Delicately poised in Scotland
David Blackburn 5:59pm
Despite a week of international codemnation, a YouGov poll shows that 42 per cent of Scottish voters still agree with Kenny MacAskill’s decision to release al-Megrahi, whereas 51 per cent oppose it. Channel Four’s Gary Gibbon notes that this undermines Labour’s arguments that the SNP’s decision is not backed by the Scottish working class, and that Labour will find the Glasgow North East by-election hard going.
I’m not so sure. Clearly it’s going to be tight, but Labour will take heart from this poll, which also reveals voting intentions. The SNP is down 6 points to 33 per cent and Labour is up 5 to 33 per cent. It was expected that the al-Megrahi decision could end up doing the SNP more harm than good. Although MacAskill emerged unscathed on Monday, there'll be a debate next Wednesday suggesting that al-Megrahi’s release was “not in Scotland’s name”, which this poll would support; it is clear that the SNP are not out of the woods yet. Labour may still be behind, but they have gained some much needed momentum ahead of the Glasgow North-East by-election.
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Martin
August 27th, 2009 7:42pm Report this commentYou might want to look at the poll stats bias in favour of Labour voters by 3 to 1 against others which includes the SNP.
Oor Wullie
August 27th, 2009 9:51pm Report this commentSee "SNP TACTICAL VOTING" blog for details of what Martin says.
Daily Mail poll with anti-SNP bias--how strange!
Frank P
August 28th, 2009 2:07am Report this commentScottish voters should apprise themselves of the contents of the Stratfor report on the Lockerbie atrocity to help them decide who is right and wrong over this issue:
http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20090826_libya_heros_welcome?utm_source=SWeekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=090826&utm_content=SecTitle
Tony E
August 28th, 2009 7:45am Report this commentThe reason is more important than the statistic.
You have to ask a supplimentary question to get a real answer: 'How many people think Abdulbasset al Megrahi was guilty?'
I am starting to think that there is a possiblility at least, that the conviction was achieved by less than safe methods, and that material was witheld from the trial.
Now, with Megrahi's health apparently improving, and the appeal stopped in its tracks, I would like a ful disclosure to the public of all the information in this case.
Alec Spurner
August 28th, 2009 9:21am Report this commentTony E - agreed.
Frank P - don't have time to read all that legalese guff. Can you supply a few bullet points.
George Laird
August 28th, 2009 11:17am Report this commentDear David
I have an interest in the SNP Government doing well.
The Megrahi decision was taken because it was the right thing to do, previously I wrote to the SNP Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill to ask for his release on compassionate grounds on 1/6/2009.
Winning elections is important, but you can’t buy principles and any party will suffer swings in its fortunes if it tries to be just the populist.
People vote SNP because it has a clear direction; there is an ocean between the SNP and Labour as demonstrated by Iain Gray, Labour MSP who stated he would have kept Megrahi locked up.
That is why his approval rating is about 7%; Mr. Invisible has a long way to go to reach 8%.
If the David Kerr of SNP loses the Glasgow North East by-election because of Megrahi then so be it.
The SNP stand for clear principles, public service, concepts laughed and scorned by New Labour but none the less essential in public officials.
Disappointment is always hard to accept as Craig Murray has recently been going through a period of reflection himself so David Kerr might have to bite the bullet, then again he might not!
Glasgow North East is a tough nut to crack; this is die hard Labour territory, people have never known anything else there. There is however a case for change, the failure of Michael Martin who couldn’t even be bothered to open an office to the public.
As for Labour bouncing back in the polls that is temporary, caused by Labour hysteria in thinking they were on a winner but civic Scotland didn’t buy into it so their gain will go back down.
The SNP are upbeat about Glasgow North East despite being the underdog but if you want to see how rattled Labour is, then trot into the website of their London Labour man, William Bain.
It’s a hoot, no policies, no real bio, no vision and no even here but he does complain about the SNP endlessly.
Finally, in the Megrahi case there is growing concern that the conviction was unsafe.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Tommy Judd
August 28th, 2009 11:21am Report this commentI don't know why Gary Gibbon would conclude the Scottish working class had backed the al-Megrahi release. The poll breakdown shows that the two (obviously inter-related) groups most opposed to the decision were C2DE social groups and those over 55. The middle classes, SNP and Liberal Democrat voters supported the decision while Labour and Tory voters opposed. Channel 4 News, as ever, came to the survey with its mind already made up.
James J
August 28th, 2009 11:21am Report this commentThere is no moral difference in releasing Libyan terrorist murderers and Irish terrorist murderers.
Frank P
August 28th, 2009 12:33pm Report this commentAlec Spurner
Bullet points? Don't incite my more radical thoughts for solving the problems that reside in Downing Street.
Read it and make your own bullet points, you lazy sod! You obviously think that life is a series of sound bites for the delectation of the ignorant. Legalese? It's a good analysis of the facts surrounding the incident by an Outfit that has got its shit together. Take it or leave it.
Alec Spurner
August 28th, 2009 3:30pm Report this commentFrank P - I've just spent the last 20 minutes working out this weekend's football coupon. I don't have time for all this al-Magrahi nonsense. Send me the details in less than 20 words and I'll tell you what we should do about it. Deal?
Jack R
August 28th, 2009 7:39pm Report this commentBBC's ICM poll of Scots:
"Majority 'oppose' Megrahi release"
"Only a third of Scots believe the Lockerbie bomber should have been freed from prison last week, a poll commissioned by BBC News has suggested.
"The ICM Research survey indicated almost three quarters thought Scotland's reputation was damaged by Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi's release. "
(BBC News website, today.)
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