| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Alex Salmond Stepping Down | |
| Posted by: | Phil Andrews | |
| Date/Time: | 21/09/14 21:11:00 |
| In my view Labour will pay a very heavy price for their selfishness in leading the campaign for a No vote. Sure the No camp received 55% but even if reflected in votes that will be divided amongst the Westminster parties whereas the 45% which voted yes will now, I imagine, rally almost wholly behind the SNP (and remember something like 30% of people in Scotland who consider themselves Labour supporters voters voted Yes). On top of this I would imagine that a significant proportion of the 55% were people who do not usually vote but who were bullied or frightened by the sheer weight of establishment propaganda. Turnouts won't be 80%-plus at the general election, and it is the fickle and the faint-hearted who will stay away. The Tories of course have far fewer votes to lose in Scotland and those who do vote for them tend to be of a unionist bent anyway. The Yes votes were coming from the traditional Labour heartlands such as Glasgow, where a majority were in favour of independence. Out of interest I am following some of the social media sites managed by what was the Yes campaign and the bitterness at the nature of the Westminster campaign runs deep. There is absolutely no question of the independence movement letting up, they are in this for the long haul. The ball is now firmly in Westminster's court and the politicos are already back-peddling and scrabbling amongst themselves for advantage. They have painted themselves into a corner from which they are all going to have to be at their slippery best to have any hope of escaping. |