It is 5.30 am and I haven’t been to bed. I intended to watch the first few results from the elections and to turn in around 2 am, but the first Scottish results were so riveting, I have been unable even to think of leaving. And just a moment ago “SNP gain Paisley” flashed up. Paisley!!
The SNP so far have won 28 constituencies on the first past the post part of the election, with many still to come. Compared to seven of these last time. If this were a first past the post election, the SNP would have a thumping absolute majority. But I reckon the regional lists wil still result in an overall majority to the SNP. As Scottish independence remains the practical political goal to which I am most attached, I am absolutely delighted.
Alex Salmond has already indicated that he will use his mandate to push for more powers for the Scottish parliament – most crucially, the power to borrow money so Scotland can run a more Keynsian economic policy, and the power to vary corporation tax. These will be resisted by the Tories, which will set up precisely the confrontation needed over the next four years to prepare for a referendum on independence.
I vote Lib Dem when in England and SNP in Scotland. I am sorry in a sense to see the collapse of the Lib Dem vote in Scotland, not least because Tavish Scott is a very decent person and a genuine liberal. But the atavistic unionism of the Scottish Lib Dems in recent years deserves a kicking, not least because it is the precise opposite of the party’s historical and philosophical roots, and would have Gladstone and Rosebery spinning in their graves. Any real Liberal in Scotland in 2011 should want Scottish independence, and it was only recently in my adult life that the view started to be taken that belief in Scottish independence is incompatible with being a Liberal Democrat.
That Liberals were prepared in Scotland to spend years in coalition with war criminals, but would not enter a coalition with the SNP because of opposition to letting people have a referendum on independence, was so stupid and illiberal, that bluntly the Scottish Lib Dems deserved their virtual annihilation.
New Labour will get an enormous raft of MSPs on the regional list system, having lost 75% of their constituency MSPs. By and large these list candidates are not the same people as the defeated New Labour MSPs. Amazingly, they are on the whole even less talented than the obnoxious numpties the electorate have just sent packing. There is not going to be any effective opposition in the new Scottish parliament, and I hope that the horrible regional list system at least throws up some greens and independents to liven things up,
What also amused me a little was the agonsing going on in the media in England over the proposal to change the voting system. In Scotland, we’ve had STV for local Council elections and a mix of systems for the Scottish Parliament for some time now and Armageddon has not yet arrived because of it!
Yes, interesting times…
When do I get my Scottish passport then ?
Yes Frazer, thinking along the same line.
Re Suhayl
I agree but thought it funny that whilst there was all the arguments over which was a fairer voting system no mention whatsoever of moving to a fully elected second chamber.
I’ll take a voting system first then look at how it works.
Superb result. It’s crazy to think that since 1707 Acts of Union Scots have never been asked if they want to be ruled by Westminster. If a overall majority is made official I’ll consider today the day when democracy comes to Scotland.
Right, so possible future is independent Scotland and a truncated UK – mmm, that’ll fit in nicely with global corporate investors. Smaller national units are always so much easier to coerce.
“There is not going to be any effective opposition”
There wasn’t much opposition worth the name anyway, although perhaps the Tories made a reasonable fist of it. Annabel Goldie’s politics may be fairly despicable but she is a good parliamentarian, sticks to the point in debates, and is willing to compromise to make a deal. Quite often her jokes are funny.
New Labour on the other hand have been politically comatose since the trauma of defeat in 2007. ‘Opposition’ to them meant blindly lashing out at anything and everything proposed by the SNP, voting down perfectly sensible proposals (tax on large supermarkets, minimum pricing for alcohol) in order to claim ‘broken promises’ by the SNP. They briefed the (few) councils where they had control to frustrate the SNP’s target of smaller class sizes by spending the money allocated for that purpose elsewhere, leaving teachers unemployed. Some socialists.
I shed no tears for the Lib Dems – they were exterminated, and good bloody riddance. I have no problem with people defending the Union, it’s an honourable enough position and perhaps a case could be made (though I’ve yet to see it). But what precisely is ‘liberal’ or ‘democratic’ about refusing to support a referendum? Your friend Tavish needs to think of a new name for his ex-party, and maybe you should arrange for him to have a dictionary to hand so that this time he doesn’t pick any big words he doesn’t understand.
Saor alba.
‘These will be resisted by the Tories, which will set up precisely the confrontation needed over the next four years to prepare for a referendum on independence.’
Any SNP proposal to vary Corporation tax should prompt the Tories into ditching the Barnett formula- ring fencing 10% of UK public expenditure to a country with considerably less than 10% of the current UK population will stick in the craw of the English at a time of heavy cuts in public expenditure.(I’m English BTW).
Tinkering with the Barnett formula will however destroy what is left of the Scottish Tories, increase Nationalist sentiment north of the border, and give the neocon wing of the Tories the squits, as they contemplate the loss of Scottish submarine bases if independence comes. Interesting times indeed.
As you know Craig I was unenthusiastic towards your idea that an independent Scotland is the best solution for crucial changes necessary in the UK especially by altering English perceptions by comparison. I am now of the opinion this is the best way forward.
I too have been awake all night after disturbing intelligence *rumours* that (1) Bin Laden has been either deep frozen for years or was even on a type of life support developed by NASA to maintain his body appearance. (2) The US administration is allowing pressure to build before releasing a picture of his corpse, this gives time for expert government medical advice on the authenticity of the image. (3) This is very scary – a ‘dirty bomb’ plot after the image release is in the making (retaliation from OBL’s death has already been planted in the media) in an attempt to (a) prevent the union of Hamas and Fatah (b) distract from Middle-East calls for change (c) reinforce dollar transactions (d) Bolster Israel’s military methods and enforce the American police state.
No I have NOT gone mad – I expect ridicule from some – all this from a credible source and of course I personally take responsibility for my comments. America is frantic and frenzied and this is monstrous – but ‘entanglement’ may save the day.
Mike Cobley, well, at least an independent Scotland would have a chance to stand up against global corporate investors. Westminster seems happy enough to do their bidding anyway.
Mark..sorry mate, conspiracy nut though I am, even I have trouble believing this one unless you would release your source and back it up ?
“at least an independent Scotland would have a chance to stand up against global corporate investors.”
The SNP got into bed with Donald Trump to allow a massive housing development/golf course onto an unspoilt dune system near Aberdeen. A Site of Special Scientific interest (SSSI) meaning it was the best such wildlife habitat in the area.
If I lived 4 miles further north, I wouldn’t vote for Alex Salmond’s lot.
Actually I am with Donald Trump on this one. Just what do you think St Andrews as before it was a golf course. Or Sandwich or Lytham? All links courses are such habitats. And after they becoem golf courses, they are the best looked after nature reserves we have.
Wow!
But being more thoughtful,I hope the SNP sees in these results not an endorsement, but a threat from voters, saying: look at us – we can erase major political parties, no problem. Feeling lucky, punk?
Could you expand on what you think is so horrible about the regional list system? I think it strikes a reasonable balance between having representatives for individual geographical constituencies and giving some representation to points of view which are more widely distributed.
Ed,
Certainly. It gives no power to the electorate to dsicriminate between individuals, and too much power to the parties. That is why STV is so much better – you can choose your favourite candidates from within or across parties,
Frazer – Thanks for your courtesy – much appreciated – let’s wait until the image is released – the pressure is growing (starting with the comics):
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/244941
“Could you expand on what you think is so horrible about the regional list system?”
No need to expand on Craig’s answer, except to emphasise that it is a VERY horrible system. You could potentially have a large number of MSPs in Holyrood none of whom were previously known to the electorate. 1930s Berlin?
STV!
I think Scotland is your natural place to stand in elections Craig, with independence beconing its the place to be.
I agree, with STV, or AMS for that matter, you get the most proportional representation of all, regional lists are mostly made up of carefully selected candidates with propped spines.
Why does Eddie izzard need to stand for a major party? With his believes and standing he could easily stand as an Independent and win, to organise a campaign for him would be a doddle, why stand for a party with hang up and dogma when you could easily make it on your own account.
he can run marathons, he’ll have no problem with leafletting.
Interesting idea from Ingo -standing in the Scottish elections, I mean.
I havwe been saying to people here( US) for a while that things are loooking interesting in the UK, from the point of view of what is happening in Scotland. Labour’s kicking is really no bad thing. The ‘Labour’ I know of in Glasgow and elsewhere is a deeply offensive thing that has spawned some monstrosities. It does not need kicked, it needs assassinated and buried at sea to allow some kind of newly defined radicalism position to emerge.
(I speak as a left leaning pacifist-but there times when desperate measures are needed).
The labour party has cruelly presided over some of social disasters. The life expectancy in some parts of West Scotland are beyond disgraceful and I am convinced the moribund Labour party, entrenched in its own filth, and the needs of the ‘English’ labour party to indulge anything labour in Scotland, in order to shore up the UK labour party has been one of the main reasons.
So interesting times indeed. I expect some real heavy duty dirty tricks from the UK gov/Cameron but also Labour, in the near future, and, ever more underhand ways of tying Scotland to the south. It will be a catastrophe for them to ‘lose’ Scotland, although if Scotland goes independent it will be a hard slog for a while.
I think we should all be particularly careful regarding any predictions of ‘beckoning independence’ for Scotland, despite the SNP’s victory. You’ll find that there is a great deal of nuance in what we, as a nation, think of independence. Polls undertaken on the matter consistly hold support for a ‘Yes’ vote in a referendum at around a steady 35% or so (even after five years of sNP governance). The real question that this election throws up, I think, concerns the electorate’s desire to stretch the bounds of the Scottish Parliament, and to develop the extent of devolved power from Westminister – which isn’t the same thing as secession from the union, but again – it doesn’t read as well as the headlines…
What this election (and the opinion polls showing only about a third or so would vote for full independence) really shows up is Scotland’s wish to eat its cake and have it too.
If I were a Scot I’d support that too. It’s a win / win: no tuition fees, no presctiption charges, free personal care etc, on the same taxes as the English. No brainer.
But as an Englishman living in England, can I have an English Parliament / Assembly too, and a chnce to vote for a system that would have only the English voting on English issues.
Fat chance, I know, but let’s not delude ourselves this is anything but self-interest at play in Scotland.
Craig,
There are appreciable differences between a wilderness, a nature reserve and a links golf course. I do know some of the latter including the Sandwich ones, famous for their orchids especially the rare Lizard Orchids (which are more like weeds in the Dordogne.)
Untamed sand dunes are dynamic environments: fore dunes, dune ridges, dune slacks, dune grassland and dune heath etc. Subject to blow-outs and then the creation of new dunes, the shifting and movement of the ridges.
It is the wet areas with such plants as Creeping Willow, mosses, sedges, rushes, marsh orchids which are most at risk to make fairways. The ridges may stay but are stabilised. Blown sand not wanted.
Are you in favour of the 8-storey hotel, 8-storey blocks of flats, a new 500-home village planted in a low lying, sea-fog vulnerable, coastal landscape? Surely this is grotesque, unsustainable, over-development to match the ego of ‘The Donald’?
That Scottish politicians and the planning system were so gullible as to fall for Trump’s propaganda is not a good omen.
Chris,
The difference between us is parhaps that I have lived myself in Inverness and Aviemore and put an extremely high priority on jobs in the Highlands. Life really is hard for too many people there.
Well said Chris K. http://www.eco-essentials.co.uk/trump.php
Word is that Trump has Soros money behind him and that he is considering running in the 2012 race for POTUS. God help us all.
All the best for the new Socialist Republic of Porridge.
.
And now that comrade Salmond has hopes for other treasuries to embezzle from, maybe he can give back to the Russian people, all those Roubles that Moscow lent him in the 80’s?
John K – is that not what autonomy and self-determination are about? Do you vote in an election for anyone elses’ representation?
No, didn’t think so…
Ed Davies wrote “Could you expand on what you think is so horrible about the regional list system? I think it strikes a reasonable balance between having representatives for individual geographical constituencies and giving some representation to points of view which are more widely distributed.”
I think it’s a pretty good system, because when people have two votes – one for the constituency and one for the regional list (by PR) they’re more willing to give their second vote to a small party or independent, because they don’t have the same fear they’ll risk wasting their only vote.
Chris K wrote ““at least an independent Scotland would have a chance to stand up against global corporate investors.”
The SNP got into bed with Donald Trump to allow a massive housing development/golf course onto an unspoilt dune system near Aberdeen. A Site of Special Scientific interest (SSSI) meaning it was the best such wildlife habitat in the area.”
That’s true – and even when the local council’s planning committee voted to put the condition on it that it not be built on the SSSI, but could still be built on the rest of the ground, Trump threatened to scrap the whole project. Salmond then over-ruled the council (including the SNP chairman of the Planning Committee) to give Trump exactly what he wanted.
Trump is currently going through the courts to try to force pensioners out of their homes.
I was hoping the Greens would do a lot better and i’m bitterly regretting not campaigning in the elections for them.
The SNP with an overall majority might turn out to be as likely to cave to billionaires and big firms as Labour and Conservatives have been with big majorities in the UK parliament.
Sean
I have no problem with the Scots (or Welsh or Northern Irish for that matter) voting for what’s in their best interests. As I said, it’s a no-brainer.
My point is that the English, alone in the UK, haven’t been given the opportunity to have such a say. What about “autonomy and self-determination” for US? The media rarely discuss this basic unfairness. All that gets talked about is the interests of the Scots, Irish and Welsh. It’s as if the views of the English (84 percent of the poulation) don’t count. We’re just serfs who pay our taxes.
If it’s the only way for the English to achieve autonomy, I’d support the breakup of the UK.
Mary, there is no evidence to believe that Soros is behind Trump, and at this point it Soros would not do such a thing.
In any event, Soros would be subject to campaign finance limits, so I’m not sure why it would matter all that much if Soros did back Trump.
Greece has threatened to quit Euro. Scotland can take their place surely? Salmond favours euro entry, although doesn’t like to talk about it.
I’m a bit sceptical that Soros would want anything to do with Trump. They seem to have very different political opinions, plus Soros seems to be a smart man, while Trump is a buffoon who goes on about Obama’s birth certificate and what a genius Donald Trump supposedly is.