UK General Discussion: Rishecession

[Torrain]

Comparisons in that regard with a certain prominent current SC member at Westminster are certainly available

Acronyms, acronyms, acronyms... Genuinely curious whether that’s a dig at the Scottish Conservatives (either the Member for Moray, or Baroness Davidson), or one of the favourite sons of the Socialist Campaign Group

I have something to contribute if it’s the former. If it’s the latter, everything I’d have to say has been a cliche since about 2017.

[Torrain]

Visa changes have been killed off apparently. Had been trailed this morning that Cameron, Cleverly and Keegan were all opposed, so guess they collectively shouted down McVey.
https://twitter.com/AnnaSophieGross/status/1792970206853173270

[Torrain]

Depending on how things play out this afternoon, this might get buried - but there's going to be a bit of Holyrood drama tomorow:
https://twitter.com/paulhutcheon/status/1793171183120142384
The lack of a recall system at Holyrood has become a bit of a talking point recently, it's now part of Sarwar's package of proposed Holyrood reforms. So could become a bit of a rammy, unless parliament dissolves this evening, at which point Matheson gets to lie low for six weeks, at which point the dust will have settled.

[Torrain]

Mounting speculation over a snap election (again).

Probably won't amount to anything, but Number 10 isn't ruling it out and ministers are cutting trips short.

Join us on the general election thread over on the International Elections board, we've been going round in circles on this for a couple of hours.

https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=576275.msg9488322#msg9488322

[Torrain]

https://twitter.com/paulhutcheon/status/1793575837280915465
EDIT: Swinney is going to whip against sanctioning Matheson, saying he was stitched up by the Tories on the committee. Kinda flabbergasted - Matheson’s numbers with the public are awful, and the First Minister is about to burn political capital to turn him into Owen Paterson 2.0…

Polling shows 65% of Scots want Matheson to leave parliament, only 15% want him to stay. What on earth is “Honest John” doing?

[Torrain]

Police Scotland unloading their pre-purdah update:
https://twitter.com/KieranPAndrews/status/1793680277744857399
Investigation into Sturgeon, and the former SNP Treasurer Colin Beattie is continuing - this was just about submitting the report now, so the case against Murrell isn’t stuck in total limbo for six weeks.

[Torrain]

Is Greater Manchester Police also going to be affected by purdah?

Per the Times, GMP have said the investigation will be complete by the election.

Unclear if that means a pre/post purdah decision, or they're going to make a mid-campaign announcement - Swinford doesn't speculate on a specific date in the article.

[Torrain]

ScotGov u-turn on Matheson, now the Greens are supporting the sanctions.

Rather than trying to block the sanctions against Michael Matheson, as they promised to do last week, the SNP are now seeking to pass them, but with an amendment decrying the members of the committee who sanctioned him.

Odd week on that story. Swinney, like Yousaf, seems to have a desire to protect Matheson, because he's everyone’s mate, even though he's a massive liability. It became the focus of every news conference the party leaders held. Every one started with an election question, and then pivoted to Matheson.

We'll have the vote on his suspension tomorrow, and then probably a second vote on whether he should be asked to resign. The first one will pass (probably with the Greens backing the SNP amendment), but the second vote will fail.

[Torrain]

The reverse ferret has been unreversed:
https://twitter.com/BBCScotlandNews/status/1795782779973648559
Swinney’s campaigning in Fife today has, again, been overshadowed.

[Torrain]

Matheson suspended from parliament on a 64-0 vote. All 63 SNP MSPs abstain.

Very odd moment. The SNP successfully amended the motion (on a 68-56 vote), and then refused to endorse the altered motion they'd just produced. It the sort of too-clever-by-half politicking which just looks bizarre from the outside.

Swinney walked out of the chamber as soon the vote was concluded, leaving Forbes to chair the SNP during the subsequent debate on whether to introduce a Westminster-style recall system at Holyrood.

[Torrain]

Honestly not sure how you screw up this badly. We've surrended 28% of our EU funds - compared to 9% for the Welsh, 6% for England, and only 2% for Northern Ireland.

It's not like this money isn't required. The social housing budget was slashed by £190 million this year, class sizes are increasing as teachers are let go, and libraries and community centres are closing as the council tax freeze bites.

Honestly, some days, I have to silence a little conspiratorial voice in my head that wonders whether they let this stuff happen so they can blame Westminster for more unsolved problems. I'm just struggling to rationalise how this happens.

[link]

[Torrain]

Two Welsh Labour MS are off sick today, and will miss the confidence vote in Gething.

Per Labour’s Vikki Howells, Gething won’t resign if/when the motion succeeds, because “it’s a gimmick”. Which seems like a pretty bad precedent to set. Gift for other parties in the election too.

[Torrain]

Fair. Holyrood feels different on this issue - and I’m probably bring those biases to Cardiff Bay.

History question - I thought Alun Michael stepped down when faced with a VONC? Or did he risk losing a binding, rather than indicative VONC?

[Torrain]

Cheers - that all makes a fair bit of sense.

Sounds like the Tories are trying the same tactic they used in Edinburgh (lodge a non-binding VONC, hope that victory forces a resignation that embarasses the gov, without the risk of a snap election that would end poorly for them) - but with a lower chance of success given the different political culture.

[Torrain]

Senedd passes the motion of no confidence in FM, by 29-27.