WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE MAKE THIS WHOLE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO SCOTLAND THING GO AWAY.
No one cares ffs.
Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, and this is a United Kingdom politics site. Until and unless that changes, whilst certain people might not care (I don't care about Merbyn Kernow for instance) it's right to discuss it.
We're long overdue a header on MK
YES. Including the standing menace of the extremist wing dedicated to the establishment of an inexpressibly sinister (also fattening) Greater East Cornwall Co-Prosperity Sphere extending from the Tamar to Shepherd's Bush Roundabout.
@DeltapollUK 🚨New Voting Intention🚨 Labour lead widens to twenty points in our latest results. Con 24% (-3) Lab 44% (+1) Lib Dem 8% (-1) Reform 12% (-) SNP 3% (-) Green 5% (-) Other 3% (+2) Fieldwork: 26th-29th April 2024 Sample: 1,577 GB adults (Changes from 19th-22nd April 2024)
I don’t believe him, frankly. That call might have taken place. I very much doubt that was the reason a deal didn’t come through.
I believe Humza genuinely didn’t want to be seen to be being bailed out by Salmond, due to his aversion to what he sees as reactionary culture war nonsense (yes, yes, I know he’s not one to talk) and probably loyalty to Sturgeon.
More chaos ahoy. Humza Yousaf does a Sturgeon and announces his intention to resign as FM but not until SNP members (number TBC) have chosen another leader. Stand by for another unedifying dogfight on the cusp of a general election
This is presumably to pause the 28 day countdown timer to an election if no replacement FM in place. I don't see the Greens wanting to VoNC to force an election.
Humza has been the opposite of astute but this move makes sense.
Labour are unlikely to withdraw their motion of no confidence in the government. That means in the government under Yousaf as caretaker first minister, which is the only government Scotland has got. If it passes, the clock starts ticking regardless of what happens in the SNP. This leaves it open to the Greens to vote No Confidence in Yousaf's govt but Confidence in an SNP govt under another leader who gives them the two ministries back.
It's all looking like a successful scheme to remove Yousaf, not to remove the SNP in a general election.
Kate Forbes is probably considered "sound" on Gaza. Never forget that the Broederbond in South Africa were Calvinists.
Finally gone over to the ubiquitous Smartmeter. Gas all online with 1/2 hour granular detail available. Electricity 4-6 weeks to come online though ?!
What sort of archaic systems are in the back end of our grid for it to take that long ?
Thanks so much for mentioning this. I have been trying to get one for 4 years, last year they said it was now possible in our area but there are never any appointments. On reading your post I just looked and there was an appointment for Thursday (presumably a cancellation). .
I wonder actually if a PM like Tony Blair would be the most effective in stopping the boats.
Gets the issue (and in no way dismisses it or avoids hard truths in the British interest) and would be sufficiently internationalist to actually do the deals to fix it.
More chaos ahoy. Humza Yousaf does a Sturgeon and announces his intention to resign as FM but not until SNP members (number TBC) have chosen another leader. Stand by for another unedifying dogfight on the cusp of a general election
It would be somewhat amusing if the PM calls a general election in the aftermath of the locals this weekend, so the SNP has to write themselves a manifesto with no leader and no money to campaign.
In a chaste manner, entirely conformant with proscriptions of the Old Testament.
Well, as long as the spikenard is kept under control.
While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.
A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.
“Will you….. endure to see a chasuble set up in your marketplace? Will you have your daughters sold into simony? Will you have celibacy practised in the public streets?'
What, exactly, was HY's plan here when he wiped his hairy ringpiece on the Bute House agreement?
I presume the Greens will support the SNP as long as it led by anybody but HY or Sister Kate of the Immaculate Forehead? That would seem to be the logical move. To the limited extent that logic has any purchase over this fiasco.
More chaos ahoy. Humza Yousaf does a Sturgeon and announces his intention to resign as FM but not until SNP members (number TBC) have chosen another leader. Stand by for another unedifying dogfight on the cusp of a general election
It would be somewhat amusing if the PM calls a general election in the aftermath of the locals this weekend, so the SNP has to write themselves a manifesto with no leader and no money to campaign.
That is a very interesting possibility.
Maybe Rishi will call that GE this afternoon, after all!
More chaos ahoy. Humza Yousaf does a Sturgeon and announces his intention to resign as FM but not until SNP members (number TBC) have chosen another leader. Stand by for another unedifying dogfight on the cusp of a general election
It would be somewhat amusing if the PM calls a general election in the aftermath of the locals this weekend, so the SNP has to write themselves a manifesto with no leader and no money to campaign.
That is a very interesting possibility.
Maybe Rishi will call that GE this afternoon, after all!
What, exactly, was HY's plan here when he wiped his hairy ringpiece on the Bute House agreement?
I presume the Greens will support the SNP as long as it led by anybody but HY or Sister Kate of the Immaculate Forehead? That would seem to be the logical move. To the limited extent that logic has any purchase over this fiasco.
“What, exactly, was HY's plan here when he wiped his hairy ringpiece on the Bute House agreement?”
I wonder actually if a PM like Tony Blair would be the most effective in stopping the boats.
Gets the issue (and in no way dismisses it or avoids hard truths in the British interest) and would be sufficiently internationalist to actually do the deals to fix it.
I have see two videos of the French police putting the inflatable boats out of use by knifing them. Seems to me to be the way to go. Can we buy the French more knives?
Ultimately we have the confrontation of international laws designed for a different era, plus millions (billions?) who see the Western lifestyle, look around at the shit holes that they live in and fancy a change, cynical people smuggling gangs, and nations that just don't want the problem (both us and France are culpable - the current government, and many if the British public, don't want those crossing the channel from a safe country (France) and the French just want them gone to where they want to go (UK).) How this gets resolved is THE major challenge for Starmer's new government.
More chaos ahoy. Humza Yousaf does a Sturgeon and announces his intention to resign as FM but not until SNP members (number TBC) have chosen another leader. Stand by for another unedifying dogfight on the cusp of a general election
This is presumably to pause the 28 day countdown timer to an election if no replacement FM in place. I don't see the Greens wanting to VoNC to force an election.
Humza has been the opposite of astute but this move makes sense.
The SGP is polling quite well. Need they fear an election?
It's a good question. The Greens are being conciliatory to the SNP now rather than pushing to collapse the government. Which suggests they don't want an election.
Wings’ take is that the Greens are in a very powerful position in the Parliament, with the arithmetic poised the way it is. An immediate Holyrood election would likely produce a fragmented result, with Lab and SNP too far short of a majority for the Greens to have any sway.
@AlanJZycinski NEW: @AnasSarwar tells me @ScottishLabour will “see how week plays out” before deciding if motion of no confidence against Govt still goes ahead.
Also scathing of @StephenFlynnSNP: “He encouraged the FM to go on the front foot…he actually shot him in the foot”
I wonder actually if a PM like Tony Blair would be the most effective in stopping the boats.
Gets the issue (and in no way dismisses it or avoids hard truths in the British interest) and would be sufficiently internationalist to actually do the deals to fix it.
You're probably right. If you haven't got the fortitude for tow backs, which the tories clearly haven't, then the only person who can (っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ STOP THE BOATS ♥ is Macron. Could Blair flatter and/or bribe Macron into doing it. Maybe.
"While government must act in good faith, so must our opposition" says Humza Yousaf. That's a little rich given the way in which Sturgeon, Yousaf & others sought to shut down reasoned opposition & good-faith attempts to amend the SNP's self ID reforms.
Biggest problem with Forbes becoming FM is I can't see how she'd be able to form a government. The Greens despise her more than Yousaf, and the men in grey suits have made it abundantly clear they don't want a deal with Alba. I think that ultimately means 1) the Sturgeon wing will do their absolute upmost to stop her 2) if she does win the leadership then they'd have to be an immediate Holyrood election.
What, exactly, was HY's plan here when he wiped his hairy ringpiece on the Bute House agreement?
I presume the Greens will support the SNP as long as it led by anybody but HY or Sister Kate of the Immaculate Forehead? That would seem to be the logical move. To the limited extent that logic has any purchase over this fiasco.
I can only assume Yousaf has some great long-odds bets on his exit date, the date of the next Holyrood election and the next leader of the SNP.
As all here may be aware, I yield to no one in my left wing, bring 'em all over, that mug is not in my name, sure I may have been at war with and dropping bombs on them but now I am a big fan and support their struggle against the evil oppressor, pro-immigration stance.
But Ireland may inadvertently be giving Rishi the support he needs wrt his immigration/Rwanda policy. Pass a law saying they must go back to the last country they came from, eh? Well I never.
Ireland is in La Francophonie, so Im sure President Macron will do his utmost to help out.
Perhaps I missed it, but I don't think any French government minister was so dim as to claim credit for asylum seekers crossing the Channel in small boats. None of them said, "you see, our policy to scare asylum seekers to go elsewhere is working," and thereby accept responsibility for it.
Sunak has accepted that his policy dumps asylum seekers on Ireland, that he is essentially in the same position as Belarus, shoving people across the Polish border, and so that puts Ireland in a much stronger position to demand that he does something about it.
If he hadn't been so stupid he would have responded to the Irish claims with a gallic shrug, said that the Rwanda policy was intended to stop the boat crossings, and left British voters to join the dots. But he couldn't help himself.
A key problem with the Rwanda scheme is that it seems unlikely to work, so Sunak and the policy's supporters have fallen on the Irish government's comments like a thirsty man in a desert finding a spring. The value of someone saying "it's working" (even though they are doing so for their own political reasons) is worth more to Sunak than the cost of having to clear up the mess that follows admitting he's shoving people across the Irish border.
I can understand opponents to the Rwanda scheme dismissing the Irish development but this is a real issue between Ireland and UK that will draw France and the EU into it and hopefully see cooperation and more importantly determination across thee countries to stop the boats once and for all and make Rwanda scheme redundant
Of course this would be a political result for Sunak but for me stopping the boats is about saving lives at sea not least because our family have lost several family members at sea and why our youngest son is an active RNLI sea going volunteer
Rwanda is all about political posturing. Wasn't it Cummings who suggested it was a smoke screen to cover up another Johnson scandal?
I doubt very much the scheme will stop the boats. There were far more robust mechanisms that could have been explored, but a political win is a political win. The Irish issue which has become an unexpected by product is a Daily Mail win for Sunak. Will the boats stop? Very unlikely, but if 6 boats a day becomes five, Sunak will consider that a win.
On Friday and Saturday there were 500 recorded small boat arrivals so evidence of a deterrent effect seems rdispute ather absent!
I find it extraordinary that anyone would expect to see an immediate reduction in boat crossings when the smugglers will be desperate to send over as many as possible before the consequences of the legislation become obvious not least as this Irish problem develops and flights take off
Here’s Tony Blair saying that a lot of asylum seekers are no more than economic migrants playing the system
Asylum claim refusals peaked under Blair. For those who want an efficient migration system they should vote for pragmatists like Blair, not those who shout the loudest.
Blair would be considered too right-wing by Labour today, he was even considered too right-wing back in his day, and SKS is clearly to his Left on issues like culture and migration no matter how often he drapes his canister in the Union Flag with his serious PM'y like poker-face.
I wonder actually if a PM like Tony Blair would be the most effective in stopping the boats.
Gets the issue (and in no way dismisses it or avoids hard truths in the British interest) and would be sufficiently internationalist to actually do the deals to fix it.
You're probably right. If you haven't got the fortitude for tow backs, which the tories clearly haven't, then the only person who can (っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ STOP THE BOATS ♥ is Macron. Could Blair flatter and/or bribe Macron into doing it. Maybe.
The French President would probably agree to discuss it. Then, when an attempt to discuss it was made, accuse Blair of bad manners.
We now await news of which MSPs might fancy their chances of winning the right to lead the SNP to humiliation in the coming general election. To whoever ends up with the crown, might I humbly suggest they try to get through their victory speech without describing their opponents as the scum of the Earth.
I see it is Hammer the Disabled Day on Sunak's news grid.
A multi-millionaire (with an even richer wife) hammering the the sick and disabled isn't a good look, is it?
Sunak is very right wing. He believes government is there only to defend the country and ensure the rich keep their wealth. The Conservative Party have previously done a good job of pretending to be on the side of the common man and woman. Sunak's sin is not even to bother to pretend.
I always get the impression that a lot of Tories think that most who claim to be disabled are having us on. No doubt there are a few (always fun to see a case in the Daily Mail of someone claiming to be unable to walk more than a few steps, shown running a local marathon or some such. But it is unlikely to be that many people, and those in genuine need should not suffer because of them.
Support for disabled folk is clearly going to be very specific to the individual.
Not if the current administration stays in power. It's going to be considerably curtailed across the board..
If Swinney runs, he feels like the winning candidate to me*.
He probably keeps the Greens on side.
He doesn’t rock the boat too much within the party.
*but again, I do think this is a bit of an awkward one to predict. You’re going to have all sorts of external influence about who members should choose based on the parliamentary arithmetic etc, and I’m not sure how that will swing things.
Alba currently have 2 MPs, 1 MSP and 2 councillors. No-one has ever been elected under the Alba label, however. They won nothing in the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary election and nothing in the 2022 local elections, despite both being under PR systems. They've won nothing in any by-elections. Does Salmond care or is this just about extracting revenge on the SNP?
I wonder actually if a PM like Tony Blair would be the most effective in stopping the boats.
Gets the issue (and in no way dismisses it or avoids hard truths in the British interest) and would be sufficiently internationalist to actually do the deals to fix it.
You're probably right. If you haven't got the fortitude for tow backs, which the tories clearly haven't, then the only person who can (っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ STOP THE BOATS ♥ is Macron. Could Blair flatter and/or bribe Macron into doing it. Maybe.
Two thirds of a supergroup: The Gods of Centrism. Just need Bill Clinton facilitating and we have it.
Biggest problem with Forbes becoming FM is I can't see how she'd be able to form a government. The Greens despise her more than Yousaf, and the men in grey suits have made it abundantly clear they don't want a deal with Alba. I think that ultimately means 1) the Sturgeon wing will do their absolute upmost to stop her 2) if she does win the leadership then they'd have to be an immediate Holyrood election.
She might be able to do a deal with the Tories, perhaps, just to abstain on her becoming FM, and then something to get budgets passed?
So polling in states like Nevada and Georgia have swung more to Trump than the national polling, whereas Wisconsin and Pennsylvania less.
Trump's electoral college advantage looks like it could be less than last time (Biden would need Pennsylvania and Michigan and Wisconsin to just win the EC, assuming Nebraska still gives him 1 vote). But Biden would need more than 1.8% lead nationally to win the EC on those figures.
What devolved powers do they have. The ability to set rates for public car parks at national monuments. Anything else? It is a mickey mouse government thinking they have powers to do this, that, and the other on the world stage but they have no such power hence are reduced to arguing the toss about trans rights and Gaza.
Like a student government that the grown ups indulge and laugh at.
I wonder actually if a PM like Tony Blair would be the most effective in stopping the boats.
Gets the issue (and in no way dismisses it or avoids hard truths in the British interest) and would be sufficiently internationalist to actually do the deals to fix it.
You're probably right. If you haven't got the fortitude for tow backs, which the tories clearly haven't, then the only person who can (っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ STOP THE BOATS ♥ is Macron. Could Blair flatter and/or bribe Macron into doing it. Maybe.
I don't think we'd even have the fortitude for puncturing boats with knives, like the French are doing, without mass hysteria and passive resistance from Border Farce.
Macron craves attention and recognition so Blair could play him like a fiddle.
Finally gone over to the ubiquitous Smartmeter. Gas all online with 1/2 hour granular detail available. Electricity 4-6 weeks to come online though ?!
What sort of archaic systems are in the back end of our grid for it to take that long ?
Thanks so much for mentioning this. I have been trying to get one for 4 years, last year they said it was now possible in our area but there are never any appointments. On reading your post I just looked and there was an appointment for Thursday (presumably a cancellation). .
Good luck. When mine were installed, they caused a gas leak.
Biggest problem with Forbes becoming FM is I can't see how she'd be able to form a government. The Greens despise her more than Yousaf, and the men in grey suits have made it abundantly clear they don't want a deal with Alba. I think that ultimately means 1) the Sturgeon wing will do their absolute upmost to stop her 2) if she does win the leadership then they'd have to be an immediate Holyrood election.
She might be able to do a deal with the Tories, perhaps, just to abstain on her becoming FM, and then something to get budgets passed?
I think she gets defenestrated if she tries to a deal with Ross. Things have changed since 2007.
I wonder actually if a PM like Tony Blair would be the most effective in stopping the boats.
Gets the issue (and in no way dismisses it or avoids hard truths in the British interest) and would be sufficiently internationalist to actually do the deals to fix it.
I have see two videos of the French police putting the inflatable boats out of use by knifing them. Seems to me to be the way to go. Can we buy the French more knives?
Ultimately we have the confrontation of international laws designed for a different era, plus millions (billions?) who see the Western lifestyle, look around at the shit holes that they live in and fancy a change, cynical people smuggling gangs, and nations that just don't want the problem (both us and France are culpable - the current government, and many if the British public, don't want those crossing the channel from a safe country (France) and the French just want them gone to where they want to go (UK).) How this gets resolved is THE major challenge for Starmer's new government.
I think his view is, essentially, that if they've made all the effort to get here they must have a good reason and should be given the benefit of the doubt.
Yvette Cooper's main job will be to do the moirologist act over how awful it all is.
If Swinney runs, he feels like the winning candidate to me*.
He probably keeps the Greens on side.
He doesn’t rock the boat too much within the party.
*but again, I do think this is a bit of an awkward one to predict. You’re going to have all sorts of external influence about who members should choose based on the parliamentary arithmetic etc, and I’m not sure how that will swing things.
I would be amazed if he ran for leader rather than took it on as temporary caretaker. The only motive for the former would be to take the hit for electoral defeat and leave a cleanish sheet for his successor, and I don't think even he's that selfless.
Contra Unionist sneering he's quite popular in the party and seen as honourable so would work as a calming caretaker. I believe his wife has MS so I guess he would be doing a lot of consulting with her before taking on all the shite that goes with being even a temporary leader.
We now await news of which MSPs might fancy their chances of winning the right to lead the SNP to humiliation in the coming general election. To whoever ends up with the crown, might I humbly suggest they try to get through their victory speech without describing their opponents as the scum of the Earth.
I wonder actually if a PM like Tony Blair would be the most effective in stopping the boats.
Gets the issue (and in no way dismisses it or avoids hard truths in the British interest) and would be sufficiently internationalist to actually do the deals to fix it.
You're probably right. If you haven't got the fortitude for tow backs, which the tories clearly haven't, then the only person who can (っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ STOP THE BOATS ♥ is Macron. Could Blair flatter and/or bribe Macron into doing it. Maybe.
The French President would probably agree to discuss it. Then, when an attempt to discuss it was made, accuse Blair of bad manners.
Macron would want Blair's help in tackling it at source- he has big problems in France with it.
Ultimately the EU is going to have to use force in the Med to repel all boarders.
What devolved powers do they have. The ability to set rates for public car parks at national monuments. Anything else? It is a mickey mouse government thinking they have powers to do this, that, and the other on the world stage but they have no such power hence are reduced to arguing the toss about trans rights and Gaza.
Like a student government that the grown ups indulge and laugh at.
Finally gone over to the ubiquitous Smartmeter. Gas all online with 1/2 hour granular detail available. Electricity 4-6 weeks to come online though ?!
What sort of archaic systems are in the back end of our grid for it to take that long ?
Thanks so much for mentioning this. I have been trying to get one for 4 years, last year they said it was now possible in our area but there are never any appointments. On reading your post I just looked and there was an appointment for Thursday (presumably a cancellation). .
Good luck. When mine were installed, they caused a gas leak.
I've been trying to get one for a year. The one time I have got an engineer to turn up, she told me she couldn't get to either gas or electric meter. I'm not bothered about the gas meter - I'm only doing it so I can export my solar - but I'm trying again with the electric - I've arranged an electrician to turn up at the same time to move the consumer unit so she can get to it. Seems a right bloody palaver for something which they apparently want us to do.
What, exactly, was HY's plan here when he wiped his hairy ringpiece on the Bute House agreement?
I presume the Greens will support the SNP as long as it led by anybody but HY or Sister Kate of the Immaculate Forehead? That would seem to be the logical move. To the limited extent that logic has any purchase over this fiasco.
I can only assume Yousaf has some great long-odds bets on his exit date, the date of the next Holyrood election and the next leader of the SNP.
Unless he's another Lib Dem sleeper agent
Or he's been tipped the wink by Police Scotland that Nicola is about to be arrested and charged and wants out ASAP?
If Swinney runs, he feels like the winning candidate to me*.
He probably keeps the Greens on side.
He doesn’t rock the boat too much within the party.
*but again, I do think this is a bit of an awkward one to predict. You’re going to have all sorts of external influence about who members should choose based on the parliamentary arithmetic etc, and I’m not sure how that will swing things.
I would be amazed if he ran for leader rather than took it on as temporary caretaker. The only motive for the former would be to take the hit for electoral defeat and leave a cleanish sheet for his successor, and I don't think even he's that selfless.
Contra Unionist sneering he's quite popular in the party and seen as honourable so would work as a calming caretaker. I believe his wife has MS so I guess he would be doing a lot of consulting with her before taking on all the shite that goes with being even a temporary leader.
But its going "Yousaf > Next Leader" isn't it?
Yousaf's done a Sturgeon, waiting for the last possible moment to exit Stage Left, rather than immediately resign and call for an interim leader.
I wonder actually if a PM like Tony Blair would be the most effective in stopping the boats.
Gets the issue (and in no way dismisses it or avoids hard truths in the British interest) and would be sufficiently internationalist to actually do the deals to fix it.
You're probably right. If you haven't got the fortitude for tow backs, which the tories clearly haven't, then the only person who can (っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ STOP THE BOATS ♥ is Macron. Could Blair flatter and/or bribe Macron into doing it. Maybe.
The French President would probably agree to discuss it. Then, when an attempt to discuss it was made, accuse Blair of bad manners.
Macron would want Blair's help in tackling it at source- he has big problems in France with it.
Ultimately the EU is going to have to use force in the Med to repel all boarders.
That would help but due to poor customer service by North African traffickers (Free rape and/or kidnapping with every passage. Use code FUCKED for 10% discount on check out.) more now travel to Europe overland via "Route Balkan".
What devolved powers do they have. The ability to set rates for public car parks at national monuments. Anything else? It is a mickey mouse government thinking they have powers to do this, that, and the other on the world stage but they have no such power hence are reduced to arguing the toss about trans rights and Gaza.
Like a student government that the grown ups indulge and laugh at.
Of course it is. Have you seen the lecterns that the "MSPs" stand behind, as if they're giving lectures? But sometimes even a student Mickey Mouse local council politician can do something right, and HY has shown more guts on Gaza than almost any "grown-up" politician and he deserves credit for this.
Similarly with Leo Varadkar - more guts on Gaza than Starmer and Sunak put together times 100.
It's so transparent watching media hacks being fed the line that nobody should dare run against Swinney if he chooses to stand for the leadership. The SNP are desperate to get Ross Greer's "work dad" in place ASAP. https://x.com/WingsScotland/status/1784933703661105246
I would be amazed if he ran for leader rather than took it on as temporary caretaker. The only motive for the former would be to take the hit for electoral defeat and leave a cleanish sheet for his successor, and I don't think even he's that selfless.
That's exactly the plan.
Oor 'Scotch expert' not fully up to speed there...
More chaos ahoy. Humza Yousaf does a Sturgeon and announces his intention to resign as FM but not until SNP members (number TBC) have chosen another leader. Stand by for another unedifying dogfight on the cusp of a general election
This is presumably to pause the 28 day countdown timer to an election if no replacement FM in place. I don't see the Greens wanting to VoNC to force an election.
Humza has been the opposite of astute but this move makes sense.
The SGP is polling quite well. Need they fear an election?
It's a good question. The Greens are being conciliatory to the SNP now rather than pushing to collapse the government. Which suggests they don't want an election.
No point gaining MSPs if they no longer hold the balance of power.
The US - where debate is more polarised - is going in the opposite direction to the UK on gender identity ideology. UN expert @UNSRVAW says that redefining sex as gender identity in Title IX will increase the risk of male violence against women and girls....
It's a tragedy to see politicians on the left - in this case the Biden administration - collude in the erosion of women's protections against sex discrimination and single-sex spaces
What devolved powers do they have. The ability to set rates for public car parks at national monuments. Anything else? It is a mickey mouse government thinking they have powers to do this, that, and the other on the world stage but they have no such power hence are reduced to arguing the toss about trans rights and Gaza.
Like a student government that the grown ups indulge and laugh at.
You voted for Boris.
High pitched squeal: But Jezza made me do it!
Boris became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
United Kingdom. Shall we ponder on that for a moment.
According to wiki, of all things, the United Kingdom appears to include the great empire of Scotland.
Boris may be an effete arsehole but you know what the great man said about that.
What devolved powers do they have. The ability to set rates for public car parks at national monuments. Anything else? It is a mickey mouse government thinking they have powers to do this, that, and the other on the world stage but they have no such power hence are reduced to arguing the toss about trans rights and Gaza.
Like a student government that the grown ups indulge and laugh at.
Of course it is. Have you seen the lecterns that the "MSPs" stand behind, as if they're giving lectures? But sometimes even a student Mickey Mouse local council politician can do something right, and HY has shown more guts on Gaza than almost any "grown-up" politician and he deserves credit for this.
Similarly with Leo Varadkar - more guts on Gaza than Starmer and Sunak put together times 100.
Not sure it takes 'guts' to just do what those shouting the loudest want.
I wonder actually if a PM like Tony Blair would be the most effective in stopping the boats.
Gets the issue (and in no way dismisses it or avoids hard truths in the British interest) and would be sufficiently internationalist to actually do the deals to fix it.
You're probably right. If you haven't got the fortitude for tow backs, which the tories clearly haven't, then the only person who can (っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ STOP THE BOATS ♥ is Macron. Could Blair flatter and/or bribe Macron into doing it. Maybe.
The French President would probably agree to discuss it. Then, when an attempt to discuss it was made, accuse Blair of bad manners.
Macron would want Blair's help in tackling it at source- he has big problems in France with it.
Ultimately the EU is going to have to use force in the Med to repel all boarders.
That would help but due to poor customer service by North African traffickers (Free rape and/or kidnapping with every passage. Use code FUCKED for 10% discount on check out.) more now travel to Europe overland via "Route Balkan".
Also the Libyan Coast Guard who introduced 100% employment on zero hour, zero pay contracts for the migrants they provide involuntary accommodation for.
WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE MAKE THIS WHOLE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO SCOTLAND THING GO AWAY.
No one cares ffs.
I care deeply about Scotland.
I'm a Unionist.
Don't be absurd. Literally no one else cares. You and Big G that's it.
And you wonder why so many Scots want independence.
And so many don't. The majority, even. They recognise that Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom. Would we be having this discussion if the leader of Hartlepool council suddenly stepped down.
What devolved powers do they have. The ability to set rates for public car parks at national monuments. Anything else? It is a mickey mouse government thinking they have powers to do this, that, and the other on the world stage but they have no such power hence are reduced to arguing the toss about trans rights and Gaza.
Like a student government that the grown ups indulge and laugh at.
What devolved powers do they have. The ability to set rates for public car parks at national monuments. Anything else? It is a mickey mouse government thinking they have powers to do this, that, and the other on the world stage but they have no such power hence are reduced to arguing the toss about trans rights and Gaza.
Like a student government that the grown ups indulge and laugh at.
Of course it is. Have you seen the lecterns that the "MSPs" stand behind, as if they're giving lectures? But sometimes even a student Mickey Mouse local council politician can do something right, and HY has shown more guts on Gaza than almost any "grown-up" politician and he deserves credit for this.
Similarly with Leo Varadkar - more guts on Gaza than Starmer and Sunak put together times 100.
Yes they are key decision-makers in the whole Gaza episode. Well done them. And Owen Jones don't forget his guts.
Alba currently have 2 MPs, 1 MSP and 2 councillors. No-one has ever been elected under the Alba label, however. They won nothing in the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary election and nothing in the 2022 local elections, despite both being under PR systems. They've won nothing in any by-elections. Does Salmond care or is this just about extracting revenge on the SNP?
I would be amazed if he ran for leader rather than took it on as temporary caretaker. The only motive for the former would be to take the hit for electoral defeat and leave a cleanish sheet for his successor, and I don't think even he's that selfless.
That's exactly the plan.
Oor 'Scotch expert' not fully up to speed there...
Certainly the theory is mooted that Beeker (Greer) pulls the strings, and shorn of Harvie & Slater could see another love in with a Swinney SNP.
I wonder actually if a PM like Tony Blair would be the most effective in stopping the boats.
Gets the issue (and in no way dismisses it or avoids hard truths in the British interest) and would be sufficiently internationalist to actually do the deals to fix it.
You're probably right. If you haven't got the fortitude for tow backs, which the tories clearly haven't, then the only person who can (っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ STOP THE BOATS ♥ is Macron. Could Blair flatter and/or bribe Macron into doing it. Maybe.
The French President would probably agree to discuss it. Then, when an attempt to discuss it was made, accuse Blair of bad manners.
Macron would want Blair's help in tackling it at source- he has big problems in France with it.
Ultimately the EU is going to have to use force in the Med to repel all boarders.
The EU *is* using force in the Med. both directly - see accounts of behaviour by Italian and Greek coast guard - and indirectly.
The Libyans claim to have cleaned up their act, but….
What devolved powers do they have. The ability to set rates for public car parks at national monuments. Anything else? It is a mickey mouse government thinking they have powers to do this, that, and the other on the world stage but they have no such power hence are reduced to arguing the toss about trans rights and Gaza.
Like a student government that the grown ups indulge and laugh at.
Of course it is. Have you seen the lecterns that the "MSPs" stand behind, as if they're giving lectures? But sometimes even a student Mickey Mouse local council politician can do something right, and HY has shown more guts on Gaza than almost any "grown-up" politician and he deserves credit for this.
Similarly with Leo Varadkar - more guts on Gaza than Starmer and Sunak put together times 100.
They don't stand behind them. They sit at them. The things are called 'desks', with voting buttons and screens and all. One for each MSP, even.
I do appreciate it's difficult for someone used to the HoC for the last 6-700 years. But that alone makes thing far more efficient than the voting lobby system.
"In contrast to the Scottish Greens, the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats says he will continue to back a motion of no confidence against the Scottish government, if Scottish Labour pursue it.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live, Alex Cole-Hamilton says: "If Labour choose to press that confidence vote in the government, then we will continue to support it."
WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE MAKE THIS WHOLE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO SCOTLAND THING GO AWAY.
No one cares ffs.
I care deeply about Scotland.
I'm a Unionist.
Don't be absurd. Literally no one else cares. You and Big G that's it.
And you wonder why so many Scots want independence.
And so many don't. The majority, even. They recognise that Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom. Would we be having this discussion if the leader of Hartlepool council suddenly stepped down.
Not a majority. A minority, as with the Yessers. Which lot is bigger varies from week to week.
WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE MAKE THIS WHOLE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO SCOTLAND THING GO AWAY.
No one cares ffs.
I care deeply about Scotland.
I'm a Unionist.
Don't be absurd. Literally no one else cares. You and Big G that's it.
And you wonder why so many Scots want independence.
And so many don't. The majority, even. They recognise that Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom. Would we be having this discussion if the leader of Hartlepool council suddenly stepped down.
Not a majority. A minority, as with the Yessers. Which lot is bigger varies from week to week.
A majority as of the only time anyone has been asked in the past 20 years so I'll go with a majority.
Pretty obvious that to avoid a rammy this side of a General election (avoiding the tartan on tartan collateral of the last leadership election & at least give a semblance of unity -the nats will fall into line behind a John Swinney leadership - 20 years after he was last leader.
What devolved powers do they have. The ability to set rates for public car parks at national monuments. Anything else? It is a mickey mouse government thinking they have powers to do this, that, and the other on the world stage but they have no such power hence are reduced to arguing the toss about trans rights and Gaza.
Like a student government that the grown ups indulge and laugh at.
Similarly with Leo Varadkar
What has Leo achieved for Gaza?
He’s told them that AI is coming and they will soon all be out of work, if they aren’t already.
WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE MAKE THIS WHOLE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO SCOTLAND THING GO AWAY.
No one cares ffs.
I care deeply about Scotland.
I'm a Unionist.
Don't be absurd. Literally no one else cares. You and Big G that's it.
And you wonder why so many Scots want independence.
And so many don't. The majority, even. They recognise that Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom. Would we be having this discussion if the leader of Hartlepool council suddenly stepped down.
Not a majority. A minority, as with the Yessers. Which lot is bigger varies from week to week.
A majority as of the only time anyone has been asked in the past 20 years so I'll go with a majority.
The rest is conjecture.
You’re doing a grand job on the no one cares front.
WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE MAKE THIS WHOLE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO SCOTLAND THING GO AWAY.
No one cares ffs.
I care deeply about Scotland.
I'm a Unionist.
Don't be absurd. Literally no one else cares. You and Big G that's it.
And you wonder why so many Scots want independence.
And so many don't. The majority, even. They recognise that Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom. Would we be having this discussion if the leader of Hartlepool council suddenly stepped down.
Not a majority. A minority, as with the Yessers. Which lot is bigger varies from week to week.
A majority as of the only time anyone has been asked in the past 20 years so I'll go with a majority.
The rest is conjecture.
You’re doing a grand job on the no one cares front.
Thanks, much appreciated. For some reason everyone else is banging on about it as though it is an important event.
The US - where debate is more polarised - is going in the opposite direction to the UK on gender identity ideology. UN expert @UNSRVAW says that redefining sex as gender identity in Title IX will increase the risk of male violence against women and girls....
It's a tragedy to see politicians on the left - in this case the Biden administration - collude in the erosion of women's protections against sex discrimination and single-sex spaces
Different countries. The number of elected positions in the US is dramatically larger in the UK (famously, "dog-catcher" is elected) and anti-trans sentiment is focussed via them. And, since wherever there are elections there are parties, it becomes a partisan issue. Information can be gathered via open meetings, hearings, election pitches, etc, and can be tracked and visualised.
In the UK, which has more non-elected state institutions involved in everyday life, such sentiment is reflected in bureaucracy (eg all prospective transitioners funnelled into specialist clinics, which inevitably develop long queues as supply is restricted), which is less visible. Information-gatherers have to resort to FOI requests or guesswork.
The FT article itself is paywalled, but if Tim Harford is representative of their columnists, then it's not worth paying for.
I've studied the history of solar energy and it never once occured to me that people might think that the technology would get cheaper with time by itself without mass production. What a bizarre belief https://twitter.com/MaxJerneck/status/1784594856104399167
If Swinney runs, he feels like the winning candidate to me*.
He probably keeps the Greens on side.
He doesn’t rock the boat too much within the party.
*but again, I do think this is a bit of an awkward one to predict. You’re going to have all sorts of external influence about who members should choose based on the parliamentary arithmetic etc, and I’m not sure how that will swing things.
I would be amazed if he ran for leader rather than took it on as temporary caretaker. The only motive for the former would be to take the hit for electoral defeat and leave a cleanish sheet for his successor, and I don't think even he's that selfless.
Contra Unionist sneering he's quite popular in the party and seen as honourable so would work as a calming caretaker. I believe his wife has MS so I guess he would be doing a lot of consulting with her before taking on all the shite that goes with being even a temporary leader.
The SNP, like the Tories, are in a position where they probably need to regroup and decide whether they want to stay on the left, aligned with the Greens and be a party of devolution with an aspiration of independence at some specified time in the future (the Sturgeon continuity wing), move towards the centre with independence more to the fore and social issues less prominent (the Forbes wing) or become a purely independence party as they once were. As an SNP member, even I recognise that sometimes parties are in power too long and end up taken over by time servers, as happened to Scottish Labour.
Finally gone over to the ubiquitous Smartmeter. Gas all online with 1/2 hour granular detail available. Electricity 4-6 weeks to come online though ?!
What sort of archaic systems are in the back end of our grid for it to take that long ?
Thanks so much for mentioning this. I have been trying to get one for 4 years, last year they said it was now possible in our area but there are never any appointments. On reading your post I just looked and there was an appointment for Thursday (presumably a cancellation). .
Good luck. When mine were installed, they caused a gas leak.
I've been trying to get one for a year. The one time I have got an engineer to turn up, she told me she couldn't get to either gas or electric meter. I'm not bothered about the gas meter - I'm only doing it so I can export my solar - but I'm trying again with the electric - I've arranged an electrician to turn up at the same time to move the consumer unit so she can get to it. Seems a right bloody palaver for something which they apparently want us to do.
WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE MAKE THIS WHOLE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO SCOTLAND THING GO AWAY.
No one cares ffs.
I care deeply about Scotland.
I'm a Unionist.
Don't be absurd. Literally no one else cares. You and Big G that's it.
You're saying the inhabitants of Scotland are "literally nobody" ? Interesting take.
I am saying that no one cares what the "government" of Scotland does or doesn't do for the most part it seems to consist of making downtown Edinburgh a Gaza Sympathy Zone.
WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE MAKE THIS WHOLE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO SCOTLAND THING GO AWAY.
No one cares ffs.
I care deeply about Scotland.
I'm a Unionist.
Don't be absurd. Literally no one else cares. You and Big G that's it.
And you wonder why so many Scots want independence.
And so many don't. The majority, even. They recognise that Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom. Would we be having this discussion if the leader of Hartlepool council suddenly stepped down.
Not a majority. A minority, as with the Yessers. Which lot is bigger varies from week to week.
A majority as of the only time anyone has been asked in the past 20 years so I'll go with a majority.
The rest is conjecture.
You’re doing a grand job on the no one cares front.
Thanks, much appreciated. For some reason everyone else is banging on about it as though it is an important event.
I am not sure whether to care about you caring about the nobody cares, or be uncaring about you caring about the nobody cares. I am impressed by those who care enough about you caring about the nobody cares to tell you that they don't care, but am unsure how to care about it. Please accept my state of some befuddlement until the matter is resolved.
The FT article itself is paywalled, but if Tim Harford is representative of their columnists, then it's not worth paying for.
I've studied the history of solar energy and it never once occured to me that people might think that the technology would get cheaper with time by itself without mass production. What a bizarre belief https://twitter.com/MaxJerneck/status/1784594856104399167
Wasn't that essentially the position of Bjorn Lomborg and others, that we shouldn't have spent anything on renewable energy at the time (20 ish years ago), but waited until they were cheaper? The implicit assumption being that the technology would become magically cheaper without any investment in it.
The FT article itself is paywalled, but if Tim Harford is representative of their columnists, then it's not worth paying for.
I've studied the history of solar energy and it never once occured to me that people might think that the technology would get cheaper with time by itself without mass production. What a bizarre belief https://twitter.com/MaxJerneck/status/1784594856104399167
Wasn't that essentially the position of Bjorn Lomborg and others, that we shouldn't have spent anything on renewable energy at the time (20 ish years ago), but waited until they were cheaper? The implicit assumption being that the technology would become magically cheaper without any investment in it.
You can freeload and hope someone else spends the money while you wait on the sidelines but I don’t think it’s a great idea if you want some say in the long term future
Understand one potential frontrunner Neil Gray is telling colleagues he wants John Swinney to stand as leader of the SNP and that's his first choice to replace Humza Yousaf.
WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE MAKE THIS WHOLE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO SCOTLAND THING GO AWAY.
No one cares ffs.
I care deeply about Scotland.
I'm a Unionist.
Don't be absurd. Literally no one else cares. You and Big G that's it.
You're saying the inhabitants of Scotland are "literally nobody" ? Interesting take.
I am saying that no one cares what the "government" of Scotland does or doesn't do for the most part it seems to consist of making downtown Edinburgh a Gaza Sympathy Zone.
However "pro-Israel" one might be, I don't think that precludes sympathy for the people of Gaza. At least I hope it doesn't.
Comments
While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.
A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.
You have been warned . . . many, many times!
Sounds like John Swinney could stand for SNP leadership… he days giving it careful consideration and will say more in coming days
Wants to speak to family in particular
But warns party must stay in the centre left to be successful
https://www.betfair.com/exchange/plus/politics/market/1.228297205
£0 so far
Is Ash Regan still the most powerful MSP at Holyrood? Asking for a friend....
I believe Humza genuinely didn’t want to be seen to be being bailed out by Salmond, due to his aversion to what he sees as reactionary culture war nonsense (yes, yes, I know he’s not one to talk) and probably loyalty to Sturgeon.
It's all looking like a successful scheme to remove Yousaf, not to remove the SNP in a general election.
Kate Forbes is probably considered "sound" on Gaza.
Never forget that the Broederbond in South Africa were Calvinists.
.
Gets the issue (and in no way dismisses it or avoids hard truths in the British interest) and would be sufficiently internationalist to actually do the deals to fix it.
I presume the Greens will support the SNP as long as it led by anybody but HY or Sister Kate of the Immaculate Forehead? That would seem to be the logical move. To the limited extent that logic has any purchase over this fiasco.
Flaw in your thinking highlighted.
Ultimately we have the confrontation of international laws designed for a different era, plus millions (billions?) who see the Western lifestyle, look around at the shit holes that they live in and fancy a change, cynical people smuggling gangs, and nations that just don't want the problem (both us and France are culpable - the current government, and many if the British public, don't want those crossing the channel from a safe country (France) and the French just want them gone to where they want to go (UK).) How this gets resolved is THE major challenge for Starmer's new government.
NEW:
@AnasSarwar tells me @ScottishLabour will “see how week plays out” before deciding if motion of no confidence against Govt still goes ahead.
Also scathing of @StephenFlynnSNP: “He encouraged the FM to go on the front foot…he actually shot him in the foot”
@akmaciver
This is the right move by Anas Sarwar. Almost no chance his motion would pass so no sense in being associated with it. Best sit and wait.
"While government must act in good faith, so must our opposition" says Humza Yousaf. That's a little rich given the way in which Sturgeon, Yousaf & others sought to shut down reasoned opposition & good-faith attempts to amend the SNP's self ID reforms.
https://x.com/soniasodha/status/1784903361168388149
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/21/stoking-a-culture-war-no-nicola-sturgeon-this-is-about-balancing-conflicting-rights
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/10/scottish-schools-have-tumbled-from-top-of-the-class-this-is-what-went-wrong
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13361425/French-movie-legend-Gerard-Depardieu-75-placed-custody-Paris-claims-sexually-assaulted-two-female-production-workers-film-sets.html
Unless he's another Lib Dem sleeper agent
I'm a Unionist.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/humza-yousafs-biggest-mistake/
He probably keeps the Greens on side.
He doesn’t rock the boat too much within the party.
*but again, I do think this is a bit of an awkward one to predict. You’re going to have all sorts of external influence about who members should
choose based on the parliamentary arithmetic etc, and I’m not sure how that will swing things.
National: Trump +1
Arizona: Trump +3.7
Georgia: Trump +6.6
Michigan: Trump +2
Nevada: Trump +6.3
North Carolina: Trump +5.6
Pennsylvania: Trump +1.6
Wisconsin: Trump +2.8
So polling in states like Nevada and Georgia have swung more to Trump than the national polling, whereas Wisconsin and Pennsylvania less.
Trump's electoral college advantage looks like it could be less than last time (Biden would need Pennsylvania and Michigan and Wisconsin to just win the EC, assuming Nebraska still gives him 1 vote). But Biden would need more than 1.8% lead nationally to win the EC on those figures.
Like a student government that the grown ups indulge and laugh at.
Macron craves attention and recognition so Blair could play him like a fiddle.
Yvette Cooper's main job will be to do the moirologist act over how awful it all is.
Forbes is perhaps the only one who might stand against him, but she can't form a Government. Better to wait for the wipeout and go then
Contra Unionist sneering he's quite popular in the party and seen as honourable so would work as a calming caretaker. I believe his wife has MS so I guess he would be doing a lot of consulting with her before taking on all the shite that goes with being even a temporary leader.
Ultimately the EU is going to have to use force in the Med to repel all boarders.
High pitched squeal: But Jezza made me do it!
Yousaf's done a Sturgeon, waiting for the last possible moment to exit Stage Left, rather than immediately resign and call for an interim leader.
Similarly with Leo Varadkar - more guts on Gaza than Starmer and Sunak put together times 100.
It's so transparent watching media hacks being fed the line that nobody should dare run against Swinney if he chooses to stand for the leadership. The SNP are desperate to get Ross Greer's "work dad" in place ASAP.
https://x.com/WingsScotland/status/1784933703661105246
Oor 'Scotch expert' not fully up to speed there...
The US - where debate is more polarised - is going in the opposite direction to the UK on gender identity ideology. UN expert @UNSRVAW says that redefining sex as gender identity in Title IX will increase the risk of male violence against women and girls....
It's a tragedy to see politicians on the left - in this case the Biden administration - collude in the erosion of women's protections against sex discrimination and single-sex spaces
https://x.com/soniasodha/status/1784929745450250251
United Kingdom. Shall we ponder on that for a moment.
According to wiki, of all things, the United Kingdom appears to include the great empire of Scotland.
Boris may be an effete arsehole but you know what the great man said about that.
The Libyans claim to have cleaned up their act, but….
I do appreciate it's difficult for someone used to the HoC for the last 6-700 years. But that alone makes thing far more efficient than the voting lobby system.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live, Alex Cole-Hamilton says: "If Labour choose to press that confidence vote in the government, then we will continue to support it."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-68918348
The rest is conjecture.
Don’t take my word for it. [VIDEO of Sturgeon calling for general election on Truss departure]
https://x.com/scotfax/status/1784936368495349980
Pretty obvious that to avoid a rammy this side of a General election (avoiding the tartan on tartan collateral of the last leadership election & at least give a semblance of unity -the nats will fall into line behind a John Swinney leadership - 20 years after he was last leader.
Mentalists: You know who are the worst antisemites?
Sane people: Who?
Mentalists: Jews!
https://x.com/realzoestrimpel/status/1784569414249058653?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q
In the UK, which has more non-elected state institutions involved in everyday life, such sentiment is reflected in bureaucracy (eg all prospective transitioners funnelled into specialist clinics, which inevitably develop long queues as supply is restricted), which is less visible. Information-gatherers have to resort to FOI requests or guesswork.
Interesting take.
I've studied the history of solar energy and it never once occured to me that people might think that the technology would get cheaper with time by itself without mass production. What a bizarre belief
https://twitter.com/MaxJerneck/status/1784594856104399167
Understand one potential frontrunner Neil Gray is telling colleagues he wants John Swinney to stand as leader of the SNP and that's his first choice to replace Humza Yousaf.
https://x.com/conor_matchett/status/1784941313663664360