Indyref2

[User62651]

Maxfli - Nearly every picture on the net and in newspapers are posed now. From a celeb leaving a restaurant to one working out in a park or lying on a beach in a bikini. Politicians are the same, except poor old Ed of course. Remember George's "I'm one of you eating a burger whilst writing the budget" (except it was a gourmet burger that was stupidly expensive). The White House have been releasing stage pictures for years and we are now catching up. We all know they are staged, all parties do it. Staging a photo to look relaxed when it is staged and so anything but relaxed looks artificially awkward to me. The jacket just adds to the artificial element.

As it happens the whole fall out from Brexit means that no matter how loud NS jumps up and down she is not going to be heard. There are bigger fish to fry and air time and column inches are going to be based east to Europe and not North to Scotland. If I was advising NS I would tell her to drop Indy2 until Brexit has occurred. Keep your head down, run Scotland and look like a statesman. Work Europe, meet leaders, lay the groundwork. Then when Brexit has been completed start shouting again. She just looks petulant at the moment and I don't think the last week has done her any favours.

Yes to a point but NS only has to garner support in Scotland to achieve her party's ultimate goal, doesn't matter how she is thought of outside of Scotland really. Obviously she will be in the news and in people's minds much more up here becasue she's First Minister. When you watch BBC Scotland or STV news I'd say news relevant to Holyrood gets quite a lot more coverage than Westminster politics. She along with Davidson and Dugdale, Rennie and Harvie get a lot of airtime up here. Brexit is huge but with 62% going remain up here and having had no say at all in Brexit policy to date despite May's assurances (be that relevant or not in UK wide people's eyes) it is still significant leverage. She can't just sit quiet, she needs to be seen to stand up for the 9% of UK pop'n she represents via Holyrood. The large contingent in Westminster is also significant as Angus Roberston gets more questions than anyone but Corbyn at PMQ I think. Govt gets a far rougher ride and taken to task over policy from the SNP benches than Labour's imo. I can well imagine how she is received down in blue southern shires but look to NI and Wales and I think many people there see her in a better light than in England. How you all think of her outside of Scotland is not that relevant. I think she has wound her neck in a bit over Brexit but I haven't found any statements she's made to date to be stupid or not thought through. Does May ignore a parliamentary won manifesto commitment just because it's from Holyrood? She might but what will that achieve up here and what does it say about her and about devolved or federal governance?
Never say never in politics, has been an amazing and bewildering couple or three years. Not unfeasible we could in time be back in (not out yet I now) EU either as UK or as Scotland alone or totally out as UK, wouldn't want to bet on any outcome tbh.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Yes to a point but NS only has to garner support in Scotland to achieve her party's ultimate goal, doesn't matter how she is thought of outside of Scotland really. Obviously she will be in the news and in people's minds much more up here becasue she's First Minister. When you watch BBC Scotland or STV news I'd say news relevant to Holyrood gets quite a lot more coverage than Westminster politics. She along with Davidson and Dugdale, Rennie and Harvie get a lot of airtime up here. Brexit is huge but with 62% going remain up here and having had no say at all in Brexit despite May's assurances (be that relevant or not in UK wide people's eyes) it is still significant leverage. She can't just sit quiet, she needs to be seen to stand up for the 9% of UK pop'n she represents via Holyrood. The large contingent in Westminster is also significant as Angus Roberston gets more questions than anyone but Corbyn at PMQ I think. Govt gets a far rougher ride and taken to task over policy from the SNP benches than Labour's imo. I can well imagine how she is received down in blue southern shires but look to NI and Wales and I think many people there see her in a better light than in England.

I don't think it is really appreciated that north of the border the goings on in Westminster are not really at the forefront of folks political thinking and news consumption. In fact the way Holyrood and Sturgeon are often dismissed as 'side shows' and just 'pesky nuisances', it sometimes feel that many folks south of the border don't appreciate that Holyrood is a sovereign parliament and not just a talking shop or a local council.

 

[User62651]

What's the old adage about a picture vs a 1000 words? - doing the rounds on facebook -
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...VY0xaBnuoSGrIMiA/w500-h300-rw/nopenopenop.gif

 

[SocketRocket]

I don't think it is really appreciated that north of the border the goings on in Westminster are not really at the forefront of folks political thinking and news consumption. In fact the way Holyrood and Sturgeon are often dismissed as 'side shows' and just 'pesky nuisances', it sometimes feel that many folks south of the border don't appreciate that Holyrood is a sovereign parliament and not just a talking shop or a local council.

And how do you come to that observation. Have you asked us all?

 

[Old Skier]

Their benefits have only just in the last month been cut under PIP (from £146/week to £94/week - so by about a 3rd) The Scottish government may not be aware of the impact of PIP on payments. So time will tell.

Those are individual payments and if they are on a pension that is not affected. If the individual is over 64 there are other benefits available.

If the Scottish government are not aware of the impact on PIP payments they aren't fit to govern because most charities whole deal with this area are.

 

[SocketRocket]

What's the old adage about a picture vs a 1000 words? - doing the rounds on facebook -
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...VY0xaBnuoSGrIMiA/w500-h300-rw/nopenopenop.gif

Seems like four words to me. I'll let you guess them.

 

[JamPal]

So according to Little Elton, UK independence is a bad thing. Scottish independence is a good thing?

As much as I wish we would remain in the EU (and long term we will of course slowly re-join) It's done and you can't use one bad choice as an excuse for another.

 

[IanM]

...assuming there's an EU left to rejoin....

....anyway, Paddy Power are taking bets on the reasons the SNP might give for needing each of the next 5 or 6 Scottish Indy Referendums (referenda? )

...shrinking Mars Bars is way out in front!

 

[User62651]

Seems like four words to me. I'll let you guess them.

Not a clue, care to enlighten?

Looks like a budding mutual reciprocal relationship destroyed by a psychopathic bully, I'll let you guess who the bully is!

 

[Old Skier]

That would normally be a Scot then.

 

[SocketRocket]

Not a clue, care to enlighten?

Looks like a budding mutual reciprocal relationship destroyed by a psychopathic bully, I'll let you guess who the bully is!

Well! One of them is English.

Oh! I get it now, it's a bit like a mutually beneficial relationship that is being destroyed by a psychopathic bully in Holyrood for a mutually destructive relationship with a psychopathic bully in Brussels. Go for it!

 

[User62651]

Well! One of them is English.

Oh! I get it now, it's a bit like a mutually beneficial relationship that is being destroyed by a psychopathic bully in Holyrood for a mutually destructive relationship with a psychopathic bully in Brussels. Go for it!

You dont even know what film it's from do you? If you did your interpretation might not be so addled!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

And how do you come to that observation. Have you asked us all?

It is an observation that I have arrived at by simply observing disparaging, dismissive and derogatory comments made about Sturgeon and Holyrood that emanate from some apparently informed members of 'the people' who live south of the border - and from some here.

 

[Old Skier]

It is an observation that I have arrived at by simply observing disparaging, dismissive and derogatory comments made about Sturgeon and Holyrood that emanate from some apparently informed members of 'the people' who live south of the border - and from some here.

Unfortunately the lady gives the impression that she is dismissive and derogatory of anything south of the boarder and so the impression and feelings appear to be fairly mutual.

 

[SocketRocket]

It is an observation that I have arrived at by simply observing disparaging, dismissive and derogatory comments made about Sturgeon and Holyrood that emanate from some apparently informed members of 'the people' who live south of the border - and from some here.

I think you will find rather a lot of disparaging, dismissive and derogatory comments made about Sturgeon and Holyrood emanating North of the Border.

 

[SocketRocket]

You dont even know what film it's from do you? If you did your interpretation might not be so addled!

Let me see now! Was it Alex met Nichola? Or What's wrong with Virgina Sturgeon? How about A fish called Alex?

 

[GreiginFife]

You dont even know what film it's from do you? If you did your interpretation might not be so addled!

Shoooooshhhh!!

 

[GreiginFife]

Its a leap in the dark and a wreckless gamble. She is unable to answer basic questions about what it will all mean.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Its a leap in the dark and a wreckless gamble. She is unable to answer basic questions about what it will all mean.

Are you posting about talking May or Sturgeon ?

 

[MegaSteve]

.......but will you still be laughing after this?

63% +3 years for my younger wife....60% +3 for me.

https://wingsoverscotland.com/tory-calculator/

That's not a 'proper' link... I want one with all the 'balanced' comments attached...

And, 63% for me... The Blair/Brown years need to be included as they were tories with red rosettes...