It's just a coincidence, but this Wednesday marks the fifteenth anniversary of the start of Scot Goes Pop in 2008 - it began with a post about the results of the local elections in England and Wales, so I can always remember when it's that time of year. In the intervening decade-and-a-half, Scot Goes Pop has provided extensive opinion polling and election analysis, corrected umpteen inaccuracies and distortions in the mainstream media about Scottish poll results, commissioned eight full-scale opinion polls of its own from leading polling firms, provided fiercely independent political commentary, and produced numerous podcasts and videos. But if I'm going to keep the site going, the time has come when I'm once again going to have to ask for your help.
After Scot Goes Pop commissioned no fewer than two opinion polls in March (the Find Out Now poll showing an outright pro-independence majority, and the Panelbase poll showing that Kate Forbes was the public's clear preference for First Minister), I mentioned that the coffers were getting a bit emptier, and that I would have to start a new annual fundraiser as soon as the leadership election was over, especially bearing in mind that last year's fundraiser fell well short of its target. However, I couldn't have foreseen the extent of the chaos that would unfold within the SNP over subsequent weeks, so I initially decided it was the worst possible time to start a crowdfunder and that I'd be better off trying to keep things ticking over with lower-key fundraising at the bottom of each blogpost. That plan hasn't really worked out. There have been several generous donations over the last couple of weeks, but they've come to around £200 in total, and that's not the kind of level at which I can plan for the future. It's time to bite the bullet, and to find out where I stand and whether Scot Goes Pop can continue to be sustainable. If the new fundraiser falls well short of its target in the way that last year's did, my intention will be to continue for however long the funds make possible and to then stop. (Obviously 'stop' is unlikely to mean a total cessation, because I'm sure I'll occasionally feel the burning desire to get something off my chest, but the posting rate will drop dramatically.) I'll also give the same undertaking that I've given during past fundraisers - if for unforeseen reasons I have to close Scot Goes Pop before the funds are used up, I'll use or disperse the remaining funds to benefit other pro-indy causes.
If you're one of the people that has donated over recent weeks, please just ignore the new fundraiser, and nobody else should feel under any pressure to donate either - these are difficult times for all of us. However, if you're unable to donate, one very helpful thing you could do would be to share the fundraiser on whichever social media platforms you use. Facebook shares would be particularly welcome, because for ultra-complex reasons that would take about 57 years to explain, I've had to deactivate my own Facebook account and can't post there directly for the time being.
Hi, I'm James Kelly, and for exactly 15 years (it all started on 3rd May 2008), I've been writing the pro-independence blog Scot Goes Pop. With your help, I hope to keep the blog shining bright over the coming months as a key part of the pro-independence alternative media.
Scotland needs a Yes media more than ever during these tricky times, and to a limited extent we do have one. However, given the circumstances, I'm not sure that a media that is slavishly loyal to the status quo of Yes politics can contribute as much as one that looks forward to a new vista in which pro-independence parties will have changed and reformed to rebuild public trust and to once again become credible vehicles for independence in the near-term. That's the type of media that I hope Scot Goes Pop can be part of.
And with your help it will also continue to provide the unique polling and election analysis service from a pro-independence perspective that it has been known for over the years. Countless inaccuracies and distortions in the unionist-oriented mainstream media about Scottish opinion poll results have only come to light or been corrected because Scot Goes Pop identified them. And there have even been eight full-scale Scottish opinion polls commissioned by Scot Goes Pop itself, most recently two in March of this year.
The existence of the blog has led to many spin-offs. I've written extensive polling and election analysis for The National, including daily constituency profiles during the 2019 general election campaign and the 2021 Scottish Parliament election campaign. I've been an iScot columnist since 2017, and for many years I was a columnist on both the TalkRadio website and the International Business Times. In the run-up to the 2014 independence referendum, I may well have been the most-read pro-independence blogger in Scotland, due to the good fortune of many of my IBTimes columns being syndicated on Yahoo. I've also been interviewed on TV and radio on numerous occasions, including on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio Five Live, Al Jazeera, CTV News (Canada) and the Bauer radio network.
However, blogging is a very time-consuming process, especially during elections or other busy periods when there may be several polls a day to cover. Like all writers, I have to keep body and soul together while I write, and running a general fundraiser every year helps me to do that, while also giving me the flexibility to drop everything and write a blogpost whenever a new poll comes out. If the funds fall well short of the target, my aim will be to keep going for as many months as I can.
Direct payments can also be made via Paypal. My Paypal email address is:
jkellysta@yahoo.co.uk
If you do have a Paypal account, that's probably the best method for quite a few reasons. If you wish, you can add a note saying "for the fundraiser", but it'll be obvious what the payment is for anyway.
I know one or two people tend to prefer direct bank transfer, so if you want to do that, drop me a line and I'll send you the necessary details.
Great line up of speakers at AUOB march in Glasgow this Saturday. Salmond is speaking. Any idea why Sturgeon won't be there. She used to say she couldn't go because she was FM. Is it because she wants to watch charlieboy and wave her union flag whilst reciting her oath of allegiance like WGD numpty yesindyref2.
I'll be there at the march and a wee bonus is that none of the WGD numpties will be attending as they will be too busy trying to say their oath of allegiance while waving their union flag at the same time.
Update:- Dr Jim says he phoned his true love Nicola to find out why she is not attending the Glasgow march and he says she is too busy having a bath and washing her hair that day.
That news doesn't surprise me as she never gave independence any priority anyway.
To be fair, all our marches since Covid have been a pale imitation of what came before. I've been on plenty of them, and 2019 was the peak. Everyone else here walked through Edinburgh that autumn with a hundred thousand more? Since then, most of us have just melted away.
I've been to many marches at Bannockburn and last year's was pathetic. The turnout at Lesley Riddoch's (rightly) much hyped protest against the 'supreme' court's confiscation of Scotland's sovereignty on the day last year was also quite pitiful. And that was one Lady Nicola even deigned to grace with her presence! I was glad to nip off to the pub after for some actual atmosphere.
We all know SNP polling figures aren't the only measure of indy's chances, and we all know a good crowd on a sunny march with saltires isn't the only measure of the movement, but these things are all linked.
Re: welcome for the Tories. They have their own wee group with Manky Jacket screaming on the megaphone, easily spotted under the butcher's aprons, heckling the march. Everyone is catered for!
Judging from the list of speakers (Graham Campbell, Lorna Slater, etc), the Edinburgh rally will be an absolute hellscape. It looks suspiciously like it was only organised to give the usual suspects an excuse to avoid AUOB.
James just donated £10 to your poll fund and wish it success ,do you include Alba on your list of parties on voting choice and do you list it alphabetically as it will appear on the Scottish Parliament list?
Many thanks, Hugh. To answer your question, it's never as simple as that, because each polling firm has its own way of doing things and will usually try to maintain consistency from client to client.
Nothing to do with a single poll really : the incompetence of the SNP has been the news for a while now and Sturgeon et al are the poisoned cherry on the SNP cake of mismanagement - iow, the SNP is rather fkd. Curiously SNPy folk are blaming Alba, the Brits, anybody except the SNP. I personally couldn't gaf about the money, or Alba tbh - the problem is a poorly managed SNP - nobody is terribly enthusiastic about voting for a mismanaged (Sturgeon's fault - she may as well be a Brit agent given the legacy of her failure to forward indy and castrate the SNP) political party - so even very pro-indy folk can't be bothered voting for an incompetent SNP.
Expect the SNP to get kicked out of government as a force. YET, if a pair of hands as good as Salmond materialised (not very likely) then we might at least remain Scotland's largest party... but at this time the Brits are on the ascendent.
WGD liar Irish Skier who cannae stop boasting he has an EU passport goes low, very low, when he quotes the Britnat architect of the Infamous Vow (which may well have been the reason the 2014 referendum was lost) Murray Foote in a post. The liar Skier says the liar Foote says that the liar Murrell would never do anything dishonest. 😂😂😂😂 Foote who lied about the membership numbers because Murrell lied to him. Foote who lied in the Vow. Murrell who lied in the Parliamentary Inquiry in to Sturgeon's actions. People of zero integrity.
I rarely visit WOS - but he's been mentioned here lots, so went for look. His current hatred for the SNP is unhelpful (he is after all just a blogger - nothing he does is of great import); still, his tangible glee at the SNP's demise is rather unhelpful. Anyway...
There's some total garbage (as usual) going on in the media about the next GE and UK Parliament. Considering the way polling has gone already in 7 to 8 months since Labour "stormed into a 40 point lead" or whatever, for an election probably 18 months in the future, the SNP are pretending to drool about a practically non-existent chance of a hung parliament and them having 45 MPs to swing the balance while their drooping support means it could be less than 20 and even back to the 6 they had before 2015. Anyways, here's some Edward Lear Nonsense:
"SNP would 'drag Labour to the left' if hung parliament" (Mhairi Black - and who actually cares as we want OUT of the UK, not changing its direction).
"Labour dismisses talk of coalition as SNP and Lib Dems look towards hung parliament"
"Scotland is absolutely vital to Labour’s 2024 election hopes"
"The Owl and the Pussy Cat went to see in a beautiful pea green boat" (I made that one up).
The SNP could do fine or is doomed for 10 years - depends if they can sort themselves out... but they seem atrophied, rudderless, gutless and incapable of getting back on track. Mz S is of course directly and entirely reponsible for the present malaise by definition - she chose incompetent ministerial wimps and top-down managed the public percepeption of her SG - all the while doing naught to address the underlying disasters till it was too late.
Salmond chose smart movers and they got the job done - if we could shake up the malaise then we might survive. At this moment Humza is treading water; James my well be right that Kate F might actually wake up the SG - Humza should already be making progress but he isn't.
This really belongs here, though I posted it elsewhere to great effect.
When it comes to interpreting opinion polls, I stick to James Kelly of Scot Goes Pop as I’ve done since 2012.
He actually knows what he’s talking about and doesn’t twist the results to try to prove the SNP are doomed or purrfect depending on their point of view. Curtice, his apprentice, is quite good too 🙂
Everyone please donate as much as you can to this very worthy cause.
ReplyDeleteWings has been offline all day. Same day as the launch of the 2023 SGP fundraiser. Coincidence?
ReplyDeleteMr Campbell is practicing saying the allegiance to his King.
ReplyDeleteStrictly speaking it’s our king. We’re not a republic yet.
DeleteJust like supposedly pro indy politicians.
DeleteGreat line up of speakers at AUOB march in Glasgow this Saturday. Salmond is speaking. Any idea why Sturgeon won't be there. She used to say she couldn't go because she was FM. Is it because she wants to watch charlieboy and wave her union flag whilst reciting her oath of allegiance like WGD numpty yesindyref2.
ReplyDeleteI'll be there at the march and a wee bonus is that none of the WGD numpties will be attending as they will be too busy trying to say their oath of allegiance while waving their union flag at the same time.
It’ll be fine he hardcore at this week’s AUOB. Time to suss out who’s really up for it!
DeleteThe bulk of the speakers on Saturday criticize the SNP more than they criticize the Tories (just as yourself). Says it all.
DeleteBut the SNP under Yousaf are no more interested in delivering independence than the Tories are, so, y'know, swings and roundabouts.
DeleteI guess Tories aren’t welcome. So much for “All” under one banner.
DeleteUpdate:- Dr Jim says he phoned his true love Nicola to find out why she is not attending the Glasgow march and he says she is too busy having a bath and washing her hair that day.
DeleteThat news doesn't surprise me as she never gave independence any priority anyway.
To be fair, all our marches since Covid have been a pale imitation of what came before. I've been on plenty of them, and 2019 was the peak. Everyone else here walked through Edinburgh that autumn with a hundred thousand more? Since then, most of us have just melted away.
DeleteI've been to many marches at Bannockburn and last year's was pathetic. The turnout at Lesley Riddoch's (rightly) much hyped protest against the 'supreme' court's confiscation of Scotland's sovereignty on the day last year was also quite pitiful. And that was one Lady Nicola even deigned to grace with her presence! I was glad to nip off to the pub after for some actual atmosphere.
We all know SNP polling figures aren't the only measure of indy's chances, and we all know a good crowd on a sunny march with saltires isn't the only measure of the movement, but these things are all linked.
Re: welcome for the Tories. They have their own wee group with Manky Jacket screaming on the megaphone, easily spotted under the butcher's aprons, heckling the march. Everyone is catered for!
DeleteKeep up the good work James.
ReplyDeleteGive generously to Scot Goes Pop.
For Edinburgh folk, there is also an Our Republic rally at Calton Hill on Saturday at 3.00pm.
Judging from the list of speakers (Graham Campbell, Lorna Slater, etc), the Edinburgh rally will be an absolute hellscape. It looks suspiciously like it was only organised to give the usual suspects an excuse to avoid AUOB.
Delete"Labour ahead of SNP on regional list, new poll finds" according to the National.
ReplyDeleteJames just donated £10 to your poll fund and wish it success ,do you include Alba on your list of parties on voting choice and do you list it alphabetically as it will appear on the Scottish Parliament list?
ReplyDeleteMany thanks, Hugh. To answer your question, it's never as simple as that, because each polling firm has its own way of doing things and will usually try to maintain consistency from client to client.
DeleteI thought it would take another 4 or 5 months till the SNP slipped to second place in the polls bur it looks to be happening this month - implosion
ReplyDeleteGood to see another unionist party imploding.
DeleteBest not take a single poll as gospel Stevie.
DeleteNothing to do with a single poll really : the incompetence of the SNP has been the news for a while now and Sturgeon et al are the poisoned cherry on the SNP cake of mismanagement - iow, the SNP is rather fkd. Curiously SNPy folk are blaming Alba, the Brits, anybody except the SNP. I personally couldn't gaf about the money, or Alba tbh - the problem is a poorly managed SNP - nobody is terribly enthusiastic about voting for a mismanaged (Sturgeon's fault - she may as well be a Brit agent given the legacy of her failure to forward indy and castrate the SNP) political party - so even very pro-indy folk can't be bothered voting for an incompetent SNP.
DeleteExpect the SNP to get kicked out of government as a force. YET, if a pair of hands as good as Salmond materialised (not very likely) then we might at least remain Scotland's largest party... but at this time the Brits are on the ascendent.
WGD liar Irish Skier who cannae stop boasting he has an EU passport goes low, very low, when he quotes the Britnat architect of the Infamous Vow (which may well have been the reason the 2014 referendum was lost) Murray Foote in a post. The liar Skier says the liar Foote says that the liar Murrell would never do anything dishonest. 😂😂😂😂 Foote who lied about the membership numbers because Murrell lied to him. Foote who lied in the Vow. Murrell who lied in the Parliamentary Inquiry in to Sturgeon's actions. People of zero integrity.
ReplyDeleteJames, we have had our disagreements, but I have always respected your work. Best wishes for the future.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Douglas.
DeleteJames, good to see the fundraiser doing so well thus far. Just goes to show that honesty (rather than sycophancy) has its rewards. Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Anon.
DeleteI rarely visit WOS - but he's been mentioned here lots, so went for look. His current hatred for the SNP is unhelpful (he is after all just a blogger - nothing he does is of great import); still, his tangible glee at the SNP's demise is rather unhelpful. Anyway...
ReplyDeleteHe is not influential any more.
DeleteHe's getting worried that his party of choice, the Tories look like getting turfed out at the next UK general election.
DeleteInstead of Governor-general Jack we'll have Governor-general Murray.
DeleteThere's some total garbage (as usual) going on in the media about the next GE and UK Parliament. Considering the way polling has gone already in 7 to 8 months since Labour "stormed into a 40 point lead" or whatever, for an election probably 18 months in the future, the SNP are pretending to drool about a practically non-existent chance of a hung parliament and them having 45 MPs to swing the balance while their drooping support means it could be less than 20 and even back to the 6 they had before 2015. Anyways, here's some Edward Lear Nonsense:
ReplyDelete"SNP would 'drag Labour to the left' if hung parliament" (Mhairi Black - and who actually cares as we want OUT of the UK, not changing its direction).
"Labour dismisses talk of coalition as SNP and Lib Dems look towards hung parliament"
"Scotland is absolutely vital to Labour’s 2024 election hopes"
"The Owl and the Pussy Cat went to see in a beautiful pea green boat" (I made that one up).
The SNP could do fine or is doomed for 10 years - depends if they can sort themselves out... but they seem atrophied, rudderless, gutless and incapable of getting back on track. Mz S is of course directly and entirely reponsible for the present malaise by definition - she chose incompetent ministerial wimps and top-down managed the public percepeption of her SG - all the while doing naught to address the underlying disasters till it was too late.
DeleteSalmond chose smart movers and they got the job done - if we could shake up the malaise then we might survive. At this moment Humza is treading water; James my well be right that Kate F might actually wake up the SG - Humza should already be making progress but he isn't.
This really belongs here, though I posted it elsewhere to great effect.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to interpreting opinion polls, I stick to James Kelly of Scot Goes Pop as I’ve done since 2012.
He actually knows what he’s talking about and doesn’t twist the results to try to prove the SNP are doomed or purrfect depending on their point of view. Curtice, his apprentice, is quite good too 🙂
yesindyref2
Anyone wanting to look at a bit of number-crunching for the English locals last week, you can find my thoughts here:-
ReplyDeletehttp://thepeoplesflag.blogspot.com/2023/05/english-local-election-results-may-2023.html