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The Scottish leader ratings suggest that LAB might beat the Tories for second place

The Scottish leader ratings suggest that LAB might beat the Tories for second place

Ever since the SNP came to power in Scotland at the 2011 Holyrood elections I have paid more notice of leader ratings north of the border than voting intention numbers. Then at this stage the voting polls had SLAB in the lead but the then SNP leader Alex Salmond, totally dominated the leader ratings. On that basis I was posting on here saying that the SNP represented good value to win at odds longer than evens. Salmond had totally outshone…

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Alba just get 3% in first Scottish poll since Salmond launched his new party

Alba just get 3% in first Scottish poll since Salmond launched his new party

Five weeks to go before the Scottish parliament election and we have the first Scotland polling since Alex Salmond made his announcement about setting up his new Alba party to compete with the SNP for the indy vote. The fieldwork from Survation all took place during a period when the former SNP leader and later Westminster MP was dominating the Scottish media. Alba is not standing in a constituency so the relevant polling is that for the regional lists when…

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Alex Salmond looks set to do a lot better amongst Scottish men than women

Alex Salmond looks set to do a lot better amongst Scottish men than women

The latest YouGov Scotland poll that was published before the weekend gives a good indication of the challenge facing the ex-SNP leader and former Scottish First Minister as he attempts to make a comeback with his new Alba party. Amongst the men polled 17% were prepared to give him a favourable rating against 74% saying unfavourable. With the women his ratings were even worse with just 12% giving him a favourable rating against 79% saying unfavourable. To the question “From…

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I’d like to see betting markets on how many MPs and MSPs defect to Alba by the end of May

I’d like to see betting markets on how many MPs and MSPs defect to Alba by the end of May

It has been quite an exciting 48 hours in Scotland with the announcement of the Alba Party by former First Minister Alex Salmond, we’ve seen two defections from the Westminster delegation which Ian Blackford has reacted to the defections dispassionately to rival the the way so many Conservatives handled the defection of Mark Reckless in 2014. Blackford’s comment reminded me of one Conservative’s observation at the time of the defection of Mark Reckless “I can’t say the word c**t but…

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What does Salmond want and what will he achieve?

What does Salmond want and what will he achieve?

It’s difficult to see Alba doing anything other than damaging Sindy chances Not all politics is personal but it’s very hard to explain Alex Salmond’s return to the front line of Scottish politics in any other terms. He feels very wronged. Wronged by the actions of his former party and his former deputy and successor, whose behaviour towards him may or may not have been inappropriate depending on which report or inquiry you read; and wronged by the Scottish government…

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You might need a brave heart for this Scottish bet

You might need a brave heart for this Scottish bet

Betting on Scottish matters has been an enjoyable and very profitable area for myself and many other PBers, from seeing Iain Gray’s collapsing ratings in 2011 indicating the SNP was going to achieve what the voting system was designed to stop, to 2014 referendum, to the SNP tsunami in 2015, the SNP losing their majority which was tipped at 10/1 and 8/1 on the day of the 2016 election, and the 2017 Scottish Tory surge, perhaps it is distance and…

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