politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Three new Scotland polls find Corbyn’s LAB struggling to recover
It might be recalled that in August Corbyn had an extended visit to Scotland with the aim of revitalising the party where it used to be so dominant. Over the past few days we have seen the first published polling since that move
A bit of background from the Nats favourite columnist:
This might seem an opportune time for Scottish Labour to make a fresh start with the voters by talking about the issues that matter to them. That is, after all, why members chose Richard Leonard as leader 11 months ago. He was a break from the leadership class defined by the acrimonious politics of 2014. Leonard, his partisans argued, could take Labour back to its roots.
In that sense, he has proved a sterling success. In its heyday, Scottish Labour was home to so many internecine grudges and bloody vendettas that John Smith House could have doubled as the Corleone family mansion.
Now, the factions and in-fighting are back. Don Leonardo isn’t the most impressive of godfathers — every time he gives a speech, he makes the voters an offer they can’t remember — but this mild-mannered union fixer has done more to undermine unity within Scottish Labour than their political opponents. Leonard should be required to register his leadership as an in-kind donation to the SNP.
"All show LAB still in third place north of the border the part of the UK where they were totally dominant. This all changed, of course, the post September 2014 SNP surge following the IndyRef"
This is a bit of a Westminster-centric view.
- The SNP won the 2007 Holyrood election, by fractions - The 2007 local elections in Scotland were effectively a tie (SNP won most seats, Labour most votes) - The SNP won the 2009 European election, by 29 to 20 per cent - The SNP won the 2011 Holyrood election in 2011 with 44% to Labour's 26%; - The SNP won the 2012 local elections, albeit by nothing like as much; - The SNP won the 2014 European election by 29% to 26%.
The reality is that, other than the 2010 UK general election, Labour's dominance had long gone. What the referendum did was turn what had previously been a one-off, in the 2011 Holyrood election - a big SNP lead and share - into the new norm.
Mr. NorthWales, it does seem, from the outside, reminiscent of the falling between two stools situation (if you want the union, go blue, if you want to separate, go SNP).
How does your family want things to proceed? Is their desire to influence the UK proposals or for divergence for Scotland?
Hard to disagree on the Senate predictions. The Dems have an awfully difficult task.
The interesting question to me is whether the upsurge in Republican enthusiasm we're seeing due to the Kavanagh nomination farce will flow into real votes in the House of Representatives. My gut says it's probably bought them a couple of percent, but I'd reckon the Dems are still narrow favourites (given how gerrymandered it is).
Mr. NorthWales, it does seem, from the outside, reminiscent of the falling between two stools situation (if you want the union, go blue, if you want to separate, go SNP).
How does your family want things to proceed? Is their desire to influence the UK proposals or for divergence for Scotland?
I think the UK government have just ignored Scotland and there will be a price to pay. My hope is that once a deal is announced (hopefully) the UK government will devolve power to Holyrood
Of course the fishing communities want out of the EU and if the fishermen do not get that a lot of Scon seats will fall. I am aware of lifelong SNP supporters who support the Scon for this very reason.
I do not think the English are doing themselves any favours, especially JRM and Boris. Boris would be a disaster for the Scons
Hard to disagree on the Senate predictions. The Dems have an awfully difficult task.
The interesting question to me is whether the upsurge in Republican enthusiasm we're seeing due to the Kavanagh nomination farce will flow into real votes in the House of Representatives. My gut says it's probably bought them a couple of percent, but I'd reckon the Dems are still narrow favourites (given how gerrymandered it is).
It is a good question. To get a benefit, the GOP needs to keep their voters angry for another month. Yet they did get what they wanted, so is that actually achievable? The Dems on the other hand aren't going to find it difficult to keep their voters angry until Nov 6.
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
"All show LAB still in third place north of the border the part of the UK where they were totally dominant. This all changed, of course, the post September 2014 SNP surge following the IndyRef"
This is a bit of a Westminster-centric view.
- The SNP won the 2007 Holyrood election, by fractions - The 2007 local elections in Scotland were effectively a tie (SNP won most seats, Labour most votes) - The SNP won the 2009 European election, by 29 to 20 per cent - The SNP won the 2011 Holyrood election in 2011 with 44% to Labour's 26%; - The SNP won the 2012 local elections, albeit by nothing like as much; - The SNP won the 2014 European election by 29% to 26%.
The reality is that, other than the 2010 UK general election, Labour's dominance had long gone. What the referendum did was turn what had previously been a one-off, in the 2011 Holyrood election - a big SNP lead and share - into the new norm.
You can go back even further than 2007, and find a Labour "overperformance" in Westminster elections, compared to all other Scottish elections.
From the early 1990s right through to Indyref1, there seemed to be a section of voters who voted Labour in UK general elections, but voted SNP for everything else: the SNP also performed better in the 1999 and 2003 Holyrood elections than they did for Westminster. Even in the mid-90s, Labour ran utterly rampant across the UK in the 1994 European elections, but the SNP ran them quite close in Scotland. Then the referendum happened and it converted that chunk of SNP sympathisers into SNP Westminster voters for the first time.
The question is whether 2017 showed that that chunk of "Labour for Westminster, SNP elsewhere" is returning. My guess is that it is a little bit, and that Labour could gain 5-10 extra Westminster seats from the SNP next time, but that the SNP should stay fairly comfortable in Scottish Parliament elections.
That's a little harsh, but there is a problem whereby police officers are taught to follow regulations rather than intervening to protect public safety as their top priority.
"All show LAB still in third place north of the border the part of the UK where they were totally dominant. This all changed, of course, the post September 2014 SNP surge following the IndyRef"
This is a bit of a Westminster-centric view.
- The SNP won the 2007 Holyrood election, by fractions - The 2007 local elections in Scotland were effectively a tie (SNP won most seats, Labour most votes) - The SNP won the 2009 European election, by 29 to 20 per cent - The SNP won the 2011 Holyrood election in 2011 with 44% to Labour's 26%; - The SNP won the 2012 local elections, albeit by nothing like as much; - The SNP won the 2014 European election by 29% to 26%.
The reality is that, other than the 2010 UK general election, Labour's dominance had long gone. What the referendum did was turn what had previously been a one-off, in the 2011 Holyrood election - a big SNP lead and share - into the new norm.
You can go back even further than 2007, and find a Labour "overperformance" in Westminster elections, compared to all other Scottish elections.
From the early 1990s right through to Indyref1, there seemed to be a section of voters who voted Labour in UK general elections, but voted SNP for everything else: the SNP also performed better in the 1999 and 2003 Holyrood elections than they did for Westminster. Even in the mid-90s, Labour ran utterly rampant across the UK in the 1994 European elections, but the SNP ran them quite close in Scotland. Then the referendum happened and it converted that chunk of SNP sympathisers into SNP Westminster voters for the first time.
The question is whether 2017 showed that that chunk of "Labour for Westminster, SNP elsewhere" is returning. My guess is that it is a little bit, and that Labour could gain 5-10 extra Westminster seats from the SNP next time, but that the SNP should stay fairly comfortable in Scottish Parliament elections.
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
Little change overall at Westminster on GE17 though at Holyrood the Tories have made gains in the polls.
As long as the SNP win most seats in Scotland that means the Tories likely won most seats across the UK and Labour would need close to a 10% lead for an majority
Hard to disagree on the Senate predictions. The Dems have an awfully difficult task.
The interesting question to me is whether the upsurge in Republican enthusiasm we're seeing due to the Kavanagh nomination farce will flow into real votes in the House of Representatives. My gut says it's probably bought them a couple of percent, but I'd reckon the Dems are still narrow favourites (given how gerrymandered it is).
Though Kavanaugh's appointment will also likely increase female Democratic turnout
The other thing worth noting about the US is that the new NAFTA agreement blocks Mexico and Canada from having an FTA with China.
You can either have a free trade agreement with the US or with China, but not with both.
Wrong. The NAFTA agreement blocks Mexico and Canada from having a free trade agreement with any country that does not have a free market. The UK has a free market.
A bit of background from the Nats favourite columnist:
This might seem an opportune time for Scottish Labour to make a fresh start with the voters by talking about the issues that matter to them. That is, after all, why members chose Richard Leonard as leader 11 months ago. He was a break from the leadership class defined by the acrimonious politics of 2014. Leonard, his partisans argued, could take Labour back to its roots.
In that sense, he has proved a sterling success. In its heyday, Scottish Labour was home to so many internecine grudges and bloody vendettas that John Smith House could have doubled as the Corleone family mansion.
Now, the factions and in-fighting are back. Don Leonardo isn’t the most impressive of godfathers — every time he gives a speech, he makes the voters an offer they can’t remember — but this mild-mannered union fixer has done more to undermine unity within Scottish Labour than their political opponents. Leonard should be required to register his leadership as an in-kind donation to the SNP.
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
Hard to disagree on the Senate predictions. The Dems have an awfully difficult task.
The interesting question to me is whether the upsurge in Republican enthusiasm we're seeing due to the Kavanagh nomination farce will flow into real votes in the House of Representatives. My gut says it's probably bought them a couple of percent, but I'd reckon the Dems are still narrow favourites (given how gerrymandered it is).
Though Kavanaugh's appointment will also likely increase female Democratic turnout
Are women suscepible to believing in mob rule then?
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
So devolution is irrelevant to them.
Only 5 million of us left
How many of those are English or other non Scot?
Why
Because some of the people living in Scotland are not Scots and they have rights too.
Hard to disagree on the Senate predictions. The Dems have an awfully difficult task.
The interesting question to me is whether the upsurge in Republican enthusiasm we're seeing due to the Kavanagh nomination farce will flow into real votes in the House of Representatives. My gut says it's probably bought them a couple of percent, but I'd reckon the Dems are still narrow favourites (given how gerrymandered it is).
Though Kavanaugh's appointment will also likely increase female Democratic turnout
Are women suscepible to believing in mob rule then?
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
So devolution is irrelevant to them.
Only 5 million of us left
How many of those are English or other non Scot?
Why
Because some of the people living in Scotland are not Scots and they have rights too.
Mr. NorthWales, it does seem, from the outside, reminiscent of the falling between two stools situation (if you want the union, go blue, if you want to separate, go SNP).
How does your family want things to proceed? Is their desire to influence the UK proposals or for divergence for Scotland?
MD , difference is most hate the Tories with a vengence and would slit their throats first
There are three fundamental problems with the US as a trading partner right now.
Firstly, President Trump is simply not a fan of free trade. To his mind, when you and I enter into a voluntary agreement to exchange goods or services for money - well, there's one winner and one loser.
Secondly, existing agreements mean nothing. Like contracts with subcontractors, they are things to be torn up if you gain a momentary advantage. Treaty says you can't impose tariffs on country with which you have agreement? F*ck it.
Thirdly, and most fundamentally, other countries are either subordinate to the US, or a threat to it.
Mr. NorthWales, it does seem, from the outside, reminiscent of the falling between two stools situation (if you want the union, go blue, if you want to separate, go SNP).
How does your family want things to proceed? Is their desire to influence the UK proposals or for divergence for Scotland?
MD , difference is most hate the Tories with a vengence and would slit their throats first
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
G, they had a chance to do that but renaged on all their promises , only complete fools will believe the lies next time
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
So devolution is irrelevant to them.
Only 5 million of us left
How many of those are English or other non Scot?
Why
Because some of the people living in Scotland are not Scots and they have rights too.
The SNP have a concept of civic nationalism which allows English people living in Scotland, like myself, to be considered Scottish for the purposes of voting the right way in any Independence referendum and paying taxes subsequently.
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
So devolution is irrelevant to them.
Only 5 million of us left
How many of those are English or other non Scot?
Why
Because some of the people living in Scotland are not Scots and they have rights too.
I have put the latest GB polls and the three latest Scottish polls into the EMA and used Electoral Calculus with the Scottish submodel to estimate the number of seats on current polling -and the answer is - static:
con 302 seats lab 269 seats LD 17 seats SNP 40 seats UKIP 0 seats PC 3 seats Green 1 seat NI 18 seats
Tories 24 short of a majority. Probably minority Lab government.
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
So devolution is irrelevant to them.
Only 5 million of us left
How many of those are English or other non Scot?
Why
Because some of the people living in Scotland are not Scots and they have rights too.
The SNP have a concept of civic nationalism which allows English people living in Scotland, like myself, to be considered Scottish for the purposes of voting the right way in any Independence referendum and paying taxes subsequently.
What malcolmg makes of it I don't know.
I am all for it , if you are living in Scotland you should have same vote as any other person , born there or not. If you live there you are Scottish.
Mr. NorthWales, it does seem, from the outside, reminiscent of the falling between two stools situation (if you want the union, go blue, if you want to separate, go SNP).
How does your family want things to proceed? Is their desire to influence the UK proposals or for divergence for Scotland?
MD , difference is most hate the Tories with a vengence and would slit their throats first
They dont want to do that to me I hope.
I meant their own throats G, even so I am sure you would be an exception in any case
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
So devolution is irrelevant to them.
Only 5 million of us left
How many of those are English or other non Scot?
Why
Because some of the people living in Scotland are not Scots and they have rights too.
Of course they do and many will be SNP members
There are many English SNP members
I would be SNP in Scotland but pro Union
Just heard the Welsh government saying they will not prevent 12% council tax rises next year. That and monthly bin collections all courtesy of Welsh labour
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
So devolution is irrelevant to them.
Only 5 million of us left
How many of those are English or other non Scot?
Why
Because some of the people living in Scotland are not Scots and they have rights too.
Of course they do and many will be SNP members
There are many English SNP members
I would be SNP in Scotland but pro Union
Just heard the Welsh government saying they will not prevent 12% council tax rises next year. That and monthly bin collections all courtesy of Welsh labour
Labour have completely lost the plot , totally useless.
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
So devolution is irrelevant to them.
Only 5 million of us left
How many of those are English or other non Scot?
Why
Because some of the people living in Scotland are not Scots and they have rights too.
The SNP have a concept of civic nationalism which allows English people living in Scotland, like myself, to be considered Scottish for the purposes of voting the right way in any Independence referendum and paying taxes subsequently.
What malcolmg makes of it I don't know.
I am all for it , if you are living in Scotland you should have same vote as any other person , born there or not. If you live there you are Scottish.
Not quite.
When I lived in Scotland I was half welsh, half english but got over the problem by marrying a Scots lass
I have put the latest GB polls and the three latest Scottish polls into the EMA and used Electoral Calculus with the Scottish submodel to estimate the number of seats on current polling -and the answer is - static:
con 302 seats lab 269 seats LD 17 seats SNP 40 seats UKIP 0 seats PC 3 seats Green 1 seat NI 18 seats
Tories 24 short of a majority. Probably minority Lab government.
I have put the latest GB polls and the three latest Scottish polls into the EMA and used Electoral Calculus with the Scottish submodel to estimate the number of seats on current polling -and the answer is - static:
con 302 seats lab 269 seats LD 17 seats SNP 40 seats UKIP 0 seats PC 3 seats Green 1 seat NI 18 seats
Tories 24 short of a majority. Probably minority Lab government.
Hard to disagree on the Senate predictions. The Dems have an awfully difficult task.
The interesting question to me is whether the upsurge in Republican enthusiasm we're seeing due to the Kavanagh nomination farce will flow into real votes in the House of Representatives. My gut says it's probably bought them a couple of percent, but I'd reckon the Dems are still narrow favourites (given how gerrymandered it is).
Though Kavanaugh's appointment will also likely increase female Democratic turnout
Are women suscepible to believing in mob rule then?
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
So devolution is irrelevant to them.
Only 5 million of us left
How many of those are English or other non Scot?
Why
Because some of the people living in Scotland are not Scots and they have rights too.
The SNP have a concept of civic nationalism which allows English people living in Scotland, like myself, to be considered Scottish for the purposes of voting the right way in any Independence referendum and paying taxes subsequently.
What malcolmg makes of it I don't know.
There was no stranger sight than leading up to the IndyRef2 and seeing Scots living in England holding the simultaneous views 1) The SNP are Nazis and must be stopped, nationalism is disgusting 2) As a pure blood Scot it is outrageous I do not have a vote in the SindyRef.
The other thing worth noting about the US is that the new NAFTA agreement blocks Mexico and Canada from having an FTA with China.
You can either have a free trade agreement with the US or with China, but not with both.
Wrong. The NAFTA agreement blocks Mexico and Canada from having a free trade agreement with any country that does not have a free market. The UK has a free market.
Interesting. Who determines what is or isn't a "free market?" Almost every country has a mixed economy, what is the threshold?
Hard to disagree on the Senate predictions. The Dems have an awfully difficult task.
The interesting question to me is whether the upsurge in Republican enthusiasm we're seeing due to the Kavanagh nomination farce will flow into real votes in the House of Representatives. My gut says it's probably bought them a couple of percent, but I'd reckon the Dems are still narrow favourites (given how gerrymandered it is).
Though Kavanaugh's appointment will also likely increase female Democratic turnout
Are women suscepible to believing in mob rule then?
The other thing worth noting about the US is that the new NAFTA agreement blocks Mexico and Canada from having an FTA with China.
You can either have a free trade agreement with the US or with China, but not with both.
Wrong. The NAFTA agreement blocks Mexico and Canada from having a free trade agreement with any country that does not have a free market. The UK has a free market.
Justin24 will ba along soon to tell us how his bones see big gains for SLab at the expense of both the SCons and the SNats. All polling can therefore be ignored till it agree with him.
The only way to respect the Scots is to grant them extensive devolution
Surely most Scots are now in England and Wales or overseas, not in Scotland?
So devolution is irrelevant to them.
Only 5 million of us left
How many of those are English or other non Scot?
Why
Because some of the people living in Scotland are not Scots and they have rights too.
Of course they do and many will be SNP members
There are many English SNP members
I would be SNP in Scotland but pro Union
Just heard the Welsh government saying they will not prevent 12% council tax rises next year. That and monthly bin collections all courtesy of Welsh labour
Why would you be SNP rather than backing Ruth’s Scottish Conservatives? Apologies if I’m missing something.
Homo Sapiens beat the Neanderthals, not because we were stronger, (we weren't) but because we cooperated better as a species in joint defence, shared development of tools etc.
Our standard of living today is based on this cooperation - provision of health, education, defence, infrastructure and development of science and technology. Competition is a small tactical component.
But in the West, there is a massive move to personal selfishness and competition. It is not only financial selfishness (lower taxes and poorer public services) but competition to be the more perfect human being showing off our toned bodies and perfect features on Instagram.
We are going to be swamped and overtaken by the East who are more collective - unless we wake up and stop the zero-sum games. We in the West are in danger of being the new Neanderthals.
This is because they are not stupid. 'Regulatory' checks cannot be 'de-dramatised' - they are reflections of a legal reality. The legal reality will be that NI will be in a completely different regulatory environment than GB, ruled by Brussels. Goods from GB may not be imported into NI without complying with EU regulations which will eliminate 'frictionless trade' within the UK. It is a complete nonsense and they are quite right to reject it.
You can't fudge a customs union, or two different regulatory systems.
I have put the latest GB polls and the three latest Scottish polls into the EMA and used Electoral Calculus with the Scottish submodel to estimate the number of seats on current polling -and the answer is - static:
con 302 seats lab 269 seats LD 17 seats SNP 40 seats UKIP 0 seats PC 3 seats Green 1 seat NI 18 seats
Tories 24 short of a majority. Probably minority Lab government.
Labour needs SNP plus LDs plus PC plus Greens for Corbyn to become PM on those numbers and have a majority of MPs behind him in Parliament
I have put the latest GB polls and the three latest Scottish polls into the EMA and used Electoral Calculus with the Scottish submodel to estimate the number of seats on current polling -and the answer is - static:
con 302 seats lab 269 seats LD 17 seats SNP 40 seats UKIP 0 seats PC 3 seats Green 1 seat NI 18 seats
Tories 24 short of a majority. Probably minority Lab government.
Labour needs SNP plus LDs plus PC plus Greens for Corbyn to become PM on those numbers and have a majority of MPs behind him in Parliament
The Tories would have 312 including the DUP. Labour need more than that to survive a vote of no confidence. SNP plus PC plus Green would give them 313 plus a few NI. As long as the LDs abstained, Lab would survive but it would be very thin. In practice I suspect the LD would a DUP style S&C and hold Labour to policies that the LD support.
This is because they are not stupid. 'Regulatory' checks cannot be 'de-dramatised' - they are reflections of a legal reality. The legal reality will be that NI will be in a completely different regulatory environment than GB, ruled by Brussels. Goods from GB may not be imported into NI without complying with EU regulations which will eliminate 'frictionless trade' within the UK. It is a complete nonsense and they are quite right to reject it.
You can't fudge a customs union, or two different regulatory systems.
Notice Dodds does not oppose the whole UK staying in the Customs Union as May is proposing, just the latest proposition on regulatory checks in GB from the ERG
The other thing worth noting about the US is that the new NAFTA agreement blocks Mexico and Canada from having an FTA with China.
You can either have a free trade agreement with the US or with China, but not with both.
Wrong. The NAFTA agreement blocks Mexico and Canada from having a free trade agreement with any country that does not have a free market. The UK has a free market.
Errr. Yes.
That's exactly what I said.
So, if the UK had an FTA with the US, it would not be able to have one with China.
I have put the latest GB polls and the three latest Scottish polls into the EMA and used Electoral Calculus with the Scottish submodel to estimate the number of seats on current polling -and the answer is - static:
con 302 seats lab 269 seats LD 17 seats SNP 40 seats UKIP 0 seats PC 3 seats Green 1 seat NI 18 seats
Tories 24 short of a majority. Probably minority Lab government.
Labour needs SNP plus LDs plus PC plus Greens for Corbyn to become PM on those numbers and have a majority of MPs behind him in Parliament
The Tories would have 312 including the DUP. Labour need more than that to survive a vote of no confidence. SNP plus PC plus Green would give them 313 plus a few NI. As long as the LDs abstained, Lab would survive but it would be very thin. In practice I suspect the LD would a DUP style S&C and hold Labour to policies that the LD support.
Indeed Corbyn would have to run every single piece of government legislation past Vince Cable first to get it through the Commons
Coming back to the US rule on Canada and Mexico not having an FTA with China, it occurs to me that this makes technology transfer to China more, rather than less, likely.
Why?
Because firms set up local subsidiaries and transfer technology to them to circumvent tariffs. It's too complicated to have your key component built in California shipped to China (incurring tariffs) and then shipped back again (getting slapped with tariffs on tariffs).
Homo Sapiens beat the Neanderthals, not because we were stronger, (we weren't) but because we cooperated better as a species in joint defence, shared development of tools etc.
Our standard of living today is based on this cooperation - provision of health, education, defence, infrastructure and development of science and technology. Competition is a small tactical component.
But in the West, there is a massive move to personal selfishness and competition. It is not only financial selfishness (lower taxes and poorer public services) but competition to be the more perfect human being showing off our toned bodies and perfect features on Instagram.
We are going to be swamped and overtaken by the East who are more collective - unless we wake up and stop the zero-sum games. We in the West are in danger of being the new Neanderthals.
Hard to disagree on the Senate predictions. The Dems have an awfully difficult task.
The interesting question to me is whether the upsurge in Republican enthusiasm we're seeing due to the Kavanagh nomination farce will flow into real votes in the House of Representatives. My gut says it's probably bought them a couple of percent, but I'd reckon the Dems are still narrow favourites (given how gerrymandered it is).
Though Kavanaugh's appointment will also likely increase female Democratic turnout
Are women suscepible to believing in mob rule then?
Comments
Hurrah for split ticketing.
Someone fire up the KLAXON.
Time for a Judge led inquiry into these vanilla gremlins.
This might seem an opportune time for Scottish Labour to make a fresh start with the voters by talking about the issues that matter to them. That is, after all, why members chose Richard Leonard as leader 11 months ago. He was a break from the leadership class defined by the acrimonious politics of 2014. Leonard, his partisans argued, could take Labour back to its roots.
In that sense, he has proved a sterling success. In its heyday, Scottish Labour was home to so many internecine grudges and bloody vendettas that John Smith House could have doubled as the Corleone family mansion.
Now, the factions and in-fighting are back. Don Leonardo isn’t the most impressive of godfathers — every time he gives a speech, he makes the voters an offer they can’t remember — but this mild-mannered union fixer has done more to undermine unity within Scottish Labour than their political opponents. Leonard should be required to register his leadership as an in-kind donation to the SNP.
https://stephendaisley.com/2018/10/08/richard-leonard-is-turning-scottish-labour-into-corbynism-with-a-kilt/
Labour have nothing to say to the Scots that the SNP are not already doing and the Scon lead by Ruth Davidson are the pro union party.
It does not help for an Englishman to be leader of Scot labour either.
I could vote SNP in Scotland but no to independence. Indeed there are many SNP supporters with the same view
However, this anger has not grown to any extent that they want Independence
They just feel the SNP are the party to protect Scottish interests.
Labour do not get a hearing
This is a bit of a Westminster-centric view.
- The SNP won the 2007 Holyrood election, by fractions
- The 2007 local elections in Scotland were effectively a tie (SNP won most seats, Labour most votes)
- The SNP won the 2009 European election, by 29 to 20 per cent
- The SNP won the 2011 Holyrood election in 2011 with 44% to Labour's 26%;
- The SNP won the 2012 local elections, albeit by nothing like as much;
- The SNP won the 2014 European election by 29% to 26%.
The reality is that, other than the 2010 UK general election, Labour's dominance had long gone. What the referendum did was turn what had previously been a one-off, in the 2011 Holyrood election - a big SNP lead and share - into the new norm.
https://twitter.com/EliotHiggins/status/1049663786855161857
This guy:
https://twitter.com/ystriya/status/710260808115159045
How does your family want things to proceed? Is their desire to influence the UK proposals or for divergence for Scotland?
The interesting question to me is whether the upsurge in Republican enthusiasm we're seeing due to the Kavanagh nomination farce will flow into real votes in the House of Representatives. My gut says it's probably bought them a couple of percent, but I'd reckon the Dems are still narrow favourites (given how gerrymandered it is).
Of course the fishing communities want out of the EU and if the fishermen do not get that a lot of Scon seats will fall. I am aware of lifelong SNP supporters who support the Scon for this very reason.
I do not think the English are doing themselves any favours, especially JRM and Boris. Boris would be a disaster for the Scons
Allison Pearson"
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/pc-keith-palmer-let-police-chief-not-brave-enough-help-save/
"White liberalism is dying
It’s too liberal for a majority of whites, yet too distant from the concerns of most non-whites
Daniel McCarthy"
https://spectator.us/2018/10/white-liberalism/
From the early 1990s right through to Indyref1, there seemed to be a section of voters who voted Labour in UK general elections, but voted SNP for everything else: the SNP also performed better in the 1999 and 2003 Holyrood elections than they did for Westminster. Even in the mid-90s, Labour ran utterly rampant across the UK in the 1994 European elections, but the SNP ran them quite close in Scotland. Then the referendum happened and it converted that chunk of SNP sympathisers into SNP Westminster voters for the first time.
The question is whether 2017 showed that that chunk of "Labour for Westminster, SNP elsewhere" is returning. My guess is that it is a little bit, and that Labour could gain 5-10 extra Westminster seats from the SNP next time, but that the SNP should stay fairly comfortable in Scottish Parliament elections.
https://twitter.com/bbaschuk/status/1049690877004791808
You can either have a free trade agreement with the US or with China, but not with both.
So devolution is irrelevant to them.
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/news/7452689/london-mayor-shaun-bailey-called-coconut-by-racist-lefties/amp/
For Britain to win Russia has to lose - and it's losing.
As long as the SNP win most seats in Scotland that means the Tories likely won most seats across the UK and Labour would need close to a 10% lead for an majority
http://www.kenttraffic.info/?sid=KCC181008_29&E=555849&N=158109&lyt=planned
That's one way to get some extra lanes on your local motorway.
Survation had Yes on 52% with No Deal on Sunday, Panelbase had Yes on 48% with No Deal
Firstly, President Trump is simply not a fan of free trade. To his mind, when you and I enter into a voluntary agreement to exchange goods or services for money - well, there's one winner and one loser.
Secondly, existing agreements mean nothing. Like contracts with subcontractors, they are things to be torn up if you gain a momentary advantage. Treaty says you can't impose tariffs on country with which you have agreement? F*ck it.
Thirdly, and most fundamentally, other countries are either subordinate to the US, or a threat to it.
What malcolmg makes of it I don't know.
con 302 seats
lab 269 seats
LD 17 seats
SNP 40 seats
UKIP 0 seats
PC 3 seats
Green 1 seat
NI 18 seats
Tories 24 short of a majority. Probably minority Lab government.
Just heard the Welsh government saying they will not prevent 12% council tax rises next year. That and monthly bin collections all courtesy of Welsh labour
When I lived in Scotland I was half welsh, half english but got over the problem by marrying a Scots lass
1) The SNP are Nazis and must be stopped, nationalism is disgusting
2) As a pure blood Scot it is outrageous I do not have a vote in the SindyRef.
https://mobile.twitter.com/Taniel/status/1049706557074747392
Our standard of living today is based on this cooperation - provision of health, education, defence, infrastructure and development of science and technology. Competition is a small tactical component.
But in the West, there is a massive move to personal selfishness and competition. It is not only financial selfishness (lower taxes and poorer public services) but competition to be the more perfect human being showing off our toned bodies and perfect features on Instagram.
We are going to be swamped and overtaken by the East who are more collective - unless we wake up and stop the zero-sum games. We in the West are in danger of being the new Neanderthals.
You can't fudge a customs union, or two different regulatory systems.
That's exactly what I said.
So, if the UK had an FTA with the US, it would not be able to have one with China.
Why?
Because firms set up local subsidiaries and transfer technology to them to circumvent tariffs. It's too complicated to have your key component built in California shipped to China (incurring tariffs) and then shipped back again (getting slapped with tariffs on tariffs).