So Jeane Freeman is the latest to say she's not standing in 2021 election

[titsbumfannythelot]

What do we think of that? Seems like a few relatively high profile MSPs not standing again.

Hopefully Swinney will join them

Don't think there is really much to think about. She's mid 60s, it's been a tough year, if I was her and could afford it I wouldn't be signing up for another 5 years either. Election is perfect timing for her, or other MPs to consider retirement.

What do you think about it?

I agree with you in terms of timing. The quality of politicians up here isn't great though. I'll be interested to see who replaces Jeane.

And they are better down there?

Many of the msps are approaching retirement age and have been elected since 1999 or for a few terms at least. It's not surprising many are choosing not to stand and pass the baton to younger colleagues.

Jeane is 67, by the end of the next Parliament term she'd be 72.

And they are better down there? and Weallhavewings comes out with the standard SNP defence of but England's worse.

They are just worried a non-SNP government gets in - it takes time to flee to a non-extradition nation.

My comment on quality here, or lack thereof, was not an endorsement of 'down there'.

I don't blame Jeane for retiring, been a challenging year for her. She doesn't look 67.

It is your assumption I was referring to just SNP politicians in Scotland. I wasn't. You also assume I was referring to only England too. I was simply reflecting the OPs wording of "up here"

Wtf is going on in the SNP though? There's clearly a massive split, 2 big WM party hitters sniping at each other on Twitter, the whole Joanna Cherry debacle, and now so many standing down.

I was surprised to read that Jeanne freeman had only been an msp since 2016. Holding two cabinet positions with such little experience I think showed through.
Now I read that the organiser of the all under one banner marches Mandeep Singh has been jailed now too.

I know what you mean @waitforitwaitforit

I will never vote snp but I do like Joanna Cherry. Maybe she was perceived as too much of a threat to the leadership. And it's only a matter of time before Salmond resurfaces.

Not a fan but Mandeep chose a jail sentence over a night time curfew as he's a taxi driver so couldn't support his family. Remember this was for organising a march where no arrrests were made.
I'm sure we've all seen or experienced the horrendous scenes of violence from the British nationalists in George Square. Never felt more scared than when I was walking through there to get to the council offices the day after the 2014 result. Yet these gatherings were allowed to happen ..

I don’t understand his thinking in the reason you gave for him going to jail @MumofHunter. Taxi drivers round here in the part of Scotland I live, work during the day not just at night; in jail he can’t do either. Have many folk started going out and about in evening/night? Round here it’s still quiet, but I’m not in a city.
I read the problem wasn’t about violence at the March (which I’ve never heard of on any All under one banner march) but crowd control and how busy the streets/roads were at different times of the day. Safety and crowd control at marches and demonstrations are important and should be adhered to for the safety of all in the area not just those on demonstrations. In the article I read he came across as thinking he is above safety rules.
I was not aware of any violence in George square in 2014 after 2014 independence referendum; I agree that violence should not be tolerated.

We need better politicians than we currently have at Holyrood. The majority across all parties are really weak. I hope Swinney loses his seat. Will Joanna Cherry try to become an MSP? I heard rumours (I have political friends) that Jo Swinson is thinking about running.

It would take one hell of a swing for Swinney to lose his seat, and that's not looking likely in the current political climate. In any case, if that was to happen I think it's practically a given that he'd immediately be put forward as an SNP list MSP.

@titsbumfannythelot

There's absolutely no danger of Alex Salmond ever coming back to mainstream politics as an SNP representative. The NEC would never approve his membership. To be honest, I think RT, the court case, and the company he's been keeping in the last wee while have scuppered any chance of a return to mainstream politics at all, but even if it does appeal to him to come back, it'll either be as a totally independent candidate, or as a member of one of the fringe/lunatic parties.

In terms of replacing Freeman in Health, I think there's a possibility Humza Yousaf might see the job as a step up, although personally I think he'd be a bit daft to consider it as not only is it really a sideways step, but it's an incredibly toxic post to begin with that you don't really tend to come out of smelling better than when you went in. If Angus Robertson takes Edinburgh Central, then I think he's also a good bet for it. He's enormously intelligent and articulate, and it's a reasonably high profile position for a prominent party personality.

The British Nationalists were battering people that went into George Square this summer also.

It's sad the police allowed this gathering of knuckledragging Neanderthals.

I can't decide if it's just timing or a mass exodus with the MSPs who are standing down. The bigger worry is who will stand to replace them. It will be a real test of SNP loyalty if a bunch of misogynist TWAW entryists stand and the SNP hasn't committed to any independence timetable. It could lead to a collapse of the SNP vote similar to the one Labour endured when it lost Scotland.

I also wonder at anyone wanting to be in government nowadays when they are shredded by the media and all us armchair politicians.

I did wonder why so many SNP MSPs are standing down. Age / time with family etc is being cited but I do wonder if there is more to it. There's lots of rumours about infighting in the SNP although I don't follow politics as devotedly as some others do. I just hope SNP lose seats as I loathe them.

Nichola has a tight inner circle which causes dissent amongst those on outside . Boris has a similar one ( which I mention just to keep a balanced view on here)

I loathe the SNP too - anything with Nationalism in name sets off alarm bells with all its past connotations and I mostly loathe the way they blame all their failures on UK govt - bad workmen and his tools come to mind .

anything with Nationalism in name sets off alarm bells with all its past connotations

Scottish National Party fwiw