2016 Holyrood Election Thread: polling, coverage, issues.

[danny la rouge]

Was trying to work out who the orange ones were (was thinking maybe independent) as I'd completely forgotten the Lib Dems even existed...

If Labour come third, does that mean yet another leadership election or will they stick with Dugdale because no-one else would go anywhere near it? (Know she's only been leader for five minutes but...)

Who else will they have?

 

[Sue]

Who else will they have?

Quite but I'm sure there'll still be plenty backstabbing going on. Does the leader have to be an M(S)P?

 

[danny la rouge]

Quite but I'm sure there'll still be plenty backstabbing going on. Does the leader have to be an M(S)P?

It'd be fun if she wasn't.

 

[gosub]

People Kept Praising The SNP At A Jeremy Corbyn Rally In Scotland

 

[danny la rouge]

Jim Sillars under fire from SNP hardliners for supporting RISE for the regional list vote. SNP line is obviously "both votes SNP", but as discussed up thread, if SNP support remains above 50% in the constituency votes, that could paradoxically end up helping the main Unionist parties for the regionals. So Sillars' idea is clearly to see more pro-Independence MSPs elected. He's chosen RISE because he's an old style socialist, but I think he's plumped for the wrong party statistically: I'd be very surprised if RISE get any MSPs elected, even where the SSP had regional members in the past. They aren't even figuring in the polls. UKIP will probably do better.

Video: Jim Sillars faces threat of expulsion from SNP

 

[danny la rouge]

Not sure it's really an election issue for May, but I'm putting this here anyway:

SNP spring conference: Party to build new case for independence
SNP spring conference: Party to build new case for independence - BBC News

 

[DexterTCN]

... I'd be very surprised if RISE get any MSPs elected, even where the SSP had regional members in the past. They aren't even figuring in the polls....

No wonder...you should see some of the things their supporters have said about other supporters of independence. Quite shocking.

The logic behind SNP for both votes is nothing to do with stopping others getting any scraps - plus or minus, (because it will be scraps) it's not about stopping labour or ukip or rise. It's a declaration.

Independence.

 

[Celyn]

Just pondering out loud.

Jim Sillars might very well actually *like* to be expelled from the SNP, or "invited to leave" or however the hell these things work, as it could give him a warm feeling of being a heroic martyr. Outsider! The Man They Couldn't Shut Up! Or maybe not, of course. I'm a bit biased because I recall his "there will be a reckoning" thing as being not exactly good, positive, sensible or anything like that.

So far, I am just too bloody lazy to try to work out the weird sums involved in working out how to vote in May. If I start now, I can probably work it out, forget how the sums worked, start all over again and work it out etc. I think I foresee a lot of messy calculations scribbled on lots of sheets of paper in my near future. (Yes, I know calculators and computers can do sums, but I bet I'll end up scribbling on paper anyway). And it all sort of depends on which region, which constituency etc.

I cannot work out what to think of RISE yet. Obviously all very right-on and well-meaning, but am not sure it can win a seat. I'm in Glasgow, so I'm guessing that parties standing from a vaguely socialist position will include RISE, SSP, and Solidarity (aka Tommy Sheridan Party). Well, that will split up the vote not-very-cleverly, won't it? Also, while it's not quite the same thing at all, if it's a game of getting the list vote from people who would otherwise vote SNP, then the Green Party is there in the same category as RISE, SSP, Solidarity, I think. So that's a lot of parties looking for votes from the same (same-ish) group of voters. Obviously some SNP voters might do list vote Labour. Oh well, fun.

 

[DexterTCN]

The edited highlights of Dundee's Question Time.



Dundee...mind. The Yes city. With accents that will surprise you...and Katy Wiley.

(this counts as coverage)

 

[DotCommunist]

christ that fuck haired telegraph geezer looks like an actual comedy show parody of a tory

 

[danny la rouge]

 

[DexterTCN]

Was talking to the owner of one of the polling sites today, he'd been to the SNP conference...said it was the weirdest thing...he saw no security...loads of people brought their kids.

 

[geminisnake]

I cannot work out what to think of RISE yet. Obviously all very right-on and well-meaning, but am not sure it can win a seat. I'm in Glasgow, so I'm guessing that parties standing from a vaguely socialist position will include RISE, SSP, and Solidarity (aka Tommy Sheridan Party). Well, that will split up the vote not-very-cleverly, won't it? Also, while it's not quite the same thing at all, if it's a game of getting the list vote from people who would otherwise vote SNP, then the Green Party is there in the same category as RISE, SSP, Solidarity, I think. So that's a lot of parties looking for votes from the same (same-ish) group of voters. Obviously some SNP voters might do list vote Labour. Oh well, fun.

I thought RISE were/are the SSP, Solidarity et al. They have amalgamated to optimise the left vote afaik. I have met the candidate for the NE costituency, Ihave some small amount of faith in her beliefs so she's on my potential vote list atm.

 

[danny la rouge]

I thought RISE were/are the SSP, Solidarity et al. They have amalgamated to optimise the left vote afaik. I have met the candidate for the NE costituency, Ihave some small amount of faith in her beliefs so she's on my potential vote list atm.

No, Solidarity isn't involved. (Indeed Pat Smith resigned after her support for Sheridan was criticised). RISE is the SSP plus the ISG ( International Socialist Group (Scotland) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ), plus a few stragglers and Jean Urquhart.

 

[DexterTCN]

 

[steeplejack]

Tommy's faint hopes of being elected just imploded. Allegations of "bullying and fraud": mass resignations

at the moment, going for a cock and balls on the constituency ballot, we'll see for the list. Will consider either RISE or a second engorged phallus.

 

[danny la rouge]

Tommy's faint hopes of being elected just imploded. Allegations of "bullying and fraud": mass resignations

at the moment, going for a cock and balls on the constituency ballot, we'll see for the list. Will consider either RISE or a second engorged phallus.

Here's the National on the same story:

Tommy Sheridan’s Solidarity party is set for ‘collapse’ after a mass exodus of senior figures

A depressingly familiar tale.

 

[danny la rouge]

 

[Celyn]

It's pretty bad when Labour manages to poll lower than the Tories.

 

[equationgirl]

It's pretty bad when Labour manages to poll lower than the Tories.

Not just lower too, significantly lower looking at those numbers.

 

[DexterTCN]

It's pretty bad when Labour manages to poll lower than the Tories.

Not really..the tory vote will remain pretty constant...labour is what labour does

 

[DexterTCN]

Business For Scotland posted an excellent critique a week ago.

Better Together's broken promises open the door to independence

 

[danny la rouge]

I'm just going to leave this here:

 

[danny la rouge]

Oh my.

 

[danny la rouge]

Notorious S.N.P.

 

[danny la rouge]

I thought it was just me who was "promoting" RISE simply by mentioning them, no matter how disparagingly. But apparently it's a Thing.




That's BBC Scotland's Glenn Campbell "promoting" RISE. (Which is enough to deserve a mention of Trump. QED.) But it seems our game is up:

 

[redsquirrel]

I thought it was just me who was "promoting" RISE simply by mentioning them, no matter how disparagingly. But apparently it's a Thing.

That's BBC Scotland's Glenn Campbell "promoting" RISE. (Which is enough to deserve a mention of Trump. QED.) But it seems our game is up:

Mad cult stuff,

 

[danny la rouge]

Mad cult stuff,

Yup.

 

[murphy1970]

When I first came across the story about Solidarity imploding I checked out their twitter feed and Facebook, and lo and behold no mention of it. Business as usual, move along nothing to see here, ostriches with their heads firmly buried in the sand.
The crux of the matter seems to be that Sheridan has backed a key ally, John Park, who is about as popular as a rattlesnake in a lucky dip. Sheridan was given the option to take steps to discipline Park but chose to ignore numerous complaints, leading to a significant walk out by female Solidarity members, including a few candidates. Not that I have too much sympathy for the Joyce Drummonds of this world who played an utterly poisonous role in the dispute between Solidarity and the SSP.
The Glasgow list will now consist of Tommy, Gail, and any other Sheridan they can get to stand.

 

[steeplejack]

after mature further consideration of my vote I have now definitely decided that I will be #bothvotescock&balls

can't bring myself to endorse any of the depressing centrist mediocrity on offer.