political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Labour Poll Says SNP Heading for Landslide
See HERE. The lesson is for political parties not to put polls on their websites, methinks.
Ok I went to school some six miles from Bo'ness- I'm not suprised at the local Labour Party doing this though the old West Lothian seat was since 1962 a Lab/SNP Battle- although next door Linlithgow (birthplace of 'Eck Salmond) returns a Tory Councillor. Falkirk District Labour Party does seem to draw on a rather small and narrow gene pool and this bears it out
I'm glad that commenters have taken noted of Eric Joyce's despicable expense submissions. (basically double the amount of his neighbours). More on him nearer to the election.
I am seriously scared, yet again, I saw a mention in the New Statesman of the Labour chatter about PR . We know what it is all about really. Alec Salmon gave an infuriating argument for the end of the union in the Telegraph .He suggested that “despite our fears about losing the oil revenue “ England was probably a big enough country to go it alone …yes very funny. At all events, I see less chance of a Union in the future than there was of a new Empire in the 1960s . Labour simply cannot steal any more money from the English via the Barnett formulas. Parts of Glasgow having a life expectancy below retirement age and .in their welfare wasteland drugs hell-holes, the Scots do not see themselves as fortunate, Labour have failed to buy the votes form their client state on the “ Celtic fringe” and they now accept that in the first past the post system they may never form a government again in England . We will know more soon, but Michael Portillo was the first to point out the dooms-day scenario of PR and the more I think about it the more I think it likely .The scum will throw the Constitution into the sea before they will let the Right have it forever. I really think they will.
PR is a system I detest.Smply put it confuses the one vital question in a functioning democracy . "If I do not like what I see who do I vote against!" By transferable vote systems allied to the fact that the Conservative party have relatively few second choice voters ,Brown will hope to frustrate the clear wish of the English never to have his like in Power again. He will do some shady deal with the Liberals and assorted extremist loons. That will be the end of democracy in this country. You can forget getting out of the EU which would love this ,in fact , you can forget any connection with policy which will all be brokered in Westminster between insiders of the centre.
If he does this, if he dares wreck Parliament completely because he cannot win , then the talking is over. It is time to take to the street with direct action and if necessary violent resistance . What about it Bloggers are you all talk or are you prepared fight Brown in whatever way is left. When will you say I `m not taking this any more !
I know ..if you want the Consevatives to riot make it a Sunday , we`re all at work !
I just tried to vote and got the message 'ERROR: Your vote has not been registered because you (or someone from your computer) has already voted.'
As I've heard of this website from Iain Dale's there is problem. I would report it to the Electoral Commission if I thought they would do any good. I am awaiting my postal ballot!
This is many months out of date. Put up 11 months ago. Obviously trolled by a vote early vote daily* SNPper. Plenty of Viagra adverts on what is not a very well tended Labour pasture.
* Can't vote every minute, but every day possible on this ridiculous software (same as we use!)
The real point about the Labour poll is that even Labour supporters are now thoroughly disengaged from the political process.
The "ordinary" Labour member is no longer a part of the Party's core but merely a leaflet carrier and crowd filler.
Their silence is preferred over their opinions.
The party is now funded by the few - large millionaire donors, large Union's funds - and the political activity is undertaken by buying it in.
The role of the ideologically committed activist has been eliminated. No wonder the party's membership has plumetted.
By contrast the SNP, although successful in bringing a few financial big hitters, is still a party motivated by a "big idea" - resuming the powers of a normal independent country - and driven by the active work of a mass, and growing, membership.
So it is that sense of distance that keeps Labour people away from any action - even signing up for one of their own polls - and brings SNP supporters into active participation with everything political.
The challenge for the SNP will be to keep the mass membership "on board" in government. But the signs are encouraging. The frightening maturity of their recent conference in Glasgow - to the extent that it could be watched between transmission breaks - is encouraging in that respect.
Bo'ness, properly Borrowstounness.. and the reality is Labour voters as much as activists are scunnered (rather fed up in Scots language) with McConnell, Brown and Co. It's time for a real leader in Salmond.
Grant is right. time for a real leader who will stand up for Scotland as incressing numbers of succssful busiessmen like Sir george Mathewson, sir Tom Farmer, Crawford Beveridge etc are realisng and saying oublicly. Vote SNP and for Alex as first minister on May 3 and wipe out as many councillors of Labour as possible also.
It's Time for fresh thinking, new ideas and strong leadership. Alex salmond will stand up fpr the people of Scotland much more effectively than Union Jack McCONnell. It's Time to vote SNP.
Yes, I live in Bo'ness and this Labour web site has given me a lot of fun. I did vote on it once but now can't get on to it. Anyway, the Labour party are dead here. This town has four SNP councillors out of four and even with the new STV system and a smaller number of councillors we should get two of three. Labour is finished. Anyone interested in the big story in Scottish politics needs to visit Labour's own site. Every one of the main stories on their home page is about the SNP. I never thought it would come so soon but the Union does look like it's over at last. What joy! http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/
By the way Bo'ness is a small town of 14000 located on the banks of the Firth of Forth. Quite pretty - we look out on to the firth and the Ochil hills behind. We're about 20 miles west of Edinburgh
That's not a 'poll'. It's a self-selecting survey. People shouldn't confuse them with opinion polls.
ReplyDeleteIf they win I'm applying for assylum in England.
ReplyDeleteNot sure you'd pass the English language test. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHardly the most extensive 'poll' is it? Stick to the budget Iain. ... Iain! Wake up!
Ok I went to school some six miles from Bo'ness- I'm not suprised at the local Labour Party doing this though the old West Lothian seat was since 1962 a Lab/SNP Battle- although next door Linlithgow (birthplace of 'Eck Salmond) returns a Tory Councillor.
ReplyDeleteFalkirk District Labour Party does seem to draw on a rather small and narrow gene pool and this bears it out
I'm glad that commenters have taken noted of Eric Joyce's despicable expense submissions. (basically double the amount of his neighbours). More on him nearer to the election.
ReplyDeleteWhen Labour Lose Scotland
ReplyDeleteI am seriously scared, yet again, I saw a mention in the New Statesman of the Labour chatter about PR . We know what it is all about really. Alec Salmon gave an infuriating argument for the end of the union in the Telegraph .He suggested that “despite our fears about losing the oil revenue “ England was probably a big enough country to go it alone …yes very funny.
At all events, I see less chance of a Union in the future than there was of a new Empire in the 1960s . Labour simply cannot steal any more money from the English via the Barnett formulas. Parts of Glasgow having a life expectancy below retirement age and .in their welfare wasteland drugs hell-holes, the Scots do not see themselves as fortunate,
Labour have failed to buy the votes form their client state on the “ Celtic fringe” and they now accept that in the first past the post system they may never form a government again in England . We will know more soon, but Michael Portillo was the first to point out the dooms-day scenario of PR and the more I think about it the more I think it likely .The scum will throw the Constitution into the sea before they will let the Right have it forever. I really think they will.
PR is a system I detest.Smply put it confuses the one vital question in a functioning democracy . "If I do not like what I see who do I vote against!" By transferable vote systems allied to the fact that the Conservative party have relatively few second choice voters ,Brown will hope to frustrate the clear wish of the English never to have his like in Power again. He will do some shady deal with the Liberals and assorted extremist loons. That will be the end of democracy in this country. You can forget getting out of the EU which would love this ,in fact , you can forget any connection with policy which will all be brokered in Westminster between insiders of the centre.
If he does this, if he dares wreck Parliament completely because he cannot win , then the talking is over. It is time to take to the street with direct action and if necessary violent resistance . What about it Bloggers are you all talk or are you prepared fight Brown in whatever way is left. When will you say I `m not taking this any more !
I know ..if you want the Consevatives to riot make it a Sunday , we`re all at work !
I just tried to vote and got the message 'ERROR: Your vote has not been registered because you (or someone from your computer) has already voted.'
ReplyDeleteAs I've heard of this website from Iain Dale's there is problem. I would report it to the Electoral Commission if I thought they would do any good. I am awaiting my postal ballot!
"That's not a 'poll'. It's a self-selecting survey. People shouldn't confuse them with opinion polls."
ReplyDeleteYes but it's fairly embarrassing that a Labour party website's poll can be cornered by the Nats.
Doesn't say much about their activists' energy if they can let that happen.
Mind you, from what I'm hearing Labour's got a real problem in motivating their members after Iraq and Trident.
On the face of it cutting the 10p rate won't help either.
I just love the Viagra ads further down the page. I knew the Scots thought they were hard men, but ...
ReplyDeleteThis is many months out of date. Put up 11 months ago. Obviously trolled by a vote early vote daily* SNPper. Plenty of Viagra adverts on what is not a very well tended Labour pasture.
ReplyDelete* Can't vote every minute, but every day possible on this ridiculous software (same as we use!)
Actually Linlithgow returns TWO SNP Councillors and, yes, the only Tory in the whole of West Lothian.
ReplyDeleteThe real point about the Labour poll is that even Labour supporters are now thoroughly disengaged from the political process.
ReplyDeleteThe "ordinary" Labour member is no longer a part of the Party's core but merely a leaflet carrier and crowd filler.
Their silence is preferred over their opinions.
The party is now funded by the few - large millionaire donors, large Union's funds - and the political activity is undertaken by buying it in.
The role of the ideologically committed activist has been eliminated. No wonder the party's membership has plumetted.
By contrast the SNP, although successful in bringing a few financial big hitters, is still a party motivated by a "big idea" - resuming the powers of a normal independent country - and driven by the active work of a mass, and growing, membership.
So it is that sense of distance that keeps Labour people away from any action - even signing up for one of their own polls - and brings SNP supporters into active participation with everything political.
The challenge for the SNP will be to keep the mass membership "on board" in government. But the signs are encouraging. The frightening maturity of their recent conference in Glasgow - to the extent that it could be watched between transmission breaks - is encouraging in that respect.
Who or what is Bo'ness? Where does the apostrophe come from? Is it anything to do with Loch Ness?
ReplyDeleteBo'ness, properly Borrowstounness.. and the reality is Labour voters as much as activists are scunnered (rather fed up in Scots language) with McConnell, Brown and Co. It's time for a real leader in Salmond.
ReplyDeleteGrant is right. time for a real leader who will stand up for Scotland as incressing numbers of succssful busiessmen like Sir george Mathewson, sir Tom Farmer, Crawford Beveridge etc are realisng and saying oublicly.
ReplyDeleteVote SNP and for Alex as first minister on May 3 and wipe out as many councillors of Labour as possible also.
It's Time for fresh thinking, new ideas and strong leadership. Alex salmond will stand up fpr the people of Scotland much more effectively than Union Jack McCONnell.
ReplyDeleteIt's Time to vote SNP.
Yes, I live in Bo'ness and this Labour web site has given me a lot of fun. I did vote on it once but now can't get on to it. Anyway, the Labour party are dead here. This town has four SNP councillors out of four and even with the new STV system and a smaller number of councillors we should get two of three. Labour is finished. Anyone interested in the big story in Scottish politics needs to visit Labour's own site. Every one of the main stories on their home page is about the SNP. I never thought it would come so soon but the Union does look like it's over at last. What joy! http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/
ReplyDeleteBy the way Bo'ness is a small town of 14000 located on the banks of the Firth of Forth. Quite pretty - we look out on to the firth and the Ochil hills behind. We're about 20 miles west of Edinburgh