Why do we need a general election now?

[SpiceAddict]

Conservative are obviously going to win. What's the point in doing this now?

[Anon1234567890]

Or maybe JC is just monumentally crap?

[helpmesusan]

Lol @ skerrywind.

I do hope so.

[UpAwfYerSeatWeeNippy]

She's hoping to destabilise Scotland and wipe out Labour whilst she's at it. Absolutely ruthless, can only hope against hope it will severely backfire on her. I doubt it, but will still hope

Scotland is destabilized by the snp, nobody else. She is trying to stop the SNP from destabilising scotland further. Nichols sturgeon is trying to tear our country apart without the support of the Scottish people. She is a dictator. We need Theresa May to do this more than ever, prove her mandate as the leader of the United kingdom.
Nicola sturgeon believes independence transcends the economy. She will make Scotland's people desperately poor in her quest for power. The scottish economy us tanking because of her. She has every intention to sabotage brexit negotiations and UK interests. Teresa is doing the right thing. She isn't doing it because of labour, They are no threat.

[0live]

You sound a little deranged Wee Nippy.

You may not agree with her views but NS is not " a dictator " , she's elected. Her party hold 56/59 seats, she clearly has a mandate and "the support of the Scottish people " , whatever you say.

[alreadytaken]

it's worth repeating a few times - May wants to bury the suggestion that the Tories bought the last election. She sees an opportunity to bury that scandal, She said many times she wouldnt have an election but that was before it was clear there was a case to answer.

[MidnightAura]

Olive I think the 55% who voted no at the once in a lifetime generation proved the snp do not have the will of the Scottish people.

I for one am considering voting Tory for the first time ever because I can't stand the snp and what they are doing to Scotland and they unfortunately are the only party standing up to NS and her one way road back to Indy ref2

[MidnightAura]

Once in a life time elsection- damn autocorrect!

[MidnightAura]

Election even. Third time lucky.

[NoLotteryWinYet]

I agree midnight, Ruth Davidson has been the most consistently impressive opposition to indyrf2 although Kezia Dugdale and William Rennie were also good in the debate (and Neil Findlay). I'm hoping the message that the SNP aren't governing Scotland well is beginning to get across. If only the labour leadership was better at WM.

[skerrywind]

Olive I think the 55% who voted no at the once in a lifetime generation proved the snp do not have the will of the Scottish people.

But that was before Brexit.

Scotland is now being asked a completely different question.
Many who voted no to indyref1 and remain will now vote SNP.

Ruth Davidson is a joke, a nasty spiteful bitter woman,
She has helped the SNP cause significantly.

[NoLotteryWinYet]

And also before oil prices tanked - the economic case for independence is weaker because of oil and Brexit.

[0live]

My recollection is that it was ' once in a generation ' which is 25 years, not once in a lifetime. And it was a throwaway remark by AS not a legally binding agreement that could never be changed whatever the circumstances .

But I may be wrong.

And you are talking about Indy ref . I was addressing your point where you said NS was a dictator and pointing out that democratic elections have shown that the SNP indeed does have a mandate to govern Scotland.

The SNP government was elected on a manifesto with indyref 2. That's what people seem to want.

I get that you don't agree with SNP polices which is of course your right. Political debate is a good thing.

But you would look less bonkers and slightly more credible if you actually pointed out where they are wrong rather than calling elected members dictators.

[user40788]

I think May called the election because the 2015 election expenses scandal was about to blow and would cause a lot of by-elections and reduce the Tory majority, so she has announced an election to try and avoid this.

[fascicle]

It's galling that the Tories are able to waste £millions of public/other parties' money for an election which is for the benefit of the Tory government and not in the interests of the electorate.

[LagunaBubbles]

Well said Olive. I to get that not everyone in Scotland supports the SNP but they have been elected democratically! So many people on here just come across as bitter and spiteful because their hatred for the SNP stops them thinking that.... oh others might not think the same. We will soon see how much support they do or don't have eh!

[MorrisZapp]

Olive, lots of Scots voted leave and even more didn't care enough either way to bother voting.

Life long nationalist Jim Sillars has said he'll abstain from indyref 2 if it's on a pro EU platform.

Some people are passionate enough remainers to swap to a yes vote, but equally many will swap to no.

[MorrisZapp]

And absolutely, in a few weeks we'll see which direction support for the SNP has gone. If it isn't down, I'll bare my arse on the Scott Monument.

[makeourfuture]

I think May called the election because the 2015 election expenses scandal was about to blow and would cause a lot of by-elections and reduce the Tory majority, so she has announced an election to try and avoid this.

Of interest.

[NoLotteryWinYet]

The SNP wouldn't be doing so well if the anti Indy vote wasn't split at least 3 ways. Sturgeon can say this GE is a vote for independence but it isn't, she's merely setting herself up to claim that to bolster her case for the next referendum - on the if you say it's true enough times some people may buy it logic.

[PeterHouseMD]

With support for SNP in the previous election at such an unprecedented high, there is really only one direction it can go.

Fortunately, we'll be spared your bare arse, MorrisZapp

[MorrisZapp]

I'll cancel the sunbed :)

[peukpokicuzo]

It is mainly about the fact that she is about to lose her majority because of the 30 seats under investigation due to electoral malpractice.

If Labour had any sense at all they would vote against the proposal to have a general election, allow the by-elections to go ahead and increase their power that way.

Sadly Labour do not have any sense.

[user1491148352]

With her current, slim majority, she has to bow to the demands of the ultra right within the Conservative party who think they have carte blanche for a right wing coup. If she has more MPs she can tell them to take a hike.....I hope.

[peukpokicuzo]

No that's a ridiculous fantasy user1491148352. An increased majority will be taken as an endorsement of the far right policies they are currently working on. It will make things worse nit better.

[NoLotteryWinYet]

I don't know, i imagine she'll have some flexibility to push through a baker of policies, some attracting the support of the right of her party and others the left. A bigger majority will help the govt execute across the board, doesn't imply a consistent lurch in either direction.