Ian Blackford gone on 11:54 - Dec 1 with 2622 views | GlasgowBlue | It's all starting to unravel for the nationalists since Nicola's failed gambit last week. Labour are fast becoming a real threat in Scotland. [Post edited 1 Dec 2022 11:54]
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Ian Blackford gone on 11:54 - Dec 1 with 2623 views | WeWereZombies | Not quite, only as leader of the SNP at Westminster: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63821836 'In a statement, he said he would continue in his role as the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber and had also accepted a new role at the centre of the SNP's independence campaign.' |  |
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Ian Blackford gone on 11:58 - Dec 1 with 2597 views | Ryorry | That's a massive shame, he was the most effective in the HoC at repeatedly calling out #Brexsh1t & other tory failings/corruption/malfeasance. His answering back will be sorely missed at PMQs. I hope KS learned from IB's example. |  |
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Ian Blackford gone on 12:01 - Dec 1 with 2568 views | tractordownsouth |
Ian Blackford gone on 11:54 - Dec 1 by GlasgowBlue | It's all starting to unravel for the nationalists since Nicola's failed gambit last week. Labour are fast becoming a real threat in Scotland. [Post edited 1 Dec 2022 11:54]
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While I want a Labour government for political reasons, a Labour victory would also be a good case study in how much of the support for independence is motivated by a desire to get rid of the Tories and how much is genuinely about wanting to break up the UK. While there is a sizeable chunk of independence supporters who will always vote SNP, a centre-left government would present the party with a huge challenge. |  |
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Ian Blackford gone on 12:05 - Dec 1 with 2535 views | GlasgowBlue |
Ian Blackford gone on 12:01 - Dec 1 by tractordownsouth | While I want a Labour government for political reasons, a Labour victory would also be a good case study in how much of the support for independence is motivated by a desire to get rid of the Tories and how much is genuinely about wanting to break up the UK. While there is a sizeable chunk of independence supporters who will always vote SNP, a centre-left government would present the party with a huge challenge. |
Now that Labour look likely to win the next election I think you’ll find the anti Tory bite peel away from the nationalists and onto Labour. Anas Sawar deserves huge credit for this. He’s a moderate who has a wider appeal that’s the last bloke, whose name escapes me. |  |
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Ian Blackford gone on 12:07 - Dec 1 with 2518 views | tractordownsouth |
Ian Blackford gone on 11:58 - Dec 1 by Ryorry | That's a massive shame, he was the most effective in the HoC at repeatedly calling out #Brexsh1t & other tory failings/corruption/malfeasance. His answering back will be sorely missed at PMQs. I hope KS learned from IB's example. |
While I take your point on Brexit, I personally wasn't a fan. During his parliamentary contributions he often seemed more interesting in generating Twitter clips than holding the Tories to account. Prime example being last summer when Johnson was on the ropes over Partygate (I think he had just lashed out at Starmer with his Jimmy Saville insult) and Blackford decided to make it all about himself and get chucked out, taking the attention away from the Tories. Sturgeon, whatever her faults is a much more impressive communicator. Angus Robertson was more effective in the Westminster role as well, he was often forceful but didn't rely on bluster. |  |
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Ian Blackford gone on 12:08 - Dec 1 with 2511 views | XYZ |
Ian Blackford gone on 12:05 - Dec 1 by GlasgowBlue | Now that Labour look likely to win the next election I think you’ll find the anti Tory bite peel away from the nationalists and onto Labour. Anas Sawar deserves huge credit for this. He’s a moderate who has a wider appeal that’s the last bloke, whose name escapes me. |
... and in the real world ... https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/scottish-independence-new-poll-suggests-y |  | |  |
Ian Blackford gone on 12:09 - Dec 1 with 2500 views | tractordownsouth |
Ian Blackford gone on 12:05 - Dec 1 by GlasgowBlue | Now that Labour look likely to win the next election I think you’ll find the anti Tory bite peel away from the nationalists and onto Labour. Anas Sawar deserves huge credit for this. He’s a moderate who has a wider appeal that’s the last bloke, whose name escapes me. |
The SNP will still comfortably win the most seats but for Sarwar to even get party's seat total back into double figures would be a huge achievement and could be the difference between having a Labour government or not, like Ruth Davidson was for Theresa May in 2017. |  |
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Ian Blackford gone on 12:14 - Dec 1 with 2452 views | WeWereZombies |
Although, whilst 49% for Yes is higher than 45% for No, it is still not a majority. |  |
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Ian Blackford gone on 12:15 - Dec 1 with 2443 views | XYZ |
Ian Blackford gone on 12:14 - Dec 1 by WeWereZombies | Although, whilst 49% for Yes is higher than 45% for No, it is still not a majority. |
Is there a third choice? |  | |  |
Ian Blackford gone on 12:21 - Dec 1 with 2412 views | WeWereZombies |
Ian Blackford gone on 12:15 - Dec 1 by XYZ | Is there a third choice? |
Well, err, yes, and that is 'Don't Know', or maybe the fourth choice of 'Undecided', or perhaps the evergreen 'None of the Above'... |  |
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Ian Blackford gone on 12:43 - Dec 1 with 2288 views | DJR |
Ian Blackford gone on 12:05 - Dec 1 by GlasgowBlue | Now that Labour look likely to win the next election I think you’ll find the anti Tory bite peel away from the nationalists and onto Labour. Anas Sawar deserves huge credit for this. He’s a moderate who has a wider appeal that’s the last bloke, whose name escapes me. |
I also forget his name, but looking it up it was Richard Leonard. |  | |  |
Ian Blackford gone on 12:54 - Dec 1 with 2237 views | GlasgowBlue |
Ian Blackford gone on 12:43 - Dec 1 by DJR | I also forget his name, but looking it up it was Richard Leonard. |
He made a great impression on both of us then. |  |
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Ian Blackford gone on 12:56 - Dec 1 with 2228 views | DJR |
Ian Blackford gone on 12:54 - Dec 1 by GlasgowBlue | He made a great impression on both of us then. |
I think he made Jeremy Corbyn look dynamic. |  | |  |
Ian Blackford gone on 13:03 - Dec 1 with 2187 views | DJR |
Ian Blackford gone on 12:07 - Dec 1 by tractordownsouth | While I take your point on Brexit, I personally wasn't a fan. During his parliamentary contributions he often seemed more interesting in generating Twitter clips than holding the Tories to account. Prime example being last summer when Johnson was on the ropes over Partygate (I think he had just lashed out at Starmer with his Jimmy Saville insult) and Blackford decided to make it all about himself and get chucked out, taking the attention away from the Tories. Sturgeon, whatever her faults is a much more impressive communicator. Angus Robertson was more effective in the Westminster role as well, he was often forceful but didn't rely on bluster. |
I don't think Blackford was a natural performer, but he was dogged, and often asked much more pertinent and direct questions than Starmer. |  | |  |
Ian Blackford gone on 13:12 - Dec 1 with 2147 views | DJR |
Ian Blackford gone on 11:54 - Dec 1 by GlasgowBlue | It's all starting to unravel for the nationalists since Nicola's failed gambit last week. Labour are fast becoming a real threat in Scotland. [Post edited 1 Dec 2022 11:54]
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Let's hope any new Labour MPs are not of the same ilk as Ian Murray, who is a nasty piece of work. More generally, I don't think it would do harm to the independence cause for Labour to stage a comeback at the next election. As I have said elsewhere, I think independence will only succeed when the older more Unionist generation are no longer with us. And that may well coincide with, and follow, a return of a Tory government after, say, twelve years of a Labour government. EDIT: One Scottish Labour leader I did like was Jim Murphy who seemed a really nice person. But he lost his seat with the rout in 2015. [Post edited 1 Dec 2022 13:21]
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