tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post8947947393558341105..comments2024-03-28T23:58:18.318+00:00Comments on SCOT goes POP!: Four plausible ways of getting out of the hole the SNP have just dug us intoJames Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-10189317876150934952023-04-02T14:15:03.660+01:002023-04-02T14:15:03.660+01:00The answer to your first question is actually pret...The answer to your first question is actually pretty simple: because there is roughly 48% support for ending the Union, but only roughly 2% (or 5% at the very most) support for replacing the SNP as the leading indy party.James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-9829662536447830222023-04-02T09:54:02.212+01:002023-04-02T09:54:02.212+01:00By target them, you mean split the vote and try to...By target them, you mean split the vote and try to get them replaced by Labour and Tory MPs? How does that help?James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-21935132557039888962023-04-02T09:21:01.459+01:002023-04-02T09:21:01.459+01:00Alba should do a targetted approach st Westminster...Alba should do a targetted approach st Westminster elections.<br /><br />Challenge only nawbag snp or team humza backers SNP... many id like to see stay. Cherrz MacNeol, Chapman, Whitford.....<br /><br />The go list is much bigger <br />Comfy slippers, Smyth, Stewart Mcdonald......Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-88164141675920980442023-04-02T08:47:04.524+01:002023-04-02T08:47:04.524+01:00Why is the practical end of the SNP unimaginable w...Why is the practical end of the SNP unimaginable when the practical end of the Union is imaginable?<br /><br />The latter has been around a lot longer and has a whole middle-power government in London which supports its continued existence. The former is just, like, some guys. Why not be consistent in the application of radicalism?Bypassernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-33717801317342047022023-04-01T12:54:40.968+01:002023-04-01T12:54:40.968+01:00Absolutely spot on imhoAbsolutely spot on imhoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-30390480233293583722023-03-31T20:12:48.362+01:002023-03-31T20:12:48.362+01:00Right, I've checked, and with all due respect ...Right, I've checked, and with all due respect to The National, they'll end up getting a visit from the polling health inspectors if they make a habit of what they've done in that piece. They seem to be presenting a tiny subsample as if it was a poll.James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-5368769660372720702023-03-31T20:01:20.091+01:002023-03-31T20:01:20.091+01:00I'm in the middle of my dinner, but I'll h...I'm in the middle of my dinner, but I'll have a look as soon as I can.James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-91011369395996534742023-03-31T19:50:34.222+01:002023-03-31T19:50:34.222+01:00Thanks JamesThanks JamesAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-73928378427402824102023-03-31T18:34:40.573+01:002023-03-31T18:34:40.573+01:00The National are reporting a new poll, James. Any ...The National are reporting a new poll, James. Any information... apparently shows an increase in SNP voting intentions?....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-42082850692576061922023-03-31T18:17:31.985+01:002023-03-31T18:17:31.985+01:00Actually at this time it might be more productive ...Actually at this time it might be more productive to protest at Holyrood. A bit like the climate change protesters. It would be quite something if the SNP are seen complaining about (and not supporting) independence activists demanding that the SNP government plot a proper route to independence……. A de facto referendum election would be a start in terms of demands. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-21385106942255605192023-03-31T18:04:11.445+01:002023-03-31T18:04:11.445+01:00it's all about raising the profile , getting ...it's all about raising the profile , getting the idea oot tae the masses . Personally , I doubt electing all indy MPs and MSPs would gar the brit Nat establishment into granting us anything -unless there was international pressure- petitions , marches , boycotts , would all be noticeable world wide across the world an wi oor ain folk.<br /><br />Get aff her knees!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-41334119839081648312023-03-31T17:47:26.268+01:002023-03-31T17:47:26.268+01:00There's no proposal because there's nothin...There's no proposal because there's nothing to address. The reason Yousaf's personal unpopularity is such a severe problem for the SNP is that they can't afford to fall below 40% of the vote (arguably 45%). That's not the position Alba are in - the first objective for Alba is to win list seats, which can be done with as little as 5-6% of the vote, meaning that we'd only need a minority of the people who do have a favourable opinion of Alex Salmond in the polls. We'd be absolutely nuts to remove him as leader, not least because he's the only reason the media give us, as a small party, any coverage at all. Withoit that coverage, we could wither away as a party very quickly. It wouldn't be worth the risk unless there was some other political heavyweight to turn to, such as Joanna Cherry, and to the best of my knowledge there's no indication that she will leave the SNP.James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-21836591337089913982023-03-31T17:36:19.715+01:002023-03-31T17:36:19.715+01:00Hi James, I appreciate that the new FM is not the ...Hi James, I appreciate that the new FM is not the most popular among the public and note that one of your options is to make Alba more appealing to a wider portion of the electorate. Does having Salmond as it’s figurehead not make this hard given that he is arguably less popular than Yousaf and what would be your proposal to address this?Adam Munronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-37227442563713167712023-03-31T15:50:26.762+01:002023-03-31T15:50:26.762+01:00Mass petitions and boycotts of the BBC would have ...Mass petitions and boycotts of the BBC would have literally zero effect. Civil disobedience? Well, it depends on how you define it.James Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01516007141763230886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-85694910950083580772023-03-31T15:35:22.407+01:002023-03-31T15:35:22.407+01:00Aye , aye but you're all missing something . E...Aye , aye but you're all missing something . Even the indy-light SNP could be "encouraged" tae be mair pro indy by mass action . Instead o aye blathering an twittering aboot , DAE SOMETHING! <br /><br />HOO ABOOT: Mass petition , boycott BBC licence and other brIt nat media, direct action , civil disobedience , anything and everything to anoy the Brits and encourage oor ain folk.<br /><br />Alba gu Barth.<br /><br />Get aff yer knees!unthirldomnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-19334543892035692532023-03-31T14:55:13.874+01:002023-03-31T14:55:13.874+01:00Yes! I agree. See my own comment below submitted b...Yes! I agree. See my own comment below submitted before yours was visible. Jacob72https://www.blogger.com/profile/17268402292420473229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-44434476116631377372023-03-31T13:47:42.322+01:002023-03-31T13:47:42.322+01:00Another thoughtful piece James. To comment on your...Another thoughtful piece James. To comment on your four points:<br /><br />1. Alba needs a competent plan to get to this number of list seats. Seven seats is an achievable goal but it requires that the party leadership needs to start coming up with a detailed plan and be ruthless about rooting out the heidbangers and finding robust candidates. By robust I mean people who's social media profiles aren't going to cause difficulty and who can present the arguments effectively to win support from SNP supporters. It needs to be much much more than an Alex Salmond fan club. No offense Alex.<br /><br />2. Again, agree. The answer here is for independence supporters to have a clear critique of the Humza Yousaf SNP's stance on independence. For me that is the absence of a well thought out plan. This critique has to be shared repeatedly with the SNP Westminster contingent and challenge them to counter it. The SNP MP are going to have to figure out how to save their jobs and a clear critique helps them at least start to think about how effective HY is for the independence cause.<br /><br />3. I actually think that rabbits in the headlights is a much more likely scenario than 2, but I am not convinced that it will move the dial much. My guess is that some will have already resigned themselves to losing their WM seat and will be staying loyal in the hope of getting a Holyrood seat or a nice place on the list. The problem with this scenario is that it removes the Westminster contingent but not the Holyrood ones. I think that we are all agreed that there's more talent and experience in the Westminster MPs than the Holyrood MSPs.<br /><br />4. This is possible, but I think not likely. As I said yesterday, the first test of this might be if Margaret Ferrier gets recalled and Labour trounce the SNP candidate. If Humza Yousaf's government does take fright at his polling, then they might change their position. However, I'd be sceptical that it was any more sincere than Nicola Sturgeon's plans, and I really don't believe that Humza Yousaf has the skill or the experience to organise and implement an effective plan to get us to independence.<br /><br />Option one seems the most credible, but still requires Alba to shake itself up substantially. Only if there is an effective challenger party on independence will the SNP change direction.<br /><br />The independence movement outside of the SNP needs to have a thorough critique of the UK's political & economic system and it needs to have one of the SNP's approach. These two robust critiques are the starting point, but the independence movement also needs a non-SNP organisation that has access or the resources to get access to the wider public via the media.<br /><br />The critique looks something like:<br />The British state isn't working for the people of Scotland and our economy, here is the evidence.....[insert evidence here].<br />We need to change this and both the Labour party the SNP have shown that they are not able to do this [insert evidence here], so we need independence to provide us with prosperity in the future.<br />We get independence by having your support for these actions. [insert steps to independence here].Jacob72https://www.blogger.com/profile/17268402292420473229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-81560965061452016502023-03-31T13:24:03.919+01:002023-03-31T13:24:03.919+01:00I think the only likely option of the four is numb...I think the only likely option of the four is number one. I'm also more optimistic than you and think that Alba could replace the SNP in the medium term, if they play their cards right. There are an awful lot of very pissed off independence supporters looking for a home right now, and I think Alba and Labour will be the places they will gravitate towards, depending on their personal motivations.<br /><br />The other thing to bear in mind is that Alba might naturally become less - how shall I put it - zealous, as their membership and support base is swelled by hopefully large numbers of SNP defectors.Stravaigerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17954354184365312922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-930120922627919768.post-25367834897886001452023-03-31T13:15:03.239+01:002023-03-31T13:15:03.239+01:00Vote Alba at every opportunity. Treat the unionist...Vote Alba at every opportunity. Treat the unionist SNP in the same way they treat pro indy voters - with disdain.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com