Who the hell are the 27%?!?

Scotland on Sunday are reporting the results of a new poll ahead of the Holyrood election.

The differences in percentages for SNP and Labour seem to be pretty small (3% on the constituency vote, 2% on the regional vote), and comparable to the normal margin of error of such polls, so all still to play for. Having said that, the fall (6%) in Labour's share of the all-important regional vote is greater than the normal margin of error, so that would appear to be significant and perhaps adds weight to the sense of momentum in the SNP's favour seen in previous polls.

What is way beyond the margin of error however, is the 57% of people who want Alex Salmond for FM as opposed to the 27% who prefer Iain Gray. A few thoughts come to mind...

1. Even assuming that all 27% who opted for Gray are Labour voters, it would seem that there are a fair number of Labour supporters out there that don't want Gray as FM!

2. Will the London Labour minders let Gray off the leash again in this campaign, in an attempt to boost his standing, or will they err on the side of caution and try to keep him out of trouble between now and polling day?

3. Will Gray enjoy much legitimacy with the general public if Labour manage to turn things around and squeak through as the largest party, given his consistently poor personal poll ratings?

4. How long will Labour MSPs (and/or MPs) give Gray to make a splash if he does manage to become FM? Realistically, who is there within the Labour MSP ranks that would do any better?

Answers in a comment box please.

101 uses for Iain Gray: #8 Benny Hill impersonator

Where to begin? Iain Gray's election campaign continues to come out firing blanks. From incoherent, finger-jabbing performances in the leaders' debates, to the alarming and rain-soaked manifesto launch and now his Forrest Gump-style response to a group of protesters complaining about "Tory cuts" - surely if any topic had the potential to be manna from heaven for Iain Gray this was it. At last the chance to show he can think on his feet and effortlessly relate to the concerns of the common man, that he can take on an angry group and defuse the situation with tact and diplomacy (Iain Gray? Diplomacy? Oops, what am I saying? Iceland, Ireland, Montenegro...).

Off the top of my head, a response along the lines of "Yes, the Tory cuts are terrible, too deep too fast (I thought this phrase in particular had been tatooed on the inside of every Labour member's eyelids) , we have to try to make the best of a bad situation, we can't run away from our responsibilities running Glasgow council, we will fight these cuts until our last breath, etc." would surely have curried favour with the protesters, and certainly with the attendant media and watching viewers. But instead Scotland's FM-in-waiting (and let's hope he's waiting a long time) reacted like this:


Thanks to the mysterious bcnsco for uploading the video to You Tube, an eminently suitable webpage for any Iain Gray videos.

Is this the behaviour we expect from an FM? Turning tail when things get a bit tricky, being unable to think quickly and improvise responses when the Labour script writers aren't there to deliver a prompt? Oh dear, oh dear. The best part was the bizarre decision by Gray and/or his handlers to take refuge in a sandwich shop. Aye, Iain, they'll never get to you in there! Erm, unless they follow you in through the door that is, and then you're cornered. Brilliant thinking there Iain, now here's my vote and please run the country for me. Sweet Lord have mercy on us all, the man's an absolute imbecile nincompoop.

Pillory Sad Oaf

As I groggily awakened from my six month hibernation, this year's slew of April Fool's Day japes in the media were all too obvious. I suppose it must be difficult to come up with a fresh angle on it every year, so credit at least to the Scottish media for the clever wheeze of coordinating their efforts this time round.

But seriously, to expect their long-suffering audience to believe that a shambling, inarticulate, hobo-like character, with crazed, staring eyes and a finger permanently set to "jab" is the Labour contender for First Minister! Ah, the scamps! As if that wasn't obvious enough they've even saddled him with the sobriquet, "Iain Gray MSP", a painfully transparent anagram of "Aspiring Yam", a cruel commentary on the sub-tuber intellect of this benighted fellow.

Animal, vegetable or mineral?

Roll on midday when the Labour Party will reveal their real candidate!

Him Wrong Un

Glorious revolutionary tidings from the Central Conference of the People's Democratic Party of the Workers! Open and transparent elections to the central leadership body of the party have been completed and a successor to the departed Dour Leader has been chosen!

A magnificent poster commemorating the accession of the Dire Leader

Upon the announcement the victor stumbled onto the stage of the Keir Hardie Memorial Palace, seemingly dazed and blinking in disbelief at the affection and trust his comrades had shown in him. Rousing cheers of "Hurrah!", and loud shouts of slogans such as "Long Live David!", "New Labour Forever!", "Devoted Deference!" and "Hang on, who's that?", "Didn't the chimp lookalike win?", "Which idiot counted the postal votes?!" reverberated through the hall.

Such was the unbridled joy at the sight of their new leader that many comrades were moved to tears and stood shaking their heads, scarcely able to believe it was true. Quite spontaneously emotional cries echoed around the hall: "Him Wrong Un! Him Wrong Un!". Him Wrong Un waved back to the greatly agitated participants, returning their vigorous salutes in a most statesmanlike fashion.

Taking revolutionary fervour to new levels, Him Wrong Un dispensed with conventional norms of diction and charisma, and addressed the quivering throng in a unique fashion all his own. He warmly congratulated the participants in the Conference who have devotedly worked for the development and prosperity of the party and its grandees.

He expressed expectation and belief that the participants in the Conference who have steadfastly followed the road of the revolution, remaining single-mindedly loyal to the party, would play their pioneer's role in the revolution and the construction in the future, too, and thereby creditably perform their honorable mission and duty as vanguard fighters of the party. Except for the misguided devotees of the disgraced Beaming Leader and his discredited philosophy of the Third Path to Enlightened Rule Through Public Finance Initiatives, Military Entanglement and Being, Y'Know a Straight Kinda Guy who shall be purged forthwith.

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Up Periscope!

The mists have cleared over Brigadoon just long enough to send you in the direction of a terrific read over at Calum Cashley's blog. Scarce a wild-eyed, woad-daubed argument to be found. He'll be giving independence a good name if he's not careful.

PS to whom it may concern: the population of Brigadoon increased by one earlier in the summer, hence the dearth of posts of late! Normal (i.e. sporadic) service will be resumed at some point, more than likely in the run up to the elections next year when the Labour bullshit machine will be in overdrive.