btb

That's literally been Sturgeon's plan from the start, so not sure what would change other than emphasizing the fact. I'm a Nat myself but even allowing for the fact that different things have been said at different times that's just revisionism

IndyRef2 should be put on the backburner until after the Brexit deal is completed. At that point we'll know what the May government has secured for us and whether the EU are willing to offer Scotland anything as a GIRFUY to the Tories. Politics in the Twitter age is going to more fluid than what we've been used to and I'd love to see Davidson, Dugdale & Rennie defend the clusterfuck we're likely to emerge from these negotiations with - I'm not holding my breath though.

I seem to remember being told this couldn't happen. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38733090 ********************* There seems to be a growing realization that whatever Brexit deal we eventually achieve is likely to be worse for the UK than what we currently have, yet the general feeling is that we've made our bed and now we've got to lie in it. Not for the first time in my life I'm baffled.

Couldn't resist it.

Never expected to see Loy available until mid-August until McCann had a chance to see how he fitted in with Dundee's new squad. If he's available and within our budget I'd love to see Loy back, if not so long and thanks! ************** I've always said a manager should hold back a bit of cash to see who becomes available as the summer window closes but that's not the same as leaving holes in the squad and hoping to find the missing pieces in other clubs surplus stock (Alex Rae - Summer 2016), this approach only works when fine-tuning a decent squad. As a whole I'm pretty pleased with where we are so far. Bring it on..............

That's where we disagree IMO the damage was not done by the nurse who's story smelled hammy to pretty much everyone at the time (she all but retracted it a couple of days later when she tweeted that she was speaking for NHS employees as a whole) but by Cherry's calamitous intervention. I think Labour & JC showed at the GE that there is political mileage to be had by staying out of the gutter. It's been a bad couple of elections for the SNP (Council & General) but in the Twitter age things can turn again very quickly and the underlying reasons why SNP support touched 50% two years ago are still there. Aggressive yeah we've got to seize the initiative back but dirty - no.

I'm another who thought Sturgeon handled the nurse well at the time certainly better than Davidson responded to the guy with Aspergers. The problem for the SNP was Joanna Cherry going OTT with the false rumour that Austin was married to a Conservative councillor and her subsequent forced retraction, which became the story. It nullified the topic of Food Banks as an issue over which the Tories could be criticized in Scotland. As to the people abusing Austin - leave it to Karma, stunts like the one in question are self-defeating and just feed into the Record's "hate filled nationalists" agenda.

Bit of both. Davidson got absolutely nowhere by continuing with her IndyRef2 obsession and got it back and then some from Nicola Sturgeon, you have to wonder how much confidence RD has in TM & how Tory policies at UK level will fare over the next few years. Dugdale did far better focussing on the SNP's record on education which contains room for improvement, she spoiled it a bit at the end by saying "Vote SNP, get a Tory government" which was a bit of an open goal given ScotLab's tactics during the recent campaign. ******************* A bit of a pity KD/ScotLab didn't get a mention in the News, but that's the price they pay for ignoring the day job for two years.

Doesn't happen in important votes (reckon that'd include the Queen's Speech) and certainly not in Confidence motions - I can remember back to the Callaghan govt. where they were considering bringing one MP in off his death bed, in fact checking this up it seems that he only had to make it to Westminster not even to the voting lobby. In the end though he did not make the journey and Labour lost the vote.

At Westminster MP's on opposing sides can pair off with each other on most votes allowing them not to be there.

...............or can it?

Gavin Reilly - it's a bit of a "mibbes aye, mibbes naw" signing but that's the market we're in. Mibbes aye would do me - the last time we were promoted from this division we had a Reilly in the squad so I'm taking it as a good omen!

Agreed - because neither Labour nor the Lib-Dems had the balls to campaign on an anti-Brexit platform then we've got guys like Iain Duncan-Smith saying there's no mandate for a change in Brexit policy. What May thinks is less clear, yesterday a spokesman for her said "No change" but RD is saying that she's told May that she must pursue a softer Brexit - you couldn't make it up! My opinion is May's Brexit policy won't change as she'll not want to offend the UKIP leaning side of her party down south. As they say all will be revealed.......

I see RD's meeting with TM was the first item on Scottish News this morning - our Ruthie telling the PM it's gotta be a "soft" Brexit. I suppose the not so subtle positioning of her ahead of Sturgeon despite RD being neither First Minister, an MP or leader of her party at UK level is something we're going to have to get used to over the coming years. Who knows the BBC may (sic) well be right in that Davidson is currently the most important figure in Scottish politics, especially if she harbours a desire to move to a UK level! As an aside Kezia Dugdale didn't even get a mention, who's come out of this election smelling of (red) roses - not Scottish Labour!

........and UKIP which stood in just 10 in Scotland.

.........and it worked - the head story on BBC Scotland news is "Ruth Davidson holds talks with prime minister" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/scotland

I live in Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock where Labour were second in 2015, I was off work with a kidney problem from April through to June I returned to work on Friday morning. This was the first election I haven't been doorstepped by Labour and the first one where no-one from Labour were at the polling station, both happened during the Council elections. I did get a leaflet through from the Conservatives telling us that the Ruth Davidson's candidate was the only one who could beat the SNP. There's no doubt in my mind about the message she was trying to get across. Like I said spin away. ***************** Meanwhile RD seems to be letting it all get to her - walking out of a Channel 4 interview. Still at least Theresa's listening to her.

That's not what the headline writer thought - Keep spinning though....................

Season 3 of Fargo and still enjoying the mayhem! Watch it if only for David Thewlis's falsers & Ewan McGregor's wandering accent!

A bit like Chic Charnley, another player who wasn't nearly as good as he thought he was, GH has never been in a side that has been promoted. Will undoubtedly contribute a couple of spectacular goals for the 'Ton just hope that none of them are against us.

Just off 4night shifts and I see it's all calmed down - no posts in two days. I guess we're just waiting for the JR to return from his hols to announce the rest of our new signings. With his new bumper contract I look forward to seeing JR's new wardrobe.

Got an election leaflet through the door - Only a vote for Ruth Davidson's candidate can stop the SNP in Ayr! Have the Conservatives renamed themselves? Am I missing something, 'cos I don't consider her an asset? I understand the bulk of Unionist votes going to the Tories now after all it's in their full name (Conservative & Unionist) but I struggle to see her as the reason, I reckon the votes would've gone there anyway. There's a thin mask that she managed to keep through the 2015 campaign when the Tories were an irrelevance, but it doesn't take much probing for a much nastier side to be revealed. I'm a Nat but wondering if a moderate Tory success in Scotland 3-5 and the inevitable deification of RD would be a good thing for Independence in the long run. Ruth Davidson's candidate - FFS!

Relieved to see JR (apparently) wants Potter as his No. 2. Really don't think the club has the time to wait until JR returns from holiday with potential targets stalling and perhaps signing elsewhere, as ever on these occasions if it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well It were done quickly. No sunbed for JR till it's sorted one way or t'other! If & when he goes JF or Hartley in that order,

Any gossip on whether Dundee want our assistant manager Jamie Fowler too?

If Dundee had got their act together and not fannied about with McCann, we could've got Steve Aitken who was at the end of his contract but has just signed a new 2 year deal with Dumbarton. Hartley is IMO the best available right now. Sad to see JR go but I've seen about 20 Saints managers now and hope to see a good few more before I shuffle off this mortal coil................... **************** Edit - I'd also be happy to see JF get bumped up if he doesn't go to Dundee.