Mark Stephenson

Mark Stephenson

@markonline.bsky.social

An ex Marine, I Iove spending time on the water whenever possible. Politically, I have what is considered traditional left of centre views. I support Scottish self-determination and am a supporter of the Scotland Rugby team and the Toronto Blue Jays.

537 followers437 following121 posts

Mark Stephenson reposted

the Juice Media
@thejuicemedia.com

The Government™ has made an ad about all these protests happening around the world, and it’s surprisingly honest and informative.

Mark Stephenson reposted

The National
@scotnational.bsky.social

EXCLUSIVE: The UK Government has blocked the release of files on a shadowy Israeli firm caught meddling in the Scottish parliament elections 🚨 Downing Street cited an exemption that allows documents to be withheld if they would 'prejudice relations' with another state

Mark Stephenson reposted

Neil Mackay
@neilmackay.bsky.social

It says much about these divided times that an organisation like the Citizens Advice service, a byword for old-fashioned kindness & decency, has decided it must now fight the far-right in our poorest communities to stop the demonisation tearing society apart My @heraldscotland.bsky.social long read

heraldscotland.comCitizens Advice Scotland's fury at far-right 'demonisation' in our country's schemesAs extremists target Scotland’s poorest areas, the Citizens Advice service tells our Writer at Large of its plans to tackle demonisation and…

Mark Stephenson reposted

weegingerdug
@weegingerdug.bsky.social

With Holyrood voting for an independent inquiry into the finances of all parties, the eagerness of Labour and the Tories to weaponise the Murrell scandal has bitten them on the arse. Anas Sarwar just got a lesson in the law of unintended consequences. weegingerdug.wordpress.com/2026/06/11/s...

weegingerdug.wordpress.comSarwar learns the law of unintended consequencesAnyone with two functioning braincells knows that the only reason the anti-independence parties and the SNP’s enemies are so keen on an inquiry into the Murrell scandal is because they seek t…

Mark Stephenson reposted

Al Jazeera English
@aljazeera.com

Award-winning Somali referee, Omar Abdulkadir Artan, has been removed from the World Cup roster after being denied entry to the US despite holding a valid visa.

Mark Stephenson reposted

Patrick Harvie
@patrickharvie.bsky.social

It should be shocking, but this is becoming normal. They make speeches in Holyrood riddled with racist dogwhistles, they go online to incite violence, and their followers take that violence onto the streets and abuse and threaten journalists. Anyone still refusing to call it fascism is in denial.

Neil Mackay@neilmackay.bsky.social

Getting hate mail from Reform voters this morning for this column which was published yesterday. Not the usual online abuse on social media - this time they’ve gone to the lengths of finding my Herald email so they can attack me directly. Pathetic bastards

Mark Stephenson reposted

Andrew Sharpe 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿|🇪🇺
@andrew.sharpe.scot

One immediate thought on the independence debate in Parliament: how small minded the London parties are. They oppose everything, but present no aspiration for Scotland in return. Be happy with what the UK gives you, they say, whilst ignoring the majority that just voted for better.

Mark Stephenson reposted

weegingerdug
@weegingerdug.bsky.social

If Labour really expects the Greens to do them a big favour by not contesting the Makerfield by election maybe it should promote some policies the Greens are in favour of and attack Reform more than it attacks Zack Polanski.

Mark Stephenson reposted

weegingerdug
@weegingerdug.bsky.social

In 2014 during the indyref, Labour's Golden boy Andy Burnham said he opposed Scottish independence as he "didn't want to drive up the M6 and get my passport out or have to drive on the right when I want to drive on the left". If this is the guy who's going to save Labour, it's game over already.

Mark Stephenson reposted

Owen Jones
@owenjones.bsky.social

A cause for national shame. This is the Rainbow Map for LGBTI+ rights across Europe. Until 2015, the UK was top. We've now collapsed down the rankings - and are the worst in Western Europe. We're now near Albania.

Mark Stephenson reposted

Ballot Box Scotland
@ballotbox.scot

There absolutely should be sackings at the Electoral Commission over this. A fake party that does no campaigning, will have spent £0, and whose own holocaust denying leader acknowledged is only there to confuse voters, came 7th, only explainable if it did indeed confuse voters.

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Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

Despite the shortcomings of the SNP voting strategy, the election returned the highest number of pro-independence MSPs in the history of devolution. In my opinion, this super majority constitutes a mandate to hold a referendum on Scottish Independence. Discuss!

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Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

Reform UK did not perform as well as the polls and media had anticipated. If the election had been conducted entirely under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system, as in Westminster general elections, Reform would have won ZERO seats.

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Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

The Scottish Greens also did well, obtaining 2 seats from the constituency count and 13 from the Regional list. They could have potentially done better, but apparently, some voters mistakenly put their X against a party called 'Independent Green Voice,' which is a far-right, holocaust-denying party.

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

The SNP performed well, winning 58 seats, although this is 6 fewer than in the 2021 election. They secured 57 seats through the constituency vote and 1 seat from the Regional list.

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

The Labour Party, despite spending significant sums on advertising and being portrayed by much of the media as the saviour of the Union, had a disappointing election. They gained 3 seats from the constituency vote and 14 from the Regional list.

Mark Stephenson reposted

The National
@scotnational.bsky.social

BREAKING: Pro‑independence parties have secured a majority at Holyrood. A majority was reached after the Greens won two list seats in Glasgow.

Mark Stephenson reposted

Casket Based
@cineblah.bsky.social

Labour could and should have - Repealed voting ID law. - Cut ties with Israel. - Cut ties with Nazi tech bros. - Ended SLAPP - Pushed through Leveson 2. - Rolled out healthcare/protections for LGBTQ+ people. - Opened up safe routes. - Rent caps. - Proper living wage. But they didn't.

Mark Stephenson reposted

Scottish Greens
@scottishgreens.org

🚨 The polls are open! 🗳️ Everyone in Scotland can vote Scottish Greens on the peach ballot paper ✉️ If you have a postal vote you can hand it in 🪪 You DON'T need photo ID This is our chance to vote for hope over hate. To demand better. To vote Scottish Greens.

Mark Stephenson reposted

Gerry Hassan
@gerryhassan.bsky.social

As people get ready to vote in the Scottish Parliament election please be careful of the spoiler operation which is 'Independent Green Voice'. They are listed second on the regional ballot paper in South of Scotland with the Green Party further down. IGV is a right-wing spoiler operation.

Mark Stephenson reposted

weegingerdug
@weegingerdug.bsky.social

5 polls out today, the SNP on anything from 59 to 66 seats, the Scottish Greens around 15 to 18. A pro independence majority is looking highly likely, but all independence supporters need to get out and vote. The ghouls of Reform UK are waiting around the corner.

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

🧵We are just a few days away from the Holyrood election in Scotland, and several people have asked me to clarify the voting mechanism. Here’s an overview. I tried to keep it as short as possible, but failed. 1/12

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Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

In my Region, voting SNP for both votes will allow Reform UK, the Tories, and Labour to gain additional seats from the Regional list. However, there are areas where voting SNP for both makes sense, especially where the Constituency vote is very close. 11/12

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

In those cases, if the SNP does not win the Constituency seat, they have another opportunity to secure a seat from the Regional list. For me, it will be SNP 1 and Scottish Greens 2. 12/12 #SNP1SGP2

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

🧵We are just a few days away from the Holyrood election in Scotland, and several people have asked me to clarify the voting mechanism. Here’s an overview. I tried to keep it as short as possible, but failed. 1/12

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Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

Seats from the Regional list are allocated using the “D'Hondt method,” which considers the number of seats each party has won in the Constituency vote. If the polls hold true, even with the most votes, the SNP is unlikely to gain any seats from the North East Regional vote because they will be 9/12

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

allocated to the next parties in line—Reform UK, the Tories, and Labour. Therefore, it makes sense for me to support another independence supporting party for my Regional vote. As such, I will be voting for the Scottish Greens. 10/12

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

🧵We are just a few days away from the Holyrood election in Scotland, and several people have asked me to clarify the voting mechanism. Here’s an overview. I tried to keep it as short as possible, but failed. 1/12

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Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

In my Region, North East Scotland, there are 7 seats available. The SNP is projected to win most, if not all, of the seats from the Region's 10 constituencies based on Vote 1. The latest polling for my Regional list (Vote 2) shows the SNP slightly ahead with 28. 7/12

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

2%, followed closely by Reform UK Ltd at 24.5% and the Tories at 15.6%. Labour, the Lib Dems, and the Scottish Greens are all around 9%. The Regional vote is where proportional representation plays a crucial role. 8/12

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

🧵We are just a few days away from the Holyrood election in Scotland, and several people have asked me to clarify the voting mechanism. Here’s an overview. I tried to keep it as short as possible, but failed. 1/12

View full thread
Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

I won’t advise anyone on how to vote, but I’ll share my voting intentions and the reasoning behind them. I want to see as many candidates supporting independence as possible in the next Scottish Parliament. 5/12

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

Currently, the polling for my Constituency, Dundee City West, shows the SNP leading at 49.4%, followed by Reform UK Ltd at 23%. I am confident the SNP will hold this seat, so I will vote for the SNP for my Constituency vote (Vote 1). Now, onto the Regional vote. 6/12

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

🧵We are just a few days away from the Holyrood election in Scotland, and several people have asked me to clarify the voting mechanism. Here’s an overview. I tried to keep it as short as possible, but failed. 1/12

View full thread
Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

The candidate with the most votes in each Constituency is elected. 2. **Regional Vote:** This uses proportional representation to allocate seats based on the number of votes cast in each Region. Importantly, the distribution of seats depends on how many seats each party has already won in the 3/12

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

Constituency elections. The more seats a party gains from the Constituency vote, the fewer seats they will receive from the Regional list, even if they have more votes than other parties in that list. 4/12

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

🧵We are just a few days away from the Holyrood election in Scotland, and several people have asked me to clarify the voting mechanism. Here’s an overview. I tried to keep it as short as possible, but failed. 1/12

Mark Stephenson
@markonline.bsky.social

Each voter has two votes: one for the Constituency candidate and another for the Regional list of parties. 1. **Constituency Vote:** This is similar to the process used in Westminster elections, where the 'first past the post' system applies. 2/12