[kreuzberger]

I heard on The World Tonight - an absolutely tremendous episode, by the way - that John Swinney has thrown his hat out of the ring.

Has all the charisma of several people who just left the room, so there is relief that he is not going to lead Scotland in to an era which may well feature another independence campaign.

Angus Robertson is said to be in the box-seat now but my preference would be that his tenure paves the way for the delightfully pugnacious and smart-as-fuck Mhairi Black.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Bad polls for Yes/SNP.

Labour have doubtless been even more reckless than they were yesterday. Perhaps, without Sturgeon's popularity, the polls go back to what you expect for the government with their not very good ratings. But perhaps there are lots of people who can do what Sturgeon did- ie effectively be in government and opposition at the same time? It'll be hard to do it as well, sure, but it's not an impossible job.

[Arrowhead]

Labour seem a bit hubristic. I think it's a tall order to get even the seats they won in 2017 back, even if they consolidate Unionist votes like they seem to be doing.

Yeah, some of these reactions seem very wide of the mark to me, although they appear to be coming from the commentariat rather than Labour from what I can tell. If a voter supports Scottish independence then they will vote SNP, regardless of whoever the leader is - and there are a huge number of such voters more than there were prior to 2014. Sturgeon standing down may just about swing an extra marginal seat or two in favour of Scottish Labour, but nothing more than that I suspect.

There are certain seats which were LAB until 2015 where they are now miles behind: in Edinburgh South West (where Alistair Darling was MP) Labour have slipped to 3rd place with just 14% of the vote. And there are plenty more examples of that sort of pattern elsewhere.

Scottish Labour will have had a great night at the next GE if they someow manage to scramble their way back up to ten or so seats, and even then they'd need to spring the odd surprise (Na h-Eileanan an Iar for example).

[Tubby Isaacs]

Looking like that poll was an outlier.

[Youngian]

The Rev Kate Jolly is like Angela Merkel not Tim Farron tied up in knots

[Tubby Isaacs]

She said her faith was against sex outside marriage, but she managed to avoid the word "sin" like Farron didn't, But I reckon she's going to get pinned down at some point.

[Abernathy]

They'd be bonkers to elect a puritanical god-botherer like her. Even though Blair is also a bit of a god-botherer, Alastair Campbell was right to assert that "We don't do god".

[kreuzberger]

Ku Klux Katie, Biggie McBigotface, seems to have reached her peak today and is destined, for ever more, to not be putting out her washing or having a wank on a Sunday.

Good fucking riddance to this wee goblin.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Is there going to be another entrant at the last minute? This seems like a rather underwhelming field.

[mattomac]

Ku Klux Katie, Biggie McBigotface, seems to have reached her peak today and is destined, for ever more, to not be putting out her washing or having a wank on a Sunday.

Good fucking riddance to this wee goblin.

I am looking forward to tomorrows statement, she could potentially have avoided a fair bit of this if she had made it clear that politics is separate from Church.

But the issue with this kind of religious fuckwit is that they can’t. It makes them totally unsuitable to lead from the off.

[Abernathy]

She has basically declared herself to be a homophobic bigot who regards gay people as lesser humans, undeserving of equal treatment under the law.

I cannot see how such a position can be remotely sustainable in someone who aspires to leadership in the 21st century.

[Oboogie]

And this on the back of the SNP losing Sturgeon, at least in part, due to the row about GRCs in which the SNP leadership was simultaneously accused of transphobia and misogyny. SNP MSPs can't be relishing the prospect of having to defend their party against accusations of homophobia as well.

[Watchman]

And we can see the effect such “beliefs” are having in NI

[Youngian]

If Runrig and Big Country’s guitarists were observing Toni Iommi they didn’t learn much, should have gone to Specsavers (other better opticians are available).

[Yug]

... Value systems inform not dictate...

Except where the value system in question is religious dogma. Then it very much *does* dictate the person's thinking.



Other examples of why the quoted statement is rubbish are available. This is just one pertinent to the value system of the person under discussion.

[Andy McDandy]

Pete Wishart, the Big Country member, and yes, we do remember.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

In fact may confer a 'duty' to enact legislation suited to the superstition of choice.

See the USA and attempts to breach the constitutional principle of separation of church and state.

[Youngian]

She has basically declared herself to be a homophobic bigot who regards gay people as lesser humans, undeserving of equal treatment under the law.

I cannot see how such a position can be remotely sustainable in someone who aspires to leadership in the 21st century.

‘My faith is being attacked,’ is a cop out by Forbes. It’s of little relevance whether her views were influenced by God or Alf Garnett, the outcomes are the same.

[Andy McDandy]

I know practising Christians, Muslims, and Jews (not to mention atheists and people whose faith or lack of is unknown to me) who are utterly chill with the broad spectrum of gender and sexuality. As long as it's legal and everyone involved is consenting, fill your boots. Her 'faith' isn't the issue here.

[Abernathy]

The other thing that is noticeably emerging from the woodwork around Forbes' admission of homophobic bigotry is the same "breath of fresh air" bollocks that we see being trotted out in respect of Lee Anderson MP. It goes something like this : "All she was doing was giving an honest answer to a straight question - something that so many politicians these days fail to do." For this she allegedly deserves credit. You hear this sanctimonious shite coming from people that want Boris Johnson back as Prime Minister, for pity's sake.

This woman should not be within an inch of actual power.