The SNP seem to have shot themselves in the foot then the head. SKS will be delighted.
A very lucky general.
Not that lucky if it leads to a Kate Forbes victory. Humza Usaf in place hanging on like a gangrenous limb would be ideal.
Surely a Forbes victory is bad news primarily for the Tories, and to a lesser extent the Lib Dems? I’d have thought the urban former Labour heartlands would be unimpressed. But perhaps I’m just copy-pasting English or Welsh assumptions on to Scotland.
The SNP seem to have shot themselves in the foot then the head. SKS will be delighted.
A very lucky general.
Not that lucky if it leads to a Kate Forbes victory. Humza Usaf in place hanging on like a gangrenous limb would be ideal.
Surely a Forbes victory is bad news primarily for the Tories, and to a lesser extent the Lib Dems? I’d have thought the urban former Labour heartlands would be unimpressed. But perhaps I’m just copy-pasting English or Welsh assumptions on to Scotland.
I just think there's a sizeable political market in Scotland who would like to support Indy, but the SNP currently are explosively shitting the bed on almost every possible front. Show a bit of competency, ditch the unpopular policies of Humza, and stay quiet on social issues, and that's a massive headache for Labour.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
The SNP seem to have shot themselves in the foot then the head. SKS will be delighted.
Nah, if Yousaf has to quit he is likely to be replaced by Kate Forbes who read History at Cambridge, that indicates a formidable person, Starmer should be afraid.
There's little doubt about Forbes' intellect. But the problem for the SNP (and likely boon for Starmer) is that she'd upend 20+ years of SNP strategy in terms of pitching themselves as the Soft Left in tartan. That's proved hugely problematic for Labour, which has less flexibility to counter the more populist parts of that pitch - due to the need to look like a plausible government for the whole UK.
She might prove a formidable opponent for Anas Sawar in 2026. Keir Starmer, less so, given he'll be able to keep pitching Lab to the centre without worrying about the SNP outflanking him on the left for Westminster - and argue it's time for a change in both Scotland and London.
You'd also imagine Forbes would be much more focused on Hollyrood than grandstanding on UK national and international issues - which might help Lab in a Westminster election if it can define it as being distinct from voting for who governs in Scotland and whether they're pro-independence.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
You would certainly surprise me if you voted in favour of a Unionist party in protest at Forbes' faith.
The SNP seem to have shot themselves in the foot then the head. SKS will be delighted.
Nah, if Yousaf has to quit he is likely to be replaced by Kate Forbes who read History at Cambridge, that indicates a formidable person, Starmer should be afraid.
There's little doubt about Forbes' intellect. But the problem for the SNP (and likely boon for Starmer) is that she'd upend 20+ years of SNP strategy in terms of pitching themselves as the Soft Left in tartan. That's proved hugely problematic for Labour, which has less flexibility to counter the more populist parts of that pitch - due to the need to look like a plausible government for the whole UK.
She might prove a formidable opponent for Anas Sawar in 2026. Keir Starmer, less so, given he'll be able to keep pitching Lab to the centre without worrying about the SNP outflanking him on the left for Westminster - and argue it's time for a change in both Scotland and London.
You'd also imagine Forbes would be much more focused on Hollyrood than grandstanding on UK national and international issues - which might help Lab in a Westminster election if it can define it as being distinct from voting for who governs in Scotland and whether they're pro-independence.
I was impressed with her when she presented a budget with about 3 minutes when her boss had to quit for being very naughty.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
You would certainly surprise me if you voted in favour of a Unionist party in protest at Forbes' faith.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
You would certainly surprise me if you voted in favour of a Unionist party in protest at Forbes' faith.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
You would certainly surprise me if you voted in favour of a Unionist party in protest at Forbes' faith.
Relax, no danger of such a surprise.
Greens or Alba?
I wouldn’t be inclined to vote for useless reactionaries just because a competent one lead the SNP.
Not so much swingback as "Don't think I'll bother" switching to "Oh, I suppose I ought to".
It is the voters with the patchy voting record wot win it for the party who can get them sufficiently motivated.
No, that would be the ones in my second group, turnout by demographics.
What Opinium and Kantar are doing is to correct for those who are consistent at turning out, but undecided who to vote for. These tend to be 2019 Tory voters in the main.
This is the link to the updated Opinium methodology, the source of the figure and Quote in the header.
This is where I don't think that they really are undecided who to vote for. Rather, I think that they are undecided whether to vote for their regular party or not.
Floating voters, switching between Labour and Conservative, are rare beasts.
It's not the norm but is it truly rare? If you're into politics and have some ideology of course you won't be flopping about. I'm not sure I'd vote Conservative even at gunpoint. But lots of people, perhaps a majority, are not like that. Eg my parents have both voted for all 3 main parties at various elections over the years.
I have voted for 5 different parties at General Elections, and am one of the Undecideds that are sure to vote. Not that it matters a lot as mine is a safe seat.
Five? Gosh. But you DO have some ideology. So I'm surprised. Is it that your views have changed quite a bit over time?
Indeed, though not a very straightforward or coherent ideology. I believe in decentralised decision making as far as possible, strong local government and for a low debt, balanced budget. I also believe in internationalism, and a safety net for all. LDs seem the best fit.
I have voted SDP, LD , Lab, Green, and Conservative (2010) so 5 parties in all.
Ok yes. Orange Book Woke is how I've always mentally tagged you and it sounds like not a million miles off.
Not so much swingback as "Don't think I'll bother" switching to "Oh, I suppose I ought to".
It is the voters with the patchy voting record wot win it for the party who can get them sufficiently motivated.
No, that would be the ones in my second group, turnout by demographics.
What Opinium and Kantar are doing is to correct for those who are consistent at turning out, but undecided who to vote for. These tend to be 2019 Tory voters in the main.
This is the link to the updated Opinium methodology, the source of the figure and Quote in the header.
This is where I don't think that they really are undecided who to vote for. Rather, I think that they are undecided whether to vote for their regular party or not.
Floating voters, switching between Labour and Conservative, are rare beasts.
I first voted in 1997: Labour Then LD, LD, Tory, Lab, Tory, Tory.
In 1997, I remember telling myself I would never vote Tory, but in 2010 I did!
I've been as good as my word to myself. A vote for the Liberals in Leominster was the first in 1983. I just missed out on 1979 by 9 months and that was to turn over a Con majority of just 579 votes. As it turned our Temple- Morris won by nearly 5000 votes.
I have still never voted blue meanie, but I have voted PC. which is probably worse.
I’ve been the country’s worst tactical voter. The one election that I lived in a marginal was 1997 in Oxford, and I voted Labour not realising the Lib Dems were the challengers. I’ve since voted LD in every election but always in an ultra-safe Labour seat. I’ve also voted LD in Mayoral elections and LD, Green and WEP in locals.
I have therefore never to this day voted for a winning candidate. And I voted on the losing side in both referendums.
The SNP seem to have shot themselves in the foot then the head. SKS will be delighted.
A very lucky general.
Not that lucky if it leads to a Kate Forbes victory. Humza Usaf in place hanging on like a gangrenous limb would be ideal.
Surely a Forbes victory is bad news primarily for the Tories, and to a lesser extent the Lib Dems? I’d have thought the urban former Labour heartlands would be unimpressed. But perhaps I’m just copy-pasting English or Welsh assumptions on to Scotland.
I just think there's a sizeable political market in Scotland who would like to support Indy, but the SNP currently are explosively shitting the bed on almost every possible front. Show a bit of competency, ditch the unpopular policies of Humza, and stay quiet on social issues, and that's a massive headache for Labour.
Is 'stay quiet on social issues' a new way of saying lurch to the right?
The SNP seem to have shot themselves in the foot then the head. SKS will be delighted.
A very lucky general.
Not that lucky if it leads to a Kate Forbes victory. Humza Usaf in place hanging on like a gangrenous limb would be ideal.
Surely a Forbes victory is bad news primarily for the Tories, and to a lesser extent the Lib Dems? I’d have thought the urban former Labour heartlands would be unimpressed. But perhaps I’m just copy-pasting English or Welsh assumptions on to Scotland.
I just think there's a sizeable political market in Scotland who would like to support Indy, but the SNP currently are explosively shitting the bed on almost every possible front. Show a bit of competency, ditch the unpopular policies of Humza, and stay quiet on social issues, and that's a massive headache for Labour.
You have to dance with the one who brung ya.
The SNP have spent years pitching themselves as the most left wing of the Scottish parties, and they’ve built up a big following on that basis. They do have centre-right supporters in rural Scotland, but it’s a minority of their supporters.
Kate Forbes may appeal to centre-right Scots, and religious Scots, but those who are unionist won’t switch, and she’d be a bad fit for most of their supporters.
Back from a freezing day starting the Yuletide shopping.
Earlier today, I was reminded of the concept of one man's terrorist being another man's freedom fighter and how that change from community to community.
In my part of East Ham (Wall End), there were fireworks last weekend and flags on the Hindu-run shops. Why? Monday 27th November is Heroes Day in the Sri Lankan Tamil community when the activities of the LTTE are celebrated. The flag of the LTTE is flown over shops and some houses - now, the LTTE was a terrorist organisation for many especially the Sinhalese and the death of LTTE leader Prabhakaran in May 2009 effectively ended the military part of the LTTE but the political side continues.
Cross East Ham High Street and head into Plashet and you're in a different community - the Palestinian flag flies from every lamp post in Plashet Grove and in some shops and businesses as well.
I presume nobody now equates the defunct LTTE with Hamas and they are very different but both were and are considered terrorist groups and both clearly have support in Britain.
Not so much swingback as "Don't think I'll bother" switching to "Oh, I suppose I ought to".
It is the voters with the patchy voting record wot win it for the party who can get them sufficiently motivated.
No, that would be the ones in my second group, turnout by demographics.
What Opinium and Kantar are doing is to correct for those who are consistent at turning out, but undecided who to vote for. These tend to be 2019 Tory voters in the main.
This is the link to the updated Opinium methodology, the source of the figure and Quote in the header.
This is where I don't think that they really are undecided who to vote for. Rather, I think that they are undecided whether to vote for their regular party or not.
Floating voters, switching between Labour and Conservative, are rare beasts.
I first voted in 1997: Labour Then LD, LD, Tory, Lab, Tory, Tory.
In 1997, I remember telling myself I would never vote Tory, but in 2010 I did!
I've been as good as my word to myself. A vote for the Liberals in Leominster was the first in 1983. I just missed out on 1979 by 9 months and that was to turn over a Con majority of just 579 votes. As it turned our Temple- Morris won by nearly 5000 votes.
I have still never voted blue meanie, but I have voted PC. which is probably worse.
I’ve been the country’s worst tactical voter. The one election that I lived in a marginal was 1997 in Oxford, and I voted Labour not realising the Lib Dems were the challengers. I’ve since voted LD in every election but always in an ultra-safe Labour seat. I’ve also voted LD in Mayoral elections and LD, Green and WEP in locals.
I have therefore never to this day voted for a winning candidate. And I voted on the losing side in both referendums.
Promise me you won't vote Labour next time.
The reverse jinx is safe with me, don’t worry. I do get to spend time in a sort of Lib Dem stronghold because my village in France voted overwhelmingly for Macron both times (they actually publish the number of votes for each candidate by commune so I could see that 14 people voted Le Pen last time, and then start to guess.
And Santé from Auberge de la vieille curé in Arandas. I’m the only diner.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
On topic, as I mentioned last night, the polls are producing very different initial findings.
Techne reports 24% "Won't Vote" suggesting a maximum turnout of 76% and a likely turnout in the mid 60s but YouGov finds only 13% saying they Won't Vote so that suggests a much higher turnout and the differential in the numbers of Don't Knows betwee the the two pollsters suggests to this observer a number of those in the DK category are actually in the WV category.
Taking the current We Think poll which has cheered some Conservatives, the curiousity is the Conservative VI has improved even though all the other indicators (Sunak approval, Government approval, preferred PM) have all moved in the opposite direction. This makes me think outlier but we'll see where next week's poll fits.
On topic, as I mentioned last night, the polls are producing very different initial findings.
Techne reports 24% "Won't Vote" suggesting a maximum turnout of 76% and a likely turnout in the mid 60s but YouGov finds only 13% saying they Won't Vote so that suggests a much higher turnout and the differential in the numbers of Don't Knows betwee the the two pollsters suggests to this observer a number of those in the DK category are actually in the WV category.
Taking the current We Think poll which has cheered some Conservatives, the curiousity is the Conservative VI has improved even though all the other indicators (Sunak approval, Government approval, preferred PM) have all moved in the opposite direction. This makes me think outlier but we'll see where next week's poll fits.
The poll is Con +2, LD -3 which doesn’t make any obvious sense unless this is some very delayed reaction to the genius appointment of Cameron, so it looks like MOE meanderings to me.
The SNP seem to have shot themselves in the foot then the head. SKS will be delighted.
A very lucky general.
Not that lucky if it leads to a Kate Forbes victory. Humza Usaf in place hanging on like a gangrenous limb would be ideal.
Surely a Forbes victory is bad news primarily for the Tories, and to a lesser extent the Lib Dems? I’d have thought the urban former Labour heartlands would be unimpressed. But perhaps I’m just copy-pasting English or Welsh assumptions on to Scotland.
I just think there's a sizeable political market in Scotland who would like to support Indy, but the SNP currently are explosively shitting the bed on almost every possible front. Show a bit of competency, ditch the unpopular policies of Humza, and stay quiet on social issues, and that's a massive headache for Labour.
Is 'stay quiet on social issues' a new way of saying lurch to the right?
No, not really, the opposite if anything. Forbes should surprise trans fans 'on the upside' by not making major moves to the right on social issues. In the fullness of time I think there will be a general move in favour of righter wing social policies, but I don't think Forbes should frighten the horses.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
On topic, as I mentioned last night, the polls are producing very different initial findings.
Techne reports 24% "Won't Vote" suggesting a maximum turnout of 76% and a likely turnout in the mid 60s but YouGov finds only 13% saying they Won't Vote so that suggests a much higher turnout and the differential in the numbers of Don't Knows betwee the the two pollsters suggests to this observer a number of those in the DK category are actually in the WV category.
Taking the current We Think poll which has cheered some Conservatives, the curiousity is the Conservative VI has improved even though all the other indicators (Sunak approval, Government approval, preferred PM) have all moved in the opposite direction. This makes me think outlier but we'll see where next week's poll fits.
The poll is Con +2, LD -3 which doesn’t make any obvious sense unless this is some very delayed reaction to the genius appointment of Cameron, so it looks like MOE meanderings to me.
There is some evidence Cameron's return has gained the Tories some votes from the LDs but also leaked some votes to ReformUK
On topic, as I mentioned last night, the polls are producing very different initial findings.
Techne reports 24% "Won't Vote" suggesting a maximum turnout of 76% and a likely turnout in the mid 60s but YouGov finds only 13% saying they Won't Vote so that suggests a much higher turnout and the differential in the numbers of Don't Knows betwee the the two pollsters suggests to this observer a number of those in the DK category are actually in the WV category.
Taking the current We Think poll which has cheered some Conservatives, the curiousity is the Conservative VI has improved even though all the other indicators (Sunak approval, Government approval, preferred PM) have all moved in the opposite direction. This makes me think outlier but we'll see where next week's poll fits.
The poll is Con +2, LD -3 which doesn’t make any obvious sense unless this is some very delayed reaction to the genius appointment of Cameron, so it looks like MOE meanderings to me.
We also had some on here getting excited when YouGov showed the Conservatives up four in the immediate aftermath of the reshuffle and the Autumn Statement but much quieter with the "fall" of three points this week but a lot of that seems to be rounding - the published figures in the previous poll added up to 101%, this week's add up to 98%.
The "truth" (if there is one) is the polls haven't moved much in a year - taking into account weighting, sampling methodologies, reallocation of DKs, rounding and all the best the fact is nothing has changed.
My local town just had the xmas lights switch on followed by impressive set of fireworks.
This is it. Xmas 2023 begins!
Magic has been 100% Christmas since Monday morning!
Things are getting better. In my childhood Christmas tat started in earnest after Guy Fawkes night. Now I’d say more and more business are only going full on Noël from the start of December.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
She may agree with them but she doesn't support them being there, which is a bit odd.
"Kate Forbes said she is committed to ensuring women are free from harassment and fear around abortion clinics following a plea from campaigners.
The Finance Secretary returned from maternity leave early to launch her bid to replace Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland’s First Minister.
And she said that women should not “be subjected to fear and harassment” when attending clinics across the country.
It comes as campaigners Back Off Scotland wrote to Forbes – and her opponents in the leadership race: Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan – to ask for support in implementing 150-metre safe access zones around hospitals administering abortions."
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
On topic, as I mentioned last night, the polls are producing very different initial findings.
Techne reports 24% "Won't Vote" suggesting a maximum turnout of 76% and a likely turnout in the mid 60s but YouGov finds only 13% saying they Won't Vote so that suggests a much higher turnout and the differential in the numbers of Don't Knows betwee the the two pollsters suggests to this observer a number of those in the DK category are actually in the WV category.
Taking the current We Think poll which has cheered some Conservatives, the curiousity is the Conservative VI has improved even though all the other indicators (Sunak approval, Government approval, preferred PM) have all moved in the opposite direction. This makes me think outlier but we'll see where next week's poll fits.
The poll is Con +2, LD -3 which doesn’t make any obvious sense unless this is some very delayed reaction to the genius appointment of Cameron, so it looks like MOE meanderings to me.
There is some evidence Cameron's return has gained the Tories some votes from the LDs but also leaked some votes to ReformUK
I know you're no longer a resident but I was at the Epping Christmas Market today. A profoundly chilly day in the High Street but the stalls getting plenty of visitors, the local children in good voice and the (fairly new?) Gail's doing a roaring trade.
Had lunch in Piya which has improved a lot under new management.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
I’ve now gone 48 hours without discernible vegetable intake, except a cursory side salad this evening with my big pot of melted cheese for starter. And here’s the main course. Beige. But very nice. But they’re a bit slow to offer wine top ups.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
I don’t. Liberality does not tend to be synonymous with intolerance.
I have come to admire the American “calendar”. They really celebrate their holidays properly, and there is a clear division of time.
Labor Day (end May) to Memorial Day (early Oct) is summer. Then it’s only one month until Halloween which preludes holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big break, and immediately it is over the Christmas lights go up. As I write, I am riding a taxi and can hear carollers on a street corner.
The Americans are always celebrating something and it beats hiding inside with a cup of cocoa watching Only Fools and Horses on repeat, or however it is Brits mark the passing of the seasons.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
I don’t.
I expect the target demographics are not massively dissimilar. The problem for Farron was twofold: getting the more Corbynite Labour supporters to vote tactically LD, and squaring his beliefs with the activist base, who sort of knew he was an evangelical before they voted him leader but hadn’t quite appreciated what that would mean. I’d expect the activist backlash against Forbes to be as big or bigger. Voters…who knows.
I have come to admire the American “calendar”. They really celebrate their holidays properly, and there is a clear division of time.
Labor Day (end May) to Memorial Day (early Oct) is summer. Then it’s only one month until Halloween which preludes holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big break, and immediately it is over the Christmas lights go up. As I write, I am riding a taxi and can hear carollers on a street corner.
The Americans are always celebrating something and it beats hiding inside with a cup of cocoa watching Only Fools and Horses on repeat, or however it is Brits mark the passing of the seasons.
On topic, as I mentioned last night, the polls are producing very different initial findings.
Techne reports 24% "Won't Vote" suggesting a maximum turnout of 76% and a likely turnout in the mid 60s but YouGov finds only 13% saying they Won't Vote so that suggests a much higher turnout and the differential in the numbers of Don't Knows betwee the the two pollsters suggests to this observer a number of those in the DK category are actually in the WV category.
Taking the current We Think poll which has cheered some Conservatives, the curiousity is the Conservative VI has improved even though all the other indicators (Sunak approval, Government approval, preferred PM) have all moved in the opposite direction. This makes me think outlier but we'll see where next week's poll fits.
To me that says that Yougov haven't weighted sufficiently for likelihood to vote. 87% is just not plausible for turnout. Even 76% is implausible.
On topic, as I mentioned last night, the polls are producing very different initial findings.
Techne reports 24% "Won't Vote" suggesting a maximum turnout of 76% and a likely turnout in the mid 60s but YouGov finds only 13% saying they Won't Vote so that suggests a much higher turnout and the differential in the numbers of Don't Knows betwee the the two pollsters suggests to this observer a number of those in the DK category are actually in the WV category.
Taking the current We Think poll which has cheered some Conservatives, the curiousity is the Conservative VI has improved even though all the other indicators (Sunak approval, Government approval, preferred PM) have all moved in the opposite direction. This makes me think outlier but we'll see where next week's poll fits.
The poll is Con +2, LD -3 which doesn’t make any obvious sense unless this is some very delayed reaction to the genius appointment of Cameron, so it looks like MOE meanderings to me.
There is some evidence Cameron's return has gained the Tories some votes from the LDs but also leaked some votes to ReformUK
I know you're no longer a resident but I was at the Epping Christmas Market today. A profoundly chilly day in the High Street but the stalls getting plenty of visitors, the local children in good voice and the (fairly new?) Gail's doing a roaring trade.
Had lunch in Piya which has improved a lot under new management.
Sounds good, we normally go but are in Windsor this weekend
I have come to admire the American “calendar”. They really celebrate their holidays properly, and there is a clear division of time.
Labor Day (end May) to Memorial Day (early Oct) is summer. Then it’s only one month until Halloween which preludes holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big break, and immediately it is over the Christmas lights go up. As I write, I am riding a taxi and can hear carollers on a street corner.
The Americans are always celebrating something and it beats hiding inside with a cup of cocoa watching Only Fools and Horses on repeat, or however it is Brits mark the passing of the seasons.
Yes amazing. Right up there with the 10 days annual vacation allowance they get. Poor old Brits with their 25-30 days plus bank holidays.
I have come to admire the American “calendar”. They really celebrate their holidays properly, and there is a clear division of time.
Labor Day (end May) to Memorial Day (early Oct) is summer. Then it’s only one month until Halloween which preludes holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big break, and immediately it is over the Christmas lights go up. As I write, I am riding a taxi and can hear carollers on a street corner.
The Americans are always celebrating something and it beats hiding inside with a cup of cocoa watching Only Fools and Horses on repeat, or however it is Brits mark the passing of the seasons.
They don't have Bonfire Night though
Bonfire Night is basically Halloween Plus these days though
The SNP seem to have shot themselves in the foot then the head. SKS will be delighted.
A very lucky general.
Not that lucky if it leads to a Kate Forbes victory. Humza Usaf in place hanging on like a gangrenous limb would be ideal.
Surely a Forbes victory is bad news primarily for the Tories, and to a lesser extent the Lib Dems? I’d have thought the urban former Labour heartlands would be unimpressed. But perhaps I’m just copy-pasting English or Welsh assumptions on to Scotland.
I just think there's a sizeable political market in Scotland who would like to support Indy, but the SNP currently are explosively shitting the bed on almost every possible front. Show a bit of competency, ditch the unpopular policies of Humza, and stay quiet on social issues, and that's a massive headache for Labour.
Is 'stay quiet on social issues' a new way of saying lurch to the right?
Just wisdom in avoiding pointless internecine fighting.
I have come to admire the American “calendar”. They really celebrate their holidays properly, and there is a clear division of time.
Labor Day (end May) to Memorial Day (early Oct) is summer. Then it’s only one month until Halloween which preludes holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big break, and immediately it is over the Christmas lights go up. As I write, I am riding a taxi and can hear carollers on a street corner.
The Americans are always celebrating something and it beats hiding inside with a cup of cocoa watching Only Fools and Horses on repeat, or however it is Brits mark the passing of the seasons.
But…they don’t really celebrate summer holidays do they? They seem to spend the whole of July and August moaning about those lazy Europeans and their ridiculously long summer holiday season.
I have come to admire the American “calendar”. They really celebrate their holidays properly, and there is a clear division of time.
Labor Day (end May) to Memorial Day (early Oct) is summer. Then it’s only one month until Halloween which preludes holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big break, and immediately it is over the Christmas lights go up. As I write, I am riding a taxi and can hear carollers on a street corner.
The Americans are always celebrating something and it beats hiding inside with a cup of cocoa watching Only Fools and Horses on repeat, or however it is Brits mark the passing of the seasons.
They don't have Bonfire Night though
Bonfire Night is basically Halloween Plus these days though
I have come to admire the American “calendar”. They really celebrate their holidays properly, and there is a clear division of time.
Labor Day (end May) to Memorial Day (early Oct) is summer. Then it’s only one month until Halloween which preludes holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big break, and immediately it is over the Christmas lights go up. As I write, I am riding a taxi and can hear carollers on a street corner.
The Americans are always celebrating something and it beats hiding inside with a cup of cocoa watching Only Fools and Horses on repeat, or however it is Brits mark the passing of the seasons.
American holidays are packed into, well, now. Hence, "happy holidays". British bank holidays are concentrated in spring and summer.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
One thing about Kate Forbes is that, so far, she has shown little sign of meeting her liberal critics half-way. If anything has doubled down on her social conservatism. Her election as SNP leader would amount to a complete rejection of the Sturgeon political strategy, as inherited by Yousaf, which is to unite "progressive" opinion behind Indy. Forbes's rise would certainly mean an end to the cohabitation with the Greens, for instance.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
One thing about Kate Forbes is that, so far, she has shown little sign of meeting her liberal critics half-way. If anything has doubled down on her social conservatism. Her election as SNP leader would amount to a complete rejection of the Sturgeon political strategy, as inherited by Yousaf, which is to unite "progressive" opinion behind Indy. Forbes's rise would certainly mean an end to the cohabitation with the Greens, for instance.
That was the big difference from Farron, whose political position was properly liberal - that he had his beliefs but he would never impose those in legislation. But, as I noted, that didn’t ultimately help him.
The SNP seem to have shot themselves in the foot then the head. SKS will be delighted.
A very lucky general.
Not that lucky if it leads to a Kate Forbes victory. Humza Usaf in place hanging on like a gangrenous limb would be ideal.
Surely a Forbes victory is bad news primarily for the Tories, and to a lesser extent the Lib Dems? I’d have thought the urban former Labour heartlands would be unimpressed. But perhaps I’m just copy-pasting English or Welsh assumptions on to Scotland.
I just think there's a sizeable political market in Scotland who would like to support Indy, but the SNP currently are explosively shitting the bed on almost every possible front. Show a bit of competency, ditch the unpopular policies of Humza, and stay quiet on social issues, and that's a massive headache for Labour.
Is 'stay quiet on social issues' a new way of saying lurch to the right?
Just wisdom in avoiding pointless internecine fighting.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
She may agree with them but she doesn't support them being there, which is a bit odd.
"Kate Forbes said she is committed to ensuring women are free from harassment and fear around abortion clinics following a plea from campaigners.
The Finance Secretary returned from maternity leave early to launch her bid to replace Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland’s First Minister.
And she said that women should not “be subjected to fear and harassment” when attending clinics across the country.
It comes as campaigners Back Off Scotland wrote to Forbes – and her opponents in the leadership race: Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan – to ask for support in implementing 150-metre safe access zones around hospitals administering abortions."
Her views seem to have evolved (sic) since then.
'Kate Forbes backs prayer vigils at abortion clinics'
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
One thing about Kate Forbes is that, so far, she has shown little sign of meeting her liberal critics half-way. If anything has doubled down on her social conservatism. Her election as SNP leader would amount to a complete rejection of the Sturgeon political strategy, as inherited by Yousaf, which is to unite "progressive" opinion behind Indy. Forbes's rise would certainly mean an end to the cohabitation with the Greens, for instance.
That was the big difference from Farron, whose political position was properly liberal - that he had his beliefs but he would never impose those in legislation. But, as I noted, that didn’t ultimately help him.
Apart from voting against making discrimination based on sexuality illegal, of course.
But the myth that Farron was a "properly liberal" politician despite his religious beliefs seems to be ineradicable.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
One thing about Kate Forbes is that, so far, she has shown little sign of meeting her liberal critics half-way. If anything has doubled down on her social conservatism. Her election as SNP leader would amount to a complete rejection of the Sturgeon political strategy, as inherited by Yousaf, which is to unite "progressive" opinion behind Indy. Forbes's rise would certainly mean an end to the cohabitation with the Greens, for instance.
That was the big difference from Farron, whose political position was properly liberal - that he had his beliefs but he would never impose those in legislation. But, as I noted, that didn’t ultimately help him.
Yep. Kate Forbes's religious beliefs really seem to define her. Doesn't leave much room for compromise. She's no liberal. And seems pretty conservative on economics too.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
One thing about Kate Forbes is that, so far, she has shown little sign of meeting her liberal critics half-way. If anything has doubled down on her social conservatism. Her election as SNP leader would amount to a complete rejection of the Sturgeon political strategy, as inherited by Yousaf, which is to unite "progressive" opinion behind Indy. Forbes's rise would certainly mean an end to the cohabitation with the Greens, for instance.
It is completely bonkers to attach a Nationalist/Independence cause to a strongly marked position on the spectrum in other matters. The question of where state boundaries should be is a matter for history, geography, argument, persuasion and so on. It is not a left/right issue. In a democratic culture it is axiomatic that what sort of government the new state it would have would always be a matter for voters.
The SNP would do best to focus on being competent centrists and making their case. Forbes is the best person by miles, so as a unionist I hope she doesn't get the job.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
One thing about Kate Forbes is that, so far, she has shown little sign of meeting her liberal critics half-way. If anything has doubled down on her social conservatism. Her election as SNP leader would amount to a complete rejection of the Sturgeon political strategy, as inherited by Yousaf, which is to unite "progressive" opinion behind Indy. Forbes's rise would certainly mean an end to the cohabitation with the Greens, for instance.
It is completely bonkers to attach a Nationalist/Independence cause to a strongly marked position on the spectrum in other matters. The question of where state boundaries should be is a matter for history, geography, argument, persuasion and so on. It is not a left/right issue. In a democratic culture it is axiomatic that what sort of government the new state it would have would always be a matter for voters.
The SNP would do best to focus on being competent centrists and making their case. Forbes is the best person by miles, so as a unionist I hope she doesn't get the job.
The realpolitik though is that the SNP have had success by taking many of Labour’s former Scottish voters, on the basis of saving them from permanent Tory rule from Westminster. Abandon that bloc and you struggle elsewhere I think. I agree in principle the constitutional position and other politics should be separate, but under FPTP it matters which voting bloc you’re targeting, certainly for Westminster elections.
I have to say that the lack of sympathy for Israel shown by so many following 17th Oct, has almost certainly helped to harden opinions in Israel. Why should they compromise if everyone's (apart from USA) against them anyway. There's been huge outrage and bitterness expressed in the Israeli media about this.
Here is a tweet from former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett.
We now know that Hamas terrorists who held hostage 13-year-old Yagel Yaacov and his brother Or, used a boiling hot motorcycle exhaust to “imprint” a burn on their legs as a way to identify them if they try to escape.
Let me repeat: They took a boiling piece of metal and pinned it to the legs of a helpless 13 year old captive child.
Hamas are sadistic monsters, and we’re going to have to kill them.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
One thing about Kate Forbes is that, so far, she has shown little sign of meeting her liberal critics half-way. If anything has doubled down on her social conservatism. Her election as SNP leader would amount to a complete rejection of the Sturgeon political strategy, as inherited by Yousaf, which is to unite "progressive" opinion behind Indy. Forbes's rise would certainly mean an end to the cohabitation with the Greens, for instance.
That was the big difference from Farron, whose political position was properly liberal - that he had his beliefs but he would never impose those in legislation. But, as I noted, that didn’t ultimately help him.
Yep. Kate Forbes's religious beliefs really seem to define her. Doesn't leave much room for compromise. She's no liberal. And seems pretty conservative on economics too.
If she was a Unionist most Tory members would be delighted to have Forbes as their leader.
I haven't listened to the thread title theme track for years. I used to have it on two Blaxploitation movie compilations. Never seen the movie or listened to the rest of the soundtrack, but it's a good groove
Well done on faithfully representing a and s; it was Baadasssss
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
One thing about Kate Forbes is that, so far, she has shown little sign of meeting her liberal critics half-way. If anything has doubled down on her social conservatism. Her election as SNP leader would amount to a complete rejection of the Sturgeon political strategy, as inherited by Yousaf, which is to unite "progressive" opinion behind Indy. Forbes's rise would certainly mean an end to the cohabitation with the Greens, for instance.
It is completely bonkers to attach a Nationalist/Independence cause to a strongly marked position on the spectrum in other matters. The question of where state boundaries should be is a matter for history, geography, argument, persuasion and so on. It is not a left/right issue. In a democratic culture it is axiomatic that what sort of government the new state it would have would always be a matter for voters.
The SNP would do best to focus on being competent centrists and making their case. Forbes is the best person by miles, so as a unionist I hope she doesn't get the job.
The realpolitik though is that the SNP have had success by taking many of Labour’s former Scottish voters, on the basis of saving them from permanent Tory rule from Westminster. Abandon that bloc and you struggle elsewhere I think. I agree in principle the constitutional position and other politics should be separate, but under FPTP it matters which voting bloc you’re targeting, certainly for Westminster elections.
Well, yes, but the reason for a lot of the momentum behind Indy was a sense that Scotland was more radical and egalitarian than gammony old Tory-voting England. The revival of Labour, and a rightwards swing by the SNP would completely upset that applecart. Would make for a complete political reset.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
Farron's problem was that he looked shifty. Instead of trying to dodge the question he should have said that theologically, it's a sin, but so are lots of other things and it doesn't have any bearing on politics.
I have come to admire the American “calendar”. They really celebrate their holidays properly, and there is a clear division of time.
Labor Day (end May) to Memorial Day (early Oct) is summer. Then it’s only one month until Halloween which preludes holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big break, and immediately it is over the Christmas lights go up. As I write, I am riding a taxi and can hear carollers on a street corner.
The Americans are always celebrating something and it beats hiding inside with a cup of cocoa watching Only Fools and Horses on repeat, or however it is Brits mark the passing of the seasons.
They don't have Bonfire Night though
For which American firefighters are truly grateful.
TwiX trending in UK:- Newcastle vs Man Utd Event Horizon David and Catherine Doctor and Donna Sir Isaac Newton
Would I be correct in deducing a Newton/Black Hole storyline in tonight's Doctor Who?
Newton was in it briefly. the TARDIS materialised at the apple moment and they insisted on saying the word "gravity" to ensure he got it. But he misheard them and now the word in that timeline may be "mavity". Doctor Who continuity being what it is this will be forgotten in a few months.
The spaceship they were on was at the edge of the universe, and also had a central spine that was very similar to the same structure in the film Event Horizon
I have to say that the lack of sympathy for Israel shown by so many following 17th Oct, has almost certainly helped to harden opinions in Israel. Why should they compromise if everyone's (apart from USA) against them anyway. There's been huge outrage and bitterness expressed in the Israeli media about this.
Here is a tweet from former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett.
We now know that Hamas terrorists who held hostage 13-year-old Yagel Yaacov and his brother Or, used a boiling hot motorcycle exhaust to “imprint” a burn on their legs as a way to identify them if they try to escape.
Let me repeat: They took a boiling piece of metal and pinned it to the legs of a helpless 13 year old captive child.
Hamas are sadistic monsters, and we’re going to have to kill them.
How about the sadistic monsters who've casually killed 15,000 from the air?
I have come to admire the American “calendar”. They really celebrate their holidays properly, and there is a clear division of time.
Labor Day (end May) to Memorial Day (early Oct) is summer. Then it’s only one month until Halloween which preludes holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big break, and immediately it is over the Christmas lights go up. As I write, I am riding a taxi and can hear carollers on a street corner.
The Americans are always celebrating something and it beats hiding inside with a cup of cocoa watching Only Fools and Horses on repeat, or however it is Brits mark the passing of the seasons.
American holidays are packed into, well, now. Hence, "happy holidays". British bank holidays are concentrated in spring and summer.
And none for FOUR MONTHS between late August and late December.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
One thing about Kate Forbes is that, so far, she has shown little sign of meeting her liberal critics half-way. If anything has doubled down on her social conservatism. Her election as SNP leader would amount to a complete rejection of the Sturgeon political strategy, as inherited by Yousaf, which is to unite "progressive" opinion behind Indy. Forbes's rise would certainly mean an end to the cohabitation with the Greens, for instance.
It is completely bonkers to attach a Nationalist/Independence cause to a strongly marked position on the spectrum in other matters. The question of where state boundaries should be is a matter for history, geography, argument, persuasion and so on. It is not a left/right issue. In a democratic culture it is axiomatic that what sort of government the new state it would have would always be a matter for voters.
The SNP would do best to focus on being competent centrists and making their case. Forbes is the best person by miles, so as a unionist I hope she doesn't get the job.
That was a route they could have chosen. But, that ship has sailed.
Their argument is that Scotland is a left wing, progressive country, held against its will in a union with reactionary Tory England.
I have to say that the lack of sympathy for Israel shown by so many following 17th Oct, has almost certainly helped to harden opinions in Israel. Why should they compromise if everyone's (apart from USA) against them anyway. There's been huge outrage and bitterness expressed in the Israeli media about this.
Here is a tweet from former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett.
We now know that Hamas terrorists who held hostage 13-year-old Yagel Yaacov and his brother Or, used a boiling hot motorcycle exhaust to “imprint” a burn on their legs as a way to identify them if they try to escape.
Let me repeat: They took a boiling piece of metal and pinned it to the legs of a helpless 13 year old captive child.
Hamas are sadistic monsters, and we’re going to have to kill them.
How about the sadistic monsters who've casually killed 15,000 from the air?
You mean Bomber Harris? I think it was more than 15,000.
Tbh, it's been common knowledge on Scottish Twitter for ages.
Yes, but for the benefit of PB mods, we are not posting names on here.
It's Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. The inevitability of nominative determinism demanded that they mate and exchange eggs in a fishlike manner in a calm pool. Somebody photographed the fertilization as they both released their ichor and Twitter's been proper flustered. It's a fact.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
One thing about Kate Forbes is that, so far, she has shown little sign of meeting her liberal critics half-way. If anything has doubled down on her social conservatism. Her election as SNP leader would amount to a complete rejection of the Sturgeon political strategy, as inherited by Yousaf, which is to unite "progressive" opinion behind Indy. Forbes's rise would certainly mean an end to the cohabitation with the Greens, for instance.
It is completely bonkers to attach a Nationalist/Independence cause to a strongly marked position on the spectrum in other matters. The question of where state boundaries should be is a matter for history, geography, argument, persuasion and so on. It is not a left/right issue. In a democratic culture it is axiomatic that what sort of government the new state it would have would always be a matter for voters.
The SNP would do best to focus on being competent centrists and making their case. Forbes is the best person by miles, so as a unionist I hope she doesn't get the job.
The realpolitik though is that the SNP have had success by taking many of Labour’s former Scottish voters, on the basis of saving them from permanent Tory rule from Westminster. Abandon that bloc and you struggle elsewhere I think. I agree in principle the constitutional position and other politics should be separate, but under FPTP it matters which voting bloc you’re targeting, certainly for Westminster elections.
Well, yes, but the reason for a lot of the momentum behind Indy was a sense that Scotland was more radical and egalitarian than gammony old Tory-voting England. The revival of Labour, and a rightwards swing by the SNP would completely upset that applecart. Would make for a complete political reset.
Under Sturgeon and Yousaf, the SNP moved leftwards. Rank and file SNP supporters, as opposed to the inner circle, haven’t. To be to the left of Scottish Labour is not difficult. The Tories under Johnson and Cameron were to the left of Scottish Labour. The SNP are the party of Scottish Independence, or they are nothing. If they want to concentrate on left wing policies, fair enough, but don’t be surprised if more independence supporters defect to Alba. (Not TUD, obviously, who is the SNP version of HYUFD, and will be 100% in favour of whoever is the party leader.
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
Farron's problem was that he looked shifty. Instead of trying to dodge the question he should have said that theologically, it's a sin, but so are lots of other things and it doesn't have any bearing on politics.
That is a nuanced position, and there’s no place for nuance in modern politics.
I have to say that the lack of sympathy for Israel shown by so many following 17th Oct, has almost certainly helped to harden opinions in Israel. Why should they compromise if everyone's (apart from USA) against them anyway. There's been huge outrage and bitterness expressed in the Israeli media about this.
Here is a tweet from former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett.
We now know that Hamas terrorists who held hostage 13-year-old Yagel Yaacov and his brother Or, used a boiling hot motorcycle exhaust to “imprint” a burn on their legs as a way to identify them if they try to escape.
Let me repeat: They took a boiling piece of metal and pinned it to the legs of a helpless 13 year old captive child.
Hamas are sadistic monsters, and we’re going to have to kill them.
How about the sadistic monsters who've casually killed 15,000 from the air?
Did Israel prevent people from moving out of the conflict zone?
I have come to admire the American “calendar”. They really celebrate their holidays properly, and there is a clear division of time.
Labor Day (end May) to Memorial Day (early Oct) is summer. Then it’s only one month until Halloween which preludes holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big break, and immediately it is over the Christmas lights go up. As I write, I am riding a taxi and can hear carollers on a street corner.
The Americans are always celebrating something and it beats hiding inside with a cup of cocoa watching Only Fools and Horses on repeat, or however it is Brits mark the passing of the seasons.
American holidays are packed into, well, now. Hence, "happy holidays". British bank holidays are concentrated in spring and summer.
And none for FOUR MONTHS between late August and late December.
Why do we still have bank holidays now that the banks have shut most of their branches?
I have to say that the lack of sympathy for Israel shown by so many following 17th Oct, has almost certainly helped to harden opinions in Israel. Why should they compromise if everyone's (apart from USA) against them anyway. There's been huge outrage and bitterness expressed in the Israeli media about this.
Here is a tweet from former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett.
We now know that Hamas terrorists who held hostage 13-year-old Yagel Yaacov and his brother Or, used a boiling hot motorcycle exhaust to “imprint” a burn on their legs as a way to identify them if they try to escape.
Let me repeat: They took a boiling piece of metal and pinned it to the legs of a helpless 13 year old captive child.
Hamas are sadistic monsters, and we’re going to have to kill them.
How about the sadistic monsters who've casually killed 15,000 from the air?
100% down to the degenerates who provide your numbers
Tbh, it's been common knowledge on Scottish Twitter for ages.
Yes, but for the benefit of PB mods, we are not posting names on here.
It's Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. The inevitability of nominative determinism demanded that they mate and exchange eggs in a fishlike manner in a calm pool. Somebody photographed the fertilization as they both released their ichor and Twitter's been proper flustered. It's a fact.
The mental image I now have of Eck trying to leap upstream to spawn.... Thanks for that.
I have to say that the lack of sympathy for Israel shown by so many following 17th Oct, has almost certainly helped to harden opinions in Israel. Why should they compromise if everyone's (apart from USA) against them anyway. There's been huge outrage and bitterness expressed in the Israeli media about this.
Here is a tweet from former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett.
We now know that Hamas terrorists who held hostage 13-year-old Yagel Yaacov and his brother Or, used a boiling hot motorcycle exhaust to “imprint” a burn on their legs as a way to identify them if they try to escape.
Let me repeat: They took a boiling piece of metal and pinned it to the legs of a helpless 13 year old captive child.
Hamas are sadistic monsters, and we’re going to have to kill them.
How about the sadistic monsters who've casually killed 15,000 from the air?
Did Israel prevent people from moving out of the conflict zone?
They told people to move from the north of Gaza to the south. Now they are telling people to move from the south. To where? Over the closed border? Into the sea?
We haven’t had a juicy sex scandal in ages. They provide much needed light entertainment
Especially if the miscreants are odious creeps
The last one was probably Matt Hancock, which undoubtedly fitted your 'odious creep' criterion, if not the 'light entertainment' bit.
The irony is it might actually benefit the Nats if it means they end up with Forbes as leader
Her support for the people who do their odiously creepy silent prayer vigils outside abortion clinics makes me entirely satisfied with the SNP giving her a body swerve.
Forbes is an evangelical Christian and anti abortion and anti homosexual marriage and more socially conservative than Sunak let alone Starmer and Davey.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
What did Forbes say last year? I suspect the only position that works is a "personal conscience, free vote" one.
That was Tim Farron’s position. Fat lot of good it did him.
I suspect SNP supporters are somewhat more liberal minded.
If you mean they’ll be even less tolerant of Forbes prevaricating than Lib Dem target voters were of Farron, then I think you’re right.
One thing about Kate Forbes is that, so far, she has shown little sign of meeting her liberal critics half-way. If anything has doubled down on her social conservatism. Her election as SNP leader would amount to a complete rejection of the Sturgeon political strategy, as inherited by Yousaf, which is to unite "progressive" opinion behind Indy. Forbes's rise would certainly mean an end to the cohabitation with the Greens, for instance.
It is completely bonkers to attach a Nationalist/Independence cause to a strongly marked position on the spectrum in other matters. The question of where state boundaries should be is a matter for history, geography, argument, persuasion and so on. It is not a left/right issue. In a democratic culture it is axiomatic that what sort of government the new state it would have would always be a matter for voters.
The SNP would do best to focus on being competent centrists and making their case. Forbes is the best person by miles, so as a unionist I hope she doesn't get the job.
The realpolitik though is that the SNP have had success by taking many of Labour’s former Scottish voters, on the basis of saving them from permanent Tory rule from Westminster. Abandon that bloc and you struggle elsewhere I think. I agree in principle the constitutional position and other politics should be separate, but under FPTP it matters which voting bloc you’re targeting, certainly for Westminster elections.
Well, yes, but the reason for a lot of the momentum behind Indy was a sense that Scotland was more radical and egalitarian than gammony old Tory-voting England. The revival of Labour, and a rightwards swing by the SNP would completely upset that applecart. Would make for a complete political reset.
Under Sturgeon and Yousaf, the SNP moved leftwards. Rank and file SNP supporters, as opposed to the inner circle, haven’t. To be to the left of Scottish Labour is not difficult. The Tories under Johnson and Cameron were to the left of Scottish Labour. The SNP are the party of Scottish Independence, or they are nothing. If they want to concentrate on left wing policies, fair enough, but don’t be surprised if more independence supporters defect to Alba. (Not TUD, obviously, who is the SNP version of HYUFD, and will be 100% in favour of whoever is the party leader.
An odd view since I’ve just posted less than favourable opinions of Forbes, the preferred option of PB English Unionists for SNP leader.
When are you expecting enough indy supporters to defect to Alba to enable them to get, say, a councillor elected?
I have to say that the lack of sympathy for Israel shown by so many following 17th Oct, has almost certainly helped to harden opinions in Israel. Why should they compromise if everyone's (apart from USA) against them anyway. There's been huge outrage and bitterness expressed in the Israeli media about this.
Here is a tweet from former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett.
We now know that Hamas terrorists who held hostage 13-year-old Yagel Yaacov and his brother Or, used a boiling hot motorcycle exhaust to “imprint” a burn on their legs as a way to identify them if they try to escape.
Let me repeat: They took a boiling piece of metal and pinned it to the legs of a helpless 13 year old captive child.
Hamas are sadistic monsters, and we’re going to have to kill them.
How about the sadistic monsters who've casually killed 15,000 from the air?
100% down to the degenerates who provide your numbers
I haven't listened to the thread title theme track for years. I used to have it on two Blaxploitation movie compilations. Never seen the movie or listened to the rest of the soundtrack, but it's a good groove
Well done on faithfully representing a and s; it was Baadasssss
I have come to admire the American “calendar”. They really celebrate their holidays properly, and there is a clear division of time.
Labor Day (end May) to Memorial Day (early Oct) is summer. Then it’s only one month until Halloween which preludes holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big break, and immediately it is over the Christmas lights go up. As I write, I am riding a taxi and can hear carollers on a street corner.
The Americans are always celebrating something and it beats hiding inside with a cup of cocoa watching Only Fools and Horses on repeat, or however it is Brits mark the passing of the seasons.
American holidays are packed into, well, now. Hence, "happy holidays". British bank holidays are concentrated in spring and summer.
And none for FOUR MONTHS between late August and late December.
Why do we still have bank holidays now that the banks have shut most of their branches?
I have to say that the lack of sympathy for Israel shown by so many following 17th Oct, has almost certainly helped to harden opinions in Israel. Why should they compromise if everyone's (apart from USA) against them anyway. There's been huge outrage and bitterness expressed in the Israeli media about this.
Here is a tweet from former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett.
We now know that Hamas terrorists who held hostage 13-year-old Yagel Yaacov and his brother Or, used a boiling hot motorcycle exhaust to “imprint” a burn on their legs as a way to identify them if they try to escape.
Let me repeat: They took a boiling piece of metal and pinned it to the legs of a helpless 13 year old captive child.
Hamas are sadistic monsters, and we’re going to have to kill them.
How about the sadistic monsters who've casually killed 15,000 from the air?
Did Israel prevent people from moving out of the conflict zone?
I have to say that the lack of sympathy for Israel shown by so many following 17th Oct, has almost certainly helped to harden opinions in Israel. Why should they compromise if everyone's (apart from USA) against them anyway. There's been huge outrage and bitterness expressed in the Israeli media about this.
Here is a tweet from former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett.
We now know that Hamas terrorists who held hostage 13-year-old Yagel Yaacov and his brother Or, used a boiling hot motorcycle exhaust to “imprint” a burn on their legs as a way to identify them if they try to escape.
Let me repeat: They took a boiling piece of metal and pinned it to the legs of a helpless 13 year old captive child.
Hamas are sadistic monsters, and we’re going to have to kill them.
Yes, Hamas behaved monstrously, but not everyone in Gaza is in Hamas. And this particular instance raised by Naftali is odd if you think about it. We might imprison child abusers who burn their victims, but we'd not impose the death penalty for acts, however cruel, that are short of murder. Dehumanising the other side is part of the enduring tragedy of the Middle East.
Comments
The most recent injury is lower down.
https://youtu.be/0ctAXXqCLmQ?feature=shared
She might prove a formidable opponent for Anas Sawar in 2026. Keir Starmer, less so, given he'll be able to keep pitching Lab to the centre without worrying about the SNP outflanking him on the left for Westminster - and argue it's time for a change in both Scotland and London.
You'd also imagine Forbes would be much more focused on Hollyrood than grandstanding on UK national and international issues - which might help Lab in a Westminster election if it can define it as being distinct from voting for who governs in Scotland and whether they're pro-independence.
It was a hospital pass she handled well.
Did you see what a palaver they made of picking some names out of a hat?
The SNP have spent years pitching themselves as the most left wing of the Scottish parties, and they’ve built up a big following on that basis. They do have centre-right supporters in rural Scotland, but it’s a minority of their supporters.
Kate Forbes may appeal to centre-right Scots, and religious Scots, but those who are unionist won’t switch, and she’d be a bad fit for most of their supporters.
Back from a freezing day starting the Yuletide shopping.
Earlier today, I was reminded of the concept of one man's terrorist being another man's freedom fighter and how that change from community to community.
In my part of East Ham (Wall End), there were fireworks last weekend and flags on the Hindu-run shops. Why? Monday 27th November is Heroes Day in the Sri Lankan Tamil community when the activities of the LTTE are celebrated. The flag of the LTTE is flown over shops and some houses - now, the LTTE was a terrorist organisation for many especially the Sinhalese and the death of LTTE leader Prabhakaran in May 2009 effectively ended the military part of the LTTE but the political side continues.
Cross East Ham High Street and head into Plashet and you're in a different community - the Palestinian flag flies from every lamp post in Plashet Grove and in some shops and businesses as well.
I presume nobody now equates the defunct LTTE with Hamas and they are very different but both were and are considered terrorist groups and both clearly have support in Britain.
I do get to spend time in a sort of Lib Dem stronghold because my village in France voted overwhelmingly for Macron both times (they actually publish the number of votes for each candidate by commune so I could see that 14 people voted Le Pen last time, and then start to guess.
And Santé from Auberge de la vieille curé in Arandas. I’m the only diner.
She is more competent than Yousaf though and would be a contender for the SNP leadership if Sarwar replaced Yousaf as FM after the next Holyrood election and if the SNP need to get over a sex scandal. Her social views didn't stop her getting over 45% of SNP members votes at their last leadership election
Techne reports 24% "Won't Vote" suggesting a maximum turnout of 76% and a likely turnout in the mid 60s but YouGov finds only 13% saying they Won't Vote so that suggests a much higher turnout and the differential in the numbers of Don't Knows betwee the the two pollsters suggests to this observer a number of those in the DK category are actually in the WV category.
Taking the current We Think poll which has cheered some Conservatives, the curiousity is the Conservative VI has improved even though all the other indicators (Sunak approval, Government approval, preferred PM) have all moved in the opposite direction. This makes me think outlier but we'll see where next week's poll fits.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12815739/Making-meal-Man-scoffs-4-500-calorie-mixed-grill-restaurant-challenge-fails-technicality.html
I feel it in my waters.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/breaking-bbc-eurodraw-sex-noises-31582738
This is it. Xmas 2023 begins!
The "truth" (if there is one) is the polls haven't moved much in a year - taking into account weighting, sampling methodologies, reallocation of DKs, rounding and all the best the fact is nothing has changed.
https://news.stv.tv/politics/first-minister-candidate-kate-forbes-says-women-accessing-abortion-should-not-be-subjected-to-fear
"Kate Forbes said she is committed to ensuring women are free from harassment and fear around abortion clinics following a plea from campaigners.
The Finance Secretary returned from maternity leave early to launch her bid to replace Nicola Sturgeon as Scotland’s First Minister.
And she said that women should not “be subjected to fear and harassment” when attending clinics across the country.
It comes as campaigners Back Off Scotland wrote to Forbes – and her opponents in the leadership race: Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan – to ask for support in implementing 150-metre safe access zones around hospitals administering abortions."
Had lunch in Piya which has improved a lot under new management.
They really celebrate their holidays properly, and there is a clear division of time.
Labor Day (end May) to Memorial Day (early Oct) is summer. Then it’s only one month until Halloween which preludes holiday season.
Thanksgiving is the big break, and immediately it is over the Christmas lights go up. As I write, I am riding a taxi and can hear carollers on a street corner.
The Americans are always celebrating something and it beats hiding inside with a cup of cocoa watching Only Fools and Horses on repeat, or however it is Brits mark the passing of the seasons.
'Kate Forbes backs prayer vigils at abortion clinics'
https://tinyurl.com/3xhrb548
But the myth that Farron was a "properly liberal" politician despite his religious beliefs seems to be ineradicable.
The SNP would do best to focus on being competent centrists and making their case. Forbes is the best person by miles, so as a unionist I hope she doesn't get the job.
Jeez.
And it used to be the Manchester Guardian...
Here is a tweet from former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett.
https://twitter.com/naftalibennett/status/1730363155392389276
We now know that Hamas terrorists who held hostage 13-year-old Yagel Yaacov and his brother Or, used a boiling hot motorcycle exhaust to “imprint” a burn on their legs as a way to identify them if they try to escape.
Let me repeat:
They took a boiling piece of metal and pinned it to the legs of a helpless 13 year old captive child.
Hamas are sadistic monsters, and we’re going to have to kill them.
Well done on faithfully representing a and s; it was Baadasssss
https://youtu.be/NLqQ_1aZBII?si=66iPHW8BUrt0Y2y6
Newcastle vs Man Utd
Event Horizon
David and Catherine
Doctor and Donna
Sir Isaac Newton
Would I be correct in deducing a Newton/Black Hole storyline in tonight's Doctor Who?
Tbh, it's been common knowledge on Scottish Twitter for ages.
The spaceship they were on was at the edge of the universe, and also had a central spine that was very similar to the same structure in the film Event Horizon
The other two trends are obvious
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21354694/
Only watched the 1st episode - but quite enjoyable.
Their argument is that Scotland is a left wing, progressive country, held against its will in a union with reactionary Tory England.
And, it was a narrative that nearly succeeded.
In picture form, not naming names.
OH WAIT WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TORIES WHAT A GIVE-AWAY.
You have to pick a side, and defend it.
As John Bercow put it, “tolerance is not enough.”
When are you expecting enough indy supporters to defect to Alba to enable them to get, say, a councillor elected?
Glad someone got the title reference!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Curtis
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10137933
https://nitter.net/nathancurtis90