SNP lay their stall out - vote for them next May, they will start negotiating to separate.

[RandomGeocache]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgknlj3vr76o

Because they have learned nothing from Brexit. I mean, it's sort of their raison d'etre, banging on about independence and it does resonate with some of their fans who believe that should Scotland separate, we'd all be loads richer. They do appear somewhat confused though - a majority in parliament is a mandate, the biggest number of MSPs is a mandate, a vote for "pro-indy" parties is a mandate.... Anyone would think they were either making it up as they go along, or hedging their bets.

Are we supposed to forget all about the incompetence, the failing NHS and education, the scandals and all the other fuck ups?

So if you don't want to separate, don't vote SNP or Green in May.

I voted to remain in UK in 2014 because I hadn’t been persuaded of the case for independence.
Ive always said never say never and been prepared to change my mind if I saw a really strong, well run Scotland meeting all its targets under the SNP.
I haven’t seen any of this over the past decade and I’m even less likely to vote for independence now!

The latest white paper has admitted that they plan to create a Scottish £ and pay their public sector workers in it, which would be hilarious. We’d end up with the situation where public sector workers would get paid in Scottish £ and private sector workers would opt for GBP and be 40% better off than public sector workers for it.

The white paper also stated that the Scottish government would be responsible for Scottish pensions, which is something anyone with half a brain has known for years.

I'll vote SNP to keep that cunt farage and his ilk out of Scotland but I'm not a fan of Independence.

I’d like to be independent and eventually become part of Europe again, but not under an SNP government. This is where they went wrong before, putting the two together. One does not automatically lead to the other, a general election would have to be called.

That makes no sense though. SNP have said a vote for them IS a vote for independence, potentially without a referendum although I think it’s very likely the UK govt will block that.

if you want to keep reform out, there are plenty of other parties to choose from.

No faith in Labour after what they put genuinely disabled people through with their will they won't they yap.
I couldn't bring myself to vote conservative ever.
Voted labour for 40 years.

Lib Dem? Some of the minor socialist parties?

So disillusioned with what's happening in the UK,The flags, the racist rhetoric, people being openly racist even the closet ones are wee bit braver.
NHS , public services ,roads are atrocious.
No bloody idea where to turn.

I’ve seen flags in many places in Glasgow too. St Andrews crosses rather than the Union flag, but the sentiment is the same. I don’t like Reform one little bit but they have support in Scotland too.

I voted Yes in the referendum and I can’t recognise that part of me anymore. I’m so far from it, it’s like a different person.

The SNPs record is appalling (“buuut free prescriptions!!!”) over the majority of major areas. Our NHS is an utter shambles, the education system is inept, public services are rubbish and my views just don’t align with them anymore, at all.

No idea who to vote for moving forward. I don’t really feel like it’s worth the hassle anymore.

This basically mirrors me, voted yes and that old me just feels a world away right now.
snp are a chocolate tea pot and i have just swung so far the other way now, independence is a hard no for me these days.

The world is certainly a very different place to 2014 - covid, Trump, Brexit.

So you would vote for the nationalist party responsible for the atrocious nhs, public services, roads etc? The SNP are very keen on flags too and have been long before people started flying them in England.

Reform and the SNP as different sides of the same coin. The only difference is Reform have a bunch of pretty independently minded politicians who will likely split from their party rather than be told what to vote for, whilst the SNP MSPs just vote whichever way their party tells them to.

I’m another that was a jubilant yes supporter back then, but could not countenance giving that mandate to this shower of numpties. In theory I’d still like independence but we’d have to be led by sensible people to transition in to that. I have no idea who to vote for. I don’t want to spoil my vote again, doesn’t sit well, but I genuinely don’t have any options. I’d like to vote tactically to stop reform, I guess, without voting snp or green which I couldn’t conscience at the moment.

Can’t vote SNP or Alba as Indy would be a massively damaging disaster and they know it. Can’t vote green or Lib Dem as they don’t know what a woman is. Disappointed in Labour - aren’t raiding the right taxes and seem unable to make the necessary spending cuts. Won’t vote Tory. Sigh!

Same.

Will probably vote Tory if they remain sufficiently separate from main UK party. Or possibly Labour.

I am in an area with a Lib Dem MP and last UK election the candidate came to the door. I raised that issue with her, she said she understood my point of view but that you are never going to find one party which aligns perfectly with your view on everything, and you need to decide what's most important.

Especially since the Supreme court ruling that woman = biological female, I am less concerned about that nonsense. Isla Bryson's pink leggings were the first nail in the coffin. Although it's still a major issue, keeping Scotland in the UK is the most important thing to me, and I will vote tactically to achieve that. If the tactical voting is replicated from last scottish election, that will mean Labour on the constituency vote, and Lib Dem as the list vote.

For those determined not to vote Tory, do you think it is a good thing that we have such an overwhelming Labour majority in the UK parliament? I thought we desperately needed a change of government but the outcome was terrible one. It would have been much much better for Labour to have had a small majority of about ten. This would have forced it to be answerable to parliament and its own back benchers. Currently the Tories have such a small number they are ineffective as opposition making Parliament irrelevant in the minds of the government. It will be harder for them to come back as the centre right party we need to provide balance, and provide an alternative to Reform for right-of-centre voters.

The Scottish Parliament has also be reduced to irrelevance by the SNP for a different reason; they are profoundly antidemocratic by making all their MSP pledge to vote the way the party decides.

The Lib Dem’s who are determined to ignore the SC ruling? Who as a Holyrood party voted AGAINST allowing a woman to request the sex of her forensic examiner immediately following her rape?

No I hear you - it's a major issue. But keeping Scotland part of the UK is the most pressing current issue.

Let’s face it, there is no political will at UK level to go back into the EU. If Scotland would become independent then that would become a a major priority and as almost all EU legislation has already been transposed into Scots law, it could become a reality within a few years. I was born an EU citizen and would like to die as one. I would also like my children to regain their EU citizenship for easier travel, study, job opportunities etc. Sometimes you just have to be pragmatic. Also I don’t like the way the UK has closed down the oil refinery at Grangemouth and are discussing water pipelines from Scotland to England… I just feel that at UK level Scotland is viewed as a minor inconvenience but useful resource. Even this thread is very focussed on one thing - there’s more to Scotland than the SNP.

I think she means that she was born in the UK, and was a EU member because at that time the UK was in the EU.

I also don't think that getting back into the EU would be as easy as the ScotGov paints it. They are presenting it as a done deal - Scotland would rejoin the EU. That's not how it works though, Spain in particular would have a massive issue with it, and other countries may block for their own reasons. We just don't know.

The EU is an expansionist organisation and although it wants a stable neighbourhood, if Scotland would democratically wish to rejoin as the 28th Member State, I can’t see the EU having any objection. On the contrary, they would be glad to welcome Scotland back as it would help with their energy strategy, university research network, etc…and anyway Scotland is a European nation and everyone knows it. You can’t tell me that Ukraine, Moldova and Albania can happily be Candidate Countries (with all the benefits that brings) and that Scotland becoming one would be a masssive issue. Nonsense.