Scottish General Election

[Differentforgirls]

Who are Scottish people voting for next month?

Totally agree.

Don't you think Scotland needs to pay its share of all the non-devolved expenses? Defense, security services, diplomatic provisions, state pensions, don't come cheap and even mundane stuff like passport offices and driving licenses cost money to administer.

Of course.

Normally transactions involve some sort of breakdown of services rendered and an appropriate invoice. The UK is seemingly incapable of providing this for Devolved nations, instead using a garbage-in garbage out piece of gerrymandery that simply takes a portion of the UK government's mismanagement of UK resources, and attributes the blame for that portion to the inhabitants of those nations.

I would have less of an issue with paying for "UK services" if the UK was in any way honest and transparent about what those services were and what they cost, but they are not.

You mean as transparent as the Scottish government/SNP is about the 5 Billion gap (every year) between promised expenditure and projected income by the end of the next Scottish parliament?

Literally every single Scottish GE campaign by the main unionist parties since 2011 has consisted of nothing but "NO" to something, most often a 2nd Indi Ref, and if not that, simply "NO to the SNP".

This is what I find really tiresome.

Before the SNP there was Labour sending back part of the grant because they couldn't think what to spend it on.

Since SNP they and the Conservatives still lack ideas about what to do.

I agree that it's time the SNP had a stint in opposition. But when the main opposition parties are only NO parties and the SNP is the only big YES party, it'll be a long time coming.

Labour need to change the record if they want to be contenders again. And start having some decent ideas that go beyond just saying no to another party.

If the SG doesn't have the funding to deliver on it's commitments, then that will play out over time and they'll have to answer for it at the ballot box. At least the Scots electorate can hold the Scots Government to account. Tell me how I can avoid the next Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, HS2 fiasco, Ajax AFV, white elephant Aircraft Carriers etc, because Scotland didn't vote for the governments that gave us all of these, yet we still end up paying for them, all while being told that we're really the ones who are the biggest drain on the UK coffers.

@InconsequentialFerret

I agree that it's time the SNP had a stint in opposition. But when the main opposition parties are only NO parties and the SNP is the only big YES party, it'll be a long time coming

Yup, this is about the jist of it.

The SNP desperately needs a period in opposition to refresh itself and move some of the auld faces and ideas on, but unfortunately that necessitates a replacement SG in the meantime, and none of the alternatives are remotely electable, so the SNP will limp on as the default incumbent regardless.

Continuing to support a Union that treats Scotland as a subordinate region rather than an equal partner isn't loyalty—it's settling for a future where decisions about your life are made by people who don't live here.

To the posters voting SNP. Do you like John?

Yes. My sister is a campaigner and has met him several times. She was recently on the front cover of the National with him and a lot of other activists!

She first met him a long time ago before he was FM, and he was pushing his wife in her wheelchair and talking to his son, who was small at the time. She said he was so patient answering the wee one's questions even after a hard day, and while he was still doing something that took attention. Everything I have heard from people who've met him is positive.

Aggressive? Arrogant? In denial about the state of Scotland's education system...? Jenny Gilruth, is that you..?!

Seriously though... if you want to win over those of us who aren't currently on board with independence (and let’s face it, you'll have to if you want the needle to move) you're going to need much stronger arguments and - I say this with the best of intentions - perhaps a little more charm.

Dr Tim Kelly, Reform candidate East Kilbride has resigned to run as an Independent.

Why?

Because he decries the Reform UK official candidate advice to "play the Westminster game first & sort the problems out later".

Cheers, Westminster. Very revealing. But most of us knew that.

That is my constituency!

Ballot papers are already printed with him as Reform and postal votes have been cast.

Reform spent a fortune advertising here, leaflets, letters, online adverts. And I don't know if anyone who will vote for him on Thursday will be aware he is no longer their candidate.

I've heard he's standing down as he's an anti-vaxxer and Reform won't agree to support him on that.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/scotsnet/5525211-teacher-speaks-about-lack-of-classroom-support-and-abuse-in-schools?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

Parents are clearly delighted with the ongoing situation in schools. As long as your offspring got to go to uni fee free 10 year ago. Thriving under the SNP. Hopefully you won’t get assaulted by anyone under the age of 25 too 🙄.

Yes, I really like him too.

If you are not able to find out how much your country overspends by then oh dear. You also receive far more per head than you put in. You also have higher taxes for a worse return.

Yawn.

Being lovely and kind does not necessarily equate to him being a good leader when the chips are down. 🙄
His track record when he was in other departments was decidedly mediocre.

So you don’t know 👍

John's track record as FM is good and I think being a decent human being should be a prerequisite to hold office.

Kier Starmer's first acts on becoming PM were to fill his boots with free clothes, hospitality tickets, concert tickets for Rachel Reeves, and so on. Then they cut pensioners Winter Fuel Allowance.

I'd take a nice person over that any time. It shows how they will act in government.

It’s weird how sometimes two posters with different names talk to each other on a thread and sound so similar

Comparing him with others is classic SNP tactics. If you point out any flaws it’s a case of “look over here at how awful this other person is”.
We all know Keir Starmer is rubbish but he’s Labour we’re not talking about him anyway. We’re talking about JS as a leader. If you want other suggestions then Kate Forbes would have got my vote. She has least has an understanding of basic economics.

Why are we discussing John Swinney's 'flaws'? Only two posters have mentioned him and it's been in a positive context.

Kate Forbes was in a leadership contest with John Swinney and she lost. It should be pointed out that both of them had had the difficult job of balancing the budget and both managed this successfully when it was their job.

And 'a typical SNP tactic' to compare leaders? You do realise we are all expected to do that on Thursday, pick the best party to be in government?

Kate was in the contest with Humza and Ash. She was second. She’ll be missed!