The Lothian MSP Andy Wightman, who resigned from the Green group in the Scottish Parliament a few weeks ago over the trans issue, is running a Twitter poll asking whether he should stand as an independent candidate in Lothian at the forthcoming election (by which he presumably means the Lothian list). Although Twitter polls are unscientific and self-selecting, it's not an irrational thing to do, because probably what he wants to know first and foremost is whether his keenest supporters are behind him and would campaign for him. At time of writing, the poll is running at 3-1 in favour of his candidacy, so I would imagine he'll press ahead.With 100 days to go until the Scottish election, I am considering standing as an independent candidate in Lothian. What do you think? Should I go for it?
— Andy Wightman MSP (@andywightman) January 26, 2021
Is this a good thing or a bad thing for the independence movement? Mr Wightman is one of a relatively small number of people with enough of a personal following to have a realistic chance of being elected as an independent - but he doesn't quite have the profile of a Margo MacDonald or a Dennis Canavan. If I was going to hazard a guess, I'd say the odds are maybe slightly against him. I could imagine him perhaps getting between about 2% and 6% of the vote, and he'd need to be at the upper end of that scale to be elected.
At the last election, he was one of two Green MSPs elected in Lothian on 10.6% of the list vote. If that vote is split this time, it would need to be virtually split down the middle to maintain the status quo with one Green MSP and Mr Wightman as an independent MSP. If, on the other hand, it splits 3% for Mr Wightman and 7% for the Greens, Mr Wightman would miss out and there would be only one Green MSP - which would probably cost us one pro-indy seat.
But of course it's not as simple as that, because Mr Wightman has admirers from outside his former party who would consider voting for him as an independent even though they would never have voted Green. So it's possible that the combined pool of potential Wightman and Green voters is wider than the pool of potential Green voters alone.
In any case, this is about more than just crude considerations of electoral advantage. Mr Wightman is by general consensus one of the most impressive MSPs, and the parliament would be of poorer quality without him. While other parties (most obviously the SNP) have suffered terrible public divisions over the trans issue, the Greens have maintained a fiction of unity and seemingly imagined that there would never be any political cost to painting anyone who disagrees with the official party line as a transphobe, a bigot, and unfit for civilised society. It may be no bad thing if they belatedly learn the hard way that such an intolerant stance does, indeed, carry a cost.
If Andy Wightman does not stand as an independent, then he wont be an MSP, will he? so yes he should stand, or join another party. hmmm.
ReplyDeleteHe would however split the second vote as there will be greens who will vote for him and some otherwise snp voters (amongst others) who will vote for him.
How many pro-independence msps were elected on the Lothian list last time? (he asked, lazily...(
Wrong question. There were 8 pro-indy MSPs in total in Lothian. The list seats are distributed correctively to bring the overall number of seats in the region into line with the list vote percentages.
DeleteWhy not retain the focus of the questioner on the List seats?
DeleteThere were only 2 Indy supporting MSPs elected from the Regional List last time.
If Indy supporting voters use their vote wisely this could easily rise considerably.
Are you still advocating SNP1 and SNP 2?
Surely not!
Why not ask SNP to withdraw List candidates altogether in Lothian?
[I am asking SNP to do that, as an SNP member in West of Scotland and I am hoping that this catches on in a few other Regions].
Wis Andy Whiteman involved in the Salmond conspiracy?
ReplyDeleteYe cannae be too careful these days.
Smearer Skier if you knew anything at all you would know that Wightman demolished Murrell during his testimony and no wonder he is too scared to attend again as requested by the Committee. What a disgrace Murrel is.
DeleteSo the committee won't be a whitewash at all, but we can trust it's findings?
DeleteThat's good to know.
Should we trust the unionists on it incidentally?
DeleteIt's just I've been watching it, and they're saying exactly the same things as you. It's like you are repeating them nearly word for word. It's uncanny.
Smearer Skier (liar since 2014) - when are you publishing all the info of what has been happening. Looking forward to you getting prosecuted by Wolfy.
DeleteI am assuming you emailed Campbell to take up his offer.
Or are you the real coward as well as being a liar and an arse?
I don't understand this gibberish. And I don't deal with English right-wing anti-Yes party bloggers if that's who you mean.
DeleteAll I noted was the pro-union committee members are all saying there was an SNP conspiracy against Salmond. By contrast, I've yet to meet an independence supporter that claims this.
As for Murrell being reluctant to reappear at the committee after unionists MSPs pressured the CPS to press charges against him...
DeleteWell, that rather confirms that Murrell and Sturgeon don't control the CPS, otherwise Murrell would have no cause for concern. He could just call them and have any charges dropped. Unless of course the CPS is independent or even maybe unionist? After all, it went after Salmond and now unionists are pressuring it to pursue Murrell...
Anyway, it's good to know the lie that Murrell and sturgeon controlled the CPS has been cleared up.
Smearer Skier (liar since 2014) - oh you do understand - you posted Campbell was a criminal and no hero of independence if he was sitting on information. Campbell said to you to email him and he will give you the info and you can publicise it and be an independence hero. I guess you didn't take up his offer.
DeleteYou are no independence hero just a ZERO.
Campbell has said no such thing to me.
DeleteAnd if he admits he has info but is keeping it under wraps, then he is clearly not a hero.
DeleteHowever, I don't know Campbell and could only publish material from a trusted source. He is not that to me, but a right-wing blogger from England.
Does he claim his material is from a trusted source to him? If so, he's not in the same position as me.
Smearer Skier ( liar since 2014) - when did Murrell get charged? If he ain't charged your post is just nonsense and you know it.
DeleteSo lying again to then post a lot of nonsense - pretty much par for the course for you.
Smeare Skier (liar since 2014)
Delete" Campbell, has said no such thing to me ". - lying again Smearer never tell you it itwas not a good thing to lie.
Do you trust Campbell as a source IfS? If so, your hour has come. Ask him to email the info and you can post it on here / blog it and save Scotland.
DeleteOr maybe we shouldn't trust Campbell? If you don't trust him, then casts a big shadow over the Salmond stuff you've been saying. That or you are not a hero of the cause? Must be one of the two.
So you think Murrell didn't commit perjury and the unionists politically pressuring the CPS will get nowhere?
DeleteOr is it the other way around, which is the reason Murrell has given for not attending again right now while he consults with his lawyers.
Smearer Skier (liar since 2014)
DeleteSmearer says "I've yet to meet an independence supporter who claims this"
Exactly all your pals are unionists. Will someone who knows please tell this arse Skier. Or is it as I have said before no one talks to Smearer Skier.
Oh that's right Campbell offered to tell you but you have decided to stick your head in the sand.
Smearer Skier ( liar since 2014)
DeleteSays -" consults his lawyers " - is he paying for them or is he using the money you and Ramstam recently donated?
Smearer Skier (liar since 2014) - well is Murrell charged or not ?
DeleteCampbell isn't a trusted source. He hates Yes parties, lives in S. England and calls Scots cowardly woke cunts who are not brave like the English. Forgive me if I don't trust him as a source.
DeleteIf a trusted source told me important stuff, I'd publish it and be a hero.
Would you do the same?
Who is your trusted source Peter Murrell😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
DeleteWho is your trusted source Wolfy.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🙂😂
Who is your trusted source Clegg ex Daily Redcoat 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Smearer Skier (liar since 2014) - well is Murrell charged or not?
DeleteHe isn't is he - so once again you are posting misleading pish. You drown this blog in your misleading pish and lies with random smears thrown in for good measure.
I don't have any secret information from a trusted source. If I did, I'd publish it for the good of scotland.
DeleteWings claims to have such information, but doesn't publish, so is no hero, but instead is apparently letting salmond be persecuted while scots are kept in the dark, presumably as wings likes his comfortable english life.
What about you? Hero / coward or you don't have any trusted information?
I can understand Murrell talking to his lawyers before appearing again, what with unionist parties putting political pressure on the CPS like this.
DeleteWhile it might be appropriate for the committee to conclude they may have been mislead and pass this on for investigation as needed, this is pure political pressure.
First the unionists went for Salmond, now they are going for Murrell it seems.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/19036856.peter-murrell-may-perjured-himself-evidence-alex-salmond-inquiry/
THE CROWN Office has been urged to investigate claims the SNP’s chief executive has committed perjury.
Labour and the Tories claim Peter Murrell - who is married to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - may have “perjured himself” when he testified under oath to the Holyrood committee probing the botched handling of harassment allegations made against Alex Salmond.
Smearer Skier - What is your trusted source?
DeleteLesley Evans 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Am I getting warm?
How about Judith MacKinnon? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Can you not read English?
DeleteI don't have any secret any information from a trusted source.
If I knew something secret that could prove Salmond was set up, I'd publish it for the good of Scotland.
It's you and Wings apparently criminally persecuting Salmond by keeping some key evidence under wraps.
Smearer Skier (liar since 2014) see my post re Craig Murray below if you are brave enough.
DeleteThe real Union Dividend.
ReplyDelete1. The UK (England) worst death rate per million in the world.
2. The worst recession in leading western economies.
I'm sure many SNP voters would give home their 2nd. Vote
ReplyDeleteIn the USA the Republican Party the majority are content to excuse Trump and others for their crimes in attacking their capital and the resulting deaths that occurred. You must not, say republicans, attack the party or Trump no matter how heinous the crimes.
ReplyDeleteThat is the road that the wheest for Indy and morons like Smearer Skier are travelling with the SNP. Just what crimes, if any, are unacceptable? Does the leadership of the SNP have free rein to do anything and escape criticism because they say they support independence?
It's time Independence supporters showed that we are better than Britnats. It's time we showed we do not do cover ups like the Britnats.
If you can provided a list of SNP members and with relevant guilty convictions, I will give my opinion on these.
DeleteSmearer Skier (liar since 2014)
DeleteSpoken like a true republican oops sorry a true Trump supporter oops a true "I'm with Nicola " oops a true Sturgeon fanboy - yes that's the one.
So I guess that's a no then? No SNP politicians have been convicted of a crime?
DeleteSmearer Skier (liar since 2014) - so no charges yet for Murrell. Tell me Smearer Skier why do you need to lie so much?
DeleteA good analysis. Personally I will vote for him if he stands and might even campaign for him to the extent that campaigning is possible.
ReplyDeleteI would quibble slightly with the comparison to Margo MacDonald and Dennis Canavan. Both of them, admirable as they were, were politicians above all else. Wightman has a solid hinterland outside politics as an author and environmental and social activist. He is one of the few current MSPs with real achievements outside parliament.
The decline of the Greens into mindless authoritarianism is deeply depressing.
Another Phantam Power film.
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/PhantomPower14/status/1354411123790012417
I won't be voting SNP on the regional list if they stick with that baloney of a 11 point plan they got the National to print. I would vote for Wightman if my region was Lothian but it isn't so it is academic to me.
ReplyDeleteSo much for prioritising care homes for vaccination.
ReplyDeleteFour more deaths have been recorded in a Covid outbreak at a Stranraer care home, taking the total to 14.
Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership said more than 90 staff and residents had tested positive at the Thorney Croft site.
It said it had been working with operators Community Integrated Care to tackle the outbreak.
"Thoughts continue to be with families and with staff at this time," it added in a statement.
The first Covid-related death was reported at the Stranraer home on 6 January.
Numbers have risen steadily throughout the month despite efforts to manage the outbreak.
Nicola Sturgeon announced the £30 million discretionary fund way back in November.
ReplyDeleteIt's only up and running in FIVE council areas.
The SNP are good at announcing funding schemes but utterly woeful at delivering them.
Apparently Johnson is going ahead with his non-essential trip to Scotland.
ReplyDeleteThere is a serious risk his entourage could cause further outbreaks of the English variant here.
Why can't he do what he needs to do by Zoom? It he visits in person, it just confirms to the public he doesn't care at all about the 100k dead.
This thread is mental. Floppy Cubby has lost the plot! Maybe the only way he can get 'excited' is when he posts as IFS and drools over Scottish Skier?
ReplyDeleteJuteman it is not the thread that is mental. Can a friend of Juteman not get him some help.
DeleteSmearer Skier and anyone who is not a child or a nutter like Juteman and can handle Info that may be problematical to your mindset. It's laid out for you in the Craig Murray blog.
ReplyDeleteAlternatively just keep your head in the sand like a child.
Craig Murray -My Sworn Evidence on the Sturgeon Affair.
You don't want independence for Scotland, Cubby aka Independence for Scotland.
DeleteYou take great delight in anything that damages the case for Scottish self rule.
You are a bitter Unionist troll, impotent because you can't stop us leaving the Union, and no matter how much shite you spew we have awoken as a country.
Away back to your sticky, moist bedroom.
I read Craig Murray's blog, but he says the committee - i.e. rabid unionists Murdo Fraser, Jackie Baillie, Alex Cole Hamilton etc are preparing to whitewash the whole thing so Sturgeon can get off the hook. This is while unionists are putting pressure on the CPS to do over the SNP's murrell just as they did to Salmond via the UK civil service.
DeleteIt's all a bit hard to believe.
And how could Craig Murray know anything about an internal Scottish government investigation?
DeleteHe doesn't work for the UK civil service any more (at least I bloody well hope he doesn't) and isn't a MSP; if he knows something, then there must have been leaks so he needs to report who leaked stuff to him.
He is a conspiracy theory blogger, i.e. he writes about conspiracy theories.
TBH, I thought Craig Murray knew Salmond and was friends with him. After reading his article, I now understand he doesn't know Salmond at all really, and only first chatted to him in any personal way in 2019. It seems there's been limited if any contact since.
DeleteI'm trying now to judge who knows Salmond the least; Wings or Murray.
It's quite obvious why 'Independence for Scotland' aka 'Cubby' is a troll.
ReplyDeleteMost genuine supporters of independence are upset about the whole Salmond/Sturgeon thing, trolls like him are joyous and excited about it.
DeleteJuteman - You are stark raving mad - you troll. I am not joyous or excited about anything you say or write as you are a truly disgusting human being.
If Juteman has any friends please get him attended to and try and turn him into something resembling a decent person.
Also posting using multiple identities in support of the other identities posting. His syntax is the same. He should get troll of the year award.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWith stupid typo corrected:
DeleteI've read Murray's blog at length. It concludes that there was no motive for the SNP to 'take out Salmond' as Salmond openly admitted he had no intention of returning to frontline politics, but was planning to work for the Johnstone press + his TV stuff.
It also concluded that Sturgeon is guilty of criminal conspiracy to commit perjury because she knew some of the complainers from work.
It does seem to me that the UK civil service (who Murray used to work for) / unionists were out to get Salmond, but I am yet to see motive or evidence for the SNP to try and damage him and so themselves.
DeleteCraig Murray has never worked for the UK Civil Service
DeleteSorry, British Diplomatic service, which is the overseas version of the Whitehall civil service.
DeleteI knew he was a former British Ambassador, but he gives more detail on the article IfS talked about:
I was British Ambassador to Uzbekistan 2002-4. Other roles included Deputy High Commissioner to Ghana (1999 – 2002), Deputy Head (Equatorial), Africa Department FCO (1997-9), First Secretary, British Embassy, Warsaw (1993 – 1937), Head of Maritime Section, FCO (1991-3) and Head of Cyprus Section, FCO (1989 -91).
4. Special responsibilities included Head of FCO Section, Embargo Surveillance Centre (1990-1), Alternate Head of UK Delegation to UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1991-3) and Head of UK Delegation to the Sierra Leone Peace Talks (1998-2000).
Anyway, as I said above, I though Murray and Salmond were close friends / acquaintances. But Murray says he only met Salmond in 2019 and has just had a few discussions with him, only one of which seemed to be about the trial thing? While that's a shit load more than Wings, it's not really insider info, and there's no evidence Salmond backs what he's saying. That's what I want; to hear from Salmond, not someone saying they know what Salmond's thinking apparently... what they heard from some 'unnamed SNP insider' which is what the unionist media say all the time.
DeleteAlso, from what I could gather, Murray as never properly met / interviewed Sturgeon or any of the others he suggests might be in involved in the plot. So it's hellishly one-sided. He very clearly has decided he's taking a side without listening to both.
Finally, it's not a lot to go on really. He seemed to know as much as I did from reading the papers and between the lines, except I'm not biased to the Salmond or Sturgeon 'sides' if they exist. Ergo, I don't think either Salmond or Sturgeon is guilty of anything nasty.
If you saw a man stab someone to death in front of a crowd of people, broadcast on live television, would you wait for their side of the story before calling them a murderer?
DeleteMurray is saying that Salmond wasn't actually a threat to Nicola Murrell, but that she is paranoid about anyone better than her (almost everybody) mounting a challenge to her authority. Hence the plot she started to smear him and prevent any possible return to politics.
DeleteThe facts are already in the public domain yet you refuse to accept any of them. How queer.
Campbell has posted a few times on this blog that Smearer Skier(liar since 2014) really really cannot read at all well. His posts above give a lot of credence to that comment.
DeleteHowever, you can start to see the Smearer Skier starting to backtrack with his I knew all this all along. In a years time he will be saying he was a main player in speaking out against the plot. Once a liar always a liar.
Campbell must be one very insecure individual if he's posting about little me on his blog. Suggest he's talking a load of shit and is worried people are not falling for it.
DeleteI mean FGS, I'm just a random commenter on someone else's polling blog. I don't even claim to know anything other than what I've read in the news etc.
Anyway, I must be doing something right.
'Paranoid about anyone better than her (almost everybody) mounting a challenge to her authority. Hence the plot she started to smear him and prevent any possible return to politics.'
DeleteSalmond chose to retire as FM and then left politics freely after he lost his seat. He's now doing telly shows and not campaigning for indy in any major way I understand. While theoretically he could stand for FM again (goes hand in hand with SNP leader), he'd need to be nominated by a local branch to stand as an MSP, win that, then seek the support of the membership for leader, then finally the support of parliament for FM.
Given he already held leadership for 20 years total and the position of FM for the best part of 2 terms, it would be a long to ask members to put him back in top even if he did make it into Holyrood again.
So if he wanted to make a comeback, it's not even his choice, but the choice of the party membership and ultimately the electorate. A very long shot he said he had no interest in.
So aye, there is no motive and without motive, there's no reason for a crime.
Also, I liked Salmond's style, probably more than Sturgeon's. 'Better' is open to question though. Salmond never managed to get a Yes. A victim of circumstance somewhat, but until Sturgeon loses and iref, we can't really compare.
If you saw a man stab someone to death in front of a crowd of people, broadcast on live television, would you wait for their side of the story before calling them a murderer?
DeleteWhat idiocy is this?
Craig Murray openly admits he's not seen Nicola Sturgeon commit any crime. He's never even met her apparently.
And I've met Salmond almost as many times as he has. Except I'm not claiming to know all about him.
From the inquiry into Sturgeon's actions and the inquiry into the government's actions, one of the few clear things is that the last first minister is lying, the current first minister is lying, or they are both lying. It's got to be one of the three.
DeleteGiven the opaque system produced by the two leaders in question, and it's attitude to not producing evidence, I suspect the third choice is most likely, but the two of them have created a governmental system where we will probably never find out. (And Lukashenko will get voted in anyway because people have been taught to be terrified of anything else..... That kind of thing, but without the protests).
If Sturgeon is the devil incarnate, then we are probably lucky Salmond didn't lead independence negotiations. I mean he must be an absolutely terrible judge of character and completely unable to tell if someone is out to do him over.
DeleteOr she's not the devil incarnate and Salmond judged very well when picking his young padawan and preparing her to take the reigns from him.
Must be one of the two.
Smearer Skier (liar since 2924) says- " I must be doing something right." Nope you are a simple liar and a narcissist. You certainly have a problem reading as well - my post says THIS blog not Campbell's.
DeleteSo just why do you feel the need to lie so much?
HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED.
ReplyDeleteI'm sensing you have a problem with women.
DeleteHave you tried talking to any? If you pluck up the courage you will find they are really nice.
Smearer Skier - I am sensing you are not the brightest of people and have no clue as to what that post means. Hey but you are big on narcissism and self delusion.
DeletePeople are more likely to vote for Wrightman in Lothian on his stance on AirBnB's and wildlife than his stance on transexuals or leaving the UK (if he has a stance on the last two, he has hid them well).
ReplyDelete