Monday 5 September 2011

EVERY DAY, STEP BY STEP, WE GET A LITTLE CLOSER

Good news.

Support for independence has moved ahead of opposition to it by 39%- 38%, leaving some 23% undecided. (There is always a fairly large percentage of people who are undecided; much larger than difference between to two camps, which means that no poll has ever been decisive.)

Added to the historic win of an outright majority in a parliament, the voting system for which was designed never to have a majority without coalition, and to keep the SNP from even minority government, these figures are to be welcomed.

So why? After all the SNP has hardly had an auspicious start to their majority government, with sectarian legislation problems and ministerial comments about justice which were, albeit right, contentious.

Well, I know what I think. See if you agree.

Scotland voted for a Labour government at Westminster. It did not vote SNP, nor Liberal and definitively it did not vote Tory. And yet it got a Tory/Liberal government, thanks to England.

Although for 30 years Scotland has been infertile ground for Tories, I doubt there has ever been so much resentment to them as at present. Cameron’s government is disliked insistently, and the Liberals, as one can see from the by-election lost deposit and the results at the Scottish General Election.

The much trumpeted respect agenda was dropped within hours of being consecrated. When Cameron left Scotland for America after his victory visit he had promised to treat Scotland and the Scots with respect. What did he actually do? He got off the plane and decried Scotland and its legal system for releasing Al Megrahi.

There was no reason why he couldn't have explained that he had no jurisdiction over the case, but as PM of the whole UK it would be wrong of him to comment on the Scottish government's decision. But he saw an opportunity to ingratiate himself with President Obama, and crept for all he was worth.

Many of the decisions that he has taken to save money have hit Scotland, a country heavily reliant on public sector jobs (thanks to his mentor, Mrs Thatcher), much more heavily than England.

And when, shortly after appointing his cabinet, he had to replace the Chief Secretary, what did he do? He took the person whom he had thought the best man for the Scotland Office, and promoted him, leaving Scotland with a no-hoper considered hithertofore unsuitable for any ministerial post all. Respect?

So all of this has come back to bite him on the bum. His inept Scotland man does nothing but patronize, most recently with his six questions about the future of independence. Meanwhile Danny Alexander, the erstwhile Scottish Secretary, proves he wasn’t much better for the job by making idiotic jokes about the Edinburgh trams, clearly forgetting, or not knowing, that it was his party that created the mess.

Just like the Labour Party which carped and criticised (and continues to do so) and never produced one serious bit of opposition, asking stupid questions about the FM’s Christmas presents, and which, for their troubles lost more than 20 seats in May, this inept government, unelected by the Scots, has found fault with everything that the government which WAS elected by Scots with an overwhelming vote, has done.

And this is the result!

It’s simple psychology people. If you turn to page 17 of your “Psychology for Beginners” book, you can read up on how NOT to get up people’s noses.

It matters to us, you see.

23 comments:

  1. It's comin yet for a' that

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  2. Indeed it is, Anon.

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  3. As far as the Lib Dems are concerned "the band played on" just like it did while the Titanic sank. Not they were ever the Titanic, more like some leaky rowing boat in a third rate park in Cumbernauld and now thats sank. But Willie is still determined to hold the SNP to account from Davy Jones locker.

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  4. Tris

    Please leave agent Moore alone thank you. He has taken up where agent Forsyth left off after the electorate got shot of him.

    It has taken a long time to get agent Moore up to speed but he will do to the Lib Dums what agent Forsyth did to the torys.

    P.S. Do you think we should recruit Murdo as our next agent? I think he could finally finish to torys off totally in Scotland.

    All the best Alex.

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  5. Very good, Munguin. There days it's more like one of these wee boaties that you get in your bath...

    (Well, I had to grow out of the duck one day)

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  6. Hello Alex

    I'm sorry. I accept that some of our success is due to his cleverly feigned ineptitude; asking questions that he knows perfectly well were answered in the 2009 white paper, and generally bossing us about.

    Did he persuade the rest of the Liberals to become Tories just for us?

    I'll refrain from too much criticism in future your first ministerness.

    I thought Murdo was already one of us... No?

    Respectfully

    Tris

    PS: Are you remembering that you owe me a coke??

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  7. I see we have rattled Carons cage and miracle of miricales prompted her into a reply. Gosh! Hold me up.

    I refrained from mentioning the day that the Lib Dem Scottish juggesrnaut became a pedalo!

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  8. tris

    (1) the problem is what do the 75% of voters who did not take part in the Holyrood elections think?

    (2) the snp are more keen on Devo-max as opposed to full Independence

    (3) could the snp campaign survive headlines such as these on scotland leaving the safe harbor of the UK every day and twice on sunday

    Quitting euro 'would cost Greece and Portugal half their GDP'

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  9. Niko

    We feel your pain.

    1) Why are the people who did not take part in the Holyrood election important? If they did not vote then what makes you think they will now?

    2)You and your favourite paper the Daily Mail think that Niko. Independence is still independence no matter how many steps, Devo Max today full independence tomorrow.

    3) Read the latest polls and weep Niko. We have had these headlines for the last four years, how did that work out for your lot again?

    I noted on the last blog you said that 55% of SNP members would join Murdo, oh dear Niko, 55% of tory members will not join Murdo never mind SNP members. Mind you even if we lost 55% of members the SNP would still be a lot bigger than your lot.

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  10. Pedalo, Munguin... that's praising it, isn't it?

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  11. Oh Niko. I don't know where you got a 75% figure from. I don't know why you're worried about whether we have devo max or full independence in the next 5 years. Independence will come anyway, but sometimes it's well to take everything a step at a time, particularly with sceptics, and what's Portugal and the EU got to do with it?

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  12. bah! the lot of ya it wont happen never ever ever ever god save the sacred union and nats burn in hell

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  13. Dubs, I'm still falling about laughing at your post.

    I watched Newsnicht on the iplayer and I was unimpressed with every single one of them.

    Murdo seems not to have much in the way of an idea for NEW policies apart from his CAP/Fisheries policies and the idea that they should be Scottish and not English (fair enough to that). But he doesn't seem to have a funding plan, and he doesn't seem to have any policies.

    The three hopefuls were appalling. The woman was shrill, and "awwwfully englified" (not to say shrill). She seemed to have no idea what the problems were. She wanted a shake up... but how do you have a shake up if you are defined by what London says. Get a new kind of biscuits for the next meeting and have coffee instead of tea?

    The two blokes weren't any better, although the posher of the two did seem to realise that something radical had to be done.

    No one could show HOW they would be radical or where the money was coming from.

    And their grammar was awfull.

    The other two candidates really don't have much to say that would set the heather on fire.

    The female would get right up your nose before long. Busy, busy, busy... yuk and the male... unimpressive. As I said to Annabel: don't go?

    All very disappointing, as I agree with Dean, that it needs to happen. I'd have like Annabel to guide them through that change. At least she was relatively popular in the country

    Indeed maybe one day Dean (and Niko) will see that Scotland and England are very different countries that need different parties... and different economic policies... and independence...?

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  14. Niko:

    They said that there would never be devolution: there was

    They said there would never be an SNP government: there was

    They said there would never be a majority government, especially not an SNP one: there was.

    Never ever ever ever ever.... might be a bit of a long shot to bet on.

    The union will still be there though. Wales, Cornwall and Ulster will still be vassal states of England. You could always move to your beloved union.

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  15. PS Niko. What's that a picture of? England's riots?

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  16. What is Niko's infatuation with the union? Its irrational bordering on .......!

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  17. That's Niko for you...irrational bordering on England.

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  18. ch

    I calls it luv

    tris

    come the day of the referendum(when the snp finally sort out what they are begging for devo or whatever) we will finally find out.

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  19. Niko

    You might remember this from your tory friends "five more years" they used to chant.

    We do not need to, we have five more glorious years of SNP majority (did I say majority! I like the sound of that) to move Scotland forward. The referendum will be when it suits the winners Niko not the sad also runs.

    See your friend Lord George finally admitting that he would rather Scotland was ruled by English torys than a left of centre Scottish party, no wonder we are so far ahead in the polls.

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  20. I calls it luv

    Yes but sometimes the future of the young and unborn overides personel selfish attachments to something that dies when the grim reaper eventually knocks on your door.

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  21. I doubt that the SNP are begging, Niko. Alex doesn't seem the beggar type to me, even if he is rather lower class compared to you Mr Cameron.

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  22. That's the problem Dubs, Labour has moved so far to the right that they would rather have Cameron going around wrecking society, killing pensioners and handing savings to the multi-billionaires, than have Scotland independent.

    A once proud working man's party laid low by creeps like Blair who couldn't make it into the Tories because he didn't go to ENGLAND's top public school. Only Scotland's.

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  23. No political correctness with Cynical, Niko. He's a plain speaking man...

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