SNP ahead nationally ahead of Glasgow East Poll

[ArtyQueing]

Excellent news - the SNP according to the Herald, http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/...nster_lead.php, is ahead of Labour in the coming by-election in 2 weeks.

If they win will it trigger the end of wee Broon?

I would love to have another election - life is too boring without one.

[merle haggard]

id love to see the evil empire collapse into the sea once and for all, dragging all its followers in this country with it . Particularly in the south .

[easygoing]

id love to see the evil empire collapse into the sea once and for all, dragging all its followers in this country with it . Particularly in the south .

Out of curiosity Merle, as someone who enjoys your posts, what do you think would happen to the UK and the 6 counties in the event of a crisis for unionism that an SNP referendum on Scots independence would undoubtedly generate? What would happen if the Scots left the union? (Question directed to Merle, not really to anyone else)

[Thac0man]

Out of curiosity Merle, as someone who enjoys your posts, what do you think would happen to the UK and the 6 counties in the event of a crisis for unionism that an SNP referendum on Scots independence would undoubtedly generate? What would happen if the Scots left the union?

The collapse of the UK would trigger a referendum the North, as facilitated by the GFA. And that referendum is something the Unionists may well win (given Republicans would have called one by now if they thought they could swing it). Republicans like to skate around the fact that determining the status of the North via referendum is as much the right of Unionists as it is Republicans. The collapse of the UK may make the prospect of unification a much more distant possiblity than it is now.

[FutureTaoiseach]

I think the title of this thread is wrong. They are ahead nationally not necessarily in this constituency.

[CreamCracker]

The collapse of the UK may make the prospect of unification a much more distant possiblity than it is now.

I wouldn't agree.

[merle haggard]

Obviously the union would be in big trouble accross the water . But as scotland hasnt been partitioned and gerrymandered betwen scots unionists and nationalists it wont signal an end between the Irish and British union . If anything it could lead to an increase in British attempts to keep the union secure here , although I think theyve pretty much all their bases covered

it would be an interesting scenario alright and one Id dearly love to see but I also suspect scottish independence could well be along the lines of treaty ports and stuff like that . Extricating British claws from scotalnd would take a lot more than a referendum and a flag . Unionists have an emotional affinity to scotland but englands the people who pay their wages at the end of the day . Honestly I dont know . It would leave the Irish unionist position facing a number of contradictions , but their position has always been riddled with contradictions and madness anyway .
A more interesting scnario is where would it leave constitutional nationalists in Ireland . Any attempt by westminster to partition scotalnd would rightly be opposed by them , yet they argue independence from Britian in this country can only come about by convincing a majority of unionists instead of all the Irish people having a say on their national sovereignty just like all the scottish people do . Partition a legitmate exrcise in Ireland but not scotland ? What about all those millions who vote for unionist parties in scotland ? Are scottish nationalists to be condemned for trying to force them into an independent state outside of the union ?

In order for a crisis for the union to exist here here logic would dictate the necessity of identifying the crutch which the union between Ireland and Britian rests upon as an undemocratic exercise in gerrymandering and demanding national democracy in its place , just as the scots seem to be entitled to. Otherwise I dont really believe thered be any crisis , just a few contradictory statements from politicans whod carry on egardless if not challenged on their position and support for a minority veto over the national majority in a gerrymandered artificial statelet.
A simple majority is all thats necessary in a socttish referendum for full independence , not 2 referenda and an undefined " majority" in one partioned enclave deciding the issue . That barrier to national democracy in Ireland should be the issue addressed fully if independence for scotalnd comes about . otherwise thered be no crisis here at all . Just the usual confusion and hypocrisy .

[Tiernanator]

Really concise and well thoughout post Merle. Spot on in your analysis but I still hate you because your a homophobe.

[Respvblica]

A more interesting scnario is where would it leave constitutional nationalists in Ireland . Any attempt by westminster to partition scotalnd would rightly be opposed by them , yet they argue independence from Britian in this country can only come about by convincing a majority of unionists instead of all the Irish people having a say on their national sovereignty just like all the scottish people do . Partition a legitmate exrcise in Ireland but not scotland ? What about all those millions who vote for unionist parties in scotland ? Are scottish nationalists to be condemned for trying to force them into an independent state outside of the union ?

In order for a crisis for the union to exist here here logic would dictate the necessity of identifying the crutch which the union between Ireland and Britian rests upon as an undemocratic exercise in gerrymandering and demanding national democracy in its place , just as the scots seem to be entitled to. Otherwise I dont really believe thered be any crisis , just a few contradictory statements from politicans whod carry on egardless if not challenged on their position and support for a minority veto over the national majority in a gerrymandered artificial statelet.
A simple majority is all thats necessary in a socttish referendum for full independence , not 2 referenda and an undefined " majority" in one partioned enclave deciding the issue . That barrier to national democracy in Ireland should be the issue addressed fully if independence for scotalnd comes about . otherwise thered be no crisis here at all . Just the usual confusion and hypocrisy .

Good point. We had a gun put to our head in the 1920s. The Scots, fortunately for them are gaining their independence in a milder age and whatever you may think about London now, it is not the same fasicst war machine that happily sent millions of its own to an early grave over an imperial squabble that Ireland had to deal with 90 years ago.
The more I think about it, the more I regret the fact of the GFA vote which has recognise and ligitimised a real evil.
Still like in the 1920s it appeared(or was made to appear) that that was the only choice which would lead to peace and not anarchy and mayhem. As long as there is no real accountability and trasparency in our own 26 county republic, how are we even going to beleive what they tell us!

[scruff]

This appears to contradict the title of this thread :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... shows.html