After a number of false starts over a period of more than a year, I'm at last able to say: thank you for your patience, and I've now commissioned the seventh Scot Goes Pop opinion poll. The wheels will soon be getting into motion, and the results will be with you well before the end of the SNP leadership election. This new poll will be a bit shorter than the previous six, but I've done the best I can with the funds available.
In all honesty I had been minded to wait even longer, and perhaps to try to top up the funds so that there would be enough to commission the type of all-singing, all-dancing poll we've had before. However, Nicola Sturgeon's unexpected resignation finally settled the issue as far as I was concerned, because from that point on, a shorter poll in March obviously made far more sense than a longer poll in April or May.
Just to briefly recap how we got here, between the autumn of 2021 and the autumn of last year, I was plugging away at promoting a polling fundraiser which never actually reached its target figure. That fundraiser had two purposes - firstly to reimburse me for the remaining costs of a poll I ran in October 2021, and which I initially had to partly pay for with my own money, and secondly to help fund a new poll. I eventually had to temporarily give in last autumn, because even though the progress of the polling fundraiser was very sluggish, it was still diverting attention away from the Scot Goes Pop general fundraiser, and at the end of the day a man has got to eat as well as commission opinion polls. So I reverted to promoting the general fundraiser only, and there have been a number of very generous donations since then - including, incredibly, a four-figure donation. However, that fundraiser has still fallen even further short of its target than the polling fundraiser.
To cut a long story short, the Scot Goes Pop coffers will be looking relatively bare after this new poll is completed, so once the SNP leadership election is over, I'm planning to launch a brand new Scot Goes Pop fundraiser for 2023. (I think it makes sense to wait until then before launching it, because now is the time for me to be covering the leadership election as extensively as I can, and I also don't want to divert attention away from any fundraising Ash Regan or even Kate Forbes might need to do - although admittedly there's no obvious sign of any fundraising at all from any of the candidates yet, so perhaps it's not even necessary in an internal vote of this type.)
In the meantime, though, if anyone feels able and willing to contribute early by "buying me a hot chocolate" or "buying me a ham and cheese toastie", I can't deny it would be extremely helpful. Here are the options for donations at the moment...
The preferred method is direct payment via Paypal, which is usually more or less instantaneous and can eliminate fees altogether depending on the option you select from the menu. My Paypal email address is -
jkellysta@yahoo.co.uk
If you wish, you can add a note along the lines of "for the fundraiser", but even if you don't it'll still be very obvious what the payment is for.
I know not everyone has a Paypal account, in which case the best option is the Scot Goes Pop general fundraiser from last year, which is still very much open for donations. I did receive a strange email from GoFundMe a couple of nights ago implying that there might be delays in payment processing, which is one of the reasons I'm now saying Paypal is the preferred method. But the funds will still reach me eventually.
And there are always one or two people who prefer a direct bank transfer - if you'd like to do that, please email me. My contact email address is different from my Paypal email address above, and can be found either in the sidebar of this blog (desktop version only) or on my Twitter profile.
Last but not least, many thanks to the people who have donated over the last eighteen months and made this new poll possible. I can't, of course, promise positive results from the poll - all we can do is put the questions out there and see how the public react to them.
I wish there were more polls on the SNP leadership election, it's been ages since the last one.
ReplyDeleteKirsty Blackman looks like a woke weirdo on Question Time who could possibly glue herself to the QT desk for trans rights. Now I wouldn't mind one bit what she looked like if she did a good job promoting Scottish independence but no she is bloody useless. She had open goals in front of her on that show but missed the ball completely. If it was a football match she would have been subbed at half time. Why are these useless people always fronting up Scottish independence because they act as if they are the Labour Party .
ReplyDeleteOh and Fiona Bruce was her usual ignorant self. Incredible how the BBC give so much airtime to competitors from the like of GBNews. Last night the guy from hard right wing GBNews was allowed to rant on for ever and ever without interruption from Bruce. He looked and sounded as if he had taken way too much cocaine. Bruce called it great passion.
DeleteNowadays they don't even try very hard to disguise their bias.
It's clear you have no understanding of how broadcasting operates
DeleteIt's clear you are a WGD numpty troll.
DeleteAt the last election many of us held our nose and voted SNP. If it isnae Regan as leader the stench will be too sickening to overcome. Vote Alba.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid you're going to be sickened then, her chances are zero not only of being elected as FM but of remaining in the SNP at all
DeleteShe's on her way out
Why? Don't see why losing a leadership election equals leaving the party.. far from it.
DeleteAs the anonymous at 1.22pm is clearly a WGD numpty and as numpties are always getting things wrong this is great news for Regan's chance of being FM. Numpties nead to realise that the person on the way out is Sturgeon and more of her gang will follow. Hopefully some behind bars and the SNP has an honest decent leadership for the future.
DeleteI'd sooner vote for Mr Blobby than vote Alba.
DeleteIt sounds like voting for Mr Blobby is exactly what you're about to do...
DeleteDuring the the eight years of Sturgeon's reign there was not one SNP conference to discuss Scottish independence. Indeed just a few weeks before a conference to agree a de facto referendum was due to take place Sturgeon resigns and scuppers it.
ReplyDeleteDoes this sound like a person who wanted independence? Yousaf is Sturgeon's boy. If he is FM you can kiss goodbye to independence for even more years.
Still stirring it Cubby
DeleteTelling the truth actually which trolls like you cannae dispute. It's people like you who supported Sturgeon who have led to this. Own it ya numpty.
DeleteOff topic I know, there must be some juicy WhatsApps about Scotland amongst these Lockdown texts. I wonder if they'll ever see the light of day.
ReplyDeleteMy two pence on the leadership. I don't think any of them are particularly great but you give them a chance.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would say is I agreed with Nicola that a too well Kent face was incapable of moving the dial decisively. For that reason the two much lesser knowns in Regan and Forbes would be my choice. I think Yousaf will see the SNP maybe win elections by a bawhair but not win independence.
It would be nice if Allan Dorrans SNP MP could contribute to kicking Boris Johnson out of The House Of Commons and ending Johnston's political career. Then I could happily say that the SNP MPs have finally achieved something in Westminster.
ReplyDeleteI first joined the SNP after Margo McDonalds victory in the Govan by-election.So I have seen it all.There always was a degree of division within the SNP,as well as all other parties.I suppose that the worst example of division is seen in the Conservative party just now.To some extent division is godd and productive,since it generates discussion and the development of thinking.However,it can also be destructive and prevent something from happening that we all want.
ReplyDeleteDuring the period from 1974 to 1999,I was aware that there were gradualists in the SNP.,who were more focused on a Scottish Assembly,rather than independence.I was ,not a gradualist, since an Assembly did not satisfy me,I wanted independance, nothing less.However,I recognised that this was as far as we could go at that time,and I did not rock the boat,since divisions and personality politics is self defeating.Of course it is frustrating that Westminster is blocking things just now,but demonising individual members of the SNP and other
parts of the YES movement does not help us to achieve our goals.If we want to encourage people to think about our ideas,we need to respect
them.Some of the comments on this site are very disrespectful.What is important is not that others think differently,what is important to know is that if we respect them,it is more likely that they will listen and learn.
Now I do not agree with the idea that the leadership candidates are
poor.They all have certain skills and experience.However,I consider Kate Forbes to be outstanding,and fully expect her to grow in stature over time.The unionist media are terrified of her.That is evidenced by the constant daily attacks on her.Apart from her strong grasp of evidence supporting the economic argument for independence,she is also motivated to ensure that the views of members are listened to,as well as the views of others outside of the SNP. Now other favour different candidates,that is also fine.Lets see what the hustings inform us about who is best to lead us.
the idea that is bad,it is the language used to express opinions about the
character of another person.
It is not so important that we disagree with others,what is important is we are respectful towards others and put forward our views in a manner that encourages them to think about what you are saying.
I suspect you speak for the vast majority of the SNP membership and the wider electorate. The online world thrives on disagreement sadly, and the media makes a living these days by polarisation of all topics.
DeleteA creative tension can be a very positive and productive thing, if respect is maintained. Without respect we quickly end up in diametrically opposed camps that can no longer have a dialogue. Compromise becomes impossible and extreme positions become entrenched.
I’m encouraged by the way Kate and Ash are campaigning, without rancour and even answering the other night that they are friends as well as colleagues. The campaign is bound to focus on differences, and the media and political opponents are bound to play them up for all they’re worth, but when this relatively short campaign period is over the important thing is to unite behind the choice of the members and give the new leader the space to lead.
Too much polemic during these few weeks risks holing the new leader below the waterline before she has a chance to demonstrate how she will lead.
Dr Jim says:- " Kate Forbes has an inability to lie." I would suggest to Jim that he follows her example and cuts out the lies himself.
ReplyDeleteYousaf's in the lead
ReplyDeletehttps://uk.news.yahoo.com/humza-yousaf-leads-first-poll-165019611.html
This underlines the importance of reminding Regan supporters to use all their preferences.