"Yes that is who Jimbo is trying to talk to"
Seems so, I thought you were agreeing with his line/tactic(?)
"Labour in Scotland need to get as big a doing as the Tories"
There are definately people who think like that (tribal?) - no idea if it's most people/voters.
"CHdot is predicting a Tory revival"
It's already happened - there's more than one Tory MSP - that's because of PR. Like it or not, some people want to vote Conservative. It's not that long since Labour was happy to call the SNP "Tartan Tories".
That is much less true than it was even at the last WM election. There will now be people who no longer feel comfortable voting SNP. Some may 'revert' in 2016 - and more thereafter. In addition RuthD is attracting new/different sorts of people/voters. So those factors will (almost certainly) lead to more votes/seats - even without the SNP being 'found out' and/or not as 'radical' as some people imagine/hope - of course the evidence is already there, but they are getting the benefit of the doubt as a means to getting a 'better UK'.
Of course that may be complete fantasy on the part of the SNP hierarchy, members and (intending) voters. The simple truth is that (Scottish) Labour isn't really offering a (credible) alternative/'narrative'.
SLab is reacting in a similar way to the Tories shifting policies as a result of UKIP. Though that's not an entirely fair comparison - SLab is 'adopting' policies that it should already have 'owned'.
In general SLab moved right and the SNP more 'left' - both are composite/coalition parties, so it's hardly surprising that 'ordinary' voters are 'switching' - for now, or maybe for ever.
At UK level there has been a two-party system almost for ever. The Liberals had tried offering a 'middle-way' alternative but FPTP basically made success there impossible. The SDP-LibDem developments changed things - a bit. But the electoral system resulted in a lot of 'that lot has had it's turn so let's give the others a go'.
Last time that 'failed' and the UK got a coalition. It was nearly a Lab/LD one. Whether the (relative) success of coalitions at Holyrood changed voters'/politicians' ways of thinking is not certain.
It is possible that the LD's fate would have been VERY different without the tuition fees promise - or if they had got Cameron to agree (whether it was a good pledge/policy is beside the point). Now there is an election where the Tories talk about 're-electing us' - as though there has been a Tory Gov for 5 years - which there would have been IF they had won!
The LDs whine that 'it would have been worse without us'. Probably true, but...
In Scotland voters have another option - and know it. The IndyRef made people *think* and, seemingly, 'more interested in politics'.
"split back into left and right divisions at some future date the Labour Party will revive in Scotland?"
SNP splits have been predicted for ever. 'Must' happen one day, but SLab will be dead by then unless it learns from this election and does something different.
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