Peter Murrell has resigned with immediate effect

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65000606

Good. It's all unravelling.

So most of the country don't want independence, most people think the SNP are doing a shite job but we have SNP in power because what?

Do people think they are magically going to achieve independence against the odds based on SNP joining together the fractures they've created? And then what, hand over the running of the country to a balanced coalition who are going to undo the economic and societal damage in jig time and we will all be basking in the glory of the utopia created by Nicoliar and her corrupt cabal of incompetent cronies? And they have melted away to leave the running of this country to others instead of continuing to ride the gravy bus?

I think voting for SNP has become a protest vote.

A protest against Westminster and which the media were happy to play along with because it made their job easier; easy to criticise those in power in Westminster because in Scotland they are doing things differently and it’s not as bad.

Really? This relative privation has been so very damaging to Scotland. it’s led to hardly any real evaluation of what is going on and the slap dash policies implemented by the SNP with NS at the helm.

and it’s so very foolish to think that the independence of Scotland will just magic away all our problems.

I think a lot of people vote for the party they agree with the least.

If you want independence how else can you demonstrate that at the ballot box other than voting for a pro Indy party. I loathe the greens, SSP got f'ed by TS, Alba's not credible so that leaves the SNP.

Do you really think voting for Labour will improve things/get Indy?

If Labour returned to their old policy they had for decades of 'home rule'/full fiscal autonomy then I think many swing voters would turn to them but they've dug their heels in on a hard unionist line with the tories! No wonder their support base has vanished!

All political parties attract people who are corrupt, inept, incompetent etc.

Yes criticise the SNP (most members/activists do!) but don't be so naive to think that any of their problems are unique to them.

Labour and the tories have all the same issues.

What are you suggesting? Not voting at all?

If you want independence how else can you demonstrate that at the ballot box other than voting for a pro Indy party

You do that at the once in a lifetime referendum - and the rest of the time you put independence to one side vote for the party that you think can do the best job of running the country. The fact that so many people genuinely believe that the SNP is the best party to govern Scotland, despite its numerous major failings, is very worrying.

It means that too many people are willing to sacrifice health, social care, the economy, education and so on for independence.

If you want independence how else can you demonstrate that at the ballot box other than voting for a pro Indy party. I loathe the greens, SSP got f'ed by TS, Alba's not credible so that leaves the SNP.

Why do want separation? All the important issues are devolved and Holyrood sets its own taxes. Scotland benefits from the Barnett Formula.

I've never heard a convincing argument from a separatist. All that's trotted out is vague guff about being under Westminster control. You didn't convince the majority in 2014 and haven't done so since.

I don't think voting Labour or any other party will get Indy and I couldn't give less of a fuck tbh

Like has been demonstrated repeatedly, the majority of Scots don't want it.

The higher thinking end of SNP support know they are shite and yet still vote for them and are destroying the country.
The SNP have no interest in running the country well, they are a single issue protest group who benefit from blaming others for their own inadequacy.

It seems fairly clear that we’re getting Yousaf and continuity Sturgeon policies at this point doesn’t it? I don’t think the SNP hierarchy have learned a lot from this.

It’s all about controlling their fiefdom - they can’t do that without Yousless in place. This isn’t about what’s best for Scotland, we have become akin to a dictatorship.

The reason SNP are in power is because of the flawed voting system. And they are really the only separist party, the unionist are split between 3 parties, Labour, tory and Lib Dem.

Labour have been unelectable and far to many Scots are anti tory because of Maggie back in the 80s.

Will anyone be listening to Mrs Murrells farewell at Fmqs today? I can only imagine it will be nauseating.

Pity Penny Mordant couldn’t be shipped in to add a bit of perspective.

Was listening to Times radio this morning when the presenters were discussing The First Minister and praising her political speaking abilities- very true - but didn’t touch on the fact she was very good at talking but unable to run the country .

The sycophantic media.
anyone next to Boris’ bumbling would win though.
those clenched fists and constant deflections never won me over. there should be a drinking game;

we are on it…
its out to consultation…
no debate…
i cannot recall…
its worse in England…
we inherited it (ahem over 15 years ago)…
independence…

oh no! Penny mordant is awful. on gender isn’t she all anyone who says they are a women are women and one of her brothers was engaged to David Paisley?
remember he was the one in true catastrophising and hysterical fashion thought that a tiny suffragette ribbon was a noose.

I know we no agency over what others think and do, including siblings; look at corbyn’s conspiracy theory brother and Nicola’s touring spiritual medium sister but at least they did not regurgitating the bile.

I agree that on most things Penny is as bad as anyone. However she seems to have found her forte in cutting through the SNP whining at Westminster so on that basis I would enjoy her having the opportunity to hold NS and indeed any of the office holders to account. Can you imagine what she would do with Lorna Slater? She'd be running so fast from the chamber that she'd set a new world sprint record.

What the fuck am I hearing - “when women lift, girls rise”?? Is she honestly expecting us to believe she knows what either are? She’s systematically undermined the rights and safety of both women and girls, and if she’s honestly holding herself as some feminist beacon to which girls should aspire she’s even more delusional than she would have us believe 😡

It's always a pleasure to see Penny Mordant savaging some hapless SNP stooge.

🍿

I will be glad not to have to listen to NS anymore!

You do that at the once in a lifetime referendum

Even the most hardline ultra British nationalists/tories don't say this.

That's nothing short of totalitarianism.

and the rest of the time you put independence to one side vote for the party that you think can do the best job of running the country

Put to side for a moment our individual views on this- it is clear that for many voters they see independence as the route to the country being run better. You have every right to disagree with this view. But are you saying these people don't have a right to their view?

The fact that so many people genuinely believe that the SNP is the best party to govern Scotland, despite its numerous major failings, is very worrying

Again, people are often voting for the SNP, not as an endorsement of their policies but as a show of support for independence and because they see no better alternative.

Where does your faith come from to be so sure that Labour in Scotland would be any better at policy delivery?

Don't you remember the mess they made of the parliament building?

Their first minister resigning in shame?

The Scottish Tory leader also resigning due to a financial scandal?

Scottish Labour built zero mainstream council houses in Scotland from 1999-2007 when they were in power. They brought in uni fees.
They built school with PFI money that was a huge ongoing waste of taxpayers money.
They closed countless schools and hospitals.

I'll give them some credit that they had some good policies like the Breastfeeding Act and eradicating unintentional homelessness.

But they made lots of mistakes and didn't deliver some devolved utopia.

Why do want separation?

Why do you want the union?

The union was never intended to be as all encompassing as it is now. All the important facets of civil society were kept separate-
Law
Education
Banking
Religion

When the Welfare State and more universal income taxation were developed in the early 20th century these should have been devolved. That would have been in keeping with the intention of the Union of Parliaments.

Labour's own policy was home rule!

Are you saying that was wrong then?

All the important issues are devolved

No, all the important issues are reserved.

Holyrood sets its own taxes

Holyrood has control of a tiny % of tax raised in Scotland.

Scotland benefits from the Barnett Formula.

Scotland raises more per head than rUK. So when we are raising more there isn't a problem spending more.

Given Scotland's geography of course service delivery will be more expensive than in the more urbanised south of England.

(We spend less than Northern Ireland btw)

People in Scotland are willing to have more of a high tax/high spend economy than people in England.

Hence one of the reasons people want independence- so we can make these choices.

Will anyone be listening to Fmqs today? I can only imagine it will be nauseating

Tory leader more interested in not revealing how few Tory members there are than actually tackling NS on policy.

The standard of politics in Scotland in general has really diminished in recent years.

They all just shout and bang and show us all up. It's a disgrace. We need a new presiding officer who holds them to account.

Tory leader more interested in not revealing how few Tory members there are

Much like the SNP then.

Even the most hardline ultra British nationalists/tories don't say this. That's nothing short of totalitarianism

Have you got stats to back up that (nonsensical) claim?

Where does your faith come from to be so sure that Labour in Scotland would be any better at policy delivery

Where does your claim that I have faith in Labour come from Your subsequent points are based on nothing more than your conjecture.

It’s boringly predictable - ‘the Tories are worse’, ‘Labour are worse’ ‘the LibDems are worse’, as if the only benchmark for the SNP supporters is for the Sturgeon -Murrell party to be slightly better than the other parties (in their opinion). Probably why membership has dropped dramatically - people are bored of the same old nationalist rhetoric.

Scotland raises more per head than rUK. So when we are raising more there isn't a problem spending more.

evidence?

People in Scotland are willing to have more of a high tax/high spend economy than people in England.

Yes of course they are -especially as there are so few tax payers and higher rate tax payers so it's not their money being spent.

You do that at the once in a lifetime referendum

Even the most hardline ultra British nationalists/tories don't say this.

That's nothing short of totalitarianism.

"Once in a generation" was the strapline of the separatatists. Pity they didn't make clear it was the generation of the fruit fly.

Separatism at best is muddle headed empty romanticism and at worst has deeply unpleasant streaks of totalitarianism, spreading division and hatred.