Well that was a bit of a mixed bag, wasn’t it. The election was the proverbial curate’s egg, good in parts. On the one hand we can be relieved that the Scottish parliament still has a majority of pro-independence MSPs and we’re going to get another SNP government which this time is going to have to rely on the Greens and that should ensure that it tacks to the left and takes a firmer line on issues like land reform or opposition to fracking. This is a good thing. On the other there’s the horrible rise of the selfish Tories, the party of austerity, of privatisation, of cuts, of tax breaks for the rich. The party of cereal eating, stale cereal at that.
The SNP was bidding for a third term in office, and that’s always a big ask for any party. They didn’t only ensure that they were returned to office, they also increased the number of votes that they received. That’s pretty amazing. The SNP continues to defy political gravity and the independence movement has not been sidetracked or set back. But they were buggered by the voting system. This time the SNP didn’t break it.
The Greens have overtaken the Lib Dems as the fourth biggest party and now form a second pro-independence bloc in the Scottish parliament. It’s going to be harder now for the media to pitch the independence campaign as a fully owned subsidiary of the SNP, and that’s only going to benefit the indy movement as a whole. It’s not clear yet whether the SNP will do a formal deal with the Greens in order to govern, or they will govern as a minority administration propped up by the Greens as necessary. Either way, the Greens are going to be a much more important player in the independence movement than they have been to date. Rise, despite the hype on certain pro-independence sites, went nowhere.
Labour was all but annihilated. They’ve done far worse than predicted. Kezia Dugdale, interviewed on the telly as the counting tables were packed away behind her, said that it was always going to be a long struggle to renew the party. It seems that she’s renewing them by packing them away entirely. The truth is that you can’t renew something that’s already dead. Perhaps someone somewhere knows what the point of the Labour party in Scotland is, but it sure as hell isn’t anyone in the Labour party in Scotland.
All Labour have proven over the past few years is that they are incapable of forming a government, and they are incapable of providing an effective opposition to any party other than themselves. South of the border they continue to tear themselves apart in their internecine warfare between Corbyn supporters and the Blairites. There’s no prospect of them replacing the Tories as the government in Westminster any time soon, and that means that their remaining supporters in Scotland need to ask themselves whether there is any point in continuing to resist independence or substantial home rule that actually means home rule.
The only possible role left for Labour is as a party that supports Home Rule in the original sense of the term, a Scotland that is self-governing in all aspects with the exception of foreign affairs and defence. But Labour’s support for devolution has been grudging, half-hearted and characterised by a dedication to Labour’s self-interest and not what the voters of Scotland want. Even if Labour did announce it was going to go full out for real Home Rule, the chances are no one would believe them.
Kezia Dugdale claimed that she was trying to move the constitutional debate on, but you can only do that when people are content with the settlement you’ve achieved. The hauf-airsed Smith Commission clearly hasn’t pleased anyone. One lot of Labour voters don’t think it goes far enough and went off to the SNP or the Greens, another lot want Unionist retrenchment at any cost and have opted for the self-harming choice of the Tories.
There’s only so long that any party can waffle on about how it’s going to listen to the voters and renew itself. Eventually there comes a point when it needs to start making some gains. Labour hasn’t managed that, instead it just gets worse and worse for them. They need to start opposing the Tories instead of their constant repetition of the SNP bad mantra. The austerity that they claim to oppose doesn’t come from the SNP, it comes from the Tories. Labour needs to remember that.
But we now have the truly appalling prospect of five years of the Ruth Davidson for Leader of the Ruth Davidson Don’t Mention We’re Tories Until After the Election Ruth Davidson Party. The increase in votes and seats for the Scottish Tories is even more disappointing than the news that Boaty McBoatface isn’t going to be the name of the new Antarctic research vessel after all. And we should also be relieved that we might finally get a stop to the ongoing nonsense about Scotland being a one party state. Although I’m not going to hold my breath.
It’s a salutory lesson for the independence movement that you can have the highest of ideals, the most noble of notions, you can ask people to think of the future of their nation, and there’s always going to be some folk who will think about the price of their car insurance instead. There’s always going to be a fearful and negative vote, there’s always going to be a vote founded in selfishness and self-interest. The Unionist movement in Scotland is now coalescing around a reactionary conservatism.
It is no coincidence that the Tories made their gains in the better off parts of Scotland, the parts of the country where people do reasonably well out of the current settlement and who are more concerned abour preserving what they have got themselves than they are about addressing the inequalities and and injustices that scar our land. And without a shred of irony, these people, who seek to deepen and profit from the divisions within our country, are the very same people who decry the independence movement for dividing Scotland.
Progressive liberal forward looking independence, or backwards looking, negative regressive Unionism. That’s the choice facing Scotland now.
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What matters most is this: will the Greens support the SNP government on independence, without equivocation, without deal-making, without waffling about petitions, or advising against using Brexit as a trigger? If the answer is yes, then I’m ok with that.
I am not questioning the commitment of individual MSPs to the cause: I know John Finnie, richly deserving of a seat, will not let us down. But I pray that if the time is right for indyref2 within the next five years, then the Greens will not stand in the way.
In the meantime, I’m more concerned about conflicts between SNP and Green policy (like the OBFA): I really hope the SNP stick to their guns, and that the Greens don’t find themselves allying with the United Unionist Front on it.
Surely any discussions on Indyref if Brexit will need to factor in the students. They mainly voted No to keep free fees. If Brexit then EU students would need to pay. So the threat of fees would go away with Yes vote. Anyway, I’m glad the Greens may have a say. They are left of SNP and will hopefully keep SNP honest 🙂
[…] Wee Ginger Dug The curate’s egg […]
I cringed as Kezia’s little girl voice throughout FMQ but doubt I will endure Tory Tank Ruthie’s snarl and wagging finger act. May Nicola’s succinct retorts expose Rutthie for the harrigan she is. We live in interesting times!
How can Dugdale carry on as Branch Manager?
How humiliating must the next Labour defeat be before a Scottish Independence Labour Party breaks away from this diminishing bunch of chancers. Jackie Baillie, Iain Gray, Kezia Dugdale, Neil Findlay, Jenny Mara, and the hoary wee core survive, and can sink into the actual background for five nice little earner years.
I urge the true Labour Movement to abandon them now.
To come third to the Blue Tories takes some doing.
Reblogged this on Bampots Utd.
It’s been said before, but today sees the end of right-wing versus left-wing politics and the definite beginning of pro-indy versus anti-indy politics. A step forward in my opinion. Oh, and now, more than ever before, it is time to boycott the payment of the bbc licence tax. Let britnats pay for britnat propaganda.
What went on with Jackie Baillies count, she win by a hundred votes and the wasted vote count was 100 votes?.The smile on her face after the recount said “five more years in the gravy” to me. I also noticed that the royal residencies went tory and how could anybody in Fife vote for that wee weasel Rennie is beyond me so i have to ask myself do even poor downtrodden Scottish union lovers care what happens to them and their families and vote tactical against a party that just wants the best for Scotland and all its people. It just does not make any sense to any sane thinking person.Nicola is correct when she talks about educating our people to do right by our country.
Disappointing about Baillie. But she’d have crawled back in on the list.
Waddled back…..
If they were truly wasted votes, then those concerned should be thoroughly ashamed.
Interesting to see where the Tories won and gained, and to look at the demographic mix. A miracle that Moray voted SNP given the military presence there. Local people must almost all be voting SNP.
Thank god for Portknockie.
Totally agree. My uncle stays there.
I hope, when Kezia “leaves office”, with Mr Sarwar’s knife between her shoulder blades, Nicola gives her the gift she’s always wanted. Her auld desk.
What a suggestion! Mr Sarwar’s knife in Ms Dugdale’s back? That’s on a par with suggesting that someone like Margaret Curran would knife someone like Joanne Lamont, for example. And we all know that could never have happened in the People’s Party where careers are far less important than principles. Fnarr, fnarr, chirp.
There are still some voters in Scotland who won’t accept Slab is dead and insist on trying to keep breathing life into it.
That’s called BBC Scotland…
The British Bullshit Corporation.
I’ve spoken to many people, including customers of mine who work in shops, pubs and offices who just love to tell me that they’re Tories.
Some of them put on their poshest accents while they’re telling me this, even though they’re as Dundonian as me.
They somehow equate being a Tory with being of better class.
I tell them that they’ve mare in common we their windee cleenir than any Tory, only to be told that they’ve got a bit o money, have nice holidays, got twa cars and shop in Markies, and that I wouldnay understand as, well I’m only their windee cleenir AND an SNP member so there’s nay wiy I’d understand as I just listen to the crap that that wimmin (Nicola) put’s oot.
We’ve a lang wiy ti go.
I laugh and cringe at the same time.
That seems a pretty fair summary of the outcome to me, thanks WGD 🙂
Is it worth pointing out that the proportion of seats reflects the proportion of ¨second¨ votes cast pretty well, and indeed it´s supposed to? The system worked as intended, woe to those who thought they could ´game´ or ´break´ the system, that is achieve more than their fair share of representation.
The battle lines are now clear for all to see, although they haven´t really moved. They´re between the SNP and friends for Scotland, and the self-interested apologists for WM Tory rule for the well-past-its-sell-by-date UK. ´Scottish´ Labour has been shown up to be the irrelevance it always was, and will continue to be until its ´leaders´ make up their mind whose gang they want to play with. If the leadership remains non-committed, then the kids will decide individually and continue to drift away.
The Tories always were the real enemy, all that has happened is that the Labour smokescreen has been largely blown away. Hopefully that will focus many minds over the coming months and years.
Onward!
Think Ruthie will last that long?
Tories gotta Tory
That’s a very good question. Davidson could be Scotland’s Zac Goldsmith. She has attracted knuckledragging Unionists, people who are up to their knees in fenian blood etc & her FMQ’s will reflect this . She threw a pot plant at a wall in a drunken rage at a Tory party do in Marlin’s Wynd, Edinburgh. She tried to leave the bar but the staff dragged her back & made her clean it up.
Great that the SNP won another term but pity we didn’t quite get a majority this time.I’m stunned that so many voted for Ruthie Tank Commander and her cronies. Congratulations ex Labour voters who did that you’ve just become the Turkey’s who voted for Christmas. Thank goodness that along with the Greens we still have a majority of MSPs supporting an Independent Scotland .The BBC coverage was an embarrassment with graphics that constantly didn’t work and to listen to some of the coverage you would think the Torys won the election rather than having half the MSPs the SNP did
STV had a much better and more professional coverage led by Bernard Ponsonby. The graphics were excellent and clear throughout, presented well and well up to date. Ponsonby led discussions fairly and well. Simply – far superior to any of the British Bullshit Corporation.
Except for their constituency maps, which were a joke. Rarely did the map match the actual constituency.
STV coverage is where some of the problem lies. Look at the map and the large blue area that is the south of Scotland does not receive STV. Instead we get ITV which hardly mentions anything from this side of the border. News content is a total joke and largely reports what is happening in Carlisle. STV reports or leaders’ debates when shown are on about 11pm. Add that to the BBC nonsense and it goes a long way to explaining this embarrassing result.
The Borders isn’t inhabited by a majority of wealthy people. It’s a low wage economy and has all the problems associated with large rural areas. Low and increasingly elderly population, lack of higher wage jobs, poor roads and public transport, young people leaving the area for education then not returning and a dependence on local authority jobs. For heavens sake, the Borders railway to Tweedbank only reopened last September and prior to this we had no rail service at all. On the east coast line we have no stations in Berwickshire and a campaign to reopen Reston has been ongoing for 15 years and as yet is by no means certain in spite of all the work that’s been done. The A1 just helps traffic to get through Berwickshire as quickly as possible bypassing every town and village. East to west connectivity isn’t great either. It takes around 5 hours to drive from the east coast to the west coast. This is a large forgotten area.
Labour isn’t and for a long time now, hasn’t been the opposition in the eastern Borders. In fact they only received about 1000 votes in Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire while even the LibDems got 2000. The opposition is the Tories and we now need to address this. But for me the one glimmer of hope was the list vote,100k for the Tories while the SNP polled 150k and returned 3 list MSPs. Perhaps Borderers still don’t trust the Tories with government in Scotland.
Excellent point about ITV not reaching the Borders and not caring about Scotland either They also reverted to usual morning programme while I was away making a cup of tea. Nothing more about Scotland so had to switch to BBC for more results.
There’s no great leap going from Red Tory to Blue Tory when you think about it.
Westminster Rule at all costs for some.
We had a cotton mouth snake hiding in the basement but the snake has been flushed out into the open, it’s cornered and is in full view, with no where to hide.
Thankfully the basement owners invested in a mongoose. It’s not going to be pretty when the snake meets the mongoose, at First Minister’s Questions, not at all pretty for the fork-tongued snake.
What is it about the thrawn people of Orkney and Shetland that vote in such huge numbers for Lib Liars? Inbreeding maybe?
Yes. That is difficult to comprehend.
Because their MSPs have always served them well and deal in local issues, not constitutional. They are also a long way from Holyrood and have differing priorities. So SNP need candidates that prove they can take on the role the constituents expect
If the SNP had promised RET to Orkney and Shetland that might have worked!
I know at one time when Tavish was going on about RET it was pointed out to him that fares would actually increase if this was the reason for why it had not been, which no doubt he knew but it gave him something to whine about
I wouldn´t get too depressed by this result. There is now a majority of pro-independence MPs and the toasting of Labour and resurgence of the Tories means the debate will now be between nationalists and unionists. People will cast their vote on this basis and independence will be the outcome. As you say, it will also get rid of the “one-party state” nonsense in the unionist media.
“It’s a salutory lesson for the independence movement that you can have the highest of ideals, the most noble of notions, you can ask people to think of the future of their nation, and there’s always going to be some folk who will think about the price of their car insurance instead.”
How true. On referendum day I was told by a Britnat zoomer that she was voting No because her car insurance would rise because Scotland would be a foreign country.
Labour must surely have finally realised the price for being the Tories’ human shields for the last two years? Say what you like, the Tories have played them like a flute and they’ve danced like the wee Scotch monkey on the English organ-grinder’s barra.
Or, on reflection, maybe not. Bit slow on the uptake, BLiS______d.
Incidentally, how many of them will sniff an opporchancity and cross the floor to the Independence side? They have a limitless supply of unprincipled troughers, after all.
I am not quite sure how Willie Rennie must be feeling today having come 5th in a One Party State and losing narrowly to the bad ‘anti-democratic’ Party who could only just manage to scrape 63 seats following what is generally acknowledged to be a pretty tricky democratic process to achieve an overall majority.
So I guess by now it may even have dawned on him, there being many more than 5 choices on on the ballot paper, that maybe Scotland is not actually a one party state after all – no matter how many times the nonesense is repeated …and of course never was… as it was as previously pointed out… you can’t blame people voting for the SNP when the rest of the other options are frankly just a bit rubbish.
I am not sure if Willie considers the 56 SNP Westminster MPs elected by the same ‘anti -democratic’ process to actually count as representing the people of Scotland – but the reality is that ‘strangely’ one Conservative MP is somehow the Sectretary of State for Scotland and the Deputy … is from the Labour Party (now in 3rd place in the Scottish Parliament).. which after some little thought, might be considered just a wee bit ‘anti-democratic’ maybe the one Liberal should get a shout.
I am hoping that the Independence movement will learn from this Election that the simple way to maximise your chances of winning in every Constituency is to ensure your troops are registered to vote and all actually turn out to vote.
It came as no surprise to me that the Conservatives won in Eastwood in this election, as they mobilised all their supporters, as always – and despite the SNP vote actually rising rising over 6% and the Conservative over 2%-almost the exact combined amount apparently switched from Labour, who previously held the seat, the SNP ended up only narrowly losing… next time round, no complacency or assumptions, simply more troops (all) need to get and vote… the looming Council Elections being an excellent place to practice.
The best moment of the night, and all credit to the Labour candidate in Orkney who owned up / nudging and whispering in the Returning Officer’s ear that he only got …. ahem…~ 309 votes and not actually ~3,009 that he just read out incorrectly from his notes – the Returning officer quickly apologised to the hall and amended his mistake.
In the cold light of day, an excellent result all round, for the Greens and SNP; at least the next 5 years will not be dull ! and those rocks showing no sign of melting under the Scottish sun. It is no coincidence the Greens have done so well – Patrick Harvie is a brilliant orator – as witnessed during the Referendum and someone you want on your side for that reason alone.
The election went almost exactly as I expected – the SNP list the overall majority; the Tories beat (Not); the Greens failed to get more than half a dozen seats but still beat the LieDems.
So – the SNP can carry on largely unhindered but a bit more left leaning and prepared to deal head in with the inequality agenda.In this way they can prove that Scotland can be a fairer and more equal country that looks after its citizens and thus, in the long term, independence becomes the next logical step.
Meanwhile the horribleness of the Tories will be exposed week in, week out for all the world to see. They have reached a peak from which the only way forward is down.
(Not) Labour are finished in their current firm and only a fill out commitment to the traditional home rule you outline Paul can possibly revive their fortunes. At present if you believe in independence they have nothing to offer and if you’re a Unionist you have they Tories to fly your flag.
And the LieDems are now just irrelevant also rans supported by fewer than 1 in 8 voters and occupying less than 5% of the seats. They have settled in to the irrelevance they have become.
Nothing has changed – no 2nd indy vote till the clear majority are going to say yes and it’s up to us and Scottish Government to persuade enough to come round to that view by means of sound argument and good governance.
This is just day 1 of the next phase of the job.
Dig in, hold fast and NEVER give up or stop striving for what we all believe in.
Don’t worry folks, Ruth will bugger off to fight an English safe seat for 2020. Isn’t it telling that the nastier the Tories get, the more votes and support they get from Unionists?
My cousin, Labour Party member for decades, voted Conservative 1 and 2 in Moray. Could Con, Lab & Lib coalesce publicly? Maybe not officially, but their British nationalist members are already doing it.
Good dissection and pretty much what I read from it.
On Labour? FFA is really the only position left open to them. Their hard unionist vote has jumped ship for their natural home and any attempt to win them back would be a strategic disaster. Their main problem in trying to shift to this position is, as you say, who would believe it? I suspect the winning window of opportunity for FFA was during the referendum and the Smith Commission shortly thereafter. That they spectacularly and disingenuously failed to trap on both occasions leaves them with a huge credibility problem. They’d have a long hard slog to climb back even into a second spot on that ticket, but its the only one left open to them ‘as a unionist party’ IMO.
I think the SNP can work with the greens on most issues with one or two caveats policy wise. The most important though is on independence. If, with the increasing strain of austerity ideology and reflective polls, the people want one, or IF there is a serious constitutional trigger, then the Greens must be seen to stand with the SG.
On Ruthie? Sometimes a bod should be careful what they wish for, because they just may get it. This I believe to be the case with Ruth. Her entire campaign was a policy free zone. Her intent was to lure Labour’s hard line unionist vote around the banner of defence of the union. Well goody for her, that’s exactly what happened. Now though, Ruthie is about to run into a whole new world of politics.
Ruthie fondly believes her job is to keep independence in check and hold the Essenpee to account. I think she’ll find the reality somewhat different. She just made herself the focus for all things Westminster. If massive cuts or punitive legislation are levied against the Scottish population, the FM will be utterly ‘Ruthless’ in pushing the point home in FMQs. There is no Labour party to act as a buffer between Ruth and the SG now. There is only hard line unionism and a pro yes majority. Any time Dave or Gideon so much as breaks wind in our direction its Ruth who will be called to answer for her gaffer’s actions.
Sleep well Ruthie. 🙂
Macart, the result was a stunning victory for the SNP, and keeps independence on course during the lifetime of the Blue Tory WM Parliament. I’m still puzzled as to why the Greens put a candidate up against Ruth D.
Surely she would have suffered the same fate as KD if the SNP candidate was the sole Pro Independence candidate. Bad tactic, PH, IMHO.
Ruth Davidson is a Tory, through and through.
She passionately believes in an elite Establishment, that democracy should be curtailed by concentrating wealth and power in the Centre, their ‘capital city’, in her eyes, London, and its sub station, Edinburgh.
The Blue Tory way is to control and rule by Oligarchy , through wealth and power held in the hands of the Few at the Top, and slap down any attempt by the Hoi Polloi to exercise true democracy by ensuring that slave wages, working conditions, uncertainty, and poverty are the norm. Keep the peasants toiling in the fields and threaten them with unemployment and penury at all times.
Who can concentrate on the ‘democratic deficit’ if their bellies rumble constantly and they don’t have a coin for the electricity meter?
The Red Blue and Jaundiced Tories have systematically reduced Scotland to a social and economic backwater over the past 40 or 50 years.
Lots of supermarket and cleaning jobs…zero hours low paid nil workers’ right slavery. The skivers and the strivers. The undeserving and deserving poor.
Yet this Thursday ordinary working folk voted Tory?
Why? Oh, why?
Ruth’s Blue Tories are not the New DUP. They are determined to destroy society. If you can’t pay, you’re not getting, be it, education, Health, a ‘good job’, a roof over your head.
If that means playing the sectarian card to divide and conquer, so what?
It is the Imperialist’s way.
For the great Unwashed, whom Ruth’s Government has decided will be poor so that the rich can become even richer, by government decree, there are charities, second hand stores, and food banks. They don’t give a fuck about society, or democracy for that matter.
Yet former Labour supporters rallied to the Unionist cause? Wake up, for god’s sake. What’s left of the Labour Movement Up Here needs to regroup, consider that perhaps Self Determination is the only way forward, and join the campaign for Independence.There is still a clear mandate for Independence, as Thursday’s stunning victory clearly indicates.
The fight goes on…Saor Alba
I think it was an exceptional result given the range and scale of the mechanism set against them. This is a historic third term and overwhelming mandate in the face of incredible odds. The hate fest from the media alone has been epic in the past twenty months with the movers and shakers of yoondome desperate to prevent a pro indy parliament capable of delivering referendum legislation as and when required.
They failed.
Their plan B will be to attempt to fracture the independence movement from within and without. They’ll centre that effort on splitting any consensus reached between the Greens and the SNP. That must be monitored and expected by both parties. What they must NEVER be split upon is independence. They can fall out about how ‘radical’ they are on any damn thing on day to day policy. That’s administration and that’s democracy, but when it comes to the constitution their commitment to popular will, the interests of the entire population and who the real opposition of reform is, must be constant and firm.
If continued austerity and day to day punitive legislation drives the polls to a continued percentage in favour of self government they must act for the people. If there is a major constitutional trigger (such as a brexit) which will inflict major fundamental, practical and legal change or hardship on the population, then they must act to protect those rights and those laws.
Any pro independence party using the issue to leverage party political agendas in day to day legislation will be in for a rude shock at next time of asking if people suffer any longer than they have to under the Westminster system.
For any parliamentarians reading. The message for the day is work with who and what is actually in front of you and leave the baggage at the door. Its bad now out here, but worse is yet to come and we need the movement singing from the same hymn sheet m’kay?
Weel said, Macart.
Dugdale needs to get a serious grip, and, if she stays on, start attacking the Tories. Lay the blame where it squarely lies; with Westminster.
The Greens must now step up to the plate.
60% income tax, ban on fracking, refusing oil exploration licences, are for another day, Partick, under an Independent sky.
All four Holyrood parties should be turning their guns on Chubby Cheeks Davidson and her Tory Cuts programme over the next year.
Ruth’s crowd could perhaps be the Undemocratic Unionists.
The Green candidate was a ‘vanity’ candidate as has been pointed out on Wings over Scotland.
All of these votes were wasted votes. I agree Jack. What were they thinking?
Great comment. It will be a major tool, weapon, for the tories to attempt a divide and conquer attitude, it’s all they have and it’s in their blood. Nicola Sturgeon wil make mincemeat of ruthie though.
Ruth’s arrogance will be her downfall. Promoted far beyond her abilities.
The battle lines have now finally been drawn – pro- versus anti- independence.
I feel we are now entering the final endgame. Stay focussed everyone.
https://uk.video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=A2KLqIhhGi1XGVgAkaZ2BQx.;_ylu=X3oDMTBncGdyMzQ0BHNlYwNzZWFyY2gEdnRpZAM-;_ylc=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-?gprid=IzoTVBWuRuO8xpfMFRZJTA&pvid=r..daTk4LjF1rIJHVtc1QwwWNzcuOQAAAAD30cML&p=the+clancy+brothers+and+tommy+makem+the+patriot+game&ei=UTF-8&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Av%2Cm%3Asa&fr=crmas#id=2&vid=72584aa188fdac6e2bd5c02366744c2a&action=view
Clancy BrotherS, the PATRIOT GAME HAVE A LISTEN
Yesterday I heard people saying that they wouldn’t vote for Ms Sturgeon because they hate her, because she looks sleekit or because she looks gay.
It’s difficult to know where to start against that.
Those folk shouldn’t be allowed to vote.
…& they voted for who ??
lack of research I fear. ha ha ha
the gayest candidates..IN THE WORLD….ffs
I despair, i really do
but u have to laugh, dont ye
Interesting election result.
The SNP just short but with more Greens was always to be expected with the voting system.
For Labour it is a disaster. Their unionist voters went straight to the Tories. The only way up for them is to support Devo max – everything bar defence and foreign policy. That would maybe get some of the labour yes vote back and the labour no vote back. It was Gordon Brown who first proposed The Vow and historically Labour used to be a party that wanted Scottish Home Rule. Will Labour realise this; probably not as they have too many people clinging on to their own personal liferafts to even contemplate that the party could easily be on dry land!
The lib dems are a irrelevance only saved from oblivion by unionist votes switching to them in a couple of seats. They’re a party on life support and they’ve only secured a window before the public pulls the plug for good. Beaten by the Greens they are all over bar Willie Rennie’s shouting.
The Tories successfully hoovered up the Yoon vote. A short term gain for the Tories this is a medium to long term disaster for the No vote. Scotland still sees the Tories as toxic and a No vote will now also be toxic.
They are even more toxic now by aiming for the hard core loyalist vote. A return to their roots.
More clearly than ever before: it’s us or them. Pro-indy or anti-indy. For Scotland or against it. The constitution will be centre-stage for the next five years, unless brexit brings indy2 quicker.
“Progressive liberal forward looking independence, or backwards looking, negative
regressive Unionism. That’s the choice facing Scotland now.”
Tagadh gu dearbh a charaid! Tha mi tòr nas toilichte an-dràsta na bha mi mus do leugh mi ur pios sgrìobhaidh. Tapadh leibh.
Apologies to go OT, but signed this as i am sick and tired of BBC shit and corruption, thought some of you guys may want to add your names
Hello,
I just signed the petition, “BBC: We demand Producer of Daily politics along with Andrew Neil/Laura Kuenssberg be sacked.”
I think this is important. Will you sign it too?
Here’s the link:
https://www.change.org/p/bbc-we-demand-producer-of-daily-politics-along-with-andrew-neil-laura-kuenssberg-be-sacked
Thanks,
Thanks, Paul.
So now it’s just Scotland against the Bison-Mounter.
Happy days for the FM. End of Days for The Glorious Union approaching.
Sorry I missed your enquiry re. gravatar, Saor Alba, but Capella had it covered. Just choose a photo of your own or download an image from the Internet and follow the instructions. Even I could do it.
It’s kool being an evil cybernat, innit, btw?
Looking forward to your groovy image.
And Kezia, what’s the script?
Kezia…..?
Does this mean that I need to create a blog site with gravitar Tinto Chiel?
With WGD’s indulgence-
http://todaymade.com/blog/gravatar-in-wordpress/
Think that was how I did it, SA.
Good luck.
The elections outcome reminds me of Catalonia last september: Hung parliament with pro-indy majority.
The two pro-indy lists [The Junts pel Si coalition and CUP] sums toghether 72 seats to the Catalan parliament – a majority of 4.
Negotiations to form a government was quite a suffering for almost 4 months – the main question was Who must be the president: to confirm Artur Mas or to chose another name?
Then on January – when the ghost of new election was looming – Mas decides to make a gesture of political greatness: a step back and election of Carles Puigdemont as president of a Junts pel Si government – with external backing by CUP.
This gesture has ruined the party of the Spanish press, ready to celebrate the “faliure” of the first pro-indy parliament of catalan modern history.
I bet on Nicola staying FM with Sweenie and Harvie as Deputies FMs in a SNP-Greens government based on Progressive Politics and National Self-determination. Or on a minority SNP govenment with the Greens as external backing.
No step back, No hesitations. This is what Scotland needs – and wants.
And I’m sure it will get.
[…] as Wee Ginger Dug points out (https://weegingerdug.wordpress.com/2016/05/06/the-curates-egg/) the SNP “didn’t only ensure that they were returned to office, they also increased the […]