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Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

Original poster

Scottish Labour

195 replies

ClopySow · 01/04/2016 18:43

I've voted snp for the last while, but would align my political views with a traditional labour government, not new Labour. I can get on board with Jeremy Corbyn, but can't get past Kezia Dugdale. Are Scottish Labour more Corbyn or milliband?

OP posts:
ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 02/04/2016 22:20

Nicola is going to bring in new transgender policies

Now this is something that worries me. So many people are jumping on the transwomen are women bandwagon without thinking it through. I have no issue with people self-identifying as a particular gender as long as the folk in charge understand the distinction between sex and gender, sadly I'm sure that in many cases they don't.

AnthonyBlanche · 02/04/2016 22:21

So which is the party in Scotland that is going to provide basic services done well?

I think basic services could be provided well on the money currently available if it was managed properly and there was less waste and inefficiency. But which party (if any) is capable of making that happen? Certainly not labour and the SNP are just interested in independence and more and more state control of the Scottish people.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 02/04/2016 22:23

Hazy, they will not lose seats compared to the last election as most of their growth in following has been in the last 2 or so years and the last election was 5 years ago - so, the chances of them not being able to mark it as an overwhelming success are very very slim.

Re transgender, there was a cracking letter sent in and published in the Scotsman about that. The basic scenario was a small boy being told in school that of course he could be a girl, and the parent then having a conversation with their child's named person where the named person decides that the parent is clearly not supportive of their daughter and therefore the boy should be taken into care....

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 02/04/2016 22:25

I have found sites like this useful in the past:
voteforpolicies.org.uk (site is insecure so don't enter any personal info)

It might be a bit out of date as they usually compile the data for general elections.

AnthonyBlanche · 02/04/2016 22:25

What's wrong with bashing the SNP jaggy? I admit the thread has been a bit derailed, but let's face it the SNP deserve a good bashing now and again, just like every other polictical party.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 02/04/2016 22:29

The SNP don't get the bashing a party in power should get by their opposition or the media so I view it as us taking up the slack. I also feel that encouraging people to at least think about what it is they are voting for is a good thing. Obviously people can vote for who they like but at least do it with your eyes wide open and know what you are voting for. Whether I personally agree with the decision made or not :o

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 02/04/2016 22:34

do it with your eyes wide open and know what you are voting for

This^ I despair at the number of people who don't make any effort at all to just think about who they are voting for. It is kind of important who runs the country, and deserves a seconds thought. (This comment is obviously not aimed at anyone on this thread !)

peggyundercrackers · 02/04/2016 22:43

Voting should be a mandatory activity that everyone should be made to do no matter what. No vote - no access to services.

Clopy your vote should be for who you want in as a party - I don't believe tactical voting works very well.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 02/04/2016 22:45

I'm really struggling with finding anyone to vote for too - I won't vote SNP as I hate them and I don't currently want independence. For the same reason I can't vote green. I can't vote Tory. So that leaves Labour or the Lib dems both of which is likely to be a wasted vote. :(

Given that everyone moved into the centre, we should all clearly be voting Lib dem who were there to start with - not quite sure how they lost out!

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 02/04/2016 22:48

Clopy your vote should be for who you want in as a party - I don't believe tactical voting works very well.

Yes to this^ I think Wings (sorry!) did a pretty good piece on how the voting system in Scotland works, and it really is pretty good at matching numbers of votes with numbers of MPs, voting tactically is really pretty pointless. Voting for the least worst is a perfectly valid option however Grin

I'm not sure voting should be made mandatory? Maybe if they had a "none of the above" option? People who don't vote shouldn't be allowed to bemoan the state of the country though Grin

SetPhasersTaeMalkie · 02/04/2016 22:49

But what if you can't decide? I've always voted in the past but can't think who to vote for.

The only thing I'm sure of is my local MSP is going to be getting an earful when he comes knocking. I have a list ready. And I'm not kidding.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 02/04/2016 22:50

Lib dem who were there to start with - not quite sure how they lost out!

Scottish Labour
SetPhasersTaeMalkie · 02/04/2016 22:51

Oh I would like a don't know option. Grin

Superjaggy · 02/04/2016 23:14

Anthony my point was that the thread was no longer discussing the OP's question.

I do agree that anyone planning to vote should be well aware of the policies party they are thinking of voting for, and also of the political bias of the media they're getting their information from.

I also think that voters should continue to have the right to abstain - it's a basic tenet of a democracy, surely - but I'd always encourage people to use their vote (or they really can't complain about whoever is in power!)

OneMagnumisneverenough · 02/04/2016 23:20

I don't think I've ever been on a thread on MN or anywhere else where we are still discussing the original question past the first page :o

A bit like when I come into work in the morning and we aren't still taking about how busy the car park was by lunchtime.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 02/04/2016 23:24

For anyone interested, this is the results from 2011.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/election2011/overview/html/scotland.stm

Original poster
ClopySow · 02/04/2016 23:58

But that's why i asked, i don't really want any of them as it stands, but i don't want to waste my vote either.

Fuck it. I'm voting SNP. Or Labour. Or Green. Or SSP. Or Conservative...in a parallel universe.

OP posts:
AnthonyBlanche · 03/04/2016 00:08

How depressing - all the options are shit so we don't have anyone to vote for! I don't know how I will vote, all I know is it won't be SNP or green and probably not labour. Doesn't leave me much choice Confused

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/04/2016 00:16

I worked out (boring nerd) how the number of votes cast in 2011 would equate to MSPs if it was totally proportional - it works out as :

SNP 57.6 (69), Labour 37.4 (37), Conservative 16.8 (15), Lib Dem 8.5 (5) and others 8.5 (3).

I've put the actual number of seats filled by each party in brackets after.

AnthonyBlanche · 03/04/2016 00:21

How on earth did you work that out magnum?

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/04/2016 00:24

I added all the votes together and divided it out - it's probably not statistically valid - i'm not quite that much of a nerd :o

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/04/2016 00:27

Anyhoo - that was in 2011 before the rush to join the SNP so even if a few people are not that enamoured anymore, it's clearly going to be a landslide for them and I don't think, regardless of my anti SNP stance, that having one party in such dominance in a parliamentary structure that isn't designed to provide challenge, can be good for anyone.

OneMagnumisneverenough · 03/04/2016 00:30

Good decisions are made when there is is a rigorous questioning and debate to iron out the kinks. In everyday life, we may get hacked off by the people who who go "ah but..." but actually that makes us think about what we are doing and they may have a point we haven't thought of - the Holyrood structure hasn't been built with that rigour and challenge in it and hence mistakes are being made.

Original poster
ClopySow · 03/04/2016 00:44

The only candidates in my constituency are snp, labour, lib dem and conservative.

So i guess that narrows one vote down.

OP posts:
HazyMazy · 03/04/2016 06:23

Is there a simple explanation for how the Regional members are voted in.

Wiki says they use the Holdt system.

I also do not know if the Regional rep/reps for your area are who you go to with a prob or do you go to your constituency rep only and these reps just swan about all day with nothing much to do.
I suspect that 99% or neighbours or friends couldn't explain or understand it either.