Scottish Parliamentary Elections May 2021

[sophia]

17 hours ago, Boo Khaki said:

That must be what I'm thinking of then. Definitely remember there being a wait at one point to find out exactly which bunch of stiffs had limped into the chamber via the list.

 

I had to hold my nose and vote for Joanna Cherry in 2019. I've moved back to Tommy Sheppard's Westminster constituency, but my MSP is Ash Denham, who has personal views I find as objectionable as Cherry. I'll still vote SNP 1 Green 2 though, because I see Indi as a far more significant issue than semantic squabbles over potential GRA reform, which I think is inevitable in any case. Despite GC people forming noisy echo-chambers on certain sites that tolerate transphobia, they are completely deluding themselves that they are somehow representative of the wider population. They are not, and I think history will judge them the same way that we now view people who considered homosexual men to be a danger to children 30-40 years ago

Indeed. The gra debate has strong echos and all but the most vocal see it for what it is.

As for Joanna Cherry, I noticed she wasn't vocal at all earlier in the week. Given the tumult, this puzzled me.

Now I see she is poorly and that in itself, given the debate upon us, is inopportune. I wish her well in her recovery and I do hope she also has time to reflect.

[ayrmad]

1 hour ago, sophia said:

Indeed. The gra debate has strong echos and all but the most vocal see it for what it is.

As for Joanna Cherry, I noticed she wasn't vocal at all earlier in the week. Given the tumult, this puzzled me.

Now I see she is poorly and that in itself, given the debate upon us, is inopportune. I wish her well in her recovery and I do hope she also has time to reflect.

Hopefully the SNP are very vocal on GRA issues during this election campaign. 

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

9 hours ago, Scary Bear said:

In recent times I have voted SNP/Green in the Holyrood elections. I hate being a creature of habit and I don’t find  myself particularly inspired to vote for any of the parties this time. I believe in independence but don’t see a new Indyref on the horizon anytime soon. I’ll no doubt still vote and my choices are pretty limited. Maybe I’ll just shut my eyes, move the pen in a circle, bring it down and whoever it lands on gets the vote 🗳. Democracy in action.

This lets in Tories. 

[Scary Bear]

14 minutes ago, Bob Mahelp said:

This lets in Tories. 

Only if the pen lands on them.

[oneteaminglasgow]

Loving the universal disdain on show for Alex Cole-Hamilton, absolute w****r that he is. He’s top of the Lib Dem list so I’d have thought has a decent shot at getting in anyway, but I will be full Kevin keegan if he’s down the job centre on 7th May.

[Gallant Pioneer]

33 minutes ago, oneteaminglasgow said:

Loving the universal disdain on show for Alex Cole-Hamilton, absolute w****r that he is. He’s top of the Lib Dem list so I’d have thought has a decent shot at getting in anyway, but I will be full Kevin keegan if he’s down the job centre on 7th May.

Unfortunately this two faced fud is my local MSP. 18 months ago he was parading about Corstorphine in a fecking gas mask campaigning against traffic pollution. Fast forward 9 months and he’s organising meetings against Low Traffic Areas and bike lanes specifically designed to cut traffic. He’s a two faced bawbag who jumps on whatever issue gets him on tv/local papers. Unfortunately the gammons out here coalesce behind the anti independence candidate.

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by Gallant Pioneer

[oneteaminglasgow]

10 minutes ago, Gallant Pioneer said:

Unfortunately this two faced fud is my local MSP. 18 months ago he was parading about Corstorphine campaigning against traffic pollution. Fast forward 9 months and he’s organising meetings against Low Traffic Areas and bike lanes specifically designed to cut traffic. He’s a two faced bawbag who jumps on whatever issue gets him on tv/local papers. Unfortunately the gammons out here coalesce behind the anti independence candidate.

 

Aye, he’s mine and all. To be fair to him, I’m enjoying filing my copy of the “West Edinburgh News Gazette” straight into the fucking bin.

[NotThePars]

I just had a look at Edinburgh's elected representatives and am calling for a total shutdown until we figure out just what the hell is going on

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

1 hour ago, Scary Bear said:

Only if the pen lands on them.

Not really. 

Every (constituancy) vote for anyone other than the SNP, or every person who decides not to vote, is effectively a vote that counts towards the desperate 'no Indyref 2' policy of the Tories. 

No matter how many votes the SNP get or how many seats they win, if they don't win a majority then the Tories will look upon it as a victory, decree that people of Scotland don't want another referendum, and Johnson will instantly make a statement saying that this matter is settled and there will absolutely be no second referendum. 

No matter your feelings for the SNP, if you support independence.....or even support the concept of another referendum....you have to get out and vote for them. 

Just sitting at home mumping and not voting is a vote in the Tory box. 

 

 

[SandyCromarty]

48 minutes ago, Gallant Pioneer said:

Unfortunately this two faced fud is my local MSP. 18 months ago he was parading about Corstorphine in a fecking gas mask campaigning against traffic pollution. Fast forward 9 months and he’s organising meetings against Low Traffic Areas and bike lanes specifically designed to cut traffic. He’s a two faced bawbag who jumps on whatever issue gets him on tv/local papers. Unfortunately the gammons out here coalesce behind the anti independence candidate.

 

He's a Lib Dem.

[Donathan]

8 minutes ago, Bob Mahelp said:

Not really. 

Every (constituancy) vote for anyone other than the SNP, or every person who decides not to vote, is effectively a vote that counts towards the desperate 'no Indyref 2' policy of the Tories. 

No matter how many votes the SNP get or how many seats they win, if they don't win a majority then the Tories will look upon it as a victory, decree that people of Scotland don't want another referendum, and Johnson will instantly make a statement saying that this matter is settled and there will absolutely be no second referendum. 

No matter your feelings for the SNP, if you support independence.....or even support the concept of another referendum....you have to get out and vote for them. 

Just sitting at home mumping and not voting is a vote in the Tory box. 

 

 

It literally doesn't matter how many seats the SNP get, Johnson will push back against a referendum. TBH, it makes more sense to vote SNP in Westminster elections where there is a chance they could demand section 30 powers are leverage in a hung parliament.

 

Of course, if you think the SNP are the best party to make use of the devolved powers and run the country then it absolutely makes sense to vote for them. Hundreds of thousands if not millions of Scots will do exactly that. But I'd argue that it doesn't make too much sense electing a Scottish Government on the basis that they want independence when Holyrood has zero powers over the matter.

[SANTAN]

22 hours ago, Anonapersona said:

Of all the elections I've missed, this is the one that hits hardest. The Borders could really use my vote, damnit.

[Paco]

Unfortunately this two faced fud is my local MSP. 18 months ago he was parading about Corstorphine in a fecking gas mask campaigning against traffic pollution. Fast forward 9 months and he’s organising meetings against Low Traffic Areas and bike lanes specifically designed to cut traffic. He’s a two faced bawbag who jumps on whatever issue gets him on tv/local papers. Unfortunately the gammons out here coalesce behind the anti independence candidate.
 

I think he’ll probably win to be honest. I’m not in Edinburgh Western but I get the impression the low traffic/cycle lane stuff has seriously riled the local population, after decades of complaining about traffic. ‘We didn’t mean our cars’.

Given it’s an SNP/Labour council, the transport convenor is SNP, and it’s a reasonably healthy majority anyway, I don’t see him losing.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

He's a Lib Dem.

Same thing.

[Gallant Pioneer]

32 minutes ago, Paco said:

I think he’ll probably win to be honest. I’m not in Edinburgh Western but I get the impression the low traffic/cycle lane stuff has seriously riled the local population, after decades of complaining about traffic. ‘We didn’t mean our cars’.

Given it’s an SNP/Labour council, the transport convenor is SNP, and it’s a reasonably healthy majority anyway, I don’t see him losing.

20 odd years ago this was a Tory seat with Lord James Douglas Hamilton so it has always been tough for SNP here. It didn’t help when  Michelle Thomson got monstered here a few years back.

The low traffic issue was nimbies complaining that the 5 minute drive to the shops would now take 7 minutes, totally disregarding the fact that new housing developments to the west of Edinburgh will result in even more rat running, delays and pollution.

[Highland Capital]

Salmond making an announcement at 2pm apparently.  Wonder if he's announcing he's going to run as an independent for Holyrood. 

[Donathan]

Salmond making an announcement at 2pm apparently.  Wonder if he's announcing he's going to run as an independent for Holyrood. 

Can’t see him running as an independent, more likely he forms a party that focuses on more fundamental nationalism than the SNP and try to outflank them among Indy supporters. Sort of like Farage did with the Brexit party.

[Donathan]

With Jeane Freeman retiring, have the SNP suggested who the new health secretary will be? It’ll obviously be a pretty high profile role throughout the remainder of the pandemic

[oneteaminglasgow]

13 minutes ago, Donathan said:

With Jeane Freeman retiring, have the SNP suggested who the new health secretary will be? It’ll obviously be a pretty high profile role throughout the remainder of the pandemic

Based on nothing more than guesswork, I think it’ll be Michael Mathieson. He’s done a few cabinet positions before, seems to be vaguely competent and isn’t particularly controversial (unless I’m forgetting something major)

My other guess is that Angus Robertson, provided he gets elected, is an absolute NAP to a cabinet position as well.

[GordonS]

23 minutes ago, Donathan said:

With Jeane Freeman retiring, have the SNP suggested who the new health secretary will be? It’ll obviously be a pretty high profile role throughout the remainder of the pandemic

I don't think Nicola Sturgeon is arrogant enough to announce her cabinet before the election.