Scottish Politics / Independence - Vol 12

[Ian974]

A.J.M said:

Could they struggle to find a decent Scottish election campaign?

Definitely, and it sounds like they may struggle to fund it as well!

[Short Grain]

Evercross said:

That is IMO going to be the big kicker for them. The General Election is a free hit against the SNP for all the soft Yessers and the hardened ALBA-types. The SNP 1 Green 2 Holyrood election types (aka ZedLeg) will also still be sore at the bad-faith dropping of the Bute House agreement.

This election isn't coming at the best time for the Conservatives, but it is absolutely coming at the worst time for the SNP.

Speedbump Swinney strikes again.

Not an expert at Scottish Politics but was it Swinney I saw frothing at the mouth earlier, because the tories 'disrespected Scotland and the SNP', by calling the election?

[sherman]

Short Grain said:

Evercross said:

That is IMO going to be the big kicker for them. The General Election is a free hit against the SNP for all the soft Yessers and the hardened ALBA-types. The SNP 1 Green 2 Holyrood election types (aka ZedLeg) will also still be sore at the bad-faith dropping of the Bute House agreement.

This election isn't coming at the best time for the Conservatives, but it is absolutely coming at the worst time for the SNP.

Speedbump Swinney strikes again.

Not an expert at Scottish Politics but was it Swinney I saw frothing at the mouth earlier, because the tories 'disrespected Scotland and the SNP', by calling the election?

That was him.
Its shocking having an election during the scottish school holidays.
The janitors will need to open the school hall (polling place) when they should be on holiday.

The poor mans only been in his job a month. Hows he going to know how to run an election campaign.

Edited by sherman on Wednesday 22 May 22:44

[FMOB]

Short Grain said:

Evercross said:

That is IMO going to be the big kicker for them. The General Election is a free hit against the SNP for all the soft Yessers and the hardened ALBA-types. The SNP 1 Green 2 Holyrood election types (aka ZedLeg) will also still be sore at the bad-faith dropping of the Bute House agreement.

This election isn't coming at the best time for the Conservatives, but it is absolutely coming at the worst time for the SNP.

Speedbump Swinney strikes again.

Not an expert at Scottish Politics but was it Swinney I saw frothing at the mouth earlier, because the tories 'disrespected Scotland and the SNP', by calling the election?

He has only been there 5 minutes and already a moaning minnie!

[Klippie]

Mercdriver said:

Branchform being released before the election will not help them at all, thankfully

This could be a win win no matter the outcome, if they do what is right and charges are brought and Sturgeon at al sent down then the voters will see the SNP for the thieves and liars we all know they are, or they get away with it and this angers the public so badly that they vote against them en mass.

[irc]

Sounds like if there are any other charges in Branchform they may be during the campaign. Followed by the police report to the Crown Office/Fiscal. I would be astounded if any final decisions are made about proceeding within 6 weeks from now. So best case for SNP - election campaign while former Chief Exec has been charged with embezzlement and prosecution decisions awaited. Worst case one or more other people also charged.


Fron 13th May.

"Detectives investigating the SNP's finances will report their findings to prosecutors within "a matter of weeks", according to Police Scotland's chief constable.

Jo Farrell declined to say whether anyone else will face charges alongside the party's former chief executive Peter Murrell, who has been accused of embezzling SNP funds"


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ge510llypo

[Klippie]

Our MP is Neale Hanvey...an SNP traitor who defected to Alba, so he needs to go, his majority at the last election was just 1243 votes, in the current climate I really hope some of the SNP / Alba lunatics see sense and ditch him for Labour who was in second place at the last election.

And he's a lovely chap...a line from Wikipedia "Hanvey was suspended from the party following allegations that he made antisemitic social media posts two years earlier, in which he compared Israel's treatment of the Palestinians to the treatment of Jews during the Second World War"

It looks like I'll have to vote Labour this time to do my bit.

[ScotHill]

To be fair, would any party call an election during English school holidays? Has it ever happened?

[Hill92]

alangla said:

Good to see there’s plenty of slack in Glasgow City Council’s education budget - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c722dewd93vo

Oh hang on! They’re making 172 teaching posts redundant.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd181v2078xo

At least we now know what Forbes position is on this, more of the same, despite their badly fudged census showing that even in the Western Isles it’s now a minority language. I don’t think it’s even got to that status in Calton, but GCC have found the money to rebuild a school for it.

Gaelic units and schools don't exist in the Central Belt to teach Gaelic. They exist because pushy middle class parents see them as just another way to side step catchment areas and get their kids into high performing schools of their choice (since the kids they're worried about mixing with won't be applying for Gaelic education).

[ettore]

ScotHill said:

To be fair, would any party call an election during English school holidays? Has it ever happened?

It is in English school holidays?

[Snow and Rocks]

ScotHill said:

To be fair, would any party call an election during English school holidays? Has it ever happened?

Scotland has fewer people than Yorkshire. Despite the massive chip on our shoulders we really need to take this into account and get a grip, it's embarrassing. It's the equivalent of canceling a Holyrood election because Aberdeenshire schools had an in service day.

[irc]

Swinney tells the cabinet "I've tried everything else, I'll go with the school holidays ploy. Our voters believe anything if we blame the English"

[ScotHill]

ettore said:

ScotHill said:

To be fair, would any party call an election during English school holidays? Has it ever happened?

It is in English school holidays?

No, schools elsewhere don't finish until another couple of weeks afterwards.

[ScotHill]

Snow and Rocks said:

It's the equivalent of canceling a Holyrood election because Aberdeenshire schools had an in service day.

A one-off day is one thing, a week into a long summer holiday where many people will be expected to be away from home is another. There's no way they would have scheduled it for the 1st August.

Not saying the SNP's media reaction to it is proportionate though.

[tim0409]

I think people (other than SNP diehards) have started to switch off when they come out with the “disrespecting” Scotland line as they use it so often it has become meaningless drivel. I find it embarrassing.

A large section of the electorate are desperate to get rid of the Conservative government (and send the SNP a clear message at the same time), so an early election will be welcomed rather than thought of as a “slight” on Scotland.

In any case, I think over a quarter of the Scottish electorate are registered for a postal vote, and it really isn’t that difficult to apply for one and vote before you go away on holiday.

[Vanden Saab]

ScotHill said:

Snow and Rocks said:

It's the equivalent of canceling a Holyrood election because Aberdeenshire schools had an in service day.

A one-off day is one thing, a week into a long summer holiday where many people will be expected to be away from home is another. There's no way they would have scheduled it for the 1st August.

Not saying the SNP's media reaction to it is proportionate though.

And yet a few hours before Sunak announced it...
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/12726420/ris...

link said:

Mr Flynn said: "Speculation is rife, so I think the public deserve a clear answer to a simple question - Does the Prime Minister intend to call a summer general election? Or is he feart?"

[Ian974]

I think it's a fair argument.
If voters are needing to use a postal vote, there's a reasonable to high chance that once their vote has been posted, their relevant SNP candidate may quit/ defect/ get prosecuted/ get ditched by the party before the election rolls around.
"People won't understand what they're voting for!"

[alangla]

ScotHill said:

To be fair, would any party call an election during English school holidays? Has it ever happened?

1895 is the last time I can find an election that occurred at anything like what you’d call the English school holiday time, but back then elections ran for weeks. The vast majority of the elections since then were May or June, a few in October or December and the odd one in other months. The only example I can find of a July election on a single day in the last 130 years was 1945 and that was on the 5th, so it’s fair to say that this one’s timing is unusual

[alangla]

Vanden Saab said:

ScotHill said:

Snow and Rocks said:

It's the equivalent of canceling a Holyrood election because Aberdeenshire schools had an in service day.

A one-off day is one thing, a week into a long summer holiday where many people will be expected to be away from home is another. There's no way they would have scheduled it for the 1st August.

Not saying the SNP's media reaction to it is proportionate though.

And yet a few hours before Sunak announced it...
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/12726420/ris...

link said:

Mr Flynn said: "Speculation is rife, so I think the public deserve a clear answer to a simple question - Does the Prime Minister intend to call a summer general election? Or is he feart?"

A case of “be careful what you wish for”?

[alangla]

Hill92 said:

Gaelic units and schools don't exist in the Central Belt to teach Gaelic. They exist because pushy middle class parents see them as just another way to side step catchment areas and get their kids into high performing schools of their choice (since the kids they're worried about mixing with won't be applying for Gaelic education).

Oh I know, it’s more the point that GCC seem to be able to find money for more Gaelic schools while the rest of their education department is in absolutely dire straits. It’s a reflection of the political priorities of the parties running the council more than anything else.