Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Scottish independence: Alex Salmond says the No campaign has “fallen apart at the seams”, well that’s just risible, George Laird is going to help consign you to the political scrapheap of history, Pollok, Glasgow is my area, and it’s a No, you’re all done talking!

















Dear All

I have met Alex Salmond many times, at by-elections; he would come up and talk to me. The first time was in 2008, John Mason currently an MSP was standing for Westminster. He won by 365 votes. Despite repeatedly warning him about connecting with the electorate, he lost the seat to Margaret Curran by a landslide of 13,000 votes.

During a by-election, Alex Salmond came into the kitchen were I was sitting eating; anyway, he struck up a conversation with me and started relating stories of his early days in politics. When he saw me elsewhere, he would always pop over; I think that was on the basis of other people pointing me out.

I never wandered off to him.

Back to the kitchen for a second, during our conversation, we had Austin Sheridan turn up and butt in to tell us, he wanted to be Prime Minister of an independent Scotland. Salmond and I just looked at each other, nothing needed to be said, so we settled in as Austin Sheridan started his spiel, after all why burst someone’s bubble.

Sheridan enthusiastically talks simple minded rubbish, perhaps someone might pick up on that and wonder what is the best way to get rid of him or put him somewhere that doesn’t matter.  

So, having set the background, Alex Salmond said today that the No campaign has “fallen apart at the seams”.

Well, let me put Alex Salmond right, I was Glasgow SNP’s top activist, and unlike his Glasgow SNP councillors who are mostly lazy useless gits, the BT Campaign isn’t falling apart at the seams, far from it.

Glasgow is going to end your career, and the Pollok constituency is going to return a rather large No vote. I live in Pollok and have done so for many years, the idea they are suddenly going to back Salmond is laughable. The Pollok SNP vote has reached its high watermark; it will be falling dramatically in future Westminster and Holyrood elections. 

No luck Salmond.

Yet again, Alex Salmond prefers fiction over facts, hope over reality, he is getting politically buried.

The only people I see literally shitting themselves is the Scottish National Party who are getting increasingly desperate as the clock runs down. Today, I happened to run across SNP Councillor Billy McAllister at the City Council, he didn’t look too cocky. Didn’t look like he was leading a successful campaign, far from it, looked like unpopular Nicola Sturgeon who parked herself at the Sikh Centre last Friday for Gordon Brewer’s indy debates.

Pure gutted, I was wondering if it was because both happened to see me, perhaps not more than likely they both know they are part of the problem and none of the solution.

McAllister is the SNP Deputy leader of the SNP opposition (if that is what they are calling themselves these days), anyway, he had to tell the council staff he was a Councillor, most amusing. In a sign of the weak leadership of unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, Councillor McAllister hasn’t been punished for threatening a disabled man; the current caretaker leader hasn’t acted either. If I was leader, his arse would have been automatically suspended pending investigation. His punishment would be stripped of deputy leader and six months withdrawal of the party whip, no matter whose ass he clings to.     

Salmond is trying to rally his faltering troops; it has all been seen before, bravado as he dismissed the timetable for new powers at Holyrood unveiled by the pro-union parties. I saw Yes stall at Queen’s Park today, poor location and no one at it, I guess the Yes message isn’t that appealing, most people when grown up don’t listen to fairytales unless watching a Disney cartoon.

I would have run BT’s campaign differently, but that is a matter of personal political styles, that said, BT still are the force to beat, not the other way round. They are upbeat, determined and ready to fight right up to the last minute.

Salmond used bravado in 2010, bragging about what he was going to deliver 20 MPs, he delivered nothing.

The three pro-union parties are all signed up to give Holyrood more powers.

They are all rallying around the flag, in this case the Union Jack to articulate that the best of both worlds can be achieved within the current setup.

Labour leader Johann Lamont, Conservative Ruth Davidson and Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie staged a joint press conference to pledge a timetable on powers, guaranteeing new legislation by next January.

This isn’t new information as such, new powers were previously announced beforehand; we are getting the timetable.

Salmond said:

“This is the day that the No campaign finally disintegrated and fell apart at the seams. These are people who were 48 hours ago saying there was to be more on offer to Scotland - that’s what George Osborne said. Now we find out it was a recycling of the same package that was offered in three different ways in the Spring and has been judged by the Scottish people to be totally inadequate. So recycling which has already got a substantial thumbs down from the people tells us nothing but that the No campaign is in a total state of disintegration and total panic. I doubt I’ve ever seen any political campaign in any election never mind a referendum which has fallen apart at the seams in such spectacular fashion.”

Yet again Salmond tries to portray that he speaks for the Scottish people, that isn’t the case at all, he speaks for a minority, nothing more, the louder they shout; the less people want to listen.

The grassy knoll isn’t getting crowded; there is a distinct lack of Scottish people.

On the 18th September, the people of Scotland are going to vote No, and although ‘devo max’ will certainly help that along, it comes down to an issue of trust, Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon cannot be trusted.

Imagine running an independence campaign founded on outright deceit, hate and stupidity.

As far as I am aware the majority of people in this country can read and write, which tends to suggest strongly that truth remains the strongest currency.

No Plan B required on that one!

The Central Bank of Salmond doesn’t have any reserves, no lender of last resort and the foreclosure is on the 18th September; his brand of ‘civic nationalism’ is going bust.

This is one institutional collapse which is long overdue which I am looking forward to personally, the Scottish National Party is rotten to the core under the leadership of Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon. It doesn't stand for fairness, equality and social justice and it has reach the end of the road, letting it die a natural death is in the interests of Scotland.

Finally, I would say to Alex Salmond.... stop talking out your arse!

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights a Glasgow University

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really, really hope you are right, George.

Today's "Team Scotland vs Team England" (whoops, sorry, I mean "Team Westminster") is just, in my opinion, the tip of the ice berg of anti-Englishness that comes from the top down.

Given the favourable polls, many in the Yes campaign feel they can safely ditch it's cosy veil of so-called civic nationalism and just get on with blatant bigotry and stir up divison.

I really, really hope you are right, George, as I don't think Scotland will be a very pleasant place after a yes vote.

Salmond has opened Pandora's box of grudge and grievance. I really can't see yes supporters being modest and reconciliatory in victory; nor gracious and magnanimous in defeat.

G Laird said...

Dear Anonymous

“I really, really hope you are right, George”.

I taught at Glasgow University; that said they would let pretty much anyone, in my case; I was brilliant as an instructor.

As to the politics business, I was considered to be the top SNP Activist in the City of Glasgow; a lot of my ideas have been used in this independence referendum.

“Today's "Team Scotland vs Team England" (whoops, sorry, I mean "Team Westminster") is just, in my opinion, the tip of the ice berg of anti-Englishness that comes from the top down”.

I would say and have said, the current Nationalist campaign is nothing more than full blown anti English.

“Given the favourable polls, many in the Yes campaign feel they can safely ditch it's cosy veil of so-called civic nationalism and just get on with blatant bigotry and stir up divison”.

Civic Nationalism is as I previously said a load of rubbish. You can see by the hate, intimidation and bullying that civic nationalism is a smokescreen.

“I really, really hope you are right, George, as I don't think Scotland will be a very pleasant place after a yes vote”.

Well, if you at my recent open letter to Sturgeon you can see my track record and this blog although upsetting to some, has a habit of getting it exactly right.

“Salmond has opened Pandora's box of grudge and grievance. I really can't see yes supporters being modest and reconciliatory in victory; nor gracious and magnanimous in defeat”.

At the Govan by-election where I stood as a candidate, the SNP lost, I came 7th out of 14 people standing . I had objectives in that campaign and I achieved them all, I knew I wasn’t going to win; I did the campaign by myself with £100 for leaflets, produced my own election videos and had a shot. At the end when the Labour guy John Kane won, I stayed to listen to his speech, the SNP lot acted disgracefully and left.

Sore losers, they came hoping to win and see me come last, disappointed on both counts.

My track record of calling events is pretty good, there will be a No vote but it has to be fought hard for, and tomorrow like yesterday and today, I will be out getting my neighbours to get that delivered. SNP MSP John Mason was told by SNP Cllr Vincent Waters I was as good as an entire SNP team.

I am not turning over Scotland to Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

G Laird said...

Dear Anon

"jesus Georgie boy you are good!"

Crookston Castle was a great school.

However, I learned a lot from Glasgow University staff and students.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights a Glasgow University

Anonymous said...

Hi George and commenter number 1:

I've just read the headline numbers for Survation poll, which shows no change much like the Panelbase poll (SNP / Yes campaign-favoured pollster). And, bearing in mind these pollsters are generally Yes-friendly, the actual Yes standings may likely be lower.

We have to bear in mind as well that YouGov were very No-friendly, had a pop at Survation for being too high with their Yes count, then YouGov tweaked their methodology and suddenly Yes are ahead.

(Check how well YouGov did in predicting the results of the Altenative Vote referendum).

In terms of the final vote, I guess low 40's at best for Yes, especially if Salmond goes down the route of Team Scotland vs. Team Westminster (which will then lead him into a civic vs. ethnic nationalism cul-de-sac, not what he would want at this stage).

In terms of bad will post-vote, so much has been fostered that it will scar Scotland for a long time.

Anonymous said...

Indeed it was :) you are a credit to its hallowed halls,did you ever meet James Curry,great guy

Terry Summers said...

George,
i have been perplexed by the last 4 opinion polls Panelbase which came out on the same day as the YouGov poll didn't show any significant swing to Yes whilst the youGov Poll did show a msssive swing to the extent the had for the first time, a lead.
TNS BMRB showed a large but lesser swing a few days later, then Survation showed today back to normality a 6 point lead for No.
Given that YouGov and TNS BMRB generally showed better results for No and that Panelbase and Survation generally showed Yes in a better light, is this not a bit out of the normal.
Any thoughts?
Cheers
Terry

G Laird said...

Dear Terry

Polls can be useful, however they cannot just be looked at and assumptions made on a single one or indeed a few, the long term is important.

I said Yes would rise in support before it fell back. This has now happened.

Of course as you note companies show a what some may say is a bias.

The trend in Scotland as it always has been is No.

You can't stand with a smile and balloon like Salmond and expect to be taken seriously.

Braveheartism doesn't feed mouths and provide for the sick, poor and vulnerable.

It can never be independence at any cost to those who would suffer the most.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights a Glasgow University

Anonymous said...

Mike Smithson @MSmithsonPB · 8m

NO back in the led with YouGov
YES: 48% (-3)
NO: 52% (+3)

:) WELL DONE GEORGIE BOY,ANYONE ELSE HEAR THAT FAT LADY WARMING UP IN THE WINGS?

Anonymous said...

Georgeie boy,any truth in two super injunctions????

G Laird said...

Dear Anon

Super junctions are very popular with footballers as I understand it.

Do you know anyone who has one?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights a Glasgow University