The Edcawber Principle

beanielou

Glad that your DD had a good day.
Yes, at last there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel.

Suffolk_lass

Don't know if the Scottish papers would have reported but in the English papers the SN Party have come in for some stick in the last week or two for politicking - referencing the information that she gets from her privileged position in COBRA before the rest of the UK gets it and positioning to criticise the emerging policies in England and promote the cause for independence over all else. The opinion piece in the ST suggested it was to deflect from some of the decisions in Scotland that may have cost lives and promoted the position in care homes (discharging from hospitals without test results being received). I thought that was the same as in England, where the lack of training and suitable PPE for the care workers and lack of quarantine on discharge means some places have lost over a third of their residents (and staff). I get quite a biased view from my Mother's references to your glorious leader - she and her friends are not fans but I guess the track record and stats will speak for themselves, if people look. 

The daily figures do seem to be showing a dramatic drop in serious infection in Scotland (based on the daily figures here) - I do hope you get a bit of freedom soon 

edinburgher

We'd be daft to assume that there isn't any politicking going on, but I think there is a lot of vitriol directed at the great leader and that a good proportion of it has been stoked up by the right-leaning English press (which is slightly odd, as the 5NP have never been particularly left wing in the grand scheme of things. Sure, a nod here and there towards a bit more equality, but relatively conservative (small "c").

A lot of said vitriol strikes me as a) anti-Scottish and b) misogynistic. a) is perfectly understandable (she represents a party that wants to split from our neighbours in the South), but b) seems to feature more prominently in the common discourse (we're talking about word choice and an overt focus on the fact that she's a woman here, gender isn't relevant to your politics). I find that worrying. I wasn't around for the Thatcher years - were things the same then? More people seem peeved that there's a powerful woman than what her actual policies are, or her government's track record.

The fact that her party seems to do very well at getting their members elected to positions of authority suggests that more of my countrymen approve of the way the do things than don't, but as always it's the angry "dissenters" you hear the most from. I'm not daft - there is a dark core at the heart of Scottish politics that is still fuming at events and oppression from hundreds of years ago - a 5 minute listen at the rugby evidences that nicely. That said, we have a (relatively) well educated populous and a vibrant, cosmopolitan society (on a good day), I have to believe that there are plenty of 5NP supporters who aren't idiots.

I also think that Westminster often underestimates the enthusiasm of Scottish people for supporting the underdog (even when they underdog is in charge). If the people who hate the 5NP with such enthusiasm, I wish they would play the ball, not the (wo)man a bit more. Focus on policies and statistics, try to move away from tribalism and hating the woman in charge. Then again, I wish all politicians would do that!

Rant over, I'm a happy floating voter who votes for the individual/party whose policies sound the most sensible at the time.

[Deleted User]

I live south of the border but not by far and am English not a displaced Scot.  I've never been an admirer of Nicola Sturgeon's politics or personality (her 'my way or the wrong way' philosophy) but I genuinely feel she's the only one of the UK leaders to  have come through this crisis with any integrity, so far at least. I never thought I'd ever say something like that!  Her press conferences are an object lesson in clarity. She comes across as someone who has really thought about all the whys and wherefores of her rulings. Yes, she's politicking but who isn't????  Most of the MPs who front the announcements we get from Westminster are masters of waffle and spin.  They never fully answer the legitimate questions and concerns of journalists or the public.   As a keen Brexiteer I was delighted when Boris became PM (purely because I felt he really would 'get Brexit done') but I have always regarded him with some suspicion and I'm afraid he and his advisors have a lot to answer for in the current crisis.  A lot of  decisions during the epidemic have been ill-advised and in some cases downright catastrophic.  Prime Minister's Questions will be fascinating  from now on as Keir Starmer, a superb questioner, will really be going for the jugular.  Boris will have to concentrate on every detail (something he's not renowned for LOL) and stop giving the impression that he's making it up as he goes along.    Sorry, rant over.

By the way, a belated Happy Birthday to Miss E  xxx.   Oh to be that age again with all of life ahead.

beanielou

I have met Nicola Sturgen twice & I like her.
She is very down to earth & straight forward.
I think what you see is what you get much as you see her on the TV.

edinburgher

@Delichon - Keir Starmer has been demolishing the Prime Minister at PMQs! His approach isn't a million miles from Jeremy Corbyn in that he provides Boris rope with which to hang himself. The difference being that Starmer's "punchlines" hit harder and he seems to have far less baggage for those on the opposite side of the chamber to focus on

@beanielou - she's a bit Marmite, but I have a lot of time for her, very "stern auntie", but very human as well

greent

I quite like Starmer's approach to PMQ. I think Boris does himself no favours in general with his somewhat 'buffoonish' air - I'm not convinced that this isn't somewhat put on at times

I struggle with Sturgeon - but only because she reminds me of wee Jimmy Krankie!!

badmemory

Ah Maggie Thatcher.  Think of your worst nightmare as a primary school teacher, move back to the days when it was acceptable to throw board rubbers at pupils & I think you have it.  Heard of being handbagged?  Normally though she was truthful & to the point, that is if you ignore the Belgrano!  Not one of my favourite people but nobody walked all over her until the end of her premiership, they were mostly too scared.

I must say I like Nicola Sturgeon, I don't always agree with her, but I wouldn't be too upset (with my limited knowledge admittedly) if the northern part of England joined Scotland.

ETA liking Kier Starmer so far & looking forward to when the rabble return to the HOC & see how he handles that.

Suffolk_lass

I agree that Nicola Sturgeon has been a model of clarity at her press conferences throughout the crisis (and had a sign-er on stage at every one, whereas England has required you to watch BBC News channel for any of this). Kier Starmer - different class. Rumour has it the part played by Colin Firth in the Bridget Jones Diary films is based on him when he was a human rights lawyer. One of the RW red tops went looking for scandal and found he bought the field behind his late parents' house so they could see the rescue donkeys they were looking after from their kitchen window. The suggestion it might be worth millions as a building plot falls slightly since there has never even been an enquiry into change of use from agricultural land. He does not affect any kind of bumbling subterfuge or Churchill imitations and has that barrister-like focus and clarity one would expect from his past.

Thatcher. I am in the hater category. She made the union engagement a war and her mission to destroy them and the mining industry. Unions have delivered much for working people in this country (and I remain an associate retired member of mine, despite it being led by a trot). To be honest I dislike the party political preservation thing much more than I dislike the politics of any one individual. They all go into it to try and make things better, not to be party-line following shadows of the passion they once held.

Sorry to start this in your thread ed. Naughty but interesting

teapot2

Although Scottish and living back here for 15 years, I was in London Town for most of the 70s and the following 2.5 decades. Thatcher is one of the few politicians I have really despised, for the introduction of the poll tax in Scotland and how that was handled, treatment of the miners and unions, selling off council house stock etc etc.  I'm not a 100% fan of the SNP by any means but I like Nicola's clarity at her briefings and the willingness to admit regret and that they haven't got everything right.  There seems to be an inability in Westminster to provide a straight answer or to admit any weakness of policy.
As an aside, if you are on Facecloth, theres a comedian called Janey Godley who regularly posts voiceovers of Nicola's briefings to very funny effect.  The language is choice at times so don't go looking if you are easily offended