SNP Vote not a Vote for Independence

The Scottish Centre for Social Research has announced findings that must be putting a dampener on things at SNP HQ.

While they took 32.9% of the constiuency vote in May from a survey carried out by the SCSR only 23% of the respondents to their survey were in favour of an independent Scotland. So it would appear that somewhere about one third of the SNP vote must have come from unioinists. It also appears that the SNP was better at winning the nationalist vote than in previous election. 75% of those who favoured independence had voted for them compared to 50% in 2003. This was reflected in the loss of support and seats for the Scottish Socialist Party and the Greens who both also advocate independence.

The main reason those unionist voters turned to the SNP appears to be that they saw Alex Salmond as a better option for First Minsiter than Jack McConnell who was then leader of Labour in Scotland. 44% rated Alex 7 out of 10 or better compared to 23% for Jack. The party scored more highly on showing it reflected the interests of Scotland with 24% saying they did very closely compared to 7% for Labour.

One of the policies that was pinpointed as a main reason for support to the SNP was a devolved parliament with greater fiscal autonomy especially over its tax raising powers.

So if Alex does suceed in getting his referendum White Paper through the Parliament he looks like he is heading for about a 75-25 defeat on his hands. As I've said for some time, let him have his referendum and then we can blow this independence argument out of the water for some considerable time and get on with the business of running Scotland as well as we can.

Limerick for Lord Advocate Presumtive

Carrying on the theme for poetry in this National Poetry Day annother little verse in honour of Elish Angiolini.

There was a top lawyer from Glasgow
Who Jack has now let all the world know
Is his choise to install
As the top Scottish lawyer of all
An' she's a lassie an' isnae a beau.

Power Station May Silence McConnell's Plans

Oh dear what can the matter be, poor old Jack has had a catastophe.

The First Minister said that he hoped to extend the life of the Torness and Hunterston nucleur power stations. Only for the aging reactors to say dear Mr McConnell we really are starting to crack up a should be allowed to retire gracefully.

The nucleur safety watchdog has uncovered cracks at six reactors across the UK including Hunterston B in Ayrshire. They have warned that a radioactive leak could be "inevitable" if action was not taken about these. There are claims that this should halt any suggestion of extending the life but British Energy deny this is the case. However David Howarth, the Liberal Democrats' energy spokesman said:

"This could spell an earlier end to nuclear plants, rather than an extension of their life-cycle that the government had hoped for.

"The evidence is mounting that the government is taking a huge gamble by pushing for a new generation of nuclear power plants.

"Over-reliance on large, centralised and risky nuclear plants could seriously threaten our electricity supplies if one or more reactor is shut down due to these sort of safety concerns."

Jack at Odds with Gordon: Again

Earlier this week Gordon Brown told us that 60% of Scots would be doing it, along with him. However, Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell has revealed he will not be one of them. Jack has said that while he is personally disappointed he will be supporting Scottish based enterprise, determination and graft.

He will also be looking at those that provide flair and seeing how they progress with interest, possibly a veiled snub at Gordon and those that have merited the Chancellor's support. So yet again the Scottish Labour Leader is at odds with the heir apparent at Westminster.

I just hope Gordon doesn't ask for his ball back just because Jack is preferring to support Trinidad and Tobago or Angola with thier Scottish based players over the neighbouring English in this World Cup. Mind you as most of the teams with Scottish-based talent in their ranks are unlikely to get past the first phase of play it should be situation normal for the Tartan Army come the later stages of the tournament.