As traditional in depressing times for Labour UK-wide, those of us needing cheering up can look to Scotland for consolation.
Today's London media have given us the news that the bunkered-in staff at No10 have completely lost the plot ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5315114.stm) (though my spoofster will undoubtedly see some significance in the revelation that TB may speak to a grateful the nation from the Chris Evans show as part of his departure tour), letters that may or may not exist may or may not be being signed by my predecessor as Hackney Chief Whip Chris Bryant, and my predecessor as Chatham Ward Councillor Charles Clarke is accelerating leftwards across the political spectrum at high velocity http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5315636.stm - I'm not quite sure who he is trying to impress - I don't think slagging off Gordon's policy pronouncements is going to get him recalled to the Cabinet post-leadership change in a hurry.
However, in my ancestoral homeland (the red hair comes from the Mackenzies of Dumbarton rather than the Akehursts of Kent) the excellent Jack McConnell is quietly getting on with the job of getting re-elected and according to today's Scotsman http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1308102006 has opened up a handy poll lead over the Nats, whilst the Trot vote has collapsed :
"According to calculations by John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, if the poll result was replicated in May, Labour would win 49 seats, down just one, and the SNP - which lost eight seats in 2003 - would drop a further three to 24 MSPs.
However, the Liberal Democrats would be on 23, up six, the Conservative up two on 20 and the Greens on nine, an increase of two. The SSP/Solidarity would get just one seat, down five. Other parties or independent candidates would take three seats."
Particularly good to see the collapse of the Trot vote post the Sheridan trial.
Were Hackney not an equally steadfast bastion of democratic socialism, I might be making plans to relocate northwards. Will Scotland be taking asylum seekers if Cameron gets in?
System 3 polls usually tend to over-estimate both Labour and the SNP and under-estimate the tories.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the only seat SSP/Solidarity are expected to hold is Sheridan's one.
No good spoofing me with comments about Blair appearing on the Luke Akehurst radio show nearly an hour after I have already published this news on the genuine site!
ReplyDeleteWe've started a collection for you, young man, to purchase a one-way ticket.
ReplyDeleteSystem 3 certainly comes with a health warning, but then so do the other recent polls.
ReplyDeleteS3 actually show a slight rally in hard left support in August, with the SSP & Solidarity sharing 6%.
However, the split will likely hurt them under the Scottish electoral system. I think this would give them a seat each, with the Greens likely to benefit.
Poll details at The Daily:
http://thedaily.wordpress.com/2006/09/05/new-scottish-poll/