll.
Because with rumours flying that Theresa May has absolutely spewed her marbles and plans another general election in the autumn, we had Panelbase ask the people of England – and England only – who they’d like as the next Prime Minister. Mr Gove was one of the eight options we offered them, so let’s see how he did.
Ouch. The clear winner of our poll was “None of the above”, with fully 29% of the vote, edging out Jeremy Corbyn by six points and Mrs May by 10. But while everyone else trailed in well behind those three, Michael Gove was at the very bottom of the pile.
Gove was preferred by fewer English voters – and we’ll emphasise again that this was a poll of exclusively English voters – than Vince Cable, Nicola Sturgeon or Donald Trump. The SNP leader, who doesn’t run for the UK parliament, secured three times as many votes as Gove despite the fact that he’s actually the 5/1 joint second-favourite with Ladbrokes as we write this.
(We genuinely almost put “a badger” in as a choice before deciding that Trump was enough comedy options, and we suspect it would have beaten Gove handsomely too.)
But naturally it’s the winner who’s the story here. Theresa May’s astonishing, brainless arrogance in even contemplating putting the British people through an unprecedented third general election in three years – after being utterly humiliated in one less than a year ago that she began with a 20-point lead and ended up by losing her majority after the worst campaign in human history – illustrates the level of sheer contempt the government holds the electorate in, and it looks a lot like the feeling is mutual.
Electoral law in the UK actually forbids a candidate from standing under the name “None of the above” or anything similar, which is a shame, because at this point we suspect anyone who ran on a manifesto that they’d immediately stand down and just leave the position vacant would triumph in a landslide.
After all, not so very long ago Belgium survived for over a year and a half without an entire government, never mind a Prime Minister. Politicians don’t actually appear to be necessary at all. And if Michael Gove is one of the best that the UK’s political parties can offer their people, maybe it’s time to give the badgers, or just an empty chair, a go.
Perhaps TM has decided the only way to solve the Irish border problem is to ditch the DUP and dump NI.
If she doesn’t win it will be Corbyn’s problem.
I can’t imagine why she would even consider an Autumn election for any other reason.
“Brexit has Made UK more welcoming”?????????
It’s like I’m living a parallel universe. WHO TF actually believes this shit??
The badger would be much prettier looking too.
14 people? Michael Gove must have a big family.
This guy is so so creepy he makes my skin crawl , as for the maybot and corby the saying two cheeks of the same skelpit erse springs to mind . Nicola get us out of here
Another hung parliament would seem a likely outcome and who knows what the permutations would be in relation to a PM.
If May is genuinely contemplating this then she is taking UK politics into Italian territory which then begs the question why bother leaving the EU? It just gets weirder and weirder.
Gove, Boris or the Moog as PM is frankly terrifying.
Mmmm… “identity politics”….
Does that mean identifying with a party/govt which delivers pretty much what it said it would?
Or does that mean identifying with the usual red/blue/orange neocons who take turns to run England (read UK for England) with precisely zero concern for anyone outside the SE/SW of England?
Brexit is (in some ways*) going to be so sweet as the SE ports in England die just like Liverpool did when we joined the EEC (as was).
*this rather depends how far away you car run from it…
Seems unlikely that TM would deliberately call an election.
But what if she keeps losing Brexit votes at Westminster, and declares the next one a vote of confidence in her leadership… and loses? She’d resign, they’d be a bitter leadership contest, and the winner would probably come under enormous pressure to call an election.
It’s interesting that only 23% want Corbyn to be the next PM, while 37% want one of Conservatives. Further evidence that Corbyn has shot his bolt – he really has been a dreadful disappointment, even for those of us with low expectations.
Asakof Lard would beat the lot of them!
I think Frankie Boyle or Freddie Flintlock would beat the lot of them!
Wow! THAT’S strange! In the ‘Panelbase’ poll it shows Corbyn ahead of May. This is EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of the latest poll being touted by Guido! Mr Staines managed to get a poll showing HER as most popular choice for leader, albeit among only younger voters, which seems even less believable tbh!
Was only going to comment on Gove but say the poll info – but back to Gove – he is using that we trick I see all the time (now it’s been pointed out to me) of accusing the other lot of doing that thing that YOU YOURSELF are doing and then saying something that is the OPPOSITE OF THE TRUTH (NB a simple lie doesn’t NEED to be a direct opposite, this is EVEN WORSE than lying)
If only people would actually research, read manifestos, ignore TV news and MAYBE EVEN get involved (slightly) in politics etc. We’d never have a Tory government again!
Too many know what they think, but not why they think it…
Gary
Was Guido’s poll amongst young Conservatives? She just might have a lead in the youth vote there.
Yesindyref2
I think you meant Freddie Flintoff but hey you were close
10% of the English electorate would want Boris Jonson as PM??
What are they thinking? Are they thinking?
I have a pretty simplistic, but workable way of deciding which politicians I would trust.
I ask myself….would they have survived a week in the secondary school I went to?
Michael, you just lost.
@Lollysmum
Yes, him too!
Seriously England! GET A GRIP! Boris in the top three???
Identity politics? Surely not for you Mr Gove….
The Anglosphere idea in the EU Referendum
In February 2016, David Davis delivered the most explicit invocation of the Anglosphere idea of the Referendum campaign:
We must see Brexit as a great opportunity to…renew our strong relationships with Commonwealth and Anglosphere countries. These parts of the world are growing faster than Europe. We share history, culture and language. We have family ties. We even share similar legal systems. The usual barriers to trade are largely absent…it is time we unshackled ourselves, and began to focus policy on trading with the wider world, rather than just within Europe.
In addition to liberal trade arrangements, fellow Brexiteer, Michael Gove, extolled the openness, innovation, and democratic traditions of other Anglophone nations. All of these attributes, he argued, would become more pronounced in Britain following a ‘declaration of independence’ from what he portrayed as the stifling, sclerotic EU. Gove’s intervention illustrated the way that for Brexiteers Anglosphere countries operated as models carrying a legitimacy that didn’t need explanation or elaboration in the way that aligning England and the United Kingdom with European countries did.
So the four tory candidates get 37% to the Labour’s 23% for JC. Says more than anything. Tories of some kind are with us for the foreseeable.
Muckle chuckle:
link to thenational.scot
I don’t think Gove really knows what he is saying, he relies upon a helpful press to pick a headline and cobble some cobblers round his rants!
Davidson is a natural partner for Gove
OT
Does Scotland deserve another refererendum?
LBC phone in with Nigel Garage 7pm
Here’s Arlene Foster in a 30sec BBC video from the same Unionism conference in London expressing exactly the same views as Gove.
How inclusive and multiculturalist they are hahahaha.
link to bbc.co.uk
We’re “narrow and exclusive” they are inclusive. Beyond belief.
Maybe if May does hold another election, she’ll lose entirely. Would be hilarious if Corbyn was voted in because she called another snap election.
The only advantage I can see from another snap election is a chance to boot out all those Tory serpents that slithered into the Scottish garden last time. Would certainly stick in their craw and kill the myth that the Tories are back in Scotland.
No doubt the media would still spin it. “One Tory MP left in Scotland. This clearly shows people are sick of the SNP.”
FUD or FUCKWITUS BAWBAGERY.
The next referendum is a straightforward choice:
Scotland’s priorities/requirements
or
England’s priorities/requirements
They are currently and as far as I can remember always mutually exclusive.
@Scottish Steve
They are always on the spin, does anybody believe the MSM would have highlighted the next referendum if they didn’t know what the Davidson speech was to be about today, along with her friends Foster and Gove. It was ran purely to justify focusing on Davidson.
On how many previous occasions have they ignored anything Nicola Sturgeon says or not even reported her statements, there is always a motive when they highlight her.
My summation of gove
link to youtube.com
Latterday Scotland does produce some oddities. The misty-eyed, romantic unionist nationalism of Gove and Fox has resonances in the patriotic utterances of Gordon Brown.
Beware England, such men with ‘ideas’ from the ‘Celtic fringe’ are potentially rather dangerous.
And then we have Ruth Davidson….
How does the old saw go, ‘there’s no finer sight in England than a Scotchman/woman on the make’.
Way back at the beginning of the Brexit talks that wee shite and boris were talking to Trump and I distinctly remember Trump saying that they were doing the right thing but what was the right thing, maybe they were going to take an early flight home or was it the usual tv manipulation.
link to heavy.com
“Gove was born in 967 in Edinburgh, Scotland named ‘Graham,’ but his young single birth mother gvae him up at a very early age (although it is unclear exactly when). He was adopted at four months old and grew up in the Scottish northeastern port city of Aberdeen.”
O/T It turns out that Sergei Skripal, the Russian victim of an alleged nerve agent assassination attempt, was quietly released from hospital, just before the royal wedding. Perfect cover. The incident that almost started WW3 and now the MSM will not touch it. What kind of media do we have in this country?
Anyone surprised?
It looks like we may have out better together team
Darling (will cast off the ermine, temporarily, for the occasion)
Davidson (reputed indy slayer)
Murphy (better known as Spud)
Special Guests
Brown (for the tub-thumpers)
Gove (for the deranged)
Foster (to appeal to a select group)
Tompkins (for those who like to be patronised)
Carlaw (for those who believe they have not just bought an old banger)
Leonard (for those confused about what is devolved)
Finlay (for those that enjoy mince)
@auld highlander
Come on…he is not that old! 967a.d.
Another proud Scot!
Random factoid.
For a population of 342 million, the Eurozone has foreign reserves or just £48 billion. That’s LESS than even Denmark with its £55 billion for its 5.7 million, and of course the UK with its £120 billion for over 65 million people, including us Independence hungry Scots peoples.
So one might ask oneself, why on earth would Scotland need any more than around £15 billion foreign reserves for our own Central or National Bank?
Gove,Fox,Davis,Johnson,May,Javid,Gauke,Hammond,Lidington,Hancock,Lewis,McVey,Mundell,
more like the line up for a new Carry On film than the most powerful figures in the UK,
`Carry On Regardless`
the lunatics have taken over the asylum.
@yesindyref2
Indeed. Foreign reserves only realky become important when you have a fixed exchange rate.
I genuinely feel like I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole in to some sort of dystopian Alice in Wonderland misadventure where black is white and white is black.
Please somebody wake me up from this nightmare!!
(or just vote Yes next time!)
Rock (27th August 2017 – “Underneath the Goodyear blimp”):
“It is my prediction that there will be a “snap” Brexit and the SNP will be caught napping and unable to hold a second independence referendum.
Or another “snap” Westminster election with the SNP again losing support.”
See he’s back.
In my humble opinion the clueless pompous armchair pundits posting here are the most gullible plebs anywhere in the world.
If Nicola had struck while the iron was hot and not squandered a once in a 1000 years golden opportunity by wasting more than a year flogging a dead horse.
Despite the pretendy “sovereignty” Scotland is as far away from independence as ever because Nicola and the SNP made utter fools of themselves by supporting Saint Theresa in my humble opinion.
Now Scotland will be at the mercy of Westminster for another 622 years at least and it’s all the fault of the Nicola and “independence supporting” The National not printing any of the Rev’s articles.
Just made this up thought I’d save him some time.
GE the Tories lost over 80 seats. From a 100 majority to 12. They can’t get their Brexit through. They will have a GE to lose so someone else has to clear up theur mess. Par for the course. Labour are useless. SNP the only political Party ever to get 50% of the vote in the seats they contested. In Scotland 1/2million people did not come out to vote and let the Tories in. Some people never learn.
Westminster have done that since 1928 from one incompetent lot to the next ones.
Here’s another one who’s always at it.
Ruth Davidson calls for joint UK-wide World Cup bid
link to stv.tv (will not archive)
@scottieDog
Yes, but I guess the currency would be more likely to fluctuate more strongly, and the co-operative central banks whatever they’re called (ECB, BoE, Fed, Bank of Canada and Japan and the Swiss National) might be less likely to intervene to stabilise the currency.
So even if not neccessary, a reasonable level of reserves would be desirable.
Hi Scot Finlayson at 8:46 pm.
You typed,
“Gove,Fox,Davis,Johnson,May,Javid,Gauke,Hammond,Lidington,Hancock,Lewis,McVey,Mundell,
more like the line up for a new Carry On film than the most powerful figures in the UK,
`Carry On Regardless`
the lunatics have taken over the asylum.”
From “Carry On Regardless”, Michael Gove explaining the way forward.
link to youtube.com
Anybudy want tae buy that manny some Snap cairds sos he kin play wie hisel an we might git some piece
Aye, “It looks like we may have out better together team” @jfngw says at 8:25 pm
The interesting omission is there are NO FibDems in BT2 (not Vince Cable or Wee Wullie).
Red, Blue and Orange Tories only.
Says to me that this campaigns ‘split the vote’/’comfort blanket vote’ is most likely to be:
“Vote FibDem for a 2nd EU Ref, you don’t need Indy to stay in the EU”.
Either in a snap GE or Indy2.
@yesindyref2
Actually stability is in the best interest of all central banks. That’s part of their remit.
However allowing currency to float provides a shock absorber in the case of a devaluation, and takies away the need for the CB to buy/sell currency to maintain a fixed exchange rate.
The balancing effect of a devaluation for example will be the increased competitiveness of exports, import substitution and even repricing of imports by foreign producers to keep the market alive. So no real job for the CB and no use of reserves.
“So even if not neccessary, a reasonable level of reserves would be desirable.”
Agreed. (Sorry missed your ur last sentence)
@Jockanese Wind Talker
My list was just tongue in cheek stuff, never even thought of the LidDem’s. Anyway they are to busy tipping the ermine (or is it velvet, I get confused).
@ScottieDog
Absolutely, but at the same time we do need to debate, on traditional terms, as to what is a sufficent amount of foreign reserves to hold even for a floating currency for, well in a way, nothing really if the currency floats. Madness, I know. Liquidity maybe.
Be interesting to see what the Growth Commision has to say about it. I’m guessing we’ll need to punt that if it’s reasonable.
Gove was hated by the teachers when minister for Education.
link to consider-ed.org.uk
May was hated by the police when in charge of the Home Office.
link to archive.li
Jeremy Hunt is still hated by Doctors as Minister for Health.
link to archive.li
Nobody even likes Boris Johnson other than true blue Tories, most of the rest of the cabinet are arseholes, same as it’s been. So how is it that the Tories have been the government for most of my lifetime?
@jfngw
LibDems are actually in a pickle, interesting to see which way they jump about, well, everything, basically. They’ve gone quite quiet.
@yesindyref2
Bear in mind that a likely trade surplus will allow us to accrue foreign reserves
For the record, my exact words:
Rock (27th August 2017 – “Underneath the Goodyear blimp”):
“Scotland was on the verge of independence immediately after the Brexit vote.
The unionist parties were without leaders and completely lost, the SNP had 56 out of 59 MPs and 50% of the vote, the EU’s eyes were (favourably) on Scotland.
But Nicola squandered a once in a 1000 years golden opportunity by wasting more than a year flogging a dead horse – a separate deal for Scotland which was never going to happen.
The result: Nicola outsmarted by the collusion between Saints Theresa and Ruth on one hand, and Corbyn on the other, fall in SNP support from 50% to 37%.
It is my prediction that there will be a “snap” Brexit and the SNP will be caught napping and unable to hold a second independence referendum.
Or another “snap” Westminster election with the SNP again losing support.
Despite the pretendy “sovereignty” and boasting of the clueless pompous armchair pundits posting here, Scotland is again as far away from independence as ever.
If they succeed in neutralising the Rev. Stuart Campbell and WOS, independence will be “stone dead” for at least 620 years.
For the avoidance of any doubt, my mantra has long been and remains:
“Always vote, and always vote SNP only until after independence.””
Compare them with a cheap fake:
Thepnr says:
21 May, 2018 at 9:07 pm
“In my humble opinion the clueless pompous armchair pundits posting here are the most gullible plebs anywhere in the world.
If Nicola had struck while the iron was hot and not squandered a once in a 1000 years golden opportunity by wasting more than a year flogging a dead horse.
Despite the pretendy “sovereignty” Scotland is as far away from independence as ever because Nicola and the SNP made utter fools of themselves by supporting Saint Theresa in my humble opinion.
Now Scotland will be at the mercy of Westminster for another 622 years at least and it’s all the fault of the Nicola and “independence supporting” The National not printing any of the Rev’s articles.”
Robert Peffers says (to Thepnr):
27 March, 2017 at 7:40 pm (“The same old songs again”):
“Oh! For the Heaven’s sake stop being so bloody stupid. First of all you are not the person who decides what the purpose of the Rev Stu’s blog is. That’s the Rev Stu’s choice to make. Secondly you probably wouldn’t recognise a real Troll if it was chewing on your ear.”
@yesindyref2
Foreign reserves will also be built up due to our likely positive balance of trade.
@scottieDog
Yes, and if the currency goes like it did for Denmark, we’d have to sell Scots pounds and buy GBP, EUR, USD to keep it at a reasonable exchange rate. Kind of a free way of getting foreign reserves.
I guess we’d be best having some for those “M”s though.
Your list may just have been tongue in cheek stuff @jfngw says at 9:50 pm
This one isn’t (note ZERO FibDems).
link to twitter.com
It’ll be:
“Vote FibDem for a 2nd EU Ref. If we get into power at Westminster we will stop/cancel Brexit so you don’t need Indy to stay in the EU”.
As “The Vow 2, This time we really mean it”.
Also snap GE this Autumn looking even more likely following this announcement:
link to archive.is
Are the Red Tories trying to detoxify in time for the GE?
Thepnr says:
21 May, 2018 at 9:51 pm
“Nobody even likes Boris Johnson other than true blue Tories, most of the rest of the cabinet are arseholes, same as it’s been. So how is it that the Tories have been the government for most of my lifetime?”
Have you finally stopped “embracing” Scotland’s “true blue Tories”?
Thepnr (10th May 2015 – “The power of the press”):
“Embrace the NO voters, even the Tory ones if you hope to reach your ultimate goal.”
Rock (26th November 2017 – “The National FAQ”):
“How many have you converted so far since you started “embracing” them in May 2015?”
Thepnr (26th November 2017 – “The National FAQ”):
“Precisely none Rock though that won’t stop me trying.”
I am so tempted to use Dell Boy’s favourite word but am too polite to do it.
Thenpr , watch it thats something to do with a mummy cow having a calf ????
@Jockanese Wind Talker
Not sure why I would want another EU Ref, Scotland already voted remain. We would just be asking people in England to again decide our future. If it is linked in with an end the treaty choice then I may see some point to it.
Rock
Whatever your exact words and boring texts– The fact is most people just don’t believe you. You have no credibility.
This is of course your own fault.
Gove speaking tonight with Davidson, would make you boak.
‘It’s a pleasure of course to be here, particularly for me, with Ruth. And spending some time on the same platform with Ruth, I feel rather like Ike to Tina Turner – or Sonny to Cher. I know where the real talent lies.’
Get a load of that, these people are from another planet.
link to archive.li
I didn’t catch all of the STV News but they seemed to have rounded up their coverage of the new Independence campaign Nicola is contemplating by seeking the wisdom of two silly old feckers.
When about half the country and most of its younger folk want independence this is ridiculous.
And therein lies the key.
If it can be established and widely believed that most informed and clever people support independence we will win.
Such an understanding is worth a lot more than all the detailed arguments and the mind numbing diversions that our enemy will try to get us bogged down in.
The union relies on the half-wit factor and aims all its spin at those who understand very little. Clever arguments don’t register in this battlefield. But seeing significant and respected figures supporting independence does.
Thepnr, was going to thank you for the spectators link to lips Gove & tits Davidson. But after reading it and throwing up my tea, i dont know if i should be thanking or cursing you. That article is so full of shit, their fawning of two of the most repugnant politicians truly make me believe we have now entered the lowest of the low in yoon politics , if these two are held in such high esteem.
@Morgatron
Sorry about that, look on the bright side though. The relationship between Ike and Tina Turner and that of Sonny and Cher didn’t last too long.
Ike was also a coke addict, is Gove trying to tell us something?
O/T Our group can throw together an effective SNP street stall in no time, gazebo, pasting table and large official SNP banners, numerous badges and leaflets etc.
I would be so grateful if anyone could inform our group where they can obtain/pay for similar large banners and various materials for a new YES/INDYREF2 street stall?
It certainly is ‘pass the sick bucket’ time if this lot are loving it up…but how come the big pr coverage of these lying gits? Are the team reuniting for another go at us? Must be a referendum2 coming up
No one needs to criticise Ruth D. We just need to hear her.
I presumed that the Spectator sheet was satire.
Rock = boring boring boring paid to troll British Nationalist.
Get yourself a decent job. One with a degree of integrity.
Well I don’t know about anyone else but I have gained the impression that something we have not yet been informed about has quite suddenly spread fear and loathing throughout the unionist parties.
We may never be told what is going on but I get the strong impression that something or other has just spooked the Yoons. There is a definite feeling that they have suddenly gone on the defensive and I don’t think for a moment it has a lot to do with our First Minister’s loading of the starting pistol to begin a renewed campaign.
The Rev Stu on the BEEB, Ruthie calling for less London Control the STV walkout – there is something going on that is frightening the Yooniverse.
@John Young
I’d recommend you contact Ayemail, they’re the group that sort out all the Wings gifts and do special packages for Yes groups for next to nothing. You’ll get all the advise you need there and Roddy is a sound guy.
By email at orders@ayemail.scot
By telephone at 0131 618 7706
website link to ayemail.scot
Richard Walker (ex-editor of the National) giving a strong and measured rebuttal to the rep of SIU on Scotland Tonight.
These Davidson ideas are almost irresistible:
Move a small amount of government staff to Peterhead
Have a British Museum, presumably this would effectively close the Scottish National Museum
Have a UK wide World Cup bid, suspect this would require a combined UK team.
When she says more unionism, she means it. She wants Scottish institutions removed and replaced by UK ones. Surprised she didn’t add her coup de grass, a unified single UK parliament.
Agree with Dave McEwan Hill’s comments. The STV news segment was from the Forge in the East end of Glasgow. Part of the interview with Joe public was conducted at what I believe they call a Nail Bar so no doubt they were a little high on the fumes.
On another matter it does annoy me seeing Alex McLeish in that advert professing his love for the history of Scotland but just not enough to vote for Independence.
Now is always the time, if I in my anointed position say it is.
Now is not the time, if I in my anointed position say it is not.
The key phrase to note here is ‘if I in my anointed position say it is’. Getting the message yet Jock plebs?
Nicola is totally right. We have to call a 2nd indyref, which we will hopefully win. And we will get the country we hope to be.
Robert Peffers @ 11:24 pm
Robert. I fully agree. You just have to look at the organised Yoon trolling on various comments sites to see that.
Somethings going on.
Links
link to news.gov.scot
link to holyrood.com
link to theferret.scot
link to scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk
link to thoughtcontrolscotland.com
Scared of a Yes vote Ruth
link to politicshome.com
link to newsnet.scot
link to politicshome.com
link to beyondnuclearinternational.org
link to skwawkbox.org
link to politicshome.com
link to thecanary.co
Grenfell Tower insulation ‘never passed fire safety test’
link to archive.is
link to politics.co.uk
Something’s going on in each of the two main parties when it comes to Brexit.
link to archive.is
link to ukandeu.ac.uk
The long and winding road back from the Brexit brink
link to archive.is
Brexit blamed for dramatic fall in UK business registrations
link to archive.is
link to rt.com
Brexit: up the creek
link to eureferendum.com
link to tdpf.org.uk
link to vip.politicsmeanspolitics.com
Twitter Bots Helped Trump and Brexit Win, Economic Study Says
link to archive.is
link to techcrunch.com
Lies and threats, arrogance and assumed superiority would appear to be the modus operandi of choice for the Union. We need to stop talking about independence and start talking about ending the ‘ political ‘ union between Scotland and England, because that is the legal reality between the the only two signatories of 1707 Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England.
There is no argument that is not based on a lie for remaining in this union, and our focus once we bin this union will be north, not south.
This is going to be one hell of a stushie.
Poor Michael Gove. So much to prove and so little to prove it with.
link to voxpoliticalonline.com
Tracking lorries won’t solve Irish border issue, hauliers say
link to archive.is
Will not archive
link to buzzfeed.com
On BBC website Scottish editions of London newspapers all lead on anti-independence headlines. The England editions of the same newspapers don’t even mention independence or Ruth Davidson because it is not important to English readers only to the establishment trying to stop Scotland.
@RevStu.
You may have stumbled on the real reason why the tories of England wanted a mass cull of badgers.
Ginger dug on “Mikey the Fish”
link to weegingerdug.wordpress.com
Quite a selection this morning Nana.
Oh, and the answer is YES. Yes, Ruth Davidson is scared of a referendum and a YES vote. No, she can’t tell or ask anyone to prevent one. It’s not in the PMs power to prevent it. She can however (as now), delay and frustrate its enactment, but she cannot ultimately prevent it. Should she attempt to do so? I suspect she’s been made aware of the fallback position of the SNP government nationally and the fallout internationally.
She’s already going to court over the continuity bill. She’s already told Scots your vote essentially doesn’t matter on a UK level (not entirely true ssshhhhhhh!) and that your devolution is effectively worthless in terms of a guarantee of one on one partnership. She keeps waving the idea of the primacy of a UK parliament and ballot. A ballot she has already some reason to regard with caution. A legal ballot and system she may come to regret altogether.
Whoever said an indyref is the only option? It’s the preferred one (and the one I prefer personally) to be sure, but not the only one. The ongoing omnishambles of Brexit/Austerity UK can be avoided, but people have to want to avoid it.
Also personally? I hope Ms May and her cabinet truly are just that stupid. (They do have a track record in stupid)
Rock
I could also continue to focus on criticisms of the SNP (we’re spoilt for choice there). However, there’s no point in repeating those over and over again. It’s time to move forward and find common ground and look for the positives where we can find them.
If the SNP will finally get their fingers oot their airses and push for indy, I will support that. I hope you will too.
We can have our personal criticisms of the SNP but, there is a greater cause to concentrate on now: ending the undemocratic and rotten Union.
And look on the bright side: for you it’s a win / win situation: if YES wins, you will be glad I hope.
(Though I think the UK Govt will just ignore the result and we’ll only get indy by election mandate, declaration of national political sovereignty and International Court of Justice ruling).
If NO wins again, you will be able to watch Ms Sturgeon resign and be able to tell your many critics on Wings: I told you so! ( if Wings still continues).
@footsoldier 8:12
…and that sums up the media bias. The newspapers publish anti independence rhetoric in Scotland and the BBC can then pretend it is doing “..a newspaper review”. A tried and tested formula!
SiU = EiC
@Macart
I do believe they really are that stupid and Davidson will push them to act that stupidly. Has there ever been a more shallow politician as Davidson, I am struggling to think of one. She seems to have a very poor memory of what she said only days or even hours before.
They are worried, that’s for sure. If only a few of the statements I’ve seen from no voters are true then yes they have cause to worry about their oh so precious union.
@Still Positive says: 22 May, 2018 at 1:19 am:
“Nicola is totally right. We have to call a 2nd indyref, which we will hopefully win. And we will get the country we hope to be.”
Apparently Ruth Davidson agrees with Nicola as Ruth told the Tories that the United Kingdom had to change if it is to survive.
So let’s all tell Ruth not to worry as we have every intention of attending to that wee problem for her.
Ruth thinks that the Yooniverse is far too London Centric and that has to change. If we end the union then it will be up to the northern English what happens to the Kingdom of England our then former partners in the union what happens to the Kingdom of England and the European Union seems to NOT be the northerners choice so it seems they are quite comfortable with London lording it over them.
As a child I enjoyed the contortionist act which made it appear as if dancing with themselves.
Rock and Colin Alexander. DaaaaaDaaaaah
@Nana
Oh, I’m sure unionist politicians are as aware of their failures since 2014 as we are. Something else they’re also aware of. Last time out a goodly number of their voters were independence not yet. People swayed by the negativity of their campaign. A yet larger number were pro EU and resident EU nationals. They’ve pretty much been VERY publicly betrayed.
Independence would guarantee a government, at the very least, intent on remaining in the single market and CU via EFTA and at most, a full nation state member of the EU. What they offer most of all is certainty for new Scots and… choice. The UK clearly offers neither.
So, yes. You can see why unionist political elements may be getting into a bit of a froth about now.
Davidson compassion once again to the fore. She doesn’t want us to feel disheartened and the SNP once again defeated by another referendum. There surely can be no other reason.
Now about this changed union thing, presumably that is after Brexit, you know the one that Scotland has no say in, no representatives involved in any decisions and the Scottish vote completely ignored.
England in Control
It was clear from watching Scotland Tonight on Monday night that little has changed from 2014 on both sides of the argument.
Scotland in Union leader, Labour supporting Pamela Nash,came out again with Scotland’s £13 billion deficit as an aside (well done her for remaining on a somewhat hackneyed and erroneous message) and replying was Richard Walker,former editor of The National who chose to ignore the comment completely (so not well done in not having an immediate rebuttal to hand).
It would be unfair to single out Richard Walker because most of those appearing on the broadcast media for the independence side do exactly the same, ignore it or tie themselves in knots explaining it away. This also applies to “experienced media” SNP politicians too who think they know the art of presentation.
The “deficit” was probably one of the four main things that caused problems in 2014. It’s pretty simple really “deficit, I agree, terrible isn’t it? 40 years of an oil wealth bonanza and the UK leaves Scotland with a deficit!”. That takes 5 seconds to say, everyone should squeeze that in when on air, every time. If time permits, another few seconds would allow “and concealed from the Scottish people by UK governments”.
I really do despair at how poor we are at ad lib rebuttals, forget detailed explanations they do not work and become a yawn.
@Famous15 says: 22 May, 2018 at 9:29 am:
“As a child I enjoyed the contortionist act which made it appear as if dancing with themselves.
Rock and Colin Alexander. DaaaaaDaaaaah”
It is a well known fact that lonely people tend to talk to themselves.
I think Unionism is a bit like watching a drug addiction in the family.
You know things aren’t right, but you forgive the little sins of lying to you, stealing, harming themselves, and falling into bad company because whatever she does, she’s still your daughter. You just don’t want to hear the bad news, so you shut it out.
A Unionist cannot tell you why their a Unionist, just point at a flag, and they refuse to see the exploitation, the theft, and disadvantage which the Union suffers upon Scotland, because the Union is still their Union. They just don’t want to hear the bad news so they shut it out.
Thing is, if you face up to the “tough love” decision to deal with the drug problem early, get help, and professional support, yes, there might be some short term pain and anger, but sometimes too, you will save your daughter from a life destroyed by drugs, and you might just save your own soul into the bargain. You did the right thing when it mattered.
Maybe Unionists need a little more encouragement to recognise their love of the Union is clouding their objective judgement about how damaging the Union actually is for Scotland. It’s not a very comfortable idea for them to face up to.
The likes of Davidson, Darling or Murphy aren’t orchestrating Unionism. Their rhetoric isn’t putting support onto the streets, it’s just an ether, telling Unionists not to worry. “Your daughter’s not on drugs. Its all in your head! Relax. Everything is fine”. – It’s just telling Unionists what they want to hear, and suppressing their anxieties. Unionists want to believe everything is fine with the Union.
Where we need to have our faith is understanding that a growing number of Unionists are increasingly conflicted. Like the same drug analogy, they are conflicted by wanting to believe their daughter isn’t on drugs, but having to reconcile all the tell-tale signs that she is. They want to believe in the Union, but it’s falling to pieces, acting irrationally and destroying itself. They have to choose between kidding themselves and believing that which gets harder and harder to believe, or sooner or later, being honest with themselves, seeing the world as it really is, and making the hard decision of doing the right thing to save what they can of their daughter.
We need our pro-Indy message to be the positive, constructive and inclusive “Good Genie”, which nasty and negative Better Together Mk 2 must somehow put back into the bottle.
My advice to any Unionists who are troubled by the current state of the Union? You should take yourselves along to one of the AUOB marches. You don’t have to follow the March, just mingle in the crowd at the beginning. It won’t be awkward. It won’t be difficult. It might even be fun. The water’s lovely. Come along and dip your toe in.
But if you really want the full blown catharsis, I fully recommend you take along your own Saltire. You might feel a little naked without one.
Deluded, two-faced, self-serving wee gobshite.
Example of something that represents ‘fake news’ …..’Michael Gove says’…..simples.
The Front Pages today
The Daily Telegraph England:
“Wood burning stoves could be banned from sale in a new government policy to reduce air pollution”
The Daily Telegraph, for Scotland’s eyes only,SCREAMS:
“Davidson: Union is in danger”
Funny that,the England part of the Treaty of Union must have other things to think about…
Michael Gove supporting the infamous Jim Murphy, Alisdair Darling and the now pregnant FM in waiting Ruth the Mooth Davidson fight against #Indyref2.
“Things will have to change she says if the Union is to be maintained!”.
Dream on we know what you’ll get up to next time and we are awaiting.
Call it now???????????
Gove,maybot,and the corbyn?. This is what PSB’S and unionists would inflict on Scotland. Have you no sense of f****g shame?. Have you no modicum of pride? What in the name ofJC is wrong with you people??