>Nicola icola Sturgeon had been waiting for a rousing round of applause from her loyal backbenchers. Yet as the first minister reeled off her list of NHS achievements, the faithful were distracted.
In a diminished Holyrood chamber still affected by social distancing, nine MSPs, including one cabinet secretary and one minister, scrolled absent mindedly through their phones or laptops as their boss gave a spirited defence of her 15-year record in government in light of a highly critical Audit Scotland report.
The SNP is by far the largest party in Scotland and ahead in the polls. Labour has failed to capitalise on the initial popularity bounce for its Scottish leader, Anas Sarwar. Any strategic progress made by the Scottish Conservatives is being upended by Boris Johnson’s magnetism for scandal. So why does the independence movement feel flat? “There is a bit of boredom,” a senior source said. “The party hasn’t really taken the shot in the arm of last year’s election and done much with it.”
> Holyrood ballot. It was a small electoral shift that made a seismic difference to her perceived mandate for a second independence referendum, however unfair that may feel to nationalists.
Preparations continue for another constitutional vote and to make the case for Scotland leaving the UK. A unit comprising 11 officials was established to work on a new white paper but questions are being asked about how much progress there is.
Angus Robertson, the constitution secretary, is in charge of pulling together the renewed intellectual case for independence and multiple sources close to Sturgeon said that eyebrows have been raised about the lack of momentum. “There’s an understanding that there’s a problem,” one strategist said. Another added that the first minister was increasingly looking to drive things forward of her own accord as the pandemic recedes.
Robertson allies point out that he is co-ordinating a huge project and seasoned hands remember the “car crash” of compiling the 650-page prospectus that preceded the 2014 referendum. “He’s doing a detailed piece of work,” one said. “It’s not just about the writing of the white paper, it’s about the engagement.”
> Sturgeon continues to insist that a second referendum will be held before the end of next year but the slice of her party which genuinely believes that is vanishingly small. Several parliamentarians at Holyrood and Westminster are privately speculating that another election may be needed to break the referendum impasse — most likely to be the next UK general election which is expected to take place in 2024.
The immediate ballot facing Scotland takes place in under ten weeks. Council elections do not traditionally get pulses racing but for the SNP there are still many candidate vacancies and little sense of a coherent strategy.
It can be tricky to attract people willing to take on an all-consuming job that can, at times, be 24/7 and pays a basic salary of about £18,600. Activists in some areas, including the northeast and south of Scotland as well as Lanarkshire, have reported local MSPs pleading with candidates as late as this week to come forward, incentivised by promises of an easy ride through the vetting process. The elections are on May 5 and there are jitters about holding on to hard-won authorities such as Glasgow.
“There are a lot of internal branch-specific fights going on and people are realising we are way behind,” a source said. “For f***’s sake it’s February and we have got no candidates.”
> Spring conference season starts next weekend as Scottish Labour gather in Glasgow; all of Scotland’s other parties are planning events in the run-up to the local elections — except for the SNP. Senior figures insist that a combination of the annual conference taking place at the end of November and uncertainty about the state of the pandemic meant it was impractical to pull something together given the size of venue required to stage an in-person event.
There is scepticism within the ranks about this reasoning with some predicting clashes over independence strategy and the gender reform bill, which has split the party, when members gather in the same room. “No one participates in the online conferences,” one activist said. “The first SNP conference back is going to be a rammy.”
Rammy was the word used to describe a recent group meeting at Westminster where two MPs rebelled against the leadership’s decision earlier this month to abstain on a benefits vote.
David Linden, the work and pensions spokesman at Westminster, and Chris Stephens, the fair work and employment spokesman, both defied the party whip to vote against the plans. They were rebuked by Owen Thompson, the chief whip, but kept their front-bench positions. They were backed by MPs including Drew Hendry, Brendan O’Hara and Alan Brown when they “kicked off” at Thompson in a group meeting before the vote, although the three eventually followed the party line.
The five play football together and are seen as potentially beginning to peel away. “There’s definitely a wee split starting to go on between that group and the rest,” said an MP.
The row also put a damper on the return to Westminster of Amy Callaghan, 29, the highly rated East Dunbartonshire MP who was back in the Commons against doctors orders for the first time since suffering a stroke. Several sources said that she was left aghast at what had unfolded. “Amy said after all the stress of the group meeting she doesn’t want to come back,” another source in the Commons said.
> There is also disappointment with the new intake at Holyrood, with MSPs who have now had a year to settle in generally not raising pulses. Màiri McAllan, a former special adviser to Sturgeon, and Neil Gray, a former MP, are seen as the exceptions.
“It just doesn’t feel like a happy camp,” a source said.
There is widespread agreement that a shot in the arm can come from movement towards a second referendum. This could start with the introduction of a referendums bill but will also need a coherent set of policies to begin to emerge.
The UK government is using levelling-up funding to invest directly in local communities as part of Michael Gove’s strategy to promote the value of the Union and there is a feeling that a counter argument is needed.
“I think the party is in decent nick and is much more patient than you think it is,” a senior figure said. “There is a fundamental issue which is ‘what’s the big plan? What’s the big play?’ 2022 is going to be a difficult year and we have to start showing results by the end of it.”
Ahh yes The Times, well known bastion of neutral reporting on Scotland.
Complete garbage article, and polling on independence shows at worst it’s an even split, which considering there is no pro-indy campaigning at the moment is a good place to start.
2 comments
>Nicola icola Sturgeon had been waiting for a rousing round of applause from her loyal backbenchers. Yet as the first minister reeled off her list of NHS achievements, the faithful were distracted.
In a diminished Holyrood chamber still affected by social distancing, nine MSPs, including one cabinet secretary and one minister, scrolled absent mindedly through their phones or laptops as their boss gave a spirited defence of her 15-year record in government in light of a highly critical Audit Scotland report.
The SNP is by far the largest party in Scotland and ahead in the polls. Labour has failed to capitalise on the initial popularity bounce for its Scottish leader, Anas Sarwar. Any strategic progress made by the Scottish Conservatives is being upended by Boris Johnson’s magnetism for scandal. So why does the independence movement feel flat? “There is a bit of boredom,” a senior source said. “The party hasn’t really taken the shot in the arm of last year’s election and done much with it.”
> Holyrood ballot. It was a small electoral shift that made a seismic difference to her perceived mandate for a second independence referendum, however unfair that may feel to nationalists.
Preparations continue for another constitutional vote and to make the case for Scotland leaving the UK. A unit comprising 11 officials was established to work on a new white paper but questions are being asked about how much progress there is.
Angus Robertson, the constitution secretary, is in charge of pulling together the renewed intellectual case for independence and multiple sources close to Sturgeon said that eyebrows have been raised about the lack of momentum. “There’s an understanding that there’s a problem,” one strategist said. Another added that the first minister was increasingly looking to drive things forward of her own accord as the pandemic recedes.
Robertson allies point out that he is co-ordinating a huge project and seasoned hands remember the “car crash” of compiling the 650-page prospectus that preceded the 2014 referendum. “He’s doing a detailed piece of work,” one said. “It’s not just about the writing of the white paper, it’s about the engagement.”
> Sturgeon continues to insist that a second referendum will be held before the end of next year but the slice of her party which genuinely believes that is vanishingly small. Several parliamentarians at Holyrood and Westminster are privately speculating that another election may be needed to break the referendum impasse — most likely to be the next UK general election which is expected to take place in 2024.
The immediate ballot facing Scotland takes place in under ten weeks. Council elections do not traditionally get pulses racing but for the SNP there are still many candidate vacancies and little sense of a coherent strategy.
It can be tricky to attract people willing to take on an all-consuming job that can, at times, be 24/7 and pays a basic salary of about £18,600. Activists in some areas, including the northeast and south of Scotland as well as Lanarkshire, have reported local MSPs pleading with candidates as late as this week to come forward, incentivised by promises of an easy ride through the vetting process. The elections are on May 5 and there are jitters about holding on to hard-won authorities such as Glasgow.
“There are a lot of internal branch-specific fights going on and people are realising we are way behind,” a source said. “For f***’s sake it’s February and we have got no candidates.”
> Spring conference season starts next weekend as Scottish Labour gather in Glasgow; all of Scotland’s other parties are planning events in the run-up to the local elections — except for the SNP. Senior figures insist that a combination of the annual conference taking place at the end of November and uncertainty about the state of the pandemic meant it was impractical to pull something together given the size of venue required to stage an in-person event.
There is scepticism within the ranks about this reasoning with some predicting clashes over independence strategy and the gender reform bill, which has split the party, when members gather in the same room. “No one participates in the online conferences,” one activist said. “The first SNP conference back is going to be a rammy.”
Rammy was the word used to describe a recent group meeting at Westminster where two MPs rebelled against the leadership’s decision earlier this month to abstain on a benefits vote.
David Linden, the work and pensions spokesman at Westminster, and Chris Stephens, the fair work and employment spokesman, both defied the party whip to vote against the plans. They were rebuked by Owen Thompson, the chief whip, but kept their front-bench positions. They were backed by MPs including Drew Hendry, Brendan O’Hara and Alan Brown when they “kicked off” at Thompson in a group meeting before the vote, although the three eventually followed the party line.
The five play football together and are seen as potentially beginning to peel away. “There’s definitely a wee split starting to go on between that group and the rest,” said an MP.
The row also put a damper on the return to Westminster of Amy Callaghan, 29, the highly rated East Dunbartonshire MP who was back in the Commons against doctors orders for the first time since suffering a stroke. Several sources said that she was left aghast at what had unfolded. “Amy said after all the stress of the group meeting she doesn’t want to come back,” another source in the Commons said.
> There is also disappointment with the new intake at Holyrood, with MSPs who have now had a year to settle in generally not raising pulses. Màiri McAllan, a former special adviser to Sturgeon, and Neil Gray, a former MP, are seen as the exceptions.
“It just doesn’t feel like a happy camp,” a source said.
There is widespread agreement that a shot in the arm can come from movement towards a second referendum. This could start with the introduction of a referendums bill but will also need a coherent set of policies to begin to emerge.
The UK government is using levelling-up funding to invest directly in local communities as part of Michael Gove’s strategy to promote the value of the Union and there is a feeling that a counter argument is needed.
“I think the party is in decent nick and is much more patient than you think it is,” a senior figure said. “There is a fundamental issue which is ‘what’s the big plan? What’s the big play?’ 2022 is going to be a difficult year and we have to start showing results by the end of it.”
Ahh yes The Times, well known bastion of neutral reporting on Scotland.
Complete garbage article, and polling on independence shows at worst it’s an even split, which considering there is no pro-indy campaigning at the moment is a good place to start.