With the election coming up, I thought it might be nice to get a few folk in to tell us who they are voting for and why – in about 100 words. Â If only politicians could do so just as succinctly. Â Anyway, here’s some reasons folk are voting a particular way:
Dr Jonathan Blackwood (Perthshire North): I am based in the seat of Perthshire North, and only the four main parties are standing for the constituency election. I will be voting for the SNP as the least bad option here- Alex Salmond is the only credible candidate for First Minister from the four big parties. My positive vote, will be cast on the list for the Scottish Greens. They have outlined a genuinely radical programme, a really effective campaigner in Patrick Harvie, and are the only party, with any chance of elected representation, who aren’t shuffling cards from the same shabby, dog-eared neo-liberal pack.”
Doug Daniel (Aberdeenshire South & North Kincardineshire): I’m voting for the SNP in May primarily because I want Scotland to be independent, and we won’t even get a referendum until there is a majority of pro-independence parties in Holyrood. In the meantime, I think the SNP’s first foray into government has been largely successful. They’ve delivered more than anyone thought possible as a minority government, their management of our resources has been excellent (for the first time ever, I feel confident government projects have been properly costed – the cost of the parliament building would not have risen ten-fold under the SNP), and their few mistakes can be put down to inexperience. Also, tell me this: when was the last time a government went a full parliamentary term without a sleaze scandal? Perhaps most of all, Alex Salmond has led Scotland as if she were already independent – no more “best wee country†rubbish – and I know that while he is FM, further education will remain free, and no new nuclear power stations will be built on Scottish land. That’s why my two votes will go to Maureen Watt and the SNP.
“Set in Darkness” (Linlithgow): I’m finding it very hard to choose who to vote for. Of the 5 choices, I can immediately rule out the extremist parties like the National Front, the Conservatives and Labour [his words, not ours – EDs].  Tactically, I should probably vote for the SNP to evict the current Labour MSP, Mary Mulligan. Fiona Hyslop is doing a lot of work in the area, unlike the LibDem candidate who cannot be said to have a presence in the area. As someone who thinks localism is very important, this is a fatal problem.  But the SNP?  Can I vote for a pro-Trump, pro-bridge party?  I hope to get answers from the candidates on some questions before making my final decision. On the list?  This localist, environmentally aware, anti-trump, anti-bridge, anti-nuclear voter will be voting … Pensioners. No! Green! Damn, I’ve spoilt my ballot paper.
Paris Gourtsoyannis (Edinburgh Southern): Like at the last election, I’ll be proud to split my vote. Even if I support one party before others, I believe democracy is about plurality and I want diverse views in parliament. My constituency vote will be going to my local MSP, Mike Pringle. I’m a Lib Dem member, but this is a personal vote for Mike. I’ve thought a lot about my second vote. I gave it to the SNP in 2007; overall, I’ve been impressed with their term in government, and I want to see an SNP-led administration after 5 May, not a Labour-led one. I’ve also got a lot of time for Shirley-Anne Somerville in particular, but this time I’ll be voting Green. I think they’re running the best campaign of all the parties, and Patrick Harvie is one of the best parliamentarians in the UK, let alone Scotland. I’d like to see more Green MSPs to help put him in a coalition government.
Indy (blog commenter): I’m voting SNP, firstly, because I support Scottish independence. Secondly, because the SNP Government has done a good job and I trust them. Yes, there have been disappointments – class sizes, LIT -  but also big improvements in the health service, policing, support for small business and much more. Thirdly, the next few years will be hard work. Scotland will need a government that treats every part of the country fairly and governs in the national interest, without fear or favour. The SNP are grown-up enough to rise to that challenge.  On the evidence of the past four years, Labour aren’t.
Daniel Juett (Aberdeen Central): I’ll be using both my votes to help get Martin Ford elected for the Greens. Martin has already proved that if his party does something fundamentally against his views he will not support them. People talk of the Greens supporting Labour in building new nuclear power stations (which I think would never happen), even if it hell froze over and the Green Party supported the idea I know Martin Ford wouldn’t, having seen him stand up to Aberdeenshire Council, the Liberal Democrats and Trump we know he wouldn’t.  He’ll skip party press calls to attend council meetings to help protect Aberdeenshire’s children from the education cuts, cuts due to council tax freezes and a refusal to look at raising additional money to protect the most vulnerable.
Ross McCafferty (Greenock & Inverclyde): As a paid up member of the SNP, I could use this vehicle to give you the List with a massive capital L. But that’s plain for all to see. The definition of a Government is how it goes about its business, be that the Cross References paranoia of the Coalition, or the limp to the finish, gallows humour of the Brown years. I fully believe that the SNP has governed with a pragmatism, ideological strength, humility and dedication that many thought was impossible with the advent of minority government. Two sworn party enemies such as the SNP and Labour voting together on a matter as important as the budget could not have been envisaged – and in my view couldn’t have been achieved – without the strength of the SNP ministerial team. That we are considered the strongest team against the party that was the establishment in Scotland for 50 years is testament to the strength of our team. I’ll leave you with indisputable words of Nicola Sturgeon: “We have by far and away the best candidate for the job of First Minister.â€Â I’ll be voting twice for the SNP.
Douglas McLellan (Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale):  I’m voting for the Scottish Liberal Democrats for a number of reasons. My local MSP Jeremy Purvis is hard working and has responded well to all of the issues that his constituents have brought to him as well as the concerns my local community has sought his support on. Also, I want to show my support for the Lib Dems both in Scotland and Westminster. Finally, the manifesto in Scotland is bold and contains impressive ideas offer a different vision for Scotland. Devolution was about new ideas and that’s what the Scottish Liberal Democrats are offering the people of Scotland.
Aidan Skinner (Glasgow Kelvin): I’m voting Labour because I believe in public ownership where it makes sense, such as Scottish Water and possibly Scotrail. I believe in Co-operative and community ownership for everything from housing to power generation to start ups where employees benefit from their work. I’m voting Labour because I care about the future and think everybody needs to be able to read and have access to relevant training. I’m voting Labour because our planet’s important and Labour promises 80% of energy generated from renewables by 2020. I’m voting Labour because I’m a socialist and believe we achieve more together than apart.
Peter Warren (Edinburgh Northern & Leith): Working for an Independent MSP for the past 8 years you would expect me to say none of the Parties please, but you would be wrong. If my experience has taught me anything it is that the Parliament desperately needs independent thinkers. These brave souls, whoever they are can carry Party colours or not. The important thing for me is that they are able to analyse and assess each piece of business on its merits, not because it appears in a manifesto. For that reason alone, locally I will plump for Malcolm Chisholm, who may yet become a true independent.
John Whyte: I intend to use both of my votes for the Conservatives. While it may, in time, be proven wrong, I believe that the cuts program enacted by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition is the right course of action in our current economic situation and has helped to protect the nation as a whole from the catastrophes suffered in Ireland, Iceland and Portugal. I have also been impressed by the Conservatives’ constructive attitude towards the SNP minority government in Holyrood. I do not fear for an independent Scotland but do believe that we can achieve more as a constituent of the UK.
Thanks to all for their comments – I’m sure there’s plenty to think about in the above (including the absence of anyone voting Tory – if there are any, I’m happy to add them). Â Also, kudos to Indy, Douglas, Aidan and Peter for doing it in EXACTLY 100 words. Â Fair play – that’s what I asked for!
#1 by Andrew McPake on April 18, 2011 - 10:54 am
“Set in Darkness” offers one of the best responses (though I do share Daniel’s respect for Martin Ford). Perhaps Set in Darkness may wish to bring their protest into the daylight and vote for the SSP – an anti-bridge, anti-nuclear party.
#2 by Malc on April 18, 2011 - 10:57 am
Perhaps he might. I’ll let him answer himself…
#3 by Set In Darkness on April 18, 2011 - 9:29 pm
Trouble is, I’m not very socialist if truth be told – I find myself to the right of the Greens, let alone the SSP – I understand where you are coming from and would pick SSP over Labour. Likewise I share your respect for Martin Ford.
#4 by Ross McCafferty on April 18, 2011 - 12:19 pm
Yeah I’m happy to answer any points adressed to me.
What else are the SSP? Anti Camaraderie? Anti-Loyalty? Anti-Decency?
they are the party that maintains no cuts and no tax rises, a convenient and fundemental misappropriation of the devolution settlement
#5 by Douglas McLellan on April 18, 2011 - 1:07 pm
@Doug Daniel
Your wrote: “Also, tell me this: when was the last time a government went a full parliamentary term without a sleaze scandal?”
My answer is I dont know. It hasn’t happen in Scotland yet.
#6 by Doug Daniel on April 18, 2011 - 6:53 pm
Aha! I wondered if anyone would have something to say about that bit. Which (genuine) sleaze scandals would you say SNP ministers been embroiled in?
#7 by mav on April 18, 2011 - 9:01 pm
How about the First Minister, taking £400 a month unreceipted, for food expenses incurred in London, when he was meant to be working full time as First Minister?
#8 by Douglas McLellan on April 19, 2011 - 12:18 am
Lets try using Holyrood for a party fundraiser?
Or Nicola Sturgeon writing to a sheriff, trying to influence the judicial processes.
First Minister taking his MP salary (i.e. not standing down is scandalous). First Minister eating far more than is healthy for him?£400 is a lot of food for a man in London to be eating. Taking the MP retirement package even though is First Minister salary is suitable to meet the needs of most people.
They were scandals. No resignations but scandals never-the-less.
#9 by CassiusClaymore on April 18, 2011 - 3:34 pm
I will be voting SNP-SNP because, quite simply, the SNP are the only party who can be trusted to act at all times in the interests of the Scottish people. The other parties, are unionist and accordingly will act in the best interests of the UK. Where the best interests of Scotland and the UK are not the same, the interest of Scotland are inevitably subordinated. This may be in the UK’s best interests, but it is certainly not in Scotland’s. That’s why I’ll be voting SNP in both ballots, and yes to AV to increase SNP representation at Westminster.
CC
#10 by Daniel J on April 18, 2011 - 7:29 pm
Nicely ignoring the Greens and SSP there 😉
#11 by Danny1995 on April 18, 2011 - 4:12 pm
My vote goes to…. none of them, I’m not old enough 🙁
#12 by cynicalHighlander on April 18, 2011 - 5:28 pm
This one might clear moderation!
Some of the posters on this site vote because of what they believe their party stands for and ignore the actual facts, just saying. Use our vote compass to find out where you stand on the political landscape
#13 by Douglas McLellan on April 18, 2011 - 6:29 pm
Its a fair point. I come out more socially than the Lib Dems (almost the same as the Greens) and economically the same as the Tories. I think that makes me an Orange Book Lib Dem. Which is how I describe myself. If they had the SSP on there as well it would be interesting how close many of the people who have come out Green would have come to being SSP.
#14 by Allan on April 18, 2011 - 6:44 pm
As a former SSP voter (who stopped when they pressed the self destruct button in 2004), it is dispiriting to see the parties of the left stick their heads in the sand and hope the deficit goes away. Certainly the Greens are in with a chance, but for me none of them have “sealed the deal” yet.
#15 by cynicalHighlander on April 18, 2011 - 7:15 pm
My score
53% Greens 45% SNP 26% LibDem -11% Labour -35% Tories
#16 by Doug Daniel on April 18, 2011 - 6:58 pm
I did this the other day and got ever so slightly different results – last time I was 57% for both SNP and Greens, and this time I’m 60% SNP and 51% Greens. 13% Lib Dem, -11% Labour and -45% Tories.
Sounds about right. Although according to the further analysis, I’m slightly to the left of the Greens, which seems a bit odd. Then again, they’ve put Labour on the left, which is clearly wrong.
#17 by Jamie on April 19, 2011 - 12:29 am
Saw this today. Found it fairly interesting. http://wosblog.podgamer.com/2011/04/18/who-are-the-tartan-tories/
The vote compass seems about right. a bit too generous to the snp though.
#18 by Doug Daniel on April 18, 2011 - 7:18 pm
Not sure Aidan has been keeping up-to-date with the Labour party circa 1994 – 2011. “I’m voting Labour because I believe in public ownership where it makes sense, such as Scottish Water and possibly Scotrail” – When did Labour talk about taking ScotRail into public ownership? Last I heard, Labour were trying to privatise Royal Mail. The SNP, on the other hand, took Strachathro Hospital back into public ownership. The Greens would probably be the most likely to take ScotRail into public ownership.
“I’m voting Labour because our planet’s important and Labour promises 80% of energy generated from renewables by 2020” – if this is your reasoning, then surely you should be voting for an anti-nuclear party that wants 100% electricity from renewables (SNP or Greens) instead of a pro-nuclear party that still wants 20% fossil fuel electricity generation by 2020?
“I’m voting Labour because I’m a socialist and believe we achieve more together than apart” – so shouldn’t you vote for a party that actually tries to join in constructively, instead of voting things down for partisan reasons? Anyway, Labour hasn’t been socialist since they realised England doesn’t want a socialist government in Westminster.
Aidan, I’m not trying to be cheeky here, but you seem like a good example of a Glasgow Labour voter, unable to see the huge ideological gap between what Labour used to stand for, and what they now stand for. It’s the Greens you want to vote for – especially as you’re in Glasgow Kelvin. Your Labour list vote will be completely wasted.
#19 by Aidan Skinner on April 18, 2011 - 10:45 pm
Public ownership of Scotrail is in our manifesto. The SNP had as policy from 2003, but extended First Groups franchise in 2008.
The SNP isn’t promising an elimination of fossil fuel generation and I’d argue nuclear is better than coal.
I’ve been quite critical of Scottish Labour’s attitude in the last parliament, minimum alcohol pricing and the Tesco Tax are things we should have supported. I’m not uncritical of Labour, minimum sentencing knife crime policy is also wrong.
I see the gap between what Labour adopts as policy and what I want. I’m not stupid. But I think it’s the best vehicle for the change I want to see. Rumours I’m encouraging people to 2nd vote Green are entirely malicious and I have solicitors on standby.
#20 by cynicalHighlander on April 19, 2011 - 12:40 am
“I’d argue nuclear is better than coal.”
Ignorance is bliss! How much CO2 is produced in excavating 440,000 tonnes of ore to be reprocessed into 33tonnes of fuel to keep a small reactor going for one year. Then decommissioning and hundreds/thousands of years keeping the waste safe or is that not your problem as it is irrelevant.
#21 by Aidan Skinner on April 19, 2011 - 11:28 am
Ignorance may be bliss, but this systematic review of 103 life cycle studies of different power generation methods puts nuclear at an average of 66g per kWh in a range of 1.4g to 288g and coal at around four times that http://s.coop/14pu
Decomissioning is directly adressed as the main source of CO2 emissions over the whole lifecycle.
#22 by cynicalHighlander on April 19, 2011 - 10:01 pm
Your link uses Nuclear power – the energy balance in its acknowledgements yet its conclusions differ greatly.
We can swap links all day long but one thing the nuclear industry ignores is Nuclear power – only twelve years cheap uranium left
#23 by Politico on April 18, 2011 - 7:55 pm
One guaranteed Labour voter…..
This is Scotland for crying out loud. This sample will look very foolish come Labour’s historic triumph over the forces of treachery.
#24 by Malc on April 18, 2011 - 8:31 pm
I’ve let this go, mainly because I suspect the Nats will themselves tear you limb from limb for your description of them as the “forces of treachery”.
Also – it’s not a sample: I simply asked people if they wanted to talk about who they were voting for and why. But if you are suggesting that if Labour win then dissenting voices will be demonized as “foolish” then I’m not sure this is something we should be looking forward to that much!
#25 by cynicalHighlander on April 18, 2011 - 8:56 pm
We’ll let them self destruct with there own negativity.
Example.
#26 by douglas clark on April 18, 2011 - 9:21 pm
Och, chucking about words like ‘treason’ is a bit extreme.
#27 by Malc on April 18, 2011 - 10:03 pm
Yeah, lets try not to get dragged into name calling. It was more for the “Scotland = Labour” idea that I let it through. How do we feel about that idea?!
#28 by Aidan Skinner on April 18, 2011 - 10:49 pm
I’d argue Scotland is essentially an economically left and socially conservative country. That’s why the SNP do so well and why Scottish Labour is slightly left and slightly more conservative than UK Labour as whole and much more left and much more conservative than London Labour.
#29 by cynicalHighlander on April 19, 2011 - 12:45 am
“I’d argue Scotland is essentially an economically left and socially conservative country.
That rules out the present Labour mindset in Scotland then favouring Tesco over small business .
#30 by Aidan Skinner on April 19, 2011 - 11:29 am
We should have supported the supermarket tax, it was a good idea. Same with minimum alcohol pricing.
#31 by mav on April 18, 2011 - 9:21 pm
I will vote conservative. In the first vote, I may have been tempted to go Lib Dem, as an anti-Christine Grahame measure, but Jeremy Purvis’s proposals for Scottish Enterprise are wrong-headed and will possibly cost my wife her job. Plus the meltdown in his party’s support may leave him third or even fourth anyway. In the list, its an easy choice. The Conservatives are the only party that believe the state cannot solve problems by simply throwing money at them. Plus they produced a manifesto that comes close to stacking up, rather than filling it with un-costed unaffordable promises.
Plus 100 words on AV? Ignore which party it is meant to benefit. AMS for Scotland was meant to bring in Lab/Lib in perpetuity. That took 8 years to change. Neither system is perfect, they are similar. Under FPTP, Labour 26, L/D & SNP 25%, Tories 24 sees Labour win. Under AV, Labour 45, SNP 20 LD 20 Tories 15 could see the Lib Dems win. Which is worse for you? Thats the choice in a nutshell. For me, the latter is worst. Plus AV would have seen Thatcher 83 and Blair 97 win by even larger margins. I vote no.
#32 by mav on April 18, 2011 - 9:37 pm
I use the word ‘plus’ a lot, don’ t I? Must be the accountant in me.
#33 by douglas clark on April 18, 2011 - 10:38 pm
mav,
Are all Scottish Conservatives accountants? It would explain both their lack of numbers ‘plus’ their tenacity.
#34 by Jeff on April 19, 2011 - 12:19 am
Well, I can certainly say that not all accountants are Conservatives! Most Conservatives seem to be lawyers, which is good for a Parliament I would reckon.
(I would also add that I’m not particularly tenacious and am good at numbers, so wrong on all counts with the accountant-bashing really. Also, John Mason is an accountant)
#35 by douglas clark on April 18, 2011 - 10:55 pm
Malc @ 21,
Point taken.
I used to vote Liberal, yonks ago. Now I vote SNP, even joined the rag tag and bobtail outfit. I did it partly out of a belief that we – scots – are better than what others say we are and partly because you don’t grow up until you take responsibility for your own actions.
I quite like my fellow Scots and that is a generic rather than a genetic definition. Contrary to what the media tell us, we are actually OK. and where we are not OK, I’d prefer scottish solutions to our problems, e.g. minimum pricing on alcohol, etc.
I am not at all happy to see Scotland as the last fiefdom of the Foreign Office, which is clearly both accurate and inaccurate at the same time.
#36 by douglas clark on April 19, 2011 - 12:41 am
🙂 Jeff,
I forgot about you. I suppose there has to be some sort of karma.
#37 by Brian on April 19, 2011 - 2:28 am
I will be voting SNP on the constituency and either SNP/Green on the list. My reasoning is simple. I only support parties whose decision makers are Scottish and I do not believe that the other three have the ability to unshackle themselves from London control despite any assurances. Just as i wouldn’t support a party controlled by Germany, I won’t support those control by a foreign country.
and in case you didnt understand, I do not recognize the country of Britain, or anything British. We are currently a united KINGDOM of four countries/states/principalities not an amalgamated single country.
The sooner Scots start to understand that the use of Britain and British only diminishes their own country, the better for all of us. Thus my votes.
#38 by Steve on April 19, 2011 - 11:58 am
I’ll be voting SSP.
Their Income Tax replacement for the council tax is fairer and will raise an extra £1.5 billion.
I agree with them on most other issues too, but for me this election is all about doing something to stop the cuts, and on that the SSP have the best plan, the Greens have the next best plan, and the other parties are living in a tax-cutting fantasy land.
#39 by Nick on April 19, 2011 - 12:19 pm
I’ll be voting SSP for the regional vote. Despite our wee trip through the looking glass recently we’ve still got a load of decent committed socialists beavering away in their communities and workplaces and in a constructive non-sectarian way in the anti- cuts movement. And the manifesto is full of imaginative and practical policies for tackling poverty, inequality, violence against women and ecological destruction.
On the constituency vote (in Glasgow Kelvin) I’m leaning towards the SNP largely because I’ve a fair bit of respect for Sandra White. Having said that the whole Trump affair is hard to forgive, I find it hard to like a party whose vision of an Independent Scotland seems to involve us becoming a tartan-kitsch playground for the super-rich.
Oh and AV? yes but yaaaaaawwwn
#40 by spoonsy on April 19, 2011 - 2:26 pm
I’ll not reveal my constituency vote – that’s between me and the ballot box – but I’ll be voting Green with my list choice.
The Scottish Parliament has the facility to be a broad church built-in, and we should use our list votes to encourage the minority parties.
I’d hate to see the Greens go the way of the SSP as the appalling SNP-Labour bickering reaches its climax, so I’d appeal to all of you to join me: 2nd Vote Green!
Let a thousand voices contend ……
#41 by Indy on April 19, 2011 - 7:02 pm
Do you not think you are trivialising matters by accusing Labour and the SNP of just “bickering” Spoonsy? You make it sound as though they are rowing about whose turn it is to take the rubbish out.
It’s a bit more than that. I don’t want to overstate things but the outcome of this election is going to be pretty important. If – when – Labour lose it will be huge. It will mean the end of their decades long domination of Scottish politics – because people could write one SNP election victory off as a fluke but not two. And of course it will mean that the most popular party in Scotland supports independence.
#42 by Daniel J on April 19, 2011 - 8:49 pm
Labour etc overestimated what would happen if the SNP won and the same would be true in reverse. Iain Gray may be horribly uncharismatic but in many ways they are not that different and he didn’t get to where he was by being a fool.
#43 by cynicalHighlander on April 19, 2011 - 11:09 pm
Type your comment here
But you couldn’t as:The Labour party have received:
Since 2002
£12,942,808.00 from the Sainsbury Family
Since 2003
£99,056.50 from Tesco’s
Since 2008
£29,145.00 from Asda
Britain is run by big business to the detriment of the less well off.
#44 by cynicalHighlander on April 20, 2011 - 12:03 am
Your quote button is weird as this was addressed to Aidan Skinner #30
#45 by Malc on April 20, 2011 - 10:53 am
Yeah it is. We can’t fix it – but we are aware of it! I’ll edit this comment.
#46 by spoonsy on April 20, 2011 - 10:46 am
Erm …. no, Indy. I don’t think I’m trivialising it at all. In fact, I rather like your metaphor about whose turn it is to take out the rubbish. Most apt.
I don’t really feel that the results of this election will be all that important. There’s less than a fag papers’ space between the parties these days – with the exception of the minority ones like the Greens – and everyone’s hands are tied by the UK-wide cuts.
As for the election being an endorsement of the SNP, what does that change? We’ve had a nationlist party as the ‘most popular’ for four years and Independence is as far away (many would argue further) as its ever been.
#47 by Indy on April 20, 2011 - 2:03 pm
That’s an interesting point of view Spoonsy but I suggest that you are not really taking a very long view. Remember that not so long ago the SNP were as much a small party as the Greens or the SSP and Scotland was not much different to England in its voting behaviour. I would suggest that if the outcome of the election shows that the SNP has replaced Labour as the “natural party of government” in Scotland, with the Tories and Lib Derms further marginalised, that represents a pretty major shift in the political geology of this country. Which I would assume should be of some interest to anyone interested in politics.
#48 by spoonsy on April 20, 2011 - 3:05 pm
While I don’t want to really get into a long correspondence about this … I have to stress that I am taking just such a long view.
In our democracy, one thing is certain – that opposition parties will one day take power. People inevitably get sick of seeing the same faces and opt for change.
We’ve had Labour in power in Scotland for two terms …. now it may be we get the SNP in power for at least a similar period. I have no doubt that in the fullness of time they will one day return to the opposition benches.
As for them being the ‘natural party of government’ – that phrase is a misnomer, as such a beast is, in fact, impossible under party democracy – for the very reasons outlined above. Swings will swing, after all. Roundabouts will go round.
For example – the phrase ‘become the natural party of government’ was originally coined by Blair’s team during his tenure. We got three terms of Labour – would you say, surveying the wreckage today, they achieved their aim?
#49 by Indy on April 20, 2011 - 7:37 pm
LOL Spoonsy – if opposition parties invariably take power does that mean that the Greens or the SSP will one day be in office? Do you REALLY think it is that simple – just hang about for long enough and eventually people will vote for you?
Also we have had a damn sight more than two or three parliamentary terms of Labour winning elections in Scotland. Here is a question for you. When was the last time, prior to 2007, that Labour did not win an election in Scotland?
Perhaps the phrase “natural party of government” was the wrong one – since it is only since 1999 that we have had anything approaching a Scottish Government. Perhaps a better way to express it is simply to talk about the SNP replacing Labour as the most popular party in Scotland.
If this happens it will be a major shift, historic in fact. Why else do you think Labour are fighting so hard?
PS: In case you think I am just a blethering cybernat Gerry Hassan has quite an interesting article about this very subject.
#50 by Malc on April 20, 2011 - 8:19 pm
I’m sure it was 1955 or so. But equally, that was the last time any party (and in that case, the Tories) got over 50% of the vote in a Scottish election.