To think the SNP are just bullies

[pbromum2]

Always have been and still are to this day.

Salmond boasting that they will write labours budget. Even though they will only get the similar amount of votes that the greens get. I don't support DC but even he is probably better than as.

twitter.com/essbo/status/590854050444398592

There are a lot of people who were very adamant no voters in the referendum but are now voting SNP. Can't blame them. They are doing what's best for Scotland same as Southern England do what's best for them.

I know some people who voted no because they were too worried about the economy if Scotland went independent. I don't know who they will vote for, but they might vote SNP.

If the SNP are to be believed, Labour could form a minority government without them. They say they will never vote with the Tories which means they either have to vote with Labour or abstain as Tories are normally the ones opposing Labour. Hence, Labour could ignore them.

I do think this whole talking up the power of the SNP is playing right into the SNPs hands though. If Scots think they will have as much power as the Tories say then there is much more point in voting for them if you live in Scotland.

I think the Scots voted no because they were scared of currency, not being in the EU and pensions. Now if they can have nearly everything else separate then what's not to like to quote a phrase. It will be devo max (sp?) which is what they really wanted anyway.

I voted 'No' because I felt Scotland was better off in the UK, and that the UK was better with Scotland in it, and because I didn't believe the pro-independence campaign's claims and promises.

Oh look...another SNP bashing thread

And again...I bang my head off my desk at those who keep spouting on about the 55% who voted NO

That is completely irrelevant! The vote was for independence not SNP. The general election is entirely different....I need vodka.

SNP represent their constituents. They won't be able to force unpopular polices on the English. If necessary labour and the Tories will join forces to prevent silly legislation.

Silly legislation? Silly?

Give me strength.

SNP are arrogant fools. They are the most annoying party, I'd vote anyone else before them, even ukip

Go for it, SNP. There is a line from Don Quixote that says, let the dogs bark, it is a sign that we are making progress.

Oh look...another SNP bashing thread

And why not? There are Tories bashing threads, UKIP bashing threads, Tories bashing threads which turn into Labour bashing threads, and Lib dem bashing threads. There must be Green bashing threads out there too though I seem to have missed those. Isn't it great that we are able to be critical about all our politicians? Wouldn't it be awful if we were unable to bash the SNP?

SetPhasersTaeMalkie

I feel that not renewing Trident is a bad idea given the threat that we face from ISIS and Putin. However if the Scots really do not want nuclear weapons on their soil then we need to find a new home. If the SNP are in a coalition then prehaps they can push for the removal of Trident from Scottish soil, but agree to it being renewed. In a coalition all parties have to compromise to make it work.

A democracy has a range of opinons. Some people will think some ideas are sensible and others will think policies are silly. For example the SNP believe that we should spend money like water and bugger austerity. Other parties think that spending money we haven't got is reckless. However the conservative plans for more cuts feels me with horror. Again I think that compromise between spending money like water and living like scrooge needs to be made.

I feel that the SNP have a lot of excellent ideas, but they also have their fair share of silly ideas. If they were part of a coalition then some of their better ideas would have to be considered.

Not renewing trident is a fantastic idea and I will vote to ensure there are as many anti trident MPs in Westminster as possible.

That's SNP for me. Yes there are other parties opposing it's renewal (SSP and Scottish Greens) but to have any chance of ousting Labour from a 45 year old safe seat, it's SNP.

For that reason, amongst many others, it's a vote for the SNP for me.

I like these threads. Every time one appears there are more great posters calmly and rationality dispelling myths and the negative image the press (especially the press outwith Scotland) are perpetrating.

I'm enraged by Scottish editions of the national papers omitting the wildly inaccurate, unbalanced and scare mongering articles that are being distributed throughout the rest of the UK.

Scots that angers me to regarding the Scottish editions of the DM and the Sun going by the headlines I see on the main editions on Sky News!

You should vote for the party you feel will do best for you and your family IMO.
I skimmed the main parties' manifestos this afternoon and as I scrolled the UKIP list of pledges it was the "50-50 residency of children for separating families" and "..... Grandparent's rights" that stopped me in my tracks.
At first glance I can see why these would be popular policies but I don't see that a being neccessarily good for children. A bit of a blanket measure.
So although I was probably unlikely to vote for them anyway, I as surprised to find their other policies less distasteful (at least on the surface) than I was expecting. Anyway, that did it for me. No UKIP vote here.
I do see that there are problems with low wages and over crowding, and that large numbers of immigrants (sorry, that is a horrible word isn't it) might have a part in that. But I dont think that is the full story. And I don't think UKIP have the answer. I agree there probably need to be changes and open debates, but I worry that there is a "pre- hollocaust" vibe to some of the blame culture.

Oh bugger. I meant thT to go on the ukip thread. Sorry.

For example the SNP believe that we should spend money like water and bugger austerity.

The SNP are actually proposing increasing public expenditure yearly by 0.5%. This is a very small amount but the argument is that it will help generate employment and income, and therefore put tax revenue back in to the Exchequer.

The SNP is the party of government in Scotland. It is not a party of bullies - it has a progressive agenda, slightly left of centre, and is offering people in Scotland the only real alternative to the swinging austerity on offer from the other main parties.

If the SNP ends up with a large group of MPs in Westminster after the election, it is likely to be to the benefit of other voters in the UK too, because they will oppose the excesses of austerity and stick up for the NHS, education etc UK-wide.

The only bullies I can see at the moment are the Westminster establishment - press and politicians - who are indulging in hysteria, threats and smears against the SNP and Scotland in general, because they are scared that their cosy little two-and-a-bit party set-up at Westminster is under threat.

If Labour get in, all that SNP will be able to do is vote for, abstain or against their proposals. They will not have enough votes to push through their policies. So this is just scare mongering.

sconequeen you mean no austerity apart from that they have imposed through cuts in local government funding and freezing of council tax leading to sweeping cuts in local services provided to the disabled and elderly, squeezes on education leading to reductions in number of teaching assistants in schools and promised caps on class sizes which were never met. Services are all being centralised down to the central belt including planning decisions (eg. Trump, wind farms). Councils finding it impossible to recruit teachers are having their budgets cut even more.. I could go on.

Speaking of interesting maps...
www.electionforecast.co.uk/

bilberry the Scottish government can only work within the budget Westminster chooses to allocate them.

Their primary aim is Not to break up the union

Ha ha ha ha ha ha! You cannot be serious!

Whilst not perfect, I've been impressed with them in government in Scotland. They have used the government budget to protect the most vulnerable people in our society against the bedroom tax. People like my friend who is on her own with two boys, disabled after her last birth who waited for 3 years to be offered suitable accommodation on one level.

Because that property happened to have 3 bedrooms and she happens to have two boys she was hit with the bedroom tax. Fortunately she happens to live in Scotland under an SNP government who happen to give a shit and actually look out for people and has had the impact of the bedroom tax mitigated and awarded a discretionary housing payment. Not without a lot of worrying about it in the first place.

That's the kind of voice I want for all of the UK in government. I'd love independence for Scotland but accept that's off the table now. So it's time to ensure Scotland has a voice. For the first time ever people are actually paying attention to Scotland. The Tories don't need our vote and have barely bothered with us. Labour have been dangerously complacent that Scotland will return lots of Labour seats election after election.

Now we night actually make a difference. It looks like Scotland is thinking and possibly voting outside of the box everyone has been happy for us to be in and it's scaring the pants off people. Hence the full force of the establishment dir the second time in 7 months.

the Scottish government can only work within the budget Westminster chooses to allocate them

Rubbish. They could choose to allow councils to increase council tax to help pay for essential services but they don't. They choose to trumpet their "progressive" council tax freeze policy whilst dumping the problem of how to pay for essential local services to local authorities who are then the ones left with the hard choices about cuts. It's disingenuous at best and dishonest at worst.