Oor Nicola Sturgeon thread.

[Savage Henry]

2 minutes ago, sparky88 said:

For that to happen they would need to pick a TERF as FM, which I'm not sure will happen. 

There will be some amount of mental gymnastics involved anyhow. 

[Trogdor]

I actually think this is a sensible call by Sturgeon. I didn't agree with her later work particularly towards the end of the pandemic onwards.

She has actually become quite divisive and in order to get a solid majority for yes you need someone who can bring the wavering and undecided on board. I'm not sure Sturgeon was capable of that.

It also allows a new broom to disassociate themselves from some of the litany of policy car crashes. Its like a reset for the Scottish Government which is long overdue. Hopefully with the Scottish Greens having less prominence and influence. 

[Richey Edwards]

6 minutes ago, Salvo Montalbano said:

Notice most politicians of all colours gave generic "I may have disagreed but..." comments, but the c**t's c**t, Alistair Jack had to say something along the lines of "hopefully the new FM gives up talking about Independence". He really is a big bag of pish, isn't he?

He hopes the new First Minister won't bother talking about independence, when their party's main reason for existing is pursuing independence?

He will be disappointed.

[betting competition]

24 minutes ago, Leith Green said:

Aw naw, Alex Salmond is now on the radio.............

Don't check the headline on BBC News.

[topcat(The most tip top)]

6 minutes ago, sparky88 said:

For that to happen they would need to pick a TERF as FM, which I'm not sure will happen. 

In other news Ladbrokes and Coral are offering 33/1 on Joanna Cherry

Edited February 15, 2023 by topcat(The most tip top)

[ScotiaNostra]

11 minutes ago, renton said:

All basically name recognition isn't it. I doubt Swinney or Brown get into it. McAllan might - she's seen as up and coming, youthful but without the religious baggage that comes with Forbes. Yousaf might still as well, has a lot of ministerial experience by now though that might in of itself be a stick to beat him with. 

McAllan could be a good choice. I hope theres a few contenders and we get to hear some good debate from them so that the winner is easily able to stand out as just being the best leader, inspiring and has a good plan/path for future and also can reach out to all voters not just indy

Edited February 15, 2023 by ScotiaNostra

[betting competition]

11 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

Presumably all the Yer Da/Wings fruit loops who promised to vote Tory are back on board the SNP train and/or taking credit for this?

Hopefully they stick with Alba 

[vikingTON]

1 minute ago, Trogdor said:

 

It also allows a new broom to disassociate themselves from some of the litany of policy car crashes. Its like a reset for the Scottish Government which is long overdue. Hopefully with the Scottish Greens having less prominence and influence. 

An adult in the room to finally tell Lorna Slater that her moronic recycling deposit scheme is dead in the water would be a start. Sturgeon would feel bound by the previous political agreement - a new FM has no such obligation. 

On the flip side, I'm not convinced that the Greens are loving the current arrangement either. 

[Trogdor]

1 minute ago, topcat(The most tip top) said:

In other news Ladbrokes and Coral are offering 33/1 on Joanna Cherry

If Cherry or anyone else at Westminster ran for the leadership, could the party engineer a space for them at Holyrood.

Say a constituency MSP stood down would that trigger a by-election? A list seat may be easier? Although the SNP don't have many list seats tbf.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

11 minutes ago, Trogdor said:

If Cherry or anyone else at Westminster ran for the leadership, could the party engineer a space for them at Holyrood.

Say a constituency MSP stood down would that trigger a by-election? A list seat may be easier? Although the SNP don't have many list seats tbf.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/46/part/I/crossheading/vacancies

Edited February 15, 2023 by DeeTillEhDeh

[renton]

3 minutes ago, Trogdor said:

If Cherry or anyone else at Westminster ran for the leadership, could the party engineer a space for them at Holyrood.

Say a constituency MSP stood down would that trigger a by-election? A list seat may be easier? Although the SNP don't have many list seats tbf.

Yeah, but you need someone in a safe seat to stand aside. Anything remotely marginal and the other parties will probably use an ele total pact to throw the kitchen sink at it - or wait for the election in 2026 which is three years of trying to control Holyrood from WM by dint of some deputy leader, which is insanity itself.

It won't be any of the WM group.

[welshbairn]

Douglas Ross was Scottish Tory party leader for a year without a seat at Holyrood, Alex Salmond was the same as SNP leader for longer I think while Sturgeon covered for him. It's probably not practical when replacing First Minister though.

[Trogdor]

9 minutes ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

 If the regional member was returned (under section 8 or this section) from a registered political party’s regional list, the regional returning officer shall notify the Presiding Officer of the name of the person who is to fill the vacancy.

Presumably you work the way down the list but hypothetically if none of them are willing to serve I assume the party could put forward a new name?

I'm just wondering how you could get someone in Holyrood quickly.

I guess you could go the full hog and call a Scottish election. That's a double edged sword but would give the new leader a fresh mandate.

Edited February 15, 2023 by Trogdor

[Florentine_Pogen]

6 hours ago, AndyM said:

She doesn't have an ego like Salmond who was always a first class w****r. She is a relatively normal human being with superb communication skills. She will do extremely well and there will be some big international job for her I am certain.

She certainly won't be looking to emulate the waddling duck grifter that is Ruth 'PerDiem' Davidson.

[Boo Khaki]

44 minutes ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

For the ones espousing Forbes as FM, are they comfortable with the fact shes pretty conservative and shares values and beliefs more aligned to Jacob ReesMogg than Mhairi Black? 

I couldn't give my vote to a party led by Forbes. I struggled enough with my conscience at the last SGE because Ash Denhom/Regan is my constituency MSP. I did end up giving her my 1st preference vote in the end, but I have regretted that decision ever since and will never give her my vote again.

I've always tried to be pragmatic about it and be realistic in accepting that any political party will, and should, contain people with differing views on 'matters of conscience', but it would be different for me if the party itself is led by someone who openly adheres to views I consider to be bigoted. I'm an atheist, verging toward antitheist, but the mere fact she's an adherent of an organised religion doesn't bother me in the slightest, it's the views she holds. There are plenty of homophobic people with dark-ages views who aren't in the slightest bit religious, so the two don't always go hand-in-hand, but whatever her justification for it, or whatever the reason for her adopting the positions she holds, I couldn't give my backing to a party that considers her fit to be First Minister of Scotland. It's completely discordant with the 'progressive' narrative the SNP have strived for over the past 20 years.

[Leith Green]

35 minutes ago, Salvo Montalbano said:

Notice most politicians of all colours gave generic "I may have disagreed but..." comments, but the c**t's c**t, Alistair Jack had to say something along the lines of "hopefully the new FM gives up talking about Independence". He really is a big bag of pish, isn't he?

So did Ian Murray (the p***k) who preferred to talk about Sturgeons failures to sort out stuff like mortgages and power bills............................

[O'Kelly Isley III]

Say what you like about Nicola Sturgeon but she has positioned the SNP as a major political force in the UK, which can be either a blessing or a curse for her successor.  As VT has pointed out above that person will not be as beholden to current policies and arrangements, and if they have any sense they will act accordingly.

There will be private glee in unionist circles at today's news.  They would do well to consider the huge electoral wake that followed the No vote in 2014.  To quote Mark Twain, reports of the death of Scottish Independence may be grossly exaggerated.

 

 

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

15 minutes ago, Boo Khaki said:

I couldn't give my vote to a party led by Forbes. I struggled enough with my conscience at the last SGE because Ash Denhom/Regan is my constituency MSP. I did end up giving her my 1st preference vote in the end, but I have regretted that decision ever since and will never give her my vote again.

I've always tried to be pragmatic about it and be realistic in accepting that any political party will, and should, contain people with differing views on 'matters of conscience', but it would be different for me if the party itself is led by someone who openly adheres to views I consider to be bigoted. I'm an atheist, verging toward antitheist, but the mere fact she's an adherent of an organised religion doesn't bother me in the slightest, it's the views she holds. There are plenty of homophobic people with dark-ages views who aren't in the slightest bit religious, so the two don't always go hand-in-hand, but whatever her justification for it, or whatever the reason for her adopting the positions she holds, I couldn't give my backing to a party that considers her fit to be First Minister of Scotland. It's completely discordant with the 'progressive' narrative the SNP have strived for over the past 20 years.

Well put! Tweeted my MSP Natalie Don and asked if she was throwing her hat in the ring, ‘liked’ so im officially calling it!

[Antlion]

22 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Douglas Ross was Scottish Tory party leader for a year without a seat at Holyrood, Alex Salmond was the same as SNP leader for longer I think while Sturgeon covered for him. It's probably not practical when replacing First Minister though.

Douglas has never been a party leader - just a low-level manager (and even that is beyond him). To be fair, the UK has recently made clear that Holyrood is a constitutional smokescreen which has no  ultimate power to do anything that can’t be undone by the UK government, so it does rather make one wonder why we need a FM in Holyrood (or elections, or manifestos). 

[sparky88]

15 minutes ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

Well put! Tweeted my MSP Natalie Don and asked if she was throwing her hat in the ring, ‘liked’ so im officially calling it!

The leadership contest has the potential to expose pretty big divisions in the SNP. The debate over social issues (current issue is trans rights, but was previously homosexuality) cuts the party almost as deeply as EU membership did for the Tories.