In The Scotsman today, Murdo Fraser writes:
It was even announced that as many as 10 000- new members had joined the SNP following her appearance – a claim which is as unsubstantiated as it is incredible.
Many parties provide party membership figures for the year ending 31 December in annual accounts submitted to the Electoral Commission, allowing this for December 2018:
- The Labour Party had 518,659 members, a fall from 564,443 in December 2017.
- The Scottish National Party had 125,534, a rise from the 118,162 reported in April 2018.
- The Liberal Democrat Party had around 95,000 members, a fall from the 97,403 members in December 2017.
- The Green Party (England and Wales) had 38,707 members, a decrease from 42,413 in December 2017.
- UKIP had 26,447 members, compared to 23,280 members reported in December 2017.
- The Conservative Party does not publish data on party membership in annual accounts. The latest estimates for 2019 (180,000), 2018 (124,000) and 2013 (149,000) were acquired from public sources and information from CCHQ.
- https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05125/
‘The Conservative Party does not publish data on party membership.’ There’s a surprise. Wonder why? Unsubstantiated.
Anyhow at best, 15 000 in Scotland?
As for the 10 000 new SNP members:
I’ve no idea of it’s true or not but I doubt Robertson would say it if he might then get caught out.
A man of the cloth, sort of, is with Murdo on this one:
Now, we should say that we don’t believe for even a second that the SNP has actually had 10,000 new members in the last two days. It’s ridiculous to the point of insulting.
Talking-up Scotland / Scottish media fact checking is like shooting fish in a barrel 
Having heard reports of membership increases from a good number of branches over the past week or so I think it is quite credible that there has been a membership increase of a good few thousand. Was it the result of an orchestrated campaign in terms of timing ? Almost certainly. Do we know what % of current overall SNP membership this rise equates to ? – No, are we likely to get the overall numbers any time soon ? No.
LikeLike
“. Was it the result of an orchestrated campaign in terms of timing ? Almost certainly. “
I know 2 people who have never been members of a political party, who joined the SNP as a result of The FM’s treatment by the Holyrood committee last Wednesday. They were not part of an orchestrated campaign.
Was the fake poll showing a lead for NO at the weekend part of an orchestrated campaign. Almost certainly
LikeLiked by 1 person
Doesn’t mean there was no orchestrated membership campaign, fake poll – agree – probably was
LikeLike
Ch4 News . . . Report on “The Deeply Divided S N P”
LikeLike
My SNP branch had 2 more members in February, and then 16 more in the 5 days after Nicola’s interrogation. I hear similar stories in other areas. Is there anyone attempting to tell me that hiring Murdo will persuade people back to the ‘Hootsmon’?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Are “huffy boots” less harmful to social well-being than
jackbootsBritish nationalism, and law that contradicts social reality and the natural order of things?https://www.academia.edu/22141071/Legal_Positivism_Legal_Positivism_LEGAL_POSITIVISM_and_NATURAL_LAW_THEORY
LikeLike
On political party membership numbers, I spotted information on Scottish Labour membership on the Socialist Worker website (27 Feb. 2021, Issue 2744)b which comments on the results of the branch’s leadership election.
See: https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/51397/Win+for+right+in+Scottish+Labour+leadership+election
“In Labour leadership elections, members and “affiliated supporters”—mostly trade unionists—vote separately. Lennon won very marginally among affiliated supporters, with 50.64 percent. But Sarwar won overwhelmingly among Scottish Labour members, with 61.21 percent over Lennon’s 38.75 percent.”
The article then adds this on membership numbers:
“Yet the size of Scottish Labour’s membership is shrinking drastically. Figures leaked earlier this month showed it has just 16,467 members. That’s down from 25,836 in 2018 and 35,309 when previous leader Richard Leonard was elected in 2017.”
I can offer no corroboration just this one source.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Give our Dear Murdo a real lesson in Numbers
In Holyrood May poll, and more importantly the effects that such shall have
Amazing the sheer bloody power of a little pencil and or stamp upon a postal vote
LikeLike
OT
I appreciate that this site aims to talk up Scotland, but that is hard to do when you’ve a bunch of parochial, science denying, authoritarians representing your cause. So if Scotland is to ever regain its right to govern itself, we’ll need to send the SNP back to school, so they can learn how the law should work. As these clowns aren’t going anywhere soon, and the brand is still highly marketable. For the time-being anyway.
A General Theories of Hate Crime? Strain, Doing Difference and Self Control
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2470051
LikeLike
If you look at the figures quoted for membership, the only figure that can be contributed to Scotland is the SNP numbers, all the others equate to the membership in the entire uk. If the figures for the other parties were published for member who are soley in Scotland then they would without a doubt be less than 10,000 for each of the english based parties. If the unionists are so proud of their membership numbers in Scotland and want to compare them with the SNP, which is a solely Scottish party then why are they not publishing their numbers. Publish and be laughed at IF YOU DARE.
LikeLike
Stewart
I am most interested in how it is possible to dare a coward
In my opinion considerably force has to be applied
LikeLike
Members come and go. Independence is forever. The SNP is the biggest political Party in the UK. it has more members than the Unionist Parties have in the UK. Pro rata. More than all of them.
People’s membership lapses for many reasons. People lead busy lives. They move. They died. Or they just forget. Other events happen. Some left because of what happened to Alex Salmond but that must be put right. Any changes can come from within. Not leaving when things can be sorted out.
The members can make changes. If they want. Running away does not cut it. Or Alex Salmond could start another Independence Party. If he can be bothered. There is a need for one. The SNP triumphs outweigh every other. The core values still stay. A relatively few stalwarts who can be relied upon. For many a life long commitment. Independence has never been closer.
How many time has Murdo Fraser not been elected. A 3rd rate lister. People often do not vote people in, they want to vote people out. They vote for a alternative they do not fully support. To vote someone out.
The Tories want to destroy Holyrood, 70%+ of people support it. The Tories are so anti democratic They are part of an administration they wish to destroy. Total hypocrites.
LikeLike
Why have the SNP membership numbers not been posted since 2018?
Janet and John arithmetic
If you had 10 apples and lost 5, then found 1, that is not an increase in your apples.
LikeLike
Given how the tories spin and politicise anything to do with the SNP while not publishing their own membership numbers I think the SNP is right in their approach. ANY reduction in membership numbers will be used in the msm to prove falling support for the ‘failing and divided’ SNP so why give them the ammunition?
Politics is generally held in such low regard the party membership has plummeted over the years. The fact that so many are prepared to join the SNP, as opposed to just regularly voting for it, shows that independence is deep rooted and resonates in a way that unionism doesn’t.
We need every independence supporter to put aside squabbles and turn out on 5th May and put their cross against the constituency independence candidate.
In an independent Scotland we will have a variety of parties offering their own take on how the country should be fun but until then we will keep on having bojo ànd his power grabbing circus.
LikeLike
There is no evidence the numbers are falling. In most branches they remain steady. Anecdotal but seems to be the case. A relatively small number of folk, for the population but still dedicated and energised. More men than women join political parties. 10 to 1? The Tory Party members on average are male and over seventy.
Active members are more likely to be older. Retired they have more time, to spend. Older people are more likely to vote (there are more of them, proportionately}. Younger people are less likely to vote. Statistically. No so interested. Busy with other things? Referendums usually have a higher turnout. One/two questions.
LikeLike
Turdo’s irrelevant opinion was undoubtedly yet another shit/fan throwaway as is his habit/instruction, but I confess surprise to how many were triggered by his bait.
SNP membership shifts may be interesting from a party perspective, but much as opponents have tried to tie the two, or the personalisation of NS or AS, or the latest “scandal” to arise, these are all tactics to sow doubt or discord and bring Indy to heel.
Do Labour, Tory, Liberal or etc Indy supporting member numbers matter ?
Youtube channels are full of “NS resign” pieces etc., MSM is on overdrive reinforcing opinion among England’s electorate that the SNP are holding Scots subsidy spongers hostage.
Turdo knows fine well the May elections are crucial, they could prove to be his last unless he can somehow disrupt them.
LikeLike