Polls schpolls....

I see her majesty's Daily Record has a new indyref poll published today which gives slightly different results from previous polls.

Those clever wee monkeys on both sides of the debate who care about such things have welcomed the findings as good news for their side. Quite clearly they can't both be right; however they can both be wrong. And if they read too much into these polls I think they are.

As a simple footsoldier in the great national separation rammy I don't pretend to be an expert in opinion poll methodology or accuracy. However, I have been out campaigning since the turn of the year and have asked literally hundreds of my fellow bairns how they intend to vote in the referendum and I've got to say that not even a quarter of them are saying they'll vote YES.

We've been here before of course.

In 2011 our canvass returns of Labour Party supporters suggested that our vote was holding up and we were on course for victory. A combination of perhaps the poorest campaign in Labour Party history and voter apathy conspired to give us the kicking we deserved and deliver an unfettered nationalist administration.

This is different.

We're not just speaking to Labour Party supporters in this campaign but to everybody. I've gone down whole streets and failed to find one person who say they will vote YES. I genuinely can't find the 40+% YES vote identified by the opinion polls.

On Sunday we were out in a solid, well-maintained council estate in Falkirk and I spoke to an elderly lady who we had identified as a Labour supporter. I asked how she intended to vote in the referendum. She became quite coy and was a wee bit embarrassed saying that she 'wisnae really sure' OK, I replied I'll put you down as an undecided. 'Och, I'll probably vote no..' she said. Great said I, we're going to be campaigning throughout the summer for a no vote. 'Och, I'll definitely be voting no' she laughed 'I jist didnae want tae say no to you, son..'

Anecdotal I know.

I just wonder how many respondents to the opinion pollsters 'didnae want to say no' to them too...

Why can't we just play nice?

Nicola was spitting feathers again yesterday.

She was not a bit happy.

Apparently some old guy had said something about separation with which she had taken exception.

And boy, did she give him both barrels.

The freedom phasers were set to 'outrage': flared nostrils, narrow eyes and an appetite for retribution that would have an Old Testament prophet blushing. It was all there, from personal attack to the "what gives you the right" routine - why Nicola was so enraged that she even forgot to deploy the mid-sentence chuckle.

Yep, she was THAT angry.

She didn't actually address any of the points raised, of course.

She was too busy ripping the poor guy's throat out whilst simultaneously whining about being bullied and insulted.

It's a neat trick and one which has served the SNP well.

It doesn't serve the debate well and the aggressive victimhood punted by the SNP, along with their support of vicious pro-separation websites is poisoning this debate and will result in a divided and embittered country post-referendum regardless of the result (which will be no, obviously).

There is a direct link between every cybernat polluting the internet and every hissing and jeering indy debate audience member with the tactics adopted by the SNP for this campaign.

They should consider what kind of country they really want before they continue with their destructive campaign.