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Great, where's Exiled Aussie when you need a rent a quote?

Labour claims the SNP are "tartan Tories" The Tories claim the SNP are "left wing ideologues" The Scottish people just call them " the government" and a majority in all parties think they are doing a good job. Up until the last week, Annabel sounded reasonable but her last few public utterances have her starting to "out-Wendy " Wendy.

[quote]"The SNP have achieved the incredible feat of even making Scottish Labour seem more in touch with public opinion."[/quote] That one phrase shows just how [italic]out[/italic] of touch the Tories are.

Annabelle's been quiet in the press recently. I think this press release must have been lying in a drawer somewhere. Not the usual quality of argument from her.

Hilarious, if it wasn't so sad.

This is exactly what's been missing for politics. A right-wing tory fingering the left-wing socialist party! Lots better than the the nulabtories we've been used to. Keep it up, Annabel, keep pointing out the differences - it's just what Scotland needs to hear.

Ah---at last the Torags have been frightened into revealing their camouflaged spots! DECENCY is coming to the fore too fast for their tummies to stand it----

And who do you think you are Annabel Goldie? I'll tell you. You are one of a band of politicians who ignore Labour corruption to the extent that you are prepared to join with them to further destroy the future aspirations of Scottish people like me who have suffered destruction at the hands of the Labour Party in Scotland. Anything else I would have to say about this is too horribly true to be printed in the national press.

She is just annoyed that Labour, the Unuion Jack Tories, stole her claes

not as far left as Lennin or Stalin, or Mao. So just how far left or socialist does Miss Goldie place the SNP? It would be nice to see where an oposition party places the other. Scotland is different. Always has been always will be. Scotland has always been self aware and avoided the excesses of Toryism or if you care to remember, Communism. They are both still there in the shadows, but both are descredited in Scotland. WE have been used as cannon fodder for the old empire wars. We have been bred for export for hundreds of years. WE export well and still keep our values. The founding fathers of the USA and the declaration of independence and then the constitution of the US tells us much about Scots of the past. Their values. Where does that leave us now?? I feel very Proud of our government, as we are a Nation, building a new future, with new ideology and fresh ideas. Not standing still within a constrained and limited manifesto like all the other parties. Maybe we will soon see a sovereign government, and not the puppet administration of the previous two labour administrations, which is now being shown up daily to be weak, gormless, corrupt, morally and politically. And just for your party Miss Goldie, for some time, in first past the post elections you didnt even have an MP in Scotland, I wonder why that was? And you were even reluctant to adopt the proportional representation that Scotland now elects under. Without PR, you would be as far in the wilderness as Tommy Sheridan.

The SNP is an idealistic party. I'm glad they're in government - it's giving them a dose of reality. Most of the rank and file members have been left of centre over the years and I can't believe that's changed. Salmond & Co are instinctively left of centre but also pragmatic. But good for you Annabel in pointing out the dangers of the SNP's position. Let's live in the real world and not some utopian quasi marxist fantasy.

Why do these true blue rinse members not just board the coach to ignominy, and join the rest of their party who are already there?

Me, I've never had a blue rinse in my life. (I can just see a middle-aged man walking up Crieff High Street sporting a blue rinse!)

The SNP have always been a broad church having been formed from a coalition of two breakaway parties from the Labour and Tories. Nevertheless despite the obvious single common purpose,they have postured themselves to the left of centre,in most things with their philosophy being [bold]if its good for Scotland Its good[/bold] . The fact that almost everybody outside of New Labour agrees that they are a more socialist party than are the NEW LABOUR party,gives an indication of how far to the right the NEW LABOUR (same old Tory) party have become! They have nothing in common with the party formed by Keir Hardie and Cunningham Graham etc. (apart from the use of the name) The fact that as many think they do only serves to prove just how little they have between their ears. Sorry but there can be no other explanation for an entire country (Scotland)voting to be poorer ! The New Labour Party is probably further right wing than the former SDP was! For " We're fur the Labour ken,cos its fur the wurkin man" read " I am a numptie, thick as mince and don't have sufficient brain cells to think for myself,and get all my information frae the Union man and the Daily Retard" You want to be treated with respect? Well under normal circumstances a prerequisite is that you deserve it! [bold]At the moment Labour voters look like a bunch of eejits.[/bold] Annabelle is clear that the Union is under threat more than ever.The demise of the Tories was bad enough,but they thought that they could still enjoy a Tory government in Scotland courtesy of England voting Tory and Scotland being stupid and thinking they can stop the Tories with a handful of Scottish Labour seats. It looks like maybe some Scots have woken up long enough to realise what's happening,and could at long last realise that they are one of the worlds wealthiest nations,but have refused to hand over the winning ticket,because London says the oil in Scotland's North Sea belongs to London! WE BELIEVED THEM ! Well done numpties. Now that you are awake and we have your attention,how about taking it a stage further and claiming what is rightfully yours,because its rightfully mine also and I (along with 1 million other Scots who vote SNP) cant get it until you get your head together! Pay attention Glasgow especially. As Scotland's largest city your place is leading Scotland from the front,and we all know we cannot do it without you. We have tried. [bold]Its your move Glasgow![/bold]

Jock in the Box, edinburgh on 9:49am today It's an interesting issue you raise Jock That of Glasgow and how the city will vote in both the General Election and at the Holyrood Elections in 2007..... in many respects it and other urban areas do hold a certain balance of power (or atleast the balance to form a majority administration). I wonder is the commonwealth games, keeping open the A+E Departments, questioning the consultation at Pollock Park and committing to completing the M74 and the new Beatson Hospital will change SNP prospects in Scotland largest city. Not to mention the very evident fight against cheap drink and anti-social behaviour being prosecuted by Kenny Mckaskill. I also wonder what the effect of Labour voting down LIT & a constitutional referendum in 2010/11 will do to there core support in areas like Shettleston where it will mean hat the poor will pay a lot less than they would with council tax. [bold]Interesting Times[/bold] [bold]It's TIME[/bold]

Alex Salmond described the SNP as Social Democrats during the election. It's pretty well-known that they're of the centre-left.

Glasgow indeed is the key to Scotland's future . Had it not been for the Labour Mince Machine hanging on in Glasgow and Lanarkshire at the May election the SNP would have won by a comfortable margin. The rest of Scotland deserves better from its largest city (and from Edinburgh which did not deserve to have Scotland's new Parliament and still can't see how much of an advantage to Edinburgh a real independent parliament would be). The Labour vote in Glasgow is tribal and partly sectarian and is not easily affected by arguements of logic or principle. It also represents huge vested interest which no longer has any political basis. I fear we need an implosion in the Glasgow Labour monolith or defections to bring Labour down. We live in hope.

Snecked . I think the "Implosion" has already happened. Most of the people i know will not vote Labour this time. These people have historically voted Labour,though not along sectarian lines. You are right to mention this situation though because it will have a bearing on the outcome. I see the Catholic vote going to whoever keeps their heads down on Embryo research. As for the Protestant vote, this being predominantly Unionist ,will vote Tory.

Traditional unreconstructed Tories believe in low taxation, government reduced to basics: control of the army and foreign policy, all institutions in private ownership, all local council services in private hands, and charging for everything if it can be done. With that tried and tested definition calling the SNP "tartan Tories" is a ludicrous jibe, so far off the mark is it in every sense.

Crieff "Not at the Bingo" Buddy[quote]The SNP is an idealistic party. I'm glad they're in government - it's giving them a dose of reality.[/quote] And what does seventy years in the political wilderness, defamed and ridiculed, constitute?

[quote][bold]Los Angeles[/bold] wrote: Crieff "Not at the Bingo" Buddy[quote]The SNP is an idealistic party. I'm glad they're in government - it's giving them a dose of reality.[/quote] And what does seventy years in the political wilderness, defamed and ridiculed, constitute? [/quote] You could ask Labour in around seventy years about the ridicule, LA. The opposition need to sort themselves out. 1/. Labour vote with the Tories against the SNP and accuse SNP of being Tartan Tories. 2., Tories vote with Labour against SNP and accuse SNP of having left-wing agenda. 3/. LibDems are late for vote (enough said). If Exiled Aussie or PtbS could explain the above paradox, I'd be most grateful.

To English Tories who may have wandered into this topic I take this opportunity to suggest " handle with care" any of the rubbish penned by Alan Cochrane which frequently features on Conservative Home . It bears little relationship to any actual political circumstance in Scotland and is written mainly to reinforce the prejudices of the reader of the organs which employ Cochrane. I doubt if he believes any of it himself. But whoever pays the piper......

[bold]Taxi![/bold]