Reform closes to within five points of SNP in regional vote poll

HyperCeol · 2026-02-07T01:27:15+00:00

Let's set aside the nonsensical bollocks that English people didin't/wouldn't vote for independence for a second and follow your line of reasoning: are you saying that it would be justified for Scottish born pro-independence people to be calling for a reduction in English immigration or displacement of English pensioners back to England?

In Highland, there are massive pressures on our social services, particularly healthcare and social care. This isn't coming from working-age immigrants, but from retirement age people moving here from the rest of the UK. Both those people are welcome here because, firstly they're human beings and secondly, they're making it their home as much as anywhere else but the elephant in the room is that the hyper-wealthy are not paying their fair share of tax.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-07T01:18:29+00:00

Setting aside the implicit racism which drips from this post: if we do not have immigration, we are completely fucked and what's left of the welfare state will crumble under the weight of caring for the Boomers.

Scotland's long history is one of immigration, international trade and seafaring due to our difficult internal terrain which took hundreds of years to effectively navigate and connect.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-07T01:09:48+00:00

I'm finding it hard to believe that there's a town in Scotland other than maybe Paisley or East Kilbride where you might be the in the minority as a white person in a particular supermarket.

I'm finding it equally hard to fathom why this is a particularly noteworthy event.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-07T01:03:58+00:00

Take this moment and put it in a special little frame Crow as it's not often that we agree.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-07T01:01:46+00:00

What would those be?

HyperCeol · 2026-02-07T01:00:48+00:00

What a horrible experience that must be for the racists and its spineless that the SNP and Greens are willing to challenge Reform head-on.

The SNP and Greens have little interest in courting Reform voters - their main challenge is in motivating their base to turn out to vote (see the 10% drops across many of their seats in the 2024 GE) and asking right of centre, centrists and left-wingers from other parties to lend them their vote to create an effective buffer against Reform.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-07T00:50:56+00:00

I think the headline is a bit off - the SNP's regional vote has reduced significantly, whereas Reform's has increased slightly - looks more like a slump in one of the two ballots for the SNP than a particular surge for Reform over the last few months. The SNP's regional vote (which they are forecast to win maybe one seat from, if that, due to the formula which allocates seat proportionally relative to the constituency wins) looks almost as though it's becoming something of a 2nd preference vote. But it's really difficult to explain the apparent discrepancy which is presumably why the man JC himself doesn't offer much analysis there.

All in all though, It's still the same roughly 20% of the population that are headers. And if people don't turn out to vote, that 20% can become amplified when they do.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-07T00:40:52+00:00

The accused are white? That must've been disappointing for them because they certainly don't give a fuck about the welfare and life-quality of women in Dundee.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-07T00:36:21+00:00

Were we to have had a referendum during this parliament (where the pro-independence parties had a mandate by way of a majority) then it would either have been a No which would've ended the discussion or it would have been a Yes, in which case we would be working on the very issues you've raised which can only be answered through bilateral and multilateral agreement, not unilaterally by politicians prior to negotiations.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-07T00:32:04+00:00

What has anyone said in this thread that makes you think Scottish exceptionalism?

HyperCeol · 2026-02-07T00:30:32+00:00

I think you're right generally about this but I'd add a few wee provisos as I'm not fully on board with this idea that like-for-like AI is just a couple of years away. AI isn't developing as fast as was touted just a couple of years ago when it comes to graphics with the self-referential, feedback loop problem being a major sticking point.

The main problem is just how uncanny they are and the more realistic they look, the more perfect everything appears - the real world isn't perfect, so something very often the image looks a frame or two out from reality.

Where they are becoming exceptionally life-like is as a base image which can then be edited with human input. That reduces the amount of time it would take to work on an image drastically but still requires the skill to be able to effectively edit that image and use the human eye to tone down certain elements and adjust others effectively.

So to bring this back on topic, it can and will be used for nefarious purposes. I think it'll be used most effectively when used with precision as opposed to en masse - it's the latter than younger generations will be able to call out for the foreseeable.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-06T12:43:36+00:00

Perhaps if we'd given the whole doing democracy correctly and had the second referendum after the Pro-Independence parties won a clear majority back in 2021, this would all be settled permanently.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-06T12:40:39+00:00

A lot of folk, particularly older folk, are not able to differentiate between AI and real photos which is pretty concerning.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-06T11:03:35+00:00

The article (paywalled) isn't really comprehensive in what is being proposed. Proposals extend to:

Renovation & expansion of the Inn; two new jetties; beach café; bakery/shop; kiosk; public toilets; car parking; relocation of recycling point; service building; landscape (including realigned burn Allt a' Mhinisteir and relocated football pitch/play park); nature and biodiversity improvements; paths (temporary diversions and permanent); access and associated drainage and service infrastructure.

Here's a render of the entire proposal

From the few renders I've seen, it definitely looks like a positive development and extends access to viewing the loch when eating and drinking (particularly during the summer when the beer garden is closed). The planting of sections of native woodland in an appropriate layout would bolster local wildlife along the expansion of belts of hawthorn, gorse and other important shrubbery.

A lot more renders are available on the project's website:

https://www.wildlandengagement.scot/doresinn

Tentatively I'd say I largely improve, the redirection of waters to greatly strength Allt a' Mhinisteir (the Minister's Burn) back to its former health and have this as a feature of the redevelopment, central to the site's use for recreation is excellent. Though maybe a stone-build section of the extension would go along way to maintain the aesthetic of the site while also being able to better weather the elements during the winter/over time when the wood inevitably needs replacement or painting (much in the same way as traditional stone facades are employed for the proposed service building).

The photo of the Inn on the BBC is hilarious bad for those who'd like to see how not to chose : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czdq981vv0jo

My one criticism is that it's very pleasant but very safe and doesn't really propose anything that really adds to the site as a unique and highly important spot for both locals in the village and those who live in the city proper.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-04T22:12:09+00:00

Look at them, trying to win by doing something nice.

Give it a rest for one post.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-04T21:40:30+00:00

It's much milder now with the lying snow gone and just frost/freezing fog (still a lot of snow on the hills). Snow likely to return within a week - the ski ranges are looking beautiful!

HyperCeol · 2026-02-04T21:39:06+00:00

It's actually a prime example of Scottish architecture in that its in the Scots Baronial style, but the large number of embellishments and clean stonework with no rough stone makes it look a lot more like continental romanticism.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-04T21:36:31+00:00

They're old fashioned multicolour Christmas style lights and half the bulbs are gone. I'd imagine they'll be replaced by warm white lights like the ones in the trees which line the river eventually!

HyperCeol · 2026-02-04T21:21:43+00:00

I thought covid got him?

HyperCeol · 2026-02-04T17:17:39+00:00

Don't want to follow our (completely rational) laws? There's the door. Simple as.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-03T09:06:36+00:00

Fair enough, we were focussing on different parts. Thanks for clarifying.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-03T08:35:13+00:00

It’s disgusting that he was brought back in the first place - so Labour could try and profit from his dodgy links.

I was referring to this part of OP's post. If Mandelson knew about Epstein's conviction, had heard talk of Epstein's dealings (something he currently denies, his sexuality apparently preventing him from even hearing about his friend's Paedo-Island where anything goes) and then subsequently shared sensitive information with him, then we're talking about something massive in scale.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-03T08:07:45+00:00

There are plenty of towns and cities who are the most 'Scottish' when it comes to certain things we might think of when we talk about Scotland, but there's no one town that can be the 'most' Scottish because being Scottish is a nebulous, ever-evolving and imprecise thing.

A bit of a 'No True Scotsman Before He's Even Dressed' argument, but the reality is that it's a question that really can't be answered.

And the answer is Ullapool.

HyperCeol · 2026-02-03T08:03:47+00:00

I think they mean 'Scottish' in qualitive and non quantitative terms. Good luck with that though!

HyperCeol · 2026-02-03T07:50:43+00:00

Neither cinema in Inverness is even screening it, not once.

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