We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
THE SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE movement did not win the argument for the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the northern country of the United Kingdom as the party suffered heavy losses.
The Scottish Labour party, in comparison, tore across the country’s central belt – mirroring the success of Labour UK-wide – sweeping the SNP out of strongholds such as Glasgow and Edinburgh.
While Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, said he is “absolutely delighted” with his party’s performance First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney pledged a period of “soul searching” after what he described as a “very poor” performance for his party.
The SNP did beat outgoing Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, but it was one of just a handful of victories.
“It’s a very poor result for the SNP tonight,” Swinney told the BBC.
The SNP did beat outgoing Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross in Aberdeenshire North and Moray East, but it was one of just a handful of victories.
“There will have to be a lot of soul searching as a party as a consequence of these results that have come in tonight,” the party’s leader said.
The writing was on the wall for the Scottish Nationalists very early into the count, with the Ipsos exit poll revealing that party were in for a beating against Labour.
Swinny said the SNP has to be “better at governing on behalf of the people of Scotland”, adding the party is not winning the argument on Scottish independence.
He said: “Although we’re going to have a bad election result tonight, I still believe in my head and in my heart that Scotland will be better off as an independent country.”
Sarwar said the First Minister “has got a lot of reflecting to do on a lot of things” after the party’s dismal performance.
“He spent the entire six weeks attacking the Labour Party because it seems the only person more depressed at the thought of the Tory Government ending and the Labour government was John Swinney and the SNP,” he said.
“You can see the verdict of the Scottish people, both to his approach in this election campaign but also the SNP’s approach to Government, where they have failed far too many people,” he added.
- Additional reporting by Muiris O’Cearbhaill
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
In a local shop this morning and 4 guys from the north walked in with no masks. They were asked to put them on and said they were “exempt”. It’s crazy and frustrating the sheer ignorance of certain people but that’s what’s happening on a daily basis up here in Donegal.
@Brian: I hope they were refused service
@Shaun Gallagher: poor girl couldn’t do a thing. She was on her own and they were very unpleasant towards her. Enforceable need to brought in to stop this.
@Brian: enforceable laws. My apologies
@Brian: Correct. They are fined upto £10k in the North if they don’t wear it. Should be the same here
@Brian: Bring in an SS type force sure. No half measures.
@Monster Munch: sure why not. If that what it takes to deal with muppets
@Brian: The SS to deal with three lads in Donegal… Yes!
@Monster Munch: muppets who don’t wear masks
@Brian: The SS are not the answer Brian to anything. 95-97 percent are wearing masks. Time to change the script.
@Monster Munch: change what script. I’m referring to people who don’t wear masks. It’s the same script that everyone is listening to and reading about. Did you miss the memo on this. Maybe you can’t comprehend the damage the entitled 2-3% who don’t wear masks can do. Bring in hefty enforceable fines to those who don’t adhere to the guidelines.
@Brian: But I can comprehend the damage the SS would do. Will we get the concentration camps going as well? Reminder we got to single digit cases with mask Compliance below 50 percent…
@Monster Munch: your constant referencing to SS and concentration camps is quite disturbing. Maybe have a wee ly down. Tomorrow is a new day and you might see the value of masks after a good rest.
On Wednesday the next 10 days are absolutely critical, on Thursday the next 10 days are critical, on Friday the next 14 days are critical. Wonder what today will bring…
@Monster Munch: you’d nearly think that there is a global pandemic on the go that has claimed a million lives.
@GrumpyAulFella: Just trying to figure out if it’s 7, 8 or 13 days that are critical. Im holding firm as best I can. It’s in our hands after all.
@Monster Munch: if you assume that every day is critical until this is over then this messaging won’t bother you so much.
@GrumpyAulFella: Why don’t they just say that then? Is there a timeline for this to end?
@Monster Munch: yes when a vaccine is available but sure if you have to ask that question then you’re a lost cause. Too many people incapable of making their own decisions and looking to be mammy’d again.
Mehole reported yesterday that the rate in stranorlar/ lifford is a wopping 361 per 100000. I can’t find the population of stranorlar, but the pop of ballybofey/stranorlar is just under 5000. The pop of lifford is just over 1, 500. If we take a rough population of this bigger area as 6, 500, that equates to about 24 individuals who have tested positive
@Anne Marie Devlin: yes, they are out to get ya
@Anne Marie Devlin: I’m originally from close to there. There’s nothing in Stranorlar apart from one secondary school with 900 pupils, one secondary vocational school with around 350 pupils, a large primary school with several hundred kids. There are of course several housing estates but the schools in particular cater to a very large catchment area, I’ve not seen details on contact tracing which rules the schools out, of course I’m just expressing an opinion on this and I could be completely wrong!
@Anne Marie Devlin: the population of the Lifford – Stranorlar electoral area is almost 26,000. The positive cases for the area as reported on Thursday evening was 87 and then rounded up to 336 per 100,000.
Waste of time. Only suggestions, no powers to enforce. People will do what they want.
@David Connell: yes it is a waste of time if people like you do nothing to help stop the spread of the virus. The sooner you do what’s asked of you the better it is for everyone. Only the people can stop the spread.
@Macca Attack: I only stated facts. I agree with you, but government should make laws that hold people accountable. Fine people if need be, but make it a law. Simple.
@David Connell: Spain 200 euro …on the spot or Jail
@Charles Shelly: what effect has that had on their cases? Have they gone up or down?
@Monster Munch: what a dumb question
@David Connell: you’ve sad it. People will do what they want and then NPHET get accused of “blaming people” for the spread of the virus. If the govt empower the police to enforce then the govt is accused of introducing a “police state” by the anti-mask, anti-lockdown mob. The power to halt this is in the people’s hands.
It’s in the filing cabinet
What an attitude the government has to MAKE IT LAW….LIKE IN Spain 200euro fine. To soft a Government …In Galway there all not wearing mask 50% of them out shopping..
@Charles Shelly: HSE’s own survey said Compliance was at 95-97 percent. Masks are not the issue.
No such thing as wet pubs.
@Colum Cusack: yo obviously haven’t been in some near closing time. Glasses, dripping just coming from ‘washer’, floor wet with spilled pints, counter and tables dripping, toilets flooded, toilets in corners where clientele make use of facilities. Most of this is not seen due to level of inebriation, just the comment, “the place was heaving”.
@Colum Cusack: A term coined by NPHET to dehumanize social ways of life into mere virus control vehicles.
@Brendan Cooney: Total Exaggeration there now, maybe that might happen in One Pub, but you could visit 100 others and NO such situation would arise. Contrary to your opinion, they are NOT Pigsties .
They were probably on their way to the anti mask protest march in letterkenny taking place LATER today. A slap in the face for health care workers.
@C_O’S: Time to get the water Cannons out.
@DJ Dave Wexford: bulldoze them. Better still, round them all up and dump them on Rathlin O’Birne. They can wear no masks to their hearts content there.
Dr Jay Bhattacharya has been on point throughout this crisis. We need to do a proportionate analysis on benefits vs costs of lockdown. This debate still isn’t happening https://youtu.be/T_COvdCujaA
As usual a lot of the outbreaks seem to be arising from uncontrolled indoor gatherings, but what do they do, take the easy but stupid option and close the controlled indoor environments. The only country in Europe to take this draconian measure at this stage and drive all the parties into houses where no-one has control or of course tip over the border to where the pubs are open
have your say