Comments on SNP Tactical Voting: Police Numbers

You mention the Strathclyde police recruitment fre...

2010-08-28T23:32:26.851+01:00

You mention the Strathclyde police recruitment freeze. For many years the Strathies have been forced to provide support to the Ministry of Defence police to control anti-Trident demonstrations at the Faslane submarine base. During the Faslane 365 demo this cost the Strathclyde force millions of pounds and, of course, took police off the beat and stopped them catching real criminals.

Yet another reason for scrapping Trident!

The SNP should just get badges made up that say &q...

2010-08-28T12:12:48.965+01:00

The SNP should just get badges made up that say "What would Labour do?". It will remind everyone that the Labour party in Scotland have no policies other than slagging off everyone else and trying to get into the Westminster constituencies.

As to the Lib Dems. They conned me into voting for them once, but NEVER EVER again.

The problem is that only the SNP truly want the Sc...

2010-08-28T08:30:07.958+01:00

The problem is that only the SNP truly want the Scottish parliament, and Scotland, to succeed. The unionist parties are happy to have it ticking along mediocre fashion, but only if they are in government. A strong parliament and a strong Scotland undermines the union. Therefore the unionist parties don't put forward positive contributions or policies that may advance Scotland, but instead spend their time involved in a negative, attacking campaign. That's where the problem lies in Scottish politics. Otherwise allegedly good and principled people are hamstrung by their attachment to the 'greater' power of their Westminster masters' agenda.

I fear the 2011 Holyrood election could become a v...

2010-08-28T07:42:14.201+01:00

I fear the 2011 Holyrood election could become a very and bitter ill-tempered affair indeed. The signs are there already in the media, from the opposition parties in general and Labour in particular.

I received a Labour leaflet today which completely slagged off all the other parties making a number of personal attacks, but unsurprisingly had little to say about what they would do themselves. Of course there was no apology for the mess they left the UK economy in after 13 years and the resulting spending cuts that are happening now, no apologies for the illegal war in Iraq, no apologies for planning to waste billions on WMDs in the Clyde, no apologies for the PFI schemes we will be paying off for decades and no apologies for the erosion of civil liberties with ID cards etc.

It could be very tempting for people in the SNP to respond in kind to the negative tactics Labour use against them, and more should be done to point out Labour's failures both in government in the UK and in opposition in Scotland. However the SNP must also give people a good reason to support the party, and the recent Scottish Household Survey gives encouragement that people feel safe and happy in their communities. This is the positive ground where the election should be fought on and issues like renewable as opposed to nuclear energy, free elderly care, prescription costs etc. Despite the awful recession caused by Labour and despite the Westminster cuts Scotland is a fairer, safer and healthier place than in 2007 but there is still much more to be done to change Scotland for the better. Labour spend so much of their time whipping up fear over knife crime and short sentences for non serious crimes. The SNP approach of having more police officers and sending people who commit serious crimes to prison for more than 6 months is more sensible and seems to be working well, and should be given the chance to succeed.

The SNP had been more or less written off by the media in the past couple of months, but now there's everything to play for in this election. As long as the campaign doesn't descend into a slanging match between Labour and the SNP, and assuming the TV & Radio media give all parties a fair go this time which surely they are legally obliged to do (and wasn't the case in the 2010 election), I'm sure the people will conclude the best thing for ALL of Scotland (and not just one small geographical area) is four more years of Alex Salmond and SNP (or SNP-led) government, extended powers beyond Calman, and full fiscal autonomy leading to eventual independence.

Iain Gray might shout his pre-rehearsed lines, waving his arms about and jabbing his finger unconvincingly at the First Minister when parliament returns soon and score a couple of points, but I really can't see him being able to motivate his supporters and activists in the same way that Alex Salmond can with the SNP members. Being a Holyrood election, the SNP will be up for it in a way that was unlike the UK election. Only time will tell, but I'm a lot more confident now than I was last week that the SNP can win a second term in government.

Great post Jeff It seems simplistic sometimes to ...

2010-08-26T18:09:29.854+01:00

Great post Jeff

It seems simplistic sometimes to state the obvious, but you've certainly captured my feelings on this topic. If Holyrood is about improving the lot of all who live in Scotland, then there must be honest dialogue.

The tenor of the debate is set by the media in Sco...

2010-08-26T15:24:24.099+01:00

The tenor of the debate is set by the media in Scotland which seems to exist merely to amplify the oppositionalism of the 3 establishment parties.