To wonder why people keep voting SNP?

It does actually.

The thing people don’t get is that many Labour, Tory, Lib Dem and SGP members want Indy too but vote for the party they want to run the country at a general election (Scottish).

Re poverty see the Scottish Child payment, free prescriptions, free child care, free school meals, free travel for under 22s and over 60’s, free personal care for the elderly, free tuition at university etc etc etc.Re drugs, see consumption rooms. Re women, see coercive control now being a crime. Re education see record numbers of school leavers going to positive destinations.

All that on a limited budget when we are the third highest net contributor in the whole of the UK.

So I will continually vote SNP but not for Indy as that can’t be decided by a Scottish General Election.

And I will vote Yes in a referendum 😊

On the other hand -

1140 disaster with a disspirited workforce and partner providers not being funded to a reasonable level.

Worst drug death rates in Europe.

Scottish student numbers being capped and massive financial issues for several Scottish Universities.

The long awaited Misogyny Bill, heralded as an alternative to sex being added as a category to the Hate Crime Bill, pushed back again and again finally dropped.

Record levels of violence against teachers in Scottish schools.

Anti social behaviour on buses due to unrestricted travel.

Prescriptions free for all. School meals free for all. Including those who could well afford to pay for them.

But Baby Boxes!

It does actually.

The thing people don’t get is that many Labour, Tory, Lib Dem and SGP members want Indy too but vote for the party they want to run the country at a general election (Scottish).

Re poverty see the Scottish Child payment, free prescriptions, free child care, free school meals, free travel for under 22s and over 60’s, free personal care for the elderly, free tuition at university etc etc etc.Re drugs, see consumption rooms. Re women, see coercive control now being a crime. Re education see record numbers of school leavers going to positive destinations.

All that on a limited budget when we are the third highest net contributor in the whole of the UK.

So I will continually vote SNP but not for Indy as that can’t be decided by a Scottish General Election.

And I will vote Yes in a referendum 😊

It would be very unfair for people to say that wanting Scottish independence equals hating English people.

I think pps upthread were mainly talking about anti-English sentiment they had observed though,, not saying that all or most Scottish people who want Independence are anti-English.

Re Welsh independence- that isn't discussed so much anyway. Historically in England there has definitely been awareness of anti-English sentiment by NIrish independence supporters though . I mean, the Troubles reaching up to the 2000s were a clear sign that a minority of Irish independence supporters were anti-English. Obviously not most, but a minority were.

I fully support independence if most Scots want that.

My issue is more with the SNP than independence.

'Plus, I actually think the SNP have mitigated a lot of the Tory policies (bedroom tax is one example) on a set budget which they can’t overspend on as we have limited borrowing rights.' -

I understand that. I don't doubt that they have had good policies, but I'm not convinced by their overall record (issues with record on women's spaces, drugs, education, poverty etc)
I understand new parties would form and SNP might well be voted out if independence were achieved.

I suppose the issue I'm wondering about is whether voting SNP continually to achieve independence is necessarily ideal if their issues continue. Even though they are still in power, independence does not have a clear majority.

How many regions of the UK are net contributors?

London and the south east. That’s it. All other parts of England and the rest of the uk benefit massively from the vast economic power house that is the city of London.

How many regions of the UK are net contributors?

More than offset by the money the rest of the UK sends to Scotland each year.

Oh that is brilliant!
I'd not seen that .
I did used to work for a time at the Sainsbury's just a minute a way from where this was recorded and we experienced some interesting things but I'd left not long before your clip was recorded

I do love to listening to Runrig at Balloch Singing Loch Lomond.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CHu0h9XaNcg&list=RDCHu0h9XaNcg&start_radio=1&pp=ygUYbG9jaCBsb21vbmQgZG9ubmllIG11bnJvoAcB
Hearing this at Hampden at a Scotland match sends shivers down my spine

Oh that is brilliant!
I'd not seen that .
I did used to work for a time at the Sainsbury's just a minute a way from where this was recorded and we experienced some interesting things but I'd left not long before your clip was recorded

I do love to listening to Runrig at Balloch Singing Loch Lomond.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CHu0h9XaNcg&list=RDCHu0h9XaNcg&start_radio=1&pp=ygUYbG9jaCBsb21vbmQgZG9ubmllIG11bnJvoAcB
Hearing this at Hampden at a Scotland match sends shivers down my spine

Do you like “Caledonia”? There’s a youtube video of Donny singing it on the concert steps in Buchanan Street during the run up to the referendum and the crowd was massive, all singing along.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JKgHtLz2TNk

My wee MIL was there 🥰

I love the song and that video. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿❤️

I really love Stephen Flynn so I’d definitely vote for him if I lived in his constituency, SNP or not- he’s brilliant.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyx1xeZotk
Flower of Scotland. Performed by the man who wrote it.
Come on independence!

I think Labour would need to drastically reform in order to dislodge the SNP. They are a unionist party and that's been to their detriment in a period where people have been focused on the future of Scotland. They could help themselves by developing a clear, positive vision for Scotland rather than focusing on the pitfalls of independence. I don't think they've got a realistic prospect of doing so at the 2026 Scottish parliamentary election and will be further hindered by the lack of popularity of the current Westminster Labour Government. I think Scotland like the rest of the UK is seeing a rise in popularity of right wing politics as a result of decades of austerity, and I think that Reform will get a good showing at the 2026 election. My prediction is that SNP will continue to be the main party but will not have enough seats to form a majority, Labour will lose seats and Reform will gain perhaps to the extent that they become as big as Labour in Scotland. The Greens and/or the Liberal Democrats will hold the balance of power either by forming a coalition government with the SNP or by supporting them on a vote by vote basis to get legislation passed.

It always amuses me when people in the other parts of the UK seem to think that there will be zero impact on them if Scotland gains independence. The legal fees alone will run into the billions.

Why - because there is only so much SNP whining the rest of the UK can take!