Who do you want to see as new First Minister?

[Rememberal]

And who do you think it'll be if they are different?

Not seen any threads on this yet!

My two cents -

I voted SNP when I was very young (Salmond) and under the impression they were a kinda catch-all working man's party who didn't do much to offend the left or right, but I stopped voting for them ages ago and recently started to actively despise them.

Normally I'm the polar opposite of the Reddit consensus and they seem to want Robertson but only, it seems, because they can't have Mhari Black (which is one MP I DO know and absolutely cannot stand). I feel like Forbes is the only one who'd bring them back to the centre and increase membership as she might attract everyone who left back.

So I suppose I'm a toss-up between Forbes who might pull them away from their more (imho) farcical policies and Black who might finally start to kill them dead in the water.

I do believe Sturgeon resigned because the recent polling data (where ALL age demographics agreed with the WM overturn including a large amount of SNP membership) showed that people vote SNP despite their progressive policies and not because of them. I reckon they knew it would really hurt them at the next election, and since she can't U-turn, the only thing left to do was step aside and let a new leader shift their direction.

I'm interested to know what people on here think though.

I think gay marriage was a direct question but I think the expansion into children of parents not being married and sex before marriage was an expansion by her.

I would have preferred "not relevant".

I don't think it would've washed - Farron tried and tried to evade questions on that basis and he was hounded by journalists over it.

This will do lasting damage to Forbes's career - her colleagues knew but the general population surely didn't.

I've seen her be asked direct questions about sex and children in marriage.

The national poll is now
Humza - 20
Kate - 38
Ash - 42

Ah, right. Thanks.

At least she's honest, I do find that refreshing! Even if her views are diametrically opposed to my own.

Has HY been asked these questions directly?

@user567543 Kate Forbes's faith has never been a secret. Nor have those of other candidates.

@StatisticallyChallenged interesting and surprising poll.

No it hasn't - but her views clearly surprised some of her backers and most people don't pay that much attention to politicians who aren't the leader.

Does HY speak so vocally about his faith?

Surely that is worse? Either it matters or it doesn’t, and if faith matters the HY should be questioned about his too.

Tbh , I would prefer that it was kept private. I initially thought Forbes was being treated unfairly but there's a judgemental element to some of her views I don't like.

Other politicians have religious convictions but I don't make it such a central part of their political life.

I’m actually surprised at the amount of Scottish politicians who are religious and mention their faith in their parliamentary profile.
kinda goes against the trend in the general population with reports that Christian church membership are dwindling and other faiths are very much in a minority.

The lack of succession planning and dictatorial leadership style is really coming back to bite the party on the arse

This with bells on.

Sturgeon in a spectacular display of lack of self - awareness seems to have stuck her high heeled shoe in to Forbes.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c23164c0-b308-11ed-8771-87233f7ef731?shareToken=82b89824fa3dbe8c1418e85cc0a4374f

“Scotland is a socially progressive country and I believe that is the majority opinion. Whoever is first minister, the views that they have on all sorts of issues matter because people look to their first minister to see someone who will stand up for them and their rights and the job of first minister on a daily basis involves responding to things based on your positions, your values, your outlooks.”
Says Sturgeon. Is this suggesting that KF should not take the application further?

So what is this in a workplace context? Discrimination?

The Free Church of Scotland is concerned at the level of anti-Christian intolerance which has been displayed on social media, and by some political and media commentators. Kate Forbes is standing on the basis of her policies – the fact that she is being criticised for her Christian convictions shows a level of bigotry that has no place in a pluralistic and diverse society.”

freechurch.org/free-church-of-scotland-responds-to-media-enquiries/

Statement from the wee frees. 😬

I rather admire her for saying “this is what I believe in” - but shouldn’t we also have the maturity and insight to understand that we do not get to dictate the lives of others?

I cannot be the only one here who is pro Women’s choice when it comes to abortion - but by the grace of god (ha!) - it’s not a decision I’ve had to make.

If her thoughts are deemed problematic Because her potential power would give her the sleight of hand to “close all abortion routes in Scotland” - then we have a problem with the way our government operates, not the woman herself.

“Scotland is a socially progressive country and I believe that is the majority opinion.

I find it ironic that the SNPs version of nationalism is entirely the opposite and is leading us to regress across the board.

I see it as the thought police.
In sturgeons Scotland we all had to think they way she wanted us to, no matter that you treated everyone fairly and did not proclaim hate or violence towards another.
remember all those police visits to check your thinking? If you are not with us, singing our song, you are against us.
this intolerance is all down to sturgeon. I hope her house of cards comes crashing down.

The way she is being treated really is showing up how intolerant and bigoted the supposedly liberal SNP have become.

It's like a different type of religion. "Scotland is a progressive society and in Scotland we believe...". Except we're not the borg, we all have different beliefs. Census results show religious faith is declining, but still more people have a religious faith than have none. Many of them won't be as staunch as Kate Forbes of course, but they'll still recognise what is being implied - that faith us incompatible with political leadership.
Today it's her beliefs, but tomorrow it might be theirs.

Many gender critical women are speaking out to defend her for similar reasons, because they recognise that there's a major problem with how Scottish politics currently seeks to exclude those who don't share the agreed beliefs.

The world seems upside down when the Wee Frees and staunch right-wingers like Kemi Badenoch seem to be more liberal and tolerant than the left.

You’re spot on @Workerbeep

Interesting that this is maybe now a workplace issue between KF and her employer?

Many seem to be very confused about what the equalities legislation means. I've just seen someone on Twitter effectively saying that because gay marriage is legal it would be a sacking offence to say you don't agree with gay marriage. 🙈

No pet, actually it would be falling foul of the equalities legislation to sack them for their religious beliefs. You are allowed to hold those beliefs and also express them.

job of first minister on a daily basis involves responding to things based on your positions, your values, your outlooks.”

NS belief that her response should be based entirely on her own opinions, and not considering those of others, was the problem.

I disagree with Kate Forbes on gay marriage and children outside wedlock, and I'd never vote for her personally because I don't want independence. But I do think that the way she has been hounded and outright attacked for having the wrong beliefs belies a deep intolerance and bigotry at the heart of Scottish Government. Senior figures like Swinney and Sturgeon (who I'm sure said she would stay out of it...) openly saying that socially conservative values are incompatible with government. Let's think through what that really means - only people who think a certain way (so-called 'progressives') deserve to be in a position making decisions about people's lives. It's easy to say gay marriage is right because it hurts no-one else, and to be fair to KF she's been very clear she wouldn't row back on those rights, but substitute that with 'transphobia' and the sinister implications of this become clearer. KF is being investigated by the SNP for for stating that TW are men, i.e. something that is actually true and should be uncontroversial, but we desperately need to be able to express that view clearly for the protection of women's and children's rights. The fact that those voices were silenced or rubbished by the 'progressives' have led to the situation we currently have with self-ID.

It's absolutely vital that we have a diversity of views in parliament, some you'll agree with and some you passionately disagree with, to fully consider issues from all angles and to make good law. Echo chambers, of the type we have currently and which the SNP apparently think should continue, only consider one side of an argument and lead to bad law. This may indeed be why there is so much bad law coming out of Holyrood (GRR bill being a case in point).