Scottish Politics / Independence - Vol 11
Discussion
Interesting. Is this part of the reason the NEC gave Pete the resign or else ultimatum?
"That leads to the one bright spot which is that as an unincorporated association without limitation on liability, the members of the NEC are individually liable to pay for the results of a successful legal action on the corruption taking place. "
https://robinmcalpine.org/this-farce-is-now-a-nati...
"That leads to the one bright spot which is that as an unincorporated association without limitation on liability, the members of the NEC are individually liable to pay for the results of a successful legal action on the corruption taking place. "
https://robinmcalpine.org/this-farce-is-now-a-nati...
Ash Reagan's proposed Scottish currency, of course with obligatory unicorn.
Blair McDougall gives an interesting summary of the last month's occurrences.
The SNP leadership campaign has been running for a month now.
I know! Only a month.
So much has happened since Nicola Sturgeon looked at the SNP and decided it was time for change that it is easy to forget just how extraordinary and damaging the contest has been for the party.
As we approach the final full week of the contest, and look forward to the thrilling season finale of the SNP, here is a day-by-day reminder of everything that has come to pass.
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Day 1
Nicola Sturgeon resigns.
She refuses to answer questions about the ongoing police investigation into the SNP’s finances, as overseen by her husband, SNP Chief Executive, Peter Murrell.
Day 2
A Lord Ashcroft poll finds support for leaving the UK lower than in 2014.
The SNP cancel their planned special conference which was to discuss Nicola Sturgeon’s plan to use the General Election as a de facto referendum.
Day 3
Ipsos poll finds that almost twice as many voters think Yousaf would do a bad job as FM as think he would do a good job. Half of Yes voters think Sturgeon’s departure harms the case for independence.
A YouGov poll finds SNP’s lead over Labour in Westminster voting intentions down to single digits.
Day 4
Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan both announce their intention to stand.
Day 5
Ash Regan announces plans for a de facto referendum at every election.
Day 6
In a day for visual metaphors, Yousaf launches his campaign, standing in front of an emergency exit while Angus Robertson announces he won’t stand for leader from a graveyard.
Kate Forbes says she would not have voted to allow gay people to marry.
A senior member of her own campaign tells the Scotsman “she has f**ed it” but a new poll suggests Forbes is more popular with SNP supporters than Yousaf.
Day 7
SNP MPs who had backed Forbes withdraw their support over her gay marriage comments. Her campaign manager distances himself from his candidate’s position.
Forbes says having children outside of marriage (now the majority of new births in Scotland) is “wrong.”
The SNP press office lies to The Scottish Sun claiming the party has around 100,000 members, a mistruth repeated in different forms to the Sunday Mail, and The National.
Day 8
Ash Regan issues an appeal for calm.
Day 9
On the day the Scottish Government auditor reported that Yousaf was going to miss his target for fixing the GP crisis.
Nicola Sturgeon’s shushing during FMQs shows what she thinks about Yousaf’s advice on the NHS:
Day 10
Former Heath Secretary Alex Neil claims Yousaf deliberately arranged a Ministerial meeting so he could avoid voting for equal marriage.
Meanwhile, six SNP MSPs are reported to be planning to block Forbes as First Minister if she is elected.
Ash Regan launches her campaign with a call for Peter Murrell to resign.
Another poll shows support for leaving the UK unchanged since 2014.
Day 11
A letter emerges, written by Kate Forbes, where she argues that women should not be church ministers and rails against “feminist power arguments”.
Humza Yousaf posts about a “visit” to Dundee. The city where he lives. He is MSP for a constituency in Glasgow.
Day 12
Kate Forbes speaks to the Times and criticises those who believe public services need more money.
Ash Regan cites Ireland and the United States as examples of how to become independent of the UK without the consent of the UK. She doesn’t mention their Wars of Independence.
It is revealed that the SNP’s former treasurer, who resigned saying HQ would not give him access to party accounts, was interviewed by police.
Day 13
The SNP Government Secretary for the Economy says her government’s policy could cause “economic carnage”.
Jacob Rees Mogg comes out in support of Forbes.
Day 14
It is revealed that Kate Forbes’ first political job was funded by a shadowy right-wing anti-abortion group.
SNP HQ announces the media will not be allowed to attend leadership hustings, a decision they are forced to drop.
Day 15
The first question of the first hustings is about the ‘lies of the mainstream media’. No candidate challenges the speaker on behalf of press freedom.
Ash Regan says she can set up a separate currency within a couple of months.
Day 16
John Swinney resigns as Deputy First Minister.
Day 17
INDEPENDENCE THERMOMETER!
Day 18
Kate Forbes tells The National that she won’t let civil servants write a fresh prospectus for independence.
Ash Regan tells Laura Kussenberg that an election “is the same as a referendum if you think about it.” She also says the Scottish Government should prevent the King from using the Stone of Destiny in his coronation.
Day 19
INDEPENDENCE THERMOMETER AGAIN!
Day 20
Ash Regan suggests she is worried that watching Border TV is turning Scottish voters bad.
Day 21
Kate Forbes savages Humza Yousaf’s record in the STV debate.
Day 22
Shona Robison, who sits around the Cabinet table with Forbes was not happy with her attack on Yousaf and the suggestion that the SNP’s record was “mediocre”. Robison suggested she may refuse to serve under Forbes leadership and raised concerns about whether the Finance Minister could protect women’s reproductive rights.
A new poll by Redfield & Wilton asked which of the SNP leadership candidates would be the best First Minister. 25% said Kate Forbes, 18% Humza Yousef, and 14% Ash Regan. 44% say they don’t know.
Day 23
A Channel Four News poll asks voters which candidate would make the best First Minister. Forbes leads. Yousaf ties with ‘none of the above’.
Day 24
In the handicraft section of the contest, Ash Regan uses the evening’s hustings to unveil mock-ups of the bank notes she claims would be used" “within weeks” of Scotland becoming independent. The designs include this unicorn banknote.
Day 25
All three candidates trash their own government’s GERS figures. Most remarkably Kate Forbes dismisses them as inaccurate and illegitimate despite the fact her own staff is responsible for producing them.
A new Survation poll found all three candidates are vote losers for the SNP.
A letter from SNP parliamentarians, including two of Kate Forbes’ fellow ministers, warned that only Humza Yousaf could be trusted to celebrate and protect LGBT rights.
Day 26
Peter Murrell faces claims he directed SNP members to close ranks to protect a sex pest Councillor.
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service takes Forbes to task over her anti-abortion views.
SNP Minister Ben MacPherson writes that Scotland is not ready for independence.
Pat Kane endorses Yousaf saying “he’s no more ‘out of his depth’ than any of his opponents.”
Day 27
Kate Forbes suggests gay people should have the choice to undergo conversion therapy.
All three candidates suggest they would bring down a labour government if Keir Starmer doesn’t hold another referendum.
A YouGov poll suggests the candidates are viewed negatively compared to the current First Minister:
Day 28
The SNP’s Environment Minister attacks Kate Forbes's “right of centre” views.
A YouGov poll asked whether Scots thought that we would still be part of the UK in ten years’ time. 52% thought we would still be in the UK. Just 30% believe we will leave within a decade.
The candidates predict the SNP will deliver independence within five years.
Day 29
Regan and Forbes write to party HQ complaining that they have not been told how many members are voting in the election. SNP HQ refuses to give out this information.
Forbes demands independent observers amid claims of a rigged election.
Day 30
Humza Yousaf meets women Ukrainian refugees who have fled the war. He asks them where all the men are.
Under pressure, the SNP reveal that the party has lost 30,000 members since the last Scottish Parliament elections and 54,000 members since the last General Election. it is in direct contradiction to earlier untrue statements given to the media.
John Swinney announces further delays to the infamous ferries, the first of which was launched with painted-on windows and a fake funnel when Yousaf was Minister for Transport and the Islands. Talking of visual metaphors…
Day 31
Murray Foote resigns as the SNP’s Communications Director after having been given false information about the SNP’s membership numbers which he then gave to the press.
SNP sources are briefing against Peter Murrell, suggesting it is time he resigned. One, fittingly enough, quotes Shakespeare’s Scottish tragedy: “If it is to be done then best it is done quickly.”
All three candidates say they will miss the Coronation if elected First Minister and instead attend a rally organised by All Under One Banner, an organisation that includes those on the extreme fringe of nationalism in their events.
Day 32
SNP NEC members threaten a vote of no confidence in Peter Murrel.
Peter Murrell resigns.
Advocate of NHS privatisation, Mike Russell, takes over on an interim basis.
Nicola Sturgeon’s Chief of Staff resigns.
Kate Forbes sends a message to members promising “smaller focussed government” if she becomes First Minister.
Ash Regan plagiarises a speech from the TV show The West Wing.
There’s a week and a bit of the contest still to go. Who knows what tomorrow might bring?
Big story in the Sunday Mail about how SNP HQ repeatedly lied to them when asked to comment on member numbers, fraud inquiries, and an SNP councilor sex pest story.
I'm just surprised the alleged sex pest withdrew from running to be an MP. Surely highly qualified by SNP standards?
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/c...
Seems lying to the electorate is ok. In fact 40% of them lap it up and come back for more. Lying to the press comes back to bite you. Eventually.
I'm just surprised the alleged sex pest withdrew from running to be an MP. Surely highly qualified by SNP standards?
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/c...
Seems lying to the electorate is ok. In fact 40% of them lap it up and come back for more. Lying to the press comes back to bite you. Eventually.
Gecko1978 said:
Ok if I understand this.
PM is gay
Both lied to try an fit up AS
An money has gone missing
HY knows some if not all of this
HY was really just an appointment by NS PM but that's not going well now
PM NS and others might face jail for some of this if its true
Wait, you mean their sham marriage really was just to allow 2 narcissistic control freaks a long reign?? Whodathunkit - *Allegedly***
PM is gay
Both lied to try an fit up AS
An money has gone missing
HY knows some if not all of this
HY was really just an appointment by NS PM but that's not going well now
PM NS and others might face jail for some of this if its true
Not sure I can eat much more popcorn at this rate...
So do we now have a situation where a guy who has declared openly for Yousaf (as opposed to the previous guy who was in the closet for Yousaf) is overseeing the running of the election in which Yousaf is standing? These 
s couldn't run a lemonade stand.
I had a read of the comments on Wee Ginger Dug. fk me, they're going to need all the sand on Ayr beach to bury their heads deep enough. Move along, nothing to see here.
s couldn't run a lemonade stand.I had a read of the comments on Wee Ginger Dug. f
k me, they're going to need all the sand on Ayr beach to bury their heads deep enough. Move along, nothing to see here.Edited by technodup on Sunday 19th March 10:08
dxg said:
It's worth pausing to think about the decade wasted.
Whether it's been wasted by failing to move towards independence or by failing to address any of Scotland's structural problems, depending on your point of view, it's still been wasted by the SNP.
The SNP political grifters would disagree. Mhairi Black would still be working in a chip-shop, for example.Whether it's been wasted by failing to move towards independence or by failing to address any of Scotland's structural problems, depending on your point of view, it's still been wasted by the SNP.
Interesting that before Murrell was forced to step down Humza was making veiled threats at the hustings that the SNP government might collapse and those attending would lose their jobs if they didn't vote for him.
The incompetence is on a different level with this lot, who ever is elected isn't going to popular with the party, however this time the internal fighting will boil over for all to see as I don't think any of them will be able to keep it out of view as the previous dictator managed to do for so long.
There's lots more to be unearthed this week...Christ this is the best show ever..!!!
There's lots more to be unearthed this week...Christ this is the best show ever..!!!
Klippie said:
There's lots more to be unearthed this week...Christ this is the best show ever..!!!
There's certainly a lot more to be unearthed, but I am not so sure that it will be now that the king and queen of the SNP (choose which title applies to which person) have both now been dethroned. Operation "Weesht for Indy" was as much about looking the other way as accepting the party line.As Techno has observed though - we might still see legal injunction to halt the leadership election, which would be an easy case to win seeing as the SNP have contravened their rule-book totally since day one of the process and have even now gone as far as deleting their rule book from their website, if Mike Russell attempts to continue the pockling.
Out at a local classic car & coffee meet this morning, this absolute shed of a van rumbles in, reeking like a lum, rear arches rotted off, sills badly patched, at least two bald tyres - basically a disgrace to the King's highway and borderline dangerous. I suspect the MoT man has been slipped a small envelope to test it with a white stick.
I wonder if there is any correlation between the owner's care and attention for their vehicle and their political affiliations? Maybe this is why nationalist politicians are given an easy ride by their supporters - they simply don't care when they are being hoodwinked.
You know, the scariest thing about all this is that our incoming FM will take control of a nation with no independent police force, no independent judicary and no upper chamber to temper their legislative madness, by getting just 36,000 votes.
Third world dictators go to sleep at night dreaming about a set up like this.
Third world dictators go to sleep at night dreaming about a set up like this.
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