Are Nicola's days numbered?

[Jourdain11]

I'm curious - does anyone else get a vague sense that Nicola Sturgeon's leadership of the SNP is going to come under some serious fire pretty soon?

I reckon if it wasn't for Brexit, she would have been in hot water already. The Jim Sillars accusations (about issues within the party) are interesting and the SNP have some hugely impressive figures like Dr Philippa Whitford, Joanna Cherry, even Ian Blackford to some extent...

The weird thing about the SNP post-referendum is that they have almost no ideological compass within their own party, other than independence. It's kind of interesting - they were essentially conceived as a one-issue party but now find themselves in government for +10 years and the cracks potentially starting to show... I don't think half the SNP Westminster crew (many of whom, let's not forget, weren't even party members pre-referendum) are fully signed-up to Nicola Sturgeon's brand of SNP-ism.

So: Yes - she's on the ropes. No - she's invincible and will carry on like Merkel till she's ready to go!

I saw a call for a new pro-independence party reported in the Scottish press earlier this week (sorry cannot remember where).
I think Nicola’s time was coming to a natural end, pre-virus, and I believe there may have been more fallout from the Alex Salmond case had lockdown not come up.
Essentially, as you say, the SNP were a pro-independence lobby and in my opinion they’ve not got the depth to govern successfully. Sadly, the other parties in Scotland are also pretty weak.
Covid-19 has taken the focus away from the day job and the Scottish governments poor track record. But ultimately the lack of economic understanding and failure to encourage growth will mean we will never generate the gdp to maintain independence.

It was in the Herald, I think. I read it too.

I'm just constantly amazed by the way English people seem to think that she is the ultimate competent leader and the SNP are governing effectively. There are so many issues under their government and, after 10 years, they really can't blame anyone else.

She's a smart operator, I'd agree - and she does that thing, like Merkel, of not leaving any gaps when she's interviewed. She also has her smart little formula when challenged ("Well, look, I'm not going to deny that it's true, BUT what you're bit taking into account is...").

And yeah, other parties - deeply underwhelming. Labour are NEVER going to recover from having Kezia Dugdale as leader. The Tories are never going to recover from losing Ruth Davidson. And this is the Liberal Democrats.

Nope.

The Tories are never going to recover from losing Ruth Davidson.

Is that a typo? Wtf she's an insufferable wanker.

It’s be interesting to see economically how Scotland would have coped with CV if it was independent. With the oil price so low, I doubt it could have afforded lockdown to the same extent that we have coped with it as the U.K. ( and yes, I know it’s all through borrowing)

No, I think her stock has shot through the roof, actually.

It’s be interesting to see economically how Scotland would have coped with CV if it was independent. With the oil price so low, I doubt it could have afforded lockdown to the same extent that we have coped with it as the U.K. ( and yes, I know it’s all through borrowing)

Same as all other small independent countries. Same as the UK. Borrowing. Oh wait you said it in your last sentence. So to u know. You just want to make some weird point.

I’m not sure borrowing would be such an easy option when the major industry has just crashed.

I think she's fairly secure.

However i do wonder what she will do longer term re tax rates here - uk tax rates will surely rise in future years to help pay back the borrowings re covid. Will the snp still keep Scottish tax payers at higher level than the rest of the uk?

I am not a fan, but do think she's come across well during this. Time will tell I suppose

Never liked her myself and am not a fan of the SNP in general and there insistence on independence even though it wasn't voted for. However she has gone up in my estimation throughout the current crisis and I do actually think she has handled this well (apart from the CMO debacle) Still won't vote for her though!

"I think her stock has shot through the roof"

Me too.
She seems amazingly competent compared to Boris & co
No piffle

Of course, the Unionists hate her
but they'd hate any leader of any independence party, whatever it is called
because they hate the idea of Scottish Independence

I hope Scotland don't leave us - and imo they can't afford to - but I refuse to trash their leaders for wanting independence

Oh and I thought Ruth Davidson was one of the best Tory politicans in the UK
She had the sense to get out, to avoid the piffle

No

His history regarding the recent Salmond allegations is very murky.

@Twooter what's the UK's industry then that makes borrowing so secure? Ireland's?

Nope, not anytime soon. Someone like Joanna Cherry will take over eventually but not for a while I wager.

Recent poll reporting that Scottish Parliament heading for an increased number of SNP MSPs being elected in the elections next May - that usually secures the position of any political leader.