Janus man is alive and well. Those of us oldies remember the northern SNP types to be very different to their central belt brethren. Salmond and Sturgeon forced everyone into line. That coalition has broken down.
Thanks Dom. Salmond and Sturgeon never quite managed to marginalise the traditional rural nationalists in the party. They were always a fixture at conferences, etc, and had a presence on all the important party bodies, but quietly and unobtrusively. Their patron was Winnie Ewing and as Winnie's presence in the party faded because of old age, so did their profile. It's only recently with the unleashing of Winnie's son Fergus and the rise of Kate Forbes that rural, socially conservative, economically centre-right SNP is finding a new voice.
Nah Kenny you were right first time. “Honest” John is more right than left. If he’d been as much a lefty as he tries to make out now he would have reformed the council tax when he had the chance post 2011 and prior to that in 2007-11 his budget deals were always with the Tories. Labour ideas didn’t get a look in
Fascinating piece Kenny. Many thanks
A pleasure, Stuart.
Very good piece Kenny.
Janus man is alive and well. Those of us oldies remember the northern SNP types to be very different to their central belt brethren. Salmond and Sturgeon forced everyone into line. That coalition has broken down.
July 4 is going to be fascinating
Thanks Dom. Salmond and Sturgeon never quite managed to marginalise the traditional rural nationalists in the party. They were always a fixture at conferences, etc, and had a presence on all the important party bodies, but quietly and unobtrusively. Their patron was Winnie Ewing and as Winnie's presence in the party faded because of old age, so did their profile. It's only recently with the unleashing of Winnie's son Fergus and the rise of Kate Forbes that rural, socially conservative, economically centre-right SNP is finding a new voice.
Nah Kenny you were right first time. “Honest” John is more right than left. If he’d been as much a lefty as he tries to make out now he would have reformed the council tax when he had the chance post 2011 and prior to that in 2007-11 his budget deals were always with the Tories. Labour ideas didn’t get a look in
Hard to avoid that conclusion, sure enough.
As he famously said (something like), "sometimes you have do the wrong thing for the right reasons."
I think that he will adopt the persona that he thinks will get the most votes, even if he privately knows that Indy is dead for the foreseeable.
I don't recall that quote but its was certainly not his finest moment.