Saturday, March 7, 2015
Return of the Syd Little of British politics
Just a quick note to let you know that I have a new article at the International Business Times, about the nostalgia-inducing foray into Scottish affairs of a former Prime Minister who was memorably described by Ben Elton as "the Syd Little of British politics". It can be read HERE. (It's also on Yahoo HERE.)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
A wee flaw in Johnny Boy's argument comes when he says that one reason that the UK would be put in 'peril' is that 'the two parties loathe and distrust one another in Scotland' and would be focused on their 'own party interests'. Leaving aside that the last bit is something that is true of all such arrangements ever, he ignores the fact that lots of SNP MPs would mean a scarcity of Labour Scots ones for them to be fighting with.
ReplyDeleteDo English Labour MPs care as much? I think if you're, say, a Labour MP in northern England, your first concern should be getting into power to represent your constituents more powerfully than you can in opposition. And I suspect that some of them do feel like that, hence the screeching of Scottish Labour MPs who feel like they are being abandoned to their fate. If such English MPs are prepared to let the Tories have another five years of government just to spite the SNP, then they would be doing a wretched job of looking out for the people they are meant to represent. All deserve MPs prepared to fight for those who have elected them, first and foremost, and not on the basis of petty party feuds.
I've never considered Major to be a very serious or remotely impressive figure and I'm hardly alone in that. Particularly after it was revealed that Major - who was the 'brains' behind the nasty party "back to basics" campaign - had been sleazing it up and having an affair with Edwina Currie.
ReplyDeleteHe is simply yet another in a long, long long of failed and discredited politicians who the westminster establishment refuses to accept are not universally loved or respected. Just like those other two of the westminster establishment's 'finest', Jack Straw and Malcolm Rifkind.
'Lord' Baker was also at it with some bigoted out of touch nonsense where, after foaming at the mouth about the SNP, he called for a tory Labour coalition.
Bit of a blow to the Eggman on his and Wallace's (little Ed) 'grand day out' at the London branch office 'knees up' in Edinburgh. :-D
I suppose one could be charitable and credit the Tories with a little bit of cunning and/or intelligence for floating that idea.
DeleteMy favourite memory of Major is when he painted his picture of a typical British Sunday. Spinsters cycling to church, and the sound of cork on leather.
DeleteClearly he wan;t thinking of Stornoway.
I'm sure he went on about warm beer as well!
DeleteUsual nonsense sub-sample results in the weekly Opinium poll. SNP down-weighted from 88 to 41 (Scotland from 190 to 131), which results in Lab 39, SNP 32, Con 17, LD 7. SNP support is basically the same as last week (slightly up as it happens), but the severe down-weighting makes it almost impossible for the SNP to score more than 30-odd in that poll.
ReplyDeletehttp://ourinsight.opinium.co.uk/sites/ourinsight.opinium.co.uk/files/vi_03_03_2015_all_slides.pdf
I wonder if any Labour types will get all excited? If not, it speak volumes for the credibility of the pollster in a way!
DeleteOh, they are. Apparently full-scale telephone polls of 24 constituencies are not to be trusted, but a weirdly weighted sub-sample of a Great Britain poll is. Desperation will make people think anything, I suppose.
Deletehttps://twitter.com/scot_sure/status/574281663296962562
Oh dear. I don't suppose it would occur to some to wait until there is at least a trend across pollsters before they start proclaiming that the tide has turned? No doubt the BBC and STV will report this as a swing from some high water mark from another polling firm as well :)
DeleteReferred to Alex Salmond as 'their Westminster leader' and to the elections to the 'Scottish Assembly' next year. Ignoramus.
ReplyDeleteYouGov sub-sample: SNP 43, Lab 22, Con 19, Others <8.
ReplyDeleteSome of the YouGov sub-samples this week have shown lower SNP leads, but it just looks like sampling variation around the stable long term averages (SNP low 40s, Lab mid 20s, Con high teens).