Scottish Elections

[Joe DiMaggio]

I remember we had one of these last time so thought I would start one to see what everyone is thinking this time round.

[Yngwie]

For me its not a question of who will I vote for, as I have voted already, by post. So much easier than dragging yourself out to a polling station, and it makes you more likely to participate in all the various elections that take place. Highly recommended.

[hislopsoffsideagain]

SNP for me. Not because of a pro-independence view but because of their policy for minimum unit pricing on alcohol and because there is no better (or at least, louder) advocate for Scotland than big Alex.

[PaderbornCaley]

SNP for me as well. I would vote no in an independence referendum right now but their policies are better than Labours imo. Since New Labour shifted Labour to the centre ground, they are no better than the Tories. I think also, that Alex Salmond is a great First Minister and I like how the SNP are not tied down to Westminster like the rest of them. I used to do canvassing for the Lib Dems but Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander betrayed us all! My second vote will go to the Greens.

[PullMyFinger]

SNP for me as well. I would vote no in an independence referendum right now but their policies are better than Labours imo. Since New Labour shifted Labour to the centre ground, they are no better than the Tories. I think also, that Alex Salmond is a great First Minister and I like how the SNP are not tied down to Westminster like the rest of them. I used to do canvassing for the Lib Dems but Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander betrayed us all! My second vote will go to the Greens.

By second vote do you mean Regional vote? SNP for both for me. I'm voting yes for AV as well.

[Yngwie]

SNP for me. Not because of a pro-independence view but because of their policy for minimum unit pricing on alcohol

Just out of interest, why do you think that is a good idea?

The beneficiaries will be the likes of Tesco and Diageo who will make an even bigger fortune from the higher margins that they will make from bumping up the prices. If you want to reduce alcohol consumption by making it more expensive, put up the rate of duty instead so that the extra money is going into the public coffers instead.

[hislopsoffsideagain]

My viewpoint is very skewed - I spend most of my job dealing either with people who have done themselves huge damage with alcohol, who tend to be very difficult to treat, or with their family members whose lives have been damaged by their heavy-drinking relatives. I simply resent the fact that the other parties are against it, for no obvious reason other than that they get donations from the alcohol industry.

Your idea is perfectly valid too. Anything that makes the stuff more expensive. Minimum unit pricing does prevent ridiculously cheap supermarket special offers though.

[PaderbornCaley]

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[PullMyFinger]

A vote for the greens under the present ststem won't really have any bearing on who we get running the Scottish executive but will no doubt give us a Green MSP. I have reservations about the Green Party and SNP as both in my mind should be single issue parties, environment for Greens and Independence for SNP. If either were to push through Independence it would automatically trigger another General Election and then Scotland could rediscover herself politically instead of having a Westminster government we didn't elect like we have now.

[Oddquine]

I'll be voting SNP for both.....and am swithering about just leaving the Status Quo/AV vote blank., because neither is democratic.......but then I think that if I go for AV, I have no need to vote for anyone other than SNP on it if it comes in anyway. Nobody can force me to write 2,3,etc in other wee boxes.

Still thinking about that.. My SNP vote is the same no-brainer it has been since I was old enough to vote....and I do vote on the independence issue only.

[PaderbornCaley]

What is the SNP's view on AV? I was trying to work out if AV could help them but not sure. One thing is clear, though, with AV, the Tories will never get an MP in Scotland again. Too many people will have them at the bottom of their list!

[starchief]

SNP are in favour of AV.

If AV comes about, I would hope the political landscape would change from Labour, Tory and Lib Dems (all of these parties are really coalitions) into parties with a bit more core-belief, i.e. Socialists, New Labour/SDP, Liberals, One-Nation EuroTories and Hardline EuroScpetics (along with others like Greens, SNP etc).

[PaderbornCaley]

Has anyone read the manifesto for the Scottish Christian Party? They are running in Inverness. They may get votes from well meaning Christians, but reading into their manifesto, it's quite scary. They want to bring back caning in school! Their very fundamentalist in their views.

[Renegade]

Indeed they are. I remember getting one of their leaflets through the door at the last general election. Some of their policies make the BNP look quite liberal! They seem petrified of gays, yet are keen on upping the speed limit on motorways and bringing the space shuttle to the Highlands! They really are a funny bunch.

[PullMyFinger]

What is the SNP's view on AV? I was trying to work out if AV could help them but not sure. One thing is clear, though, with AV, the Tories will never get an MP in Scotland again. Too many people will have them at the bottom of their list!

Quite the contrary really, I'd expect to see more Tory MPs with tactical voting creeping into a lot of constituencies.

However it turns out, it can't be a bad thing if it forces voters into reading all the candidates' views and parties' manifesto.

[+DoofersDad]

A vote for the greens under the present ststem won't really have any bearing on who we get running the Scottish executive but will no doubt give us a Green MSP. I have reservations about the Green Party and SNP as both in my mind should be single issue parties, environment for Greens and Independence for SNP. If either were to push through Independence it would automatically trigger another General Election and then Scotland could rediscover herself politically instead of having a Westminster government we didn't elect like we have now.

I'm with Capitol Caly on this one. I think the SNP have done as good a job as any Government in recent years but the common sense the Greens bring to the political debate means there really does need to be one or two greens in the parliamnent. I disagree that either party should be considered one issue parties - the SNP have proved that in Government and if you read the Green manaifesto or ever listen to the excellent Green MP, Caroline Lucas, on Question Time, you will know that their manifesto covers the whole range - Green politics is not just about the environment, it is about respect. If you can respect each other and respect the environment in which we all live then that to me seems a good philosophy for life.

As for AV, the problem with the current system is the risk that you can get people elected who have the support of very few people. If the 4 main parties have roughly equal support and the likes of the Greens and UKIP and perhaps an independent or two pick up a few votes, then some extreme single issue party can get elected with only about 20% of the vote even if they are the least favoured party of the other 80%. With AV the 2nd and subsequent preferences count if your first choice candidate is bottom of the poll so as candidates drop out voters' subsequent choices are added on to the remaining candidates. The end result is the person elected has some positive endorsement of at least 50% of the population even if they are not the first choice of many. Those opposing AV are actually saying they would prefer to have someone elected who does not necessaily have that level of support. It is mainly the Tories who are in favour of this and this is because they know that they will attract less 2nd coice votes than other parties.

[PullMyFinger]

Let me elaborate,

Green Party want environmental policies promroted but in becoming a "mainstream" party and embracing another political agenda the passion for the environment becomes diluted.

Scottish National Party want independence but have had a minority government in Scotland during which they have achieved much against strong opposition. An SNP government will have a referendum during the next term of office, if there is a majority for Independence, what then? Scottish political parties would no longer have a mandate for representation in London and would return to Scotland to campaign for seats in Holyrood. Should a party set up for one purpose, not disband and allow their members to find their natural place?

[Yngwie]

Last night I went to see Ed Byrne and laughed when he said "You know Scotland's economy is in a terrible state when the First Minister appears to be hoarding nuts in his cheeks!"

But then I thought, hang on, an Irishman mocking our economy and politics!

[+DoofersDad]

Let me elaborate,

Green Party want environmental policies promroted but in becoming a "mainstream" party and embracing another political agenda the passion for the environment becomes diluted.

The Green Party's position is that the future prosperity, indeed the very survival of our society depends on a healthy environment. If you pollute the environment and use up all the planet's resources to benefit from a quick buck now, you will not have an environment in the future which will be capable of sustaining us. You can only acheive that by influencing the wider economic and social policies which impact on the environment. Environmental pressure groups are all well and good and can do useful work in protecting specific environmental sites but what are they protecting those sites from? They are protecting them from the environmental consequences of the economic and social policies of the Government of the day!

We need a Government which understands that our long term health, happiness and prosperity requires a healthy environment. Economic activity needs to be sustainable and social activity needs to be in harmony with the environment. That's the function of government and it's why the Green Party has to be a mainstream party increrasingly shaping the policies of the day.

[TSTtiger]

I think the S.N.P have done very well as a minority government and Alex Salmond deserves another term as First Minister. I'll vote S.N.P with both votes .

I wasn't quite sure what to expect with a minority government but what strikes me about the SNP ministers is their genuine passion for Scotland and will to improve things.

I also don't buy into the unionist doomsday view on independence.I find it very patronising . This is an election to choose the next government at Holyrood. Independence would be decided in a referendum of the people and I don't see why anyone should fear or be denied their right to choose, whatever their view.

[CaleyD]

I guess I better go make my mark...should I use a process of elimination by flicking a coin or take some dice?

[+Feb82000]

i pick snp and should do a scottish referendum now and quit great britain ,am not racist before any one says.great britain are trying to shut down all our Military Bases so time to get out of the uk now

[starchief]

Um...you do realise that the SNP wants far less UK involvement in overseas military conflicts, so they'd be even less military spending in an independent Scotland? Think Austria, not a small UK.

[CaleyD]

Very strange reasoning for SNP, as pointed out they would also be looking to reduce military....which I agree with. What I don't agree with is the way it's being done at the moment in terms of just closing doors and giving short notice periods. It needs to be down-sized gradually and sensibly with job losses being better managed and it needs to be done with more consideration being given to the areas it will impact on.

In terms of military systems, I actually favour a system similar to the Swiss where the regular army is very small (about 5% of total size) and the rest is made up of militia conscripts.

Inverness just returned, no surprise it's SNP and little surprise that they've doubled the majority.

[CaleyD]

I think it's fair to say that the people of Scotland have lived up to their word and hammered the Lib Dems for forming the coalition with Labour after the general election.