There was a time (in 2009, I think) when this blog was primarily a round-up of Scottish subsamples from UK opinion polls of Westminster voting intention. It would be a bit difficult to sustain that now, given that there's a YouGov poll virtually every day. However, I thought you might enjoy the latest one (fieldwork was carried out yesterday and the day before) -
SNP 42%
Labour 31%
Conservatives 18%
Liberal Democrats 5%
Did someone say something about a 'Scomnishambles'?
The poll also shows that Scots are less likely than respondents from any other region of the UK to think that British troops are "winning" in Afghanistan, or that the war is winnable.
http://www.govtoday.co.uk/politics/25-devolved/13696-an-independent-scotland
ReplyDeleteOpinion piece from Alex Salmond, First Minister for Scotland on Scottish independence.
Some interesting points if you haven't heard it all before
Excellent polling figures, which come, of course, with the usual health warnings about subsamples.
ReplyDeleteBut this does seem to show that whilst Labour has moved forward in England where it has been in opposition for 2.5 years, it is falling farther behind in Scotland where it has been in opposition for 6.5 years.
Whether this is down to the quality of Labour in each of the two countries, or that of the government in these countries, or a mixture of both, is a matter of conjecture.
The job now is to take the confidence Scottish people clearly have in their government, for whatever reason(s) and convince them of the argument that that level of efficiency, and the matching of services offered to the aspirations of the population could be extended to areas presently reserved to London, including defence, which as you note, is somewhat differently regarded in the two counties.
It should be easy enough to do. It certainly would be easier to do if there was a level playing field in the press and television.
Whilst, to paraphrase, one poll does not independent make, it is none-the-less encouraging to see that the hard work of the government in Edinburgh seems at least to be appreciated.
Incidentally, I noticed a question in one of the Yougov polls today which asked for respondents' voting intentions were there to be a referendum with two alternatives that there will not be: Status quo and devolution max. I wonder who commissioned that.
Lamont's inept attempts to go after the SNP and Salmond with her personalised vitriol was, we can only assume, another inspired strategy from SLAB and Westminster Labour.
ReplyDeleteIt simply won't work when Lamont and Miliband are clearly far less trusted on scotland. It shows how desperate Labour are becoming two years out and with no ideas other than their catastrophic 'too poor, too wee and too stupid' that saw them hammered in 2011.
Trident and other militaristic posturing are, as James highlights, only going to backfire on the unionists too.
You combine that with Lamont's recent trumpeting of Thatcherite values and it's a toxic mix that only the most out of touch in scottish Labour could possibly think was any kind of sustainable or winning strategy.
I just wonder if Lamont will still be there as leader in two years if she keeps this level of incompetence up. Let's hope she is.