Monday 26 May 2014

SCOTLAND NOW HAS A UKIP MEMBER TO NOT BOTHER REPRESENTING US

There's something you never thought you'd see:
Nigel without a fag and a pint!
I imagine that the majority of Scots will be disappointed that there is now a Ukip member (not) representing them in the European parliament.

Some people are delighted, of course. Possibly some of the people who voted for them, but even a proportion of them must be aware that their protest vote has actually produced a representative from a party which doesn't actually believe in anything about Scotland and has no policies for the country. Indeed until recently it was their policy to scrap Holyrood until someone pointed out that Scots law was different from English law and there really was a need to a parliament in Edinburgh (otherwise a lot of important parliamentary time would be wasted discussing law in jockland).

Is the result surprising? Not really. 

The BBC seems to have been having a love affair with Farage over the last few years. For a man leading a party with no MPs, he seemed to spend a disproportionate amount of time on Dumblebum’s Question Time. 

Of course he’s good telly. A bit like Nick Griffin (ha ha ha ha*), he pulls the audience in. And the BBC seems uninterested in providing a balanced coverage of anything these days, commercially based as is it. So wall to wall Farage stories gave the party prominence it didn't really deserve. 
I wonder what Nick will do after next May?
House of Lords? International banking?
Write a book "How I wrecked the Libdems"?
The fact that the Deputy Prime Minister of the UK appeared in two television debates with the man will have raised his profile too. Not surprisingly for a man with apparently no political principles, Clegg lost badly against Farage who has very firmly fixed ideas. Now we await the UK Prime Minister's debate with Farage. Cameron will also almost undoubtedly lose to Farage. 

Is it a blow to Alex Salmond and the SNP? Well, although the Tories Murdo Fraser thinks so, I doubt it. It's certainly a disappointment that they didn't win the third seat, although they came close.

I’d say to murdo that it was a blow to us all, but probably mostly to the Liberals, who have been wiped out in Scotland (and only have one seat in the UK). 

It’s a blow to Scotland in that Ukip MEPs have a reputation for not turning up for work, so instead of its derisory 6 MEPs, Scotland will effectively now have only 5 representatives in Brussels. 

And across the UK it is a blow to every party because Ukip came first, pushing them all back a place (or, in the case of the Liberals, several).

Fraser, whom you would have thought should have known better, tweeted to the effect that the result disproved the theory that Scotland had a different political culture from the UK. 
Politicians should probably avoid tweeting late at night
I’m not sure how he arrived at this conclusion based on the result of the Euro election (on a small turnout), where UKIP won 10% of the vote in Scotland and 30% in the UK, and came in in 1st place in the UK, but 4th in Scotland. Maybe maths isn't a Tory strong point.

Fraser must also be aware that while the UK elected his party to government (albeit in coalition) and polls indicate that it will do so again, albeit with a different partner) Scotland elected them (even with the benefit of PR) to be the 3rd party in Holyrood far behind the opposition Labour party in numbers. There is, so fa,r no indication that that situation will change, solid as it has been since the first days of the parliament.

And while both governing parties in the UK had disappointing results after 4 years of government, the governing party in Scotland, after 7 years of incumbency, saw their vote hold up and indeed, came in first.


No. I don't see one political culture across the UK there Murdo. What is it you’re on?

There is a really amusing piece on the Euro results by Wee Ginger Dug which had me rolling about laughing at the ungodly hour of 6 this morning.
I wonder if there is anyone, except Griffin himself,
who feels sorry for him.
* Nick Griffin lost his seat, as did the other BNP member. Still, when Mr Griffin goes to the Job Centre on Tuesday he will doubtless be able to avail himself of some unpaid work stacking shelves at Poundland thanks to another right wing freak, Iain Duncan Smurf.

52 comments:

  1. Yes it's sickening that UKIP now have a hold in Scotland. I know a number of Yes voters decided on Green as their 1st candidate was a good one but tactical voting might have been a better option. I blame TV coverage too. And low turnout. Anyway off the read WHD, he's great isn't he. Just remember who nominated it for the blogroll!

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    1. I see they have already disgraced themselves in England, with one of their councillors having a rant about Elton John for some unknown reason... with respect to him, he's hardly big news.

      He's on the carpet already.

      I wonder how many of them will fall by the wayside, as they have in the past, for saying outrageous things, or indeed for fiddling.

      Indeed I do remember!!!

      Delete
  2. tris and the malcontents
    you are going to lose the referendum big time

    Labour 25.9%

    SNP 28.9&

    Ukip 10.4%

    Con 25.9%

    Lib Dems 7.1%

    Green 8.1%

    do the math the loyal unionist vote is massive compared
    to the puny pro-nat vote

    a ukiper wins under a snp dictatorship who would of
    believed up to today......not me !!!

    you lot are toast..like Cleggy

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    1. Don't get around much do you Niko. I am met with more smiles than frowns with my little pink YES badge. and in case you have missed this, Nobody is standing in the referendum and for a dictator Alex Salmond is remarkable democratic unlike the Stalinists in the Labour Party, thank goodness for Labour for Indy. Last time I heard he asks for advice.

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  3. Hmmm, what turnout you expecting for the referendum.... 33%?

    In honesty European elections don't change much in your life. if you are busy you may not bother to vote.

    Scottish referenda do matter.

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    1. YOu will be pleased though, that you and the new kipper agree...

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-27568672

      Not sure I'd like to be known for agreeing with ukip.

      Delete
    2. tris


      Yeah ! yeah ! yeah ! whatever.....and the snp said you would never see a ukipper elected in Scotland Alex was on his bended knees begging the Scots
      not to elect a ukipper , and the Scots just piddled on his shoes and voted for one (must admit its a real surprise and a good sign for the continuing UK )

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    3. I fail to understand why you are so interested in a continueing UK.

      You're not going to live there.

      You're a Labour man. How can you like Atos, WMDs the lowest pensions in the western world, high rents and low wages, poor conditions and squalor that it entails?

      In the referendum what will be will be.

      But I fail completely how you can project the results of an EU election in Scotland (by common consent the election people care least about) with a referendum (which it seems has stirred enormous interest in the electorate, on which ever side).

      Delete
  4. tris and the malcontents

    Alex has fought and won many many battles but in the end HE and the snp
    are losing the war.

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    1. Niko why don't you start writing romantic fiction with the rest of the lassies in the Better together Crew. At the very least you would be doing something useful. Oh and what happened with your blog, cause as one of the few, the very few UKipOK bloggers, or should I say boggers you must be missed.

      Delete
    2. um ! Helena little bit homophobic there...we all have some feminine aspects nothing wrong with that..certainly not a trait to be used as a derogatory insult.

      Oh dear you have let the inclusive snp down black mark for you!!

      Delete
    3. Well Niko, we'll see what we see come the day.

      I suppose you get your information from the BBC so that would excuse the fact that it doesn't tally with what I'm reading.

      I don't think Helena's was homophobic by the way. I wish you'd explain how you arrived at that conclusion.

      Have you any evidence at all that the SNP, or any of the other parties or groups supporting independence, is not inclusive?

      Delete
    4. tris

      John mason....Brian souter etc etc

      Delete
  5. Tris

    Not shocked by the result at all or by Niko having had the same teacher as Murdo Fraser.

    UKip sadly were probably waiting for this result given the fact that many Scots are as Euro Sceptic as people down south are. I agree that their MEP will not work for Scotland as it is not in his interests and the unionists who are basically celebrating this result will live to regret their vitriol. The turn out was as disappointing as usual, you have to wonder what it will take to get people off their arses and to realise that politics, whether we like it or not, are important and impact on every part of our lives .

    Niko is wrong as usual as far as September goes and a positive no vote, this result will potentially waken people up to the dangers they now face. In fact if I was Bitter Together I would be worried by this result to be honest as it may just open peoples eyes to what might actually form a westminster government next year. It is clear now that under Miliband and his merry men and women Labour cannot win next year. The Liberals have committed harry karry by lieing to the electorate and not standing up for their principles, they are not being punished for being in coalition they are being punished for being weak and for giving up everything they believed in for a wee bit of power, in the national interest of course. They are finished as a party now and it will be years before they bounce back and a lot of blood letting will have to take place before that happens, likewise in labour.

    Scottish nay sayers beware, the gates of hell just got pushed open a little and low and behold anyone who votes no next year, you will live to regret it.

    Bruce

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    1. anon or Bruce ( wots that about )

      Scots in their hundreds of thousands from Labour , conservatives , Lib Dems and no partys the young the old and the not so old will be voting for the continuing union.

      and no amount of old testament metaphor will change that fact.

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    2. Niko

      I won't explain the anon, you won't understand. As far as voting no as many will be voting yes , it's the don't knows that both sides need to convince. As far as young people go I wouldn't get too excited by that, once the majority leave school in the summer, have no money until college or no money at all due to no training then you might just see a shift, but keep it up you are the UKip of the no side all by yourself.

      Bruce Anon or Whatever

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    3. I don't think you will ever persuade people to vote for the EU parliament.

      Even people like me, who are political animals don't really care about who is elected, because in all the time that there has been a parliament in Europe I've never contacted my MEP; I've no idea what I could want to contact him about. I don't really know what he does except presumably attend the parliament and discuss things that are actually decided elsewhere.

      if I weren't vehement about voting, I'd not bother with it.

      But of course the turnout for the referendum will be at least double if not more, because people do care about that one way or the other.

      I read your piece about why you blog, and thanks for the mention! :)

      Delete
    4. Niko:

      From Labour: Joe Benton (Bootle), Tom Clarke (Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill), Rosie Cooper (Lancashire West), David Crausby (Bolton North East), Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton), Brian Donohoe (Ayrshire Central), Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South), Mary Glindon (Tyneside North), Roger Godsiff (Birmingham Hall Green), Paul Goggins (Wythenshawe & Sale East), George Mudie (Leeds East), Paul Murphy (Torfaen), Stephen Pound (Ealing North), Stephen Timms (East Ham).

      Elaine Smith, (Coatbridge and Chryston) (Lab), Hanzala Malik, (Glasgow) (Lab)

      Michael McMahon, (Uddingston and Bellshill) (Lab)

      Siobhan McMahon, (Central Scotland) (Lab)

      Now I'm not accusing these people are homophobes, but they voted against or refused to vote for equal marriage... and before you say it, along with a load of Tories, some Liberals and some SNP!

      In many of these cases people had religious views and their churches told them how to vote.

      That goes for all parties.

      Of course in my opinion, if an MSP, MP, MEP is going to be guided in his voting by an archbishop, rabbi, minister or imam, in my opinion he or she should make it clear upfront that the people are second to the church and that people should be aware that if they vote for them they are voting for the policies of The Vatican or George Street or Israel or whatever.

      But don't throw independence based parties at me as being homophobes when unionists are just as bad. heaven knows, the Tories voted against their own government in England in massive numbers, and you don't get much more unionist than the Tories...

      Oh and Mrs Tahtcher said that I should point out to you that the plural of party is PARTIES, not PARTYS

      Delete
  6. UKIP get their first politician of any description in Scotland and Niko goes overboard well who'd have thunk it?

    Well UKIP come first in the UK and only FOURTH in Scotland. So even despite the BBC's "love in" with Farage we still end up with the SNP winning the European elections in Scotland. NEWSFLASH Niko...SNP come FIRST in Scotland UKIP come FOURTH!!!

    As has been said by many people, the European elections in Scotland never seem to draw the huge polling numbers so there's not a great deal that can really be drawn from the results despite Niko's dreaming. What is clear though is that come September the polling figures are estimated to be in the high 70+%. Not only that but how many *ahem* people who voted for UKIP last night will a) turn out to vote in September or b) vote NO in September?

    One othere wee thing to consider, in my view, Throughout last night the UKIP Broadcasting Authority (a.k.a. BBC) kept going on and on about how the results last night of UKIP winning in England was a protest vote. I wonder if that is why UKIP also got a seat last night in Scotland, people voting in protest, not against Scotland's politicians but those sitting in power in Westminster. Pretty far fetched I admit but I think it might still be possible.

    Finally can I just say to Niko that he has absolutely NO idea about anyone being homophobic if he considers Helena's post to be homophobic. I know! In fact I was involved in a deep discussion with a great many wingers over on WOS a few weeks ago about this very subject and transphobia as well. I am pretty certain I'd be able to recognise a homophobic statement if one was made. I think this is just another case of Niko making a mole hill out of a grass seed.

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    1. No, I don't really think it is far fetched.

      British politicians have power in Scotland, and a lot of commentators are saying that one reason for the UKIP vote is people voting AGAINST the establishment, rather than for anyone.

      Of course in some cases that is simply not true. There are people who hate the EU, possibly because the press has vilified Brussels and all it stands for, aided and abetted by the establishment parties because it is handy to have someone to blame and distract people's attention from the god awful mess that they are making themselves.

      But a lot of people who would have voted Liberal as a protest in an election that they don't much care about the outcome (and the outcome won't change their lives one tiny bit), have voted for Nigel.

      People are saying that they will vote for them again in the UK elections next year, but when they realise that the only way that they will get the in-out referendum they want is by voting Conservative, then that is what they will do. Otherwise they are really fools!

      You don't vote UKIP out of anger and disgust, and tell the press that you will go back to the Tories or Labour next time round. That would make you look really stupid. But you do go back to the party that offers you a way out of Europe...ie the Tories.

      I think that the effect of this will be to push Labour and the Tories to the right; to xenophobia and right wing nuttery.

      I also think the Liberals are toast, and Nick Clegg should go.

      Delete
    2. Abbie

      being willfully obtuse..more votes for unionist partys or parties than for the separationist snp and come the referendum they will all join together in one massive wave of votes and smash the snp/nats into history.

      Delete
    3. Whatever Niko!

      Erm... who will be there to take over? Not, surely Ms Lamont?

      Delete
  7. http://scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/in-numbers-yawning-chasm-between.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+ScotGoesPop+(SCOT+goes+POP!)

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  8. Kepp taking the meds Niko, things are only going to get worse for you before 19th September.

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  9. Westminster politics has been totally discredited with this result. The electorate in England has just told them to f*** off, big style. (excuse the ***s).
    10% of Scots being Europhobic and having concerns with immigration I can accept. That's not a bad result for the 90% who didn't vote UKIP. Remember that 9 out of 10 people that you pass in the street do not support UKIP. Ironically, a thoroughly Euro style of voting allowed them an MEP (thanks Europe......no I mean it). Democracy won, even if 9/10 Scots may not like it. Let's get a sense of proportion.

    I want to know what Scottish Labour are thinking. Milliband is unelectable. He is weird! And he will not be the next PM! So Labour. Do you really want a Tory/UKIP type government in Westminster milking Scotland's economy for the benefit of a minority of the English electorate? If the answer is Yes and you campaign for No in the referendum, then you might just as well join the Conservative Party now and be done with the charade!

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    1. I think too you have to be aware that only 1/3 of the people voted. 2/3 stayed at home.

      So 1/th of 1/3 of the 18+ population wanted UKIP.

      When the referendum comes along we can expect a great many more people to vote.

      In England and Wales the figure was nearly 30% of 30%.

      I believe that unless Miliband offers an in/out referendum, then many will vote Tory to get their referendum.

      Nigel Farage can't offer a referendum. He may have done well in this election, but he's not going to form the next government.

      I wonder what Scottish Labour REALLY thinks... Weird UK boss, useless Scottish foreman...

      Sunk...

      Delete
  10. NIko's posts - littered with insults as usual. Its a sad little person who has to resort to gutter tactics to nake up for their lack of defence of their arguments.
    The whole UKIP thing is an irrelevance. UKIP have taken only from the discredited lib dems, no surprise. Whilst they made gains in the English council elections they are in a distant 4th position with no councils under their control and this probably is a more accurate representation of the public opinion of them.
    A lot of people ae going to be embarassed by the oaf David Coburn who, not even 24 hours into the job is mired in controversy having insulted Italians already.

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    1. Here's hoping he insults Cypriots the very day Niko flees from Blighty.

      Delete
    2. anon (coward as all anons are )

      The whole UKIP thing is an irrelevance

      shame your master Alex salmond took a different view
      pretty relevant to him ....until the Scots froze him and the snp out

      Delete
    3. When was that Niko?

      Delete
  11. I think we should stand back and look at the whole political picture in Scotland here to get a real feel of how things actually changed last night.

    I read recently that there are 1466 politicians in Scotland comprising councillors, M.P.'s, M.S.P.'s and M.E.P.'s. Now let's add the UKIP M.E.P. into the mix and we end up with 1, that's ONE Niko, M.E.P. out of 1466 politicians which apparently works out at 0.07% of the total Scottish politicians being a member of UKIP.

    So there you have it Niko, LESS than 0.1% of Scottish politicians are members of UKIP. Not exactly a groundswell of anything far less political change if you ask me!

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    1. LOL Well calculated Arbroath!

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    2. What can I say except I just let my fingers do the walking! LOL

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  12. In the photograph, nick looks like he is about to pop, what he does not realise, is a wet one.

    Sounds like a potted history of the LibDems.

    Never in the field of political bollox have so many, leaving aside Tony Blair, been hoodwink by so few.

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    1. Wouldn't you say that keiched breeks or not, he is finished though Panda?

      I mean he's just a figure of fun now.

      When he said the other day that he would be the guarantor of devo max, I imagine most of the population bust out in peels of merry laughter...

      Someone should put him in a home ... The House of Lords will do.

      Delete
  13. Aye, Niko - a coward, really? The name's Robert Sinclair and I will always take a stand against ultra right wing racists and I don't care who knows it.

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    1. bob

      so you should

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    2. Me too Robert. Find this kind of politics repugnant.

      Delete
  14. tris and the increasingly removed from reality snp malcontents


    Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

    Lewis Carroll

    so you !!!!

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    1. You often said 6 ridiculous things before breakfast, and usually on this blog...

      Seriously how anyone who supports Johann Lamont and that muppet opposition cabinet talking about other people being detached from reality is funny beyond measure.

      Anas sarwqar has taken to Twitter to blether a load of crap not a million miles from what you just bothered Niko, only poor wee man, he can't count, so he got the numbers wrong, and he seems to have associated himself and BY with hard right wing nutters like the BNP!!!

      And Johann appears to think that she and Ruth Davidson are progressives and the Ukip and the SNP are not.

      Has she got even the slightest idea what their policies are? Does she understand the difference... and is she associating herself now with the Tories?

      Finally, the Labour figure was inflated by LFI proposing to people that they vote labour in the EU election... Alan Grogan made a personal appeal to his followers to do that. They will all be voting for indi.

      I wonder if Dean saw Grogan's appeal before he voted Liberal.

      Delete
  15. I'm hoping this lot join in with BT.
    Might just be what we need....

    www.eezypeezylemonsqeezy.com

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    1. Nice one... Thanks.

      Coburn is an empty headed joke of a man to be getting that kind of money for what will doubtless be a great deal sitting in the pub with his boss, getting legless on our money.

      Delete
    2. Added your blog to the roll....

      Delete
  16. So we now have a new MEP who resides in Kensington to speak on behalf of Scotland in the EU and the unionists in Better Together are jumping for joy who would of thunk it, Dean maybe!

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  17. Well Dean isn't a unionist these days CH.

    I wonder what Niko thinks of it though.

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    1. I know that tris but as voting Green this time was a total nonsense by not usual Green voters left the door wide open for UKIP recognized by all trusted number crunchers. So his and others of the same mindset is what we got tribalism rather than what would be best for Scotland.

      Delete
    2. I think Dean voted Liberal, because it is a very pro EU party (or at least it says it is, but with Nick, who can tell! They used to be for PRE and free education...)

      I assume Niko voted for labour?

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    3. A lot of Labour voters voted UKIP to keep the SNP out!

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    4. Yes possibly... There is no end to their hatred of Eck.

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  18. Anyway as the livestream kept breaking up I didn't post this earlier but the debate I expect will be downloaded later.

    http://new.livestream.com/IndependenceLive/events/3004599

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    1. Och Muddle is getting hard time with his lies...

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  19. Why does Niko spend so much time writing on this Blog when hes got a perfectly bad blog of his own to spout his Unionist fantasies on.

    I wonder if he gatecrashes his neighbours when they're having dinner.

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