By Rab Bruce’s Spider

So all those pollsters and seat predictors got it wrong. The SNP did not gain a majority in Holyrood. Whether you think that’s a good or bad thing, it shows that you can’t rely on polls.

The constant repetition that the SNP were on track to take all constituency seats and therefore didn’t need Regional List votes may have induced some voters to switch their List vote but it is equally possible that the ludicrous refrain of "One Party State" had a bearing on the matter. What these show is that constant repetition of any statement, however loosely based on fact, can result in it seeping into the social consciousness.

The mainstream media is still at it, telling us that the Ruth Party are not really Tories but that, nevertheless, the Tories have revived in Scotland. Neither of these statements stand up well to scrutiny but that isn’t stopping the media pushing them for all they are worth. That’s because they know a great many people will believe them simply because they are repeated so often. That’s why we need the alternative media and why we need to persuade more people to stop relying on the mainstream for their information.