Mark Connolly Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Oh bugger. Welcome to democracy UK style. Plenty of folks in government that have never even been up for election or a single soul has ever voted for. I, for one, would hate for someone like Baroness Warsi to be removed from government to be replaced by someone that people voted for. Outrageous, I tell you. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crùbag Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 the SNP will have a say in the running of the government, a party that less than half the electorate will vote for. Can you give me any examples of a govt in London that enjoyed more than 50% of the electorate or even half of those who voted? I certainly can't think of any. Like another poster said, how about those Lords that both Labour and Tory have put in government that are elected by no-one? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~~~ Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 the SNP will have a say in the running of the government, a party that less than half the electorate will vote for. Scotland should just be banned from voting and sending MPs down,not fair on everyone else 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strichener Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Can you give me any examples of a govt in London that enjoyed more than 50% of the electorate or even half of those who voted? I certainly can't think of any. Like another poster said, how about those Lords that both Labour and Tory have put in government that are elected by no-one? 1931 was the last time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sergie's no1 fan Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Rather dismal views expressed here. Booting f**k out of them? Anyway, was Charlie boy steaming on last nights show? In a political sense, not William Wallace style ha. Was trying to use a shoe analogy , obviously failed . 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colkitto Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 (edited) Just caught up with QT there. Not sure what's going on with Kennedy but he wasn't right at all. Don't think he was drunk but looked as if he was woken up from a massive bender just before the show started. At times he couldn't complete a sentence and seemed a bit confused at times. Strange... Looks like the English press have done their job with the SNP. I really can't wait for the seethe south of the border if the SNP are kingmakers! And the best thing about it will be the English using the same complaint as we do in Scotland in getting governments we didn't vote for! And even better is the fact they lovebombed us to stay Glorious ! Edited March 13, 2015 by Colkitto 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jedi Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Of course,incredibly in 1955 the Scottish Unionist Party (forerunner of the Scottish Tories) won 50.1% of the vote-the only time a majority has been achieved in a Scottish election. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Partly because the 'Union' in their name referred to the Irish, not Scottish union with the UK, and therefore the Unionists played on a staunch Norn Irish backing, working-class Protestant vote that has since withered at the same rate as the Kirk's influence over Scotland. It is only incredible if you don't acknowledge how much Scottish society was transformed even in the two decades before Thatcher; that led to Labour's period of dominance, and now they are heading for oblivion in turn. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob the tank Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Partly because the 'Union' in their name referred to the Irish, not Scottish union with the UK, and therefore the Unionists played on a staunch Norn Irish backing, working-class Protestant vote that has since withered at the same rate as the Kirk's influence over Scotland. It is only incredible if you don't acknowledge how much Scottish society was transformed even in the two decades before Thatcher; that led to Labour's period of dominance, and now they are heading for oblivion in turn. Excellent point. My grandad was a tradesman in the shipbuilding industry so voted tory all his life. Voting labour was for the "labourers". 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon EF Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 FPTP's a bitch when it goes against you. Oh well... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScotlandGer Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Partly because the 'Union' in their name referred to the Irish, not Scottish union with the UK, and therefore the Unionists played on a staunch Norn Irish backing, working-class Protestant vote that has since withered at the same rate as the Kirk's influence over Scotland. It is only incredible if you don't acknowledge how much Scottish society was transformed even in the two decades before Thatcher; that led to Labour's period of dominance, and now they are heading for oblivion in turn. There is an argument that the Unionist party successfully presented itself as being the party to 'stand up for Scottish interests' at Westminster which translated well across urban and rural constituencies in a way that Labour in Scotland struggled to replicate at the time. Bearing in mind, the Liberals had collapsed decades earlier and it was a proper two-party system. To suggest it was based on religious affiliation is to isolate one factor in its success at the time from a number of national / local factors. The Unionist party died long before it sought incorporation into the Conservatives. Financial difficulties, declining electoral success, and ideological dependence on the Tories meant incorporation was inevitable. The argument stands that Labour took over as the party to 'stand up for Scottish interests' based on declining industry and rise of the welfare state. The same argument stands that Labour torched that status during the referendum by being so high-profile and negative regarding Scotland's position. Ironically, they campaigned so vigorously because they recognised that being on the wrong side of a constitutional debate can kill a party (Tories in the'90s in Scotland, or Irish party system as examples). In fact, they won the referendum, but also found themselves in the wrong side of the debate. There is an argument that we are about see a re-positioning of the Scottish party system in favour SNP across all elections. Unsurprisingly, based on their perception to be the party to 'stand up for Scottish interests'. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRob72 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Eh? If you're desperate to lump 5 million people as one, you'll notice that they voted Labour during 13 years of government from 97-2010. 'Scotland', a Scottish born PM and a Scottish chancellor put us to war whilst my town voted for an anti-Iraq War party! The years 1997-2010 are always conveniently forgotten by those who continue the mantra, 'we never get the government we voted for' .... aye ya did !!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagfox Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 The years 1997-2010 are always conveniently forgotten by those who continue the mantra, 'we never get the government we voted for' .... aye ya did !!! Thats when all the major parties all merged into one pile of political sludge... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjw Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 The years 1997-2010 are always conveniently forgotten by those who continue the mantra, 'we never get the government we voted for' .... aye ya did !!!Not so sure voting Labour and getting New Labour changes that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Lambies Doos Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Scotland has influenced the vote in 14 years out of how many? Its not even so much the 1997 to 2010 period oaksoft. Blair got in on two landslides thus Scotland really had no influence..... scotland to a man and woman could have voted Greens but Blair would have still formed the government 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRob72 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Its not even so much the 1997 to 2010 period oaksoft. Blair got in on two landslides thus Scotland really had no influence..... scotland to a man and woman could have voted Greens but Blair would have still formed the government That's not the point, what was Labour's share of the vote in the General Elections in 1997, 2001 & 2005 ?Scotland voted for a Labour government and that's what we got. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Lambies Doos Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 That's not the point, what was Labour's share of the vote in the General Elections in 1997, 2001 & 2005 ? Scotland voted for a Labour government and that's what we got. But if England had voted overwhelming tory Scotland wouldnt. England dictates the Gov... Scotland has no influence. Thats a fact. Imagine being happy with this system:unsure: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1320Lichtie Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Aye we were just lucky mother England agreed with us on these occasions 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRob72 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 But if England had voted overwhelming tory Scotland wouldnt. England dictates the Gov... Scotland has no influence. Thats a fact. Imagine being happy with this system:unsure: But that's the point, they didn't. We have as much influence as any other part of the UK, under the current system. It isn't perfect, but it generally returns a government with a workable majority. The power and influence the SNP will command after the May election cannot be underestimated, I'm not one of them but if that's the way most Scots vote, then fair enough. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerwickMad Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 But if England had voted overwhelming tory Scotland wouldnt. England dictates the Gov... Scotland has no influence. Thats a fact. Imagine being happy with this system:unsure: Aye, but Scotland isn't a person. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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