Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Remember that the Scottish people were fearful about the future of devolution even *before* Boris Johnson called it a "disaster"

Alex Massie in the Spectator: "Speaking to his northern English MPs last night, Johnson declared that devolution has been 'a disaster north of the border' and was the biggest mistake Tony Blair ever made. The implication, quite obviously, is that in a better ordered world the Scottish parliament should be abolished." 

Just a reminder of how fearful voters were about the future of the Scottish Parliament before our beloved Prime Minister called devolution a "disaster"... 

If Scotland does not become an independent country over the next ten years, and if the Conservatives remain in power at Westminster, which of the following three outcomes do you think is most likely? (Scot Goes Pop / Panelbase poll, 5th-11th November 2020) 

The UK Conservative government will substantially increase the Scottish Parliament's powers: 23% 

The UK Conservative government will substantially reduce the Scottish Parliament's powers: 55% 

The UK Conservative government will abolish the Scottish Parliament altogether: 22% 

TOTAL REDUCE/ABOLISH: 77% 

And of the potential electoral consequences of those fears... 

If the UK Conservative government substantially reduces the powers of the Scottish Parliament or abolishes the Scottish Parliament altogether, would you be more likely or less likely to support Scotland becoming an independent country?

More likely: 69% 
Less likely: 31% 

Incidentally, Alex Massie went on to say this: "Arguing that devolution has failed because Nicola Sturgeon is first minister is the same as arguing that Britain has failed because Boris Johnson is Prime Minister...A rotten government in Edinburgh no more makes devolution a disaster than Johnson proves the Union’s bankruptcy. (The answer, in each case, is to elect a better government.)" 

Which is fine, if you actually have the capacity to do that in each case. The Scottish people can certainly elect the Scottish government that they most want, but I'm at something of a loss to explain how Alex thinks they can elect the UK government they most want, given that Scotland only has 59 of 650 seats at Westminster.

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Later today I'll publish the final batch of results in the Scot Goes Pop / Panelbase poll - watch a preview below.

 

9 comments:

  1. Johnsons government does prove the union is bankrupt because it is forcing us out of Europe against our democratic vote. Or as someone else once said on many occasions "against our will". Whatever happened to that guy?

    If the majority vote across the UK is what will always count then the UK is not a Union - in practice it is an English dictatorship.

    Scotland as a nation has never had a true democracy throughout its existence.

    Only as an independent nation will Scotland ever have democracy.

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  2. Heard Oliver Blunder on the radio this morning. Pro Boris, pro Brexit he just went on a sub Daily Mail, colouring by numbers rant. I think they work to a check list :)

    Education, once envy of the world (yes, when much off the world had no education)

    More people voted for Brexit than Nicola Sturgeon (yet as far as I can see 1,018,000 voted for Brexit and 1,068,000 voted SNP in 2016...so, basically a lie.

    Oliver couldn't deviate from his script and answered the questions he wished he had been asked. Gary was clearly unimpressed. "They only talk about independence" said Oliver, "we are having this discussion because of what your leader said" replied Gary.

    I do hope they interview Oliver more often in the coming months. A Brexity, flustered, kipper is pretty near ideal.

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  3. I wont wait for the SNP to grow a spine. I got tired waiting for that to happen years ago now.

    Oh and Ian Blackford's performance on AUOB with Lesley Riddich was lamentable.

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    1. Are we ever likely to get a more advantageous situation for independence but what does the SNP do - zero - unless you can count Blackford's recent statement as something.

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  4. What next for Starmer re Corbyn - set him up in a sex scandal? Naw that one has been done already.

    Right wingers seem to be in charge of all the political parties these days.

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  5. There is no logical argument in favour of the continuation of the so-called united kingdom.

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  6. The Northern Ireland Civil Service is completely independent of the UK Civil Service. There you go Scoop Skier answered that one for you.

    So Scoop Skier implied on a previous thread it was unrealistic of Swinney to demand control over the civil service in Scotland during the Smith Commission. Yet a precedent had been set in N. Ireland.

    Once again Scoop Skier knows nothing and posts pish.

    If Swinney had anything about him during negotiations he would have set the control over the Civil Service in Scotland and control over broadcasting in Scotland as red lines. Scoop Skier just accepts anything the SNP deliver without any analysis.

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    1. Yes, any sane person knows that N. Ireland and Scotland are identical, and that Westminster just handed over much of the control of the province to Stormont simply because folks there asked for it politely. No history of any guns, bombs and international peace accords at all.

      Dear god Stu.

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    2. Scoop Skier - sadly you ain't sane. The thought that the IRA fought for an independent Civil Service can only come from someone totally bonkers. You continually are wrong and then just post deflecting nonsense.

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