Pic: Munguin, celebrating the SNP victory.People at elections often say that a win here or a win there is historic, even if it's not. But this time it really is. From borderlands to the north coast and islands, from mountain villages to central industrial city constituencies, from east to west and on to Gaelic speaking islands, last night there was a seismic shift to the SNP.
I was enjoying watching the STV coverage on-line with emails back and forward with Danny in the USA. Then my internet went down and I couldn’t get it back, so I watched the coverage on tv from bed, intending to go to sleep after the first few seats and had been declared. But as the crashing victories came one after the other, I just couldn’t switch off. It seemed like I was experiencing something ground breaking in my country and I felt that, although I was alone, I wanted to be a part of it. So, there I lay, eyes drooping from time to time, all night, until STV stopped its coverage at 6 am, always thinking that surely it wouldn’t, couldn’t, go on like this.But as we all know, it did.
I should have had more faith. As Nicola pointed out: They said we wouldn’t get a parliament in Scotland, and we did. They said the SNP would never be the government and we were. They said that no party would ever form a majority government in Scotland, and we are going to. So, we prove over and over that the unimaginable can happen.
I was happy tonight to hear her say that there would be no change in the governmental style. We may have a majority of the seats, but it doesn’t mean that we have a monopoly on wisdom.
So let those who will work with us and contribute constructively come forward. In fairness both the Liberals and the Tories have done this grandly over the last four years; Labour rarely.
But Joanne Lamont has said that that is what they will seek to do.
Let’s hope that that is true. Some of the attitude last night from Labour commentators was shameful. The bitterness of the Hon Paul Martin and bitchiness of Hon Margaret Curren was sickening. But we’ll rise above it. I hope they will too.
There’s a lot to be done and a smaller amount of money to do it with. But we must make it work for the sake of Scotland.
It’s been great hearing all the happy posts from internet friends today. From David in Japan to Danny in Missouri and Lord Snooty who seems to be in his French residence at the moment and of course from mates all over Scotland. I just wish John Brownlie had been in the country to share this, and that Sophia Pangloss would come out of retirement and give us a twirl.
The next 5 years is going to be hard, but it’s going to be great fun.
As old Wendy would say “Bring it on”.
