Faulds does of course run a website which is purported to be politically neutral (but isn't - his own views and prejudices constantly leak through) and which sometimes analyses polls and has commissioned a couple of crowdfunded polls, but that's not what a 'pollster' is. A pollster is either a person or organisation that actually conducts polls, which to the best of my knowledge Mr Faulds has never done. Admittedly it's probably not his fault that he's been falsely billed in that way, because the same word has been used about me at times.
My own reading of the situation, for what it's worth, is that one of Alba's most long-standing problems has just been solved, although a counter-balancing problem has just been created, and it remains to be seen which of the two problems is/was more significant. The problem that has been solved is the negativity associated with Alba's brand, which to a large extent derived from Alex Salmond's deep personal unpopularity, something that was consistently seen in polling from 2021 until this year. The rapid reappraisal of Mr Salmond's legacy since he died means the party's association with him is suddenly no longer such a negative and may even have become a net positive. But the new problem is of course that Alba will no longer attract media interest from being led by one of the true heavyweight politicians of the age, and once the coverage of Mr Salmond's death subsides, they may find it a lot harder to get noticed than they did before.
The one remaining big asset that they have, the sole factor that still sets them apart from a fringe party, is that they have a member of the Scottish Parliament. I don't know whether Ash Regan will run for leader, but even if she doesn't, she'll need to be pushed firmly to the forefront if Alba are going to be recognised by the media as relevant.
Because Chris McEleny arbitrarily suspended my own party membership a few weeks ago after he took exception to my public calls for the party to be democratised, I am barred from viewing the party website and am thus somewhat in the dark about what is going on. (My so-called "disciplinary" hearing was postponed after Mr Salmond's death to an unspecified date but my suspension was not lifted, so the longer this drags on, the more it feels like constructive expulsion from the party at Mr McEleny's whim.) However, I've been told that there has been a boost in Alba's membership numbers in recent days. If that's true, the party needs to think long and hard about how it is going to retain those new people. The pattern so far has been that the only Alba members who have truly been happy are the ones who see their membership as a kind of 'fan club' status and just want to applaud whatever the leadership says or does. Anyone with ideas of their own who wanted to play a part in (for example) policy formation has tended to become quickly disillusioned because they've been regarded by the party as 'problematical'. Members have even sometimes been talked of with extreme suspicion as 'possible infiltrators' - although in their heart of hearts I don't think anyone in the leadership group truly believes that nonsense, it's just a handy excuse to treat members with 'undesirable' views as an 'enemy within'.
Alba desperately needs a cultural shift to make members feel both valued and empowered. That can't wait a couple of years, it needs to happen right now - otherwise the current boost in member numbers may be the last one that ever happens.
* * *
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I heard Chris McElenly speak some time ago and wasn't impressed then. I'm not sure I could vote for Alba as long as he has the power he seems to wield especially when there seems to be an abuse of that power. My problem was never AS it was CMcE.
ReplyDeleteI suppose if an article appears in the Herald pro independence supporters should read with a degree of caution. I am SNP but watched Regan at the hustings at the time she was trying to lead the party. Wasn't impressed then -even with Cherry there to clap her along and she is unlikely to impress others under close scrutiny. ALBA has a problem even if Cherry removed herself to ALBA she isn't an MP or MSP. If voters wont vote for ALBA you have a big problem in claiming as many on here do with Independence now! type claims but without the means to deliver anything.
ReplyDeleteI also watched all the hustings and Regan was the only one of the 3 who wanted independence. The fact you weren't impressed disnae surprise me as the SNP is a party of comfy devolution. A bit more Scottishy version of Labour that disnae want troublemakers in its midst who actually want independence. A subservient party. A party that voted for useless Yousaf and then installed a year later the man who didnae want an independence referendum. Says it all about the current version of the SNP.
DeleteA party with one ex Chief Exec being charged with embezzlement and his ex party leader wife being investigated for embezzlement along with the ex Treasurer.
This anon poster reminds me of Theresa May - "now is not the time" - it never is the time with these people.
The main issue Ash had imo was that she had the least experience, early on she wasn't great at communicating her proposals effectively.
DeleteThe short campaign worked against her as she got significantly better as time went on but it came too late to matter.
That is such tripe IFS. I suspect you watched SFA.
DeleteThe only thing Ash had going for her was her traditional, "fundamentalist" desire and demand for independence. I liked that about her, too. But she was out of her depth, then and now. She's cabinet material but not a leader.
DeleteForbes is far more capable. If she was as convincing in her passion for independence as Ash was, I'd be delighted but I wonder if the same is true inside the modern SNP, especially at the top? The sort of people who say "indy fundamentalist" without irony, and who should be in another party! Even with them against her, she came damn close to winning. Impressive, with Nicola's thumb firmly on the scales for Humza.
Anon troll at 9.05pm - you suspect wrong. Which is generally the case for trolls. The evidence is that I posted on SGP live commentary on the hustings as they happened. You Mr troll are a Johnny comeslately to SGP who knows nowt.
DeleteAnon at 1.05. I agree with you. She was without doubt the poorest of the candidates, and prone to gaffs, when policy and economy were discussed, and gave the impression that she lacks the abilities needed to lead. My opinion is that Cherry and Forbes give us intellect, gravitas, and the guts needed to face down critics from the MSM, BBC, and regrettably, the movement itself. They could rescue the SNP and get it back on the right path.. I am referring directly to your post by time rather than through the reply section which had one post already that was just going down the same dead end path of vitriol and nonsense that the poster concerned specialises in.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 1.45pm complains about vitriol and nonsense after no doubt specialising in that himself in multiple trolling posts.
DeleteYour nonsense is that Cherry supported Regan during the hustings not Forbes. That totally undermines your post. Cherry with all that intellect you so admire didn't agree with you anon. So why didn't Cherry support Forbes then if Regan was so obviously not up to standard as you say.
'The poorest of the candidates and prone to gaffs'? On a slate which included Humza Yousef? I think your 'gaffometer' needs a servicing.
DeletePerhaps a thermometer could sort out which was the weakest candidate.
DeleteThis is the crux of the issue. Some want a leader of the SNP who will be competent and handle the media well. To what end if they are a devolutionalist and don't want independence. The SNP members picked someone who is neither competent nor wants independence - Yousaf - well done members. The worst choice out of the three. Picked because Sturgeon told you to pick him.
DeleteAnon at 1.05. This is anon at 1.45 here. You can see why I sought to establish a dialogue free of the muppets. Regrettably they are all over it. I make a simple point. A joint ticket of Cherry and Forbes can still rescue SNP. Otherwise Indy is on the back burner for the foreseeable future.
DeleteAnon at 5.02pm - " sought to establish a dialogue free of the muppets" it's a public forum ya muppet you cannae just say this thread is just for me and you. The state of this muppet. If you want to have a dialogue just with a certain individual get their number and arrange a meeting in a pub. Whst a muppet.
DeleteCherry seems to be focused on returning to her legal career and has indicated that she intends to be part of the fight for justice for Alex Salmond.
DeleteDon't see her on a ticket to lead the Party anytime in the foreseeable future.
The woke element would never accept Cherry and Forbes anyway - they're anathema to them. This is why the party is beyond saving.
Deletewoke ? that overused term? Now used to insult. What do you think it means?
DeleteA better word is prejudiced. The prejudiced wing who wouldn't accept a woman of faith at her word, and believed the smear that Kate would be on the warpath to ban abortion again. Eejits.
DeleteHumza's religion was no less intolerant, of course, or relevant.
There are entryists and people with a single agenda in SNP. We do need them out. Not bothered how they are labelled. If Indy is not their priority they should not be in the party.
DeleteIdiot for Scotland in full flow, like an English river.
DeleteYeh. Full of shit
DeleteYou've not seen Scotland's own river Almond after heavy rain. Your beloved party runs West Lothian council and Scotgov, and our river overspills with shite just as well.
Delete12.13pm 3.48pm 8.00pm well well a trio of trolls. Not something you see every day. A Britnat troll trolling 2 of the Sturgeon gang trolls. Who will win? Who is the thickest?
DeleteAll these SNP trolls and their 'Alba need to get rid of Salmond or they are finished ' now saying Alba are finished. The same sort of crap they posted when they said Alba was both irrelevant but negatively affecting the chances of independence.
ReplyDeleteThey really all should be wearing baseball caps saying 'make the SNP great again' because they ain't interested in Scottish independence.
Aye sure. Only you are able to provide Independence. By tomorrow evening alright guv? What a joker.
DeleteAnd what are you then, Dr. Jim? Where's our independence? Your lot had every chance to win it. History says you bottled it.
DeleteAnon troll - at 9.10pm of very limited reading ability. Where do I say only I can provide independence. Unlike Sturgeon I didnae make any promises e.g. 19/10/23 I guess like the good cult member you are you saved the date and believed it would happen. Sturgeon the messiah proclaimed the date from high on a hill in Edinburgh so it must be true. If you flushed your brain down your toilet it wouldnae make you any stupider than you are right now.
DeleteWhat a tosser.
I struggle to see how ALBA can build on their current polling. It seems to me Alex Salmond's main portrayal in media was a critic of the SNP rather than the leader of another party (effectively a Jim Sillars figure, only with more media clout). With the best will in the world, and despite the best efforts of a small number of folk, James included, ALBA hasn't been a positive force in Scottish politics. Perhaps the best that could be said for it that it's drawn the more extreme elements away from the SNP, both in terms of vitriolic hatred of anything approaching normal progressive policies, and the fantastical doctrine of UDI. I suspect it may remain the biggest of the fringe independence parties, but I very much doubt they will have anywhere near enough support to win any list seats. In fact, list seats might be far more competitive with the emergence of Reform, and the SNP likely to need to compensate for probable FPTP losses to Labour in the central belt. So an even more aggressive both votes SNP strategy will like be necessary. Just my opinion what I think will happen, but I'm just not seeing any way for ALBA to get the attention it needs to make any kind of inroad necessary to win seats.
ReplyDeleteMoving forward though Alba supporters are unlikely to return to the SNP unless something significant changes. Also looking at the large gap in the polls between support for independence and support for the SNP it's a lot more than just Alba people who have stopped supporting the SNP for whatever reason.
DeleteThe status quo needs to change and just pleading for people to support the SNP again without anything changing to make them consider it won't be enough. Alba may have failed to obtain electoral success but the reasons why they formed in the first place and why there's still such a divide in the wider Yes movement still exist.
That really needs to be addressed otherwise the calls for SNP 1&2 in 2026 will likely receive a rather negative response to put it mildly.
Very few former SNP members moved to Alba. It is a bigger shambles than SNP and that is some achievement. It will not exist in a years time.
DeleteWell, the SDP still exist after all this time, so Alba might survive in a similar cockroach-like fashion. It'll cease to exist as anything even remotely resembling a credible electoral force, though.
DeleteThe SDP dissolved itself in 1990, A different organisation now exists.
DeleteHonestly, you just can't get the SNP SPADs these days.
"A different organisation now exists."
DeleteWith exactly the same name and even exactly the same logo. Let's not play legalistic Rangers v Sevco games. I'm not sure Alba actually have SPADs, so presumably you're one of the top brass.
It will be interesting to see what happens next for Alba.
ReplyDeleteIt was kind of a catch-22 situation they were in. Salmond brought them attention, headlines, participation in interviews and debates etc. Without Salmond the Party likely would be largely unknown as no one would be talking about them (similarly to how the ISP has been). But rightly or wrongly he also was likely the main reason why people were turned off by the Party.
Moving forward Alba will have a difficult task to keep themselves relevant/noticed but looking at the polls there are a significant number of previous-SNP voters out there who have stopping supporting the SNP for whatever reason. To date Alba have been unsuccessful in attracting most of those people, could they do so now?
No. If independence supporters give up on the SNP, they tend to go to Labour. The challenge for the independence movement is to get them back into the SNP fold. It's fantasy to think they're going to go to Alba in any great numbers.
DeleteThough it's clear that there's a large chuck of independence supporters who have stopped supporting the SNP.
DeleteThe independence movement hasn't been united behind the Party for a number of years and little has changed. The job at present isn't for the independence movement to convince Labour supporters to support the SNP the job is for the SNP to convince independence supporters to support the Party.
If you want to put it that way, fine, as long as you understand those people will mainly vote Labour if the SNP fail to entice them back.
DeleteMany more previously SNP voters simply abstained than bothered to vote for Labour. I’m one of them. The pattern has held since the Rutherglen by-election, and was the overall story of the general election in Scotland. A lot of us have no one to vote for.
DeleteI should add: Alba wasn't even on my ballot, or the ISP. I literally had no one I wanted to see elected.
Delete"AnonymousOctober 20, 2024 at 2:56 PM
DeleteNo. If independence supporters give up on the SNP, they tend to go to Labour. The challenge for the independence movement is to get them back into the SNP fold. It's fantasy to think they're going to go to Alba in any great numbers."
Hi there, Field Marshal McDonald,
How goes the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact for 2026 - and may we be allowed to visit the Tesco Armoured Trolley Museum (which may have a lower requirement than Holyrood for the admission of Scottish patriots)?
Anon @ 3:14PM
DeleteThough we have the General Election to analyse. There was a noticeable drop in turnout.
In many areas, Labour's vote share didn't increase dramatically, but the SNP's vote share decreased. The decline in SNP voter enthusiasm suggests that apathy was a more prominent issue than a large-scale switch to Labour.
"Many more previously SNP voters simply abstained than bothered to vote for Labour."
DeleteThat's just an evidence-free assertion and I very much doubt that it's true. The SNP vote was down 15%, Labour's was up 16%. Join the dots - it's not hard.
While the SNP vote was down 15% and Labour's was up 16%, attributing all of Labour’s gains to direct switches from SNP voters oversimplifies the situation. The significant decrease in turnout (from 68% to 61%) shows that apathy was a factor, particularly among SNP supporters. The assertion that many SNP voters abstained isn't "evidence-free".
DeleteThe argument was that "many more" former SNP voters abstained rather than switched to Labour. That doesn't stack up, and the statistic you cite doesn't support it.
DeleteBasically, both the absolute SNP and Labour votes are showing hefty falls.
DeleteWhen Alba chooses to contest it's either holding steady or showing a significant increase.
That simply isn't true, in fact it's in the realms of fantasy.
DeleteI’m talking about actual votes cast. Take Rutherglen (again) for example:
Delete2019 SNP 23,775
2024 SNP 12,693
Change -11,082
2019 Labour 18,545
2024 Labour 21,460
Change +2,915
2019 turnout 53,794
2024 turnout 42,484
Change -11,310
Eleven thousand SNP voters ditched the party there in July. Three thousand of them, tops, plumped for Labour. The Lib Dems and Tories were down, too, just not nearly as much.
But eleven thousand fewer voters showed up overall. Eleven thousand more abstainers, who were overwhelmingly previous votes for the SNP.
That's how they're losing. Apathy and disappointment.
Anon at 8.46. You have it in a nutshell. Why some people, supposedly Indy supporters, say otherwise is strange. There has been no massive swing to Labour. SNP voters have largely abstained. The problem is that the SNP really do not seem to have taken this on board. Steady as she goes when you are actually sinking isn’t the way forward.
DeleteAnon at 11.43am some of them in the SNP have taken it aboard. That was their goal in the first place.
Delete" Steady as she goes when you are actually sinking isn't the way forward"
of course it isn't the way forward if you want a successful SNP driving Independence forward. But the bad faith actors in the SNP don't want that.
Sadly, with no alternative Yes party on most folk's horizon, those wreckers in the party will get exactly what they want, and still win enough top-up seats in Holyrood to keep it ticking over nicely in opposition.
DeleteYawn. Can we move on from these arguments in the weeds?
ReplyDeleteScotland now has six viable political parties. Alba isn’t one of them and its prospects ain’t good either.
SNP will likely be in a bind post-HR. Who to cooperate with, Lab (with poison pill anti-Indy conditions) or Greens (with all their odd and unpopular baggage)?
Rev. Bath says Labour.
I don’t know what will happen but any re-launch of cooperation with the Greens will surely bring the same policy effluent flooding the bathroom as last time out.
There won't be nearly enough SNP + Green MSPs to form a majority government. In fact, with Reform taking a dozen or more, there might not even be enough Labour + Lib Dem + Green MSPs to form a majority, either.
DeleteStu Campbell's argument is the SNP and Labour are so similar now that they're ideal bedfellows. He despises both of them, so he doesn't mean this kindly! I think he has a point, but he underestimates how much Labour detests Scottish nationalists. Many of Labour's voters do as well. We all know the tactical voting amongst unionists.
Alba haven't managed to entice anywhere near enough MPs or MSPs, sitting or former, from the SNP.
ReplyDeleteDespite Sturgeon's enforcers banishing any dissenters to the fringes of the party or suspending / expelling them entirely, most chose to remain with the SNP or stand as independent.
There really needed to be a steady exodus from SNP to Alba since Feb 2021 for voters to believe they were a serious alternative.
"Alba haven't managed to entice anywhere near enough MPs or MSPs, sitting or former, from the SNP.2
DeleteFor "appeal to authority" types.
It's true, though. If even Fergus Ewing wasn't prepared to move across when he had nothing left to lose, that tells you something.
DeleteTrue. Fergus should have as natural a home in Alba as Ash Regan, but he thought twice of it. That's a bad sign indeed. As bad as Kenny MacAskill and Neale Hanvey doing so miserably bad in the general election.
DeleteFergus is astute. He is not going to jump from a floundering ship to a plank. Alba members are living in hope. James is a great example. Treated appallingly but hanging on in hope. But hope for what? A fair hearing and thereafter democratic procedures being embedded into the Alba constitution? Not going to happen. Alba will be effectively dead in the water come the Scottish Election. It will drag on till then, and win absolutely no seats.
DeleteFergus is astute.Lol.
DeleteFergus is an outspoken hot-head, yes, but in this case I agree he's astute not to jump ship to the flotsam.
DeleteEven with Salmond at the helm, they lost literally every contest, even 100% of their councillors. No one in their right mind honestly expects Alba to win anything now.
I don't celebrate this fact. Nor does Fergus Ewing, I expect. But it's more than obvious.
Allan Faulds - well, he would, wouldn't he? As someone once said.
ReplyDeletePolling wise, I note Labour have crossed the 29% Rubicon now. I have them on 28.9% on a record low turnout, with the latter favouring them as they remain in their oversampling post-election ‘honeymoon’.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Kenneth MacAskill, Aba is now the Alexander Salmond R.I.P. Remembrance Party. Oh dear. Perhaps they will become a religious organisation awaiting the Second Coming? And is there a word for being less consequential than inconsequential?
ReplyDeleteLike the SNP awaiting the return of the Messiah Nicola?
DeleteI believe she is still an MSP.
DeleteSturgeon no doubt flooding Uddingston with her crocodile tears right now. She is devastated that she has been banned from Salmond's memorial. Probably because she would want to take selfies like the ignorant person she is. Anyone seen her husband or is he still locked up in the garden shed.
DeleteMore lies. She was never going to go. Once more ifs sides with the pro devolution Sunday Mail. The stalker ifs needs treatment.
DeleteAnon troll at 10.30pm - you never clarified where Murrell is? Is he locked up in the garden shed? Or has he done a runner to Bolivia? As you seem to be their spokesperson care to clarify.
DeleteAnyone know if you are allowed to take selfies in prison.
So in summary you say she is happy to snub Salmond's memorial. To be expected from such a classless nasty person. Thanks for confirming that.
I had no idea what the anon troll at 10.30pm was prattling on about the Sunday Mail. So I had a look on line. It seems my comments were a pretty good guess. Therefore it is clear that the anon troll is the one who buys the Sunday Mail. Not surprising since Sturgeon's Chief of Staff had a very close relationship with the Daily Record for many years. Very close.
DeleteOh mustn't forget that the SNP government gave the hated Britnat media millions of pounds to keep them going attacking Scottish independence. Strange thing for a party claiming to want independence to do. Also very disappointing when they are now having to make large cuts in their services due to having no money. Sturgeon's SNP government always spending money on the wrong things including that ugly woman Sandy Brindley and her organisation that puts men in Rape counselling services to traumatise them even more. Men in Rape counselling services and men rapists in women prisons. Sturgeon's legacy.
If Alex Salmond had lived then Alba would have won six seat or possibly more in 2026 I am sure about that, because Salmond had a plan to promote Abla on the list as the vote for independence. This was a similar strategy to the list vote campaign for first minister in 2007. Salmond was just getting into his stride recently, and by 2026 the corruption at the top of the SNP would have become more obvious to the general public, the failure of the Sturgeon years, and the need for another independence party. It would have been a perfect storm and Alba would have capitalised on it and perhaps would have saved us from losing the independence majority at Holyrood. What will happen now that Salmond is gone? I’ve no idea. There will still be a need for an independence alternative to the SNP in 2026, but i honestly do know if anyone in the party can pull it off. Kenny MacAskill is a great man but he’s not a media performer like Salmond. Colin Fox, maybe? Or could Angus McNeil do the job? I’m clutching at straws and I’m quite pessimistic about the situation
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but that's totally ridiculous. Alba were going nowhere with or without Salmond. Their vote was flatlining at 1% or 2%.
DeleteAnd I don't think Colin Fox is even a member of Alba!
DeleteHe's not. The SSP still exists, and Fox is very much still its leader. You're probably thinking of Tommy Sheridan, its former leader, who left in a sex scandal and never won election again. A familiar story, alas.
DeleteAnon at 8.46. With respect your post is nonsense, and factually inaccurate. Alba never were and never will be in position to achieve even one seat. Rutherglen?
DeleteAs James said at the time: Salmond should have run in the Rutherglen by-election. With sufficient media focus, he could have scored a decent runner up spot and put the willies up the SNP. But it really had to be him, personally, as the candidate.
DeleteI too found it very strange he bottled such a golden opportunity. Made me wonder if he was covering up a health fright or something. That same thought came back to mind a year later when I heard he'd died of a heart attack.
I voted SNP & Green in 2021. Maggie Chapman got the list seat. No disrespect to Maggie but she won't be getting my vote hext time. If the SNP look like they're going to need the list vote then they'll get it. If not it will be Alba.
ReplyDeleteI voted SNP & Green in every Holyrood election from 1999 (I'd just turned voting age) until 2021, when I switched to Alba on the list. I always got a Green elected, but my Alba vote achieved nothing, which honestly surprised me. That 1% or so of the vote they achieved has proven to be consistent ever since.
DeleteCan't say I’m willing to return to the Greens though, or the SNP unless someone impressive like Joanna Cherry tops their Lothian list. However unlikely!
A shame that Cherry's constituents didn't think much of her.
DeleteThe ferries will run, unlike the high speed train to the "north"
ReplyDeleteSo when do we get electrified rail north of Dunblane?
DeleteI don’t know the Unionists are in charge of infrastructure projects for the past few hundred years. Obviously hash browns aren’t as good as tattie scones in knowing this. Still Labour have agreed to extend the high speed train further into London. Most recent is that HS2 can’t say whether it’s £10 billion or £20billion over cost. That would pay for electrification on Scots energy several times over plus the A9 plus other infrastructure projects. England won’t allow it of course. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crm2843glmjo?at_link_id=C96CA302-858A-11EF-9DF2-BABC6273066A&at_medium=social&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_format=link&at_campaign_type=owned&at_link_origin=BBC_News&at_link_type=web_link&at_ptr_name=facebook_page
DeleteThe britnats promised prosperity with Brexit. Another lie.
ReplyDeleteJohn Swinney FM says there are only two genders but the Scottish government issues a document saying there are a lot more, 24 to be exact. This includes crackers like ' questioning' gender. Alice in Wonderland stuff. Sounds to me like Sturgeon is still in charge. Feel sorry for any teachers who have to teach this stuff to Scottish children.
ReplyDeleteI challenge these anon trolls to confirm that they are the nutjobs by telling me what the hell is this stuff and that they accept it is just fine. If they do please tell me which of the 24 is your own gender.
Fluffy. Not to be confused with Furry. DO NOT MISGENDER US!
DeleteJust in case you didn’t know IFS doesn’t like Nicola Sturgeon.
DeleteIFS disnae like anyone who disagrees with him. The likes of him are damaging the Yes Movement.
DeleteAll the talk of indyref2 from Scotgov and never any action, *that's* what damaged the Yes movement.
DeleteAnon troll at 7.18am - correct but I didn't think I needed a numpty troll like you to make that clear. I guess I must try harder. I absolutely detest Sturgeon and her gang of criminal Britnats. There you go anon troll no need for you to comment any further on this matter. Surely that must be clear even for the most dimwit of Sturgeon supporters that you are trying to assist.
DeleteAnon troll at 10.49am says :- " IFS disnae like anyone who disagrees with him " - that is a lie and you are a regular liar on SGP. You very helpfully pointed out in the past that James does not agree with me on various matters. Which is true but I don't dislike him. So moronic troll your lie is easily proven to be a lie but that won't stop you lying because you are a liar.
10 years and counting of Sturgeon's gang in charge are the problem not me.
It should also be noted that the nutjobs trolls at 7.18am and 10.49am didn't want to say if they were one of the 24 genders. Still questioning gender are you. Don't want to misgender you trolls so come on which of the 24 genders are you.
DeleteThe truth is you trolls cannae address the issues you just spout your abuse.
Just in case you didn’t know, idiot for Scotland is an idiot, but assuredly is not for Scotland. His posts read like the front page headlines of the Daily Mail. Why is that?
DeleteHe's a Tory.
DeleteAnon troll at 12.20 - come on now don't be shy what gender are you - take your pick. You have a choice of 24 Scot gov approved genders. How about the gender - ' Demigender - not otherwise specified'. Is that you anon? 🤣
DeleteYou are the idiot who has been posting I am for Scotland but now you post I am NOT for Scotland. You really ain't very good at trolling.
Moronic troll at 12.41pm - don't be shy pick your gender. How about ' Autigender'.
Only nutjobs except this stuff and not even Swinney agrees with it.
So I'll ask the question again who is in charge?
Ifs - head of the numpty party ( all genders welcomed)!
DeleteGood one😀
DeleteAnon troll at 1.44pm - I’m not a member of any party and I am certainly not going to set up any party. So your post is pish.
DeleteAnon troll at 1.49pm - congratulating yourself on your own post is pretty pathetic stuff. No wonder you post anonymously.
When Alex Salmond was exonerated in the criminal charges brought against him it became apparently clear that there had been a conspiracy to take him out.
ReplyDeleteAlex was granted a referendum because the establishment thought it would be lost and discredit the independence movement. To the contrary the referendum ran them close, closer than we may dare think.
Salmond made a mistake in resigning after the referendum. However, to the establishment he remained a risk. He could come back and do what he had done before but this time lead Scotland to independence and it is at times like these that politicians like Alex Salmond have to be stopped by fair means or foul.
And so it came to pass that Alex Salmond was pursued in circumstances most unusual for sex allegations But he was exonerated, the government had to pay damages and Alex averred that the facts of what happened and how he was stitched up would see the light of day.
And so it was that the court case that he was pursuing was scheduling to resume with it being widely predicted that this would expose the malfeasance of the deep state. Such an exposure would have been political dynamite. State intervention with MI5 agents hollowing out the SNP from within, assisting set up the ex first minister is the stuff of fascist regimes. And such regimes fight dirty when their prized possession is at risk.
And so, last week, in a foreign jurisdiction Alex passed on. Not for him any honour of his body coming back. Rather by the silence and inaction of the establishment they would have brought him back in a garbage truck.
But with his death the suspicion of state intervention has not gone away. Indeed, in a speech in the House of Commons this week the Tory Sir David Davis MP who was nearly Tory leader at one time paid tribute to Alex and made a statement to the house as to how the state had tried to crush Alex Salmond.
And today Craig Murray has given a very detailed interview setting out how he believes Alex was set up by the establishment and how the deep state security apparatus was involved. It is absolute dynamite.
Craig Murray is no fool. Nor are the lawyers and counsel who were progressing Alex's case against the state, who were ready to expose the foul malfeasance of the state. And here the interview is. It should be mandatory listening for everyone who believes in a rule of law, and who rails against fascist states where the apparatus of the state take people out.
Listen and think. Is this the country you want to live in?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFKxY1E5O40
Davis is a Tory. These people including Salmond wanted to destroy Nicola Sturgeon. They should not be allowed to do so.
DeleteWatch the interview, 9:33. Care to take on any of Craig Murray's allegations? None at all?
DeleteCraig Murray is a struggling soul with mental health issues who needs help. He was put upon and misused by gutless individuals, who encouraged him, then disappeared into the background, leaving him to face a prison sentence.
DeleteAd hominem. How about his argument, made in detail in that interview? An argument many of us agree with.
DeleteAd hominem? You don’t appear to know what it means.
DeleteAnon at 11.58. Are you one of the gutless individuals?
DeleteCraig Murray, the guy who stood as a candidate in England for Galloway's "Workers' Party on Great Britain". Sounds rather unionist.
DeleteAs you've shown again, ad hominem means "against the man". It's like dismissing India's campaign for independence from the British Empire because "that Gandhi fellow dresses like a nursery child."
DeleteKept awake by the high winds last night got to thinking that perhaps Alex’ passing will provide an opportunity for his legacy to overcome the foul tarnished image promoted by the British establishment and their agents in the SNP
ReplyDeleteGiving us a chance to move on independence at Mays election
It could be the ultimate tribute
Some loose umbrella pro Indy Now list option
No one can now say a generation hasn’t passed
Let us repay our greatest son with the greatest prize
Give us that box on the ballot and we will come.
DeleteHopefully more of us than ever went for Alba.
Anon at 8:52 am -- you're persistent but you're not changing anyone's opinion. Time to accept that fact.
DeleteAnon at 8.53 - Deluded
DeleteHopeful. Deluded would be *expecting* a good result, which I don't.
DeleteTalking to our local SNP Branch Organiser yesterday. We've stayed friends through our YES group although I gave up on the party 26 months ago.
ReplyDeleteHis guess on current party policy is that the prime concern is the 'demonstrate competence in government' tack. I pointed out the absurdity of needing to do this after seventeen years in government - he shrugged and we moved on.
Meanwhile, in our local area, the Faslane nuclear base is on a road towards becoming an American, NATO base when financing of Trident and its replacement finally hits the wall. Just one local example of what the UK as a failing state has in store for us. We all know many others in health, education, poverty, roads blah blah blah.
Rather than a lot of school kid level mutual abuse on the trajectories of our feckless political parties these are the issues on which we should be campaigning. Properly argued any one of them leads to independence.
The Starmer government demonstrates that the UK has no answers. Let the parties sort their self made mess - campaign for independence !
You're right.
DeleteLet me ask you this: when you say "let the parties sort out their self made mess", who do you mean, specifically?
It's not party members like your old friend. It's not the activists or the paper memberships. It's not every last one of us who's ever been on a Yes march, because all of us only really want independence.
It's the careerists. It's the single-issue entryists who run the Greens with an iron fist and have taken hold of the SNP, too. And ultimately it's the First Minister who must *do* something to force independence back into the centre of real, political action.
How will Yes matches achieve independence?
DeleteI didn't say they (marches, presumably?) would. We've had loads of them and they felt good but didn't do much else.
DeleteCertainly Nicola ignored them.
She certainly didn't ignore pride marches. Swinney liked pride marches as well but never saw him at any independence marches.
DeleteStrange, that. It's almost as though they were trying to tell us something about their actual beliefs.
DeleteIfs - the mysoginst
DeleteDr Jim at 3.52pm the self confessed women assaulter - he liked to grab them by the neck he boasted - has some nerve accusing anyone of a being a mysoginist. Men who physically assault women are generally cowards and you can see that in the way Jimbo posts as anon here but Dr Jim on WGD. He regularly peppers his posts on WGD with a desire to physical assault people. But there you are that's the reality these despicable shits from WGD live in.
DeleteIfS , Scotland's very own Mary Whitehouse.
DeleteThis is all very confusing. I thought I was Campbell and lived in Bath. Have I now self ID as Mary Whitehouse 🤣🤣🤣🤣 You cannot be serious.
DeleteJohn Swinney has had a pretty good few months as leader. He has started the rebuild and brought stability. He is liked by ordinary people.
ReplyDeleteSURENESS-OF-TOUCH
DeleteFind: Humza.
DeleteReplace: Swinney.
Fingers crossed the party does too!
Alba are done, the lost deposits show that.
ReplyDeletethe SNP will be done, the arrests will show that
DeleteAs much as I loathe what Nicola and her hubby did to the party, I don't think the SNP itself will fall with them. We Scots are a loyal people, and the SNP has been a vital part of our national story since the 1970s at least. Just look at how pitiful the Alba, ISP and other pro indies did in July's general election, and you see the power of the SNP as a brand, even on a horrendous day for them.
DeleteI consider John Swinney to be a useless leader, who doesn't even really want independence himself, so I’m no SNP loyalist. That doesn't stop me from seeing the power they have to attract the support of the Scottish public, however, and dominating the Yes side of the debate.
John Swinney has been able to put the ship right after a turbulent period. He is a good leader.
DeleteA turbulent period caused by another superb leader of yours, which her excellent successor was somehow unable to handle without throwing himself out of office.
DeleteSwinney hasn't fixed anything, either, btw.
That was the SGPs fault.
DeleteHumza sacked them from the coalition. Of course they withdrew their support. You think they should have apologised for breathing and kept supporting him? He made a howler of a mistake.
DeleteAnon at 11.49. Three years of investigation, dozens of officers and millions of pounds, and to date not a single case has reached a court. Only the dimmest of individuals can’t work out what’s happening. You and IFS should form a wee association. Could call yourselves WFS?
ReplyDeleteAnon troll at 12.48pm - where is the missing 'ring fenced fund' ? £600k. Still no answer.
DeleteWhich of the 24 genders are you troll. Go on it's Scotgov policy even if Swinney thinks it's mince. Still no answer.
Police Scotland have been pressing the COPFS to proceed but there's been resistance. Better question to ask might be: Who might not want cases to end up in a court room?
DeleteWe know that Peter Murrell has been charged and I doubt it's the British State slowing things down to ensure he doesn't encounter a jury of his peers.
How about Radge for Scotland ?!
DeleteSo anon@1.15pm £600 k goes missing and you shrug your shoulders.
DeleteShrug
DeleteYou're arguing with anonymous numpties just as bad as KC.
DeleteIfS, I salute your indefatigability!
The troll at 1.45pm demonstrates that ( unidentified gender ) the possible theft of £660 k is not a problem. I bet Natalie McGarry wished (unidentified gender ) was on her jury at her embezzlement trial.
DeleteOff topic but the pretend cleric in Bath is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Sadly, he is doing so off the back of the tragic death of A S. Used to wonder how low he would go. Now I know. The irony of his recent posts will of course be completely lost in him.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people share his anger though.
DeleteThe tweets he's been quoting (such as the ones from Joanna Cherry) many agree with and feel it all needs to see the light of day in order to vindicate Alex and then allow us to heal & move on.
Tory in Bath cares about Scotland. Bless his cotton socks !
DeleteTo be fair he and Alex were close.
DeleteFor all his faults, Salmond did indeed like him.
DeleteProbably because of his faults, let's be honest.
DeleteWhat 'recent posts'? He's published only two since Salmond's death and none at all since the 16th
DeleteYes, there's not much of a "resurgence in popularity", those posts are amassing comments because he's not updating the site.
DeleteTwo posts. One a eulogy after the death of AS which I think is common practice in these circumstances and one attacking the press for continuing to vilify AS even in death. No matter what you think of Campbell, both posts are perfectly valid and not ironic in any way.
DeleteCampbell's output has been a disgrace since Salmond died.
DeleteAgreed, it's hard to defend Rev Bath this time. His appalling comment to Wishart set the tone, but it only got worse from there. You'd hope in these situations that a friend might have a quiet word with him, but I'm not sure he really has any friends.
DeleteIf there is a statue of Salmond there must also be one of Sturgeon. Both or Sturgeon only.
ReplyDeleteI nominate the Scottish Parliament bogs for the Sturgeon statue.
DeleteSturgeon's statue should be just behind Salmond's, with a knife to his back.
DeleteAnon at 1.48pm - sitting on a broomstick wearing a black pointy hat would be a nice touch. Her ( well I'm not sure what her preferred gender is out of the 24. If there was an imposter gender that would be appropriate) ugly mug would need no modification.
DeleteI noticed that the official list of genders doesn't include man or woman, apparently all us believers in biology are all one gender - cis.
DeleteYes but you can be a transman or a transwoman, just not a man or woman. Honestly, as long as the SNP remains committed to espousing this absolute drivel, we are on the road to nowhere as regards winning over voters.
DeleteIFS at 4:02 pm showing his "ugly" misogynistic mind yet again.
DeleteAnon troll at 4.32pm - I’m not that keen on Blowhard Blackford does that count as well?
DeleteNor Yousaf the brief. Nor John REDACTOR MAN Swinney. Nor Schrodinger's Murrell. Nor Pishfart. Do they count as well?
I mean what if some of them are gender fluid, agender or neutral for example . How is one to know if one is being misogynist?
Can you explain what a woman is so I can be clear - all this stuff from the SNP is very confusing. I mean how does one know when you are being misogynistic when all these people keep changing from a man to a woman and back again in the blink of an eye. How does one know - it's like a roulette table. Throw out your insult and see if it lands on a man or a woman of a very confused person.
You will be in the gutter no doubt waiting your first flush
ReplyDeleteOT- it is reported that the U.K. government will not apologise for slavery or for reparation. For the historians out there has there ever been an apology to Scots for the Highland Clearances, to the Irish for the plantation?
ReplyDeleteShouldn’t we be demanding reparation and land reform.
Land reform is about the present. Right now, far too much of Scotland is carved up for the exclusive use of hunting estates, employing almost no one. There's also giant areas of the central belt owned by massive firms as "land banks" which they sit on, blocking development.
DeleteThen there's all the empty "second" homes littered across every populated nook of the Highlands. Empty houses contribute nothing to the community and block locals from raising their own children there. Our towns and villages are rotting thanks to this.
The result of all of this is that the vast majority of us are cooped up with next to no room, and a real shortage of affordable homes. Meanwhile, super wealthy interests hoard our land at will, and foreign corporations.
Scotland is for Scots!
Welcome to the real world of western capitalism.
DeleteIf you don’t like it, move to North Korea or Russia and try and persuade them to do what you want.
Stop complaining and get on with your life.
The highland clearances were conducted by Scots and most of the Northern Ireland plantations were Presbyterian Scots.
DeleteYou can apologise yourselves because you did it.
I'd do what Denmark does and restrict home ownership to those who pay taxes here, not abroad.
DeleteOpen cast capitalism is just a symptom of bad laws. Our brothers across Europe have a lot we can learn.
Anon at 4.07 uses the old tact that if something bad is done it is by a Scot if it is something good the Scot is British. If the British Empire did something bad it was the Scots. If it did something good ( nothing that wisnae self serving springs to mind) it was British. Nobody falls for that crap these days anon.
DeleteSomeone else declaring themselves as British is Nicola Sturgeon and she is definitely bad.
NICOLA STURGEON LIMITED
Private Limited Company
First accounts due by 7 June 2025
Nature of Business - Artistic Creation
Nationality - British
I'm guessing Artistic Creation refers to her Book of Lies. Let's hope the accounts due next year do not show a balance of £600 k because people could misunderstand that coinicidence.
I'm not publishing her home address from the accounts as there are way too many pyscho trolls out there. But I suppose if the blue tent is still there it would be easy to find her home. Also the cry coming from the garden shouting " let me out Nicola I promise to be good in future" is all a bit of a giveaway.
But they are the same as us-western capitalists.
DeletePeople want a system that allows the potential of obtaining a better life/wealth and will not knowingly vote for that system to be abolished.
IFS at 4:30 pm ... you are truly infatuated with NS. A bit like unrequited love.
DeleteMoronic anon troll at 4.37pm - perhaps you are infatuated and love someone you think is bad. Weirdo. That is not for me.
DeleteThere is one set of trolls trying to gaslight people on SGP that black is white - they are Britnats - two subsets - openly a Britnat like KC and those supporting Sturgeon's gang.
ReplyDeleteBlack is white? That's nothing. Skier skis uphill!
DeleteSturgeons gang? Is that 30%+ of the electorate. Who is your leader?
DeleteSturgeon's gang is the sect at the top of the party, like Swinney, Yousaf, Alyn Smith, Angus Robertson, those we are legally prohibited from naming publicly, and Ian Blackford. A small cabal who have concentrated power in their own hands, and done fuck all for independence.
DeleteAlba will get us Indy if only folk would vote for them.
DeleteIfS, "Paranoia strikes deep, into your heart it will creep."
DeleteAnon at 4.24pm - are you a medical doctor or a poet. I doubt you are much cop at either.
DeleteWho are you not allowed to name? Voldemort or Ivemadeitup?
ReplyDeleteWoman A through K. The court order holds for lifetime.
DeleteWhich of the alphabetties has the greatest similar evil intent as per Voldemort?
DeleteI've narrowed it down to A and H. Hard to pick a winner. Alphabetty A may have just been doing a job of work for the British state but H was probably just plain evil. What is worse state evil or individual evil? Still cannae decide.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteA was the ringleader and very close to you know who. And H was the principal perjurer and very close to another high heid yin but no conspiracy?
DeleteIs “ close “ code for shagging” Are they both shagging Britnats?
DeleteHighly likely given what goes on in the upper echelons of the party.
DeleteI think Alba might well survive - but more as a tiny clique dedicated solely to the downfall of the SNP, rather than a properly functioning, vote-attracting political party.
ReplyDeleteAnd, going by the on-going invective from ridiculous zealots like IFS on here, the latter looks like a bolted-on certainty.
DF
The FORMER looks like a bolted-on certainty.
DeleteDF
DF - you blew any credibility with that mistake. Your other mistake is I am not a member of Alba and my posts are not for the benefit of any political party.
DeleteYou could, of course, expressed your opinion without referencing me but you highlighted your ignorance.
Lol.
DeleteReading your historic posts, pal - your wee neck could do with a polish with Brasso, accusing anyone else of lacking credibility.
You support and probably vote for Alba - that much is pretty crystal from your extremely numerous rants.
Are you on a discounted rate on here, perhaps?😂😂😂
IfS isn’t an Alba voter but an ISP one. as IfS has made clear repeatedly here.
DeleteDo some basic research before posting here, pal.
Lol anon at 5.19pm - "historic posts, pal" - you mean like the last few weeks. I voted for the ISP in July and I posted that fact on numerous occasions on SGP. I liked their policy of non attendance at Westminster if elected.
DeleteLike most dimwit trolls their idea of history only stretches back to where they went on holiday last year.
Historic posts - what a clown.
I did support Alba initially and gave them my regional list vote in 2021. It's all there in my historic posts. I may vote for them or the SNP again in the future if they change.
As a clown you are not really that funny just embarrassing. There is no discounted rate on SGP you don't pay to post. Finally, I am not your pal and never will be. I don't suffer fools easily and you have removed any doubt about that matter.
So you were an Alba Voter and may be again.
DeleteI think the chance of you ever voting SNP will be practically non-existent, given your very obvious detestation of that party and the miniscule chance that it will 'change' enough to meet your expectations.
Still - ISP really does give you the chance to waste your vote entirely.
Good for you, pal.
Now......to get back to the main point of my original post - I still reckon Alba's 'best' days are probably behind them and their future as a realistically electable party, will now diminish fast.
The voting public do not like them. Simple as that.
Similar to ISP in that regard.
'Fringe Groups R Us'.
Oops - nearly forgot to sign my post.
DeleteDF
DF - you did forget to sign your post - not big on detail are you. I am not your pal. You miss out the fact that I voted SNP continuously for many elections when I thought they were a party for independence. I even voted SNP in the Holyrood 2021 constituency when I knew what they were. I said on SGP I hoped the membership would see sense when they see Sturgeon fails to deliver on her Indyref2 promises.
Delete19/10/23 - I bet you saved the date. Every one of you should get it tattooed on the back of your left hand and fool tattooed on the back of your left hand.
The SNP have not been a party for independence since Sturgeon took over. Allied to that I would not vote for a criminal charlatan leadership.
Your personal morals may allow you to do so.
Lol.
DeleteNot only another meaningless wee rant - but from a Moral Crusader, eh?
I would normally say 'Get Real'......but in your case, that would be a total waste of time.
You live in yer own wee 'Wings-World' dontcha pal.
Best place for you and your ilk, really.
Not much use elsewhere........
Is DF just a typo or something? You seem more Dip Shit going by what you write.
DeleteThey are my initials, Dummy.
DeleteOne step further than you are prepared to take, you anon tit.
I prefer my anonymity full fat.
DeleteNo surprise.
DeleteThe official gender list.
ReplyDeleteAll 24 genders.
Not sure if you have to stick with the first one chosen or can you change in the future if it is going out of fashion.
Cisgender
Trans man
Trans woman
Non - Binary
Trans - not otherwise specified
Agender
Trans masculine
Trans feminine
Genderfluid
Genderqueer
Questioning
Intersexual
Assigned female at birth - not specified
Assigned male at birth - not specified
Pangender
Bigender
Autigender
Andronymous
Gender non-conforming
Detransitioned
Neutral
Demigender - female
Demigender - male
Demigender - not otherwise specified.
Now we know what Sturgeon has been working on the last 10 years. Do not ask me what they all mean. Sturgeon in wonderland. There is bound to be somebody not happy with that list and more will be added as long as Sturgeon's gang are in charge.
This sort of deviant garbage, borne out of a fog of mental illness should never see the light of day, let alone be official guidance by a National Government which has just shed half a million voters, sick to death of it's social engineering schemes.
DeleteHey Dr Jim you wouldnae be a trans masculine would you - whatever the hell that is. The lunatics are running the show and SNP members are to blame.
DeleteThink again if SNP is going to cave in to the gammon dinosaur reactionary agenda. Nicola Sturgeons approach to LGBTQ+ issues was spot on and deserves praise. John Swinney deserves praise for continued support of the LGBTQ+ rights.
DeleteAutigender: so autism is a gender now? Oh…kay…
DeleteJames Kelly did not support Alba strongly on his blog at elections when Alex Salmond was leader.
ReplyDeleteAh, our newest numpty. You're a silly bugger, aren't you? What about poll analysis don't you get? The word BIASED isn't in the masthead, nor CHEERLEADER. You think it should be added?
Delete