A thread for people who admire and like Nicola Sturgeon

[upstar]

Just what it says really. I think she's done a great job. She has made mistakes and owned them. She has taken advice and is willing to change policy where necessary. I think she's done pretty well and our virus figures are improving daily. So a thread for some positive things!

The biggest employer in the West. 😂😂😂😂😂😂 You could give every person living in Helensburgh a million pounds and still save £200 billion odd. Money that could be far better spent across the UK.

I don't think we should get rid of the armed forces. I think that Helensburgh has a totally sustainable future with a Scottish navy but also with the massive decommissioning work needed.
I totally welcome dissent @WaxOnFeckOff and want to have an independent Scotland so we can decide what's really right for us. If we all want to be Tories and vote for it crack on!
I would disagree but I would feel I had a voice.
I think Nicola is in such a weird position, at the moment she's trying to park independence and work with Westminster for the greater good. At every turn they basically thwart this by being stupid and creating more clusterfuck. She's pleasing nobody- not the most unionist nor the folk who are dancing about in hazmat suits on the border. @waxonfeckoff I'm feeling that you love Scotland and totally identify as Scottish . At one time I was terrified of independence and hated the SNP until I realised things would never change here until we had an electoral voice- our votes to Westminster literally do not count.
Come on over to the dark side ! It's ok here honest.

@upstar, I am sorry. I missed that series about Nicola trying to work with WM. Is that on Amazon or Netflix? Or perhaps it is on Hulu, so unavailable on thesr shores. It must be new, though, because I never heard of it before, and I do try to keep abreast with what is on offer on TV (as there isn't much else to do at the moment).

Any news on the latest series of The Handmaid's tale?

Nah upstar you are ok. I do (or did) love Scotland but these last 10 years have been one clusterfuck after another. I have no desire to exist in a parochial wee backwater having alienated our biggest export partner. I don't want to pretend i'm in the old ages by spending masses of money labeling everything in Gaelic, a language that most of our ancestors never spoke just in case we don't understand the English equivalent. I don't want to be a flag waving nationalist. And, this is honestly not personal, but i get the same little feeling of disappointment in the pit of my stomach when I find out someone I thought I had a lot in common with is an SNP supporter as as I get when I find out an educated person is a god botherer (of any persuasion).

That's probably going to piss off even more folk now.

The dearth of talent in all parties is really disappointing, as I'm also a left leaning centrist, I have no-one to vote for but i'm not throwing my DC to the economic misery that would follow a yes vote. SNP have shown that they could not run a menage and they've had plenty of opportunity to. I hate folk that walk about with a chip on their shoulder and want to blame someone else for it.

I grew up in poverty, I know what it is to be poor and have no aspirations set for you. SNP could be focussing their efforts on achieving good outcomes for people but all I can see is them closing the gap by bring down the top. Everything is done to garner more support for the cause, not because it's the best thing to do for the people. A lot of that is just the way politics works, but i'd be more impressed with them actually putting their energies to actually improving lives for those who need it rather than bleating on all the time.

If I saw that and them actually making a go of things and showing honestly what is possible then and only then might I start to look more favourably. I guess i'm looking for the impossible in wanting honesty and integrity.

Anyway, I've been accused now of making people sad so I'm off to celebrate DC birthday with Netflix and a take-away before I upset or offend the entire population of MN.

I get that exact same feeling @WaxOnFeckOff

and lol @Arkadia

Completely agree with every word @WaxOnFeckOff in fact it’s refreshing to hear others feel the same as I think there’s a real silent and passive majority in Scotland.

@TheMurk me too.

Yes, I agree too.
WaxOnFeckOff your honesty and posts are all greatly appreciated.
I hope you have a great evening celebrating your DC’s birthday.

wax think we have met on other threads and still think you talk a lot of sense! Kindred spirits

Aww thanks folks, I really don't want to argue and offend people (well most people! lol) but sometimes it just feels good to let it go a bit. I rarely talk politics with DC (although one is studying politics), as I want them to make their own decisions and choices - I'm just trying to make sure the have a social conscious and then leave them to it. DH and I on the same page and we just wind each other up, though his main rant at the moment is the BBC.

Just on a quick break for a bit of cake, had a fabulous take-away and been watching The King on Netflix - English history - oops!

Another one who agrees completely @WaxOnFeckOff

I do like and admire Nicola Sturgeon. I think she's committed, smart and a great communicator. I believe she has done a great job in getting us through the Covid crisis. She is tremendously hard working and disciplined. I think she is surrounded by absolute eejits with very few exceptions and the party is a mess.

Jamie Hepburn - Business minister that's never held a responsible job
Christina McKelvie - Equalities Minister that doesn't believe in women
Shirley Anne Sommerville - pushing through shit legislation she obviously hasn't read and doesn't understand.

Don't get me started on the Westminster club (again some outstanding exceptions but generally egos that outweigh their talent)

She's good at PR - so I think she's doing a decent job of trying to give Scotland a better reputation abroad than England is giving itself. That's important for tourism and a possible entry into the EU or EEA in the future.
But what the SNP is trying to do to women is unforgivable and will do terrible, long term damage.
And I hate the levelling down approach with education. Especially as the Scottish education system used to have such a high reputation. It's as if the SNP doesn't value education and achievement. But we need well-educated young people, especially if heading towards independence. I visited Estonia recently, which has a very small population, and they take education so seriously. When you don't have many people, you really need to encourage the potential of each child.

I think NS has been a very good and clear communicator. She's obviously a very talented politician and good at getting people on board but unfortunately there is nobody else in the government with as much gravitas. A bit of a one man band, which is again to her credit as she's holding it all together.

I'm shocked and saddened by the anti English racism that seems to be growing by the day. Covid seems to have legitimised it. Not by anybody in this thread but you only have to step onto social media to see it. No mention of the economy either I don't deny that Scotland could be perhaps a successful independent country in the long term but we never could have survived covid (furlough business and theatre bailouts etc) if we'd become independent in 2014. An iScotland would simply not have had the borrowing powers and it coincided with oil tanking too.

I love my little town and love Edinburgh and being on its doorstep. With a heavy heart I think we'll have to move in the near future. Husband is English and therefore my young children are half English. I don't want them growing up in an anti English environment and also worried for another indyref and economic repercussions. If anyone has any suggestions of places they'd be much appreciated. I can't imagine loving anywhere as much as Edinburgh.

Having met Jamie Hepburn, I can confirm he is really thick.

Annabelle Ewing visited my place of work once and was so rude. She had an entourage of driver, PA, photographer, couple more assistants and I was like is she the bloody queen or something?

And literally when she walked in, she just stood looking at us like "well, I'm here, what now" like she didn't even know what she was invited for.

At the time, I was working in a tiny office in a run down industrial estate who had gotten a last minute request for a visit because of our "good work" on a particular project. We thought it would be good publicity but of course it was good publicity for THEM. They'd done barely any research.

Christine McKelvie has not answered a single of my emails (not about women but about something else).

Boris this morning- blaming the public when asked if his government take any responsibility for England's very high number of deaths. Absolutely no empathy or remorse. Nada.
The final journalist asked how he feels about the First Minister being 99 per cent higher than him in the approval ratings. 💪
And the IFS confirmed Kate Forbes is correct, Carlaw and the other Tories are lying re the money to aid Covid recovery.

Happy Friday fellow independence hopefuls!

Independent nation = parochial wee backwater, but the EU-leaving, pull-up-the-drawbridge, xenophobic, insular UK is preferable? XD

Also, Gaelic signs. The go-to bugbear of the Britnats when there's a need to paint the SNP as twee and parochial. What a pity the legislation that started this was a 2006 Labour bill. The spend is inconsequential, Gaelic speakers pay taxes and have every right to expect representation.

Oh, and the 'it was never spoken here' is complete and utter bullshit.

Whatever you think of her politics I personally do admire her in that she comes from a very ordinary background and has got to where she is through sheer study and using her brains. She has no "connections" and is not part of any "club"...of course this does not endear her to the British or even Scottish establishment as they are not used to ordinary people rising up to their level...and what I particularly like about her is that she truly sees herself as their equal and quite right too! She is at ease with people from all ends of the scale. You can tell that folk on the street really appreciate this about her - hence "gaun yersel hen!" 😁

Nicola is a hardworking lady and a clever politician but she has no opposition so can shine . Suspect she would like to move onto other things but is driven by independence and no one else to fill her High heels at present. Hugh Petherington advised Scottish Govt on 6 March that moving patients from hospitals to care homes was going to be an issue but he was sadly ignored on that point .

I was talking to some 20 somethings the other day who thought that independence might be a good idea but when I questioned them about our deficit they didn’t know about or understand it . They just said it will all get sorted and I’m sure it will but will take 30 years or so minimum . Lawyers will have a field day . If we thought leaving Europe was exhausting just try separating from the rest of UK. Would like to see the Scottish Govt given all the powers they need then prove to us they can improve health , education and economy . Then once proven we could revisit the independence debate . Benefits aren’t fully devolved and Alex Salmond wanted to get independence through before they were as he knew the cuts that would follow would hurt the vote.

How does she have no opposition when the entire British establishment is against her? Also politically - Scottish tories, Lib Dems and Scottish labour are all against her views...!

I think yessers agree that leaving the UK would be hard but that it would be worth it to be able to legislate through our own democratically elected Parliament. England shows no sign of reforming itself - just look at the latest peerage nominations - it's corruption.

Also if Scotland were independent there would be a chance to obtain EU citizenship! No chance if England has its way...

I like NS - she made mistakes with the care homes but she's worked her backside off throughout. She's also a fantastic role model to young girls - she came into speak to the children at my school and was so down to earth and showed real interest when they were talking.
I would love to see Scotland rejoin the EU, have control of our taxes and get rid of Trident.
When I visit places like Austria, Germany, it makes me sad how little the poorest families have here. I know the SG pay the bedroom tax to the UK Gov so individual families don't have to but their hands are tied with our taxes going to WM not Scotland.
Just need to keep hoping that change will come. For my children more than for me.

I agree. I have become an SNP member recently - they're not perfect by any stretch, but of the option on the table for Scotland, the best of the bunch is independence. The prospect of Scotland continuing to be government in a post-brexit state by a blatantly corrupt WM govt led by Cummings is out of the question for many Scots. We have an escape route and we must make the opportunity to take it.

I won't vote SNP forever, I would probably return to voting for Labour MPs in an independent Scottish parliament, but for now the SNP is the organisation that will guide us out of the UK.

Re opposition - No one has been able to replace Ruth Davidson as yet.

What I would love to know on a totally non confrontational basis is why the independence supporters want to cut ties with the country we export the most to and wish to be ruled from Brussels? I would also like to know their views on our deficit , health and education without blaming Westminster as none of these are Westminster’s problem . We should all be more appreciative of London whose earning power has helped fund the furloughing and support through covid . Our 3 big traditional success stories , oil, whisky and salmon farming are all in dire straights which highlights how vulnerable we are .

Davidson was replaced by Jackson Carlaw as leader of the Scottish Tories and now by Douglas Ross, who will no doubt become an MSP in May thanks to the list system. Davidson is still currently an MSP...

Um, being 'ruled by Brussels' is not a very accurate description though is it? Do you mean signing up to international agreements to work together to produce legislation to improve the competitiveness, the peace, stability and cooperation of our continent? Yes, I think many Scottish people look towards Ireland and see that their European Commissioner has the Trade portfolio, very prestigious! They are represented in the European Parliament by several MEPs who can influence legislation on their behalf... Irish students can participate in Erasmus exchange programmes and Irish organisations and companies can access EU funding... It doesn't stop Ireland having close ties to the US or a vibrant cultural life...!!! I really don't see the problem.

The whisky industry and other Scottish industries after brexit will no longer benefit from inclusion in the single market and will no longer be included in the EUs label of origin scheme...bad news for specialist producers...

@annabelindajane

Re opposition - No one has been able to replace Ruth Davidson as yet.

What I would love to know on a totally non confrontational basis is why the independence supporters want to cut ties with the country we export the most to and wish to be ruled from Brussels? I would also like to know their views on our deficit , health and education without blaming Westminster as none of these are Westminster’s problem . We should all be more appreciative of London whose earning power has helped fund the furloughing and support through covid . Our 3 big traditional success stories , oil, whisky and salmon farming are all in dire straights which highlights how vulnerable we are .

It is not London earning power that has financed furlough. All furlough money has been borrowed by UKGOV, all four nations will receive a portion of this money and will pay back the loan. Scotland has not been given borrowing powers so does not have the mechanism to do it, scotland is liable to repay their share though, it is not a gift or charity.