Rise of the Tories...........

[Cagey]

 

It's stupid. One of the few daft things carried over from Westminster. The reason is this: you get one question, which has to be tabled in advance, and then further follow-up questions, the number of which depends on whether you are the second, third etc party, which don't have to be tabled in advance.

Now you will have your attack line of the week prepared - health, education, whatever. But you don't want the FM to know what it is. So you ask a daft question, given to the FM in advance, and then ask your surprise follow-ups, hoping to catch the FM off-guard. 

But it doesn't, because the FM and vast numbers of civil servants spend days preparing for every possible attack line. That's why you see the FM and PM with those big binders with prepared responses covering everything likely to come up. It's all a bit of a waste of time and public money, all designed to get your headline and sound bite for the evening news, as nobody except me ever watches PM/FM questions live.

There is one thing WM does better than Holyrood: in WM, the questions and answers are very short, so you get loads. In HR, both questions and answers are now speeches, which is boring, and means far fewer questions.

None of it is designed to elicit or give information, just to attack and get headlines. It's good theatre, but of little use.

Thanks,FM does like to take up a lot of time talking. Thought the questions had to be pre prepared as she seemed to read the answers most of the time.

[sixties saintee]

 

lBiscuit,being an expert on the Scottish parliament,can you tell me why every leader starts with"can the first minister tell me what appointments she has today". She replies" subjects important to the people of Scotland " not word for word but that is the gist. What a total waste of time.

Expert what at Bluff and Bluster 

Edited May 13, 2017 by sixties saintee

[Abernethy Saint]

For my legal needs, I generally use Wisdom and Insight 

[HOODLUM65]

Saw Ruth Davidson striding (if that's the correct term) up the High Street on Saturday, with her entourage in tow.

Let's hope her answers are a lot straighter than her back was.

[Cagey]

 

Saw Ruth Davidson striding (if that's the correct term) up the High Street on Saturday, with her entourage in tow.

Let's hope her answers are a lot straighter than her back was.

Walks like a man.

[HOODLUM65]

 

Walks like a man.

Talks like a man.

(in all Four Seasons)

[Abernethy Saint]

We're going to the SNP manifesto launch at the concert hall tomorrow. Braw.

[Tranmere Saintee]

Should this not be re-titled to The rise and fall of the Tory's as weak and wobbly May seems to be doing all in her power to lose the election and is creating massive craters within her cabinet?

[Abernethy Saint]

May was desperately bad last night. If that's how she performs against bloody Paxman, god help us in the Brexit negotiations. Corbyn is having a much, much better election than anyone expected. Things could be about to get interesting.....

What astonishes me is that there must be gazillions of ex-Labour SNP voters looking at Corbyn and thinking he's the man. And then he wanders into Scotland once a fortnight, spouts some insulting and stupid SNP Bad formulaic one-liners fed to him by Dugdale and co, and the goodwill evaporates again. Talk about missed opportunities. It's almost tragic.

My feeling remains, and this is NOT a good thing, that come Election Day, middle England will still not vote for Corbyn, and will hold their noses and give May a small - medium sized majority. I think many will take the view that Corbyn is doing a cracking job polishing a turd, but it's still a turd.

Basically, we're ****ed. I'd love to be wrong, because I'd give several testicals to watch May resigning live on tele after losing an unlosable election.

[babychunder]

Nah Tories will still win but only just, might even be a reduced majority.

[Abernethy Saint]

 

We're going to the SNP manifesto launch at the concert hall tomorrow. Braw.

I'm the fat bald git with the tash just above Saint Nicky's elbow. It was well Braw.

[south inch]

 

I'm the fat bald git with the tash just above Saint Nicky's elbow. It was well Braw.

I hope the Manifesto is clearer than your directions above.  Saint Nicky does have two elbows and there are a number of bald gentlemen in the vicinity of each one.  As they are all seated I am unable to judge their proportions and I do not have any information which would allow me to pass an opinion on their "git" status.  I like to be fair. 

[Abernethy Saint]

Third from the left of her left ear as you look. 

We were all queuing outside and the obnoxious Murdo Fraser turned up with a Tory rentamob and started their routine, yelling and shouting about rapes and nuclear bombs or whatever (as quickly as they could in case Theresa reversed the policy in the meantime). At that moment a huge artic went past and the driver deliberately stopped in front of them until plod moved them on. All very amusing.

The launch was good fun. Very stage-managed, obviously, but interesting to see all the politico and media types in the flesh. Saint Nicky is very very good at this sort of thing, and batted away media questions without effort. She uses an unusual technique which I've rarely seen, which apparently is called "answering the question".

Security was quite tight. Not. A couple of fat Specials, and people were walking up and just muttering "Press" and getting pointed straight to the VIP area without checks.

I'd recommend folk to go to one of these, just for fun. Doesn't last long - we were back in the house before we normally get up!

[south inch]

 

Third from the left of her left ear as you look. 

 

Gotcha - you are too hard on yourself.

Care to speculate on what Nicola might do if Theresa continues to give a masterclass in self destruction - she could well have a first draft of a resignation letter in her handbag.  Even before last nights coordie custard no show (pathetic judgement, all she had to do was turn up play it cool and let them hurl abuse at her) some forecasters were talking about the Tories losing their majority.  If they indeed show a net loss and become simply the largest party with say 300 - 310 seats, Nicola with 48 - 52 seats could easily put Jeremy into Downing St. either formally or informally on a vote by vote basis.  Will she want that given the risks? 

There will be no hard brexit under Jeremy.  He is more likely to flounder around for 18 months or so before coming up with a rubbish deal and then call yet another election to approve or reject it.  I somehow don't think that will suit Nicola.  But what are the alternatives?  Surely not to allow the Tories to stagger on after all she has said?  Demand an immediate Indy2?  Jeremy has shown himself to be a bit on the sleekit side so he might say no and point to Nicola's own words about waiting to see what brexit looks like.  Could be interesting but not very pleasant.

[Tranmere Saintee]

But would Wobbly May resign on tele or send along a substitute?

[Honest Saints Fan]

**** the tories. 

[sixties saintee]

Change the thread to the rise of Jeremy Corburn my 16/ 1 looking better each day.

[Abernethy Saint]

 

**** the tories. 

Ewwwwww. No thanks.

[Abernethy Saint]

 

Gotcha - you are too hard on yourself.

Care to speculate on what Nicola might do if Theresa continues to give a masterclass in self destruction - she could well have a first draft of a resignation letter in her handbag.  Even before last nights coordie custard no show (pathetic judgement, all she had to do was turn up play it cool and let them hurl abuse at her) some forecasters were talking about the Tories losing their majority.  If they indeed show a net loss and become simply the largest party with say 300 - 310 seats, Nicola with 48 - 52 seats could easily put Jeremy into Downing St. either formally or informally on a vote by vote basis.  Will she want that given the risks? 

There will be no hard brexit under Jeremy.  He is more likely to flounder around for 18 months or so before coming up with a rubbish deal and then call yet another election to approve or reject it.  I somehow don't think that will suit Nicola.  But what are the alternatives?  Surely not to allow the Tories to stagger on after all she has said?  Demand an immediate Indy2?  Jeremy has shown himself to be a bit on the sleekit side so he might say no and point to Nicola's own words about waiting to see what brexit looks like.  Could be interesting but not very pleasant.

Can't see a hung parliament. But if there was, feck knows what would happen. May might or might not resign - convention would dictate she should, but she's not of this planet. If she or AN Other Tory tried to govern as a minority administration, the Ulster Unionist parties plus the effect of Sinn Fein not taking their seats would allow them to cobble together a working majority on an issue to issue basis, but only with concessions to the horrendous Norn Irn loyalists. All other parties have ruled out working with the Tories, and most would have hardly any seats anyway.

How long would that last - surely another election could not be far away, and the whole strong and stable leadership for Brexit thing, the whole basis of the snap election, just becomes a joke in the meantime. Merkel and Macron (and let's be honest, most Scots) would piss themselves laughing.

If the Tories fail to command a majority, the baton passes to Corbyn. I think actually that's more straightforward than most think. Assuming the arithmetic allows it, he could form an informal progressive alliance. Saint Nicky would require in return Indy2 along the timetable she has already set out - I don't think Corbyn would have any difficulty with this (obviously he would reserve the right to campaign against). Other policies would be easy to agree on, as they are already singing from the same hymn sheet on most issues. But it would be very messy, and face remorseless attack from the media. Sturgeon would be desperate to get the Indyref legislation on the books before the Government collapsed. Every by-election would be crucial. 

Its worth pausing to reflect on the fact that these scenarios are presented in Britain as doomsday scenarios, presaging disaster and disintegration. This of course overlooks the fact that, with PR voting almost universal elsewhere in Europe, this is PRECISELY how governments work almost everywhere else. Disaster and disintegration are not really that common!

Convention dictates that this is a mid-campaign Tory wobble, and that in the quiet of the polling booth, fundamentals will reassert themselves in people's minds, and the pencil hoverers will see May through to an unimpressive but sustainable majority of say 40 - 60. But wouldn't it be fun if she really, really has completely fecked this up?

 

[HOODLUM65]

Liar liar by Captain SKA is nearing the top of the charts.

[south inch]

I am inclined to agree with Abernethy's "pencil hoverers" assessment though I would put the majority in the 30 - 40 bracket.  This, however, will be despite Theresa not because of her.  The betting will then be on how long it will be before she will be on TV telling us that her health is not robust enough for the job after all.  I would guess that the Tory Old Guard has already drawn up a short list for her replacement over the double brandies. 

She will go quicker than John Hughes at Raith if the pencil hoverers don't save her a blush or two.  I do not think Jeremy will be able to keep any progressive alliance singing from the same hymn sheet for very long.  He will have enough trouble with his own party never mind the SNP and the Liberals especially as he will be unable to resist the temptation to turn over the sheet.  The Tory Grandees will plan on this basis and want their new woman or man in place in time to make an impression before the 2018 election.

[slf]

The red flag flys over the voddy garden

This is a no Tory or tartan Tory zone .

raise the scarlet standard high

 

[sixties saintee]

 

The red flag flys over the voddy garden

This is a no Tory or tartan Tory zone .

raise the scarlet standard high

 

Solidarity Brother, Voted  or voting for tories  you have blood on your hands which will never wash off.

[HOODLUM65]

Am I the only one who is sick to the back teeth ( my own teeth, no falsies here) who are fed up of these politicians turning up feeding their faces on Ice Cream, Wine, Beer and Burgers as well as visiting Farms, Schools, Kids Nurseries, Hospitals etc., yet for the next term of Office are NEVER seen.

Never see them visiting Bank institutions etc.

Promises, promsises. 

[Abernethy Saint]

For those of you who can't be bothered watching the election results, this handy graphic lets you see in advance both the result and the Tory media reaction on Friday morning.