[Abernathy]

So the declared contenders thus far are:

Kate Forbes : Stalwart of the Wee Frees , self-declared homophobe & bigot.

Humza Yusaf : Current Health Minister in the Scottish government, in which post he has not exactly covered himself in glory (check the state of the NHS in Scotland).

Ash Regan : Relatively new politician who resigned as a minister over the Gender Recognition (Scotland) Act last year.

Not exactly an inspirational line-up. I guess there’s still time for more candidates to declare, but I’m fucked if I know who they might be.

On the bright side, I can only see Sturgeon’s departure as benefitting Labour’s chances of recovering a decent number of Scottish seats.

[mattomac]

They are appallingly poor.

I can only think Forbes is trying to pave the way for Ash Regan to be seen as a moderate. Regan might be able to keep it about together but Forbes won’t. Greens will want out and there isn’t many people now around who think gay marriage is an issue, basically the Liberal wing will splinter, it really is a test to see what the party effectively is.

A single issue has dominated the party and country for far longer than it has been useful, the Tories are starting to see it with Europe.

The only winner from this would be Anas Sarwar the Labour leader.

[Arrowhead]

Rumour is that one of the SNP Westminster contingent may throw their hat in the ring at the last minute.

Not sure who that might be - Mhairi Black, perhaps? Ian Blackford would’ve been an obvious contender at one stage, but not anymore I suppose.

[Abernathy]

Rumour is that one of the SNP Westminster contingent may throw their hat in the ring at the last minute.

Not sure who that might be - Mhairi Black, perhaps? Ian Blackford would’ve been an obvious contender at one stage, but not anymore I suppose.

Blackford, like Forbes, is also a "Wee Free" - a member of the Free Church of Scotland - and may harbour views similar to those of Forbes on equal marriage, though he has sensibly never aired such views in public. In any case, I think he has already ruled himself out.

I don't think Black has the cojones, or the credibility, to go for it.

[Samanfur]

Given that she was seriously contemplating standing down at the last GE, I'd doubt that she'd want it.

[Bones McCoy]

This morning Forbes, or the Tories who want Forbes (It wasn't clear which) are busy playing the

I'm entitled to my views and should be debarred from public life on account of them.

Card.


Does it bear much analysis?

Can a person with fundamentalist approach to Calvin's "elect" justly represent all their members without playing favourites?
It's a difficult one, Ian Paisley Sr. was praised for representing all his constituents despite his bigoted image.
He's also something of an exception with his community in receiving that praise.

Can somebody with such socially conservative views represent the current trajectory of the SNP?
I'm sure the SNP still include a number of traditional "Tartan Tories" in their ranks.
I think they're eccentric exceptions, Conservatism and the Independence movement having parted ways several decades back.

Is she getting a sympathetic hearing because she's the Tories favoured candidate?
You may think that.
That's entirely a matter for you.

[Andy McDandy]

She's entitled to her views, but she's not entitled to a role in public life. If her views offend enough people, she will be voted out.

Also, her views are, what with her being a public figure, up for discussion. Especially if they might impact on how she carries out her publicly funded job. Also, others are entitled to challenge her views.

On that basic level of idiocy and unawareness of how her own job works, she should be put in the corner with some crayons to chew.

[Tubby Isaacs]

She's actually worse than Tim Farron who managed not to mention sex outside of marriage.

[Abernathy]

It’s not just Forbes’ self-admitted homophobic bigotry that grates. She comes across as being none too bright, and even a bit stupid. Maybe it’s my own long-standing view of people who espouse and propagate myth and superstition as a road-map for human society as necessarily a bit thick, but Forbes, by comparison to the obviously formidably intelligent Sturgeon, definitely seems to be a couple of cards short of a full deck. Quite difficult to comprehend how she comes to believe that she is fit to lead, and how she has garnered support for her leadership bid (though not hard to understand why that support is falling away following the declaration of homophobia). It’s almost, dare I say it, quite Trussian (to coin an adjective).

[Youngian]

Fear not Kate, the cavalry’s arrived; the Judean Peoples Front Suicide Squad

[Spoonman]

Ms. Forbes is perfectly entitled to hold the religious beliefs she has. At the same time, those with the power to elect a new SNP leader & the electorate at large can decide wherever the beliefs she holds are either compatible or likely to cause undesirable policies/outcomes down the line for the political office role(s) she seeks.

That's fairly simple on its own, but I wonder if Grimes or Badenoch give the same leeway to all shades of religious & political thoughts willing to participate in a mainstream Western European democracy? Given past form by themselves and whom they travel with, I doubt it.

[Andy McDandy]

Mainstream being the key word there. As long as you brand it mainstream, it's OK. Bit like commentators in 2017 lining up to describe Arlene Phillips as a "perfectly normal unionist with many ideas shared by the bulk of conservative voters".

[Spoonman]

Mainstream being the key word there. As long as you brand it mainstream, it's OK. Bit like commentators in 2017 lining up to describe Arlene Phillips as a "perfectly normal unionist with many ideas shared by the bulk of conservative voters".

I assume you mean Arlene Foster and not the choreographer & former SCD judge?

If so, Foster herself is Church of Ireland, therefore Anglican. Still quite an unpleasant woman tho'.

[Andy McDandy]

Yes, Foster. My bad.

But yeah, you had all manner of cunts crawling out of the woodwork saying that the DUP stance on abortion, gay rights etc was perfectly normal. Right up until the Tories didn't need them any more.

[Spoonman]

To be fair, I'd imagine that there are quite a few otherwise "mainstream" people in Britain that would regard the moral stances of the DUP as being perfectly normal - a small but noisy minority, mind, often seen in the comments section of the M**l & E*press as well as elsewhere.

What 2017 did display though was the large disconnect between the public & political classes of GB & NI where the DUP had to be effectively "introduced" to GB audiences. Though that did nothing to change the perception that the DUP's idea of Britishness was alien to most of GB outside of the west of Scotland.

But going back to Ms. Forbes, she's essentially in a position where should she become the next SNP leader, she'd ultimately have to moderate her public positions for the benefit of her party otherwise all hell will break loose - there's (from what I see) no chance of the Free Presbyterian CoS making an infiltration/takeover of the party, as opposed to the DUP which essentially was an outgrowth of the political wing of a similarly evangelical Calvinist sect.

[Bones McCoy]

Fear not Kate, the cavalry’s arrived; the Judean Peoples Front Suicide Squad

Poor old Crafty.
Hoping that a bit of grovelling means they'll come for him last.

[Bones McCoy]

It's a weird thing with these Calvinists.

Back in their places of origin, they're among the most tolerant of denominations.
Transplant then into a new location and it's like feeding your gremlin after midnight, in a swimming pool.

[Andy McDandy]

Nothing to see here, move on.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Forbes's campaign won't be helped by Badenoch showing up for her.

I've no idea what "protecting" she thinks she's doing there. Or indeed what "protecting" would even involve in this context. It's just a cheap political shot at SNP members.

[Yug]

Kemi Badenoch probably looks up to Alexander Stewart and aspires to be like him

The Wolf of Badenoch - Scotland's vilest man?

He was known as the Wolf of Badenoch - or sometimes the Celtic Attila.

The cruel rampages of Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan, were deadly - and his appetite for destruction of his foes simply terrifying...

https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts- ... man-647369