tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post4887905365790592392..comments2024-03-29T11:16:57.507+00:00Comments on SCOT goes POP!: Where Labour went wrongJames Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-62786113983079998772015-05-21T06:23:30.564+01:002015-05-21T06:23:30.564+01:00Nope. Cameron just looked like the coward he so cl...Nope. Cameron just looked like the coward he so clearly is. Since we seem to be back to ashamed/'shy' tories fucking up the polling then it's worth pointing out that there's a reason they are ashamed and that the tiny majority and his obvious weakness when he tries to stand up to his own party's lunatic right-wing is not the only thing Cameron has in common with John Major.<br /><br />As we shall see soon enough. ;-)Mick Porknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-91521055229076743012015-05-20T23:15:43.607+01:002015-05-20T23:15:43.607+01:00On UK level I think the reason Labour lost can be ...On UK level I think the reason Labour lost can be summed up in two words: "Ed Stone".<br />I thought maybe they'd dumped it in that giant warehouse at the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark"but apparently it's turned up in Woolwich:<br />http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ed-miliband/11609988/Labours-Ed-Stone-found-hidden-at-an-industrial-estate-called-Westminster.htmlAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08933855705268790197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-67636119468263836642015-05-20T23:04:25.277+01:002015-05-20T23:04:25.277+01:00Maybe he knows where the "bodies" are bu...Maybe he knows where the "bodies" are buried?!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08933855705268790197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-67477623570926060982015-05-20T21:51:59.703+01:002015-05-20T21:51:59.703+01:00Maybe you should write an article that lucidly exp...Maybe you should write an article that lucidly explains your views.RICHARD Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13029318553954353915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-18443503778415236462015-05-20T21:23:55.332+01:002015-05-20T21:23:55.332+01:00They also had a massive campaign to unseat Carolin...They also had a massive campaign to unseat Caroline Lucas - why pour resources into unseating a Green instead of a Tory?Annettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08585870150928387172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-32625738429941312482015-05-20T21:20:14.801+01:002015-05-20T21:20:14.801+01:00Very good analysis. On UK level I would add: Faili...Very good analysis. On UK level I would add: Failing to be an effective opposition, and letting the Tories define the political narrative. It seemed almost as if they were scared of tackling the Tories. Also, an election campaign full of silly gimmicks and PR stunts, and without any discernable political coherence.Annettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08585870150928387172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-7212841754572619032015-05-20T21:15:28.808+01:002015-05-20T21:15:28.808+01:00However, the plans for a revised tax system that w...However, the plans for a revised tax system that was made for an independence Scotland would have curbed the big companies by making them pay their way. Why do you really think they were against it?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-45353082001668845942015-05-20T21:13:36.234+01:002015-05-20T21:13:36.234+01:00Cameron also outplayed them. By bowing out of the ...Cameron also outplayed them. By bowing out of the debates, in the first one Cameron came out worse against Milliband, after that Milliband was made to look bad compared to Sturgeon. Cameron just sat and watched and laughed. If he had took part, he would ahve looked worse than Milliband, and it could ahve changed the result.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-43199624095395602142015-05-20T21:10:40.647+01:002015-05-20T21:10:40.647+01:00Anon, the first lesson in winning people over to y...Anon, the first lesson in winning people over to your side is to not attack them.<br /><br />I cite 'Labour party vs Scottish electorate' as a classic test case.Scottish_Skiernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-72781180269854183482015-05-20T20:42:34.156+01:002015-05-20T20:42:34.156+01:00Mmkay Mr Chomsky.
We'll be sure to give you ...Mmkay Mr Chomsky. <br /><br />We'll be sure to give you a call for the next Indyref because either we were all fucking hallucinating or some of the biggest and most corrupt crony capitalists were on the No side cheek to jowl with the tories, Labour and the lib dems.<br /><br />Funding them in fact.Mick Porknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-62022889530466454942015-05-20T19:58:38.631+01:002015-05-20T19:58:38.631+01:00The McTernan thing is the biggest mystery of all. ...The McTernan thing is the biggest mystery of all. At least Murphy had a track history of winning elections in his constituency. Has McTernan ever been in charge of anything but losing campaigns? Why does he keep getting hired? Can anyone explain it?keatonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-35588683349141139512015-05-20T19:15:20.506+01:002015-05-20T19:15:20.506+01:00The SNP do not appreciate that capitalism is destr...The SNP do not appreciate that capitalism is destroying the planet and human lives. In reality they are part of the problem. Will independence mean Scotland is not subservient to banks and corporations? I doubt it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-73028115110602618902015-05-20T18:30:27.208+01:002015-05-20T18:30:27.208+01:00Back when Murphy was being anointed by the BBC Sco...Back when Murphy was being anointed by the BBC Scotland sock puppets (e.g. jogging outside Pacific Quay in a Scotland top, etc.) he did actually promise to hire "Yes" supporters in his new role as the "wholly autonomous" manager of the British Labour Party's Scottish branch office. Typically, that was the last we heard of it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08933855705268790197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-65659672764087042542015-05-20T17:11:39.161+01:002015-05-20T17:11:39.161+01:00Skinner is a perfect example of the out of touch w...Skinner is a perfect example of the out of touch westminster establishment's petulant resentment of scottish MPs and arrogant sense of entitlement. <br /><br />The rules are clear and if this token 'mascot' of old Labour is whining about being too old to change his ways then perhaps he should have explained his infirmity to his constituents with a touch more clarity during the election campaign.<br /><br />Though what anyone who likes to think they are left-wing is still doing in the party of Blair and Miliband is complete fucking mystery TBH.Mick Porknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-83039486265605702002015-05-20T15:57:54.887+01:002015-05-20T15:57:54.887+01:00McTernan and McDougal how on earth did anyone thin...McTernan and McDougal how on earth did anyone think they would have known how to appeal to Yes voters? Murphy should have hired some folk from the Yes campaign to keep him right.John Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-92036682141977386532015-05-20T14:38:04.269+01:002015-05-20T14:38:04.269+01:00A very incisive post Denise.
It's also worth ...A very incisive post Denise.<br /><br />It's also worth pointing out that the lib dems also repeated a great many of those mistakes yet they have become such an utter irrelevance nobody even cares that the chump Rennie is astonishingly still in place as their scottish leader.<br /><br />Rennie didn't just comprehensively fail to turn things around after the 2011 SNP landslide, just like Murphy, he managed to make things <i>even worse!</i><br /><br />As a trusted member of Clegg's ostrich faction Rennie toed the line and did what he was telt regardless of the obvious voter and activist stampede away from the yellow tories. <br /><br />Like Murphy and SLAB Rennie too thought endlessly banging away about how terrible the SNP and it's supporters were would somehow magically turn things around all the while enabling some of the most disgusting and illiberal tory policies.<br /><br />Perhaps the most staggering thing about Rennie and Clegg's ostrich faction is that they are <i>still</i> at it! Rennie looks to have all but given up scotland and is back to banging on about how awful the SNP even now are while we can actually still talk about Clegg's ostrich faction despite the toxic Clegg having gone. (YEARS too late to prevent him from toxifying the lib dems as whole) Every single spinner and supporter of Clegg in the lib dem backrooms is still in place while they are desperately talking about the lib dem Lords being their 'saviours' without a shred of irony after the Lord Rennard scandal. <br /><br />True, the likes of wee Danny and his chums have been wiped out (save for the numpty Carmichael) but that was another obvious one we predicted long ago precisely because Rennie wasn't even bothered about the damage that was obviously being done by the yellow tories to scotland.<br /><br />There will be absolutely no way back for them with Clegg's allies in place. They not only will repeat all the same mistakes they already are. Keeping Rennie where he is is total confirmation they don't even care about scotland any more after they were annihilated. <br /><br />An annihilation which most of James readers and posters predicted long, long ago let's never forget.<br /><br />Labour will move to another Blairesque triangulator though we will see if they turn out to be quite as small as little Ed was. Burnham seems to be the only one with his eye on the ball as talking about bringing the EU referendum forward is canny. The start of that IN/OUT referendum campaign is about the only thing that can distract the right-wing media from screaming about red communists and union barons regardless of who wins the Labour leadership.<br /><br />You can also pretty much sum up everything that Labour did wrong by that one mad (though hilarious) act of Murphy's in hiring "no-brainer" McTernan as his political guru and spinner. <br /><br />We all laughed pretty damn hard when the right-wing media and tory twits told us we must be afraid of Murphy but some of us laughed even harder after he hired "no-brainer" McTernan. Rightly so. :-DMick Porknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-43689743287073492112015-05-20T13:55:29.487+01:002015-05-20T13:55:29.487+01:00Good suggestion David.
Denise - I'm looking f...Good suggestion David.<br /><br />Denise - I'm looking forward to as excellent a piece on the SNP's strategy, as this one is on Labour's (failed) tactics!Justin Kenrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05371269693334856586noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-2318114578456679172015-05-20T13:26:03.358+01:002015-05-20T13:26:03.358+01:00A case in point from yesterday:
http://www.thenat...A case in point from yesterday:<br /><br />http://www.thenational.scot/news/peter-geoghegan-why-should-political-zombie-jim-murphy-dictate-terms-to-the-living.3126<br /><br />Photo caption: Jim Murphy reflects happily on successfully avoiding a total wipeout of Labour MPs in Scotland.<br /><br />Now you know why I'm not writing captions for The National! ;-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08933855705268790197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-26496097935395069212015-05-20T12:34:02.031+01:002015-05-20T12:34:02.031+01:00Well, one thing's for sure Denise: you will be...Well, one thing's for sure Denise: you will be the only writer in Scotland (if not the UK) who has attempted to write such an article. I've been waiting for one in The National, but all I'm getting are the aforementioned smiling Jim Murphy shots and endless opinions about how to resuscitate British Labour. I suspect there are a lot of other people who, like me, now want to know what exactly the SNP can actually do to exert real political influence on the Westminster parliamentary system or whether, as the London-centric media (and many who populate their comment forums) would have us believe, the 56 SNP MPs are almost totally powerless. I don't have the political acumen to work out how the SNP might seek to influence the UK laws that exert massive influence over the daily lives of Scots, so I am looking forward to reading a sharp analysis by someone who does!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08933855705268790197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-24967904093152925702015-05-20T12:32:50.493+01:002015-05-20T12:32:50.493+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08933855705268790197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-66648048112854014742015-05-20T11:28:32.064+01:002015-05-20T11:28:32.064+01:00I could actually do companion post on what SNP and...I could actually do companion post on what SNP and the wider Yes movement got right. I can immediately think of 12 things of the top of my headdenisenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-10425376923010530052015-05-20T11:13:03.137+01:002015-05-20T11:13:03.137+01:00The 'largest party forms the government' w...The 'largest party forms the government' which was repeated ad-nauseam even when comprehensively debunked. It was obvious they were lying.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-39028918418067536352015-05-20T11:12:59.055+01:002015-05-20T11:12:59.055+01:00A very astute analysis Denise. Well done!
Now ple...A very astute analysis Denise. Well done! <br />Now please can we have an equally well thought out analysis of what the SNP got right and what they need to do to capitalise on that success?<br />All I get from the mainstream media are photographs of Jim Murphy smiling from ear to ear (no, I can't explain it either), thousands of words on where British Labour in Scotland went wrong, and detailed advice on how they can dig themselves out of the hole they've dug.<br />Rather annoyingly, I'm going to keep pointing out the mainstream media's obsession with British Labour's plight, because I'd be quite happy to see British Labour consigned to the proverbial dustbin along with the rest of the panda coalition.<br />Of course, if I had your journalistic talent I would write the article myself, but unfortunately I don't, so I am counting on you to come through for me on this one.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08933855705268790197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-53723193780207942462015-05-20T10:51:48.531+01:002015-05-20T10:51:48.531+01:00I think Labour need to 're-engage' with th...I think Labour need to 're-engage' with the electorate. To 'listen' and 'regain trust'. Rebuild 'from the bottom up' etc. Like they did in 2007 and 2011.<br /><br />:-)<br /><br />Nice summary Denise.Scottish_Skiernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-91403127958840140772015-05-20T10:20:07.460+01:002015-05-20T10:20:07.460+01:00To grow the economy you need to grow employment an...To grow the economy you need to grow employment and productivity. <br /><br />That's why the SNP need the powers to be transferred to HolyRood So for example they can cut employers NI for SME's which would help employment. And give incentives to investment for SMEs to aid productivity.<br /><br />Labour really didn't care about Scotland, the MPs enriched themselves while providing lobby fodder to the UK New Labour party as it moved to the right.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com