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Ken Burch

(50,254 posts)
20. I can see a case for voting SNP in Holyrood elections.
Sat Sep 2, 2017, 09:14 PM
Sep 2017

Looking at it as an outsider, it's harder to see what voting SNP achieves in Westminster elections.

It may have been useful between 1976 and 1979, when there was a minority Labour

And I think that, while left-wing Scots have ample reason to dislike what UK Labour has often done on Scottish issues since 1974, Labour, virtually every working class or poor voter in Britain has one long-standing reason to distrust or resent the SNP:

The party's decision to support the Tory-introduced no-confidence motion against the Callaghan government in 1979.

That no-confidence motion, which passed by one vote as a result of SNP support, forced a general election at a time when the only possible result was a solid parliamentary majority for Margaret Thatcher(and also cost the SNP 7 of their 10 seats). That majority created the conditions for the dismantling of much of the welfare state, the crushing of the unions, and the manifest injustice of the Poll Tax-an injustice visited on Scotland before any other part of the UK. And it set back the Scottish independence cause by at least two decades. The SNP knew there was no way forcing an election at that point would do anything to advance any of their goals and would hurt Scots more than anyone else.

Voters with humane, progressive values and those not billionaires have just as much right to be angry about that as you have to be about anything Labour has done, Denzil. It would help a lot if Nicola Sturgeon-a person I quite admire, for the record-would acknowledge that the Nats made a disastrous choice in '79.

I realize that a lot of the kind of voters who back Corbyn in England and Wales threw their support to the SNP in Scottish constituencies in 2015. I'm not sure how praising the SNP government would achieve anything.


And I also believe that, once it was certain that that would happen-as it was as soon as the campaign was underway-Labour under Ed Miliband should have announced their willingness to work with the SNP in a minority parliament. Ed knew Labour had no chance of winning a majority and would be lucky to even be the largest party; in ruling out any cooperation with the Nats at all, Labour essentially promised to lose.


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I always felt sorry for Dugdale T_i_B Aug 2017 #1
She DID stand up to Corbyn...in fact, she spent much of her tenure fighting to remove him Ken Burch Aug 2017 #2
Corbyn is a London politician... T_i_B Aug 2017 #3
Corbyn HAPPENS to be from London. He hasn't taken consciously anti-Scottish positions. Ken Burch Aug 2017 #4
Location matters. T_i_B Aug 2017 #5
OK...but since any politician from anywhere is going to have some local loyalties, Ken Burch Aug 2017 #6
Actually, it tends to be more of an asset for most politicians T_i_B Aug 2017 #7
Agreed. Ken Burch Aug 2017 #8
I would ask Denzil about polls and popularity in Scotland... T_i_B Aug 2017 #9
The "poll" Ken's referring to, Denzil_DC Aug 2017 #10
I agree with you on some points: Ken Burch Aug 2017 #11
Point by point: Denzil_DC Aug 2017 #12
I was wrong on the Smith Commission date. Ken Burch Aug 2017 #13
Corbyn was Labour leader when the Scotland Act 2016 was debated and voted through Parliament. Denzil_DC Aug 2017 #14
As always, I learn from your posts. Ken Burch Aug 2017 #15
You obviously shouldn't just take what I say on trust. Denzil_DC Sep 2017 #16
Thanks for the info about the likely sucessors to Dugdale. T_i_B Sep 2017 #17
Well, yes to all that, T_i_B. Denzil_DC Sep 2017 #18
There are contradictions, but it's not as simple as saying Corbyn is contradictory Ken Burch Sep 2017 #21
I can see a case for voting SNP in Holyrood elections. Ken Burch Sep 2017 #20
Dude, I'm not going to respond to your post above this one Denzil_DC Sep 2017 #22
I know Callaghan's government itself was a trainwreck Ken Burch Sep 2017 #24
Listen. Listen good, because I'm about done wasting my time on you. Denzil_DC Sep 2017 #25
It was Heath that did the three-day week. And I'm not defending Callaghan. Ken Burch Sep 2017 #26
Mea culpa. Denzil_DC Sep 2017 #27
My point about the no-confidence motion was not about claiming Callaghan was brilliant. Ken Burch Sep 2017 #29
A backgrounder from the Glasgow Herald's Tom Gordon Denzil_DC Sep 2017 #19
Another backgrounder from the Herald, this time from Paul Hutcheon Denzil_DC Sep 2017 #23
Well now ... Denzil_DC Sep 2017 #28
YouGov: "Why the Labour centrists stand a better chance in Scotland" Denzil_DC Sep 2017 #30
As you pointed out, most of those who would be "Corbynyista" ended up in the SNP. Ken Burch Sep 2017 #31
I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that you don't actually read what I write, Denzil_DC Sep 2017 #32
Finally, the leadership election results, and the winner is ... Denzil_DC Nov 2017 #33
"Reality" TV shows? T_i_B Nov 2017 #34
What is it about politicians swanning off from their jobs to appear on reality shows? LeftishBrit Nov 2017 #35
On the brighter side, I reckon it finished off the serious period of Galloway's career! Denzil_DC Nov 2017 #36
Davidson on a Bake Off special wouldn't have taken much time muriel_volestrangler Nov 2017 #37
Yeah. If she's a crap baker, she could be out of there in no time! Denzil_DC Nov 2017 #38
Does make you wonder about the list system T_i_B Nov 2017 #40
It does. Denzil_DC Nov 2017 #41
Ugh. This is NOT a promising start from Leonard. Denzil_DC Nov 2017 #39
It's not getting any better Denzil_DC Nov 2017 #42
What on earth is happening with Scottish Labour at present? T_i_B Oct 2018 #43
AFAIK, it's actually a separate strain of infighting, and endemic to Scottish labour. Denzil_DC Oct 2018 #44
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