To wonder why people keep voting SNP?

[Carla786]

I don't know a lot about Scottish politics and I may be missing important things they've done. However, I used to have a lot of respect for Nicola Sturgeon but her handling of gender critical issues has destroyed that. The SNP do not seem very effective at reducing drugs, poverty, or other serious issues.
My understanding was that quite a few people vote SNP not because they want independence (which most Scots appear to not want) but because they think the SNP are more committed to Scotland sorcifically than Tories and Labour. How accurate is this though..?

Since most Scots appear to not want independence, I thought the SNP was probably high achieving in other areas & Tories & Labour seen as poor by comparison. Or is it more often seen as the best of 3 bad options? Or is SNP much more positive than the impression I've got?

Maybe instead of posting bad journalism all the time, you would benefit from researching these things yourself? Just a thought.

Yes and I ignored that because 0.1% of the population being treated the way they are on here is cruel and I want no part in it.

Oh soz, if it's not in the National, it doesn't count, right?

Poor men. Having to stay out of spaces not for them.

I don’t read the National.

They cost a lot of money and many families would have bought everything that was in them themselves anyway. You get them for each child, so you end up with duplicates of things like digital thermometers and baby slings. They were introduced around the time my youngest was born and I turned one down for those reasons. The idea that they give each child an equal start is nonsense when there is so much inequality within Scotland and some children will have access to so much, whilst others have almost nothing. I'd much rather the baby box budget was targeted at the children whose families have almost nothing, rather than providing a cute photo app for the middle classes.

Males are 50% of the population. Not 0.1%.

As you've already been told.

You have to apply for them. Why are people who have all the stuff themselves applying for them?

From one 'GlasgowGal' to another, this is an extremely ignorant take. Many families are actually in dire straits thanks to years of poverty largely driven by Tory policies, or are you going to blame that on the SNP too? I really think you are way off base citing this as a photo op for middle classes - come on.

Even New York's new mayor has been inspired by it: Scotland sends baby box to New York after mayor Mamdani cites policy | New York | The Guardian

Oh dear me. That’s really not the ringing endorsement you think it is. 🙈🙈

Have you read the testimony of the woman who was subjected to sexual assault by transwomen in prison? Now that’s the real cruelty here.

What ‘Tory policies’ would these be?

If you had also read the post I made 15 minutes ago you will see that I have acknowledged that the SNP have done a good job of mitigating the worst parts of the Tory's welfare reforms. Despite having a significant mandate for almost 20 years they've not done the redistributive things that would allow them to reach their child poverty targets. I'm well aware of the dire straits that many families in Scotland are in and I'd much prefer to see resources properly targeted on that, rather than the universal vote winners that the SNP seem to prefer like baby boxes, free prescriptions, free school meals, free bus travel etc.

I've also voted SNP many times and voted for independence. I don't think that they are all bad, but I am disappointed overall in how little they have achieve, especially in ending poverty, which I am highly invested in.

As was indicated in the 'views on universal availability' section of the Baby Box: Evaluation publication -

https://www.gov.scot/publications/baby-box-evaluation/pages/7/

I don't know, but 24% of children in Scotland live in poverty and uptake of the baby boxes is over 90%.

It also looks like another middle class photo op to me...

The two child limit, the benefit cap, the benefits freeze and below inflation increases, the bedroom tax, benefits sanctions, scrapping housing benefit for most under 21s, the five week wait for universal credit, need I go on?

Fair enough, I didn't see the earlier post. Yes they have and what a shame that so much time and spending has to be put into mitigating these awful policies versus eliminating the poverty you speak of. And yet you criticise them for not eliminating poverty? Really? You must surely see that without control of all the necessary levers within an independent Scotland this can never be possible. Something has got to give when you're always being pulled in the direction of prevention rather than directing the country to thrive instead.

As it happens, I'm not thrilled by any political party at the moment but I 1) still believe in independence and 2) support many of their policies like baby boxes, free prescriptions etc for all which you seem to disagree with. So to address the OP I support many of their long standing policies and importance placed on social care generally, so while I disagree with other things I will still vote for them over any other nonsense at the ballot box. Reform, Labour...you could weep.

Like you I support the ethos of the party, but I also feel let down because I don't think they've used the levers that they do have access to to full effect. I don't think our politics are very far apart and I'm not enamoured with any political party either, and would really like to avoid the rise of Reform in Scotland. We've just got a difference of opinion on whether benefits should be applied universally or whether they are better targeted on those most in need.

@GlasgowGal2014 yep, I agree with you there. And it's fair enough that you raise it - after all parties should be held to account and not just blindly followed. I stopped voting SNP for a few years due to an issue I had with a previous policy. Always good to keep a critical eye.

I agreed with that argument 20 years ago, but most schools now use prepaid accounts which are either loaded up by parents using an online portal or the free school meal benefit is applied so there is no way of telling which kids are getting free school meals and which are being paid for by their parents in the classroom or the dinner hall.

Targeted how. Genuine question.

Targeted based on household income. Only houses with an income below a certain level would get access to free school meals, baby boxes, free prescriptions, free travel etc instead of those benefits being available to everyone. We already do it with things like the Scottish Child Payment, Educational Maintenance Allowance, Best Start Grants, school clothing grants so there are various mechanisms to deliver it.

Well that’s good surely? SNP have a balancing act. All people who pay taxes should benefit from them. Also, children who are born into better off families aren’t necessarily better off emotionally. Look at the ones who are put in nurseries all day from 9 months old. Hence universal benefits.