SNP president Michael Russell has mocked Andrew Neil and the Unionist media “bubble” over their Scottish election analysis.
The former constitution secretary, who has now retired from Holyrood, shared a Daily Mail column from Neil which claims that the SNP’s “failure” to secure a majority means “the Union lives to fight another day”.
Scotland elected a majority of pro-independence MSPs to Holyrood at the weekend, with the SNP winning 64 seats and the Greens securing eight. The SNP also broke Scottish Parliamentary records with the number of votes received and achieved the highest share of the constituency vote ever recorded in a Holyrood election.
TV pundit Matthew Stedlen shared Neil’s commentary piece, writing: “Well worth reading this shrewd analysis from [Andrew Neil] that convincingly throws cold water over the short-term hopes of Scottish nationalists”.
READ MORE: Here's what happens next for the newly elected Scottish Parliament
Russell resharing the column and comment, adding: “They are just talking to themselves now.”
They are just talking to themselves now, desperately reassuring each other within the Spectator / Telegraph / Express / Mail / GB News bubble that things have not changed , despite all their assumptions and prejudices being shredded by an actual election last week. https://t.co/8VarsT9Tno
— Michael Russell (@Feorlean) May 10, 2021
The former minister said the commentators are “desperately reassuring each other within the Spectator/Telegraph/Express/Mail/GB News bubble that things have not changed, despite all their assumptions and prejudices being shredded by an actual election last week”.
Others pointed out that Neil had predicted just two months ago that Nicola Sturgeon was on the brink of an electoral disaster that would finish her career.
READ MORE: Ruth Davidson to join Royal London board just days after ending MSP career
Following the election, MSPs will be sworn in to their new rules on Thursday.
Sturgeon will need to be officially elected by MSPs, most likely next Tuesday, in order to continue in her role.
After that there is likely to be a Cabinet reshuffle following the retirement of a number of well-known faces, including Russell.
It is expected that the Cabinet team will remain gender-balanced while first time MSP Angus Robertson is likely to take a position in it given his experience at Westminster.
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