The SNP is in a ‘tremendous mess’ apparently.

multicolouredswapshop of course I pay for the freebies doled out to those happily accepting anything going. I pay taxes which are misspent to a worrying extent on SNPs many failed projects and doomed legal cases. It's important for voters in Scotland to look beyond the facade spin put about by SNP (before even their own head of spin had to resign in disgust)

I haven’t read the article yet, but there is a question of Sturgeon misappropriating money?

Prof Robert Pyper, of the University of the West of Scotland, said the SNP’s “penchant for secrecy and concealment has exacerbated the internal divisions”. He added: “I don’t think you can ever say Scottish independence is dead but the SNP have been utterly obsessed by the independence project to the exclusion of delivering on public policies and that has fundamentally damaged the independence project”.

A damning statement isn’t it from a respected source?

Ah well the SNP new leader will be announced next Monday, 27th March. I suppose only time will tell what the Scottish voters make of it all going forward.

The SNP have voted not to let those who have already voted change their vote as a result of this new information which has come to light. In the past they have allowed this

Sorry guys I’m all for Nicola Sturgeon
SNP give us free prescriptions, free bus passes, free baby boxes they’ve just reintroduced a new local railway line,

And Scotland is in a financial mess precisely because it could not afford to finance this, but it bribed the voters.
Now the Sturgeons appear to think their resignations will clear them of all culpability and they can walk away leaving others to clear up their mess.

I don’t believe it’s suggested that NS has personally misappropriated money but not sure if there’s any suspicion about her husband.
I have never understood how those who want independence think Scotland could function alone. There’s a big black hole in the finances (not the missing money), their ability to rely on oil is finite (yes I know they export electricity but that won’t keep the baby fed), large companies have said they would relocate to England and financially they don’t meet the criteria for rejoining the EU which they seem to think is a given. They seem deluded and blame all their woes on Westminster.

Ah, just popped on for a wee look at what might be being said about Nicola and I'm not disappointed. It's like a time warp.

Just a few things...

Its not whataboutery to point out that things that happen in England go unmentioned and that similar things that happen in Scotland are taken to prove the uselessness of the government.

The current crop of candidates for leader are very disappointing - one doesn't believe in sex before marriage and thinks we're all going to hell, one is worked from the back by Salmond and Cherry and has never had an original thought that didn't die of loneliness, and one turns everything he touches to dust. What a choice. Treading water for a while, I guess.

The idea that independence is dead is laughable though - the SNP's existed in its current form since 1934, I think its safe to say that some people at the top resigning isn't the end of the desire for independence 🤣.

Because what we really love is people who don't live here telling us that we've been bribed and that we are in a financial mess. Almost as good as locals telling us that we don't know our own minds. Also, just for clarity they are the Murrells, not the Sturgeons.

And finally, I'm not "annoyed" at the level of drug deaths here, I'm heartbroken. I also don't think its right to use it as a stick to beat our country with. As for the ferries, they don't seem to be able to write a sensible contract with penalty clauses. Should have asked me.

Saor alba 😊

Hiya Volver glad to see you back. Your take on this situation should be interesting. I know that you're an independence fan rather than an SNP one. Which candidate do you think might be best for Scotland as a whole rather than just independence?

I love living in Scotland I’m proud to be Scottish I’m so looking forward to FREEDOM thank you Nicola

Oh yeah * Volver3* you keep telling yourself all that.😂
Sure there’ll always be the diehards for independence but it won’t carry the majority to that end now.
As for the the SNP generally, it’ll be impossible to keep the support they had before as much of it was Sturgeon worship.

Hi Aveline, thank you. None of them. We're doomed. As they said on Last Leg this week: More of the same, at war with England, or Alabama.

Oreo

Oh yeah * Volver3* you keep telling yourself all that.😂
Sure there’ll always be the diehards for independence but it won’t carry the majority to that end now.
As for the the SNP generally, it’ll be impossible to keep the support they had before as much of it was Sturgeon worship.

I think you need to understand from your non-Scottish living situation, that SNP isn't independence.

You think we're at the end now? Dearie me... 🤣🤣🤣

You need to sort this out in your own minds, all you Nicola haters... either there was a surge in support for independence because we all idolise Nicola, or there was a decrease in support for independence because Nicola is useless. You're going to have to pick one. 😊

I suppose nobody's mentioned a travel iron at the Balmoral yet, we should be thankful for small mercies.

👋 volver I was hoping you’d comment. Your forthright opinion is always much welcomed. Dare I say we miss you? You know your onions as we say at home.

I think you’re spot on regarding the 3 candidates vying to become First Minister. Pretty uninspiring lot. We had the same really in Westminster between Truss and Sunak (with Hunt as his wingman, god help us).

I admire Nicola. She did an amazing job before, through and after the pandemic.
Ofcourse her time was up. Her energy was spent.
How can anyone continue for ever apart from despots and the Tory party

It may be not be the SNP's turn to steer Scotland through the next years.

Many friends whose views I respect are still wanting independence so don't be so sure Urms that it's all over.

The only people I've ever met who were SNP fans were those who didn't look beyond an emotional response. The sheer practicalities of potential independence need the application of far brighter minds than those available at Holyrood.

I love your description of the 3 candidates Volver
Sad but true.

When Jacinda saint Jacinda stood down in NZ and the new guy took over, people held their breath but he seems to be okay.

Stephen Gethin.

Phillipa Whitford.

Catherine Maxwell Stuart.

Tom Devine.

You're obviously mixing in rather limited circles, Aveline.

Good to see you volver3

Wow volver3 glad to see you echo my comments yesterday about the SNP candidates! I've always prided myself on analysing how budding wannabes present themselves in their quest for the top job, (even Meghan as First Lady).

The SNP is not a new party, we all know that, (I'm old enough to remember Winnie Ewing!) but if we look at the history pre-devolution, pre-Nicola Sturgeon and possibly Salmond then it seemed to be a minority niche party with a rather chequered history policywise.

How it will fare without Ms Sturgeon will be interesting as she was a strong leader with a vision, whether you agreed with her or not.

There seems to be some kind of misappropriation scandal waiting to happen imho if the Police Scotland inquiries prove fruitful (and are not stymied politically). The SNP is said to be in a mess by its current acting CEO. The big fall in membership numbers (hitherto concealed) suggests SNP recent policies have driven away a lot of supporters. Of course, notions about nationality are powerful weapons as we saw with the Brexit fiasco in which emotion trumped fact.

Callistemon21

The SNP is not a new party, we all know that, (I'm old enough to remember Winnie Ewing!) but if we look at the history pre-devolution, pre-Nicola Sturgeon and possibly Salmond then it seemed to be a minority niche party with a rather chequered history policywise.

How it will fare without Ms Sturgeon will be interesting as she was a strong leader with a vision, whether you agreed with her or not.

So, right then...

The party's 90-odd years old.

They used to have no MPs at all. Now they have 40 odd.

Scotland got devolution, 20 something years ago.

10 years ago they got us a referendum and got within 5% of winning.

Pro-independence parties make up the majority of MSPs.

But Nicola going is just the end of everything, course it is. Or, we move to the next step in the continuum. If you are going to make sweeping statements about Scottish politics, at least base them on some kind of reality.

Still waiting to hear about people with the talent and practical life experience to impress me in Scottish 'government'.

I put a list up thread.

There's none so blind.....

If you are going to make sweeping statements about Scottish politics, at least base them on some kind of reality

I did.

It used to be a niche party which no-one heard much about outside Scotland until Winnie Ewing, apart from one leader being pro-Nazi.

Devolution gave it an opportunity to grow.

It grew in recent years but the next candidates for leader don't look as inspiring and committed as Ms Sturgeon.

I could be wrong and I expect you'll tell me that I am even if I'm not. 😂