NEW YORK — President Trump’s request to add a documentary proof of citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form cannot be enforced, a federal judge ruled Friday.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., sided with Democratic and civil rights groups that sued the Trump administration over his executive order to overhaul U.S. elections.
She ruled that the proof-of-citizenship directive is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers, dealing a blow to the administration and its allies who have argued that such a mandate is necessary to restore public confidence that only Americans are voting in U.S. elections.
“Because our Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Court holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such changes,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote in her opinion.
She further emphasized that on matters related to setting qualifications for voting and regulating federal election procedures “the Constitution assigns no direct role to the President in either domain.”
Kollar-Kotelly echoed comments she made when she granted a preliminary injunction over the issue.
The ruling grants the plaintiffs a partial summary judgment that prohibits the proof-of-citizenship requirement from going into effect. It says the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which has been considering adding the requirement to the federal voter form, is permanently barred from taking action to do so.
A message seeking comment from the White House was not immediately returned.
The lawsuit brought by the DNC and various civil rights groups will continue to play out to allow the judge to consider other challenges to Trump’s order. That includes a requirement that all mailed ballots be received, rather than just postmarked, by Election Day.
Other lawsuits against Trump’s election executive order are ongoing.
In early April, 19 Democratic state attorneys general asked a separate federal court to reject Trump’s executive order. Washington and Oregon, where virtually all voting is done with mailed ballots, followed with their own lawsuit against the order.
Swenson and Riccardi write for the Associated Press.
Since the club entered administration, fans have ended a boycott of the club, which had seen many supporters not attend Carabao Cup ties against Leeds United and Grimsby Town at Hillsborough, and this month’s home league game with Middlesbrough.
Administrator Kris Wigfield, who is leading the search for new ownership, said on Monday that supporters had already spent more than £500,000 on tickets and in the club shop.
He said there were already “four or five interested parties that look like the real deal” but that because of EFL rules, the club would need to be on the market for 28 days before they could move towards preferred-bidder status.
“I’m hopeful that by the end of November, if things go well, we might know who’s going to buy the football club,” he told BBC 5 Live’s Wake Up To Money programme.
“Then hopefully a deal can be concluded this calendar year, so that the new owner is in for the January transfer window, if the EFL allows the new owner to buy players.”
Sheffield Wednesday said the event was “a gesture from the first-team squad and staff” to thank supporters for their “unprecedented” response to the club going into administration.
WHEN you date one Beckham, you date the whole brood.
So make no mistake, news that middle son Romeo has reunited with Kim Turnbull after a five-month break is a significant development for everyone concerned.
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Romeo has reunited with Kim Turnbull after a five-month break in a significant development for the family, the pair pictured at David Beckham’s 50th birthday bash in MayCredit: instagramRomeo, 23, posted a cosy snap of him with Kim — confirming whispers they had reunited after he liked several of her Instagram snaps in recent weeksCredit: InstagramStunning Kim, a model and DJ, was blamed earlier for igniting the feud between the Beckhams and Brooklyn amid rumours the pair had datedCredit: kim_turnbull / InstagramBrooklyn and his wife Nicola last year, before the family falloutCredit: Getty
After all, his former flame was blamed earlier this year for igniting the feud between the Beckhams and their eldest lad, Brooklyn.
It came as rumours swirled that she dated their first-born long before coupling up with his younger brother.
Reports suggested at the time that Brooklyn’s wife, Nicola Peltz-Beckham, felt “uncomfortable” around Kim and didn’t want her in the fold.
And although Kim vehemently denied that she and Brooklyn were ever an item, the pressure no doubt contributed to her decision to step away from the family circus in May.
At the time, insiders argued that Kim and Romeo’s break was amicable and undramatic, and had nothing to do with soaring tensions with his now estranged brother.
But there is no denying that all the scrutiny had an impact, as Kim herself lashed out at the “harassment” and “lies” levelled against her.
Cut to this week and Romeo, 23, posted a cosy snap of himself with 24-year-old Kim, a model and DJ — seemingly confirming whispers they had reunited after he liked several of her Instagram snaps in recent weeks.
Once again, the implications for the family are huge.
Let’s remember, we are fast approaching a year since Brooklyn and Nicola were last pictured with the Beckhams, in December 2024.
Respectful silence
In the interim, their silent estrangement has been deafening, as they failed to publicly acknowledge David’s 50th birthday in May or his long-hoped-for knighthood the following month.
Likewise, they did not blink as Victoria won plaudits for her Paris Fashion Week show and launched her self-titled Netflix documentary series earlier this month.
What Brooklyn and Nicola did do was loudly declare their devotion to one another.
But now that David and Victoria have implicitly co-signed on Romeo’s reunion with Kim, insiders say there really is “no going back”.
If Brooklyn and Nicola were testing his parents’ loyalty, Kim’s proud return to the family fold says a lot.
Consider again the tenets of the Beckham clan. As we know, the family comes as a package deal and — like the monarchy — it is built on hierarchy, bloodlines and loyalty.
If Brooklyn and Nicola were testing his parents’ loyalty, Kim’s proud return to the family fold says a lot
Try to overstep your status or stage a coup and you will be cast out quicker than you can say, “Bend it like Beckham”.
But align yourself with the status quo — and the brand — and the pay-off can be huge.
Just look at Jackie Apostel, the girlfriend of their youngest son Cruz, who has been flying the flag for the next gen Beckham Wags in recent months.
Earlier this week, Victoria and David, who are also parents to Harper, 14, wished Jackie a happy 30th birthday on Instagram — with Victoria declaring, “We all love you” and David calling her “a very special person inside and out”.
This follows Jackie’s dutiful dedication to her would-be in-laws over the past year.
She cheered Victoria on in Paris, and also walked the red carpet with the brood at the premiere of Vic’s Netflix series.
Eldest son Brooklyn is noticeably absent from January’s family snap of Romeo, Victoria, Harper, David and Cruz
Over the summer, she was a mainstay on their £16million yacht in St Tropez and the Amalfi Coast.
And, of course, she was dressed to the nines in a Victoria Beckham number at David’s black-tie 50th bash.
Notably, Kim was also in attendance at that star-studded event — also dressed in Victoria Beckham threads.
But it proved to be her last public outing with the clan as, just weeks later, reports emerged that she and Romeo had split after some seven months together.
At the time, scrutiny was at an all-time high over Brooklyn and Nicola’s shocking snub of David’s big birthday events. Meanwhile, reports swirled from Nicola’s camp that she was fuming over Kim’s omnipresence.
And Brooklyn has since made it clear countless times that his wife comes first. He doubled down on that message in May, calling Nicola his “whole world” and writing in a gushing tribute: “I always choose you baby.”
Most recently, he said in an interview at the Ryder Cupcelebritygolf match: “There’s always going to be people saying negative things, but I have a very supportive wife.
“Me and her — we just do our thing, we just keep our heads down and work. And we’re happy.”
There’s always going to be people saying negative things, but I have a very supportive wife
Brooklyn
While it was widely reported that Brooklyn and Kim had dated when she was 17 and he was 16, those rumours were dispelled.
Cruz was first to rubbish the claims on Instagram. When one fan commented under a photo of Romeo and Kim, “It’s appropriate to date your brother’s ex too? Cool”, Cruz bluntly responded: “Brooklyn and Kim never dated.”
Then, in the immediate aftermath of her break-up from Romeo, Kim took the matter into her own hands. She wrote on Instagram in June: “I’ve avoided speaking on this topic to prevent adding fuel to the fire, however it’s come to a point where I feel the need to address it.
“I will not continue to receive harassment or be embarrassed on the basis of lies, to fit a certain narrative.
“I have never been romantically involved in ANY capacity at ANY point with the person in question.”
She then took a step away from the famous family.
But, crucially, she has maintained a respectful silence since.
And that has undoubtedly made her return to the fold all the more seamless.
Meanwhile, in August, Brooklyn and Nicola went for the jugular, holding an elaborate vow renewal ceremony that demonstrably erased the Beckhams from the narrative. Nicola’s billionaire father Nelson Peltz presided over proceedings, while the “bride” wore her mother Claudia’s wedding dress.
She and Brooklyn then spent the summer holidaying with her family on their £85million yacht in Europe — casting a large shadow over the Beckhams’ relatively smaller vessel.
The message was clear: Nicola does not plan to walk in Victoria’s shadow; instead, she is ready to leave her in-laws in the shade.
All this has, of course, been devastating for Victoria.
But her one saving grace has been the people she has supporting her.
Perhaps, surprisingly, it is singer Jackie who has devotedly cemented herself in recent months as the de facto daughter-in-law.
As a pay-off, she is now living the gilded life that only those in the Beckhams’ inner circle enjoy.
She has become one of Victoria’s most valued brand ambassadors, and recently had the honour of promoting her beauty brand online.
What’s more, she has landed lucrative ads for brands including Dior Sauvage, Sol De Janeiro and Jimmy Choo, and signed deals with the likes of Burberry and Summer Fridays.
Playing by the rules
Experts say she can now earn £10,000 per sponsored post.
As well as finding love, Jackie, who grew up in Brazil, has been granted access to an exclusive world and is playing by the rules.
Now, provided that Kim treads the same path, there is no reason why she should not also be fully welcomed back into the fold — and get to enjoy certain perks along the way.
She herself is no stranger to the gilded life of a well-heeled clan.
Raised in North London, she is part of the bohemian Turnbull dynasty and — as a teenager — socialised with the likes of Brooklyn and fellow nepo baby, Madonna’s son Rocco Ritchie.
Following Kim and Romeo’s tacit soft launch as a reunited couple this week, Kim has kept sensibly quiet on Instagram
Her grandfather was the renowned post-war sculptor and painter William Turnbull, whose work has been exhibited at galleries including London’s Tate.
Meanwhile, her dad Alex founded influential hip-hop label Ronin Records and is a longtime member of the post-punk band, 23 Skidoo.
As a DJ and influencer, Kim already has some high-profile events under her belt.
But being closely associated, for the right reasons, with one of showbiz’s most famous families will only help her career.
Following Kim and Romeo’s tacit soft launch as a reunited couple this week, Kim has kept sensibly quiet on Instagram.
John Swinney was the third SNP leader in a little over a year
A year or so ago, the Scottish National Party looked to be in deep trouble.
They had been comprehensively thrashed in the general election, falling from 48 MPs to just nine.
They had managed to have three leaders in a little over a year: Nicola Sturgeon, Humza Yousaf and then John Swinney.
It was a rate of attrition that would make even the Conservative Party of recent years blush.
There had also been a high-profile and long-running police investigation into the SNP’s finances, involving Sturgeon, who was told earlier this year she would face no action.
Plus there were bitter rows over gender identity.
And the SNP has been in devolved government in Scotland since before you could buy an iPhone – since May 2007.
Electoral gravity looked to be catching up with them, and catching up big time – just ahead of the crucial elections to the Scottish Parliament next May.
PA Media
John Swinney, with Humza Yousaf and Nicola Sturgeon
But in case you needed yet another reminder that our domestic politics remains a smorgasbord of competitiveness and unpredictability, the SNP is the latest case study.
Swinney has brought stability to a party that indulged in the opposite for a while.
And support has splintered among its rivals – Labour, Reform and others.
“Since last year’s general election, Labour’s support has more than halved in Scotland while the SNP has marginally improved its standing. While not seeing as significant a rise as in England, Reform has emerged as the potential second-place party after the SNP in Scotland, suppressing the Conservatives’ vote share as well as eating into Labour’s.”
Its analysis continues:
“Despite losing 11 points in the constituency vote, this result would put the SNP just shy of a majority in Holyrood, mostly due to fragmentation in the other parties.”
Remember, this is a snapshot, not a prediction. But it is fascinating nonetheless.
The mood among SNP party members and senior figures at the conference was chipper and upbeat.
The party feels competitive again and not only hopeful of victory next year, but even talking of that outright majority.
Just winning again, with or without a majority, would be an extraordinary achievement.
The party, if it does so, would he heading into its third consecutive decade in devolved power.
A majority is a big ask, with an electoral system that makes securing one tricky.
But it matters because the SNP’s latest attempt to make an argument for another independence referendum rests on securing a majority.
The party’s logic goes like this: the last time they persuaded the government at Westminster to grant one, they had won a majority at Holyrood a few years before.
That majority was won by Alex Salmond in 2011. The referendum followed in 2014.
Swinney is hoping to emulate the electoral success of Alex Salmond in 2011
The stumbling block is the UK government has made it clear, including in its manifesto, that it is opposed to another referendum.
Privately, senior SNP folk ponder that if they do win a majority, and Labour lose power in the Senedd in Wales and do badly in local elections in many parts of England, Sir Keir Starmer might be out of Downing Street.
There are a lot of ifs there and who knows.
But even if Sir Keir was a goner, that manifesto would still be something Labour could point to.
And the SNP would ask, again, just how voluntary the union of the United Kingdom really is if there is no achievable mechanism for another referendum.
The SNP’s critics point to what they see as a dismal domestic record, on the NHS, housing and the number of deaths among drug addicts, for instance.
The party counters with its own riff on what it sees as its greatest hits – they had one for every stair between the ground and first floor of the conference centre.
Free university tuition and free prescriptions are among them.
But there is something else going on too.
There is a near 50/50 split on the constitutional question in Scotland – independence or not.
This is a nation split down the middle.
This gives the SNP a deep well of potential support.
It offers the opportunity to continue to defy what in other circumstances would likely be the undeniable gravity of longevity in office – plunging to defeat.
Let’s see.
In local politics, politics in the nations and at the UK level, conventions continue to be upended in multiple directions.
It is also true – and the SNP and its rivals know it – things can change quickly too.
Judge says Trump can’t require citizenship proof on federal voting form
NEW YORK — President Trump’s request to add a documentary proof of citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form cannot be enforced, a federal judge ruled Friday.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., sided with Democratic and civil rights groups that sued the Trump administration over his executive order to overhaul U.S. elections.
She ruled that the proof-of-citizenship directive is an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers, dealing a blow to the administration and its allies who have argued that such a mandate is necessary to restore public confidence that only Americans are voting in U.S. elections.
“Because our Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Court holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such changes,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote in her opinion.
She further emphasized that on matters related to setting qualifications for voting and regulating federal election procedures “the Constitution assigns no direct role to the President in either domain.”
Kollar-Kotelly echoed comments she made when she granted a preliminary injunction over the issue.
The ruling grants the plaintiffs a partial summary judgment that prohibits the proof-of-citizenship requirement from going into effect. It says the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which has been considering adding the requirement to the federal voter form, is permanently barred from taking action to do so.
A message seeking comment from the White House was not immediately returned.
The lawsuit brought by the DNC and various civil rights groups will continue to play out to allow the judge to consider other challenges to Trump’s order. That includes a requirement that all mailed ballots be received, rather than just postmarked, by Election Day.
Other lawsuits against Trump’s election executive order are ongoing.
In early April, 19 Democratic state attorneys general asked a separate federal court to reject Trump’s executive order. Washington and Oregon, where virtually all voting is done with mailed ballots, followed with their own lawsuit against the order.
Swenson and Riccardi write for the Associated Press.
Source link
Sheffield Wednesday: Three parties come forward with proof of funds for Championship club
Since the club entered administration, fans have ended a boycott of the club, which had seen many supporters not attend Carabao Cup ties against Leeds United and Grimsby Town at Hillsborough, and this month’s home league game with Middlesbrough.
Administrator Kris Wigfield, who is leading the search for new ownership, said on Monday that supporters had already spent more than £500,000 on tickets and in the club shop.
He said there were already “four or five interested parties that look like the real deal” but that because of EFL rules, the club would need to be on the market for 28 days before they could move towards preferred-bidder status.
“I’m hopeful that by the end of November, if things go well, we might know who’s going to buy the football club,” he told BBC 5 Live’s Wake Up To Money programme.
“Then hopefully a deal can be concluded this calendar year, so that the new owner is in for the January transfer window, if the EFL allows the new owner to buy players.”
Hundreds of fans also attended an open first-team training session at the Owls’ home ground earlier this week
Sheffield Wednesday said the event was “a gesture from the first-team squad and staff” to thank supporters for their “unprecedented” response to the club going into administration.
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Why Romeo’s reunion with girlfriend Kim Turnbull is proof there’s ‘no going back’ for Beckhams in Brooklyn & Nicola rift
WHEN you date one Beckham, you date the whole brood.
So make no mistake, news that middle son Romeo has reunited with Kim Turnbull after a five-month break is a significant development for everyone concerned.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
After all, his former flame was blamed earlier this year for igniting the feud between the Beckhams and their eldest lad, Brooklyn.
It came as rumours swirled that she dated their first-born long before coupling up with his younger brother.
Reports suggested at the time that Brooklyn’s wife, Nicola Peltz-Beckham, felt “uncomfortable” around Kim and didn’t want her in the fold.
And although Kim vehemently denied that she and Brooklyn were ever an item, the pressure no doubt contributed to her decision to step away from the family circus in May.
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At the time, insiders argued that Kim and Romeo’s break was amicable and undramatic, and had nothing to do with soaring tensions with his now estranged brother.
But there is no denying that all the scrutiny had an impact, as Kim herself lashed out at the “harassment” and “lies” levelled against her.
Cut to this week and Romeo, 23, posted a cosy snap of himself with 24-year-old Kim, a model and DJ — seemingly confirming whispers they had reunited after he liked several of her Instagram snaps in recent weeks.
Once again, the implications for the family are huge.
Let’s remember, we are fast approaching a year since Brooklyn and Nicola were last pictured with the Beckhams, in December 2024.
Respectful silence
In the interim, their silent estrangement has been deafening, as they failed to publicly acknowledge David’s 50th birthday in May or his long-hoped-for knighthood the following month.
Likewise, they did not blink as Victoria won plaudits for her Paris Fashion Week show and launched her self-titled Netflix documentary series earlier this month.
Likewise, they did not blink as Victoria won plaudits for her Paris Fashion Week show and launched her self-titled Netflix documentary series earlier this month.
What Brooklyn and Nicola did do was loudly declare their devotion to one another.
But now that David and Victoria have implicitly co-signed on Romeo’s reunion with Kim, insiders say there really is “no going back”.
If Brooklyn and Nicola were testing his parents’ loyalty, Kim’s proud return to the family fold says a lot.
Consider again the tenets of the Beckham clan. As we know, the family comes as a package deal and — like the monarchy — it is built on hierarchy, bloodlines and loyalty.
Try to overstep your status or stage a coup and you will be cast out quicker than you can say, “Bend it like Beckham”.
But align yourself with the status quo — and the brand — and the pay-off can be huge.
Just look at Jackie Apostel, the girlfriend of their youngest son Cruz, who has been flying the flag for the next gen Beckham Wags in recent months.
Earlier this week, Victoria and David, who are also parents to Harper, 14, wished Jackie a happy 30th birthday on Instagram — with Victoria declaring, “We all love you” and David calling her “a very special person inside and out”.
This follows Jackie’s dutiful dedication to her would-be in-laws over the past year.
She cheered Victoria on in Paris, and also walked the red carpet with the brood at the premiere of Vic’s Netflix series.
Over the summer, she was a mainstay on their £16million yacht in St Tropez and the Amalfi Coast.
And, of course, she was dressed to the nines in a Victoria Beckham number at David’s black-tie 50th bash.
Notably, Kim was also in attendance at that star-studded event — also dressed in Victoria Beckham threads.
But it proved to be her last public outing with the clan as, just weeks later, reports emerged that she and Romeo had split after some seven months together.
At the time, scrutiny was at an all-time high over Brooklyn and Nicola’s shocking snub of David’s big birthday events. Meanwhile, reports swirled from Nicola’s camp that she was fuming over Kim’s omnipresence.
And Brooklyn has since made it clear countless times that his wife comes first. He doubled down on that message in May, calling Nicola his “whole world” and writing in a gushing tribute: “I always choose you baby.”
Most recently, he said in an interview at the Ryder Cup celebrity golf match: “There’s always going to be people saying negative things, but I have a very supportive wife.
“Me and her — we just do our thing, we just keep our heads down and work. And we’re happy.”
While it was widely reported that Brooklyn and Kim had dated when she was 17 and he was 16, those rumours were dispelled.
Cruz was first to rubbish the claims on Instagram. When one fan commented under a photo of Romeo and Kim, “It’s appropriate to date your brother’s ex too? Cool”, Cruz bluntly responded: “Brooklyn and Kim never dated.”
Then, in the immediate aftermath of her break-up from Romeo, Kim took the matter into her own hands. She wrote on Instagram in June: “I’ve avoided speaking on this topic to prevent adding fuel to the fire, however it’s come to a point where I feel the need to address it.
“I will not continue to receive harassment or be embarrassed on the basis of lies, to fit a certain narrative.
“I have never been romantically involved in ANY capacity at ANY point with the person in question.”
She then took a step away from the famous family.
But, crucially, she has maintained a respectful silence since.
And that has undoubtedly made her return to the fold all the more seamless.
Meanwhile, in August, Brooklyn and Nicola went for the jugular, holding an elaborate vow renewal ceremony that demonstrably erased the Beckhams from the narrative. Nicola’s billionaire father Nelson Peltz presided over proceedings, while the “bride” wore her mother Claudia’s wedding dress.
She and Brooklyn then spent the summer holidaying with her family on their £85million yacht in Europe — casting a large shadow over the Beckhams’ relatively smaller vessel.
The message was clear: Nicola does not plan to walk in Victoria’s shadow; instead, she is ready to leave her in-laws in the shade.
All this has, of course, been devastating for Victoria.
But her one saving grace has been the people she has supporting her.
Perhaps, surprisingly, it is singer Jackie who has devotedly cemented herself in recent months as the de facto daughter-in-law.
As a pay-off, she is now living the gilded life that only those in the Beckhams’ inner circle enjoy.
She has become one of Victoria’s most valued brand ambassadors, and recently had the honour of promoting her beauty brand online.
What’s more, she has landed lucrative ads for brands including Dior Sauvage, Sol De Janeiro and Jimmy Choo, and signed deals with the likes of Burberry and Summer Fridays.
Playing by the rules
Experts say she can now earn £10,000 per sponsored post.
As well as finding love, Jackie, who grew up in Brazil, has been granted access to an exclusive world and is playing by the rules.
Now, provided that Kim treads the same path, there is no reason why she should not also be fully welcomed back into the fold — and get to enjoy certain perks along the way.
She herself is no stranger to the gilded life of a well-heeled clan.
Raised in North London, she is part of the bohemian Turnbull dynasty and — as a teenager — socialised with the likes of Brooklyn and fellow nepo baby, Madonna’s son Rocco Ritchie.
Her grandfather was the renowned post-war sculptor and painter William Turnbull, whose work has been exhibited at galleries including London’s Tate.
Meanwhile, her dad Alex founded influential hip-hop label Ronin Records and is a longtime member of the post-punk band, 23 Skidoo.
As a DJ and influencer, Kim already has some high-profile events under her belt.
But being closely associated, for the right reasons, with one of showbiz’s most famous families will only help her career.
Following Kim and Romeo’s tacit soft launch as a reunited couple this week, Kim has kept sensibly quiet on Instagram.
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But it is only a matter of time before we see her hit the red carpet, dressed once more in Victoria Beckham fineries.
It’s a case of date one, date them all. But always play by the rules.
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SNP are the latest proof that things change quickly in politics
Chris MasonPolitical editor in Aberdeen
A year or so ago, the Scottish National Party looked to be in deep trouble.
They had been comprehensively thrashed in the general election, falling from 48 MPs to just nine.
They had managed to have three leaders in a little over a year: Nicola Sturgeon, Humza Yousaf and then John Swinney.
It was a rate of attrition that would make even the Conservative Party of recent years blush.
There had also been a high-profile and long-running police investigation into the SNP’s finances, involving Sturgeon, who was told earlier this year she would face no action.
Plus there were bitter rows over gender identity.
And the SNP has been in devolved government in Scotland since before you could buy an iPhone – since May 2007.
Electoral gravity looked to be catching up with them, and catching up big time – just ahead of the crucial elections to the Scottish Parliament next May.
But in case you needed yet another reminder that our domestic politics remains a smorgasbord of competitiveness and unpredictability, the SNP is the latest case study.
Swinney has brought stability to a party that indulged in the opposite for a while.
And support has splintered among its rivals – Labour, Reform and others.
Here is how the pollsters More in Common put it:
“Since last year’s general election, Labour’s support has more than halved in Scotland while the SNP has marginally improved its standing. While not seeing as significant a rise as in England, Reform has emerged as the potential second-place party after the SNP in Scotland, suppressing the Conservatives’ vote share as well as eating into Labour’s.”
Its analysis continues:
“Despite losing 11 points in the constituency vote, this result would put the SNP just shy of a majority in Holyrood, mostly due to fragmentation in the other parties.”
Remember, this is a snapshot, not a prediction. But it is fascinating nonetheless.
The mood among SNP party members and senior figures at the conference was chipper and upbeat.
The party feels competitive again and not only hopeful of victory next year, but even talking of that outright majority.
Just winning again, with or without a majority, would be an extraordinary achievement.
The party, if it does so, would he heading into its third consecutive decade in devolved power.
A majority is a big ask, with an electoral system that makes securing one tricky.
But it matters because the SNP’s latest attempt to make an argument for another independence referendum rests on securing a majority.
The party’s logic goes like this: the last time they persuaded the government at Westminster to grant one, they had won a majority at Holyrood a few years before.
That majority was won by Alex Salmond in 2011. The referendum followed in 2014.
So, goes the current First Minister’s logic, they need a majority again so they can point at that precedent from a decade and a half ago.
The stumbling block is the UK government has made it clear, including in its manifesto, that it is opposed to another referendum.
Privately, senior SNP folk ponder that if they do win a majority, and Labour lose power in the Senedd in Wales and do badly in local elections in many parts of England, Sir Keir Starmer might be out of Downing Street.
There are a lot of ifs there and who knows.
But even if Sir Keir was a goner, that manifesto would still be something Labour could point to.
And the SNP would ask, again, just how voluntary the union of the United Kingdom really is if there is no achievable mechanism for another referendum.
The SNP’s critics point to what they see as a dismal domestic record, on the NHS, housing and the number of deaths among drug addicts, for instance.
The party counters with its own riff on what it sees as its greatest hits – they had one for every stair between the ground and first floor of the conference centre.
Free university tuition and free prescriptions are among them.
But there is something else going on too.
There is a near 50/50 split on the constitutional question in Scotland – independence or not.
This is a nation split down the middle.
This gives the SNP a deep well of potential support.
It offers the opportunity to continue to defy what in other circumstances would likely be the undeniable gravity of longevity in office – plunging to defeat.
Let’s see.
In local politics, politics in the nations and at the UK level, conventions continue to be upended in multiple directions.
It is also true – and the SNP and its rivals know it – things can change quickly too.
Source link