A pro-independence blog by James Kelly - voted one of Scotland's top 10 political websites.
Friday, October 6, 2023
More analysis of the Rutherglen & Hamilton West by-election outcome
Just a quick note to let you know I've written an analysis piece for The National about the by-election result and the changes I think the SNP will need to make in response. You can read it HERE.
We are not getting indy anytime soon so what's the point in them?
And some SNP staffers think they should morph even further into a non descript labour-ish party, except one who can't win power in London.
Madness.
Without indy as an agenda item, I quite agree there's no point to the SNP. Maybe they're staff and MPs need to start reflecting why their party exists in the first place. Then let the cards fall where they will. A flakey Labour/libdemy party will get us nowhere.
I agree that the SNP struggles if they're unable to build an independence case that they themselves are convinced by.
If they aren't selling independence then they're not going to win on competence or charisma as they've been in 13y and Humza Yousaf struggles to be heard or convince outside his bubble.
The SNP is independence or it is nothing.
We might as well have a Unionist or devolusionist social democratic party that wants to stay in the UK and make it better.
Jacob72 I am surprised at you. There is no British ( English) party that will make it better for Scotland. Stay in the UK and make it better will always translate to make it better for SE England. Scotland is just a place where they can steal our resources, dump their waste and park their nuclear weapons. If Scots are freezing in their homes while southern England sunbathes they couldn't care less.
You are right about one thing - " The SNP is independence or it is nothing" and right now it is nothing and more and more independence supporters are starting to realise that. Sturgeon's gang are trashing the legacy of generations of SNP leaders and supporters and they are being assisted by the type of SNP numpties you find on WGD.
For consistencies sake only, latest YouGov Westminster voting intention, Scottish sub-sample, field work 4 -5 Oct. Con 14% seats 3 (-3), Lab 35% seats 24 (+23), LibDem 6% seats 5 (+1), SNP 37% seats 27 (-21). Not much variance from previous sub-sample, just a couple of percentage points that determine whether SNP take 3 Tory seats in NE or not. V O’B
It's still possibile to do a decent election and After that, with Forbes as new leader and a Labour government in London that won't solve any problems, a good performance at the Scottish Parliament elections can be done
Some WGD numpties now seem to be converting to the approach that SNP MPs should not take up their seats at Westminster just as independence voters are moving towards making sure a lot of them can't take up their seats anyway by not voting for them.
Dr Jim is raging - yes even more than usual - probably because he cannae blame the Alba party. On the other hand top SNP propagandist Skier is happy as he punts it as a bad result for unionism.
I sometimes assume you're exaggerating, but I see Skier does actually say at quite considerable length that the result was a disaster for unionism! *Steps away nervously*
James despite pricks calling me a liar I do try my best to accurately reflect what the numpties say. Skier has multiple posts saying it was a disaster for the union. Skier says:- " The party is well and truly over for the union, but Yousaf needs to follow through with his plan." What a mad SNP propagandist.
His latest ramblings seem to be around that 'Scots don't want to vote in UK General elections' complete with a random graph saying that only 35% of people saything they are 10/10 certain to vote. This, of course, is complete rubbish, a quick look at the polling tables shows that 10/10 certain to vote sits at around 60-75%. The fact that SNP acolytes have to make up figures and data to try and put a positive spin on things shows how badly things are going for the SNP at the moment.
Why look at that site, everyone on it is blind to reality of the situation. It may be that we need an SNP wipe out in order to rebuild the YES movement without them. If they lose many seats it will starve the almost bankrupt party of funds and we can clear out all the self-confessed 'soft-yesers' and the horse they rode in on. Perhaps a doing is what they are needing.
It was not until the 'extremes' in NI came to the fore that devolution really began to work. Perhaps, there is room for an ALBA like party to take on the mantle of this Labour-lite SNP. People used to say why vote Tory-lite when you can vote Tory? Same goes: why vote Labour-lite when you can vote labour. You can fool some of the people some of the time...but a liar is a liar and that's the SNP.
WT - not everyone now posting btl on WGD is blind to the reality of the situation. Strangely enough Mr Kavanagh is letting some dissenting voices post these days. Yesindyref2 now does a reasonable job on there of posting the reality. Why the big dug has loosened his control over what can be posted can only be speculated upon.
True at present, but due to Brexit and the backstop. NI devo only became viable after 'extreme' elements became involved in power sharing it needed the DUP Sinn Fein onboard to bring a real end to hostilities
I absolutely despair at some of the comments from Alba supporters in your previous blog, James. Proudly announcing Alba’s vindication in not standing in Rutherglen, because it leaves the party “blameless”.
Great. Alongside “blameless”, it also leaves Alba “useless”. What is it with the left’s inability to realise that costing a party who can’t win without you an election is not some kind of embarrassing faux pas? It’s minor party strategy 101. If you can take the blame for costing another party an election, you’re well on your way to pressuring them into doing what you want.
“You cost us a by election!” the Tories say. “Damn right we did,” say UKIP. “And we’ll cost you the next election if you don’t do what we want.”
Meanwhile, in Albaland, apparently having no leverage at all is vindication if it spares you some mean tweets from bitter SNP activists. “The SNP better watch out. We got THIRTY WHOLE VOTES in the Auchtermuchty council by-election last June. Next stop, Bute House!” Give me strength. It’s contemptible.
Frankly, Humza is not the only leader of an independence party who should be carefully considering his future. Since Salmond is too feart to use his “star power” anywhere it’s actually worth using, what is even the point in his leadership? That was the one selling point of Alba. They had a big name leader who could draw support. What’s the point in their existence if he’s too busy wringing his hands about “blame”? Why are Alba not considering younger, fresher, hungrier leadership who’ll actually, you know, STAND for something??
I'm one of the people you refer to in your post. Yes, they could have stood, they would have lost, and the fractures in the yes movement would have remained - it may still do. Salmond is a good strategist and I would assume that he saw this as a way to clear the decks. They have stood aside and now they can stand as it is obvious to all the SNP are in serious trouble. I don't know. But Salmond is a better strategist than I am so I think he knows what he's doing - done a not bad job with the SNP. You could be right, I could be right, but the one thing for sure is that the SNP are in serious trouble while the YES vote seems to hold up. I voted SNP for donkeys years and it has been hard to watch the way they threw everything away, for what? What we do need is an end to the factionalism but perhaps this is a stage that we have to go through before we can heal the division.
WGD numpty Capella states that Salmond was the victim of a dastardly plot but she does not believe Sturgeon was responsible. Capella does not say who she thinks was responsible. A perfect example of people who invest so much personal hero worshipping in Sturgeon that they cannae handle the truth. Sturgeon's husband, and Ruddick, second in command, were clearly plotting against Salmond. Sturgeon herself admitted on TV that a lot of the alphabetties are her friends ( jigsaw identification? ). The Inquiry cover up tactics of Swinney. The lies told by all the Scotgov officials. All the paper work that spells out a plot against Salmond right back to 2017. The Judicial review judgement. There is a mountain of evidence but Capella wants to believe the person at the top of that mountain - Sturgeon - knew nothing and had no involvement. Truly head in the sand stuff.
Nowadays Sturgeon claims she is innocent of any financial wrongdoing. She says I have done nothing wrong. She says I not we. So she will not confirm that her husband Murrell and the SNP Treasurer are also innocent. Sturgeon the ex great leader who seems to know nothing about anything. I'm guessing numpties like Capella will be taken in by this. At least Capella is not as delusional as Dr Jim who thinks Sturgeon will make a comeback as SNP leader and deliver independence.
Nasty WG numpty Dr Jim and his apprentice nasty numpty Eilidh both want the National to stop James and Gerry Hassan from writing in the National. Not sure James how you feel about being lumped in with Hassan but here is their comments:-
Eilidh says:- " Why the National gives Gerry Hassan a column when he is clearly a Labour supporter is beyond me." Dr Jim says:- " or Scot goes Pop's James Kelly who represents an organisation that is clearly delighted the SNP lost the election." Eilidh says:- " Yeah I read his column in The National. Definitely gloat factor 6 at least."
This nasty pair are clearly not supporters of free speech and obviously feel the the National is the SNP in house magazine. Other numpties spout the same old nonsense if you don't vote SNP you don't support Scottish independence.
Stephen Noon on the Sunday Show - a perfect example of the type of devolutionist infiltrating the SNP. He punts Scotland needs to be more independent - more devolution powers - what nonsense - you are either independent or not. We are in the post referendum age he claims. He wants a Labour government in Westminster and an SNP government in Edinburgh. The best option he says. Noon nowt but a House Jock.
For those who think I may be lying or even exaggerating when I have said top nicophant Dr Jim thinks Sturgeon will return from the wilderness and like a messiah will lead us to our independence here are new comments from Jimbo just yesterday.
Dr Jim says:- " She had to stop, but she's not gone, even with the way she's been attacked and mauled by all opposition to the SNP I cannot see her away on any permanent basis, there is very little for her as a civilian and she will not stand by and watch what's happening and do nothing, it's not in her nature."
Dr Jim also says :- " De facto referendum on seats alone and SNP voters will turn up like bees on honey, perhaps we'll even see a surprise campaign leader. "
Here is the true reality Jimbo - Sturgeon trashed the SNP, faked for years she was going to have Indyref2, found out the polis were on her and her husbands case and then ran away.
Whatever happened to the numpties claim that the international organisations would be queuing up to give Sturgeon a top job.
“Seats alone” is a total non-starter. We have to be real and realise we need to win a majority of the popular vote, de-facto or actual referendum. Otherwise Westminster or, more importantly, the international community won’t give us the time of day.
Turnout figure was the most important result. In my opinion the vast majority of pro-indy supporters who stayed at home did so because they don't believe the current SNP hierarchy actually wants to fight for independence. They won't vote SNP again until the hierarchy becomes more radical in its approach. Adopting Sinn Fein's abstentionist position would be a good start.
How on earth can Sturgeon be writing her memoirs. This is the FM who famously can never recall anything and knows nothing about anything going on right under her nose. I guess the book will be 20 pages long including a section on her vegetable garden where she grew a tremendous number of carrots over the years and a lot of pictures for the nicophants to droll over. £300k - I guess that would make a good fund to escape to Bolivia with when the Covid Inquiry gets ramped up.
Things are so bad with the SNP that even numpties like Collatin have seen the light.
Jack says :- " I’m 76 and have lost patience with the careerists who now run SNP and who will milk ' the constitution issue ' for another 20 years if they can. Nice little earner for some, eh?"
Jack also says:- " How many times do these SNP careerists think that we will hit our heads off that particular brick wall before we realise it hurts?"
Jack again says:- " HY needs to stand aside, I fear."
Jumpin Jack and the other numpties must have very sore heads because they have been banging their heads on Jack's brick wall for some time.
Now this sort of posting from Jack would have never seen the light of day on WGD in the past but the big dog clearly is seeing that even numpties have had enough and Mr Kavanagh, above all else, will do what it takes to maintain his income stream.
I mean what type of supposed independence party hires a Britnat ( Murray Foote) to run the party and launches a PBB AFTER the by election. A party political broadcast that is cobbled together from old PBB/videos featuring MP Mhairi Black who thought it was fine to take a drag queen called Flow Job to a primary school. The SNP has been infiltrated by grifters and British state operatives and totally trashed by Sturgeon's gang. Even the dumbest of the dumb are starting to see that.
Lisa Cameron SNP MP defects to the Tories. The SNP a party full of Tories/ devolutionalists/grifters who kick out the genuine independence supporters. Even the WGD numpties are starting to see the truth. Sturgeon's a Betrayer. Cameron's a Betrayer. Lots more in the SNP. Cameron has probably been promised a seat in the House of Lords. It would be great if Sunak reneged on the promise. Just like the parliamentarians in 1707 they have been bought by English gold.
Pal on WhatsApp group said
ReplyDeleteWe are not getting indy anytime soon so what's the point in them?
And some SNP staffers think they should morph even further into a non descript labour-ish party, except one who can't win power in London.
Madness.
Without indy as an agenda item, I quite agree there's no point to the SNP. Maybe they're staff and MPs need to start reflecting why their party exists in the first place. Then let the cards fall where they will. A flakey Labour/libdemy party will get us nowhere.
I agree that the SNP struggles if they're unable to build an independence case that they themselves are convinced by.
DeleteIf they aren't selling independence then they're not going to win on competence or charisma as they've been in 13y and Humza Yousaf struggles to be heard or convince outside his bubble.
The SNP is independence or it is nothing.
We might as well have a Unionist or devolusionist social democratic party that wants to stay in the UK and make it better.
The SNP is independence or it is nothing. Absolutely.
DeleteJacob72 I am surprised at you. There is no British ( English) party that will make it better for Scotland. Stay in the UK and make it better will always translate to make it better for SE England. Scotland is just a place where they can steal our resources, dump their waste and park their nuclear weapons. If Scots are freezing in their homes while southern England sunbathes they couldn't care less.
DeleteYou are right about one thing - " The SNP is independence or it is nothing" and right now it is nothing and more and more independence supporters are starting to realise that. Sturgeon's gang are trashing the legacy of generations of SNP leaders and supporters and they are being assisted by the type of SNP numpties you find on WGD.
For consistencies sake only, latest YouGov Westminster voting intention, Scottish sub-sample, field work 4 -5 Oct.
ReplyDeleteCon 14% seats 3 (-3), Lab 35% seats 24 (+23), LibDem 6% seats 5 (+1), SNP 37% seats 27 (-21).
Not much variance from previous sub-sample, just a couple of percentage points that determine whether SNP take 3 Tory seats in NE or not.
V O’B
It's still possibile to do a decent election and After that, with Forbes as new leader and a Labour government in London that won't solve any problems, a good performance at the Scottish Parliament elections can be done
ReplyDeleteI can’t see the SNP taking any North East seats due to their stated oil& gas policy . I would fully expect their “ North east” vote to collapse
ReplyDeleteThere is a new Redfield Indy poll with Yes improving from the previous one
ReplyDeleteYousaf:- " I’m the leader of the SNP the buck does absolutely stop with me but ..........."
ReplyDeleteMe :- " Well f**k off then."
Some WGD numpties now seem to be converting to the approach that SNP MPs should not take up their seats at Westminster just as independence voters are moving towards making sure a lot of them can't take up their seats anyway by not voting for them.
ReplyDeleteDr Jim is raging - yes even more than usual - probably because he cannae blame the Alba party. On the other hand top SNP propagandist Skier is happy as he punts it as a bad result for unionism.
I sometimes assume you're exaggerating, but I see Skier does actually say at quite considerable length that the result was a disaster for unionism! *Steps away nervously*
DeleteJames despite pricks calling me a liar I do try my best to accurately reflect what the numpties say. Skier has multiple posts saying it was a disaster for the union. Skier says:- " The party is well and truly over for the union, but Yousaf needs to follow through with his plan." What a mad SNP propagandist.
DeleteTo say this was a bad result for unionism is propaganda the Kremlin would be proud of.
DeleteHis latest ramblings seem to be around that 'Scots don't want to vote in UK General elections' complete with a random graph saying that only 35% of people saything they are 10/10 certain to vote. This, of course, is complete rubbish, a quick look at the polling tables shows that 10/10 certain to vote sits at around 60-75%. The fact that SNP acolytes have to make up figures and data to try and put a positive spin on things shows how badly things are going for the SNP at the moment.
DeleteWhy look at that site, everyone on it is blind to reality of the situation. It may be that we need an SNP wipe out in order to rebuild the YES movement without them. If they lose many seats it will starve the almost bankrupt party of funds and we can clear out all the self-confessed 'soft-yesers' and the horse they rode in on. Perhaps a doing is what they are needing.
ReplyDeleteIt was not until the 'extremes' in NI came to the fore that devolution really began to work. Perhaps, there is room for an ALBA like party to take on the mantle of this Labour-lite SNP. People used to say why vote Tory-lite when you can vote Tory? Same goes: why vote Labour-lite when you can vote labour. You can fool some of the people some of the time...but a liar is a liar and that's the SNP.
WT - not everyone now posting btl on WGD is blind to the reality of the situation. Strangely enough Mr Kavanagh is letting some dissenting voices post these days. Yesindyref2 now does a reasonable job on there of posting the reality. Why the big dug has loosened his control over what can be posted can only be speculated upon.
DeleteDevolution is not working in NI
DeleteTrue at present, but due to Brexit and the backstop. NI devo only became viable after 'extreme' elements became involved in power sharing it needed the DUP Sinn Fein onboard to bring a real end to hostilities
DeleteI absolutely despair at some of the comments from Alba supporters in your previous blog, James. Proudly announcing Alba’s vindication in not standing in Rutherglen, because it leaves the party “blameless”.
ReplyDeleteGreat. Alongside “blameless”, it also leaves Alba “useless”. What is it with the left’s inability to realise that costing a party who can’t win without you an election is not some kind of embarrassing faux pas? It’s minor party strategy 101. If you can take the blame for costing another party an election, you’re well on your way to pressuring them into doing what you want.
“You cost us a by election!” the Tories say.
“Damn right we did,” say UKIP. “And we’ll cost you the next election if you don’t do what we want.”
Meanwhile, in Albaland, apparently having no leverage at all is vindication if it spares you some mean tweets from bitter SNP activists. “The SNP better watch out. We got THIRTY WHOLE VOTES in the Auchtermuchty council by-election last June. Next stop, Bute House!” Give me strength. It’s contemptible.
Frankly, Humza is not the only leader of an independence party who should be carefully considering his future. Since Salmond is too feart to use his “star power” anywhere it’s actually worth using, what is even the point in his leadership? That was the one selling point of Alba. They had a big name leader who could draw support. What’s the point in their existence if he’s too busy wringing his hands about “blame”? Why are Alba not considering younger, fresher, hungrier leadership who’ll actually, you know, STAND for something??
I'm one of the people you refer to in your post. Yes, they could have stood, they would have lost, and the fractures in the yes movement would have remained - it may still do. Salmond is a good strategist and I would assume that he saw this as a way to clear the decks. They have stood aside and now they can stand as it is obvious to all the SNP are in serious trouble. I don't know. But Salmond is a better strategist than I am so I think he knows what he's doing - done a not bad job with the SNP. You could be right, I could be right, but the one thing for sure is that the SNP are in serious trouble while the YES vote seems to hold up. I voted SNP for donkeys years and it has been hard to watch the way they threw everything away, for what? What we do need is an end to the factionalism but perhaps this is a stage that we have to go through before we can heal the division.
DeleteWGD numpty Capella states that Salmond was the victim of a dastardly plot but she does not believe Sturgeon was responsible. Capella does not say who she thinks was responsible. A perfect example of people who invest so much personal hero worshipping in Sturgeon that they cannae handle the truth. Sturgeon's husband, and Ruddick, second in command, were clearly plotting against Salmond. Sturgeon herself admitted on TV that a lot of the alphabetties are her friends ( jigsaw identification? ). The Inquiry cover up tactics of Swinney. The lies told by all the Scotgov officials. All the paper work that spells out a plot against Salmond right back to 2017. The Judicial review judgement. There is a mountain of evidence but Capella wants to believe the person at the top of that mountain - Sturgeon - knew nothing and had no involvement. Truly head in the sand stuff.
ReplyDeleteNowadays Sturgeon claims she is innocent of any financial wrongdoing. She says I have done nothing wrong. She says I not we. So she will not confirm that her husband Murrell and the SNP Treasurer are also innocent. Sturgeon the ex great leader who seems to know nothing about anything. I'm guessing numpties like Capella will be taken in by this. At least Capella is not as delusional as Dr Jim who thinks Sturgeon will make a comeback as SNP leader and deliver independence.
There are still people who believe the guff Sturgeon gave us in her resignation speech as to her reasons for bailing out.
DeleteAUOB march in Edinburgh cancelled due to heavy rain/flooding.
ReplyDeleteWGD numpties claim MI5 new technology can control the weather. 🤔
Nasty WG numpty Dr Jim and his apprentice nasty numpty Eilidh both want the National to stop James and Gerry Hassan from writing in the National. Not sure James how you feel about being lumped in with Hassan but here is their comments:-
ReplyDeleteEilidh says:- " Why the National gives Gerry Hassan a column when he is clearly a Labour supporter is beyond me."
Dr Jim says:- " or Scot goes Pop's James Kelly who represents an organisation that is clearly delighted the SNP lost the election."
Eilidh says:- " Yeah I read his column in The National. Definitely gloat factor 6 at least."
This nasty pair are clearly not supporters of free speech and obviously feel the the National is the SNP in house magazine. Other numpties spout the same old nonsense if you don't vote SNP you don't support Scottish independence.
Stephen Noon on the Sunday Show - a perfect example of the type of devolutionist infiltrating the SNP. He punts Scotland needs to be more independent - more devolution powers - what nonsense - you are either independent or not. We are in the post referendum age he claims.
ReplyDeleteHe wants a Labour government in Westminster and an SNP government in Edinburgh. The best option he says.
Noon nowt but a House Jock.
For those who think I may be lying or even exaggerating when I have said top nicophant Dr Jim thinks Sturgeon will return from the wilderness and like a messiah will lead us to our independence here are new comments from Jimbo just yesterday.
ReplyDeleteDr Jim says:- " She had to stop, but she's not gone, even with the way she's been attacked and mauled by all opposition to the SNP I cannot see her away on any permanent basis, there is very little for her as a civilian and she will not stand by and watch what's happening and do nothing, it's not in her nature."
Dr Jim also says :- " De facto referendum on seats alone and SNP voters will turn up like bees on honey, perhaps we'll even see a surprise campaign leader. "
Here is the true reality Jimbo - Sturgeon trashed the SNP, faked for years she was going to have Indyref2, found out the polis were on her and her husbands case and then ran away.
Whatever happened to the numpties claim that the international organisations would be queuing up to give Sturgeon a top job.
“Seats alone” is a total non-starter. We have to be real and realise we need to win a majority of the popular vote, de-facto or actual referendum. Otherwise Westminster or, more importantly, the international community won’t give us the time of day.
DeleteTurnout figure was the most important result. In my opinion the vast majority of pro-indy supporters who stayed at home did so because they don't believe the current SNP hierarchy actually wants to fight for independence. They won't vote SNP again until the hierarchy becomes more radical in its approach. Adopting Sinn Fein's abstentionist position would be a good start.
ReplyDeleteHow on earth can Sturgeon be writing her memoirs. This is the FM who famously can never recall anything and knows nothing about anything going on right under her nose. I guess the book will be 20 pages long including a section on her vegetable garden where she grew a tremendous number of carrots over the years and a lot of pictures for the nicophants to droll over. £300k - I guess that would make a good fund to escape to Bolivia with when the Covid Inquiry gets ramped up.
ReplyDeleteJumpin Jack Collatin - WGD numpty NO MORE
ReplyDeleteThings are so bad with the SNP that even numpties like Collatin have seen the light.
Jack says :- " I’m 76 and have lost patience with the careerists who now run SNP and who will milk ' the constitution issue ' for another 20 years if they can. Nice little earner for some, eh?"
Jack also says:- " How many times do these SNP careerists think that we will hit our heads off that particular brick wall before we realise it hurts?"
Jack again says:- " HY needs to stand aside, I fear."
Jumpin Jack and the other numpties must have very sore heads because they have been banging their heads on Jack's brick wall for some time.
Now this sort of posting from Jack would have never seen the light of day on WGD in the past but the big dog clearly is seeing that even numpties have had enough and Mr Kavanagh, above all else, will do what it takes to maintain his income stream.
I mean what type of supposed independence party hires a Britnat ( Murray Foote) to run the party and launches a PBB AFTER the by election. A party political broadcast that is cobbled together from old PBB/videos featuring MP Mhairi Black who thought it was fine to take a drag queen called Flow Job to a primary school. The SNP has been infiltrated by grifters and British state operatives and totally trashed by Sturgeon's gang. Even the dumbest of the dumb are starting to see that.
New Opinium poll has Yes in the lead
ReplyDeleteLisa Cameron SNP MP defects to the Tories. The SNP a party full of Tories/ devolutionalists/grifters who kick out the genuine independence supporters. Even the WGD numpties are starting to see the truth.
ReplyDeleteSturgeon's a Betrayer. Cameron's a Betrayer. Lots more in the SNP. Cameron has probably been promised a seat in the House of Lords. It would be great if Sunak reneged on the promise.
Just like the parliamentarians in 1707 they have been bought by English gold.