An audio podcast version of the above video can be heard HERE.
Other recent videos:
More polling reassurance for SNP as by-elections approach, while Greens reclaim second place GB-wide
Greens almost draw level with Labour in GB-wide YouGov poll, SNP have double-digit lead in Scotland
Newly-elected Scottish Parliament decides by 72 votes to 55 to hold an independence referendum
If you'd like to help support my YouTube channel, I've set up a new Ko-Fi page.
Key point which needs refutation or expansion:
ReplyDelete"Sir John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said that voters who backed Scottish independence were continuing to switch to Labour.
'Whereas at the end of 2022, shortly before Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation, 80 per cent of current "yes" supporters were saying that they would vote SNP in a UK general election, now that figure has fallen to a new low of just 63 per cent,' he told the newspaper."
As much as the general "deplorables" narrative denies it, polls have shown consistently that some Yessers have switched to Reform. There is, evidently, such a thing as a right wing / anti-immigration independence vote. I saw analysis before the election that Reform's vote consisted of former Tories, SNP then Labour voters in that order. It's a raw numbers game: there's a lot more recent SNP voters to pull from than there are beleaguered Labour's.
DeleteAs for why the Prof. says Labour were picking up the SNP's losses, though, I've no idea. Proportionally, Labour did lose less of its vote than the SNP just did in the election, but who in their right mind was fleeing to Starmer's sinking ship?
Very broadly speaking this will be the anti establishment vote. The SNP's longevity as Scotland's most popular political party is largely from it's chosen stance as a party of opposition, challenging the status quo.
DeleteNow there's a fresh new party to fill that role, who aren't mired with the baggage of 20 odd years in power it's not surprising that a few have drifted to Reform.
For some, it's got nothing to do with policies, just rage against the machine.
It's highly likely that in 2029 Scotland will be controlled by a fascist government in Westminster, but you know, :SNP bad' !
DeleteWhen Lulu won the Eurovision, she never imagined that Radovan Karadzic would be condemned as a war criminal.
ReplyDeleteWhat about when ABBA won?
DeleteIf doubt remains as to the origin of the embezzled funds, that’s partly because Short money isn’t audited in any manner.
ReplyDeleteAny audit (by the Electoral Commission) would be quantitative rather than qualitative. You don’t need AI to fabricate a policy paper. The plan for reconstruction of post invasion Iraq was jokingly referred to as the Iraq, Marshal Plan. It only emerged later that it actually was the Marshal Plan, and the people responsible for generating it were too lazy or stupid to replace reference to the Reichsmark with the Iraqi dinar. Policy papers can be counterfeit by application of simple cut ‘n’ paste.
The whole process of allocation of Short money is flawed. Under the vagaries of FPTP, for the sake of a couple of percentage points, the SNP had their Short money halved at the last election.
The sums involved in Short money can be substantial (when the SNP had 50 MPs). Do you really need that amount to formulate policy at a strategic level? You may need it to finesse policy at an implication level, but the data required isn’t necessarily available.
Best to remove all implied linkage between Short money and research and policy development. Let the parties decide how it’s spent and if that means political campaigning, so be it.
Let the public decide. In the current atmosphere where politicians are at best mistrusted, Short money would be eradicated. Somewhat of a delusory economy when the State can blow £100 billion plus on a glorified electric sprinter train from London to Birmingham, but it may give the public some satisfaction to deprive the politicians of their slush fund.
All of the above applies to a Unionist party. For a party espousing independence from the British state, Short money runs the risk of being the bait to the dependency trap.
Yeah but, Yeah but Scotland hates the SNP the English have been telling us for 20 years, isn't that true? surely the English wouldn't lie would they?
ReplyDeleteSTEWpendous!
ReplyDelete6 years ago I posted on SGP that efforts were being made to sweep under the carpet the wrong doings of Sturgeon's gang. I also stated that there was so much wrongdoing it was creating a big lump under the carpet that would continually be tripped over and eventually somebody would look under the carpet.
ReplyDeleteJohn the Redactor did his best over years to cover up for Sturgeon but now he is doing his best to clean up the mess Sturgeon left. As Cherry said this morning:- " John Swinney is there to sweep Nicola Sturgeon's mess under the carpet. He has got a big brush and dustpan and that's what he is doing." Guess I will now refer to Swinney as John the Cleaner.
Sadly for John the Cleaner and Scottish Independence more of the mess under the carpet is still to be revealed.
You are a very original thinker. Why haven't you been asked to run the world?
DeleteShould the metropolitan Police in England now undertake investigations into the financial dealings of of the parties registered in London? After all we know the tories and reform had dodgy connections with Russian oligarchs and billionaires in the Middle East. Even former tory heid yins used to hire themselves out for Tennis matches and such things. The corrupt House of Lords has shown time after time the financial shenanigans of the lords and ladies as well as the corrupt going ons around covid with the awarding of contracts to friends and sidekicks. Labour aren’t immune and the financial dealings of Trades unionists using the funds of the members to curry favour. If they have nothing to hide they should welcome such forensic investigation to confirm they are compliant.
ReplyDelete