Oh dear - the old SNP lost ... how can they be winning, trope?
Across the media this weekend the London movers and shakers from the Times to the tabloids still can not believe what is happening in Scotland. The SNP 'lost' in September - how the hell can they be winning?
The lazy journalists blame Miliband and his loss of control of the Labour Partry as a whole for his Scotch Region's increasing debacle and collapse. Fundamental to all of this is the degree of denial and inability to understand what is happening in Scotland (and increasingly across England and Wales) in the London media (including BBC and ITN News) as this upsurge in support for the SNP is not what happens when a political party 'loses'. You come out all apologetic, saying you understand the electorate wishes, you will now go into retreat and lick your wounds and all the rest of the usual formulaic padding which is Westminster standard operating procedure on a 'loss'. You do not simply dust yourself off and say, that was fun, we nearly did it, we will just keep on doing what we are doing, thanks very much, continue to listen and learn because we did not do that much wrong.
The Pro Union vote decreased from 4:1 in the Union's favour to 11:9 in the Union's favour between 2012-14, a 6% swing is all that would be required for Yes to win next time (and there will be a next time). Yet to the Guardian's Martin Kettle and other London journalists that 10% margin looks like a convincing win - so why have the SNP not just rolled over on their backs and died?
Labour's vote is collapsing in Scotland because the referendum demonstrated they are just another Tory Party. In response, Labour's big idea is to send Jim Murphy back to Scotland (an arch Blairite Tory); a man who is despised by large sections of his own Scotch Region vote and openly opposed by the Union electoral college in Scotland. All this before you ask the average Scottish voter what they think of 'Skeletor' Murphy - a man popular only on his own timeline.
Murphy's idea of a voter break through is to reverse the football anti-sectarian laws which have done much to reduce the cancer of football related sectarianism in Glasgow, as a concession to his new pals in the Orange Lodge.
Murphy's strategy is to hope BBC Scotland, the North Briton and other Scotch media outlets can paper over the cracks and fissures in his history of failure and deceit which started back when he was president of the NUS up to his latest, the back stabbing of Joan Lamont a few weeks ago. Murphy demonstrates what is wrong with Labour just as much as Miliband.
Labour's problem is the Labour Party is only interested in Labour Party's short term wants and needs. The UK electorate in Labour's eyes has a 'Hobson's Choice' when it comes to the UK General Election - take it or have another five years of Cameron's Conservatives. The irony is the Conservatives are operating on exactly the same principles when it comes to the UK electorate except they have the useful shroud of Ed Miliband to wave.
Meanwhile the SNP is actually listening to its Scottish electorate and worse for both the London Tory Parties, is acting on what they are being told as being 'important' to deliver on Scots needs and expectations. Throw in the reality the SNP have a new leader who is genuinely popular with the Scottish public at large and there can be little or no surprise at the rate of Labour's Scotch Region's collapse, as Scotch Labour MP's announce they are jumping before they are pushed and the Scotch Labour MSPs sit nursing their wrath at yet another London Labour created disaster heading their way - as along with the current Caesarian blood letting in the Scotch Region there will be more P45's for Labour MSPs in 2016.
Throw in the growing collapse of Labour's Welsh Region and the rapidly hollowing out of Labour's Northern England Regions all suggests the problems within Labour lie far deeper than just Miliband - they are systemic and well beyond dusting a turd with icing sugar or even electing Alan Johnson as leader.
This leaves you with a unsettling certainty, one which is more than just a gut feeling, and it is this:
The Westminster Political scene and its tame media no longer knows or understands what is happening in the UK outside of their own tiny, restricted, isolated and incestuous world which feeds only on its self.
This is the only way I can explain the UK medias failures to report on the mass protest marches across the UK which are now a regular event against Westminster Governmental policy for the status quo and the continuing ignorant assurance from UK politicians that this is what is 'for the best'.
Across the media this weekend the London movers and shakers from the Times to the tabloids still can not believe what is happening in Scotland. The SNP 'lost' in September - how the hell can they be winning?
The lazy journalists blame Miliband and his loss of control of the Labour Partry as a whole for his Scotch Region's increasing debacle and collapse. Fundamental to all of this is the degree of denial and inability to understand what is happening in Scotland (and increasingly across England and Wales) in the London media (including BBC and ITN News) as this upsurge in support for the SNP is not what happens when a political party 'loses'. You come out all apologetic, saying you understand the electorate wishes, you will now go into retreat and lick your wounds and all the rest of the usual formulaic padding which is Westminster standard operating procedure on a 'loss'. You do not simply dust yourself off and say, that was fun, we nearly did it, we will just keep on doing what we are doing, thanks very much, continue to listen and learn because we did not do that much wrong.
The Pro Union vote decreased from 4:1 in the Union's favour to 11:9 in the Union's favour between 2012-14, a 6% swing is all that would be required for Yes to win next time (and there will be a next time). Yet to the Guardian's Martin Kettle and other London journalists that 10% margin looks like a convincing win - so why have the SNP not just rolled over on their backs and died?
Labour's vote is collapsing in Scotland because the referendum demonstrated they are just another Tory Party. In response, Labour's big idea is to send Jim Murphy back to Scotland (an arch Blairite Tory); a man who is despised by large sections of his own Scotch Region vote and openly opposed by the Union electoral college in Scotland. All this before you ask the average Scottish voter what they think of 'Skeletor' Murphy - a man popular only on his own timeline.
Murphy's idea of a voter break through is to reverse the football anti-sectarian laws which have done much to reduce the cancer of football related sectarianism in Glasgow, as a concession to his new pals in the Orange Lodge.
Murphy's strategy is to hope BBC Scotland, the North Briton and other Scotch media outlets can paper over the cracks and fissures in his history of failure and deceit which started back when he was president of the NUS up to his latest, the back stabbing of Joan Lamont a few weeks ago. Murphy demonstrates what is wrong with Labour just as much as Miliband.
Labour's problem is the Labour Party is only interested in Labour Party's short term wants and needs. The UK electorate in Labour's eyes has a 'Hobson's Choice' when it comes to the UK General Election - take it or have another five years of Cameron's Conservatives. The irony is the Conservatives are operating on exactly the same principles when it comes to the UK electorate except they have the useful shroud of Ed Miliband to wave.
Meanwhile the SNP is actually listening to its Scottish electorate and worse for both the London Tory Parties, is acting on what they are being told as being 'important' to deliver on Scots needs and expectations. Throw in the reality the SNP have a new leader who is genuinely popular with the Scottish public at large and there can be little or no surprise at the rate of Labour's Scotch Region's collapse, as Scotch Labour MP's announce they are jumping before they are pushed and the Scotch Labour MSPs sit nursing their wrath at yet another London Labour created disaster heading their way - as along with the current Caesarian blood letting in the Scotch Region there will be more P45's for Labour MSPs in 2016.
Throw in the growing collapse of Labour's Welsh Region and the rapidly hollowing out of Labour's Northern England Regions all suggests the problems within Labour lie far deeper than just Miliband - they are systemic and well beyond dusting a turd with icing sugar or even electing Alan Johnson as leader.
This leaves you with a unsettling certainty, one which is more than just a gut feeling, and it is this:
The Westminster Political scene and its tame media no longer knows or understands what is happening in the UK outside of their own tiny, restricted, isolated and incestuous world which feeds only on its self.
This is the only way I can explain the UK medias failures to report on the mass protest marches across the UK which are now a regular event against Westminster Governmental policy for the status quo and the continuing ignorant assurance from UK politicians that this is what is 'for the best'.
Smashing, especially do like skeletor Murphy- a man popular only on his own timeline AYE
ReplyDeleteThanks Peter
Scots not scotch.(scotch is the whisky)
ReplyDeleteMurphy = Nersferatu
ReplyDeleteI can see the family resemblance now you mention it ...
DeleteScotch is how London views us with an associated degree of contempt .... so Labour's Scotch Region its stays
ReplyDelete