On thursday there are council and mayoral elections in England, the first big electoral test for Rishi Sunak since he became leader of the Tory party following Liz Truss’s disastrous short stint in Downing Street. There are elections in 230 local authorities across England as well as elections for mayors in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough. Over 8000 council seats are being contested. With the Conservatives trailing Labour by 18% in the polls, it is widely expected that the Conservatives will take a serious beating. The Lib Dems are fielding their largest number of candidates since 2007 and the party hopes that it is well placed to exploit the unpopularity of the government in the Tory heartlands in the south of England. This could result in the Tories being caught in a pincher between advances made by the Lib Dems in the south and south west of England and a resurgent Labour party in the English Midlands and the north.
Conservative expectation management is already out in force, with party managers bracing themselves for heavy losses and gearing up to spin anything short of complete annihilation as a victory for Rishi Sunak. Conservative sources have told the BBC that they expect to lose as many as a thousand seats, anything less than that will be presented as evidence that Labour can’t win the next General Election. However it’s likely that the Conservatives will see hundreds if not a thousand of their councillors losing their seats and could lose control of dozens of local authorities.
A bad showing for the Tories might reanimate Conservative back bench disquiet and reignite the Conservative rebellion which lost steam when Boris Johnson failed to motivate a significant Tory vote against Sunak’s Brexit deal in March. However back bench Conservatives, particularly those in the so-called Red Wall seats which the Conservatives took from Labour in the 2019 General Election, remain nervous and a poor showing from the Tories tomorrow will only aggravate matters within a deeply divided party which has barely papered over the cracks between its various warring factions. A serious drubbing for the Tories might well provoke more open rebellions on the Tory benches and renewed calls for a change of leadership although by this point you’d think that even the densest Tory MP, and there are plenty of those, should realise that it’s not a leadership problem that the Tories have, it’s a problem with reality.
The Conservatives have defined themselves by Brexit and must continue to defend it even though it has been a total disaster which has manifestly failed to deliver any of the many benefits that the Tories insisted it would bring. The party which has always proclaimed itself as the party in whose hands the economy is safe has presided over a year of chaos. The Tories have given us a dreadful cost of living crisis which has seen food and energy bills soar even as the energy companies report massive profits. Strikes spread across the public sector and public services are stretched beyond breaking point. The Tories remain mired in allegations of scandal and sleaze from which they attempt to distract by demonising migrants and trashing what’s left of the UK’s democratic safeguards.
There will be more pressure on Labour leader Keir Starmer as tomorrow will also be his first big electoral test since he took over from Jeremy Corbyn and started to take the Labour party to the right, aping Tory policies on Brexit and vying with them on being cruel to migrants. Within the past few days Starmer has gone even further to full throated Conservatism by signalling that he’s about to do a U turn on Labour’s previous commitment to abolish university tuition fees in England. Starmer needs to achieve a double digit lead over the Tories in the English local government vote if he is to have a convincing chance of victory at the next General Election, widely expected to be held sometime in the latter half of 2024.
However that task will be made harder because tomorrow also sees the first outing for the Conservatives’ voter suppression tactics. The Tories have been taking a leaf out of the book of the ideological allies the American Republicans, and have introduced measures aimed at suppressing voter participation amongst demographic groups which tend not to vote Conservative. As of tomorrow voters will have to produce valid photographic ID at the polling station before they will be permitted to cast a vote. Campaigners estimate that between one and two million people in the UK lack the necessary forms of ID, and they disproportionately come from groups which have a higher percentage of opposition supporters, young people, poorer people, and ethnic minorities.
The rule was introduced to combat the supposed ‘problem’ of voter impersonation, even though data from the Electoral Commission showed that there were only seven allegations of voter impersonation at polling stations the year before this new legislation was introduced, and no police action was taken. The Tory reason for bringing in this requirement was a blatant lie. The legislation introducing it also contained measures which undermine the independence of the Electoral Commission, bringing it under the ultimate control of cabinet ministers. It’s a particularly alarming development in a UK whose parliament is already unable to hold the Government to effective account.
If the Tories cannot win a vote fairly, they have no compunction about introducing undemocratic measures which will allow them to win unfairly. So much for Sunak’s promise to restore accountability and integrity to government. That was yet another of the Conservatives’ many lies, in reality the Conservatives continue to drag the UK ever closer to authoritarianism, and the Labour party eagerly tags behind in its wake.
In Scotland, elections to local authorities and the Scottish Parliament remain unaffected by this anti democratic Conservative voter suppression tactic, these elections are the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament which determines their franchise and what ID if any voters must produce at polling stations. However voters in Scotland at the next Westminster General Election and any Westminster by elections held in Scotland will have to produce photo ID at the polling station in order to cast a vote.
Labour might give the Tories a bloody nose on Thursday but it won’t do anything to change the repeated battering given to democracy and accountability in this failing British state which is currently obsessing over a parade of fancy costumes and looted jewellery as it celebrates a vain, privileged and entitled monarch who is as out of touch with the people as his parliament is.
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Wee Ginger Dug 
In England the Tories could lose up to 1000 councillors, if they lose less than that they will spin it as a victory
In Scotland if the SNP lose one councillor Tory Labour Lib Dems and the media spin it as a disaster for the SNP and definite proof tha Scots don’t desire independence and never will
BTW the British English state controlled media has gone up in the world rankings of truth and dependability, they’re now 26th instead of 28th, the world knows a fascist state when they see it, it’s just amazing there are still folk in the British isles have it right in front of their faces yet still deny it exists
You have to applaud the success of that level of propaganda
You’ll see them on Saturday waving flags for more of it
Before the next Westminster election we need a campaign and method to ensure anyone who wants to vote will have the ability to do so.
As a matter of democratic principle,this should be publicly funded.
No doubt the Better Together party at Holyrood will complain and try to stop this “waste of tax payers money”.
The problem about this tactic is that the number of ‘rejected voters’ will surely be recorded at counts? If it’s high and/or the contest is close, it will throw results into question, and so potentially end up in the courts.
The Tory tactic of voter suppression only works if the voters don’t even attempt to vote, so you never know whether they’ve have tried or not. But if they do and can’t due to small administrative matters such as ‘forgetting their id at home’, it starts to fall down, and quickly.
Then of course come the next GE, very few if any people will turn up without ID as they got turned away or heard the scandal around the local elections and so got the free ID at least.
So the Tories lose the council elections to Labour, even throwing close results where they won into question, then their scheme is thwarted when the crunch GE comes.
I suspect this could blow up in their faces. Karma does this sort of thing to those up to no good.
Not sure they are tallying rejected voters. I’m sure I read on the Guardian that some aren’t getting beyond officials checking at the door.
In some ways that could make things worse for the Tories as the number of rejected voters is unknown. All that’s known is it was a lot. I just can’t help but feel Karma will deal with this as it so very often does.
This was a stupid thing to do ahead of local elections they are odds on to get whipped in no matter what. If it’s going to work, it would only really be once. Then people will be wise to it, from experience or the news, especially as they can get a free ID I understand.
The Tories are not intelligent people, and that should be remembered. If they were, we’d not have brexit, half of Scotland wanting out, the north of Ireland eyeing reunification etc. The fact they are 15 points behind the utterly useless Starmer says it all. Only the most prize idiots ever could achieve such incredible levels of incompetence. If you want to see intelligent people, see the SNP, who only now seem to have slipped slightly out of their honeymoon period after 16 years of power. Even then the ‘Daily Record of Scottish Scottishness and Scots for Scotland’ is now telling us, well, the thing that’s been ‘the end of the SNP’ might actually, be, well, erm, just a wild goose chase [beamer emoticon if so].
Anyhoo, while Tory politicians may not be the sharpest tools in the box, it doesn’t mean they don’t have a decent following of the like minded of course. ‘Fools seldom differ’ is said in jest, but is ultimately based on reality.
A postal vote also negates being turned away at a polling station.
This, for example, would be Karma in action; the Tories getting the bulk of their votes from older voters.
https://archive.is/wip/UQBqH
Tor Udall, a writer in Oxford, said she had been left in tears after watching an older woman with mobility problems refused a vote because her document was not the correct one.
One campaigner said they knew of about a dozen people being unable to vote in a single council area, with other reports saying older voters appeared often involved.
Tories take a battering at the Local Elections , but fear not , the alt. Conservative Party led by Starmer will pick up the baton !
This is all an example of how sad pathetic and impotent we are in Scotland that once again we sit and wait to see what England decides to do about their politics that will rule all the rest of us, when we know whichever way it goes it’ll be Tories in one form or another that we don’t vote for that we end up with
During the 2014 referendum the RIC went round as many housing estates as possible to get voters registered on the voter roll. Many people had boycotted the voter roll in protest at the poll tax. Labour, democratic as ever, threatened to take people to court for poll tax arrears if they registered to vote for the referendum. So Alex Salmond had to rush through an amnesty for all. It was a successful campaign.
A similar campaign needs to get off the ground now with grass roots organisations taking the initiative.
Agreed …but in a true democracy , shouldn’t the Government of the day be urging as many as possible to take part in the Democratic Process ?
Here in this UK quasi-democracy we have the complete opposite .
It will all end in tears , I bet !
Yes, of course they should. But here we are. The UK is an oligarchy, not a democracy. Oligarchs despise democracy and do everything in their power to circumvent it. We have to do whatever we can to promote it.
Tiz the season for the dodgy Tory Labour Lib Dem coalition manufactured polls showing Labour in Scotland could defeat the SNP in upcoming elections
Now we know these are lies and damned fit ups, but the reason the unionist Bringlish do this is to give the media in Scotland the much needed ammunition to present this a their latest shock news headlines that such polls *suggest* the SNP are about to be overtaken by Labour leading to a sheeps rush to union party voting
Once analysed these polls always turn out to be as dodgy as they look, in the latest case it’s misleading questioning once again
Nevertheless the Scottish and indeed the English news media will feature this drivel as fact that cannot be ignored and a sure and certain sign of the demise of the SNP
I expect a great deal of invisible money to be spent on stuff like this in the coming weeks and months seeing as how it appears the Crown office just can’t seem to make a case for guillotining Nicola Sturgeon live on air or even invent enough around her husband and colleagues to lay any charges against them either
My snp membership renewal was up last week.
Renewed it today as the SNP are the only credible force to defeat labour/tories britnats.
That’s me done – I voted at 1pm today in an almost deserted Polling Station in a local Scout Troupe Hut. (3 ladies manning the station, and me the sole voter at that time.) A quick flash of my burgundy passport and I could put in my X.
Apparently, they’d only had about 20 other voters since 7am at that time. And this is part of large Luton-Dunstable metropolis/conurbation.
Well you’ve performed your civic duty W S even if everyone else is staying at home watching daytime TV or baking coronation quiche. 🙂
Believe in Scotland on the Tories installing an unelected “Lord” to represent Scotland abroad whose views are hostile to Scotland as an independent nation.
https://www.believeinscotland.org/westminster-believes-unelected-conservative-donors-should-represent-scotland-internationally-not-the-people-scots-vote-for/
[whistling]
https://archive.is/4UJCv
Murray Foote predicts the SNP will face ‘no charges’ from police probe
…”Peter’s loyalty to his wife is unquestionable,” he said. “First minister Sturgeon and her husband lived under crushingly intense scrutiny.
“It is inconceivable to me that Peter would so much as consider doing something dodgy lest it rebound and put his wife in jeopardy. Colin is no-one’s fool. He is a capable, cautious and diligent MSP who values his integrity.
“I’m prepared to gamble the Foote £5 on no charges at the end of all this. Should that bet be a winner, then the police and Crown Office will find themselves together in a very deep hole. Police diligently going about their business is one thing. What happened at the FM’s home is something else entirely.”
If he’s right, the amount of egg on British nationalist faces will be quite something to behold, and Yousaf will have a hell of a honeymoon after a rough start.
The most ‘Scottish of Scottish Records, printed in Scotland by Scots in a building on a Scottish Street’ headlining this says, well, they are not so confident in those ‘luxury pens’ (does anyone still buy these? I thought it was iPhones now) and ‘luxury frying pans’ now.
I am sensing news from the Polis is filtering out here, and it lacks excitement. Hence the story quietly vanishing from headiness.
If you want to get into fraudulently lining your pockets, you you join the Tories or Labour. Only an idiot fraudster would join the SNP to be scrutinised for every single purchase by the entire British media.
“The Tories are not intelligent people……”
=========
Or, Michael Foot put it:- ‘The Stupid Party’
And yet – according to The Economist – the most successful party in the world. The stupidest and also the cleverest.
Britain’s Tories are the world’s most successful party. Here’s why
How the Conservatives dominated the 19th, 20th and—so far—21st centuries
https://www.economist.com/britain/2019/12/21/britains-tories-are-the-worlds-most-successful-party-heres-why
And yet – according to The Economist – the most successful party in the world. The stupidest and also the cleverest.”
=======
TWO errors: Foot did not say stupidEST- merely stupid.
Perhaps your subconscious has been confused by the broader reference: “the cleverest man in the Stupid Party”- Foot’s description of Iain Macleod.
Second, success does not necessarily follow cleverness. Macleod was a failure in his ambition to lead the Tory Party.
Google NON SEQUITUR.
Depends what your goal is surely? If it is to gain power and retain it then they must have been clever in the usual sense of the word. Google CLEVER.
Not necessarily. The opposition was divided- like that in HR today.
“Ruthless” would be a better description. I once heard Enoch Powell (then an Ulster Unionist ) claim much the same. His words were along the lines of: ’in order to win and retain power, the Conservative Party would not only kill its own grandmother- but cook her and eat her as well.’
Actually I had in mind Private Eye’s description of Sir Clive Sinclair, inventor of the Sinclair C5, as “the world’s cleverest man”.
C5 was not his most successful product.
Did Private Eye intend that claim to be taken seriously?
Of course not! It’s Private Eye – -cynic is their middle name, Cynicus.
Lol
archive version https://archive.fo/Udavu
Despite having little to no interest in England’s local politics, it would have been rude not to raise a wry smile on reading this morning that overnight counts show the Tories losing heavily.
As the day progresses there will be plenty of excuses and reasons in circulation as England scrutinise the detail, but what I find bewildering is the notion that life is about to dramatically change for the better.
It is difficult to fathom why so many in England still view the Tories and Labour as diametric opposites when Scots were relieved of that illusion decades ago.
Amusing to see the early Tory excuses in the media over “mid term reaction not unexpected”, and one commentator opining Tory support had stayed at home hence the low turnout, nothing to do with the ID fiasco at all.
Handy too to have that Coronation nonsense to keep the MSM occupied for a bit 🤦
Radio shortbread was keen to drag out on every news hour I heard yesterday about ‘the two elderly Scottish women, one who had travelled from Scotland, the other, all the way from Australia, who are camping on the mall and have luxury portaloos at hand…’
That was in response to Capella and ‘daytime tv and coronation quiche’
What a farcical it is.
This shows how badly the Conservatives are doing. The red cluster by the river is the commuter belt, for the last 20 years ago first-time buyers or new families moved there because the house prices were affordable compared to closer to London but you were only an hour to an hour and a half from London. I had a number of friends that moved there for those reasons.
Now because of the way the economy has been trashed, their mortgages are going up and it costs over £6000 a year to travel to London for work. On top of that because of the imbalance in housing and house prices even though house prices in Medway have gone up, they have not gone up any were near as much as houses closer to London.
As an example, a two up two down terrace in Chatham which is one of the main commuter towns in Medway is £180 – £210k. 20 miles closer to London in Bexley where my mum lives the same type of property goes for £ 350-400k.
Long story short, if the Conservatives are losing places live Medway because of the economy and things like housing then they have zero chance of getting a majority in the next election, especially as they are losing support /seats in places like the red wall, Midlands, South West, and Wales to either Labour or the LD
The tories will give out sweeteners to some of the populace before the GE just enough to give them a chance.
If they don’t succeed then Tory 2 will arrive at Nos 10 bedecked in Red.
🏴
If the introduction of photographic ID is so alarming, why weren’t people alarmed when it was introduced in my part of the UK (Northern Ireland) in 2002? It certainly doesn’t seem to have deterred voters over here and early results would suggest it hasn’t deterred opposition voters in England.
I think the coverage and opposition to it is more due to the fact that there was no need for it (at least in Northern Ireland it was introduced to combat an actual spike in fraudulent voting) and the ID that can be used is so obviously skewed towards certain demographic groups. As mentioned in the thread in reality it probably won’t make that much of an issue especially as time goes on.
Also, not all photo ID is acceptable – youth passes have not been allowed although these show photos, whereas senior citizens passes have been.
The fact that younger people are less likely to vote Conservative (or have a passport) whereas older people (present company excepted) is pure coincedence, of course.
When speaking about Scotlands apathy and outright dislike of things Royal showing that more than 70% of people in Scotland don’t want it, came this……..
“Those who don’t like it will just have to put up with it, after all we do live in a democracy”
BBCs Martin Geissler this morning on radio Scotland
There are a couple of things wrong with Martin Geissler’s statement there
He is a comedian isn’t he – Monarchy is Democracy. ‘War is Peace. Freedom Is Slavery. Ignorance Is Strength. ‘
Martin and Geissler…
😂😂
Tories are having a bad time in English local elections but by all accounts Labour will still struggle to win an overall majority in next GE. This provides a big opportunity for SNP to potentially hold balance of power which in truth with way Westminster works is best opportunity to get a Section 30 for another independence referendum.
SNP need to get their finger out and get on front foot to maximise their vote and number of MP’s to be able to take advantage of a potential minority Labour government.
If only that were true, but it’s more than likely the Tories will win the next general election by using the rascist threat of Labour doing that very deal with the SNP just as they did with Miliband and Corbyn, the Tories put Labour in the position of having to deny deals with the SNP, which meant Labour had to keep answering questions and talking about the SNP as opposed to talking about themselves
The Tories are very good at giving the press the right instructions
England’s voters will not tolerate the SNP having any control in what they believe is their parliament, the Tories have done their job very well assuring England that the SNP are the foreign socialist enemy to be feared ensuring Tories and only Tories will run England’s UK because Starmer would relinquish control to the da da daah! dreaded SNP
That *threat* is embedded in the English mindset now
There is little or no choice for the English electorate – True Blue Conservatives , Red Labour Tories or decaffeinated LibDem Tories – unless the Monster Raving Loony Party can make a comeback .
… and yet an SNP MP -( currently) miscalls her so called colleagues as being dead from the neck up!
Appearing on GB TV is surely mind boggling naive or malicious?
It seems she wants to be kicked out of the party in order to play the victim.
In this respect, I am increasingly been won over to the view that this should be done. If nothing else she will be gone.
Her trans campaign will continue supported by Rowland, Alistair Jack, the tories and ALBA well into 2023 and beyond.
The Scots Parliament voted accept the decision or leave Westminster.
So the projections are:
Con 28-30%
Lab 36-38%
LDs 18-20%
Other 16-19%
Which would leave Lab about 10 seats short. So SNP would not come into play as got LD, Green, SDLP, and PC to give a majority even without SNP seats. Also, the LD are not going to get 18-20% in a GE.
Agreed
The only way Labour wins a general election in England is for their vote share to go up, at the moment they’re only winning council seats on Tory abstentions but their own vote share isn’t increasing sufficiently, and everything completely changes in General elections when the Tories actually come out in force to vote for the government they want
Scotland can never depend on what England might or might not do, because that’s once again accepting that England decides our fate instead of us designing our own
Unless Labour can produce another Tony Moses Blair to fool them all again, Tory it will be
The SNP would never come into play as they are Scottish. Scottish MPs would never be let near an English / British government. Only British MPs from Scotland are permitted that.
It’s the same for the north of Ireland – British MPs (DUP etc) can form part of governing UK coalitions, but Irish MPs would never be permitted.
Labour are serious when they say this. They are not joking. They would never allow Scots in their government, hence they keep making this clear RE the SNP.
Maybe aye, maybe no but the SNP appear to have no viable strategy for independence at moment. If they stated that they aim to hold balance of power and use this power to get a Section 30 this is not only a realistic strategy but also gives independence supporters a reason to vote SNP.
It is the best, only, feasible route to independence at present.
We get independence when Scots want it. The SNP can’t deliver indy, only the electorate can. They need to say they want it, now, and it’s not going to look good to the world if it’s not forthcoming.
Nobody turning up for coronation shite but instead plenty marching through the streets of Glasgow helps a wee bit, but it’s not enough. We need the magic 3.5% sort of thing if it comes to it.
But aye, what you say is as good a strategy as any right now, and of course it must be put forward by the SNP. However, if it came to it, Labour are English and would work with other English parties – from the Tories to Britain First if it came to it – to make sure Scots (the SNP) do not get a say in anything… if Labour think they can get away with it.
Shy of 50% of Scots ready to vote for indy and well, they can get away with it. Scots wanting indy and now? That’s no longer viable.
Whether people on here like it or not there are is a substantial number of voters who support independence but will only vote SNP if there is a realistic chance of achieving independence. If there is no viable route they will consider switching from SNP (back) to Labour and the possibility of a Labour government evicting the Tories will encourage them further. SNP’s best response to this is to point out how Labour is not interested in Scotland, is unlikely to get an overall majority at next GE and most importantly how voting a large majority of SNP seats in Scotland can lead to independence in near future. I agree that Labour will try and resist but in a hung parliament the SNP at Westminster will have real power and can use it to show it is in a Labour government’s best interest to grant a Section 30. If anyone can give me a more feasible strategy to achieving independence in near future than SNP holding balance of power at Westminster and promising to use this balance to try and gain a Section 30 I would be eager to hear it.
Real political power is the only reason that UK politicians listen too.
Voting Labour to achieve independence ? Really
Alex – please point out where I have said people should vote Labour?
Try reading what I wrote please but just to summarise – as a hung parliament seems increasingly likely this gives SNP a real relevance at next GE. The more SNP MP’s in next Westminster parliament the more real power they can weild in two areas:
1)getting government to implement policies in line with wishes of Scottish electorate.
2)demand Westminster government agrees to Section 30 request for independence referendum.
SNP support in polls currently lags behind support for independence – this strategy would help reconnect independence supporters to SNP.
Stephen Flynn has stated this. I saw it on twitter but don’t have a link.
No room for complacency – Labour seems to be gaining ground but perhaps not as much as it appears.
Experts spell out caveat after shock poll puts Labour ahead of SNP
https://archive.fo/xzc58
A deliberate pollsters con trick using an invented timescale plus a leading question
Indeed. But a wider margin would be welcome so only another 3 years to repair the damage.
Labour have made absolutely zero progress since they got a boost from the Tories in Autumn last year re the mini budget.
Have been completely static. Their average has been 26% on the regional list since the above event and it’s not moved. They’ve not gained at all from the SNP. Only the Greens have a bit. What’s happening is the certain to vote numbers have taken a tumble, with the SNP most affected. This is down to the resignation of Sturgeon and campervangate dampening hopes and dreams.
If the SNP give voters a reason to back them, such as the wild wheel barrow and ladies razor chase* coming to an end, with a renewed, vigorous push for indy, this should reverse quickly as it did after the same thing was seen immediately post brexit.
I note that R&W show a static picture too on indy over the past few months. No evidence that it’s shifted at all from the worst case 49% ready to back it tomorrow morning even if there’s no plan for anything.
—
*I kid you not. Ok, it’s the Express, but not event they could make something so comically ridiculous up surely?
SNP finance probe takes bizarre twist as cops investigate ladies’ RAZOR and wheelbarrow
https://archive.is/WFqlY
You’re right, Labour haven’t gained in R&W regional graph since September last year but the SNP has lost ground. Not so much Labour overtaking as SNP stalling.
https://tinyurl.com/588ynyde
Yup! All is not what it seems. SNP support moving back to unionism would be really worrying and disheartening, but that’s not what’s happening at all. The fact Yes support remains rock solid is so very important.
Apparent SNP VI is being affected by press stories while Yes is not. That says to me the former is unreliable in terms of what the reality would be if tested by vote, while the stable Yes support is.
Folks should always keep in mind that polling is people saying what they’d do when asked, not what they’d actually do. The two have some relation to each other, but are not the same. This is why we have ‘surprise results’ etc. 🙂
Well … here’s the result from my part of the world, a place dripping blue, I thought.
Number of Councillors
Independents: 27 (+ 13)
Tories: 20 (- 23)
Lib. Dems.: 10 (+ 7)
Labour: 5 (+ 3)
Green: 1 (+ 1)
UKIP: 0 ( – 1)
NO OVERALL COTROL gain from CONS.
Imagine that – the Parliamentary constituency next door is Mad-Nad(ine Dorries).
Keep in mind that Tories like to hide as ‘independents’. They certainly do in Scotland.
And may I ask how you say the following in Welsh:
‘FFS big man, why are you foisting this idiot on us’?
I was going to ask the English government’s translation service, but then thought the better of it.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-65480467
Welsh language oath asks people to curse at God
Tories do indeed like to masquerade as independents, a very good reason never to trust anyone who doesn’t trust the political system they claim to want to be part of by not joining a political party
Independents are typically … those who don’t support in independence in Wales (and I guess they’re the same in Scotland).
Fortunately, my vote seems to have counted and there’s the first ever Green Councillor here.
As for latest Royal news – you’ve gotta laugh (or your heart is made of best Aberdeen granite:
https://nation.cymru/news/welsh-towns-coronation-party-axed-after-organisers-fail-to-raise-any-money-whatsoever/
Welsh town’s coronation party axed after organisers fail to raise ‘any money whatsoever’
05 May 2023 2 minute read
Failed to raise any money whatsoever
Quality, total quality
Y’mean….zilch….hee-haw….. no’ a bawbee?…..lol…..perfect!
There’s a whole new (Mc)Python sketch there, Tam. Just let it out, whydontcha? 🙂
Comical spinning through the BBC headlines… Tories getting skelped in England’s local elections, and Dimbleby getting wheeled out to provide cover for the Charlie-Boy’s ‘paying homage’ having gone down like a lead balloon….
Except for Scottish viewers of course… Both of them…
Dimbleby’s interview with a Radio 4 Today presenter this morning was a ‘joy’ to behold. He seemed to want listeners to accept rather contradictory things to be true.
Firstly that this monarch is a ‘details’ person and a perfectionist, especially when it comes to the organisation of his Coronation. But we were told this ‘perfectionist’ monarch would NOT have been the one to instigate the invitation to all subjects to ‘pay homage’ to him on the day. So we learn this must have been instigated by someone else. So without the monarch’s knowledge, without any consultation with him – and without the head of state having any agency over ditching the plan? Was this an attempt at distancing from an initiative that has not gone down particularly well?
However, the monarch’s agency seems to be a partial thing. Remember the absence of agency over sanctioning an unlawful – and so plainly wrong – prorogation of Parliament?
We were also told in the Today interview a number of times about how the monarch throughout his life has (in terms) embraced/is comfortable with diversity.
However, as is the norm, the Today programme coverage made very clear that such ‘diversity’ has strict boundaries. Any acknowledgement of diversity in terms of multiple, distinctive nations co-existing within the UK is way out of bounds – everything is about ‘one/the (single) nation’. But which one?
The Today programme this morning then closed with a rendition of something called the ‘CBBC Horrible Histories Monarch Song’: it’s a ‘catchy song’ designed to teach children about the names of EVERY King and Queen, from William the Conqueror to the present. As the CBBC website acknowledges, the Today programme, as part of its pre-Coronation coverage, opted to close with a song about England’s history.
“Was this an attempt at distancing from an initiative that has not gone down particularly well?”
Yep
It’s been along time since I read Grousbeater’s blog but I came across this interesting article he published by Leah Gunn Barratt of Salvo, “England’s Last Colony” which sets out the characteristics of a colony which Scotland exhibits. She covers depopulation, economic exploitation and political deception. Is it time we discussed our colonial status?
I think we could have a lively debate as to who is England’s (First) and last colony:
https://nation.cymru/culture/adam-price-wales-the-first-and-final-colony-review/
Well you may be able to claim the “first” but why not join forces to leave together?
I think the politicians are working on it.
Definitely some of ‘us’ foot soldiers are working with ‘you’ – and have been for decades. That’s why I always try and get people to join both national parties like me.
👍
Full on sycophantasia oozing from the tv…had to have a keek to feel even more pukey 😂
Psycological barriers of gains/losses passed:
Lab + 500
Tories – 1 000
Lib Dem + 400
Green + 200
Hat to break it to Labour folk but the extrapolation there would more likely be a Tory Lib Dem coalition government in that case
Although I still think the Tories will win it outright with the “Labour will set the SNP on England” tactic, it’s worked twice before
Prof John Curtice will feel vindicated ….” tories lose 1000 cooncilors).
Greens have put in a fair showing in these elections. Much as the electorate were keen to give the Tories stick the votes have been cast fairly wide with Labour taking only half of the spoils. It will be interesting to see a percentage of vote by party.
On another matter anybody know why, in the interests of economy, they didn’t just merge the coronation and Eurovision? All the dry ice and outrageous costumes, the royal bling would have looked great.
They could have saved money by having Eurovision instead of the coronation concert. Frugal opportunity missed.
Tut… 😀
O/T The Guardian in the last couple of hours has published an article headed: ‘Revealed: royal family has power to censor BBC coronation coverage – BBC submits material to Buckingham Palace for approval before use, raising questions about editorial independence’
The article includes: ‘The BBC’s coronation coverage is being run by Claire Popplewell, who oversees royal events for the corporation. Earlier this year she was made a commander of the Royal Victorian Order by the king in recognition of her work producing the BBC’s coverage of his mother’s platinum jubilee.
‘Membership of the Royal Victorian Order is given to those who have served the monarch. Unlike most other honours, which are awarded on the recommendation of the government, recipients of this award are personally selected by the sovereign.’
And later in the same article: ‘This is not the first time the BBC has allowed the palace to have control over royal footage. The Guardian has previously revealed how the palace vetoed particular pieces of footage from Queen Elizabeth II’s memorial services, banning them from being reused in news reports and social media clips.
‘Royal staff had a WhatsApp group during the proceedings in which senior executives from the BBC, ITV and Sky News were told which footage could be used. A member of the royal household would send a message every five minutes, either approving or refusing the use of the previous block of video.
‘After the funeral had finished the broadcasters were allowed to submit an hour-long tape of highlights which they could reuse in future, with use of any other material requiring signoff from the palace.
‘The veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby, who took part in the BBC’s coverage of the queen’s funeral, later confirmed the story. In an appearance at the Henley literary festival he described being surprised by the “degree of control” exercised by Buckingham Palace over the footage of the funeral.
“There was this complete list of things that no broadcaster could show because the copyright belongs to Buckingham Palace. I think that’s wrong, just wrong. It’s just interesting how tightly controlled monarchy is.”
I watched an interview on C4 News this evening with an ardent royalist telling us in all seriousness and with gushing enthusiasm that tomorrow will (in terms) show off ‘global Britain’ at its very best to a watching and admiring world!
Boo Hoo….(I’m greetin’)…..where’s Jack Collatin.
I wonder how any percentage points YES will drop with today’s Scot National front page.
The National – the newspaper that supports a UK republic.
“how many” not “how any”. With any luck people of all ages will be too busy partying for any reason at all, including it being a bank holiday, to notice.
Why……..what did it say.Hit me with it Perry Mason.
Zero.
Well no reply from YIR2 there……I guess he’s half-way to Euston (or Kings Cross).
That’s “Duke of YIR2” to you, commoner.
But you can call me Your Haughtiness.
Oh, and I parked my F35-B on the back lawn.
S007
Danny Kaye The King is in the altogether. Thought it might be the best time ever to listen again.
Brilliant 🤣
It gets funnier
BBC radio Scotland tells us that Scotland has little interest in King crowning stuff then brings on a whole load of folk to talk about the thing they just said we’re not interested in
The National tells us that they’re not going to get involved in reporting the crowning stuff either, then fill their online pages up telling us why they’re not going to talk about it
I’m scribbling away here moaning about something I don’t want to talk about, so I’m going to stop now, yeah now, I’m stopping because I can’t stand this stuff, not a word more, Aargh!
Protestors arrested at coronation for holding up placards..
Watch video for plods reaction when challanged
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/may/06/head-of-uks-leading-anti-monarchy-group-arrested-at-coronation-protest
This no different now to putins russia or Xis china.
The lath to the dark side of uk gov is almost complete. What with voters id fiasco yesterday and this today.
Pledge allegiance to the unelected dear leader or face arrest.
Welcome to Brexit Britain.
So the English king’s coronation is costing £100 million I read. Did people agree that their ‘donations’ to the UK government be used in this manner?
That sort of money would buy you over 900 luxury, sorry, modestly sized 2 berth campervans. That or nearly 3 million wheelbarrows.
BBC Newsnight had Ayesha Hazarika on last night to review the ENGLISH council elections…..but throughout the interview she kept noting how Labour need to win back seats in Scotland in the next GE ……see even when tis an election NOWT to do with Scotland….we get dragged into the debate…..for reasons all too obvious via chancers like Ayesha the NON IMPARTIAL former ADVISER to Labour’s Ed Milliband……
And so it begins…again…
The old familiar chestnut of how , for Labour to win a GE, they need to make gains in Scotland…..I wonder then why Starmer the LABOUR leader has been promoting BREXIT when Scotland voted REMAIN…. many pundits say tis HIS way of trying to WIN BACK the so called RED WALL voters in ENGLAND…..or rather in promoting BREXIT how does he assume he will WIN BACK voters here in Scotland…..is this Labour trying to lay another guilt trip on Scottish voters….blaming us for their failure to win over English people……
I always thought that , perhaps I am being naive here, but if you, as a political party, hoped to win over/win back voters to your party you had to at LEAST have something to offer them in way of what they actually WANTED to have…..but then this is the UK…..here we have political parties TELLING Scotland what THEY think we WANT and NEED….and as well as doing THAT Labour is simultanously telling CERTAIN people in England that what THEY WANT, as in to keep the Tory Brexit as a UK policy, Labour will ensure they GET what they WANT……
Today many online have noted that the Tory losses on Thursday were not ALL Labour gains…..but other parties gained seats from the Tories and thus what was deduced was that Thursday’s results when translated to a GE result equated to NO Labour majority in the next GE…..some have ALSO noted that Labour made gains in Brexit areas but NOT in some REMAIN areas…Hmm ….how ironic would it be if Labour failed to gain either a WIN or a majority BECAUSE of their BREXT position…..that would be a BIG Ha Ha…..would it not.
From now on we will, here in Scotland, see both Labour and their media collectively once again try to pull the wool over our eyes in promoting that Scotland is essential to Labour winning the next GE…..something we KNOW is a myth…..but then it is just another way to BLAME Scots for Labour’s failure to win over the English people is it not…..but more importantly for Labour tis mostly a way to try and destroy any chance of independence for Scotland…….on that ALL Pro UK political parties are UNITED against Scotland…..reality is that it matters not a jot to them which Pro UK party wins in elections here in Scotland the only thing that matters to them is that it is NOT the SNP……
Tactical voting here in Scotland for Pro UK parties will be VERY different to the tactical voting being discussed and at play in England.
Here we will have ALL Pro UK parties (and their supporters) uniting and supporting their Pro UK political opposition to win seats FROM the SNP…in England SOME of these SAME Pro UK parties(and their supporters) will be uniting and supporting their political opposition to win seats FROM the Tories…..that is the state of play in their UK…..not so much UNITED is it ?
I watched this as well and I find the sense of entitlement of Labour to Scotland nauseating.
They are soley reliant on Scots voting Labour because SNP are having a difficult period. She talked about independence supporting voters going back to voting Labour as if this is the natural thing to do.
SNP needs to quickly put current issues behind it and turn attack on Labour pointing out it offers Scottish electorate virtually nothing as it chases red wall votes and highlight:
Labour supports full implementation of Brexit with no understanding that Scotland was and is increasingly opposed to Brexit.
Labour not only opposes independence but actively supports rejection of Section 30 as voted for by Holyrood.
Labour supports many of Tories policies on restriction of public spending and restriction on civil liberties as demonstrated this weekend.
Labour’s only interest in Scotland is the votes to help them get a majority they struggle to get in England.
SNP are more anti-Tory than Labour as witnessed in Scottish local councils and in a wide range of policies and a vote for SNP is more of an anti-Tory vote than a Labour vote.
SNP are a Scottish party and will always put interests of Scottish electorate first whereas Labour are a British party who will always put interests of Labour first.
Lastly for any independence supporters flirting with Labour, SNP must show they have a realistic strategy to achieve independence within lifetime of next Westminster parliament.
The Tories are down to their hardcore in Scotland who will never consider voting SNP so it is time to turn all the attack guns on Labour and expose the selfishness and hypocrisy of labour in Scotland as demonstrated by Ayisha Hazarika and her ilk.
I speak as a former Labour supporter who might even vote for them outside Scotland but they make my stomach turn with their approach to Scotland and would not vote before voting for them in Scotland. I am sure I am not alone.
We just need like a 1% boost for baseline Yes from the coronation and that’s us in permanent majority. Totally achievable I think. Get a free day off too, so bonus!
Aye SS….
“Get a free day off too, so bonus!”
BTW assume you have noticed how SOME using this as a way to attack those who are anti monarchy…
Seen a lot on Twitter say in response to those who are dissing coronation “Oh Yes but you will still be happy take public holiday won’t you”
As IF they had a choice……company SHUT because of public holiday….means YOU are unable to go INTO work…..so NOT their choice is it ???…..Duh !
I’m contract so Monday for me is forced unpaid leave.
This equates to approx a 0.5% pay cut. Cheers Chuck!
If you want some distraction from the coronation then you could tune in to the AUOB march in Glasgow.
Or – Byline Times has produced a “Freeports Gazette” which examines the many aspects of freeport which the MSM don’t tell us about. Hint – they’re not a good idea.
Free download – remove the space before pdf.
https://bylines.cymru/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Gazette-Freeports. pdf
Sun’s starting to burn through the morning mist here. Looking forward to walking the dugs.
TBH, I thought the coronation was Monday. I only realised it was today when I went on the BBC North Britain web page.
Clearly I’m a republican. Must be the Irish blood in me.
Yesterday Amazon music seemed to sense this and started playing me tunes like the Chieftain’s ‘Foggy Dew’.
…Right proudly high in Dublin town
Hung they out a flag of war
‘Twas better to die ‘neath that Irish sky
Than at Sulva or Sud-El-Bar
And from the plains of Royal Meath
Strong men came hurrying through
While Brittania’s Huns with their long range guns
Sailed in through the foggy dew…
I thought it was Monday too for ages, I knew it was the 6th but until I looked at a calendar I thought Monday was the 6th!
And if it is today, why is Monday a holiday?
Maybe showing Scots being shot in an ambush isn’t the best video.
British army. Scots were useful idiots forced to do the dirty work of the English all too often. Send the Scots to shoot at the Irish – a very English approach.
It’s not as if once in the British army you could refuse, and the army did offer a way out of the poverty imposed on the jock serfs of the time.
In that sense, the video actually is good for showing what Britain does.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_Tans
The vast majority of Black and Tans were unemployed First World War veterans in their twenties, most of whom joined for economic reasons. The RIC offered men good wages, a chance for promotion, and the prospect of a pension.
Sounds about right. After the horrors of the trenches, they are thanked by the empire for their bravery with unemployment / destitution. If they were lucky enough to still have their legs, they were bribed to shoot at other serfs in the colonies so the wealthy brits could stay safely at home.
I note the bulk of the black and tans were English, as per the link.
Yes. Murder of individuals from either side is not a good look nor moral.
Agreed, but the imagery distinguishes the British Army, something the Irish have neither forgotten nor forgiven over a century later for very good reason, and today of all days epitomises it – There is no King of Ireland.
Really poor result for Labour in the English local elections if they were hoping to emulate Blair’s landslide at the next GE.
https://news.sky.com/story/local-election-results-in-charts-labour-now-largest-party-of-local-government-12873359
Based on these numbers, Labour had taken 48% of council seats as 1997 approached.
Yesterday, they have inched up to what 33.5% of seats and are still behind the 35% they had under Ed Miliband in 2014.
Looks like the Tories will win the next General Election.
There’s been ANOTHER video from Starmer….this time on the coronation where YET AGAIN he confuses HIS country with OURS…this time via a Shared history via the monarchy.
He states “It’s hard not to reflect on the past. The great Elizabethan era now part of our NATIONAL history….and the late Queen herself”….
Well who knew Elizabeth the 1st, Elizabethan era, was OUR queen in Scotland….NATIONAL doing a lot of heavy lifting here for Starmer in trying to promote “OUR shared history”…..shared history only for Scotland in the context that at the time she, Elizabeth the 1st, was the Queen of England……does that then mean Elizabeth the SECOND was too the English Queen….as in a continuation …….
He then goes on to equate the coronation as a means to “UNITE the country(??) SOVEREIGN and SUBJECT, PAST and PRESENT”…then goes on to patronise the BRITISH people in how well they acted throughout the **pandemic**….
** Does not mention how badly Jackie Baillie and George Foulkes acted during the pandemic in trying to get the BBC to STOP our FM from broadcasting essential and up to date information on Covid rules and stats via the BBC…..as in them behaving badly for the UNION……also known as THEM making it political, yet again, for the (non) UNION as opposed to what should have been solely a government Health message to the people of Scotland in a time of crisis……
Then he proceeds to laud Charles…..he then tells us to “break out the bunting”, “enjoy the street party”…AND ” the extra day off work”
Could Starmer be MORE Tory if he tried and indeed be MORE English in his assumed English exceptionalism that desperately tries to subsume Scotland into England’s history or HIS version of….once again failing to read the room when not ALL people are royalists and too making a video to expect people, or as HE states “subjects” , to ignore their own current suffering while expecting them to celebrate a £250 million plus display of vanity via an over privileged billionaire….who , as one of the elite, sure as Hell does not and never has suffered or had to SHARE the same suffering of those he (and Starmer) calls “subjects”…….how desperate is Starmer to pander to to SOME of the REAL nationalists in HIS country (England)……only a matter of time before he starts to wear a RED baseball cap that has ” Make Britain Great Again” on it…..he’s a T*** (Rhymes with RAT)….
Starmer is the typical middle class public schoolboy type ignorant of history. Elizabeth 1 of ENGLAND murdered Mary Queen of Scots. Her dad murdered wife’s and decided in a great act of Christian charity that he was the head of the Church of England. By default Starmer still believes this guff and de facto applies to Scotland as well. Talking to a pal with his Irish Passport in his hand ( going on hols) he said how sorry he is for his Celtic cousins puting up with this shower.
How any Scot, sorry scotch labour can think Starmer gives a toss for Scotland, Wales or Ireland is beyond me.
He is a Tory, he is a brexiters, he is a royalist, he is a colonialist, he is pro nuclear weapons and the rest. Jackie Baillie luvs him.
Indeed Hamish…..funny too how Starmer also produced a video to celebrate St George’s day aka England’s national saint…..with him highlighting in the video what is, ACCORDING TO him, quintessentially thus indisputably distinctly English and thus he, as an Englishman is proud to celebrate that and also to be THAT nationality as in English….. yet politically (and personally) he constantly actively suppresses any notion of us here in Scotland being quintessentially Scottish and thus indisputably DISTINCTIVE from his own country England….there will be NO NATIONAL identity for us in Scotland under Labour….Not for us the Scots….or as he likes to call us “separatists”……Scots must MORPH as one into his COUNTRY, which dependent on speech or video, is either the UK or England…..though to Starmer and his party… they are one and the same….
When Starmer speaks about Scotland it is NOT to promote what WE GIVE to his country but what his country GIVES to us…HIS country which he dresses up as being the UK but he really really means England….
It was no accident that in his St George’s day video that two ‘SCOTTISH’ areas were included in what was supposedly an ENGLAND only (sucking up to English Nationalists) faux celebration by Starmer….their aCCidEntAl inclusion was more like a subliminal message to enforce the belief that THEY , ENGLAND, OWN US Scotland.
Starmer all over the place in promoting a UNITED country aka UK while intermittently producing videos to promote and celebrate the distinction of his own country, England, within the UK……way to go to (NOT) win over Scotland in the next GE…..plus his , like others, insistence to refer constantly to the NORTH of the COUNTRY …when he means NORTH ENGLAND………so where then does he think in geographical terms Scotland is within HIS beloved UK…..it’s like he wears two coats…..ONE , when in Scotland, to promote ONLY the UK and another, when in England, to pander to the Brexit Brits (English nationalists) in respect to the seats Labour lost in the 2019 GE….thus seeking to win over England to gain power at WM…which he NEEDS to do to win the next GE…..
I hope they, labour, do keep Starmer as Labour leader because he is taking Labour down a route that historically Scotland as a socialist supporting country has never embraced……with MORE Private healthcare intrusion in the NHS, Tory Brexit, upholding tuition fees, against striking workers, demonising refugees, British jobs for British workers (say British but currently more jobs via government projects will likely go down South if Labour win next GE….think Carbon capture project awarded by Tories to English area NOT as was assumed the North east of Scotland) etc etc and basically being just an alternate version of the current Tory party that Scotland has rejected for many a year…….and as if that was not enough we also have the Labour branch office manager condoning a collaboration with the Tories in councils within Scotland while the media are once again (intentionally) FAILING to address that and too the many other political Elephants in the room connected to WHAT and WHO THEY (hope to) see, via a uber Unionist party, as their last desperate hope to try and save a NON UNION……as in the Labour party.
I think GOD would be better focused to save us here in Scotland as opposed to saving THEIR King…..all roads lead to the constitutional question when it comes to Scotland….politics are just a means for Pro UK parties to deny us, here in Scotland, any voice or choice within THEIR UK in deciding our destiny….meanwhile elsewhere in the UK , Labour hope to win over , via duplicity and constant U turns, those who , like Starmer, want to Make Britain Great Again….again ???? …Scotland….NOT so MUCH…..
How many rants have I left…..much much more I think (sorry…LOL) ….if we do not spell it out no one else will…certainly NOT Labour that’s for sure…..
It is incumbent upon the SNP to highlight just how far Starmer has moved the Labour Party back to New Labour with possibly even more of a blue wash than before. His ditching of pledges like free tuition leaves Sarwar defending a complete turnaround. Not long ago Starmer spoke eloquently about the importance of free tuition. That is on video record.
Labour cannot get a foothold back in Scotland offering nothing but Brexit and Tory lite promises. Whatever, issues the SNP may have had (or may not have had when it comes down to it) they have delivered on tuition fees, prescriptions and a host of other coal face issues.
We must not become Turkeys voting for Christmas.
Princes Street Gardens absolutely heaving. Standing room only.
https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/national/kings-coronation-10-photos-from-edinburghs-princes-street-gardens-as-crowds-watch-king-charles-coronation-4133037
Looks like half of Edinburgh turned out!
For the indy march in Glasgow that is.
The hire of the screen for princes st gardens must have cost several thousand alone. Who paid for this? Queen Consort Camilia? King Charlie? duke du edinbourg ? Us?
100% agree. Kier Starmer leads a soft Tory party who are socialist when it suits and Tories for most of the time.
The SNP are our only chance to gain Independence, any other routes just don’t exist. No matter what other so called Independence supporting sites claim there is no other party that has any chance to gain us our Independence this century.
I notice some of the “not my king” protestors were arrested, well for expressing their right to free speech.
Some of the pics online probably show plain clothes cops/ military waving the wee butchers apron but seem to have an interest standing next to some of the yellow deck protesters. Secret societies right enough.
Seems we have plenty of police not only in Scotland erecting tents but in England too.
No doubt all the drug dealers, rapists, wife beaters and thieves are all locked up so they can go heavy handed.
We are lucky to live in such a democracy (ironic).🏴
You can but laugh, from C4 – “The Electoral Commission has admitted there have been some “challenges” with its new voter ID requirement after some people complained they had been turned away from polling stations…”
“IT’S” ? – The EC objected to this but it was imposed by the Tories al the same.
Tory party deputy chairman Lee Anderson says “If you don’t like the monarchy, emigrate”
That’ll be *English monarchs for English people* and we’ll defend your democratic right not to like stuff as long as you do it in a foreign country far away
How about,
‘If you don’t like the monarchy,Separate’.
Got a better ring to it.
As requested ( commanded ? ) by my betters I duly swore at King Charles as he was taking his vows ( hope he keeps them better than he kept his Marriage one ) but I don’t know if he heard .
Best if he didn’t !
p.s. Luckily for me no police arrived to stop my protest or to confiscate my middle finger !
Following the wild goose, sorry wheelbarrow and pens chase stories, now we have this:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-65513265
Police consulted National Crime Agency over SNP probe
Police Scotland consulted the [English/British] National Crime Agency about its investigation into the SNP’s finances.
The BBC understands the national force asked the UK agency to carry out an independent review of its inquiry last year.
The terms and outcome of this exercise have not been made public.
The investigation has intensified since then with high profile arrests, searches and the seizure of a motorhome.
Bit by bit things are starting to make sense.
This story seems to have come from the BBC with it’s excellent contacts in such matters. Now being picked up by others.
A good day to hide bad news cynics might say. Problem is that Scots are not actually watching the coronation… 🙂
Please by upstanding for the National Anthem on this very special day:
For balance – The National has picture of Humza and Nadia Yousaf arriving at coronation.
Both look pretty dapper.
I have recently found out that Yousaf is a republican, and also a Celtic supporter.
#randomfacts
You learn something new every day.
Yes dapper indeed and I think I see a dirk tucked into his sock. Don’t tell security.
Humza and Nadia’s expressions look more interloper than subject glad to see.
While I had mixed feelings about the FM attending this fancy dress party this was tempered by the fact that pictures like this would undoubtedly burst unionist coupons.
“pretty dapper”
=====
You think? His jaikit lapels look bespattered with seagull droppings. A closer inspection reveal a stylistic innovation.
Why not a traditional Prince Charlie? Might that be a reminder that the future Charles III died in 1788?
Time to visit Specsavers.
I think the design / inscriptions is from his cultural heritage.
Folk see Gaelic rather than read it but call it gibberish nevertheless.
As for dapper maybe? But would annoy the britnats so fair enough.
If you zoom in you can see that the jacket has a very distinctive design with silver thistles? on the lapel and silver buttons on the arms.
Used to be Nicola’s shoes, noo it’s Humza’s jaikit
BBC Scotland’s politics with the Geissler had an academic woman on from St Andrews university who attended the English crowning bash, her opinion of self determination for Scotland was it was all because of the rise of Scottish nationalism that Scotland has *lost its deference*
Just mark that word folks *deference* which goes along with another word I heard this weekend *disobedience*
England and its union expects and demands Scotland be obedient and deferential
Was that the same St Andrew’s University professor who was interviewed on Ch4 News ewho said that the Coronation was an example of ‘Global Britain’?
She was Indian or Pakistani
Sounds like the same one. This is the interview from Ch4 news that I referred to
https://www.channel4.com/news/coronation-britain-at-its-very-best-says-modern-history-professor
Ahhhh the impartial St Andrews university.
Maybe should be renamed “the Toady Uni.”
Or “ jorries in the mooth brigade”
I’m sure S_S has already made the link, but did you know that the colours of the King Charles Spaniel are black and tan?
I’ll just leave that here.
Also, regular readers should know that my ‘national anthem’ post above is obviously a spoof – not your GSTK dirge.
And this had me chuckling … black humour, indeed:
🤣
Naw sorry, reaper moves more slowly
It’s obi wan kenobi, surely in the remake “The Firm Awakens”
😂
😂😂
Janet Godley did a belter of a live voice over. It’s maybe been added here. Not gone through the comments yet.
Dear deelsgug,
Here’s a sample from Youtube – there’ll be others later no doubt:
I fixed his hat
Some highlights
Yes I enjoyed the coronation yesterday, maxed out my Netflix.
😂😂😂
BBC is proudly reporting that 18 million people in the UK watched the “historic” coronation.
For contrast, 16 million people watched the moon landing in 1969. The population is 24% higher today, and accessibility to live TV/streams is incomparable to back then.
It’s a seriously abysmally low number in context, a little more than half that of what watched Diana’s funeral in 1997.
More people watched Crocodile Dundee when it was first broadcast in 1989!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_watched_television_broadcasts_in_the_United_Kingdom
Police Scotland consulted NCA (in LONDON) in the SNP investigation reports Glen Campbell…….
Meanwhile TORY Baroness Ruth Davidson’s colleague in HOL as in TORY Baroness Michelle Mone still a TORY person of NON interest to Glen Campbell and his employers……and WHO if ANYONE is investigating HER, a TORY, at the NCA…..and WHAT action does the TORY PM Rishi Sunak (who at the time of her being awarded a TORY government contract for PPE equipment via the TORY VIP fast lane was the TORY Chancellor in Boris Johnson’s TORY UK government) intend to take NOW…….why NO arrests or HUGE media publicity in this….YET.
Hope people never ever STOP highlighting this….and it extends way way beyond Mone (emails alleged between HER and Michael Gove via this)…..the TORIES may think that by ALLOWING her to swan off to foreign shores she then becomes ‘out of sight out of mind’ BUT for many of us that will never happen……Dross and his crew of largely LIST TORY MSP’s are making much of what is happening with the SNP investigation as if they are in a position to adopt the moral high horse of ones whose own party’s hands are clean….as they also bleat about FERRIES we have a LONG list of TORY UK government projects that have ran OVER their original budget…. into the millions…and also have ran OVER the estimated time they were supposed to be completed by……and like the following example proved to be defunct and NOT fit for (any) purpose….with BILLION spent on those…..
As in the TORY UK government’s £5.5 BILLION Ajax Tank fleets that has been branded a DISASTER as plagued with glitches and may NEVER enter service….
And who can forget TORY Transport Secretary Chris (failing) Grayling and the £50 million pound cost to the taxpayers which he squandered on the Brexit ‘Phantom Ferries’…..in the event that there was a NO DEAL Brexit he awarded contracts to “start up” companies who had NO SHIPS…which Grayling then had to axe ….hence the HUGE cost to taxpayers…..and that was BEFORE Boris J and Liz T…..that was when Theresa May was PM…..yep a succession of TORY PM failures………remember yon Michael Fallon the then Defence Sec, who had to resign when still Defence Sec, under Theresa May , because of alleged inappropriate behaviour towards women, well he had to admit (when forced) in the HOC via a statement that a test missile had veered off course and during the test it had headed towards the Florida coast……he and the TORY government were accused of trying to cover this up…..nothing to see here AGAIN just MORE Tory UK government incompetence and a hope for yet another TORY COVER UP…..
Talking of TORY DISASTERS where is TORY Baroness Dido Harding whose husband is a TORY MP…..since being appointed by the Tory UK government to oversee , in what the High court declared was an ILLEGAL appointment, the privately run TORY UK government’s ENGLISH £37 BILLION Test & Trace system…..which was deemed to be a FAILED system…she has now seemingly vanished from the public eye…..has ANY accountability or investigation been undertaken on what those billions of pounds were spent on……and WHO got the money ?
Tories are great at being THE ones who cast the first stone when it comes to criticising the SNP but simultanously they are only too happy to turn a BLIND EYE to their OWN party’s HUGE corrupt practices and FAILED projects……as are their supporters whose selective indignation is ONLY reserved for THE party that they APPEAR to fear the most i.e. the SNP…….I mean if , as they say, independence is dead then why do they spend so much time and effort on social media to FOCUS SOLELY upon the SNP and Independence….surely if something is really so so so very insignificant and thus is NOT or rather is NEVER ever going to happen then one can surely just ignore it as it then perceived as posing no REAL threat to the current (status quo) position…..their constant obsession with both the SNP and too independence proves that independence IS for THEM a real possibility (or as they see it…a THREAT to their UK) thus that is why they never stop talking about it and too against it……..I mean do YOU as a ‘normal’ person ever (over) obsess about things that pose no real possibility of happening or that pose no real threat ?…..NOPE…no one does….you only obsess about them when you KNOW they may in fact actually succeed and thus happen….true dat……LOL
#IndependenceYES
#StatusQuoNO
Spot on again NMRN 🙂
🙂
Hope you have a great day Capella….onwards and Upwards always….never let them THINK that they have the upper hand…as if…….we know their NON ‘secrets’…LOL
It was the smuggling of clicky pens into Scotland and selling them to innocent people who could become addicted to marking crosses in the YES to independence box that concerns the NCA
England has Heroin Cocaine Fentenal MaryJane and many other drugs, but Scotland has the scourge of the SNP clicky pen that affects the unwritten English constitution which far outweighs these recreactional imports
To be fair to Campbell however much it irks, be did beyond the headline reveal peer review of such investigations are common – The SNP references are gilding the chanty, but never more so than in the Times version by Boothman and Andrews as leads despite pantomime season being over months ago.
The Sunday show with the bbc must be a strange place with the number of brown noses sooking up to the establishment. I suppose the NUJ would say their members are totally impartial along with those in the Mail, express, sun, Sunday Mail, mirror……….
Would journalists now rank with the Met police, Tory and labour councillors are the bottom of a pile of 💩?
Makes you wonder what kid goes home to their parents and proudly states they want to become a journalist
Pictures on Social media of the absolute MESS the so called Patriotic Royalist supporters have left in the Mall in London post the coronation yesterday….meanwhile pictures of Glasgow Green post the Indy march and speeches show NO MESS left…..the BBC in Scotland (headed by Glen Campbell) are now consulting with their Tech team to see if possible to transpose some of the images FROM the rubbish left on the Mall in London onto Glasgow Green…..LOL ( obvs joking…just in case some think I am serious…. but hey on past form that COULD be a possibility…..fake imagery shows a picture CAN speak a thousands words IF you WANT it too…..when IN the hands of the BBC Scotland that is)……
How much MORE money will the clean up in London’s Mall , post the coronation , cost the tax payers……pictures show tents . sleeping bags, camping chairs, Red, White and Blue FLAGS… LOL…. and other rubbish left by those PROUD to be BRITISH and ROYALISTS……seems somehow apt in a PERVERSE sort of way that they, as Britnat royalists, should celebrate one of the uber elite and his expensive ascension to the English throne, and then just expect some of the Public SERVANTS….aka the City of London Council Refuse workers…to CLEAN up after them…..pretty much the same behaviour as the Royal family and their own assumed expectations of the duties that they assign to their SERVANTS ………
Any blue tents?😀
Wasn’t there one in the Abbey?
I didn’t see any of the Establishment querying any alleged shenanigans inside it outside the public view. Despite all the speculation of what was happening inside said canvas said to be ‘intentse’.
😀
NCA – National Crime Agency
https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/who-we-are/governance-and-transparency
“We are an operationally independent non-ministerial government department. We operate across the UK, respecting the devolution of policing in Scotland and Northern Ireland.”
“Our Director General is accountable for the agency’s performance to the Home Secretary and, through the Home Secretary, to Parliament. The agency is also subject to scrutiny by the Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly.”
“We’re subject to rigorous external and independent scrutiny including by:
…
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC – for activity undertaken in England and Wales); the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland; and the Police Investigations Review Commissioner for Scotland;”
Facts are chiels that winna ding.
Would be really interesting to know if, having reviewed what Police Scotland had been doing on Branchform, the British / English NCA did make some recommendations.
Certainly, nothing much seemed to be happening at all, then suddenly there was blue tents everywhere, SNP folks being arrested* in dawn raids, with ladies razors, pots ‘n’ pans, fridges, pens and wheelbarrows being impounded across the country, as is, you know, so characteristic of high-profile fraud cases.#
Could all be simple coincidence, yet why is BBC reporting unless it was actually of significance to events?
I can’t help but feel we are slowly being softened up for the final conclusion (must be soon surely), with the Daily Record’s ‘Wild wheelbarrow chase’ article being the beginning of this, then the BBC trying to get the NCA story out while everyone’s watching the indy march in Glasgow.
If Foote’s right, and the NCA had something to do with the tents and razors, the SNP could end up laughing all the way to the ballot box.
Oh and the new auditors, like the old auditors, seem perfectly happy that the accounts are all in order. Being an English firm, they can’t surely be ‘in the SNP’s pocket’ or something. Such suggestions would be anti-English if made. 🙂
Time will tell.
—
*Then, rather embarrassingly for those in charge of the case, being released without charge.
#In Police Academy type movies
The SNP should sue the MSM for every penny it has.
Interestingly on the subject of the SNP’s new auditors, I’d commented elsewhere on this ‘guilt by association’ piece by the Guardian’s Pippa Crerar https://archive.ph/9cYAi
15 mentions of SNP, 2 of Yousaf, 5 of Sturgeon, 4 of auditing, 29 of tax, yet what is the ‘excuse’ ? – ” Signature Tax, an offshoot of AMS Accountants Group ” potentially arranging a “tax avoidance scheme”.
AJ must have had another tantrum on news that auditors had been appointed…
Oh, and we did see how keen the police in England are to arrest people campaigning peacefully for democracy.
There’s no conspiracy theories about that; we got to watch it on live TV yesterday.
This move to Putinesque style policing in England has been developing for some time now, notably since the Tories took office in 2010.
People in England are literally being arrested for objecting to an unelected head of state. I’m really f’n glad police Scotland are devolved.
Jings, I really wish I had shares in SNP Whitewash.
Well, call me an old school liberal democrat (type of person, not the party!), but…
For the moment, nobody has done anything wrong and there’s no money missing. That’s the factual reality of where we are, and what legally / morally we must say is the case until such time as a court of law might find differently.
You seem to be suggesting otherwise? Do you have insider info that the rest of us don’t have like British nationalists seem to? You can only whitewash something if it exists. So far, there’s nothing to whitewash. I suspect it won’t be long before the Police tell is whether there potentially is or not. Then a court will decide if it’s the case. If the says it’s a yes, people can finally get out the paintbrushes if they want.
The latest news is that nobody’s been arrested, with a couple of folk that were previously questioned under caution released without charge. That was 50 days ago. Over 7 weeks or not far off two months. How time flies.
In the meantime, the press have gone from being a dog with frying pan, sorry bone, to being a desert tumbleweed on the subject until the past few days, when the latest is that ‘it might all be a wild goose chase’. I’m going to base my thoughts on the above facts, which is what we have in hand.
Meanwhile, I’ve realised what might be the reason behind the wheelbarrow impoundment. Maybe the police thought it was used for this purpose?
I am still lost as to why they needed to confiscate the contents of Sturgeon’s toilet bag (I’m assuming the ladies’ razor was not Pete or Colin’s).
Man never trust the British press.
It was just over a month ago, not f’n 2. This is what happens when you are so busy with a new job and trying to sell your house. You search for a date and take the first one you see, assuming it’s correct.
That and of course the story isn’t important because there’s no missing money and no thieves. As things stand at least.
https://web.archive.org/web/20230507175216/https://news.sky.com/story/colin-beattie-stepping-down-as-snp-treasurer-while-police-investigate-party-finances-12861143
Mr Beattie was arrested on 18 March and held in custody for about 11 hours before being released without charge pending investigation.
In your rush to defend the NCA, did you actually read what their involvement in this case was ? PEER REVIEW.
Perhaps shares in Joo-Janta 2000s rather than SNP-Whitewash would be a better investment.
“Facts are chiels that winna ding” right enough.
Bob, you do realise you’re actually agreeing with me, that it is NOT some plot of the NCA or London?
No worries, perhaps the sun got in your eyes.
It’s you that brought up plots.
In my case, I personally am just wondering after they peer reviewed, what, if any changes to the approach the English / British NCA suggested.
That is of course what peer review is about; seeking advice on the quality of a work and implementing recommended changes as necessary.
Yi2 has moved to the dark side or is that just another conspiracy?
So if I get this correct if the Police find no issues it is the SNP that have created a whitewash? This is drivel.
Surely any independence supporter would be pleased if there are no issues found?
Generally speaking, If there has been some alleged wrongdoing in any issue then any individual will be subject to due process including the presumption of innocence.
If I get a parking ticket- I haven’t incidentally, but it cannot be assumed that all SNP supporters would be guilty too. Of course I may be innocent as the parking ticket could have been incorrectly issued.
Watching the London disgraceful nonesense yesterday it seems the Met Police arrested anyone who didn’t agree with the coronation and were presumed to be an enemy and should be hauled off.
Police England and the national crime agency know where all the monies are from russias henchmen promoting the tories. Even the royals were not immune from a few handouts. Has Davidson had lunch yet with one of the Russian wifey’s? The Tory and labour angst is there for all to see. They will try and keep this going to the English general election or there will be further searches for toothbrushes, nail files and toilet rolls. Taint, undermine, accuse is the English way.
Independence for Scotland 🏴
😇
Well Hamish100, the problem is that there is an elephant in the room nobody here noticed it seems.
The latest poll by Redfield & Wilton poll (30th April – 2nd May 2023) shows the SNP being slaughtered:
1. UK GE seats projection (current boundaries, with changes from 2019 election): SNP 25 (-23), Labour 22 (+21), Conservatives 7 (+1), Liberal Democrats 5 (+1). That’s Indy 25, Union 34. Indy loses.
2. Holyrood seats projection (with changes from 2021 election): SNP 39 (-25), Labour 36 (+14), Conservatives 24 (-7), Greens 18 (+10), Liberal Democrats 12 (+8). That’s Indy 57, Union 72. Indy loses.
3. Net approval ratings of leaders:
Anas Sarwar (Labour): +3
Keir Starmer (Labour): +2
Humza Yousaf (SNP): -17
Douglas Ross (Conservatives): -21
Rishi Sunak (Conservatives): -22
That’s Yousaf almost as unpopular as the Tories. Indy loses.
Do you seriously think any independence supporter would be pleased about that, and waffle on about London, the Met and some irrelevant Tory?
Any reason you are picking out single polls rather than looking at averages?
And an example of a pollster which uses non-standard methods that are never used outside of Scotland? A method that harms Yes parties and the pro-indy share?
No wonder the experts were attacking R&W’s approach in the papers. Any reason you didn’t mention the fact they this approach is proven to underestimate SNP by at least 5%?
I think I’ll stick to averages and polling firms that use standard methods. Also where people can spell.
The next Holyrood election is
Managed to post again before I finished.
https://archive.is/NYfbB
Redfield & Wilton poll needs ‘tightening up’ after errors, expert says
THE firm behind the latest Scottish independence poll has “some tightening up to do”, a polling expert has said, after multiple errors appeared in its latest survey.
Redfield & Wilton Strategies – whose poll on Wednesday gave No a nine-point lead over Yes – was called out for consistently spelling both the Scottish Health Secretary and Scottish Secretary’s name wrongly, among other issues.
https://archive.is/BVJbC
But pollster Mark McGeoghegan told The National that a quirk in the question used by Redfield & Wilton Strategies was likely to be overinflating the Labour list vote.
The firm posed the question: “If there were to be a Scottish Parliament election tomorrow, which party would you vote for in your second (regional list) vote?”
McGeoghegan said: “In the past few Scottish Parliament elections, pollsters that characterise the regional list vote as a ‘second vote’ have tended to find a lower SNP list vote than there actually is on the day.
“In 2021, pollsters using ‘second vote’ wording underestimated the SNP list vote by an average of 5.3 percentage points, compared to an average error of just 1.4 points among pollsters not using ‘second vote’ wording.
The next Holyrood election is in 2026 anyway.
Labour close to or ahead of the SNP is actually really normal here normal mid term.
We are seeing SNP voters saying they are less sure they’ll vote, with many going to the greens (not the extra 10 seats for these in your poll). That’s called the ‘shy voter’ effect and is normal when the press are trying to say a party is guilty of heinous crimes. In the same way people will be less likely to admit the vote SNP to friends and colleagues recently, so they are with pollsters. Of course they’ll go out and vote SNP anyway though.
The devil is in the detail. Labour have been stuck at the same level since mini budget. They’ve failed to take a single vote from the SNP. Same for the Tories. Have a look at data vs projected turnout if you want to see.
This is why indy support has not changed at all. That’s apolitical so the shy voter effect around the SNP due to campervangate isn’t affecting this. People are not moving to unionist parties or the union. But the SNP apparent VI is being affected. All is not as it seems however.
I’d be very worried about this if I was a unionist.
Or irrelevant polls.
It’s a SNP whitewash — someone said.
🏴🇪🇺
Yes, presuming the SNP to be guilty. No evidence, no convictions, not even a confirmed crime as things stand, but find them all guilty of one then attack them for whitewashing it.
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose!
https://archive.is/c7Fyv
Lib Dems rule out coalition government
Sun 14 Feb 2010 21.18 GMT
Nick Clegg says party would seek support for policies rather than cabinet posts
https://archive.is/wip/TvPBK
LibDems rule out Westminster coalition with Tories but not Labour
LIBDEM leader Sir Ed Davey has ruled out a coalition with the Tories after the next General Election – but did not make the same commitment against a deal with Labour.
You can have any colour you want as long as it’s blue.
LibDems a thoroughly decent lot except when it comes to principles or a ministerial car or a taste of power or a promise about tuition fees ( or anything else that would hinder their need for personal advancement ).
‘Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose!’
Indeed, with the result once again that as we in Scotland spectate, England’s voters and England’s political party leaders will decide.
I have a sticker on my car window that reads Scotland’s Future/Scotland’s Choice. But the reality is very different and will continue to be so: Scotland’s Future/England’s Choice! Unless ….! Perhaps it’s time to ramp up emphasis on the realities Scotland faces alongside democratic aspirations/demands?
On another topic, just happened to catch STV news at c. 18.50 hrs this evening. It included a long piece with multiple film clips with vox pops from across Scotland reporting Scotland’s supposed enthusiastic embrace of the monarchy and the Coronation this weekend. At least an order of magnitude more attention than given to republican and pro-indy events across Scotland this weekend. So no better balance in evidence from STV. So again, no change!
I see the bbc in wales is teeing up with unionists to undermine Plaid Cymru.
You would almost think the Brits have a coordinated unit to undermine democratic parties.
But we should trust the British / English police and not be loony conspiracy theorists like this guy.
Former chief constable warns of ‘police state’ after coronation arrests
This lady (FFS).
How I keep doing this posting before I’ve finished thing I’ve no idea. Anyhoo:
https://archive.is/wip/foHWz
Former chief constable warns of ‘police state’ after coronation arrests
A FORMER police chief constable has warned against a “totalitarian police state” following the arrest of anti-monarchy protesters ahead of the coronation on Saturday.
Sue Sim, a former chief constable of Northumbria Police, told The World This Weekend on BBC Radio 4 that the protesters “have their right to protest as long as it’s peaceful”.
The Metropolitan Police has been heavily criticised over the detentions, with some campaign groups likening the “incredibly alarming” arrests to “something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London”…
…Sim said she saw this sort of thing happening after the controversial Public Order Act was rushed through Parliament in time for the coronation.
“Once the new Public Order Act had been rushed through Parliament last week, I did think this sort of thing was going to happen,” she said.
“However, I must say I am very, very disappointed that that did happen.
“My own view is that, actually, there is considerable legislation that you can use in relation to protesting.
“I think, unfortunately, the problem with yesterday is that the Metropolitan Police did not want any type of public spectacle.
“As a chief constable, you are independent of politics, you need to stand and be objective. I personally didn’t agree with them (protesting), but as a former chief constable I totally appreciate that they have their right to protest as long as it’s peaceful.
“I think when you’re talking about terrorism, where people’s lives are at risk, that’s a very different thing. But where you are talking about peaceful protest the whole thing for me is, what type of society do we want? We do not want a totalitarian police state.”
When it comes to interpreting opinion polls, I stick to James Kelly of Scot Goes Pop as I’ve done since 2012.
He actually knows what he’s talking about and doesn’t twist the results to try to prove the SNP are doomed or purrfect depending on their point of view. Curtice, his apprentice, is quite good too 🙂
You also resort to personal insults regularly, which is so very telling. 🙂
The dramatic effect of wheelbarrowgate on support for Scottish indy.
Not, I expect, what the British nationalists would have hoped for.
They’ll be in really serious trouble if the Daily ‘Scottish’ Record is right about wild goose chases and not just doing it’s whole whitewashing thing to help the SNP, you know, like it does all the time.
Funny went on SGP but can’t see the poll being discussed . Saw some horrendous rude comments and ridiculous notion that Salmond would lead some amalgam of independence groups to victory. He tried , he failed, he resigned. Some folk need to recognise his sell by date is well and truly over.
🏴🇪🇺
The only people quoting this poll are the diehard opposition and the haters, it’s been exposed as using dodgy questioning methods for the second time
Even the BBC aren’t using it
https://scotgoespop.blogspot.com/2023/05/doubts-deepen-over-humza-yousafs-future.html
HTH
So, R&W shows the sum total of absolutely no change.
They are regular pollsters in Scotland, having done, erm, 3 Holyrood since may 2021, and all in the past few months.
https://www.whatscotlandthinks.org/questions/how-would-you-be-likely-to-use-your-regional-vote-in-a-scottish-parliament-election-asked-since-2021-scottish-parliament-election/?pollster%5B%5D=redfield-wilton
On average, they get the SNP 5% lower than everyone else RE list vote over the same period, including Savanta who also suggest this is some sort of second preference vote, although not in the super direct way R&W do (hence polling experts pointing this out).
while politicians like to talk about first and second, pollster should not lie. There is no first and second vote in holyrood elections. You get two, but they are not numbered and you can fill them in either order. Your PR list vote is the most important (1st if you like) as its that where you vote for the party you want to see in government. The lesser constituency is for the person you want as your local MSP.
Of course if people are thinking the regional list is a second preference, it’s not just the SNP going down, it’s the others going up. So you can turn a 10 point lead into a 0 point one just by the nature of the question, hence the professionals saying this totally skews results and underestimates the SNP.
Thanks to Yes2 for prompting me to spend a bit more time on this. Suffice to say I’m even less worried than I was, and suggest others should relax too.
It’s not like unionist parties don’t bite the heels of the SNP mid term.
https://www.whatscotlandthinks.org/questions/how-would-you-be-likely-to-use-your-regional-vote-in-a-scottish-parliament-ele-1/
Averages now are very 2017-18 esque. That of course led to a historic victory for Yes parties in 2021.
In any coming general election we know what’s going to happen, Labour will pick up most of the Tory seat to an almost wipeout making them the opposition but with no more seats between the two of them than they now have
Liberal Democrats will do about the same as they’ve always done, the Greens will go up a little and the SNP vote will hold
Alba is likely to do nothing because Salmond and his *Avengers* won’t get any less toxic and folk don’t like the taste of that
Finally there’s the Nicola Sturgeon factor, the biggest election winner there is
Telegraph are ‘conspiracy theory loonies’ too it seems.
They seem pretty convinced it was the English FBI that pushed the idea of blue tents on polis Scotchland. Hard to read this enthusiasm differently.
https://archive.is/7klIs
Scottish police have consulted the National Crime Agency over its investigation into SNP finances, it has emerged.
Detectives working on the case called on the body, which has been dubbed Britain’s FBI, to conduct an independent review of its work several months before Nicola Sturgeon’s home was raided and her husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, arrested.
While the outcome of its work has not been publicly revealed, the investigation stepped up following the external “peer review”.
As well as the search of Ms Sturgeon’s home, police have seized a luxury motorhome from the driveway of Mr Murrell’s elderly mother-in-law and also searched SNP headquarters in Edinburgh.
Oh man this could work out so funny if Foote is on the ball. That’s not a football reference BTW.
> It is seen as good practice for officers working on complex or high-profile cases to call in other forces to check their work.
When done with integrity, sure. Unfortunately “integrity” is not a word that usually comes to mind when discussing any aspect of London’s policing. Why should we expect that the NCA is any better than the appalling MET?
A FOI request for a list of all Police Scotland cases that have been peer-reviewed over the past five years would be worthwhile. If it’s just this one then shenanigans are afoot.
I suspect we are getting to the ‘ covering our arses ‘ stage. The implication of these revelations is that the SPS were advised by the NCA on what action should next be taken by the SPS and I don’t believe that anymore than I believe that English Bobbies decided to arrest anti monarchy activists off their own bat.
Aye, the “several months before” is doing all the heavy lifting here, I read somewhere else the NCA “peer review” was in 2021…
You will find the exact same phrases in all the articles on this “story” whether it be the Telegraph, Times, etc., so pretty obvious a single source circulated to propaganda friendly columnists, this the Glenn Campbell version https://archive.ph/b5Srv
Beyond the innuendo and recycling of “exclusive” guff, it is ultimately a feeble attempt to keep this ‘corruption’ propaganda game alive despite it rapidly running out of road.
Indeed, folk recognise the stalling holding pattern when they see it, eventually the stone gets rolled away and we know what happens then
Peter’s mother.
Nicola’s mother-in-law.
The Torygraph’s reference to Britain’s FBI is inaccurate. Police Scotland has its own economic crimes unit (ECU) which covers serious fraud cases. I suspect it was an ECU investigation that was peer reviewed and draw no sinister inference from that.
Yes, to be peer reviewed there would have to be a full operational plan to actually be reviewed, including presumably planned use of POCA powers – which would require detailed listing of the relevant assets.
The Orange Order are gearing up for a summer of marching now that pandemic restrictions are lifted.
Orange walks 2023: Marches drop in Glasgow but outskirts see rise
https://archive.fo/wRSNz
Kate Forbes went to Cambridge and Edinburgh Uni. Smart cookie with a good heart.
Scotland has one of the best education systems in the world. 30% go to uni from School. Life long learning, 25% mature students. Foreign students paying in full. Bringing in capital, EU students reciprocal, but less of them because of Brexit. A catastrophe, Losing Scotland £Billions.
Extended nursery provision, 100,000 apprenticeships. Trades people make a good living. Unemployment low 3%+. Scotland could have full employment without Westminster gross interference.That would put wages up.
Scotland has more uni pro rata than any other country. 15 – 5.4Million pop. Plus colleges. Finland is next but no colleges.
Scotland 30% from school + 25% mature students, 55%. Plus EU, foreign students, The highest % in the world, Canada is next 56%.
Scotland would do even better Independent. More could be spent on Education, Healthcare and necessary help for people. Instead of illegal wars, Trident, tax evasion and financial fraud. Westminster corruption and abuse. Killing people. Instead of caring for others. The responsibility of Gov, The UK the most unequal place in the world.
FPTP in Scotland councils/Holyrood would get rid of unionists. D’Hond’t a manipulation of the voting system STV. The electorate does not understand it, Neither do anyone else. A self fulfilling profecy of PR manipulation. Affected by different turnout considerations,