Poll this!

I'm liking the breakdown from Reform Scotland's poll that's all over the news today. 

According to question one.

"If there was a Scottish independence referendum tomorrow where you could only vote either yes or no to independence, how would you vote?"
97.5% of SNP supporters naturally voted yes. Oddly enough 28.0% of Labour supporters, 9.2% Tories and 25.0% Lib Dems all selected Independence as their preferred option. Now the numbers are small, and those identifying with the SNP were in the majority, but still 28% of Labour and 25% of Lib Dems support Independence. If anything it shows that there are people in those parties who are bound to party/family loyalty but hopefully have the strength of their convictions when it comes to doing something for the greater good.


The other question I found interesting was the timing of the proposed referendum. Only the Tories favoured an immediate referendum with a whopping 47.7% of their supporters wanting it right NOW! Perhaps they're afraid that any more years of this pathetic coalition will simply play into pro-Independence hands. Interestingly the majority of Labour supporters want it like the SNP supporters, in 2014, with 25.6% Labour supporters and 59.7% SNP supporters willing to wait until the latter part of this parliamentary period.
Perhaps, like Gordon Brown's lack of desire to go to the country in a general election, many of the Labour supporters want to delay the inevitable. 

What is noticeable is the 8.5% Labour supporters and 16.3% Tories who never want to see the day Scotland has a referendum... That's your core Unionist support, the diehards who will resist change no matter the cost.

Devo Plus and Opinion Poll Bulletin

It's a long,long while from May to December.

Impressed by the hagiographic column inches devoted to the finally departing Leader of the Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament (LOTLPAISP) Iain Gray, I'm left pondering over whether this is the longest swansong in Labours Scottish political history.

When Henry McLeish replaced Donald Dewar as First Minister, the process took place within the 28 days as stipulated by the Scotland Act. The vote was taken by a "selectorate" of 80 Labour MSPs and members of the party's Scottish executive...yes count them 80!

Poor Henry survived the long knives of internal back biting for just a little over a year before resigning over 'Officegate'. A resignation that had more to do with one man's ambitious stoking of internal party strife than a powerful opposition.

Wee Jack replaced Henry, unopposed in a hasty 18 days. Yet when Jack fell on his sword after losing the May 2007 election to the SNP by one pesky seat, it took all of 30 days and a girls night out involving a Chinese takeaway for TheWendy to replace him. Even Iain Gray's installation as LOLITSP took all of two and a half months, despite an actual leadership battle, where the brave Iain saw off the formidable Cathy doll and former Murray Primary school boy Andy Kerr.

So fast forward three years, three months and two days and finally we come to the end of Iain Gray's reign as the Parliaments perennial Mr Angry.

Mr Gray announced his resignation on the 6th of May 2011, that'll be 7 months and 11 days ago, or 31 weeks if you prefer. During this time, he has gone about his business with a complete lack of grace, honesty and basic manners. His final conference speech was given over not to identifying the mistakes Labour had made and what plans he had to solve them, instead he launched a tirade about the rise of the Cybernat. It wasn't the cybernats who followed him into a sandwich shop or walked with him through the Killing fields of Renfield Street. It wasn't the cybernats who ran a campaign built on negativity, scaremongering and fear that has probably killed Labour for a generation. It was Iain Gray, his deputy and replacement Johann Lamont and control from London. Did Ed really get Scotland?

His final farewell today sees him using the very last of his headline grabbers to yet again attack the leader of the SNP. No fond remembrances for Iain Gray. Probably no ermine clad pension in the other place. Instead a pew at the back of the Holyrood benches where he can fulminate and nurse his wrath at the SNP backbenchers.

So farewell Iain Gray, you've given a lot of pro-Independence folk a lot of laughs. In a tenure bereft of dignity or humanity you've managed to traduce the once mighty Labour party to a minority voice in a changing Scotland, quite an achievement, especially considering the overwhelming backing of the UK and Scottish media that you've had.

Here's a final memento for you.