to think some of the Anti Scottish rhetoric in the media due to the rise of the SNP is frankly shocking?

[ssd]

Scotland voted to stay in the UK, David Cameron and Ed Milliband wanted this, now it feels like they wish we hadnt.

I think it was clear that all the SNP talk about Westminster was code for English
The no voters in Scotland get a raw deal. The SNP will never accept a no vote and carry on campaigning
Once they get a yes that is it for the no voters.
I think the SNP want a Tory government

The favoured enemy for NS and the Scot Nats is the Tory party.

If they are in power it provides the perfect antagonist at the heart of the SNP's concept of the evil empire -Westminster. Not trickery, just politics.

Ugh, it hurts my head. I am newly into politics this last few years because a) I finally grew up enough to care and b) the economy, cuts, food bank usage, etc. have directly affected people I care about.

I look at things too naively sometimes and just think if she's passionately claiming she wants the tories out then it's what she really wants. Off to do more research.

Have I wandered onto the David Icke forums?

The weird trickery that I have seen suggested, is that the SNP secretly want the Conservatives to win, because that will make the Scots sufficiently disengaged from the UK to want another referendum.

Personally, I (as someone who lived in Scotland a long time) would much prefer to see the people of Scotland feeling they were genuinely represented in the UK government, so that the growing resentment that has spiralled out of control in recent years can stop, and Scotland can feel like they are genuinely part of the UK again. For me, this election is deeply interesting as it represents a chance for something genuinely different from the ongoing two party system that is no longer working for many people.

I think that's probably true - the Tories make a better enemy than the Labour party really for SNP. I do think NS is really, really pushing the idea that the SNP will be some sort of kingmaker and in a highly influential position. I know the polls support that possibility in terms of numbers of seats but I do wonder what the impact of that posturing will be on voters in the rest of the UK. Will some waivering voters go Tory to avoid SNP power increasing even further? I suspect so.

That makes sense, Tril. I am hoping for something different from the ongoing two party system myself.

Saga you should research why she has been saying she will make Labour more socialist and bolder in all the TV debates before launching a manifesto today copying 3 of their main policies. The bankers tax, mansion tax and 50p tax rate. They were against all three of these policies.

In scotland they call Labour the red tories, say they want to be in government with them, then copy their left policies.

...and she's doing all that because she wants the tories in?! That seems like such a weird tactic. But like I said, I will research.

It feels like its to be expected the Scottish dont like the English, for some reason, and this dislike needs to be carefully hidden. But I dont know anyone who doesn't like the English, we are fed up with the constant London centric media, but then I suppose so are many northerners.

But at this part of the election, I get the distinct feeling that its actually the Scots who are reviled and disliked by the English, as though we get given so much and its all due to English taxpayers.

More is being said recently to damage the UK staying together than I heard during the referendum.

I feel exactly the same about London-centric media, ssd, I am in the SW England.

I, probably naively again, have never heard of there being a dislike towards the Scots. I certainly don't feel that way and have greatly admired NS during this campaign.

I feel the same as Tril said above; I wish that Scotland felt represented in the UK, and Wales and NI for that matter, and that we could act as a proper UK, with everyone's best interests.

I have no grudge against the English, Welsh or Irish or whoever but I do have a problem with bankers not being punished for gambling with our money, with huge tax avoidance from those who can afford it most and with two-party politics that represents only themselves in their need for power rather than those who elected them

Here, here voluptuagoodshag!!

Unlike the SNP who graciously accepted the people of Scotland did not share their wish for independence and have steadfastly stuck to their promise that it was a once in a generation event.

I think most of us "like" each other, this island is too small for everyone to take sides!

I've just been amazed at some of the things I've heard the last few days by politicians, a few months ago all we heard was "Keep Scotland in the UK", now it feels like "Who do they think they are, expecting to actually have a say in how they are governed"...

Are you sometimes being sarcastic in your posts, demystified? It's not translating well and confusing I must say with all due respect. Politics is confusing enough!

If the SNP genuinely want to 'kick Cameron out of no.10', shouldn't the advice be we all vote Labour?

Nicola Sturgeon today announced that she wanted an absolutely massive increase in UK public spending.

She has also been very clear that she wants an independent Scotland.

She has also been crystal clear that she believes that an independent Scotland should not take on any of the debt run up by the United Kingdom.

She knows she's writing a blank cheque which nobody who votes for her will ever agree to honour.

If we end up with a Labour/SNP coalition we are going to end up with an England deliberately crippled by debt to weaken it's influence in Europe and internationally and neuter any threat posed to an independent Scotland.

We are also going to saddle our English children and grandchildren with a huge debt run up by parties the majority of us didn't vote for promoted by a woman who is not even standing for election as an MP.

WizardofSnoz, your post hightlights exactly what I'm talking about, well done.

Do you realise Scotland has a minority of Conservative voters and didnt vote for the parties in power?

Saga my last post was sarcasm.

WizardofSnoz as much as I dislike the SNP, if they and Labour are both lying and decide to go into coalition then the majority will have voted for it. It is the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

I agree it's shocking.

I've been a lifelong Labour supporter, and have been completely turned off by Labour's sense of complacency and entitlement in Scotland. Their performance during Indyref was just ridiculous - just completely negative with no effort put into making a positive argument. (And I was a no voter until quite close to the vote).

I never thought I'd vote SNP but have been blown away by Nicola Sturgeon. She's clear, consistent and presents a straightforward, value driven case for creating a better and fairer world.

The way she has been portrayed in the media is nothing short of disgraceful, but my expectations of the press are very low anyway. The reaction of the other politicians has been quite eye opening. I was quite surprised how riled and tetchy David Cameron was on the Marr show yesterday and Boris Johnson's comments today were outrageous.

However, my twitter feed is almost exclusively full of admiration and respect for her. I think the Tories and Labour are playing this wrongly - she's winning people over. Demonising her might just backfire.

People are being turned off by Cameron and Miliband because of their "keep repeating myself without answering the question and folk will eventually believe me just to get me to shut up" politics.
Cameron on the Marr show was disgraceful. It they actually said something like, 'well I'm not a clairvoyant so who know who will win, I'm not ruling out any coalition but I won't be drawn further' folk would be (more) satisfied with that answer than the downright refusal to accept that they might not win. It reeks of arrogance and stupidity.

Its like the emperors new clothes with Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP. I hope people in Scotland realise this before it's too late.

Scotland returned a no vote, demystified.

People made their minds up already.

She is this year's Nick Clegg ... She has absolutely nothing to lose and knows it ...