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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask if you are voting SNP?

562 replies

SpiceAddict · 03/04/2015 11:10

How do you think they are going to 'end austerity'? How will this be financed? You can't just suddenly invest more in infrastructure etc to create more jobs if there is no.money.

If it is going to be financed by stopping trident, then we will lose US support - not really a good idea....

Labour are going to increase tax for higher payers, mansion tax etc in order to fund their investments.

I live in Yorkshire and we really don't get the support for SNP. They don't make sense to me, but as they seem to be so popular, please can someone actually why?

OP posts:
blowinahoolie · 03/04/2015 16:35

And where's the main thread in Chat about the Leaders debate? I haven't seen one yet and I'm honestly amazed there isn't one running!

blowinahoolie · 03/04/2015 16:36

Have heard lots of English are wishing they could vote for SNP. It's a shame it just is not possible.

LotusLight · 03/04/2015 16:39

SN will allow a lot more immigrants who will make their way to England. That could be a good thing for England.

I want SNP to split the labour vote in Scotland and I want UKIP to take white working votes from Labour in the N of England and by that route the Tories might well get in - I hope.

SantanaLopez · 03/04/2015 16:41

That's pretty good going don't you think?

No, I don't think it is.

What were the 2002 figures? Or the 2007? It's hard to reach a consensus with a snapshot stat like that.

I'll try and find them. Meanwhile, This is very interesting for more recent figures.

^Scotland continues to have the poorest rate of access
to university in the whole of the UK for students from poorer backgrounds. While there has been progress in higher education participation in recent years, this has primarily been as a result of increased numbers in college higher education, where 23.3% of students are from the most deprived communities, compared to just 11.6% in universities. Access figures are even worse for young students (compared to mature students) from these backgrounds, who make up just 8.6% of students at our universities.^

I know overall around a quarter of Scottish students at Scottish universities are from the most deprived areas of Scotland.

That's not good enough! You also have to look at the individual universities.

^Moreover, there are huge discrepancies between institutions, for example, 25.4% of students entering UWS in 2010/11 came from the 20% most deprived areas, compared to just 2.7% at St. Andrews – which equates to
just 13 students. At our more selective institutions, there continues to be significant disparity in access, with over 16 students from the least deprived backgrounds for every one from the most deprived.^

SantanaLopez · 03/04/2015 16:42

And where's the main thread in Chat about the Leaders debate? I haven't seen one yet and I'm honestly amazed there isn't one running!

I saw one last night!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2346622-The-second-leaders-debate-thread-Roll-up-roll-up

blowinahoolie · 03/04/2015 16:50

Thanks Santana I only just watched the Debate on catch up TV this morning so hadn't had a chance to log online last night to see what threads were about in Chat. Cheers :)

blowinahoolie · 03/04/2015 16:58

"the only people who should get prescriptions free is the elderly and the young."

Shite. Are you a Tory? What about those with diabetes and thyroid disorders??? They are chronic conditions and you need prescriptions on a regular basis, but according to you, I should be paying for medication that I need to survive and stay well. I was diagnosed with my condition at the age of 22. I don't agree with your views, sorry peggy.

ScotsWhaHae · 03/04/2015 17:03

The price of your quarterly prescriptions were only that low as the SNP were reducing them year on year before abolishing them completely.

10 years ago I was paying a lot more for mine.

blowinahoolie · 03/04/2015 17:05

No one is saying the SNP are perfect as a party, I've never stated this in any posts online. But they are the best of a bad bunch and if it means we get an alternative politic vision (the current Westminster methods just are not working) then what's not to like.

blowinahoolie · 03/04/2015 17:06

*political vision

ScotsWhaHae · 03/04/2015 17:13

BBC Link about prescription charges

England is the only country within the UK charging. According to that article 90% of fees are waived anyway.

The BMA think prescription charges should be scrapped in England.

Don't hate on us because England hasn't caught on to what the rest of the UK figured out a while ago.

Instead why not invest that energy asking your mp why you are still paying for prescriptions? Much more useful than raging about everyone else getting them for free.

HamishBamish · 03/04/2015 17:17

I'll vote SNP when hell freezes over.

HamishBamish · 03/04/2015 17:18

In Scotland - will not be voting for SNP or any other party that supported independence.
If they do well it will be a mandate for another a referendum. I do not want to go through that again. It was hellish, divisive. Split families and neighbours and communities - and some of the rifts are only just healing.

This

blowinahoolie · 03/04/2015 17:19

"Instead why not invest that energy asking your mp why you are still paying for prescriptions? Much more useful than raging about everyone else getting them for free."

Agree Scots. There seems to be a lot of resentment online about Scotland having free this and free that.

Rather than get angry, do something constructive about it would be my advice.

As for the education where tuition fees are waived, I wouldn't have went to uni had I had to pay for the tuition fees like many others I know. Many I know went on to teach and have done very well for themselves but could not have achieved their qualifications without the tuition fees being waived in higher education. It's needed to give people prospects and life people out of poverty.

blowinahoolie · 03/04/2015 17:19

*lift! Sorry can't seem to spell today!

Topseyt · 03/04/2015 17:30

I'm just jealous that the rest of the UK will not have candidates like Nicola Sturgeon and Leanne Wood to vote for. Both of them came across very strongly last night, and were the only ones who didn't pussyfoot around the issue of £9k per year university tuition fees - very relevant to my family now, with one daughter already at uni and racking the student debt up.

I'm in Essex though. Virtually no chance of our constituency not returning a Conservative. One of their safest seats.

Ubik1 · 03/04/2015 17:31

single police force - costs have went up since this was introduced and they are now being forced to make cuts to the service in order to maintain what we had..

That is utter rubbish. Costs have reduced significantly through the integration of the eight forces into a single police service. There are still more cuts to be made but nbers of police officers are protected.

I am going to vote SNP. Trident weapons are taken right past my house. I believe they will protect the NHS and free education. And I'm English.

ScotsWhaHae · 03/04/2015 17:33

If Westminster love their nukes so much why don't they keep them closer to home?

tilliebob · 03/04/2015 17:55

Haven't RTFT but no I'll not be voting for the SNP.

The whole referendum nightmare, rather than turning me onto politics blah blah, has totally turned me off the whole thing.I've always voted, and will continue to do so but am basically on a self imposed media blackout until after this election ConfusedConfused

ASAS · 03/04/2015 17:56

Unlucky - absolutely brilliant post. Thanks for writing it, it's appreciated.

How do you keep children in the poorest LA in Scotland poor? Offer their parents free childcare for 3hrs 10mns a day. I have the world's most flexible employer but even then it's not going to work is it?

I want really good practical things that work in real life with my taxes, not a lesser evil.

But love your neighbour, there's more of us than them.

nolassie · 03/04/2015 18:03

I have previously but never again.

Their premise that the Scots are morally superior to the rest of the UK I find is incredibly insulting.

They were a huge part of a devisive, negative YES campaign while calling it energising and engaging; Scotland will never be the same again. They manage to take the credit for anything going well while blaming all their failures on "Wastemonster"

NS and AS can talk very well, the trouble is so much of it is lies though I suppose Salmond has at least confessed to "not confining himself to facts" while answering questions.

I'm amazed at the unquestioning following the SNP have. The near univsersal belief that everything the media says is wrong and that they are better informed by the unbiased likes of WingsOverScotland Hmm. Perhaps that will change since "The former First Minister told the party conference in Glasgow that BBC Scotland must be devolved to Holyrood so that its supposed anti-Nationalist bias can be “resolved”. " State controlled media WTF!!

It must be this attitude that allows the SNP to cut the NHS budget year after year while assuming the role of NHS protector. A friend is a consultant at the local hospital. He eventually came out as a NO voter because when NS was Health Secretary she cut his expected budget face to face (although the funding from Westminister is Scotland's to do with as it wishes, there is a notional amount they expect to go to the NHS - her allocation was way less.)( www.ifs.org.uk/publications/7366 ) he just couldn't sit by and watch her lie.

The proclaimed rise in doctor and nurse numbers are laughable too since though on paper there may be more, NHS Scotland can't actually recruit people to fill the positions. Basic salaries for Drs are comparable but in the year the SNP got into power the rest of the UK brought in Clinical Excellence awards. My friend was awarded a 'B', worth an extra £47k a year however the SNP promptly scrapped the award in Scotland. While consultants are paid well in comparison to the general population when there is such a difference in salaries north and south of the border for the same profession no wonder there are so many vacancies here (any savings are more than eaten up by extortionate locum rate so worst of all worlds). Nurses are paid a grade lower than their English counterparts. The reaction in trying to tell people the realities of his working life ? To be told to f* off home, we didn't need the likes of him in the country being negative (he's English).

Maybe its also never reading the papers that means while there is free Higher Education the number of Further Education places has been slashed. That seems to surprise people (then be disbelieved).

And thinking we can have "Bairns not Bombs" when actually the SNP have said they will spend all the trident budget on conventional arms. To be fair though people might be forgiven for missing this as they have also said it will fund nursery provision (it wouldn't) and the set up of the new government infrastructure (again it wouldn't).

All practicalities can be forgotten so long as we have FREEDOM !! Sheesh. Don't get me started on AS comparing himself to Nelson Mandela...

Really wish Scottish Labour would get its act together. The SNP will be found out but by then the damage will be done.

straighttothepoint · 03/04/2015 18:04

She hasn't a friggin clue. It wasn't long ago she was saying oil prices and whisky exports would be scotlands saviour - scotland would be screwed if they had voted independent. Not a friggin clue.

tilliebob · 03/04/2015 18:05

Applauds nolassie. I have voted SNP in the in the past (in my idealists student days) but never since and never will again.

SantanaLopez · 03/04/2015 18:11

As for the education where tuition fees are waived, I wouldn't have went to uni had I had to pay for the tuition fees like many others I know. Many I know went on to teach and have done very well for themselves but could not have achieved their qualifications without the tuition fees being waived in higher education. It's needed to give people prospects and life people out of poverty.

But that's the point. It's NOT giving people prospects or a way out of poverty- look at the figures.

1 student from a deprived area = 16 from non-deprived areas. Furthermore, students from lower-income backgrounds are not going to respected universities in the numbers that they should be.

In 2012, 24% of Glasgow University's intake was from deprived areas. That means 76% of their current 3rd year undergraduates next year are not from a deprived area.

There needs to be a sliding scale of paying as much as you can afford. There needs to be a system of comprehensive grants, loans and bursaries to help students out.

At the same time, there needs to be proper support to get young people from deprived backgrounds into world class education. That starts at 3 years old, not 17.

How do you keep children in the poorest LA in Scotland poor? Offer their parents free childcare for 3hrs 10mns a day. I have the world's most flexible employer but even then it's not going to work is it?

This. And don't forget Glasgow have also taken away teachers from their nurseries too.

SantanaLopez · 03/04/2015 18:13

That means 76% of their current 3rd year undergraduates next year are not from a deprived area.

Oops, changed my sentence midway. 76% of 3rd year undergrads, next year's graduating cohort.

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