by Panda Paws
Is it 24th June yet?
I, for one, am fed up hearing about the EU referendum and the constant 24 hours non-news cycle. I will not be influenced by anything Boris Johnston says but worryingly some people might be. However, the most worrying thing is that the Scottish elections on 5th May are being sidelined, as are the other elections taking place on the same day.
When Nicola, Leanne Wood and others complained about the timing being disrespectful of the devolved areas in this family of nations, the kids were told by daddy Cameron to go to bed and were given no supper. The Yoons mocked their objections saying “are you cybernats too stupid to follow two elections at the same time”. Well, no we aren’t, but it appears that MSM are, since hardly a word has been said about these important elections.
And it’s not like there aren’t interesting things to discuss. The UK Elections twitter account has just predicted another SNP majority with 70 seats. Okay several polls also suggest another supposedly “virtually impossible” majority, so it’s not the first.
But it’s their other predictions that caught my eye -the Tories to be second on 25 seats with Labour a dire third on 22.
The Greens to get 6 (list) seats, though unfortunately only one in Lothians meaning the excellent Andy Wightman, a land reform campaigner would miss out. Definitely Holyrood’s loss!
Furthermore it predicts that Willie Rennie will not be back as the LibDems would have no list seats in the Mid region on this poll. Tragically UKIP are predicted to gain 2 list seats. How much of this will be due to their excessive media coverage because of the EU referendum? Or is it that the ultra Yoon vote is leaving Labour and coalescing around the Tories and UKIP further damaging SLAB who have already lost yes voters to the SNP?
Please discuss, or rather don’t, as MSM goes into Project Fear 2. Floods of migrants, jobs lost, floods of migrants, national security threatened, migrants, economic instability, migrants. Did I mention immigration?
Asides from the immigration angle, it’s déjà vu all over again. Stephen Hawkins you were wrong it is possible to travel back in time – to September 2014 in this instance. Only this time both sides are being forensically scrutinised rather than just one. Hence proving the theory of parallel universes where things are almost, but not quite the same.
On a more personal basis, my constituency is predicted to change hands, Labour to Tory. The Tory candidate will convert from list to constituency. The Labour incumbent would become unemployed. Labour are predicted to get three list seats and he is fourth. Oops.
Obviously polls are not results and things can change between now and May, but one would think the local media might a bit more interested in these events. But no, it’s EU this and EU that with a soupçon of McGarry detained – unfortunately in Turkey, and my how the Scottish media became deflated when that was made clear, and SNP cuts which miraculously in other parts of the UK are Tory cuts.
It’s clear to me that the Scottish elections are of great import, at least to the folk that live here, but will people even know they are on before the polling cards arrive? Will turnout – traditionally not great- be lowered even more leading to those Yoon calculations about just how few voters voted SNP. Funnily enough, it will be a higher % than voted Tory in 2015 but those calculations never make it into the Yoons’ spreadsheets.
Or is it their abacus?
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| Murraysaurus: distinctively and tastelessly marked making him easy to avoid |
Clearly it’s not going to be the Unionist extinction event that May 2015 was where the only dinosaurs left were the Murraysaurus with its distinctive markings; the Fluffy Muddledon, a particularly ponderous and slow species, which roams close to the green and pleasant land that it longs to enter and be accepted in and the Liarsaurus a treacherous and untrustworthy big beast with a distinctive cry of “help me Rona”, that inhabits the Far North.
But that doesn’t mean that the Scottish (sic) media should ignore the Holyrood elections almost completely.
Yes, the EU referendum is important. But first things first. May comes before June, at least on my calendar.
I reckon that the SNP will get a majority, and also that the Tories will overtake Labour.
ReplyDeleteBut don't dismiss UKIP on the basis that all news about migration is scaremongering. Underneath the hype, there are genuine concerns about the impact on services. If you are on a housing list, or are long-term unemployed, and you see migrants getting ahead of you, then you will question immigration policies. The problem is that the facts are hidden by the bull that is banded about. I have no time for UKIP. To me, they are old school blustering Tories, that don't like Johnny Foreigner. But they still manage to obtain support, and you cannot fall back on the old argument that every voter is taken in by the scare stories. Nor can you accuse anyone who questions immigration policy of being racist or xenophobic.
Lib Dems are heading for a near wipeout, that is certain. There is nothing for them to attract floating voters. Even if you ignore their ill-fated time with the Tories, they simply don't have anything worth listening to.
Greens? I don't trust them one bit, and while they do have some good policies, you only need to see how they screwed up in Brighton. Let this lot in, and be prepared to be taxed on anything and everything. My nightmare scenario is the SNP failing to get a majority, and bringing in the Greens to ensure this.
I don't think that the EU referendum is an attempt to subdue the Scottish election campaigning. Cameron has already written off any attempt at winning.
As to Ms McGarry, what the hell was she thinking? "Recording bombs going off?" What is all that about? Perhaps she is naive, but as I understand she is there as part of a formal visit, so surely would have been given security advice. It's not Easterhouse she's in. Although on a Saturday night it could be good practice!
zog
Forgot to add - pop over to Craig Murray's latest post. Brilliant!
DeleteHi Zog
DeleteI didn't mean to infer that people don't have concerns about immigration but there is no doubt that much of the EU discussions have focused on that aspect and the benefits issue. However I'd much prefer the Scottish press to focus on Holyrood for now.
I loathe UKIP -a lot of poor working class people have been taken in by them but they are right wingers not the saviour of poor, white people.
Hi Panda,
DeleteI agree that the Scottish media should be focusing on Holyrood. There are serious issues which Sturgeon and Swinney have to answer, like it or not. As pointed out below, the SG needs to state what their views are on TTIP, given that they want to remain within the EU.
zog
SNP views on TTIP are on their website. Its a technical subject, and its understandable its not on every billboard.
Deletehttp://www.snp.org/are_the_snp_opposed_to_the_transatlantic_trade_and_investment_partnership_ttip
Saor Alba
Thanks SA. Useful info.
DeleteRennie to lose his seat, marvelous. UKIP I don't think so, they are a one trick pony, and will implode after the EU referendum.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the coverage though, I think they are "doing it on purpose", to paraphrase. The SNP are going to win, no doubt about it, therefore why cover it; would be my guess.
I HOPE that the UKIP prediction is wrong but they will be in the news a lot in the next few weeks. I'll not miss Rennie's shroud waving if he's not returned!
DeleteLet's not forget that the EU referendum is being called by the leader of England's Tory government.
ReplyDeleteThey decide what happens and when in England/Britain and have no interest in the other nations of the UK state because they don't have to (apart from revenues and Trident).
Even if all the other nations vote together in a specific way,England's votes will likely determine the outcome.
The real problem Cameron will have is if e.g. a tight vote in his referendum is decided by votes outside England.
In those circumstances,HM press will demand something is done to exclude us from future events which affect mainly England.
We will have EVEL on steroids and the parliament in london will become an apartheid zone.
Separate entrances for non English MPs etc etc.
I agree - we've been talking about Scotland voting in but being taken out. But lordy the shrieks if England votes out and we keep them in. Maybe they'll throw us out the Union. That would be sad, not :-)
DeleteThat would be hilarious if England booted us out. What would the yoons do then? Maybe the cringers would try to hold a referendum to get us back in.
DeleteImagine Union Jackie frothing at the mouth about that.
DeleteLike a lot of folks I am sick to the back teeth with the BBC and MSM sucking the earse of Porky about the E.U. referendum. However if there is one aspect about this nauseous referendum it is that NO ONE will DARE discuss the outcome of the U.S./E.U. TTIP agreement on our public services. Even worse they will not discuss the probability that after the introduction of TTIP the Scottish Government runs the extremely HIGH risk of being sued, yes folks SUED, by American companies for loss of earnings if they, the Scot Gov, bring in any form of legalisation like a sugar tax, plain wrapping for cigarettes, or minimum pricing for alcohol for example.
ReplyDeleteJust ask Phillip Morris. They actually transferred their assets to Hong Kong to use the Hong Kong Australia trade agreement and so far have lost but they carry on. They could not use the U.S./Australia trade agreement cause the Australians protested to keep this particular clause out of the trade agreement.
http://aftinet.org.au/cms/node/519
ANY trade agreement between the U.S. and ANY other region is done SOLELY for the benefit of BIG American companies. Here s another example of a U.S./other region trade agreement that resulted in the Canadian government being sued over FRACKING!
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2012/11/27/corporation-uses-nafta-sue-canada-250-million-over-fracking-ban
Now we have TTIP, an agreement being organised between U.S. and unelected E.U. Bureaucratic officals. We have all been warned but WHO will stand up and fight OUR corner?
I worry about TTIP too. However I'm not sure leaving the EU gets us off the hook for that. What's the betting Cameron et al would negotiate an even worse TTIP between US and good old blighty. I think that corporatism is the biggest danger facing us. Big corporations are more powerful than countries these days. Worrying.
DeleteThanks for commenting - more than that Tris Price Williams did :-)
I think you may be right PP but so long as we have John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon in charge up here he will get away with nowt other than a damned good kicking up his little piggy earse!
DeleteI absolutely agree about Corporatism. It is patently obvious to anyone who cares to have a wee look that it is big business that drives government and NOT the other way around. Why else is there around £120 BILLION in tax evasion going on with wee Ozzy gobs***e doing NOTHING about it. Yes I know he was *ahem* successful in clawing back £130 Million from Goggle. WOW! Big fecking deal ... £130 Million. Like that will go a long way to paying of the £1.5 TRILLION U.K. debt ... NOT!
I was keeping out of it because it was your story, PP. ¦¬]
DeleteBut as it goes, I agree totally with you. We asked them not to run their campaign at the same time as theirs, and they ignored us.
The result is that the English-based press will more of less ignore the elections in the minor countries of the union, and that UKIP will get far more publicity in Scotland, Wales and NI than it deserves.
I'm not sure who that will advantage or disadvantage. But the Scottish election is going to be a lot about the EU. And it's not.
Cameron for all his material advantages is an ill-bred, bad mannered sleekit wee shit.
He cares nothing for our elections. How I detest that man and his party.
Congratulations on another excellent piece PP. And thank you.
Ah Tris, merci for the compliments, better than remuneration...
DeleteNow where is Soppy Sunday. I don't want the troops cursing me for depriving them of cute animals and pretty vistas.
And yes Cameron is all that and more.
It would appear the liar will not be standing at the next election if I understand correctly Their conference? have voted that the first 5or it may be 6, I don't remember, safest seats both at Westminster and Holyrood, have to have female candidates Maybe someone will correct me if I have misunderstood
ReplyDeleteAll women short lists in target seats for the elections in 2020/21 I think. Stupid and just another nail in the coffin.
DeleteTotally disagree with all-women shortlists. I don't care whixch party does them. They are wrong.
DeleteWhat will we have next?
All disabled shortlists? All gay shortlists? All Asian short lists? All Black short lists.
Discrimination is discrimination.
By and large the party suffers.
I'm with Tris. Inclusion on a shortlist should be based purely on suitability, nothing else. And the law needs changed to make it a criteria that a candidate must have lived in the area they are representing for at least three years. The only exceptions are those who's employment required them to live elsewhere (armed forces, diplomats etc). It would stop the parachuting into safe seats. And if selected as the MP / MSP, they must remain in the constituency for the duration of their time in office.
DeleteBut that will never happen, not when political leaders need to ensure they have enough allies at hand.
zog
Whilst I understand people's objections to positive discrimination and I'm against the WHOLE shortlist being held for folk of one characteristic, woman and the disabled in particular are underrepresented in politics. There isn't a level playing field because otherwise Westminster politics in particular wouldn't be dominated by pale, males with a public school background.
DeleteI'd love to be in world where it was only merit that counted but unless you think female, the disabled and the working class are somehow inferior, then we plainly don't.
Pa
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, sick of England's referendum already and the poor coverage so far. No real information about the EU and what it does, how it works, all Boris and Cameron and Osbourne burying bad news on the back of it as more cuts are coming because he has f up the economy, even more than Brownstuff and that is saying something.
I think the Lib Dems will get between 5 and 8 list seats and Rennie will probably just make it through. The party is on a slippery slope though and not sure if it will survive the next couple of years.
Bruce
I was a bit surprised that Tim Farron spent so much of his time attacking the SNP in his speech. Frankly that's time better spent sorting out his own party. I'm not so sure about Willie surviving but I guess we'll find out in May. You know if they bother covering it.
DeleteIt will be interesting to see if the Carmichael factor influences votes in the Northern Isles?
ReplyDelete