Scotsnet does not represent Scotland

[kamalasshaman]

At a time when polls are showing unprecedented support for independence and even John Curtice agrees the polls are clear, why is Scotsnet such a bastion of unionist opinions? Is it just due to the demographic of Mumsnet? Why has this site become such a right wing enclave?

My prediction is the SNP will lose seats. The middle aged folk aren't down with the perceived wokeness and I think the gender stuff is a bigger deal than they think.

In theory the young folk would be SNP voters but with universities being essentially closed and then not being able to socialise and discuss stuff I think we might see some political apathy from the younger voters this time round.

Yes you did, and I'm just saying that there will also be plenty that don't. 🤷‍♀️

I was otherwise answering the OP in terms of we can't assume that 50% of people on a forum will be pro indy and 50% won't.

We all tend to see what we want and hang out (virtually or otherwise) with people that we feel are like us. We all get funnelled down into reading articles that are similar to what we've read before etc.

It's easy to assume that more people believe what you believe than the opposite, voting captures a moment in time really and polls can be accurate or not and it's the sway vote that matters mostly.

I always come back to remembering that every vote counts the same regardless of what research you do or the strength of your beliefs. Someone can do none of that or be fairly middle ground, but the vote counts the same.

@WaxOnFeckOff

I've already looked at the figures, you can post whatever chart you like, the figures I gave were correct, just over a quarter of the available electorate voted for the SNP. Less than half those who voted, voted for the SNP.

The SNP voters don't represent Scotland any more than you believe Scotsnet represents Scotland.

Fair enough, I'm not going to check what the 'available electorate' equates to.

Someone already posted the link above.

Available electorate was 4,099,907, SNP share was 1,059,898. Valid votes were 2,279,154.

The unavailable electorate would consist of children under 16, prisoners, some types of immigrants I think, but seems about right.

Above quite enlightening.

Not sure where the bright young things are that will lead the way if we get independence. The most ambitious my children who were at University with mostly headed to London and overseas . Let’s hope they come back at some point .

Ireland btw has €200 billion debt and that on a per capita basis is the 3 rd highest in the world . Only beaten by US and Japan .They are lucky that interest rates are low . They are obviously pulling levers somewhere 😊

In my experience it was the kids with rich parents that went to London and overseas after uni. Ambition had nothing to do with it.

My point possibly not put very well is that we need the whole of UK open for opportunities for our young . We’ve just made it harder to access Europe why on earth would we further reduce our choices .

flora the opposite is the case ime.

That’s absolutely great if that’s the case @Dinnafashyersel. Perhaps my experience is isolated, I’d just have thought that the cost of travel and/or living in London would have been prohibitive for some. But I’ll accept that I’m wrong.

*accept I could be wrong. The way it’s written above sounds sarcastic and wasn’t my intention.

The thought of reducing our options to tiny Scotland only is pretty awful. Brexit felt like a limb being chopped off.

Flora that was my experience too. One of my Dsis went to teach languages overseas and the other to London after graduating. We were considered odd. Going to Glasgow or Edinburgh was a thought of as a big move from our town. And it wasn't far geographically. The (few) better off families saw their children move overseas or to London but we weren't well off and it was not expected. But only in DC's generation has going on to further education become a norm rather than a handful per year group.

There’s some excellent not for profit charity housing associations for adults with degrees coming to London for work . Hyelm is one of them - am sure there are others . Sorry this is off topic .

My cousin works for a housing charity in London like the above. Both my brother and I moved to London to make our way with little more than the change in our pockets and no family support. I am a graduate and he is not.

In some ways it is much easier to start from nothing because you are more willing to take risks and have less to lose.

I have numerous other Scottish friends who did similar. Some are still there and some have come home. It always bothers me on MN when people go on about the prohibitive costs of getting a foot in the door in London. Yes you will likely spend all you earn on a grotty flatshare for a couple of years but it is still possible and worthwhile. Getting on the property owning ladder is a different issue and the average MC wealthy Scottish parent won't be much help with that.

So independence seekers give a thought to the young this will compromise. They will already be facing a reduced job market due to COVID but to then have opportunities in the south closed to them by borders which will further affect trade ( see Brexit) and jobs.

People from all over the world work in London. There’s no reason to think Scottish people would be the exception this after independence.

I’m glad that post devolution there are more opportunities for Scottish graduates in Scotland rather than the brain drain we had before.

With independence the opportunities for young Scots in their own country will only grow further.

... and so ends the party political broadcast from the SNP.

So are you guaranteeing that there are going to be loads of jobs for Scottish graduates in Scotland? Where are they coming from? And why aren't we already creating them?

Yes negative economic shocks, so good for job creation. They'll be employed pushing all those economic levers wax

mobile.twitter.com/Haggis_UK/status/1359849606016827394

George Monbiot- brilliant English journalist - "If I lived in Scotland, I would want to get out of this chaotic, dysfunctional, corrupt union as quickly as I could... as Scotland would be much better off out of the United Kingdom & in the European Union."

George Monbiot, a campaigner not an expert in macroeconomic stability.

That is the dictionary definition of cheap talk from him.

@anon444877

George Monbiot, a campaigner not an expert in macroeconomic stability.

I didn't say he's an expert in macro economics - I didn't post it in response to you or WaxOn's comments.

I shared it as it's great to see a man of integrity calling out the dire impact of Scotland being under Westminster and on the BBC no less. The look on Bowie's glakit face - priceless.

@StarryEyeSurprise

mobile.twitter.com/Haggis_UK/status/1359849606016827394

George Monbiot- brilliant English journalist - "If I lived in Scotland, I would want to get out of this chaotic, dysfunctional, corrupt union as quickly as I could... as Scotland would be much better off out of the United Kingdom & in the European Union."

He's an eejit. Always spouting off about agriculture.

Another If I lived in Scotland

Like those showbiz Scots who add their tuppence worth on inde chat from the comfort of their ‘insert location other than Scotland here’ home.
Looking forward to seeing some high profile figures returning to reside permanently here, such is their belief in the inde cause.
LA for Largs, anyone?

I do think George Monbiot is a man of integrity, that doesn't mean he was a clue what he's talking about on Scotland though, on the benefits of Indy or anything else. It's a shame - I hate it when people who are good in one sphere reveal themselves to be deluded enough to think they can pronounce on anything.