A more attractive proposition as leader?
From YouGov based on fieldwork on 13-14 August with 140 Scots adults (18 plus?):
- Con 20%
- Lab 11%
- LD 13%
- SNP 47%
- Brexit 8%
- Green 2%
Is the miserable performance of the Greens a case for a Wings Party?
In their previous poll for 5-6 August which had an almost identical result (no more than 1% up or down for any party) at the UK level, we saw for Scotland:
- Con 23%
- Lab 12%
- LD 14%
- SNP 39%
- Brexit 3%
- Green 8%
The Lib Dem figure in both polls suggests they are going nowhere with no Swinson Swing in sight. Notably, Lib Dem support falls consistently as you travel North in the UK from 28% in London to 14% in the North of England to 13% in Scotland. Despite this they may well retain their 3 or 4 seats in their clusters, like cancers around a power plant, in the North and East.
Crime
As before, perception of crime as an important issue, reflecting the actual levels, is much lower in Scotland:
- London 37%
- Rest of South 29%
- Midlands/Wales 35%
- North 36%
- Scotland 17%
Talking-up Scotland 
Despite the feverish early efforts of the meeja (especially in Scotland) to promote La Swinson (?LowJo) as the new Anointed One for the britnat cause in Scotland there has been precious little sign of any particular movement to date.
The main development of which I have become aware has been the defection of a solitary tory cooncillor and a solitary labour cooncillor to LowJo’s ragged regiment. Curiously, both these defections occurred in the South Lanarkshire Council which has a minority SNP administration. The britnat defections may well assist the SNP administration by diluting the opposition. Link and snippets below: Note the very warm welcome that LowJo’s Scotland branch manager Wee Wullie is offering to disaffected tories. Note also how the tories seem perfectly happy for their erstwhile member to go perch with LowJo’s merry band (all jolly good britnats together, what ho?). The labour group chap’s comments are rather less sanguine – one can almost sense the existential stress that he is observing within his struggling party’s Scotland branch office. (Guys like him really need to wise up – and seriously ask themselves why they are not finding themselves able to act in Scotland’s interests instead of always holding onto Nanny UK’s apron strings).
https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/scotland/tory-councillor-defects-to-lib-dems-with-swipe-at-new-pm-boris-johnson/
Hamilton West & Earnock councillor Mark McGeever announced he was quitting the Tories on Mr Johnson’s first full day in office, arguing the party had “abandoned” the political centre ground and was looking for populist answers.
Tory voters and members disillusioned with the Boris Johnson-led Conservative Party “can find a comfortable home with the Liberal Democrats”, the Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said following the defection.
A Scottish Conservative spokesman said: “Mark leaves with no hard feelings from us, and we wish him all the best for the future.”
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/south-lanarkshire-councillor-defects-lib-18963953
A second South Lanarkshire councillor has defected to the Liberal Democrats.
Former Labour councillor Fiona Drybrugh (East Kilbride South) quit the party following shadow chancellor John McDonnell’s comments about a second independence referendum.
Reflecting on her decision, Cllr Dryburgh said: “My politics have not altered but the Labour Party has now moved to a place where I can no longer support them. I am vehemently opposed to Scottish independence and I firmly believe that Britain is better off in the EU.”
The leader of the Labour group in South Lanarkshire, Joe Fagan, said: “The Liberal Democrats are currently led by one of David Cameron’s Ministers from the coalition years. Jo Swinson helped the Tories impose austerity economics and rip up the welfare state as we know it. That is not the kind of government I want for our country and I don’t really think it’s the kind of government Fiona would want either.”
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No, because a ‘Wings Party’ would be an ;anti-trans rights party’ and dragging bigotry into it is the last thing the independence movement needs.
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How can you be so sure about your definition of a “Wings Party”. I wasn’t aware of any clear definition of policy, never mind a decision to form a party..?
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