Scottish Parliamentary Elections May 2021

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

My ballot paper arrived today for my postal vote, I studied politics at uni and have been quite engaged in every election and referendum etc since I could vote. I genuinely feel underwhelmed by it all and the decision on who to vote for is particularly difficult, all parties let you down, candidates pretend they care but lets face it, its all about the career etc. 
The way the world is you’ve got arseholes in London who are robbing the country blind like some kind of reverse robin hood and up here there’s almost a battle for the soul of the indy movement fought by a bunch of transphobes and right wing arseholes against a careerist cartel of shite politicians and a party with a failing record in government. Away from that its a labour party led by a millionaire who doesnt pay his own staff a fair wage and lets not even get started on Douglas Ross, a bully since high school with a hard on for ‘tough action’ against gypsy traveller peoples. I mean if you can get enthused about all of that then fair enough. 

[Genuine Hibs Fan]

14 minutes ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

My ballot paper arrived today for my postal vote, I studied politics at uni and have been quite engaged in every election and referendum etc since I could vote. I genuinely feel underwhelmed by it all and the decision on who to vote for is particularly difficult, all parties let you down, candidates pretend they care but lets face it, its all about the career etc. 
The way the world is you’ve got arseholes in London who are robbing the country blind like some kind of reverse robin hood and up here there’s almost a battle for the soul of the indy movement fought by a bunch of transphobes and right wing arseholes against a careerist cartel of shite politicians and a party with a failing record in government. Away from that its a labour party led by a millionaire who doesnt pay his own staff a fair wage and lets not even get started on Douglas Ross, a bully since high school with a hard on for ‘tough action’ against gypsy traveller peoples. I mean if you can get enthused about all of that then fair enough. 

I felt the same as you did until very recently tbh, and if anything the appearance of Alba has clarified things for me quite a lot, in a "there's your choices" sort of way. A more left wing labour with an at least rational approach to a referendum I could vote for, but that's not on offer. Lib dem/Tory clearly not, and Alba is a threat to vulnerable communities and the independence movement, and needs nipped in the bud before it grows.

I'm lucky my particular SNP candidate has what looks like a decent record and the green manifesto/record at getting concessions from the SNP is good enough for me to give them my second vote. 

[ayrmad]

26 minutes ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

My ballot paper arrived today for my postal vote, I studied politics at uni and have been quite engaged in every election and referendum etc since I could vote. I genuinely feel underwhelmed by it all and the decision on who to vote for is particularly difficult, all parties let you down, candidates pretend they care but lets face it, its all about the career etc. 
The way the world is you’ve got arseholes in London who are robbing the country blind like some kind of reverse robin hood and up here there’s almost a battle for the soul of the indy movement fought by a bunch of transphobes and right wing arseholes against a careerist cartel of shite politicians and a party with a failing record in government. Away from that its a labour party led by a millionaire who doesnt pay his own staff a fair wage and lets not even get started on Douglas Ross, a bully since high school with a hard on for ‘tough action’ against gypsy traveller peoples. I mean if you can get enthused about all of that then fair enough. 

I hear you. 

[GordonS]

1 hour ago, Antlion said:

Has anyone anywhere ever voted on the basis of these election flyers? Not letting the SNP off the hook for posting out shite (and definitely not the Tories for their “No Surrender” leaflets) - I’m just genuinely curious as to whether anyone decides how to cast their vote based on annoying clutter shoved through the letterbox. Seems like a massive waste of funds and paper. 

I read some research years ago that said parties generally do worse if they're clearly out-leafletted by their opponents. Might put a perception in the minds of some that they're less competitive in their area. It's not a big effect though. It would be good to have a pilot, where a party under-leaflets and area and over-leaflets elsewhere, checking the ballot box samples to see if there's a noticeable effect, but nobody would be brave enough to do that. 

There seems to be more leafletting this time, I presume that's because they can't do canvassing. That's the real value activity, so long as you have a good Get Out The Vote operation on polling day. 

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

16 minutes ago, Genuine Hibs Fan said:

I felt the same as you did until very recently tbh, and if anything the appearance of Alba has clarified things for me quite a lot, in a "there's your choices" sort of way. A more left wing labour with an at least rational approach to a referendum I could vote for, but that's not on offer. Lib dem/Tory clearly not, and Alba is a threat to vulnerable communities and the independence movement, and needs nipped in the bud before it grows.

I'm lucky my particular SNP candidate has what looks like a decent record and the green manifesto/record at getting concessions from the SNP is good enough for me to give them my second vote. 

Yeh its very much ‘theres yer choices’ but they are all pretty bad, even if in my case you’ve got a relatively ok candidate if theyre representing a party which is on the whole failing on their governance its difficult, ive also been troubled as the candidate has been retweeting some very reactionary shite thats already been disproved. Its just a hard choice. 

[renton]

That's the SNP manifesto out: https://www.snp.org/manifesto/

[101]

49 minutes ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

My ballot paper arrived today for my postal vote, I studied politics at uni and have been quite engaged in every election and referendum etc since I could vote. I genuinely feel underwhelmed by it all and the decision on who to vote for is particularly difficult, all parties let you down, candidates pretend they care but lets face it, its all about the career etc. 
The way the world is you’ve got arseholes in London who are robbing the country blind like some kind of reverse robin hood and up here there’s almost a battle for the soul of the indy movement fought by a bunch of transphobes and right wing arseholes against a careerist cartel of shite politicians and a party with a failing record in government. Away from that its a labour party led by a millionaire who doesnt pay his own staff a fair wage and lets not even get started on Douglas Ross, a bully since high school with a hard on for ‘tough action’ against gypsy traveller peoples. I mean if you can get enthused about all of that then fair enough. 

Not all the manifestos are out yet so have a browse through and take your pick from them. Tories is last out I think it's published on Monday.

[GordonS]

3 minutes ago, Inanimate Carbon Rod said:

Yeh its very much ‘theres yer choices’ but they are all pretty bad, even if in my case you’ve got a relatively ok candidate if theyre representing a party which is on the whole failing on their governance its difficult, ive also been troubled as the candidate has been retweeting some very reactionary shite thats already been disproved. Its just a hard choice. 

My problem is similar - the person I'll likely vote for in the constituency is from a party that IMO has completely fkd up a major area of policy. If I could, I'd vote for a different party for that. But we have to weigh it all up and pick just one. At least there's the regional vote.

[DublinMagyar]

1 minute ago, 101 said:

Not all the manifestos are out yet so have a browse through and take your pick from them. Tories is last out I think it's published on Monday.

One line is it?

[GordonS]

1 hour ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

Reason 5 directly addressing the bedroom dwelling incels that might vote Libertarian.

So Liberal that they want to stop people from having the choice to ride a bike.

[101]

Just now, DublinMagyar said:

One line is it?

I suspect it is being hastily redrafted and Dross' constant moaning is going down like a cup of cold sick.

[DublinMagyar]

3 minutes ago, 101 said:

I suspect it is being hastily redrafted and Dross' constant moaning is going down like a cup of cold sick.

"DRoss Ruth Says No To.........................................................." ?

[Suspect Device]

Postal ballot slips just arrived today.

There's a Scottish libertarian candidate standing. I'll not be voting for him.

[Ivo den Bieman]

1 hour ago, Sherrif John Bunnell said:

Reason 5 directly addressing the bedroom dwelling incels that might vote Libertarian.

Good to see Reynard's using his post-P&B career productively

[Suspect Device]

Very tempted to save the £100m that Abolish the Scottish Parliament party are promising.

I'd like to see their workings though. I think that it might be done on the same fag packet that the £350k a week for the NHS calc was done.

[NotThePars]

That independent that's standing in Scotland is spinning the abolition of Holyrood as a positive in that we could improve democracy so much we don't need Holyrood. Sounds like anarchism to me.

[KingRocketman II]

2 hours ago, John Lambies Doos said:

On 13/04/2021 at 17:01, SandyCromarty said:

It's getting fuckin draffty with the Scottish tories as they rush into hiding with this latest incompetence by their downing street masters.

Its funny Sky News are doing wall to wall coverage on this sleaze, as of last night (not checked today) you would actually have to go onto the BBC politics page to see anything. Counter that with the bullying of Sturgeon where it was front page BBC Scotland, BBC, UK and BBC world news.

It's been covered quite a bit by BBC Radio Scotland and it os on the main BBC website as a top story but with what could be considered (by some) with less damaging headers. 

The more I read about Greenshill. the more I am surprised it has gathered such traction against a Government that is up to its neck in corruption. I would have assumed it would just have been batted away and the media would have compliantly dropped it, bar the "outliers".

In fact when reading about it initially I thought momentarily the enquiry was about  the Government's handling of Grenfell and its aftermath and I thought "about feckin time". I also consider the Government's handling of the procurement process around PPE and C-19 supplies to be blatantly corrupt but again, that seems to be easily batted away (to date at least) by this current shameless and crooked bunch - which again adds to my surprise at the reaction and traction of Greesnshill. . 

[Ivo den Bieman]

I'm much the same as many it seems; voting SNP without all that much enthusiasm.

The local representative is a good guy, keeps his head down and works hard for his constituents. So, fair enough. However the SNP have for a while strayed into Old Labour territory of taking voters for granted IMO, and increasingly look a tired and jaded party in urgent need of regeneration and reform. If there was actually a serious opposition they might be in a bit of bother, but there isn't. They really need to make credible and tangible progress on independence in the next few years, however.

The list in my area is a disaster- a toxic cocktail of fascists, Brexit monomaniacs, deranged right-wing knuckledraggers, British Legion Officeholders & Veterans Say Shut Down Holyrood, anti-vaxxers and out-and-out weirdos. There's not a decent left-winger anywhere in sight.

Looks like a Green vote as it is the least worst option.

[Suspect Device]

1 minute ago, NotThePars said:

That independent that's standing in Scotland is spinning the abolition of Holyrood as a positive in that we could improve democracy so much we don't need Holyrood. Sounds like anarchism to me.

 

Even more tempting. Anarcho-syndicalism? I'm all for it.

[KingRocketman II]

3 minutes ago, Suspect Device said:

Very tempted to save the £100m that Abolish the Scottish Parliament party are promising.

I'd like to see their workings though. I think that it might be done on the same fag packet that the £350k a week for the NHS calc was done.

it is written on the postal ballot paper as £100,000,000. Ha