Cheered by the lack of mass cheering he usually has to suffer watching the First Minister’s audience at the end of the SNP annual conference, BBC Scotland’s ‘Chief Political Correspondent’ quickly tears up one of the SNP pamphlets prescribed by his GP, and scours around for evidence that, maybe, just maybe, he can hear the sound of dissent leading to ‘SNP Civil War’, YEAH!
We get one or two SNP MP’s tweeting impatiently about Indyref2, the NEC elections which might put a bit of pressure on the leadership and Alyn Smith’s disappointment, but little evidence of the SNP civil war he and others like him, lust for but never get.
I suppose with opinion poll after opinion poll showing solid and growing support for the First Minister, for the Scottish Government’s performance and for the SNP as the only party which can get us out of this mess, immediately dumping on every crisis story they can find, from Salmondgate, through Derek Mackay, hospital discharges to care homes and back to Salmondgate again, they must be desperate.
Maybe increase the dose, tear up an SNP pamphlet and tear up this photo of Nicola, every day too?
Talking-up Scotland / Scottish media fact checking is like shooting fish in a barrel 
Me thinks a more appropriate response by Glen and all of his ilk is to
1.Find a good solid wall in a empty spacious building or car park
2.Position your selves at right ankle to the wall
& as far distant as possible
3.Brace yourselves
4.Adopt the start position of a Olympic sprint
Champion
5.Shout ready steady GO
6.Launch your body
7.Run as fast as you can
8.As you come within 1 metre distant from said wall Do a Alan wells Olympic gold medal winning head dip
Thump, Bang
And why you may ask i speak of this
Simple
Because indeed they truly are HEAD BANGERS
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Are you spending too much time reading these BritNat rags, and don’t know what’s actually going on John?
It might up your readership if you wrote from a position of knowing what is happening in Salmondgate, and what has been happening within the SNP? I don’t mean you should write about it – just understand why there is dissatisfaction with SNP membership and such like.
I accidentally attended the fringe meeting organised by the Scottish currency group, and was a bit shocked to find (well, that it WAS an SNP fringe meeting for a start and I was voting on resolutions! It wasn’t official though, and I never disagreed in the polls with the huge majority, so no harm done) the amount of sarcasm about having the comments section running and how the poll results were instantly displayed – turns out, the main conference, using the same platform, had these facilities switched off. Iain Lawson has written a lot on how the SNP structures have been changing over the past few years – closing the avenues that allow branches and membership to have a say, and to be kept informed. I still don’t understand why so many people think that’s fine, that all is well, or those were the right things to do, but you know, whatever, I just personally don’t like that no-debate culture.
Gordon Dangerfield has written well on some aspects of the Salmondgate affair, it’s all a bit of a morass and his blog is clearly written and picks out some pertinent points. It’s good to keep yourself informed, and that’s not what the BritNat press does. And to be able to critics the BritNat press effectively, I think it’s good to know what is actually the case.
Just as you might, say, on occasion be critical of your loved ones – you know, friends and family, who can sometimes be known to do irritating things like chew food with their mouth open – there is nothing wrong with being critical of any part of the SNP – it doesn’t mean you want them to fail, it’s not ‘all or nothing’ – it’s that you want to improve them and improve our environment. Internal criticism is *not* the same as the moronic commentary in the MSM. Those independence supporters critical of the SNP have no intention of allowing them to fail – we just need to know when things need to be fixed, and how to fix it.
An SNP civil war? there definitely isn’t one of those. There are the usual divisions and manoeuvring going on – but that’s just what happens in politics and the parties.
So glad Alyn Smith is out – as one of the very few members not in favour of a new Scottish currency, and as policy convener, he had influence on how this is promoted. This is positive news.
Questions though: do you think there might be a reasonable reason for some of us wanting an indyref very soon? That delaying might have a detrimental effect on us ever getting over the line? That maybe something happening at the end of this year might make a lot of people anxious and want a swift move to independence, so that we are not burdened with decades of austerity from a foreign government? Do you blame people for thinking there may be some urgency? Can you think of any rational reason for delaying?
I can only envisage things becoming more difficult in the future – near future that is – for gaining independence, and nothing I’ve seen or heard suggests otherwise. Yes we have a lot of catching up to do – most of us have been complacent these last few years, expecting something to happen, or others to do it for us – but there is a lot of enthusiasm for moving things forward now, and a drive to resolve many of the obstacles – people are mobilising (like to find clear messages on currency, pensions etc, AUOB to coordinate unaffiliated Yes groups with the SNP, s.30 case to find out if there is a simpler legal route etc). I say: don’t get mired down in the unionist way of thinking, do our own thing and keep the pressure up. Don’t just meekly accept our lot – keep fighting for what you actually want, in whatever way you think best,,, well, as long as what you want is independence (in this case)!!
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What Glen did not say om “Civil Wars” was—-
DRossie only got the gig when his predecessor was knifed in the back. He has already had one resignation from his Front Bench and a contender for the Leadership only 9 months ago has quit the party in opposition to HIS policies.
The Leader of DRossies party has been asked to stay away from Scotland, and has now also suffered the largest parliamentary rebellion after only a year in office.
Leotard has had many in his party calling for his head–opposition to him include Red Tories like his deputy, and the Shadow Scottish Secretary (who was also on the verge of quitting the party).
The present Leader of Labour has expelled the previous Leader of Labour and now denies him the whip.
Wee Wullie has largely disappeared from view. Perhaps he is in Tuscany, a safe hide-out for the policy-free Dumbs!
Yesterday, down at the station,
I met a man, calling for a ‘federation’.
He asked me where to spend a penny.
I asked his name, it WAS NOT RENNIE!
Ah but, says Glen—they arent real splits, just friendly banter.
Ask Andy Marr. Or Hon Sarah.
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