Stapes

Very rarely come across 'no' voters and those that I do come across are generally pretty soft. Meet a few hard core 'nos', but you have to expect that.

I think we'll do it, based on the fact that the current yes vote is pretty solid and a good number of no voters are saying no as a default. Once the facts come out they'll begin to shift, as will the don't knows.

I heard a figure the other day. Not sure if it's true, but two weeks before the Quebec referendum the no vote was sitting at 60%. It ended up 50/50.

I put the figures in another thread, but this one seems more appropriate.

Yes 36% No 44%

If UK looks likely to leave EU then

Yes 44% No 44%

http://www.heraldsco...g-eu.1368959712

Interesting poll in Herald and on STV site. Support for indy at 36% with status quo at 44%. Extremely interesting how this changes to 44%/44% if it looks likely that the UK will withdraw from the EU. Go Nigel!!!!!

http://www.heraldsco...g-eu.1368959712

http://www.holyrood....ising-eyebrows/

 

Sounds bloody awful - a Benny Hill-esque Denis Healey. He doesn't use the term "lied" as far as I can see - this seems to be the relevant bit:

 

“I think we did underplay the value of the oil to the country because of the threat of nationalism but that was mainly down to Thatcher. We didn’t actually see the rewards from oil in my period in office because we were investing in the infrastructure rather than getting the returns and really, Thatcher wouldn’t have been able to carry out any of her policies without that additional 5 per cent on GDP from oil. Incredible good luck she had from that.” I ask Healey if he had considered establishing a sovereign wealth fund with the oil revenues to invest in the country’s future when he was in office."

 

I don't honestly think that a government forty years ago 'underplaying' the value of oil for political gain is a huge story. The suppression of the McCrone Report has been known about for years and I don't see that this adds to it.

Disagree with that. I don't think the relevant bit is when he talks of what happened in the past, but when he talks of the 'no' campaign's fears and Scotland's future potential.

*****

Referring to Westminster politicians, Lord Healey said: "I think they are concerned about Scotland taking the oil. I think they are worried stiff about it.

"I think we would suffer enormously if the income from Scottish oil stopped but if the Scots want it, they should have it and we would just need to adjust. But I would think Scotland could survive perfectly well, economically, if it was independent."

*****
 

Thought Brown's interview with Ponsonby was little more than the bog standard negativity, just slightly more articulate than what we're used to.

The Newsnight Scotland thingy was car crash TV for the 'no' campaign. Utterly woeful. More Gordon Banks please.