Scottish Election 6 weeks away.

I simply dont understand why the snp are so hell bent on getting their sovereignty back from the uk, just to then hand it over to the EU the next day

I suspect they have a better understanding than you, Keeleklogger, of what sovereignty actually means and how it works in relation to the EU.

Scotland still isn't going to get another "once in a life time" referendum, without there being a significant change.
Perhaps the rest of the union also having a vote ?

At least Scotland has it's own parliament.
England doesn't, but has to put up with interfering and vote/policy manipulation by Scotland et al.

I simply dont understand why the snp are so hell bent on getting their sovereignty back from the uk, just to then hand it over to the EU the next day. You either want independence or you dont. The only thing that makes sense to me is the snp simply hates Westminster and the evil English. Its borderline racism by any definition. They are still fighting battles won and lost centuries ago

I think it just feels intuitively the wrong time for elections at the moment, it’s hard for any of us to drum up enthusiasm for political change when we have so much else to worry about. it feels like it should all be put on the back burner for another year until life hopefully returns to a more even keel and people have some headspace. If it’s any consolation all the campaigns in Wales are equally lacklustre so far.

I think we're all just jaded, yes Cathymac, and none of them are saying anything to set the heather on fire.

I see the Proclaimers have come out for Alba

Very disappointed in them!

Yes

I thought this thread would have been more animated and lively with different viewpoints . Are we all a bit jaded with it all ?

I did not know who she is......so have just googled her name ..

I don't know what possesses some of these no hopers. Just want attention? Pathetic. Bring back Screaming Lord Such at least he was entertaining in a way.

Well that's one thing we can agree on Aveline!

Jayda Fransen? No thanks!

Just read that Jayda Fransen is standing in Nicola Sturgeon's constituency as an independent.

Ms Fransen used to be deputy leader of Britain First.

Thoughts?

Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, said more than 1,500 young people were having to wait more than a year for mental health support.

And he said the pandemic had also highlighted the need to improve the country's care sector, and the lack of support for schoolchildren who had lost out on education.

He said: "I've seen a window into the next five years in the last few weeks - arguments over the constitution, strategy about independence, arguments between Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond which have been poisonous and unpleasant.

"What we need to do is to put all of that behind us and choose a different future.

"And if we can do that we can tackle mental health, we can tackle education, but we can also make sure our social care workers get the pay they deserve."

PS. I had got mixed up and thought she was the Deputy Leader .

I also didn’t realise that Lorna Slater has a higher personal rating than PH .

That's interesting Granny23, I knew who she was but not about the personal rating.

Lorna Slater is the Joint Leader of the Scottish Greens and has a higher personal rating than Patrick Harvie.

Alegrias. I did not realise that . Wondering why it’s not Patrick Harvie. ?

I'm not sure I can stand it Cathymac! I see the Greens have put up Lorna Slater.

Will any of you be watching the tv debate tonight?....all the party leaders will taking part . (Not Alex Salmond because his party obviously has no seats yet ). That would have been interesting though !

I will watch ... not quite decided who to vote for yet.

It’s useful to read all viewpoints ... which I am very much open to doing .

Your article, Cathymac. Published in a free newspaper by a contributor to a website called Brexit Central. About the author, Joe Ray:

Joe Ray was born in Aberdeen, studied in Glasgow and lives in Edinburgh where he works in the social investment sector. He writes about Scottish and British politics from the perspective of a Conservative-voting, Brexit-supporting opponent of Scottish independence.

Imagine that. Doesn't make him wrong of course. Just a bit partisan, maybe.

I was looking at some figures and didn’t realise that the free bus passes cost 200 million per year. ... that was in 2017.
I think the passes are very useful and necessary for some people but what a huge amount of money.

Its a pity you feel that way Aveline. You can read in some of my posts on this thread that I have some doubts about the SNP's record in government, that I have high hopes for Sarwar and a Scottish Labour Party.

I will admit to being a bit puzzled about your comments regarding the Barnett Formula and the Coronavirus funding. Am I right in thinking that you are suggesting that we should just be standing on our own feet now, not accepting the funding that is ours by right, due to our being part of the Union? We pay into the WM coffers and we deserve our money back. The Barnett formula and the Coronavirus funding aren't a lovely, generous gift from Westminster for us, it's our own money.

One thing that is definitely not worth trying to convince me of, though, is that Scotland is uniquely placed in all the world to fail. That we're the only country of 5 million people whose population are too stupid to run their own affairs, and who don't have the resources to make a success of their own economy and government. Because that's not the case. You won't change my mind on that.

Alegrias if Scotland is doing so amazingly well why do we need the excess funding from the Barnett formula and the huge Coronavirus support funding (which has not all been disbursed to the businesses it should have been)?
There's no actual point in arguing with you about Scottish politics. If SNP was going to be any good we'd have noticed in the last 14 years. Instead we've had a litany of desperate failures.
We should work with the rest of the UK for the benefit of all.

I think we need some economic honesty from the SNP . The only economic debate we had in the first referendum was what currency we would use . But of course to be honest would not advance their cause .
Nicola said “independence transcends Brexit , oil and the economy “. She’s not going to say we will have austerity max or which taxes will be increased and which services will be slashed .
I am also worried because a new currency will be pegged to Sterling....from what I’ve read .... which will mean it will be worth less than Sterling . Therefore the value of our wages and pensions will drop and mortgage payments will rise .
What will the new currency be called ? Someone referred to it as the Skinto. !!!
-new-Scottish-currency-would -be-catastrophic/