tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post6856785756731717422..comments2024-03-29T07:15:16.690+00:00Comments on SCOT goes POP!: The Tories' introduction of vote-rigging photo ID rules for the 2024 general election puts the matter beyond all dispute: an early Holyrood election in 2023 should be used as a de facto independence referendumJames Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-46421927784349383462022-11-25T08:11:56.400+00:002022-11-25T08:11:56.400+00:00While your argument that Holyrood elections should...While your argument that Holyrood elections should now be the vehicle for independence it ignores the fact that the supreme Court ruling effectively means that only Westminster and Westminster alone has the power to grant or even consider granting Scotland independence, therefore only by making a vote for Westminster representation a plebiscite on independence will Scotland be able to claim the mandate for independence under this ruling although in reality that still depends on the whim of the English Government Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-29686895221154107582022-11-23T13:37:38.149+00:002022-11-23T13:37:38.149+00:00Timeforscotland dot scot has a list of eventsTimeforscotland dot scot has a list of eventsMacandroidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-1955187523108102882022-11-23T10:09:39.753+00:002022-11-23T10:09:39.753+00:00I hope this doesn't come across as too "a...I hope this doesn't come across as too "ackchyually", but elections to Holyrood are "general elections" just as much as elections to Westminster are. For some reason it's become widespread to use the term only for WM, which makes Scottish elections seem a bit "pretendy".keatonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-54076101236209523672022-11-23T09:37:53.476+00:002022-11-23T09:37:53.476+00:00A couple of other disadvantages of using a Scottis...A couple of other disadvantages of using a Scottish election spring to mind. If the SNP stand on a single-issue independence ticket, and win most seats but without a popular majority, the government would have been elected without a mandate for any actual policies. Would we have to have another, non-plebiscite, election immediately afterwards, or what?<br /><br />Also, it could produce an ambiguous result if Yes gets a majority on the constituency vote but not on the list, or vice versa.keatonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-51487401345086738482022-11-22T23:43:58.290+00:002022-11-22T23:43:58.290+00:00Sturgeon has been asking for a mandate for a refer...Sturgeon has been asking for a mandate for a referendum over many elections. She got it on many occasions. But now she says she was asking the Scottish electorate to approve doing something she did not know was legal or not. She even argued against The UK Supreme Court making such a judgement in the Martin Keating case that could have given her clarity years ago. She also appointed a Lord Advocate to her cabinet that thought it was illegal to have a referendum but the same Lord Advocate was happy to get rid of jury trials for sex offender cases. <br />The actions of a serious independence leader. I think not.<br />We are on the road to nowhereIndependence for Scotlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10335330210460885789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-76401417551338382972022-11-22T23:41:34.278+00:002022-11-22T23:41:34.278+00:00You’re complete right James. If Nicola goes for a ...You’re complete right James. If Nicola goes for a pleb on the general she’s lost the plot. But if she does change to the Scottish election that’s actually the best case scenario. Even better than if we had said Scot Election In the first place. Start out talking about the general to look more ‘legit’ in the eyes of the media, but now we must change as they are rigging the vote against the working class. That’s a powerful message. <br /><br />Let’s just hope she sees sense. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-82860897545199989972022-11-22T22:02:20.168+00:002022-11-22T22:02:20.168+00:00Sorry, I forgot about the paywall problem. If any...Sorry, I forgot about the paywall problem. If anyone has a link to a list of protest events that isn't behind a paywall, let me know.James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-55205199881939341052022-11-22T21:30:59.349+00:002022-11-22T21:30:59.349+00:00If ever The National should take off their paywall...If ever The National should take off their paywall, it should be the link James lists in "If you are able to do so, I strongly urge you to 'link - attend one of the protests -' tomorrow". So short sightedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-89223422810181889222022-11-22T19:52:16.702+00:002022-11-22T19:52:16.702+00:00I’m not a pathological Sturgeon hater, like some b...I’m not a pathological Sturgeon hater, like some bathers, as I respect just how much she’s come to dominate Scottish politics and become the face of our nation. “She had a great pandemic” as the media might say; which remains the high tide line for Indy polling. But there’s no denying just how skilled she is at sitting resolutely still for independence. If she fires the starting gun for anything tomorrow, I’ll be delighted and dazzled. It’s so contrary to everything she’s done for years now that I’d be astonished. It wouldn’t even compute. Don’t make me get my hopes up!<br /><br />Like so many of us, I’ve been waiting for Nicola to take us forward since Brexit night in 2016. All this waiting—with dismally poor messaging to her own footsoldiers—is what’s made us so cranky and disunited. Tomorrow is “Judgement Day” as the (serially premature) National is saying. But the judgement is hers. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-27074214721659763942022-11-22T19:37:28.950+00:002022-11-22T19:37:28.950+00:00I'm far from convinced it's going to be a ...I'm far from convinced it's going to be a Maybe. I think a flat rejection is by far the most likely outcome. But if by any chance it's a Maybe, that would actually be a good result - logically it would force Nicola Sturgeon to somehow pass a Referendum Bill, even if that means a new Lord Advocate, or a sudden U-turn from Dorothy Bain. I can't see how Ms Sturgeon can just do nothing having come this far.James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-33688357658332515912022-11-22T19:19:19.189+00:002022-11-22T19:19:19.189+00:00Trouble is: the court judgement is coming much ear...Trouble is: the court judgement is coming much earlier than anticipated. It’s very likely they have taken the easy way out and dismissed the case on procedural grounds, as they did for Keatings. <br /><br />https://www.thenational.scot/politics/23136893.yes-no-maybe--supreme-court-ruling-will-play/<br /><br />We’ll know soon enough, and I’ll be at Holyrood in any case, but my money’s on a Maybe from the court and the ball back with Nicola to pass the damn bill before the court will reconsider it. <br /><br />Even with haste, that blows 2023 off the calendar and we’re tumbling into Starmergeddon by the time we have something for the Scottish people to have their say upon. An all too plausibly ideal scenario to walk back the whole plebiscite election concept, as many of us have already said. <br /><br />There should have been a hell of a lot more wood behind this arrow from the start. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-26975631836866459862022-11-22T19:18:29.411+00:002022-11-22T19:18:29.411+00:00I will apply for a postal and just hand it in to t...I will apply for a postal and just hand it in to the polling station on the day.Marciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11303213282884555577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-5014184210810249912022-11-22T18:21:07.096+00:002022-11-22T18:21:07.096+00:00The information in that ERS piece is properly shoc...The information in that ERS piece is properly shocking.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com