[St Charles Owl]

No clear successor to replace Nicola Sturgeon. However, that may not be such a bad thing as many gleeful political antagonists hope it will be! Note there are some competent individuals in the SNP who will come to the fore and Nicola Sturgeon indicated that is the case in her speech. She said herself that political leaders come and go and that is a fact. However, the choice of a new leader is absolutely important - it has to be the right one!!

Saw an article that went through the candidates and they listed 7 likely ones. That suggests there is no obvious candidate. 0762, who do you think will emerge from the pack??

[0762]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/po...c52dc2f5a9
Hard to call TBH SCO. Kate Forbes has often been referred to as Nicola's natural successor. However, I wonder if she is mature and experienced enough (as well as being fully committed to the challenges ahead) to become Scotland's FM at this time. She is also on maternity leave and has a recently first born baby girl to take care of together with her husband. Angus Robertson is another possibility - an ex-leader of the SNP in Westminster who returned to Scottish politics winning the highly-contested Edinburgh Central constituency seat. Again, I'm not sure re his full credentials (he has noticeably aged in recent years) although he has vast political experience. I met him by pure chance about a year and a half ago at a Leith play park when I was with my GKs. He is an older parent with a young family and twin dogs to care of as well. I found out he is a fluent speaker in a number of Euro languages incl German. It's funny the things you discover re people you've never met before - a very intelligent guy btw, the same as Oxford-educated Forbes. I also perceive that the SNP Deputy Leader, Keith Brown, is a possible outsider who may come through the process of choosing a new leader. Possibly lacking that impressive profile that voters would like to see in a First Minister contest, but he is certainly a good communicator and rarely fazed by any antagonistic interviewer. Ian Blackford will be there or thereabouts as well. Note expressions of interest and the requisite candidacy support (20 x constituency branch backers) already communicated to the SNP membership today. So I think the SNP hierarchy will process this leadership contest to conclusion as quickly as possible. Who knows, there could be a favoured candidate already "waiting in the wings" much like what happened recently in Westminster with the advent of Stephen Flynn as the new SNP Westminster leader. All I can say is, "Choose wisely"! No doubt, some interesting weeks ahead.

[ritchiebaby]

I'd go for Angus Robertson with Kate Forbes as his deputy. A real outsider to consider would be Richard Lochhead. However, that's all in the future.

Nicola Sturgeon has been an excellent leader of the SNP. I've never been a big fan of hers, but it would be churlish of anyone to downplay her reputation as probably the finest political leader in the whole of the UK during her 8 years in office. She had grit, determination and a talent for being a "nippy wee sweetie", unlike most of her contemporaries. She always came across as sincere and, dare I say it, honest - well, as much as a politician can be. Things have been conspiring against her in the last few months and I feel that she was reaching the end of her tether, prompting her decision. In the art of leadership she was a breath of fresh air and a credit to Scotland on the world stage.

[0762]

I must add that little Tory c###, Douglas Ross, confirming what a f###### disrespectful Unionist shitheid he really is!!! Aaaaaaarggghhhhhhhh!!!! The anti-constitutional and demeaning drivel this moron uttered tonight is totally unacceptable esp coming from a political non-entity like Ross. These comments, fronted as usual by the BBC, border on incitement in the extreme - unbelievable and one of his own Tory associates, Adam Tomkins, calling him out as having no class at all!! I believe lotsa SM outlets also rife with real toxic hate, misogyny and celebration and vitriol - absolutely disgusting, but sadly part n parcel of the politics of hate in this country. I also notice the BBC already touting a model of future economic destitution for Scotland tonight - unbelievable pro-Brit nat shit/propaganda to try and "put the boot in" to the Scot govt and devolution with selective factors provided and many bogus assumptions thrown in against a positive economic future of an independent Scotland - absolute bullshit, but highly political to suit an orchestrated RW attack agenda against us that has been regularly happening for months!!

[hibeejim21]

This has been coming since the Salmond farce i think.... She has run out of road with independence and the policy delivery of the Scots gov under her has been appalling of late.

However, I've always quite admired Sturgeon. I believe she genuinely cares about Scotland and its people and she has for the most part proved a very capable operator politically. Even if her government got things wrong during the pandemic, they still did less wrong than that rotten corrupt shower in Westminster, she at least managed to give the impression of being in charge. I think history will remember her fondly if we gain independence. Her speech basically said 8 years is a long time in politics and it's a rough job, on a personal level what she said made sense.

Honestly don't see any capable replacement leaping out at me. Angus Robertson would be most suitable IMO, but he has mostly been in Westminster. Forbes, Yousaf, Brown and co are total lightweights. Blackford is better as a "attack dog" and does not strike me as a natural leader.

[0762]

If there is a healthy leadership contest gonna unfold, I do regard that as the best way forward for the party. I don't think there has been such a leadership contest since way back in 20004(?). IMO it's a good thing to open it up to the membership and debate re the way forward in the years ahead as we have indeed "run out of road" with indy - the indy movement really needs to be revitalised at a time when more focus should've been concentrated on the campaign for independence in spite of all the distractions with the cost of living crisis, energy poverty, austerity etc - very challenging times for people in this country!

[0762]

The new First Minister TBA on 27 March (the day of the votes count) - a fairly long turnaround for a hugely important role in leading Scotland through a continuous undemocratic Unionist assault on Scottish democracy and our democratically elected govt, dealing with the many intractable issues/crises at the current time and also revitalising and leading the Scotindy movement in the quest to deliver self-determination in the face of an autocratic Brit govt that continues to "put up barriers" to stop the constitutional issue ever being redressed in a proper grown-up way. IMO the Scottish National Assembly, the same one that was abandoned by the SNP in 2018, should be re-convened asap. It has been formally recognised to be re-established last year - time to stop procrastinating and do it! It will bring together the grassroots members/leaders of Scotindy and govt ministers to debate many of the issues and concerns that really need to be thrashed out on a regular basis.

[0762]

Angus Robertson not running for this top FM role, John Swinney, Keith Brown the same - IT'S ALREADY LEFT AN OPEN ROAD FOR KATE FORBES!! Now lets await the toxic Unionist RW press/media bastards (incl the BBC) from England trying to destroy her eh!! To the Scot readers and contributors, one searching question to ask is, "How long will we continue to passively watch and endure this totally unacceptable and undemocratic representation of an extreme political shitfest against our govt and democratically elected members of parliament"??? Do we really put up with this shitfest from these colluding c#### any longer??????????? I'd argue many other sovereign countries throughout Europe and elsewhere would seriously not be tolerating this interfering nonsense any more and for good reason!!!

[0762]

https://www.believeinscotland.org/scotla...ve-report/

Scotland's poverty rate confirmed by the Rowntree Foundation 20% lower than in England. Lotsa reasons for this including the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, the Scottish Child Payment Scheme and other measures to try to mitigate the impact of the cost of living and energy crisis on poor and vulnerable groups within the populace.
Meanwhile, Scottish business leaders are speaking out in ever stronger terms as they count the cost of a hard Brexit Scotland didn’t vote for. In one example, the President of the National Farmers Union of Scotland recently warned the whole industry was under threat of being wiped out due to this hard Brexit deal and I remember how cosy the NFU has been for years n years with the Tories - silly people!! Ditto with the fishing industry up here!!

[0762]

Angus Robertson not running for this top FM role, Keith Brown the same - IT'S ALREADY LEFT AN OPEN ROAD FOR KATE FORBES!! Now lets await the toxic Unionist RW press/media bastards (incl the BBC) from England trying to destroy her eh!! To the Scot readers and contributors, one searching question to ask is, "How long will we continue to passively watch and endure this totally unacceptable and undemocratic representation of an extreme political shitfest against our govt and democratically elected members of parliament"??? Do we really put up with this shitfest from these colluding c#### any longer??????????? I'd argue many other sovereign countries throughout Europe and elsewhere would seriously not be tolerating this interfering nonsense any more and for good reason!!!

And "true to form", the BBC preying on Kate Forbes' religious attachment as it is well known (not new info!) she is a member of the Free Church of Scotland. The BBC cutely "asking the question" as though it needs to be asked of the people up here - a very dangerous road to take IMO when suddenly scrutinising someone's religious identity while not doing similar to other contenders!!? Indeed, I can't recall such scrutiny ever being applied to anyone in general elections back to the year dot!!! They clearly don't want Forbes in pole position while favourably reporting on others who they would like in situ who they perceive would weaken the SNP/Scot govt - an absolutely despicable practise deployed by an organisation that millions of Scots sussed out years ago when it comes to the brazen, toxic methods they use in applying their biased, driven political agenda up here to suit Unionist-Brit govt demands.