Nicola Sturgeon to resign as First Minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf elected as new First Minister.

[Scotrail12]

Once again proves the old saying - karma's a bitch.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There’s no clear successor is there? Like her or not she is a talented politician and I’m not sure who else the SNP has in reserve.

I so hope the fish theme of names is continued

Being more serious, indeed, no there isn't an obvious successor. Has anyone seen anyone who might be likely? I'm not that familiar with the Scottish Parliament.

As an aside, like her or loathe her (I'm fairly 50-50), she's just given an excellent speech and is answering questions honestly and openly - she has a level of honesty and "to the point" approach that few other politicians do even if you don't agree with her actual politics. The only other recentish politician that jumps immediately to mind as having that (and I very much didn't agree with her politics) is Thatcher.

 

[DarloRich]

So many experts here yet the SNP keep winning elections in Scotland. How is it possible for them ( and Sturgeon) to be both spectacularly successful and spectacularly incompetent at the same time?

Sturgeon has been FM since 2014 (?) so the electorate have had ample opportunity to boot her out. They havent. Why not?

 

[PsychoMouse]

So many experts here yet the SNP keep winning elections in Scotland. How is it possible for them ( and Sturgeon) to be both spectacularly successful and spectacularly incompetent at the same time?

They do much better (but still win) in Westminster elections than they do in Scotland only elections don't they?

Maybe people are more inclined to vote for what they actually believe in in Scottish elections but when it comes to the UK as a whole they want Scotland represented more on a national stage than most other things.

 

[Cdd89]

The trans prisoner thing wasn’t what finished her off but it did make her look beleaguered and isolated

I wonder if it’s the other way around — having (possibly) decided to resign spurred her to announce a policy she personally thought was right but knew wasn’t politically wise.

 

[GusB]

They do much better (but still win) in Westminster elections than they do in Scotland only elections don't they?

Maybe people are more inclined to vote for what they actually believe in in Scottish elections but when it comes to the UK as a whole they want Scotland represented more on a national stage than most other things.

Bear in mind that in Westminster they're elected on pure first-past-the-post, whereas it's the additional member system that is used at Holyrood.

 

[DarloRich]

There has been chat in Private Eye about the finances of the SNP. it is worth looking out.

EDIT - sadly i cant find the Private Eye edition with the details in but some details have appeared in the Herald:

SNP loan from Sturgeon's husband led to multiple rule breaches

A LOAN made by Nicola Sturgeon’s husband to the SNP to help bail out its finances broke reporting rules on three separate occasions, it has…

www.heraldscotland.com

A LOAN made by Nicola Sturgeon’s husband to the SNP to help bail out its finances broke reporting rules on three separate occasions, it has emerged.

Files released to the Herald by the Electoral Commission show the £107,620 loaned by Peter Murrell, the party’s chief executive, led to multiple “compliance issues”.

Ms Sturgeon was yesterday mocked after saying she “can’t recall” when she first learned her husband gave the party she leads a six-figure sum.

 

[londonteacher]

There’s no clear successor is there? Like her or not she is a talented politician and I’m not sure who else the SNP has in reserve.

I’m not sure if it’s even possible, but could the Westminster leader also be the SNP leader?

 

[PsychoMouse]

Bear in mind that in Westminster they're elected on pure first-past-the-post, whereas it's the additional member system that is used at Holyrood.

I'd not considered this, thanks.

 

[Thirteen]

Kate Forbes is being tipped as the next leader and First Minister.

I’m not sure if it’s even possible, but could the Westminster leader also be the SNP leader?

You have to be MSP to be First Minister.

 

[AlterEgo]

Kate Forbes is being tipped as the next leader and First Minister.

Forbes is a Presbyterian and anti-abortionist who abstained on the trans vote in Scotland. This should be interesting.

 

[Scotrail12]

Forbes is an evangelical in addition to being SNP so it's a no thanks from me. I'd rather someone who was pro gay marriage and abortion, absolutely no time for anyone with views otherwise.

 

[GusB]

There’s no clear successor is there? Like her or not she is a talented politician and I’m not sure who else the SNP has in reserve.

Whoever it is, it'll have to be an existing MSP as Sturgeon isn't resigning her seat. I briefly consider that Ian Blackford might throw his hat into the ring since he stepped down as the Westminster group leader recently, but that would require someone else to stand down and I can't see that happening.

John Swinney has been party leader before, but I don't think he's suitable. I suspect the current finance minister, Kate Forbes, might be in the running.

I’m not sure if it’s even possible, but could the Westminster leader also be the SNP leader?

It's possible - Alex Salmond was party leader while holding a Westminster seat, but the First Minister needs to be an MSP. He stood for the Scottish Parliament and was elected before he became FM.

 

[brad465]

It's been pointed out that none of the major(ish) party leaders from the 2019 General Election are still in charge of their respective parties:

Tory: Johnson
Labour: Corbyn
Lib Dem: Swinson
SNP: Sturgeon/Blackford

The largest party in terms of seats that still has the same leader is Sinn Fein, and they don't even take their seats in Westminster.

 

[d9009alycidon]

Currently the bookmakers have Angus Robertson The Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture as favourite to be the next first minister, with Kate Forbes second and John Swinney third. I had been told that Humza Yousaf was Sturgeons personal favourite to replace her, but he has been getting a lot of negative press about his handling of the health sevice

 

[Bletchleyite]

Forbes is an evangelical in addition to being SNP so it's a no thanks from me. I'd rather someone who was pro gay marriage and abortion, absolutely no time for anyone with views otherwise.

I too can't see someone further right getting anywhere in typically left-wing Scotland. Those views are further right than your average Tory (as distinct from the current ones which are further right than usual), and Scotland generally doesn't "do" Tory. It would be a good development for Labour, though.

 

[GS250]

You can of course counter this by saying that many people did want clear instruction over things like COVID even if they didn't necessarily like all of it.

There is a general libertarian leaning here (which is in some ways odd because libertarianism tends to favour cars over public transport due to the freedom cars provide) which was quite apparent in the threads in the COVID subforum but I wouldn't necessarily assume that that is the overriding political view in Scotland. Indeed I suspect it isn't because of the success of the SNP, unless one thinks that people put up with the authoritarian aspects of the SNP in order to further independence?

(Note: COVID is being used as an example here because I think it's quite a good one, but it is not intended to create a debate on COVID restrictions - there are dedicated threads for that so please reply to those if you do wish to!)

Yes its an interesting point regarding this forum. Another rail forum, WNXX was definitely more left leaning when I used to post on it years ago.

I guess the whole Scottish independence is an interesting take on this though. On one hand authoritarianism is generally seen as being part of a bigger union that invokes a set of rules across a diverse set of the populace. Maybe her apparent love of the EU was indicating this? And on the other....libertarianism is seen as wanting to completely detach from union membership and be solely self governing whilst providing people with rights to run their lives as they see fit.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Feb 2023 ==

I too can't see someone further right getting anywhere in typically left-wing Scotland. Those views are further right than your average Tory (as distinct from the current ones which are further right than usual), and Scotland generally doesn't "do" Tory. It would be a good development for Labour, though.

I would say though, that Scots are more socially right wing than is appreciated.

 

[Albaman]

As an aside, like her or loathe her (I'm fairly 50-50), she's just given an excellent speech and is answering questions honestly and openly - she has a level of honesty and "to the point" approach that few other politicians do even if you don't agree with her actual politics. The only other recentish politician that jumps immediately to mind as having that (and I very much didn't agree with her politics) is Thatcher.

I am not a SNP supporter but I agree with Bletchleyite that she gave an excellent speech and I liked the touch of self deprecation when she acknowledged that not everyone would be tearful as a consequence of her resignation.

Incidentally, I don't recall Liz Truss or Theresa May answering questions following their resignation announcements ( not sure about Boris but I expected he scuttled back inside no. 10 also).

 

[102 fan]

I’m confused by this reply. The definition is lifted from a search on the internet.

Nobody mentioned racism prior to your message

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Not forgetting the £500m ferry fiasco where SNP continue to avoid taking any responsibility for the wasted money and the undermining of the ferry services which are now causing real issues for outlying communities due to lack of operational vessels.

 

[InkyScrolls]

Nobody mentioned racism prior to your message

Only a racist is obsessed with race.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Not forgetting the £500m ferry fiasco where SNP continue to avoid taking any responsibility for the wasted money and the undermining of the ferry services which are now causing real issues for outlying communities due to lack of operational vessels.

This was well intentioned, although even as an SNP supporter, it was always going to happen. The shipyard didn't have the experience or know-how to build such ferries, nor did they have the resources to be able to do it. But it's worth remembering that there was a lot of anger in Scotland over new ships being built abroad when the country theoretically had the capability to build them.

Forbes is an evangelical in addition to being SNP so it's a no thanks from me. I'd rather someone who was pro gay marriage and abortion, absolutely no time for anyone with views otherwise.

She won't get it. Her views are contrary to many SNP supporters, especially younger ones, and she would ruin the SNP's vote among young people as a result.

So many experts here yet the SNP keep winning elections in Scotland. How is it possible for them ( and Sturgeon) to be both spectacularly successful and spectacularly incompetent at the same time?

I also wonder the same. It's interesting that the people saying this don't have the same opinion about the DUP leadership in NI, despite them being absolutely dreadful in so many ways.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

If your whole policy direction is determined by being Tommy Opposite and cultivating difference and division, at some point it will work out badly. Her successor won't fare any better. The whole party is just about "independence".

A bit like UKIP really.

 

[brad465]

I also wonder the same. It's interesting that the people saying this don't have the same opinion about the DUP leadership in NI, despite them being absolutely dreadful in so many ways.

Probably because of voting for "the least worst" option. I suspect this is true of the SNP; NI is arguably an even stronger case of this, where they say things like "keep them-uns out."

 

[102 fan]

Probably because of voting for "the least worst" option. I suspect this is true of the SNP; NI is arguably an even stronger case of this, where they say things like "keep them-uns out."

100% correct. Every vote here is a constitutial one. I'd rather people here had a choice between Labour and Conservative, but while there's the threat of constitutial change it'll stay the same, Orange or Green.

 

[WAB]

I also wonder the same. It's interesting that the people saying this don't have the same opinion about the DUP leadership in NI, despite them being absolutely dreadful in so many ways.

The DUP need to be booted to somewhere around Alpha Centauri... bit off topic for this thread but they are well and truly dragging NI down into the mire, but people still vote for them because they don't like the other side.

 

[8A Rail]

No more 'Mrs Cranky' or certainly hell of a lot less of her than we have to put up with for sure!

 

[Falcon1200]

The amount of abuse and insults that she's had to endure from English voters was beyond the pale however.

Yes, some of it was over the top, but she is not exactly the only politician to have received such abuse, and at least she has not, as far as I know, been subjected to a banner held up describing her as a c***, as happened to Douglas Ross last week.

The SNP have won every single election since 2007. How is that "working out badly"?

What have they done with those election wins? Failed on education, health, transport, drug deaths, and, happily, independence, support for which is not one inch further forward since 2014, despite Boris, Liz, Brexit, etc.

However I am not convinced any successor will be much better.

They won't, because their primary focus will never be on the things that really matter in most people's daily lives.

I have not voted, and never will vote, for the SNP, but I respect her as a consummate politician and wish her no ill-will. Whoever succeeds her has a hard act to follow!

 

[DelW]

There has been chat in Private Eye about the finances of the SNP. it is worth looking out.

EDIT - sadly i cant find the Private Eye edition with the details in but some details have appeared in the Herald:

SNP loan from Sturgeon's husband led to multiple rule breaches

A LOAN made by Nicola Sturgeon’s husband to the SNP to help bail out its finances broke reporting rules on three separate occasions, it has…

www.heraldscotland.com

I was wondering whether some imminent development on that front had prompted today's announcement. If so it will presumably become evident before long. I no longer have the relevant PE issues either, but I think I recall some suggestion that moneys donated to the party had not been adequately accounted for, and that that came under Ms Sturgeon's husband's remit. There doesn't seem to have been much more recent mention though, so there may be nothing in it.

 

[McRhu]

I am delighted that she is going; is no more; is an ex-FM. Which is not to wish her ill, but her political telescope and mine are not pointed at the same horizon.