The Kate Forbes thread

[Scary Bear]

8 hours ago, Stephen Malkmus said:

The SNP's biggest mid/long term strategic challenge isn't winning over Tory voters, it's making sure young voters don't drift away. Recent polls have shown they are weakest in over 65s (the Tories they'll never win over) and under 25s (who are being tempted by Labour as they've never experienced a Labour gov before). Forbes tanks the under 25 vote further and long term makes independence less likely.

I don’t imagine the last few years have helped the cause of independence much. Maybe 2015 was a high-water mark for the independence movement.

I’ll be interested to see if ‘Yes’ will ever manage to get more than 50% of the pensioner vote. It’s a key vote given they are more likely to vote and people are supposedly living longer, but it’s a time of life where a lot of people are likely thinking ‘I don’t need this grief.’

On the Under 25s vote, if that’s not a strong ‘Yes’, then thoughts of independence are done for the time being. It’s not really a surprise as the benefits of independence have hardly been mentioned by the SNP for 10 years. Maybe because it doesn’t fit with the climate change thing, and because they haven’t decided what their key message is now that oil and gas are not to be mentioned.

Edited April 30 by Scary Bear

[Highlandmagar]

1 hour ago, CarrbridgeSaintee said:

Made up nonsense is what it is.

Says a guy who believes Reform UK. Lol

[houston_bud]

7 hours ago, welshbairn said:

Founded on one budget speech when she managed to read what had been written for her without fumbling.

The 'she's so competent and talented' was getting trotted out by Stephen Flynn in a couple of interviews yesterday. It always precedes a 'but' and seems to be what SNP folk say about her if they think she's an arsehole.

[cyderspaceman]

Does anyone know which Glasgow secondary school Forbes attended?

I know, I know.,  " what school did you go to"...    

I'm just curious,  I ask because there's a lot of info available about her online but her Glasgow secondary school is never named.

She was probably only there for a year or so.

FWIW  I didn't, and don't, want to see a religious person as FM.       Any religion. 

[Rael Rover]

56 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

I don’t imagine the last few years have helped the cause of independence much. Maybe 2015 was a high-water mark for the independence movement.

I’ll be interested to see if ‘Yes’ will ever manage to get more than 50% of the pensioner vote. It’s a key vote given they are more likely to vote and people are supposedly living longer, but it’s a time of life where a lot of people are likely thinking ‘I don’t need this grief.’

On the Under 25s vote, if that’s not a strong ‘Yes’, then thoughts of independence are done for the time being. It’s not really a surprise as the benefits of independence have hardly been mentioned by the SNP for 10 years. Maybe because it doesn’t fit with the climate change thing, and because they haven’t decided what their key message is now that oil and gas are not to be mentioned.

The 2014 independence vote and the years after strongly motivated the under 25s in a political and pro independence way. The last couple of years have set that back a fair bit and whoever comes in needs to work on this group again. On Forbes I think  there is a general higher awareness of social issues such as anti LBGT and other anti discrimination amongst young people nowadays and Forbes beliefs will not appeal to them.

[Willie adie]

14 hours ago, welshbairn said:

Quite a few likely names have already said they'll back Swinney if he runs. Angus Robertson is staying quiet interestingly.

Rumours  that there are certain  things  that are preventing  Robertson  from standing  apparently  if you know,  you  know, 

Unfortunately  I don't 

[Scary Bear]

2 minutes ago, Rael Rover said:

The 2014 independence vote and the years after strongly motivated the under 25s in a political and pro independence way. The last couple of years have set that back a fair bit and whoever comes in needs to work on this group again. On Forbes I think  there is a general higher awareness of social issues such as anti LBGT and other anti discrimination amongst young people nowadays and Forbes beliefs will not appeal to them.

Maybe she’ll appeal to the 18-30 young white men who the hate monster is worried about? 

[Granny Danger]

4 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

Maybe she’ll appeal to the 18-30 young white men who the hate monster is worried about? 

She’ll definitely appeal to the Incel community.  Fortunately small in number in Scotland (and on P&B).

 

[Scary Bear]

On Kate Forbes, all I can remember about her is that she looked young and struggled to walk in high heels. I’m assuming she is small and some stylist wanted to make her look bigger. That could be a big assumption, but going by Sturgeon’s various looks I’m assuming she had a stylist.

I’m not religious but the fact that she’s churchy likely isn’t the kryptonite it is to some folk on here. I’m assuming Humza was religious and that didn’t seem to bother folk on here. Religious types are one of the minority groups who find the time to get involved with politics.

Edited April 30 by Scary Bear

[Scary Bear]

5 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

She’ll definitely appeal to the Incel community.  Fortunately small in number in Scotland (and on P&B).

 

Good news for Kate. That’s two demographics she’s captured. 

[vikingTON]

9 hours ago, Stephen Malkmus said:

The SNP's biggest mid/long term strategic challenge isn't winning over Tory voters, it's making sure young voters don't drift away. Recent polls have shown they are weakest in over 65s (the Tories they'll never win over) and under 25s (who are being tempted by Labour as they've never experienced a Labour gov before). Forbes tanks the under 25 vote further and long term makes independence less likely.

Well no, the greatest threat comes from sloughing off 5-10% of support across the majority of the electorate between 25 and 64, because they can no longer be trusted to run a bath. The anaemic poll ratings of the SNP - still better than every other party, which confirms the absolute nick of political life in this country - is down to dropping the ball repeatedly on bread and butter issues. Doubling down on performative virtue-signalling pish is not going to address that. 

[Granny Danger]

7 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

On Kate Forbes, all I can remember about her is that she looked young and struggled to walk in high heels. I’m assuming she is small and some stylist wanted to make her look bigger. That could be a big assumption, but going by Sturgeon’s various looks I’m assuming she had a stylist.

I’m not religious but the fact that she’s churchy likely isn’t the kryptonite it is to some folk on here. I’m assuming Humza was religious and that didn’t seem to bother folk on here. Religious types are one the of minority groups who find the time to get involved with politics.

It’s a question of imposing your religious beliefs on others.  Mhairi Black made an excellent statement about “If your faith says you cannot drink alcohol, then don’t. If your religion says you cannot enter same sex marriage, then don’t. If your religion does not allow for abortion, then do not have one.”  But don’t tell other people what they can or can’t do.

[vikingTON]

7 minutes ago, Scary Bear said:

On Kate Forbes, all I can remember about her is that she looked young and struggled to walk in high heels. I’m assuming she is small and some stylist wanted to make her look bigger. That could be a big assumption, but going by Sturgeon’s various looks I’m assuming she had a stylist.

I’m not religious but the fact that she’s churchy likely isn’t the kryptonite it is to some folk on here. I’m assuming Humza was religious and that didn’t seem to bother folk on here. Religious types are one the of minority groups who find the time to get involved with politics.

It's always amusing to see the strident secularist/atheist brigade conveniently pass over the no doubt deeply held, personal religious and cosmological beliefs of Yousaf, many other Scottish Muslims, and indeed a disproportionate number of just about every other minority group by race or nationality in Scotland too in order to show their Truly Progressive Values. 

[Richie]

3 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

It’s a question of imposing your religious beliefs on others.  Mhairi Black made an excellent statement about “If your faith says you cannot drink alcohol, then don’t. If your religion says you cannot enter same sex marriage, then don’t. If your religion does not allow for abortion, then do not have one.”  But don’t tell other people what they can or can’t do.

But its as if people think Kate Forbes is suddenly going to start repealing legislation and implementing an agenda based on her religion.

She will likely act exactly as you have noted. All she did was, probably naiively, be open on her personal position.

Even if she wanted to, she couldn't get any of that sort of legislation through a vote.

It's all a massive red herring.

 

[Jedi2]

It's going to be Swinney isn't it?

Seen as the 'safe' bet by those pulling the strings..and can work with the Greens etc etc.

Saves the whole hassle of another leadership contest which could wrong for the power brokers if the membership voted for Forbes, so best just to have a coronation of Swinney just in case.

 

[vikingTON]

6 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

It’s a question of imposing your religious beliefs on others.  Mhairi Black made an excellent statement about “If your faith says you cannot drink alcohol, then don’t. If your religion says you cannot enter same sex marriage, then don’t. If your religion does not allow for abortion, then do not have one.”  But don’t tell other people what they can or can’t do.

Telling other people what they can or can't do is quite literally the job of elected politicians. The real question - for those with a higher level of understanding than Mhairi Black and her entirely performative, concern politics in this case - is on what basis politicians make those decisions.

There's absolutely no evidence that previous SNP cabinet ministers - or any other mainstream politician in the country in the past 20 years - has been or is in fact beholden to theocratic interpretation when doing their day job. It is a beyond risible 'argument'. 

[Granny Danger]

2 minutes ago, virginton said:

Telling other people what they can or can't do is quite literally the job of elected politicians. The real question - for those with a higher level of understanding than Mhairi Black and her entirely performative, concern politics in this case - is on what basis politicians make those decisions.

There's absolutely no evidence that previous SNP cabinet ministers - or any other mainstream politician in the country in the past 20 years - has been or is in fact beholden to theocratic interpretation when doing their day job. It is a beyond risible 'argument'. 

I knew there was a risk referencing the Incel community.  It’s the Beetlejuice effect.

 

[vikingTON]

1 minute ago, Granny Danger said:

I knew there was a risk referencing the Incel community.  It’s the Beetlejuice effect.

 

So while railing against 'homophobia' among public officials you casually indulge in aphobia instead. 

The mask always slips when you're trying so hard to impress others with virtue.

[SandyCromarty]

The Free Church with an average attendance of 8,000 is steeped in the past and it's core beliefs are well out of kilter within a modern Scotland, especially with the young, but there is no denying that Kate Forbes is a forceful capable intelligent woman, however her adherence to the Free Church social disciplines would not see her in any way popular with the majority.

But with John Swinney popular with the membership he will be FM but I bet that Kate Forbes will figure in his cabinet.

And there is a tough mean streak in Swinney that the membership is well aware of.

[effeffsee_the2nd]

2 minutes ago, SandyCromarty said:

T average attendance of 8,000 

I knew I'd came to the right thread when this sort of talk appeared!

Edited April 30 by effeffsee_the2nd