Blog | (Still) Yes Highlandhttps://yeshighland.net/blog/2024-03-26T09:22:17+00:00The blog is our main discussion forum with with an eclectic selection of authors and thought-provoking articles. Grab a cuppa and join the debate, your contribution is always welcome.Nasty campaign coming2017-01-31T23:00:52+00:002024-03-26T02:29:48+00:00Editorhttps://yeshighland.net/blog/author/Editor/https://yeshighland.net/blog/2017/01/nasty-campaign-coming/<h2>Plumbing the depths</h2>
<p>It is a common political technique to do some research prior to launching a campaign or announcing a new policy to assess how voters might react. Sometimes this research takes the form of focus groups, sometimes it is opinion polling. If you want to get genuine responses it is usually advisable to get an agency or polling company to conduct the research anonymously otherwise the respondents may tailor their answers according to their political prejudices. In recent times, with the prevalance of the Internet, online opinion polling is probably the most common and cost effective. The polling companies then manage panels of voters who they invite to complete the polls.</p>
<p>As some independence supporters are included on these online panels interesting questions sometimes leak on to the Internet. Yesterday, one such poll was leaked via Twitter but in this case it wasn't so much interesting as perturbing.</p>
<p><img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="https://yeshighland.net/static/media/uploads/blog/2017/panelbase1.jpg"/></p>
<p>We will allow readers to come to their own conclusions about the nature of the questions shown in the screenshot above. The curious mind would then turn to who would be commissioning a poll with such despicable questions. Without further information our minds immediately sprang to some far-right party or a nasty unionist group. However, it wasn't long before the next screenshot was posted that provided a big clue as to who commissioned the poll.</p>
<p><img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="https://yeshighland.net/static/media/uploads/blog/2017/panelbase2.jpg"/></p>
<p>Oh dear, we think we can see where this is heading. Should someone tell Kezia?</p>
<p>The poll may not have been commissioned by a political party, it might have been a newspaper or campaign group. Either way watch out for a major intervention coming our way soon.</p>Queen Nicola2015-05-07T09:55:29+00:002024-03-14T07:33:17+00:00Editorhttps://yeshighland.net/blog/author/Editor/https://yeshighland.net/blog/2015/05/queen-nicola/<h2>Upgrade from Princess last week</h2>
<p>The headline and photo editors from The Times (Scotland) decided to have a bit of fun.</p>
<p>To think just over a week ago Nicola <a href="https://yeshighland.net/blog/2015/04/princess-nicola/">was only a Princess</a>, now she is a Queen. If the polls are accurate the coronation may be sometime tomorrow morning.</p>
<p>The last three polls seem to be suggesting that the SNP are maintaining their lead.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Panelbase</strong><br/>SNP 48% (NC), Lab 26% (-1), Con 14% (-2), LD 5% (+1), UKIP 3% (NC), SG 2% (NC)</li>
<li><strong>YouGov</strong><br/>SNP 48% (-1), Lab 28% (+2), Con 14% (-1), LD 7% (NC), UKIP 1% (-1), SG 1% (NC)</li>
<li><strong>Survation</strong><br/>SNP 48.9% (-2.3), Lab 24.8% (-0.8), Con 15.5% (+1.2), LD 5.9% (+0.5), SG 2.4% (+1), UKIP 2% (NC)</li>
</ul>
<p>At the UK level <strong>Ashcroft Polls</strong> have published their final snapshot which reports Con 33%, Lab 33%, LD 10%, UKIP 11% and GRN 6%. Ooh, it's tight!</p>Leaders' debate2015-04-03T17:10:55+00:002024-03-26T09:22:17+00:00Editorhttps://yeshighland.net/blog/author/Editor/https://yeshighland.net/blog/2015/04/leaders-debate/<h2>There is only one winner!</h2>
<p><img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="https://yeshighland.net/static/media/uploads/blog/2015/leaders-debate-youguv.png"/></p>Stunning STV Poll2014-10-30T13:07:10+00:002024-03-26T02:34:21+00:00Editorhttps://yeshighland.net/blog/author/Editor/https://yeshighland.net/blog/2014/10/stunning-stv-poll/<h2>Scotland electoral map turns yellow (maybe)</h2>
<p>STV have published the findings of an Ipsos Mori poll of Westminster voting intentions if there was a General Election tomorrow.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"The Labour Party in Scotland would face political annihilation if there was a general election tomorrow..."<br/><strong>STV</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The poll results show a stunning 52% support for the SNP which if replicated in an election would give them 54 of the 59 Scottish seats at Westminster. Furthermore, the Tories would lose their current single seat, the LibDems would retain only one seat and Labour just four.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"This is the most dramatic poll findings ever to be published in Scotland and underlines the scale of the challenge for Labour leaders both north and south of the border."<br/><strong>Bernard Ponsonby, STV.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>The Labour Party are having a gala dinner in Glasgow tonight; we could imagine this poll won't go down well!</p>England World Cup Polling2014-06-11T13:50:05+00:002024-03-25T19:22:46+00:00Editorhttps://yeshighland.net/blog/author/Editor/https://yeshighland.net/blog/2014/06/england-world-cup-polling/<h2>1966 and all that</h2>
<p>We were looking around on the website of the polling organisation Survation when we came across a <a href="http://survation.com/is-england-winning-the-world-cup-more-important-than-preserving-the-united-kingdom/" target="_blank">little curiosity</a> of a poll commissioned by the Huffington Post and published on June 11th.</p>
<p>The poll asked respondents, living in England, to make a forced choice (where only one could happen) between either England winning the World Cup or Scotland voting to preserve the union.</p>
<p>Across all respondents there was a 50/50 split with equal numbers choosing an England World Cup win and Scotland voting No.</p>
<p>Interestingly, it was the South of England where there was a slim majority for preserving the union (53%) and the North of England where union preservation was in the minority (45%).</p>
<p>William Hill (other bookies are available) currently have Brazil as favourites to win the World Cup at 11/4 and England at 25/1. Strangely, we couldn't find the odds for Scotland winning the FIFA tournament.</p>Yes at record high in poll2014-06-11T13:35:53+00:002024-03-26T02:48:05+00:00Editorhttps://yeshighland.net/blog/author/Editor/https://yeshighland.net/blog/2014/06/yes-at-record-high-in-poll/<h2>Ooh, it's getting close</h2>
<p>This latest poll commissioned by the Sunday Herald and conducted by Panelbase has No on 52% and Yes on 48%. This poll would seem to confirm the continuing move from No to Yes. Could we see parity or perhaps even a Yes lead before the end of the month? If we did it might be quickly followed by other newspapers changing their stance and even some major political defections.</p>That Was The Week That Was2014-05-13T09:47:16+00:002024-03-20T08:43:35+00:00Editorhttps://yeshighland.net/blog/author/Editor/https://yeshighland.net/blog/2014/05/that-was-the-week-that-was/<h2>That Was The Week That Was ... and it's only Tuesday</h2>
<p>Well, it has been some week already and it is only Tuesday.</p>
<p>Two UK wide <a href="http://scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/increase-in-support-for-independence.html" target="_blank">opinion polls</a> (ICM & Ashcroft) put the Tories two points ahead of Labour in Westminster general election voting intentions</p>
<p>The ICM poll also asked about EU election voting intentions and that has the Tories on 27%, UKIP on 26% and Labour in third with 24%.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the<a href="http://www.newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-news/9176-new-polls-show-conservatives-have-overtaken-labour-in-uk-general-election-race" target="_blank"> ICM poll</a> also measured leader approval ratings where Ed Miliband scored -25% (that is a minus sign, not dirt on your screen) and David Cameron managed +2%.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://archive.today/Z4QXN" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a> is reporting that our favourite No campaign politician <a href="https://yeshighland.net/blog/2014/04/something-for-the-weekend/" target="_blank">Alistair Darling</a> has been "dumped" as head of Better Together in favour of either Douglas Alexander or Gordon Brown</p>
<p><img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="https://yeshighland.net/static/media/uploads/blog/2014/david-cameron-thumbs-up.jpg"/></p>
<p>Well, no wonder David Cameron is looking happy!</p>
<p>All of this has implications for the Independence Referendum as it is often stated that Labour supporters in particular are much more likely to vote Yes if they think the Conservatives (or Conservative led coalition) are going to win a second term. How might Labour voters, in Scotland, consider a Conservative & UKIP coalition?</p>
<p>These are appalling polling results for Labour and cannot be explained away as a blip. Combined with the dreadful approval ratings for an opposition leader one year out from a general election and it may suggest the Tories will be in power for a long time to come.</p>
<p>This may be a pivotal point in the campaign, so, make a note in your diaries as: "<strong>That Was The Week That Was</strong>".</p>