The Scottish Politics thread

It seems to me that the wish for independence is the only thing that holds the SNP together. There seems to be a broad spectrum of more general political ideologies within it. With Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon they have tended to follow relatively left wing policies, but that seems to be shifting to the right a bit under Humza Yousaf.
If ,independence is ever achieved I would expect the SNP to disintegrate and we would have just the Scottish equivalent of the parties in England.
so an independent Labour Party in Scotland would push for EU membership? Interesting.
For all their divisions the SNP still have a broad set of policies which are unique in the UK. I believe this would carry forward in independence and time would determine how the other political parties responded policy wise. Maybe after a while SNP would swallow Scottish Labour or vice versa. I don't think any scenario is a given though.
 
Some of the “mood music” that has come out since the stepping down of Nicola Sturgeon makes me think that they are not as coherent as they seemed previously. But meantime they seem to be the only prospect for independence in the foreseeable future.
there are splits for sure. Salmon created one on the formation of Alba. I have a great deal of time for Sturgeon but imo one of her faults was she kept power very very close to her and a small band of trusted colleagues and tried to ensure everyone was 'on message'. I was not a Hamza fan in the slightest but he has started reasonably well. Kate Forbes is a more 'conservative' face of the party but is smart and able. The thing is the SNP membership is pulled from a spectrum of politics with one overriding objective. Its small wonder some differences of approach and tone are evident.
 
‘People in my constituency being constantly harmed by the UK government.’

Presumably they harm them by keeping public spending in Scotland at a much higher level than would be in the case with independence?

What a load of horseshit. But anything to distract from the SNP’s horrendous record in government I suppose.
No. They harm them by leaving the EU, fucking our economy and having an inhuman policy for immigrants.

Tbf though, they harm the rest of the UK with the exception of London and the SE but Mhairi only represents her constituents so can only speak for them.
 
so an independent Labour Party in Scotland would push for EU membership? Interesting.
For all their divisions the SNP still have a broad set of policies which are unique in the UK. I believe this would carry forward in independence and time would determine how the other political parties responded policy wise. Maybe after a while SNP would swallow Scottish Labour or vice versa. I don't think any scenario is a given though.
It is hard to keep a “broad church” together and at the moment it seems to me that striving for inependence is the glue holding the SNP together. Once independence is achieved then I think the real debate on what sort of country we want to be will start. Hopefully all parties in Scotland after independence will contribute to that debate and we won’t have a unionist backlash. I suspect the centre left party you mention would have both Labour and SNP representation and would be the largest party in any new government. I would hope they would look carefully at rejoining Europe, if they could negotiate a good deal.
 
there are splits for sure. Salmon created one on the formation of Alba. I have a great deal of time for Sturgeon but imo one of her faults was she kept power very very close to her and a small band of trusted colleagues and tried to ensure everyone was 'on message'. I was not a Hamza fan in the slightest but he has started reasonably well. Kate Forbes is a more 'conservative' face of the party but is smart and able. The thing is the SNP membership is pulled from a spectrum of politics with one overriding objective. Its small wonder some differences of approach and tone are evident.
I think alba and all the sudden departures are just as 'fortunate' for Starmer as the eradication of the left from labour. I suspect labour will need a coalition to form a meaningful majority govt, and the SNP is being shaped into something starmer can probably work with. Whether that is good news or not is another discussion.
 
It is hard to keep a “broad church” together and at the moment it seems to me that striving for inependence is the glue holding the SNP together. Once independence is achieved then I think the real debate on what sort of country we want to be will start. Hopefully all parties in Scotland after independence will contribute to that debate and we won’t have a unionist backlash. I suspect the centre left party you mention would have both Labour and SNP representation and would be the largest party in any new government. I would hope they would look carefully at rejoining Europe, if they could negotiate a good deal.
If you think the SNP will disappear immediately after independence I am afraid you are just wrong. On the back of a successful independence campaign they will almost certainly form the first Scottish independent government. The other parties will have much work to do to transform themselves into Scottish Political parties. Who knows what will happen in future but I would be surprised if the SNP or whatever they call themselves after independence will be very much alive and kicking for at least a couple of decades.
 
If you think the SNP will disappear immediately after independence I am afraid you are just wrong. On the back of a successful independence campaign they will almost certainly form the first Scottish independent government. The other parties will have much work to do to transform themselves into Scottish Political parties. Who knows what will happen in future but I would be surprised if the SNP or whatever they call themselves after independence will be very much alive and kicking for at least a couple of decades.

All this is hypothetical, and we may never really know, but initially yes, most likely. In the long run, I agree with Cassandra's take on it however.

How ironic is it, that the pary fighting so hard for independence could see it result in its eventual demise. While the parties fighting against it don't realise or won't admit, that it is their only real chance of survival. Not that any of them seem to care beyond their own term in career.
 
All this is hypothetical, and we may never really know, but initially yes, most likely. In the long run, I agree with Cassandra's take on it however.

How ironic is it, that the pary fighting so hard for independence could see it result in its eventual demise. While the parties fighting against it don't realise or won't admit, that it is their only real chance of survival. Not that any of them seem to care beyond their own term in career.
I would agree with your view on career politics. By its very nature though the SNP has to have a view that extends beyond the next election. Sometimes even they forget that. I cant really see Scottish Labour breaking through given that Starmer is becoming ever more adept at his Tory boy impersonations.
 

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