Monday, December 9, 2024

Norstat poll reveals John Swinney is settling into the role and showing sureness-of-touch - and he made a great speech at conference

Before anyone bites my head off, the headline is merely a running in-joke from the comments section.

The Sunday Times paywall was proving more of a barrier than usual to finding out the full Norstat poll results on Saturday night, but I've now caught up with the remaining results, which are basically leadership ratings and questions about the Scottish Budget.  The leadership figures in particular bolster the impression that the 2026 election is now very much the SNP's to lose.

Net ratings for party leaders:

John Swinney (SNP): -7
Anas Sarwar (Labour): -17
Russell Findlay (Conservatives): - 25
Kemi Badenoch (Conservatives): -29
Keir Starmer (Labour): -32

I think the public, both north and south of the border, have now made up their minds about Starmer, and his personal ratings are likely to remain thoroughly dismal for however long he stays on as Prime Minister - barring some kind of freakish event akin to the Falklands War or the pandemic.  So that means he's going to be a millstone around the neck of Labour in Scotland going into the election, and to offset that effect they would really want to have a very popular leader at Scottish level.  Instead Sarwar continues to trail Swinney and by a bigger margin than before.

It's been ages since we last saw a head-to-head Swinney v Sarwar "Who would be the best First Minister?" question from Redfield & Wilton, but if a poll like that was conducted now I would be amazed if it didn't show a big Swinney lead - remember that even Humza Yousaf usually led Sarwar on the head-to-head, despite being behind Sarwar on the net ratings.

So far at least, the Budget has proved to be very shrewd and effective in terms of its political impact, with overwhelming public support for four of the six specific measures that Norstat polled about.  The two more controversial items were ending the two-child cap, which is supported by the public but only by a margin of 38% to 27%, and free bus travel for asylum seekers, which depressingly is opposed by the public by a significant margin of 48% to 25%.  Interestingly, after the UK Budget, polls showed that voters were in favour of Rachel Reeves' individual measures but didn't like the package as a whole, whereas in the Norstat poll more respondents think the Scottish Budget will make themselves better off than think it will make them worse off, and a plurality think it will also make the country as a whole better off.  So that looks like a comprehensive success story for Shona Robison and John Swinney.

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141 comments:

  1. John Swinney 2.0 is proving to be a surprising success. We're also fortunate at the moment having Sarwar and Starmer as Labour leaders. Both are pretty insipid but Sarwar is particularly devoid of charisma. Anybody who polls less favourably than Useless really should go and do something else for a living.
    I hope he doesn't, obviously!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Swinney is blessed by a breathtaking lack of talent opposing him. All three of the Brit establishment parties are in the doldrums, and their leaders are almost lab-engineered to be unappealing.

      Reform is the threat. Swinney’s well placed to fend them off with his earnest dullness and appeals to tradition and conservatism. I think England would be safer from the Farage threat if they had a leader both as dull and as believable as him. He’s your man for keeping the deckchairs well arranged, no matter how much the ship is tilting.

      But will he and his fellow Sturgeon-picked loyalists take us one inch closer to independence?

      Delete
    2. Sturgeon, sturgeon sturgeon. We are moving to 2025 and some folk are stuck in their grievances. What are the writers doing for independence. SFA.

      Delete
    3. The We hate Nicola brigade is strong on here. It’s always someone else’s fault.

      Delete
    4. As long as her loyal hand picked stooges are in charge of the SNP, we aren't getting any progress AT ALL on independence. So yes, it is her doing. Her legacy.

      What can anyone do to push indy forward when THE SNP IS AGAINST IT? You answer that one.

      Delete
    5. It’s you complaining. You tell us.

      Delete
    6. It's a rhetorical question. The answer is obvious: fuck all.

      They need replaced with independence supporters in charge of "the party of independence" again. Until then, we're snookered.

      Delete
    7. If we stick to our guns on civic nationalism, we can’t dispense with it when it comes to other countries, including England. If we call our migrants ‘new Scots’, well we should consider England as reciprocating with ‘new English’. If all people living in Scotland, voting here etc are ‘Scots citizens’, then in England these are ‘English citizens’ we’d hope right? To suggest otherwise, and that Scots can’t become English in the same way English folks can become (new) Scots if they want to be, would be anti-English.
      As for self-id for protected characteristics, I support this. There is no choice. Being LGBT etc isn’t genetic, nor is being Scottish. You can’t prove people’s identity, so you have to take what they say at face value. So people can live anywhere in the world and still see themselves as Scottish, self-identifying as that, and I completely accept them as that 100% (not least because if I e.g. retire to France with Mrs SS, it would be me). Except, like Stuart Campbell, if they oppose self-id for protected characteristics. Then they can’t be Scottish unless they live in Scotland. It’s that or they see Scottish as genetic blood and soil, which makes them a right-wing racist. Must be one of the two, or they need to support self-id.

      Delete
    8. Is your master plan to put everyone's gender self-ID on their passports or something, Declan?

      Delete
    9. Declan Skier is Ross Anderson and I claim my free prize.

      Delete
    10. Ross Anderson is according to Scottish Skier his real name. Skier posting his nonsense on SGP again. As if he doesn’t post enough on the Wee Dug site.

      Delete
  2. Wonder if there's any politician currently with a net positive rating.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Celine Gottwald would probably be in the +20s

      Delete
    2. Did they include Trump that poll, by any chance? I can’t stand the eijit, but his Tik Tok juju must be working magic going by how popular he seems to be among the younger folk I know. Must be a breeze when you’ve Elon on your side.

      Delete
    3. How does Elon help? Twitter is still popular but not so much with the younger demographic, I wouldn't have thought?

      Delete
    4. TBF, I don't watch Tiktok so I really don't know how its algorithm operates. I just assume Elon's bankrolling whatever it takes to reach the folk Trump has attracted. I could well be wrong, but someone is.

      I remember exactly how awkward it was for folk here in Scotland to tell me they actually quite liked Trump eight years ago. They'd try to figure out if I'd ridicule them first. (I actually don't. I'd much rather hear people's honest mind, in person.) Now though, there's no such coyness. They show me their phones and say "watch his dance, it's mad, she'd never do that, of course he was going to win!"

      Some fair fraction of folk seem attracted to him for the spectacle and the chummy, "authenticity" he gives off. The usual strengths of a rising pedagogue. Notably, these are exactly the folk who have no opinions whatsoever on complex policy, so however he's reaching them it's working just as nicely over here.

      I ask them about Farage, as well of course. Not so cool as Donald. They like how they're buds, though.

      Delete
    5. Demagogue, rather. Though the way teens are coming round to him—the few I know, anyway—maybe excuses my mistake!

      Delete
    6. Pedagogue? That's last thing Trump is.

      Delete
    7. I don't think much of Trump at all. What's interesting is the network around him, pushing this senescent diddy so hard down normal folk's throats that he's back in charge of the world's superpower again, more popular than ever, despite instigating a revolt that almost killed his vice president.

      That's remarkable. In fact, it's utterly incredible. You couldn't make this shit up. So who exactly is? That's what interests me.

      Delete
    8. In the US the Democrats basically focussed on the wrong issues.

      Trump focussed on the economy and securing the border whereas Harris focussed largely on democracy and painting Trump supporters in the same light as the Nazis which isn't exactly the best way to win people over. It was like they were determined to just stop Trump for its own sake whereas Trump was talking about making America great again.

      When it came down to is most people care more about the money in their pocket and they felt like Trump was speaking more to them.

      Delete
    9. Do the Liberals have a leader?

      Delete
  3. It would appear Swinney is confounding the lot of you. IFS and his pal are unusually quiet. The sad wee anon posts of Steady hand blah blah blah should be causing embarrassment to those who put them up, but I suspect they are just hearing a loud woooshing noise. Entertaining.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, missing IfS are you? Diddums.

      Dinnae worry. He'll be back to call you a tosser again soon enough.

      Delete
    2. They complain about how often IFS posts then try and goad him into a response when he hasn't posted. Of course, they never have anything to say about independence or even politics in general.

      Delete
    3. Do you really not grasp the pretty simple point being made? IFS first to badmouth, but never concedes that SNP may actually be doing relatively well. What a pair of muppets.

      Delete
    4. Yet he has said nothing here while you're on bad mouthing him with nothing to say about the subject of the blog. You don't do irony, do you?

      Delete
    5. Talking of irony, did you notice he refers to 'sad wee anons' while posting anonymously himself 🤣

      Delete
    6. 10.12am. What would you post about if ifs stopped posting ? You come across as a complete waste of space.

      Delete
  4. This was hilarious in your head wasn’t it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I call him the Andre Rieu of the political world. Trashy, vulgar, tasteless.

      Delete
  5. Obviously you are feeling down based on the independence vote upturn.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Punched the air when I seen this poll. John Swinney is clearly the best First Minister in the history of devolution.

    ReplyDelete
  7. he's a crazy boy - does 40 in 30 zone; puts salt and sauce on his chips - he doesn't care

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Man man, no vinegar? Crazy.

      Delete
    2. It's tasty with sweet and sour sauce.

      Delete
    3. Is that how you are fat boab?

      Delete
  8. SG did well with expectation management in this budget. Too many times in recent years there has been a familiar sense of dread that tax bands were about to be pushed up again - see even a performative easing of tax rates by a tenner and a bag of sweets has been well received.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wait, where can we claim this bag of sweets?

      Delete
    2. Shona Robison will spit in every 50th bag of sweeties. Are you willing to take those odds?

      Delete
  9. Tbh, the biggest improvement has been the Scot Gov going more than a week without scoring a massive own goal and being silent about the trannies for a change.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You've only gone and given them a challenge!

      Delete
    2. Strange that the folk who have real issues about other folks private parts tend to be the right wing Brit nats. Never stop worrying about it, it seems and asking questions.

      Delete
    3. You really think the Isla Bryson bùrach didn't damage the SNP? Are all your pals queer theory graduates, perchance?

      Delete
    4. Anon at 1.28. A tiny proportion of the population are directly affected by or exercised by this. BBC and MSM aided by the useful idiots, amplified this issue as they could see the damage it would inflict on SNP. The tactic worked. The issue seems (fortunately) to have been set aside for the present by the present SNP leadership. Leave it.

      Delete
    5. No argument that it's an immensely toxic issue, far best left alone.

      Now, how about independence, John?

      Delete
    6. Anon at 2.14. We are in agreement, but like you I am struggling for a clear way forward.

      Delete
    7. Anon 148: you comment “ Are all your pals queer theory graduates, perchance?” Answer : no. Question: why are so many right wing posters like you so concerned about sex? Must be very fraught in your household.

      Delete
    8. Palestine for Queers! chanted literally not one person ever.

      Delete
    9. I asked if you move in identitarian, bourgeois circles, anon, to emphasize the point I made about Isla Bryson. How far did you have your fingers in your ears through that affair?

      There is mainstream cut-through on this stuff. The "them/they" anti-Kamala ad was very effective. I've even had non-political friends mention it to me over here, as their "liberal" mate who they "knew it would wind up!"

      Delete
    10. Anon2:07, if only a tiny proportion of the population are exercised about trans, why do you say the media amplify it because they know how much it would damage the SNP?

      Delete
  10. It seems to me that the SNP have a chance to be the government after the 2026 election. But it is not guaranteed. I believe they will have a much better chance of being in power if Swinney declares it a de facto referendum.
    So why would Swinney not declare it a de facto? It seems a win win on the face of it. A chance of a majority yes vote and at least a better chance of more SNP MSPs and still being the government after the election. If he does not declare it a de facto the only logical conclusion can be he is scared a majority yes vote actually occurs and he would be expected to do something about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He's concerned that the electorate currently care more about bread and butter issues than the constitution. Also after losing so many MPs in the General Election that could be seen as too big of a risk that he's not willing to take.

      If you want a bold risk taker John Swinney isn't your man.

      Delete
    2. 2.47pm. Thank you for your reply. I fail to see how it is a risk. The main point in my comment was that it is a win win. The SNP will get more votes. Yes is 54% in that poll. SNP is 37% and 32%. Seems obvious to me. What you seem to think is that of the 37% SNP a lot will not vote SNP because they don’t want to vote for independence. Strange.

      My opinion is they lost a lot of MPs this year because of their failure on independence. The SNP had previously promised a de facto for the UK GE.

      Delete
    3. If we lose, as is quite probable, a de facto referendum you can forget even being allowed to discuss let alone advance Indy plans in public forums and broadcast media for the foreseeable future. The BBC and the MSM control the narrative, and it will be a simple narrative. Third Time Lucky?!! No way. You had your chances. Please look at the reality outwith our bubble.

      Delete
    4. Though putting indy on the back burner moves it downs peoples priority list. If it's not an active issue or a potential active issue why would the electorate give it any considering in their voting intention?

      Also more importantly you don't increase support for independence by not focusing on it.

      Delete
    5. Anon at 3.46. I don’t disagree but that’s the quandary. Part of me wants a de facto referendum and the other part knows we could be killing off Indy for the foreseeable future. And we lack an inspirational leader. Look at some of the supposed Indy supporters on here. Can we rely on their vote? I doubt it.

      Delete
    6. I mean, if the SNP were to propose holding a Constitutional Convention bringing together all sides of the Yes movement to discuss and hopefully unite behind a shared strategy there would likely be a lot of initial scepticism. Though, if all parties emerged from that largely aligned and singing from the same hymn sheet, I think most people would be willing to set aside their differences and fall in line for the greater good.

      The greatest frustration so far has been the lack of olive branches or a willingness to cooperate with others. Instead, there has been a consistent demand that the SNP is in control and that everyone else must simply fall in line behind them.

      Delete
    7. It's Latin. A language spoken by the Romans.

      Delete
    8. 4.49pm heard of Google?
      De facto means in effect.
      Eg Some would say if the SNP keep doing nothing about independence then de facto they are a Britnat party.

      Delete
    9. “Killing off Indy for the foreseeable future” don’t see it. Sounds like a pathetic cowardly approach.

      Delete
    10. So why would Swinney not declare it a de facto? It seems a win win on the face of it. A chance of a majority yes vote and at least a better chance of more SNP MSPs and still being the government after the election. If he does not declare it a de facto the only logical conclusion can be he is scared a majority yes vote actually occurs and he would be expected to do something about it.

      Whether he's scared of that or not, there are valid reasons that a de facto referendum is a non-starter for a Holyrood GE.

      For one thing, it requires a one-line manifesto. What happens if the SNP win on such a manifesto and are expected to form a government for which they have put no programme to the electorate? The time for a de facto is a Westminster election - it's actually perfect for it, since they're basically pointless in every other way - not when the SNP are vying to be in office.

      Delete
    11. Swinney is just as likely to call a de-facto indyref as Anas Sarwar.

      Why? Because they are both British. Simple.

      Delete
    12. Anon at 5 pm. Try to contribute to the conversation, instead of nasty personal abuse.

      Delete
    13. Keaton, I am sure you are an intelligent person so it was surprising to read that you thought a yes vote would mean “no programme to the electorate”’. The programme would be to
      pursue independence. Remember it’s the founding principle of the SNP. It’s not nonsense like self ID.
      You are placing devolution as a hindrance to independence.

      Delete
  11. The country doesn't want a referendum right now, no matter what the Yes movement says. As the OP above says, fronting it above the bread and butter issues now would kill off any chance at a more appropriate time. If Swinney is gaining support, it's because he is where the country is and that's important. The country isn't interested in seeing a performer and a flash fireworks personality or bloviating entertainer. They want some peace and serious getting on with the day job stability for a while. There is no cowardice in thinking country as a whole right now and engaging with others of the same mindset. It's what the country needs because world events and its consequences rolling up on these shores means no Scottish Government in current circumstances can be equipped in any realistic way to make radical moves on anything which requires sustained reliable ready available SPARE risk protected finance. Labour can effect a poor oot any time they take that whim - ScotGov doesn't have nearly enough behind any sofa anywhere to make us match fit for any independence referendum event. The Yes movement can bloviate braveheart and ignore that - but the OP is correct. Front it now - we lose. End of. The smart folk in the Yes movement know that - but for the sake of keeping popular support - won't say it in so many words, but they know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Surrender monkey or Britnat.

      Delete
    2. paragraphs are free

      press space twice

      Delete
    3. "We" lose, do we? Not a word of that reads like you're a Yesser, 6:04.

      Scotland's in a despairing state right now. So is England. Right across the democratic world, electorates are giving the numpty right a chance, not because they like them, but as the lever they can pull to yell Fuck You to the establishment.

      If you don't think that's a good environment for a profound change like independence, then I have a Prime Minister Farage to trade you. That's what's coming in the UK. Do you want a piece of that? Do most Scots?

      Delete
    4. enter














      enter

      ya dick

      Delete
  12. How do you know what the country thinks?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don’t indulge these arseholes. Call them out as the arseholes they are and then ignore them.

      Delete
  13. They don’t. They just think as in the past the unionists speak for themselves and presume the rest of us will tug our forelock and and stay quiet in the corner. That time is long gone. Too many of us have seen the lies of the britnats and the younger voter's don’t rely on their news from the bbc, stv, Daily Record or Sunday post. They see the loss to them personally of Brexit being forced on them. The catastrophe of Tory austerity and now continued by labour.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A policy of surrender. Now is never the right time according to these people.
      Theresa May’s offspring.

      Delete
  14. IFS will be absolutely raging by these results.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Declan, you already said that further up the thread.

      Delete
    2. Declan will be raging that ifs has not responded to his obvious childish taunt.

      Delete
  15. On a positive note when Scotland is independent Baroness Mone and co will never return.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She's living the dream in the Isle if Man.

      Delete
  16. Who'd have thought Swinney had a RM uncle who got the VC in Italy?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hunter_(VC)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Moronic comment. Back under your rock.

      Delete
    2. Do you know how many - or how few - VCs were issued in WW2? Hint: they're posthumous.

      Delete
    3. Anon at 7:03 PM
      I presume you were one of those disgusting creatures that booed at Salmond's memorial service as Swinney and his wife arrived.

      Delete
    4. It was a memorial service. There's a time and a place for protests, you disgraced yourself as always.

      Delete
    5. 181 WW2 Victoria Crosses were awarded. About half of them posthumously.

      Delete
    6. The Alba Tories

      Delete
    7. Anon at 7:35 PM
      I should have said "most", but it's not even most - half, as you say.

      Delete
    8. A comment btl on that National Swinney article ends with this:

      "We are world class when it comes to falling out with each other and, until that stops, we have zero chance of achieving independence."

      Indeed.

      Delete
    9. I think you don't appreciate the anger about Swinney's treatment of Salmond. If you can't empathise with that and only obey a self imposed convention we will never get independence.

      Delete
    10. It showed absolutely no respect for Salmond and his family.

      Delete
    11. It's not about respect it's about anger - a word takes a second, guy might even have regreted it or have touretes, good manners are impeding the independence movement.

      Delete
    12. If only it was just discord and rancour that was holding us back.

      Face it: there is no progress possible as long as the SNP leadership is against it.

      No amount of respectful dialogue and kumbaya will change the fact we have a Brit Nat Scotgov.

      Delete
    13. Yesindyref2. Your level of stupidity is staggering. Do you really not understand what anon at 7.03 was saying? Worse still, you really don’t know what your own post meant!!

      Delete
    14. Thanks Bob, but as I've said to you before, flattery will get you nowhere.

      Delete
    15. Has the penny dropped? Looks like it. You are looking rather stupid but at least you’ve put down the shovel. Progress of sorts.

      Delete
    16. Troll @5.44 You'll get your reward from Ian Murray for disruption.

      Delete
    17. No, just a stalker I think. Better he does it on a forum than in real life.

      Delete
    18. Ooh the boys are teaming up. No actual response I see. Has YTI2 worked out yet what he actually posted? Perhaps you can explain it to him. Ian Murray? Is he your poster boy?

      Delete
    19. He deleted comments a few weeks ago which condemned so called football fans ruining the minutes silence on Remembrance Sunday in respect of our war dead, so no great surprise. I agree with you @4:21, its disgraceful beyond belief.

      Delete
  17. As an ardent supporter of independence, I can't help but feel that support for independence will marginally rise while the actual prospect of independence is off the table. Once it becomes a realistic option, I think support for it will drop.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Based on what? The only historical experience we have suggests the opposite. When independence was seen to become an actual possibility in 2013-4, support shot up to the 45-55% range where it's pretty much stayed since

      Delete
    2. FitzyFan. I'd say you have a PhD in Logic and Philosophy. Am I right?

      Delete
    3. Independence has pretty much stayed in the 45-50% range.

      Delete
    4. As has the union.

      Delete
    5. Fitzyfan the fanny as he’s known to his colleagues. I thought you had given up on the old “as an Indy supporter” line. It fools no one, except you it seems.

      Delete
  18. Constant carping by the anti SNP mob that there's no independence is as stupid as blaming German or Russian people for Hitler or Putin being dictators
    England disregarding democracy is the problem, not the SNP

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. “England disregarding democracy “

      People like you are an embarrassment to Scotland.

      Delete
    2. Bleating "please sir, can we have our indyref2?" every 2 years or so, cap in hand, to London is beneath the dignity of Scotland.

      That and it evidently doesnae work.

      Delete
    3. The majority of the Scottish people have no interest in independence.

      Delete
    4. I decided to have chocolate pudding for dinner tonight, but 10 englanders turned up and said

      "its rhubarb crumble or nothing"

      so I made rhubarb crumble.

      They then ate my rhubarb crumble and then said : "you owe us money for that rhubarb crumble".

      - better together.

      Delete
    5. The UK "gives" Scotland so much money. We should be more thankful. The way we grumble, you'd think we paid taxes or energy bills.

      Delete
    6. We’d struggle big time if we didn’t get the billions from Westminster through the Barnett Formula, that’s for sure.

      Delete
    7. Where do those "billions" come from, KC: Scotland's oil and gas?

      Delete
    8. I have an exclusive offer for all yoons here - I am a financial whizz guru and I can do you a deal; pay your wages into my account and I will do all the "money stuff" so you can worry less, all dealt with, and, all externalities dealt with, you can get a weekly stipend to spend on whatever you want - bubblies, kola bottles, liqorice, sherbet dibs.

      - take the worry out of your life.

      Delete
    9. the oil and gas comes from a place called "ex regio", which is like narnia, or "the shire" in middle earth

      Delete
    10. Oh, but if any of your choices irritate me, I'll snatch it out of your hand, and all the good stuff like booze is "reserved" exclusively for my discretion. I’m also going to take out loans in your name, don't worry about signing for them, I've already power of attorney over you. Cool, eh?

      Delete
    11. Ex regio is Latin for "Scotland's manhood."

      Delete
    12. I like these postings. They're most excellent.

      Nova uranus urbanis is Latin for "And we ripped Scotland a new one" in the urban dictionary.

      Delete
  19. People are asking:
    https://talkingupscotlandtwo.com/2024/12/07/as-the-fight-for-scotland-in-may-2026-looms-where-are-wings-off-scotland-and-scot-goes-poop/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pipe some icing on it, stick on a Santa and reindeers with a bit of holly and some candles, and nobody would notice the difference from the real thing. For decoration only, don't try this at home. The product is totally inedible.

      Delete
    2. Guess that's one way to unite James & Stu: Give them a common enemy.

      The enemy of my enemy is my friend!

      Delete
    3. "I wonder, is this, as with Russell Brand when his site became host to vaccine denial rage and other conspiracies, these two bloggers finding lucrative income streams by working, mostly, in rich veins of anxious conspiracy about sexual identity, SNP/Alba corruption, of Nicola Sturgeon betrayal, of threatened masculinity, or whatever pays?"

      Oh aye, being expelled from Alba in desperately dubious circumstances and having the shameless temerity to write about it is surely just a cynical ploy to bring those clicks and moneybags on home to papa.

      I’m glad I don't depend on his analysis for anything else.

      Delete
    4. His "analysis" is not only selective, he gets the facts he does quote, wrong. It's not so much "talking up Scotland" as "Scotland as I want it". And he doesn't give links not surprisingly, you have to go find out the actual quotation at source.

      0 out of 10 for intention, 0 out of 10 for realisation. Sad thing is people quote him as a reliable recorder. Nope.

      Delete
    5. That should have been 10 out of 10 for intention.

      Delete
    6. Maybe in his own head.

      Delete
    7. Campbell’s most recent blog begins with, surprise surprise….a BBC made T V programme about drag queens. And yes, you’ve guessed it, his infatuation with N S. Is there something his cult members deserve to know? There will be extra frothing over this one. Please send him money. It’s Xmas after all. Oh wait, that involves a man dressing up in very bright clothing, so maybe not. Ta very much.

      Delete
    8. 6.00am You should have stayed in bed instead of posting that rubbish. Implying Santa is a man in drag is just silly.

      Delete
    9. He does have a point about NS though, she's still an elected MSP but has barely turned up to do her job. Her constituents are essentially being left unrepresented in Parliament.

      Delete
    10. 4 times. Sturgeon has turned up at Holyrood only 4 times in 2024. Do you think she is ashamed about something? Where is her hubby these days? Are they ever seen together?

      Delete
    11. Anon at 10.19. You do know he’s not real? Oops, sorry. Happy Xmas when it comes.

      Delete
  20. Ot/ labour leader in Edinburgh has eventually resigned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Poor Cammy. He deserved being thrown out of office by the voters for the shameful work Labour has done, running down Edinburgh these last few years.

      Instead, his sleazy side-action caught up with him. Bless.

      Delete
    2. At least when Labour or Tory politicians are guilty of wrongdoing they resign or are sacked!
      More than can be said for the SNP.
      Roll on 2026 when we finally get shot of the shower.

      Delete
    3. Anon at 10.28

      I was in school with you and we called you Scrunky

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    4. Getting forced out of public office by your own party getting so tired of you and your sexual offenses that they expel you and leave you high and dry. How refreshingly gentlemanly and patriotic!

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  21. OT
    The National need to get their headline writers IN Scotland and preferably in-house:

    "Scottish whisky launches kilt with Ferrari to celebrate brand deal"

    That'll be the Flying Kiltsman I daresay.

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    Replies
    1. Is he a member of the obesity community?

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