Jim Murphy

[Mr Rational]

He's going to have to go on the list then.

[~~~]

He's going to have to go on the list then.

*Awaits mysterious death of a MSP

In all seriousness, if the MSP had any balls they would tell to do one. He's been a disaster

[John Lambies Doos]

Anyhow I see the turkeys have voted for Christmas.

Jim 'herpes' Murphy stays as Labour leader. I for one am astonished....

They just dont get it. Its unbelievable.

[Granny Danger]

I think the Scottish electorate will see this as a contemptuous decision, including many that voted Labour last Thursday.

[FuzzyAffro]

They just dont get it. Its unbelievable.

Its brilliant news for the SNP though. Labour are committing a five year long suicide right in front of our eyes, starting in 2011.

[vikingTON]

I'm sorry but that's complete and utter nonsense. Its just a misunderstanding of the facts, do you actually understand how big a deal it was to win a majority in 2011? That was supposed to never happen, clever people who understand politics and voting systems designed Hoylrood specifically to prevent that ever happening.

You're the one talking nonsense. If they had wanted to prevent any party getting a majority, they'd have made it PR, or at least made more list seats than constituencies. With 73 constituency seats, any party that gets 45% of the vote or more is in a strong position to take an overall majority. The system was designed in an entirely different context, when the only party expected to ever reach that number in anyone's lifetime was Labour.

If the SNP poll >45% in 2016, they will likely gain a majority. If they do not, they will still have at least high 50 MSPs with a stack of Greens filling the gap.

Your post is great, that's how I'd like to see things go too, but in reality its naive shite. That won't happen, the best bet the SNP have of independence is convincing one of the unionist parties to back it, then we can go into coalition with them in future to get a majority and have a referendum. The SNP on their own or with the Greens may never get another majority.

The Labour party in the UK is utterly routed after Thursday evening and its branch office is in meltdown, currently discussing whether to lump for a sixth (?) new leader since 2007. Labour's traditional, generational vote was smashed to pieces from West Dunbartonshire to East Lothian on Thursday evening, and there is no simple plan to get that vote to return to Labour. Instead, the momentum is with the SNP to mop up the remaining outposts of Labour at Holyrood - West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, half of the Glasgow seats - and then continue the dismantling of Labour's fiefdoms at local authority level, which they have been steadily losing grip of since devolution.

Five more years of the same and Labour in Scotland will be in a very similar position to the Tories - an irrelevant party of old-timers, scrambling for the continued support of a dwindling, core vote. And they'll achieve it in far less time than it took for the Tories to collapse in Scotland, because the SNP have taken Labour's place as the natural, centre-left party in Scotland.

[Granny Danger]

The question is, will we get a sequel?

[FuzzyAffro]

You're the one talking nonsense. if they wanted to prevent any party getting a majority, they'd have made it PR, or at least made more list seats than constituencies. With 73 constituency seats, any party that gets 45% of the vote or more is in a strong position to take an overall majority. The system was designed in an entirely different context, when the only party expected to evr reach that number in anyone's lifetime was Labour.

If the SNP poll >45% in 2016, they will likely gain a majority. If they do not, they will still have at least high 50s with a stack of Greens filling the gap.

The Labour party in the UK is utterly destroyed after Thursday evening and its branch office is in meltdown, currently discussing whether to lump for a sixth (?) new leader since 2007. Labour's traditional, generational vote was smashed to pieces from West Dunbartonshire to East Lothian on Thursday evening, and there is no simple plan to get that vote to return to Labour. Instead, the momentum is with the SNP to mop up the remaining outposts of Labour at Holyrood - West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, half of the Glasgow seats - and then continue the dismantling of Labour's fiefdoms at local authority level, which they have been steadily losing grip of since devolution.

Five more years of the same and Labour in Scotland will be in a very similar position to the Tories - an irrelevant party of old-timers, scrambling for the continued support of a dwindling, core vote. And they'll achieve it in far less time than it took for the Tories to collapse in Scotland, because the SNP have taken Labour's place as the natural, centre-left party in Scotland.

Who do you think designed it? Labour. What were Labour worried about? Scottish independence. The parliament was designed specifically to never return a majority, so independence could never be achieved. This was their explicit intention.

The Tories are actually recovering in Scotland btw, not at WM level but at HR. Davidson is popular despite being a disgusting angry cretin of a raging Britnat and some young voters are unaware of the Tories history like Sooky on here so don't see any contradiction in being a Scottish Tory, a gay one at that.

I hope you are right and didn't mean to offend you I like your posts but don't agree at all here.

[Elixir]

I'm sorry but that's complete and utter nonsense. Its just a misunderstanding of the facts, do you actually understand how big a deal it was to win a majority in 2011? That was supposed to never happen, clever people who understand politics and voting systems designed Hoylrood specifically to prevent that ever happening.

Its naive as f**k to assume it will definitely happen again and the majority will even be increased. That was earth shattering when we got a majority in 2011, absolutely stunning. Its not unrealistic to suggest that may never happen again.

Your post is great, that's how I'd like to see things go too, but in reality its naive shite. That won't happen, the best bet the SNP have of independence is convincing one of the unionist parties to back it, then we can go into coalition with them in future to get a majority and have a referendum. The SNP on their own or with the Greens may never get another majority.

The SNP will probably get a majority without needing a single list seat next year. It's going to be another utter pasting.

Labour's support is only going to keep declining as more and more auld c**ts kick the bucket. Meanwhile, the newer generations will ensure that the SNP continues to be Scotland's natural party of government for decades to come.

You're a paranoid mess.

[~~~]

Devolution will kill Nationalism stone dead

[FuzzyAffro]

The SNP will probably get a majority without needing a single list seat next year. It's going to be another utter pasting.

Labour's support is only going to keep declining as more and more auld c**ts kick the bucket. Meanwhile, the newer generations will ensure that the SNP continues to be Scotland's natural party of government for decades to come.

You're a paranoid mess.

The win could mean a referendum on Scottish independence within the next five years. The triumph is all the more surprising because the electoral system in Scotland, set up in 1999, was designed to prevent any party from achieving an overall majority.

Tell me then, since devolution, how many majorities have there been at HR?

[FuzzyAffro]

Devolution will kill Nationalism stone dead

Yes that was a stupid comment, but the people that designed it weren't Melinda Messenger and her pals doing a home makeover. They studied electoral systems all over the world and chose the one least likely to return a majority, specifically to prevent Scottish independence. So far it has returned one, which was an absolutely stunning result.

Its not me who's being stupid by assuming that will be repeated again and again. Go to a bookies, ask them, I guarantee they would give you shorter odds on no majority at HR for the next fifty years than another one next year. It was designed specifically to prevent that.

[Gordon EF]

The win could mean a referendum on Scottish independence within the next five years. The triumph is all the more surprising because the electoral system in Scotland, set up in 1999, was designed to prevent any party from achieving an overall majority.

Tell me then, since devolution, how many majorities have there been at HR?

As the SNP showed in 2011, once you start hitting 45% of the vote, you get a majority. Difficult, not impossible.

If the Greens grow as predicted, replacing the Lib Dems as the 4th party, pro-independence majorities will be easily achievable.

[Elixir]

I know it's meant to be difficult to gain a majority at Holyrood. Meant to be.

When you're going to take roughly half the vote, however, it isn't. The SNP will probably get a near identical share next May as they did on Thursday. Another total rout is on the cards.

[FuzzyAffro]

I know it's meant to be difficult to gain a majority at Holyrood. Meant to be.

When you're going to take a minimum of 45% of the vote, however, it isn't. The SNP will probably get a near identical share of the vote next May as they did on Thursday. Another rout is on the cards.

With a year of smearing from the MSM and budget cuts to come due to the Tories brutal austerity nothing is guaranteed. A lot of people in a year might be disappointed with the SNP MP's performance at WM, the Tories in Scotland will be stronger, Labour couldn't possibly ever be as weak again, neither could the Lib Dems.

[Gordon EF]

Yes that was a stupid comment, but the people that designed it weren't Melinda Messenger and her pals doing a home makeover. They studied electoral systems all over the world and chose the one least likely to return a majority, specifically to prevent Scottish independence. So far it has returned one, which was an absolutely stunning result.

Its not me who's being stupid by assuming that will be repeated again and again. Go to a bookies, ask them, I guarantee they would give you shorter odds on no majority at HR for the next fifty years than another one next year. It was designed specifically to prevent that.

Well they got their choice wrong then, didn't they?

They could have chosen pure PR, in which case, the SNP would not have gotten a majority in 2011.

[FuzzyAffro]

As the SNP showed in 2011, once you start hitting 45% of the vote, you get a majority. Difficult, not impossible.

If the Greens grow as predicted, replacing the Lib Dems as the 4th party, pro-independence majorities will be easily achievable.

That's just nonsense, and I can't believe anyone would be naive enough to use the word easy there. Do you think the 45% will vote SNP forever? What are we Labour now they've only won two elections well three, I think people are getting a bit carried away here.

The best way to achieve independence is to persuade one of the unionist parties to back it, break from the UK party and support independence. The SNP are unlikely to be able to do it on their own.

[FuzzyAffro]

Well they got their choice wrong then, didn't they?

They could have chosen pure PR, in which case, the SNP would not have gotten a majority in 2011.

For one election. There could be a hundred and that be the only majority returned.

I hope all you lot are right, I just think you're in danger of slipping into complacency and Labour-like entitlement. The battle is still yet to be won and there's a hell of a long way to go.

[Elixir]

With a year of smearing from the MSM and budget cuts to come due to the Tories brutal austerity nothing is guaranteed. A lot of people in a year might be disappointed with the SNP MP's performance at WM, the Tories in Scotland will be stronger, Labour couldn't possibly ever be as weak again, neither could the Lib Dems.

Labour are a fucking omnishambles. It will take them more than twelve months to recover from this, if ever.

The Tories might get a few more seats but that's about it. The Liberals are extinct as a party.

The SNP can't really go wrong in opposition to the Conservatives at Westminster either.

Mark my words: it will be another SNP majority next year.

[vikingTON]

Who do you think designed it? Labour. What were Labour worried about? Scottish independence. The parliament was designed specifically to never return a majority, so independence could never be achieved. This was their explicit intention.

Their insurance policy against the SNP gaining a majority was including a form of PR - but that wasn't their sole concern. They were also concerned with using Holyrood as an entrenched Labour fiefdom, which is why they opted to still include 73 constituencies, which they fully expected to mop up the majority of to win elections. They did that in the constituencies until 2011.

Once again, your claim falls down on the fact that back when the SP was being designed, the notion that the SNP would be polling >45% was a fantasy island scenario; only preventing an SNP majority on the back of the Tories current share of the vote was seen as a problem to be dealt with.

With 45% or higher, the SNP are locked into forming at worst a minority government, and with the Greens surging on the list vote, a pro-independence majority in the next Parliament would be much higher than it is at the moment.

The Tories are actually recovering in Scotland btw, not at WM level but at HR. Davidson is popular despite being a disgusting angry cretin of a raging Britnat and some young voters are unaware of the Tories history like Sooky on here so don't see any contradiction in being a Scottish Tory, a gay one at that.

The Tories always claim that they are recovering, yet received fewer votes and seats under their supposedly "popular" wifey Annabel Goldie in 2011 than their previous flatlining effort. They lost a further 1.8% of their Scottish vote at Westminster on Thursday night. There is no evidence whatsoever of a Tory recovery in Scotland.

Just because people consider the Scottish Tory leader not to be a complete nightmare, does not make them more likely to vote for their party.