THIS IS A HUMAN RIGHTS OUTRAGE - WHERE IS THE POLITICAL OUTCRY?

THIS STORY HAS TAKEN MY BREATH AWAY

'I lived in hospital for 50 years but wasn’t ill' - BBC News bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

This race has flown under the radar.lot of votes in York which is pretty Lab leaning and Labour has won by-election in N Yorks on a huge swing. Sunak losing new Mayoralty in his own backyard would be a big story

Best bit (for laughs):

‘We should not underestimate the role of Douglas Ross in his downfall. Displaying considerable tactical nous, he lodged a motion of no confidence…Like a Highland wildcat stalking his prey, Ross chose the perfect moment to pounce.’

If you Ian Leslie would like a more detailed take on the past 25 years of the Scottish Parliament & an assessment of its successes & shortcomings this is my essay of a day or two ago with comments from James Mitchell, Neal Ascherson & others. thenational.scot/politics/24283…

That was very poor ill-informed ‘analysis’ on SNP from BBC Political Editor Chris Mason on ‘Today’. Why interview him when BBC has much more informed journalists in Scotland?

…a Parliament increasingly incapable of passing workable legislation, a government which mistakes performing for delivering, an evisceration of local government and its replacement with a third sector client state, to state only the most obvious…

That was indeed a common view in Scotland. Notable how rarely we now see references to ‘indyref2’ - almost omnipresent a few years back in Scottish (social) media used as hashtag etc.

A bit of a problem with this idea… there isn’t a contest for depute leader so no need for running mate.

John Curtice: Swinney should make Flynn his running mate in SNP leadership contest

heraldscotland.com/news/24286842.…

This will be very interesting with great speakers
Exploring the Outcomes of the 2024 English Local Elections | Centre on Constitutional Change centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/England-2024-L…

#Scotland all eyes and ears on Bute House of course but James Mitchell questions the whole way Scottish Government and others conduct policy-making by often ignoring evidence and genuine expertise sceptical.scot/2024/04/blind-…

Inverclyde has highest number of alcohol-related deaths in Britain

thetimes.co.uk/article/c5ff6f…

Good points. Even if no defections she’d face internal opposition from day 1. She’d face more problems from an element in SNP than opposition in Holyrood esp if as expected (and here’s really why Sturgeonites fear her) she blew a wind of transparency through SNP’s recent past.

Assume she’d be the new Continuity candidate.

Yup. Leaders require 2 attributes of a good chess player: ability to think many moves ahead, anticipating opponents reactions; keeping cool under pressure, not responding angrily to opponents. Neither on display in SNP or Greens.

How the coalition breakdown will impact SNP’s election chances

thetimes.co.uk/article/0c92f6…

Plus good old fashioned politics.