Monday, September 20, 2021

Daily Record's credibility lies in TATTERS this morning as it falsely claims that a no change poll shows a "drop in support for independence"

Answers on a postcard, folks.  The new Redfield & Wilton poll on independence shows a literally identical result to the last one, with 44% saying they would vote Yes and 47% saying they would vote No.  (Those figures do not exclude Don't Knows.)  And yet for some inexplicable reason that is probably a mystery even to themselves, the Daily Record have decided to report the poll as a "drop in support for independence". Paul Hutcheon himself has cluelessly tweeted the inaccurate headline.

Back in the real world, the poll adds to the weight of evidence suggesting that public opinion has remained fairly static of late.  Politico, who commissioned the poll, place greatest emphasis on the finding that a narrow plurality of respondents think that a referendum shouldn't take place unless Westminster agree to it.  We seem to be caught in a vicious circle - the more the Scottish Government talk up the need for an agreed referendum, the more the public buy into that concept themselves.  That does not actually increase the likelihood of an agreed referendum, but instead produces opinion poll results that simply strengthen Westminster's hand in saying no.

This strategic naivety must be swept away.  The message must be that a referendum is taking place - it would be great to have Westminster on board, but it's taking place anyway. And the word "legal" should be expunged from the Scottish Government's lexicon.

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If you'd like to make a complaint to the press regulator IPSO over the Daily Record's blatant breach of Clause 1 (Accuracy) of the Editors' Code, the online form you'll need is HERE.

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Scot Goes Popcast: You can watch the full videos of my recent interviews with Yvonne Ridley and William Duguid HERE and HERE. 
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2 comments:

  1. Independence for ScotlandSeptember 20, 2021 at 12:12 PM

    Now Ramstam has had the occasional pop at me saying why don't I comment on James article. Now I don't post a comment on every article as do plenty others but this one is for you Ramstam.

    1. " Paul Hutcheon has himself cluelessly.." these words could be used as an opener for every comment about Hutcheon. A clueless little weasel of a Britnat. Probably in the pay of the British state.

    2. " the more the Scottish government talk up the need for an agreed referendum, the more the public buy in to that concept themselves." Absolutely bang on there James. I of course would add to that - the more the SNP/WGD numpties push that whatever Nicola says must be the best way. Sturgeon has led the way in helping the Britnat media with their talk of illegal referendums.

    3. " This strategic naivety must be swept away." In this comment you give the SNP the benefit of the doubt that they are useless. I used to think that was the case. I don't now. So I disagree with that comment. The SNP leadership are not idiots. They know fine well what they are doing. The idiots are the SNP/ WGD numpties who remain loyal to them. I remember all the tough independence talk in George square in Nov 2019. The most important election is ahead of us give us a majority for Indyref2 and independence. Sturgeon, Yousaf, Kavanagh and others all the same pitch. What did we get after the UK GE election and an increased majority of SNP MPs a surrender speech by Sturgeon in Jan 2020. Sturgeon is not useless as an independence leader because she is a devolutionalist who is happy with the current situation and is NOT an independence leader. What sort of independence leader needs a party like Alba to try and put pressure on her.

    4. "And the word legal should be expunged from the Scottish Government's lexicon." Of course it should be but it was always there as the ultimate excuse for not having a referendum. Exactly what Sturgeon said in her speech in Jan 2020. She said she would not hold an illegal referendum and to her legal meant only with Westminster permission. Hence Sturgeon/ Wolfe's opposition to the legal case trying to prove it was legal for the Scotgov to hold such a referendum. The Scotgov spending public funds opposing such a court case.
    This time after the May election she has not even bothered requesting a sec 30 just a pathetic request for cooperation. Sturgeon got lucky that she has also got Covid as an excuse. If Covid ever goes away as the current excuse then "legal" will be wheeled out as per her speech in Jan 2020. If Sturgeon ends up resigning due to the Covid Inquiry which will eventually happen ( possibly another excuse for no Indyref2) then the nightmare Robertson couple take over and rinse and repeat the excuses.


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  2. duncanioSeptember 20, 2021 at 12:23 PM

    I completely agree with your conclusions.

    The Scottish Government/SNP yield the initiative and keep giving Westminster and the British Unionist and Nationalists (BUNS) the ammunition with which to use against us.

    One has to wonder why ...

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