The New Fat Scotland 'Thanks for all the Fish' Thread.

wotsthat

elantan wrote: »

If anything it's firming up more than 1million voted snp, they got more votes than they got before ( 156k more ) and very nearly broke the unbreakable system for a second time ... they are doing no bad ... now they have the Greens as well two indy parties

It's a positive spin but a way away from the result hoped for.

And a very long way away from what the Twitterati were expecting.

Tromking

wotsthat wrote: »

It's a positive spin but a way away from the result hoped for.

And a very long way away from what the Twitterati were expecting.

Indeed.
6 less SNP seats in Holyrood was Scotland telling Sturgeon enough with this Indy talk for 5 years. Clearly the SNP are the preferred choice to run Scotland, but within the Union.
Interesting to hear a Scottish Labour voice yesterday imploring UK Labour to embrace the idea of a federal UK. For the long term future of the Union it's a must in my view. English suffrage cannot be ignored for too much longer.

harz99

elantan wrote: »

Please do point to the SNP tears ... fascinated to find out where you see them on this thread ...

It is a funny statement but sadly for yourself

INDY ISNY OOT THE WINDAE

If anything it's firming up more than 1million voted snp, they got more votes than they got before ( 156k more ) and very nearly broke the unbreakable system for a second time ... they are doing no bad ... now they have the Greens as well two indy parties


Now that's braw

Remind me how large the Scottish Electorate is?


Somewhere around 4.3 million I think, so more than a million votes as a proportion of the electorate would be?


So roughly, over 70% of the electorate did not actively vote SNP or support the SNPs aims enough to go and vote SNP.


Forget Indy and concentrate on running Scotland today, now!

elantan

The biggest vote ever for the SNP bigger than last time ... and triple the Greens ... that tells a wee story for indy

But the beauty of this vote is ... it really does allow the running of the country to really happened whilst the Yes vote climbs ... believe it or not Scottish people can do more than 1 thing at a time ... strange as that may seem

Really is a win win situation really

Generali

elantan wrote: »

The biggest vote ever for the SNP bigger than last time ... and triple the Greens ... that tells a wee story for indy

But the beauty of this vote is ... it really does allow the running of the country to really happened whilst the Yes vote climbs ... believe it or not Scottish people can do more than 1 thing at a time ... strange as that may seem

Really is a win win situation really

Isn't that just a function of an increasing population? I bet Michael Foot's Labour Party got loads more votes in defeat than Ramsay McDonald's got in victory.

The SNP was on a reduced share of the vote, down 2.3%.

Sapphire

elantan wrote: »

Really is a win win situation really

I've always wondered. Is that a picture of Rutger Hauer (sp.?) next to your name? A fine choice if it is (great in Blade Runner), though he is Scandinavian I believe, not Scottish.

zagubov

Ask yourself, under the current system, can a Scottish resident ever be prime minister again?
If not, the union might well have a future, but don't count on it being a long one.

harz99

[QUOTE=Generali;70628737]Isn't that just a function of an increasing population? I bet Michael Foot's Labour Party got loads more votes in defeat than Ramsay McDonald's got in victory.

The SNP was on a reduced share of the vote, down 2.3%.[/QUOTE]


And of course the young voters who were not eligible at the last elections, but had a vote in the Indy referendum.

Generali

zagubov wrote: »

Ask yourself, under the current system, can a Scottish resident ever be prime minister again?
If not, the union might well have a future, but don't count on it being a long one.

Of course.

Scotland has produced far more Prime Ministers since 1900 than you would expect given her size/population share of the UK: Campbell-Bannerman, Law (born overseas but was an MP in Glasgow), Douglas-Home, MacDonald and Brown plus a very electable Leader of HMLO in John Smith who may well have won if given the chance. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see Ms Davidson lead the Tory Party which would give her about an even money chance of becoming PM.

The only way that we wouldn't ever see a Scottish PM again is if the SNP keep on sweeping the boards at every Westminster election but that seems unlikely as at some point they will become less popular than at present. Even then it's likely that someone from the Scottish diaspora will become PM.

Shakethedisease

Just up from my sick bed ( tonsillitis is the absolute pits in your 40's ).

My own thoughts... initial disappointment at the SNP not getting a majority *sobs* but looking at the figures, they did fantastically well. A bit too well as it turns out in the FPTP part of the system, because it meant a severe reduction in list seats darn it. None of the other parties even made it into double figures there. Also the SNP has now effectively replaced Labour in West/Central Scotland. The SNP only being 2 seats short will have little trouble getting the bulk of their manifesto through with a little 'Greening up'. While not a Green at heart myself. I have a lot of time for Patrick Harvie and his party in Holyrood.

I knew with a bit of dread last week it has to be said that people like my dad, and thousands like him not going out and voting Labour that the Tory vote was going to go up. My dad said he felt there was 'no point' in voting and he always votes. The Corbyn effect, Dugdale's tax rises and sudden veer to the left also lost Labour all their previous 'New Labour' type voters who switched en masse to the Tories.

However, there's a ceiling there imo. 22% of the vote isn't particularly earth shattering.

Predictions for the future ?

Scottish Labour are no longer going to be any sort of buffer between Westminster Tories and the SNP in Holyrood or on Scottish issues. This will suit the SNP very well thank you.

The new opposition will have to stand and ask FM what she going to do to alleviate the cuts they are imposing from Westminster

Ruth Davidson will crash and burn at Holyrood with so much of the spotlight now turned upon her. Repeating 'no referendum, no referendum' isn't going to be enough for five years. Adam Tomkins is a formidable character that being said. But Davidson thus far in Scottish politics, has had a pretty free and clear run with little in the way of scrutiny or having to justify Conservative policies. Photo ops and hiding the fact that she's a Tory have served well. But it definitely won't now.

The Tories are looking forward to being the main opposition party in Scotland. However, because we are still part of the Westminster system, every week at FMQ’s Ruth Davidson will be on the back foot having to justify Westminster’s track record. This will contrast well for the purposes of making the independence case if the Scottish people think that the SNP is doing a better job than Westminster on education, the NHS, welfare and the economy. That then damages the Unionist cause in a way that Labour proclaiming opposition to the SNP and Westminster’s Tory Government never could. It is going to be a much clearer fault line in Scottish politics. It is now SNP versus the Tories and with any of the potential successors to David Cameron in Downing Street, the comparison and choice will become acute.

The Scottish media such as the Daily Record et al are even now turning their turrets away from the SNP at long, long last and on to the Conservatives and Davidson. This is better and more familiar ground for them. They might even see their readerships increase.

Scottish Labour have two options. Either turn towards advocating Home Rule/Devo Max or resign themselves to the end of the Labour party in Scotland for a long time to come.

Independence ? Still as it was. Only the battle lines now are directly drawn between the SNP and the Tories. The Greens have already said they won't stand in the way of the SNP calling a referendum and look forward to campaigning once again for Yes whenever one is called. It's the Greens that will hold the balance of power in Holyrood re independence referenda, not the Conservatives as the press are joyfully reporting elsewhere. There are also strong indications that some Labour MSP's would also support independence and certainly Home Rule in any future referendum ( Alex Rowley ).

In other words, Thursday made the route to independence a little more interesting by the fact Scottish Labour are no longer in the frame in terms of defending the union. The fact that the mantle has passed to the Tories however makes things much more simple and polarised more sharply. As I've always said, it's where 2014 Scottish Labour No voters go now that will swing the pendulum. There's still 22% of them still around as well.

Everything still pretty much as it was. Just SNP v's Conservatives now. No Scottish Labour shield for the Tories now and the Tories still don't have anywhere near enough MSP's in Holyrood to 'stop independence'. Much as they'd like you to think it.

No tears here either elantan.;) Just popcorn for the EU ref.