To vote with my head instead of my heart?

[ImNotDaveGorman]

I need advice from random people as I don’t like to talk politics in real life.

I’m in scotland and we have an election next month. The 2 main parties in my area are SNP and conservative. TBH I really dislike them both, but absolutely detest SNP. For reasons I’m not going to get in to I really don’t want scotland to be independent (also, that is not what I want this tread to be about!). I found it so difficult during the last referendum-people were horrific to each other and I want that vote to stand.

So, every time there has been an election I have voted for the party I do like, but every time the results come out the percentages are tiny for any party that is not SNP or conservative! So, basically, I feel like my vote is being wasted.

So....
YABU-vote with your heart for the party you want

YANBU-vote conservative, the lesser of 2 evils (in my eyes) and hopefully we won’t have to go through a second referendum

Again-this is not a thread to change my mind on my reasons for being against Scottish independence, so I won’t be having that argument.

"In Gaelic, "beach" is not "strand" as in the rest of the Scandinavian influenced world (or even "fjara") but the incomprehensible, and unpronouncable "tràigh". I'm really good at languages, I make a passable attempt at 3 of them, but I have no idea how to pronounce "tràigh", nor do I have any desire to learn. Alien word."

Alien FFS. It's a Celtic language, not a Scandinavian one and traigh looks like a Celtic word. Yes, it's normal that you're not sure how to pronounce it if you're unwilling to learn.

@Mistressinthetulips

The line that sealed it for me was

“Candidates, activists, members, supporters go over the score on social media,” he said. “I don’t think they should do that. I deprecate that, and I think social media tends to engender an atmosphere where otherwise sensible people step out of line, and they shouldn’t do it.”

He had the prefect opportunity to stand up for the women highlighting safeguarding failures and the attempted erasure of women's right but he began by almost agreeing with them.

Obviously there is no place for threats online or offline but my god, pointing out for example that peadophiles are let off here in Scotland is a fact.

Pointing out that women have been sexually assaulted in prisons because only the (rapist) TW's needs were considered are a fact.

Thats what I took away anyway.

Thank you, I see what you mean now though I assumed it was criticising extreme comments (like homophobic slurs on PH) I did like the bit that said -
It is not reasonable to call people standing up for women’s rights transphobic,” the party said. “No amount of abusive slurs or physical intimidation will prevent Alba from continuing to stand up for the rights of women and girls as we have done in this election.”

Can any Conservative voters please explain their reasoning? Genuinely curious.

@Morgan12

The Green Party voted against single sex exemption for forensic examinations for rape victims, amongst so many other things.

The Green Party's ( see also lib dems) policys were written when Aimee Challenor was a very influential part of the party.

Anas Sarwar believes in Self ID. Granted he doesn't seem AS bad a Keir Starmer but he's not far off.

The SNP well there is the hate crime bill and Nicolas close relationship with the male now in charge of Edinburgh Rape Crisis and the silencing of GC members of the party.

grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/a-fox-in-the-hen-house

So despite never ever considering voting Conservative I did so today.

I contacted Conservatives (wont say who and will omit names) and got this response,

"Thank you for contacting me about the SNP Government’s Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, and I am grateful for your support in this election. I know first-hand that xxxx is an excellent candidate and if elected he will be a champion for people across xxxxx.

Intolerance, bigotry, racism or prejudice of any kind should not be accepted anywhere in a civilised society.

We must recognise the profound harm which hate crimes cause to the victim and the community they belong to, but there is a vital balance to be struck between freedom of expression and cracking down on prejudice. The SNP Government’s proposed legislation did not strike this balance.

In general, I support the findings of Lord Bracadale’s review in 2018 that the best way to punish hate crime is by aggravators which can be added to existing crimes, rather than standalone hate crime offences.

The SNP’s offences of ‘stirring up hatred’ threaten freedom of speech, and fail the simple tests of being clear, certain and capable of enforcement. There was an unprecedented response to the Justice Committee’s call for views on the Hate Crime Bill and most of those published so far raise grave concerns about this area. The Scottish Police Federation stated the bill could ‘devastate’ the relationship between the police and the public. The Scottish Newspaper Society said it ‘poses a serious threat to freedom of expression’ and the Faculty of Advocates warned that the Bill’s flaws mean there is ‘no alternative but to reconsider the draft bill’.

The Scottish Conservatives called a debate to focus Parliament’s collective mind on how to prevent the most problematic parts becoming law – but it was voted down by the SNP and all other parties. As our concerns were ignored, we voted against this Bill at Stage 1.

Our Stage 3 Amendments which would have protected free speech were voted down by the SNP and all other parties. As a result, we could not support the Bill at the final vote as it threatened freedom of speech and failed to protect the right to privacy.

As you recognise, amendments were lodged at Stage 3 of the legislative process that would have strengthened the free speech provisions in respect of women. In particular, we supported amendments 11B and 17 which explicitly included this terminology for the avoidance of doubt. I was disappointed the SNP Government could not support them.

We have been able to stand up to this Bill in part and pass some amendments because the SNP do not currently have a majority in Parliament. The only way to stop an SNP majority again and get the Scottish Parliament 100% focused on rebuilding Scotland after coronavirus is to vote for the Scottish Conservatives on your party list ballot in May’s election"

This is also worth a listen

forwomen.scot/01/05/2021/election-hustings/

And Douglas Ross voted against gay marriage and gay rights. He wants stricter measures for asylum seekers. The Tories literally take food from children's mouths and laugh at the idea of nurses getting a payrise. But to each their own eh.

It was very difficult to find a party to vote for this time, I think sometimes you have to prioritise the issue that at the moment you think is the most pressing one.