capybara Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Yeah, what reasons for the delay though? Surely it's quite simple. Let the people decide. You may need to ask him... but my guess would be to demonstrate that they can get things done,run a competent admin etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Freud Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Would you not like to you know, wait till this election is over? They haven't even declared the seats yet? Plus there is the obligatory basking to do. I have no intention of discussing any detailed policy on this site for, ooooh, at least a couple days. I'm going to need that much time to revel. Aye, fair enough too. Hover, I think kiwififer has a great deal more right to be revelling than you, by Vectron, you old blawhard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Where's that prediction from? I'll be dissapointed if the Greens only manage to take one extra seat after all of this. Calculation on the BBC - originating from Professor John Curtice and his team. Should say it appeared as "2 others", it was someone else who then mentioned Margo McDonald and the Pensioners (and it can't be the bloke who got in last time, Swinburne, as he was on one of the lists already declared). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Also, Iain Gray has surely got to stand down as labour leader asap, this being the guy that speaks to everyone like they're still one of his old school pupils. As an aside, I also believe Maggie Thatcher had voice training to stop people thinking the same thing about her. But who can replace him...? Johann Lamont and Jackie Baillie are useless, and, going by their TV interviews so far, clearly don't get it even more then he doesn't get it. Hugh Henry and Malc Chisholm are old men and only kept their seats due to having 'distanced' themselves from a lot of Labour policies over the years, which doesn't endear them to the party. That leaves you, in effect, with Patricia Ferguson. Labour were low on talent anyway, as they only send 2nd-grade politicians into the Scottish Parliament in the first place. They then stick them on the constituencies, on the assumption of the core vote seeing them home. It's backfired, spectacularly. Unless someone talented emerges, Gray may have to stay, else be replaced by someone even worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H_B Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Would you not like to you know, wait till this election is over? I'm not suggesting they do it this afternoon. But there can be no reason for delay now. The big bad Unionist bloc that would have stymied the referendum bill wont exist. It should be done within the first year of the new Parliament. It won't be though. For the reasons Reynard outlines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Finally before I sign-off looks like Annabell Goldie and the Conservatives will exit today relatively happy. The Lib Dems and Labour both got routed, predicted down 10 and 8 respectively, so the Tories escaping with down 4 is not too bad in context. Further they held onto 3 of their 4 constituencies (lost Pentlands) - and actually increased their share 6% in one. "Weathered the SNP storm" relatively well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshmallo Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Great night. I didn't think I'd see the day both Falkirk seats would be SNP and 8 of the 9 in Edinburgh were the same. Delighted to have an SNP MSP in my constituency, especially after Labour's "it's us or the Lib Dems" leaflet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Waldo Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 But who can replace him...? According to one of the papers a bloke called David Whitton is favourite. Anybody who works in the Civil Service knows exaclty whay type of person Iain Gray is. I am not very politically minded, but he would have been a disaster for the country. If they have no-one better than him they should disband. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 West of Scotland List totals are in... 3 Labour, 2 SNP, 2 Conservative (they'll be happy). Nothing for the Lib Dems, again. Previous declarations were Glasgow... 3 Labour, 2 SNP, 1 Green, 1 Conservative; and Central... 3 SNP, 3 Labour, 1 Conservative. Tories will be contentendly surprised, Lib Dems will be worried. Greens proved bit of a failure, by looks of it. Projected to perhaps only get Partick Harvie in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xbl Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 Aye, fair enough too. Hover, I think kiwififer has a great deal more right to be revelling than you, by Vectron, you old blawhard. I've spent four years blathering on about cold dead unions, London knowing best, foreign elections, discussing the long game, and pointing out that Scotland is different. In pure p&b terms, I've EARNED some gloating time. Obviously, I've not put in any of the hard work that the likes of Kiwififer and the thousands of activists and pro independence party members have, but I see it as like (say) watching your football team win its first ever national title in division 3. You might not have scored the goals yourself or played any passes, but it still feels pretty damn good. Its been a good few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 According to one of the papers a bloke called David Whitton is favourite. Anybody who works in the Civil Service knows exaclty whay type of person Iain Gray is. I am not very politically minded, but he would have been a disaster for the country. If they have no-one better than him they should disband. He lost to the SNP by 1,802 votes... was a 20% swing to the SNP. They hadn't bothered putting him on their regional list. He is now, as you would say, seeking other gainful employment... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigkillie Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I am delighted to have woken up this morning in a constituency (Cunninghame South) which is no longer represented by Labour. I think they took the seat for granted, because I didn't get a single leaflet from them, and they didn't even have posters up on the way to the polling station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgecutter Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Had to be done: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Law Stud Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I'm quite pleased that John Pentland managed to win the election in Motherwell - especially since the majority was only 587. I'd like to think that me highlighting the work of the SNP in damaging football in Erskine on a local football website with 2500 unique local users and 1.5m annual page views had some effect in securing that result for a man who has definitely been a friend of sport in the region. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theentomologist Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 According to one of the papers a bloke called David Whitton is favourite. Anybody who works in the Civil Service knows exaclty whay type of person Iain Gray is. I am not very politically minded, but he would have been a disaster for the country. If they have no-one better than him they should disband. Difficult..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I'm quite pleased that John Pentland managed to win the election in Motherwell - especially since the majority was only 587. I'd like to think that me highlighting the work of the SNP in damaging football in Erskine on a local football website with 2500 unique local users and 1.5m annual page views had some effect in securing that result for a man who has definitely been a friend of sport in the region. Ironically enough, the SNP woman got in 3rd on their list. Had she won Motherwell, they'd probably only have got 2 on the list, so it all came to the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Freud Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I've spent four years blathering on about cold dead unions, London knowing best, foreign elections, discussing the long game, and pointing out that Scotland is different. In pure p&b terms, I've EARNED some gloating time. Indeed you have. Gloat away. Obviously, I've not put in any of the hard work that the likes of Kiwififer and the thousands of activists and pro independence party members have, but I see it as like (say) watching your football team win its first ever national title in division 3. You might not have scored the goals yourself or played any passes, but it still feels pretty damn good. Its been a good few weeks. Yeah, I can see that too. Oddly enough, I feel quite satsified with the results, though I think it's quite amazing that in Scotland as well as England it's the Lib Dems and not the Tories that got the shoeing. Very interesting to note that Plaid Cymru in Wales got a doing at the hands of Labour. It goes to show, IMO, that Salmond being head and shoulders above the nearest competitor in the experience and gravitas stakes served the SNP well. That Nats have a track record of success in Scotland, and handled their parliamentary responsibilities well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Master Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Twitter: TimReidBBCReliable sources suggesting that LDs might lose NE Fife and two Highland seats #sp11 incl JF Munro's former const If the Lib Dems lose NE Fife they'd might as well give up now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 BBC political correspondent Laura Kuennsberg @BBCLauraK says: "John McTernan (former political secretary to Tony Blair) tells me Iain Gray won't be Labour leader in Scotland at next election." Thanks for that wonderful analysis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Master Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I got three hours sleep last night...and now I'm drinking a liquid that wouldn't have looked out of place in the Gulf of Mexico last year Still, I'm glad I saw the bulk of the shocks on a landmark night in Scottish politics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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