Such excellent argument!
We have already had two terms of SNP government- one minority, one majority. In 2016 it will be for the third. Salmond was First Minister from 2007-2014.
SNP vote in Scottish elections:
- 33%
-
24% -
33% -
45%
Current projection close to 50% in 2016.
It seems that the SNP vote increases with the experience of SNP governments.
Excellent. If Scotland isolates itself politically from the rest of the UK by voting for regional parties in national elections it removes the last political barriers (Labour’s Scottish seats) to slashing public spending in Scotland and bringing it in line with the per capita spending in the rest of the country, where it should always have been in the first place. For reference, Scotland receives a £1300 per capita premium in public spending over the UK average, with £2300 more per capita being spent in Scotland than in England, the home nation that receives the least in public spending.
Scots are giving the English a massive opportunity to adjust the antiquated Barnett Formula and enjoy the likes of free prescriptions and bus passes that Scots have been enjoying for years. Hopefully this opportunity isn’t squandered!
Those would be the governments that didn’t bother to exercise their devolved powers, yes?
To be honest, the SNP has been a pretty competent government. One thing I strongly disagree with them about is the continuing freeze on council tax. That’s massively impacting local services for the genuinely most vulnerable people. The charity sector tries to maintain things, but that’s not a secure funding stream obviously. Still, I’m sure post-indy the local extra-needs adults will have rose petals strewn at their feet when they need to go to the shops.
Correct, since 2007 the Scottish Government have passed no legislation on anything whatsoever :rolleyes:
I know people who would argue that that is the very essence of good government. 
Indeed.
Didn’t seem to do Belgium a huge amount of harm a few years ago.
Will Nicola Sturgeon follow Alex Salmond’s career trajectory, and get smoked in the next election?
Or is that a red herring?
Was there a porpoise to this post, or are you just floundering around?
No need to carp about it.
My contention has been that devolutionist in Scotland (whether independence nationalists or home rule/devo ax supporters) are now set on a ratchet system where devolution will follow beyond the Smith Commission, either because of clear discontent on Scotland and the threat of a further referendum, or by negotiating over programs on a quid pro quo basis.
Here is the first bribe offered by Labour to Scotland- an offer to fund increases to NHS Scotland by transferring the monies from Mansion Tax in SE England to Scotland.
It is going to take a lot of skill to buy off Scottish votes without increasing English dissatisfaction, and is going to be equally difficult to meet the Scottish expectation of considerable further devolution.
Nonsense. That has never been your contention.
Your contention was that Scotland would gain independence in the referendum, and since that fell through, your contention has been that Scotland will gain independence in the next referendum, which should, by your lights, be any day now. Pure and simply, that’s all you’ve ever argued.
Some of us, you know, are not new to following your posts on this subject.
Cite for your erroneous comments please.
Specifically where I claimed that independence was certain rather than finally and surprisingly possible- remember I was originally merely a devolutionist but moved towards independence as the Better Together campaign became totally negative.
I certainly feel that the result of a future referendum is likely to be more towards independence, especially if the Conservatives are in power at Westminster.
Try keeping to what I have actually said rather than making up your own fantasies of what I believe or have said.
I have to look four threads and 3000 posts ago. You were certain that the SNP would win the independence vote. Certain.
You deny that?
Yeah, but some of us are wondering why we still follow her even though we (I, at least) looked forward to that referendum passing so we could laugh at the voters while they sat it a pig sty of their own making. It was disappointing.*
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- Not true. I hoped it would lose for the sake of the good people of Scotland, but I was practicing my Evil Laugh just in case.
Totally. I have never believed that. I didn’t initially support independence but only devomax. I was willing to respect any decision made by the Scottish people and have done so. I still remain somewhat apprehensive about any future full independence but believe that the Scottish people should decide whether or not they choose this route.
You have got caught up in the piling on where straw man after straw man argument has misrepresented my position which is quite conservative in SNP thinking.
At no time have O been certain about the result of the previous or future referenda, but I do believe that we have reached a position where, if the Scottish people maintain their current voting intentions and seek their political goals, it will be almost impossible for considerable further devolution beyond the Smith Commission will be necessary to placate them.
Please provide any cite to support your totally erroneous assessment of my views.
Miliband hints at restrictions on Nuclear weapons to gain votes from SNP, Greens and LibDems.
I haven’t agreed with much of what Pjen has said but I don’t think she can be considered to have been convinced of a YES vote from the beginning. The strongest claim I’ve heard from her is that whatever the result, Nationalists would win as they would get more powers devolved to Edinburgh.
Remember fellow English: it’s Scotland’s oil, but England’s tax intake is also Scottish too!