exile

Scottish Premiership v Championship. Who'd a' thunk it at the start of the season: In one there's a runaway leader with a 20 point cushion in February... the other is comparatively competitive (top 2 separated by 3 points, bottom 3 on same points...)

yeah that was the programme - originally on yesterday He's like a boorish overgrown schoolboy, taking part in his first debate, who just discovered the meaning of the word 'libertarian'

David Coburn on Radio 4 right now, mouthing off about how they are the only party with the answers... making an Rse of himself, like a boorish adolescent debater... stirring up the audience, ... to slow hand clapping and then heckling... complaining the audience are bourgeois biased to the greens They used to compare Tory representatives in Scotland as colonial governors. Not sure how to describe DC

No. The 'ambassador' role would be based in the Polar Regions Department of the Overseas Territories Directorate of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Looking in more detail... Much of the report is to do with climate, science, security, industries, indigenous peoples... UK has observer status with the Arctic Council - as does Spain, Germany, China, Singapore... Turns out the 144 page report mentions 'Scotland' only once.... there is much more on Ukraine and Crimea...

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/arcticcom/news/report-published/

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ukip-would-cut-billions-from-scottish-budget-to-fund-english-tax-cuts-10076356.html

Oh dear. That went well.

Economist articles putting the party system and FPTP in historical perspective. FPTP looks set to benefit SNP, and squeeze out Green and UKIP. Worries about "instability and a crisis of legitimacy"! http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21644147-britains-slide-six-party-politics-presages-instability-and-crisis-legitimacy-great The second one has a chart showing proportions of votes for the parties every year from 1885 when FPTP was introduced. http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21644142-two-party-political-system-under-unprecedented-pressure-breaking-point

This mentions some of the tactics about how to get at the opposition How to win the election: Political speeches are no longer delivered but 'framed' to ensure you hear the core messagehttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/how-to-win-the-election-political-speeches-are-no-longer-delivered-but-framed-to-ensure-you-hear-the-core-message-10057834.html

Seems there's another documentary - this time on BBC 2 tonight - Meet the Ukippers An unprecedented insight into the heartland of UKIP that follows the party faithful as they ride high in the polls and try - but fail - to avoid the gaffes the media are looking for. Thanet on the Kent coast is where Nigel Farage has chosen to stand for parliament, but this timely film is about the local party activists who stand firmly behind him rather than the media-savvy leader himself. Filmed over six months, these true believers explain the UKIP phenomena, but there are also jaw-dropping views on race the national party would definitely prefer weren't aired.

Ah.. I should have put '(not deid yet)' on the tag line... He says: “I don’t know how much time I’ve got so I’d better hurry up, especially at my stage of the game. I’m quite fond of being alive. I quite like that, so hopefully I have a while yet.” William McIlvanney: Living With Words is at the Glasgow Film Festival at 6pm, on Monday, February 23 (i.e. tomorrow!). It screens on BBC Two Scotland the following Friday, February 27 at 10pm http://www.heraldscotland.com/books-poetry/interviews/interview-william-mcilvanney-talks-to-alan-taylor-about-his-life-and-work.118171447

William McIlvanney: - "impressed by independence hope" http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/arts/news/william-mcilvanney-impressed-by-independence-hope-1-3697913 - "reckons Labour are 'dead in the water' and Jim Murphy is a 'tailor's dummy' " http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity-interviews/best-selling-author-william-mcilvanney-reckons-5201448 Hmmm... this guy is a socialist, voted yes, but not convinced by SNP....?

I don;t know but in this case the Independent article refers to wealthy, middle class, prosperous, affluent on the one hand, and working class. low income and high benefit claimant on the other

which allows different writers to spin the story either way - 'shock horror the SNP is backed by the affluent'; or 'shock horror Labour being propped up by the middle classes' The article implies it's places like Stirling, Edinburgh, and various Easts (Ren, Dun, Lothian) that are turning to Labour Arguably these are places where Tories would traditionally have been strong... could imply turning to Labour to keep a unionist MP in Could help explain a lack of post-referendum Tory unionist bounce, IF it fails to materialise "Political betting expert expects Tories to win just one seat in Scotland"https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/westminster/498511/political-betting-expert-expects-tories-win-just-one-seat-scotland/

Agreed. tHe interesting thing is that the original post article suggested (or spun it) as the wealthy backing the SNP, whereas this one has the affluent turning to/clinging to Labour.

Back to the topic of Wealth: Wealthy Scottish voters could offer Ed Miliband a route to No 10 "Middle-class voters in some of Scotland’s most prosperous constituencies could rescue Ed Miliband and improve his chances of making it to Downing Street, according to unpublished doorstep canvassing revealed to The Independent." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/wealthy-scottish-voters-could-offer-ed-miliband-a-route-to-no-10-10057853.html

So predicts SNP clinging to an overall majority of 1, and Greens the 3rd biggest party ahead of Cons and Libs. And a UKIP bridgehead. (But no socialists.)

Seems that Craig Bryson had an assist for Derby

Looking worrying for Motherwell, now bottom

Still,... 20 points behind hearts!

It seems it's not just the nationalists who are obsessed with union v independence. On another front: Only federalism can now save the Union. http://www.conservativehome.com/platform/2015/02/andy-maciver-as-scottish-conservatives-gather-for-their-conference-a-stark-message-for-cameron-only-federalism-can-now-save-the-union.html

Argyll & Bute - 4-way marginal as described in FT http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e56ce036-b915-11e4-b8e6-00144feab7de.html#axzz3SNk82C00

Cameron just said "A vote for the SNP is a vote for Labour in government." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/david-cameron-labour-and-snp-coalition-an-ultimate-nightmare-scenario-10060756.html

Guardian article reporting on people switching from Lab and Lib to SNP and Green http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/feb/20/swinging-for-victory-how-the-political-landscape-in-scotland-is-changing

10:31 minutes On You Tube you can scroll down comments, someone posted the lyrics (171 lines)