Scottish Election 6 weeks away.

Alegrias all she can do is deflect as she didn't have any answers. Uncosted independence? One minute telling us this election is about independence and on Marr trying to get away from the subject. She's looking very tired and irritable. Quite aggressive at times. Her absence on Question time was interesting. Can't handle being put on the spot?

The election is about who will run Scotland for the next 5 years. (Clue - it'll be Nicola)

If you think Nicola can't stand being put on the spot you haven't really been paying attention.

I'm well aware of what that woman is like. I'm also very surprised that you have missed thst she's said that a referendum could be held next year and the referendum bill she's planning to put forward ASAP. She has to keep the separatists happy.

"That woman". Well we'll leave it there shall we?

Thanks for the explanation of SNP policy, BTW.

We received an enormous SNP pamphlet this morning, it’s the size of a double page broadsheet. Not once is independence or a referendum mentioned anywhere. Thanks to its size it’ll be perfect for lining the cat litter tray.

Is Ms Sturgeon ill? She has looked very unwell each time I’ve seen her in the past couple of weeks.

I wouldn't be surprised if NS is unwell. She's been under massive stress this last year.

Can't handle being put on the spot?

NS has been constantly put on a variety of spots, for years, and she handles them well.
No-one could be expected to keep that up forever, tho, and she must be worn out after the year she's had.

Time to step aside then?

Possibly, but not right before an election.

On the Andrew Marr show Nicola Sturgeon looked tired and jaded . I agree with Aveline that her answers are calculated to deflect. Shocking that there has been no financial modelling for independence .. no analysis of the impact on incomes . .. just bluster that everything will be all right . The issue with the hard border ... again she deflected with no real answers... just platitudes that she would keep trade flowing.

I agree Cathy perhaps she’s really worried about the election and if many supporters will switch to Alba.
For those people who don’t want Scotland to leave the union, don’t vote for the SNP or Alba.If you have a really good local SMP from whatever party, and like them, vote for them, and in any future referendum vote to stay in the UK.

Lemon I'd be more inclined to take your advice if you had the slightest idea about Scottish politics.

She's not worried about many supporters switching to Alba; they've got about 3% of the vote at the moment and if pressed I'd say they are unlikely to get any representation in the Parliament at all; maybe Alex if they are lucky. Although he is standing in the North East where they don't like a shyster, so even that's not a shoo-in.

Can we vote for Green if we want to stay in the Union, according to your advice? They are independence-supporting as well and much more likely to get candidates elected than Alba.

And finally, its MSP. If you're going to advise us on how to vote, at least get their job title right.

I agree, Cathymac. If Scotland rejoins the EU it won’t be Scotland’s choice as to what border there is between us and England. The EU will be making v clear exactly what type of border they want and it won’t be open and free-flowing.

An independent Scotland will also be dealing with an English Tory government in perpetuity which could be interesting.

I can understand the questions about the border and about finance in an independent Scotland but I do sincerely think that they are questions for another day. I'd like to see more questioning about the SNP track record in government, same as I'd like to see Douglas Ross questioned about how the Tories are going to mitigate the ongoing impact of Brexit in Scotland.

Scotland is being run like a one party state. Bit like North Korea.

Kapitan

Scotland is being run like a one party state. Bit like North Korea.

Phew so glad I live in England. Beacon of democracy ???

Suziewoozie- seriously, it's bad up here. SNP track record is awful. Alegrias is right the Alba party isn't doing well (not a surprise considering who's involved)

Aveline

*Suziewoozie*- seriously, it's bad up here. SNP track record is awful. Alegrias is right the Alba party isn't doing well (not a surprise considering who's involved)

It cannot be worse than down here ?

Oh suzie its just awful, just like North Korea. Do you know what they make us do? They make us vote for the party we want to run the country! And they make us vote twice, so that we have a good balance between FPTP and Proportional Representation! And so many people vote for the party they want to be in charge that - oh no, its too awful - they take charge! It's just a one party state, really. A dictatorship! (leaving aside that the party of government don't have a majority right now, and have to work with the Greens to get things through).

Please, send help!!

The Scotch Dictator Sturgeon imposed the Hate Crime and Public Order Act, a fine example of North Korean style oppression if ever I saw it.

You mean legislation was passed by the governing party?
Well, you can only hope that they get voted out in May Kapitan. Don't hold your breath though.

BTW - Scotch is a drink or a way of trying to insult the population of this country. Just makes us shrug and shake our heads.

BTW2 - I do have concerns about the SNP's tendency to try to over-control the population and centralise everything. But I also think that comparing them to the North Korean dictatorship is pretty childish and up there with protesters wearing yellow stars.

No you wouldn’t Aleg ( take my advice about Scottish politics) because you are a firm SNP supporter who can’t wait for another referendum so that you can vote to leave the Union. However, you may well have to wait. ?
Sturgeon gave a miserable performance on Marr, he easily ran rings around her.Not hard to do when she either has no knowledge or tells half truths ( in true politician form.)
Leaking support to Alba ( even if a small percentage) along with leaking support to Labour, may mean an end to any large majority for her.Even if she did well, it does not mean that the outcome will be what she hopes for in any future indie referendum, that ship may have sailed :with Scotland doing well with our Union over vaccines, and the prospect ( if rejoining the EU) of a hard border, since 60% of trade from Scotland goes to the rest of the UK, and only slightly less than 20% to the EU.

Okey dokey. ?

Alba is not a threat to SNP because they are not standing for the constituency votes, which are FPTP, only for the regional list votes, which are PR.
Because of the way the calculations are done, SNP is unlikely to get many regional seats anyway.

I do think NS is totally stressed out and was unwise to badmouth AS, which didn't make her look good.

Yes Lemongrove 60% of our trade is with the rest of the UK. We do not want a hard border.

Also if we had become independent in 2014 we would have been out of the EU with no guarantee of if / when we would have been allowed to rejoin. So all this repeated mantra...... “ dragged out of the EU against our will “ is a bit ironic/ hypocritical. It was ok to leave in 2014 though. .