politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » New Opinium poll has LAB moving from level-pegging to 8% behind in just a week
The first of what could number of polls tonight is from Opinium for the Observer and sees the Tories take an 8% lead up from level-pegging a week ago. That’s quite a movement.
Is this why TIG have not formed a party? As long as polls like this they can make the argument of get rid of Corbyn and we will rejoin and then Labour have a chance of winning again. The withdrawal method applied to politics.
Is this why TIG have not formed a party? As long as polls like this they can make the argument of get rid of Corbyn and we will rejoin and then Labour have a chance of winning again. The withdrawal method applied to politics.
I think that is right. The Labour TIGgers are hoping to rejoin. That is why there is no TIG party.
I'd treat all polls with caution at present - after all, last week the Independents were supposedly on 14%. Obviously a bad week for Labour, but lasting effect hard to read.
This is also the paradox, the Tory lead won't last with sustained No Deal.
There is no deal scenario - because deals and arrangements are already agreed.
A minimal Brexit would be 1979 redux ? A new leader required ? A bold budget to mitigate involving large tax cuts and noisy spending of the £39 Bn ? Cons might reach 50%.
Seasoned PBers will understand why I refuse to get into a statistical argument with you.
(If anyone else is interested, I just ask you to look at the figures and make your own judgment).
I've just downloaded the data from Wikipedaia and spent a happy half an hour wading through it. My observations:
[snipped for length]
- Overall, there are 58 regions in the EU poorer than West Wales (the poorer half), with 100m people living in them. This includes 8.4m in Andalucia (Spain), almost all of Portugal, Croatia and Romania, most of Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria, and about a third of Czechia.
In conclusion, HYUFD is almost certainly right about Slovenia (subject to some caveats on the data etc), on balance wrong on Germany, and by no means is it true that Wales would be among the poorest countries in the EU.
Interesting, isn’t it?
But, you have to do the analysis as if “Wales” was a country, that was my point.
Wales is poorer than Slovenia (probably, since the data only goes to 2016), and I think is poorer than all but 5 countries.
And, I think if you look again, you’ll see it is poorer than all East German Lander (but - to be sure - not necessarily subdivisions within the Lander).
Yes, but I didn't have time. Hence why I based most things on West Wales, and even then the data indicate that Wales is not actually doing that badly, and Yorkshire is pretty much mid table (comparable with many places in Netherlands, France etc). Others are welcome to come to different conclusions, but I'd say that HYUFD is more right than wrong overall.
I won’t be voting Labour again till Corbyn goes and have spoken to quite a few friends , staunch Labour normally but feel the same way.
It’s a culmination of factors , the final straw being the fence sitting on a second vote .
I am genuinely amazed (albeit not surprised) that Labour think their position on Brexit in terms of dodging coming out a public vote is a politically good one. How to wildly annoy most of your core supporters, likely mid ground voters - and members - and very little to no benefit from leavers (based on their stated policy). Madness. At least it means the end of Corbyn. All trust gone now whatever happens it feels like.
Corbyn has calculated that remainers have nowhere else to go. It appears that will be fully tested if he does not switch soon.
Is this why TIG have not formed a party? As long as polls like this they can make the argument of get rid of Corbyn and we will rejoin and then Labour have a chance of winning again. The withdrawal method applied to politics.
I think that is right. The Labour TIGgers are hoping to rejoin. That is why there is no TIG party.
The 3 Tory TIGgers have been suckered.
Allen, at least, seems to be very disgusted with the Tories on many things, I doubt she would be concerned if Tig falls apart and she cannot go back. The other two I do not know, but frankly most of the splitters seem keen to stress they are still Labour/Tory at heart it is the others who have changed, so I don't think they are that committed necessarily to a new project, if it achieves its aim of influencing the others to prevent Brexit.
Seasoned PBers will understand why I refuse to get into a statistical argument with you.
(If anyone else is interested, I just ask you to look at the figures and make your own judgment).
I've just downloaded the data from Wikipedaia and spent a happy half an hour wading through it. My observations:
[snipped for length]
- Overall, there are 58 regions in the EU poorer than West Wales (the poorer half), with 100m people living in them. This includes 8.4m in Andalucia (Spain), almost all of Portugal, Croatia and Romania, most of Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria, and about a third of Czechia.
In conclusion, HYUFD is almost certainly right about Slovenia (subject to some caveats on the data etc), on balance wrong on Germany, and by no means is it true that Wales would be among the poorest countries in the EU.
Interesting, isn’t it?
But, you have to do the analysis as if “Wales” was a country, that was my point.
Wales is poorer than Slovenia (probably, since the data only goes to 2016), and I think is poorer than all but 5 countries.
And, I think if you look again, you’ll see it is poorer than all East German Lander (but - to be sure - not necessarily subdivisions within the Lander).
Yes, but I didn't have time. Hence why I based most things on West Wales, and even then the data indicate that Wales is not actually doing that badly, and Yorkshire is pretty much mid table (comparable with many places in Netherlands, France etc). Others are welcome to come to different conclusions, but I'd say that HYUFD is more right than wrong overall.
Have a look with this, it’s a bit easier to play with the figures
Seasoned PBers will understand why I refuse to get into a statistical argument with you.
(If anyone else is interested, I just ask you to look at the figures and make your own judgment).
I've just downloaded the data from Wikipedaia and spent a happy half an hour wading through it. My observations:
[snipped for length]
- Overall, there are 58 regions in the EU poorer than West Wales (the poorer half), with 100m people living in them. This includes 8.4m in Andalucia (Spain), almost all of Portugal, Croatia and Romania, most of Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria, and about a third of Czechia.
In conclusion, HYUFD is almost certainly right about Slovenia (subject to some caveats on the data etc), on balance wrong on Germany, and by no means is it true that Wales would be among the poorest countries in the EU.
Interesting, isn’t it?
But, you have to do the analysis as if “Wales” was a country, that was my point.
Wales is poorer than Slovenia (probably, since the data only goes to 2016), and I think is poorer than all but 5 countries.
And, I think if you look again, you’ll see it is poorer than all East German Lander (but - to be sure - not necessarily subdivisions within the Lander).
Yes, but I didn't have time. Hence why I based most things on West Wales, and even then the data indicate that Wales is not actually doing that badly, and Yorkshire is pretty much mid table (comparable with many places in Netherlands, France etc). Others are welcome to come to different conclusions, but I'd say that HYUFD is more right than wrong overall.
The most remarkable thing of all is that Slovenia exists as an independent country.
Who would have though that a country that had never before existed -- that had been part of the Byzantine Empire, the Carolingian Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Republic of Venice, the Illyrian Provinces of Napoleon I, the Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and Yugoslavia would finally be able to establish itself as an independent state of 2 million odd people in 1991.
Astonishing -- I mean Scotland, Catalonia, Wales, Flanders or Bavaria have all more history as independent kingdoms or states than Slovenia.
Is this why TIG have not formed a party? As long as polls like this they can make the argument of get rid of Corbyn and we will rejoin and then Labour have a chance of winning again. The withdrawal method applied to politics.
I think that is right. The Labour TIGgers are hoping to rejoin. That is why there is no TIG party.
The 3 Tory TIGgers have been suckered.
Allen, at least, seems to be very disgusted with the Tories on many things, I doubt she would be concerned if Tig falls apart and she cannot go back. The other two I do not know, but frankly most of the splitters seem keen to stress they are still Labour/Tory at heart it is the others who have changed, so I don't think they are that committed necessarily to a new project, if it achieves its aim of influencing the others to prevent Brexit.
Corbyn and his merry band have screwed up royally. Got arrogant. Thanks a lot.
You should be pleased. This is the best thing to happen to your party in years. Corbyn now looks mortal, as everyone - save the hardcore nutters - realises and accepts that he will NEVER be PM.
In the end, even his own MPs will not let him near power.
Seasoned PBers will understand why I refuse to get into a statistical argument with you.
(If anyone else is interested, I just ask you to look at the figures and make your own judgment).
I've just downloaded the data from Wikipedaia and spent a happy half an hour wading through it. My observations:
[snipped for length]
- Overall, there are 58 regions in the EU poorer than West Wales (the poorer half), with 100m people living in them. This includes 8.4m in Andalucia (Spain), almost all of Portugal, Croatia and Romania, most of Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria, and about a third of Czechia.
In conclusion, HYUFD is almost certainly right about Slovenia (subject to some caveats on the data etc), on balance wrong on Germany, and by no means is it true that Wales would be among the poorest countries in the EU.
Interesting, isn’t it?
But, you have to do the analysis as if “Wales” was a country, that was my point.
Wales is poorer than Slovenia (probably, since the data only goes to 2016), and I think is poorer than all but 5 countries.
And, I think if you look again, you’ll see it is poorer than all East German Lander (but - to be sure - not necessarily subdivisions within the Lander).
Yes, but I didn't have time. Hence why I based most things on West Wales, and even then the data indicate that Wales is not actually doing that badly, and Yorkshire is pretty much mid table (comparable with many places in Netherlands, France etc). Others are welcome to come to different conclusions, but I'd say that HYUFD is more right than wrong overall.
The most remarkable thing of all is that Slovenia exists as an independent country.
Who would have though that a country that had never before existed -- that had been part of the Byzantine Empire, the Carolingian Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Republic of Venice, the Illyrian Provinces of Napoleon I, the Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and Yugoslavia would finally be able to establish itself as an independent state of 2 million odd people in 1991.
Astonishing -- I mean Scotland, Catalonia, Wales, Flanders or Bavaria have all more history as independent kingdoms or states than Slovenia.
I did not know that was the case. What a remarkable story.
Is this why TIG have not formed a party? As long as polls like this they can make the argument of get rid of Corbyn and we will rejoin and then Labour have a chance of winning again. The withdrawal method applied to politics.
I think that is right. The Labour TIGgers are hoping to rejoin. That is why there is no TIG party.
The 3 Tory TIGgers have been suckered.
Allen, at least, seems to be very disgusted with the Tories on many things, I doubt she would be concerned if Tig falls apart and she cannot go back. The other two I do not know, but frankly most of the splitters seem keen to stress they are still Labour/Tory at heart it is the others who have changed, so I don't think they are that committed necessarily to a new project, if it achieves its aim of influencing the others to prevent Brexit.
I wonder how they will react if Corbyn is finally, grudgingly persuaded to back a 2nd vote.
I don't expect this to happen, he is too old and stubborn, but it is now possible.
And she still wouldn’t be able to get the WA through parliament...
I think it makes more sense to add the LibDem and TIG share as they would almost certainly be in a pact of some kind. Baxter then gives Con342, Lab228, LD/TIG18
Corbyn and his merry band have screwed up royally. Got arrogant. Thanks a lot.
You should be pleased. This is the best thing to happen to your party in years. Corbyn now looks mortal, as everyone - save the hardcore nutters - realises and accepts that he will NEVER be PM.
Will that matter if the party itself is not able to shift away from him and his supporters? Few people would want the Tories to have no viable opposition I would think.
Is this why TIG have not formed a party? As long as polls like this they can make the argument of get rid of Corbyn and we will rejoin and then Labour have a chance of winning again. The withdrawal method applied to politics.
I think that is right. The Labour TIGgers are hoping to rejoin. That is why there is no TIG party.
The 3 Tory TIGgers have been suckered.
Allen, at least, seems to be very disgusted with the Tories on many things, I doubt she would be concerned if Tig falls apart and she cannot go back. The other two I do not know, but frankly most of the splitters seem keen to stress they are still Labour/Tory at heart it is the others who have changed, so I don't think they are that committed necessarily to a new project, if it achieves its aim of influencing the others to prevent Brexit.
I wonder how they will react if Corbyn is finally, grudgingly persuaded to back a 2nd vote.
I don't expect this to happen, he is too old and stubborn, but it is now possible.
He's surprised me by not doing so before, I truly cannot see the negatives for him to do so. Given the Labour Tiggers made sure to list the other reason they left they surely would not ask to come back, nor be accepted if they did, but if his backing a second vote actually leads to such, I would not be surprised if they essentially call it job done. They'd continue on, point out they forced the change on the big parties, and then quietly fade away as an election approaches. All they have is Brexit - once that is done what's the point of them? To change politics? That doesn't mean anything.
Yet she's spoken of as leadership material. That is a seriously deranged comment.
Being charitable, she was speaking at a political rally to whip up the already fervent. If she truly believes it though, it is a very odd thing for someone to believe, and that applies if a Tory says the same thing. It simply makes no sense to make a lifelong commitment, as many members and MPs complain the parties shift dramatically to the point of unrecognizably, you cannot reasonably commit forevermore.
Is this why TIG have not formed a party? As long as polls like this they can make the argument of get rid of Corbyn and we will rejoin and then Labour have a chance of winning again. The withdrawal method applied to politics.
I think that is right. The Labour TIGgers are hoping to rejoin. That is why there is no TIG party.
The 3 Tory TIGgers have been suckered.
Allen, at least, seems to be very disgusted with the Tories on many things, I doubt she would be concerned if Tig falls apart and she cannot go back. The other two I do not know, but frankly most of the splitters seem keen to stress they are still Labour/Tory at heart it is the others who have changed, so I don't think they are that committed necessarily to a new project, if it achieves its aim of influencing the others to prevent Brexit.
She never said anything that sounded like she was a Conservative of any type. I'm not sure why she joined the party.
Glasto 17 does seem a long time ago but there is no way that Jeremy should be written off yet. People are doing what people always do, male and female, they are letting desire unduly impact their judgement.
Is this why TIG have not formed a party? As long as polls like this they can make the argument of get rid of Corbyn and we will rejoin and then Labour have a chance of winning again. The withdrawal method applied to politics.
I think that is right. The Labour TIGgers are hoping to rejoin. That is why there is no TIG party.
The 3 Tory TIGgers have been suckered.
Allen, at least, seems to be very disgusted with the Tories on many things, I doubt she would be concerned if Tig falls apart and she cannot go back. The other two I do not know, but frankly most of the splitters seem keen to stress they are still Labour/Tory at heart it is the others who have changed, so I don't think they are that committed necessarily to a new project, if it achieves its aim of influencing the others to prevent Brexit.
I wonder how they will react if Corbyn is finally, grudgingly persuaded to back a 2nd vote.
I don't expect this to happen, he is too old and stubborn, but it is now possible.
It won't make any difference. They won't believe he means it, if it doesn't happen they'll blame him (as for the referendum in 2016) and if it does happen they won't give him the credit.
I won’t be voting Labour again till Corbyn goes and have spoken to quite a few friends , staunch Labour normally but feel the same way.
It’s a culmination of factors , the final straw being the fence sitting on a second vote .
I am genuinely amazed (albeit not surprised) that Labour think their position on Brexit in terms of dodging coming out a public vote is a politically good one. How to wildly annoy most of your core supporters, likely mid ground voters - and members - and very little to no benefit from leavers (based on their stated policy). Madness. At least it means the end of Corbyn. All trust gone now whatever happens it feels like.
Corbyn has calculated that remainers have nowhere else to go. It appears that will be fully tested if he does not switch soon.
Some of the drop might be due to apathy . We’d need to see the raw figures before turnout weighting . But Remainers who aren’t part of the Corbyn fan club are seriously hacked off . If the conference motion didn’t have the option of the second vote and Labour policy was simply to try to get a soft Brexit then fine but Corbyn drones on about the membership then completely ignores them . He thinks he can get away with this but is deluded .
Are there any Opinium voting intention figures carried out in the usual way with TIG excluded? It seems odd that TIG has been included here - probably prompted in the question - yet there is no mention of the Brexit party.
And she still wouldn’t be able to get the WA through parliament...
I think it makes more sense to add the LibDem and TIG share as they would almost certainly be in a pact of some kind. Baxter then gives Con342, Lab228, LD/TIG18
The Lib Dems were on 18 sets, weren`t they? just before TIG started.
Venezuela is in its test of strength stage. There is a 50-50 chance that there will be a serious loss of life.
Report just now 2 have been killed
Has Corbyn commented on the situation in Venezuela?
It’s all something to do with American sanctions and a time machine.
It's nothing to do with the next British election, as the last election proved. If the Foreign Secretary can't find his own arse Slovenia with both hands and a map, why do Tories suppose the voter on the Clapham omnibus is intimately familiar with Venzuela?
Not that anyone gets a good score, but I'm surprised Berger does not rate better as leader of the Tiggers, she was among the more prominent of them, has a powerful personal story and is attractive. Sorry, telegenic.
Not that anyone gets a good score, but I'm surprised Berger does not rate better as leader of the Tiggers, she was among the more prominent of them, has a powerful personal story and is attractive. Sorry, telegenic.
Outside of politics she's relatively unknown.
David Cameron would have rated similarly in early 2005.
Seasoned PBers will understand why I refuse to get into a statistical argument with you.
(If anyone else is interested, I just ask you to look at the figures and make your own judgment).
I've just downloaded the data from Wikipedaia and spent a happy half an hour wading through it. My observations:
[snipped for length]
- Overall, there are 58 regions in the EU poorer than West Wales (the poorer half), with 100m people living in them. This includes 8.4m in Andalucia (Spain), almost all of Portugal, Croatia and Romania, most of Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria, and about a third of Czechia.
In conclusion, HYUFD is almost certainly right about Slovenia (subject to some caveats on the data etc), on balance wrong on Germany, and by no means is it true that Wales would be among the poorest countries in the EU.
Interesting, isn’t it?
But, you have to do the analysis as if “Wales” was a country, that was my point.
Wales is poorer than Slovenia (probably, since the data only goes to 2016), and I think is poorer than all but 5 countries.
And, I think if you look again, you’ll see it is poorer than all East German Lander (but - to be sure - not necessarily subdivisions within the Lander).
Yes, but I didn't have time. Hence why I based most things on West Wales, and even then the data indicate that Wales is not actually doing that badly, and Yorkshire is pretty much mid table (comparable with many places in Netherlands, France etc). Others are welcome to come to different conclusions, but I'd say that HYUFD is more right than wrong overall.
The most remarkable thing of all is that Slovenia exists as an independent country.
Who would have though that a country that had never before existed -- that had been part of the Byzantine Empire, the Carolingian Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Republic of Venice, the Illyrian Provinces of Napoleon I, the Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and Yugoslavia would finally be able to establish itself as an independent state of 2 million odd people in 1991.
Astonishing -- I mean Scotland, Catalonia, Wales, Flanders or Bavaria have all more history as independent kingdoms or states than Slovenia.
And if you were a Slovenian you may understandably think that the EU is a marked improvement on most of what has gone before, and stick to it like glue.
If anyone wants to see a town centre which is doing well then go to York.
It was like the Saturday before Christmas there today and its not a cheap place either.
Some people might be having a drop of austerity but there are many, many others who are wallowing in their own consumption.
Yup, was there for for the York marathon (spectator). A good, busy and smart city.
Its a bit too touristy and expensive for my liking buts its always a good place to visit and has loads of great pubs.
What was noticeable to me was how many more restaurants there seemed to be and York has never been short of them.
For all the talk of austerity there are many, many people with lots and lots of spare money.
The whole 'austerity' mantra trotted out by the left is a massively exaggerated in terms of the numbers of people affected.
Indeed. The failure of labour is to revel in poverty p*rn, and they miss it when things are getting better. It was canny for labour to rename the bedroom tax welfare change but it did them no electoral good. They need to inspire people’s aspirations not just roll out nonsense about the dwp murdering 120,000 people.
Surely the party showing the worst decline in this latest poll are the LibDems, down from 8% support to just 5%, a 37.5% decline?. Poor old Uncle Vince certainly isn't cutting it. I thought he was supposed to be retiring or am I imaging things?
You almost have to admire an authoritarian leader who intends to stand for 'election' when they have rarely been seen in public in six years after having a stroke
Not that anyone gets a good score, but I'm surprised Berger does not rate better as leader of the Tiggers, she was among the more prominent of them, has a powerful personal story and is attractive. Sorry, telegenic.
Outside of politics she's relatively unknown.
David Cameron would have rated similarly in early 2005.
It seems a bit pointless including TIG at this stage when no party even exists and it is far from clear what its programme might be. The hypothetical % voteshare given, however, is much lower than was being picked up by the SDP back in Spring 1981.
Is this why TIG have not formed a party? As long as polls like this they can make the argument of get rid of Corbyn and we will rejoin and then Labour have a chance of winning again. The withdrawal method applied to politics.
I think that is right. The Labour TIGgers are hoping to rejoin. That is why there is no TIG party.
The 3 Tory TIGgers have been suckered.
Allen, at least, seems to be very disgusted with the Tories on many things, I doubt she would be concerned if Tig falls apart and she cannot go back. The other two I do not know, but frankly most of the splitters seem keen to stress they are still Labour/Tory at heart it is the others who have changed, so I don't think they are that committed necessarily to a new project, if it achieves its aim of influencing the others to prevent Brexit.
I wonder how they will react if Corbyn is finally, grudgingly persuaded to back a 2nd vote.
I don't expect this to happen, he is too old and stubborn, but it is now possible.
This rant about the “scabs” also shows how some of the cult really want to believe Corbyn is playing the long game.
Surely the party showing the worst decline in this latest poll are the LibDems, down from 8% support to just 5%, a 37.5% decline?. Poor old Uncle Vince certainly isn't cutting it. I thought he was supposed to be retiring or am I imaging things?
They really need to kick him out, disband and join the Tiggers pronto or both are probaly doomed. Even then the odds are against.
And if you were a Slovenian you may understandably think that the EU is a marked improvement on most of what has gone before, and stick to it like glue.
Possibly.
But, another reading is that Scotland or Catalonia have so far failed where Slovenia succeeded because it was better to be part of the Austrian-Hungarian empire or Yugoslavia rather than part of the British Empire or Spain.
Comments
I'd treat this poll with scepticism.
Much of that Tory vote is solidly pro Leave.
The 3 Tory TIGgers have been suckered.
All the rules go out the window this year, I think.
There is no deal scenario - because deals and arrangements are already agreed.
A minimal Brexit would be 1979 redux ? A new leader required ? A bold budget to mitigate involving large tax cuts and noisy spending of the £39 Bn ? Cons might reach 50%.
Con 25%
Lab 25%
TIG 25%
Brexit Party 20%
later on this year, and then UNS goes out the window.
New Centre Party means a Tory Government
No Shit Sherlock
TIG 6% = Zero MPs
Who would have though that a country that had never before existed -- that had been part of the Byzantine Empire, the Carolingian Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Republic of Venice, the Illyrian Provinces of Napoleon I, the Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes and Yugoslavia would finally be able to establish itself as an independent state of 2 million odd people in 1991.
Astonishing -- I mean Scotland, Catalonia, Wales, Flanders or Bavaria have all more history as independent kingdoms or states than Slovenia.
In the end, even his own MPs will not let him near power.
Go long on Thornberry. You heard it here first.
I don't expect this to happen, he is too old and stubborn, but it is now possible.
At the moment based on tonight's Opinium the biggest movement is Labour and LD Remainers to TIG
Still a long shot, but probs undervalued.
It was like the Saturday before Christmas there today and its not a cheap place either.
Some people might be having a drop of austerity but there are many, many others who are wallowing in their own consumption.
Yup, was there for for the York marathon (spectator). A good, busy and smart city.
The amount of spending going on in York today was intoxicating.
What was noticeable to me was how many more restaurants there seemed to be and York has never been short of them.
For all the talk of austerity there are many, many people with lots and lots of spare money.
Con 39
Lab 31
TIg 11
Lib 5
UKIP 4
CON: 39
LAB: 31
TIG: 11
LIB: 5
UKIP: 4
But without Corbyn as Labour leader…
LAB: 40
CON: 37
TIG: 7
LIB: 6
UKIP: 3
(1,027 21/22 FEB)
‘Crush the traitors’ is not exactly prime ministerial, any more from her than from the original model.
David Cameron would have rated similarly in early 2005.
For the moment TIG is offering a home for centre left Remainers disaffected with Corbyn
The best bit of Sheffield is the nice countryside which starts about three miles into the western suburbs.
Plenty of unindicted, including Trump, who don’t enter into the calculation as yet.
Front page Observer lead tomorrow references 'senior parliamentarian' ready to walk.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-47339414
Whatever one might think of Mugabe, he was certainly always out and about even in his 90s.
https://twitter.com/talkradio/status/1098547014869106689?s=21
But, another reading is that Scotland or Catalonia have so far failed where Slovenia succeeded because it was better to be part of the Austrian-Hungarian empire or Yugoslavia rather than part of the British Empire or Spain.