The latest YouGov poll for the Scottish parliament: SNP 41% Tories 20% Labour19% Labour are in line for destruction in Scotland as the SNP becomes the 3rd largest party in the UK growing from 27,000 members pre referendum to 88,000 now. That give some indication of the strength of feeling in Scotland. The issue of Scottish Independence is not going away anytime soon. At the present time the SNP is also likely to take more than half of the Scottish Westminster seats and could hold the balance of power in the UK never mind Scotland. As always the South East of England has little understanding or interest in these matters and probably wont until it finds itself in a very different UK.
If Labour were to lose the majority of their seats in Scotland, there would be little point in their continued objection to Scottish M.Ps being barred from voting on English matters. Therefore, it's unlikely that the SNP would ever hold the balance of power in a Westminster parliament.
As you probably know, the Conservatives are proposing that Scottish MPs be barred from voting on matters that do not concern Scotland. Labour is currently objecting to this as their Scottish MPs are what largely what is currently denying the Conservatives an overall majority in the house. If they were to lose many of those seats, there would be little point in their continued objections to barring Scottish MPs voting on non Scottish issues. I believe there are currently some 41 Scottish Labour MPs.
That wee place called Scotland has already voted no to independence and nowhere in the world is it of any significance outside of Scotland therefore it is of no significance as there is nothing which that wee insignificant country can do about it. It has no supporters anywhere and so is stymied. This will all fade away into the mists of history and Spurf, there is nothing worthwhile knowing about Scotland. I have traveled it extensively from Bettyhill across to Thurso and Duncansby Head. Down through Lairg to Inverness and across to Aberdeen, along Union Street to The Hardgate and Bridge of Don barracks. To Laga Bay and Glenfinnan through Glencoe and Glen Etive. Up to Achvary to Ben More. Also to Dundee and Culross where I bought a bottle of malt of the same name. To Chirnside and along the borders. Yes Spurf, you are wrong again. Salmon fishing on The Spey at Knockando and a tour of Tamdhu distillery and along to Grantown. Stop being so smug about your Scotland Spurf.
Also a few times to Wemyss St Rosyth. The Tic, Gers, Jags, Bully Wee, Jam Tarts are all nicknames for Scottish football teams. I know who plays at Dens Park, Pittodrie, Tannadyce, Love Lane and others.
Too many variables in this; for example, timing of the changes, the extent of the changes, the numbers of the different parties, to be able to say with any certainty one way or another, but the possibility remains that in the next General Election the SNP could hold the balance of power. I am not saying it will just pointing out the possibility.
The prevailing wisdom is that Labour are going to lose half their Scottish MPs next May. And with the Tories now putting the "West Lothian question" on top of the devolution stuff, Labour in the event of winning next May are faced with the prospect that they will not be able to carry any England/Wales legislation thru Parliament. It doesn't matter what your politics are, but next May could be the biggest shake-up the UK political class has had for aeons (and long overdue it is) .
We've let the Scots get away with the West Lothian question for far too long and it should never have been allowed to stand in the first place. it has to be the most incompetent and blatantly unfair policy ever conceived. Shows how docile the English have become and it's taken a referendum in Scotland to change things. Shame the yes vote lost then we'd have been shot of this crap for good.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29693346 Anyone heard it? I wouldn't call it racist, just a poor song.
[video=youtube;9xLbcIianBg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xLbcIianBg[/video] The accent's crap and unnecessary and I think that the whole thing's a pretty accurate summary of the party, though not in the way it's intended to be. It uses myths about the EU, like the banana thing, while selling a gimmick and pretending to be pro-UK and everything British, singing a song in a fake foreign accent in a Afro-Caribbean musical genre. Not sure why UKIP want to associate with Read, though. A former Tory who's been bankrupt twice and worked with David Icke? I'll take my advice about the financial future of the country and sane ideas elsewhere, thanks. Here's a lovely clip of him at the funeral of a former friend and colleague alongside another paragon of sanity, as an attempt to balance my comment: [video=youtube;P-ml7ifQKfQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-ml7ifQKfQ[/video]
""I support UKIP" says the t**t who refused to play Frankie Goes To Hollywood." If only he had post-qualified his refusal with "because it was sh*te before Trevor Horn got his hands it" .
The NHS has problems across the UK but the next big media issue looks likely to be the dire state of the labour controlled NHS in Wales with labour stating they can improve the NHS UK wide Red Ed foot in mouth again??
NHS Wales is a real biggie for Labour. If they cannot play the 'N days to save the NHS' card, what else do they have in their hand ??
