Scotland turning into a banana republic without the bananas as they "elect" the next El Presidente

[lechiffre55]

Just read this and my mind is blown. It's like reading about a South American dictatorship running "elections" to re-elect El Presidente beloved of the people!
wingsoverscotland.com/the-last-days-of-saigon/
The first link in that article "last night’s article on Craig Murray’s site" makes my heart sink to read. Over the years I have really softened to the idea of Scottish Independance. If the Scots think they are better of going it alone, then who are we to interfere? But the blatant corruption and utter lack of democracy in Scottish politics is starting to make me think the Scottish aren't up to running their own country. Like a small child who tells you they are totally up to using the gas cooker unsupervised, it's cute but not based in reality. It's an utter travesty what's happening, and a complete betrayal of the Scottish people.
Can whisky even be made from bananas?

The fact that there is such focus on the SNP leadership tells you how shrivelled devolved politics has become. In a more balanced country there would be greater focus on the problems and solutions for Scotland, but it's quickly reverted to a personality for independence. That tells you everything- the SNP won't suddenly become effective government but they are looking for the best grievance candidate aka someone who will protect Nicola Sturgeon from the consequences of her mess.

@SerenaVanDerWoodsenHumphrey
I really appreciate the effort you put into that post thank you. As somone quite far from Scotland it's so interesting to hear what's going on from someone on the ground.
I missed ArabellaScott's link so I'm going to go find that and read that too.

In the UK we've had long spells of government - Thatcher into John Major, Blair and Brown, the return of a much more fragmented Tory period covering Brexit. Reading what you wrote and comparing the length of SNP rule in Scotland to the three long dynasties I just wrote makes me realise that the UK doesn't quite flip back and forth as often as my brain thinks it does, and by comparison the SNP reign is sort of on a par with the UK.

There's a perception that I have as a resident of the UK and I suspect that might apply across the rest of the UK, that the people of Scotland want to leave the UK. What I mean by that is in the rest of the UK, Scotland is represented by the SNP. We in the UK get our perceptions of what Scotland thinks from the SNP. Some of the posts in this thread have really helped me to understand just how wrong that perception might be. I have this mental image of Scottish devolutionists being very active and doing a lot, and Scottish unionists being a quiet bunch just going about their lives. Having heard from a variety of voices in this thread, I now think this this mental image is probably wrong.
I can see how myself and others in the UK would get this impression. Whenever we see something about Scotland in the media its from the SNP point of view. In Westminster we only ever see the SNP waffling. We never see one without the other. What I'm saying is that the protrayal of Scotland in the UK might not reflect the wide range of views and people of Scotland. I think we are presented a much more narrow field of view of who the Scottish people are and what they want.
I really appreciate everyone from Scotland who has commented and helped me get a much more balanced view of how the different people of Scotland feel.

I think that wherever there are independence or separatist movements, you see the party which wants that representing themselves as the authentic voice of the people, whether or not it's really true. And I suspect that usually they believe it.

To anyone outside if often seems like it must be accurate.

As an outsider looking at Scotland it does not look to me that the SNP faces the same electoral comeuppance mechanics as the rest of the UK because Scotland seems to be a one party state. It's the SNP no matter how they perform.

you certainly can’t blame snp or the Scottish govt for this. Labour absolutely fucked up in Scotland. Since Kezia Dugdale left they’ve been an utter shambles. Unelectable for years. Maybe, just maybe, they’re not quite as awful now. Lib Dem’s also imploded.

We in the UK get our perceptions of what Scotland thinks from the SNP.
that’s just lazy, like us up here assuming you guys are all completely behind anything and everything that Boris, Liz, Rishi did and do. Clearly there’s opposition, and it’s pretty steady close to 50/50 for and against independence.

"that’s just lazy"
No, not when what is shown to us by the media is a very narrow one sided view. I am saying the information we see comes with a bias that we don't realise. It might be the media being lazy or disinterested, but I think it would be unfair to accuse the general populance of laziness without looking at where their information is coming from.

Let's just see who Scotland votes for next, shall we? After all, it's the people who live in Scotland who will decide if it's worth continuing their unparalleled support for the SNP. Despite what England, Wales and NI might think.

@lechiffre55

At least in the rest of the UK any party that makes a mess of things can get voted out. <...> My point is in the rest of the UK the party in charge can be changed through a general election.

Whatever makes you think voters in Scotland can't do the same in the Scottish Parliament?

*As an outsider looking at Scotland it does not look to me that the SNP faces the same electoral comeuppance mechanics as the rest of the UK because Scotland seems to be a one party state.

You're misinformed . The Scottish Parliament has 129 MSPs, of whom 64 represent the SNP. 65 MSPs represent other parties, NOT the SNP.

@lechiffre 55

I feel that there is some small merit to my comment in that a nation who wants to self determine has spectaurlarly failed in it's attemps to do so.

You very clearly have virtually no grasp of Scottish politics, history, devolution, or the role and history of the SNP.

Its not 50 years since Tory PM Margaret Thatcher ripped the heart out of Scotland's traditional industries and economy, and triggered the demand for Devolution.

You won't find many voters in Scotland, who regret our own Parliament or would willingly hand back Scotland's devolved powers to Westminster.

The devolved Scottish Parliament dates from 1999. Until 2007, the devolved executive was led by a coalition of the Scottish Labour Party and Scottish Liberal Democrats. The SNP didn't rise to dominance until 2007.

23 years is a short time in politics; it encompassed the Iraq war, the global economic crash of 2008, Blair's failed Labour govt, Salmonds failed Scottish Independence referendum; the Tory party returning to power in Westminster, the EU referendum, Covid, and a string of spectacularly failed Tory Prime Ministers in Westminster.

Irony meter explodes.

You won't find many voters in Scotland, who regret our own Parliament or would willingly hand back Scotland's devolved powers to Westminster.

I voted No in all 3 referenda. If there a fourth for getting rid of Holyrood, I'd vote yes to that. I come across plenty of people who feel the same.

You omitted to mention that the Greens, for whom almost no one voted for, hold the balance of power and keep the SNP in government.

As do plaid in Wales

Missing the point again there, love.
Never mind, hey?

Please don't call me love.

I don't think whisky can be made from bananas, but a good wine can.

Lord Bucket Head for PM. Excellent idea. (We haven't already had him/her have we? Just wondering.)