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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wonder what the scots are thinking

221 replies

Ruperta · 07/05/2015 23:14

If the exit polls are to be believed then tge Scots will have massively turned out in favour of SNP. This is less than 12 months after voting no to independence.

Why then vote SNP? Have they shot themselves in the foot or are the Scottish going to be protected from the welfare cuts that are going to be imposed on us? Are there NHS and education budgets more protected? Honest questions as I'm very confused!

Feeling very disappointed

OP posts:
PrivatePike · 08/05/2015 15:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StatisticallyChallenged · 08/05/2015 15:23

Been better Deeeedeee, had an accident a couple of months back so spent the last couple of months mainly stuck in the house. Bored.com!!

deeedeee · 08/05/2015 15:26

aw bless, poor you, sounds crap. I've been better too, my mum died recently and i'm finding it hard to cope with.

StatisticallyChallenged · 08/05/2015 15:29

I'm so sorry Flowers

deeedeee · 08/05/2015 15:33

och i know, sorry too x

But hey, politics! Who did you vote for? Did you get SNP?

StatisticallyChallenged · 08/05/2015 15:39

Yup, no blue, red or yellow panda for us Grin. Was kind of expected, massive swing but not much of a surprise. My seat includes the tower block which was festooned with Saltires and Yes flags before (and for a while after!) the indyref. I fear that combined with a conservative majority it's not going to result in the strong Scottish voice people are hoping for, but it was heartening that Cameron's speech at least promised to push the reform legislation through. We'll see if it happens of course but I think it would help if that promise was kept.

It feels like there aren't any good viable alternatives in Scotland at the moment - I know you're pro indy but there are so many people who aren't and wouldn't vote for the SNP because they don't agree with them on such a central issue, but feel like they've nowhere else to go.

deeedeee · 08/05/2015 15:47

I'm pro indy but I don't vote SNP. although I am more inclined to recently, have been impressed on how their new members have been influencing policy and by Sturgeon's ability to notice and hit on that. Also liked her reaching out to the rest of the UK.

I worry now about the SNP having so many MP's, especially with Fergus Ewing being so influential. I really hope that it's a good thing. I'm no more a fan of FPTP than I ever was and even though part of me is chuffed to see those in Scotland who want change making a huge statement, I don't like the fact that half the country is gutted still. I really hope the SNP do a good job and deserve the support.

I'm gutted about the Tories though. Was hoping for a Labour/SNP deal type thing. Such a shame about labour. Jim Murphy totally ballsed it all up

StatisticallyChallenged · 08/05/2015 15:54

It's all just still so divided at the moment isn't it? I'm not sure what comes next tbh.

Wish Mr Murphy would feck off though and take his irn bru crates with him. I don't think he was ever very popular...mind there are few Labour politicians who are in Scotland at the moment. I don't think the referendum hurt the Scottish Tories nearly as badly - I know quite a few (non Tories) who are quite impressed with Ruth Davidson but would struggle to name a Labour politician they'd like to see in charge.

deeedeee · 08/05/2015 16:01

Hopefully everyone lost respect for Ruth Davidson yesterday with her fake tweets about SNP intimidation at polling stations.

Yes, it seems the whole world is divided between folk who think they are pragmatic and rational and it's best to put the economy first, and those who want change and see the system that's been built over the last fifty years as unequal and unfair.

And they hate each other.

it's rubbish

StatisticallyChallenged · 08/05/2015 16:16

I wasn't following her that closely - saw the story but didn't see that it had been shown false or not? Miles away from the polling station mentioned...

There is just such a hideous gulf and I'm sure that some middle ground exists. You know me, I'm very much the pragmatic rational type but not because I'm wedded to some economic ideal so much as I think if you screw the economy everything else becomes a bit of a moot point! But I think a lot could be improved gradually in a way that didn't suddenly turn things upside down. I may have splinters in my bum!

I just feel like so many of the basics are kind of shit - my recent experiences with the NHS were godawful, school situation around here isn't great and is only getting worse and I don't know anyone who doesn't thing CfE is a crock! And the rearrangement of the police seems to have caused lots of problems too.

CrystalCove · 08/05/2015 16:19

Yes both Police Scotland and Dumfries and Galloway Council confirmed it was rubbish.

OOAOML · 08/05/2015 16:34

Wouldn't have expected that from Ruth - she didn't have a lot to lose in this election after all. Jim not popular, but can Labour keep lurching from leader to leader? (I am a fairly new member, didn't vote for him, but think it was always going to be a virtually impossible task in this election).

I am so tired. And I cannot get the image of watching my (previous) MP writing his speech out of my head. And seeing office staff realising they will be out of a job as well. Hell of a night. Glad I saw it through though, to the last Edinburgh declaration.

And now we face an EU referendum. Think I will take the weekend off from thinking about it, I'm done for just now.

deeedeee · 08/05/2015 16:36

But is it screwed? In whose context? I don't understand why there's this common perception that the economy is such a mess. If you compare it with other periods in history, other countries, other governments then how does it fare? and in the global context?

These things just seem to become a narrative that if repeated often and often enough becomes true. Like the whole "Acjockolypse" thing. and immigration thing.

Are you worrying that the basic s being shit is because of the SNP?

I'm a wee bit fence sitting too, but more inclined to the left of the fence.

StatisticallyChallenged · 08/05/2015 16:51

I didn't say it was screwed (sorry I was a bit unclear I think) - I was talking in more futuristic terms i.e. if you try to make big dramatic changes quickly you might screw it.

I think many of the things for which power is devolved aren't actually as good as we're told they are. I don't think the SNP are doing the brilliant job they/their supporters claim.

I'm a left bumcheeked fence sitter too I'd say.

RJnomore · 08/05/2015 17:17

I think it's a bit rich to blame jim given he's only been in the job a few months.

ladymarian · 08/05/2015 20:09

The Scots have voted for who they think can best represent them at Westminster. In my experience, Scots are appalled by the Tories and their policies and feel let down by Labour.

dementedma · 08/05/2015 20:50

Jim Murphy got a poisoned chalice. I predict he will be back.

Jackieharris · 08/05/2015 21:03

They did get 50.something of the vote didn't they?

Have labour or the Tories ever got that?

England and Scotland are different politically. Maybe it will take this result for that to really sink in.

What long term democratic solution is there to that other than independence or something very close to that?

HirplesWithHaggis · 08/05/2015 21:13

Jim may only have been "leader of Scottish Labour" for a few months, but he was very much to the fore during the indyref campaign. And Nicola hasn't been leader of the SNP for very long either; her results are a bit better.

RJnomore · 08/05/2015 21:28

Well I reckon it's a bit rich to congratulate Nicola as well.

HirplesWithHaggis · 08/05/2015 21:45

Why? Confused She took her party from 6MPs to 56, surely that's an achievement worthy of congratulation?

RJnomore · 08/05/2015 21:53

Again, she's only been in charge a matter of months.

A team I manage at work are finalists for a national award but I've only been in charge of them for months. It's not because of me they are.

TheChandler · 08/05/2015 22:10

Statistically I just feel like so many of the basics are kind of shit - my recent experiences with the NHS were godawful, school situation around here isn't great and is only getting worse and I don't know anyone who doesn't thing CfE is a crock

I feel the same. I can't see what the Scottish Government has done to improve my life (but obviously not being poor enough to count as one of the worthy poor, I don't count for anything but how much more tax can be screwed out of me). The transport infrastructure is still dire, the schools are pretty poor, the NHS in Scotland has massive waiting lists to get onto massive waiting lists. The whole country seems to be getting covered in housing estates (other than the nicer bits where you can't get planning permission, and obviously holiday homes are bad so not allowed one of them either without punitive tax).

I'm also sick and tired of the abusive behaviour that seems to be mistaken for being clever and feisty in Scotland now - and not just in politics. Just going out for a run or using a public gym generally gets you quite a few abusive comments, or you have to listen to a bunch of men swearing and shouting. pas de normal...

I'm sick and tired of Scotland, of hearing about how special Scotland is, how unjust life is for Scots and in fact of living there. I'm so glad I don't live there any more and if I return to the UK, it will be to England. At least there are a few smallish towns and large villages there that haven't been ruined by an out of town supermarket or yet another retail park. The local planning authority in Scotland where our family home was didn't even ensure pavements built next to new roads...

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 08/05/2015 22:18

"The Scots have voted for who they think can best represent them at Westminster...."

And 50% of us have almost no representation at Westminster. It is not democratic, and I have been effectively disenfranchised.

Behooven · 08/05/2015 22:36

I really dislike that "the Scots" this and "the Scots " that..like we are just one big homogenous blob. 50%ish of us didn't vote SNP but we are all being lumped in together. I suppose it's the same for the English, I saw a post somewhere blaming "the English", plenty of them didn't vote conservative.