SNP Rebels (Yes, really) and More

[Igneococcus]

According to the Times Scotland about 10 SNP MSPs are planning to break ranks and oppose the proposed reforms:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/907c2d94-975b-11ec-addf-533e9597e348?shareToken=2592313969a6086296402e96ebaceeed

Alex Massie Comment here:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c5c6a40c-9751-11ec-addf-533e9597e348?shareToken=62ff22b3122125ef518043c1283f0f99

And Ros Whyte who helped establish Scotland's first rape crisis centre says "Rape charity ‘betrays women’ in Scotland":

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c650278c-975a-11ec-addf-533e9597e348?shareToken=d0a820bf5955634b95f53684ce54b4f2

Every single one has comments turned off.

It may be worth writing again to your MSPs, wims, to reiterate that you don't support the GRA reform as suggested.

10 rebels could become more, it's possible.

Thanks for the holyrood article.

The bastards are going to push it through & my daughters won't have any safe changing rooms etc etc etc I am beyond angry.

And yes hopefully it will be struck down by Westminster & then they will whine

Politics in Scotland is totally broken. The system was set up in expectation of power sharing & instead we have an authoritarian dictatorship.

I find this VERY interesting, politically.

It takes a lot of courage to make a stand against a party seemingly stuffed with yes-men and -women. The fact that this has turned into an open rebellion from within is a significant development and a change in tone from previous years, indicating growing tensions.

Good luck to the rebels.

True, Venezuela.

It’ll be interesting to see what Kate Forbes (potential successor to Nicola?) does.

Yes. We're past due a new SNP leader. Who else is in the running? I know they managed to rig it so that Joanna Cherry couldn't stand.

I don't think Kate Forbes is crazy enough has the appetite for it. I'd like to think she would have no truck with the OFI activists.

So that will leave the heirs apparent Angus Robertson or Humza Yousaf to fight it out. It's a shallow talent pool but the same could be said for the opposition parties.

Oof. Can't picture either of those two in a functioning role as leader. Humza was spectacularly useless as Transport Mnister, and Angus Robertson is just ... well, he's Angus Robertson.

'In 2020 Robertson wrote that a rise in support for independence in opinion polls could be attributed to, "55,000 predominantly No supporting older voters passing away every year... Since 2014, this has added around 330,000 voters to the electorate, with a likely net gain of over 100,000 for independence.”

<a class="break-all" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20210219123541/www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/scottish-politics/2503876/snps-angus-robertson-condemned-for-disgraceful-comments-suggesting-elderly-deaths-were-leading-to-independence-gain/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">web.archive.org/web/20210219123541/www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/scottish-politics/2503876/snps-angus-robertson-condemned-for-disgraceful-comments-suggesting-elderly-deaths-were-leading-to-independence-gain/

So kind. Much compassion.

• also noting that Sturgeon has made similar comments about how the more people die the better it is for Independence. Albeit veiled in a wink-wink-nudge-nudge layer of 'jokiness'.

“I’ve got democracy on my side ... if they think it’s about playing a waiting game, I’ve probably got time on my side as well.

"You look at the demographics of the support for independence – well, I’m not sure that’s going to get you out of this conundrum.”

Oh, you and your cheeky deathwish on the elderly, Nicola!

www.scotsman.com/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-time-is-on-my-side-on-scottish-independence-referendum-push-3410524

[quote DomesticatedZombie]- also noting that Sturgeon has made similar comments about how the more people die the better it is for Independence. Albeit veiled in a wink-wink-nudge-nudge layer of 'jokiness'.

“I’ve got democracy on my side ... if they think it’s about playing a waiting game, I’ve probably got time on my side as well.

"You look at the demographics of the support for independence – well, I’m not sure that’s going to get you out of this conundrum.”

Oh, you and your cheeky deathwish on the elderly, Nicola!

www.scotsman.com/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-time-is-on-my-side-on-scottish-independence-referendum-push-3410524[/quote]
Well it's a fact isn't it?

Most of the young people I know say the same thing as most young people want independence. I was in my early 20s during the last referendum and this is not a Nicola opinion, it is a widely held fact from the data.

@Cazziebo

I don't think Kate Forbes is crazy enough has the appetite for it. I'd like to think she would have no truck with the OFI activists.

So that will leave the heirs apparent Angus Robertson or Humza Yousaf to fight it out. It's a shallow talent pool but the same could be said for the opposition parties.

I can see Kate as a leader and I do think she is being primed for it. She is against this gender reform though and a friend of Joanna Cherry's.

What's a fact? That young people tend to be more radical/reckless, and older people tend to prefer the known to the unknown?

What nobody has factored into this devilishly clever plot is that younger people get older, and often change their minds/voting habits/beliefs in the process.

Angus Robertson is definitely Nicola's chosen successor. Kate Forbes is too young, inexperienced, and isn't woke (probably because of the Christian thing), plus she's currently pregnant with her first so would probably prefer her energies to go towards her baby. Maybe after Angus.

Most of the young people I know say the same thing as most young people want independence. I was in my early 20s during the last referendum and this is not a Nicola opinion, it is a widely held fact from the data

Yes - the "coffin dodgers" spoiled it for the separatists. And yes, I heard that phrase being used by one of my husband's separatist supporting nephews. What a charming way to refer to his uncle and indeed his No voting grandmother (who had helped him buy a house)

Unfortunately for the separatists people grow up. There's still not a majority for yes despite 7 years of "coffin dodgers" dieing off.

@KimikosNightmare

Most of the young people I know say the same thing as most young people want independence. I was in my early 20s during the last referendum and this is not a Nicola opinion, it is a widely held fact from the data

Yes - the "coffin dodgers" spoiled it for the separatists. And yes, I heard that phrase being used by one of my husband's separatist supporting nephews. What a charming way to refer to his uncle and indeed his No voting grandmother (who had helped him buy a house)

Unfortunately for the separatists people grow up. There's still not a majority for yes despite 7 years of "coffin dodgers" dieing off.

Yes, almost as if the responsibilities that often come with adulthood (paying a mortgage and saving for a pension) focus the mind on the nationalists' complete inability to answer basic questions about the finances of an independence Scotland.

7.5 years since the referendum and still not seen any viable currency plan and SNP can't agree who will pay Scottish pensions under independence. Mr Blackford says "the English" until slapped down by Ms Sturgeon.

@KimikosNightmare

Most of the young people I know say the same thing as most young people want independence. I was in my early 20s during the last referendum and this is not a Nicola opinion, it is a widely held fact from the data

Yes - the "coffin dodgers" spoiled it for the separatists. And yes, I heard that phrase being used by one of my husband's separatist supporting nephews. What a charming way to refer to his uncle and indeed his No voting grandmother (who had helped him buy a house)

Unfortunately for the separatists people grow up. There's still not a majority for yes despite 7 years of "coffin dodgers" dieing off.

I've known many pensioners who have held views supporting independence throughout their lives. It is often nothing to do with 'growing up' as you put it. It's about outlook.

In any case I don't want to derail the thread. I'm grateful to OP for starting it - it has given me a bit of hope but tbh it seems like this bill is going through no matter what. Women's views don't seem to matter - on that note lots of women have left the SNP over this.