Comments on: The people of Scotland are being used as pawns by the Tories and SNP

By: Derick Tulloch

Derick Tulloch — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 19:15:05 +0000

That Scottish voters occasionally vote the same way as those in England is utterly irrelevant because those Scottish votes have virtually no influence on the make up of ‘UK’ Governments. Remove all Scottish MPs in the 19 elections since 1945 and the only ones that change are

1964 Labour majority of 4 (uselessly low) to Conservative majority of 1 (also uselessly low)
1974 October. Labour majority of 3 (useless) to Labour minority of minus 8.

Laughing here at the tired old ‘Tartan Tory’ tosh. So far removed from reality it’s funny!

By: Gary Hogg

Gary Hogg — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 10:06:34 +0000

Chris – your dates are selective – I wasnt even alive in 1945 – We could go back to 1707? In recent history from 1979 – Scotland has had the UK government it voted for in only 13 years compared to 23 years when it didnt – and more importantly this pattern doesn’t seem to be changing – if anything it is getting worse. You seem to be happy that in 1955 that the Unionist, National Liberals and Conservatives collectively got more than 50% of the vote – perhaps you want another grand unionist alliance?

By: Glesga

Glesga — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 00:53:55 +0000

The SNP are Tories and have been going along with Thatcherite policies since gaining power. The emergence of a new middle class in Scotland who have not experienced poverty have left Labour in the wilderness. This new class are oblivient about the underclass sitting begging on the Scottish streets. Greed has won.

By: uglyfatbloke

uglyfatbloke — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 16:46:27 +0000

Chris, it’s Scottish Labour that’s campaigning for the tories and it will be their efforts that get Mundell and others elected…which Scottish Labour will regard as a triumph.

By: Chris Bartter

Chris Bartter — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 15:08:11 +0000

Oh Dear
I thought that the mantra – a big boy did it – had slipped into disrepute, due to the failure of the current Scottish Government to actually use their current powers to tackle the ‘bread and butter’ issues? Passing welfare powers back to Westminster, and looking to cut air passenger duty spring to mind.
Mr Tulloch also (unwittingly?)confirms Ed Jacobs’ main point. He claims that the powers that matter are all concentrated in Westminster, yet this election is as relevant to him as the French election, showing how little he is concerned about those ‘bread and butter’ issues – exactly as the Tories and the SNP want.
Finally, the actual stats of Scottish votes influencing the Westminster election do NOT show a lack of influence. Indeed as this website shows – http://www.aforceforgood.org.uk/debunk/vote1 – in the elections between 1945 and 2010, Scotland got the Westminster Government it voted for about twice as many times as it had an alternative government foisted on it. Once indeed (1951) Scotland got the (Tory) government it voted for, overturning the English votes for a Labour government.
Again, the preference of the SNP is for a right -wing Tory government in Westminster, so it can frustrate the left in Scotland into voting for their constitutional aim.

By: Derick Tulloch

Derick Tulloch — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 12:45:31 +0000

Same old nonsense, Ed. Disappointing.

The ‘bread and butter issues’ are directly connected to the constitutional issue, because the Scottish Parliament’s powers over the economy, taxation and hence the funding available to deal with the other items are currently derisory. Those powers are held in the Parliament of a foreign country, which more often than not, and clearly for the next 10-15 years returns a right wing administration.

The UK election is as interesting and relevant to me as the French election. I’d rather Corbyn won than Le Pen, and Macron won rather than May. But in the end it’s a foreign jurisdiction and it’s up to the people of those nations who they vote for. The fact that it the UK one has any influence whatsoever on our lives in Scotland is simply an irritation. Not least because our votes have never influenced the outcome of any UK general election in any significant way.