Memo to the Daily Record: you cannot say "this election is not about independence" just 24 hours after your own political editor angrily insisted that Westminster elections are the ONLY elections in which anyone is allowed to vote for independence. That is a direct and total contradiction, and you are treating your readers like idiots.

On one of the previous threads, someone posted about focus group findings suggesting that voters who were swithering between the SNP and Labour were most concerned about whether it was better to bolster Labour's majority and have Scottish MPs from the governing party, or whether it was best to have SNP MPs as an independent Scottish voice in the House of Commons.  I found that encouraging in a way because it strongly implies that nobody buys into the line that Labour are at risk of not winning in England and that Scottish votes might be decisive and that "this is an opportunity that Scotland can't afford to miss" and all the rest of the standard Sarwar guff.  But clearly the Daily Record, the most contemptible newspaper on the planet (a view I've consistently held since before I even started blogging in 2008), still think trying to treat Scottish voters like idiots in that way is a promising strategy, and in their front page endorsement of Labour have basically instructed the Jocks to "eat your cereal, stop thinking about independence and give the Tories a kicking".  As a visual aid for this Orwellian-style "two minutes hate", a rogue's gallery of Tories with demon eyes is presented so you can see who you're supposed to be kicking.  And what makes this truly Orwellian, of course, is that the real motivation for the endorsement of Labour is the Record editorial team's undying hatred of the SNP and burning desire to see the SNP defeated and humiliated.  They don't give a monkey's about the Tories and could quite happily tolerate living under Tory rule - as they proved in 2014 by helpfully arranging another ten years  of Tory rule by backing the No campaign in the independence referendum with the fraudulent "Vow".

In their tweet tonight, the Record claim that it's been fourteen years since they last backed Labour.  Anyone who follows their output may reasonably conclude that they've kept their supposed non-support for Labour over the last fourteen years exceptionally well-hidden.  If they've refrained from making an official editorial endorsement during that time, it was only due to a worry over sales, because they knew that many of their readers had become passionately pro-independence and pro-SNP during the indyref campaign and would probably instantly walk with their feet if the Record reverted to the explicit "be a sheep, baa-aa, vote Labour" stuff.  The editorial team have been gagging for the earliest possible moment that they could get away with resuming normal service, and they think they've found it - but you can tell they're not quite sure and are nervous they may be miscalculating and jumping the gun.  The giveaway is that the opening words of the endorsement are "this election is not about independence", imploring independence supporters to absurdly believe that they can somehow take a holiday from what they believe in and can vote against independence by voting Labour without that having any actual effect or consequence.

But wait - is this election really not about independence?  How can that be, given that only yesterday the Record's political editor Paul Hutcheon told us that John Swinney has no credibility in claiming a mandate for an independence referendum from the Holyrood election of 2021, because the Supreme Court had "ruled unequivocally a referendum is a matter for Westminster, not Holyrood".  In other words, he is not just saying that Westminster elections are about independence, but that Westminster elections are the ONLY elections that are about independence.  According to Hutcheon, you are literally NOT ALLOWED to vote for independence or for a referendum on independence in any other type of election - you have to do it in a Westminster general election, because that's your one and only shot.  If you're an independence supporter, Hutcheon is telling you that when a general election comes up, by Christ you do not muck around - you clear your diaries and use that election for the purpose God has ordained, namely to express your view on whether Scotland should be an independent country.

So the Daily Record is factually wrong to tell its readers that this election is not about independence, and we have that on the Highest Authority imaginable - no, not God, someone far more senior, it's Mr Paul Hutcheon, political editor of the Daily Record.  Congratulations, chaps, you managed to pre-contradict the entire thrust of your logic for endorsing Labour.  That takes some talent, and we salute you.

(And yes, we know what the get-out clause will be - although general elections can be about independence, not all of them are, and this is one of the exceptions.  You can tell it's one of the exceptions because the Daily Record says it is.  Don't even bother to try to think for yourselves, guys - you are sheep and that's why the Record exists.  If you're ever allowed to vote for independence, the Record will inform you in plenty of time.  However, don't wait up for that, because the Record have decided you will never be allowed to vote for independence.  They just haven't told you yet.)

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I've been continuing to write constituency profiles for The National, and here are the links for Glasgow South, Glasgow North East, Glenrothes & Mid Fife, and Gordon & Buchan.