Who to vote for in the Scottish elections?

It's so tough. I hate every party to the extent that I don't think I'll be able to vote at all.

I was just talking about this with my dh and for the first time ever, I really have no idea.

I hate SNP and all that they are doing to women’s rights which is making m consider voting either Tory or labour as there is not much between them in voting patterns here. But could I really vote Labour when they don’t know what a woman is and that leaves Tory which makes me really uncomfortable as I am typically left of centre.

I guess I will have to see who they field and see which one is the most normal.

I mean I've heard the ridiculous excuse "Scotland doesn't want Boris" as if Boris is going to be here forever. He won't, but breaking up the Union and trashing the economy will.

People are going to vote in the here and now. You can say "Boris" doesn't matter, but three Conservative UK Prime Ministers in a row have trashed the UK (and Scotland, for those who see it as distinct): Cameron, May, and Johnson.

Hate Sturgeon all you want - I don't love her - but when it comes down to it the SNP often does field the strongest candidates. I'm completely open to voting "not SNP", but to be honest - the other parties leave an open field, either not bothering to show up and campaign at all or making a spectacle of themselves so as to make my SNP MP and Constituency MSP look like the most reasonable choices. It would be easier to vote "not SNP" if there were a viable alternative to the SNP. It's an own goal for the Conservatives, Lib Dems, and Labour - and an indictment of their collective and ongoing weakness - that there is not.

I don't live in Scotland but what about SDP Scotland?

I think the best way to send the message that you don’t support SNP or Labour is to vote Conservative- if the Tories start making gains in Scotland the other parties will have to actually look at why !

Scotland is already being run by "a lunatic, incompetent and corrupt left- wing government" in Holyrood.

If you think that bunch are going to go away if they achieve separatism you are deluded. They will still be there but without any control from Westminster and without the access to UK funds.

I mean I've heard the ridiculous excuse "Scotland doesn't want Boris" as if Boris is going to be here forever. He won't, but breaking up the Union and trashing the economy will.

Conservative for the first past the post and the list as I've been doing since lunacy of the Holyrood parliament was ever thought of.

My choice has nothing to do with trans rights or women's rights.

Is there anything good about him? Does he do anything for the constituency?

Ah balls yes MP so we’re truly stuck with him

John Nicolson is my MSP

I'm so sorry.

John Nicolson is my MSP and I really don’t think I can even hold my nose to vote for him now. No idea what I’ll do as I can’t bring myself to vote Tory either.

It pains me to say it but Tory. Can’t now vote Labour and will die before I vote SNP

And yet, nothing has changed. Nothing is in the process of changing.

What is a vote for the SNP (or any pro-independence party) going to accomplish in 2021 that it didn't in 2016? How do we know?

SNP list, SNP constituency.

If you genuinely want rid of the SNP and a return to competitive, constructive politics in Scotland, the best way to do that is get out of the UK, remove the SNP's main raison d'etre, and then we can assess what is best for Scotland without being dictated to by a lunatic, incompetent and corrupt right-wing government in London, hell-bent on ideologically persecuting the poor and infirm, and elected purely on the whims of English voters.

there is a lot of drama happening in the Scottish Gov just now - no shit! Sturgeon may be history before the election.

The CPGB are fielding candidates in a few areas of Scotland . Lanarkshire definitely . They have been consistently gender critical .

I can't see the Tories as pro business, sorry. Not looking at how they keep slashing benefits and incentives and hiking taxes.

And privatisation has largely been disastrous and harmful. I'm not a big fan of how badly run public services have been in the past - the answer, I would say, is to have a thorough shake up and efficiency drive, not selling off our nuclear industry to China. The trouble with the 'open market' is that it's not, in fact, open at all.

I agree about the prescription charges, it's a daft and unnecessary expense. I'd far rather have the English model.

I honestly wish I did align more with Tory policies, Babdoc, it would make life a hell of a lot easier to be happy with the ruling party!

In answer to a few of the anti Tory points raised by PPs. We have had not one but two women prime ministers, while Labour have had....none.
A pro business party like ours increases opportunities for women. Under the SNP, Scotland has the lowest percentage of new business start ups in the UK. Yet this is precisely the sector where women do well.
A PP mentioned prescription charges. Do they realise that over 80% of people in England are exempt from them? They are means tested, not universal.
The baby box mentioned by another PP - a waste of taxpayer’ money, given indiscriminately to wealthy mothers who don’t need it, and containing rubbish such as a mawkish poem.
Leaving the EU was a democratic decision by the majority of the UK population, and a third of SNP supporters voted for it too. Fishing represents only a tiny insignificant fraction of the UK economy, and we have negotiated for control of our waters to be returned after a transition period.

Why the objection to privatising water? Privatising telecomms, and taking it away from the GPO who ran it badly as a Cinderella sideline to the postal service, improved it dramatically.
Finally, the Tories are the ONLY party who will defend you from the destruction of single sex spaces proposed by the SNP. While preventing the break up of the UK. Win win.

I resigned my SNP membership last week so I have no idea what I will do.

@greatpurplepolkadots If your MSP is a vocal GC supporter, I think it'd be fair to vote for them since there seems to be so few of them around.

I don't know what to do.

My MP is SNP but huge, vocal GC advocate.

So do I vote for them to show support? Really don't want to give SNP a vote though (I'm anti Indy even without all the other stuff).

Fingers crossed the GC members leave SNP or, as a PP suggested, Fair Play for Women stand up someone.

If not I will probably vote Tory =( I don't want to spoil my ballot, that basically hands it to the SNP.