Lex

Just remember reading on this very thread and from other experts over the years that support for independence was going to surge because of The Tories, because of Brexit, because of Boris, because of COVID, because of Truss and because demographics meant all the old duffers who voted no will be dying off. Amongst various other things. You telling me that after a decade and all of the above factors, support for independence hasn't actually changed at all? The 1% being within the margin of polling error of course. Must be demoralising for independence supporters seeing such numbers. The reality is the polling numbers don't really matter because the independence cause is dead anyway. The SNP are in turmoil and are set to lose seats in both the upcoming General Election and Scottish Parliamentary election. A Labour government will be elected to Westminster later this year and they will be elected with plenty of Scottish Labour MP's, the next Westminster government is going to be much more popular in Scotland than the current Tory one. All that combined with the fact there is zero appetite in Westminster amongst either party to pass another referendum bill for anything, and the supreme court has ruled that the Scottish Parliament cannot legislate on the UK constitution and call a legally binding referendum itself. I remember hearing that decision was going to cause uproar and civil unrest and marches on the street too. It did not, because most Scottish people just aren't that arsed. It's finished.

You make it seem like Forrest is some unknown youth player with no pedigree who’s had a couple of decent games. It’s completely the opposite. Forrest is one of the most decorated players in Scottish football history, has 38 caps, and is a proven performer at international level scoring five goals. His versatility and experience is why he should be considered. Given the current injuries and lack of depth in the wide areas, I expect he will be in the squad. His recent return to fitness and form is just a footnote.

Similar to Hibs last season. Start with a minow - they got a team from Andorra. Win that and get a tougher team, they got Luzern from Switzerland which they won too, before getting bodied by Villa in the playoff round.

It'll be Swinney, if he wants it that it is. Can already see SNP MP's and MSP's coalescing and tweeting their support for him. Stewart McDonald the latest half an hour ago, Jenny Gilruth yesterday, amongst others. He's the uninspiring and least offensive option to the party membership and the Greens would tolerate him. Forbes is too divisive and there's not really any other credible candidates, they're simply running out of people who are capable of leading the party. He's the ultimate 'well, he'll have to do' candidate.

Feels like Erhahon's been around forever, but he's only 22. Lincoln fans do seem resigned to losing him in the summer so it will be interesting to see where he ends up. Always thought he had potential to play for Scotland and still he think he might. He was MOTM and captain when Lincoln knocked out Sheffield United in the league cup at Brammall Lane back at the start of the season and he was linked with going to the the EPL with them in January, but that never came about. Definitely think he's more than capable of playing at that top end of the championship lower end of the EPL level of club, and if he does go to a team like that and get a regular game he'll get a Scotland call up before long. Maybe this will be summer when the annual McGinn moving to X super club rumour and making us millionaires will finally be replaced.

This is spot on. The SNP came to power in 2007 for goodness sake, to still be in power 17 years later is not normal. The reality is they will probably still be in power in 17 years time. With the electoral set up there the only thing that could stop them forming a government is if there ever was a LAB/CON coalition, and although that does happen at council level, it ain't happening in Holyrood. This latest SNP administration was elected in 2021. Since then we've had the end of COVID and all the fall out and enquiries regarding that, the resignation and subsequent arrest of the lady who led the party into that election, the arrest and charging of the chief executive of the party, the long drawn out and at times bizarre leadership contest that led to Humza's coronation, the extremely divisive recognition bill and hate crime bills, the scrapping of their own green targets, the resultant ending of the coalition with the Greens and the subsequent resignation of the second SNP leader of this parliament. It's not even been three years. Not many parties in world politics would stay in power after all of that in such a short time, the SNP will. They'll get a third FM of this three year parliament sworn in, the show will move on, and they'll still be the largest party after the next parliamentary election.

James Forrest? Experienced at international level and he has something not many in our squad have at the moment - form.

The beleaguered statement that he made on Friday showed just out of touch he was. He said he never meant to upset the Scottish Greens as much as he had. As if he genuinely believed they would continue to prop him up after he had thrown them out of government and given their two leaders a £20k pay cut. He seemed shocked that they were ready to stick the knife in him at the no confidence vote. Almost felt sorry for him. The second he ended the BHA he was finished.

Resigning at high noon then. What a cluster f**k this last few days has been, even by SNP standards. He clearly believed he was going to stay on as FM at the end of last week. The wise old men within the SNP have obviously had a word with him over the weekend and told him he's finished and here we are. The worst FM in Scottish history IMO.

FT 1-2 Bah. Can't see doing anything at Parkhead on the final day, so will probably be eight defeats out of eight against them two this season. Frustrating, and given every other team in the league seems to be able to take points against them, costly. Our keeper's cost us this game. Not for the first time this season, and given there's four games to go, probably not the last. He's guff and we really need to not extend his loan next season. Apart from him the team played well. Scored a good goal and created several good chances. No matter, you're never getting anything when your keeper's playing like that. So the poor form continues, three losses in a row and just one point from our last five games. I think our whole season is on the line in that game at Dens Park next week.

HT 1-1 Been quite a good game actually, loads of attempts by both trams and think we are playing quite well. We obviously got our weekly Hemming howler to gift Rangers the lead from nothing, but we bounced back well. Scored a great goal by Mandron who’s leading the line well, and we should have taken the lead just on half time there, that’s one of the best saves I’ve ever seen live by Butland. Set up nicely for second half.

Winning a game would be the first target, remarkably we haven't won a single game at a major tournament since 1996. Second target is just not finishing bottom of the group. The dream is to qualify from a group stage at a major tournament for the first time ever, which is doable but will be tough. Based on our current terrible form and lack of tournament experience compared to our opponents, we are certainly more likely to finish fourth than anywhere else

Will there even be a vote? You got to admire his brass neck if he does go to the floor as first minister knowing he’s relying on Ash Regan and the goodwill of the presiding officer sticking to convention to stay in place. If he does win by one vote, what then? Does he expect to continue as a unelected First Minister for the next two years, knowing he’s just a falling out with Ash Regan or yet another SNP defection away from another vote of no confidence? It would be the Ash Regan parliament, with him in her back pocket at every turn. It’s impossible to run a credible administration like that. His authority is gone regardless of this votes outcome. He should either resign and let the SNP try find a leader who the Greens will have confidence in, or go to the polls as FM himself and ask the Scottish public for a mandate. However, given his clear delusion, I suspect he won’t do either of those things and he maybe even genuinely believes he can be FM for two more years and lead the SNP into a May 2026 Parliamentary election. Back in the real world, the chances of that happening are zero.

Eh? There’s 65 MSP’s between the Greens, Lib, Labour and Lib Dem’s, not 64? There’s 129 MSP’s, 64 votes is not enough. I’m tempted for the bet now because you’ve obviously miscounted before you offered it, but I don’t know what the Greens will do, and certainly wouldn’t bet on weasel Harvie having the backbone to bring down the SNP government. He’ll decide though, cause the Greens will vote as a block one way or another.

There will be a vote of no confidence next week, Tories have already confirmed it will be brought to the floor. There will be certainly 63 SNP votes of confidence and 57 LIB/LAB/CON votes of no confidence. There is eight green MSP's and who will decide the outcome of the vote. I don't know how they will vote, I bet Patrick Harvie doesn't know how they'll vote yet either. Ash Regans one vote for Alba will be unlikely to matter. The question the Greens will be asking themselves is if they want to see the man who just sacked them from government after backing down on a climate pledge continue as First Minister while they sit in opposition. I assume you think they do want that? Maybe they do, we'll soon find out.