Is Scotland really a one party state

[squidge]

Interesting that this clause is portrayed as "nicola Sturgeon" silencing Mps. This clause was part of an amendment proposed by Angus Robertson MP and seconded by Pete Wishart MP - it was put to the conference and passed by the delegates that were entitled to vote. Nicola Sturgeon was not involved in proposing this although, just like every other delegate there she had the right to cast her one vote. Nowhere in the amendments proposed does it say there cannot be robust debate, nowhere does it say that people cannot vote according to conscience. It simply says that once decisions are reached publicly slagging off group decisions, group policies or other SNP Mps is not allowed. It is commensurate with policies on conduct for other parties, commensurate with the way civil servants are required to behave and reflects rules on conduct expected in the Scottish Parliament.

[Fulmar]

I just hope that folk will actually turn out to vote as it is worrying that the outcome of elections these days is quite often decided on a low turn out and that, it can be argued, is inherently undemocratic whatever way it goes.
Maybe voting should be made
compulsory or is that taking things too far?

[gardeninginagale]

theone, you are absulutely right. We will never have a real democratically elected government in either a united group of disparate countries with their own aspirations, or a combined UK, until we have the only fair democratic voting system which is proportional representation. The only party promoting PR are the Lib Dems, and they are out of the running. What does that say? I'm not promoting the Lib Dems, I am simply asking this question. Only PR will ever deliver a genuine democratically elected government. So ask your candidate where he or she stands on PR.

[gerry4]

theone, you are absulutely right. We will never have a real democratically elected government in either a united group of disparate countries with their own aspirations, or a combined UK, until we have the only fair democratic voting system which is proportional representation. The only party promoting PR are the Lib Dems, and they are out of the running. What does that say? I'm not promoting the Lib Dems, I am simply asking this question. Only PR will ever deliver a genuine democratically elected government. So ask your candidate where he or she stands on PR.

Been told by a LibDem MSP candidate that PR will not be high up on list of priorities this time are there was a referendum on it. Also in current system they will gain far more than their entitled percentage of vote. UKIP in the polls are much higher but only expected to get 2 MPs (thank goodness).

I think PR will be a long way off.

[Rheghead]

I'm not a big fan of UKIP as you may guess but if they are only expected to get 2 MPs out of 646 then something is wrong with our voting system when polls suggest they are attracting about 15% of the votes.

[sids]

I'm not a big fan of UKIP as you may guess but if they are only expected to get 2 MPs out of 646 then something is wrong with our voting system when polls suggest they are attracting about 15% of the votes.

Say what you like about "first past the post," but if it keeps the Nasties out...

[dozy]

Say what you like about "first past the post," but if it keeps the Nasties out...

Explain who are the Nasties.

[Humerous Vegetable]

With the run up to the general election now in full force much is being made of the upsurge in SNP membership and how labour is about to be wiped out in the forthcoming election. This has me curious though is Scotland rapidly becoming a one party state. Do the people of Scotland really all hold the same views on all SNP policies. Most other countries have a wide cross section of political parties which represent the views of the whole nation. Or are the polls once again incorrect and only showing one part of the picture.

Why would you see the current political status of Scotland as a one-party state? Maybe because there is no strong opposition to the reduction of austerity measures, supported by the SNP, the more socially just and inclusive measures, supported by the SNP, the ridding of Scottish taxpayers of the vast amounts of money they spend on Trident and the House of Lords, supported by the SNP...

Maybe if we had a decent opposition, the SNP would not have such massive support. It's called democracy.