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.

Most of them wouldn't get anywhere near an MP/MSP salary in the real world. There's exceptions of course - Blackford for example had a fairly decent career pre politics, before his "I'm a simple crofter" shtick started
Yousaf did a politics degree then straight in to working as a parliamentary assistant so not a scooby about real life work.
Kate Forbes is apparently a qualified accountant but she must have barely qualified before going in to politics so very little real experience - although she did go to Cambridge so she'd maybe be getting in to MSP salary territory in the real world if she'd stayed in accounting and worked up.
Ash Regan seems to have a marketing/events background - so probably earning more as an MSP

There seems to be two main types in politics just now;

1. wealthy independently of politics - either inherited, married, made their fortune before or able to keep earning while in politics
2. in politics from a pretty young age with very real world experience.

There's huge criticism of the first lot for being rich, out of touch bastards but the second lot are often worse IMO

web.archive.org/web/20140605074356/www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-25018895

Says here he did?

www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/votes-and-motions/S4M-08915

And here he didn't?

Probably different stages of the bill as PP said.

Maybe rather than getting 16/17 year olds in as MSPs earning £60k plus salaries, we could instead make a prerequisite of having some life experience. Whilst I'm I'm sure teenagers have relevant views to offer, they can feed those in via elected officials.

I actually think it's quite refreshing to hear a politician give an absolutely honest answer. One that she knows will not help her campaign but she sticks to her principles anyway. Whereas Humza and Sturgeon tried to weasel out of the Bryson question and made themselves and the GRR look utterly foolish.

Kate Forbes is apparently a qualified accountant
not sure she actually qualified?

There's a Katie Forbes from Dingwall registered with the ICAEW as an ACA with a 2016 qualification date, which would be right timing wise and I've seen several articles calling her chartered. But she might not be.

It'll be more of the same, I imagine.

My bets are on Kate Forbes mainly because she's young to draw in younger voters who they think will support their agendas.

But assuming that is her - she became a minister in 2018 which would be a salary of just under £95k. A year later she was a cabinet secretary on about £119k.

Would she have managed that in the private sector? I'd be surprised.

I don't actually think that politicians salaries are too high for what the jobs should involve. But in many cases I don't think the calibre of individuals in those roles is high enough.

Agree, it's a job where the only qualification has become being elected and that is usually to a large extent a reflection of the party's policies.

I think Kate Forbes has already blown her chances due to her anti abortion and opposition to gay marraige views. I can't see how anyone can lead a left leaning party with these views.

Kates' supporters have started to withdraw their support after her comments. She needs to step down and lend her support to Ash if she wants someone GC as FM.

I can't think of any MSPs that would command that kind of salary in the private sector. They're all dross.

Ash Regan appears to be leading in terms of betting odds, at least?

I'm really curious to see how SNP membership will vote.

Oh it's getting interesting. Apparently the bold Humza was in the building on the date that the vote took place but didn't vote. 🤔

Not on the odds I've seen. She's third

Slightly better here but still third

We are going to end up with Humza aren't we? 🙈

I guess good in that hopefully support for the SNP will slide but what damage to the country?

I think Ash Regan would be the best for Scotland.

if she got elected and she clears the rot out I might even vote SNP again.

Depressingly, I think you're probably correct. The SNP membership seem likely to take him as the one least likely to rock the boat, maintain the alliance with the Greens, and keep on dishing out empty platitudes while effectively doing absolutely nothing. This is exactly what he did when Transport Minister. Lots of hot air, lots of platitudes, and a grand total of completely zero things actioned.

I think either Forbes or Regan are too likely to make big changes and get independence moving forward.

Wondering if the BBC also seems to be pushing Yousaf, going by the tenor of their article this morning. No mention of Regan whatsoever.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-64715944

Had a feeling Forbes support would crumble on scrutiny - fair play to her for coming out openly about what she views are.

Humza is the bargain bucket version of sturgeon who was herself incompetent, sleekit and charisma less. She did however have political nouse at one point. He doesn't even have that.

I think Kate Forbes HAD to declare, timing is everything, but quite possibly doesn’t actually want the position just now. It takes guts to confirm your own personal beliefs and own those, whether you agree with her or not. She’s certainly more of her true self than the uber-ego, scootering Yousless.

I have no influence over who it will be. I have never and will never, vote SNP, so what will be, will be…

Ditto but a SNP MP. I cringe when I hear the crap they spout, and can’t rationalise this bot with the person I was brought up alongside

I kind of admire Forbes honesty. It's refreshing. Her comment about being a servants of democracy not a dictator was really pointed, I thought.

What a mess though - there's just no obvious successor and I think that was deliberate