LJS

Does that make him wrong?

Not everyone

He is a fucking transphobic bigot with a major grudge against Sturgeon because of GRA. Maybe he is. Maybe he isn't. Neither you nor I know at this stage. I have absolutely no idea.

Filled in some bits you missed out.

what's new?

Former Labour councillor opposes independence shock!!

In no way am I saying that these things are equivalent and I completely agree that there is no equivalence between the treatment received by refugees & trans folk and the way they Tory government appears too be trying to undermine the devolution settlement. Apart from anything else, governments are better able too defend themselves than opposed minorities. However, that doesn't mean the Tories aren't linking them all up in their attempt to whip up their culture wars nonsense.

I tend to agree. The UK is probably beyond help. I mean they keep voting in Tory governments when it's plain to see they are a bunch of crooks & charlatans.

I agree. I think you can get help for it.

Other interpretations are available.

Your definition of respecting devolution appears to be a one way street which consists of Westminster having a veto over anything Rishi doesn't like. The Scottish government is just joining refugees and Trans folk as the bad guys in the Tories' culture wars. And you fall for it because your enemy's enemy is your friend.

Rishi & Neil. Team UK.

😀

if you have too many red lines, you can't get a coalition. The trick is to achieve the most you can. I think the Greens have done a pretty good job, but like you say we may have to agree to disagree on that.

I like our system - it's not perfect but then every system has its flaws - it was intended to avoid one party dominating the parliament - this is often presented as being the SNP - but the truth is when devolution was introduced the only party anyone could imagine sweeping the board at every election was Labour. ( It had a clear majority of Scottish MPs in every election from 1959 to 2010) Anyway, the notion that to have an overall majority you need 50+% of the vote seems entirely sensible to me. And the fact that our system allows me to have 2 votes both of which "count" is rather nice. It means voting green is not a wasted vote. The system has allowed the Greens to have a significant influence on government policy generally for the good. Of course, we have the huge advantage in Scotland that hardly anyone votes Tory so short of having OTTV system (one tory ten votes) system , we will never* have a Tory Government I think any list system has this flaw and it is one of the disadvantages of such a system. However, all the parties now have such a tight control over who is allowed to be candidate under FPTP that I think that disadvantage has all but disappeared. Are you telling me there is a shortage of "young careerist" candidates being selected for Westminster constituencies in other parties? I think part of the SNP's problem is that it went from having under 10 MP's in the years running up to devolution to having over 40 MPs + MSPs when devolution started to having well over 100 by the 2010's. Where do you suddenly find enough competent and experienced people? So I would argue this is a problem caused by the stratospheric rise of the SNP -- not by the voting system. Incidentally, we use 3 different voting systems in Scotland for Westminster, Holyrood & local councils. It was 4 until we left the EU. Let me put it this way. if we had FPTP for Holyrood, the SNP would have had about 75+% of the MSPs in the last 3 elections. I'm sure none of you want that I think in, general, the Greens have some of the hardest working and conscientious MSPs despite all being list members. Personally, I'm not sure not finishing Uni should disqualify you from public office and I'd take 10 Ross Greers before I would have one Murdo Fraser. * fingers crossed

I am take it you are referring to running an independent Scotland? The people who run an independent Scotland will be the party that wins a post-Indy election. That will not necessarily be the SNP and under our electoral system will probably have to be some form of coalition.

I believe they have lent it to the police.

I rest my case

StevieW - you really shouldn't believe anything Neil writes about Scotland. In fact your safest bet is to assume the opposite is true. He knows as much about Scottish politics as I do about the history of Tasmanian cheese-making.

oh yes he can...

And outline their plans to build all the new prisons they will need for all the folk they are locking up.

Thanks for your honesty guys. It's ok to be ckunts because Tories are ckunts.