Moira McKee Shemilt 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Dr manhatan from watchmen sitting on a rock

It's 1998. Peter Mandleson has resigned in disgrace from Labour.

It's 2001. Peter Mandleson has resigned in disgrace from Labour.

It's 2025. Peter Mandleson has resigned in disgrace from Labour.

It's 2026. Peter Mandleson has resigned in disgrace from Labour.

Peter Mandelson – the great genius at the heart of New Labour.

Dominic Cummings – the great genius at the heart of 'Leave'.

Nick Timothy – the great genius at the....

Morgan McSweeney – the great genius at the....

Can we ban all alleged great geniuses and cast them into outer darkness forever?

Quilt made to raise funds for @paulinestaffordsnp.bsky.social

I wanted colours to go from dark to light and called it Hope over Adversity. Because we all need Hope atm and To Keep the Faith!

Still took 100 hours! And thank you!

I am delighted to announce that I have been confirmed as the SNP candidate for Bathgate in next year’s Scottish Parliament election.

Thank you to all local members for their generous support. 1/2

@paulinestaffordsnp.bsky.social

Should've linked properly!

Asked to make a quilt in 3 weeks 🫣 for auction. Occasion was a fundraiser for Pauline Stafford, SNP candidate for Bathgate. She was in conversation with @nicolasturgeon.bsky.social

Quilt raised £310. I was gobsmacked! Pauline will make the best of MSPs. Photo includes daughter and grandson.

Poll Analysis: YouGov 8th – 14th of January 2026 A perhaps eyebrow raisingly high Scottish Reform score from the pollster finding the lowest GB Reform results doesn't change the fact this is term-worst poll for Labour, who are currently headed for a crushing loss.

Poll Analysis: YouGov 8th - 14th of January 2026

Holyrood Seats Projection:
SNP ~ 64
Reform UK ~ 21
Labour ~ 16
Green ~ 11
Conservative ~ 9
Lib Dem ~ 8

Independence:
No ~ 53%
Yes ~ 47%

Art Nouveau illustration by Scottish artist Jessie M. King, c.1915 #womensart

If you missed it (extra, due to Bluesky crash) late last night, results of the Glenrothes Central and Thornton by-election.

Won't get to charting til late this evening, but final round was SNP 53.7% (+2.6), Lab 29.1% (-10.4), Didn't Transfer 17.2% (+7.8); pretty dire for Labour, this one.

By-Election Result: Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh (2025) Labour continue to struggle to pick up transfers from a surging Reform UK, allowing the SNP to narrowly squeak a win in a ward Labour easily won an earlier by-election in.

By-Election Result analysis: Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh (2025)

Labour continue to struggle to pick up transfers from a surging Reform UK, allowing the SNP to narrowly squeak a win in a ward Labour easily won an earlier by-election in.

Poll Analysis: Survation 6th – 13th of March 2025 The SNP continue to hold a substantial lead over Labour but the lack of a Pro-Independence majority and Reform polling their best yet makes for a challenging landscape.

Poll Analysis: Survation 6th - 13th of March 2025

Holyrood Seats Projection:
SNP ~ 55
Labour ~ 25
Reform UK ~ 19
Conservative ~ 14
Lib Dem ~ 8
Green ~ 8

Note: No Westminster or Independence figs in this one!

North East (Glasgow) by-election transfers, vote at final head-to-head stage (vs Nov24 BE / vs 2022):

SNP: 815 (40.8%, +3.4 / -3.1)
Labour: 728 (36.4%, -7.5 / -12.5)
Didn't Transfer: 455 (22.8%, +4.1 / +15.6)

SNP elected stage 8.

North East (Glasgow) by-election, first prefs (vs Nov24 BE / vs 2022):

SNP: 689 (34.5%, +2.3 / -8.1)
Lab: 573 (28.7%, -5.6 / -15.3)
RUK: 472 (23.6%, +5.3 / new)
Con: 81 (4.1%, -1.3 / -4.6)
Grn: 70 (3.5%, -0.7 / +0.5)
TUSC: 52 (2.6%, -1.1 / +1.0)
LD: 37 (1.9%, -0.1 / )
UKIP: 24 (1.2% /)

SNP elected

I'm pretty sure (I haven't run back through all results, I have a dug to talk for a sunny walk) this is the first by-election in quite some time where the SNP's two candidate preferred share is higher than in 2022, not merely slumping less badly than Labour's.

Recently ex-Labour MSP holds no punches in his resignation letter to Starmer... "what gets me most is the lies you tell when you try to dress up your sneering contempt as a 'desire to get people back to work'"

Kendall’s performative callousness Liz Kendall claimed yesterday that the benefits budget will fall by £5 billion by 2029, which is mysteriously the supposed sum by which it is being suggested that the Office for Budget Responsibility ...

I am seething with anger at Labour’s abuse of people with disabilities, made so abundantly clear yesterday. No doubt they think this performative cruelty will work well for them with Reform voters. I loathe them for it. www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/03...

Future under @labouruk.bsky.social

@labouruk.bsky.social are doing well, aren't they?

Looking good for Holyrood.

Not so good for disabled people, cold elderly people, WASPI people.

In April last year 🥀Labour's Anas Sarwar pledged more resources for mental health services. It was part of Labour's 'Change' campaign. Is he in hiding again?

(MSM Monitor)

📢 Labour before the election: "No austerity under Labour."
📉 Labour after the election: Cutting disability benefits.

Labour promised "change", but instead, voters are getting more of the same.

In Scotland, we believe social security is an investment in people - and I am proud that we have introduced a fairer system based on dignity and respect.

While Labour imposes more damaging austerity and threatens the vulnerable, @snp.org will stand up for those who need support.

Remember this?! 👇

Never. Forget. This. ✨

bsky.app/profile/vinc...

Under SNP leadership.

The SNP will always back Scotland’s frontline services, like the NHS.

The Tories won’t.

Curious how so many are egging on the cut to foreign aid from 0.5% to 0.3% saying we need to invest in defence

But so few are calling to rejoin the EU where we could recover 4-5% in GDP and use some of that to fund defence

Scottish Government budget passed:

💷 Record £21 billion for our NHS
🏠 8,000 new affordable homes
❄️ Winter Heating Payment for every pensioner household
✂️ Ending Labour’s two-child cap, lifting 15,000 kids out of poverty

This is a budget that puts Scotland’s priorities first

Fab. How good to have a reason to go to the Netherlands. My grandchildren are now giants. Joseph is nearly 17 and is 6'7".
I'm still hobbling on through knee replacement rehab.

Dinnae get auld, Sandra!