When is a poll not a poll? When it is a false poll. From Bright Green Scotland on yesterday’s still headline splashing voter survey privately funded by Conservative Party aristo’ Lord Ashcroft on the 2014 Scottish referendum vote on independence:
“The No campaign say that while 49% of Scots think independence is the Scottish Government’s priority (though in the hands of their spinners this becomes “Salmond’s priority”), only 3% think it should be.
…upon looking into the full data tables from the poll (PDF), we find that this goes further than spin. It’s a flat-out lie. The figures they claim represent what Scots think ought to be the government’s priority exclude every single person who said the Scottish Government does have the right priority. Is it any wonder they can make it look like respondents reject the priorities of the SNP government when anyone who admitted they didn’t was stripped from their sample?
Pretty much every paper in the country has repeated this lie…”
The false narrative being promulgated across the British nationalist press yesterday and today in relation to this alleged poll arrives (coincidentally, I’m sure) after two recent surveys, one by the SNP and one by the website Wings Over Scotland, found that the divide between the pro- and anti-independence vote in Scotland has significantly narrowed making it a far closer race than the “UK” establishment was willing to admit – or recognise.
AN SIONNACH FIONN 
just caught this on guardian:
“Devolving or transferring powers can happen at the legal stroke of a pen. Transferring affections, history and economic partnerships is much, much harder. Of course many Scots do not feel the emotional pull of a relationship with England, quite the opposite. But very many do. Urban Glasgow kids arguably have as much in common with inner-city London youth “tribes” as they do with folk in the Hebrides.”
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/10/glasgow-eastenders-accent
of course writer has form…
“…the deficiencies of the Scots diet are not a figment of the imagination, (although the next person to utter the words “deep fried Mars Bar” is getting a doin’ with a white puddin’). I once ordered a cheese roll at a cafe in Fife and was astonished to hear the waitress cry: “Once through the hot fat for that cheese roll, Bobby!” Any nation that automatically deep fries its sandwiches must admit it has a problem.”
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/nov/03/scots-english-diet
ah well… base contentions!
hear about ‘foinse’? meant to write yesterday but cormac on rnag had piece about irish supplement (axed from the wednesday’s indo) – now no newspaper in irish available… something stinks!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catalan-language_newspapers
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“…many Scots do not feel the emotional pull of a relationship with England, quite the opposite. But very many do.”
Which is sort of the point of the independence referendum. To let both views have their voice. Strange that all the Britnats or pro-UK journos who support the “Union” do so on the basis of the “shared history” shtick felt by some Scots while ignoring the 30% and more of Scots who reject that concept. They are only interested in, can only see, one side of the argument. Sigh…
Will be writing about Foinse in the coming days. Removing the Irish supplement is one less crutch for the Indo Group which is a good thing 😉 Not sure about the continued online existence of Foinse or how that will work out. Makes sense, I’m pro-digital but without proper resources and a vision it will fail. Getting accurate information is a nightmare.
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“Chuaigh Foras na Gaeilge i mbun taighde san earrach, agus reáchtáladh cruinnithe poiblí agus sraith d’fhócas grúpaí agus é i gceist go reáchtálfaí scéim úr go luath chun foilseachán úr a chur ar fáil in áit Gaelscéal. Níl aon toradh ar an taighde seo foilsithe go fóill.”
http://www.gaelport.com/?treeID=8&NewsItemID=10249&f=AC-15494-30869399-260979
cui bono? – ní pobal na gaeilge!
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