How many would considering Voting tactically to stop an SNP landslide

[BetterTogether]

Another wee fun poll just to gauge whether the polls are as close as suggested

[Alrock]

Whers's...

"I'd vote tactically to allow an SNP landslide"?

[Gronnuck]

I'm voting SNP, not necessarily because I want an Independent Scotland, but because I want to 'pop' the Westminster bubble. It is time the Eton set and the Champagne Socialists who appear to have a grandiose sense of entitlement get taken down a peg or two.

[BetterTogether]

I'm voting SNP, not necessarily because I want an Independent Scotland, but because I want to 'pop' the Westminster bubble. It is time the Eton set and the Champagne Socialists who appear to have a grandiose sense of entitlement get taken down a peg or two.

Well the problem is whenever you vote SNP you are furthering the cause of independence.

I'm not quite sure why where you are educated makes such a big difference to people surely a good education is a desirable thing for a politician to have.

It appears to me all politicians have a grandiose sense of self entitlement.

When you mention champagne socialists we don't have to look much further than Mr Alex Pink Champagne Salmond to see its just as rife within the SNP as any other party.

It's all very well wanting to Pop a bubble but always mind what you have once the bubble is popped.

[BetterTogether]

Whers's..."I'd vote tactically to allow an SNP landslide"?

Fair point

[rob murray]

Well the problem is whenever you vote SNP you are furthering the cause of independence.

I'm not quite sure why where you are educated makes such a big difference to people surely a good education is a desirable thing for a politician to have.

It appears to me all politicians have a grandiose sense of self entitlement.

When you mention champagne socialists we don't have to look much further than Mr Alex Pink Champagne Salmond to see its just as rife within the SNP as any other party.

It's all very well wanting to Pop a bubble but always mind what you have once the bubble is popped.

Whaaaaaat !! A good educaton...yep and a damn expensive good one as you well know, only open to those who can afford the fee's, come on, as for your point "I'm not quite sure why where you are educated makes such a big difference to people surely a good education is a desirable thing for a politician to have".
sure the vast majority of politicians are educated as you put it ( educated but some are "thick" divorced from the realities of ordinary people ) anyone who goes to Eton is part of a very priviliged elite...accept it...I wold imagine teres is 0 old Etonains signing on at the moment ! Eton has produced 19 Prime ministers, how many came from Wick / Thurso High.... Alexi Salmonella ( and I aint no fan ) attended Linlithgow Academy from 1966–1972. then Edinburgh College of Commerce from 1972–73, gaining an HNC in Business Studies,and was then accepted by the University of St Andrews, where he studied Economics and Medieval History ( according to his wikipedia entry ) Salmon was not born into a priviliged elite and neither is he what I would call a champagne socialist a champagne licker / crawler to big business yep..socialist...get real

All Prime Ministers since 1855, apart from Gordon Brown, have recieved a BA or MA from Cambridge or Oxford! (apart from Major and Churchill too) So theres the cosy club... Eton / Oxford / Cambridge theres where the elite are developed.

[BetterTogether]

You make some good points Rob and of course you're quite right Eton is a privileged confine for grooming future leaders of business.
Oxford and Cambridge are world class universities people from all over the world attend them and they are accessible to normal folk who can cut the grade.

Unfortunately privilege and money are no guarantee of intelligence and as with any walk of life some are detached from reality, but if you took a walk around wick or Thurso on a Friday night you'd find some even more detached from reality.

The reality is politicians are usually elected if you vote for someone totally detached from reality then you pretty much get what you deserve.
The difference to some extent is the quasi messianic following the SNP enjoy at the moment, the policies put forward are no more realistic than any other parties and to a greater extent would place the country into a deeper financial quandary.

You will hear constant criticism of Cameron, Milliband, Clegg, Farage and the other party leaders as they are human that's to be expected and makes democracy more robust, but when it comes to the SNP leadership their followers accept no faults, no possibility of error.
I'd go as far to say that if it was broadcast that Nicola Sturgeon was to walk on the waters of the Clyde before feeding 5000 with a Tunnocks Tea Cake and a can of Irn Bru then no doubt the faithful masses would assemble at the elected time fully expecting the occurrence to take place and when it didn't happen it would be due to a Westminster Plot making the water too choppy and greedy capitalists reducing the size of said tea cakes and cans of pop.

No blame would be attributed to the Lady herself.

[rob murray]

You make some good points Rob and of course you're quite right Eton is a privileged confine for grooming future leaders of business.
Oxford and Cambridge are world class universities people from all over the world attend them and they are accessible to normal folk who can cut the grade.

Unfortunately privilege and money are no guarantee of intelligence and as with any walk of life some are detached from reality, but if you took a walk around wick or Thurso on a Friday night you'd find some even more detached from reality.

The reality is politicians are usually elected if you vote for someone totally detached from reality then you pretty much get what you deserve.
The difference to some extent is the quasi messianic following the SNP enjoy at the moment, the policies put forward are no more realistic than any other parties and to a greater extent would place the country into a deeper financial quandary.

You will hear constant criticism of Cameron, Milliband, Clegg, Farage and the other party leaders as they are human that's to be expected and makes democracy more robust, but when it comes to the SNP leadership their followers accept no faults, no possibility of error.
I'd go as far to say that if it was broadcast that Nicola Sturgeon was to walk on the waters of the Clyde before feeding 5000 with a Tunnocks Tea Cake and a can of Irn Bru then no doubt the faithful masses would assemble at the elected time fully expecting the occurrence to take place and when it didn't happen it would be due to a Westminster Plot making the water too choppy and greedy capitalists reducing the size of said tea cakes and cans of pop.

No blame would be attributed to the Lady herself.

LOl lol lol well put : Good stuff, the lady in question is being interviewed / interogated on BBC next Monday by the guy who does dragons den, dont know if youve seem the leaders interviews but the guy is making mincemeat of so called leaders, very hard questions usually based around the guy reading / pointing out what people have said and done and highlighting discrepenices / hypopcricy...made Farage look a complete clown last night, the night before he had Millaband squirming although Millababnd handled the situation quiet well towards the end. Monday will see Ms Sturgeon really under the hammer, ( for the first time, and she wont get away with her normal tactics of blundering on and on speaking across the interviewer, the guys style doesnt allow this ) should be a good watch

[squidge]

As it has been made abundantly clear many many times the only way Scotland will become independent is if the people who live here vote for it in a referendum. The only way there will be a referendum again is firstly if something material changes and then if a pledge to run another referendum is in the manifesto of any of the independence supporting parties. Then those parties have to be voted for. Therefore a vote for the SNP at this election will not further the cause of independence.

[rob murray]

LOl lol lol well put : Good stuff, the lady in question is being interviewed / interogated on BBC next Monday by the guy who does dragons den, dont know if youve seem the leaders interviews but the guy is making mincemeat of so called leaders, very hard questions usually based around the guy reading / pointing out what people have said and done and highlighting discrepenices / hypopcricy...made Farage look a complete clown last night, the night before he had Millaband squirming although Millababnd handled the situation quiet well towards the end. Monday will see Ms Sturgeon really under the hammer, ( for the first time, and she wont get away with her normal tactics of blundering on and on speaking across the interviewer, the guys style doesnt allow this ) should be a good watch

Just saw this IFS announcement :
With the Scottish National party’s plans coming under unprecedented scrutiny amid expectations that it could prop up a minority Labour government, the IFS also cast doubt on Nicola Sturgeon’s claim to be rejecting austerity.
According to the IFS’s analysis, the SNP’s plans amount to the same as Labour’s - but it would continue cutting after 2018-19, so that by the end of the parliament, it would actually be spending less than Labour.
The IFS’s Gemma Tetlow said these plans: “seem to be significantly at odds” with the SNP’s anti-austerity rhetoric.....I fully expect Sturgeon to be minced on Monday, and her hyprocy to be fully exposed, the IFS aint a tupenny halfpenny think tank and are very influential / informed. Evan Davis is the interviewer, dragons den presenter and was previously an economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies so he is no mug ! Sturgeons left of centre bull will be mercilesly exposed

[rob murray]

As it has been made abundantly clear many many times the only way Scotland will become independent is if the people who live here vote for it in a referendum. The only way there will be a referendum again is firstly if something material changes and then if a pledge to run another referendum is in the manifesto of any of the independence supporting parties. Then those parties have to be voted for. Therefore a vote for the SNP will not further the cause of independence.

It will, stop kidding...we all know the SNP's real agenda is "freedom" all the crap spouted on about spending / cutting down austerity is being exposed for the lies that it is ( see IFS below ) : please watch Ms Sturgeon being exposed next Monday, if she survives her grilling...well 10/10 for her !

[squidge]

It will, stop kidding...we all know the SNP's real agenda is "freedom" all the crap spouted on about spending / cutting down austerity is being exposed for the lies that it is ( see IFS below ) : please watch Ms Sturgeon being exposed next Monday, if she survives her grilling...well 10/10 for her !

At what point did I suggest that independence was not the aim of the SNP? I don't think I said that at all. What I said was that a vote for the SNP in this election does not further the cause for independence. If you think it does then maybe you can explain to me how it does.

I am not interested one iota in the economic squabbling that is going on. I know as well as you do Rob that there are as many expert economists supporting each different economic plan as the next. Line them all up and let them squabble amongst themselves. I am making my decision on issues that are important to me like everyone else should do.

[BetterTogether]

As it has been made abundantly clear many many times the only way Scotland will become independent is if the people who live here vote for it in a referendum. The only way there will be a referendum again is firstly if something material changes and then if a pledge to run another referendum is in the manifesto of any of the independence supporting parties. Then those parties have to be voted for. Therefore a vote for the SNP at this election will not further the cause of independence.

Well it's fairly clear that the referendum YES voters are currently propping up the SNP no big surprise in that hence the 45/49% pollings.
The bluff and bluster of Ms Sturgeons claim it requires a material change is no more than whatever she and her cohorts decides is material change, she has already refused on numerous occasions to rule out another referendum but has states a referendum on Europe would be one reason, regardless of how the electorate of Scotland happened to vote should that occur.
What we are seeing is more hard left spending promises without any mention of how the money is to be raised, the SNP are already pushing for full fiscal autonomy despite the £9 billion deficit it would create all this shows is in reality the parties total lack of responsibility to the electorate of Scotland.

Many people are not politically sophisticated and vote with their hearts or have a grasp of some of the implications of policies put forward to them but do not look at those policies in depth.
So far all I've seen from Ms Sturgeon in debates is a typically shouty politician who talks over everyone else, obfuscates and has a head that nods more than the Churchill dog in adverts.

[BetterTogether]

It will, stop kidding...we all know the SNP's real agenda is "freedom" all the crap spouted on about spending / cutting down austerity is being exposed for the lies that it is ( see IFS below ) : please watch Ms Sturgeon being exposed next Monday, if she survives her grilling...well 10/10 for her !

You raise many a good point Rob but alas Ms Sturgeon has sat in Mr Salmonds pockets for over a decade I doubt any straight answer will be given as she will do the usual acknowledge the question then answer something completely different or refused to be pinned down.

It's all smoke and mirrors designed to enflame the somewhat blinkered SNP followers that everything will be roses regardless of whatever happens.As for the illustrious other poster mentioning economic squabbling.

I don't think the IFS has any particular political leaning and has noted issues with all the parties manifesto promises, just so happens that the SNPs is one of the most unrealistic and fiscally inept.

To claim you're not interested in the economics is somewhat akin to saying you like watching £10 notes being flushed down the toilet as long as they aren't from your own wallet.

It is not unknown for political activist to be disingenuous when making points to cover their real intent.

So someone who was heroically vociferous during the referendum for independence may well obfuscate during a general election as it's no longer a primary concern when the truth of the matter is as plain as the nose on your face.

[Rheghead]

Many people are not politically sophisticated and vote with their hearts or have a grasp of some of the implications of policies put forward to them but do not look at those policies in depth.

My experience is that people will not vote for a party that condescends them and insults their intelligence.

[BetterTogether]

My experience is that people will not vote for a party that condescends them and insults their intelligence.

Oh well that's good in that case the SNPs days are numbered and they should get a real drubbing at the election.

[PantsMAN]

Well it's fairly clear that the referendum YES voters are currently propping up the SNP no big surprise in that hence the 45/49% pollings.

So far all I've seen from Ms Sturgeon in debates is a typically shouty politician who talks over everyone else, obfuscates and has a head that nods more than the Churchill dog in adverts.

Membership of the SNP is currently over 100K and riding - 3rd largest party in the UK.

I love the way that many of your worthless diatribes end up with personal attacks.

Time to get out of short trousers and grow up wee mannie.

[bothyman]

I'm voting for the one who is telling the truth !! The Jury is out at the moment.

All they seem to be doing is pulling each other to pieces.

[golach]

Membership of the SNP is currently over 100K and riding - 3rd largest party in the UK

the population of Scotland is 5.295 million , a long way from your 100k, 55% of us kicked you into touch on Sept 18 th we can do it again.

[Sgitheanach]

I am not an Snp member but i will never vote for a party that supports staying in the uk . I believe we will get independence in my lifetime the quicker the better.