I blogged yesterday about the theoretical danger that Alba's intervention could backfire and cost us the pro-indy majority. But supposing that doesn't happen. Suppose we get the majority and the remaining obstacle to independence is that the SNP government continue with the excessive caution that has blighted the last four years. Imagine what a difference it will make if Alex Salmond gets to stand up every week at FMQs as the leader of the third, fourth or fifth largest party and demand a progress report from Nicola Sturgeon on independence. It would literally be possible to shame the SNP into action.
Incidentally, I received yet another email from someone a few minutes ago saying that they had been planning to spoil their constituency ballot, but will now be voting SNP because Alex Salmond and the Alba Party have urged them to. So instead of spluttering in rage, perhaps the SNP's message to Alba should be a simple "merci beaucoup".
* * *
You can catch up with Episode 5 of the Scot Goes Popcast, with special guest Len Pennie (Miss PunnyPennie) HERE.
I also have two more constituency profiles in today's edition of The National - Coatbridge & Chryston and Cumbernauld & Kilsyth.
Maybe it's a side effect of the vaccine "a bit of fire, a bit of passion, a bit of authenticity, a bit of free-thinking, and a bit of risk-taking". Who's that? All I've seen so far is a collection of misfits, malcontents, misogynists and someone who seems to be a racist. Has Gorgeous George joined yet?
ReplyDeleteAnd do you really think that these kind of candidates are going to have Unionists -Tories, Labour, LibDems flocking to support them on the list?
considering that all bar one (I believe) of the announced candidates were elected members of the SNP, working for the SNP or former SNP candidates and therefore you would assume vetted by the SNP and found to be suitable, maybe we should be discussing how poor the SNP recruitment and vetting process is...
DeletePossibly, but not necessarily. All parties are coalitions of various opinions and eventually some decide they no longer feel part of the coalition. The SNP are possibly a broader coalition of figures from left right and centre united by a desire for Independence. It's happened to Labour and Tory too.
DeleteI'm puzzled as to how you vet based on actions after someone has been elected? That would require a crystal ball of some form.
DeleteThat aside, every party has a few awkward cases that manage to pass vetting. The key is to have just a few.
It's called internal party discipline and should be applied without fear of favour.
DeleteUnfortunately the system is abused by the current SNP leadership as a lever of control:
A blind eye is turned to egregious wrongs if the person is in favour; dumb texting errors can end a career if the person is out of favour.
I'm at a loss to understand why all the candidates who are already in place with ISP and AfI seem happy to have people like Alex Arthur (nice guy but no politician) replace all them.
DeleteIn their statement welcoming the birth of Alba, AfI wrote "The Alba Party is to all intents and purposes “AFI 2” and we note that the ideas, slogans and Max the Yes concept it employs were all spawned by AFI."
So why have they and ISP so meekly stood back and accepted that their membership will have no significant role in the development of the new party?
One of our (SNP) branch members has just joined Alba after spending the last couple of years undermining the SNP from within.
He had submitted a number of bonkers complaints to SNP HQ about fellow members. A big fan of Wings over Scotland he would loudly declare Nicola Sturgeon to be a "liar" and insist that the Salmond trial had "proved" that "the alphabetties" were all liars and had conspired with a thing called "The Woke Brigade" and some men in stilettos to ensure he spent the rest of his life in prison....because they are evil, apparently.
There is general relief amongst branch members that he has gone and I suspect there's going to be a number of "Mikes" in this new party. However, ours has told his former fellow-activists, he is confident of a place on the Lothian "list" even hinting it has already been promised.
So is the first Alba civil war just around the corner, maybe even before 6 May? Perhaps "Mike" will be offering Alex Arthur a square-go for thwarting his political ambitions.
There's a world of difference between a "safety-first party" and a kamikaze one and I fear it won't be long before we hear the cries of "Banzai" emanating from an increasingly disappointed and disillusioned rank-and-file.
Oh so Alba will be able to crow from the sidelines regarding the SNP seeking a legal means of obtaining independence, yet ultimately not be able to do anything.
ReplyDeleteWhat was that about wasted votes again?
In a proportional representation parliament of minorities (if that's how it works out) no party is all-powerful and no party is powerless.
DeleteSo you want a minority gov then?
DeleteA majority government with the Holyrood system is always an unlikely freak of circumstance.
DeletePlaying along with the Unionist framing of results in advance is not clever. It means that anything but a freak SNP majority (looking less and less likely with current petulant SNP behaviour) will be touted as a rejection of independence.
Unionists will do that anyway but there's no need to help them.
Minority SNP Government is still the most likely outcome; do we want Independence held to hostage by Green Party with a range of alienating policies or supported by another Independence party without that alternative agenda?
Having seen the Green Part behaviour over the past Parliament and the SNP leadership willing acquiescence with these policies and forever delaying Independence, I do not want the Green Party anywhere near the levers of power
Oh, so the Alba party are an extension of the SNP policy platform then? And the SNP can rely on them to vote on the policies that are in the SNP manifesto?
DeleteChalks: If I'd wanted to say that I want a minority government, believe me I'd have found a way of saying that.
Delete#supermajority? lets put aside the fact a Holyrood majority was / is already being forecast in the polls anyway, and a draft independence bill is now in place behind majority opinion for Independence... what will Alba actually do once in Holyrood that will bring about a referendum sooner which will be legally binding and accepted by the international community ?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSupermajority? Simple. Vote SNP in the constituency and the list. That way we don't haemorrhage votes and end up like 2016 instead of 2011 where we had a "supermajority".
DeleteMr Salmond is being disingenuous about his "wasted" votes.
What's the point of a supermajority if you decline to use it.
DeleteI've made the point about turnout before. I'll make it again.
ReplyDeleteIn 2016, the Greens got about 150,000 votes on the regional ballot. The difference between the SNP's constituency and regional votes was about 100,000. One conclusion is that the Greens motivate about 100,000 people to go vote - and they tactically vote SNP on the constituency while they're there.
If Alba achieves a similar turnout boost, we'd be looking at 1.2, maybe 1.3 million SNP constituency votes.
Sort of agreed - we can’t tell if the greens were the beneficiaries of people being being keen to vote snp constituency or keen to vote green list. Same effect.
DeleteHere in the Edinburgh bit of Lothian I think the snp constituency; green list vote is such an established behaviour that it will be hard to dislodge.
My three first - time Scottish parliament voter children have defaulted to snp constituency and green list. That where greens standing in constituency seats really does not help ‘us’
its the 93rd minute, its Scotland Vs England, the score is 1-1, and we have a penalty. We dont care how it crosses the line, we just want the ball to cross that line, just put your foot through it, and hit the net...No! wait, lets score a super penalty, lets do a flick kick through the keepers legs, and it will be #superpenalty.....and if we miss by just 1mm, its as good as a mile, and we will be under Unionist majority for at least 5 years, and referendum another 5 years away... is it worth it? i sincerely hope those in the bubble understand Salmonds and Wings influence is not what they may think it is, and if this goes wrong, the consequences will be devastating...lets hope its a good flick kick.
ReplyDeleteI've deleted the troll comment at the start of the thread, but thiswas Fergie's reply -
ReplyDelete"Fergie
March 30, 2021 at 12:27 PM
They are, to an extent. Many people are heartily sick of politics, career politicians and bland New Labour style 'on message' communications. It's why so many left Labour for the SNP. Those people were going to stay at home, as they didn't in 2016 and 2017. ALBA has re-energised those people and the independence campaign, and is campaigning for SNP1 as well as ALBA2. They will be an enormous aid to the SNP vote."
If people would refrain from directly replying to obvious troll comments, that would help enormously, because when I delete those comments the replies automatically disappear.
I remember when the media and other parties all said much the same thing about the SNP under Salmond as they're now saying of Alba today.
DeleteDidn't stop him from winning!
Apologies James. I didn't realise he was just a troll as there are so many people repeating exactly that kind of comment (and far, far worse) on social media.
ReplyDeleteNow this is a man I have lot of respect for.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thenational.scot/news/19197370.holyrood-2021-ex-yes-scotland-chair-backs-snp-candidate/
Holyrood 2021: Ex-Yes Scotland chair backs SNP candidate
THE former Yes Scotland chair has backed a former SNP MP to win the town he used to serve.
Dennis Canavan was the Falkirk West MP from 1974-2000. He entered Westminster as a Labour politician and left as an independent.
James, with the greatest respect your are now synergising on a daily basis with Stuart Campbell....I like it!!
ReplyDeleteSynergise, "interact or cooperate with one or more other agents to produce a joint effect greater than the sum of effects achieved separately". I do believe your right.
DeleteHI James
ReplyDeleteI read your blog with great interest every day and have contributed to your polls over the last year. I know you and others feel that Alba will be able to give extra impetus to Indyref2 if they get some MSP's. But what if polls show Alba getting less than 5% ? I presume you would then recommend SNP or Green on the list vote .
Ooops...the introduction of arithmetic to the discussion! You are right of course; a slender showing for Alba can damage the number of Indy MSPs elected.
DeleteAlso Alex Arthur is authentic working class, Now that's real diversity when it comes to candidate selection,
ReplyDeleteNicola Sturgeon is 'authentic working class'. Daughter of a nurse and electrician from Ayrshire.
DeleteWhat's authentic working class? Whatever Kevin McKenna decides it is ? A working class person is someone who earns his living by, er, working (even as journalists).
DeleteMcKenna spins the cliche that the average memeber of the working class is someone spends most of their time in bookies and pubs. Some of us do, but not all.
Well I & at least 11 of my family were looking to be leaving our 1st vote blank, as none of us (who used to all be members) and have been 50+yrs voters of the SNP, were prepared to give SNP a vote at all this time round..
ReplyDeleteBut as soon as The ALBA party was announced on Friday, We at least knew where our list vote was going. Then listening to Alex, encourage everyone to vote SNP1 Alba2 it made sense. I still do not like the fact that I will be voting for the shower of Bairns that are now predominantly what are the SNP today, led by a FM who has never mentioned INDEPENDENCE at all since she took over EXCEPT for when an election that arose.. As she is doing again now..
However I shall hold my nose on 6th May as I give SNP my 1st vote, as will my kids and siblings. Scotland’s INDEPENDENCE should be more important than any party, it takes the Scottish voters to vote positively & stop wasting almost a million votes on the SNP & therefore keeping UNIONIST in OUR Scottish Parliament when they are all registered LONDON Parties..
It is time to stop the infighting among ourselves when the truth is if you are a YESSER for INDY then you should be voting for the TWO Indy parties...Some will choose to vote for the greens, But truth is INDY is NOT top of the Greens priority list, the greens, apart from Climate change also want to see pushed through the hated GRA bill. And with their help it will go through. No woman should ever be voting for that, as it removes our rights as a female, & that of our daughters so NO father or brother should want that bill passed either..
So let’s stick together for this hopefully last election as part of the rotten to the core U.K. Government. And I urge all SNP voters to do as my family will do on 6th May, HOLD your nose IF YOU Must, & vote ALBA2. It is Scotlands best chance & possibly our only & last Hope...Let’s stop giving UNIONISTS seats through wasted list votes for the SNP.. They WILL get the majority of constituency seats if not all of them anyway. But with ALBA picking up the list votes, there WILL be a huge majority for INDEPENDENCE & that surely is what we all want. It is why I have voted SNP for the past 54yrs.. We only ever got one chance at it, & that was when Alex won a majority in 2011, & he used his majority to get us a referendum. He WILL force the SNP to act on another INDY route again..
Go on then, I'll engage you.
DeleteHow does the GRA threaten your rights as a woman?
Spot on, Kate!
DeleteRemember: your local constituency vote is vital, too. Because you can vote the Brits out from where you live. For me, my SNP vote here in Edinburgh West is to remove Alex Cole Hamilton from our parliament. And my list vote—for Alba or the Greens—will cut his work out for him when he tries to sneak back in, Murdo-style, on the list!
Both votes. Both of them are vital! Use them with a clear head. For Scotland!
That is a good question, how does it?
Deletehttps://twitter.com/WhrcN/status/1377166845673840646
DeleteAnyone recognise the ballot format, seen here on Wings?
ReplyDeletehttps://wingsoverscotland.com/the-first-hurdle/
As I expected, the pollsters are treating Alba as a serious contender even at just a few days old. No "Other: please specify" here. And a whole lot of media attention already as well as deeply worried looking Tories!
Pollsters are not the Electoral Commission. Pollsters hope to make money out of newsworthy events.
DeleteUnless Alba are treated as 'other', then polling won't be accurate. This is well established in polling; it invariably results in overestimation.
DeleteThe pollsters that don't do this will be more accurate.
The standard practice is to include those parties which won seats least time and 'other'. Then when you click 'other' you get Alba, reform etc. Given that this poll has listed all options from the start, it will probably overestimate all the minnows and look out of sync here.
DeleteFun fact of the day. No little party has ever managed to come 'out nowhere' to take +5% of the vote in Holyood.
ReplyDeleteClosest examples:
2003
SSP 6.7(+4.7)% 7(+6) Seats
Grn 6.9(+3.3)% 6(+5) Seats
McM 1.4(+1.4)% 1(+1) Seats
2016
Greens 6.6(+2.2)% 6(+4) Seats
The SSP managed the largest small party gain with a 4.7% increase in 2003, giving them another 6 seats, but they already had one / a presence in parliament.
Margo managed 1.4% and a single seat.
Big gains from nowhere have just not happened so far.
Yougov UK Scots Sample, Westminster intention:
ReplyDelete50% SNP
29% Con
13% Lab
3% Lib
3% Green
1% Reform
1% Others
https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/s5hl2jyeyb/TheTimes_VI_Track_210326_W.pdf
The FM said: “In politics, things that once seemed so desperately important, don’t seem so now.”
ReplyDeleteAye, independence is way down her list of priorities.
Why does she say it's crucial to the pandemic recovery?
DeleteWe should ask Hamilton to check if she's an honest FM.
I'm sure she'll say many things are more crucial than independence.
DeleteYou mean like just blog all the time about female willies rather than brexit and stuff?
DeleteAnything but independence it seems.
DeleteIt does seem that way in somerset these days.
Delete#GetoutofScotlandandmovetoEnglandwhileyoustillcan
If you extrapolate the SNPs 50% for Westminster into a figure for Holyrood it looks as if they're into majority already on the constituency vote alone.
ReplyDeleteProbably on course for an even better result than in 2011 which delivered an overall majority and the 2014 Indyref.
Nicola Sturgeon has worked so hard to get us to the threshold of independence.
What we don't need right now is a small band of say 5 or 6 MSPs carping from the sidelines.
And that's the best case scenario. The worst is ALBA takes vital SNP votes allowing unionists in and denying an SNP win.
All this is a HUGE gamble.
"Imagine what a difference it will make if Alex Salmond gets to stand up every week at FMQs as the leader of the third, fourth or fifth largest party and demand a progress report from Nicola Sturgeon on independence."
ReplyDeleteIf you imagine it would make any difference at all then you've never watched Nicola Sturgeon in action at FMQ.
Ah yes, the GRA. The issue which families all over Scotland talk about incessantly. Never mind the pandemic, independence, Brexit, climate change or the price of food.....
ReplyDeleteAway from twitter I don't know anyone who does. It is like a manufactured grievance. Something akin to what happened in Germany from 1933 when the Nazi's started to demonise the Jews for no apparent reason other than hateful prejudice. The Sage of Bath has been using the same techniques that the Nazi's used. Few question what they are reading and why are you telling me this.
DeleteI actually think some of the concerns raised about this issue and sex based rights are absolutely valid, while sympathizing with those who have medical dysphoria. It's a complex and sensitive area. I've taken flack from idiots on both sides (I'm a 'woke transphobic transfan TERF' or something like that) for taking a balanced view.
DeleteWings right-wing daily mail dog whistle style treatment of the matter really turned my stomach and put me off a site I used to visit back in the day.
I know many women who are talking about this, most of whom don't use social media.
DeleteScottish Skier, I've been called exactly the same for having the temerity to express concern about it.
DeleteIf Salmond leads the third, fourth or fifth largest party in Holyrood, some folk on Wings will be sorely disappointed.
ReplyDeleteThey're talking 20 or even 30 MSPs.
That's totally unrealistic and it's time some of the rhetoric was toned down. Alex Salmond would bite your hand off right now for 6 ALBA MSPs IMO.
Kate, I love your enthusiasm, but Alex Salmond won in 2011 with the slogan "Both Votes SNP".
ReplyDeleteWe actually needed the SNP list votes because we didn't win anything like all the constituency seats.
It might be different this time of course, but we won't know till after the election.
Why didn't he advocate giving those 'wasted SNP votes' to the Greens etc? Same for 2016?
DeleteWhat's changed?
So, no, yesterday's events will not have put anyone off.
ReplyDeleteNot true. I'm very sympathetic to the "supermajority" stuff and was swithering between Alba and the Greens for the list vote in Lothian, mainly because a vote for them will be worth six or seven SNP votes, but also because the SNP's top candidate seems a bit of a carpet-bagger. But I definitely won't vote Alba if they're happy to retain a candidate like AA. It's understandable that there will be vetting failures, but keeping him around after he's known to be racially prejudiced against a section of the electorate? What are they smoking?
Agreed. I was swithering over the trans issue hoping for some signal from the Alba leadership that they were taking a moderate position and the fact all the "men in dresses want to peep on your children in bathrooms!!!11" loons had gravitated towards the party was just wishful thinking on their part, but this has rather pre-empted that.
DeleteI'll tolerate listening to an occasional rant about "bloody romanian beggars/gypsies/etc" from my 93 year old grandad, because he's 93 and he's my grandad. It's not something I want to hear from a political candidate, and a party that thinks that's a suitable view for a candidate to hold isn't one I'd vote for.
Sturgeon doesn't seem to realize or maybe she does, that attacking Mr Salmond she is really attacking the majority who do want Independence and who realize that a Supermajority being offered by the Alba Party is a golden opportunity not to be missed. A supermajority gives the nationalist so many opportunities to gain Independence from the UK, because if I'm right, and the nationalist holds 66% of the parliament after the May election then the Scottish Government has a legal right hold a plebiscite election and there is nothing the UK can do. Now we all know that Sturgeon isn't interested in a plebiscite, she want a referendum on the basis of the last referendum conducted in 2014, then this is where Mr Salmond’s Alba Party comes in again, simply because the SNP and the Alba Party can vastly reduce the number of unionist within Holyrood and thereby when the Scottish Government went to the UK and stating that the sovereign people of Scotland want a referendum and we want to be granted a section 30 order, and if you don’t grant a section 30 order, then we’ll hold a referendum as it is what we’ve been elected to do by the Scottish people.
ReplyDeleteThe trouble is Sturgeon really doesn't want a referendum, now or in the next five years. Some nationalist already know this and some just will not accept this, and this is where the Alba party comes in again, as it will hold the SNP to account on the mandate it seeks on 6th May 2021 (and the mandates already been given to the SNP). The Alba Party wants Independence, that a fact and Sturgeon knows this and she is extremely worried about the Alba Party getting any sort of say in Holyrood because unlike the Greens who's aren't really bothered if a referendum happens or not provided they have a seat at the table, all the Alba party are complaining on is Independence for Scotland, and giving the SNP (and Scotland) the economic ability to achieve Independence now.
Sturgeon will state during the whole 5yrs of the next Holyrood parliament, that the reason why Scotland can’t be Independent is because of the Economic issue as a result of the pandemic, well in my opinion that’s like saying Scotland can’t be Independent because where dependent on the bank of England and the UK government, it seems to me like Sturgeon is playing the cards that the Unionist where playing to keep us in this union in 2014 what kind of strategy is that.
Oh, it's Mr Salmond is it? grovel...grovel...
DeleteWe only need a majority of 1 MSP to pass an indyref bill. In fact since the PO always votes with the government, even that's not necessarily needed technically.
DeleteA requirement for 'Supermajorities' is unionist talk.
I'm 150% indy BTW.
There is a point to a supermajority which I believe at Holyrood is two thirds. That means you can have an election at any time, so e.g. if Boris says no, then you can hold an immediate Holyrood election
DeleteI don't really understand why people expect the SNP to support Alba or not treat them as another party.
DeleteThe SNP have a full slate of list candidates to support and if there was even a hint that Alba were simply a proxy SNP to defeat the list system hurdle the unionist parties would be running to the electoral commission at a 100 miles an hour. If Alba does take unionist list seats they will likely moan the face off anyone who will listen as it is.
That said Murray Ross would love Labour to roll over on the list vote for the Tories.
Absolute bollocks re two thirds majority. Go understand the Scotland Act and the requirement to issue section 30 order!
DeleteThe supermajority argument is something which should never have been in the mainstream as it gives the unionists more power to say No
The current SNP leader is determined to hold onto her power. Scotland regaining its independence poses a threat to her personal agenda. That agenda has independence way down the list of her priorities. She will, therefore, continue to put off independence for as long as she can.
ReplyDeleteRegaining Scotland's independence is paramount.
The former SNP leader is determined to regain power it seems. Sturgeon posed a threat to this, so he mislead the public / parliament by falsely accusing her of breaking the ministerial code it would appear.
DeleteAn independent expert international observer from Ireland then cleared the current FM.
It's astonishing how some people are absolutely certain that NS has no intention of going for Independence. No argument. They just "know". And know that she just wants a cosy life and retirement, presumably.
DeleteIt's like the conspiracy theorists (that we saw most recently with AS and his followers); they just "know" it's true and no amount of evidence will change their minds, in fact contrary evidence confirms what they already believe. (when I was young I remember an argument with some fundamental Christians who believed the world was made 6000 years ago. "What about the fossils shown to be millions of years old?" "God put them there to give the impression of great antiquity." Ah, yes, silly me)
AS is a gambler, he gambled over the first referendum, that it wasn't too soon, that the economic issues, like currency, wouldn't be unpicked. He lost.
Women are different, by and large, and are often more cautious. NS seems to me to be really quite cautious about many things - that's why we get the "don't frighten the horses" criticism of her strategy and approach to legislation generally, but with some exceptions.
However, I think she wants Independence as much as anyone, but she is going to go about it in the way she thinks will best bring it about. Not everyone agrees, but why should she change her strategy until it's abolutely clear it needs to change?
In 2012 I said to an Edinburgh SNP Councillor I thought AS had made a strategic mistake going for a referendum before he had built a sound majority in favour. Should those who agreed have carped and whined on the sidelines and said this is Madness?
Ah, but NS & the SNP have done nothing towards Indy. How do you know? Have you proof that they have never discussed strategy, tactics, timing?
I don't know if her approach will work, but what I am arguing is that her approach is very different to that of AS, it's a woman's approach. And it may be why she gets a lot of misogynistic bile thrown at her on blogs. But blogs aren't the "real world."
Well said.
DeleteI've no problem with Nicolas approach, it's simple and convincing people takes time.
Plus there is obvious timing issues as well as knowing her electorate. I.e declaring UDI in 2016 because of the refusal for an Indy ref would have been derided around the world and in Europe. As well as her being fodder for tgis election and we wouldn't be fkn independent because we wouldn't have been taken seriously
James
ReplyDeleteHypothetical question: What would the likely result be based on present polling if almost all SNP voters gave there 2nd preference vote to another pro-independence part Green, Alba etc.
Excuse my ignorance.
A lot!
Deletehttps://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2021/03/30/this-is-what-would-have-happened-in-2016-if-snp-list-votes-were-for-alba/
Sturgeons continued sniping is pissing people off who might vote SNP in the constituencies. The poison dripping from the Wokists in the SNP is just turning more and more people off but then maybe that is their objective. They are making harder and harder to even vote SNP in the constituency vote.
ReplyDeleteOh and I wonder how the jurors at the Salmond trial feel now as they have been effectively smeared for weeks if not months now by the Sturgeon Cultists. Who would serve on a Jury now if this is what they can expect from the Cultists?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteYour last para is an insult with no substance. Why do you think it's acceptable to make such accusations?
DeleteThe jurors found him not guilty of criminal acts. They weren't there to judge him morally. His own QC said AS was a sex pest and bully and I'm sure that the jury were well aware of that too.
Delete''I blogged yesterday about the theoretical danger that Alba's intervention could backfire and cost us the pro-indy majority. But supposing that doesn't happen. Suppose we get the majority and the remaining obstacle to independence is that the SNP government continue with the excessive caution that has blighted the last four years.''
ReplyDeleteI'm just trying to figure out exactly when over the last 4 years we would have won a referendum, James? Maybe you could point to the year in particular.
We were on route to winning a majority in May by voting SNP x 2 or SNP / Greens and then along comes Alex who's done nothing to promote independence in the last four years. He's like a lazy, leech latching onto Nicola Sturgeon who has put in the hard graft to get us to where we are.
You also seem to be extremely keen on promoting Alba, whilst undermining the SNP, while saying that Alex Salmond's intervention could cost us a majority. Are you a gambling man too? I just hope that your ''interventions'' aren't going to cost us that majority and our chance of getting us our independence.
I've followed your site for years now and donated to all fundraisers but must say that I'm seriously concerned with the way thinks are going on here.
Alex Salmond is not popular in Scotland. He won his criminal case but lost the moral case when he conceded that he had had to apologise for his behaviour, in private, to one of the two women who ultimately came forward. The Union also had serious concerns about his bullying of staff, so in light of this I'm not looking forward to watching him ''demand a progress report from Nicola Sturgeon on independence.''
His ''relationship'' with someone like Stu Campbell should be questioned too. And have you ever wondered if the people who are emailing you about now voting SNP on the constituency are acolytes of said site? To be honest James, I'm beginning to think that you're losing the plot. Stick to polls and facts.
I haven't heard any fire / passion from any Alba candidates (with the exception of the boxer guy - lest said about that the better). There policies seem to amount to 'we are pro-Scottish-independence', and 'vote SNP'.
ReplyDeleteAs for 'we will consider alternatives to a section 30 referendum', well the SNP leadership have said exactly the same thing. It doesn't mean anything. It's not a policy.
As far as I can make out, the policies are indy!, voting SNP, and maybe reduced reduced calorie intake for Roma.